#my dash effects (usually) and the aiming and the spear and then

[klvrgavin]

Okay i like hades very much but the colors and sounds when you get to the theseus fight just murder me every time

[spinningbuster98]

Honest opinion on every Sonic adaptation you know :)

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog:Admittedly I've never flully watched (same goes for the other 90's shows). Not too interesting, has jack shit to do with the games, but I guess it's fairly entertaining

Sonic Satam: Again, never watched it but like a lot of people have said it's basically your typical 90's environmental cartoon with a dash of Sonic kinda sorta. I don't even want to critisize it too much for not being very Sonic-y since....honestly have you seen the kinds of cartoon video game adaptations that were coming out at those times? Captain N? Ruby Spears Megaman? Faithfulness to the source material just wasn't a thing back then so I don't wanna be too harsh on Satam for this. I also refuse to critisize it for the effects it's had on the fandom in the long run (y'know Archie, people wanting the Freedom Fighters in the games etc) mainly because I personally believe it's unfair to judge a product by the effect it's had years later, especially if it's due to the actions of later developers and or fans. By this logic then SA1 should be demonized as an absolute travesty, because without it many of the issues that would plague the games in the 2000's would not have existed and 06 especially would not have been a thing.

Sonic Underground: I know next to nothing about it except the premise is so stupid I kinda love it and the theme song....I actually kinda like it!

Sonic OVA: I understand why people love it, especially in comparison to the american adaptations...but personally it's almost as guilty as them for their lack of faithfulness (Knuckles being "Sonic's best friend"? Sonic being a bit of a dick to Tails? Whatever the fuck Eggman has for Sarah?), in fact I kinda hold it against the OVA a bit more, since it was made by Japanese developers, so the usual excuse of the american manuals being extremely simplified therefore not giving american writers enough material to work with (which I never even bought fully, because look at the differences between game and satam Eggman even at a glance c'mon) couldn't apply here. It does have my favourite version of Metal though, and the animation is great from what I remember.

Sonic X: I have some fond memories as it technically was my introduction to the series, but looking back it sorta introduced a good chunk of characterization issues that would plague the 2000's, mainly Amy. I don't even have much to say about Chris honestly.

Archie Sonic: Never read it fully but man was it a hilarious mess from all that I've seen. Though I gotta admit I really liked the character of Nicole and how the series evolved her past her Satam origins. If there's one character I kinda miss after Archie's cancellation that's her.

IDW: I don't read it since it's never grabbed my attention. I guess I agree with most of the criticisms thrown at it, though I don't necessarily have an issue with it basically being Archie 2.0 since it's pretty obvious that a big chunk of its reader base used to be from Archie. I mean think about it: if Sega were to can Sonic as a game series but then someone were to make a spiritual successor that is 100% identical to it (more so than the likes of Freedom Planet) except for names and characters we'd all jump ship and see it's being almost identical to its predecessor as a positive. IDW is basically aimed at former Archie fans and that's okay, though that doesn't exempt it from criticism. Other than that I don't have a whole lot to say, I find it to be pretty small potatoes when it comes to bad game adaptations.

Sonic Boom: Very random and unnecessary adaptation, never been too big on the redesigns and even the show's whole comedy shtick never gelled. Honestly from what little I remember Amy was kind of insufferable and Sticks wasn't much better. I do like some of the memes that have spawned from it (mainly the Knuckles approves meme).

Sonic Movie: Ehh... I wasn't big on the whole "Sonic gets isekaie'd" into our world premise since day 1 and that hasn't changed for me. My main issue is that Sonic....is not really Sonic to me. To me what makes Sonic as a character stand out is his carefree, adventurous attitude, his purity mixed with a bit of cockiness and occasional aggressiveness, and his independence. Movie Sonic has very little of these qualities, especially the last, as the whole "Snic is a little kid who wants a family" shtick just isn't Sonic to me. To me that's your typical kid character dressed in a Sonic suit. Even Pontaff Sonic, for as jokey as he was, still held those key qualities for me. And I just don't like Knuckles' whole "super honorable warrior" thing he's got going, can't even explain why, it just rubs me the wrong way I guess.

The humans are boring. Yeah yeah Tom and Maddie are this and that and they're better than other human char-listen: wanna know what's my problem with some human characters in the series? Human characters are inherently "normal", and "normal" is not what you wanna be in a series that's about anthropomorphic animals going on fun adventures. Eggman works because he's a character who was created to fit into this series. Guys like the president in SA2 or the Gun Commander were not. Unless they're background characters, or secondary, you wanna give your human characters some form of whimsy or quirky personality, or hell make them more action/adventure oriented, like an Indiana Jones type of character, otherwise all the screentime they have is gonna feel like a huge waste of space to me as I'll just want to go back to the fun animal characters.

Speaking of Eggman, while Carrey turns out a great performance since....he's Jim Carrey, I can't help but feel even his Eggman's a bit lacking. Yeah he' goofy and funny and all that, but a good part of what I like about game Eggman is how much of a manchild he is, and not just with his design and overall attitude: when things stop going his way he loses his shit, throws tantrums, stomps his feet. It's both a source of entertainment...but it's also what makes him dangerous because due to his childish personality he may just decide to launch a nuke at a city...with HIMSELF still in it just because he's that much of a sore loser! I don't get these vibes from jimbotnik, to me he seems a bit too calm and collected, and that, in turn, makes him less entertaining than he could be.

Maybe I should give the movies proper watches? Because i admit I haven't watched them fully, just tons of clips on YT, enough to cover the most important bits, so maybe I'm being unfair...but honestly even the humor of some of those scenes is just not up my alley, yeah Colors' humor is also very hit and miss and in many ways not appropriate to the series, but at least in that case I still have a game to enjoy that's separated from the humor.

Call my cynical but I'm convinced that, in a few years, people will start looking at these movies in a not so positive light, because once the hype about it being "the best game movie adaptations ever" dies down people will start analyzing them further....and I have this feeling they won't hold up.

[faean]

Prince Sidon x Male Reader (Part 1/2)

Rating: T; Mentions of Blood/Death

Word Length: 1,960 words

Title: The Prince’s Folly

             -----

          “What’s a Hylian doing in Zora’s Domain?”

          “Isn’t he the one who used to live in Hyrule Castle teaching magic?”

          “Didn’t he travel the world? Why’d he choose to stay here after the Calamity?”

          “Did you hear? King Dorephan tasked him with slaying the Lynel since it’s been resurrected. I hope he survives...”

          “The council is hoping he doesn’t make it. They’re still so angry at the Hylians and their Champion, even after Mipha’s spirit told us not to be remorseful.”

          “I can’t believe it! He actually slew the beast! The Prince even saw him deliver the finishing blow. He’s been telling everyone about it.”

          “For a Hylian, he sure ages like a Zora. It’s been over 50 years and he doesn’t look a day older. He’s even taller than the average Hylian. I wonder if it’s because of his magic.”

          “Do you think the rumors are true? They say he isn’t interested in women. There have been a few female Hylians, Gerudo, even female Zora and Gorons approach him and he’s politely declined them all.”

          “I think the rumors might be true. He acts differently when around the Prince, and the Prince has been spending more time with him, too.”

          It’s been almost 75 years, and every day still brings something new. Sometimes it’s the council coming up with some asinine task for you to complete to get you to leave the domain, even if you always complete them with little difficulty. Sometimes it’s patrolling the borders and the dam. Sometimes it’s going out for more supplies. And, after every blood moon, you leave to confront the Lynel that terrorizes the Zora atop Ploymus Mountain. After so many decades, the fights end swiftly and without incident.

          Until recently.

          The Zora Prince, Sidon, has been spending every bit of free time with you. He joins you on patrols, short trading journeys, and the tasks the council sends you on, much to their dismay. Unfortunately, their hatred against Hylians seems to overrule their worry about the sole heir of the Zora. Either they are resentful he holds no grudges against Hylians like they do, or they actually recognize your skill and don’t fear for his safety. Hopefully, it was the latter.

          You didn’t mind his company, of course. For a while, most of the Zora were wary of you, though the younger generations, including Sidon’s, were much less discriminatory and more friendly, even going so far as to argue against some of the council’s decisions. There was one thing about Sidon’s presence that bothered you, though.

          You were hopelessly in love with him, and you had the sensation that he knew, considering the rumors surrounding your interactions with female suitors. It wasn’t until your most recent excursion to slay the revived Lynel once more that everything was brought to light…

          Many decades ago, back when I first moved to the Zora’s Domain after the Calamity, King Dorephan asked me to fight a Lynel atop a nearby mountain that had been terrorizing the Zora after the power of Calamity Ganon brought it back on a Blood Moon.

          As a Hylian, the shock arrows it fired would not be immediately fatal to me, and my prowess with magic was renowned, having granted me longevity and the opportunity to teach Princess Zelda (though, her obsession with ancient Sheikah technology limited my involvement). For me, (Y/N) (L/N), the Master of Magic, it would have been easy.

          Would have been.

          During the battle, I managed to avoid every one of the beast’s attacks, and had dealt several serious blows; however, the Lynel’s natural resistance to all the elements drained me of my energy as I used stronger and more costly spells to counter it. I had received some training with spears, bows, and blades, but not enough to rival that of a savage and cunning Lynel. Near the end of the battle, a certain young Prince had become entranced and stepped out further from his hiding place where he was watching.

          The Lynel did not hesitate to take aim, and the young Prince was frozen in fear. He didn’t see what happened next, too afraid to open his eyes until he heard my voice softly comforting him.

          There was no sign of the Lynel, just a jagged pillar of earth and the spoils of the slain beast. The Prince completely forgot his fear and was gushing over me and the battle, unaware of the cost of my victory. I escorted him back, presenting the spoils to the King as proof before leaving to my own home. Once alone, I uttered a few cryptic words and my clothing turned a deep crimson red.

          Now, he joined you again, but with your knowledge and the intent to fight. You instructed him on the beast’s tactics and abilities, as well as your usual strategy. You would wait until it put away its sword and shield to charge at you, and you would proceed to meet it head on by sliding underneath it to slay it in a single blow. Expending most of your magical energy, you focused it in between your hands before expending it all in a single devastating strike, piercing through its underside and disintegrating most of its body.

          With the Prince at your side, and with his skill with a bow, he’d get the beast’s attention before you struck it from behind. A simple diversion, yet wholly effective in theory. Even if the Lynel charged him, the Prince was more than capable with a spear.

          At least, that was the idea.

          The Lynel, in its cruel intelligence, was aligned perfectly with the Prince, preventing you from delivering the final blow. It cocked its shock arrows, ignoring the Prince’s own shots. Without hesitation and further thought, you dashed in front of the of the Prince and took the hit, just like you did all those years ago.

          Sidon’s eyes went wide with fear and realization as he saw the electricity course through your body, three arrows embedded across your chest. He watched as you shakily stood and proceeded to take a deep breath, blood pouring from your wounds as you raised your hands. He shielded his eyes from the bright light that followed, and when he could finally see again, all that was left were the creature’s weapons, parts, and a sizable crater in the ground from your attack. He meant to congratulate you, but you staggered and fell before he could, staining the grass blood red.

          -----

          “You have scars on your thighs… This isn’t the first time you took a Lynel’s arrows for me, is it?”

          The Prince was sitting at the foot of the large bed you were in, having brought you back to receive medical attention. He wouldn’t meet your gaze as you sat up, wincing at the pain and holding back a string of swears. You looked over at the Prince, saddened by how hurt he looked. He always wore a smile on his face, bringing cheer to the Zora people and working to keep the peace. He was treasured among his people, and even Lurelin Village and beyond, having saved them from a massive Octorok.

          But now? He had no smile; his eyes were dull, and his shoulders slumped.

          “My Prince … do not blame yourself. I made my choice that day, just as I made my choice today. It’ll take a lot more than a few arrows to take me down, and I would gladly take another if it meant keeping you safe.”

          Sidon was silent for a few moments before he wiped the tears from his face, turning to you with a bright smile and saying, “Have I told you just how much I appreciate everything you do? Because I really do appreciate all you do!”

          Admittedly, it was a little forced, but you still thought it admirable.

          “All right, now that that’s out of the way, I need a nap. I’m exhausted, and this isn’t my bed.” You breathed out as you rolled your shoulders.

          There was a brief pause before Sidon sheepishly told you that it was actually his bed you’ve been resting in for the past few days, since the healers thought it wasn’t a good idea to carry you all the way to your house while injured.

          “Wait, if I’ve been out for several days, then where have you been sleeping?” You asked, more worried about the Prince’s sleep than your own self.

          “… I’ve been here. I couldn’t bring myself to leave your side. The healers said you might not pull through, and I prayed to Mipha’s spirit to watch over you… The King … My father says it was survivor’s guilt, but I… (Y/N) … It was much more than that…” Sidon made his way around the bed to sit beside you.

          A massive blush spread across your face with how close he was, fortunately, he was looking down at the bed and not at you, though you would rather he met your gaze.

          “(Y/N), for an awfully long time now, I have been wishing to spend every day by your side. It’s why I join you on your assignments and invite you to every event I must attend. It’s why I convinced you and my father to let me fight beside you, but…” Sidon, without realizing it, took your hand in his, holding on to it as he spoke.

          “When you protected me, I remembered … I remembered when I was young and watched your fight with the Lynel for the first time, much like my sister had with the Hylian Champion. You had protected me back then, and you hid your injuries from me and even walked me all the way back home…” You felt him squeeze your hand as he continued, and you instinctively moved closer to him, coming to lean against him.

          “In that moment of realization, I knew exactly why I wished to be with you.”

          He turned to face you, taking your other hand is his own and leaning down, his eyes closed by the time his lips connected with yours. You melted into him, happily kissing back.

  ��       -----

          Several (more) years went by, and you could not be happier. You and Sidon were officially a couple, and although the King was hesitant about your relationship at first, he saw how much joy you brought to Sidon, and that showed in everything he did. He accepted it, much to the further dismay of the council. Also a few of the female Zora who were huge fans of the Prince, but most were simply happy that he was happy. Sort of…

          -----

          “(Y/N), my beloved! You’ve returned! How was your trip?” The Prince asked when he reunited with you, sweeping you off your feet as he enveloped you in a hug.

          “Hot. Cold. I always forget the extremes of the Gerudo Desert until I inevitably return for some supplies. I’m just glad my contact is still willing to trade on my behalf. Anyway, let me drop off some things and I’ll meet you back in your room.” You punctuated this with a quick kiss to Sidon’s hand as he let you go.

          He was more than excited that you were back, not because you’ve been gone for a couple of weeks, but because he had been planning something special to mark your next anniversary, which takes place just a few days from today. The two of you have been through a lot since you got together, you more than him with how the council acts, but it bothered him more than you, funnily enough. Especially when they tried to convince him that conceiving a future heir was more important than love and happiness.

          Which got him thinking…

          -----

          Part 2: TBD

[manananggal]

I Wish I Had A Better Excuse, Like...

a/n: i read high tide at midnight again and i’m just - woof woof bark bark. beata is my trese oc. she’s an aswang raised by a hilot. stuff happened, and she becomes part of the diabolical crew. this is written mostly in english, but has a few tagalog phrases especially near the end. obviously i have no idea how to write fight scenes.

 ///

Beata is a bit nervous about today's spar.

Alexandra – well, considering that she practically took her in after the Incident™, that makes Alex her Bossing too, doesn't it? – informed her a few days ago that her Kuya would be joining them for training. Bossing didn't exactly say who, but it's not as if there's anyone else who'd join them.

She was still sort of hoping that it would be Sir Rick who'd be there - not that he ever joined them, but a girl can hope, can’t she? But when Beata saw the strong, looming figure in a salakót by the entrance of the gym, she couldn't help but be glad she brought the new sports bra she got from Valentina's Secret. It’s comfy, and she was only able to afford one because of a sale. It's powder-blue in color, with a sweetheart neckline that pushes her girls in the spotlight without the risk of them spilling out. 

She checks herself out in the ladies' room mirror and bites her lip. 

While her outfit looks great on her, like - instant boob job, because they look like  decent B-cup right now, and if she-saw-her-picture-in-a-dating-app-she'd-immediately-Swipe Right™, a knot of worry formed in the pit of her stomach.

There’s a voice at the back of her head that sounded like a mix of her mother and Sister Johanna from high school asking her just what the hell she thinks she’s doing. 

It’s effective enough to make her trudge back to her locker and dig through the bottom of her bag for a white, threadbare shirt which she tugs over her head right away.

"How the hell does Wari do that?" She grumbles, standing in front of the mirror again. Her reflection did nothing but throw her disgruntled expression right back. 

She could always ask Wari for tips, of course. But the Encanto would want to know why, and Beata doubts it will take her that long to figure out what's up, and it's not like she needed any more people on her case. With a sigh, Beata heads out, letting the wooden door swing behind her.

--

Carlos Trese, sans his usual salakot and armor, meets her near the center of the sparring mat. He's traded the usual maong for dark sweatpants, but the white camisa chino remained. His head is newly shaved, save for the close-cropped patch that emphasized the sharp widow's peak that everyone in the Trese clan seems to have.

The two of them gave each other the customary bow, an acknowledgment and a promise that neither is out to genuinely hurt the other. No claws and no weapons, but it doesn't mean that Carlos would be less than terrifying.

Beata exhales slowly as she slides into the first stance; her right leg in front of the other and bent slightly at the knees while her right arm extends forward as the left is positioned close to her chest, bent at the elbow, both palms facing the opponent.

Basilio yelling, "Kick his ass, Bibi!" from the sidelines didn't help settle her nerves. She stomped down the urge to stick her tongue out at him and kept her focus at her sparring partner.

She never expected Carlos to go easy on her, but what she didn't expect was him charging towards her right off the bat, and Beata yelps in surprise, barely able to block the oncoming punch. She takes a backward step as her left forearm deflects the hit. She could already feel the bruise forming, but Carlos left his chest unguarded – it could be a trap, or he could easily block any incoming hit, but Beata knows she's just fast enough to land one, and so she took the risk.

Beata was able to push Carlos backward as her right palm rushed forward, striking him flat on the chest.

"Nice, Beata." He says with a curt nod. "That was good."

Her eyes flickered to his face, and she was granted one of his rare smiles. It gave him a rather boyish look, less menacing and closer to the impish grins the Kambal would have on their faces.

And her heart decides it's a good time to speed up, to rattle inside her ribcage, and she knows,  she knows it's not because of the spar. Because if it was, then Beata wouldn't have the fluttering, jittery feeling in her gut now, would she?

It was mortifying, this silly, little torch she holds for the eldest Trese sibling. It started on the day he saved her from a gang of aswang. They needed her blood for some ritual. She was too out of it to remember, and not even Alex's spell helped her recall anything except for the flash of the Verdugo's blades and the pained shrieks of her captors.

In her foggy, half-delirious state, the warmth of his skin that seeped through his clothes was her beacon, and she remembered the way his voice reverberated through his body as he told her to hold on. She found out later that he carried her on his back, away from the rundown townhouse in Wack-Wack that served as her prison for a few days.

She'd been waitressing at the Diabolical for a month when he returned, and Alex – well, Bossing – introduced the two of them formally. Carlos Trese asked how she was doing as he shook her hand.

The contact lasted no more than ten seconds, but the feeling of how much bigger and warmer and more calloused his hand was compared to hers stayed long after he left.

Beata made the mistake of asking the worst person about Carlos. She was a few bottles in, with her head buzzing slightly, and the conversation flowed freely between her and the kambal.

It had been a casual question: 'Do you guys know if Carlos is seeing anyone?'

But those nine words were the beginning of the end, and she watched, like it was in slow motion, as the smile in Basilio's face stretched into a grin.

He, of course, told Hannah, who told Amie, who told someone else, and the news made its way to Hank. Beata's not sure who told Alexandra, but bossing knows everything that happens in her club.

"Ayos ka lang?" Carlos asks, a crease forming in the middle of his forehead.

She could only nod as it felt like something lodged itself down her throat.

--

The two of them have been at it for fifteen minutes, maybe more. It was a dance, a flurry of kicks and punches and dodges - 

She thought she'd been doing a pretty decent job holding her own against the force of nature that is Carlos Trese – she blocks, and she counters when needed, slips in a hit or two of her own whenever she sees a sliver of a chance. She is just bold enough to drive a spear-hand strike at his torso, one he was able to swiftly block and sends a countering side-elbow strike against her face. It made her leap backward, earning her a nod from him.

But he's not the Verdugo for nothing.

Beata was able to dodge the knee-strike he aimed at her middle section, but in doing so, missed the knife-hand strike headed at the side of her jaw.

Against her better judgment, the young woman froze, wrenching her eyes shut as she anticipated the oncoming strike.

But it's been a few seconds, and the pain hasn't registered. There was, however, a feeling of warmth on the side of her face. Ever so slowly, Beata opened one eye, daring to look up at her sparring partner, only to see him staring down at her with an expression she couldn't quite place and his fingers hovering just beside her temple.

"That would have been a lethal hit," He comments as he withdraws his hand. "Don't let your guard down easily, Beata."

Beata, the paragon of articulate speech that she is, could only manage a strangled sound that she hoped sounded affirmative. She knows her face is as red as a tomato, but it's not just because of the spar. Carlos wasn't wrong though, had it been a real fight, she wouldn't have to worry about her skincare routine anymore.

She slipped back into an offensive stance before launching herself at him.

--

Someone called for a break, and Beata, despite her endurance, was grateful as she all but dragged herself to the other side of the gym. She slumped on the bench, trying to catch her breath. Already, there is a dull throb that formed at the base of her neck. She presses her fingers against the sore spot, hoping that she still has Salonpas left in her drawer.

As she cooled down, she let her eyes wander to the only other people inside the gym.

She watched Alexandra walk a bit ways off, talking to someone on her phone.

She watched the Kambal, both dashing even in cotton shirts and jogging pants, goof off with each other. Basilio trying to do a fucking Jyuken stance is funny enough to pull a giggle from her. Even funnier was Crispin barking out corrections on how to do the pose right .

A few feet away from them, Carlos Trese's shoulders shook as he laughed. Who knows when was the last time he was able to just sit without having to worry about the next monster coming at him?

She thought she'd already calmed down until Carlos stood up and lifts up the bottom of his sleeveless shirt to wipe the sweat off his face.

Beata froze; the rim of her tumbler is just barely grazing her lips. She blinks a few times as what seemed to be a high-pitched, ear-splitting wail of a siren echoed inside her head.

She averts her eyes because she has dignity, dammit. She's not gonna gawk at him like a voyeur; she's definitely not gonna burn this image in her mind's eye and save this once she’s alone.

And he removes his shirt. Completely. Because she's not stressed enough as it is.

She's definitely  not  looking at him, or his chest, or his equally broad shoulders, or –  Oh. Of course, he's got a six-pack, damn it all  – or his biceps, or how his faded scars contrasted against the brown of his skin. His sweatpants hung low on his waist, and her eyes seemed to fixate at the gutters of his hips.

It's definitely not the reason why her heart starts pounding heavily or why her throat seems to suddenly run out of moisture when her tumbler is already half-empty.

"Alam mo, this is creepy, even for you." A voice pipes up beside her, making the young mananaggal jump from her seat. Had she lathered herself with lana, her wings would have sprouted, leaving her upper body in the air and her lower half losing balance, comedically toppling on the floor, spilling her guts in a literal sense.

Beata's head whips to the side. The grin on Basilio's face, eerily enough, matched the one on his bone-while mask. She'd been too caught up… well, looking, she hadn't noticed her friend pop up beside her. How long had he been there?

"How is me drinking water creepy?" Beata counters in a well-rehearsed deadpan. She doesn't need to be reminded how weird it is. She's fully aware, thank you very much.

Basilio chuckles, slinging an arm around her shoulders. Beata tries to scooch away in her seat, but his reach is way too long to be avoided. "You could just go for it and ask Kuya to stay for dinner, Bibi." He had the guts to actually wag his eyebrows at her.

"Ugh, Crispin?" She made a show of scoffing. "If what that girl from the wind tribe said is true, salamat na lang,"

"Bibi, you know I'm not talking about –  wait – what did she say about him?"

"Wala," Beata grimaces as she pushes away from the long-haired twin. "Also, couldn't you wipe yourself off bago ka mang-asar? Manghahawa ka pa ng lagkit, kadiri amp,”

Finally getting the message, Basilio himself scooted a good few inches away, letting her out of his grip.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he ran a hand against his other arm, muttering, "I'm not even that sweaty," to himself.

Beata rolls her eyes. Sometimes, it's really hard to imagine how the underworld trembles at the mere mention of The Kambal.

"Hoy teka – don't change the subject!" Basilio says, raising one hand to give her a light chop on the top of her head.

"Aray!" She glares at him. "Parang gago naman 'to eh! What was that for?!"

"Beata, just talk to Carlos," Basilio says seriously, the way he does when he's imitating his older brother. "I'm getting tired of you giving him puppy-dog eyes every time you see him –"

"I'm not –" She objects, glowering.

"– or you completely stuttering when he's near –"

"H-hindi kami close!"

"– or you suddenly disappearing into the kitchen when he's at the bar –"

"I was needed there!"

"– And you haven't actually spoken with him, have you?"

"I-I've talked to him!"

"Yeah. Once."

"Point still stands that I was able to hold a conversation,"

"Telling him that Bossing isn't at the club doesn't count as a conversation, Bibi-girl." He winks.

"Sure, it does. He even said thank you before leaving," She insists. "And I sparred against him today. So… so there."

"Well, you wore that new sports bra for him, and he didn’t notice,"

Her mouth fell open. "H-huy, gago, hindi!"

Basilio's eyes widened at how squeaky her voice came out. "I was teasing! Oh shit, you really did, didn't you?"

"Oh, my God," She groans, burying her face in her hands. "I hate you so much,"

Beside her, he all but exploded with laughter, and Beata was so, so tempted to see if his regeneration abilities could keep up if she started to rip out his arms just before the next one grows.

"Don't worry, Bibi. I won't tell,"

"Sure you won't."

"I mean, you never wear that when you're up against Kuya and me,"

"Shut it, Basilio," She moaned, face still hidden.

He touched his shoulder to hers. "Yiie, dalaga na siya..."

"Para kang gago,"

"He's got big feet…" He goes on.

"No, Basilio. Just... no."

"And you know what they say about men who've got big feet." A pause, and then. "I mean, I would know…"

"Isa pa, ha. Pag 'di ka talaga tumigil, sinasabi ko sa ‘yo... ”

Basilio's laugh echoes throughout the gym.

[thetricksterwithwings]

prompt #18 with sabriel please? i love your work ❤

‘Aw c’mon Sam, it’ll be fun, it’s just a few pranks!’ Gabriel pleaded, clasping his hands together in a mockery of prayer, which Sam found ironic and quite funny coming from an actual angel.‘This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had.’ He paused for effect, Gabriel’s best puppy dog eyes boring into him. ‘Of course, I’m in.’ Sam grinned down at him as he whooped in delight.Sam laughed at his reaction, shaking his head slightly. It was good to see him happy again.‘Just be warned that Dean gets pretty relentless during prank wars, one time he put Nair in my shampoo bottle.’ Gabriel gaped at him.‘Bet you were pretty pissed about that, Rapunzel.’ He snickered as Sam glared at him, holding up his hands in surrender. ‘Are you, or are you not obsessed with those luscious locks of yours?’ When the glaring only strengthened Gabriel dissolved into laughter, leaving Sam sighing. When he recovered from his laughing fit his face lit up with a memory.‘Hey, actually, if I’m remembering correctly, Cas pulled something like that on me back in heaven. He was only a fledgling at the time, but he covered all my combs with bleach and then offered to help me groom my wings. You can imagine what came next.’ It was Sam’s turn to gape then, as he stared at Gabriel’s back where his wings would be and tried to imagine them spotted with big patches of white.‘You must have looked ridiculous, like an angel mixed with a cow.’ Gabriel tilted his head at him in question. ‘My wings aren’t black Sam if that’s what you’re implying. That’s just the shadows of them that your tiny human mind can comprehend. Nice try though.’ If Sam didn’t know better he’d say the archangel looked offended. ‘Nice try at what?’ Sam was confused.‘Insulting me? Not gonna work. Anyway, where’s your sense of team spirit? It’s supposed to be me and you versus them, but with all this friendly fire I’m starting to doubt our alliance.’ Gabriel pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his arms over his chest as he did. Sam laughed at him easily and shrugged off his pouty demeanor. ‘It’s not ‘friendly fire’ Gabe, I wasn’t trying to insult you. I had no idea angels were so sensitive about their wings.’ He poked him playfully on the shoulder to emphasize that he was still joking and pulled out the chair next to him.‘Now let’s get down to business and prank our stupid brothers.’ Gabriel stuck out his tongue at him and straightened his arms.‘Alright but next time you step outta line I’ll be the one putting depilatory cream in your shampoo bottle, kid.’ Sam snorted at him. ‘Message received! Now, can we get to planning?’Gabriel nodded. ‘So how do you wanna get Dean back for his attack on your precious hair? Super Glue on bottle labels is out and if you key the Impala he’ll likely murder you so let’s aim for a middle ground between those two.’‘Well actually, drawing inspiration from Cas’ prank, I was thinking that instead of Nair I could put bleach in a shampoo bottle.’‘Does Dean-O even use shampoo? I would’ve thought he washed his hair in a river and dried it with animal pelts like a True Man™.’ Sam laughed at the image and shook his head. ‘Did you have to say the trademark bit out loud?’ Gabriel nodded proudly. ‘And while usually, I would agree with that assessment of my brother, I know for a fact that he steals my hair stuff.’‘Well then, prank number one: turn Dean Winchester into a bottle blonde, is officially in action.’ Gabriel stood up.‘What about Cas?’ Sam asked, pushing out his chair from the table and standing too.‘I’ll need a bit of time to think of a comeback for my little brother, but he’ll get what’s coming to him, you rest assured. But for now, I think we’ll both enjoy the look on Dean’s face when he walks out of the shower looking like Britney Spears.’Sam nodded his agreement. ‘Good point. Seeing as we don’t exactly stock the kind of bleach that’s skin-safe, I’m gonna head to the store to get some, you need anything?’‘Honestly? What I need right now is to get out of the bunker for a while. Mind if I tag along?’Sam shook his head and gestured up the steps to let Gabriel ahead of him as he swiped the Impala’s keys off of the map table.‘Dean’ll probably have a stroke at the thought of you in the passenger seat of Baby, but that kind of sweetens the deal when it comes to pranking him.’ Sam called up to Gabriel, who grinned sadistically.‘I’ll send him a picture with my feet up on the dash.’—–They didn’t get their chance to pull off their plan until a day later, after a particularly messy but quick woodland hunt which had Dean shoved down into a muddy ditch by a werewolf.After Cas had healed his sprained ankle and disappeared Dean had finished his beer and grunted something about dirt being in places he hadn’t even known had existed before he shuffled off to the showers.As soon as he left the room Gabriel whipped around to face Sam with a look of mischievous anticipation on his face.‘Would it be too much to wait outside the showers for him to come out?’ Sam thought about it for a moment. ‘Nah, let’s go, I so need to get a picture of his face.’—-After waiting for what felt like an eternity of waiting, the door to the showers cracked open.Sam readied his phone camera off to the side as Gabriel held up a mirror directly in front of the entrance.The sight the two pranksters were met with was only half of what they expected though. For example the sight of a furious Dean with platinum blonde hair and a towel around his waist was expected, Castiel standing beside him in a similar state and trying to calm him down, was not.Sam sheepishly snapped a picture of the two of them on instinct then dropped his phone into his pocket as he tapped Gabriel on the shoulder to lower the mirror.When Gabriel caught sight of them together in all their blonde ridiculousness and towels, he immediately burst into laughter, which prompted Dean to lunge for him and almost lose said towel. Cas caught him by the shoulder with a sigh and yanked him back with one hand, the other catching a hold of his wayward towel.  Sam averted his eyes from the awkward scene and cleared his throat. ‘So, how long has,’ He gestured to the pair dripping water into the hallway. ‘This, been going on for?’‘Shut up Sam.’ Dean grumbled, quickly forgetting his desire to kill the archangel still laughing at him in the face of questions about his love life. In fact, as he pushed past his younger brother determinedly, Sam could have sworn he saw Dean go bright red. Even Castiel was looking a little flushed as he quickly excused them both and ran after Dean.‘Okay, that was amazing. Please tell me you got a picture of them?’Sam smiled and nodded, taking out his phone and pulling up the picture. Their brothers looked hilariously like deer caught in headlights.‘That is brilliant! I now know what my prank for Cas is gonna be, I’m gonna print this a gazillion times and leave all the copies around the bunker.’Sam nodded in approval and high-fived him as they walked away from the scene of the crime, both of them still laughing every time they looked down at Sam’s phone.

[tsw-story]

Chapter 16 - Power of Imagination

Asta Ahlgren was alone now. It was hours later, and Ron was instructed to go a different way, just to be safe. Though her clothing was ordinary, she still carried the gold and white mace that she often does. It seemed incredibly strange. However, it wasn't a blade, so nobody persecuted her. Many likely thought it was part of a cosplay, but not everyone keeps to themselves.

The dim lights of Alberta's chilly streets lit a figure up ahead. It was just Asta and the stranger. This part of town was deserted, and the day was fading away.

It was a man—a young man. His nose was tinted red, showing that he had likely been drinking. The hair on his head and face weren't groomed, and frankly, he didn't smell all that nice either. He stumbled up to Asta and smiled strangely.

“Heya, cutie,” he said before he hiccuped.

“Go away.”

“Very feisty.” He laughed. “What is that you have there? Oh. A mace. Do you roleplay or something? That's kinda weird, but I'm into anything if you are.”

She said nothing more, and simply kept walking.

“Hey,” he snapped. “Don't walk away from me.”

His hand grabbed Asta's shoulder, and it was the last thing he remembered. She spun around and drove a fist into his nose, shattering the cartilage into tiny pieces. She then grabbed his head, and crushed his forehead against her knee, dropping him to the ground in merely a few seconds. Rubbing her fist, she continued on her way.

She withdrew a key and unlocked the door of her safe house. It was ordinary is almost every way, drawing no attention towards it compared to any of the homes adjacent. This was where she fed the Elixir of Strength to Ron, Dylan, Xeno, and their now-deceased leader.

The bald one was in the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Asta asked.

“Cookin' eggs.”

“That's not what I meant. Don't smoke in here.”

Ron grunted and put his cigar out. Eventually the stench of smoke was overtaken by the aroma of freshly cooked eggs. He sizzled them in a pan over the oven's element.

“Why'd ya help us try to get revenge?”

“I don't need you to understand. I just believe magic has no place on this world. It caused more problems than anything should. No single person should have the potential of having god-like powers. Controlling reality with their mind. Their creativity. Wizards are living weapons.”

“Ya keep talkin' about the government comin' to take care of that, though.”

“They try. We have different opinions, though. I can't let them find me, but now the wizards are multiplying. There's Eldrian, the one who seems to be trying to master all kinds of magic, but now there's also the witch girl, a druid boy, and some fellow with a sword. Kevin, yes. That was his name. Eldrian's friend. I'm going to need to research them more. I don't know enough. And if you find Xeno, make him come back! He receives power and immediately leaves.”

“He said he doesn't care about hunting Eldrian or the others. What's the deal with these wizards, anyway? I just don't get it.”

“They're born the way they are. Just like spellbreakers. Wizards have a grasp over controlling reality in strange, confusing ways, using just their mind. They use their own energy—their stamina—to do this, so they aren't deities. But before they run out, they're incredibly deadly.”

“These wizards are startin' to piss me off more and more.”

“The longer I wait, the worse it gets. And I already lost control of two of you. See, wizards are like animals. You back them into a corner, and they get even more dangerous. When they need to, they can come up with seemingly impossible power. The reach of a wizard's magic is the peak of their own imagination. If that limit is high, then God help us.”

***

Deena brought back her hands. They held at her side, and between them, a frozen star appeared. It grew in size, especially length, until it resembled a thick javelin of solid ice. She dug her feet into the ground and thrust it forwards. Ice Spear!

It soared through the air and met its target. The spear stabbed straight into Dylan's back, and he roared out with furious, deadly intent. He turned his head to the others. The ice slowly crumbled into pieces, and the hole it left behind closed soon after.

He retaliated by thrusting his giant fist down at the group. However, unexpected vines came from the side and wrapped around his wrist, tugging it into a miss. It was pulled to the ground. Daveon knew his spell wouldn't hold, but he looked to the tangerine samurai coming to save the day.

Kevin swung Drodias and sliced the beast's hand clean off. It fell to the ground with a thud.

“You got it!” shouted Daveon.

However, it was no different than before. Strands of tendons and muscle tissue shot out of both ends of his wrist and they met in the middle. The hand was pulled up to connect back into place, and both inside and out, the wound repaired it self completely. It did buy them time to take a breath and prepare.

“We need to all attack at once to do enough damage!” called Eldrian from behind the creature. “Five seconds, and unleash hell!”

They looked to one another. It was barely a plan still, but it was the only one they had.

Deena began conjuring up her shadow ball. Beside her, Kevin was ready to sprint into action with a sword in-hand. Daveon was next to him, and he had both his hands ready to fire thorns from his palms.

The target was easy to hit, but nothing was working. However, it was time to begin the barrage.

A ball of chaotic energy came from Deena and blew a hole through his shoulder. Next, two thorns, one from each of Daveon's hands, fired like bullets into Dylan's stomach. Finally, Kevin leapt into action. He dashed by the monster's right leg, and cut it nearly off with a single swing of his magic blade.

Eldrian was ready. He took a pose similar to the one he takes when casting his lightning lance. However, this was different. Sparks of magic came to the ends of his finger tips—two fingers out on each hand. One was of lightning, but the other was black as night.

He circled the two types of magic around before bringing them to his side

“The speed and power of a lightning bolt. The chaotic explosion of shadow magic,” Eldrian said with a furious glare up at his target. “Try this new spell out. Dark Lightning!”

The two sparks meant and became what he said. A solid black bold of electricity appeared in the shape of a spear beside him. It crackled with power. Sparing no more time, he thrust it forward, and it flashed across the night sky. The effect was incredible.

Shock waves of electricity burst out from the point of impact, but they caused further damage by the strength of the chaotic power the current held, and on collision, the spell detonated a gigantic hole through the monster's torso. It cracked and surged. The spell was difficult to cast, and even moreso to aim, leaving Eldrian exhausted. However, it met the target perfectly.

His hat soared from his head and disappeared into sparkles behind him.

All of the damage combined left Dylan in pieces. His limbs hung by strands before snapping off, and his midsection crumbled into fragments. The head was the only part that remained whole, and it tumbled and rolled across the desert ground.

Daveon acted quickly. He wrapped vines up around both arms and legs. The neck's stub crawled towards the torso like a spider of flesh, and it soon met up. However, even though Dylan had reattached his head, all of his limbs were not only cracked, but held down by powerful magic vines.

He finally gave out. Dylan stopped moving.

They saw his skin begin to shiver. The muscles making up his massive form started to shrink.

“Let him go!” yelled Eldrian. “He's turning back!”

The druid was uncertain. But he thought for a moment. If he turned back like this, he'd bleed out on the ground with no limbs. He wasn't one to want someone to suffer. The arms and legs were released, and they started to connect back to the body as it all shrink.

Soon, Dylan was left small once more and unconscious before the group.

“I'll take him,” Lucy said, stepping up. “There's no place here that could hold him. Maybe one of your governments. But we can't take the chance of waiting for them to arrive. Plus, you guys probably don't want that to happen anyway.”

Eldrian nodded. “Thanks, Lucy. Let's get out of here now before people start showing up.”

“Oh. Now you're going to be careful,” muttered Deena.

“What?”

“You're the one that keeps using magic in public. And now you try something so crazy as using lighting and shadow magic at one time. Those are both the most difficult to control elements. You could have blown your fingers off.”

Daveon shook his head and laughed. “You can be worried about him later. Let's go somewhere safe.”

“I'm not—“ She pursed her lips and grumbled like a frustrated child. “Whatever. I'll open a door to my house. Nobody can find us there.”

Just like before, she manifested a pale door in the middle of nowhere. All but Lucy proceeded through. The devil had a lot of work to do, and even otherwise, she usually does. They were soon all safe within the protection of Deena's mysterious dungeon home. They had no idea where it was actually situated. For all they know, it could be across the globe. Eldrian's phone received no bars wherever they were, so he assumed they were underground.

There was a calmness that came over them—a relief. A lot of madness had happened over the last day, or even the last week.

Eldrian embraced Kevin with a loving hug—as a friend, of course.

“I'm so glad you're safe,” he said.

Kevin laughed. “Thanks to you guys.”

“They wanted to get to you, Eldrian,” Deena said.

Releasing Kevin from his wizard grip, he looked to her with a confused expression. “Why?”

“No idea.”

“I do,” Kevin spoke up. “That monster. You didn't recognize him when he turned back? That was one of the guys that tried to rob me on the night I ran into you. The night you saved me. The other one with powers was the bald thug. Somehow, they both drank from the Elixir and wanted revenge on you for humiliating them.”

“No way... How did they get the Elixir?”

Daveon shook his head. “We have no idea.”

“Thank you, by the way,” spoke Eldrian. “You came all the way across the world, Daveon, and you're helping us. You don't have to. I appreciate it.”

“It's not a problem. It feels right. I was accomplishing nothing back home, but now, I've already helped save people. You're all good friends. And you're a talented wizard, Eldrian.”

“He said he wants to be an archmage. A master of all magic,” Kevin added.

“Out of anyone I've met, you're the one I imagine could actually accomplish that. I have no aspiration to achieve that myself, so I'll be here along the way to assist.”

“That's all fine,” said Deena. “But there's little room in this world for something like that. Magic is hidden away.”

Eldrian sighed. “Maybe the world needs to change.”

“Good luck asking all the governments and all the spellbreakers if that's fine with them.”

“I know the world doesn't want people with ultimate power able to walk freely around. I get that. I know wizards can be living weapons. But you can't just capture or kill those people who are born that way. They need to be educated and protected. Maybe there's only bad wizards because they feel afraid. I don't know about you guys, but I can imagine an Earth, one day in the future, where wizards can use their magic without fear.”

“I'd be fine with that,” Kevin said.

“That's a far away dream,” muttered Deena. “There's far more immediate problems then changing the entire planet. There's apparently someone with a powerful artifact giving magical strength to people who shouldn't have it, and that was three that came specifically after us.”

“You're right. We need to focus. Do we even have any idea what to do?”

“The most I can imagine is to speak with Lucy. Maybe that guy can tell us. He has to know something.”

“Let's rest for now,” said Eldrian before a yawn escaped his lips. “I'm exhausted.”

The others looked at one another. It began to sink in just how tired they all were. Adrenaline levels dropped. Their bodies ached and the day was over.

“You can sleep somewhere in this room or portal home. I don't care which,” stated Deena as she turned. “I'm going to bed either way. Please don't break anything.”

Eldrian then turned to his ginger companion. “I saw your dad,” he said softly.

Kevin gasped. “My dad? He's all right?”

“He is. The nurse said the bullet didn't pierce anything important. They're taking care of him at the hospital right now. I'm so sorry this happened. They attacked you because they were mad at me. And then they brought your family into it. I thought if I messed up, maybe spellbreakers would find me, but I never thought people would target my friends and their loved ones. I really feel awful.”

“It isn't your fault, Eldrian. If you didn't step in back then, I could have died anyway. You just tried to help. And then without you, Rend might still be hunting people.”

“Maybe.”

“I don't hold anything against you, buddy. Cheer up. We managed to win today, somehow, and I can't believe I'm the one saying these things. Like a week ago, if you told me any of this, I wouldn't believe it. I don't know how you haven't gone mad.”

“You get used to it. Mostly. Anyway, come morning, you should visit your dad. I'll text you if I find anything else out.”

“Do you know why someone could be sending super powered killers after us?”

“It isn't like the government to send things like this. Spellbreakers would take care of us with half the effort. It has to be someone else, but I honestly have no idea who it could be.”

“An angry ex?”

“Uh. I really doubt that.”

“Because you never get any girls?”

“No...” Eldrian sweated nervously.

“How about we sleep tonight, and worry about the rest tomorrow?”

“That I can agree to.”