#i cannot with this guys cap for real

[drag00ni]

jojo posing (colored)

[todayisafridaynight]

Wanna put your friend in a lil terrarium just to see what wacky things she does stg 😂

i actually Cannot Stress the migraine she gives me every time we hang out. like without fail she'll always say or do something that ranges from mildly questionable or irritating but relatively Whatever to How Have You Survived This Long Without Burning Your House Down Boiling An Egg

[jtownraindancer]

ohhhhh trust me.... i know.........

#hes so dad coded

[boydepartment]

⊹ ࣪ ˖🍩₊˚⊹♡ so what do you recommend? nishimura riki x gn! reader

250ish words- riki being a loser- engene reader working at a donut shop - masterlist

you stood at the counter waiting for your name to either be called to the back or for someone to come in. the chain you work at was supposed to be closed today but your manager asked if you could come in for this specific store as you guys decided to be open

to be honest you didn’t mind, you liked your job and it’d keep you distracted from the fact you couldn’t make it to a concert you desperately wanted to go to. you had the money to attend just not the means to get there, who seriously has a concert mid week? and in a place where they already go to every tour? it wasn’t that far but just the hassle of getting there and work. ugh it was just a mess. you really wanted to go too… you loved k-pop and concerts. especially hybe groups and especially enhypen.

unfortunately the cards just aren’t in your favor this leg of the tour.

you sighed as you watched out the window as people walked by the store, wondering who was going to walk in and ask for a donut. you looked down for a split second picking at the bandaids that covered your fingers from earlier in the day.

when the little ding came up you perked up. smiling at the two boys who walked in.

“hi welcome in! how can i help you?” you leaned against the donut case in front of you. the two boys looked at you and then at eachother. you took a quick note of the apparel

one was shorter than the other, denim vest, chain, a backwards hat that looked oddly familiar. when you took note of the taller one your heart stopped for a moment.

there was no way this was happening to you at work…

the taller one wore the absolute ugliest jacket and jean combo you have ever seen in your life, and he wore the ugliest baseball cap to accompany it. the unfortunate part was, you’d recognize that ugly outfit combo anywhere.

“um hi sorry about that- can i get-“

AUSTRALIAN 🫵

okay y/n play it cool.

the taller one who you assumed you knew to be none other than nishimura riki, hit the shorter one and stood closer to you.

“i’m sorry he’s dumb-“ the taller one spoke, “we have never been here before actually-“

“I LITERALLY HAV-“

the taller one waved him off and kept his attention on you. the closer he got to the case display, the more you could see the little mole under his eye.

“ignore him.” he said quickly, you couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped you. he leaned against the counter next to the case display and looked at you.

“so what do you recommend..?”

was he trying to hit on you?

you put your hand under your chin and looked at him, throughly enjoying this and thanking the universe if this was real and not just delusion, “definitely anything with crème but you cannot go wrong with a strawberry donut.” you smiled at him. you heard riki giggle under his mask and his friend(who you guessed was jake) groaned, probably embarrassed.

“i love strawberries actually. i’ll get both though.” he said and you started to bag them up, you looked up at his friend.

“anything for you?”

jake walked closer to the counter and apologized quietly, “can we just get two dozen of the signature donuts too..?”

you nodded and grabbed the ready to go boxes behind you.

“actually can i pick the-“ riki spoke big jake interrupted him.

“MAN STOP MAKING THE WORKERS JOB HARDER JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK THEYRE CUTE!” he shoved him and got shoved back. you started to giggle again and gave them their total.

jake paying and trying to apologize for his friend’s behavior.

they quickly grabbed their donuts and headed out, riki wishing you a good day before running into the door and getting laughed at by jake.

you felt yourself look down smiling.

part of you felt like you were being delusional until you saw a little piece of paper near your sticky notes that you used to remember restock…

‘be back tomorrow by MYSELF- hope ur working-

my name is riki :)’

your jaw dropped slightly before you pocketed the note and was called back by your manager to help in the back. you quickly scurried to the back of the house and tried to hide your smile.

[octopiys]

Some incorrect quotes and scenes for the pies

Roach: *Screams*

Ghost: *Screams louder to establish dominance*

Capt. MacTavish: Should we do something?

Capt. Price: No, I want to see who wins.

-

Alejandro: You lying, cheating, piece of shit!

Valeria: Oh yeah? You’re the idiot who thinks you can get away with everything you do. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

Alejandro: I’m leaving you, and I’M TAKING RODOLFO WITH ME

Rodolfo, picking up the monopoly board: I think we’re gonna stop playing now.

Price: You know, not every problem can be solved with a knife.

Ghost: That's why I carry two knives.

-

Soap: I made tea.

Ghost: I don’t want tea.

Soap: ....I did not make tea for you. This is my tea.

Ghost: Then why are you telling me?

Soap: It is a conversation starter.

Ghost: That’s a lousy conversation starter.

Soap: Oh, is it? We are conversing. Checkmate.

-

Gaz: Is letting someone win at chess sapiosexual bottoming

Price, putting his head in his hands: Does anyone in this goddamn team ever think before they speak-

-

Graves: Must be hard not being able to laugh

Alejandro: I do have a sense of humor you know

Graves: I’ve never heard you laugh before

Alejandro: I’ve never heard you say anything funny

Graves:

Graves: fuck you

Alejandro: fuck you

-

Soap, motioning to a Halloween display: All these ghosts! All these ghosts! I still can’t find a boo.

Ghost:

Ghost: is it because I said I didn't want your tea-

Soap: YES ITS BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU DIDNT WANT MY TEA

-

Ghost: Schrödinger’s cat is overrated. If you wanna see something that’s both dead and alive you can talk to me any time of the day.

Gaz, just finding out that Ghost is legally dead:

-

Gaz: Why isn’t the statue smirking at me?

Price: It isn’t smirking at anyone, they’re all just imagining it.

Soap: Three of us saw it, Cap. How do you explain that?

Price: *points at Soap* Sleep deprivation. *points at König* Paranoia. *points at Ghost* Delusional personality disorder.

Gaz:

Gaz: damn.

-

Roze: What’s something you guys are better than Horangi at?

Hutch: Mario Kart.

O'Conor: Yeah, video games.

König: Emotional vulnerability

-

Graves: *Gets down on one knee*

Alejandro: Oh my god, it’s finally happening.

Graves: *Falls over*

Alejandro: The poison is kicking in.

-

Gaz, after falling out of a heli for the third time: Do you take constructive criticism?

Nikolai: I only take cash or credit.

-

Soap: Can you keep a secret?

Ghost: Do you know anything about my life?

Soap: No I do not. Good point.

-

Gaz: Hey heads up if you try to make a candle with food coloring, the food coloring will just sink to the bottom of the glass, and when the flame eventually reaches the bottom all the food coloring will catch fire and become one giant tall flame that you cannot possibly blow out and the glass will start to crack and then you'll throw your tea on it in a panic and then the extremely hot food coloring will boil and sizzle horribly and then the glass will shatter. Please take my word on this haha-

Roach: What did you-?

Gaz: A MISTAKE WAS MADE

-

-

I just wanna say thank you all sm for 300 followers! You all r loved and I'm not good with responses but I appreciate them all so muck, thank u again :DDDDD

[luna-rainbow]

Hi

Like your posts especially your Bucky posts. He is my precious cinnamon roll, and a character whose popularity makes sense.

Can you explain to me why T*ny Stark though is so popular? I just... cannot see the appeal of him. He's self-righteous, self-centred, reckless, irresponsible and very likely narcissistic.

Also, for all his fans go on about how "sacrificial" he is I do not see it. Or rather, its not actually that admirable to have to sacrifce yourself to solve the problems you created in the first place! That's just... being a decent human.

Now Cap, there's a guy. Resisting authortarinism and fighting for freedom all his life. T*ny though? He's like "yeah kill myself to kill he villain my father/me created". Nope. Not a hero.

Even in Endgame, he's selfish because he's not willing to even give his backing to the Time Heist if it might negatively impact him/his family.

Why do people see him as such again?

Thanks for the ask!

I think most people like characters for a few reasons: a) they think they are their blorbo, b) they want to be like their blorbo, and c) they want to have sex with their blorbo.

Tony, especially with RDJ's portrayal, is exactly the kind of guy that appeals to the intended audience of the comics-loving (mostly male) fanbase: who identify with Tony's "intellectual and pragmatic" over sentimental (ala Pepper) or moralistic (ala Steve), and who wishes they could be the playboy billionaire who has all the sex and buys all the toys and shrugs off all the accountability. Tony is 40 but RDJ plays him like he's 14, he's misogynist and self-centered, cocky and reckless, who won't listen to anyone else's advice because he genuinely believes he knows better until real life proves him wrong (...so many socialised males are like this...)

To be honest, on the one hand, I can see why Tony appeals to the audience. He's at once a a reassurance and a fantasy. If you take away his billionaire status, he's an extremely flawed (all the ones you've listed and more) middle-aged guy who struggles to maintain human relations and makes frequent mistakes but does strive, at least in the earlier movies, to try and do the right thing. I think a lot of people relate to that, because most of us are lonely and messed up and likely misunderstood to some degree. But he's also very much a power fantasy -- he's swimming in money (if you forget where it comes from), surrounded by fawning hot women, he has fast cars and a man cave to tinker with his hobby while his girlfriend/secretary does the real work of running the company. He then gets the ideal redemption story where he proves all the accusations of immorality wrong by doing A Good Deed, and all the fame and glory that comes with it. Yeah, some fans like to lean into how he's still ""misunderstood", but his critics in universe are the minority, and his new hero status has enabled him greater access to what is essentially political power and intelligence networks.

To me, Tony's appeal lies in his struggles and the redemption. He is a morally grey character just learning to look beyond his own needs and still occasionally relapsing into self-centered recklessness. His story was never one about sacrifice - because as you say, doing the bare minimum of fixing your own mistakes isn't sacrifice, it's being a grown up.

And I ignore Endgame XD

[lovecla]

OCEAN EYES | connor bedard.

ellievlasic

liked by _connorbedard, alex.vlasic, madibedard and 230.070 others.

ellievlasic two years since you asked me to be yours, and two years since i said yes. love u more than anything, @_connorbedard

View all 80,568 comments

_connorbedard I love u baby

zambonizen NOOOOO FUUUCK SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

lovebedsy that should be me playing but instead of wishing i was ellie i wish i was connor bc she fine as hell you guys

ellievlasic @lovebedsy 😭😭

hugheswh0r3 The real question here is: is Connor her Iron Man or her Vision

connorcutiebedard Thoughts on Connor being a DC fan and dating a Marvel gal??

ellievlasic @connorcutiebedard not my fault he has flaws. let’s embrace them ❤️

_connorbedard @ellievlasic What

_connorbedard

liked by madibedard, alex.vlasic, ellievlasic and 768,091 others.

_connorbedard Happy wife, happy life I guess.

View all 167,546 comments

ellievlasic ????

ellievlasic i swear to god connor answer your phone rn

ellievlasic if this is your way of proposing let me tell you rn the answer is NO

bedsydaddy TF THEY GOT MARRIED??? ARENT THEY LIKE 20 OR SUMN

alex.vlasic dude… couldn’t u find a better caption 😭

_connorbedard @ alex.vlasic Why?

alex.vlasic @_connorbedard MAN READ YOUR COMMENTS, EVEN ELLIE THINKS THIS IS A PROPOSAL

hockeybiggestfan who ellie loves the most competition but it’s cap vs bedard

julie698dems i can’t tell if this is a joke or not are they married 😭

_connorbedard Guys sorry I didn’t mean to create this fuss. Ellie and I aren’t getting married (yet). Thank you

ellievlasic @_connorbedard lmfao i love you

_connorbedard @ellievlasic I love you more

| SIX YEARS LATER |

ellievlasic

liked by madibedard, nhl, _connorbedard and 899,987 others.

ellievlasic well, if it’s you, then i do.

View all 480,568 comments

madibedard I love you both so much. I’ve always wanted a little sister and God gave me you. Calling you in 30! 🥹

ellievlasic @madibedard does that mean i can borrow your birkin bag 💕

madibedard @ellievlasic God take her back

_connorbedard I love you so much, my El.

ellievlasic @_connorbedard i love u so so much i might explode

alex.vlasic TOOK YALL LONG ENOUGH. LOVE YOU BROTHER @_connorbedard

@ nhlblackhawks Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Bedard! 😈

@_quinnhughes Congrats! You next @ jackhughes

@user7983 @_quinnhughes next life u mean right

@ellievlasic @_quinnhughes @jackhugues @user7983 LMFAO SHE GAGGED YOU

@ jackhughes @ellievlasic @_quinnhughes not funny.

@melaniebedard Proud of you both. I love you. ❤️

author: even though con is a gen z i always picture him as a grandpa using his socials😭 also, jack, nothing against u but we cannot deny the fact that ur a man whore (the only thing wrong with that is that i am not one of them.)

hope u guys enjoyed this ♡ xx

the end.

[0lliecl0wn]

PUNCH OUT HEADCANONS: Clueless Friends Edition

so i showed my friends the punch out cast and asked them to make up headcanons for them (they have never seen nor heard of punch out outside of me rambling to them about it)

so uh

here it is

GLASS JOE

-Wet the bed as a kid

-Probably still does it

-Denys it

-Goes honk shoo honk shoo when he sleeps

-Had a mullet in middle school

-Has to draw on his eyebrows

-Mouth Breather™

-Wears a cap and nightgown and holds a candle at night

-Can’t swim

VON KAISER

-Bartender

-Screams into his pillow at night

-Screams like a little girl

-Wore light-up Sketchers in middle school

-Got bullied for it

-Goes to the gym to cope

-Fucking YEETS the dumbells

-Flexes on people (also to cope)

-If he is told to sleep on the couch, he will sadly sulk there like a emo person (cue sad hamster music)

DISCO KID

-Babygirl

-Zesty

-Took ballet/gymnastics

-Optimist

-Accidentally broke a trampoline

-Was the popular kid in school

-THE sweetest guy

-Cat person

-Owns 4 cats

-Wears fluffy robes

KING HIPPO

-Plays League of Legends

-Tweaks out HARD at Angry Birds and Super Mario Wii (friend is totally not projecting)

-Really good at board games

-Gamer

-Patrick Star kinnie

-Does NOT cackle. He giggles

-Has Live Laugh Love framed over his toilet

-His snores have caused earthquakes

-Heavy sleeper

PISTON HONDO

-”He did WHAT in his Honda?!”

-Behaves like that one English teacher you had in middle school

-aka the ”Never in my 15 years of teaching have I seen a substitute report this bad” teacher

-ponders

-Dances to animation memes

-Worked at Burger King once

-Constantly pissed

-Goes honk mimimimi when he sleeps

-If he ate a cheeseburger he would explode

-Was the guy who made the post that just says “everytime a new chicken sandwich releases”

BEAR HUGGER

-Smells PUTRID

-Real name is Cleetus

-Lumberjack

-Has a lisp

-Gets food in his beard

-Eats it (EWWWW 🤢)

-His theme song is “Entry of the Gladiators” (aka clown music)

-Wouldn’t survive a day in the military

-Plays Microsoft Flight Simulator

-Goes “weeeeee!” as the plane flies

-Has a poster that says “Eat Slur Game Repeat”

-Redneck

-Has a shirt that says ”These Fists Are Rated E for Everyone”

GREAT TIGER

-HOT

-Has the most beautiful hair but hides it

-Binged My Little Pony

-Binged Twilight

-Plays with Barbie dolls

-Listens to Kpop

-AMAZING at Just Dance

-Also good at DDR

-Plays Pikmin

-Loves the Stone Pikmin

DON FLAMENCO

-Once got addicted to cough drops

-Uses really bad pick up lines

-Does really bad trickshots to impress girls

-Slips like a cartoon character. His shoes go flying every time

-Watched MLP with Great Tiger

-Watches Mean Girls

-Kins Regina George

-Cried when she got hit by a bus

-Zesty

-Scoliosis

-Can pick my friend up with one hand

-Would lean on a wall, say “hey cutie, you free tonight?” and immediately have a coughing fit

-Took an Am I Gay? Quiz. It said yes and refuses to believe it (internalized biphobia)

-Likes big butts and he cannot lie

ARAN RYAN

-Menace

-Actually very lightweight, refuses to admit it

-Bullies kids on ROBLOX

-Keeps getting censored in chat

-Plays Dress to Impress

-Would hit you if so desired

-Uses Joker quotes

-Bakes pink cupcake in spare time

-Would make a balloon animal for a kid and then pop it like Gru

-The guy he tickled in his character intro was Don Flamenco

-Killed someone, steals, graffitis, takes candy from babies

-Should be in jail

-ADHD

-”Ya prob’ly got cheeseburgers in those gloves, have ya Mac?!” “well you have horseshoes”

SODA POPINSKI

-Dropped on the head as a kid

-Nicknamed ”Pinhead Larry”

-Oiled up

-Naturally loud

-Skipped leg day

-Mr. Krabs walking sound when he tiptoes

-Speedruns Hello Neighbor

-Hands are too big for the keyboard

-Makes dad jokes and laughs at himself because no one else laughs

-Gets bullied by Aran Ryan for his dad jokes

BALD BULL

-Someone threw a bowling ball at his head

-Peak Male Performance

-40% chip (context for this is in comments)

-Watched game shows, was in one once

-Blurts out the answers at the TV, gets pissed every time they get it wrong and screams

-Screams like the ash baby

-Shakes randomly

-Ate lead paint

-Ate a glow stick

-”ladies, ladies, calm down, theres enough of me to go around” (stolen from don flamenco, difference is this actually works)

-ash baby coded???

-Teeters on the line of being ugly and hot

-Gets beauty sleep

-20 step skincare routine

SUPER MACHO MAN

-”he looks like a founding father”

-Shrimp posture

-UGLY??

-Listens to phonk unironically

-Has jiggle physics

-Uses his chest to type on keyboards

-says “eureka!” when he as an idea

-FAKE chain

-wears speedos (canon)

-its his only outfit

-played five nights at freddys and shit himself

-Pimp

-GILF

-Looks 72, is 27

MR. SANDMAN

-Drag Queen

-Chappell Roan listener

-Once tried to wax his nose but got q tips stuck in it

-REALLY into horoscopes and gemstones

-NAPALMED a homeless shelter

-Dances like the dame tu cosita guy

-fucken BUSTS IT DOWN to every song

-Throws gang signs in his boxing gloves??

-Does the Omni-Man squat sometimes

-Ate a lightbulb and that's why his skin glows

-Skips to the song “Mr. Sandman” because he’s babygirl like that

LITTLE MAC

-Floats in the air when he smells pie

-Anime protagonist

-Loves Ben 10

-Had a greasy mohawk

-Ate a bug

-Sticks his head out of the car window

-Gulps and goes “EEEYIKES!!!” when he has to fight a strong opponent

-Listens to Mitski

-Loves the movie Ratatouille

-His favorite character is Remy’s brother

-Makes kandi bracelets

-Asserts dominance by T-posing

DOC LOUIS

-Wears yoga pants

-Has asthma

-Runs up the stairs on all fours

-Maximum silly

-Watches romcoms and cries

-Draws watches on his wrist and looks at it when someone asks him for the time

-Watched Skibidi Toilet AND knows all of the lore

-Doesn’t know what a tampon is

-Listens to the song that goes “once I was seven years old”

-Mama’s boy

-HORRIBLE driver

[dr-spectre]

The discourse surrounding Sonic movie 3 is some of the most infuriating shit i've had to deal within the Sonic community for a long ass time. It is just... oh my god man.

The amount of anger that can be generated within the community over two egg fellas dancing is kinda nuts.

Now listen, as a man who loves Sonic and especially Adventure 2, I'm gonna be for real, i do not like this all that much. I just don't like the idea of the man who in his first appearance was him in chains ranting about how he is going to destroy the Earth and then later getting executed via firing squad, dancing around with his grand son and being incredibly goofy for the sake of it.

"But it's a kids movie!!" So? That excuse is bullshit and you fucking know it dude, you know what else is made for kids? Watership Down, guess what that movie has.

A blood soaked rabbit. Yeah. A kid's movie has that.

You know what else is a kid's movie? Pinocchio, guess what that movie has? Silly light hearted moments and CHILDREN TURNING INTO DONKEYS AND BEING SOLD INTO SLAVERY!!!!!!!!! But the movie is still a classic and fine for children to watch, cause it teaches them important fucking lessons and themes.

I saw someone say that The Hunchback of Notre Dame, one of the darkest Disney movies ever made, a movie beloved by all, a movie with a baby almost being drowned, a mother being murdered near a church, a farm being burnt down, disturbing sexual themes, has the gargoyles and it's still a good movie. Yes, they have the gargoyles, BUT NO ONE LIKES THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! I'VE NEVER MET ANYONE WHO LIKES THEM! THEY ARE JUST THERE TO ENTERTAIN CHILDREN AND THAT'S IT!!!! THE MOVIE STILL HAS TONAL ISSUES!!!

I'm not asking for blood and guts in a Sonic movie, I'm not asking for Shadow to bust a cap in donut lord's ass. I'm asking for a story with more weight behind it. When you are tackling Shadow's backstory, Maria and Gerald fucking Robotnik, you gotta take that shit more seriously. You just have to dude. And if you make shit silly, make it actually... idk... FUNNY?!?!? FUNNY FOR EVERYONE?? NOT JUST 5 YEAR OLDS?!!?!

Serious movies are allowed to have comedic moments to ease the tension, but they must be handled well and fit the overall story and theme that the story is trying to go for. If they are gonna show Shadow's serious backstory and then follow it up with Eggman and his 110 year old grand father dancing, or vice versa, it's not gonna work. It just won't work in my opinion.

"But there might be a twist and Gerald actually goes full on crazy like in Adventure 2!" WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET!!! WE LITERALLY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING!!!! If it is true that Gerald DOES eventually go crazy and that goofy act is a facade to manipulate Eggman, then guess what, I WOULD LIKE THAT!!! I WOULD BE FINE WITH THAT!! IT WOULD MAKE REPEAT WATCHES MORE INTERESTING!! BUT WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CANNOT BE SO SURE!!!

"But it's Jim Carrey!! He's gonna act goofy!!"

Yes Jim Carrey is known for his comedic roles and him as Eggman is pretty good, but you know what else Jim is known for?

Like I'm just saying guys... he can do more emotional roles, he isn't just the "silly man" you guys think he is. Boiling him down to just one thing and that he can do ONLY one type of acting is so insulting and disrespectful to his acting skills.

Jordan Peele, a comedic actor, went on to direct horror movies like Get Out, Us and Nope, and those movies have some of the most craziest and most intense horror movie scenes I've ever seen in my life.

The same man who did this.

Directed this.

Stop boiling down creative people into just one role. It's so annoying.

"But the movie can balance seriousness and stillness!" THE MOVIE ISNT OUT YET! WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET!!!!!!!!!! THE TONE BALANCE COULD BE GOD AWFUL OR IT COULD BE ACTUALLY GOOD! Like how the most emotional and powerful scene of Spider-Man 2 leads into one of the funniest scenes of the movie, but it WORKS SO WELL!!! BECAUSE IT TIES INTO THE THEMES OF THE MOVIE ABOUT WANTING TO LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE VS GREAT POWER AND GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!!!!! SACRIFICING YOUR DREAMS IN ORDER TO DO THE RIGHT THING!!!

"But Sonic Adventure 2 and Unleashed are goofy and serious!!"

My brother in Christ... Adventure 2 is not fucking goofy. It doesn't throw out referential humor, it doesn't target children only. Sonic doesn't reference google maps and we don't see Eggman dancing IN HIS DAMN BASE IN THE PYRAMID! The goofiest shit Eggman did was scratch his ass for five frames. And then an hour later Eggman pulled a FUCKING GUN ON AMY ROSE AND WAS READY TO KILL HER! WHICH LEAD TO ONE OF THE COOLEST SCENES IN THIS DAMN FRANCHISE!! EGGMAN THOUGHT HE WON IN ADVENTURE 2!!!

The goofy shit from Adventure 2 is down to the delivery of the English voice cast and the translated script, i promise you, you WILL notice a difference between the original Japanese voice cast and the English cast.

Sonic Unleashed is not goofy, it is has funny moments but they are very few and far between. They do not destroy the tone of the story because Sonic Unleashed is not trying to be overly dark or overly lighthearted, it's somewhere in the middle but it leans more into the lighthearted side of going on an adventure and exploring new countries with Chip. That is the focus of the story, Sonic and Chip. The Dark Gaia stuff is just a motivator for the player to explore new areas.

The comedy of Unleashed is between Eggman and that early Orbot SA-55, the humor is SA-55 poking holes at Eggman's plan and ego and it's written really well. It doesn't feel like dumb jokes made for just kids.

The crazy Dark Gaia serious shit is saved AT THE FINALE AND OPENING OF THE GAME!!! But it works because the rest of the story isn't OVERLY jokey and super lighthearted. There's barely ANY jokes to speak of in Unleashed, aside from Eggman getting hit in the face with a rock, Eggman smacking SA-55, and telling him to "SHUT UPPPPPPP!!!" At the end of the game.

"But movie Sonic is different from game Sonic!!" Yes, i know that, movie Sonic is a different character from the game Sonic we know, yes the tone is more targeted towards children, yes Sonic in the previous two movies made referential humor and Eggman was dancing. But even back then, even as a younger person, i still found it fucking cringey when Sonic and Eggman flossed. I found it lame as hell that a Sonic movie would include a fart joke. If teen me found it unfunny then I don't know if modern day kids are gonna find Sonic doing dated dancing funny.

Hell the dancing scene in Sonic movie 1 was better executed because of Agent Stone popping up at the end and that sudden cut to him, followed up by Eggman's scream.

This shit is just funny to me idk why.

When you have trailers that includes serious looking shots and making the audience believe that they are gonna get something different from the previous two movies, but in the tv spots and music videos, we see shit like this.... It's just... I don't know man.

Sonic movie 1 and 2 sort of got away with being more jokey and childish because those movies don't tackle serious subject matter. Sonic movie 1 is just a basic kids CGI live action hybrid movie, Sonic movie 2 tries to go further into the Sonic lore from the games but it isn't explored TOO MUCH! Knuckles' backstory is used to connect with Sonic's and compare and contrast the two, you know, two sides of the same coin sort of deal.

But Sonic movie 3 is tackling stuff from Sonic Adventure 2, a story with government cover up, memory manipulation (call it brainwashing and I'm gonna stab you /j), attempted genocide of the Earth, a prototype ultimate lifeform that's in constant pain and fueled by the anger of Gerald, a child getting shot, an old man getting killed via firing squad, and yet... The tone is gonna be the exact same as Sonic movie 1 and 2? Why?

And Sonic is still the same old movie Sonic from movie 1 and 2. It feels like there is no growth to him. "But Sonic has a flat character arc!!" IN THE FUCKING GAMES! NOT IN THE MOVIES!!!!! Sonic went through an arc, he WANTED something more personal in movie 1 and 2, a family, he wanted to not feel lonely after the death of Longclaw, yet despite going through a character arc, he doesn't feel more mature.

Why is he saying shit like "Konichiwhaaaaaaa?" It's not funny, it just isn't I'm sorry. Fucking hell.

This is definitely a negative take from me compared to how overly positive everyone is. People are defending this with all of their heart and dismissing people who say "hey i don't like this."

I think that the Sonic community has a toxic positivity problem, i know that it brings back bad times when people criticize Sonic, i know, trust me i get it.

But people make criticisms to see improvements, we wanna see content from Sonic that can better target all Sonic fans from all ages, not just children. Sonic never targeted just kids, it has something for everyone. I love Sonic, i love the blue rat, i really do. But Movie 3 has me very conflicted.

I'm still really excited for the movie, but i don't wanna be blinded by the hype, i don't want to say that this movie is gonna be the best thing ever, because i don't think it will be. I'm just hoping for an 8/10 movie. Something fucking GREAT!!!!

If you personally don't mind the direction of the movie then guess what, THAT'S FINE!!! IT'S OKAY!!! Just don't fucking come down my neck about me not liking it, saying that I'm wrong or stupid for having a vastly different take than yours.

Sonic is in the best position he has been in so long, he feels mainstream and beloved again. We are free from the mid 2010s and how dry it was. I'm happy where the series is at!!

Even if movie 3 doesn't deliver what i wish to see, at least Shadow Generations and Dark Beginnings gave me what i was looking for. An emotional tale that felt true to the characters i grew up loving and pretending to be as a little kid. (I pretended to run around as Sonic and Shadow as a kid, no that's not a joke.)

Also, Run It is a mid as hell song. It sounds like an ai trying to replicate the songs from 2015 to 2016. It sounds incredibly dated and has NOTHING to do with Sonic aside from "RUN it." The other movie songs had barely anything to do with Sonic, but Run It is on a whole other level LMAO!

If this is the credits song after Shadow dies or something, I'm gonna be pissed off. Just make it a song for the beginning of the movie, PLEASE!

[merrock]

HAPPY JANUARY !

Happy 2025, Merrockites! Can you believe that another year has come and gone? I've got your monthly mod post right here, though, to kick it off strong! Click under the cut to see what's on January's calendar, some important things to note that have changed or are being worked on, things we all need to work on together, and some mod notes! xx

ON THE CALENDAR !

DECEMBER 31 -- New Year's Eve Party (OOC: December 29 - January 4): see post for info!

JANUARY 1 -- Polar Plunge (OOC: December 29 - January 4): see post for info!

JANUARY 10 -- houseplant appreciation day: join the florists at Lavender Lane for a houseplant planting day, where you can put your own little plantling in a pot to take home! (or buy more!)

JANUARY 15 -- national hat day: share a post to our #merrocksocial tag of your character in a hat to celebrate national hat day this year.

JANUARY 25 -- Winter Gala (OOC: January 22-28): info coming after the current events!

JANUARY 31 -- fun at work day: do something fun at work! (or go find fun.) have a pizza party, go bowling, catch a matinee, have everyone show up in pajamas, just have some fun!

RULES & CHANGES

as usual, the rules have been gone over with a fine tooth comb! please take a few moments to read them!

we have added a rule asking players not to use AI for writing! I don't truly believe this has ever been an issue here, but as AI slowly seeps more and more into the real world, we want to remind writers not to use sites like Chat GPT or anything else to do your replies. this is going to be a hard rule -- if we find someone is doing this, we will ask you to leave. (please note, if you use aids to help you write due to disabilities, this is different.)

big plots / happenings cannot happen during big events or major holidays. this is because those things are for everyone, and your thing is for you, we want everyone to have their time! we will allow plots to overlap with mini events moving forward.

characters can be picked up two weeks after you begin activity on your last pick-up. this is just to assure that you have had a full two weeks of activity (not just from your join date!) before bringing someone new in.

the writer cap has been upped to 25, with 5 extra bonus spots when that cap is reached, which means we will sit at 30 writers. if we ever feel we can handle more, we will address that.

moving forward, face claims must be over the age of 23. this is just to give us a little leeway from resources that might be on the line of 18! characters can still be 21 and 22.

because we have opened a few more spots, the new rule is after you reach three characters, all further characters must pick up wanted connections, unless the character is bipoc (black or indigenous), trans/nonbinary, disabled, or over the age of 50. we still encourage you to consider picking up WCs with your first three if it is possible, though!

NOTE: the last two rules are new and will be administered moving forward, this means if you are not meeting them, you are fine and grandfathered in, you're good!

OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF !

I'm going to trial and error some things through the Times! Namely, posting ads for businesses that are hiring, and allowing you guys to submit confessions and tips about things happening in town. We'll talk about that Sunday!

You may also notice some minor formatting changes to things like the Weekly post on the Times, acceptances, event information, etc. This is just for ease and to get you the info you need.

Our bulletin board will now list each month's mini events with small descriptions; these mini events can be written out (if you would like!) any time during that month. Info for each will be provided on the 1st of the month.

I'll come up with a task in February! I haven't decided yet if we will do one a month, or cut back a bit to one per season, etc. But I do need a wee break and will be taking it; if you are looking for something to do, I recommend checking out our task page and doing some of our development prompts!

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT !

One thing that might seem silly to you guys, but actually means a lot to admins is just interacting with mod posts -- liking event posts, important announcements, etc. It helps us know "hey, okay, they see this, that's good!" and lets us know it's something you appreciate and/or enjoy in the group.

Please tag and be mindful with triggering subjects! All triggers should be marked in the format of "trigger tw" so that people can blacklist if need be. Our trigger list can be found here, but when in doubt, don't hesitate to ask me, any time.

Be mindful with your replies. Remember that while you might have more muse for some threads, if you are letting others sit idle, that could actually harm someone else's activity -- and in turn make them not want to write with you moving forward. This goes for writing multiple characters, too, they all need your love!

A WORD FROM THE MOD !

It's a new year. For a lot of people, a new year means a new start. For Merrock, we are hoping the same. Let's leave the past in the past -- give everyone a clean slate and a fresh start. Are there writers you just haven't plotted or interacted with? Take the opportunity to reach out. Plots that you've let fall to the wayside? Maybe it's time to fix that! Let bad feelings go... and let's just take a deep breath and start the new year off with a goal of really, really focusing on building up our sense of community. I've said it before, but... comment on one another's OOC posts, like their socials and tasks, respond to plot calls, message people back when they reach out to you, just be kind to one another, it's what makes this group as special as I know it is. As admin, I am going to work hard this year on figuring out what works for our group. We are cutting back a wee bit on the amount of events that we have so that people can get more enjoyment out of them, and allowing more freedom with mini events, as well as implementing a couple of plot drops. I'll be removing features that just haven't really worked well for us in the past, trying to get more feedback on things like tasks and themes for events, etc. I am always open for feedback and constructive criticism. But I do ask everyone to remember that I am one person doing my best, and a human being. Kindness always wins, and I will always, always give that back to you guys, too. xx

HAVE A GREAT JANUARY !

[msmargaretmurry]

I’m rotating Matthew Tkachuck in my head right now and trying to figure out what’s an interesting direction to take him in, in general, in a post SCF win world. Real Matthew is obviously living his best life right now but I feel like there’s interesting things to explore with fanon Matthew. What angst avenues remain after he’s reached the dream of every hockey player in the show, fulfilled the expectations put on him by putting the tkachuk name on the cup? I’ve always liked stories that explore characters after they reached their ultimate goal and the ‘now what?’ question that they have to answer, I’m having trouble figuring what that ‘now what?’ is for Matthew beyond play more hockey and win more cups. As the foremost Matthew Knower I know, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

(Also needless to say i’d love hearing the extra mattdrai take on this too, either already established pre-SCF, broke up before SCF, or never even got together yet)

OK HI ANON i am so sorry for taking so long to answer this! and thank you for sending such a fun and interesting question!! as usual this got long so i'll put it under the read more.

so first of all i've definitely seen people say that matthew is less interesting to them fannishly now that his narrative is "over" — he won the cup, he's getting married, he's got his ideal happy ending, etc — and i do understand that, both theoretically and having seen it happen before in fandom (after the caps finally won the cup fannish hockey interest in them seemed to drop off SO abruptly at the time, lol). which is fine! if the thing someone was most invested in was the narrative and the narrative concludes, if the tension they were interested in is no longer there, it's natural to move on to new victims players of interest.

however, anon, i like you am for better or worse still invested 😂 and despite writing almost nothing this past year (i cannot express enough how burnt out grad school had me, but i have WAY better plans for stress management this year, hooray for having writing time again) i have been rotating our beloved rat boy CONSTANTLY on the gas station hotdog roller in my mind. he is one those players who obviously i enjoy him as a real person and a hockey player but for fanfiction purposes i find him so interesting for his potential as a character, and that character is only very loosely tied to his real life circurmstances and is a separate, totally fictional entity from the real guy. so while the real matthew is living the dream, and i am so happy for and proud of him, i still have fictional matthew in my head like, well i can do whatever i want with you, lol.

so i think what maybe makes it more difficult for people to stay invested fannishly in situations like this is the (understandable) tendency to set "canon" fic (fics that aren't full AUs) in the here-and-now, and matthew's here-and-now, like we said, just doesn't have that much obvious tension and conflict, and the tension and conflict are what make for great stories! so i take a few different approaches here, and hopefully you will find one or some of them interesting or useful.

firstly i totally agree that "what now" stories are great. you've achieved everything you ever dreamed of — what now? well, as a writer, you figure out why that wasn't enough and then you send your character on a journey to figure that out, too. and honestly a lot of the time this is just about making shit up! like, in haw matthew is such an anxious character — obviously matthew in real life is not anxious like his haw counterpart, but haw!matthew has something real matthew doesn't have: his big gay secret that is constantly weighing on him and stressing him out, so the anxiousness (hopefully) makes sense, character-wise. with matthew as a character i am almost always ignoring his real-life love life (i have just never been a person to include real wags in my fic in any major way) so my immediate thought is: if he has the cup, but not the engagement, how does that make things different? is he lonely? does he need to admit to himself that he's lonely, or is he already aware and making a choice to stay that way? or, maybe he uses the cup press as a way to come out, and he's dealing with all of that? maybe he gets caught putting his tongue in some guy's mouth during the drunken cup celebrations and he's dealing with that. (insert matthew pairing of choice into any of this, obviously.)

or maybe we want a fic that lets him have the whole happy ending, cup and wedding and everything. fast-forward five, ten, fifteen years, and how has that happiness lasted? like, he's pretty young, he has a lot of career ahead of him! will he be content as his career winds down if in all those years he hasn't had another sniff at the cup? does his (fictional) marriage last (obviously not, if we're going to have him sucking dick in a supply closet or w/e, but ykwim)? does he get to end his career on his own terms? there are whole worlds of futurefic out there for exploring what happens when all your dreams come true so young and so you spend the rest of your life chasing that high.

and then there is like, we can write fic set in the past! we're allowed to do that! if we still want to write about calgary matthew or pre-cup matthew and explore the conflicts and tensions in those parts of his life, we can do that! i think that his first two years in florida are SO ripe especially for like, matthew/sasha or matthew/benny or other fic with his teammates culminating in that cup run. like with good romance novels, knowing it has the best possible ending doesn't make the journey less interesting. we love that real matthew has his real happy ending; it could be really fun to recreate that journey for him with bonus matthew/[insert hockey man of choice here] content. (obviously i love matthew/leon, but i really will read anything 😂 so this is me encouraging all pairings.)

and then for ME there is a particularly delicious option, one of my favorite types of of hrpf fic in general, with the canon divergence au. we have seen matthew live his dream; what happens if something in his life happened that derailed his path to it? how does he reach that level of joy and contentness and peace with himself if his perfect cup/engagement summer is taken out of his reach? i'm talking your classic career-ending injury aus, something else happens to derail his career aus, etc. maybe not for everyone and maybe not quiet what you're thinking about with a "what next" type of fic, but i love this shit so much, so i have to include it here.

finally, OBVIOUSLY, the matthew and leon of it all!!!!! like, man, WHAT a wrench to throw into our beautiful wonderful made-up mattdrainiverse. i think there are such fun possibilities in every version of the scenario like you mentioned — established relationship, broken up, not together yet, a fourth secret thing, etc. for established relationship, the question of, does this break them up (and then you the writer has to get them back together) (if you're feeling nice)? if not, how do they get past it? if they're exes, does it weirdly ignite something between them again, and how does that go? and honestly my favorite might be the "not together yet" option, just because the journey for leon getting over that resentment and growing feelings could be soooooooo good.

and i think maybe that is the key to post-cup fic for them, for me, if the fic is going to end with them happy together? is, whatever their relationship, taking leon's feelings about the cup seriously — his resentment, his pain, his annoyance, what have you — and showing me that journey of processing those feelings and getting to a place where even if he's not happy for matthew, he is happy with him. and on matthew's side, his own feelings — refusing to be sorry for winning, refusing to tamp down his joy, etc — are obviously also important, and i think there could be some really good conflict there as they butt heads and work through all that.

but every fic doesn't have to deal with that whole-ass emotional journey, obvs. not every fic has to be a 60k feelings journey 😂 one-shot encounters, hate-fucking pwps, whatever, they can all be delicious. (unsolicited fic rec, @hopetorun recently wrote me this matthew/leon post-cup fic that packs a punch in 10k.) for me though i think these feelings about the cup need to be centered in the post-cup era, even if they don't get nicely resolved. even if it's set 15 years in the future, those feelings are still going to be there, and whatever happens between them is going to be messy and complicated. and we all know i love mess 🥰

anyway, i'm not actually sure if i answered your question here but i hope it did! regardless, i had fun thinking about all this, and that's the most important thing!

[berryispunk]

I Stole Your Heart, You Stole My Life

Summary: You cannot believe you have to bail him out again. You decide this is his last chance.

Warnings:F!reader, m/f pairing, angst (lots of it), fluff (a little bit), nicknames!(baby, dollface, mi amor), slight smut, consent, kissing, mention of substance abuse and alcohol, no mention of y/n, arguing, yelling

Notes:I was highly encouraged to keep writing the story of Frankie and his girl. So, thank you for kicking my ass, without you this wouldn't exist. <3 And also huge thanks to my editor, Sam <33

word count: 3,9 k

Your phone keeps vibrating on the wooden nightstand next to you. You slowly open your eyes, clearly sleepy and try to figure out if you are dreaming or if it’s real. As the sound continues you know it isn’t a dream so you quickly grab the phone and hold it to your ear, the only sound escaping your lips is a mumbled, “Hm?” as you pick up.

“Hey, dollface,” his voice is sounding soft and kind of hesitant on the other end of the line.

“Frankie?” You’re wide awake now. “Everything alright?”

“Yes. I am okay. Sorry to wake you up.“There’s a short pause. “I know it’s late.”

You take a glimpse at the digital alarm clock next to you. It’s 1:15 a.m. and the red of the numbers is illuminating your face, making you blink in disbelief.

“It is,” you answer harshly, burying your face in your hand and sighing. “What’s wrong? You are in trouble, aren’t you?” You ask honestly. As if you don’t know the answer already.

“Kinda…,” he answers, hesitantly and clearing his throat. “I am… at the police station.” His voice is slightly off. The way his Spanish accent shines through, like it always does when he’s tipsy, or on drugs. Or both.

Suddenly your eyes widen. “You’re what?” you ask shocked.

A nervous laughter on the other side. You can just imagine him standing there, with this damn cocky smile on his face and re-adjusting the cap he’s usually wearing. If they let him keep it for the arrest, that is.

“It’s silly. I just–,” he says, almost too quiet to understand.

“I don’t wanna know what got you there,” you snap back.

“Look.. I-I wouldn’t have called if there would be someone else I could call. I didn’t want to bother you.”

You laugh dryly.

“Fuck, Francisco. Are you serious? You know I am always there for you. But this isn’t the first time you call me in the middle of the night.” You sigh again.

There is a deep sigh on the other end before he continues, “I am sorry, baby. I really am.” He has the decency to sound sincere.

“I’ll come pick you up. Can you send me the location?”

“My phone is dead,” he replies. “I’m calling from the police station.”

You roll your eyes. Of course yours is the only number that he knows by heart. “Seriously?” Your voice is getting more annoyed by the second but you can’t help it. This is so fucking exhausting. You just wanted to go back to sleep. You didn’t plan to drive a car, let alone pick up your boyfriend from the police station.

“I know,” he sighs. “It’s the police station on Tanglewood Drive. Same street as the bar.” You know exactly where that is. It’s the bar where you first met, his go-to place. The place that could be considered his main address. You sigh again, deeply and exhausted. “I’ll be there in 15,” you say, clearly irritated and end the call.

You throw your phone on the bed, the anger creeping up and threatening to consume you completely. This isn’t the first time this is happening, it’s not even the second or the third time. You’re just done, so fucking done with his bullshit. And every fucking time you find yourself in this mindset, telling yourself it’ll be the last time but every time he looks at you with his big, sad, brown puppy eyes and it’s like all your anger melts away.

But this time it’s different. At least that’s what you’re telling yourself. You crawl out of bed. Your sleep shirt - one of Frankie’s old band shirts - hanging loosely on your frame. You don’t even bother putting on a bra. The guys at the station must have seen it all already.

You grab the nearest yoga pants you can find and hop into them. Quickly step into your tiny bathroom, splash some cold water in your face and exhale deeply. This won’t be happening again. Not ever. You decide for yourself that tonight is going to be the last time, that this is the line you’re drawing. Otherwise, all of his problems will swallow you whole, dragging you down into dark places you hadn’t even known existed before you met him. You quickly grab your keys and step into the cold night air, its freshness waking you up and this whole routine tells you that you won’t be getting back to sleep tonight. Your blood is boiling in your veins as you start the engine of your car. It’s a cold autumn night, one where it isn’t quite cold enough to freeze, but still cold enough that your breath is very visible in the car’s interior. You turn the heater on the lowest setting and start driving.

Ten minutes later you arrive at the police station. Frankie is already standing outside, a cigarette between his lips, the flame of his lighter illuminating his face for a moment and you are reminded of the first time you met at the bar. He offered you a cigarette and you agreed, even if you didn’t smoke yourself, but something about him smoking was so alluring that you couldn’t help yourself. You had to have a taste of him, even if it was through the bitter taste of nicotine.

He suddenly knocks against the passenger window and you’re catapulted back to the present, leaning over to open the door for him. He’s sinking into the seat, searching for your face immediately. But you’re not looking at him. It’s clear as day that he’s under some influence. There’s the smell of alcohol, cigarette smoke and something else you can’t pinpoint. You’re not even stopping the motor as he begins speaking.

“Thank you so much for picking me up. Cops in there said I’m lucky you picked me up or I would’ve slept in a cell." He sounds so casual, like all of this wasn’t a big deal and you instead picked him up from a play date. Because that's how he behaves. Like a fucking child.

And you’re feeling like you’re his mom, like you are responsible for him when really you’re not. You’re not married, you’re not even living together and still you’re sitting here, the clock ticking almost two a.m. and picking him up from a fucking police station. You sigh heavily and don’t say another word as you start driving to his place in the next town over.

It’s silent in the car, cold despite the heater being on, as you drive through the night. It would be a beautiful trip if this wasn’t so damn exhausting. The two of you driving through the night, only the dashboard and streetlights illuminating both of your features, some nice music as a soundtrack in the background. Instead you’re both sitting in silence, the only sound being that of the motor.

He suddenly breaks the silence, his tone pleading, “Dollface, please say something.”

You shake your head and grab the steering wheel harder in an attempt not to lose control of your emotions.

“I don’t know what to say anymore, Francisco,” you say calmly, but it's the kind of calm that’s only a facade masking your need to yell at him and he knows it. He has to, because he doesn’t say anything in return.

As you stop the car at a red light, you dare to look over to him for the first time. If you didn't know that he’s a grown man, way over 30, you could’ve sworn that there’s a teenager in your passenger seat who got caught doing something shitty. He’s looking lost, ashamed and almost broken.

He must feel your stare, because he’s not looking at you. He keeps looking out the window.

Pathetic. That’s what he is. That’s what he looks like. Pathetic. And it’s the first time since you found yourself stuck in this shitshow of a relationship that you’re not feeling bad for him.

No. You’re angry. So angry that you’re getting hot again, your cheeks burning as the light finally turns green. You hit the accelerator way too hard considering the small car you’re driving. The rest of the drive is silent and you feel a sense of relief as the familiar apartment complex comes into sight. You hit the break, still too hard, making both of you nod in unison. You hoped he would just hop out of the car and vanish out of sight, but of course he remains seated next to you. The small space of the car feels like it’s gonna crush you any minute.

“Could you at least look at me? Please?” His voice is dripping with insecurity. You don’t want to look at him, don’t wanna fall into his trap again. You just can’t. But a second later you feel his big, slightly calloused hand on your chin, lifting it so you have no other chance but to look at him. And the sight in front of you is almost taking your breath away. His whole body language is sad and pitiful. His strong, broad shoulders slumped, his face, especially the eyes, tired and empty and all of it is immediately pulling on your heart strings. Fuck. He lets go of your chin and you soften for just a moment before you decide not to give in. Not this time. Not ever again.

“I do. What now? You’re telling me how sorry you are? You swear you will do better? I’ve heard it all before, Francisco. Every. Fucking. Word. This isn’t my first tango after all,” you snap at him and he’s flinching in his seat like you just wounded him. He looks at you silently with an unreadable expression.

One part screams at you to tell him for a last time to get his shit together, the other just wants to climb into his lap and hug him closely. Finally the angry part of you wins as the weeks of pent-up frustration find their way out.

“I can’t do this anymore,” you say firmly, trying not to let tears build up behind your eyes and threatening to let you sound weak. His eyebrows shoot up, clearly not sure he heard you correctly.

“W-what do you mean?” he asks, his voice nothing more than a pained whisper and his eyes turning even darker, even sadder, if that’s even possible. You take one more breath before answering.

“Like I said, I can’t do this anymore. Any of it. I’m sick and tired of cleaning up your messes, Francisco.” He just stares at you, his mouth slightly open, his plush lips looking so kissable that for a moment you’re staring at them.

All the memories of your good times flood your mind, making it hard to swallow as you feel the knot in your throat tightening.

“Baby, please…” He pleads, his voice so warm and familiar. His nickname for you cutting you like a knife.

“No,” you answer sharply. “No pleading, no promises. This is it, Francisco. I’m done with you. I have to think of myself. I can’t keep picking you up in the middle of the night, I can’t lend you any more money, I can’t watch you destroy yourself more and more. It’s breaking me…” You break off, the last part of your sentence is only a hoarse whisper. He holds your intense gaze, his eyes watering. Is he about to cry? Fuck, you weren’t prepared for this.

“Don’t you dare start to cry now,” you warn him and he chuckles silently, only his shoulders moving a bit.

“I know I pushed you too far. I know I am a dumb-ass, okay? But you have to believe me when I say that I really try to do better. I don’t want to lose you… I can’t lose you,” he says and his voice is full of sincerity.

You swallow hard, your own eyes watering. Fucking fuck.

“Frankie… Please. Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

He grabs your hand holding the steering wheel and kisses your palm.

“Mi amor…” he starts, his Spanish accent shining through every syllable and your lower body is reacting involuntarily. Normally you would fall for this. Him speaking Spanish was always your weakness, one of the first things you noticed about your chemistry. You squirm in your seat and have to clear your throat.

“Fuck your mi amor bullshit, Francisco. That doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make anything better. What the hell was it this time? Did some random dude look at you the wrong way? What was it?” You hiss and pull your hand away. This isn’t the first fight you have and he knows you can’t stand physical touch during fights. He should know better.

This is what your relationship is about. The two of you being passionate and stubborn. Fighting, yelling at each other just to make up for it in the bedroom later. For a while this was good. It was intense, new, thrilling even. But as time went on and you kept finding yourself in situations like this when even the sex couldn’t make things right anymore. You have reached your limit, you are past it at this point. Actually, you let it go on for longer than is healthy for you.

“I know I have some issues, okay? I know. But I swear this time it was different. It was all a big misunderstanding. Some random dude called the cops and they took me with them, because I maybe broke something. But not someone's arm or anything like this,” he defends himself, like him not being violent towards another human being would award him a fucking medal.

“Jesus Christ, Francisco! You’re making it sound like that’s something to be proud of?!”

“I mean, it’s better than being in a fight, isn’t it? I would call that a small victory.” He grins at you all cocky. You want to punch that damn smile out of his face. Instead you’re shaking your head in pure disbelief at his words.

“You can’t be serious right now. Whatever you got in trouble for this time doesn’t matter. It happened so much the past few weeks you know there’s a long-ass criminal record of you now. How the hell are you planning on working again? No one’s going to hire you like this,” you sigh heavily, pinching the bridge of your nose.

He sighs too. “You’re right. But I can’t help it, sometimes something in me just snaps and my mind goes blank. I--” But he doesn’t get to complete his sentence because you cut him off with your hand covering his mouth. You know all of this already, none of the things he just said are new to you. The only thing honorable about him right now is that he was never violent towards you.

“I don’t wanna hear it. I’m not having any of your bullshit anymore. I want you to leave the car.” You say resolutely and he’s looking at you with wide eyes as you lean over him to open the passenger door.

“I’m not leaving,” he says and his voice is just as firm as yours. You glare at him.

“For God’s sake, Francisco. I am serious. Get out, now,”you warn him, your voice trembling in anger.

He’s shaking his head and crosses his arms in front of his chest, making his whole frame look broader, almost intimidating. His whole face consists of a grimace as he holds your angry stare.

“I’m not leaving. You can’t just throw me out of your car and your life just because you’re angry,” he says calmly, a stark contrast to his body language. You growl in your chest, the anger setting your whole body on fire. Suddenly sitting with him in the small space of the car is too much and you jump out of it, slamming the driver's door shut. It doesn't take him long to do the same and now you’re standing outside of your car, both of your breaths making small clouds in the cold night air. Your chest is heaving and feels like it’s collapsing.

He’s making a few steps in your direction, you’re taking a few back before your lower back hits the hood of your car.

“Francisco, what the fuck is wrong with you? Do you really think this is saving anything? Were my words not clear enough or is your mind so dazed from all the substances you’re simply not getting what I said?” The words taste bitter in your mouth.

“I heard you loud and clear. But if you really think I let you leave like I am some random hookup, you’re mistaken.” Every fiber of you is on fire by now, the outrage creeping up, consuming you whole and you finally snap completely.

“Fuck off! You should have thought about this before you’ve drowned yourself in drugs and alcohol! Do you really think I can love you like this? You know what you are, Francisco?! A pathetic, miserable man-child, nothing to offer anymore. The military swallowed you whole and spit you out like something that won’t stay down! It made you a shell of a man. And it’s disgusting and tiring to watch you destroy yourself. In the beginning I sympathized with you, but now all I feel is contempt.”

Your look must be pure venom at this point, your words sharp like knives as he stumbles back, clearly taken aback at your outburst. He’s used to you being passionate but you never assaulted him like this before and for a tiny moment you’re regretting your words as you see his reaction. But it’s too late to take it back now.

“Y-You don’t mean that…,” he whimpers, his big hand resting on his chest as if he’s physically hurt by your words.

“I mean every fucking word. I am done with you. So fucking done with you. I don’t wanna see your face anymore, I don’t wanna hear your voice anymore and I promise you this will be the last time you’ll see me. Ever.”

You stare at him and even if it's cold outside it feels like you’re burning up as you feel hot tears streaming down your face.

“Fuck,” you curse under your breath and turn around. You can’t let him see your tears. He can’t win, not this time.

There’s a beat of silence, but not for long.

“You know I love you. Like, really fucking love you. Fuck, I never thought I could love somebody as much as I love you,” his voice is hoarse and heavy with emotions. You can’t turn around to look at him, because if you do, you know how that unfolds.

Without waiting for your answer, he continues, “From the moment I first saw you I knew you were far too good for me. But in some mysterious way you fell for me, only God knows why, but I feel like the luckiest motherfucker on this Godforsaken earth. You make me feel things I thought weren’t possible anymore and I will forever be thankful for this, mi amor.” The last part of the sentence, the way he pronounces it makes your heart break and you start to sob. You’re torn apart between turning around and kissing him deeply or getting in your car and driving off.

Before you decide you can feel his strong arms around your waist, pressing you against his hot body, fitting together like two fucking puzzle pieces and you sob even more. He buries his face in the crook of your neck, brushing away a few strands of hair so he can place a soft kiss behind your ear, making you shiver instantly and for a fragment of a moment you think about the possibility of staying. Fighting this battle together with him. You feel absolutely horrible about leaving him alone in this broken state, God knows if he will ever be able to fight his demons. You turn around to face him, his hands still resting on your waist, his face just millimeters away from yours as you find yourself drowning in his dark brown eyes.

You blush instantly, his breath on your lips warm and heavy but so alluring as your eyes wander to his lips. He knows you. God damn it, he knows you so well.

He finds your mouth, the meeting of your lips electrifying your whole being. Fuck fuck fuck. Your brain is foggy with the sensation of the soft and intimate kiss, all emotions laid bare. It’s making you grab his neck, the soft locks under his cap between your fingers as you answer the declaration with your own mouth.

It’s obvious where this is leading as he deepens the kiss, his tongue dancing with yours while his grip on your waist tightens and your anger melts away, although not completely. It’s still lingering in your subconscious as he takes your hands and leads you into his apartment. Minutes later you find yourself in his bed, him hovering over you, his strong arms on either side of your head as you wrap your legs around his hips, creating the much needed friction you both are hungry for. It’s a well-known dance for the both of you, having memorized it by now, its steps deeply burnt into your brain and limbs.

But this time it’s different. It feels different. Neither of you are talking. The only communication between you is your bodies rubbing together, embracing each other. The kisses are passionate and raw. Seconds later you strip off your clothes, leaving both of you naked.

His intense stare on your naked body makes your breath catch in your throat and his eyes are dark, hungry but also so full of affection and something else you can’t quite put into words.

He’s worshiping your body, like he always does. His gaze never leaves yours as he finally eases into you, slow and torturous, savoring the feeling of you around him like a man starving. It makes you both moan in unison and you scratch his back as it all threatens to overwhelm you.

This is so different from all the times before, so raw and vulnerable it makes your heart constrict in your chest. As you both reach your peak he’s pressing his lips on yours, absorbing your moan. His eyes are still burning into yours before he kisses your forehead and collapses next to you. It’s a gesture so familiar and so loving a little tear is running down your already hot cheek.

There are no more words between you. You’re just snuggling up into his arms, your head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat calming down. Him gently caressing your back in soothing up and down motions. His warm and slightly sweaty scent fills your nostrils and you try to store it to memory as you drift to sleep.

When the first rays of sunshine hit the bedroom through his curtains you stand up immediately. You’re quiet enough he won’t wake up. His back is facing you and you watch him for just a moment before you dress yourself and take one last glance at his sleeping form before you head out of his apartment and start the engine of your car to drive off.

You don’t know whether the sound of your engine wakes him up. Maybe he rolls over to snuggle closer to you but you are not there anymore. You are in your car.

He’s going to find the note you left on the bedside table sooner or later. You tried to write as legibly as possible, “Just for the record. I really fucking loved you too. But it doesn’t change anything.”

And maybe he cries as hard as you do.

[ishipallthings]

Cap Iron Man Rec Week 2024 (Fri)

Family Fluff Friday - July 26th for @cap-ironman Rec Week

Family fluff - both canon and AU fics, all the fluff!

Remember to show some love for your hard-working creators!

Deep in the Heart of Me by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar) (AU)

There were days when the realization that he was someone’s father made Steve’s head hurt, but mostly he was grateful that he could trust his instincts, because apparently Peter was what had been missing from his life. Yes, he still had lingering, unresolved issues from his time in the Army, and sure, he had what Bucky annoyingly referred to as a criminally untapped ass, and no life outside of work and Peter, but Steve was okay with how his life had turned out because of trusting his instincts. Unfortunately, those same instincts had straight up betrayed him by going absolutely haywire upon being exposed to Tony Stark.

ten years too late (just in time) by Anonymous (AU)

 Steve never went out with Tony when they were young despite Tony’s attempts at wooing him, mostly because he thought Tony was too much of a flimsy playboy who could never really commit seriously to anything that wasn’t partying. Years later he runs into Single Father Tony taking care of his 3 year old. Tony refuses to buy his kid candy before dinner and is overall a pretty decent dad. Tony also thinks Steve could never be interested in him, since he was always rebuffed before, but Tony’s in for a surprise.

Tony, Please by FestiveFerret @festiveferret (AU)

Steve is doing just fine nursing a painful crush on his most captivating client. That is, until his babysitter has an emergency and drops Steve's six-year-old daughter off at his work. Somehow, everything goes off the rails.

Send Me A Hero by suitofhumour @suitofhumour (AU)

Tony needed a bodyguard for his kids and Steve Rogers was the most recommended pick available. Even as Tony tries to be wary of him, the guy manages to worm his way into Tony's life and soon his heart. But Steve has a secret that might be something that even Tony with his Iron Man suit cannot handle easily.

The one where… Tony meets Mr. Rogers by shieldmaidenofrohan  (AU)

“Are you ready?”

In the midst of a heavy rain by BladeoftheNebula @bladeofthenebula27 (AU)

“Do you know where Mr Rogers is?” Peter hummed. “He took his refreshment with him. He said he was going for a walk and would return for our next lesson.”

the porcupine and the armadillo by meidui @meidui (MCU, post-EG, series link)

‘I would not hurt them,’ the Porcupine thought to himself. ‘They did not give me a chance to show them that my belly is soft and has no quills. They also did not care that my quills are not there to hurt them. They are there to protect me and I would not survive without them.’

Treading Desire Lines by fohatic @fohatic (MCU, post-EG)

Tony knows that his daughter can be difficult, but he really needs someone to do him a solid when an important opportunity arises. Unfortunately, word is already out: Morgan Stark is a real handful. Never one to shrink from a challenge, Steve steps in, hoping to shift the strained dynamic between him and Tony and having no idea how the course of his life is about to change.

you’ve got to close your eyes and see by Thahire @thahiree (MCU, post-EG)

Morgan manages to bring Tony back eleven years after Thanos’ defeat, long after everyone’s learned to live without him. Everyone’s overjoyed once they get over their shock, but Tony finds it hard to adjust, now that Pepper’s moved on and Morgan’s not a little kid anymore. Somehow, the one constant is Steve.

Hope you guys enjoy the recs, and stay tuned! Please mind the tags before reading. Check out my tag for previous years’ rec lists, and here is an older rec list I made for stevetony single parent AUs :)

[spacerangersam]

What if I just ran with the concept crew and made them like, actual characters? What then? (also, some miscellaneous thoughts down below)

Idk why, but I imagine Humphrey and Ricky being best friends. Like, dramatic leaps into each others arms after being separated for no more than five minutes levels kind of close. Humphrey is just glad to have someone else who (seemingly) isn't miserable or paranoid around, and Pat likes having someone who is legitimately cheerful at his side.

None of the ghosts baring Ricky know anything about Julian's real life, and Ricky refuses to spill, thinking it's kinder to give him a clean slate. (until the truth inevitably definitely comes out during a big fight and Julian is left reeling for days). Even so, Ricky finds it hard to completely separate Julian the Politician from Julian the Ghost, especially because of the whole, you know, alleged cheating thing. Julian doesn't know what Ricky's deal is but keeps trying to get on the guy's good side.

Humphrey is the only ghost Ricky's told about the whole Julian thing, and he physically cannot hide his open disdain for the man.

Fanny thinks there's something more to Julian, though she thinks he's lying about the amnesia, but finds him a useful subject, especially as the only ghost who can physically touch things. He thinks she's terrifying but is slightly in awe of her.

Fanny and Thomas are quite close, being two of the oldest ghosts, very mad scientist and her long suffering assistant vibes. 

Ricky and Cap are initially on bad terms, Cap feeling threatened by Ricky's superior leadership skills, while Rock finds Cap a pain in his side, constantly getting in the way of things. Over time they settle into a grove, Cap accepting his role as Ricky's right hand man

Humphrey and Thomas bond over their love of Shakespeare despite their majorly different personalities.

[zeldasgard]

Why I was frequently gone

As you might have noticed I am not as frequently active as I once was when starting posting my art online a while back. I have never stopped drawing though, just I never posted some things or posted them way later. The reason behind it was fear.

The thing is… despite claiming since forever that I don’t care anymore what people think of me and that it’s been a while I have grown past that… deep down, I do.

The truth is that it is my love for a fictional character that started my art journey. Yes guys, it is Vaati that made me pick up the pencil. I feel like this is shamed a lot, when truly anything is good to get you started on your own path. This is also why my « yumeship » or whichever you wish to call it (I am myself not fond of labels, I only find a use for them to find like minded people and even so a lot of luck is needed because of how misused some are) is so important to me and a part of who I am. This is also why I keep drawing Vaati over and over. It is what got me started but also what keeps me going. And it goes well beyond Vaati. The Minish Cap was my first Zelda game and what re-introduced my depressed self to the fantasy genre, which led to important choices in my real life.

I am still deeply scarred by some things I have been put through because of false assumptions about my character because of my love for him and reduced to a flat, one dimensional image of "if she is like xxx/, isn't comfortable with xxx then she must be yyy!!!". I have been bullied for it on social media a little while ago and deeply wounded. I am scared now that anyone getting too close to me would judge me or hurt me again for something that is… harmless. Many times I do want to show more of my person and interests but those bad experiences made me very anxious about social media and personal one on one online interactions. One big issue with social media, and not only for the topic of “loving a fictional character” is that it is so easy to judge or assume who someone is based on their feed or one façade that they decide to show about themselves. We tend to forget that there are full complex living beings behind usernames, with way more going on in their lives than the breadcrumbs of it that they post on social media. No, I am not "delulu" about Vaati, yes I have a social life and I even have so many hobbies that it would be too long to list them all. I could yap all day about metal music, Tolkien's Legendarium, astrophysics... But this is not what most here follow me for.

There are some times when I want to rebrand, forget and leave everything behind. But that would be making choices motivated by fear and I do not want that for me anymore. Not everyone out there is an unstable bully after all.

This post already went far beyond what I originally intended it to. I originally wanted to share what I had learnt, what I am learning in order to make my artworks, my inspirations and all that, but clearly some things go way beyond art itself. Also to address my social media anxiety because of the experiences I mention here, and I fear that I couldn’t do that without giving all this larger context.

I now hope that with these small tickets that I plan on sharing (although this one isn’t but shhhh), I can slowly gain back some trust in social media and humankind in general and actually take pleasure again in sharing my art with you all. I actually like Tumblr as a platform and honestly I cannot wait to post all these artworks I have been holding back on.

Peace ☮️

[shabbytigers]

guys came to fix the cracked living room window, i didn’t think it was nearly bad enough to be making a difference but the living room is somewhat warmer than it was. however, they also identified a crack in the fucking building? that you can see daylight through??? next to a window in the sun porch. which rather explains why that end of the apartment remains icy cold 😭

i love and will defend the altbau aesthetic forever but i feel like the people who own these buildings are not enviable. once you have a lease here they can’t raise the rent much and i’m not sure how owners with long-term tenants from before the real estate market went up even manage, it takes colossal money to either 1. renovate this kind of building properly or 2. do the kind of maintenance work that an unrenovated building needs all the damn time such as fixing actual fucking cracks in the goddamn walls, and obviously you aren’t gonna make that kind of money back on rents that got set and capped at peanuts ten years ago, so what gives? is it just a sucking wound of a money pit?

*notices catastrophic undersupply of housing* huh

to be fair new developments do get built here and the math on those pencils out for landlording. you’ll spend more on mortgage and management than you get in rent, but after ten years the whole thing flips to tax advantaged so you end up better off—it’s not, like, insanely great, but there aren’t many investment options here and i can see how if you have money jonesing to go somewhere useful this might be somewhere to put it. i don’t Like most of the new developments but probably there are a few good architects idk and if you aren’t living there yourself it may not matter

but it seems legit financially nuts to own an unrenovated altbau! if you’re going to live in it yourself, okay, not a deeply clever money decision but an understandable one. i’d tolerate unreasonable risks and costs to live in my own place while saving to renovate it. but as a landlord? the proposition is ludicrous. every X months there’s some fucking fundamental infrastructural issue that’s got to be emergently remediated for massive amounts of money and meanwhile the tenant has been living in it for thirty years and is paying you eleven dollars a month, and like—even if you had a couple of hundred thousand to renovate the building, what’s your motivation to spend that money on renovating? you’ll still have the same eleven dollars a month tenant (or maybe now it’ll be nineteen dollars a month idk but i don’t think you can just raise to market because you renovated). you’ll be that much poorer but with fewer catastrophic phone calls. meh

(i cannot currently contemplate owning berlin real estate of any kind, but imagination is free)