#crooked-mantis

[thankskenpenders]

When you decide to get back to covering the comics after any break, do you make an effort to recap the events of the series to the current point? And if so, by what means? Do you ever review the 'sparknotes' via your own blog or do you always flip through the comics themselves? Is it the kind of thing where you only actively look back after you come across those little editors notes that point back to prior issues?

Anytime I come back from a long hiatus, like the one I'm on now, I tend to reread the whole archive of the blog as a refresher, yeah. Archie Sonic is way too continuity-driven, especially in the Flynn era, for me to go in with hazy memories of what was going on. I can't comment on how ongoing arcs are handled if I only vaguely remember what had been set up before my hiatus

As I've gotten further into the series, though, this has become more of an undertaking, which is the main reason why this hiatus that started because I needed to finish SLARPG is still ongoing a year and a half after the game released. At this point I think I'd also like to reread all of the old Archie comics on top of rereading my archive. I wouldn't go back and cover every single issue again, but like, I wrote much of this blog in my early 20s, and now I'm 30. I engage with things differently now. I have different opinions on some things. There's a difference between going back and rereading the actual comics for myself, vs. just rereading what I said about them on here when I was 20. (I especially feel the need to do this for due diligence before I really get to work on that Penders video essay, which I swear is still happening.)

[ha-youwish]

🎶 for the ask game

ask game

🎶 if your hyperfixation has songs/an ost, what is your favorite song from it?

im literally caught between so many hyperfixations that i have to choose uhhhhg ffxv. easy choice listen to wanderlust RIGHT MEOW

[fr3akingtf0utrn]

hi can u do peter quill x gn reader where the crew walks in on them two either like making out or something (if ur comfy with that if not feel free to ignore!!)

YES. I’ve seen a lot of these and sorry this took long❤️

Also I do tend to lean on more dom reader side so yuh

Peter Quill x GN! Reader

Warnings : suggestive actions, making out grinding etc.

————————————————————————

“fuck,” you had pushed Peter down onto his bed, he laid sprawled out with no shirt and just pants on. Extremely tight pants. You griped your own shirt and lifted it over your head, throwing it somewhere in his room.

You crawled atop of him and glided your chests together. The aching contact of skin on skin for weeks had finally come.

Peter whimpers in your ear as trail your bites and nics down from his ear to his neck. You grip onto the back of his thigh while grinding hard into him.

Peter throws his head back, which gives you more access to marking him. You lick up his neck smirking to yourself. Peter moved his hand to the crook of your neck, pulling you away from his abused and bruised neck, making you look into his eyes.

He smiles and pulls you in to a kiss. Your bodies collided along with your lips. The heat growing more and more in Quills room.

It had been an agonizing week of nonstop working around knowhere. You guys had barely gotten alone time and this was finally your alone time. You both had done everything needed (hopefully) for everyone settling in, and could blow off that stress. (Almost quite literally)

Your guys’ body ached for each other. Not having been touched in the slightest had made you feel so sensitive to it.

Yearning for the pleasure you both ached for, Peter grounded harder into you causing you both to moan, feeling the heat of each others breaths. You grabbed onto his hips allowing him to rock against your thigh slowly. His legs almost wrapping around your waist.

Peter had one grip on your locks, and one on your bicep. You looked down with hooded eyes as his face contorted into pleasure, craning his neck back, mouth agape.

Leaning back down, you went to his ear nipping and biting and soon going to his sweet spot under his ear. Peter moaned louder, the feeling of you marking him and pelvis to pelvis had never felt better.

Whispering sweet praises, you release the side of his hip and grab onto his neck, putting slight pressure making him whimper. You’re thumb move to under this chin and make him crane his neck even more.

“Such a pretty boy,” you mutter into his neck and his back arches. You trail the hand down his chest, grazing his soft but hairy chest. The pads of your fingertips graze his harden nipple and you play with it as you bring him into another kiss.

Catching him off guard while playing with his sensitive nipple, your tongue slips through, passionately adding to the kiss.

Slowly but surely, almost hovering, feather light scratching, your nails run down his abdomen.

“Such a good boy,” you say as you look into his clouded eyes.

Unbuckling his belt, you slip your fingers right under the waist band. Trailing your pads and feeling his well trimmed happy trial, you continue to tease.

Reaching down farther you graze his tip and-

*SLAM BANG*

“QUILL, MANTIS KEEPS USING HER-”

You both stare wide eyed. It was a sight to be seen. Your hand halfway down peters pants, both of your guys shirts off, etc.

“Uhm,” you went to say something to drax but struggled.

Drax stood there and did nothing. To confused and traumatized. Honestly, thank god it was only Drax and not anyone-

“PETER. Do not listen to Drax he’s just-”

Mantis came barging in and had pushed Drax out of the way before looking up and freezing. Her jaw dropped and her already big eyes grew wider.

Before anything else happened, Nebula pushed both of them and screamed. “Will you both shut the-” Frozen as well.

Everyone was quiet. Unsure what the hell to do.

Peter suddenly irked, “well get out! What is with you people and just standing there?!”

They all scattered and Nebula was now pushing both of them out the door, including forgetting to close it.

“Close the fucking door!”

[valentine-cafe]

May I have a strawberry shortcake maybe with a tirimasu and mango pudding please?

[Afab reader]

Just thinking about riding Rishen's motorcycle with her for the first time!!:( Going to meet up with Talisen and Alessio to watch the stars together!!:(( You've always wanted to ride on her motorcycle, but you were always nervous!!! But this is Rishen, and he would do everything in his power to make sure you were safe!! So now you're on the back of Rishen's bike, clinging tightly onto them!! Taking a detour before meeting up with Alessio and Talisen! And the winding against your skin has your cunny twitching, tightens your arms around his waist, you grind your cunny against his ass. You'll feel his back shake with a light laugh, and she starts to make another detour, taking you to a secluded area. And before you know it, your helmets are thrown to the side, your back is pressed against the seat with your legs on the crook of his arms and his hips jack hammering into yours. And he'll be moaning into your mouth like a whore trying desperately to keep his whimpers low. Not before texting Talisen and Alessio that it might be a while before you arrive at the set location followed by videos of you both a bit after!!

You'll both arrive late but at least you'll have cum dripping down your legs!!:D There's no physical evidence on the outside that your throat got fucked by Rishen's cock except for one of the videos sent Alessio's and Talisen's way and your sore throat!!:D

-🍄

˖⁺. ﹙ nerdy hybrid hero x literature hero reaper  x afab reader x punkgoth bf. ﹚ .𖹭 ݁

. . . i wanna ride !! 🍒 :  rishen: hero ˖ moth-spider-mantis hybrid ˖ preppy nerd character ˖ talisen: poet ˖ grim reaper ˖ naga character ˖ alessio: punkgoth ˖ mercenary ˖ immortal character ﹙ verse 781 rishen, talisen & alessio. ﹚

getting anxious to ride on rishen's moterbike for the first time, she helps you ride something else to take away the tension | cw : plugging ˖ cum eating ˖ public sex ( you never get seen ) ˖ smut

he would be fucking you so hard, in all of the positions she could possibly find for you on her bike!

other times you’d find yourself ass up on the steer, face shoved into the seat while she eats you out. drinking up any of the juices and cum that squirt out of you, regardless if they’re mixed with his or not. fingers tracing your clit in rough, circling motions.

“look at the camera huh? let them see how pretty you look cariño.” they’d chuckle, stuffing your mouth and throat full of her cock. while recording his vigerous mouth fucking, along with your pretty eyes squinting with tears of pleasure and euphoric deliriousness.

at one point you’d be the one to bend her over the bike slightly. riding her girldick with her phone in your hand, pointing straight down to your crotches. puffy pussy taking him so well.

after a while of tending to your tensed state. she’d grab you and put your shaky form back behind her on the bike. making her way to your prime destination. letting you grind down against the seating of the back, while whining for her through your helmet.

the feel of their cum plugged in your pussy, and trickling down your legs. cause shivers to rush up your spine.

“we’re here.” rishen would cheerily call for your two other boyfriends, who look up from alessio’s phone. having just watched the videos sent. mouthes agape and eyes wide.

“took your time.” the mercenary would joke, composing himself once more and casting a small smirk your way.

“hmm? we just took a little detour~” they’d respond, grinning deviously. a hand sneaking around your waist to drag you with it.

you’d earn chuckles from all three of the boyfriends whenever you’d speak. voice hoarse and raspy.

oh the both of you were going to be in trouble when you arrived home.

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

hey bbg 😽

so i was reading a fic for an entirely different character but i think itd be absolutely adorable for my husb- i mean OUR husband Quill

Maybe reader is like stressed (over smthn i have no idea) and the guardians tried to cheer em up but nothing worked so they brought the big guns: peter. jason. quill.

and he tries to cheer reader up with lil jokes and just the stuff he knows makes reader smile hshsjshjss all the fluff bbg 🛐

hope you can get to this soon! have a great week/end 🫶

-🪐

hii bbg!! angelface, I love it, I love it all. and im glad you corrected yourself, ‘our’, yeah you’re right😏 jk jk, when I talk to you, he’s yours, but here he’s ours🤭 thank you for requesting, hope you like it💌

surprise visitor

Peter Quill x f!reader

— word count: 559

— warnings: none, just fluff

₊✧ masterlist + taglist

Whenever you felt stressed, it often accompanied other emotions you were unsure of. You found it difficult to cope and manage the stress, and ultimately it would lead to you shutting down. You didn't like others to know how you felt, so you preferred to keep up the facade and pretend. Lately, you've been feeling more stressed than usual, and it was starting to get you down. It made you feel silly for getting so worked up over nothing. 

The other guardians could tell something was bothering you, more specifically, Nebula. She was often highly observant of everyone around her and would notice the slightest change in others. So she pulled Mantis aside to plan ways to help and comfort you. 

Although the gesture was sweet and heartwarming, it wasn't what you needed. It wasn't what you wanted. What you wanted was Quill, but he wasn't here. He was away on a planet restoration mission with Rocket and Groot, so there was no way of seeing him right now, or so you thought. Once Mantis touched your arm, she could feel what you felt, understand you- even though you couldn't identify it yourself. She could feel how much you missed Peter, so she wanted to give you the one thing that would help, the only person that could soothe and calm you, Quill.

"I heard someone's missin' me," Pete bellows, a playful expression on his face as he enters the ship. "Someone's missin' me real bad," he smirks, pacing towards you. 

"Hi," you earnestly smile, instantly wrapping him up in a tight hug.

"Hi, honey," he says quietly, his lips brushing against your forehead as he strokes your back with his easing palms. 

"I missed you," you muffled into the crook of his neck.

"I missed you," he softly sighs, pulling away to look at you. "Mant told me," he sadly smiles, looking into your eyes. "Not feelin' too good, huh?"

You slowly shake your head, avoiding his soft green gaze.

"I'm sorry, hon," he frowns, leaning in to kiss the tip of your nose. "That's okay. You don't have to be okay all the time— well, it's not okay, but not not okay— you know what I mean," he chuckles, clearing his flustered haze. "You get what I'm tryna say," he grins, wrapping his big warm arms around you. 

"I know," you softly laugh into his chest, hugging him tighter as if you were afraid he'll slip through your fingers.

"You know I'm not going anywhere— you're gonna end up popping my lungs," Peter chuckles, brushing slow, comforting strokes over your back. 

"Sorry," you giggle, muffling against him before you pull away. It was the first time you really laughed since he left, and it all felt right. Felt like how it was supposed to. "When do you go back?" you ask, questioning the inevitable.

"I'm not— well, until you're feelin' better," he says, kissing your cheek. "Drax is taking my place," he adds, noticing your puzzled expression.

"What if I never feel better?" you smile, speaking playfully.

"Then I guess I'll have to stay forever," he grins, slipping his hand into yours, leading you to the back of the ship. 

"Where we going?" you ask, catching up with his long strides.

"Secret," he looks over his shoulder, a boyish grin lining his lips. "No, no, just kiddin'. Goin' up top to look at the stars and cuddle."

— — — — — — — — — — ☆ — — — — — — — — — —

quill taglist: @annielr @spacetalbot @bubblezuku@idontknowwhattohaveasmyuser @queerponcho @selfryed @traiitorjoe

[wrencatte]

I’m going to die here…

I don’t wanna die! I don’t wanna die!

Please someone put me out of my misery.

Someone save me.

          Let me die. Let me die. Please let me die.

Rotting. Rotting. Under – under my skin – crawling – eating – under, under, skin –

I didn’t do anything. Please. Please.

                                                I’m so hungry.

The walls – the walls – stop – stop –

                                                                                                Water…water –

He’s missing for only a few hours before they find him.

This is a few hours too many.

Curled up in a tiny ball, legs tucked under his poncho protectively, he almost blends in with the shadows. If it weren’t for the undercurrent of despair in his signature like a homing beacon in the Force, Cere thinks she would’ve missed him completely. It’s a far cry from the laughter in the Mantis this morning.

Cere drops into the little room from above. Her landing is loud in the tiny space, yet Cal doesn’t react. He doesn’t even twitch. She shines her torch somewhere near his face, whispering his name – and gets nothing. She ducks down to check for consciousness though the Force is subdued and muted, not that streaking fire that Cal normally is, and her stomach sinks at the sight of a dull, listless stare.

“Oh, Cal,” she breathes.

She brushes his hair from his face, tucking it behind his ears. It’s getting long, she notes. There’s a massive bruise in the middle of his forehead, black-dark already. His lips are red with blood, speckling his chin. She checks under his poncho for more injuries, using the Force to aid her when her eyes fail in the dim light, and finds nothing life-threatening she can sense, so she pinches her torch between her knees and gathers his hands in hers.

They’re cold.

Cere cradles them carefully, inspecting the damage. More blood, caked into his nail beds and under them, glistening on the tips where the skin is rubbed raw. He’s missing nails on his pinky and ring fingers. She glances down and finds smears of red – and white scores in the stonework, and a fingernail laying there oh-so innocently. Her heart aches. What happened to you?

She squeezes his hands rhythmically, partly to keep him warm and partly, partly because this is just something they do, when they’re able, when Cal gets caught up in a drawn-out echo. He likes the anchor to the present, he told them. He never feels it when he’s actually in the echo itself, but it’s always the first thing he’s aware of when he comes out of it. It makes him feel safer, knowing he’s not alone.

This doesn’t look like an echo, but even after all these months she’s nowhere near an expert on psychometry.

“Come back, Cal,” she whispers anyway, his hands so cold and his gaze so empty.

He doesn’t respond.

“Cere,” Merrin hisses from above. “The system will auto-boot soon. The droid cannot stop this one.”

“I’ve got him,” she calls back. Merrin says nothing more, but she sees the Nightsister hover at the edge of the ceiling door, peering down at them with barely hidden anxiety.

Cere is gentle as she gathers Cal into her arms, the Force helping her bear the weight. She doesn’t want to let him go, but she pulls her power close and raises him slowly until he’s high enough for Merrin to take. She double checks that nothing was left behind then follows them up with a Force assisted jump.

Merrin cradles Cal in her arms like he’s something precious, her expression pained and horrified. His eyes are still open, thin slivers of dull green between his eyelashes. His head falls over the crook of Merrin’s arm, exposing his throat in a way that makes Cere swallow thickly. Merrin nudges him until his temple is resting on her shoulder instead, curled up smaller than either of them have ever seen.

“What did they do to you?” Merrin asks, voice low and dangerous, the air sparking green around her. “I will kill them.”

Cere lays a hand on her shoulder. “We take care of Cal first,” she says. Merrin glares at her for a long moment before she reluctantly nods then climbs to her feet. “BeeDee! We have him!”

The droid dashes out of the shadows, whirl-clicking quietly, and clambers up Merrin to perch on her shoulder. His optics flash as he tries to start up his scanner, but they’re too damaged. He bwoops almost silently. It sounds wretched through his ruined speakers.

Cere taps his chassis in reassurance before they're off, alarm blaring loudly behind them. It's too late though. They rush into the Mantis just as the guards mobilize, shouts starting up when they find the guards around the cellblock Cal was in already taken care of.

[lottespics]

Why Me? - Part 1

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader

Warnings: Drinking, cursing, insecurities, pining (if I do end up writing more I will put more chapter warnings)

Word Count: 700

Summary: Bob is a total simp, and he is too caught up in his own insecurities to ever think about the possibility you may very well like him back.

A/N: Ok, so this is my first attempt at writing in a VERY long time, so pls be gentle to me, thank you. But if anyone comes upon this I hope you enjoy it! I'm hoping to write more and have it become a series but we'll see what happens. Also I suck at summaries so sorryyy.

For the twenty-nine years Bob had been alive he had never felt this way before. It took a single stare. A look. A glance really, to know that he had been blessed in this life. You’d think he was admiring a masterpiece carefully handcrafted by a tortured artist who had dedicated his life to his craft, or perhaps the sunset over the cliffs of La Jolla that reflected off of the water just right. But no. Because nothing in this moment could compare to the sight before him. It was simply you, holding a hand to your chest, throwing your head back in a laugh over some wild story Phoenix was telling you about her family back home.

Everything slowed down around him as the light from the bar cast a halo around your head. The way your cheeks flushed from the rowdy atmosphere of the Hard Deck. The way your soft hand slid from your chest to Phoenix’s shoulder in an attempt to catch your breath. He knew he was staring at this point, but he just couldn’t tear his eyes from you. Even gazing at you in awe from behind the pool table he found himself blushing at the thought of you and your inviting smile. 

Just as you take a sip from your glass, your eyes scan the bar and land on his, already staring right at you. Your eyes widen at first at how intently his eyes bore into yours, until they soften and a crooked smile makes its way to his lips. You smile right back at him and raise your hand in a small wave. Bob’s heart beats faster as you continue to smile at him, he picks up his hand and gives a wave back. Your smile widens as you stare back into your drink.

Even in your khakis Bob thinks there is no way you could get more beautiful. He should go over and talk to you. But he thinks better of it as you’re still in your conversation with Phoenix. That is until Phoenix gets up and heads to the restroom. Oh god. This is his chance. He should take it right? No, he’ll just end up making a stuttering mess of himself like the last time he tried to have a one-on-one conversation with you. The team still held that over his head, as they only thought he was nervous to say something wrong and have you go running to tell your dad what a dumb-ass he was.

Your father of course being their Captain, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. That was its own obstacle. Other than the fact that the thought of you had him stumbling over his own words, your father was one reason why he was hesitant to approach you. You had mentioned to Phoenix before that because of this every aviator either kept their distance from you, or had made a game of trying to hook up with you. This detachment had been different this time. Everyone has been friendly to you for no other reason than to be friendly. Of course, Hangman tried his hand at you, but that was before he realized who your father was. Bob remembers it quite well. The way Hangman sidled up to you to introduce himself. Giving you his best lines, eventually asking how you got the call sign of “Mantis” only for you to stare at him and casually say, “‘Cause I’ll bite your fucking head off if you try anything”. You gave him your best smile and walked off after Hangman promptly choked on his drink.

Lost in his daydream, Bob barely notices Phoenix coming back and reclaiming her seat next to you. Another opportunity slips out of his hands. He looks back to his empty cup of peanuts and decides to call it a night, heading out without saying goodbye to anyone, not like they would notice anyway. Besides, if you ever were to take a chance on anyone in the squad why would it be him? He makes it to the front of the bar before you look up smiling, hoping to see him again, he was too far gone to see it slip from your face. You let out a dejected sigh before asking Penny to close out your tab.

[elexuscal]

challenge: make a poll with five of your all time favorite characters, and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favorite.

Idea continued from this thread!

I was tagged by Chi! I'm going to tag some fresh blood and continue the challenge: @swordaperson @zombee @coreyww @crooked-mantis @ilovedthestars

[systembug]

After getting some advice from a kind moot and doing some reading on mantis preservation I decided to spread mine:)

It looks much better after I fiddled with it so I can show it without hiding under the cut:3

She now looks like a respectable specimen, even if a bit crooked<3

Thank you @shrivveledradish for telling me about preventing discoloration, my silly ass was drying in on the balcony. Now that I brought it inside it stopped changing colour completely!

[fanficsandfluff]

Guardians of the Galaxy: Nice

Fandom: Guardians of the Galaxy

Character(s): Rocket, Peter Quill/Star Lord, Mantis, Drax, Nebula, Groot

A/N: I'M BACK. BACK IN THE NEW YORK GROOVE~~

No but seriously how the fuck is everyone!?!?

I am revisiting my Guardians phase and I couldn't be more happy to be here.

I will say very MINOR spoilers for Vol. 3, and this is supposed to take place after all those events transpired.

This was what I came up with from this anon's ask and I greatly appreciate you sending this in. Not so much tickling in this one, and it's definitely fluffy and sweet, so I still hope you enjoy!

It's been tumultuous. It's been frustrating. It's been hell at times, too.

But then Drax would sit next to him on the grated metal floor of the ship as he tinkered with something new, something helpful. It wouldn't take much. Just having Drax sitting with his too-big legs trying to criss-cross themselves, crunching on a zargnut or some other snack... hell, it should've annoyed the piss outta him. The stupid chewing noises, hearing his breath when he leaned in to get as close as possible with his face so his Kylosian eyes could see the intricacies of whatever was in Rocket's little pawed hands. It didn't annoy him, actually. No. The dummy was actually helping him immensely with his presence. And they wouldn't even need to talk. As long as Drax was near, sometimes scooting close enough that his knee rested in the crook of Rocket's side. That was nice...

Then the hell feelings would surface again, grumbles under his breath as the thoughts bubbled up.

And it would be Groot coming closer after keeping watch on Rocket for a short while, knowing just the time when he needed to step in. And usually when he waited long enough, Groot was itching to be playful. He was a whole lot bigger now. Bigger than he was before the Ronan incident. So his attempts at going for the chase were met with a gruff chuckle and grin from the raccoon almost instantly. Groot's big dumb tree trunks stomping around... it was humorous. And of course Rocket would try and hold out, or else what fun was there in the game? He'd slooowly walk in a circle with his friend, then scamper around when Groot happily hopped up and down from the excitement of the playing. Groot would extend his fingers, morphing them into thin, pliable branches and scratch and poke at Rocket when he could catch him. Eventually, though he'd never admit it if asked, Rocket would "let" himself get caught and Groot would scoop him up into his arms and it just felt nice.

Rocket would be stopped in his tracks, too, when he felt his heart tittering. Like it was fluttering a bit too extra at times, making his breathing difficult. This was a new development after being medpack'd back to life. Not life threatening, they debunked that theory early on. It was just a nuisance. But the limited ability to intake oxygen would sometimes send Rocket whirling again, back in time, back to the terrors...

And a boisterous laugh from down the hall and to the right, to Quill's personal area (though it's become less personal over the time his new family spent there and infiltrated the space. Rocket preferred it like it was now...). There Rocket would catch a glimpse of Peter and Mantis, sitting together, Mantis laughing at something. It was hard to tell with her. Most things that amused her amused Drax, so one could guess it'd be a stupid ass cause. Rocket's ears and nose would twitch, even his lips where a small smile was playing. Even though he thought he was out of sight, eavesdropping on the sibling to sibling moment, Peter would catch him standing there and beckon him over. And Rocket would go and sit between the two, heart murmur forgotten. Just smiles. And yeah yeah, shut your face, Rocket did sit between them on purpose, so he'd have comfort on either side. Moments like these were nice, too, man...

"Rocket."

With a few extra blinks, the raccoon was back in the present. Reminiscing became a very real hobby as of late, after the rescue, after the reunification. He'd go to these places easily, slipping away without any thought for what was happening around him here and now. But that was Pete saying his name, he knew that much.

"Wha?"

"You wanted a shot, too?"

Rocket looked down his snout at the array of rainbow liquids before him. He glanced over at Nebula, arms crossed. She looked sober. He gestured his head towards the spread, "You have any?"

"I was waiting for you."

Rocket smirked, "Fire me up one, barkeep," he slammed his little hand on the control table, their meetup/planning place that was now used to house the libations for their little party.

"Don't know if that's correct lingo, but let's go with it," Peter teased but poured shots for Nebula and Rocket.

And together, the group drank and the night began.

This was gonna be fun drunk. Not sad drunk. Lord knows Rocket couldn't stand sad drunk anymore, especially after watching Peter deteriorate after Gamora 1.

Come to find out, fun drunk brought out a very different side of Rocket.

The first sign most noticeable to everyone was the giggles. They were all highly familiar with Rocket's many fake laughs, loud laughs, derisive laughs... the whole gambit. If they were chatting and joking, Rocket would lose himself in a stream of giggles, higher and more innocent than anything the family was used to. But it was contagious, considering the rest of them were also quite tipsy.

While the whole troupe picked up on that, Nebula was the first one to notice all the touching. Not being one for affection, the only touching she'd bestow or want to have would consist of pushing or punching. But Rocket was sidling up to everyone at any chance he had.

When he was sitting on a bench next to Peter as they were listening to Drax try to tell some outlandish, very-serious-not-funny-at-all story, Rocket would be nearly passing out from wheezing at trying to hold back all the laughs he had bubbling up from Drax's horrible speech, and he'd be nuzzling and pressing his head all into Peter's arm and side. The Terran would be in the same state, rosy-cheeked and littered with repressed snorts and giggles. The two of them together were not a good mix for trying to keep straight faces. Finally, Drax picked up on the boys' restraint and Peter lost it, sliding down in his seat, nearly falling completely off the bench. And Rocket was practically laying in Peter's lap, now also in hysterics.

Nebula was pouring herself another drink and Rocket stumbled up to her, pressing his hand against her knee, "Hey."

"What?"

"Hey--pfft," Rocket was snickering again.

Nebula rolled her eyes but paused her drink selection to look down at Rocket, who was now feeling the fabric of her pant leg with both paws. See? Again, the touching.

"Rocket, if this is something idiotic--"

"I'snot! No no no, it's not. Promise," even through slurred words, Nebula had to admit she was intrigued.

"Then what? Did you want a drink?"

"Nnno-- well wait yeah, actually, if you wouldn't mind-- But no! So! They were askin'--" he lifted one of his hands off her leg to gesture in the vague direction of the rest of the group, huddled up together with all their eyes on Nebula and Rocket, waiting for the ball to drop. Idiots.

"Are you--? Do ya think you're ticklish?" Rocket asked finally, another one of those light giggles slipping out.

Nebula glanced over at the group with one of her death stares, and they all tried to feign innocence.

"Do I look like I'm ticklish?"

Rocket now lifted both hands off her and used them to shrug, "I dunno, I was just askin'..."

"You can tell them no. And not to try or I'll strap them with Nova Core-strength batteries and feed them to Mantis's Abilisks."

Rocket scoffed, starting to walk away slowly, "Geeheez, alright... No need to be so 'Nebula' 'bout it. I don't mind it, so I guess I just don't get why you're bein' so defensivitious..."

And there he was making new words up again. But Nebula didn't let go of the one very important tidbit slurred in the middle of the nonsense ramble. He didn't mind it.

More of the night passed and they were nearing the sloppy, lovey dovey drunk phase of the night.

"I love you guys," Mantis was the one with the turn to spew her love speech. They found out Mantis had a hard time getting drunk, so throughout the night Drax and Peter would let her touch them so she could feel a little of what they were feeling, "Like... I'm just a worm..." uh oh, "A little teeny--bitsy worm and you all made me bloom."

"You're nohohot a worm, Mant," Rocket chuckled, laying down with his head in Drax's lap and his feet propped up on Nebula's.

"I thought you were a larvae," Drax pointed out.

"Was," Mantis corrected, her antennae drooping with the brief recollection of Ego, "But now I'm a butterfly!" she even waved her arms in the air to prove her point.

"Wouldn't you just be... a mantis? A praying mantis?" Peter now inquired, scrunching his face like this took a whole lot of energy.

"A what?" Mantis asked.

"Forget it.." Peter didn't want Mantis to have an existential crisis over whether or not she was a butterfly. So for tonight, yes, she was a beautiful butterfly.

"I love you losers, too," Rocket took his turn, his eyes closed and his words honestly barely audible since it looked like he was getting drunker and sleepier by the second, "I love you for all you do for me. For this."

By 'this,' everyone assumed the party.

Rocket rolled over on his side and his tail flicked, "For... you know... whenever you... like you pet me. Or just take care of me..."

The room was quiet, save for Peter's music playing on low volume through the ship's speakers. All eyes were on Rocket.

"I thought you hated being pet," Pete pointed out, a moment of sobriety coming through.

Rocket blinked his eyes back open as if he was again being brought back to the present. What did he say? He liked being pet?

"Well yeah..." the raccoon sat up now, removing his body parts from Drax and Nebula, like he was now becoming aware that he was laying on them at all.

"But that's not what you said just now," Mantis said.

"No. No, I-I--"

"I've pet you before. When you were sad," Drax said next, "It was natural to do, since you are built for petting."

"Okay--"

"I am Groot."

"What!?" everyone in the room exclaimed in unison.

If Rocket was human, he'd be beet red by now. He tried running away from the situation, literally. But Nebula grabbed his arm, not in a rude or demeaning way. Her touch was gentle. Shit, just what he needed right now, more gentle touch...

"You like when we're... affectionate," it was even hard for her to get the word out.

"Everyone likes hugs and nuzzles--" Mantis threw in, ready to list a whole bunch of things when Nebula cut her off.

"... and tickles," she was sporting another oddity: a kind smile.

"Groot..." Rocket growled, eyeing his friend for outing him like that. He wanted to crawl into the evac chamber and be shot into space.

"He didn't have to say it," Nebula pointed out to save Groot some heartache, "You told me earlier."

"I think I'm gonna go to bed now," Rocket tried to get his arm free, "And for the record, I'm drunk. I never heard any of this."

"Rocket," Peter began, "You know that if we knew you liked all that stuff, we'd do it more."

"Please stop talking.."

"Don't be embarrassed," Mantis pouted.

"I think there could be far worse things to be embarrassed about," Drax added, "Even though I don't quite know what that means."

"We love you for who you are," Peter even stood up from his seat and walked closer to where Rocket was still being held by Nebula's hand, "So stop thinking you're inconveniencing us or-or that you don't care..."

"It's a privilege to make you happy, Rocket," Nebula said, her voice soft.

Rocket stood still, with Pete now kneeling to be more at eye-level with him and Nebula holding his wrist. His brown eyes glanced around at his friends-- scratch that, his family. What a stupid way to have this conversation. A bunch of drunk idiots confessing their love.

"I 'ppreciate it, fellas..." Rocket spoke. He nodded his head, making sure to have eye contact with everyone there to know he loved them back, even though this turned very awkward.

When Rocket felt Nebula let go of him and he figured he was finally allowed to leave, Peter surprised him by grabbing him in a hug and holding him close. Rocket sighed and patted Pete's shoulder, not so much reciprocating the hug because he just felt weird about it all now. But it was nice-- oh fuck, here we go...

Drax carefully pet the top of his head between his ears, and they twitched and sank to give away their enjoyment of the act. Nebula extended her metal arm and scratched under Rocket's chin, grinning. Rocket huffed and moved his head, but damn that also felt good... and Pete still didn't let go of him... So Mantis came over and practically threw herself on top of him and Peter so she could join in the hug. Rocket heard Pete chuckle and felt the rumble in his chest since he was that close to his friend.

Lastly Groot joined in, wrapping his growing branches and limbs around the whole group sitting there in a huddle.

"Bunch of idiots..." Rocket said with heavy sentiment. He succumbed to the hugs and pets and scritches because dammit he really frickin' liked it all.

Rocket felt some prodding into his sides and he snickered into Pete's shoulder, "Groohoot..." he warned, knowing the familiar feeling too well.

"What'd he do?" Peter asked.

Again, Rocket felt the prods and new light scratches. His small body shook with unlaughed laughs. He recognized the tone in Pete's voice and knew it wasn't Groot poking at him. So he had to defend himself. Rocket's claws dug into the expanse of flesh that was Peter's ribs and the whole hug pile disintegrated as Peter screamed and cackled and writhed his way out of there.

"I am Groot!"

"Damn right I can dish it out, too!" Rocket grinned.

What soon tumbled into a massive tickle fight ended with Rocket in near tears of mirth, all his family and friends gently messing with little parts of him.

This was a new one to go into that memory bank of his.

A real, genuine nice moment.

[schismusic]

In the shadow of the horns: meditations on Team ICO's works – 2. ICO

[Disclaimer: as always, spoilers for ICO are to be expected, and so are spoilers for Shadow of the Colossus since we've already discussed that one. Reader's discretion is advised.]

This one I wrote in a massive rush, because I only realized that I hadn't written anything about ICO yet right about when the time came to actually post this piece on here. I wanted this to be out before Christmas, see, not for any specific reason – I just wanted to make sure I was writing stuff that makes sense, more or less. I'm still taken aback by how much time it's taken, considering my Shadow of the Colossus piece was written more or less entirely between Colossus 2 and Colossus 6. As such, that particular piece contains a glaring mistake, that Tumblr user @crooked-mantis thankfully pointed out. Mantis's intervention is as follows:

While I did know the voice when Wander is transported back to the Shrine was supposed to be Mono's, I did not remember her calling Wander by name, specifically – and after reaching Colossus 9 and Colossus 14, I was pleasantly surprised to hear exactly what Mantis mentioned. So, again, thank you for pointing this out, and I'm glad you still enjoyed this piece that I titled after a song by Darkthrone just so I could make a stupid joke.

The beauty of Ico lies in the fact it seems to disregard the conventions of an average videogame, if you're not looking too hard. The first thing I did after completing ICO again was to put on some Kraftwerk – Computer Love, to be exact – because that same exact comment could be made with regards to their post-Autobahn production almost as a whole. Trans Europe Express and Radio-Activity, at least to an extent, tinker with that divide between their profoundly poppish writing style and that weird, destructured, post-1968 thing where even a pop song's structure can be broken down into something more than just function and role. All the same, ICO (Kraftwerk's music) is tightly designed, with recognizable hooks and welcoming moments that allow the player (listener) to immediately understand what they have to do. Here's a bubbly cursed boy. Here's a girl who's spent her whole life in a cage. They're trapped in a castle and evil shadows want to kidnap the girl. Have you done the math yet?

Right before I went back to the game myself, I happened to catch a friend of mine – @alexswordsman – as they streamed part of their first playthrough on Discord. I was struck by the realization that I had absolutely no recollection of a lot of moments from the game; but what truly surprised me is just how much of the game I did keep in my memory, and not just story bits (that would be easy, considering the campaign's length) but also entire rooms' worth of environmental puzzles, fights against the shadow children, the genuine sense of dread when leaving Yorda alone or when hanging from some iron pole, a good hundred meters above any solid ground. As I spent some time thinking about this, and a good couple of weeks after actually going through the game again in something like two and a half sittings, I realized that it really did take me a loooooong time to realize just for how long ICO was a game about the story, for me. The answer was of course quite a fucking lot – a whole year after my first playthrough or something, specifically. I remember telling some girl in my class about it, back in 2019, because I was an insufferable bastard who felt really alone but could not relate to other human beings on any fundamental level. Poor girl, I think she actually did feel some modicum of attraction towards me, but unfortunately I was very much not prepared to return it. The point being: for the longest time, apart from when I replayed it back in 2020, I genuinely thought of ICO as a story to be told, something to be read off of a Wikipedia page a billion years ago. As the previous piece (and, if you've read them, my other pieces about Team Ico, the Italian ones) might have clarified, of course, coming back to the games with a slightly more informed outlook has worked wonders for me.

Where Wander's core moveset would focus preeminently on violence and hostile action, Ico's was softer, less specialized, harder to describe. R1, which you have to hold down, allows you to hold Yorda's hand (or call to her, if she's away from you – much like Agro and Trico after her, buttons used notwithstanding); Square swings whatever blunt – or edged, or spiked – object you've got in your hand, but Ico is canonically like nine, so it's safe to assume he's not a fighter, or a climber, or a horserider. The one thing he can convincingly is seek out human contact: the one thing he is denied, as a horned kid. Yorda, on the other hand, has no such preconceptions: she may actually have no preconceptions, period, apart from her knowledge of a certain power and a certain purpose assigned to her. At the same time, Yorda starts out basically clueless but learns very very quickly: you explode the pillar holding the bridge up, then next room over you have to blow up some wood planks blocking the way forward and – assuming you've seen the bombs and the open flame right near the entrance – Yorda runs up to them and points at them, which is very clever foreshadowing of the second act's climactic moment. If Yorda is seen by her captors as a machine, built entirely as a means to an end – becoming the Queen's new body – then it has to be a fully functional one, shoutouts to Lieutenant Commander Data, but this has the side effect that she can learn trust. She can learn affection.

No surprise then that R1 would be the key to hold Yorda's hand and call out to her. R1 is where the important stuff is in Team Ico's games. You hold R1 to core-mechanic your character into winning, i.e. into exerting emotional stimuli over the player, and it's no surprise that as such every time you're doing the R1 stuff the games tend to give you incredibly strong and constant sensory feedback. The controller vibrates, almost mimicking a heartbeat, as you're holding Yorda's hand. Alessio called it a "sensory nightmare" and deactivated the feature: not that I blame him, it can get annoying, but I actually sorta love it myself. It's the closest thing they can do to allow the player to perceive warmth, touch, life on their very skin. If Shadow of the Colossus is "a game about letting go", then ICO is a game about holding on. As such, it is necessarily much shorter than SotC: something you can quite literally burn through, like a friend you mad on that one week by the seaside when you were nine and had no mobile phone so you have no idea where that friend is now, what they're up to, what they're doing. You can only replay it, understanding its actions and words a bit better everytime but forever retrospectively, forever crystallized.

It's a short and immensely sweet experience that ends on a bittersweet note to say the least (Fumito Ueda himself refers to the post-credits scene as a dream that Ico has going back to civilization, which means Yorda did not of course escape the crumbling castle) and yet manages to conjure deep feelings of beauty and warmth. It doesn't make any fucking sense to discuss the plot of this game, because honestly as narrative-driven as this game is, it already takes the shape of an experience that prefers player stories as the driving principle for the player to go on with the game, more so than its own narrative. I mean, Shadow of the Colossus is probably better at this – considering the even more bare-boned nature of its plot and the open ended lore that the player is left to to toy with – but something has to be born once already, in order for it to be reborn.

P.S.: yeah, I'm assuming I might have to write something about that TGA trailer, you know the one. Since I'm most likely not going to be able to play it on release – because I will not be buying a PlayStation 5 just for one game, not right now anyway – I figured I should at least put something out analysing the thirty seconds flat of footage we've got. I'll see if I can squeeze out some coherent thoughts after fangirling for another while and report back once I do.

[nihoneshi]

Welcome to Aqua Rambles on about KFP

I just finished binging Kung Fu Panda 1-3 (not 4 yet) and man outside of a few secondhand embarrassment scenes, because there are a couple of them still for my brain, What I will say is this

god I do miss KFP fandom so so much but I also was REALLY young when I first found myself in that fandom, so like, It's only a matter of time before I found myself brainrotting the movies again and even shorter of time before I re-entered Fandom Space.

So let's get the obvious ones out of the way. God I love Tragedies and the whole prophecy that was laid out hundreds of years ago, I love how cohesive the Trilogy is (I think we all agree that KFP3 was the true end of the Series, since not even the VAs liked KFP4 and it was a glorified corporate cash grab, but don't worry, AUs exist (: )

Tai Lung and General Kai are definitely by far the two MAIN villains I vibe with the most given their situations (Tragedy Affliction & Bond Brother Give-Take disagreement) I do love Shen but my love for him is extremely nuanced on the fact he's a diabolical genocidal sociopath but he's also oddly fucking dramatic, theatrical and comedic of a villain DESPITE the 3 words I JUST called him.

But also the Wolf Boss.. God he's a bastard (affectionate) but EVERY TIME HE "INSULTS" PO HE JUST GOES OFF ON NON-THREATENING TERMS homie please stop being bisexual on the battlefield lmaO /pos.

The Will to write Tai Lung just like 13yo me wanted to has not changed outside of the fact that after a decade more of writing with extremely intricate and nuanced characters with complex tragedies and traumas, I feel like I could finally do justice with this Snow Leopard (especially with Redemption Arcs, because hee-ho I write Saren Arterius, you know. Mass Effect 1's big bad villain that is just as much as a tragedy as Tai Lung but unlike Tai Lung this idiot decided to try to get parasitical genocide machines to spare them and ended up getting indoctrinated against his will)

Now onto Main Cast. Just like kid me, Viper and Mantis were my two go-to idols for KFP1, my love for Crane's realism-centric attitude and Tigress' having second thoughts and a much more intricate wake-up call in KFP2 and on became so much more apparent, like, trust me I haven't watched any of the other animated content but you can tell like, these 6 have gotten so attached to one another (Monkey and Po, especially, literally best buds love that for them)

But the SHEER amount of times I have said this phrase "Viper, Please rephrase yourself" has been in the nearly every thing she has ever said she is so upfront and has misread the room every single damn time. and don't even GET ME Started on KFP2/3 Tigress, the sheer amount of character development she gets is insane

she goes from an asshole to deep down realizing that Po has fallen still due to mental turmoil SEVERAL times and isn't keeping Po down there with Ox and Croc because she doesn't want him getting in the way but BECAUSE She doesn't want him to get hurt like him freezing up both times has gotten him. And then further more watching Po teach everyone their own ways of Kung-Fu all the WHILE TIGRESS IS HOLDING ON TO A BABY PANDA THE WHOLE TIME, EVEN FIGHTING WITH THE KID. AND THEN SHE CARRIES THEM AROUND EVEN AT THE JADE PALACE AT THE END OF THE MOVIE.

And please I can't fucking believe it took Crane several MOVIES TO GET HIS FUCKING NECK FIXED AFTER WHAT TAI LUNG DID TO HIM, HOMIE HAD A CROOKED NECK FOR MONTHS. There were scenes in KFP2 and Early KFP3 where this man's neck was still partially FUCKED. Dude shrugs it off like it's nothing and then proceeds to heal his wing in merely a few damn days max.

The Theatrics, all of the animations, the voice work.. god damn I adore these three movies so so much. But there is one thing I was not expecting and honestly I should've seen it coming.

My eventual brainrot and emotional attachment to side characters and characters with very minimal screen time (I should've seen this with me Writing Volteer from The Legend of Spyro, Nihlus Kryik from Mass Effect 1, and many more)

Dude I LOVE Master Croc, I don't know why SPECIFICALLY him but like. I like how he looks so cocky wanted to kick Shen's shit in, even laughing to himself, how he's so so loyal to Ox after Rhino's (supposed death), like you KNOW these three were inseparable and it LOOKS like Rhino reunites with Master Ox and Master Croc at the end of KFP3 that's what I hope if it was even only for a couple of minutes following what was probably Rhino heading back to the Spirit Realm.

I really love Master Croc, it is not even funny he's such a character, a silly, perhaps.

but now my rambles go to something else, since it takes place in the era that it does.. and like.. my hoard of Dragon OCs and Dragon Characters (literally all the guys on this blog ARE dragons!~ ) Like.. what would be the general consensus of a Dragon popping up in universe? Since back then they're still hailed as deities (Like the Dragon Kings, and all the dragon deities in both Chinese and Japanese mythology)

I am so so curious. But maybe I should add more to my rambles later when I am not so tired but god I have ideas and WILL enact on them.

A tiny edit: I 100% support kaiway due to the context I now have from watching KFP3, homie you have spent all the time in the world holding up Oogway's Chi charm like you want him to see everything like, they def. had something going on pre-banishment

[milkteadragon]

Dating Bode Akuna would be

Bode is a protective man who would firmly advise against any reckless behavior, but would also shower you with affection by planting a gentle kiss on your forehead to express how much you mean to him.

Bode expresses his love by stealing kisses from you, whether it's on or off missions. Even when he leaves with Cal and you have to wait on the Mantis, or when he's on a mission, he still manages to steal a kiss from you.

Bode used to compliment you on your cute appearance and playfully hold you by the waist while teasing you in hushed tones. You couldn't help but giggle along and playfully respond to his teasing.

When Bode holds you close during sleep, you often cuddle with him and nuzzle into his chest or the crook of his neck, feeling safe and secure in his arms.

It's comforting to have you by Bode's side wherever he goes out. Bode values your presence and finds you to be the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes on. He may become a bit possessive in the presence of other men, so he often holds your hand or keeps his arm around your waist as you roam around together.

Bode is determined to locate you, even if you were taken by the empire, bounty hunters, or any other evil force in the galaxy. He is willing to use force, even if it means tapping into the dark side, to achieve his goal to find you.

If you're looking for affectionate nicknames for your partner, some commonly used choices are Princess, Babe, Doll, or Baby Girl.

if you're in danger and need help this man would offer it to you with a hint of snarky sarcasm. He may say things like, "Do you require assistance, princess?" or "Is my baby doll in need of aid?" He may even add a wink and say, "Don't worry, baby girl, I've got your back."

Imagine sitting on his lap, feeling his gentle nuzzles, and enjoying the comfort of his embrace. Your scent enchants him, causing him to melt like butter, and he whispers sweet nothings in your ear. It's a special moment between two of you who care deeply for each other.

Taking his jacket without permission and wearing it might make him feel touched to see you in it. He wouldn't mind you borrowing it, and might even find it endearing. Seeing you in his jacket could bring a smile to his face and soften his demeanor.

sitting next to each other whether its in a meeting or eating meals would be nuzzled into your forehead as the two would feed each other food.

you like his morning voice you find that attractive would make you giggle like a high school girl he loves to talk to you in his morning voice as he wakes you up "Hey baby girl it's time to get up" or princess its time to wake.

dates would be romantic maybe cheesy like picnic dates or hiking dates would have to climb hills to get to a nice viewing spot to eat like a picnic would have many good yummy foods and glasses of wine and the two of you would talk about your time together memories you made in the past.

Honestly would be a 10/10 boyfriend protective caring kind of bf

he is HOT!!!

Ngl the Actor of Bode Akuna and the Voice actor are pretty much with Admiral Rampart are the same people totally not falling more in love with these characters.

[bereft-of-frogs]

omens and all kinds of signs | chapter 6: give me the bones of what you believe

Greez makes a face at the mention of skeletons and says to Cere, “And here I thought you were going to refuse to ever come back here again.” “Oh no,” Cere says. “You’re correct about that. I won’t be personally coming back here ever again.” “Yeah, I think I’ll pass too.” Cal’s voice is muffled. His face is buried in the crook of his elbow. Despite sleeping most of the day, he’s still worn out, drained by the echoes and the sleepless nights. BD-1 hovers close by, fussing even more than Cere had. “Just drop me on Bogano, I’d rather fight another Oggdo Bogdo and a whole squadron of stormtroopers than come back here.” “I would return,” Merrin says, pivoting back towards the windshield. “This has been a most interesting experience.” “You can write that in the review,” Greez tells her. “Can I go to bed now?” Cal groans. The crew finally reunites with BD-1 and the Mantis, and have a debate about ghosts to pass the time.

[ link to ao3 ]

Last chapter! I can't believe I thought this would be only 3 haha, look how it's gone. But now it's done! Thanks for following along all this time <3

[braveclementine]

Christmas Party

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OCs, which consist of Penny Fury, Elizabeth Nelson, Elijah Chan, Katya Venice, Violetta Moscow, Lan Le, Josh, Trang Tien, Ahni Jallow, Mai Ito, and Ghaida Kashual as well as other OCs that will come up throughout the story.

Penny put on the sparkly red dress that she was going to be wearing for the Christmas party that Tony was throwing tonight. It was a sponsored one for vets. Those who were in the army and those that were retired. Apparently there was going to be a live band as well, which was going to be pretty cool.

The Christmas dinner before the party had been fulfilling so Penny was feeling a little big in the dress. Or that could also be because she'd had the dress before she was pregnant with Steves' child and now the bump was making the dress a little tighter.

She smiled at her reflection though, put a loving hand on the small bump that was showing. She still wasn't sure if she wanted them to be a boy or a girl, but she knew that she was going to love them till her heart exploded.

She added small red bows to her hair and finished her makeup. One of the good things about being albino was that any bright colours made her stick out and shine. Except yellow. Yellow and white had never really looked that good on her.

She found Thor as she head over to the elevator. He was wearing a black suit, not unlike the one Steve had been wearing earlier. He looked extremely handsome. He had even trimmed his beard and his hair was short now. He looked very clean cut.

"You look handsome." Penny smiled, straightening his slightly crooked tie.

"You looked absolutely gorgeous my Queen." Thor praised her, leaning down and kissing her on the lips as the elevator doors opened. "After you love."

The two of them headed down to the floor where the party was being held on. It was in a ballroom that Penny had never seen before- she had never even been on this floor before.

It was huge though, looking like something straight out of a fairy tale. There was plenty of room to dance, while there was also a bar. There were also pool tables in the corner, which Steve and Bucky were already occupying with Sam, Clint, and Rhodey. Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Rhodey were all wearing their military uniforms and they all looked dashing.

Penny looked around, seeing Wanda, Pietro, Vision, Bruce, Natasha, and T'Challa talking on the couches.

Meanwhile, Katya, Violetta, Lan, Elijah, Ahni, Mai, Scott, and Hope were entertaining a large group of younger soldiers, both male and female. They were all laughing, sharing drinks.

The Asgardians were here as well, or most of them as Penny didn't see Heimdall. But Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun were all laughing with Carol, Shuri, and Okoye. There was also a man standing there with a woman with green skin. Penny had never met them, but she knew they were Peter Quill and Gamora.

A younger group of superheroes were there was well. Riri, Kamala, Peter, and Kate. Mantis was with them as well, along with Rocket, MJ, and Ned. Her father was talking with a group of older soldiers.

Sharon was talking quietly in the corner with a young agent. Penny couldn't find Trang, Ghaida, Tony, Stephen, Loki, or Elizabeth.

Thor led her over to join the rest of the Asgardians, so she was also introduced officially to Peter and Gamora. They seemed really nice and her and Gamora started chatting very quickly about different battling tactics and why they preferred swords over guns and vice versa.

"Can I have your attention?" Tony's voice called out through the party. It fell mostly quiet and Penny looked over to see Tony standing there in a suit with a microphone in his hands.

"This announcement is going to be very short." Tony said with a smile. "First off, Merry Christmas! Second off, the band is going to start playing now. Feel free to dance and enjoy the rest of the party. Everything is on the house."

He put the microphone down and Penny continued to watch the stage as the conversation rose back up. She was wondering who was going to be singing. She supposed Tony could get just about any band up there.

To her surprise, there was no band. Elizabeth stepped onto the stage in a stunning blue dress, tinted with silver. She grabbed one of the microphones. All of the other Ohioans were on the stage as well. Lan was sitting behind the grand piano on the stage. Katya had a violin in her hands. Mai had a flute in her hands. Everyone else had microphones.

"They can sing?" Penny asked and Stephen- who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere- answered her.

"Yeah." He said, sipping his whiskey. "They're really good. Just wait till you hear Elijah and Elizabeth sing."

Elijah was the one to start singing first. The first song was 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas'. He had a deep voice as he sang, but the range seemed to go all the way from baritone to falsetto.

"Didn't know she could sing." Penny heard Bucky's disgruntled voice from behind her. She tilted her second to see Bucky with his arms crossed over his chest. Penny wondered if he was remembering what he had said earlier.

Sam didn't seem surprised, sipping his whiskey. "You would know if you came to the party last year."

"Why'd you miss it?" Penny asked.

"He hates parties." Sam explained. "He and Steve opted to going on a mission for Fury instead." Sam's voice turned to whiny teasing, "They left me all alone on Christmas!"

"Yeah right." Bucky scoffed, slinging his arm over Sam's shoulder. "You spent the night with Violetta and Clint. Alone my ass."

Elizabeth's voice suddenly broke through the air. It was soft, yet powerful somehow. Clear and beautiful like bells and birds. They had switched to another song without any of them even noticing. It wasn't a Christmas song, but rather a duet between her and Elijah.

Elizabeth: Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough Just a second we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again It's in the stars, it's been written in the scars on our hearts We're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again

They were practically dancing around each other as they sang, almost always keeping eye contact with each other. It was one of the first times Penny had seen them really interact like they were just soul mates.

Penny was also suddenly hit with the realization that she could only interact with her soulmates tonight. They were putting on a show in front of strangers. People who didn't know what they did behind closed doors at night. She would have to keep her guard up so she wasn't to friendly with Rhodey or Pietro or Violetta.

"Want to dance doll?" Steve asked, holding his hand out.

"Of course Stevie." Penny beamed, sliding her hand into his.

It was a slow song now. Only Elizabeth was singing with Josh quietly echoing after her when need be, with Lan playing the piano quietly in the background.

Elizabeth: Then sings my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee How great thou art (how great thou art) How great thou art (how great thou art) Then sings my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee How great thou art (how great thou art) How great thou art (great thou art)

"She has a beautiful voice." Penny said in awe. This song needed such a high voice too. She sounded like she was singing her heart out.

"Yeah." Steve agreed, pulling Penny closer, resting his head against hers.

Elizabeth: When through the woods, and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze

"What made you come to the party tonight?" Penny teased as he spun her, before drawing her back into his arms.

"Oh I don't know." Steve started to grin. "Could have something to do with this really beautiful, white haired girl who happens to be my soulmate. It's going to be our first Christmas together so I thought I might try a party."

Penny giggled, leaning forwards so that she could kiss Steve. He hummed into the kiss, deepening it.

"Can I cut in?" Bucky's amused voice cut through.

Elizabeth: When Christ shall come, with shouts of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow, in humble adoration And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art

"Of course." Steve said, kissing Penny one more time before he let Bucky take over the dance.

"You're a wonderful dancer doll." Bucky complimented as he spun her around.

Penny beamed, "So are you buckaroo."

The two of them laughed as they danced across the floor. As the song came to an end, Penny was swept up almost immediately by Tony.

The dances seemed to go on forever, before her feet started to get tired in her heels.

She sat down on the couch, where most of everyone else had retired. Elijah was off the stage as well. In fact, only Elizabeth, Katya, Violetta, Ghaida, and Trang were on the stage right now. They were dressed identically now. Elizabeth wearing blue and she was the point of the triangle formation they had made. Violetta and Katya were on either side of her wearing green, with Ghaida and Trang on the outsides wearing red.

This song wasn't a Christmas song. In fact, Penny was pretty sure it was a new song.

Elizabeth: I can buy myself flowers Write my name in the sand Talk to myself for hours Say things you don't understand I can take myself dancing And I can hold my own hand Yeah, I can love me better than you can

Penny was pretty sure that Elizabeth even winked towards their direction. Penny glanced over and saw all the men suddenly looked murderous.

Violetta and Katya: Can love me better I can love me better, baby Can love me better I can love me better, baby

Trang and Ghaida: Paint my nails, cherry red Match the roses that you left No remorse, no regret I forgive every word you said

All of them: Ooh, I did not wanna leave you, baby I didn't wanna fight Started to cry but then remembered I

Elizabeth: I can buy myself flowers Write my name in the sand Talk to myself for hours, yeah Say things you don't understand I can take myself dancing, yeah I can hold my own hand Yeah, I can love me better than you can

As they sang, they also danced completely in sync. Clearly, this had been planned and practiced. Penny shook her head in amusement, listening to the men grumble under their breath.

"Well," Elijah said calmly, throwing back a drink. "My girl is totally paying for that later."

"Agreed." Tony, Rhodey, Bucky, Lan, and Clint all growled under their breath.

Then, every single one of the Ohioans were there. Elijah stood in the middle with Elizabeth on his right. Then there was Trang, Ghaida, Violetta, Katya, Ahni, Mai, Josh, and Lan were all on the stage as well. They were standing in a straight line as well.

Guitar music started up from Josh as he sat back in the corner playing it.

Trang: I've seen a hundred grand in cash.

Vi: I've took the trip to hell and back

Trang and Vi: I've been around, never saw nothing like you

Elijah: And I've seen lights up in the sky

Elizabeth: And I've seen ghosts alone at night

Trang, Vi, Elijah, Elizabeth: I've seen some things but they were nothing like you. Till I walk through walls Till I walk through walls" I wanna be with you Cause I'm me with you oh-oh

Elijah and Elizabeth: I've seen things I swear to God, that I still can't explain

Lan and Katya: I've been way too drunk and way too high, been dancin' in the rain

Ahni and Mai: I've seen butterflies and babies cry and still until this day

All of them: Ain't seen nothing' that's quite like you Till I'm a gho-o-ost, I'll give all my life to you And when I'm a gho-o-ost, I will always been your boo

Penny blushed as Violetta shot her a quick wink.

Katya: I've seen the country and far and wide

Elizabeth winked and sang: I meet my heroes all the time

Well, that line gained laughs from the crowd.

Katya and Elizabeth: I've been around, never saw nothing like you

Ghaida: And I've held diamonds in my hands

Mai: I've got a couple million fans

Elizabeth, Katya, Ghaida, and Mai: I've met some folks, but they were nothin' like you

All: Till I walk through walls Till I walk through walls I wanna be with you Cause I'm me with you, oh-oh

Lan and Elijah: I've seen things I swear to God, that I still can't believe

Elizabeth and Ghaida: I've seen shooting stars and crystal balls and magic in the breeze

Trang and Ahni: I've seen Paris, I've seen London, I have been weak in the knees

They were all dancing for the chorus. Penny wondered just how many times they practiced this so that they were all in complete sync with each other. They all looked flawless, even Ghaida who was usually awkward and Ahni who was bigger in size.

All: Ain't seen nothin' that's quite like you Till I'm a gho-o-ost, I'll give all my life to you And when I'm a gho-o-ost, I will always be your boo

Elijah: Till it burns down

Mai and Ahni: Till the world ends

Katya: Till it's all gone

Lan: Till my last breath

Violetta: Till I leave town

Ghaida: Till there's nothing left

Trang: Till I'm in the ground.

Elizabeth :Till I'm a gho-o-ost, I'll give all my life to you And when I'm a gho-o-ost, I will always be your boo

All: Till I'm a gho-o-ost, I'll give all my life to you And when I'm a gho-o-ost, I will always be your boo

The applause went on for that song for a long time.

The party eventually started to dwindle. Penny ended up between Clint and Thor and she was slowly falling asleep in between the two of them. She wasn't sure how they were still singing.

Then Elizabeth said, "If I could have your guys attention!"

The younger soldiers whistled and clapped for a moment at her, while the older soldiers gave her rapt attention.

Once again, it was just her on the stage. Lan was hidden in the shadows with the piano as the light was solely on her. Penny could also make a dark shadow that was Josh in the background as well.

"I just wanted to thank all of you for coming out tonight." Elizabeth smiled. "There is one last song I want to sing. It reminds me of two very specific soldiers and so I'm mostly singing it for them. But this song is for all of the soldiers out there. For all of you." She paused for a moment and then said, "For all of us."

Penny saw Bucky's hand go to the tags at his neck and she now knew what it was she had shared with him. Elizabeth must've been in the army at some point.

And then Elizabeth closed her eyes, and began to sing.

👙🥋 קσⓋ Č𝐇αᶰق𝒆 👚🪤

Elizabeth could see where Steve and Bucky were sitting in the background. Bucky's hand was clutched tightly around his dog tags and Elizabeth felt a peace and calm envelope her.

It was a song that she had always wanted to sing to them. A song that she wanted to sing for them. To let them know that they were appreciated more than just words and posters and high school videos. That someone recognized their sacrifice that went with their actions.

She loved that Tony threw these for the vets. That he made sure to support them when they came home. So that there were no American soldiers that were left homeless or in need. Not when they gave so much for their country.

"Soldier keep on marching on." She breathed out, letting her nerves settle. The other songs were easy to sing. But this one. . . this one meant so much more.

Head down till the work is done. . . .

Waiting on the morning sun. . .

Soldier keep on marching on.

Elizabeth saw them staring at her, listening. She closed her eyes.

Head in the dust, feet in the fire. Labour on that midnight wire Listening for that angel choir. You got nowhere to run.

You wanna take a drink of that promised land. Gotta wipe the dirt off of your hands Careful son you got dreamers plans But it gets hard to stand

Dreamers plans when Steve tried to hard to join the army, even when he couldn't.

The beat hit Elizabeth right in the heart. Filling her the way that it did when she listened to it by herself.

Soldier keep on marching on Head down till the work is done Waiting on the morning sun Soldier keep on marching on

Quiet now , you're gonna wake the beast Hide your soul out of his reach Shiver to that broken beat Dark into the heat

Now this was her favorite part. Where she let the crowd take over, let the others take over the Oooh Oooh part. How the women in the crowd, the wives of the soldiers, the sisters and the mothers and the soulmates of the soldiers took it over, letting it sail through the air.

Bucky was crying into his hands and Steve's eyes were red rimmed. And they weren't the only ones. This song, it was deep and personal and meaningful. And as she reached the last part of the song, the last chorus before the song ended, she put every ounce of emotion that she had into the song.

Soldier keep on marching on

Her feet. Pounding against the ship of the Navy deck as she ran from the soldiers that heard her eavesdropping, finding they were HYDRA informants.

Head down till the work is done.

Steve, Bucky, Sam, Rhodey, none of them quit. Neither did she. Not until the job was done. Even if they went down with the ship.

Waiting on the morning sun

Elijah. . . her sun.

Soldier keep on marching on

She found she was crying.

Soldier keep on marching ON

Soldier keep on marching on.

She breathed heavily, tears staining her cheeks. The soldiers were clapping and cheering and it felt so far away. The crowd started to disperse, and it wasn't until Elijah's soft hand touched her cheek gently that she finally came back to reality.

He stared at her in an analyzing way. Like he was reading her soul and then he smiled gently. "You did wonderfully sweetheart. I'm so proud of you." He kissed her on the lips and whispered softly. "Penny is with Thor and Clint tonight. Go be with the soldiers tonight."

Elizabeth tilted her head, capturing Elijah's lips . "I love you Elijah."

"I love you too Milady." He whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear and the two of them walked off the stage towards the soldiers.

She didn't even get a word in before Bucky pulled her into his lap and kissed her passionately, tangling his metal hand in her hair, his teeth digging into her bottom lip. "It was a beautiful song." Bucky whispered as he finally let the two of them breathe for air.

Elizabeth smiled, settling on his lap and nudging against him.

"You three want to take her to bed?" Elijah asked, smiling.

Steve looked over at him. "How about you join us too?"

Elijah looked a little surprised and then smiled again, "Yeah. That sounds good. You want that Milady?"

Elizabeth nodded happily, getting off Bucky's lap and bouncing on the balls of her feet. She had kicked her heels off at some point out of discomfort. "I would love that."

Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulder and the five of them left the party, completely unaware of the photo that had just been snapped of Frozaline kissing the Winter Soldier in front of all of their soulmates. 

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Vivian, the Protector of the Innocent

The cold wind beat against your skin as you cried into the night. Stress had built up inside you for the last few days and well..you just couldn’t take it anymore. You were tired, tired of the day, tired of the people around you. You carried so much on your shoulders and you felt like there was no one there to help you or hear your cries.

That’s when you saw it. The large, bulky creature stood in front of you, seemingly trying to hide itself in the trees. It’s body seemed to be top heavy with a large chest and shoulders and a thin waist. It’s front arms seemed to be crooked like a praying mantis and the clawed hand paws weren’t really separated from it’s bulky forearms. It had the face of a deer skull and it’s large antlers could easily be mistaken for tree branches. It’s eyes were oddly human and they were positioned in the center of the pitch black eye sockets. It’s silvery, grey fur shone brightly in the moonlight and it gave the beast a sort of mystical aura.

You shrieked in fear when your eyes stared directly into the creature’s eyes. “W-what is that?!” You yelled as you tried to crawl away. The beast said nothing as it used it’s strong forearms to bring itself closer. “G-get away from me!”’ You yelled at the thing before your back was pinned against a tree.

The creature raised its paw-like hand and purred softly. “There is no need to be afraid, little one.” The creature’s voice was oddly soothing and gentle. It was deep of course, but not in a frightening way. “I have come because I heard your cries and I simply wanted to help.” It said as it sat up, revealing a red, see-through belly.

“W-who are you?” You asked, voice still shaking. The creature shook it’s head, causing its ears to flop. “I am Vivian. The protector of the innocent.” Vivian tilted his head, seemingly thinking. “So you’ve come..to help me?”Your voice was beginning to calm down as you couldn’t pick up any ill intentions from him.

“Yes, little one…You seem stressed..Let me help you..” It was then that Vivian opened his jaws, his bottom jaw splitting into two. You yelped as you felt his gaping maw over you, saliva dripping from its sharp teeth. You waited for him to bite down on you, tearing your flesh to bits. However, that moment never came.

Instead, Vivian carefully started to swallow you whole. You struggled and fought against the red muscles that held you tightly, but it was of no use. The cryptid’s throat pulled you deeper and deeper into it’s belly. It purred as it did so, enjoying every second. Eventually, you were delivered into Vivian’s stomach.

The red walls moved around you and hugged you tightly. It also felt oddly warm, which felt nice but you were still inside a monster’s stomach. “Let me out!” You yelled fearfully as you struggled against the red, see through flesh. Then, you saw Vivian place a hand on his gut. “Shh, it’s okay, little one. You’re safe now.”

You tried wrapping your mind around what he was saying. “Safe?! What do you mean safe?!” You started to sob. You didn’t want to die, not here, not like this. A sad rumble came from within Vivian. “I do not intend on hurting you..I’m just trying to comfort you..” Vivian then laid on his back, resting his paws over his tummy.

You wiped away your tears as you tried to calm down. “Why did you eat me then?” You confused as to why this was his solution to your stress. “Because..it’s warm and safe..You have no need to worry..you can talk to me..Let my tummy relax you.”

You tried listening to the cryptid’s advice, which seemed to be working. Since Vivian was on his back, it made the walls of his belly slowly lift up and down. Vivian’s heartbeat was also incredibly soothing. It was soft and gentle like flowing water in a creek. You finally took a deep breath and eased your body into this strange environment.

“Feeling better?” Vivian asked softly, slowly caressing his tummy. “Yeah..” You sniffed. “Good..Now tell me..what exactly has gotten you so worked up?” You then told him all of what’s been weighting you down and why you came out here to cry.

“I see..” Vivian spoke softly. “A little flower like you deserves so much better..You’re strong, little one..I know you are..but we all need time to wind down..Just relax inside my tummy for tonight..I’ll let you out in the morning.”

“Thank you.” You sighed as you caressed the walls of Vivian’s tummy. Your eyes grew heavy with drowsiness. However, you didn’t fight it this time. You just closed your eyes and drifted off to sleep.

(This is introducing my new cryptid comfort pred, Vivian! He’s an recent OC of mime and I love him dearly. I’ve been stressed out lately because of school and other things, so I decided to make this to make me feel better. I hope you like it! If you want to see more Vivian stuff, just ask!)