#im so excited to show off the tail once i have it done its gonna be a NIGHTMARE to make

[bird-go-beep]

This STINKER hopefully will be done before the local dumpster fire con (Youmacon 2023)!!! His name is Steiner (I just call him Frankie) and I love him, he's for my partner but I might end up wearing him sometimes. He's a worm on string sona!!! He's loosely based on Frankenstein, zombies, and Invader Zim, but mostly he's as tragic as he is because I didn't want a plain green worm on string sona (I'll be making another in black hopefully soon!!!)

[whitexwingedxdoves]

a love like war | part one

Sequel to The Other Side 

Pairing: Negan x Reader Pronouns: She/her Warnings: Language, Violence Summary: Despite your best efforts you just cant seem to avoid Negan A/N: SHES HERE. IM EXCITED <3 Again all the thanks goes to @jinxeee​​ <3 Tags: @aubageddon91

“You belong to me” he whispered, catching you off guard and it showed “you always will” he added before you stepped away from the man, the confused look creasing your soft face as you reached for the door.

“Go to hell” you snapped before leaving the room, once you were outside you pressed yourself against the brick wall to catch your breath

You avoided the gardens like the plague after your interaction with Negan and it brought up some questions with Daryl, he’d grill you day after day, asking what was wrong until you had enough and told him everything. At first he was taken back by the assumption you and he were somewhat an item but he soon channelled that into anger, he hated the idea of you and Negan. He’d tell you, you deserved so much better than him and of course you’d agree. After that day, he promised to stay by you whenever you went out to the gardens so that Negan couldn’t corner you, and he thought he could get some revenge of his own by purposely flirting with you whenever the prisoner was watching. Of course his flirting was much more subtle than what you usually encountered, he’d pick you a fresh strawberry and tuck your hair behind your ear every so often but mostly he made you laugh to the point you’d forget that any one could be watching. You’d scold him when you’d get home at night but you’d never tell him you enjoyed knowing Negan would think of nothing else in his cell at night.

You felt confident walking through the gardens on your own today, you did your job checking up on people as you inspected the quality of the crops all while your face flushed red, attempting to avoid Negan’s stare. You left his section until last, thinking you could quickly get it done and leave before he had a chance to say anything to you but of course, that was too good to be true. Brandon stood over Negan as you approached but quickly dropped his weapon to his side as you did, he looked eager to ask you something “Im really sorry Y/N but I ain’t feeling all too good and there aint no one else I can ask'' You took a deep breath anticipating his question “Do you mind taking watch while I visit the doctor?” you cleared your throat before taking the spear he held in his hand from him, sending him a small smile and a nod.

“Sure” you watched as he hurried along to the infirmary, your heart dropping once you noticed you were now alone with the one man you didn’t want to be alone with.

You looked down at the man who was already staring back up at you with a wide smile, you rolled your eyes and turned your attention back to the rest of the garden. “You know when I first saw you sat on that rock, covered in all that shit” he started, pulling at weeds from the ground before turning slightly to face you “I still though, my god is she beautiful” his tone made you snap back to his direction, scoffing at his words

“Did you think I was beautiful when you locked me up in your little torture chamber?” you spat back at the man, he held his hands up defensively, his smirk seemingly disappearing.

“I never apologised for that” his tone was much softer now but you still shook your head at him

“It’s a little late for apologies now, Negan,” the man sighed at your truth, and turned back to the weeds, pulling at the leaves while biting down on his bottom lip.

“I am. Sorry that is. If I had known- I can’t help but think how different everything would be” he sounded defeated which pulled at your heart a little until you realise who you were talking to.

“It’s gonna take more than a meaningless apology for me to forgive you” you didn’t mean for it to come out as a hiss but it did. Your eyes now scanning the area to track down someone to take over for you, Negan surprisingly stayed quiet as you did just that. You signalled for someone to come over before you looked back down at Negan. “I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you for what you did to me” you whispered before handing the spear to the man who saved you from Negan duty.

-

The next day you gathered before the council, you stood by Daryl as you listened to Gabriel explain a situation with a hoard of walkers and his plan for getting rid/diverting it. He put together some teams of people and explained their jobs, Daryl and Michonne were to take  down any walker that strayed from the path and Aaron, Eugene and Rosita were to divert the crowd into the next town and attempt to trap them there. You embraced Michonne and Daryl as they left the room, wishing them luck and warning them to be safe, just as you were about to leave Gabriel called on you to stay behind for a moment.

You waited behind like he had asked, waving goodbye as people passed you. “Thank you for waiting” Now that the room had cleared, Gabriel took a few steps closer to you, you flashed him a smile and perched yourself on a desk that stood behind you.

“What can I do for you?” you questioned, oblivious to his intentions. He gave you a warm smile as he paced before you

“I want you out there too. I haven’t forgot that you were one of the best back at the sanctuary and think its time we put our skills to good use!” you couldn’t disagree with him, you pushed your lips together as you nodded at his words, waiting for further instructions. “I want you – I want you to go out there and keep the walkers on the right path” you cocked a brow at the man, you figured Daryl and Michonne already had that covered but he seemed convinced they may need extra help. “I also would like for you to take Negan with you”

You wondered if you had heard him correctly as you pushed yourself away from the desk “I'm sorry? You want me to take who?” You scoffed at the man when he repeated the prisoners name, shaking your head at his suggestion. “The man who left me in a room to die, that Negan?” your words tasted a little salty as you questioned the priest,  his head hung low as he took a deep breath.

“I see how he acts when you’re around. I have faith he will keep you safe!” you rolled your eyes at his words, chewing on the corner of your mouth as you thought of all the possibilities of being left alone out there with Negan “He’s a good fighter, we need that!” He added, walking closer to you before placing a hand on your shoulder, you avoided his stare as you looked down at your feet. “We can’t let anything bad happen to you but Negan? He’s a life I’m willing to risk for the safety of the community” Eventually he broke you down enough to get you to agree with his ridiculous plan. Before you even left the gates, you warned Negan not to speak a word to you, threatening his life if he even breathed in your direction and off you went, leading the man to your station.

-

Negan seemed to keep to his promise and not a word was spoken during your time travelling, when you reached your spot there were already a couple of stray walkers roaming around. Reluctantly you handed Negan a knife and watched him run off to kill the walkers, you offered no help as you stood back and watched him take down each walker, he barely had time to rest when the next set came limping over to him. You decided to sit down in the grass, drinking out of your canteen ignoring his struggles. By this point he must have killed over 20 of those things, he was panting and sweating yet you did nothing to resolve his exhaustion. It felt like it was the perfect display of karma, like the world had finally given you what you had been asking for, for years. The walkie on your hip started to buzz before Rosita’s voice spilled through the speakers notifying you that their plan worked and they would see you all back at Alexandria, Michonne’s was next claiming that she and Daryl didn’t have a lot of strays and they were ready to head home. You thought it was best you didn’t reply, none of them actually knew you were out there and you didn’t want them to panic.

You looked up at Negan, he had a couple walkers on him but you figured after they had gone, you’d be fine to head home too. You picked yourself up and brushed off any dirt that may have collected over time and turned on your heels to get the car started. What you didn’t expect was the dead that seemed right on your tail, You grappled with the creature before it took you down. You managed to keep it at arms length but you knew if you reached for your knife it would get you, you called out for help as you struggled to hold its weight. It felt like you were under the dead for a while, the feeling far too familiar as it snapped its jaws at you, suddenly the snapping stopped and the body became limp over the top of you, allowing you to throw it off to the side.

A hand reached out for you to grab and you did, a little too hazy to realise who’s hand it was. Once you were on your feet, your gaze met Negan’s and you allowed a small sigh to pass your lips “Thanks” you whispered, brushing off your clothes “you know if you’d have left me to die, you’d be free right now” you added, disguising your grateful words.

“Na, wouldn't be worth it” you cocked your brow at the man now you had finished cleaning your clothes, he shrugged at you a small smirk gracing his features, his tongue caressing his bottom lip. “the five minutes a day I get to see you, is worth way more than freedom”

[midnightash]

Better Be Home Soon - Calum Hood

Pairing: Reader x Calum

Words: 1.1k

Warnings: just pure fluff

Summary: You start to really miss Calum while he’s on tour, so he takes it upon himself to surprise you

Authors notes: Sorry I haven’t posted for awhile I got busy with school but im finally gonna be active again! If you have any requests feel free to leave them in my inbox and ill get to them as soon as possible!

-

Calum leaving for tour had to be one of the hardest things for both of you. You both always missed eachother so much it hurt. Although, Calum had to do it, because of it being his job and of course you were supportive.

Thats what brought you to now, Calum had been on tour for three months already and didn’t have a break any time soon to come see you. Calum tried on every break possible to come see you and Duke but sometimes it couldn’t work out.

He facetimed you every day, and even if either one of you were asleep you and Calum would send videos back and forth talking about how yours or his day went etc.

“Y/N?” Calum said over the phone, after he asked you a question and noticed you were staring off. “Im sorry” you say looking at your phone, with a small sigh.

You were lying in yours and Calum’s dark bedroom, with only the light coming off of the tv and from the hallway.

“Whats bothering you bubba?” Calum mentioned. Calum could always tell when you had something on your mind or weren’t feeling yourself.

That’s what he was best at. Calum payed so much attention to you he always could tell your emotions no matter how well you hid them; And as much as he hated you being upset he always was able to make you feel better.

“I just” you say, before taking a deep breath and speaking again. “Calum I miss you, it’s so hard without you. Not seeing you next to me when I wake up, not having you here to be with, without you im not myself Cal.”.

“Just a month and I’ll be there.. I’ll make up for every single second I missed” Calum sighs. He hated seeing you this way. If there was any possible way for him to see you he would. He missed you just as much as you missed him.

“I just miss you” You say letting a few tears fall, before covering your face so Calum doesn’t notice. “I miss seeing you run around the house with duke, and miss hearing you practice your bass at late hours of the night” You finish, before setting your phone down and letting more tears fall.

“Please don’t cry, I’ll be home soon bub.. I’ll find a way” Calum says, with his voice cracking from almost crying after hearing you cry.

You give a small nod to the phone, after wiping your tears with the sleeves of Calum’s hoodie that you stole from the closet.

“Make sure to take care of yourself and make sure Duke cuddles with you since I can’t” Calum says. “I have to go we have to be on stage in five minutes but I love you” He continues.

You nod, understanding and speak. “I love you, goodnight cal”.

“Goodnight bub” Calum replies.

Once you both hang up the phone you let out a small sigh and lay down, pulling a blanket over yourself. “He’ll be home soon Duke I promise” you say, to reassure yourself. Duke cuddles up to you and you slowly fall asleep.

After you and Calum had hung up, and he got done with their show Calum was finally back at the hotel and able to try and think of something. “Ashton I have to find a way to be home” Calum says all of a sudden, to Ashton who is laying on the bed next to his own.

“Y/N needs me there and I .. I miss her too much Ashton. Its been 3 months since we’ve seen eachother” Calum mentions.

“Try and talk to our tour manager? Maybe we can all find time to go home for a small break?” Ashton says, and Calum nods.

So that’s exactly what he did. He spent hours on phone calls and texting their crew and he finally got them to let all of the boys on a week break. There was time for it since they had no shows the next week for travel and break time but they made an agreement of the boys flying from LA to their next tour stop.

So that led Calum and the boys the next day to the airport. They all were overly excited to see their loved ones and pets.

After 2 flights, and 7 hours Calum was finally back in LA. Roy came to pick him up from the airport, As Calum had one of your friends keep you out of the house for the day to keep you busy.

“Im so excited to be back” Calum smiled as he got into Roy’s car. Calum was overly excited to see you. He finally was gonna be able to hold you again and tell you how much he loves you face to face.

“How’s tour been?” Roy asks, as he starts driving Calum home.

“Amazing, but I just wanna see my girl for a little, and of course Duke” Calum replies.

After awhile of small talk they finally get back to yours and Calums house. Calum gets out of the car and pulls out his key for the door, slowly pulling the door open after unlocking it.

It was almost 7 pm around this time so Calum was sure you’d be home by now as it was dark already.

Duke runs off of your guys bed, running to the front door with his tail wagging once he sees Calum. “Hey buddy!” Calum says in a whisper picking the small dog up, so he doesn’t bark and break Calums surprise.

Calum walks into the house closing the door behind himself, not noticing you downstairs. He turns on a few lights before walking up the stairs, seeing yours and his room dark, and you curled up asleep in another one of his hoodies.

Calum gives off a smile, letting a few tears fall, excited to see you. Once he sets Duke down as well as his suitcase and taking off his jacket and shoes, he slowly walks over to the bed giving your forehead a small kiss and shaking you to wake you up.

“Mmph” you let out a small groan not wanting to wake up, until you smell Calum’s familiar cologne and feel someone pulling you into their lap.

“Calum?!” You say realizing whats happening, and immediately opening your eyes to see your boyfriend holding you.

“Surprise bubba” he says and you sit up hugging him, letting tears fall.

“I-I thought you wouldn’t be home for another month” you say holding onto Calum tightly to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere

“I found time” Calum simply says, as duke jumps up on the bed cuddling with you two. Calum pulls back, giving you a small kiss making you smile.

After you both talk and lots of cuddles you soon fall asleep in Calum’s arms once again, with Duke of course cuddled up with you guys too.

-

[cottoncandy-jester]

✨Lie down darling, it's time for a dream✨

Stuffed (incubus!nishinoya x reader x priest!asahi)

Okay so for the longest time i didn't know what to write for them but after listening to three yagami yato audios back to back I realized Im a sinner..so yeah have this

This story contains: nasty unprotected sex, Double penetration, aheago, feral nishinoya, breeding kink,asahi losing his shit during sex, asahi calls you mommy a few times, light degrading, preluding to semnophilia

As much as I adore male reader cause I'm a boy but, this will be a female reader worry not I'll be spamming out some male reader stuff after this for a bit

"father, I have done a terrible thing.. something horrible"

The sound of your voice from the other side of the confessional made asahi twitch slightly before he calmly leaned back to listen to you. You were innocent, sweet and pure but lately he's noticed changes that worried him greatly, your clothes that usually were modest now revealed a teasing amount of your thighs or chest so of course when he heard your words he was alert yet calm..just what did you do?

"this is a judgement free zone, speak your mind"

"I've let a sinful demon tempt me.."

You what?

Hearing your words made the priest grip the white beaded cross necklace hanging around his neck as his mind started to get foggy at the thought of a demon hurting you in any way, you were too sweet and adorable for this!

"tell me, what has this demon done to you? Has he hurt you?"

Asahi's voice was laced with worry that quickly turned into fear when he heard a small embarrassed whimper from the other side. After a few seconds he heard your quivering voice

"E-Every night the demon comes into my window, he touches me in ways that I've never been touched, every night he-"

"has he fucked you? Does he fill you up? have you kissed him?"

Asahi spoke in a low tone with a shaky breath. He should feel worry for you but instead a feeling of pure jealousy burned through him, the thought of someone seeing your face twist with pleasure or the thought of someone kissing your soft skin while pounding you made him see red.

"yes father, am i too late to be saved?"

Your soft helpless tone made asahi shudder as his mind drifted to unholy thoughts. How would you look sucking him off? What face would you make when he eats you out til you are shaking? How would you taste against his tongue?

"father asahi?"

"ah you're not! Its never too late to be saved! You said it comes every night? How about I spend the night in your home so when the demon comes I'll deal with it"

His plan made you smile brightly before you let out a joyful giggle. You couldn't help but sound so cute as you thanked him before leaving the wooden box.

So day soon turns to night, asahi laid on your couch asleep before a creaking sound stirred him awake. He checked the time only to see that it was two in the morning, the male let's out a low sigh as he stretched before going to your room to check on you only to hear sounds of a creaking bed along with voices.

"oooh [y/n] your nipples are so hard and perked for me, hehehe do you like it when I flick them like this?

Asahi couldn't recognize that voice so he softly opened the door and peeked inside only to see you tied with your hands above your head and your clothes completely ripped off with an incubus straddling your hips. Asahi should burst in there, he should be slamming the door open and throwing that demon off you but he couldnt help but watch as this demon leaned his head down to lick and suck your nipples

"n-nishinoya-"

"this is the first time you called out to me like that..do it again"

So the demon's name was nishinoya? Why did you know that? How did you know that? Asahi was curious about such details but his mind blanked when he heard a loud whimper escape your lips, when he turned his attention back to you the demon in question has his face shoved in between your legs licking and sucking at your clit as if his life depended on it.

Asahi felt his cock twitch in his pants as your lewd moans ringed through his ears. His entire body started to shake as he bit his bottom lip roughly. He wanted to be the one to make you moan like that, he wanted to be the one making you screaming his name.

Just as asahi was going to burst in he watched as the demon pull back and both his and asahi's eyes locked before nishinoya gave a sly smirk while licking his lips.

"her pussy tastes like whip cream, so sweet and yummy so why don't you come and get a taste instead of watching like a pervert or are all preists this sinful?"

Asahi tensed up at his remark before standing up straight before opening the door and closing it behind him. His eyes travelled to you who couodnt even look him in the eyes.

"f-fathe-"

Nishinoya shoved his demon tail down your throat with a light shudder. He gazed at you with a sadistic gleam before a sly smile was on his face.

"hush babe, the grown up are talking so just be a good girl and suck on my tail like it's a nice juicy cock okay? If you promise not to bite I'll fuck you extra hard tonight"

His words shook both you and asahi but you did as he said and started to suck his tail which filled your mouth nicely while nishinoya tried not to shudder and show just how good that felt.

"d-demon! I've come to exorcise you! P-prepare to go back to hell where you belong!"

"funny how you say that but where's your Bible? Your holy water? Holy items? not even a single talisman..all you brought is a big bulge so let's just be honest here hmm?"

Asahi felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he glanced down only to see that he was fully hard, he took a step forward his mind clouding with lust as he watched you suck and moan against that filthy demon's tail.

"A-as a priest I'm supposed to take you down, I'll warn you once to release her from your captivity and surrender"

Asahi's shaky words were met with nishinoya letting out a loud chuckle before his eyes travelled to you before he reached our and trailed his finger along your drenched slit which made you shudder with bliss before he decided to stick two fingers inside your sopping wet hole.

"listen here, father she let's me do this cause she wants to, hell she would die without my cock stretching her wall each night. Ive cummed inside her so much It would be no surprise if she was pregnant"

His words made your walls clench around his fingers which cause the male to release a low growl, he definitely needed to fuck you soon or else he was gonna lose his mind.

"Ooh she likes to think of being pregnant, how about instead of trying to fight let's share this night hmm? Come onnn look at her she's just begging for a cock to fuck her so two would drive her absolutely insane. Give into your urges"

Asahi didn't know if it was demonic magic or his mind just snapping but before he knew it he was stripping down while walking towards you and nishinoya. His eyes were clouding with lust as he left himself in only his boxers

Nishinoya licked his lips before simply took his tail out your mouth before feeling you of your binds. You sat up now looking at the two men with a look of worry, you could barley take nishinoya and his thick cock but now two of them?

"alright pretty girl! Here's what's gonna happen, me and Mr holy over here are gonna fuck your brains out until the smell of cock and cum become your natural scent okay? Okay!"

Nishinoya and his cheerful tone made you shiver as you watched his tail wag side to side like he was some excited puppy. Asahi looked confused on what to do so he gave nishinoya a panicked gaze which made the demon burst out laughing

"are you a virgin?! Pfffft! Hahahah! Oh my! Okay, I'll tell you what to do only cause you look so cute! Lay down on the bed and princess here will get on top"

Just explaining what will happen made asahi blush before he gulped harshly and did as he was told. What was this going to feel like? He wasn't sure but he knew it would be better than touch himself in the late hours of the night.

"n-nishinoya I don't know about this, I mean-" you were cut off by the demon's loud whistling as he yanked asahi's boxers down only to see his çock spring up.

"talk about a long boy! Sorry I got you beat in girth though, but I guess it's not bad right princess?"

Nishinoya turned to you who was just staring with a look drowning with lust. Nishinoya knew that look on your face and moved to you only to lick the drool dribbling down your chin

"now now you hungry slut, you can choke on his cock next round but for now let's fuck that cute pussy to oblivion"

His words made you whine before he gave your ass a hard slap before pointing to a nervous looking asahi

"now, hands and knees above him don't you dare put him in you without me saying so, or else I'll have to break you even more than I already am about to"

Nishinoya watched as you crawled into of asahi before shakily looking down at him. You've had sex many many times next to nishinoya but also fucking asahi scared you since he was your priest.

"so fragile, you're shaking lets not be scared alright?"

Asahi's soft words made you melt as you felt him reach up to touch your cheek. You leaned down and gave him a soft kiss only to moan harshly against his lips as something thick slammed into you. With a shaky breath you pulled away only to glance back to see nishinoya on his knees behind you with a fake innocent grin.

"oops- sorry did I ruin your moment?"

Asahi looked at your face only to feel something snap in his mind, the way your face became flushed and your eyes tightly closed made him shudder before his body moved on its own. He wrapped his arms around you before pulling you against his chest only to shove himself inside you along with nishinoya.

You let out a loud shocked gasp our reaction was nothing compared to asahi who was gritting his teeth with eyes rolling back slightly, how could someone be so tight?!

"feels good huh? Oh this is nothing..come now father, can you really not move? Well if you're not gonna move I will"

Nishinoya started to thrust roughly in and out of you with a shaky sigh as he felt his and asahi's cock rubbing against each other, not only that but you were clenching so tight that he could swear he could see stars.

"ngh- demon.. you're rubbing against me like that"

Asahi's choked words were followed by his thrusts, he wasn't as rough as nishinoya but he was thrusting quite fast. he just couldn't stop his body from thrusting up against you over and over again. You both were slowing becoming a mess, drooling and whining came from you both as you two locked eyes

"[y/n]! So tight! Your pussy is so tight and wet I just can't take it! Do you hear it? That wet sound? Ahh it's so lewd! This is so lewd! [Y/n]! I cant stop- don't make me stop please please please!"

Asahi was losing his mind while he slammed his hips wildly and to make it worse this chaotic energy was only riling nishinoya up to the point where he was a snarling mess now digging his nails Into your hips while slamming in and out of you

"fuck! You are so good! Such a good girl..the way your pussy is miking me, beg for me princess beg for my demon seed come now beg for it already or I'll fucking stop"

The utter thought of stopping made you whine louder than you already were and you wiggled your hips desperately like a bitch in heat

"please! Noya! Asahi! Fuck me more! Ahh- please please! Breed me so good!"

Just like that your words caused the two men to lose their sanity even more. Asahi was in tears as he rapidly thrusts in and out of you like a rabbit now having breeding on his mind. He forced you to look at him as he gave you a sloppy messy kiss that left saliva on you both

"m-my baby! Have my baby! My baby mine not that demon's but mine! Ahh- please [y/n]! Bear my children!"

His whining sobbing pleas seemed to annoy nishinoya who pulled you back against him while his hand gripped your throat. He thrusted deep inside you while licking your neck along with biting at it.

"his baby? Fuck no. Have mine. My demon spawn would look so cute growing in your tummy, fuck princess it's gonna be me who gets your pregnant okay?"

Your mind was starting to go blank as your climax was coming close and just as you were were gonna turn to kiss nishinoya you felt hands cupping your breasts. You turn to face asahi who now sat up to hold you as well his mouth drooling and slobbering all over your breasts as he felt close. His hair was a mess but the look in his eyes was that of a desperate needy man losing his mind.

"be the mommy to my baby, you right that right? Mommy..please please please! Ah I can't wait to see your breasts swell with milk so please..ah! Please I'm gonna cum!"

His loud whines and use of the word mommy did something to you that you didn't know could happen to you but you felt your climax building up but before you can announce it nishinoya simply grunted lowly in your ear as his grip around your throat tightened.

"I can feel it, cum already cum around our cocks like I know you want to, you want us to fill up your needy pussy, you're so desperate for cum that your drooling and sticking your tongue out like a bitch so cum already"

His harsh words were the last thing you needed before your walls tightened and you climaxed with a loud screaming moan.

"yes, yes yes yes yes! [Y/n]! Yes! It feels..so good!"

"hah- ah, damn priest you moan like a little whore..it's so fucking hot!"

As the two cummed inside you at the same time you felt your mind breaking and it left you twitching and shaking in their arms.

When you three laid down on the bed nishinoya glanced at you and asahi who were both making such a lewd face that his cock twitched. He honestly wasn't even close to being finished but it seems that humans get tired so he was greatly annoyed to see you both start to fall asleep.

Nishinoya sighs as a smile graced his face before he cracked his neck while hovering over you and asahi's cuddling bodies.

"sorry sweeties I'm not done yet, but don't worry you can enjoy your nap"

[midnightdevotion]

Tangled Part One

Bucky barnes x reader 

warnings; 

Disclaimer: I don't own tangled or Disney, though that would be cool so all marvel and Disney characters aren't mine, the plot is based on the movie tangled. 

I am also going to skip the background, you know about the flower and the kidnapping of the baby. 

------

A deep sigh leaves your lips as you wave your mother goodbye for the day. Turning your head to look at Steve, your chameleon. 

“another round of hide and seek?” he nods and runs away. It didn't take you long to find him, laughing he sticks his tongue out at you. 

“well Steve I suppose we should get some chores done today huh?” you laugh at his bored face. He shakes his head and points with his tail outside. 

“oh cmon we aren't going outside, I like it in here and so do you” you scoop him up and put him on your shoulder making your way back inside. 

Its seven a.m. which means you have a lot of time to fill up your day. So you start by tiding everything up and sweeping the floors, laughing when you accidentally get dust all over Steves face. It didn't take you long to finish all the chores, seeing as how you do them pretty much everyday out of boredom. So you grabbed the small book collection that you have and moved onto reading, Steve napping on your shoulder. 

Once it hit lunch time you decided to start painting on the walls of the tower, in the few spaces you had left. Deciding to paint over the mantle, you paint the one thing you have always wanted to see in person. Heaving a sigh, soon it'll be your birthday which means the floating lights will appear again. 

Once you finished the painting, you started the hefty chore of brushing your hair, humming a tune as you do so, Hoping that when your mother gets home she will finally let you go see the lights up close. 

_____

Buckys POV 

______

Oh man what a start to the day, he took a deep breath before starting to slide down a roof of a building. Quickly going from ledge to ledge making his way to the castle. Once he was on the rooftop of the castle he stopped for a second to admire the view. 

“Oh wow, I could get used to a view like this” he spoke cockily. 

“barnes, get back here” rumlow and pierce whisper shouted at him. 

“Hold on.....

Yep im used to it. Guys I wanna castle”

“we do this job barnes and you can buy yourself a castle” Rumlow said, before grabbing the collar of bucky’s shirt and pulling him back. They work their way around the castle roof into the throne room which stored the princess’s crown. Which was the object of todays heist, and they started to pry open the skylight windows on top very slowly. Once they actually got the window pane off they started getting ready. Tying a rope around Bucky’s waist to lower him down to grab the crown. 

Bucky grinned when he reached the crown, all the guards in-front of him clueless of what was happening behind him. Which makes for an easy heist sure, but bucky never liked easy. He saw his perfect opportunity to have some fun when a guard sneezed. 

“ugh, hay fever?” he questioned, resting his elbow on the cushion the crown used to sit on. The guard threw a glance back before subtly nodding. “yeah” 

As the guard realized what was going on, rumlow and pierce had already pulled him up. 

“Wait what? hey! Wait!” that one was tired and old bucky thought, as if he was really going to wait, yeah right. Him and the other two idiots he brought to pull this heist off of hurried to get out of the kingdom. Guards chasing them on horses as they were nearing the edge of the forest and bucky grinned. 

“can't you picture me in a castle of my own?” he asked his partners rhetorically before continuing. “because I certainly can. All the things we've seen and its only eight in the morning. Gentlemen this is a very big day!” he shouted excitedly. 

_____

Back to you 

_____

“todays a very big day Steve! I am finally gonna do it! im finally gonna ask her!” you spoke happily with Steve sitting on your forearm. 

“Rapunzel.... let down your hair!” you heard your mother shout in a sing song voice. Looking at Steve with a grin you quietly whispered “its time” 

Steve made a show of being tough, and you laughed. “I know I know, c’mon don't let her see you” hiding Steve behind the curtains by the painting you had made that afternoon. 

“Rapunzel... I’m not getting any younger down here” you heard your mother call for you again. Rushing to throw your hair over the hook, “coming mother!” 

Once you had hoisted your mother up from the ground, you got nervous. You knew she wouldn't like the idea of you leaving the tower, but you hoped that since you were older now she would finally let you go see the floating lights. 

“oh my dear rapunzel, I don't know how you do that every single day without fail” your mother motions to how you pull her up with your hair. “it’s nothing mother” you breath heavily. 

“then I don't know why it takes so long” she paused to laugh as if she said something funny. “oh darling I’m just teasing” you fake laugh with her trying to stay on her good side. 

“so mother! as you know tomorrow is a very big da-” she cuts you off, looking into the mirror “rapunzel look, you know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful young woman....oh look you're here too!” She laughs again before following with saying that she is only teasing. You brush it off and continue to try and talk to her about tomorrow. Until she cuts you off again. 

“angel mothers feeling a little run down, would you sing for me dear. Then we will talk.” eager to finally be able to ask her what you've wanted to since she walked in you run and grab her chair and a brush, sitting down in front of her and singing the entire song in once breath. 

“flower, gleam and glow

Let your power shine; Make the clock reverse

bring back what once was mine. 

Heal what has been hurt, change the fates design 

Heal what has been lost, bring back what once was mine.” 

Your mother looked unpleased but you didn't care, you were too excited to get this out and finally talk to her about tomorrow. 

“so mother! earlier I was saying tomorrow is a pretty big day.. and you didnt really respond so im just gonna say it.....Its my birthday!!” you rushed out before she could interrupt you even more. 

“no no no, can't be, I distinctly remember your birthday was last year.” 

“thats the funny thing about birthdays mother, they are kind of an annual thing.” You sighed. “Mother im turning eighteen, and I wanted to ask...ugh... what I really want for this birthday...actaully what I've wanted for quite a few birthdays.” you ended mumbling quietly before you could finish your mother interrupted you again.  “rapunzel stop mumbling you know how I hate the mumbling” she rolled her eyes. You look sadly to you side and see Steve waving his foot back and forth as a sign to keep trying. You grin at him before standing up. 

“Uh.. I wanna see the floating lights!” you bursted out. you saw your mother freeze, before dropping the apple and turning to look at you. “uh... what?” she questions. 

“Oh well I was hoping that you would take me to see the floating lights?” you watched your mother dismiss you, saying that you meant the starts. “thats the thing mother, I've charted stars and they happen every single night, these lights only appear once a year on my birthday mother.” You left out the part about feeling like they were calling to you. 

“ I want to know what they are and see them up-close in person” You mother laughed. 

“oh rapunzel, you can't go outside dear, your too naive, innocent, immature, I could go on dear but you can't handle the outside world.” she paused “rapunzel, don't ever ask to leave this tower again...Ever.” she kissed you head before leaving the tower again. You sighed letting your hair blow in the wind. 

______

alright what did you guys think? 

I’m not sure If I want to stay right on with the story line, but this is just setting up so I figured I will. 

[ilguna]

i also have a list of shit my history teacher (this year) has said and done so I will share it with you:

warning: its really fucking long bc he would say/do shit MULTIPLE times a day

goes onto the next slide, “it’s a meme, get it?” proceeds to explain the meme (its the hey arnold meme with the first)

also goes onto another slide, with the twitter opinion meme. at the end of the paragraph it says “this class smacks, I’m lit”

“I’m going to beat up your brother. i am going to pummel him.”

On the 6th day of class he finally realized that there was a total of 6 guys and the rest were girls

student: “You should not put it in (as an assingment)”. teacher; “laugh out loud, im dead”

he was teaching us how to write a DBQ, the computer had a pop up saying that the battery was low, and then a spider shows up out of fucking nowhere, hanging from the ceiling. he CLAPS it, jokes about eating it, and then sets it on his desk (not in the trash can 2 feet away) so he can “deal with it later”

his endless military stories, specifically ORANGE DESERT

he wrote “if you would have had your thinking skull on” on my first DBQ

him saying “I hate this” after typing a word wrong multiple times while teaching us DBQ’s lmfao

“For the lols”

Threw a box of tissues across the room into the trash can

threw a box of tissues at a student

he had this obsession with throwing expo markers at his whiteboard, trying to make it land on the metal part so expect that a lot.

“Do you want me to drown him in a bathtub?” (which was about a student’s dog that had separation anxiety lmaoo)

Sang the rain drop, drop top song

The collars on his shirt turned up

“He’ll be beaten for that distraction” (after his son called him during his lesson and he willingly answered)

“Stay woke” 

“It was a hot boy summer for him”

expo marker landed on the metal thing for once thanks to a towel that was there

kyle (it must have been a story or something i dont remember)

He woah’d at some point

HAHA so there was a kid in my class that had got caught with a bong on the second week of school and he was suspended. when he came back to class, we were going over what the south grew in the U.S. very early on into colonization. and he used the bong kid as an example of a tobacco farmer

tried to eat a balled up paper

“important revolutionary war stuff”

“My bae, George Washington”

“They could’ve killed g-dubz, but they didn’t”

called george washington “g-dubz” frequiently

“Facts”

“Swagtastic”

he got excited over a military general (baron friedrich von steuben) for being a gay military general--”That was very well respected!”

“He had a ton of swagger”--referring to ben franklin

“His nickname was the swamp fox. You guys can call me that”

The snowball fight story--his brother was friends with a kid he hated next door. my teacher challenged the kid--Eric--to a snowball fight. In preparation, my teacher had froze snowballs, and so when he did have the fight, he LITERALLY knocked Eric out and left him on the front lawn unconscious (he was an elementary school kid)

one time he gave us the punishment quiz by accident, tried to make up for it by giving everyone the answer to #6. however, it turned out to be wrong so he just gave us all 100′s instead

another military story of the goat he bought from an old man with his buddies. unfortunately they had to kill the goat to eat, but the FACT that my teacher said this “a cute little goat--you know, baaa?” as if we didn’t know what a goat was 

He was the golf/hockey coach!! so not only would he talk about beating up the kids in the golf club

he would also do random golf swings all the goddamn time! with no gold club or ball, it was just air.

“You are about to get clowned, young lady”

pronounced pamphlet as pamplet fora good part of his teaching career (another story he told us)

“It’s definitely not the declaration of independence you mouth breather!”

George washington = bae on a powerpoint

“you tied me up real good”

“France also popped off”

Compares the Connecticut compromise to ppap (with the song and everything!)

Told someone to shut up after they suggested that Iowa was the least populated state (he’s from Iowa)

hick iowa, to be exact

Wrote 23 as 32, realized his mistake and said “oop im dyslexic”

“If it’s a purge, I’m killing everybody”

“Federalism, not onion!’

“Who’s the dumbass guy? Ducey!” (our state governor)

he got arrested once. his mugshot is on google images and everything

he got arrested bc some guy was destroying his house w a baseball bat at a party his friendw as throwing (but it was at my teachers house). my teacher respectfully punched him and brought him to the front lawn. called the cops when the guy wouldnt leave and ended up being arrested too. teacher thought his career was over and threatened the guy the entire way to the police station

“laugh out loud!”

“We beat the begeezus out of a bunch of british people”

pronounced wolf as woof

“Who was his daddy? Who’s his daddy?”

Called a swim cap a bonnet

“Kick!”--then proceeds to kick a tennis ball. before that he had just thrown it to get out of his way

“Jesus, you’re a big boy”

for like 2 weeks straight he used that same tennis ball to try and erase a whiteboard. and im not talking rubbing it on the board, he fucking threw it at the wall, getting it off little by little. he eventually gave up, though

“I’ll snot rocket into the trash can”

“Cause I realize most of you are morons”

was obsessed with the cowboy boogie

“Every time I cough, my tail bone hurts”

“Do i look normal?”

“I look like an old man”

“Shut up your faces”

“I see you back there, queen”

“Some of you girls need to learn from this article”--the article was old & about girls being submissive

“that would hurt some people’s feelings, but I’m not gonna show it hurt mine”

“He’s just--’meow’”--about his cat

he had a sweater that had his face on it, photoshopped over a boxer that a student gave him. he wore it during winter

flicked a tennis ball across the room with a hockey stick. hit the coffee thermo on his desk, stared for a couple of seconds, and THEN realized that it was open

First off, all you kids making memes about dodging the draft--we don’t want your dumbasses anyway” --continued to rant for a few minutes after that

he HATED the national anthem with a burning passion

“I’m old as shit”

also, his cat’s name IS meow cat

more expo marker throwing

“Hey there handsome”-- to the teacher next door

“Henry clay is going to haunt you until april” (unfortunately we didnt make it that far into the school year bc of covid. disappointed that i didnt get to be haunted)

Singing electric avenue

“but here’s the tea”

“Flagstaff is like--” *reaches as high as he can to put expo marker on the wall

“I’m adopting all of you, and we’re moving to saudi arabia”

teacher: “I’m gonna break bowers kneecaps in front of you. you still want to be on strike?” not bowers but a different kid: “no...?”

Cleaned the shades in the middle of him explaining something

“You know your pinky toe? this little roast beef?”

THE TURTLE SOUP STORY. when my teacher was still a kid, he found a turtle in the wild, and brought it to his grandparents house (they owned a farm). he took care of the turtle for a while, even after his grandfather found out. until one day he came home and saw blood everywhere, went to find the turtle to see it was gone. then found his grandfather chopping up the fucking turtle so they could have it for soup for dinner. his grandfather literally made him fatten up the turtle so they could eat it

“Did mr.*****--?” (referring to himself in 3rd person, also blocked out to protect privacy)

“i’m going to staple your nostrils closed. staple, staple. ‘I can’t breathe mr.*****!’ should’ve done your DBQ!!”

his pedo stache 

stood with a paper and smiled, thinking that a student was taking a picture of him when it was really the paper

doesn’t know who gaston is???

him: “I’m going to staple your noses together. One staple” Student: “*****’s piercing parlor!”

*singing* “beauty and the beast”

“I’m going to tackle you”

more random golf swinging

“What’s up (my name)?” me: hi *he then hits the bun on the top of my head on his way in the door*

And he did it again the next day

he literally made kids compete with pastries

which reminds me, he brought donuts in 2 days in a row like a week after that and make us (his first hour) take bites bc he realized he didn’t want to eat it. one of the girls was glad to take it from him, everyone else told him no

“Good morning (my name) how are you?” me: “I’m sick again... do you need help? (with the door)” him; “Actually, yes” (normally he can open the door even when his hands are full but there was a stack of pop tart boxes that were as tall as him so) i opened the door, he goes in and says, “thank you (my name), for not being rude”

the following quotes are for the Hot Seat

Student: “what do you do--?” him: “you’re in the hot seat!”

“Some people cry”

“La *****, luxurious”

“You sit here, and you stare (into the projector light)”

basically everyone in the class had to answer a question as a review. there was a stool in front of the smartboard, perfectly placed so that the projector light would LITERALLy be in your eyes. i actually got the question right on some miracle.

“2 points of weed?”

“Can I get some of that hot leaf?”

“They will make more drugs! You can’t do that much drug!”

“You guys bullied me and stole it”

“Whole rest of the nation sucked an egg”

“Whelp, let’s just kill myself”

“Do you guys know david chapel?” *sigh when everyone says no*

*some girls singing the national anthem* Him: “no! none of this, none of this!”

“Calibri’s for idiots” (the font)

“The only thing that was in--shit”

“and uncle sam--gettin lit”

“Their daddy--UH--”

“They’re going to blame the jews--my people” (he got a dna test done, he’s not actually jewish)

“Whatever you say, boomer”

“Use my words to plagiarize in college”

“I’m jewish, that’s offensive”

“Tell him he gave me instant cancer”

Me: “can i go to the bathroom?” him: “I’ll allow it”

him: “He’s antisemetic and it hurts my feelings” student: “what does that mean again?” him: “Hates jews :(”

“You guys can call me kingfish if you’d like”

~ after we said no to the nicknames, we tried to make one for him ~

student: “cornhusker!” him: “no, that’s offensive... and it’s also nebraska”

student: “corn picker!” him: “no--that sounds like a racist term or something”

“Unless corona really does take over--” (thank u, mr. for ruining the school year”

Student: “how old was she (his mom) when she had you?” him: “thirteen”

“My mom just turned 40 the other day...” (a joke)

him: “My brother got t-boned by a semi truck last night” Student: “Why are you laughing?” him: “Because he lived.”

“Yeah bc I would hide out in a public school with 300 new kids a year” (about him not living in iowa so he’s hiding out in az to get away from his “criminal record” (refer to the 1 time hes been arrested))

“Baby death?”

“Their family has more money than jesus”

*Standing outside the door yelling “CORONA” to students walking in”

“Hey I’m *****, f-word, blah, blah”

“We should fight our cats.”

“OH that’s a big chonk cat.”

“Mortal Kombat is pretty cool. I haven’t played in 25 years”

he told us in class once that we shouldnt open the front door if cops show up at a party. just to shut the blinds and be a little quieter bc the cops cant legally open the door

also one time he had a gun pointed to his face but he never finished that story bc he never liked it

during quarantine he set a DBQ as 1000 points (and i still didnt do it)

and “Here’s the tea, kiddos!”

honorable mentions: all the time he’s sent out emails bc theyre fucking hilarious

[shankmyman]

Frank roams Ormond, taking some time to think. He tosses his knife into a tree and it sticks by the blade.

A small startled yelp could be heard from behind the tree. A long, scaly, blue and orange spotted tail was visible from the side of the base of the tree. Frank narrows his eyes and goes to grab it, peeking around the side of the tree. A 5'5 blue and orange lizard could be seen behind the tree. She wore some weird dark blue clothing. The lizard looked fairly confused about... everything.

Frank smirks. "Hello there. Are you lost~?" He apologizes for almost hurting her.

"Hi! My names shuya!" Shuya exclaimed, "I am quite lost! Where am i? And whats your name?" Shuyas tail was wagging side to side.

He smiles at her, removing his mask.

"I'm Frank. It's a pleasure to meet you. You're in the realm of the entity now. Welcome~"

"Hi frank! Whats the entity? What is this place? What's on your neck?" Shuya asked, she seemed to be chock-full of questions and she didn't seem to sense franks flirty nature. Frank tries his best to explain.

"This is Ormond. Not sure what the entity is-it's kind of like a god. This thing on my neck is a tattoo."

"Whats a tattoo? Why am I here? Why am I asking so many questions?" Shuya asked, shuya obviously had a couple screws loose in her noggin.

Frank sighs softly, explaining as much as he knew to her.

"Alright! My knowledge is quenched for now!" Shuya exclaimed, "this place is weird. Thats a cool knife. Why is it so cold here?"

Frank doesn't bother to answer her question on why it's cold, hoping that the landscape of snow would give her all the knowledge she needed. Shuya looked at the ground.

"Oooooh! Its snowy! I don't like it. I'm really cold. Is there anywhere thats warm and comfy?" Shuya asked frank. Frank takes her hand and leads her into the lodge, where a massive bonfire is burning in the middle of the floor. Joey is smoking weed (as usual) Julie is sitting around with Susie and humming softly.

Shuyas eyes went wide before she ran over to the fire and sat down right in front of it. Her tail was wagging like a fucking maniac.

"Its so warm!!" Shuya exclaimed. Jake shakes his head. Frank smiles and tosses a blanket around her shoulders. "It is, isn't it?"

"It is! Oh yeah! Hi my names shuya! Whats your names?" Shuya asked the other members of the legion as she practically turned into a blanket burrito. Joey ignores her but Susie and Julie introduce themselves. Frank then introduces Joey.

"Hi Susie! Hi Julie! Is Joey mute? I have a friend who is mute, he's cool! And purple. And he has antlers. And he liked fish. He was great." Shuya rambled.

Frank shrugs. "He doesn't talk a lot."

"Okay!" Shuya said smiling. She was sitting yet she was always moving. She was just full of energy, it was like she ate an entire bag of candy in 2 seconds.

Joey hits that blunt. "Hey, you guys know that rings are just short straws?"

"Whats a straw?" Shuya asked joey, she was extremely confused on what the hell a straw was. Joey hits it again. "An elongated ring."

"Oooh! Like this but longer?" Shuya asked as she took this silver ring decorated with various glistening gems and pointed at it.

Joey nods. "Ye."

"Who would want such a long ring? You can't close your hand then." Shuya asked as she put the ring back on her hand.

"You drink through it." Frank chuckles.

"Why? Can't you just drink straight from the cup?" Frank shrugs. "I...don't know."

"Well its dumb. Just drink from the cup. Whatever if you get a couple splinters from the damn thing, its made of wood and you should be careful with it." Shuya said putting the blanket over her head.

Frank shrugs again. "People are weird."

"More like humans are weird... oh yeah, I'm hungry, is there something I can eat?" Shuya asked frank, "I haven't eaten in 3 days."

Frank shrugs. "You...don't really need to eat here."

Shuya gasped.

"What do you mean you don't have to eat???" Shuya asked extremely panicked, "thats the best part of the day! There's so many good foods! Elk! Bear! People! They all are so good! I refuse to believe that eating isn't necessary!"

Frank laughs. "People? Oh my, are you in luck. You can eat people here if you want to. We eat for taste, not because it gives us anything."

Shuyas face lit up immediately.

"Really???" Shuya asked happier than before, "YAY! Where are these people I can eat?"

Frank laughs.

"Oi, Spider god. You mind bringing us one?" The entity's tendrils pull a wriggling, fighting Dwight up through the ground and deposit him at their feet. "Here you are. An appetizer." He smirks. Shuya started to jump up and down in glee. She jumped onto dwight and started to eat the poor man like a rabid dog except with opposable thumbs.

Dwight's wails of agony make Joey come out of the lodge to watch. He tries to fight back, but his throat is soon torn out and he can't yell any longer, his cries turning to gurgles and then to silence. Shuya continued to devour the poor dudes body before she was satisfied. She ate a shit ton of the dude.

"He was delicious!" Shuya exclaimed as she jumped up and down in absolute excitement. Dwight's mangled body slowly begins to disintegrate after he dies. His arms and thighs were chewed down to the bone, and the skin of his face was torn apart, parts of his skull showing. His stomach had been totally torn apart, and his guts spread around him. The mess vanished completely.

Frank pats Shuya's back with a bright smile. "Nice." He couldn't help but feel a bit turned on by that sight. Damn. She'd absolutely decimated Dwight. He kind of wanted that. Shuya smiled wide.

"Thank you! But isn't anything like the time I killed a person, ate most of their body in front of one their friends, and framed the other friend for the murder." Shuya said looking at frank.

Frank smirks. "That's kind of hot. I've killed a lot of people too." He says it proudly, smiling softly.

"... no it wasn't hot, it was lukewarm at best that day." Shuya said bluntly.

Frank laughs. "That's...not what I meant." He goes back inside to sit down. Shuya followed frank back inside and sat next to the blanket. She didnt want to get the blanket bloody so she hoped the blankets warmth would just go over to her. The blood on her slowly disintegrates, and leaves her clean. Frank goes off somewhere to do something. Shuya looked at the flames for a bit.

"Hey... where did frank go?" Shuya asked. Joey snickers.

"Probably to jack off. He likes watching people get killed."

"What... what is that?" Shuya asked as she cocked her head to the side, "I have no idea what that is."

He takes his hand and makes the motion above his groin just once. "You know-?"

"Uh... What?" Shuya was even more confused now, "that didn't help me understand that at all."

He honestly doesn't know how else to explain it. "Male masturbation."

"Whats that????" Shuya asked even more confused, "im so confused..."

Joey gives up.

"Sorry, it's hard to explain."

"Im so confused... why are humans so weird..." shuya groaned.

"You right. But I dunno why. It's kind of irritating." Joey offers her his blunt. "Wanna try? No pressure." "What is it?" Shuya asked looking at the blunt of the good kush.

Joey explains."Drugs. Not addictive, just makes you feel all floaty and calm. Helps clear the head. You don't have to smoke if you don't want to."

"Whats a drug?" Shuya asked, holy shit was she oblivious to the world and its things. Joey sighs, and can't help thinking 'oh fuck, here we go again'

"It's a substance that causes pleasure when taken. There are worse drugs. This is called Marijuana. Or Weed. Or skunk. It's got lotsa names." He takes another hit, and blows it out his nose.

"No thank you but why do you use it?" Shuya asked.

Joey shrugs. "Keeps me calm. I've got a bad temper, and I anger easily. I'm just a better person when I do."

"Well if it makes you a better person and you aren't hurting anyone out of anger than you do you joey!" Shuya gave Joey a thumbs up and a smile. Joey smiles at her and gives her a thumbs up. Shuya went back to just being warm in blankets, Waiting for something exciting to happen.

Shuya got annoyed by the long time without things happening so she went off to go find frank. Perhaps he was done with what the fuck he was doing.

Frank wasn't done with his work, and when she opens the door he just looks up at her. "You kidding me? Can you knock?" He has his dick out, and had stopped mid-fap. Shuya cocked her head to the side.

"Okay," shuya said before she knocked on the door, "im bored. Wanna go do things?"

"lemme finish first." He nods at her. "Then we can go kill some survivors."

"Okay!" Shuya said before she closed the door and went back to the bonfire.

"That was weird. You humans are so weird." Shuya said as she sat down.

Joey can't help but crack up. Frank comes downstairs after a few more minutes, sighing softly. "Alright, let's go kill some bitches."

Shuya jumped up from the ground and cheered

"Yay! Let's go!" Shuya exclaimed before she ran out the building. Frank grins and runs after her, knife in hand. Shuya stopped.

"Wait... i have no idea where I'm going..." shuya whispered to herself.

Frank takes shuyas hand and leads her along.

"This way. We're gonna fight someone I hate." The other 3 members of the legion run up behind them, all laughing and chatting behind him.

"What did they do?" Shuya asked, "why do you hate them?" Shuya wanted to make sure that she wasn't gonna eat someone she was gonna regret eating.

"They're pricks. The dude broke my nose with a brick. And the girl beat me within an inch of my life." He snickers. "They're gonna come back to life, so don't worry about butchering them. That's part of the fun~" he hums and walks with her towards the shack. Shuya decided to go on ahead. She started to run but she tripped on a rock and fell into the fire. Shuya started to scream as she scrambled out of the fire, her clothes turning to char and her scales and flesh burning. Frank frowns.

"Hmm. That's gonna leave a mark." Philip runs away, afraid because he was literally made of wood. Frank reaches into the fire, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her out, but her flesh comes off in his hand, leaving the bones of her forearm bear.

"Oh." He drops the handful of charred flesh and sighs softly. "Well, she'll come back. I'll just end her suffering." He stabs her right in the forehead, breaking through her skull with brutal strength and twisting the knife, killing her almost immediately. Seconds later shuya showed back up in the campfire. She looked kinda dazed yet overall okay.

"Why'd you stab me??" Shuya yelled before she kicked frank lightly in the leg, "don't yall have a healer around here??" Shuya was getting more and more angry. Frank sighs.

"You were cooking. And I thought it would be best to end your pain." He frowns. "We don't have a healer, no. We just reincarnate."

Shuya lightly kicked frank again.

"Im gonna go do some recon, ill be back in a bit." Shuya said still pretty ticked. Shuya left to go to the area they were going to.

Frank nods, and fucks around with his gang. Shuya found the shack and knocked on the door.

"Hello?" Shuya asked. Annabell heard the knock.

"Someone new? I don't recognize that voice." Annabell muttered.

Jake looks to the door and shyly peeks his head out of it. "Hello?" Jake came face to face with shuya.

"Hello! I'm new around here and I was just meeting the other people here!" Shuya said with a smile. Annabell kept her eyes on jake to make sure he was gonna be okay. Jake gasps.

"Woah! I've never seen anyone quite like you before!" He seems mystified. "Your scales are rather pretty." He smiles brightly. "Welcome! I'm Jake...this is Annabell. And this is our home!"

"Thank you!" Shuya thanked jake before she took a look inside to see annabell on the bed, "wait a minute... i know you. You're the slave master killer in Vendar?" Shuya asked annabell. Annabell narrowed her eye.

"Yeah, what about it?" Annabell asked.

"Nothing! I was just wondering if I knew the right person!" Shuya said with a smile, " oh yeah, im shuya!" Annabell didnt trust this lizardfolk.

"Perhaps you should leave... we were in the middle of something important." Annabell said hoping that jake would get the whole 'dude i don't trust her'. Jake senses it and sighs softly.

"Ah...sorry....." He walks back to Annabell's side, hugging the doll he had in his arms.

"Its alright!" Shuya said before she went back to the campfire, "So uh... i don't think we should beat them up." Shuya told the legion. Frank frowns.

"And why not?" He had put his mask on, and was tossing his knife into a stump at his feet, then retrieving it, and doing it again.

"2 reasons," shuya said raising a hand with two fingers up, "1. They were cuddling and that just disrespectful to kill them, 2. The woman in there is a serial killer from where I'm from and she is pretty serious, she like... who's a really big serial killer known for stealing peoples body parts and turning them into jewelry and is somewhat cannibalistic?" Frank shrugs.

"I mean, where we're from, we four are a group of serial killers." He says it proudly. "We'd killed a decent amount of people before we got here, and the body count just keeps getting higher, trial after trial." He scoffs. "Besides, we reincarnate. Why should we care if she hurts us?"

"She's known for holding a grudge... she killed the person who got her into the slave system almost a decade after escaping slavery..." shuya said.

"pretty sure she already hates me. If you don't wanna do it, then we will." A half hearted "yeah!" Comes out of Susie.

"So what if she hates you? You can just ignore her and her boyfriend. You don't have to even associate with them if you don't want to." Shuya said trying to difuse the situation.

"no, that's not possible. If he gets matched with me in a trial, I have to kill him." He sighs. "the situation's gonna happen either way. Besides. I hate em."

"I'm sure she understands the whole situation of being forced to kill people that you would rather not," shuya said, "i could talk to her if you would like." Frank growls lowly.

"I enjoy it very much, thank you."

"... frank. I will tell the entire group what I saw if you fucking go over there and hurt them. Apperantly that's disgusting to humans so yeah." Shuya threatened. Frank shrugs.

"Bold of you to assume they havent seen me doing that before."

"Bold of you to assume that I still have an idea what you were doing and why." Shuya said to try to change the subject.

"I was pleasuring myself." He humms, not really giving a fuck because he knew he was a disgusting person.

"WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?" Shuya yelled in pure confusion, "THE MONASTERY DIDNT PREPARE ME FOR THIS!"

Frank laughs. "Yeah, if you were at a monastery you wouldn't know. Do you even know what sex is?"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT??" Shuya yelled even more confused.

Frank can't help cackling as he gives her a crude rundown of sex ed. If Sally could make a face, she'd be looking incredibly disgusted right about now.

Shuya was still not understanding.

"I still don't understand!" Shuya yelled, "that sounds fake and if it was real it sounds painful and dumb!"

"Want me to show ya-?" Frank laughs, but Joey grabs the back of his hoodie and pulls him back. he'd been leaning closer to Shuya.

"No! It sound painful and I bet it makes you shit out eggs!" Shuya yelled.

"it's not painful if ya do it right!" He laughs. "and you won't shit eggs-!"

"How do you know you virgin!" Shuya yelled.

"Bold of you to assume I haven't slayed coochie before!"

"BOLD OF YOU TO SAY THAT IN LEG EATTING DISTANCE!" Shuya yelled before she fucking dived and started to devour franks leg.

Frank moans. "Oh fuck yeah~"

Shuya stopped and moved a couple feet away.

"You know I thought you were kinda cute and nice but you're just another one of those people you find drunk at a tavern!" Shuya hissed, "i thought you were cool but you're really not!" Shuya then yelled what can be guessed is a slur in a different language. Frank frowns and sighs.

"Ok." He turns and leaves, limping away-heading back to the lodge. "Ugh..." He didn't show it, but that really hurt. Shuya had a 'holy shit that worked' moment. She felt accomplished yet... disappointed. She was sad that the first person she met in this realm ended up being a dick. Shuya walked away from the campfire, found an uninhabited area and claimed it for herself while Frank runs off to hide so he can cry. Shuya made a small shelter and she felt... really sad. Shuya shook her head and went back to her business. She made a small campfire. The teen killer bandages up his wound, sterilizing it so that he wouldn't get any kind of infection. The pain makes him wail, but he recovers rather quickly. Shuya sat next to her small fire, she felt bored and just... no, no no, he was a dick so she shouldn't go find him and apologize... she went and started to look for frank. Frank was sitting silently in the lodge, wiping the occasional tear from under his mask. Shuya knew she wasn't gonna be welcome in the lodge after what just happened but it was the only place she thought he would go. Shuya attempted to scale the side of the building with no windows nearby. Frank didn't care regardless and lays down on his mattress, facing the wall and trying to fall asleep. He didn't bother trying to remove his mask. Shuya got to the balcony and snuck through the place. She found frank and she started to regret even coming into vicinity of the building. She walked over and sat down quietly.

"Im sorry, frank." Shuya apologized to frank. He ignores her completely, pulling the blanket tighter to his body. "I didnt mean any of it... i was angry and... i take full responsibility for what happened... im... really sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?" Shuya felt extremely guilty for everything.

"Nothing, go away." His voice cracks halfway through the sentence, and trails off at the end like it was difficult got him to speak. "Im not leaving," shuya said, "youre hurting and I don't want you to." Shuya set a hand on franks shoulder gently. He flinches away at the touch.

"Just leave."

"... when you're ready, come find me... im not that far from the campfire..." shuya said before she left through the window and went back to her new place.

Frank continues his ugly crying fit until he's done, and then takes a nap while Shuya went under her little shelter and laid down. Soon enough, Frank goes to see Shuya. He's limping rather badly, and hides it badly. Shuya was sitting in front of her little fire. She looked up to see frank, obviously limping.

"Hey frank, welcome to my new home." Shuya said as she stood up. He flinches a little bit as she stands up, growling softly. "Urgh."

"How about we sit down," shuya suggested, "maybe that will make talking easier." Frank plops down across from her with a pained sigh. Shuya sat back down.

"I need to ask, you don't seem to care what people think of you yet... why did my words hurt you?" Shuya asked. Frank sighs.

"I don't know."

Shuya sighed.

"Im... really really sorry," Shuya apologized, "I didn't really mean any of it, I just wanted to make sure you didn't do something you would regret... but I ended up doing something I regret... could you ever forgive me?"

Frank shakes his head.

"It's fine." He sighs. "I'll live. And I don't regret." He frowns, slipping off his mask. He looked like he'd been crying, and his nose was running so he wipes it away on the back of his hand. Shuya crawled over, sat down next to him, and hugged him.

"I don't think you're okay." Shuya said as she raised a hand up to the side of franks face. Frank sighs. "Don't pity me." He flinches at the touch of her hand on his cheek. "Pity? I don't think I'm pitying you," shuya said as she lightly rubbed the side of franks face with her thumb, "i think im comforting you. There's a difference, like stalking someone and regularly breaking into their house."

Frank sighs. "You wouldn't comfort someone you didn't feel bad for." He can't admit it, but he did like her gentle touch.

"Would you rather be pityed and comforted or not pityed and alone?" Shuya asked. He frowns. "You...got me there..."

"Nobody wants to be alone," shuya said, "even the most serious of people need to have someone to talk to." Frank goes silent and lets himself relax. "I'm sorry for saying such nasty things to you...before."

"To be honest I don't even remember what we were yelling about. I only remember you being sad and me being mad. I don't remember alot of things." Shuya said. Frank nods.

"We both said some rather mean things."

"What did I say?" Shuya asked genuinely curious about what she said.

"you bit my leg, I moaned, and then you told me that I was 'just like the men at the tavern'. And then you cussed me out in another language." He sighs. "After you asked what you caught me doing... I tried to explain, but you're really dense..." He speaks rather angrily, not quite realizing how mean he sounded. "... I don't remember any of that, and you sound really mad," Shuya said as she put her hand down, "but I guess you're right about the dense part, my old leader joy would yell at me because I didn't understand my part of the plans sometimes." Frank calms his voice.

"Sorry. You didn't deserve that outburst." He sighs and looks away.

"its okay!" Shuya said, "sometimes you just gotta yell." Shuya smiled. Frank nods and just sighs.

"Ugh."

"What wrong?" Shuya asked, She was still pretty energetic. Frank shrugs.

"My leg hurts. And not in the good way."

"This is why we have healers! Oh wait... we don't have any healers here..." shuya said.

Frank nods, chuckling softly.

"Are we gonna have to cut your leg off?" Shuya asked.

Frank shakes his head. "You could kill me."

"... oh yeah!" Shuya exclaimed before she tackled frank and absolutely decimated the dude. Frank stays still, trying not to moan as she tears him to bits.

Shuya continued to eat frank, she didnt even notice any sound coming from frank. He soon dies, laying there underneath her.

Shuya didn't seem to notice that frank was dead until it turned to dust.

"Awww..." shuya groaned as she stood up.

Frank stumbles around to the campfire, dazed from having been killed. He rubs his head and groans.

Shuya turned around to see frank, dazed and stumbling. Shuya ran up and hugged him.

"Heyyy!" Shuya exclaimed. Frank hugs her back tightly, if only to catch his balance.

"Hugs!" Shuya exclaimed before she blepped. Frank bleps back, laughing softly. Shuya smiled wide before she lightly headbutt frank before he laughs and gives her a light noogie. Shuya giggled. She tapped frank before running off.

"Tag you're it!" Shuya exclaimed as she run off. Frank laughs and gives chase. Shuya hid in a pretty good spot so she didn't have to run the whole time. She watched frank look for her for a bit. Frank plops down on the ground after awhile of searching.

Shuya snuck behind frank and tackled him.

"Hey Frank!" Shuya exclaimed, "that was fun!"

Frank laughs and nods. "Yeah!"

"Do you think the other would wanna play???" Shuya asked very excitedly, her tail going absolutely insane.

Frank laughs.

"Maybe! We'll see!"

Shuya jumped up and down in excitement.

"Lets go let's go!" Shuya exclaimed as she started running to the lodge. Frank makes pace easily with her. Shuya and frank made it to the lodge and shuya went into the lodge. She was asking them extremely fast but it was too fast and excited to even attempt to decipher her. Frank regurgitates a similar message, and both Julie and Joey jump at the opportunity, while Susie resolves to count scores.

Shuya was so excited and happy, she was practically vibrating in excitement. They start up the game. Joey is it, and he moves with frightening speed as he rushes towards Shuya. Julie hops up a tree and Frank runs away.

"Oh shit!" Shuya yelled before she ran off in a random direction. Hopefully the years of running around the monastery would keep her from getting caught. Joey rushes after her, laughing softly and tossing his knife into a tree. He uses it as a foothold and hops up into it, tackling Julie out of it. They land in a pile of leaves and Susie ticks it off. Julie runs off to try and catch either Frank or Shuya, searching through the brush like a predator. Shuya started to hide. She listened for footsteps and overall human sounds. Frank jumps out at her from the shadows. "Shhhhhh." Somehow he'd approached her silently.

Shuya stayed quiet.

"Why did you jump at me???" Shuya signed out.

"dunno." He signs back, laying beside her on the brush.

"Im guessing you're not it?" Shuya signed before she peeked around the tree.

Frank shakes his head. "not the case, my dear."

"So... you're it?" Shuya signed as she backed away a bit.

"no, I'm not. Julie is."

"You signed the wrong thing you stinky rat." Shuya signed with a smile, it wasn't really sure if she was joking about the stinky rat thing. Shuya moved back to where she was behind the tree. Frank feels insulted but doesn't betray it. "Rude." He says out loud. "Jules, she's over here!"

Shuya started to run in a random direction because holy shit she wasn't gonna lose. Frank gets tackled from behind by Julie. "Oof-"

Shuya ran past the campfire and stopped for a second.

"Hey...! Sorry about earlier...! Bye!" Shuya said out of breath before going back to running. Frank chases her, a stick in his hand. He seems frenzied, and bops her lightly over the head as he chases her.

"Hey! Don't hit me with a stick!" Shuya yelled at frank.

Frank smacks her again as he gets closer, then tosses it to the side and tackles her. They spin midair and it's Frank that hits the ground first.

"Owie..!" Shuya groaned, "oh no! Frank are you okay?"

Frank nods.

"Mhm. But you lost." He laughs softly.

"Technically I win because I was the last to get caught!" Shuya exclaimed with a smile. Frank frowns.

"You're right...fuck." he lets her go and just lays there. "shit."

"Yay! I win!" Shuya exclaimed but she noticed frank looking bummed out, "hey... whats wrong?" Shuya poked frank.

Frank shrugs. "Nothing. I'm a sore loser. Nice job."

"Well you got second! Thats still good!" Shuya said with a smile.

Frank shrugs. "Yeah, I guess."

Shuya smiled, stood up, and held her hand out.

"Wanna go back to the others?" Shuya asked with a friendly smile. Frank takes it and nods, standing up to follow her. Shuya kept holding franks hand when they got back to the others. Frank doesn't willingly let go of hers and whispers something that's barely auditable.

"Step on me."

"Huh?" Shuya was extremely confused, she barely heard him and wasn't sure if she heard him right, "what did you say?"

Frank hums. "Stop holding." He drops her hand.

"Oh sorry!" Shuya said as she stopped holding his hand. Frank smiles.

"It's ok." He goes back to the group and immediately gets locked into a noogie by Julie. Shuya skipped on over with a wide smile.

"That was alot of fun!" Shuya exclaimed.

Joey laughs. "yeah. It was." Frank tries to fend off Julie to no avail.

"I haven't ran that much since I angered joys dire wolf!" Shuya chuckled, "fenrir was always feisty!"

All four teens look confused by this. "Like...the Norse wolf titan, Fenrir?" Susie speaks up.

"Huh? No fenrir was big but he wasn't THAT big. He's only as tall as joey." Shuya said not understanding what's going on. Joey oohs. "Damn. That's a bigass dog."

"Yeah but fenrir wasn't the tallest in the group, not by a long shot. Our healer, galas is 8 feet tall. No joke, we measured." Shuya said with a smile. Frank oohs and climbs on Joey's back, making them both about as tall as Galas may have been. "Like this?"

"Yeah! Now the opposite of galas was our other healer, rabies. She was about... 3 feet tall? Something like that." Shuya was excited to talk about her friends. Frank settles down on Joey's back and hums softly.

"That's cool! Very short."

"Yeah, she had some fixation on 'flirting with people? She actually spent a night with the captain of the city guard in a city we were staying in. No idea what they were doing but she got info from him." Shuya said with a smile.

Frank snorts at that. "oH?!"

"Yeah she joined the group at the same time as a tabaxi named mikaela. She stole an entire stores products in the night once with the help of our leader joy. She got alot of money out of it though." Shuya said. After a while shuya ran out of people to talk about. The teens nod along with this story, Frank smiling at her the whole time.

"And that's the story of how Joy killed king Matias!" Shuya exclaimed, "anyways I think that's all the storys of my group of friends! Other than the stuff I promised joy to not talk about." Frank laughs softly and hops off Joey's shoulders to walk over and take Shuya's hand again. Shuya smiled and held onto franks hand.

"Im getting cold. I don't like being cold. I really don't like being cold. I wanna go back to a place with warmth." Shuya rambled about being cold. Frank takes his coat off and puts it around her shoulders. It was rather warm inside.

"Here, I'll take you back to the lodge."

"Ooo this is really warm. I like it! Actually I love it! Very warm. Alright, lodge time." Shuya said as she stood up, "time for warmth. Warm warm. Warmth time." Frank holds her gently to him as he walks, trying to keep in her warmth. Shuya was happy and getting warm. When they got back to the lodge shuya plopped down right in front of the bonfire. Frank sits beside her, smiling like a giddy child. Shuya curled into a scaly ball on the floor just enjoying franks jacket and the fires warmth. Frank lays down behind her to cuddle her. Shuyas tail finally stopped moving and she was now really calm. Frank holds her close to him, sighing contentedly. Shuya flipped herself to face frank and hugged him for more warmth. Shuya ended up resting her head on franks chest. Frank gently pats her head, holding her close.

Shuya smiled as she got head pats. She started to make some clicking noises, it was the lizard equivalent to purring. Frank smiles at this and holds her still closer, petting her head with one hand and holding her close by her waist with the other. Shuya looked up at frank and blepped again. Frank cuddles her gently, keeping her warm. Shuya lightly headbutt frank. Shuya slipped out of franks grasp and started running.

"Im not giving this back by the way!" Shuya yelled before she ran out the building laughing. Frank groans and just lays there. He'd loved having her in his arms, but...now she was gone, and he was cold. He curls up on the floor. He'd have to steal back his jacket sometime. Shuya stopped when she realized frank wasn't gonna chase her. Shuya frowned.

"I left warm area for nothing? Aww..." shuya groaned. Frank sits up and warms his hands at the fire, shivering a bit.

"Urgh...so fucking cold here-" Shuya walked back to find a very cold frank. She sneaked over to frank and hugged him from behind. He blushes, and then smiles at this.

"Heh~ thanks." He was shivering.

"Ill be right back." Shuya said as she ran over to franks bed, took the blanket, ran back, and wrapped the blanket around frank and herself. He pulls her into his lap, tucking his face into the nape of her neck. Shuya smiled as she wrapped the blanket like a loose burrito. She loved physical affection but she didnt really understand vocal affection. He holds her tightly, so incredibly touch starved that he longed for her touch. Shuya giggled as frank tightened his grip around her. Shuya didnt fully understand why frank was holding her so closely but she really liked the attention. Frank just hugs her, trying his best to keep himself from being horny to her and basically just cuddles her. He felt...strange around her. And not in a gross way. He felt warm, and fuzzy. She was like chicken soup for his soul. Shuya started to lizard purr/click again. Shuya was so happy in franks arms. Shuya poked franks nose.

"Boop!" Shuya said with a wide smile. He laughs softly, and pets her head, in awe at the feel of her scales under his fingertips. Shuya looked up at frank again.

"Hey frank? Have you ever met a lizardfolk other than me before?" Shuya asked. Frank tells her he hasn't, and leans his head against her neck.

"Really? I don't think my race is rare... did you live in a really cold place?" Shuya asked.

"Where I'm from, everyone's a human."

"Really??? That's so weird! Wait... if everyone's a human where are are from... why didn't you freak out when you saw me?" Shuya asked.

"I don't care. I thought you might've realized that by now-" he chuckles softly.

"I thought you mightve realized I'm not smart." Shuya said bluntly.

Frank shrugs. "Smarter than me, I'd say. Just a little slow with retaining information."

"... joy says I'm an idiot. But I'm fine with that." Shuya said.

"you're not an idiot." He insists. Shuya stared at him for a bit.

"... why do you think that?" Shuya asked.

"everyone has issues with some things. I just think you need a little more time than other people. That doesn't make you an idiot."

"Thats a good wisdom," Shuya said, "thank you for the wisdom." Frank kisses the back of her neck. "You're welcome. I mean it. I don't think you're an idiot."

"What did you just do?" Shuya asked.

"I kissed you." He smiles softly. "Sorry...was that too much?"

"Being kissed is weird... do it again." Shuya said looking up at frank. He does it again.

"Usually, if you kiss someone, you'd do it on the lips, but I think this way is rather nice, too."

"Why on the lips?" Shuya asked, "that sounds like it would just spread mouth germs."

"it's a thing people do when they like each other. It's an affectionate thing. I'm trying to show you that I like you." He blushes. "Maybe...I love you?"

"Why?" Shuya asked, "is spreading mouth germs affectionate?"

"no...it's..." He sighs softly and just ignores her question, he just didn't have a good answer, kissing her neck again. "Mmn."

"What does it mean when you get kissed on the neck?" Shuya asked.

"Erm...usually it's strong affection, also a bit because that's all I can reach of you." He smiles nervously, holding her gently in his lap. Shuya moved so she was facing frank and she was still on his lap.

"Does this make it easier for you?" Shuya asked. He blushes brightly.

"Ah...I mean...do you like being kissed like that?" He was getting flustered. This was bad. He didn't want to drive her away.

"I've never really been kissed before so this is all new for me." Shuya shrugged.

Frank sighs softly.

"But is it alright? Do you mind it or is it bad?"

"Being kissed on the neck? It was weird but its alright." Shuya said. Frank blushes.

[interstellar-borb]

Broken Triangles pt 1

It was quiet, though a fairly large pink centipede like boss was pacing around in a panicked state like something was going to happen and he was worried sick. “Rouge? Are you ok?” Questioned a blue cube with triangles hovering above their head that flickered periodically “no blue im not ok. My parents are coming here! How can i feel ok? This is gonna be the first time they see me in almost a year!” He exclaimed loudly with a bit of worry in his tone “what if they don’t like how i ended up? Or what i’ve done! What if they just straight up disown me!” Blue sighed “rouge, you need to stop worrying everything will be ok, you sound like me when cyan hurts himself.” Rouge flopped down on the ground and huffed “i just don’t want to disappoint my dad even more. He was furious when he found out i left the continent just to escape a crazy person” Blues triangles drooped down upon hearing that “but he’s coming to see you isn’t he? He must be worried sick about you to even come if he’s upset. I’m sure they still love you rouge, no matter what you do” blue patted him on the hand as rouge looked at him then turning away and sighed. “Yeah, i guess you're right. There is nothing to worry about” he stood up and moved towards the cave he called home, for now at least.

A brief amount of time passed as their other friends started showing up to meet the so called parents of rouge, cyan began to wonder if he inherited anything from them personality wise that could potentially ruin paradise and thus remained on guard mentally. Soon enough a fairly large portal opened up in the sky as cyan saw a familiar face, rouge’s final annihilate state coming right out and landing in front of them, he instantly stiffened up and looked at rouge and back at this new face only to realise one large difference between the two, this one was missing an eye, and he didn’t wear an eyepatch to cover it. Marine looked at him with awe, he wished he could take off his eyepatch but knew it was disrespectful so he kept his on with a bit of a stubborn grunt, rouge instantly lowered himself in a bit of a frightened state and spoke with a bit of a nervous tone “hi dad…” everyone jolted upwards in shock and looked at rouge and his father with fast glances before copper spoke up “THATS YOUR DAD?! HE’S UTTER NIGHTMARE FUEL!” his father chuckled “why thank you for that one, i get it alot when im out of the castle”, castle? Cyan seemed baffled at this. Was rouge’s father a knight for a king or the actual king? His mind buzzed with questions he wanted to ask but couldn’t as he could get shattered again. Rouge spoke up once more “where's mom? Is she ok? I know she’s been going through some issues back at home but is she coming?” he sat up with a bit of worry as his dad spoke up “don’t worry, she may be going through some things but she’s been too excited to see your face again. Although i am impressed you managed to become more like your mother then i, then again you did suffer like she did. But you had it removed from your body” rouge looked at blue with shock, how did he even know that? Rouge didn’t even tell his mother so she couldn’t have told him. He was about to ask how he knew what happened before someone else fell out of the portal with a bit of a grunt, causing rouge to panic “MOM!” he immediately rushed to her side and helped her up as she kept paping his face repeating she was fine and only slipped on the way in, Blue cooed at how adorable she was with her reaction to her son being worried as she sat up and brushed herself off, she looked around with a bit of amazement at all of the blue in this place, and how sweet everyone was before examining everyone that came to meet them causing her to get a little flustered. “O-oh hello there, i didn’t notice rouge made other friends then that one he called blue.” cyan made a weird noise in annoyance, he was friends with rouge too why didn’t he get mentioned “either way we should introduce ourselves properly. Right septium?” she jabbed rouge’s fathers back with her tail causing him to jolt up “OH! Right, sorry.” he cleared his throat and spoke up with a bit of a noble feel in his tone “i am King Septium of the Pink continent, and this is my wife and rouge’s mother, Queen Requiem. It is a-” he froze in place as requiem facepalmed “you forgot the rest again, didn’t you.” they both started to have a bit of a whisper argument as rouge facepalmed and moved back to his friends side as they tried their best not to laugh at this royal mistake. Soon enough they turned around as requiem finished septium’s sentence before apologising as he never got out much after she became twenty herself, after a bit of chatter and requiem being the happy mom she is at her son finally growing up, cyan offered to show them around paradise as they seemed friendly enough to not mess with anything, and he showed them all the key places and passed by the Treeangle towards one of the places he wanted to show them, but requiem stopped as everyone progressed forward and looked at the treeangle, she stared at the tree with a bit of a empty expression on her face and stood almost frozen. Blue turned around to see requiem so far from the group, worrying everyone would be annoyed to go back for her with him he went up to her alone and tried to get her attention, she stared at the tree until it flashed at her, and the triangle upon her crown flashed back. Suddenly, she started to move closer to the tree, blue having started to panic rushed in front of her to try and get her to stop only for her to step past him and almost crush him with her body if he didn’t jump away from her fast enough. “R-requiem you need to stop. Everyone is far ahead of us we need to catch up.” he rushed in front of the tree only to look at the blank expression on her face, her eyes were empty without light as she soon lunged at the tree causing blue to jump out to the side, she grabbed the tree and began to pull at it like rouge did once before, panicking blue’s arms became the chain clamps that he once used to fight cyan unwillingly and grabbed the tree to pull back against her as he began to scream “REQUIEM STOP! SNAP OUT OF THIS!” causing the group to look back as septium and rouge looked at her with dispar in their eyes, cyan tried to rush over to blue and help his friend, but blue wasn’t strong enough to hold her back as the tree was soon pulled apart once more, Blue tried to let go of the tree only to discover he couldn’t he was stuck under requiem’s grip as she readjusted herself to open a much darker portal and fly within it. Full of adrenaline Blue screamed at the top of his lungs in a failed attempt to be freed “CYAN! HELP ME!!” but it was too late, she dove in with the tree and blue into the portal and was gone. Cyan dropped down to the ground shaking, “why did i trust you… WHY DID I EVER TRUST YOU!” he lashed out at rouge causing him to step back “cyan i didn’t know she’d react to the treeangle like that honest! I don’t know what could’ve gotten into her” Septium bowed his head and sighed “i know why, before rouge was born requiem and i were going for her maturity ceremony with our treeangle before it had lost a piece of itself, everything was going smoothly until something went wrong. The treeangle stabbed her in the back with one of its own pieces, it brought great pain upon her and made her look how she is now. I tried to stop it but ended up losing my eye in the process, i awoke to her saying sorry constantly and finding out our treeangle was broken. And she had a triangle over her head.” cyan was silent as rouge looked away mumbling i knew it under his breath. “Now, we need to get them both back. I can re-open the portal but you can only bring a few friends to try and get them back. I will stay here to make sure this place doesn’t go to hell while its hero is gone. Now go”

[cartoonloverstuff]

Haunted or Hunted

Yeeeeeeeeeah... so this is really late but here's a spooky-ish fic about the Sing teen trio for Halloween. Please let me know what you think! (Also, im on mobile and don't know how to make long post 'read more', im so sorry) ------------ The "I'm telling ya this is the wrong place!" Johnny insisted as him and Meena followed a curious Ash around the abandoned and poorly cared for property. Moon had sent the three out to an old theater to collect some props the other theater owner no longer needed. After turning off the main road and driving in what seemed like the middle of nowhere for a good 20 minutes, Johnny became suspicious. Once they arrived at the location Google maps had directed them to when he typed the address Moon gave him in, he was convinced there was some mistake. The building they pulled up to vaguely looked like a theater, but it was clearly abandoned and was falling apart. It reminded him of a haunted castle in those mystery cartoons he watched as a kid. The doors and windows were boarded up and as the cherry on top of it all, the sun had long since gone down by the time they arrived and it was shaping up to be a dreary night. Johnny was half expecting an ominous bolt of light to strike behind the building. Johnny had wanted to turn tails and leave as soon as they got close enough to get a good look at the destination, but Ash insisted they look around. "What are the odds Moon happened to write down a wrong address that just happened to also be a theater?" Ash reasoned as she examined the boarded up building. "Maybe the owner left the prop out here somewhere. Or maybe there's still inside and were forgotten about." Ash pressed her face up against a widow trying to see in, a giddy smile on her face. "We need to find a way in!" "Ash." The gorilla sighed, unsure why the porcupine was so taken with the creepy old building. "Come on, there's no way in. Let's just go, yeah?" He tried to reason. Ash turned to cock an eyebrow at him. "You scared?" She smirked knowing. "No!" Johnny huffed red-faced. "Yes!" Meena's answer overlapped Johnny and had no shame. She gave the porcupine a wide-eyed, stricken look. "I'm not exactly jumping at the chance to go in another rickety, falling apart theater." Her voice wavered and and her gaze fell nervously. Ash stopped for moment and gave her friend a concerned look before shaking her head and giving the elephant an encouraging smile. "Deep breathes, Meena. This place isn't gonna up and fall down on us." Ash's voice was gentle and reassuring as she became sensitive to her large friend's fears. "There's no bear gang or crazy water works show here to knock it down, okay?" Ash got Meena to look up at her and give the porcupine a soft smile. "Doesn't even look likes its got workin' plumbin'." Johnny added as he gave the building a disapproving look. "Why would ya want t' find a way into this place? From the looks of it, ya' think there be dead bodies stashed here or somethin'." "As a matter a fact..." Ash dragged out with a huge grin on her face, causing both her companions give look at in slight horror. "I googled the name of this place when we passed a sign for it. Apparently, some goat singer died here 50-some years ago." She said with excitement in her voice as she continued to scan the building for a way in. "That sounds like a dumb internet rumor." Johnny quipped unconvinced. "No, seriously! There's like news articles and records and stuff. Her name was Madame Florence Capra and apparently she was murdered here right after a performance." Ash's eyes lite up as she was practically bouncing in spot pressed against the window. "They found her decapitated body, but never found the killer." The was a brief, horrified silence before Meena spoke up. "That's awful! Is that why this theater is closed?" She gave the building a fearful look. Ash spoke without looking away from the window. "Naw, it only closed a couple of years ago. But there's a bunch of rumors saying she haunts the place. Some say they saw her headless body walking around back stage! Or that they could hear her screaming!" The porcupine grinned eagerly and pushed back from the window to continue her search for a way in. Johnny and Meena exchange a disturbed glance. "Ash, can ya maybe not sound so excited 'bout some lady's death?" Johnny asked looking back at the building uneasily. "And, not to be obvious, but ya know there no such thing as ghos-" "Found a way in!" The larger two heard Ash cut in and looked just in time to see the porcupine squeeze through a missing chunk of a boarded up door. "Ash!" Meena darted to look through the hole in the door, knowing there was no way her or Johnny would fit. Johnny grabbed the door handle and tried to push in open, but it felt solidly in place. "Er, Ash, ya know we can't follow ya, right? The door's boarded up and I think somethin's blocking it." Johnny called out from his side as he sized up the door. "There's nothing blocking it." Ash's muffled voice commented from the other side. Johnny raised an eyebrow as he look over the door again. It didn't look that sturdy. After slamming his shoulder against the door twice and wincing in pain a little after the second attempt, Meena nervously voiced. "Uh, Johnny..." "Nawnawnaw, its fine. Da' worry bout it." He brushed out her concern quickly before she could say anything. He shot the door a glare, taking it as a personal challenge. After half a moment of contemplation, he decided all he needed was a running start. From the other side of the boarded up door and a good distance away, Ash heard running footsteps, the sound of something slamming against he door, and a groan of painful regret. Ash rolled her eyes as she heard Meena fuss over Johnny to make sure he was okay. Turning on her heels, the porcupine decided she was done waiting and wanted to look around. The interior of the old theater looked just as one would have expected from the outside. It was decaying and covered in dust and cobwebs. Ash squinted and blinked frantically as she turned a corner, both trying to avoid dust in her eyes and adjust to her very dark surroundings. After a few moments of not being able to see anything but shadows and vague shapes; she pulled out her phone, switched the flashlight on, and pointed it in front of her. What she saw made her heart stop. Frozen in place, all she could was give a short, chilling scream as shock took control. She barely had time register that she wasn't in actual danger before she heard the splintering sound of thick wood being broken and heavy footsteps on creaky floor boards. Meena appeared around the corner skittering to a stop when she found Ash hunched over and silently wheezing with shocked laughter. The elephant approached slowly trying to decipher what the strained noises Ash was making were. Once Meena realized it was laughter, her panic face morphed into a look of frustration. "Seriously?! I was actually worried about you!" Meena turned to storm back but Ash grabbed her pant leg, the porcupine still trying to gain control her breathing. Between scattered breaths and laughter, Ash tried to convey what happened and pointed in the direction of what scared her. "I-heh-I promise, I w-wasn't messing with you!" She finally managed to pant out just as Johnny turned the corner to find them. He had previously been frozen gawking at the remains of the boarded up door. After recovering and making a mental note not to stay on Meena's good side, he pulled out his phone's flashlight and quickly found the others, with Meena looking rightly ticked off and Ash wheezing and pointing behind. His flashlight flickered up in the direction of Ash's pointing and he and Meena tried to see what it was. Johnny gave out a very unmanly yipe and Meena's heart stopped dead for a moment. Before them was a huge, ghastly wooden cut painted to look like a clown bear. The clown had beady yellow eyes and the most unsettled painted smile the three had ever seen "Wot. The. Hell is the that?!" Johnny stamped out, looking at the clown in something akin to disgust. "What nightmares are made of." Ash quipped before turning back to Meena. "That's why I screamed. Sorry for scaring you. But hey, look on the bright side. You guys got through the door!" "She got through the door." Johnny corrected with a smile, jabbing his thumb at Meena. "I got a sore shoulde'." "Dawww, Meena was worried about meeee!" Ash teased as she leaned on her largest friend's leg affectionately. The elephant wasn't paying either of them any mind, still staring at the clown. "Why would anyone make that?" Meena wondered out loud as she stared in horrified amazement, her frustration thoroughly scared out of her. "Right, I'm callin' it. Moon sent us t' the wrong place. Let's get outta here." Johnny jerked his head in the direction them came in as he spoke. Meena nodded eagerly and turn to follow his out. "Wait, hold on! Can bring this?" Ash said as she went over to the prop to see if it could be moved. "What? Why would you want to bring that?" Meena's attention was back on Ash as she tried to understand the porcupine's motives. "To show Moon we tried. We don't want go emptied-handed, right?" Ash reasoned soundly to the puzzled elephant, giving her large friend an innocent smile. Johnny, however, saw right through it. "Ya' wanna stick that thing in Moon's office and scare the livin' crap outta 'im, don't cha?" He stated exasperatedly. "Yep!" Ash stood next to the clown expectantly with a huge grin on her face. Meena and Johnny traded looks briefly before Meena sighed and caved, walking over to the prop and an excited Ash. The prop was heavy, which wasn't normally a problem for Meena, but it was also large and awkwardly shaped, making it difficult for the elephant to get a good hold on it and carry it. She struggled with it for a few moments before she felt Johnny come over and lift the other side. "Just sayin', I'm pretty sure this is theft." Johnny added as he and Meena made slow progress back around the corner. "You honestly think anyone's gonna miss it?" Ash retorted as she tried not to be underfoot. Johnny didn't answer, his focus on moving the ugly prop and trying to ignore threatening creaking from the floor boards. They were clear of the corner and about halfway to the door when hear a loud crack. All three froze, wide-eyed and scared to move. Johnny and Meena looked at each each other, realizing then that they were two very large mammals, carrying a very heavy prop, on a very rickety floor. This wasn't good. After a beat, Ash took a few cautious steps in front of the other two. She then carefully turned around to address them. "Okay, maybe this was a bad idea. Just leave the clown and get away from each other to spread out the weight." Ash's ordered shooing them in opposite directions. Them fumbled briefly trying to carefully set down the prop before it clattered to the floor. All three stiffened and waited once it felt. When nothing creaked or broke, the larger two cautiously stepped backward and away from each other. They only made it a few feet each before a sickening snap came from below Meena as her foot fell through the floor. She yelled in surprise as she fell against the ground. The other two present immediately forgot their plan as they quickly went to help her up, only realizing their mistake too late. Both were within reach of her when more cracking from all around made them aware of their mistake. Before anyone of them could think of what to do, there was the applause of wooden beams breaking and the floor beneath them gave. The trio fell. To them, it felt like they hit every wooden beam, support and odd bit of cloth on the way down but nothing was strong enough to stop their fall, only break and slow their decent. Finally, Meena hit something something solid and land on her stomach with an 'oof.' Almost immediately, she felt Johnny land heavily on his back on top of her. Half a beat later, she could feel Ash plop on top of Johnny. A chorus of groans emanated from the pile of animals. Johnny was first to make an attempt to get up, helping Ash off of him and on to the ground before quickly turning around to make sure Meena was alright and help her up. While Johnny was busy apologizing profusely for falling on the elephant and said elephant assured him that she was fine, Ash looked up and around at their predicament. It looked like they had fallen about 30 some feet, or about three stories from what Ash could see. The gaping hole left by them in the floor above was followed by a path of broken beams and other building parts from their fall, none of which looked stable enough to climb back upwards. Looking around, Ash saw they were in a large, meandering basement storage area with a relatively high ceiling. There were tons of old theater props and broken equipment were in large, unkept piles covered haphazardly with worn tarps. It was somehow even dustier down there, so much so that the air was thick with dust. What little light there was came from cracks in the floorboards above and where bits of moonlight fit through. Ash sneezed from the dust and shook her head. "Welp, doesn't look like we're goin' that way." Johnny huffed out a sigh and he pointed his phone's light up at the wreckage left from their fall. "There's gotta be stairs goin' up somewhere through, right?" He looked over at Ash who was looking around with a dismal look on her face. "Yeah... yeah, there has to be." She muttered more to herself than to anyone else. Johnny took the lead to find a way out, picking a direction at random, with Meena in tow and Ash close behind. After wandering around the dank and dreary halls formed on decaying walls piles of junk unfruitfully, Ash got impatient and wanted to take the lead. Johnny begrudging humored her for a bit, but soon after got annoyed they were still getting nowhere. Ash quickly snipped that he hadn't gotten them anywhere either. Johnny snapped that she was the reason they were in this mess in the first place. Emotions were running high considering they were all scared and it was coming out in angry arguing between the rocker and rebel. "It's not like I forced you to carry the stupid clown out!" Ash hissed Johnny grumbled back. "Well I wasn't gonna leave Meena to deal with it! Even though she shoulda' just left it-" "Where is Meena?" Ash's sour mood stopped short, wide eyed at the fact Meena was not in sight. Johnny looked back and froze. "...Meena?" Suddenly, Johnny's voice seemed to echo more in a way that made his stomach drop and the dark area seemed so much scarier to the two. "Meena!" He shouted with more force and panic in his voice. He was a rational animal, but being trapped in a creepy old building that looked like it was straight out of a horror film, alleged to be haunted, and losing a member of their group was quickly becoming too much for his nerve to handle. "Meenaaaaa? Come on, this isn't funny!" Ash called out and she meandered back the way they had came. "We're sorry for fighting!" Trying to remain calm, the two double back, their voices loud and unrestrained as their fear built up in them. Suddenly, a massive form appeared behind them and swiftly grabbed them from behind. Both their heart stopped dead the moment two strong hands covered their mouths and wrenched them back. Ash was yanked off the ground and kicked the air helplessly. Johnny was able to put more of a fight but was clearly out sized. The two struggled and tried to scream through their covered mouths until a familiar voice hissed at them. "Will you guys shut up?!" Meena had pulled them back against her so her harsh whisper only made it to their ears and didn't cause an echo. Johnny and Ash stopped struggling, both out of relief it was Meena and shock at her gripping tone. Meena shifted so was properly carrying Ash and not holding the porcupine hostage and released Johnny as well, hoping they both got silencing look she was shooting them through all the darkness. Noise in the distance made her ears flare up and grab Johnny's sleeve to pull the gorilla with her and Ash around a corner just as the noises got close enough for the other to hear. Both Johnny and Ash were confused as to why they were hiding, but neither had the chance to speak up before they heard approaching voices. "They were coming from over here!" An unfamiliar and frantic voice called out. Another, gruffer voice answered. "It was probably just pipe breaking. Again." "No! I'm telling you I heard voices this time! And they were at least two! I know there's someone else down here!" Meena had a death grip on the other two. Johnny was listening intensity, trying to figure out what anyone would be doing down there. Ash was trying to wrap her heard around why they were hiding in the first place. If there were others down there with them, the means there's was a way in and out which the others must know about. So why were they hiding and not asking for help? Ash knew Meena was nervous around strangers, but this seemed excessive to the porcupine. That last thought died in Ash's head when she heard the mechanical clinking of a gun being cocked. All three stiften, now well aware of the real danger they were in. Out of the blue, another sneering voice called out from farther away. "What the hell are you morons doin'?" The new voice bombed with authority. "Sorry, boss. Sammie said he heard something again." The gruffer voice droned in a bored tone. "I did hear something!" Sammie insisted desperately. "I know I did! That's the whole reason you hired me!" "Yeeeah," The boss spoken in a chilling tone. "I hired a jackrabbit to keep an ear out and not let anything surprise us." He pause in a menacing manner. "And yet all you've done is send out false alarms and waste my time. You're lucky the jobs already over Sammie-boy, cuz I've just about had it with you." The leader seemed to growl out the last bit, then their heard retreating foot steps with one final order. "Now get get back to work and start being useful." The other two voice followed their boss, leaving three horrified teenagers afraid for their lives. Ash was the first to speak, her words coming out as sharp, fearful whispers. "What the hell was that about? Why did he have a gun?!" Meena carefully put the porcupine on the ground as she explained. "I think they're hiding something here. Earlier I heard what sounded kinda like drilling. When I tried to find where it came from, I saw them digging up a bunch dirt like they were trying to bury something." She looked down nervously. "I didn't get a good look at what they looked like, through. I saw the guns, panicked, and came looking for you guys." All color had gone from Ash's face. "Oh my god, there actually stashing bodies here!" She squeaked out in dread. Meena looked doubtful. "They were calling it a 'hot stash.'" The elephant added, hoping that meant something to one of the others. Johnny whisper from where he was focused on his phone. "M'kay, so it's not bodies then. They're just hidin' somethin' that they stole and can't sell yet. Or maybe they're diggin' up something they stole awhile back." Glaring at his phone, he sighed angrily. He had already checked to see if he could get a signal and knew it was hopeless, but he had hoped by some miracle, he might be able to call or contact someone. He had no such luck. None of them had had any service since stepping foot into the cursed building. "Right, we can't just go walkin' around 'ere lookin' for a way out. Meena, when ya' hear 'em start drillin' again we'll go back to the hole we fell through." He hushed. Ash gave him a puzzled look. "Johnny, there's no way we can all get up that way! I'm not even sure any of us-" "We don't all have to." Johnny cut off Ash's whispering with his own. "We just need one of us to make it up and get to where they can call someone. The others just need to hold out til help comes." It was a very flawed plan and Johnny knew it, but it was the best he had at the moment. He looked at Ash half expecting her to argue or shoot down his plan with a better one, but she must have also been coming up blank because she just gave a little nod. Meena's ears were already flared out and she was clearly concentrating on listening to the gangsters' operation. After a minute, Meena gave a little nod. "They're drilling again." She breathed out. Ash peaked around the wall they were hidden behind them motioned the others to follow her. A few suspenseful minutes later, they were back below the gaping hole in the floor above, squinting up through dust filled air skeptically. It was just as they had left it, dangerously rickety and what wood remained intact look precarious at best. There was no clear path up, just a lot of unstable looking wooden bits that one could theoretically climb up. It was incredibly unsafe looking, so Johnny of course volunteered himself to do it in the hopes of keeping his friends from harm. Fifteen or so strenuous minutes later, Johnny was less than half way up and not make great progress. "He's not gonna make it." Ash quipped plainly. "He can still do it." Meena argued absentmindedly, her attention split between worriedly watching Johnny and listening to ensure the gangsters were still drilling. They both got their breath caught in their throats when Johnny's grip slipped and he was left dangling by one hand. To make matters worse, the chuck of wood he had been holding came loose and fell all the way to the concert floor below with an echoing clatter. All three tensed and waited silently. After a moment Meena began to relax and whispered to over to Ash. "I think we're okay. There's still-" She froze mid sentence, her ears flared out more and her face filled with dread. "The drilling stopped." Ash went wide-eyed and gave a panicked look up. She knew Johnny won't make it before they had company and waved him to come down. Making a split moment decision, she gave an order. "Meena, throw me." "... Come again?" As Johnny was trying to make something between a rushed and carefully quiet way down again, he heard a whoosh and what sounded like a muffled squeaked of surprise. Snapping his head back upwards, he looked just in time to see Ash airborne and land haphazardly on the slanted piece of wood at the edge of the hole. Both he and Meena held their breath while they saw Ash struggle to find anything to grab on to as she slid backwards on the slanted wood. She scratched at it with her claws frantically before quickly pulling out a quill and stabbing the wood with it. She stopped sliding backwards and breathed a sigh of relief before yanking out another quill and using them to scale up the wood on to more sturdy flooring. Once on stable ground, she turned to look back at her friends and watch as Johnny practically fall the last few feet down. He was barely able to regain balance and stand properly before Meena grabbed his arm and pulled him behind her as she ran out of Ash's sight. Ash's heart was pounding as she starred desperately at where her friends had just been before shaking her head and forcing herself to focus. Shakily, the porcupine turned and ran frantically for the exit hoping her weight didn't cause noticeable creaking. 'You two better still be alive when I get back!' She worried to herself as her running synced up with her pounding heart rate. Meena had heard faint sounds of someone approaching and had grabbed Johnny as soon as he was within reach to drag him out sight of the of whoever was coming. Once they had ducked around a decrepit wall, she hesitated and Johnny took the lead. He didn't have any more clue of where to go or what to do than her, and ended up hiding them amidst a number of large piles of equipment parts in a particularly shadowy corner. Cramped together and facing one another, both were two scare to try and make a get away out of fear of making noise. Both were focused on trying to hear the gangsters, Johnny much less successfully than Meena judging from the strained look on his face. Meena gave it a sparing glance as she tried not to let her mounting panic take control. She had to stay focused. She wasn't sure just how sensitive the rabbit's hearing was or how it rivaled with hers but she wasn't taking any chances, their main advantage right now was that they were trying to keep quiet while the two approaching animals were speaking without fear of being heard. From what she could hear, Sammie was with the gruffer sounding animal (whom she had heard be called Chuck) and was once again trying to convince Chuck they weren't alone. She strained to hear the details of Sammie's frantic babbling, but her concentration was interrupted by Johnny's whisper. "Wot's goin' on? Can ya' hear anythin'?" His curiosity finally got the better of him and poor gorilla couldn't hear anything useful. Meena blinked at him a few times before once again putting all her effort into listening. "I can only hear two of them. The rabbit and I think the other's a sheep, I keep hearing bleating." She reportedly diligently in a soft voice, slightly frustrated she couldn't said anything more useful. "I don't know if they have any guns or anything. But their not very close ye-" "WHAT THE-" Both teens froze up at the exclamation that was plenty loud enough for both to hear. "When did this happen!" The rougher voice bellowed out. Johnny felt his stomach drop as he realized the thug was right where they had been and was almost definitely referring to the massive hole where the trio had fallen through the floor. Wide eyed, he looked up at Meena and saw the same look of dread on her face. "I told you!" Sammie was practically screeching. "I told you I heard something was going on! But nooooo! You were all 'it's just an old building, Sammie,' 'You're overreacting, Sammie,' 'Boss'll be mad if we don't finish working, Sammie.' Well how mad do ya think he'll be if someone got down here and found out about-" The rabbit was shushed and the two gangsters started talking in more hushed tones. Johnny couldn't hear a thing they were saying and gave up quickly opting to instead trying to see if he could read Meena well enough to clue himself in on what she was hearing. Her scared, still expression didn't tell him much and did nothing to ease his nerves. His hands were shaking as he tried to keep a level head, but fear was tampering with his rational. What was the rabbit going to say before being cut off? What if he been wrong earlier and they really were hiding bodies or something sinister? Johnny took a shaky breath and wished is father were there with them. The gang leader gorilla would know what to and probably wouldn't even be phased by the creepy building or whatever these lesser gangsters were hiding. As it was, Big Daddy was not there and all Johnny had was himself on the brink of a panic attack and Meena whom, for all her good qualities, wasn't a very calm animal to begin with. Johnny mentality steadied himself, reminding his scattered brain that they just had to hold out until Ash came back with help. He glanced back up at Meena to check on her. To his surprise, the frightful look on her face had been replace with one of interest. Prompted be curiously, he leaned in, silently asking what she was hearing. After a moment more of careful listening, Meena whispered. "They're really superstitious." She hushed hoping this was something they could use. "The rabbit said something about ghosts being here." Johnny gathered up his courage and peeked around the edge of the wall. "Well maybe we can scare 'em off 'n buy us some time." He breathed as he looked around. He could see the vague shadows of two figures in the distance and counted his blessing the two dangerous animals were in a place where they could see him. Yet. His eyes had long since gotten use to the dark and he could see a few more details about their surroundings. One thing that caught his eye was the thick and falling apart piping that was lining the walls. His eyes followed the pipes over them, an idea formulating in his head. It was interrupted be the sound of the two figures getting close. Johnny yanked himself back so he was properly hidden behind the wall, panic starting to rise. He glanced around and up when that idea that had been trying to get to him finally struck. Looking up, he saw a piece of piping that was disconnected. Nudging Meena to silently get attention, which had be focused on praying to whatever powers might be listening, he shot her clever smile and pointing up to the piping. Meena gave him a confused look, but still complied and reach her trunk up to retrieve the bit of piping. It creaked louder than either liked as the elephant maneuvered the pipe end down, but nevertheless, Johnny got ahold of it and brought it close to his face. He waited for a minute, trying to listen and figure out how close the two gangsters were to them. A ghastly groaning sound echoed throughout the dingy part of the basement the gangsters were searching. Both thugs jumped and their anxiousness skyrocketed. "W-w-w-what was that?!" Sammie stuttered, his voice a few octaves higher than normal. "It was probably nothing." Chuck's response lacked sureness. Just then, another bone chilling groan rattled the very piping of the old theater storage, sounding as though it was coming from everywhere all at once. Sammie looked around frantically before shaking his head. "Oh hell no! I'm not dyin' here! Not me, not today!" He all but muttered to himself as he hurriedly doubled back, Chuck silently following close behind. From his hiding place around one of the walls, Johnny moved the piping away from his mouth and placed a hand over the opening. He chuckled soften to himself when he heard the two thugs practically scream from fright. If his life hadn't been in danger, he would have considered this fun. Meena was listening almost gleefully, smiling for the first time since entering the retched building. She caught Johnny's attention and gave him a million watt smile. "They're leaving! They're going back to the dig site!" She her voice was a little louder and less restrained as relief rushed through her. Johnny leaned around the edge of the wall again to watch their retreating shadows. "They'll probably be back soon. We need a game plan." Despite being incredibly relieved to see the other two animals leave, he stayed focused. Johnny wasn't about to lose sight of how dangerous their situation was. He turned back to face Meena. "Right, think we should find a bette' place to hide or try to find a way out?" "We could go back to the hole. Maybe you can make it up before they get back." Meena offered. Johnny gave her an perplexed look, trying to figure out why she'd suggest that. After a moment of processing, he spoke up. "... But you'd still be here." "Better than both of us being stuck down here." She reasoned shyly as she wrung her hands. Guilt had long since settled in her stomach, and an evil little voice in the back of her mind blamed her for this hold ordeal. She had been one to cause the floor to break. And now Johnny was trapped down here with her despite having a fighting chance of climbing out. It was just like flooded theater incident all over again. 'You got stuck and nearly drowned everyone! Now you've fallen into this mess and dragged your friends with you. If it weren't your fat ass,-' "No." The mean little voice was silenced by Johnny's sure voice. Both to Meena's relief and disappointment, continued. "No way in hell I'm leavin'. Will figure somethin' else out, yeah?" He words had a harsh edge to them, as if scolding her for having even suggesting it. The stern glare he was giving her clue her in that he would probably shoot down any idea that involved them being separated. Meena's gaze fell out to the side sheepishly. She glanced around breifly before her ears flared out as an inspiration hit. "I have an idea." The idea had been fairly straightforward; use the creepy old props and whatnot in the basement to make it seem haunted, scare the superstitious gangsters away from the building, use their method of escaping to leave the building. When the two teenagers started looking around, they equally amazed and disturbed at the props they were able to find. They put their experience as stagehands to good use, quickly setting up ugly wooden cut outs around every turn. Johnny climbed up on some wooden supports above to hang chains that he could shake ominously while Meena used her hearing to make sure no one was close. As soon as she heard approaching footsteps, she signaled Johnny who was sat up on a wooden beam and hidden in shadows. From his hiding spot, Johnny could see Meena below where she was hidden from the gangsters behind piles of discarded machine pieces and other odds and ends, but he couldn't see the gangsters themselves. That was probably a good thing, it meant he was most likely out of their sight as well. With the pipe end positioned up next to him and chains well with in his reach, the gorilla was all set up to give those thugs the scare of their lives. Johnny leaned over and cupped his hands around the pipe end, giving a low, ghostly sounding groan. He heard a couple of surprised yelps from far off a grinned. He glanced down and saw Meena smiling as well before she waved another signal at him. This continued for a good few minutes, and Johnny really was getting into it. He started putting more of his body weight into shaking the chains hung up and was confident the two thugs were close to there breaking point. Unfortunately, so was the wooden support he was sat on. With out warning, there was a sudden snap from under him and the gorilla yelled as he fell, clattering in the cruelly ungiving cement floor below. "Johnny!" Meena gasped and at side in a heartbeat, picking him off the floor and straining in the poor light to check him for injury. The fall had knocked the wind out of the gorilla but hadn't done much damage, and was currently the least of his problems. "Over there!" Johnny just barely heard a voice coming in their direction and hoped against hope he heard wrong. One glance at Meena's terror stricken face made it clear he had not. The nook that Meena have hidden in had had many barriers as to keep her out of sight, but now it met they were trapped. As running footsteps came their way, Johnny accepted his fate and stood up defensively in front of Meena, as if he could somehow shield her from whatever was about to come next. Heart pounding like a jackhammer, Johnny mentality prepared himself for what was coming, his whole body went shaking in full on 'fight or flight' mode when he saw two vaguely shaped shadows from around the bend getting closer and closer. He held his breath was tense up in anticipation for whatever was going to happen. "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Both teens jumped at the sound of a frightful scream. Squinting in what little light there was, they saw the shadows scatter into shapeless movement, neither able to make out what was going on. Johnny heard something clatter to the floor as if someone was knocking stuff over and heard general panicked commotion. "...wot's goin' on?" He finally whispered to Meena. Looking behind him, he saw the elephant looked just as befuddled as him. "I don't know. I just hear a lot of screaming and bleating. Wait, hang on, ...they're running away again." Her face scrunched up in confusion and concentration as she softly spoke. Her mind tried to piece together what on earth scared the thugs off. She focused on listening as hard as she could for a few more seconds before her attention was stolen and her eyes suddenly lite up. She looked at Johnny with a beaming smile that nearly split her face. "I hear sirens!" Ash thanked the powers that be when she saw the one bar of service on her phone. She was out of the building and most of the way to Johnny's car when she saw it. Which was good cause she didn't realize until she was nearly at the car that she couldn't drive it away, she didn't have the keys or the ability to reach the petals with her short legs. Nevertheless, her shaking hands managed to dial 911 and her scattered words got the address and situation through to the poor, confused animal on the other end. Twenty painstakingly long minutes later, Ash saw the flashing blue and red light approaching. What happened next was a blur of police radios and officers setting up to block the gangsters from making a run for it. An cheetah officer kept Ash behind one of the cars with her as the porcupine intensely watched the other officers go in. Ash almost screeched with delight when she caught sight of a familiar lighting bolt green sweater, followed by a glint of baby was close behind. Meena and Johnny were being led out by officers with their hands behind their heads. Ash was jumping behind the cop car. "That's them! Those are my friends! They're not dangerous! They were the ones in trouble!" Ash grabbed the cheetah's arm as she babbled almost desperately. The cheetah glance at her before waving the officers with the other two teens over. As soon as the larger two teens were told they could put their arms down, Ash threw herself at them to hug them. The three were a mess of hugs and teary relief. "We're bring three more out." The police radio scratched out. The trio separated a bit while still staying close to one another to watch the gangsters as they were bought out and led to police cars. The officers brought out a glaring kangaroo, soon followed by a jackrabbit and large wolf, all of whom were already in handcuffs. As the walked by to be stuffed into police cars, the kangaroo growled to himself. "Twenty grand. I pay you both twenty grand each and ya get outsmarted by a couple of kids." He shot deathly glares at his hired help as he was pushed into a nearby police car. Ash grinned proudly as she heard this, but both Johnny and Meena looked concerned. "Excuse me, officer?" Meena got the attention of a rhino cop near by. "Are you sure that's everyone who was inside?" The rhino tilted his head to the side as he spoke. "That's everyone we've found. Did you see anyone else in there?" He cocked an eyebrow at Meena and she pulled her ears close to her face and shook her head a little. "Chief, we found what they were digging up!" A bull called out and the cheetah looked up. The bull came over with a dirt cover brief case. All three teens looked over with interest from where they were huddled together. The case opened with a click and Johnny immediately shut in his tight, his imagination getting too carried away with what it might be. After hearing a small gasp, he tenses up and started talking. "Wot is it? Is it body parts." His voice was rushed and slightly panicked. Judging from that fact he could hear Ash snickering at him, he was guessing it wasn't body parts. Peeking an eye open, he saw the case was completely full white crystal looked things. "They kinda' look like uncut diamonds." Meena thought out loud. "Indeed they are. Good eye." The cheetah grinned. Meena smiled shyly and felt her ears pull close to her head again, bashful from the chief's praise. Closing up the case, the cheetah continued. "We're going to have to keep you three around for questioning, but after that you're free to go-" "How ya do?!" All three teens jumped at the shrill voice and turned to see the rabbit and wolf by the police car next to them. Chuck, the wolf, was being shoved in first and the rabbit was looking right at them, his hands behind his back and an officer behind him. After a moment, Johnny tried to answer. "Wot, ya mean the noises and whatnot? We just snuck around and used pipes 'n chains." He shrugged a little with a gloating smile. The rabbit looked entirely unsatisfied with that answer. "What about the goat, huh?!" His voice was desperate and demanding. Johnny and Meena both looked confused. "The wot?" "The goat! That-th-that screaming headless go-" "Okay, that's enough." The rhino officer behind Sammie had lost his patience and took his turn to stuff the rabbit into the cop car as the three teens watch. Ash had a huge grin plasters on her face. "Damn, you guys really scare the hell out of him." She chuckled and turned to look up at her friends, asking causally. "So how did ya pull it off?" She was meet with two blank, horrified looks. Both were still staring at where the rabbit had just been, unblinking and unmoving. Ash's smile slowly faltered as she looked between the two and suddenly had a very unsettling feeling. True to the cheetah chief's promise, the three teens were thoroughly questioned and sent on their way home. During the drive back, the three sat in a heavy silence, save for the sound of the trucks tires on the gravelly road. Each was completely wrapped up in their own thoughts. After a long while, Ash's voice finally broke the silence. "At least it was on our side." The porcupine thought out loud, getting the other two passenger to look her way. "Wot you goin' on about?" Johnny asked lightly, quickly glancing at her before returning to the road ahead. "The ghost." Ash calmly brought up what they were all thinking about. "It didn't show up or do anything until you guys were in trouble, right? It helped you guys out so maybe it was on our side." She reasoned coolly as she stared ahead with heavy eyes. The porcupine's comments brought a soft smile to Meena's features and caused all of them to relax a little. They fell back into silence, but this time it was a comforting silent. All three felt a little better. -------- Sorry this is long, I didn't bother separating the chapters.

[swordandcat]

Three is a crowd but Nine is a party: Ch 4.  Big Changes

(AO3 Link)

Chapter 4 of Book 2 of the Legends series!

Ships: YouYoshi, with KanaDiaMari, ChikaRiko, RubyMaru on side

((Alt Title: Yoshiko is a game addict and Yo is a dumb jock, but somehow it works and they kiss, i guess))

Water rushed around her. Her arms sliced through the water’s surface, bringing with them a slew of bubbles. There was a muffled drone as the pumps brought water in and out of the pool, and the waves lapped gently, but insistently against the poolside.

Yo closed her eyes and was silent for a moment, before she pushed explosively off the wall, her body falling naturally into an aerodynamic form as she torpedoed forward in a stream of bubbles. She could feel the flow of currents all around her as she scythed through the water, legs pumping like the tail of a dolphin.

Sometimes she just swims. It helps her think.

She crossed the quarter line without even realizing it, not even running out of breath yet, but she still surfaced, taking a breath of fresh air and starting to move her arms, transitioning from the push-off into a proper crawl.

I’m going to take a break from Immortal Legends.

Yo couldn’t stop thinking about Yoshiko’s decision. It came as a shock to her, of course, and Yo couldn’t help but feel a little left out that Yoshiko had made this decision without her. It was a selfish feeling, for sure; Yoshiko didn’t owe anything to Yo to include her in these decisions. But still, Yoshiko had promised that they would try their hand at the tournament together, even if in different level divisions.

Beyond that, though, Yo can’t help but be worried. Even though Yoshiko promises that it’s going to make things better, Yo knows how much the game means to her. How much blood, sweat, and tears she poured into it. Putting aside whether it was a healthy habit or not, Yoshiko’s life once revolved around that game. The fact that Yoshiko was willing to stop playing Immortal Legends was… concerning.

But then there was the other thing.

I’d like to spend some more time with you.

Yo felt her stomach flutter just at the memory of Yoshiko’s reasoning for quitting Immortal Legends. She’d been too stunned by Yoshiko’s decisions to properly react to that at the time, but now that Yo’s had some time to think about it, she was surprised at how forward Yoshiko was.

…Yoshiko was trying her best to make their relationship work.

Yo exhaled, trailing bubbles in her wake. Yoshiko was always the one who was trying, the one moving forward. You were always too busy stuck in the past. Stuck in the long-dead hopes that something will happen as long as she pined after Chika for long enough.

Yo felt sick. Self-loathing was a feeling rarely felt by her, but there was no other way You could describe how she felt these few days.

“Watanabe!”

She could only hear the voice of her swim coach vaguely through the water, but it was enough to jolt her back to reality.

She had a split second to slow down before she smashed face first into the side of the pool. She still did smash face first into the tiles, but at least she managed to brake enough so the impact produced little more than a bruised forehead and a wounded ego.

Bobbing up to the surface, Yo laughed self-deprecatingly as she looked towards her coach. “Sorry, Coach Masuda. I was… uh, distracted.”

“No, really?” Masuda sighed, kneeling down by the poolside. “You’ve got to get your head in the game, Yo. Official competitions may be on hold but that doesn’t mean you get to rest on your laurels.”

She gestured for a timekeeper to approach and looked at Yo’s times. She frowned and turned back to Yo with a disappointed look on her face. “Your times have gotten worse by a few seconds. Is everything alright? Have you kept up with training?”

Yo cringed. She didn’t think it would be that bad. “No, Coach. I’ve been training every week. It… it’s probably just not my day.”

Masuda breathed out, and nodded, reaching down and patting Yo on the shoulder. “Let’s hope that’s the case. You’re our team ace, Yo. The first and second years look up to you as an example. Take care of yourself, okay?”

Yo nodded, giving Masuda a sharp, “Yes, ma’am.” Satisfied, Masuda gestured for the next batch of swimmers to enter the water. Yo clambered out of the pool, gratefully accepting a towel from a junior.

“Thanks, Ayane,” Yo smiled at her, eliciting an excited squeak.

“Y-You’re welcome!” The girl said. There was a long pause as the girl glanced towards her friends, who nodded encouragingly. She turned back to Yo and started hesitantly, “Er, Watanabe?”

“Yeah?” Yo tilted her head.

“Um… if you don’t mind me asking…” The first year leaned a little closer. “What… er, rather, how do you know Tsushima Yoshiko?”

Yo blinked. She didn’t expect that question. “Uh… come again?” She asked, thinking she may have heard wrong.

“It’s just… my friends are saying that they’ve seen you hang around Tsushima a lot recently, and they’re curious why that is.”

“Oh! I see,” Yo nodded. She paused for a moment, thinking of what to say. “We played the same MMORPG, is all, and there’s an event in the game that’s coming up.” Not technically a lie.

“Oh. So you’re just, er, gaming friends?” Yo nodded, and the first year breathed a sigh. “I see. Okay, sorry for taking up your time.”

“No problem,” You smiled, and wrapping the towel around her shoulders, she walked towards the changing rooms. Having done her reps and benchmarking tests, she was free to leave.

Just as well, she had something important she had to do.

* * * * *

Yousoro: Tank on left

BigBOI: on it

Yousoro: 10 sec CD on AOE

BigBOI: k

GngsKhan: aight

Yo breathed out, her eyes trained on the monitor. On it was the familiar visuals of Immortal Legends, showing Yo and her party mid-raid. It was a grey, gloomy dungeon, with aged stone bricks and mist drifting across the floor. Yo’s character stood side by side with another devil in heavy plate and an undead lich against a towering skeletal dragon and its horde of zombified dragonlings.

On Yo’s command, the plate warrior ran to the left, blocking off the advance of a small cluster of the dragonlings. By themselves the mobs were fragile, but because the dragon boss kept spawning them it became an uphill battle to hold them off while Yo and the lich kited the dragon to grind down its health pool.

Yo remembered Yohane telling her that most undead enemies had large HP reserves but low mana - once she could bait its strongest skills, it would be a long while until the dragon could perform them again.

Yousoro: baiting the breath attack

Yousoro: khan, refresh necro shield

The lich raised his skull-tipped staff, and an aura of grey particles surrounded Yo’s avatar. She immediately darted forward, using Blink to bypass the front guard of dragonlings and launching a fireball straight into the large dragon’s ribcage, detonating it once it’s inside. The dragon roared in pain, and Yo knew she’d attracted its aggression.

As soon as the fire effect faded away, the dragon hissed and suddenly reared back on its hind-legs, seeming to inhale deeply despite possessing no organs. Glowing black spots coalesced in its maw, and then it suddenly lurched forward, a spray of inky black fire surging from its jaws towards Yo’s avatar in retaliation. She immediately moved to dodge, but even then, the spray had too much spread, catching the lower half of her avatar as she rolled to the side.

Thankfully, with GngsKhan’s shield buff, the attack only took off about a quarter of Yo’s health, putting her in the perfect spot to counterattack. Activating one of the macros that Yohane had helped her set up, her character immediately launched an unavoidable volley of flame-jets, stunning the boss just long enough to set up for the big hit - an orb of lava that consumed most of Yo’s MP. When it hit, though, it clung to the boss’ frame, continuing to burn away at its health until it was easily dispatched by a few sword swings of BigBOI.

As the model of the dragon dissolved into dusty particles, and the spawned dragonlings disappeared as well, Yo let out a deep sigh, typing a quick congratulation into the chat.

Yousoro: Thanks for the assist, guys.

BigBOI: np

GngsKhan: im not gonna leave her highness’ apprentice hanging lol

Both of her party members were acquaintances of Yohane, who agreed to help Yo complete a quest she couldn’t clear on her own.

BigBOI: btw

BigBOI: yousoro

BigBOI: rumor has it that Yohane is quitting

BigBOI: cuz she got beaten by the american champion

BigBOI: is that true?

Yo sighed. BB wasn’t the first person to ask her about Yohane. It was fairly common knowledge at this point that Yohane had taken Yousoro under her wing, so when Yohane went missing for a day or two Yo started getting private messages in the dozens asking about Yohane. Yo answered them in the same way:

Yousoro: She’s taking a break for now.

Yousoro: I’m not at the liberty to say anymore.

BigBOI: i getcha

BigBOI: well if you ever talk to her just tell her we miss her

BigBOI: the raid scene just isn’t the same without her lol

With that, her party members teleported away, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Yoshiko was a legend in the community. Or rather, Yohane was. Her legacy was much more than just her player character. She’d pioneered raid strategies, inspired top tier players, influenced the beta development of the game, even had a location named after her in honor of a record-breaking expansion raid.

Yo wanted to believe that Yoshiko wasn’t so fragile that a single defeat could make her abandon all that she’s accomplished. She desperately wanted to.

Eying the greyed out entry of Yohane in her friends list, though, Yo couldn’t help but feel a deep unease. She was missing something from the picture, something big. If only she’d looked a little harder…!

She blinked suddenly, as a message popped up on screen.

SakuraSketch: Hello?

SakuraSketch… They’re new. Yo didn’t recognize the name. She clicked open their character profile. Level 1. A complete newbie. They were wandering around the starting town for devils. Sighing, Yo quickly typed up a private message while teleporting to Gehenna.

Appearing in the travel hub of Gehenna, Yo looked around the map for SakuraSketch. After a while, Yo finally tracked them down to the Main Street where all the low- to mid-tier shops and services were provided. Summoning a fiery steed beneath her so she didn’t have to walk the whole way, Yo made her way to where SakuraSketch was on the map. She stopped a few paces away from SakuraSketch’s avatar - a succubus type demon with long dark-red hair and delicate wisp-like wings floating behind her.

Yousoro: Hello.

Yousoro: Is there something you need from me?

SakuraSketch turned around to face Yo.

SakuraSketch: As you can see, I’m just starting out…

SakuraSketch: A friend mentioned that you knew a lot of secrets about getting a good start…

A friend, huh. Yo breathed out, thinking the situation over. Not to brag, but she was one of the better known mid-tier players at this point; not just because of Yohane’s mentorship, but also through legitimate achievements. If SakuraSketch’s friend was someone familiar with the speed at which Yo climbed the ladder, it wasn’t entirely unfeasible.

Yousoro: I see.

Yousoro: Well, I guess I have some time to spare.

SakuraSketch: Thank you very much!

SakuraSketch: Once I’ve gotten used to the game, if there’s anything I can help with…

You sighed, smiling wryly to herself. The student had now become the teacher. Would Yoshiko be proud of her?

Yousoro: It’s fine, call it a welcome package.

Yousoro: I myself was taught by a friend anyway, so… let’s call it paying it forward.

Yousoro: When you get to grips with the game, you go help someone as well.

Yousoro: Anyway, let’s start with the basics…

* * * * *

“Ah~” Yo yawned. She ended up not getting much sleep at all. Even after Sakura had logged off, Yo kept playing, smashing herself uselessly against a dungeon boss. It was one that she had easily taken down with Yohane’s guidance, but now she found it an almost insurmountable challenge.

She’d been relying too much on Yohane as a safety net, maybe.

Shaking her head, Yo tried to stay awake as the bus made it’s way down the road leading through Uchiura, the gentle drone of the engines acting like a lullaby song to her sleep-deprived mind.

“Ah, there she is!”

Yo blinked, just about to slip into a nap when an energetic voice roused her from her sleep. Chika bounded onto the bus like an overactive puppy, running over to Yo and crashing into the seat next to her. “What’s cookin’ good lookin’?”

Riko trailed behind her, looking much less energetic than her girlfriend. Her eyes were slightly red, and she was rubbing at them and trying hard to stifle a yawn. “Chika, if you say that again we’re breaking up.”

“Aww.” Chika pouted, crossing her arms sulkily. “Fine.”

A few seconds later, though, it was like she’d forgotten about the scolding already. “Oh! Yo, have you heard? Apparently, we’re getting a new school director!”

You tilted her head. “…We had an old school director?”

“Well, obviously. All schools have a director,” Riko pointed out.

“Oh…” Yo nodded absentmindedly. “Right.”

Chika frowned. “Hey, are you okay? You seem down.”

Yo suppressed a flinch, looking away from Chika somewhat guiltily. “I… don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m fine! Just… tired.”

Riko eyed her nervously, while Chika just frowned deeper. “How come? I thought you were being careful, what with the friendly swim meet this Saturday.”

Yo sighed. That’s right. There’s going to be a swim meet in four days. She’d almost forgotten. “Oh, yeah. That.”

“Are you really okay?” Chika reached over, trying to feel Yo’s forehead. “Are you sick? You look kinda out of it.”

Yo shrank away from Chika’s touch, suddenly feeling a twisting in her gut. “I said I’m fine, Chika,” She snarled, a lot more aggressively than she’d intended.

Immediately she regretted her decision when Chika flinched back, a look of hurt crossing her normally sunny expression. “Crap- Chika, sorry. I’m just… a little busy right now. That’s all.”

Riko put a hand on Chika’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure Yo’s got things under control.”

Begrudgingly Chika nodded, apologizing quietly to Yo for prying. Yo shot Riko a quick look of gratitude, which she just responded with a small encouraging smile.

“Anyway!” And again Chika seemed to recover within moments of being down. “The new director!…”

While Chika blabbered away excitedly at the possibilities (“A secret government agent, looking for talented students to recruit into their top-secret spy project!” “An evil stuffed toy intent on pitting students against each other in a surreal killing game!” “A wizard!”) Yo tuned the conversation out again, unable to maintain her focus.

Everything was a mess. Yo and Yoshiko had bonded over Immortal Legends. But even if they did spend more time together now, after Yoshiko had quit the game, she just felt more distant than ever. Despite Chika and Riko becoming closer by the day, despite Yo giving them her full blessings, Yo still couldn’t let go of the part of her that wished it was her in Riko’s place.

Yo didn’t know what to do. She had no idea what she even could do. Life used to be simple, easy to understand. Now Yo just felt…

Lost.

“Hey.”

Yo looked up. Chika was looking at her with a pensive expression. It wasn’t her usual energy, but it wasn’t accusing or upset either; just, thoughtful. Gentle. “If there’s something bugging you, you can always talk to me about it. You know that, right?”

Yo closed her eyes for a moment, breathing out slowly.

“Yeah,” She nodded. “I know.”

“Okay.”

Chika nodded as well, turning back to face the front of the bus.

Yo felt a little after that. Maybe. She put her hand on her chest, thumbing the Anchor pendant beneath her uniform for comfort.

* * * * *

As it turned out, the new director of the school was not a secret government agent, nor an evil stuffed toy, not even a wizard.

She was a foreigner.

“Hi everybody~!” Ohara Mari said, from the stage in the auditorium. “My name is Ohara Mari, and I’m going to take over the directorial duties of this school starting today!”

It was announced during homeroom that there was going to be an assembly during the last periods of school, where the new director would be introduced and their ambitions for the school explained. Yo didn’t pay much attention to the details, but she probably should have.

Mari was the girl that Kanan was talking to the other day. Also, the girl who beat Yoshiko. And apparently, now she was also the director of the school.

Yo’s head was spinning.

“Now, some of you might be wondering why a student is the director, to which I raise you - screw the rules, I have money!” Mari laughed, and it was so absurd that a few students even started laughing along before Kurosawa Dia, who had been standing behind Mari, fixed the assembled students with her steely glare.

“Your goals, Ms. Ohara.” Dia coughed into a fist.

“Oh! Yes, that,” Mari nodded, shuffling through what looked like a stack of cue cards before losing track of the card she needed and just tossing the stack aside eventually. Clearing her throat, she paused for dramatic effect before launching into her speech.

“As some of you might be aware, our school is suffering from a crippling lack of new students. As part of my installment as director of the school, I am to bring this academy out of obscurity and into the limelight as one of the forward-thinking and modern educational institutions in the region!”

Yo snorted. Ura Girls was many things, but ‘forward-thinking’ and ‘modern’ were definitely not words Yo would have used to describe the school.

“Which is why I’m going to start by adding a multimedia room into the school, equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, and an array of custom-build computers optimized for the most high-end tasks. I have also drafted up a ‘digital education’ syllabus which we will be implementing on a rotational trial basis, allowing students access to this multimedia room during class time.”

There was a murmur of approval that went through the assembled students. One of the biggest issues with the school was how backward it seemed, especially compared to some of the fancier schools in big cities like Tokyo, or heck, even Numazu.

“Of course, this means there’ll be free wifi for everyone in the school.”

A cheer erupted through the hall, though it was once again quickly silenced by Dia’s unrelenting glare.

“And the other thing this school needs is publicity. Whatever we implement into the school, this is still a small institution in an insignificant region of Japan. We won’t get many more students coming in if we don’t get the Ura Girls name out. In fact… there is a possibility that the school will be shut down if we don’t improve our school’s prospects.”

A ripple of concerned whispers went through the student body, but Mari just smiled confidently and cleared her throat again.

“This is where I come in. Not many of you may know, I transferred here from America. In America, I was involved in a video game - an MMORPG - called Immortal Legends. I was ranked first amongst some 6 million players in the US alone. There are four servers active for Immortal Legends: the US, China, Europe, and Japan. In returning to Japan, I also transferred my Immortal Legends character to the Japanese server.”

Oh.

Oh.

Yo could practically see all the pieces fitting into place. All the disparate events she’s witnessed over the past month were starting to come together.

She looked around wildly, trying to spot Yoshiko in the crowd.

“Upon arriving in the Japanese server, which has a healthy 1.5 million odd player base, I challenged the #1 player in Japan to a duel. I won that duel. It has been less than a week since then, and I have already received more than thirty interview invitations, and have been featured in a dozen large-scale publications. An estimated 30% of the Japanese population now know my name. Imagine the possibilities if we put that publicity towards this school!”

Yo couldn’t find Yoshiko - the first and second-year classes were too far apart. Yo bit her lip nervously and turned her attention back to Mari, who was still continuing with her presentation.

“But that’s not all. Why stop at myself? There is an event in the game coming up, a national tournament that will also attract the attention of gamers across the globe. In it, teams of nine players will be pitted against each other in glorious combat. Imagine the news, when a team comprised entirely of our school’s students beats out the nation’s best professional players in their own game! Not only will it bring raw publicity, it will also showcase our school’s willingness to embrace the future, demonstrating our openminded school spirit!”

Yo glanced at Dia. The girl looked faint, staring at Mari in abject horror. There was muttering in the crowd, equal parts excited and doubtful. But ignoring all that, Mari pushed on.

“Everyone, we stand at the threshold of greatness. The potential is there, I know it. Everyone in this school can shine and excel in their own way, but only if they’re given the chance to. This tournament is that chance. So I ask you, students of Uranohoshi Girl’s Academy: are you with me? To protect our school? Or are you willing to see the school fade forever into history?”

So that was Mari’s game this whole time.

It was a plan that Yo couldn’t even begin to imagine on her own. As she stared at the girl on stage, her image started to overlap with the confident, extravagant avatar she’d witnessed in Immortal Legends.

It was wildly ambitious, a borderline insane gamble. But… it might just work.

Mari stepped back, allowing Dia to take the mic. She stepped forward shakily, looking at Mari with wide eyes, before clearing her throat.

“Er… that was our new director… Ohara Mari.”

At first, it was just a lonesome clap, awkward and tentative. But then more students picked up the call, and soon there was a storm of furious applause as the girls cheered and clapped for their new, innovative school director.

“Shiny~☆” Mari waved at the cheering students as she exited the stage, disappearing backstage. Dia glanced at her, then at the clapping students, and eventually sighed and allowed them to work off their excitement as she followed Mari backstage.

Yo, however, was too busy pushing through the crowd in search of Yoshiko to notice. She managed to cross over to the first year section, locating Hanamaru and Ruby, who mostly just looked confused.

“Ruby! Hanamaru!” Yo said breathlessly, managing to find a spot next to them. They turned and nodded politely at Yo, though their expressions quickly shifted to concern at Yo’s anxiousness. “Have either of you seen Yoshiko around?”

Ruby moved to shake her head, but Hanamaru seemed to think for a moment. “I think I saw her leave a little bit before the end, zura.”

“Okay, thanks!” Yo said, and pushed back into the crowd towards the auditorium exit.

After a great deal of jostling and trying to avoid the flow of girls now starting to migrate towards the exit as well, Yo managed to get ahead of the crowd and ran out of the auditorium, running out into the school courtyard. She looked around, out of breath, only relaxing when she spotted a familiar cascade of dark blue hair from behind a bench.

Yo jogged up to Yoshiko, who was sitting quietly on the bench, her expression focused and contemplative. After a few moments, Yoshiko looked up at Yo and smiled faintly. “Hey. Why the hurry?”

“I—” Yo hesitated. “I wanted to talk to you. About… that. Just now.”

Yoshiko’s composed expression flickered, and Yo could definitely spot a flash of a grimace before she managed to recover.

“What about it? I think it’s a wonderful plan. I couldn’t have thought of it,” Yoshiko said, diplomatically. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from the woman who defeated me.”

Yo shook her head. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “That’s not… what I want to talk about, Yoshiko.”

“Then what do you want to talk about?” Yoshiko looked at Yo. There was a level of wariness, a guardedness to her, that made Yo feel ill. Like she’d been kicked in the guts.

Yo breathed in to steel her nerves. “Are… are you going to compete?”

Yoshiko stiffened, a myriad of emotions flashing across her face - surprise, hope, apprehension, sadness, then… then just tired resignation. “No. I said I was going to take a break, and I mean it. I’ve already been beaten, anyway. What’s the point?”

“But—” Yo tried to argue, but Yoshiko just stood up, her hands balled up into fists. “I said no, damn it!”

Yo stopped, staring at Yoshiko. Yoshiko stared back, breathing heavily.

“I’m…” Yoshiko’s gaze slowly dropped down to the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“N-No. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed the topic,” Yo shook her head. She reached out for Yoshiko’s hand, tentatively, but Yoshiko just shied away from the gesture.

Trying to ignore the stabbing pain in her chest, Yo closed her eyes and turned away from Yoshiko. “So, um… are you going to come to the swim-meet this Saturday?” Yo said, clumsily trying to change the subject.

“Uh.” Yoshiko had to take a moment to adjust to the new topic. “Yes. Er, if you want, I can come.”

“Please do.”

“I will, then…”

Yo nodded awkwardly. Yoshiko nodded as well, just as awkward.

“I…”

Yoshiko picked up her back, which was on the bench next to her. “I need to go.”

Yo didn’t try to stop Yoshiko as she walked away, her head down, her posture stiff.

Yo felt like she was about to cry.

Everything was a mess, and Yo had no idea what to do to fix it.

[vampirefucker2]

all the queastions btw i love you

I WUV U!!!!!!!!

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?uhhhhhhh my irl friend i think2. Are you outgoing or shy?UH!!?????!!!?!?!?!?! both3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?my wonderful boyfriend sorey!!!!!4. Are you easy to get along with?uhh my friendz said ya soo5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?i wouldnt b drunk but ????? idk???6. What kind of people are you attracted to?sorey7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?ya!8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?no one9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?uhhuhhuhuh idk10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?uh sorey probably11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?“im gonna take a quick nap wake me when the dryers done”12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?not in any order butlo-fi children by wild partypay no mind by madeonno culture by mother motherback to front by early hourseverybody come outside by the pomegranates

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?ya!14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?uhh sometimes??????15. What good thing happened this summer?i got a wonderful beautiful boyfriend who i love very much!!!16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?theres no one to kiss!17. Do you think there is life on other planets?ofc!!!!!!!!!!!!!18. Do you still talk to your first crush?sdfds no i only crushed on him cause other ppl in my class were getting crushes and i wanted to be a Cool Kid19. Do you like bubble baths?ya!20. Do you like your neighbors?uhh never met them but i like their dogs21. What are you bad habits?i pull on my hair and pick at my nails a lot22. Where would you like to travel?netherlands23. Do you have trust issues?ooo ya24. Favorite part of your daily routine?this sounds gay but msgsing sorey25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?uhhh m chest26. What do you do when you wake up?msg my palz n pm sorey27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?idk its fine as it is i think28. Who are you most comfortable around?sorey29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?i think bt it ws complicated30. Do you ever want to get married?well me n sorey r p much already there31. Is your hair long enough for a pony tail?nope!32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with?hhh idk i dnt kno much abt any celebs33. Spell your name with your chin.l,ersttg34. Do you play sports? What sports?i h8 sports!!!!!35. Would you rather live without TV or music?tv36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?ya37. What do you say during awkward silences?\nothing i leave it38. Describe your dream girl/guy?sorey!39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?thrift shop also like any decor store i luv homesense40. What do you want to do after high school?uhh well im there now and im jst working on portfolio41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?nope42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?i jst dont have uch to say bt i also might b depressed u never kno im a suprise!43. Do you smile at strangers?i try to bt only if we accidentally make eye contact44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?SPACE the deep sea is scary45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?sorey46. What are you paranoid about?everything!47. Have you ever been high?no!48. Have you ever been drunk?no!49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?uhhh i dont think so???50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?grey n black i think51. Ever wished you were someone else?uhhh i dnt understand th question 52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?2 many things to name one53. Favourite makeup brand?uhsduhfui idk54. Favourite store?homesense55. Favourite blog?ilovemikleo1 hes a cool guy56. Favourite colour?pink! but i also rlly like blue and purple!n red an aaa i cnt pick57. Favourite food? sweets58. Last thing you ate?all dressed chips59. First thing you ate this morning?cherry gummies60. Ever won a competition? For what?i once one a ssb competition @ a friends bday party and normally i suck at smash but the prize was two (2) cosmic brownies and i Wanted them61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?nope!62. Been arrested? For what?i hav not63. Ever been in love? eheh yes64. Tell us the story of your first kiss?didnt happen!65. Are you hungry right now?not rlly66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhyahhhhhhhhhh67. Facebook or Twitter?i dnt use either bt twitter68. Twitter or Tumblr?twitter tumblr is the devil69. Are you watching tv right now?nope!70. Names of your bestfriends? sorey bt also uhhhhhhhhhhhhhall my friends!!!!!71. Craving something? What?i jst want more chips72. What colour are your towels?they vary cause i have many bt rn yellow72. How many pillows do you sleep with?1.573. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?ya!74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?100000075. Favourite animal?crows n also ravens dont ask me 2 choose76. What colour is your underwear?skipping ths77. Chocolate or Vanilla?vanilla78. Favourite ice cream flavour?strawberry!79. What colour shirt are you wearing?mahogany80. What colour pants?black81. Favourite tv show?uh!!?!?!?!?!?!?!82. Favourite movie?the secret of kells83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?never seen mean girls 284. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?never seen 21 jump street85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?dont have one86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo?dont have one87. First person you talked to today?sorey!88. Last person you talked to today?m in a call bt sorey ws th last person to say smthn89. Name a person you hate?uhhhh i do h8 someone but i cnt say who they r90. Name a person you love?SOREY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE MY BF SO MUCH!!!! and m friends91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?see #8992. In a fight with someone?not atm93. How many sweatpants do you have?like 294. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?2 many95. Last movie you watched?i dont rememberr96. Favourite actress?dont have one97. Favourite actor?dont have one98. Do you tan a lot?no i just burn99. Have any pets?i have a dog!100. How are you feeling?uh?101. Do you type fast?kinda102. Do you regret anything from your past?living103. Can you spell well?no but i thought this said \can you cast a spell well’ and i got excited104. Do you miss anyone from your past?ya .105. Ever been to a bonfire party?nope!106. Ever broken someone’s heart?mayb107. Have you ever been on a horse?ya108. What should you be doing?art109. Is something irritating you right now?not rlly110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?ya111. Do you have trust issues?ya112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?sheep!113. What was your childhood nickname?didnt have one114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?ya!115. Do you play the Wii?yup!116. Are you listening to music right now?nope!117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?ya!!!118. Do you like Chinese food?depends what it is119. Favourite book?haunting violet by alyxandra harvey120. Are you afraid of the dark?sometimes121. Are you mean?i think i am bt ppl say no so uh122. Is cheating ever okay???!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?idk123. Can you keep white shoes clean?sometimes124. Do you believe in love at first sight?mayb125. Do you believe in true love?ya!126. Are you currently bored?a lil bt not rlly127. What makes you happy?sorey!!!! and my friends!!!!!! and vampires……128. Would you change your name?im tryin 2 do it129. What your zodiac sign?cencer130. Do you like subway?its ok131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?ths wouldnt happen bt if it did id ignore it132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?sorey133. Favourite lyrics right now?“im like a bull in a chinda shop knocking off an knock off” frm no culture by mother mother134. Can you count to one million?no i dnt have the patience for that135. Dumbest lie you ever told?uhh idk136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?closedd137. How tall are you?5′5″138. Curly or Straight hair?curly139. Brunette or Blonde?i hav brownish hair bt i like both140. Summer or Winter?summer141. Night or Day?night142. Favourite month?julyy143. Are you a vegetarian?nope!144. Dark, milk or white chocolate?all!145. Tea or Coffee?coffe146. Was today a good day?idk it ws jst ok147. Mars or Snickers?mars148. What’s your favourite quote?uhfdsfuishfui idk149. Do you believe in ghosts?ofc!150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? “he was dressed impeccably and properly, no matter the hour”

[kiwisoap]

WOW I FORGOT THIS WAS IN MY DRAFTS

i was tagged by @lorienleylines (thank you!!!)

The rules is that you have to fill out basic info, answer the 11 questions from the person who tagged you, tag people you want to do it next, and then ask your own original 11 questions

Relationship Status: single and happy as hell tho me and my friend might get married in a couple of years for tax benefits/FAFSA money

Favorite colours: blue and green

Pets: A german shepherd named Reaper, a boxer named Jip, a coonhound named Lulu, 2 cats (Ginjoe and Angel), and a green iguana (Lizardy Herbert) (I actually have a dog blog its @rocking-reaper)

Last song I listened to: Broken Family by Lost Dog street band

First fandom: afkjdhadslkjha Naruto if im being honest

Hobbies: screaming, hanging out with my dogs, skipping school to go to Pal’s for fries, drawing, writing

Favorite book: i can;t, fuckinf read (prob Call of the Wild or White Fang by Jack London i love dogs)

Worst thing I’ve eaten: uhhh i straight up ate dirt once, that was nasty. I ate raw coffee grounds for a $2 bet once also, it tasted about the same as the dirt but more bitter and less mushy. i ate raw meat right off a carcass once, that was gross too it tasted like iron and it was tough

Favorite place: in the basement next to the wood stove 

Lorien’s questions for me:

If you got the chance to date a mythical/fantasy creature, what would it be? (Vampire, fairy, mermaid, ect…) I’m gonna date a dragon and no one will stop me

What would you wish for if you had three genie wishes, but none of them could directly affect you or anyone you knew personally?  1) All Dogs Get Homes 2) Donald Trump Impeached 3) fucking… clean energy yall…

If you had to audition for a show using any song from any musical, what song would you choose to perform? Dear Theodosia from Hamilton i love that song 

What is the thing you have done that you are most proud of? 34 on the ACT boiiiii

What is the thing you have done that you are least proud of? I brought… a dead fox to school and trailed blood through the hallways for a good 100 yards and almost got suspended im Ashamed

If you had a personal heaven crafted for you when you died, what would it look like? It’d be like my house but with better woods and a corner store within walking distance and my dead friends and family would all be my neighhbors

Name a couple of your guilty pleasures? hhnnn probably Rolos. I could eat a bag of those in one sitting. I have actually. And probably reading a lot of h/c fic is my other one

How did you find out about Santa not being real? I was in 3rd grade and I said “Wow i’m so excited for Christmas I can’t wait to see what santa brings me!” and this,, little asshole next to me goes “ha, you still believe in santa?” and thru my little crushed soul i manage to go “Haha no i was just kidding I know it’s my mom” I was Devastated

Describe you dream pet? uh i have a Lot…. I want an Indigo snake, a pit bull (preferably a brown/gray and white one idk why but i love em), a red chow chow, a doberman, a red-tailed boa, a bluetick, a yellow black mouth cur, a kangal, and a black and tan coonhound (listen i just, love dogs a lot ok especially hunting breeds i love scenthounds)

What’s an unpopular opinion you have that you’re often afraid to share with strangers? Puppies aren’t that great!! They’re not!!! They’re cute and everything but they’re so high maintenance and they don’t know anything! All they do is sleep and poop. Grow up go get a job like everyone else!!!! Gimme a 2 year old dog over a puppy any day hot damn!

What’s the silliest thing that you’re afraid of? I have an incapacitating fear of vacuum cleaners, I can’t even be in the same room as one when it’s on. 

I’m very sleepy so im not gonna tag anyone or make my own questions aaaaa ily tho

[survivoratomic-acadia]

Confessionals!

Hi it is Olivia! So I don't have the gifs of this season or the player banners so this will be separated by day since I was just an intern and didn’t keep track of confessionals or what day it was when they were posted. Its just all of the confessionals for this season on one post. Sorry for the delay!

5/22

Tim

WHY ARENT I ON THE PRETTY TRIBE! I love Aren already he seems super fun and chill! Certain people... however make me wonder why they are all stars.. jk lmao Im here to have fun and do great!

Aren

Spoiler alert, the f3 is trixie/madison/aren!!!

QuilLynn

So its me, QuilLynn, Two-time winner, next first boot of atomic! I'm happy to be with Dana, but idk about the rest of tribe. I don't really click with anyone, so i'll probably just try to let dana have the social game and i'll just like cling to her coat tails until merge or a swap. I'm trying to be my catty self and form a pretty girls alliance with Dana and Sarah since we are all Iconic woman winners, but I know Sarah will be more loyal to dan, or I think it at least. I'll fill you in more later, gotta go mingle! <3 xoxo gossip ho

Stephen

Its what, one hour into the game and I already love sarah. i knew this season was going to be crazy, it is after all all-stars. So that means no inactives to vote out round one. Eek. So I’ve got to work fast to make those social connections and try and get myself a place in whatever majority forms if we lose immunity. Which we wont. I love creative writing, if we lose this because of my writing I might as well give up writing altogether.

Aundra

"THIS IS BRAZY!! Going into this im ""like Jesus do i want any IOS people in?"" ""theres going to be at least one, right?"" SIKE! THERES 3!! i cant deal im super excited that tim and heather are in the same game as me because they're great people Stephens also here which is awkward a little but i dont really feel like theres any bad blood between us, we've basically made up since IOS . ALSO IM ON A TRIBE BUILT MOSTLY FROM WINNERS. I really wanted to have some winners on my tribe that way i could have hopefully a built in alliance but all winners except one is on my tribe thats so much pressure. And unlike most games ive had a small convo with just about everyone on my tribe/ know them or i like them. this game is definitely going to be different experience and hopefully it will be a long and fulfilling im really looking forward to this season.

my game plan for right now is to get on the good side of all the people that haven't won a game yet and get the other winners out. target #1 QuilLynn SHE HAS WON TWICE. did they let sandra make it to merge?? NO do i want to go far with her in this game? NO is she probably a great person? MAYBE but i dont want to take chances and im gonna be pretty limited at the begging of this game so hopefully the will let me survive long enough to establish myself apart of this game.  

Hopefully this game is worth it and is as fun is it was last time even if like time i was sent into a depressive mode thanks pressure last time i think i can take it this time! lmao                                                                                                 xoxo, gossip girl "

5/23

Madison

TOO MANY PEOPLE I KNOW. TOO MANY PEOPLE THAT HATE ME. I’M GONNA DIE SO FAST. 

Dan

"So I like a lot of my tribemates which is cool because if I didn’t I would have quit night one and thrown all the rice in the fire. There’s a ton of Lago representation, which I’m not surprised about, but am v concerned about. It’s like when you were in like 7th grade and you had those friends you talked to every day and then summer came and y’all didnt talk for a while and you come back for 8th grade and things are chill and you catch up, but they still know you’re better than them in every way.

This first challenge is....a choice. I love Cameron with all of my heart normally, but this makes me only love him with my right atrium, so there’s that. I havent taken an English class since 12th grade so y’all know I’m basiclally illiterate now.

I’m just hoping for a cute little jury placement and play a more UTR Sammy-esque game this time around. I know that eventually the wheels will fall off of that plan and I’ll go into full on neurotic, here, queer, and not going anywheer mode where I win like 6 consecutive immunities, but for the mean time I’m goung to try to be diverse, and show I’m not a one trick homosexual. "

Sarah

"Hey so let me just tell yall im stoked for this season bc im back for ALL STARS!

First season winner and flop returning again.

I adore this cast and the fact that I have been put on a tribe with all the winners (except  luke) is amazing. we created a girl winner alliance right away with me, dana and quillynn. I adore them so much!

Also im connecting with stephen and i think he likes me! I will prob be able to control him a tiny bit this season so lets see how that goes :~)

I just want to let yall know there will rocks this season bc me and julia are back! Were not on the same tribe but i adore that bitch and shes just as equal craziness as me

So far i have connections af and i havent burned any bridges with the ppl in this game so im literally in love

Jay will probably want to get me out asap but fuck u im on my own tribe OK

Anyways just like s1 i have an alliance made almost immediately and i have connections!

Also i did the whole immunity so incase we lose they will feel guilty of voting me out WHHAAHAHAHHA

Anyways ill be back later with more news"

Aundra

"A tribe full of mostly winners.. in a way sounds ideal. It’s not the only person that’s attempt the first challenge is Sarah and Sammy helped out i wrote half of one which is better than I bet majority of team has done I highly doubt we’re going to win the challenge becaus Sarah’s story is not all that great it lacks anything it’s just boring but aleast she tried she put forth some effort toward the challenge and I honestly don’t want to go to a tribal that would be the worst also did I forget to mention that the idol system for this season is the exact same way as IOS which I suched and was probably the worst person in the moors of all time cannot l t me just make merge so I can have and isle of skye reunion with my main man tim cause I really need someone that would be my ride or die and I wouldn’t have to worry about betraying me

Also I QuilLynn is a really cool person it would be hard to vote them out ( I think that’s there pronoun caus ewhen we were talking she started using we and what not so I’m gonna call her they/them for now on) and Duncan obviously did some sorta research on the cast cause he came at me with basically my whole tumblr survivor history. I gotta watch him closely                                 Xoxo, gossip girl "

Tim

"Everyone: oh this challenge is so cute its gonna be great

Me internally: It's ok but I thought I'd see it at swap or something its not my favvvorite

Also them: Doesn't write anything for the challenge but some gives ideas

Me: Guess I'll just... write."

Well I just wrote my story for the tribe and trixie drew some bomb ass pictures! It really brought the story to life a bit and I appreciate the partnership effort!

Stephen

"Duncan: Don’t backstab me okay? Me sharpening my knives: Unfortunate Like I love the guy but anyone who asks for an alliance day one can easily become a target or an asset. If we end up losing this challenge I will either throw him under the bus of us or us him to get numbers. Also about this challenge, I feel really bad for not having more input, especially after I bragged about my writing. But tbh this prompt is very specific, and doesn’t really mesh with my style of writing. And by the time I had caught up with messages and read what Sarah had written it was 11:30. Sorry guys."

Duncan

https://youtu.be/5PLE0dQ1mIk

Aundra

"this is going to sound completely under believable but it’s all true and happened day while I was in the the Acadia Mountains on a afternoon hike. So I was walking having a very nice time enjoying a new trail I’d never taken before. It was longer than most and seemed to never end, I almost thought I was going around in circles. When I was finally about to give up my gps went off saying I was near a geocache! So like any normal person I went to go it. When i found the capsule it began to glow. Strongly and brightly it started to shine. I’d never seen a geocache this big so I decided I was going to take it the I noticed something weird on it it had names next to dates on it. QuilLynn- 1902 Samuel- 1913 Dana- 1940 Sammy- 1953 Dan- 1969 Sarah- 1982 Stephen- 1986 Heather- 2000 Duncan- 2012 Aundra- 2018

I had no idea what this list meant or who these people were, I’d so find out. I started my way back to my car but never made it back that day. Once I began to try and leave the geocache started heating up. It became so I dropped it. I would’ve ran off then and there but I started hearing a voice. “Give me what I want and I’ll give you what you want!” Said the dark and gargled voice. “What do you want?” I said quickly to scared to think of anything else to say. “Your soul!” Whisper little voices so close to my ear I could feel there lips nibbling on my earlobes. I got chills and started panicking breathing heavy. Fast. Hard. Deeply. I thought I was gonna pass out but surprisingly stayed awake. “What do o get in return?” I asked the voice. “Happiness” it shot back quickly. “Ok, have it.”

That’s the half of the story I wrote defiantly better than Sarah’s but it’s whatever hopefully her story can pull through with a W                                  Xoxo, gossip girl "

Dan

"Our story is........... garbage honestly.

What happened to Heather’s amazing 7 deadly sins story line??? We got a stale piece of white bread with no plot or anything with just food jokes??? Sarah did her best yes, but when your best is subpar it’s kinda hard to like win a challenge ya know? "

Heather

Wow first confessional after immunity, we stan a mess. So before anyone can get situated we get our challenge thrown at us and of course it is something I am actually terrible at: WRITING. Hun I cant write for shit. But I came up with a great idea that I thought would really sell the judges being the 7 deadly sins. However there are 10 people so 3 would be the ones who find the geocache and use the items in it to fend off the other 7 who are possessed by the sins. Everyone was like super excited for it, but Sarah didn't use it in the writing, which is upsetting since I really wanted to be sloth and be fended off with like Nyquil or something, but aye that's how shit is. Now I guess its time to get these bitches on my side and find out who to get rid of.

5/24

Duncan

so we lost. Obviously i'm not thrilled about it but I'm not filled with rage or anything like that. If i go home first I'll be a little surprised but I don't think thats going to happen. What I'm kind of hoping to form is a foursome of me dan heather and sammy. I think that would be a very strong group at least for now. As for the longevity of the group? I don't know. I just know I told dan and sammy individually that i want to work with them and heather is someone who dan trusts. Sammy and Dan played lago together so hopefully they'll be on good terms. This way Dan can kind of be seen as the leader of the group and if anyone tries to take a shot at the grouping later down the road it will be his head on the line and not mine. As for who goes home at tribal? I don't think people will vote for Quil or Dana as not to stir the pot. We can't vote out Sarah. It would be mcfucked if we did that to her. So that leaves Stephen, Aundra and Samuel. Obviously I would like to keep Stephen around because he can be an asset to me moving forward. As for Aundra and Samuel?  think Aundra is a little enigmatic but i like him. I also like Samuel, he was the last person to add me but we've been talking the most out of all people that are brand new to me. Speaking of being brand new. I kind of want to talk to Heather and Aundra and be like "THIS IS ALL STARS!! WHY Y'ALL ACTING BRAND NEW!?!" because I've talked to them like the bare minimum. Do you know the untucked where that quote was from? God i love untucked. Where was I? Oh yeah. Hopefully they don't send my ass packing first. I haven't thrown out any names, hopefully someone can throw out a name by noon tomorrow. I'll report back later if i have time. xoxo gossip gorl. also woo mitch! im going to try and win this for us since we were robbed in alcatraz <3

Luke

"Hi hello we won immunity and that’s pretty iconic! I like a majority of my tribe but I’m SCARED of if we have to go to tribal because I think I will DIE!

Opinions on my tribe:

Aren: he’s iconic! He’s british and we hit it off right away, I think he’s going to make a great ally for me!

Carson: I love Carson so much ahhhh, I’m excited to see him in this game because we always work really well together. He’s definitely a number for me.

Chris: last time I played with Chris was in Great Lakes when he had a premade to help him get to the end so I can’t wait to get my revenge lol (:

Julia: I love Julia but she always makes it difficult to work with her because she always explodes on somebody and people want her out because of it. I hope she stays a little calm this game because I could use her.

Madison: uggghhhh. I like Madison, I do. She just got me out in BBFurby and I am a LITTLE bitter about but she says she wants to work with me. I believe her like...70% because I think that she’ll take the opportunity to take me out when she can. So I need to get her first.

Ruthie: My Dead Sea queen!! We worked so well together in Dead Sea and she was vital in my plans to win and it worked out for me. I hope she wants to work with me again!

Tim: Tim is one of two people I didn’t know coming into my tribe but he’s super sweet! Our conversations have been nice so far!

Trixie: ugh stupid furby BITCH! i hate this SKANK i want her to CHOKE she will be first boot and we made it no secret in PMs we hate each other >:( HEHE JK i love this bitch can’t wait to work with her again "

Trixie

"Trixie's Alcatraz Confessional Strike Receipt #1

[2018-01-25, 9:51:48 PM] Cameron Bee-Culpepper (Atomic Admin): Pls trixie [2018-01-25, 9:51:51 PM] Cameron Bee-Culpepper (Atomic Admin): ur gonna get another strike [2018-01-25, 9:52:02 PM] Cameron Bee-Culpepper (Atomic Admin): why… why are u like this "

Dana

"There are NOT enough horses on this Island Cameron!!!!

Ok but fr me, Sarah, and my mother Quail have a Pretty Girls Only Alliance. This is a strategy Quil and I have used before, where we rope in a third girl and work with her, but Sarah is smart af so idk if she'll just like work with us and not ask questions.

Then we all made a winners alliance, which I love. But the only problem is I have a cersh on Sammy... so we can't vote him out NEVER EVER. "

Jay

I haven't really done much but i want to make the weed alliance aka me chris and Julia

Heather

Ok so when I saw Stephen here I was like " Hey maybe we can make amends and work together this season" Then all of a sudden people are targeting him. Also Aundra is on my tribe which if anyone doesn't know I adore Aundra well I do. But he is having wifi problems which sucks. I also heard Samuel's name which I would much rather like to roll with. Ughh too many icons tho why u do this. Right now I seem to be working a lot with Dan and Sammy a bit ( Wow Lago thanks a lot) even though Dan idoled me out but he d=cant do that this game cause of NO FUCKING IDOLS. Speaking of advantages I got me a heavy rock. The heavy rocks power is that I can throw it at someone at tribal and cause them not to vote. I laughed so hard when I got it cause who doesn't want to throw a rock at someone. I am really loving this violent all star season. I hope next time I hunt I get a heavier rock where I can throw it at someone to get them out of the game. hehe

Sam

Wig going okay so far!!

Ruthie

I'm SO glad that I'm on a tribe with so many creative people, i'm super busy until tomorrow and i'm just READY for summer vacation so I'm glad I'm not flailing about to save myself.  I've connected a bit with Aren after not talking to him in like two years so that's nice!

Tim

Their story was cute! But you know gorgeous (our story) next to cute. Gorgeous is just gonna devour cute. [Plz tell me yall get this reference lol]"

Our efforts actually won us the comp.. I feel so inspired to write now.

This is the season that I came to play hard and win. These comps bettee get ready because Im giving it my all and not giving up.

Ali

just popping in to say cam & olivia are the DREAM TEAM and I lav them both :)

Sammy

okay so woo i have a lot to talk about kinda...so i usually make an intro saying how i feel about everyone but umm let’s skip that. The cast is super cool but I have to be super careful because I’m playing with the best of the best? Anyways I wasn’t around to help with the story that much but I did go through and edit stuff I saw...so I did something! There were three names going around today and they were Samuel, Aundra, and Stephen. Now Stephen probably thinks that like it was me that is trying to go for him but his name was brought to me? I know we kinda said we wouldn’t target each other this round buttt he usually lies to me so why not. He took me out of the last couple games we were in together and I feel like he has something against me? Idk. So yeah...and last night i did the trails thing and I freaking got caught by a park ranger for touching a rock. I’m so dumb. The whole tribe knows I was searching:/ rip. Anyway I’m trying to get the numbers on my side and Duncan wants an alliance with me him dan and Heather. But also I might be getting myself into a little group with Dana and quill and hopefully sarah? Idk but woo.

Aundra

"So look im not that smart and all im looking for is the Ali to my Jay and right now, seems like thats not possible. So we lost immunity like i said we were going to because it was obvious any who QuilLynn decides to make a winners alliance which im definitely not going to say no to that because thats safety and numbers for a little while BUT im stupid and may have just leaked the whole thing to Duncan who i thought was a winner and isn't. ik he pays very close attention to things (or at least i think so) and this could really bad on my part and to my game hopefully it wont and all is good

QuilLynn is like a really cool person but im on to them i just have to wait till the perfect moment to strike or to get voted off lmfao but im watching them. Stephen is unfortunately the vote tonight which really suck because i wanted to kinda work on our relationship from the last game that we played in. He doesn't really deserve this but it has to happen to everyone . im also thinking of becoming very close to QuilLynn they say keep your friends close and your enemies closer for a reason                                                                                  xoxo, gossip girl"

Carson

"Wow I like most of my tribe?? Everyone is really funny and I actually don’t want to quit on day 2. Who would have thot.

Being on a tribe with Chris stoner AGAIN is terrible, but Luke is also here and that makes up for it. I cannot wait to vote him out for playing me in Alcatraz! "

Stephen

So I have heard absolutely nothing about the vote, then I ask Aundra. So then he messages me saying he’s voting Samuel, but before I can respond he deletes the message. Then claims it was a link he sent to the wrong person. Wow, glad to see he’s gotten less messy since Isle of Skye, but he did win that one so I should never underestimate him. I wouldn’t be surprised if I went home tonigh with all this radio silence, so I’m voting Samuel on the off chance I can survive.

Julia

So like these hoes so boring. I rly h8 Chris stoner, and I’ve been so high idk what’s really been happening I’m floating rly bad rn but idrc

Chris Stoner

"So I’ve been in Denver! Not good timing but it’s all good cause we won the first comp and now I’m home to socialize and compete.

Instantly me and jay clicked. Jays a cool dude. I don’t expect jay to take me far but I do think he knows I will work him.

I’ve also talked a bit with Tim and Aren. Both are cool dudes. I played with Luke and Julia before, both whom were against me. So should be fun to see how all these relationships play a role. Hopefully it’s not too bad. "

5/25

Heather

SO Immunity just ended and I am a little bit nervous about it. I definitely did the most for my tribe so hopefully I can pull out a win. We had some people like NOT EVEN PARTICIPATE. Like we in allstars bitches we gotta not flop ughh. I feel bad for voting out Stephen last round because I wanted to talk to him about flipping the vote, but he didn't get on until I was in a concert. Samuel I don't think participated so I can prob get votes on him. IF WE NEED TO WHICH I FEEL LIKE WE WILL. (Im Cam messaging to confess while I am in the midst of it I love you hehe) I hope this didn't put a target on my back, or do it. welp time to go hunting for shit

Tim

Um this challenge is so rushed and Aren and Julia are dead!!!

Madison, who is arguably one of the most beneficial members of the tribe so far, sat out and Im not sute if were gonna win!

Heather

I swear I am about to rip out my hair. I got the most points in the whole hunt and WE STILL LOST. I GOT FOR OVER HALF MY TRIBES POINT. I AM PISSED AND AM ABOUT TO STRANGLE A BITCH BUT THIS BITCH GOTTA BE SWEET.

5/26

Aundra

"So QuilLynn is my new favorite person i mean they kinda already were but like now it official because the feeling are both ways and i could be happier on other news we lost immunity again and im pretty surprised at how close it came down to right now it votes are between Sarah and Samuel. Sarah's apart of the winners alliance so i doubt they'll want to vote her out which i kinda do because im looking at the bigger picture. winners are very intimidating to me and the more there are in the game the scarier im going to be. this round shouldn't result in me going home if the odds are in my favor. ( also if you couldnt understand my wonderfull story sorry that it had alot of typos)                                                                                     xoxo, gossip girl      P.s. I know that its going to be revealed pretty obvious who gossip girl is when these get posted but it so fun to sign off everything with it so your gonna have to live with it.  "

Chris Stoner

Nothing much.  We keep winning which is nice. Gives me some time to find an alliance. I still feel pretty isolated because of my schedule. It’s hard to talk to ppl. I’m sure I’m the easy boot. So maybe a swap will come soon 

Dan

So I feel like I’m personally in a good spot even though we keep losing. I’m on good terms with basically everyone left. Duncan offered me an out of the winners alliance that won’t effect any of my relationships with them. I guess Aundra accidentally leaked the winners alliance to Duncan thinking he was a winner, but Duncan and I talked things out and all is good. I was aligned with him before them and I explained it was a one week kinda thing for me personally to make sure a winner didn’t go home first. So now we have a target of Aundra bc he done goofed haha. Byeeee

Luke

Hi nothing is happening because we won immunity woo! i have some seaglass which is cute so i look forward to using that WOO! Aren made himself a target by not submitting which makes me sad but Julia is basically inactive so I lowkey hope we vote her out first looool 

Sammy

ahh okay so I’m super tired and like I’m flying to California and I have been up for over 24 hours...ANYWAY I did what I could in the scavenger hunt and I think some people didn’t really try. I’m just in so many games but like the problem is I forget I apply for them and I’m like uh oh. I think aundra is going home tonight but at the same time it could be me because I haven’t talked to anyone. I’m trying to find a good balance between the way I played in Alcatraz and the way i played in Lago and hopefully make it far!! 

Ruthie

So I’m really sad that a few people didn’t participate in the selfie hunt but I am happy that so many people did and even more happy that we’re safe another week! I suspect that we’re going to swap tribes soon though which is kind of frightening!! 

Quil

So this is a MESS. Aundra “accidnetally” leaked the winners chat to Duncan. Now I LOVE Aundra but this has made him the target. I’ve been trying my best to help with damage control but people still want to vote him!!! I’m trying to push to get Duncan out because I like just don’t trust him, idk UGH. 

Duncan

its round two and im going home because i worked all day and wasn't able to contribute to the challenge at all rip. I trust that Sammy, Samuel, and Dan wouldn't vote me out but if Aundra teams up with the girls and gets them to vote for me I'm donezo. Aundra leaked the winners chat thing and has basically ghosted me all day and I appreciated their story the first round but if they want me out he can go. Dan told me that Quil and Dana were going back and forth about voting out me or Aundra and if I am safe tonight?? Thank god for Dan. That man can do magic. I just want to spend some more time on the island but i don't know if I'm gonna last in these conditions tbh. The game has only just started and to go home now in round two would be like going to orlando but not going to disney world. Like I want to ride space  mountain so badly, i dont want to go.

5/27

Duncan

Okay so a lot of shit happened. Firstly Samuel got med evacd from the game this canceling tribal council. Like that’s crazy, I really liked him and wanted to work with him but his dog passed so he might be in a funk and I just hope he’s not depressed and he’s doing okay at this point. Now at the same time this could’ve been a blessing or a curse. If everyone was lying to me and I was going out the door then this was a blessing and I’ve been given a second life. As for if aundra was leaving? Then this is a curse. But who can never be sure besides the hosts I suppose. Then we get told to drop our buffs. Drop these buffs honey? I’ll drop more than just this buff honey! Ohhhhh hooooooonnnneeeeeyyyyyy! So yeah! I’ll talk more about my new tribe later 

5/28

Tim

Im really vibing with everyone on my tribe all of them are really neat. The person I've bonded least with is Dana unfortunately.

Carson

HALF OF MY FUCKING TRIBE DIDNT SUBMIT... THE CLOWNS HAVE JUMPED OUT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I SPENT THE TIME I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON THESE PEOPLE. I JUST WANT TO MERGE SO I CAN PLAY WITH LUKE AND WE CAN COWIN AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE

Aundra

"Idk if I already said this but I was probably going to be voted out because of how I told Duncan about the alliance on accident so he and Samuel decide to try to get me out idk if I would’ve stayed if Samuel didnt get med evac because he didn’t vote lmao what a dummy. We had swap which was nice mainly because I got to stay with most of the people in cool with include my allstars bff QuilLynn and Tim now!!! Happy that he and I can work together this time instead of directly against eachother I really like this tribe as a whole really and see good things going for us till we make merge which I feel will be soon do to the amount of people getting evacuated. What’s up with all these allstars being flops?                                    Xoxo, gossip girl "

Jay

I'm so sad that Julia is gone but that's okay bc I have a new alliance. Honestly I made 0 bonds with anyone on my original tribe other than Julia, Chris, and Tim. So once I joined this tribe I immediately went to Sarah and Duncan and said I wanted to work with them. Which I mean, it's half true. I want to work with Duncan far into the game, but Sarah needs to go sooner rather than later. So my thought is I want to take out Madison or Trixie, doesn't matter to me. And then MAYBE try to see if I could take out Sarah the next time. She doesn't have to go that soon but if I can make it happen, I'd like it to happen.

Dan

I’m so pissed I wasted so much time and energy on that stupid ass game for nothing!!! I love life rn, couldn’t be happier (: 

5/29

Dana

Nothing is happening. I like Dan more than I thought he would and we made a cute alliance chat. 

Tim

Rip Aren also me, Aundra, and Quilynn might become a thing!!

Ruthie

"real life is SO overwhelming right now, i thought the summer would give me more time but it's... quite the opposite these days!  As far as the game goes I am SO glad that our tribe is safe and that we don't have to see tribal for another week.  I think it was SO lucky too hehe.

I've really connected a lot with Duncan, right now he's the person I would say I'm the closest to! "

Aundra

"Guess who found a hidden item!!? MEEE!! I found the magnifying glass which many already know allows me to see who someone voted for. This will definitely come on handy if there is a suspected rat and I got to find them hopefully this isn’t the only thing I find on my walks away from camp. Watch out cause I got eyes everywhere lol                                     Xoxo, gossip girl "

Quil

the new pokemon games look so cute!!! Also love Aundra and Tim, trying to set up a side alliance with them that can take out the other winners down the line! Honestly if I make merge with the right people, we might be looking at my 3rd win folks!

Luke

My new tribe is actually pretty lit now. We’ve bonded by being the hosts’ favourites and winning two challenges! Same can’t be said for the other flops. I want to make an OG Bernard alliance with Carson and Chris to secure my spot in this game and make sure I’m not voted out before another swap. I need to be reunited with my friends!

5/30

Chris Stoner

So swap happened! I def feel swapfucked. 3/5 ppl on my tribe were on opposite sides as me in past games. The fourth person, heather, probably knows at least one of those 3 and will just go with them for an easy vote. Luckily we won and I did a lot in the challenge so I hope that keeps me around. I need another swap or merge... my days are limited with this tribe. 

5/31

Dan

I’m so over these creative challenges. I rarely have time for them which sucks because I’d have time for challenges that are more typical. You know damn well we won’t end up producing anything of substance, Heather’s tribe will submit something oscar worthy, and we’ll be going back to tribal 

Ruthie

My tribe... once again has not stated anything yet. I feel like this is gonna be another mess 

Sammy

nothing insane is going on but like we have a lip sync challenge and I’m not home yet so this sucks hahah, I’m glad that we are doing good as a tribe and honestly everyone seems to be super kind and nice about everything. So we def have good tribe dynamics. I really enjoy playing with heather this time because in lago we were kind of against each other. I’m hoping we can work more together this game and I also hope me and Carson could work well. Oh and Luke, he puts off really good vibes and I click with him well.

Ruthie

I REALLY hope my tribe gets their act together this time around. Friday is... tomorrow. 

Sarah

I hate my tribe they can all die in a pit of fire...that is all

Quil

"https://youtu.be/vis4R2MfzNA xoxo"

6/1

Duncan

Umm so we tribe swapped and MY TRIBE SUCCS EGGS!! it’s me and Sarah with jay, ruthie, trixie, and Madison. Ironically despite how inactive our tribe is we have the most members at this point in time. Julia got med evacd after the reward challenge and after the last immunity challenge, which we did not even attempt to complete, we learned the other tribe had forfeited the challenge and decided to have their tribal that night. We’re blessed as fuck to be ahead of the game right now but luck can’t last forever. We have had three days to do this movie trailer challenge but no one is ever on. I threw a while fucking idea and script out there but nothing ever came of it. If I go home because of my tribe’s inability to come together I’m gonna have a bitch fit

Sammy

literally like i keep suggesting things or asking questions and nobody responds I’m so annoyed. The only one that even responds to me some is heather...i really hope we win the challenge or i could be going home:/

Ruthie

So Madison and I just did the whole trailer by ourselves and Madison is doing 95% of the work, my lines took less than 5 minutes to film what the heck is the rest of our tribe doing 

Tim

It appears as if QuilLynn has gone inactive and our tribe isn't going to submit which is sad! Just send me to final 3 tbh. Also our trailer had a cute concept ngl.

Olivia

REMEMBER THIS DAY AS THE DAY QUIL TURNED IN THE VIDEO LITERALLY 30 SECONDS BEFORE THE DEADLINE AND RIGHT BEFORE WE WERE GOING TO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING FROM THE TRIBE BC THEY DIDNT ASK FOR AN EXTENSION 

Carson

Heather is the proud owner of my wig whew

Aundra

"Guess who isn't going to tribal for the first time since the game started!!?? MEEE finally i dont have to try and vote out someone and make sure that im safe from getting voted. tbh i really like my tribe and would've hated to have to vote someone off i would really enjoying playing with all of them once we make merge if there are people left in the game to make merge with. these people are being such flops and not submitting confessional or voting its almost like what was the point of saying yes to playing the game. if only we had some real players in the game so i could be stressed and depressed /                                                                                                xoxo, gossip girl P.s. i know im not a girl but i can understand why someone would sign off with it its fun typing xoxo it makes me feeling like i run something lmaoo"

6/2

Stoner

. I’ve never gone to tribal yet this game and I want to keep it like that. I have a feeling the second I go to tribal I’m gone. Unless I merge. If I make merge I’ll have some more options and places to run and hide. I’ve tried talking to people and forming bonds but it’s just not working. 

Trixie

"Trixie's Alcatraz Confessional Strike Receipt #2

[2018-01-31, 5:16:08 PM] Cameron Bee-Culpepper (Atomic Admin): Hello you have not yet made a confessional this round! Pls do that!

[2018-01-31, 5:17:33 PM] Trixie Stale-Werthers: im so sorry the link isn’t working for me

[2018-01-31, 5:17:48 PM] Cameron Bee-Culpepper (Atomic Admin): Sure jan

[2018-01-31, 5:18:19 PM] Trixie Stale-Werthers: im so sorry but something really bad is about to happen and there’s nothing i can do to stop it

[2018-01-31, 5:18:41 PM] Cameron Bee-Culpepper (Atomic Admin): can u not [2018-01-31, 5:18:48 PM] Cameron Bee-Culpepper (Atomic Admin): Can u just make a damn confessional

Heather

"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXmXsntB4RM

This was earlier BUT EVERYONE STEPPED UP AND WE WON THAT SHIT HEHEHE"

Luke

AW THE MOVIE TRAILER CHALLENGE WAS SO CUTE IT WAS SO FUN SEEING OUR TRAILER AND WE ALL INPUTTED SO IT WAS ICONIC! I love the Bernard tribe we work really well together and have won every challenge thus far. The other tribes are messy and have big players on them so it’s going to be interesting to see who leaves tonight. Maybe a winner? That’d be shookening. Although I do like this tribe I’d love a swap or something, there’s never much wiggle room on a tribe as small as this but for now I’m content. Still need to work on that Carson/Chris/Luke alliance. Nothing much else to update on. Happy pride! ^.^ 

Dan

We won woo love life no one talks to me

Carson

We surprisingly killed that challenge after waiting until the last possible minute to start it. I’ve been really impressed with how my tribes stepped up after the reward fiasco a few rounds ago. It’s definitely nice not having to go to tribal, so not swapping would be best for me. I’m still tight with luke and plan on being so for the rest of the game. We’ve already talked about hooking up with the other great lakers come merge. After that, world domination!

Jay

I'm getting voted out it was fun while it lasted i guess :/

6/5

Sammy

woo okay so my tribe is doing so good and I’m so happy because if we lose immunity i know that me and heather don’t have the numbers....I’m hoping i make it to atleast jury. Alsooo i just did my maze and it went really well. Yayyyy, okay yes.

6/6

Carson

"So... is no one trying at these challenges? I'm really shocked that I'm actually dominating every single one of these. I normally do well in challenges, but I've performed better than i ever have before. Its definitely because i'm worried about my place on this tribe. Being that we havent gone to tribal yet, there aren't solidified alliances. I've also had no one start a conversation with me. The conversations I've started with people have never lead to any sort of alliance building either. It makes me believe that I could try to be blindsided because I'm the strongest in challenges and that the merge is on the horizon. I wouldn't put it past these people honestly. I know I have luke in my corner, but stoner is a huge wildcard to me, especially since he's both saved me and burned me in the past. We had a weird relationship in Alcatraz, and it makes me hesitant to trust him in this game.

Also I asked Luke the round where he got caught searching if he wanted to work together with me to find the idol. His response was yes, however nothing has transpired from it. Ive sent him my search route once, but he never reciprocated by telling me the routes he's done since he went many times before I even tried. He probably already has it honestly, which is fine, I just wish he would be honest with me about it."

Tim

Woo we won!!! I CAN RELAX

Sarah

I hate hate my tribe pt 4

Quil

So im in a good spot still, I'm literally queen of this series, but trixies tribe lost again and she's probably going home and I swear i'm going to be so pissed if i lose a jury vote rn because of that fatass tribe of rejects! (idk who is on it tbh but still!!!)

Heather

WOO Another immunity and reward. We stan the Bernard tribe. Even tho Carson basically won the flash game. King of flash games. I kinda hope another swap is happening soon but at the same time our tribe is doing fine with challenges soo hehe. 

Luke

wow hello i forgot about this omg.... we won immunity and reward again that's so amazing! Bernard tribe has been killing it but it's been boring, i need a change of scenery. i need to meet up with my friends again and kill this game and WIN i really want to fucking win oh my lord please let me win 

Madison

IT's boring af! I want to pick this shit up! Tribals have been easy! I want to be SPOOKED! Put me on a tribe with people that hate me or something I want DRAMA. 

In addition to my last confession, I'd love for someone to call me a fake feminist right about now. Do you think Sarah will since we're voting her out? 

6/7

Dan

"Literally so shocked we won. I’m not surprised I did well, but like I was so worried others wouldn’t turn it out. I thought we were getting a one way ticket to tribal, but I guess my tribe is a little more iconic than I thought.

I might actually try to talk to people today???? Idk haha I’m just so pretty and can’t be bothered"

Duncan

Like I said! Our tribe succcccs really bad!! Madison and I and ruthie get to choose which of Sarah and trixie go home. Either way is going to be pissing someone off. Hopefully we make the right decision because I feel a swap coming on

Tim

Fuck my game with this swap huh.

Aundra

"Feet don’t fail me now take me to the finish line I feel so alone on this Thursday thanks to lady O and Cam I think I need wine. ANOTHER SWAPP WHYYYY  my tribe was like the best people ever and we worked very well together now I’m with a group of people I’ve never meet which means I have to sit around and talk to them all to get to know them. This is horrible to me 1) I’m a lunatic and going crazy because I’m hella overwhelmed over the last day of school 2) I don’t really want to work with all these people and will more than likely be an outsider because I know NOBODY on this tribe 3) the only person I think I might know looks like Miranda Cosgrove and she’s allegedly super great at everything and multitalented soon to be governor of some state in America. I literally can not. IM SEPARATED FROM MY NEW GAME BFF QUILLYNN we haven’t really talked in awhile but when your tribe is safe you don’t really have to talk plus we’ve all been kinda busy but that’s besides the fact they err my ride or die along Tim IM AWAY FROM MY BFF TEEM I pretty sure Cam and Olivia hate me but you know what they say the devil can work but Normani works harder                                   Xoxo gossip goat "

Dan

Mcscuse me???? Under construction? You know my ass is Charlie Day-ing this shit searching the blog for things. I'm officially crackdt. 

6/10

Tim

Now I now more about Maine than myself. Lmao but we won woo!!

Quil

Just another day of me being the most iconic winner! Kinda sad Sarah got taken out but, at the same time its one step closer to my 3rd win!

Aundra

"So we’re voting Stoner out my favorite person on my tribe tbh i vibe with him and he’s cool the rest of these people ain’t all that and a bag a chips. I have to sit around and lie to him and say Duncan is the vote when ik that he’s the vote which makes me feel horrible because being blindsided is never fun I lowkey hope I’m getting blindsubwvaus the cast is basically full of the the people that could never and winners and the winner seem over it they’re trash in a way like come on people this is an allstar season and you sit around like your here just to be here at least act like you signed up to play and weren’t forced that’s really all I got to say so here’s to me bein a bad friend and to me possibly getting voted out!                                   Xoxo gossip goat"

Luke

"My new tribe was a disaster at first but now everybody wants a bite of this english muffin :~)

I have Dan I have Trixie I have Madison and Duncan as a threeway

Ugh my mind"

Duncan

I don’t know what’s happening. It’s been a stressful week irl and idk why I’m playing a game rn. I’m probably going home but I’ve heard stoner as the vote so that’s what I did. If I die hopefully my daughter Madison thrives 

Heather

Wooo Tim and I did that kahoot. I thought a tribe swap would mean I would lose for the tribe tbh. 

Dan

This vote seemed way too easy tbh. Did I want a comeback story arc with Stoner? I mean kinda? But like he’s also straight and it’s pride month so he gotta get the boot sis. This all could be an elaborate scheme to get me out but in all reality it’s a waste bc I’m so busy in my real life that I pay an ounce of attention to this. (To clarify I do care about this game I just had a super busy weekend full of social events and you know that this boy doesn’t ever have a social life so he had to take advantage of it!!!!)

Ruthie

"I'm SO glad that the people on my tribe are good at challenges! I hope I can do something with the next one so I can show that I'm useful and not just taking up space on the beach bahah!  

I have no idea what will happen tonight but we'll see!  I don't think that there will be another swap anytime soon. "

6/11

Heather

We most certainly do not stan this upcoming one world. No we most certainly do not.

Dan

I love rigging my random.org so Dana is safe. Gotta look out for my winners after Sarah's messy ass left haha. But seriously random.org picked her. I think Heather and Tim will be a little annoyed that I didn't pick someone from Lago, but if they ask I literally have screenshot proof that I randomized it to be fair with a time stamp so like they can calm down. And if one of them goes, oh well??? I really hope merge is next. I feel like this game is going by so quickly, I am forever thankful for that. 

Aundra

"A tribal twist that I really like but both robes are gonna to tribal I think tonight or tomorrow idk I haven’t been paying attention and am more of a mess than normal I really wish I was working with my peeps and not with these randos that are probably going to vote me out which sucks but hopefully I’ll make jury given that we get to go to tribal second it’s all about the motion of the ocean                                   Xoxo gossip goat "

6/12

Tim

Damn it I thought I had a good score in immunity but I lost :////. Congrats Carson and Dan i guess lol but comp beasts can choke (in the game that is). Dana and uhhh someone else is safe so hsbdd. Yeah so the plan is to stick with Quil, Dana, and Carson so ya!

Quil

Idk if im going home or not. Dan is dead to me for not giving me immunity!!! Ruthie better be leaving or yikes

Tim

So it looks like Ruth is dying because of this ugly twist!!! But hey atleast its not someone active.

Luke

"YES YES YES CARSON CAME THROUGH FOR ME AND HE GAVE ME IMMUNITY I'M SO FREAKING HAPPY. This just proves that the relationships I'm making in this game are working to my benefit and are keeping me safe and I could not be happier right now. This tribal council is a difficult one. I like everybody on my tribe but I said I'd work with Madison and Duncan, I said I'd work with Dan, I said I'd work with Trixie which leaves Aundra as really my only option to vote. It sucks because I like Aundra a lot but they don't really talk to me or anybody and it's getting to the point where if you don't try, you gotta go...

I'm expecting a merge after this tribal council because we'll be at 11 (I think ) which is perfect for a merge. I can meet up with Quil, Trixie and Dana, I can get back with Carson and also utilise my relationship with Madison/Duncan. I think I'm gonna make it far providing I play this game smart WOOOO O"

Sammy

ugg okay so I’m on a tribe with everyone that i like so making this decision is gonna be so hard:/ I’ve heard Ruthie tho imso im just gonna go with it....

Madison

"Me: throws immunity

Also me: feels like everyone is sketchy and that I’m probably going home this week.

Am I mad? Not particularly. "

Aundra

"Guess who’s probably going home! Me!! NOBODIES saying anything to me about a vote everyone is “lost” and i think I’m voting Trixie no need to keep dead wieght on our tribe and if these people vote me out they’re idiots complete dummy’s for keeping people that won’t work with them and can’t contribute to the tribe stupid people do stupid things                                   Xoxo gossip goat"

6/13

Tim

I MADE MERGE WOOOO

6/14

Luke

"Hello well all of the conversations about this game spicing up at merge were true because this cast is fucking CRACKEDT and I have no idea what's going on. I'm in an alliance with Duncan, Madison and Dan... Quillynn, Trixie and Dana expect me to vote with them so I'm kinda stuck between two threesomes but Dan wants to talk to me privately in a few about something and I think it's about the same thing I wanna talk to him about. It's about us being STUCK because we're expected to vote a certain. All I know is my name hasn't been brought up so that's good.

After this round, depending on which way to go I want to work with the group I don't betray, Dan and Carson. I think it'd be smart of me. I just need to talk with Dan before we decide what's going on. Will keep you posted. "

Duncan

I might go home because Tim has the fattest mouth on the block. I was hoping for some black guy magic but I just don’t think it’s in the cards. I think one of us will go home and do I know why he chooses the karringtons over the rest of us? No. Also I haven’t really done shit strategically this game and have barely been around socially idk how I’m stil here. Over jay Sarah stoner and aundra? I don’t know how he does it. Maybe if I do nothing in every game I’ll be guaranteed merge. I just don’t get why people are coming after me. You’re not going to like hearing it but sometimes I forget I’m in this game. I’m just now getting my feet game wise but apparently I can’t go in the kiddy look without enduring a shark attack 

Dan

Honestly I’m really happy that my name wasn’t thrown around this vote it’s a hot ass mess and I’m aligned with too many people

Heather

"This round is a mess. Heres what happened Madison wanted Isle of Skye Alliance Her me and Tim make said alliance I get busy and cant message and only do 12 stones for immunity thinking imma lose I win cuz everyones dead Quil wants to gun for Duncan Madison and I wanna gun for Quil Tim does what he always does in games and snakes Quil confronts me I lie I tell Duncan we should gun for Tim NO ONE IS TELLING ME WHO THEY VOTING WJDJSHD"

Carson

God this round was kind of a hot mess for me. So my main concern going into the merge is not being a target. I knew coming into the merge people would see me as a threat based on my performance in challenges. So my first order of business was to throw the immunity challenge since I would still be among other challenge threats (luke and dan) if I don’t win. Next, I made sure I was still good with my alliance of quil, Dana, and Tim. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s best for me to continue with that alliance. So I went ahead and made a side alliance with Duncan. I view him as a HUGE threat to win, but i feel better going to the end with him knowing I can beat him in immunity challenges. My old alliance is full of wildcards. So at this point, I’m pretty much aligned with everyone, which is both terrifying and exciting. I have been on tribes with Sammy and heather for the past few rounds. Luke and I are super close. I have a new alliance with Duncan that was formed to redeem ourselves from Alcatraz. Dan and Madison are allies of Luke and Duncan respectively, so I need to work on my social connection with them bc jury management. I’m starting to see a path to the finals, but more on that next round. I need to go run errands!!

Madison

Do I lowkey hope they flipped the vote on me and I go? yes. at least then someone will have made a move!!

6/15

Sammy

okay so so so I’m at camp and i feel like I’m missin so much stuff happening in the game. But I’m with quill and Dana....however Carson and Duncan want to work with me. BUT Duncan and Quill are against each other-_- why does this always happen to me.....

6/16

Duncan

I think it’s bananas that Tim went home. Well, not really, he broke peoples trust within the first round of merge. You can’t do that. I feel like no one is really playing the game rn besides like Madison and I love her but if I still have a shot to win, even though I’ve done retroactively nothing in this game, I’m still going to go for the W. So if I don’t go home tonight, expect me to start my cocaine drug abuse problem that I had in Alcatraz. Last time I was here for Mitch, this time im here for me. So once I start being active, it’s all over

Madison

"OKAY TEA. Trixie is literally voting however I’m voting bc she’s gonna be gone I’m CACKLING I LITERALLY HAVE A DOUBLE VOTE! WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!!!

Idk who I want gone. If I go that’s cute too like it’s jury who cares but this is hilarious. Idols make me a little nervy but idk. "

Dan

"I'm so yikes over this vote rn. Like I knew I was aligning myself all over the place, but I wasn't expecting to have to pick a side. Quil basically confirmed today to Luke that votes would be public tonight, which makes this even worse bc I have to own my shit. I'm hoping that Madison doesn't freak the fuck out when she realizes she is really on the bottom. This is what she gets for Mongolia tbh. I turned over a new leaf with her for Lago and now it's my turn to snake. I'm gonna tell her Duncan is going at like 9:50 tonight if she has some advantage or something cute to save him, but like I just also feel like shit???

I don't especially trust Quil, but I need her in front of me bc she'll always be a bigger threat. I know I need to flip on her eventually, but with Quil gone, the drama is gone, the target is gone, and I'm a sitting duck.

Also peep the white gays killing all the POCs, I'm literally disgusted. "

Madison

WHEW okay so I knew the vote was going to flip obviously I’m not an idiot. so this is either going to work and make it seem like I’m on the bottom OR it’s gonna make them all flip and vote me out next round and that works too so. woohoo

6/17

Olivia

Dan searched the trails and found 1/3 idol. Luke searched at practically the same time but like with a 30 second delay. Both went down the EXACT same path. Luke lost the idol by like 20 seconds it was wild. 

6/20

Dan

"I just scrolled 8 miles through the chat to find this yikes.

Honestly like if I go home this round it’s cool and whatever but I just feel like I’m great spot??? Luke showing his cards last week put the target on his back. Of fucking course he had to win immunity bc I didn’t have time to play Casanova, but like I feel like Sammy can go. I’m in 2 strong groups of three and Dana is my number one. I’m just proud I’m getting at least 7th in an all stars season where I’m coming in as a winner. "

6/21

Dan

"Wow so uh I got played huh. That’s what I get for being confident, thanks Demi!!! I just wish that someone clued me in on the Quillynn vote. Like yes I had been working with her, yes she was a big threat, but yes I would have gladly voted her ass out. She would have easily won if she got to the end just bc she’s a 2 time winner.

I did message Heather and Luke and said I would have gone along with the plan if I had known about it so hopefully they believe me bc that’s the honest truth. I really need to do some damage control with Sammy as well. The only reason I voted him was because no one gave me another alternative. I’m definitely not gonna win this game ugh. But again I’m happy that I made at least top 6 in an all stars game coming in as a winner. "

6/24

Dan

"Oh hey it’s me, Lago Dan, here to make an immunity run bc like I feel like I would have been next. I wouldn’t be surprised at all of Dana/Trixie/Luke team up against me and Sammy but also I really want to hope that Luke and Dana will go with the winners to the end mentality. I just realistically don’t see a winner winning if it’s not 3 winners at the end. The jury is fucking bitter bc it’s an all stars season and their entitled asses are just gonna have to get over it.

Realistically I don’t see me having many big moves on my resume besides the Heather vote last round. I think Heather needed to go because she really called the shots at the live Tribal with her vote and she’s someone that is likebale to the jury. This game I tried to get all the lago people out because none of them want me at the end again. The next to go in theory is sammy but I think I might try to give Trixie the boot tbh. Sammy is someone who could win final immunity, but let’s be real the kid lives at camp rn or some shit so maybe he won’t even show up again.

I really wanted to try to have a game with a bit more complexity than my first game but I think I ended up playing pretty similarly. This time I tried to hold off before winning comps and now look at me I’m slaying. But socially I think I faultered a few times in this game and I’m ready to face that bitter af jury"

6/27

Dan

This could very well be my last night in the game and it's super bittersweet. I hate that it's coming down to this fricken comp. I can't figure some things out because some things never got posted on the blog.... *EYES CAMERON AND OLIVIA FROM ACROSS THE ROOM* but anywho, Dana isn't giving me a straight answer about what's going on with everything and I just wanna die. Like Sammy told me he didn't do the comp, which is cool and will self vote to force the tie and then throw fire making, so like now that this confessional has taken a turn for the better I think I'm good (: hehehehehehheehhehehehee. I love being a two time winner (hopefully)

[kc4ksu]

Transition

Ironman Texas 2017, in Houston, Saturday, April 22, handed me a proposal on the word quit. On my bike in this race at mile 90 is when I decided to look into this proposal. I studied it in depth for 22 miles until I reached 112. Those 22 humiliating miles highlighted every reason why I should quit. I was convinced, by mile 112, to quit. It was time to vacate this race.

Plan A, my only plan, was to compete with the elite for a Kona Qualifying spot.  

“If you fail to plan you are planning to fail,” Benjamin Franklin. And, I failed to make a back-up plan, a Plan B.   

I have two incredible nieces and nephew, and their ages together add up to less than 22. I call them The Minions. 

A couple weeks post-Ironman Texas The Minions and I watched an animated movie. One scene in particular caught our attention. It was about a hippopotamus and its naive audience at a zoo. The audience, who went silent at first sight of this incredible four-legged beast, erupted into excitement after a quick study. They had never laid eyes on an animal of this stature.

The hippo’s reaction to its audience was quite different. It stood motionless for a moment facing the audience and analyzing the situation. Then, casually turned 180 degrees, and began to spin its tail at increasing speed. A loud sound squeaked from its butt to provide the gift of smell to its audience. Then came the big surprise! Its tail launched dung in all directions. The audience’s faces were splattered with poo.

The poo-stricken faces reminded me of Ironman Texas and an inability to avoid disaster.

“I’m done, man. My legs and arms have been cramping since mile 90 on the bike. I ‘soft peddled’ the last 22 miles. Mentally and physically, everything is gone. Honestly, Newland, I can’t wrap my mind around a marathon at this point. A ‘finish’ isn’t why I’m here,” I said to Jason Newland who stood opposite me on the spectator side of a 4-foot tall chain link fence. 

I was several hundred steps away from the T2 tent where I would soon, but not soon enough, disappear and hide from reality, or so I thought.

Both my arms draped over the chain-link fence, and as I looked at Newland he was at a loss for words. My actions weren’t fair to him as we stood face to face in this awkward situation. It was our current reality, and 180 degrees from this morning’s high fives in anticipation of crushing the race.

“Come on man, you don’t have anything to prove. It’s totally cool if you hand in your chip and call it a day,” Newland said.

Exactly what I wanted to hear! Newland’s words were comforting. Permission for freedom. It was so eloquent in this moment of despair. A type of despair I call a First World Problem. This is a problem we can easily escape by making a choice. For example, I choose to eat because I’m hungry. It’s not a life or death situation.

“Hey, one more thing,” Newland said loud enough to hear as I started walking towards T2. “You might regret it if you quit.

He deleted the one comfortable thought in my head. Newland cracked my skull open, reached in and pulled out every ‘you don’t have anything to prove’ thought, and crushed all justifications to support the proposal I studied for 22 miles on the word quit. A 26.2 mile run seemed impractical. No, it seemed impossible.

Liz, my wife, landed in Mallorca, Spain, at about the same time I was in my First World Problem. She booked this trip to shadow one of the best tri-coaches ever for a week, Brett Sutton, . She was devastated with the overlap on her trip with Ironman Texas. But this opportunity to shadow Sutton was a no-brainer to continue developing her coaching skills. 

At Ironman Texas Liz wanted someone there for me who would say the right thing at the right time, especially in adverse situations.

She chose Newland. 

Liz said, “Newland’s the next best thing besides me at Ironman Texas.”  

Good choice. He’s a natural leader with a no-nonsence attitude, and no filter between his thoughts and mouth. He is sought after successful pediatric infectious disease MD at Wash U in St Louis. A 2x IM Kona Qualifier. And, simply put, he is a hell of a friend with a history of rising above anything or anyone who poses a challenge to success.

As I continued to walk further away from Newland, and closer to T2, athletes ran past me on my left side. My mind was so far out of this race. It wasn’t a race at this point. I welcomed each athlete to hit me on my left shoulder when they passed, and most did. 

I really wished for someone to run me over like Bo Jackson did to Brian Bosworth during their first and only meeting in an NFL game. I wanted someone to put my lights out before I reached the T2 tent.

“Yep, look at that guy. The one who obviously went out too hard on his bike, or messed up his nutrition, or both. He is now mentally and physically broke. Rookie mistake! Enjoy walking that marathon! It’s gonna be a long day,” said my irrational state of mind as I caved in more to my First World Problem.

Once I reached the T2 tent I really didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to find my ‘alone’ space. 

I found a chair. And I just sat there mentally numb and watched athletes come in, transition to their running shoes, and disappear towards the start of a 26.2 mile journey.

I realized, for the first time, most athletes in T2 suffer from temporary dementia. It’s the magic that involuntarily suppresses the gravity of running a marathon after a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike.

I was dealing with a reality of a piss-poor attitude. It’s on the other side of the spectrum from magic.

There were several non-helpful comments from athletes experiencing dementia while I sat in T2 suffering from reality.

“Walk the marathon.”

“Stand up and put one foot in front of the other.”

“Take salt. It works.”

“I’m a really slow runner. Come with me. I know you can keep my pace.”

“The wind was brutal out there on the bike, dude. I know how you feel.”

This was like being in the middle of a twitter shit-storm and no way to exit the app. Newland’s comment on ‘regret’ was my platform to a Plan B.

The last thing Liz needed was to be in a worry state-of-mind if I quit. She was starting her exciting journey in Spain.

Newland took time away from his family, and work to be here. I would be a quintessential impression of an asshole by virtue of quitting.

“Excuses are like assholes. Everyone’s got one and they all smell like shit,” Todd Dicus has said many times. One of his many memorable quotes.

I thought about Brother D, Todd Dicus, and all the blood, sweat and swears we shared on our bike trainers this past winter. He was gritting through this same race, which was his 11th Ironman. 

My family’s support is unconditional. It’s there no matter what, and I needed to find a way to apply the same unconditional thinking about the marathon. 

Michelle Simmons applied insightful training strategies, and painful training sessions, the past several years. Consistency with these training sessions each day provided me a lot of growth as a triathlete, and as a person. So how would I answer the question when she asks why I quit? Would my answer feel justified? No, it wouldn’t.        

And, finally The Minions! 

“Uncle Casey, did you win your race?” One of them would ask it. Finishing is winning in their mind. Ironman distance triathlons teach adults this attitude if they don’t already believe it. I witnessed hundreds, maybe thousands of adults over the years cross the finish line with the expression of winning by finishing in less than 10 hours or near the race cutoff at 17 hours.  

For so many teachable reasons my answer to their question couldn’t be, “You know what, it was just too hard and I quit.”

My sister, Aubrey Urban, sent a video of The Minions wishing me luck the night prior to Ironman Texas. I watched and listened to it over and over again in my head as a sat in T2. 

This was it. This was the magic. The temporary dementia. The game-changer. HOPE. 

T2 became my place to recover from the swim, bike and bonk, and not a place to hide. I began to prep for another race for the 2nd time in one day. I finally had a platform for a solid Plan B.  

“Hey, is there a time limit on how long someone can stay in this tent?” I asked an official.

“Na, I don't think so. Never been asked that question. I guess stay as long as you want as long as you finish the marathon by midnight,” responded the official. 

Volunteers handed me water that I previously denied. I slowly took in calories from food and gels, and electrolytes from salt. I stood up from my chair, walked back and forth, and sat down again.

I repeated this process until the cramping disappeared and my stomach relaxed enough to absorb nutrition.

It was time to let go. I placed my usual securities I wear and carry with me back in the T2 bag, like my Fuel Belt I wear around my waist with hydration and nutrition. My hat, arm coolers, and a cotton cloth I usually tie loosely around my neck to keep the sun off my skin, also went back in the T2 bag.  

I slipped on my sunglasses and race belt with bib number 260, and exited the T2 tent towards the next timing mat where the marathon officially started.

The first person I saw was Dave Dicus, Brother D’s son. He assured me Brother D was crushing his race.

The next person I saw was Newland. He was standing near the timing mat at the run start. I could see by the way he relaxed his body language he was relieved, and curious.

“Go! What are you doing? Go! Come on, let’s go!!” yelled Newland. Now, to translate Newland talk. This means are you okay? You look okay? What the bleep were you doing? Looks like you didn’t quit. Nice job. But now it’s real. Go run!

Simmons and I discussed running off heart rate instead of watching my pace in this race. Previous Ironman distant races showed my heart rate slowing in the second half of the marathon, along with pace.  

Many variables lead to lower heart rate like nutrition. But together we believe I focus too much on pace, and frustration sets in when I feel I can’t hold the pace I need from mile 14 through 26.2. It’s a mental block. The pace is there because we see it in training.

Heart rate was the one goal I still had left, and I set out to keep it close to 150 beats per minute on average through 26.2 miles.

Running a marathon after a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike really makes no logical sense. But I truly love it. Because, this is the part of the race where all participants are stripped down to their core and everything is exposed like training, preparation, nutrition, attitude and extreme mental fortitude. There is no more faking it. The temporary dementia most athletes experience in T2 is truly temporary, magic disappears and reality takes its place.

So as I gained momentum from a walk to run I crossed the timing mat, and said to Newland, “I’m gonna give it my best shot. Let’s see what’s gonna happen.”

I started this run with a very simple frame of mind, “just run and enjoy the freedom of running.”  

As Newland’s voice drifted off I formed a small tiny dot, a mental place, in the back of my head. It was my magic place. With my eyes down and in front of me I focused on that small tiny dot, and never left it for 25 miles.

The cramps constantly pinged my muscles, but every time they surfaced I literally said out loud to myself “<bleep> you.” 

Four miles into the marathon and I was still running! I felt damn good except for the constant cramps poking at my hamstrings and quads. At every aid station I splashed myself with water and ice, drank Gatorade and Coke. And, at the end of each station I grabbed calories for the road. In between aid stations I constantly took in salt.

After each aid station it was back to the small tiny dot, and a lot of “<bleep> you’s” at the cramps until I reached the next aid station. Water, ice, Gatorade and Coke. Calories, salt, and the tiny dot. Run one mile and repeat.  

At mile 24.5, before I made my 3rd and final turn leading out of a McMansion Woodlands’ neighborhood, and on a descend to the Woodlands River Walk, Newland stood waiting. He yelled, “Kershner, if  you keep up this pace you will qualify for Boston!”

My stamina felt great. I increased my pace as I had the endurance to do it, but I really had to focus on using different muscles by shortening my stride with a shallow right leg recovery. My right hamstring locked twice several miles back which stopped me briefly in my tracks. The warning cramp in my right hamstring intensified, but my “<bleep> you’s” kept winning.

Only 1.5-miles to go! I ran by the drunk half-dressed crazies for the third and final time. Near the end of their cheering section a spectator walked and weaved across the sidewalk perfectly timing her meeting with me. As I made contact she was looking the opposite direction. I was shocked how easily she bounced off and into the crowd. The drunk crazies loved it and their cheering loudly increased, and faded into the past.  

Only 1 mile to go, and I couldn’t move! It was awful, because I looked to my left and there was the finish on the other side of the River Walk. I was so close, but my right hamstring finally locked, and all I could do was stand strait up and try to keep from falling backwards to the ground. 

I reached around with my right hand and jammed my fingers into the back of my right hamstring. It felt like a LaCrosse ball in the back of my leg. It took at least three minutes before the muscle released, and I began to walk with caution. I had to take a few steps and stop, and repeat until the process turned into a jog. At the next aid station I sucked down as many electrolytes as I could before my last push to the end.

My pace slowly picked back up without the debilitating cramp returning, which allowed a ton of enjoyment the last quarter of a mile on the run. I let the small tiny dot go, and began to really soak in the finish. Crossing that Ironman distant finish line was personally the most rewarding one compared to any others.

This was a day packed with many emotions from excitement to pain, to frustration and thought, to focus and busting through obstacles, to finally being overcome by joy.

Jimmy Valvano said it right in his speech at the 1993 ESPY’s, “Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.”

A couple weeks post Ironman Texas one of The Minions named Pearl wanted to show me her bike riding skills prior to watching our animated movie. She rode up a neighborhood hill with impressive power and back down several times before coming to a stop. She looked up at me and asked, “Uncle Casey, did you win your race?” 

I knew one of The Minions would ask it.  

-The End.

Personal Notes on Race Analysis

1:15 - Swim. Lined up in the wrong spot? I couldn’t keep swimmers off my legs the majority of this swim. Tons of bumping, and grabbing for position. I remember at the half-way turn-around how tired I felt from fighting off bodies. I remember the turn into the canal and passing under the first bridge and thinking this swim should be done. I had the endurance from my swim training. I believe I just burned a lot of matches from fighting off bodies for 2.4 miles. I never found a rhythm. 

4:29 - T1. Not great, but it was fine.

5:11 - Bike. Bonked at mile 90. Felt like it took 20-miles to shake the swim off my legs. Once we hit the freeway I could see my competition on the two loop course. I measured how many minutes I was behind by marking bridges they passed under. I estimated early in the race I was about 15 minutes behind most of the top guys. I let myself get out of my race and focused on others, which was my plan. I had nothing to lose after finishing 10 previous Ironman distant races, and coming as close to one spot away from Kona Qualifying. I figured if I bonked in this race at least I bonked trying. It was super humid first three hours. Winds shifted and cam from Northwest with 40 miles to go, gusting up to at least 30+ mph. The temps went from hot and humid to actually having a wind-chill on the bike. I nailed my nutrition better than any other race on my bike. Inside of quads seized at mile 90, and there was nothing I could do but stand. Triceps locked and then I had to sit. I rotated between standing and sitting from mile 90-112.

Lap 1: 30′, 150 avg hr, 206 avg np, 79 avg c, 22.5 avg mph

Lap 2: 30′, 153 avg hr, 215 avg np, 78 avg c, 23.2 avg mph

Lap 3: 30′, 153 avg hr, 212 avg np, 73 avg c, 23.0 avg mph

Lap 4: 30′, 151 avg hr, 211 avg np, 74 avg c, 22.5 avg mph

Lap 5: 30′, 151 avg hr, 211 avg np, 72 avg c, 21.8 mph

Lap 6: 30′, 150 avg hr, 207 avg np, 73 avg c, 22.8 mph

Lap 7: 30′, 149 avg hr, 204 avg np, 72 avg c, 23.2 mph

Lap 8: 30′, 147 avg hr, 196 avg np, 69 avg c, 20.2 mph (heading into bonk)

Lap 9: 30′, 146 avg hr, 179 avg np, 71 avg c, 17 mph (bonk)

Lap 10: 42′, 124 avg hr, 152, avg np, 70 avg c, 16.4 avg mph (quit)  

21:56 - T2. This was not the plan. 

3:18 - Run time. Topped best IM run time since my first one; a 3:23 in 2010 at Ironman Wisconsin. Finally shed that wait off my back.

Lap 1: 1:32, 142 avg hr, 7:18/mile pace. (I could have increased my hr closer to 150, but constantly ought off cramps t try and keep moving forward w/o my legs locking up).

Lap 2: 1:43, 139 avg hr, 7:50/mile pace (this includes miles 25 through 26.2 where I stood motionless for a while, recovered and pretty much jogged it into the finish).

10:11:32 my overall time. 33rd in ag. What’s crazy is I was 45′ from a KQ slot since it seems a lot of ringers showed up for this ‘North America Championship’. Honestly, my perfect race I would have been close to a 9:30, maybe a little faster, or maybe a little slower, but very close to a 9:30. Finishing, and overcoming, was a much better experience than having my perfect race and finishing several minutes away from a Kona Qualification. There’s a silver lining in everything. It’s all about perspective.

Why didn’t I have the race I planned? I conclude it comes down to little things adding up to a great day or a poor day.  There were a lot of little things in my prep for this race that exposed my weakness on the bike.

The little things

I only rode outside a couple times leading up to IMT. Knocking it out on my trainer using power is almost always better than riding outside. No stop lights, no traffic, never stop peddling, uninterrupted sets, safer, etc. But, I needed a couple more solid rides outside simply to train other muscles like balancing muscles to fight wind.

I didn’t have much acclamation to humidity leading up to this race. I took the hot baths, saunas, but not enough of them. Through most of the morning on race-day it was 90 + % humidity, and very warm.

I didn’t get in one open-water swim. I’m not big on needing many open water swims. If you can swim, well, you can swim! But, there is a benefit to getting in the open water, similar to riding outside enough to get your muscles used to the elements again.

My mental focus wasn’t at a passionate level it needed to be leading up to IMT. I nailed my training sessions, but it was more because I felt like I ‘had to’ instead of a motivational attitude of wanting to improve. My passion was inconsistent heading into this race. It is not possible to compete at a Top-10 ag level level in these IM Distant races w/o being absorbed with passionate every morning when the alarm buzzes. It’s thinking about everything and how it affects tomorrow’s training. It’s not just about nailing training, it’s also putting a high level of importance on recovery, eating, sleeping, and doing every little thing to have that physical and mental edge on race day. At the end of the day I lacked that passion which was exposed at mile 90 on the bike during this race. Why was I able to nail the run? It’s simple. The training was there to do it. And I found the passion and focus to compliment my deep endurance for the marathon.