#fiesta float

[mazeldoodles]

One down. One more to go

[peachiakeen]

"Bing Bong!"

[goodpix2021]

Floating on Sunday

Balloons. It’s Sunday. So, I’m going to float away until Monday. Have fun. Do something.

[obsessedwrhys]

Hey so how do you think rise donnie would deal with a magical crush who is very chill with his tech and magic ramblings. He is in the room when April asks magival crush “is he bothering you? He can be a bit insufferable sometimes. He can’t just let things go and just accept magic as is”. And crush is like “oh. I don’t mind it. I mean, everyone thought rainbows were magical. They still are, but now you know how they work. I kind of like watching his big head try and figure this stuff out”?

A LOVE BEYOND LOGIC

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ just lots of fluff and flirting (I went overboard with the flirting), reader does get hurt but it's just minor, used of (Y/N) but only once, I hope this is a good read ☹, reader is fem!!

ᯓ★

It was another normal Tuesday for everybody in the lair, like always, you found yourself sunk into the bean bag your best friend plus boyfriend, Donnie, personally installed in his lab just for you. Well how he manages to become your boyfriend is a different story.

It all happened so fast, you were both blabbered about magic and science and suddenly he's pouring his heart out for you. What's more surprising is that this ain't exactly your home realm. You're pretty lucky enough to have score yourself a bunch of friendly people willing to let you stay at their place, not to mention be fine with your whole magical fiesta.

Anyways, you were concentrating on the game in your phone until you hear Donnie let out a frustrated groan. Curious, you looked to see him struggling with what seemed to be his next hopeful project. It's just not looking too hopeful right now.

"You okay?" You asked and his gaze darts towards you. He waves his hand dismissively.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I must have gotten the formula wrong" He said and at the same time, he walked over to the other table to check on his notes. You put your phone away before getting up to approach him.

"Can I help?" You asked.

You then stood beside him, your eyes examining how his hands are placed at both sides of the notebook as he has his head focused at it in the middle. His brows were slightly furrowed from trying to figure out what went wrong. Even with the stress, you can't help but find the concentration on his face somehow making him appear more attractive.

"No... no... I wouldn't wanna trouble you with this burden..." He muttered almost like a whisper since his mind is already preoccupied with focusing.

"Watching you torture yourself with this is already a burden" You joked and he couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"You're right, I'll try my best to figure this out sooner" He shoots you a sweet smile before walking off to the table in the center that has his project on top.

"Maybe after this we can go exploring. You said you wanted to visit the museum right? If we're lucky enough, I can shut down the surveillance so we can go in undetected, it'll be like the place is ours" He said, putting on his safety goggles as he continues on his work. You couldn't help but feel all giddy inside just hearing him remember you telling him that a few days ago.

You clear your throat, calming yourself.

"That'd be awesome. I don't know if you know this but I can detect old magic in artifacts. Connecting with them makes me stronger" You grabbed an unfinished rubix cube from his shelf and began to play with it as you made yourself float. Even with your body levitating a few feet above him, he didn't mind but was more focused on the task at hand.

"Huh... is that why you're so eager to go? To make yourself more powerful?" He said, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Not entirely, I did say I wanted to explore it with you" You said and just hearing you say that, he tried to bite back a smile, a sense of pride swelling up in his chest.

"Gaining power and spending time with me? You're awfully greedy. Are all magical beings like this from your realm?" He playfully teased and you couldn't help but let out a humoured scoff.

"Too bad it must just be me" You responded and it made him laugh to himself while shaking his head.

"What else should I be aware of about your powers?" He asks and you hummed as you thought it over.

"Well... my powers get crazy strong when I feel a strong emotion. Whether it be sad or anger. Somehow being overwhelmed can 'cause me to lose control" You said and it automatically caught his interest.

"Lose control?" He repeats while putting on gloves before using the angle grinder on the metal.

"Huh... I can understand why... the heightened emotions you feel can create a swirling vortex of energy that can overwhelm your conscious control, making it easily for you to lose any sense of control over yourself, it's almost inevitable" He asserted like he always does when he's invested with every new discovery about your magical abilities.

"Really? Are you saying that's a bad thing?" You raised an eyebrow as you finally landed beside him, at the same time Donnie stops using the angle grinder and puts it aside. He pulls over his goggles, letting it rest just above his head.

"Not exactly, there are other emotions that can also work... Magic is no different than science. There's always a different formula available to replace the other" He said, twisting some screws onto the machine and once he's done, he turns it on before stepping back to see it on and working.

"And maybe sometimes... different is better" He smiled, satisfied with his success. He then turn to look at you who seemed puzzled, in your hand holds the rubix cube you have yet to finish.

"I'm sort of getting it but what other emotions is there that doesn't involve me turning into a raging monster?"

"There is one... an emotion that makes you feel calm yet overwhelmed at the same time... but you'll have to fall"

"Fall?" You watch as he goes to the other side of the room to grab a handkerchief to wipe his face clean.

"Fall in love... can't be hard right?" He looks at you, his eyes warm like it'll be enough to melt you. The way he stares at you makes it seem as though you're the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. You blush as you let out an awkward chuckle.

"Love? Are you saying that because half of the movies we watch, the main character happens to win in the last minute against the bad guy because of the power of love?" You joked, trying to hide the fact that your heart is beating faster than it would.

"This is purely science. I don't recall any movies using that trope" He says and you couldn't help but tilt your head, your brows raised in disbelief.

"Beauty and the Beast"

"Hey he was cursed by a witch"

"Tangled"

"That was more about cutting her hair"

"Uh Hero? Frozen?!??! Every freaking Christmas movie ever created?!?!!" He stares at you, silent for a second and you can see from his face that he's thinking it over.

".... you had me at Frozen. Ah alright, you're missing the whole point of all of this" He approaches you and you can't help but try to at least avoid the effect he's having on you.

"What I'm trying to prove here is that maybe you can try focusing on that emotion. Maybe it can even save you out of a messy situation one day. Who knows?" He crosses his arms, a confident smirk on his face. You roll your eyes with a smile of your own.

"You and your science talk. I do appreciate it but sometimes it's a wonder you haven't talked my ear off" You joked and it makes him laugh once again.

"Oh please, my voice is not irritating, at least not compared to yours"

"Excuse me??"

Right as you finished talking, April enters. She stops in her tracks as she awkwardly shifts her focus from Donnie's face to yours. Sensing the clear look of annoyance on your face, she decides to step in between in whatever conversation you two are having.

"Hey now, I've been gone for only a few hours and you guys are already trying to tear each other down" She laughs half heartedly. Clearly sensing the shift of emotion in the atmosphere, Donnie shrugs as he chooses to walk back to his station.

"Oh well, and uh (Y/N), you should go with April. It's almost evening and you usually eats at this hour. I'll find you later" He says with his back turned to you. Not really caring much about it, you also shrug before turning the other way.

"I was gonna go eat anyways" You said but deep inside you could feel that flutter of emotion again. Without much complain, you decided to go to the kitchen to April, the rubix cube still in your hand.

You're seated at the chair and toying around with the cube that you failed to acknowledge the concern look on April's face. She hands you your plate of food before taking her seat beside you. It was when you both started eating that you finally notice. But before you can ask, she beats you to it.

"Are you okay? I saw your face back there and it seemed like you guys were arguing. Is Donnie bothering you again? I know how far he can go trying to experiment on you" She said and her words nearly caught you off guard. You're aware of her concern about your safety but you weren't sure she would be THIS concern. Especially directing it towards Donnie.

"Wait no we weren't arguing just now. He just said some stupid comeback at my joke. Besides, what makes you think he'd do that?" You asked and she turns to look at you as if your question was a dumb one.

"Um, hello? He's Donatello. The 'Magic is not a real thing' Donatello... Did you forget how he was trying to have you join his crazy experiments when you first got here??" She said and you couldn't help but laugh a bit from how unreal the situation you're in.

"Okay first of all, he doesn't hate magic. He's just amazed about it you know? It's like giving a baby their first taste of sweet candy"

"You're comparing him to a baby now?"

"It was just a metaphor"

"Fineeee!! But how is he okay with letting you hang around in his lab? Doesn't magic and science not work together?"

"Oof if that was the case then people would think that thunder and lightning was a sign of God's fury from above"

"Okaaay... you have a point but... why do you like hanging around in his lab? It doesn't seem to be your cup of tea" You look at her and you see a teasing grin on her face.

Oh boy.

"His lair is... quiet... it's comforting"

"Ah yes... the sound of him drilling for hours is very relaxing. Not to mention the loud noises of his hammer! Wh-What a paradise!!" She says while ending up laughing at her own sarcasm. You let out a defeafed sigh.

"Okay maybe I happen to enjoy watching him work. It's exciting!! Do you see the way he puts things together?" You said with pride that you failed to notice the smile on your face.

"Uh huh" She looks at you and its clear that she doesn't buy it one bit.

Minutes later after you both are done eating and chatting about your everyday lives, you found your way back into the lab.

As expected, you found Donnie in his chair and seemingly working on his next project. Seeing how busy he looks, you decided to just go back to your place on the bean bag... but the sound of your footsteps caught his attention. His eyes slightly perked up as he swung around in his chair to look at you.

"You're back so quick...?" He said, his tone coming off surprised.

"Yeah... why? Do you need some alone time?" You took a step back and he quickly got to his feet like he's trying to stop you.

"That's not what I meant... uh I need to ask you an offer" He then leaned his back against the table and from the way his eyes is struggling to maintain eye contact with you, you could tell it wasn't anything good.

"Do you mind if you could used your powers to give my machine a boost? I need to make sure if it's resistant from getting fried easily" He looks at you, his gaze making him appear hopeful that you'll be fine with that... and honestly why wouldn't you be?

"Sure, just tell me how much is too much" You walk over to the machine displayed on the center and he mirrors your action. You stand side by side as you gently place your hand on top of the core.

"How about we start with something small and we'll work our way up from there?" He suggests which you nodded in agreement.

Just like that, you activated your powers and at the same time made sure you weren't using too much of it. In relief the machine didn't blow up but was running just fine. Almost at the same time, You and Donnie exchanged thankful smiles when turning to look at one another. With the first stage cleared, you decided to up the heat a bit.

"ZZZzzzz" The machine buzzes a bit from the increased intensity of your powers but surprisingly it's still intact and working right.

"Alright... moment of truth..." You grit your teeth anxiously... then activated the full force of your powers.

⌁KRRRRK⌁

Almost like a flash, you could feel surges of electricity coursing through your vines so due to your instincts you quickly pulled your hand away cause of the pain. And for the machine it was now overloading but somehow still functioning. Before you could even do anything, Donnie is already by your side with a med kit in hand.

"Are you okay? I know you're an enhanced being but still that must have hurt" He places the kit on the table and opened it to take out anything you needed.

"Just a small wound" You said, showing him the tiny burn on your pinky. Instantly he's already treating it with the petroleum jelly.

You don't say anything but choose to watch him tend to your minor injury. From his body language you could tell that he was very focused on not hurting you in the slightest. Soon after he wraps a clean bandage loosely around your pinky, he looks at you with a wave of warmth on his face. How he looks at you so softly is making your heart beat like it did not long ago.

"So... are you still up for our visit to the musuem?" He asks and you chuckle in disbelief.

"Seriously? You're not gonna even explain why you invented this thing in the first place? Not after my effort of helping you out?"

"Oh that? I wanted to surprise you but since you asked, this is gonna be our one way ticket to shutting the surveillance off. Just stick this bad boy into the breaker and the cameras are out" He picks it up and effortlessly puts it into the back of the truck, you follow him not far behind.

"You built all that just to spend one night with me at the musuem?" You tilt your head and he freezes in place, his back facing you as he stands at the back of the van.

"Uh... yeah... why not?" He rubs his neck awkwardly. From that you could tell that you've somehow made him flustered. You laugh and the sound of you laughing made him turn around out of curiosity.

"What are you laughing about?" He said despite the movements of his lips beginning to form a grin.

"Nothing nothing..." You look at him, a smile still present on your face but soon you show him your pinky, the same one he helped bandage it up for you.

"Kiss it to make it better?" You said with your hardest attempt of making puppy dog eyes. He shakes his slightly out of amusement.

"Only because you asked" He takes a few steps forward and carefully holds your arm by the wrist before guiding it towards his lips. He kisses it delicately and while he does so, his eyes are remained locked on yours. The intensity of his gaze made you blush that you couldn't help but look away.

"There... is my baby done whining now?" He said with his hands now intertwined with yours. You roll your eyes as you let him pull you into his embrace.

"Yeah yeah... let's go to the musuem now smarty pants" He chuckles at your response with his arms wrapped securely around you, his fingers tracing gently down your spine.

"Should we watch a movie after we get back?"

"Frozen?"

"Perfect"

[macybeckham7]

Hola, ¿podrías hacer un imagina de Kenan dónde la lectora está embarazada y hacen una fiesta de revelación de Sexo (Dusan fue el encargado de hacerla) y ambos se enteran que no es un bebé sino dos y que ambos son varones?

Hello, could you make an imagination of Kenan where the reader is pregnant and they have a Sex revelation party (Dusan was in charge of doing it) and both find out that it is not a baby but two and that both are boys?

Dusan jumped at the chance being the one in charge with the gender reveal for his niece or nephew. He would just talk about the plans to everyone and anyone. When the day finally came, he was vibrating with excitement that you was minutes away from finding out. He hugs both you and Kenan and telling you how much he loves you and he cannot wait to protect the baby. He kneels down and waits, you take a deep breath before you and Kenan open the box, you expecting one coloured balloon but in fact two blue ones float up. Everyone gasp and cheers, you look at Kenan and seeing how his eyes were teary eyed. ‘Oh my god’ he whispers, you start laughing as you realised that you were having twins. You share a kiss and a hug, before bringing Dusan in as the three of share a moment.

[ssweeterthanfiction]

BAILE INoLVIDABLE

warren rojas x fem!reader content warnings: angst summary: warren won't ever forget you wc: 758 ***translations at the end!!

masterlist.

La vida es una fiesta que un día termina, Y fuiste tú mi baile inolvidable, Y fuiste tú mi baile inolvidable

The club was packed, smoke curling in the air, bodies moving in a haze of flickering neon and sweat-slicked skin.

The music thumped through Warren’s chest, a beat he used to feel in his bones, in his hands, in the sway of your body against his. But now, all he felt was the dull ache of memory.

No, no te puedo olvidar, No, no te puedo borrar

He closed his eyes, and suddenly, he wasn't in the club anymore. He was back with you. Back when he had you twirling under the cheap string lights in your apartment, your laughter floating through the air like the sweetest melody.

Your bare feet on the kitchen tile, his hands gripping your waist, the record player spinning a vinyl you found at the record store that day.

Tú me enseñaste a querer, Me enseñaste a bailar

He wasn’t much of a dancer, not really. But with you, it was different. You made it effortless, made it fun, made it mean something.

You made him feel something.

"Come on, Warren," you had laughed, tugging at his hands, urging him to move. "It’s just dancing. You can keep a beat on the drums, but you can’t follow my lead?"

Warren huffed, feigning frustration, but there was no mistaking the smile tugging at his lips. "Drumming’s different, babe. No one’s watching me try to shake my ass behind a drum kit."

You rolled your eyes, still grinning, and placed his hands on your waist. "No one's watching you now either. It’s just us." Your voice softened, and just like that, the world outside that tiny apartment melted away.

The vinyl crackled, the music swelling between you. You moved first, a slow sway, pressing yourself into him. Your fingers laced behind his neck, and instinctively, his grip on your waist tightened.

"Just follow me," you whispered, guiding him with a small step. He stumbled at first, nearly stepping on your toes, and you giggled, the sound fizzy and light, like champagne bubbles bursting in the air.

"Relax," you hummed, your fingers tracing small circles at the nape of his neck. "Dancing isn’t about thinking. Just feel it, Warren."

And somehow, he did.

He let you lead, let your movements seep into his body, let himself drown in the warmth of you, the way you smelled like vanilla and the faint trace of cigarette smoke, the way your eyes sparkled under the dim glow of the string lights.

The song spun on, and so did you, twirling effortlessly in his arms before pulling him back, chest to chest. His heartbeat stuttered.

"See?" you murmured, breath warm against his cheek. "Told you I’d teach you."

Solo con usted, con usted, Yo bailo con usted, na' más con usted, Un beso donde estés, donde estés, bebé

He should’ve kissed you more then. He should’ve told you that he never wanted to dance with anyone else.

Instead, there had been late nights waiting up for him, unanswered phone calls, empty promises of "I’ll make it up to you, baby, I swear."

Instead, there had been arguments that started small.

"Do you even miss me when you’re gone?"

And then they unraveled into something bigger.

"I don’t think you even know what you want anymore, Warren."

And finally, there had been that last fight, the one Warren still heard echoing in his head whenever the silence got too loud.

"I love you," you had said, voice quieter than usual, exhausted, like you were already mourning the inevitable. "But I can’t be the only one fighting for this."

And Warren, too stubborn, too stupid to say what he really meant, had just stood there.

He just let you walk out the door.

Ya no tengo mi sol, me paso en la luna

Because maybe you were right.

Maybe he didn’t know what he wanted.

The band was taking off, and everything was happening so fast.

But he knew one thing for certain: He didn’t want to lose you.

He just hadn’t realized it until it was too late.

No, no te puedo olvidar

Now, standing in the middle of the crowded club, the bass pounding in his chest, all Warren could do was watch the dancers move and wish desperately that he could go back.

No, no te puedo borrar

Back to the music playing in your tiny apartment.

Tú me enseñaste a querer

Back to your hands pulling him close.

Me enseñaste a bailar

Back to you.

A/N: WE ARE SO BACK!!!!

translations!

La vida es una fiesta que un día termina, Y fuiste tú mi baile inolvidable, Y fuiste tú mi baile inolvidable - Life is a party that one day ends, And you were my unforgettable dance

No, no te puedo olvidar - No, I can't forget you

No, no te puedo borrar - No, I can't erase you

Tú me enseñaste a querer - You taught me how to love

Me enseñaste a bailar - You taught me how to dance

Solo con usted, con usted, Yo bailo con usted, na' más con usted - Only with you, with you, I only dance with you, no one else but you, A kiss to wherever you are, wherever you are, baby

Ya no tengo mi sol, me paso en la luna - I don't have my sun anymore, I live on the moon

[millerflintstone]

Balloon Fiesta time!

The ones in the distance are part of the mass ascension that launched from the official site. I think the ones closer to our house are local launches. One floated right over our yard!

[hand-picked-star]

The 13th Anniversary Arshi fiesta

Moodboard : Historical AU

Whispers of the Heart | Chapter 09

I am not very good at writing ffs. I even read ffs very selectively. But it was an attempt of me to participate in the 13th-anniversary arshi fiesta.

I might be wrong about certain aspects of that age and era, but it's a fantasy, so why not? I don't own Arnav and Khushi and the story is purely fictional and has no relation to any living or dead. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Chapter 9

Arnav lay awake in the dimly lit room, the weight of the inevitable suffocating him. His arms felt like lead, every movement a struggle against the gravity of his despair. His body, usually full of restless energy, now lay still and drained. But it was his heart that weighed the heaviest.

For so long, he had carried this heartbreak, but never before had it felt so unbearable. Each breath was a reminder of the emptiness inside him, a void that seemed to grow with each passing moment. The memories flooded his mind like a torrential downpour, drowning him in regrets and what-ifs.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he missed the soft knocks the first two times. The third knock jolted him with surprise. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a familiar face he hadn't expected to see.

There she stood, draped in a white salwar kameez, her hair unkempt and loose. But it was her face that shattered Arnav into a million pieces. Her once-beautiful hazel eyes, now rimmed with red, stood out starkly against her ghostly pale face. Each delicate feature seemed to tremble under the weight of her inner turmoil, casting shadows where there was once light. Her gaze fixed on him with clenched fists and body frozen in place. The struggle to contain her emotions was palpable, evident in the quiver of her lip and the tense line of her jaw.

Arnav, momentarily stunned, sprang into action. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked urgently. Khushi didn't respond. Instead, she barged into the room quietly. After checking to ensure no one had seen them, Arnav closed the door quickly. "Khushi, why are you here so late at night? You need to go back to your room right now. What if someone sees you coming to my room?" he whispered, trying to keep his voice low but forceful.

As she remained unresponsive, Arnav sighed. He gently took her elbow, guiding her to sit in the desk chair before seating himself opposite her. "What happened Khushi? batao mujhe."

Khushi had the whole conversation set in her head, but now that he was in front of her, words seemed lost to her. Her eyes fixed on her wringing hands, her lips quivered as she struggled to form a single sentence."I don't want to marry him."

"Oh," Arnav said as realization dawned on him. "Okay, I'll talk with Chachu. Don't worry."

" I don't want to marry anyone else, either," she murmured, still looking down.

A moment later, when Khushi glanced up and looked at Arnav with pleading innocent eyes, he wished she had remained looking down instead. "Don't you love me at all?" Her voice caught at the word 'love'.

How could anyone possibly answer such a question if it were asked by the love of their life? Now it was Arnav's turn to look down at his hands.He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to erase the moment like a nightmare.

Khushi continued with a barely-there voice, "If you don't, then tell me to my face."

"What?" Arnav whispered. His bewildered gaze snapped up to meet hers.

"Okay, I'll go first," she said with a quivering voice, "I love you." Two pairs of beautiful eyes gazed at each other, one hazel and the other caramel brown. They were having their own conversation beyond the comprehension of mortal language.

Fresh tears pooled in her eyes. "Since when, I don't know, but I do. And I want to spend my life with you," she said in a breath unless she lost her courage. And then, she looked away.

The words floated between them, desperate to be acknowledged and cherished like their owner. Collecting herself, she started again, "And if you don't feel the same way, then tell me that you don't love me... that you've never loved me... I need to hear it from you... maybe then I can move on without the what-ifs haunting me at night." Her voice cracked with emotion.

Arnav marvelled at the bravery of the slip of a girl before him, her beauty magnified by her courage. Tears streamed down his face unabated ever since she had confessed, each drop a testament to the storm raging within him. His heart yearned to sweep her away from these harsh realities and keep her hidden somewhere far from all of these heartbreaks. Her vulnerable yet hopeful gaze was begging for a response that he struggled to articulate, caught between the weight of his emotions and the gravity of the situation. Looking down, he pressed his fists in his eyes, " Don't ask me to say that I don't love you."

" Why?" she pressed further, "Why can't you just say it out loud if it isn't true?"

"BECAUSE I DO, DAMN IT!" he snapped, not able to contain himself, revealing his deepest, darkest secret. He hadn't meant to, but the words had burst from him uncontrollably, unleashing the truth he had guarded with utmost care.

He started pacing the room. His fingers tangled in his hair, pulling at the strands as if trying to unravel the turmoil within him. The air felt heavy, tension hanging like a living, breathing being, as Khushi stared at him in wide-eyed bewilderment, tinged with joy and astonishment.

There was a spark in her eyes that wasn't there a few moments ago—a glimmer of hope she needed to chase. Nothing could stop her today. "Then why? Why are you denying your feelings?" Her voice carried a mix of frustration and anguish as she began to pace behind him as well with her suffocating questions."Kyun de rahe hain apni aapko itni takleef aur saath saath mein hume bhi?"

Arnav abruptly turned around and grabbed her upper arms on both sides. He pulled her body close to his. ''Don't you get it, Khushi? You deserve so much more, and I can't give them to you. I don't even have a steady job, no family to support us and not even a home of my own." Each word was punctuated by a shake. "When the initial bliss fades, you'll resent me for putting you through this. Love doesn't put food on the table Khushi." His grip tightened slightly, a plea for her to understand the harsh reality he was laying bare. "Ye duniya pyaar ki bhaasha nahi samajhti, ye duniya waise hi bedard aur patthar dil hain jaise hamesha thi." Releasing Khushi, he turned his back to her.

Khushi looked upward, desperately wanting her tears to stop. A suffocating silence filled the space between them. "So, you're letting me go, just like that? Without even trying? " she asked, her voice trembling.

When she got no response, she got her answer in his silence. She continued softly, "One day, you will have all of these things. I hope they bring you happiness,...... even if I'm not there with you." She paused, her body turning numb with each passing second. "Because I don't see myself being happy surrounded by all the things that you think I deserve,..... without you," she whispered.

Arnav closed his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks. ''You will be happy, Khushi. You shouldn't have loved someone like me in the first place. Soon, you'll find someone you'll fall madly in love with, and you'll forget about me.''

"You don't get to tell me how I will feel or won't feel. If you had told me this two years ago when I was confused, I might have entertained your suggestion. But I have thought about it day and night, and my feelings for you haven't changed a bit in these past two years. My heart still beats the same way, despite you hurting me so much. So, You, Arnav Singh Raizada, Don't tell me what to feel and what not to feel. Samjhe App ?" She said with angry tears running down her face.

She was not finished though "And you are right. I shouldn't have loved someone like you...and if this is the way you love,.... I don't want to be a woman that you love either."

She knew exactly what she was doing. Fueled by anger and hurt, her initial intent was to inflict as much pain on him as possible. But when he turned around, the pain in his eyes quenched the words on her lips. But she had to do this one thing for herself, she mustered all her strength for one last time and said "Goodbye, Arnav."

With that, she left her heart in that room without looking back, with that stubborn man who had become 'patthar dil' in his 'patthar dil' world, while her whole being begged her to turn around and plead with him to accept her love. As the physical distance between them continued to grow, she felt the gap in her heart widening. She placed her hand on her chest to soothe the ache. When she had entered his room earlier, she had thought the worst he could do was reject her. She couldn't help but laugh internally at the bitter irony of the situation.

As soon as she found herself alone in the confines of her room, she sank down against the door and released everything she had been holding onto. Time seemed to slip away unnoticed as she sat there, her voice strained from suppressed sobs, her eyes dry with runaway tears.

After a while, she gathered herself and made her way to the sturdy oak desk that stood by the window. Her hands found her leather-bound diary. The soft glow of the lamp cast a warm, comforting light over the worn pages. Opening it to a fresh, blank page, she hesitated for a moment, her fingers hovering over the smooth paper.

She was resolute in her determination not to plead with Arnav. Yet, in the quiet of her room, with no one to witness her vulnerability, she felt an inexplicable urge to beg—she wasn't sure to whom or for what. It was a desperate desire to bargain with fate, willing to offer anything to alleviate the searing pain that had taken residence in her heart.

With trembling fingers, she picked up the pen and let her hand move across the page, each stroke a silent prayer that her words would somehow find their way to him.

On the other side of Rajput Haveli, Arnav paced restlessly in his room, his mind consumed with thoughts of Khushi. The carriage that would whisk him away was due in a few short hours. The clock struck half past 4, marking the passage of time he could no longer ignore. Unable to bear the agony any longer, Arnav found himself outside Khushi's door, the pull towards her undeniable, like an invisible string tugging at his heart.

He knew he had to see her one last time, to assure himself that she was alright. The thought of leaving her in distress gnawed at him, compelling him to knock. As his hand hovered over the door, he discovered it was unlocked. With a hesitant push, he entered quietly.

Inside, Arnav found Khushi hunched over her desk, her flawless face marred with dried tear streaks. She had fallen asleep upon the leather-bound diary he had gifted her. In the dim light, he could make out her elegant handwriting. Curiously, he moved closer and found only two lines on that page that shifted his entire universe on its axis.

( Please don't divide me into two parts, Arnav. I cannot live without you.)

@featheredclover @arshifiesta @phuljari @jalebi-weds-bluetooth @chutkiandchotte @titaliya @deliciouspistachios @arshisrabbave @arshiradio @msbhagirathi

<previous> | <next>

[titaliya]

Arshi Fiesta 2024 Theme : Colours/Stages of Love!

Sharing a one shot that I wrote sometime ago. I've added a few tweaks to include the word prompt reverie @arshifiesta

Click on the link to read it on wattpad

Scarlet Hues

Arnav held her, as she leaned into his chest, feeling his heartbeat, their heartbeats beat as one. He was in awe of her beauty- her hair, her eyes, her smile. She looked more beautiful now with a scarlet hue from the gulaal and with his senses being enhanced by the bhaang.

He never wanted this moment to end - them together by the pool, in each other's embrace. It felt like a dream, a daydream no less. In this moment, there was only love in his heart, no anger, no hatred, no thoughts of her betrayal. In this moment, she was just Khushi and he was the Arnav she fell in love with. It was perfect. So, he simply held her to himself.

As he took all of her in, her fingers entwined with his, the weight of her on his chest, her deep breathing, he realised she'd fallen asleep.

The reverie was breaking. The fog in his head, from the all bhaang was slowly lifting as well. The moment had to come an end. He carefully carried her sleeping form, not before admiring her one more time, and lay her down on his bed. She scrunched her face, as if she was missing his closeness, but went back to sleep.

"Chhote!" Anjali's call echoed through the door.

Arnav opened the door.

"Here you go, Lemon pickles. Take them, freshen up and come down for tea with everyone." She said and left the room to Khushi and himself.

Things were becoming clearer by the second and he did as he was instructed by his sister. A question rose in his mind.

Should I wake Khushi up? She had slept by the pool the past few days. Maybe, she could have the bed for the time being.

Right then, Khushi moved in her sleep, she looked uneasy and she murmured something which sounded a lot like 'no...stay away'

Concerned, Arnav rushed to her side and Khushi woke up with a jolt. Before Arnav could react, Khushi had assessed her surrounding and looked relieved and her body relaxed.

"Arey waah! When did I float from the poolside to the bed?" She asked, still very much under the influence.

Arnav simply smiled and handed over the lemon pickle. He was almost sober now.

"Have this... We have to go downstairs..."

At the mention of downstairs, Khushi's expression changed. She looked worried "no...no..I don't want to go downstairs..no...no..." She kept repeating, like a scared child.

Arnav was now sure, something was wrong.

"Khushi! Khushi!" He caught her hands gently calming her down. "Look at me! What happened?" He asked patiently.

"Woh! He is downstairs..." She replied, shaking her head.

"Woh kaun?"

"Woh Ghatiya Aadmi...Here... It's safe Arnav-ji, with you.... I don't want to go downstairs... please" she was almost having a panic attack.

A splicing pain, zapped through Arnav. What was she talking about?

His hand moved in its own accord. He took her palm in his and placed it on his chest. His other hand to cradle the side of her face, his thumb softly caressing her cheek.

"Hey...shh...shh..." He whispered. "Feel that? Feel my heartbeat... Our hearts beat as one, remember? Now breathe with me...deep breaths..."

He seemed to have assuaged her fear.

"We aren't going down, okay?" He assured. She nodded, taking comfort in his touch.

"Good..." He sighed internally, seeing her regain her composure. But, his relief was short lived, as his mind began to race in a thousand different directions.

What was I missing? Who was Khushi scared of? What the fuck is happening?

He looked down at her and she looked like she was studying is features and as if she'd read his mind, she began to speak.

"Woh.... He is taking advantage of my silence... After I found his truth, I broke my engagement with him....Told him to stay away from my family and I...he wouldn't...instead he misbehaved" She mumbled.

Arnav could barely make out from her words, that she was talking something about her ex-fiance.

Was he here? Was he still terrorizing her? Misbehaving with her? I have to find the guy... I'm going to kill him.... Aman can track him down..What was his his name?

Arnav's train of thought abruptly halted upon recalling her ex-fiance's name. A heaviness settled in the pit of his stomach.

No...It couldn't be...

"Sh..Shyam?" He articulated the name.

Khushi's facial expression was enough to confirm is doubt. Even in her intoxicated state , he could make out the fear and disgust on her face.

"Yes, him!" Khushi shut her eyes, in an attempt to will away those fateful memories.

She was visibly flinching to those memories before him.

A tumultuous anger built inside of him, seeing her fighting her demons.

What have I done? Fuck! What have I done? How could I've been so oblivious...The truth was there the whole time. I blamed her without knowing her side of the story and all the while, she was a victim. I put her through hell, when she was already traumatized. Oh no! No! I brought her under the same roof as him.

Arnav was falling deep in the spiral of regret, but, he couldn't let his emotions take over. She was very vulnerable. Her faculties had been compromised. He couldn't let re-live whatever torment that sick bastard had made her endure.

Blinking away his tears, he lightly pressed the pad of his finger to her chin, causing her to flutter her eyes open. They were bloodshot scarlet.

"Look at me, Khushi... A lot has happened today.... You should rest, okay?" He said tenderly.

But, Khushi wasn't fully listening. "I hated it..." She started her lips quivering.

"No..Khushi...You don't have to..." He pled, but it went to deaf ears.

"I hated when he touched me.... It was like..it was like acid on skin...scalding." She was going through it again. This was exactly what he didn't want happening. Her every word was like chipping pieces of his flesh.

"Please...no.. Khu..."

"First, On the day of Sangeet, by the poolside... Then, on the terrace, the day of the wedding..th..then...today..." Arnav cupped her face, finally gaining her attention. She was shivering, tears were flowing uncontrollably.

"Shhh....Khushi... Listen to me... He can't hurt you...not anymore... I'm not going to let that happen...hear me? Yes?" He soothed her, brushing away her tears.

"Yes..."she whimpered. Arnav exhaled audibly.

Without warning, Khushi threw her arms around him, almost knocking him of his balance. He stilled. He hesitated to hold her back, this time, scared, if he'll hurt her. But, Khushi was still shaking from the crying,so, he settled to run his fingers through the length of her hair.

"I never should have hid his truth..." Khushi whispered against his shoulder. Arnav knew what she was doing. He wasn't going to let her.

"Please, don't blame yourself...please..."Arnav implored, "If anything, It's my fault..I should have known, It's my fault. Mine." Tears clouded his vision.

She didn't respond, but only tightened her hold on him.

They stayed like that, till he felt Khushi's body succumb to the day's exhaustion.

He mindfully helped her to a comfortable position, pulled the comforter over her.

As he got up, Khushi clasped his hand. "Stay with me."

Arnav obliged got into the bed, beside her. She lulled back to sleep, immediately. He couldn't sleep, not with what he'd learnt today.

Tomorrow, after the effects of bhaang wore off, she was going to hate him, like she does his vile brother-in-law.

When that would happen, he didn't know what was in store for him. He didn't know if he would ever be able to right the wrongs he'd done to her in this lifetime.

He did know, there was an inferno blazing scarlet inside of him, and he was going to burn the Shyam Manohar Jha down.

_____________________________

[infectiouspiss]

Sorry to say but f***** is a TERF dogwhistle

what word? sorry what word is that ?? you've censored it too much what is it?? how am i meant to understand this?

is it faggot? or is it one of these?

family, future, Friday, Father, forest, Friend, famous, flower, finger, fiesta, faking, flying, figure, fourth, fringe, flange, frozen, forget, Fabian, filter, France, flight, fallen, famine, female, fiscal, fierce, French, feline, fridge, fiance, fetish, finish, Foster, factor, fluffy, fiddle, fusion, follow, farmer, flirty, feeder, facade, felony, fuller, fisher, fright, failed, flavor, falter, finale, fabric, falcon, fedora, fungus, frosty, fumble, feeble, forces, fester, floral, fondle, filthy, fellow, feisty, fetter, floppy, freeze, finder, frying, facing, Fatima, frenzy, finest, finals, fondue, fuming, fibula, fuhrer, frizzy, fruits, fossil, faucet, faster, floozy, folded, fodder, fabled, flossy, footer, fandom, fiasco, furrow, formed, fading, flagon, flurry, firing, frayed, frigga, foible, frappe, frugal, fruity, foodie, frilly, filmed, futile, funnel, frolic, formal, fueler, filled, fluent, Fresno, fibber, feared, fillet, fueled, fickle, Franco, fixing, fascia, fouled, fuzzed, format, fuddle, freely, filing, fraise, facial, fenian, flimsy, fecund, faller, Fijian, folate, ferret, fleece, feeler, foment, fledge, fasten, fennel, fabler, freaky, favism, funded, floats, footed, forced, favour, Fulton, folder, Faisal, frisky, flakey, faille, flawed, flabby, Frisch, froggy, frigid, flitch, farrow, feller, feuder, Fungia, fathom, Freyja, fizzle, frater, foetus, farina, flatus, fatten, flared, facies, fomite, Fields, flaunt, faulty, foully, famish, fipple, feudal, fibrin, forage, fences, filler, fowler, frowzy, fender, fracas, facile, fresco, fixate, folium, friary, fanion, faired, flyers, fidget, Fulica, frowsy, frothy, flinch, fusser, forego, furled, fakery, falsie, fugler, flocks, Fornax, flukey, fitful, fervor, foaled, forint, fusing, fillip, fasces, Frazer, fellah, forged, flinty, Fukien, frieze, fallow, footle, forbid, flacon, fluted, funder, flavin, felled, funest, fungal, fervid, florid, formic, forger, flanch, ferlie, former, filial, flicky, Fatiha, flyboy, Fenrir, fugato, fulfil, Fulani, finely, fatism, fantan, framed, finery, finnan, fornix, fondly, facula, fescue, fanned, foison, firmly, fetich, fulmar, faisan, flatly, Fawkes, funker, faucal, flashy, Fortaz, flyway, Faunus, fealty, frivol, Florio, facund, feebly, frijol, ferine, faerie, fairly, fardel, furred, foeman, foetal, firkin, flexor, firsts, Friuli, formol, fecula, flicks, foetor, fooler, fucoid, faeces, Frisia, fleshy, fundus, foiled, frumpy, festal, furcal, featly, furane, flamen, frumps, framer, Fugard, ferial, floret, Fallot, fusain, fussed, filago, fanged, floury, farcer, Fennic, floaty, furore, frazil, folksy, Ferber, forked, ferule, frills, forrad, finial, felloe, fulgid, flaxen, foozle, Frunze, fawner, ferned, fencer, fettle, feijoa, ferric, faecal, fauces, Flagyl, Faroes, fakeer, fleecy, fibril, filmic, foxily, fogged, funrun, furfur, FinCEN, friesz, flunky, fatwah, fallal, Fermat, fenced, fulgor, forcer, Fergon, Feifer, Finnic, Fenusa, felted, Florey, feodal, feodum, flexed, frypan, Feosol, Franck, fringy, foetid, fugain, fusers, Fafnir, fulham, fylfot, funada, faquir, futons, fumier, fedish, fuerte, fowled, fizgig, fuling, or furors?

[mazeldoodles]

When they find out you paint and get volun-told to paint the fiesta float signs for the trailer

XD I kid! Always happy to help out my volunteer group, the Ghostbusters of SATX

Still working on it. Gotta get two if this done in like three days :3

That's what I get for getting sick on top of everything haha

[benjaminthewolf]

Living Up To Your Name (Vore Story)

Welp, this was one of the most difficult vore story projects I've ever tackled.

Mainly because of the battle scenes. Yeah, needless to say, battle scenes are hard to write.

But this is the Sky/landers franchise we're talking about. Fighting is kinda, ya know, their whole thing, so-

Word count: 7,623

WARNING: INJURY, SWEARING

     Astroblast gradually shifted his head around on his pillow as he let a muted, scratchy half-murmur half-gnarly-grumble vibrate itself around in his voice box for a few seconds. Reluctantly rolling his crystal body over on his bed so he was now lying upon his front, heaving out a mildly despondent sigh as he did, the light elemental Supercharger soon after attempted to let his mind drift away from hazy consciousness (just as he had done all throughout the same night, so be it), and enter eventually into a state of tranquil, steady slumber, so he could finally get some good rest for next morni- 

     *FWOOMP*

   “ASTROBLAST!”

      Automatically and instantly lurching upwards as an instinctively hysteric “AAAAH!” burst out of the crystalline man’s throat, Astroblast urgently shot open his eyes, and swung his head around his room so he could decisively figure out what was going on. As soon as he did this, he immediately realized two things.

     Firstly, and most importantly, the one, or actually, the ones who had screeched out his name, and caused this sheer panic as a result, was the three of Fiesta’s amigos. Despite all being tiny skeletons, they were currently breathing in and out very rapidly, whilst leaning against the frame of the door they had just broken open in tremendous exhaustion. 

     Secondly, Astroblast was able to figure out from the height and angle he was looking at them from that he had apparently activated subconsciously his anti-gravity floating ability from the shock, and was now hovering approximately two feet over his bed, still positioned with his front towards the ground, as a result. Also due to this, his white and gold-trimmed pajama shirt with “I Come In Peace” printed in its center was now visible to the trio. His pajama shorts were similarly visible, and possessed the same color palette. 

     In the time it had taken him to comprehend this second fact, however, one of the amigos, coincidentally, the one in the middle, aptly known as “Dos” had finally managed to catch his breath enough to speak up to Astroblast once more.

“WEDON’TKNOWHOWATALLBUTCOUNTMONEYBONECAPTUREDFIESTAANDHEALSOTOOKTHECRYPTCRUSHERANDFIESTASUMMONEDUSAFTERDISTRACTINGCOUNTMONEYBONESOWECOULDGETTHECRYPTCRUSHEROUTOFTHERESOWECOULDGETHELPANDNOWTHEY’REUPPASTSKYHIGHLANDSANDYOURSUNRUNNERISTHEONLYONETHATCANGOUPTHERECAUSEITSALIGHTELEMENTAREAANDTHESUNRUNNER’SALIGHTELEMENTVEHICLEANDWENEEDTOGOUPTHERERIGHTNOWORELSE-”

     “WAIT-WAIT-WAIT-WAIT-WAIT-WAIT! SLOW DOWN!” Astroblast finally brought the incoherent ramble to a halt. “ALL I HEARD WAS ‘FIESTA’ AND ‘COUNT MONEYBONE’! WHAT HAPPENED, EXACTLY?”

     Realizing he was talking way too fast for Astroblast to keep up in the following moments, Dos promptly shut himself up, slapping his two skeletal hands over his mouth with an “E-” noise, before Uno, the amigo to his left, ultimately decided to speak up instead.

     “Uh…it's kind of a long story, so maybe it would be best if we told you while you’re getting out of your pajamas and into your space suit, and…grabbing your laser gun and all that.” he relayed to the Supercharger far more comprehensively.

      Taking a few moments to reorient himself after this proposal, and all of the utterly unhinged, non-stop madness that had come before it, Astroblast sighed out a far more calm and collected breath of “Okay…”, before giving a firm nod back to the amigos. Proceeding to float downwards towards the floor, maneuvering himself into an upright position as he did, Astroblast eventually stuck a landing in front of his closet, whilst allowing all of the initial shock of the moment to gradually flow out from his being. As he was reaching for the door handle, however, something suddenly perked up in his brain. 

     “Uhhh…do you think you guys can…” he awkwardly attempted to ask the little skeletons. “...turn around?”

     “What-OH! YEAH YEAH YEAH, OF COURSE!” Uno responded in sudden comprehension of what, exactly, the crystal man meant, before instantly swiveling around. Dos and Tres would resultantly follow shortly after, in a shared sense of mutual, implicit understanding.

     “So yeah, since we’re all magically linked with Fiesta, he kinda just filled us in on all the details mentally when he summoned us.” Tres began to explain. “So here’s basically what happened…”

****

     “OI!”

     “OI!”

     “OI!”

     “WAKE THE FUCK UP YOU BONEHEAD!

"...Heh. Literally..." 

"BUT GET YOUR BONY PELVIC ASS UP OFF THE FLOOR! I SAID OI!”

     “...”

     “ARE YOU IGNORING ME ON PURPOSE OR ARE YOU REALLY JUST THIS INEPT?”

“WAKE UP!”

     “.......................”

     “Alright, that’s it.”

     “¡DESPERTARSE, TÚ ESTÚPIDO CULERO HIJO DE LA FREGADA! ¡VETE A LA CHINGADA Y CHINGA TU MADRE! ¿TÚ OÍR, IDIOTA? ¡TU MAMA!”

     “*GYAAAAAAAAAAH-* ¡MI MADRE NO TIENE ABSOLUTAMENTE NADA QUE VER CON LO QUE ESTÁ PASANDO AQUÍ!-”

     “¡Buenos días, motherfucker!”

     “MONEYBONE!”

     “THAT’S COUNT MONEYBONE, TO YOU, FIESTA!”

     And that was when Fiesta boiled over. 

     The undead Supercharger skeleton needed nothing in the way of rational thought. He needed nothing in the way of sight or sound. And he most certainly needed nothing in the way of consciously harnessing his strength in order to respond to Count Moneybone with his fist.

     A great cracking noise could be heard resonating around the two rival skeletons’ current vicinity. Seconds after, with the moment of fury gone by, Fiesta could critically think once again. Thus, he was given no other choice but to examine all the details pertaining to both himself and his most hated enemy the second his eyesight cleared up; as well as to their surroundings, a little later. With all of this new information at hand, then, Fiesta was rendered both silent and imobile rather quickly, as he subsequently connected all the dots.

     “...well, I guess I can’t blame you for trying…” Count Moneybone spoke up with his signature tone of royal, arrogant calmness. “...but I think you’ll find that trying to…oh, what was the phrase again? Oh yeah! ‘Slug me in the face’! Is kind of a lot harder when you’re THE SIZE OF AN AVERAGE SEWER RAT! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Ahhhh~” 

     Fiesta only remained reticent and unmoving, as reality at last began to settle. 

     The indisputable fact of the matter, in isolation from everything else, was that Count Moneybone had somehow managed to capture him. That meant that right now, his goal was to learn as much as he could about the situation, in order to evaluate all of his options, and formulate a plan for escape. Moments after this had settled in his mind, Count Moneybone resumed his villainous chuckling. 

     “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OH YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT YOU HAD A CHANCE, DIDN’T YOU?! OH, HOW RICH IS THAT, NOW? HOW RICH IS THAT? ….WELL CERTAINLY NOT AS RICH AS ME! HAHAHA! …OR AS SMART! HEH!”

     That was when Fiesta realized that he knew exactly how to get Count Moneybone to reveal his hand.

     “...aaaaaanyway!” the former ruler of the underworld abruptly shifted the subject. “WELCOME TO BEYOND SKYHIGHLANDS, FIESTA! THE BRIGHT, CLOUDY, BASICALLY UNREACHABLE REGION WHERE SKYLANDS GIVES WAY TO THE VACUUM OF SPACE!” he hollered out in theatrical glamor, gesturing out and towards the landscape before them.

     As Fiesta had naturally expected, based on his skeletal rival’s description, he observed that Count Moneybone was standing upon a giant, glistening platform of clouds. Aside from the ones on the ground, the light blue, shimmering sky around them was also lightly decorated with the occasional pure white wisp.

     At this point, since Fiesta was still yet to speak another word, he appeared to be dumbstruck and muted from realization to Count Moneybone, as he took a few flamboyant strides forth. In reality, however, the shrunken skeleton was merely prepping his plan for probing, while continuing to note his surroundings.

     “Oh, and don’t think I’ve forgotten about your little gimmick…” Count Moneybone cockily sneered before calling out a cheeky: “TA-DA!” and revealing to Fiesta the Crypt Crusher, simply by turning himself around; the vehicle parked about five meters from where he stood.

     “Oh, yes! Brought your stupid little funeral procession car all the way up here, too! HAH! I’m sure you know what that means, dont’ch’ya!”

     Fiesta spontaneously let out a stifled gasp, as the magical light blue eyes within his bony sockets widened to at least twice their size.

     “EHEHEHEHEHE, YES! I suppose you could say that I’M in the driver’s seat, now!” Count Moneyone immediately quipped in a sense of satisfactory superiority. “...except THIS driver’s seat contains a rift engine!”

     As Count Moneybone wasn’t currently looking at him, Fiesta couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the thoroughly self-absorbed former underworld ruler, who had all but seemed to have forgotten that engines aren’t located in the driver’s seat. Nonetheless, this news was still very good, as the presence of the Crypt Crusher meant he had a surefire option of escape up here with him.

     “If I can just summon my Amigos while making sure Moneybone is distracted, they can use its rift engine to get back to the academy in no time! But since this is a light elemental zone and there’s only one person at the academy who has a light element vehicle, they’re going to have to find Astroblast as soon as possible!”

     Fiesta momentarily glanced up to examine Count Moneybone’s current expression. He appeared to be staring down at him in victorious bliss, most likely still assuming that his tiny rival wasn’t speaking due to contemplating defeat. 

     “Okay, I’ll start off by asking him how we got here, and move into how he got, specifically, into a light elemental zone in due time. But the most important thing is that I have to keep him talking for just about as long as I can!”

     “Aww…what’s wrong, wittle guy? Is wour defweet just two much fwor you two handwleeeeeee?” Count Moneybone joyously mocked the still silent, tiny Fiesta.

     “Alright, Moneybone…”  Fiesta suddenly spoke up rather calmly, much to Count Moneybone’s sheer and sudden, though attemptedly suppressed, shock. “If you think you’re so high and mighty, and smart, since you’ve apparently already ensured your total victory over me, why don’t you just go ahead and answer this one, simple question for me? Hmm?” he continued on in an outwardly apparent state of regulated fury. “HOW IN THE NAME OF THE ANCIENTS DID YOU EVEN GET US UP HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?” 

     A thoroughly uncomfortable pause proceeded to follow, one in which Count Moneybone’s skeletal brow steadily furrowed deeper towards his similarly narrowing eye sockets.

     “Oooooooooohhhhhhhh, I see!” he eventually spat out through grinding teeth. “So YOU think you can just wake up in the clutch of COUNT Moneybone, see that you’ve been bested by his technological, and magical capabilities, and then go on to insult him like a petulant little child, hmm? Well I’ll have you know that I’ve been able to magically teleport objects for YEARS! So what makes you think I can’t develop my skills to where conscious beings can be affected too, huh, Fiesta?”

      In the midst of Count Moneybone’s rant, Fiesta had wasted absolutely zero time summoning his amigos, telepathically informing them on the situation as they appeared, before the three miniature skeletons collectively understood that they needed to take the Crypt Crusher back to the Academy, scampering over to the nearby vehicle in heightened urgency, as a result.

     “‘What makes you think I can’t develop my skills to where conscious beings can be affected too, huh, Fiesta?’” Fiesta quoted back to Count Moneybone in rising spite. “Oh, I don’t know…maybe the fact that…you’re an undeniably incompetent piece of shit standing proudly at the peak of the Dunning-Kruger graph’s mount stupid! And the just as indisputable fact that you failed spectacularly at the one, singular, though might I add, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, job that Kaos gave you back in Superchargers is WAY more than enough proof for me of that point!” 

      There would only be three exact seconds between those words hitting Count Moneybone’s metaphorical brain, and the result.

     “WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT”??????????????????????????????????????????????????

     Count Moneybone violently, hysterically, viciously, barbarously, and dementedly screeched at the top of his metaphorical lungs in explosively unwavering, frothing fury as Fiesta only glared up into his eyes in purely staunch contempt. Casting a bit of a sidelong glance over at the Crypt Crusher as the Amigos revved it up and began to drive, Fiesta, as he knew it was best for him to maintain his current facial expression, internally smirked back at the arrogant Count screeching at him; and doing so in nothing but purified, genuine hate.��

****

     “Geez! Was he actually screaming that loud for that long?” Astroblast asked in slight disbelief as he continued to steer the Sun Runner upwards through Skylands’ stratosphere; the elongated, wispy white clouds swishing past the windshield in an instant up against the light blue background of the sky.

     “Ayyyyup!” Tres, huddled up with Uno and Dos upon the seat beside him, (resultantly sharing a seatbelt with them), promptly responded. “Good thing, too, or else we probably wouldn’t even be here in the first place!”

     “Well, I mean, having no windpipe does mean there aren’t really any consequences for doing something like that, so…” Uno added in soon after.

     “Yeah, that’s true, too.”

     “I wonder if they’ll still be screaming at each other when we get there!” Dos lightheartedly pondered with a chuckle.

     “Maybe! I dunno!” Tres giggled out in response.

     Astroblast internally heaved a pained sigh paired with a sharp eye roll. He understood that the amigos weren’t Skylanders in their own rights, and didn’t have nearly as much experience in these kinds of situations as he or Fiesta did…but even so, now was not the time for idle chatter, and Astroblast felt that they should know this. 

     “Well…” he eventually spoke up in an abruptly lowered and serious tone, which seemed to accomplish the intended effect of indirectly reminding them all that this was an urgent rescue mission, “There’s only one way to find out.” 

     Astroblast leaned forwards just slightly in the driver’s seat whilst significantly narrowing his eyes.

He knew based on his ship’s continual Rift Engine-aided velocity, and how far the area defined as being beyond Skyhighlands was from the academy, that the four of them were mere seconds away from arrival by now. It was extremely important, then, for him to properly time the Sun Runner’s deceleration, so that they wouldn’t find themselves breaching into space.

     Gently pressing down on the brake pedal, Astroblast could feel his ship slowing, at a smooth, yet still extremely G-Force intensive rate, causing the three Amigos to get viciously thrusted backwards into their seats.

     “OH-WHAAAAAAAH! OH THANK THE ANCIENTS THAT SEAT BELTS EXIST-WRUUUUUUUNGH!”

     Tres screeched out in palpable terror, as his bony body was given no choice but to lay there and soak in the impact.

     Astroblast opted to say nothing as his surroundings became progressively more discernible from the Sun Runner’s braking. Eventually, the ship slowed down to a stop, and the three Amigos were able to gradually pull themselves together.

     “*Bluuuuuurgh*...uh…we’re ok….we’re ok, right guys? Ok yeah, we’re good.” Dos stammered out while shaking himself into reorientation. 

     Astroblast was once again tempted to speak up, if only to ask how the Amigos weren’t used to these levels of G-Forces after years of riding with Fiesta in the Crypt Crusher, but once again, ultimately decided to refrain. 

     “...alright, then…” he mumbled out, whilst driving the Sun Runner forth at a pace slow enough to scan the cloudy terrain below him. “...well now we need to find those two, and-”

     “OH, WELL LOOK DOWN AT YOU, FIESTA, THINKING YOU’RE SOOOOOOOOO SMART! OF COURSE LIGHT TRAPTANIUM CAN BE USED TO ENTER LIGHT ELEMENT ZONES! IF IT HAD TO BE A LIVING THING, THEN HOW WOULD YOUR OWN O’ SO PRECIOUS CRYPT CRUSHER GET INTO AN UNDEAD AREA WITHOUT AN UNDEAD DRIVER? HMMMMMM?”

     “...well, that was easy.”

     Immediately steering the Sun Runner in the direction of Count Moneybone’s screech, it wouldn’t be very long before Astroblast and the amigos spotted a royally dressed skeleton pricked up in a royally pissed-off stance, glaring down towards his furiously clenched fist, continuing his verbal barrage without any form of a break in between each sentence. 

     Astroblast proceeded to press a few buttons on the Sun Runner’s control panel in silence, whilst the Amigos collectively decided to hold their own. A soft wiring sound could be heard building up inside the Sun Runner, as upon the vehicle’s windshield, an electrical screen appeared to boot up. Utilizing this screen to zoom in significantly onto the back of Count Moneybone’s skull, Astroblast brought a golden target icon onto the screen, and maneuvered it onto the skull’s back’s middle. The amigos could only metaphorically hold their breath in preparation for what they figured out was going to happen next.

     *FWOOSH*!

The slim and precise, yet powerful laser blast shot itself across the sky, and towards the still hollering form of Count Moneybone just beyond.

     “SO IF YOU TELL ME ONE MORE TIME THAT I DON’T POSSESS THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO STEAL YOUR CRYPT CRUSHER WITHOUT SETTING OFF ANY ALARMS, I AM GOING TO-”

     Fiesta had indeed taken note of the Sun Runner in front of him by now, yet still knew he had to remain in character to ensure Count Moneybone stayed distracted. As a result, he was just barely able, from the very corners of his eye sockets, to watch the bright, red laser that was shot from the ship zooming closer to his far larger nemesis, who remained utterly oblivious to its presence.

     “AND DON’T YOU GO ON THINKING THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HELPED DEFEAT ME ONCE, THAT AUTOMATICALLY MEANS I’M GOING TO GET BEATEN AGAIN!”

Count Moneybone spat onto the captive Fiesta.

“SO MAYBE-EEEEEEEEEEEE!”

     The following moments seemed to come by the pure, yet acquired force of instinct alone, as Count Moneybone’s pupils dilated.

     *SNAP*

   “AAAAA-HAH!”

     Instantly realizing the jig was up, Astroblast knew that he needed to get as close as he could to Count Moneybone, so he could better analyze his next moves.

     Count Moneybone, now donning his suit of robotic armor, gave a muted, sneering “Hmph.” as the Sun Runner pulled in closer to, though still far above, his position. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Astroblast Danger Guts himself! Oh, I’m so scared!”

     To this, Astroblast could only narrow his eyes before Dos stood up on the shotgun seat to clap back.

     “Hey! He’s got a sick-ass laser gun, and you don’t!”

     “*Pffft*! Like that stupid little ‘Special Class EZ 9,000 Laser Gun’ could do any more damage than a Chompy bite-”

     Not willing to waste any more time, Astroblast let loose a laser barrage on the skeleton, being sure to avoid his robotic suit’s left hand where Fiesta was still being clutched. 

     “-AAAAGH-A- GRRRRRRR-!” naturally rather ticked off from getting attacked whilst off guard, Count Moneybone snapped his bony fingers once more, summoning into the skies an entire air support squadron of his own robots; all of a model similar to that which he had used in his final battle during Swap Force.

     Thankfully for Astroblast, even though Fiesta’s Amigos weren’t as experienced working in the Sun Runner as they were the Crypt Crusher, they still knew their way around Supercharger vehicles’ supporting firearms, and were not hesitant to show it.

     “TAKE THIS YA STUPID…COPTER BOT THINGS!” Dos hollered out from the shotgun seat as he and his fellow Amigos gathered up around the Sun Runner’s supporting firearms control panel in front of the very same seat.

     With the Amigos covering him, Astroblast was free to focus on Count Moneybone, who was, no doubt, firing back at the Sun Runner in the form of purple plasma ball blasts from his robotic suit’s wrists. Weaving in and around to dodge the shots, Astroblast kept his gaze locked firmly onto the former ruler of the underworld; knowing once the snarky Skeleton’s robotic armor gave in, he would be rendered essentially helpless. Utilizing his Sun Runner’s Satellite Support move, the crystalline Supercharger could now see Count Moneybone’s health bar above his suit’s skull headpiece, whilst he continuously whittled it down with his lasers.

     “HEY! WOULD YOU STOP MOVING AROUND? IT’S WORKING ANNOYINGLY WELL!” Count Moneybone eventually roared up towards the still-firing Spacecraft and its occupants.

     The instant this remark hit Fiesta’s metaphorical ears, the captive Supercharger burst out into a prolonged bout of half-smirking half-chuckling at his former dictator and prolonged mutual rival.

     “You never actually learn anything, do you?”

     “SHUT UP, FIESTA, OR ELSE YOUR LOWER JAW’S GETTING RIPPED OFF, TOO!”

     “Hah! Oh really? Well I’d just LOVE to see you try!”

     Swiveling his robotic suit’s head around to meet with Fiesta’s challenging gaze, Count Moneybone let a growl progressively rise up in his metaphorical throat.

     “I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I ONCE PUNCHED ONE OF THOSE STUPID TROLL SHREDNAUGHT MACHINES OUT OF COMMISSION WITH THIS SUIT! IN ONE PUNCH! SO UNLESS YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW, EXPECT TO SEE YOUR MANDIBLE ON MY TROPHY SHELF!”

     Fiesta held onto the resulting silence for only a single second “...what suit?”

     “WHAT-?”

    *FSHWINK-CLUNK*

    “.......................................................uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……………………the one that’s now in pieces on the floor?”

     “Alright, Moneybone! Hand him over!” Astroblast called out to the defeated skeleton as he slowly lowered the Sun Runner towards ground level. “Everyone here knows what’s going to happen if you don’t, so why don’t you just save yourself all that trouble, and put Fiesta down NOW?”

     “...........................................uh……..” Count Moneybone blankly vocalized, his immobilized body shaking in bewilderment as his eyes betrayed the dawning of reality. “Uh-......umm…….I-” and then, just like that, the infamous former ruler of the underworld perked all the way back up. In stance, in demeanor, in everything. Just as if nothing had ever happened at all.

     “Oh, oh you may THINK you’ve already won, but what kind of evil genius doesn’t have a secret backup plan lying up their sleeve?”

     “What? What is he-no. No, I can’t just assume that he’s bluffing. I gotta stay on guard!” Astroblast internally deliberated as the metaphorical neurons within Count Moneybone’s skull began firing for the very first time in the entire encounter.

     “YES, YES! LIE THERE IN SHOCK, OH WON’T YOU? BECAUSE I JUST SO HAPPEN TO HAVE ONE MORE ADVANCED SECRET TECHNIQUE LEFT!” Count Moneybone continued, ending his sentence with a dramatic point into the air. “WITH A TWIST!”

     “Secret technique? Wait a second IF THIS GUY ACTUALLY THINKS HE’S GOING TO OUTRUN THE SUN RUNNER-”

     “YEET!”

      “WHA-?”

      “FIESTA!” the three Amigos shrieked out in rising horror.

     Immediately slamming the Sun Runner’s gas pedal, Astroblast lurched forwards in order to zip his way over to the newly airborne Fiesta, before his momentum was brought to a nauseating instantaneous halt a second later by a newly snapped-in barrage of Count Moneybone’s air support robots. Looking through a stray gap in the currently robot-smothered windshield, Astroblast could see Count Moneybone sprinting forwards upon the clouds, presumably in order to snatch up the now undoubtedly unconscious Fiesta before he could.

     “YOU THREE HOLD BACK THE ROBOTS! I’LL GO AFTER FIESTA!” Astroblast called out to the Amigos as the Sun Runner’s windshield flipped open. With the robots now having been launched into every conceivable direction, Astroblast snagged the swiftly-dwindling opportunity and lept out of the driver’s seat onto the ground.

     Sensing a faint: “WE’RE ON IT!” echoing from behind him, Astroblast’s astronaut boots pounded against the floor as he began gaining ground on Count Moneybone.

     “MONEYBONE!” Astroblast screeched out to the sprinting Skeleton before him.

     “HUH?” Count Moneybone heaved out before taking a glance over his shoulder.

     “HEY, WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY LASER GUN AGAIN?”

     “...uh…uh-oh.” 

     Promptly picking up the pace, not out of the need to make it to Fiesta first, but out of his own natural instinct for self-preservation, Count Moneybone let a terrified: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” escape his metaphorical lungs as he continued scampering forth. Ultimately, however, his overflowing metaphorical synapses were eventually forced to admit that he couldn’t keep himself out of firing range forever. And that was when it finally came to him.

     “WELP, GUESS IT'S TIME TO MAKE USE OF THE CLASSIC VERSION!”

     Before Astroblast behind him even had a chance to react, much less attempt to figure out what that even meant, Count Moneybone had completely swiveled himself around.

     “RUN AWAY!” he began to wail as he hotfooted himself out of danger.

     “Ugh…” Astroblast groaned while rolling his eyes. 

     Placing his laser gun back at his side so he could have both hands ready to grab ahold of Fiesta, Astroblast continued sprinting forwards. 

     “There’s absolutely no way that Count Moneybone could’ve thrown Fiesta any significant distance. I’ve gotta be getting really close-THERE HE IS!”

     As he had suspected, Fiesta was out cold. Astroblast needed to look him over for injuries as soon as he possibly could, and to this end, as the shrunken Supercharger gained more and more room in his field of view, Astroblast timed a leap forwards with an outstretched arm.

      Successfully snagging the skeleton off the floor with his right hand as a result, Astroblast immediately began feeling over Fiesta’s body to make sure he wasn’t severely injured. He couldn’t care less that he’d landed on his chest from his leap. All that mattered was whether or not his friend was hurt.

     A swift preliminary check told Astroblast that Fiesta hadn’t gained any major breaks or fractures from getting thrown across the terrain. Importantly, that meant moving or handling him wasn’t going to exacerbate any injuries. 

     “...okay, now that Fiesta’s safe, I’ve gotta go back and help the Amigos clear out the rest of those robots, so we can finally get back to the Academy!” he internally noted to himself.

     Now, there was nothing left to do except get up off the floor and go. To this end, Astroblast attempted to pick up his left foot so he could place it onto the ground and push himself upwards. Only to feel his entire leg getting violently dragged back down to the floor, seemingly a millisecond later.

     “WHA-”

     “HAH! DID YOU REALLY THINK I WAS GOING TO GIVE UP THAT EASILY?”

     “MONEYBONE!”

     “THAT’S COUNT MONEYBONE TO YOU, ASTROBLAST DANGER GUTS!”

     Not only had the skeletal former dictator somehow slid himself back into the game, he seemed to be keeping a bewilderingly firm hold on Astroblast’s leg, preventing the Supercharger’s escape. It would only take one glance backwards, however, for this momentary mystery to be solved.

     “AHAHAHAH! NOW WHAT SORT OF EVIL GENIUS DO YOU THINK I WOULD BE, IF I DIDN’T HAVE MORE ROBOTIC ARMOR SUITS AT MY FINGERTIPS?”

     Astroblast strained to reach for his laser gun at his side, only for the full force of the suit’s left foot to come crashing down upon his forearm as he did. An overwhelming barrage of sharp, tingling pain signals shot straight to the crystal man’s brain before the numbness began to settle in.

     Count Moneybone only smirked as he immediately followed this up with a plasma ball blast straight  to the face. The superheated purple orb struck Astroblast square on the left cheek, creating a great, branching crack in the region, and causing him to give a pained: “GURNGH!” sound as a newfound burning sensation seared into the wound.

      “JUST HAND HIM OVER ALREADY! WE’RE NOT PLAYING THIS GAME OF KEEP AWAY ANY MORE!”

Count Moneybone spat out to the writhing Supercharger below.

“NOT LIKE YOU CAN REALLY DO ANYTHING ELSE ANYWAY! …EXCEPT DIE, OF COURSE!”

     Astroblast continued to breathe as he lay trapped within the armored skeleton’s grasp. Count Moneybone, then, continued awaiting an answer, positively reveling in the elation of his ultimate victory, as he did.

     “...no.” Astroblast finally broke the silence, in a pained and ragged, yet, to Count Moneybone, shockingly composed tone. “No. There’s still one more thing I can do.”

     Without skipping a single beat, Astroblast shakily moved his arm holding Fiesta in closer to his face, as he glared Count Moneybone straight down his undead pupils with narrowed eyes.

     And that was when he opened up his mouth.

     It seemed as though time itself had dilated around the two conscious beings to a point where it halted entirely. Yet with each passing nanosecond, Count Moneybone’s metaphorical neurons were able to continuously piece together exactly what Astroblast was doing. Still, he could only react as fast as his metaphorical brain could process his actions. Bound by his physical limitations within the shackles of time’s linear arrow, Count Moneybone was resigned to the role of a mere observer, whilst Astroblast’s own movements progressed.

     Astroblast knew very well that this might just be the only possible way he could protect his friend in this moment. That meant that no matter how Fiesta tasted, or how hard he was to swallow, Astroblast was going to get him down to safety. Down to a place where the shrunken skeleton was quite literally surrounded by his friend. Surrounded by the soft, malleable walls of his stomach, but also by the solid, firm, crystal exterior that acted as his skin.

     And so, Astroblast stretched open his crystal jaws, exposing the fleshy interior of his maw, as he extended his white-colored tongue, where Fiesta would be laid down. Upon the unconscious skeleton’s first contact with his fellow Supercharger’s taste buds, the sensory receptor cells zapped his flavor up to the crystal man’s brain; just as fast as time would allow. Though Astroblast’s brain was certainly not in a position to focus its resources on examining Fiesta’s taste, the signal was nonetheless received. Thus, as Fiesta was slid further along the warm, squishy surface of the tongue, his mildly spicy chili pepper flavor was dragged along with him. It certainly wasn’t anything Astroblast couldn’t handle, though. (Especially not after all his Enchilada Night experience). So, the light Supercharger merely shoved his skeletal friend deeper into his maw, as Count Moneybone stood by, imobile.

     Eventually, Fiesta was pushed deep enough into Astroblast’s maw to where his skull headpiece bumped against his white uvula. The plump, bulbous sack of flesh swung back and forth for a while from the strike, as Fiesta’s shoes entered into the maw at last. 

     Able to sense the entirety of his friend’s form tucked away within his maw, Astroblast swiftly snapped shut his jaws, enclosing Fiesta inside the warm, damp chamber, and causing a *click* noise to echo throughout it, not like Fiesta could even hear it in the first place. 

     Count Moneybone sure could, though, the detection of which only solidified in his mind the notion of what Astroblast was going to do. For even though his maw was sealed up and secluded, it could still very much be pried open with force. No, for Fiesta to be truly safe, he needed to go somewhere deeper.

     Raising up the back of his tongue, Astroblast could sense Fiesta’s skull headpiece scraping against the alveolar ridges upon his hard palate. Soon, gravity would draw the skeleton downwards and towards the crystal man’s pharynx. With sealed jaws leaving hardly any room for comfortability, Astroblast could sense both Fiesta’s skull headpiece as well as the felt on the back of his Mariachi suit brushing up against his soft palette, naturally resulting in a second contact with his uvula. Nonetheless, he understood deeply that right now, the most important objective was to keep his friend safe. Consequently, the crystal man’s white colored epiglottis covered up his laryngeal inlet, as his upper esophageal sphincter opened up. Fiesta’s head and skeletal upper body were thus slid past the laryngopharynx, and into the muscle region of the sphincter, as the downward pushing motion of swallowing squeezed the aforementioned sections of his body into the esophagus. 

     Astroblast didn’t waste any time completing the job, swallowing again in order to shove Fiesta’s  middle body into the muscular tube; once more for his legs, and one final time for his Mariachi shoes. His esophagus’ rhythmic, involuntary contractions of peristalsis could handle the rest.

     And that was when time came rushing back. 

     Astroblast heaved in a gasp of air the instant Fiesta’s shoes slid past his upper esophageal sphincter. Reality began to settle in as a newfound jolt of adrenaline hit his veins. One second later, he could sense that Count Moneybone’s hold around his leg had loosened, as he was still very much stunned. Yanking his leg out of the former dictator’s grasp and planting both his feet on the ground whilst forcing his arms up underneath him, Astroblast gathered all his energy into his left leg. 

     At last, the full force of an upwards striking kick smashed squarely into the skull headpiece of Count Moneybone’s robotic suit, completely cracking the thing open and exposing the fragile form of the skeleton’s head lying within. 

     Now back standing upright, Astroblast needed only to kick the skeletal villain straight in his delicate skull, exactly as he did with the headpiece; thus removing him from the battle entirely. 

     Count Moneybone’s eyes rolled into the back of his sockets as his jaws dropped open from the shock. Soon enough, the entire suit toppled over all at once, as the electronics within began shutting down; presumably due to the unconscious state of its user. 

     Now, there was nothing to do except run.

     His feet striking against the cloudy grounds of the light zone, Astroblast’s adrenaline continued to course through his being, before he spontaneously became vividly aware of Fiesta halfway down his esophagus.

     The continuous peristaltic motions within the organ guided the skeleton towards the stomach as Astroblast’s body continued running forwards. Astroblast himself, however, wasn’t sure how long he would be able to keep doing so, mainly considering his injuries. As a result, whilst Fiesta proceeded to move beyond his collarbone, he began to look around for some cover he could safely hide behind.

     Until he could find some, though, he needed to keep going.

     Suddenly able to sense his lower esophageal sphincter opening up as Fiesta was squeezed through, Astroblast finally spotted a cluster of boulders lying in the distance. Picking up his pace as Fiesta made a splashdown in his stomach, Astroblast could sense his fellow Supercharger’s form sloshing around within the non-acidic liquids of the organ. Eventually, however, the shrunken skeleton’s body settled down against the stomach wall, stabilizing him within the crystal man’s guts.

     As he approached the assemblage of boulders he spotted, Astroblast’s speed began to slow. Not only so he could bring himself to a stop when he reached his refuge, but also because he didn’t want Fiesta to get swirled around in his stomach anymore, which was already naturally churning to begin with.

     At last, Astroblast had slowed to a walking pace, as the boulders were now right in front of him. Continuing to pant strenuously as he set himself down against the largest of the bunch, Astroblast shakily placed his left hand over his middle, as an extra layer of protection for Fiesta within.

     The crystal Supercharger could faintly sense a gurgle emulating from the region, as his wholly exhausted, injured body began to slip into unconsciousness. 

****

     The very last thing Fiesta remembered before he struck the ground was, well, being hurtled through the air en route to the ground. Needless to say, then, the moment the shrunken skeleton began to regain consciousness, he did so with hardly any clues about where he could possibly be at this point. That was precisely why, the moment a low-pitched, echoing, rather boisterous rumble graced his metaphorical ears, Fiesta’s interest was roused. 

     Based on the rumble alone, Fiesta could presume that wherever he was right now was an enclosed space, as the echoes didn’t sound as if they had traveled very far. As his metaphorical brain continued to wake, he was soon able to sense that there were many softer noises of similar tones and timbre resonating in his surroundings as well. 

     Something about those noises sounded…familiar. As if he should be able to pinpoint exactly what they were. But as Fiesta knew he wasn’t exactly awake at the current moment, he wasn’t going to force himself to try and figure out their identity quite yet.

     Instead then, he merely examined this mystery chamber’s warmth which his body was now detecting, whilst his bony fingers felt their way over the wall, or obstruction, or whatever else, he was lying up against. The heat itself lay within that glorious sweet spot range that anyone would wish their bed’s blanket would bestow onto them at night. It was comforting, as though it was physically wrapped around him, ensconcing him within an ease of relaxation which could easily lull one to sleep. Yet it did not overheat his form, to where he began yearning for the release of cold air. 

     As for whatever he was lying up against, Fiesta’s first impressions as he glided his fingers over its surface, was that it was slick, damp, and smooth to the touch, yet malleable, and pillowy in its firmness. Fiesta was soon to realize after making these observations, that they were moving as well. Moving in the same way that one’s chest would move up and down as they breathed. Noticeable, yet subtle, rhythmic, and constant. But that wasn’t the only thing that was moving.

     Swishing faintly beneath his bony waist seemed to be some form of liquid pool. Judging from the fact he wasn’t feeling any pain, Fiesta presumed it to be similar to water in nature. Taking in a breath through his skeletal nose, he could sense no sour or bitter smells within his current surroundings, which only further supported that presumption. Exhaling from the same region, Fiesta was now feeling considerably more aware of both himself and his present confines. Thus, there remained nothing else left to do but open his eyes, and figure out once and for all where he was. 

     The moment Fiesta’s eyes flickered open, he was immediately graced by the color white. Once his eyes took the seconds they needed to refocus, the forms of the shifting white walls, and the clear-colored rippling pool below, became apparent. Taking a swift glance around, Fiesta could now be certain he was within an enclosed, secluded area; and that this area was, for now at least, safe. But…what was this area, exactly?

     Heaving in and out a sigh as he repositioned himself with his back against the wall, and his legs straight out in front of him, Fiesta lay down for a moment, before yet another question struck his being.

     Where was Astroblast right now?

     The last time he had seen his fellow Supercharger, he was piloting his Sun Runner near the ground, in a confrontation with Count Moneybone. Fiesta leaned forwards just slightly, and tilted his head downwards in thought. What had Astroblast done, exactly, after that? What had gone on between the crystal man and the Count after the latter had thrown him off into the distance? Fiesta glanced up and around the cushiony, heated chamber he was currently in. Had Astroblast put him in here? Still, where was here, exactly? Where was this white, compact, warm, damp, liquid-filled, squishy-

     Fiesta’s bony body froze up. 

     Yet another deep rumble reverberated across the churning walls, as Fiesta tilted his head upwards. Sure enough, there it was. All the confirmation he needed. He had no idea what the name for it was, but that was the lower esophageal sphincter he was currently staring at. Returning his head to its default position, Fiesta sat down in silence for a while, before eventually picking himself up and taking a couple of steps forwards whilst gazing at the liquid pool beneath him. Yet again, there it was, right below him under the waves. Though he could not identify it by name, he was gazing at the Pylorus, the sphincter leading from the stomach into the small intestine. Astroblast’s pylorus.

     Slowly returning to where he was laying before, and settling himself back down, waist deep within Astroblast’s stomach juices, the shrunken skeleton merely sat there in silence, save for the natural gurgling ambiance of the organ, and let himself take it all in.

     Eventually, however, his mind had finished doing such.

     Even if he was in Astroblast’s stomach, that was nothing to worry about! I mean, how else was his fellow Supercharger supposed to keep his shrunken form away from Count Moneybone’s unrelenting pursuit? It made complete sense! Plus, at the end of the day, what mattered most was that he was safe.

     And that was when a newfound sensation of mental clarity and calmness flooded over him. Only for it to completely dissipate just as fast as it had arrived. 

     He was most certainly safe right now. But could the same be said for Astroblast? Judging from the fact that he hadn’t heard the crystal man’s voice yet, and that he hadn’t felt the stomach’s spatial position change at all from any potential walking, running, or general moving around, Fiesta concluded his fellow Supercharger was most likely unconscious. 

    Still, that left one more very important question yet to be answered. Unconscious in safe surroundings, or unconscious in unsafe surroundings? Just as he hadn’t heard Astroblast’s voice since he woke up, he similarly hadn’t heard…well, anything else coming from outside the stomach. But this didn’t automatically mean his friend was out of danger. His years of experience as a Skylander had certainly taught him that well.

     At the very least, Fiesta did know that Astroblast was alive, and that his bodily functions were most likely all stable. He also knew Astroblast wasn’t being moved by anything or anyone. Yet, until he could get verbal confirmation from that man himself that he was okay, he would have no way of knowing for sure whether or not he really was.

     For now then, all he could do was wait, and stay vigilant about his observations. If anything about his current surroundings or situation changed, Fiesta would leap right on it. Leaning further back into Astroblast’s stomach walls, Fiesta gave a slight nod to himself, knowing what he needed to do.

****

     The very first things Astroblast could sense as his consciousness began to return were the sharp burning and throbbing sensations emulating from his damaged cheek; swiftly followed by the dull tinging in his injured arm. Still, he had regained a significant amount of energy since he had gone unconscious, and was therefore ready to get up and start moving again.

     But first, he needed to check on Fiesta. Upon his jittering eyelids opening wide enough, Astroblast glanced up, and upon seeing nothing of immediate danger, glanced down to his middle. He could sense that there was still pressure being exerted onto his stomach walls. That meant Fiesta was still in there. Judging from the fact he hadn’t heard anything besides gurgles coming from his guts since…well, since the tiny skeleton first arrived, Fiesta was also probably still unconscious. But he was still inside his stomach, and that meant he was safe.

     Now that he knew his friend was okay, Astroblast tilted his head back up, and glanced around his immediate field of view for a more thorough assessment of danger. After once again spotting nothing that could be of danger to him, he cautiously turned his head to the left, and then to the right. Still no danger. Even so, he wouldn’t know for sure whether or not he was safe until he looked behind himself.

     Cautiously placing both hands in front of him on the ground for support as he slowly shuffled onto his knees, Astroblast turned himself around in order to examine the region which was previously behind him. Nothing. That meant he was safe for now. Nonetheless-

     “Astroblast?”

     Reflexively leaping onto his feet in silence whilst yanking his laser gun from his side and aiming it in front of him, Astroblast swiftly came to his senses moments later.

     “Woah there, amigo! Calm down! It’s me!”

     Shifting his gaze back towards his midsection, Astroblast softly exhaled a relieved sigh.

     “Fiesta!”

     “Yep, that’s me!”

     “Are you okay?”

     “Most certainly! Are you?”

     “Well,” Astroblast hesitantly responded, not wanting his friend to get worried about him. “I took a couple hits back in a scuffle with Count Moneybone while trying to keep you away from him, but other than that, I’m fine.”

     “Well, you certainly succeeded in that, now, didn’t you?” Fiesta lightheartedly chuckled.

     “I…guess I did!” Astroblast replied with a giggle.

     “How did Moneybone even react to that?”

     “Shock.”

     “Eh, makes sense. Where are the Amigos?”

     “Count Moneybone summoned more air support bots, and I needed them to keep the robots back using the Sun Runner while I went after you on foot.” Astroblast explained. “Which basically means we’re just waiting for them to catch up at this point.”

    “I see. Guess it's time to start waiting, then!” Fiesta replied whilst placing his skeletal hands behind his head, laying one leg on top of the other, and leaning further back into Astroblast’s stomach walls.

     “Ummmm….” Astroblast awkwardly spoke upon this action, “...do you want to get out of there, or…”

     “Nah. It’s a lot safer in here, after all. And comfier. And warm. And…okay I think you get the picture.”

     “......alright, then! I’ll just…sit down, and start waiting, too.” Astroblast responded whilst carefully lowering himself to the floor, not wanting to disturb Fiesta within.

     Finally getting settled on the ground after a while, Astroblast proceeded to lay there in silence for a few seconds, before Fiesta perked up once again.

     “You know, I don’t know where you got this idea from, Astroblast, but however it happened, I guess it really does make you Astroblast Danger Guts!”

     To this, Astroblast could only give a stunned grin and a soft *pfft* sound as his uninjured cheek began blushing slightly. “...I-...I-I mean-” he struggled to form a response. “...well yeah! I… guess it really does! Heh…”

     Giving the walls he was presently snuggled up against a slight rub in solidarity, Fiesta then decided it would probably be best to stay quiet for a while.

     Thus, the two Superchargers rested silently in the midst of each other’s company, until the Sun Runner became visible over the horizon.

[immediatebreakfast]

Do you have celebrations today?

Yes we have! Since yesterday here in my city is has started the long tradition of the Parties of November, or Fiestas Novembrinas.

It is a really massive local celebration that I can only describe as a giant carnival where every single person participates. From schools to private establishments, all of the city unites to see troupes, musical dance groups, floats, popular creativity, costumes, festive props, and beauty queens.

What I mean with beauty queens is that all barrios choose a girl to become a local queen, and with collective effort they make a comparsa (a group of singers, musicians and dancers) with her as the protagonist.

Then, all the comparsas are led to the center of the city by the Lanceros de la Independencia as civic, and festive authorities. Now, the phrase Lanceros de la independencia is translated to Independence Lancers, why does independence have to do with parties?

Easy in November occured the first declaration of absolute independence from the Spanish crown in New Granada. Specifically on November 11 of 1811 which is why it's called Fiestas Novembrinas. Then the celebration extended through the whole month, and November 11 was declared a civic free day.

The way people put EFFORT in their comparsas, and everything is astounding.

[californiastatelibrary]

Welcoming the year of the dragon this Lunar New Year with this historic photo from our catalog. Taken in 1903, it shows men holding the head of a dragon float, probably for the La Fiesta de las Fleures event in Los Angeles.

[scibot9000]

top albums of 2024 for me. i dont have spotify so i gotta do this manually.

rankings approximate. links and thoughts under the cut

Ship Sket - Pyretic Winter Ed1ts (2024)

kind of a late find and pretty short BUT wow this is some intense sound design that packs a punch and the bruises still live with me. i actually don't know what these are edits *of*, so I guess I have more to discover here!

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Patricia Taxxon - Bicycle (2024)

this was an early find! i immediately fell in love with the (mostly) laid back textures and vibes. i really like the FEEL within the sounds.

instant favs with "Frat Claws" and "I Do" specifically, but throughout this past year, I kept coming back to "Chipshop" and "Boys". really visceral.

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Fiesta Soundsystem - Pits (2024)

THAT'S THE END OF THE WORLD. DON'T YOU KNOW THAT YET?

man. idk why this stuck with me. what a journey. massive. it feels like vsnares if you extracted all of his harder sounds i guess?

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VA - HOUSE7 (2024)

yeah im on this. but god damn it's filled with good tunes.

just listing some HUGE highlights: TIME AGAIN, ATLANTIC 909, HEPTAGONAL, GONE (NOW THAT YOU’VE), ANEW

and that leaves out several really really good tunes!!! this might be the best, most cohesive 10/10 thing that maj7 has put out and im proud to be on it.

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K2 - Unrealistic Project Roadmap (2024)

this is ball shatteringly good chiptunage from a variety of generators. very often it feels entirely without limits. "Battle Against Laughing Satellite" is insane. "Battle Against an Inscrutable Machine" is sega genesis i think? it could pass as full-DAW. "Fairies of Floating Forest" you can feel the chips but. what limits?

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Ben Böhmer - Bloom (2024)

absolute sunsetter anthem. this is why i keep an eye on ninja tune. "Hiding" rearranged my dna a lil bit.

listen. i am VERY picky about vocals so when I'm fawning over that track or "Rust" or w/e, it means something went right. and the instrumentals are just as beautiful.

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Machinedrum - 3FOR82_D3LUX3 (2024)

what's this? a million collabs with vocalists? :(

oh, wait. wait a second. this is good. like really good. :O

there is an instrumental version of several tracks too, which is DELIGHTFUL machinedrum goodness, but you KNOW something is up when I'm saying I prefer the vocal version of "ZOOM". impeccable.

the fact that machinedrum went for a theme of "optimistic retrospection" really adds to the vibes too.

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Autechre - AE_2022－ (2024)

of course I am forced to become obsessed with this.

fans have a wiki page dedicated to organizing and IDing each set. I have manually chopped them up based on that table.

I'm DELIGHTED to have multiple slow intro versions of "drane3"!! I love "three tone"!! "vineseve"!!!

[sketchehm]

Omg I saw your master post, and it's beautiful. I didn't even realize you answered my red like roses ask from a bit ago. While I have opinions on rwby and rvb, I've loved the music sooooo much. Jeff Williams is an amazing musician, and he's always made boys. I think of a couple of songs from volumes 1-3 for the baby au, but I'll do that later if I feel like it. (I also made a rwby and rvb au so long ago with dsmp members, but that was long ago lol)

I'll definitely need to make a fun thing about shadoune and sapnap making traps together in the baby au. Sapnap would be the small baby devil on shadoune's shoulder. It wouldn't be killing anyone cause they don't got infinite souls, and baby sapnap has a little heart under there. I think they would just have honey at the bottom and people would get stuck for a bit, and shadoune letting out his deviousness with baby sapnap is funny to me. He tells sapnap not to do anything on his own to make sure that sapnap doesn't get hurt or waste a bunch of resources.

Sapnap then gets other mafia members to help him with these pranks, and there's a prank war in the midst of dedsafio. Truly, sapnap is a bad influence, but a very cute one, so he gets away with it lmao

Please do share songs (if ya wanna!!)

Man I think I got up to season 7 with rvb I can't even remember, but I loved both series (at least the beginnings/up to what I watched(I did hear rwby didn't have the best plot line at some points but I never got that far))

I can accredit those two shows being one of the reasons I pursued 3D in the first place :D!

Back to Baby Sapnap

It's just him on Shadoune's shoulders and screaming "FIESTA FIESTA" over and over again about the dumb dirt pit fall trap they created pfft. Nothing even remotely creative, the most simple thing Shadoune could've thought of that Sapnap could make (it hurts no one except maybe sylvee since she is also tiny and can't float instantaneously, she's gotta concentrate for that still me thinks cause she still a baby)

Like I'm imagining this thing barely like 5 blocks deep, enough to inconvenience someone cause they gotta build up/dig their way up. Just the *SMACK* "UGH." sounds that Baby Sapnap hears from people falling in makes him go hysterical. He's a truly the most devious there. He could probably defeat Reviil with his trap, he will tell Eon about it his next trip to the mountain yes yes.

Though babies get this thing where if someone gets really hurt/show sad emotion, they feel really empathetic and start feeling sad and start crying too...so Sapnap getting to trick Sylvee in one and she starts crying cause that Really hurt :'(((

Shadoune patching her up and Sapnap is standing there crying next to Sylvee saying he's sorry. Sylvee has already stopped crying by that point but Sapnap is so devastated, he just feels guilt and anxiety a lot he's just a baby orz Sylvee calls him dumb and says not to do it again >:'(

Sapnap will say okay.....

Anyways he begs Shadoune for more "Fiesta" the next day pft (they lure in Daarick since he was gonna reprimand them for getting Sylvee hurt yesterday.....Shadoune running away with sapnap after he falls in lmao)