SEATED AT THE TABLE WITH HER FRIENDS, Y/N'S FRUSTRATION BOILED OVER AS SHE FIERCELY TOSSED HER CARDS ASIDE, unable to bear the sting of losing six game against her ex. "You cheated!" She accused bitterly, her voice cutting through the air like a blade, causing the entire table to erupt into laughter. Gale's expression softened as he leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Come on, Duck, you know I play fair." He chuckled, his tone teasing yet reassuring. "You're just upset because you can't handle losing to me." His words were accompanied by a playful wink, knowing full well how competitive she could be.
After a month of casual missions, the nights for the members of the 100th were fraught with anxiety, their minds haunted by the weight of their duties and the ghosts of their past missions. The pub became their refuge, a fleeting escape from the relentless demands of their roles, offering a temporary reprieve from the shortcomings they faced each day. None of their commissions since Bremen had been as deadly, yet the specter of loss loomed over every observation they undertook. Despite the seemingly innocuous nature of their tasks, they couldn't shake the fear of losing more of their crewmates, a constant reminder of the fragility of their existence in the face of danger.
Earlier today, they had suffered another loss during practice. Barnhill and his men... Went into his turn too early, too slow — stalled out, allegedly. One of the 349th, new crew. Their demise marked the destruction of 6 forts in the last three weeks alone. With replacements from Podington derailed due to climatic conditions, the Hundredth found themselves officially short-staffed for at least another week or two, facing the harsh reality of their perilous tasks with even fewer resources at their disposal. And once they arrive, Major l/n gets to have them, bearing the weight of responsibility for integrating the new arrivals into the unit and preparing them for war.
