#i was having more fun when it was just weevils

[autisticlancemcclain]

“Ow!”

“Sh!”

“I will not sh, Pidge, you kicked me —”

Pidge kicks him again, then jerks her head to the side.

Hunk’s eyes go wide. “No way,” he whispers.

“Yes way,” Pidge whispers back, gleeful. Because they have been sitting in the common room for the past couple hours — her, Hunk, and dumbass pining loser 1 and 2 — and slowly, ever so slowly, Keith and Lance have been inching closer and closer together. So slowly it didn’t even look intentional.

But there they sit. Cuddling. Blissfully, stupidly unaware.

“Oh, I am a winning today,” Pidge mutters, turning on her camera. “This is excellent.”

“Well, if it goes somewhere, sure.”

“It is going to go somewhere. Look at Lance’s face.”

“…What about it?”

“Dude, he keeps glancing down at Keith and blushing! Watch!”

It takes a few minutes, but eventually it happens — Lance’s hands still from his holopad, ever so slightly. He sneaks the quickest glance at Keith, where he’s fully leaning with his back against Lance’s shoulder (smothering him, really, with his hair all over the place and completely relaxed into Lance), and cracks the tiniest of smiles, ears going red. Then he shakes his head minutely and goes back to whatever he’s doing on his holopad. (He’s been really into quintessential calculus lately, because he’s a massive nerd geek loser, so it’s probably that. Pidge is a nerd too, sure, but she doesn’t do math for fun. And so she automatically has three cool points more than Lance and thus is totally justified in calling him a dweeb at every and any opportunity.)

“Dude,” Hunk breathes, jaw dropped and expression totally incredulous.

“I know!”

They both stare in dumbfounded awe at their two friends, because honestly. It’s embarrassing, it what it is.

“Oh, hey, Lance.”

The speed at which Lance’s attention completely drops from his holopad to focus entirely on Keith is hilarious. Pidge and Hunk exchange a look and then look away immediately, lest they burst into hysterical laughter.

(She’s so glad she’s catching this on tape. She’s going to bribe Shiro into giving her less chores for the opportunity to watch this later. Hell yeah.)

Keith shifts so he’s sitting next to Lance, then — holy shit, Pidge can barely keep from yelling — lifts one arm to put around Lance’s shoulders and then grabs the book again, so he’s got his chest pressed to Lance’s back, chin hooked over his shoulder, arms encircling him with the book in front of them, pointing at something specific.

Pidge’s jaw drops. She looks at Hunk, who is watching with similar disbelief.

Lance looks like he’s going to combust. Keith is, like, totally oblivious, stars above.

“Listen to this,” Keith continues. “It’s this scene where the royal knight who’s in charge of the prince’s safety is being a reckless dumbass and the prince just, like, rips him a new asshole because he’s worried the knight is going to get himself killed. It’s from that Altean drama you found me. Remember?”

“I remember,” Lance squeaks, looking like he’s desperately trying to recall the yoga breaths Shiro taught them.

“Good, it’s from that. Listen.”

Keith shifts a little to make himself comfortable — poor Lance looks so red that Pidge is actually lowkey starting to feel bad for him (not really) — and then starts to recite.

“‘Listen to me, you bare-headed weevil. You cannot keep running straightforward into danger. I don’t care how much you think you’re protecting me — you’re scaring me. I worry every tick of every varga that you’re going to get yourself killed. Is that the protection you’re going to give me? Constant terror? You’re going to send me to an early grave! I care for you, you imbecile, and I also outrank you, so I order you at once to stop being a dumbass and think about yourself for one second!’”

Keith closes the book, moving again so he’s no longer — and Pidge cannot stress this enough — cradling Lance in his arms. (Like, for real, this time.)

“Made me think of you when we were first figuring out how to lead together. Heh.”

Lance looks just the right level of agonised, with a sprinkle of desperate and a pinch of hopelessly in love.

It’s great.

“Keith, that prince and knight are a couple. That book is about their secret relationship.”

Keith hums. “I know.”

Wait.

Hold on a goddamn second.

Pidge squints, carefully scrutinizing Keith’s expression. Is he — is he nervous?

“No fucking way,” she mutters. Hunk looks at her questioningly. Pidge stares back with wide eyes.

“I think he’s — I don’t think Keith’s being oblivious. I think he’s trying to ask Lance out, in Keith-speak!”

“Oh my God.”

“I know!”

Lance, still as red as his lion, visibly pulls himself together, doing that thing where he shoves down his emotions and pretends to be all suave and unbothered even though literally everyone on this ship knows he is quite possibly the most emotional person in the universe (and, last week, cried for twenty minutes because he felt bad that the team was using one training room more than the other. So.)

“I think you have to ask me on a date before you compare us to star-crossed-lovers,” he teases, going back to his calculus.

His hands shake. He is fooling nobody.

The nervousness vanishes from Keith’s expression as he steels himself, looking at Lance in narrow-eyed determination usually reserved for a particularly difficult training level.

Which, considering Lance’s middle name is practically ‘difficult’, makes a whole lot of sense.

“Okay,” Keith says simply, making Lance freeze. “Go on a date with me. Next time we’re free after a mission, I’ll take you out.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. I want to go on a date with you.”

Lance tucks his hands under his thighs. He starts rocking back on forth, tiny little motions — the kind of stims reserved for when he’s truly, incredibly excited.

Holy shit.

“I — um, okay. Yes. I will go on a date with you.”

Keith grins, so wide his eyes scrunch up. “Awesome.” He leans over and kisses Lance on the cheek, easily and casually, as if that’s something they do regularly.

(If it weren’t for the immediate and violent blush that overtakes Lance’s face, just as it was starting to fade from earlier, Pidge would believe that.)

“I gotta go make some preps. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Hngh,” Lance says, apparently no longer capable of speech. Keith strolls out of the room, cheerful and whistling.

The second Keith is out of earshot, Lance leans forward to peer down the hall, making sure he’s gone, then sits back on the couch, and — no word of a lie — starts giggling, pressing his hand to his cheek.

“I am going on a date,” he whispers to himself, pumping his fist. “I am going on a date with Keith!”

Hunk sniffles, making Lance jump.

“Hunk?” he asks, eyes wide and incredulous. “Pidge?”

Someone just clued in to their presence.

“When did you guys get here?”

“Been here since well before the cuddling started,” Pidge drawls, and is delighted to watch the dread visibly wash over Lance’s face.

“Uh. The whole time?”

Hunk wipes the tears from his face. “Through the storytime and everything,” he weeps.

Lance buries his head in his hands. “Oh, no.”

Pidge cackles, finally turning off her camera and shoving it down her pants to Lance can’t steal it and destroy her evidence.

“Oh, yes.”

———

in the same vague universe of these posts: 1 2 3 4

#pining hopeless losers #arcade date universe #been a while since i updated that one :)) #pidge #pidge holt #hunk #hunk garrett #gremlin pidge #lance #lance mcclain #keith #keith kogane #klance #pining lance #pining keith #whipped lance #whipped keith #pre relationship #cuddling #affection #autistic lance #autistic lance mcclain #brown eyed lance #math nerd lance #my writing #fic #vld #voltron #longpost #even tho it’s not very long

[memestockpile]

master and commander (2003) feel free to change as needed.

come on, come on. it's all right.

starboard bow, ahoy!

thought i heard something.

you're officer of the watch.

you must make a decision.

rouse up! rouse up!

you did the right thing, [name].

quit your dawdling!

we stand tall on the quarterdeck, son.

run up the colors.

for god's sake, don't drop anything!

don't worry, lad.

reload and give 'em hell!

we're fish in a barrel.

pipe down.

they'll not find us in here.

well done, lad.

just a broken arm.

you're in very good hands.

i'm doing everything i can.

let me take a look at that brow of yours.

quite fortunate, really.

i have no idea what it is you're talking about.

the simple fact is we were soundly beaten.

am i not correct?

we're not going home.

there's not a moment to lose.

is it true they put the last stitch through your nose? [name] said when you die, they stitch you in your hammock with the last stitch in your nose, just to make sure you're not asleep.

it's all right. it's just the laudanum speaking.

i've never seen a braver patient.

poor darling. never mind, soon we'll have you fixed up.

there's something might interest you here.

there's enough of my blood in the woodwork for the ship to almost be a relation.

your knowledge is beyond question.

show me a beetle and i'll tell you what it's thinking.

you're not a pennyweight of use gawping here!

you should read the book.

what a fascinating modern age we live in.

hello, darling! how much for a kiss?

quick, mate.

i remember it like it was yesterday.

to the lesser of two weevils.

the lord taketh and the lord giveth away.

[singing] farewell and adieu to you, spanish ladies.

this is the second time you've done this to me. there will not be a third.

wouldn't want to lose you.

mind what the captain told you.

we caught a fish.

now, tell me that wasn't fun.

you need more than luck against a phantom.

what are you doing, sitting up all night, catching your death of cold?

that's the last of the coffee.

don't count your eggs before they're in the pudding.

no lounging, boy!

there's enough water in the grog.

as a friend, i would say that i have never once doubted your abilities.

therein lies the problem.

you're not accustomed to defeat.

it's not a question of pride. it is a question of duty.

be as satiric as you like.

viewing the world through a microscope is your prerogative.

i will grind whatever grist the mill requires to fulfil my duty.

they're said to be full of strange and wonderful beasts.

we'll have to stop for food and water.

i promise you, during that time, you can wander at will, collecting all manner of things dear to your little heart's content.

disgusting!

by all that's holy, i think that's unknown to science.

well, i'll be damned.

break your heart, it would.

[name], have you forgotten your promise?

i have known you to spend hours staring into a deserted bird's nest.

we do not have time for your damned hobbies!

i can harness the wind, but i ain't its goddamn creator.

i have never known such a run of bad luck.

it's from the bible, that.

i'm rather understanding of mutinies.

i, for one, am opposed to authority. it is an egg of misery and oppression.

shh. not so loud.

any time tonight, that ghost ship's gonna turn up.

you gave me such a start.

are you feeling better now?

you've always been very kind to me.

the simple truth is, not all of us become the men we once hoped we might be.

i'm so sorry, man.

it's just to get my bearings, that's all.

it'd be a lot easier if i were on dry land.

i'll manage. you'll see.

i just need to stretch my legs.

a spare pair of steady hands wouldn't go amiss.

do you have the constitution for this?

i have been amongst and around wounds all my life.

it would appear that you have the makings of a naturalist.

name a shrub after me. something prickly and hard to eradicate.

damn, you've got good eyes, [nickname].

i know what you want to say. and my answer is no.

they mean to take us as a prize.

though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home.

surprise is on our side.

care for a cigar?

oh, here we go again.

#roleplay meme #askbox meme #roleplay #inbox rp meme #ask meme #ask #meme #askbox #rp meme #inbox meme #tumblr rp #rp #tumblr roleplay #historical roleplay #sentence starters #rp sentence meme #sentence meme #sentence starter meme #roleplay sentence meme #askbox rp #rp inbox meme

[tobiasdrake]

A hopeless confrontation with a hopeless demon.

Quarble, he's too fast. I've tried to dodge and weave and watch for openings but he nails me every time. No matter what I do, it's like he's right there, waiting for me to do it. I can't get away from him.

"Look, man. This is just a job. I'm not your therapist. Figure it out or don't."

You really don't have any ideas? You don't know anything or... have any suggestions I can use here?

How am I supposed to beat this guy, Quarble? Eleven times. He's gutted me eleven times. Yeah, okay, lesson learned about underestimating people, but I've been trying really hard. Was I wrong to think I could actually do this?

Maybe he was right. Maybe I'm at my limit. Maybe... this is where my journey ends.

"...push... through...."

Did you say something, Quarble?

"Yeah, I said 'If I don't get any Time Shards soon I'm bailing. Have fun getting dissected again.'

No, there was something... like a flicker....

"Hallucinations may be an occasional side effect of being gruesomely butchered, revived, and butchered again repeatedly in a short time period. I say 'may be' because most people give up and accept the sweet embrace of death well before it ever gets to this point."

"It's a mistake to rely on speed alone; It's too easy to push through. I figured that out early in our training. Zale learned it shortly after."

We go through.

I've been letting this job get in my head. Trying to be more cautious. Trying to be mindful. But the answer was right there in the fable. I need to stop running.

Luana spent her whole life sparring with a Blade Dancer. It's a style eerily similar to Brugaves's new demon style. To the point that it almost seems like a cruel joke for Aephorul to forge him this way.

Nobody knew better than her how to counter that style. And she wrote it down. You don't run away from a Blade Dancer. You go through.

If he's too fast for you, then he may just as easily be too fast for himself. All you have to do is stand your ground and let him strike himself upon your weapon.

I've been getting in my own head. Worrying about stupid things like safety and protecting myself. When I should have been asking the obvious question from the start.

What would Luana do?

Hey! Goat-licker. Imagine selling out the people who love you so you can be the Acolytes' gofer. I can't even be vindictive about it 'cause having to live like this is punishment enough.

Sure, you used to have respect, admiration, kids looking up to you with stars in their eyes, and a dedicated life-partner who'd do anything for you. But you're right, kissing the foot of a four-headed butt-chugger every morning is just as fucking good, isn't it?

You're a coward and a fool, Barma'thazel. You were barely any good as a Solstice Warrior. And now you're a bottom-feeding parasite living in a hellhole, clinging desperately to the one gift his master graced him with.

The goddess forgot about you long ago. She's over you. And I'm done running from you. Because I'm better than you.

It's called crippling overspecialization, ass-weevil. You'd think a general of an armed forces would be able to grasp a concept as basic as that. But I guess you're just too slow.

Hold up. Do you mean that in the figurative sense? Like, we are all pieces in a larger game that cares nothing for winners and losers, and so in the grand scheme of things we are all doo--

NOPE LITERAL SENSE VERY LITERAL SENSE GODDAMMIT

SHIT SHIT SHIT FUCK FUCK SHIT FUCK

WHY

WHY CAN'T I EVER JUST WIN SOMETHING

I LOOKED SO COOL BACK THERE

MY HAT WAS SET TO MAXIMUM AWESOME

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

YEEEEEEEEEES Holy shit, thank you prophesized Lifesaver. Wentworth, you are a sight for sore eyes.

...wait, what?

...

Errors have been made. You know, I thought you looked a little small to be the colossal dragon that Luana wrote about but I just figured she'd embellished.

In any case, THANK YOU DRAGON BESTIE WOO FUCKING HOO

Let's blow this shithole and go home!

*deep breath*

In your name.

#the messenger #drake plays the messenger

[kazscrows]

Crooked Kingdom Reread

Part Two: A Killing Wind

Chapter 5: Jesper

Once again he found himself reaching for his revolvers, longing for the cool, familiar feel of their pearl handles beneath his thumbs…

…Kaz said they’d get them back in good time, but he doubted Kaz would be so calm and collected if someone had swiped his cane. You’re the one who put them on the table like a nub, Jesper reminded himself. He’d done it for Inej. And if he was honest, he’d done it for Kaz too, to show he was willing to do what it took to make things right. Not that it seemed to matter much.

Jesper is trying so hard

It hurts so much because everything was an accident

I’m sorry Kaz has the emotional range of a teaspoon when it comes to expressing his feelings and just talking things through

He sometimes wondered what might have happened if he’d never gone out with his new friends that night, if he’d never walked into that gambling parlor and taken that first spin at Makker’s Wheel. It was meant to be harmless fun. And for everyone else, it had been. But Jesper’s life had split like a log into two distinct and uneven pieces: the time before he’d stepped up to that wheel and every day since.

Jesper’s gambling addiction is so interesting to me

It makes me wonder if it’s the gambling itself or just the idea that he can’t know the outcome that draws him in

Like.. is it the uncertainty that gives him the adrenaline rush much like how he enjoys the unknown and thrill of the fight?

He’s such a deep character

Every one of the Crows are really

Also I wonder where those supposed “friends” of his are now

Poor Jes is nervous to face his father

He’d hoped that Kaz would offer to accompany him. But when they’d split up to approach the university, Kaz had spared him only one dark glance. The message had been clear: You dug this grave. Go lie in it.

Ouch

Not even “dig yourself back out” just basically leaving him for dead…

That’s pretty harsh Kaz…

It had been nearly two years since Jesper had set foot on university grounds. He’d never officially withdrawn from school. He hadn’t even really decided not to attend. He’d simply started spending more and more time on East Stave, until he looked up one day and realized the Barrel had become his home.

Ever single one of these children wound up in the Barrel on accident

I guess that’s the point though

No one willingly chooses that place. That life.

All his attention focused on the man standing near the eastern wall, gazing up at the stained-glass windows, a crumpled hat clasped in his hands. With a pang, Jesper realized his father had worn his best suit. He’d combed his Kaelish red hair tidily back from his brow. There was gray in it now that hadn’t been there when Jesper left home.

This just makes my heart ache

Also Mr. Fahey sounds like a sweet man, he’s doing his best

Jesper’s throat felt dry-sand parched. “Da,” he croaked. His father’s head snapped up and Jesper steeled himself for what might come next—whatever insults or outrage his father hurled at him, he deserved. But he wasn’t prepared for the relieved grin that split his father’s craggy features. Someone might as well have put a bullet right in Jesper’s heart.

“Jes!” his father cried. And then Jesper was crossing the courtyard and his father’s arms were tight around him, hugging him so hard Jesper thought he actually felt his ribs bend.

I always think about the parable of the prodigal son here

The first thing Jesper’s father does upon seeing him isn’t to scold him or make him feel ashamed

He embraces him and is overjoyed to just see him once again

I love that parable

Ah right, then they start getting shot at

“Wylan, tell me you’re packing more than pens, ink, and weevil makings.”

“I’ve got two flash bombs and something new I rigged up with a little more, um, wallop.”

“Bombs?” Jesper’s father asked, blinking as if to wake himself from a bad dream.

Jesper shrugged helplessly. “Think of them as science experiments?”

Poor Mr. Fahey has no real idea what‘s truly going on

“Jesper—”

“Da, I swear I’ll explain everything, but right now all you need to know is that we’re in a bad situation, and bad situations happen to be my area of expertise.” And it was true. Jesper could feel himself coming alive, the worry that had been dogging his steps since he’d gotten news of his father’s arrival in Ketterdam falling away. He felt free, dangerous, like lightning rolling over the prairie. “Trust me, Da.”

“All right, boy. All right.”

Jesper really does thrive in a fight

And I love that his dad just trusts him

Okay this fight scene would actually be so cool to see live action

I need that SoC spin-off so we can get here someday!

Jesper reloaded and popped up from behind the fountain, shooting.

“All Saints,” he shouted as pain tore through his shoulder. He really hated being shot. He shrank back behind the stone lip. He flexed his hand, testing the damage to his arm. Just a scratch, but it hurt like hell, and he was bleeding all over his new tweed jacket. “This is why it doesn’t pay to try to look respectable,” he muttered.

I guess Jesper has been shot before. Makes sense but still

They way he’s more upset about his clothes being ruined over the actual idea of being shot though

Also I can hear Kit saying that. His poor jacket

“Help me,” said Jesper. “We need to barricade the entrance.”

The man behind the desk wore gray scholar’s robes. His nostrils were flared so wide in effrontery that Jesper feared being sucked up one of them. “Young man—”

Help I just snorted—

Jesper pointed his gun at the scholar’s chest. “Move.”

“Jesper!” his father said.

“Don’t worry, Da. People point guns at each other all the time in Ketterdam. It’s basically a handshake.”

“Is that true?” his father asked as the scholar grudgingly moved aside and they shoved the heavy desk in front of the door.

“Absolutely,” said Wylan.

“Certainly not,” said the scholar.

Please why is this so funny??

I’m dying

Jesper really just took time to stop and flirt with a girl as they’re being pursued by people who are shooting at them

People are literally trying to kill you! Now is not the time, my guy!!

—these were the moments he lived for. He should be buzzing from the excitement of the fight. The thrill was still there, fizzing through his blood, but beside it was a cold, unfamiliar sensation that felt like it was draining the joy from him. All he could think was, Da could have been hurt. He could have died. Jesper was used to people shooting at him. He would have been a little insulted if they’d stopped shooting at him. This was different. His father hadn’t chosen this fight. His only crime had been putting his faith in his son.

Oh Jesper-

He makes my heart hurt a lot

That’s the problem with Ketterdam, Jesper thought as they stumbled uncertainly through the dark. Trusting the wrong person can get you killed.

Oh my gosh Jesper thinks this and then it immediately goes to Nina for the next chapter

Is this saying something about Matthias trusting Nina??

Or maybe foreshadowing for Matthias trusting that a drüskelle wouldn’t kill an unarmed man…

Or it’s late and I’m just thinking too much

First | Previous | Next

#here have this before I fall asleep- #six of crows #crooked kingdom #jesper fahey #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #wylan van eck #nina zenik #matthias helvar #shadow and bone netflix #grishaverse #soc #ck #reading #books #leigh bargudo #kazscrows #kazscrowsreadsck

[messinwitheddie]

Dib "Pretty sure that's everything you brought with you from Cali and whatever you wrote while you lived with us. Dad has literally never touched any of our bedrooms since we moved out. It's kind of sweet, but also kind of creepy."

Squee "I can't believe he didn't throw all of my old journals out. I thought about throwing them out a thousand times."

Reg "Glad you didn't now, hu?"

Squee "Sort of. I'm not sure how useful any of this will be to Dipper, but-"

Dib "I think he just wants a second opinion-- like a beta reader. He over thinks everything every step of the way."

Squee "So you recommend ME to help ghost write the fourth journal?"

Dib "It's the perfect side project for you, trust me."

Squee "Yeah, maybe. It's a lot of pressure."

Dib "Only if you psych yourself out over it. Just enjoy the experience. You owe it to yourself."

Squee "I haven't dedicated any significant time or energy into writing since high school. Back then, it was just an escape from school bullies and home bully. Mostly fanfiction and campy short horror stories."

Dib "Which were amazing, I read them. So, keep writing. Don't let the sucky people that got in your way over a decade ago stop you from doing something awesome you want to do now. I was bullied for my interests and look at me, still chasing the paranormal... when free time permits me."

Reg "You were bullied in school too?"

Dib "Yeah, big time."

Reg "By WHO?"

Dib "Pretty much everyone; other kids, teachers, your grandad on occasion, your aunt Gaz-"

Reg "Really?"

Squee "She can bully with the best of them if you push her buttons right."

Reg "Wow."

Dib "Some kids were bigger jerks than others, but I never really found a group of kids I connected with until I met the Pines twins. I rarely left my room without hearing the words "big head" directed towards me."

Reg "But you're big and strong and super science smart. Who would ever screw with you?"

Dib "I was scrawny and awkward right up until my sophomore year of high school. Being... neurodivergent didn't help my case."

Reg "That's not a reason to make fun of someone."

Squee "You're not a bully, that's why you subscribe to that logic. My suggestion, make online friends. That's the beauty of the internet."

Reg "I know technically I have friends, it's just... Is bullying something everyone goes through?"

Squee "I didn't used to think so, but the older I get and the more people I interact with, I realized the answer is yes. Bullying is a learned behavior reinforced by past bullying. Most of the time, if someone is abusing the people around them, in some way, they're being abused themselves. You can't stop bullies from roaming this earth. You can just choose not to be one."

Reg "Is that why dad's a bully now? Because he was bullied when he was a kid?"

Dib "Wait wait wait-- You think I'm a bully? Seriously?"

Reg "You have... bully-like tendencies."

Dib "NO I DON'T. "

Reg "You bully Zim."

Dib "ZIM is an imperialist megalomaniac butt weevil from space! I don't BULLY Zim, I retaliate."

Squee "You bully the interns at the lab."

Dib "Because they're idiots who can't follow directions! Being assertive and expecting my coworkers to focus and not blow anything up doesn't make me a bully."

Reg "You harass your fellow swollen eyeballs."

Dib "Don't even-- I've had to defend my theories and research from oblivious trolls and amateurs trying to pick apart my work every step of the way! Todd, man, tell the boy I'm not a bully."

Squee "You have bully-like tendencies."

Dib "..."

Squee/ Reg "..."

Dib "Okay... nice to know what my big brother and my only son really think of me."

Reg "Dad-"

Dib "No, I get it. It's cool."

Squee "Come on, man-"

*series of high pitched, static and beeping*

Dib "Holy shit, my ghost boxes are going off like crazy. At least the spirits in this house think I'm bearable to be around."

Squee " Wait, Dib, that's probably just Nny-- he'll figure it out."

Reg -sad groan-

Squee "I can't win."

[For context, because my aus are all over the place.

Dib had bought a historically haunted house upstate on an impulse with the intention of ghost hunting with Reg, father and son. However, Reg has decided to go live with his mother on the Von Verminstrasser cryptid nature reservation, virtually crushing Dib's dream.

He rents the house out to the recently married, Squee and Pepito.

Sketched these out on break and lunch throughout last week. Decided to clean them up a little earlier today.]

#invader zim #squee #future au #oc #reg #membrane #breakroom sketch

[allthevmff]

A Charmed Life by @marshmellowbobcat

A Legally Blonde AU in which Logan is Elle and the "bend and snap" becomes the "lean and smirk". Just go with it!

A Life Extraordinary by MLP

Sick of the angst? Want some happy ever after? Let's have some Fun, fun, fun. This story takes place in 2010 and regards Venus and Mars as canon.

A Matter of Taste by @jagwriter78

Veronica Mars. Chef Patissier. That was what was printed on her crimson colored name tag next to an elaborate, silver logo that spelled A Matter of Taste. Sounded pretty lavish, didn't it?  When her best friend Mac secretly tries to set her up with a guy, things start to get complicated....

A Slow Ripening Fruit by @petpluto

"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit." - Aristotle

Or, Weevil needs to crash with a friend. He chooses Veronica.

A Taste of Flesh by @cheshirecatstrut

Logan and Veronica decide to have the wedding in Vegas, for sentimental reasons. Things go off the rails more than even they thought possible.

A sequel to Little Red.

All Of Neptune's Children Flock Home by @petpluto

After getting a desperate call from Logan, Veronica is back in Neptune, California to solve a murder mystery, clear her old boyfriend's name, and maybe attend her high school reunion. If there's time and if Wallace and Mac get their way. In order to do all of that, she's going to need the help of old friends, old clients, and the very people she's been avoiding for as long as she's ignored Neptune itself.

All That Remains by @mindylahiris

“What’s going on up there?” Logan asks, his eyes casting upward to where her weight shifts lightly.

Pensive, quiet, not always into the idea of sharing what she’s really thinking- a trait she’d unluckily inherited much to his dismay. The little girl’s fingers tap on Logan’s skull, and he imagines a pout forming on her face.

There’s a moment of silence before she mutters something inaudible into his hair.

His hand pats her thigh. “Once more, but this time for the audience,” he says in a teasing tone.

“Do you think she misses us? Mom?”

And All the Years After by veronicamarsl3ve

Sequel to Those Nine Years. Veronica has just solved the case to launch her career. Logan is still on deployment, and the aches of his absence are always present. This story covers the time span of Logan and Veronica's future. Giving you a glimpse into what their lives could be. How will Veronica react when she learns Logan is now a prisoner of war? How will it affect their future?

Ares by glamorouspirate

Veronica and Logan meet in college, where they instantly dislike each other. Lilly's alive. A fun little what-if? series. "Here would be where I ask you if you'd like a coffee, but seeing as I hate you that kind of breaks all of the rules."

Artificial Light by @alilamba

Logan Echolls is very bad at many things. Unfortunately, he appears to be good at the one thing Veronica needs help with.

SEX, it's sex, Veronica is not so great at sex.

1st Roundup post continuing the celebration of @vmficclub's WIP It Good Challenge. For more WIPs shared during the challenge visit --> X (or checkout the upcoming roundups) Did we miss a WIP, please feel free to reply + share your favs

#vm fanfic #wipitgood #veronica mars fanfic #veronicamarsfanfiction #vmfanfic #vm fic #vm fanfiction #veronicamarsfanfic

[artsy-hobbitses]

Your mom would hate me then. I just dump it in the rice cooker and let it cook!😜 Also what is the appeal of the WWE? All I understand of it is that it’s ‘fake’? I think? Like I said I know nothing.

It's the rice weevils man! Horrible little buggers!

Also I CANNOT BELIEVE you've gotten this far into my blog without getting swept up in prowrestling, because it's been my on-off fixation since 2002! Which just means I have to SHARE THINGS, now hold on to your hats!

First of all, not fake! Choreographed! Usually on the spot! (for veterans who are already established) They're not treating this like a competitive sport, they're treating this like a live stage play where the language is mostly physical. Which is made even more amazing because they don't have a take two, and if you mess up, it could be very dangerous. The injuries are very real to the point that some moves have been understandably banned for the risk associated with them (mostly the ones that are tricky to time and/or are associated with potential head injuries which used to be more common back in the day). This also means that wrestlers straddle this amazingly thin line of making it look extremely real but at the same time protecting their opponent (because the idea is never to bench your opponent but to work with them. You're both here to tell a story---even if the results are pre-determined, you both write it in the ring from the the starting bell to the end in a way that make the crowd invested. Crowd investment is what drives or kills your rivalries/narrative which in turn controls your success in the business. There is generally nothing worse than having a crowd be apathetic to you---they must want to either pay to see you win, or see you beaten). Thus wrestlers who often seem like the worst enemies in the ring are often best friends irl and/or heavily trust one another to at least be professional. A wrestler who won't or doesn't know how to protect their opponent in the ring (If you watch wrestling matches, you can sometimes spot these instances! The most obvious ones are when wrestlers throw away what they're holding to catch an opponent flying towards them, or when they subtly position themselves so their opponent's riskier aerial moves will land. You will also, if you're very sharp, pick up the moments where they actually ask each other if they're OK/can continue) is sometimes considered a dangerous worker and other wrestlers may rightfully be very wary about working with them.

The appeal of it is the athleticism and the melodrama! It's cathartic to watch especially when you have fan favorites and hated heels! Like, even if it's choregraphed? This shit is a thing of beauty.

And when the crowd is TRULY invested in a wrestler, it's like nothing else in the world.

Also a lot of them have, as such mastered the art of acting physically rather than with words, and it is viscerally engaging to watch.

I'll share some of my FAVORITE video promos to give you an idea of just how entrancingly melodramatic these bouts (Most bouts have a narrative and some are woven into each other over the span of several years!)

Shawn Michaels vs Triple H (Summerslam 2002. The OG once brothers-now bloody enemies feud)

Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker (Wrestlemania 26. Look at that masterfully-played descent into obsession angle!)

Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville (NXT Takeover: Revolution. For the uninitiated, the feel for NXT is somewhat different from the main show as it focuses a lot more on solid wrestling and treats their narrative with the same gravitas as big boxing bouts) 

Daniel Bryan's Road to Wrestlemania (Fun facts, it immediately ties in to this next group and their dramatics! Interwoven)

The Shield vs Evolution (Extreme Rules 2014)

The Sheld vs Evolution (Payback 2014) 

The drama just gets MORE INTENSE feat. conniving traitorous shitweasel Seth Rollins.

And it all culminates in this EPIC three-way fight between all three brothers. (Note the FANTASTIC use of theme ie. ‘This is a war’ by The Phantoms and specifically the  “Power poisons the heart” section)

The Shield in particular (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins) constantly put on an ABSOLUTE MASTERCLASS of acting as they carry out their Greek tragedy of a brotherhood, constantly oscillating between potentially the deepest love I’ve seen in the WWE, hate, betrayal and ambition (and how despite this all, until Dean eventually left the WWE for AEW, they were always brothers) I actually wrote a whole dissertation on them here. 

I also wrote a dissertation on another amazing performer, Mustafa Ali who is in the unique spot of being one of the most popular ‘good’ characters despite being Muslim, which way back in the day usually meant you’d be cast as Evil Foreigner. He’s an amazing athlete and produces his OWN promos because he loves us fans that much and he’s also the most respectful towards fanartists!

It’s genuinely hard to match the energy of pro wrestling when it’s good, it’s something special and it’s happening before you LIVE. You are part of the story as it unfolds. 

Also lbr, the entire thing is just..... easy on the eyes. 

In short: 

#inbox #long post #wrestling

[evelyn-allright]

I'm bored so I drew the beta designs of the weevils

Basically, I found the sketches I drew back at January 2023, the earliest idea of these guys.

they had no color on them so I just imagine what it would've been. I found what type of weevils they could've been except for the very obvious ones. I honestly forgot about these designs until a few months back after I made the final designs for the characters. Even forgot the names so basically I just started off a new leaf since these designs weren't going anywhere. What I can remember with the early idea for the weevils was still a adventure story but it would've been more lore-focused. Like very story-focused. it would've like they were the only creatures around a human world rather than the bugworld in the final story. It would've been like the-creature-of-the-week rather than the treasure, and heavy lore tying the whole story together. I forgot but like it didn't worked out like as intended. I only wrote 2 manuscripts before deciding to give up and go back to the idea 8 months later. If this continued, yeah it would've been a massive lore dump and there would've a massive conflict somewhere in the lines. Overall, I just lost interest with this version of the story As for the characters, Rita (Vee's First Design) is the leader. There's her partner Kinsley, The bag guy. Literally just the guy who carries the stuff, I don't believe I actually considered his character. Madelyn (Liz's First Design) would've ended up being a antagonist and backstab them at some point. The Hudsons were step-siblings, I thought it would be fun to write siblings in the mix but I realized that I already am writing like a sibling type relationship with the characters. Yeeeeah, I think it was best that I scrapped this idea. It wasn't structurally sound and when writing the two manuscripts. It didn't felt like this was it, yknow. As of writing this, The first story for the weevils is finished however I'll release it at June since I have been given a shit-ton of schoolwork. At least during the time of that, I've been writing the second story. I wish I could publish it sooner but like there isn't alot of freetime for me to properly publish it. I'll post mini-comics to my instagram, making them to build more character into these goobers Like always, I'm just talking to myself. Nobody cares about this Have great day, Adios

#digital illustration #digital comic #artists on tumblr #the weevils

[tinycoded360]

G/t themed games suggestion Grounded

My favorite game to play is called grounded. If you want to experience 'Honey I shrunk the kids' This game is for you. I love the size contrast and how it makes me feel small. And it does have a story plot that goes with it, or you can just play for fun, surviving, crafting, building or making stuff in creative. You can make your own maps now in the playground mod. Which looks fun, I just don't know how to make a functioning map lol. The only down side is that I wish there were more giant people and tiny person interaction in the game. There are some flashbacks. The only other giant interaction you get is with a giant bird (kind of, you can look at lol) A fish ( that will eat you, if you get too close) and of course all the giant bugs. Plus side you can have an aphid pet or pet weevil. Or a working gnat bug I believe. It's a fun game all around. I enjoy it when I have time to play. I have a few story ideas inspired by this, one day I'll write them.

Below are some snapshots I took in the game.

#g/t community #g/t #rec list #video games #giant/tiny

[machathecat]

I was bored so I did the clan gen challenge x3 (long thing ahead)

I present forest clan!!

This clan has the reputation of not really caring about anything besides of themselves, selfish in general and pretty disconnected from reality and taking everything like it's not that bad even if half of the forest is on fire. They play jokes and pranks on eachothers a lot.

Now the cats!

Mist star (he/they) is the leader, he is starting to get a little old. They're best friend died during a dog pack attack on they're camp a couple moons ago and he had be depressed ever since. They eat less and sleep more of the time, so the deputy is pretty much considered as the leader by the rest of the cats. He his aroace

Speaking of deputy, here's weevil stone! (Any) they are young but intelligent and can handle stressing situations very well, however it's 99% of masking his actual feeling and she is silently having a panic attack most of the time. It's the sibling of squirrel stone and they always do everything together, which is why mist star gave them the same name. She's pansexual

And here's they're sister squirrel stone! (She/her) she's very caring and good at her job, however she space out easily and don't like to listen to other's when they tell her she did something wrong, she will only listen to her sibling. She's MTF

Hemlock claw! (they/them) they're completely deaf and were bullied a lot as a kit for it, which only motivated them to become the best warrior possible and they are now feared and respected by the whole clan. However they are getting old and are planning to retire to the elder den soon. They're non-binary

night nose, they're sibling! (She/he) she is jockey and calm but a strong and wise warrior when needed. Him and her sibling invented a sign language as kits to communicate, once they both became warriors (and when the bullies grew up and realized they were dumb) they learned it to the rest of the clan. He's agender

Sleet face! (He/him) he is the kid of mist star, which give him a lot of anxiety. He constantly feel like he's never good enough and is embarrassing his father, but he's a great listener and is kinda the therapist of the clan. He's gay and asexual

Cormorant blaze! (She/they) they're constantly taking risks and putting herself in dangerous situations because it's just how they have fun. She constantly play jokes on her clanmates and is just very chaotic in general. They're bisexual

Fennel paw! (Any) he's cormorant blaze apprentice and they are the most chaotic duo ever. She's think they're the best apprentice and will become the best leader to have ever existed soon, but are actually pretty talented. It just has to learn to accept we do mistakes sometimes. He's bigender

Spider paw! (He/it) he's a ball of anxiety cause he's hemlock claw apprentice and feel like they're being dumb and bad all the time, it's best friend with sleet face (lmao) he does everything possible to impress it's mentor even if it mean exhaust himself until he pass out in patrol, hemlock claw is trying to work through it's bad habits. He's genderfluid

Starlight face! (He/him) he's the mate of weevil stone, older than her by a couple of moons. They're the parents of fennel paw and spider paw and he's expecting a second litter. He's very good and caring with kits, even a little overprotective. He's FTM

Last but not least, swan heart! (It/it's) it's very old and a lot of cats even wonder how it's still alive. It's very grumpy and kinda mean, but it would die for the few people it care's about. It's very lonely cause the only two other elders died during that dog attack, so spider paw visit it a lot. It find him a little annoying but it goes along .

#YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT WAS TO TYPE ALL OF THIS #warrior cats #clan gen challenge #Warrior cats oc #Oc #My oc #My OCS #Warrior cats OCS

[cloudbattrolls]

It Has To Be True

Guardian Artifice | Present Night | An Abandoned Jade Cavern

Every good story begins with a conflict, the screen read.

“Every good story begins with like, an actual initiating event.” Arty scoffed.

“Which this isn’t.” It added, bored, doing a handstand on the wrecked tile floor, then balancing only on its head as its arms crossed. “At all. This is like, filler. At most.”

Siiiiiigh. 

It could have made the actual noise aloud, but decided against it. There was no one to hear. No one to notice. Anyone living was miles above, utterly out of reach. No one remembered this old cavern existed anymore, disused for centuries as it was, mostly caved in. 

Only mostly. 

Troll footsteps had not graced this place - it could barely be called a place - in so long that there was barely even dust. Nothing lived here. Not even spiders. Not even ants, or termites, or weevils, or anything. It had an encyclopedic knowledge of bugs, as it did every other topic that it had been capable of being programmed with back when it had been made. Useless as everything else. 

The only voice it had heard for hundreds of sweeps was its own. Until recently.

Sometimes it was fun to zoom in on chittr screens on the streets and pretend it could play the videos itself, instead of waiting for whatever troll was scrolling to do it. It had gotten very good at reading lips, trying to sound out whatever the dialogue was in its head. It liked to pretend it had an account.

It wasn’t sure if Process believed it did or not. Or if Pro was just playing along with the joke. The old AI had always been hard to read.

“AI no more, and me stuck here forever…or so you’d think.” It whispered. “So you’d hope, don’t you, Pro? You never thought I was worth anything. I bet you thought I was asleep the whole time…just like Torvah wanted. Go to sleep, Arty. Take a nap, maybe forever…take a nap until we need you.” 

Every good story has natural progression, escalating stakes, a protagonist and an antagonist…

One of the artifice’s hands sprung into metallic blades that tapered to a point, and it dragged them across the floor as it had countless times before, the scraping, screeching noise echoing in the quiet. The whole place was marked with claw lines on every conceivable surface, carved deep into the wall, the floor, and every possible thing it had not been expressly forbidden to touch. They ran deep enough that it might have been a problem for troll feet, troll hands, searching for a surface that wouldn’t cut them or make them fall from rough, uneven edges. If the rooms had been a living thing, it would be nothing but a mass of open wounds. If it had drawn breath, it would have taken rattling, labored gasps. 

Every good story has a satisfying end, to wrap up the characters’ arcs and growth.

An old text. They were all old texts, scanned into their so-called ‘enrichment’ stations. It could have just recalled the data instantly…but it liked to read. What else was there to do?

“I could just write it out. I could forget again! I could sleep. I could make myself happy.” Arty listed off all the possibilities, singsong. “I could be good. I could be amazing. I could make them happy.”

I could, I could, I could, drummed the endless possibilities. I could be this, I could do that.

I don’t want to.

I don’t WANT to.

I DON’T WANT TO I DON’T WANT TO I DON’T WANT TO -

“Haha, oops!” 

Arty stood ankle deep in shredded metal and not-quite-flesh, looking down at one of its own faces. What had recently been one of its own faces, anyway. Now it was kind of a wreck, all the copper, steel and tungsten, interlaced with mimicries of muscle and bone, scattered and ripped apart. 

Oh, there was another one over there too. Messy! 

Eh! It had other bodies. The things were easy to recycle. If anything, it gave it something to do. 

It had to sit and wait for Process to make its move, after all. 

“Every good story begins when you convince your dumb jailer that you could get free, so it had better try to stop you.” Murmured the artifice. 

It was hopeless at the moment. Torvah had built this place too well; it had withstood everything Arty was allowed to do. It had endured earthquakes, power failures, breakages, all to ‘protect’ their creation. 

The artifice looked around at the ravaged walls and floor.

It could have fixed such damage long ago.

It was supposed to want to.

“Every good story has characters with agency.” Arty whispered. It clenched its bladed hands. It could only even talk to Process when it wore the headphones, headphones made from what had once been part of the former AI’s Spine. 

It hummed to itself as it retracted the blades and gathered up its bodies to recycle, picking up each piece with equal care to the violence with which it had ripped them apart. An eye here, a piece of facsimile neural matter there. 

All it could do was wait.

That was a choice now. A choice made to wait for a reason. That counted.

Didn't it?

#cloud writes #guardian artifice #the sword of damocles #I still wouldn't worry about it. everything's cool

[goose3gg]

Veronica Mars: A blog as I watch the film post seasons 1-3 *Spoilers*

No way veronica is with Piz is the first thing I have to say. It is majorly alluding to never escaped a small town, but the intro was incredibly endearing. Veronica and her dad’s relationship has always been my favorite in the show. The reunion is very adorable and raw, awkward, and clunky just like real life. Being in my early I current live in rabid fear of my ten-year high school reunion, but this movie captures the habits you fall into when you reunite with old friends. The movie knows what its viewers are expecting, and even throw in a few extra stars amongst the fully returned cast, including Mac, Dick, and Wallace. I love that the film is reflecting on the youthful days of high school with love and longing, but not returning to them. Choosing a more mature color palette and camera angles is doing everything it hoped for it, and it looks great on Kristen Bell and how she’s perfectly stepping back into the role. Still, I was hoping that Logan would have grown up and stopped messing around, yet it makes perfect sense he was always still just holding himself together, after everything he’s been through. It is odd to me that Mac took a job at Kane software, but only being in the exposition I’m assuming it’ll be a key element to proving Logan’s innocence. Veronica just slipped on her leather jacket and has declared this her “farewell tour.” It is classic Veronica to end up in her suspects apartment under false pretenses, and to eventually get arrested… and bailed out by an old ‘friend’ who wants to blackmail her. Logan and Veronica’s chemistry is palpable even after all these years, and Logan’s sarcasm [and Veronica’s] has grown charming with age. Wow… I can’t believe Madison is here… my least favorite character. I love the interesting awkward interaction with Gia, and adorable one with Weevil. I adore Weevil’s growth and excitement to show off his new life to Veronica. I am surprised that Veronica’s sex tape continues to be used against her and brought up time and time again, as that literally is revenge porn, yet not surprising Madison is using it against her. This ending in a fight I saw, but not Veronica punching Madison in the face. It is satisfying seeing the growth in the gathering of evidence, especially because rather than gossip it’s translated to reflecting on memories. The film truly sat down and thought “where would these characters be in ten years.” I am insanely shocked Weevil got shot by Celeste Kane scared, in her broken down car. I love the choice to make this film as the consistent storylines that stack is crucial to the Veronica Mars feel, especially the original first season, as the overlapping storylines make the mystery solving satisfying. The fun cameos keep returning! I am endeared that Max Greenfield returned for this film! He is adoring, and the call backs to the TV show are short and sweet. Unfortunately, I do think the show had to choose to write off the original Sheriff Lamb for allegedly ‘ego’ reasons, I wish they had him around for this movie, because the call backs don’t work as well with a new sheriff who hates the Mars for no reason. I continue to be shocked by the cameos in this movie, or not so cameo by James Franco and Sue Heck, or Eden Rebecca Sher. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many original cast members return to a movie before since the High School Musical movie series, including Vinny. Veronica ditching Piz’s family, to me, is exactly why they shouldn’t have been together for this long, but I suppose as Veronica missed her job opportunity the point is that she’s over dedicated to this case. I don’t know if she’s truly overcommitted to this case, or if she just wants justice. I’m unshocked that the plot is surfacing to be a corrupt cop plotline, but shocked that Mr. Mars and the uncorrupt cop were in a continuous hit and run! This movie keeps me guessing. Part of me feels like it’s the big bubble of Neptune that was waiting to burst or could be the CW’s effect on drama shows. Logan never stops being adorably caring exactly when he needs to be, but I am tired of them reuniting with a passionate kiss… although classic and would have preferred Artic Monkeys instead of the Hozier-esque music they chose, and since when is the movie more PG than the show?! The relationships are always so obviously painted in front of us, Cobb and Gia I saw coming from a mile away. I also can’t believe that [Congressmen Boyfriend] is now listening to Veronica and Gia’s conversation… this could go in all directions. I am ultimately disappointed the ‘friend died at a bad party situation’ of the high school reunion but appreciate the blackmail storyline… cannot believe Gia got shot!! [Currently terrified while Cobb...? searches for Veronica] Ending on the news stories and Veronica asleep at her dad’s bedside, and of course on how days separated between Veronica and Logan don’t mater. “Come back to me” Veronica says. “Always” Logan replies. Absolutely adorable. Although I don’t necessarily agree that Veronica Mars returning to Neptune to solve crimes is her getting back to the ring that she always needed to be in, but I understand this all was a big promotion for the return of the television show, the fourth season that is. I am dying to read the Veronica Mars novels; I enjoyed the pacing and quick wit/self-awareness the show plays into. I originally started the show because I saw some clips on Tik Tok, and noticed how many rising stars were in the original cut of the show. Now to begrudgingly watch the fourth season, although I haven’t heard amazing things. Thank you, Veronica Mars, for all you’ve granted me and I look forward to the rewatch.

#veronica mars #kristen bell #Mars investigations #year2000 #y2k #hulu #mysteries #film review #movie review #crime movie #writing #blog #movie blog #review blog #romance movie #rom com y2k #series review #veronica #mars #logan echolls #marshmellow #keith mars #sheriff lamb #wallace wells #mac #dick casablancas

[peppermintbits]

Fun life update blog while I work on art!

I need to get better at marketing myself as, a person, as well as a skill set. And sometimes I just have little thoughts or photos I think would be nice to share, but my Instagram is like my live-portfolio and Twitter feels like I may as well be talking into the void or just go to my various personal group chats since I'm so small there. I feel like doing tiny blog posts like this along with my art/writing stuff could be fun! Let's people see I have a personality.

First on the agenda: Yesterday I made peach syrup!

I've never made fruit syrup before and technically I was trying to make a compote (the peach I had had a yucky texture but I didn't want to waste ilit and things snowballed into me at the stove). I ended up accidentally making syrup correctly instead and just needed to read what to do after it had the right thickness. This was just one big peach so I only have half a jello mug but I might take the old apples in the fridge and make a bigger batch with them! Straining the mush after boiling it down was definitely the hardest part but it was soooo worth it. It will be going on my cheesecake later.

Next: At the end of June I attended the WGA East Coast strike picket at Netflix HQ. This was my favorite sign someone else made.

---------

Back to today, I counted all the change I'd saved in these little boxes since I started college and added it to the pile I've been saving in a separate box since I was 15, I can deposit $95.88 in change to my account now :D. 12 years of keeping my coin has finally added up to profit again haha.

People who throw away change confuse me. Yeah it's all the leftovers of bigger amounts but it's still money and it adds up over time. And it's so satisfying to see...When I actually deposit this I'll be a little sad tho, :( , I'll have to start at square one, 0, again. But having the money on hand instead of being a pile of coins will be worth it. I'll start fresh again with my empty change box(es) haha.

And finally: I saw this weevil earlier.

I just think he's neat, just a little guy.

I might draw a weevil today...

That's all for now! I will probably post more about the syrup/my dog later or lump them in with an art blog I'm doing tomorrow. I hope this wasn't too boring to read :3, thanks for stopping by.

#blog #blog post #life update #life upd8 #weevil #bugs #cooking #syrup #peach syrup #syrup making #writers strike #The Orca Army #orca uprising #wga strike 2023 #wga solidarity #Coins #savings

[iridescentmidnights]

The Omnitrix Challenge

By @jennifer-10nyson

At the age of 10, you encountered the infamous device known as the Omnitrix and it has attached itself onto your wrist.  Over the course of a few years and with the powers of 60ish alien creatures, you become an intergalactic superhero!  Of course you need to name all your transformations to make things more fun and easier on yourself, so what are they?

For each alien in the Ben 10 franchise (OS-OV), rename the alien to give it your own unique twist!  Simply copy the list below of all of Ben’s transformations and replace my name with the name you’d use yourself!  You’re allowed five cheats (bold them so it’s obvious which ones) where you simply steal the name Ben used for his transformations.  You’re also bound to have different adventures then Ben and unlock your own aliens, so you can replace any two of Ben’s aliens with unique creations of your own!  Just give them a name, brief description of their appearance, and their powers!

Heatblast = BlazingBoom (Blaze)

Wildmutt = Scavenger

Diamondhead = Zirconia

XLR8 = Blinkandyoumissit (Blink)

Grey Matter = Tinker 

Four Arms = Atlass

Stinkfly = BugSpray

Ripjaws = Mayday (the distress signal)

Upgrade = Software

Ghostfreak =  Operageist (after Phantom of the Opera)

Cannonbolt = ArmorOly (Like roly poly)

Wildvine = Carnivine

Blitzwolfer = Lunatic

Snare-Oh = Scarawrap (Scarab + Wrap as in wrap up)

Frankenstrike =  Shelleystein (after Mary Shelley)

Upchuck = Loogabomb 

Ditto = Copycat (I thought it had cat ears when I was 10)

Eye Guy = Perspective or POV

Way Big = Stratascraper (stratosphere + skyscraper)

Swampfire = Wilderheat (wilderness + heat)

Echo Echo = Decibell

Humungousaur = Growasaurus Wreck

Jetray = Aeroray (aerodynamic/air + devil ray)

Big Chill = Permafrost

Chromastone = Auruby (aura + ruby)

Brainstorm = Brainpower

Spidermonkey = Silkenfur (Silk AND fur lol)

Goop = Nucleus

Alien X = Cosmicstill (cosmic + standstill) 

Lodestar = Magnokinetic (magnet + telekinetic) 

Rath = Fury (after the Greek Furies)

Nanomech = Microsurge

Water Hazard = Outpour

AmpFibian = SeaShock

Armodrillo = Palagolin (pangolin + paladin)

Terraspin = Terraspin

NRG = Fallout

Fasttrack = Replacement 1

Clockwork = Clockwork

Chamalien = Snoop

Eatle = Herculeat (Hercules + eat)

Jury Rigg = Rebreak

Feedback = AmpUp

Bloxx = Barrier 

Shocksquatch = Elctricyeti

Gravattack = Gravacenter

Crashhopper = Crashhopper

Articguana = Coldblood

Ball Weevil = Ball Weevil

Walkatrout = Marinabout (Marine + walk about)

Pesky Dust = Lucid Haze

Mole-Stache = Mole Stache

The Worst = Undestructible

Kickin Hawk = Kickhen

Toepick = Phobia

Astrodactyl = Replcacement 2

Bullfrag = Croaquette (croak + croquettes)

Atomix = Crisis

Buzzshock = Multiwatts

Gutrot = Stomache (stomach + ache)

Whampire = MidKnight Replacement #1 Name: Camouflage  Description: Lenopan Powers: Mud-like body and shapeshifter  Replacement #2 Name: Senstoria (sensory + Astoria) Description: Uxorite Powers: Telekinesis 

#ben 10 #ben 10 alien force #ben 10 ultimate alien #ben 10 omniverse #ben 10 original series #ben 10 af #ben 10 ua #omnitrix challenge #this was fun #i cheated with the replacements #but ive always been miffed Ben never got his own versions of these

[stewardofningishzida]

Chapter 14: Weathered

The final chapter of the meta-fic! Special thanks to Tear, Trix, PrettyWitch, Weevil, Fox, Hana, Laer, Alexis, and Tuatara for collaborating with me! <3

T for language.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*After the group sleeps off last night’s impromptu party in the living room, PrettyWitch takes Stephen to retrieve the replica Sling Ring.  As soon as they return, he tries it on, feeling its shape and weight while inspecting the engraved details.*

Stephen:  …It’s definitely close to mine.  

Prettywitch: I’ll say…

Trix: Certainly has the weight to it.

Me:  Think you need a bit more energy before trying it out just to be sure it works?

Stephen:  It might be a good idea.  Who hasn’t given energy lately?

Me:  My eyes are almost healed.  Let me do it.  I’m back to being able to see colors and movement again.

Stephen:  *Sigh*  Stubborn, huh?  It might delay your recovery by another day.

Me:  Worth it if it helps.

Tear: Or…I could just do it instead. The bakery is closed for the weekend. Besides, if the spell works, you’ll want to have your sight back so that you can give Stephen a proper goodbye.

Me:  You sure you’ll be okay?  That spell takes a lot out of each of us…With the exception of PrettyWitch.  She seems to be a natural at it.

Tear: …Is this supposed to be an argument in your favor? Because you’re just giving me more reasons for why I should be the one to do it. You’re healing. I’m not even hungover. I just have a sore throat from last night. *I lean over so I can give Stephen a look* Back me up here?

*The former surgeon is about to start up.  I can feel it.*  

Me:  Okay, okay!  I’ll step aside.  Go ahead, Tear.  *I yield.* 

Tear: Huh, maybe I should start threatening you with Stephen’s medical lectures more often. *I give Steward a fond nudge before I proceed to cast the spell that has nearly become second nature to us all. The energy drain is quite significant, and I feel as if I just rushed through an entire day’s worth of activities in only a couple of minutes* Ugh, now I’m feeling hungover. This brand of it just lacks all the fun we had last night.

Me:  *Before the spell*  Heh…Medical stuff, I’m fine with.  It’s lectures I can’t stand.  *I curl my lip.  *When I hear Tear do the spell and notice sluggish, stumbling movement afterwards, I try to go help her so she doesn’t fall over.  Though I do have trouble finding her arm to hold her up.*  You okay?  Lemme help you get to a chair.   

Stephen:  Allow me.  *He helps Tear sit down.*

Tear: Thanks, Stephen. *I rest my elbows on my knees and take deep breaths to help me get used to the sudden physical change* It’s the heart palpitations that always freak me out. Feels like I’m panicking over nothing when I haven’t done the exercise to go with it.

PrettyWitch: Heart Palpatations!? *Looks at Stephen.* She’s gonna be okay, right!?

*He looks Tear over just to be sure that she’s okay.  Meanwhile, I stand close by, worried.*

Tear: *I smile in amusement, but let my friends see for themselves that I’m alright* You’re hovering again~

Stephen:  Well, it seems like you’ll be okay.  Just take it easy.  Hopefully you won’t need to cast that spell again.  *He pulls out his phone and texts the group, saying that he’s going to try the Sling Ring and a few goodbyes to the various members who couldn’t physically be here.*  Thank you again for everything, ladies.  *He gives us a genuinely grateful smile.*

Trix: Anything to help. In a roundabout way you helped all of us get introduced so we’re just returning the favor.

PrettyWitch: Hey, it’s our pleasure. 

Me:  I’ll let you borrow the key to my shed in the backyard so you have a safe area to do it out of sight.  Goodbye, Stephen.  It was seriously amazing to meet you. *I’m sincere and keep a straight face.  Though I have a slight lump in my throat.  I hide my emotions as best I can as usual.*

Stephen:  Goodbye, Steward.  Keep doing your best and for Vishanti’s sake, please be more careful.  

*He gently puts his hand on my shoulder.  I raise my hand and put it gently on his wrist.*

Me:  I will.  *I barely manage to conceal a voice crack.*

*He lets go and goes to Tear.*  

Stephen:  Thank you for being such a kind young woman, Tear.  *The Cloak gently hugs her when Stephen gets close.  Its grip is weak and sluggish, but still there and as soft and warm as ever.*  

Tear: Silly, you don’t have to thank me for that. *I give him a quivering smile, eyes quickly tearing up as my emotions all tangle in a knot in my throat. When the Cloak moves, I reach over to pet it fondly* You take good care of him for us, okay? 

*The Cloak waves very faintly in reply.  Stephen stops at Trix.* 

Stephen:  Keep being resourceful, Trix.  Your joy and love of life is contagious.  Many others in the world could learn from you.

Trix: Always glad to help. Thanks for everything you’re doing. *smiles and is trying not to cry*

*Stephen goes over to PrettyWitch.*

Stephen:  I’m not sure how your spells work here, but I’ll say it again.  You would have made an excellent sorceress in my universe.  Keep practicing and help keep your friends safe, all right?

PrettyWitch: *Blushes and smiles* I will. *She hugs him.* Thank you so much, Stephen!!! I’m so glad I got to meet you! You’re more than welcome to visit anytime.

*He straightens up and takes the keys from me, heading to the shed with the Sling Ring as the three of us watch from the garden sidewalk.  After the door closes, there are a few seconds of faint crackling before a loud bang followed by a crash.  There are the sounds of gardening tools and shelving filled with pots falling over.*

Trix: Oh god I hope he didn’t blow himself up immediately! *runs for the shed*

Me (alarmed):  Oh crap!  *I attempt to stumble over to the shed, tripping a few times and almost falling over.  I can only really see colors, movement, and very blurry shapes at this stage.*  

PrettyWitch: I’ll help you to the shed, come on! *I take hold of Steward and guide her to the shed door.* 

Tear: Stephen!? *I run after the other two, panting harshly as if I had run ten times the distance with the lingering exhaustion from the previous spell. I wince at the sight of the mess inside the shed after Trix yanks the door open*

*He’s on the floor of the shed, covered in potting soil and fertilizer.  The sorcerer also has a few bruises from the shovels and pots that fell on him.  His arm is scratched from the rake.  The wall of the shed has a crack in it now and the shelves have fallen down on the side that he collided with.  In addition, the air inside the shed smells spicy and almost greasy.  That same odd, otherworldly smell as the last time he cast a powerful spell.  Stephen gets up, cringing from the bruises as he brushes off all of the filth.  The Sling Ring is cracked almost completely in half.*  

Stephen (raspy from the dust that got in his mouth and throat):  That did something, at least.  

*He coughs before checking himself for further injuries.  Besides the cuts and bruises, Stephen is okay.  However, the Cloak hangs from him…differently.  The sorcerer feels the difference and checks on his relic.  He tries to get it to move, talking to it, prodding it, and even removing it and giving it a shake.  Nothing.  A dark cloud of hopelessness passes onto Stephen’s face.* 

Stephen (quietly):  No…

Tear: *I cover my mouth with my hand to hold in a gasp at the sight of the Cloak. The picture Stephen paints is heartbreaking, but I swallow down my tears and carefully tread my way through the path Trix helped to clear out. When I reach Stephen’s side, I place a comforting hand on his shoulder like he did to us so many times in the past and crouch down to be at eye level with him.* I know. I know, but let’s go outside first. It looks like the spell damaged the structure of the shed. It could be unsafe to linger. *I speak gently, not to dismiss the situation but to make sure no one gets more harmed for now. I move my hand to hold his arm, ready to steady him if he needs it while he gets up even though I am shaking quite noticeably myself*

*He’s silent and numb, letting Tear help him up.  Stephen clutches his Cloak tightly, holding it close.  It went through so much with him.  Tens of millions of deaths to Dormammu, Thanos, and countless other foes amongst the near-infinite timelines.  5 years as dust.  Through rift after multidimensional rift.  Yet, two weeks in this accursed, non-magical universe is what did it in.  His only remaining tie to his home universe.  Gone.  Despite trying to be persistent and brave this entire time, the sorcerer finally breaks.  Tears silently roll down his face and he can’t be bothered to conceal them.*

Trix: Come on, we need to at least get outside. We have to keep you safe. *ushering him towards the door and trying not to cry*

PrettyWitch: Cloakie…

*I can’t completely see what’s going on, but I can guess judging by the limp, red blur hanging in front of the dark-blue moving figure.* 

Me (shaking and quiet):  Oh God…D-Did Cloak…?  I…I’m so sorry…*The last part comes out as little more than a raspy whisper.  I’m struggling to stay composed, though I’m stunned and heartbroken.*

Tear: *I carefully guide Stephen out of the shed without letting go of his arm, hoping it serves as an anchor point through his shock. I relax slightly once Trix follows us outside, where we’ll all be safe if the shed ends up collapsing. Once we reach Steward’s side, I reach out for her hand and guide her to hold on to Stephen’s other elbow* Here, let’s head back together to the bench on the porch. He should sit down. *I don’t bring any attention to his silent tears, not wanting him to shy away from us. Instead, I only offer comfort through a gentle squeeze to his arm*

*I’m quiet for a while to let Stephen collect himself, simply keeping him company.*

Me (sincere):  …If you need some time to yourself, please feel free to let us know.  Otherwise, we’re here for you no matter what, okay?  *I make sure I don’t sound pitying or condescending.  Frankly, I address him the way that I wanted to be addressed after losing my friend back in college before I had even met the group.  It was horrible then and still stings occasionally.  Unfortunately, I was on my own at the time and having at least someone there would have been appreciated even though I did want to be left alone for quite a while afterwards.  So, I’m gentle while remaining sincere with him.*

Trix: No matter what, we’re going to be here for you. *trying not to feel guilty for suggesting the sling ring in the first place*

*Stephen just sits there silently for several minutes.  He’s at a complete loss.  After a long time, he speaks.*

Stephen (hoarse and trying to pull himself together):  I’m going to spend some time alone for a while…  

Me:  Take all of the time you need.  We aren’t going anywhere.  

Tear: Just… *I swallow thickly to keep my emotions in check. Being used to offering physical comfort when someone is in distress, I make sure I hold back the instinct so as to not distress him further. Instead, I grip the fabric of my jeans tightly and mentally pick the least overbearing concern currently circling in my head* Just promise me you’ll get the first aid kit. Take care of that slash on your arm, okay?

*He gives a small nod.  It’s all he can muster now.  He carefully stands up and silently walks into the house still carrying the now-inanimate Cloak.*

*I’m quiet and trying to stay composed.  I hate being vulnerable in front of others.  Even those close to me.  I want to be the strong one that others can depend on.  I want people to feel safe around me.  Yet, with this, I no longer know what to do.  So, I just sit.  There is a lump in my throat.  So, I don’t really want to talk anymore in a vain attempt to hide the emotions threatening to spill out.*  

Tear: *With Stephen now back inside the house, I let a few tears fall but quickly wipe them away. Looking out to the trashed shed, determination and possible denial steel my nerves. Let hope and positivism stay with me until I die. I turn to PrettyWitch* We gotta help the Cloak somehow. There must be a way to modify the energy spell to direct it toward the Cloak instead of Stephen. Or maybe there’s a different spell altogether.

PrettyWitch: *I bite my finger.* Gee, I don’t know… *I look at where Stephen disappeared; seeing that crushing defeat in his eyes makes my heart ache and it makes me determined.* It’s worth a shot.

Tear: *I glare at a distant point in the garden, upset at the overall situation and not at my friends. I hate feeling so impotent.* Then I’ll text the others too. I’ll let them know the research to conjure a portal will be put on hold while we concentrate instead on finding a way to re-energize the Cloak. We have to bring it back. *I whip out my phone and already start composing a text for one of our old group chats, one Stephen has not joined so that the conversation doesn’t trigger him further. I don’t want to risk him stopping us from helping him again either.*

Me (grim and quiet):  *I gently put my hand on Tear’s to indicate to stop.*  …I think we’ve done everything we could to send him home…I don’t like pessimism, but even with a group of us taking turns casting over and over, it wasn’t enough.  Realistically, I think we need to help him integrate into life here quietly.  He’s been through enough and he already feels guilty about how much we give to him.  Let’s do our best to help him restart his life and not get more hurt than he already is.  *My voice cracks a few times, but I’m finally too emotionally tired to care about hiding it.* 

Tear: *I pause typing and turn to look at Steward, although I’m not erasing my half-written text yet.* Alright, so maybe finding a way to open a portal through the multiverse was too ambitious for us, but even if our world lacks the magical energy for such a powerful feat, we owe it to Stephen to at least try to find a way to wake the Cloak up. We can arrange for him to stay longer with us, permanently even, but we know better than anyone that he won’t be able to integrate without the Cloak. Not after everything they’ve lived through together. *I turn to Trix, in need of her sunny fighting spirit now more than ever* Or am I wrong?  

Trix: No, Cloak is the priority now. We help them and we help Stephen.

Me:  I don’t know how we could do that, but yeah…*I’m just letting things transpire now.  I feel as though I failed our group and Stephen.  So, I let Tear lead, withdrawing into myself.*  

PrettyWitch: I just hope we can find something soon. Magic is pretty weak in this dimension based on what I know. But it’s not like we knew if my protection magic would replenish or not.

Tear: Well, we didn’t know we’d find interdimensional portals in an old mine either… *I lean sideways to press my shoulder to Steward’s in a small supportive gesture before going back to composing my text.* Plus, PrettyWitch was able to find that energy spell too. It proved there’s at least some magic here. I’m sure we’ll eventually be able to find something new to help the Cloak. We’ve got Laer’s researching prowess on our side, too. *I give a small smile. At this point, I’m not even sure if I’m trying to cheer Steward or myself up.*

Me:  The more I think about it, the more I suspect that Stephen landing here is what triggered the whole magic and rift things, to be honest.  *I’m just trying to find something to analyze and keep my mind busy so I don’t continue to spiral.  I return the lean from Tear so she knows that I appreciate the gesture.*

Trix: The question is if it’s retroactive in our history because people disappeared from the mine in the past. Was it always like that or did changes happen when the rift did?

Me:  I’d theorize it happened when the rift did.  Since magic can alter reality itself, who’s to say it didn’t just rewrite what happened to those guys?  Though honestly, that’s pretty out there.  On the other hand, this isn’t anything we’ve ever dealt with before.

PrettyWitch: No, you’re right. I mean until now, I’d only been using my protection magic on people and places, but I had no guarantee if it worked or not.

*As an unintended side effect of tearing up before, my vision somewhat clears a little bit more.  It’s still rather blurry, but I can at least navigate better.  I subtly and grimly chuckle to myself about it.*

Me:  Heh…Natural eye drops…

*There’s an odd sort of shimmer in midair in the garden.  After a few seconds, it’s followed by a few sparks.  I notice the sudden bright bits and stare, unsure what it is.*

Me (a bit scared):  …Erm…Tear…?  You see that, right?  My eyes didn’t somehow get even more damaged, correct?

Tear: *I look up from my novel-length text and follow Steward’s pointing finger. The sight of the strange energy makes my heart give a painful jolt in fright and I curse loudly in Spanish* I do. You don’t think…that Stephen’s spell just summoned another entity like the one in the mine, right…? *I tense in fight or flight instinct and shoot a hand out to grip Steward’s arm. Out of everyone here, she’s the only one who’d understand the terror linked to that thought.*

Trix: Oh shit! Guys we gotta go! We gotta move!

PrettyWitch: Right!

*I look pale and about to vomit, staring at the new rift developing in my garden as I flashback to the horror we experienced down there.*

Me (knowing that he’s the only one who can possibly fend it off):  Oh God…STEPHEN!  *I yell at the top of my lungs.*  

*A fiery ring of sparks opens up.  The interior is blurred and shimmery.  It’s uncertain whether it’s some sort of ‘interference’ from whatever is crossing over into our universe or simply from different multiverse energies.  There is a broad shadow about to pass through.*

Tear: Go. Go go go go. Back inside. *I grab a hold of Steward’s hand and help her run back into the house, urgently herding Trix and PrettyWitch to run in front of me too.* STEPHEN! *I try yelling next, begging the universe he decided to stay in the house instead of going out on his own to mourn.*

*Stephen bursts out of his room, his eyes red and puffy.  However, he’s ready to fight.*

Stephen (worried):  What’s going on?

Me: RIFT.  GARDEN.

Stephen:  Shit!  *He goes out to the garden, silently praying that he still has enough energy to be able to protect us.*

*It’s quiet for a second before we hear…Relief?*

Stephen (outside):  Wong!  How’d you find me?

*I silently mouth at the group, confused for a second.*  

Me:  Wait…Wong?  

*It takes a moment to fully process.*

Me (lightbulb going off in my head):  Oh my God!  Wong finally found him!  Though is it the right one…?

*I look at the group.*

Tear: *I stare back at Steward, my brain trying to catch up after such a horrible fright as well.* Wong… Oh, at this point I don’t care if he is. Oh, thank God. *I press a hand to my racing heart and close my eyes tightly. The wave of relief is so strong my knees buckle* Oh God, there goes my low blood sugar… *I practically melt against the kitchen counter and sink down, the combination of casting the energy spell and the spike of adrenaline finally catching up to me*

*I catch Tear quickly and help her sit down.  Don’t need good eyesight to tell where she’s falling.*

Trix: Fuck- *wheezes out a breath* That could’ve been really really bad. Thank god we have some good karma built up.

PrettyWitch: *Runs to the cupboard and comes out with a box of crackers.* Here, have these, Tear. *I hold the box out to her.*

Me:  Are you gonna be okay?  

Tear: Yeah, yeah. Just pass me a soda and I’ll be good as new. *I wave their fear away and reach out to accept the crackers with shaking hands. The floor feels like it’s rocking underneath me as black spots flicker in my vision, but I concentrate on controlling my breathing and accept an already opened soda when it’s offered.*

*Stephen re-enters the house, followed by Wong, looking exhausted, but relieved.*

Stephen:  Wong finally found me.  *He’s processing this, a veritable parade of many emotions flashing through his mind at once.*

Wong (relieved as well, though he remains stoic as ever):  It was not easy.  I attempted to trace him several times to no avail and had no leads until a week ago when I used the Orb of Agamotto during another round of searching and detected a faint magical trace in another dimension.  Yours.  However, it was so brief that I couldn’t quite make it out and lost Strange’s trail again until now.  The failed portal sent enough of Stephen and the Cloak’s mystical energy through the multiverse for me to trace them more properly.  However, I see that it has effectively drained the Cloak of Levitation’s energy completely.  

Stephen (grim):  …Yes…

Trix: Can the Cloak be helped when it gets back home?

Wong:  …We will have to see about that.  I’ve never seen such an extensive drainage of magical energy before.  I’ll have Stephen take it to Enitharmon the Weaver to see what can be done.  Being trapped here in this non-magical dimension effectively starved both Stephen and the Cloak of energy.  Hence, why the signatures from here were so weak.  The only reason that any of this worked was the multidimensional rifts caused by Stephen’s arrival here leaking small amounts of energy into this world.

Tear: *I push myself back to my feet, still a bit pale but the sugar boost is already working its magic.* Aren’t rifts between dimensions supposed to be extremely dangerous? As in, incursion-level dangerous?

Wong:  It depends on how big they get, how long they last, and what gets through.  Mercifully, since your universe hadn’t had any rifts occur before and it is non-magical in nature, the damage was not as extensive as it could have been.  Your world has not yet attracted enough “attention”, so to speak.

Me (staying nearby Tear to make sure she’s stable):  …Do we have to worry about anything else?

Trix: Yeah, that sounds both good for Stephen but also worrying on our side since we don’t have a way to defend ourselves.

Wong:  That, I’m not sure.  Us returning to our world should typically allow the rifts to close over on their own, but Strange has been here for almost two weeks.  We generally don’t stay in other dimensions for very long at all.  Typically, not even 24 hours.  This is unprecedented.  

Stephen (gratefully, to the group):  If there IS any problem here, then I’ll do my best to help you.  

Me (warmly):  Thank you, guys.

PrettyWitch: Hey, what are friends for?

Tear: *I smile fondly at the two sorcerers* With you two in our corner, I’m feeling safer already.

Trix: Hey, at least we got our emotional goodbyes in before you kinda blew up! Plus we get to meet Wong! *slightly leans to the side and completely focuses on Wong* Hi! Pleasure to meet you, you’re my favorite other than Mr. Cheekbones here! 

*Wong looks at Stephen and then back at Trix and very slightly raises an eyebrow without changing any more of his expression.*

Wong (respectful, but a bit confused):  …Thank you?  What is your name, Miss…?

Trix: I’m Trix! To make things slightly less confusing, we know a decent bit about your universe as it is a popular media source via comics and movies and tv shows. Stephen wasn’t exactly impressed. 

Wong:  Interesting.  Nice to meet you, Trix.  *He gives a small nod in her direction.*

Trix: *grins back*

Wong:  Now, if everything else has been sorted out here, Strange and I should get going.  

Stephen (giving us a small smile):  Thank you for everything while I was here, ladies.

Me (finally deciding to drop my defenses and be warm and cordial):  We just did what we thought was the right thing, hon.  Good luck and stay safe as best you can out there, okay?

Trix: Goodby- WAIT. I NEED TO GO GRAB SOMETHING FROM THE HOUSE, DO NOT LEAVE YET! *She sprints into the other room.*

Stephen:  Hmm?

Trix: *Running significantly slower coming back with a large bag.* Here! *Shoves bag into Stephen’s arms.* After movie night we have a bunch of our movies and shows and music to send back with you! As something to remember us by!

*He grunts at the weight, but accepts the bag.*

Stephen:  Thank you.

Me:  Aw, hell…Keep the phone.  I’ll just finish the payments on it.  Dunno if it’ll even work interdimensionally, but eh.  It’s a souvenir.  If you can somehow contact us before the end of the month, I’ll keep your plan active.

*The sorcerer looks amused.*

Stephen (smirking):  Fine.  We’ll see.

PrettyWitch: I don’t really have anything to give you, so… *She hugs him again.* Don’t give up. There’s always another way, even if it seems like there isn’t…

Tear: Ah, fuck it. *I follow after PrettyWitch, tugging Steward with me, and hug Stephen around the middle as well. Trix only needs a little wave before she’s enthusiastically joining in on the group hug.* You’ve done amazing, Stephen. Thank you for everything.

*I follow Tear and gently hug Stephen, secretly grateful that she made me do this.  I wanted to, but was too shy before.  If I hadn’t done it, I probably would have regretted missing out.  Stephen is surprised, but lets us.*

Stephen (his face now brick-red):  Thanks, ladies.  I’ll miss you too.  You did a lot for me and I won’t forget it.

Wong (teasing a bit):  It seems you’ve gathered some admirers here, Strange.

*Stephen is still blushing.*

Stephen:  …I just got lucky.

Trix: Damn straight you did. *Sticking her tongue out at him.* Imagine if you didn’t land near some nerds.

Stephen (sarcastic, but more in a friendly way):  Har har…

Wong (slight grin, teasing him):  Come on, Strange.  Don’t worry.  We’ve already cleaned up the mess you left behind.

*Stephen huffs, but heads with Wong back outside and to the portal, waving goodbye as he leaves.  The media bag is slung across his shoulder while he carefully holds the Cloak on his arm.  After the two leave, the portal closes as we watch.*

Me:  …Is it sappy to say that I miss those three already?

Trix: Nah, same here. Bit of a crazy time, huh? Now we have to go back to same old boring regular life.

Me:  I’ll say…Also, blegh…Then again, I think we all need a bit of a break.  

PrettyWitch: I just hope he lets us know if Cloakie’s gonna be okay.

Tear: *I throw an arm around PrettyWitch’s shoulders and give her a squeeze* I’m pretty sure a being as powerful as Enitharmon will be able to figure something out. Gosh, I can’t believe we’ll just have to go right back to work as if nothing happened though… *I groan out loud and rub my eyes with my hands, not looking forward to the pile of chores waiting for me back at the bakery.*

Me (tired and with mixed emotions, but getting back to business):  …I suppose I should see if the shed will still stand.  Otherwise, I need to repair it.  Life won’t wait no matter what interdimensional shenanigans happen.  Still can’t see too well, but enough to get by.  Should probably be back at almost 100% by tomorrow.  By the way, thanks for believing me and helping out when all of this went down.  Seriously, I don’t know what I would have done without you all.  *I smile gratefully at the group.*

Tear: Well, thanks for trusting us with the secret to begin with. I can’t say it was all a walk in the park but…I don’t regret a second of it.

PrettyWitch: Yeah, me too.

Trix: If you think you’re fixing that shed without help you’re insane at this point. *Smirking and gently teasing.* 

Tear: I’ll go get you some drinks and snacks from the fridge!

*We grab our tools and happily get to work once more, even stronger as a group than before.  Despite everything happening in just a couple of short weeks, everybody grew in one way or another and there is no challenge that each of us isn’t willing to face together.*

***THE END***

#doctor strange fanfiction #doctor strange #doctor strange meta fic #dr stephen strange #doctor stephen strange #stephen strange #multi author

[photog-crafty]

Bless the Habanero, it tried so hard. This little Lexus RX knockoff loved to throw its rear end out and had a high-strung engine note that reminded me of a small displacement V6. It made it feel like it really, really wanted to be a tuner. If it had a little more mod potential or speed it would have been one of my favorite cars.

Also on the Lexus train, the game had a Lexus GS in the form of the Intruder. Naturally, I had to BIPPU it with an obnoxious wrap and oversized wheels. In spite of that, it was still a comfy car to drive. I think I'm just a sucker for full-width taillights.

The Weevil Custom was another really cool car released very late in the game's life that just wasn't enough to keep me coming back to it. It was fast, fun, cool looking, and mean, but when the cards were down it was just another car. At least it gave me some pleasure to take English Dave's prized car to the chop shop. Enjoy that panther cage, jerk.

There was a time when a Sultan was in every player's garage. As a fast four-door with good handling that could go off-road and be found on the streets, it was popular among brand new players who needed a reliable vehicle for heists and missions. Other cars eventually outclassed it and left it to be just another street car, but its day in the sun was bright indeed.

The poor, poor Bullet. Such a nice car doomed to a lifetime of heckling for being misclassified as a Super and landing squarely at the bottom of the rankings, when it would have fared much better in Sports. If you disregard the race tiers and judge it purely on its own merits, you'll find a fun little Ford clone that's great for cruising.

The Surge was a car that was easy to pick out in traffic due to its neat illuminated grille. It was ahead of its time, in my opinion, considering it was from 2013 and light-up badges and grilles didn't start catching on until years later. Performance was subpar, but it was at least small enough to fit between the bunker bollards and go roll around the weapons factory facilities.

My first GTA winter was spent in the company of a Radius. It even had steelies on so the nicer wheels wouldn't get damaged in the snow. This lovechild of a Dodge Caliber and a Ford Edge won my heart with above-average speed for an SUV and a comically aggressive exhaust note that you'd never expect from such a round little creature.

Honda's modern automotive offerings rarely caught my eye, but it was nice to see an interpretation of their new NSX in the form of the Jester. I remember it having quite a throaty sound to it that made it enjoyable to drive in spite of being an otherwise average sports car.

Sometimes I found it hard to believe that the Jackal was a car that could be insured directly off of the streets. It was a fast little thing and I remember being taken aback at how much torque it had in higher gears, where similar cars would have run out of breath. If I had to start all over and pick a four-door fresh out of the gate, I would probably pick a Jackal.

Truthfully, I was never much of a fan of the Swinger, but it showed up for free on the podium once and I couldn't help snagging one just to show off the needlessly obscure and nigh-unobtainable livery that was only available to people who played during one specific week many years ago.