#this guy is a SHOWOFF! AND hes full of himself!

[keo-k]

I THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE BUT MARIK REALLY DOES HAVE THE TIGHTEST LEATHER PANTS ON AND HIS WHOLE ASS MIDRIFF ON DISPLAY HUH

also the way thief king bakura opened his jacket to show marik his millennium ring? im sat here like "am i watching yugioh or am i watching a porn parody"

[fire-fira]

I am not sure how much you are into analysis but I want to ask. Do you think raph isn’t as good of a fighter compared to his brothers? because I have a feeling either he’s holding back when sparring with them over fear of harming them or he’s not as good as them.

Anon, you just made my day because this gives me an excuse to nerd out at length. (Though apologies that it took me so long to get this fully written out and posted.)

Disclaimer before I launch into it in full: to fairly compare Raph to his brothers I'm going to do a brief run-down of the three of them before breaking into the full details on him. A lot of this is built on extrapolation from details in various canons and at times might edge toward headcanon territory, though I'll be trying to stick with what's actually present.

With that out of the way--

Comparing Raph to His Brothers

So to start with, I can only fairly do this deep-dive by briefly touching on each of his brothers before getting to Raph himself. I'll say upfront that I think it's less a question of which one is the "best fighter" and more that they're each different types of fighters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and which might land any of them in the position of "the best" depending on the circumstances.

Leo

Strengths: This is an extrapolation based on various iterations (2003, 2007, 2012, 2014/2016, ROTTMNT, 2023, Batman vs. TMNT, and a little bit of the IDW comics), but Leo strikes me as a tactician-- as the guy who can extrapolate to fifteen different possibilities for the outcome of a fight and fifteen steps ahead of everyone else on each of those possibilities. At his best he knows how to play to his brothers' strengths, put them where needed, and let them go to do their own thing. He's also persistent and willing to put himself through his paces over and over again until he 'perfects' what he wants to learn how to do. As a "traditional" (romanticized) example of a warrior, he is the golden boy of the family. Rise Leo might be a little less likely to get every step 'just so,' but most iterations of him aim to be as flawless as possible in terms of his combat skills. In his ideal world, he will never have a misplaced swing of a sword or inflict any damage he doesn't intend to. That depth of knowledge and highly-trained skill can be damned terrifying for his enemies if it's taken to its fullest extreme.

Weaknesses: His perfectionism and desire to get things 'just right' is a double-edged sword. In the 2003 series it got wrapped up in his PTSD and the need to never make a critical mistake again (which... didn't work out well for him-- hi, shades of Raph at his worst); in the 2007 movie it led him to think his efforts to learn how to be a better leader weren't "good enough" and kept him away from home for two years; in the 2012 series it led him to ignore critical injuries and try to bully himself into being 'better' (when realistically what he did during the farmhouse arc probably would have permanently destroyed one of his knees); in the 2014/2016 movies it led him to temporarily damage his relationship with his brothers by spilling over the worst of his internal perfectionistic vitriol onto them; and in Rise it at times has turned him into a showoff who'll act without letting the others in on his plan (which can backfire horrendously in a worst-case scenario) because if he does it without telling others what he's going to do, then he gets bragging rights if it works out like he planned. Underlying all this is what could turn into an unmanageable case of anxiety depending on the version of Leo and how personally stable he is, as well as how susceptible he is to ruminating over where he feels he went wrong. To say nothing of how many versions of Leo have a GIANT self-sacrificing streak when it comes to their families. Under the right circumstances-- and if someone really intended to make it hurt-- they could easily play all that against Leo and get him to freeze due to overthinking. (Though getting him to that level would take an extreme case and some severe emotional damage to weaponize his guilt.)

Speed: OKAY. Here's where things get a little more cut-and-dried in my opinion-- if a fight is down to just speed anyway. Leo might be pretty neck-in-neck with Raph in terms of speed, maybe just a touch faster due to (generally) being more lean-built than Raph. Leo's not a tank; yes he can fight in close quarters or mid-range and hold his own, but if he can then he tends to be 'slippery' about it. He's not going to batter away at an enemy if he can spin out of range before darting back in and dodging whatever hits he can. If it's just a matter of speed without any other factors involved, then there's a good chance Leo will win in a fight against Raph. If it's a question of strength and endurance though... Well, I'll expand further on that when I get to Raph.

Adaptability: This is something that is absolutely dependent on which version of Leo we're talking about and how hung up that version is on his plans without taking the general chaos of life into account. 2012 and 2014/2016 Leo both are guilty of getting so hung up on the idea that their approach to a combat situation is the right way that they fail to plan for the fact that their brothers' ways of doing things isn't their way of doing things. Which blows up in their faces spectacularly sometimes. IF it's a version of Leo who's more likely to fail to take into account his brothers' differing styles, then Raph might easily play that against him and deliberately do things Leo would find unpredictable (though probably not as much as Mikey, lbr). For versions of him that are better about knowing that his own approach isn't the only/'best' approach, then Leo would be better able to roll with whatever Raph throws his way, within reason.

Combat Style/Approach: Mid-to-close-range, tactician, and definitely NOT a grappler. Yes, his skills and training have him moving with muscle memory when he needs to, but even so, there's a split-second awareness of what his opponent(s) could do and instinctively reacting based on what he's met with. A lot of that means he has to be free to move and avoid getting held in place, or things might go bad quickly.

Donnie

Strengths: No matter which iteration of Donnie you're talking about, you're generally talking about an engineer who's able and willing to casually heft up and carry around a car engine with his bare hands. And considering (with a quick google search) it looks like the average car engine weighs anywhere between 300 to 700 pounds, that alone is proof enough that no one in their right mind would ever want to be punched by Donnie. And considering there are instances where he's able to temporarily support the weight of himself and his brothers (a couple of scenes in the 2003 series are what immediately come to my mind, but that's just my favorite iteration showing itself) it's proof that he has that strength not just in his arms. To give you an idea of just how much weight that implies he can lift, here's a size and weight comparison of some of the largest turtle species currently living.*

Notice anything? Like how... Oh... I dunno... a 4-foot-long Loggerhead sea turtle can weigh up to 400 pounds? Or a 3-foot-long Leatherback sea turtle can weigh 550 pounds on the light end? (Note: this is not meant to be snarky or condescending, just a simple statement of fact that all signs point to these boys are fucking HEAVY.) And that huge amount of weight relative to their body size seems to be pretty consistent among turtle species from what I've seen with my digging around. Which logically implies that the same holds true for these boys, and if we play fast-and-loose with the idea that we can roughly translate length to height... well... For general weight of the boys, I tend to assume at least 200 pounds, at least for those under and up to about 5-foot-tall. For the 2014/2016 set I might even suggest somewhere between 400-500 pounds-- but roughly comparing weight to size with that table of large turtle species, I'm probably severely underestimating their weight all across the board. Being generous, hypothetically saying all four of the 2003 turtles are about 240, that then means there are moments in the 2003 series where Donnie is temporarily lifting around 960 pounds, including himself. AND THAT MIGHT BE A SEVERE UNDERESTIMATION. Terrifying, right? So yes, Donnie is unquestionably strong as hell and maintains that strength by working on his various projects, and a full-force hit from him would land someone in a hospital-- if they're lucky. The other main thing working for him is that he's a tech genius. No, he's typically not as rigid or disciplined in his training as Leo is, but if he has access to tech and distance then he has a whole host of weapons and traps he can bring to the party (something which Rise Donnie excels at in spades). Raph's a much more physical direct-confrontation fighter, but Donnie has the capacity to turn entire environments against his enemies, depending on the means he has at his disposal.

Weaknesses: For better or worse, Donnie's primary personal strength-- the one he leans on above all else-- is his intellect and being able to puzzle things out. And again, he's an engineer: yes he can lift and move that terrifying amount of weight, but he's usually not doing it at speed. (Because let's be real, moving heavy and potentially very breakable machinery is not something you want to do quickly when you want to be able to use or repurpose said machinery.) He's not a slouch when it comes to his ninjutsu training, but there's a reason why the concept of Donnie pulling the 'I'm too busy to train right now' is a widespread fandom concept. It doesn't necessarily mean that he's not 'as good of a ninja', but more that he's not a 'traditional' ninja and has had to adapt things to his preferred methods. Yes he has a lot of physical strength, but he prefers to keep a distance from his opponent(s) if possible. Doing so, having that distance, gives him more time to plan and respond-- because unlike Leo, a lot of iterations of Donnie don't have that ingrained ability to read the possible actions their opponent(s) might take and respond on a dime (or at least not to the same level). Raph's tendency to brute force things-- something which Donnie technically could do but clearly does not like to-- might be somewhat unpredictable for him, especially because that puts Raph in close and doesn't give Donnie as much time to respond as he would like. All that said, Donnie could technically win a fight against Raph without his tech if he pretty much said to hell with fighting and decided to do an imitation of an octopus. At the very least he could probably hold him in one place if he was quick enough and managed to get Raph's arms pinned. And somehow kept him from walking. (It wouldn't be a dignified win, but it might still technically be a win.)

Speed: I'm gonna be honest, I do not think speed is on Donnie's side in comparison to his brothers. If he really makes an effort (rather than just going his own route and pursuing his interests) he'd probably be able to keep up with the others going at full tilt for a little while, but he'd probably tire out first. A lot of the work he does due to his areas of expertise is fairly sedentary, and frequently he needs to move with slow and deliberate precision. There's a lot of fine muscle control involved in that kind of work (especially if it involves maneuvering something heavy), but being able to consistently do that doesn't automatically translate to being able to do something similar at high speed. But that's okay, because if he has the distance and varied means of attack he needs, then he doesn't have to worry about keeping up with his brothers for an extended period of time-- it just has to be long enough.

Adaptability: If it involves tech or computer systems, Donnie's ability to adapt to a situation is unparalleled. Give him unrestrained access to an unfamiliar and shiny (and incredibly pervasive) system and he'll be able to make it seem like a tech apocalypse is targeting one specific person if he wants to. If it's a head-to-head physical fight though, it really depends on how desperate he is or how much breathing room he has (or both). If he's frazzled and panicky then there's the possibility he'll miss several opportunities or potential tools and, in a worst-case scenario, he might freeze. (An extreme example of this is how Rise Donnie gave up fighting the crab men when his tech failed, after all his brothers had already failed in that fight.) If he has time and space to think then he's practically unstoppable, but if he doesn't have that breathing room then chances are things won't end well for him.

Combat Style/Approach: Distance fighter, brain-over-brawn, could be a grappler if necessary but uncomfortable enough with it that it might work against him, might as well dub him a 'trap master' for the little surprises he might leave in his wake if he's feeling spiteful. He's a schemer, but not a chess master.

Mikey

Strengths: If there's one thing that can be said for Mikey it's the fact that most versions of him are innately gifted at picking up kinesthetic knowledge, to say nothing of the fact that he tends to be the most spiritually gifted of the brothers. In fact in several series (2003 and 2012 off the top of my head, though I'm certain it may have popped up in others) it's briefly mentioned that if Mikey really buttoned down and was completely serious about his ninja skills he would outclass Leo-- which means that he can naturally slide into the level of skill Leo has worked for years to achieve without even really thinking about it. If he wants to. And most of the time he doesn't want to. (Too much responsibility being that serious, so who can blame him?) However, his not constantly going at the equivalent of Level 99 in a videogame in fights isn't necessarily a detriment to him, because he has other ways to stay true to himself while giving himself an edge. Like being annoying on purpose. And knowing how to aggravate the hell out of his opponents until he tricks them into getting sloppy. Until he tricks them into giving him easy openings they should REALLY know better than to give him-- and would if he hadn't deliberately torn their nerves to shreds. If it's not obvious, I'm saying versions of Mikey like to play mind-games, and if they really want to they can be vicious about it and make it HURT. (Though again, most versions of Mikey are more invested in goofing off and playing around than being outright vicious or serious.) The point is, if he finds a mental opening that sticks, then how invested he is in winning the fight will dictate how serious he is about exploiting that weakness. To say nothing about how creative he can get when he really wants to be.

Weaknesses: The downfall of a lot of Mikeys is how distractable a lot of them can be. (I won't say this is a universal fact because I'm a big fan of there being variation among different realities, but a lot of Mikeys definitely being ADHD doesn't help. How well said version is able to compensate probably also varies.) So depending on the circumstances and the environment, Raph might be able to play that distractibility against him. (Buuuut that would require Raph to play mind-games, and most Raphs aren't the 'mind-game' type.) Plus, for better or worse, it takes a LOT to get most versions of Mikey to the point where he's ready to say 'Fuck everything' and throw everything he can into ending a fight right that second.

Speed: Mikey is, in my honest opinion (and based off most of the series and movies I've seen), the fastest of the brothers-- bar none. Which means if he tore off at full speed with the intention of skipping a fight entirely and just making Raph chase him, Raph probably would never catch him. Until after he wears down anyway. But if he zipped off and found a good enough hiding spot, then he could probably avoid Raph for a while. In a fight, because of his speed, there's a good chance that Mikey might be able to get in more hits than Raph, but that comes with the risk of getting in close to Raph-- and that can easily work against him in very short order.

Adaptability: Mikey's adaptability is through the roof. Most versions of Mikey, you can throw damn near anything their way and they'll roll with it in such a way that they land on their feet while their brothers are still scrambling for stable footing. There's also the fact that he's a very lateral thinker and able to apply concepts from seemingly unrelated sources to scenarios many others wouldn't even think to combine-- and he does so to his advantage. So yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, given enough room and space to work with (and not panicking), then there's a good chance Mikey's going to catch Raph off guard with something he'd never expect.

Combat Style/Approach: Close range, flighty, dart in-range to hit and then dart back out of range, mind-games and making his opponents angry to the point of getting sloppy seems to be his preferred tactic. He could be the most terrifying to go up against in a fight if he went absolutely stone serious, but 99.9999% of the time he does not want to and would much rather slip in some fun where he can. (If you don't believe me on that last point, consider that in the 2003 series I'm reasonably sure he has the highest body count of all the brothers, in the 2012 series he killed a kraang and wore the dude's skin on his head multiple times, and in Rise ALL of Dr. Delicate Touch and the frothing maniacal rage he has when angry. 'Nuff said.)

Raph

And here we come to the turtle in question himself, Raph. Hamato Raphael, Raphael Splinterson, Raphie-boy, take your pick.

Strengths: Raph is a TANK. Barring '87, this boy in most iterations pretty much makes it his mission in life to be the strongest of him and his brothers. He's also stubborn as hell and WILL NOT give in if he thinks it's important to stand his ground. Which means he can and will hold his ground and dig in long past when his brothers each have to retreat or fold; he can take the hits they can't and come out the other side still kicking. And what's more, if he feels the need to and is able to get up and be mobile, then he WILL hunt you down for as long as it takes and damned near nothing will stop him-- he is that. damned. STUBBORN. Let's be real, that combination is terrifying. Of course, naturally, this brings up questions of just how physically strong he is. I pointed out up in Donnie's section that Donnie is ridiculously strong, but just how strong is Raph? To answer that question, the infamous scene from 2007:

Just how much psi does it take to snap a katana? WELL, it turns out that finding out that information is really difficult (at least when I was nosing around and trying to find out). When I was doing my initial searching I found a video on facebook examining an anime scene (at the time-- back in September-- it was literally the only thing that remotely came close to answering my question that popped up) that claimed it would take at least 20,000 psi. Being that the person who posted that video didn't include any sources for reference, I'd take it with a grain of salt (especially since despite my best efforts I'm having a hard time finding that video again), but still. If-- for the sake of argument-- we assume that the 20,000 psi measurement is accurate for what it would take to snap a katana, that would mean that our boy Raph is capable of exerting that much force with each hand. And not just a brief spike of getting there either. No, for him to be capable of the force in that 2007 scene (again, assuming the number is accurate) then he has to maintain that force for longer than a second or two.

I don't know about you, but that makes this scene just that much more dangerous and intense in my eyes. It's not just that Raph could have killed Leo by stabbing him; it's also the implication that he could have easily torn Leo apart with his bare hands if he wanted to. So yeeeeeaaaahhhh, if Raph is able to get his hands on any of his brothers and is able to hold on, they're probably toast.

Weaknesses: Whoo boy. In most iterations, point blank, his biggest weakness is his temper. If he gets set off too thoroughly or if someone knows how to play it against him, his temper can make him get sloppy and lead to his defeat-- regardless of how ridiculously strong he is. It also means that, unless it's a version of him who has worked his ass off to keep himself in check, there's a good possibility that he might wind up doing things he'll regret when he's angry (and if someone really wants to twist the knife they can play that guilt and self-blame against him). If you go by 2003 and 2012 there's also his bug-phobia which can be played against him. (Even though 2003 Raph covers it with 'KILL IT WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE'.) If you go by Rise, then you DO NOT. EVER. WANT THAT BOY TO BE ALONE. And on a much more brutal note, going back to his stubbornness which is also one of his strengths

...there's a good chance that this boy might try to push himself past the breaking point if he feels it's necessary.

Speed: I've said before that I think Raph is pretty neck-in-neck with Leo when it comes to how fast he is, Mikey has them both beat in the speed department hands down, and Donnie is most likely to be the slowest moving of the four of them. If Leo has to deal with heavy weights while trying to move at speed however, Raph will have him outclassed due to having more practice in that department. For Raph to have a hope of keeping up with Mikey going full tilt in running away, Mikey would have to be carrying enough to weigh him down considerably. And while Donnie might stand a chance in trying to grapple with Raph, Raph having more experience in moving heavy weights at speed would probably mean Donnie would be better off trying to glom onto Raph like an octopus rather than outright grappling. So Raph's not the fastest, but he's not a slouch either.

Adaptability: As much as I love my boy, Raph is a tank, he's bruiser, he's a bulldozer who freely makes use of sharp and pointy things he can use to stab people with. Adaptability-- barring variation between sneaking in and out versus barreling in as loudly as possible to cause mayhem and destruction as a distraction-- is generally not in his wheelhouse. Given time and learning how to play mind games (and I don't doubt that an adult Raph could pick up and use the skill when he needs to) he'd probably become more flexible, but with where he's portrayed to be at in most iterations he hasn't gotten there yet.

Combat style/approach: Close-range, grappler, brawler, TANK. He WILL hold the line, he WILL dig in and hold his ground, he WILL be the wall and PROTECT with everything he has if he has to. He's also not above being outright brutally destructive when he feels it's warranted. And that "when he feels it's warranted" is key.

Details that affect the outcome:

Raph has a protective streak 500 miles wide. A lot of iterations try to be the wall for his family, the last line of defense when needed. He would sooner see himself hurt than anyone he cares about.

And it's not just his brothers, father, April, Casey, anyone-he-considers-family that he's protective of either.

Seriously, if someone pushes the protective button on this boy and his sense of right and wrong kicks in, he WILL get involved.

Raph cares and feels deeply; to him, family is everything.

You

have

NO IDEA

how much

this boy

LOVES

HIS FAMILY

or how much he'd tear himself up if he ever seriously hurt any of them. So the chances of him ever actually going all-out against any of his brothers is slim. (And the few instances in various iterations where he's come close it's seriously screwed him up emotionally every time. Like 2003 and the pipe incident, 2007 and the after effects of his fight with Leo, the implied guilt Rise had after he snapped back to his senses after reuniting with his brothers after he'd been alone, etc.) He might fight with his brothers, he might disagree with them from time to time, but overall he comes off as someone who firmly believes you don't ever deliberately hurt someone you should care about if you can help it. Which is backed up by instances of him panicking in various iterations where his decisions might result in his family's deaths, as well as the fact that he only really turns on any of them (think SAINW) if they cross the line of not being there for each other like he feels they should be. Some iterations might threaten to run off a lot, but he never will without a damned good reason because he loves his family too much to ever want to do that to them.

Final Assessments

Raph vs Leo: If it's in close and is just down to strength-- Raph wins. If Leo has the time he needs to scheme and play Raph the way he needs to-- Leo wins.

Raph vs Donnie: If it's in close-- Raph wins unless Donnie pulls off an imitation of an octopus and gets all of Raph's limbs pinned and holds on for dear life. If Donnie has the distance, time to scheme, and the means to set traps to his heart's content-- plus tranqs, no one wins against tranqs-- Donnie wins.

Raph vs Mikey: If Raph can get his hands on Mikey and keep him in one place-- Raph wins. If Mikey plays Raph like a fiddle with his mind games and stays out of reach-- Mikey wins.

Raph vs the three of them together: Well shit, that'd be a losing proposition under the best circumstances unless the goal was to try to out-stubborn them at something. 10/10 if he had to, Raph would keep dragging himself along even if all three of his brothers were hanging on to him to try to keep him from reaching his goal. (And if Raph hasn't exploited that fact during some wild-as-shit game of theirs, then Casey Jones is the queen of England.)

Raph vs his guilt if he actually seriously hurt them: Instantaneous loss that Raph would probably have a hard time ever forgiving himself for.

So do I think Raph is as good a fighter as his brothers? Yes.

Do I think he's holding back so he doesn't hurt them? Also yes.

Do I think anyone he went up against if he didn't hold back would be thoroughly screwed? Emphatically YES.

-----------------------------

*The site I got the turtle size table in Donnie's section is [here], if anyone wants further details on sea turtles.

[truths33k3r4]

CHAPTER 24 - Hard Words to Swallow

It had been a regular mission.

Not even the kick-butt kind, but a treasure hunt; Picking up a few trinkets from the scrapyard for one of Don’s stupid inventions. 

The goal was simple:

Retrieve the junk, maybe stop to get pizza, then head home.

How could his brothers mess up something so easy.

Leo, for once in his frickin life, didn’t even make a plan to follow. 

 “ Ok, you guys can do this- " The eldest stated mostly to himself, " Raph, keep an eye out at all times. Remember you can't be seen- and Don.. Keep an eye on Raph. “ 

Mikey watched from the couch as Don slung a satchel over his head, securing it on his freckled shoulder. Raph grabbed his twin sais and twirled them in his fingers, like a total showoff, before smoothly clicking them into place by the magnets on his belt. His crimson clad brother rolled his eyes and pushed Don through the door.

 “ Yeah- yeah- Be careful. Don’t get caught. Don’t die… Sheesh man, you’re starting to sound like Sensei… “ 

Mikey shot up swinging his arms in the air wildly.

 “ - And don’t you dare eat all the pizza!!! “ 

Had Mikey known these would be his last words to his brothers, he would've chosen them far more wisely.

Mikey had been waiting for hours. His foot tapped on the ground faster and faster as anticipation took over him. His hands held one of the brothers’ many prized comic books, but his eyes would constantly shift to the main entrance of the lair. He specifically had chosen Raphael’s favorite comic to read knowing full-well, ( and counting on ), the fact that his brother would completely lose his top at just the thought of Mikey touching his mint-condition, extremely rare Sumo Wrestlers comic.

It will be legendary.

Mikey made sure to keep his phone at the ready by his side. He had even practiced the motions of grabbing his phone, clicking a few buttons, and taking a photo. He had to be ready. Once Raph saw what he was doing- there was only one chance to snag a pic before Mikey had to start running for his life.

Like he said. Legendary.

Eventually, after Mikey finished re- re- re- reading Raph’s prized comic, Leo had walked into the Living Room. His eyes were a bit more tense than usual as he paced up and down the carpet on the stairs to the lair’s entrance.

“ Where the heck are they?? This is way past their curfew… “

Mikey groggily lifted his head from the way past boring comic.

“... Huh?.. “ 

Leo turned to his youngest brother with a ‘ Haven’t you been paying attention? ‘ look. Mikey shrugged. Leo sighed as he dropped his shoulders. Classic.

“ Mikey, it’s been hours. And they still aren’t back yet. “

Leo raised his eyebrows expectantly hoping Mikey would catch on to what he was saying. 

His youngest brother just stared with drooping eyes. A yawn caused his arms to rise into the air as he stretched, releasing a relaxed sigh as he fell back into the soft cushions.

“.. So…. no pizza then?... “

“ Mikey! This is serious! They should’ve checked in by now.. A text- a call- something.”

Leo began scrolling through all his messages after swiping his phone from the back pocket of his shell.

“.. There’s been nothing but radio silence since they left…..

..I never should have let them go off on their own, maybe they weren’t ready.. “

Mikey watched the oldest’s ice blue eyes dart through the texts. His brother’s shoulders continued to raise in a defensive position. 

 If he keeps this up, he’ll have a stress chasm in three seconds flat… 

Mikey groaned as he lifted his back away from the cushions, and then proceeded to flip backwards over the rim of the couch, landing perfectly on his right leg with his arms held out.

Well. Almost..

A deep ache reawakened in his ankle by the force of his landing. He yelped as his hands shot down from their position in the air, wrapping around the slowly darkening area. Without his arms to keep balance, and the pain stealing every brain cell’s attention that he had left, he quickly found himself watching the ground get closer and closer.

 I. Am. So. Dead. 

As he hit the floor, his ears picked up the sound of rapidly progressing footsteps. 

 I’m dead- I’m DEAD- I’m SOOOO DEAD. 

Mikey twitched a little at the sensation of his brother’s freezing cold hands touching his arms.  

SERIOUSLY, what’s with doctors always having ice cubes for hands?!?! 

“ Mikey! What were you thinking?!?! “

The youngest brother was kinda too busy to answer, as his ankle faded from a vibrant green to a greyish blue. 

 MAN ALIVE I forgot how much this hurt.

The younger turtle lifted his head from his plastron the tiniest bit, and gave a strained, 

“....Ouch…. “

Leo sighed and nodded his head back and forth as he rubbed his brothers’ shell.

“.. How bad? “

Mikey tried to move his foot.

Mikey never should have tried to move his foot. 

Leo flinched as his brother choked out a sharp gasp, clutching his ankle tighter.

“.. Ok! Ok- don’t move it!.. Let me help you up. “ 

The oldest didn’t hesitate as he lifted Mikey up bridal style, and walked to the couch. Even with all the pain making a mess of his brain, Mikey still put a few brain cells to work wondering how Leo can hold him so easily, even after eating three pizzas, six corndogs, and eight.. no, nine donuts today.

Being carried was so.. normal for Mikey. Almost as normal as his daily squabbles with Raph. Maybe it was just his right as the youngest. He was the cutest and most lovable out of his brothers, hands down. For as long as he could remember, no one has been able to resist his big beautiful blue eyes, so getting carried everywhere was always in the bag. There was a soothing comfort he always felt as he was being carried. His brothers’ plastrons were always so warm as they held him close, and even now at thirteen years old, he had to resist the urge to nuzzle his nose underneath their necks. When he turned eleven, he was told that he was too old for that. Sooo apparently, you shouldn’t like being warm and comfortable when you become a teen. Nice wisdom there, Raph. 

Mikey was brought out of his thoughts as Leo gently placed him down onto the couch. 

“ ..Can’t believe… stinkin’ one legged flip-  “ the eldest mumbled to himself as he carefully placed one of the fluffiest pillows underneath Mikey’s foot.

Mikey lifted his head as Leo got up and began walking to the kitchen.

“ Don’t. Move. “ The eldest called out with a pointed finger raised as he speedwalked to the fridge.

Mikey could hear the sounds of the freezer door being opened, and then some scratchy movements of some kind of bag. More footsteps followed, getting louder and louder as Leo returned to his brother’s side.

 Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. ~ 

Mikey couldn’t hold back the shiver that tensed his body as a bag of frozen broccoli was placed on his ankle. It didn’t feel.. amazing, but he knew it would help with the swelling. Been there, done that.

“ How does that feel? “ Leo asked, as he comfortingly rubbed Mikey’s right knee.

“ Not…very… good.. “ Mikey squeezed out, as his teeth started chattering from the cold.

Leo gave a sympathetic smile as he turned around to grab the thick afghan folded underneath the coffee table. 

“ Well.. that means it’s working.. “

Mikey let out a contented sigh as the warmth of the blanket enveloped his shivering body. His ankle still hurt, and the stinkin broccoli was still freezing, but the blanket really helped. As always, Leo knew what he was doing.

Another sigh was heard in the room as Leo joined his brother on the couch. Since Mikey was laying down though, Leo made sure to leave him enough space to still be comfortable. This left Leo propping himself up on the arm of the couch, twisting and shifting until he could balance properly. Mikey failed to hold in a laugh as his brother awkwardly flapped his arms as he nearly fell off the small bit of furniture.

“ Heheh.. Here, dude. “

Mikey carefully hunched over and grabbed the fluffy pillow beneath his ankle, moving it to the coffee table standing in front of the couch. He then let out a slight hiss as he turned and placed his injured ankle back on the pillow, resulting in a quick look of concern from his anxious brother.

 With a smile, Mikey patted the empty cushion on his left. Leo gave a tired grin back as he let himself fall off the inner edge of the couch’s arm, plopping down at Mikey’s side.

“ Thanks, little bro. “

“ No probs. “

Leo’s posture changed from chill and relaxed to alert and worried in a second as he switched back to “ doc mode “.

“ What were you thinking, Mikey? You know its sensitive. You gotta be more careful. “

The youngest’s smile faded as a look of guilt subtly washed over his face.

“ I’m fine… “ he mumbled as he began picking at the breaking seams of the couch’s stitching.

Those two little words not only annoyed Leonardo, but also caused him to switch to his worst mode in times like this:

LEADER MODE.

“ Eh- Eh- Eh. None of that- “ the oldest scolded, waving the same pointed finger as earlier, “ Don’t give me any of that. I gave you orders to take it easy. It’s only been a few days since you twisted it last week. Do you call THIS- “ Leo gestured to all of Mikey, “ ..taking it easy?? “

Mikey started to open his mouth, but the eldest continued.

“- Remember what Sensei tells you. You call this being a good steward of your body?? “

Mikey’s guilty expression morphed into one he never wore. One his brothers and Sensei rarely ever saw.

“.. When was the last time you ate. “ He spoke without blinking. His eyes were glazed over with a film of bitterness as his words burned into Leo like the defensive rays of the sun.

Silence.

 Yeah, not so talkative now, are you.. 

“.. I.. was busy. “ Leo whispered, as his whole body tensed.

“ - Oh COME ON,DUDE!! “ Mikey shouted, making Leo minisculely flinch, “ That’s bogus and you know it. It’s my job to do the dishes this week- I memorize the colors of everyone’s plates. Yours is always the black one with blue rims. You picked that one since you were a kid. I never have to wash it. It’s always all NEAT and CLEAN and stacked in the cupboard. “

Leo’s expression twisted as his guilt grew.

“ The only thing I’ve seen you take a bite out of this week was my bubblegum and jalapeno pizza. And you hacked it up immediately. “

“ Oh come on!! Did you even taste that thing??? “ Leo half-heartedly chuckled, hoping that adding a joke or insulting Mikey’s cooking would distract his youngest brother.

For once, Mikey wasn’t in the mood for games.

“ -STUFF IT IN YOUR CRUST, LEO. “ The youngest growled, “ You. Aren’t. Eating. Admit it! “

“ I’m just not hungry. “ Leo shrugged as he edged closer to the arm of the couch.

“ Admit it. “

“ I have too much to do- “ The eldest's eyes strayed from Mikey's.

“ ADMIT IT. “ Mikey over-emphasized every syllable.

Leo threw his hands up in the air as he yanked himself off the couch.

“ - OK SO WHAT???!!? I don’t eat sometimes, SO THE FRICK WHAT?? “

Mikey’s glare remained steadfast and unmoving as he peered into Leo’s constricted pupils.

“.. You call that being a good steward? “ Mikey spat.

Leo’s face fell, flashing from guilt, to shame, to stubbornness.

Silence swept over the Living Room once again. But this time it didn’t carry any peace or relaxation with it. A deep weight pressed down on the two brothers, almost as if they were sinking into the ocean’s depths. Neither spoke a word as they choked and drowned in the silence.

[ BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! ]

Leo’s movements froze as the whole lair was bathed in a bright, flashing red. Mikey’s eyes darted from his phone to Leo’s face. The youngest could feel his heartbeat begin to quicken as he saw nothing but terror and anxiety flood through his brother’s expression. 

The sensation of the frozen bag settled on Mikey’s ankle couldn’t even compare to the frigid crystals of realization growing in his heart.

The Emergency alarm continued to scream its horrible song, replacing the somber emptiness with a shrilling crescendo.

... No…

That's it for this chapter. :) The art piece took FOREVER to get right, but I'm very happy with how it turned out. :) This was my first FULL FLASHBACK chapter, so it was interesting figuring out some things like pre-tense or past-tense or present-tense.. But thanks to some help from @poetique823, I think it turned out great! :)

Thanks for your help, Poet!! :)

To God be the glory!

~ Melissa

MASTERPOST <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

[alittlebitofrainbyyourside]

PhayuRain and the 'Cringe' of Loving

Gif credit to @/notbadluv on Twitter.

The choice to have a full length song in the uncut version of this episode, sung without accompaniment, is an unusual one in film. Normally we instead see a scene like this ending partway through or it switching from an unaccompanied version to a studio recording. It's a somewhat shocking moment and maybe even to some people watching an overwhelming or cringe-inducing moment.

But to me, I think their performances, the wonderful singing and the choice to do a montage for some portions of the song, all help make this scene work without endless secondhand embarrassment the way it would in others. And a critical part of why the scene works within the larger story is that it's a little cringe.

This is one of those moments that is a pure distillation of their relationship: Phayu is presented as the ultimate cool guy initially in the show but in reality he isn't very cool while Rain is presented as passionate and emotionally clumsy so in this moment, it should be easy for Rain to hurt Phayu. But that's not what happens.

Rain worries about talking too much and being annoying at the start of the show but in scenes like their movie date, we see how Phayu enjoys listening to Rain's rambles and how well Rain responds to sincere and straightforward expressions of love and care from Phayu like when Phayu whispers that he likes Rain in Ep 5 and Rain spends the next day still thinking about it. This is why Rain is the kind of person who really enjoys having a love song sang to him while at the same time getting very overwhelmed as the song continues and he's not allowed to look away without losing.

This all goes to show that Rain isn't after 'cool senior Phayu' or 'hot and powerful mechanic Phayu', even if he finds those personas fun and hot. Cool guy Phayu is the one that Rain raises his chin at in challenge to while sweet and loving to the point of cringe Phayu is the one who overwhelms and supports Rain and makes him feel so confident in himself and his work.

The singing scene is in Phayu's home, just between the two of them, and it's Phayu letting all his nerdy, loser, cringeness out. Instead of Rain making fun of Phayu's cringe or not getting the message of love that Phayu is using this song to convey, the moment instead overwhelms Rain to the point of needing to cover his eyes.

It's a moment that confirms their match.

Within the cool guy showoff between Phayu and Rain, Phayu had a pattern in which he would tease Rain while Rain offered his many reactions. Over the course of the show, this also gives birth to a dynamic where Phayu flusters Rain with his sincere interest.

Both of these strands come together in this moment: Phayu is being sincerely affectionate and instead of being worried about cringe, he's actually using it to tease Rain and it works, Rain gets flustered, so flustered in fact that he has to run away, while Phayu laughs on. He's laid out his entire cringe self, all the cringe of loving another person and it's gone wonderfully. And that is such an important moment in his character arc because it's really the moment that Phayu's needs and goals for a relationship have been realized.

The fact is that when we love someone, we often do things that are more than a bit cringe but the experience of them is anything but specifically because we love them and they love us.

My original meta thread on Twitter.

-The Wife

[eyefocusing]

might be a random question but do you have any neurodivergent headcanons for the aerialbots?

im not immune to hcing all of my faves as autistic....

ok but like in every superion bio theres mention of him tamping down/blocking out his components to become the cold, focused combiner that he is, and i feel like "supressing yourself so you can actually function" is just sooooo on the nose, yknow?

skydive obviously has a special interest in history and war strategy. helpful, when you're the strategist of the team. hes like, a genuine savant when it comes to flying, but he can easily get caught up infodumping abt the pilot who created the technique theyre trying to practice, instead of actually practicing. hes the kinda guy who has to make Everything about his special interest, but stays pretty quiet if he cant.

slingshot is SO classic Cant Regulate Emotions At All. he makes up for it by being a showoff and a compulsive liar. neither of these things make anyone like him much. he tends to have meltdowns with some frequency, which hasnt done much for his reputation either. his meltdowns are usually overwhelming for the other aerialbots too, so they end up scattering and leaving silverbolt to fix the situation.

many many feelings about fireflight autism bc he gets woobified a lot (i remember poking around the tf plotbunny lj a year or so ago and seeing a bunny from like 2008 abt him "suffering from autism" so hes at least always had That Vibe). hes just very observant. doesnt really have a lot to say! but not really a good listener either because he WILL start thinking abt that interesting rock poking out of the wall or that bird he saw while he was out earlier, and just completely misses whats being said to him. he and skydive are a good mix bc skydive can just talk and talk abt his jet fighter blorbos and fireflight can do fireflight things and theyre both fine with this. also think abt this ⬇️ kind of scenario a lot

hes also most likely to collect Weird Stuff. his whole personal shelf is full of bins of strange twigs or scrap metal or basically anything that catches his interest. hes a bit of a corvid tbh

if fireflight is the guy that everyone assumes is autistic, then air raid is absolutely the guy everyone assumes has adhd. his attention span doesnt exist, unless hes doing something he wants to do. hes the closest thing to an adrenaline junkie the team has. raid doesnt go off on his own the way fireflight does, but the odds of him actually following through on orders and plans are slim. he tends to run into walls and corners and doorways a lot (he and flighty both have spacial awareness issues, but fireflights are more obvious in alt mode, and air raids in bot mode).

silverbolt. has to manage all of them and himself. and its incredibly overwhelming. from the outside hes got the vibe that hes one bad incident away from shutting himself in a broom closet for the rest of the day to get away from it all. hes got a bad habit of getting stuck in his head, and his thoughts tend to doom spiral after awhile. but thats like half the reason the other aerialbots are so annoying at him, and he can uh. appreciate. their methods of getting him away from himself. most of the time. i like putting everyone in a planepile because i think bolt would like the feeling of the others weight on his wings. it makes him feel grounded

[loftylockjaw]

TIMING: End of September LOCATION: Hallow's Eats PARTIES: Wyatt (@loftylockjaw) & Caleb (@dirtwatchman) SUMMARY: A repeat customer at the restaurant keeps asking for spicier and spicier dishes, and Wyatt is finally curious enough to leave the kitchen and see just who this person is. He's pleasantly surprised, and offers to cook Caleb a private dinner that might satisfy his palate. CONTENT WARNINGS: none!

—

He always got those looks. Every single time Caleb ordered at any restaurant these days and he asked for the dish to be as spicy as possible people would pause and stare for a split second before composing themselves and walking away. It wasn’t like he could blame them, he didn’t exactly scream spice, but for once he wished that he could get through the order without feeling awkward as sin. It wasn’t like he did this too often but dining out used to be a much more pleasant experience without the stares. If he were perhaps a bit more secure with himself he might not have minded it much.

At least the food was good, or at least what he could taste of it. The spices blended well together and he enjoyed it despite not being able to actually enjoy the main course itself. It was a win tonight, for sure…well, until the waitress walked up with his bill. It wasn’t the price that caught him off guard though, it was the girl asking him to wait at his seat so the chef could come speak to him that caused a stir of panic within him. Had Caleb done something wrong? Was he about to get yelled at in front of the other patrons? Before he could even ask, the waitress was walking away so there was no way to quell the ball of anxiety that was knotting in his stomach.

He quickly looked at the dish in front of him, wondering if he should finish the rest of it before the chef could get to his table. It wasn’t like he could get full off of this stuff, the little stab of hunger almost constant within him these days as he did what he could to ration his supplies. He’d just…had enough. Caleb didn’t want to offend them though, whoever it was, so he started to work on the dish again, barely tasting anything this time while trying to gulp it down.

—

He wasn't sure if you could call the customer a regular at this point: Wyatt had only been the chef de partie at this particular restaurant for a month or so, but somewhere in that time, he'd received requests from a patron to make the dishes spicy. More than spicy, really—as hot as he could realistically manage. Expecting some kind of showoff personality (and appearance), Wyatt had been surprised the first time to see the young man sitting alone at a table for two, looking to all the world like a mild-mannered, polite sort of fellow. And he WAS that, according to what the waitress had told him the the first time. And the second time. And the third, and fourth—well, today, he was just going to have to MEET this man, and figure out exactly what his deal was. Was it important? Probably not, but Wyatt couldn't help his natural curiosity. 

Slipping the apron off over his head but leaving it tied around his waist, Wyatt tucked the extra material away in the front as he moved out of the kitchen. The restaurant was full, as it always was, and most patrons were taking advantage of the 'costumes encouraged' sign that sat up front, tying the whole Halloween theme together... but some of them were not costumes, of course. Wyatt was looking positively human, though, figuring this wasn't the time to flex his scales, so to speak. After all, maybe this patron was just a normal guy that liked to numb his taste buds.

Approaching the table where the guest sat, Wyatt smiled and held out a hand as he sidled up to him. “Don't choke,” he chuckled good-naturedly, shaking the man's hand. Cold. Hm. “May I sit?” He noticed the worried expression on the other's face and did his best to assuage any concerns by adding, “I'm ain't mad, by the way. Just curious.” His thick cajun accent did him some favors in regards to sounding friendly, helping him come across as warm and nurturing rather than upset or offended. There was something to be said about southern charm. 

—

The words only served to send a cough through Caleb's body as the zombie did his best to swallow the bite he'd taken just before the chef had made it to his table. He cleared his throat, trying to smile up at the other man but only managing a small grimace. ”Sorry, I just...“ He cleared his throat again, feeling whatever was stuck go down finally. ”It's really good, is all. It's good.“ Again, the man startled him with a handshake, something that Caleb tried to avoid most days because of the temperature of his body but wanting to be polite always won out over common sense. He was an idiot, that was for sure.

”Oh, yea, of course.“ The zombie gestured toward the seat opposite his, noting that this man was definitely not from around here. That accent was a dead give away and most anyone who was from Wicked's Rest probably wouldn't have asked to sit before taking their seat. Mostly because they recognized Caleb from around town. He did relax though when the other man partially explained his presence in the dining room as opposed to the kitchen. He hadn’t offended him at least.

”I don't think I've ever inspired enough curiosity to bring a chef out to me before. Seems like I should be...I don't know, honored? No, that doesn't seem like the right word. Proud maybe...I don't know, seems dumb now that I say it out loud.“ He'd relaxed a bit, but not completely lost all of the nerves coursing through him. Rambling was bound to happen. This was a chef though, what did Caleb have to worry about?  ”Um, I hope you don’t mind me asking but why exactly are you curious?” 

—

Smiling broadly while the other man stumbled over his words, Wyatt was taking stock of the notes he’d gathered so far: his hands lacked that distinctly human warmth, which really shouldn’t have been the case given how long he’d been inside out of the crisp evening air. He always wanted his food as spicy as the kitchen could make it, which could just be a preference, but it should’ve been causing some kind of visible reaction, given the peppers Wyatt had used in the dish to accommodate his taste. A flushed face, perspiration, any of the usuals… and yet. 

Fascinating.  

“Proud or honored are both acceptable, mostly ‘cause they make me seem like hot shit,” Wyatt chuckled, threading his fingers together as he rested his arms on the table between them. “Just never had someone so consistently askin’ for the temperature stakes to be raised. Even with the hotheads I’ve known in my life, they always needed a break from it. Now sure, maybe you get that in between visits here, ain’t a stretch, but…” He cocked his head at Caleb. “You also just don’t really strike me as the… type, if you pardon.” Clearing his throat, the lamia shook his head. “Where are my manners? Sorry, friend, you can call me Wyatt. Wyatt Barlow. And you are…?”

—

“I mean...yea, you should feel like that.” Reaching up, Caleb ran a hand over the back of his neck as he sat back in his seat, rigid as anything. The other man's friendly smile and laid back way of speaking should have been enough to placate his nerves and yet it seemed he was always on edge, uncomfortable with life. You never knew when people could turn. That was something he learned when he was younger. “It's...good food.” He lamely spoke the words even while realizing he'd already said them. Jesus, he should work on his people skills. 

“I definitely get that between visits.” Because he didn't eat very much. But the man didn't need to know that. “Things are usually pretty mild for me, I just like the flavors that you use here.” Pulling excuses out of his ass was a typical response for Caleb these days and he'd gotten okay at it but there was always that underlying fear that he was making things worse for himself. If the world wouldn't start a witch hunt, the zombie would tell everyone exactly what he was just so the lies could stop. 

He couldn't help the laugh that came out when the chef pointed out how unlikely he seemed to be the type for spice. Five years ago that would have been the case for sure. ”I get that, I guess people can surprise you though. Cajun has been a favorite of mine for a few years, ever since I stopped being afraid of the heat. Just got over it and took the plunge, you know?“ Shrugging his shoulders, he tried his best to play it off, hoping that the other wouldn't find it too weird. He did seem like he was trying to get at something. “Oh, uh I'm Caleb. Caleb Ellsworth...it's nice to meet you.” 

—

They were all valid excuses, truth be told. And maybe, if not for the room temperature handshake, Wyatt could’ve let it lie. But he was nosy, despite a stranger on the internet telling him he shouldn’t be—in fact it was this stranger sat across from him that’d said that, not that he could have known. The world works in mysterious ways, and all that bullshit. Anyway, they were fine and valid points, and the lamia just nodded and listened and kept on smiling, finding the whole thing to be rather charming. 

“It’s very nice to meet you, my good man,” Wyatt went on, ever the schmoozer. “Well hey, I tell you what, Caleb Ellsworth… since you seem so keen on eatin’ dangerously seasoned food, n’ I get such a kick outta makin’ said dangerously seasoned food… I’ve got a proposition for you.” He sat up a little straighter in his seat, tapping an index finger against the tabletop. “Got constraints on what I can send out from the kitchen here, you see. First there’s the menu, n’ deviatin’ from it ain’t exactly gonna win me a lot of bonus points with the boss, and the proprietor don’t want me sendin’ folks out on stretchers. But… if you’re interested, I do spend a mighty significant amount of time at home makin’ food that’ll knock your goddamn britches off.” The smile turned into something a bit more teasing, but still pleasant all the same. “Or at least it’ll sure well try.” He splayed his hands in the air in front of him in a sort of mock-defensive gesture, continuing with, “Now, I ain’t askin’ a perfect stranger to come eat in my dinin’ room with me, unless that perfect stranger is feelin’ particularly adventurous, however… tupperware exists, and there are plenty of places in town two fellas lookin’ to ruin the linin’ of their stomachs can meet up n’ share a home cooked meal.” He lifted a brow. “Whaddya say?”

—

The offer was....surprising to say the least, and Caleb was taken aback for a moment. If he could blush he wouldn't have been able to stop the heat from filling his cheeks but instead he cleared his throat and diverted his eyes to the plate still in front of him on the table. It was tempting, very tempting, but he couldn't help but think about what ramifications could come from this. Going to a stranger's house, albeit a stranger that had a way of making him feel comfortable enough, wasn't the greatest idea in any part of the country, much less Wicked's Rest. But he was offering to meet up elsewhere which did help subdue some of the uncertainty. And who was he to give up on making a new friend?

“How often does one get the offer of a private meal from a chef?” Especially one that could cater to his mostly dead taste buds? “I don't really think I can turn that down.” He smiled, finally looking up from the table to meet Wyatt's eyes again. Now, the question of whether he was feeling more adventurous than he had been in his life was still up in the air. He was charming, that was a give in, but the slight fishing the man had been doing was still worrisome. 

Too many variables were running through Caleb's mind so he shook his head gently and said the first thing that came to him. “I am feeling particularly adventurous. I should probably take advantage of that while it lasts.” Because it wouldn't last long. In fact, he would most likely wake up in the morning and dread this upcoming outing, become a nervous ball of energy, but right now Wyatt's calming effect was working wonders on calming his psyche. 

—

Brows both raised now, lips downturned into a comical pout as Wyatt responded to the rhetorical question with a shrug, and the gesture was quickly followed up by a chuckle. The man seemed to mull it over for a few moments longer before finally agreeing, and much to Wyatt’s surprise and delight, agreeing to come to his place. 

That was fine, he could behave for an evening.

“Ah!” He clapped his hands excitedly before rubbing them together like a scheming little raccoon, the grin on his face widening further, if that was possible. “Mon cher, I love to hear that! You won’t regret it.” Reaching down into the apron that was still tied around his waist, the lamia pulled out a pencil and a piece of receipt paper. “How’s next Friday sound? I’ve got the rare night off from here.” And no fights scheduled at the Pit. He was scribbling down his number as he spoke, making sure it was legible before sliding it across the table to Caleb. “Here. Take this, think about it, and let me know if you’re still interested, d’accord? No pressure. And—well, I’ve got to get my ass back to work before I get a talkin’ to.” He stood again, pausing before leaving to give Caleb a wink. “Here’s hopin’ it’s a date, firebug.”

—

Next Friday, just enough time for him to change his mind and get out of this. But was that something he really wanted? No, no, Caleb wanted to go to this man's house and enjoy a meal with him so he nodded to show his agreement. And then came the last line from Wyatt's mouth and he froze in his place at the table.

Oh, what did he just do? Caleb stared down at the number that was just given to him and he could have sworn that his cheeks were burning this time around. Looking up at the retreating figure, he tried to get any words out of his mouth, anything, but nothing was coming to him as what he'd just agreed to really hit him. Something akin to nervous butterflies started to flutter in his stomach, a feeling that had evaded him for a long time, but he finally sputtered out what he could even though Wyatt had already disappeared into the kitchen.

”It's a date.“

[punchitime]

So... Lucid dreaming huh?

So I've had... Multiple lucid dreams of Punch Out so I'm deciding to share headcanons/moments that have happened

So for context on my end: when lucid dreaming i can feel whenever someone touches me. Let's just say that someone tested their arm on my shoulder for example, yeah i can feel the arm on my shoulder in my dream. Same deal with any kind of pain. Though i can't smell or taste anything that i haven't smelled/tasted before.

Anyways let's get into this

Bear Hugger, unsurprisingly, does give the best hugs... Though he accidentally popped my back with a hug and instantly panicked (i was fine btw)

^ His bear does sometimes show up in the WVBA, which i wouldn't mind... But coming around a corner to be face to face with a full sized bear is TERRIFYING

^^ The squirrel on the other hand was cute actually, very active lil fella...s. yeah there was multiple and they ambushed me once. Had to stay where i was for a bit until Bear Hugger came over to help

Soda is intimidating.... But shockingly friendly. Somehow befriended him and now he likes to just randomly pick me up like a cat (he has randomly picked me up Lion King style before too. Why? I have no idea but it scared the hell outta me)

^ He did give me his soda once actually. If you've ever had Mug Root Beer it tasted like that but a few notches sweeter than that brand (idk if this is because my brain decided to should tastes this way but that's what it reminded me of)

Bald Bull... Is actually surprisingly nice, quiet for the most part but nice... if he's not in a bad mood or if you're not acting like a crazy fan/interviewer.

^ The guy just wants his privacy and time to himself, and i don't judge him because wtf with these interviewers-

Mad Clown is actually sassy as hell but to the point his comments are equally as funny with the timing. He's gotten a few good surprised wheezes out of me with his timing.

^ somehow befriended him too. Probably because i was the only one reacting to his comments

Mad Clown does have a clown car (and I'm... Assuming a regular one for everyday use), found that out because i went to see a boxing match and he deadass pulled up to the ring in the clown car-

^ how tf it worked i have no idea don't ask me.

Accidentally met Carmen actually, she's very sweet and bubbly

^ Don on the other hand... My god he was cocky af. Me and him didn't mix well since I'm very much a humble kinda person.

Sandman was... Scary actually. More scary than i thought with how tall he is and his facial expression always seeming angry (he wasn't btw, apparently it's just his resting face which... Yeah fair enough)

^ He's also nice, just not social which i related to. Didn't get to talk to him for long sadly but still was pleasant

Did meet Super Macho Man ... Had the same kinda deal with Don, we didn't mix well. Though SMM was trying to showoff his merch/money just because i was new around, and HATED the fact that I was looking at him like he was insane. Low-key his offended face is funny tho

Aran was, unsurprisingly, chaotic as hell. I was a victim of a few pranks, shockingly none too harmful, i just ran nearly close lined into some plastic wrap because he tied to to a doorframe and he put sone of my stuff on high places so i can't reach them without climbing up whatever he put it on... And was shocked seeing me literally climb up it because i refused to ask for help. I think he gives the more harmful pranks to the other boxers.

Aran really likes to point out how short i am (im 5"3'... That mf is 6"1') compared to him by putting his arm casually on my head... Yeah long story short i bit his arm in response and he hasn't done it again

There's something in Hoy's staff (i was handing Hoy his staff for context of how i know this). The top like swirly part is hollow, the rest isn't just that top part and something rattles in it. I don't know if it's just a broken piece of wood or what.

Dragon and Birdie do have a rivalry. Found that out because Dragon nearly nailed me with a shoe somehow- he got Birdie tho

^ note to self: Dragon has good aim when throwing objects because wtf-

Interacting with Hondo was kinda like Sandman, intimidating but nice, and not too social

[crimsonxe]

It just hit me while watching ghoxttherebel's latest vid on YT how Jaune and Cardin are legit foils w/ it showing in those that latch onto each within canon (not the harem Jaune shitlords that fail to grasp his character). Jaune is a guy that got thrown both toxic masculine from iirc his dad & grandpa aspects and also non-toxic via his sisters, then meeting people that tipped the scale for him to grow away from toxic. He's a decent dude that supports his friends and doesn't try to steal the spotlight for himself (again after growth and tossing away toxic aspects). Cardin on the other hand is every toxic masculine thing and right-winger/incel trait shoved into a body. Being a racist, sexist, obnoxious/full-of-himself, showoff, and toxic masculine white male chud who deservingly gets absolutely trounced by a badass femme. Which unlike a certain Rewriter and incels want to push likely would've proceeded to whine about and smear said badass femme cause of his own pathetic insecurities. Ben Shapiro w/ a heavier build, there'd be no redemption for him. He's forever a toxic masculine neanderthal, while Jaune in contrast evolved. Again reflects something about those that latch onto Cardin, especially given what I've seen of those that do -sips coffee-

[ggonghui]

hi-hi, i'm EG (or eggy, whichever) and i was here a few months back with a muse i was really stoked about and had a lot of plans for, but life kind of prevented me from investing as much time into her (and rp, in general lol) as i would've liked! but, fortunately, the new year is basically a free hack for more downtime, so here i am again, with a plate that is significantly less full :3 i have every intention of bringing #her back, but i figured i'd start off easy this time with a veteran idol who can forge more temporal connections and work my way back to a rookie, and then, eventually, a staff member! so, without further ado, this is gong huiseok! extremely-reluctant-morally-ambiguous-nepo-baby and idol-actor. to know him is to.....know him. below the cut is a "brief" rundown of him as a person, pretty soon i'll have some pages linked that are mostly self-indulgent but definitely help paint a more comprehensive picture for his celebrity profile and his history in the industry, as well as his familial background. do-too-much gene, chronic world builder disease, etc. etc. but this should be a good huiseok starter pack while i'm work-week lazy!

personage

—— welcome to infinite entertainment! it's GONG HUISEOK, who is the MAIN VOCALIST of INDIGO. i’ve heard whispers that the 25 year old is pretty INTROSPECTIVE but lowkey PRIDEFUL. also, doesn’t he remind you of LEE MINHO (LEE KNOW)?

— gryffindor as a person, it’s not a secret that huiseok is someone with strong bravado and determination, but he’s also someone who likes to play the hero and challenge the status quo - maybe not always for all the right reasons, but who said that gryffindors were always the good guys? he’s daring, nervy, charismatic and every bit the puffed up jock type underneath all his pretty boy persona. reckless and impulsive, he has a tendency to get himself into tricky situations, but never falters in his confidence that he’ll make it out on the other side - no matter who he has to take down on the way up. he’s independent and guarded in all the ways the world has taught him to be, but has a not-so-easily-hidden naïveté that betrays the untouchable image he’s created for himself in his personal life and his perspective of the world. — daemon: cavitave in the world of daemonologie, huiseok tests out as a cavitave. according to the science itself, people with this classification are natural showoffs. like others of his kind, huiseok thrives in the spotlight and has a particular affinity for garnering admiration. while his gryffindor sensibilities cover the bases for his compassion and that pesky desire to help others (whether the reasons for that are entirely pure of heart or not), his daemon is a reminder that regardless of his surface-level charms, as a person, huiseok is dynamic in his perspectives and motives, but is generally pretty consistent with regards to his core values. or lack thereof. — infp-a (assertive mediator) introversion, intuition, feeling, perception. despite his larger than life perception of him and his appreciation of attention, huiseok is quite introverted and values his alone time a lot. he prefers close, smaller friend groups to massive ones (admirers excluded, obviously! but, really, only from a distance, thank you) and his strength in this regard speaks to how quickly he had to grow up while still somehow never really growing and his fluctuating ability to see the “bigger picture” in most situations. he sees things through to the absolute end, almost to a fault, and takes things a little too personally. he’s emotional but reticent, expressive but subdued. in all matters outside of music and performance, he’s not quite as detail oriented as he probably should be and more often than not lets his impulses guide him. his idealism could be his downfall but the other elements of his mbti suggest that a big enough fall could knock some sense into him. — type 8: the challenger the powerful, dominating type: self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational. despite the way he presents himself, huiseok is deceptively fragile, but outwardly very strong-willed and -minded. he’s the kind of person to speak his mind, even if it means stepping on a few toes, when it goes against his own beliefs and well-being. he has a strong desire to be self-reliant and to prove his strength as an individual after spending so much of his life being perpetually taken care of and wilting under his father’s shadow, and has a hard time coming to terms with the fact that sometimes being vulnerable is okay.

bare-bones bio TW DEATH

huiseok looks just like his father. even if he didn’t already think so himself, more and more as he gets older, he hears it often enough that it must be true. he thinks maybe it’s their way of comforting him, but it’s been years and his dad lives on in his mirror; in the pictures that cover their family home; in the comments that people leave under everything he does, good or bad. he lives. and sometimes, when huiseok has a particularly rough day, when the people around him go out of their way to make him feel like he’s as good as wearing his father’s skin, he kind-of hates him for it and then hates himself for hating him for it. all of the best things that huiseok has wouldn’t even /be/ his, if it weren’t for the industry “in” he’d had by virtue of his parentage. he’s gong hanwook and choi sunhui’s only son, the sole carrier-on of his father’s legacy, and that means something. it means everything, actually. he starts young, a fresh face on a children’s show, a child in the presence of adults who make all the decisions for him. he’s cute and he’s charming, and obedient in the way that all introverted little kids tend to be. he takes direction like a champ and they decide, before the velcros are even off his shoes, that he’ll be a star. he is his father’s son. mercifully, they give him his youth, and it’s of his own volition that he comes back into the industry, first through acting and then, finally, through music. becoming a member of indigo feels like the first thing that he ever really does on his own. with acting, he’s a name and a face, but as a member of a group…okay, he’s still a face, but he has his merit, too; his voice, his dancing, his words. that much feels true. for a while, at least — and, for years, it is. he does “music” and takes on acting roles when time allows to appease the tiny voice in his head that still, always, wants to make his father proud. his father dies in an “accident” in late 2019 during the early unfolding of a scandal. huiseok does not take it well and neither do his father’s fans. he feels suffocated. people are a lot more forgiving than he deserves when he lashes out about it. there’s headlines about him partying, getting belligerently drunk and causing scenes that are only ever documented through hearsay, the year after it happens and people respond with pity. he’s a boy without his father, afterall. he’s 22 and that ship has long sailed, but he lets them think that they understand what things were like between them. it’s complicated and, more than that, none of their business. maybe it’s guilt, a sense of obligation (the persistence of millions of middle-aged women who want to relive their glory days,) or just time that leads huiseok back onto the screen. he couldn’t tell you for sure himself, but his big return to acting following the passing of his father is a major role on a drama. the comments are about what he expects him to be, but he learns to tune out the part of his brain that aches with the comparisons and copes with the money he rakes in from brand deals, more roles, growing publicity, higher demand; the lucrativity of a pretty face - his father’s face. it makes his mother happy. (he is his father’s son.)

THE FATHER (and MOTHER!)

his father, Gong Hanwook, is a household name, an actor who rose to fame in the early 90s, first through a popular drama and then eventually for his visuals and multiple roles in deeply culturally impactful movies and media. there was a point in time where he was more or less the equivalent of a brad pitt, a tom cruise or a leonardo dicaprio in hollywood and, to this day, he's always a part of the "great actors of south korea" conversation. his wife, huiseok's mother, Choi Sunhui is a retired supermodel who rose to prominence around the same time as his father with a career more comprable to a devon aoki or a kate moss in terms of iconography. her star has faded some, but she's still someone that young women look up to for visual inspiration and it's fairly often that pictures of her modeling, and even off-duty, in the late 90s early 00s go viral. huiseok was always closer with his mother than he was his father and that really only worsened as he got older, tossed into the spotlight, and people began to compare the two of them visually. his father's passing unearthed a lot of really complicated emotions about this and coming to terms with those emotions has been one of his more complex points of development

tldr A lister parents, daddy issues

random anecdotes

he trained for six months, haters speculate that it's because the company was eager to push him after news of him signing with them dropped to capitalize on his name, but fans argue that he was just that talented upon arrival — the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

every now and then, a cover he did of grind on me by pretty ricky when he was like 17 makes its rounds through the fandom. people argue about it being spread because he was a minor and the subject matter is objectively super suggestive but others say it's funny, so it's something people fight about for forty days and forty nights whenever a new gongdoongie unearths the clip again lol

despite his focus these days being on his acting and honoring his father's legacy (and self-promo tbr...), he posts cover (dance and vocal) videos to the group's official youtube channel every now and then. he's also, in the last year or so, opened up a youtube channel of his own, but it's heavily curated and a lot more focused in Gong Huiseok the brand and legacy than it is on gong huiseok, the guy

plots

huiseok went out on a limb during their relationship and said the quiet part out loud, while muse, either unprepared for the seriousness of a love confession, hung up on another lover or not ready to say it at all, left him hanging. it’s not easy to be the first one to say the l-bomb, and after taking a chance on their relationship, only for muse not to say it back, huiseok ended things, ego bruised, but head held high. years on, wounds healed and seeing each other being an inevitability considering how small their world is, huiseok is willing to pursue a friendship. forreal this time. it’s just that… old habits are so hard to break, aren’t they?

in their rookie days, reckless and, quite frankly, cynical, huiseok and this muse went out on the town and made quite an event of things. so much of an event that pictures leaked onto forums and started quite the conversation. the only problem is that, in all of the commotion, muse wound up being the only one to take the heat. things were never quite the same after that. it’s been ages and huiseok wishes they could just move on, but that’s really easy for him to say.

something about this muse breathes life into huiseok's drearier days, they’re a breath of fresh air at the end of a particularly rough work schedule, and a warm reprieve from the coldness of the industry. it’s impractical to see each other all the time, but huiseok makes it a point to see them as often as possible. with no siblings and his mother constantly on the go, it feels nice to have someone that feels as good as blood in his corner and he hopes that, in some way, he makes them feel that way, too.

huiseok and this muse have been hooking up pretty regularly, both content to keep things mainly transactional while they blow off steam but the more time they spend together, the more they find they have in common. and what’s worse, they’ve started working together now, too.

huiseok and this muse are industry rivals, filling a close enough niche in the market that it causes constant comparisons between the two of them. fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on who you ask,) the rivalry translates into a beef that’s withstood both the test of time and petty match-ups during variety show specials. they pretend to get along to keep things from flying into a media shitstorm, but if they were anything but celebrities, it would probably be on-sight.

huiseok overheard a conversation in the waiting room of a music show that put a bad taste in his mouth. now, he looks at this muse with something half-way between disdain and confusion. for muse’s part, they don’t have the slightest clue what could have caused this animosity and have taken to believing that the rumors of huiseok being cold and difficult to approach behind the scenes are true. on both ends, this is all a terrible misunderstanding, but it’s hard to clear up when neither of them has a clue in the world what the other’s problem even is.

someone who initially hated huiseok for being the kid who got put into the lineup through connections, not merit, but has come to understand him a lot better due to their forced proximity over the years - he’s still kind of a brat who got into the group with an unfair advantage, but he’s more than proved himself a capable and valuable member of the team (more than likely an indigo member but i’m open to exploring other idols having some initial wariness about his relatively easier path to debut)

someone who saw huiseok through his spiral in 2019 following his father’s passing; they offered him a reliable shoulder to cry on, someone to come to when everything felt like too much, a genuine friendship, and usually cleaned him up after his benders. huiseok loves and respects this person, and has spent the years since paying all of their love back

they’ve done a special stage together (award show, music show, any of the gayos)

they’ve appeared on variety shows together

they’ve bonded over often staying late in the company building

they initially only knew of each other but grew surprisingly close over the course of the tour

a mutual friend of theirs has set them up on a blind date once or twice to varied success

they think that huiseok is someone up his own ass who doesn’t respect his seniors after a misunderstanding made it seem like he ignored them altogether in passing

they’re a fan of one or both of huiseok’s parents (his late father was an actor and his mother is a retired model) and huiseok feels awkward about it

[haveihitanerve]

Reunion Continued

here you go-the rest

Curt sighed, opening the bottle and sitting down at the table. “Roland, id like to apologize. I left. I didn't think about you or the band i just- i just left. Because i was sick of being just the band. I wanted to be, i wanted to be me.” Roland nodded, staring at his glass. “I get that Curt. I do. But you left me.” he finally looked up and locked eyes with the man. Curt swallowed. “You left me. You never called, you never texted. Never even bothered to tell me where the fuck you were going. Or invite me to your wedding. I thought we were friends!” “we are.” Curt said softly. “Really? Because it sure as hell didn't feel like you were. It didn't feel like we walked through fire together. It didn't feel like we were brothers. It felt like you left me to burn alone.” Roland took a swig of his drink and looked away. “You've been gone what? Nine years?” “nine years, two months,” they started to say in unison. “three days, four hours, six minutes and-” they glanced at the clock. “24 seconds.” Curts lips twitched slightly before he sighed. “Rollie. Im sorry. I am. I- i shouldn't have ended it the way i did. But its not just my fault. The band was crumbling. You know it was.” Roland scoffed. “Don't fucking do that Roland. Im right. You know i am.” Roland rolled his eyes, staring at the table, but he couldn't contradict Curt. Wouldn't. Roland was an arrogant bastard. He knew he was. And he also knew he had a reason to be like that. He was a talented musician and really skilled at what he did. It was why he was so arrogant and full of himself. But Curt, curt had always been good. Always been down to earth and since they had been brothers, he had kept roland tethered. Grounded. It was what made him, would always make him, a better person than Roland. But Roland knew his friend didn't think like that. Even if he had called him an arrogant prick on more than one occasion. Roland sighed. “Fine. Yes. You're right.” he sulked. Curt tried to hide his victory grin, but didn't succeed. Roland sent him a withering glare, but it didn't have half as much heat behind it than it would have had with someone else. It never did. “Fukc.’ Roland muttered, standing. Curt shifted, standing as well, and blocked his path. “Roland. You've gone through some things this year. Its tough. I know you have been. Lets,” he shrugged. “Don't push me away. Lets just play something. Yeah?” He grinned. “What do you say Ro. Give me a chance?” Roland snorted, but couldn't help the way his heart lifted ever so slightly at the words. “sure curry.” 

An hour later they found themselves sitting on the couch together, knees touching, each strumming an acoustic guitar as they tried to fall back into the rhythm of old times. Curt sent a glare at Roland as the latters fingers flew across the strings, strumming almost scarily fast and accurate. “Damn showoff.” he muttered. Roland breathed a laugh, a light, easy thing, a sound that had not been rare in the past hour in Curts company. “Careful.” Curt warned, a smile tugging at his lips. “Or you might start loving me again.” Roland chuckled in response, strumming his guitar. He smirked, stopping, and cocked an eyebrow at his old friend. “What ever gave you the impression that I stopped?”

whooo. done. heres the link to the first half if you need it-

hope you enjoyed that.

i just reread it and theres defo stuff i wouldnt put or change now, but i think its okay for a first draft

[bozowrites]

heyy! could u write a insecure camilo one shot/fanfic :)

big leap

camilo x reader : he has insecurities and he's a love struck teenager.

w/c : 1.7k

a/n : i feel like my dialogue doesn't sound like camilo, but here ya go! enjoy :)

masterlist | navigation

camilo couldn’t contain his beaming grin as he spotted y/n on the main floor. they’re minding their business, carrying a basket full of wondrous treats. who for? probably for mirabel. he wishes it were him though. you see, camilo has this crush on y/n. they are shy at first but loud and boastiest once you get to know them.

camilo had yet to break that quiet shell of theirs unfortunately. mirabel though, she did. the two were quite good friends, which is how camilo noticed them and took a liking to them.

he’d hear the two in the halls of la casa mumbling about this and that and all he could think was, “wow, they’re voice is so sweet.”. and now, he finds himself in an unreciprocated love for someone he hardly knows personally. he only knows them from what mirabel says and what he hears and sees between the interactions made from them and others. and the small, very short, talks the two shared, like when they were asking where mirabel was. they hardly ever talked to him otherwise. which was a bummer. he would love to speak to them, though there didn’t seem to be any reason to go and strike up a conversation with them, plus why would they ever talk to some guy like him.

he felt there was no special to him. yeah, he can shapeshift to any person of whom he desires, but that’s all really. his real self was so boring and plain to look at. sometimes, he wished he was someone else, like when he shapeshifts. sometimes, he wished that he was actually that person. like when he changes to be isabela, he feels and looks beautiful or when he changes into his father, he feels handsome and strong.

“casita, am i a loser?” the tiles around the window did a harsh motion of saying no in its own way. camilo looked down at the plates he was putting out for dinner. they were freshly clean and dried, making him see a bit of his silhouette in the reflection. it was blurry beyond recognition and no certain feature of his showed through, but it was enough to make him gulp and look away.

now, normally he had a better handle over his emotions and the feelings of absolute hatred towards his appearance, but it was simply one of those days where things just seemed more worse than they actually were.

“camilo, are you done setting up the table?” isabela turns the corner into the dining room. he nodded and showed off the plates and cups and cutlery he’d put down with a showoff grin. “perfectly of course!” isabela rolled her eyes and called for her mamá to start bringing out the food. as juleita came walking in with plates of food in both her hands, mirabel and y/n came running in behind, both clearly eager for the food. camilo has to turn around to smile bashfully from seeing y/n abruptly.

“camilo, are you coming to sit or what?” mirabel asked with a chuckle. he did so take his spot across from y/n, which he totally did not plan.

“hey, camilo.” y/n greeted and camilo has to do a double take on his hearing. they greeted him first? he usually did the small and simple hellos. again, not much talking was done between the two teenagers, but that didn’t mean he wouldn't say hello at every passing the two had. though it was always him who said the greetings first, not them. that’s progress if you asked him.

“hi, y/n. how,” he cleared his throat. “how are you?”

“um, i’m okay. really hungry though.” they laughed a little. “and you?”

“i’m great!” he smiled brightly to them, hardly containing himself. though they seemed to smile brighter too once meeting his eyes. that did not help the rapid beating of his heart that he wondered if dolores could hear, even if she was over at the guzmán’s place.

everyone started eating and creating their own conversations among themselves. camilo didn’t know who to talk to, usually he’d annoy his sister, but she wasn’t there to annoy. so, he glanced around, trying to think of which topic to join. none seemed interesting, he couldn’t even hear what mirabel and y/n were talking about. “ah, y/n, how is your abuelo doing?”

“he’s doing a lot better, thanks again for the basket of goodies.” y/n answered his abuela’s question. “of course, cariño.” conversations dispersed around the tables again, leaving camilo blank. he couldn’t pull himself together.

“camilo?” he looked up from his food, he’d already eaten most of it. mirabel and y/n were looking at him expectantly. “mirabel? y/n?”

we’re having a sleepover in tonito’s room tonight, you up to join us?” mirabel asked him and by glancing over to y/n, he could tell they were buzzing with excitement, practically jumping in their seat. “i’d love to! i get the feeling this was your idea.” camilo grinned over to y/n. they flushed and looked away with a coy smile. “maybe.”

his insides were burning from his own excitement, seeing as he was finally going to have an excuse to hangout with y/n, and not only so, but they had invited him to the sleepover. albeit, mirabel did the talking. now he had something to look forward to and to rid his mind of his downing thoughts for a few hours. hopefully.

the sleepover in antonio’s room was incredibly fun. his room was amazing on its own and with all the animals, it was easily one of the funnest nights of camilo’s life. he and y/n got more comfortable in each other’s presence. though camilo did stumble over his words on multiple occasions and had to look away a few times because of the blush he knew would be visible on his cheeks and ears.

the four all together made the night loud and fun. played games like hide and seek, which proved to be insanely difficult and they played truth or dare, which was just funny little dares and pranks made on each other.

now they were all asleep. well, all but camilo. as fun as the night was, that looming anxiety was starting to settle back into him. his eyes didn’t seem to shut. rubbing at them, he figured he might as well get up and get a snack. casita seemed to already know what camilo was up to the moment he stepped out of antonio’s room and had a small plate of food waiting for him on the counter of the kitchen. he was so in his head and eating, he didn’t hear the steps of someone coming up behind him.

“camilo?” said boy jumped and shapeshifted only to meet y/n’s stare. they stood now in front of him with a smile. they looked tired, and he thought they were fast asleep. they stared at one another with no words said for a good minute before y/n spoke softly again, “you, um, you’re me.”

he was indeed them. he took his form back with a frown of having to be himself again. he felt pretty in their form. which, of course, he did. y/n was the prettiest thing in the encanto, even the best of isabela’s flowers couldn’t compare. “why are you awake?” camilo finally asked.

“i heard you leaving.” they answered. they weren’t meeting his eyes and despite spending the entire night in his presence, they still seemed nervous to be around him alone. “and…i just wanted to ask if you were okay?”

“what makes you ask that?” camilo is the one to look away this time. “you just seem down and i have this weird feeling.”

“weird feeling?”

“yeah. like a gut feeling. i’m not really sure how to describe it.” they shuffle on their feet, hand rubbing their arm. “y/n?”

“camilo?”

“want some of my arepas?” they smiled at him and took the half he offered to them. standing closer and by his side, camilo could glance at them with a better view. he began to smile. this is the most he’s ever been alone with y/n and he can say with certainty that he fell even more for them. the question that stood now was if he could confide in them. could he tell them how he felt? would they be there for him? after earlier, he felt closer to them and now they had a friendship bigger than small his and hellos. he could go up to them and make conversation. he had reasons to be near them now. they weren’t just two people who knew each other because of familiar friends, they were friends now.

“y/n?”

“camilo?”

“to answer your question…” they hummed. he didn’t look at them, only kept his eyes on the ground. “i’m not.” they didn’t say anything. he had to look up. they were just smiling softly and had eyes that encouraged him to keep going with his confession. “sometimes, i feel like me isn’t…enough.”

he was taking a leap of faith by spilling out his insecurities to them. “what do you mean?” they asked. they had shuffled closer to him, making it shoulder to shoulder. he took in a sharp breath. “i can be whoever i want and sometimes i wish that i really was them.”

“oh…” they go quiet, either thinking or mocking him silently. he gulps. his leap was too big, wasn’t it? “well, i can't tell you how to feel, but i think you’re enough. i think you’re awesome and funny and more people should be like you.”

even if he was feeling rotten and down, the blush still managed to spread across his face. “thanks, y/n.” though it didn’t help immensely, his troubles lying within appearance, what y/n said to help him feel better did the trick in a way. they thought he was funny and awesome. he smiled and looked up to meet their stare. “you’re awesome and funny too.”

“i know,” he chuckled. mirabel always did say they had a narcissistic side. “shall we head back to antonio’s room?”

“one thing first?”

“hm?” camilo took what seemed to be another big leap and hugged them. they were still and tense for just a moment before putting their own arms around him. it lasted at least a minute. camilo’s body melted perfectly into theirs and the comfort he felt in their arms was amazing. “okay, let’s go!”

again, easily one of the best nights of his life. even if he did have a looming cloud of anxiety over him. y/n made it better.

[moemammon]

The Demon Brothers vs an Obstacle Course

(You know, one of those foam filled monstrosities with all the stuff in the way, the things to hop on and crawl under, that stuff.)

Lucifer-

This man would take some convincing to actually get him to run the course. He's not really the type that likes running frantically through a multicolored maze.

But! Thanks to your persuasive powers and endless grace (or whining, etc), he begrudgingly agrees.

Besides, any chance to show his skills is a welcomed one. He's not quiet a showoff, but he hardly turns down a challenge.

And man, he makes this obstacle course look like child's play. One second he's at the start, and the next thing you know he's flying past you.

He's gone.

He's already finished. Did you really think you'd beat him though?

For a guy who said this sorta thing was "Pointless and childish", he sure did take it seriously

Kinda sus if you ask me

And that cocky look he's giving you... should you be annoyed or aroused? 🤔

Mammon-

He is HYPED.

Mammon pegs me as an adrenaline junky so he doesn't refuse. He loves stuff like this!

He's usually the one that takes you out to do stuff, so he's excited when you suggest running an obstacle course!

Extra as hell so he's dressed in light clothes SPECIFICALLY for speed

And man, he's practically bouncing off the walls. Makes it a point to brag about how many obstacle courses he's ran in the past

"If it's a human world obstacle course, it'll be a cinch! Somethin' like that's nothing to the Great Mammon!"

Definitely makes this into a money-based competition. "Loser's gotta pay for lunch after this, alright?" Probably didn't even bring his wallet smh

Runs as fast as he can the moment the whistle blows, and immediately gets his leg stuck on a climbing net and has to be rescued

"Ya didn't see that, ya hear me?! I didn't get stuck or anythin'! I was just.... I dropped something, so I went down there to grab it! There's no way I'd get tangled up in a dumb thing like that!

Ok mammon whatever you say ily

Then proceeds to yeet you into the foam cube pit so he can get the upper hand

Leviathan-

Levi refuses. Gomenasorry.

But seriously, how did you manage to get this guy out of his room for something like this?

He doesn't even know why you asked him. Does he look like he likes running around getting all gross and sweaty, just for a pat on the back and a sticker for participation??

Now if you bribe him by promising to buy him that new Ruri-chan figure that's only been released in the human world, then he miiiight peel himself out of his bathtub to go with you.

And when he's actually running the course, he finds that it's pretty fun..! For the most part. He's not a huge fan of getting hit in the face by foam stuff.

But when you suggest that the two of you treat it like you're winding through the Accursed Forest in search of the Sword of Resurrection, he's suddenly weirdly good at getting through the course.

It's supposed to be a race, but you're his Henry so there's no way he can abandon you! May or may not be an excuse to hold your hand too

He's not the fastest though, but he means well. Probably Naruto runs

Satan-

Something like this isn't really Satan's idea of a good time, but can he really say no to that face?

You've begged him all week to come with you, and he's finally giving in. If the two of you can go for a peaceful dinner date afterward, to end the evening on a chill note.

He's read a few things about human pastimes and public sports, and obstacle courses sort of fall into those categories, right?

He doesn't get the appeal, but it can't hurt!

And it's not unusual to think that Satan would be good at avoiding all the stuff in his way, right? Sure he gets smacked from time to time, but have you seen his room??

This man lives in a labyrinth of books. He's no stranger to squeezing around stuff.

He's not super competitive though so he pauses every now and then to make sure you haven't fallen into a foam abyss or something

Honestly a real gentleman even though this is supposed to be a competition

Satan just wants to have a good time hanging out with you, even if he doesn't really care for stuff like this 💕

Asmodeus-

Uhhhhh

Running around and getting sweaty??

Having to hop, climb, and crawl around???

And getting nothing out of it except a broken nail, dirty clothes, and messy hair?????

Hard pass. Sorry, leave a voicemail after the tone ✌️

Okay, but if by some miracle you ACTUALLY manage to get this man to run an obstacle course with you, you deserve a medal

And surprisingly, he actually has fun with it!

Looking beautiful isn't his only fixation, you know. He likes to have fun too!

Especially if he can get all hot and sweaty with you ;;;;)););););;)););))

For a man that always seems to be nothing but graceful, he can't seem to win in this obstacle course.

You're trying so hard not to laugh while you watch him strain to climb up robes, awkwardly crab walk under things as to avoid touching them with his new outfit, and stand still for ten minutes straight just to fix his hair

At this rate you might as well just let him piggyback you to the finish

Beelzebub-

This hulk of a man is not built for agility and grace so he will 100% just barrel through the obstacles. I want to see him run full speed toward the finish like with like, pieces of foam and stuff all over his clothes from ripping apart all the stuff in his way

He plays the devildom's equivalent to American football so it's not like there's anything that can stop him.

Especially if there's the promise of an edible reward for whoever wins? He's gonna get to the finish first if it's the last thing he does.

He zooms past you and mutters a rushed "Sorry MC". He doesn't mean to hurt your pride, but he wanna wIN.

And as soon as he passes the finish line, he'll turn right back around to go get you, wherever you might be in the course.

He technically won, so now he'll go pick you up so you can make good on your promise to feed him

Carries you off into the sunset like a princess to the nearest McDonald's

Belphagor-

How did you manage to wake him up

Furthermore, how did you manage to convince him to do something so physically demanding

You must have something hanging over his head, because there's not much in this world that would convince him to run an obstacle course

Probably wouldn't do it even if Beel asked, because Beel wouldn't ask

You've gotta be okay with carrying him tbh

Otherwise he'll vouche for watching you run around

He's having fun as long as you are

Probably lays on one of the soft spots on the obstacle course and naps

That's the closest he's getting to participating 💕

[a-deed-without-a-name]

Heyy, just wanted to give a prompt!

Abusive John fattens Dean up because he’s jealous of how much better he is than John at everything.

Being jealous of your own kid. John knew exactly how pathetic it sounded, would've scoffed at guys who admitted to it when he was younger - hell, he probably still would, because feeling it was one thing, but saying it out loud where everybody else could hear? Just a whole new layer of pathetic.

It was, he felt, justified. For reasons he wasn't gonna try to dig into, something about Dean had started burning like salt in the wounds on John's soul sometime in his late teenage years. He could outrun him, even with those stupid little bandy legs. Outshoot him, outfight him, out-track and research him, and god, that stung when he hadn't and still wasn't putting in the same effort as John. Hadn't taught himself to hunt while raising two boys. John was at the library and out shooting cans on the prairie until five in the morning, Dean was drinking and whoring. Girls liked him so damn much, that was another thing. Just thought he was cock of the walk.

Even Sammy liked him better. Despite the fact John was the one keeping a roof over their heads, money in their wallets, food in their bellies, teaching them to defend themselves.

When Sammy flew the coop for college (apparently, liking Dean better than John still didn't mean he liked him that much), John saw his chance.

John's eldest liked to eat even more than he liked to drink and screw. His taste in food ran the same as John's own: heavy, greasy, fatty, meaty, sugary, salty. And a life on the road meant eating at places that served that exact fare more often than not.

The only reason Dean hadn't already porked up was his active lifestyle and his age. But take away the activity and ratchet up the calorie intake...

You didn't pull a six-minute mile or go home with a different girl every night when you could barely haul your ass off the couch.

It was almost funny. How easy it was. Push for extra fries here, another slice of pie there. Hit fast food places more frequently while they were on their way to wherever they were going next for a "pick-me-up." When he grabbed coffee, he either got a soda for Dean, or he piled cream and sugar into it.

Kid liked his black, same as John, but despite the face he pulled after the first sip, he'd drink it. Eventually, he started asking for the sugar. For the extras at restaurants. For the frequent stops. For the candy bars John had been stocking up on at gas stations, the vending machine trips, the convenience store runs... Didn't say a word about how hunts seemed few and far between these days, either. Not any words John couldn't brush off, at least.

Honestly, with how broken up over Sam leaving that Dean was, he seemed more than happy to bury his sorrow in food. John was more than happy to indulge that self-destructive streak all the way down.

He'd fed Dean real good today. Huge breakfast from a diner, plenty of waffles and bacon and sugary coffee. Gas station snacks, Bugles and Snickers. In-N-Out for lunch, then a Chinese buffet at the town they'd just rolled into for dinner. Dean had stuffed himself stupid.

But John knew that he could eat more. His boy was a pig, after all.

He'd left Dean sitting on the end of one of the beds, button popped off jeans that didn't fit anymore and well-fed potbelly bloating out onto his thighs, panting and sweating and belching. When he got back, he was still there, but he'd flopped back so that that perfectly-round, freckled gut was pointed straight up at the ceiling. It heaved with every breath, and the tight love handles on either side jiggled when Dean hauled himself painfully upright.

Dean blinked stupidly at what John put on the table. Bottle of Coke. Medium pizza. Pint of chocolate ice cream. "What's that?"

"Bedtime snack." John beckoned. "Get your ass in this chair."

"Wh - I can't eat that," Dean protested, but he was already getting to his feet. "I'm too full."

"Are you?" John challenged Dean with a poke to the stomach that made him grunt. "Seen you gorge yourself on way more than this. Take a seat, and eat."

Dean was bewildered, confused, obviously irritated. But he sat down, and he ate. Much of an ungrateful showoff as he'd always been, at least he followed orders. Daddy's good little soldier.

Later that night, John kneaded roughly at Dean's tight belly as he shoved the last spoonful of ice cream into his groaning mouth. Maybe they could stay here in this town, for a while. More than one buffet. He'd like to Dean's ass popping the stitches on those jeans before they moved on. Maybe the stitches on the ones in the next size up, too.

Straightening, he smirked down at his overfed oldest, and gave Dean's gut a slap.

"Attaboy."

[grandparomeaskblog]

Cotta, G, I and J?

G what do you like about your partner?

Cotta: He's adorable. He is so cute it's unreal. You really ought to push him at times to speak his mind because you can find meaningfull insight in his ideas. Most people won't notice from day to day but he is really brave too. Both in the heroic sense of the word, but also in seemingly little things. He will do things that scare him to please people he likes. I love it best that he learned to set bounderies for himself. That's difficult for him I can tell.

I if you could change one thing about your partner what would it be?

I wish he will find some closure of his past hurt. It's hard to see him so broken. I hope it's just a matter of time, but I'm not sure. If I could change one thing I'd have him smile more and not worry so much. I'm glad he has found some supportive people around him now so he opens up a little. But it's a lot to enravel for a guy like me. I'm only human after all.

J how did you meet your partner?

I met him at a game, ofcourse it had to be there, of all places. My father has some good seats there and he asks me to go just to showoff I suppose. I was bored out of my mind. I brought my girlfriends but I can't go full out having sex with them in broad daylight for some ungodly reason, so ughhh. Anyway then Romulus comes in and everyone stands up for him. I was confused at first untill I saw he was crowned. I have never seen a man this young with such a high decoration before. He never wears it though, only at crowded days at the games to have a good spot. hilarious isn't it? Such a boyish thing to do. Anyway, I boldly asked him to sit with us, which he gladly accepted.

[jadelotusflower]

Robin Hood Rewatch: 2x06 For England!

Almost at the halfway point of the season, and things are really ramping up - Allan is transitioning to team Castle, Robin is in full blown solider (assassin) mode, and Marian is (sigh) yet again under the threat of sexual assault. And of course, more silly disguises, but perhaps the less said about those hats the better!

Another opener, another one of the Sheriff’s contractors murdered.

How did the gang find Allan’s secret stash? They got to it first, so they couldn’t have just been tracking him.

The Pact is being signed for King Richard’s birthday, which is the 8 September - we find out later that Robin’s birthday is 14 October, which means the events of 2x06-2x012 take place over less than a month. I mean, if any of the writers cared about such things, which I suspect they didn’t. But from memory, it doesn’t seem preposterous - things are moving quickly as tensions are escalating. It also means that we’re a year on from the events of 1x08, which also took place on Richard’s birthday. It kind of works, even if they are living in Sherwood, the Land of Endless Summer.

Djaq’s face this entire scene. She’s the only one who doesn’t hurl accusations at Allan, just gives a sad shake of the head.

And...Robin’s off on his own again.

Marian’s new wardrobe, Guy clearly doing his shopping at the peasant woman’s Laura Ashley store we saw in 2x01. Other than the blue dress she’s holding, I don’t think she wears any of these, does she?

Guy makes it clear he’s actively pursuing her again, the suspicion of a few episodes ago conveniently forgotten.

Marian’s hairpins: useful as weapons and lockpicks.

Robin’s disguises: once again, a hood and an accent. “Be meek and obedient, my child” with a wink is cute, however.

I actually love the dress Marian’s wearing in these scenes, but we never really get a good look at it.

I wish I had more to say about Edward, but I don’t. He’s just there.

And it’s Wedge Antilles! Commander of Rogue Squadron, Red Leader, General of the New Republic himself. Denis Lawson great in this role.  I also very much enjoy him as Captain Foster in Hornblower.

Alright, so Robin at this point still doesn’t know that Roger of Stoke was intercepted (aka killed). I actually appreciate that this is a plot point that has been ongoing for several episodes.

Much has been in this outfit for most of the season (but this is the first really good shot of it) - it’s actually Robin’s vest that he wore early in season 1, let out a little at the sides. I really love the attention to detail here, in that the gang would of course be repurposing clothes, and that it’s Much in particular that would be getting Robin’s hand me downs.

It’s nice when we get to see how clever Will is - forward thinking about signing the gang up as musicians and making the instruments.

“They’re just bells.” John’s face! Then the payoff with the guards - “bells, mate” (ring ring).

Allan’s still got a bit of grey in his costume - he hasn’t fully made the switch yet. It does seem that Allan’s initial plan was to flee with his hoard, but when the gang found it first, he chooses to go to Guy for employment rather than leave Nottingham.

Sorry this is an image heavy post, but John’s tag is completely visible in this scene! Where was the continuity editor? Where was the director? I mean, it’s not craft service coffee cups, but jeez.

Is this the first time we learn that Marian’s mother’s name was Kate? Or that she’s even been mentioned?

Sussex. Sussex. Sussex? Sussex. SUSSEX!

For all of Guy’s talk earlier that he’s gaining more power, he can’t save Marian, and he can’t save Allan - his “power” exists only in exercising Vaisey’s will, he has none of his own.

I will however give him credit for the instinct to try and get Marian out of the castle - perhaps the only honourable thing he’s done so far, in that he thinks of her welfare before his own in arranging her escape without any promise of reward.

But...of course it doesn’t last. Now, Vaisey clearly has some kind of psychological hold over Guy, and the scene between them is incredibly creepy, as Guy seems almost hypnotised while Vaisey invades his personal space and gives slow deliberate orders. He makes no threats, his words are actually quite benign, but there’s a sinister undertone to the whole thing.

But still, Guy ultimately chooses Vaisey over Marian - as he will do again at the end of the season. He allows Marian to be chained at the wrists and taken to Winchester - and it’s interesting that Vaisey leaves him in control of this. At this point, Guy still could have facilitated Marian’s escape, Vaisey isn’t there watching to make sure he does what he wants, he let’s Guy make the choice, he’s so certain of his own control over Guy. Vaisey is such an astute judge of character (well, men - he always underestimates women), and master manipulator.

Meanwhile, Robin’s also making the choice not to confide in or seek help from his gang, instead taking up the role of assassin himself, and there’s a lot going on in that. We know Robin is the kind of commander who will always throw himself into the fray first, put his life on the line before those of his followers, and in a way it’s reminiscent of 1x02 where Robin made sure his men were safe on the other side of the portcullis before fighting off the remaining guards single-handedly. But we’re a way from half-showoff, half-deathwish Robin now - this choice is calculated (but still reckless). He sees his role as captain to protect his soliders, not the other way around, and he thinks its a suicide mission and doesn’t want to risk their lives.

He tells Edward “I have no choice” but at this point Robin has lots of choices. Because he should tell the gang what is going on, not leave them in the dark, he should seek their counsel, and accept their help. But he doesn’t, because for all the justification he’s cloaking himself in, he knows it’s a terrible thing and while he’s willing to bear the burden (after likely doing much worse in the Holy Land), he’s not willing to let the gang bear it with him. But also - he’s not willing to let the gang talk him out of it either, which they would certainly try to do. He’s in war mode and his only objective is to eliminate the enemy the most effective way he knows how - to turn off the humanity in himself and let the solider take over.

Allan, Guy, and Robin are again falling back on their old patterns - Allan to talk his way into the most advantageous position possible (and survive), Guy cede control to Vaisey (and further his ambition), and Robin to act recklessly (and protect his King). All of these cycles are self-destructive, and only really Allan will be able to break free from his by the end of the season.

Not the face of a rational man. If he’d talked things over with the gang first, things might have been different.

There are lines of Robin’s letter that are (inadvertent) foreshadowing - “but most of all for the life, for the love we could not have” and “I’ll see you in heaven.” Debatable whether Robin genuinely believes the latter (given he’s about to commit some mortal sins without the opportunity to repent), or whether he says it for Marian’s comfort.

Very lucky Robin didn’t aim for anyone’s head - but Vaisey would know he would go for the heart, the most effective kill shot.

CONDENDER, READY? GLADITATOR, READY? 3...2...1...

Both Robin (righteous anger) and Allan (seething resentment) are being unreasonable here. Robin: “You don’t have to do this” - and do what instead, exactly? Allan: “You should have given me a second chance.” Well, he did. It’s Allan who swings first, and wins, thanks to Robin’s distraction at seeing Marian in chains - but he doesn’t go in for the kill swing, and I don’t think he would have, actually.

Tar and fire - weren’t we here three weeks ago?

First John disarms Guy with his quarterstaff, then distracts him with the bells, then hits him in the groin. What a legend.

It bothers me when they all tell Much to shut up and it’s played for laughs. Really, this scene should have been the gang giving Robin the what for about going off alone and making suicide-shaped plans without them, but it also makes sense they don’t want to rub salt in the wound.

A dark end to the episode, a sign of things to come.

[irontinystar]

“It’s not gonna hold!” a chirpy voice affirms. “We should fix the proportions!”

Tony smirks at that, his chest filled with pride, while he smiles all by himself.

Another squeaky voice confirms the first statement. “Maybe we should add three centimetres on the left?” A few seconds of silence. “Actually, the height is double time that side, so we should add three point five centimetres.”

At the suggestion Tony frowns. He’s laying face down on a beach chair, trying to get a tan on his back, so it’s not really that easy for him to see what’s going on by his side. He half opens one eye just to check everything is okay, and most importantly- who the hell has just outsmarted his very bright and very smart daughter.

He sees his little Morgan still sitting legs crossed on the sand, her pink kerchief precariously holding on her ruffled hair. She’s filling a bucket with sand and eyeing in a critic way at the construction of a castle in front of her. Tony smiles again, amused by how his babygirl is not only playing with sand like all the other kids, but is actually taking the act of building constructions very seriously.

“Or maybe we could rotate this tower right here, in this way it would be proportioned” the other small voice talks again. “We would just have to make that fort a little wider.”

Finally, Tony sits up. He has never considered himself to be the kind of parent who competes for his child to be better than other kids, but for god’s sake, his daughter is a genius, who can be the nerdy kid who’s speaking over her?

He straights up his back and cocks his head, and almost loses a beat when he rests his eyes on a slim and blonde little girl sat legs crossed too near his Morgan, studying the sand building with the same intensity he dedicates to math equations.

“Yeah, you’re right” Morgan bubbles, and Tony realises he has been staring at the kids for a little too long.

“Morgan” he calls, and the brunette head of the girl snaps on him.

“Daddy!” she exclaims grinning widely, a teeth gap visible inside her mouth. The other girl’s head turns up too, and she looks at him with curiosity.

“Who’s your new friend?” Tony asks softly, kind of regretting his previous burst of antagonism.

Morgan turns to look at her friend, still smiling. “She’s Mary!” she replies loudly. “Mary, this is my daddy.”

Mary gives him a sheepishly smile, but her eyes are bright, and Tony suddenly feels uncomfortable. “You’ve met her today?” he asks to his daughter. Sounds weird that the beach of Palm Springs hosts two little geniuses at the same time, but yeah, life is full of coincidences, so.

Morgan laughs loudly, and her friend giggles too, at which Tony feels uncomfortable again, since it is not very pleasing to be laughed at by two little girls. “Mary is a friend from school!” Morgan explains. At which Tony relaxes a little bit. Of course she’s smart too, then, considering Morgan attends a school of prodigy kids. “I saw her this morning in the hall of the hotel” she tells.

Mary nods firmly at Morgan’s story, and the girl goes on. “Haven’t you paid attention to me? I told you so as we were having breakfast!” She frowns a little annoyed, and Tony tightens his lips with guilt.

He remembers how the girl kept on talking that morning, but he was still thinking about all the appointments he had to postpone for that week. He knows this is the only time he has to spend with Morgan, since the rest of the summer she’s gonna stay with her mom, and he really wants to be free to stay with her the most, but his company is not gonna run by itself, and he’s kinda scared he’s not going to be able to balance his businessman’s duty with his father’s duty.

“I know” he mumbles. “Yeah, yeah, I remember now.”

Morgan frowns. “You’re lying!” she points out, but before Tony can find an excuse to that, she chuckles with her friend.

“Dads always lie!” Mary says squinting her eyes with laughter. “Mine does too! He thinks I do not know that, but I do.”

Tony smiles apologetically. He feels his cheeks coloring at being called out, but the girls seem to be having fun, so that’s not really a problem.

He’s still working his way out of such embarrassment when a voice makes him turn around. “Mary!” a man calls, and the giggles of the little girls cease on the spot.

Morgan’s friend groans. “Here he goes” she mumbles. “I’m here!” she then exclaims, waving her arms. The man approaches their little spot on the sand, and Tony has to remind himself it’s rude to stare at strangers, because he’s definitely been staring.

Indeed the man is tall, has broad shoulders and a slim waist. Glowing skin and golden hair, and when he exhales, relieved at having found the little girl, he shows the brightest of smiles.

“Mary! I’ve told you not to run away without saying anything” the stranger scolds, his perfectly pinched eyebrows narrowed with reproach. “You made me worry.”

Mary’s shoulders slump. “I’m sorry pop” she whines. “I just wanted to play with Morgan” she holds the other girl’s hand to make her dad see her, and the man’s frown softens.

“You just had to ask, Mary. You know I let you do what you want, but first-“

“I have to ask, yeah, I know” the girl grunts.

Tony looks at their interaction a little entranced, still stealing glances of the hot stranger in front of him, when the man finally turns and looks at him.

“I’m really sorry she bothered you. She can sound as a showoff, but I promise she means no harm” he says with a rueful expression.

Shrugging, Tony shushes his apologies away. “Don’t worry” he scoffs. “I know what it means to have a smartass kid” he assures.

“Daddy!” Morgan reproaches Tony’s usage of bad words right away.

“I’m sorry!” he raises his hands as a sign of surrender, then he turns to look at the stranger again. “See? Can be a pain in the butt, sometimes” he says, throwing a glance at his daughter when he says ‘butt’, at which Morgan nods firmly.

The man chuckles. “Yeah, it’s a little annoying when they remind you just how dumb of a child you were in comparison” he jokes tilting his head, a small embarrassed movement that Tony finds adorable.

He raises an eyebrow faking cluelessness. “Oh, I wouldn’t know” he shrugs. “I was quite of a genius myself, so-“ He’s not usually one to brag, but he saw the chance of being flirty, and took it without a second thought.

The man slightly blushes at that. “Oh, well- then I guess it was just me who’s always been average.”

Yeah, average, Tony thinks, you look everything but average. “So you telling me she took everything from her mother?” he asks, mostly to test the waters. He cannot deny this stranger is quite interesting, but he would never interfere with a marriage, so it’s better to set things right away.

The blond man’s smile dies on the spot and his face grimaces. His jaw twitches as he says “Yeah, she was a very smart woman.” His voice is full of fondness, and Tony feels like a moron.

“Oh” he indeed bubbles embarrassed. “I’m sorry” he shifts on his feet, and he gets a glimpse of the girls’ castle, detailed and most of all proportioned.

“No worries” the man says, a smile back on his handsome face. “I’m Steve, by the way. Mary’s father” he introduces himself offering one hand.

Tony stares at it for an instant, feeling a little off-balance- if because of the hot sun or the hot stranger he doesn't really know. Then he reaches out with his hand and shakes Steve’s one. “I’m Tony, Tony Stark” he says, mostly because he thinks this Steve guy must have realised by now that he’s talking to the owner of Stark’s Industries.

Steve tilts his head. “Oh,” he gapes. “We’re using full names? Then I’m Steve Rogers.”

Tony chuckles, thinking Steve is making fun of him, but when the man frowns without a clue, he decides not to dig into it. It’s not that nice to ask “What? You don’t know who I am?” as some kind of self bloated narcissist, which he is not.

“Daddy, I’m hungry” Morgan whines gripping at his leg, saving him from the embarrassment.

“Yeah, sweetheart, we’re going to dinner, don’t worry” Tony reassures her, before turning to the man another time.

Steve smiles. “Yeah, we’re going too.” He grabs Mary’s hand to help her stand up. The girl bats the sand off her knees with a groan.

“So-“ Steve says looking at him, holding his daughter’s hand.

Tony grins encouraging him to go on, but Steve scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah, have a good meal” he wishes, his cheeks faintly flushing.

The thing highly pleases Tony, and when the blond man waves his hand and turns to walk away, Tony pushes himself to be a little bolder. “Steve!” he calls, ignoring Morgan’s tugs at his leg to go eating.

Steve turns on the spot, and flashes him another bright smile. The sunlight of the golden hour hits him ruthlessly, and he looks like a damn greek god under it.

Tony curses under his breath. “Can I offer you a drink? Later?” he asks, and why is he feeling so nervous?, he’s not fifteen anymore.

Steve brights up even more. He nods. “It would be a pleasure, Tony Stark” he beams. “See, you later, then.”

Tony smiles back, his chest pounding with expectation. “See you later.”

Read the rest on ao3 -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/26157760