#are you sure this kid is beating cyrus!!!!!!!

[aqqleshiqqing-archive]

might wanna rephrase what you said Riley

[leggerefiore]

Do you think bird hybrids teach their kids to fly the same way real world birds do, AKA either forcing the fledglings to jump or leaving them to figure it out on their own?

Unfortunately I think flight is a very instinctual thing and there’s no theoretical way to teach someone besides a visual example. It’s a literal leap of faith.

Of course, hybrids would make sure there’s a safe landing on the off chance they don’t quite succeed.

anon,,, good thoughts....

Absolutely, it has to be done with a "leap" of faith. (Well, definitely done within a controlled environment to prevent any harm to their child, of course.) Their more human sides will certainly not like it (and their human mate may be even more distressed), but they know they must in order to teach their children proper flight skills.

Archeops Ingo specifically hates this. Erin is already such a fragile little boy... Shoving him off a high area to learn how to fly just seems too cruel. Plus, he can already tell that his scared boy will freeze and almost certainly crash down onto the padding below and cry for hours afterward. The Subway Boss is not mentally prepared to handle that. Until he does it one day. Erin screams, but he does fly. Then falls. And crashes onto the padding. Ingo goes down comfort him. (Archen just aren't very good at flying. Erin did his best 😔.)

Archeops Emmet, on the other hand, is so ready to teach his girls. He is setting up everything for them and keeping in mind that Archen are not the best flyers. But he is. His kids must be, too. Inka proceeds to decimate his expectations and learns to fly on her own to his endless distress. Why? How? He can not even think as she easily takes off into the air. He then tries to Emma, who is not really into this whole flying thing but tries for him. She does learn pretty well and quickly, so he can not complain. He is just sad that Inka beat him to teaching her.

Honchkrow Cyrus knows he must teach his poor Cyllene one day, but he fears it dearly. His parents never truly engaged his instincts, and he had to learn to fly on his own. How dearly he wished for the situation for himself. He truly is afraid to teach her. The idea of her getting hurt leaves him in a state like no other. Truthfully, his mate will probably have to step and teach her. (Though, if she falls out before she can fly, his flying speeds to catch her are truly terrifying.)

Togekiss Volo does it with ease. That is how it goes in their time period and culture. He makes sure his adorable Togetic daughter learns quickly that flight is most important to them. Though, she's likely a teenager at this point, she is more than used to his behaviour at this point.

Staraptor Larry has a pretty normal time teaching his kids. His little Starly son and daughter have it go well, of course. Watching from an outside point of view, it is boring. But, Larry is distressed. Flying for the first time is always scary. He is internally screaming while keeping poker face. It still goes well, of course. He just feels panicked.

[year2000electronics]

You there! Pokeverse creator! explain the general plot of Pokemon Iridium and the major differences in a simplified way!

well sure! truth be told iridium is kinda just me going “here’s how i would change the plots of pokémon stories if i had creative control!” and being very self indulgent with it, so it’s not like it’s one big overarching story, but i’d say one of the major themes is definitely legendary pokémon and how they interact with the world! i treat them more like gods than really powerful pokémon (you know, how green myths will have stories of the gods screwing around and messing with mortals all the time) because i think legendary pokémon are so cool and i like them :]

i crammed all the protagonists together on this canvas so there they all are but i’ll try to summarize the different arcs as best as i can

RED AND BLUE (gen 1): team rocket has taken over kanto and johto and fused them into The Rocket Empire. giovanni has captured the legendary birds and keeps them as pets. red tries and fails to stop giovanni from using mewtwo to unlock travel to alternate dimensions. he gets so sad about this he goes to live alone on a mountain

GOLD AND GREEN (gen 2): green, red’s kid friend, wants to get red down from the mountain. gold, the heir to team rocket (he’s basically like if gold and silver fused) tries to stop her from messing with the rockets. archer, a former rocket leader who defected, befriends green because they both wanna take down the rockets. red comes down from mt silver at the end, revealing the legendary beasts were protecting him up there

EMERALD (gen 3): may and her family (norman and zinnia) are the last of the draconids. archie and maxie are trying to expand the land/expand the sea. near the end of their evil plans they get possessed by groudon and kyogre who are mad that nobody worships them anymore (because they’re jerks). may and rayquaza work together to beat them. maxie dies during a cave in at the cave of origin so archie puts on a magical suit of armour and hunts down jirachi at the battle frontier to try and get three wishes to revive him, with the help of frontier brain lucy who wants to retire in a big mansion full of hunky boys because she’s sick of being a frontier brain

DIAMOND AND PEARL (gen 4): dawn and lucas are the human disguises of dialga and palkia who get sent down to earth every time giratina gets incarnated into another human vessel that’s about to cause trouble (it’s a banishment thing). in the past they were sent to defeat volo (legends arceus) but now they’re sent to defeat cyrus. cyrus ends up breaking the cycle by going into the distortion world and living there happily

BLACK AND WHITE (gen 5): rosa is a plasma researcher and sees colress as a father figure. her and n take a journey across a slowly-freezing-over unova. ghetsis and colress are secretly behind it using kyurem’s ice powers, but they’re using panic and fearmongering about the great freeze to get people to release their pokémon. rosa has a crisis of faith about her mentor

X AND Y (gen 6): zeena (daughter of looker and anabel) is about to become a real interpol agent, she just needs to solve the mystery of team flare in kalos. it’s a bunch of rich kids who believe beauty is the only important thing and that the beautiful should be the judge, jury, and executioner since they’re the worthy ones. in a dramatic twist it’s revealed that professor sycamore was the leader of team flare all along. when he tries to use yveltal to construct the ultimate weapon, yveltal and xerneas get so mad at him that they curse him to be stuck in between life and death

SUN AND MOON (gen 7): moon is a rocket empire refugee that moved to alola. her and lillie have to stop an emotionally unstable guzma from teaming up with the great magician lusamine and basically hunting the ultra beasts for sport. alola’s tradition hangs in the balance as both outsiders and frustrated insiders attack it. poni island gets burnt down. episode rainbow rocket happens where giovanni finally returns from his multiversal travels, revealing successful versions of every team leader so far (and some guy named raihan) that he’s poisoned with nihilego toxins to get them to work for him. moon and a defector (named twozma) kick their butts so hard that giovanni retires and kanto and johto get to be individual regions again

SWORD AND SHIELD (gen 8): leon is of royal blood, having descended from leonidas, the first king of galar. through a series of events, eternatus (a lovecraftian cosmic horror) possesses leon to use as his vessel in his ultimate quest to take over galar and absorb all the power on the planet. raihan has daddy issues.

SCARLET AND VIOLET (gen 9): thanks to sada and turo, paldea gets shattered across dimensions, so now there exists two versions of it: one stuck in the past and one stuck in the future. the ai counterparts of sada and turo have to help two kids, marisol and pedro, fix it and turn paldea back to normal. champions are evil. blueberry academy is evil. kieran turns his enemies into cursed masks

[sylvies-chen]

ok it’s been a while since I posted my rookie squad group chat headcanons but since it got so many notes I figured I would do a part 2??? I might try and incorporate some new s5b and s6 stuff in here too. so here it is!

the rookie group chat headcanons - part 2

when lucy’s on a long undercover stint one time, the whole crew makes a fake website pretending to be top chef fans looking for a fan server, just so that she can “join” and eventually start a text chain with these “strangers” where they pretend not to know each other for a while and then talk about their days

bailey and her wild friend blow uppp the ladies only group chat one night with misspelled drunken texts and selfies of them, and the morning after bailey immediately asks angela to plan the bachelorette party because she wouldn’t be able to stand doing that crazy shit one more night

bailey also makes a text chain with nyla angela and tamara and they conspire to make lucy catch the bouquet so that tim will take the hint and get a ring already

thorsen and celina have their own dnd group chat, but they still try and recruit the rest of the gang every now and then. grey nearly has a stroke trying to understand what the hell a “level 16 paladin” means

but ohhhhh when celina MAKES them all understand the dm alignment chart. she sends it to them and then will regularly respond to things with “that’s so chaotic neutral of you tim” or “wesley always on ur lawful good beat” just to annoy them. they all hate it, but slightly less than when she uses zodiac signs in the same way

thorsen once sent an entire bob the builder episode file to the group chat with the caption “nolan- any notes?” and then went mia for twelve hours

harper will intentionally call aaron and celina the wrong names just to make sure no one thinks she’s getting too chummy or soft 

they try to group facetime and it goes about as well as you expect: grey doesn’t know how to hold the camera right, lucy keeps putting a cat filter on tim’s face, nolan keeps playing with the green screen backgrounds and angela keeps muting him

henry, tamara, dominique, and lila all have a “mid-wilshire kids” group chat. they keep it pretty pg for lila since she’s a bit younger, but mostly just use it to talk about their parents. eventually they let cyrus in because james finds out and suggests they include him. (james, per their request, keeps it a secret, because he’s sure if they ever found out their kids were sneaking around and giggling about them, their parents would not be having it lol)

I could do this all dayyyyy lol lmk if you want part 3!

[omaskit]

Session 4: I lose some respect for Cyrus

I've offically removed the 1 person chapter 1 rule. I just don't think it's possible without overleveling the heck out of your party. If you want to see the rules they are here.

I've got 2 1/2 hours before I have to leave for IRL, let's see how far we can get. Side quest time

Girl you saw someone DIE?! REPORT THAT!

ACAB

$5,000?! The bartender's getting greedy

The ice things aren't weak to fire?

Therion's constantly screaming. Bro gotta go to therapy you can't just keep beating up monsters

Well shit gang, I'm not sure if we have anything against these ants.

Nvm we have staff

girl you missed so many times

Bro's cows are is priority.

I just realized how stupid rich the flatlands are. Atlasdam AND noblecorte? Outside of the cult on the edge they are living it up!

Why does this kid have such good thief awareness? The dialouge implies that Therion's trying to trick her. boy just pick her pockets!

"Perhaps I should have a little chat with him. Just to make sure we 'understand' one another" Cyrus what does that mean?!

Dude only has two students

Ew he has people look up shit in the textbook.

Bro have them engaged in critical thought! Not textbook searching!

WHAT A STUCK UP!

TEACHER'S PET!

These 8 clans never come back again

There's so much history that never comes back again!

Bro so excited about history

Class is over thank god

HE ASSIAIGNS READING HOMEWORK?! MOTHER FUCKER I WOULD FAIL YOUR CLASS!

T E A C H E R S P E T!

I love that the librarian is named after a car

Is- Is everyone in love with Cyrus? Is Odette the only one not in love with Cyrus?

I think I just robbed the castle suppiles

bro so excited to read books

IS Everyone in love with Cyrus?! Seriously?!

You cited your sources what's wrong with you?!

Bro how do learn anything?? How are acedemic papers done if you can't cite sources?! How do you anything new???!!

Cyrus hates this guy SO MUCH

They hate each other so much

Therese what was your plan?! You report Cyrus and then....Profit?! Girl they're just gonna fire him!

What if this Tome wasn't stolen. What if it was just misplaced?

You're gonna ask the headmaster? You hate the headmaster!

Russell don't tell them about your motive!

Was the headmaster a suspect?! That's hilarious!

Nothing's weak to knives

Alright boss tim- random encounter

Russell: Tells us his motive and that he knows how valuable the book is. Also Russell: Wha? Cyrus?! Why are you here?

" I haven't the faintest clue of what you're talking about" Bro We talked about it earlier!

Bro fell for the oldest trick in the book

I would have gotten away with it if wasn't for you meddiling travelers!

Are you weak to knives?

HE'S WEAK TO KNIVES!!!!

Delisious Victory

I'm glad Russell gets redemtion at a book shop.

Cyrus: "Dude, what were you thinking? You're taking knowledge!"

Russell ratted people out?! Snitch!

Did Cyrus want to read this book to conform his historical theory?

Girl ruining his reputation will not make him pay more attention to you

"A little trouble" "HE'S GROOMING THE PRINCESS!"

Aroace oblivion

Bro is a lead block

CYRUS DO NOT JOKE ABOUT DEATH

BITCH WHO'S FOLLOWING ME?!

Session over

I think I'll get farther in the game before I post again. See you at primrose, maybe

[radiantlyrey]

Thoughts on Uprising Ep19 “Terminal”

- i’m not ready guys

- cold open: so Mara seems really dead set on blaming the Renegade for Able’s death. and she’s not like…. wrong. but she doesn’t have the full picture, as it were. and it’s interesting how she and Zed have basically swapped positions on the Renegade; like Zed here isn’t fully convinced that the guy he was calling a “menace” fourteen episodes ago or whatever did kill Able. also Beck tries to agree with Zed and Mara (rightfully) calls him out on never being there anymore. so Beck takes his frustrations out on holo-Tron, and then—Tron freaking falls over and Does Not Look Good.

- Beck tries to save Tron, but he won’t heal for some reason…. and that reason turns out to be Cyrus, whose fight with Tron compromised Tron’s healing abilities. that fucking virus Dyson implanted is ravaging Tron, and he’s got maybe a couplefew days/cycles before it’s all over. dire stuff. also Tron wanting to pass the mantle of his name to Beck when he just flat-out REFUSED to give it to Cyrus is…… making me a little verklempt. shit.

- also the scene with Beck trying to empty Able’s locker about had me in TEARS. oh my god. those kiddos and their boss/dad. fuck. Zed is being a good friend here, too……… like. was legit about to bust out crying at this SCENE. FUCK

- and then Beck gets surprised by a random program who turns out to be Cutler from the second story of the show!!! what!!!! good to see you again, guy!!!!!!!

- EXCEPT NOT BECAUSE THE FUCKER’S BEEN REPURPOSED. FUCK. FUCK EVERYTHING. a very cool lightjet dogfight ensues, and Beck manages to mostly outrun Clu’s giant-ass Recognizer and escape to Tron with vital information: that giant-ass Recognizer? has a chamber for repurposing programs (or maybe just repurposing Tron), that would, in all likelihood, heal Tron of the virus Dyson infected him with. and so. they….. hatch a crazy plan to get Tron healed, but stop the repurposing process before it completes, which would put Tron back on the top of his game and spell the worst for Clu.

- we had a semi-B-plot in this episode!! Zed trying to convince Mara that the Renegade did not kill Able, and she admits that… her theory doesn’t make sense. and Zed (rightfully) points out that the Renegade cannot be everywhere at once. and then: Asshole of the Month Pavel shows up to make Able’s garage state property, which is always…. he’s just the Worst, okay. The. Worst. I hate him. (not as much as I hate others, but… a lot.)

- ngl I was COMPLETELY CONVINCED that Beck’s plan would not work, that Beck would not get there in time, that Tron would be repurposed and we’d have a Rinzler situation going on……… like. shit. it was very tense there for a moment. I finished the episode 15 mins ago and I STILL feel the intensity of that countdown, holy shit.

- BUT IT WORKED. Tron gives Beck a scare for a moment, then proceeds to utterly beat the crap out of a shitton of Black Guard, while Cutler goes after Beck. and Beck is about to have his head taken off and then decides to SHOW HIMSELF TO CUTLER and try to break through his repurposing and it ALMOST FUCKING WORKS—it does! and when Cutler falls off the edge, Beck tries to save him, he does, and then……. it doesn’t work. Cutler is gone. and Beck has to let him go and watch him die. and this the first program that Beck has allowed to die since he became the Renegade, I’m pretty sure???? (I’d have to rewatch Price of Power to see whether he did there, but I don’t think so??) so that’s gotta be tearing up the poor kid. ugh.

- the Giant-Ass Recognizer crashes right in front of Able’s garage, and Tron’s stuck under a strut, so Beck takes the disguise disc and leads the searching guards on a merry chase—only for Pavel to spot him, and send his guards after the Renegade and then—

- and THEN: Mara comes to a decision. she’s not gonna let this happen. and Zed stands with her. and Link. and that female program from “Grounded”!! and pretty much the entire crew of mechanics! put their feet down and take out their discs and say NO. WE LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER NOW. AND WE WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN. (and I bet Zed really enjoyed turning Pavel’s “House of Pain” line against him.)

- Beck and Tron observe this from afar, and…. it’s all all right, mostly? it’s fine?

- except Tesler doesn’t know about the Giant-Ass Recognizer. and he is…. Upset About It. to say the least. and then Paige gets a notice from the scanners at the docks………….

- Clu is coming.

- with Dyson.

- and a shitton of Recognizers and what looks like a giant shooty ship thing and

- and

- and

- cut to black

- and

- and

- credits roll

- “WHAT?!?!?!?!”

- and now I have to live with this cliffhanger, this horrible happening for………… the rest of my life, I guess?????????

- i'm not fucking okay guys

- slightly more okay than yesterday with “No Bounds”

- but still not okay. fuck.

[lyricalchrysanthemum]

Today and Even Tomorrow, Let’s All Play Together

Hide and Seek was THE most popular game growing up. Barry can recall the not so far days in the playground with Dawn and the other kids, closing their eyes and counting to as many fingers were on their hands, before going and seeking the others. But Barry always insisted on hiding, he never liked the dark.

But whenever he played with Mommy and Daddy, he always ended up in the dark.

Yes, Hide and Seek was popular among grown ups too. Although they were quite bad it, not as good as the kids his age. They even played the seeker as a pair of two! And yet he was always caught after thirty minutes of straight hiding. Closing the dark closet surrounded by his action figures and the stuffy he swore he was too old for, Barry would just sit there in silence. He was supposed to be hidden after all! Hiding means no noise. (Even if he liked to move, needed to move, he was always in it to win it.)

Yet when you’re hiding you can hear a pin drop, much more, the sound of murmuring between adults. Murmuring that would then become yelling. Only for it to then become silent, and for not even minutes later for Palmer and Charlotte to open the door and praise him for being so good at hiding. Even though it was the place he chose all the time, the room farthest from the kitchen.

You could only hear false praise ten times before even a child realizes it was all lies.

Barry never understood what they were talking about. Even when he pushed his ear against the wall, it was always muffled, saying big words he never understood unless it was his name. It always just sounded bad. But if it was bad, then why did they say his name?

How come they only wanted to play hide and seek with him?

Why did Daddy move away?

Why did Mommy never seem home?

They would always tell him things but it all felt like excuses, keeping him shut up in a closet to prevent him from knowing the real truth: he was a burden.

Maybe it’s because he couldn’t reach expectations. He knew Palmer had a big important job and was almost like a celebrity, and Charlotte would sing about the big boots he would have to fill when his dad was old and grey. But what if he couldn’t? But he wanted to.

Mommy and Daddy always seemed so sad around him, maybe if he could make them proud, he could convince them that having him wasn’t a mistake.

Dawn, he loved her so, but she didn’t help with this insecurity. Always getting beaten.

He can’t be champion this way, he can’t achieve great things this way, he can’t make them proud this way.

But maybe he could do something else, become a legend in his own right. Hearing the order to protect the lake guardians with his best friends, he knew this could be his shot. Write his name in the history as the boy who protected Mespirit. But it failed, they failed Azelf together, they failed Mespirit together, and they failed Uxie together. (He was a burden then, too.)

In their defeat though, that scary leader revealed his upper hand. Mommy and Daddy were hostages, just as Mrs. Dawn’s Mom and Mr. Lucas’s Dad were too.

So he gave him an offer, an offer he couldn’t refuse. Come with him, and he’ll make him a legend. After all, it would be the only way he couldn’t burden his parents, save them in fact.

Sure he would die, but he would save them, write his name in history books, and his blight upon their eyes would disappear too. It was the perfect end.

So he went. Despite the angry screaming and the tears from the two he cared so deeply for, he walked into the helicopter with Cyrus. It will all be ok.

And so he waited, and waited, first in the base, then at the top of Mount Coronet. This would be it. Lucas and Dawn screamed his name, but were stopped by Mars and Jupiter. And by the time they beat them, preparations were complete. Sure he could turn back anytime, but he didn’t want to.

Until he heard another pair scream for him.

Barry turned around as he hear Charlotte and Palmer scream his name in horror, begging him to stop. Mrs. Lyre and Mr. Aquila we’re there too. He’d been found.

That horrified look of Mommy and Daddy was enough for him to wake up. Realize he messed up.

A loud noise rang, and Barry had one last thought.

“I want to play again tomorrow.”

His emotions exploded.

[erikalentz]

Half Moon Datas #10

Three days passed since Dawn and Barry become friends again. Their own responsibilities prevent them from spending much time together (Dawn being the Champion and Barry helping his dad from time to time in backstage at the Battle Tower), but they do make sure to call each other at night whenever it's possible.

Althea was happy to see the two trainers make up... But she felt anger deep down. Not against the kids, but against the old traditions of the leagues. The detective never liked the "beat the Champion and you will become the next one" rule because of how vague it is; there's nothing wrong to become a top trainer and Champion (she defeated a lot of gym leaders herself as a teen and would be a good Champion if she wanted), but the majority of the world's Champions are adults and started their career in their late teens (with a few exceptions like Iris and Leon). They had the maturity and psychological strenght to shoulder the responsibilities it entails, as well as amazing feats under their belt... But their challengers are all kids who aren't even teenagers - they only have 12-13 years old, barely a few of them are 14-15 years old or more. No one in the leagues' staff wondered if giving such a high title to a still-growing kid is really a good idea, especially when said kid have to replace the previous adult top trainer with a huge legacy with them? Sure, all the leagues in the world have their own specificities and set of rules, but this primary rule remains the same.

The young woman was silently furious when she discovered what Dawn went through after becoming the Champion of Sinnoh through investigation and mind-reading. A 15-years-old girl shouldn't act like an adult and be the public face of an old institution like the League on her own. That's why she called Cynthia in secret to talk about this situation, since the previous Champion went away from Sinnoh for undisclosed reasons.

It turns out that Cynthia was collaborating with the International Police under a codename to arrest the former Commanders of Team Galactic: Mars and Jupiter. Saturn turned over a new leaf after Cyrus' banishment in the Distorsion World and cut all ties with his former allies, but the other bosses continued their criminal activities with some grunts, calling themselves "Team Comet" and causing multiple destructions and hostaging. At first, the International Police treated Team Comet as mercenaries with no goal... But Mars and Jupiter do have a goal: building a giant war machine to wipe out all existing criminal organisations, before rendering the rest of the world as a no man's land. Since Cyrus' goal to change the universe to his ideals with Sinnoh's deities failed and they couldn't get him out of the Distorsion World, destroying everything to rebuild it the old fashion way would do. When the International Police realized Team Comet's true intentions, they asked the help of Cynthia and two other important people to track them down and arrest them, which they did after a long cover-up.

Althea didn't really expected this turn of events when calling Cynthia... Although she wasn't surprised by a criminal organisation changing form by former admins attached to their former leader. The previous Champion also revealed that she knew about Dawn's struggles as the new top trainer by her contact with the Elite Four and is furious of the treatment she got. She actually searched for a solution to the old system of the leagues after she completed her mission for not letting such thing happen again... And she found it with the league system of Paldea, which she got information from her friend Geeta. In there, there is a Top Champion and trainers who defeated them don't take their place but become Champion-Ranked Trainers, and everyone can gain that title after doing the traditional "get the badges and beat the league" road. It's fairer to the challengers and release them from responsibilities not fitting their ages, and they're free to continue their education, following the road to be a top trainer or pursuing a different dream outside of Pokemon Battles.

Cynthia already planned to go back to Sinnoh and change the rules of the league to Paldea's ones. She didn't wanted Dawn to be burden any longer by being Champion. Of course, something like this can't be done in one night... That's why Cynthia didn't get back immediately after Team Comet's arrest and dismantlement: she was battling against the administration with Geeta and other Champions' help to change the institution of the Sinnoh league, to the point of almost going to the court.

But she ended up winning this fight. She's the new Top Champion of Sinnoh and she already decided to grant Dawn and Lucas the titles of first Champion-Ranked Trainers of the region because Lucas defeated her and Dawn defeated Champion Lucas before his disappearance.

[shiny-jr]

anon that asked about pokemon here, and i’m so happy to hear that you’re also a fan of black and white!! it’s my fav gen for sure (tho i may also be a little biased cause of n, hehe), but the story is amazing to me! i love some of the characters and the music?? oh, man…

sun and moon was great, too! i feel like lusamine had so much potential, but it seemed like the game got too scared to make her more evil/irredeemable, i was super unsatisfied with how they dealt with her, ugh.

anyways, no need to reply to this! i’m really happy to have been able to hear your take on the games, take care!!

Lets gooo, black and white supremacy. Okay, for real though, pretty sure N was my first fictional crush. And nothing has come close to topping gen five music. Pretty sure the low health theme is what spawned the little flame of first anxiety in young me, which would later become a never ending inferno now that I'm older. But that's fine. The beats still slap. And the story, god the story. N is such a good antagonist, because he truly is a good guy being manipulated by a very evil guy, a victim of circumstance because of his rare ability. And the scene in the end where the palace rose up from nothing? That was so imposing, it must've been so frightening for people because suddenly there's a palace that appeared out of nowhere with a team of criminals claiming there's a king that's tamed a literal beast of legends.

Sun and Moon had a lot of diverse landscapes and different types of people, which made it interesting. Not to mention it was based in Hawaii, and you don't see many games based off there, so it was super interesting to see how Gamefreak and Nintendo decided to handle the culture. And they did it fairly well. It wasn't over the top, but it was noticeably still there and done respectfully (to my knowledge). I remember when leaks were coming out and people were able to guess the region was based off Hawaii by the mere sight of the firetrucks next to npcs. And you're right! Lusamine could've been a real threatening villain, almost as memorable as Ghetsis or Cyrus, but I feel like they tried and failed to redeem her in the end because of her kids. Not to mention, Pokemon is still a game rated E for everyone, so it has to be suitable for kids.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 04/03/2023 (Freya Ridings, Superstar Pride, Caity Baser)

“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus is at #1 for a 7th consecutive week, and I don’t see it facing much competition. For now, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

It’s a pretty standard week, and I’m pretty busy this week, kind of exhausted, so let’s be as quick as possible and start as always with the notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. Sure, it’s expected that “Lost” by Linkin Park and “Voices” by KSI and Oliver Tree have left the chart, but we also say farewell to four big ones: “Out of Nowhere” by Bugzy Malone and TeeDee, “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” by Harry Styles, “PSYCHO” by Anne-Marie and Aitch and... “STAY” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber... again.

As for what’s filling in the blanks, we actually see a decent few returning entries. Two of them are long-term hits briefly coming back, those being “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd at #72 and “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi at #63, and the other two are recent instrumental TikTok hits picking up a new peak, those being “METAMORPHOSIS” by INTERWORLD at #68 and “Snowfall” by Oneheart and reidenshi at #61. Elsewhere, we have our notable gains, including “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez at #53, “Under the Influence” by Chris Brown at #51, “Shut up My Moms Calling” by HOTEL UGLY at #47, “Whistle” by Jax Jones featuring Calum Scott at #46, “Another Love” by Tom Odell at #44, “Snooze” by SZA at #40, “Here with Me” by d4vd at #34, “Rush” by Ayra Starr at #29 and finally, apart from a gain in the top five, “Hide & Seek” by Stormzy at #21.

This week, the top five of the UK Singles Chart is pretty familiar, with one twist. We see “Sure Thing” by Miguel at #5, sure, but then thanks to a seven-years-too-late remix with Ariana Grande, The Weeknd sees “Die for You” surge up to #4. Otherwise, we have “Kill Bill” by SZA at #3, “Boy’s a liar” by PinkPantheress at #2 and of course, “Flowers” at #1. Now we move onto our smaller batch of new arrivals.

NEW ARRIVALS

#69 – “Watch This” – Lil Uzi Vert and ARIZONATEARS

Produced by Forza and Kado or ARIZONATEARS

This is technically another case wherein the song credited by the Official Charts Company doesn’t really exist. As the story goes, Forza produced the original track which was previewed in 2019, but later, he was called out by Uzi for leaking music they’d worked on together, putting the song in limbo and leading Forza to get kicked from his band, the Working on Dying trap production collective. Eventually, in April of last year, the song and its video were leaked in full, leading to amateur producers making remixes. One particularly remix, listed as the “ARIZONATEARS Pluggnb Remix”, became particularly popular on SoundCloud, and eventually Uzi’s label Atlantic, in the tradition of screwing Uzi over, picked it up under the bizarre subsidiary – and artist credit for no reason – “sped up nightcore”. Today, we have this new version gaining much of the traction, with the original still not officially released. Issues with Forza must be the only reason why, because the original is honestly pretty fire, with a great, playful introductory verse from Uzi and a hard-hitting tread beat that has a plummeting bass placed onto ethereal keys and vocal samples that make for a pretty samey yet effectively atmospheric cloud rap track. I would prefer a shorter version, since Uzi may have a lot of flows but a lot less to say, since they’re just flexing for the most part, even if the hook is incredibly infectious. Regardless, I must prefer it to the version we got on streaming, pitching down the vocals and adding a cheap sounding synth that whilst has a cool melodic idea, just continues to mind-numbingly loop with very little variation for pretty much the entire song. The remix, whilst sounding vaguely on beat, doesn’t fit the vocals too well, with ARIZONATEARS placing some needlessly soulful plugg chords within a song that is so unabashed in its flexing that it really doesn’t seem like a good fit, especially if half of Uzi’s energy is taken away through the vocals being isolated by an AI stem splitter. It’s just an awkward fit that takes a good song and kind of butchers much of the appeal. I get why the sound has captured people, yet I can’t help but think there’s better ways to introduce people to pluggnb.

#67 – “22” – JayO

Produced by JayO

UK singer JayO, mostly known for contributing to songs by people such as Drake and YNW Melly, has his breakout solo hit with this self-produced song that... barely really exists, but it’s pleasant enough. My main issue is JayO himself, whose nasal voice takes quite a while to get used to, as the production isn’t bad at all, taking a groovy and cloudy approach to typical Afrobeats percussion that takes a really reverbed and echoed approach in its synthetic claps that I find pretty interesting, especially when placed against the solid bass and hypnotic keys. Again, JayO has pretty much nothing to say, as it’s a mostly sex-focused love song with a repetitious chorus and second verse that just repeats itself instead of bringing any new lines in. The production, whilst decent, doesn’t change enough to accommodate the utter lack of a finished song here, so the end product ends up as just okay. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being really big though.

#64 – “REACT” – Switch Disco featuring Ella Henderson and Robert Miles

Produced by Switch Disco and Punctual

Switch Disco are the UK’s self-proclaimed “no. 1 mashup DJs”, and this song features a very prominent sample of “Children”, the dreamy trance classic released in 1995 by the late Italian producer Robert Miles, so prominent that he was granted a posthumous feature credit. The original song peaked at #2 behind “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis, and this reinvention features Ella Henderson on a lead vocal line that seems like it really does give credence to them being mashup DJs, since it seems completely separated from the sample, with her decent enough vocals comparing love to a chemical reaction not even remotely fitting on the disgustingly-placed sample of the now-iconic piano line. At some point, they bring in hilariously dated acoustic guitars and it almost becomes funny if it weren’t for the fact that the sample is barely implemented outside of the hook so it just becomes a copy-and-paste job. I have nothing against mashups, in fact I’m all for them, but when people who predominantly make mashups resort to just writing a song and pasting it over an existing sample, without making any real concessions to either the sample or the original song they wrote, maybe they should stick to just letting the songs be written for them, because this is pretty damn bad.

#35 – “Pretty Boys” – Caity Baser

Produced by LiTek, Matt Rad and WhYJay

The main reason that this is a unique set of new arrivals is how unfamiliar a lot of the names and faces are, or at least how they’re only slightly familiar, with some vague connections we’re familiar with, like how Caity Baser has her breakout single here, but it’s produced by Aitch’s go-to guys for whatever reason. We’ll see more of both that trend among the new arrivals as well as this one: the songs just aren’t interesting. This one is about how she continuously ends up with men who are attractive but completely boring. She has a lot of spark in her delivery, reminding me of a less volatile Lily Allen and less explicit GFOTY, and it can be quite infectious charisma-wise but the personality that drips off of this ends up becoming both its best and worst element, as whilst she’s never annoying herself, the production is so blank and upbeat with its recurring whistle and awkward trap percussion amidst the otherwise chirpy track that she ends up with barely any space to express that personality, which means this ends up pretty claustrophobic. I really do like the bridge with the acoustic guitars but it’s also just an idea that kind of comes out of nowhere because the production wasn’t fine-tuned for someone who, you know, actually has a personality – it’s almost like it was made to overshadow a performer’s lack of it, so when Baser comes on with her bratty attitude, it feels very overwhelming and for not much good reason, as the song has little edge. As it is, it’s pretty much a comedy song, and it’s chintzy fun in that regard, but it’s not something I’ll ever return to.

#33 – “PAINTING PICTURES” – Superstar Pride

Produced by GlobalKnockz

Superstar Pride is also new to the scene, having this song from his 2022 tape 5LBS OF PRESSURE blow up essentially out of nowhere, and man, it’s been a while since we had a rapper with an unusually clunky name. I almost got used to A Boogie wit da Hoodie and YoungBoy Never Broke Again but they seem to be on their way out so Superstar Pride is here to fill that spot, except with a song that is less of a mouthful and more just a weird play on his surname. Regardless, is the song any good? Well, I love the Faith Evans sample, which I recognise from when Lil Yachty sampled it on “Forever World” with Trippie Redd, but it’s arguably flipped a lot more cleverly here as while he harmonises with the original melody in the intro, he’s soon rapping over a hardcore chop and flip of the sample, buried under a minimal intense trap beat. He reminds me of Moneybagg Yo, with clunky writing definitely a part of that, as well as his gruffer delivery that works when balanced against the melody in the chorus but is pretty gross-sounding in the bassy verse. I like the detail about his family and upbringing, but I’d prefer if it was more fleshed out, given that there’s clearly more he wants to say, but resorts to rapping about thots and how it’s “no love” for these women, which is disappointing when he could go into that relationship he had with his mother that involves both loyalty and cocaine in more detail. Sure, artists don’t need to reveal more about their personal lives if we don’t want them to, but the hints we have here are compelling and I wish they went further, especially because I honestly think that chorus would work as an incredibly solid first verse for a song about that. I think that the song will still last quite a while, mostly because a star-studded remix seems very possible for a song like this going viral, maybe with someone like Lil Durk whom this beat seems tailor-made for, and I’ll be waiting for that remix so that I can fully endorse this.

#31 – “Weekends” – Freya Ridings

Produced by Steve Mac

Freya Ridings? Well, damn, this feels like reuniting with an old friend! Ridings first broke onto the UK pop scene when I was in my first year of reviewing the charts with her top 10 hit “Lost Without You”, which I still don’t like but hey, how’s it been, girl? Thanks to COVID, it honestly feels like it’s been forever. Are you making good music finally? Wait, you actually are? Well, colour me surprised: Ridings released a disco song about alienation which aside from some mix clipping and vocals that I feel should be even more processed instead of drenched in reverb and echo, I think is pretty decent. Given her throaty voice combined with the melodramatic rising pianos, it allows for comparisons to Florence + the Machine, and it definitely isn’t a unique track, but the chorus is insanely catchy and powerful, throwing itself into the strings and percussion that I wish was a bit more organic just to channel the disco even more. The second verse bringing in those distant keys, triumphant horns and Ridings’ gruff vocal riffing makes the dissonant disco frustration feel even more poignant, and the bridge with the trap percussion for once uses it to make a pretty killer slow down that I honestly wish was longer. The build up into the final chorus does feel rushed, but I feel like the chaos caused by the sheer amount of production that is thrown into this very much fits the content and really the thesis of the song. Good job, guys, though maybe I have to be worried now that the people who were charting back in 2018 can come back and surprise me with a genre shift that is of genuine quality. I’m going to prepare for Swarmz to make an industrial rock song featuring Not3s and ZieZie produced by CamelPhat and Loud Luxury. If you’re asking who those people are, trust me: you’re not alone.

Conclusion

Well, it wasn’t a particularly notable week in terms of either extreme of quality, so I suppose Freya Ridings takes the Best of the Week for “Weekends”. Come on, it’s like a high school reunion, I felt obliged to! Funnily enough, the Honourable Mention actually goes to Lil Uzi Vert for “Watch This” as not only is the original actually very good, the ARIZONATEARS remix at least has some more unique sound going for it, and much of the original’s qualities such as the rapping from Uzi is still vaguely there. I can’t sincerely give a Dishonourable Mention though, so I may as well tie Uzi with JayO for “22” as once again, it’s got a more unique interesting sound that I hope to see done better. As for Worst of the Week, Switch Disco takes that easily for “REACT” featuring Ella Henderson and the late Robert Miles, neither of which I blame for its quality. As for what’s beyond the horizon, like always, I have no idea – but Mimi Webb’s album could have some impact so I don’t think next week will be any more interesting than the last. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

[the-firebird69]

Miley Cyrus' Live Wrecking Ball Performance

You're not believing what comes out of this kid's mouth is that I'm saying to him from her and she's happy with him because he's doing the work and he's not seeking Brandy out that much and he might be getting money and stuff like that and she says it won't really help but he needs some so I get that

Miley Cyrus

Thank God you people slow you're stupid you give me some money and you're going to have to watch their fleet try and come in to defend him

Is it true testament to power the more changes occurring

Mac

Is going to get rest but I'll tell you we can announce a few things now the police are more or less The fleets are kind of in retreat there losing off of Mars these pseudo empire are fighting the Mac morlock and big numbers I have the suit empire is gaining

-also the foreigners are fighting to get here and they're encountering pseudo empire and some clones. Mostly pseudo empire. And they're fighting them they sent in some minority morlock who are now fighting them a lot because he had information about what you're doing to their Islands it is the beginning of the real rebellion as warlock will start to fight too and it is because of the patches and marks that look like thorium balls in the glades and nearby Babcock ranch.

-other fighting is ensuing off of the four planetoids they are finding that Trump and the clones are going at it very hard and it is a huge war and it is Non-Stop and it's on the ground Trump is finally bringing ships in and he will have 400 billion Tommy f has about 300 billion and we think that Trump begins losing because Tommy f is much more proficient and his ships are being refitted the whole time and he did fairly well against the empire and then nobody would have held the ground like that this fight in about 1 hour this fight will begin in space off of the planet toys planetoids

-are there several fights occurring here in Charlotte county they are over the glades and Babcock ranch and over the ball. They are picking on Brad no they're attacking them and Becca and they deserve it and they're harassing the s*** out of her son day and night and they're getting beat up all this adds up to these people finally being busy here they're bunch of assholes. They're using someone else's computer and they're losing the whole game it said and inside Saturn the empire is fighting foreigners and the clans computers and or people you believe there's some people left

-there's also a matter of the rings here since the foreigners are trying to get here the rings are a problem for them and they don't care if they empty the tunnels or not they'll pull s*** out of it to get to the diamonds and they are fighting with them and the morlock are a second front and these rings will be removed and they don't get our son a damn thing and you noticed it too this thing's you're useless he hasn't really been fighting it but they don't really do anything positive this place is a s*******

-there's more too because of trump in the case the max code is proceeding and they're becoming very mean and ornery and society eventually we will have to come in and we do have ways of doing that anybody who's using the fleets of any kind you should beware we are going to be there and they're going ahead with all sorts of stuff that involves it and they will die they will make sure all of this is pushing the stone ships to launch and we are getting ours ready and it's going to be a fight now we have painful for the leadership of our two who called on us to retrofit immediately and last week he said it has to be very huge I don't care what you do to hire people it shouldn't be sitting there and I said I don't think I can do that but we went out to town so we told people to sign on and left and they went ahead and did so what's going on all over our areas and it is good thing. Here on Earth we're building a lot of military equipment we have to go ahead today from Olympus and we are do enjoy adventures in the cities with those who are still there mostly warlock who are willing to work and we're doing falling schedules and we have snack time and we have a decent lunch time and the entertainment so they don't just sit there and they can use their phones and talk to friends and computers we have a computer room some of them only I'll tell you what some of them only work a day a week it sounds dangerous it is a little bit but some of them can't handle it he wants us to make the civilian version it's a smaller version and he's saying to make it all wheel independent suspension for some reason but that might come later he says but really right now you make a smaller version for civilians and you should see why it's because this one is big I mean it's huge but he said it would have like the towing capacity of a F-250 but it'll be the size of a regular SUV not even a full size like secret service it would be smaller a little bit and we said that's a great idea and we're going ahead and we're making one it'll get them into it and we'll have clothing lines and all sorts of things and people were saying it at the restaurant today that they wanted to be in on it they wanted to be part of the clothing line and they actually want to model it and tons of them are saying it is a big deal out here and it's going to be a big deal in there and he says Oshkosh if you buy the civilian model the outfitted with heavy duty bumpers which will be kind of stock and it'll come with the winch stock and a bunch of other items you would have on outfitted utility vehicle and it'll make it famous because it's made for it and people get the point and they need something to tow off road with and it's great for towing campers and it'll come with a diesel is an option and the engine oil of gas engine will be beefy and everything is going to be beefy like an f250 and it is about the kind of beef level you can make a small one and it should be that our metal is better and steel is better and we're going to go ahead and do that it's a great idea this it'll take off people in the perimeter will want a civilian version and we're okay with that and we understand what we're saying it's a great idea cuz you can put armor on it won't last as long or bsbp but it would work and you can see it in movies we're going ahead with us now

Thor Freya

His motorcycle idea is taking off people are making these King models and they're making franken bike and a few others and they're using the emblem he put up and said you can modify it but you have to put it in front so they're doing that and they use the color amethyst and they are also noting people are talking about it a lot and they're saying that he can barely ride the bicycle and he'd be in trouble and they saw him zooming around on his eBay and says kind of like the same thing there's evike and the motorcycle be a little easier and it actually is and is written dirt bikes and motorcycles it says the motorcycle he had as the kid is one of the easiest most comfortable right he's ever driven ride he's ever driven and really is the thing is easier to handle that's configured correctly and a little bigger it would be the same thing and they saw him swerving and stuff and people are freaking out this is wow what is he doing and he didn't really get he was doing it he's doing like 18 miles an hour and izumi and turning without trying and it was not falling over a sliding or anything and they thought it was real cool like when a Harley goes fast and swerves it looks different and the bags are low and it looks right it looks intense in some lady was pointing it out and got in trouble and it was Megan Merkel and they made a big deal out of it it was other stuff too but they figured out it was from her saying not to do that and people got that she got in a big fight with her husband then later with Coreen this is a weird thing okay with good people are doing is showing him everything and fighting and he's not really that one of you okay he's a giant and he's different but really it's not part of the circus yet you have to calm down certain things we're doing we're prepping for fights and things we're getting ready and ramping up and retrofitting our ships and big time and yeah we need the clay and the cadmium and all that stuff that you're fighting over we need lasers and blasters diamonds Ruby's gym sapphires and we need a whole bunch of what you're sitting on we need tons of stuff here and there's a war breaking out right now. There are about at 3 or 400,000 people in badcock ranch fighting that's nearby there are one or two million fighting in the rings and that's total both sides and they're both equal they're fighting in the glades with armies and it's the lay down area and somebody pointed out the thorium earlier and it's been going around and they tried to call the motorcycle store and this started to come out because they tried to call one of them Thor and really tons of stuff is being built now to fight each other huge numbers of things they want special stuff they want to make these kit cars huge numbers request to us we're going to game busters by the way on Oshkosh we're opening several plants coming this coming week that will be mixed races mixed kind labor and we are going to proceed several other factories are opening around the world to make the variety of Oshkosh and we are also going to start up building the Crocker A lot of people can't believe it but we want to do that brand name and we have people to blame just like the other and we make it the Midwest and middle areas and it will start picking up we have other things to do and one of them he needs to help now he's going to get bigger and and he's got some scams he wants to try LOL we'll have to be heavily involved they're fighting over it now this fight is going to get huge out in the glades and other parts of Florida and it will make a difference these pseudo empire are not planning on getting our son anything they're planning on putting him in prison and they're dead meat now it's going to be over they run the prisons and they're getting all that information and the more locker now going to take it seriously

Zig Zag

The foreigners are trying to push in and they're fighting the pseudo empire and the warlock are finally taking the right side and they are fighting the pseudo empire because minority morlock are the ones who are fighting them they have a very big fleet and receiving their building it and adding upgrades and they're attacking and they have the pseudo empire has 450 billion and they have about 500 billion plus they have some big stuff the pseudo empire has bigger and they're going to try and take it out and the morlock you're going to help and that's coming up soon and yeah you can't have rings around our son you're nuts. And yeah the pseudo empire was making their plan for the empire and the empire lost and they're losing now The fleets and it's getting better soon they'll be out and we're going to announce more later

Thor Freya

Olympus

[ratralsis]

Mine name

The thing about writing is, I have no idea how to do it, but I know sometimes I'll find something that, despite being absurd, works.

Today's piece is another example of that. I've shared a few others. This is just one more.

Have you ever played Chrono Trigger on the SNES? Don't bother answering. It doesn't matter. I'm gonna tell this story either way.

There's a moment in the game, where this dude, this tiny frog man:

Shouts at a mountain, "Mine name is Glenn!"

At least, he does that in the original English version. In the original Japanese version, which is even more original, he says "我が名はグレン！", which just means "My name is Glenn," but it's kind of old-fashioned talk. Because, you see, his name is Glenn. Except, up to this point, he's only called himself Frog to you and the rest of the playable characters.

You meet Frog fairly early on. He appears out of nowhere when you're infiltrating a church full of monsters on a mission to rescue the kidnapped queen. I'm not gonna explain more than this, so either play the game, or don't. Either way, as a wise man once said, "If you can't keep up, don't step up."

Frog is a swordsman, as you might have guessed from that ridiculous picture of him by Akira Toriyama earlier. You know, the dude who did Dragonball. Or… does Dragonball? I guess he still does Dragonball. He also does Dragon Quest, which is way better, but I'm probably the only dude around who thinks that, so I tend to keep that opinion to myself. Anyway, as a swordsman, Frog is just as good, if not better, than your main character Crono, who is also a swordsman of a slightly different variety. Crono uses a katana, and Frog uses a broadsword. One is a curved sword with only one sharp side. The other is a straight sword with two sharp sides.

There might be swords out there in the world with three or more sharp sides, but I don't really like to think about those.

There are, of course, swords out there with no sharp sides at all, only sharp points. Those are called "edgeless swords," and they really do exist, primarily for dueling, because they're still pointy on the end.

Swords with really long handles and short blades that are pointy are often called "spears."

Anyway, enough talk about swords. This is about Frog, by which I mean Glenn. Because we learn, as we play the game, that Frog wasn't always a little frog man. He used to be a little regular man. Actually, a pretty normal-sized regular man. A regular regular man, if you will. He was friends with a great knight, named Cyrus, who was a really big regular man. Cyrus was very strong and cool, while Glenn was average and extremely uncool. Glenn was the kind of guy who let the other kids beat the shit out of him when he was also a kid, because, as he put it, "it hurts to be hit," and therefore he couldn't bring himself to defend himself from the other kids. He didn't want to hurt them.

Cyrus told Glenn in no uncertain terms that saying that meant that Glenn was simply too kind, or "soft," in English. But Glenn didn't change. He was soft up to the very end.

The very end being, of course, when Cyrus attacked a dude named Magus, or 魔王 in Japanese. 魔王 is, you SURELY know, just a generic title meaning "demon king," and is part of the name of Bowser in Japan: 大魔王クッパ, or "Great Demon King Koopa." See, Bowser adds that 大 to the front that means "big," because he's bigger than Magus is.

That is because Bowser is far stronger. Bowser is not in Chrono Trigger, but if he were, he would simply kill Magus with his fire breath and/or by pulling his arms and legs and head into his shell and spinning fast and crushing Magus to death with his body. Magus would not be able to handle that. Magus is pretty strong, but Bowser is far stronger.

Anyway, enough talk about Bowser. This is about Glenn, by which I mean Glenn's horrible and embarrassing defeat at the hands of Magus. Because we learn, as we play the game, that when Cyrus attacked Magus, he lost spectacularly. Magus murdered Cyrus SUPER HARD, and Glenn, well, Glenn was also there, acting as Cyrus's squire and/or little buddy. I'm not really sure what their relationship was. I think Glenn was trying to become a knight, but he was just too goddamn soft. He saw Magus kill Cyrus, and what did Glenn do? Well, it sure as hell wasn't kill Magus right back, I can tell you that.

Instead, what Glenn did was get zapped with a big spell by Magus, and that spell turned regular-sized Glenn into a smaller version of himself who was also a frog. So he started calling himself Frog, but he also became a pretty good swordsman, and he even rescued the queen of the kingdom… TEN YEARS LATER.

Glenn spent ten goddamn years being Frog, living in a hole in the forest all by himself. A lonely existence. A miserable existence! But he did it, without complaint, because what else was he gonna do? Stop being a little frog man? Fuck no. He didn't have the luxury to make a decision like that.

But then Crono comes along. Crono has learned a thing or two about Cyrus, and Magus, and how Magus is trying to summon a giant monster capable of destroying the world. And we know that this monster can destroy the world, because it does, 1399 years later, because, surprise surprise, Chrono Trigger is a time travel story, even though I haven't mentioned that before and won't mention it again.

So you might think, wait, if this thing destroys the world in 1399 years, doesn't that mean we know Magus fucks up the summoning? And yeah, we do, but Crono doesn't. At this point in the story, Crono thinks Magus created the thing here, and it destroys the world later. He doesn't know that it already existed.

That doesn't matter.

Forget all of it.

What matters is that Crono knows there's a sword out there in the world, called the Grand Lion (Masamune in English), that Cyrus used to have. It was made of a special metal. Crono has the broken Grand Lion and a big enough hunk of that metal that he was able to bring it to the world's greatest blacksmith, the man who originally forged it, and get it fixed up. And he also has the Hero's Medal, which Cyrus used to wear, which Cyrus got by defeating a really big frog.

Don't worry about the really big frog. He isn't important. You'd think he is, given that there's also a smaller Frog who used to be a man, but he isn't. He's just a big frog.

Crono hands over the Hero's Medal and the Grand Lion to Frog and tells him, somehow, it's not clear exactly how, because Crono is a silent protagonist, that he wants Frog to help fight Magus. And Frog, well, he doesn't know what to do. He's been beaten down by life. By ten years of living alone, in the forest, much the protagonist of the book I'm writing, because I don't have a single original goddamn idea in my head.

But Frog knows that sometimes a man has to stand up for himself.

男はな、立ち向かって行かなきゃいけない時もあるんだぞ。 There are times when a man must stand and face the things that trouble him.

Those were Cyrus's words to Glenn, years ago, and Glenn knows now that they are true. So, when Crono brings Frog to the mountain that blocks the path to Magus's castle, Frog asks Crono for the Grand Lion.

Crono stabs it into the ground. Frog draws it. And he announces to nobody, and to the world, simultaneously:

"我が名はグレン！" "Mine name is Glenn!"

And he swings the Grand Lion and cuts the mountain in half. He clears the way. He puts the sword away, and that's that.

And God help me, it's one of the greatest lines in any game I can think of, and it's as simple as a man telling us his name. His real name. Not the name he's been using for ten years. Not the shame he's borne for the last decade. He's done being ashamed. He's done running. He's done hiding. He's Glenn. And he always was, even if he forgot for a while. Even if the world forgot for a while.

[wakeup-awg]

Flowers

Sophie: The last few days had been in engaged bliss. She was sure they were driving their friends, mostly Jack and Rian, crazy with how even more lovey they were but they were in that post-engaged glow. They had told their parents who were all so thrilled for them to become a married little family someday but had been firm for them to understand they would marry when they were ready and they weren’t making plans any time soon. A few days prior the new Miley Cyrus song had been released and Sophie was obsessed which wasn’t a surprise. Though talking about a song about being a single woman and signing it at the top of her lungs while happily engaged was more ironic then anything. After seeing a tik tok she got an idea to do the same thing gathering all the piece and while the babies were napping set up the camera in the kitchen and got all the props ready. While Alex was working away at the counter on his laptop answering emails or doing whatever he was doing she turned on the music and did the little dance throwing rose petals and just singing along to the song shaking her hips to the beat before the clip came to an end.

Alex: The last couple days or week really had been great. Alex was busy with work stuff, but despite the fact that he had been scared as hell of the whole marriage and being engaged thing, he just felt happiness right now. He was sure they were driving the boys crazy with how happy and in love they were, but he didn’t really care, he was just enjoying this too much. On a rare day of not having to be out somewhere, Alex took the quietness of the kids napping to work away on his laptop, sitting himself at the kitchen counter to sip on his coffee comfortably while working. He glanced up when Sophie turned on the music loud and raised his brows when she started dancing, singing along to Miley Cyrus’ new song at the top of her longs while throwing rose petals up in the air and moving her hips to the rhythm. He tried not to but then burst out laughing, taking a moment before he even sang along to the rest of it as Sophie reached for her phone and stopped the video he just realized she was recording. “I mean if you just don’t want me to hold your hand anymore, you could’ve just said the word,” he teased, closing the laptop and sitting up a little straighter on the stool.

Sophie: While they didn’t often post videos of them or photos since they believe their personal life together was private and for them, sometimes it was fun to joke around like they were going to. Even if he didn’t see it coming. She danced through before she felt him come up and reach over turning the camera off that was recording before shaking her head. “Oh no you’re stuck holding my hand for life mister.” Holding her hand up and wiggling her fingers to show off the ring to him. “But the song is just so damn catchy come on I couldn’t resist it!” She retorted chuckling softly.

Alex: He laughed and shook his head at her. “Oh, it is very catchy and I accept you’re an independent woman, but I could’ve gotten you actual roses and not just petals,” Alex teased once he had the camera turned off and reaching down to pick up one of the petals she had thrown in the air. “And what’s that video for, huh?” He asked, reaching for her phone to actually turn the music back on and restart the song, because it was indeed a very catchy tune.

Sophie: “I am definitely independent but I don’t mind my man buying me flowers or holding my hand.” She teased as she leaned against the counter. “I saw it on tik tok and the woman’s partner seemed to find it funny and it seems like you did too.” She pointed out. “So it’s a win win for everyone.”

Alex: "Right, you just want the best of both worlds,” he laughed softly. “A Tiktok? You’re keeping me from working because of a Tiktok?” It wasn’t like he really minded anyway, this was fun and it was a nice change from being on the computer. “Are we gonna get Tiktok famous now?” Alex asked, reaching for her phone to start the music back up. “Are you going to post the video? I think we should have a dance party before we do.” A grin spread on his lips as he reached for her hands and pulled her from the counter, shifting on his feet to dance and sway a little to the music.

Sophie: “Pretty much.” She said when he said she wanted the best of both worlds and if she could have it why not? “Eh no probably not I’m not looking to become tik tok famous too much pressure.” Teasing as if it would be hard in the slightest. He turned the music back on and pulled her into him and started dancing in the kitchen with her and she swayed to the music with him.

Alex: The music wasn’t blasting as loud now, the kids were napping after all but it was fun to be dancing in the kitchen, occasionally blasting out in a sing along to the music until Alex couldn’t contain his laughter and he leaned back against the counter. “Alright, let me see the video,” he chuckled, holding his hand out so she’d give him the phone so he could see. They watched the recording together and Alex laughed at the hilariousness of it, because he looked so confused but then decided to just vibe with her anyway. “I don’t mind if you post it,” he said with a shrug.

Sophie: She let Alex take the phone and look at the video and she could tell it was just a moment for them to be silly and have some fun. Life was so serious with jobs and other things that it was good to just enjoy the little playful things sometimes. When he said he didn’t mind if she posted it, she didn’t even register that her engagement ring was on or it was incredibly noticeable given the diamond was a good size and the sparkle alone. Plus wearing it on that finger she had adjusted to having it on as habit already. “Okay.” She said taking the video and editing it before posting it without really watching it closely. Sometimes they gave little playful peeks into their lives like this. What could it hurt?

Alex: Alex leaned against the counter while Sophie took her phone to edit the video, neither of them apparently thinking anything of posting it other than it was a funny little moment they decided to share with the world where they were usually pretty quiet about their relationship, at least when it came to posting things to social media. Alex pushed himself off the counter eventually to step up behind Sophie wrapping his arms around her from behind and nuzzling into the back of her neck. "Are you done posting it? Think we should get back to dancing.. Or can I get you to make out with me a little bit?" he asked, a cheeky grin curled on his lips.

Sophie: Once it was posted she set her phone down just in time for Alex to wrap her arms around her and nuzzle into her causing a soft giggle as he pulled her back into him. “All done.” She said. Not really thinking as people started seeing it and immediately noticing the rock on her finger that gave away the fact that she was not just dating but engaged to the man with his arms wrapped around her. “Oh make out with you huh? So long as you’re not planning to video tape that.” She teased. “Although we did say we were gonna tape us you know… together just never let it be posted.” She laughed. “we should probably consider that someday before I chicken out.”

Alex: He laughed softly against her neck before starting to pepper kisses there, tugging her back and more into him. "I'm not gonna post a video of us making out." He hummed at her comment and briefly pulled his hands and himself back so he could guide her to turn around in his arms, so they were now facing each other. "If only this place wasn't constantly full of people," he almost groaned as his arms wrapped around her again. About then his phone started buzzing in his pocket, usually that happened if anyone texted him or mentioned him anywhere on social media, and so he didn't really think much of it but rather lean in to kiss Sophie, mind still set on making out with her some until either one if the boys showed up or the kids woke and disturbed them. Except this time his phone didn't really stop and he broke the kiss to reach for his phone and pull it from his pocket. "People need to give me time to snog my fiance," he muttered, ready to just put it on the counter but his eyes caught what he was tagged in and that took him to double check. "Ohhh," he murmured, unlocking his phone to scroll through just a few of the many many comments people were leaving, all very aware about the engagement.

Sophie: A soft mewled noise left her lips when he started kissing her neck. Something she was enjoying very much. “We can get caught making out and end up video taped but as long as you’re not posting it.” It wasn’t like they hadn’t been out in public kissing before. “We’ll that’s kind of your fault… the house is always full with the band.” Not that she minded at all and he knew that. When he leaned in she pressed her lips to his content to kiss and make out together. When he pulled away she groaned not wanting his attention somewhere else other than on her. When he gave a soft but prolonged oh she raised a brow. “Oh what?” She asked furrowing her brows. “Something is more exciting than kissing me?”

Alex: "That's a totally different thing though," he chuckled softly before leaning in for a kiss, happy she so easily kissed him back but a little too distracted by the buzzing in his pants pocket. He didn't mean to get so distracted, but the comments caught his attention and he found himself scanning through some of those. "They caught on quick.. How did they catch up so quickly?" he asked, glancing up eventually and turning his phone to show her a few of the comments, all basically screaming at the fact they were engaged.

Sophie: “They caught on quick?” She furrowed her brows before turning and looking and seeing people practically freaking out that Alex and Sophie were engaged and that they were getting married that some couldn’t believe Alex was going to actually get married again. “What in the..” she murmured. “Oh my god…” she grabbed her phone and looked at the video before holding it up. “My ring they saw my ring and figured it out.”

Alex: "How do they even know we haven't even been out that much," he said, confused as Sophie read through the comments. When she grabbed her phone, Alex took his back and scanned over some more comments, huffing out. "It's great how much confidence they have in me," he sighed. Yes, a whole lot of people where yelling happily about these news breaking but some where very surprised to see them engaged and actually getting married. He looked up at Sophie. "Do we.. Say anything?"

Sophie: They had mostly been home, or Alex out with the boys, or they had been in bed cementing their new stage of their relationship. “Oh stop didn’t you publicly say you’d never get married again …. They’re literally going off what you said and then here you are knocking up a girl three times and putting a ring on it.” She teased chuckling. “I don’t know I didn’t want to have it announced this way… or like I would have thought they wouldn’t assume so… blatantly.” She murmured. “And part of me still wants to enjoy this with just us.”

Alex: "Psh, no i didn't," Alex said but he really wasn't sure. Maybe he had said that. "Don't you complain about any of that," he teased, though he knew she absolutely wasn't. He took his phone and placed it to the side on the counter, ready to ignore whatever people had to say. "Then how about we don't. Let them talk about it however much they want, but we keep it to us. Nothing to comment about?" he suggested, looking at her before reaching out to take her phone from her and placed that aside as well. "I didn't mean to get distracted anyway.."

Sophie: “I will complain that you knocked me up so that I was heavily pregnant every damn summer.” She said grinning at the man shaking her head. “I mean okay it’s a big diamond on that finger but designers do give out jewelry whos to say that it’s an engagement ring.” She murmured. “Well now we’re distracted.” She said. “But we could talk about maybe doing that video for us one day. Jsut have to make sure the boys aren’t here and the kids. Which we will need some planning for.”

Alex: "In my defense I didn't mean to get you pregnant at that exact time for two out of those three pregnancies." Putting the phones away was his way of getting rid of any distractions and he stepped into Sophie a little bit. A grin spread on his lips and he arched a brow." You're gonna make me want to record that tape right now when I was perfectly happy just making out with you."

Sophie: “I mean okay true you may not have meant to try but I think around the time I can be heavily pregnant for summer we should stop having sex.” She teased as if that was going to happen. “We cannot record a tape right now babe but we can at least make the plans. We’re gonna have to be sneaky as it is to make it happen.”

Alex: "Yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen. You can try to tell me that but I do doubt you'd be happy if we stopped having sex," Alex said with a smirk. "The more we talk about it, the more I'm gonna want it right now though," he said with a shrug. "So either we sit down and talk and you're gonna have to deal with grumpy old me wanting to get laid," he chuckled at that. "Or you just shut up and kiss me now." A wide grin was spread on his lips.

Sophie: “I mean if I can wear my normal bikinis during the summer I just might.” She said, “but you realize not being pregnant means more skin showing right?” She grinned to tease him. “What if we talk things out in between kissing you? We can multitask.” She hummed as she pulled him in and pressed her lips against his.

Alex: "That's not even possible because with the bump there was just more skin," he teased, though the thought of her showing so much of her skin had him scrunching up his nose a little bit. "Maybe you can multitask," he murmured as she pulled him in. "I just might not be able to do that." He happily stopped talking when her lips pressed against his and he kissed her back, happily focusing on that.

Sophie: “No I was just huge it wasn’t more skin babe, there will be more skin because I will be back to my itty bitty bikinis.” She said making a promise with that. She hummed against his mouth her lips moving with his in the kiss before breaking. “Amateur.” Teasing against his lips about not being able to multitask before kissing him again.

Alex: He huffed slightly at that, but decided kissing her was more important than arguing about that. Though when she teased, he groaned slightly. "Hey," he muttered against her lips but then leaned in a little more instead to deepen the kiss a bit, happy to fully focus on their lip lock now.

Sophie: He huffed and she knew part of him wanted to protest that for multiple reasons but he wasn’t going to win that. Their lips locked and she shifted agaisnt the counter and pushed her hands against it to make it so her body could be pushed up and sit on the counter her lips moving heavier with his.

Alex: He grinned into the kiss when Sophie shifted and pushed herself up onto the counter. He wrapped his arms around her a little more, then moved his hands to her thighs to spread her legs a little, making it easier to step between them, bringing himself a little closer to her.

Sophie: “Maybe we should.” She kissed him her mouth moving heavily with his in between little soft gasps leaving her lips. “Video tape us in multiple rooms.” She hummed against his mouth now she was just teasing to get him going as their mouths locked and his hands moved her thighs apart stepping between them and pulling her closer her legs wrapping around his waist.

Alex: Alex groaned again at her words, biting at her lower lip lightly as a form of protest to have this conversation right now. He felt her legs wrapping around his waist as he moved between them and his hands started wandering over her sides, then up her back as he kissed her heavily.

Sophie: When he bit against her lip it was a short nip jolting her as she yelped a tiny bit more in surprise not in pain. She could tell this conversation was obviously something he wasn’t having. His hands moved over her as they kissed heavily and she moaned into his mouth kissing harder as she grasped his shirt pressing her body into his.

Alex: He felt her pressing into him, her hands gripping at his shirt and he moaned into their kiss. He parted his lips and let his tongue dip out to pry past Sophie'sr lips, asking for entrance to deepen their kiss more. He was happy focusing on this, enjoying how close they were and he knew he wasn't really bothered if anyone came in, except that would fully disturb them.

Sophie: Hearing him moan brought goosebumps to her skin and she pulled him even closer. His warm tongue prying between her lips as she let him into her warm mouth their tongues tangling. Of course making out like this got them handsy and they were in the open kitchen where anyone could walk in.

Alex: His hands moved, caressing over clothed sides and eventually came to rest against Sophie's hips, or rather around the back and to her lower back, holding her into him as their kiss deepened, became more consuming and left them getting a little handsy and lost in each other. That was until Alex heard the faint sound of footsteps followed by someone calling their names. "Everybody is talking about the two of you!" Jack yelled almost causing Alex to groan.

Sophie: His hands grasped her lower back their kiss getting heavy and messy as they continued to make out in the kitchen. Bit by bit their hands grasped more; touched more, wanted more and she could feel them wanting more. Their breathing heavy and almost desperate before hearing jack yelling through the house. “They have horrible timing.” She groaned as he came into the kitchen and half screamed. “God aren’t you two done celebrating getting engaged but the kitchen now?!” He whined. “We eat at that island sometimessss!”

Alex: Alex reluctantly broke the kiss, but stayed close to Sophie, her legs still wrapped around his waist, his arms still around her. He loosened his grip on her shirt when Jack came into the kitchen and laughed. "This has nothing to do with celebrating," Alex said and a gein curled onto his lips as he locked eyes with Sophie at Jack's comment. If only he knew... "Will you stop yelling, Jack? The kids are sleeping. We don't wanna wake them up."

Sophie: Alex didn’t attempt to pull away from Sophie with her legs wrapped around his waist. She chuckled when he said this had nothing to do with celebrating. “We enjoy just you know being close sometimes too. And that’s not always sex jack.” She rolled her eyes even if they hadn’t come home quite possibly they’d be on the counter half naked but thankfully they hadn’t. When he told him to stop yelling she unwrapped her legs around him and she leaned into his chest. “And we know everyone is talking the video we posted I didn’t realize my ring.”

Alex: They were still close together when Rian followed Jack into the kitchen. "Oh please can't you get a room," Rian groaned and Alex laughed. "This is a room, Ri. In fact it's the furthest away from where the kids are napping." Sophie unwrapped her legs but then leaned into his chest instead and his arms easily wrapped around her. "How did you not realize the ring?" Jack asked, frowning.

Sophie: “And last I checked we pay for this room so unless you’re gonna pay for said room rian…” she raised a brow, maybe a slight tense from being interrupted now has settled into Sophie and normally she wasn’t cranky but they had been interrupted and then screamed at. “Because we were just having fun and I’m used to having it on my hand now so I didn’t think oh better take this off.”

Alex: "Hey," Alex said softly only for Sophie to hear and his hand rubbed over her back gently. He let their eyes lock briefly, offering a silent promise to make it up to her before looking back over at his two bandmates. "I wouldn't even want her to take it off. People are just quick to make assumptions and blow things out of proportion. It's like they wanna make us come out and give a statement now and they are sure as hell not getting that."

Sophie: She heard his soft word and his hand starting to rub her back. She was sure he could sense her tension and it wasn’t even his fault or Rian’s fault but sometimes she did get embarrassed about comments on their sex life. While she has come so far with his help to not be embarrassed sometimes it popped up at the worst times.”what do you mean you’re not going to comment on it? You have to now?” Jack questioned. “I just wasn’t thinking when I posted it. I shouldn’t have.” This was why she didn’t do social media. “Would you mind getting something ready to eat. I need to go check on Avery.” She murmured pecking his lips and slipping off the counter and heading towards the backstairs to upstairs.

Alex: "Who says we have to comment on anything?" Alex questioned as he felt Sophie shift and slip from the counter. "We don't have to say anything at all. Let them talk. We'll tell the world whenever we're ready to. Nobody can make us deny or confirm anything alright?" He sighed when Sophie said she was gonna check on Avery and he glared at Rian and Jack briefly. "I told you to do it, Soph. It's not your fault." He pushed himself off the counter and headed for the fridge to see what would be good for lunch, and once he had settled on something and made Jack and Rian help, he made sure they knew what to do before he slipped off to follow Sophie upstairs." Babe? "he called softly.

Sophie: It was a huge reason they so often didn’t comment on their relationship because so much was expected to be given. She liked having that to themselves. People knew they were together but so much of it was closed off and for them. “You don’t think with any future press or shows people aren’t going to ask?” Rian asked and even Sophie knew that was true. Once upstairs she shifted Avery out of bed and moved to the rocking chair to nurse her before changing her and putting her back in the crib with a full belly. The kids had gone down not long before so everyone was tired before she slipped into their master bedroom and sat on the edge of her side of the bed. “Hmm?” She hummed hearing him call her.

Alex: "So what? I'm fine not saying anything about it if you please just shut up about it," Alex said. So maybe that was a little fault in their plan but he still didn't really care. He didn't want to hide their relationship or where they were at with it, but he also didn't want to spell it out to the world, because that was something just for them. Once the boys were busy preparing lunch, Alex wandered upstairs to find Sophie. She sat on the edge of their bed and he sighed softly when he found her. "I still think we should just take away their keys," he joked, trying to lighten the tension he had thought he'd felt from Sophie before she went upstairs.

Sophie: Sophie was answering a few text messages when she heard Alexs voice. “That would be worse they’d bang at the door and yell from outside.” She said, and while neighbors weren’t close their luck they’d be loud enough to make it heard. Putting her phone down she took a few seconds before glancing over at him. “Are we too sexual with each other?” She questioned and she knew he would know why she was asking and that she was stuck in her own head in the moment. “What did you decide on for lunch or did you order something because if you did you better make sure they’re watching or porky will lose his mind when someone comes to the door.”

Alex: "They'd get tired of that quick enough," he said with a shrug as he walked over towards the bed. "Why would you think that?" he questioned, though he could tell where this was coming from now. "They're just idiots. It's funny to them to tease us about it, but that doesn't mean you and me, we're too sexual." Reaching the bed he stood in front of her and held out his hands for her to take. When she did, he pulled her up onto her feet and into him a little bit." Neither them nor anyone else can make me stop wanting to make out with you.." he murmured.

Sophie: “I don’t know sometimes jokes are just the truth masked to be funny.” She said with a small shrug. She knew she never wanted to come between the boys arguing and she was sure the boys would never just bluntly say it because it might turn into some kind of argument so it was easy to tease and joke about but maybe she did force the hand too much. Taking his hands he pulled her to her feet. “I know maybe we should just be more discreet about it and leave it for the bedroom from now on.” It wasn’t something she wanted she loved being expressive in their passion for each other but the mix of being called out on the internet for missing that she was wearing her own ring and then talking about video taping themselves had put her in a vulnerable state and she felt herself pulling back a little. “If jack is cooking we should probably help him I really don’t want our house burned down tonight. My parents aren’t expecting to host that many people and dogs.” She gave a small smile.

Alex: "They don’t mean it as anything but joke. You know Rian has this whole thing about groaning at us but when he’s with Sav, he literally never leaves her side. And Jack… I mean you don’t know him with a girlfriend, but he gets very, /very/ attached,” he tried to explain to calm her worries. When he had her up on her feet he almost scoffed out at her comment. “No we shouldn’t. They can say whatever they want but when I want to be close to you, I will be, alright? And you shouldn’t think you have to hold back on things you wanna do just because of something stupid Jack or Rian said.” He let go of her hands so he could up her face instead and pull her in for a soft, gentle kiss. “And where’s the fun in leaving it all to the bedroom anyway?” he added between a few kisses, chuckling lightly against her lips. “Don’t worry about Jack. I figured we could just settle for sandwiches, so Rian’s in charge of the knives while Jack just washes the vegetables. I figured a pasta salad would be something you like that can go well with the sandwiches, so the Jack’s forbidden to come near the stove right now.”

Sophie: She knew he was right but when she felt vulnerable her head went right back to that place. It didn’t happen nearly as often as it did years ago where it happened all the time or anytime they had sex or tried something new. “I know. I just I don’t know… I feel weird right now but I’ll get over it.” And she would and she would have witty retorts for them like she typically did. Nodding her head she leaned into him resting her head back against his chest. “I love you.” She murmured he always knew how to be sound when she needed that. When her mind went too far off the deep end. “Mmm good sandwiches and pasta salad sound like the perfect lunch.” She murmured pressing her lips a little more into his a little less timid finally.

Alex: “I don’t want you feeling weird. I promise you’d know if they were actually serious about something,” he murmured, and when she leaned into him, he held her close for a moment. He knew she could get in her own head about things, much like he often did, though it was different things for either of them. Still, he understood how hard it was to get out of that off feeling once you were kind of stuck in there. “I love you, Soph. I also don’t want you to take that ring of just because people are stupid and keep talking,” he murmured, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. “And it’s the perfect food to hand over to the boys to prepare. Though I think I may have to go check on the pasta in a few,” he murmured between kisses before he felt Sophie’s lips pressing a little more against his and he smiled as he leaned in more, returning the gentle force she kissed him with, happy to have her not holding back or pulling back from him anymore.

Sophie: “I know and I’ll be okay I just was a mix of frustrated and then embarrassed and overwhelmed” which made it so much easier for her head to go to that place. When he said he didn’t want her to take her ring off she smiled, “I don’t want to take it off, just because I don’t want to make some big public announcement now or like right this second doesn’t mean I don’t want to wear it and let the world continue to speculate.” She said because she loved Alex. Feeling him return the kiss and press back into her She hummed against his mouth as she wrapped her arms around him feeling safer in the moment close to him before pulling back. “Guess I should let you go check on lunch.”

Alex: “I told them we’re not gonna do any big announcements right now. I think they understood I don’t want them to go out and answer questions about us either,” he said. It really hadn’t often been a topic that needed to be talked about. The boys knew and understood where they wanted to keep their privacy, whether it was their relationship or their kids. Alex smiled as he felt Sophie’s arms wrap around him and he happily enjoyed this moment, so similar, yet less handsy than what they were interrupted with earlier. “You care for the pasta salad too much to not let me go back,” he chuckled softly, but he did lean in for another peck on her lips before stepping back and then heading back downstairs to the kitchen to see how Rian and Jack were doing and continuing to prepare the pasta.

Sophie: “When the time is right we will say something or announce something but just because they saw a ring doesn’t mean they have a right to that information just because they figured it out.” She knew he felt the same way and that either interviews for any of them would be prepped to make sure no questions came up regarding their relationship or none would be given. She was relaxing bit by bit before he said about the pasta salad. “Well it is pasta and if it got ruined it would just make this day horrible.” She said and it had almost been disaster already. “You owe me for earlier by the way. Think we should convince the boys to go out to dinner and mum and dad to take the kids tonight.” She said before letting him leave.

Alex: “Don’t want the day to take a terrible, terrible turn,” he laughed softly. When she suggested the boys go out and her parents take the kids, he raised his brows. “I make out with you once and you already want me all night?” he teased. He forced himself to pull away and head downstairs, knowing he really didn’t want to mess up the pasta. Nobody seemed hurt when he got into the kitchen, though he almost fell over one of the dogs that were sitting around Jack, apparently having realized he kept dropping food. “Dude, you’re supposed to wash it, not spread it on the floor,” Alex laughed as he walked up to the stove and checked on the pasta. He told the boys what to do and soon they were ready to actually prepare the sandwiches, and the pasta salad was just about done. “You know if Zack and Annie are gonna be here for lunch soon?”

Sophie: “You say that as if I haven’t said that before or you haven’t wanted me all night before.” Rolling her eyes though she knew he was teasing. After a little bit she headed downstairs and met the boys in the kitchen hearing the tail end of their sentence. “Annie texted me they’ll be back in a bit but they aren’t staying for dinner Zack planned a date night for them and then they’re driving out to a little air B&B for the night together.” She said. “And guess who just got some early release passes for the new fast and the furious movie.” They were doing early viewing and my publicist got some tickets what do you think about going. I can’t go with the kids but I know rian and jack could at least go.” She offered and she was sure Alex knew what she was doing. “It’s in the heart of London though so you wouldn’t make it back home tonight so only if you’re okay with a hotel unless you want to watch the babies and Alex and I will go.” Though she knew there was no way Jack would want to turn down seeing a movie before anyone else

Alex: Jack’s ears immediately perked up when Sophie mention early release tickets to see a movie. Alex raised his brows, but he knew what Sophie was doing, and mind you she was doing it so well. “I say they can babysit and we get a night out,” Alex said with a smirk, knowing damn well it would trigger Jack to just want to go more. “Oh no I’ll go! I’ll take the tickets!” The man said, much like Alex had predicted. “How many tickets do you have? Do we have to bring Rian?” Alex laughed. “Even if it’s just two tickets, you take Rian, I stay home and help with the kids,” he said quickly before Rian could so much as say anything.

Sophie: Jack was on board immediately, while rian was always going to be a harder sale because he was so damn picky with movies. She was sure he was going to offer to let Alex go but that would be weird to leave rian and Sophie home with the kids. “But fast and the furious?” He asked. “I mean I’ll be able to get tickets to the upcoming marvel release but that’s not for a few more weeks… and I was gonna go with Alex with that.” She said and that she had really wanted to do. “Look what if I get you both a swaggy hotel room and even pay for your dinner our wherever you want to go rian.” She offered figuring the deal had to be sweet enough for both of them.

Alex: "It's gonna be such a great movie, Ri!" Jack said, already super excited to be able to see it early. "You sure you're gonna want to miss this?" he then asked Alex who just shrugged his shoulders. "I can't just leave Sophie with the kids and Rian.” The drummer huffed at that but the prospect of a fancy hotel room and dinner out in London seemed to seal the deal. “Wait, he gets to go see the Marvel movie and I just get Fast and Furious?” Jack chimed in, causing Alex to grin and then laugh. Instead of arguing with that, he just moved about the kitchen to finish the pasta salad and then glanced around. “Anyone as hungry as me? Because I think lunch is all ready..”

Sophie: It seemed like the hotel and dinner sealed it so she got her phone out and called her assistant to set up a hotel that she would normally stay at during press time and would just call whatever place they went to dinner to leave a tab. When jack got offended about marvel she rolled her eyes. “Perks of being engaged to the girl who played Jean Grey.” She pointed out. “You’re going to see the new vin diesel movie before anyone else be happy jack will you?” She said. “And make sure to dress nice I’m sure there will be press at the show before going in.” She said before putting out dishes for lunch.

Alex: He knew Jack would still find time and words to argue about seeing Marvel, but for now Rian and him agreed to go out and see the movie that night. Alex finished preparing lunch as Sophie set table and he started carrying over. Just when he meant to tell everyone to sit down, he caught movement on one of the baby monitors and chuckled softly as he looked at it to find Willa trying to climb out of her bed. “I swear she’s got a seventh sense for when there’s food anywhere. He brushed his hand against the small of Sophie’s back as he passed her and then hurried upstairs to get their oldest daughter before she could start whining about wanting out. “Are you hungry? How’d you know there’s food?” he chuckled softly as he picked her up and let her bury her face in his neck, rubbing her face against his shirt a bit as if she was trying to rub her eyes. Alex carried her downstairs with him.

Sophie: She was sure there’d be more protest later but she didn’t really care so far she had gotten Annie to get Zack out, had gotten the boys out, and her parents had happily agreed to pick up the kids whenever they texted them to come get them. All in all was a good plan she thought. When Willa was heard and Alex disappeared upstairs she waited and not long after Noah followed. “I think it’s a trait they all can tell when there is food.” While Noah was eating solid foods he was also nursing, needing more bonding time with Sophie as he adjusted to two siblings. Heading upstairs as Alex was coming down “Noah’s awake now they both know when it’s food time.” She chuckled as she tickled Willa’s sides before heading to grab the little boy.

Alex: Alex was busy talking to Willa so he didn’t hear Noah waking up but on the stairs he ran into Sophie who was on her way to get him. He shook his head amusedly. “They totally got that from you,” he teased, a grin spread on his lips as he brought Willa downstairs and got her settled at the table. She was awake more now and was already reaching forward, eager to get her hands on some of the food. So Alex put some pasta salad on a little plate for her and cut off a smaller piece of a sandwich she could eat, knowing the more she’d have in front of her, the more of a mess she was most likely going to make.

Sophie: “Speak for yourself you eat just as much it could easily be from you.” She said back chuckling as she went and got the little boy who was now awake. Getting him all cleaned up and changed she then came downstairs and settled him into his high chair and gave him some pasta salad wanting to keep him on things that were easy to chew for the little boy before settling down and making her own plate. “What are you doing rian?” Who was attached to his phone. “Looking for the best spot to eat in London.” He muttered before shaking her head. “You realize you haven’t even had lunch yet.”

Alex: "There's lunch right in front of you, Ri,” Alex added as he put the plate in front of Willa and watched her pick up a piece of pasta. “You should really be using your fork,” he murmured, picking the kiddie fork up to pick up a piece of pasta and hold it out for Willa to take. “Here, like this.” When he had her at least trying, though it was more picking up pieces with her fingers and placing them on the fork to then bring that to her mouth, Alex filled his own plate. “Just put the phone down and have lunch, Rian,” he laughed as he spotted the drummer still busy on his phone. “We’re all starving, if you don’t eat now you may not get anything at all.”

Sophie: Finally he gave in and put his phone down. “If you two are paying im making sure it’s a place that’s gonna be amazing.” He said and she rolled her eyes. “Tust me you’ll find a place there’s a lot of delicious places in London.” She knew that was true and it wasn’t like she was gonna scam him out of dinner. Alex was attempting to show Willa more of her fork and she was more putting the food on the fork with her hand and then attempting to eat it but it was a start while Noah just used his hands stuffing into his face and Sophie started eating. Before long she was done and full and helped clean up the kids. “Alex why don’t you make sure they have something nice to wear for tonight especially jack please.”

Alex: "I'm not gonna wear any of Alex's clothes," Jack argued and Rian added, "I'm not gonna fit into any of Alex’s clothes.” Alex just rolled his eyes and chuckled. “We’ll find you something.” He helped Sophie clear the table and soon was of to dress the boys. Zack and Annie showed up eventually and they all spent some time hanging out before Rian and Jack were off to London and Annie and Zack were getting ready to go out as well. Alex found himself sitting on the ground in the living room, watching as Willa ran around with a sudden burst of energy and Noah babbled to Percy as if he was having a serious conversation with the dog.

Sophie: “I never said you had to wear alexs clothes just have something nice to wear for both of you.” She was sure there’d be a small carpet and if they’d be in attendance under Sophie’s name they would need to at least look nice. Once they were all on their way she was curled up on the couch with Avery in her arms cooing away. “We just have to text mum and dad when we are ready for them to come get the kids and then we have the whole night to ourselves thanks to yours truly. Being an actress does come in handy.” She grinned as she watched the kids doing their own thing to keep busy.

Alex: Alex fell back against the floor, allowing himself to rest back against the carpet for a moment. At Sophie’s words, he turned his head to be able to glance towards her. “We’re going to have to pick them back up early tomorrow morning though. We’re totally lying to Rian and Jack about staying here because of the kids and I am not going to put you through their comments if they come back here and we don’t have the kids,” he chuckled, reaching for one of the kids stuffed animals that was laying on the ground and throwing it up into the air and catch it again, repeating a few times. “Wanna text them once Zack and Annie have left? Zack said they were just getting ready so they are probably headed out soon.”

Sophie: “I doubt they’ll be back super early in the morning between the movie release dinner and drinks.” She knew them well enough or jack well enough to know that he wouldn’t be up bright and early and then it’d take some time for them to get back. “And we could have said my parents came over early that morning to get them for the day.” Shaking her head. “Works for me.” Even if she knew Zack and Annie wouldn’t mind they obviously understood needing time to themselves as any couple did. “Are you excited to have tonight alone because I was thinking?” She raised her brows and wiggled her phone to give an idea to what she was talking about

Alex: “Or, we sleep until we’re ready to face the day, hoping they won’t suddenly show up early and head out to pick the kids from your parents. We can bring a late breakfast or lunch out to them as a thank you for taking the kids?” Alex pushed himself up on his elbows and then sat up more, reaching out to catch Willa as she came running past him, causing her to laugh and giggle as she slumped into his arms. “Where’s all this energy coming from, huh?” he chuckled and tickled her before letting her go again and standing up to walk over to the couch, taking Sophie’s phone from her hand to place it on the coffee table and lean over her to peck her lips. “I think we’re gonna have a whole lot of undisturbed fun,” he grinned.

Sophie: “When would Jack in any world after a soft premiere and free drinks.” Since she was paying after all. “But taking them to breakfast or lunch sounds nice.” And she knew that her parents would appreciate it. “She had a nice long nap let her run around or my parents will need to let her run around like a crazy person.” She laughed. “Oh yes a lot of fun I think.” She murmured. “Maybe.” She grinned innocently as she shifted Avery.

Alex: “Let’s plan on something like that then. We see when we’re up and then go from there. But taking them out might be nice.” Not for dinner or anything, but breakfast or lunch would be a nice way to thank them, right? And it’d mean they wouldn’t have to cook any food until it was dinner time. He let Willa go again and chuckled. “I am letting her run. She just came right at me.” He moved towards the couch and leaned over her for the kiss, then chuckled softly. “Maybe? Don’t say things like that if you don’t mean it,” he chuckled and then stood up straighter again, stretching a bit before turning to look after Willa and Noah, a smile spreading on his lips.

Sophie: “They’ll love it honestly.” She said because they would. They loved Alex and they loved seeing her so happy. Which she knew that she really was. “She’s just being a wild girl.” She teased which she did have a crazy energy sometimes. Like any almost three year old. “Mmh and what are you going to do about it?” She asked raising her brow grinning as he pecked her lips. A little while later Zack and Annie headed off and Sophie texted her parents. “They’ll be here in about 20 minutes.”

Alex: After so unplannedly asking Sophie to marry her, there had been a moment where Alex was terrified about not talking to Sophie’s dad first, so when they told her parents he was a little nervous. Thankfully, they were just happy for them, much like Sophie had told him. When she asked him what he was going to do about it, he shrugged. “Nothing right now, you’re very much holding our baby still,” he chuckled. It didn’t take much longer for Annie and Zack to head out and Sophie texted her parents to ask them to pick up the kids. “Alright, let’s get these little rugrats ready. We gotta pack up a few things.” He moved over to motivate Noah to get up and the little boy held out his arms so Alex picked him up which resulted in Willa running straight for his legs and wrapping her tiny self around his leg. “You’re gonna be staying with grandma and grandpa tonight. Do you wanna bring a toy? Each of you gets to bring one. We gotta get you all packed up so you can have a sleepover.”

Sophie: “See knew you wouldn’t do anything.” She stuck her tongue out not realizing Willa noticed and immediately followed suit and stuck out her tongue at Alex too. “Oh no we don’t do that.” She burst out laughing as she shifted Avery to get up so they could start getting ready and Willa ran straight for alexs legs. “You may want to let her bring two toys or she may stick her tongue out at you again.” She grinned playfully at him.

Alex: Alex looked down at Willa as she wrapped herself around his leg and he laughed softly. “We’re not gonna be able to get you packed this way. And you are so not allowed to stick your tongue out at me. We don’t do that, princess.” Noah was gripping at him while he held him up and Alex started to walk, his one leg straightened so he could move Willa with him the way she hold onto him and he chuckled softly. “Yeah we’re not getting upstairs this way.”

Sophie: “Just pick her up Alex she’s literally no weight.” She said when he said they couldn’t get upstairs this way. Watching Willa lean her head back she saw her stick her tongue out and she had to try not to laugh. “No Willa that’s not nice.” She said shaking her head. “We don’t do that to daddy. Come on we’re gonna go see Grammy.” She murmured taking her hand with Avery in her other arm.

Alex: "And when I have both on my arms then what if they start to fight?" he chuckled softly, looking down to see Willa sticking her tongue out at him. “Hey, we don’t do that.” Sophie came to take Willa’s hand and take her upstairs too. They packed little bags for them and Alex let them each pick a toy, or rather two to bring along and by the time they were ready Sophie’s parents arrived to pick them up.

Sophie: “Noah and Willa will be fine it’s Avery that would be in more danger.” She states rolling her eyes. Once things were packed she helped change them into cute little outfits just in time for them to be picked up by their grandparents helping them into the car with their little bags and kissing them goodbye before watching them leave and heading back into the house.

Alex: Just they were done packing little bags and changing them into cute outfits, Sophie's parents showed up. Talk about perfect timing. They helped settle the kids in the car and said their goodbyes before hurrying back into the house. "It's fucking cold outside. Who's idea was it to spend winter time here?" Though he was very aware that in Baltimore they'd be dealing with snow now, not the constant drizzle and rain that was coming down here.

Sophie: "Uh well you when you decide to schedule UK tours in the late winter to early spring." she said glancing over at him. "and it's not like it's not freezing cold in Baltimore actually it is probably more cold there than it is here." she pointed out as they headed into the house and she closed the door. "Finally house to ourselves, peace and quiet for a few hours."

Alex: "Don't say that. We'd not be so cold there," he argued without really having a point because he knew she was right. Once the door was closed behind them, Alex shook his head to get the few drops of rain out and then looked at Sophie. "Few hours? I thought you said I'd get you all night?"

Sophie: “I mean you do get me all night but in the end those hours are going to fly by so it’s gonna seem like jsut a few hours.” She laughed. Which she knew was right but she’d enjoy them all the same. “But hey i managed to get us a night alone last minute you should be impressed.”

Alex: "Shh, don't say that. Let's just enjoy." Alex chuckled. He decided not to glance at the time, because he didn't want to worry about how much time they actually got. "I am impressed. Though it almost didn't work with Rian being stubborn and picky," he teased a grin spread across his lips. He licked his lower lip and glanced towards the kitchen. "Care to share a glass of wine with me?"

Sophie: "I fully plan to enjoy it babe." she said grinning over at the man, "I was just stating the obvious." Chuckling softly at him, "Rian would have ended up going just so Jack wouldn't keep bugging him." Which was true, just to keep him quiet. "How about you go open a bottle of wine and I'm going to go change into something more... comfortable." she said, "And then I'll meet you downstairs."

Alex: He was halfway to the kitchen when Sophie's comment caused him to turn, a brow arched. "Oh something more comfortable?" he asked, then chuckled softly. "Alright, but don't keep me waiting too long." He was off to the kitchen with that and found a bottle of wine to open. He put out two glasses and filled them, then waited for Sophie return.

Sophie: "Yes something more comfortable." she retorted, giving a short nod of her head. Heading upstairs she headed into the closet and put on a very strappy lingerie piece that hugged her body, hid little to nothing, but somehow still made her look incredibly sexy and then pulled on a little black silk night gown that clung to her body before padding back downstairs. Upon arrival back to the kitchen, "Did you find just the right wine for us to drink tonight?" she asked casually.

Alex: Alex was just putting the opened bottle of wine aside when he heard Sophie's voice. "I believe so, I don't know if you've tried this one before but-" he paused when he turned around to look at her. "Fucking hell. Oh.. You look, uh.. Wow you look.. Great." He licked his lipd as he scanned over body.

Sophie: She walked in casually not wanting to be overtly obvious other than what she was wearing. When he looked at her she felt her cheeks warm a slight pink the way he stared at her. Like he had never seen anyone so gorgeous in his life. "I just wanted to put something a little more comfortable on, thought this fits well." she said giving a smile.

Alex: He couldn't help but stare and he was glad he'd already out away the wine because there was no doubt he would've been too distracted to do so now. "Are you sure 'comfortable' is what you were going for?" he asked, clearing his throat a bit. Alex leaned back against the counter a bit and continued to take her in, eyes following her as she walked casually towards him.

Sophie: “Yeah it’s comfortable. Very flowy and easy to move in.” she said and it was, the lingerie underneath was far more scandalous than what the simple silk nightgown she was wearing. That was strapped around her leaving her bare between her legs but still hooking around her legs to hold the strappy body suit to her body. “So that wine you were talking about?” She raised a brow.

Alex: "Mmh," really was all he could reply to that, eyes lingering on her until she mentioned the wine and he cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah, uh.. The wine." He turned, picking up the glasses and holding one out for Sophie, unable to stop his eyes from falling onto her again. "Cheers," he murmured lifting the glass so they could tap them together before he took a long, long sip of the wine.

Sophie: Taking her glass it was actually sweet to see him stumbling over his words. Sometimes it still surprised her how much he could still find her so attractive after three babies, they being exhausted and all the things. “Cheers baby.” She murmured tapping her glass against this softly before taking a sip of the wine while he took a much longer one. “So.. did you want to continue what we started in the kitchen earlier? We can just you know… make out.”

Alex: He was aware she could tell he was a little taken aback by her appearance, and he just loved every bit of it. How she'd been so guarded earlier, from worrying about being to sexual to now walking up to him so casually while wearing what she was wearing. A soft groan left his lips at her question and he opted to place his glass of wine on the counter beside him. "God yes I want to. But we can't go right back to that if you were serious about recording /tonight/," he murmured. He knew that once they started back up where they left off it wasn't going to happen that they'd actually pause anything to set up a camera.

Sophie: Did she worry about them being too sexual, yes. Was she attempting to push that away with his words earlier and enjoy what they wanted. Also yes. Pushing herself out of that awkward weirdness in her head was the only way to move past it. Including putting on a very sexy outfit for him. He had a point, if they started they weren’t going to stop. “Sooo… where did you want to you know… record us in this house?” She asked curiously.

Alex: Alex let out a soft breath to let go of the urge to just pull her into him and kiss her. He was very tempted. But the thought of recording them, of having something to look back at was so hot and intriguing, he didn't want to just push that away and not make it happen. "We can start right here, baby," he murmured and, picking up his glass of wine, he took another long sip before he pushed himself off the counter and moved to find a camera and a way to set it up so it showed Sophie and where she was by the counter. Alex checked the screen to make sure Sophie could be sind and a smirk spread on his lips as he moved to her again, deciding to stand right in front of her. "Hi," he murmured.

Sophie: She knew he was probably more internally struggling between wanting to kiss and have his way with her or following through on something they really wanted to do. “Right here? In the kitchen huh? That hungry?” She teased as she took a longer sip from the wine as he set up a camera where theyd both be visible. “Hi baby” she murmured her hand reaching out and running up his chest agaisnt his shirt. “You sure about this? You’re really okay with this… you’re comfortable I mean. “With me being naked on video and having you taking care of me in many ways?”

Alex: A grin curled onto his lips. "Don't tell me you're not just as eager," he teased slightly as he looked back over his shoulder at her. It took him a frustratingly long moment to set the camera up but then he had it recording and he moved to where Sophie was, eyes locking on her the moment he stepped in front of her, his breathing already a little bit off at the excitement of this. "I'm very okay with being able to see you... Pretend to feel you when I can't physically be with you," he murmured. "So yes. Just for you and me, I can be comfortable with having you naked on video," he said and chuckled softly, slowly backing her up a few steps until she reached the counter with her back and he hummed softly.

Sophie: “I mean..” she was dressed in a highly suggestive nightgown with more underneath he could figure that out for himself that she was eager. When he came over to her she noticed his already slightly faster breathing. “Just for your eyes okay?” It wasn’t like he’d ever be willing to allow someone to see Sophie’s naked body let alone Sophie losing it during sex together. She also knew there’d be times she couldn’t be with alex and this would help with his own alone times. He backed her up slowly till she reached the counter. “Then I think we should get as much video for you to enjoy when we can’t be together.” She said with a soft husk to her voice. Her fingers pulling down the straps of her night gown and letting it drop to the floor to allow the even more over the top lingerie show on her body.

Alex: "Mine, and yours,“ he corrected her, a grin still curled on his lips. He wanted to enjoy just as much. This was for them after all and it would come in handy when they were separated. Once he had Sophie back against the counter, she reached up to slip the straps of her nightgown over her shoulders, letting the fabric drop to the floor, the soft material pooling around their feet and Alex’s eyes wandered over her choice of lingerie, an outfit he had not expected her to be wearing, nor could recall seeing her in before either. He sucked in a breath and let out a soft, quiet groan he wasn’t sure could be heard on the video, and his hands moved to her waist, wrapping around it and down over her bum. He let them rest there momentarily, squeezing lightly before picking her up and sitting her up on the counter. “You look so gorgeous,” he murmured. “So hot,” he added and let his hands wander over her body.

Sophie: “Mine and yours.” Alex was right, he had said this was for them both of them. Honestly it was better than the alternative of him watching porn to get himself off. Not that she would stop him there was nothing wrong with that if he was away and needed something. This would just be more personal for them. She watched as his eyes literally hazed over once she dropped the night gown to leave the very exposed lingerie around her pale creamy skin. A soft squeal left her lips when he squeezed her bum and was lifted up onto the counter. Not wanting to focus on the camera. Hands already exploring the expanse of skin. “I bought this a long time ago. I know it’s more out there than the normal stuff I wear.” It definitely was given he could take her and there was no need to remove any fabric between her legs. “You know if we’re gonna be making our own homemade videos for you to go away with I kind of need to know what stuff turns you on the most when you watch.” She hummed pulling him forward. “I want you to have enough material you don’t have to search around online.” She admitted.

Alex: His eyes scanned over her again and he groaned as he picked her up to sit her on the counter. “How long ago?” he asked, biting down on his lower lip. “How come you’ve never let me see it before?” His hands wandered, caressing over her barely clothed skin, exploring, gripping here and there. “If I can just see you.. hear you.. I’m so not gonna have to do any kind of searching online, “he chuckled softly as she pulled him in and he easily stood between her legs, still fully clothed while she was so beautifully exposed to him in a new, sexy kind of way. He leaned in to capture her lips in a kiss and he pulled her closer towards the edge of the counter so he could press his body into hers.

Sophie: “I don’t know when I was pregnant with Avery for when my body would be able to fit in it again. I’m just glad it fit.” If she was honestly given she had had three babies back to back. “I was waiting for the right time and you never usually care about lingerie but I feel like this is the right time to be able to wear something like this.” She admitted. “Yeah? Well I just want to make sure you have enough regardless. Just don’t listen to it too loud I don’t need you explaining that’s me they’re hearing.” She teased. He moved her legs apart which just exposed more of her to him. Honestly she was completely exposed other than the straps that covered parts of her skin but hid nothing of the important things. Feeling him pull her closer her hands bunched into his shirt curling it up some as her mouth glided with his her body angled more towards the camera to see her mostly naked body as she slowly dragged his shirt up.

Alex: “It fits perfectly,” he murmured, dipping his finger under one of the straps and lifting it slightly before letting go again. “It’s gonna be great having this whole conversation on video too,” he grinned amusedly at her before finally leaving in, his hands wandering, exploring as they kissed and he tucked her closer to the edge of the counter, moaning softly against her lips. He felt her dragging his shirt up and he only broke the kiss so she could take it off of him, tossing it aside since neither of them cared where their clothes would be. “Don’t shy away from being loud. I love hearing you,” he murmured, before he let his hand wander more, between her legs , the part that was so very obviously not covered by any kind of fabric.

Sophie: There was a short laugh about the conversation. “Consider it foreplay babe.” She teased, “like any porn I would assume you have to work up to the good stuff you don’t just to get to jump in and have me.” She rolled her eyes. Their mouths were on each other and she could feel him moan into her mouth. Once his shirt was removed and tossed somewhere behind him her hands traced down his chest and over his abdomen. His words saying not to hold back vocally. “Mm good thing we have the house to ourselves.” She murmured as she felt his hand slide between her legs. Shifting she let her legs spread wider for him his fingers teasing at her as she moaned out his name her head tipping back pressing her cupped breasts in the lingerie out more to be easily visible.

Alex: “Oh I absolutely understand the concept of foreplay,” he said with a smirk. He broke the kiss only so she could pull the shirt off of him and toss it away, leaving him shirtless as he leaned into her again and he felt her hands on his skin, tracing down his chest. “Thought that was the plan for this. To actually have the house to ourselves. I love when you don’t hold back,” he husked out, capturing her lips in a brief kiss again, his hand sliding between her legs and he felt her spreading her legs wider to give him more room. His fingers found her core and he brushed them up through wet lips, eager to tease, to know how much she wanted him. When Sophie tipped her head back and pressed her breasts out he couldn’t help but lean forward to start peppering kisses on her skin.

Sophie: “Well then you get sex and foreplay don’t complain.” She teased grinning at him. “It’s nice to not have to hold back but you know.” She slipped down and tugged him in by his waistband. “You don’t have to hold back either I like hearing you too baby.” She murmured though she knew that wasn’t as much an Alex thing to be super vocal. Fingers brushed her core to find her wet. A loud moan of his name fell from her lips as his mouth started peppering kisses against her skin before she fell back against the cold counter leaving her exposed and bare to him to watch and touch however he liked. Her hands came up caressing her own breasts, stroking her nipples till they hardened as her hips rolled into his hand.

Alex: “I’m so not complaining at all,” he chuckled amusedly. Alex arched a brow when Sophie pulled him in by his waistband and he licked his lips. “Oh, you wanna hear me too?” he questioned, as if she hadn’t been clear, which she had for sure. He brushed his fingers between her legs, caressing against the wetness before leaning in to press kisses to Sophie’s skin. That didn’t last very long because she fell back against the counter and he groaned at the view the way she was laying in front of him now, offering easier access to her and starting to play with her own breasts. “Fuck, Sophie,” he breathed out. He rubbed his fingers against her clit before sliding down a bit, and enough to be able to slide a finger into her, wanting to tease her, maybe get her off with just his hands.

Sophie: “I mean I want to hear you, see you.” She grinned quoting him. Because it was the same thing if she was watching when they were apart she was going to be more focused on Alex. Her hands continued to squeeze at her breast. Tugging at the hardened nipple between her fingers biting down at her lowe lip. “Yessss” it was drawn out when he started rubbing her clit, bucking her hips before feeling it shift and slide into her. She knew for this video to work a lot of it would be him making her come multiple times and less him coming multiple times so she knew the more ways he played with her the longer their video would be for him.

Alex: He always loved watching her and he knew with how he set the camera up, she should be well seen on the video, and the way she was tugging at her own nipples and squeezing her breasts, he had to admit it was a very hot view. He eyed her, taking her in as he shifted his hand to start pumping his finger into her and a grin spread on his lips as he felt her bucking her hips into him. "Mmh, you're so fucking hot, baby."

Sophie: She was sure that however he had the camera positioned it would be more on her for his interest but she didn’t mind. She wanted him to enjoy these videos. Her hands continued to move and tease at her breasts as his finger slipped easily in and out of her. “Oh fuck Alex.” She groaned out eyes fluttering closed.

Alex: He was aware that it was mostly Sophie to be seen, but he also could easily be made out and he loved the way she reacted to him. His fingers pumped a little quicker, then slowed to tease before adding another one and he leaned over her a bit to kiss her neck, her jawline, her skin.

Sophie: “Fuckkkkkk.” She groaned out her one hand dropping to the counter and slamming agaisnt it and holding on as a second finger was added in and pumped easily in and out of her with vigor. When he bent over to let his mouth reach what it could touch she gasped. “Yes!” She said as his mouth covered the skin.

Alex: He smirked against her skin, nibbling and kissing her skin as he made sure to pump his fingers in and out of her. "Soph.. Baby," he murmured near her ear before pulling back to stand up straighter and using his free hant to even spread her legs a little further so he had more access.

Sophie: His fingers slid in and out of her wetness that only continued to grow the more he expertly moved his fingers against her walls caressing before she watched him stand and push her legs further apart knowing the camera would be able to have full access to what his hand looked like moving against her core. Her body arched as she called out his name. “Yes! Oh god you feel so good faster Alex.” She panted

---

[tragic-shadows]

could you do with gibbs, number 11: "If we get out of this alive, can I go home?" and number 69 (lol): “You alright?” “Alright I think I almost died!” where gibbs takes reader for some of his back road driving??

 Title: Sirens in the Beat of Your Heart

Word Count: 785

Warnings: None

Pairing: GibbsxReader

"So we got the afternoon off, whatcha wanna do?" Gibbs addressed the team.

"Well I know what you want to do." You smiled and rolled your eyes.

"What's that?"

"Work in your basement on the boat with nothing to accompany you but whiskey?"

"Bourbon," Gibbs corrects.

"Well I have a date," Tony grabbed his bag, sprinting out the door before he could be called back in.

"And I am going to get a manicure," Ziva explained.

"Abby and I are going to see a movie," Tim grabbed his things, going down to find the scientist. 

"You?" Gibbs turns to you.

"Catching a cab and going home."

"Cab?"

"Yeah my cars in the shop with a flat. Should be ready by tomorrow but for now that's my only option."

"Lemme drive you home," Gibbs offered.

"Oh no it's ok. My apartment's on the complete opposite side of town that your house is, I don't want you to go out of your way."

"Y/N, it's ok."

"Ok then, if you insist. If you want to you could stay for drinks after? Since we're not working."

"Sure. Let's go."

You and your boss had something that certain people would call unresolved sexual tension. Neither of you spoke about it but you knew it was there; maybe that's the reason why when you rode in the car together and he put his hand on your knee you didn't pull away. But it's also why neither of you had asked the other out yet.

"Alright if we take a little detour?" Gibbs asked.

"I suppose. I don't have to be anywhere so yeah."

"Kay."

Gibbs took a sharp turn onto a back road.

"Uh, what are you doing?" You held onto the handle above the door and gripped the seat with the other as to not be thrown around.

"We're goin' for a little ride."

"Why?"

"'Cause why not?"

"Can you just take the normal way?" You really weren't in the mood for one of your boss's back road joyrides. "I have laundry I need to do. Kinda just want to get home."

"Spend too much time alone, ya' know that?"

"Really?" You scoff. "Coming from the man who's had three ex wives and the only thing he does for fun is get drunk by himself." 

"Could get drunk with me," Gibbs smirked. He pulled his hand off your knee and pressed on the accelerator. "Hold on." The car bounced unnervingly over the gravel but something told you that Gibbs had total control. The car hopped over a large rock and you grunted. 

"If we get out of this alive, can I go home?"

"We'll see."

He made another sharp turn and in front of you seemed to be something of an airport. "What is this?" You ask

"Abandoned air strip." Gibbs explained, speeding up even more. "Think you'd like this a little more than the backroads."

"Thanks?" 

Gibbs took turns and straights like he was running on a formula 1 track. After taking a glance over you saw you were going over 100. Realizing it was all of, you let loose, smiling and laughing when you spun out of a turn or when Gibbs turned on Party In The U.S.A.

"Miley Cyrus!!?" You exclaim. "Who woulda thought!" You snorted like you were a little kid. Gibbs pulled the car around a tight hairpin, laughing along with you. The car skirted over some debris and as Gibbs turned a sharp corner, the wheels on your side of the car popped off the ground. "Holy crap holy crap holy crap," you rambled. "Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs!!" With one last hoorah he drifted perfectly into a parking space. 

“You alright?” 

“Alright?? I think I almost died!” You let out a breath, leaning back in your seat. 

"Died?" Gibbs scoffed. "C'mon Y/N don't you have any sense of adventure?

"Uhhhh-" you shook your head.

"Alright alright, I'll take ya' home now."

"No wait," you interject. "Let me drive."

"Kay." He shut off the car and switched seats with you. "Know how to get outta here?"

"Out?" You grin, turning the car back on and looking over at your boss. "Who said we're getting out of this?" 

"You doin what I think you doin?"

"Depends on what you think I'm doing." You press your foot to the gas. 

"Hey Y/N? Don't crash my car." Gibbs once again slides his hand over onto your knee.

"I'm going to if you keep distracting me like that." You jerk the wheel to the right and a flurry of happiness erupts in your chest as Gibbs squeezes his hand tighter to keep hold of you. He reaches over and turns the radio up higher. 

"Wouldn't dream of distracting you."

TAGS: @aleck-cross @ah-blossom @ilovemark1951 @marennnx @originalsoulcollector @hotch-meeeeeuppppp

[pika-ace]

The Silver Phantom AU: I like good angst. But what if when they return to their jobs and Akari is off with Lucas and Barry just having being kids. And they were ambushed by both Team Galatic and Team Plasma?

It’s like the two evil organisations joined forced to grab this specific kid that somehow befriended Arceus and the other Legendaries?

This will definitely send both Ingo and Emmet into panic mode before it’s exactly like how Volo did it back in Hisui.

Lucas and Barry leading the rescue team to beat the absolute shit out of Cyrus and Ghetsis.

First of all, this got me thinking about just HOW LONG it's going to take for the three of them to reintegrate into society.

Like, they have to get some memories back, relearn modern tech, relearn social skills, find a way to cope with their anxiety of people that's accumulated over five years, it'll probably be AGES before it's safe to leave them alone in public! Not to mention the fact that Ingo and Emmet live in Unova and Akari lives in Sinnoh, and will likely want to go home with her parents once everything's okay, but we got separation anxiety too! We got a whole laundry list of shit to deal with!

But on the other hand, Galactic and Plasma do seem like the only pair of teams that could coherently work together, so they could be a decent threat. I wouldn't put it past them to plant spies around the place where the Phantoms are recovering and rehabilitating to take notes on how to approach this, because if they attack them out of the blue, they get their asses kicked (Team Rocket learned that the VERY hard way). But something to take note of if that if they were attacked outside without Elesa, Lucas, or Barry nearby, the Phantoms would likely revert RIGHT BACK to their wild instincts. However, unlike Hisui, they don't have a bunch of Alphas or wild Pokemon they've bonded with at their beck and call. They would be agile but defenseless, especially if Chadelure and Eelectross are taken out early. Basically, Akari needs Pokemon of her own and Ingo and Emmet need a decent team STAT if they wanna be prepared for whatever's waiting for them out there.

HOWEVER, I take your ambush, and add a bit of a twist to it. Yes, Akari gets attacked by the teams along with Barry and Lucas, but who comes out to save the day? Cynthia. That Champion has been keeping an eye on Akari, feeling the need to keep her safe from a distance. Cynthia knows Akari doesn't like her and why, so she's done her best to keep out of her way and make sure nothing is after her. Until now. Seeing Cynthia's Garchomp take out the grunts has Akari staring at Cynthia with wide eyes. This woman with Volo's face saved her, something Volo never would have done. It sparks a teeny tiny flame of budding trust that we can build on later, cause PTSD doesn't go away overnight. Cynthia makes sure the kids are safe, and immediately starts using her connections to let everyone know what happened aka phoning up her buddies in Unova. 'Uhh yeah, the bad guys from a few years ago are back and I'm pretty sure the other guys with them are from you guys, I think we have a problem.'

Ingo and Emmet are immediately flown to Sinnoh to act as protection for Akari, while Barry and Lucas spearhead the plan of attack along with Cynthia. These boys dealt with Team Galactic during the events of DPP, they can easily do it again (and Barry is MORE THAN ready to protect Akari). And maybe they could call up Hilbert and/or Hilda for info about Team Galactic if they're available (if not, Cheren and Bianca are valid backups). Basically, this could be the start of an arc that has PLENTY of angst potential. Hope that was satisfying enough for you :3

[waywardstation]

I just wanna point out a great side story to the papa ingo au if the teen villians are just from a different point in the timeline so they get back at some point:

Well of course they remember hisui they just don't know when most of the kids were taken from where in the timeline so for all they know these childe3n just have have damn names and look like an ancestor

SO When the protags go missing something in there heads are gonna click and that realization you fought these kids you helped raise abit for awhile that's gonna be a heart attack and the realization that your fathers younger then you for Giovanni is gonna be funny

And of course they know there remotely fine but they need to go help make sure those kids don't die because there still technically your siblings in some strange way so they join the "retrieve squad" but just never tells the others why these villians wanted to help but it's gets done on time with the timeline so-

OH OP YOU ARE RIGHT

For example, imagine being Cyrus as a kid and going on that magic kidnapped-by-an-eldritch-entity-and-dragged-to-Hisui™ Adventure and having a great time with your big siblings Akari and Rei, then you go back, grow up and forget about it, do all your awful villain stuff, then do everything you can to beat down the insufferable kids known as Dawn and Lucas to keep them from stopping you.

Then when they go missing everything clicks and you have a crisis haha. You spent months trying to beat up your practically-brother and almost-sister who you would regularly have potato mochi with when you were a child.

That would be really hard to come back from once the villains all go through something like this!!

(And the thought of them actually wanting to then help get them back as adults is really sweet even if that’s very conflicting haha)