#shes an acroBAT haha

[spookberry]

Gotta love a lil clown doll

[dewphox]

Hehe this is Dorothea UU I don’t have time to get into details just yet or do actual artwork instead of doodles but I had to get her out of my system.

The short story is she’s an ex rhythmic acrobat and varieté theater performer, who after an accident went to stardew valley with her grandmother to recover and escape the media. For the first years she’s rocking crutches or a cane and maybe a cast where all of the villagers will sign and draw on hoho.

Also her grandmother is the younger sister of the granpa and the actual ‘‘farmer’‘ that inherited the farm. But Dorothea would be my player character it’s just to spice the canon up a bit. Her grandmothers name is Elfriede, Elfie for short and she’d be the sort of lady you could find in the golden girls or a jessica fletcher from murder she wrote. If you know you know <3 She’s also the owner of the Varieté Dorothea performed in! When they moved to pelican town she only left a letter proclaiming her successor but they didn’t tell anyone where they went.

Dorothea is also an insect girly and likes butterflies perhaps a bit too much UU She has a pet snail (unnamed for now) and their dog is of the species Leonberger and called Joseph (a healthy dose of Heidi references are included :> you’ll know why later when i can draw her more hehe)

Their Farm is canonically an Alp and they specialize in goats, sheep, flowers and honey. I don’t know a ship yet, but just for the goth x girly girl aesthetic she’ll have some kind of relationship one way or the other with sebastian, even if it’s just unlikely friends, or something haha. She’s also albinistic! At first i just wanted to give her white hair just because, but when Alex dropped the line ‘‘you should go out into the sun more, otherwise you’ll get pale’‘ it would be just too funny if she is. I already have a few designs where i included funky sunglasses or sunhats and i’ll propably make some cute parasols too.

She’s very girly pop but more frugal and capable than most people would think at first glance. All her clothes are secondhand or upcycled she doesn’t buy or care for brands. She also doesn’t care if her clothes get dirty because she ‘‘only has nice clothes’‘ and if all her clothes are nice then all her clothes hold the same value to her and as such can be used as work clothes all the same.

She also has a mischievious streak and often plays into it when people don’t take her seriously, very ‘‘be smart, play dumb’‘.

As I said I don’t have too much time at the moment but I still already love her very much and am excited to get more in depth UU

[thescarletnargacuga]

Hi! Uh, I'm probably the least qualified to ask but Beach day adventure for the gang, perhaps? Maybe a pool party, with a bit of a showtime fanservice on the side? ����👈

BEACH DAY

A DIGITAL CIRCUS ONESHOT

WARNING: none

~~~

"Today's adventure is A Day At The Beach!" Caine proudly announced to his sceptical, and often cynical, audience. "All you have to do is enjoy the warm sand and clear waves! It's the perfect day to relax at the beach!"

"Wait.... seriously?" Zooble asked with a raised brow.

"I know some of the recent adventures have been a bit...much. So, we're going to have some fun in the sun! No strings attached!" Caine held his pose, looking at each circus member in hopes for a positive reaction.

"That sounds like fun." Ragatha spoke up. "What do you think, Pomni?"

"I don't know. Seems...deceptively simple. Caine, what's the catch?" Pomni squinted suspiciously.

Caine would sweat if he was physically capable. "No catch! Unless you want to go snorkeling! Then you can catch whatever you want! Haha!" He snapped, causing Jax, Ragatha, Kinger, and Pomni's clothes to chage. "I even modeled new outfits for the occasion! Sorry, Zooble and Gangle. I didn't really have much to work with for you two." He shrugged.

Ragatha and Pomni shrieked with surprise. Ragatha wore a solid purple one piece suit. Pomni had a red and blue tankini two piece, her jester's hat still atop her head. Jax wore peach colored swim trunks with an open, pink Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. Kinger's robe became a beach towel.

"Oh! This is...more revealing than I'm used to." Ragatha nervously chuckled.

"Okay, Caine, I'm picking up what you're putting down. This isn't too bad." Jax lowered his shades so no one could see where he was looking, despite his eyes being bigger than the shades.

Kinger looked at himself. "Feels...light."

Pomni covered herself in vain. "Caine! A little WARNING!?"

"Sorry, I was just excited to show you." And to see what it looked like on her. His code fluttered. She looked amazing. He cleared his voice and snapped again to open an iridescent portal. "Simply, have fun, my intrepid beach crawlers!"

Everyone started to the portal, but Zooble turned on their heel and walked away. Caine flew over in front of them. "Zooble, please! This really is a simple relaxing adventure! You've refused all my other ones! I'm getting desperate here! Just this one?? You have me on my knees!" Caine dropped to the ground, hands together in a plea.

Zooble looked back at the others, embarrassed. "Wha- Caine, get up! I don't- it's just- ugh...fine."

Caine gasped, scrambling back into the air. "YOU'LL GO!? REALLY???"

"If it'll get you to stop doing...all of that." Zooble said with disgust and followed the others through the portal.

The beach was beautiful. Warm sugar sand and sparkling blue ocean. Calm waves lapped the shore as seagulls called overhead. Beach chairs and umbrellas were already set up for them. Faceless NPCs stood at attention in a tiki bar.

"Wow, it really is what he said it would be." Pomni stood in disbelief, looking back at the portal. The others went off ahead. Pomni stuck her head back through to the circus. "Hey, Caine?"

Caine was still nearby, celebrating that he managed to convince Zooble to enjoy an adventure. He stopped his acrobatics mid flip and flew down to Pomni. "Yeeeees? Is there something I can do for you, my dear." He laid on his stomach in the air in front of her, at eye level, chin in his hands. "I'm on a roll today!" He kicked his feet, excitedly.

"Actually, yeah, there is." She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him through the portal, it vanished when they came out the other side.

"Woah!" Pomni pulled him too hard, sending him somersaulting through the air.

"Oops, sorry. You're lighter than you look."

"That's alright!" Caine stopped upside down, facing Pomni. "I'm streamlined." He laughed as his body did a back flip without his head. "Now, uh...what was it that you wanted?"

Pomni walked past him. "I wanted you to see what happy humans are like. Watch."

Caine uprighted himself, floating next to Pomni. Zooble was at the tiki bar enjoying a colorful drink. Kinger was building a massive sandcastle. Gangle was relaxing in the shade, listening to the waves. Ragatha was wading in the shallows, but Jax came up and pushed her over. He laughed but went into the water himself when he was tackled by a large wave. Ragatha got up and splashed Jax, who splashed back.

Caine's eyes watered. "They're having...fun."

"They are." Pomni smiled at Caine. "You did good."

"I did?" His voice cracked.

"Yeah." Pomni offered her hand to him. "Why don't you join us this time?"

Caine looked at her hand, only hesitant because he was afraid his actions would change them having fun. He slowly accepted her hand, firmly grasping it. "I'd love to."

[saintverse]

Six of Crows Playlists 🐦‍⬛

Edit: Check the notes for more!

I made some Six of Crows playlists, forgive me for the sheer amount of songs, I listen to a downright obnoxious amount of music. I was also legally obligated to include some very 2016-2018 "edgy" music that was typically associated with these books back in my fandom days. The middle school nostalgia aspect really got me.

General book playlist, some of it is songs that fit all of the characters as well as book events, some of it is songs that fit the atmosphere of the setting.

My Jesper and Wylan playlist. I'd be down to make playlists for other specific relationships, they just happen to be my favorite. If that's something you're actually interested in, let me know, because I do have some ideas!

Possibly a collection of all my favorite love songs. They meant so much to me when I was 13, I have such a soft spot.

I'm most embarrassed by this one. It has a lot of the nostalgia element that was mentioned above. It was difficult to find songs that contend with the persona Kaz has so carefully cultivated. Forgive me for the possibly shallow reading of his character that it may convey.

There's lots to work with in regard to Inej. Her past as an acrobat, her future as a pirate, all on top of her character throughout the duology. I had fun.

Possibly one of the most conflicting and chaotic playlists on this list. Creating it really had me pondering Nina's writing. She's a lot more complex/multi-faceted than I'd ever given her credit for, haha!

I struggled the most with Matthias' playlist, I'm actually surprised it's as long as it is. I didn't connect with him as much as the others, especially during my first reading of the duology, but I've definitely gained some respect for his character and what Bardugo was trying to convey when writing him. Normally I'm drawn to characters whose experience parallels mine as a "cult survivor", but there's a lot of notable distance between our experiences.

Similarly to the Kaz playlist, I hope the "just vibes" theme of this playlist doesn't come across as a shallow understanding of Jesper's character. It's the longest playlist, he's my absolute favorite and it shows. I have a lot of respect for him!

A contender for the discordic energy of Nina's playlist. I intentionally leaned into this aspect. Wylan holds a special place in my heart, he helped me come to terms with a lot of things. I fear some of the self projection is clearly evident.

A couple of extra notes:

Expect a follow-up post soon. I very much need a Kuwei playlist, as well as a Kanej/Helnik/Ninej playlist. Perhaps one highlighting the friendship between Jesper and Inej as well, who knows.

If you're uncomfortable with songs with sexual or suggestive lyrics being applied to them, I totally understand and respect that. Those songs were included either because I found that aspect of them ignorable, because I think it matches their "energy" or is the style of music they might enjoy, or quite rarely because I'm specifically keeping the Shadow and Bone continuity in mind.

Example: ...Baby One More Time is a fairly suggestive song. But I'll stand by the fact that Jesper Fahey would listen to 90s pop artists over my dead body.

[inkspottie]

Tumblr please stop eating my asks.. already it was annoying when you ate these for Spottie but now eating these for fucking everyone- LET ME SPEAK. I WANT MY RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH BACK. Anyways How would everyone behave in a trampoline park (if you don't mind including Celeste and Sadao's siblings please add them-) because I need that very important knowledge (totally do)

SMH tumblr

Oh boy haha let’s see here��.id imagine this is if things were fine and dandy and they weren’t mutated monsters xD also I’ve never been to a trampoline park so forgive me if these feel inaccurate lol

Seb: he’d be ballistic jumping everywhere but also dragging people places he’d be the one who hides in the foam pit and drags unsuspecting people in

Sadao: the parent of the group, scolds people and tells them to be careful doesn’t really have fun until someone drags him into it

Gabriel: kid in a candy store, this is his home he fits right in jumping everywhere

Anzu: she does all kinds of cool tricks, front flips, backflips, she is very acrobatic

Painter: Same with Gabriel, LOVES jumping around dares people to do crazy stunts

Celeste: She’s the only normal one in the group, bounces around without this feral energy, tries to encourage others to come in and join the fun. But will push her brothers into the foam pit when they’re not paying attention

Iwai (Sadao’s older brother): he’s in a wheelchair but it doesn’t mean he can’t have fun. Aka he makes Sadao go off and have fun for him. Tells Sebastian to drag his ass and make him get in there

Hikari (Sadao’s sister): She is with Anzu doing all the cool moves

Reiko (Sadao’s sister): She’s off trying to see if there’s any fun adult drinks and relax with Iwai while she watches her little bro get dragged around by his bf

[jojo-schmo]

Some Forgotten Land Roleswap Beast Pack lore!!

Thought it would be fun to share some more about the Beast Pack ruled by Clawroline, and my thoughts behind some choices I made when swapping their roles! More under the cut-!

The big three. Queen Clawroline, Leongar her enforcer and second-in-command, and Bandana Dee the Awoofy Prince.

I can't be too detailed about these three because I'd spoil my own comic! But think of Leongar and Clawroline swapping each other's roles like this:

Clawroline is the Queen now but also a sort of Ringmaster based on her circus theme (her boss fight location in Wondaria, and the magic tricks and acrobat attacks she does). That's why she keeps the cape and top hat but accessorizes it a bit more. Also, the jewels on her cape are the purple ones on canon Leongar's cape. You may have noticed in the first page of the prologue, I had Carol and Leon wear one jewel each as a sign of being co-rulers. But now she has both of them. >:)

Leongar is the Enforcer and loyal second-in-command. To be honest I thought his boss attacks were a little basic before Fecto takes full control of him. Biting, scratching... standard things you'd expect from a lion. So to keep with Clawroline's Ringmaster theme, he is now going to be more of a performer. I'm thinking of some fun moves for him. I mean, he's really buff. He'd make a powerful acrobat. So that's where the bow-tie and ponytail come from. (can't have your hair in your face.)

I can only say this about Bandee right now: He's the Awoofy Prince because he made a special connection to the Awoofies and they respect him. However, he rose to Number 3 rank in large part because of the special knowledge he could share with Clawroline from being a Waddle Dee, denizen of Popstar, and someone who has traveled between dimensions before. He becomes a really big asset and gets the Pack closer to their goals than they ever were before.

What goals are those? Sorry! Not spilling yet. :')

Some backstory on Skipperdillo (Roleswap Sillydillo) and Gorimonger (roleswap Gorimondo)! These aren't spoilers, just lore :P

Here's an old post that goes into detail on my thoughts when swapping these two. Basically I swapped the "Anchor Necklace" and wearing "Metal Signs as Armor" aesthetics and things went really smoothly from there, haha.

They don't have a TON of personality in the canon game, so to be honest I broke down their basic characteristics (Silly is.... silly, creative, and chaotic- Gori is strong, territorial, and protective) and made them my own :P

As for why Gori doesn't like Bandee- part of it is because Bandee became Number 3 very quickly, but it also has to do with their first encounters which will be part of the comic :D

Gori and Skipper work together a lot because their jobs complement each other. They like to fistbump after a job well done- a tradition started by Skipper when it saw it on an old advertisement. :3

Finally, the Beast Council's eye makeup! Clawroline's distinct eyeshadow, Leongar's winged eyeliner, Bandee's eyeshadow and Awoofy markings, Skipperdillo's "eyepatch", and Gorimonger's "under-eyeshadow"

The reason I made the Roleswap Beast pack look so different to the canon one is because of the difference of my interpretation of Clawroline's leadership.

Leongar's Beast Pack in canon is more focused on returning back to primal roots. Really embracing the powerful beast within. Raw, untamed energy.

I wanted Clawroline's Beast Pack to be the opposite- under her leadership I think she'd evolve the Beasts forward as they learned from the remnants of culture left behind in the Forgotten Land. They wear a lot of "people clothes" for that reason. (the capes, bow ties, armor, hats...) In canon, she's the only Beast who wears true "people clothes" other than Leon (her top hat and cape). I took her canon interest in these "human behaviors" of magic tricks and clothes and ran with it. So her Beast Pack is very expressive in their appearances.

I think she wouldn't mind it because A) it doesn't directly interfere with their goals, and B) even while brainwashed, she's still a creative being at her core. In canon she wears glitter eyeshadow and learned some complex performing tricks like knife-throwing, acrobatics, and disappearing smoke tricks to complement her feline attacks. To learn all that, I like to think she must have had some respect for the cultural remnants of the forgotten world they live in.

However they're not eliminating the "Beast" part of themselves. They are still wild, but they're blending these ancient, forgotten aesthetics and interests with their own. They have plenty of natural talents and skills to fall back on when something doesn't go right.

So those are some of my thoughts behind this swapped Beast Pack! Since there's so much room to interpret them in canon, I had a lot of fun stretching it all further and in the opposite direction!

Thanks for reading! <3

[di-devil]

Haaa, for some reason, only at work I remember that I have my little acrobat!

Do not pay attention to the pink nose of my mother cat, she is very curious.

Art commentary: I wonder why Pomni is so unhappy? Haha

[breadstraightfromthewell]

I don't know if anybody has already thought about it

but circus-themed Lords in Black (and Webby!)

so like, either they just have these circus-themed looks when they appear in human form, or The Black&White is this great travelling circus that comes to Hatchetfield several times a year, and where, if someone were to look a little bit closer, something suspicious is going on

Wiggly is the ringmaster; he runs the circus, introduces the rest during the act, and also comments on their performances. he would also be the one to choose volunteers if they were needed and invite them onto the stage

he also orders the Sniggles who run around and perform smaller acrobatic acts like contortion, hand walking, or even human pyramid maybe

Pokey has the appearance of a mime, but his role in the circus is of a puppeteer and ventriloquist. he makes intricate performances with many puppets, often staging musicals. he doesn't speak, but he uses his puppets to say things for him

Nibbly overall performs all the acts connected with eating. Sword swallowing, fire eating, insect eating, glass eating. he could also do some strongman acts, I think

Tinky is a clown and does all the usual clown bits like physical comedy, some juggling (with little yellow boxes that look a bit like rubic cubes, wonder what they are). he also does two magic tricks: the 'sawing a woman in half' and the sword box trick

Blinky is mostly a technician and observes what's happening, but he sometimes also performs magic acts and illusion tricks, and also sometimes does tricks with a cyr wheel and chinese yo-yo

Webby is an acrobat. she performs mostly in air; all the tricks with tightrope walking, and also slacklinig, etc. she also does the spanish web and aerial silk

i'm thinking about maybe trying to draw designs for them but we'll see how it goes haha

[dammarchy211]

Rejoice! Donatella backstory headcanons be upon ye!

Donatella was raised by her widowed mother, Lorenza, with her 4 sisters, living in a small town in Italy. After years of performing as a figure skater and dancer, Lorenza was finally able to settle down in a town with her now deceased husband. A mix of the death of her husband, and the hoops she had to jump through to get her life as good as it was for her and her daughters, Lorenza suffers from the same personality defects has Alma from Encanto (though I had actually made Lorenza before that movie came out haha). She pushed all of her children to pursue the same career she did, as she that’s what she knew how to teach them best, as well as pushed them to all hold themselves with the same grace and elegance associated with their profession. Constantly. Francesca was always the troublemaker child, but in twin cliché fashion, her and Dona always went everywhere together. Eventually when Dona was around 16, and sick of the grueling practice, being sheltered, and the closed off behavior of her mother, she decided to run away with the circus that had come to her town. It wasn’t Augustus that originally made her go, though he was nice and she liked him a lot, it was really the freedom. Lucy (though Marona at the time) was so much more warm and welcoming than her mom, and while her dancing and skating training would come in handy with the acrobatics, it wasn’t something she was forced to do. So she left in the night and never turned back. However due to the fact she wasn’t just leaving her mother behind (and the fact that she was leaving her mother behind, she still loved her regardless), it’s something that STILL eats Dona away inside, so she never really told any of her children about any of her family members. She’s more of a sweep anything that’s troubling you under the rug kind of person.

She wrote to her mother over the years, telling her about her life and just trying to keep in touch in some way, but she never got any messages back, despite Lorenza still reading the letters (Somehow her mother can hold a grudge for that long). The main reason Dona was so upset that Raz had run away, is that she really didn’t want to face the hurt she had caused her own family, and fearing she had become too much like her own mother, she masked it with passive aggressiveness.

I’ll just briefly go over their personalities too !

Fran: Even though Dona kinda got put on Lorenza’s shit list permanently for running away to the circus, Fran is this the one she butts heads with when it comes to family members she’s actually in touch with. She’s a famous fencer! Something her mom wasn’t the happiest about but she grew to at the very least tolerate it over time. Fran is very bold and extroverted, as well as a romantic and chivalrous person when it comes to her fiancée. She loves action and despite holding some contempt for her closest family member running away, she mostly just really misses her. If anything, she just wished Dona had brought her with her. Despite not following her mother’s career path that she set for her children, Francesca is probably the most well known out of all of them.

Pippa: Pippa is the second youngest after the twins! She does figure skating like her mother, and has At Least one kid (who is named Michelangelo or Mikey for short). She’s the biiig gossip or the family, and loves talking, which is basically how she’s been her whole life. After Dona left, her and Fran grew a little bit closer (but still not as much as her and her twin). Pippa is a bit of the glamor girl, but she’s very nice and bubbly, and when it comes to gossip she just likes to hear and talk about drama, not really insult people. As a kid she tried her hardest to be like her oldest sister, Giovanna, which worked out for her in some ways, but put pressure on her in others.

Imelda: Imelda is a bit closed off and introverted. She’s not openly shy, but she prefers to spend her time not talking. She used to be a dancer (more specifically ballet) but changed careers to something more “practical” like a business or research based job (idk yet like an accountant or data analyst or smth) when the dancing wasn’t really working out. I could mmmaybe see her having children but probably not.

Giovanna: Giovanna is the oldest, and golden child. She never really experienced parentification, their mother fussed over them a lot, but she was still held up to the standard of the example for her younger sisters. This caused her to be much closer with her mother than any of her sisters. She also found herself scolding her sisters for her mom. Giovanna ended up being a figure skater like her mother.

Lorenza: I feel like I talked about her a bit in the backstory already but like, imagine Alma from encanto, yeah. She’s super passive aggressive when she sees Donatella again. After a whiile she comes around and sees where she went wrong, and they keep in touch. Nona thinks she has a stick up her ass, and Lorenza is a peeved her grandkids call their non-Italian grandma ‘Nona’ (Dona’s like “I’m sorry they picked it up from me!! I didn’t think they’d ever meet you!” Which just makes things worse.) queue running joke of the Aquato kids trying to think of something to call Lorenza instead of Nona.

OKAY TOPIC SHIFT. HERES FRAN AND HER FIANCÉE I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!

Gay aunts win

[toweroftickles]

❤️ Valentine's Day Morsels ❤️

(A Whole Month Late 😅)

These were all supposed to be done for the holiday itself, but obviously that didn't happen. The problem is that I care way too much about my writing and try too hard to make it actually good. That's not why anybody reads this crap. Anywho, I've been in an anomalously sappy, romantic mood lately and whipped up some sugary, snack-sized tickle drabbles involving a few of my all-time-favorite (canon) fictional couples. :) Hope these are sweet enough! Disclaimer: this is all obviously just meant to be cute, silly fun.

Link/Zelda (utilizing "Wilds" era)

Whenever Purah developed a revolutionary new piece of tech for the Hylian Royal Family, she of course needed a volunteer to test it out. At those times, Princess Zelda was always on-hand to make sure she had one. And it was usually Link.

The Sheikah techie was putting the finishing touches on a new observation platform propulsion system...she called it a "Skyview Tower." The Hero of Hyrule stood in the center of the device, bracing for the upcoming vertical rush. It was somewhat against his will that he was being held in place by six clinking, clanking Guardian arms. He felt like a prisoner in the teeth of a hungry beast as they hooked him to the machine, but Purah just clicked away happily on her control Pad.

“How ya doin, Link? You comfy?” she asked him. He nodded reluctantly. "Ok, I'm gonna launch you in 10...9..."

Suddenly, at the sight of Link ensnared in the repurposed robot arms, Zelda bounced up and down and excitedly tapped her compatriot on the shoulder. “Oh! Oh! Purah, wait!”

Everything paused. The princess knelt and whispered excitedly into the inventor’s ear.

What they were talking about, Link couldn’t decipher, but he saw that in the midst of Zelda’s sentence, Purah’s smile stretched bigger and bigger. After a breathy exchange, both ladies were giggling to themselves. Uh-oh. He recognized that energetic sparkle in Purah’s eye…that only happened when she knew her tests were going to have “funny” results.

Beep. Four of the Guardian arms remained holding Link's wrists and ankles still, but the other two raised up and took on new purpose. The octopoid metal tendrils zipped around his torso, snapping their claws like hungry snakes. Their laser sights booped to life and swam their little red eyes all over him...targeting certain areas...and once Purah pressed that button again, they dove right in for the attack.

The little pincer claws skittered and tap-danced under his arms, across his stomach, between his ribs. At first he panicked. Then he grinned. Squirming and struggling, Link began to laugh.

“HHHHeh…Heheh…Heh-Heh Ha-Ha Ha-Ha! Z-Zeld…Heh! Haha!”

"See, I told you he was ticklish," the princess chuckled.

"Oooo, and you were right! This is fun! Look at him dance!"

"Heh-Heh, Heh-Heh Ha...Haha-Heh! Nn-Heh!" Bolts of Gerudo lightning didn't make Link jump around this much. It wasn’t until Zelda sauntered over and tickled him herself that the machine finally wound down.

And just like that, being shot out of an untested military-grade cannon didn't seem so bad.

******

Parzival/Art3mis (Ready Player One)

Spring Center Fortress was always a fun place in the OASIS for testosterone-soaked one-v-one games. Each arena in the cubist coliseum was a giant trampoline, regardless of size or layout, and combat was fast and frantic when no one could stand still. Only true acrobats thrived in the chaos there. Entering one of the battle boxes, Parzival and Art3mis removed their shoes and jackets and stepped barefoot onto the bouncy black floor.

"Choose your weapon, sir." Arty's declaration of war was cheekier than usual. She smirked, already sure of her victory, and make a flashy show of unveiling a fully-2D Airbender staff. Rare gear.

Parzival eagerly cycled through the digital blue pockets of his inventory...lots of options to choose from. Neither he nor Arty were pulling admin privileges and just dropping rare junk into their accounts; this loot had to be earned like everyone else’s. Oh, there was a good one...

"Toymaker Energy Bo," he finally announced. The glowing green stick popped from hammerspace and into his hands, extending four frog-like fingers from its tip that snapped and pinched at their target.

Art3mis nodded. She looked impressed. "Spy Kids 3D. Nice."

At the sound of the buzzer, a blade of cartoony wind sliced through the room and nearly split Parzival's staff in two. Their weapons clacked together as the couple danced and dodged on the springy terrain...the fight was a wild flurry of flips, leg sweeps, slides and parries. Dodging a strike at her knees, Art3mis bounced into a full backwards aerial somersault, a mere hair's breadth away from the Game Over bo's snapping claws. Just as she landed and stumbled back, the very tips of metal fingers pulled at her body, grazing against four particular spots along her torso that they couldn't quite snare.

One, on the right side of her neck. One deep in the hollow of her left armpit. One just above her hipbone. And one smack in the center of her right side, under the ribcage.

“BAH!!” Art3mis nearly slipped on the undulating floor, swiveling on her heel and pointing her finger at Wade, and had to catch her balance against the back wall. Her staff zipped off on an air current and glided away across the stadium. Disarmed. In her most stern, commanding voice, the Goddess of the Hunt blurted “Hey! No. ...Z. No tickling."

"Hey, come on, it was an accident," Parzival laughed.

For a moment everything was still, both anticipating the other's next move. But he'd seen the flash of panic on her face...blood was in the water now. Her eyes darted to her glider. Slowly, Parzival raised his staff again. Its four-pronged hand spun around and wiggled in Arty's direction, closer and closer, and the sight made her jaw clench.

“...God, sometimes I love these Boot Suits.”

“Wade, no. N...HHHA-Ha Ha-Ha! …Ng-Heh! Nuh...nonono, God n-HNN!!"

Art3mis' arms contracted, trying to block the ravenous mechanical fingers, but that only pinned them even more snugly to where they could feast on her ticklish ribs. Her trembling knees buckled. Soon she was wrestled flat onto her back and rolling around atop the rubbery floor, her leg weakly kicking at the air. The Spy Kids staff no longer attacked her...it was Parzival's own fingers that she felt clawing beneath her loose crop-top, squeezing her belly until the cackles burst out of her. The two were bouncing and wrestling and laughing until the floor squeaked. Streaks of charcoal soot blackened her soles…the trampoline's worn surface had almost-literally painted a target on her bare feet, a target which Parzival didn't ignore for long. Arty was surprised by how hard she was cracking up...and, despite the soreness in her cheeks, by how much fun she was having.

“What, what’s the matter? Ya n00b. Stop laughing.”

"Ha-Ha Ha-Ha! Uncle! Uncl-hle!"

The dull fingernails that had been scribbling beneath her toes retreated. Arty was free again. Up and down, the trampoline reverberated to the rhythm of her diaphragm's spasmodic wobbles. Even after all this time, it was still an out-of-body experience, to catch one's raspy breath as a digital avatar...when she was worn out inside the OASIS, her real-world meat puppet followed suit. Slowly she and the trampoline both calmed. She sat up, folding her arms across bent knees, and her middle finger dabbed at her eyelash.

"Ha......Ahhhhhhh Ha Ha....Huheh...Okay, okay, you got me," she chuckled. Her toes clenched up against the rubbery ground. She tried to affect a serious expression, but that wide-eyed grin of hers just wouldn't dissolve. “But don’t do that again!”

"Eh, can't make any promises," Z taunted, helping her stand. For that, he received a playful punch in the shoulder.

Like most of the OASIS, there were no real rules in Spring Center Fortress. The important thing was how you won.

******

Aang/Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Waterbender training was going...as Sokka would put it...swimmingly. Aang and Katara stood ankle-deep in the waters of Chameleon Bay, practicing their stances. Liquid swirled around them, rising and falling like tides at their command.

"How's your octopus form?" Aang's teacher asked him.

Quickly, Aang struck the proper pose and focused. A stream of ocean foam snaked upward into the air and corkscrewed multiple arcs around his body. With a twist of his arm, the water coalesced into a near-solid tentacle, its rippling surface smoothed out, and he made it sway back and forth in a friendly wave. Katara giggled. She, meanwhile, was focused on maintaining six hovering spheres of water that orbited around a rock in front of her. Gesturing with her palm, she relaxed into a simple Single Whip posture, her right knee bent and arms outstretched, and the water balls merged into a lash. She was focused and precise...and totally oblivious to what her pupil was doing.

Guided by Aang's slow dance, a water tendril slithered across the bay and breached the surface. As soon as Katara wasn't looking, its tip rose up and wiggled against her tummy - right next to her belly button.

"Ah! Haha…Aang, stop it!" Laughing, she jumped in place and covered her ticklish spot with her hand. Instantly the Avatar’s octopus construct fizzled into droplets and splashed the flowing sea below. He stood there all sheepish and rubbed the back of his tattooed head, grinning like a buffoon.

"Heh...sorry. You were wide open." Aang couldn't escape his own mischievous nature. He was 12, after all.

There was a brief and fearful pang in his stomach...is Katara mad at me? But her smile was the brightest he'd seen on the waterbender's face all week. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he could've sworn she was starting to blush. Both benders just laughed shyly and turned to face the sandbank once more.

"Alright, let's keep going."

******

Gwen/Miles (Spider-Verse)

The multiversal headquarters of the Spiders didn't just have a lockup, a science lab, and a cafeteria (no bagels allowed). There was also quite a museum of trophies and mementos gathered from past battles, defeated villains, and fallen heroes from all across the cosmic web. It was like Batman's basement on the scale of the MoMA. And Gwen couldn't wait to show Miles all she'd learned there.

Clasping one another's hands they dashed through the halls, often pulling eagerly in opposite directions. Miles was a kid in a candy store, and every time his eyes lit up, it reminded Gwen of a thousand reasons why she liked him. After passing the wrecked granite namesake of one "Big Wheel 5000 BC," the two skidded to a stop, lured by an exhibit that stood out from the rest: a single hand, perched atop a pedestal.

An Infinity Gauntlet, this was not. It was a cheap canary opera glove, with long, fluffy white feathers glued to its digits in lieu of fingernails. The plastic plaque beneath declared in full voice to the pair:

“‘The Tickler?!’" Frog-mouthed in shock, Gwen doubled over, laughing wildly. “No. Freaking. Way."***

"Are you serious right now? Ha…Wow, they just get lamer…”

"Heheh-Heh! Ok, ok; you’ve gotta hear this: 'Crude homemade weapon retrieved from Whedon Winslow, Earth-57780.' Some name... 'Failed stand-up comedian who turned to larceny. Distracted victims and pursuant Spider Society with...'"

But Miles wasn’t paying attention to Gwen's narration. He was busy cracking his knuckles and reaching toward his distracted girlfriend from behind, trying to project confidence from a playful smile that was actually quite shy. He was gonna get her so good, he encouraged himself.

In the midst of Gwen's sentence, kneading fingertips hooked right into her sensitive, squishy waistline.

Her gasp was loud and shrill. The girl almost popped like a chocolatey toaster pastry, but a right forearm encircled her collarbone and held her firmly in place. Before she knew it, Gwen was immobilized in a tickle hug and fell straight into Miles' lap as the two collapsed to the floor.

"AH!! *gasp* Huhuh-Huhuh Heheh! *gasp* Ah Ha-Ha Ha-Ha Ha! St-HOP ihit! We're supposed to be quiet!!"

She screamed and elbowed Miles in the stomach, but he maintained his hold. Then she tried pulling on his wrists. No good. Gwen was the most squirmy, wiggly human being Miles had ever seen; champion swimmers didn't kick their legs as hard as she did. He might as well have been trying to hold onto a hagfish in an oil spill…even with sticky fingers, it was a challenge! But watching her smile and laugh like this was so worth it.

“Wait, hold up a minute!” Miles laughed as if Gwen would actually obey him (not that she had much choice). One THWIP! of spider-silk from his wrist, and The Tickler’s glove was yanked right off its perch and into his hand. Miles didn't put it on...all he needed to do was hold one of the fingers and wield the feather like a wand.

The quills prickled like thousands of tiny needles against the nape of Gwen's goosebumpy neck...right at the signal source from whence her Spider-Sense was screeching. Any measure of defiance left in her crumbled to dust. Both of her palms slapped over her face...anything to hide it from Miles. She could have fried an egg on her cheeks for how they sizzled.

“VVVVVVVFF-EEEE!!! *Yeek!* OmigodNO - N-no feath-hers, oh my GAWWD, no feahehther-her-hers…*SNORT* AHHHMilesstoppit!” she whined and cried. The feather stroked down across her collarbone, her shoulder blade, under her armpit...

It wasn't long before one of the nigh-innumerable Spider Society horde noticed the sound of embarrassed squeals echoing throughout the gallery and swooped in to investigate. But when this particular Peter Parker entered the hall, it was found vacant. Nothing but various museum exhibits, all undisturbed in their places. And so he left.

Miles, as it turns out, had been practicing a new technique. He wasn't the only person that he could turn invisible.

"Shhh!" he whispered. Gwen was absolutely trembling in his lap, even though the tickling had stopped - it took two hands to stifle her uncontrollable belly laughs. There, with his arms around her and feeling her heartbeat against his, a warmth washed over Miles. There were a million worries flapping around inside his brain...his future with the Spiders, his parents, and he & Gwen...was it right, how they felt about each other, what they were doing? But for a few quiet moments, where nobody could see them, none of that mattered.

He almost kissed the top of her head, but got too antsy.

Maybe next time.

******

*Note: Actual Spider-Man villain. Seriously. I did not make this up.

Victoria/Misto (Cats 2019)

The Egyptian Theater was warm and sleepy that evening. The old sun-shaped stage prop created the perfect napping spot for a young Jellicle, and the white cat lolled blissfully in its hollowed-out cradle. Her left leg dangled down off the side, pendulous and swaying like a metronome, right next to her boyfriend’s nearby head. Mr. Mistoffelees was kneeling there on the floorboards directly beneath, fumbling with a deck of cards.

Victoria peered over the side of her perch and smiled, unnoticed. Just laying beside her magician (well, a bit higher and to the right of him, anyway) carried her off in a cozy bubble of comfort. She just felt content around him. Her hands couldn’t reach to pet him…not from this angle…so instead, she held her slender leg out and, with her big toe, traced gentle crescents behind his ear.

His ear twitched. At first Misto instinctively ducked away from the impromptu scalp scratch, inquisitive chuckle aside ("Heh...what are you doing?"), but he soon came around to her affection and began to purr. His head rolled around across his shoulders, his back arched, and his ears flopped and wagged. Tori could tell the scritches were making him happy. Tufts of black fur shot up like grass between her marble toes, bristling the ball of her foot back and forth, until out of nowhere it made her shiver and pull away.

"Hmhm! Hmf..." she giggled sweetly through her nose. "Your fur tickles."

The tuxedo cat grinned and looked up at her. There was his opening. "Oh, it does?" he taunted. "It does?" With one quick yank, Victoria’s foot was down near his chest, and she was laughing and gripping the sunbeams with all her might. In her meek struggle for balance, that varnished wooden nest fought back with bumpy scrapes against her stomach and her thighs. Taking hold of his tail in his left hand, Misto started painting broad brushstrokes across Victoria’s foot with its fuzzy black tip, and she immediately began to fidget. “What about this?” Misto asked her.

"Heehee-Hih! *gasp* Hn-Hih! Th-hat's not fair, I'm stuck...Hee! It tihickles," the snow-white kitten’s jubilant squeaks bubbled up from inside her. Her ears flattened shyly. Why did this kind of thing happen to her so much? She didn’t hate being tickled, but lately it felt like she’d become something of a Jellicle magnet. If this kept up, she’d have to start wearing her ballet flats 24/7.

Almost as soon as it started, Misto let her go, and Victoria scurried her legs back up inside that little hovel, before turning around and facing him once more. She loved the chalky pink way his nose blushed, and that awkward, crooked smile of his, the one that popped up whenever he finally let himself be playful. He loved how her persimmon lips stood out against her face, and the way her head dropped timidly down to her shoulders when she giggled.

Soon the two were snuggling in each other's arms inside the heart of the sun, just waiting for the Jellicle Moon to rise again.

******

Vi/Caitlyn (Arcane)

The papery bandages around her forearms chafed against Vi's chin. Her elaborate clockwork tattoos peeked out through the rips on her sleeveless blue-hooded top. Pink-and-orange sunset streaked through the nearby glass and bronzed her cheeks. She still wasn’t used to laying on a bed as big and comfy as Caitlyn’s.

"I haven't had a back rub in...probably forever," she mused, still a little apprehensive about this kind of intimate contact.

"It's really relaxing, I promise,” Caitlyn reassured her.

Warm palms kneaded into the Trencher girl's scapula. Spindly fingers performed slow, smooth taffy-machine pulls on the muscles between Vi’s shoulders and neck. At first she resisted, but slowly surrendered to the touching and let herself sink deep into the soft mattress.

“Wow, your…you’re rock solid,” Caitlyn murmured, impressed. Under that jacket, Vi’s physique felt even buffer than it looked. And that intricate body art…Caitlyn was so busy admiring that she neglected to notice how her hands were moving faster, stroking in tandem with her nervous pulse.

Vi froze. Her fingers skittishly drummed against the bedsheet. Everything about Caitlyn's technique was wrong in precisely the wrong ways: the thumbs were rubbing a little too gently down her lats, the fingernails squeezing a smidge too firm between her ribs. It was clumsy, inelegant... ticklish. All it took was one especially-wrong nerve hit, and when she could no longer keep her mouth shut, Vi’s whole body shuddered.

“DAH, Huhuh-Heheh! Hey…watch it,” she laughed. "Careful back there."

“Sorry,” Cait replied, smirking. Her hands plunged back down.

Oh come on…not again. Vi felt like a grape in a wine press when twisting thumbs pushed down hard on her obliques. Her lumbars. Her hipbones. Every knot in her lower back. Her eyes widened, and all the air in her chest squeezed out from between her lips like a squished football deflating.

“Mmff…PFFFFTHnhn!” More wriggles. The bed whined from the kicking lower legs that thumped against it. Caitlyn was at a befuddled junction halfway between offense and joy, between pouting and grinning. Vi always made things difficult for her.

“I am trying to do something nice for you; could you just hold still?”

“GRRRR, stop tickling me!” Vi snapped.

No apology this time. Only a playful tsk, and then the massage resumed.

The fluttery rubbing sensation drilled down through Vi’s back until it scorched the inner wall of her stomach. Her frustrated, reddening facial features scrunched themselves tightly together. She repeatedly slapped the nearby pillow with the ferocity of a grunge drummer. If her bared teeth ground any harder together, her gums would’ve bled.

“NGK! Nooo-hoho; Hng-Hn! Gkkkk…Sss-sss-st-hop i-hih-hit…! Kkkkk!!” The redhead choked on desperate glass-shard sniggers that scraped against the roof of her mouth. She couldn’t stop her angry giggling, and it drove her nuts.

"C-hut it ouuut, I'm gonna punch you!!!" That one wasn't a threat; it was a genuine, heartfelt warning.

Caitlyn couldn’t help but flash a buck-toothed grin...that was probably enough, for both their sakes. She drew back her wiry hands and watched Vi's quivering shoulders slow down, listened to her breath steady itself.

"Ugh...What the hell, Cait?"

“Sorry, it wasn't on purpose. You’re just…I think it’s very…*ahem* …" Now it was the cop's turn to be flustered and rosy-cheeked. "...adorable. How frustrated you get when you’re feeling ticklish.”

Caitlyn was expecting a tease, a playful slap, a snarky reprimand...some kind of retaliation...especially when she saw that smirk in the corner of Vi's mouth. But instead of payback, she received a pleasant surprise: Vi sat up, turned around, and shoved her lips into Caitlyn’s so hard and fast that the blue-haired Enforcer almost fell backward.

...Perhaps she'd have to try this again soon.

******

Kiki/Tombo (Kiki's Delivery Service)

“Hey, Kiki, I was wondering…can witches call their broomsticks to them like a magnet?” Tombo asked studiously, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He and Kiki were relaxing on Ursula’s front porch with glasses of fizzy lemonade, the sticky kind that makes your spit hurt when you drink it. It was a foggy spring morning and the crows were flapping in the damp emerald lawn.

“Hm…I don’t know; I’ve never tried,” she observed. Spying her broom across the clearing, rested against a tree stump, the young courier witch reached out her right hand, poked her tongue out, and concentrated. Unfortunately, Star Wars hadn't been invented yet, so it didn't occur to her to make an Empire Strikes Back reference.

At first her flying stick merely turned. It rocked in the crook of the tree’s roots, but nothing more. Maybe she wasn’t concentrating hard enough? But no sooner had the idea entered her mind than the crude vehicle hoisted itself horizontally, hovered a few feet off the grass, and charged. An invisible hand threw the broom at Kiki like a chucked javelin, and it was soaring straight for her face.

"Whoa! Look out!" Tombo immediately sprung into action, and his quick dive shoved Kiki out of the way just in time for him to take the blow. The broom's handle shot into one sleeve and out the other, dragging the junior aviator off the porch and tossing him headlong to the ground before it finally twitched its last.

“Oh my gosh, Tombo! Are you ok?!” Panicking, Kiki rushed to pull her friend up out of the grass. The broom handle was caught against his neck, parallel to the red-and-white stripes on his chest. He wobbled a bit when he stood...a few green stains on his knees...but was otherwise unscraped.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little crooked here," he reassured her, swinging his arms around like a weathervane.

“Oh, thank goodness...Heh...you know, you kind of look like a scarecrow that way."

She was right...he did...but the boy’s gangly T-pose did nothing to deter Ursula’s avian buddies. In fact, right on cue, several of them flocked to his outstretched forearms. One even pecked at his ear.

“Heh-Heh! Guess I’m not a very good one!” The two shared a chuckle, before Kiki helpfully flapped her arm and shooed the birds away. "Hey, thanks. Can you help me get this out? My arms are kinda stuck."

But Kiki wasn't interested in helping right away...his pose had given her other ideas. Before Tombo knew it, Kiki's fingers were strumming up and down his sides with gleeful abandon. She kept pinching his belly and in between his ribs and affectionately watched him wiggle.

"Heh! Heheh-Haha! Hey, cut it ou-howt! Heh! You know I'm ticklish!" Tombo's smile was wide and sunny and dorky as he jumped around in place. Kiki, meanwhile, was positively giddy. She only tickled for a few more seconds...any longer and she would've gotten much too embarrassed...before carefully extricating the misbehaving broom from Tombo's sleeves and throwing it out into the field. Crisis averted.

"Heehee-Hee! I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!"

The boy brushed his sandy hair back and grinned broadly as the two sat again. "Well, you know I can't just let you do that!"

Kiki glanced down. Slowly...making sure to stretch out each moment of tension to its unbearable limits...Tombo was reaching his hands towards her, performing a spidery midair dance with his fingers.

The teen witch was already in a fit of helpless giggles and starting to blush. “Hmhm! Oho no, please don’t do it…” But instead of fleeing or curling up like an armadillo, as Tombo expected, Kiki bent over and quickly slipped her shoes off…first left, then right…and then lifted her arms skyward. “Heehee! Oh my gohosh, no, please…please don't...”

Suddenly, an old door hinge groaned. Bare feet creaked on the cold grey porch step. When Kiki & Tombo turned to look at the source of the noise, there stood Ursula, grinning and tapping her fingers on a steaming blue coffee mug.

"Hey, what are you two doing out here?"

*******A Few Seconds Later*******

"AHHH, Ha-HAAAAA Haha! *gasp* Ha-Ha Ha-Ha Ha!" Kiki screamed.

"Heheh...Heh! Hng…Heheh-Haha Haha...Hng! Heh! Stop!" Tombo's turn.

Ursula was pinning both of her young friends down to the floorboards, aggressively wiggling her nimble fingers across their bellies and watching them squirm & kick in sync together. “Uh-ohhh; look out! I'm the world's most evil tummy tickler!” She laughed, they laughed; Ursula was clearly relishing her position.

That is, until Kiki and Tombo managed to grab the artist’s ankles amid their struggle, tripped her up, and tickled her feet with her own paintbrushes until she was completely out of breath from laughing.

Kiki often wound up in tickle fights with her friends back home. But she couldn't remember one that was this much fun.

******

Robin/Maid Marian (Robin Hood)

Cops and robbers, such as they were, didn't exist in 12th-century Britannia. So "Robin Hood vs. Prince John" was the game of choice for the rabbit brood. Skippy was playing Robin Hood, of course, which meant Sis & Tagalong were his cohorts. Maid Marian volunteered to be Prince John, so Lady Kluck had to be the Sheriff. That left Robin himself to portray the benevolent King Richard, and Toby Turtle as Sir Hiss.

“A pox on the phony king of England!” Robin cheered. At his command, his noble servants were chasing the “Prince” all over the castle courtyard. They all ran in wild circles over and over, laughing merrily, until Skippy and Tagalong managed to hop up and grab Marian by the wrists. The bunny siblings dangled off of her like bracelets swaying in the breeze, and she bent at the waist as she tried to keep walking.

"We've gotchu now, Prince John!" crowed Skippy. "Give up?"

"Oh no, what-EVER shall I do?" Marian giggled in her most over-dramatic performance yet. "Sir Hiss, seize these scoundrels!"

Toby's head - SHLUNK - sucked back into his shell. He certainly wasn't going to help. Eager to catch their dastardly villain, Sis took matters into her own hands. Jumping in front of the pack, the bunny girl reached up and pawed at the struggling Maid Marian's belly, and Skippy joined the fun by grabbing her side. Immediately, the vixen broke into breathy peals of soft, melodious laughter.

"Ohoho no...Oh no-ho-ho-ho! *gasp* Noooo; anything but tickling, Ha-Ha Ha-Ha Ha!"

She knew full well that a plea like that would only goad the rambunctious tykes on, but if she were being honest, she was having far too much fun to care. This was as close as she'd get to playing with kids of her own, at least for a little while. Letting loose an enthusiastic yip, Marian fell into the dandelions, and the wrath of the rabbit swarm rained down upon her.

A sextet of bunny hands and paws were grabbing and squeezing and scratching at her tummy. Their little fingers pulled through creases in the silky dress she wore; their feet slid and stomped along her sides and made her wiggle. The kids' squeaky machine-gun giggles were very contagious, and the already-helpless fox couldn't stop laughing herself silly. She jostled and squirmed and had to push Tagalong off of her stomach.

“Ah-Ha Ha-Ha! *gasp* Help! K-Klucky-Hee…Ro...Robin, Heh-Heh-Help!”

"Bawk! Milady! Yer noicest drrrrress!" Klucky honked.

Robin himself was busy chuckling at Marian’s misfortune. Quite clever of them, he thought. They'd make Merry Men yet. His yellow bycocket cap shifted atop his vulpine ears - and suddenly, his thoughts turned to the feather that adorned it. He removed the hat, pulled the long scarlet plume from its sheathe, and twisted it between his fingers, amused. "Ah, there we are..." the outlaw remarked to no one in particular, as if he'd made some unexpected discovery.

Kneeling down, Robin grasped Marian's right ankle and gingerly lifted her leg up out of the weeds. With that roguish, wry smile and an absentminded hum, he stared right into her eyes and swooshed the feather back and forth across the bottom of her foot.

"Oh!! *gasp* Ha-Ha Ha-Ha Ha!! *gasp*hic* Haha-Ha! Oh dohon't, please, I...I d-hon't think I can stand any more, Ha-Ha Ha!” she cried. Pools of pink stained her cheeks. Her long eyelashes were dripping wet.

"Hmm, I think the prisoner has learned their lesson, don't you, kids?" Robin declared. Despite a few protests and "awwww"s, everyone backed off, leaving the exhausted Marian alone in the grass to catch her breath. "The Prince has been vanquished!!"

"Long live Robin Hood!" Skippy cried, holding his wooden sword triumphantly aloft, cheered on by his adulating sisters. While the kids danced in a circle singing "Prince John the Worst" off-key, Robin traipsed through the flowerbed over to his lady fair and tenderly offered her his palm.

"Oh, my hero; you've come to rescue me," Marian sighed, still all atwitter and breathless and fanning herself.

But instead of taking his hand, Marian pulled Robin down into the sunny spring field with her. Robin sent her his most disarmingly handsome smolder, and when she shied away, he slowly kissed her cheek. Their embrace was perfectly accompanied by the sounds of Sis and Tagalong giggling at them in the background...and of Skippy pretending to vomit.

"Blech!" he mumbled. "...Sissy stuff."

******

Neytiri/Jake (Avatar)

Neytiri sat up and slowly pulled her feet from beneath the powdery white sand. Infinitesimal shards of salt and earth and coral and glass sifted through the gaps between her toes with a quiet hiss. Pandoran beaches were very soft.

Jake emerged from the water and strode over to her resting spot. The sand was so smooth that he didn't even leave footprints; the pale flecks of dust simply clung to his body. "You think we should get back?" he asked her. "Mo'at's probably gonna be pissed."

"Mmmm..." Neytiri sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. "Not yet. I am too relaxed to move."

“Well here…lemme help you.” Not waiting for a rebuttal, Jake immediately stepped over her reclining legs, turned his back, and plopped down right on her ankles, straddling them. Neytiri looked bemused by his antics.

"What? What are you...AHH!!!! HN...Huheh-HEEE Heehee-Hee! NO! No PLEASE; HA-HA HA-HA!!"

The Omatikaya princess’ loud shriek scattered the nearby flock of tetrapteron into the salty air. Her grin threatened to split her cheeks open. Jake's fingertips were mercilessly prodding and caressing underneath her toes, and every single touch made her want to scream.

"Not that! G-get AWAY from MEE-HEE!!!" But her mate said nothing. Grinning, Jake bent all ten of his fingers...those damn Sky People with their extra digits...and scratched them up and down on her massive sky-blue soles.

“J-Jake!! My JAHAY-HA-HA-HA!!!” Neytiri tried to beg, but couldn't get the words out. Her voice leapfrogged through the entire octave scale, from bird chirps all the way down to breathy hyucks erupting from deep in her belly. She thrashed around frantically, her butt bouncing against the sand, and left a flurry of stinging open-palm slaps across her husband's back; even he could barely wrestle her down. Braids and beads tangled themselves like seaweed across her screaming face...how undignified it was, to constantly spit out strands of dreadlocked hair in between her bouts of tearful hysteria.

Jake didn't quit torturing her until she managed to lurch herself forward...the crunch burned her elongated stomach...and threw both of her hands at his armpits. He laughed and jumped aside at the unexpected tickle, before spinning around and scooping Neytiri into his arms. In a moment she was flat on her back once again, with Jake hovering over her and blotting out the sun, a toruk in his own right. The tremors in her chest slowed down, but her anger only boiled hotter. The smug, dopey jarhead smile of his...why didn't she hate it?

"I...*huff*...will...make you suffer for this...*wheeze*...Jake Sully," she hissed at her mate, flashing jagged fangs.

Rather than fear her, or even apologize, Jake simply tweaked her nose and pecked her on the forehead. What an asshole.

Maybe she could let him off the hook. Just this once.

******

[chasani]

tell me abt him

deep breath in deep breath out

So I have these OCs, and I named their little "series" Perdente Divinity (PD for short). And there's the PD4, the main four: Rimmer, Acacia, Noel, Calanthe

Noel is my favorite. I love him with all my heart.

Noel is this guy, he's trans, the first trans guy in fact. There's never been the concept of being transgender in their universe, well bing bang boom here he is. Oh! And he's straight now so before he transitioned he made a lot of lesbian power couples. Moving past that, I just genuinely love him. So much. He has 25 piercings, a split tounge, did I mention he's an acrobat? Yeah, summersaults all around. He's also a hooker. He's like 28, so not only one of the older OCs I've made, one of the darn COOLEST. If he was human, he'd be italian. Did I mention his natural born ability is umbrakinesis? And miasma emission, smoke go BOOM. Fun Fact: In his calender he was born on the equivalent of April 1st and in our calender he was born on the Ides of March. Sounds fitting, considering he's tried to STAB A GOD TO DEATH. Haha yeah, he did that. I mean multiple people have tried to kill a god [only one succeeded] but he's the first to try and survive. How is he still around? Idk he should be dead by now. Literally was given a second chance of life and he didn't change ANYTHING about himself. That's the way to live. Did I say he temporaily becomes a god at one point? His favorite saying is "calm your tits" and his blood type is e negative.

Okay, Rimmer. He's my second favorite of the four <3 He's an on-the-run criminal because he fled the army, has multiple scars from it too. His mask has a crack going all the way across it, I don't blame him for getting out of there. He's the youngest of six brothers, has the ability to communicate or control telepathically. Oh, he's also gay. Him and Noel have hooked up, a LOT. He also has an immense crush on Noel, unfortunately Noel doesn't return the favor. Not important. I just like Rimmer cause he's always there for his friends, even if at one point he gets so depressed he never fully recovers. That didn't help with his crush either. But he has devoted, so much towards himself in his friends. He would turn the world over to save them. Mostly Noel, whom he met first and their meeting makes their bond stronger than anyone's. Oh, I didn't mention his tattoos. He has two full sleeves, nothing out of the ordinary, but they're so pretty <3 and by "pretty" I mean "I change how they look everytime I draw them"

Calanthe... I'll admit I wrote his desc out of the four last. Even skipped over to Acacia and came back. It's not I don't like him, it's just out of the four he has the least traits my favorite characters tend to have. He's still a pretty darn good OC though. Grew up sort of rebellious, always getting hurt. Went to old churchyards and buildings and vandalized everything. Had the guards on him. His worst offense? Probably blowing up that one church. Nearly got caught by the guards, got injured running away, leaving a crack in his mask, and choosing to hide away forever. And that, is when he ran off with Acacia.

Acacia <3 such a pretty baby. She's the only fem one out of the whole group of boys, that doesn't matter though. She's so pretty <3 long draping white cloths, jewels, headcrowns- and she has heterochromia! One blue eye, one yellow. That also affects her powers, meaning she can communicate with other species [sort of in the way fluttershy can] and cyrokinesis! Poor baby, when she get's stressed her body temperature drops, and during panic attacks her body and the room around her begin to freeze around her :[ luckily, that's not common, she's a very calm and collected person. Unfortunately that doesn't mean she's NEVER had ice crystals growing from her hands or feet, and the animal sounds just add to the over stimulation. Acacia is also sort of a drug addict, she's recovering now, but she still keeps stashed of meds locked away [and has nearly overdosed...] but the other three have gotten her through hard times. She met Calanthe first, and later the others. Because she grew up selling illegal fire arms, of course which Calanthe always bought. Later they ran off together, and that's how their story began.

Notice I keep bringing up Noel is other characters descriptions? Yeah He's my favorite. Here's more about him. Noel ORIGINALLY had four arms, you heard me right two sets of arms. The plan was he was born with a lower, second set of arms that were dysfunctional, a mutation, that also had cancerous cells in them that were from a disease that would slowly spread from toe to head leaving him paralyzed. I always forgot to draw him with the arms though, so eventually I just ditched them. The story was the same though, paralyzing disease. Did decide he gets a second set of arms temporarily a later time, but that's not important right now. Some other traits I've gone back-and-forth on? My original thought is he'd have multiple sets of eyes, that got ditched. Went back and forth on him being a smoker, kept that one! He does crack too, pot, you name it. But those are more as a treat, he's addicted to smoking. Multiple packs a day. I haven't figured out when I want him to start smoking? Maybe like, 16? But who knows

Alright, here's what you've been waiting for. The plot of PD, and whatever the heck happens to PD4. Well, originally it was just PD4, and their story was going to end after the events of PD. But that... well.. let's just say I kept branching out new ideas, and after the main plot of PD they get into more trouble :]

Life? Starts out fine, just a slice of life scenario. No need for backstories, no need for introductions, just, life. Livin' it. Unfortunately.. Noel continues to get... sicker. It starts as just wheezing, coughs, "wow all that smoking is finally catching up to you.." turns into not being able to move legs, tingling feeling in the fingers, and suddenly- bed ridden. He's slowly been getting more and more paralyzed, now he's stuck in a bed paralyzed from the waist down and he can barely move his upper body, and the others just had to sit there and watch. Watch slowly as their close friend died right before their eyes. They couldn't take him to the doctor, three of them were in hiding and all four were outcasts. Acacia, being familiar with many diseases, and had books of information, eventually narrowed it down to what it was. Unfortunately, there was no cure. A year and 4 months later, Noel passed away.

Rimmer falls into a great depression. He was in denial, he refused to believe it. Not even a week after he attempts suicide and the others have to stop him. It was pure chaos. Their dynamic falling apart, Rimmer was the closest to Noel, and now he was gone. The stress falling on Acacia, and the disorder hitting Calanthe. They were a mess. Eventually.. the thought hits them. Matyrdom, the God of Life, would have the power to bring him back. All they would have to do is fine it. Easier said than done. The Gods had been in hiding since before they were born, out of hundreds of Gods only 6 came down to help the mortals, only 5 were actually accepted by the mortals of being worthy of worship, and 1 was murdered. Suprisingly, those last two don't allign, not the point. Rimmer, Acacia, and Calanthe get it together and travel ALL over the country, looking for even the slightest hint of this God. Granted, none of them had even SEEN a god. But... it would be worth it in the end. Trial and Error Trial and Error, they did it! They found Martyrdom! They made the sacrifices and- it doesn't do it. It felt "dishonored" "how could you choose to worship that THING over me?" It left. Was that really it? Leaving them in despair like that? All of that for nothing? All hope felt loss. It was useless, efforts gone in vain. Suddenly before their eyes, Albatross appeared. Albatross, the God of Chaos, those four were the only ones to even worship it in all it's years helping earth. The only four to show it respect. It, brought Noel back.

They did it, it almost felt unreal. Months of tears down the drain- because suddenly life was back to normal? Were they just supposed to act like they didn't go on that journey? Noel didn't look changed a bit, meanwhile the others were tired and weary. Full of it, done with everything. But, it was all worth it in the end. Truly worth it. Albatross even gave them a better home, one that was not.. battered and broken. Things were finally starting to calm down. Some point after settling into their new home, it's winter time, Noel and Rimmer go to the theatre. On the way back, Noel sees something in the bushes, and takes a detour. As for Rimmer?.. yeah he walked a minute before realizing Noel walked off and was ready to have a mental breakdown. He search EVERYWHERE eventually coming back to the house with the news like "Hey. He dissapeared" but it was more like "HE'S GONE HE'S" while he bawled his eyes out. In the middle of the night, Noel just shows up barging down the door. "Where had you been?!" And he just holds up the thing in his hands- a dog. That's how they got Lilac

(Bonus plot, is some point after their life returns to normal they get in to so many more shenanigans. Like Noel meeting up with his old competitor performance troupe, and them competing in a show. Or like needing to go back and meet everyone's parents which as you can imagine goes HORRIBLY. Also horseback riding, drag queens, sky diving, baking shows, skating, escape rooms, you name it. They do NOT get a break)

Alright alright, I've talked about Noel and Rimmer enough you deserve to know how they met. So some point after becoming an adult, Noel attempts to tell his family "I think.. I'm a boy" As you can imagine- this didn't go over well. They immediately force him into an arranged marriage, which Noel runs away from at the altar, and goes to hide away in town. Bawling, crying his eyes out. He lives out an alleyway, he steals food, does drugs, in a rough patch, down right depressed. He's barely an adult and he's caught in this mess of a family that would kill him if he showed up again, and a town that would do the same. He considers it right then and there. Well, he'd been considering it for awhile. He was going to kill himself, and he was finally about to- now keep in mind this whole time, Rimmer has been living in alley ways for awhile now. Drinking, doing drugs. He did NOT want to go back to the army. He'd been in those alleyways for awhile, he thought he'd seen everything, that was until he saw- "her"- Noel. He didn't know who "she" was he didn't know "her" name. He just knew.. he wasn't about to let "her" life end like that. Rimmer stops Noel from killing himself, and the rest is history. Yeah sure, it's so personal, the only part they tell people is "we met in an alleyway, rolled a joint, and really hit it off" but there's more to it than that. They were keeping the rest of it to themselves, no one needed to know, other than them.

Okay !! Let's end off with some fun facts 1. Noel's name is "no-el" pre-transition and "knoll" after 2. Rimmer's full name is "Roscoe Rimmers Saunders" 3. Noel's favorite movie is The Human Centipede 4. Acacia has kept multiple pet fish, yet they kept mysteriously dissapearing.. oh, she also had a pet bird 5. Calanthe somehow figured out how to work a gun at birth (multiple fatalites that day) (who gave the baby a gun?) 6. Noel was born with rabies (multiple fatalities that day) 7. It is canon: Rimmer can (and will) kill god 8. Acacia has like 100+ allergies 9. No. They are not sane. 10. Yes. They have had sex.

[dtmacgxstorys]

Mike Morton X Reader!

It's Spooy Session! 🧛🎃

Sorry for not writing for a while. If you play Identity V Copycat, you might know a player by the name of KOREY! It fuck up my already unstable mental health.

🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞

Remember: Mike is 21. He Can accept drinks from barmaid! He may act childish, but he isn't!

1st & 2nd Mike Storys!

This is a Mike Morton/Acrobat X Gender Neutral Reader!

🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞

Not everyone in your friend group gets excited for Halloween! Mike & you asked Mis. Nightmare for matching costumes at the beginning of the month & she agreed but she said you wouldn't know what the costume is until the day of! A week after asking her, Luca Balsa wanted to spend some time with you in his & Tracy Reznik workshop.

"So, you and Mick are planning to be a cute couple on Halloween?" "I mean, we did ask Mis. Nightmare for matching costumes, but she didn't tell us what we would be!" "Oh, she must be cooking up something good! What are you hoping to be?" "Ummm .. I didn't think of something for us to be, so I'm kinda glad she didn't tell us to come up with something!"

"Oh, so you don't want to be his little rad riding hood to his wolf or his Juliet to his Romeo?!" "Luca, stop! Heha" "haha Will, whatever she chooses, I'm sure you'll both look awesome together!" "Thanks Luca!" You walk out of the workshop to see Mike. "Y/N!" As you turn around, he hugs you & kisses you on the lips for a little while. You gently push him away. "heha Mike! I wasn't even gone for that long!" "I know! I just love hugging and kissing you!~" He gives you a quick peck on the cheek.

He then put his hands on your waist & pulled you closer to him & kissed your forehead. "Hey, Mike!" You hug him & try to kiss his cheek, but he moves to start making out with you. He's hands slowly moving up & down your back as his tongue moves all around in your mouth. You moan as you tightly grab his shoulders. "Hi Y/N and Mick!" He pulls away from your lips a little. "Hi Tracy!" "Hey Tracy!" You say as he kisses your cheek. Tracy looks you two up & down. "I swear Mike, you're the type to tear off you & your partners clothes in public if they were into it!" Tracy said as she walked into the workshop.

You gently push him away from you. "Do you want to spend the night in my room, or can I cuddle you in your room?" Mike asked you. "We never just cuddle in your room!" He rubs the back of his hand & gives you a nervous laugh. "heha .. so your room then?" You turn away from him & gestured for him to follow. He skipped next to you. He opens your door for you & you thank him as you walk in. "No problem, cutie!~" He closes the door behind him & walks over to you, rapping his arms around you. "I love you so much, Y/N!" He said as he nuzzles the back of your neck.

"I love you too, Mike!" He lets go of you & the two of you get comfortable in bed together. You lied on your back & he lied on top of you. He kissed your lips & said: "Good night, sweetie!~" The weeks leading up to Halloween went by like every other. Mike randomly makes out with you and random places, most nights cuddling you, some nights fucking you. The night before Halloween, you two didn't spend the night together, so that your Halloween costumes would be a surprise to each other. When you wake up, you see your costume hanging next to your bed. A dark wizarde's/witch's cloak & hat with black boots & a note saying: "Top and bottom are up to you! Mis. Nightmare"

You throw on your favorite shirt, dark pants, cloak & hat. You head downstairs. You're about to enter the dining room until someone hugs you from behind. "Good moewrning Y/N!" "Morning Mike! Can you let go so I can hug & see you?" He hugs you tighter. "No!" He nuzzles into your neck. He eventually stops nuzzling you & lets you turn around to see him. He's in a cute black cat onesie with a bow tie, top hat, a green & gold/orange cape & wrestlets that look like they're from a gothic suit. "Oh!? What a cute familiar!" You say as you rub your thumbs on his cheeks & he closes his eyes & purrs. You stop & you enter the dining room together.

Almost everyone compliments you and Mick on your costumes & you do the same. After hours of games & food, you're sitting, talking with Luca, Andrew Kreiss & Victor Grantz when Mike kneels down by your side. "Hey Y/N! Can we have some fun, just me & you?" "And what if I say no!" He gently spread your legs & sits, back towards you & looks up at you with puppy eyes. "Purrrease!" "..oh all right!" He bounced up & you waved goodbye to them. Exiting the dining room, Mike asked: "Your room or mine?" "Mine! I have a soared back for weeks when we do it in your room!" "Hahahe ..again, sorry about that!" "I forgive you, Mike!" At your bedroom door, he opens to let you in first.

You walk in first & he closes the door behind him. You take off the cloak & and hat, then turn around to see that Mike wasn't wearing anything under the onesie. "Mike!!? What if someone was able to tell that you didn't have underwear on!?" He approached you & sad: "Oh! Do you not trust me to keep my excitement for you under check!?" He puts his thumb under your lip & gently pulled down so he could stick his tongue in your mouth. You moan as it moves all over in your mouth. Your arms wrap around his neck as his hands slowly undress you. He left your lips just to take your shirt off. After a while, he pulls away from your lips & gently pushes you to the bed, & starts to take your pants off with little assistance from you.

One evening is off, you feel him fondling your parts. "mmhaaaa Mike, did just tease me!" Without saying anything, he kneels down & starts licking/sucking you. You moan as he rubs your thigh & licks/sucks you. "mhaa Why is your tongue like magic?" He continues for a while, you moan almost the whole time. He slowly gets up, still licking/sucking you. He stops & leans over you, his tip grazing you hole. "mmmmuu Mike, Please! Stop teasing me!" "But I love hearing you beg for me!~" You rap your legs around his waist & tried to pull him into you, but he doesn't budge. "Mike Please!" You wisper for him. You feel his hands slowly move down to your waist & he kisses your collarbone. Still kissing you, his hands move to the bed & penetrate you. You grab his shoulders & moan the further in he go.

As he grins into you, his moves from your collarbone to your shoulder bite. You put your hand back & moan louder. He continues to occasionally bit your shoulder & neck as he fills you up twice. The second time, he tried to continue & you begged for him to stop. "*huf huf hummm* Mike! I don't have *huf* the stamina that you do!" "*hum* but I want to love you more!~" "*huf huf* I can't Mike! *huf*" He pulls out of you & lies down next to you, hugging you. "Ok Y/N! Sweet dreams!" He nuzzles into your neck & you hug him. "Good night, my Mike!"

End!

I know I'm hella late for Halloween. I also forgot to start an Ithaqua Birthday x reader! 😭 please forgive me! My mental stat is all over the place!

[maddascanbe-blog]

What miraculous do you think are the ideal matches for the madrigals?

Also I love your art

It depends on if you want to go by a strict gift basis or personality. Some of those aren't exclusive though-

TLDR-

Julieta- Wayzz, Alma- Nooroo or Liiri, Pepa- Daizzi/Longg, Bruno- Sass or Tikki, Felix- Diazzi, Augustin- Kalkki, Isabela- Pollen, Dolores- Longg or Barkk, Luisa- Pollen & Duusu, Camilo- Pollen, Antonio- Duusu/unclear, and Mirabel- any of them really.

Bonus Turtle Julieta who didn't make it into AVB- Her name is Hicotea

Julieta for example I think would do well with the turtle both because it's the closest to her gift (since besides the ladybug there isn't a healing power) and I think she and Wayzz would get along well.

Alma would theoretically either have the butterfly (Matriarch deal) or the Ladybug and Cat. But I don't think she'd get along with any of the kwamis very well. Maybe Liiri, but she'd not here.

Pepa would power wise have the dragon, and I think in personality it fits okay. But I would personally either give her Wayzz or Daizzi. Possibly also Orikko.

Bruno would have either Fluff or Sass based on his gift and I think he'd get along with both. I also think he and Tikki would get along (hence Cochineal) and Plagg would have a similar dynamic with him that he does with Adrien, albeit less parental/familial, more platonic. I think he and Mullo would also get along.

Felix would get along with Daizzi, Ziggy, or Orikko. All three seem to thrive on holders with high energy and positive attitude

Augustin could do well with Wayzz and possible Kaalki, since she's probably help with his clumsiness through sheer determination. As well as Stompp who would go "Fuck it, lets just throw shit." I gave him Sass in AVB since I figured he'd be willing to try a million times to get it right, but its not my fist pick.

Isabela would probably do best with Pollen, both because haha Bee, but also- Pollen is a very loyal bee. She calls Isabela her queen but if her queen wants to throw color bombs and do fancy acrobatics with vines? Bravo! Keep going. I stand by the idea that Isabela and Longg could never really get along. Second choices would be Xuppu or Trixx since they'd encourage her to have fun but Trixx for sure would not let her get away with being bitchy. Tikki would also probably do her good.

Dolores could still do well with Mullo at the best of times but I'd be more inclined to give her Pollen, Longg, or Barkk. Pollen and Long would be very respectful of her sensitive hearing while still helping push her, and Barkk would bite anyone being too loud. She is very loyal. Dolores would probably also do well with Plagg for the simple fact he is high demand for food, but very apathetic the rest of the time.

Luisa would match with Roaar in terms of gifts but personality wise I think Pollen, Duusu, Kalkki, or Barkk. With I think Pollen or Duusu being the strongest two.

Camilo would match with Trixx for powers but I wasn't kidding in A Lawless Cat when I said I thought he'd make a good Bee. They're leaders and need to hold attention, but can get in a good sting if you turn your back. Other pick would be Orikko.

Antonio I think does well with the Peacock but otherwise he's a bit to young to know what other miraculous he would thrive with. His compassion would potentially also do well with the butterfly.

And now Mirabel, the character who i think has the widest picks.

Sticking to Cannon Encanto Mirabel I still think she'd have the widest variety. Obviously Nooroo is the top pick, Mirabel likes to help people but most of the time she's teaching them to help themselves first. Even to her own detriment. I think she and Tikki would thrive as two creative spirits, same with Ziggy. Her compassion and good understanding of feelings and others, would make her do well with Duusu. Plagg would encourage ehr to fight for herself, Liiri would want her to break free. Xuupu, Trixx, Orikko, and Diazzi would help her bring fun back into her life as well as spread her strengths to others. She's intuitive enough to work well with Sass, Roarr would push her to take power into her hands and be heard. Stompp would teach her to defend herself. The only kwami I think she wouldn't get on perfectly with is Longg, but even then it wouldn't be particularly bad. It's just that- Mirabel has specifically gone her whole life seeing herself as Imperfect which would strain her connection to him.

[wyllzel]

🔗 Link to Google Doc.

AKA my variant of u/Victorvnv’s guide, The Terminator Bard build (r/BG3Builds).

This is how I’ve built Minthara for a Tactician playthrough! While this isn’t thematic at all for a character who’s supposed to be a Paladin, the Bard with a Machine Gun is a high DPR (>200!), powerful build – and we all know how Minthara feels about power, haha.

The goal of the Bard With a Machine Gun (8 Bard / 4 Fighter) is to get up close to enemies and shoot them in the face. 💥 The focus for this guide is on leveling, feats, and gear. This build wants to deliver maximum Piercing Damage via a melee Heavy Crossbow: 

Your Bard should be in melee to take advantage of the Bhaalist Armor’s Aura of Murder.

Heavy Crossbows are the Piercing Damage-type weapon with the highest Damage Dice (1d10). Also, they feel cool.

The Bard With a Machine Gun comes online in Act 3, but can perform well enough to keep up with Act 1 and Act 2.

This guide assumes that the Bard is Minthara, but this build can work with any one of your party members. No illithid powers are necessary.

(Fair warning: Possible spoilers ahead!)

Leveling

Please note that this guide is really just my personal preference! I recommend reading through the Wiki page on BG3’s Bard and Fighter classes so you get a good idea of how this multiclass synergizes. In this guide, I’ve added a star (⭐) next to each of the class features or spells that I especially like.

To start with, I’ll recommend these base stats:

In the early game (Act 1), it’s a good idea to keep Minthara's Dexterity and Charisma Ability Scores up. Dexterity affects Minthara’s effectiveness with weaponry, and Charisma affects her spellcasting ability.

However, note that Minthara won’t be casting a lot of spells. Because she’ll be using her crossbow most (if not all) of the time, she should take Bardic support spells that don’t rely on high Charisma (eg. Longstrider, Enhance Ability). I recommend focusing on Minthara as a martial who may occasionally rely on spells, rather than trying to run this multiclass as primarily a caster.

Because of this, I also recommend focusing on “martial-leaning” Skills that Minthara will make good use of on the battlefield. For example, I like to bolster her Acrobatics and Stealth.

📝 If you’re okay with respeccing… When I reached the githyanki crèche at the Rosymorn Monastery, I acquired the Gloves of Dexterity for Minthara so that I could dump her Dexterity score and take the Sharpshooter Feat instead of an ASI (for her Level 4 feat). However, I swapped the Gloves of Dexterity for the Legacy of the Masters gloves in Act 3, and respec’d Minthara to set her base Dexterity back to 16. I did this to improve her Attack Roll Bonus. By the time your party reaches Level 9, Minthara's base Attack Roll Bonus (without accounting for other gear and features) would be calculated as follows: - Gloves of Dexterity (sets DEX to 18): +8 = +4 (18 DEX) +4 (Proficiency Bonus) - Legacy of the Masters and 16 DEX: +9 = +2 (LotM) +3 (16 DEX) +4 (Proficiency Bonus) However, doing a respec around the Gloves of Dexterity may feel a bit convoluted. The following leveling guide will still give you an adequate build that becomes great in Act 3.

Because Minthara won’t really be using her spells, I will abstain from making any "must-take" spell recommendations. The following is an abbreviated example of her level progression.

Level 1 (Bard 1)

3 Bardic Inspiration charges (1d6) (Recharge on Long Rest)

Recommended cantrips: Mage Hand, Minor Illusion

Recommended spells: Healing Word, Longstrider, Sleep, Bane

Level 2 (Bard 2)

Recommended spell: Thunderwave

Level 3 (Bard 3)

Recommended spell: Enhance Ability

Select Subclass: College of Swords ⭐

Defensive Flourish (Melee/Ranged), Slashing Flourish (Melee/Ranged), Mobile Flourish (Melee/Ranged)

Fighting Style: Dueling

Minthara will almost always use Slashing Flourish (Ranged) while in combat. Slashing Flourish (Ranged) allows your Bard to make two Ranged Attacks at once, and adds a Damage Dice per Attack.

Once Minthara gains Extra Attack (Level 6), by using Slashing Flourishes, she can make up to four improved Ranged Attacks per round of combat. This gives the build that “Machine Gun” flavoring.

Level 4 (Bard 4)

Recommended cantrip: Vicious Mockery

Recommended spell: Invisibility

Select:

Feat: Sharpshooter ⭐

Level 5 (Bard 5)

4 Bardic Inspiration charges (Recharge on Short Rest)

Improved Bardic Inspiration (1d8)

Recommended spell: Plant Growth

Level 6 (Bard 6)

Extra Attack (College of Swords)

Countercharm

Recommended spell: Calm Emotions

Level 7 (Fighter 1)

Second Wind

Fighting Style: Archery ⭐

Level 8 (Fighter 2)

Action Surge

Level 9 (Bard 7)

Recommended spell: Dimension Door

Level 10 (Bard 8)

5 Bardic Inspiration charges

Recommended spell: Knock

Select:

Feat: Crossbow Expert ⭐

This feat lets Minthara use her crossbow to full effect while in melee combat.

Level 11 (Fighter 3)

Select Subclass: Champion ⭐

Improved Critical Hit

Level 12 (Fighter 4)

Select:

Feat: ASI (+2 DEX) ⭐

Final Composition

By Level 12, Minthara will have the following notable qualities:

Feats: Sharpshooter, Crossbow Expert

Gear

Fighting Styles: Dueling, Archery

Improved Bardic Inspiration (1d8)

Improved Critical Hit (19-20)

The goal of this gear selection is to maximize Piercing Damage.

Headwear: Helmet of Arcane Acuity

Battle Acuity: Whenever you deal damage with a weapon attack, you gain Arcane Acuity for 2 turns.

Dexterity saving throws +1

Because Minthara’s Spellcasting DC is going to be naturally low (16 CHA), this helmet allows her to build up Arcane Acuity from making weapons attacks. Therefore, if combat requires her spellcasting abilities, she’ll have a better chance of succeeding. As such, especially in Act 3, it may be a good idea for Minthara to hold onto Hold Monster scrolls.

I like keeping this helmet on my gish out of habit, but Minthara is foremost a martial. A good alternative headwear is the Marksmanship Hat.

Armor: Bhaalist Armor

Aura of Murder: Enemies within 2 m / 6.5 ft become Vulnerable to Piercing Damage, unless they are Resistant or Immune to it. ⭐

Ambusher: Gain a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls.

AC 14 + DEX modifier

Aura of Murder doubles all of the Piercing Damage that Minthara does while in melee combat. This passive is why the build requires the Crossbow Expert Feat, which allows you to effectively use your crossbow while in melee.

Cloak: Vivacious Cloak

Arcane Vivaciousness: Gain 8 temporary HP for four turns after casting a spell while in melee.

Minthara is, technically, a caster (Bard). While she won’t be casting often, 8 HP can be a gamechanger.

Handwear: Legacy of the Masters

Arming Enhancement: Gain a +2 Bonus to Attack Rolls and Damage Rolls with weapons. ⭐

Strength saving throws +1

The +2 to Attack Rolls helps offset the Attack Roll penalty from the Sharpshooter feat.

Footwear: Boots of Brilliance

Restore Bardic Inspiration: Play your instrument to restore one of your Bardic Inspiration slots. (Recharge: Long Rest.)

Minthara may run out of Bardic Inspiration fairly quickly. These boots and the Wondrous Gloves increase Bardic Inspiration.

I also like the Disintegrating Night Walkers on Minthara - especially since these are drowish boots!

Amulet: Amulet of the Harpers

Advantage on Wisdom saving throws.

Shield: Cast as a level 1 spell. (Recharge: Long Rest.)

The Advantage on Wisdom saving throws (used against spells like Hold Person) offsets the Risky Ring, which is recommended below.

Alternatively, the Amulet of Misty Step can help Minthara with positioning.

Ring A: Crusher’s Ring

Movement Speed increased by 3m / 10ft.

Minthara needs mobility to ensure that she’s close enough to her enemies (for Aura of Murder).

Ring B: Risky Ring

Risky Attack: You gain Advantage on Attack Rolls and receive Disadvantage on Saving Throws.

The Advantage that this ring grants should help offset the -5 to Attack Rolls from the Sharpshooter Feat.

Melee Main Hand: Phalar Aluve

Performance +1

Phalar Aluve: Melody: The sword hums in anticipation, ready to Sing or Shriek. Effect ends when Phalar Aluve is unequipped.

Versatile

Melee Off Hand: Sentinel Shield

Minthara won’t be using her melee weapon much, if at all. Therefore, it’s more useful for her melee weapon to be a buffer (ie., Melody: Shriek).

Phalar Aluve is also nice in that it's a longsword with the versatile tag – meaning it can be wielded based off DEX rather than STR!

Heightened Awareness: Gain a +3 bonus to Initiative rolls and Advantage on Perception checks.

Shield Bash: When a foe hits you with a melee attack, you can use your Reaction to knock them Prone unless they succeed a DEX saving throw.

AC +2

Any shield here works, I just recommend Sentinel Shield for the +3 to Initiative.

Ranged Main Hand: Hellfire Engine Crossbow

Lightning Arrow: Cast as a Level 4 spell. (Recharge: Long Rest.)

Piercing Shot: Shoot a foe in the chest and possibly inflict Gaping Wounds. Undead and Constructs can't suffer Gaping Wounds.

Brace (Ranged): Spend 6 m / 20 ft of your movement. For the rest of your turn, roll Ranged Damage twice and use the highest result.

Reposition Malefactor: Pulls the creature 9 m / 30 ft closer to you if it fails a DC 15 DEX saving throw.

This is Minthara’s primary weapon, so you definitely want to give her the most badass Heavy Crossbow you can find. >:) An alternative is Gortash’s Fabricated Arbalest!

Ranged Off Hand: N/A

Number Crunching

The following table should give you an idea of how Minthara performs on the battlefield as a result of her gear synergy. This table assumes that Minthara is Level 12.

(The (A) means that Minthara is attacking with Advantage (Risky Ring).)

Since Minthara has Extra Attack (College of Swords, Lvl. 6), she can do up to 160-288 DPR for an average of ~224 DPR. Additionally, Minthara has a higher chance of landing a Critical Hit (19%) – which can significantly increase her DPR.

On a Critical Hit: 19% Chance

Note that Minthara is essentially making four Attacks per round (two Slashing Flourishes, where each Flourish is two Attacks).

Conclusion

This concludes my version of the Terminator Bard, which I call “Bard With a Machine Gun”! A melee fighter that takes advantage of ranged weaponry/feats is a really interesting concept, and is a lot of fun to play since it feels different from your standard hack-and-slash melee martial.

As always, there are probably ways to get your Bard even more optimized – but an average of >200 DPR is more than enough for me!

Another way to make this build interesting is to run your Bard as a dual Hand Crossbow wielder (rather than Heavy Crossbow). To do so, you should take the Two-Weapon Fighting Fighting Style at Level 3 (College of Swords Bard). Recommended Hand Crossbows are the Hellfire Hand Crossbow and a Hand Crossbow +2.

Thanks for reading, and hope this gave you some ideas for your Bard-based builds! :)

[rabiesofficial]

I also watched dandadan and was no one going to mention that casual sexual assault as a joke was like, in a lot of the episodes. Everyone was all omg acrobatic silky story so sad omg dandadan is changing the game. The first episode the girl has her clothes ripped off and put into a position where she is almost raped. Like it was said in a “funny” way, the aliens saying “give me your banana” like oh haha silly aliens women don’t have “bananas” but she was very much about to be raped horrifically??? The aliens know the difference between men and women because they remark preferring women. And they keep coming back to try to get them. It’s not like oh she escaped she’s safe now, it’s a recurring plot point that the aliens keep trying to get them.

[dorizardthewizard]

Galactik Football season 3 rewatch, eps 7 - 9

Episode 7:

AGAIN they put the Shadows logo instead of the Pirates...

Well at least Mei is trying to be civil with D'jok and have a normal conversation

D'jok claiming he doesn't miss the Snow Kids >:(

I mean idk why they're tossing Mei up and down like that like, what are they celebrating XD

Aarch: We're far from ready for tonight's match, even against the Pirates!

DON'T SLANDER THEM LIKE THAT

Kinda rude they only show D'jok depressed over/ missing Mei. Surely he must miss the rest of the Snow Kids even if he won't show it? He literally ditched Mei in season 1 because Mice left, saying he's his only family apart from Maya, but now he just doesn't give a shit?

Did D'jok seriously just kiss Nikki-4 because he was reminded of Mei? Get this man some therapy

I mean idk why you're upset Mei you are literally dating Sinedd. Although I wouldn't blame her if she assumed D'jok was only doing it to get back at her

ngl I prefer Artegor's hype speeches haha

STEVENS IT'S MY BOY STEVENS!!!

What's with all the matches in season 3 having a goal being scored IN THE FIRST FEW SECONDS

GOOOOAL PIRAAAAAATES

Sorry I'm a Snow Kids supporter I swear

ooo they have Cyclops players in the Pirates team. The only chance for the Pirates to have a flux with them and be on the same level as the other teams, and they get the Cyclops. lol.

Wait, if the reason the Pirates couldn't use flux was because they're from different planets, then couldn't they use it now in this tournament? Or is it because they're all from Shiloh and it doesn't have a flux? I once read an idea somewhere that they didn't use flux because it can be tracked so they couldn't train with it, or maaaybe the Flux Society only let them play on the condition they don't use it, as their doings are a bit too opaque for their liking? Many questions.

I love Artie ditching his team to support Micro-Ice. Get you a hypeman like Artie, king shit <3

Corso kicking Artie out for potentially disturbing Sonny, they're so 💖 and in the next shot Corso is watching the TV anyway with his hands crossed like a dad LOL

YESSSS MICRO-ICE GOT TO SCORE THE FIRST GOAL! THAT'S MY SON!!!

This is me btw

Why didn't Artie just go to the stadium from the start?

I love Rocket's penalty (free?) kicks so much <3 I'm sorry I don't actually know anything about football <333

Aaand Rocket's out. You guys should really have more subs. Or like, ANY subs

Gimme some Lun-Zeara action :( Y'know, just like the Rykers match, the match doesn't have to be a total wipeout to show that the winning team is good. I want the Wambas to at least put up more of a fight against Paradisia I mean, their flux is just a discount Breath anyway

I love the Pirate's acrobatic style of play, you just know these guys are parkour experts with all their running away from Technoid

Oooo that goal attempt was by red hair dude, nice to see someone else on the Pirates team strike. Hc he's twins with the goalkeeper, but where tf did their names in the wiki come from and why are they all so basic. Tbf they probably wouldn't reveal their real names anyway

Just realised there has been like zero development for Lun-Zia in terms of integrating with the team. She's from a completely different planet, they could have done so much with this but she just... fits in just like that? I know that later there's some stuff about her wanting to stay with the SK and learn the Breath but... it just feels weird to have none of that development when she actually joins the team

GO TIA GOOOO

Hahaha, that's not how physics works. The net is a loose material! At least in the previous seasons you could see it still spinning against the net and stretching it to its limits before falling

I love Callie accidentally showing her bias sometimes

Lun-Zia just doing cartwheels to celebrate, cute

DAN DAN DAAAAANNN... CYBORGS! Although the plot kind of treats them more like androids in the sense that they're not “real” humans

> be me > girlfriend broke up with me by going to a different team > said ex girlfriend immediately gets with my nemesis > I leave for a new team, they're all hot girls and really strong players > turns out they're cyborgs > find out my dad is seriously injured and clinging on to life right after our first victory > they suspect the very coach I literally just started playing for > fml

Episode 8:

The Red Tigers?? When did they qualify???

Maddox why would you turn down the only chance of your team ever winning a match. Give them a flux player! Also, good feeling about the match?? Against the XENONS??? come on he can't be that naive

woah is that a new Technodroid theme song? Kinda slaps tbh

This match should be like 20-0 honestly

Fuck the Red Tigers <3 Warren, destroy them

SINCE WHEN DID THE RED TIGERS HAVE THE BREATH???

Warren is just as surprised as I am, although honestly I have no idea how this development didn't get out to the press sooner. This is also so thrown in, you'd think there'd be more discussion or reaction on there being two Akillian teams in this tournament??

oooo seeing Warren's teleporting from his perspective is pretty cool

I was about to rant that there's no way Warren would be troubled by the Red Tigers, flux or not, but ok fair he has the resonance because of Netherball. He only played in one match though, and all the Lightnings are good players, the team doesn't just suddenly suck because Warren's having a bad day

The Xenons have a Cyclops? Ok then, would've been too OP otherwise haha

Y'know I feel like they could have done more with this whole mixed flux thing, like found more creative ways for the team members to work together. So far, nothing would change if the tournament was still single flux, well except Lun-Zia

HOW THE FUCK DID THE TECHNODROIDS EVEN SCORE A GOAL? Keeper must have gotten bored and taken a nap, fair enough

I like Warren's dignified little clap with the audience haha, he's a true champion

Not the Red Tiger's captain pushing WARREN. This is why no one likes you guys

I'm not actually sure if that player is Woowamboo because I don't think they mention him by name, but I like to think they're bros! It's nice to see the new flux player get the spotlight and score a goal

Oooo teams we've never heard of before

I want to be at this beach party :( LOL even the Pirates are here

Rocket and Tia are so cute

Oh come on Lun-Zia you didn't really think you had a chance with Rocket? Wish they'd drop this drama and let Tia and Lun-Zia bond over something else. Last season Tia's arc also mostly revolved around Rocket so can we give her something else this time?

I like Zo-Leen just hanging with them now

STFU D'JOK WHAT DID MICRO-ICE EVER DO TO YOU??!!

Love how only some teams get the privilege of getting animated with casual clothes and not their football kits haha

Artie, after jumping an old guy that looks like Vega: we thought you were a woman!

NOT HELPING YOURSELF THERE DUDE

idk is Simbai really the only expert they can call? I mean I guess she might be renown in the field since she cured Aarch and Artegor of the Smog poisoning, but still. Aahh well since it's Sonny they probably don't have many options without alerting Technoid, that's gotta hurt

Episode 9:

Sinedd saying the Shadows will win bc they've always been a mixed flux team – I mean I guess mixed species but not flux as Sinedd had to learn the Smog. But also I'm gonna take the chance to give the Shadows points for inclusivity because they seemed to have no problem mixing the team up even before this tournament

I wonder if there was a taboo against that due to the flux wars not being that long ago, I mean the teams are already like our national football teams so most would only want to play for their planet, but it's gotta be even weirder if you switch teams and there are still tensions between your people. So this mixed flux tournament could have been a big political moment if the show explored that side more.

Ok the shading on the characters is bothering me, was it always so dark in the previous seasons? They look like they're always standing infront of a bright light.

Mark I really wouldn't trash talk Luur if I were you

Go Lun Zia!!

Guys do you think Luur would be popular with the monsterfuckers if Galactik Football were a more well known show. I mean look at his figure- (someone throws a grenade through my window)

D'JOK WHAT THE HELL, FOULING WARREN?! FUCKING WARREN YOUR IDOL WHO YOU HAVE NO BEEF WITH CURRENTLY???!!!! why are they making him do stuff like this just to drive home that he's being an ass and will learn from it like, people can be nuanced. You don't have to have him lash out at literally everyone he interacts with.

Warren: Real shame that football has come to this.

Ok this supports my theory from the Netherball episodes that Warren is obsessed with football and the integrity of the sport

YYYYESSSSS GOOOOOAL TIA SLAAYYYY!!!! SHE STEPS UUUPPP!!!

wow that match ended quickly, considering how hyped up the Xenons were in the last season. I mean they played them in the finals! I wonder if season 3 split the matches like that so they wouldn't have to animate as much lol

oh I just realised D'jok is no longer number 9, he's 6. So his number upside down, heh, symbolism

Roasted by Warren, oof. This is the guy that got SINEDD to behave and work with D'jok in the All-Stars game last season, he commands that much respect from the young players but now D'jok is just being a jerk to him for no reason.

Artegor telling Aarch to try more warmth and less doom and gloom, that's hilarious

D'jok you're really gonna reveal that Sonny is your father to THE GUY SUSPECTED OF TRYING TO KILL HIM? WHO CAN EASILY KILL YOU?? AND INFRONT OF THIS TEAM YOU'VE ONLY KNOWN A FEW DAYS?

Vega's spy suit kinda slays tbh

Not Aarch realising he needs more of a social life outside of football 😭

“Last one back is a Cyclops!” THRAN THAT'S RACIST

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE. FIRST MEI/D'JOK, THEN TIA/ROCKET, NOW FREAKING AARCH/ADIM HAVE A LOVE TRIANGLE PLOT? I know it's a misunderstanding but like, what the hell. The romance drama is so bad in this season and I have a pretty low tolerance for that compared to other things like plotholes and whatever

How the fuck did Micro-Ice hear them talking from underwater

OK I like that it's Micro-Ice who gets suspicious of Paradisia with all the weird stuff going on, cute he goes up to Tia about it and she's immediately down for some investigation work despite going on about how amazing the place is a few minutes ago.