#the bucket lobster is just. such a Little Guy

[psychoticwillgraham]

NEW STIM FRIENDS!!!!

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

for the mini hcs, what do you think the M6 would make of mc's familiar being a crab🦀?

I'm sorry but i cant shake off my mind the thought of Julian making intricate stage fights with it like this guy:

P.S love your writing and your blog everything here is just so neat.

The Arcana Mini-HCs: When MC's familiar is a crab

@therowdymagpie thank you for the little compliment, I'm so glad this space is bringing you joy!! :D In return, please see the silly little joke I learned from a Scottish minister years ago at the bottom:

Julian: as previously mentioned, he sees this as his opportunity to stage fights with the crab, and on occasion, might even set it up to fight one of his leeches when it doesn't behave as it should

Asra: so. many. puns. "out of groceries, huh? that puts us in a pincer." "what's gotten into him? no need to be crabby about it." giggles at their own jokes every time with that :3 face of theirs

Nadia: never commented on it being a crab, to the point that you start to think she hasn't noticed. until you start getting jewelry inspired by its shell and you notice how rarely seafood is served

Muriel: more worried than anything about the crab having a healthy habitat way out in the woods. Builds it a tank and spends days hauling buckets of salt water from the harbor to fill it up

Portia: makes more jokes than necessary about giving it to Mazelinka to steam and put into her soup. Pepi has become extra protective of it as a result and will even scold her master for it on occasion

Lucio: routinely forgets the difference between crab and lobster and gets pinched for it. having learned what an effective training tool it is, he likes to borrow your familiar to threaten people he doesn't like

Q: Whats the difference between an old bus stop and a crab/lobster with breast implants? A: One's a crusty bus station and one's a busty crustacean

(this sounds a lot funnier when it's said out loud)

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Alright so here is another set of reviews. This time it's my brother who is very much into fun and goofy music so enjoy this selection from my brother Jason!

The Aquabats - Fury Of The Aquabats!

The Aquabats are living cartoons. Concentrated essence of childhood fun. They are a child friendly ska punk Gwar. Even though this album is from long before their purely kid oriented Yo Gabba Gabba! days there is still a distinct family friendly atmosphere to The Fury Of The Aquabats! It has a similar energy to Homestar Runner or The Muppet Show where it is kid friendly media made for adults. And, like those examples, it works because they are having so much goddamn fun with it. It is deliberately and pointedly stupid. Magic Chicken is a song about chicken. I'm laughing because it's funny. The Cat With Two Heads has the line "I was in my laboratory creating what i thought would be we something great for the world, a two headed cat. You can pet one kitty's head and pet the other kitty's head, but little did i know the power of atomic energy would create a

two headed man eating monster!"

So have I convinced you to listen to a 90s ska album yet? Because this is a very pure example of the genre musically. It has the pop punk pacing and fast paced ska rhythm and the horn section and everything. It does admittedly have some, uh, genre diversions I guess I'll call them. Attacked By Snakes is a tango song and Lobster Bucket is a zydeco type thing sometimes. The MC Bat Commander is a perfect vocalist for this kind of music. He's so goofy, but you never really get the impression that he isn't taking it seriously. Or at least he is meeting the music and lyrics on their own terms. It is very endearing. Plus this album has a little bonus that other Aquabats albums lack. Do the drums sound like really competent to you? Like way too much for a pop punk band? Yeah that's Travis Barker of Blink-182 fame. He's probably the most talented punk drummer and he lends a fantastic energy to these songs.

Deee-Lite - World Clique

If you know Deee-Lite already then you probably know them as the one hit wonder who did Grooves Is In The Heart. Well this album deserves more recognition than just having produced a hit single. Deee-Lite channel the 60s flower child throwback aesthetic harder than any other artist of the 90s and they bring that energy to house music. Now I feel like a lot of electronic music fans start to dismiss an artist the minute they hear pop vocals, but this is totally unfair. Dee-Lite use vocals the way they would use any other instrument on a house track. The repetitive vocal lines mesh with the piano samples, drum loops, and funky bass.

Speaking of funky bass, this album has a few performers with a pedigree. Three former Parliament-Funkadelic members feature on this album, trombonist Fred Wesley, saxophonist Maceo Parker, and bass legend Boots Collins. Plus A Tribe Called Quest member Q-Tip gets a verse on Grooves Is In The Heart. That element of P-Funk goofiness is apparent in their peace and love lyricism and overt cheesiness. And while a lot of memorable tracks like Try Me On and Groove Is In The Heart are more hip house to pop oriented the rest is populated by songs like What Is Love that show off a more traditional house style. The album has enough variety and good enough pacing that you don't need to throw these songs into a DJ mix when you can just throw on this whole album and get the same experience.

Shonen Knife - Brand New Knife

I can't pretend this is my absolute favorite Shonen Knife album, I'm more of a Burning Farm or Pretty Little Baka Guy kinda girl. But Shonen Knife doesn't exactly disappoint here either. There's a simplicity to their lyricism and playing that leaves little room to actually fuck it up. The punk rock meets 60s girl group sound feels like it should be influenced by cuddlecore musicians except for the fact that Shonen Knife's sound predates that movement by a decade. This album is smack dab in the middle of the height of that scene though (low heights admittedly) and there is definitely a bit of a cleaner sound than on previous Shonen Knife records that reflects the styles of the time and the rising success of the band. I don't personally believe that higher production quality does much for them, but as long as they are still singing about food and other things that make them happy Shonen Knife will always be a treat to listen to.

Bitch Ass Darius - Follow The Sound

This is the greatest DJ mix ever. Booty bass or ghetto house or ghettotech or whatever you want to call it is a chatic style of house that adopted a lot of hip hop tendencies and then ramped things up to eleven by using the most sexually explicit lyrics possible. Follow The Sound is the most ridiculous example of this already ridiculous genre.

Bitch Ass Darius is an anomaly to me. I can't find out who they are or if they made any more mixes under a different alias. A friend showed me this mix once and I don't know where he found it. The experience of listening to the mix is kind of similar. In between recognizable samples will be snippets of things that you couldn't place the origin of in a million years. And even if you could they probably fly by so fast you don't have time to parse what he just sampled before the world's foulest lyrics start repeating some shit like "he's not my baby daddy he's just a sperm donor" or "I wanna fuck your mouth". A lot of typical booty bass samples are present which means nothing if you aren't a freak like me, but if You've ever heard that memetic snippet that goes "ass n titties, ass n titties, ass ass ass ass ass n titties" that was DJ Assault who is a staple of the genre and that exact sample is in this mix. But the typical hyper crude samples are interspersed with something way weirder. Random seconds long snippets of literally anything else. I can't explain the experience adequately because everything is always happening so fast. My favorite example that I have managed to catch is that he rapid fire samples Michael Jackson (pitched and sped up naturally) saying "beat it, beat it!" And then without missing a beat counterpointing it with the Weird Al parody lyrics "eat it, eat it!" This happens in maybe one and a half seconds. The contrast of samples is a great vehicle for delivering the comedy inherent in the genre while also delivering a good example of the music. Despite feeling like it's poking fun it still remains respectful of the chaos of booty bass music. The album dwells on nothing. It doesn't care if you heard that because listen to this! Follow The Sound is the purest and most perfect sonic overload. If you have problems with auditory overstimulation then seriously consider skipping this album. But if you have ADHD like me then you are about to find your new favorite thing.

Accept - Balls To The Wall

This album is gay af. It was noted at the time and the band acknowledged it. To quote drummer Stefan Kaufmann "It's a phenomenon that should be taken into consideration. Because it exists on a wide scale and should be demystified. In fact, this is a phenomenon of society that needs to be taken as such. For a long time gay people have been considered as sick or insane. And yet, it's time to respect these people, open our minds which are often closed."

This is the kind of music that I think most people are thinking of when they say "heavy metal". It is riff driven heavy music with corny lyrics about tough guy stuff. Like having sex with men. Accept is like if AC/DC was self aware. And thankfully the only ballad in the album is actually good too. It's hard to review this style of metal without sounding dismissive. The camp is obviously deliberate here so I don't feel as bad poking a little fun because I think I'm laughing with them a bit. But really this is a simple and effective album with no weak tracks and themes that it plays straight. Which doesn't seem like much but in the world of late 70s early 80s heavy metal its really raising the bar for future acts.

Desmond Dekker & The Aces - 007 Shanty Town

Before ska was associated with middle school boys with frosted tips and cargo pants, before the days of London teens in ill fitting suits and checkerboard patterns, before dub and reggae there was Desmond Dekker. One of the 60s original ska artists. With a sound that blended Jamaican mento music with a solid helping of jazz and R&B to create a unique blend of Jamaican pop music.

The unique beat that we all know and love (you love it right?!) is created by muted guitar downstrokes on the one and three beats and loud staccato upstrokes on the two and four. Add in some horns, walking bass, and vocal harmonies and you've got the blueprint for basically all ska. And this combination, the crisp staccato guitar and horns especially, grant a uniquely sunny disposition to basically the entire genre so that even when Desmond Dekker is singing about poverty or crime there is an underlying love for his home in every song. Plus a lot of the gangster aesthetic is pure kitsch and is strangely one of the major aspects of the genre to have maintained throughout the years. Ska artists all wanna be in Oceans Eleven even in back in 1967.

Mastodon - Leviathan

If 17 year old me knew that in the year 2023 I was still going off about how much I love this album I think she would call me a slur and have a weird feeling about being called 'she'. I've liked this album for a while and the more metal I listen to the more I appreciate Mastodon. They are somewhere between being sludge, progressive, and death metal and they navigate that in-between with skill. The chugging skudginess can easily erupt into speedy solos and there is an abundance of complexities in the musical arrangements.

Leviathan is the second in a tetralogy that incorporated their first four albums each being themed after a classical element. Leviathan is a concept album about Moby Dick and therefore is obviously water. If their more aggressive debut is fire and the sludgier Blood Mountain is earth then Leviathan's status as water follows. The riffing crashes like waves and there are a lot more melodic flowing sequences that also suggest water. Although the album is more strictly focused on its Moby Dick themeing. Leviathan crashes forward with an intensity that is honestly too much to just call sludge metal but it never hits the level of screaming that you expect from death metal. In retrospect Mastodon have always been a very progressive metal act and I think this album in particular does the best at blending all of their different styles into one package. That said all four of their original albums, Remission, Leviathan, Blood Mountain, and Crack The Skye are worth a listen.

K.d. Lang And The Reclines - Absolute Torch And Twang

Oh so my son of a bitch brother is gonna be a bigger lesbian than I am by giving me a k.d. Lang album I've never listened to huh? Before she transitioned to a more lounge / jazz style k.d. Lang was a full on country western musician with her band The Reclines. Country music had been in severe decline for over a decade but somehow Lang avoids any of the pitfalls of her contemporaries. Instead she mines decades worth of country music blending rock influenced outlaw styles, singing cowboy western styles, and 60s Nashville sound into a monolithic style that celebrates the history of the genre without just being a period piece. And her voice is just astounding. She can sing tender love ballads and rollicking honky tonk numbers with equal ferocity. Her mezzo-soprano is maybe the richest I've ever heard.

Luie Luie - Touchy

Luie Luie is here to tell you about a new dance called the Touchy. This is going to be a bitch to explain. Luie Luie was an outsider musician from the 70s and understanding that he was almost certainly on the autism spectrum goes a long way towards understanding what's going on here. You see Luie Luie was a nightclub manager who thought that people didn't touch enough while dancing anymore so he tried to make a new dance called The Touchy that would encourage touching but with clear rules for how you were allowed to touch you dance partner. It's strange but all very well meaning. He managed to finance the creation of an album and so Touchy was born.

So after Luie Luie tells you that he's invented a new dance and that he plays all the instruments on the album and that every touchy starts with a "wild horn intro" we get a wild horn intro and holy shit he's actually a really good musician. The touchy is basically a mix of mariachi, funk, soul, and lounge music. The slightly offbeat sound and cheap production are wildly endearing especially when you understand this as a passion project that is composed, performed, and recorded all by one man. Luie Luie is a fairly talented multi instrumentalist and where his technical skills falter he covers with incredible ear for complex arrangement. Some songs like El Touchy make for fairly danceable music, although I would rather sit and listen than dance and touch if I'm being honest. Although special mention should be given to the track Touch Of Light for it's intense layering of up to fourteen trumpet parts creating an elaborate tone poem that recalls the works of Ligeti. I'm eternally baffled and grateful for the Touchy it is the rare piece of outsider music that is actually as listenable as it is intriguing.

Kumi Tanioka - Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles OST

Crystal Chronicles is such a weird mess of a game. It has an intriguing narrative structure, but the repetitive gameplay loop makes finding the plot tedious. Plus it isn't really fun to play at all unless you have at least three people with game boy advances and gba link cables. I beat it single player when I was a kid because I'm neurodivergent.

Soundtracks are difficult to review. Should you review it as a stand alone album, pretend the source material doesn't exist? You would be missing crucial context and anyway a soundtrack that does stand alone as an album probably didn't work that well as a soundtrack then. Well the answer for me is to realize everything has context. Nothing exists in a void. If you saw an album with blood and gore on the cover and the title in a death metal font and then the album contained folk rock your opinion of the music would be colored by that experience even though the cover has no effect on theusic. So let your understanding of this music be colored by the fact that it is the soundtrack to a GameCube game.

Kumi Tanioka is mainly just the Crystal Chronicles composer and that's a shame because she is extremely good. Final Fantasy games have a long history of using their music to heavily influence the game's mood, but that is partially because of the efforts of long time composer Nobuo Uematsu. Tanioka manages to outdo even Uematsu when it comes to heavily themeing the soundtrack. The Crystal Chronicles OST features music heavily influenced by a mix of medieval folk styles. Music that plays in towns and in roads will have aspects of Byzantine music while your hometown festival is very Celtic. Some tracks like Twilight In Dreamland show some influence from South American music too. The idea of a world music soundtrack to a game about trying to travel ever farther into an unfamiliar world is quite brilliant.

The music is also melodically beautiful. And catchy. There are tracks that you are severe risk of getting stuck in your head especially Annual Festival or the opening vocal track Sound Of Wind. A lot of games have a vocal pop track tacked somewhere in there and sometimes it does work (I dunno how FFXV pulled off a Florence Welch cover of Stand By Me but goddamn it worked) but usually it's just an out of genre pop song that doesn't mesh with the game at all. Sound Of The Wind is a great song that works as a pop song units own right but also sticks to the medieval themeing of the rest of the soundtrack.

You might not appreciate listening to this as much if you haven't played the game. And honestly I can't in good faith recommend Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, it's not a very good game. But this soundtrack is one of the ones I put on just to listen to and it is probably my second favorite Final Fantasy OST after FFIX.

[ohnobrooo]

He's just a lil guy 🥺 he was having a great time at the beach and then the haters started hating on him

He just wanted to have fun why they hating 😔 (absolutely adorable i hope to see more of lobster matt later if we can)

Literally!! He just wanted to catch little sea creatures in his bucket 😭

He didn't want to hurt anyone either. Hes such a sweet guy and he even said hello to the navy people. For real, they were just haters, poor guy💔

(Me too I also hope to see lobster matt again. Hes so cool!!)

[howlofhades]

Bear, Dipper and Irais being chaotic

Bear: *out cold on the ground*

Dipper: Oh my god, do you think they’re okay?!

Irais, holding a bucket of ice water: Who cares?! *dumps all of the water on Bear’s face*

-

Irais: Onion rings are vegetable donuts.

Dipper, used to Irais being dumb: Sure...

Irais: Your stomach thinks all potatoes are mashed.

Dipper: Okay?

Irais: Lasagna is spaghetti flavored cake.

Dipper:

Irais: Lobsters are mermaid scorpio-

Dipper: Jesus, that one is a little-

Bear, interested: No, no, Irais, keep going.

-

Bear: I will find us a covered wagon and horses.

Bear: If you two can manage to not kill each other while I'm gone.

Dipper: Oh, please. We're not children.

*Bear leaves*

Dipper, casually: ...Eat shit and die.

Irais, also casually: Yes, fuck you.

-

Dipper: Hey, Irais. Why did the chicken cross the road?

Irais: To get to the other side?

Dipper: You were supposed to say “I dunno, why?“

Irais: Uh... fine. I don’t know. Why did it cross the road?

Dipper: To get to the idiot’s house.

Irais: ...Ok?

Bear: Hey, Irais. Knock knock.

Irais: No.

Bear: You were supposed to say “who’s there?”

Irais: Fine... let’s get this over with. Who’s there?

Bear: The chicken.

Irais:

Bear:

Dipper:

Irais: Listen here you little shits-

-

Dipper: It's locked. You got a lock pick?

Irais: Yeah-

Bear: *kicks in the door*

-

Dipper: It’s Pride Month, you know what that means!

Irais: I get to eat as many Skittles as I want?

Dipper: What? No! What has Bear been telling you?

Bear, walking in, pouring Skittles into their mouth: Taste the rainbow, bitch.

-

Dipper: You know what bothers me? Bats. Why can bats fly?

Bear: Not again!

Dipper: No. Seriously, who gave them the right? They're mammals! Mammals walk on land, no exceptions.

Irais: Just wait until you hear about whales.

Dipper: What now?

-

Bear: I think I did fairly well on my anatomy quiz! :)

Dipper: I forgot I was doing a test.

Bear: Dipper .

Dipper: I said the vertebrae was the back stick because I thought it was funny....

Irais: Dipper.

-

Bear: Do you think different paints have different tastes?

Irais: They do.

Dipper: ...Why did you say that with such certainty?

-

Bear: Dipper, I’m afraid.

Dipper: Just stay close to Irais.

Bear: That's why I’m afraid.

-

Dipper, reading a recipe: Beat three eggs?

Irais: It means like in hand-to-hand combat.

Dipper: Ohhhh-

Bear: Both of you get out of this kitchen.

-

Bear: Dinosaurs aren't extinct. I mean, Irais is walking in this room.

Dipper: *wheeze*

-

Irais: How is spring not everyone’s favorite season? The trees are PINK, guys!

Bear: Allergies are also a problem, y'know.

Irais: But pink.

Dipper: And it's hot.

Irais: PINK!

-

Dipper: Some people are like slinkies.

Irais: What?

Dipper: Not really good for much but bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

Irais:

Irais: Please don't push Bear down the stairs.

Dipper, pushing Bear down the stairs: Too late.

-

Bear: Would you slap Irais-

Dipper: Yes.

Bear: I didn't even finish!

Dipper: Sorry, continue.

Bear: Would you slap Irais for 10 credits?

Dipper: I would do it for free.

Irais: Rude...

-

Dipper: How do you do that?

Irais: I'm fearless.

Bear: I saw you run from bees yesterday. You flailed around and tripped over a chair. It was both hysterical and sad.

Irais: I'm mostly fearless.

-

[of-twilight-and-moonshadow]

Dark Angel Interview: Emery

For my Dark Angel of the Bullet Club series.

I had previously asked for 'interview' questions for Emery, and I eventually got around to answering them. I'll do the same for Phoenix when I get a moment.

Tag List: @katries @summertimefun1982 @blxxckheart (If you want added to the tag list, let me know)

Food / Drinks She loves a wide variety of foods, only thanks to exploring so much with Kenny and the Bucks during her travels. Stir-fry is amazing, wontons, and some sushi. Just depends on her mood. Italian foods are probably her favorite overall- pasta, pizza and gelato. Seafood is amazing—but only crab, shrimp, and lobster. Emery doesn’t like much of anything else (Squid? Ew. Clams? Double ew.) Spanish cuisine is also really good; authentic is even better. She don’t really like super spicy foods though, it upsets her stomach; and she absolutely refuse to eat mushrooms or anything slimy.

Drink wise, mostly water or flavored water. Occasionally, she’ll drink sweet tea and some juices. Hot cocoa and coffee are amazing; Emery will never turn down stopping at Starbucks. Alcohol, she don’t really drink too much. She don’t like beers or wines—there’ve been a few fruity drinks she’s found that she likes, but only ever drinks 1-2 of them, and even then, there are months, sometimes almost a year in between drinking. She just doesn’t have the urge to drink a lot of alcohol.

Animals Emery absolutely loves dogs and cats! They’re her all-time favorites. There’s a lot of animals she likes; horses, dolphins, monkeys, turtles, birds—the list could go on.

The list of what Emery don’t like is much shorter and simpler. She could live without spiders, especially the larger ones. Mosquitos are highly annoying. Emery also suffers from ophidiophobia – irrational fear of snakes. She’s not been a fan of them for as long as she can remember. Bad experience as a kid.

Favorite Games This is a broad category, so let’s break it into chunks.

Video Games: Elder Scrolls are a big favorite of hers- mostly Skyrim and Elder Scrolls Online. Raft. Sims franchise. Resident Evil franchise. Mortal Kombat is always a favorite of hers. Racing games, wrestling games—she’ll try just about any of them.

Board/Card Games: Poker, Apples to Apples/Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, Clue – you name it, she will play it! Emery LOVES game night.

Places to Live/Visit She’s only ever lived in a few places. Emery was born in Colorado and lived there up until she was 18. After, lived in California for a while before making the long move to Japan. Now, she currently has an apartment in Florida.

Japan was definitely a top-list place, both living and visiting. The country is just so beautiful and the language is mesmerizing. Emery could listen to Kenny speak Japanese for hours and never tire of it. Italy is another place she has been lucky to visit; stayed there for almost four days due to a layover issue. Absolutely remarkable country, super nice people.

She’s wanted to go to England since she was a little girl—and has had a few opportunities to go, but unfortunately, something always comes up and Emery can never go. Maybe one day…

Favorite Music/Movies/TV Shows/Books Another broad topic that we’ll separate.

Music: Very open to different music- classical, pop, rock, etc. The only kind she doesn’t really listen to is screamo and most rap

Movies and TV: Supernatural is her go to; Doctor Who, Sherlock, Avengers, Once Upon a Time, CSI’s, NCIS’s, Criminal Minds, Forensic Files. She loves crime shows, magical/fantasy, and cooking shows. Also American Ninja Warrior. And don’t even get her started on anime.

Books: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter. Anything from James Patterson. And a bucket load of manga.

What does she look for in a guy Great body and a nice d---

Nah, just joking.

Emery is a sucker for blue or green eyes, and ‘long’ hair (something she can run her fingers through). Someone who’s funny/has humor, has a sensitive side, makes her feel safe and loved.

Common interests are always nice, but not exactly necessary. He does have to like animals though. That’s a deal breaker there—and she don’t mean snakes. If that’s the only animal he likes/wants/has then it aint gonna work.

Doesn’t have to be taller than her, but Emery does like being picked up and carried around. Piggyback rides are the best thing ever. She’s naturally cuddly and sometimes clingy, so he’s gotta be able to put up with that.

Don’t even get her started on accents or being multilingual.

Another key thing is, he’s gotta be able to help her through the dark times. When the voices and memories start getting to be too much and she start falling down the ‘rabbit hole’. His being able to help her through it, or stop it from getting bad, is definitely something she looks for.

Does she want a family? A family would be nice, but she’s not completely sold on the idea of childbirth. She saw her mother go through some complications with Emery’s little brother and the possibility she could go through the same thing (or worse) scares her. The idea of having a little body running around with her DNA and the DNA of who she loves though, is very tempting. Perhaps one day, with the right person.

What does she like to do on dates and for fun? It depends on the day and how she’s feeling. Sometimes a simple movie at home with popcorn, snuggled under a blanket together is more than enough for her. Or, another home date would be just playing games together, either video or board games. If it’s venturing outside of the home, then she’s all for going to museums, arcades, swimming (only at pools though- she hates swimming in lakes/rivers because the possibility of a snake slithering around her that she can’t see). Mini golf, walking through a park, window shopping, the zoo, or even going to an animal shelter and volunteering for a few hours. She doesn’t do sporting events too often, but for the right person, she would consider it.

(Unique) Nicknames she has for her boys. Kenny: Ken, Kenbear Nick: Nicky, Nemo, Nii Matt: Mattie, Minion, Nii Kyle: Kye, Kye-Rye Riley/El Phantasmo: Phasmo, Rye Damian: Damo, D, Papi Priest, Mi Hombre (my Man) Adam: AC, A-Bay, Chugathon Hangman: Cowboy, Hangy, AP Wheeler Yuta: Yoots Orange Cassidy: Cass, J (like Orange Juice/OJ—but just a J) Darby: Darbs Jay White: Switchblade, Switch Kofi: Koph/Kof, KK Finn: Finnabon Jeff Hardy: Nero, Jeffie Wardlow: Cerberus (3 headed dog, Greek Myth), Wardaddy

(Unique) Nicknames her boys have for her. Kenny: Ree, Angel, Angelface, Kitten Nick: Ree, sis, Matt: Ree, sis Kyle: Ree, sis Riley/El Phantasmo: Ree, shortie, Damian: Ree, Princess/Princesa Adam: Ree Hangman: Ree, Darlin’ Wheeler Yuta: Ree Orange Cassidy: Ree, R Darby: Ree, Cifer (Lucifer, a fallen angel) Jay White: Ree, Princess Kofi: Ree, lil sis Finn: Ree Jeff Hardy: Ree, Reno (Nero but letters are mixed up) Wardlow: Ree, Puppy,

Who started her main nickname, Ree? Kyle, shortly after he started helping train her back in early months of 2014.

[seabreeze2022]

Diving to 2,000 ft. in a homemade sub.

This is “Idabel” designed and built by Karl Stanley, Stanleysubmarines.com

While Lars and I were in a very goofy replica of a sub in the WWII museum in New Orleans. I asked if he wanted to go in a real sub. Without hesitation, he answered “Yes.”

I had heard of this tourist sub years before and it was always on my bucket list. So I searched the internet and found Karl. I emailed Karl and set up a date. He asked if I would bring some mechanical parts in for him, which I agreed to do.

In December of 2013, Lars and I took a day dive to 2,100 ft. in “Idabel.” This was the second sub that Karl had designed and built himself. What is his engineering degree and background you ask? He has a degree in English. But no degree in engineering, physics, metallurgy, or mathematics. Federal law enforcement knocked on his parent's door once trying to figure out what he was up to as a kid.

He was designing his first sub. Which now sits on the bottom of the bay behind his house in West End, Roatan, Honduras.

Stock photo of Karl and his first sub. As far as I know, it did not have any propulsion. Strictly buoyancy controlled.

If you are ever given the choice between going to the moon or diving 2,000 ft. below the surface. Go diving. There is nothing alive on the moon. At the extreme depths of 61 atmospheres (2,000 ft Sea Water), life has evolved into some very unique shapes and adaptations. Here at sea level we deal with 14.7 pounds of pressure per square inch on our body. At 2,000 ft. the pressure is 896 pounds per square inch. Only one percent of visible sunlight reaches to 300 ft. , and that is in the blue spectrum.

Stock photo from Stanley Submarines. This fish is pancake-shaped. Seen from below by a predator against an extremely low light at the lower depths there is no profile to give it away. Typical of fish at these depths are large eyes to take in the minimal amount of sunlight.

This is a tripod fish. They are blind and sit in the sand using their lower tail fin and two pectoral fins to hold position facing into the current. You will see a bunch in the same area all pointing into the current. They are about 6-8 inches long. When its whiskers feel an incoming meal they pounce on it.

This is the “Blunt-nosed sixgilled shark” they grow up to 20 ft. long. Karl in his early days tied hunks of meat on the front of “Idabel” and waited at depth for the sharks to show up. They would grab the meat and shake it furiously to get a bite of it. “Idabel” is only 13 ft. long. How would you like to have two or three of these sharks shaking your sub around like a rag doll?

We did not opt for the “Shark dive”, they are much longer dives. He has a 90% rate of seeing them.

These are crinoids. Fossilized crinoids are found in the bottom of the Grand Canyon, with little change to the crinoids of today. They feed on plankton with their feathery arms. When you watch these just outside the sub-window, their arms are constantly swaying around. The really interesting thing is they can walk. They will walk to the top of a rock to get a better flow of current. It would be like leaving your house in the morning and your sunflowers were on one side of the yard. When you came back home they were on the other side of the yard pointing at the sun. Crinoids can walk 2 ft. an hour.

This is the Giant Isopod. They are the cockroaches of the deep sea, the largest get up to 20 inches. Really wanted to see one but unfortunately did not.

The white curly things are brittle starfish. Having seen the photos before the dive I was shocked at how much constant movement they did. Constantly coiling and uncoiling their arms. I had assumed they were more static.

This red guy is a Squat lobster. They were everywhere. His lobster tail is very small and usually tucked up under the body.

While at 2,000 ft. Lars asked how dark is it here? I am thinking, “Noooooo!” Yep, all the lights on the sub were switched off. You could hit your face with your hand and never see it coming.

This is an Angler fish. They lay on the bottom and wiggle a small antenna around just in front of its mouth. When an inquisitive fish trys to take the bait. The Angler fish swallows it whole with its huge mouth.

This is a Dumbo octopus, maybe a foot across. Like most octopuses it scoots along by using it's legs and shooting water out of a vent. The unique thing about these octopi is it also has two ear flaps and seem to be swimming by flapping them like “Dumbo the elephant.”

I had asked several technical questions about the sub. Then I asked Karl if he was using Medical Oxygen to supplement the onboard air.

He reluctantly said, “No.”

I said you're not using Aviation Oxygen, are you?

He said, “No.”

You must be using Welding Oxygen then!

He admitted that he was using welding oxygen. Then he asked if I was building my own sub.

[bunjywunjy]

I known lobsters and shrimp can use their tails to burst backwards to escape predators, but are there any that use their tails to swim foreword? Kinda like what dolphins and whales do?

nope! and there’s a simple reason for that answer, no bones about it:

(sorry not sorry)

see, unlike our dolphin friend up there, crustaceans like lobsters and shrimp have to make do with an exoskeleton instead of an internal one! 

this offers plenty of benefits in their daily lives as worryingly large ocean bugs, including vastly superior armor and crushing claws, but exoskeletons unfortunately have one major drawback compared to an internal skeleton, and it’s a BIG one: muscle fibers have very limited attachment points!

if we actually take a peek inside one of our pinchy little friends, we can see that their tail muscles are pretty simple! the tail is divided into two halves, with the extensor muscle that straightens the tail on top, and the comparatively ENORMOUS flexor muscle that curls the tail inward on the bottom! 

now, compare that to our anatomical model dolphin friend: 

there’s a LOT going on there! muscles are anchored all over the place because they have a pretty much unlimited set of internal attachment points to choose from, making the dolphin’s tail capable of a whole range of up-and-down motion. 

tldr: comparing a dolphin tail to a crawdad tail is like comparing a toyota prius to the bucket-and-pulley system that you used to haul snacks up to your treehouse when you were a kid. sorry little guy!

(also, because of the muscle setup crustacean tail armor actually interlocks on the top half, meaning that bending the tail backwards actually breaks those plates and rips the animal open if you do it hard enough. they just aren’t made to bend that way!)

[nanbaka-82]

Imagine Matenro in a water park. Jakurai can’t do shit cus his hair is in his face but it’s so funny and every time the water bucket tips over he isn’t there anymore it’s just his hair. Like a curtain of hair. Also he’s tall and his hair would look funny so if the team loses each other they kinda. Use him as a beacon. He even needs to use the double floatie on rides all for himself cus he’s so tall lmao, but all in all he’s having fun (don’t tell him about the free fall he’ll give you an extensive report on the injuries you could acquire)

Fumi is having the time of his life, but his jacket is on and off so it’s kinda funny seeing him in swim trunks and his jacket on; but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, however when he’s only around his team he’s so happy and he drags Doppo down to the lazy River and they share a floatie and Doppo kinda just. Sleeps. Hifumi plays with his hair and swims over to Jakurai’s floatie and braids his hair too so it’ll be easier to deal with. Fumi also loves the snow cones/shredded ice and gets some for the whole team, (grape for Jaku, apple/berry for Doppo (little guy) and maybe Pina Colada for him)

Doppo in a water park tho? Guy’s a lobster he gets sun burnt So Fast it’s crazy. Hides under the umbrella, can’t get into the donut it KEEPS TIPPING OVER, he has a breakdown in the lazy River corner, Hifumi has to pull him out and pat him, also Jakurai got him special higher SPF sun protection (what’s it called??) and he still marvels over how easy Doppo gets sunburnt (Hifumi drew a heart on his back through the sun screen (???) and there is this heart with the lobster red DONT tell him he’ll pass out) but but Doppo absolutely goes CRAZY on the wave rider give him the board and he is riding those waves like a professional. Next day however he is all sore everywhere and he is so sunburnt he just sulks in bed all day he’s so cute.

Oh also they’re all so fucking pretty so all eyes on them but they literally could not be bothered (Doppo is about to cry)

[seastarryclouds]

Finders Keepers?

Crab sized Marcus X Gender neutral reader

You go looking for seashells on a hot day and find something way more interesting.

Once again feedback is appreciated and tell me if you see spelling errors.

Also! This is the design I am writing about if you want to keep that in mind, or don’t! make up your own Crab Marcus!

    It was a hot day, the sun seemed to be doing its best to cook the entire shore line. However, for you it was perfect. It had better be hot if you were going to walk up and down the coast looking for seashells. A simple dip into deeper waters could easily cool you off if you got too hot, and sometimes you would find better shells in the deeper parts. Even if the weather had been a little unpleasant, you had no care in the world considering the haul you were getting.

    A couple clam shells, a dozen turret shells, some pretty angel wings, a handful of rose petal shells, and even some elusive sand dollars. All of them in pretty good condition, hell you could maybe make some into a pretty necklace. That would require more seashells however, and you were determined to bring home at least two bucket fulls, and right now you were only halfway full with one of them. Which meant you still had a little ways to go. 

You kept your eye out and your neck angled down as you searched the sand, and then your eye caught something. Something very shiny. In awe you crouched down to get a better look. The shell was a beautiful navy blue covered in specks of gold. Its texture looked like it was smooth except for some little golden spikes that freckled the shell. Ecstatic at the pretty find you reach down and rip it from the sand it was buried in.

    Only to have it start screaming. It startled you so bad that you half dropped it only to catch it in your other hand. As you looked down you couldn’t believe what you were seeing. It was a little half-man, half-crab, or half-lobster. The shell that you were so entranced by connected to the top half of a man with wet black hair. Carefully you flipped the little man over in your hand turning him so you could see his front half. You didn’t know what to expect at this point but you weren't expecting the man-crab to have a little mustache, or sideburns for that matter. His eyes were brown with little flecks of purple in them, and they were staring wide back at you.

    That's when you noticed that he wasn't really moving, he was shaking in place but frozen looking up at you. Panicking, you gently placed him in your empty bucket, hoping that you didn’t just kill the tiny creature. Staring down at him you wondered out loud,

    “What are you?” That seemed to snap him out of whatever daze he was in, because suddenly he was on his little lobster legs and screeching up at you.

    “Let me out of here right now!” You couldn’t help but snort at the aggressive order. “Wipe that look off your face and release me!” he barked out. You couldn't stop the laugh that came out of you. He was so adorable for some reason in his angered state. “Don’t you dare laugh! Put me back into the water or so help me-”

    “You'll what?” you giggled, “Can you even get out of there to get me?” He clearly couldn’t, but you wanted to see him try. He sputtered in response, and started to try and climb up the smooth plastic. His little legs scurried, and his clawed hands scratched at the side to no avail. He even hopped a little bit, hoping he could get up closer to the edge. He let out a small little whine when he realized he couldn’t escape by himself. You smiled sadly down at him. “I don’t know what you are, but you are definitely cute.” This only furthered his frustration.

    “I am NOT cute! And for the last time, let me out damn it!” 

    “Hmmm…” Like a curious kid who just caught a fish, you didn’t want to let him go quite yet. You had no idea if you would ever get to see someone like this ever again. “You know what,” you smirked, “I found you, I might as well keep you!”

    “WHAT?” He screeched.

    “Yeah, you are a pretty little guy, and I don’t want to put you back just yet.” His face went pale as you lifted the bucket up and he lost his balance as you held it in one of your arms.

    “No,” He whispered “No no no no no, you- you can’t take me!”

    “Don’t worry!” you cheerfully giggled, picking up your other bucket and walking towards the roads that led to home, “Since we can talk to each other, you can tell me what you like to eat and I can give it to you. Oh! You can tell me what you find entertaining and-” You stopped your rambling when you looked down at the little man and saw his pleading eyes staring back up at you.

    “Please,” his voice was shaky and his eyes looked wet. His arms outstretched to you in a plea, “I'm begging you, put me back in the ocean, I-” One of his hands went to  his face, wiping his eyes. He looked back up at you, tears visible in his eyes, “I h-have a daughter, I’m the only one she has, please,” As you stared down at the poor crying man, you felt every ounce of you fill with guilt. Why did you think you could just steal him away from his home? He was clearly intelligent and it would make sense that he couldn’t just be taken from his home. From his family. 

    “Hey,” you said softly as you put your shell bucket down so you could reach into his, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t think, I didn’t even think about what or who I would be taking you away from,” You lowered your hand into the bucket and gently rubbed his wet cheek with your finger, “Please forgive me, I’ll put you back right now ok?” He nodded his head as he took your finger in his little blue hands.

    “Can you get me out of this bucket? It’s rather claustrophobic.” You smiled down at him.

“Of course.” You lowered your hand further into the bucket and he climbed into the palm of your hand. You lifted your hand out of the bucket and brought him into the sun. As you walked back down to the shore line you watched the little man swing his head around wildly, looking at his surroundings from his new point of view. You wondered if he had ever been out of the ocean, or ever this high up.

“I am sorry, again,” you whispered to him as you crouched down at the waves, “I guess I just got too excited at the sight of you. You are really pretty and unique.” You lowered your hand and he slowly scuttled onto the wet sand. He looked over his shoulder back up at you,

“Thank you…for putting me back… and apologizing, I guess…” 

“Um… before you go,” you nervously mumbled, “What, what do you call yourself,” He turned back to the water, and then back to you.

“I’m Marcus,” without another word he darted back into the water and disappeared beneath the waves. You watched him go with an open mouth. You meant to ask what he was called, a creature like him, half-crab half-man. However, you couldn't help but smile that you knew something personal about him. His name, Marcus, and the fact he had a daughter. How adorable. Staring out to sea you pondered if it was possible that you would see him again, or if this was a once in a lifetime experience. Just as you were about to get up, you saw a piece of shell sticking up from where Marcus had run into the water. Gently you picked it up, it was a tulip shell. Not just an ordinary one either, it was a sky blue with blotches of white, and brown bands spiraling around it. A rare find. You smiled down into your hands, even if you never saw him again, you at least had something to remember him by. 

[minty-mumbles]

To Honor, In Ink

Summary: While the chain is staying in the Karakara Bazaar, Wild heads off to Gerudo town for the day. He comes back sporting a new tattoo.

Author's Note: This was inspired by some people talking about the boys getting tattoos, specifically @gaylactic-fire. Really, only the second half of this is about tattoos... oh well

Read on AO3 Here

EDIT: You can see Wild’s Tattoo Here

EDIT 2: @bunnyambushed drew Wild's tattoo as well! Check it out here

~~~

The group had stumbled in the KaraKara Bazaar late last night. So late that it had nearly been morning. The entire group was exhausted. They had come across a particularly vicious pack of infected Keese a few hours before they arrived, and it hadn’t turned out well for them.

Keese, even the infected ones, weren't that difficult to take down. Unfortunately, there had been a lot of them. The swarm had been at least a hundred strong, and the old verbiage that there was strength in numbers had some truth to it. Especially when there were a couple bokoblins hidden in the swarm you didn't know about.

Sky had ended up with an arrow in his arm, courtesy of those same bokoblins. The rest of the group had been quick to take them down, and at that point, Time had given Warriors permission to use the fire rod that Legend had lent him. That had taken care of the keese nicely. Legend had to wonder why they hadn’t just done that in the first place.

He groaned, pushing himself up from his comfortable bed. Wild had taken one glance back at the exhausted group yesterday, and silently slid the extra rupees across the counter to pay for the extra soft beds. Usually, there would have been an argument about one of their own spending extra rupees on the others unnecessarily, but they were all too exhausted to care. Wind had already fallen asleep on Warriors back. Hyrule had been swaying side to side, and Sky was only staying upright because Twilight was supporting him.

No one had protested the thought of even more comfortable beds.

Legend had to admit, the extra soft beds did wonders. That had been perhaps one of the most satisfying nights of sleep he’s had since they had been at his own house in his own Hyrule. He had been sharing the bed with Four last night, which he had internally rejoiced at. Many of the others had a tendency to take up more than their share of the bed space. Four was the opposite, liking to curl into a little ball to sleep.

The small hero was already gone from the bed when Legend woke. In fact, most of the group was already gone from their beds. The only ones still in bed were Twilight, and Sky, who was awake and propped up in bed, reading a book. He’d likely been confined to bed rest by Hyrule, at least for the mourning.

They had managed to heal the worst of Sky’s injury, but it wasn’t perfect, and he would need extra rest to be up to traveling again.

Legend suspected that they would be staying in the Bazaar for a few days. Not that he was complaining. These beds were damn comfortable.

He stood, nodding at Sky as he put his outer tunic and boots back on. Clasping his belt around his waist, he stepped out into the morning sun.

The sun couldn’t have been up for an hour yet, but Legend could tell it was already shaping up to be a scorching hot day. As they were in the desert, that was to be expected. Legend predicted that most of them would be shedding their outer layers before noon.

He could see Four and Time over by some merchant stands that were set up in the shade of the tree. Four looked like he was haggling over some fruit, while Time was chatting with some other customers.

Wind was already in the water, swimming around like a dolphin in the shallow pool in the middle of the Bazaar. Warriors were nearby, keeping an eye on him, dipping his feet in the pool as well.

Legend looked around curiously, not spotting either the cook or the traveler anywhere. He swallowed the reflexive panic that rose in his throat. The champion could be reckless sometimes, but even he was not blasé enough to say someplace was safe when it wasn’t, and he had assured them last night that no one needed to stay awake to keep watch.

Anyways, none of the others were panicking at all, so it was probably fine.

And now that he was paying attention, Legend could hear Hyrule’s voice coming from around the corner of the building. As he rounded the corner to investigate, he found not only Hyrule, but also Wild, and a man wearing a frankly astoundingly large pack.

Hyrule was bartering with the man over what sounded to be the price of some bugs. Legend recalled that Wild had pointed this kind of bugs out to the group, and called them Cold Darners. Apparently, they were very useful in the making of heat-resistance potions.

Legend knew he was usually one of the only ones of the group that paid attention when Wild spouted off random bug facts. Not that the others were trying to be offensive, and Wild never seemed disappointed when no one but Legend was listening to his lecture about different types of fish or flowers

Legend figured that the information just went in one ear and out the other for the rest of the group. He, on the other hand, paid strict attention when Wild spoke about the natural flora and fauna of his Hyrule.

These portals were unreliable, and if Legend ever got stranded in Wild’s Hyrule without the champion, he wanted to be prepared. This was the kind of information that you wanted to absorb when you could. He knew from experience that he might end up thanking himself for it later.

Apparently, Hyrule had also been listening to what Wild had been saying yesterday, because he was now forking over enough rupees to buy enough of the bugs to make heat-resistance potions for all of them. Legend was impressed by his forethought. Legend himself probably wouldn’t have thought of potions until he himself was already halfway to sunburned.

As the merchant wandered away, Hyrule offered the bugs for Wild to store in his slate until they were ready to make the potions.

Wild waved him off, and the three started moving back to where the rest of the group, including a groggy-eyed Twilight, was gathered around the pool. “I actually have some things to do in town today. I have a few things I need to get, and I have an appointment I need to make. I had thought I would need to reschedule due to all the, well...” Here he gestured vaguely to the group, and the rest of them hummed in understanding. ”But, ehh, we're here, so might as well go…”

He trailed off, pulling out his slate, considering its contents. After a moment, he shrugged off his thoughts. “Anyways, you’ll want to keep a hold of those things yourself, Hyrule.”

Time spoke up from where he and Twilight had joined Warriors in dipping their feet in the pool. Twilight and Warriors had already shed their outer layers to try and combat the heat, and Time apparently hadn’t even bothered to put on his armor at all. “Do they have a leader you could ask about any sighting of black blooded monsters? You might as well ask while you’re there.”

Wild nodded, a smile overcoming his face. “Yeah! I’m on pretty good terms with the Chieftess, Riju. We go sand seal racing sometimes.”

“Well,” Time began, “take one of the others, and ask her, and then do what you need to after.”

“Ahh,” Wild winced. “I’m probably going to take a while, and you guys won’t be able to get in, remember? Women only.”

“So how do you get in?” Warriors asked, brow quirked.

Wild snorted at that. “You’ve already gotten a hint, though. It shouldn’t be that hard for eight heroes of courage to figure it out, should it?”

“Hold on,” Warriors protested, ”since when have we gotten a hint?”

That actually got a laugh out of Wild. “You’ve held what I’ve used in your hands before, Wars. Figure it out.”

With that, he tapped on his slate, dissipating in strands of blue light before Warriors could protest.

~~~

Wild was gone for most of the rest of the day. Hyrule sat down shortly after he departed, and made the heat-resistance potions, which everyone had been thankful for.

Legend had been right in thinking it would be a hot day. The Gerudo scattered around the plaza seemed unaffected, but all the Hylians were sweating buckets. By mid-day, everyone had shed their outer tunics. Those of them who were able to tan, and didn’t burn after an hour in the sun even took off their under-tunics to try and cool off that little bit more. Legend himself would rather not look like a cooked lobster, so he had kept his tunic on.

Many of the younger heroes joined Wind in the pool, as well as Twilight. (Legend sighed internally when he saw that, and braced himself for the inn to smell like wet dog that night.)

Wild was gone for both lunch and supper, and the only one who had been willing to cook was Hyrule, they had bought some fruit and pre-cooked meat from the stands, and made a meal out of that.

It had been decent, but not as good as what they had seen the champion cook before. Legend had particularly enjoyed the bananas, but when he went back to buy a few more, the seller had glared at him suspiciously. Eyeing the way she was fingering her blade, Legend decided to go with another slice of hydromelon instead. The seller calmed down after that.

Warriors sat around for a good hour or two, trying to figure out how exactly the champion was getting into town. Legend didn’t really care one way or the other, but the puzzle of what he was using to get into town was good, and Legend couldn’t resist a good puzzle. He had run through all the weapons he had seen Wild use, and the items he had in that slate of his but he couldn’t come up with anything. The paraglider, maybe, but Legend didn’t think Warriors had ever held that. Warriors wasn’t able to think of anything either, by his dejected expression.

After the worst heat of the day was over, Warriors convinced Wind and Hyrule to come try sneaking into town with him. Legend tagged along, eager to see what shenanigans the three would get into. The look Time sent him told Legend that he would also be bailing them out of jail if they got in any trouble.

They didn’t have any luck, and were back at the bazaar in time for dinner, Legend’s wallet thankfully as full as it had been when they left.

~~~

Wild only showed up after dinner was over. The sun had already set when he finally made it back. Legend wondered what had taken him so long. He had mentioned an appointment, but hadn’t specified, so the group was left in the dark.

Wild strolled leisurely into camp, and plopped himself down at their fire. Legend could see, even in the dark, that he had switched out of his normal clothing into something that looked much more appropriate for the heat, if a little revealing. He barely wore anything except a pair of pants and a pauldron on his shoulder.

“You took a long time,” Twilight noted, “run into any trouble?”

“Nah,” Wild shook his head, then changed the subject. “I didn’t see any of you in town. Couldn’t figure it out?” He shot a smirk at Warriors, who had to shake his head in defeat.

“He tried sneaking over the walls plenty of times,” Legend supplied, smirking. “They eventually placed a guard on him, so he had to give up.”

Wild gave a grin at the mental image of Warriors sulking while under the strict gaze of one of the gate guards. “I could have told you that. I can’t tell you the number of times I got thrown back over the wall before I figured it out.” Legend could have told Warriors that too. He had, in fact, but the captain had seemingly taken that as a challenge. Legend hadn’t minded, as it was amusing to watch.

Eventually, he had gotten bored, though, and had struck up a conversation with the guards, hoping to wrangle some information out of them. Unfortunately, the guards did not; have anything to tell him. They had just insisted that there were no exceptions to the rule, not even the Hero of Hyrule. They insisted that they hadn’t even seen the man in a few weeks.

When he told Wild this, he unexpectedly chuckled, waving him off. “Yeah, they would say that, wouldn't they? They definitely saw me, they just wouldn’t have told you. Besides, where else could I have gotten this done? The artist there is the best one I know.” He stood, turning to display his bare back, and the fresh tattoo that was inked there.

Wind was the first up, nearly bouncing in excitement. “Wow! Did it hurt?”

Wild laughed “Yeah, getting a tattoo hurts. Thankfully I don't have any scars where it’s placed, so it was easier for the artist, and less painful for me.”

The rest of the group slowly gathered around to admire the design. It was placed along the upper half of his spine, between his shoulder blades. It was relatively simple, as it would have to be to get it done in one day. Four colored spheres in a neat row, with an animal within each one. The top one was blue, with an elephant. Then there was a red one with a lizard, a green one with a bird, and the last yellow with a camel. Vines with blue flowers that Legend had heard Wild call Silent Princesses wrapped around the outside of the design. It was simple but elegant.

“I got it in memory of the champions,” Wild explained unnecessarily. They all knew the tale of the other champions and their divine beasts. The symbolism was obvious. “The flowers are Zelda’s favorite, but they're also, uh, common symbols of mourning....” Here, he trailed off, looking like he was lost in memories. Legend cringed.

Ugh, feelings.

Now Wild was upset. Legend never knew how to fix these types of situations, but as the silence dragged on with none of the others saying anything, Legend drew himself up to interject. None of the Links were particularly good with words, or subtle, and even those who were the best with words, like Warriors or Twilight, could stick their foot in their mouth easily.

This meant that they, more often than not, choose to leave the talking to someone else. Unfortunately, there was no one else this time, and one of them would need to break the awkward silence that was no doubt only making the champion feel worse.

“Wow!” Wind, bless his good timing, chimed in before anyone could say anything. “It looks so cool! I want a tattoo too. Granny said I could get on when I turned sixteen, but she wouldn’t know. Will you take me? Please!”

Wild, thankfully looking less uncomfortable, smiled at the sailor. “I don’t think that you’d have the time. I talked to the chieftess while I was there, and got some information about increased Yiga attacks. As long as Sky is feeling better, we’ll probably leave tomorrow.” When Wind sighed in disappointment, Wild pointed out “And besides, you weren't able to make it into the town anyway, and the tattoo artist doesn't do out-of-town appointments.”

“Oh, right…” Wind trailed off, obviously thinking of other places he could possibly fulfill his goal of getting ink injected into his skin.

Personally, Legend could see the appeal in getting inked. Wild’s designs were beautiful, and had significant meaning to him. Legend thought he might not mind having a small hibiscus flower tattooed somewhere.

However, he couldn’t imagine why anyone would willingly put themselves through the pain of getting a small needle jammed into them hundreds of times. It seemed like an unnecessary pain to go through, and Legend wasn’t one to intentionally put himself in pain.

When he said such out loud, Warriors laughed. “What, are you too tender-skinned for that?”

Legend scoffed. “Well, I don’t see you with any tattoos either, pretty boy.”

“I do have some,” Warriors smirked. “Just not where you can see. Army regulations.” He stood, stripping off his tunic. Across his chest, detailed in a bright gold that glimmered in the firelight, was the crest of Hyrule. On his back was a depiction of the master sword in black and white along his spine.

“That\’s impressive work,” Sky hummed. “Not many people get tattoos in Skyloft. The rocks we need to make the ink with are rare, so people don’t usually bother. Only a couple of people actually know how to tattoo.”

“That makes sense,” Warriors said, shrugging his shirt back on. “I guess rocks are hard to come by on a floating island. They're a finite resource.”

Wild nodded. “The tattoo artist I went to requires you to bring the materials that she needs with you. She‘s good enough that people come from all over to get tattooed there, and she can demand you bring your own materials. Mostly a lot of charcoal, but also some plants and other kinds of rocks to make the ink colored.”

Hyrule piped up from where he was sitting. “Do you have any, Sky? Being a chosen hero of Hylia seems like it would be special enough to warrant a tattoo.”

Sky nodded, but didn’t elaborate, and the rest of them left it be. When someone in the group didn’t choose to elaborate on something, the rest of them knew better than to push them. They had learned that lesson the hard way. Even something as innocent as a tattoo could have bad memories attached to it for the heroes.

“What about you two?” Wind questioned, gesturing towards Twilight and Time. “You guys both have tattoos, obviously.”

Time replied with a completely straight face, staring at Wind. “These aren't tattoos. They’re scars, a gift from a demon I… encountered.” He said it with such a blank face that Legend could see even Twilight couldn't tell if he was being serious.

“Ah.” Wind said, squinting at the old man suspiciously, before he seemingly decided that it wasn't worth asking more questions. He turned to Twilight. “What about you? Your tattoos actually kind of look like the markings on Wolfie. He’s your pet, right? Did you get them in honor of him?”

Legend couldn’t help but snicker as he watched Twilight trying to sputter out an answer to that.

Four took pity on Twilight, and started to show off his own tattoos to change the topic of conversation- a cluster of four swords surrounding his right forearm. Each had a different color gemstone in its hilt, Green, Blue, Purple, and Red.

As the conversation moved on, visions of small hibiscus tattoos floated in the back of his mind. Maybe getting one wouldn’t be so bad, in an inconspicuous place.

Putting yourself in pain on purpose did sound stupid. But Legend had done a lot of stupid things in the past. Getting a tattoo in memory of someone, to honor them, didn’t sound like it would even begin to stack up against the other idiotic things he’s done.

And besides, he’d been in plenty of pain before. He was sure he could handle a needle, right?

[kookicrumbs]

╰ pink love

pairing: jungwon x fem!reader genre: fluff word count: 2985 warnings; like one super minor curse word (hell)! just some cutesy stuff for ya today! summary: jungwon and y/n go on a build-a-bear date! a/n: i really wanted to do something sweet beacuse i love fluff a whole lot, so please enjoy c:

“Are we there yet?” I pout, tugging on Jungwon’s sweater. I attempt to sway him with my best puppy eyes, but he continues walking, pulling me along with him.

“This honestly reminds me of a movie,” He laughs out, “Since when did asking a million times get us there faster?”

I’m not actually that annoyed, but it’s fun to tease him. “What if this is all a movie? Ya think we can break the fourth wall?”

“I don’t know, I’d consider us powerful enough to. If this is a movie, I’m obviously the main character. Since you’re my girlfriend, you can be my sidekick!”

“Ohh, ha, ha, ha. If I’m the sidekick, pigs can fly.”

He puts on a shocked expression, pointing up into the air. “Did I just hear an oink all the way up there?”

“Shut up!” We giggle, shoving each other with our shoulders. Our footsteps match each other as we pad through the open-air mall. Warm sunlight drifts down, encasing us in a soft bubble of relaxation.

“Hey look, I think that’s it!” Jungwon tightens his grip on my hand and we take off towards the familiar shop. As we run, the eyes of other passerbys follow us, but I don’t take the time to feel embarrassed; life’s too short for that.

My legs are shorter than his, so I nearly trip several times. The universe is totally watching out for me today though, because we manage to arrive at the store’s entrance without suffering from a single scratch or bruise.

The Build-A-Bear logo passes overhead as we make our way inside. We are still glued together, buzzing from the excitement of our date. We’re going to make bears for each other! With any other guy I might have found it cheesy, but when Jungwon suggested we do it, my heart fluttered in a strange way.

“Hello! Welcome to Build-A-Bear Workshop! My name is Kiana,” A sunny looking lady welcomes us with a large smile on her face. The cute bobble headband perched on her hair seems to wave at us as well. “Will you two be needing any help today?”

Jungwon throws one arm over my shoulder and presses me tight to his side. His dimples peek out playfully as he responds. “I think we’re okay right now, we’re gonna make some bears for each other. This is my girlfriend!” He looks so proud as our eyes meet, and my stomach twists. Even though we’ve been dating for one and a half years now, whenever he looks at me like that, it feels like the day I first met him.

We’d been at the movie theatre, not together, but coincidentally there on the same day. Jungwon was sitting in the seat in front of me with a couple of his friends, while I was there with my own. His buddies were being idiots and throwing popcorn and other snacks at each other, when a whole bucket came flying at me. Being my easily scared self, I screamed and jumped backwards, simultaneously kicking my legs out and up. It took a few seconds to realize that my feet hadn’t collided with Jungwon’s seat, but instead his head.

I’d been absolutely mortified, and my friends’ muffled laughter didn’t help with that. I’d expected a huge tantrum from him, considering his friends seemed the type to start a huge fight over it, but his reaction was the complete opposite. In fact, he was apologetic and blamed it all on the buffoon who launched the snack at me.

I immediately caught feelings when he laughed and complimented my kick; apparently he knew taekwondo, and he thought I’d be good at it. He got that from a poorly done, unaimed kick to his own skull. To this day, I think I knocked something out of place there, but what can ya do.

Regardless, we ended up exchanging numbers, which is something that confused the hell out my friends and I. A month later, we started going out. I’ve dated some questionable people, so getting the chance to be with someone like Jungwon is a dream come true for me. Another plus, I finally get to check “Build A Bear date” off of my date idea list!

“You guys look adorable together!” Kiana gushed. My cheeks heat up, but not in an awkward way. “We have all our plushes over there. You can take a look and pick one, and then we’ll get that all filled up for you.”

“Thank you!” Jungwon and I say at the same time before strutting towards the plushies.

“We should split up so our bears, or whatever we pick for each other, stays a surprise! Okay?” I’m already looking at each option, and I begin to wonder how I’m ever going to pick just one.

“Since it looks like the queen has already laid claim to this particular piece of territory, I’ll go browse the accessories so I can get your plush decked out in a gorgeous outfit.” He winks and makes his way to the rows of plushie-sized clothing.

The variety of options is amazing. There’s the classic bears, but there’s also other cute things, like lobsters, giraffes, and seals. I’m a sucker for the classics, so I want to pick out a bear for Jungwon.

Two specific bears are in a fight for my love. One is a simple vanilla color with rainbow sprinkle accents, and the other is a pink bear with heart shaped ruffles. Oh god, do I just… buy both? No, that’s be stupid. Eeny meeny miney moe, a classic just like the bear.

I’m not disappointed when my finger lands on the pink bear, meaning I made the right choice and won’t have to switch to the vanilla bear out of a previously hidden lust for it. Awesome.

I peek my head around the aisle and still see Jungwon sorting through racks of outfits. In the time I’d spent picking a plush for him, he grabbed a basket and began filling it with stuff I couldn’t make out. Comfortable with the fact that he isn’t looking, I sneak over to the filling station, the pink bear clutched tightly in my hands.

“Hi! I’d love to get this guy filled, please!” The man working at this station has a name tag that reads, “Jordan”, and he looks equally nice as Kiana.

“Good choice,” He leads me to a filling spot. “Are they for you or for someone else?”

My chuckle causes the worker to smile. I reply while he gathers a few items. “My boyfriend and I came here for a cute date, so it’s for him! This one is super cute so I had to get it for him.”

“Aww, I’ll have to write that down. I'm sure my partner would find it a great idea too!” Jordan sweeps his arm across in a grand gesture, showcasing the variety of hearts and other button-looking objects that sit before him.

“Would you be interested in adding a sound to your bear? You can pick from any of these or you can record your own.”

I pick quickly, sure of what I want to do. “Mm, I’d like to do a recording, if possible. Make it extra special, right?”

“Of course, let me grab that for you and you can record your message!” He gets the heart and let’s me know what to do. Once again making sure Jungwon is not nearby, I record my message and hand it back to Jordan. He puts it in the bear, a small smile playing on his lips. Did he hear me?

“Alright, perfect. Any scents or are you ready to stuff?”

I choose a sweet raspberry scent and get the bear stuffed. It’s fun to push the pedal and see the stuffed animal become plumper, until I finally fill them all the way up. Hugging it feels like hugging a cloud.

I thank Jordan and hide the bear behind my back as I go to the dressing area. Jungwon seems to have moved on, as I spot him at the plushie picking station. I wonder what he’ll get me. Knowing him, it’s going to be adorable.

His eyes meet mine and I suppress a squeal, making sure the bear is out of sight. My strange salute makes him smile and he turns back to picking a plush for me, but not before making sure I won’t look while he gets one.

“So, what would you wear…” I whisper to the pink bear. He seems fashionable and needs something that fits his personality.

Each outfit makes me want to curl up and scream. They’re all so cute and tiny, and I can’t help but want to grab a whole bunch. I create outfits in my head, imagining each on the plushie. Letting the bear try them on seems like a step too far. Instead, I pick up a white button down shirt, pressed pants, little shoes, and a pair of heart shaped sunglasses from my pile and get to dressing.

Putting everything on the pink bear proves to be a struggle. “Come on… tuck in your tummy!” The bear’s legs don’t want to squeeze into the pants I picked. Looks like Build-A-Bear needs more size options. After a somewhat graphic commotion involving lots of pulling, pushing, and whispered yelling, he is finally clothed.

“Jungwon better like what I picked because I don’t think that’s ever coming off.” I brush off my shirt and hope that no one was watching my heated argument with an inanimate object.

I swiftly finish up the washing part of the process, which consisted of pressured air being blown at my plush. I enjoyed seeing the bear’s fur waving around luxuriously. It really fit his vibe. I end up having to consult an employee about what to do next since my amnesiac brain likes to forget simple things: it’s naming time.

After I scan the pink bear’s tag, a naming screen is brought up. I’m given suggestions like Mr. Cuddles, Tiny, and Snuggles, but I choose to make his own name. What do I name you?

Maybe Love? Too plain. Bear? Way too basic. Pink? Pinky? I clearly don’t get around to naming things very often. If it hadn’t been for my siblings, I would have named our dog Cat.

I rack my brain for anything. At this point, the next thing that pops into my head is gonna be his name. No turning back. And my brain provides. Sir Loves-a-lot is inexplicably forged in the depths of my mind, and it shall be the name of this honorable bear.

I imagine a knighting ceremony for Sir Loves-a-lot and enter his name into the computer. It goes through and I get a printed certificate with his name on it. I’m extremely excited to give him to Jungwon and see his reaction.

Jungwon seems to be finishing up at the washing station, so I pay and wait near the entrance of Build-A-Bear. I swing around my finished bear, which is tucked neatly into a bag so Jungwon can’t see it yet. Our date is soon to reach its peak: when we get to see our finished products.

“Hey! Look what I have!” Jungwon skips over to me in a playful manner. His joy envelops me as he gets nearer. His eyes are alight with what looks to be the same thing I’m currently feeling. Is it love?

I show off my bag, my competitive side instantly coming out. “I’ve got yours right here too! If you want to see it… you’ll have to catch me!”

Adrenaline shoots through me as I take off running, Jungwon quickly shifting into a quick runner. My laughs impair my speed as I hiccup and yell, Jungwon’s voice matching my own. We both giggle like idiots while our shoes run thin on the hard ground and our bags crinkle with the whip of the wind.

“Got you!” Jungwon takes care not to throw me onto the ground, instead grabbing my shirt and pulling me to his chest. He lets out an umph as I knock into him full force, still reeling from the sudden shift in direction.

“Jungwon!” A shriek of laughter explodes out of me as we tumble to the concrete with a soft thump. No one is around as we breath off our fit of giggles, still in a heap.

“Looks like my bear made it.” He lifts up his unscatched bag. “Can I say the same of yours?”

A strike of fear hits me, but quickly dissolves when I see my bag looks fine. “I am pleased to report that Combat Bear Number 2 has survived.”

“Combat Bear Number 2? Don’t tell me that’s his name. What a mouthful!” He puts a hand to his chest and sighs dramatically.

“Don’t be stupid, I named him Sir— wait! Don’t try and cheat!” I softly whack him on the shoulder, earning a look of faux-sadness.

“Ouch. But you named him Sir… something. What a noble name! Of course, nothing but the best can come from you.” He holds out the Build-A-Bear bag. “But I’m actually dying to exchange these, so swap?”

“If that isn’t the most relatable thing ever.” I hand him my bag and he gives me his. “You can open mine first!”

“Ooh, don’t mind if I do.” He eagerly opens the bag and pulls out the tissue-paper wrapped bear. The material easily comes off and he holds it up. His eyes seem to glow with delight.

“Oh my gosh.” Jungwon swipes at Sir Loves-a-lot’s fur, fascinated by the heart-shaped ruffles. “He’s so cute! His clothes are... so tight,” His face betrays his confusion, and I snicker as he speaks, “but he looks hella fashionable! I really hope mine will live up to these standards.” He seems to get nervous so I hold his hands to try and calm him down.

“What do you think I named him?”

His mouth shapes into an “O” and he pulls out the certificate. His previously timid face transforms immediately as he reads it.

“Sir Loves-a-lot? Why?! So cheesy but so good!” He crumples onto himself, his head coming to a rest between his knees. I’m overjoyed by his reaction and I press forward to hug his side.

“I love him so much. I’ll cherish him forever.” He looks at me pointedly, almost like he’s trying to tell me something. He switches course though, gesturing to the bag that lies at my feet. “Now open yours!”

I cross my legs to get more comfortable, and I open the bag, wondering what he made for me. My heart dances when I see what he chose. It’s a blue bear with stars in her fur and white wings protruding from her back. I didn’t even see it when I was picking my bear for him.

“Woah…” I hold her up, noticing a soft scent coming from her fur. When I lift the bear up to my nose, I can detect citrus. “Jungwon, you made her smell like lemons! I love lemon… and—and look how pretty! All the stars, and the color… she’s perfect.”

I look at the certificate, all bright and new, and see her name: Mrs. Lovey. Mrs., not Ms.

Jungwon looks at me innocently. “What do you think, am I making my point clear? The future is never far away and I—”

I can’t help but turn away as I feel a prickle in my eyes. Never will I ever cry on a date.

“Awww! Don’t cry, you’ll make me cry!” Jungwon leaps towards me, catching me off-guard. I end up falling backwards with a yelp, but he throws his hand under my head and catches me before I can slam into the concrete.

We stare at each other for what seems like hours but is in actuality only seconds. The silence is loud, but Jungwon slices right through it when he whispers to me, “Is this a kdrama?”

“And… off!” I sit up, hugging my bear closer to me. I’m overwhelmed by Jungwon’s confession. He wants us to really stay together. As in, I’d be his “one”.

“Is—is that what you want too? It’s okay if not, I’ll understand if you wouldn’t be ready, even in the months it would take to get there, unless sooner is better, and I—” He rambles, more emotional than I am, before I put a finger to his lips.

“Yeah, it’s what I want too. I think we should go with your plan, um, wait a little longer since we’re so young and I don’t want to scare my parents.” That earns a laugh out of us both. “But the answer to “would I want it?” is definitely yes!”

Jungwon hugs me tightly, squealing in my ear. I squeal right back, suddenly lighter than ever.

“Dude, I want to say something. Yep, here I go. I— I love you!” Jungwon yells out to me, loud enough to wake up everyone half-way across the world. My heart expands when he says it. I want to scream it back and kiss him under the blue sky, but he continues speaking.

“Okay, look, even though I would have totally respected you for saying you wouldn’t want what I want, I’m feeling so relieved right now. Like whooh! I could jump off a plane! Ride the biggest wave! Sir Loves-a-lot here would come with me, wouldn’t you?” He high fives his bear.

I’m confused when his eyebrow raises. “Did you put a sound in him? Why didn’t you tell me?” Truthfully, I’d forgotten too. However, I smirk as I remember what I recorded.

“Press it.” I urge him to push on the bear’s paw, and he does, putting it near his ear so he can hear it better. The clear sound of my voice comes through, bringing waves of pink, soft love to both Jungwon and I.

“I really, really love you.”

[pedalnorthvatome]

Maine delivered on our last day of riding.

I was up and sitting on the porch at the Inn by 6am. I saw a flock of ducks landing and taking off on the river. I also saw a seal pop up as it swam towards the sea. The sun was bright, the sky crystal clear, and the air brisk at around 50 degrees.

Philip and I took our time leaving. We had a slow breakfast, several cups of coffee/tea, and even napped a little. We were waiting for the temps to get just a little warmer. Besides, our ride was to be our shortest at about 32 miles. We actually extended it from 26 miles to take the scenic route through Cutler.

Last day’s route.

After our goodbyes, we were on the major road to Lubec for about a quarter mile. We made a right turn over the Middle River and onto the Cutler road. Very quickly the views started to open up. It was low tide so we were looking at mostly empty marshes and later mud flats and the sea beyond. Traffic was light so it was easy to pull over to take pictures and admire the view.

Middle River behind us. 1/4 mile into our day.

Tide was out. Hope you can zoom to see the ocean in the distance.

Yes, that is a car on the mud flat. Zoom to see the guy digging for clams next to the car.

In the harbor town of Cutler we saw about a half dozen trucks with trailers loaded with lobster traps. They were waiting for their turns to roll down the ramp to the water to load their boats. We didn’t see any actual loading. That would have been interesting considering it was low tide and I couldn’t figure out how they would transfer from trailer to boat. Regardless, the harbor made for some good sightseeing.

First view of Cutler harbor.

Cutler pano.

After Cutler we spent more time away from the ocean views. The road was smooth and without traffic so we made good progress. At around mile 22 we stopped at the Lubec town line as the “ten miles to finish” countdown began.

We came into town on a major road but had no issues. I think we cling to the outskirts of town so I have yet to see is Lubec is quaint. Whether or not, it’s water views are simply spectacular!

Along the way I saw a sign the said Canada with an arrow point the way. We followed it and in a couple minutes we were at the border. Done. All that was left to do was celebrate at the only open restaurant in town.

Philip completes his coast to coast, Key West to Canada.

I complete my longest bike tour and visit Maine for the first time.

I’ll wrap today’s blog by saying that we did meet several interesting people in the restaurant. One woman, Sarah, said that doing a ride like ours was on her bucket list but time and money were an issue. We told her to just do it. She was also thinking about starting a foundation for other people who want to do adventure trips but can’t afford it. She wanted to call it the Now Or Never Foundation. We suggested a different name… The Now NOT Never Foundation.

Cheers!

Last addition to the beer list:

Johnson Bay IPA - Lubec Brewing Co. - Lubec, ME

[ff-imagines]

General headcanons: Boston lobster

Ugh... he’s so pretty.... I’m gonna cry....

• Phew ok

• Getting this asshole to like you isn’t actually that complicated

• He’s not really ever gotten praise, care, or positive attention.

• He’s mainly had to be either a tool, or he’s had to be a leader.

• His brothers and sisters see him as invincible, but you know better.

• So you treat him better.

• At first he’s very hostile towards you, your kindness makes him more so because he genuinely believes you’re just trying to get his guard down so you can hurt him.

• Ofc he’s wrong. The fact that you’re persistent about being nice to him proves that much.

• Seeing how you treat others with the same kindness is what really gets his attention though.

• That surprisingly includes how you treat other humans, not just food souls.

• He might not like humans but he knows how you treat others attests greatly to you as a person.

• You prove to be respectful when it’s required, as well as when it’s not.

• He hates that he admires you for that.

• I think that Boston would really start to catch feelings really hard once he’s seen you at your lowest.

• They say you never truly know someone till you’ve seen them at their worst

• It’s also a chance to return the support that you’ve given him

• He doesn’t like humans, but he also doesn’t like feeling indebted

• He’s actually really good at giving advice, he’s seen and experienced just about every kind of pain anyone can endure, chances are that he knows your struggle intimately.

• He speaks softly, and lowers himself, trying to make you feel less intimidated by the big scary lobster man who normally wants to break your kneecaps

• It will most likely be you who makes a move first because falling in love with a human is already hurting his pride, admitting it? Unprompted?? Lmao, no.

• Dates with him are away from people.

• Doesn’t always mean you’re stuck at home, he loves stargazing!

• But…. takeout and Netflix are always very solid plans.

• Look me in the eyes and tell me this man doesn’t enjoy soap operas, I dare you.

• You turn one on and he bickers about it being stupid and then it’s an hour later and hes on the edge of his seat worried about whether Samantha will accept rich guy Rodgers marriage proposal or will she run off with her true love joseph

• He also loves…

• Gardening!

• He’s actually got a surprising amount of skill!

• He’d die before he told anyone but he loves growing flowers the most

• He loves daffodils, red roses, and dahlias!

• Hes drawn to moonflowers as well, theres something ethereal about watching them open in the moonlight.

• Tried to grow a lotus outside once, almost gave up after one of the pads started wilting but then he noticed something

• A little frog chillin out on one of the pads

• He felt he needed to at least try to keep the plant alive because he didn’t want to get rid of this frogs new house so

• He gave it his all and now the frog has a very nice looking home!

• He hasn’t named it yet but he does call him “hoppy” with a level of affection in his voice

• You once caught him talking to the frog after you heard his deep threatening voice say “so, hoppy, how does the water feel today?”

• Made you swear on your fucking life not to tell anyone

• He’d really love to grow something with you, honestly.

• It’s a very peaceful hobby and he feels a great amount of pride in watching the plants flourish.

• Will 100% throw dirt at you while gardening

• Boston is very very pleasant to cuddle with during winter!

• You just… have to catch him first

• He will most likely be basking face first in snow without a shirt bc “He just got too hot”

• Getting him to cuddle is a task bc… you’re very warm and he’s already always sweating buckets

• He LOVES the cold but is sad because all his outdoor plants die :(

• (Yes he brought the lotus inside, hoppy stays on his lotus pads but sometimes you catch him chillin out on Boston’s nightstand)

• Will cuddle if you pout hard enough

• He’s pretty tall so it’s very easy to tangle yourself against his chest.

• He might grumble and complain for the first few minutes but honestly he adores the affection.

• After he’s done pretending to be mad he settles against you by keeping his legs tangled with yours and tucking your head under his chin, running his fingers through your hair.

• Doesn't like being little spoon. Even when he’s upset and needing comfort he likes being in control.

• Doesn't like when you’re out of sight, and he’s easily jealous.

• Whenever he feels the person you’re talking to is getting just a little too friendly he’ll straight up pick you up and walk away with you

• His little moments of jealousy are the only times you can take control, giving him affection in order to reassure him and remind him you love him too.

• Words aren’t easy for him. He appreciates someone he can be in a room with, and just bask in their company, not saying much, just relaxing in comfortable silence.

• He’s a man of action, affection actually comes surprisingly easy once he’s sure you’re serious about loving him and not gonna bite.

• If you touch his antennae his left shoulder twitches

• He also gets mad at u lmao

• If you ever “accidentally” pull them he lets out a loud squeak

• It doesn’t hurt him, feels like when you hit your funny bone

• He will chase you if you even try lmao

• His face is very expressive when he sleeps, you can tell quickly when he’s having a good dream and when he’s not

• He’s… normally not.

• Running your fingers along his collarbone is weirdly comforting to him, so if his face is scrunched up in his sleep you can lightly trace along his chest and ease him without waking him

• Sometimes Boston will have random moments where he seems distant.

• Not necessarily mean, but he’s very clearly distracted.

• Honestly just sitting nearby him, not pushing for conversation as much as just making him aware that you’re here for him, that’s what comforts him.

• He'll come to you in an hour or two. The longer you’re with him, the more he shares.

• Sometimes it’s worries about his brothers and sisters, sometimes it’s venting about memories from the past, sometimes he’s just not feeling as strong as usual.

• Sometimes it’s about you, how he worries about you more than anyone he’s ever met.

• Boston is a big scary mean old man. But he cares about you more than life itself.

• He hates to admit that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

[eastertag]

double date gone wrong

@gordonthegreatesttracy gift for @godsliltippy

—

“This is Jeff Tracy of International Rescue. How may I be of assistance?”

Scott lets out a sigh, his father has been back in their lives now for eighteen months and this never gets old. Hearing his voice every day, listening to his stories from his eight years in deep space and just being able to go to him with any problems. Scott is no longer carrying the weight of four younger brothers’ problems on his shoulders.

“Dad, it’s John”

Scott’s heart skips a beat. John is supposed to be on holiday, a relaxing two week break away from the stresses and strains of international rescue.

“Go ahead John” Jeff replies, concern deepening the wrinkles in his forehead, his eyes focusing on the screen and the boy who has just popped out of the hologram projector on his desk.

“There has been a cave in up on the north end of the beach. Gordon and Penelope are both trapped and it is all my fault. We need Scott and Virgil. Now” John insists.

Scott is confused. How did that happen?

*TB*

Twelve hours earlier

“I could get used to this life” Ridley says to John as the pair lie under a shady umbrella on the beach looking out at the waves.

John smiles happily “I know what you mean, as much as I love Thunderbird Five just lying here with you makes my whole world feel complete”

Ridley smiles back and snuggles in closer, her head resting on his chest allowing her dark brown hair to flow loosely around her shoulders.

Yeah this is definitely the best holiday she has ever had.

The pair have just drifted off to sleep when a sudden shadow falls across them. Opening one eye, John groans at the sight in front of him.

“Hey bro, miss me?” a voice calls.

“No” John replies. “Why are you here Gordon?”

“Well Lady Penelope, you know, my girlfriend and I are here for a conference with the new ocean preservation society and I have been chosen to give the keynote speech” Gordon informs him, sitting down on the sand next to him and making himself at home.

“That does not mean that you are allowed to interrupt my afternoon, I took this vacation to get away from international rescue!” John reminds him.

“I was going to offer to take you to dinner, sort of a double date. I even swiped Scott’s credit card for the occasion but if you are going to be rude…” Gordon tails off.

“Okay fine” John replies, unwilling to miss out on a free meal!

“Awesome, meet me at the Grand Hotel in an hour” Gordon replies before walking away.

John makes it over to the designated hotel and is shown to a table set for four where Lady Penelope is sat awaiting their arrival.

Getting up she greets both warmly, smiling as she gives John a welcome kiss.

“Where is Gordon?” John asks looking around.

“You expected him to be on time?” Lady Penelope says with a grin.

Ridley is watching the friendly exchange with a dark look crossing her eyes. The pair are a little too friendly for her tastes. She reaches out and puts her hand on his shoulder possessively feeling anger rising up in her chest when he shrugs it off.

Does Lady Penelope need all five Tracys for herself? Surely she should be happy with the one she did snare and leave John for her?

“How many minutes late do you think Gordon is going to be?” Lady Penelope asks.

“Ten, shall we put a bet on it?” John replies laughing.

“Okay. I will say fifteen” Lady Penelope replies, she too is laughing.

“How about you Ridley?” John asks, turning towards her.

“Finally noticed that I am still here have you?” she says snottily.

“Excuse me?” Lady Penelope replies indignantly.

“Stop flirting with my boyfriend” Ridley says, her voice is low and menacing.

“WHAT?!” Gordon calls from behind Ridley’s head.

“She was flirting with your brother” Ridley says, rudely pointing to Lady Penelope.

“She has a name” Gordon says, equally rudely as he takes his seat next to Penny. “And she can flirt with whoever she wants, one I trust her and two she always returns to eat at home!”

John chokes on the bread stick he has just bitten into. “Ugh too much information Squid”

“What do you think we do at bedtime? Play paint by numbers?” Penelope adds grinning and wrapping her arms around Gordon’s shoulders and kissing his forehead.

John turns to Ridley. “See you have nothing to worry about, Lady Penelope has been one of my best friends since I was nine years old and we spent our first summer on the Island but her heart belongs to Gordon”

Ridley isn’t happy and she isn’t convinced, but she knows better than to show her hatred and jealousy of anyone who has the ability to take John from her and knows that she has to change the subject before the afternoon is ruined.

“What is everyone having for lunch? I hear they do really good lobster here”

Gordon untangles himself from Lady Penelope’s embrace to glare at his brother. “No. John you know that I am going to leave right now if anyone even think about eating an innocent lobster. The way they drop them into boiling water, I can’t John”

John does know. Remembering the time Gordon convinced Alan to break into a restaurant in California with him and free the lobsters back into the ocean still makes him laugh. The anger of their father and the unrepentant attitudes of his two younger brothers who only declared that they would happily to it again if they got the chance. Gordon doesn’t believe in killing and eating sea food! “Lobster is off the menu” he confirms with a reassuring glance at Gordon.

“Okay fine, I will have the grilled chicken salad” Ridley says after briefly studying the menu.

“Same” Lady Penelope adds.

“I will have the steak, rare, with the beer battered onion rings and chips” Gordon orders, tapping the screen in front of him to add his order.

“John?”

John is still reading the menu, nothing appeals to him but he knows sitting and watching his brother eat steak will make him hungry!

“I will have the steak too. Well done though, I don’t want it to still be mooing!”

The atmosphere starts to thaw out once the food arrives. Ridley watches Lady Penelope closely and she finds herself relaxing as she watches her with Gordon. Gordon is the one she really wants, maybe she did get it wrong.

“Hey John, can we get another bottle of wine?” Gordon asks. They have already consumed two full bottles and all four a little tipsy.

“Scott is paying, go ahead!” John replies with a grin.

“How did you get Scott’s card?” Ridley asks.

“Simple bit of swiping and using Alan as a distraction. You know when he was first born I thought that I would hate having a younger brother, but he definitely has his uses!” Gordon replies smiling before ordering a third bottle on the ordering app.

“Tell her about the time you talked him into painting Scott’s room pink” John says laughing.

“Oh yeah that was a classic!” Gordon laughs. “He was on a mission with Virgil in the artic. Something about the northern lights, I forget exactly what happened on the mission, but while they were away I had Alan paint Scott’s room neon pink. The trick to framing someone is to make sure you have an alibi”

“How to break the law, with Gordon Cooper Tracy” Lady Penelope breaks in.

“Ooh, I can use that as the title for my autobiography!” Gordon says.

Even Ridley laughs this time.

*TB*

“Okay so you guys stole my credit card and spent over eight hundred dollars on food and wine and Ridley got jealous, I don’t understand how Gordon and Lady Penelope getting stuck in a cave is your fault.” Scott is flying thunderbird one as fast as he knows how to get to their location while John tells the story.

“I am getting to it” John says rolling his eyes.

“Then get to it faster, what happened after dinner?”

*TB*

“Where are you guys going now?” Gordon asks.

“Well seeing as you interrupted our sunbathing session we are going back to that” John replies.

“Can we come?” Lady Penelope asks. “Make our double date last all day. It would be good to get to know you better Ridley”

Ridley allows herself a smile, she is feeling silly about her jealousy of the closeness between John and Lady Penelope. “It’s okay with me” she says happily.

“Can we build a sandcastle?” Gordon asks, once they have found a spot in the sun and have spread out towels.

“A sand space station” John suggests with a grin. Ridley nods enthusiastically.

“Can we make it a competition?” Gordon asks. His naturally competitive nature which helped him win an Olympic gold medal bursting out, his amber eyes are lit up in delight.

“Okay, but what is the prize for the winner?” John asks, he too has always loved a contest and he is not about to turn down a chance to beat a brother.

“The winner gets to decide where we are going for dinner, and can have Scott’s card to pay for it” Gordon fires back.

“You’re on fish face” John replies.

While the boys negotiate the terms of the competition, Lady Penelope and Ridley lie back on the beach towels talking.

“How did you meet John?” Ridley asks.

“We spent the summer together on Tracy Island when we were kids. That was the summer Gordon tried to feed Kayo to a snake and all they all got lost in a tropical storm” Lady Penelope replies.

“He tried to feed Kayo to a snake?!” Ridley exclaims in shock.

It is Gordon who answers her. “Yeah, but she deserved it. She was being mean to Alan and no one gets away with picking on my little brother but me. Toes passed away last year, but I went to visit him as often as I could after he got injured and had to go and live in a sanctuary in Australia”

“Toes?” Ridley asks.

“Yeah, I named him toes because he doesn’t have any” Gordon replies smiling.

John stops any further reminiscing by interrupting with the contest rules. “Okay we are ready. Rules are as followed apart from construction supplies you are not allowed to purchase anything. Scott will pay for the supplies. That is the only rule!”

Gordon nods, his teeth gritted in anticipation of a battle. “Sure, lets go. Pen RUN!” he shouts pointing over to the stall selling buckets and spades, while he wrestles John to the ground. “Eat sand Johnny!”

“Get off me!” John splutters, swinging his legs round and causing Gordon to fall who laughs as he gets back up onto his feet and looks around.

“Hey, where did the girls go?” he asks John.

“No idea, if you have frightened off another one of my girlfriends Fish-Face then I swear I will feed you to a shark” John replies rolling his eyes.

Gordon grins happily. “You know that is how I want to die right?”

“Excuse me?”

Turning round Gordon and John come face to face with Ridley and Lady Penelope who are both carrying bags with buckets and spades and looking at the boys as if they have never met them before.

“You want to be eaten by a shark?” Lady Penelope asks, her bright blue eyes are twinkling with amusement and she has momentarily forgotten their contest.

“Yep. If my death has to happen, then of course I want to be shark food!” Gordon replies. “My other life ambition apart from International Rescue and the Olympics has always been to be eaten by a shark”

*TB*

Scott is laughing despite the seriousness of the situation. His brother has always been crazy, but being eaten by a shark? Really Gordo?

“John, I am only minutes away now, please skip to how they got into the cave” Scott says, as he crosses over the coastline and starts to scan the beach for his brother’s location.

*TB*

Gordon and Lady Penelope’s “Sand Mansion” is a work of art. Virgil has always been the family artist, but Gordon has his own style that is shining through as he uses seaweed and shells he has gathered to make cladding and windows for the building. He has even added a moat and filled it with water.

Sitting back to admire his handywork, Lady Penelope runs her fingers through her hair, getting her nails tangled in her wet salty locks, but she doesn’t care. Not here with the only man she has ever loved. Watching with interest as the scarred muscles on his back heave with the effort of lugging buckets of water over for his moat. She knows that he is lucky to be here with her and not buried in a watery grave. Lying back on her towel, relaxing as the sun starts to sink down below the horizon causing the sky to glow and cast the beach in a red haze.

“Are you nearly done?” she asks him, aware that he has gotten carried away and isn’t even aware that she is still here!

“Nearly. But there is something missing. We need a flag!” Gordon replies, not even looking up from his masterpiece but jumping up onto his feet.

Gordon finally turns to Lady Penelope “Come on let’s go exploring for a flag”

Hand in hand the two walk past John and Ridley’s effort: a replica of thunderbird five including a gravity ring held in place with stray sticks they have found littering the sand.

“Hey it’s pretty good” Gordon says “Not as good as ours but not a bad effort big bro!”

“Thanks for the compliment Fish, where are you going?” John asks.

“To get some more stuff for the mansion, I would invite you along but you’re the competition!” it is Lady Penelope who answers him.

Ridley giggles. Finally realising that John and Lady Penelope are just friends, she can relax. John is hers and he knows it. Reaching out across their shared towel she curls into his side her head resting on his chest, as if the last seven hours have never happened. John has never been happier than he is right now. he has the woman he loves, and his brother is finally leaving them alone!

“Hey Pen, how about in here? we might not find a flag for the mansion but it is private!” Gordon says pointing out a small cave mouth in the hill at the edge of the beach.

Penny knows Gordon well enough to know why he wants the privacy! Grabbing his hand she drags him into the cave before throwing her arms around him and planting a kiss on his forehead her hands already moving to the drawstring on his shorts as she pushes him down onto the floor of the cave, neither caring about the wet and slimy ground as they are the only two people in the world.

“We can add this to the list with Thunderbird One and the Fire Flash” Gordon says laughing. “I thought Scott was going to murder us both when Virgil spilled the beans on that one!”

“Mmm. Have I told you recently just how much I love you?” Penny replies.

“No, tell me again!” Gordon replies with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She doesn’t get the opportunity to speak however as there is a loud bang near by which sounds like a small explosion. Rocks rain down on both their heads and Gordon lies across Penelope desperate to protect her from harm. The cave is plunged into darkness as the entrance collapses. They’re trapped.

Finally the earth stills and she feels able to get up, only Gordon doesn’t move. His dark blonde hair has been dyed with the sticky red blood seeping from a wound in the back of his head. There is a brief moment of relief when she realises that he is still breathing but it doesn’t last long.

There are only two words running through her mind. Over and over again. Get. Help. Not wanting to move in case she causes further damage she manages to get to her phone calling the number that has never failed.

*TB*

John is starting to drift into a comfortable and relaxed sleep when he is suddenly bought back to full consciousness by Ridley’s urgent prodding.

“Wha’?” he mumbles sleepily.

“Your phone” Ridley replies, handing it over to him.

Flipping open the receiver Lady Penelope’s face pops out of the hologram transmitter. She has a cut above her right eyebrow which causes John to gasp in shock. “What happened?” he asks now wide awake.

“C-c-cave in. Gordon hurt. Help!” is all she can say, unable to stop the flow of tears.

John doesn’t ask for further details he is already on his feet, running down the beach, his bare feet burning as they beat down on the still warm sand as he races towards his brother’s weak life sign, followed by Ridley.

Coming upon the cave John let’s out a swear word he would never be brave enough to say in front of Grandma! It is buried.

*TB*

Lady Penelope is sitting on the floor, a deep cold has penetrated her heart and soul and she can’t stop shivering. Blaming herself for being so stupid for getting them into this situation she strokes a stray hair from Gordon’s face. His skin feels cold and his eyes are still tightly closed. Using the hand that isn’t stroking his hair, she takes his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze so he knows that he is not alone. That she has him, and she always will.

Gordon starts to squeeze back, his fingers closing ever so slightly and if she hadn’t been concentrating so hard she would never have felt them. This is the only way that he can let her know that he too is still with her.

*TB*

Outside in the warm evening air Virgil and Scott have arrived. Landing their respective Thunderbirds on the beach further away than they would have liked on John’s orders, as the ground around the cave is unstable and any further movement could cause even more damage.

Virgil drives a mole pod across the sandy terrain with Scott in the back up to where John is standing with Ridley.

“I have worked out the weak spots, use the drill through here” John tells them not even stopping to greet his two elder brothers. “I have spoken to Lady Penelope and Gordon has a serious head injury. You have to be careful in there”

“How did this happen?” Virgil asks. Looking around at the devastation on the beach, which has quickly been evacuated, and has been left covered in litter and stranded towels and beach umbrellas.

“According to the chief of police, there was a car crash, and the fuel ignited and caused the vehicle to explode. Luckily everyone was out of the car when it happened, but the shaking of the ground caused a minor earth tremor, which caused the cave in” John replies he knows that it was more complex than that, but he doesn’t have the time to go into details.

Virgil nods his face focused and determined on the task ahead of him. slowly he starts to drill at the solid rock formation in front of him, nervously he jumps at every noise, concern about further rock fall. The drill with the path John mapped for him makes the progress through the rock smooth and steady and in less than two minutes he is through.

He finds Lady Penelope still cradling Gordon’s head and to his relief his brother is awake.

“V-V-Virdy” Gordon stutters his whole body is shaking with the cold.

“No don’t speak, I will have you out of here and nice and warm and toasty soon just don’t move okay fish”

“Okay I w-w-won’t. Want to be e-e-eaten by a s-s-shark” Gordon mumbles, his eyes are glassy and unfocused.

Scott climbs out of the mole and starts to pull out a foldable stretcher. “Okay Fish you need to keep as still as possible, but this is going to hurt a lot” Scott tells him, as he slides the two halves into position under his body and clips them into position, apologising when Gordon lets out low painful moans as his feels his big brother manoeuvre his arms and legs before strapping him into place, leaving him feeling like he is in a straight jacket “Ready?” he asks but doesn’t give him time to answer as he nods to Virgil and they both pick up either end of the stretcher and place it on the flatbed attachment to the mole and lower the cover to keep him safe before they turn around and leave the cave which so very nearly became their tomb.

*TB*

“Jeff, they’re all going to be fine. Gordon is made from steel and you know he has been through worse. Stop fretting, Scott, John and Virgil know what they are doing” Grandma tells him, having watched her son pace the living room in frustration at not being able to help for the last hour. She too is terrified that something awful has happened, the longer the communications remain stoically silent.

“Why did I let him go? I should have known agreeing to let him go on that double date would end in disaster, from now on no dating off the island” Jeff decrees.

“But dad, I don’t even have a girlfriend how can I meet someone if I am not allowed of the Island?” Alan asks.

Jeff pauses his pacing and turns to look at his youngest son. “You are far too young to worry about that, you’re only eight”

Alan splutters indignantly. “Dad I am nineteen!” he reminds him.

Jeff is stopped from any further “decrees” when Virgil calls in. “Virgil, finally.”

“We have them dad, we are heading back to the Island. Prepare the sick bay” is all Virgil says before ringing off.

“You heard your brother, go” Jeff demands on Alan who scarpers from the room followed by both his father and Grandmother.

*TB*

Twenty-four hours later Gordon is sitting up in his bed propped up on several large white fluffy pillows, but he is in no pain thanks to a steady drip of morphine trickling into his arm. All four of his brothers are sitting in armchairs around him. there is a thick white bandage wrapped around his head, and he has been expertly stitched by Virgil and Grandma.

“Is this the first time I have fractured my skull?” he asks Virgil.

“Yeah, but it is not your first concussion so you young man will be remaining in that bed until I am satisfied that you are okay” it is grandma who answers him.

Gordon pouts briefly before he brightens up again as his sunny personality never allows him to remain down for long. “Can Penny stay with me?” he asks hopefully.

“You did say no more off the island dating dad” Alan reminds him.

Jeff eyes up his two youngest who are both giggling. “Sure, but you aren’t staying in the same room!”

“That’s okay we will just sleep in the cave in the cliff edge!” Gordon replies grinning as all four of his brothers simultaneously give him a face palm.

“I think on that note, we will let you get some rest” Grandma says herding his brothers out and leaving him alone where he snuggles down under the blanket and lets out a large yawn, the deep fatigue he has felt for the last day is bone deep and he can’t keep his eyes open for long.

Out in the sun Lady Penelope is sitting by the pool with Ridley, the small cut above her eyebrow has been covered with a plaster with dinosaurs on, which were chosen by Alan. “No offense Ridley, but I am never double dating with you and John ever again!”

[bowerbirdboy]

The Raylla Wedding

Alright it’s been a tough couple of days, guys. We’ve still got a few more to go. So we here at the MFS Research Institute were joking around on discord with some concepts for the Raylla wedding and I thought it was important to share (I’m turning it into a coherent list rather than our tangental crackheadery). Much credit to the other big brains behind this, including @smallfrost @likethefoximalwayschanging @useless-les-bien and Gabs (who I unfortunately don’t have the tumblr url for)

- First off, they’re doing this right. Five years is for wusses, our girls are in it for life. 

- They propose on the same day. Raelle’s been planning it out for weeks but Scylla beats her to it. Raelle’s plan was to build her something cute and hide a ring in it. Scylla, however, from across the room sends her a sexy weird Necro palm DM that says “will you marry me?”

- Scylla asks Edwin Collar (the absolute love of all of our lives) for Raelle’s hand in marriage (not because a man needs to give away a woman of course, but because Raelle is a proper southern gentlewoman and Scylla wants to do this right for her). After being with Raelle she’s grown to respect and even like some civilians, starting with Edwin who she was obviously grateful for because he created and raised the love of her life. He can tell how much she loves his little girl and it reminds him of him and Willa. He says yes immediately and they have a tearful hug. 

- The theme: sexy weird/macabre and the ceremony would be a cultural mix between a civilian wedding and a witch wedding.

- Tally is the Maid of Honor and Abigail is the Best Man (okay so perhaps my love of Ramsweather leaked into this just a little bit). Abigail would try to write a nice speech, but it would sound a little something like “Your love constantly made Raelle late to training and almost made me flunk out of basics. Nice going, Necro.” 

- Gerit would arrange a beautiful bird procession to be the “flower birds”. They would all be Bowerbirds, of course, carrying blue flowers.  

- While they would have matching wedding bands, in the actual ceremony they would slice open their palms and hold them together so their blood flows as one. Neither of them would want to heal their cut, matching scars are just another expression of love. This may also turn into a linking ceremony and the scars may be used as a form of communication.

- Gerit would then turn to Tally and ask worriedly “we don’t have to do that at our wedding, right??”

- Izadora would officiate and bring her own knife.

- They’re getting married in the middle of a circle of mushrooms grown out of a circle of dead birds. Them singing the mushrooms into existence would be symbolic of their union bringing life to the world. 

- Scylla is then stressing about where she is going to find 75 recently dead birds. While she tried to go out in the forest to look, Raelle came with her to “help”. They ended up making out on the dead birds. Gerit is now in charge of bird collection. For the birds’ sakes. 

- Edwin walks Raelle down the aisle. He’s so proud of her. 

- Instead of throwing a bouquet, Scylla will pop a death cap and whoever tastes the spores first is the next one to get married. Which is super 100% safe and healthy. Just make sure the civilians don’t get too close. Or anywhere near it at all. Actually they should maybe just wait outside while this is happening.

-There would indeed be lobster at their wedding. And champagne.

- They give away sacrificial knives as the wedding favor. Izadora slyly takes three. 

- Instead of throwing rice at the happy couple, everyone throws weapons at them and the newlyweds have to escape unscathed to prove that they are meant to be. Tally and Abigail have to sit Raelle down beforehand and remind her that she’s the best healer they know and if she does anything reckless they may not have someone with the power to fix it. Tally would try to throw a knife or two but her heart wouldn’t be in it. Abigail’s aiming to give both of them some nasty bruises for making her sit through a weird wedding with dead birds. Izadora would be trying her absolute hardest and have a full bucket of throwing stars. How did she get a full bucket of throwing stars??  

-  If you watch the episode closely, we will all have a cameo. Hint: look at the circle of dead birds. Don’t five of them look strangely... human? 

There’s so many more possibilities and characters to write in, I had a dozen pop into my head just while writing this all down. But for now, this has been an MFS Research Institute production.