I did two versions of her skin tone, the version 1 is her original (pale) skin, and the version 2 is her tanned skin because I've got some headcanons about her:
She might live in Puerto Rico like Banjee, because this island has hot summers, making it summer-like weather year-round;
or according to the comics, in chapter 21, Esmeralda appears in Rio de Janeiro (OMG BRAZIL MENTIONED 🇧🇷), I have my doubts if she really lives there, but her design in the comics is different of the movie;
anyway, what I mean is that she got tanned skin because of the hot weather.
Okay- I’ve been thinking about Nolo A LOT lately. Especially since, according to the Acceleracers Wiki, Nolo and Tone were orphaned at a young age. This means that Tone has been taking care of Nolo since they were both pretty young- and if we’re going to continue to assume the Wiki is right, there was also a time when they were straight up just on the streets.
This honestly makes me think that after their parents passed, Tone was terrified that the Foster system would separate them, so he just did what he could to keep them together, even if that meant sleeping in his car for a few weeks before he could win enough street races to be able to afford steady housing for them. Nolo was probably still pretty young at the time too so I’m sure Tone was working hard to make sure that Nolo didn’t fully understand how bad their situation was.
Like, when Tone raced he was probably thinking “Damn, if I don’t win this, we might not eat tonight,” but to Nolo he was probably just like “Watch me smoke this guy, little bro!”
This makes Tone’s death hit 1000 times harder for me. Like this eighteen-year-old kid just watched his brother die in a firey explosion which I'm sure not only traumatized him but also left him without family. Sure, he has the Teku, but Nolo IDOLIZED his brother to the point where the thought of Tone messing up and crashing was unfathomable so he literally made up a nerative where Tork maliciously murdered his brother in cold blood.
ALSO if you think THATS sad- I just realized that the car that Tone is racing when he crashes in the flashbacks is SYNKRO!!! or at least it looks exactly like it. So that means Nolo took the wreckage from his brother’s fatal crash and spent countless hours rebuilding it from the ground up!! It EXPLODED and he rebuilt it!!! AHHHHH!!!
I might expound on this more later, but I just had a thought. What if one day while the Metal Maniacs were searching the junkyard for parts, they found a dog amongst the piles of “trash?”
———
Stray
Monkey was on his third set of bumpers this month. He had the worst luck when it came to his car. Usually, after a fender bender, he’d reshape the metal to the frame and call it a day, but lately the damage had been so bad that he couldn’t just brush it off as ‘adding character.’
That’s why he was at the junkyard. Well… that and Porkchop had been pestering him about getting some spare spark plugs for Old Smokey.
He was about elbow deep in a pile of trashed parts when he felt something poke at his back. He’d been tossing things behind him to make more room for his digging, so at first he thought it was something that had just slid back down the pile. But then it happened again…and again.
With a sigh, Monkey pulled his arms out from the pile and turned around to see who was bothering him. The who actually turned out to be a rather large and mangy looking dog. A Rottweiler with no tags and a comically large piece of metal hanging out of his mouth. Big enough to be Monkey’s new bumper actually.
The mechanic brushed his hands off on his shirt, which was also covered in grime from digging through heaps of garbage for the last two hours, and kneeled down next to the dog.
“Uh…nice dog?” Monkey called to it, uneasiness clear in his voice as he beckoned the mutt closer. “…drop it?” Another less than confident command, but the dog followed it without hesitation, barking in satisfaction as it did.
Monkey carefully picked up the near perfect bumper and walked it over to his car. The replacement bumper had been the last thing he’d been looking for so all he needed to do now was load up his finds and leave. There was only one problem. When Monkey popped his trunk and tossed the bumper in, the dog followed it.
“Hey!” Monkey exclaimed. “Get out!”
The dog did not. Instead, he paced around for a second or two, before plopping down and resting his head on the bumper. He did not seem interested in leaving. Not even when Money tried to coax him out with some left over chicken bones he’d had from lunch.
For a while, Monkey stared at the open trunk with the dog lying happily inside. With a groan, he reached up and closed the hatch and walked around to the drivers side door.
“Tork’s gonna kill me. How am I going to explain this? Hey guys- this dog brought me a bumper and then wouldn’t leave me alone, so let’s give a warm welcome to the newest member of the Metal Maniacs??” Monkey was grumbling. He did that when he was nervous. He didn’t stop grumbling until he reached the garage where the Maniacs hung out. Of course, everyone was there when he pulled up.
As soon as he popped the trunk, the dog came happily bounding out and began exploring the garage, sniffing everything in sight, including the people.
“What the hell, Monkey?!” Wylde was the first to say something about their uninvited visitor, despite kneeling down to pet the dog. The dog immediately lunged to lick at his face, and Monkey though for sure that Wylde would try and throw the mutt off of him, but despite his tense words, the driver looked like he was fighting back a smile.
“He hopped in and wouldn’t get out!” Monkey tried to explain, but by the looks of it, Wylde wasn’t listening anymore.
That was when Porkchop and Taro began to meander over to see what all the commotion was about.
“You brought back a dog?” Taro questioned, his eyes flicking between the hound and Monkey for a moment. He looked unimpressed, but all things considered, that was how Taro usually looked.
“I didn’t mean to he just-” Monkey was interrupted by Porkchop as the big guy leaned down next to Wylde and was the dog’s next victim. The mutt jumped up and put his paws on Porkchop’s shoulders before viciously licking him all over his face.
Porkchop bellowed with laughter as he tried to move his face away to speak.
“He reminds me of Baby.” Porkchop said through fits of laughter. Baby was Porkchop’s childhood guard dog, and now that Monkey was really looking at him, he did sort of resemble the pictures Porkchop had shown him.
“Huh, yeah. I guess he does.” Monkey agreed quietly.
Everyone was so caught up with the dog that they almost missed Tork finally approaching the group. He didn’t look too happy, but like Taro, that was par for the course.
“Thought we’d agreed about not taking in anymore strays.” His voice rang out through the garage as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the mutt. The dog was still having the time of his life, alternating between Wylde and Porkchop. “Get rid of it.” He said, fixing Monkey with a look that had the mechanic shrinking in his boots.
“I’ve tried. He just won’t leave!” Monkey tried to explain, but then, against all odds, Wylde jumped in to help.
“Maybe he doesn’t have anywhere else to go.” Just like I didn’t. He wouldn’t say it. Even if he laid awake at night thinking about how having the Metal Maniacs had likely saved his life. How Tork taking him in when his own brother’s actions, or rather inactions, had landed him behind bars for two years, had comforted him more than he’d ever let on. He was a stray once too. One that bit. They’d let him stay.
“I said no.” Tork reiterated, frowning down at Wylde. Wylde frowned right back until Porkchop spoke up.
“He’d make a good guard dog.” He looked scary enough to spook anyone dumb enough to steal from the Metal Mainacs. Plus it would be like having a free alarm system that you could play fetch with.
“I’ll help train it. Besides we were all strays once.” Taro chimed in, but Tork stayed silent. You could hear a pin drop if it weren’t for the dogs loud, excited panting.
Their leader pursed his lips as he surveyed the group. His strays. His people.
With a frown and a sigh he rolled his eyes and finally relented.
“Fine, but the first time that dog barks while I’m tryna sleep, it’s back to the junkyard, understood?” Tork said sternly, but the dog’s tail stayed firmly wagging behind him.
They ended up naming him Bumper, for obvious reasons. He fit in well with the group. He was protective, sweet, and made a good heated blanket when winter rolled around. He even grew on Tork eventually.
By the end of his first year with the Maniacs, Taro had him fully trained to help out around the garage. Needed something that wasn’t within arms reach? Just ask Bumper to fetch it. People parking too close to their cars at a meet? Bumpers got it covered with a few vicious sounding barks and growls. He even helps Porkchop through storms, curling up next to the big guy whenever he hears one rolling in.
In fact, he helps out all the Metal Maniacs when it comes to their mental health. All in all, Bumper ends up being a great addition to their gang of strays.
Acceleracers HC’s! Horror Movie Reactions! Teku Edition!
Teku
(Nolo Pasaro, Vert Wheeler, Shirako Takamoto, Kurt Wylde, Karma Eiss)
+Bonus Round
(Brian Kadeem & Banjee Castillo)
Teku
Nolo Pasaro - Nolo likes to pretend he’s not scared. He’s slick about it too! He’ll sit there teasing whoever he’s watching the movie with, pointing out how scared they are before inevitably offering to let them cuddle up next to him so that he can “keep them safe.” Of course this is all a ploy to have someone to cling too when the scary parts pop up. 100% the type of guy to pull the whole “I wasn’t scared it just surprised me!” Line.
Vert Wheeler - Vert was one of those kids that ALWAYS begged to watch horror movies then when he was finally allowed to, it kept him up for days. That set the precedent. He literally hasn’t changed a bit. The group wants to watch Final Destination? He’s so down but he will scream at the jump scares and hide his head in a blanket when the suspense gets to be too much. Whoever he’s next to is about to get jumped all over too. Seriously, be prepared for Vert to grab on and not let go lmao.
Shirako Takamoto - LOVES horror movies, but like in the way where he wants to know all the behind the scenes stuff! Practical effects are his JAM! Frequents the Dead Meat Kill Counts on YouTube. Sometimes he will literally watch the Kill Counts BEFORE he sees the actual movie. The dude is so focused on the story and the way stuff is filmed that he’s barely even scarred. Occasionally he’ll jump if there’s a well timed jump scare, but most of the time he’s just glued to the screen.
Kurt Wylde - Kurt loves a good horror movie! He doesn’t really get super scared or anything so he’d be the perfect one to cuddle up next to. Really enjoys horror classics. Think the original THING or even the first SCREAM movie. He’ll watch newer stuff every once in a while, but only if it’s not a remake. He rarely ever enjoys remakes, but he has been pleasantly surprised by stuff like Cabin in the Woods and Ready or Not.
Karma Eiss - Like Shirako she LOVES horror movies! Unlike Shirako it’s more for the actual movie than for the behind the scenes stuff. That being said, she will listen to him point out random fact about whatever they’re watching. This woman is stone cold- she doesn’t flinch!!! Even so, she lives for the paranormal and psychological horrors. Her favorites are Hereditary and Midsommar. That being said, she also doesn’t mind stuff like the Saw series or Final Destination.
Bonus Round!
Brian Kadeem - Kadeem is the type to laugh like a manic while watching horror movies. Not because he finds them funny or anything- but because he’s laughing at everyone’s reactions. ESPECIALLY if it’s a group movie night and Vert is there. He’s the type to scare someone and then immediately apologize and pull them into a hug while cackling. Kadeem is a big fan of horrors with a comedy element. He was the one to recommend Cabin in the Woods & Ready or Not to Kurt.
Banjee Castillo - Shrieks and then immediately starts laughing when he gets scared. He loves watching horror movies but sorta like Vert, he will be jumpy as shit for the next few days. Loves to scare people during group watches- but then inevitably he ends up getting scared too. He’ll be like “guys I swear I just heard knocking!” And then someone will agree and he instantly starts backtracking and holding on to people like “WHAT REALLY?”
(Nolo Pasaro, Vert Wheeler, Shirako Takamoto, Kurt Wylde, Karma Eiss)
+Bonus Round
(Brian Kadeem & Banjee Castillo)
Teku
Nolo Pasaro - Nolo is in charge of picking the movies- assuming whatever big ass van they renovated comes with one of those little movie player things. Who am I kidding- these guys probably would have just installed one if it didn’t come stock. Unfortunately, Nolo’s movie choices are always pretty predictable. It’s either going to be one of the now TEN Fast and Furious movies, Pacific Rim, Transformers, or The Losers. That being said, Nolo DOES take bribes. Vert once washed his car for a week just so they could watch Surfs Up.
Vert Wheeler - Speaking of Vert, he’s the snack guy! At first, he gathered up everyone’s requests a few days before they got on the road, but now he practically has everyone’s snack preferences memorized. Let it be known that he takes this job very seriously. He genuinely goes out of his way to ensure everyone’s got at least one or two things to munch on. That’s also why he starts shopping a few days out from the actual trip, so that way if he has to run by different stores, or cut up fruit and divide them up into little ziplock bags he’s got enough time to do it. I also like to imagine at some point Jack comes home early from one of his missions and sees his son just surrounded by a shit ton of food like “are we doomsday prepers now??? What the hell is going on???”
Shirako Takamoto - I feel like I don’t even have to say it, but I’m going to anyway. Shirako is the DJ. Like Vert, he is very serious about this role. He starts curating a playlist as soon as he knows a road trip is going to happen. It doesn’t matter if he’s learning about it months in advance, he starts on it immediately. Despite always having headphones on and seemingly vibing in his own little world most of the time, Shirako is an astounding listener. He never fails to add the perfect mix of everyone’s favorite songs to the playlist. Not only that, but he has it sectioned out by hour. He wants to make sure whatever music they have playing, whether it be background noise for group conversations, or loud sing along sessions, it’s perfect!
Kurt Wylde - Spoilers for Karma, but they’re the two drivers. They work in shifts, switching off every few hours to (1) make sure they’re making the best time and (2) prevent any unnecessary road fatigue. Kurt is also practically the group big brother, so before any trip he’s sending everyone checklists to make sure they don’t forget anything. It’s ridiculous how in-depth they are. Obviously, he trusts them to fulfill their individual road trip roles but he’s on their asses for literally anything else. They’ll be ready to go at like 4am- everyone’s tired asf and he’s going around like “wallets? phones? chargers? toothbrushes???” making sure they didn’t forget any last minute items.
Karma Eiss - Like you read for Kurt, she is one of the designated drivers. On top of that though she is also the group navigator. She has like Waze levels of finding the best routes. With her at the helm, they’re able to make a 12 hour drive in a fraction of the time. Karma also has his uncanny ability to pick the best rest stops. Want to use the restroom but also take a quick breather in a nice scenic area? Good thing Karma was able to find the most beautiful truck stop you’ve ever seen with the cleanest bathroom ever. It’s honestly a little scary.
Bonus Round
Brian Kadeem - With Kadeem, it’s all about the journey, not the destination. When this guy road trips, he ROAD TRIPS. What I mean by that is you will be stopping at just about every cite to stop and smell the roses. It doesn’t matter if it’s some tacky tourist trap or one of the seven wonders of the world, he wants to see it, learn about it, and appreciate it. And if anyone one deserves to be able to relax a little, it’s Kadeem. Let this man enjoy his goofy little side quests. Especially, cause he ends up finding the greatest hole in the wall places to stop at too.
Banjee Castillo - Banjee quite literally never runs out of energy, so you HAVE to give this guy something to do or he will be miserable the entire ride. Thankfully, he is absurdly versatile. Obviously, his preferred role is to be in the drivers seat, but when he is not doing that he is the king of road trip games. 21 questions, I spy, and trivia are child’s play compared to the shit that Banjee brings to the table. Don’t get him wrong, he loves the classics, but they get old pretty fast on long road trips so he’s had to get creative in the past. It’s not uncommon for there to be three games going on at once half way through the drive. Usually two “spot em” games like Punch Buggies & Cows on my Side, and one actual game like Mafia or Song Quizzes.
oh hey, I have a cute and funny idea for teams headcanons based on this tik tok XD
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMM6ePRFD/
like some of them mocking the other one for playing dolls or something, I just can't stop laughing
Please- I love this! That Tiktok had me wheezing!!! For now, I just did a scenario with the Teku but let me know if you want the Metal Maniacs too! I have something in mind for them! Thanks for the ask!!!
———
Never Living It Down.
To keep up with the maintenance costs of racing against the Metal Maniacs, Vert was forced to get a side gig. Sure, he made decent money winning street races, but between upgrading his car and keeping it working at peak performance all the time, his winnings simply weren’t enough. To remedy this problem he decided to start giving surfing and skating lessons.
At first, business was slow, but the closer it got to summer, the easier it was to find clientele. Most parents signed their kids up just to get them out of the house while school was out, others just wanted their kids to socialize more while also gaining a skill in the process. It wasn't long before Vert had obtained quite the client base. In fact, there were times when he had to turn people away because he just didn't have enough bandwidth to look after a dozen kids in the water without worrying he might lose one or two of them.
Towards the end of the summer, when most schools were starting to run classes again, he'd built up enough rapport with some of the parents that he’d landed a few babysitting gigs to hold him over for the rest of the season. He’d usually end up finishing up right before the Teku would be heading out for a race or a car meet. Tonight was no different except for the fact that he was running late.
The parents had gotten so caught up in all the banquet politics that they had completely missed their pick-up time. Vert was just about to send a courtesy text to Nolo when he heard loud and familiar music pulling up to his house.
The girls he was watching over that night were psyched about the colorful flashing lights coming from outside the windows, but Vert was horrified. He hadn’t told the crew he had started a babysitting gig, and worse than that, the girls, Tina and Laurie, had stuffed him into a WAY too small princess dress and had plopped a comically extravagant tiara on his head so that he could play princesses more accurately.
When the knocking at the door started, Vert momentarily thought about just hiding and waiting them out, but before he had a chance to slink away, Tina had sprinted to the door and swung it open with all the enthusiasm in the world. They would have to have a talk about opening up the door for strangers later… again.
“Vert, come on- we’re going to be… um…. Hello?” To say Kurt looked confused would be an understatement.
“Tina! C’mon, we talked about this!” Vert chidded as he scoped the giggling girl up into his arms. Laurie was right behind him, gazing curiously up at Kurt from behind Vert’s leg.
“He’s got funny glasses!” Tina shouted pointing up at Kurt. Kurt could only blink in surprise as Vert finally met his dumbfounded gaze.
“Yeah. He does, doesn’t he,” Vert snorted.
“Says the man in a tiara,” Kurt was quick to snap back, folding his arms over his chest defensively.
“He’s a princess!” Tina shouted, and Vert quietly reminded her about the existence of inside voices.
Nervous about having the door open for too long, Vert stepped aside and gestured for Kurt to come in. Hesitantly, he did, shutting the door behind him. For a moment, he just took in the scene in front of him. There were various Barbies and stuffed animals set up around a little table in the living room. A tea set, which he determined was thankfully full of water, lay abandoned in the middle of the table.
“I didn’t know you had sisters,” Kurt said finally, locking eyes with Laurie who was still silently staring up at him like she didn't know what to make of him.
“I don’t. These are my neigbor’s kids.” Vert playfully tossed Tina down on the couch which only made her laugh and squeal louder. “They’re stuck at some banquet. I’ve been watching them since six. Tina. Laurie. Say hi to Kurt.”
Tina waved wildly, while Laurie went to silently hide behind Vert’s leg again.
“Laurie’s a little shy, but she warms up fast, isn’t that right, little dude?” Vert prompted, patting the girl gently on the head.
“I’m not a little dude… I’m a princess.” Laurie gently reminded Vert.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Vert had been so caught up explaining himself that he hadn't even heard the other car roll up. Hoping that it was Tina and Laurie’s parents, he made a beeline for the door and swung it open. No such luck.
Shirako, Karma, and Nolo all stood on his front porch looking just as confused as Kurt had been a minute ago.
“What the hell-“
“HECK am I wearing?” Vert worked fast to censor Nolo. The last thing he needed was for the girls to go home saying swear words.
“He’s a princess!” Kurt cackled from inside.
Karma raised an eyebrow at him.
“Look, I’m babysitting my neighbor’s kids, okay? Now come in before one of them decides to bolt out the door.” Vert said, ushering the rest of the Teku into his home.
Like Kurt, the three of them entered the living room with a reasonable level of caution. There were toys strewn out everywhere, and they also didn’t know how these kids would react to having three other people in the house. Positively apparently, because it didn't take but two seconds for Tina to drag Nolo and Karma over to the tea party table. Kurt had already been served a tiny teacup full of water by the time they were seated.
“Princess Vert!!!” Tina shouted, aggressively waving him over. “Your guests are here- they are ready for your royal speech!”
The Teku couldn’t contain their laughter as Vert straightened out the tiny princess dress he had squeezed into. Tina, of course, violently shushed them.
“Uh… Welcome to the tea party…?” Vert spoke hesitantly, and even Laurie shook her head.
“No!!! Use your princess voice!” Tina complained dramatically, pouring Shirako a cup of water, to which he thanked her quietly.
He was never going to live this down…
With all the poise and elegance he could muster, Vert sucked in a deep breath and pitched his voice up a couple of octaves. The speech, all things considered, was pretty good. Good enough to satisfy Tina at least. The Teku on the other hand…
Kurt had a hand clasped tightly over his mouth and was shaking with the effort it took not to laugh again. Shirako and Nolo were in literally tears as they listened to Vert’s beautiful tea party speech, and Karma was recording the whole thing.
Yup… He was never living this down.
About twenty minutes after Vert’s tea party speech, Tina and Laurie’s parents finally showed up. They were extremely apologetic for the late pickup, and tipped well because of it, but not enough to cover the damage to his ego he had suffered that night.
All the way to the race, that was all the Teku talked about. Not to mention the fact that they called him Princess Vert for a full week after the incident.
Nolo Pasaro - Okay, when I rewatched the Acelleracers recently, I literally had to look up the voice actor for Nolo because I genuinely thought it was Dante Basco (Zuko) for a second. They sound so similar. Plus Nolo’s firey personality and his pride really make me think he’d be a Firebender. “Tork! I challenge you to an Agni Kai!”
Vert Wheeler - I feel like I don't need to say it, but I’m gonna… Vert’s a Waterbender! Water is the element of change and Vert is all about adapting to the different tracks. He’s also a surfer- so… yeah I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory. I swear this dude would become one with the ocean if it was possible. I can’t get the image of him making a surf board out of ice and just using the full moon to make the biggest waves possible for himself.
Shirako Takamoto - Shirako is so chill all the time I can’t help but see him as an Airbender. I also feel like he’d use his bending in the most creative and chaotic ways possible like manipulating the air around his speakers to make them sound louder or clearer. Not to mention that he’d use his bending to mildly annoy the Metal Maniacs. Think blowing their tools just slightly out of reach or speeding by them on an air scooter.
Kurt Wylde - Kurt has such strong Firebending vibes that it literally inspired this post lol. He just seems like such a hothead. He’s got the sass and air of superiority that comes with most Firebenders. It doesn't help that he and Mark have a sibling rivalry that reminds me of Zuko & Azula. Kurt also seems like he’d be able to manipulate lightning, and I’m not just saying that cause he looks like Mako.
Karma Eiss - Karma also gives off Firebending vibes. Her drive for perfection fits the precision a Firebender needs in order to safely manipulate their element. One wrong move and it could mean trouble. Karma would have her element fully mastered. She would have the wisdom to take skills from other bending disciplines and apply them to her own style. She can bend both fire and lightning, and I feel like she’d be skilled enough to turn up the heat for those blue flames!
———
Metal Maniacs
Taro Kitano - Oh, look at that. Another Firebender. I mean come on! He’s the leader of the Scorchers in World Race. His car has a classic flame paint job!! The Fire Nation was literally modeled after Imperial Japan!! There are so many connections I could make here, but what really convinces me is his overall attitude. He follows a strict honor code, and just like Karma, he’s got the control a Firebender needs to be successful. I feel like he’d make a great Lavabender too.
Tork Maddox - I’m getting strong Earthbender vibes from Tork. He’s built as sturdy as a rock, and his personality is just as solid. He stands his ground a lot in the Acceleracer movies, and although he’s got some fire behind his eyes, it’s usually only in response to being antagonized by one of the other racers. He’s the very foundation of the Metal Maniacs and like any good Earthbender, he seems to listen before he reacts. I also love the idea of Tork being a Metalbender.
Monkey McClurg - Monkey strikes me as a Nonbender, but if I had to give him an element, he would be an Earthbender. Mainly because I feel like he could make a great Metalbender. That being said, at my core, I really think he would end up not being able to bend, but he would make up for it by being an extremely creative inventor. He just reminds me of Sokka so much with how resourceful he is.
Porkchop Riggs - Porkchop is a full on Earthbender, baby! In fact, If Monkey ended up not being able to bend, he’d be who Monkey goes to for all of his Metalbending needs. He is one with the dirt. Especially since he's terrified of water.
Markie Wylde - Markie is 100% a Firebender as well. Like his older brother, he’s hot-headed and cocky. He gives off those Book One Zuko vibes in most of the Acceleracer movies. I don’t think he’d have the precision to be able to produce blue flames, but I do feel like he could pick up combustion. Could you imagine Markie with combustion tattoos up his arm instead of the stuff he's got now?
———
Bonus Round
Brian Kadeem - Okay, I wanted to put Kadeem in the Earthbender category due to Sandbending, but Kadeem’s personality SCREAMS Airbender. He’s got too many pacifistic tendencies and is just so damn loveable I can’t not associate him with Aang. Not only that but due to the scenes in World Race where his mentor comes to him in visions, I feel like he would be able to connect to the Spirit World quite easily.
Banjee Castillo - Surprisingly, I feel like Banjee would be an Airbender too. If not an Airbender, then probably an Earthbender. He’s just so quick-witted and has such a lighthearted view on life that I can't help but stick him with the Airbenders. Also, the way he teases people (like when he waves at Kurt as he passes him in World Race) reminds me of when Aang is being mischievous.
You all can blame @might-be-a-potato for this one. We were talking about Bumper and then she was like… so the Teku have a cat right??? They thought of the name and everything!! Now I have brain rot beyond repair. Please enjoy the byproduct of us going feral about this last night lol!
———
Smudge
It was Kurts turn to pick up dinner. He’d been dodging the responsibility for the past week and a half due to a cold front blowing through the city. It was freezing out, and he hated having to bundle up just to stay warm. Unfortunately, if he pawned the chore off on someone else again, Karma might get involved. Which is something no one wanted to see happen.
Nolo had been talking about having some sort of soup all week, so instead of stopping by their usual burger joint, Kurt opted to visit the grocery store instead. It was the least he could do after making Nolo pick up his slack when it came to keeping the gang fed. Plus, if he made enough, they would have leftovers for the next few days and not have to worry about risking their cars on the ice. It was a win win.
Kurt was just about to start tossing the grocery bags into his passenger seat when he heard a strange noise come from under the car. He paused for a minute, listening for the sound to repeat, but when it didn’t, he continued to haphazardly toss the bags into the seat. Of course, as soon as he started moving though, he heard the sound again.
“What the…” Quickly, the driver ditched the rest of the bags onto the floor boards, and closed the door to keep whatever heat was left in the car trapped inside. After he heard the noise a third time, he groaned and crouched down next to his car to try and find the source.
He looked around for a good minute or two before his hands and feet began to go numb from the windchill. He was about to give up the search until he heard the noise one last time coming from up near his hood.
There, shaking like a leaf, was a kitten that couldn’t have been larger than his hand. It was covered in soot and grime- probably from trying to keep warm near his engine block- and it looked like it hadn’t had a decent meal in days.
With a grimace, Kurt got onto his hands and knees to fish the poor thing out from under his car. It was wet with snow, and it had to have been freezing. Especially, being as small as it was.
“Talk about an underdog.” Kurt mumbled to himself as he crawled into his car and cranked up the heat. He shed his scarf and used it to dry the poor thing off as best he could but it was soaked to the bone and still shivering awfully hard. After a few minutes of trying to warm the kitten back up, he decided that the best course of action was just stuff the thing into his jacket and hope that would keep it warm enough for them to make it back to garage.
Kurt would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried about the thing crawling around while he was trying to drive but luckily it seemed that the cat was just happy to be somewhere warm again, so it didn’t around move much. Every once in a while, it would pop its head out to meow out some commentary, but that was about it did.
The garage wasn’t far, so the drive wasn’t long, and of course as soon as he pulled in and shut the door behind him, his car was swarmed with people trying to help out with the groceries.
“What took you so long? We thought you might have crashed.” Karma stated, opening his car door and pulling out a few bags.
Vert was right behind her, grabbing the remainder or the groceries and walking them over to the kitchenette.
“Yeah, dude. We were starting to get worried. Last time I saw you on ice, you had a pretty hard wipeout,” Vert loved to poke fun at him for what happened on Highway 35. It was better than the alternative he supposed.
Despite his friends concern, Kurt momentarily brushed them off in favor of finding somewhere warm to get the cat currently clinging to the inside of his jacket. On a whim, he rushed over to their makeshift laundry area and put his hand on top of the dryer. It felt like it was in the middle of a cycle, but he couldn’t tell.
“Have these been in here long?” He asked, pulling the door open.
“Yeah, they should almost be done, why?” Vert answered from the kitchen, starting to unpack the bags and lay everything out on the counter.
That was when Shirako and Nolo walked in.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Nolo snarked upon seeing a cold and wet Kurt Wylde raiding their dryer for something warm to wear.
“You’ve go no idea,” Kurt responded before finally tugging the shivering kitten out from the inside of his jacket. Using the random amalgamation of team jackets, towels, and spare blankets, Kurt made a little nest for the thing to sleep in while it warmed up by the space heater they had going.
Within seconds the whole team was gathered around the heater keeping a close eye on the kitten.
“Where’d you find a cat?” Karma finally questioned, fixing Kurt with a look.
“Under my car. I think it was trying to keep warm. Looks like it wasn’t doing a good job though. Thing was practically frozen when I found it.” He explained, wandering over to the kitchen sink to start running some warm water to clean the kitten up. Being covered in all that grime couldn’t be good for it.
“We gonna keep it?” Nolo asked from his place next to the cat. He was starting to pet the top of the blanket pile to let it know that they were still there.
“Well, we can’t just kick it back out into the cold.” Kurt answered, testing the water before putting the stopper in the drain so that the sink would start to fill. It wasn’t hot, but it was still decently warm. He didn’t want to take the chance of burning the kitten or putting it into shock.
When the sink hand enough water in it to at least fill the bottom of the basin, Kurt came back over to the heater and plucked the cat from its makeshift nest. It whined in protest, but didn’t bite or scratch, so Kurt placed it in the water.
All things considered, it took the bath like a champ. Especially with how hard Kurt had to scrub to get some of the grease out of its fur. He made sure to be careful, but some of the stains just weren’t coming out.
“Damn. These won’t come out.” Kurt remarked with a frown, wiping the kittens face dry with a washcloth. “He looks like he’s got grease smudges everywhere.”
Shirako laughed from behind him, peaking over his shoulder at the cat.
“That’s what we should call him. Smudge.” Shirako suggested, as Vert came to join them by the sink.
“Aw, man. That’s adorable!” Vert agreed, clutching at his chest comically.
After a few warm nights spent in lots of Teku beds, Smudge was able to make a full recovery. It wasn’t long until the cat broke out of its shell and started getting into lots of mischief around the garage, but at the end of the day, the Teku don’t mind.
Besides, Smudge becomes a rather fitting mascot. Particularly when the Metal Maniacs start bringing their brutish dog to races. He makes a solid edition to their little family.
