#just this trio spinning around in Scenarios

[lmelodie]

Jack: Okay, how many of you have played an instrument before? Killian: Do instruments of torture count? Jack: No.. Lucy: Is mayonnaise an instrument? Jack: No Lucy, mayonnaise is not an instrument Lucy: *Raises hand again* Jack: Horseradish is not an instrument either

[luv4ikeuu]

Coaster Crush - Jake Sim

— ೄྀ࿐summary: your friends convince you to ride the disco pang pang. not only do you face your fear, but you see a cute boy in the process. ˊˎ-

word count: 1.7k

warnings: nothing really, if there is smth lmk!

note: if you don't know what the disco pang pang is maybe search it up before reading so you can kinda understand what's going on

The fresh nightly breeze nipped at your skin as you walked through the crowds of people in the amusement park. The bright, flashing lights of the different rides beckoned from every direction, promising an evening full of fun. The sweet, sugary scent of cotton candy and the savory aroma of pretzels wafted through the air, mixed with the sounds of excited screaming, loud pop music, and laughter.

"Guys!" Hanni exclaimed, her voice full of enthusiasm. "How about the Disco Pang Pang?" Danielle's eyes lit up, squealing with excitement. "Oh my god! Yes, let's do it!"

You hesitated. You've always been a bit of a scaredy cat when it came to rides. Never going near the ones you deemed unsafe, the Disco Pang Pang being no exception. With its lack of seatbelts, and only a lousy rail and your own strength (or lack there of) to keep you grounded, the idea didn't seem too thrilling for you. "I don't know, guys." You muttered. Your voice laced with uncertainty as you eyed the spinning contraption.

Hanni and Danielle let out a groan. "Don't be such a buzzkill, Y/nnie!" Hanni teased, her tone light and playful. She's right, you'd hate to ruin the night for them, but.. just look at the thing!

"I'm not!" You protested. "It's just.. it doesn't exactly look the safest." Danielle rolled her eyes before pulling you towards the rides entrance.

You anxiously waited in line, observing the riders as their bodies jerked and jumped in every direction. You watched as a girl went stumbling around in the middle, looking for her seat. The operators cheeky comments only added to your uneasiness. "C'mon someone help her!" He shouted.

Poor girl.

"Maybe I'll sit this one out." You suggested, your voice slightly trembling. "Absolutely not!" Hanni declined. Her arms folded on her chest. "You have to get on it. It won't be fun without you!" Danielle chimed in with a pout to her lips. "Besides, maybe you'll find your soulmate." Hanni added with a sly smirk and a shimmy to her shoulders. You laughed, your face flushing with embarrassment. "Oh shut up!" You smiled.

You've seen the viral videos, the operator maneuvers the poor girl into the handsome strangers arms. The outcome? Well, it's usually awkward. Fun, but very, very awkward.

The ride came to a stop, the previous riders stumbled off, dizzy and giggling. "Our turn!" Danielle squealed, her eyes shining with excitement. She hastily boarded the ride, pulling you along with her.

There was no chickening out now.

As you sat down, your mind flooded with worst-case scenarios. What if you end up hurting someone? What if you fall and crack your head open? What if you fly out!? So many things could go wrong, you couldn't believe you let your friends talk you into this so easily!

Your worries momentarily faded as a group of three attractive men stepped onto the ride. The one in the back caught your attention first, with his thick eyebrows and sharp nose, his pale skin radiant under the bright neon lights. The middle one flashed a charming smile, his eyes big like a bambi. While both men were undeniably handsome, your gaze kept drifting to the boy in the front. He had boyish grin that spread ear to ear. Sparkling eyes that held a playful charm, similar to one of a mischievous puppy.

"Oh they're cute!" Hanni whispered, nudging you with her elbow. "Hanni stop!" You whispered back, trying to hide your own fascination.

The trio scanned their surrounding, looking for an empty spot big enough to fit the three of them. Finally, they settled on the other side of the disc, directly across from you.

Your eyes met his, and for a brief moment, you felt the world around you disappear. The rides music and the peoples laughter turned into background noise as you locked eyes, you exchanged a small bow before forcing yourself to look away.

"Cute!" Hanni whispers, snatching you out of your thoughts, "Oh, he's so your type!" Danielle adds, her voice barely audible over the loud music. You were quick to hush them, your face flushing with embarrassment.

Well.. they're definitely not wrong.

The rides music swelled, signaling the start of your ride. Just then, the operators voice boomed through the speakers, his enthusiastic demeanor infectious. "Alright everyone, you ready?" He asked, his tone playful. The crowd responded with a few murmurs, to which he chuckled. "Oh, tough crowd tonight." The laughter that followed calmed your nerves a bit as you found yourself smiling along with everyone else.

The operator continued, "Welcome aboard the Disco Pang Pang! As you can see, there are no seatbelts, but we do have railing for you to hold onto. So make sure you're holding on tight!" He lowered his tone dramatically, "I won't be going easy on you." His voice was full of mischief, and you couldn't help but wonder if he was being serious, or just being funny.

The operators pointing finger caught you off guard, your eyes widening in surprise when he looked you directly in the eyes. "You!" He exclaimed.

"What's your name?" He asked with a warm smile, easing your nerves.

"Y/n!"

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He said with a wink. "And how old are you, Ms. Y/n?" He asked, his smile saying he had a plan up his sleeve.

Before you could answer Danielle jumped to your defense, "Hey, don't you think it's a bit rude to ask a lady her age?" The crowd snickered at her cheeky comment. "Oh, very sorry ma'am." He chuckled, his smile unwavering.

Your voice was barely audible over the music when you finally replied, "I just turned twenty!" The operators eyes lit up, "Well, happy late birthday!" He exclaimed, his smile wide and genuine. "I'm guessing those are your friends, correct?" He asked as he gestured towards Hanni and Danielle. You nodded, laughing.

"Are you single ma'am?" Hanni's bubbly voice jumped in. "Single and ready to mingle!" The crowd hollered a whooped at Hanni's remark, the operator chuckled along. "That's what I like to hear!"

With a mischievous glint in his eye, the operator searched for his next victim, his gaze scanning the ride until it landed on a new target. "And you, sir? What's your name?" he asked, his brow raised with curiosity. You followed his gaze, and you found yourself looking at the same handsome stranger who had caught your attention earlier.

He responded swiftly, voice calm and confident. "I'm Jake!" He shouted back. Is that an accent on him?

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one!" Jake replied, his charming smile on full display. The operators smirk grew wider. "Single?" He asked, his tone cheeky. Jake only nodded with a sheepish smile.

"Well would you look at that? Looks like I've found my victims!" His smirk infectious, yet slightly menacing, hinting at the chaos that was yet to come. With the flick of a switch the ride roared to life. The music swelled, drowning out the chatter and nervous laughter.

As the ride began to spin, you felt a sense of ease, the gentle spin lulled you into a false sense of security. But before you knew it, it span faster, the lights around you blurred into vibrant streaks. Your hair whipped around your face, the wind swooshing in your ears. The rides jerky movements sent your body bouncing up and down, your stomach getting that weird feeling with each jolt. Hanni's laughter and Danielle's shrieks of delight mingled with the music, creating a chaotic symphony.

Your hair whipped around is every direction, covering your vision, so you instinctively lifted your a hand from the railing to brush it aside. But in that split second, the ride lurched forward, making you lose your grip on the railing. Sending you stumbling toward the middle of the floor.

Now you're the poor girl.

Your attempts to get back to your seat were useless due to the operator expertly controlling the ride to prevent you from going anywhere. With every wobbly step you took, he'd only jerked the ride again, sending you stumbling around like a chicken without its head.

"Go towards the handsome fella! He'll help you!" He teased, his voice cutting through the sounds of screams and laughter. Jake held an arm out, ready to catch you, "Come on! I've got you!"

You shook your head no. Your shyness held you back, unwilling to go to the arms of the handsome stranger in front of you.

"Ah don't be shy! He won't bite.. not unless you want him to" The operator chuckled. With that, he tilted the ride with violent jolts, sending you tumbling towards Jake, your body colliding with his.

Your attempts to scoot away from him were useless, every lurch of the ride making you fall right back into his embrace. His strong arm wrapped around your waist.

You both laughed nervously, your face inches apart, your hearts racing in perfect sync. The rides merciless jolts threatened to break Jake's grip, and you felt yourself slipping away, stomach lurching with each jump. "You're not holding her tight enough, Jake! She's slipping away!"

The ride spun faster, and Jake's grip tightened. You felt a rush of excitement mixed with embarrassment as the operator continued to taunt you. "Look at that! You're so cute together!"

Your heart raced with adrenaline, your laughter filling the air as you thought about the absurdity of it all. Jake's chuckle was warm and gentle, his breath caressing your skin as he held you securely against his body, his embrace surprisingly comforting despite being a stranger.

The rides chaotic motions eventually slowed down, the ride finally coming to a stop. The silence was palpable, the only sound being your ragged breaths and Jake's gentle laughter.

"That's a wrap folks!" The operator announced, cutting through the silence. "It looks like we've got a new couple on our hands." The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. You could hear Hanni's and Danielle's hollering, and even Jake's friends whistling.

Jake's eyes locked onto yours, a shy smile spreading across his face. His gaze making you feel like you were the only two people on earth. "Nice to meet you," he said, his voice low and husky, his words barely above a whisper.

Your heart skipped a beat as you smiled back, feeling a sense of comfort.

"Nice to meet you too."

[fisheito]

Whenever you get the chance, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Yakumo so far in this event! He so shmoopy. So worble

contemplative pout at the screen🦀💭

well, this can be easily accommodated... yes, shouldn't take too long. i'll put it behind the Read More in case ppl haven't caught up on the event:

i thought we were going to have a lovely time with blade oli kuya. no yakumo to plague my senses. ahhh, a winter of joy and wonder. the snake's too busy brumating, so i won't need to worry about--- WHAT IS HE DOING HERE (yes, the angry brow that graced the Helm of my face when he popped up. insidious, that he should appear , even when it's not his featured event. BGONE)

but he's with garu and i can't really be mad at garu so i unclench my brow eventually.

then they misunderstand what "everybody" meant and then i started panicking because i was still holding onto my idea of an untouched bladeolikuya story buthtennt.....

everybody.... everybody means... EVERYBOdy..... ohoohoohohohoo... the whole gang??!? don't mDInd if I dOOO

god morv you really are not worried. that's ok. brainless wonderment will get us the polyclan we deserve

then there's the ONE MOMENT where dante and yakumo stand next to each other without yakumo shrinking away in fear (because he's too busy having a sob over Merry's story) and i felt so incredibly stupid in my rarepairinating like. ah. i understand now. when people got so excited over characters just STANDING next to each other. THEY'RE NOT EVEN INTERACTING. THEYRE JUST NEXT TO EACH OTHER, AND THERE IS NO MEANING TO IT.

AND YET.................... [back on my yakudan nonsense. just ignore it]

and OOOOOOHHHHHH PART 13 BELOVED PART 13 BUMPER BOAT FIASCO

amazing, wonderful, i eat my words from before about not wanting everyone at the fair, no notes, carry on.

i was SO happy when i saw yakumo was paired with blade because that means he's in for a ROUGH RIDE AHAHAHAHAHAHAA

(smooshes them together) bladeyaku. another pair i want to see together more often. suffering circumstances together (well, mosztly yaku suffering. blade is pretty adept at having a good time whereverwhenever)/.

HOOOO boy . HELPLESS in that boat USELESS passenger princess or rather, passenger princess held hostage...? i wonder if he gets motion sickness. i wonder what's keeping him inside the boat. are there seatbelts? (thinks back to Blasting Off Again✨) huh/. i guess not. HAH!

ugh i loved everyone in their silly pairs (trio, in rei's case)

tho now i'm wondering how exactly blade and yakumo were sent flying. my understanding of physics is 😬, so i don't know the exact scenario that would result in the most bladeyaku airtime.

blade invited karu to play... so he knew he was approaching

if karu and blade headed toward each other at similar speeds, they would probably bounce back at similar rates so wouldn't karukuya also be flying away with bladeyaku?

but whAT if, after blade invites karu over and karu starts going FULL SPEED toward them but blade suddenly... stops. just, all motion on the boat ceases. somehow. not even a ripple. he hums patiently. and yakumo's just shaking out of his slippers like ummmmmmmm mr blade theyre coming closer why arent we----

THEN BAM!!!!!!!! TRANSFER OF FORCE!!!!!!! blade yaku fly into the sky!?!?! ... even then,, i'm wondering how they got the vertical in there

if karu rammed em at MegaSpeed, wouldn't they just float backward, or spin around really fast while still on the surface of the water? or was karu's speed SO destructive that as soon as the impact happened the tidal wave following him caught up, and lifted bladeyaku into the air =airborne droidsnake.

RIDICULOUS. i guess i'll never know for sure. it's tough to argue with results, though.

i will now take a moment to thank @fallencelsetial for sending me this recording:

very soothing. exactly what i needed. thank u

[sanyu-thewitch05]

More Black! F! Yuu scenarios and headcanons

After the Mrs. Jackson incident, Malleus had a meeting with Silver, Lilia, Sebek, the Heartslabyul friends, The Octavinelle Trio, The Pomefiore trio, and Ruggie on how to season up their food.

👑: I can't believe you called us here for this.

🐉: Please, I need help.

🐙: Don't involve us in your unseasoned mess.

The Octavinelle trio leaves the room, leaving Malleus pleading for their help.

🐉: Wait, please, you're the only three white people I know how to actually use seasonings. Ruggie, help me out, you live in Savannaclaw.

🐆: And I'm just lightskinned.

Ruggie leaves after that making Malleus confused.

🐉: He's Black? Nevermind, just please help me!

🐆: Well, I guess you could do her hair or something…look, just do something that’s not weird.

With that idea, Malleus goes into town and buys every black hair product he sees on the shelves that you might like.

Then, he bursts into your dorm asking if he can wash your hair.

🦐: Yeah…sure…I guess. It’s wash day for me anyway.

🐉: THANK YOU CHILD OF MAN!

Malleus drags you into the bathroom and runs the shower head over your scalp.

His long fingernails practically massage your scalp as he washes it. It also picks up and takes out all the dandruff.

When he’s conditioning your hair, he decides to start small talk.

🐉: So, Yuu, how’s Grim?

🦐: He’s doing well. By the way, what made you want to do my hair today?

🐉: o///o well…I just wanted to be closer to you that’s all.

🦐: Aww, that’s sweet of you.

He washes the conditioner out of your hair, then puts the leave in on your scalp.

This is when the real fun begins. He’s perfect as finger coiling your hair, and with fae abilities, he can do all your hair within 30 minutes.

Then he grabs you, making sure you hold on tight to him, and he spins around creating a fire tornado to creatively dry your hair.

🦐: Wooo! Hahaha!

🐉: And done!

🦐: My hair looks amazing! Thank you!

When you hug Malleus, his brain stops operating.

Then when Malleus leaves, you can actually tell the truth to yourself.

You look like a Victorian child with ringlet curls.

Somehow, Malleus managed to do the method right, but the outcome was horrendous.

You call Jack, Ruggie, Leona, and Sam to help you.

🦐: *Sigh* Go ahead.

🦞: HAHAHA! GIRL! WHY DID YOU LET HIM PLAY IN YOUR HAIR?!

🦁: I knew that pasty lizard would do something stupid again.

🐺: I smell burnt hair.

🐆: Your hair is crunchy, and I don't even know if it's because your hair is burnt or if it's the gel cast.

🦐: I get it, I shouldn't have let that white boy do my hair.

🦞: Come on, let's help you out.

Each boy takes on a section, and they redo your finger coils.

After much time, they get your hair right(the results are the photo at the top).

When you leave for dinner, Malleus is beaming at you.

🐉: I knew my hairstyle would turn out well!

🦐: Well...you know what, it did.

🦁: *Growling from pure rage*

🦞: Let him take the credit, Leona. If you point out he messed up with Yuu again, he'll just do something even stupider next time.

🦁: Fine.

🐆: Did I ever tell you how Malleus thought I was white earlier this morning?

The four boys bust out laughing in the hallway.

🦞: How did you go from yellowbone to passé blanc?!

🐆: I don't know because everyone knows I'm lightskinned, but I guess nobody told him that! HAHA!

🦁: HAHAAHA!

🦐: *Choking on her laughter as it spills out* Don't worry Malleus-augh-it's-ha-it's- you didn't know-hahahaha!

🐉: *Whimpers into Yuu's chest*

[mylevisdontfitanymore]

Hey!!! I don't know if you would rather think about this scenario with Andy Barber/Ransom Drysdale/TJ Hammond or with Steve/Bucky/Natasha or something, but I've been thinking A LOT about these two posts on your blog: https://www.tumblr.com/mylevisdontfitanymore/716510995743490048/i-dont-know-if-this-is-weird-a-really-strange?source=share and https://www.tumblr.com/mylevisdontfitanymore/710911602870894592?source=share and I can't stop thinking about one of the trio going out and secretly getting one of them stuffed and drunk by putting more food on their plate when they aren't looking or distracting them while they refill their glasses with stronger and stronger alcohol and egging them into drinking or eating competitions and seeing just how far they can go with it until they are sloppy drunk and stuffed full and waddling and stumbling and their fellows get to enjoy the fruits of their labour

1st linked post

2nd linked post

Ooooh my god, if we're talking Andy/Ransom/TJ, then you ABSOLUTELY need to read the asks that Dumbling (@achubbydumpling) has done!

Andy Barber/Ransome Drysdale/TJ Hammond (chubby Andy)

Andy Barber/Ransome Drysdale/TJ Hammond (Andy beer bloat)

Food-drunk dad bod Andy and his accent

The premise of this idea, though… with multiple people getting one person stuffed and/or drunk without their knowledge… it would definitely happen with Andy and Ransom corrupting sweet TJ 🥴 It has to. Like, TJ-baby is just so overwhelmed to have the attention of two very, very attractive, very big men that he doesn’t notice how his plate and glass are never empty whenever they’re around 🫣🥵

Unbeta'd Andy/Ransom/TJ belly kink under the cut... warning for alcohol consumption, intox kink, dub-con elements (because TJ ends up drunk), stuffing, etc.

TJ’s used to going to big, lavish parties - his parents drag him to them all the time - but when he’s at those parties, he’s not allowed to talk to men in any sort of… suspicious… manner. He has to be on his best behavior. Smiling and laughing appropriately while he blows smoke up whoever’s political ass for his Dad’s sake.

Here, at this party with people just slightly over his age - rather than people decades his senior, grey and wrinkly in creased suits, talking about the “current” state of things that they’ve been disconnected from for years - it doesn’t matter if there are men looking at him obviously. Hotly. It doesn’t matter if there are men grabbing his arms or leaning in close to whisper in his ear, making him giggle and blush, hiding his flushed cheeks with his hands. It doesn’t matter if there are men shoulder to shoulder with him, pressing into him, blocking him in like bookends or bodyguards in the best way.

Here, nothing matters other than letting these two slightly older, definitely bigger men flirt with him. The two men (one of them strikingly shaven with pale skin and high cheekbones, the other bearded with darker hair) sometimes seem like they’re fighting over him. Fighting to woo him. It’s funny and disarming, too. Yet, sometimes, they seem to work together perfectly. TJ can’t figure it out. It’s making his head spin. The attention. Their specific attention.

He doesn’t feel like he needs to worry, though, even if he can’t figure out what they’re doing (or who they are). He feels… if he’s honest, he feels high. He doesn’t feel high, like, an empty and hollow high. An escape he needs an escape from. The norm for him. Instead, he feels hazy and warm and good with these two men. High.

Does he even remember their names? The men?

Does that matter?

TJ just wants to keep their attention on him. It feels good, after all. Does he need their names to do that? They seem to be interested in him regardless of if he’s talking or not. He’s not talking much, they’re talking - they’re whispering in his ears, skimming their large, warm hands over his sides and down his back, one of them (or maybe both?) keeps grabbing his ass, and they keep handing him party favors.

Really, it feels so good to be surrounded and flirted with that… TJ just takes everything the men hand him, docile as a kitten.

Everything Andy and Ransom hand him.

TJ swears it all tastes better than normal. (Is he high? Is that why it tastes so good? Is that why his mouth is watering so much?) Plates of finger food from the spread in the shiny, expansive kitchen. Appetizers that are passed around by waitstaff on trays. Handfuls of set-out chocolate and nuts from small, fancy dishes on end tables. Little bites of things that wouldn’t fill TJ up so much if there weren’t unending waves of them from both of the men. Then, all these half-full flukes of alcohol don’t taste like alcohol. They’re bubbly and sweet and would get anyone drunk easily, even if they were paying attention. TJ isn’t paying any attention. Every time he finishes his drink or his portion of easy, yummy snack food it’s promptly taken and replaced before he even realizes it.

It’s magical.

TJ has always had puppy fat. He’s got a baby face and a soft layer over his belly - he’s never been able to get abs, no matter how much his drug habits repress his appetite - but no one would be able to tell right now. Any of that extra softness that he carries all the time has been completely stretched out, overridden by the bulge of his stuffed belly. Carbonated alcohol. Finger foods. Appetizers. Alcohol. Pieces of chocolate. Alcohol. Rich dessert. More dessert. Another appetizer. Even more carbonated alcohol. A handful of nuts fed to him by Andy’s big, gentle yet demanding hands. A whole fluke of champagne poured down his throat by Ransom. They make TJ dizzy and weak at the knees even though they’ve pressed TJ against a wall. The party buzzes around them. TJ sways in place - they’re not going to let him go anywhere, though, so he doesn’t worry about his inability to stand on his own.

It’s easy to see why TJ isn’t soft now... but he feels soft, all over. High. Spacey. Soft.

Oof.

It’s hard to breathe.

He’s got a fucking pot belly after all the snacks and drinks. Indulgence is being used to pacify him. He’s easy and sweet by nature, but now… God. The men don’t even need spoons to eat him up. He’s melting. They’re going to lick him up no problem.

TJ looks so round. His stomach is bloated, completely taut. Like a drum. His poor belly button is stretched, made wider, and more shallow than normal. His skin aches, thudding in time with his heart. He’s blushing red - his face from being so overtly, aggressively chased by two of the most attractive men he’s ever seen in real life, but his belly, too. Under his clothes, where their hands keep sneaking, his skin is turning red from the stretch, from the rush of blood, his body trying to both get aroused through the slurry of alcohol slowing him down and through the mountain of food inside him, working so hard to try and figure out what to do with the excess.

Yet… TJ doesn’t notice.

His nice shirt is creaking at the seams, the buttons this close to bursting open, it’s never had to deal with excess like this, but he can’t hear it over the smooth rumble of Ransom’s voice and the rough gravel of Andy’s. One of them grabs his hip and TJ whimpers, melting like butter in their hands, his mouth naturally falling open so they can shove whatever they want into it. TJ just wants to be full. He's desperate.

Another mouthful and TJ moans out loud, drunker than shit on everything. Alcohol, of course, but attention and food, too. He doesn’t know what way is up or down, and he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care when the men’s hands are all over him again, purring at him, sweetly praising him for having more and for liking it. TJ doesn’t even question if he actually likes it or not. He does. He likes it so much. He’s aching, throbbing, and stretched to his limit, his belly bulging out in front of him as though he’s swallowed a fucking watermelon whole, and he’s so heavy. He feels slow and hot and good. He feels like he wants them to keep touching him. He feels hungry. Hungry for them to do more than teasingly touch, caress, and feed him. Hungry for food.

“More?” TJ just barely manages to moan between gulps of alcohol, the flow dictated by Ransom, tipping not a fluke this time, but a whole fucking bottle back into his mouth.

Where did he even find such a big bottle of liquor?

Andy’s hands are against his belly, roughly shaping and caressing the ball-like shape of him. Andy chuckles, “more?”

TJ shivers but nods anyway, feeling some of the alcohol he’s chugging drip down his chin and dribble onto his chest, staining his shirt.

Andy growls, grabbing and shaking his belly until TJ starts to slide down the wall, being groped in such a way leaves tight, aching pleasure coursing through him. It leaves him unable to hold himself up, dragged down by the weight of what they’ve done to him. They don’t bother to hold him up this time. This time, TJ slouches all the way to the floor. They stop feeding him alcohol. And with his head thrown back against the wall, squinting up at them, TJ pouts at them. His belly is in his lap, straining, and he misses them already. He’s heavy, but he wants them all over him, heavier. He’s full, but he has the sudden urge to give in and give in and give in until he bursts. Bursts out of his shirt, the buttons and seams popping open, and bursts, coming by their hands or untouched, he doesn’t care.

“Mooore,” TJ verifies, moaning, uncaring who at the party hears him, gluttonous and dumb.

The men exchange a glance, Ransom licking his lips as Andy bites his own. Then, at once, synchronized, they lean down to grab him and pull him up by the wrists. They don’t care enough to brace TJ or his belly before they move him, so, his gut sloshes and wobbles with the sudden movement, exemplifying his fucking waddle.

TJ stumbles out of the party, held up only by these two big men. One of them whispers in his ear, and the other bites marks into his neck as TJ's head lulls back, totally out of it. Conversely, TJ's belly protrudes in front of him.

Round.

Full.

TJ doesn’t ask where they’re taking him. He doesn’t care. Anywhere. He just wants more.

My favorite type of sandwich 🥴🥴

[setzappersto-pew]

I think we all need to take a step back, temper our expectations, try to have some critical thinking skills, and judge the show for what it is instead of what it could or should be. This is Rick Riordan retelling the story for a new generation (in a new medium, which necessitates change--a novel is not the same as a TV/film script) from a future perspective, knowing what the future holds for these characters. He can introduce themes and ideas earlier and hammer them in harder, work on character development in a different way, create slightly altered scenarios to make more tension and drama...because he has a full plan now, not just a bedtime story. Is this future planning a good thing? Debatable. But I'm here for it if it can be done well.

Let's look at episode 6.

While I like our trio just stumbling into places and being dumb kids about it, just vibing at the arcade games while the world spins on...going to the Lotus Hotel with a purpose gives them more agency and drives the story more, even though they still fall into the inevitable trap because they can't escape that magic. Grover's deep desire to be a Searcher (a theme that comes to fruition in the future) is what keeps him stuck there. Percy and Annabeth find Hermes, which brings the conversation back around to Luke; Annabeth's so close to Luke, and Percy is his literary foil, so naturally that's what keeps them trapped. On that subject, focusing so much on Luke and bringing in his backstory so early really hammers in the theme of the gods needing to step up as parents lest they ruin their children's lives and start wars...and the idea that Luke was right, he just chose to do horrible things about it (while also being manipulated by Kronos, I know). We're setting up Kronos and the idea of something much bigger than just the bolt being stolen, which was likely not on Rick's mind in 2005. My point here is that there's more of a thematic purpose with the deviations, and the themes are indicative of a larger story. The downside of this, however, is Hermes kind of giving them the answer--and also keeping them there--instead of Percy figuring out that too much time has passed. You win some, you lose some.

Percy's been given 4 pearls instead of 3? It's meant to set up false hope. One will likely break or get lost, and Percy will still have to make that choice. We hear him say "Hold fast, Mom" in the teaser for episode 7, implying she will stay behind and he will fail to save what matters most. I also think this shows that Poseidon still cares for Sally and Percy, since he seemingly intended for Percy to save Sally too.

The solstice has already passed? Adds higher stakes. Gives Percy a choice: go back to camp, like he wanted to when they were only in New Jersey, or stay the course. He chooses to continue, to do the right thing and try to stop this war and anything beyond (and to save Sally too obviously), the complete opposite of him at first refusing to even go on this quest. He's seen a glimpse of his father's care, has a different perspective on the gods' parenting from Hermes, knows there are worse things to come thanks to his Kronos-dreams, and chooses to hold fast and brave the storm.

Episode 5 had similar complaints. Hephaestus's trap was different, but the goal here was to showcase Percy and Annabeth's growing fondness for each other and Percy's self-sacrificial tendencies and Fatal Flaw of loyalty, as well as establishing Hephaestus as more of a sympathetic ally. No spiders to show Annabeth does get scared (a logistical nightmare they tried but couldn't get to work, according to Rick), but she is scared of being abandoned and of losing Percy just like she did Thalia. Again, this changes Percy and Annabeth defeating the trap by their own skills, but it emphasizes the mindset that Percy holds about the gods being "correct" and the ability for the stubborn gods to be swayed. Grover was just a sidekick in this book chapter, but here he's unfurling the mystery, using his powerful empathy to understand Ares and subsequently trick him into saying too much, providing the misdirection of Clarisse, etc.

Some people need to have a little more patience with this too. No Fates when Percy's leaving Yancy, but we get them later when they show Annabeth the string they cut--which is Luke's lifeline, not Percy's, further tying her to these two characters. I saw some complaints that they skipped the Oracle, only to get it first thing the next episode. Others were worried about Percy's fugitive plotline being gone, when the first real instance of this in the book was after he gets out of the Mississippi River anyway...so, right where we got it in the episode (there was a small instance before they left camp, but I think that's okay to gloss over). Ares presents them with more of this plotline instead of them catching it on a TV, which is such an Ares thing to do so it works for me. No Iris Message in Denver, but we got it in episode 6 when they have more suspicions to report; Luke is still kinda shifty in the call and now he has another person to blame directly, making the misdirection even more fun. Percy and Annabeth don't have their iconic talk in the truck, but they've touched on a lot of it already in other conversations and maybe they will do more before Percy's fight with Ares (she still gives him her necklace as we can see in teasers, so this seems likely). Percy's getting wet under the water instead of staying dry, and we have yet to see him talk to a horse (the zebra is barely seen in episode 6, which I will admit is just silly given the episode title); maybe we'll get those later when it matters more to the plot, instead of just tacking it on as more stuff he can do.

My point here is this: this is not a beat-for-beat adaptation, and I don't think it should be. This is a retelling with the ultimate series themes and events in mind, not just the immediate events. It's got the vibes and the soul of the world and the characters. The deviations still feel like the characters would have made those choices, they still fit in this fictional world. Some are attempting to fix details that worked in 2005 but don't in 2023/2024, or that were extraneous details that filled the pages but not the plot. Some changes emphasize different themes like the gods being able to be swayed in their mindset, while no longer showcasing our heroes skills and abilities--but their skills and abilities are shown in different scenes. It's a trade-off that usually pays off. There are some missteps and pacing issues and exposition issues, but it's a show aimed at kids who don't know the finer points of Greek mythology with 30-40 minute episodes (the latter is Disney's fault). I see the changes and understand that most of them are used to tell the greater story, the story of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, not just The Lightning Thief.

Bottom line: I'm having a good time! This show is making me really happy, while also nailing the emotional beats to really wreck me, and that's all I expected and wanted out of it. I like that some of the changes are making me wonder how things will play out differently with the same end goal ahead; it keeps it fresh and reinvigorates my love for this story. These kids are ACTING, they are these characters, and they have stolen my heart! Do I wish some things weren't changed? Maybe. But different doesn't mean bad. People are allowed to not like it, but I hope they have a good reason for not liking it besides "it's different than the books", especially when it's very much not different in the grand scheme of adaptations. If people would stop crying foul immediately and have some perspective instead, they might have a better experience.

[lost-girl-2021]

Can we maybe get a one-shot of behind the scenes what’s happening at the sully house while spider is with his dad?

Maybe the kids are all theorizing on how its going

Lo'ak typically did not do well with plans. He was more of a do now, think later type of person. His dad was the same way, really, and it'd worked out pretty well with him. Kiri tended to act the same way, but that was mostly because she got so caught up in the moment that she didn't even think to come up with an actual plan for how to act.

Neteyam, on the other hand, could and would come up with a color-coded chart to find the best possible outcome for any given scenario. This was why usually Lo'ak found it best to do whatever he wanted and force Neteyam to follow along.

But, this time, there was nothing to do. Only Neteyam had the address, despite how many promises Lo'ak had made that he wouldn't break in and kidnap Spider in the middle of the night. The only thing he could do was sit and stew in the stress.

Neteyam had (of course) made an idea-web with all possible ways things could go wrong or right. Right in blue and wrong in red, simply because Kiri disliked the shade of the green highlighter and couldn't focus on anything else until they were swapped.

"I still think we should just camp out in front of the building until Sunday." Kiri mumbled, spinning around in the desk chair.

"That's stalking. We agreed to keep it legal."

"You're such a party pooper, 'Teyam." She insulted, throwing a pen at him. "Some light stalking rarely hurt somebody."

Neteyam groaned in frustration. Lo'ak, more quiet than usual, suddenly sat up.

"This is fucking ridiculous. Our friend is— is in danger right now and we're discussing the ethics of stalking?" He cried out, hands in the air. "I mean, we should— should . . . "

He looked at the web of highlighted nonsense. It was a mess and . . . and it all meant nothing. There was nothing any of them could do. He felt sick. The trio fell into silence for a second.

"Do you think Spider forgot something?" Neteyam asked.

Lo'ak let out a hollow-sounding laugh. "He always forgets something. He's literally forgotten his backpack on the way to school."

"You remember that time he burnt the cookies, last summer? Forgot he'd even been making them." Kiri's chuckle sounded more real.

If he keeps forgetting everything, we'll just have to be there to remind him. He'll need us. Lo'ak thought, slouching back on the bed. Almost as much as we need him.

[midnightmah07]

Not just about colors

🏷️ tagging: @justm3di0cr3

(A/n: Short scenario but I am proud of how it turned out- Also I think it is a little ooc, idk… I HOPE IS NOT— 😭���� But anyways, hope you both enjoy it though)

—

The girls laid on bed with tiredness in their eyes, long sigh coming out of them two. The day was by far the worst pain in the ass from all days of them in Twisted Wonderland.

“Out of all the overblots…” Daisy begins to speak. “Idia’s was the worst.”

It has been a very long day, if not week or month for the girls of Ramshackle. Idia’s overblot by far it was the most torturous, specially with all the titans. And if not bad enough the trio weren’t magic users and trying to use physical strength and surviving is no such of an easy task, specially with Crowley throwing them around to solve the issues of it all.

“I don’t think I have enough energy to go to my own bed.” Says Emory looking to the ceiling thoughtfully about everything that happened. With Grim laying on her belly making it even harder to stand up and try to walk.

There was only one of the girls that weren’t in the room, and that is: Yuuna. Who was trying new clothes giving for her by Vil as a gift, since Crowley cannot do it himself, neither help. The both have been dating for a little while,  but both Emory and Daisy can confirm how happy is Yuuna, specially since she had a puppy crush on him since the spelldrive episode; for the girls it was a joy to see her like that. 

“Wonder how Yuuna able to be testing the new clothes Vil brought her after today…” Says Emory out loud.

Daisy giggles. “Well, they are only dating for a two months, Vil is love language is definitely gift giving and probably Yuuna is as well. So she must appreciate them dearly.”

“Damn…” 

Whispered Emory to herself, yet, Daisy could hear the cursing, wondering what Emory was suprised about after what she had said.

“What?”

“It’s been so long since when we first arrived… We didn’t knew each other, and bang! Kidnapped.”

Daisy laughed at the description of Emory to when they first arrived; now, so many time has passed and is not even the end of the first year. So much has changed… They’ve made friends, such as, Grim, Ace and Deuce. Emory is dating Riddle, even after so much denial. Daisy is with Ruggie, almost opposites… They are like soulmates! And for the last, Yuuna with Vil, now, that was unexpected, but still they blended in as the sweetest couple so well. The last thing that happened around was the Idia’s overblot, which they prayed to be the last one. 

The silence falls when Yuuna finally comes out both of girls raised their heads to see her going to the big mirror give herself a look. Grim yawns opening his eyes to see a gray haired girl with a dark purple dress with black details that formed roses drawings on the dress bar and the final detailed that is a white pelerine. Yuuna gave a nice twirls with her friends’ faces amazed by the gift. 

“So?” Asks Yuuna with a princess twirl.

Daisy claps her hands together. “It looks perfect on you! Yuuna, you look amazing.” She assured her friend.

“Vil does know how to dress you up.” Complimented Emory her friend who kept her eyes on the mirror. 

“Waah! Did Vil gave this to you, Yuuna?” Asked Grim. “It looks amazing! Wish he would give me pretty clothes like he does to you.”

A soft chuckle comes out of Yuuna as she turns to face her friends, the dressed spins with her with a smooth move.

“I don’t know… I’ve always loved purple so much. But never thought it fits me.” 

Daisy and Emory sit up in bed, with a curious look. Until the blond one speaks first. “Well, I think it looks lovely on you.” Daisy says.

“I mean, you always had the green tones in you. Green and purple are such a beautiful combination, it reminds me of lavender.” Emory speaks.

“Maybe they are just a unexpected combination.”  A smile comes up to Daisy’s face, the bright one, the same one that didn’t showed up a little while in her lips. She was right, purple and green matched surprisingly well, as if belonged together. “I mean, I usually only wore pink and brown because I didn’t thought light blue matched me at all. Just because I used to think yellow and blue weren’t good colors, because I never had tried them together before.” 

Who would’ve guessed that Daisy’s favorite color wasn’t wore because she thought it wouldn’t match her, which it was the extreme opposite, the colors bland together like the skies and the sun, just like soulmates. Grim watches the girls talking about their experiences with different colors.

“What about you, Emory?”

The girl looks to Grim, humming as she thinks, hugging her knees she looks down at her fingers with a final answer.

“I was maybe in denial that red and white are a good combination… Maybe I liked white so much, and neglected red because it wasn’t a color liked, when in reality I did.” Said Emory.

Yuuna smiles at her friend. “I think red and white is just as beautiful as roses covered in snow.”

“Or blood on the snow.” Emory gives a wicked grin, in a jokingly manner.

“Uh-oh, Emo-ry is back.”

Jokes Daisy making both girls laugh in friendly way at Emory who huffs slightly. Yuuna stands up making her way to bathroom to change her outfit again. But she stops by the door.

“Hmm…”

“What is it Yuuna?” Grim worriedly asks.

The girl turns to both of the other three, standing’s on the door frame with her head leaned in it. “It almost feels like we weren’t actually talking about just colors…” 

The silence falls down as the both girls came to think, what was Yuuna talking about? It was a conversation about colors that matched, no?

“Wait…” Emory thinks in further.

“Was she talking about…” Daisy eyes winded in realization.

And Grim let out a surprised noise in understanding of what Yuuna meant. Their favorites colors were specifically unmatched by the signature colors of three other people… And they could only found out it matched by testing it, this time, not talking about colors.

WAIT SJSHSJJSJSJ WAIT THIS IS SO CUTE AND WHOLESOME OH MY GOSH THE MOMENT THEY REALIZED THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HOW CERTAIN COLORS MATCHEDWAS LITERALLY THE SAME AS THEIR ACTUAL ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS😭😭😭😭

I NEED A MOMENT

THIS IS SO CUTE. HOW DARE YOU WRITE SOMETHING SO CUTE. BARBARA IM GONNA SUE U

[centuryberry]

Hello! I wanted to make an ask about a what-if that was floating around in my head for a while (like 2 days.)

The “what-if” being a scenario in which a cub appears in the little dawn au form the future. Only that the cub is not Wukong’s and Macaques, it’s trafficlights trio’s future cub. (They can be from an alternate universe in which MK stay’s in sundown au or from somewhere else.)

What would be everyone’s reaction to the future grandchild/child? Personally I think their personality would be a lot like young MK or Mei (maybe a bit like macaque seeing as they probably spend a lot of time with their grandma?) and that they would be really spoiled by their grandparents and pearents.

I see the child as a female and closer to a bull demon in appearance (cus ya know, their from the demon bull clan? They kinda have to be a bull to fit in?) but honestly it could be what ever you want. (Imagine if they had the face markings like Mk’s side of the fam? Or maybe their hair is black like Mei’s?!)

As for how the child even came to be, I would say that it was through some weird magic (maybe they inserted all their power into a stone? Blood rituals/magic???)

OMG, what if the child traveled back in time to meet their Maba (bama? Baba? Papa?) MK because for what ever reason something happed to MK and he can no longer be around! Maybe he was killed! Idk, at this point I’m rambling.

Sorry for the long ask. I originally didn’t know where to send this because there are like, two blogs making posts about sundown AU and I didn’t know who I should be sending this to (but because Xiaodan is from you fic “little dawn” I decided to send this to you.)

chapter 11 was a bomb (I just finished it before sending this) and if you want you can ignore this entire ask, just tell me if you do so I don’t end up expecting anything or smt (or don’t, you can do whatever you want.)

Thank you for reading this silly and kinda dumb rambling, I honestly don’t even remember what the original ask was but thank you for reading through all this. Have a lovely day or night filled with unending joy and kind thoughts. You are appreciated and I am so great full you took time out of your life to write your stories and read through this whole thing.

Bye bye 👋

Hello there! Don’t apologize about the length of l the ask. I love to see people getting excited over this amazing AU (belonging to peachshadows/terrible-leviathan, please don’t hold off on giving them some love they deserve the world for their creativity). To clarify, the Sundown Era is their creation while Little Dawn, a fluffier spin off the AU, was expanded on by me with the fic.

As for the scenario, I’d theorize that there would be a lot of chaos. If this is happened during the Little Dawn setting with MK already dropping into the world, SD!Shadowpeach would be thrilled at the idea of another cub/calf to spoil and look forward to - also cementing their time travel theory. SD!Ironbull would he similarly doting while also pushing for the wedding sooner. I mean, it’s obviously going to happen so why not sooner?

Red Son would be flustered and over the moon at the same time at the confirmation of a child and would do his best to “prove” his ability to childrear in front of MK. I feel like Mei would think the kid is cute but also be a little nervous? She’s not at the point in life where she’s ready for a kid. Would still spoil and play with the baby, though.

As for MK? He’s just worried that another universe is missing their kid. He’s stressed and worried for not one, but two babies that don’t belong. He would be flustered about the implications of the baby’s existence if he wasn’t already in a difficult position.

Thanks for this fun ask! And thank you for reading Little Dawn!

[eusuntgratie]

Hello, I came across the 'fighting in Ice Hockey' Wikipedia page and was very intrigued! Now several youtube compilations (Best nhl fights, then funny moments, then best goals etc) and several Hockey AUs for pairing I'm already a fan of later, I'm ready to continue my hockey journey (descent?) - do you have any blogs you can recommend? Also do you have a place to start re teams and or like essential viewing or reading? Normally I can just watch a show or read a book, but this feels a bit different and I don't know where to start 😅

Also I see the is quite a bit of RPF on Ao3- totally chill with that good writing is good writing after all, but is there any like background on why certain pairings are popular?

oh goodness, hi! and welcome to the madness that is hockey fandom/hockey rpf! i'm probably/definitely not the best person to answer this as i'm pretty new to hockey fandom and only closely follow three teams, but i'll do my best <3

okay *most* hockey blogs are focused on one or a couple of teams. so it's a little tricky to point you in a direction if you aren't already attached to anyone. you can find a lot of good hockey primers on tumblr if you search for a team or a ship + primer.

if you have a local or localish team, maybe start there? descend into tumblr tag hell. many of us start out going oh haha i'm just going to read fic, and maybe reblog some gifs, and then end up attached to teams that are far away and spend obscene money to see those teams when they travel close to us. (my favorite team is in a different conference, so they only come to my city once a year).

there are definitely teams that have more fandom activity and those that have less. all based on the narratives, baby. my local team isn't very fandom active on here, so while i generally root for them and follow them and go to games, i'm not fandom feral about them.

MY team is the pittsburgh penguins. i do not, nor have i ever, lived in pittsburgh. but the pens have the longest serving trio in professional sports, and i am completely and utterly in love with them (but not as in love with them as they are with each other). our captain, sidney crosby (fat of ass and genuinely one of the best hockey players EVER) and his two alternate captains, evgeni (geno) malkin and kris letang, are all obsessed with each other. sidgeno is definitely one of the most popular pairings in hockey rpf. i read and write a lot of them. you can browse #fave 8771 and #sidgeno on my blog to get a glimpse of why.

(note that hockey ship names are unpredictable. sometimes numbers mushed together, sometimes names mushed together, sometimes something else, sometimes there's not really a ship name).

some other big ships are travis konecny/nolan patrick of the philadelphia flyers (love these two... they don't play together anymore... theres a lot of backstory there. theres lots in #tknp on my page), auston matthews/mitch marner of the toronto maple leafs (not my jam i'm no help), alexander ovechkin/nicklas backstrom from the capitals, leon draisaitl/matthew tkachuk (more of an enemies to lovers type scenario), and jamie drysdale/trevor zegras of the anaheim ducks. these ships are popular bc they are insane about each other in some way. oof there's so many more though? these are all popular on ao3 so there's lots of fic out there; perhaps a good starting place.

let me know what you're looking for and i'm happy to point you in a direction! a team, a ship dynamic, a type of 'character' you like, a type of fic you like; we got it all. tell me what you're into and i can spin you around and give you a gentle shove towards some unhinged gifs, a lovely fic, or a nice fancam :)

dying to know which pairings you're already into and why 👀 that might also be a good starting place. (you're welcome to dm me if you'd rather do that)

hockey friends PLEASE feel free to chime in!

[autisticsupervillain]

It's Fictional Throwdown Friday!

This Week's Fighters...

Team Snakemouth vs Olimar!

Conditions:

Both sides are equipped with absolutely everything they can have. Olimar has a full team of Pikmin, with 14 of each type and 2 extra reds. Team Snakemouth has Chompy. Speed Equalized.

Scenario:

Team Snakemouth are called in to investigate a series of thefts plaguing Bugaria. While investigating, they find Olimar and his Pikmin escorting massive treasures back to his ship. Believing him to be responsible, Team Snakemouth rushes in to confront him.

Analysis: Team Snakemouth

The Land of Bugaria. A mythical world of adventure that draes in travelers far and wide in search of glory, riches, and even immortality. Queen Elizant the First, fondly remebered ruler of the Ant Kingdom, was the first to settle it, whereupon she created a utopian paradise where the Ant, Bee, Termite, and Wasp Kingdoms could co-exist peacefully. Yet, despite her great success, she could never complete her life long goal. She could never find the mythical Everlasting Sapling, the remnant of the Old World that some claimed could grant immortality.

It wasn't until many Moons after he death that a team of noble adventurers were able to continue where she left of. The trio of heroes who would come together to not only find the sapling, but also to save all Bugaria from absolute destruction. Their story shall live on forever as the legend of Team Snakemouth.

Named after the cavern in which they had their first adventure, this unlikely trio certainly wouldn't seem like heroes at a first glance. Kabbu, the noble, if naive, beetle certainly acts the type the most, but his fellow adventurers would likely give you pause. Vi, the greedy and impulsive young bee, has gotten the team into more than a few scraps with her headstrong nature and Lief, the undead, antisocial moth reanimated by cordyceps fungus, can seem very aloof and strange at a first glance. But rest assured, these three are among the mightiest heroes that Bugaria has to offer, each with their own strengths and weaknesses that make them nigh unbeatable when they team up.

Kabbu is the team's mighty juggernaut, armed with a razor sharp horn that can pierce the defenses of even the sturdiest of foes. He's tough enough to drill into the Earth and is sturdy enough to take far more punishment than the rest of his team, a fact that he exploits by taunting the enemy to make them target him instead of them. Given his strong sense of justice and honor, he can become quite easily angered by what he views as injustice or even by his iwn personal failings. His failure to save his original team in particular is a very nasty sore spot for him. Luckily, he can channel this anger to increase his strength tenfold, to the point of demolishing large boulders and surviving attacks that could previously one-shot him and his entire team. However, he cannot direct this anger against airborne enemies, as they're just out of his range, so he often needs to rely on his teammates or resort to throwing rocks to get past anyone he can't just clobber. Regardless, his paragon status makes him a source of inspiration for his teammates and he can even encourage them to get back up and keep fighting in the face of debilitating injury.

Vi, though cocky and a bit unscrupulous, is nonetheless a very crafty fighter. Her iconic Bee-merang allows her to fight at long distances, letting her create tornados to throw enemies around and knock flying foes out of the sky. As a bee, she is able to fly herself and even carry her teamates with her to a certain extent (Kabbu is very heavy). What's more, she can remote control her Bee-merang to either always come back to her or remain spinning in place and always carries a secret stash with her to help heal up herself and allies. And if all else fails, her needles can pierce the sturdy defenses of even the toughest of foes. Even if her greed and impulsiveness get her into trouble, she remains a competent fighter and trusted ally.

Leif the moth is a powerful ice magician, capable of freezing foes solid to completely incapacitate them or creating ice shields to protect himself and his allies. He can fly by creating ice beneath himself and walk on water the same way, as well as hit airborne targets by raining ice blocks down on their heads. Lief also has numerous ways to bolster his team mid-combat, increasing his own teammates stats by way of Fortify or Charge Up or nullifying his foes's stats with Break or Enfeeble. He can even nullify stat increases with Cleanse, forcing you fight him at your base level. He's like dropping an undead mage into the middle of A Bug's Life. A Bug's Lief. Despite how devastating he is from a support standpoint, Lief does struggle with his undead status. As he died several years ago, he finds the modern world under Queen Elizant the 2nd's rule very difficult to adapt to and he struggles to accept the fact that everyone he knows is dead and that he's basically a zombie. He's arguably the most traumatized of the team.

And then there's the team pet chompy. Although not capable of much on her own, her ribbons give her deadly bite some added spice, as they allow her to induce all sorts of dangerous effects, from paralysis to sleep to poison!

While each of these fighters are deadly in their own way, their team skills make them unstoppable, allowing them to combine their might with relentless attacks like Frist Relay, where Lief freezes the opponent over and over as Vi pummels them relentlessly, or Fly Drop, where Vi drops Kabbu on the enemy like a big heavy rock. Their deadliest team move, Frost Bowling, involves freezing Vi and having Kabbu toss her at the enemy like, well, a bowling ball, for massive damage!

Then comes the plethora of medals and equipment the team can come decked out in. They can increase the Team's stats in a wide manor of ways and help them resist status effects, ranging from sleep, poison, paralysis, and freezing. Even if you do get those status effects off, certain medals can make those effects transfer to the enemy on contact. Life Stealer sucks the life out of you with every hit landed, Miracle Matter lets them recover from incapacitating injuries after some time, and First Platting has them take no damage from the first hit the lands on them. And, of course, their Flame Broach lets them survive the all consuming inferno of the Wasp King's fire attacks.

With these incredible abilities, Team Snakemouth has overcome impossible odds on their numerous adventures. They've snuck into the Wasp Kingdom undetected and defeated the horrific eldritch Dead Landers, bugs mutated within the remnants of the old world. They even defeated the Wasp King himself after he consumed the Everlasting Sapling and became a veritable Everlasting God.

Their one true weakness? ...They're bugs. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Dead Lander Ω, something implied to be a mutated human child, is large enough to ragdoll and overpower them with ease and crush them all with just one hand.

Despite that, they are still among the toughest bugs out there. Team Snakemouth stands tall as perhaps the greatest heroes to walk the lands of Bugaria.

Analysis: Olimar

Space. The final frontier. And endless expanse full of countless treasures and endless adventures. But, the spaceman having those adventures might just be a fair bit smaller than you were expecting.

Meet Captain Olimar, trade captain and employee for the interstellar trading company Hocotate Frieght whose normal boring life was thrown into disarray when he crash landed on the desolate world of PNF-404. Better known as Earth.

Unable to breath the atmosphere of this post-apocalyptic world, Olimar needez some outside help if he ever wanted to get back home... or if he ever wanted to loot the planet's riches. That's when he discovered he could command adorable little plant like creatures known as Pikmin.

Now, on their own, Pikmin are harmless and helpless, especially the little young ones with only little leaves on their heads. But when brought together and command, they become a nigh unstoppable fighting force. Reproducing by bringing corpses back to their "onion" ships to harvest so that they can then be planted and plucked from the ground, Pikmin rely on their massive numbers to survive, overwhelming their enemy with as many as a hundred Pikmin simultaneously. Furthermore, they come in up to seven different types, each uniquely specialized to thrive in certain situations.

Red Pikmin are immune to and can to a certain extent control fire. Yellow Pikmin are immune to and can channel electricity, as well as fly farther through the air and dig faster due to their glider like ears. Blue Pikmin breathe underwater while Whites can see farther, are immune to poison, and are poisonous themselves, poisoning an enemy on contact or consumption. Rock Pikmin are especially durable and do considerable damage to anything they're thrown at, while Purples are ten times stronger and heavier than their counterparts, to the point where one hundred of them is equal to one thousand ordinary Pikmin. And finally, winged Pikmin can fly and carry Olimar around.

Purples in particular give us a fairly good estimate for how strong Pikmin generally are. It takes one hundred of them to lift a one kilogram barbell, meaning that the average purple can lift around ten grams. As they're ten times stronger than normal Pikmin, normal Pikmin are only capable of lifting about one gram each. For reference, the average bee can lift up to thirteen grams. While that might seem pathetic, even the mightiest bee would be overwhelmed by an organized squad of one hundred Pikmin and Olimar is very capable of providing that.

With his whistle, Olimar can organize Pikmin into a competent fighting force, allowing him to literally throw them at his enemies until they die. His whistles can cure Pikmin if negative effects, including being set on fire, being waterlogged, being exposed to acid, being poisoned, and being mind controlled by fungus. He's also heavily armored, with his suit protecting him from fire and electricity, as well as allowing him to breathe oxygen. In fact, his suit is so durable, it can survive a fall from space! ...Which isn't that impressive for him, as he's about the size of a bottlecap lid. Only about 22 joules. For reference, a rabbit stomps with a force of 23 joules.

Source:

Luckily, Olimar has ways of supplementing his Pikmin. Little specks of gunpowder, or "Bomb Rocks" let his Pikmin blow his enemies to Kingdom Come, while the Super Spicey Spray can amplify his Pikmin's strength and speed. Ultra Bitter Spray, meanwhile, petrifies his enemies for about nine seconds, turning them into brittle stone his Pikmin can easily destroy.

Indeed, Olimar and his Pikmin formed something of a symbiotic relationship. Not only did they help him survive on this hostile alien world, but he also taught them how to survive too. Many of the Pikmin's later evolutions likely only came about because of Olimar's guidance and, if he'd never crash landed, they likely would've gone completely extinct. Perhaps there's a lesson to take from all of this about the circle of life.

Throwdown Mashup:

Throwdown Breakdown:

This is an interesting matchup to break down.

First off, Leif is going to be doing a lot to help carry his team here. First off, his ice shields will help prevent his team from getting completely swarmed right off the bat while cleanse would completely nullify the Super Spicey Spray. Similarly, while Olimar would be coming in with a big strength advantage himself, Leif's various debuffs would help nullify this. Olimar's Pikmin would vary in their usefulness here, as numb wouldn't work on yellow Pikmin, poison wouldn't work on Whites and so on, while Reds would have their usefulness hampered by the flame broach and other similar resistances.

Purples, Rocks, and Bombrocks would be useful for getting past shields while Yellows and Flying can deal with flight, but Olimar has no easy answer to Kabbu's dig ability, which he can use to safely keep the whole team mobile. Vi's tornados can disperse Olimar's formation, forcing him to briefly disengage to regroup, and she can knock him out of the sky if he tries to fly away. The Purples and Rocks in particular are going to be hard to deal with given how strong they are, but if Kabbu gets one of his rage amps, he might be able to power through them. Might.

Olimar can one-shot with a Bitter Spray, as Snakemouth has nothing that resists that. Even with the shields, Olimar can just use the spray the break the shields, then spray again. However, Team Snakemouth can ono shot him just by piercing his suit, either with Kabbu's horn or Vi's needles, as Olimar can't breathe without it.

This is a very complicated match with a lot of moving parts and a lot of different ways it can play out. The one thing that ultimately makes me give it to Snakemouth however is Leif. Not only is freezing something that none of Olimar's Pikmin resist, but it's something that Olimar can't just whistle them out of. Leif has used his freezing as a permanent incapacitation before and none of Olimar's Pikmin should be strong enough individually to break out. If Leif's ice can hold wasps and ants, even temporarily, then it should hold something with a max lifting strength of ten grams just fine. Olimar would have to use his Rock Pikmin to recover frozen Pikmin, but that would just drag his attention away from Team Snakemouth and give them time to recover or follow up, either by healing up with Secret Stash and items or by further disrupting Olimar and his team with tornados and the like.

Another factor in Team Snakemouth's favor is their ability to recover on the spot. If Olimar wants to replenish his numbers, he'll have to go back to his onion, while Snakemouth has several methods of recovering themselves that don't take as much time. For all intents and purposes, all of Olimar's losses will likely be permanent.

Olimar can still win if he uses his numbers to divide the team up or if he uses the bitter spray. This is not an easy fight for them. But I think they have enough ways to avoid getting swarmed, enough ways to recover from setbacks, and enough counters to Olimar to hold out in the long run. Especially as several of their attacks have the potential to wipe out large swathes of Pikmin in one go if Olimar isn't careful.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Team Snakemouth!

[cerisezero]

Idea dumping again, and this one's AUing things up. Heading into XC3 during main story canon times.

Simple enough AU in theory. Swapping out the main Ouroboros cast for a gang of the heroes who seem to have suitable pair vibes; I'm sure someone's gonna have done exactly these characters in the past, tbh. But hoping to put a different spin on their journey around Aionios, especially now Future Redeemed's been a thing.

Ashera and Teach; Valdi and Alexandria; Zeon and Juniper. Let's go.

The first bit of AU shuffling here; the gang in question are not all commanders. In fact, it's possible that only Juniper is, or one other with them. This likely leads to a scenario where some Consuls in charge of various things are different, too; for example, Q isn't putting Valdi in charge of things to Do Levnises Good. N and M are still things, and I'm not planning on reallocating the letters E, T, L or S... (We need Triton around, c'mon. Though come to think of it, the S here might not be anyone we know. And quite possibly C and J ditto.)

The Kevesi trio are based out of one Colony, which might not be any of the canon ones (Ashera is a little tricky to place here but hey, we can fiddle with the concepts later). Teach and Alexandria, similarly, come from one Colony; possibly he was assigned to Iota following That Thing Oleg Did With Chi on the principle he'll be able to keep Alexandria from getting too big for her boots? Juniper is, however, still working out of Tau to begin with.

The group first get dragged into Ouroboros-hood via a mission in the Pentelas region; similarly to canon, the two sides are trying to retrieve an 'odd ether signature'. Juniper and a contingent from Tau are called in to help the Agnians navigate the Maktha area, while the Kevesi are more having to go it alone.

Don't you just hate it when a giant monkey interrupts your artifact finding quest? Thanks, Gonzales. The group of six eventually gets trapped with the Ouroboros Stone and a Lost Numbers rep who probably isn't Guernica (Gray, maybe?); some of the more responsible folks push for an uneasy truce until the gang can get out of there. In the meantime, though... Valdi. Valdi, no. Don't poke at the glowy object.

And the plot starts... whether or not a wild ride is involved. (Likely there's a Moebius to beat up on soon enough, but who it is I'm not sure.)

The new Ouroboros have an advantage in that they have more pieces of the puzzle as to who and what Moebius are, even starting off, than the canon group did. (Not sure at what stage they can identify them as Consuls, mind, even with Ashera's memory.) Unfortunately, the team are lacking in both a Lucky Seven- (Noah and Mio are... Uh. At a different stage in the cycle, right now :( ) and a Riku to try and keep an eye on whatever the heck they're doing. They do encounter four out of the original six as their own heroes, as well as various other familiar faces. However, they need other ways to try and free or improve things for their still-Clocked allies.

Teach and Ashera provide a lot of the big picture plotting and planning, even when Ashera does fall back into '... we stab things?' as part of that plot quite a lot. They're an unstable pair, but they at least balance out each other's bad habits into functionality when they settle into their positions.

Valdi and Alex tend towards 'it's so crazy it might work', with Valdi even putting together a cargo-mech to carry their stuff or the Stone with them. When they finally encounter Riku, the pair remind our favourite Common Nopon of Nikol and Glimmer somewhat even though they're unrelated... or perhaps they remind some City historians of their Founders? There's enough there to pull strings, at least. And maybe their plans are enough to disrupt Clock systems?

Zeon and Juniper are the most level headed of the group. Watching Juniper's Tau traditions and conventions gets them all thinking 'ok, but what if some of our stuff is equally artificial'... In the end, Juniper steps into the party offseer role; they might prefer to bury those who've been lost, but it would be worse to not do anything for the fallen at all. ... Sadly, this means Zeon himself doesn't get to farm any spuds. He finds City culture and history very interesting, eventually.

A different adventure, a different group, trying to avoid the classic 'let's follow the same old path' trope. And as for the long term... well, I'll see when I get there.

[protect-namine]

dead girl walking came up on shuffle and now I'm thinking about third year amber leader neji trying to convince his class to do heathers

in the hypothetical scenario where kisa ended up in amber, we could have:

chui or neji as JD, take your pick

neji or kisa as veronica sawyer

kamiya and momonashi as the heathers. plus either chui or neji or kisa as heather chandler

if sou also ended up in amber, we could have sou as martha dunnstock if kisa is veronica

tbh I think anyone can switch around these roles? like, at first I was thinking of chui as JD and kisa as veronica. or neji as JD and kisa as veronica. but it might be more interesting to have chui as JD and neji as veronica, while kisa/kamiya/momonashi are the heathers, and the trio can actually bond over however they all feel about chui and neji (I think if kisa ended up in amber, kamiya and momonashi would respect her and actually befriend her lol). neji would put a twist on the original musical and let the trio improv who gets to be heather chandler, because all three of them would kill it and put their own spin on it. maybe they take turns on who wears the scrunchie

anyway. please imagine your choice of pairing for JD and veronica doing dead girl walking (both original and reprise). i am so sure neji will want whoever's acting the scenes to go 110%. heathers just feels like such a neji kind of play to me (cue minorikawa once again going, "uh did the school really allow them to produce this kind of play?")

[run-me-through-but-not-like-that]

THAT LAST STORY WAS 🔥🔥🔥. Your writing is amazing. If your comfortable writing more NSFW. I’d love to see a scenario where Izzy has a kink for seeing his s/o in leather. Maybe his partner decides to indulge him?

Izzy Hands Liking to see his S/O in Leather (NSFW):

The first time he had said it, that he thought you'd suit the full leather look of Blackbeard's crew, you hadn't thought much of it. You thought that it was just Izzy's preferred aesthetic, that he would like you to adopt it to some extent, or even that he wanted you to dress as what he deemed to be a 'proper pirate'. It had been an offhand comment, so you didn't think too deeply about it.

However, when he kept mentioning, no matter how casually, you began to think there was something else going on. Either way, you didn't the harm in indulging your partners preference. It just worked out better than you thought it would.

When the Revenge stopped at a port to restock, you took the opportunity to sneak off into two. You had taken Fang with you, to get his advice on your new apparel. The two of you had a great time picking out the best leather pieces, Fang ordering you to spin as he decided whether it suited you or not.

By the time you returned to the Revenge, you were already wearing your new outfit. The crew was getting some shore leave this evening and you thought maybe you and Izzy could go out, take your new look out on the two. You wouldn't be getting that far, you just didn't know it yet.

You received a few compliments as you sauntered around the deck, Fang showing off his choices. Lucius had complained that Izzy was having too much of an influence on you but still praised you and Fang for your choices. He thought you looked hot. Black Pete thought you looked like a real badass pirate and was considering asking Fang for his assistance too.

"What are you twats gossiping-" Izzy cut off his own rant when you turned to face him. He hadn't even recognised you in the leather, it was so different to your normal look. He just your usual attire like the back of his hand. This was different. And it was fucking amazing.

"What do you think, Iz?" you asked, giving him a small spin to give him a better look.

"Uh, yeah...yeah, looks good," he nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"You okay?" you frowned. He was looking you up and down approvingly but something seemed off...almost as if he was nervous.

Lucius snickered beside you, "oh, I think he's more than okay."

"Fuck off, Spriggs," Izzy hissed, letting you know it was your time to step in.

"Okay, no murder and no maiming. It's their day off," you chastised fondly, placing your hands on his shoulders and getting his attention back onto you.

"You got all this today?" Izzy asked, looking you up and down again with an intense gaze.

"Yep! You said I should try dressing like a proper member of Blackbeard's crew, so I gave it a shot. Did I choose well?" you released his shoulders, gesturing towards your clothing.

Leather wasn't the most comfortable choice of attire, especially in the middle of the Caribbean, but the way Izzy was looking at you was completely worth it.

"Chose fucking brilliantly," he complimented, still eyeing the fitted leather.

The leather pants similar to his own and Edward's, treated boots, leather jacket, and leather gloves on each hand. He had conjured up a similar image of you many times but nothing compared to the real thing, how fucking good you looked in it.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Lucius agreed approvingly.

"Fuck off," Izzy growled, his glare shooting up to Lucius defensively.

You gave Lucius a small smile over your shoulder before giving the trio a little nod. They took the hint and the three of them left, likely heading for some sort of tavern in town.

Once you were alone, you turned back to Izzy and slipped your arms around him, pressing yourself close. "Oh..." your eyes widened slightly, feeling something press against your hip. "So...that's why you wanted me to try the leather look out?" you smirked knowingly.

"Fuck off," he might have been more convincing if he wasn't clutching you by the waist.

"I'd rather fuck you," you teased, hovering your mouth over his.

Izzy let out a shaky breath, all pretence of resistance disappearing in an instant. As he lent in, chasing your lips, you pulled back to remain just out of reach. You loved when he got like this. So fucking sweet.

"Fuck, Iz. I was going to wine and dine you and everything," you hummed, running your gloved fingers through his hair.

"Fuck wining and dining, we have the ship to ourselves," he reminded you. Bonnet couldn't be convinced in having somebody keep watch, Izzy had been furious about it, now he was grateful. Fuck the ship.

You smiled brightly at that, his intentions clear. Taking Izzy's hand in yours, you tugged him down to his cabin.

As soon as you were in the cabin and had the door closed, Izzy was on you. His mouth slotted against yours, hands restless. Feeling up your hips, waist, chest, and back down again. Feeling how the leather fit on you, unable to get enough.

You couldn't help but chuckle a little into the kiss before returning it with equal eagerness, one hand cupping the side of his neck while the other was buried in his hair, tugging on the strands in the way you knew he liked so much.

Izzy tore his mouth away from yours, attaching his lips to your neck. Teeth grazing your flesh, bound to suck marks against your neck.

"If this was the reason you wanted me to try on some leather, you should have just said. Would have done it much sooner," you sighed, tilting your head to the side to allow him better access.

You let him indulge himself a little longer, feeling surprisingly fond when you felt him rut against your thigh, probably without even realising it. When he bit into your neck a little rougher than he usually might, you got the hint, it was time to give him what he really wanted.

Your hand slid up the back of his head, fingers carding through his hair. You curled them, gripping and tugging, forcing his head backwards and away from you.

"You're not going to tell me that you set the dress code for Blackbeard's crew, are you?" you asked, your smirk edging towards cruel. "Make everyone walk around in leather just for your satisfaction? You little pervert," you taunted, tightening your hold on his hair, pulling a soft little whine from him.

"More difficult to cut through than cotton, we thought of it together," Izzy explained honestly. "None of them looked like you in it." That, you believed. You certainly hadn't caught Izzy eyeing Ivan or Fang the way he looked at you when he first saw you.

As if to reward him for his honesty, you pulled him in for another kiss. Of course, he responded immediately, melting into your touch.

You weren't too used to wearing gloves so you fumbled a little with the buttons of Izzy's waistcoat but you managed. Managed to get it undone and pull it off of him.

The buttons of his shirt were smaller, frustratingly, harder to grasp with your thick gloves. You just made sure to distract him by biting at his bottom lip, earning a moan from him, as you worked on getting his shirt open.

You might have popped the bottom two buttons off instead of opening them but neither of you could bring yourself to care. You tugged the material down his arms, forcing his hands off of you as he removed it. As soon as the shirt was off, his hands were gripping at you again.

"I think I've been helpful enough, think you can manage the rest," you nipped at his bottom lip before pulling away. "Undress for me, love," you ordered sweetly before pushing him away.

Izzy nodded, toeing off his boots as he unfastened his pants. "Slow down, what's your hurry?" you asked teasingly, knowing you were only riling him up more.

Trying to act unaffected, you lent back against his deck, ankles crossed casually and arms crossed over your chest. You watched him with an air of authority, as if scrutinising and assessing him as he finished undressing for you.

You couldn't help but grin, letting your gaze wander over his body as Izzy finally took naked in front of you. "You want me to undress?" you asked, deciding that you were happy to play into whatever fantasy he had today.

"For once, fucking keep it on," Izzy pleaded roughly, making you laugh a little. That was a rare request.

Pushing yourself away from the desk, you stepped over to him, hands resting against his waist. He sighed, a small shiver running down his spine, as you caressed up his body. You spread your hands out over his chest, smiling at the little moan he made when your leather covered thumbs brushed over his nipples.

With a smile, you pushed against his chest, causing him to stumble back and the back of his legs to hit his cot. "Sit for me, love." He did so instantly.

You stood over him, between his parted legs, while he looked up at you. Eyes dark with lust, filled with want and admiration.

Cupping his jaw in your hand, you ran a thumb over the seam of his lips. As you toyed with his bottom lip, swollen from your kissing and nipping, Izzy stuck his tongue out, licking up the new leather. The earthy taste lingering on his tongue.

You grinned before slipping two fingers into his mouth. He welcomed them in obediently, whimpering as you pushed down on his tongue. With one raise of the eyebrow from you, he wrapped his lips around the leather clad digits, sucking and licking shamelessly.

Izzy looked wonderful like this, his face flushed, lips red and swollen as he sucked on your fingers. His tongue swirled around the digits before slipping between them, the familiar earthy taste filling his mouth, all without breaking eye contact. Staring up at you through the lashes of his hooded eyes. So gorgeous.

You lent down, pressing a kiss to his forehead, before slipping your fingers out of his mouth. Watching as he hollowed his cheeks around them before they were gone.

You held your gloved palm out, index and middle finger still coated in saliva.

"Spit."

You caught Izzy's shiver before he lent over, still peering up at you as he spat into your palm.

You held his gaze purposely as you dipped your hand down, not hesitating in curling your fingers around him. Izzy let out a groan as he gripped at his mattress, eyes fluttering shut and lips parting.

"You look so good like this, Iz," you praised, working up hand ruthlessly.

One of Izzy's hands shot up, clutching at your hip. You shifted closer, resting your knee on the cot beside his thigh, your free hand tangling in his hair. Izzy's hand tightened on your hip, fingers digging into the leather, nails leaving little crescent marks behind.

You could feel Izzy twitching in your hand and you knew that he was already close. He must have been thinking about this for longer than you even realised.

"Close already, sweetheart?" there was no mocking in your voice, the question was sincere. Izzy screwed his eyes shut, nodding as he lent his forehead against your shoulder. "It's alright, come on, I've got you."

As if on command, Izzy's hips jerked up from the mattress, finishing over your hand.

After helping him through his high, you removed your hand from him, knowing he could get oversensitive pretty easily. Izzy's forehead remained pressed against your shoulder as his breathing calmed down. Carefully, you removed the gloves, placing them down.

Your, now bare, hands caressed over his body. Hands gliding up his arms and over his back, smiling when he sighed and melted further into you.

"I've got you," you cooed as you cupped his face, tenderly stroking your thumbs over his cheeks.

He chuckled a little as you lifted his head away from your shoulder, smiling down at him. He smiled up at you, his blissed out expression still present.

"Did it live up to your fantasies?" you asked, still caressing his cheek with one hand and using the other to push his hair back out of his face.

"You're fucking fantastic," Izzy praised, turning his face just enough to press a kiss to your bare palm. "And you are not getting rid of these fucking clothes," he added, making you laugh.

"I promise, love." After that, you were definitely not getting rid of these clothes. There was much more to explore. "But now will you let me get you some dinner?" you asked. You really had hoped that you would be able to go into town with your boyfriend.

"It's pretty normal for us to do things the wrong way around," Izzy mused but nodded into your palm.

"Damn right it is. But now you're spent, I bet you're hungry though," you tried to tempt him, knowing it wouldn't take much.

But then Izzy began to come back to his sense. He frowned a little, giving you another look over. "What about you?" he asked, always wanting to please.

"Oh don't you worry about that, this is your treat," you insisted. There would be plenty of time for that later on. "So...date night?" you raised an eyebrow.

"Fucking hell. Yes, you can buy me some dinner, just let me get dressed," he huffed as if it was an effort, but you caught his smile.

You laughed as you stood up properly again, helping him up from the cot. You took the time to cool down as Izzy quickly washed up and redressed.

"Should I change?" you asked as he fixed his hair, slicking it back into its usual style.

"Fuck no. Put the gloves back on," Izzy demanded with a huff, making you laugh again.

You didn't argue, doing as he said. Putting the clean one on first before carefully tugging on the soiled glove.

"They're going to need some cleaning," you observed, catching Izzy's blush as he turned to face you. "You gonna clean up your mess, Iz?" you teased, holding your hand out towards him.

Izzy chewed on the inside of his cheek, looking between your face and the stained glove you wore. You were about to assure him that he didn't have too, obviously you could just wash it in the basin, but before you could speak Izzy had gently grasped your wrist.

You watched carefully as he slowly brought it up to his face. You continued to watch, in absolute awe, as he licked the glove clean, making sure to hold your gaze. You couldn't help but groan at the sight.

"Fuck, Iz, you're so fucking hot," you told him breathlessly before tugging him into a hungry kiss, not caring about the taste that lingers on his tongue. Breaking away from him, you looked at him with nothing but love. "Ready?"

Izzy nodded, sneaking another quick kiss, before letting you take his hand and lead him out of the cabin. Yeah, you were going to buy him a real nice dinner tonight.

[callmefitz]

fine. fine I did it. luca fic where massimo is trying to be a good parent for his teenage fish son. yes its the painfully awkward i know you’re gay talk. i wrote this at 2 am while projecting so this isn’t shakespeare, just a vibe. set sometime 3-4 years after the film but i think it’s implied enough.

—————————————————-

Alberto ran up the stairs, threw open the door, dropped his hat on the table and hastily washed his hands at the sink.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said breathlessly, wiping his hands on the front of his shirt, “I got caught up in, uh, well-“

“Showing off?” Massimo offered, turning from his workstation in the kitchen. Alberto laughed nervously and nodded- then paused- and shook his head while looking away.

“Well, I prefer the term ‘sharing with the community’” Alberto offered, before pulling out a large pot and placing it on the stove.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Massimo returned to the cutting the fish, “It’s a nice bike.”

It was a nice bike. Nice enough that the kids in Portorossa frequently begged Alberto to let them sit on it or ride it around the plaza. And who was he to say no? It was the coolest thing he had ever set his eyes on, let alone owned. Of course he let them use it. Alberto had been saving up his tip money from fish delivery all winter to buy it: a shiny, brand-new, red-hot Vesta. Just like the one Erocle used to parade around town on. Giulia and Luca were going to be so excited.

Alberto began pouring cups of water into the pot as he raised the heat, waiting for it to hit a soft boil. “So how much time do we have?”

Massimo glanced out the window facing the countryside, where the distance etchings of train tracks were visible, “About an hour. Luca’s parents will meet us at the station. Then, dinner.”

“An hour. Right. We can work with that,” Alberto said, mainly to himself, as Massimo continued with his fish. They both fell into a steady rhythm, as they stirred and simmered an outrageous amount of food.

While his hands were lost in repetition, Alberto’s mind wandered to Luca. Massimo liked to joke about how Luca never truly left, with all the letters and phone calls sent, but Alberto couldn’t disagree more. Words couldn’t capture the way Luca would say things, like how he yelled when he was excited and talk quickly when he was nervous. And sure, Alberto could read between the lines, and infer things, like how scrunched up words meant Luca was happy or excited and messy letters and wonky lines meant he was tired, but it wasn’t the real thing. And phone calls, while better, were fewer and far inbetween, and couldn’t capture the way Luca would move when talking, whether it was the way he walked or gestured, or the faces he would make and the way he would touch your shoulder or grab your arm to make a point. So no- Luca had truly left, and while Alberto had seen glimpses and pieces throughout the months, he preferred the whole Luca he got during the summer.

One hour. One hour and Alberto wouldn’t have to rely just on letters and voices. It would be just them again, like it was every summer, whether it be sleeping under the stars in Giulia’s hideout, or swimming out to the island to watch the sunsets, or spending afternoons filling up on gelato and playing futbol on the hot pavement. Giulia would be there too, and the trio would finally be complete. Just like how it was that first summer, and just how it was now.

Had Alberto mentioned he was excited?

“The pasta is boiling over,” Massimo provided helpfully, and Alberto was thrust back into reality.

He swore under his breath, moving the pot to another eye and turning the stove off. He sighed and grabbed for a towel to wipe the sides of the pot. Turning his back to Massimo, he began searching for a strainer, but was interrupted.

“Alberto.” Massimo put his knife down and turned slightly. His face was drawn so that his eyes peeked out from under his eyebrows and bore down to Alberto (no matter how tall Alberto got, Massimo was always, well, massive).

“There is something we need to talk about before the train comes in.”

And there it was. Or, rather, there it wasn’t, because those words never came out of Massimo’s mouth. Maybe it was because, despite everything between them, Massimo just wasn’t a big feelings guy. He was a man of few words who would rather hand-paint signs, mend hats, and hand-make pasta than say “I love you.” Not that Alberto cared much, about that, he couldn’t complain honestly, but the point was that Massimo never “had talks”. If something was serious to discuss in private, it was always “Alberto, a word”. Because Massimo was a man of few words. So it was understandable, then, that that string of words elicited panic in Alberto. Because never in a million years, not even when Massimo first asked Alberto to stay with him, did they ever have something they needed to talk about.

Good thing Alberto was good at handling panic. He was basically an expert.

“Yeah, like what?”

He held his elbow out to lean against the counter in a calm manner, but missed and instead landed on the red hot stove eye. All while maintaining a smirk-turned-grimace. Yep. Expert.

That was going to hurt later. A lot.

Massimo looked at Alberto, searching for something in his face, and, upon finding it, sighed, and turned to the window where the train-tracks were. Absentmindedly, he turned the faucet of the sink on, and letting it cool for a moment, held a rag under it. Once it was wet enough, he handed it to Alberto.

“Luca is a... good kid, no?” Massimo led after a moment of contemplation. Alberto took the rag, but his face scrunched up in confusion as he held it to his elbow. Faintly, he felt the familiar tingle of flesh-turning scale as the coolness took the edge from the burn. But the beginnings of a frown was settling on Alberto as he followed Massimo’s gaze to the train tracks.

“Yeah?”

Massimo nodded. “He is very smart. He writes often. He knows fish... but not as well as you do.”

Alberto inched closer to Massimo, “Yeah, he’s pretty cool. One of my best friends but... I think you know that.”

“He is a very good friend,” Massimo said, but something felt strange about the way he said it, “Handsome, too.”

Alberto’s body froze and his face heated up. Before he could say anything contradictory, however, Massimo continued.

“I know the way you two look at each other. Young love. It’s a good thing, especially when it’s between friends who have known each other for so long.” Massimo said slowly, “And if you ever want to take Luca out for some gelato on your Vespa... then I will be very happy for you, Beto. He’s a good kid. Good for you.”

Alberto wasn’t going to lie. He had thought about it, once or twice. In his head it always played out so incredibly natural, that a part of him assumed it would eventually happen. Giulia would be busy, either delivering fish or volunteering for the cup, and he and Luca would be on their own for the day. Maybe they bike to the top of Portorosso, or maybe they went out to the island or climbed a roof to watch the stars. Sometimes it would be just them having dinner together, and something would give- one of them would brush hands with the other, lean in just a little too close and stay there... then... well, it would be just like it to was. But more. And selfishly, maybe if they were more, Luca wouldn’t leave at the end of the season.

But Alberto couldn’t think like that. Luca loved school more than anything. Well, almost anything. He would never want to take that from him.

But Massimo was right. Luca was handsome. Summers in Portorosso had been kind to him, and they’ve both put on some healthy weight and muscle over the years. Even if they hadn’t been friends, Alberto had no doubt he would have been fond of Luca regardless.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon,” Albert said candidly. “But... Thanks. For that. I guess.”

Massimo shrugged. “You’d be surprised. Giulia tells me a lot.”

Impossible scenarios ran through Alberto’s head. The wheels were spinning so fast that smoke was practically spewing from his ears.

“Like what?”

Massimo glanced out the window again, “I guess he’ll just have to tell you when he gets here.”

[inej-ruination-ghafa]

coney island - S.R

evermore masterlist | dorothea | ivy

Warnings: mentions of children, major character death, true love, depression, death

Summary: you and Steve had been in love all those years ago and now you came back to the same spot you two used to go to together

Wordcount: 1.5k

You sat on the bench on Coney Island, a sad smile on your face as you watched the sun set over the horizon. 

The moment was bittersweet because as beautiful as the view was, it was the view you used to watch with him. 

You loved Steve Rogers before the nation did. 

You loved his smile and his scrawny arms and his sense of humour. You loved him despite his allergies and despite his lack of strength. 

You had watched him grow, not only into his new body but as a person. 

Becoming a super soldier made him more confident and you watched that confidence bloom like a flower on an early spring morning. 

You were by his side as his girlfriend during it all. During the fighting and the battles and the crazy stunts he had to go through as captain America. 

You would wait for him to come home and hold his now much larger figure in your arms after a mission.

Now you're sitting and watching as the sun goes down. You wish he was still here, his warm skin against yours as you talked about your days. 

It was just disappointment whenever you'd open your eyes and he wasn't there. 

Coney Island was your perfect date and the two of you had spent hours and hours wandering around doing mundane things with each other. You would both come here before and after he became captain America. 

He had left on that mission and told you he would do anything in his power to avenge bucky and you knew he would. 

Bucky had been your friend too and both of you had been thoroughly heartbroken when he had been killed. 

You would wake up every morning and check the mailbox because you knew that every morning was like spinning a roulette wheel and one day you were going to lose and Steve wasn't going to come home.

You had woken up and walked to the door, your stomach sinking as you saw Colonel Philips standing there, a letter in his hands and a solemn look on his face. 

With shaky hands, you opened the letter in your hands and you read it before collapsing into a fit of sobs, the colonel patting you on the back to try and comfort you. 

It had been difficult afterwards to know how to function without Steve but you slowly got used to it.

You were the last one in your trio and you weren't sure what to do now. 

So you sat on the bench in Coney Island wondering where your teenage years went. Where all the years with Steve and Bucky running around went. 

You wondered if you had been too quick to suggest that they fight for their country.

Steve had told you he loved you the day before he enrolled and left for camp lehigh and you had started your relationship.

You wondered if you would have told him that he shouldn't go and that the two of you would be happy there that you would have both lived. That you would both be sitting on the bench tonight. 

The war may have been won but at what cost? How much had you been willing to pay? You'd paid a lot. You'd lost both your best friends to the vacuum that was war and you were lost in an abyss. 

If you can't relate to them anymore, what do you do? Who do you talk to and care about and know everything about? Who do you love? 

The questions all pound in your head and there's not much else you can do.  

You could sit there and ask questions and run scenarios over and over again but you'd just be rolling in your guilt, drowning in it and suffocating. 

You loved Steve and after he became captain America and got all the muscles and the height, he wondered if you would love him anymore. 

You had chuckled when he had said that and looked up at him for the first time in your life, placing your hands against his cheeks as you told him that you would love him no matter what happened. No matter what he looked like or what he did, he would always be Steve Rogers to you, always be yours. 

After that you had both gone to Coney Island again and walked along the path, even though now you had to look up at him when the two of you talked.

You two still got on like a house on fire despite his changes and even though you missed him when he went on long and tedious missions, you wouldn't change your relationship for everything. 

Steve Rogers was everything you could have ever wanted in a relationship.

He was always kind, caring, funny, the most gentle man you'd ever met. He was the dictionary definition of perfect. 

You'd also become friends with peggy Carter very quickly and the two of you would work together behind the scenes whenever she'd come to New York. 

You liked being able to help with the war effort even if it was only a little bit, it made you feel like you had done something to contribute to helping Steve. 

You didn't want to just sit at home and work your normal job when you could be doing something to help the war effort. 

It was the least you could do with your boyfriend and the love of your life being the symbol for peace and freedom and victory in the country. 

You treasured every letter you received from him and every time he would find a way to get a message to you. 

You missed the feeling of him against you and despite the fact that you applauded what he did, you missed him. 

But as you sat on the bench in Coney Island, looking down at the wood and the spot where you and Steve carved your initials into it. 

You traced your fingers along the initials, tears in your eyes as you looked at it, a tear rolling down your cheek as you wondered where did he go. 

Just under a century later, Steve Rogers stood at the bench in Coney Island, looking down at your initials carved into the old wood. 

It seemed like only yesterday that he was shorter and skinnier and you two were sitting Here with an old coke bottle in hand, watching as the sun set. 

He had been taken out of the ice and now after the battle of new York he decided to go back to a place that held so many fond memories that over the years had turned bittersweet. 

He wondered how many times you had come here and sat down, wondering what if would be like if you both had been able to be together. 

Steve wondered if you'd be sitting there with yours and his children, running around and getting cotton candy and being a normal family. 

He wanted two kids, two beautiful children who were the combination of the two of you and he would love you both like he had ever loved anything. 

It hurt his heart and it pained him deep to his soul that he couldn't be here with you. He would give anything to hold you in his arms again, to smell the scent of your perfume and the soft feeling of your clothes. 

He had done so much for this country and now he was left alone without you and Bucky, something he had never wanted to imagine and something that cut him deep in his soul.  

America loved him and they loved you for what you had done but he didn't care about any of it. 

If he could go back and be with you and just start over again he'd take that chance in an instant without any hesitation. 

He loved you after all these years and he knew that you loved him until your dying day. 

You'd done so much in your life. You had advocated for soldiers through all the wars in history, promoting equality for all and freedom. 

You had helped Peggy set up Shield and had been one of the main leaders throughout quite a lot of your life. 

But now as Steve sat down on the bench in Coney Island, he wondered where all the time had gone and how he could get you back.