#kind of fun to see the old streaming set up from the other side

[mgu-h]

yes el gato i am watching the #ad intently to observe product. am buy product. product

[itsa-thing]

Ah so sorry I missed your writing thing. How about some good old-fashioned Time and Warriors and Wind fluff, or maybe crack? Maybe with the Wind Waker, that'd be fun

Hi, sorry it took me a few days to get back to this (I’m a slow writer), but here’s some Warriors and Time and Wind fluff, ft the Wind Waker:

Time yawned, stretching out his limbs with a slight flinch as his back cracked. With a satisfied sigh, he sat back down on a small log, began to sharpen his sword, and watched the just waking camp.

The sun was barely rising, splashes of pink and orange painting the foggy horizon as the sun first peeked out for the day. The camp was mostly quiet, aside from the occasional chirp of a bird or cricket or the rousing of one of his brothers in their sleeping rolls.

Time was just about to continue sharpening his sword when he heard a rustle followed by a sleepy voice muttering, “What time is it?”

Time looked up to see the sailor sitting up in his bedroll, his hair messy and tangled, his eyes bleary and still half-closed.

“Time?” Wind called quietly. The kid yawned and rubbed his eyes before quietly getting up, careful not to disturb any of the others. He made his way over to the log, and Time scooted over to give the kid more space.

“You’re up early,” he chuckled, giving Wind a sideways glance before continuing to sharpen his sword.

“Couldn’t sleep,” the sailor murmured, hugging his legs to his chest with another yawn.

“Hm,” Time hummed. “Want to play a little prank on the captain?”

Wind instantly perked up, his hazel eyes fully awake with excitement. “What kind of prank?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Time said, inspecting his sword, and, once he was satisfied, slid it back into his scabbard. “Maybe a little something involving that Wind Waker of yours and the captain’s scarf.”

Wind giggled, pulling out the little silver baton out of his belt. “You mean this Wind Waker?”

“Maybe.”

Wind snickered, sliding the wand back into his belt with an excited nod. He narrowed his eyes at the captain’s sleeping form, probably already plotting.

——

Warriors trudged through the woods, grimacing each time his boots sank into the muddy forest floor with a squelch. He yawned, rubbing his face, before glancing back at the group behind him.

“Everyone good back there?” He called out. He met Time’s gaze, to which the Old Man gave a thumbs up before continuing on giggling about something with Wind. Odd, but Warriors was too tired to care.

“Wars?” The sailor whined a few moments later. “Can we stop for a second? We’ve been walking forever.”

Wars sighed, glancing back at the group. “Are you guys really that tired?”

“Yes,” complained Wind, along with half the rest of the group. Wars rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Fine.”

Wind jumped up and let out a whoop, all exhaustion suddenly vanishing. The group quickly settled down under an overhanging rock on the side of a rock.

“Don’t get too comfortable-“ Wars started, but was quickly cut off by Wild beginning to set up his cooking pot. Nevermind, then.

Wars sighed, turning around before calling out, “I’m going to go look for a stream or river” and heading off into the woods.

It wasn’t long before he heard what sounded like the faint rushing of a small creek. Ducking under a branch, he emerged into a small clearing and found his assumptions to be correct.

“Finally,” Wars kneeled down next to the stream and cupped some water in his hands before splashing it over his face. He tilted his head back with a sigh, savoring the cool goodness dripping from the tips of his bangs and down his chin.

He was about to get up and fill his flask when he heard a twig snap behind him. Wars whipped around, already in a defensive stance, eyes scanning the treeline.

When he found nothing, he cautiously turned back to the creek. Big mistake.

A gust of wind so strong it couldn’t have been natural slammed into his back, blowing his scarf right over his head and face. Wars panicked for a split second as he stumbled around blindly. Just as things seemed like they would calm down, Wars’s foot caught on a rock and sent him tumbling into the frigid water.

Wars let out a yelp and a curse as he was submerged for a moment, but he surfaced quickly, sat up in the shallow water, and wiped his face to see in front of him.

He was met with the sailor standing a few feet from the edge of the creek, clutching a small silver wand and grinning deviously. And behind him stood the Old Man, leaning against a tree and doing his best to cover up a smirk.

“What the HELL, sailor?” Wars groaned, shivering as the icy water ran past. He slowly stood up, checking for bruises or scrapes. He found none, but he wasn’t fully unscathed. After all, he was soaking wet in icy cold water.

Wars glared at Wind as he began to wring out his scarf, grimacing each time water dripped out of the royal blue fabric.

“Oops?” Wind tried, hiding his Wind Waker behind his back. He tried to look innocent, but his wide grin gave him away.

“Ugh,” Wars shivered, stepping out of the creek. He looked up and down at Wind before smirking and dashing forward, grabbing the sailor by the torso. Wind squealed, trying to claw his way out of the captain’s hold.

“TIME! HELP ME!” Wind shrieked. “YOU TRAITOR!” The Old Man stayed by the tree, and it seemed like he was done trying to cover up his smirk, because his entire face was twisted up in a shit-eating grin.

“You never- AH!” Whatever the sailor was saying was quickly cut off as Wars flung the kid into the river. The high-pitched scream that followed was priceless.

“See how you like that, you little shit,” Wars sneered, purposely fixing his scarf as he stood over Wind, who was now sputtering in the river. Apparently he didn’t like that, because not even moments later something tugged hard on Wars’s scarf, sending him tumbling back into the creek.

Chilly water hit him once again, and as he surfaced he was met with giggles from the sailor. Wars dunked the kid down into the river, cutting off an indignant squawk and the sailor splashed around.

Time, to nobody’s surprise, was still standing by the trees, watching the chaotic situation with amusement.

“C’mon, Old Man!” Wind called between dunks. “Join in!”

Time rolled his eye before making his way over to the edge of the creek. “This is as far as I’m going.”

Wars glanced at Wind with a smirk, then nodded to the sailor. “On three. One, two-“

“Three!” Wind screeched. He leaned back and kicked his feet, sending a shower of frigid droplets raining down on the Old Man.

“You little-“ Time was done. He splashed into the river, toppling over from the current, but not before spraying the others with a taste of their own medicine.

The three of them laughed, continuing to splash water at and dunk each other under the surface.

And when they came back to camp half an hour later, sopping wet with grins on their faces, no one said a thing.

[pompomqt]

Journey to the West Chapter 53

Welcome back to this week's chapter of Journey to the West with @journeythroughjourneytothewest. And as you can probably see from this week's meme, it's *that* chapter this week. So lets get into it shall we?

We begin this chapter where we left off last time, with someone calling out to the Pilgrims. Turns out it's the local mountain gods, and they still have the rice Monkey left with them. They kept it warm and everything. Tripitaka is touched by this, and thanks Monkey, and even says that he should have listened to him and not left the circle. Monkey just says, that he's the one who suffered most for leaving the circle, because he then ended up in someone else's circle anyways. When Pigsy tries to ask what he means by that- Monkey just snaps back that he knows this whole situation was actually his fault. Which- agreed. Anyways Tripitaka say's he'll listen to him next time, but I think we all know that that promise isn't going to last long. Still the pilgrimage is able to have a nice meal together before setting off again on their journey.

Now that we have finally wrapped up last week's adventure, it's time for a new one, let's see what kind of mountain or river demon they have to deal with next. They travel for a bit without incident until spring arrives, and in return they arrive at a small idyllic stream. Surprisingly they don't even need to fight a demon this time to get across, they just call over the local ferryman, who actually turns out to be a ferry woman. Monkey tries to ask why a women is doing this job, but she just smiles mysteriously. That's not ominous at all. Either way however they get to the other side without incident.

They pay the ferry woman, however before they can move on, Tripitaka decides that the water looks very appetizing and asks Pigsy to get him some. Remember kids- don't drink water directly from rivers- especially if there is a village just a few paces away that you can get water from. However I guess this logic didn't exist back then, because Pigsy gets him some river water and also drinks some himself. After that Tripitaka once again mounts his horse and they continue on their way.

Half an hour into their journey though, Tripitaka and Pigsy start having terrible stomach aches, and their stomachs even start to swell. Since they can't continue on like this, Monkey stops at the local inn, and tells Tripitaka that he'll get him some hot liquid and ask if there is an apothecary around. So Monkey approaches the first friendly old lady he see's, and tells them about their situation. However once the old women hears that they drank from the river she starts laughing and even calls for others to come and see the latest town gossip.

Now as much as Monkey might appreciate some fun and games- he does not appreciate everyone poking and laughing at his master rather when there is something seriously wrong with him. So he grabs the old women and demands that she give them some hot water or else. The old women then shakily explains that boiled water won't help them now. As the old woman goes on to explain, they are in the country of women, where no men live. So when a woman wants to have a child, she drinks some water from the Child and Mother River... the very same river that Pigsy and Tripitaka drank from.

So Tripitaka and Pigsy start freaking out about the fact that they are pregnant, especially since they are both men and physically can't give birth. Meanwhile Sandy and Monkey make sure to crack some jokes at their expense. Anyways Tripitaka asks the old woman if she has any medicine that will fix this, and the old woman says that although typical drugs don't work on this type of pregnancy there is a way. They just have to go to Male-Undoing Mountain, and enter the Child Destruction Cave and drink water from the Abortion Stream. All real names I pulled directly from this translated book by the way, I am not making this up.

Unfortunately getting the water won't be so easy as simply going to the mountain since last year a daoist immortal named True Immortal Compliant moved into the cave and started charging exorbitant prices for even the smallest glass of water. Which will be impossible for monks like them to pay- or at least it would be if Monkey ever paid for anything in his life. So Monkey borrows a large porcelain bowl from the old woman who tells him to try and bring back as much as possible for emergency. Then after leaving Sandy in charge, Monkey takes off with his cloud somersault. This has the added effect of impressing old women so much, that she is sure to take extra care of Tripitaka in the meantime.

So Monkey arrives at the indicated mountain and spots the abby, and a young daoist hanging out outside of it. So Monkey politely greets the daoist, and explains why he's here. When the Doaist asks where all his offerings are, Monkey says they are monks so they don't have anything like that. The Daoist tries to shoo him away until he comes back with offerings, but Monkey insists that the Daoist should just tell his master that Sun Wukong is here to see if that will change his mind.

So the Daoist goes in and tells the immortal that a 'Sun Wukong' is here to get some abortion water. Unfortunately, saying this, seems to have worsened Monkey's case, since the Immortal comes storming out hook in hand and demands to know where this 'Sun Wukong' fellow is. Monkey claims the name, and even insists that he's the real Sun Wukong when the Immortal asks. Which fair enough- I'm not sure who would be crazy enough to try and pretend to be Sun Wukong. Well... maybe there is one person but that's a story for another day.

Anyways turns out that this immortal has a bone to pick with Sun Wukong- surprising I know. For once though this isn't about his rampage through heaven- it's actually about the 'Great King Holy Child' Aka Red boy. Aka, the Demon Bull King's son, who had the power of the true fire of Samadhi who is currently working for Guanyin. Anyways, turns out that that Red Boy is this Immortal's nephew, and he isn't to happy about what happened to Red Boy. Monkey tries to insist that working for Guanyin is a great position, while the Immortal argues that it's better to be a King then someone else's servant.

Anyways the two begin to fight, and Monkey is clearly the superior fighter. So soon enough the Daoist retreats back into his Abby. Rather then chasing him down to try and attack him again, Monkey just heads to the well, only to see that the Daoist is guarding it. And while the Daoist can't beat Monkey in a fair fight, he seems perfectly capable of preventing him from drawing water from the well. After some back and forth, Monkey ends up fumbling the bucket and dropping it into the well. Since plan A failed, Monkey decides it's time for Plan B, aka get someone else to get the well water while he distracts the immortal.

So Monkey leaves to go get Sandy, and comes back to the village to find Tripitaka and Pigsy still groaning in pain. Sandy asks if Monkey was able to get the water, and Monkey explains the situation, and that he came back to have Sandy help him. Tripitaka is a bit worried about both Monkey and Sandy leaving while him and Pigsy are so indisposed, but the old women assures him that she will take good care of them, and won't hurt them. While Monkey wonders how any of these old ladies even could harm them- the old woman explains that while she and her cohorts are to old to be interested in men anymore- the same doesn't go for the younger ladies. Who would probably rip them apart in their eagerness. And on that ominous note- they borrow a bucket and some rope from the old lady before heading off again.

Once they arrive back at the mountain, Monkey tells Sandy to hide himself until Monkey provokes battle, and once the Immortal is sufficiently distracted, Sandy can grab the water. Plan in place, Monkey approaches the door and demands that the immortal open up. The Immortal isn't to eager to fight Monkey after Monkey kicked his ass last time, but his Doaist follower hypes him up, saying that Monkey may be able to win in a straight fight, but the Immortal was able to keep him from the well. So that means they are completely evenly matched!

Now filled with unearned confidence the Immortal goes out to fight Monkey again. While those two duke it out, Sandy heads for the well, but is stopped by the young Daoist. However Sandy doesn't play no games, and when the Daoist tries to stop him, Sandy breaks his arm. Better that then his neck I guess. With no one left to stop him, Sandy successfully draws water from the well. After that he calls to Monkey and tells him that they've got the water, so he can stop pretending that his is anything close to a fair fight now.

So Monkey says he'll spare the demon for the Bull Demon King's sake, as long as he stops blackmailing the women here out of their water. However I guess Monkey didn't kick his ass hard enough, because the Immortal tries to use his hook to swipe Monkey's legs again, only for Monkey to take the hook and break it into four pieces. Now that the immortal has been thoroughly beaten, Monkey and Sandy take their leave.

So Monkey and Sandy return, and the old woman is delighted with how much water they've brought back. Pigsy threatens to drink the whole bucket of course, but the old woman says that if he does that his intestines will probably dissolve. Which is enough to convince even Pigsy to stick to the recommended dose. So Tripitaka and Pigsy both drink some of the water- and after they... ahem... 'evacuate their bowls' the two are no longer pregnant. After that the old woman is kind enough to prepare a bath and dinner for them, and asks that Monkey leave the rest of the water with her. Since apparently the cost of the water will be enough to pay for her funeral expenses. Fun. And on that note it is once again time for the pilgrims to continue on their Journey to the West.

Current Sun Wukong Stats: Names/Titles: Monkey, The Stone Monkey, The Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong (Monkey awakened to the void), Bimawen (Banhorseplague), The Great Sage Equal To Heaven and Pilgrim Sun. Immortality: 5 + 94,000 years Weapon: The Compliant Golden Hooped Rod Abilities: 72 Transformations, Cloud-Somersault, Ability to transform his individual hairs, super strength, Ability to Summon Wind, Water restriction charm, and the ability to change into a huge war form, ability to duplicate his staff, ability to immobilize others, the ability to put others to sleep, and the Fiery eyes and Diamond Pupils, intimidating horses, churning large bodies of water, sleeplessness, seizing the wind, enhanced smell, discerning good and evil within a thousand miles, Spirit Summoning, lock picking, object transformation, distance reduction, vanishing in a flash of light, super healing, transforming others, and Invisibility Demon Kill Count: 9+ Unknown Number of Minions Human Kill Count: 1009 God's Defeated: 23 + Unknown number Defeats: 6 Crime List: Robbery, Murder, Mass Murder, Arson, Theft, Coercion, Threatening a Government Official, Resisting Arrest, Assault, Forgery, Employee Theft, False Imprisonment, Impersonating a Government Official, Treason, attempted murder, failure to control or report a dangerous fire, desecrating a corpse, breaking and entering, trespassing, violating Tree Law, looting corpses, trading counterfeit goods, criminal threat, animal abuse, Assisting or Instigating Escape, Damage to Religious Property, contaminating a substance for human consumption and Identity Fraud. Cry Count: 8 + 3 fake cries Mountains Trapped Under: 4

Current Tang Sanzang stats: Names/Titles: River Float, Xuanzang, Tang Sanzang, Tripitaka and the Tang Monk Abilities: Curing Blindness, making branches point a certain direction (allegedly), reciting sutras, pretty privilege, memorization, Heart Sutra and Meditation. Cry Count: 27 Tight Fillet Spell Uses: 31 Paralyzed by fear: 5 Bandit Problems: 2 Kidnapped by demons: 8 Falling Off Horses: 8

Current Bai Long Ma Stats: Names/Titles: Bai Long Ma (White Dragon Horse), Prince of the Western Ocean, and third prince jade dragon of the dragon king Aorun Abilities: Transforming into a human, a water snake, and a horse, eating a horse in one bite, flight, Magic of Water Restriction, Singing, and Sword Dancing. Cry Count: 1 Crime List: Arson, and Grave Disobedience. Contributions to the plot: 2 Kidnapped by demons: 1

Current Zhu Wuneng Stats: Names/Titles: The Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds, Zhu Wuneng (Pig who is aware of ability), Zhu Ganglie, Pigsy, Idiot and Eight Rules. Weapon: Rake Abilities: 36 Transformations, parting water, fighting underwater, cloud soaring, size enhancement and CPR Demon Kill Count/Kill steals: 2 Kidnapped by Demons: 4 Human Kill Count: 1 Failed Flirtation/romances Attempts: 3 Cry Count: 2 Crime List: Sexual Harassment, Murder, Kidnapping, arson, defamation, Damage to Religious Property, contaminating a substance for human consumption, Identity Fraud and Theft

Current Sha Wujing Stats: Names/Titles: The Curtain-Raising General, Sha Wujing (Sand Aware of Purity), Sandy and Sha Monk Weapon: Monster Taming Staff Abilities: Fighting underwater, Cloud soaring, and fetching water from a well. Demon Kill Count: Unknown number of minions. Kidnapped by Demons: 3 Human Kill Count: 1 Crime List: Breaking a Crystal Cup, murder, desecration of a human corpse, Damage to Religious Property and contaminating a substance for human consumption

Previous - Masterpost - Next

[thewildwaffle]

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

-This is kind of a continuation of my other short "Injuries" - this is from a prompt given to me about aliens' reaction to how complex human shoulders are and how we can throw hard and accurate without hurting ourselves.

***

“Take me out to the baaaaaaall game! Take me out with the crowd!” Human Vincent all but shouted the words to the tune he and Human Kate had been singing off and on the entire time they’d been “decorating” the rec hall.

Captain Kar’rim looked around at the humans’ efforts of setting up for a ‘party’ in one of the ship’s smaller rec rooms. It wasn’t much, but it looked nice. To be fair, the event was fairly last-minute and they’d made do with what they had on hand. The ship had just left hyperspace last rotation after a long-distance run to nearly the edge of the galactic arm. As per protocol, as soon as the ship was back in range of the Central Galactic Communications Network, an information update packet was downloaded.

Somewhere in all that data, one of the humans found a mention of a major sporting event from their home planet that was available for streaming upon request. They submitted the request and it had been quickly granted. Instead of just watching it immediately, it was unanimously decided that the humans would instead hold a “watching party” and invite anyone on the crew who was off-duty at the time and interested in participating. Captain Kar’rim had come by just to see how things were going and had ended up sticking around after he saw what they’d done with the rec hall.

There were long strings of curled paper strung from one side of the room to another. The humans had the video stream queued up and projected against the wall. All cushions from the chairs that were not black, red, gray, or white had been removed and, as he was told, stowed away in some closet nearby. The tables had been moved closer to the seating area and were covered in various trays of different foods. The humans themselves were decked out in strange uniform-looking shirts with numbers embroidered on the backs. Well, Vincent, Leo, and Kate were. The others just wore their casual rec clothes in colors that matched.

It wasn’t just the humans either. There was quite the crowd milling about excitedly by the time Kar’rim entered the rec room. He knew the humans on his crew were very social and friendly, they had a warm and comforting presence. He knew they’d made a lot of friends on the ship, but he was still surprised by the crowd around him now.

“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks!” Kate had joined in with Vincent’s ‘singing.’ “I don’t care if I never get back, so just root! Root! Root for the home team!”

Suddenly all the humans were singing along with varying levels of volume, much to everyone else’s amusement. “If they don’t win it’s a shame, for it’s ONE! TWO! THREE strikes you’re out in the old! BALL! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!”

“Oooh, dinner, and a show,” Booka Vern chuckled as he tossed one of the foods from the tray into the air and caught it in his mouth. It was a trick he’d learned from one of the humans.

“I know peanuts are a type of plant from Earth,” Effyn Merl spoke up while looking over the table of foods, “but what are cracker jacks? If they’re anything like their name implies, they sound fun.”

Human Kate pointed at a bowl to Merl’s right, “Those are Cracker Jacks. Kind of. They’re homemade. Basically, it's just hardened caramel popcorn mixed with peanuts. The bowl has a yellow sticker, so everyone needs to check the allergy list over there to make sure it’s safe to eat.”

Kar’rim looked at the list. He was very impressed to see that they had made a color-coded list of possible allergens that corresponded with labels on trays and bowls spread out across the tables. The humans had really put a lot of work into this party and made sure as many of their crewmates who wanted to join could do so safely.

“If everyone’s okay with it,” Human Leo shouted, “I’m going to get the broadcast started. They always have a bit of the warm-up and show the first pitch being thrown and all that, so by the time everyone gets food and settles down, the game should be close to starting.”

No one disagreed, so Leo hit play and everyone grabbed plates gathered foods they could eat, and found a comfy spot to settle down to watch the game. There was a lot of chatter and a lot of questions about the basics of how the game they were about to watch worked. Most everyone had seen the humans throwing baseballs around before on their downtime, but this was the first time anyone had actually seen how it all came together to a whole sport that some humans spent their entire professional careers playing.

Kar’rim had not intended to stay. He was just going to check in for a moment and leave to spend his precious downtime resting or maybe taking a stroll through some of the corridors on the lower level of the ship. But now, with everyone settling down and the players on the projection taking their places on the field, he had to admit he was very curious. The excitement was infectious, and he couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything else but watch as he found a comfortable spot to sit.

The game was, to say the least, not exactly what he thought he’d been expecting. It was a strange mix of one-on-one between the human in the box holding a bat and the human on the pile of dirt in the middle of the square (or diamond as Kate corrected someone. It was a square though.) and a full, working-together team sport. If the human in the box hit the ball with the bat, suddenly it activated the roles of the rest of the team on the field. They would run, dive, and throw with practiced precision.

Kar’rim felt his mandibles drop as he watched the first few of such throws. He knew the humans on his crew could throw with insane accuracy and speed. Stars above, he’d seen the results of what happened when Human Kate had been hit in the face after such a throw! But what he saw on the broadcast was like nothing he thought could even be possible!

“What the frewan?!” Effyn Merl exclaimed. Normally, Kar’rim would have scolded such foul language, but he was in a bit of a state of shock and had to agree that the outburst felt warranted.

“How did he do that?” Merl pointed at the projected human who nonchalantly picked the small white ball from his glove and threw it (this time much slower and gentler) back to the pitcher. “How did that other guy throw the ball like that? I could barely see it move - it was like he teleported it!”

“Do we have the conversions of the speed from miles per hour to something the rest of us can understand?” Booka Vern asked between mouths of plain popcorn.

“I don’t think so for the throws in the plays,” Human Vincent scanned the screen, “but this pitcher usually throws around 93 mph, and I think that comes out to somewhere around 120, maybe 130-ish glatts per segment?”

“You’ve got to be pulling my tail!”

“I swear I’m not! I’ll look it up if you think I’m lying!”

Kar’rim shook his head. He believed it. He thought back to when Kate had been sent to the infirmary after getting hit by a baseball that had been traveling around 80-ish or so glatts per segment. He thought she was going to die that day. He’d underestimated humans back then. Even now, he still learned new things about them that surprised him. Like how their arms and shoulders were basically deadly projectile-launching weapons.

“Does it hurt?” One of the stransi’s on the crew piped up from where she was coiled on her favorite cushion.

Human Kate looked over, “Does what hurt? The catch or the throw?”

“Uhhh, well, the throw. But wait, uh, does the catch hurt too?!”

“Not usually, you catch the ball between your fingers and thumb, and the glove protects your hand from contact. And the throws don’t hurt at all.”

“At all? What are their arms made of? Do they have some sort of implants?!”

“Uhhh… no? It just takes a lot of practice. I guess it could hurt if you don’t stretch before, or uh, I guess some pitchers need to take special steps to take care of their arms since they throw so much.”

At this point Demfar, the ship’s head medic, spoke up from between bites of various foods he’s mixed into a bowl. “The human shoulder is a very complex structure. The joint itself is one of the most flexible in their entire bodies.” He took another bite. “The downside is that it’s not as stable as other joints, and is thus prone to injuries. I wouldn’t worry about it much though, “ another bite, “ if these humans do this as their full-time employment, I’m sure they take the proper steps to avoid injury and always listen to their physicians.” That last bit felt a bit pointed, especially since Demfar turned to stare down Human Leo, who cleared his throat and shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat.

There were a few chuckles, but soon all eyes were back on the game as the human in the box swung and hit the ball so far that the ball flew right out of the stadium, far beyond any hope of being caught. The humans were suddenly on their feet and cheering. Most looked around surprised, except Booka Vern who sat his popcorn down carefully and stood up to bound and cheer as well, looking a little confused but happy to join in.

It was explained that the hit was called a “home run,” and that the batter, as well as the runner “on base,” could then run “home,” thus scoring points. It seemed simple enough to Kar’rim, pretty straightforward. He was sure there was plenty more to figure out about the rules and reasonings, and he knew he’d figure it out while he watched, or while the humans explained the rules as the game went. Overall, he felt it was very impressive. This game took a lot of accuracy from every player. It was certainly more than just throwing a ball back and forth to each other.

He was once again reminded how thankful he and the rest of the Galactic Alliance were that humans were friendly and on their side.

[spearminthe]

Helloooo! 🙂‍↕️ Wanted to return the favor and ask you some questions about you & your love 🥰👀 & also thank you for the ask yesterday as well as making such fun in-depth questions 🫶🏽💕🙂‍↕️ (apologies if you've already gotten these before!)

🫰🏽5. What are some things you associate with your f/o? Certain objects, sounds, smells etc.? Are there specific symbolisms behind them? What associations does your f/o form regarding you?

📋7. Which of you has a sense of rhythm and which is left floundering if asked to dance? Who can hold a note and who's more prone to breaking glass with their lack (or excess) of pitch?

💍3. In the event of choosing to marry, what is the reasoning? Genuine love? Obligation? Political or financial gain? Just looking for a break on taxes?

Ahh hello!!!! I'm terribly delayed with replying to these but I'm so very happy that you enjoyed answering my batch :DDD I love it when I get to read the really extensive answers from ppl who just love love Love to gush 🖤🖤🖤

For 5:

The things I most associate with Orph are —

The colors green (both a deep pthalo and that of verdant grass), purple (a dusty, antiquated mauve), and gold (like the sun!)

Motifs of vines, taut strings, close ups of hands and/or poised fingers, streams of light cutting through the dark, and tabletops littered with worn sheet music

The sounds of string instruments (most obvious candidates being lyres/harps and things in the guitar family), birdsong and mourning dove cooing, the scratch of writing, and melodic whistling

The smell of old paper, Egyptian musk, lit candles, and the tang of metal

Madonna lilies, the texture of calloused fingertips, the taste of lipstick

Orph associates the following with me —

Various shades of green and blue (ranging from minty shades, pthalo as well, and deep azure), muted red, and charcoal

Motifs of wings, ink/paint stained skin or clothes, tousled bedsheets, frenzied artistry and sleepless nights, and death (or the fascination with the concept of)

The sounds of rustling pages, the scribble of a reed pen, small footsteps, and the cawing of crows

The scent and taste of mint, obviously UvU as well as lemon, oil paint, and incense

Larkspur, the heaviness that accompanies not wanting to get out of bed, weasels

For 7.

I've been so undecided as to whether Orph can actually dance fnhfmfb like it'd be really silly cutie if he couldn't but also what an absolute travesty.......I feel like it was something he would've done with much more wild abandon during living performances, and hasn't had the heart to consider remotely as a shade. Regardless of if he can or not, he oft deferred to Eurydice for it anyway, naturally so...like yes please partake in my music but look at my lady, see how she moves to it, are you looking at her yet

Nowadays with Minthe, it's not something he expects of them considering they don't seem much like the type to, but I think it can be an exceptionally rare treat for him. They'd be much more apt to do it in a public setting if they could dance With him amongst a crowd of others, but he's the one always Providing the music, and they wouldn't dream of making it into a Performance of some kind.....it's simply not their vibe. But were he to supply a bit of background music for them to paint to while they're sharing in each other's privacy, I think they'd deign to dance for him and him alone...

Same thing can be said for their singing; they're decently serviceable at it, can err on the side of "goodish" if their voice happens to be in the right condition at the time, but there's no way they'd make a point of actively singing With him. He usually catches em doing it unthinkingly when they're deep in their work, and he's Thoroughly endeared by it...sometimes pushes his luck by sneaking in a few plucks and strums to see if they'll continue as he plays, or even more mortifying for them if he'll offer up his voice to join theirs...

For 3.

Another in a long line of things I'm undecided about...would I marry Orpheus. Hum, hum, hum......I feel like it's not anything that Minthe is actively gunning for, they like the nature of their union being so Entwined without the whole big To-do of marriage. Orph feels similarly, but there's that nagging little feeling in the back of his head like......ohh...wouldn't it be so cool to call them your spouse............

If they were to marry, it'd be for the simple little pleasure of getting to Say that he's their husband; he'd be the one to ask much later down the line, and it'd be done in a very quiet and unassuming manner...no big surprises or declarations or anything like that since it'd only make Minthe skittish. Just a humble little note of thoughtfulness in his tone like "in the long, long time we've known each other, we've been friends and collaborators and lovers and partners...what say you to adding 'spouses' to the mix, eh" and they just look up from their work with a quirked brow......huh......it has a certain ring to it, now doesn't it.......

[partyhardyontitanic]

this is a gush pass to ramble about your lastest old man (mud gaslight district) if you wanna, i think he's neat and like hearing your thoughts on him :3

welcome to a massive stream of consciousness and unorganised gushing. i have spent the day taking screencaps of mud and making a few gifs partially bc of this ask (if something has been commonly giffed by other users already ill just use those gifs)

will put my lovestruck rambles under the cut tho

hehe he sure is neat isn't he~

Mud endeared me to his character very quickly, mostly because his design was very familiar to me. I have an OC made out of Matt that bascially has that same design. as soon as i connected the cheekbones and big ass coat to said OC things were already kind of set in stone. one of the first pics i drew of Mud actually included the OC for a lil design comparison.

and as if that weren't enough, then he eats money. real fuckin spamton moment. i knew my fate was sealed right then and there

His sleight of hand tricks! So cute! So sleazy! And very impressive! I have like a big thing for cool hand things like that. Like for example i genuinely think juggling is cool as fuck and someone could probably geniunely seduce me by juggling in front of me. these kinds of coin flipping and hiding tricks are in a similar ballpark. i find them so impressive theyre kinda hot to me

hehe he sleeps in a freezer and regularly gets put in his place by ken. his pathetic side <3333333

and also also also the whole thing with paradise lost. not only is it so cute how nervous he gets with dilligence, but it's so interesting too!! What is his past with that place? Where did his clear discomfort with Dilligence come from? Why does he have a guard uniform beforehand? Why did Dilligence stare at his pussy like that? What's his deal with Joshua? What is it he won't ever forgive him for? i assume we will learn at least some of those things if the show gets funded and makes more episodes (and god do i hope that happens i wish i werent broke so i could support the show by buying merch. i want 20 mud figures)

just so i can hit the pic limit heres a compilation of some of my favourite screencaps of mud <3 observe his slimey sleazy cuteness

his sleaziest faces that just make me fan myself and giggle

moments where he just looks so done (bonus: i really love the simmering tension between mud and ken, i assume itll escalate over the course of the story and i cant wait to see where it may go. because theres aaaaaall these subtle hints, most notably the way he openly questions Ken's decisions)

i like characters that pick their nose <3 because i do that too so its like teehee <3 they wouldnt judge me <3

his scared and disturbed moments. real frightened boy. it is not THAT hard to freak him out apparently. especially his concern when ken kills temperance is so sweet to me. mud generally seems so empathetic, like when he mentions how he's going to miss jack (let me also point out his hands in several of these scared screencaps. i loooooove detailed hands with long "spider fingers")

his loser swag moments <3

oh but also his angery moments. i really love the bit where he yells out that angel storm announcement, both the voice and his facial expressions are so hot to me. he can yell at me a little <3 itll be hot <3

this face is just the best thing to me. it was at this moment that he knew, he fucked up

and to wrap things up, some fun poses that i loved

and this fuckin pose from this behind the scenes video. we shouldve gotten to see that in the episdoe itself, his crossed lil legs??? hello????? thats so fucking cute

allthough i gotta say my favourite thing about Mud is his noodly movements. like i absolutely appreciate the animation style gaslight district goes for and how it exaggerates pretty much every movement, i love that. but mud really cranks it up to eleven and moves like a cooked piece of spaghetti or perhaps a worm on a string

where are his bones? doesnt matter, i love this too much. there was no reason for him to do a flip over the car like that <333333333

honest to fucking god mud feels like a character designed in a lab for me and theres something so exciting yet also embarassing about that. yeah heres a sleazy yet easily frightened middle aged (for immortal standards) man. you could easily throw him against a wall and he would make a wet splat. have fun being normal about him

[rimouskis]

omg now all i want to know is everything about your music taste. what do u like. how do u curate playlists or do u listen only straight thru albums? if you had to pick your five favorite genres and one song from each genre, what songs and genres would u pick? what genre do you feel like u listen to the least? the most ? what's the three most fascinating albums you've ever listened to. i need to know 🫧🎶

I sincerely believe the question is more “what DON’T I like”!

Alright this is a fun way to spend my Friday night in after walking 8 miles today and then doing dinner with friends ahahah so 1. Thank you for this and 2. Let’s go through this point by point:

1. What do I like? Man… I like a lot of music. I’ve gone through phases in my life: I was raised on my dad’s love of 80s/90s rock (think INXS, U2, Melissa Etheridge, Peter Gabriel), I discovered KISS FM in middle school and was a fiend for Top 50 pop then (the pussycat dolls were my everything back then lol isn’t it hilarious that I didn’t figure out I was gay until my 20s. also timbaland was consistently on my favorite songs.)

then in seventh grade I did a heel turn and got really into metal after my older cousin lent me his iPod at thanksgiving (I really liked Disturbed’s album Ten Thousand Fists)... then within the same year I did an even MORE hilarious, second heel turn and discovered K-pop, which I lived & breathed for like two years (my favorite band was SHINee; I still sometimes pop into the K-pop world to sample what’s coming out these days, though I don’t know the new generation of bands well).

THEN in high school the indie alt pop phenomenon hit and I was all in on the bands of the time… bastille, alt j, the 1975 (before they really blew up, #hipster), glass animals, lorde, walk the moon, chvrches, x ambassadors, the naked and the famous, halsey, grouplove, milky chance… like, if it was on tumblr, I was listening to it, hahaha.

Then in college I got really into alternative music, like chelsea wolfe and susanne sundfør and son lux and ms mr.

In adulthood I find that all this musical influence has meant that I like all kinds of music. I like trashy pop country. I like heavy rock. I like top 50 pop. I like rap. I like hyperpop. I like 80s synth pop. I like indie folk. I like it all, man. I have been in a pretty heavy rock era for the last, like… four, five years, though, so I think I probably primarily register as a rock listener, and if we were to get even more granular, I really love guitar-forward rock.

2. I’m a HUGE user of playlists. Spotify is the only streaming service I pay for, and I’ll pay for it for many many years, I imagine, haha.

I have over 100 playlists on there and really enjoy curating them as a little art form for myself. I rarely listen to albums, which I kind of think is too bad, because I DO think the album ~as a cohesive piece of art~ is kind of becoming a lost art in the age of streaming, and I’m not helping the cause at all.

But, on the flip side, playlist curation is a really enjoyable form of curatorial art, imo, and I deeply love and appreciate it. I love making playlists for anything and everything. One of my favorite playlist I’ve ever made is actually a reylo playlist, lol. I also made a killer Batman playlist after seeing rpattz’s batman, and I have some good old check please playlists as well. Fun fun stuff.

3. This is HARD but okay, I can do this…

Alt/indie rock: “Change For You” by Friday Pilots Club

Pop punk: “Why Do I?” By Set It Off

Electronic: “Fake” by Mystery Skulls (BUT A VERY VERY VERY CLOSE SECOND IS “DANCEFLOOR” by NOISY and Charlotte Plank)

Folk: “Leaf Off/The Cave” by José González

Rock: “Thrown Away” by VAST

Since three of those are rock/rockish offshoots (I am who I am, sorry), I’ll give you a few more divergent others:

rap would be “Boss Bitch” by Doja Cat OR “Von den fernen Bergen” by Ali As

house would be “Derezzed” by Daft Punk

disco would be “You Win Again” by The Bee Gees [my dad loves disco lol so… so do I]

country would be any and all Orville Peck [though normally my country tastes veer WAY WAY WAY trashy country pop lol sorry but it’s catchy]

and my pop pick is obviously Most Perfect Pop Song Of All Time, “Lonely Dancers” by Conan Gray

4. The genre I listen the least to is R&B, probably. I wasn’t raised listening to it and I’ve never really gained a taste for it, even though other genres I wasn’t raised listening to (country and rap, for example) DID grow on me. That being said, I really enjoy THEY., who is technically categorized as R&B.

Like I said earlier, I was really raised on rock music and I think that foundationally I am just a Rock Music Kinda Gal. I love guitars so much, man. But a close second is probably pop. Just as I was created to love guitars, so too was I created to love synths.

5. What makes an album “fascinating”? 🤔 I think this is hard, because first and foremost I am not an album listener, but also I don’t think I examine my music through a critical lens of fascination. I usually operate on a pure “how-much-straight-up-dopamine-is-being-poured-into-my-system?” scale when it comes to music, haha. Like, I’m not even primarily a listener of lyrics. I pay attention to the music first.

That being said…

Album 01 is going to be “Strange Trails” by Lord Huron. To be very, very annoying: I was into Lord Huron since their first album, and when they blew up due to a song from "Strange Trails" getting included in the TV show 13 Reasons Why, I was very annoyed because I think their sonic output shifted, and for the worse.

Anyways, I maintain that their first two albums are as close to perfect as albums get, and “Strange Trails” is what I find to be their strongest narrative album. There’s a whole storyline through the album that follows a fictional character Ben, the frontman, created. There was a comic book to accompany the album too, and I think the storyline is very lovely and I love some tragic love and magic wrapped into my music:) My favorite song off of “Strange Trails” is “Fool for Love.”

Album 02 is going to be “Bad Blood” by Bastille, which I also find to be Bastille’s finest work. Dan Smith wrote all these songs by himself in his den and—I really believe—perfectly embodied and channeled the sound of the 2010s indie moment. The entire album is so strong, and not only is it so strong that it doesn’t have any skips… even the EXTENDED version, “All This Bad Blood,” has no skips. Whatever Dan was fermenting in the lead up to “Bad Blood”’s release, it was pure gold. Nothing else quite captures the feeling of it being 2012 as much as this album. My favorite song off off “Bad Blood” is “Icarus” <3

Album 03 is going to be “Dream Machine” by Des Rocs. Des is on a one-man cocaine-fueled mission from God to bring back hard glam rock and I sincerely could not support his mission more. He constantly churns out bangers (his EPs “Martyr Parade” and “Let the Vultures In” are also worth checking out) but I found his songwriting to be simply ~exceptional~ on “Dream Machine.” I think he’s wonderful at writing evocative, classic-rock inspired lyrics that read as poetry to me:) From “Natural Born Thriller”:

Roll, thunder, roll / Riding like a freight train down on the tip of your tongue

Rattle in your bones / Shockwave ripping through the sky, in and out of your lungs

Love, lock and load / Fire in your eyes and you’re ready when the fever gonna come

Way down the road / Big wheels turning to the rhythm of the blood-red sun

Half a man and half apocalypse / The chase, the thrill, that you cannot resist

Day and night, every time / That one there is a natural-born thriller

Like MAN... that’s poetry in action to me. That’s just good writing. I also find the lyrics and storytelling of “In the Night” fantastic, and “Dream Machine” is such a perfect tone-setting, atmosphere-building track for that album to open on. It’s just one of the best constructed albums I’ve heard, full of bangers. My favorite song off it is probably “Natural Born Thriller.”

Damn that took me like two hours to get through, mostly because I got to experience the joy of scrolling through all my music and painfully selecting a few. This was delightful. Thank you, anon!

[gamerdog1]

Hazbin Hotel Season 1 Review

10 years ago, if someone said that a YouTube mini series had gotten greenlit for an eight episode TV show run, on a popular streaming platform, I would've laughed. Most YouTube series are passion projects that sadly, rarely get past their pilot. And internet celebrities who have crossed into mainstream television have had... mixed results, to say the least.

Hazbin Hotel stands as a triumph, of an independent artist whose work was so loved by audiences, that it was picked up by a major studio and turned into a short show for streaming. That alone is something to be proud of, but it doesn't hurt that the show itself is pretty good.

Hazbin Hotel follows Charlie, the daughter of Lucifer (yes, that one), and princess of Hell, as she runs a hotel aimed at rehabilitating sinners. It takes place directly after the Youtube pilot, and explores the different characters' problems, as Charlie and her friends try to avoid the wrath of Heaven.

The best word I can use to describe this show is 'fun'. Not fun like a trip to Disneyland, or playing with puppies, but still entertaining. Each episode usually follows one of the hotel residents, as Charlie tries to solve their problems using kindness. When that doesn't work, characters usually resort to cartoonish violence, but with a bit more blood than your typical cartoon. At times, its sort of like a cross between My Little Pony, with it's "Let's all just be friends!" main character, and has as much vulgarity as South Park.

The characters are the highlight of the show. With such a big cast, its easy to pick a favorite, and follow their journey throughout the series. And while some get a bit more development and screen time than others, its clear that there's more to come in the next season.

Its worth noting how the show plays with the classic idea of demons and sinners, by giving them more than a two dimensional personality. One of the first scenes of the show is all about how the people of Hell are horrible to each other: lustful, greedy, violent, the typical presentation. But when it comes to the residents of the titular hotel, we see a deeper side to them, that they might not be as bad as the angels believe.

Everyone at the Hazbin Hotel is there for a reason: something about them that is deemed 'incorrect', and can be fixed in order to get them into Heaven. But the show also questions the idea of 'good', as we see supposedly bad characters being kind to each other, and angels being downright cruel. Even in today's age, where subverting expectations with evil angels and good demons has already been done, it still feels fresh.

The show is also stand out for the world it creates. Never has hell looked so good! From the old-timey shops in Cannibal Town, to the grungy Mafia District, each area has its own distinct style and visual flair, and residents that dress accordingly. Far from the traditional fire and brimstone wasteland, the hell that Hazbin Hotel creates is one that looks more like a place where people live, than a place meant to frighten little kids.

This visual style is also found in the characters this show has, which are all lovingly designed by the showrunner, Vivienne Medrano. Each member of the main cast has their own unique style, that compliments the warm colors of their surroundings, while also hinting at their personality and backstory. Subtle details are taken to the extreme, creating memorable designs with cool parts, like retractable arms, deadly ballet flats, and TV set heads.

It all feels like something you would find in a highschooler's sketchbook, for better and for worse. Characters are vulgar, often to the extremes, just for a joke. Everyone is evil (somewhat), and they all hate each other. Legs are long and slender, and everything is sharp and pointy. It's quite reminiscent of the later 2010's on sites like Tumblr, and if that puts you off, this is not the show for you.

Still, pushing past the nagging sense of cringe, you can find some good messages in this show. Many of the show's major characters are female, especially those in power, and it imagines a world where women are given equal treatment. Hispanic and Black characters are portrayed positively, and play important roles in the story of the show. There are also many queer characters, more than your average adult animated show usually has, and that is always a delight to see (Especially for asexual people like me, who rarely ever see themselves represented in media.).

Still, this show is not for everyone. It deals with a lot of sensitive subjects, some which I believe could've been handled a little bit better. I can only hope that the series takes a bit more time with things like that in the second season, rather than just skipping past it.

But I have no doubt that there are young people my age out there, who watched this show and absolutely loved it. I see them lip syncing to the music on Tiktok, and doing group cosplays at local conventions. And if something like this means so much to them, I can't hate it.

[gumnut-logic]

Ephraim (Part 1)

Okay, ultimately this is @gaviiadastra​ ‘s fault, but I think @onereyofstarlight​ should take some of the blame as well, because she started me playing the game again just recently.

This fic is a crossover...Thunderbirds Are Go and Stardew Valley. Yes, I have finally lost the plot. But since this is the only spark I’ve had that has resulted in words in months, I’m going with it.

I have plotworked much more than I have written here. This is just setting the scene for shenanigans...and perhaps checking the waters to see who might be interested in this crazy and whether it is worth coercing myself to write more.

But in any case, those of you know have played Stardew Valley, I hope you enjoy that aspect, those of you who haven’t, I hope it is fun anyway ::hugs the lot of you::

-o-o-o-

“Thunderbird Two, we have a situation.”

His brother’s voice, no matter how much loved it was, drew a groan.

But Virgil was a professional. “FAB, Thunderbird Five. Coordinates?”

The requested location popped up on his dash and swallowing another sigh, Virgil threw them into Two’s navigation and rolled her towards the north.

They had almost gotten home this time.

The sudden manoeuvre startled Gordon in the seat beside him. A groan very similar to Virgil’s own as his eyes saw their destination on the dash. “Oh, man, you’re kidding!”

“I’m sorry, Gordon.” John’s voice was truly apologetic. Virgil had to give him that. “It should be a quick one. One person incommunicado in a dilapidated mine.”

“Dilapidated?” So, Virgil’s voice was a little sharp and accusatory. It had been a very long day and pulling another idiot out of a disused mine…

John threw the detail at them, his voice showing some of that same tiredness. Virgil was forced to remember that his brother had had as long a day, if not longer than he and Gordon had.

Why did idiots go anywhere near hazards waiting to happen? And why had the damned thing been left accessible in the first place.

He must have grumbled out loud because John’s ever patient voice explained something about Joja being responsible.

Fantastic. That would be another week of listening to John and Scott conspiring to take out the megacorporation again. Reminding them that ‘legal’ was a thing could get exhausting.

Maybe yanking John down from orbit? A holiday in Aotearoa?

The last few miles to the Pacific northwest coast of the US was spent planning said vacation while Gordon muttered curses in the seat beside him.

Definitely a holiday.

But first…

They flew over a small coastal town, the usual people stopping in their tracks and staring up as their big and loud Thunderbird passed over the village and to the mountains behind it. A pristine mountain lake, complete with an island and footbridges, was followed by a cliff with obvious mine workings.

Virgil lowered Two down in a clearing in front of what looked to be a souvenir shop of some kind.

Post-flight and then they were moving.

John continued to stream information. Victim was several levels down in the mine. No room for a pod. So exosuit was the deal. Contact was a Mr Brandy who they met the moment they stepped outside of the module.

“He’s new to the Valley, bit of an upstart. Took over the old Taylor farm on the other side of town. Said he wanted to join the Adventurers Guild and I’m not one to stop a man from proving himself.”

“Mr Brandy-“

“Marlon be my name.”

“Marlon, we’ll take it from here.” The exosuit hissed as he moved and Virgil found it strangely reassuring.

‘Dilapidated’ was an understatement. The mine entrance itself was easy to access and rather misleading because of that. Directly inside was a cavern full of rundown mining equipment – carts and wooden reinforcements that seemed to be barely doing anything. An old shaft elevator looked ready for a gullible victim in one corner. It was a danger zone no longer waiting to happen, but eager for more victims.

Gordon grunted beside him as he dragged over the spelunking kit.

The only way down proved narrow and not for the faint-hearted with a rickety ladder to one side and darkness looming below.

Why did he do this job again?

A few short words and Gordon had the cables set up and hooked to Virgil’s suit, and he was lowering himself down.

“Thunderbird Two?”

Virgil’s boots hit dirt in a cavern not unlike the first, though much darker. He let out a breath into the sudden all-encompassing silence. “Yeah?”

“Victim’s name is Ephraim Taylor. Background check brought up something interesting.”

“Yeah?’ A sound in the silence. Scurrying? Rats were a given but far from enjoyed.

Cockroaches were also a far too familiar encounter, along with bats.

“Apparently, he is a relative.”

“Of what?” There had to be a further way down. He lifted one boulder after another, sifting through a rockslide scarily recent enough to hide the victim’s footprints. “Thunderbird Five, give me a path down.”

“Direct shaft down to the next level is two metres to your left.”

Virgil mumbled an FAB and sure enough, under one of the many boulders to his left there was another gaping chasm. He slammed a cable piton into the floor, guiding his support cable into the pulley gullet. “Access located. Descending now.”

Again, he barely fit.

Another cavern, but this one was more of a passageway, dark and nowhere near as silent as the first. So much scuttling and other unidentifiable sounds.

Virgil swallowed.

“One more level, Thunderbird Two.”

“Thunderbird Five, is there any other life down here I should know about?”

He could hear the frown in John’s voice. “What kind of life? Nothing in particular on sensors. Usual cave biome for the area.”

“Define usual.” He was getting sharp, he knew it. He was tired and the natural denizens of dark places weren’t his favourite things. You’d think his career would have helped with an immunity to such things, but no.

The dark brought up bad memories.

“Nothing hazardous, Thunderbird Two.”

Yeah, right, keep it professional.

“Trust me, Virgil.” John’s softer voice brought with it an understanding that pierced deep with its honesty.

A deep breath. “FAB, Thunderbird Five.”

The next shaft proved even harder to find.

“Virg, you need me down there?” Gordon’s voice was far too bright for the environment.

“Negative, Thunderbird Four.”

A grunt. “Let me know if you change your mind.”

Virgil didn’t bother to answer that as he finally located the access tunnel to the level they needed to be on. Unclipping another cable guide from his suit, he slammed it into the rock floor, tested the draw and, hooking in, lowered himself down.

Maybe they should trial that heavy duty jetpack again and see if the issues it had with the weight of the exosuit could be fast tracked. It would certainly have made this descent easier.

The moment he entered the next cavern there was a difference. This one was lit. Flickering light created dancing shadows. While the light was an improvement, the extra sounds were not.

Definitely creepy. “John…” He trailed off. His brother had already told him there was nothing unusual. Asking again was desperate.

His boots hit the floor and the exosuit hissed.

A body lay half hidden in the rocks. “Target located.” Hurrying over, he did a quick situation assessment and freed his hands from the suit, setting it to passive so he could work.

Scanner light flickered. Young, male, unconscious, breathing, no injur…no, wait…the signal fritzed a moment before once again declaring the victim injury free. What the-?

Concerned the device wasn’t doing its job, Virgil checked the man for any obvious external injury. “Thunderbird Five, diagnostic on the scanner, I’m getting unreliable readings.”

Virgil’s glove caught in a substance on the man’s clothing. As he flinched away, it stretched like sticky goo.

Something slipped out of the shadows beyond the prone rescuee.

About the size of a partly deflated basketball, it was green, squelching as it moved towards them, and glaring at him with little red eyes.

One moment it was there, and then it was on him.

“Jo-aaah!”

-o-o-o-

TBC?

[essayofthoughts]

Hi! Do you think Vesh ever “re-emerged” after her and Kash’s wedding? Do you think Kash ever had to confront her as an adult? Thanks!

Well, if it happens, it doesn't happen in the time between Kash's 15th and when we meet him - he explicitly says he hasn't seen her since he tried to kill her at his fifteenth, so certainly by then she hasn't re-emerged. Given that she didn't re-emerge when Kash revivified Vex it's possible his attacking her banished her to some degree - I don't think he actually killed her, given he still has divine magic (and a few other things - I'll get into those). While in other settings belief in a domain can confer divine magic, the Calamity's k'nauthi kind of implies that divine magic usually comes from a divine patron, not belief?

Additionally, per the Campaign Guides, Vesh is purportedly protective of her chosen mates, of which Kash is one, and yet Kash almost died and was saved by Zahra, which suggests she's not active in his life and that nor is she actively protecting him. Additionally, the Campaign Guides say that Vesh goes after and attacks chosen mates who are insufficiently loyal - she's jealous and possessive... and yet we know Kash and Zahra are together for roughly a year on-stream, and even are expecting kid(s)!

This honestly all suggests to me that whatever Kash did when he attacked her when he as fifteen may have banished her or bound her away - only backed up by what he says to Keyleth after resurrecting Vex: "I hope the barrier that was sealed has remained sealed."

So! If Vesh is able to re-emerge it'd likely be after what we see of the stream and... it's possible? We know from the Campaign Guide that there are other cultists of Vesh, and it's perfectly possible they're finding and raising chosen of Vesh with those yellow-gold eyes, and attempting to invoke the Sting of a Hundred. And, if Vesh doesn't answer, presumably because of whatever binding or barrier fifteen year old Kash (HE WAS FIFTEEN) managed to set they may well endeavour to break it - and Vesh certainly seems the vengeful type, based on what we have in the Campaign Guides and what Kash says.

I would not be at all surprised if, if she did escape Kash's bindings, she'd go after him. Something I bounced around when my friends watching C3 mentioned the apogee and everything going sideways is - that'd be a great trigger for Vesh getting loose if she hasn't already. We know that what's happened then has broken a lot of divine bindings.

However... Kash is quite genuinely, physically, mentally, and magically stronger than he was when he was fifteen. He has levelled up, yes, but he has also trained to be better at fighting (per Friedle's backstory for him, he was a soldier for a time!), become less afraid of using Vesh's magic, and most importantly, thanks to Zahra, has done a lot of healing from the trauma Vesh wrought on him. And, also, he has friends - allies. Even if all of Vox Machina, Keyleth especially, are busy with other things, he has Zahra, who has a powerful otherworldly patron of her own, and, notably, he and Zahra stood up to and survived a newly ascended god, when they went to assist Vox Machina against Vecna. They have faced worse than Vesh.

While I don't think it'd be fun if Vesh went after Kash, I do think they'd have significantly better odds than Kash might fear. Even if Vesh were to deny Kash her magic, he has legitimate fighting skill and also Zahra on his side.

Plus, I'm kind of inclined to believe that the Sting is a kind of... irrevocable binding. If Vesh could have denied Kash her magic for attacking her or when he was attacking her, I think she would have! But she didn't - he still has magic, and magic distinctly from her (remember, him calling on her magic lights up the scars he and she inflicted on his arm). So... I don't know that Vesh could keep Kash from using her magic, given the Sting. (I imagine this is also why she kills unfaithful chosen - she wouldn't want her magic, given irrevocably, to be wastefully used.)

So... I don't think Kash has had to fight Vesh again by the time we see him and I don't think he's likely to for some time! It is possible, however, that either due to the efforts of her cultists or things like the apogee solstice, she could get free and go after Kash at some point post-stream. And in that case...

If Vesh did go after Kash, she'd probably be out for more than blood - she'd be out for his head.

[eideticspider]

She's awakened from a particularly GOOD dream by a flash of light behind her eyelids. Her lips curl up into a soft snal of irritation--ready to snap at her BROTHER and his incessant need to annoy her when her eyes flutter open and she catches note of her left arm, flung off the side of the bed towards the window.

Brown eyes take in the sight of SUNLIGHT streaming on pale porcelain skin--and she realizes it's not Al trying to aggravate her. No, the WINK of the diamond on her hand was what pulled her from her rest.

Everything had been such a BLUR the past few days--she had no idea she'd forgotten (even for a brief SECOND) that she was getting married today.

The familiar smell of TOAST and coffee permeates through the gap under her bedroom door and Cindy gives a long stretch. Her toes peek out beneath the pink downy comforter, and she glances over to see the remnants of a TEENAGE dream. An old record player with Britney Spears' Hit Me Baby One More Time leaned up against it, collecting a faint sheen of DUST. Posters clutter her walls: HOCKEY teams, Team Edward, and an embarrassing mini-poster of Eminem from his Slim-Shady days.

There's even a lingering SCENT of PINK perfume in the air. God, it was like nothing had been touched since she went into the BUNKER.

And now everything had CHANGED.

She climbed out of bed, taking the time to make it back up as if nobody had slept in it in YEARS. From behind her door, she can hear her parents muttering (well, her FATHER was muttering--Nari made no attempt to quiet herself down) in Korean.

<<You're going to have to let it go, sweetheart.>>

<<I'm going to BITE my tongue, Albert. I don't think I'll ever let it go.>>

<<They're getting married, Nari. I don't see how you're going to have a relationship with our daughter if you don't accept Miguel.>>

<<By holding my TONGUE. That's how.>>

Her father's sigh lingers behind him as she opens her door, peeking out behind it.

"Hey, there she is," he beamed, climbing up from his chair. He moved a little unsteadily, but he saw no need to grab his CANE for a brief foot and a half sojourn to HUG his eldest child. Cindy's arms wrap around her dad and she closes her eyes for a moment, memorizing the feel of his arms around her. They'd always been closer than she and her mother--even more so with Nari's obvious disapproval of her husband-to-be. Albert Moon, Sr. (and Jr.) approved and even LIKED Miguel.

But Nari's dislike stemmed from the night they met and his apparent "DISRESPECT" at Hector's wedding. She hadn't expected the fake date to go anywhere past that: FAKE. But, she had held her complaints when they started dating. And she HATED to admit that her husband was right.

If she wanted any kind of relationship with Cindy, SACRIFICES had to be made.

Even so, she had delighted in enforcing the 24 hour SEPARATION for the couple. 10pm on the DOT and she was shooing the large, imposing man out of her door and WARNED him not to darken their doorway until they were standing in front of each other and the JUDGE. She hadn't even trusted Cindy to stay at the apartment she used to share with her BROTHER.

Too much temptation to DIMENSION hop if she didn't have a chaperone.

(Yeah, eomma had way too much fun telling him to LEAVE. Look, whatever she needs to keep believing this was a WHITE wedding.)

"Come sit down and EAT. You look PALE--if you're not certain, we can just call the whole thing off," Nari mused, setting a piece of avocado toast in Cindy's place. For her part, Cindy just rolled her eyes and crinkled her nose.

"Eomma--"

Nari waved off the COMPLAINT, huffing softly as she adjusted the curlers in her hair, rolling her eyes in a perfect REPLICA of her daughter's gesture. "Yes yes, I know. He hung the MOON," she muttered, pouring a cup of coffee and setting it next to Cindy's plate. "Now sit down and eat."

Sighing, Cindy settled in at the table and stared at her plate. Her stomach felt HEAVY already, full of fluttering butterflies. She wasn't AFRAID of committing herself to Miguel for life, far from it. Her worry STEMMED from the fear that he would grow to tire of her.

And her HEART wouldn't be able to take that particularly cruel HEARTBREAK.

Just as she took her first bite, her mother's hands were in her HAIR, already beginning to manipulate and fluster. "I told you to sleep with the ROLLERS in," Nari sighed, shaking her head. She turned her head and glanced at her youngest, Al, who had just peeked his head out from his bedroom.

"Go get the CURLING iron and the box of bobby pins. The FLOWERS are next to the make-up bag." Cindy was amazed by the GENERAL like precision her mother managed. Especially for a WEDDING she knew her mother wasn't thrilled about.

"Ma, she just started EATIN--"

Al's complaint was silenced by one icy stare from his mother and he was bounding down the stairs to his parents' bedroom. Cindy chewed thoughtfully, swallowing methodically, picking her phone up from under her THIGH and typing out a quick message to Miguel.

[sms: my favorite dilf] our dining room is being converted into a salon. i have no idea what torture methods my mother is planning on, but just know if i don't show up--she hid the body.

Taking a small sip of her coffee, Cindy's eyes fill up with tears as the soothing taste of CARAMEL hits her tongue. Her mother remembered the way she took her coffee. It was such a small INSIGNIFICANT thing to get emotional over--but when your relationship was as COMPLICATED as Cindy and Nari Moon...

It meant everything.

Her hand reaches over and holds her mother's wrist, directing her to stop her PREP and look at her. Albert had subtly left the room, mumbling something about a MONKEY suit. Nari paused and glanced down at her daughter, her expression soft and unreadable.

She lets the handful of Cindy's hair drop down her back and she moves around, facing her. Her hand reaches over and rests against her daughter's cheek, brushing her knuckles against the apple of her cheek. "We should have had more TIME, my little crescent moon," Nari murmured softly, eyes welling up. "I look at you and I still see the little girl with pigtails. I'm SORRY I couldn't PROTECT you, Cindy."

For a long moment, Cindy didn't know what to say. "Oh EOMMA," she whispered softly. Her arms reach out, draping around her mother's waist, pulling her into a LONG hug. She burrows her face in her mother's side, biting her lip to hide her own tears from squeaking out. Nari's hand reached down, rubbing her back softly.

"Sh..."

Letting out a shuddery breath, Cindy released her mother and sighed softly, rubbing her eyes with her palms. Nari cleared her throat, wiped her own eyes and blinked, shaking away the MOMENT. "Now let's get you ready to marry that jackass."

"Mom!"

"I'm SORRY. It just slipped out."

A soft snort of laughter bubbled out of Cindy's lips and her mother's laugh follows soon after. "He's not a jackass--and I think you know that."

"Cindy Elaine Moon--I promised I would keep my THOUGHTS to myself. Don't make me break that promise," Nari warned, glancing over as Al returned with the supplies.

She barely recognized the WOMAN in the mirror. Her dress was SIMPLE enough with just the right amount of formality for a wedding. Stockings had been ROLLED up and clipped into place by a garter belt--never would she be able to forget the HISSY Miguel had by her failure to wear NYLONS at the last wedding they attended together--and delicate white heels slipped onto her feet.

Something OLD. Something BORROWED. Something BLUE. Something NEW.

Her mother had taken care of the OLD. In Cindy's ears hung two delicate pearl earrings--earrings that had graced Dr. Nari Moon's own wedding day.

Gwen (who had made her own feelings and absence PERFECTLY clear) had provided the something BORROWED. On Cindy's left ankle was a small discreet silver BRACELET with a small spider charm. It had arrived on her window sill the night before, wrapped as NICELY as Gwen felt deserved.

Which is to say the small BOX at least had a bow on it.

The NEW came from MJ--a simple white GARTER which curled around her right thigh. It had come early that MORNING, though the Parkers were going to meet them at the courthouse. Delicately wrapped with a loving NOTE.

The back of the DRESS had the only POP of color amongst the soft white silk. The LACE ties were a navy blue--constructed from pieces of the NAVY blue dress she wore on their first (not really) DATE.

Flowers from her own personal garden adorned her subtle updo, weaved into dark locks by her mother's masterful fingers. Her make-up was SIMPLE, just enough to tell she was wearing some. She didn't want to go before her new HUSBAND as someone completely different, after all.

Her father's car HONKED from the street pulling Cindy away from her reflection. She bit her lower lip, a dusky rose painted color, and she slips out of her bedroom. Brown eyes rake over the room ONE last time, reflecting on the SHORT time she'd had there.

And yet it was no less filled with MEMORIES.

Another HONK and she gives a little sigh/CHUCKLE. "Coming!" She calls, flipping off the light to her bedroom--shutting the door on her CHILDHOOD.

[wanderinstar]

Hello, again!

I’d probably put Souvenirs and Nether Lands as interchangeable second favorites depending on my mood.  Souvenirs is an early one where the folk rock influence was very high, and he was still directly collaborating with Joe Walsh, who Dan played with in a band before Joe joined the Eagles.  Nether Lands came a bit later, and had some more pop flavors coming in with keyboard experimentation, though it still has a lot of acoustic guitar, and the influence and collaboration with members of the Eagles is very much still there.

I did listen to Rare Bird and Bread on Wednesday while I had my morning off from class.  I really did like that Rare Bird album you mentioned!  They have their own distinct sound, but they vaguely remind me of some other artists I listen to with some traits here and there.  Which I think is something that just happens now with how many bands I already listen to, but it’s never a bad thing, and it usually just makes me like them all more for it.  “Turn Your Head Around”, “More and More”, and “Hard Time” were particularly enjoyable.  As for Bread, it turns out I did already know “Why Do You Keep Me Waiting”, but it’s been so long since I last heard it, I guess I kind of forgot about it?  It’s on my liked songs playlist on the streaming app I use, but it’s very far down with the stuff I was listening to around 2019 or so, and it hasn’t shuffled in for all these years.  So yeah, that’s a good one, and it was pretty cool to sort of rediscover it!  I didn’t have as many instant likes with their songs, but I did like “Been Too Long On The Road” for the unfamiliar ones I listened to, so I think they’ve got potential to grow on me. 

That’s really neat that you’re a teacher.  I don’t know how it is in Brazil, but it can be a very challenging and underappreciated job here in the US, and the teachers I had who were really good and supportive made all the difference when I was in school.  Honestly, with the field I work and am getting higher education in (I’m afraid to say what exactly, because it might point toward my identity), people tell me all the time they could never do what I do and that people in my career path deserve the world, but I feel the same way about the teachers who really care about what they do.

Up here at school, I just have a small few tabletop decorations, since I usually don’t have much time to decorate with final exams coming up, and once those are done, I go home.  Back at home, my family has a lot of decorations that have been collected over the years, and inherited from my grandparents.  We have a tree, several nutcrackers, garland along the stair railing and on the porch outside, candle-shaped lights in the windows, and some simple lights in the bushes in the front yard.  And other small trinkets that go around the house, too.  My aunt and uncle always put my parents’ house to shame, though, with how much they put up inside and out in the yard, and they really make their exterior decorations work with the style of their house.  Like when they moved, and they switched from decorating a large, two floor colonial house to a single floor mid-century one, their outdoor decoration aesthetic completely changed.  It’d be impossible to compare the old and new styles for how different they are, but they’re both so pretty!

Outdoor lights are always fun, too.  My dad’s side of the family has somewhat of a tradition where we all pile as many of us into one car as possible, put on Christmas music, and we drive around the neighborhoods in town looking for lights that people have put up.  There’s also a public garden in my city that sets up a big light display with a separate walking path and a drive-through path, and downtown, they have an illumination event we sometimes go to see where they turn the holiday lights on all the office tower buildings, and then send a parade through the streets.  Does your hometown ever do anything special in terms of holiday displays?

✈️

Wow I had no idea he had collaborated with Joe Walsh, omg it's like every day I discover something new! These days I discovered that Mike Porcaro from Toto played bass in one of Djavan's albums, a Brazilian singer whose music I've been digging lately. I was SHOCKED! I'll listen to Souvenirs and Nether Lands when I sit to correct my students homework, it's always good to do it while listening to music :)

Btw yes, here in Brazil being a teacher can be EXTREMELY challenging. And it's definitely underappreciated too. I don't really teach kids (I only did for less than a semester, but maybe next year I will) and I actually prefer to teach adults and teenagers, so I consider myself lucky because many times the parents can be the worst. Or rather, second worst. The students' lack of interest is the worst – I experienced this when I did Residência Pedagógica (I don't know how to say it in English, but it's a type of internship) in a public school here: I tried everything, but the students simply didn't care. Thankfully when I did the mandatory internship in another public school, the students actually liked it, and so did I. I almost cried when I saw one of the students from this other internship at a restaurant and he said he remembered me because I was the only person that made him not only study English but also enjoy it. But yeah, unfortunately public schools in general are not good here and the students are not interested in learning. That's why I teach at a language school, there's a big difference. I don't know what's the field you work but if people say that people in your career path deserve the world, they probably do!

I'm glad you liked Rare Bird, or at least the album I mentioned! It actually took me some time to get into Bread, so who knows haha

We like to keep the decorations to use them every year here too, but I don't think we inherited any, that's so cool! Your aunt and uncle seem to get really excited about Christmas haha! Now that tradition on your dad's side of the family is AMAZING! Ohhhhh I would love to have that as a tradition as well! My parents live in a nearby town that is kind of small, there aren't many lights... otherwise I would suggest we did the same lol. Man, I would also love to visit your city to see that display and the illumination event. Where I live there's a public square where they put up many lights during Christmastime, and some bands play there as well. We call it Conquista de Luz (using the city's name). I didn't have the chance to go there at night to see it in person yet, but I'm planning to! I put a video of it below in case you'd like to take a look

[scary-lasagna]

I just need some little hcs of Liu and Jeff as kids, if you have time. I see so many imagines of them as adults, and don't get me wrong,I love reading those as well, but I'd just like to know what they were like as kids before all that shit happened. Besides some of my personal hcs, I'd love to know some of yours as well. You are my favorite writer <3 Take care of yourself!

Here's a childhood memory fic and Jeff sleep talking in a shared room with Liu

I'm very honored to be your favorite writer!! <3

Jeff & Liu: The early years

Jeff and Liu's parents were away often on their business trips, one could also go as far as calling it neglect.

They were dropped off at their Aunt's house, and their grandparents, and their parent's friends, forever hopping houses every three or so weeks.

Not once did Jeff see their parents show any kind of affection toward each other, it was like they were in business partnership with the exception of making breakfast and dinner whenever they were home.

So Jeff and Liu were completely dependent on each other for affection, learning basic things, doing homework, and cleaning the house. Y'know things that parents should be doing.

They often cuddled up under blankets together with a movie during the night, and reminded each other their bed times, and after getting in bed getting in a heated discussion about their new favorite superhero vs a shark-bear.

They were very close growing up, but as the trauma set in from neglect and resentment toward their parents, they grew apart when their teenage years started.

But before then, they knew how to make their own fun.

Hitting tree's with sticks acting as swords, splashing in streams, accidentally causing trouble at a nearby gas station. No one really cared what they did except their Auntie Jermma who was very strict with them whenever she pried her eyes away from her cigarette box.

Some little adventures included befriending a dog and trying to feed it cheetos, learning how to make pizza at ages 6 and 7, breaking a vase and gluing it back together and their parents never found out.

But one time, they were out in the backwoods, so deep that the daylight turned to dusk with the amount of tree's overbearing them.

Liu said he saw something weird in between the trees, and Jeff said to go investigate.

Truth is, Jeff was scared it was a bear and didn't want to get any closer. Liu was too, matter of fact. He side shuffled to get a better look at the creature, and screamed bloody murder when he did get a glimpse at the demon.

Liu turned, tripped, and broke his ankle on a sneaky root behind him.

But when Jeff looked, there was nothing there, and Liu was a blabbering mess between recounting the terrifying creature he saw and the pain from his broken ankle.

Jeff tried his best to console him, but ended up giving him a piggy back home while he sobbed the whole way there.

Liu knows what he saw to this day, and he knows why Jeff didn't see it, too. Fate was set out from when they were just a young age, and it wasn't fair to have their destiny's played like puppets.

Jeff helped Liu the whole time his ankle was healing, mostly out of the good of his heart, and also because his parent's weren't around to want to take care of their injured child.

Once they were old enough, they were allowed to live alone while Mr. and Mrs. Woods left for trips. They cooked, cleaned, and turned on the porch light every night on their own.

And nights were lonely, and Jeff often climbed into Liu's bed crying, wondering why all of his friends at school had parent's at parent teacher conferences, and recitals, and field trips.

It was a burning jealously that made him weep.

[2-dsimp]

Fea Kaeya with a darling who just moved near his forest please. Light or dark fea this man has duality

IKR! You never know when this man will switch up on you 🤭

Long time coming but presenting L/D! Fae! Kaeya!

Headcannons 🧚‍♂️

🌳 As a young fae Kaeya was hailed as a daright a hybrid that’s a mix of Light/Dark fae, meaning that his urges to either keep the peace or create chaos are always conflicting with each other

🌳 Knowing the rarity of his kind both factions of the Fae wanted him entirely to be on their side as a loyal citizen, causing pressure to liquify his nerves

🌳 He needed room to think, wanted fresh air to breathe life into his haggard mind that was in shambles,

🌳He stretched his sapphire wings and flew making sure he was blending with the scenery of the beautiful forest

🌳When the hazy fog surrounding his head subside up he had noticed humans appearing to be encroaching on his territory

🌳 But only one human specifically caught his eye as they were wonderstruck twirling around to take in the breathtaking scenery of green and enrichment

🌳Ah they made eye-to-eye contact he made sure to vanish completely from sight with a small smirk and a flirtatious wink leaving the human utterly baffled

🌳He may have found a new distraction, a brand new toy, oh how lucky he was to have a clueless human to play mind games with

🌳 This was exactly what he needed to take his mind off things

🌳Soon enough the little game of cat n mouse had set off without a hitch

🌳 The human was warned not to stray of any wood trails, to not be tempted by any voice that beckons to heed its call into the wilderness where nobody can see you lest you be whisked away by the Fae

🌳But you dismissed it as old fairytale legends and often pranced around outside not caring for the eye watching you from behind the leaves

🌳Fae loved naive humans

🌳 You were fresh out of high school a young adult in the making, so you set out to find a new place to stay everywhere else was too expensive so you settled for the next big thing

🌳A cheap nice house among the middle of nowhere maybe you hadn’t thought about the placement but luckily the stores weren’t far away only a 20min drive

🌳He wondered when you’d get the hint that you were being targeted as it was only half the fun with you being kept in the dark so he’d turn it up a notch

🌳The strange occurrences started with the miss placement of the littlest things before the increase in missing valued goods became too noticeable to ignore

🌳The look of concern mixed with bewilderment on your face was amusing to Kaeya

🌳 Briefly for a quick moment He thought how pretty it would be for their eyes to be full of terror and fear and how they would sing a plethora of sweet cries as he swept away the tears streaming down their face—

🌳He slowly reached up to grab at his eye patch which pluses at every mischievous thought he itched to make a reality

🌳It was that time again where dark fae unleashed their inner inhibitions and wreak havoc amongst the humans in order to satisfy their own selfish sadistic desires

🌳 But at the same time his Light Fae side prompted him to be the one to protect that bright smile, your innocence

🌳He needed to watch over you and make sure no harm comes toward you… Not from him of course

🌳He was conflicted maybe it was because of the upcoming spring where everyone else were busily getting ready for the upcoming plethora of exciting festivities held in honor of the Spring season

🌳Maybe he’d bring you along as his pet

“Oh my it seems that you’ve strayed off the path my pet, allow me to show you the way~”

[katsukikitten]

Part one. Master list for plus one can be found here.

Just a nice fic I decided to write for fun. Please enjoy!

Asshole!

He was nothing but a huge, giant fucking ASSHOLE for the entire two years the two of you were dating and he decides NOW is a good time to break up with you?

Two days before your cousin's wedding and over TEXT MESSAGE?!

That fucking asshole.

He knew how you felt. Exactly how you felt about going alone to your cousin's wedding after your family begged to meet your boyfriend and teased you for "probably making him up." Which hell, he may as well have been made up considering how absent he was in the relationship. Using work as an excuse to come home late but forgetting to turn off his snap location when he showed up at the bar.

So you did what any rational woman in her upper twenties would do.

You drowned your sorrows in booze, tonight red wine as it was the only thing around, and you scrolled through your socials in hopes of distracting yourself from your suffering.

Alas the devil that is Instagram only amplified your sadness and irritation. Showing couple after couple, your friends on hikes kissing on the mountain top, kissing in the flickering light of candles at a fancy dinner or, worst yet, getting proposed to. The video showing her in hysterics screaming, "YES I DO I DO!"

And it feels terrible to feel this way. Especially about your friends, the people you love and want to support, still it stings. You hadn't told anyone about the breakup, you weren't even sure your friends even remembered that asshole's name.

A teardrop lands on your screen, magnifying all the magical lights of the led beneath the glad. You wipe away the tear and with that the feed refreshes. A new post has come in at the top, Res Riot's official account.

Kirishima stands with a fat white cat in his arms. He dwarfs the animal with his large stature that looks larger as he still has his Red Riot gear on. The caption reads something along the lines of "missed my precious baby."

Red wine is a dangerous thing as your body acts on its own. You go to his page to hit the little arrow to DM him. Typing out and backspacing your message as you struggle from the booze, you decide to say fuck it and use the voice memo feature. Before you know it your sniffling voice is playing back to you after you've hit send.

"My ex broke up with me before this stupid wedding. It's in two days and my family is going to roast me big time when I show up alone. They think I made that asshole up. I don't know why I'm even in your dms. Your account is probably run by some dick head who can't even capture your kindness. I guess I'm here cause my first thought seeing you on my timeline was Red Riot has always been my hero…"

Ugh totally fucking cringe.

There is no surprise as you see the three normally ominous dots pop up, probably his social media manager about to ask you to stop your "advances" as Kirishima is too busy to date and he'd hate to block you or some other bullshit.

But there it is a surprise to see a little bubble with the play button and some vertical lines in various heights. It takes your sluggish brain a moment to realize you've been sent a voice memo. Odd. Your thumb smashes the screen faster than you can think and a deep voice rumbles through the speakers of your phone.

"Actually I run my official and personal socials. And I'm sorry to hear about your ex doll. He sounds like a real ass. I'll be your hero, I'll go with you to the wedding."

Your heart stutters, no way, no way in HELL this was Red Riot. You had read about the horror stories before or pervy account managers taking advantage of women who so desperately wanted to talk to their hero.

Hell, it's happened to Dynamight plenty of times.

You swallow quickly but the bile rushes up your throat. Not just from the anxiety of a possible con but from drinking an entire bottle of wine with nothing on your stomach after months of sobriety. Quickly you stumble to the bathroom, abandoning your phone on your bed. You barely make it in time to praise the porcelain Gods before you fall onto your back. Looking up at the light in your cramped bathroom, the orb doubles and spins as you feel the Earth turning on its axis. You curl into your side using your bathmat as a pillow as you drift off into sleep, totally forgetting about the voice memo on your phone.

As you sleep peacefully on your memory foam bath rug, Kirishima settles into his nightly routine. One giant hand grabbing strands of long dark red hair into a towel while another sits snugly around his Adonis belt and the thick, black happy trail that follows up the center of his abs before spreading out onto his chest. He tosses the towel over the open door of the bathroom before sitting in his favorite armchair with phone in hand. Diamond, his beautiful white cat he rescued a few years ago, jumps onto the arm of the chair, purring loudly when Kirishima's free hand scratches her ears absentmindedly.

He chuckles to himself as he realizes exactly what he's done. Acting on a feeling instead of logic all because he heard a "damsel in distress." Starting off his rare vacation with spontaneity starting with an impromptu date with a stranger. He really isn't sure what you look like and it's obvious your handle doesn't have your real name in it, just PrincessPeach with some random numbers at the end. He takes the time to scroll through your profile. Seeing pictures of food, of many sunsets, a friend's dog that guest appears often, your own cat and plenty of strays.

It takes him a while before he sees a photo of you. His heart stutters in his chest as he looks you over. Laughing with a friend, soft lighting from strings over head that blur like little fireflies. Your smile is wide, half hidden by your hands as your eyes seem to smile with you. Sparkling as if they held stars.

For a moment Kirishima forgets how to breathe, it isn't until Diamond jumps down from the armchair does he inhale. He smiles softly to himself before he drops his towel, puts his phone on charge and promptly falls asleep in his bed.

Kirishima rises before the sun even has a chance to filter through his blinds. He sighs softly, getting up to a sitting position disturbing a fluffy white ball that lays beside him.

"Mmrow." Moon stone eyes blink slowly as they look at the mountainous man hogging the bed.

"I didn't mean to wake you sweet baby." He says softly, going to pet the soft white fur only for her to get up stretch and give him her butt before plopping back down.

"I know, mean ol' daddy woke you up too early again." He says softly, his hand falling onto her back before he rises from the bed. Fishing for his running shorts, socks, headphones and shoes. He makes his protein shake, leaning on the counter as he drinks it, looking at how you read, or better yet, listened to his message but still no reply. It was late and there was a small slurring of your words, he figures you've passed out. He just hopes you're okay.

His run goes as usual, up before anyone else unless they were the normal avid runner. Passing by the usual array of people. An old man holding onto his youth by jogging through his daily five mile morning run, Kirishima knows he runs another five in the evening while the sun is setting. He hopes he can embody some of this man's commitment when he is older. Then he passes a middle aged woman, who gives him the biggest smile as she pases, jogging backward to send him a wink before plowing ahead. Occasionally he'll see a running group or a few teens training to be heroes, they always ask if they can run his route. "It's long." He always warns in a kind, warm voice. They assure him they will be fine so far only one other person could handle his 12 mile morning run. A young woman in her second year of hero courses at UA. Since then Kirishima put in a word with his boss and so every time internships roll around she's in the office.

By the time Kirishima is rounding back towards his high rise apartment, the city begins to stir. Slowly waking as men and women in business suits rush towards the train, parents flinging open the doors or curtains fussing at their children who cling to an extra few minutes of sleep before school.

This was always his favorite part of the run, not because it was almost over, oh no it was because he had a chance to glimpse at everyday life. Of nine to fives, of school hours and after school hangs outs at snack bars or the library.

What most would call the mundane but Kirishima would never call it that. It's why he worked so hard to protect it.

Diamond greets his sweaty form at the door. Glaring angrily with her moon stone eyes. Tail swishing before she goes to the kitchen by her bowl. Waiting impatiently.

"I'm not late, sweet cheeks." He coos, and she glares, "I know I know. You're hungry now."

He opens the fridge, gets out the highest quality food there is and places it on her dish, sure to keep it all in the middle or she'll claim her bowl was empty. He added a splash of water too since the weather was starting to get hot.

He sucks down a water or two, demolishes a protein bar and then heads to the apartment gym.

A few hours roll by and without hearing from you yet his worry over your well being begins to cloud the forefront of his mind. He pauses his music, picks up his phone and talks out a voice memo.

A loud DING echoes from your room and around your skull as you rise with a throbbing headache.

"Fuck." You hiss to yourself grabbing at your head as you shakily rise to your feet. Yanking the handle of the faucet to drink from the stream before looking at yourself in the mirror.

"Ugh." You grunt ignoring your swollen face and eyes, yanking the mirror door open to snatch at the bottle of aspirin. Swallowing THREE extra strength pills before slamming the door shut and turning off the faucet. You make your way towards your bedroom, more than ready to sleep the rest of your day away. Grabbing at your phone to charge it you see the push notification of an Instagram message from Red Riot.

The fucking Red Riot.

Internally you scream before it bubbles up your throat and escapes. You fumble to unlock your phone before looking that it's a voice memo.

Mortified you realize you sent one too. And first at that.

"Fuck MEEE!" You plop onto the bed. Nervous this second voice memo is probably about how you're a weirdo or something as you relive the memory of asking him to be your plus one.

Hesitantly your thumb hovers over the play button before you find the strength to press the cool glass. A soft thunderous voice plays out.

"Good morning sleepy head. I haven't heard from you yet, I hope you're okay. Be sure to drink some water and eat something greasy. Trust me, late nights with Denki and Bakugou taught me something. Since the wedding is tomorrow I'll need a picture of your dress for the color and style so I can match you Sweet pea. Contact me soon so I can know where to pick you up."

Did he… did he just call you SWEET PEA? Your heart pounds in your chest before it registers he's asked for your dress color and lowkey asked for your address. This couldn't be real. It sounded like Kirishima, his voice familiar from interviews you've watched but it very well could be a prank. Defeated you hit the small microphone and reply.

Kirishima hears a sharp DING in his headphones over his music as he finishes his set. He wipes the sweat from his face on his shirt giving the few people in the gym a lovely view of his sweaty and thick torso. One woman trips on the treadmill but it goes unnoticed by Kirishima. He pauses his music and hits play on the little memo. Your beautiful yet groggy voice comes in through his ear buds causing Kirishima to bite his lip. It causes such a flutter of butterflies in his stomach he has to listen a second time to actually hear what you said. Although he understand, he cannot help but feel hurt by your reply.

"How do I know you're not just some pervy guy using Kirishima's Godly looks to prey on unsuspecting people."

Your phone chirps at you from the bed stand and you growl reaching for it. You had hoped your message would have been clear. An unspoken of you know they're a fucking creep taking advantage of their PR job.

"What can I do to prove it to you, Sweet Pea?"

You hate how that cute nickname sends your heart into a somersault and your stomach in delightful knots. Still your doubt pulls a harsh tut from your lips before you reply.

Kirishima doesn't need his phone to alert him that you've messaged him, he's been looking at his screen for far to long without having to restart his set. He listens to your voice as if it were music.

"Fine, you wanna prove it to me so bad. Take a picture of yourself shirtless with the word 'Sweet pea' you love so much and send it to me. No photoshop I know what my favorite hero looks like!"

For over an hour you don't hear back and you figure you showed that perv.

But now you can't sleep so you nurse a water, door dash a "greasy" breakfast all before cranking your shower as high as it can go. Your phone dings and you try to ignore it. You really do but as the saying goes curiosity killed the cat. Opening the message you see a classic guy mirror selfie. Kirishima is clear as day in the photo, his large hand pointing to his bare, hairy chest where sweat pea is scrawled in his adorable handwriting. He winks at the camera as his kissable lips wear a dangerous, almost cocky eyes travel down his bulk following his happy trail that dives under a pair of black shorts, the best part of the view getting cut off by the vanity. At first you try to rationalize that this was fake but damning evidence was sitting on the vanity. A fluffy white cat in a diamond and ruby encrusted collar sits on the counter giving her owner an odd look.

His cat Diamond that everyone knows he loves and adores. Slick begins to collect between your thighs and especially so after you listen to the voice memo that comes through shortly after. His normally friendly and soft voice comes out a bit dark, husky as he says in a playfully annoyed tone.

"Now send me a picture of that dress, Sweet Pea."

[redheadsinmybed]

Captured

Wanda x Natasha x Reader

This is part of the Loving a little series Reader is little, light angst, happy ending

Summary: Wanda and Natasha are training. What happens when you’re left alone???

Notes: Sorry it’s been so long guys I hope you enjoy this one :) Let me know what you think of it!

You are all alone in a lonely bed with your lonely self. You were lonely because Wanda and Natasha are training. They got up at 6 waking you up and they’ve been training for 30 minutes now. 30 minutes of sleep that you’ve lost. Sure you tried to go back to bed, but you were having trouble without them.

Wanda and Natasha were training with each other. They had woken up early so they could have the training room all for themselves. They heard something in the hallway, assuming it was just some of the other avengers they kept training.

You hear the door open to you room, your eyes are closed and you don’t open them, assuming its Nat and Wands you say

“Mmm come back to bed.”

“I don’t think that will be happening anytime soon,” Says a strange voice. Your eyes fly open, but it’s too late, you scream and the stranger injects something into your arm.

“Miss Y/N is being hurt in her room by a Hydra agent,” Friday says over head. Suddenly red lights are being flashed everywhere, a loud beeping noise is being broadcasted all over the compound, and Friday is locking down the compound. It’s too late though.

“Where is she Friday?!” Wanda and Nat say panicked.

“They are already outside.” Friday says. Wanda and Natasha run outside to see you being carried by the Hydra agent. The stuff she injected into you had made your mind fuzzy, and you watch as red blurs your vision.

“Mama!” You say as loud as you can. Wanda flies up, but she can’t shoot down the plane that you went into without the chance of hurting you. She flies as fast as she can but she can’t keep up, and suddenly it disappears blending in with the clouds and she can’t tell where it is. She falls to the ground slowly landing on her knees crying. Natasha catches up with her in a vehicle.

“Baby?”

“I-I couldn't he-lp her. I heard her sc-scream f-for me.” Wanda says crying. Natasha picks her up and puts her in the car.

“I know baby, I watched you. You did the right thing, you couldn’t shoot down the plane. It’s gonna be okay we will find her,” Natasha coos as she gets up and drives back to the compound. The lights and beeping had stopped and everyone was up and ready for a fight.

“What happened, are you hurt?” Steve says as he sees Wanda crying.

“T-they took her, they t-took Y/N '' Wanda says, breaking down again.

“Who?” Tony asks.

“Hydra,” Natasha says holding Wanda and rubbing her back.

“Last time when Y/N first got her powers Hydra found out she was little, and that she has powers,” Natasha says.

“We won’t stop until we get her back,” Bucky says, putting a hand on Wanda’s shoulder.

When you wake up you are in a cold dark cement cell and you’re still little.

“Hello little one,” You hear a male voice say coming from the other side of the bars.

“Ware my Mama?” You ask.

“You won’t be seeing your Mama for a while. I heard you have special powers is that right?”

“I fink so,” You say back. The man comes where you can see him, he’s old, has grey hair and a lot of wrinkles on his face.

“You wook old,” You say with a giggle. Clearly not knowing what kind of situation you are in. The old man unlocks your cell and grabs your arm.

“Listen here you little tot, I don’t know where you think you are, but this is not a place where laughter is to be heard. Maybe I should teach you a lesson.” He drags you out of the cell and brings you to a better lit room. He’s a very fast walker so he’s kind of dragging you across the floor by your arm. Your bottom lip starts to wobble and tears flood your eyesight. He stops dragging you and picks you up and sets you on a stool. You feel him grab your wrist and attach it to a handcuff on the top of the ceiling. He does the same to your other wrist.

After he gets your wrists hooked to the ceiling he kicks the chair out from under your feet. You scream in pain as you hang from the ceiling, the cuffs digging into your wrists. He watches as tears stream down your face while you whimper.

“Oh we are going to have some fun,” He says with a chuckle.

All the avengers are on a quint jet to the last and final Hydra base location that they know of. They’ve gone every other base that was within 300 miles of the compound. They landed in a spot of openings in the trees far enough from the Hydra base that they couldn’t be seen.

“What if she’s not here?” Wanda says with grief written all over her face.

“Hey,” Natasha says cupping Wanda’s face, making her look over at her.

“We are gonna find her, we aren’t gonna stop til we do,” Natasha says, rubbing her thumb on Wanda’s cheek. Wanda places her hand over Natasha’s.

“Promise?” She asks.

“Promise,” Natasha says back. Everyone gets out of the jet and starts towards the base. When they see the base in sight they hear something.

“Mama!!” Wanda and Nat instantly recognize your voice. Everyone takes off towards the base. There’s four guards blocking the entrance, Steve uses his shield to take out two of them. Iron Man uses his energy beam to knock out the one firing at Steve. Clint takes out the last one with his bow.

You hear ruckus outside and the old man hears it too. He runs off somewhere. When the door opens you expect it to be him again, but it’s not.

“Mama?” You say with tears in your eyes. Wanda catches sight of you and her heart breaks. You’re naked and there’s angry red cuts on your body and purple bruises everywhere.

“Yes baby girl, it’s me you’re okay now, Mama’s here,” She says as she uncuffs you and holds you to her. She holds you for a minute while the tears in her eyes drop down onto her face.

When she pulls away she wipes the tears away from your face and hers. She takes off her long red jacket and puts it over you. She picks you up, careful not to hurt you. You suck on your thumb and hold onto her tightly not wanting to ever leave her arms. You walk out to where everybody is standing waiting for you, you stop Nat and she quickly makes her way over to you.

“Mommy,” You say sadly.

“Hi baby girl, are you okay?” Natasha asks, you shake your head.

“He hurt me Mommy,” You say, you can see the anger boil up in her.

“Baby he will never hurt you again, I promise. I will never let you get hurt again.” Natasha says to you.

“Can we go?” You ask a little bigger, just wanting to get out of there.

“Not so fast,” You hear someone say. Wanda whips around to see an old man standing with more than 20 Hydra agents.

“I think you have something that belongs to me,” He says with a sneer.

“Baby go with Clint to the jet okay,” She says as she sets you down. You shake your head.

“It’s okay I wanna help you fight,” You say now big. She sighs but lets you.

The Hydra agents come at you. You set yourself aflame and shoot fireballs from your hands at them. Steve and Tony work together to take out the agents on the left and Clint and Bucky take the ones on the right. You see Natasha fighting an agent twice her size. You see Wanda helping her by using her powers to fling him to the side of the building. You watch as your family takes down the bad guys around you.

You see the old man start to walk away and you chase after him. You shoot a fireball at him and he dodges it.

“Is that the best you can do?” He mocks with his arms in the air. Wanda comes up to you.

“I wanna try something,” You say to her.

“Okay”

“I want you and I to combine our powers to make one.” You say to her. Wanda starts with a red ball of energy in her hands. You place both your hands in her energy and act like you’re about to shoot a fireball but instead just keep it in your hands.

“You ready?” You ask Wanda, she nods her head. You both aim your powers at the old man.

“Three” You say.

“Two” Wanda says.

“One” You say together. You shoot your powers at the old man. It tangles and dances with each other beautifully. It knocks the old man out and the fire burns his body.

“Yesss!” You say jumping in the air. You hold your hand up for Wanda to highfive and she does with a laugh. You walk back hand in hand together to see that everyone has taken out all the agents. You grab Tasha’s hand.

“Can we go home now?” You say.

“Of course baby,” Natasha says. You and your family walk back to the jet. When you get home you, Wanda, and Nat go straight to your room. You take off the jacket that Wanda had given you. You hear Natasha gasp.

“Oh baby,” She says as you can see the tears well up in her eyes. You walk up to her and wipe the tears that fall on her face away.

“It’s okay, I’m okay now that I’m here with you,” You say and give her a kiss. She smiles but stands back so she can examine you. Most of the cuts Wanda had seen were small and healed now, but the purple bruises that mark your body are not.

“I’m sorry,” She says to you.

“What are you sorry for?” You ask.

“For not finding you sooner, for letting them do this to you. It’s all my fault, I was the one who suggested that Wanda and I train early if we didn’t do that then none of this would’ve happened.”

“Baby, this was not your fault, or Wanda’s fault,” You say as Wanda comes out of the bathroom.

“I’m fine now, I promise, what happened was nobody's fault and I don’t blame either of you.” You say as you kiss each of them.

“Okay,” Natasha says, dropping the subject. You yawn and it cracks your jaw and your eyes water.

“Looks like someone needs some sleep,” Wanda says as she gets into bed. You crawl in beside her and Natasha gets on the other side of you. You throw the sage love blanket over Wanda and Natasha making sure that it covered them equally. You had to lean over Wanda to unfold the blankets corner.

“What are you doing baby,” Wanda asks.

“Mm want to make sure you are nice and warm.” You say after you deem that everyone is covered by the blanket you lay down. You snuggle yourself into Wanda’s arms and lay your head on her shoulder. You sigh as Natasha holds you from behind.

“Love you guys, goodnight.”

“Love you too,” Natasha says.

“Goodnight,” Wanda says. That night you swear they hold you tighter.