#damn these are great customizations OP!!!

[halcyone-of-the-sea]

Hello! I've read your soap and price fics and you are amazing!!!

I had an idea for a fic for Ghost. The reader would be Soaps slightly older sister who isnt like Johnny at all. Im thinking she either picks up soap from base after an op or from the bar. I'll leave alot of this up to you but i just wanna see Soaps Sister meeting Ghost!!

Brother's Coworker

PAIRING: Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Soap's Sister!Reader

SYNOPSIS: In the dim illumination of the streetlights, Ghost lays eyes on a woman leaning against the body of a vintage Hillman Imp.

WORDCOUNT: 4.2k

WARNINGS: Little bit of angst, but mostly fluff and pre-relationship pining, loads of sibling banter, conflicting emotions, etc.

A/N: Finally able to use my sibling experiences for a fic lmfao, enjoy!

*I do not give others permission to translate and/or re-publish my works on this or any other platform*

The woman was leaning against the body of a vintage Hillman Imp, the custom color a deep forest green along the sides and a cream white coating the upper third. Ghost stared at her as the rest of the men filed out of the bar one after the other—Johnny and Gaz being especially loud. He blinks slowly, hands inside his blackened pockets.

Across the way, your ears perk slowly at the sound of rapturous shouts, but you only continue to look down the sidewalk at the long illuminations of street lamps and the glints of broken bottles on the ground. Over your chest, your hands shift in their hold on your biceps, your thin jacket crinkling. Light dances in your irises.

“Oi, is that who I think it is?!” Familiar Scottish drawl brings a smirk to your face, and you turn slowly to huff, snapping out of your silent thoughts. 

“Who else would it be, ya bloody git,” your voice carries, but it lacks the sheer volume of your brother’s; the great boom that reminds you of the bombs he’d used to make out of your mother’s hair spray bottles. 

Never a dull day in your childhood home, really.

“‘Bout gave me a heart attack, not answerin’ my calls like that!” Johnny laughs loudly, obviously drunk, and stumbles over merrily. You’re taken into a chest-breaking hug in mere moments, leaving you squirming with a deep grunt. “Should have your head, MacTavish.” You manage to squeak out, “Put me the fuck down, you horror. And what in the hell have you done to your hair?!”

“Oh, my dear sister.” Your brother lets you go as the three other men slink over, amused with the scene but some momentarily confused by the sudden introduction. Gaz laughs, and the Captain huffs a chuckle before fixing the position of his beanie on his head. 

Ghost, as always, chooses to watch like a looming shadow above the rest. 

Johnny puts a hand to his chest, the other remaining on your shoulder, “You wound me. Such cruelty stuck in your black soul; I say now, mother was always right—”

You smack the side of his head and Johnny grunts. 

“Ow!” He yells, glaring at you. “What the fuck?!” 

“Open your mouth again and I’ll wring you out, you arse. You know I will.” Grumbling, the Scot rubs the side of his head as you raise a brow at him. The stare-off lasts for a decent bit, and before the rest of the group knows what’s going on, the two of you are embracing each other once more; laughing loudly. 

Ghost’s eyebrows pull in slowly.

“Ah, it’s good to be back!” Johnny chuckles, holding you close as you pat his back.

“Of course, I’d find my kid brother at a damn pub on his first day home.” Taking a step away from the hulk of a boy, you brush down your shirt and jacket with a scoff. Looking up, you come to face the remaining men with an exasperated look. “He’s full of shite half the time, y’know, now. Can’t imagine what he puts you all through.”

“Bloody hell, Soap, you were holding out on us,” Gaz chuckles loudly, sticking out a hand for you to shake while he glances at the mohawked Scot who looks giddy despite being insulted by who’s very obviously his older sister. “Never knew you had siblings, Mate.” You take the man’s hand as he smiles brightly at you. 

“Kyle.” He says, and you beam back, “But Gaz’ll do just fine.”

“A pleasure,” your voice carries to John who you raise a brow at teasingly. “Well, look who the Reaper’s yet to drag down…Good to see you again, Captain.”

Price shakes his head, a smirk peeling his lips as Gaz steps back. 

“Still on that land of yours, then, Love?” The brunette asks gruffly, leaning back on his heels for a moment while you sag your side into Johnny’s arm. Your brother scoffs and loops his limb over the bridge of your shoulders as you nod. 

“You know it. Proper quiet when the neighbors aren’t up to a ruckus racin’ down the streets. Christ, those kids are devils—worse than Johnny and I when we were young.”

“Now that’s hard to believe, eh?” The man beside you laughs through his slurred words and you roll your eyes. 

Chuckling in return, you blink, spying on the intent black figure behind everyone else. Piercing brown eyes dig past flesh like a scalpel while you tilt your head to the side, interest alighting behind your skull. He doesn’t move or even greet you, just looks over you and then turns his attention to the street like a roaming bear would; hell, he certainly could be a bear with how big he was. Bigger than Johnny, even. 

This stranger wears a large brown leather jacket, the hood of his underclothes pulled up to cover most of the pale skin that would otherwise be visible. The long swish of light lashes captures you as you study the way he blinks slowly across the road. On his chin and on the top of his forehead, the fabric of a skeletal-painted balaclava shrouds him. Cargo pants and large black combat boots sit on his feet. 

He stands like a statue. 

“Who’s this then?” You call easily, and those eyes travel back to you even as the head doesn’t. It’s strange the way you seem to brush aside the blatant intimidation he exudes simply by standing.

“Ah,” John grunts, chuckling, before stepping to the side. “Simon, introduce yourself.” 

A low voice lowly wafts after a moment to silence, Manchester accent spearing you in the ears with its rough make-up, “Ghost.” 

You blink over at the Captain, but he just shakes his head and you move on. Johnny chuckles and whispers to you, “Don’t mind ‘em, Lt’s a bit rough around the edges.”

Plastering on a polite smile, your chin moves in a nod, “Pleasure to meet you, Ghost. Good to know the other two who look after Johnny out there.” The man beside you feels his face burn, free hand going to itch at his neck.

Ghost grunts and shrugs off the veiled praise, large muscles stiff.

“You’re actin’ like I’m not the one savin’ their skins half the time,” Gaz interjects on the Scot’s point.

“Is that what you call it?” You share an amused glance at John. 

Though, your eyes always sway back to Ghost, or Simon, depending on who you ask. He listens to the chatter, obviously, but he seems much more content to only stay with his hands inside of his pockets and study the street for...what exactly? The beast wasn’t shy, no, just…silent. If you didn’t know better you’d call him aggressively casual with the way his shoulders sit.

Stance relaxed but the underlying threat was palpable on the wind. Like a wolf rubbing his cheeks on the ancient trees of his territory. ‘Don’t do anything stupid,’ - it seems his very DNA states that.

Brown eyes suddenly lock with your own as if snapping into place and before you can release a squeak of alarm, you swiftly dart your gaze away back to the arguing Sergeants; face burning.

Christ, how long had you been staring at him?

“Alright, you two, ease off it!” Trying to distract yourself, you wave a hand. “You’re both too drunk to be gettin’ into street fights at this hour. Johnny, into the car ya fool.” 

Your brother slashes you with a grin.

“Fuckin’ finally, a decent bed!” It was tradition to give Johnny the spare room when he was back home—proper meals. 

“You’re callin’ mother, y’know.” You unlock your car and motion to the passenger seat with a frown. “I dinnae care if you’re trapped for hours—give the woman a rest of all her worrying.” 

“You heard the woman, Sergeant,” John forces the gravel out of his throat, rubbing at his beard. Something hits your chest as your brother opens his door as you stand in the cold. You glance at each man in turn; eyebrows pulling in with thought.

“Ah, what the hell,” your voice huffs out. Ghost watches you closely, blinking as he lifts a hand to itch at his neck from under his hood. The leather jacket crumples with tiny shifts of worn-out material. 

“Don’t suppose you boys need any good beds to rest your heads on for the night?” Wiggling your keys, you pat the top of your Hillman as you slide to the driver's side. Johnny slinks inside his own and chuckles as he closes the barrier with a careful thunk. 

“Hospitality finally leakin’ in?”

“Next time I hit ya,” you send him a bland look, “I’ll aim for the neck.” Fake flinching towards him, the man squeaks and snaps quickly back into the car door as you snicker lively. 

“Beast!” Johnny exclaims. You roll your eyes and shimmy down the window behind him, calling out as the rest share glances.

“Get in if you’re comin’ over! If not all the food I made yesterday’ll go to waste!” That seemed to get Gaz into the back, with only Price and Simon left behind. 

Brown meets blue and John’s beard pulls back with a smirk. He clears his throat, “Well, I’m not one to spit in her face.” The Captain walks over and grunts as he bends down. 

Ghost sighs under his breath and follows, impartial as to where this night is going. He wouldn’t sleep tonight, no doubt. The hard and unforgiving beds on base were the only things he could rest on now save the ground. And food? He could go without food for days.

Though, being Johnny’s sister bought you some favor, trust wasn’t something that Simon gave around freely. But the car you drove was nice, and the company of his Task Force was easy to basque in until they shipped out again. 

Simon sits down on the refurbished seat and softly closes the door behind him. Dead-eyed, he stares at Johnny’s headrest as you glance at him from the rearview mirror—seeing his shoulder dig into the glass of the window. 

You shove down a joke and hum. “Good, then, it’ll free my fridge at the very least.” 

“Thank you, Ma’am,” Gaz offers as you start up the engine, “it’s awfully nice of you to do this for us.”

“Ah,” Simon hears you dismiss as he turns to stare out of the window; so often feeling his gaze drawn back to you as a leaf attached to a tree might act. “Don’t worry your head about it. I like the company.” 

“Aye, just how she is,” Johnny says earnestly. “Was always the one to let me over with my pals when the football games were over—’cept we were usually covered in mud.”

“I’m still finding grass in my rugs, Johnny Boy,” you mumble, focusing on the road as a slight squeaking emanates from the front of the car. Simon picks up on it easily, not preoccupied with speaking. He glances at you but mentions nothing beyond a shuffling of his thighs. 

Outside the land slides past in shades of verdant green and gray as the town falls away. 

He was confused, rightly. You’d seen his standoffish nature but had chosen to extend hospitality as the old Greeks did just off a growl of his name. But maybe it was just because he was your brother’s coworker. 

Simon grunts to himself and rubs at his wrist. Throughout the ride, the two of you would glance at each other and try to forget that you had; when the long driveway of a large secluded home expands out above the car, Gaz whistles lowly.

“Bloody hell, Ma’am,” he states and John chuckles. You easily smile and roll your eyes. 

“Trust me, it was more work than it was worth.” Ghost’s attention is slightly peaked.

“You worked on it?” His tone implies he doesn’t care, but his eyes gore into the mirror to lock with your own. Blinking in surprise, even the others seem to be taken aback by the man's lack of venom in his speech. 

Ghost wasn’t afraid to speak his mind when he needed to, but he didn’t do mindless chatter. Your eyes cycle between the driveway and the masked Brit before you clear your throat. Johnny glances at you with a raised brow, slight confusion in his brows. 

“Mostly—left the nasty bits to people more knowledgeable than I am, but I did most of the grunt work, eh?” Simon hums as the car pulls to a stop inside the garage, eyes not leaving the back of your head. 

Your neck bristles at the sensation of unrelenting contact, but the burning that joins it is telltale. Licking your lips you twist the keys out and quickly shuffle out of the door to dispel the electricity in the air. 

“Alright,” you say, “out. All of ya…Johnny, you’ll be helping me with the bedding.” 

A groan is cut by an unimpressed glare. “...Yes, Ma’am.”

You huff and smirk. 

“Trainin’ him well I see,” teasing John as they all file out of the car, he shakes his head at the two of you as Simon scoffs. Gaz openly laughs as Soap’s offended look grows. 

You all enter the house as you direct them to the kitchen after they’ve taken off their boots and hung their jackets. “It’s all in the fridge, heat what you want, and don’t bother fightin’ Johnny if he takes too much. Tell me and I’ll make him sleep in the back near the chickens.” Your voice tells them as you pat your brother on the shoulder. 

Johnny grumbles and kisses the top of your head. “You’re horrible to me,” He jokes but his eyes shimmer with affection. As you leave to get a head start on the rooms, you smile and call out to him.

“That’s my job!” 

Backing out into the hallway, you leave with a deep well of happiness in you. You don’t even realize that the party had only contained three men instead of four until you’re in the linen closet and a shadow suddenly blacks out the light from the bulbs. Jumping slightly, your head swivels as you carry very many sheets and pillowcases in your grip. 

“Oh,” you mumble through cotton, smile growing as the flip in your stomach does, “Ghost! Done eating already?” 

The man is still and silent as he glances from your face to the sheets. Without a word, he halves the load and steals them as your jaw loosens in shock.

“Johnny’s outside callin’ your mum.” Ghost turns and walks out, but waits for you in the hallway to be directed. 

You push down the tightness to your throat and see the man’s feet shift on the hardwood. He looks funny, such a big man carrying bed sheets. His actions make your heart speed up. Brown eyes blink at you like a cat. 

“Well,” you chuckle, “always was one to get out of housework.” Trying a smidge more, you shift past him and turn off the light. “His barracks room dirty?”

“Pigsty.” Simon blandly states, walking slightly behind you. Your pace slows so you can stay beside him. He side-eyes you but says nothing. 

Leaning in slightly, you quip as Ghost tenses, “Can’t say I’m surprised. The man’s used to me bailin’ him out.” Chuckling, you go into the first bedroom and put everything on the bed. 

Simon grabs the pillows and starts to dress them quickly and efficiently. 

“But thank you,” you say, and the Brit pauses to look up at you, something swirling in his murky gaze. Earnestly, you tilt your head with a smile. “Ya can go back and eat more if you want. No need to help—you’re a guest.”

“Not hungry,” is all he answers, and gets back to work. You watch for a moment, perplexed, but not at all about to deny the assistance. A genuine grin twitches your lips. 

“Johnny writes about you, y’know,” your fingers pull at the fabric and you chuckle as Ghost’s incredulous look turns to you—face hidden but confusion is obviously seen. “Says he looks up to you quite a bit; something about Mexico.” 

Your face dips slightly, and Simon’s body stills. Along the pillow, his grip carefully tightens. He can’t find it in himself to walk out of the door and stand outside even if he knows he should. 

“I really can’t imagine what it’s like,” you mutter, shaking your head. Gazing at him, you study his wound muscles and secret flesh like a tapestry—wondering if he hides himself because of the safe anonymity or a sense of numb fear. 

He wouldn’t admit to either, you know. But something about Simon had captured your attention and now you had a face, or just a body really, to put to the written name like a puzzle piece. 

You take a long breath, “But you’ll never know how grateful I am.” 

By the way his chest stops moving and his body goes frozen, you think you hit something inside of him; the minute widening of his eyelids like pedals opening in the light. Simon peers at your expression, his eyes sliding from one point to another. 

Like he can’t really pinpoint what you want. 

Ironic really, because you didn’t want anything. 

“Don’t thank me,” is what he settles on, moving back to the pillow as if your words hadn’t stabbed him. “Johnny knows what he’s doing.”

Your small snort enters the air above the sliding sheets. “There’s no argument there.” A sigh echoes as you finish up, putting your hands on your hips. Across the bed, you two stare as Simon tosses down the pillows. The remainder of the sheets sit on the end of the bed. 

The man’s eyes narrow on you, and he clenches his jaw under his balaclava. 

“The only thing that I do know is that every time my brother comes back he smiles less than he did before.” You side-eye him seriously as you move. “I can only guess what all of it does to the others who don’t have anyone else to go back to.”

Simon’s breath halts in his chest before he finds the means to take down a slow inhale. Brown eyes glare intently, jaw tight, but it’s not the fire that gets to you…it’s the lack thereof.

Ghost doesn’t like this feeling, and your candidness was something he hadn’t expected.

“So,” you drawl, “I’m thanking you for giving him someone to joke around with—a distraction,” a teasing smirk, “no matter how blunt.” 

“I just told you—”

“Well, I don’t bloody care, do I?” Huffing, you smirk and tip your head back before snatching the rest of the sheets. “C’mon, we have three more rooms.” 

Simon watches you leave and tries to fight the rampage in his chest; the merciless slam of his heart to his ribcage. What had you done to him? A hand comes up and rubs into the bridge of his nose, fingers heavy and tight. 

What in the hell was going on? 

Growling under his breath, Ghost stalks out of the room only to see your back disappear into the next. In the hallway, he takes a long inhale and closes his eyes to steady himself. 

“Fuckin’ hell,” the man grunts. The tension in his shoulders was plainly visible. 

For the remainder of the room, Ghost would send you tight glances as he worked but didn’t utter another peep. You had taken his voice, or what little left of it there was. 

In many ways, you were like your loudmouth brother—your snark and your stubbornness. But you were different too. 

He feels his eyes trail down your form slowly from time to time. Capable; hardy. Simon blinked away and grunted under his breath aggressively. 

When everyone was done with their food and Johnny had come back in from his call to his mother, with a soft smile on his face, you knew it was time for bed. 

“Alright,” you strut into the kitchen with Ghost on your heels—his large arms crossed over his chest as he caught Soap's intense stare. The Lieutenant's brow raises, but Johnny only frowns in conspiracy before he looks over to you and itches at his chin. “Beds are made. You can all thank Simon for that, seein’ as Johnny used our mother as an excuse yet again.”

“And she was very pleased to hear from me!” Your brother points to you.

“She’s our mother,” you deadpan, “It’s her job to be, ya arse-face.” 

The boys all follow you down the halls as you point to the rooms. Gaz shakes your hand again and gives you a tiny hug in thanks while John pats your shoulder and calls a soft, “Goodnight, Sweetheart.” 

Both close their doors and you hear the large sighs through the wood. You have to wonder when they’d had a good bed to sleep on and a good meal. Last was your brother and Ghost, the latter of which kisses your head and hugs you tightly. 

“It’s good to see you, truly. Been missing you, little Hen. Thanks for lettin’ me over all the time when I’m home.” You melt and grip his shirt. 

“You’ll always have a place here, you know that. One call away…Now go to sleep. You smell like a pub.” He lightly chuckles against you. With a bond this tight, the two of you never had to say that you loved each other—it was just known.

Johnny squeezes you one last time before pulling away and slinking into his room, giving an unrecognizable glance to Ghost on his way in before the barrier slips into place with a quiet thunk of wood. The two of you look at and stare for a moment. 

“Lucky you,” your voice is quiet but easy to hear, “you get the room with a view of the field.” 

“Color me surprised,” he mutters, not looking enthusiastic. Against the tone, the look makes your mouth jerk in a laugh, and you cover your lips after a moment. 

Simon’s eyes unconsciously soften. 

You wave a hand, chest light, “Let’s go then, you brute.”

“Brute?” Simon grumbles, “Gettin’ familiar?” 

“Please,” you shake your head and walk to the last door in this section of the house. “You all became familiar the second we met.” 

The man rolls his eyes but has his smirk hidden as you open the door for him. He tilts his head in thanks and strolls inside.

You hum, crossing your arms ahead of you and leaning on the doorframe as he looks around, “Don’t think too much over it… The baseline is, you’ll always have a bed here if you need it.” 

Ghost slips out, “What are you? Bloody boarding house?” The swelling in his chest made his words harsher than intended, but you just smile cheekily at him as eyes lock.

“Hell’s bells, if you want ta’ get me a business card just go ahead and print ‘em off already. I’ve no problem with it.” He stares and you laugh, shrugging. “Makes me feel good.”

Splaying your hands, you back out. 

“I know you probably won’t sleep,” Simon pauses, feeling caught but not showing it. “Libraries down the hall—if you smoke, use the back door. Kitchen is free game.”  

“Why?” He asks and you blink, confused.

“Well, why not?” Simon glares.

“You shouldn’t trust people like that.” A loud laugh echoes and makes the man annoyed with you.

“Simon,” you say, and he finds himself hanging on every word that falls from your lips in the moonlight. “Not everyone is out to get you. If you’re friends of Johnny’s, then you’re friends of mine. That boy can sniff a cheat faster than a hound can find a hare.” Perhaps it was the way his shoulders went back at that, or how his brows loosened, but you finish off with a soft explanation. “You’re safe under this roof.”

You wondered, not for that last time that night, if he’d ever been told that. From how his balaclava moved with a sharp jerk of his jaw, you assumed never. It made your lungs hurt. 

With a few more seconds of quiet gazing you nod and move back. 

“Goodnight, Simon.” You leave him staring at the door as you close it—eyes boring into the grain so harshly they might catch fire. 

Ghost doesn’t know how long he stays like that, but his ears twitch at the echo of running water and soundless footsteps. He should leave, he tells himself; this is dangerous, a voice hisses. It’s not safe here, how could it be? There were no guards—no weapons. If someone were to sneak in there wouldn’t be an alarm. 

A secluded home. Nothing around. 

Then why had your words seeped into him?

“You’re safe under this roof.” Simon closes his eyes harshly.

—

In the morning once everyone’s gone back to the base, you admit you don’t know if you’ll see Simon again; you probably won’t. But you find that you can live with that. The memory of his loosening tension is all you need to feel special in your own right. Those brown eyes that, if but for a moment, had bled so effortlessly feelings of something other than blood and death. 

As you sigh a dreamy chuckle to yourself, you get ready for the day before heading to your Hillman. The silent drive to work joins with the strange mix of weight and levitation to your chest. But halfway into town, it hits you. 

Silent.

There is an obvious lack of squeaking from under the hood of your car as you slide along the countryside. 

The smile doesn’t leave your face for weeks.

TAGS:

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#cod #cod x reader #cod x you #cod mw22 #mw2 #call of duty #mw2 2022 #call of duty mw2 #x female reader #simon riley #simon ghost riley #simon ghost x reader #cod fanfic #cod simon riley #cod simon ghost riley #cod ghost #ghost cod #ghost mw2 #cod mw2 #ghost x reader #ghost x you #cod x female reader #x fem!reader #call of duty x you #call of duty x reader #mw2 x reader #mw2 fanfic #modern warfare x you #modern warfare x reader

[bleachbleachbleach]

You can't kill my vibe

Like many others, I have been both enchanted and intrigued by the new TYBW opening theme song, "Stars." It has everything! Modern living world fashion! Coffee shop AU! Karaoke sing off! But I think the thing that has really captured everyone’s attention is whatever the hell Ichigo is doing with that guitar.

[TYBW OP 2]

At first glance there’s some things we can infer. Ichigo’s zanpakutou has been reforged and now he’s a dual wielder. He absolutely has no idea what he’s doing and needs to relearn how to use his sword, so of course he’s going to be clumsy and awkward in the beginning. But if Ichigo has one thing going for him, it’s gonna be his ability to just Square Peg Round Hole his way through any situation. No technique needed, if you can blunt force trauma your way through.

Notably, there are very few characters in Bleach with multiple swords (Ukitake and Kyouraku) and both of them I think we can go so far as to say have achieved mastery, as they have bankai and are Old (TM). So that’s great! Ichigo has some role models to look up to and can be inducted into the dual-wielder Hall of Fame!

Taking a closer look at the guitar in the OP though, it’s not just any double-neck guitar. Ichigo appears to be holding a Gibson EDS-1275, which is the “coolest guitar in rock” according to the Wikipedia page. While never widely used, the guitar was played by a couple of famous musicians such as Elvis Presley, Steve Miller (Steve Miller Band), Don Felder (Eagles), and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin). I’ll give it to the wiki page, that is pretty damn cool.

[And just for the sake of being thorough: Japanese guitar maker Ibanez produced a double-neck guitar that was based off the Gibson EDS-1275. It looks virtually identical to the Gibson (at least to my untrained eye).]

The Eagles are most famous for their song "Hotel California" and Don Felder famously used a white EDS-1275 for performances of that song. There are lots of various themes and interpretations of "Hotel California", many of which are fun to apply to Ichigo and Bleach. The Eagles vocalist said, “Lyrically, the song deals with traditional or classical themes of conflict: darkness and light, good and evil, youth and age, the spiritual versus the secular. I guess you could say it's a song about loss of innocence” which I think is some interesting fodder to mull on.

BUT! Ichigo is holding a red guitar! And someone else famously had a custom-made, cherry-red EDS-1275. And that someone was Jimmy Page. Page was arguably the one who popularized the EDS-1275, as he famously played it during live performances of "Stairway to Heaven."

[Jimmy Page in 1973]

I don’t have much to say about "Stairway to Heaven" other than it also seems to be a song about death. However, on a very literal sense, the song is about, well, a stairway to heaven. And you know who is ascending into the heavenly skies in TYBW???

[TYBW ep14]

So. Many. Stairs.

#I've connected the dots #B3 you didn't connect shit #I've connected them #I originally thought I was going to go somewhere with this and then I absolutely did not #no brain just bleach #kurosaki ichigo #bleach tybw #bleach meta #bleach anime #shinigamiology #actually is this really shinigamiology? it's about ichigo who is sort of a shinigami #but it's really more about guitars

[fuck-customers]

I lost my cool and legit yelled at a customer today, for the first time in maybe ever (been in retail 6.5 years now). And I’m not even gonna get in trouble because my manager’s amazing.

So first some background: five months ago, corporate took out 6/8 of our registers and gave us 4 self-checkouts (henceforth abbreviated to SCO), leaving us with only two real registers. Also, today I had about five full carriages worth of clearance to put price stickers on as a side task.

So this lady comes up with her kid (kid never said a word, I pass no judgement on her) and says “what, are there no registers open?” but dripping with attitude, a running theme throughout everything she says to me. I’m busy with the clearance, so trying to gently direct people to use SCO so I can keep working on that, so I say “if you’re using SCO, there are four” because no one else was up front. She’s like “where’s the SCO?” and I say “the big white things” and point to the one directly in front of her. Then it’s “I didn’t know you had SCO” “that’s why we’ve got the signs up there” and point to the signs above her head.

And now I guess I’ve pissed her off for not apologizing because she can’t be bothered to use her eyes and brain together. She starts telling me I have a DiSgUsTiNg attitude, and that I seem miserable. Which is when I start yelling, that I AM miserable because I’m SICK. (I always wear a fabric mask at work, but I double-masked today, wearing a medical-grade one under the fabric mask.)

So then she starts going on about how I should be home if I’m sick, and I tell her I have been all week but no one could cover this shift for me (I’m also mostly better now, just occasionally coughing up the leftover junk in my lungs). And she doesn’t wanna hear it, because god forbid I be an actual person and not a retail robot.

(I don’t do well with confrontation, so by this point I’m physically shaking.)

So then she wants a manager. So on the walkie talkie I’m like “[Store Leader] I need you at the front Right Now”. She’s great, all the managers are great, so she hurries up front and takes over. The lady’s now saying she has cash and can’t use the SCO (never mentioning cash before that). So S takes her on a real register while I keep tagging the clearance. And the lady’s telling her my attitude was DiSgUsTiNg, like actually emphasizing it in a way even S was making fun of after. And saying her daughter shouldn’t have to see that on her birthday. (My brain when I heard that: Bitch, you’re the one who STARTED all this by being a cunt for no fucking reason).

But so S finishes up and gets her out, and by then two other managers, L and B, had come up to see what was happening, because they’d heard my yelling and my plea for S to come up right away. As S was ringing the lady up, she asked for my name, which S did give her, but when she and I were telling L and B about what had happened, S said “yeah if she complains to the district manager it’s whatever, he always checks with me about employee complaints”. And S straight up said that if he does call to check about a complaint, she’ll say “oh that’s so weird, OP’s one of my friendliest cashiers [true, my name literally means happy and I am quite the embodiment of it], I can’t imagine she’d do something like that”.

I very much do not recommend trying this course of action, but damn does it feel amazing to be so well backed up by my managers ❤️

Posted by admin Rodney.

[isagrimorie]

Ezri Dax and Kathyrn Janeway meeting, maybe at Starfleet HQ or a conference on leadership and trauma? I think they'd get along in an interesting way. Also what made you love season 3 of Picard?

For the Trek Talks

They meet because Starfleet orders Captain Janeway to report to Ezri Dax for mandatory therapy -- the usual fandom choice is Deanna Troi but Starfleet recognizes that Ezri could be someone they can utilize.

Apart from the enforced leave, Starfleet made it a condition for her promotion that Janeway take mandatory therapy. Janeway does not like this-- if Janeway was already a hard customer for the EMH, Janeway is even a tougher one when it comes to mandatory therapy.

Also, Janeway's initial grumpy kneejerk reaction about Ezri is to get offended that she was assigned a child for therapy.

Ezri recognizes all these of course, and she's not at all intimidated by all the ways Janeway is trying to hack her way out of therapy. Compared to Garak, Janeway is not nearly as slippery as she thinks she is. Also, she has several lifetimes under her belt, but most importantly, Ezri Dax is a damned good therapist.

Eventually, Ezri chips away Janeway's reluctance and they begin to make some headway. Unfortunately, some crisis happens and Janeway is pulled away before she's ready to but Ezri Dax is nothing if not persistent. If the mountain can't go to therapy, therapy will go to the mountain. Or something.

After, they do become great friends but boy, were there some tough things they had to work through to get there.

----

Also, what made you love season 3 of Picard?

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but that flavor of Trek is my exact flavor of Trek. I love the space show, the starship, the Starfleet of it all. I love the full-on minute of ship porn with the swelling music.

I love seeing Seven of Nine finally in uniform. I love a good Bridge crew, I love the pace. The dialogue, I love the complicated messiness of relationships and I got two really great conversational minefields first between Crusher and Picard and next between Ro and Picard. The weight of history between those relationships.

The weight of history between the characters.

The sheer beauty and menace of the Shrike, the SUBMARINE STYLE starship fight-- I'm a sucker for a great submarine-style starship fight.

Amanda Plummer as VADIC. The way she says: "Jean-Luc Picard."

Seven of Nine, in the background manning Ops station, hints that the maintenance and engineering is so well oiled because Seven might not have been in Starfleet in nearly two decades but she slipped back into the same person who would do efficiency reports on EVERYONE.

Voyager slowly but surely returns to Seven after two seasons of Seven not saying anything about Voyager, we finally see the ship, Seven talks about the ship and her crew.

TUVOK AND SEVEN.

It has my whole heart.

The way the Dominion war is set into the bones and DNA of the Federation and Starfleet that it clearly left a mark. The DS9 callbacks, the way the virus idea from Dark Frontier pays off in Federation Day, assimilating people unknowingly. (Because Admiral Janeway fucked up the Borg/Queen so bad they can't even assimilate in the way they usually did).

The promise of tomorrow.

(And from a 12 Monkeys fan -- the very, very blatant 12 Monkeys easter eggs.)

Is it a perfect season? Of course not, no Trek has a Perfect season, it could have benefitted from a few more passes, especially the last half of the season. They could have IMO done a lot more with Seven, especially with the Borg stuff-- it's the same complaint I've had of Picard since season 1.

But I get it -- the show is called Star Trek Picard and not Star Trek Seven of Nine/Legacy. But it should be. Also, 10 episodes aren't enough, and I get how the COVID precautions ate at the budget, that season 2 ate up both production and budgets.

But that's just the nature of the beast of loving a Trek show.

#answered #ussjellyfish #trek talks #star trek #kathryn janeway #ezri dax #star trek picard #seven of nine #tuvok

[lgcmedia]

i’ve been a fan of this youtube channel for the past few weeks and when they dropped two videos this week, i was shocked because in the first video, “the worst customer in a convenience store” i couldn’t stop admiring over the female lead! i thought she was really pretty and a good actress but when i read through the comments, people kept mentioning “SEOHYUN” and i thought it was the name of the character (which wasn’t the case). then in the second video, “[relatable] things attention seekers do”, i saw the comments mentioning legacy entertainment. i put the two together and realized that these videos featured a legacy actress and three of the trainees! 

i thought both of the videos were probably two of my favorites from the channel, but the fact that a channel like this got a chance to hire some people from legacy is just… shocking… 

with a bit of help from my friend, we’ve gathered some details about the four actresses in the two videos! the first one i mentioned was KANG SEOHYUN, who supposedly is under the subsidiary, lgc agency. there isn’t much on her since she joined the subsidiary recently, but after seeing her in the video i’m a fan of hers! i hope she’ll appear in more acting projects since she has a lot of potential! ♡♡

the second person i saw was CHA SORI, who played as SEMI! seeing both the second video and her intro video on legacy’s youtube channel, i’m curious to know whether she’ll continue pursuing the idol path or switch to acting... i personally think she might go with the idol path given her skills, but maybe she’ll be an idol-actor in the end? 

the third person is YU MILAN, who played as SEOHYUN (don’t get it mixed up with the actress, SEOHYUN ㅋㅋ). her character was so damn relatable… ㅠㅠ her acting skills weren’t too bad either, i’d probably say the middle between the three girls in the video but they’re all good in my eyes!! i saw her intro video too and she has such a cute personality! definitely worth one watching for in the future too.

and last but not least, the fourth person is JO SUNHWA, who played as SEOYOUNG. a few of you may have read that one article that was posted over here lately… op wasn’t kidding with SUNHWA’s visuals because my friend was saying how she wishes she was her and i agree. ㅠㅠㅠㅠ i think she was the best in acting next to SEOHYUN since she really shined in the video? i hope she continues to the acting path, but i can see her going to the idol path too. she would make a great center if she was an idol… omo…  

this brings up a question though...... do you think legacy will continue to collaborate with them and release additional videos in the future?

[ + / - ] seriously??? legacy partnered up with some indie youtube channel to create some short films and invited some of the actors and trainees to participate in it??? daebak… that company sure has a lot of resources to do such a thing…  [ + / - ] we’re clearly watching two different things. you can tell how all four of those girls were amateurs when it came to acting. i don’t get why they would get some unknown people to join this when they could have helped the channel even more by getting actors that are more well-known?? [ + / - ] thanks to op, i found some new people to stan!! i skipped out on watching future dreams and the truth untold so i didn’t know who were the next gen of actors and because of these videos, i’ve found my new biases!! ♡

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(  A/N: this article is curated by the lgc team !  for completing their requirements CHA SORI, JO SUNWHA, KANG SEOHYUN, and YU MILAN are awarded +3 NOTORIETY and can include this post in their points pages for reference ! )

#lgc:netizens #lgc:staffcurated #lgcsori #lgcsunhwa #lgcseohyun #lgcmilan #lgc:shortfilms

[bobgoesw00t]

Top 10 Video Games of All Time: bobgoesw00t Edition (Part 03)

I realized yesterday that if I’m gonna get the rest of this list posted by the end of the year that I need to step it up and post one every other day (with the exception of my top pick as I’ll be spending that afternoon with my family at our Christmas/Wintersday/Holiday party...as long as none of us get COVID within the next two weeks...but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll be back on the 27th with that post), SO HERE WE GO NUMBER 08 GOES TO:

Now I know a lot of people will tell you this is one of the worst entries in the franchise but let's all be honest, that award probably goes to Halo 5 Guardians. While Halo 5 has PERFECT gameplay IMO, it's campaign is a load of crap (with the exception of the opening cutscene which is FUCKING PHENOMENAL), War Zone is super one sided 99% of the time unless it's War Zone Turbo or War Zone Firefight and it's inclusion of loot boxes without any system to increase the drop rate of rarer items is a load of bullshit. But that's not what I'm here to talk about, I'm here to talk about Halo 4.

The first time I watched the Prologue upon booting up the campaign, I literally thought I was watching a live action cutscene and I continued to think that for a longest time. The one thing this game has going for it to be honest is how GORGEOUS it is and the team at 343 pushed the Xbox 360 to it's limits in order to get the game to look that good. The story was the most emotional one we had gotten at the time of release and seeing John struggle with completing his mission of saving humanity while not wanting to let go of Cortana is heartbreaking and it stabs me in the feels EVERY DAMN TIME!!!

While most people detest Spartan Ops (while loving the gorgeous cutscenes at the start of every episode), I was one of the minority in loving it. Having a series of bit-sized campaign missions to play each week while using my custom loadouts (one of my favorite gameplay features which I'll go over in a bit) was a good way to keep me coming back to play the game and it kept the multiplayer from getting too boring for me.

Speaking of which, I KICKED ASS in the multiplayer when the game launched and I think that's been some of the most fun I've ever had in Halo multiplayer. The fact that each of the guns felt good to use and they all sounded like they packed a punch (ESPECIALLY the DMR! The Halo Reach version of that gun is good in the campaign and Firefight but it totally sucks in the multiplayer IMO and it lacks the OOMPH the Halo 4 and 5 versions have that let you know it's a beast) is awesome. Hell, the Halo 4 Magnum is my favorite version of the weapon as it took everything about the previous pistols/magnums and melded them into a great sidearm. And the game's Assault Rifle is good as well to be honest, not just from an audio perspective but it has a good clip size, max ammo count, fate of fire (without feeling like a pea shooter like in Reach and Infinite at times), and it has decent range.

Gonna talk about gameplay real quickly before I give the score and the two honorable mentions for this entry and all I have to say is THANK GOD 343 GOT RID OF SPRINT AS AN ARMOR ABILITY!!!!!!! That's one of my BIGGEST criticisms with Halo Reach, Sprinting is locked behind an ARMOR ABILITY when literally every other First Person Shooter at the time had Sprint as a default ability that can be used at any point. The other Armor Abilities in Reach are great (Drop Shield will SAVE YOUR ASS in the campaign on harder difficulties) but I still can't get behind Sprint being something that needs to be swapped out for other options. Halo 4 also has some good abilities, with my personal favorite being the Thruster Pack as it's basically the games version of Evade from Reach and it has many uses outside of the obvious "dodge out of the way". Also LOOOOVE that they FINALLY let us use custom loadouts outside of private matches, something I was HIGHLY disappointed in when Reach came out cause in the previews and stuff before it came out, Bungie had said we could make Custom Loadouts but didn't specify that it was exclusive to private matches.

Overall, Halo 4 ended up being everything I wanted it to be and more, and it continues to be my favorite entry in the franchise, but Halo Infinite is a VERY close second for not only addressing the problems Halo 5 had, but also for bringing in an open world setting and giving me the one thing I never knew I needed in a Halo game...A GOD DAMN MOTHER FUCKING GRAPPLING HOOK!!!!! So I have to give Halo 4 the same score I gave it ten years ago:

A 5 out of 5

Honorable Mentions this week are:

Halo Infinite: Only fitting that I include my second favorite entry in the franchise.

Star Wars Battlefront II (2005): While the 2017 game is in a stable place now and is a lot of fun, matches can tend to be super one sided for me and nothing will ever beat my memories of spending hours playing Mos Eisley Hero Assault on my computer, abusing Aayla Secura's Force Pull from on top of the ship half buried in the ground and WAILING ON THE POOR SUCKER THAT WAS UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE MY PRAY xD

Also, I should mention that you'll be seeing a trend with the games that I've picked as my favorite video games of all time xP

#video game #video games #top video games of all time #top 10 video games of all time #my picks #halo #halo 4 #halo 5 #halo 5 guardians #halo infinite #master chief #john 117 #cortana #star wars #star wars battlefront ii #star wars battlefront 2 2005 #mos eisley hero assault #aayla secura #i was a pull noob #and proud of it #top ten video games of all time

[moplayspoke]

Finally finished my play through of Pokemon Violet.

Spoilers and post-game spoilers below. #pokemonvioletspoilers #pokemonspoilers

While the game has some technical snags, it does little to ruin the overall experience between the 3 different plot lines, post game features, union mode co-op capabilities, etc.

I ended up loving the legendary which had some very Toothless-like quirks throughout.

I loved how much personality they gave him.

There wasn’t much story during the game with the exception of being forced into attending school. This part was extremely painful to get through in terms of tutorials, which made the beginning long and boring.

There was some story sprinkled throughout the main game but it wasn’t very memorable other than Arven’s story and some of Casseopia’s story.

We won’t speak about the… rival. She who shall never be named.

Let’s just say I was thorougly entertained by all the jabs other characters made at her. If annoying character traits were the goal for her, they nailed it. By far my least favorite rival.

Now ARVEN however… I loved his story and personality. He threw me off in the beginning with his nasty attitude but boy is he a softie. I actually cried at the end for him.

The story ending was bittersweet. It had a lot to it that I wish we had more of sprinkled during the story and damn it made me cry. I had my suspicions of the professor and turns out my suspicions were right.

I also felt a little disturbed how quickly Arven accepted the quick turn of events but I guess that’s a cultural thing.

The attention to detail in terms of the houses, stores and land was very pretty. A lot of Spanish influence had to be researched for this game and it showed.

I loved just how much open space there was—with a CATCH. At times it felt like it had all this space with nothing really going on in said space.

The map felt huge in comparison to its predecessors. I still have areas I haven’t completely explored.

The other part of this is trying to look at a Pokemon’s habitat which is absolute ass even with as big a screen I have on OLED.

Trying to find mons I wanted/needed was difficult enough it was easier using 3rd party references (Serebii).

However, the Pokemon entries in the Pokédex were GORGEOUS. This is by far one of my favorite things they did. I felt traversing the dex was harder than normal games but honestly I have never spent so much time looking through the dex as I did in this game.

I also think the game had some issues with level scaling, as I quickly found myself in need for completing gyms with Pokemon that were no longer listening to me.

Finding the correct gyms for my level was also tricky, and absolutely could have been fixed with level scaling.

However, one of my FAVORITE features ever was introduced in this game… union mode. This is the true co-op I wanted where you could play alongside friends but weren’t forced into stagnant play nor were forced to stay together… and you could play with up to 3 others!

We had a little bit of trouble on day 1 launch with issues during union mode but we hadn’t run into many others after day 1.

But it’s SO much fun and so easy to join each other’s raids/follow each other around.

Not to mention this is the best way to share exclusives spawns while playing together.

There were a lot of QOL changes they added (pokeball quick menu during battle, rewards for dex filling, quick menu screens for posing/changing clothes/tracking TM ingredients) which are great but there are plenty more that could be added. Union mode allowing drop-in/drop-out would be a major one.

CUSTOMIZATION options were amazing until we realized we can’t change out of our school uniforms which honestly sucks. Expecting a DLC for this change but they could have done more with this vs 4 different school outfits.

Speaking of which, guessing how to change clothes was a bit of a nightmare. We had to google this.

I absolutely loved that the NPCs in this game had so much personality and variation, whicb seriously lacked in other games. I saw all shapes and sizes and skin tones throughout. I swear the NPCs were allowed more character quirks than the MC.

As far as the tera transformations… meh. I mean it makes it more interesting because tera types may be different but I do actually prefer mega evolutions and wish they would go back to that as a gimmick.

Also loved the new region variants - especially Tauros. The Iron type post-game pokemon are also interesting and terrifying at the same time.

Overall I think this game is a fantastic lead in to an ambitious open world standard with some ironing out to do. I rate it a solid ‘Ed Sheeran in the credits’ out of 10.

#pokemon violet spoilers #pokemon spoilers

[foli-vora]

more than words - pt.1

A/N: I’ve had this in my head for forever and a half so it feels good to finally sort my thoughts and random notes out. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: The one person who you thought would be happy for you finally getting with someone decent was your best friend. After all, he had set you both up. Who would’ve thought he’d be the reason it all falls apart?

Pairing: best friend!Benny Miller/f!reader, Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales/f!reader

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: alcohol consumption, swearing, mentions of sexual acts/sexual refences (no smut yet but it’s coming so this is strictly 18+)

pt.2 / pt.3 / pt.4 / pt.5 / pt.6

+++

Wednesday nights were pizza nights. A rule established in the early stages of your friendship with Benjamin Miller – a loud mouth, golden hearted ex-spec ops mess of a human being. A chance meeting one stormy day on the freeway, led to something you weren’t expecting – a friendship, and a solid one at that.

“– she damn near tried to suck the life out of me!”

“Jesus Ben, there are kids a table over.”

“So? They shouldn’t be eavesdroppin’ on conversations that don’t concern them.” He grins lopsidedly at your scowl of disapproval, ripping off a mouthful of pizza and humming as he chews it, head swaying to the faint music playing behind the bar. “You’re payin’, by the way.”

You snort quietly, “Don’t I always?”

He recoils, blinking in playful surprise. “Excuse you? I paid last…” he trails off, eyes rolling to the wall as he thinks but a frown soon pinches his brows. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I love you and I appreciate you.”

You laugh quietly, shaking your head as you signal for another round. “Anyways, reverting to our previous topic before you got carried away with your blowjob story.”

He makes a noise, snapping his fingers as he tries to rush chewing and swallowing his mouthful. “So,” he starts, “I’ve got a friend…”

You groan immediately, letting your head lull back. “Ben –”

This wasn’t anything new. Benny took it as his own personal mission to fix you up with anyone he thought could give you a good time and treat you well. Friends, colleagues, Hell – even his brother at one point. Will was lovely, by all means, but not your type. Both you and Will had agreed you were not a match in the slightest early in the evening, enjoyed a night of beer and pool, and then went your separate ways.

Although, now that you thought about it, Ben hadn’t mentioned setting you up with anyone for a long while. Not since before his mysterious trip.

You still didn’t know anything about it, other than he and some old work friends went on an apparent ‘vacation’. It was more than that – you knew it, and he knew you knew it, but you didn’t push the topic. Instead of interrogating him, forcing question after question on him, you let it go, sensing it was something he really didn’t want to talk about.

He had returned from that trip a few months ago, heavy with exhaustion and usually bright eyes dull and weary. You tucked him into your bed, and left him. He slept for hours. It wasn’t until much later that evening that you crept in to see how he was doing, and found him thrashing silently in the sheets, sweaty and incoherently mumbling, face pinched and puckered in pain. You didn’t wake him. Instead, you knelt beside the bed, softly stroking along his forehead until his erratic movements and breathing calmed. You didn’t bring it up.

“I know, I know,” he threw his hands up in defence with a small grin, “but I think you’ll like this one.”

“That’s what you always say.”

“No, I mean it this time. He’s a real good guy – one of my closest. I think you guys would really hit it off. I haven’t tried to set you up before because he was with the chick but she upped and left him alone with the baby and –”

“Sorry, what?”

“What?”

“He has a baby? Like a… like a child?”

Benny frowns defensively, “You’ve always said you want kids!”

“It’s still a huge commitment, Ben.”

“Jesus, I’m not walking you down the aisle! Just meet him and see where it goes. If it ends in some good sex, you say ‘thank you Ben’ and we move on. And if it ends in something more, you guys take it slow and buy me wings as a thank you.” He shrugs, looking thoroughly impressed with himself, and reaches for his beer, polishing it off in one swig.

“And what if it ends in bad sex?” You challenge, crossing your arms on the table and leaning forward to eye him critically.

He scoffs, “Woman please. I know my brothers. You’ll be in good hands.”

You take a moment to thank the waitress as she stops at your table with your beers. She lingers just a little on passing Ben his, an act he didn’t miss as he shoots her a wink and a honeyed, thanks sugar. She smiles, cheeks flooding with colour before she turns and waltzes off towards other customers, swinging her hips as she goes.

You’re expressionless when he finally turns back to you, “Sugar?”

“Shut your mouth.”

Façade cracking, a snicker falls past your lip and you chuckle. “Alright,” you concede, “you’ve got my interest. What’s his name?”

“Fish.”

… what?

“Come again?”

“Francisco – we call him Fish. Catfish, actually.”

“Your age?”

“Bit older.”

You sigh deeply, rolling your head on your shoulders in thought. You were curious, no doubt about it. Despite never being able to make anything last long-term out of the list of men Benny had set you up with, none of them were bad guys. They were all kind, funny and incredibly respectful. One great thing about Benjamin Miller was that he had an impeccable taste in character.

“I don’t know, Ben –”

He slips his phone from his pocket and swipes away at his screen before wordlessly handing you the device. It was a photo, taken from one of Benny’s many weekend trips into the wilderness. Your eyes are dragged from the incredible background of snow peaked mountains and lush green forests to the man standing beside Benny, tucked under his arm. Average build and height, a well-loved trucker cap hiding dark hair. Warm brown eyes, crinkled from a large dimpled grin between dark patched facial hair.

Benny, seeing the sudden spark of interest, grins around his beer bottle. “So, I’ll slip him your number?”

You tighten your jaw and hand his phone back, sniffing impassively as you reach for your beer. “If it means you’ll leave me alone, then fine.” You mutter coolly, ignoring his quiet chuckle.

+

“Wait, wait – you have a best friend and it’s not one of us? I’m cut, Benny. Cut real deep.” Santiago Garcia was curious, to say the least. For years, he had known the youngest Miller and he had never mentioned anyone beyond their little circle or their families. “She cute?”

Benny huffs a chuckle, leaning across the pool table and lining up the final ball. “Hell yeah, she’s cute.”

“Where you been hiding her?”

“She moved away – only came back late last year.”

Santi hums, “Ironhead – she cute?”

Will half smiles, dragging his attention away from the pool table to shrug. “She’s alright.”

His bait works. Benny snaps it up – hook, line and sinker. He stands abruptly from his shot, cue just skimming the white ball, and points an angry finger in his brother’s direction, “I won’t take that shit. She’s a damn angel and you know it.”

Will chuckles to himself before returning his attention to Santi. “Yeah, she’s cute. Show ‘em.”

Benny briefly steps away from the pool table, opens his phone and brings up your Instagram profile, throwing it to Pope and letting him scroll through your feed.

“How come you’ve met her and we haven’t?” Pope aims his question at the older Miller brother, currently bent over the table and pocketing the black ball.

He half shrugs, straightening. “He set us up. It didn’t work out.”

Santi’s face puckers into a teasing glower, and he pouts at the younger Miller. “So, what? You set everyone else up and just leave me to die alone? What’s that about, Benjamin?”

Benny holds his arms out in obvious exaggeration, gesturing deliberately to himself. “You’ve got me.”

Frankie quietly sips his beer and watches in fond amusement, content to stay in the background and away from the bickering. Like Santi, his interest had been piqued but he was somewhat nervous about the situation. He already had feelings of apprehension returning to the dating scene after the shit show of a year he’d had, and those feelings tripled when it came to potentially dating someone close to one of his longest friends. He hadn’t dated in years. He was rusty. What if he disappointed you and Benny ended up kicking his ass? It could get messy real quick.

“I don’t know, man.” He finally pipes up, crossing his arms comfortably across his torso and reclining in the bar stool after peaking over Santi’s shoulder and at the screen he was lazily scrolling through. Ha. Way out of his league. “This kinda shit never works.”

“You sayin’ she’s not good enough for you?”

Frankie shakes his head, rolling his eyes. “You know I’m not.”

“Sounds like you are.”

“Quite the opposite.”

“I’ll take his spot. Give me her number.” Santi holds a hold out, clicking his fingers impatiently when Benny merely rolls his eyes. Pope grins, settling back into his seat and elbowing Frankie softly. “I think you should go for it, man. She seems great, and you need to get back out there.”

“I can’t, I’ve got Mena –”

“And Mena’s got her tío. Go for it. You’re just looking for excuses – no seas cobarde.”

Frankie chews on his lip as he gives it a bit of thought, wondering what’s the worst possible case scenario that could come from it. A busted lip? His self-image in ruins? Scared off from dating for the rest of his life? All things he could live with.

“… alright.”

Immediately, Benny perks up from setting the pool table with a large grin. “Yeah?”

Fish sighs, long and drawn out as Pope playfully pokes his side. “Yeah. Give me her number, I’ll message her now.” Before he freaks and changes his mind.

Maybe he was just thinking too much. What’s the worst that could happen?

+

Tags: @anu-simps​

#francisco morales x reader #frankie morales x reader #francisco morales x you #frankie morales x you #francisco morales x f!reader #frankie morales x f!reader #frankie morales #francisco morales #benny miller x reader #benny miller #triple frontier #pedro pascal x reader

[firesongbard]

Café Orders and Data Points

Read it on AO3

V A K A R I A N

“So, this is what you get up to when you’re not running your dark empire.”

Liara turned away from the railing overlooking the Presidium, offering the barest of smiles to Garrus as he approached. If he caught her off guard, she didn’t show it.

“Well, someone gave me an excellent reason to leave the café I normally work at.” She hesitated just a moment before words tumbled out in a rush. “I mean, sit at. While working. Goddess, I’m not working as a waitress. I’m certainly not some kind of maiden stereotype.”

Garrus rumbled a laugh, letting her sort through her discomfort, but he didn’t interrupt. He just settled on the railing next to her, looking out over the Citadel.

“I know that café. Great place to stake out if you want to catch some white collar crime going down.” He nodded in the direction. “Don’t point. Don’t want to let him know I’m watching. See the salarian in the green robes? Melon skin, symmetrical horns.”

“Double pu-erh with extra sugar and an energy vitamin complex. Always sits with his back to the corner, and if his seat’s taken he returns every half hour until it’s available.”

He laughs. “You have spent a lot of time there. Alright, well, did you know he’s ex Spec-Ops? Look at the way he surveys the area. He’s had training. Too young to have retired, and the STG doesn’t let agents go unless they’ve screwed something big up. Clothes are custom, designer quality. He’s got money, and he’s advertising it. Ex-military personnel with a dishonorable discharge don’t usually like to be noticed. My guess is insider trading. He’s probably—”

“Treason, actually.”

Garrus stuttered. “W-what? Do salarians even prosecute Treason?”

“Not for military transgressions. But making a Dalatrass’ lineage records public…”

“Damn.” He gave the salarian an appraising look. “You think he’s looking for amnesty?”

“Hardly. After he was passed over for Spectre status, he turned mercenary. He’s working for me now.”

“Hey now, that takes all the fun out of it if you’ve got him on payroll.”

Liara was quiet a moment, before nodding to a human on the lower level. “Blonde, refugee clothing. She’s moving through the Presidium like she lives here, but dressed like a refugee that broke quarantine. My guess is that she’s trying to get the attention of C-sec.”

Garrus followed her gaze and laughed. “Damn, she looks terrible as a blonde. No, she’s ex-Cerberus. I’ll have to tell Shep she lived through the raid, though. Refugee clothes are legitimate; she’s been on the run for months. But she didn’t come here as a refugee. She’s been in hiding since Shepard took the Normandy back to the Alliance.”

“Interesting. Maybe I’ll have Shepard ask her how she managed an identity change without my knowledge…”

They traded assessments like that for a while, reading people based on actions, clothes, and facial expressions. Reducing people to easily digestible data with practiced accuracy.

“Alright, Liara. You’ve got to tell me where you got training. You grow up with a Commando babysitter? Was your father part of some secret Asari espionage corps?”

“No. Nothing quite so interesting, I assure you.” She sighed, slumping into her elbows on the railing, and hanging her head. “I am not skilled at understanding people. I never have been.”

Garrus let her gather her thoughts, for once not interrupting with a smart comment.

“It was a rough childhood, carefully cataloging the mannerisms, tones, and expressions that indicated anger, or frustration, or sadness. And even now, I am not always correct. If I can’t tell, I’ll assume a negative emotion first. I’m less likely to embarrass myself that way.”

“You’d have made one hell of a detective.”

“I make one hell of a Shadow Broker.”

She twisted her lips up at him, ever so slightly dimpling the flesh by her nose. He’d seen the expression on her more often since the Reapers arrived. They’d all picked up more responsibility since the days of chasing Saren and the Geth across the galaxy.

“All right then, T’soni. Do me.”

“I—I’m sorry?”

“If you didn’t know me personally, what would you notice first? Pretend I’m just another displaced turian wandering the Citadel.”

“I don’t think—Really, that isn’t a good idea. These kinds of observations aren’t typically shared with the subject for a reason.”

“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad.”

“Alright.” Liara sighed, turning to face Garrus fully, her eyes flicking analytically over his whole body, her face devoid of any hint of familiarity.

Damn. That was more intense than he expected.

“Active service, since you’re in armor and not civilian wear. Your posture and hip-tilt are more reminiscent of human body language than turian, so you aren’t a turian-space refugee. I would say that puts you squarely in C-sec, except your armor is custom, and has more than one illegal modification.”

“Hey now, everything I have is above board.”

“The medi-gel injection system you designed for Shepard two years ago is banned under the genetic modification laws even with the exemption for medical use.”

“And polonium rounds were never strictly legal, but I seem to remember you using a number of those in your pistol.”

She gave him a sharp, deadly smile. “Garrus, when have I ever claimed to be above board?”

He thought about that. His own mental construct of Liara had her as a soft, bleeding heart scientist who cried during romance films, even on the third watch.

But he had to admit, she also routinely used gravity wells to crush Cerberus troopers into malformed balls of flesh, armor, and circuitry. And she enjoyed it.

He was suddenly very glad she considered him a friend.

“Point taken.” He couldn’t keep the amused approval out of his voice. “But you were supposed to be assessing me as if we haven’t been saving the galaxy together on and off for years.”

She sighed and pulled up her omni-tool. “You forged the security certificate for your black-market shield booster, and your visor modifications aren’t registered. They aren’t offenses that come with more than a few hundred credits in fines, but I’d assume you’re more likely to be Spectre than C-sec.”

He almost argued that he’d been fudging mod registration rules since before his detective days, when he finally processed the rest of what she said.

Spectre.

“As Joker is so fond of reminding me, if my ego gets any bigger, it won’t fit in the Normandy’s airlock. You don’t have to softball it for me. What would you really peg me as?”

“I wasn’t exaggerating. The quality of your equipment, your battle scars, and the way others give you space as you move through the presidium all support the assertion. I’d assume you’re a Spectre, and one I wouldn’t want to draw the attention of. Anyone else with those markers would be high enough military to be recalled to Palaven to help with the war effort instead of wasting time…” she trailed off, her distant face contorting with down-turned lips and heavy creases under her cheeks. “…shopping on the Presidium.”

He grunted in acknowledgment, coming to rest on the railing with her again, looking out over the people below.

“I—I’m sorry Garrus. I didn’t mean to—”

“No, you’re right. I think the same thing about everyone I see up here. The willful ignorance it has to take to just… pretend that the Reapers are some distant problem happening to someone else in the galaxy—“

He cut off, noticing the blue fingertips gently wrapping around his arm. Liara had leaned up against his armor, gently placing her hand on him. She looked up at him and said with a waver to her voice, “Garrus, I’m so sorry. About this. About Palaven. I can’t imagine how hard it was to leave your home while it was under attack.”

He took his other hand to rest on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “And here I thought you were ‘unskilled at understanding people’.”

“Well…” her voice cracked, and she looked away. “They’re much easier to process as easily categorizable data points. Micro-expressions, body postures, word choices and inflections—”

“Extranet searches and surveillance footage? Café orders and designer suits?”

She shrugged, falling into silence.

All the talk about reading people, and Garrus had to admit he still didn’t have a good sense for when Liara needed to talk. When she needed a distraction, and when she needed to be left alone. So, he did what he did best: he took a gamble.

“You said someone gave you a good reason to leave the café. If you were waiting for someone, you would’ve noticed me before I approached. So, who are you avoiding?”

She pulled back, removing her hand from his arm and straightening. “No one. I suppose you could say I’m avoiding the lack of someone.”

“…Shepard?”

“My father.”

“Oh. Oh!” He hadn’t spent enough time anywhere but the refugee dock on the Citadel, all tied up in managing transport and resources and finding enough beds.

“She… was working at the café before Cerberus attacked. I assume she’s moved to more military pursuits.”

“Well…” another gamble. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard for the Shadow Broker to keep tabs on her. You’ll get a chance to catch up again.”

“I’m… glad,” she finally settled on the word, “Glad that we talked. That I had a chance to connect with her before…” She shook her head. “Well, it was good to finally meet her.”

“Hey.” This time, Garrus reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder. “If anybody has a shot at winning this war, it’s us. You’ll see her again.”

“We will end the war. I’ll make sure of it.” She glanced back over to the café and pulled away from Garrus, making her way to the stairs away from their perch. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

He grunted, looking back to see what she saw. An empty chair sat in place of the melon-skinned salarian—drink abandoned on a coaster at the table.

He smiled. Dead drop. Liara really would have made a hell of a detective.

She certainly made one terrifying Shadow Broker.

#mass effect fanfiction #short ficlet #liara t'soni #garrus vakarian #friendship is the best ship #these two make a terrifying pair

[buildingshitwithcrab]

YOU NEED TO VISIT THE LINK & SEE THE SECOND PICTURE.

I mean, I thought commandeering this tree playset for Ewoks was great enough, on its own, BUT IT GETS BETTER.

Contrary to a reply, this is not the 70s Kenner Tree Tots house. It’s incredibly similar, no doubt, but I have one of those, and it is not this.

OP says it’s a Koeda-chan Tree House, and looking at google... oh my. There’s a 1983 model that looks like the same Kenner mold, but more ornate on the “roof” (it is still not the model pictured here,) and oh my god, there are so many other tree house models for the line. As someone who loves tree houses like this, this is terrible to learn.

This is so unfair. I’m deeply envious of the customized Ewok tree, and now I’ve gotta know that the whole Koeda-chan line is so damned cute? I need to file a complaint.

Just look at all of this.

I’m dying over the oranges, squirtle. The figures are about the size of Strawberry Shortcake miniatures. Who allowed this to happen, and only in Japan. My wounded heart demands satisfaction.

#star wars #ewoks #koeda-chan's tree house #treehouses #custom playsets #custom toys #miniatures #how am i so weak against tiny things

[script-nef]

I come for the interaction and the food | Miya Osamu

Category: crack, fluff

2k words; pseudo-reddit thread of Onigiri Miya

The owner of Onigiri Miya

Yo dudes. So my friend was raving about the onigiri shop for ages, and she was so damn relentless that I gave in. And I like onigiri in the first place, especially negitoro, so I went (is this TMI?). Anyway I was like???? So damn shook when I went in because the owner is like???? Damn??? He's so hot and I am simping for him, and the female population in the shop was as well like hearts were flying out of their eyes. I'm going to go there every day and ugh I know it’s cheesy and cliché but I hope he notices me or something like that DON’T JUDGE I’M LONELY OKAY??

Comments [Anon]: I KNOW RIGHT LIKE EVERYONE IS IN LOVE WITH HIM AND HIS ONIGIRI UGH FOOD FOR THE EYES AS WELL AS THE STOMACH

[Anon]: Y’all are simping for a real person and I just have to say: LMAO ME TOO UGH HE’S JUST REALLY HOT AND PATIENT AND HIS VOICE IS SO NICE  

[Anon]: YASSS HE REALLY IS AND HE ALWAYS COMES UP WITH NEW MENUS AND LETS SOME OF US TRY SAMPLES BUT IT’S ALWAYS. AMAZING. HE’S AN ONIGIRI GOD, I TELL YOU.

→ Continue thread

[Anon]: Um, OP? I don't know how to tell you this but… He has a girlfriend… like a really cute girlfriend who he’s been dating for years now.

[Anon]: Say what?

[Anon]: Hey what. What. I didn’t know this. I’ve been visiting his shop for like 3 months and I didn’t know this. What. 

[OP]: Oh. Great. My romance has died even before it started. ;^;

[Anon]: Well you can join us obsessing over their relationship! She visits a lot and they’re cute all the damn time so frequent customers made a small online group to share episodes. 

→ Continue thread

I just saw Hime and wow, damn

So I went to OM today—because wow it’s so delicious please open a second shop MyaSamu—and my eyes were blessed because WHO DID I SEE?? YEP, IT WAS HIME. 

Like y’all know how he calls her Hime as a nickname, which is so [censored] cute, and SHE LIVES UP TO THE NAME. There’s like, a graceful aura around her and it’s sort of blinding? As soon as you see her, it’s like “Ah, yep. That’s her. No one else can be called Hime other than her.” 

AND SHE GOT SO FLUSTERED WHEN I CALLED HER HIME BY ACCIDENT!! It just literally slipped out because I’m a [censored] idiot like that and she turned so red! And started hitting MyaSamu out of embarrassment! But her hits didn’t even look that painful and he was smiling so happily. My eyes were blessed that day.

Comments [Anon]: Oh my god you’re so lucky, I want to see him smile… I mean, he does, but apparently he smiles differently when he’s with Hime and I know that if I see that, my day will instantly become better.

[Anon]: Oh dude, you are not wrong. He somehow becomes more radiant. Just. How?

[Anon]: Imagine being that cute and beautiful together. What a power couple.

[Anon]: You know what happened once? I was really down while I was eating there because I got a bad grade, and she came over to talk to me!! Because apparently I looked way too sad and she was worried about me! UGH I’M FALLING FOR YOU HOW ARE YOU THIS KIND?! ARE YOU AN ACTUAL ANGEL?

[Anon]: This just confirmed, Hime was never human. She is the epitome of angelic grace here to save us and MyaSamu is so blessed for being with her.

Y’all are weird as [censored], why do you do this [censored]

Why are you guys obsessing over real people like that? I would be creeped out if I knew anyone does this, you guys are invading their privacy. Get a life and stop being so damn disturbing.

Comments [Anon]: ??? He knows about this. He literally checks up on this site a couple of times per week. He explicitly said to many customers “Thanks for liking me and my girlfriend so much. You guys are funny.” The [censored] are you on?

[Anon]: I asked Hime once before and she said it’s fine as well unless we’re stalking them or some [censored] like that. And we don’t. We’re just exchanging stories on our interactions with them inside the shop and how cute they are. He said it actually helps with his revenues and sales. 

[Anon]: Literally. They’re just really cute. Like you look at them and boom, you have diabetes, no exceptions.

[Anon]: I think he said like half of his new customers came after seeing this thread, so back off

Ignore that person, GUESS WHO I SAW

Y’all might be thinking Hime, and yes, I did see her as well. BUT I ALSO SAW ATSUMU! He was hanging with Hime and teasing her so much. Then MyaSamu got annoyed and they nearly brawled there lmao perfect representation of siblings.

Hime tried to stop them and when they kept on fighting, she slapped them both on the back and shouted for them to cool it. MyaSamu I guessed since they’re going out, but she tamed Atsumu. Atsumu. My heart thumped because she was so awesome. Like, you’re cool, kind, sweet, amazingly pretty and on top of that, badass as well? Lady, you should be designated as a national treasure.

Comments [Anon]: Bruh. I live super close to OM. I go there practically every week. I’ve filled out the coupon like, 5 times. I’ve never met Hime once. AND YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT YOU SAW HIME AS WELL AS ATSUMU???? WHY HAVE THE GODS FORSAKEN ME??

[Anon]: How cool was she? I can’t imagine Atsumu folding to anyone that’s not his parents.

[Anon]: I feel like he would be rude to his own parents tho lol

[Anon]: True true

[OP]: She was like, the epitome of cool. Based on the sound of the slap I would have been rolling on the floor while crying in pain but they kind of seem used to it or something? She just glowered at them and they immediately shut up. I wonder if she was like that when they started dating as well.

[Anon]: I find it funny that everyone is focusing on Hime while Miya Atsumu, division 1 volleyball player and one of the members of Japan’s national team, is right there.

[Anon]: Atsumu pales in comparison to Hime. This is a fact.

[Samu]: True

[Anon]: ??? The [censored]? Are my eyes working? Is that… actually Osamu? As in like, the Osamu that we’re talking about? Like the owner of OM?

[Samu]: Yes

[Anon]: Okay then bye I’m never coming here ever again. Goodbye y’all and watch me die haha [censored]

Friend of Samu and “Hime”

I can’t really believe this actually exists but it’s really funny and kinda cringey to see everyone fawn over Osamu and “Hime” like this. I've been their friend since high school and let me give you a fact: “Hime”’s nickname during her time in school was Janus like the two faced God. Because she’s really nice all the time but once she gets angry, it’s over for everyone. Everyone. 

So what do y’all do here, just share stories?

Comments [Anon]: Holy [censored] what. What. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THEM?? WHAT WERE THEY LIKE IN SCHOOL? WERE THEY STILL CUTE AND SWEET LIKE THE BEST BRAND OF CHOCOLATE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD????

[Anon]: YEAH LIKE WHITE CHOCOLATE

[Anon]: I’m sorry, but if you think white “chocolate” is good then please keep that [censored] to yourself because that [censored] embarrassing.

[Anon]: White chocolate is good!

[Anon]: You’re an embarrassment to humankind.

→ Continue thread

[Anon]: As the person on the above thread has said, could you share little stories of how they were like in school? If they’re fine with it?

[OP]: Hmm… well I’ll ask first. 

I got the permission

Hm, I don’t really know what to say about their relationship though. I was friends with them for a long while but it wasn’t really surprising when they started dating. Osamu’s liked her for years. I heard they were childhood friends and were stuck at the hip with Atsumu as well, but she was closer to Osamu. Though that’s kind of a given, what with Atsumu’s [censored] personality.

She was one of the school council members and really popular as well. Always eager to help people, has a smile on her face and a complete disaster. She’s so damn clumsy and uncoordinated that I once saw her trip on air. On air. How. She’s terrible at cooking as well, like apocalyptic level. She somehow managed to burn rice in home economics class even with three other people keeping an eye on her. It was actually pretty impressive.

Anyway, Osamu was absolutely smitten with her and everyone with eyes or common sense could see it. Except for… you guessed it, her. He would literally be tripping over himself to help her and we were all like “boy, please be more subtle you are killing us”. Especially Atsumu since he had to deal with that even at home because they’re neighbours. I once took a photo of him making the most disgusted and annoyed face, but it got deleted when I changed my phone. An international loss.

Where was I going with this? Oh right, how they went out. I gotta go to sleep so I’ll post that later.

Comments [Anon]: ???? YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE US HANGING LIKE THAT??? HOW ARE YOU SO CRUEL THIS ISN’T FAIR I CAN’T GO TO SLEEP BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

[Anon]: EXCUSE ME ARE YOU SKILLED IN TORTURE BECAUSE I AM LITERALLY DYING YOU CAN’T JUST BOUNCE AFTER TELLING US THAT. COME BACK!!!!

[Anon]: Dudes I have a good idea. Let’s spam them with comments.

[Anon]: Oh ho, smart, smart. 

[Anon]: Dude

[Anon]: Dude

[Anon]: Dude

[Anon]: Dude

[Anon]: Dude

[Anon]: Dude

[Anon]: Dude

[Anon]: Dude

LOAD MORE

Damn you guys are persistent

Chill, I need my sleep as well. 

Alright, this was a while ago so some facts might be inaccurate. Also she forbade anyone from commenting on it during school. It’s fine now though, and thankfully I was sitting next to them when it happened.

So Osamu always brings bentos and makes hers as well. He used to make them for Atsumu as well (unwillingly but had to since he complained about it so much) but stopped after like, the second time because they got into a fight. I think the reason was that Atsumu was whining too much about how he doesn’t like some of the side-dishes and Osamu snapped. That was a fun day.

We were eating in the classroom and enjoying our lunch when she blurted out something like “Osamu, you’re so good at cooking! You’d be a great chef. Your wife would want to let you cook for the entire time you’re together!” Which was fine because everyone knows he’s good at cooking. I think that’s what you guys call a gap moe or something, I dunno.

And Osamu just stared at her. You know what moment when you just feel something bad is going to happen? Like that chill in your back? Yeah, it was that. I sensed that from Osamu. Atsumu probably got it as well because our eyes locked and the red alarm of “STOP HIM” flashed in front of both our eyes.

But before we could interrupt, Osamu just smiled and said “I can cook for you like that if you want.” And I [censored] you not, everyone went quiet. We were staring at him like “??? Did you just propose before even asking her out on a date?” And her face, oh god I didn’t know her face could be that red or that her eyes could be so big. She was literally frozen while trying to eat like the rest of us watching them.

When she stayed frozen, it was like there was an error message saying “[Name].exe has stopped working. What the [censored] did you do.” above her head. Osamu eventually moved and dragged her out of the classroom. And they didn’t come back until the bell rang for the next class.

I don’t know what happened during the talk, but I guess he finally confessed because they were holding hands when they came back. 

Anyway, yeah. That’s the story of how they went out. I have to sleep again so bye.

Comments [Anon]: WHAT THE [censored]

#osamu x reader #osamu imagine #miya osamu x reader #miya osamu imagine #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! x reader #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu!! imagine #haikyuu one shot #haikyuu!! one shot #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #osamu #miya osamu #SNS format #crack #fluff #female reader

[dreamerwitches]

Manga reviews!

I’ve read quite a few of the Madoka Magica manga, mostly to find witches.... So I thought I’d do a little review of the ones I’ve read! Enjoy! (also, they’re my own opinions and it’s meant to be a little funny so I exaggerate a little... so please don’t get angry!! Also kinda spoiler-y)

Madoka Magica (og manga)

Just a really compressed version of the anime. Has some changes but not often good... I only have the first one in physical and I think it’s the only one I’ll get cause it’s the most interesting part. 0/10 cause they completely removed Gisela... Also not too fond of the art style, some things are drawn really badly.. Though I’ve fallen in love with manga Gertrud. Not too fond of it but I like having the manga on my shelf. 4/10 watch the anime instead

Madoka Magica Rebellion

Will be biased cause I love rebellion. A really lovely manga, better than the og manga cause it doesn’t compress the story and even expands it. Suits three volumes better than the original. Treats familiars really well, we get bonus bartels, dora and polina~~! Doesn’t have all the fun of the movie cause it obviously doesn’t have the amazing soundtrack but it’s a really nice manga anyway. Bebe is drawn really well but the Clara Dolls aren’t. 9/10 almost as good as the movie

Kazumi Magica

Plot: seven magical girls trying to do good stuff and Kazumi, the protag, has amnesia I was surprised how much I loved this manga... I enjoyed it so much and got attached to almost all the characters. Though, spoilers, all my favourites either died or turned out to be evil... Lots of plot twists. LOTS. A wonderful lack of kyubey too... I found the story to be so intriguing. It took a spin on the original series far better than - imo - Oriko did. Really ace witches too. Only downside was sometimes the art. Too many ass shots thanks. Also a lot of the magi outfits were a tad distasteful (and some distasteful jokes too). 8/10 pretty darn good

Oriko Magica

Plot: two girls want to kill Madoka cause they know about Homu’s shenanigans. Has a pretty out there story, gets quite serious at the end. First time reading I didn’t care about it but I’ve grown fond of some of the main characters like Oriko, Kirika and Yuma. I found Kirika annoying and op first time reading. The addition of the original Madoka characters feels weird even though they are in the same universe. Original characters are also sometimes unrecognisable because of the art style. I almost never recognised Kyoko... The bonus stories are really fun, I liked them a lot. They’re short but nice. New and interesting witches too! I probably preferred Extra and Sadness prayer to the original story (Sadness prayer is like, basically a retelling of the og Oriko story but better) 6/10 for main story (feels a bit like babies first fanfic), side stories are probably a 7/10 (writer probs had more experience)

The Different Story

Plot: Mami and Kyoko backstory plus a spin on the original story. A really fun and interesting read, especially if you like Mami or Kyoko a lot. I loved the expansion of the original characters, it’s really great. I got a bit lost at the end but I was kinda scanning through... Art is by the same artist as the original manga but it’s certainly improved. Really amazing witches too~! Read it again when I got volume 1 for Chrimbo and its far sadder than I remembered... hm. Lovely art though, and very powerful scenes 7 or 8/10. I’d need to read it in full again to give a better judgement

Suzune Magica

Plot: Very edgy, lots of die. Never got attached to Suzune like I did with the Oriko characters. Some costume designs are also gross and pervy. Didn’t find it memorable and didn’t care much about the characters. Nice witches though. 3/10

Haven’t read Tart magica and don’t have any opinions on it yet. Hate the artist so I don’t think I will ever read it. (witches also look like afterthoughts... boooo)

Wraith Arc

Gave it a scan aaannndd.... didn’t enjoy it...... found it so boring. Wraiths are so boring as the enemy. Bland and have no character or inu curry flair. I feel you’d really enjoy it if you adored Homura and Madoka. I don’t so... I don’t think my opinion would be justified for this one.

Homura’s Revenge

Plot: Homura, Madoka and Kyubey go back in time before Madoka turns God. I. HATED. This one. Sigh.. It was the most frustrating manga I’ve ever read. Kyubey just gets in the way and not in a funny or clever way. Kills off Mami too early too. The witch designs are also crap like the artist don’t care about them. Illustrated by the same artist as Tart Magica and they’re a creep so it’s an automatic ‘euch’. Homura just resets in the end anyway. Just like Wraith Arc, I feel you’d like it more if you really liked Homura and Madoka 1/10 I liked the part with Elly and that’s it

The Veranda of Madoka

Plot: All five girls are living in the same house as sisters. Spoilers, this is my favourite manga... it’s so so cute and lovely! It’s a 4Koma (four square panels for a joke/story but sometimes has longer stories) manga with cute humour and fun stories. You really care about the girls and want them to be happy together. I’ve only read volume 1 cause it’s the only one translated but I really wanna read the rest cause it seems to add Nagisa. Only downsides are it has some tasteless jokes like breast sizes and Homura’s sometimes kinda pervy towards Madoka (remember, they are sisters in this one) but those things are rare in the long run. Has lesbian Hitomi which increases the score tenfold. The art style is also adorable, I prefer it to PAPA’s current style honestly. 9.5/10 would be 10 if it didn’t have some questionable jokes sometimes

Mitakihara Anti Materials

Plot: Homura accidentally winds up living with Mami. I thought I was gonna hate this one. Turns out I love this one. If you ship Homura and Mami, it’s the best, but it also works well for a platonic friendship. It’s a lovely slice of life with lots of fluffy bits with Homu and Mami but also the other girls. Sayaka also for some reason has the super hots for Mami (I mean, who wouldn’t). Sadly, has some tasteless jokes like Veranda which bring it down. Taking pictures of people against their will and body-swapping, I just wasn’t into it... Art is pretty generic but works just fine. 8/10

Mami Tomoe’s everyday life

Plot: The girls are older. Excuse me while I vomit. Read a few pages and quickly ran. CLEARLY written by a perverted old man. The girls are all married and only talk about husbands and their weight and things men think women talk about. Also. Homura is married to Tatsuya, excuse me while I hurl again. Just look at the covers and you can tell the artist is a porn artist. -10/10 kill it

Welcome to Cafe Grief Seed

Plot: The girls work at a cake cafe. I um, love this one, it’s so soft and wonderful. The art style is so adorable, I’ve shamelessly stolen it for some of my art cause I love it that much. It’s a sweet mix of Sailor Moon and Ghibli. The pages are laid out like 4Koma but like Veranda, they often have longer stories. The take on the witches are really fun and imaginative too (they’re simply problematic customers). A really nice and harmless read (no pervy jokes, thanks). 9/10 wish it was longer and the artist seems to have not done anything else...

Pomu Magi

Plot: Homura is tiny and chibi for some reason. Reeeaalllyy didn’t gel with this one. Seems kinda like someone’s fetish... Just felt weird, I stopped reading quickly. Not disgusting like Everyday Life but made me feel uncomfortable. 0/10

Mahou Shoujobu

Plot: the girls make a magical girl club in a school shared with witches. Although it apparently involved witches it barely included them. LIES. Disappointed, Homura was also really weird too. 1/10 got to see witches but they weren’t portrayed well

Homura Tamura

Plot: take a look at lots of different timelines. I liked this one but damn it was all over the place. Every chapter is a different wacky timeline, and I mean wacky. A world where Mami rules and everyone wears hair drills, a world where Sayaka drives an Oktavia mech. Wacky. Kinda hard to follow first time through. But funny and quite charming. Made me laugh out loud sometimes. On a re-read for images I enjoyed it just as much as the first time, even more. 8/10 good if you like humour and silly jokes

#madoka magica manga #madoka magica #puella magi madoka magica #manga #kazumi magica #puella magi kazumi magica #oriko magica #puella magi oriko magica #tart magica #puella magi tart magica #puella magi suzune magica #suzune magica

[victorie552onepiecespeedrun]

Reading One Piece pt 303: Royal Bloodline

Chapter 550

Thoughts:

- Fpos/cs: Forest of Gluttony? Better than I expected for Usopp but not exactly good either

- (I watched OP 12 and while it’s fine, I have a feeling at least half of episodes it was running during ended up fillers. It’s like they decided there’s not enough Straw Hats in the manga and made their own content. Probably that’s when they did all these stories from cover pages. I generally approve but, like, we have a war going, isn’t it exciting enough??)

- South Blue? East Blue? All of them really. People all around the world are anxious. They’re not stupid, they know war is looming over. It’s kinda chilling to be honest

- Everyone wonders if Whitebeard will show up at Marineford. They don’t know how strong Whitebeard is now and they DON’T WANT war

- In Marineford, all citizens (mainly families of Navy personnel) has been evacuated. It’s only soldiers now, on the whole island

- In Sabaody Archipelago, Ace’s execution will be broadcasted there. Insert ‘that’s what happens when you don’t have Eurovision” joke here. It’s very grim for me. Bet Celestial Dragons would be very happy to see that execution, with Luffy there no less

- NOT THAT THE EXECUTION WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN GODDAMMIT show the world your moves Luffy and save your brother

- they already put Ace on the platform (just like with King Roger. Is that WG custom or what)

- “Only three hours until Ace’s head rolls” …they’ll make him kneel there for 3 hours? With these 2 marines guarding him like that? On live TV and while waiting for Whitebeard to attack? WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THIS PLAN???

- (Garp, probably. I hope for Sengoku to be smarter than this)

- everyone in Marineford is super antsy and stressed and no wonder

- “100 000 elite troops) wow, that’s a lot of people, who’s feeding them all

- Fifty warships too! That’s so much

- (by the way, Marineford looks nice but clearly very military)

- FIVE WARLORDS ON THE SEA ON THE STAND BY

- seriously, how will that pan out. We got two Warlords and Crocodile doesn’t even care about fighting a Navy, he wants Whitebeard. The rest of our prison bunch is nice but no match for FIVE WARLORDS

- …looking at the bright side, at least Blackbeard isn’t here. He’s off at Impel Down, doing God knows what, and now I’m concerned againdamnit *nervous laughing*

- but damn if these Warlords don’t make a great picture, all grouped together

- Ace is guarded by 3 Admirals!!!! They make a great picture too! There’s my man Aokiji, sitting differently than other two and breaking the symmetry! Kizaru looks very disapproving. And Akainu is angry napping like damn. Never saw the last one (he was in Robin’s flashback but I don’t count that) but I know he’s a bastard (again, Robin’s flashback)

- ok, I think all Navy forces are accounted for. Back to Luffy’s Bunch!

- another Gate of Justice. There’s too many Gates and not enough Justice, really

- Sengoku and Garp!

- ?

- Sengoku will talk to Ace?

- No, wait, he’ll make a speech to the world!

- “I have something to say to you all. The execution of this man, Portgas D. Ace… is a matter of enormous import!” …yes? It’s starting a war?

- (Tashigi and Smoker!! And… Momonga? The Badass Captain)

- “Ace… what is your father’s name?” !!!!!!!!!!!!

- …bet he’ll say Whitebeard?

- “My father is Whitebeard!” YEEEEEAH

- no but really, it’s not Dragon., so who? I suspected Fisher Tiger, for like half a second, but that’s not it either so who

- “NOT TRUE!” TELL IT ALREADY

- “We were looking everywhere when we got word from Cipher Pol about the possibility that one of his children might be on a certain island. We examined newborns, unborn infants and and their mothers and found nothing.” …this is disgusting. I’m remembering Herod and Baby Jesus now

- “But that was only natural. Your mother used a trick to hide you… that cost her her life!!” oh no

- “We were fooled. The whole world was fooled!” Hina, Coby and Helmeppo are here

- “Your mother lived on the island of Baterilla in the South Blue. Her name was Portgas D. Rouge.” D.!!!!!?????? She was a D. too!!!!????

- (ok, no, I’m know who father is now. SAY IT MANGA!!! SAY IT!!!)

- “She did something we never imagined was possible. She hid her child in her womb for 20 months… in order to save it!” …that’s… not possible. Guys, that’s not possible, when baby’s due, baby’s due, everyone knows that. What the heck

- “She bought your life… at the cost of her own.” That poor woman… and poor Ace, WHY ARE YOU TELLING HIM THIS he’s supposed to die in few hours come ON

- “Your father was executed one year and three months before you were born. The blood of the most terrible fiend the world has ever known… runs through your veins.” !!!

- oooooohhhhhh, marines are catching on

- “Don’t pretend not to know!”

- “Your father… WAS GOL D. ROGER, THE PIRATE KING!!!!” YES!! HE WAS!!!

- What the hell, be proud Ace!! What the hell!

- “My unborn child… is innocent, Garp! Take care of my son!” wait, what

- No, what the hell? Why is Sengoku so dramatic? Why is Ace ashamed? And Garp knew Roger? Enough for Roger to entrust his kid to him?

God, Garp, you couldn’t fuck this up more if you tried! Holy shit!

rOP 302  rOP 304

#one piece #one piece speed read #one piece reaction #!!!!!!! #I'm more suprised by Garp than by Ace can you tell? #all this anxiety over war is uncomfortable #I didn't live through anything like that #but we did have a solid scare in Poland when it looked like Russia will attack Ukraine #few years back #we would be next and everything #I never saw politicians coming together so fast in my life #they went from kindergarten kids arguing in the schoolyard to Round Table meme in hours #it was BIZZARE #good thing nothing happened #but safety in unity and numbers I guess #anyway hwat an opening to an arc #chapter 550 #one piece chapter 550 #550 #spoiler #spoilers #have a nice day #rOP 303 #expect me to post erraticaly in next three weeks or something #thesis again #could be longer if I'll mess with deadlines

[modern-inheritance]

Modern Inheritance Cycle: The origins of Farthen Dur’s current veterans bar owner (semi-scrapped ficlet)

(*hacks up half completed MIC snippet hairball and wanders off* Timeline is a few years before Saphira’s egg is stolen, probably about three or four years at most.)

CONTENT WARNING: WARZONE COMBAT, COMBAT INJURIES, TRAUMATIC AMPUTATION, COMBAT AMPUTEE CHARACTER, REHABILITATION

Cracks and shots stabbed needles into unprotected ears. Bullets cut swirled, roiling lines through the smoke and dust saturated air while the clash of blades rumbled at a constant crackle. Heavy booms of dwarvish artilary and Broddring cannonbombs shook the blood soaked earth.

He couldn’t say he was at the center of it all. In fact, he was a good distance from the thick of the hand to hand combat, in a half completed, baked earth sprinkled trench. The crumbling walls had sloped in on him, partially burying what was left of his lower right leg and his shrapnel studded left. A cannonbomb impacted ten meters away, pouring more of the dirt onto his body as various warriors of both sides scrambled and yelled, running to and fro in the pitched battle.

No, he wasn’t at the center of it. Combat engineer Samuel “Coop” Cooper, 32nd Division of the Surdan ground forces, couldn’t have cared less. Because he was bleeding and screaming and writhing in that little trench, staring at the white shanks of bone that heralded the new end of his leg.

Coop cried out in renewed pain, the shudder of the ground bumping into his mangled limb. He was crying, cutting streaks through the grime on his young face down to his close cropped beard. He had been so proud of that damn beard, finally out of the awkward patchiness of his teen years, proud to finally be a true C.E. like the rest of his division. Now it didn’t even matter. He’d seen men on the battlefield in his situation. He knew that in the chaos of a full on fight that the wounded were rarely, if ever, treated early enough to grant survival.

He’d go out like his Pap. Screaming bloody murder at the Broddring dogs across the battlefield, knowing that his own battlemates couldn’t spare the time or distraction to pick him up and haul him back to the tents.

No one would ever say it was a noble death. But by the bright gods above, Coop would show the courage to face it head on.

New shots cracked overhead, a rifle not three yards from where the young man was concealed. Instead of footsteps pounding by in a dead run towards –or away, as many young recruits had gone– the thick of the battle, the steps came directly towards him. A cold hand clutched at Coop’s heart when black boots entered his field of vision, and he screamed incoherently at the owner, trying to brandish the remnants of his shattered rifle.

No bullet came for him. The figure crouched down, ignoring the whiz of projectiles whipping past.

“Looks like you’re in rough shape, kid.” Then they leapt into the trench and hunched over Coop’s prone form.

He stared.

He honestly couldn’t tell if it was a trick of his mind. He was in enough pain and had lost enough blood for that to make sense. It had to be that.

Crouched over him, thick braid dangling over her shoulder, was a woman. Her gore streaked face was strikingly pretty, even for Coop’s befuddled brain. A rifle he couldn’t identify was slung over her right shoulder, a fine sword clenched in her left hand, and pieces of an outlandish silvery blue kevlar material was strapped all over her chest.

“Hey. Hey!” He tried to focus his bleary vision on her face. Her dark eyes caught and held his gaze. “You got any wards? I need to know.”

Coop shook his head with great effort. Combat Engineers rarely got things as precious as wards.

Everything was getting very heavy….

And then the world shot back into achingly sharp clarity when the woman grabbed his mangled leg at the knee, fingers impossibly strong. He shrieked in agony, red and black spots flaring in his vision. The shrill sound drowned out the spell that the woman used, but he didn’t care because moments afterwards the pain drained away. There was a crawling, itching sensation as the blood that had been flowing from his legs coagulated and dried, forming hard, shiny scabs that were quickly covered with fine dust from the parched soil.

“H’up you go!” Suddenly the world tilted and rolled, spinning in and out of focus like a sickening rollercoaster. The next thing Coop saw, so close up so that he nearly crossed his eyes to read it, was the patch on the woman’s shoulder.

E.S.O. Elvin Spec. Ops. Edoc’sil Varden du Wyrani.

And then the world was again a blur. Not long after he felt himself being lowered onto a stretcher, the woman’s voice garbled and indistinct. As more voices layered in, Coop let himself close his eyes.

He didn’t really know what to think about the last ten minutes. He didn’t know if he was with the Surdan and Varden forces or with the Broddring Empire’s, but he didn’t hurt as much. His mind was foggy but that was okay. He just needed…needed a nap.

Sam Cooper fell asleep on the stretcher, and didn’t wake up until he was in the closest hospital, the lower half of his right shin now neatly amputated and wrapped in clean white gauze.

~~

Cooper closed his eyes, the bright white lights of the hospital room glaring through his lids. He didn’t want to get up and turn them off, but he couldn’t sleep with them on either.

It was six long, painful months after his medical discharge. Six months after he transferred from Surda’s VA hospital to the underground facility at Farthen Dur. Six months of getting used to his new prosthetic foot, six months of learning how to stand and walk again, six months of grueling physical therapy that put boot camp to shame. His whole body ached from the PT session he just completed, the stump of his leg the sorest of all. He was still building up thicker skin that would make putting his weight on it easier.

Coop groaned and dragged his hands over his eyes. He hated calling the nurses to ask for simple things like water and light switches. It felt humiliating. A twenty-two year old army man with three years of active, bloody duty on the Surdan border and the nurses still had the gall to look at him with open pity.

Maybe he could just sleep with his arm over his face….

Three sharp raps on the sign outside his hospital room startled Cooper from his thoughts. He pulled the crook of his elbow away from his eyes– and gaped at his visitor.

It was her!

The woman was leaned casually in his doorframe, stray tendrils of pitch black hair whisping over her forehead and braid again over her shoulder. Her jacket, pinned at the shoulders by the straps of a black backpack, was free from a majority of the kevlar, and hung open on her lean frame. Beneath it, a simple black shirt and a pair of mottled green cargo pants.

“Hi.” She waved slightly.

Coop opened and closed his mouth a few times. “…H-hi.”

“I figured you would have been sent here.” She raised an eyebrow. “Mind if I come in? I brought you a treat.”

“…Sure?” Slowly getting over his shock but still confused as ever, Coop pointed at the uncomfortable plastic chair against the wall. “Feel free, I guess.”

“Thanks, kid.” She dragged the chair over and sat down next to him, pulling the backpack into her lap as she did so. “Didn’t get to introduce myself before. I’m Arya.” They shook hands.

“Coop. Sam Cooper.”

“I stole some cans of fruit salad, Coop.” Arya grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You want one?”

He glanced over at the tray of unappetizing hospital rations sitting on the dresser. “…Yeah. Thanks.” He accepted the can as she passed it to him, and in turn passed her one of the plastic multi utensils from his tray.

“Cheers, Coop.”

====================

Coop is/was going to be the eventual owner of Farthen Dur’s veterans bar. He’s good friends with Arya, Faolin and Glenwing, even occasionally using them as unofficial bouncers when things got rough or getting them to play music on slow nights to draw in customers.

MIC’s Glenwing is also an amputee, having lost his arm in the ambush that starts off the series, but his recovery was during the time that Eragon and Co are doing their thing and isn’t seen. I wanted to display the strength that many veterans who return from combat with missing limbs have to go through the stress and struggles that PT puts them through. A local man I am friends with lost his leg and he’s incredibly open about his experience, and it really struck a chord in me.

Alas, I never could pick this one up again. It felt too song fic like when I thought about later parts. Sam Cooper is a staple to much of my mental map of MIC though, and will always be ‘canon’ in my little corner of the IC world.

Cheers mates.

Oh right. Arya’s patch is what she, Faolin and Glen ‘homebrewed’ for their rank and division to better fit in with the Varden’s military structure. The motto translates very roughly (with some tinkering) to ‘Unconquerable Guardians of Fate’ because edgy.

#Modern Inheritance #inheritance cycle #eragon #modern inheritance stories #the cyclists #Ket's Modern Inheritance Cycle #MIC OC #Sam Cooper #Arya #elf squad #modern inheritance lore #amputee character #effects of war

[ladyreapermc]

Fic: Play to Win (Keanu x F!Reader)

Summary: you make a bet with Keanu. Whover loses has to get naked. The only problem? You had no clue on how to play pool.

Pairing: Keanu x F!Reader

Author’s notes: this one came to me after seeing those gifs of baby Keanu playing pool in a interview. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Wordcount: 2108

Warnings: alcohol; smut (unprotected sex)

This had to be one of the worst ideas you had ever had in a very long time. Challenging Keanu to strip pool? How could that ever end well? Especially when you barely knew how to play. You used to watch your dad play when you were little. All your knowledge came from there. It definitely didn’t give you any ability to pull this off.

You could blame the alcohol and the building sexual tension that you had been trying very hard to ignore whenever Keanu came over. He was friends with the owner so he would hang at the bar, talking to Owen while you served tables. Whenever you took a break, he would buy you a beer, chatting you up.

You didn’t usually do clients, but it was really hard to resist that boyish smile, warm brown eyes, and dark hair that kept falling over his face. Plus, he was the perfect gentleman, sweet and funny. It was hard to resist.

So here you were after the bar was closed and Owen went home, playing pool against Keanu and losing shamefully. You could barely stay standing without swaying from side to side. The world seemed to be spinning because you just had three shots of tequila. One for each lost match. One for each piece of clothing that left your body.

First your boots. Then your belt and your button-up. Keanu had lost one – probably out of pity – and had ditched his own boots, but that was all.

“Your turn.” He flashed a smirk, taking a step back from the table after sinking three balls at once. You stumbled forward, setting the cue on your shaky hand, your vision blurry as you tried to aim your play.

“Here, let me help.”

Your body was engulfed by the heat of Keanu’s as he draped over your back, large, strong hands covering yours, steading them, his cheek pressed against yours and you could smell the sweetness of the agave in his lips.

He guided your arm, pulling it back and hitting the white ball with perfect strength for it to roll smoothly over the green felt until it hit ball five, sinking it in the right corner pocket. Keanu’s small, victorious chuckle vibrated all through your back and you felt the loss of his heat the second he pulled away.

“Let’s make this more interesting,” you said moving to the table and pouring yourself another shot. Liquid courage for what you were about to propose. “Loser takes off all.”

“Alright,” Keanu agreed with a smug smile, stealing the shot before you could take it and swallowing in one go, barely making a face. “Winner gets to pick the song the loser has to strip to it.”

“Deal.”

“Still your turn.”

Setting the bottle aside, you moved back to the pool table, evaluating your shot despite the dizziness fogging your brain. You had to come up with the perfect angle to get the white ball at least in the vicinity of the sixth ball, but it was a shot you couldn’t make it sober, let alone half-drunk. Might as well throw the shot.

You lined your cue, hitting the white ball and watching as it missed the right ball by several inches and you groaned, standing back and letting Keanu make his play. You watched as he bent over the table and couldn’t help but tilt your head to get a better glimpse of the perfectly shaped ass and the muscled legs clad in tight jeans.

The noise of a ball hitting the pocket made you snap to attention, gaze returning to the game just as Keanu straightened up, cue in hand, one eyebrow arched at you. He had just sunk the ninth ball.

“Ops,” he said almost as an afterthought, putting his cue away, hands coming to the buttons of his shirt “Guess I lost this one. Wanna pick the song?”

“This one is fine,” you said, hanging your cue too, lower lip caught between your teeth as you watched glorious golden skin being exposed inch by inch at every button undone.

Keanu was taking a step towards you with each motion until he had you cornered against the pool table as his shirt hung open framing strong, chiseled chest, marked by a vertical sunken scar on his middle.

You let your hands slide up the plains of his torso, until their reached his shoulders, pushing the fabric down his arms and to the floor as Keanu bent down to kiss you, mouth hot and demanding, tasting sweet and sour as his tongue tangled with yours, his long, nimble fingers coming to the hem of your top, tugging up slightly.

“Nops!” you pulled away from the kiss with a smirk, stilling his hands. “You get naked and then I get naked. Maybe.”

“Pretty sure you will.” He smirked too, taking a step back from you and kicking his socks off.

“I wouldn’t be so cocky,” you commented as Keanu undid his jeans, making you nearly choke when he pulled it down and showed he wasn’t really wearing anything underneath.

Your eyes landed on his large erection, nestled among dark hairs, standing proud and heavy, despite being only semi-hard and it enough to make your mouth water and arousal pool between your legs.

“You were saying something about being cocky…” he teased smugly, and your glare lacked any real heat because all you wanted was to have his dick in your mouth. “Now you.”

You couldn’t help the shyness that overtook you as you reached for the hem of your top, hesitating slightly. Here you were, standing in front of a real Hollywood hunk and what exactly did you have to offer?

Maybe Keanu sensed you sudden uncertainty because he closed the distance between the two of you, his palms closing over yours and when you tilted your head up to look at him, his mouth found yours for a deep kiss that chased away all thoughts from your head as he undid your jeans and shoved down your legs.

You were still lost in the heaven of his mouth as you kicked the garment aside, your arms coming around his neck as Keanu pulled your closer to his body, kneading your ass, making you moan against his lips at the feel of his hard cock pressed against your belly. You only broke the kiss when he tugged your top off, pausing to look at you on your underwear, his lips drawing into a smile, his eyes softening.

“So, fucking beautiful!” he whispered, before claiming your mouth again, hoisting you up until you were seated on the edge of the pool table and Keanu stood between your legs.

“You know I’ve wanted you from the moment I met you?” his mouth was hot and harsh against your neck and chest, biting and sucking, leaving marks all over your skin.

“Why didn’t you say something?” you asked, leaning back to give him more room to work, his teeth scraping over your belly, making you jolt and giggle.

“Because Owen said you didn’t date customers,” he mumbled against your center, his hot breath against the soaked fabric of your panties making you shiver.

“I usually don’t,” you replied, your hand coming to his dark mane, tugging just enough to get Keanu to look up at you, meet your gaze and see your smirk. “Not unless they are Johnny fucking Utah.”

And how did he managed to sound adorable with that embarrassed little laugh when he was about to eat you out, you didn’t know. One of the many wonders of Keanu, you guessed.

“Besides, this isn’t dating,” you said as you laid back and he pulled the cotton of your panties aside to expose your folds to his hungry gaze and wandering digits. “This is fucking.”

That last word dragged out like a curse at the first touch of his tongue against the heat between your legs. Keanu dragged his tongue over your slit, the broad muscle gathering your juices like it was the sweetest treat, before coming to flick on your clit.

Should you be surprised he was this good? Not really, from what you heard, Keanu was great at everything he put his mind to it and right now he seemed keen in bringing you to the brink as fast as possible because he was working your pussy like a starved man faced with his last meal.

Rivulets of pleasure gathered at your center, building up like a dam ready to burst; You could feel the surge starting to overtake you, you just need a little more, a little harder. You needed to be filled and stretched and taken for all that you were worth.  

“Fuck me,” you gasped, tugging on his black locks so you could meet the darkened eyes. “Right now. Please.”

“Turn around,” he commanded, voice throaty, eyes hooded as he manhandled you in position, your chest pressed against the green felt, your ass in the air as Keanu pressed two fingers inside you, making you moan. “Damn! You so fucking tight.”

“Ke, I don’t want your fingers, I want…”

“I know, darling,” he cut you off, lips pressing against your back as he fingered you hard and fast, once again chasing away coherent thought. “But I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Your body responded for you, moving back against his fingers, trying to chase the high that they offered. You could feel the small cracks eating away your self-control, leaving you at Keanu’s mercy.

A pathetic little whine fell from your mouth when Keanu pulled his fingers away, but before you could muster the will to complain, you felt the head of his cock finding its way between your folds, pushing inside and you had to bite down your arm to muffle the loud cry threatening to leave your mouth.

You felt speared in half, his thick length pulsing and twitching against your walls as you tried to acclimate to the intrusion. It hurt a little, but the good kind of ache that you welcomed and signaled the beginning of bliss.

Pushing back against him, you babbled pleas for Keanu to move and when he finally did, all of your senses were reduced to the feel of him, fucking you, his pace slow and steady at first. His strong arms pulling you against his chest, one hand coming to caress your throat, teasing you with the possibilities of what it could do to you, the other moving south, swirling your clit as Keanu started to thrust faster, harder. He panted, cursed and grunted against your ear, his hips slapping and slamming against your ass, his digits rubbing fast, slick with your wetness.

There it was it again, the surge, wavelike, building and growing.  All you could focus on was it. On the way it spread through you, making your body tense and shake, tearing a breathless cry from your lips as it swallowed you, blinding and deafening you to everything else.

“Yes! Just like that…” Keanu growled, mouthing your jaw, his voice sounding distant in the depths of your orgasm. “You’re squeezing me so tight. Fuck!”

You were barely aware of the way he sped up, pushing you down again, one hand on your back, the other on your hip as he fucked you hard and fast, chasing his release against the pulsing walls of your pussy. You were still too lost in your own bliss that seemed to stretch and evolve, building all over again, even faster this time.

Keanu cursed harshly as he stilled and spilled inside you with a long groan, his cock pulsing and twitching inside you as he kept working your clit, flickering and swirling.

“Come on darling,” he asked breathlessly. “Give me one more.”

And like your body was just waiting for that request, another orgasm rushed through, making you cry out and your fingers dig into the hard surface of the table as your pussy throbbed around him and Keanu groaned and chuckled against your sweaty back.

“That’s it,” he sighed. “You feel so fucking good.”

He pressed soft kisses against your spine as both of you tried to recover from your high. You were thankful he was holding you down because, your knees were weak, and you were pretty sure you would slide to the floor if Keanu let you go.

“We should play pool more often,” he mumbled against your back, making you giggle and turn your head to try and look at him.

“Are you gonna let me win again?”

“If it’s in my best interest…” he smirked, resting his chin on your spine. “Probably. Yeah.”

xxx

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#keanu reeves fanfic #keanu reeves imagine #keanu reeves x reader #keanu reeves x you #fanfic #smut fanfic #oneshot

[belliesandburps]

Non-Kink:  Top 12 Best Stealth Action Games

I was inspired by my dear pal, @twistedtummies2, to share a lil bit of non-kink related stuff about myself with’chall.  One thing to know about me is I’m a huge lover of video games.  I may not have as much time to PLAY ‘em much these days, but dammit if they aren’t one of my biggest joys beyond writing and the great outdoors. 

And my favorite genre in all of gaming is the stealth action genre.  Anyone who knows me knows that I adore the Metal Gear Solid series, but I also love a whole bunch of other stealth action games because, to me, this genre is the one with the most meat to come back to.  Stealth action done right is you being put in a room or outpost or whatever with a bunch of bad guys, and trying to carry out an objective without engaging with the enemies.  OR, it’s picking off the bad guys one by one, quickly and quietly.  Oooooor it’s you try to be sneaky, get caught, say fuck it, and wage war with an armada of Russians because isn’t it always Russians.  XD

I love that so many stealth action games can play out so many different ways.  And the feeling of escalation, like trying to be sneaky, and being overwhelmed when you’re caught and having to escape a hectic situation?  That, to me, is more thrilling than ANY set piece or scripted, linear mission from any game I’ve ever played.  It’s why I’ve replayed many of these games time and time again, and haven’t even THOUGHT about most of the biggest AAA blockbusters upon beating them.

Now, this list is subject to change.  I have a few games I need to play and they may beat out a few on this list.  But for now, here’s my Top 12 Best Stealth Action games because on top of being a thirsty old bastard, I loves me some espionage and bandana action.  :P

12) Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)

This game gets a lot of flak, but believe it or not, it’s actually my favorite in the Arkham series.  It’s City with a new coat of paint and a few more bugs, but City was still awesome, and so is this game.  It had plenty of clever predator stealth sequences, with more enemy variety to shake things up, that always made wiping out the bad guys swiftly and silently deeply rewarding.  AND it had more stealth action boss fights.  City had Mr. Freeze and a single predator fight rehashed twice with Two Face and Harley.  Origins had Mr. Freeze again, but with new additional options, and a pre-fight stage where you had to stay outta sight.  It also had Deadshot, the best of the three basic “predator boss” types, as well as TN-1 Bane as the final boss, and damn if it wasn’t intense.  With more gadgets and clever ways to mix and match, I think this game would be higher, but it’s still a great one for lovers of more approachable stealth action paired up with excellent brawler combat.

11) Assassin's Creed (2007)

The other AC games may be better, but AC1 is the only game in the series to stay consistent and simple with its design philosophy.  Here are targets for you to assassinate, here are bolstering crowds with beautiful cities to Parkour across or hide within, and at every turn, there are hiding spots but also enemies, making situations escalate organically and entertainingly with each assassination.  Hence why, despite most people regarding AC1 as the weakest entry, it's my personal favorite.  It's the one I replay the most and the one that just stays consistent with what it advertises.  No more, no less. 10) Hitman (2016)

I've yet to play the other Hitman games, and by accounts, each sequel is better than the last.  But you've seen the Jackie boy vids.  What more need be said?  :P

9) Death Stranding (2019)

Death Stranding's kind of a jack of all trades in the stealth action.  On one hand, you have conventional stealth action where you're infiltrating enemy camps and can either pick off all the bad guys one by one or go nuts and fight everybody head on.  On the other hand, you have BT's, whom you sneak around by holding your breath and moving slowly, lest these ghostly monsters drag you out to a tarpit for a boss fight.  The stealth is fairly simplistic but functional.  Combat as is would be fairly shallow, were it not for the sheer quantity of options you have in any given battle.  Seriously, you have a sticky gun that lets you snatch cargo straight off a bad guys back then immediately bludgeon him unconscious with it, and snatch HIS cargo to smash his BUDDY out cold with that in one fell swoop.  The way situations can organically just bleed from stealth to action and give you options for both makes it a blast.  And the boss fights against Cliff and Higgs are almost all I could ask for from stealth action battles. 8) Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)

I DO wish the game had some stealth action boss fights, but far as superhero games are concerned, no game has better stealth action than Miles Morales.  It hits fast and is deeply gratifying.  You have corridors with as much as twenty plus bad guys, and you can clean it out in minutes thanks to being able to hide in plain sight through invisibility.  Venom Takedowns with let you wipe out a chain succession of enemies all at once.  Corridors have TONS of environmental advantages to wipe out a bunch of bad guys with one move.  And unlike Spider-Man or Arkham, if you're caught, just go invisible, flee, and go right back to picking off baddies in seconds.  It's like playing a predator sequence in an Arkham game on steroids...and in fast forward.  And the sheer volume of enemies you're often up against keeps it from feeling too easy. 7) Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (2019)

This game SUCKED at launch.  Like, it was actual trash that became a chore to finish when it first came out.  But fair's fair, Ubisoft stuck with it and the end result is one of the most customizable experiences I've ever had in gaming.  Like, this game is straight up now designed to let you change the entire experience simply by pausing the game and flipping a new options on and off and have it immediately go into effect.

I hated the injury mechanics of the first game because it slowed you down and led to a lot of random, unfair deaths because you could never predict which attacks would be critical and which wouldn’t.  So now, I can turn them off.  I thought bad guys were brain-dead.  So I can make them smarter.  I thought constantly slowing down when I'm running from bullets was detrimental, so now, I can make stamina limitless. 

I thought some areas had way too many guards to viably take out without co-op buddies...soooo I can activate an entire squad of AI partners all throughout the game with me and there's a lot of coordination you can do with your team for really covert missions...and you can even customize their look to create a team that looks as cool or goofy as you want.  It’s a really dorky thing, but I LOVE customization in shooters and being able to fully customize, not just yourself, but your team to look however you want in missions is really fun.

And if you think the enemies are too easy to take down?  Turn on Terminator mode and have T-800's storming the place.  Yeah, freakin’ Terminators.  XD

The game gives you literally all the options you could ask for to have an experience perfectly tuned to what you WANT to have.  And the options you have make it so the game can feel like an entirely different, borderline strategy game instead of a solid third person shooter.  You can activate a drone now to coordinate your three AI buddies to stop and go where you want, mark targets for them to eliminate and have your eye on the entire battlefield.  It's honestly staggering how many options this game has.  And were the missions not so boilerplate and were the boss fights actual boss fights and not just reskins of basic enemies, this would be one of the best games ever.  As is, it's a genuinely impressive comeback story!  6) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)

Mankind Divided is the game Cyberpunk WISHES it was (Spoiler Alert: Cyberpunk isn’t very fun or responsive yet).  It's a game with some spectacular level design where there are dozens of ways around any given enemy and tons of options for any mission.  You have a wide assortment of augmentations to let you sneak or fight your way through any scenario and they give you the tools to use your robot powers in really clever ways for navigation purposes.  This is a game where even the simplest side mission has about a dozen different outcomes, and most of them are wholly organic.  What it needed was more...well, GAME.  After all, MD is a third of the game it was meant to be.  But it IS a marvel of stealth action goodness. 5) The Last of Us: Part 2 (2020)

I have a BUNCH of issues with this game, but on the subject of stealth action, TLOU2 is one of the best in the genre.  Every single encounter is highly difficult, but has dozens of variations.  The levels are all designed with tons of varied cover spots and hidden paths to let you navigate as you either pick off the bad guys one by one, or sneak past them.  The enemies range in their weaponry, but possess self preservation, so they aren't just standing around shooting aimlessly. 

And on top of that, combat is brutal.  Every bullet counts, and you feel the impact of every shot fired.  The melee system is simple but complements gunplay fantastically.  So if you wanna save bullets, you can shoot someone in the leg, and as they stagger, you can bumrush them, grab a hammer or brick you find on the ground as you're running and bludgeon them to death to save bullets.  The game also has a great lil "MGS4 Battlefield Stealth" system.  Several encounters have humans and infected, and you can pit the two against one another and either sneak around the carnage or use it to pick off the harder enemies.

The game also has a FAR better predator fight that's basically David's fight in the first game, but with way better mechanics.  The boss increasingly upgrades their weapon each time you attack them, the environment is perfect for this fight, and if you're caught, you aren't just dead, you have a means to escape a hairy situation.  TLOU2 may have been deeply polarizing, story-wise, but as a GAME, it's terrific.  And best yet, once you beat the main game, there's an encounter mode that lets you skip all the BS and just jump right into every single stealth action encounter and boss fight throughout the whole game risk free.  What's not to love about that? 4) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD (2004 / 2010)

MGS3 is the first really great linear MGS game.  It ditches that terrible fixed camera, simplifies the controls, and has more than ten rooms where you do any sneaking.  Its best moments are proto-MGSV outposts, where you have an area with tons of guards and multiple paths to your objective, and a whole lot of opportunities to get creative.  It was also the first MGS game that made combat just as viable as stealth.  You CAN actually just punch your way through the bad guys now, and the end result is shockingly fun thanks to all the weapons and more intuitive controls.  But the real star is the boss battles.  MGS3 has some of the best bosses of any video game I've ever played in my life.  And MOST of them incorporate stealth beautifully.  To the point where you can eliminate half the bosses with any of 'em ever even knowing your location, and giving you a plethora of variety in the bosses themselves AND the means in which you fight them.

3) Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2013)

Splinter Cell's an odd series.  The story is nonsense yet also pretty drab and simplistic.  Sam Fisher REALLY isn't an interesting character, none of the characters are except the villain and anti-hero scumbag.  But as a VIDEO GAME, Blacklist is the peak of linear stealth action.  MGS3 had boss fights, and THAT was the biggest mark for the game.  And Blacklist only has a single boss fight, which is basically a slightly elongated version of Deadshot's "fight" in City. 

But the moment-to-moment gameplay is out of this world good.  You have brilliant level design that makes sneaking from A to B deeply gratifying, but you also have insane mobility that makes you feel like the biggest badass when you play.  There can be a room full of guards.  And like a game of chess, with the right moves, you can end them in seconds, which requires skill to pull off, rushing the first guy and taking him down, shooting his buddy, then using execute to auto-kill up to three guards you've marked who were in range.  It's about using the systems the game gives you to maximize efficiency on the field.  And you can pick off bad guys using your environment, or climbing a plethora of terrain. 

The game almost plays like Arkham half the times when you're climbing walls or pipes and dropping down on bad guys or shooting them from overhead.  It has a huge variety of gadgets to aide you as well, and combat is incredibly difficult but doable.  Sam can only take a few hits before he's dead, but the means to shake off enemies is fair, and recovering from a slip-up is more fun than it is frustrating.  The campaign has several excellent missions which would satisfy a person as is.  But it also comes with over a dozen bonus missions you can access from your allies, each one taking place in entirely new settings with new enemies and storylines, each one with simpler and more streamlined objectives (perfect stealth, predator missions where you kill all the enemies, and survival waves where you have to fend off increasingly harder enemies).  AND it has the best kind of co-op.  Like Peace Walker, you can play any side mission with buddies.  But it also has missions exclusive to co-op, designed to be fully embraced with a buddy you can play with on the couch or online.  It's a game with tons of content, and all of it is mostly excellent. 2) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)

MGSV is the best game I've played.  That's because it's a game that hits all of my buttons.  The outposts are examples of perfect level design.  Each one is designed with a huge array of cover spots and multiple paths, direct or secret, to an objective area.  As a result, every mission allows you to get in, carry out your objective, and get out without raising a stink.  And when you screw up, it doesn't feel like punishment, because the combat of this game is fantastic. 

Everything is highly responsive, so your inputs happen with no delays.  You can go from diving to shooting from the ground in a tenth of a second.  And combat lets you seamlessly go from shooting, snatching guns from bad guys and blowing away with it, to taking breathers behind cover or with a human shield.  The enemy AI is the best the series has ever had.  They have way more self preservation, they're liberal with grenades, have way more variety in their weapons, and actually use turret guns and mortar cannons now. 

The missions themselves can be resolved tons of different ways.  Assassination missions play out like small-scale Hitman missions, without the frustration of screwing up and restarting because missions are so short, you just roll with the punches.  And the overall feel of a mission changes dramatically, depending on your loadout, the paths you choose in the level, your playstyle, and the time of day you select when you start a mission. 

There are only a few major downsides to the gameplay.  The bosses lack variety, like, I REALLY wish MGSV had more XOF assassins like Quiet to confront along with the Skulls and MoF.  Some missions are a bit too samey, and there aren't enough larger scale outposts.  Some more enemy variety wouldn't have been remiss.  And finally, the open world itself is pretty lifeless.  It works to complement the missions, like giving you a whole stretch of land to carry out ambushes or battle the Skulls anywhere you please.  But open world games are best when they have more to react to and engage with, or secrets to find.  Oh yeah, and the main villain should've had a boss fight, a stealth action shootout at that because that’s what the OG plan was until Kojima decided to be slightly more pretentious than usual. 

But beyond that, this game is a freakin' masterpiece.

So why is number 2 on the list even if it's the best game I've ever played?

Because this game exists... 1) Deus Ex (2000)

Deus Ex isn't as mechanically good as MGSV.  It's even that good mechanically, like, playing it now, it feels pretty clunky and not the least bit smooth.  Still fun, but you feel the age.  So why is it number 1?  Simple.  Deus Ex is the most open-ended video game ever made.  It's a stealth action RPG where every, and I mean, EVERY single level has dozens upon dozens of different paths to choose and make your own.  It has class specialization, meaning the build you create gives you a whole ton of new paths and strategies to use for hacking or flexibility. 

Every single mission takes place in a sprawling area.  You have an objective, obstructions blocking your way, and a whole bunch of guards.  You can blaze right to a solution, resolving a situation in minutes.  Or, you can take your time and find any number of different paths to your goal.  And all throughout each mission, there's tons of things to find as you explore.  There's entire other side missions with their own plethora of options.  Lots of really clever flavor text.  Upgrades to bolster your augmentations.  And really ominous messages you can find that'll come into play later. 

The bosses may lack variety but each one is a perfect stealth action battle where you can choose any number of options against the bosses, right down to running away from them and the game outright acknowledging that the boss enemies weren't killed.  Best yet, it's a game designed to be broken.  Unlike Human Revolution, all the bosses are recurring characters you spend plenty of time with.  But you can outright blow them away WELL in advance and the game will acknowledge their deaths and keep going anyway.  If you engage in a boss battle during a designated boss fight, but avoid them or run away, then that boss will turn up again for a rematch later. 

This is a game where you can create your own cover spots or platforms by gathering vending machines and dumpsters and piling them on top of each other.  Where specialization changes the entire feel of the campaign and incentivizes repeat playthroughs just to come up with different builds and experience missions in whole new ways.  And best yet, this is a game where when you're in a hub, whatever you see around you, you can interact with.  If you see buildings in the distance, you'll be able to go in and explore, and there's always something to find. Deus Ex is number one because there will never be another game like it.  It's debatable that no other game will ever be as FUN as MGSV, but no other game will ever be as open ended as Deus Ex because it's literally impossible.  The game is clunky and cheap looking because the engine it was built on was a low-memory one.  They traded in graphics fidelity and more impressive flow for the sake of creating a vast video game with an impossible amount of content to constantly stumble upon.  And unlike all the other games on this list, that open endedness actually DOES translate into the story, giving you dozens of different branching paths to the story, and sadly, only three fairly weak endings, but damn, if the journey up ain't a blast.  

I have a whole slew of other lists I’ve been meaning to post for the better part of two years, and honestly, they’re fun to write.  So, who knows?  Don’t worry though, they won’t get in the way of bellies or burp content either.  XD

#non-kink #bnb lists #video games #gaming chat #stealth action #metal gear solid #splinter cell #assassin's creed #hitman #deus ex #the last of us #ghost recon breakpoint #cyberpunk 2077 #syphon filter #that game is really good too #but it's honestly not a stealth game #it's like the reverse of MGS1 #MGS1 was a stealth game with clunky forced action #Syphon Filter was an action game with clunky forced stealth #dark mirror was great #it's the single best psp game I've ever played #and hey James Horan is the final boss #i can always pretend that was the final fight with Skull Face I didn't get from MGSV #fucking kojima... #honestly I think that's why Higgs had so many boss fights in his chapter #it felt like an apology for screwing Skull Face #so he gets three really great bosses back to back #his second MAIN fight is basically a perfect stealth action battle #Cliff's boss fight I swear is exactly what I HOPED Skull Face's would've been #*Should've been...Kojima...