#Zipline screens

[sehtoast]

Tender Threads CH3 (Homelander x OC)

chapter three: initiation

chapter directory | slow burn, hurt/comfort, fluff, spidersona as original character, original trans male character, smut, sublander

summary: time to make it official. speeches, crowds, and vought's guard dog watching his every move. better not mess up, bug boy.

Word was out by fault of a leak.  Before the official announcement by Vought, news outlets had plastered Spidey over every flat surface and digital medium possible.  It wasn’t the first time Ben had made international news, but it was the first time it was to a scale like this.  He’s been a hot subject since becoming one of the only ‘rogue’ supes to not choose outright crime, though vigilantism was still technically illegal.   But he had droves of public support and pretty much always has.

Spider-Man had been gasoline added to the fire in the debate of unlicensed heroes.  He wasn’t the first, but he was certainly one of the more popular ones– though Ben could never fathom why.  Within three years of first donning the mask, he found himself trending on social media on a nearly regular basis for reasons both good and bad.

Spidey Doesn’t Kill.  Spider-Man Saves Victims Before The Seven.

Debates on his morals or potential lack thereof.

He’s not getting paid for it, obviously he’s doing it because he’s a good guy. 

What if he’s just some sick freak that wants an excuse to beat up on people?  

It was… a lot.

But it’s never been anything like this.  At least the outrage of the handful of exceptionally vocal few was satisfying.  Especially that weird guy that runs The Bugle.

Ben was given a script for his formal introduction.  Vought was going all out.  A stage, cameras, a massive crowd…

It was fucking scary.

He’d met Stillwell a week prior.  Just do it the way Homelander does, she’d said to him.  As if it were that easy.  As if his entire life wasn’t just upended by both the world’s most powerful supe and conglomerate.

So here he stands, just a few blocks away from the stage in Central Park.  Waiting for his little queue.

He can hear her over the loudspeaker.  Insincerity and public posturing dripping from her voice like venom.

Ben hates these types.  He’s dealt with them a lot in his job– well, old job– and something about her was so… wrong.  The way she smiled at him when he lifted the pen from his contract, name forever etched, soul forever sold.  Maybe it was how soothing she tries to be.  Soft voice, gentle eyes, even though behind it all is just another soulless little–

“I am so thrilled to present to you,” she says, voice bouncing off buildings and into Benjamin’s ears.

His queue to jump, to dive low and arc high.

“The newest member of The Seven–”

Go, go, go!   Drag line– zip– push off the wall– dive, momentum, go for the spectacle!  Razzle dazzle ‘em, Ben! C’mon, Stillwell! Say it!  Say the fucking line!

“The Amazing Spider-Man!”

Just as the words fly off her tongue, Ben comes into full view of the crowd.  Cheers erupt like deafening thunder, seemingly drowning out the city.  He peers down as gravity corrects his display of performative agility, sending him on a dive toward the stage.

A zipline to the rafters is all he needs to stick the landing, a quick handstand to add that pizzazz that was demanded from him, and a web from which to dangle upside down as he waved like the good little performer he was.

It wasn’t without its own beauty.  Even upside down those signs were clear as day.

We Love You Spidey! 

You Saved Us!

NY ♥️s Spidey!

The cheers, the kids in shifty little homemade costumes, his signature hand gesture that releases his webbing being held high by thousands...

Even in the air, he couldn’t see the end of the crowd.

But there’s no time for his brain to blue-screen like this, especially not when Stillwell all but grabs him and directs him to the podium.

Oh fuck, public speaking.  Christ, Ben thinks to himself, okay, imagine them all in their underwear…

The roar of the crowd silences in mere seconds as they wait for him to speak.

Thank god for the mask.  And the podium… fuck, are my legs shaking?

“Hi, everyone.” Ben begins, clearing his throat awkwardly.  He had a lot to nail here.  Poise, confidence, and whatever else was gonna help make supes look competent enough to belong in that defense bill.  Yeah, Stillwell made sure he knew not to fuck up their future as Lockheed Martin’s biggest competitor.

One step out of line could be catastrophic.

“I just… I wanna start by thanking everyone, y’know?  Everyone here, out there, friends, family… the whole shebang.”  He starts, letting the thunderous applause run its course before moving on.  “But most importantly, I want to thank Vought for giving me this chance–”

Gag, gag, gag!  This is horrible!  Ben thinks to himself as he runs his script.  Part way through some babble about small beginnings, he notices a flash of red and white behind the proscenium wall of the stage.

Homelander’s here?

“I’m just so incredibly grateful to be standing here today, y’know?  I hope I make you folks proud.  Thank you,”  oh christ, here we go with the raw corporate vomit, “and god bless America!”

Blegh.

Ben takes the slightest step away from the podium, and it’s like a jet engine firing up right in the middle of the park.  Screams and cheers, applause and all sorts of noise making doohickeys.  Beside him, Stillwell ceases her own claps to gently guide him from the podium.  Then, the noise explodes.

Whatever fanfare was for Spidey becomes infinitely louder when those colors sway out from behind the wall.

“Oh, no!  Hey, you guys!”  Homelander shouts to the masses, his smile wide and happy as he makes his way to the microphone.  He claps a hand against Ben’s shoulder and pulls him back to the podium to stand with him.  “C’mon, let’s hear it for Spider-Man, eh?”

Homelander leans in as the deafening uproar picks back up.  “Bet’cha don’t get that as a vigilante, huh?”

Then, as the noise dies down, Homelander begins his own performance.

“I, for one, am incredibly glad to have this fella join our team. It’s unfortunate that Translucent was injured so badly by an unknown enemy during his last mission, and I swear to God that we’ll find whoever is responsible and bring them to justice!” Homelander pauses. “But, I know that Spidey here will bring his own incredible qualities to our team, and I very much look forward to working with him, and the rest of The Seven, to keep our country, and world, safe!”

Perfectly impassioned.  Voice strong, tone bold but somber for his incapacitated friend.  Humble and domineering, but worthy of adoration.

He’s one hell of a spectacle up close.

Homelander’s arm slings around Ben’s shoulders, indicating that he, too, should wave to the masses.  He was showing the world how friendly they are with one another despite the real deal behind the scenes.  Despite what he’d said and done to the bug.

Benjamin wasn’t going on a patrol tonight.  No, no… after today, all he wants to do is curl up and hibernate.  Maybe it was all of the dread and anxiety for his big reveal day that had weighed him down, but he felt so heavy.  There was no way he’d be able to resist a nap on a rooftop at this rate.

Besides, this was probably one of the last times he’d ever sleep a full night here.  Well, most of a full night, given his sixth sense’s tendency to rouse him at odd intervals.  

Vought was moving him in.  Sure he could keep the apartment, but what was the point?  All of his things were going to be transferred by Vought’s moving services, so all he really had to do was pack everything up even though he technically didn't actually have to– the moving team would handle everything.  Not that there was much he could have in a studio apartment, but…

He’d gotten as far as boxing up his clothes, but everything else was still as is.

Instead of doing more, though, he just grabs that same guitar whose strings Homelander nearly broke, lays back, and picks a melody until drowsiness turns to pure exhaustion.

Unaware of the eyes watching him through the walls.

The boy was… a curious thing.  Obligation had turned to fascination, fascination became fixation, and fixation became obsession a little too quickly for his liking.  But that didn’t stop Homelander from continuing with his observations.  

It never does.

He was almost grateful that killing the bug was off the table completely.  Had he done so in that alley, he wouldn’t be here now, being practically serenaded– well, all except for some singing that Benjamin has yet to unknowingly perform for him.  Everything he’d seen over the last few weeks had driven him insane.  

Why in the hell would such an extraordinary supe choose this?   The mundane, the boring, the simple.

The mud.

He could have been so much more so long ago!  And Vought?  Vought waited this long to pursue and sign him?  What a fucking joke!  Homelander would’ve taken him over Starlight in a second had they pitched him earlier.  He supposes, though, that it was because they had been taking formal auditions back then…

But what a specimen this Benjamin was turning out to be.  So bold, yet so timid.  So happy and sad all at once.  Human, yet impeccably super.  And so very fun to watch live his boring little life.  Homelander will almost miss watching the web-head scramble to make it to work on time, swinging around the city in his cheap dress shirt, spider suit stuffed in a backpack, and then doing that stupid job as a… oh, what was it..?  Some kind of tech bullshit, whatever it was.  

Suffice it to say, it’ll be magnificent with the bug living in the same building soon.  Easier to observe that way.

[jmdbjk]

Wow.

I can't leave to enjoy a few days vacation without the world falling apart?

Hybe vs. Min HeeJin. Not on anyone's bingo card this year. I have not caught up on everything but who tipped off Hybe about her dastardly plans? The timing of it all... and her little extemporaneous skit she did for a press conference was perhaps part of her plan to turn public opinion in her favor? She claims to have invented kpop or at least made it what it is today but out the other side of her mouth says she hates idol culture?

Hybe's not here to play, they will not be nice. I see no benefit to her for showing us the not so pretty side of the idol industry. Maybe that's her problem, she can't see what she's doing because she's too far into it. Thirty years in the business will make you lose your objectivity. She has no idea she is coming across as a greedy, spoiled, entitled, manipulative, narcissistic, emotional female in a male dominated industry. Basically a nut case.

The lady had a tremendous opportunity to perhaps take ownership of her company in due time, become a great example for female leadership in a country where corporate culture is steeped in chaebolism. Instead she squandered that and thinks she will come out on top. Did she miss the Hybe vs. SM Entertainment episode from last year?

Anyway.

RM's new album! RPWP!

The Monochrome pop up store is doing well!

Jin will be back after 6 Fridays!

In other news. I went to Las Vegas. This is what I saw:

The Bellagio Fountains. They're huge. The Bellagio is SWANK. I looked for Jimin in Dior and Tiffany, Hobi in the Louis Vuitton store, Namjoon in the Bottega Veneta store, but none of them were in there. There was no Calvin Klein store.

When Hobi, JK and Tae were there watching the fountains dance to Dynamite, they were standing here:

Passed by Allegiant Stadium a few times. It's huge.

Drove out to Seven Magic Mountains. I am happy to report the lowest boulders had no writing or graffiti. They were amazingly huge as you can see.

Joon's pic of the above rocks:

Went to AREA 15 and it was HUGE and amazing! It's impossible to show everything that its about, there are multiple buildings and installations and activities, gift shops, bars, etc. We went into the Omega Mart (mega art) experience which led to a maze of fantastically created chambers, each different from the last one, all pulsing with animated lights, texture walls, ceilings and floors.

And ate at Hobak Korean BBQ. We couldn't find out which tables the members of BTS sat at but I got a pic of the Butter album they all signed. There were other autographs from other famous Korean celebs but the BTS signatures were displayed in a more prominent place on the wall.

We also scoped out The Sphere. Also HUGE. The concert space is arena sized. I don't know who was playing there that night but the parking lot was filling up.

We also walked the Strip.

The Fremont Street Experience. That's an animated video screen overhead with ziplines running through the length of it. It's two blocks of casinos, restaurants and gift shops. People are also doing busking and shows at street level.

Hoover Dam, view of the dam from the highway bridge and view of the highway bridge from the dam. Spent a few minutes on the Arizona side.

Hiked in the desert. Saw cactus and wildlife. Drank a lot of water.

Drove to the Mojave Desert Preserve in California just to say we did.

We hated leaving. It was a fun trip. But damn, I have so much stuff to catch up on now. Hiatus my ass.

If Vegas is on the BTS comeback tour I promise I will be there this time.

We gambled at the airport on our way out. The slot machines were next to our gate. And in the baggage claim area. But as you can see, its not just about gambling there.

In case you didn't get it, everything in Vegas is HUUUGGE and FARRRR. Walk a lot, spend a lot of money.

Overall, Las Vegas was clean, the people were extremely friendly and welcoming of course, they might be teaching hospitality as a school subject there, I don't know.

[lastarvek]

I was going to do a “hot takes” on dragon age veilguard but I’ve seen enough negativity/complaints abt that game (not saying they aren’t valid)

So I’ll put some of my positive thoughts out there (very very light spoiler warning):

- I LOVE the combat. Like I am in love with it. Dragon Age Inquisition had the most unpleasant combat of any game I’ve EVER played, so this was such a refreshing change

- I literally love all the characters so much that I find myself staring at the party selection screen for 5 mins before I can decide who I want to come with me 😭

- I actually think the cities/zones are super fun to navigate !! Especially with all the parkour and climbing we get to do (Treviso ziplines !!!!!!)

- I actually really liked Taash’s storyline. I can’t speak on behalf of that specific community, but I thought it was tastefully done and well written, even got me a little misty eyed

- I really appreciate that the companions have conversations with each other at the lighthouse, and party banter has gotten an upgrade too. I especially love how if their banter gets cut off by combat they will say “okay anyways” and repeat their last line of dialogue. Super nice touch

- And finally, I’ve seen people say they can’t connect with their rook but for the first time in years I’m excited about a new character. I’ve added so much to her backstory and I’m really loving her !!

[pinyeti]

Episode 2: Attack of the Clones

Loving how i can see the budget increase GOOD GOD THE CGI IS CRAAZY

Ohno padme's clone is gone

HELLO??? ANAKIN??? HES PRETTY NOW ofc he has the rat tail 

Obi wan flop era uggo

Why does he give me young president snow vibes

OHMYGOD IVE SEEN THIS SCENE BEFORE ON THE INTERNET WHERE PADMES LIKE FIND WHOS TRYING TO KILL ME AND OBIWANS LIKE NO AND ANIKINS LIKE YES OFC ANYTHING FOR YOU SENATOR

Ok beginning of rebel anakin

Please tell me he doesnt go to the dark side for love

THE WORLD BUILDING IS CRAAAZZYYY THE SCReENS AARE SO CRISP IM SO IN AWE OHMYGOD

SNAKES IN HER BED SNAKES IN HER BED

OBIWAN JUST ZIPLINED WITH NO ZIPLINE ATTABOIY

How does the past look so much better than the future

I cant believe this is 2002 IT LOOKS SO MODERN

tHE HUMOUR THE CLARITY THE ACTION EVERYTHING IS SO FRESH 

Ok anakin is crazy

DID HE JUST DRIVE INTO ELECTRICITY?? ANAKIN OBIWAN IS OLD FUCK YOU DISRESPECTFUL RAT TAIL HAVER

do you think you’re shelock holmes anakiN??? STOP JUMPING OUT OF MOVING VEHICLES ONTO ONCOMING SKY TRAFFIC ANAKIN

Idiot lost his lightsaber

“You’re the closest thing i have to a father” FUCKIN BITCH

Okay sorry about gay allegationing obiwan and vader when I DIDNT KNOW HE BASICALLY RAISED HIM 

Bro anakins hair is something else

IS THE CHANCELLOR OLD GUY EVIL IS HE??? IS HE THE EMPEROR TO BE

Padme IS THEIR MOMMM

Bro yoda hates all the jedis hes so sassy for what “too sure of themselves they are, even the older ones” *pointedly stares at obiwan*

NOWAY PADME LEFT IT TO JARJAR IS SHE CRAZY

Ok anakin your job is to protect her not use her as a vent journal

ANAKIN CAT NOIR

I just know hes kicking his feet at the assignment

IS R2 THE CHAPERONE CDJBDEK

Bro anakin is cheeeeesssiiiinnggg HES SUCHHHA SIMPP IM GETTING SECOND HAND EMBARASSMENT ;))) one might even say ‘)))) we jedis are encouroegd to love eheh ;)))

IS obiwan walking into a huge ARMY trade deal KNOWING NOTHING and IMPROVING HIS WAS THROUGH

Oh STORM TROOPERS ARE CLONESSS

OH MY GOD THIS MEME

“SOUNDS AWFUL LOT LIKE A DICTATORSHIP TO ME”

“WELL IF IT WORKS” THIS IS WHERE ITS FROM

anakin : ugh i am so angry i serial killed ugh

padme: dw to serial kill is to human

(????ok enabler)

Ohmygodddd NOOO WHY WOULD SHE DO THIS IM SO SICK OF JARJAR

WAIT YODA USED STORM TROOPERS FIRST???? WHA HOW DID THEY END UP WITH THE EMPEROR THEN was it anakin

Ok not the biggest yoda fan

Wowww how convenient obiwan discovers an army ready for use right when theyre being threatened

Everytime they say dooku i laugh

Anakin is a stupid man child - RUNNING INTO PROBLEMS WITH GLOWSTICKS AND HOPING IT DIES PT39382992 - guess it runs in the family

OHMYGOD ANAKIN DOUBLE HAND LIGHTSABERING LIGHTBASAVERING

HAHA HE GOT HIS HAND CUT OFF LIKE HE CUT OFF LUKES he just wanted him and luke to share something :( he just wanted to teach luke :( its okay i forgive you for cutting lukes hand darthy

YODA IS SOSOSO COOOL

WHO IS THE EMPEROR HELLO?

(5/9)

(ALSO DW GUYS IM NOT FOLLOWING ANY STARWARS MUTUALS TILL IM DONE WITH PREQUELS SO ILL DO A SERIES OF HELOOOOS SOON)

[pickalilywrites]

Saw the fanart of Levi as the torch runner for the Paris Olympics, makes me think that Levi really could do the entire running stunt all over the city.

That would make a great fic au. The AOT characters are Olympians and Levi, being a former 25 timed gold medalist has retired, but is asked to be the special guest torch runner and light the flame to start the games.

passing the torch

snk ensemble. olympics au. 2994 words.

The athletes wait in anticipation as the passing of the torch is displayed on the stadium’s screen. It begins on the top of the Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, a beautiful structure constructed in the late 19th century that looks more akin to a castle than a church with its tall towers and stained glass windows. Standing beside one of the grandiose towers is a hooded figure with a mask on. In the mysterious figure’s hand is the Olympic torch blazing brightly. The camera orbits around the figure before switching to match the figure’s gaze: a view of the magnificent city of Paris. The view shifts from the bustling cobblestone streets, the river Seine, the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, and other famous Parisian monuments. The camera moves slowly to give the audience a clear view of all Paris has to offer before it returns once more the hooded figure who slowly reaches up to remove his mask and reveal his face. When his face is uncovered, the stadium filled with athletes erupts in cheers. 

“Tonight is the opening ceremony of the Olympics. As the athletes wait to be introduced, we are given an apt beginning to the ceremony with someone who many consider the face of the Olympics and one of the greatest of athletes of all time: 25-time Olympic gold medalist in men's artistic gymnastics Levi Ackerman,” announces Ilse Langer, a sports announcer once again returning to cover the Olympics. A few returning athletes and many first-time Olympians chatter excitedly when they recognize her voice. The sports announcer is a favorite due to her incredible ability to break down all the technical aspects of different Olympic events clearly and concisely. “He’s returning now for his fifth Olympics, but this time as the torch bearer and not as a competing athlete. While his absence in the men's artistic gymnastics event will be sorely missed, his appearance at the opening ceremony is undoubtedly a welcome sight to his peers and newcomers as well as folks at home watching who have followed his elite career for decades.”  

 The camera stills on the gymnast for a moment and then the gymnast turns suddenly and begins to run across the top of the cathedral. He nears the edge of the building but rather than stop, he jumps and then miraculously lands on nearby structure. He dashes and leaps from building to building, giving the camera a chance to capture all the beautiful French architecture as he traverses the city. When Levi approaches the river Seine, there is a zipline waiting for him. Without hesitating, he flies across the river, zipping through the air on the line. 

“Oh my god, I can’t believe he’s ziplining through Paris as if parkouring wasn’t enough,” Eren says admirably. He’s on the men's swim team representing Paradis, but he holds the utmost respect for the gymnast despite them being in completely different disciplines. “Isn’t that hard on his knees? I can’t believe he came back to do this. Shouldn’t his knees be, like, super fucked up from gymnastics and everything? He’s incredible.”  

Pieck, an equestrian athlete, side-eyes the swimmer. A smile plastered on her face, she says warningly, “Please watch your language, Eren. Some athletes here are still quite young and impressionable and might pick up your bad habits. Just the other day I overheard Gabi telling Falco she was going to ‘raw-dog’ the shooting event. When I asked her where she learned that term, she told me you said it meant to go into something without any preparation.”  

Eren’s face flushes. “Well, that is how people use it,” he mumbles. 

“That’s true. It’s kind of interesting how language evolves and takes different meanings as it’s passed around,” Armin begins eagerly, but he shrinks when Pieck directs her gaze towards him. The athlete, Eren’s teammate on the swim team, coughs. “Of course, it’s still true we should be careful how we speak among the younger athletes.”  

Pieck nods, the vaguely threatening smile still on her face. “I’m glad you agree with me. I’d hate to put the entire men's swim team on my watchlist.”  

However, Gabi and the other young athletes are too enraptured by Levi Ackerman leaping and dashing across rooftops and famous Parisian monuments to pay any attention to what Eren and Pieck are discussing. Despite being in completely different disciplines, the youngest athletes have found a kinship with each other and have stuck to each other during their Olympic journey so far. It’s their first time at the Olympic games and they’re absolutely starstruck by all the other top athletes around them, especially the one on the stadium’s screen.  

“I can’t believe he’s here! I thought he retired after the last Olympics. I can’t believe we’re at the same Olympics as Levi Ackerman,” Gabi gushes. Her brown eyes are glued to the screen, unable to look away at the gymnast performing some of his signature flips and twists as he jumps from building to building. 

Udo, a table tennis player and one of Gabi’s companions, nods in agreement. His eyes are similarly fixed on the screen. The spectacles sitting on the bridge of his nose make his eyes look even wider as he watches Levi with a gaze filled with awe. “I cried for an entire week after I heard he was retiring.”  

Both Falco and Zofia, two more young athletes that Gabi and Udo had befriended on the trip to Paris, nod in agreement. 

Petra, a rhythmic gymnast, has her arms wrapped gently around Falco. It’s her third Olympics, making her a veteran athlete that many look up to. Her charming and warm personality makes it easy for people to approach her and so this young batch of new Olympians naturally found themselves in her care. Now, she smiles down at them and asks, “Would you like to meet him sometime? I could probably arrange something once your events are over. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind meeting you all or at least having a videocall.”  

“Really? You can do that?” Falco asks, turning to look at the rhythmic gymnast.  

“Absolutely,” Petra says cheerfully.  

“Wow! You guys must be close,” Udo says with a tinge of jealousy.  

“Well, it’s something like that,” Petra laughs as the teenagers practically vibrate with excitement. ��

Eren frowns as he overhears the conversation. He’s been a long-time admirer of Levi and had even bumped into the gymnast in the last Olympic games, but he had struggled to strike up a conversation with him.  

“I exchanged numbers with Levi at the last games, but he never texted me back,” Eren sighs. “I wonder what his relationship with Petra is that she can ask him for favors like that so easily.”  

Armin and Mikasa exchange looks with Mikasa rolling her eyes.  

“God, you’re dense,” Mikasa says with a shake of her head and Armin laughs beside her. Like Armin and Eren, Mikasa is also a swimmer. This is her third time at the Olympics, and she’s well on track to becoming one of the most decorated swimmers of all time if her times at the Olympic Trials are any indication.  

“What? What did I say?” Eren asks. He looks at Mikasa and Armin, but neither of his friends offer him an explanation. He huffs and begins to complain about them leaving him in the dark, but someone throws their arms around Eren and Mikasa without warning and Eren yelps in surprise. 

“Ah, did I scare you?” Hanji grins. The sports climber gives Eren a cheeky wink as they pull Eren and Mikasa closer for a hug. “I’m surprised to see you all here. Don’t the swimmers usually sit out of the opening ceremony because your event is the next day?”  

Armin gives Hanji a shrug and a little laugh. “Mikasa also said we should take a day to rest, but Eren really wanted to go to the opening ceremony. I guess it’s a good thing we did or else we would have missed Levi’s appearance.”  

Eren waves off Hanji’s concerns. “Hey, we’re young still and we rested really well on the flight here. Anyway, there are other athletes that are attending the ceremony even though they have an event tomorrow. Look at Eld and Gunther!”  

At the mention of their names, both gymnasts look in Eren’s direction and give the swimmer a wave.  

“Hey, Eren! Looks like you decided to go to the ceremony too! Sure as hell beats resting and missing out on all this,” Eld says, gesturing at the big screen where Levi is sneaking around the Palace of Versailles.  

Both Eld and Gunther had previously participated in Olympic games and had the honor of being on the same men’s gymnastics team as Levi. The experience was something they treasured even more than the team gold they had won at the last game.  

“It feels a little strange being here,” Gunther chuckles. “Levi had always sat out, so we never went until now. It’ll probably be our last time here, so we wanted to experience it at least once.”  

“Well, you should have stayed in your hotel room and rested instead!” a voice says suddenly and both Gunther and Eld jump back in surprise as Auruo, a trampoline athlete, appears between them. He has a stern expression on his face as he glares at Eld and then Gunther. “If neither of you medal, you’re going to burn Levi’s legacy to the ground and everything he’s achieved will be for nothing! Of course, I’ll do well because I always do, but you two should really take care of yourselves.”  

Auruo lets out an unholy shriek when he feels a sharp sting at his side. He’s sniffling even once it stops, the memory of the sudden pinch at his side still lingering. He looks sorely at Petra who smiles as if she hasn’t done anything wrong. 

“Levi’s legacy is Levi’s. Eld and Gunther could never touch it even if they wanted to, but they have their own legacies to write. Stop stressing them out and just let them do their best like they always do,” Petra tells Auruo. She pokes him in the side where she had pinched him earlier and he lets out another startled yell. “Worry about your own legacy. I’ll definitely tell Levi as soon as possible if you don’t medal.”  

“That won’t happen because I’ll definitely medal,” Auruo growls, rubbing at his side as he glares at the rhythmic gymnast. 

“Glad to hear it,” Petra says cheerfully. 

Pieck looks around and observes the other athletes representing Paradis. Some have sat out to prepare for their events taking place tomorrow, but there are some faces she doesn’t expect to see.  

“I thought you wouldn’t care to attend the opening ceremony, Annie,” Pieck says. The equestrian rider smiles as she loops her arm through Annie who tries to close the gap between her arm and her side far too late. Pieck rests her head on Annie’s shoulder.  

“It’s not like I wanted to go. Reiner just wouldn’t stop bothering me about it, so I decided to come to shut him up,” Annie huffs. She’s a fencer whose event doesn’t take place until a few days into the Olympic games, but Annie has never cared about fanfare and overblown celebrations. The only thing she hated more than crowded ceremonies was Reiner’s nagging. She glares at the direction of the cyclist who’s busy enjoying himself and chatting beside his colleagues. “I wanted to stay in my hotel room and sleep.”  

“Poor you. Should I get someone to carry you? Maybe the wrestling brothers?” Pieck teases, referring to Porco and Marcel Galliard. She glances at someone hovering shyly behind them. With a sly smile, Pieck suggests, “Bertholdt could probably carry you. I’m sure you could nap on his back during the opening ceremony and he wouldn’t mind at all.”  

“H-huh?” Bertholdt stammers, his face flushing at the thought of being in such close proximity to Annie who remains oblivious about his feelings towards her. “I don’t know-”  

“Stop talking nonsense,” Annie tells Pieck. She looks at Bertholdt warningly. “Don’t you dare pick me up.”  

“O-okay,” Bertholdt says, looking down at his feet so that he doesn’t have to make eye contact with Annie.  

A hush comes over the stadium as they watch Levi make the final stretch of his journey. He’s approaching the Olympic stadium now and all the athletes wait with bated breath for his figure to appear. Their eyes are fixed on the entrance of the stadium and when Levi’s silhouette finally emerges, the entire stadium erupts in explosive cheers. The cheering doesn’t cease until Levi finally hands the torch off to a French athlete who takes it graciously before running to finally light the Olympic cauldron with the flame. Even though the games have officially begun with the lighting of the flame, all eyes are still fixed on the gymnast who jogs to the join his old colleagues.  

“Levi! I didn’t think you’d be the type to do those types of stunts for the opening ceremony,” Erwin chuckles as he welcomes his old friend.  

Beside him, Erwin’s beach volleyball partner Mike nods. There’s an amused grin on his face. “Did they pay you a lot for it? I can’t imagine any amount of money that would have you do that.”  

“My agent said I would only have to do a reveal of my face at the end and they’d get a stunt person for most of it. Then the stunt person mysteriously disappeared,” Levi grumbles. “I should fire my agent for not reading the contract properly.”  

“Well, I thought it was amazing. Very entertaining,” Zeke says with a grin.  

Levi looks at Zeke and then at Erwin and Mike with an expression of incredulity and betrayal. “Zeke? You’re talking to Zeke?”  

“Oh, come on. We’re all friends. After all, everyone is here to represent Paradis,” Zeke says. The captain and pitcher of Paradis’ baseball team throws an arm around Levi’s shoulders.  

Levi shoots Erwin a gaze filled with a million daggers.  

Gabi and her friends have only grown more excited now that Levi has joined the rest of them. Udo looks as if he might faint just being in the gymnast’s presence. 

Sasha prods Gabi in the back. “If you want to say hi, just wave at him.”  

Gabi looks back at Sasha. “Can I do that? I can just wave at him? What if he ignores me? What if he thinks I'm an annoying brat?”  

“He’s actually a lot softer than he looks,” Sasha laughs. The archer gently prods Gabi again, an encouraging smile on her face. “Go on. If you miss your chance now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”  

“Alright,” Gabi says. She takes a deep breath and looks determinedly in Levi’s direction. She waits until his gaze meets hers. She immediately wants to look down, intimidated at the thought of being acknowledged by such a skilled athlete, but she steels herself and brings her hand up in a wave. She doesn’t expect Levi to wave back, but he does and her face breaks into a smile. 

“Oh my god, he waved at you!” Udo marvels.  

“Me too, me too!” Zofia says. The little archer waves enthusiastically at Levi and the rest of her friends follow suit, nearly hitting other nearby athletes in the face in their excitement.  

“I can die happy now,” Udo says. He brings his hand to his chest, his whole being filled with contentment after the brief moment he shared with his favorite athlete.  

“At least wait until you play your table tennis match to die,” Sasha jokes. “We need you!” 

Beside her, Connie yawns. The Olympic skateboarder is usually someone who enjoys extravagant ceremonies such as this one, but recently he’s been enraptured by something else. He looks over a Jean, his lower lip in a pout, and asks, “When can we go back to the Olympic Village? If I knew the ceremony would take this long I would have stuffed some of those chocolate muffins into my jacket.”  

“You need to stop eating all of those,” Jean says with a roll of his eyes. “One of the chefs is getting annoyed at having to bake so many at once.” 

“If Nicolo is so bothered, then he should stop being so good at baking!” Connie grins. 

Petra and the other gymnasts have managed to give Levi an escape from Zeke by wrestling him away so they could chat with him. The gymnasts crowd around their retired colleague. Their smiles are so wide that it’s a wonder that their faces haven’t cracked in half.  

“I thought you were retired, Levi. What are you doing back here?” Eld asks, nudging Levi in the side. 

“Did you miss us? Could you not bear the idea of us participating in an Olympics without you?” Petra teases.  

“Don’t be stupid. They just asked me for a favor and I decided it was easy cash,” Levi replies.  

“Still, you’re here with the rest of the participating athletes,” Gunther points out.  

“To make sure you guys don’t mess up probably,” Auruo sniffs.  

“To pass the torch,” Levi clarifies, and his friends ooh.  

“How kind of you. I’m always telling people you’re much kinder than you let on,” Petra teases. “Are you nervous that we’ll come home with fewer gold medals now that you’re not here to help us?”  

Paradis is a small country and the number of athletes the island has sent to participate in the Olympics can’t compare to larger countries, but the athletes Paradis does have are a strong-willed, passionate, and talented bunch. Over the years, the performance of Paradis athletes has only improved. Even this time, the Paradis athletes have gazes filled with an undeniable flame that is reminiscent of the fire reflected in Levi’s eyes the first time he had participated in the games. 

“No, not at all,” Levi replies, and he absolutely means it.  

[books-and-dragons]

Ik it's been awhile since I have dropped a HC on you, but consider: Akira doing some unnecessarily dangerous stunt in the Metaverse and feeling so proud of himself... and then he's shocked when the team gets angry/worried that he risked his own safety like that.

"Guys, it's fine, only I would have gotten hurt!"

And then they just get even angrier and he's confused and startled they're so worked up about it. He's not used to people worrying about him.

omg june, hi!!! aaa i yelled when i saw your user pop up, hope you're doing well!!

your brainworms are angsty as ever and oh how i love it

i'm such a believer in the akira-is-passively-reckless-about-his-own-life concept, you'll have to rip it from my cold, dead hands

considering the in-game clues we get about how he's not great about keeping himself well-fed and has an automatic tendency to throw himself aside for the sake of other people's safety, akira's probably got a huge lack of self preservation to add to that (maybe even, a complete lack of care for his own wellbeing) (i'm absolutely blaming his home life for this)

which works well enough for someone in a leadership position, he'd make sacrifices for others very easily and yeah!! he's just so used to not putting himself into consideration- he doesn't even think about his own safety. nobody else ever has, so why should he?

it trickles into everything he does. the last healing item goes to a teammate, whatever funds he makes from part-time jobs goes into the phantom thieves (nevermind that he's living on sojiro's patronage curry and instant noodles, that's unimportant, he's unimportant), he offers unconditional support and a listening ear to every confidant he meets, and helps them with all their problems- even if it is to his own detriment. on the battlefield against a new enemy, joker will do his best to find the weakness- because if they repel anything, at least then he carries the brunt of the backlash. it's natural, instinctive, and therefore he sees no wrong in it.

and for a long time, he gets away with this reckless abandon for his own safety.

except he goes a step too far, maybe he decides to distract another hoard of shadows on his own? or makes what should be an impossible zipline move to cross to the other side of a chasm. against a rampaging enemy, he throws himself in the firing line. after months of excusing the passing recklessness, this is a step too far for the phantom thieves.

when they're reunited with joker, he's not greeted by praise for his dramatic flourish, or impressed and spirited cheers for carving a path deeper into the palace, but instead worried frowns and scolding reprimands. flurries of hands which search for his injuries and want to heal, and he doesn't need it he's fine-

and oh you're so right it would hurt so much because akira would be so confused by their concern!! at first, he probably assumes they're talking about anything but him. did he accidentally break a treasure on his landing? for some reason, had the thieves not wanted that shadow hurt? what was it this time, what had he done wrong- because he had to have done something wrong he always does something wrong, eventually

when it gets through to akira that no, they're worried about his safety the boy blue-screens there and then.

it's not something he's ever been used to- care, affection....attention. nobody's cared enough to look close enough before, and suddenly akira doesn't know what to do with this worry, with this obvious sign that people care about him, that someone values akira kurusu....he's in a bit of a fugue as the diarahan washes over him, so much do he can't even scold what he'd deem an unnecessary use of energy

they call it a day in the palace not long after.

learning to value your own life isn't something that's easy, but akira's surrounded by people who care about him now- they can be patient. this time, they're taking the lead to help akira, not the other way around.

maybe makoto challenges him to find a more safe plan, that doesn't involve reckless action. ryuji helps him be more open about his feelings. ann teaches akira how to appreciate himself. futaba shows him how to trust in what people promise. yusuke guides him through self-appreciation in his own, artistic style. haru helps akira define himself, outside of the parameters his parents set for him. morgana stays at his side through it all.

in their own way, they'll help akira find some self-worth, and hope to see the fruits of their labour in akira guarding a bit more often in battle, turning to his teammates instead of charging in headfirst and bearing the weight of shadows' attentions himself. they'll wait patiently for the day he asks for help, and be proud when he does.

for now, they'll accept the occasional willingness to head back to a saferoom, or retreat from battle. they'll mentally cheer when he uses one of their few healing items to patch a gash in his side. it's all about the small steps.

[natlacentral]

How Kiawentiio went from a ‘little arty kid’ to the star of Avatar: The Last Airbender

You know that classic actor’s arc, painstakingly building from bit parts to bigger roles, withstanding rejection and despair? Yeah, that’s not Kiawentiio’s story. The Mohawk Canadian actor was cast in the first thing she auditioned for, the hit CBC/Netflix series Anne with an E. Her next role was the title character in Tracey Deer’s wrenching, semi-autobiographical film Beans, followed by a gig on Rutherford Falls. And now she’s the second lead in a gigantic Netflix series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, a live-action reimagining of the beloved animated series (2005-08), shot mostly in British Columbia, arriving Feb. 22. And she’s only 17.

We meet via video call, and even on that flattening medium, Kiawentiio sparkles. (Professionally, she goes by that mononym, pronounced Guy-a-wen-di-jou.) She’s poised and friendly, without any child-actor posing. Now and again she glances over her shoulder into a corner I can’t see; turns out her mother is there for backup.

Her Anne with an E audition was a lark – or as Kiawentiio puts it, “It came out of nowhere and happened randomly.” Growing up on the Akwesasne reserve on Kawehno:ke (also known as Cornwall Island), which straddles the Ontario/New York State border, she was “the little arty kid in the corner, who stayed inside at recess to paint and draw,” and dreamed of going to art school. Her dad chanced upon an open casting call on Facebook, and they thought, might as well try it. She was the last audition of the day.

Landing Avatar: The Last Airbender, by contrast, required more of a campaign. As a kid, Kiawentiio loved the animated series – its environmental and spiritual themes, its thoughtful depictions of Asian and Indigenous cultures, the battle scenes of Benders wielding the four elements, “the character arcs, the sheer craftsmanship. It would fill me.”

So when she heard rumours a few years ago about a live-action reboot, she had a feeling she’d be right for Katara, 14, a novice Waterbender, the last in her Southern Water Tribe, traumatized by the world war being waged by the Fire Nation, yet undaunted and hopeful. Teaming up with Aang, the title character (played in the series by Gordon Cormier), she begins to realize her potential. Kiawentiio asked her agents to keep an eye out, “just in case the universe is listening.”

The audition, when it came, was veiled in secrecy – fake project and character names, disguised scenes, all via Zoom. After a month-long series of “adrenalin-pumping” chemistry reads with other actors, showrunner Albert Kim delivered the news: Yes, it was Airbender; yes, they’d been searching the world for their Katara; and yes, it was her. She and her family burst into tears.

With her co-stars, Kiawentiio spent six weeks at “bending boot camp,” where each learned the martial art their movements are based on: wushu for Firebending, tai chi for Waterbending, Hung Ga for Earthbending and Bagua for Airbending. They shot on a cutting-edge mix of green screens, practical sets – Kyoshi Village was built in a working quarry in Coquitlam, B.C.; Jet’s hideout was filmed at WildPlay, a ziplining park in Maple Ridge, B.C. – and volume stages, including the world’s largest LED video wall studio, a near-circle lined with 2,500 LED wall panels and 760 LED ceiling panels, at Canadian Motion Picture Park in Burnaby, B.C.

“That stage was warm,” Kiawentiio says, laughing. “Wearing Katara’s big blue parka, pretending to be in the Arctic while being in a microwave.” Watching the animated series come to life was “surreal,” she continues. “When you see Appa in front of you” – a flying beast that combines bison, hippo and manatee – “or even small things like my necklace – I remember being almost in tears.”

Canada’s Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience) plays Iroh, brother to Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim); the actors playing Katara’s parents, Rainbow Dickerson and Joel Montgrand, also played Kiawentiio’s parents in Beans. But she didn’t get to hang out much – “I was in high school at the time, just trying to get through 11th grade,” she says. “Fun fact, I’ve never been to a first day of high school with my classmates. Every year I was doing something, travelling somewhere.” Now graduated, with a five-year option for possible future seasons, “I’m saving my next few years for the show and whatever else may come from it. But I plan on going to school in the future.”

Each of the four Airbender nations has real-world roots, including Omashu, Himalayan, Indonesian and Indigenous Arctic cultures; cultural consultants advised on folklore, history and mythology, as well as costumes, calligraphy and artifacts; and the series’ four directors are of Asian descent. That mattered, Kiawentiio says: “It’s 100-per-cent important to me that I represent where I come from, my people and my language. That comes with me to every character I portray.”

Her opportunity to embody authentic Indigenous characters has never been higher, as a spate of recent series attest: Reservation Dogs, Little Bird, Echo, True Detective: Night Country, the Yellowstone franchise. Lily Gladstone could well become the first Indigenous woman to win a Best Actress Oscar, for Killers of the Flower Moon. And Deer, Kiawentiio’s Beans director was an excellent role model: “Being able to see her be the leader, be so strong, opened my eyes to other things I can explore – directing, producing.”

But she doesn’t want portraying Indigenous characters to become its own kind of limit. “Those roles will always be at my root; they are what I can see myself in and relate to. That doesn’t have to be the end of what we’re capable of, though. We don’t have to just play the Indian friend, the Native guy. We can be just that doctor or teacher or lawyer, those regular roles. The days of just getting a role, and not The Native role, are still ahead of us.”

Now that Kiawentiio’s accidental career is skyrocketing, “it’s funny how weirdly normal it gets,” she says. “I understand how people can lose their groundedness. You’re in the air so much, how do you stay grounded? It’s helpful to keep my real life separate, with my family and friends, and have my work self be almost a persona.”

She’s always had a readable face, she realizes. “I can’t hide anything; it’s all in my eyes. But to be able to be in control of that to portray someone else is so interesting. My dad told me he’s never seen me light up the way I do when I’m on a set. That’s when I knew I should stick with it.”

[asterroses]

5, 7, 20, 22, 31, and 39 for odessa? for those rook asks you rbed earlier :)

i need u to kno i did heart hands at my pc screen when i got this LMFAO

5. What was life like for Rook before joining the Veilguard?

odessa's life was kind of . in the shit . considering she flunked her chance at becoming a full-fledged crow that she was banking on [she couldn't let it happen , though . the people were more important . but she does have regrets] , and she was kicked out of the only home she's ever had even if it hurt her more than nurtured her , so she was just kind of coasting . she was by herself which would've also been causing harm to her , as she's never done well all on her lonesome . most of it was disassociation , if you asked her what she was doing , all she'd bring up was varric recruiting her - solely because she cant really remember .

7. Why does Rook agree to join the Veilguard?

for something to give her purpose , and to prove herself . she needed to see for herself that she Can do something , and do it well , without fucking it up . and maybe she was hoping viago would somehow see , and allow her back home . the good thing about joining the veilguard was that she was present , and in the moment , instead of vaguely hovering . we dont talk about how it basically backfired - thats haunting her every step to the point she's refusing to sleep .

20. What’s it like to see them smile? Their laugh?

odessa's smile is cute ; its more of a smirk , a raise of the corner than a smile , but enough that her front teeth show . its something that hasnt really changed since she was little , and her laugh lines are much more noticeable with a smile . she snorts more than she laughs , and its more of a cackle , and its really easy to make her laugh . she loooves jokes , even making her own no matter how terrible they are .

22. Most embarrassing memory as a teenager:

truly she has many to choose from ; most of which were witnessed by viago . one she claims was the most embarrassing was her falling from one of the ziplines into the canal . which was also when viago realized she never learnt how to swim and had to fish her out of there himself . and also when he realized she didnt know how to use the ziplines . that was certainly a time for both of them . and totally not in the presence of many other fledgelings . some that definitely let her forget [they dont let her forget ; heir lets her know shes not the only one who has done it , though]

31. What specialization does Rook pursue? What called them to it?

duelist ! she's been trained more with daggers most of her life , she knows how to dodge , how to avoid , and how to hit Hard . she couldn't see herself being anything but what a crow Should Be . its been ingrained into her . she loves being a duelist , to be honest . is it because she's been read stories abt dashing , mysterious and troubled rogues ? and now she is one ? Maybe So . she will never admit it , though . [yes she will . she has multiple times . shes a bad liar]

39. What is their room at The Lighthouse like?

its very eclectic - which fits her . theres an antivan coffee maker that she bought at the cafe , theres a lute she's trying to remember how to play when she's not so tired , theres sketches of wings on her walls , and a plant in a terrarium on one of her small tables , maybe because she was thinking of lace when she bought it , and how she'd like to grow plants someday . the floor is messy , various articles of belts and holders scattered about . she has a hard time staying in the room , as she doesnt want to sleep , but she tries to spend as much time , so that the fish dont get lonely . shes named them all , too , and gets stressed thinking about how they're fed with glass up to the ceiling and no fish-food designated spot . she thinks solas cruel , for that .

[figmentjedi]

Last year, the Godzilla Museum at Nijigen no Mori’s Shin Godzilla zipline experience introduced a photo-op that allows you to pose with a Final Wars Godzilla suit on a miniature set of the museum itself, but what I didn’t catch until stumbling on this YouTube video from an urban exploration channel is that there’s a video option that inserts your encounter with Godzilla into more new footage of the FinalGoji stunt suit doing things.

And as cool as it is to pose with an actual piece of kaiju screen history in this way, I just wish this was a true Godzilla theme park meet and greet with fresh replicas of the FinalGoji suit welcoming people to his domain, because people should be allowed to recreate Jet Jaguar awkwardly shaking Godzilla’s hand.

[karaloza]

Legend of Zelda Theme Park - Skyward Realm (UPDATED)

The Skyward Realm was a later addition to my theme park concept (much like how fully explorable airborne environments didn’t become a thing until relatively recently in the franchise). It obviously draws inspiration from Skyward Sword and the sky islands of Tears of the Kingdom, but you can also meet the Rito here, and elements from a few of the LoZ series’ sky-themed dungeons are used for flavor.

Strikingly, the area is built to a much higher elevation than the rest of the park–it sits atop a structure as much as 100 feet tall (which doubles as a show building for a few rides). The edges of the structure are covered in artificial clouds to emphasize the “skyborne” nature of the area, and the buildings are decorated with colorful pinwheels and flags to catch the breeze. (Some of the larger ones are marked on the map with asterisks.) Only a small strip of the area’s footprint is at ground level, to contain the entrances and/or exits of the escalators, elevators, and rides that make the Skyward Realm accessible. A peaceful music loop of tunes associated with aerial environments, the Rito, and flight scenarios plays throughout the area.

Attractions

Ancient Cannon: The queue and loading area for this ride are actually at ground level, because the point is to be a more exciting means of traveling to the Skyward Realm. A powerful magnetic launch sends guests shooting up a steep slope to the upper level, where they disembark; the car then reverses gently down the track for the next bunch.

Sailcloth Plunge: By the same token, those looking to return to ground level might take this ride, a simple parachute drop.

Flight Range: One of the most technologically sophisticated rides in the park, this one combines arm-mounted vehicles with 3D screen effects and “virtual” bows and arrows so guests can test their archery skills at Revali’s own target-shooting range!

Landing Platform: A meet-and-greet for Rito characters (Revali, Kass, Medli, Tulin), who actually “soar” in from a nearby tower (via zipline) when they’re ready for the guests!

Wing Ceremony: Echoing Universal’s Dueling Dragons, this relatively gentle suspended coaster features two interweaving tracks and red and blue cars with a Loftwing motif.The track actually extends over the edge of the Skyward Realm for a sensation of true flight!

Astral Observatory: Officially the highest point in Hyrule, this mysterious tower contains many beautiful star charts, astronomical instruments, and other details to peruse while enjoying a mystical music playlist and waiting your turn to peer through one of the telescopes for an unparalleled (and AR-enhanced) view of the kingdom.

Eagus’s Sword Academy: Kids 12 and under receive foam swords and instruction in a variety of sword moves from none other than Eagus, the swordmaster of the Skyloft Knights Academy! Up to four “lessons” (shows) a day.

Shops

8. Oocca Pod Shop: Named for the odd little shop in the City in the Sky in Twilight Princess, this shop offers a variety of kites, gliders, and other airborne toys (but please don’t throw them off the edge of the Realm).

9. Brazen Beak Plumage Boutique: Named after the Rito Village clothing store in Breath of the Wild and providing much the same function here—souvenir clothing and feathered accessories such as headbands, hair clips, cockades, and costume wings.

Eateries

10. The Lumpy Pumpkin: Based on the inn of the same name from Skyward Sword, this buffet restaurant serves home-style food with pumpkin specialties.

11. Light Lunches: Heavy meals won't do for flying creatures, so this counter service restaurant offers a variety of prepackaged salads, fruit bowls, flaky pastries, and fluffy mousse desserts, for adventurers who don't want to be weighed down.

12. Luv & Bertie's Enhanced Elixirs: Another beverage location in the vein of the Potion Hut, this one themed to the potion-making couple from Skyward Sword.

Miscellaneous

Like Epona Ranch, the Skyward Realm has no Spirit Train station of its own. It is readily accessed from the one attached to Zora’s Domain (pictured, but not labeled).

The three pearl-like icons indicate the locations of Zonai Device Dispensers as described in this post.

[coneheda]

Can you do 74+79+69? (clexa)

69. “Why the hell are you bleeding!?”74. “Don’t let go.”79. “That’s the third time I’ve saved your life!”

“Okay, I think if you shoot that tower and hold the line until I get across I’ll be able to open the door for you and then we’ll be able to gain access to the control room.” Lexa says seriously. Clarke nods along, popping a cheese puff into her mouth while there’s a break in the action. “All right aim just above the roof line so I’ll be able to zipline right in.

“Got it.” Clarke says taking aim and hitting the right buttons to make the proper arrow shoot, it lodges itself exactly where it should and Clarke grins to herself smugly.

“Don’t let go.” Lexa reminds again. Clarke watches the slim figure loop a cord over the wire and start the 70 meter descent. She reaches for another cheese puff only to be met with an empty bowl. An empty and wet bowl.

“Atlas!” Clarke scolds the empty spot next to her, the dog nowhere in sight.

“Clarke!” Lexa yelps in annoyance.

“What?” Clarke turns to her pouting girlfriend then looks back the the screen where her character is no longer holding her bow and Lexas is lying on the ground 30 feet below.

“I told you not to let go!” Lexa scolds

“My finger slipped!”

“You didn’t even notice!”

“Atlas ate my cheese puffs!” Clarke defends with a pout of her own, still upset over her missing snack. “You haven’t respawned so you must not be dead yet.” Picking up her controller she belays her character down the cliff and walks it towards Lexa’s. Transferring some of her reserved energy, Lexa’s avatar stands back up. “There, that’s the third time I’ve saved your life!”

“Compared to the 10 times you’ve been the cause of my death and considering you’re the reason I fell in the first place, I don’t think that holds as much power as you think it does.” Lexa snarks. 

“Yeah, well you’re the one who wanted me to play, knowing full well what my videogame capabilities are.” Clarke says.

“At some point they should improve, we’ve been playing this game for weeks!” Lexa says. Clarke sticks her tongue out at her girlfriend then takes it one step further licking the side of her face.

“Why are you like this?” Lexa grimaces, scrubbing her cheek with her sleeve. 

“Don’t be rude or suffer the consequences!” Clarke warns. Lexa gives her a look and they’ve been going out long enough for her to know that look, but with the way she’s currently sitting she can’t escape fast enough. Lexa launches herself on top of Clarke, pinning her to the couch and tickles her relentlessly. 

“Ow ow! okay I give! I give!” Clarke pants out.

Lexa only backs away slightly grinning in victory, then her eyes widen. 

“Why the hell are you bleeding?!” 

“What?” Clarke says, confused until she notices the red line on her thigh. “Uh maybe you scratched me?”

“You know first hand I don’t have any nails, at least none that would do that. Besides, both my hands were above your waist the whole time.”  Lexa says

“That’s not true, I felt you move on top of my legs.”

“I never…” Lexa starts and then turns her head. Lying on the floor beneath them silently wagging his tail with a look of pure innocence on his face, lay her dog Atlas. The commotion must have drawn him back into the room and they didn’t even notice when he tried to join in. “It looks like someone needs a pedicure.”

“Great, first my cheese puffs and now this and to think I gave you a piece of my bacon this morning!” Clarke playfully scolds the dog, who in return sits up and puts his head on her lap. She dutifully scratches him behind the ears.

“I think I know how to make it up to you.” Lexa whispers in her ear causing shivers to run down her spine.

“Just make sure to lock the door this time so fur ball doesn’t join us again. Your tongue is the only one I want getting anywhere near my vagina”

“Noted.”

[serviceapartmentsnoida]

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When it comes to location too, service apartments are ideal choices as they provide easy access to popular attractions in Noida such as shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment venues. They are also close to major transport hubs like metro stations making them easily accessible from any part of the city.

Conclusion

For those looking for luxury without compromising on comfort or convenience, service apartments in Noida serve as the perfect option! With their unbeatable combination of style and quality coupled with excellent services offered at competitive rates makes them stand out among other accommodation options available in the city.

Source URL- https://serviceapartmetsnoida.blogspot.com/2023/09/experience-comfort-convenience-luxury.html

[multicore-processor]

This is just outside my hotel in Las Vegas. Two entire city blocks covered by a massive screen with constantly shifting video that makes it feel like daytime at midnight. Filled with incredibly loud live music and surrounded by casinos with flashing lights, with people flying overhead on a zipline.

I came here to see the sights and so far I am not disappointed.

[kyogre-blue]

I’ve finished the major world quest of the 3.6 new area and, despite my own intentions, am about 80% through the exploration, so I guess I’ll quickly give my thoughts. 

For the world quest, I set it to auto and didn’t read much of anything, though I’ll try to check out the summary on the wiki later (it’s not done yet). It was long! Not sure if longer than Aranara, but definitely long. And given that this is yet another race of squishy floating things, I really just... I do not care. That’s too many small creatures that we’ll never see again because they’re tied to a specific area. It’s not even NPC land anymore, we’re not even dealing with humans now. I’m tired of it all. 

Regarding the lore, it seems to be just another round of “things got real fucked up 500 years ago and these brave souls died to stop it, btw your brother was here.” A mention of Dain too, but doesn’t seem to be anything actually new in all this. 

I also did all the other local world quests except the time gated one with the Fontaine artist and the one for dealing with the tree circle gates or whatever. 

Regarding the gadget, I hate it. It’s really annoying to have to switch to it and back all the time, since that always gets you a loading screen, and some of the mechanics require you to alternate between doing a thing as Sorush and doing a thing as Traveler. Almost as annoying is when you only switch in to press her skill once and then switch back out, which really feels like... why is there not an option to just have her use her skill while she’s following you? 

But worse is the three axis movement. Going up is okay. But going down? It’s tied to left Ctrl key, and it is extremely unnatural. I also keep pressing Z instead which... exits the gadget mode.............. Awful design. 

Speaking of the new mechanics, there are waaaaay too many. They’re all crammed into this one area, and it’s not like they’re complex, but it’s silly to have all these different tutorials just for mechanics that are going to get discarded in no time. Half the time, I don’t even engage with them. Yeah, Sorush can move that zipline, but you know, I can also just climb the cliff with less hassle. 

It’s all just really intrusive, imo, and Sorush’s animations seem to be bigger and more distracting than previous pets too. 

In regard to the actual area itself, it’s kind of a mixed bag. 

Part of it is More Desert, there’s also More Caves, which are not good things. Part of it is a rather pretty forest, and there’s also the industrial areas from Khaenri’ah underground as well. I guess my overall feeling is that it’s simultaneously too similar to the rest of Sumeru but they also went too hard on the small details in an attempt to set it apart. It really just feels like a rehash of Aranyaka in a lot of ways, which isn’t great. 

I didn’t necessarily feel the exploration itself was bad, but the up-down of the cliffs, combined with their difficult to climb shape, makes it not really enjoyable to traverse casually. 

It’s actually somewhat reminiscent of Watatsumi. The way some of the puzzles will lead you around areas is similar from what I remember as well. A youtuber mentioned just after the version update that it seems like Genshin has several teams working on creating new areas, and the teams have individual quirks in how they design the maps, so I wonder if maybe the same people worked on this and Watatsumi. It’s just my speculation though. 

But it looks like I’ll be able to wrap this place up before the flagship event starts, come back for the exploration event somewhere later in the patch, and then never return again. Just gotta make sure to get all the Kaveh flowers while I’m here lol

[snowcreamangel22]

(slow going ft SRMTHFG) co-written

This crossover fanfic of AoStH and SRMTHFG was co-written with @ks1-the-warioware-fan

(slow going ft SRMTHFG)

[The episode begins at the house of Rocket the Sloth. Inside the house, Rocket's Dad is hanging from a tree branch by his right arm and holding a paper in his left hand. Rocket's Sister is hanging from a tree branch by her right arm, Rocket's Mom is hanging from a tree branch by her right arm and holding a ladle in her left hand, and Rocket himself is hanging from a tree branch by his right arm. All four sloths are covered with cobwebs. Dr. Robotnik floats above their house in his Egg-O-Matic hovercraft, with two mini pods near it. Scratch is in the left one, and Grounder is in the right. He looks down at Rocket's house through the monitor in the control panel. Scratch and Grounder are also both wearing helmets.]

Dr. Robotnik: Those slowpoke sloths are the perfect bait for my Sonic trap! Now, jump down there and use my careful and scientific plan to dismantle, distruct, and destroy!

Scratch: Whoa-ho! You first, Grounder!

Grounder: You're older! You go first!

Robotnik: How about if both you microchips for brains go at the same time?

[Robotnik turns the Egg-O-Matic upside down, causing Scratch and Grounder to fall out of it, screaming.]

Grounder: Do you think maybe we should have opened our parachutes by now?

Scratch: I think maybe we should have remembered to wear them!

[Scratch and Grounder crash through Rocket's house.]

Scratch: Yipe!

Grounder: Oof!

[Scratch and Grounder land with a crash in Rocket's front yard. Grounder's head is even springing out of his body. Robotnik looks down at them.]

Scratch: We trashed Sloths' Manor, your nastiness!

Grounder: Yeah! Can we go home now?

Robotnik: D'oh! This is embarrassing!

[As Robotnik talks, he pulls a lever with his right hand. This lever opens a trap door at the bottom of the Egg-O-Matic, which sends down a wire with a giant magnet.]

Robotnik [heard offscreen]: Mobius' greatest genius, reduced to a junk collector!

[The magnet grabs Scratch and Grounder.]

Scratch: [screams]

[The wire pulls the magnet with Scratch and Grounder up, and the trap door closes on Scratch's body.]

Scratch: Ow! [yells]

[Rocket watches from inside his house as Robotnik flies away. He then walks away, then slides down a zipline, holding onto the handle with his left hand. When he reaches the other end, he lets go and drops down. He opens a door on a tree with his right hand and pulls on a handle with the same hand repeatedly.]

Rocket: Save… us… monkey team!

[The handle causes a hammer to hit a rope repeatedly. The wave on the rope quickly travels across the telephone lines to signal the monkey team. The screen then transitions to a view outside Dr. Robotnik's fortress.]

Grounder [heard offscreen]: Trashing that sloth place was fun, Dr. Robotnik! Can we do it again?

[Inside Robotnik's fortress, as Robotnik is talking to Grounder, he puts his head back onto his body with both his hands. He then puts Grounder's right arm back on his body with his right hand, then Grounder's left arm back on his body with his left hand.]

Robotnik: That was just to get their attention! Now, you go back to Sloth City, with my latest brilliant invention!

[Scratch is now standing next to a laser cannon.]

Scratch: What? This old stove pipe?

[Scratch picks up the laser cannon with both his hands and spins it. It eventually hits him on the head.]

Scratch: [yells]

Robotnik: That "stove pipe" is a subatomic slow-go beam weapon!

[Scratch continues spinning the Slow-Go Beam on his right hand, then tosses it into the air. It lands on the floor.]

Scratch: Oooh!

[Robotnik walks up to Scratch and picks him up by his comb with his right hand.]

Scratch: [yells]

Robotnik: It drastically coattails molecular motion!

[Robotnik throws Scratch down.]

Scratch: Ow-how-how-how!

[Scratch picks up the Slow-Go Beam with both his hands and puts it on over his head. He walks around foolishly with it obscuring his view.]

Scratch: Hey! It works! It's already "ker-tailed" my motion!

[Scratch walks into a pile of boxes, knocking them over. He also appears to have knocked down a machine as well, breaking it to pieces. Scratch then aimlessly wanders into an electric field, which shocks him.]

Scratch: Whoa-ho-ho-ho! Whoa-ho-ho! Whoa-ho! Oooh! Ow-how-how!

[Scratch falls back, then gets back up. He continues aimlessly wandering across Robotnik's fortress, bumping into a pillar, then bumping into a machine, then tripping over another machine.]

Scratch: Whoa-ho-ho!

[Scratch continues wandering aimlessly, until he bumps into Dr. Robotnik.]

Scratch: Oh-ho-ho!

[Robotnik grabs the Slow-Go Beam with his right hand. He then yells into it.]

Robotnik: It's not for you, you metal mess-up! It's for Sonic! It's the ultimate weapon for catching that meddling, high-speed hedgehog!

[Robotnik pulls the Slow-Go Beam off Scratch's head.]

Scratch: Ow-how-how!

Grounder: Uh, how's it work, Dr. Robotnik?

[Robotnik points with his left index finger, and walks away, carrying the Slow-Go Beam in his right hand.]

Robotnik: It shoots a slow-motion beam that'll slow him, to sloth motion! [cackles]

[Robotnik reaches behind his back with his left hand and pulls out a crystal.]

Robotnik: It's powered by this Mobian Mega Crystal, that took me nine years to make!

[As Robotnik talks to Scratch and Grounder, he opens the compartment on the Slow-Go Beam with his left hand and puts the crystal inside.]

Robotnik: Now, remember; just shoot the slow-motion beam at Sonic! It'll slow him down for exactly one hour, plenty of time for you to capture him!

Scratch: Then we squish him and squash him into a tiny little Sonic lint ball?

Robotnik: No! Then you call me to pick him up! Is that clear?

[Robotnik tosses the Slow-Go Beam at Scratch and Grounder, who immediately argue over it.]

Scratch: Okay!

Grounder: Oh! No, let me do it!

Scratch: Give me it!

Grounder: No! Dr. Robotnik!

Robotnik: Break it up or you're both fired!

Grounder: Both fired?

Screatch: Yes sir, your supremeness! Bwahaha!

[Scratch and Grounder zap Robotnik with the Slow-Go Beam.]

Robotnik [in a low, slow voice]: Come back in exactly one hour, so I can dismantle you!

[In the next scene, Rocket and his family are all waiting outside their house, each hanging from a piece of it by their right arm. Rocket is now hanging by his left arm and holding a checkered flag in his right.]

Rocket: chiro promised he'd… be… here… fast!

[Sonic and the hyperforce runs past some boulders, then past Rocket's House.]

Rocket: Here… we… are… monkey team! Stop!

[they all stopped and runs back to Rocket's house and stops when he reaches it. Tails flies above him.]

chiro: Your S.O.S. didn't tell me the half of it! You really got Robotnik'ed!

Gibson: indeed you all did.

[Mr. Sloth is hanging by his right arm and holding a dustpan in his left hand. Mrs. Sloth is hanging by her right arm and holding a broom in her right hand, and Rocket's Sister is hanging by her right arm and holding a feather duster in her right hand. A single feather falls from the feather duster.]

Sonic [heard offscreen]: Looks like your whole family's in shock!

Rocket: No. They're… this… way… all… the… time.

Antauri: Perhaps we should ask to help them?

Sonic: I’m way ahead of you antauri

[Sonic pulls out a tape measurer, which he is holding in his left hand.]

Sonic: Let's figure out how to fix this place. Take some notes, would you, Tails?

[Sonic pulls out a notebook and a pencil, which he is holding in his right hand. He hands them to Tails, who is now holding them in both his hands. Sonic runs around Rocket's house.]

Sonic: Revise, reenforce.

[As Sonic is talking, Tails is holding the notebook in his left hand and the pencil in his right, as he writes down what Sonic is saying.]

Sonic [heard offscreen]: Two main braces, four standing joints, three crossbits.

[Sonic is now measuring various parts of Rocket's house, as well as himself.]

Sonic: Twenty-four hundred board feet divided by four sloths, one warpin' hedgehog….

[Sonic jumps down and measures Tails as the latter continues writing the notes.]

Sonic: And one two-tailed hero in training!

[Tails finishes writing the notes.]

Tails Right!

Sonic: Now, let's see. Should take about… ten minutes, tops! Now, let's check the notes.

[Sonic takes the notebook from Tails with his right hand, only to find out Tails had unintentionally written a bunch of scribbles in it.]

Otto: Didn't you teach him how to write?

Tails: I'm only four and a half years old! I don't know how to write yet.

Rocket: I'm… older.

Tails: Really? What's your name?

Rocket: Rocket!

[Tails flies up to Rocket and shakes his left hand with his right hand.]

Tails: Hi, Rocket.Rocket: I'm… the… fastest… sloth… on… Mobius! Wanna… see?Tails: Hey!

[Rocket lets go of the tree branch, falling from it, and since Tails is holding on to him, he pulls him down as well. They land on the ground below.]

Rocket: See? Now… that's…. fast!

Sonic: No time for hanging out, gang! Let's get fixin'! I'll saw, you haul!

[Tails runs away. Sonic runs up to a log and spins through it, making several planks of wood. Tails runs up to the planks of wood and tosses them aside.]

Tails: It's an assembly line! Let's rock and roll, Rocket!

[Rocket catches the planks of wood in both his arms.]

Rocket: I'm… rocketing!

[The pile of wood planks causes Rocket to fall over.]

Rocket: Whoa!

Sonic: This isn't working.

Otto: You can say that again.

[Sonic runs up to two planks of wood and a short log, forming a seesaw from them, with one plank of wood on one end. Sonic jumps on the other end, launching the wood plank into the air. He then runs up to a tree branch and catches the wood plank in both his hands.

Sparx: hey! Can somebody send me up another board!

[Tails picks up Rocket by his right arm with his left hand.]

Tails: Look, Rocket! You can do what Sonic and the monkey team did! Use your head!

Rocket: O…kay!

[Tails lets go of Rocket, and he falls onto one end of the seesaw, landing on his head. Stars spin around his head.]

Rocket: Yeow!

Tails: I didn't mean use your head for real!

Sonic: Nice try, Rocket!

[Sonic jumps onto the other end of the seesaw, launching Rocket into the air.]

Rocket: Whoa!

[Rocket lands in a tree branch.]

Rocket: Wanna… see… it… again?

Antauri: No thank you Rocket

Gibson: but we're sure there's another way for you to help.

[Sonic gets an idea for rocket. He jumps onto the tree branch below, holding a gong in his left hand and a mallet in his right. He sets the gong on the tree branch and hands the mallet to Rocket, who is now holding it in his right hand.]

Sonic: That's okay! You stay here and be lookout. Just sound the gong if you see anything!

[Sonic runs away.]

Rocket: Okay!

[Rocket is about to hit the gong, but Sonic runs up to him and stops him.]

Sonic: If you see trouble!

Gibson: Good idea, Sonic

Antauri: Indeed it would be best for Rocket to only bang it if there is trouble coming.

sonic: aww it was nothing guys. Now then.

[Sonic runs away, then runs around the fence to Rocket's house, rebuilding it. When he stops, he hears what sounds like whistling as he hammers in some nails with a hammer he is holding in his right hand. Tails and Otto picks up a plank of wood with both their hands.]

Sonic: Hey, hear that song? Sounds like the Sloth family finally got moving!

[Inside Rocket's house, that whistling is revealed to be snoring, as Rocket's Parents and Sister are all sleeping in their beds.]

Sonic: Not!

[The screen transitions to the next scene, where Scratch and Grounder are walking towards Rocket's house. Scratch is holding the Slow-Go beam in his right hand.]

Scratch: Dr. Robotnik's gonna recycle you when that Slow-Mo Ray wears off!

Grounder: Not if I catch Sonic first!

[The sound of Sonic running can be heard in the distance.]

Scratch: What's that noise?

Grounder: Us arguing.

[A sattelite appears from Grounder's antenna and spins. Grounder gasps.]

Grounder: Hedgehog ahead!

[As Grounder's satellite disappears, Scratch slams Grounder's head with his left hand. Grounder then scratches his head with his left drill.]

Scratch: Dr. Robotnik was right! Sonic came to help the Sloths!

[Scratch prepares to aim at Sonic with the Slow-Go Beam.]

Scratch: Let's get him!

[Grounder taps Scratch's left elbow with his right drill.]

Grounder: Give me that!

Scratch: My turn! You zapped Dr. Robotnik!

Grounder: I did?

[Scratch and Grounder walk forward and see Rocket's house in the distance. Grounder scratches his head with his left drill. Rocket sees them in the distance.]

Rocket: Uh…oh! Trou…ble!

[Rocket hits the gong with the hammer he is holding in his right hand three times. Grounder now has his eyes extended like binoculars and is holding the Slow-Go Beam in his right arm.]

Scratch: Hold still, lugnut! We'll practice on that little sloth in the tree!

[Scratch takes the Slow-Go Beam from Grounder with his right hand and fires it. Before Rocket can hit the gong again, the Slow-Go Beam zaps the gong.]

Rocket: Whoa!

Scratch: D'oh! Missed!

[the team jumps up to Rocket.]

chiro: Nice gongin', Rocket! What's the trouble? Monkey team! Duck!

The Monkey Team duck

[Sonic and Rocket duck just as the Slow-Go Beam fires at them. It misses them, and they jump off the tree branch. Inside Rocket's house, Tails is holding a hammer in his right hand, and is using it to hammer in a nail. The Slow-Go Beam fires past him. He turns around to see the beam.]

Tails: What was that?

[Sonic, who is now carrying Rocket in his right arm, runs up to Rocket's Parents, and sets Rocket down on a tree branch, which Rocket is now hanging from by his right arm.]

Sonic: We're under badnik attack!

Rocket: Let… me… at… em'!

[Rocket lets go of the tree branch and falls from it just as the beam fires at it.]

Chiro: Stay foot, Rocket. I gotta fortify! Monkey’s mobilize!

The Monkey Team and Chiro follow Sonic.

[they run around Rocket's house, building a steel wall. they landed outside the window to Rocket's house.]

Sonic: I could tell you guys, "Don't move, I'll take care.", but why waste my breath?

[Inside Rocket's House, Rocket's Parents and Sister are all hanging from tree branches by their right arms.]

chiro: Tails, you take care of the sloths, while we get rid of the badniks!

[Outside Rocket's house, Scratch is riding Grounder, holding the Slow-Go Beam in his right hand, and hitting Grounder with his left hand.]

Scratch: Faster, you bucket of bolts!

[As Scratch talks to Grounder, Grounder rolls into a boulder. He then turns around it.]

Scratch: Hard left! Right!

Grounder: Right!

Scratch: Uh, left! U-turn! No, hey! Oh! There's the hedgehog!

[Scratch tries to zap Sonic, who runs past the waterfall. He misses Sonic and hits the waterfall instead, causing the water to fall slowly from it. the team ran up to the waterfall and stares at it in shock.]

Antauri: What? Did it just slow the waterfall down?

Chiro: I think it did

Nova: That's shocking

Otto: And scary to think it could have been Sonic.

Gibson: I concur

Sparx: (about the ray slowing the waterfall down) That's nuts

[In the next scene, Scratch is now carrying Grounder on his back with both his arms, and Grounder is holding the Slow-Go Beam in his right arm.]

Grounder: Aw, stop complaining! It's my turn to be on top!

Scratch: Well, at least turn off your treads!

[the team runs up a mountain filled with boulders.]

Sonic: Gotta see if that zapper does what I think!

[they stop at the top of the mountain.]

Sonic: Give it your best shot, and try aiming this time!

[Grounder zaps the boulders with the Slow-Go Beam, causing them to fall slowly. Sonic looks up at them.]

Sonic: Yep! That's zapper slow-mo stuff.

Gibson: You are not Incorrect

Antauri: I concur

[In the next scene, Scratch and Grounder are both fighting over the Slow-Go Beam.]

Scratch: You missed again, you miserable meat grinder!

[Scratch lets go of the Slow-Go Beam, which Grounder prepares to aim at Sonic.]

Grounder: How could I slow him down if he won't slow down so I can zap him?

[Robotnik is now floating above Scratch and Grounder in his Egg-O-Matic, and is holding a megaphone in his right hand, which he yells into.]

Robotnik: Can't you rotten robots do anything right!

Scratch: Whoo! Guess that means the hour's up and his slow-mo ray wore off.

[Grounder looks up.]

Grounder: He's probably not mad anymore.

Robotnik: Want to bet?

[Scratch and Grounder now fight over the Slow-Go Beam.]

Scratch: Quick! We better zap Sonic! Hey!

Grounder: Hey, no, let me!

Scratch: Give me!

[Scratch and Grounder both hit the Slow-Go Beam with their heads at the same time, causing it to fire at Robotnik.]

Scratch and Grounder: Uh-oh!

[The beam zaps Robotnik and he screams]

Robotnik [in a low, slow voice]: You're robo-junk! See you in an hour!

[Robotnik flies away. Grounder, who is now holding the Slow-Go Beam in his right hand, fires it, and the force of the zap pushes him and Scratch back.]

Scratch and Grounder: Oh!

[the team runs back down the mountain and to Rocket's house.]

Sparx, Otto and Chiro at Robotnik's misfortune.

Sparx: Those idiots are dead meat now.

Otto: Yeah, they are

Chiro: But despite that being funny, we still have them to deal with for now.

Antauri: Chiro is right

Sonic: That Slow-Mo Zapper really works!

[Grounder tries to Zap Sonic, but Sonic dodges every time.]

Sonic: Gotta make sure the Sloths are safe, then I gotta stop em'!

[Sonic runs up to Rocket's house, and Rocket looks out the window.]

Rocket: Can… we… come… out… now, Sonic?

[Sonic is standing at the bottom of Rocket's house, with Tails flying next to him.]

Sonic: Not till we've scratched Grounder and grounded Scratch! Come on, Team!

[they ran away, with Tails following them. The screen transitions to the next scene, where Grounder watches as Scratch inflates a schoolhouse.]

Grounder: I don't get it. How do we catch Sonic with an inflatable schoolhouse?

[Scratch carries the schoolhouse with both his hands and sets it down.]

Scratch: Oh, Grounder, it's so simple!

[Scratch inflates a bunch of children with the pump. The children are all holding hands, resembling a paper doll. All the boys are bald and wearing red pants with yellow buttons (not unlike those of Mickey Mouse), and all the girls have blonde hair and wearing pink dresses. Scratch grabs the inflatable children with his right hand and carries them to the inflatable schoolhouse. He then carries a sign that says, SLOW SCHOOL ZONE in his right hand and a hammer in his left. He sets the sign down and hammers it into the ground.]

Scratch: Sonic and The Monkey Team slow down for the fake school zone, then we zap them!

[Sonic runs up to the fake school zone, with Tails flying behind him. He screeches to a halt when he sees the fake school zone.]

Sonic: Whoa! Sub-sonic speed! School zone ahead!

The Monkey Team stop

Sonic: I smell a bot plot!

Tails: Want me to get the tails out of you?

chiro: we got a better way to check it out!

[they ran up to the fake school zone, then in the next scene, he is dressed as a school crossing guard, holding a sign in his right hand, and an arm of the inflatable school children in his left. As he walks across the fake school zone, Scratch and Grounder are hiding behind it, with Grounder holding the Slow-Go beam in his right hand.]

Scratch: Do you see them yet?

Grounder: Nah, just a dumb school crossing guard.

Scratch: Let me see!

[Scratch grabs Grounder's head with both his hands and pulls it off. He then peers out from behind the fake school zone.]

Scratch: You rustbucket! That's no crossing guard! That's Sonic! Get him!

[Grounder zaps the Slow-Go Beam. Scratch pulls on it, causing it to aim out of control.]

Sonic: Tornado drill, kids!

[As Grounder talks to Sonic, he puts his head back on his body with his left arm.]

Grounder: Tornado? What tornado?

Sonic: A Sonic tornado!

[Sonic runs up to Scratch and Grounder and spins around them, creating a tornado. Scratch and Grounder scream, then when the tornado is formed, Sonic grabs the bottom with his right hand and tosses it, causing Scratch and Grounder to land underground. Scratch and Grounder wearily poke their heads out, then in the next scene, Grounder is hanging from a tree in a sloth costume, which is nailed to the tree by its limbs.]

Grounder: What am I doing in here?

[Scratch is hiding in the hollow tree, holding the Slow-Go Beam in his left hand.]

Scratch: Simple. Sonic can't resist a sloth in distress!

[Sonic runs up to the tree, with Tails flying behind him.]

Scratch: Here he comes! Act like you're in trouble!

Grounder: Act? What's my motivation?

Scratch: This!

[Scratch hits Grounder with the Slow-Go Beam.]

Grounder: Ouch! Oh! Ow! Hey, you bent my capacitator!

[Scratch hits Grounder with the Slow-Go Beam again.]

Grounder: Ouch! Oh! Ow! Oooh, hurts! Oh, pain!

[Sonic stops near the tree.]

Sonic: What's the matter, big guy? Did your arm fall asleep before the rest of you?

[Tails flies up to the top of the tree and sees Grounder in the sloth costume.]

Tails: Sonic! It's a trap!

Antauri: He's right

Gibson: It's Grounder, not a real Sloth.

[Scratch aims the Slow-Go Beam at Sonic.]

Sonic: Get back, I'll…

[Scratch zaps Sonic with the Slow-Go Beam.]

Sonic: [screams] [in a low voice] Save! You… go… warn… sloths!

[They all fly away. Grounder is now holding a hammer in his right hand, which he uses to pry the nails holding the limbs of the sloth costume off the branch. He lands near Scratch, and they both grab Sonic.]

Scratch and Grounder: Gotcha! We captured Sonic! [gasp] We won!

grounder: well almost. we still have to take care of the hyperforce.

scratch: well since we have one hour, we might as well take care of sonic first.

grounder: good idea.

[Scratch and Grounder laugh evilly.]

Sonic [in a low, slow voice]: Oh, no! I'm done for!

[The screen fades to black.The next scene takes place in a cave behind the waterfall, which is now flowing fast again. Sonic is imprisoned in a cage as Scratch pulls Grounder's robocom phone out of his chest compartment with his right hand.]

Scratch: Bwahaha! We got Sonic catatonic, your nastiness!

[Grounder pulls his head off his body with both his hands and holds it up to the phone.]

Grounder: And we slowed him down, too!

[Robotnik grumbles unintelligibly over the phone, which now has a mouth on it.]

Grounder: What did he say?

[Grounder puts his head back on his body just as Scratch puts his robocom phone back in his chest compartment with his right hand and closes the chest compartment with his left hand.]

Scratch: I'll… be… there… soon… to… finish… off… the… hedgehog… after…wards… you… think… of… a… way… to… capture… the… hyper…force!

[Scratch and Grounder laugh evilly as Sonic sits miserably in the cage. The screen transitions to the next scene, where Tails and the team is pacing on a tree branch of Rocket's house.]

Tails: We've gotta help Sonic!

Antauri: We all agree with you, Tails.

Gibson: we must think of a plan. Otherwise scratch and grounder will slow us down. Both figuratively and literally 😓

[Rocket is hanging onto the same branch, and he follows Tails.]

Rocket: Ready… when… you… are!

nova: No offense, Rocket, but we gotta rescue him at this lifetime!

Rocket: You… can… do… it, just… use… your… head!

[Rocket lets go of the tree branch.]

Rocket: Whoa!

[Rocket falls and lands on the ground, leaving a Rocket-shaped hole in it.]

Rocket: Yeow!

[Tails flies down to the hole. He picks Rocket up from it with both his hands and sets him down on a tree branch, which Rocket is now hanging from with his right hand.]

chiro: You could use your own advice, Rocket. You stay, and keep the family from doing anything hasty. I'm going after Sonic!

[Tails flies away. In the next scene, Scratch and Grounder are roasting hot dogs. Scratch, who is holding his stick in his right hand, holds the hot dog directly outside Sonic's cage.]

Sonic [in a low voice]: Gotta… get… moving!

[Sonic tries running, but he only does it in place so slowly, that thunderous footsteps can be heard.]

Scratch: Hey, jailhog! Whoo hoo hoo hoo hoo! Run over here and get your lunch!

[Sonic walks over to the hot dog, which Scratch pulls away before he can get it.]

Scratch: What's the matter? Is the food too "fast" for you? Bwahahaha!

[Scratch pulls the hot dog off the stick with his left hand and takes a bite out of it.]

Grounder: Ha ha ha! Maybe the slowpoke's on a diet! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

[Sonic lips his licks miserably. Scratch is now holding a cake with seven candles on top in both his hands.]

Scratch: Why don't we just skip to dessert? Hey, whoo hoo hoo! Catch this!

[Scratch opens the door to Sonic's cage with his left hand and tosses the cake at Sonic, which lands on his head.]

Scratch [heard offscreen]: Bwahaha!

[Scratch and Grounder laugh evilly.]

Scratch: Most fun I've had in years!

[Grounder briefly turns his left drill into an oil can and dances.]

Grounder: Heh heh! Yeah. What you gonna do with your share of the reward?

[Unknown to Scratch and Grounder, Tails grabs the Slow-Go Beam with his right hand.]

Scratch: Hire Dr. Robotnik to build a replacement for you!

Tails [heard offscreen]: Let Sonic go,

[Scratch and Grounder stare in shock.]

Grounder: Huh?

Scratch: Oh-ho-ho-ho!

[chiro is now aiming the Slow-Go beam at Scratch and Grounder.]

chiro: stop right there! Or I'll slow-mo you!

[Scratch and Grounder look at each other. Grounder turns his right drill into a hand, waves it, and extends it just far enough to knock the Slow-Go Beam out of Tails' hands. He does just that, and Chiro gasps. The Slow-Go Beam hits the ground, and the Mobian Mega Crytsal falls out of it. When it lands, it splits in half. Grounder gasps.]

Grounder: The crystal broke!

[Scratch walks up to the Slow-Go Beam and the shattered crystal. He picks up the former with his right hand and the latter with his left hand.]

Scratch: So? I'll just… put it back in and slow-mo the brat!

[Scratch puts the shattered crystal back in the Slow-Go Beam. He then runs up to Tails and aims the Slow-Go Beam at him.]

Scratch: You're gonna join your pokey friend in that cage!

[Tails gasps. Sonic sees this, and pulls on Scratch's tail feathers with both his hands.]

Sonic: Ugh! Ugh!

Scratch: Yeow-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

[Scratch lets go of the Slow-Go Beam, which bounces off Tails' head, and cover his tail feathers with both his hands.]

Sonic [in a low voice]: Team! Save… yourself!

[Tails picks up the Slow-Go Beam with both his hands and he and the team flies away with it.]

Sonic [heard offscreen in a low voice]: Go!

otto: it feels weird that sonic is slow now.

antauri: if this keeps going, he will be unable to defend himself.

[sonic overheard what they said and started to get worried. Now he’s assuming that what if he is useless to the team now. he is now questioning that they only let him in the team only because he was fast (which is not true which we will see later on).]

Chiro: To Sonic as he and the Team leave Thanks for helping us stop Scratch from attacking us, Sonic. And don't worry, we will find a way to save you.

[chiro flies out the hole in the ceiling. He and the rest then lands outside Rocket's house. Rocket is now hanging from the porch by both his arms.]

Tails: we gotta go back, and this time, I won't let them trick me! I'll slow-mo them both, and save Sonic!

Rocket: I'll… go… too!

nova : You can't, Rocket. You're just too slow!

Rocket: No… I'm… not. Watch!

[Rocket lets go of the porch and falls, landing on the Slow-Go Beam and causing it to fire a ray from it.]

Rocket: Yeow!

Tails: [yells]

[The beam bounces off some boulders and zaps Rocket, who suddenly starts running around his house really fast.]

Rocket: Wow! I'm faster than ever!

[Tails picks up the Slow-Go beam with both his hands.]

Otto: woah! Rocket is fast! But how?

Gibson: I suspect something happened to the ray.

Tails: The Slow-Mo is a Fast-Mo! It must have happened when the crystal broke!

[Rocket lands near Tails.]

Rocket: Too bad. Now we won't be able to slow down the badniks or free Sonic!

Tails: It's even better! Now we can get a whole gang and outspeed em'!

[Tails zaps Rocket's Parents and Sister with the Slow-Go Beam, making them all faster. They all let go of Rocket's house and drop down.]

Rocket [heard offscreen]: What are we waiting for? Let's boogie!

[Rocket and his family run up to a plank of wood, and run off carrying it, grunting.]

Tails: I never thought I'd say this. Hey, wait for us!

[Tails and the team flies after the Sloth Family. The screen transitions to the next scene, where Scratch and Grounder are playing a card game. Scratch takes another card from the stack with his right hand when a bounce can be heard in the distance.]

Scratch and Grounder: Huh? What's that?

[Scratch walks up to the top of the waterfall, and Grounder takes another card from the stack with his right hand. He then sets his cards down. Grounder rolls up to Scratch, who watches from the top of the waterfall.]

Rocket: Incoming sloths!

[Rocket, who is curled up into a ball, flies past Scratch and Grounder.]

Scratch: Hey-hey! Watch it!

Grounder: Hey! Watch it!

[Mr. Sloth bounces on the plank of wood, which he is using as a diving board. He jumps off it, then Mrs. Sloth and Rocket's Sister both jump off it. They go into the cave, and they and Rocket bounce around Scratch and Grounder, who are screaming and trying to catch them.]

Scratch: Get em'!

[A Sloth bounces off Scratch.]

Scratch: Ow-hoo-hoo!

[Grounder now has his drills turned into baseball gloves, which he tries and fails to catch the Sloth with.]

Grounder: I… oh, I can't! They're too fast!

[The Sloths spin Grounder around, then one bounces off him.]

Grounder: Ugh!

[Grounder turns his left glove back into his left drill, and turns his right glove into a tennis racket.]

Grounder: I always wondered what this thing was for!

[Grounder hits the Sloths with his tennis racket, launching them back out of the cave.]

Grounder: Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

[The Sloth Family flies out of the cave and land near Tails, who is carrying the Slow-Go Beam in both his hands.]

Rocket: We'll work fast and keep em' busy while you save Sonic!

[Rocket runs back to the cave, and his Parents and Sister follow behind him. Tails flies after them. Grounder continues hitting the Sloths with his tennis racket.]

Grounder: Ugh! Ugh!

[Tails lands outside Sonic's cage.]

Tails: I gotta zap Sonic back to his old self!

[Tails aims the Slow-Go Beam at Sonic and zaps him with it, turning him back to his old speedy self.]

Sonic: Wow! Way to go, bro!

[Sonic spins and breaks the bars on his cage. Grounder hits a Sloth with his tennis racket one last time.]

Grounder: Ugh!

Scratch: Nice backhand!

Grounder: Thanks. What's the score?

Scratch: We got four! They got zip! We're winning! Bwahaha!

Sonic [heard offscreen]: Game's just starting, guys!

Scratch: Whoa-ho!

[Scratch and Grounder turn around and see Sonic, who is standing atop a rock, tapping his left foot.]

Grounder: Hey! How'd you get out?

Scratch: Relax, Grounder. No slowpoke hedgehog's gonna bother us!

Sonic: Slowpoke? Up, over, and streakin'!

[Sonic jumps into the air and runs around Scratch and Grounder.]

Scratch and Grounder: Hey, watch out!

Scratch: What's he doing?

[Sonic runs away.]

Grounder: Where'd he go?

[Sonic runs top of Grounder. He then spins on him.]

Grounder: Whoa! Hey, get off of me!

[Sonic runs in place on Grounder, spinning him around.]

Sonic: Gotta get my exercise!

Grounder: Whoa-o-o-o-oa!

Sonic: Let's show Scratch your great forehand!

[Grounder hits Scratch with his tennis racket.]

Sonic and Scratch: Whoa!

[The force of Grounder's hit launches Scratch out of the cave.]

Scratch: Ooh-hoo-hoo-hey! Yeow-how-how-how!

[Scratch bounces off the diving board and continues flying.]

Scratch: Ow! Aaaah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

[Back at the cave, Sonic is still running on Grounder, who has turned his tennis racket back into his right drill.]

Grounder: [yells]

[Sonic runs off Grounder, whose head is now spinning counter-clockwise.]

Grounder: Oooh, the world is spinning. Oooh, I never been so dizzy, oh!

[Sonic runs away. He comes back, holding part of a slingshot. He puts it behind Grounder, and it launches him out of the cave.]

Grounder: Ugh! Whoa!

[Grounder bounces toward Scratch.]

Grounder: Ouch! Oh! Whoa!

[Scratch gets up, with stars spinning around his head.]

Scratch: Whoa-ho-ho-ho!

[Grounder continues bouncing towards Scratch.]

Grounder: Ouch! Oh! Ugh!

[Grounder crashes into Scratch, and his head falls off.]

Grounder: Ugh! Ugh ugh!

chiro: way to go sonic. You’re the best this team has ever.

[sonic is still thinking about what the team said earlier.]

sonic: yeah, sure 😔

nova: what’s wrong sonic?

Sonic: I heard what you said about me not being able to defend myself without my speed. And it sounded like that you didn't care for me at all. I was only on the team because of my power only. I was an ordinary slow-mo.

Nova: No, you are not an ordinary slow-mo. You are Sonic the Hedgehog, a member of our family. We put you on the team because we like you and you have a good heart.

Antauri: That's right Sonic, you have stopped robotnik's plans with or without our help. Even if somehow you did lost your speed, we would still see you as a member of our family because how fast or slow you are doesn't matter to us because we still love you.

sonic: (tears up a little) really? 🥹

chiro: yeah, fast or slow. We still love you.

sonic: (hugs the team) thanks guys! 🥹

[the team hugs sonic back. And tails and rocket show up onscreen]

Rocket: Fast work, Sonic! Couldn't have done it quicker myself!

Sonic: Thanks, Rocket! Couldn't have happened it without you, the team, and Tails.

[Tails walks up to Sonic, carrying the Slow-Go Beam in his right hand.]

Tails: Hey, guys, what do we do with this?

Otto: Hmm…maybe we can find a way to use them for good?

Robotnik [heard offscreen]: Hey, you little double-tailed troublemaker!

[Sonic, Tails, the team, and Rocket all stare in shock, then look at Robotnik, who is floating above them in his Egg-O-Matic.]

Robotnik: What are you doing with my priceless invention? Give it back!

Sonic: You heard the man, Tails! Let him have it!

[Tails aims at Robotnik, who holds his arms out like stop signs, then flinches.]

Robotnik: No! Don't shoot! You'll make me slow again!

Tails: Wanna bet?

[Tails zaps Robotnik.]

Robotnik [in a high-pitched voice]: Aaaagh! Yeow!

[Robotnik flies away really fast. Sonic is now holding the Slow-Go Beam in his right hand and pulls the shattered crystal out with his left hand.]

Chiro: okay, seeing him in fast motion is way more funny.

Otto: Yeah

Sparx: I bet he will eventually crash into something.

He, Otto, Nova and Chiro all laugh at that thought.

Sonic: Gotta make sure this doesn't fall into Robotnik's hands again!

[Sonic tosses the Slow-Go Beam aside and the shattered crystal into the river. Tails, the team, and Rocket cheer.]

everyone: (cheering)

[Meanwhile, Robotnik is still flying around in his Egg-O-Matic really fast.]

Robotnik [in a fast, high-pitched voice]: Stop! I can't take this for an hour! I get speed-sick! I'll get them for this! Hey, where did that mountaintop come from? No, stop! [screams]

[Robotnik crashes into the mountain.]

Robotnik [in a high-pitched voice]: Ow! Oh! I… hate… that… hedgehog… and… monkey… team!

[The screen begins to iris out, but just before it can finish, Sonic runs up to it, winks with his left eye, and holds up two fingers in his left hand. The screen fades to black, ending the episode.]

[now for the monkey says segment (a hyperforce version of sonic says).]

The Monkey Team are seen with Sonic and Tails in the intro for the segment.

[Near Rocket's house, Tails is unknowingly standing in a patch of quicksand. Sonic and the team are standing next to him. The Sloth Family walks past really slowly, indicating the effects of the Slow-Go Beam have worn off.]

Tails: guys, they're so slow!

Chiro [to the viewers]: Everyone has something special to offer.

Antauri: that is true, Chiro

[Rocket is now standing next to Tails and points to him with his left arm.]

Rocket: You are… standing… in… quicksand!

[Tails begins to sink.]

Tails: Quicksand? Yikes!

Rocket [heard offscreen]: Don't panic! Move… slowly… and you'll be okay!

[Tails moves slowly out of the quicksand.]

Tails: Phew!

Antauri: Do you see what I mean?

tails: yeah, I didn’t expect that.

chiro: don’t worry tails. Something this little (referring to moving slow) can lead to a better result.

[Sonic points to Tails with his right index finger.]

Sonic: Even you can learn something from a sloth! We can all learn something new from the most unlikely places.

(episode ends)