#velo talks

[aeonloves]

"i hate Ada Wong" i say, and then i trip and fall to the ground. dozens of photos spill from my pockets, all revealing Ada Wong. i panic. "this isn't what it looks like," i say, frantically scooping up all the pics. "these aren't mine i swear" more photos fall

[velovw]

Once Seth and Jane come out, and I have a feel about their personality a little more - I'll definitely add them to the texts!

[velocithea]

Octopus suckers are like cat beans to me

[allhell-brakeloose]

Swapping and rewrapping handlebars today, whish me luck

[itsfairly]

i know Miguel O'Hara seems like the kind of guy to mind his business, but you know how you get a hundred times more comfortable when you meet someone from your culture? sure, he may be reserved and intimidating when seeing him for the first time and his stoic expression doesn't exactly help either. but as soon as he listens to someone speaking spanish in nueva york, its instantly captures his attention.

thats what happened today. miguel needed some time, away from his job at alchemax and definitely a break from being spiderman, and ended up taking a quick drink at this bar. he was just mulling over this week, how long and frankly overwhelming it has been to the point where this is the first time he has spared some time in a while.

however, his thoughts were soon interrupted. it wasn't like the bar was empty, there were clients and conversations filling the silence along with the clinks and clanks of their drinks, but those weren't the sounds that made him snap out of his mind.

what did were a few words. their language specifically.

¿Viste al tipo por la barra? ¿No se te hace guapo?

honestly, people tended to tell these comments to his face, telling him compliments that instantly revealed their intentions as soon as they tried to touch his arm and flash him some flirty eyes. that usually turned miguel off, quickly shaking off any advancements in favor of his other responsibilities.

but there was something about hearing them in his language, the one he was used to hearing at home when younger (much harsher at that) or when it just slipped out of him here and there.

Sí, ya sabes que a mi me gusta cuando tienen el cabelllo largo. Hasta tiene unos rulos por su nuca, son tiernos.

Oh, claro, vele esos brazotes, ¿tú crees que no los veo?

Ay, no sé. Yo sé que estoy hablando de más, ¡pero velo! Esta muy guapo.

and more and more words you were probably oblivious to the fact that he was not only listening in but also understanding perfectly. it was an honest confidence boost if he was being honest. Someone gushing over him at a bar? In Spanish no less? It was new, almost innocent if it weren't for how explicit you were being about how attractive you found him, but endearing nonetheless.

listening in wouldn't do much harm, Miguel thought to himself, slightly adjusting himself in his seat to get a glimpse of you, immediately feeling that giddiness from seeing you talk your friend's ear off over some stranger.

it was that after a few minutes, he heard some laughter from your table.

No, absolutamente no. ¿Lo viste? Esta fuera de mi alcanze ese hombre, no voy a ir a hacer el ridiculo.

and suddenly, he didn't want to keep pretending like all your gushing was falling on deaf ears.

taking a last sip of his beer after paying the bartender, Miguel stood up from his seat, heading over to the table that had him so intrigued today. he had to admit, it felt a little silly to act all tough and confident when he rarely sets time apart for stuff like this. but when your eyes meet his and he sees that hint of red in your cheeks, he didn't felt so alone in his silliness as he remembers your words.

if you werent going to make a move out of fear of feeling stupid, then he wouldn't be stupid to let either of you walk away from a chance.

miguel clears his throat, interrupting the conversation between you and your friend as he slips a napkin your way, nodding at both you and your friend before leaving.

as he heads to the door, he hears your friend start laughing, making him turn his head back to see you shaking your head over your hands, hiding your face. though he could the hint of red had reached your ears. your friend tells you to look up once more, meeting miguel's eyes once more, prompting him to smile at you and hint back at the napkin.

you looked down at the napkin, feeling your heart race once more, not believing the fool you made of yourself regardless. while yes, he did leave his name and number written down for you, it wasn't enough to let you know he had heard your interest in him. no, he had to let you know he was just as much a Spanish speaker as you.

Miguel, (xxx) xxx-xxxx Por sí quieres que este a tu alcanze.

safe to say that you two eventually got the chance to go on a date once your embarrassment passed. after all, it wasn't that common to find someone who spoke the same language as you in nueva york and miguel wouldn't let that chance slip away, especially after you sounded so pretty gushing over him.

[starlightandetherealshadows]

☾. DEMO (24k) ☾. CHARACTERS ☾. PLAYLIST

Latest Update: Chapter 1 released on 08/25/2023

Your story starts like any other. Your life was normal, until it wasn’t. Two years after an invasion ravaged the Earth, you’re struggling to find purpose. The lonely life of struggle and survival is not for you. You’d promised yourself that if there was an apocalypse, you’d end it. That was then. That was when hypotheticals existed. Instead of dying, you lived against all odds and continue to do so.  Why? You don’t know. You wake up fortunate to be alive. Everything between the sunrise and sunset is white noise. Insignificant. Now, your normal shifts again. You’re surrounded by a group of strangers, their faces unfamiliar except for the exhaustion in their eyes. There's something coming, something worse. It isn't hard to believe. After all, still water is an infested one. For the first time in two years, you aren't sure who is a predator, and who is prey. Caught between a millennia-long war, the human race is but a spoke in the wheel, narrowly avoiding being crushed by powers beyond your comprehension. At the end of the world, there is only one question. Who is running from whom?

☾. FEATURES

Customize your MC. Play as male, female, or nonbinary. You can determine their appearance and personality, updating it (voluntarily and involuntarily) as the story progresses. Are they charming or intimidating? Do they use their fists to solve problems, or their keen mind and deductive reasoning? Can they talk their way out of trouble, or do they avoid it in the first place? 

Become an asset to your group. The perfect team has balance. Choose your MC’s strengths and weaknesses; develop them as you see fit. Make decisions that change the lives of your found family, or sit on the sidelines and watch chaos unfold. Do you believe in fate, or will you change your future by force?

Engage in romance, or keep it purely platonic between 5 love interests. There are two options for short term flings, and one poly option available.

Survive. Easier said than done.

☾. ROMANCE OPTIONS

For each of the romanceable characters, there will be options to increase flirtation, friendship, or antagonism. 

☾. Ayana Tsosie (F)

Compassionate, intelligent, tactical, and ambitious, you have no doubt that A is a natural born leader. Despite her warm, welcoming demeanor, A is reluctant to pursue close relationships for fear of it interfering with her sense of responsibility to the group. You catch her crying in the early hours of the morning. Whose ring adorns her necklace?

☾. Cecelia/Chase Quinn (F/M)

Always up for a laugh, C isn’t interested in the doom and gloom. That doesn’t mean they lack competence. C is damn good with technology, able to rig up electricity seemingly from their back pocket. They take their friendships seriously, and will be the first to defend you when trouble comes knocking. Still, you wonder why they flinch at any sudden movements.

*C is demisexual; it takes a high friendship for them to reciprocate any romantic/sexual feelings.

☾. Delphine (F)

A succubus alien from the planet Cypress Velo, Delphine has been on Earth long before the Nion 8 invasion. At the end of the world, the seedier clubs and places of indulgence stand; Delphine works as a bartender and dancer at said places. Wealthy, gorgeous, and playful, Delphine can flash her fangs and have the world on it's knees. You can't help but gravitate towards her. Is she using her powers on you, or is her magnetism all natural?

☾. Zero Chevalier (M)

Having been plagued by night terrors since they were teenagers, Z can't close his eyes without hearing things. Seeing things. His parents, friends, and psychiatrists tell them that it's all in his head. Z prefers the shadows to the spotlight; at least the nightmares hold him close.

*Zero is locked in a v-type polyamorous route.

☾. Xa'eks/Xa'veed (F/M)

X never wanted to be in the military; they didn't know that until their species invaded Earth and they realized that others have a choice. Those words: choice, love, want, fear, longing, regret. It is all foreign to them. X knows their people cannot hide forever. The time for war is coming; but what sort of militia would they be if they couldn't see a lost battle a mile away?

*Memento Mori is a 18+ interactive fiction game that is best suited for the genres of sci-fi, romance, and horror. Wrecked and ravaged by an alien invasion, Earth is on the brink of war. War with who? That is yet to be determined, as no one knows who is the predator, and who is the prey.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Thank you all so much for your interest and support. It means the world to me!! ♡ ♡

All my love,

Cheye (she/her) :･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･

[race-week]

So apparently McLaren couldn’t do the other livery for senna that everyone wanted for legal reasons.

Do you know what the legal reasons could be?

[X] <- talked about it a bit here.

The iconic McLaren livery that people think of when they think of McLaren and Senna is this one

This is the Marlboro sponsored McLaren.

Marlboro is owned by Philip Morris. Philip Morris has ties to Ferrari, remember Mission Winnow? That was a PMI initiative.

McLaren is sponsored by British American Tobacco, they own brands like Velo and Vuse that you occasionally see on the McLaren.

British American Tobacco and Philip Morris are two of the big names in the tobacco industry, in short they are competitors.

Therefore if they ran a Marlboro McLaren-esque livery they’ve got trouble with the fact that they are running a livery of their competitors (Ferrari) sponsor, and also running a livery that highlights their sponsor’s (BAT) competition - just a bit messy really.

Then there’s also the issue of the restrictions around Tobacco sponsorships in general but specifically in F1 as overt tobacco sponsorship has been banned in the sport since 2006

I mean Ferrari was somewhat told off for this livery in 2010 because of the subliminal messaging, and they ended up changing it

Essentially there’s two parts as to why they likely didn’t go for an oldschool Marlboro McLaren livery; tobacco regulations and Ferrari/PMI

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia Di Musica #327 - U2, The Unforgettable Fire, 1984

L'ultimo edificio di questa piccola carrellata di dischi che ne hanno uno in copertina ci porta nella Contea di Westmeath, nel cuore d'Irlanda, con le rovine di un castello, quello di Moydrum, situato nei pressi della cittadina di Athlone. Lì quattro ragazzi irlandesi, insieme a quello che diventerà il loro amico e fotografo per i successivi quattro decenni, Anton Corbijn, posano per la copertina di un disco che nelle loro intenzioni doveva rappresentare una svolta concettuale e musicale. È facile d'altronde mettere a confronto le prime copertine degli U2 con questa, e rilevarne la differenza concettuale: lo sguardo dolce di Peter Rowen, il fratellino di Guggi, amico di Bono, che capeggia in Boy (1980), la band ripresa in October (1981) sullo sfondo il porto di Dublino, e lo sguardo, rabbioso e drammatico, dello stesso Peter Rowen in War (1983, una delle copertine più iconiche del decennio). Dopo il tour di War, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton e Larry Mullen Jr. cercano una svolta. Bono, con una mossa che riprenderà anche in futuro, annunciò all'ultimo concerto di quel tour che la band necessitava di "essere sciolta".

Un rinnovamento che passa da un nuovo approccio alla composizione e da una guida in produzione musicale che sia diversa da Steve Lillywhite, che li aveva seguiti nei primi tre capitoli della loro storia. The Edge, affascinato dai suoi lavori discografici e dal suo ruolo di produttore per i Talking Heads, chiede di contattare Brian Eno. La scelta non sembrava affatto sensata: una band sanguigna, epica, con il guru della musica ambient, della sottrazione emotiva. Lo stesso Chris Blackwell, il proprietario della Island, la casa discografica che li aveva scoperti, era scettico. E lo stesso Eno all'inizio lo era. Ma l'ascolto del loro live Under The Red Blood Sky lo convinse a provare. Porta con sé un tecnico del suono geniale, anch'egli musicista, il canadese Daniel Lanois, incaricato degli aspetti materiali e tecnici delle registrazioni, e indica alla band un orizzonte che se ancorato alla passione, all'epica, alla forza della loro musica originaria, la amplia in scenari vasti, che diluiscono i colori e regalano emozioni nuove all'ascolto.

Registrato nella sala di ballo, trasformata in studio di registrazione, di un altro castello, lo Slane Castle, e presso gli studi di Windmill Lane a Dublino, The Unforgettable Fire prende il nome dal titolo di una mostra fotografica itinerante giapponese sui disastri di Hiroshima e Nagasaki, che i quattro videro al The Peace Museum di Chicago. È una sensazione diversa ascoltare il suono, ricco, cinematografico, di A Sort Of Homecoming che apre la scaletta. Un suono arioso, sostenuto, con l'abbandono della batteria "militaresca" dei lavori precedenti, la chitarra di The Edge che inizia a disegnare paesaggi luminosi, il supporto robusto del basso di Clayton e Bono che si lancia nella descrizione di paesaggi spirituali niente male: hai fame di tempo\tempo per guarire e desiderare, del tempo\e senti la terra muoversi sotto di te\il paesaggio di sogno che hai creato (...) le mura della città sono cadute\la polvere, un velo di fumo tutt'intorno\volti arati come i campi che un tempo\ non opponevano resistenza. Dello stesso tenore, con quest'aggiunta espressionista, sono Wire (addirittura pensata solo come abbozzo nel testo, e registrata con Bono che in parte improvvisa durante il canto) la spettacolare The Unforgettable Fire, e Indian Summer Sky, che è l'espressione anglofona per l'Estate di San Martino. Canzoni che tra l'altro sfuggono alla struttura classica con la ripetizione del ritornello, spesso non citano il titolo nel testo e entusiasmano, spesso ancora oggi, per il lavoro di addizione sonora e di sensazioni che lasciano. Ma è un album che contiene tanto altro: due strumentali, 4th Of July (che è il giorno della nascita della prima figlia di The Edge, e registrata quasi di nascosto da Eno mentre Clayton e il chitarrista improvvisavano) e MLK, dedicato a Martin Luther King, al quale è dedicato anche il brano simbolo del disco, e primo singolo dell'opera, Pride (In The Name Of Love), il cui video musicale fu girato nella sala da ballo allestita a studio di registrazione dello Slane Castle. C'è la poesia dolce e fluttuante di Promenade, un gioiellino che racconta il flusso di pensieri durante una passeggiata, c'è l'esperimento di Elvis Presley And America: basata sulla traccia base rallentata di A Sort of Homecoming, è una improvvisazione canora di Bono, che immagina il Re, ormai sul viale del tramonto, che ricorda il suo passato, specialmente il suo rapporto con Priscilla, e fu una single take lasciata così, grezza e con la voce che dà la sensazione di un'eco più lontana e oscura. Rimane un ultimo grande pezzo: Bad fu scritta da Bono in ricordo di un suo compagno di scuola morto di overdose da eroina il giorno del suo 21° compleanno, è drammatica nel suo crescendo emotivo e diviene una sorta di prototipo di stile U2\Eno\Lanois. Diventerà uno dei momenti clou dei concerti negli anni a seguire.

Un disco dalle tinte sfocate, dai paesaggi sonori sfumati, dalla musicalità complessa poteva sembrare un azzardo per una band considerata così sanguigna. Invece fu un successo: primo disco degli U2 al primo posto della classifica britannica, in top ten in quella americana, e soprattutto la sensazione che la piantina musicale che qui nasce crescerà subito e velocemente, per certi versi in maniera fragorosa, per cambiare il volto alla musica dei decenni a venire. Ma probabilmente questo non lo sapevano ancora.

[wherethewaterstarts-andyouend]

Since Valentine's Day is tomorrow I have decided I must put out a Brobecks/IDKHow listening guide for the people.

For the single/Valentine-less:

Don't worry, me too.

Die Alone by the Brobecks, is an old favorite of mine and honestly iconic. (can be found on YouTube and the live versions are amazing, definitely recommend listening to those)

Sleeping Pills by the Brobecks, not related to love, but is for all my people who have issues with sleep (like me!). (can be found on YouTube)

Better Than Me by the Brobecks, title speaks for itself, song is a mood and was one of the first of their songs I liked. (can be found on all streaming platforms)

For the heartbroken:

A Letter by the Brobecks, is a breakup letter being read out with vocals and instrumentals. 10/10, and is one of my favorite Brobecks songs (can be found on YouTube)

I'll Break Your Arm by the Brobecks, honestly didn't know where to categorize this one, but it kinda fit here. Another one of my favorite Brobeck songs that will typically make it on a playlist if I want to listen to the Brobecks. (can be found on YouTube)

For the Infatuated/Obsessed:

Get help, please.

Infatuation by I Don't Know How But They Found Me, the title speaks for itself. I've been obsessed with it lately and will recommend it of course. (On all streaming platforms and was released last month!)

From the Gallows by IDKHow, amazing, brilliant, absolutely in love with it. One of my favorite tracks off Razzmatazz and this just screams obsession. (Can be found on all streaming platforms)

March 2 by the Brobecks, talks about someone who is obsessed with someone everyone tells them to leave alone. Loved this song a few years ago, but not as into it anymore. (can be found on YouTube)

If You Like It or Not by the Brobecks, fucking love this song despite not listening to it much. It just a vibe and is super danceable. (one of the few Brobecks songs on all streaming platforms!! Go stream Violent Things, it's amazing)

West of California by the Brobecks, one of my all-time favorites by the Brobecks. 10/10, will always recommend. (Sadly only on YouTube)

For those in love/Valentinee's (idk if that's a word, but IT IS NOW):

Le Velo Pour Duex by the Brobecks, absolutely love it, about Dallon Weekes' wife so it can come in this category. (On all streaming platforms)

Love at First Sight by the Brobecks, this is one is self telling, what kind of person would I be if I didn't add this??? Is super fucking cute and was honestly one of the first songs I liked by the Brobecks. (On all streaming platforms with some pretty good live performances)

City Lights by the Brobecks, is another one of my favorite Brobecks songs (definitely makes my top 3). 10/10, no notes. (Only on YouTube :,) )

Kiss Goodnight by IDKHow, is literally my favorite song by IDKHow, absolutely in love with it and would go fall in love just so I have an experience to tie to this song. (On all streaming platforms!!)

[anony-man]

This was a fun drabble that I got to work with my good friend @siberat on creating! Beneath the fic is art they drew for a similar request—please be sure to go give their piece some love!

Link to their post: https://www.tumblr.com/siberat/754384393454370816/hear-me-out-one-of-the-medics-velocity-maybe

Chubformers drabble #67!

Characters: Rodimus & Velocity

Word count: 866

It had been a smooth, uneventful day before the comm came in. Velocity didn't expect anything awful, but a request for her assistance—and hers alone—seemed strange coming from their captain. From someone who skillfully evaded weekly check-ins on a good day, to start the morning off with an outright request for assistance seemed... well, it seemed odd.

There were no hints, no information given to just what exactly she was going to be walking into. He was in his quarters, he'd explained, sounding breathless and ashamed. It wasn't an emergency, per se, but-oh, slag, could she just come and help him? Quickly?

Velocity was certainly worried, but she was also rather curious. A spout of unprofessional thoughts and potentials filled her processor, and she found herself picking up the pace, her faceplates flushing with shame. She needed to focus, not delve into her own personal fantasies. She was on the clock, and Rodimus needed her.

She needed to get there fast, both for Rodimus' sake and her own.

The door to his habsuite was closed, and Velocity gave it a tentative knock before entering. There was a faint sound of a struggle inside, the squeak of pedes against the floor and the creaks of straining furniture accompanying what she believed was—

No, she could not let her mind wander there.

With a deep breath in and a quick internal pep talk, Velocity pushed the door open.

"Rodimus?" she called out, slowly creeping around the berth, alert for any signs of danger.

"Rodimus, are you there? I received your message."

There was no sign of him just yet. Velocity huffed, starting to wonder if this was all just some ridiculous prank on his part. He couldn't have known about her sudden rising interest, but at the same time...

"Rodimus," she called again, making it to the washracks without a single sign of his presence. Too irritated to bother knocking by now, she simply swung the door open. "I'm serious, what's going on? If you're hurt, I—oh!"

All too quickly, Velocity's simmering frustration was replaced with a rush of panic and embarrassment. Too startled to speak, Velocity simply stared with wide optics at the sight that greeted her. Of all the things she could have expected to see... she was certainly in over her helm now.

Rodimus' wide smile and bright optics were overshadowed by the pudge covering his face, and with a chubby servo wielding his shower brush, he waved her inside. He was quite incapacitated, it seemed, with legs spread wide to accommodate a massive hanging belly and chunky everything to match.

Velocity hovered in the doorway for a moment, nervously nibbling at her lower lip as she took in the view. Primus, she was probably quite the sight herself. She could practically feel the heat creeping into her cheeks, and it took everything in her not to fumble over what would have originally been a very awkward start to their interaction.

"Um," she began, hiding her flushed face behind a shaky servo. "I... were you... oh, Primus. What can I do to help?"

"Glad you asked," Rodimus said, a breathless chuckle following the obscene slap of a wet servo against his belly rolls. "What do you say we start down here, then work our way up?"

Velocity gasped, watching in awe as he hefted his upper belly up from his lap, exposing the slick, sweaty mesh underneath. Rodimus seemed unbothered, merely happy to have the help he needed, but Velocity was already counting on this being one of the best days in her career.

"Oh," she stammered again, her bottom lip going raw between her teeth.

It took a good bit of effort to delve into her programming and keep her professionalism separated from the charge building up behind sealed panels, but once Velocity had realized she was just standing in the doorway, ogling the way his frame dwarfed the shower stool he'd planted himself down on, she quickly regained her bearings. Rodimus was still her patient, after all, no matter the circumstances.

Never mind her untimely feelings. His untimely loss of self-sufficiency demanded her attention, and she had to suck up her hesitation and do her job.

Easier said than done, of course.

Velocity cleared her throat and held her helm high, stepping forward. After retrieving the shower brush from painfully chunky fingers, she asked, "How much have you gotten done so far? I'm sure it's, ah... uncomfortable, having all that buildup underneath, but we should make sure that everything is tended to before moving forward."

It must have dawned on him then, because Velocity could almost see the gears turning in his helm. Rodimus let his belly drop, the splash of shower suds and lukewarm water making an absolute awful sound.

"Hard to say," he said, "so... what do you say we give it all a good once over, eh? Make sure everything's nice and squeaky clean?"

Primus have mercy on her spark. Velocity nodded past burning cheeks and a strained smile, shaky servos tentatively reaching out to fondle—no, scrub soft, jiggly mesh.

If she made it out of this with her dignity still intact, it would be a fragging miracle.

***

Art by @siberat! Thanks for reading!!

[wing-ed-thing]

Magpie (Kakuzu x Reader)

Synopsis: Originally sent to assassinate you for hunting down low-level Akatsuki sympathizers, Kakuzu finds that you and him have much more in common than he would have thought.

Word Count: 1.3k

Tags/Warnings: LoanShark!Reader, Canon-Typical Violence, No Reader Pronouns, Laughably Fake Finance Talk

Notes: These two panels are really funny out of context.

Just because Kakuzu liked money doesn’t mean he liked to be showy about it.

But you…

You sat among your riches, draped in expensive silks. The room almost made Kakuzu scoff, with the surrounding clutter of treasures almost matching the ornaments that littered your body. Intricately embroidered patterns were adorned with precious jewels that swooped from shiny chains. You decorated yourself like a shrine to a famed deity and sat among your wealth like the royalty of old.

It was a waste, Kakuzu thought. The artifacts weren’t even sold for ryō, not to mention you kept everything in one place. He stood on a mountain of gold coins, one booted foot propped up onto the incline. 

“I’ve been sent to kill you,” he said curtly. You frowned, studying him up and down, your cheek resting elegantly against your knuckles. 

“So I’ve been told.” You leaned forward, plucking a large, bound book from next to your ornate chair. Kakuzu watched silently as you flipped through the wide pages of handwritten lines. “Thirteen-thousand, forty-one-thousand, sixty-eight-thousand, ninety-five-thousand, your men owe me over one-hundred-ten-thousand ryō, and your leader sends an assassin rather than payment for my gracious loan?”

You let the heavy book slap closed, the sound sharper than it should have been for a book. 

“You’re pitiful magpie, aren’t you?” Kakuzu stepped up the amassment of treasure, sliding as the precious metals shuffled downward. “If you had allowed time for repayment rather than slaughtering mere ants and thrusting an accumulated debt onto the organization, perhaps I wouldn’t be standing here.” He took another step with a dangerous dip of his head. “The organization hadn’t been pleased that a loan shark has been snatching our boots on the ground. When I’m finished, I will be taking your collection and the price on your head to make up for it.”

Kakuzu lunged at you, launching his thread-like tendrils from his hand. You stood instantly, intercepting and spooling the dark threads around an encrusted scepter. You held it under your arm, one hand on the far end to leverage it. 

“My money, huh?” you spat with a crinkled nose. “A bounty hunter. Of course, they would send a bottom feeder like you.” 

“Says the loan shark.”

“But you know what, bounty hunter?” You released the scepter, allowing the broken tension to send Kakuzu sliding a meter down the mountain of gold, his boot sinking up to his calf into the coins. You were on him faster than he could blink. Kakuzu recoiled as a long slit opened on his cheek right under his eye. Your gaze darkened with raging fury. “You’re not going to touch a single ryō of my money!”

You charged at him with a qiang spear, twirling the weapon's length over your wrist to counter Kakuzu’s attack. And then you struck with a strength disproportionate to your physique. Over and over, you lunged at him with your spear, and Kakuzu suddenly found himself on the offense.

He slipped again on the pile, and you took advantage of his vulnerability. You moved to strike him directly in the chest, but he dropped to his knees to slide to the bottom of the treasure, raking his fingers through your riches as he went.

You scowled down at him, legs bent to steady yourself from where you stood on the high ground. Kakuzu rose, a few coins cascading from his fingers. He huffed with a noticeable rise and lowering of his shoulders.

“What a waste,” he muttered as they clattered to the ground. “You don’t even deserve what you have.” Kakuzu barely had time to speak. You kicked over a nearby mirror, using it to skate down the amalgamation of gold with increasing velocity.

You were engaged again, slashing at him only to be blocked. You maneuvered around each other, exchanging blows and looking for an opening. Kakuzu drew a kunai, tendrils weaving around your spear to land a shallow slash across your stomach. You recoiled, stumbling back to land against the riches behind you.

Kakuzu observed you as you stood, using your spear to bring yourself to your feet. 

“You shouldn’t be so careless when it comes to a resource as precious as money,” he lectured, looking on in disdain as a few drops of blood trickled down onto the gold. “You’re lucky that you haven’t been robbed blind before. But don’t worry—” Kakuzu’s skin broke apart to reveal the raving sea of black threads that wriggled within his limbs. —“I will take very good care of your fortune, pitiful magpie.” 

Kakuzu rushed you, and you quickly assumed the defensive, straining against the force laid on your spear as you fought him off with unceasing fury.

“You think this is all I have? Don’t make me laugh!” Your voice strained as you fought to push forward. “As if the real good stuff wouldn’t be in a 108-Keikaku!” You slashed forward but only met air. Kakuzu had recoiled with a conflicted glint in his eye.

“You have a 108-Keikaku?” His brows knitted together, confused. You shrugged almost sheepishly, spear still in hand, and pointed toward the ceiling.

“I thought I’d be in trouble if I didn’t have one. I can’t say it’s my finest investment, but it’s far more practical than the—”

— “Tsurugi Plan,” you said in unison. Kakuzu nodded, almost adamantly. His limbs had reverted to their normal appearance. You matched his furrowed brow as your head jerked skeptically to the side.  

“You invest?” 

Kakuzu scoffed as if you should’ve known better than to ask. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Of course I do,” he said as if it were obvious. “I wouldn’t have expected a lowly loan shark to have a 108-Keikaku.” You rolled your eyes, now holding your spear away as you leaned on your back leg. 

“I prefer to invest in small businesses.”

“Small businesses, please.” Kakuzu shifted where he stood in disbelief, and another shake of his head. “Hardly practical for someone in your line of work.” At this point, Kakuzu had sat down, and you had nearly set down your weapon altogether. 

“Side hobby, I guess. To sate the restlessness,” you said with a semblance of a laugh, almost in thought. “We used to have a different culture before the Five Nation Treaty and shinobi work—”

“It’s truly a dying art form, isn’t it?” 

You plopped down on the floor with crossed legs, flinching as the movement irritated your wound. Your spear clattered down in front of you as you hummed to yourself. Kakuzu kicked his boots up on a small chest, intertwined fingers resting on his lap. 

“What’s a bounty hunter doing with a terrorist organization?” 

“The Akatsuki allow for quite the moneymaking opportunities.” 

“Is that so?” You glanced around the room, taking a moment to ponder to yourself before you stood, settling your gaze back on Kakuzu. “Whatever you’re being paid, I’ll double it.” Kakuzu barked out a laugh. His boots kicked over the chest in front of him and his soles settled into the coins on the ground below.

“Oh really?” He leaned forward with eyes narrowed in intrigue. 

“You can go on any collection that you’d like and take a cut. I won’t interfere or collect on any bounties you pursue in your spare time.” You moved forward, meeting his stare as you dared to approach him. Kakuzu cocked his head.

“What cut?”

“Eighty-twenty.”

“Ha!” He barked again, the laugh making his chest jump. “I hope you’re the one taking the twenty percent.” You stopped in front of him with a scowl.

“I hope you’re not expecting fifty-fifty on my collections?” Kakuzu admired the dip of your lip. Yes, you were serious about money. “I’ll pay you double. Outside of collections, you may do as you please. You’ll get twenty-five. It’s more than generous.”

“Thirty-five.”

“Thirty.”

“Deal.”

Kakuzu stood with a start and your two palms came together with a firm clap. 

“You have a firm shake,” Kakuzu commented.

“Anything less is an insult to my partners,” you said, and Kakuzu fell in love instantly.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: There's a reason I rebloged the "just according to Keikaku" meme earlier this week. I was thinking to myself, "what's a fake finance plan" and I knew immediately what needed to be done.

For any fans of Mob Wife, while not "canon" haha I'd like to think that this is how Kakuzu and Mob Wife met. I think it's funny to consider how easily recruited so many of the Akatsuki members were haha

[aeonloves]

Is it bad that I have every ada wong line memorized and I just act out maybe an entire aeon scene while doing something? I feel stupid

[siberat]

Hear me out: one of the medics velo/city Maybe being a closeted chubby chaser and Well- struggling to keep their optics off of a pretty hefty rodi/mus 👁️👁️

So, you kind of got a 2 for 1. Me and @mr-miss-anonymous worked together for this. I did some art, they did the story, which is under the cut!

It had been a smooth, uneventful day before the comm came in. Velo/city didn't expect anything awful, but a request for her assistance—and hers alone—seemed strange coming from their captain. From someone who skillfully evaded weekly check-ins on a good day, to start the morning off with an outright request for assistance seemed... well, it seemed odd.

There were no hints, no information given to just what exactly she was going to be walking into. He was in his quarters, he'd explained, sounding breathless and ashamed. It wasn't an emergency, per se, but-oh, slag, could she just come and help him? Quickly?

Velo/city was certainly worried, but she was also rather curious. A spout of unprofessional thoughts and potentials filled her processor, and she found herself picking up the pace, her faceplates flushing with shame. She needed to focus, not delve into her own personal fantasies. She was on the clock, and Rodi/mus needed her.

She needed to get there fast, both for Rodi/mus’ sake and her own.

The door to his habsuite was closed, and Velo/city gave it a tentative knock before entering. There was a faint sound of a struggle inside, the squeak of pedes against the floor and the creaks of straining furniture accompanying what she believed was—

No, she could not let her mind wander there.

With a deep breath in and a quick internal pep talk, Velo/city pushed the door open.

"Rodi/mus?" she called out, slowly creeping around the berth, alert for any signs of danger.

"Rodi/mus, are you there? I received your message."

There was no sign of him just yet. Velo/city huffed, starting to wonder if this was all just some ridiculous prank on his part. He couldn't have known about her sudden rising interest, but at the same time...

"Rodi/mus," she called again, making it to the washracks without a single sign of his presence. Too irritated to bother knocking by now, she simply swung the door open. "I'm serious, what's going on? If you're hurt, I-oh!"

All too quickly, Velo/city’s simmering frustration was replaced with a rush of panic and embarrassment. Too startled to speak, Velo/city simply stared with wide optics at the sight that greeted her. Of all the things she could have expected to see... she was certainly in over her helm now.

Rodi/mus' wide smile and bright optics were overshadowed by the pudge covering his face, and with a chubby servo wielding his shower brush, he waved her inside. He was quite incapacitated, it seemed, with legs spread wide to accommodate a massive hanging belly and chunky everything to match.

Velo/city hovered in the doorway for a moment, nervously nibbling at her lower lip as she took in the view. Pri/mus, she was probably quite the sight herself. She could practically feel the heat creeping into her cheeks, and it took everything in her not to fumble over what would have originally been a very awkward start to their interaction.

"Um," she began, hiding her flushed face behind a shaky servo. "I... were you... oh, Pri/mus. What can I do to help?"

"Glad you asked," Rodi/mus said, a breathless chuckle following the obscene slap of a wet servo against his belly rolls. "What do you say we start down here, then work our way up?"

Velo/city gasped, watching in awe as he hefted his upper belly up from his lap, exposing the slick, sweaty mesh underneath Rodi/mus seemed unbothered, merely happy to have the help he needed, but Velo/city was already counting on this being one of the best days in her career.

"Oh," she stammered again, her bottom lip going raw between her teeth.

It took a good bit of effort to delve into her programming and keep her professionalism separated from the charge building up behind sealed panels, but once Velo/city had realized she was just standing in the doorway, ogling the way his frame dwarfed the shower stool he'd planted himself down on, she quickly regained her bearings. Rodi/mus was still her patient, after all, no matter the circumstances.

Never mind her untimely feelings. *His* untimely loss of self-sufficiency demanded her attention, and she had to suck up her hesitation and do her job.

Easier said than done, of course.

Velo/city cleared her throat and held her helm high, stepping forward. After retrieving the shower brush from painfully chunky fingers, she asked, "How much have you gotten done so far? I'm sure it's, ah... uncomfortable, having all that buildup underneath, but we should make sure that everything is tended to before moving forward."

It must have dawned on him then, because Velo/city could almost *see* the gears turning in his helm. Rodi/mus let his belly drop, the splash of shower suds and lukewarm water making an absolute awful sound.

"Hard to say," he said, "so... what do you say we give it all a good once over, eh? Make sure everything's nice and squeaky clean?"

Pri/mus have mercy on her spark. Velo/city nodded past burning cheeks and a strained smile, shaky servos tentatively reaching out to fondle-no, *scrub* soft, jiggly mesh.

If she made it out of this with her dignity still intact, it would be a fragging miracle.

link to writer’s post:

[marisaeon]

Aeon angst week day 1 -

Right person, wrong time ──

Having trouble reading? Text version and authors notes below the cut! Or, support this over on my ao3! :)

They've always known. Loving each other isn't simple. Not something they can happily do for the rest of their lives. Each encounter becomes more anticipated as they get older, and can't be seen together. When they're the first thing on each other's mind everyday, it can't be helped.

Ada occasionally visits him, slow conversations are shared between them. However, in the end it's just them talking in body language, rather than actually telling each other how they feel.

The years go by in a flash, and each encounter feels shorter than the last.

When they meet during missions, and things get chaotic, they're forced to remain exchanging glances, unspoken words at the tip of their tongues. They've always wished for a different life. Both living the lives of someone they don't even think is themselves. No matter what happens, the other is in the picture. Not just a different life, but a different life with 'you.'

Maybe in another life, I can love you.

Everything is swallowed back, and saved for... whenever the time is right.

●・○・●・○・●●・○・●・○・●●・○・●

This day gave me a bit of trouble, but that's all me! I can't wait to see what other people did with this idea, and I thank velo for giving me something to write o(≧▽≦)o

I hope you stick around for all the days.

I'm not an angst writer, I'm all fluff, if you read my other works. But that just makes the challenge even better. Thanks for reading!

[quu-kii]

Emperor Velo x Cortex, how would they treat each other? ;O

Yay an excuse to talk about this ship! I think there would be friction between them since they both have huge egos. And I feel like Velo has some animosity towards Cortex with how in the CNK Team Cortex true end he refuses to give him his scepter at first, compared to how graciously he surrendered with Team Bandicoot. Velo may also treat Cortex as beneath him since he looks down on earthlings generally, but maybe he gained some begrudging respect for him since Cortex did beat him in a race twice.

But also, I think maybe the two can relate in a way. I imagine that with true Velo, he is a runt in his royal family and might have been picked on from his youth because of this (but not anymore since he has built himself up to become a respected and feared ruler). And with Cortex, there’s the abusive past he had in the circus from the initial Crash pitch. So I think they can bond gradually when they learn about each other’s pasts. For example, it can start with Velo asking why Cortex hates clowns from his derogatory words towards Big Norm. And then Cortex explains talking about his past, and it goes from there.

I have this alternate scenario I like to imagine too where the fake Velo is real, or somehow an alternate form of small Velo that he can only maintain for limited periods of time. And in that case Cortex is super intimidated by Velo, while Velo just finds Cortex amusing and fun to toy with. But also in this scenario, Velo will warm up to Cortex as a person gradually, and Cortex eventually gives in and accepts being Velo’s toy (it's not so bad since Velo pampers Cortex nicely when they are together).

Thanks for your question Anon!

[evadingreallife]

Recap prima seconda terza quarta quinta serata:

• mi sono persa la banda che suonava rip

• morandi voleva suonare pure lui sta lì con la chitarra, l'anno prossimo propongo il fanta ma per i presentatori, voglio godere del panico conseguente

• elodie decide di far svenire tutt* causa nosebleeds stile anime con quel vestito signorina miss elodie darling what are you wearing and can we have gay sex i mean have gay sex i mean expl

• qualuno grida a elodie di sposarlo dalla platea e honestly mood

• straguzzo? What are the young kids up to these days? Ama imperterrito acconsente

• colla zio meglio? colla zio bravi? colla zio carucci?

• il vestito di mara sattei è un si per me

• tananai in direttissima dal (suo?) matrimonio col completo il fiore e tutto

• ferragni in her little blue dress & gold breastplate era with gold catenaccio incluso... im confused, what's not clicking?

• giorgia casts santino di ama e finalmente tira fuori la voce e ci ricorda di essere giorgia (i just had a totally unrelated war flashback bad phrasing bad phrasing ffff). Also, she was wearing a cotta di maglia (to defend her spot in the classifica? The hordes of frothing fans? Stuff)

• coladimasplash fantastici come al solito la frase delle seychelles suona come l'assolo di javert dei les mis this is the hill im willing to die on today

• diretta ig cringe ft. ferragni con yet another body shaped dress (?)

• a gino paoli non frega di cantare he came for the tea and that's what he wants to spill all over the stage LET THE MAN TALK AMA

• raga che dire, rosa chemical came here to slay e ci è riuscito. Not female presenting pierced nipples di fuori per il fanta, la canzone è un bop, è vestito da cameriere fetish ma who cares, siamo tutti collectively esplosi visto che

• LIMONE LIMONE SIGNORA IL LIMONEEE rosa chemical fa una lap dance a fedez in platea poi lo limona in maniera molto french live e lo rapisce portandolo sul palco a ballare, nel mentre fedez sorride e annuisce e chiara boh conta i follower da dietro le quinte i guess. Da due a tre il passo è breve e rosa ha deciso che volere è potere good for him

• achille lauro ha strappato la federa del divano dal cadavere dei potroneesofà guys e l'ha indossata per cantare wow

• ah no sono qui. Non si scappa dai poltroneesofà. Loro ti troveranno. Sempre.

• cmq achille e rosa separati uno al suzuki e l'altro all'ariston per non far scomunicare tutta la città causa orgia in diretta i guess dati i precedenti

• ciuri ribattezza achille cristina d'avena e chi può dargli torto quest'anno. Ciuri uno di noi se ci stai leggendo we love you ciuri💖

• cugini di campagna che vogliono rompere la barriera del suono con gli acuti cute e vestiti arcobbbaleno i approve

• parte cringissima della ferragni che invoca il nome dei meme invano e cerca di far entrare ama nel giro mostrandogliene due tre cringissimi di cui uno dal profilo insta di fedez pls stop. Stendiamo un velo pietoso e perdoniamo chi non sa di cosa parla

•mr rain si esibisce (con meno bambini del solito mi dicono?? Idk non so contare, were they disappeared? Did the poteri forti (amadeus) remove hostile entities (bimbi milanisti)? Thats sus)

• in questa notte di sole furore furore diventa decisamente on point per i limoni serali odierni oh how the tables turn

• a una certa ama ha fatto una diretta e uno da dietro faceva i segnali di fumo nei suoi 3 secondi di fama i stan

• levante normale direi (?)

• ornella vanoni wanders on stage. It's her time to sing. Maybe. She finishes. Delira. Says la gara mi fa morire. Amadeus le dà un mazzo di carciofi. Lei li conta e dice che alla rai sono tirchi. E i carciofi a Milano fanno schifo. I understood none of *gestures* this

• LDA embraces the glitter nel pigiamino look.

• someone walks on stage i do not know her she speaks in napoletano ama speaks in napoletano i have no idea what just happened but that dress tho 👀👀👀 respectfully🙌🏻

• ah la ferragni da un'oretta ha una collana a forma di utero? Tipo? D'oro placcato obv

• chiara ha l'ennesimo momento cringe e regala ad anna moglie di gianni la sua sciarpetta bianca patentata da meme con su scritto pensati divorziata buon matrimonio or something

• Olly in rapprensentanza formale del gesticolare compulsivo made in italy uno di noi

• addetto alle telecamere dell'ariston che deve pulirle dalla bava la saliva il rossetto il covid dopo ogni esibizione causa fantasanremo you have my thoughts my prayers and my sword

• i 31 articolano la canzone noo oerché mi tirate i pomodori faceva ridere nella mia testaa

• uhmmmm... will... ha cantato... *eyes slowly closing*

• leo alla riscossa (?), alla fine la canzone è carina e lui si fa valere. MA I BUCHI DIETRO ALLA GIACCA SONO PER I DUE CUORI?? SONO SEMPRE STATI LÌ ANCHE SE È LA PRIMA VOLTA CHE LI VEDO?? doctor who confirmed

• I used the ouija board as a JOKE why is anna oxa standing in my living room help me (ft. @sasukesexbomb). Anyways anna is sempre più sulla strada per diventare una sciamana maga magò una delle parche addetta al pianto greco ai funerali a questo punto i dont even know anymore

• OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD L'ULTIMO L'ULTIMO THIS IS ENDING I CANT BELIEVE IT anyways caruccia la canzone di sethu dai

• c c c c c lassifica del ca

• my worst nightmare: sanremo che ricomincia daccapo all'una e mezza di notte- ah no solo i top 5 in classifica

• che btw sono ultimo tananai mengoni lazza e mr rain

• obv io sono imparziale MA [REDACTED] NO DAI SU NON SI PUÒ SENTIRE *viene assassinata nel sonno dalle fan*

• 😴😴😴

• i bimbi di mr rain stanno a nanna PERCHÉ NOI DOVREMMO STARE QUI A VEDERE SANREMO ANCORA??? EH???

• no ma serio ama con la lettera di zelensky alle ore 2:13 di sabato sera? Uhhh guarda che stiamo tutti dormendo o quasi. Try again in prima serata next time.

• band ucraina? Ok. Magari coi sottotitoli era più d'impatto eh. Per dire. Un suggerimento. Visto che era, sai, in ucraino.

• una gioia BEN DUE GIOIE per i coladimasplash daje ve le meritate

• ULTIMO QUARTOO

• *gasps* mengoni primoo wow so unexpected much surprise

• no vabbe scherzi apparte sono ok con la classifica

• gianni che scopa un'ultima volta sul palco pun fully intended daje

Thank god siamo alla fine. Alright gays guys it's been real it's been fun it's been real fun ora tutti a ninne e ci si vede all'esc e/o l'anno prossimo direttamente. Notte a tutti ✨✨✨