#I feel like its a bit too fourth wall breaking sometimes hehe

[sainz100]

carbono 🩵🩵💫

[chilling-seavey]

When Universes Collide - The AU Mini Series - 2

The Lotus Inn is a place we all know well; and a place where all universes collide in a small ripple of the time space continuum. It’s the spot for characters of alternate universes to meet and interact – even those who are from vastly different worlds and timelines. In this one-shot, the original characters from the universes of this blog gather for lunch at the Lotus Inn restaurant and discuss their similarities and differences.

Warning: This does contain spoilers to any and all fics on my blog so read with caution if you haven’t read all of them!

A/N This obviously isn’t part of any timeline and is just something I wrote for fun! The Daniel version can be found here.

A/N2 Shoutout to @randomlimelightxxx​ for helping to plot some most of this with me hehe

The Lotus Inn – 11:56am

It was a sunny afternoon and the stained glass windows that framed the exterior wall sent colourful streaks of light across the wooden floors of the tearoom. The waiter made his rounds through the almost empty café, tending to the few patrons as he passed by, but focused on setting the small circular table in the corner for a reservation for five. It was tucked away in the circular corner of the café to be lit by the large windows and white paneled trim, the white linen resting pristinely over the table and each place setting was arranged precisely.

The tearoom was the brightest and most elegant room at the Lotus Inn; most of its spaces being toned darker and decorated to a taste of shabby simplicity. But, just off the lobby, three steps up, was the white painted tearoom, perfect for an early afternoon gathering.

A young woman ascended the few steps carefully, one hand on the railing as she walked with obvious caution. Her stomach was swollen under her deep blue dress and her blonde hair was pinned back and curled around her shoulders under a brimmed matching hat, and her gloved hand was set protectively over her middle.

Elizabeth Seavey

Age 22

She made her way to the reserved table and the waiter helped slide out one of the chairs for her. She thanked him politely and sat down as gracefully as she could manage, assuring him that she could wait until her company arrived to order anything. Left alone, Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and tried to ignore the aching of her feet and ankles in her heels, gently taking off her gloves and tucked them in her purse to freely rub her hand over her stomach.

Back across the tearoom, another woman was entering, walking up the stairs purposefully in a business-casual dress as she tucked her cell phone away in her purse. Her face was dusted in light makeup but she looked tired even underneath it and the addition of a quickly done up ponytail that held her hair back from her face gave the impression that she was in a bit of a rush that morning. Despite this, she carried herself well.

Florence Seavey

Age 25

Her heels clicked steadily across the wooden floors as she approached the table in the corner, her smile widening as she saw someone already there.

Elizabeth looked up at the sound of someone approaching and she smiled politely up at her, “Hello.”

“Hi.” Florence smiled.

“I would stand but…” Elizabeth gently patted her swollen stomach.

“Oh, no, please. Stay sitting.” Florence grinned, choosing her seat right beside her. “I’m Florence.”

“Elizabeth.”

“Aw, that’s my daughter’s middle name.” Florence said.

“You have a daughter?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes. Three.” Florence sighed tiredly, but her beaming smile was unmissable. “They keep me busy. How far along are you?”

“About eight months.” Elizabeth said calmly, glancing back down at her growing belly. She rubbed a proud hand over it.

“Your first?”

“Yes.”

The two early arrivals couldn’t get another word out before a third guest was entering. She looked a little frazzled, blonde hair a bit of a wavy messy and Louis Vuitton purse slung half off her shoulder as she hopped up the few steps into the tearoom. She was texting away on her cell phone, manicured fingers typing a mile a minute and she nearly crashed right into the waiter.

“Shit. I’m so sorry.” she said quickly, jumping out of the way so he didn’t drop the tray in his hand. He just gave her a polite glance and headed off to another table. The young woman stopped in the middle of the aisle and continued typing; the clicking of her thumbs against the screen making Florence’s eyebrows raise slightly.

With a sigh, the newest arrival dropped her phone back in her purse and glanced over at the table, surprised to see two other women already staring at her.

Avalon Sinclair

Age 22

“Oh God, I hope I’m not too late.” she said quickly, heading over to the table to join them and she sat on Florence’s other side, dropping her purse to the ground at her feet. “The taxi took the longest possible route to get here. He had no clue where this place was.”

“You’re right on time.” Florence assured her politely.

“Good.” Avalon sighed. “My boyfriend may not care about being late but I certainly do.”

The three women shared small smiles.

Suddenly, from across the way; “You’re a doll. Thank you.”

The ladies looked over to where the waiter was standing with a fourth young woman, handing her a strawberry milkshake from his tray. She smiled at him sweetly behind lightly freckled cheeks and curled shoulder length brown hair as she took the pink filled glass. Her green eyes rose to the table of three women staring at her as she took a sip from the straw and she paused in place for a moment before grinning at them.

Loretta Howard

Age 18

She hurried over and took her seat next to Elizabeth, setting her milkshake on the table as she offered a smile to the others.

“Hello. I’m Loretta. Call me Lori.” she greeted sweetly.

“Lori. What a pretty name.” Elizabeth hummed.

“Thank you.” Loretta grinned bashfully.

“How old are you, Lori?” Florence asked.

“Eighteen. Just graduated high school.”

“Aw, how nice. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Loretta smiled, smoothing her dress down over her lap. “Golly, you are all so nice.”

The older ladies chuckled lightly.

“Corbyn said to not expect much from this but I think I’m going to make some good friends here today.” Lori said.

“Corbyn?” Florence questioned.

“My boyfriend.” Loretta nodded, her brown curls bouncing along the curves of her cheekbones gently.

Elizabeth and Avalon and Florence exchanged silent confused glances before looking back to the eighteen-year-old.

“Daniel’s not your boyfriend?” Avalon asked.

Loretta’s jaw clenched slightly and she leaned forward to take a nervous slip of her milkshake before answering, “Nope.”

“So…then…why are you here, honey?” Avalon inquired gently.

Loretta glanced up at her and then to Elizabeth and Florence who were also staring at her expectantly. She sat up straighter, “I got the invitation just like all of you…I can’t offer any more than that.”

The conversation was cut short by a sudden cry coming from the direction of the washrooms and out stepped another young woman dressed in a corset and floor length dress and carrying a wailing baby on her hip. She looked tired and quite frazzled, her strawberry blonde hair tied back from her face but fell into a few flyaways around her and the baby on her hip held a tiny fistful of her hair in his hand as he cried. Her gentle shushing didn’t seem to console him much.

Louisa Seavey

Age 17

She hurried over to the last empty seat at the table beside Loretta and Avalon and sat the baby on her lap, “I am so terribly sorry I am late. I tried to calm him down in the washroom but…he is just so fussy right now. I promise I was here early even…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Florence assured her quickly. “I get it.”

Louisa pulled a tight thankful smile in her direction before looking down to the baby on her lap, bouncing him on her knee a little to try and quiet him down.

“Shh, Henri, silence, s'il vous plaît. Pour mama.” (Shh, Henry, quiet down please. For mama.) Louisa whispered to her upset son but her efforts were to no avail.

“I can take him from you for a little while. I have three little ones at home so I know having a bit a break is nice sometimes.” Florence offered.

“Oui – Yes, thank you.” Louisa sighed with relief.

Florence got up and hurried around the table to scoop up the crying baby before returning to her seat.

“What did you say his name was?” Florence asked.

“Henry.” Louisa answered softly, already breathing a little better as her baby quieted down in the arms of the most experienced mother at the table.

“Hi, Henry.” Florence cooed, stroking her finger against his chubby cheek that was streaked with tears, “You’re giving your mama a bit of a hard time it seems.”

“He has been wailing for days now.” Louisa said.

“How old is he?” Florence asked.

“Seven months.”

“Ah. Little man might be teething.” Florence answered. “Mind if I try something?”

Louisa shook her head to urge her on. Florence dipped her pinky in her ice water glass and then offered it to the baby and Henry stared up at her with big blue eyes as she set her finger against his warm gums. He quieted right down, sniffling and munching gummily on her finger.

“That’s it.” Florence smiled. She turned back to the young mother, “Bit of the cold helps to ease the pain of his little teeth growing in.”

“You are…magnifique.” Louisa breathed in awe, as if Florence was her saviour.

“You learn as you go.” Florence chuckled.

“I feel like the most useless mother.” Louisa sighed, tears brimming in her eyes.

“No. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Florence tisked, looking down at the baby who was happily sucking on her finger. “I wasn’t much older than you when I had my first and I was completely in the dark through it. You’ll overthink every little thing and second guess your every move but trust your instinct. You know your baby better than you think you do.”

Elizabeth reached over to the baby to touch his little hand. He wrapped his fingers around two of hers and she smiled widely, “Hi there.”

Henry smiled at her through Florence’s finger and let out a little giggle. The women cooed sweetly over the baby.

Louisa took a small shaky inhale and nodded to Florence, “Merci. I cannot even imagine managing more than one…even with a palace full of staff.”

“Palace?” Avalon glanced over at her.

“Yes, Henry Alexander, Prince of York, heir the British throne currently. Until he gets some cousins at least.”

The women gushed excitedly over that concept – that Florence was holding such an important possible leader on her lap in that very moment. It only made Elizabeth’s heart swell with eager pride at all the opportunities for an exciting life that was to come with the little person growing inside her.

“Oh my goodness, I can’t wait for mine.” she sighed, leaning back in her chair to set her hands on her belly. The newly arrived women gushed excitedly over the pregnancy that somehow had hidden itself behind the tablecloth in their rush to sit down.

“Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Lori asked.

“We won’t know until he or she is born.” Elizabeth answered, smiling down at her swollen stomach.

“Do you have names yet?” Avalon asked, leaning her elbows on the table with her chin in her hands.

Elizabeth only grinned bashfully, “Yes. Evelyn for a girl…always been one of my most favourite names. Charles for a boy…Charles Christian…after Daniel’s brother.”

“That is so sweet. They’re close then?” Florence said.

“Yes, well, they were. Daniel lost his brother in the war so for us it would be a bit of honouring his memory. They were as close as ever and it really shook him.”

“That is terrible.” Louisa frowned.

Lori and Florence offered their gentle condolences.

“I wish my Christian was as good as dead.” Avalon mumbled, tisking under her breath as she sat back in her chair.

Her statement took the other ladies by surprise.

“He hates me.” she explained to their startled expressions. “I don’t know why since I haven’t done anything to him and only loved his brother like a girlfriend should, but nothing I do is good enough.”

“That’s not fair.” Lori frowned.

Louisa hummed, taking a sip of her water before speaking softly, “I was supposed to marry Christian. He is to be King and I was to be his Queen…but then I fell in love with his brother and we ran away together…and had a little prince of our own.”

“What a Romeo and Juliet type of love story.” Avalon complimented. “But with a happy ending of course.”

Louisa smiled, “Yes. I am terribly in love with him.”

“What about you, Lori?” Elizabeth directed to the second youngest of their group. “You are the only one out of all of us who isn’t with a Daniel…what’s that about?”

“Oh.” Lori shifted slightly in her chair under the eyes of the other four women. “Well Corbyn and I dated out of high school and we fell in love. Nothing is to come between that. Not even if the universe tries, right? That’s what love’s all about.”

“The universe?” Avalon asked.

“Soulmates? Do you not have that in your…” she faded out when she was met with confused faces. “Well, Daniel claims he’s my soulmate and I’m sure he is just fine but I love Corbyn and I made a promise to Corbyn.”

She pulled the necklace out of the front of her dress to show the ring around her neck.

“Daniel is literally made for you and you’re choosing to stay with Corbyn? He must be someone pretty incredible then.” Elizabeth said gently.

“He’s…he’s nice.”

“Answer me one question, Lori.” Florence spoke up from across the table, still lightly bouncing baby Henry on her knee, “Knowing that I had once been in a similar spot as you and had my own issues letting go of my past love; does Corbyn make you feel like you’re the only girl in the room? And does he make that known to everyone around you? That you are a treasure to him among everything else in the world?”

Loretta processed the older woman’s words for a moment just as the waiter came over to bring them their tea. She watched her milkshake melt slowly in the glass in front of her. Florence left it at that.

Each china cup was filled with tea and the ladies thanked the waiter politely. He set a small pitcher of milk and a bowl of sugar cubes down as well as a few plates of biscuits and desserts and Louisa reached over right away for one of the macaroons. The ladies made their tea and took the first sips.

“I may take him.” Louisa said to Florence as she got up from the table. “Let you drink in peace.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.” Florence said.

“Yes. I must go feed him now anyways.” Louisa whispered.

“Oh, your tea just got here, you don’t have to leave. We don’t mind if you feed him here.”

The rest of the table agreed with Florence easily. Louisa hesitated but nodded and sat back down in her chair. The young mother, born in a time where breastfeeding in front of anyone – especially strangers – was not easily accepted, moved cautiously as she unbuttoned the top of her dress right at the table, eyeing the few tables throughout the tearoom that housed other random patrons.

“Here,” Florence reached into her purse and pulled out a small shawl. She held it across the table, “if you’ll be more comfortable.”

Avalon took it from her and helped to cover up Louisa and her baby so she could nurse a bit more privately, draping it over her shoulder. When Louisa was set, Avalon dropped her hand down to gently brush her finger over the baby’s tiny stockinged feet.

“God, I wish Daniel wasn’t making me wait for kids.” Avalon whispered. “He says we gotta wait at least five years but babies are just so yummy I want one right now.”

The ladies chuckled at her gentle cooing.

“Why’s he making you wait?” Elizabeth asked.

“Well he’s so busy with his work and it doesn’t seem like he even has plans to propose to me any time soon so…nothing about babies in the immediate future.” Avalon shrugged as she picked a few treats from the plates in the centre of the table.

“Waiting is good…you’re better prepared then.” Florence said. “Get your finances in order and things.”

“Ohh trust me…finances are not an issue with Daniel.” Avalon chuckled almost humourlessly. “That man has more than he knows what to do with. He’s just stubborn.”

“Maybe stubbornness comes with the name.” Louisa giggled.

“Maybe so.” Florence laughed and the other girls agreed.

Lori just sipped from her teacup quietly, listening in.

Florence spoke up, “Are your Daniels brunette or do they also have a weird obsession with going blonde?”

“Oh gosh, no. Always brunette.” Elizabeth answered quickly.

“He would look absolutely ridiculous blonde.” Louisa laughed.

“Mine’s blonde. I think its sexy.” Avalon boasted cheekily.

There was a chorus of ‘no’s across the table – even from Loretta – and Avalon just laughed.

“I guess it’s growing on me,” Flora shrugged, “but I do miss him as a full brunette. Fatherhoods kept him busy that he’s almost there again. I’m trying not to say anything so he’ll let it grow out.”

“How long have you been married?” Elizabeth asked, resting her teacup on the top of her large stomach habitually.

“Only a year.” Florence answered. “We were best friends for a while and then realized after far too long that we were almost destined to be together so we started dated and he proposed not even a year later.”

“Your own version of soulmates.” Louisa chuckled, side glancing Lori.

“I suppose. You really feel soulmates in here.” Florence agreed, setting a hand over her heart.

Loretta sipped her drink quietly, her mind swirling with thoughts of her true soulmate that was sitting across the Inn with his own group of other young men. She couldn’t get him out of her head.

“I agree.” Elizabeth said. “I knew Daniel was the love of my life from the first week I met him. Even through the war we wrote almost every day and after, even through all the horrible things he had gone through, I wouldn’t dream of being with anyone else.”

“Which war?” Loretta asked, trying to pitch into conversation.

“What do you mean?” Elizabeth glanced over at her. “There has only been one.”

“Alright, no more war talk at the table.” Florence jumped in quickly, sharing a wide eyed expression with Avalon beside her. “We don’t need to worry the mama-to-be.”

“But is he…alright?” Loretta asked Elizabeth.

“Yes. He’s doing fine.” Elizabeth told her with a gentle smile. “Bit worried about him right now but he’s a strong man…just gets nervous.”

“For someone who’s not dating a Daniel you sure are concerned.” Avalon peaked an amused eyebrow at Loretta.

Her freckled cheeks dusted pink, “I do care about Daniel. He’s just not my boyfriend.”

“Mhm. Now that’s the tea, sis.” Avalon said teasingly as she took a sip from her china cup. Florence giggled.

Baby Henry mewled softly from under the shawl and Louisa carefully did her dress back up in a neat bow before lifting her son up to her shoulder. She passed the shawl back to Florence with an honest thank you before focussing on burping her baby, whispering to him in French to soothe him. The women ate and sipped quietly, talking casually among themselves, until Loretta was choking on her tea and nearly spitting it back in the cup.

“What’s wrong?” Florence asked quickly as Elizabeth passed her a napkin.

Loretta dabbed her mouth with the napkin, her eyebrows furrowing as her tongue swiped over her lips, “They’re…I think they’re drinking alcohol.”

“How do you know?” Elizabeth asked worriedly.

“You can taste what your soulmate tastes in my universe.” Loretta explained. “I swear that’s alcohol.”

“Daniel better not.” Elizabeth spoke worriedly. “I don’t want him down that path.”

“I’ll ask.” Florence pulled her phone from her purse and sent a quick text to her husband.

Daniel James, you better not be drinking alcohol.

“What are you doing?” Elizabeth asked from beside her, glancing down to the iPhone in Florence’s hands. “What is that?”

“It’s my phone. A little portable phone.” Florence said. “I’m basically just sending my husband a little letter through the telephone.”

“Incredible.” Elizabeth grinned.

“I don’t doubt it was my boyfriend’s fault about the alcohol…he’s a bit of a partier.” Avalon sighed. “I hope he’s not being an ass about it.”

Florence’s phone buzzed in her hand and she glanced back down,

Just one of the guys is mostly. Another just had a sip. Not me.

Good because you know what happens when you drink

I get you pregnant? That’s not much of a threat, sweetheart ;)

“Uh oh. I know that look.” Avalon sang from her spot at the table. “Someone’s blushing.”

“I am not.” Florence laughed and tucked her phone back in her purse.

“Is he sending you dirty texts mid-lunch?” Avalon gasped playfully, “Scandalous.”

The ladies ‘ooo’ed.

“Daniel used to send me naughty letters in the night…slide them under my bedroom door at the palace.” Louisa admitted quietly as if it was a terrible secret. “I would get a terrible rouge on my cheeks.”

“My oh my. How romantic.” Elizabeth teased sweetly.

“He has a way with words like no other.” Louisa boasted with a cheeky smile.

“I agree there.” Florence nodded. “Daniel’s the most romantic man I’ve ever met. In day to day life and in bed.”

She hid her smirk behind a sip of tea and the rest of the ladies gasped excitedly at the saucy gossip that was starting to rise.

“Isn’t he just the most passionate lover?” Louisa gushed out before she could stop herself.

The three older women agreed quickly. Loretta watched on quietly, flicking her eyes between the various members of the group and tried to ignore the taste of various appetizers that she could taste over her tongue. The women spoke of their most romantic encounters with their husbands – or boyfriend – and Loretta listened in, her mind taken up by thoughts of her own sweet Daniel who she had pushed away so persistently. Florence wasn’t wrong…he seemed to be incredibly romantic.

“No, no. The best is right when he comes home from the gym.” Florence argued. “He’s always shirtless and sweaty and I could just – ugh!”

“I let him come to me.” Elizabeth added instead, “He’s a quiet man but I always know his intentions when his fingers brush down the side of my neck and his lips follow suit. Ooh – I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”

“Yes! His breath on my neck! I could die!” Louisa squealed as quietly as should with the baby starting to drift to sleep against her shoulder.

“What’s the craziest place you hooked up with your men?” Avalon asked, leaning in towards the middle of the table as they spoke of questionable topics in the public tearoom. The other girls leaned in to join the quiet conversation.

“The throne room at Buckingham Palace.” Louisa answered first.

“Oh my God!” Florence shrieked quietly, holding her hands over her mouth. “That’s incredible.”

Louisa nodded proudly.

“Ours is probably the grand piano at his work.” Florence answered.

“Oh a piano.” Louisa gushed, as if mentally adding that to her own list.

“A piano? And in the throne room?” Elizabeth gaped. “No, no. We’ve only made love in our bed.”

“Aw, come on.” Avalon pressed.

“I’m serious!” Elizabeth laughed lightly. “He always takes me upstairs no matter what we’re doing or where we are.”

“Not even in the living room?” Florence glanced over at her.

Elizabeth shook her head.

“Oh, honey, after you have that baby and make a good recovery, surprise your husband in the living room at least.” Avalon said. “Trust me.”

Elizabeth grinned and nodded, “Alright.”

“Where’s your craziest spot?” Florence turned to Avalon.

“Some random alleyway in downtown LA.” Avalon answered, biting back a smirk.

“Isn’t that dirty?” Elizabeth gaped.

“That’s the point, honey.” Avalon clicked her tongue.

The ladies laughed giddily.

“What about you, Lori? Any gossip to share?” Louisa asked.

They all looked over at her.

“Oh. No. I haven’t…”

“Good girl. Don’t throw it away for just anyone.” Florence said quickly, adding with a teasing little smile, “Save it for your soulmate.”

“Yes. It makes your wedding night so special.” Elizabeth agreed.

“You waited until your wedding night?” Avalon raised her eyebrows.

Elizabeth looked between all the girls, “Yes. Did you not?”

“I slept with him on our first date.” Avalon whispered.

“Oh my!” Elizabeth giggled quietly.

“I was still engaged to his brother when we first went to bed together.” Louisa added.

“We were best friends and got drunk and accidentally made a baby.” Florence finished.

The girls all burst into eager squeals and giggles – even Loretta – and quickly quieted down as the waiter came over to refill their tea. With matching pink cheeks, the ladies thanked him quickly and sat up straighter in their chairs, Louisa focussing back down on her sleeping baby in her arms.

With refilled tea and more desserts, the women shared pictures of their Daniels – and Florence showed a few of her daughters – and they gushed excitedly over how nearly identical the boys looked. Louisa was pleasantly surprised with the photograph that had appeared under her teacup of her love – the Lotus Inn was known to work in mysterious almost magical ways – and Loretta tried to ignore the skip in her heart at the photograph of Daniel that appeared tucked in her unfolded napkin. With two cellphones and three photographs tossed in the centre of the table, the women spoke loudly among themselves and pointed out all the similarities and tiny differences between the five almost identical men.

“Mines the blondie!” Avalon boasted as she snatched up her phone.

“Ha-ha. I’m sorry to hear that.” Florence teased.

The rest of the visit didn’t allow for a single moment of silence, all five women filling the time with conversation and jokes and stories. Florence offered a bit of motherly advice to Louisa and Elizabeth and when Elizabeth’s baby started kicking they all rushed over to set their hands on her belly to feel.

“I just want him or her here already!” Elizabeth huffed with a smile.

“The last two months make you the most impatient, don’t they?” Florence chuckled.

“Seems so.” Elizabeth sighed. “But I had a lot of tea and I need to use the ladies room.”

The women moved their hands off of her and Florence helped her up.

“I should get going anyway. All this baby talk has me missing my girls.” Florence said.

“Corbyn’s going to be here any moment to pick me up too.” Loretta added.

They all gathered their things and left money for the waiter as they left the table and shared friendly hugs in the lobby. A few tears were choked back as they had made good friends that would only be present for that lunch hour. Well wishes were shared and the women cooed little goodbyes to sleepy baby Henry before parting ways.

Elizabeth stopped by the washroom and did her business, pausing to admire herself in the mirror, rubbing a gentle hand over her belly and adjusted her spring hat before heading out to the street. Her husband was waiting for her by the main exit on the sidewalk and she smiled at how handsome he looked in his uniform.

Daniel pushed himself up off the brick wall as she approached and they both leaned in for a quick kiss.

“Was it nice?” Elizabeth asked.

Daniel thought for a moment, his eyes focused on his hands on her hips and her round stomach between them but he smiled tightly and nodded. He looked back at her face, “It was pleasant. We had a few laughs.”

“That’s good. I’m proud of you.” Elizabeth said, leaning up to kiss him again. “You didn’t drink, did you?” 

“No.” Daniel assured her. “You know I keep my promises.”

They smiled at each other and he offered his arm. She set her hand in the crook of his elbow and they headed off down the street together, away from the Lotus Inn and their momentary friends. 

[keyofjetwolf]

Bonus Question Answers! (non-anime animated noms)

This was SO. FUCKING. HARD. This question went so much better than I expected, and I’m only sad I lack the artistic skills to make it all a reality.

Below, my PAINSTAKINGLY selected top answers, If yours is listed below, you’ve earned an entry in a random draw to win a GIFTENING liveblog OF YOUR CHOICE

---

Q: The Senshi suddenly find themselves in a very different animated world. Which cartoon power (think Looney Tunes) do they each now possess?

*  Usagi can make literal rainbows happen when she smiles.  Rei can set anything on fire with her mind (she feels a bit cheated because she can do that at home too).  Ami can write down anything in her special notebook and it literally changes reality around her (she does not share this with her fellow Senshi, because she knows the full weight of this power.  She did, however, write Michiru having a bad hair day for just one day.  Just one.)  Makoto has the ability to pull out any ingredient she wants from any pantry/door/closet.  She usually uses this for cooking purposes, so she won't have to purchase groceries.  Minako has the ability to mimic any voice in the world, whether she has heard it or not.  Hijinks ensue.  The Outer Senshi sensibly escaped from the new animated world right after Michiru recovered from her bad hair day.  They don't speak of the experience. -- @amberlilly  [The whole thing was so solid, but what absolutely sent it over the top for me was Ami using her powers to fuck with Michiru in the most petty benign way, which is EVERYTHING.]

*  Usagi is definitely rocking the exaggerated tear gushers.  Ami can pull charts/diagrams out of nowhere at any time.  Rei combusts when she gets sufficiently mad.  Makoto has birds fly around when she sings while cooking or cleaning.  Minako breaks the fourth wall to make jokes and asides to the audience.  Chibi-Usa is somehow able to walk through ludicrous danger without getting touched, because the censors won't allow kids to be hurt in this show. Haruka can make girls melt into puddles of goo with her flirting.  Michiru can summon a servant at any time to take care of an unpleasant or potentially dirty task for her (including to take the slapstick comedy for her).  Setsuna has access to the script.  Hotaru just sort of appears sometimes, just standing there, silently and menacingly, but never does anything on-screen (though you may hear the occasional off-screen screaming).  Oh, and while I'd like to say Mamoru gains the power of inexplicable entrances... he kinda already has that one.  --Darkcloud k'California  [Again, I loved all these, but particularly Chibs saved by the censors, Michiru’s poor hapless slapstick avatar, and everything about Hotaru, thank you.]

*  Usagi: The power to be found charming by every character she encounters and somehow escape all consequences and damage by simply remaining oblivious, a la Tweety Bird.

Rei: The power to explode, reducing her surroundings to charred wasteland, but remain relatively unscathed (perhaps a bit singed)

Ami: The power to grow multiple arms, hands, and hundreds of fingers in order to do tech stuff

Makoto: The power to punch someone through a brick wall, possibly several, and into someone's family dinner. It's always some surprised-looking family's private event. Often the same family.

Minako: the power to, Bugs Bunny style, apply lipstick and seduce ANYTHING. Which, according to her, is a power she already has.

Haruka: The power to run off a cliff and keep going until she looks down. She never learns to not look down.

Michiru: The power to stick a pin into any other character and cause them to deflate like a balloon

Hotaru: She just gets to actually be used. It is thrilling.

Pluto: She will observe this strange planet from afar with her huge telescope and breathe the Martian air and look great in a kilt and Roman-style helmet. --  @incorrecttact  [Your set-up and punchline delivery style on all of these was perfection, and I legit lol’d at Mako and the poor family she continually interrupts.]

* to make dynamite go BOOM (Rei obviously); to have their opponent chase them to the point where they're floating in midair and then their opponent falls 5000 feet but they calmly walk back to land (like Wil E Coyote & the Roadrunner) (Usagi); the power to blow kisses to their opponent (which are clearly poisonous and end up killing the chap) (Minako); the power to have their opponent's entire arm shattered if they try to even punch them lightly on the arm (Makoto - this is canon anyways, but moreso exaggerated here hehe); to open a book and start reading it out loud and words start showing up on screen, confusing tf out of their opponent (Ami - also canon already)  --@midnightdrops  [Each of these were great, but Usagi and Mako as you described them totally sold me.]

* usagi: can now float on yummy aromas, so long as they lead her somewhere tasty! the others play a quick tournament of jun-ken-pon each time it happens to determine who will be responsible for steering her from blissfully drifting into traffic. again.

ami: is now possessed of x-ray vision! only she can neither turn it off, nor control its intensity. she is working on developing a set of goggles to dampen the effect, and secretly hopes they will make her look like geordi laforge.

rei: rei-chan is now blessed with the power of song! her heartfelt melodies soften the malice of even the most one-dimensional baddie, and influence public policy on a global scale. international success life, yo! i guess she's really a hard worker!

makoto: has become something of a cartoon cupid! in a poorly-ventilated room, her mere presence has bystanders declaring their love for one another within minutes*; and her decadent wedding cakes are the hit of second marriages across the country. *all of them so like her old senpai, and none of them falling for her, alas!

minako: employs her considerable powers of confidence and charm to convince the others she now has access to Plot Manipulation, mainly by engineering and taking ownership of a series of happy accidents. her real power is to literally jump out of her skin when she's startled*, and she has no intention of EVER letting the others know about it.  *minako discovered this new ability while she was changing a roll of toilet paper, and a spider dropped onto her hand. the leader of the inner senshi had never been so horrified. her bones were so slick and cold, her skin a hideous unwiped pile, and then THE SPIDER CRAWLED INTO THE PILE and she STILL doesn't know if it ever got out and sometimes her skin itches REALLY bad and you know what let's stop talking about this right now okay???

setsuna: can now manifest a giant pencil and erase the enemy! but doing so would be breaking The Greatest Taboo, and leave her impaled upon the pencil.

haruka: her new empathetic ability is remarkably similar to Ma-Ti's "heart" ring (Captain Planet and the Planeteers, 1990 - 1996). basically, she's just like really soft at you, and it inspires you to take more positive actions toward yourself and the world at large? she protests about wishing she'd received something tough and intimidating, but secretly is very moved by being made an instrument of kindness.

michiru: her intuition has mutated into fourth wall awareness, and the subtlety with which she makes this known to you is SO GODDAMN UNCOMFORTABLE OH MY GOD

hotaru: can now not only communicate with inanimate objects, but also render them permanently animate! you should have been there during the princess tutu crossover episode when she met lamp-chan - they're STILL inseparable, and chibiusa is SUPER jealous. speaking of which,

chibiusa: can now use hammerspace to store her endless series of magical geegaws and weird animal boyfriends.  -- @rasiqra-revulva  [Dude, you have got to stop making me snort laugh, it’s RUDE. Pure solid gold, every word, with a special nod to Haruka, MICHIRU, and Minako’s extended tragic cartoon backstory.]

* Usagi - like her name suggests, she is now Bunny. By which I mean she is now a very pink and blonde bunny (somewhere between Bugs and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit), but with super-elastic limbs to accompany her new form. Ami - Magical Science Powers up to and including ‘mix one brightly colored liquid in flask with another brightly colored liquid in flask, explosion, get hammer.’ Rei - An infinite supply of dynamite she can pull out of nowhere. This shouldn’t be as useful as it is. Mako - Literally suplexed a giant metallic youma not just untransformed, but before she has Senshi powers at all. I fully believe she could lift an anvil in canon. Minako - While Usagi looks like a rabbit, Mina now has the supernatural trickster abilities of Bugs Bunny. Implausibly effective bad disguises, persuasion, showing up out of nowhere. Chibs - Now that gun from her first appearance is a real gun, but it shoots anything from normal bullets to pies in the face to live birds. Pluto - The fourth wall is a real and tangible thing. Pluto can not just break it, but control it. If she wants to remove a layer of cel or suddenly turn things into sketch, she can do it. If she wants to teleport, she can skip in the animation. If she wants to suddenly appear as a Roger Rabbit-style cartoon in a live action field, or vice versa? Yeah, she can do that too. She basically uses this power to warp the layers of her cartoonish reality for pastry acquisition. Haruka - You’d think it would be Roadrunner speed. Haruka thinks it will be Roadrunner speed. But no, it isn’t. Space Jam is Looney Tunes, and Haruka’s power is Basketball. Michiru - Another power that’s just canonical: Wealth. Ridiculous, tremendous wealth. Hotaru - The funniest thing for Hotaru to be in a zany cartoon world is Even More Spooky. Nothing changes except the artstyle and a ridiculous supervillain cape.  -- Regalli  [Pluto, man. Fantastic and brilliant and I legit WANT THIS. Also though, Hotaru with a cape.]

*  Usagi gains the ability to eat anything and everything like the Tazmanian Devil, though she shares none of his aggressive personality; Minako enjoys fucking with people by bending reality (you know, diving into painted tunnels and stuff like that); Ami is able to utilize and test unreal technology without harm, like jet boots, massive bombs, tornado seeds, etc.; Mako uses body manipulations to change her size and shape--especially for blocking attacks to protect people or grabbing people (coupled with her immense strength); and Rei is the only one aware of the audience beyond the Fourth Wall... She tries not to talk to them but sometimes she just can't help it, especially when Usagi is getting on her nerves.  -- @thehubby  [I said pander to me, and you absolutely did. I can’t stop thinking about Rei trying not to make fourth wall eye contact, then just whirling around all “CAN YOU FUCKING BELIEVE THIS SHIT??!?” and as it turns out, that IS precisely what I wanted.]

---

I’ll be drawing for the bonus liveblog around the start of THE GIFTENING 2020 (currently looking to be Monday, 11 January 2021). Each bonus question is another chance to earn an entry, so keep those answers coming! I CAN ABSOLUTELY AND SHAMELESSLY BE BOUGHT.

[yourplasticlittlespastic]

ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴇʙ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ -- Peter Parker fanfic (3/of many)

Part 1  Part 2

"I chopped you some fruit" Thor offers me a plastic bag and he sees me eyeing it confused "I couldn't find a proper container a'right? you better enjoy this... I'm going away for some time"

"thank you" I nudge his bicep and offer him a smile

At the car, I curiously googled Spider-Man just to see if there was something new, not at all. Maybe is one of those called 'heroes' that one day just disappear.

"Whatcha doin'" Happy asks looking at me through the mirror

"googling news about the Spider-Man"

"oh yeah, I checked some yesterday... " he casually says

"and?"

"mm nothing, but he looks like a modern Tarzan" he adds

"that's exactly what I'm thinking!" we laugh in sync and arrive at school "see you in some hours!"

Walk, walk, walk... Stares, stares, stares... This is how this year is going to be? When I finally open my locker, hundreds of photos fly all over, dragging everyone's attention to me, I lower myself trying to collect them all when a pair of hands pop beside helping me, I look up and it was Peter.

"what's all of this?" he curiously asks

"I really don't know.. I opened my locker and all of this pictures fell, they're not mine"

His hand grabs one picture and spin it around, the word "MURDERER"  written all over it. I quickly snatch it and scan the other pictures... they are all about the accident at Sokovia, really disturbing pictures...

"Whoever did this, is trying to make a point" I mutter cleaning the floor and standing up. Peter following me.

"yeah but they're not proving it, you are not a murderer," he says with a small smile

I give him a sympathetic smile and unconsciously squeeze his shoulder "has anyone told you that you dress like an old man?"

"mmm thanks? I mean if that's your thing okay.." he catches how I want to change the subject

"no!!" I slap his chest and a bubbly chuckle escapes his lips   "ready for economics?"

"oh! my books! my locker is at the other hallway"  he starts walking backwards and accidentally crashes into some girls "sorry! sorry! see you at the classroom"

At Economics, Peter and I fought to answer what the Teacher was asking so we were stealing each other turns, then we walk to Algebra. This year the school divides students into their respective levels. Lists were glued to the wall and I squint my eyes searching for my name, obviously, I wasn't in Basics nor Intermediate, I skim the advanced level but I'm not there

"I'm not in any class..." I frown looking at Peter

"yeah me neither" Peter peeks his head trying to find a teacher

"it's because here are the other ones, there's a new class that was opened for request" Morita walks behind us pasting a list besides the others

"request from who?" Peter asks confused

Morita glares at him "the Board Mr. Parker" he leaves and I read the list

The name of the class is Algebra P.R.O (Practice, Reenforce, and Optimization for future professionals) Jesus, who invented that name.

"guess we are Pro" I turn to Peter who's skimming the list

"oh, no..." he whispers

"what? you cheated on your exams?"  I snort

"No... Liz Toomes is there"  he says with a terrorized face

"yeah, she's smart?"  I point and see his face crumbling  "ohhhh I see, you like her Peter" I whisper at him

He then touches both of my shoulders looking down at me because he's taller "no one must know, please"

"of course not..."  I don't have anyone to tell, except Happy but he doesn't give a flying potato for high school gossip  "act cool, relax Peter"

All the class, Peter was avoiding contact with Liz, I look at her, she's pretty and smart, she's going to kick ass like me one day. In the end, I had Ethics, nothing important just Plato and Socrates, then I ate my lunch in my usual spot. At P.E. I'm a badass, Steve taught me some moves and how to run without breaking into pieces and also my daily exercise helps me.

"Aren't you tired, Tannie?!?!" Ned shouts in agony trying to do a crunch while Peter helps him

"a little but it feels good"  I mentally count 50 and I stop trying to soothe my breathing, I crawl to the mat they are working out  "let me tell you, Steve, I mean, Captain America helped me train" when I said it both of their faces change to the best scene I've ever seen

"You're the coolest chick ever!!!" Ned shouts even louder "okay cool no more crunches I'm going to sit right over there" he spins landing on the floor

"So umm... how is living with the Avengers,"  Peter asks while sitting on the floor  "I can totally see myself texting with Captain America"

"HA!" I snort too hard  "no way, he hates mobile phones trust me and he is waaaay behind pop culture, I'm just explaining to him who are the Kardashians, he thought it was a music genre"

Peter then starts laughing  "unbelievable but well... after all, you are Tony Stark's daughter"

I sigh "sometimes is the best thing, sometimes is a nightmare" With a grunt I stand up  "I'm heading to the changing lockers... see you at English!"

----------------Flashback at Stark's Expo 2010 (Iron Man 2)-----------

"Mommy where's Daddy?"  I scan the area but he's not there

"he's working baby, he's fine, he'll be with us sooner than we expect" she palms my back and walks faster to the entrance

"Are you coming with us?" A police officer asks my mom eyeing me as well

"No, I'm gonna stay until to park is clear" she nods and I let my eyes observe what I used to think it was the best Expo of all times

All I can see was people running, some people tearing up and a lot of fire

"Baby... are you sure you want to stay with me?" my mom questions me and I tighten my grip

"Yeah, we'll be okay mom" I smile at her and she sighs just waiting for my dad to appear

Little did I know that the robots spread throughout the expo will be exploding all around us...

What a tremendous feeling for a nine-year-old. The uncertainty of not knowing if my dad will survive and return safe and sound to me. The images of drones flying all over and people injured was part of the nightmare of being Tony Stark's daughter.

------------------end of Flashback-------------

"Listen, everyone! the class is not dismissed until I say so!"  the teacher exclaims but fails when everyone starts rushing out of the classroom

"see you at the club?" I ask Peter

"Yes! yesterday uh, I couldn't come because...I..." he pauses thinking of an excuse and I roll my eyes

"it's okay Peter I know why you didn't come" I naturally say and he abruptly stops staring at me

"what? like...how?He gnaws his bottom lip and his pupils dilate

"yeah... come on, it was the introduction to the club, we didn't do anything and it was so boring. I actually wanted to skip it too"

He longly sighs and scratches his neck  "Oh my God yeah! you already know my secret hehe"  He then starts walking and we enter to the classroom

The first hour we just made a huge list of materials we would need at this course, then we all put the benches in a middle circle and the presentation of previous works begin. And yes Morita was right, three people built Automathic back scratchers.

"thank you, Tyler!" Chung chrips  "well now...Tannie Stark please" everyone claps and I turn to Peter who is nodding at me

"okay well... Ummm I built it this in summer break- I say opening a bag and taking out the robot

-ohhhhhh-  everyone awes

"its name is EMMA... and it's for Emergency Machine. This is a medium size but my idea is to make it bigger because it's designed for yeah....emergencies such as fires, floods, earthquakes, and daily accidents. It includes a complete first aid kit inside this part of the belly and its operative system is built on a normal binary algorithm, my wish is that once I perfect it... there is at least one in every building of New York and then of all the country"

The claps emerge, mingling in loud cheering. I nod knowing I killed it.

"This is amazing Tannie! we weren't expecting less!" Taylor Chung claps walking to awkwardly palm my back

When the bell rang announcing that the second day was over, I quickly pick up my stuff and stroll to the exit

"hey! wait!"  Peter then approaches me "before you go, let me tell you that if I was rich I would totally invest in your emergency machines" He flashes a toothy smile, kinda cute...

I snort and offer my hand "A pleasure doing business with you Parker" I shake hands with him

"so I was thinking that we could uh... trade phone numbers just in case we need help with homework?"

"sure! just...don’t share it with others" I hand him my phone and I take his

"no! of course, no" he writes his number on my phone and I do the same on his "here, ready"

"cool, text you later I suppose..." I walk to the car while throwing my hone into my backpack but suddenly I crash with someone "Oh... sorry!"

"ha no sorry, I was a little confused and lost...this is a big school,"  A really tall guy with messy blonde hair and blue eyes purses his lips at me

I snort "I think you arrived a little bit later, classes finished for today"

"oh no! I'm here to turn in some papers, tomorrow I'll be early though"

A horn booms all over the street, I turn to look at the owner of the car... figure... it's Happy

"desperate much?" the boy mutters  "well I need to..."

"Yeah, sure! mmm I need to go as well, see you soon...?" I shyly wave goodbye at him and quickly enter the car

"since when you are so desperate Happy?" I huff

"since when you are so unpunctual Tannie?" he fires back making me stick my tongue out at him

---------------------

"what if I alter this part?" I move the hologram of a new model of a robot I'm building

"let me recalibrate the function T"  FRIDAY says while I write down some notes  "the system is operating normally with a minus 5% of failure"

"really? that's great! let's make it minus 30% shall we?" I grin feeling the ambition and excitement rushing through my body

"I am a genius" I whisper to myself

"And I am the genius who created the genius" obviously, my dad says entering the lab  "did you check the fusils?"

"yes"

"the code of chips and the binary set?"

"yes!"

"what about the part underneath the-"

"the fourth and sixth compartment of the first box of cables... yes dad I did" I sigh

"uuuhh you are on fire kid!" he happily claps  "here, a gift for you"  He hands me an empty carton box

"Oh my god, I wanted this, you know it's the last edition?!" I excitedly chirp

"very funny, but I wanted to tell you that next month we are moving"

"wait what? I thought that the others were uh the only ones moving...?"

"yep, we are taking our shi...I mean, our things and we are moving them to a new place where we are going to live"  he explains it as if I was dumb

"what about the tower? it's a clean energy-powered skyscraper dad" I move to table to turn the hologram off

"I know, I designed it... but the place we are moving to is better trust me... I'm surprised Steve hasn't told you about it..."

"where? Brooklyn?" I huff

"nope, a little far away up north but you'll love it! it's like our Disneyland T" he grabs my shoulder playfully shaking me

"okay dad...actually I don't care if we live in a small cabin or in a big mansion... as long as we are together" I warmly smile at him but he crunches his nose

"that's too corny T"  he walks to the door "there are more boxes at the entrance ok? bye bye"

My dad's interruption cut off my inspiration so I take some boxes and begin putting the things I use less and marking the boxes, it took me some hours and then I went to the kitchen and turn the TV on, it was my mom who was live on a press conference about Stark Industries, I make a quick dinner and I eat it silence until my phone rings, a message notification emerge.

I lock my phone and prepare to sleep but before my room, I hear someone opening a door in the main hallway, I take a knife and prepare myself to attack when I spot it was only Vision.

"you scared me!" I touch my heart in a dramatic manner

"Sorry Miss Stark, not my intention" his British accent and the politeness makes me wrinkle my nose

I walk around the kitchen island  "please Vision, call me Tannie or just T"  

"very well, 'just T '"  he proudly smiles knowing he just joked with me "I'm just taking Wanda's boxes to the new place"

"oh sure, go on" From the corner of my eyes I see how he walks but stops seconds later

"you know, you should probably check the third box of the second box of cables at your robot, that'll give you a minus 45% of failure," he says and then walks away

I quickly blink and immediately go to the I+D floor where the lab is, I then spent 3 hours working and I remember sitting on the floor, closing my eyes and sleeping

A/N: hope you liked it! Also available in Wattpad! https://my.w.tt/sw2CZNdCv1 .