#anyhow! thank you pal! <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[greenerteacups]

Half of the kingdom for Angelina, Fred and George dynamic! I shan't pretend I understand it but I sure as hell enjoy it!

You and Fred both!

Fred and Angie are the type of FWB couple whose reasons for not dating, inter alia, center on both of them just... not really caring that much. Romance isn't a priority for either of them; I think that when they started liking each other, it was a gradually developing case of mutual attraction under circumstances where neither one had time for a relationship. Angelina is busy trying to hold a quidditch team together, and it's hard enough without this doofus beater eating up more of her time than he already does. As for Fred, he's diligently preoccupied trying to put Minerva McGonagall in an early grave, and I think deep down he probably has a 17-year-old boy's healthy terror of commitment, too. But he does respect Angelina a hell of a lot, and he makes her laugh — something that she, as a generally serious person, could do with a bit more of. When he's not making a fool of himself, and she's not busy with the soul-eating job of being the following act for Oliver Wood, I imagine them having a comfortable, lowkey, no-strings FWB arrangement. Like, they were teammates before they were ever involved, and when you've seen someone's ass platonically, it takes the edge off seeing it in other contexts.

George is also here. The twins are such a social unit that anyone dating one of them sort of gets a two-for-one special, but the fact that Angie doesn't take it seriously helps to make things un-awkward. In fact, I think she's actually quite fond of George — he's more chill than Fred is, and a little bit sweeter, easier to get along with — and having known them both since first year, Angie probably understands that if you're involved with Fred, George is going to Be Around. It's like a love triangle where only one leg is romantic, and also everyone is eminently cool and happy to hang out with each other.

[verysanebsdfan]

🥁🤯‼️❤️‍🩹🔥🥁💀🇫🇷💯💥🎶🆙😤

Hear me out

Starlight Glimmer!reader x Saiki K

A reader who is kinda like starlight glimmer with sunset shimmer's abilities (I'm in my mlp phase don't judge but I rlly like their characters and abilities) who is kinda bad at first because of something happening with their friends earlier in her childhood and becomes very rude and cold but slowly learns to open up to the idea of new ways to act and get along with people and be nicer

Like of course they're not perfect, they're going to have social anxiety because what if others find out how bad she was in her past, and some old habits will peak through but they're still trying to learn

Their way with dealing with problems can be a little...extreme, like breaking open a vending machine when it malfunctioned after they paid to get someone a drink or things along that line

(forgive the long request I just woke up)

They also usually act before they think often

Starlight Glimmer!reader x Saiki K

Hello, thank you so much for requesting<3 I am gonna be completely honest i have not watched mlp, so I relied on your description and the internet but i tried. I haven't found much about Sunset Shimmer's abilities tho, well I did but didn't find anything much specific. I mostly mentioned some fire powers cuz from what i found...well nothing good into the story. I read that apparently Sunset can conjure powerful fireballs, but i made it fire in general, and it is also referred to as either psychic or supernatural powers. I hope it is to your liking. Also I wasn't sure but I made it a female reader since ykyk... Word Count: 1.2k

It was a peaceful afternoon when a certain pink haired psychic got rid of the nuisances, uhm, friends and was on his way home. He was in a hurry since his mother asked him to go buy some ingredients for dinner, and there was still a show he wanted to watch today.

As he entered the store, he felt a sudden uneasiness. Something was gonna happen, he knew it. As he collected all the items his mother requested to buy, he walked in the direction of the aisle with coffee jelly. He saw a girl picking up a coffee jelly triple pack, but he quickly hid when he realized that the girl has his schools uniform. The last thing he wants is to have his classmate, whom he recognized after taking a closer look, start a conversation with him. Unbeknownst to him, the girl already knew. She carefully eyed the direction where he left to, quite glad that nobody is gonna ruin her peaceful day.

As she was nearing the next aisle, a certain someone put a hand on her shoulder. She tensed up and turned around to see who was disturbing her personal space. The girl got really startled when she saw a tall guy with a butt chin. She remembered him, some time ago, she was assigned to do a project with him. They were supposed to meet up in a library but he didn't show up, and had a reason, apparently he thought the library was other way and got locked in the school gym. Either way, she knew that he was a real dumb human, so she just patiently waited for him to say something. "Hey!" He shouted, jeez, calm down. "I know you! We did that project together!!" He exclaims loudly. "Yeah, no. You didn't show up, I did the project alone...but yes. Now if you'll excuse me, i have more important things to do than talking with gorillas." The girl announced and turned to leave "Wait!" Nendou shouts again "Do you wanna get ramen with me, pal, and chibi? Huh- where is my pal-" He suddenly realizes "No i won't get rame-" Nendo suddenly grabs the girls arm "Let's go find my Pal!" He insisted and pulled the two high school students behind him.

And that is how you got to where you are now. Seated between Kaidou and Saiki, across from Nendo, really strange individuals, really loud and obnoxious, except Saiki, that is. The Ramen shop didn't look anyhow exquisite...it actually looked quite, dangerous? The food will probably be poisoned or something. When the owner gave them their bowls, everyone looked disgusted (The one episode when Teruhashi tagged with them kinda disgusted) The girl stood up from her seat and looked at the humanoid creature, called 'ramen shop owner' and stared at him. "You call this food?! Impossible!" She yells while trying to hold herself from throwing the bowl on the ground. "You have a problem with that?!" The store owner spat out. "The heck i do! The noodles are expired, vegetable is actually not a vegetable, i have a piece of plastic in it, the broth smells like piss and sweat! If it's okay in your opinion, eat it! I'll gladly pay if you eat the whole bowl!" She yells at him, making the people outside, on the street, wonder what is happening there. "You won't, exactly! Now return our money. Hurry" She yelled the last line before the owner had to run to the kitchen because something was burning. Definitely not your doing.

Saiki knew. He knew that was not natural, the fire. It got extinguished, no one got hurt, but it was bugging him, and he wanted to know just who are you? He got his powers to help him out with getting you to hang out with his....whole friend group....or nuisances. And you slowly started opening up. One this one fateful Saturday night when the group was hanging out at a playground, it was already dark. Kind of a miracle that Kaidou's mom let him go so easily, we thank you so much Saiki on Kaidou's behalf.

"How about we play truth or dare?" Yumehara suggested. Everyone agreed, even you and Saiki, surprisingly, but nobody questioned it. Time passed and questions and dares flew around too. "L/N, truth or dare?" Kuboyasu asked the girl, who has been drawing into the dirt. "Truth" She mumbled tiredly "Have you ever broken a law? And if yes, how?" Who in their mind would ask that?

Yes....Kuboyasu..."Technically yes..." She sighs. "I broke open a vending machine because It broke after I paid, so I got what I paid for, myself." She said. "and also burned down a house" The girl whispered a sentence that only the lovely pink haired psychic heard. It startled him. Why did she do that? "Why would you open it up tho? You can't do that! That's destruction of property! A crime!" The perfect bluenette whisper-yelled. "Teruhashi-san...It isn't a crime as long as you're not caught....and also, why should you care why i did it...maybe because i won't waste my money, maybe because i was pissed? Probably. Not everyone is as perfect as you, not everyone is as nice as you, and I was not in a good mental state. Get over yourself..." Wait- the girl realized her mistake as she looked at the teary eyed bluenette. "I- uh- Teruhashi-san...I am sorry uh! uhm....I didn't mean it like that I just-I'll....I'll go buy you something just please don't cry"

Seriously...the vending machine broke. She turned around but bumped into a certain pink haired highschooler. "Why did you burn down a house?" The pink haired boy asked, very bluntly, realizing his mistake, not correcting it though. "My powe-" the girl realizes and quickly coughs. "My uhh...power in the house went down, and I, the little naive child, thought I could do everything, so I tried to fix it, cut wires and boom...." She says too optimistically. "Stop lying" The pink haired highschooler commanded. "Not here...But we cannot leave the group for too long either..." She thinks out loud. "They actually already went home." Saiki exclaims. "Guys are walking Teruhashi and then Yumehara...I'll walk you...while you talk...or we can talk at one of our places." He says while motioning for her to follow.

You two walk into your house, and you light up the lights. "Sit down, I'll get some coffee jelly, I noticed you staring at it...the day we met." 'Are you a goddess?' Saiki thinks. "So....I suppose you wanna know why? Hm...okay so basically I have powers, it went out of control....And i burned down my friends house....he almost died....that's why I don't really talk about it." You quickly summarized. "I really hate supernatural powers...or psychic powers...because I still feel guilty, I tried to stop it, but they don't even know it was me, not even my parents. You are the only one who knows." She says as she takes a spoon full of coffee jelly. "But I only told you because you have powers too

(○｀ 3′○)"

Anyway! I tried but I do not like how it turned out but

Stay safe y'all! BYE

[sulkybbarnes]

Hello ! I have read -per your tags- that you are a fungi biologist !!! First this is very cool, second i have a question about MOLD if its ok :)

Can you eat jam where the mold has been removed ? What is the general rule if there is one behind NO eating bc mold or ok eating if removed ? Im really curious about it +is it true that mold can grow in your body ? (I had a pack of unfortunately moldy tobbaco and a friend insisted on smoking it and i had to use the argument that they would become Moldy From The Lungs to stop them.... but is this true ?)

Anyhow, thank you for your time and keep on fungin' <3

Hey pal! First of all, thank you for the question (and for thinking fungal biology is cool haha), it was absolutely delightful for me to get this. I wish people talked to me about fungi outside of work more often! 🍄

As a disclaimer: my work is mostly molecular biology work on Saccharomyces cerevisiae aka Brewer's Yeast, and occasionally Candida albicans, and neither of these is closely connected to the mold question. I'm by no means a food safety expert either, but with that out of the way:

The short answer is that I would not eat jam with mold on it, even if you remove the mold. I would say that the rule to go by is that if it's a soft food with mold on it, discard the whole thing. If it’s something "hard" like a hard cheese, then it's probably safe to cut away the mold and eat the cheese. I found this little guide that seems quite reasonable and helpful to me, and it’ll tell you more about what types of food grow mold and how to handle them if you scroll to the end!

The long answer: Molds, like a lot of fungi, grow multicellular filaments called hyphae (Brand & Gow, 2009; Brand, 2012) which are only micrometres long. Meaning that you would need a microscope to be able to see them. Think of them as invisible roots or arms that can spread through your food. The fuzzy, green/grey/white manifestation that you see of the mold is a “colony” or in other words a network of cells or hyphae (Miguélez et al., 1999) depending on the organism. If you can see it, it is because it has been growing for a while, and that most likely means that your food is already contaminated with the “roots”. And these aren’t harmless; because depending on the type of mold, they can produce mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are biochemicals the cell makes which can cause serious harm to your health (Gonkowski et al., 2020). They have been known to cause allergic reactions, gastrointestinal issues, and poisoning. This is all dependent on the type of mycotoxin and the concentration of it, and the individual’s health, but I reckon this is the case where you want to be safe not sorry. From Gonkowski et al: “It is known that mycotoxins may act on many internal organs and systems, including, among others, nervous, reproductive and immunological systems, metabolic processes and endocrine glands” (Rykaczewska et al., 2019). In some cases, bacteria can also grow with the mold and cause illness. So, the long answer also boils down to: no, don’t eat it, it’s really not worth the risk.

And, yes, mold can grow in human lungs if the spores are inhaled. Granted that is most likely to happen with immunocompromised individuals as far as I know, but! I would advise against sniffing it at any rate haha.

I'm including the references in the text and at the end for fun, in case you’re interested to read more about this or see the microscopy images in the papers!!

Happy and safe eating 🍄😊

Brand, A. (2012) ‘Hyphal growth in human fungal pathogens and its role in virulence’, International Journal of Microbiology, 2012, pp. 1–11. doi:10.1155/2012/517529.

Brand, A. and Gow, N.A. (2009) ‘Mechanisms of hypha orientation of fungi’, Current Opinion in Microbiology, 12(4), pp. 350–357. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2009.05.007.

Gonkowski, S., Gajęcka, M. and Makowska, K. (2020) ‘Mycotoxins and the enteric nervous system’, Toxins, 12(7), p. 461. doi:10.3390/toxins12070461.

Miguélez, E.M., Hardisson, C. and Manzanal, M.B. (1999) ‘Hyphal death during colony development in streptomyces antibioticus: Morphological evidence for the existence of a process of cell deletion in a multicellular prokaryote’, The Journal of Cell Biology, 145(3), pp. 515–525. doi:10.1083/jcb.145.3.515.

Rykaczewska, A. et al. (2019) ‘Imbalance in the blood concentrations of selected steroids in pre-pubertal gilts depending on the time of exposure to low doses of Zearalenone’, Toxins, 11(10), p. 561. doi:10.3390/toxins11100561.

[bellhopping]

merry christmas fellas, here's my little summary of art

Generally I'd say I've improved a lot throughout this year. Got a proper drawing tablet, switched drawing programs, finally begun working on using more then one type of brush... it's certainly been journey! A journey with many ups and downs, but one I am glad I went on anyhow.

Under the cut is individual uploads of every piece of art in this image, alongside a writeups about their creation. Cheers!

[1/25/23, Medibang Paint]

Starting off with a pretty alright one, drew this to commerate the release of a game I'd been interested in for the past 4 or 5 years. I think it could use some tweaks, but for something drawn in mobile medibang I'm still pretty proud of it.

[N/A, N/A]

This is where my february drawing would go... IF I HAD ONE !!!

I did not draw much digitally in February, on account of my tablet randomly breaking right at the start of the month. I did draw some stuff traditionally, but I don't feel like fishing it out at this moment lol

[3/31/23, Krita]

One of my first proper drawings in krita, and of a character I should really draw more of. This was made for trans day of visibility & comes with a trans pride palette to boot, though I ended up choosing the normal palette since the other one kind of sucks. Also could've done better on the posing, but I was still getting used to the ins & outs of drawing tablet usage so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[4/22/23]

Drawing I made for earth day, honestly a solid contender for best thing I've drawn all year. I did pretty good on the pose, still dig the background a fair bit, & overall think the piece came out damn cool!

[5/12/23, Krita]

An expirement with line thickness, featuring one of my favorite ocs. Despite it's roughness you can tell I had gotten a hang of Krita's core functions by now.

[6/17/23, Krita]

Cover art for the prolouge of CAT-Astrophe Comic, the webcomic my brother & I have been working on. Overall been really happy with my work on the comic so far, I've slowly but surely been getting better at each part of the process and am still making good progress on pages n such ^^

[7/9/23, Krita]

Fanart of a character from a game, drawn for my pal Rinbin after they bought me Rain World. This single handedly inspired me to draw more robots, definitely one thing I 100% intend to follow up on next year.

[8/1/23, MS Paint]

Drawn based off of someone elses post, I don't remember what it was really. Honestly still really damn proud of everything in this!!!

[9/7/23, Krita]

Drew some snakes/snake adjacent pokemon for snektember. I'd say this is around the point where I "mastered" krita, by this point I actively knew how to use a majority of featues & had even begun downloading outside brushes.

[10/20/23, Krita]

Overhaul of a character I made & barely used in 2022, her name is now Olive. I based the whole squidog thing off of something in a dream.

[11/26/23, MS Paint]

Fanart of a webcomic I really fucking like !!!!! Not much more to say I just really dig this one, fucking love drawing in MS Paint.

[12/20/23, Krita]

And, as if to repeat last year, I end this one with a DreamSide main cast image!

Really proud of how much all of my designs have improved throughout the year, from the small tweaks to gigantic overhauls! I finally feel ready to take the next step forward, so to speak.

And that's everything! Thank you all for your time, and accompanying me on this journey. It was certainly a rough one in many aspects, but every year is rough for me so I've gotten used to it. See you all later :>

[thetragicallynerdy]

i'm not sure if you're still doing the wip ask game but if you are, 24! <3

I sure am!!! Thanks friend!!

Okay you got a lot more than 24 words lmao whoops

Oluwande knew what they meant to each other. He still remembered coming back to the Kraken’s ship all those years ago, after months of searching, to that Jim and Frenchie had all but adopted each other. Like stray cats bonding for survival, Oluwande had joked. Both Jim and Frenchie had complained at being compared to cats, but neither of them had denied the bond. (“I had to keep him safe,” Jim had muttered into Oluwande’s back one night, when they were twined around him like they would never let him go. “Couldn’t just leave him on his own to fend off Izzy.” Oluwande had smiled into his pillow. “’Course you couldn’t.” “Cállate.” They yawned, snuggling closer. Their hand slipped up his chest, settling just over his heartbeat. “We’re stuck with him now. Sorry.” “You say that like it’s a hardship,” he teased. When he rested his hand overtop of Jim’s, they twined their fingers with his. “It’s okay. We could do with more family, anyhow.”)

frenchie + jim besties for LIFE

thanks so much for the ask pal!! i hope you are having a nice day <3

(For the curious - drop me a number between 1-100 in my inbox and I'll write/share that many words from the WIP I'm working on today!)

[angelfrogs]

So I made a Steven Universe movie AU for BNHA (it’s really self indulgent)

SO BASICALLY I REALLY RELATE TO BOTH SPINEL AND MIDORIYA AND WENT HMMMMMMM

Anyhow I’m kinda breaking the story into two different main chunks. One chunk focusing on the bakusquad crystal gems, their origins and them goofing off with each other. Most of it will take place in Young Greg Era, when Greg (Kirishima) and Rose (Bakugo) were first figuring out their relationship. (Yes Mina will be in it a whole bunch, I know she’s not pictured yet but that’s mainly bc I haven’t drawn much of the bakusquad outside of screenshot redraws and I haven’t figured out her Human quirkless design yet). The other chunk, my favorite, is focused on Spinel (midoriya) making real friends and the homeworld gems starting to heal together dispite everything the diamonds put them through. I’m gonna keep a lot of the redemption for yellow and blue but I’m not really gonna be nice about white diamond,, just putting that out there. (Honestly I didn’t feel like the ending of the movie really helped spinel so I’m taking matters into my own hands). I will be redrawing scenes from the show that I like/I think are fitting for the au, that being said I should probably address Steven 2,, basically,,,, I didn’t know what to do for Steven so I just made him sharper and I’m calling him Rin? Probably? Shrug emoji. There’s still stuff I’m figuring out, but here’s a basic character list so far:

Pink/rose: bakugo

Pearl: sero

Amethyst: kaminari

Ruby: jirou

Sapphire: momo

Greg: kirishima

Vidalia: Mina ((IM MAKING HER RELEVANT AND YOU CANNOT STOP ME))

Spinel: midoriya

White/pink pearl: todoroki

Blue pearl: uraraka

Yellow pearl: tsu

Yellow diamond: eraser head

Blue diamond: present mic

White diamond: fucken Endeavor ((fuck Endeavor rip WD))

But yeah that’s about it for now :D

[insult-2-injury]

The Coat Stays On

Happy (late) Birthday @averagecrastinator!! Thank you for being my pal. I simply adore you, so here's some smut! <3

NSFW | MDNI! | 3.8k words | Silco x F!Reader | Soft-ish Silco | Established Relationship | Fingering | Oral | P in V sex | Coat Kink | Fluff | d/s vibes |

AO3 Link

“Sorry, I’m late,” you say hurriedly as you respond to Silco’s quiet invitation by using your shoulder to ram into his office, your arms busy with a large, tattered wicker laundry basket, “But your laundry service is garbage and unreliable and I had to do it myself.”

“Had to?”

His good eyebrow cocks but he simply watches impassively as you rush in, steadfastly ignoring him, and the pen in his hand stills in its work.

“They never do get the blood out. At least not entirely. And it’s basic stuff, really.” You tumble through your words like mad, a bad habit of yours when you’re overworked and tired- never a particularly fruitful combination for someone who prides themselves on a smart mouth. “It’s like they don’t even know who they work for.”

You stand at the center of the room. “I mean a little hydrogen peroxide and some cold water and they were brand new. And what the fuck did you do, anyway, lop someone’s head off? It was messy.”

“I hardly believe you want the grisly details,” he says, but his gaze is latched onto the wide brim of your collar with a hawklike curiosity. “Anyhow, it sounds to me as if you may have taken on an unnecessary project.”

His tone is sharp and you know exactly what he’s not-so-subtly scolding you for: you always take on too much at once, placing the weight of problems that aren’t yours onto your own shoulders. And your worst crime? He was the one you complained to about it.

But who is he to be upset? Your unapologetic competence is what had him falling for you in the first place. You just did things better.

You scowl and practically toss the basket on the rose-colored chaise, feeling too stubborn today to concede, so you stay quiet.

Silco has that assessing tint to his eyes, trailing down the front of your form, now unobstructed, discerning the overcoat of his that hung just slightly too big off your frame, the shoulders wide, the cuffs of the sleeves reaching down to your knuckles. He’s unmoving, his beautifully mismatched gaze finally raising in question.

“Oh. Yeah. Didn’t have room in the basket so I just threw it on, I can’t believe you wear this thing everywhere, it’s heavy-”

“Did you walk the city wearing that?”

Your breath hitches at the muted strain in his voice, and if you weren’t so highly attuned to the covert undertones of his velvet voice, you’d think he was angry with you. There’s certainly a touch of it, a worried, disappointed bite to his words at the possibility of you having put yourself in danger, but there’s something else there, too, just a tad breathless.

You push on, taking on an air of indifference.

“Only for the short walk from my place,” you say, and with a coy grin, “I wore it with great pride.”

Silco’s gaze darkens at your cheek, depths growing hot amidst the calm sea of his teal eye.

“You should really be more careful, darling.“

His eyes track the movement of the hot shiver that runs down your spine at the purred double entendre, the tiny uptick of his lips tipping his hand, allowing you to see the pleasure he takes in throwing you off guard.

“How long have we been seeing each other, Silco?” you say, savoring the way his eye twitches before you turn to your task.

“Long enough for you to know better than to bother me while I’m working.”

You laugh.

“Awfully rude.”

“Was it? I’m dreadfully sorry.”

You can’t help the smile that tugs affectionately at your lips at just how unapologetic he sounds, and you chance a look, finding both eyes glittering across your figure again, goosebumps erupting across your skin in their wake.

His gaze, darkly delighted, meets yours before the pen begins to move once more and Silco returns to his work.

He’s busy today. And that’s fine.

You pull the coat tighter across yourself, cheek falling onto the soft crimson collar, allowing the comforting scent of fresh laundry to fill your lungs, and along with it, the subtle, fond smell of cinnamon and smoke. 

Sighing softly, you grab a white undershirt from the top of the basket, somehow maintaining an unbothered facade as you begin to fold his clothes with practiced ease, placing each gently on the taut, velvet fabric of the chaise.

As much as you enjoy playfully griping at him, you always find yourself wanting to freeze these little domestic moments in time, these sweet, comfortable silences.

You attempt to roll up the gold-trimmed sleeves of his coat, trying to bunch them up at the elbow and frown when they just fall again, impeding your progress. Annoyed, you pop at the buttons of his coat.

“Leave it on,” he snaps suddenly.

You freeze, hands stilling over the second button, and you wait, something devious and excited pirouetting across your chest, a thread of tension now in the air you feel you can reach out and pluck if you so desire.

But he says nothing more.

You’re certain of two things now: one, that Silco quite fancies the sight of you wrapped up in his coat, and two, that you’re going to exploit every second of it.

You move almost stiffly, reaching down to tidy your progress, smoothing your palms across the rich fabric of each of his folded dress shirts gently, terribly slow, as if handling a delicate baby bird, knowing full well he’s watching your actions closely.

You fix the top button of his coat and swipe your hands down it, walking unhurriedly toward his desk, his bladed eyes following you intelligently. You fiddle with the string on the lamp at the corner, knitting your brows together as if deep in thought.

The tips of your fingers trail across the piles of books littered across the surface, examining the titles as if you haven’t hundreds of times already, as if you’re even fractionally interested in the inner, infrastructural workings of Zaun. 

You trail the pads of your fingers across the dappled surface before your gaze meets his under the crowns of your eyelashes.

“Silco?”

He hardly reacts, two fingers propping against his temple, the other resting easily on the opposite armrest.

You move around the desk and his thighs part automatically to allow you between, a reflexive, practiced motion. Your palms drop to warm the tops of his legs, thumbs massaging his inner knee affectionately.

“How was your day?” you ask, tone light as a feather, and he looks unimpressed, but you can see, as your gaze drops, the fabric tightening at the front of his pants, the way his skin jumps beneath your teasing touch.

“Hm?”

You lean forward and your hands follow in kind, smoothing up his legs, until your nose is inches from his and your thumbs brush the sensitive, clothed junction between hip and thigh.

Silco remains silent, making no move to touch you, but his eyes are brimming with hard promise as he takes you in up close, tongue pushing against the back of his teeth in thought. With a deceptive gentleness that has heat pooling like liquid gold between your legs, he threads one set of long fingers through your hair, coming to a cradle at the back of your head. Your eyes flutter closed, 

“Won’t you kneel for me, sweetheart?”

The rare submissiveness Silco manages to pull out of you never ceases to stun, and his hand remains as you sink readily to your knees, allowing yourself a tender moment to slump against him as he cards through soft strands, tugging delicately through tangles, massaging your scalp. Your cheek rubs coarse fabric as you turn to place a tender kiss to his inner knee, gaze half-lidded as you now peer up at him.

His lax grip tenses into a rigid fist and he holds you there for what feels an eternity, your neck craning backward uncomfortably as he keeps you just on the precipice of real pain, taking in the breathless sight of you knelt there before him, practically whining, that wicked, villainous coat of his pooling around your form. He exhales something ragged before hinging forward, the chair creaking as he closes the distance, devastatingly slow.

“Didn’t I tell you I was working?”

Your voice strains from your position.

“Mmm. Can’t remember.”

You skim your hands once again toward that delicious hardness, gritting your teeth as your hand manages to graze the column of pulsing heat, all while Silco maintains his steely grip, forcing you to reach like a child would a toy on a too tall shelf.

He eyes your struggle for a moment.

“Crimson and gold rather suits you, dear.”

“My two favorite colors,” you say, noting the way his cock twitches under your flat palm. “I’d wear them every day if I could.”

You pant up at him and his eyes flicker across your form, almost as if he can’t decide what to focus on, pupils blowing out wide with every word you speak next.

“I want to wear them everywhere. I don’t care who sees me wear your coat. I don’t care if people know about us, or about the danger of it all. I want everyone-” A sharp moan is torn from your throat as his fingers tighten slightly in your hair, but you continue, breath fanning the loose strands on his forehead that had escaped their careful style. “I want the entire Undercity to know I’m with the Eye of Zaun. That he’s mine.”

Silco snatches your upper arms, hoists you up as if you weigh nothing at all, and your back greets the cool, curling iron of his office window just as his mouth finds yours, pressing punishingly forward.

“Such a tease,” he hisses against your lips, hands holding your face firmly in place so he can devour you, tongue expertly rolling, licking into the cavern of your mouth, chest rumbling almost in frustration as he can’t seem to get enough of you.

“Why you love me-” You barely manage to stutter the words out before he’s back, his hips flexing against yours, sending a pang of delicious heat to your core.

Your hands grip into his vest, pulling him flush against you.

“Maybe so,” he breaks away, eyes wild, enamored by the red wreath of his coat collar encircling your head. The rough pad of his thumb finds your plump lower lip and folds it down.

“Unbutton,” he says, voice rough with command.

“Ask nicely.”

“And here I thought you knew me so well. Unbutton.”

You capture his thumb lightly between your teeth, tongue swirling once before you release. “You first.”

 There’s a ruthless twitch of his scarred lip before he tilts forward to drag the blade of his nose across the delicate shell of your ear, warm breath tickling your neck.

“You drape yourself in my bloodied threads only to hide what lies underneath?” His low, coarse voice drops even further into a throaty pitch that travels straight between your legs. “I don’t think so, darling. Un-button.”

He knows he wins this game every time.

Exhaling a shaky breath, you do as he commands, intentionally slowing your movements, normally nimble fingers working at the top button for a long while as he murmurs praises into your ear. He nips at your jaw and you hardly hasten, a heady power washing over you as he pulls back, rapt, to watch you reveal the simple green dress beneath.

Long, sinful fingers play at the hem of the fabric, mid-thigh, before hitching onto the coat, traveling upward teasingly, his thumbs extending to stroke across your collarbone when he reaches it.

”You are striking,” he says, gentle sincerity padding his tone.

A twinkling warmth flares inside your chest and you catch onto his lips in another searing kiss as his grip on the coat moves downward and his thumbs brush alongside. Your mouth pauses on his, and you feel his curling, diabolical grin as he purposefully circles the sensitive skin of your breasts, eliciting a small whine out of you before he relents, dragging digits across the stiff, clothed peaks and quickly inhaling the gasp that follows.

Silco brings his hands around to your back, squeezing the soft flesh there and tugs you further into him, his cock an impossibly hard pressure against your lower belly.

As much as you’d like to take charge, command it was time he unbutton now, you’re too impatient, hands darting out to release him, but before you can he snatches hold of your wrists and drags them upward, placing them on an iron wrought bar, a part of the windows swirling, industrial design.

“Hands to yourself tonight, dear,” he says, folding your fingers carefully around the cold metal above.

“What is it, you wanna fuck me up against the window like this?”

Your intent is to lure, to shatter that patience of his, as stiff and iron as the rail you cling to, but your voice is undeniably ragged with want, and he hears every shuddering hitch of breath.

“In time,” he says simply. His breath fans across your cheek and his hands ghost down to your bare thighs, using ungodly long fingers to drag the hem of your dress up until your panties are exposed.

“But first,” he drags two fingers through the crease between your thighs, pausing to press into the soaking wetness collecting through the fabric covering your pulsing core. You may like to push at every turn, but you bow now to his command, gripping your fingers tighter around the bar above, nails digging into your palms. “I wanted to see just how hot it makes you, wearing my clothes like this.”

You thrash and release a pathetic, broken cry as he flips his wrist upward, the heel of his palm grinding against your clit.

He hums.

“I did have my suspicions.”

“Judging by the tent in your pants,” you gasp once you catch your breath, “I’m not entirely alone in this.”

He chuckles darkly, moving your panties to the side so he can dip two fingers into your drenched heat, alternating between brushing touches to your entrance and lazy circles around your aching bud as he observes your reactions to him.

You’re in distress, pushing your hips desperately to grind against his hand, but he stays in a relaxed rhythm, keeping his touches featherlight.

You groan in frustration and it’s only when your head thunks against the glass in submission when he pushes in just barely, and you clench around what little he offers, just one knuckle deep.

“Wearing it, does it make you feel powerful?”

Your answer is a clenched jaw.

Silco’s lips twitch and his fingers begin to pull out.

“Yes, yes, yes. It does. It does,” you whine and his lips find the delicate skin of your neck, pressing a tender kiss to your pounding pulse point.

“Makes me feel,” your brows knit together, eyes falling closed as he presses those two fingers into you approvingly, starting out an excruciatingly slow rhythm. “Makes me feel-”

His forehead presses against yours as he plunges deeper and swipes your clit with a rough digit, your words cutting short in a strangled cry.

“What’s that?”

Oh, he is such an ass sometimes. You fight through the thick cloud of lust and open your eyes, staring dazedly at the space between his brows.

“Makes me feel good. S-strong, even. In con-control. Ngh.”

He’s pumping faster now, thumbing that bundle of nerves with fervor and sending you into a near delirium at the pleasure of it all. Your arms tremble from the grip you maintain on the bar above you, everything in you wanting to run fingers through his hair, but knowing he’s always made your patience worth the while. His forehead pushes further into yours and it’s like he wants to fuse his body entirely with yours.

You continue.

“Like I’m about to get f-fucked by the most powerful man in the Undercity.”

“Stay still for me, darling,” he says, beginning a slow descent down your body, and you brace yourself in realization, legs trembling at the sight of the Eye of Zaun coming to a kneel before you, hooked thumbs dragging your panties down to your ankles as he does.

“Oh, you really are a wicked thing. Knew exactly what you were doing walking in here wearing this,” he says as he works you, his bladed nose pressing into the skin just above your clit, sending little puffs of air across the sensitive nub as he speaks. “My clever, beautiful girl. And so good to me. So. Good.” He emphasizes with a particularly devastating hook of his fingers that has you seeing stars, a shockwave of pleasure stoking the fires of an incoming climax. 

Your voice is hoarse and pleading as he increases pace, as you approach release.

“I want to touch you.”

“You won’t,” he instructs simply and you stifle a sob.

Which turns into a choked hiccup as Silco burrows forward, tongue sliding impossibly hot and wet between the folds of your cunt, circling lazily around your clit before lapping at your weeping entrance, pushing the muscle as far as he can inside you.

You’re a moaning mess of writhing limbs, arms trembling uncontrollably, legs valiantly fighting the urge to squeeze his head between them, sweat beading at your brow as your climax approaches.

Silco drags the heat from your entrance to round your bud again before replacing his tongue with three fingers this time, pumping out a perfect, curling rhythm. 

“Cum, sweetheart,” you hear him say through the blinding hot tension.

Your eyes squeeze shut and his soft lips find your clit and with a gentle suck and the teasing fluttering of his tongue, you shatter.

You don’t have control over the way you cry out, shoving back against the glass behind you with the overwhelming intensity, or the way your hands fall from the bar to bury in his hair, how you reactively grind against his face. But he never minds, a hum of pleasure vibrating from his throat as he pulls every last drop of pleasure from you.

The last whimpers wrench from your throat and before the dots in your vision even fade, you’re stumbling mad, stomping in an effort to rid yourself of the panties around your ankles, kicking off your shoes as well.

Silco stands unhurriedly, holding your gaze as he licks the remnants of your release from his fingers.

“I believe I said no touching.”

You mumble under your breath, legs jello as you grab the armrests of his chair, dragging it to the window.

“What is it exactly that you’re-”

“I love you,” you cut him off, railroading his surprised form until you’re shoving him into the waiting chair, crawling on top of him, your thighs spreading wide, bare pussy cold to the air, coat settling over his covered thighs. “I love you.”

You grab the lapels of his coat and pull him into a kiss, deep and savoring, tasting the bitter tang of yourself on his lips. He relaxes into your touch and you tighten your thighs around him, cradle his face, press further into his mouth and your chest tightens as it always does, at the knowledge that you’re the only one who can do this. The only touch that can make the King of Zaun melt as he does now, arms encircling your waist, grinding you against his front.

“I’m yours,” you say, working at the stubborn buttons of his pants and he doesn’t stop you this time, his eyes moving savagely across your face, hands working alongside your wriggling hips to untangle the dress from under your legs.

“I’m yours,” you repeat, taking him into your hand and pressing your forehead to his, stroking him once, twice.

“And I yours.” 

His voice is gravel, tattered and ancient and released from the most primal depths of his chest.

You curve forward, allowing him a view over your shoulder of his Kingdom, the one he rules with an iron fist, you by his side. You kiss along his bladed jaw, before your mouth presses hotly to his ear, hardly able to catch your breath through the desperate, fresh bout of arousal that’s sunk its claws into you.

“Fuck me. I’m yours.”

A groan, short and harsh, is released from his chest in a rattling exhale at your words, his jaw dropping open just slightly as you move your hips against him. His hands roam every inch of your body, traveling up and down your spine, tracing the outline of your breasts, before falling to your hips.

He pulls you further into him, your face pressing softly against the cushion of the chair, and you know him, you know the heady power he feels with you clasped in his arms like this, looking out over the city he built from the ground up. Reaching down, you grasp his cock to align him with your entrance before lowering yourself down slowly.

“I want them to know,” you whisper, “It’s time they know.”

A growl tears from between his teeth and you hiss, and he is pensive no longer, hand snatching the back of your neck to pull you out from where you hide. He snaps his hips upward, filling you to the hilt, and watches a divine pleasure cross your face as you cry out, loud and sharp.

“Let them know, then.”

And you don’t hold back, allowing him to hear every yelp, every tattered moan that he unleashes from you as he fucks up into you. 

“Janna, you’re perfect,” he grits, one hand gripping your hip, the other encircling your throat lightly, holding you there so he can spectate. “Perfect.”

And it becomes almost a breathless, brutal chant as he pumps his desperate need for you into your pussy like he’s in a close race for first place.

A second release is torn from you as you ride him, rising up swiftly enough that your jaw drops in surprise, noiseless as you’re crushed by powerful waves of bliss. You spasm around him, legs quaking like fury and it isn’t long before he reaches his own peak with a jagged groan, his fingers digging bruises into your hips as he slams you down to the hilt, spilling himself inside you as you claw at the front of his shirt.

You don’t know how long you sit there boneless, slumped against him as he softens inside you, his hand carding through your hair again, dampened with sweat. Closing your eyes, you mumble lazily into his ear.

“Hey.”

You not so much see but feel the tired, amused smirk on his face as he answers.

“Hm?”

“Can every day be laundry day?”

<3 <3 <3

If you liked this piece, please check out my other works! My master list is here. I survive off your reblogs and comments, and I would love to hear what you think! AO3 Link if you want to toss me some kudos there!

Thank you @x-amount-verbs for tolerating my chaotic timelines and helping me edit super last minute, as always (be honest, you wouldn't have me any other way).

This was taking a different, less dommy turn before my brain derailed and started a mad sprint toward what I know best. So, Cras, I hope I delivered a healthy amount of 'domesticity' and if I didn't, well I just hope I delivered something. Happy birthday, darling!

Stay unhinged,

Sulty <3

[rumble-aint-a-rumble-without-me]

I'm not sure if I already asked you for something already (and if i did, my bad), But could you do two-bit x fem!reader, you have free reign over what happens in the fic, I just ask it be platonic best friends. Thank you!

Hi! I’m going to make these into a set of headcanons, I hope you don’t mind that-

So I’m thinking just general best friendship for Two?

That’s kind of what you requested?

And I’m gonna go for it-

So I hope you like this! 🤟

Being besties is going to be a chaotic time, I can promise you that, there’s never going to be a dull moment if you’re hanging around Two

I love the vibe that you’ve been friends since you were young in school, like grade school and you guys just kind of grew up together

You guys probably had to be separated at some point because you wouldn’t stop talking to each other during classes-

They ultimately realize that Two-Bit is going to talk with everyone or just shout at you from across the room so it’s best to just stick the two of you together and leave you be

I’m seeing platonic dates to the drive-ins and diners to cause trouble?

You guys run between the cars, fooling around and catching up with everyone you know there

At the diners, you blow straws at the waitresses and get a few plates of food that you both end up sharing, taking food from each other’s plates

You're probably one of the only people he really trusts with his handy-dandy black switchblade?

Like he'd willingly give it you, you probably don't have to ask very much for him to loan it out to you

He trusts you dude, there's a good trust going between you guys

Oh! Stealing stuff together!

You’ve got hands and you’ve got pockets, assets that Two-Bit is definitely going to take advantage of

He’ll just hand you stuff and give you one of those looks and you better just prepare yourself to run as fast as you can before slipping whatever it is into your pocket

Because of that ^^ you’re probably gonna end up in jail with him a few times

Lucky for you, Darry’s usually got bail money and if you pester him enough, he’ll usually come and bail the two of you out

He always asks you to be his partner on projects, no matter what class it is, he’ll just look at you, eyebrow raised as he waits for a response from you

If you answer with anything other than yes, you’re crazy-

You’ve just gotta be good friends with his girlfriend, Kathy, too, I almost forgot about that part

Y’know the one from the book with the brother who’s really a hood and is so greasy he glides when he walks and gets oil changes instead of haircuts?

That Kathy <3 she’s great and I love her and I bet she’s the kind of girl who has never done anything wrong in her life

You and Kathy regularly have get-togethers where you talk about Two-Bit, conversations spanning good and bad things!

Two-Bit likes to pout because he’s never invited to those nights but he’ll get over it

If he’s gotta babysit his younger sister, you can bet he’s calling you to come to hang out

His sister probably likes you better anyhow, at least, that’s the excuse he’s gonna use to get you to come over

Two’s mom probably likes you too, she kind of looks at you like another one of her kids, you’re over quite a lot

Two-Bit’s definitely the kind of friend to pick you up in the middle of the night and grab food then just sit around having a deep discussion with you

His philosophical conversations in the early hours of the morning are something everyone should experience in their life

Filled with laughs and jokes but also really deep thoughts, it’s a roller coaster of emotions that gonna help you two grow closer as besties <3

All in all, Two-Bit would be a most excellent pal to have, he’d be a great bestie who would do his best to rope you into all his schemes and pay you back in food and fun 

[turtle-steverogers]

congrats again on the milestone dude!!! for the fic requests: charcoal, bruises, and blankets please? <3

thank you, pal!! much love to you<333

and yes! i love these words as a prompt-- take some prewar boys!!

-

“Jesus fuck!”

There’s a loud crash as Bucky drops the crate he was hoisting, hopping backwards as he yanks his hand away from the offending nail. Damn thing’s sticking out of the side, and he grits his teeth, scowling as he kicks the crate. He manages to stub his toe on the wooden panels as well, and it feels like added insult to injury. He curses again. Fucking useless piece of shit.

Blood is dripping down his wrist now, flowing from the gash on his palm, and he takes a few calming breaths to stem the anger before inspecting it. It isn’t deep, and luckily the nail isn’t rusty, but hands like to bleed. He knows this from the number of times he’s had to patch Steve up, and they couldn’t get a shallow wound to stop gushing.

“You knick yourself, Barnes?”

Bucky looks up to see Mr. O’Hare strolling over, a concerned look on his face. He’s much more personable than Bucky’s last boss before he worked at the docks, back when he still hoisted groceries for Mr. Johnson down the street. What a nightmare that was.

“Yeah, there’s a whole nail sticking out that I didn’t see,” Bucky says, gesturing with his non-injured hand at the crate. “Got myself good.”

Mr. O’Hare clicks his tongue and takes Bucky’s hand in his own, delicately tilting it back and forth to inspect the cut.

“Sure did, son,” he grumbles, his mustache twitching as he twists his mouth. He lets Bucky’s hand go, and claps him on the shoulder. “Go ahead and clean up in the washroom. Take the rest of the day-- ain’t no way you’re lifting anymore with blood going everywhere.”

Bucky sags, relieved. “Thank you, sir,” he says.

It’s a small win, and one born out of misfortune, but he’ll take it. It’s been a bad day. He’s overly tired from not sleeping great the night before, because Steve had been up doing god knows what, and Bucky never sleeps well when Steve can’t. He feels too guilty. He’d missed breakfast that morning, which didn’t help his already sour mood, and at lunch, he’d dropped his apple on the damn ground. He wants to go home.

“You got it,” Mr. O’Hare says. “There’s a first aid kit under the sink. Wrap up your hand real good and tight, you hear?”

Bucky nods and thanks him again, leaving the offending crate on the ground as he heads towards the washroom. Blood has gotten on his shirt and Bucky grimaces, stripping it off and tossing it in the trash, leaving him in his undershirt and suspenders. No use keeping it anyhow. He rinses his hand in the sink for a while, adding soap and hissing at the slight sting. Once it’s well and clean, he roots around for the first aid kid and pulls out the gauze and bandages, carefully wrapping it around his hand and up his wrist for good measure. There. At least he won’t be bleeding all over everyone and their mothers anymore.

The methodical motions do the trick in calming his irritation to a low simmer, and the walk home is decently harmless despite his sore feet. Trudging up the steps of his and Steve’s tenement is a bit of a drag, and his hand is still throbbing slightly, but by the time he gets to their flat, his mood is tentatively brightening.

He’s getting home early for once. Maybe he and Steve can have a quiet night in. Scrounge up dinner together, put on a record. Yeah. That’s what he needs.

Steve’s sitting on the couch when Bucky gets inside. He can see his head poking over the back cushions, bent forward. There’s a soft scratching of a pencil and Bucky assumes he’s drawing, the cowlick on the back of his head sticking up more than usual. Bucky smirks and strolls over, exhaustion seeping out of his bones as he sinks into the soft safety of their home.

Steve knows he’s there-- Bucky can see it in the twitch of his ears-- and so Bucky feels comfortable enough to smooth the cowlick down with his uninjured hand. Surprises don’t always go well for Steve. Steve’s head stays bent, even as he grumbles, and Bucky bends over his shoulder to peek at his sketchbook.

“Is that the cat that hangs around the fire escape?”

“Yeah,” Steve says.

The drawing is one doodle among a few on the page, including a duck pond Bucky recognizes from the park, and a few vague storefronts down the street. All of the drawings are vague and a little hurried, charcoal smeared in the blank spaces between. If Bucky were to look at Steve’s hand, he’s sure he’d find it black with charcoal residue. Steve is evidently bothered; he only doodles like this when something is wrong.

“You okay?” Bucky asks, stomach sinking selfishly at the thought of the night not being as quiet as he’d hoped. It’s fine, he reasons. Maybe they can still relax.

“Yeah,” Steve says again, but he still hasn’t looked up and--

Oh.

Jesus Christ.

“Steve, look at me,” Bucky sighs. Steve tenses and doesn’t move. “Steve.”

He sees Steve’s jaw yaw and clench, and then he’s tilting his head slightly, looking at Bucky’s chin. Okay. It’s a no eye contact day. Bucky can deal with that.

And just as Bucky suspected, there’s a dark bruise blooming around his eye. Another, smaller bruise sits high on the opposite cheekbone. Bucky feels his stomach swoop like it always does when he looks at Steve while he’s hurt. As familiar a sight as it is, it’s never pleasant.

“Shit,” Bucky says, gently taking Steve’s chin in hand and tilting his head more to inspect the bruise. “God, Steve, what happened?”

Steve still isn’t looking directly at him, and Bucky wants to scream. He hates this. He hates this so much.

“Jesse Hickens was talking crap about me being a queer,” he mumbles, and it isn’t like anyone knows their little secret, but that particular rumor had followed Steve as far back as Bucky can remember. It sickens him, the presumptions based on baseless qualities, and it hurts even more that they think it’s a true proper insult.

“And he punched you?” Bucky asks.

“Well, no.” Steve shifts uncomfortably and jerks his chin out of Bucky’s hold. Bucky lets his hand drop to his side. “I punched him.”

“So he punched back.”

Steve shrugs.

Bucky hangs his head.

“Steve, you can’t do--”

“I can’t do what?” Steve demands, looking at him finally. His eyes are heavy; haunted in a way Bucky is sure they have been his whole life. Guarded. “I can’t fight back? Why not? I’m not about to let some asshole walk all over me.”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t, but Christ. I hate to see you like this, and it’s not your fault, but just-- is it always worth it?” he asks, a little desperately.

Steve turns his nose up. “Yes.” There’s a pause. “And it hurts that you think that it’s not.”

Bucky sighs. “I’m sorry, Steve. I don’t mean to hurt you.”

Steve doesn’t say anything for a long time. “It does hurt me, you know. I ain’t just picking these fights for the thrill of it or something. It-- I don’t like hearing people talk about me. Ever. It sticks and I hate it and it makes me feel like dirt, but if I don’t do something to let them know I hear them; to make them hear me, then I’m even lower dirt, okay? I gotta take something back from them.”

It’s more than Steve has ever said on the subject and Bucky lifts his head, listening. Hearing Steve like he’s so obviously begging someone to. His heart breaks-- there’s no way it wouldn’t, hearing Steve talk about himself like that-- but he ignores it for now.

“You ain’t dirt, Stevie,” Bucky whispers.

Steve turns his head away and doesn’t answer.

Carefully, Bucky moves to sit on the couch next to him. He moves the sketchbook out of Steve’s lap, and sets it on the ground by their feet. Tugging the blanket Steve’s ma had knit before she passed off the back of the couch, Bucky wraps it around both of them. It does the trick; Steve sags into him, but still doesn’t look.

“I hear you,” Bucky says, gently wrapping his arms around Steve. “And I admire you, you know. I love that you stand up for yourself. I just worry, okay? I worry, that’s all.”

Steve swallows. “I know.” They’re quiet for a moment, then Steve takes Bucky’s injured hand in his own, humming. His hands look so beautiful compared to Bucky’s rough, callused ones. Artist’s hands. Bucky has always thought they were magnificent. He was right, too. There is charcoal on them. “What happened?”

“Stupid nail was sticking out of a crate. I washed it, just bled a lot,” Bucky says, letting Steve inspect the bandage. Steve hums again.

“Looks like we both had a crappy day.”

Bucky laughs, tilting his head against Steve’s. He’s pleased when Steve subtly cuddles closer, lifting his palm and kissing it, right over the gash.

“Looks like.”

Steve lets his hand go, and Bucky can feel the tension in his shoulders. He relaxes his own, hoping Steve will notice and follow suit. Idly, he reaches up to smooth down the cowlick again. It bounces right back up.

“Stop that,” Steve says, reaching down to pull Bucky’s leg hair. Bucky yelps and swats his arm.

“Asshole,” he grumbles, but his chest feels light as they slip out of their bad moods and into this easy space with each other.

Things will be okay.

-

thanks for reading, y'all!

[luvnhugsgt]

G/T: Almost a Garden Gnome: Chapter 3

***As told by Eddie “The Man” Edwards (stupid parents who thought they were funny)***

I don’t really know what to say or do. I hope asking if the little mystery human was alright didn’t cause any lasting trauma? I didn’t know I was such a scary guy! Take a look at me standing next to my buddies, and you’ll find that I actually have a noticeably slighter frame than they do. I’ve never been the biggest, toughest dude in the crowd, and I’m cool with that, I think. That’s how it’s always been, you know? I’m sinewy, light and lean. It runs in my family.

Considering my self-image, I’ve always had some sort of cognitive dissonance about hanging out around the little human folk. I’m not sure why, but I’m kind of… afraid of them? Uncomfortable?

When I look down at my feet, bending my neck at a near ninety-degree angle and squinting my eyes just to see somebody, it hurts—well, my neck—and my eyes—and my self-esteem. Am I truly a big-lug, taking up way too much space and sounding like a hurricane, just because of my race, something I’ll never be able to reconcile with the littles?

To be around Little Lady, then, as you may have deduced, while she’s ostensibly cute (I can hardly see her face, so maybe I’m just an optimist), freaks me out, big time.

Should I, then, take a good, hard look at myself in the mirror, and say ten times, “Humans are friends”? Should I shut the door and keep her out of my house for the sake of my mental health? Should I get someone to scare her awa-no, wait, that’s horrible!

I guess, just maybe, I could leave out something for her to eat, then promptly go back inside. I certainly don’t mind her munching on my strawberries, even though I holler at the damn squirrels for doing the very same thing. But I think something’s wrong with the squirrels here—they have an attitude problem! They chatter at me and they shoo me away after I shoo them! Ah, but if I dodge this tiny woman, I’ll also have to avoid my garden; my only hobby!

You’d be surprised—I show off my garden to everyone, even ~lady friends~, and everyone digs it, or at least they seem to humor me. Aw man, I love my garden! If I abandon the garden, (I named it Steve), where will all my bragging rights come from? Oh, I ooze masculinity, guys.

Unless it doesn’t matter if I attract the Bel Parine 'Babes anymore—unless—u-unless I swing a full 180 and fall in lo-

Um-fall for a cute h-

Ahhh. Let’s not push our luck here, yeah?

How do Bels usually deal with bum-humans squatting in their backyard, anyhow? Yes, this one’s endearing—‘guess I’m lucky—but what if—I mean, this is pretty shallow, but—what if she were a crusty old man with a grating voice from years of drinking and smoking? A bit of a yikes from me, dog. Maybe I should see the ‘silver lining’ in this situation…

Oop! The phone’s going—“Hiya Grandma, what’s doin’?”

“Eddie, I was passing the nursery on Main Street this morning on my way to pick up my prescriptions, and I saw the most beautiful sunflowers. Oh, to tell you the truth, I didn’t even know they were in season, yet! And of course, I bought you two pots, because I know how you adore your garden—” she pauses, “what’s that you’re calling it now—Steve? Oh, you silly goose! But you’re my silly goose, you handsome young ma-“

“Grandma, oh thank you, I love ya ‘a million,” I explain, “but, about the garden… I do have something to ask of you.”

“Oh? I’m sure I can help. I’ve got lots of books with all the different flowers, loads of detailed, colorful pictures, all kinds of guid-“

“N-no, Grandma, it’s a different kind of issue. Do you…uh…know anything about humans?”

Her tone changes, “Humans, huh?”

“In your garden?” I add.

“…Lucky you!” She chirps; I can easily visualize Grandma beaming on the other side of the line. “Oh, do you have a homeless human on your hands?” She sighs. “Well, that’s not very good. We’ve got to do something. First thing’s first—let’s attract him. I hear humans like honey water. I read it on the web. There are so many wonderful things on the ‘line’.”

I sigh, knowing now that I’ve boxed myself in. I’ll have to face my fear. Why’d I get on this crazy ride? My grandma, she’s got the opposite issue, though she’s got scant self-awareness. She doesn’t seem to realize that the way she fawns over those ‘cute, cuddly’ humans, makes them seem uncomfortably similar to animals. It comes off as, I don’t know, condescending? I know I’ve got no stake in this narrative, but it grates on me for some reason or another. I’ve not been very exposed to humans in my twenty-nine-and-some-months years of life, but even I can understand how to respect the othersiders.

“Eddie, this is the best news I’ve had from you in weeks!”

“What?! What about my Impatiens?” I frown. “You know how hard it is grow those badboys ever since they were wiped out by the—what is it, fungus?” I mused absentmindedly, distracting myself from the trainwreck that’ll most surely ensue after this phone call.

“Oh, wait—wait—after the Impatiens!”

I pout. “Okaay, Grandma, I get your vibe. I gots’ta’ go catch my show, I’ll chat with you later…?” I speak rapidly, looking to flee as soon as I can.

“Great! Love you, Eddieboy! Enjoy your show. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at ten!”

“Grandma, wait a second!” I panic, but it’s too late. She’s already hung up, and I’m reeling here, almost in tears as I draw closer and closer to facing this phobia—yeah, I’ll acknowledge it as a phobia—for real, after all those sheltered, trepidatious years…

Agh! I run my hand through my hair melodramatically. What the hell do I do here! What say you, reader, ol’ buddy ol’ pal?

Jeez, next you’ll tell me you’re a human, too! Haha!

[santaverse]

THE BIG DAY drabble (2 of 3)

[ LOCATION ] : THE FESTIVE DIMENSION; STINKY CIGARS, COLORADO. CHRISTMAS EVE

“ WAAAAA- OOF!! “ As the portal opened from the sky, Gruzzlebeard landed headfirst into some snow. Secret Santa was right behind him, but landed on his feet. He dusted himself off and looked down at Gruzzlebeard. 

“ Oh my, are you alright Gruzzlebeard? ” He tried to offer to pick him up, but Gruzzlebeard smacked Santa’s hand out of his way and got up from the ground. 

“ Juuust peachy. Where’n the heck ARE we?! ” 

Santa looked around and tapped his chin with his finger. “ Why, I’m not sure! Why don’t we ask inside this workshop? Surely someone will know where we are.”

The two bearded men had arrived outside of an enormous workshop in the middle of a quiet town. Considering it was such an eyesore, the two headed inside in hopes of funding someone, anyone who could help them return to the North Pole. Once inside, Secret Santa gasped and stopped Gruzzlebeard in his tracks.

“ HEY WHAT’S TH’BIG IDE- “ The troll’s mouth was quickly covered by Santa.

“ Shh! Gruzzlebeard... look! ” 

Santa pointed towards a group of elves hard at work. They each were lined up in perfect formations, hammering away, and weren’t happy. Signs that read, ‘Santa is ALWAYS watching you’ were posted throughout the workshop. 

Gruzzlebeard forcefully removed Santa’s hand from his mouth and spoke quietly. “ Okay? It’s just a buncha elves workin. What’s the problem? ” 

Santa shook his head. “ No, no Gruzzlebeard. This is no way to treat elves, let alone friends! They’re completely unhappy! We’ve got to help them! ” 

Gruzzlebeard rolled his eyes at this remark. “ And’a HOW do you expect t’ do that ya Sainty Sap? ” Santa began to think, now stroking his beard. “ Well I- “

“ HOHOHO!! ” A deep voice shouted.

Both Secret Santa and Gruzzlebeard immediately hid behind a statue and watched as this world’s Santa kicked down the doors and entered the room. This Santa’s appearance wasn’t too different from the usual Santa; big, red suit, and white beard, but a very notable difference was the heavy amount of gold on this Santa! He had several rings on his fingers and even a unique giant belt buckle with his initials embroidered on them. As he made his way inside, the elves seemed to tense up.

“ And HOW are my favorite elves? ” He smiled towards the others, but no one replied. “ It’s the BIG DAY everyone! Surely you’ve got more cheer than none! ” The Santa approached a nearby elf and wrapped his arm around his head. 

“ BOB!! You’re excited aren’t you?! ” The elf began to sweat but he quietly responded with, “ M-M-My name is David, sir... ” Immediately, the Santa’s face grew irritated. He threw the elf off of him and shrugged. 

“ Whatever. GET THOSE TOYS DONE, EVERYONE!! I need them done NOW!! GET BACK TO WORK, ANYHOW!! ”

From behind the statue of the selfish Santa, Secret Santa was disgusted. “ My word! He can’t treat them like this! ” 

Gruzzlebeard shrugged, “ I like the guy’s style!! ”

 Secret Santa quickly rolled his eyes. “ Oh of course you do. This is serious, Gruzzlebeard! This isn’t what Christmas is about! In fact... ”

Secret Santa stepped out from the statue and shouted towards everyone. “ EXCUSE ME!! ” The elves gasped at the sight of another Santa. The other Santa was slightly stunned as well. He took a few steps back but ultimately was intrigued. 

“ What the?! Ho ho who are you, son? Don’t you know no one is allowed inside of my workshop that’s overrun? ” 

Secret Santa angrily marched forward and pointed a finger right at the other’s chest. “ Don’t YOU know how to treat friends?! ”

“ I beg your pardon?! ” The other Santa snapped. 

“ These elves are clearly miserable! They’re afraid of you! This is no way to run Christmas! ” Secret Santa pleaded, but the other Santa merely scoffed at his remark.

“ Of COURSE they are! FEAR runs a business! CLEARLY you know nothing about success!! ” Secret Santa gasped and retaliated by marching even closer to this Santa. 

“ How dare you! Why I’ll have you know I am my world’s Santa Claus! The way I run things is far different from this! I treat my elves as if they were my own children! They’re my equals! It is fun working together! ”

The elves began to chatter amongst themselves, which made this Santa’s eye twitch. He turned around and barked at them all. “ GET BACK TO WORK!! ” 

Of course, the elves did so out of fear. However, Secret Santa spoke outwards to them. “ No! Work only if you want to! Create what YOU think a child would like! ” 

The elves looked at each other and smiled, soon starting over which made this world’s Santa turn red. “ LISTEN TO THIS IMPOSTER THIS DAY AND NONE OF YOU WILL RECIEVE HOLIDAY PAY!! ” The elves briefly paused until one of them uttered, “ you already don’t pay us on the holidays ”, so they continued to work on what they wanted.

“ NO NO NO!! ” The Santa shouted and was about to head towards the elves until he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. 

It was Gruzzlebeard who shook his head at the other. “ Look ya jolly JERK, ya see those annoyin’ smiles? ” The other Santa looked at the elves whom were now laughing and singing as they worked. “ THAT is what this stupid holiday’s about. Why don’tcha leave the evil stuff to the PROFESSIONALS? ” After delivering his speech, Gruzzlebeard puffed out his chest with pride.

Secret Santa chuckled and joined Gruzzlebeard. “ Why, that was almost the perfect sentiment Gruzzlebeard! You are understanding the holidays! ” 

The troll turned away from Santa with his cheeks turning red. “ W-Well uh, guess stayin’ trapped wit’cha Jellybellies is startin’ t’ make me mushy ‘s all! ” 

This world’s Santa stayed fixated on the jolly work of the elves. “ They... haven’t been this happy in decades. We’ve had very efficient Christmases, but I haven’t heard them sing since we threw old parades! ” He turned towards the two with a smile and a tear in his eye. “ Thank you both! ”

Secret Santa smiled and wrapped the two Santas in a hug. “ Hoho, it’s what any Santa Claus would do! ”

 As soon as he spoke, a loud CRASH emerged. The elves and the Santa of this world each gasped, but Gruzzlebeard merely pointed a thumb towards the sound. 

“ Looks like our ride’s here, Santy. ”

“ What’s going on?! What’s happening?! ” This world’s Santa was looking left and right panicking, but Gruzzlebeard and Secret Santa placed a hand on his shoulders and reassured him. 

“ It’s best if ya don’t question it, pal. ” 

“ Come with us! You’ll love the North Pole and the other Santas! Oh, and don’t worry about your elves, you’ll be back tonight! ” 

The Christmas portal opened and as soon as it did, This world’s Santa tensed up. Secret Santa raced towards the portal and Gruzzlebeard did as well, but he quickly paused and looked behind him. 

“ Well... “

“ What the heck are ya waitin’ fer Big Boss? An invitation? C’mon! ”

The Santa looked at his elves, smiled then joined Secret Santa and Gruzzlebeard inside the portal back to The North Pole.

[yuvon-writes-letters]

To all,

In the few hours of planning, I have witnessed a letter appear in our shared mailbox, on a Tuesday.

For the record, I do not believe any of this nonsense, you could very easily be lying, both Yu, and whoever that “entity” is.

But Rai insists that it is all true, and despite his fragility, he always had this uncanny ability to tell when someone is spreading falsehoods or not, a knack for feeling if something is going wrong. The fact that he hasn’t quit sending these letters means that he wholeheartedly believes this, sci-fi narrative.

I trust him, so I’ll play along for now.

Trust me, this does not mean I trust you. For the time being, Rai will not be sending any letters, because he has apparently made himself a target, I cannot have that.

My name is. Actually, you don’t get to know my full name, it’s bad enough that you know my first anyways.

To, the entity, the letter that that was sent was matted in dirt, the words “I see you” were written in what is most likely blood, it was stuffed in an envelope along with the lily.

To Yu, Yuvon, thank you for being there for Rai these past few weeks, and fuck you, for making his life so much harder than it needs to be. He should be worried about portioning his time right to get more sleep, and doing his best to earn a living, not trying to keep a cursed pen-pal alive. Unfortunately, if what you do say is true, then I cannot blame you for his woes, you reached out, and like the hero he is, he takes the call for help.

I am currently in the process of reading the letters that were sent between you all, but, if you want to be in my good graces, a summary would help much more than hours of reading, I will not take kindly to secrets (Jake).

I will await a response.

Skie

Skie,

Most of the evidence I'd usually offer to assure people I'm not lying doesn't apply to you. It'll be a little more clear why when I get into the summary later, but I'm reeling a bit and I'm trying to take things one thing at a time.

Yeah. It's probably best if Rai at least isn't the first one to open these letters for a while. Please be careful too. I seriously don't know what this thing is capable of or what it wants, but it's very clearly violent. And entities (that's what we call these things, for lack of a better word) getting violent ends very, very poorly.

Best if we don't do full names, I agree. We've all sort of set a precedent where we use nicknames or screen names instead of our actual names.

(The ink turns dark enough that it seems to suck in the light around it.) My thanks for the description.

...Right. That just happened. I'm never going to get used to that.

You're welcome and I'm sorry. Truthfully, I've been pretty worried about Rai as well, and I sincerely apologize for any and all parts I played in Rai's problems.

Alright. Recap. This is gonna be long.

One day before I sent my first letter, I woke up in a clearing in a forest, with a note that told me that I could send letters to alternate universes with other people in the same situation I had left before arriving to the clearing on the ground in front of me. I marked the direction I was facing when I appeared and arbitrarily declared it "north". I did some exploring, and discovered that there was an invisible barrier all around the clearing, and that there were trees as far as the eye could see when I climbed a tree inside the barrier. After the first day, I sent my first letter.

Rai, though he went by Rainer then, was actually the first person to write to me, two days later. He was doubtful, obviously, but I shared specific details of the shared experiences that connect us across universes, and so did he, so we believed each other. We talked metaphysics and theories about what was going on for a bit, and Rai asked for details about my circumstances. I learned there were eight rooms off the central clearing, but five disturbed me so much that I lied and said that only three existed: a library (south), a game room (east), and a "comfy room" (west) with pillows and mattresses and blankets, etc.

Eventually, I realized there was an anomaly we've tentatively been calling the stasis over my version of the Duskwood group, where they went on with their lives but nothing actually changed. They didn't start to come to terms with emotional events that happened, they made no progress in their investigations, they didn't talk about anything important. Things were happening, but nothing HAPPENED, if that makes sense.

Rai encouraged me to tell one particular person from the Duskwood group I trust whole-heartedly, Jake, about my circumstances. That broke the stasis on him, and from then on, he and I started to work together.

We determined that the trees around my clearing are elder trees (symbolic of life/death/rebirth cycle) and completely generic trees. I theorized that I was stuck between a symbolic "death" and "rebirth", in a stasis of my own. I remain convinced of this theory.

On Father's Day, I spoke to the Duskwood group and lied to them in the process of cancelling an event I'd planned on that day for fear of giving myself away. Unbeknownst to me, that began to shake them out of their stasis slowly.

Someone named Liska contacted me then, informing me that they were sort of in an inverse situation as my own: They had normal contact with their friends and family outside of Duskwood, and they hadn't been kidnapped like I was, but Duskwood itself was almost completely frozen. There was some other weird stuff happening with the stasis, but that's not so relevant.

Lis started to get threatening calls from the perpetrator in the Duskwood case, worrying pretty much everyone, plus she didn't trust me, though I cleared the distrust up fairly quickly.

This is about when Rai started having issues, and warned us he wouldn't be able to write letters as often.

I sorta got stuck for a while, and Lis kept getting threatened. I figured out that someone would eventually join me in the clearing, but not who, how, or when, so I was obsessing over that. About then, Lis pointed out a small detail that showed I was lying about something, and that turned into a confession about the other five rooms. In brief:

North: A room with a countdown to when I can leave

Northwest: Another clearing where everything was dead with a silver goblet at the end, whole area gave off a magical sense of dread, I left without investigating further

Southeast: Altar w/ bloodstains, symbolism and text suggesting I could sacrifice my life to kill the ass terrorizing my version of the group (an alternate version of the asshole stalking Lis)

Northeast: Knife in the middle of a glade, can cut almost anything in here but the invisible barrier.

Southwest: 3 upside-down torches, one on each wall that wasn't an entrance, floor was a field of white lilies. Refused to enter initially due to overdose of symbols of death.

I discovered that my old family and my few non-Duskwood friends had all completely forgotten who I was. They still haven't remembered, but that's besides the point. I'm not just whining here, this becomes important later.

Anyhow, I started getting really worried about Rai, because he mentioned his head feeling fuzzy, he was having trouble understanding things, and his writing was disjointed. You probably know about when that was on the recent timeline.

Lis's next letter was concerning, and I asked in a cipher I won't disclose because at least one entity can't seem to understand it whether she was alright and offered a code for her to tell us if she was being watched.

Lis then sent two letters back to back: one where she used the code, and one when she wasn't being watched: she had been kidnapped by the stalker. We also made first contact with an entity we're calling "Goldie" or "Aur" (first few letters of their name) who is benevolent and has done their utmost to help Lis.

In addition, her Jake spoke to her over Tumblr, promising to help find her, and I got print-outs of the screenshots in an envelope. I contacted him as well, offering what advice I could, especially as we'd begun to theorize there was an entity working against Lis as well.

It wasn't enough. Lis was shot. And died.

And then her entity sent her back in time, alive, and with her Jake freed from the stasis much earlier.

As Lis started recovering mentally from that, I started messing on this plane again. Lis convinced me to test out the death symbol room and see if it was actually dangerous, so I first tried cutting my way out of the barrier with the knife (it failed) and then I started sorta using the Robin Crusoe method of testing the room for death, which meant I went very slowly.

During this, Rai finally admitted he hadn't been sleeping enough, and I tried to encourage him to actually fucking sleep and not worry so much about writing the damn letters.

Then

Okay, I'm not proud of this bit. Behind one of the torches in the room with the lilies and torches I'd been testing, there was a sheet of paper with a blood ritual on it. It promised an end result I'd like, and none of the other schmuck baits up to that point had actually hurt me, so I gave it a try. Imagine my shock when Jake appeared in the clearing. He's still here, by the way, we don't know how to get him back any more than me.

Rai brought up a theory (later confirmed) that the ritual brought Jake because he was what I most wanted to have with me right then. I began to work on trying to deconstruct the ritual and understand how it worked so I could confirm or deny, but was interrupted when I discovered that the Duskwood group had broken out of stasis, and I had to play damage control. They also became semi-aware the stasis had happened.

Lis sent another letter, and Jake came to the conclusion that her workplace is unsafe, and urged her to take a vacation, especially in the wake of further threats from the kidnapper. Also, Lis's stasis started to weaken, and she began passing messages between my version of Jake and her's. They proved to be surprisingly different.

At that point, someone named Jessy sent a letter in, who is one of the Duskwood crew. She was from a year in my future, shortly after her version of me, named Matt, was killed by the kidnapper and Jake was framed for it.

At this point, Jake raised the theory that Rai, Lis, Matt, myself, and all other counterparts across universes are somehow cursed, or gain more attention than we should from entities, and that's why so many horrible things happen to us. It... makes a lot of sense, honestly.

About here is when I started getting together a plan to get out. I was worried I might be mindread, though, so I went to slightly extreme measures to make sure my thoughts wouldn't give me away.

Then Jessy wrote again, and tried to convince Lis and I to run away from our respective Jakes out of concern. Along the way, she accidentally implied that her universe's Jake was being tortured in his incarceration, and I admittedly lashed out at her a bit in my response to her letter. It made me furious, obviously, and scared and upset, so I used those emotions to focus.

Lis grew concerned when I denied I had a plan. Repeatedly. And unconvincingly. Okay, it was more of a mantra. I sort of wrote "I have no plan" all over the paper and then didn't erase well enough, so you can see why she was concerned.

Now, I don't know everything that went down right there, but I'll take a guess. The entity, unable to interpret the ciphered messages I'd sent to Lis explaining why I was so insistent that I had no plan, asked Lis what my plan was, pretending to be benevolent like Goldie. Lis didn't believe it, and annoyed the entity in the process. It taunted her, claiming that Jake and I would be hurt because of her noncompliance, which was bullshit because the entity would've done what it did anyhow. Lis tried to send us warnings, but the entity blocked them and taunted her more publicly.

Unless it's essential, I'd rather not go into detail about what exactly happened when I tried to execute my plan. There's a letter that describes most of it somewhere in the past two weeks or more. Suffice it to say, I fell into a probably magic-induced coma for a few days, my face is still scarred to hell, and there's a small chunk missing from my right arm, though that's filling in because enhanced/faster healing here.

After the incident, while I was unconscious, everyone wrote in letters asking after me or offering advice, including Lis's Jake and Jessy, and Jake pretended to be me to keep the Duskwood group from suspecting anything. One of them figured it out, but she was sympathetic to both Jake and myself, so she kept the secret. In the meantime, Lis took a vacation and got out of danger, hopefully.

When I woke up, I was able to just... know a few minor facts about the entity. I still don't know how or why.

Anyway, I just sorta recovered and caught up for a bit.

Max contacted us to basically let us know that Lis was doing better (she was really torn up with guilt over the incident :( )

Very recently, Jessy contacted my parents, trying to determine if I was alright, and discovered that they didn't know who I was. That spawned a confession from me when I was confronted; that whole group is now in the know. Jake is still not entirely pleased with my decision, but I think he's mostly over it.

Then that new entity apparently sent out the letter, you contacted us for the first time, and now we’re back to the present moment.

Oh. One more thing that seems pretty important in hindsight. Rai sent me a crayon as an experiment. It arrived three different colors in one crayon: brown, green, and white. Take a wild guess what it was called.

Yep. White lily.

This is sort of reminding me of a character I made a million years ago, but the powers don't match up. It doesn't sound like the M.O. does either. Still, that character was a nasty piece of work. I hope it's all just a coincidence.

Anyhow. That's all for now. Talk to you later. Write to you later. Whatever.

—Yuvon

(The letter tucks itself in the paper clip with the others.)

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe: The Fantastic Mutants chapter 6: Frightful Finale (originally posted on April 7, 2021)

AN: It's been far too long since I entered the world of Marvel Gems. What with Steven Universe: Alternate Future, the holiday season and my return to college, I've just kinda got distracted from my big crossover universe. But no longer! I will resolve Fantastic Mutants and maybe get to work on the next stories in this trilogy, no matter the cost.

Also, one disclaimer before we start. My deepest concerns go out to the family of Tom Kane, who I imagined voicing Magneto in here in a reprisal of his role from Marvel vs Capcom 3 and Wolverine & the X-Men. Keep in mind that I came up with the cast long before he had that possibly career-ending stroke. Anyways, let's get a move on at last.

--

The moment that the Blackbird landed in Doomstadt, the Ultimate Alliance immediately charged to Castle Doom, ready to rescue Steven and stop Doctor Doom & Magneto.

"Hang on Steven, we're coming!" Connie yelled while riding atop Lion. Deadpool was behind her on the big cat, hoisting a boombox over his head that blasted 'I Need A Hero' as the heroes drew closer to the castle.

However, armies of Doombots dropped from the tops of the castle walls to defend their master from the invaders. The robots began firing lasers while setting up protective shields around the entrance to their namesake's palace, to keep them from breaking in.

"Oh great, Doombots." The Thing groaned, but then began getting himself pumped up. "But then again, I've been waiting this whole adventure to say this! Y'all know what time it is?"

"It's only 2:50 pm, Ben. Why?" Pearl answered quizzically.

"Dumbass, he's gonna say the thing!" Deadpool yelled excitedly.

"You got it!" Ben grinned as he turned to the Doombots. "IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!" Right off the bat, the ever-lovin' blue-eyed beast began tearing Doombots apart, which excited Amethyst greatly.

"Now this is more my style!" Amethyst cheered, and she joined Ben in tearing the robots apart.

"Good, you two keep them distracted while we break down the doors!" Wolverine commanded as the rest went to beat down the entrance. However, with every Doombot taken down, more began popping up.

"They don't seem to be stopping!" Amethyst said. "Can this get any worse?"

"As a matter of fact, it possibly can." Garnet predicted with her future vision, just as the castle entrance went down and the Frightful Four emerged from behind it.

"The doctor has ordered us to keep you from getting in his way." The Wizard announced. "But it seems we might have our work cut out for us with this many intruders."

"Just as long as he still does whatever he wants to do with that dumb kid he had captured." Mole-Man responded.

"We'd rather die than let you harm Steven!" Peridot yelled, taking up arms with the remains of some Doombots nearby to form a massive sword.

"Ah, who cares?" Trapster shrugged. "He's got more where they came from anyway."

Even more Doombots emerged to fight the Ultimate Alliance, and they seemed stronger than those before them.

"Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and I will take care of these villains!" Connie began planning. "The rest of you take on the rest of the Doombots!"

"You got it!" Lapis obliged. "Hey, where's the Professor?"

"I am staying behind in the Blackbird, but I shall assist in any form I can from here." Xavier announced from the plane using his telepathy.

With a nod to each other, Connie and the primary Crystal Gems prepared for battle against the Frightful Four.

--

All around the operating room that Steven was forced into by Doctor Doom, various medical devices surrounded the boy as Victor experimented on his hybrid nature. Doom had taken blood samples, X-rays, extractions of saliva, but it was nothing short of a breakthrough.

"There has to be something I could use." Doom muttered to himself as he examined his gathered data. "I've been working tirelessly, yet still nothing is working!"

"You'll never win Doom." Steven said weakly. "No matter how hard you try, my powers will never be used for your evil deeds."

"Famous last words Steven." Doctor Doom scoffed scornfully at the boy, but then he began gazing upon his gem. "Wait, that's it! I'll just have to take out your gemstone! I have yet to decide on what to do after that, but I believe I just made a breakthrough!"

A dull thud sound was then heard throughout the operating room.

"What was that?" Doom asked quietly.

The thudding got even louder and louder until finally, Juggernaut's fist broke through the wall and allowed Kitty Pryde & Mystique to leap through the hole.

"Kitty!" Steven cried happily. "And Mystique?"

"No time for questions." Mystique said to Steven. "Creed, now!"

On Raven's command, Sabretooth leaped into action and used his adamantium claws to break Steven free from the operating table he was restrained to.

"Wait, why are you helping me?" Steven asked the Brotherhood members as he lifted himself off the table.

"It's because of you, squirt." Sabretooth answered. "Magneto was all like, 'Ooh, we can't let him harm a fellow mutant even if he promised to help us with our cause', all thanks to you. But then again, he did basically have the same endgame as your X-Men friends anyhow, just with more violent extra steps."

--

Back outside the castle, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl & Connie were all pitted against the Frightful Four, one of them fighting one member each.

"So what's your origin Wiz?" Amethyst asked the Wizard. "Were you laughed at because of your poor fashion sense?!"

"Oh haha, very funny." Bentley Wittman scoffed. "I'm merely jealous of the Four's fame, especially that infernal Human Torch!"

"Oh, so classic jealousy then?" Amethyst replied before using her whips to tie up the Wizard and spin him around. "Geez, grow some dang humility!"

Meanwhile, Pearl was pitted against the Puppet Master, who had decided to defend himself with animated statues of his current boss.

"My puppets are unstoppable!" the Puppet Master boasted, but Pearl proved him wrong by cutting them down with her spear. "What?!"

"You should consider thinking before you speak." Pearl snidely replied before the statues simply put themselves back together. "Wait, how?!"

"It's puppetry, I don't have to explain it!" Phillip Masters shrugged.

"Kinda like how no one can explain your girlish features!" Deadpool jeered the puppeteer's appearance, which caused a puppet to punch him in the face.

"So your gimmick is that you have this gun you use to trap people with?" Connie asked the Trapster while expertly dodging his special glue.

"Yeah, I mean, it's in my name." Petruski replied and aimed his paste gun at her.

"Didn't you go by a different name in the past?" Connie remarked, making the Trapster frightened and then furious. "I think it was Paste Pot Pete, right?"

"SHADDUP!" the villain formerly known as Paste Pot Pete yelled angrily, and he wildly fired his paste gun everywhere he could point it at, covering random spots with his glue. "DON'T CALL ME PASTE POT!"

Connie thought quickly and just as Pete was about to fire his paste at her, she cut the gun in two, disarming him.

Finally, Garnet was pitted against Harvey Elder, aka the Mole-Man, who despite his abnormal height and poor vision, he was able to keep up with her with a fighting style resembling bojutsu that he used his staff for.

"We won't let you keep us from Steven!" Garnet yelled while the leader of the Moloids ran circles around her. "Why are you throwing your lot in with Doom, anyways?"

"He promised us things in exchange for our services!" the Mole Man declared. "Very special things, riches, glory, our own castles!"

"Well, my future vision tells me he won't actually give you those things." Garnet informed Harvey. "Instead he'll just run and hide once defeated while you're left to be arrested."

"WHAT?!" Harvey exclaimed in shock, leaving him open to get punched in the face.

--

"I thought I could trust you Erik!" Doom exclaimed as he stared down the master of magnetism. "Now you dare turn on Doom for that boy?!"

"He is essentially a mutant, just like I." Magneto boldly declared as he defended Steven and Kitty. "And I refuse to allow you to do him any harm."

"This is my land you mutated ingrate!" the doctor roared. "I can do whatever I please here, and you are powerless to stop me, lest you incur the people's wrath for endangering political immunity!"

"When has political immunity ever stopped the Brotherhood?!" Magneto boomed, floating up as a show of power. "Men call me Magneto, master of magnets! And I welcome you to die!"

Using his mutant abilities, Erik made everything in the operating room float in the air with a raise of his arm, and threw that arm down to launch them all at Doom. "Go children, find your friends! I shall handle things from here."

"Right." Steven obliged before he and Kitty fled the battle, leaving the leader of the Brotherhood to combat the king of Latveria.

Doctor Doom burst from the pile that Magneto had trapped him in, and retaliated with a powerful electric shock and that sent Magneto flying into a wall.

"Damn you!" Lehnsherr growled, creating a barrier around him to defend from further damage and unleash electromagnetic shocks from the barrier.

"Come here!" Doom roared, lunging at the mutant terrorist.

--

"The Gems have got to be outside the castle!" Steven exclaimed as he and Kitty ran from a slowly growing army of Doombots chasing them down.

"How would you know that?" Kitty asked.

"I remember when the Doombot said that the castle had intruders, that must be them!" Steven reminded his mutant pal while a Doombot tried to grab him. Suddenly, that same Doombot was stabbed through the neck by Lady Deathstrike's claws.

"Can't believe we're resorting to this." Deathstrike muttered before turning to the children. "I suppose you are looking for those Gems, correct? Go, we'll handle things from here."

As the pair continued running, Avalanche and Pyro appeared beside Yuriko to fight. With a confident nod, Avalanche stomped his foot and caused the castle to cave in on the robots, crushing them to bits.

As for Pyro, he was busy melting more Doombots into liquid metal, which gave the Blob an opening to run them all over with his immense girth.

"Oy, wait up ya squirts!" Juggernaut yelled as he bolted through the wall, covered in Doombot remains. Behind him, Toad and Mystique joined the massive mutate as Steven & Kitty finally reached the front of the castle, where the Crystal Gems, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the X-Force, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver were waiting.

"Steven!" Pearl yelled excitedly as she wrapped her arms around Steven, and Garnet, Amethyst & Connie followed suit. "We were so worried sick, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Steven answered. "He just took some samples of my blood and saliva, that's all."

"Steven, long time no see!" Spider-Man cried, giving the half-Gem a high five.

"Peter, Wanda, Pietro!" Steven replied, seeing the web-slinger along with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

"Ah, so you brought my children along?" Magneto asked as he suddenly appeared behind Steven with the Brotherhood behind him. "How quaint."

"Magneto!" Wolverine yelled, and he and the X-Men got ready for a fight, but then Xavier strolled in on his wheelchair. "Uh, Chuck?"

"Erik." Charles politely greeted his archrival.

"Charles." Erik replied in kind. "It seems we are once again at a point where we must align our interests for a common good."

"Indeed it is." The Professor examined thoughtfully.

"Uh, I guess this is pretty common, right?" Amethyst asked the pair of elderly mutants.

"Quite so Amethyst." Xavier declared. "Now then, what brought you to turn on Doom?"

"It was that boy there." Magneto revealed while pointing at Steven. "He convinced me that I could never allow a fellow mutant to be harmed, and I allowed him and Ms. Pryde to flee while I contended with Doom."

On that topic, the Frightful Four rose up to strike back against the Gems. "Et tu Magneto?!" the Mole Man yelled. "Well, we'll see who has the last laugh when the doctor comes for you all!"

Just then, loud mechanical wheezes and groans came from deeper within the castle. Everybody gathered turned back to the front gates and decided to go inside, hoping to see what was up.

--

"That helmeted fool shall rue the day he ever crossed me!" Doctor Doom muttered hatefully to himself as he tended to a massive machine until a security screen brought up the Ultimate Alliance making their way through his castle, now joined by the Brotherhood of Mutants. "Excellent." Doom purred before he pressed a few buttons on one of his metal gauntlets, causing the machines to turn on. "If Steven won't let me have that gem, I'll rip it from his corpse!"

Four gigantic purple and blue robots slowly stood up straight as their eyes began glowing four different colors, blue, red, green and white. The Sentinels Victor had been waiting to complete were finally ready, and he couldn't be happier to unleash them on his foes.

--

Phew, so glad I finally finished this! This took ages to write, since I intended to finish this chapter in February but then Alternate Future and college got in the way, plus I'm starting to get a little burned out since I have to balance two massive Steven Universe fanfictions. Hopefully I can at least get the next story started in the summer. But I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry to keep you waiting!

[darkestwolfx]

Power Play - Re-Review #41

Woah, I honestly didn’t expect to get this far! I know I haven’t been able to reply to everyone individually last week, but I’ve read every piece of feedback/comments that came my way. Seriously, thank you all so much for supporting this series, because else the Re-Review’s would have died out long ago! Anyhow, here we go;

Doesn’t thisstart make the episode just look lovely?

Attack of the giants! It’s like someone’s found and used a growth serum- oh no, we have to wait another two episode for that!

Honestly though the behind the scenes features for this episode did look pretty awesome.

But the actual episode is what we will now discuss.

Oh, lookie here, a problem! Send in the Thunderbirds (like with most episodes)!

“What’s going on down there?”

“I’m not the one in charge of the floodgates! You tell me.”

And what a response that was. Almost typical really.

“You’re going to have to close the floodgates manually.”

“Wait, something’s here. What is that thing? We need help!”

“This is International Rescue. Help is on the way.”

So we’ve got a dam that’s on the way down and some strange presence within it... interesting.

I can’t keep up with Brains and type so basically, it’s one of the largest dams in the world and it’s cracking!

“This will need all of us.”

Family outing!

I’m sorry to say it though, but did Scott wobble in his launch sequence? Seriously I’m hyper aware of it at the moment for some reason. I blame @tsarinatorment​ - stop putting ideas in my head! (I’m only kidding, please don’t stop). But I think you’ll find there was a wobble there.

Playing skipping rocks with Thunderbird Four? Seriously boys, hold off on the Gordon cruelty! After all, that’s the job of us fanfiction writers.

Interestingly, Alan was playing skipping rocks in the 2004 ‘Thunderbirds’ movie.

“I just have one question. If you drop me off, how are you going to get the pods out?”

“Glad you mentioned it. Better hold onto something.”

“Hey! What are you?”

“Ok, that was awesome, but a little more warning next time.”

“It was Alan’s idea. Sorry Gordo!”

Nicknames are back! And that little bit of music accompanying it was perfect! One of my favourite moments for sure!

At least Gordon was planning on going for a swim, unlike Scott here.

“What’s the next fastest way inside?”

“You’re looking for the auxiliary entrance to number six.”

“I wasn’t planning on going for a swim, John.”

“My scan say it should be dry.”

“Ok.”

The should gave it away for me.

“I wouldn’t want to be in here when someone turns on the tap.”

That for me was Scott really pushing his luck.

“Ur... guys, I think I’m about to take that swim after all.”

Well, you did push your luck.

“Meaning?”

“Something inside that turbine room is taking all the power!”

And who else could that be, but this guy.

“This means The Mechanic is here.”

And um, he’s still got that hacked link into their systems from ‘Up from the Depths’. Seriously, I thought Kayo was on that? Do a better job the second time around please?

“We need the GDF here and fast.”

“They’re arriving now.”

“You gone up against this Mechanic guy before, Captain? I hear he makes The Hood look soft.”

“The Mechanic will get what’s coming to him.”

Yes, I’m sure he will. Especially with the return of Captain Foster... Did anyone else worry at seeing her face?

“We’ve got nothing to fight these things with.”

“Speak for yourselves.”

Did anyone else feel the suspicion in that as well? I know ‘she’s’ a Captain, but the GDF wouldn’t only arm one person if they had the weaponry to fight The Mechanic. At least, my logic tells me they wouldn’t.

“I’m not waiting any longer. I need to get these people out of here.”

“Thanks. Scott Tracy, International Rescue.”

“Captain Foster. I got you covered, Tracy.”

Good deeds! Captain Foster helping with a rescue. That would’t normally be a new thing for the GDF.

“Looks like the GDF got some upgrades!”

Yeah, one person, Scott, and really did that not set alarm bells off? Who (other than Brains) is the only person we know capable of fighting The Mechanic? And um... who was wearing Captain Foster’s face the last time we saw him? I mean, there was of course every chance the real Captain Foster could have showed up and forced him to chance faces, but I think The Hood is more practical a thinker than that.

“No matter. I got what I came for.”

And that fact really does set off alarm bells. What does The Mechanic want super-super-super-super-super-super-super-super-super... imagine the rest- super-charged batteries for?

“So did I. We’re leaving!”

“I’ll take care of The Mechanic.”

“It’s not worth it. You don’t have to be a hero.”

“I’ll leave the hero business to you, Scott Tracy. My business is a very different kind. Unfinished.”

“The Hood!”

But, oh no, green is so not his colour!

It’s like Battle of the Bad Guys - I imagine that is actually much better than battle of the bands too...

And maybe a little bit like an episode of Eastenders..? I’ve honestly never watched it, but I’ve seen trailers in between other programs, and this first part of dialogue just seems like the sort of conversation that might appear in an episode. Let me know if you have seen it. 

“You’ve been mascaraing as a GDF officer all this time just to find me?”

“I consider it a public service. Though I admit I expected more of a challenge when I did.”

“Now that I know what I’m dealing with I’ll make it one!”

After their ‘break up’ at the mid-point of Series Two, I suppose a scene like this was inevitable. The big thing is, however, we still don’t know entirely what set these two against each other. Okay, The Hood’s horrible insults might make it onto that list, and obviously we know there’s some kind of influence/control going on with that golden eye of his (nice little nod to TOS there, even though they’ve taken all the magic and wonder out of it by replacing it with ‘cybernetics’). Big reveals are on the way though!

“Sorry pal, but I don’t want to stick around for the light show if you know what I mean.”

“Brains, I need you to keep an eye on things here.”

“R.A.D.”

And here’s the big reveal I mentioned;

“You should have left well enough alone.”

“I never forgive and I never forget. But I have to give you credit, whatever you have planned has made me quite curious.”

“You haven’t figured it out yet? It was your idea.”

“Project Sentinel?”

“Sentinel?”

Sentinel you say, Brains? Sentinel was the original name of the US Navy ship which shot down Thunderbird Two in the TOS episode ‘Terror in New York City’.

“You must be joking. I decided that was far too extreme. Even for me!”

The Hood thinks something is too extreme for him to use even though he originally planned..? Interesting.

You see - this debate will be fully taken up in that other post I keep talking about, which will appear eventually - this is where my issues with The Hood’s ultimate ending in TAG come around. There’s a great bit of writing here, with two feuding bad guys, which I’m still completely believing. I can’t quite remember what I felt the first time I watched this episode, but having seen the final and knowing how The Hood’s big career speech turns out, this loses all potential power for me. Someone who was just out for revenge and always seemed to never have a conscience compared with the great Jeff Tracy doesn’t seem like the sort of guy who would say this.

Also, with the great revelations we get on The Mechanic, his reply also seems out of place to me now. Okay, we could claim it’s because The Hood’s control over him is driving him mad, but even so, the fact is that they’ve shown The Mechanic to be able to think of his own accord still and he’s had other opportunities to get The Hood which wouldn’t have involved endangering the planet. I don’t know, it just seems to me like someone crossed their wires when writing these characters, or just forgot to re-watch Series 2 before writing series 3..?

“I, on the other hand, have no such reservations. It would have been building it for you after all. Now there’s nothing to stop me picking up from where we left off.”

“Except for me!”

“He’s fighting The Hood in there, remember?”

“As if this day couldn’t get even more interesting.”

Yes, so let’s take a look at the rescue effort for the dam in detail;

“Virgil, are you sure you don’t want me to take the pod?”

“Not this time.”

Wait, Virgil’s willingly handing over Thunderbird Two? Get the record books out. And all because he wanted to inspect the damn personally... He really is a structural expert.

“It’s pulling me off the dam!”

“Bulls-eye!”

“Nice going, Alan.”

So Alan gets Scott’s aim as well? Seems a little unfair.

“It seems to be working. I just hope I don’t run out.”

We went a couple episodes without jinxing things, and so now we’re back at jinx central.

Meanwhile whilst Gordon is fighting mechas underwater whilst trying to attach cables to the damn, Virgil is sitting pretty here... until... down they both go!

“Fancy meeting you here.”

I think that’s pay back for the dropped landing earlier.

“Alan I sure hope you’re in position. Things are about to get wet!”

I’m guessing this wasn’t the ultimate end game plan though... You okay chilling down there?

“I’m ok. I think.”

Okay, we’ll just leave you there for a minute then, so that the battle of the bad guys scene can happen.

P.S. Look at poor little beached Thunderbird Four.

In fairness though, probably neither was this;

“This stuff washes off right?”

The fact that Gordon has asked that immediately gave me the answer.

No.

“Um, no, that’s the point.”

“Oh, ok, just checking.”

“You didn’t get any on Thunderbird Four, did you?”

“Let’s focus on the positives!”

Which means: yes.

“We can’t let him or The Mechanic leave with those power cells!”

“Seal off the area. Nothing gets in or out of here!”

And bye-bye goes The Mechanic.

 Another job well done by the GDF!

Scott’s face as The Mechanic’s ship vanishes.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to help Alan.”

“Why? What’s wrong with Alan?”

“Oh nothing.”

This Kayo and Scott exchange reminded me a little of conversations in TOS episodes ‘End of the Road’ and ‘Attack of the Alligators’ - you know where the big brother’s are doing the thing of wondering about the younger brother’s dating prospects.

And just a question, do we think that guy in the green shirt who came out to go fishing at the start of the episode has just been sat there watching the whole time? Because I do. Trainspotting? How about IR spotting?

So, humour aside, let’s explain what Project Sentinel is;

“What is it? Some kind of engine?”

“It’s a laser. The most powerful one I have ever seen. In the wrong hands it could be dangerous.”

This is a great episode, don’t mistake me on that. It’s got a nice rescue, balanced out with some smashing moments and a bit of bad guy brawling... but somehow, even though this episode is lighter, it’s not all fun and games. It’s a filler really, but it doesn’t portray itself in the typical way we usually see episodes of that type done. It pushes the plot forward just enough without giving away everything and ties up the remaining lose ends from ‘Escape Proof’. The comedy hits and it’s definitely less tense than some of those before it, but it’s still ultimately setting up some serious events to come and that always makes me a little worried. 

[duskholland]

I would love to see you re-vamp it with a college take. Bloom taken from a college perspective honestly seems like it would be fantastic, and knowing you, it’d be brilliantly written with beautiful detail as always. I have two stories planned for your birthday, but I have to finish the second one. I’m excited because the first one has actually given me a possible series idea, but I’m not sure quite yet on that being a thing. But I’ve got the idea safely written in my notes in case! ❤️~♉️ (1/2)

+ I will be going through and getting the rest of your stories for Tom Holland and co. read this week while I have time. I also plan to send that query letter to Happiful in the next two weeks. Hopefully something good comes of it, but I’m extremely nervous about it, so who knows. Anyhow, I hope your day has been amazing! I’m going to go and eat something since I’ve had almost nothing sustainable in the last two days except for a sausage biscuit and a hash brown. I’ll be back soon! ❤️~♉️ (2/2) + Ooof I was so busy not being on anything that I forgot that I was going to keep you up to date on my NaNoWriMo work. I got to 50,000 words two days ago, and I’ve written over it by now. I’ve got seven fics out of it which was surprising and I am excited despite the fact that I’ll only be posting them on AO3 once my break starts in a few weeks. So, there’s the update, and hope you have a wonderful day!! ~♉️

//

thank you so much abt bloom :’)) i have a lot of big ideas and they rarely make it onto paper, let alone tumblr, but i’d really like to rework it. i spent the last couple of days tossing around some concepts and possible ideas for it and :) if I manage to do it, it’ll be great. but !! omg two stories are you kidding. that’s mad. thank you so much, you’re so lovely. it means the absolute world to me that you’d even want to do that....thank you! best of luck with happiful too!!! and also -- 50k! yes then! go you !!!! you’ve beaten nanowrimo a whole week early, that must feel pretty good. i’m happy for you, and I hope you're proud of yourself!! i also hope that you have been taking care of yourself and having a very nice week pal <3