#Wanted to make a gameboy but I don't physically own one and couldn't find a decent turnaround so there's a lot of minor inconsistencies

[four-birds-in-a-trenchcoat]

*Gives you this*

YOU HAVE RECEIVED NONTENDO GAMEBIRD. ITEM STORED IN Misc. POCKET

[blazehedgehog]

How much did you enjoy playing Sonic Pinball Party?

I mean, it wasn't like, the greatest video game I've ever played, if that's what you mean. But as far as video pinball games go, I think it was probably better than most on the Gameboy Advance. Because, like, what's the nearest competition?

You have Pinball of the Dead, also from Sega, and it's pretty good! It's goofy and weird in the ways you want something related to House of the Dead to be. It uses music and sound from the arcade games, and it uses the "video pinball" format well: live zombies wander the boards, there are boss fights with giant creatures that animate and take damage, etc. It's a good time.

Then there's Nintendo's own Mario Pinball Land. And... I really don't like this game. Really, really, really don't like it. Mario is the pinball and you have to shoot him at enemies and stuff. Enemies are too hard to deal with, everything moves a little too quickly, the boards are very simple, and its extremely easy to lose a lot of progress because Mario gets lost between the flippers and falls back to a previous area. It turns in to a game where you're trying to make a single shot, missing, and having to redo a previous board because Mario fell down the pit and you couldn't recover. Maybe the most frustrating pinball game I've ever played.

(The developers, Fuse Games, then went on to do Metroid Prime Pinball on the DS, which in a total 180 is absolutely fantastic.)

I've never been much of a Pokemon Pinball fan so I can't really say much about Ruby and Sapphire Pinball.

There were a few others... Pac-man Pinball, Hardcore Pinball, Pinball Advance, etc. It's very likely I played some them but have no memory of doing so. Likely because they were just thoroughly average.

Sonic Pinball Party is a bit better than that, because most GBA pinball games are like Mario and House of the Dead there where they use pre-rendered CGI instead of sprites. Sonic Pinball Party uses actual pixel art.

It also has a weird story mode! It's extremely basic (and as I recall, impossibly difficult) but it's nice that it's there and makes it more interesting than just a straight video pinball game.

Which, I should point out, it mostly is. Unlike Pinball of the Dead and Mario Pinball, Sonic sticks somewhat strictly to the reals of real, human, actual pinball. Sometimes you get scenes like above, where Eggman is on the board, and he animates when you bop him, but it's definitely nothing on the level of those other games.

It's fine. It's serviceable. It's even enjoyable.

Unfortunately pinball is one of those things I always wanted to be way in to as a kid and could never afford to play very often. Now, as an adult, I find myself wanting to care about pinball still, but never actually playing very much. The most pinball I play is in Pinball Arcade on my phone, where the only table I own is The Addams Family.

It's a good table! I wish I could play it in other places besides my phone! I don't like that Zen Studios bought up the rights to Pinball Arcade's entire library, because Pinball FX has always always had, weird, bad, heavy pinball physics! Even after they supposedly "improved" them!

But at the end of the day I'm not losing sleep over it, either.

[hooked-on-the-feelin]

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

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- 2k+ words

- Pairing: Peter Quill/Star-Lord x Reader, Slight Thor x Reader

- Summary: After the attack on Asgard, you find yourself drifting through the space with The Guardians of The Galaxy. Thor, being protective of you because you’re a dear friend of his, tries his hardest to protect you. But he can’t protect you from Peter Quill’s pelvic sorcery.

——————————————————————————————

  Everything was gone. Your home, your family, your favorite restaurant. All of it. It was all because of Thanos. All because he wanted the damn infinity stone.

  Random thoughts swirled through you head as you became light headed. You couldn't breathe. It was all too much. You felt weightless. You felt like a feather, just drifting through the open galaxy.

  Your eyelids began to close and everything faded to black.

      

  "Wake," A voice rang through your head and you shot up suddenly, chest heaving. Your eyes began to water as you scanned the room. Who the hell were these people?

   You shuffled back slightly, nearly falling off the table you currently rested on. Your heart was racing as tears began to well in your eyes.

    The bottom of your floor length dress was tattered and torn. The bodice, which was outlined with metal for support and some protection, was sticking out at different angles.

    Your best friend had given you that dress as a birthday gift. And now? It was ruined. They had died on Asgard, along with your family.

    "Y/N," A voice spoke from behind you, causing you to turn towards it. You spotted Thor, who was currently seated on a bench behind you.

    "Thor? You're alive!" You exclaimed, then realized that you were in a random ship filled with random people, "Who are they?"

    Thor shrugged, "Why don't you ask them? They explain it much more creatively."

    You turn to them, studying them each. A raccoon. A tree. A woman who was currently staring at Thor. A man with... red tattoos? A woman with antennas. And finally, a man who was currently staring you in the eyes.

  The man smiled softly at you, causing you to relax a bit. Your grip on the table loosened as you returned the gaze. You couldn't take your eyes off of him.

  "Peter Quill. But most people know me as Star-Lord," He leans against a shelf, causing it to come crashing down shortly after.

    A small laugh escaped your lips, "Who are you guys? Where am I?"

    "I am Groot," The tree says, his gameboy resting at his side.

   "I'm Y/N," You respond.

    Peter stands the shelf up on its side on the floor, taking a few steps towards you, "We're The Guardians of The Galaxy. The fluffy rabbit here is Rocket. Careful, he will steal. Over there in the Green is Mantis. Don't let her touch you if you have any secrets. Thor's not so secret admirer is Gamora. Big man is Drax. And this," He gestures to the ship, "Is home. For us."

You looked around the interior of the ship, "It's... nice. Really."

    Peter nods, slapping the side of it, then pointing to a stereo. Inside was a small cassette, labeled 'My Awesome Mixtape Vol. 2', "This is my pride and joy."

    You nod, "Any good songs?"

     He smiles, nodding eagerly, "Yeah, great songs. The best."

    "Maybe I could listen-" You were cut off by Thor rising out of his seat, grumbling, "We're not here to socialize, Y/N. We have places to be."

    "What places?" You question, "I never signed up for any of this."

     "We need to do this. For Asgard," He says with a sigh, rubbing his chin.

      You bow your head, singing your legs so you now sat on the table, "What can I do?"

    "I'm sending you down to Earth. I have some friends there that can  help you. You just need to be somewhere safe," Thor explains, "Ready?"

       "Hold on. I didn't agree to your proclamation. You may know this people but I don't," You hiss, slipping off the table all together, nearly tumbling to the ground. You let out a cry, clutching your knee. When you pulled your hand away, you saw blood oozing down your arm.

         Peter came to stand beside you, "You're hurt."

       Rocket slaps a hand to his head, "She has eyes, Quill."

        A frown appears on his face, "I'm gonna get you back on that table, alright?"

       You nod, your eyes screwed shut as the pain travels further down your leg. You inhale sharply as Peter helps you back onto the table, placing his arms under your shoulders and lifting you up, setting you down gently.

      It was then that you realized how close you were. You swallowed the bile rising in your throat and mumbled, "Thank you."

       Peter then turns to Thor, "She can't travel if she's injured. Hell, she can barely walk. If it's alright with her, she can stay here until she recuperates."

       He clenches his teeth, "We have doctors on Earth who can actually help her. Come on, Y/N, I'll help you."

       "No."

       Thor's brows furrow, "No? What do you mean? You've always wanted to go to Earth!"

       "He offered. I'm staying. I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I don't know when you got it in your head that you control what I do- but it ends now. I make my own choices."

       Rocket snickers, "I like 'er."

    "If that's how it is," He frowns, "Then so be it. I guess I'll avenge Asgard myself."

      You shrug, "Who said I can't help out from up here? Hmm? I'm sure I can do something. Whether that's mopping the floor or doing something more meaningful."

       Gamora lets out a small laugh, "The floor is dirty. Peter never wipes his feet when he comes in."

       "Gamora..." He says in a hushed tone, pursing his lips, "You said you wouldn't tell anyone..."

        "We all knew it was you, Quill," Rocket cackles, "You have tiny little man feet."

         Peter blushes, "I don't have tiny little man feet!"

       "Ask the real man," Drax says, "He's has muscles."

      "I have muscles!" Peter protests, lifting up the arm of his shirt.

      You scanned his arms. He did have muscles. They weren't overly large like Thor's- and they weren't small like one of your old friends. They were... nice. Really nice. Nice to look at. You tried to look away- but you physically couldn't.

       "Eh," Rocket says, "I stand by what I said earlier. Yer one sandwich 'way from bein' fat."

       "I don't think you are," You say meekly, causing Peter to smile and say thank you."

        "So, you're really staying?" Thor asks bitterly, already knowing the answer. He wished he wouldn't have asked.

       "Yes," You answered, then turned to Peter, who was currently leaning against the table, "Do you guys have anything I could use to bandage his up?"

      "I'll help you with it. It looks deep. You may need some stitches," He replies, grabbing a med kit from above you.

       "Peter, let me handle the stitches. Last time you gave someone stitches, you had to get some, too."

       He sighed, "But I know how to do t now!"

      Gamora shakes her head, "You're not supposed to poke yourself with the needle!"

       "How was I supposed to know that?" He questions, crossing his arms.

       She groans, "I quit."

       "You can't quit. We're in space."

————————————————————

        As you and The Guardians headed to a planet that you didn't quite remember the name of, you sat quietly on the table.

       Peter has began to clean your wound, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw that the cut wasn't as deep as he had thought, "You don't need stitches, but this is gonna stick like a mother."

      The word "mother" made your heart sink. It reminded you of the family you had lost during the attack. You looked away from where Peter kneeled on the floor, tending to your knee.

      He had been right. It did sting like a mother. You let out a cry as he began to disinfect it, applying alcohol.

       You squirmed, gripping the table as tight as possible.

        He pauses momentarily, setting the supplies down on the floor beside him and walking over to the stereo, pressing play, "Hope this'll distract you."

       Listen, baby. Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low. Ain't no river wide enough, baby.

      You smiled at the lyrics. It eased the tension a bit and you loosened your grip on the table slightly.

If you need me, call me. No matter where you are, no matter how far.

  

       You let out a cry as Peter reached a sensitive area on your knee, once again gripping the table. Your eyes were screwed shut.

       In an effort to lighten up the mood, he sang along, "Don't worry baby. Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry. You don't have to worry!"

       A smile grew on your face as you looked down at him, mouthing a thank you as he finally put the alcohol away.

      Although the majority of the pain had stopped, he continued to sing along, "Cause Baby there ain't no mountain high enough! Ain't no valley low enough! Ain't no river wide enough- to keep me from getting to you, baby."

       You looked up at you through his eyelashes with a classic smile,

       "Remember the day I set you free? I told ya you could always count on me! From that day on, I made a vow. I'll be there when you want me- someway, somehow."

       He repeated the chorus once more, this time as he wrapped a bandage around your knee, securing it a moment later while singing, "Oh no, darlin'. If you're ever in trouble, I'll be there on the double. Just send for me!"

      You let out a small laugh as he stands and takes your hands in his, gently rocking from side to side

      You gazed into one another's eyes as the song continued to play in the background.

       My love is alive, way down in my heart. Although we are miles apart, If you ever need a helping hand, I'll be there on the double- Just as fast as I can!

    Ain't no mountain high enough! Ain't no valley low enough! Ain't no river wide enough! To keep me from getting to you-

      "Babe," Peter finished, leaning forwards to take yours lips in his own. You wrap yours arms around his neck, pulling him closer as your legs wrap around his, your knee still aching.

       He rests a hand below your upper thigh, deepening the kiss as "Brandy" began to play.

       Your hand squeezed his upper arm, and you briefly pulled away, "All muscle."

      He smirked and let out a breathy laugh before pressing his lips to yours, one hand now resting on the back of your hand, tangling in your hair.

You could get used to this.