#something for miniatures/set for action figures 👀

[candycryptids]

beep beep QUESTION TIME!!!

what are each of your characters' favorite minion(s) and why? 👀

Bet you weren’t expecting SCREENSHOTS!!!! BAM…!! (I was trying to get into cozy town so these are speed-shots LOL it was a fun pseudo challenge gettin em all done in under an hour)

Chuu’s favorite Minion is the Toy Alexander: a moving mini replica of the time traveling Machine-God? and it’s kinda hot? It’s one of the few machines she didn’t build herself but only because Cid and the Ironworks rushed to do it before she could, fearing the features she’d put into a tiny war machina-Primal. It’s like an action figure to her. It’s set a hilarious precedent though, and she’s still waiting for her Miniature G-Warrior. Chop chop Garlond!

Tuesday’s favorite minion is Gigi, after he has a long talk with Keathan and he retires the Haurchefant Mammet for a spell, worrying for the negative impact it was having on his mental state. He finds a lot of kinship with Gigi, though, being black mage machines. …… he’s a little worried about what misadventures the Inspector is going to get up to next time, though. And that scrawny elezen and his dog, who seemed to conveniently be away whenever the Elezen Inspector Briardien came around….

Nobody knows where that little baby Buffalo came from. Nobody stopped Tangy from scooping it up under her arm like a little purse dog and taking it with her when they moved to the Rising Stones, either. It’s just a little guy! She couldn’t leave it there all alone. What if something like a Pelican tried to eat it… also, it’s cute, and round, and the Rising Stones could use a Mascot anyways.

Ishi’s favorite minion- that isn’t one of his increasing clowder of kitten adoptee’s- is the Odder Otter! He ADORES silly little mascot like creatures, so he jumped at the chance to have a little pal of his own to come on adventures. It even has its own little lantern! He might just cry thinking about it. When he finds out about the Abroader Otter he’s going to become inconsolable. Lmao.

The OOC origin behind Colette’s baby bat is when her and Setsuna first set off on their journey together in Ul’Dah, a stranger came and pressed Bats into their possession. It was baffling, and funny. The IC origin is fuzzier, only that Setsuna and Colette have had them since they first started adventuring and they’re probably attuned to each other in some way. Either way, here’s Colette and aptly named ‘Bat’.

Mochiie refuses to let anything bad happen to little Ryunosuke. Which is why he makes sure the jacket is on snug and fully when it’s raining, so the chick doesn’t run risk of catching cold while they’re traveling together. He has the problem Ishi has with adopting cats, but with Chocobo chicks. He’s pretty sure Ryunosuke is some kinda Hingan Pygmy breed, meant for Nobles to keep in their estates and on display, prized for their docile, lap-loving nature and silky plumage. He doesn’t get on very well with Cindy, or Sandy, but that’s not a huge surprise; the girls are strong personalities, spoiled with attention, and bigger, older birds from a breed meant for Combat, not pets. Mindy tolerates Ryunosuke but only because she knows he would fit perfectly in her mouth if she so chose to, and Mochi would be extremely upset in her if she did.

Levraut’s favorite minion is. Naturally. Canonball :’3 the scrappy little wolf pup saved from the brink of starvation and then fed up, spoiled with plenty of attention and poor manners. He’s stolen a fair number of unsuspecting sandwiches… Lev is going to have to teach him the thieves code one of these days or they’re both going to get in trouble lol.

[shader for all is Neneko’s Gameplay Essence]

[energon-with-a-curly-straw]

Just spent the day going through our old toys for organizing the basement. I feel like I deserve extra credit for the gender chapter of my sociology course 😭

[m0srael]

Pinball Wizard [2.5k | T]

Fun fact: Dance, Dance, Revolution! was released in 1998. I know two boys who needed some healthy coping mechanisms right about then 👀. Also, Speed Over Beethoven and Butterfly are absolute bangers, I highly suggest you listen as you read. You're welcome for the nostalgia overload. Thanks, @corvuscrowned my beloved for this picrew prompt! I had a lot of fun writing this. Read my other picrew drabbles here and send me an ask to prompt your own!

Draco’s coins slide home with a thunk, and the pinball machine flashes to life with a cascade of light and a trill of mechanical music. He doesn’t know who the Addams Family are, only that they look like people his parents would try, and fail, to impress, and that he likes their theme song. It’s something about the snapping.

The first silver ball slips into the spring-loaded mechanism and is launched through a metal tube out into the open space of the game. The music shifts to something faster and more frantic. Draco’s heart picks up as the silver ball falls towards the flippers and he slams his palm onto the side of the machine, sending the ball hurling upwards to bounce off several bumpers that set off even more light and sound. He glances up to check his rapidly increasing score.

The ball falls back down toward the board and he manages to catch it and let it settle into the bend of the flipper, poised to strike. He takes a deep breath, releases the button, and slams his palm again as soon as the ball rolls onto the very tip. It careens upward and right into the secret bonus alcove under the miniature spiral staircase. The whole machine erupts into a shower of rainbow lights and tinkling sounds, and Draco laughs as a tiny, plastic hand emerges from a trunk in the top right corner, scoops up his ball, and pulls it back into the box. “Thank you, Thing!” a deep, muffled voice says. A dancing, disembodied hand trots across the screen on its fingertips, obscuring the words “T-H-I-N-G 5,000,000!” His name already occupies the top ten high score slots for the game, be he wouldn’t mind taking number eleven as well.

He’s usually able to completely lose himself for hours, burning his way through a stack of coins and looking up to find the sky has darkened outside. The screams and laughter of the other kids around him never seem to disturb his focus, and the pinging and flashing of the other games in the arcade fade into the background.

At least, that was the case until they installed the newest game.

The songs it plays sound nothing like the 8-bit tunes tinkling out of the older machines, it's almost like they’re playing right from the Wireless, and it takes up so much room. People tend to stop and watch whoever is playing, which means the arcade gets crowded quickly.

Draco’s ball slips between the flippers and the pinball machine makes a sad, whining sound as his attention is pulled away by a wave of cries from the crowd around the new machine. He tucks his coins back into the pocket of his black, skinny jeans and resolves to figure out what all the fuss is about.

The crowd is larger than normal today. Draco is tall, but even he is having trouble seeing over people’s heads to the action, although he can see most of the broad screen. The person playing has chosen their character and a man’s voice says “select music,” as the image changes to allow the player to select their difficulty level. They choose Heavy, the highest difficulty, and the crowd gives an encouraging cheer.

The image changes again to a silhouette of their character, and the game’s announcer says, “Are you ready? Let’s go!” as flashing, rainbow arrows start to stream up from the bottom of the screen. The opening notes of what Draco recognizes as Beethoven’s Fur Elise ring out, and quickly morph into a fast-paced, beat-heavy remix that has the kids around him bopping along and nodding to the music where they stand.

Draco can see the top of the player’s head, their dark curls bouncing as they jump wildly across the floor, hitting all the marks at exactly the right time. The score in the bottom corner is going up and up, and big, pink numbers float in the center of the screen: Perfect!! 105 Combo!

They’re good.

He shuffles around the outside of the crowd until he’s right up beside the platform. The boy’s feet are moving so quickly they’re just a blur. He’s leaned back with his hands on the railing of the platform, twisting his hips to reach all four of the arrows on the floor. His tan, corduroy jacket is flung over the railing behind the place for a second player. He’s grinning broadly and breathing hard, there’s sweat beading on his forehead, and his baggy, white t-shirt clings to his thin frame.

Draco is mesmerized. The rhythmic tap-tap-tap of the boy’s trainers on the platform is hypnotizing, and he’s entirely swept up in the pounding, careening music,and pulsing lights of the game.

The boy does a complicated little spin, dipping backward to hit the final arrow with his hand instead of his foot. Draco gasps. He’s panting and laughing as he stands and lifts the hem of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. Draco blushes at the sudden faceful of tan stomach and dark hair, unable to look away from the boy’s lean abs. Suddenly, he catches Draco’s eye…and winks. Draco’s blush deepens.

“Alright, I think it’s someone else’s go, thanks, everybody!” He says when the crowd groans. Two little girls hop onto the machine and start pushing coins into the coin slots as soon he steps off.

“Dragon80.” The boy says, looking at Draco with twinkling green eyes. He pushes his glasses back up his nose with one finger and smiles as Draco stutters.

“What?”

“You’re Dragon80, right? You’ve had the top score on The Addams Family for months. Impressive—that’s a wicked game. I’m Harry.”

Draco thinks all the blood in his body must be in his cheeks at this point. He didn’t think anyone noticed him, especially not here of all places. It’s part of why he spends all his time, and his allowance, here. “Y-yeah. That’s me. I…like the pictures.”

Harry laughs and his smile gets impossibly bigger, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Yeah, me too. I’ve gotta run Dragon, but we should dance sometime!” He nods back over his shoulder toward the game as he slides into his jacket.

“Oh, yeah, okay.” Draco breathes as Harry turns to go. He’s only stopped twice by other kids who gush over his skill before he can slip out the door. As he does, he turns back and gives Draco another soft smile. Draco tucks it away to think about later.

—

The arcade is quieter than Draco has ever seen it—there’s only one other person, a middle-aged man playing game after inexplicable game of Pong. He’d faked sick to get out of Sunday brunch just to be here so early when the likelihood of onlookers is at its lowest.

He slips his coins into the slots on the front of the game, Dance, Dance, Revolution! it’s called, and watches as the intro screen flashes on. He chooses his character—a person with long, blond pigtails and a short skirt—and selects the easiest difficulty level. The music selection comes up and he scrolls for a long time, finally landing on a song called “Butterfly”—it sounds easy and cute.

He feels nervous, he doesn’t know why, as there’s no one around to watch him. Only, his mother always says he has two left feet and he’s pretty sure he’s the reason his dance coach took early retirement. And…if he’s no good, Harry won’t want to play with him.

The song begins, and the first few arrows float slowly upward on the screen. Draco braces himself against the platform railing, every muscle tensed for the flurry of motion he’d witnessed in Harry, but after the first few combinations, he relaxes. It’s more like stepping in time to the beat than anything. He gets the hang of it pretty quickly, racking up points and speeding through the playlist of songs on Light mode. He can see why people like playing so much—he’s breathing hard and sweating through his thin white vest and long-sleeved mesh shirt, and it feels good.

But Harry surely would be bored with the easy stuff. Draco has to push himself, to be good enough that Harry will want to dance with him again. He selects one of the songs from the Heavy list—the same song he’d watched Harry dance to.

He scoffs at himself as he hits about every fifth beat, his limbs are flailing all around him as he fights to keep his balance and twist his body in a futile attempt to hit the arrows in the right patterns.

He realizes the gravity of the mistake he’s made the millisecond that the toe of his trainers catches on his opposite ankle. He’d tried to do the little spin Harry had done, only Harry’s extremities seem to follow the directions they’re given, whereas his absolutely do not. He goes down, hard, and his face hits the sharp edge of the platform. He can feel the blood welling up immediately.

When he looks up the Pong man is staring at him with an amused smile on his face.

“Oh, no, I’m fine. I don’t need help at all,” he deadpans as he pulls himself upright. Maybe he should stick to Light mode, after all.

—

“Gomez,” the Addams Family lady’s voice intones as Draco flips the little silver ball back up the length of the board. It pings off a tiny model electric chair and the machine tinkles to alert him that his score has doubled.

“What happened to you?” a voice asks just over Draco’s left shoulder. He jumps, and the ball slides past the flippers, into the ball return. When he turns Harry is standing there, watching him play. He lifts a finger to his own cheek in the approximate spot Draco’s plaster is, covering the shame of his first Dance, Dance, Revolution! attempt.

“Oh, uh…um,” he says. Think, Draco, think. You can’t tell this boy you busted your face open trying to copy his moves! “Hunting…accident…” he says instead.

“Oh. Weird,” Harry says, then his face splits into a big grin. “I don’t mean to interrupt you…”

Harry pauses, so Draco says. “Draco, my name is Draco.”

“Hm. Cool. Draco. Well, I’m usually alone when I come here and the game is always more fun on two-player mode…” he’s pointing vaguely in the direction of Dance, Dance, Revolution!.

“Yeah! Um. Sure, yeah,” Draco replies too quickly. Harry just smiles and leads the way toward the machine.

They select their characters, and Harry moves the cursor to the Heavy difficult level.

“Um…” Draco says, hesitantly. “I…don’t think I’m as good at this as you are…”

“Oh!” Harry replies, “I’m sorry, it’s a force of habit. Of course. We can start slow, it’s no problem!”

Draco breathes a sigh of relief as Harry selects the difficulty level above Light and chooses a song Draco has danced to before.

He loses all track of time as they play through song after song. Harry bests him every time, but Draco doesn’t care because he’s having fun. He loves looking over to see Harry’s pink cheeks and sparkling eyes. He nearly trips a few times because he gets so distracted by Harry’s talented feet. After what feels like hours, Harry finally sags back against the railing where his acid-wash denim jacket is hanging.

“I think I need a break, you’re a machine!” he says, shoving Draco’s shoulder.

Draco laughs too, shoving him back lightly. “You’re one to talk, I feel like a newborn baby deer next to you on this thing!”

“Aw, cute!” Harry says as he hops down. “Slushies?”

Draco follows him over to the little snack bar in the back of the arcade and watches as he fills two large cups, one with cherry slushie and one with blue raspberry. Draco fishes in his tight pocket for his money, but by the time he pulls out the correct change, Harry has already paid.

He holds out the cherry-flavored slushie to Draco. “I took a guess, but we can totally switch if you like this better!” His tongue is already painted blue by the few sips he’s taken from his own cup.

“No, thank you,” Draco says softly as he’s hit with a sudden urge to find out if Harry’s tongue tastes as blue as it looks, and if his lips are cold and sweet. He stuffs his straw in his mouth and sucks to keep from saying anything idiotic.

“Do you like, go hunting a lot?” Harry asks as they settle into one of the vinyl booths on the wall. Draco is surprised when Harry slides in next to him instead of across from him.

“What?”

Harry lightly brushes the plaster on Draco’s face.

“Wha—oh. oh. “ Draco’s face heats. “Um. I…sort of lied. I mean, yes, my stupid family makes me go hunting sometimes, but…” He doesn’t know what possessed him to admit the truth, only something about Harry makes him think he won’t make Draco feel bad about it.

Harry just gazes at him, sipping his slushie and waiting for Draco to finish his sentence.

“I fell. I tried to dance to the same song you were dancing to the other day on Heavy. Just to see if I could, you make it look so easy! And...well, I’m actually very clumsy. And I fell. There was blood.”

Harry blinks at him for a moment before bursting into loud laughter. His whole body shakes with it, and Draco can’t help but smile despite being more mortified than he’s ever been in his entire life.

“Alright, alright, I’ll be going now. Thanks for the slushie, we will never see one another again as I am on my way to die of embarrassment,” Draco says as he tries to gently push Harry out of the booth so he can leave.

Harry holds firm and urges Draco back with a hand to his shoulder. “No, no, I’m sorry,” he says as he catches his breath. “It’s just, that’s probably the cutest thing I’ve heard in a while. You’re so cute. I wish I could have seen it.”

You’re so cute. Draco’s mind goes blank. He thinks he might be staring at Harry with his mouth open.

“Hey—hey, really, it’s a hard game! And it takes time to figure it out. I’m impressed, actually, that you have the nerve to jump right to the hardest level. You must like a challenge.”

Draco shakes himself out of his trance. “Oh, yeah. I don’t know. It was stupid.” He scrubs the back of his flaming neck with his hand, avoiding Harry’s gaze.

“Would you…” Draco looks up, and Harry is blushing now, “maybe want to keep practicing? With me, I mean? We could…I could show you some things if you want. I mean it’s not like there’s any secret to it, or anything, you could figure it out on your own for sure. But you could show me how you’re so good at pinball in exchange—I could never get the hang of it!”

Draco laughs and takes another big sip of his slushie, nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah, I would love that, Harry.”

Read on Ao3!