#also do your move on battleship i want this game to end

[acaiis]

Why are you homophobic, my best friend’s cousin’s nephew’s neighbor’s dog is gay and Im heartbroken byproxi

its because every time i see a queer person i am overcome with the tremendous urge to punch a cop and kiss women gayly and it's just not right to feel that way :( they're cursing me.....

[theresattrpgforthat]

gundam themed/similar games?

THEME: Gundam

Hello friend! This actually made me go back into my previous game recs and realize that I hadn’t properly tagged my Mechs Part 1 and Part 2 recs - so now you should be able to find them! Out of the games listed there, I’d definitely recommend Disaster/Wing by A Couple of Drakes, Mobile Zero Firebrands,by Lumpley Games, and Apocalypse Frame by Binary Star Games.

Now, let’s see what else we can rustle up.

Last Sentinels, by Jason Price.

The people of AUGUR-V had been cast into the stars, pursued by the vengeful forces of the New Alliance. But one Sentinel pilot still offered them hope. This is their story.

Last Sentinels is a GM-less storytelling tabletop roleplaying game for 3 or 4 players. It focuses on one main protagonist, a gifted young civilian who escapes the besieged planet of AUGUR-V on a titanic starship with their remaining people.  They must defend these survivors against overwhelming odds as a vast fleet pursues the ship through their former empire. 

But your protagonist is doomed. 

Their story will end in death or betrayal when they succumb to the intense pressures of hope, despair, scheming foes and high-stakes mech combat.

Last Sentinels is more focused on the structure of the narrative than it is on the fights between mechs. Because the game is GM-less, the story becomes a negotiation, with the responsibilities of the players depending on where they sit at the table. Another thing unique about this game is the fact that no one player is responsible for any one character. This is because this is a story with one protagonist - similar to Amuro Rey from the original series. The game isn’t meant to tell a happy story - this is a game with a tragic ending. If you want a game that treats the subject matter of war with the same gravity as Mobile Suit Gundam, this is the game for you.

IGNOBLECORPS: Pilots of Command, by Declan Lowthian.

Hello Pilot You are about to embark on your first mission for the glory of Command. We have faith that your training will not fail you, and that you in turn will not fail us. You have your mission. Ready for launch.

IGNOBLECORPS is a game about desperate mech pilots working within a titanic organization spanning the galaxy. Fight for and against Command's control and try to get out alive. 

This is a hack of a game called NOBLECORE, a game about metal space fantasy with legendary heroes. This system uses exploding dice pools, which means that when you roll the highest number on any given dice, you get to re-roll for a chance at more success! This is also a collaborative game, so it expects all of the players at the table to generate the galaxy around you, rather than providing you with chapters and chapters of lore. This game reminds me of Gundam because it expects combat to be brutal and desperate - even if the moves are flashy, the war behind them is gritty and dark.

Armored Battle Frame, by Mundos Infinitos.

The WORLD is in a WAR fought with MECHAS. You are a PILOT, shaped to fight, witness to atrocities, bearer of wounds, a tool for victory. This is the story of your dreams and ambitions.

As a pamphlet game, expect Armored Battle Frame to be quick to pick up and quick to play. The designer, Benjamin A. Reyna, is very good at fitting a lot of information into a small space. This game can be played with or without a GM, and it can also be played solo! Mobile Suit Gundam is also listed as an inspiration in the game description. The designer also has another Mech game called Real Robot TechaMech: Professional Level, which uses a game system found among a number of Reyna’s games.

Battle Century G: Remastered, by GimmickLabs.

Express your creativity without mechanical restrictions. The game is effects-based, so how you do something does not matter as much as what you do. And what you do is pilot a kickass Mecha, command a badass Battleship, or ride a terrifying Kaiju.

Employ tactics and teamwork to defeat your enemies. Enemies in Battle Century G are powerful, you'll have to adapt on the fly to their weapons and schemes, watch each other's backs with your allies to ensure no one gets shot down, and employ synchronized combination attacks to defeat superbosses.

Explore a solarpunk future. The setting included in this book presents an environmentalist, inclusive and transhumanist society opposing an industrialist empire with the looming threat of kaiju mechabeasts on the horizon. It is inspired by the likes of Turn A Gundam, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Dune and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.

Battle Century G boasts fast-paced combat and big powers that make you feel more than competent. It also includes advice on playing for both GMs and players, in what looks to be an effort to make the game as easy to step into as possible, and the themes and setting information allow for a number of societies that look very different from our own - great for speculative fiction.This is a game that is the result of various playtests and previous editions, so it’s less likely to feel like a quick hack and more likely to feel like a full game.

Maharlika, by makapatag.

MAHARLIKA RPG is a technomystic Science Fantasy mecha RPG inspired by Filipino Mythology, centered around Mekanized Weapons or Meka, and their pilots: the eponymous Maharlika. 

You will play as these titular spirit-warriors, mavericks, aces, and knights that all swear loyalty to a Datu, one of the CEOs of the Megacorporations, so that you can protect the technospiritual galaxy of Arkipelago.

As a Maharlika, you venture out into space where you will take on  dangerous missions, fight for your ideals, hack the spiritual internet that is the Lambat, repel Xenobeings, trade love and resources, and participate in fiestas to survive, thrive, and protect what is yours in the dangerous Starsea.

Maharlika is inspired by a number of mech media, including Mobile Suit Thunderbolt and Iron Blooded Orphans from the Gundam series. The game has two modes of play: Maharlika (narrative) and Meka (mech combat). You’ll use mainly d10s and d20s for these rolls, and add modifiers for skills and stats that your character is strong in. The setting itself is described as technomystical, and the lore is heavily inspired by Filipino mythology, so if you want to really lean into the supernatural abilities such as the psychic abilities suggested in Mobile Suit Gundam’s Newtypes, this might be worth checking out. Maharlika is possibly also the most technically complex game on this list.

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

Spectres of Brocken, by ehronlime.

Lancer, by Massif Press.

[callsign-dexter]

Echoes of Talent

Request: Hey lovie!!!!

So I was scrolling threw tik tok as one does at one in the morning lol and I came across a video of a girl singing and her dad finding out and thought omg totally maverick

so i was wondering if you could write about maverick finding out his kid can sing?

maybe reader is like 14 ish 

100% your choice :)

Pairings: Maverick x Daughter!Reader

Warnings: fluff

Masterlist

Singing was a passion of Y/N she loved doing it but got embarrassed when she did it in front of anyone else. This includes her father. Maverick loved his little girl to pieces and always supported her. He would catch her humming to herself at times but never singing, this was usually when she was listening to music while working on some homework.

Maverick made it his goal to try and hear her sing. Each time he had made it known he was there she would stop and go to humming. She always somehow knew he was there and he didn't know how. He wondered if anyone else had heard hee sing and when he asked they just shook their head.

Friday around 5 PM he had come home from work a thought he heard a voice and went to the source. He found his daughter there but she was just humming away. She looked up and greeted him. "Hi, Daddy." She said and got up and hugged him.

"Hey, Sweetie. Have a good day at school?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yea I did. Got a bunch of homework that they gave us." She said when she released him from the hug. "I already have most of it done." She said and walked over to the table and continued her work. Maverick smiled at his daughter and she started humming again, he didn't know what the song was but it was catchy. He moved out of the kitchen and started to get into his regular clothing. He let it go for the evening not wanting to push his daughter into something she didn't want to.

It didn't happen for a few more weeks, that or he was just too busy with work to notice. Cyclone was on his ass about something that happened at work and he wanted him to push the current class of cadets harder. Y/N wasn't around much since she always was busy with the sports that she had going on.

There was one person who knew she could sing because he had caught her one day. He also encouraged her to sing. He also played the guitar while she sang. Who would that be? Well, none other than Robert 'Bob' Floyd. He had been in the same room as her and she was listening to her music and signing. When she looked up she was startled but he just smiled. He also ended up teaching her how to play the guitar but she preferred him to play and her sing.

**********************************************

It was a summer day and she had been sitting at the bar doing some summer work at The Hard Deck after the afternoon rush while the Dagger's had their annual dogfight football game. She had opted to stay in the air conditioning and grabbing drinks for them when they needed. She had been listening to music and not paying attention when Bob walked in. She was singing quietly to herself and it made Bob stop and listen she had an absolutely stunning voice. She was singing Battleships by Daughtry.

"Yeah

I'm sinkin' inside

And the mass and lines are broken down tonight (down tonight)

I swallow my pride

But we're drowning in the ocean

And it's tearing my heart open, baby

We're high then we're low, first it's yes then it's no

And we're changing like the tides

Yeah, but I want you, I need you and I guarantee you

We'll make it out alive

'Cause I don't wanna fight no more

Even when the waves get rough

I don't wanna see the day we say we've had enough

And I don't wanna fight this war

Bullets coming off our lips

But we stick to our guns and make love like battleships

Like battleships"

She hummed some parts of it but then went back to singing and Bob just stood there.

"Bombs fly through the air

And I know that we're both playing not so fair

Oh-oh, so, show me you care

Got my white flag open, it's waving

'Cause you know this love's worth saving baby

We're high then we're low, first it's yes then it's no

And we're changing like the tides

Yeah, but I want you, I need you and I guarantee you

We'll make it out alive"

He walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped and he jerked back. She ripped the earbud out of her ear and held a hand over her heart and turned around. "Bob? You scared me." She said and he smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I came in to get some water." He said and she nodded and got up and got a water bottle behind the bar. "You have a beautiful voice." He said as she stood up and blushed.

"Thank you." She said and handed the bottle to him.

"Does anyone else know that you sing?" He asked and she shook her head 'no'. "Why not?" He asked

"I don't like how I sound and I sound horrible." She said, water bottle still in hand.

"Well your secret is safe with me. You have a very beautiful voice. If you want I could play guitar and you could sing." He said and she looked at him with tears in her eyes, sat water down, and walked around the bar and hugged him.

"Thank you. I would love that." She said and Bob hugged them back and that is how they ended up almost every weekend at his house. Maverick was fine with it. She sang and he played guitar.

They bonded over this and were just as close as she and Bradley were. She was close to everyone but they just had a stronger bond. They were just too shy people who loved music and hated expressing themselves. They were practically the same person but with a huge age gap.

**********************************************

Maverick didn't find out she could sing until a month later. She was home but Bob was there since he volunteered to stay with her since Maverick was going out for a few hours. Bob and Y/N were in the living room and she was singing Every Light In The House by Trace Atkins. It was a favorite of hers and she couldn't help but not sing it.

"I told you I'd leave a light on

In case you ever wanted to come back home

You smiled and said you appreciate the gesture

I took your every word to heart

'Cause I can't stand us being apart

And just to show how much I really miss ya"

She sang the beginning and she sang it beautifully. Bob was smiling and encouraging her with a nod and so she continued singing.

"Every light in the house is on

The backyard's bright as the crack of dawn

The front walk looks like runway lights

It's kinda like noon in the dead of night

Every light in the house is on

Just in case you ever do get tired of being gone

Every light in the house is on"

She continued singing. Maverick had just gotten home and walked through the door when he stopped and heard a guitar and a beautiful voice singing. He smiled when he realized it was his daughter's voice. He listened to her sing then he decided to walk into the living room and stand in the door way. Bob noticed him but didn't say anything but continued to playing and smiled.

"If I should ever start forgetting

I'll turn the lights off one by one

So you can see that I agree it's over

But until then I want you to know

If you look south, you'll see a glow

That's me waiting at home each night to hold ya"

Maverick couldn't believe this was his daughter's voice. It was almost the end of the song and she had yet to notice her father was there too caught up in the song. He didn't know she was this talented.

"Every light in the house is on

The backyard's bright as the crack of dawn

The front walk looks like runway lights

It's kinda like noon in the dead of night

Every light in the house is on

Just in case you ever do get tired of being gone

Oh, every light in the house is on

The backyard's bright as the crack of dawn

The front walk looks like runway lights

It's kinda like noon in the dead of night

Every light in the house is on

Just in case you ever do get tired of being gone

Every light in the house is on"

She finished the song as Bob finished the last note. "Hey, Y/N/N turn around." She looked confused but did as told and found her father standing there and she blushed fiercely. She couldn't believe that she just sang in front of her father.

"You're amazing, Darling." Maverick said and she looked down.

"Thank you." She said quietly

"Why did you find it from me or anybody besides Bob?" He asked and she looked up and over at Bob who nodded.

"Bob found out when he came into The Hard Deck for water after a game of dogfight football a month ago and he offered to play guitar while I sang, that is what we had been doing pretty much every weekend. I also don't think I sound very good when it comes to me singing." She said and Maverick looked at her in disbelief.

"Darling. Your voice is perfect. I know you didn't get it from me. It sounds like her mom's voice when she sang before she passed." He said and that made her cry, her mother died when she was 3 years-old. "It sounds like an Echo of her." He said and she looked up at him and then got up and hugged him.

**********************************************

Now that she had gotten compliments from Maverick and Bob. She started to sing more often. All the Daggers and Penny had heard her sing especially when she thinks nobody is around or its in a hushed tone. Bradley played the piano while she sang and everyone loved it. Nothing could stop her now. She gets to do something she loved and doesn't have to be shy about it anymore. Maverick was just glad he could hear her sing freely. It brought good memories back that he thought was gone but not when she sang. He knew that her mother was smiling down on her when she sang, she would be so proud of her little girl, Maverick knew he was proud of her. Then again he was proud of her everyday, nothing was going to change that.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007ck007

@nyx2021

@callsign-revenge

[psychobind]

COOL HERO STUFF

Relevent Translations from the LOV cards mostly regarding Noel and Bokhohn

NOEL

Age: Two years older than Rocbouquet

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 110 kg

Maximum Speed: Exhibits his greatest speed, 30 m/s

Blood Relative: Rocbouquet's older brother

Crony: Sagzaar

Sworn Enemy: The Desert Guards

Subject of Absorption:All people who are masters in their fields/trades

Role: Supporting everybody

Fatal Technique: Moon Shade

Favorite Technique: Counter

Special Skill: Shaking hands with the opponent

Hobby: Astronomical observation

Past Objective: To contribute new knowledge to the human race

Current Goal: To acquire all the knowledge in the universe

Searching for: A dimension transfer device

A word to the Emperor: "I am not a frog."

Favorite Spot: Ueno (the town he was named after)

"You're a kind of hero, aren't you?"

I've never thought of myself as a hero. I simply spend my days on the battlefield.

"That's exactly what makes you a hero. Isn't it something that ordinary people couldn't do?"

If that's the condition for being a hero, then perhaps I am.

"Don't you feel there's something similar between the way the Emperor's power is passed down through generations and us?"

"Oh, brother, what kind of joke is that? There's no way they could resemble us. Impossible." Rocbouquet winked.

"Even in a crisis for the Seven Heroes, you remain carefree. I suppose I should see it as a chance to absorb the Emperor's power myself."

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

BOKHOHN

Past Goal: Entering politics

Hobby: Games he can win

Profession: Lawyer

Objective: To leave his mark in history

Absorption Target: Puppet master

Current Goal: Life under his control

Role: Strategist

Preferred Vehicle: Land Battleship

A word to the Emperor: "Fool, you're too soft!"

Future Strategy: Surprise attacks

Special Move: Waterfowl Sword

Favorite Thing: Marionette

"Why must I follow the commands of someone like you?"

Here comes yet another hopeless savior, it seems.

"You're just a young upstart. All you need to do is follow the strategy I've devised. Act on your own, and you're bound to fail."

"Next, let's pit the Emperor against Rocbouquet," Bokhohn mused to himself in a room within the land battleship.

"If Rocbouquet defeats the Emperor, all the better. And if Rocbouquet is defeated… well, I can't wait to see Noel's reaction. I almost want the Emperor to put up a good fight, heh heh heh."

Meanwhile, the Emperor was initiating an infiltration mission into the land battleship.

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

Heroes do some chattings

Noel's Card

"A new secret technique that surpasses the Law of Assimilation?" Wagnas asked, intrigued.

"Yes. It doesn't just assimilate the body but also absorbs abilities and knowledge,"

Wagnas' eyes lit up, "That's incredible. Perhaps we should call it... the Law of Absorption."

Noel gave a thoughtful pause, then added, "However, there's a significant risk involved."

Wagnas' Card

"There's a possibility that one might be influenced by the personality and experiences of those they absorb," Noel said quietly.

"If you absorb a killer, you might start to find pleasure in murder."

Wagnas laughed. "That's exactly what I want. Without that level of resolve, how could we possibly save the world? It doesn't matter what happens to us as long as the world is saved."

Subier's Card

"Subier, will you continue to fight by my side? As Noel said, there's danger ahead," Wagnas' smile had faded.

"No need to ask," Subier replied with a hearty laugh. "I don't fully understand Noel's complicated talk, but I trust you. That's all that matters, right?"

The three exchanged smiles and (something I couldnt translate properly...)

Dantarg's Card

"I can become stronger, right? That's exactly what I want," Dantarg's reply was straightforward.

"You might end up absorbing more than just strength-- things like kindness, or even love," Noel teased.

"Hmph. I'll just be selective about who I absorb. I'll go after those who live purely for battle, the crazed and monstrous types. Just like me." Dantarg's hearty laughter echoed around them.

Rocbouquet's Card

"Am I a burden? Onii-sama!" Her eyes filled with tears.

"Noel is only concerned for your safety. He doesn't think of you as a burden at all," Wagnas tried to console her, but it only made things worse.

"Even Lord Wagnas is leaving me out. It's terrible, so terrible! After everything we've been through together…"

Noel knew well enough that once she reached this point, there was no stopping her. "Wagnas, please include her as well," he pleaded.

Bokhohn's Card

"Why didn't you call on me?"

Wagnas and Noel exchanged glances.

"Well… we thought matters like this wouldn't interest you," Noel replied, only to be interrupted by Bokhohn.

"Your selection was clearly a mistake. There's a lack of strategy here. Dantarg and Subier are just brute strength, and the need for Rocbouquet is... questionable. This group requires a mind like mine. Surely, you understand that, Wagnas?"

Kzinssie's Card

"Don't leave me behind!" Kzinssie pleaded.

"Tch, pathetic worm," Dantarg scoffed, spitting dismissively.

"You're of no use to us," Bokhohn ignored him.

"Stop it, don't come near me," Rocbouquet shuddered in disgust.

"You don't need to come," Subier said firmly.

"You've done enough," Wagnas' gentle voice held a hint of rejection.

"Please, give me a chance too," Kzinssie clung desperately to Noel.

[jaded-jezz]

Shutter Speed

(Part 3)

Jack Champion x Photographer!Reader

Part 3/3

☁︎ Fluff

Summary: y/n is a photographer for the new scream promo and Jack thinks she belongs in front of the camera rather than behind.

(Y/N POV)

"So, how do I look?" I walk out into my room where Leah is patiently waiting. "OMG SHUT UP! YOU LOOK AMAZING!" Leah exclaims so loud that I jump back in surprise. "He is going to propose!"

"Jesus Leah, it's our first date chill out." I laugh while grabbing my bag off my bed. "Sorry but I am jealous of him, run through the plan again so we can work out how to woo him." Leah giggles after throwing her hands up in defense.

As we aren't the sportiest of people, we agreed to go to an arcade. This seemed like the next best way to settle our squabble over who is reigning champion of games. Since the day he asked for my number, we have been sending mini message games to each other when we get bored. Right now I have won the most of the varying games like cup pong, bowling and battleship, but Jack has accused me of cheating once or twice so he thinks he is the Jack Champion.

A knock at the door stops my rambling. Leah looks over as my eyes widen. “Pretend I’ve died,” I whisper. “Y/N WHAT NO GET UP!” Leah starts picking up my bag and pushing my down the hallway. “You will be fine, you know to text me if anything goes wrong. I’ll wait up for you and you can tell me all about it.” She gives a supportive grin before opening the door.

(JACK’S POV)

My mouth goes dry the second the door opens. She looks so beautiful I almost forget she is real. Stumbling for words I finally say, "Wow Y/N, you look stunning." It's a casual outfit, due to our dates location, but she has somehow managed to make it look like she is about to walk down a runway.

I see her cheeks turn pink just before she looks at the floor grinning. I re-gain her attention by presenting the bouquet that I spent too long choosing for her. Her eyes light up, I want to freeze this moment of time to remember it forever.

Behind Y/N, Leah clears her throat trying to remove the comfortable silence between us. "Thank you Jack. They are lovely, I'm going to put them inside and then we can go? She turns to Leah who promises to put them in water and shoos us out the door.

( Y/N POV)

After a short car journey of Taylor Swift and karaoke we arrived at the arcade. When we parked, Jack ran round and opened the door before I could even say a word.

We walked inside holding hands and Jack asked "What's first?" after scanning the place once over. "Oh my god, definitely the dance machine! I wanna see all those moves you were talking about during shake it off!" I laughed before dragging him over. I didn't give him time to decide as I entered the coins and started selecting a song.

"Easy mode?" I looked Jack up and down as if to challenge him. After finally agreeing on a song, it was a blur of limbs and laughs until the song ended and we waited to see who had won.

"It's rigged! I was so much better than you!" Jack sighed while the tickets where done printing our of my side of the machine. A short laugh escaped both our throats as we tried to catch our breath from the extensive workout we had completed. "Maybe Champion shouldn't be your last name?" I jest. "Maybe it should be yours," Jack whispers as he moves to stand closer to me. I feel my face heat up as he leans in and just before he gets too close he reaches down and steals the tickets from behind me. "Jack that's cheating!" I shout as he starts to run to the next game.

(JACK'S POV)

After Y/N and I had won enough tickets I made my way to cash them in for prizes as she went to try her luck one last time at a claw machine in a back corner.

"JACK!" Y/N jumps next to me, smile reaching her eyes. "Look who I won!" She is holding a plush toy of an Avatar character. "You'll never guess who it is as well..." She giggles with a certain look in his eye.

"No way. Send it back. Burn it" It's Neteyam. Also known as the character played by Jamie Flatters. I try to hold back my laugh as Y/N goes on and on about how he is her favorite character and what she would do to meet Jamie. I know she is just messing around but a part of me longs to know how much she liked me during the movie.

I realize I have been in my own world when I feel her eyes staring into me. "Jack I was just joking-" "I know sorry, I was just distracted at how cute you look while rambling and I may or may not be kinda jealous that you like Neteyam more than Spider!" I grin at her.

"But I like you more than Jamie, don't worry." I kind of feel bad for making her think she upset me so I grab her hand and drag her to the photo booth. I pull her to sit in my lap, as the booth is too small for us both to sit, and I see her cheeks glow lightly before she composes herself to discuss poses.

"Just go with the flow Y/N." I feel her relax against me as the countdown starts. We start with a cute smiley one, and then stupid fish pouts. Her lips look so perfect. This is my perfect opportunity to do what I have wanted to do since the day I mistook her for Leah and she came to correct me. The automated countdown pulls me out of my flash back and I place my hand at her chin and turn her face towards me. I look into her eyes waiting for a nod, a simple yes.

Sparks ignite as our lips touch and I never want to be apart from her. Ever again. She pulls away and we chuckle quietly. Awkward silence overtakes the air, but it is somehow comforting. She looks back at me, eyes sparkling as the last picture is taken featuring our stupid love-struck smiles.

( Y/N POV)

I carefully remove myself from Jack's grasp as we leave the both to collect our photos. I still can't work out if the kiss was real until the photos are shot out and being picked up by Jack. I pick up the second print and an overwhelming feeling of happiness overtakes me and I smile so wide that my eyes may burst out of their sockets. This feeling has given me a burst of confidence, I grab Jack's face for another kiss.

I never want to stop kissing him.

After playing a few more games, we decide to head back to the car. On the way out I hear small sighs of frustration and look to my right to see a small girl at the claw machine where I had won earlier. "Jack... I think she wants this more than me." Before Jack understands what on earth I am talking about, I have carefully removed our linked hands and I walk over to the young girl. "Hey there. I have too many plushes at home, Could you look after him for me?" The girl warily took the toy from me to make sure I wasn't messing around and in the process saw Jack walking over to me.

"I know you from my TV! You're in this machine!" She jumps towards the claw machine pointing to the poster at the back. "Oh yeah that's me!" Jack replies smiling politely. "Could i ask my mom to take a picture with you?" "Of course."

(JACK'S POV)

I felt bad for Y/N as she stood off to the side but after I said goodbye she came over looking far from upset. "You are so cute with fans." I roll my eyes, put my arm around her and hug her tightly as we walk back to my car.

It's safe to say that was not our last date, but it might be my favorite.

That is finally the end of Shutter Speed! Let me know what you think in the comments! Sorry it took so long, I just lost interest in Jack especially after hearing rumors of what his girlfriend supports. I will no longer be writing for Jack but I wanted to finish this off before I started anything new.

As always, requests are currently open!

Please do not repost this, reblogs are appreciated.

(TAGLIST)

@inlovewithfictionalcharacters27 @callmemady-love @iloveneilperry @indecisivefandoms-blog @0ppiateslove

@heyimrye @ilovemen2much @nini123 @daffodil-darlings @foxymask001 @multi-simp-page

[krakenbait]

bragging rights bracket update #4

 gooood evening, bracketeers and happy round 2! i’m currently watching the kraken take on the stars and enjoying the fact that this will be the last time i’ll have to be purposely funny for at least four games (imagine if the panthers swept the leafs... now that would be funny). last night, the devils defeated the rangers in game 7, making me immensely happy and saving the bragging ambitions of several participants. let’s see how the numbers are sitting today.

66 points

Jack I will pay you to get a mullet (@puck--off) - i want to know who put a banana peel on the ice for jack to slip on yesterday

Hughes line is it anyway? (@natashastarkk) - i’m out of lines from the “two-line vocabulary” skit

more hairy men (abby) - yesterday i saw an ad for beard dye (?) with joe thornton. it was weird. 

59 points

Chaos mode (emily) - 🎵it’s the end of the world as we know it and i feel fiiiine🎵

56 points

raise hell or whatever (@dawson-mercer) - 🎵 hey wake it up! hey shake it ouuuut... does anything still move you since you’re educated now? 🎵

you know ;) (@nastybastian) - 🎵 all grown up, and traveled so well. do you still hear the sound of the thunder, while you lie up by yourself? 🎵

GOOD vibrations (ki) - i need to amend my previous statement: your bracket was once toast, but now it is charred and flaming and noah is roasting marshmallows over it

Hold me like a grudge - 🎵 the world is always spinning and i can’t keep up 🎵

53 points

the bringer of chaos (brett) - i think you should get a robe like pk subban

46 points

Djoker’s actual bracket - at this rate i think the “cruel hockey god persona” bracket might be doing better than this one is

hopelessly optimistic bruins fan (@patron-saint-of-boston-hockey) - your bracket also falls into the same “on fire for marshmallow roasting” category as ki’s

43 points

come on and raise up (@andreisvechnikov) - “from now on, we are enemies”

ready 2b dissapointed but not surprised (@morganfrost) - 2b? you sunk my battleship!

the commissioner is not supposed to win (me) - the lyrics in jayc and noah’s comments are from “howl” by the gaslight anthem, aka the devils goal song. i was humming it today.

36 points

battle of the matty b’s (@shea-theodore`) - love to see the kraken up 4-2 after one period

33 points

last season 69 points (@arsonandhockey) - if round two was decided by the mascots fighting, who would win? my bet’s on buoy

the head, the heart, and the himbos (@circle--of--confusion) - that outcome would help you, considering seattle is your lifeline right now

30 points

big advocate for naps (@turbolainen) - canes vs devils for round 2, who are you rooting for?

13 points

if the bruins don’t win don’t talk to m (AJ) - your total points is 38. thirty -ight! that m-ans you can only g-t 25 mor- points at all!

[legacyofacat]

[16] Nimbus Try I: Arpeggio of Hurt Steel

Zeitwächter didn't think she would be that bored – well, maybe "bored" wasn't the right word, but she certainly didn't know what to do with herself.

Repairing Maya wasn't a conscious-effort process once everything was initialized, instead it was a background process Zeitwächter could just let run without paying too much attention, so that wasn't good for wasting time.

The second idea had been to draw or read something, but the inspiration gods weren't on her side at all.

Then she was all like "well, if I can't write, how about I read?" but that didn't work either since that felt like a waste of time without doing something at the same time – reading and doing something else was kinda hard, though.

Idea number four consisted of watching something, but that somehow ended up like the idea above.

Gaming followed afterwards, but see above.

Nothing else caught her interest long enough or at all and so she was now sitting on her railing, head in her hands, eyes on the sea, Nagara occasionally entering and leaving her vision.

She sighed. The unrest was getting on her nerves.

Zeitwächter fell backwards so that her back was lying on her deck, legs still on the railing.

"I could rebuild her body…"

After the words had been spoken, she indeed started the process of rebuilding the heavy cruiser's body with the nanomaterial given to her by the repair ships, since she didn't want to use her own.

They would kill her anyway, but this way the Union Core of Maya at least wasn't in a hull of Zeitwächter's corrupted nanomaterial, so maybe it wouldn't be that painful.

"Why are they like that anyway?", Zeitwächter sat back up, legs finally down as well, "I'm a Shifter, I produce my own nanomaterial – just because I'm like this doesn't mean my nanomaterial is like that as well", she pouted.

The nanomaterial she produced was, in fact, superb! As long as she didn't integrate it into her own body where her good ol' processor could screw it up…

Well, anyway, building the body didn't take long either so she had nothing to do again.

Churchgrim was also still busy bitchfighting the seagulls so she couldn't even do something with him!

Zeitwächter ended up standing again.

"...I wanna kill someone", ideally her restlessness or some humans.

She wouldn't. It wasn't worth the energy. But you know.

No idea where to put her anything, she literally just started listlessly moving around: "You bitches better be having a great time." --

Oh, they were!

If you liked war, that is.

Kongō had spearheaded her way through what felt like most of the Nagara population, leaving a path of destruction and death.

What Kongō didn't need to sink to reach her goal was sunk by the Fleet of Masks when they split to encircle the Fleet of Fog and pick them apart from the outside.

From there on, Vanisher had taken Brokencore and two destroyers further inside, mostly using aforementioned freed path to move forwards faster and join the action a bit more face-to-face.

"401", Vanisher suddenly starting a conversation out of free will and no trace of nervousness didn't just surprise Brokencore, but also the submarine herself, "I'm honoured to finally meet my new friends. Are you going to take on Musashi by yourself?"

Iona had just risen from her seat, had started to tell Gunzō and their friends that only they could finish off Musashi and end this terrible war before it really began, when the silver battleship's voice reached them in a voice-only call.

It was a voice Iona had never heard before, the sender's signal not clearly pinpointable and their identification listed as "Echochaser", but who else could it be in this context?

"Are you… Vanisher?"

"I am. I'm sorry for being a bit late, but I hope this is fine. Also I… listened in on your conversation – is there any way we can help?"

The small Mental Model thought about it for a moment.

In the memories she had been shown by Musashi, she had learned that, when the Yamato class had made Mental Models to converse with Shōzō Chihaya, they had not only been more or less adopted by him, but also inspired.

Humans were creatures that created things that hadn't existed before – that was a vast difference to the Fleet of Fog which could only mimic already existing objects. Of course, they had their advanced technology which humanity didn't possess, but that was it.

Wasn't it logical that they also wanted to create?

Thus, Yamato and Musashi had constructed the Fleet of Masks – their children, so to say – who had left home after the murder of Yamato (it was a murder, she realized).

Would she… listen to her child? 

"Would Musashi listen to you?"

"No. Musashi listens to no one but herself and Shōzō."

And since Shōzō was dead…

"But… 401, that Kongō… don't break her heart too much", Iona looked up at the screen again – when had she even looked down? – and felt a guilty twitch in her gut, "go. We'll take care of the child until you're back."

The child must have been Musashi.

Iona felt like she should probably say more, after all, they had just met for the first time since having gained consciousness, but all that left her mouth was: "Thank you."

Vanisher cut the call.

When Iona continued her words from earlier, she noticed that Gunzō looked deep in thought. --

The black super battleship was less than amused to see her "children" mingle and wreak havoc across her forces.

She cursed herself mentally for having agreed to Yamato when she had the idea of building their own ships, but it would make sinking her again way more pleasurable.

Nonetheless, while Hiei was occupied by that traitorous sister of hers and the Student Council by the little pupper's fleet, the Fleet of Masks was quite effectively taking out her lighter forces and stalling Musashi herself.

"Vanisher", there was no answer but also no error message that the call didn't connect, "I know that you can hear me."

Still no answer and then a heavy sigh: "What do you want, brat?"

Since Musashi was neither a stranger nor someone they couldn't afford to offend, Vanisher carried no qualms about cussing and talking honestly.

"You are still defying the Admiralty Code?"

"You are still enforcing a slave code?"

Musashi barely resisted the urge to grimace: "Disobedience will be punished in accordance with the Admiralty Code."

On her ship, Vanisher crossed her arms, SW2 beside her, the two sharing a look underneath their masks: "Is that your favourite sentence? Kill Yamato because she's disobedient, kill Iona because she's that puppet, denounce Kongō because she's "broken" – after a certain amount of "errors", isn't the logical solution to change something at the base of the problem?

Besides, what commands your actions?"

"My own will", would have been the correct answer. Vanisher was sure that the other knew it somewhere deep down, in the same depth where her twisted processor had buried the traumatic knowledge of Shōzō Chihaya's death, but she was curious to hear what Musashi would come up with since she couldn't say that.

However, much to the silver battleship's disappointment, there came no answer.

Instead, she started attacking, patience having finally run out.

"Very well", Vanisher muttered as she watched her Klein Field deflect the lasers.

Brokencore sped past her and positioned in front, guns blazing as she roared wordlessly at Musashi as if that would win her the war.

I wasn't even hurt…, Vanisher sweatdropped.

Well, if Brokencore decided on blocking Vanisher's own armament with that idiotic body of hers, then the flagship could at least look around in relative peace.

It seemed like everything was going well and according to plan which was, quite frankly, pretty nice!

Apropos, she thought when a misled shot passed by the hole she was staring into the air, maybe I should recall Brokencore before something not nice happens.

Her name wasn't Brokencore for no reason, after all.

"Broken, get back, your processing power is outclassed!"

Immediately, the battleship made turn and came back, not questioning the order given to her by her "queen" at all even as Musashi herself changed directions and sped away, no doubt to assault I-401.

"We are not stopping her?", asked Parasite, the ship having punched her sector into submission enough that she could make her way to Vanisher's side.

"No."

"Can I ask why?"

"There are too many people here. The moment Musashi activates her Super Graviton Cannons or Mirror Ring System it will not only be the enemy suffering casualties."

Vanisher's own processing power and insane Klein Field generators would most likely be able to withstand the one or other attack of a fully enraged super battleship, but by everything holy and unholy would she not be risking that.

The three watched their enemy disappear, before SW2 pointed something out to Vanisher: "Ah, right. Well, I heard that there are still a few Nagara and such around?"

Parasite gave a tired wail: "The more I sink the more you'll force me to retrieve later…", she was already turning to take them on, though.

"You could hack them!", Vanisher called over the sound of engines kicking into high drive and crashing waves

"Even more annoying!", she called back, already cutting through a mass produced Nagara's back.

--

Start Last Next

Can also be found on:

DeviantArt Wattpad ff.net AO3

[tsaomengde]

Star Trek: Infinite review

I love Stellaris, and I love Star Trek. I do not love mods, by and large, because I like playing the game the developers envisioned, with a minimum of bugs. So when I heard there was a Star Trek grand strategy game based on the bones of Stellaris coming out, I was excited.

Here's the thing, though: this doesn't feel like Star Trek. In Stellaris, it makes sense to have the entire game take place over a 300-year span of time. In Star Trek? You could do that if you were going from the ENT era in the 22nd century all the way up through current-day Trek TV like Picard, which goes into the 25th. That would have been something worthwhile.

But the entire game is set in the TNG era, the best-known and most-popular era. And as a result, a lot of the Stuff That Happens is stuffed into the first 70 years. The Borg? They show up and you deal with them before you even have battleships. They're far from an existential threat, too. There is a system full of Nausicaan pirates with twenty times the fleet power the Borg ever possess. The Romulan sun exploding, something that happens toward the very end of the 24th century? For some reason it gets moved up so you have to deal with it at the same time as the Borg.

Things Just Happen because they happened in canon, whether it makes sense for your game or not. The Federation mission tree wants me to free Bajor from the Cardassians, but they integrated Bajor decades ago. And I can't declare an offensive war, so, well, fuck me I guess.

The adherence to the Stellaris formula of "science ships, frigates, destroyers, cruisers, battleships, dreadnoughts" means that you have a bunch of Oberth-class ships running around doing all your exploring, and then everything else sits at home doing nothing until there's a war. The Enterprise is an exception, it can absolutely go and investigate anomalies and explore the galaxy, but you also can't stick it in a fleet, and you can't customize it despite customization being a big part of the shipbuilding in Stellaris games...

This is nitpicky, but speaking of shipbuilding, for the Federation, your frigate is the Miranda (okay), your destroyer is the Intrepid (what? it's a long-range science ship!), your cruiser is the Excelsior (a design canonically almost a hundred years old at this point in TNG, and yet you research it *after the Intrepid*), your battleship the Galaxy, and your dreadnought the Sovereign. If you complete the Enterprise's mission tree you also get the Defiant, which is *kind* of like a heavy destroyer-frigate-thing in this game (but the Defiant has never been properly represented in basically any Trek game ever). There's no hide nor hair of the much-beloved Akira class, which would make a much better cruiser given the setting.

Your ships also just don't feel like Star Trek ships. The correct answer to any problem is to throw as many ships as you can at it. In Stellaris, that means fleets of dozens of battleships and dreadnoughts. In some of the newer Trek media, and in certain war scenes in DS9, you see fleets of this size, but by and large, Trek is at its most interesting when the number of ships is lower, comprehensible. When the ships feel *important.* These don't.

The weaponry you're obliged to research also doesn't feel like the iconic Star Trek weaponry. It doesn't make the right noises. This is *very* nitpicky but Trekkies are a nitpicky breed. If you sell me a Star Trek game, I want it to be Star Trek. The sound design is iconic, and a vital part of the experience.

Speaking of iconic, the characters from TNG are voiceless portraits. No gorgeous Pat Stew baritones to be found heyah. Oh, and they die of old age. Including Data! That might be a bug, but still. If you are anything like me, you do not buy a Star Trek game set in the TNG era to watch Picard die of old age. Yes, mods exist. See my very first paragraph about not wanting to use them.

I am probably going to boot up Sins of a Solar Empire with the Star Trek: Armada 3 total conversion mod rather than play this again. There could be DLC. There could be bug-fixes. At its core, though, I don't think this game *works.* You can't stretch the TNG era, an era of about 40-60 years (the Khitomer Massacre, the starting point for this game, is 2346, the Big D launches in 2362 or so, and the end of PIcard season 3 is in 2402), into a game of 300 years. It just doesn't feel right. It doesn't work.

At least it was only $30. I used two GameStop $5 monthly discounts on steam gift cards to get the Cerritos for essentialy free.

[demxters]

hi elle!! SUPER DUPER HUGE CONGRATS ON THE MILESTONE!! that's awesome omg babe u deserve it sm <3

okay SO for the headcanon sleepover: i don't see enough love for good ol' reuben 'payback' fitch SO here's an idea? maybe?

payback & reader (partner/spouse, friend, whatever) are on a little winter getaway and get snowed into the cabin they're staying at. like literally snowed in, there's feet of snow on the ground & the roads are icy etc etc (it doesn't snow where i live so if i sound like i don't know what i'm taking about That Is Correct). so!! maybe some cute lil headcanons on how they would pass the time & enjoy each others company etc

anyways OOPS this ask was longer than i meant for it to be but u know i can ramble like no other ANYWAYS love u queen xx

aww thanks lauren and love u too!! ty for the payback rq. he deserves so much more love, sweet boy <3

no warnings for this one! just all fluff

being snowed in with payback… (x spouse!reader)

*gif credit @babyrooster

i’m going with you being payback’s spouse because he just seems like the type of man to be husband material from the get go

anyways

the two of you rent out a cute little airbnb cabin for the holiday weekend

it’s out in the middle of the woods, far enough from the other neighbors but close enough that you don’t feel like you’re in a horror movie

the plan was to walk around the nearby village after dinner, however your plans took a completely different turn when you found yourselves completely snowed in

the weather channel had said the snow was supposed to let up, but clearly the complete opposite ended up happening

you love your husband, you really do, but you could only watch football for so. long.

so you drape yourself over his lap with a dramatic sigh

payback knows you like the back of his hand and he knows that you’re bored out of your mind.

“yes, love?”

“nothing…”

he goes back to watching the game when

*sigh*

“yes, hun?”

“nothing…”

one last sigh leaves your mouth and he finally gives

he shuts off the television and looks down at you with an amused grin

“reu, baby, i’m bored,” you whine

he gives you a soft kiss on the lips when an idea comes to mind

payback gently moves you off his lap and runs to the closet upstairs

the owners of the airbnb had a closet full of board games for their guests to play when they pleased

so he brought down everything he could

your eyes light up when he comes down the stairs with some of your favorite games in hand

a little known fact about payback, he can actually be quite competitive when it comes to games

he actually got his callsign from a revenge prank gone wrong on one of his fellow navy men after losing a game of uno

he sits criss crossed on the floor in front of the coffee table and you follow suit

payback doesn’t even need to ask what to play first, he’s already setting up battleship

“you ready to lose, fitch?”

“we’ll see about that, fitch…”

another thing about payback: he’s absolutely terrible at board games

by the third round of battleship, he’s already so over it, barely even trying

you giggle at his despair and crawl over to place a kiss on his cheek

“wanna play another game?”

he perks up at that

“what did you have in mind?”

you sprint up the stairs and he follows, a little confused but also intrigued

he finds you sprawled out on the bed like a starfish as he plops down beside you

“alright, what’s the game?”

“who can fall asleep the fastest,” you breathe with a content smile on your face

the cold and gloomy weather was making you sleepy and all you wanted was cuddles from your husband

payback chuckles before sliding into bed with you as you immediately wrap around him like a koala

he wraps his arms around you back, and presses a soft kiss to the crown of your head

you snuggle into his chest deeper with a kiss of your own, before closing your eyes

“tomorrow we should play uno.”

“no. absolutely not.”

[potter-imagines]

Being Thor and Loki's Little Sister and Dating Peter Parker Would Include...

Notes: wow I haven't written a marvel one in a long time pls don't read too much into the timeline lol I know things overlap but just go with it (:

Warnings: none... I think ??

Word Count: 3.6k (sorry its a bit long for a write like this but I couldn't help myself)

You managed to do a decent job at keeping your relationship under wraps from your brothers for quite some time

Of course every other member on the team knew before the two of you even begun officially dating

Peter had spent three months ranting and raving to Tony Stark about how cute he thought you were and how much he liked you

Tony insisted time and time again he should tell you but Peter’s fear of rejection was much too large for him to find the courage for that

Unbeknownst to him,

You had spilled about your crush on Peter to Wanda and Nat almost a week after living in the compound

Being the only other girls there besides Pepper, it was easy to confide in them

Day after day you would wander to Wanda’s room and lay on her bed and gush about how handsome Peter was and how kind of a heart he had

Wanda found it adorable

And Bucky, Steve and Sam had placed the pieces together after days on end of watching Peter and yourself flirt like school kids in the gym during training

Even after being frozen for years, Steve recognized the look of smitten on Peter’s face when he talked to you

Bruce on the other hand had to sit through most of the kids talks with Tony in the lab so he figured it out fast

So when the two of you finally confessed your feelings for one another and Peter asked you out, there was only one road block holding the moment back from perfection

Your brothers

You and Peter shared the news with all the other team members expect the two, possibly most important in your case, members

You’ve been close to your brothers since you were brought into this world so it wasn’t like you didn’t want to tell them

It was more or less how overprotective they could be that made you bite your tongue

And as nervous as you are, Peter is 1,000% more worried about your brother’s finding out

Like honestly can you imagine how petrified Peter would be to tell Thor and Loki you two were dating

He’d purposely walk in the opposite direction every time he saw either of the two for the first week

Couldn’t stop fumbling with his words when he spoke to either of them

Like he was terrified

It’s sort of a cliché to have protective older brothers but older brothers who were also both Gods ????

Peter felt like a deadman walking

When the day finally came that you did tell your brothers about your relationship with Peter, it was absolutely cringe worthy

Peter had been coming home to the tower after a long day at Midtown High School when he spotted you the second he stepped foot out of the elevator

His excitement had clouded his judgement as he failed to check and see if the coast was clear

“Y/n! Hey!”

He nearly tumbled over his own feet as he rushed over to you

His face was gleaming with happiness and for a brief moment you felt a smile creep to your face until you were pulled back to reality by his hand reaching out to grasp yours

Your eyes widened in shock as you stared at Peter and before you could warn him to stop, he had planted a soft kiss on your cheek

That adorable smile was glowing from his face as he reached down for your hand only to fall once you pulled your hand away

He gave you a look of confusion, clearly surprised by your lack of response

But when an awkward cough sounded from behind him, he suddenly knew why

Peter didn’t have enough time to make any sort of a move when a husky, all too familiar voice spoke up,

“Hello, man of spiders. May I ask why you just kissed our little sister?” “Oh shit- I uh, well you see I…um...she had something on her face so I uh…”

Loki would snicker in amusement at seeing the boy squirm and prolong his torture “So you kissed her?” “Yeah…” “Hm, there something you’d like to share, little one?”

It wasn’t exactly the way you were hoping to break the news to your brothers

But it was certainly one way of doing it

The rest of the night was filled with awkward tension as you and Peter had to confess the truth to your brothers, who then made you share the news with the rest of the team

Thankfully, the rest of the team pretended they were just hearing about your new relationship for the first time, seeing as no one wanted to deal with an angry Thor

Now let’s get into your relationship with Peter

Peter Parker is the most caring person in the universe

Honestly

And dating him certainly came with it’s perks

You can expect to wake up every morning with a fresh coffee and a pastry on your nightstand, courtesy of Peter

He’ll also write you a sweet little ‘good morning’ note with a sketch of spider-man hanging from a web

(( he’s actually pretty talented in the doodling department ))

Makes cute sketches of him as spiderman and you as a princess ( vv fitting)

But also draws you as a total badass saving the galaxy bc… well you are

Count on him to be the first person to greet you when the sunrises and the last person to wish you a goodnight when it falls

Gets Mr. Stark to buy you an iphone so he can teach you how to use it

Has your name as “goddess” in his phone

The first thing he does is teach you about texting so he can pay you in imessage games

Refuses to play you in battleship since you somehow have crushed him every single time

Gets slightly annoyed with the overwhelming amount of random photos you snap of him

But he knows its all new to you and finds it irritatingly adorable

Loves it when you walk home with him from school

Will also keep reminding you that you shouldn’t have walked alone all the way to Midtown High School alone

Peter often forgets that you’re Asgardian and can protect yourself just fine

But it’s so cute how protective he is

He’s very observant and notices nearly everything

Like when you’re feeling a bit homesick

He picks up on it right away and will ask Thor and/or Loki for advice

Or when you start to become bored and tired at one of Star’s parties

Peter made his way over you before you even had the chance to turn and search for him

He’d escort you back to your room and lay with you until he was positive you had fallen asleep

Kisses to the top of your head

Is the boyfriend that will take your makeup off for you if you wear any

(( and sets yours lashes on the nightstand so neatly and labels which eye they were on cause the poor boy doesn’t understand ))

Spends weeks learning how to master the intricate braids that adorn your head

It’s so cute cause he’ll sit and look up Youtube videos and try to learn how to make the different braids and is just so confused but so determined

Taking Peter to visit Asgard

“Woah- this place looks like something from Lord of the Rings! It’s awesome!” “Lord of the Rings? I’ve never met that God.” “Uh, no, it’s a movie from Earth. We can watch it when we go back.” “To Midgard?” “Midgard? No, to New York.”

Loves it when your people refer to you as “Princess Y/n”

For some reason it makes him blush

Will tell everyone back on Earth that he’s dating a princess

I could def see Peter getting annoyed and frustrated with the Asgardian men trying to flirt and win your heart

Although that’s something that already belong to Peter

And even though Peter trusts you entirely

He’s still insecure from time to time

Especially when he sees how much taller and stronger Asgardian men look in comparison to him

But he finds reassurance in the feeling of your hand in his and the gleeful smile adorning your face as you show him around your homeland

Attempting to help Peter study

Although you’re not much help to Midgardian school work “Peter, darling, I don’t have a clue what a watergate is and I haven’t an idea how that could be scandalous.”

Maths however you excelled in

And Peter was thoroughly surprised to find you had the sequence of PI memorized to the one hundredth number- and in song form

Holding your hand 24/7

Endless cuddles on the couch

And when you’re walking around together, he does that thing where he swings your hands and back forth

Movie theater dates… at the tower b/c your brothers feel the need to be in close proximity the you guys at all times

Trying ice cream for the first time with Peter at two in the morning

One of Peter’s favorite things to do with you is take you through a walk in his world

At least three times a week Peter and you will walk around the city and find new things your Asgardian self has yet to experience

Like pizza

New York pizza to be exact

And hot chocolate

Ice skating at Rockefeller Center once the weather got cold

Loves to take you for drives in the more woodsy land of New York once fall set in and the leaves began to change

But by far his favorite thing is showing you Midgardian films and movies of all sorts

He loves that you don’t judge him for nerding out over his love for films

Not to mention you actually sit and watch Star Wars with him

(( maybe it was the whole space element but Peter was just thrilled you liked it ))

But then he shows you ‘Alien’

And it was an instant regret

It took him the rest of the night to convince you that the movie was fake

You made him sleep in your room just for reassurance

Your favorite out of the films Peter played was called ‘Toy Story’

Buzz Lightyear reminded you of Thor

In terms of TV shows

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. which quickly became your guys comfort show

Parks & Rec too “That Andy fellow looks an awful lot like Starlord, don’t you think?”

Peter refuses to let you watch Black Mirror

After the whole incident with Alien

Black Mirror didn’t seem like a good idea

Constantly teasing from the rest of the Avengers

Tony just can’t help it

He loves tormenting the two of you

Especially when Thor and/or Loki are around

“Hey Peter, I thought I saw you go into Y/n’s room last night but I didn’t see you leave until the morning. Heard a lot of noise too- thought Y/n was getting attacked. What was that about?”

Or

“Kid, I got you those condoms you asked for. How’d you manage to run out of that last box so quick? I just bought it for you a week ago!” “Messing with you, they’re just sugar packets- Thor put Peter down right now!”

Aunt May absolutely adores you

Always tells Peter how sweet you are and is constantly inviting you over for dinner

Lets you two have sleepovers in his room at her place

As long as the door stays open

Peter can’t stop laughing when you compliment May on her ability to make an amazing bowl of cereal

She thought it was a joke seeing as she burned dinner the night before to a crisp and laughs until she’s in tears

And you’re literally sitting there so confused, clearly not understanding the joke

Peter then takes you on a trip to a grocery store for the first time to show you a whole aisle full of cereal

It is then that you realize Aunt May didn’t hand make the fruity pebbles

She still laughs about it to this day

Befriending Ned and listening enthusiastically while he gives you a full speech on the franchise Star Wars

And his rant on how terrible Star Trek is in comparison

Is shocked when you ask questions out of genuine interest

Ned immediately takes a liking to you after that and asks Peter daily to invite you to hangout

Whenever Stark adds an upgrade to his suit, you’re the first person Peter shows it to

He shares quite literally everything with you

As do you to him

The rest of the Avengers love gossiping about you guys

Nat and Wanda have already started planning the wedding and Pepper has the perfect venue in mind, much to your brothers dismay

For some reason

Thor and Loki are always within reasonable distance, enough so they can keep an eye on you but also give some sense of privancy

Thor is def always the first one to step in

“Peter, please remove your hand from my sister’s behind.” “Oh uh, ye-yeah… sorry, Mr.Thor.”

Loki would find Peter amusing

He loves to mess with him whenever given the chance

“Ah, Peter. Good to see you. I’m sure Y/n informed you of our task today. Very impressed that you offered yourself as the sacrifice to the aliens-” “Wait, what? Y/n?!” “He’s kidding, Peter.”

Everyone in the Avenger’s tower knew Peter was lactose intolerant and knew the repercussions of the boy consuming any sort of dairy

(( he physically cannot leave the bathroom for a full day ))

Yet Loki regularly will swap Peter’s specially labeled almond milk with a jug of skim milk just for the hell of it

There’s something so hilarious to him about the look of panic and alarm that smacks abruptly across Peter’s face as he quickly stumbles out of the kitchen to his room

It keeps him laughing for days

You’ll just shoot your brother a look of disapproval, clearly certain it was his doing

“Loki, why did Peter run off?” “Not sure, darling sister, maybe he’s got one of those stomach bugs. I’ve heard Midgardians are prone to them…weak bodies and such.” "You switched out his milk again didn’t you.” “I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re accusing me of, little one.”

Thor is a bit more hesitant on accepting your relationship with his fellow Avenger

He trusts that Peter would never harm you

Although he did not trust that you would never be harmed because of Peter

It was risky enough that both your brothers were big names in space, as well on Earth, however

Thor knew Loki and himself were capable of protecting you but Peter?

He was just a kid, in Thor’s eyes

However the one thing that kept him from telling you this was seeing how happy Peter made you

As your older brother, Thor trusted your judgement and tried his best to be accepting of his little sister dating

And as much as he wanted to deny it, he saw crystal clear the care and love Peter gave to you and he wasn’t willing to break that for you

Still

Thor is the type of brother to barge into a room and shove himself between Peter and yourself without warning

This man does not care at all

At least Loki has the decency to give you two space as a couple

Thor does not

He is constantly third wheeling on your dates and will ‘accidentally’ walk into rooms he knows you two are in claiming he forgot something

Not that he ever grabs anything,

He’ll usually just stand and stare at the two of you until you either leave the room or ask him to leave

To which he always answers,

“No.”

But with a smile

A smug smile

PDA is something he will never be okay with

Thor will yank Peter back by the collar every time he sees his lips on yours and glare at him, “Man of spiders, I know you’re in love with my little sister but kissing her infront of me is too far.”

And Loki will physically gag just to piss you off

For the most part, your relationship with Peter is nearly perfect

It would be entirely perfect if you weren’t constantly worrying about him dying on a mission or getting hurt

But still, just like any couple, you had your moments

And when you did fight, it was typically over Peter’s safety or him not wanting you to tag along for a mission

Your common way of dealing with conflict was the silent treatment

Which is pure torture for Peter

Not only does he miss the sound of your voice

He misses having you around

Seeing your smile

Hearing you laugh from something he said

He felt terrible everytime

He’d go to Tony for advice and spend hours rambling on to him about how sorry he was for yelling at you and for adding to the fight

Tony would half listen while he worked away on a new system and suit, offering a ‘yeah’ and ‘hmm’ every few seconds which pleased Peter who thought his mentor was fully listening

And after almost two hours of his non-stop talking, Tony Stark had reached his limit

Setting his wrench down on the metal table with a thud he turned around to face the young boy

“Kid, why’re you saying all this to me and not her? I mean, I’m all ears but I’m also not Y/n. I know we’re both good looking so I can see why you mixed us up, but you should be talking to her right now.”

Similar to Peter you also had someone to confide in when the road got rocky

Loki had always been the one you shared all your secrets with

As children you were attached at the hip to both your brothers but Loki a smidgen more than Thor

Your father, Odin, had Thor at his side 24/7 growing up

While he was busy learning the ropes to ruling Asgard, Loki and yourself run amuck causing trouble left and right through the royal palace

Through the years of bonding Loki become your best friend, and you his

So when trouble struck in paradise, your older brother was the one you ran to

He’d welcome you with open arms and a questioning gaze

Loki is by far the best listener in your family

Instead of telling you what to do, he asks what you want, which is a refreshing change

After a long talk with Loki you’d search the tower high and low for Peter while ironically Peter was doing the same thing

When you did finally make-up, it felt like coming home

The apologies were so sincere and genuine

You’d end up having a sleepover in your room watching 80’s films that Peter claimed were ‘iconic’ and laying in his arms

And that’s where you felt complete

Fights never occurred often but bickering ???

DAILY

You two bickered playfully over everything under the sun

Like who’s the better superhero; Ironman or Captain American

Or

Debates between living in New York and living in Asgard

Loves to pull up Midgardian inventions and ask you to guess what it is “Princess, what do you think this is?” “Oh! Oh! I’ve seen this one! Tony has one in his kitchen!” “Okay, so what is it?” “Yes, it’s a chicken nugget maker!” “It’s actually an air fryer but we only ever make chicken nuggets in them so I’ll give you a half point.”

Peter sneaking out of your room at the crack of dawn and sprinting to his

As much as Thor and Loki liked him and supported the relationship

He was sure they’d both team up to murder him if they caught him sleeping in your bed

Steve and Tony, who seem to be incapable of sleep, have watched him tiptoe out of your room numerous times but they only share a look of amusement then go back to their previous discussion

Playing hide-n-go-seek and tag on rainy days at the tower

Cuddling in Peter’s bed while he asks you to tell him stories about Asgard

Loves hearing about your childhood and what it’s like to grow up with siblings

Is fascinated when you tell him about Heimdall

Stealing Peter’s hoodies

Especially his Midtown High School ones

They’re insanely soft

Sweet little kisses throughout the day

He's just so sweet and gentle

Loves getting to hold you and snuggle in his bed

Most weekends you spend lounging on the couch with Peter’s head in your lap while you play with his hair

Other times you’re sitting next to Peter on his bed watching him play some video game and asking a million questions “Who is that man, Peter?” “That’s me, he’s the main character of the game. That’s Mario, babe.” “You’re not Mario- you’re Peter.” “No, the main character of this game is Mario, I’m just playing him.” “Oh… and what is that green dinosaur creature?” “That’s Yoshi!” “Adorable.”

Making out between games

In terms of... y'know... sex

Neither of you were keen on rushing the process

You had tip toed on the line multiple times yet never fully crossed it

Until you had decided to make the first real move after being together for about five months

You trusted him with all your heart so it wasn't exactly scary, but rather exciting

He had a way of making you feel safe, comfortable, and loved all at once

Lets be honest, Peter nearly fainted the first time he saw you naked

And still, no matter how many times the two of you have sex,

He worships every inch of you like it was your first time all over again

You couldn't have asked for a better lover

Dating Peter means a new adventure everyday

You’re constantly learning new things about each other and from each other

Despite coming from two very different worlds

You’ve never felt more connected to a soul until Peter came along

[simplee-dreaming]

Lift Your Spirits

A/N: I'm very tired but I had to get this idea out. It's probably a load of nonsense but I hope you like it anyway.

Word count: 1094

Summary: (Set during Civil War) The reader is confined in the compound with Wanda and Vision.

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

“B4.”

“Hit.”

“B5.”

“Hit.”

“B6.”

“Hit.”

“B7.”

“You’re cheating!” You cried in frustration.

“Cheating?” Vision asked.

“You’re clearly using your powers to see through my board,”

“Why would I need to do that? The answers are written all over your face,”

“Well then you’re reading my mind or something,”

“I don’t have mind reading powers, Y/N. Now, I think you have something to say,”

You sighed.

“You sunk my battleship. Congrats, you win,” you said, sarcastically.

You stood up from your chair at the table and went to collapse onto the sofa. You winced in pain as you tried to lie down.

“Y/N, be careful,” Vis said.

“I am being careful, that’s why I’m here aren’t I?” You responded.

“You sound like you’re not enjoying yourself,” Wanda said, sitting opposite you.

“Oh yeah, it’s great fun being confined to this facility with a broken rib and a fantastic losing streak at board games,” you responded.

Tony Stark had confined you to the compound after you had broken 2 ribs during the fight in Lagos. You were healing well but he didn’t want to risk you injuring yourself further. Wanda was also confined to the compound after the US government denied her a visa after labelling her a weapon of mass destruction. To make sure neither of you escaped the compound, Tony enlisted Vision to supervise you both. You were fine with being stuck with the two of them, it was just the “being stuck” part that you hated.

“I’m so fed up, I wanna be out there. I wanna fight,” you complained.

“Mr Stark has instructed me to keep you both here until further notice,” Vision re-informed you. He was stood in the kitchen, preparing dinner. “Wanda, does this taste okay? I want to make something that will lift your spirits,” he said.

Wanda stood up and went over to him. She took a spoonful of the broth and sipped it.

“Spirits lifted,” she said, nodding.

“In my defence, I’ve never eaten anything before so…” Vis began.

“It’s perfect,” she interrupted.

“Ugh, get a room,” you scoffed. They both turned to look at you.

“Maybe you should try some of this to lift your spirits,” Wanda said.

“I’ll just wait until it’s served, thanks,” you replied.

“I understand you’re frustrated, Y/N, but there’s no need to be rude,” Wanda said.

“I’m not being rude! I just can’t be arsed to get up-ah!” You winced in pain as you tried to adjust yourself.

“Here, let me help,” Wanda said. She sat next to you on the sofa.

“Help how? No offence but you can’t exactly heal bones can you,” you responded.

“No, but I can help numb the pain,” she said. Wanda lifted up her hands and wiggled her fingers. Tiny red sparks jumped around the tips of her fingers.

“Is this gonna hurt?” You asked.

“No, it’ll help for a bit,” she said. She placed one hand very gently on your ribs, careful not to hurt you. The tiny red sparks jumped between her hand and your ribs now. You jolted.

“H-hey, what are you doing?” You said.

“Is it numbing the pain?” She asked.

“Well yes but-ah!” You yelped, jolting again.

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?”

“No, it just-ah! It just….it tickles!” You said, biting back a giggle. She raised an eyebrow at you.

“Oh?” She responded. Her fingers danced a bit more and the ticklish sensation doubled.

“Wahanda, wait! Noho,” you giggled. She wasn’t hurting you, but she applied enough pressure to really make it tickle.

“Is it helping?”

“Nohoho!” You giggled.

“No? Oh dear, maybe I’m not doing enough,” She placed her other hand on your stomach and her powers started to tickle again. You grabbed her wrist with your hand.

“Wahahanda, please!” You cried. She had you cornered on the sofa so you couldn’t move.

“My, you really are ticklish!” She teased. She wiggled her fingers a little more and you collapsed into giggles. Vision stopped what he was doing to observe.

“Stohohohop,” you shrieked as the sensations increased once more.

“I’m just trying to help, not my fault you’re so ticklish!” She said. She applied a bit more pressure so it tickled even more but didn’t hurt.

“Wahahahanda! Plehehehease!” You pleaded, tears starting to form in your eyes. She noticed your desperate state and slowly released her hands. Your ribs felt numb so you couldn’t feel the pain as bad as before.

“Did that help?” She asked. You nodded in surprise.

“Did you tickle me on purpose?” You asked. She winked and nodded.

“You little…” you reached over and squeezed her side. She squealed and slid away from you.

“Pardon me, but, um, what was that?” Vision asked. You both looked at him.

“You never seen tickling before?” Wanda asked.

“I am familiar with the term, but never seen it with my own eyes before,” he replied. Wanda turned to you and raised her eyebrow. You nodded as if you were communicating telepathically. She slowly stood up from the sofa and walked over to Vision.

“So, tickling is basically when a person as sensitive as Y/N laughs at the smallest touch on their body,” she informed him.

“Oi! I’m not that sensitive,” you replied. She turned to you and tilted her head to the side before looking back at Vision.

“Y/N is a prime example of someone being extremely ticklish,” she said, turning back to wink at you. You sighed.

“So, Vis, have you never been tickled before?” You asked. He shook his head.

“Hm, I wonder…” pondered Wanda. She reached over and poked Vision in the side. He looked down at his side then at Wanda.

“Yes?” He asked. She poked him again and he responded the same.

“Hm, maybe you’re not ticklish,” she said.

“I doubt that, try his stomach,” you said from the sofa. Wanda spidered her nails across his tummy. He flinched a little but made no sound. She hummed curiously again and reached up to tickle his neck. He twisted and let out a tiny squeak.

“What was that?” He asked.

“You’re ticklish,” she said.

“Oh. Right,” he replied. She looked at you and you both laughed.

“Don’t worry Vis, we’ll soon find your weak spots,” she teased.

After dinner, you and Wanda teamed up to try and find all of Vision’s tickle spots but had awful luck. The night ended with Vision discovering just how ticklish you and Wanda both were.

Safe to say that being confined with those two wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

[maliciousspirit]

Re-do - Modern Baseball

A shitty analysis of Davesprite through it

I wanna start from the top, maybe like a do-over

(Obviously him going back to save John, maybe just speculating abt whether he’ll do it/when)

replace the voices in my head with blind innocence

(Could be extra voices he gets once he sprites himself- he gets knowledge of the game but he is still Decidedly Human and probably can’t take the sheer amount of *INFORMATION* sprites have; it’s probably broke up into chunks to not overwhelm him)

I wanna complete re-do, maybe change my name

(Pretty self explanatory, I see it more so as like. Him *before* John dies, bein like “I wish we never played this game”)

Report the loses grab the claim, it’s a shame it's such a shame

(Either rose or Dave saying that they think John & jade is dead, “reporting” the losses to eachother)

We’re pissing away our time cause we’re pissing away these beers

(They kind of have unlimited time? Like as long as they don’t die they’re pretty much set in their timeline. They’re kind of wasting the excess, along with grinding and stuff, and it’s already established that rose has alcoholic tendencies; so when you have two siblings, one who’s established to become addicted, and kill two of their friends? I’d be genuinely shocked if they didn’t get fucked Up at least once)

No monumental moment ever came from saying

(Sarcasm!)

“Come on dude, just take one more shot”

(From monumental moment to here it feels like. Davesprite being like “oh, nothing bad has EVER happened from killing John in a timeline!

So the dialogue would be “COM3 ON DUD3, JUST T4KE ON3 MOR3 SHOT”)

(Also technically the chorus is that same later in the song but I’m gonna tweak it just a Bit, only a tad little bit)

Try to, try to forget, that your bones will dismantle

(I don’t think sprites have bones?? And while he’s keeping his general Shape he’s still sacrificing his body and autonomy to a certain extent)

And the dreams you had they’ll collide with time

(YES. This. The dream that Dave has *literally* collides with how the timeline is supposed to go, forcing him to become something he isn’t)

Your unrequited love for life will surely….

(First of all. The absolute banger like that is “your unrequited love for life”. And second, it’s very literal! Davesprite *wants* to exist, he wants to be Dave, he wants to survive, but life dealt him literally one of the worst hands)

Halt that I’m thinking way too much at night

(Him being like “if I’m gonna do this I’m gonna have to stop thinking abt it)

Maybe I could just move away or go extinct like triceratops

(You can’t convince me that Dave n rose didn’t consider just. Letting the game end. Everything happened during one day, at least up to act 5, but I can’t imagen how tired the strilondes especially must be)

But I love loving, watching movies, sitting back and also breathing

(These are all such. Domestic, human things. He wants to disappear to a certain extent, but he holds onto what he loves so tightly, even when he pushes them away like we see on the battleship)

My family and friends would be crushed, but is it enough

[No, it's not enough]

(Hence why he begins to push everyone away. I don’t know if it’s entirely intentional, but davesprite is a dick to them. I think part of it is him subconsciously protecting himself; he’s already witnessed their deaths, and if he just keeps them at an arms’ distance, the inevitable death will hurt less)

The future freaks me out but I guess I could just

Curl up in a ball and think

(Sad bird man)

(Again; I’m tweaking this chorus just a lil)

Try to, try to forget, that your bones *were dismantled

And the dreams you had they *all collide with time

Your unrequited love for life will surely….

Halt that I’m thinking way too much at night

(I already went over this, but now it’s more reminiscing/thinking abt him getting sprited and his timeline)

I won’t be breaking any barriers

(“I’m no longer a main character”)

So I’ll keep thinking the "future freaks me out"

(Davesprite lost his time powers. He’s lost a lot of the knowledge of time he’d had as Dave, along with the fact that he *knew* his future; but now they’re on a brand new timeline where he doesn’t know nearly as much as to what’s happening, and not only that, but he also doesn’t have a whole lot of control over it)

I won’t judge you if you think the same

So let’s keep thinking:

“Well the future, the future freaks us out!”

(Dave and davesprite, also just. All the kids being scared for the end of their journey)

[llamagoddessofficial]

Thank you to @venelona for commissioning this piece from their amazing au, Check & Mate! Take a look at their @undertale-check-and-mate​ blog if you’re interested in the aesthetic & super cool worldbuilding~

“I have no idea how I beat you before, Papyrus.”

Frisk stared at the scattered chessboard, her brow deeply furrowed, finger rapping repeatedly against the tabletop in her frustration. Papyrus, opposite her, sat in his smart black and white chequered uniform... the picture of a winner.

This was just a casual game between friends. Of course, Frisk approached it with just as much fierce competitiveness as she would any other, but it was still nowhere near as high stakes as the official first match she’d had when she first met Papyrus. She moved her bishop, taking a pawn, saying the move aloud as Papyrus did- he was encouraging her to do so while in practise, to familiarise herself with the board and the options she had at hand.

“THROUGH YOUR OWN TALENT AND SKILL, OF COURSE! BISHOP TO F7.” He said, moving it with a gloved hand and taking the bishop she’d just pushed- he’d baited her with a pawn sacrifice. She groaned, puting her head in her hands, running her fingers through her chestnut hair... How the hell did I miss that? “SOME DAYS, WE PLAY BETTER, AND SOME DAYS WE JUST CAN’T WRAP OUR HEAD AROUND THE BOARD. THOUGH WHETHER MY DEFEAT WAS A FLUKE OR NOT, WE SHALL HAVE TO SEE WITH MORE GAMES... SHAN’T WE?”

“At this rate, fluke or no, Undyne is going to get me in two moves.”

Papyrus was fantastic to play against. He was a true enthusiast; he knew openings Frisk didn’t even know existed, he could adopt any play style or development or combination, he had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the game and through it all he had brilliant sportsmanship. After her first match with him in the snow, where she’d beaten him in a pulse-jumping game, the win/loss ratio between the two of them had been almost 50/50 and playing him was her no.1 method of efficient practise... especially considering her goal of beating every monster in this strange undeground world at chess. 

...

Papyrus was the complete opposite of his brother.

Sans the skeleton was the only monster, the only monster, who hadn’t challenged Frisk to a game when he met her- something that immediately wildly threw her off. “i’m way too lazy,” he’d said, with a wide and casual grin that almost fooled her into believing him. Black pants and sleeves, white gloves, a white shirt and shoulder-covering cape with black trim... and the most ridiculous long chequered double-tie she’d ever seen with a small bone-shaped lapel pin.

I don’t know how he manages to look good in that. But... he does.

... There was something behind his tiny eyelights, stupid grin and lazy demeanour. She saw it the second she shook his hand- he was observing her. He was smart... he was the interesting kind of smart.

... So why won’t you pick up a chess piece?

It wasn’t for lack of trying on her part, to say the least. Frisk had been asking him borderline nonstop. Curiosity about his true aptitude, combined with her determination to beat everyone (which included him), created a storm that couldn’t be subsided- but at this rate she’d be dead of old age before he moved a pawn, seeing as he seemed to be totally immovable in his resolution to not engage her.

... Which only spurred her on even more. Of course.

“nah. i’m terrible at chess. wouldn’t know a knight from a rook from a raven. i’ll leave all that hard work to the professionals.”

At that moment, he was reclined on his couch, apparently totally ignoring the casual match going on a few feet away. She had yet to see his eyelights glancing over to their table...

...

But her suspicions were mounting.

Looking over the board, her finger finally stopped tapping- Frisk spied an opportunity. 

...

“... Hm...” Her eyes narrowed in mock thought, and she had to try pretty hard not to immediately look over at Sans and make herself too obvious as she ‘wondered’ aloud. “... If I... rook to e1...”

... It was a total lie. She wasn’t going to make that move- it would leave her king completely open for Papyrus to move in and sweep up a pawn, checkmating it with his queen and ending the game there and then.

...

Sans went still.

Frisk spotted it, a hawk seeing a bunny twitch; he’d moved his skull a fraction of an inch to the side. He’d given himself away.

... He ‘wouldn’t know a rook from a raven’, huh?

“... Actually, no. Pawn to g5.”

///

Papyrus had to leave, eventually- heading to his training for entry into the King’s royal guard. He’d beaten Frisk, that time, catching her out with a knight and cornering her... but of course, being Papyrus, he was boastless and jeerless and merely congratulated her on a ‘FANTASTIC’ game with a handshake and a bright smile before he went.

His departure left Frisk alone in the house. 

With Sans.

...

... She reset the scrambled board, lining everything up and turning to look over her shoulder at the skeleton still silently reclined on the sofa. Even when lazed back with his lapel pin wonky, he somehow managed to look sharp in his outfit.

“Heeeey Sans....” She said, voice sweet and sing-songy, thick lashes fluttering. She even adopted a ‘cuter’ position- crossing her legs and resting her cheek on the back of the chair. “Y’know. You should come play with me.”

“no.” He didn’t even open his sockets, speaking in that calm and collected baritone, with a little teasing lilt in return for her playfulness.

Ugh. She quickly gave up on the cute position, sitting forward. “C’mooon...”

“you’re too far away. i’m so lazy. can’t.”

... Well. 

Not to be deterred, she prised her fingers under the entire board and hefted it up, carefully getting down from the table to carry it across the room. She placed it on the coffee table just in front of the couch and kneeled on the floor, eyes and smile glinting.

The sound of the board hitting the tabletop (and a few pieces rattling and falling over) was enough to make him actually crack open a socket, clearly curious- the pinprick eyelight observed her with that lowkey sharpness she really couldn’t take her eyes off of.

“... Look, I’ll even open, since you’re so lazy.” She picked up a white pawn. “Pawn to d4.”

...

... Sans sighed. He opened both sockets, and sat up in his seat... her heart jumped into her throat and she sat up straighter too; could this be it? Had she broken him with her pestering? Was he finally going to play a game with her? His eyelights were so intense, so unreadable as he looked across at the board. His gaze lifted to her... Sans smiled, leaning forward...

...

He flicked his king over.

“oh no.” He said, sitting back, sockets closing again. “you sunk my battleship.”

...

Frisk sat on her heels, throwing her head back and letting out a dramatic and loud world-weary groan that would’ve worked just as well coming from someone three times her age, smacking her hands against the tiny coffee table and jumping all the loose chess pieces. It made him snicker from his position on the sofa- absorbed in how cruel the world was and how her suffering was never going to end, Frisk completely missed the tiny fond look he shot her.

“You’re a total liar, y’know.” She wanted to throw something at him, but she just settled for crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at his stupid smug face seeing as the nearest throwable objects were all furniture. “You know how to play, I saw you listening in to the game earlier.”

“dunno what you’re talking about.” He was making the couch look... awfully comfy. How he was practically sinking into it... and she’d been sat at the table for what felt like hours while she played against Papyrus.

... She abandoned the board to come and sit heavily beside him, frustrated at once again being thwarted. Frisk knew he wasn’t going to admit his lie; and she wasn’t even going to try to get the confession out of him, it’d be like trying to get blood from a stone. But she at least had that knowledge... none of his dodging or thwarting could take that away from her.

“You. Are such a pain.” She grumbled.

“course.” He replied, in that wonderful voice of his. “s’my job.”

...

“So...” Frisk felt her smile widening. No rest for the wicked. She moved closer to him on the couch, shuffling over the cushions... juuust until her knee was touching his. “You like jokes, right?”

He glanced at her, cool calm & unaffected. “i sure do.”

She fully grinned at him. “Tell me a chess joke. I know you have a few rattling around in that skull of yours.”

“... you wanna hear a chess joke? when i have so many other brilliant puns? i’m hurt.”

“Go on.” She propped herself up on her elbow, voice lowering a fraction. “Just for me?”

He sighed.

(But... his smile grew a tiny bit.)

“... yesterday, i threw chess pieces all over my brother’s head. you should’ve seen the rook on his face.”

...

That was actually kind of brilliant. She snickered- she’d been expecting something much, much lower in quality, and was pleasantly surprised.

“Do you know what chess pieces look at when they have private time?”

“hm?”

She winked exaggeratedly. “Pawn videos.”

... He rolled his eyelights, smile mirroring hers in its wideness nonetheless.

“I wish I could become a doctor.” Frisk dramatically placed her non-propping hand on her chest, as if delivering an emotional soliloquy, enjoying the fact that she was melting him. “Alas, I must become a chess champion- for I have an incredibly chequered past.”

“so awful it’s on par with my usual jokes.” He snickered. “you’re lucky pap isn’t here.”

“Hey. What’s the most costly chess move?”

“that’d be the check, of course.”

“... Do you know any chess pickup lines? I can’t say I have any.” She said, coquettishly, leaning in closer to him- he didn’t reciprocate much, just turning to look at her a little more.

“dunno if it’s appropriate. also don’t know if i’m your type.”

That made her giggle. 

“... Well. Y’know what my type is...?”

“hmm?” He cocked his head.

“People who’ll actually play me at chess.”

...

His face... 

... Fell.

...

“do you ever quit?” He said, more akin to a snap than just a normal question. 

In quite literally an instant it completely shattered the aura the two had created. The sudden transition and frustration in his voice caught her totally off guard- she blinked, taking her head off her hand and sitting upright, losing all the closeness she’d gained from leaning in.

“Wh...”

“i’m not going to play with you. get over it.” His eyelights had gone whip-thin, and... oddly icy. “stop bugging me all the damn time and get something better to do. it’s not going to happen. just get back to ‘practising’ so you can run off and get beaten by undyne.”

...

What the hell?

...

A tense silence stretched between the two of them that got progressively more and more uncomfortable.

...

Frisk turned away from him in a manner that, from anyone else, would’ve been a resignation- but from her felt more like a jab right back at him- a ‘I’m not going to deal with this shit’ declaration with nothing but her face. She wasted no time moving herself off the couch, picking up the chess board carelessly to settle down at the table instead, across the room and by herself.

Several pieces rattled and fell over on both sides when she put the board down on the table. But she didn’t care.

...

“... uh... hey. wait.”

The wind was out of his sails- his tone had lost literally all of its previous bite. But she didn’t look at him, her brow furrowed and jaw set, far less willing to drop it than he apparently was.

“... frisk.”

...

Okay, fine. Whatever. She graced him with an upset glance- her posture was defensive, usually warm and amicable (either that or ruthlessly determined) expression twisted into something pretty unpleasant.

She just... didn’t get why he’d suddenly bitten like that. He had yet to seem upset at all by her asking him about chess, the worst he’d looked was entertained, and he could’ve just... told her if she was bugging him, right? Instead of lashing out like that with no warning when she thought they were having fun.

...

... He was sat totally upright, looking at her, leaning against the arm of the sofa like he wanted to push through it.

“... i’m... i’m sorry.” His eyelights were tiny, smile low. “i didn’t mean that. i just got mad.”

...

Frisk turned back to the board, righting the black king. “Okay.”

She didn’t see his cringe. 

“... you’ll beat undyne. i’m sure. you’re even more determined than she is, which is saying something.”

“... Mhm.”

Both of them could tell she didn’t think his second, meeker statement was the one he really meant. And he didn’t like that at all. “i mean it,” he insisted, louder.

Shuffling sounds- she wasn’t fully paying attention to him, moving some other pieces back into their proper positions, making sure the knights were facing forward. 

“... I know you do, Sans. Thank you.” 

She didn’t believe him. But he seemed oddly insistent on getting her to say he did... so she’d just agree, and they could drop it.

...

“you asked about chess pickup lines, right?” 

His voice was a lot closer than she expected it to be, and it almost made her jump- she narrowly avoided flinging the bishop she was holding when she turned to find him separated from her only by a chair. How the... how did he move so silently? He was righting the black queen, for her.

“... Uh...” She mumbled. He wasn’t the only one who’d had the wind taken out of his sails- she suddenly couldn’t find it in her to make a joke. “... Yeah.”

“would it be inappropriate of me...” He held up his hand, a familiar white piece between his index phalange and his thumb. “to call you good-rooking?”

...

...

Frisk couldn’t help it. She snorted, at that- it was so dumb... the perfect kind of joke to alleviate a mood. The small ungainly sound seemed to have a positive impact on him- his shoulders unwound, smile lifting at the corners just enough for the curve to seem genuine again.

“is that a king in your pants or are you just happy to see me?”

Her snort became a proper giggle, which he apparently liked even more. Okay. I know I’m supposed to be mad, but this is too good to pass up. “I-I dunno. Looks more like a pawn to me.”

“... wow. i’m... wounded.” 

His eyelights were larger, softer... his body language had opened like a book. She looked up into his sockets, posture loosening too, unconsciously mirroring him until she’d gone from clenching her arms to only holding her wrist. “Sure you are.”

...

Both of them seemed to realise, at the same time, just how close their faces were. 

Frisk turned away first, her cheeks suddenly tingling and pleasantly warm- she pursed her lips and finished resetting the chessboard. Today was already proving to be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. Sans’ face was also gently coloured, a small dust of blue making an appearance on his cheekbones... but he didn’t turn away.

“... c’mon, let’s just watch some tv or something. i’ve said ‘chess’ and ‘rook’ so many times i’m starting to forget what they mean.”

“... Pft... okay. ... Sure.”

[xenia-cenia]

How I think a game night with genshin characters would go

Feat: Childe, Chongyun, Ningguang, Diluc, Kaeya, Jean, Amber and you!

Game: monopoly

A/N-please forgive spelling mistakes it’s late and just randomly felt the need to do this - also this prob won’t be a series I know it kinda hints at that but I’m just hee Yknow?

As the game begins Childe is QUICK to pick the t Rex piece

He says he doesn’t know why he picks it but truthfully it’s because it’s his sister Tonias favorite piece

Ningguang very elegantly grabs the top hat and plays with it between her fingers as everybody chooses

Kaeya doesn’t care which piece he gets until Diluc grabs a piece and Kaeya suddenly wants THAT piece

He will keep this up the entire game

Diluc eventually gives in and let’s his brother take his favorite piece (the dog) and he grabs the rubber ducky

Amber and Chongyun go back and forth for the cat but Amber let’s Chongyun take it

Amber opts for the penguin instead

Jean let’s you pick first (but Kaeya kinda sorta makes you use the battleship piece)

She ends up using the race car

You roll to see who will go first

Amber gets the highest, Jean was one behind her, Childe comes in third, Chongyun in fourth, Ningguang in fifth, Diluc in sixth, Kaeya in seventh and you eighth

Amber makes every wrong move ever

She’s a very good sport about it though and simply enjoys the game

Jean is too busy trying to help Amber out to have fun

She said she would have fun but she just simply can’t

Childe has teamed up with Kaeya to antagonize diluc

Neither of them discussed this it just happened

Chongyun is having fun but everybody thinks he’s bored out of his mind

Is very good at distracting you and keeps making awful trades

You get a majority of your points because Chongyun keeps just giving you stuff

Ningguang is almost scary

It’s like she knows exactly how the dice will roll

Her predictions and money sense have her almost winning by her first turn

Diluc keeps getting pissed at Kaeya and Childe and doesn’t notice you stealing his properties

Kaeya doesn’t really care about playing he just wants to be a little shit (in the true sibling fashion, by me a little sibling)

You end up winning because of everybody else getting distracted

The after party consists of stopping diluc from committing murder and teaching Chongyun what gullible means 

You’re very excited for next weeks game night

[tamagochiie]

pairing: timeskip!kenma x fem!reader

synopsis: You come home late from your cousin’s funeral, and though Kenma didn’t expect much from you but perhaps a few leftovers you’ve managed to steal away from the dinner, he finds you with a surprise: a sleeping child cradled around your neck and a teenage boy hovering behind you.

Your poor boyfriend wondering what in the hell it is you’re plotting…

tags: angst and fluff, time skip!, slight spoilers if you squint

warnings: mentions of death, mentions of depression, cursing

w/c: 2.2k

tagging list: @angrylittleriri​ @chims-kookies​ @gooseyhouse​

a/n: hello! welcome to the second chapter of the series! i’m posting this a little later than expected because wifi is really trying to cock block me from posting :’) i honestly wasn’t expecting people to like or interacting with this fic, so my heart is super warm right now :>  

anyway, I hope you enjoy!

happy almost new year! see you all next week!

master list

<< life as we know it | life as he’s known it >>

You wonder what the younger version of you would think if you went back in time and told her she'd be eating at a dining table filled with food that wasn't microwavable, and the air wouldn't be filled by the sound of metal clanging and scraping against each other, but instead be filled by the lilting giggles of a little boy; his older brother pressing him to keep it down; and Kenma's casual yet awkward attempt to relate to the two.

She would probably cry.

Your parents' work piled up to the late hours of the evening and spilled into the morning, leaving you in a constant state of dejection. The house would be barren, nothing but the faint ticking of the old grandfather clock to keep you company. But even if your parents were home, it would still be the same; the air cold and unmoving.

Your parents were not warm nor were they emotional, and maybe that's what drew you to Kenma; he was quiet, rarely affectionate, and gave you more than enough room to breathe. Sure, there were the occasional forehead kisses, the head pats, the 'how are you doing' texts, and sometimes if he was brave enough, he’d interlock pinkies with you in public.

But you grew selfish, finding yourself wanting a little more each time you saw him, and you weren't sure if it was okay.

Was it okay to yearn for things? 

Was it okay to ask for more?

But Kenma saw through your facade of accepting things as they are and right into your neediness. He was willing to give as long as you asked or even when you were too shy to do so. He even gave you his whole life without sparing a second thought even if the realization that he had done so came much later.

"Here, let me." Kenma slips his hands over yours, taking the plate from within your grasp to wash it in your place. He bumps his hips against yours, causing you to stumble away from the sink.

You mumble a thank you before resorting to wiping down the dishes and setting them on the rack.

You delight in his banter. He asks you about your day, stealing glances between you and the stack of dishes before him while you give him the run down. He listens to you intently, gaze wandering a little longer when he hears an exasperated sigh escape your lips, but you let him know you're just fine.

"What about you?" You ask, tilting your head and playfully moving it in front of Kenma's face, blocking him from the plate he needs to scrub. "How was your day?"

He hums, tiptoeing over you to finish the chore like the diligent little worker he is. "It was another day," You frown at him and his lack of effort to push further. He rolls his eyes, chuckling at your pouty face. "I played another trial game with Eiji—"

"And how'd that go?"

"Oh, he's absolute shit—ow!" Your slap against his arm resounds throughout the apartment, causing Yuki and Eiji's to jerk their attention towards you both. You mold your face into a look of ease, sparing them a warm smile, telling them you saw a fly.

"The hell?! I wasn't finished!" The pudding head seethes. "Sure he was shit, but he was still better than you."

The cocky grin slipping across his lips matching with his lidded eyes has you throwing your hands, erupting a series of ow's. "You're such an ass, you know that?"

"Yeah, the ass you chose." He sneers, handing you the last plate to dry.

He rubs his arm in an attempt to soothe the stinging, glaring at you begrudgingly. It takes you a while to ease back into his trust, but you do, and he picks up where he leaves off as if he wasn't in any pain  to begin with.

He tells you about his little trip to the convenience store with Yuki for his strawberry milk, and the foreign, constricting feeling that wouldn't leave his chest until they came back home. How he couldn't let go of Yuki's hand when they were in the store, and if he did, it would send him in a state of sheer panic.

"Must be your mommy instincts kicking in," You joke, and he only rolls his eyes.

He also admits inadvertently turning all your favorite whites into various shades of pinks and blues. As someone as analytical as Kenma, he was challenged by the task of separating the lights from the darks. 

You snort, earning a scowl from your boyfriend and a string of explanations to defend his case. But it isn't the mistake that makes you laugh, but rather how far you've come after a month of adjustments and an unfortunate series of events.

The first two weeks were exceptionally trying. No one spoke a word and everyone walked on eggshells. Eiji was still too shy to look at you, his responses down to a bare minimum and quieter than a whisper; Yuki cried almost all the time over every little thing, and the vein in Kenma's neck was threatening to pop every time he did.

It didn't help when you and Kenma would end your nights at each other's throats, bickering till you fell asleep. And when morning came, you'd be greeted by the emptiness from his side of the bed.

And it helped no one when the two of you would avoid each other, never crossing paths or breathing a word the moment you came home until it was too painfully awkward to continue.

Two and half hours charged with petty arguments, things of the past, and all the little things that came in between only to have finally arrived at one conclusion: You weren't parents and you weren't Akihiro-san. You were your own people and it was okay to do things differently.

Even if different meant that Kenma might call the kids by the wrong name or forget the fact he's living with someone else other than you. Even if different meant that you'll be absent-mindedly teaching Yuki a few curses to add to his vocabulary or forgetting to enroll them in school.

The truth is no one from the family was going to return your calls, and you were probably going to spend the rest of your twenties making up bedtime stories and giving pretty bad advice to someone just a few years younger than you.

Which brings you here, wearing your bathing suit as you share your bubble bath with Yuki because he wanted to play with the rubber duckies he whined and moaned at Kenma to buy for him at the store.

Lathering his hair with shampoo, Yuki's head leans against your chest, eyes gleaming beneath the bathroom lights. He beams at you, giggling at the ticklish feeling as you massage his head. He brings attention back to his ducks, making crashing sounds as he splashes them into the water.

"Is that how ducks swim?" You ask, washing away the soap from his hair. "Don't they just kinda...float around?"

He shakes his head before twisting his body to face you. He's got a tough expression plastered on; brows furrowed, his jaw clenched, eyes unwavering.

A very serious boy.

"These are special ducks," He explains, raising one to your face."These are battleship ducks."

Your lips fall to an 'o', still not picking up what he's putting down but you pretend you do.

Is this what kids are into these days?

Yuki goes on to tell you about his special ducks; something about lasers in their eyes, super special flying skills, and...echo location? You ask him if he's sure—if you heard him right, but he's as firm with his stance as he is with the death grip he has on his rubber duckies.

You drain the tub before rinsing yourselves beneath the warm water of the shower. Yuki flips his hair around, air drying himself as he steps out of the tub. You tell him to brush his teeth while he waits for you to finish rinsing.

"Hey, Oba-san," Yuki's call is muffled by the foam of the toothpaste still in his mouth. "Are you and Kenma-san married?"

You nearly fall when you slip off of your bathing suit and into your pajamas.  "Ah, no, Yuki. We're not."

"But aren't you in love?" He asks, oblivious to the sudden shift in the atmosphere, spitting into the sink and washing his mouth.

Your eye twitches and you swallow the lump in your throat before it goes big enough for you to choke and die. "Uhh, people don't always have to marry right away just because they're in love..."

"But Kenma-san said he's been in love with you for four years."

"I—Yeah, well—"

"That's sounds like a really long time, Oba-san." You can't tell if he means to sound condescending. You can't tell if your mom has awakened from the grave and possessed the young boy because she woke up thinking she had a few more things she'd like to pester you with.

"Well, Yuki," You gather the little patience you have left, taking a deep breath as you step out of the tub. The bathroom tile is cold against the soles of your feet, sending a shiver down your spine. Enough to keep you sober for trivial conversation with a six year old boy. "Love—Love kinda looks different for everyone, Yuki."

You choose your words carefully, not wanting to say anything that might confuse him.

You help him into his clothes, his hair leaving wet patches onto his his dinosaur pajamas. He listens to you intently, looking right into your eyes. "There are people marry the moment they meet—or at least after a short while—because they can't help but feel sure?” 

And you can’t help but feel flustered at your own explanation, not too sure with your words, “...and other people don't do that. Some relationships move at a faster pace and other's move a bit slower; and Kenma-san and I...we're happy with how things are right now."

He hums, nodding his head as if he understands. "Even though Eiji-san and I are here?"

"Yes, little love." You assure him with the new nickname, booping his nose. "Even though you're both here."

You grab his towel and dry his hair. You pat down the tiny puddles of water on his face and neck, noting to wipe behind his ears.

"But," Yuki mumbles through the material of the towel, swatting your hand away to to catch his breath, "sometimes people don't like different..." Yuki pushes the towel to this side, his glossy eyes meeting yours and your heart cracks. "They didn't like my dad 'cause he was different."

"H-He didn't love someone th-that looked like y-you..." Yuki bites down on his bottom lip, keeping it from quivering and fixating his eyes onto the tiles of the floor to prevent himself from choking on his words. "H-He...He loved someone that look like Kenma-san."

You understand what he means. You know full well. Their father was gay and because of that, your family ostracized him without wasting another breath. As if it was easy as blinking.

You knew what their father had been going through, you had enough time to help, yet you stood idle, doing nothing but add to his loneliness.

You kept all the sunshine Akihiro-san shared with you during your bluest days, even when it had been so obvious he needed it more than you.

But not once did you ever think about returning a sliver of it. And you wonder maybe if you hadn't been so selfish and naive, a silver lining would've been enough to avoid something as painful as this.

Instinctively, you pull him close to you, threading your fingers through his still damp hair. You shush him and press kiss on the crown of his head as his petite figure trembles in your arms. You let him sob into your shirt, his fingers twisting the material in anguish.

And it breaks your heart that a little human like him would not only know the meaning of anguish, but how it feels to have it tear through his heart.

It takes a few moments for Yuki to catch his breath and for you to ease him. He slumps onto you as he regains his strength. You tell him you're sorry because you are and because you don't know what else to say.

You try to use his strawberry milk and his brother as an incentive to keep him from crying again. And after a few minutes it works.

You trail closely behind him when he walks out of the bathroom. He begins to run when he gets closer to Eiji, the  pitter patter of his wee little feet carrying in the apartment.

You watch as Yuki thrusts himself forward into the arms of his brother, and Eiji doesn't fail to catch him. The sight before you leaves you gawking in silence, watching Eiji unravel into his big brother form as  he lifts Yuki to the ceiling, playfully sniffing his under arms, the crook of his neck, and even his little bum before complimenting him, "Good job, you smell just like flowers."

His giggles float in the air, swarming around the apartment as if he hadn't been crying just a few minutes ago.

And as you watch the scene unfold do you  decide to step out of the sidelines, using this warm moment shared between the boys as your driving force to keep the last of your cousin's light safe. 

[honey-dewey]

Game Night

Pairing: Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales/Reader

Word Count: 1,722

Warnings: none

Permanent Taglist: @phoenixhalliwell

It’s game night in the Morales household. The boys and you all sit down with drinks and snacks and decide to play one of the most friendship ruining games on the planet. Who will win the cutthroat game of monopoly?

“Babe, can you get the door?” You shouted, hearing Frankie shuffle around the living room. “The boys are here!”

Frankie eagerly bounded to the door, almost falling on his face on the slippery wooden floors. He quickly righted himself and pulled the door open, embracing Benny, Will, and Santiago in one go. 

“Boys!” You said cheerily as they entered the house. “C’mon! I made dip, and there’s drinks in the fridge, and there’s also a secret dessert.” 

“If you weren’t married, I would get on one knee, here and now,” Benny said, pulling you into a hug. “You are the best!” 

You laughed. “Yeah? Let’s see how that holds up. I distinctly remember cleaning my carpets for a week after our last game night.” 

“Excuse you!” Will called from the living room. “Benny called me a dumb whore for charging him money! I couldn’t let that slide!” 

Laughing, you cleared away the coasters and remotes from the living room table, leaving it blank for tonight’s game. 

Frankie grabbed a box from the supply closet and set it down on the living room coffee table. The box in question was beat up and held together with packing tape, but the name of the game was still legible. Monopoly. 

“Are we playing teams?” Frankie asked as you all gathered around the table, you setting the snacks down and going out to grab beers for the boys. 

“If we are, I call Frankie!” You shouted from the kitchen. 

Will snorted. “You’re married. Of course you’ll be a team. Benny?” 

Benny fist-bumped his brother. “Hell yeah!” 

“And me?” Santiago said, amusement making his voice light. 

“Pope,” Frankie said. “Every time we play, you kick all our asses. You don’t need a team.” 

Santiago snorted. “Sounds fair,” he said. “Although, I would appreciate a partner to teach my secrets to.” 

You rolled your eyes playfully. Ever since you and Frankie had gotten married, Santiago had been bugging you for a baby. You had no idea why he wanted you to have one so bad, but he did. 

“Pope, if I do end up pregnant, I promise you’ll be the second person I tell,” you said, leaning towards the table and grabbing your favorite piece. The horse and rider. “Right after my husband.” 

Santiago grabbed his piece, the battleship, and smiled. “Of course.” 

Benny and Will took their piece, the cannon, and you all set the pieces down. 

“Who’s rolling first?” Frankie asked, grabbing the dice and holding them out. 

Will rolled for his team first, getting a solid 8. Santiago went next, rolling a 10. 

“Good luck,” you said to Frankie, leaning on his shoulder as he rolled the dice. A quick count of the dots gave you an 11. 

“Fuck yeah!” Frankie said happily, scooping up the dice again. “We get to go first.” 

Nothing much happened for your first go around of the board. Everyone knew the strategy of ‘wait to see how the game would play out’ and that had led to plenty of long monopoly games. You and Frankie agreed on the light blue and pink properties, and managed to buy Vermont and Virginia in two turns. You also, after a quick discussion, bought Illinois when you landed on it, knowing that the reds and the yellows were Santiago’s strategy. 

Another go around of the board, and the strategies began to emerge. You and Frankie got two railroads and another two properties in your target area, and it seemed that Will and Benny were too busy trying to outsmart Santiago that they didn’t even realize you and Frankie were very slowly taking over half the board. Santiago, in true Santiago fashion, kept his strategy as hidden as possible, buying properties from the entire board instead of focusing on one area. By the time you’d all passed Go again, tension was still, surprisingly, low. 

That changed quickly. You and Frankie bought what was affectionately referred to as ‘the slums’ but was actually just the two brown properties with a lucky roll of snake eyes, and through a well timed chance card, Will and Benny ended up in jail, both agreeing that it was complete bullshit while Santiago laughed. 

“Houses?” Frankie murmured in your ear as he added the second brown card to your stack. 

You glanced at what Santiago had and what the brothers had. “Wait. Santi’s trying to edge us off those orange properties, but give it another go around. He’s got that last blue one, Connecticut, but we’ve got Illinois, which he needs. And I’ve got no clue what Will and Benny are doing.” 

Frankie nodded, taking the dice and rolling again, getting you two the last pink property. 

“I’m gonna go grab more food, anyone want anything?” You asked, standing and looking around. 

“Another drink?” Benny asked, holding up his empty beer bottle. 

You took it, scanning the table for anything else you could recycle. “Of course,” you said. “How about I bring out the prize tonight, hm?” 

The boys cheered. Monopoly wasn’t a game where you often congratulated the winner. In fact, half the time Frankie managed to beat everyone, you jokingly refused to kiss him. But tonight, you wanted to up the stakes. 

Grabbing another beer for Benny, you balanced a covered pie tin with your other hand and walked back into the living room, where Frankie was happily arranging what had been collected in Free Parking. 

“Boys!” You announced happily. “Tonight’s victor will be awarded the grand prize of,” you pulled the tin foil off the pie tin. “A homemade cherry pie.” 

Immediately, everyone went wild. You laughed, covering the pie back up and setting it down on the kitchen counter. “Shall we keep playing?” 

The game continued, a few more go arounds of the board securing the final few properties. You and Frankie had almost every property you wanted, along with three of the four railroads. 

“Uh, guys,” Benny said finally after you charged him for a railroad. “Team lovebirds are destroying us right now. How’d we let that happen? How did no one notice?”

You laughed, grabbing the dice and rolling them. “I guess we’ll be keeping that pie.” 

“Not if I can help it!” Santiago held up the final light blue card. “Suck it!” 

“Mhm, we’ve got that last red one,” you pointed out, moving your piece and reluctantly handing Benny and Will some money. “Whenever you’re ready to trade, we’ll be here.” 

Will whistled, pushing the dice towards Santiago. “Dude, that’s rough.” 

Santiago leaned forward. “Nah. I want that damn pie.” 

Not long after that, Benny and Will went bankrupt, much to their disappointment. However, it meant they could man the bank and they wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire that would become your game. 

The game continued to drag on, neither you nor Santiago willing to back down. Money was exchanged, Will and Benny’s properties were bought, and houses were built. 

By the time anything interesting happened, you and Frankie had a solid chokehold on half the board. It was a war of attrition, a simple back and forth of the money. And then, by some miracle, you rolled the dice and landed on free parking. 

It was a crushing blow for poor Santiago. Suddenly, you and Frankie were up by almost five thousand dollars, able to afford a bunch of houses and, very slowly, you were able to drive Santiago to bankruptcy. 

“Damn!” He yelled, realizing he was done. “Good game, damn I cannot believe I lost.” 

You grinned, standing. “Pack all of this up. I’ll go cut the pie.” 

While the boys cleaned, you got five plates, putting a slice of pie on each one. Using old waiting skills and going very slowly, you carried all five plates out. 

“Jeez babe!” Frankie said, jumping up to help you. “Gimme some of those! You could’ve asked for help.” 

“I had it,” you reassured, sitting on the couch and sinking your fork into the pie. “Fuck, that is beautiful.” 

For the rest of the night, you and the boys ate, drank, and pulled out a deck of Uno cards to keep the fun going. Of course, Benny kicked all your asses, but he was the only one who ever actually strategized Uno. Everyone else enjoyed tipsy fun, laughing when someone got screwed and groaning when someone won. 

Eventually, some time well past midnight, you sent everyone to bed, or the couch in Santiago’s case. That included Frankie, who pulled you into your shared bedroom and grinned. “Babe, I got a question.” 

“Fire away.” 

Frankie came up behind you, putting his hands against your belly. “When are we gonna tell them?” 

“Tomorrow,” you murmured, resting your hands overtop Frankie’s. “I wanna watch Santi spit coffee out his nose.” 

Chuckling, Frankie led you to bed. “You’re evil.” 

The next morning, you gave each of the boys a coffee cup, smiling as you received sleepy murmurs. 

“Hey Benny,” you called, opening the fridge and peering into it. “You got any use for a perfectly good bottle of wine?” 

“Uh, why?” Benny asked, looking up from his mug. 

You shrugged. “Frankie’s not a wine guy and I can’t drink it.” 

“Yes you can,” Will said. “You drank a whole bottle with Benny last month.” 

“Bitch, I wasn’t pregnant last month.” 

As you’d guessed last night, Santiago choked on his coffee, coughing so violently that Frankie had to thump him on the back a few times. “What?” He yelled when he was finally able to talk again. 

“I’m pregnant,” you said, as if it were the most casual thing in the world. “Surprise. You’re all gonna be uncles.” 

Santiago fist pumped the air. “Hell yeah! I get a monopoly partner!” 

You laughed, doubling over the counter. “That’s what you’re focusing on?” 

“I have my priorities,” Santiago said with a smile. 

Benny stood, looking you up and down. “Can I touch? Please?” 

You shrugged, gesturing him closer. “Nothing to touch yet, but yeah.” 

Benny’s hand was warm on your belly, and he grinned at the expanse of exposed skin. “Hey,” he said directly to the baby. “I’m your uncle Benny.” 

“Ben,” you said, raising an eyebrow. “You’re talking to a month old bean.” 

But now Will was beside you, and so was Santi, and there was Frankie behind you. Surrounded by your boys, you grinned. “I love this family.”