#fic title ask game

[boxfullaturtles]

For the fake title ask game: "Laughing through your crocodile tears" (I'm picking random song lyrics lol)

Okay this one gave me some trouble.

Initially was thinking post-movie or post-S2 finale. Everyone saying they're fine, making excuses for odd behaviors, smiling and pretending everything's all right and they can go back to normal. But eventually the cracks start to show and it's just a matter of who falls apart first.

But then I had a really mean idea. Time to throw Leo under the bus again. Sorry Leo. Leo's a liar, right. He lies easily, not out of maliciousness, but more like because he's two steps down from a con artist sometimes. He might not be the most charismatic but he knows how to lay on the bullshit. So opposite of one those "cursed to only tell the truth" tropes. Leo can only answer in LIES. And as these things tend to go, it's not that big of a deal at first. "Leo, do you wanna play some video games?" "With you? No way." "Leo, do you want the last slice of pizza?" "Nah, I'm not hungry." And it's not hard to put together that something's wrong with Leo. Those boys are stupid sometimes but they're not that stupid. "Leo, are you cursed?" "Whhaaattt? Pfff, no! Me? Cursed? I would never be cursed." "Yeah, he's definitely cursed." "Am not! You can't prove it!" "Leo, do you like Jupiter Jim?" "Uhg, no! They're the worst movies ever!" "...bro, you're totally cursed."

It's all funny haha make Leo say stupid stuff. But then it gets...bad. Then it escalates, as these things tend to.

He can't communicate with his team during a fight. Everything he says is a lie, an opposite, a trick. It ends up getting them hurt. He ends up insulting Donnie's tech. Badly. And it's...it's really hurtful. And Donnie logically knows that Leo didn't mean it because it's the curse talking. But...hearing that from his brother? Logical doesn't really hold a candle to hurt feelings. Mikey tries to help and get Leo to talk about how he really feels. And it works. Kind of. Actually it backfires, in a way. Leo ends up screaming his insecurities and self-loathing for everyone to hear.

And then, because what he really wants to do is cry. He laughs instead. Because why not top everything off by his own body betraying him. He wants to run so he stays put. He wants to hide in his shell but he can't move. He's hungry but he can't eat. Tired but he can't sleep. And everything that spills out of him is a lie. And if he tries to lie, tries to do the opposite of what he wants to do, tries to trick the curse into working for him, nothing happens. He's lost complete control of everything that he is. And the lines start to blur. He starts questioning where the curse ends and where Leo begins. Is he still cursed? Is he still lying? What if he's telling the truth now? It's messing with his head and he can't sleep and he's starving and his body aches because he wants to rest, so he just keeps moving, pacing the lair until Raph grabs him and holds him close because Leo's feet have been worn bloody and he's gasping for air and trembling and scared. But he can only laugh and tell them he's fine, he doesn't need help, he'll be fine. They know it's a lie, but he's still saying it with the smarmy grin of his and it's so Leo of him to do that. But it's not Leo.

And now they have to find a way to break the curse before Leo's body completely gives out on him, before the curse ends up killing him.

I don't have a resolution, I just wanna put Leo through the ringer. :) Maybe the Mystic Library has the answer? Find the right book, perform the right ritual, that whole shebang. Maybe they gotta make a deal with Big Mama? But that's a whole other can of worms. Maybe Hypno's got the answer, that would be interesting to play with. There would be a happy ending, of course, I'm not going to let Leo die like that. But it would be a terrifying and harrowing experience for everyone.

[sad-leon]

Made up fic title: I Only Talk When Nobody’s There

This could work for my shadow leo au, but I'll come up with something else-

As a tot, Leo was loud. Splinter loved his son, but he started to snap at Leo whenever he'd scream or yell. Raph also began to snap when Leo was loud, so eventually, Leo stopped talking because he couldn't stop himself from being loud when he got excited

As vain as it may sound, he missed his voice, so late at night, when everyone else was asleep, he'd talk to himself, or read outloud to himself. Despite his efforts, his voice becomes scratchy and he starts to hate it, so he stops talking completely.

The brothers miss hearing Leo's voice, but they figured he just didnt want to talk, like when Donnie goes non-verbal, so they didnt question it

I... i actually want this as a fic now... if no else wants to write it, I might

[boxboxlewis]

For the made-up fic title game: The Coast Is Never Clear

daniel ricciardo is a PIRATE CAPTAIN and has not a care in the world. he's gripping his cutlass between his implausibly white teeth and laughing as he swarms up the rigging, he's fucking (willing) captives on piles of gold doubloons, he's having a glorious time. he's covered with tattoos and dead to polite society and he wouldn't have it any other way.

one day daniel and his men attack a fat dutch schooner only to find that instead of gold or treasure it's laden with... fabric. daniel is very "fucks sake" about this, because what is he meant to do with a load of damask? but the merchant whose ship it is says hey. if you let me live, i'll help you sell this and we can split the profits. this is sensible for both of us.

daniel is like lol that's cute, you are my literal prisoner, how are you bargaining right now. but also, if you're this relaxed with my sword at your throat you're probably pretty good at negotiating so... fine i guess.

as they make their way to [waves hand] whichever port it is where they'll unload their wares, he starts spending more and more time with the merchant. he's blunt and snide and funny, and he laughs at daniel's jokes helplessly, as though they're the funniest things in the world. he has a weird, beaky face but daniel can't stop looking at it, somehow: doesn't want to stop. they have sex and it feels different than sex usually does, like it means something.

he takes to life at sea, the merchant: the men all respect him and soon he's become daniel's de facto second in command. when they reach port, daniel is like hey, i've just met you... and this is crazy... buuuuut have you heard of this thing called matelotage/fancy ditching your nice safe merchant life and being pirate-married to me? & the merchant smiles so big he almost cracks his jaw and says "i think that would be simply lovely."

[rosyjuly]

into the garden, by the hand

Alex lets the text sit unopened for thirty minutes. 

He’s read it already, of course, when his phone buzzed, screen lit up with the notification. These days, he doesn’t get a lot of actual texts; it’s either a Whatsapp group chat or emails reminding him of the deadlines of grant applications and assignments alike, or a professor reaching out about a project they want to take him on. 

Hi Alex, the text says. I hope you are keeping well. I was wondering if you have some free time this afternoon, approximately around 3pm? No worries if not, of course. Let me know if you can. Take care, G. 

Because George stills signs off his texts, even after all these years, even though he’s never once changed his number. Alex wondered for a while if George would switch them to Signal – objectively a smarter option with the better encryption and disappearing text options. But George could be deleting their texts for all he knows: sit behind Jenson in the car afterwards, thumb the thread open and get rid of them one by one, elegant hand stretched loosely around the phone. 

Anyway, Alex started to think George wouldn’t– that he stopped for real, this time. He hasn’t been around for half a year now, hasn’t even reached out since the beginning of the summer, when Alex was stretched thin between his exams and work deadlines, because his post-grad scholarship wasn’t generous enough to stop working. It’s good for his CV, he keeps telling himself, even if it’s exhausting, and Vowles is miles better of a boss than Horner was at his old org. 

But good on George for finding the courage to text first. Even if it was better for both of them if he hadn’t; didn’t. Alex has started to tell himself that he should be thrilled to be free of this, of– well, not George, but this, this thing that leaves him feeling dirty and ashamed and larger than life, still. 

I didn’t know it’s a bad time, George said, months ago, eyes large and his tone getting that edge of defensive strain. Alex threw his arms in the air and finally let himself snap, years of tensions wearing his patience too thin, You wouldn’t know because you never fucking ask, you just show up whenever it fucking suits you. George didn’t even look at him when Alex told him to text him, before, the next time, just nodded, staring at the door, before slipping outside. 

He shouldn’t feel so relieved that George texted, now; but his chest is lighter, lungs taking in more air all of a sudden.

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Fic title: memories fade away, clouds of yesterday

When Izuku was born, he had a fluffy blue cloud on his arm outline in a copper colour. He possessed another mark of an engine surrounded by gold. His mother smiled at seeing the marks. A parental or mentor soulmate and a romantic one. Perfect for her son.

 When Izuku got older however the cloud twisted. At first it went grey and the toddler cried out in pain. Inko, his mother, cried out in shock. Grey meant dead. 

 Her baby’s parental soulmate was dead. It broke her heart. She sobbed, holding her child to her chest. Izuku didn’t understand, but he cried to. The grey cloud attracted attention from many, and sad looks were given to him and Inko. She tried to ignore it, raising her son as good as she could.

 It would be two months after the cloud changed she saw it changed once more. The cloud had morphed into a purple one, flecks of blue within. The cloud looked thinner in a way, much less fluffy. Inko wondered about it. Grey meant dead after all, and the change confused her after happening.

 “It’s possible that his parental soulmate was in a coma for a brief time.” A soulmate specialist said. “And their Quirk twisted into something new. It has been known to happen.” Inko felt relieved for that, and more or less put it out of her mind.

 Things got busy later on, when Izuku didn’t gain a Quirk. When he came home sobbing after little Katsuki had tried to use his explosions to burn the marks off of Izuku. Inko went to tell Mitsuki and Masaru who apologized. However it happened again. Katsuki seemed focused on the cloud mostly, and Inko wondered if it was because the boy wanted his own mentor. He didn’t have any parental marks, and the blonde tended to be very egotistical to Inko. Perhaps it was a little much to say about a toddler but he did seem to obsess over his own worth and how cool he was.

 Inko didn’t put up with it twice and refused to allow Katsuki around until he learned. Something he hated. “You’re MY AUNTIE!” He screamed when she refused to let him into her apartment, Izuku in the living room.

 “And Izuku is my son,” she replied. She closed the door and refused to let him in. 

 The next school day, Izuku came over covered in burns. Inko raised hell, and threatened to go to the media for the school to admit fault. She got it in writing.

 Then she went and told Mitsuki to get her son in line.

 “He’s just upset you abandoned him!” Mitsuki huffed.

 “I abandoned him because he decided to hurt my son.” Inko snarled. “Izuku is more important then your son to me. And he always will be.” 

 Katsuki heard it. Inko ended up taking her son to the hospital after Katsuki found him at the park. She called Mitsuki and said she would not speak with her or her family again.

 She meant it. Her boss had asked her to consider a promotion that would require her to move, and she’d been thinking of refusing as she thought Izuku was friends with Katsuki.

 After the park incident, she accepted the job and moved without acknowledging Mituski or Masaru’s attempts to reach out. She simply left and blocked them.

 A week into the move, Izuku came home with a little boy who had blue hair and engines in his legs. A young man was with the two, who also had engines though his were in his arms. 

 “Mom! This is my soulmate!” Izuku beamed. His romantic mark was obvious in his rolled up shirt sleeve, and the other boy showed his own mark on his arm. A notebook and a pen, which slightly confused Inko. At first. She would learn exactly why it resembled Izuku later. 

 Inko smiled at the two boys. “It’s lovely to meet you…”

 “Iida Tenya ma’am!” The boy said. The young man smiled at her.

 “I’m Iida Tensei. I have custody of my brother.” 

 “Midoriya Inko,” Inko bowed to the man. “How about you stay for dinner?” 

 “Of course!” Tensei laughed. 

-0-

  Kurogiri had two marks in silver and two in gold. The gold ones were a microphone and a red eye, and he didn’t often think of them.

Hey, Oboro! Wanna go out with me and Sho later?

 The ones in silver he did focus on. A dusty hand. Young Master Shigaraki. But then there was a notebook and a pen. Kurogiri didn’t know who they belonged to.

 Shigaraki often said it would be player two, his sibling, and Kurogiri agreed but who was it? 

-0-

 I ended up running out of steam. Basically I’d been reading though my old soulmate shorts, and then upon seeing this it came to mind.

Pariing: IiDeku, EraserCloudMic. 

Notes: mostly fluff

[tokuvivor]

For title ask request: “The Duke and the Rooster”

Okay, just going for the obvious plot, I see. Or at least, the obvious characters.

After getting his ass handed to him by Huey at Istanbird, Steelbeak wonders if he’s lost his touch. Gandra: “You never had it in the first place.” So Steelbeak decides to throw himself into his training regimen even more than usual.

Meanwhile, on Huey’s side, he’s trying to figure out how to replicate what he did at Istanbird. So Lena helps coach him through different methods, and nothing seems to work, which frustrates Huey. However, Lena then accidentally triggers Huey’s OCD, which sends him over the edge. Even after he goes all Duke, Lena is able to get through to Huey and tells him to channel his rage into certain apparatuses (kicking a practice dummy, board breaking, etc.)

Then, one day, while Steelbeak is sent out for an errand for F.O.W.L., he runs into Huey again. He challenges Huey to a rematch, to which the red-clad triplet reluctantly accepts. Steelbeak initially gains the upper hand, and Huey spends most of his time dodging Steelbeak. Then Steelbeak calls Huey weak, which Huey takes note of and decides to use to his advantage. He tells Steelbeak to insult him some more, and Steelbeak, completely walking into Huey’s trap, does so. Huey eventually works himself up enough to unleash the Duke on Steelbeak, and remembering Lena’s coaching, channels it into his arms and legs, and kicks Steelbeak’s butt again.

The episode ends with Huey recounting the fight to Lena, and Lena walks him through the attacks she’s seen him use before, explaining how they work.

The title is pretty self-explanatory in this case.

[five-rivers]

‘Like, The Worst Family Reunion Ever’ for Danny phantom?

Oh, boy, there are so many different ways to take this.

Jack, to his joy, somehow manages to get Amity Park selected as the location for the Fenton-Nightingale family reunion. The Fenton-Nightingale family, which consists of hunters, occultists, paranormal investigators, witches, cryptozoologists, UFO enthusiasts, conspiracy theorists, and one perennially confused branch family of accountants, all of whom manage to bring their own, unique problems to Amity Park with them.

Danny has his work cut out for him.

[mashpotatoequeen]

Ok so for your fic title ask thing I actually yoinked some fic titles I’ve used in other fandoms to see what you’d do with them in TMBS!

1. Rewriting Destiny

2. Pen Pals Across Time

3. Angel by Your Side

4. Brother, let me be your shelter

5. Promise me

6. Viral

7. Forgotten reflections

8. Last words

I numbered them to emphasize that I DO NOT EXPECT you to do them all, but I’d love to see just a few of the numbers and your ideas for them!

OOOH! EXCITE!

1.) Pen Pals Across Time

Okay, for this one, I can't help but think about how much I really wanted to see young Nicholas Benedict (from The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict) interact with the Mysterious Benedict Society kids. I just think it would be so interesting because young Mr. Benedict, is- in a lot of ways- a mix and mesh of the kids. He's got Reynie's cleverness, Sticky's perfect memory, Constance's mind made for rhymes and whimsy, and Kate's way of hiding everything with a smile.

At the same time, though, younger Mr. Benedict has a much more negative and untrusting outlook on the world in general. In his mind, there are no good grownups, and very few good children. The way he reacts to things is to very often to prioritize his own self and his own safety over others. He keeps his narcolepsy a tightly held secret, controlling his emotions as much as possible. He's constantly looking for the other shoe to drop. It's his defense mechanism, and it's one we can see developed in Mr. Curtain too. It's just that Nicholas got a wake up call, and his twin didn't.

It would be interesting, therefore, to see him interact with kids who are, in many ways, just as brilliant and intelligent as he is, and in some ways more so. I don't know how he'd interact, but I think it would be very cool to explore. I think it would be hard for Nicholas to accept- at least the Nicholas from the beginning of the book- that he grows up to be someone who is that kind. Who is surrounded by a family who loves him. I think it would be good for him, too.

So yes. Time travel shenanigans that lead to children butting heads that lead to friendship. The fic ends with Nicholas Benedict writing letters to friends he will not meet for a very long time, but that's alright. He has time.

6.) Viral

This would be a modern AU: Four Times One of the Mysterious Benedict Sociciety went viral, and One Time They Did It All Together. I just feel like people would accidentally catch them doing weird or incredible stuff all the time - or, at least, weird by "normal" standards. The only keeping them safe is that fact that the books are set a little too early in history for cellphones and internet- so bring it forward a bit and.... well. The kids get to go viral. As a treat.

A list of reasons/ways the kids went viral:

1.) Sticky gets recorded at one of his Quiz Championship Game Show competitions. He is approximately a a third of the age of everyone there. He is looking very Baby with his polkadot bowtie and big glasses. He is absolutely DESTROYING all of his competitors. The video zooms in on his score- miles ahead of everyone else- and then the faces of the other contestants as Tiny Sticky Washington stands on his tiptoes to deliver his next answer. The faces hold nothing but despair and a certain grudging amount of respect. "Correct!" yells the announcer. One man puts his head in his hands.

2.) Constance writes poetry on a random wall with sharpie. She does not sign it, and she doesn't much think about it when she's done. Someone else comes along, sees it, laughs and takes a picture and posts it. It starts properly trending by noon.

3.) They are at a football pitch. A striker is trying to score and the ball just goes flying. It lands on top of a building with an unfortunate BUMP noise. The players have about ten seconds to be depressed before Kate- who is walking by- shouts, "Oh, I'll get it!" And then she just. Climbs the building. Free Style. And grabs the ball. Tosses it back down, follows down after it, and merely goes on her way without looking back. The person who was trying to record the goal manages to capture it on camera.

4.) Reynie writes a short story during one of Miss Perumal's tutoring sessions. It gets published online, and then it gets mentioned in a magazine, and people are reading it and enjoying it and Reynie- who doesn't go online much- is perfectly oblivious that his homework assignment is getting absurdly popular.

5.) The Mysterious Benedict Society has a new project: to make the world's longest Rube Goldberg Machine. It takes up several blocks. Mr. Benedict laughs himself to sleep three times before the machine can succeed in it's one job: Flipping a lightswitch. The video gets posted online with a funky song and people are all over it.

[boxfullaturtles]

Lou Jitsu in: PARENTHOOD PANIC!

looks at a draft of a fic i have saved but will probably never finish simply called "is this how you dad"

ALL the turtles get turned into babies and Splinter's like "I ALREADY DID THIS ONCE COME ON"

And then ropes April, both Caseys, and Draxum into helping him take care of four very feisty, very noisy, very rowdy little baby turtles.

Cue shenanigans.

While Splinter and Draxum run around trying to find a solution to change the turtles back, April and the Caseys have to keep the turtles from getting into trouble. Which does not happen.

Every time Splinter calls to check on them, April is like "yyeeaahhhh things are fine! Raph was chewing on the table leg but we stopped him! It's all good!" Cut to Casey Junior trying to move the fridge to get at the tiny baby softshell Donnie that's hiding underneath it. Donnie had been hiding in one of his desk drawers but he escaped when CJ went to grab him. He also definitely mauled the hell out of CJ's arm in the process. Cassandra has been chasing Leo around in a vicious game of hide and seek for THREE. HOURS. STRAIGHT. Little shit keeps giggling and running away. And she needs to catch Leo because Donnie won't come out of hiding without Leo! Raph alternates between sitting in one spot and WAILING because he can't find his brothers or his dad, or he's being an absolute menace and chewing on anything within reach, including people. April has many bandages on her fingers. And then there's Mikey who seems so sweet and like the perfect little angel. But the next thing you know he's SOMEHOW got a hold of a box of matches and is setting the couch on fire. But he's very tiny so he's probably the easiest to deal with, just put him in a dog crate with a plushie and put three locks on the door lol.

Probably ends with Splinter and Draxum coming back with the news that they just have to wait for whatever it is to wear off. They find both Caseys and April snoozing with a pile of tiny baby turtles asleep with them. Splinter coos and and takes a bunch of pictures and then the turtles hear him and wake up and make grabby hands for their daddy. April and the Caseys are like "your guys' problem now!" and flee the lair. Draxum begrudgingly stays behind to help Splinter. All the turtles return to their regular age while they are taking a nap with Splinter. So they wake up as teenagers, look at their dad asleep with them, look at each other, and then snuggle closer and go back to sleep again. Draxum is stuck cleaning the lair.

[sad-leon]

Ok 3 am thoughts for made up fic title:

The cat curled in my arms

Totally has nothing to do with me rn XD

It's a post-Kraang recovery fic!

Leo (and fam) struggle with major PTSD and nightmares, so when Mizkey finds a stray cat, he beings it back to the lair

It cuddles with Leo while Leo is stuck on bedrest, bit it's often spotted in Donnie's lab. It helps Donnie take breaks and get out of his lab more often

Raph and Mikey are both found cuddling with it on multiple occasions, especially on bad days

Splinter pretends to be offended the boys got a cat, but in reality, he's glad they've found a way to heal

[boxboxlewis]

"gruesome, that someone so handsome should care"

it's the 1930s in the north of england & george russell is a horrible goose 20yo with a big chip on his shoulder. he's in service for a rich family with a big estate, and hates it; he used to dream of going to university but had to leave school at 14 (crucially for the characterisation of our boy i should note he didn't want to go to uni to STUDY, he just longs to be rich and full of leisure). anyway it's a rare afternoon off and he's out riding his bicycle, miles off into the hills in the remote and windy heart of the world, feeling almost free: until he gets a flat tyre.

he's pushing his limping bike along, cursing himself for not listening to his mum and carrying his little repair kit with him, wondering how many hours it'll take to get back to Fuckface Hall, when a Duesenberg Model SJ pulls alongside him. this is a FANCY CAR and the man driving it is like no one george has seen before: clearly not white, for one thing, and clearly RICH rich, for another, in a louche bohemian way that would horrify the Fuckface Hall inhabitants. he's wearing sunglasses and a little scarf around his neck and he smiles like something is very funny and he's drinking from a flask and every instinct george has is shrieking DANGER. but the man says his name is alex, and he offers george a lift...

of course alex is very seductive and they have ill-advised sex next to a hedge and george is HORRIBLY conflicted about it because it feels incredible but it's WRONG and he's not like that--he's going to get married and have children, like a normal person, he's not--he's not one of those men--he's ejaculating into a hawthorn bush while getting buggered from behind. ANYWAY. he consoles himself at least he'll never see alex again.

obviously next month who should turn up at Fuckface Hall as a guest but Nice Car Alex :):):)

[ectogeo-art]

For the ask game!-- 'Fox In The Henhouse' + 'Sunset Over Risa'

Yay thanks for these! (These are for the ask game about sending made-up titles and I say what fic I’d write to go with them.)

Fox in the Henhouse - Post-canon Cardassia Garashir, centering on Garak doing power plays and machinations within the PTA at the elementary school that their kids go to. <3 At first Julian doesn’t mind because, whatever, it’s some harmless enrichment for his bored husband. But then things get out of hand at some point.

Sunset Over Risa - Hmmm maybe Garashir phone sex during “Let He Who Is Without Sin…” Like, Julian and Leeta are doing the Bajoran breakup thing where they sleep around, and Julian quickly gets tired of banging these randos because there’s really only one person he wants right now (Garak) and he’s not even here. He video calls Garak to show him the sunset one night just because he thinks it’s beautiful and maybe it reminds him a bit of some outfit he’s seen in Garak’s shop. They end up talking for hours until long after the sun has set. At some point Julian laughs and says he probably should have been out having wild sex since it’s his last night on Risa, but he actually kind of prefers the company he spent the evening with. It’s tantamount to a love confession and it just slips out. Time slows down as Julian waits for Garak to process and respond to this. Then, Garak says he wouldn’t want to deprive him of any of the worldly delights of the pleasure planet during his vacation, so he’d be happy to help Julian get off himself. Phone sex with feelings. And they lived happily ever after. <3

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Fic title: and I’d do it again

"Controversy has spiked after the infamous tell all article about Midoriya Inko who murdered several high profile Public Safety Commission agents followed by destroying a school with her Quirk while high on trigger. With recent reveals of the policies of the Commission, a reporter was allowed to interview her.

The story Midoriya told of how her son was treated, and of him being taken by the Commission due to his Omega status coupled with his analyst abilities. Amidst the horrific tale, Midoriya admitted she would do it again if needed."

Basically... a story about Inko going on a murder spree again, this time focusing on the idea that the Commission wanted Izuku's mind, so they grabbed him and picked a random hero they could control to mate with him. (Or like a random son of a hero...)

Pairings: TodoDeku probably.

Notes: Izuku is in UA with Todoroki, safe, right before the murder spree. Nezu stepped in to take care of Izuku.

[dairogo]

For the fic title ask game:

No Room for Martyrs

The Calm Before Crescendo

The Ghost of Best-Laid Plans

Ooh, okay, so I've been going so canon for the previous asks that I'm going to try to branch out here and cover either

No Room for Martyrs:

A comedy about Marta and her time in the Devil's Nest gang. Poor puppy Dolcetto saw Greed leave and doesn't know when he'll ever come home, so he's basically whining at the door waiting and Marta tells him there's no room for martyrs here at the Devil's Nest. Dolcetto is confused, but Roa gets it and just points to her. "Marta." The guys all laugh at her and make her the butt of the joke. Over the next week they all take turns momentarily excluding her (but it's like a one-moment and then they relent kind of thing, like snatching her drink away when she tries to sit down and telling her, "no room for Martas" but then giving it back two seconds later). The story finishes when they do it the fiftieth time for the week and she snaps and says she'll make martyrs of them all and see how they like it, right as Greed walks through the door. This must be a comic, not a fic, because it ends with Greed with question marks over his head as he imagines his whole team dressed in Marta's combat pants and singlet, doing pouty-mouths like her. Everyone else is having a great time but he's just confused.

The Calm Before the Crescendo

There is a breath in the calm before the crescendo of music - that tender lull that an audience can feel and the performer lingers over - an absence of tension for now. For now. Roy Mustang - the Buble of his time - can hold a crescendo aloft with the fluttering hearts of so many middle-aged women beguiled by that deep, smooth voice, but the until that crescendo arrives, one critic says, he's got nothing to offer the audience. They're there for his highest heights of emotion and passion, and he's been thrust into a musical corner with no way out but up, so crescendo he must. Riza Hawkeye doesn't play to packed audiences, but there is something beguiling in her quiet songs, lyrics that twist and play with a steady dynamic that lilting notes. There is tension there of its own, without the crescendo, and Roy sits in a bar, listening to her play her set, knowing that there is something real and naked to her act that he just cannot match on his own with passion and fury put on like a mask.

The Ghost of Best-Laid Plans

Roy and Riza return to the Hawkeye estate and confronting the memory of Berthold Hawkeye with how much they'd betrayed him. He was right about the military - he was wrong about keeping alchemy from others - he was everything and more (and less than he should have been).

[skyward-floored]

Aaanother fic title ask: "it's frickin' wimdy"

Okay this is the for real last one no more after this okay (unless I missed one earlier but I will make sure)

The chain ends up in some palace of winds or other, and Wind has to use the wind waker to fight monsters or solve a puzzle or the like. But it goes on the fritz for some reason (Vaati I’m thinking), pretty much completely out of control, and Wind along with it. And the chain is forced to fight against their brother going a bit mad with power throwing tornadoes all over the place while they frantically try to figure out how to fix this.