ctoastwrites - Tumblr blog

[ctoastwrites]

of sewn on hearts (and ones hidden inside)

-

“finally…” alex chuckled, looking down at the couch. robin, pastel, and jemma all lay on- or by, in jemma’s case -it, fast asleep. alex ran his hand through robin’s hair, causing them to shuffle for just a moment. however, they quickly settled again and sighed. alex let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and pulled his hand back. waking them up would be especially bad considering the reason they were on the couch in the first place, curled up on one end. 

alex moved to tidy up while the others slept. the living room wasn’t much of a mess but alex preferred to have everything in order regardless. he collected the four mugs on the coffee table, noting the differences in how much each one was full with a soft smile. 

all four contained (or at least, had once contained) hot chocolate. he guessed jemma’s mug was the one fully empty, as jemma had made a point of drinking it quickly (much to her own dismay as she found the hot liquid would scald her tongue). pastel’s was probably the one almost empty, considering she’d been sipping at it the whole time she was awake, and robin’s was probably the one halfway full. that left his- the one still full, and the only one he didn’t intend on washing out just yet. 

the gentle noise of the sink as it ran and the comforting scent of the soap made alex feel even more relaxed. the smile on his face didn’t fade while he cleaned as he thought about the moments prior. 

robin had come to him, having woken up in a cold sweat- a nightmare they couldn’t quite remember, nor did they want to. alex readily opened his arms and comforted them, offering them a mug of hot chocolate and a seat next to him with a blanket on the couch to talk. they accepted without hesitation and alex noticed how sleepy they must’ve still been, as they were dozing off when alex came back with their and his mugs in hand. 

despite the noise not being much at all, jemma woke up and came downstairs soon after- followed by pastel, who hadn’t been fully asleep just yet and was too curious about the soft footsteps moving around to do so.

the two were welcomed on the couch just as warmly as robin, and two more mugs of hot chocolate were prepared for them. pastel curled up on the opposite side of robin- and jemma, who didn’t want to squish between the two, leaned on the couch next to pastel. alex didn’t think jemma had expected to fall asleep there but she did and alex didn’t have any intention of waking her.

he just grabbed a couple blankets and carefully draped them over the trio, making sure they were warm and comfortable. he’d even gone and found periwinkle to double check she was alright- but she was already asleep and didn’t want to wake the rabbit just to bring her somewhere else to rest.

alex shut off the water and dried the dishes, putting them where they belonged and feeling rather proud of himself when he was done. he enjoyed cleaning- and the thought reminded him of something else he needed to do. despite the late hour, he was determined to get a little bit of work done. 

he retrieved a few pieces of clothing from on top of his dresser along with his sewing kit and brought it downstairs, settling down in the chair next to the couch once he’d put his mug back on the table next to it. 

alex inspected the clothes carefully. a cape he’d grown quite familiar with fixing, a pair of pants with more pockets than he could imagine using, and a bag with embroidered flowers that were beginning to come undone. he quickly got to work, swift and steady hands making the fabrics even steadier. 

alex was well aware the cape was beyond complete repair- and robin knew that too. however, they were too attached to let something as an entire chunk missing from a corner stop them from wearing it, or even the fact that it had formerly been a cloak with a hood.

it’s new status as a cape was alex’s doing, as fairly early on robin came to him with it in hand. the hood had gotten caught on something and robin panicked while in a stressful situation and had to cut themself free- at the cost of the hood. however, alex saw how distraught it had made them and offered to try something; something that quickly brought joy back to robin’s eyes. he took what remained of the hood’s fabric and turned it into a collar.

the collar was once again the problem, the previous stitching starting to come undone as a result of their recent adventures- most of which involved sharp objects being near their neck and face. alex realized he should probably have a talk with them once again about proper knife safety and how not to throw yourself in harm’s way.

the collar was an easy fix and simply needed to be reinforced after a quick few stitches to hold it in place properly. for a moment, alex considered finding a piece of fabric big enough to cover what was missing from the corner- but decided against it. after all, even though it was a tear in an otherwise perfect article of clothing… it held the story of a moment robin seemed to look back on fondly when asked about it. 

the cape was put aside and the pants were picked up next- and alex very quickly found out what the problem was. 

or, more specifically, problems. 

one of the pockets was missing a button, one had a hole, and both knees were showing clear wear that was just a slight brush away from becoming holes themselves. alex sighed at the clear handiwork of his more reckless friend but found himself still smiling, silently admiring how she was capable of getting out of situations as unscathed as she usually did- despite the minor casualty of the button on one of her pockets.

alex quickly sewed up the hole and used patches underneath the knees- but found himself struggling when it came to finding a button that matched the ones on jemma’s pants. he eventually settled for a brown heart-shaped button as opposed to the silver circle buttons. while the mismatched buttons would have bothered him on his own clothing, he determined that it’d be okay since jemma would like it, possibly even more than before.

the pants were set aside with the cape as soon as he was finished.

he began to notice exactly how tired he was when he stopped for a moment, hesitating before picking up the bag. the moon was still clear in the sky though, so he didn’t think he’d taken too long. he yawned and picked it up, promising himself he’d do just one flower.

the careful stitching of the pink and blue flowers on the bag made alex almost envious of the creator’s abilities- but he easily found himself falling into the rhythm of sewing once again, able to repair what had fallen out without any trouble at all. if anything, he wondered if pastel would like it more now that it had a special touch, one that made it even more unique than it had been before.

the bag was intended to hold periwinkle, but alex would be lying if he said he didn’t think it perfectly fit pastel. it was soft yet sturdy, the bag itself being a light beige- but the pink and blue flowers on it popped in a way that made them perfectly stand out; not out of place or unsightly, but in the perfect spot for them to be the best they could. handmade by a careful artist who clearly cared a lot about their work and only expected it to be used and admired daily by those who could see the beauty in something that seemed so ordinary. 

and while alex had only planned on fixing one flower, the one flower turned into two, and two into three, and then…

alex drifted off to sleep, his ongoing project falling from his hands and into his lap.

alex found himself waking up to quiet shuffling and “shhh!”s and the bag being removed from his lap and placed on the table. while still half-asleep, he was able to easily gather that it was the other three having woken up. he wasn’t sure what exactly they were doing but he assumed it was cleaning up.

he considered dragging himself out of the chair and to his bed to avoid causing the others any more trouble but the lead weight in his tired body told him otherwise. he leaned further into the chair and got comfortable- and if had saw jemma come by to put her blanket over him when she noticed, he didn’t say anything.

even while drifting back to sleep, alex found himself with a smile on his face.

[ctoastwrites]

goop monster thing pt 2

i wrote this a while ago don’t @ me

we r not gonna talk about how i posted pt 1 in december of 2019 and then didn’t post pt 2 until just now. we are not talking about it.

pt 2 to this post

-

alex groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose as he processed what pastel said. "you're telling me that you saw a real 'monster'?" he moved his hand away and quirked a brow as he looked at her. "yes! i am! it went into the vent, we both saw it!" she near shouted in response. she pointed to robin, who was walking into the kitchen for a drink.

"i what now..?" they asked, opening the fridge and pulling out a carton of juice and turning it over to check the date. "pastel says that you two saw a monster last night." alex quickly responded, waiting for robin's answer. robin, who had moved to get a glass, froze. they weren't really expecting that, and they didn't really want to talk about it either. at the time the had been tired and panicked and now the memory felt kinda fuzzy and not great, even though it had happened literally just a handful of hours ago. they were able to pull some of the worst bits though- the darkness reaching out, looming over them as if it were ready to consume them. their chest feeling tight and their thoughts so fast they could hardly process them. "yea- yeah, we did. why?" they took the glass, closing the cabinet a little too hard and flinching. "see! i told you!" "...so, what did it look like then?" he crossing his arms, sounding interested in both a 'oh?' and 'mhm.' way. "well, there was a stain on the windowsill that i thought was a spill, but-" "just a stain?" alex was trying to sort this out. he didn't like the thought of a suspicious figure in the store at midnight- which was pretty much what the two seemed to be telling him. "no! i wasn't sure what it really was and robin saw something reach in!" "so, you saw it first?" this was entirely directed at robin. they felt warmth creep up their neck, ears turning a light shade of pink at the sudden attention. "yeah- uh- there was a thing! it tried to grab me, and, and, and-" they struggled to find the words once more, but this time because they just drew a blank. "and..?" "alex, be nice!" pastel scolded. "sorry." there was a pause. "i... don't think it was a 'monster'. someone was being a creep or... they may have been shadows?" he sighed and began to walk away. robin shook their head and got their juice, sitting down at the table to drink it and check the weather. their phone made a noise when they picked it up. she is the boss: Can you come in tonight with Alex? Staci called out. robin took a moment and considered their options. they didn't have to, but they'd feel really bad for saying no. pastel had left the kitchen, going to take a shower. they couldn't ask her and they didn't feel like bugging alex with work-related stuff at the moment. jemma had left for classes- which left them to figure it out on their own. on one hand, they could guarantee their own safety and get some sleep. on the other, they'd make up for last night- and they would feel bad for saying no. robin: yeah, i don't mind. - alex and robin got in the car at about 11:45, both saying nothing the whole ride. they traded off with the other shift without a problem. one of the other people said something felt eerie, which unnerved robin and annoyed alex. he assumed they'd most likely heard about last night and were simply trying to get under their skin. - alex stood at the window, waiting for the signal that would let him know there was a customer. he kept going over what he had been told in his mind. he totally wasn't worried about it. okay, maybe just a little. out of the corner of his eye something moved, but when he turned around there was  nothing. "haha." he sarcastically remarked, guessing it was robin and going back to looking out the window. he didn't notice it moving across the floor, sinking lower and reaching out for his leg. - "alex?" robin leaned over the counter, looking for him. it felt too quiet, even if no customers were at the window at the moment. he stood at the window, staring into nothing. they shook their head and made their way into the kitchen. "hey! alex-" alex swiftly turned to face them with a blank expression. "uhm... you good dude..?" robin was confused and felt uneasy, but they couldn't place why. and then it started. alex rubbed at his eyes, like he'd gotten something in them. when he opened them they were an inky black. "oh shit-!" robin jumped back, bumping their hip into a corner. "ow!" alex practically lunged at them while they were distracted, pinning them down. black... something now dripped down from both his mouth and eyes. one of robin's hands were free, and they took this time to try and grab their phone to text jemma. she'd probably be awake. a swift knee to the stomach caused alex to yelp and back off, allowing robin enough time to send something quick. second best chaos twin: JEMMA HELO SOMETJINGSBAHPPENING AND I DONT ONQO first best chaos twin: okay first of all please breathe because i can barely understand that second best chaos twin: JUST COME HRWRPLSINEJEEJMWNW alex growled and smacked the phone away, not allowing robin to actually finish that message. there was a game of cat and mouse between the two until robin slipped and smacked the back of their head on the floor. they were only out for maybe a few seconds, but the daze that followed made it feel much longer. crashing and jemma shouting brought them back to reality. "huh..?" they slurred, sitting up. in front of them was jemma, pastel, and alex, the last of which having been restrained. "chill out!" jemma tried as alex thrashed about. pastel stood up, fumbling with the sink. robin blinked and became suddenly very aware of their head pounding. they hissed and scooted back against the nearest counter, the cold tile feeling nice. pastel sprayed water at alex, shakily holding up the hose attached to the sink. it took a lot for alex to calm down, and even more for him to be by himself in his own body. "did i just get a whole sink dumped on me..?" he muttered in his confused state, causing both jemma and robin to chuckle a bit. robin immediately regretted this and squeezed their eyes shut, covering their ears. pastel- who had just noticed that robin was awake -quickly went to their side to check on them. they flinched and tried to get away from her as she tried to examine their head, but stopped long enough for her to actually do what she needed. they heard something about a hospital and towels, but that's all they could gather before pastel put a cold rag on their head. they opened their eyes slowly to see that half of the lights and all of the machines had been switched off. alex stood on wobbly legs. robin could see that he wasn't feeling great, even though they couldn't see him well. - the drive to the hospital was quite an adventure, with alex in a constant state of confusion, disgust, and fear and robin just trying to pretend they didn't exist. the doctors had no clue what to do with alex. he didn't remember much (aside from being nearly drowned), and he was covered in bruises (from being a. kneed in the stomach and b. the being that had stolen his body being careless.). they chalked it up to a fight and didnt press on. and while robin's concussion was very easy to figure out, they weren't sure what kind of nonsense they were babbling when they actually did say something. they took this as robin being very confused after their injury. after all, there's no such thing as 'goop monsters'. there was a theory that robin and alex were fighting, which was what the doctors settled on (but jemma and pastel denied). the two had to be watched closely, but were eventually allowed to go home. their boss semi-understood, but couldn't get one thing. where had the security camera footage gone?

[ctoastwrites]

light pollution

light pollution was annoying. alex knew this to be true- on late nights where he's go out to throw the trash in the bin or just sit and relax, he could hardly see the stars. he could see lights in the distance, some sweeping across the sky (although the city's casino was not all that close, it made a point of being showy) and some just staying still- lights from apartments, and offices, and things of the like that illuminated the night sky. and while the city had its moments where it was beautiful, that didn't stop alex from sometimes wondering where the stars were. although, there was one other person who thought about it much more often than he did.

-  robin groaned, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of them. it was plain black coffee, which was (in their opinion) the worst kind of coffee. it was bitter and wasn't much fun to drink, especially when they just wanted something nice to wake them up. they typically put some sort of creamer in their coffee- vanilla and caramel were their favorites -but today, they had woken up from their restless sleep to find there was none left. they put their head down on the table and sighed, closing their tired eyes for a moment. it had been a rough week- not for any particular reason, robin just wasn't having a good time. alex walked in moments later to have breakfast. "good morning!" he smiled, running a hand through his messed-up hair as he opened the fridge. robin's response was muffled by their sleeves, but alex could tell they said "mornin'." he pulled out a carton of eggs and sat it on the counter, going over to robin and gently messing with their hair. "i'm making eggs- do you want any?" he asked softly, knowing a raised voice would not make robin's sour mood any better. "mhm." they nodded, but didn't move much else. alex took their mug from the table and set it on the counter to get them a glass of apple juice instead of the coffee. robin finally sat up when alex was halfway done making scrambled eggs, taking a drink of the apple juice and thanking him. breakfast went by quicker than expected- both pastel and jemma came into the kitchen soon after, dressed in uniforms for their jobs.  (both alex and robin were silently grateful they didn't have to work that day. alex had other things he needed to do, and robin felt like they should go back to bed.) they ate and left for work, and alex and robin tidied up the kitchen. - robin found themself laying on their floor, zoning out as they stared up at the ceiling and counted the plastic stars. they had become dim over time, and didn't glow much at night anymore. it "y'know, i tried to go outside and look at the stars last night." robin said when they noticed alex standing in the doorway, looking at least a little confused. "i couldn't see any." alex sighed. "it's a little hard to see them, with all the lights from the city and stuff." he thought for a moment and had an idea- but he wasn't sure if he should bring it up now. it's not like it would do much good at the moment anyway, so he decided to save that one for a little bit later. the day was rather uneventful. both alex and robin quietly worked on their own things through the afternoon, alex mostly working on an assignment and robin cleaning up random things. pastel and jemma came home at around five, and the group stayed together in the living room for a while before heading off to their rooms for the night. before alex even realized it, it was nearly one in the morning. he looked out his bedroom doorway and into the hallway and saw the house was dark, so he assumed everyone had already gone to bed without him realizing. then he saw movement by his window, and felt his heart rate pick up a bit. was it just a stray cat- or a fallen branch? maybe a bird? surely that was all that could be out there... he got off his bed and cautiously approached the window, moving the curtain enough to see out onto the roof. alex nearly laughed when he put together his guess at a bird being out there and what actually was. robin sat in the corner where the two outer walls met, having come outside through their own open window. they were sitting up, but had managed to curl up in a way that let them put their knees and arms in their sweater. they were fixated on the empty sky, and alex could almost feel their disappointment from his spot inside his room. he opened the window and swung his legs over the opening, shivering at the sudden rush of cold air. alex understood why robin was sitting the way they were, but for a moment he wondered why they even came outside at all with their strong dislike for cold temperatures. alex wasn't sure if they actually noticed him come outside- but he assumed not after they jumped when he spoke. "hey." he smiled and sat down next to them, pulling his hands in his sleeves. "what are you doing?" "waiting." they sighed in return, turning their gaze away from the sky and alex. "i can't sleep, and i thought maybe..." they trailed off, but their intentions were clear. alex scooted closer and draped an arm around robin's shoulder. he knew how they felt; they were upset they couldn't do one of their favorite things. the two sat in silence for a moment before alex spoke up. "do you want to watch a movie?" "...yeah." - the next day was as uneventful as the last. it was quiet again, but this time neither pastel or jemma had to go anywhere. most of the day was spent with the four watching tv, but at around seven alex suddenly decided he wanted to do something. he walked into the kitchen and took note of some things they needed. cereal, bread, dish soap... he got distracted by a note on the fridge that said "SHOPPING LIST: GOLDFISH BOX. please :)" with a laugh, he took the note down and added more to it before sticking it and his wallet in his pocket. he went to put his shoes on and caught the attention of robin, who wasn't very focused on the tv show. "where are you going?" they turned around in the chair to watch alex. "the store." he put his shoes on and began to tie them. "do you want to come?" robin thought for a moment and nodded. "yeah- let me get my jacket though." "you already have a sweater on..?" alex mumbled, watching them get up and head off towards their room. he made sure to tell jemma and pastel where they were going, and then went outside to warm up the car. robin soon followed, sitting in the passenger seat with their egg hoodie over their black sweater. "hey- i'm cold!" they huffed when they noticed alex looking. he laughed and shook his head. - it was now around eight-thirty- and robin and alex were at a gas station. robin stared up into the empty sky through their window while alex filled up the gas tank. when he got back in the car he noticed their staring, and remembered what he had wanted to do the day before. "do you mind if we stay out longer? there's somewhere else i want to go." alex looked over, hopeful they would say yes. it was the only way he could think of to try and make their somewhat sour mood at least a little better. robin looked over and while they were confused, they accepted. staying out of the house for a bit longer couldn't hurt. after all, the past few weeks they hadn't left very often, usually only if they needed to or for short trips. alex nodded and pulled out of the gas station, turning in the opposite direction they would if they were going home. - 💃 it couldn't have been longer than thirty minutes, but in that time robin managed to doze off. the soft hum of the car as it moved forward and the quiet christmas music were comforting in that moment for a reason they couldn't explain. alex softly tapped their shoulder and whispered a "we're here." they made a quiet noise and opened their eyes, moving to undo their seatbelt and fumbling with the buckle for a few moments. eventually they got it and exited the car to join alex outside. they noticed multiple things all at once. there were trees, and it was dark, and cold- oh god it was cold (not really, but robin wasn't a fan anyways) -and if they looked up, the moon was bright and... and they could see the stars. robin looked to the top of the car where alex had seated himself, patting the spot next to him with a smile. he held a blanket in his other hand ( "where had that come from?" they wondered, but decided not to ask ). they climbed up and sat down, and alex quickly covered the both of them with the blanket. it was soft and warm, and robin finally assumed it had been on the floor behind alex where one of the vents was. "y'know, a wrong turn brought me here the first time." alex said in a soft tone after a minute or two of silence. "i got lost in some traffic and suddenly i was here." he laughed. "can't believe i missed the giant sign telling me which way was which..." robin smiled and chuckled, glancing to alex before back up at the sky. "good job." they sarcastically mumbled, getting a scoff from alex. "i'd like to see you try getting your way out of traffic at 9 pm! actually, i don't even know why there was traffic..." he trailed off trying to recall if he was ever given a reason for it or not. "anyways.. what's been up with you lately?" alex said casually, leaning back onto his arms. robin, who had started to lean as well, sat up fully. "what do you mean?" they didn't quite understand what he meant- didn't they live in the same house? they usually said where they were going, or what they were doing if they were asked... "i mean, what's going on with you." he stressed the word you in a way that made robin immediately understand what he meant. "something's been a little off, hasn't it?" while he didn't need confirmation on his own thoughts and observations, he did want to hear what robin had to think about it. maybe he was looking at it wrong, or maybe... "uh.. yeah, it has." robin was quiet. "i dunno how to explain, it's just... ah, it's not a big deal." robin scratched the back of their head, nervously trying to dodge the question. when they thought over the sentence they were going to say, it felt silly. "you don't have to tell me, but i'm right here if you want to." alex offered. robin noted his expression- he wasn't just saying that, he really did want them to know he meant well. they thought for a moment and sighed, picking up with a random thought in their mind. it was the only way they knew how to start. "i... i guess life finally caught up to me? like, i haven't realized how much things really mean to me. i feel bad." the last part was muffled as they had pulled up their knees and hidden their head. they'd accidentally slid out of the blanket in the process and alex gently draped it over their head. they chuckled and readjusted before sighing. "i hadn't realized how lucky i was to get to see the stars when i was younger. i wish i could still, but..." "but you can't." "mhm." alex understood what they meant- the stars were something robin truly admired, and they weren't able to see them anymore. they hadn't realized how good they had it until it was gone- even if it was just stars. and then robin spoke again. "alex, do you think i care about you?" the sudden yet heavy question hit alex like a rock, and he had to think about how to properly word his answer for a moment. the answer was yes, and it would always be yes for as long as he continued to be friends with robin. (which- he hoped would be for a very, very long time.) they turned their head to look up at him. he inhaled and robin's eyes suddenly grew wide. he immediately realized that alone was a bad move, because robin quickly turned away and he could see the slight shake in their body. "wait- no, i'm sorry. no- wait, i mean yes-" alex stumbled, trying to get robin to turn back to him. "ack- robin. i do." he finally managed to get out, running a hand through his hair. they slowly looked back, a hopeful look in their eyes. "i know you do- even if you show it in ways that people wouldn't usually show it sometimes." he smiled and put his hand on their head. "you do." robin smiled as well and nodded. it was only one sentence, but it was all robin needed to hear. they wiped their watery eyes and sat up to look at the sky. "i missed the stars." they whispered after a few minutes, leaning back again. "i thought so." - both alex and robin had spent a good couple hours just sitting, looking at the night sky. robin quietly rambled about the stars ("they're all just gas, hydrogen and helium especially-" and "my favorite is delphinus, which translates to dolphin, which is kinda close to a shark!" were two quotes alex remembered clearly). the two didn't get back home until late, but neither of the two's sleep schedules were very disturbed by this fact. (both jemma and pastel were awake still too, finishing the show they were watching.)

robin woke up the next morning with a bright smile.

[ctoastwrites]

guys ur not gonna believe this but im writing fluff

[ctoastwrites]

ghosting

one of the few things that is actually done and isn’t just a wip lmao

oneshot based on an au that doesn’t even have a finished set story yet. no context you get confirmation the same time robin does

title is a mother mother song <3

//

robin yawned and sat up in bed, the sun shining on their face. it took them a second to realize the window was open, which was strange. they never left it open for fear of something getting in at night. they looked through and guessed it was around 11 in the morning, which was also pretty odd. they didn't remember staying up late at all. and then they realized they were in their old room. 

"what?” they mumbled. “i haven't been here in.. a year..?" they continued to blankly stare out the window before remembering they were there because erin had asked them to be. because erin asked them. their mood immediately worsened, and they wanted to just get whatever she wanted over with. they groaned and got out of bed.

the bed didn't squeak. their feet didn't make a sound as they walked on the hardwood floor. they didn't even realize, but they hadn't put their glasses on either. it was such a basic task they had gotten so used to doing without thinking- but that was because they usually did it. as soon as robin entered the kitchen, they decided it was the weirdest day of their life. "am i dreaming?" they muttered, looking at the back of alex's head. he was messing with a piece of paper on the counter, and robin wanted to know why on earth he was in their mother's house. he knew full well she was not someone pleasant to be around. "alex?" they moved closer and reached out a hand to tap his shoulder- -and it phased straight through him. robin gasped in surprise, pulling their hand back and examining it. their skin was unusually pale, almost transparent. they hadn't noticed beforehand- it wasn't even something that crossed their mind. why would it? 

they stared for a minute longer before coming to a conclusion. "okay... i can wake up now.." they laughed, waiting to be back in the bed, looking up at the blank ceiling. "wake up.." they shook their head. "seriously? whatever." 

whenever they were aware they were in a dream, saying they wanted to wake up usually worked at, well, waking them up. it seemed this was one of those few times it didn’t work.

robin watched as alex moved around the counter, over to the other kitchen doorway that lead out into the back hallway.  jemma stood there, blankly staring and seeming lost in thought. she looked rather upset, but they didn’t know why.

“are you okay?” they softly asked, but got no response in return. they must’ve just been dreaming. jemma wasn't actually upset- but they had no idea why their brain would make that up. robin had an idea. it immediately registered as 'incredibly dumb' in their brain, but they knew for sure it would wake them up. they leaned forward and tried to fall. instead of shooting up in bed to the feeling of falling, they found themself hovering above the floor. they scrambled to get back on their feet, knowing that was not something that was supposed to happen. what the hell?

their brain immediately jumped to the worst of their possible conclusions.

"hhh- holy shit. i'm losing it. i've lost it. i'm fuckin' hallucinating." there was a sense of panic building up in their chest, and they ran (floated?) over to the doorway. "I-" "i don't trust her." "neither do i, but-" "but what?" jemma stood straight and looked up at alex. "they're gone and she doesn’t even give a shit. they’re dead, alex." robin could hear the shake in her voice, and they were certain alex could too. "i know." he swallowed, unable to bring his volume past a whisper. dead? but who? unless... wait. 

robin stumbled backwards into the counter, almost surprised when they were able to use it to stop themself. they woke up late to the open window. alex and jemma were ignoring them, and nothing was affected by their movements, and their hand literally went through alex. alex and jemma were in their mother’s house (they also assumed pastel was somewhere around there). and someone was dead. "wh- what?" they barely managed to get out, looking back to the two, and then to the other doorway as someone walked in. that was impossible- no, it couldn’t be. maybe pastel... oh hey, there she was! pastel held a stuffed shark, quietly shuffling over to alex and jemma as she started to say something. robin tried to step in front of her, but she just walked straight through and shivered. their ears filled with static, their body felt tight, and they knew that if they weren't already weightless, they would be unable to stand. robin was gone- but they were right there. and suddenly, they felt alone.

[ctoastwrites]

*takes a break from writing to write*

[ctoastwrites]

what if i just. go back to writing bad romance stories on wattpad

[ctoastwrites]

"the warmth of her smile challenged the rising sun that began to color the sky her favorite shade of pink. she was beautiful, and nothing could change that."

> from paper planes, written by me in 2018

[ctoastwrites]

stars

for the past three days, robin had been on edge for no apparent reason. after the four fought some weird monster (magic and energy sword extra required), they had been unable to relax.

maybe it was the fact that the monster disappeared. or, maybe, it was something else. it was as if there was a ball of electricity bouncing around in their body. jemma had offered a (magic) solution after realizing robin hadn't slept for two days, but they refused. the night before, they'd run off into the forest to try and see if punching a few trees would help. they felt bad for disturbing the wildlife and tried to not be noisy or too damaging. as soon as robin attempted to power the sword the marks running down their arms from previous sword-fighting incidents became an electric blue and began to burn. robin hadn't had that happen in almost a year. they'd only been gone from 'home' for maybe.. nine months? ten? they couldn't recall. it had been almost twelve since they'd swiped the sword out of it's box and tried to use it without any practice- which is what caused most of the marks in the first place. who knew that suddenly forcing an excess amount of energy to an object could have negative consequences? robin felt the inside of their mouth lose most feeling (which was typical for them when they did their "odd energy stuff" as alex called it) and almost burn (not typical). they had become afraid. especially because all of a sudden they felt exausted yet shocked awake at the same time and their whole body felt like it was covered with pins and needles. so, they went back and didn't bother trying to fight a tree. they were practically vibrating for the entire day and then some. when they accidentally shocked jemma, they realized that they really needed to do something about their problem. she hadn't noticed, but there was a small mark that disappeared in moments. robin knew how that could escalate, if the mark on their old bedroom door was anything to go by. so, they decided to go on a walk. maybe they actually would fight that tree. they only meant to go for a bit. and then pastel followed them out. "hey, are you okay?" pastel slowly moved closer to robin. "you know you can talk to me, right? it's okay if something's wrong." robin was the worst person ever when dealing with emotions. they had a tendency to shove it all in a jar and hope that jar wouldn't shatter. (which may have been the reason behind robin's energetic outburst, but i digress.) "nothing's.. wrong." they mumbled, looking away almost shamefully. they were lying and felt bad for doing so, but didn't want to rope pastel into anything. she didn't deserve it. pastel looked at them, concern dulling her usually bright pink eyes. robin gulped when they looked back and tried not to wince. maybe they weren't getting out of this one so easy. "i just..." robin turned and crossed their arms. pastel took note of their missing gloves and dull blue markings on their arms. "'m scared." they whispered, pastel taking a second to realize what they had actually said. "scared..? of what?" pastel's voice was almost as quiet as robin's, but not quite. she wanted them to clearly understand. "i.. mm.. i shocked jemma." "oh.. is that all?" pastel smiled. "i'm sure she doesn-" "no, you don't get it!" robin whipped around and raised their voice. their eyes brightened for a moment and they felt the scar on their face begin to burn. pastel took a step back. robin took this as a sign of their danger. "even though it was just for a moment, i got jemma and.. she wasn't upset, but i am! i- i- i did a bunch of other weird stuff too! the stupid stove, the dresser- pastel, there's a fucking mark on the dresser because i gently opened it!" they emphasized the gently, and pastel realized this wasn't about jemma being mad. they were scared of themself. "robin, it's alright! we'll figure it out, and jemma can probably find some spell or alex can make something for whatever this is to stop!" "i'm not dragging anyone else into my messes, it's bad enough you have to deal with it right now." their voice became strained as unnecessary guilt weighed down on them. they turned again. pastel lightly put her hand on robin's shoulder as they shook. "hey.." that was all she could say before robin reacted out of fear. they didn't really think first, and realized pastel was behind them too late. they turned, grabbing pastel's hand and practically throwing her off. they registered their hand going numb for a minute as their vision flashed white and then... pastel was on the ground, shaking. a fading, jagged blue mark ran from her hand up into her sleeve, getting thinner as it went up. she groaned and tried to sit up, but hissed as a bolt of pain went through her arm. they gasped and closed their hands tight, scared something else bad would come from their exposed fingertips and palms. alex was outside in moments to help pastel. (he'd been watching from the window.) jemma followed him soon after, more confused because she hadn't been there to see it all. "i'm sorry! i'm so sorry, i- i didn't-" alex looked back to robin. "just.. go do whatever it was you were going to." he didn't mean to sound harsh, but he was upset and his mind was focused on making sure pastel wasn't too badly hurt. robin realized alex wanted them gone and nodded. "right. yeah. i'm.. uhm.. goodbye. i'll be back. 'm sorry." jemma gave alex a concerned look when robin was out of sight. "don't look at me like that! when they get back, we'll talk it out and solve whatever it is that's going on. i promise." alex tried. he wasn't one to break promises. jemma sighed and nodded before helping alex get pastel inside. she was fine, just needed some rest. robin gripped the leather strip of their bag tight. they were just going on a walk, nothing more. nothing. more. the rustling from the bushes seemed to have  other plans. robin soon found themself face to face with a much angrier version of the creature they had fought days ago. yet there was four people fighting that time, and robin was only one. the beast growled and bared it's teeth. robin trembled and fumbled for their sword. they were doomed. > four hour timeskip < robin was gone much longer than alex thought they'd be. the sun was nearing the horizon and there was still no sign of them. "i'm going to go find them." he thought aloud, not expecting anyone to hear. alex pulled on his shoes and prepared to head out alone. yet, pastel and jemma were waiting at the door, ready. "where are you two going..?" he asked, puzzled. "with you." jemma smirked. "did you think we weren't going to come?" "maybe.." jemma gasped. pastel giggled at her overdramatic reaction. "how dare you?" alex chuckled. "okay, okay. let's go then." - the four eventually came to the same place robin did. it was darker now, but bright enough to see clearly for the most part. alex pointed towards a bundle on the ground. he was going to head towards it, but was interrupted by growling and a large being towering over him. "oh, hello." he squeaked, stiffening and reaching for the sword on his belt. jemma took that as her cue to stand defensively and rack her mind for things she had read (she, of course, did not bring her book because she didn't think she'd need it.) while pastel hid and prepared herself in case she needed to help someone. (she too hadn't brought a weapon.) the creature attacked first. both alex and jemma were running around and trying their best to fight it off. alex realized that the bundle was robin. he assumed they were playing dead, and called out. "hey, robin, it'd be great if you could help right about now!" his sword clashed against one of the beast's claws. he realized they didn't even shift in response to their name. "robin..?" jemma struck the being in the face with something that looked rather unpleasant. it stumbled back and howled in pain, retreating so it could heal. alex swiftly made his way over, kneeling down to see what was wrong. pastel popped out of her hiding spot, and both her and jemma cautiously approached. there lay robin, cold and still with closed eyes and dried blood trailing from their mouth. there were huge claw marks running down their body. their sword lay abandoned on the ground not too far away, as if it had been flung from their hands. jemma gasped as alex checked for a pulse. he spent what felt like hours (but was actually only ten minutes) searching until he realized it wasn't working. "oh no..." was all he could force out before allowing warm tears to slide down his face. - pastel had tried to heal robin, but it proved useless against their injuries. the four had gone to a quiet pond (robin included.) to say their final words before letting robin be. they were silent underneath the stars. alex thought about what robin had told him once before. "i think we become stars- or spirits of sorts, at the least. our bodies become gardens for beautiful flowers to bloom and for bees to use. i don't know if we stick around but... i wouldn't mind sticking around now that i know all of you." he hoped robin was able to stay, even if it was just for that last night. - a box that once held a ring now sat on their dresser. inside was a button, yellow and star-shaped. their glasses sat there too. both had been taken off of robin before they'd been buried to become part of the earth. otherwise, the room was nearly undisturbed. occassionally someone would walk in there. maybe they'd stay for a bit and think. eventually, they moved on. not forgetting of course- but those sad first few weeks turned into days where they could smile and joke without feeling absolutely terrible. and robin did grow a garden. an assortment of flowers reached out to the sky and allowed the bees to take their nectar. the bees spread the pollen, and allowed their flowers to grow elsewhere.   the flowers were their favorite color as well- a beautiful shade of blue. nobody touched those flowers. not even the animals who would've otherwise ate them entirely. they seemed to just... know. sometimes, when one (or all) of them sat on the roof, they could see a bright star that stood out among the rest, calling out to them. they could almost feel robin sitting there with them, happily spouting fact after fact about the beautiful void that surrounded them. robin avi hyde would not be forgotten.

[ctoastwrites]

;)

[ctoastwrites]

why not instead of being able to form good sentences you just *hits head on keyboard*

bold of u to assume i don’t do that already

[ctoastwrites]

the snake and the rabbit

the white rabbit hops through the grass, searching for something. the snake watches, slowly slithering along a path that would prevent her from being seen.

"yeah, i know."

robin unlocked the front door, stepping through and shutting it behind them quietly. they weren't paying attention to their surroundings, too busy turned around on the phone and taking their shoes off.

"mhm. we can do that, but don't delete the part with the pictures." they put their bag on a hook next to the door. "ohhh. okay! i'll-" robin turned around and saw their mother on the couch, staring at them and holding a glass of wine. they shivered and felt as if they'd committed a terrible crime. "um.. i'll have to call you back." the rabbit stops dead in their tracks, lifting their head. they suddenly felt like prey, but they didn't know why. the snake began to get closer, the grass around her rustling. "sit down." she said. she didn't sound angry, but her tone was strong and robin couldn't help but obey. they sat on the side opposite to erin, sitting straight up and nervously wringing their hands. "i got a call today." the rabbit lowers their head, very aware of a sudden threat. the snake prepares to make her presence clear. robin bit their lip and tensed up, hearing that sentence. they had a guess as to what it was about. they'd tried to push the situation to the back of their mind. they decided it would be best for them to ask anyway. "oh? what about?" they gave erin a weak smile. the snake presented herself to the rabbit, shooting out in front of them. she flashes her fangs. the rabbit tries to stay calm. they know what happens if you run. "i got a call.." she leaned forward and set her glass of wine down, leaning back and putting her hands in her lap. "..about you." robin felt sick. "that there was a possibility you tried to start- or at least participate in -a fight. you wouldn't do that, would you dear?" the snake made herself taller to intimidate the rabbit. they tried to be smaller, giving her what she wanted. "no, of course not!" robin quickly defended themself. "i had gotten knocked into a locker, that's all! when i went to the nurse to get ice she asked. i said no. " that was the truth, after all. they knew it was intentional, but leaving out that part would be better. at least they wouldn't have to explain it- that would be hard. "i thought so." the snake lowers herself to the rabbit's level, beginning to slither around them and form a circle. the snake promises the rabbit she isn't looking for a meal. the rabbit didn't let down their guard entirely, but they did feel a bit safer. enough to bring their head back to it's usual position, anyway. "why would someone do that to you?" robin was surprised by the question. they didn't know the answer, which was why explaining in full would be near impossible. "pardon?" "well, you must've done something. why else would they push someone like you into a locker?" erin leaned forward and picked up her glass, finishing its contents and setting it back down. "i... uhm.." when robin really thought about it, they could see why erin would think it was their fault. after all, she had taught them how they should act and approach life. they had gone against nearly everything she said. it felt too restricting, but... robin wondered if they would be a better person if they would just listen to her. "yes?" erin raised an eyebrow, waiting for the answer. the snake and the rabbit stared into each other's eyes, waiting to see who would break first. it was the rabbit- they put their head back down and lower their ears. the snake has the power here.

"i think it's me." they said quietly, staring down into their lap. "what was that?" something in robin's brain said "she heard me." but it was too quiet for them to recognize as an option. erin had a way of getting people to do what she wanted, even if she didn't outright say it. they looked up with tears in their eyes. erin was right, she always was. all those times she tried to help them be better, and they didn't listen. "i said it's me! i'm the problem!" the snake convinces the rabbit she is entirely harmless. she even let them look closely to prove she wouldn't be a threat, and the rabbit was rather good at taking in details. they saw her triangle head with it's two holes. her eyes were green, with a slit down the middle. she didn’t seem dangerous. 

the snake got a close look at them as well, with their large black eyes and soft white fur. she decided they were at risk for predators that were less kind than her. she'd have to do something about it. "it's alright.. shh.." erin held robin as they sobbed apologies. they sniffed and looked up, tears blurring their vision. "i'll help you.." the rabbit tells the snake about their life. they'd gotten lost, separated from their family. they were scared and alone- and now they were grateful someone like the snake came along to help them. the snake smiles. if the rabbit didn't know any better, they would say something was hiding behind those green eyes and shiny scales. the snake points out the rabbit’s flaws and shows them how to be more like her. they became like the snake- swift, cunning, and sneaky. they thought it was strange, their behavior beginning to feel unnatural and uncomfortable. robin wasn't sure why they felt so... alone. they were starting to fit in with a crowd of sorts after finally listening to erin, yet it felt wrong. they always felt lonely and like they were playing a role that belonged to someone else. they hated it. they knew they would rather be the way they were before, but they also knew that meant disappointing erin and possibly having to sit down to really explain how they didn't fit her idea of the perfect child because they weren't that at all. robin wanted to be robin. the snake begins to grow impatient as the rabbit becomes tired of being a snake. the rabbit had started to rebel, no longer accepting the idea of being like the snake. it wasn’t good for them. she found a sick sort of happiness in seeing the rabbit squirm when they tried to be a snake. she still had power over the rabbit, even if they didn’t know that. while she convinced the rabbit she was harmless, their instincts were still to be wary. but now the rabbit was squirming less and less, and it pisses her off. she had to deal with her problem, and she had to deal with it now. "i'm sick of you disappearing all the time and acting this way! i taught you to be better than this!" "you're never here anyways, why should you care?" "don't you take that tone with me. i am an adult. you are to respect me." erin and robin argued for the second time that day. it had been a year. robin had swapped schools, now in one that didn't require uniform or specific length of hair. robin liked having short hair, and they liked it even more when it was their favorite color. they liked not having to make it straight or braid it. they liked getting to wear what they want, wearing hoodies and bright bracelets. they liked having actual friends that actually cared and liked them for being them. there was only three like that, but three real friends was better than thirty fake ones. erin, of course, had moved them with the idea that they would keep being the way erin wanted (as well as not having to spend extra money while getting to claim robin was doing better). that backfired, but she couldn't move them back. it would make her look bad. the snake begins to slither around the rabbit. she is going to end this, here and now. the rabbit realizes something is wrong when she tightens her grip and refuses to let go. she opened her mouth wide and showed her fangs- which is the exact moment the trust the rabbit had for the snake disappears. the snake had lied- she isn’t harmless. she could've ended them in one quick motion at any time she pleased.

the rabbit was disgusted. she saw how they reacted and behaved, how they slowly began to hate everything about and around them. they realized that there really was something behind her friendly facade, that she enjoyed seeing them become what she wanted. she enjoyed having them under her control. the snake moves quick, but the rabbit moves quicker. the snake's jaw snaps shut, as does the rabbit's. however, only one made their mark. the rabbit outsmarted the snake. they open their mouth and let her go. she had released her grip, startled and in pain. the rabbit ran at a speed they never thought they would reach, not stopping until they could barely breathe. they were done with the snake and they weren’t going to go back. "yeah, i know." robin grabbed a magnet off of the fridge and stuck the folded up paper underneath. they weren't really paying attention to the area around them- there was nothing to pay attention to. they were sure this time. "mhm. yeah, i guess i'm just worried." they walked out to the living room, grabbing their beat up, untied converse and slipping them on as they fell back onto the couch to tie them. the rabbit didn't do much excited hopping anymore. rabbits had short lives- they knew this much -and they'd already wasted a good portion of it being lied to. the rabbit was scared of wasting more of their limited time. they knew they were wasting time worrying about wasting time and not getting anything done, but they just couldn't bring themself to start anew. that was, until they woke up one morning scared that it finally sunk in. they needed to do something, and now. "i..." robin stared down at their shoes. they'd had them for a couple years, having bought them with their own money. they were extra proud when they did. "yh- yeah, i'm still here." robin blinked away tears as they began to think about what they missed out on for eighteen whole years. that was almost a fifth of the average lifespan- maybe even a quarter. they didn't remember what it was last, and they had never cared to know in the first place. knowing they had an expiration date and a general idea of when it could be scared them. "i can't. i don't want to- honestly.. i know they're gone for another two weeks and i can wait until tomorrow, but if i wait... i don't think i'll ever do it." robin stood up, grabbing their suitcase from beside the coffeetable and taking their bag off of the hook beside the door. "i'll meet you there, okay?" it was tough, being a rabbit in a world where others could quickly try and take advantage. but they pushed and pushed, trying their hardest to stand up for themself and those around them. the rabbit had their days- the ones where they wanted to stay in their hole where it was safe, where nothing could hurt them. but even still, the white rabbit hopped through the grass without a care in the world.

[ctoastwrites]

why write when you can just hsksgdbsjscvsvdsjs

[ctoastwrites]

an edited and pretty much rewritten version of the first story posted here. (named 20/20 vision in a wattpad draft) now there’s more words :)

-

robin sat perfectly still, staring at the blurry scientist in front of them. the room was uncomfortably bright, the walls, floor, and everything white and sterile. there were no posters or pictures up on the walls, and the most colorful thing to have been in the room was probably robin themself.

no words were spoken between the two for a few minutes, but eventually the scientist spoke up after messing with things on the counter behind her and looking back to robin every few seconds. was she afraid?

"okay. hold on."

the scientist grabbed a small device from a drawer. robin watched with curiosity as she turned it on and walked over to them. it looked like a small light on a stick. they weren't sure what she was going to do.

they'd been restrained, apparently for their own safety, but they knew better. most of the scientists were afraid of getting burned, especially by their hands (which is where it seemed they had the most power and control). their hands were stuck to the arms of the chair they were in, in metal cuffs that would have to be cautiously removed later. robin wasn't planning on burning anyone, but they did think it was silly how they put metal around their hands. they were pretty sure metal was good at getting hot.

"keep your eyes open." the scientist suddenly demanded. they got a glance at the large printed letters on her nametag when she got close. m. williams. they didn't understand what that meant.

they were taken by surprise when the light was shone in their eyes, flinching and leaning as far back as they could. they sat up straight when they noticed 'm. williams' disapproving glare.

"that looks.. normal? what exactly is normal for you..?" she muttered, walking back to her spot and writing something down before picking up a huge rolled up sheet of paper.

"i know you can read, so i'm gonna use this." she unrolled it and it up. it had letters on it, printed smaller and smaller when the lines got closer to the bottom.

she pointed to the top letter. it was big and robin could clearly read it.

"e."

"cool. i wanna get this over with, so.."

she skipped a few lines, to a line of multiple letters that was smaller. this was harder, and robin couldn't see them very well.

"q..? no- wait.."

this went on for a while, with the scientist pointing to different lines and clearly getting frustrated with their lack of progress. they were able to read the first couple lines without too much issue, but couldn't get any further very well. they were starting to get annoyed with themself and felt stressed by her constant judgement. they tapped their hands in the restraints, suddenly stopping when the scientist snapped at them and ordered they quit it.

after a little while longer, she gave up. "whatever." she muttered, taking the sheet down and rolling it up. "you can barely see, so that's all i'm gonna write. not like anyone really cares anyways."

she stuck the poster in a drawer and left with her clipboard, leaving robin by themself. they hated the feeling of being trapped (especially by themself), but knew they couldn't do anything and just had to wait for the right people to come take them back.

they'd just have to wait.

[ctoastwrites]

vine isn’t a word anymore but something goes wrong

robin took in a sharp breath as they felt the only thing underneath them begin to snap. the vines they'd gotten snagged on were small and weak, and robin was hoping- praying, almost -that it'd be strong enough to hold them until the two were found. 

and then it snapped, and robin was left holding onto the fabric of their cloak. they were holding on so tight that their hand was starting to get sore. they had their sword in one hand though, which was even more terrifying. they needed to be able to see, but they also needed that hand to hold them up more. they wanted to switch hands at the least, but couldn’t risk it

"robin-" pastel said, concern rooted deeply in her tone. "-are you okay?" "mhm! fine!" they lied. the button that was meant to clip the two sides of their cape together had fallen out of their hand, clattering on the ground far below. "at least there's a bottom.." they mumbled, looking down. their hand began to slip and they squeaked, readjusting. 

pastel tried to reach out for robin's hand, but was too far to grab them with the way they were. 

"it's okay! rea-really!" "no it's n- robin!"

robin yelped and slipped, screaming as they fell. pastel tried to grab them, but missed and managed to fall as well. - "pastel? robin?" jemma leaned into the hole, searching for the two. she was certain she saw something move a bit further down than she was. being at the top of the pit made her a bit nervous, but was able to deal with it because it didn’t seem too bad. she took note of the side being on a slope- as if it was a home for a huge animal that had either gotten run out or trapped in at one point by the forest.

she heard a noise from the pit as well that sounded like yelling. 

"hey, alex..?" she turned to alex, who was looking around for the being that had lead them there. "yeah?" he turned as well, glancing down the hole. "did you find them?" "maybe." - robin had gotten caught once more, just before they would've smacked into the ground.

pastel broke through a couple of vines before landing on the hard floor with a crack. 

that couldn't have been good. it took robin a moment to get back in order. everything hurt and they couldn't move- but there was ground under them, so if they fell they wouldn't die. probably. robin found that they were actually able to move, it just felt wrong and numb.

a thick thorn had pierced their leg. they pulled it apart with a cry, quickly ripping the strap off their bag off (with some struggling)wrapping it up with the strap from their bag.

they flopped onto the ground, taking a deep breath and hissing at the pain.

they didn't need those ribs anyways. 

they rolled over and slowly got up, stumbling over to pastel and immediately sitting down. they rolled pastel onto her back and cautiously examined her.

oh. oh no. - "how are we supposed to get down there?" alex thought aloud as jemma flipped through her book. "well.." she stopped reading and looked up. "we could just climb down.." "that doesn't sound very safe if we can’t see. just.. keep looking?" alex poked at one of the vines. he was planning on carefully trying to work his way around it.  jemma responded with an “alrighty.” but began to focus her attention on finding a different page that she knew was somewhere. - pastel's arm did not look right at all, and robin was pretty sure she was very unconscious. okay.. gonna.." they gulped and gently grabbed her arm, trying not to hurt her. yeah, no. this was going to hurt. they closed their eyes and held their breath while they tried their best to put the bone back into place. it felt gross, and they needed to take a moment because they didn’t like it.

"ngh.. stay focused! okay, so..." they tried to wake her up.

"pastelllll..." they tapped her. "pastel? wake upppp." they waited for a minute before realizing that pastel wasn't waking up. at all. she didn’t seem to be a very heavy sleeper- at least, she hadn’t been before, and it had probably been long enough that pastel should’ve woken up on her own. or not, they didn’t know because they were in the bottom of a hole.

"pastel..? c'mon! wake up!" they were less gentle this time, shaking her. 

nothing was working. they put their ear to her mouth and then her chest, listening for something. and yet there was nothing. they shot up and gulped, tears pricking at their eyes as their brain could only come up with one logical conclusion.

no! "pastel! c'mon, you gotta get up! please!" they whined. they sounded like a hurt child, panicked and afraid. "please!" they couldn't quite remember what they were supposed to do. their head throbbed and everything felt fuzzy aside from the sharp pain. "pastel!" they sobbed, continuing to shake her. "please! nononononono-" tears streamed down their face. "no! don’t! c'mon, get up!" robin stopped begging, but only because they couldn't anymore. they coughed and gasped because everything hurt and was scary and they could feel their lungs and ribs aching, yet they couldn't bring themself to calm down enough to breathe properly. "please!" they wailed, leaning over pastel and staring down at her with blurry vision due to both tears and the inability to see right in general. "god, this is my fault.." robin was able to quiet down to confess their thoughts. "i should- i should've waited for alex and jemma and you to actually be ready but noooo! i had to go and be stupid and get distracted and wander off." they were angry at themself. "should've been me." the last part was hardly audible, but it left the air feeling tense and full of hate- even just for themself. "i'm so stupid.. fucking- dammit!" they practically screamed, slamming their hands down with a spark. they weren't paying attention, and managed to catch pastel in the flash of energy as well.

pastel gasped and opened her eyes, coughing as she tried to catch her breath and calm her racing heart.  

"huh..?" 

robin blinked a couple times, unsure of what had just happened but grateful nonetheless.

"oh my god. oh my god, ohmygodohmygod thank you-" robin cried, scooping pastel up and hugging her close. "i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm so sorry please forgive me-" 

"ow.." was all pastel said in response, her injured body being squished in what felt like a hungry snake's grip. 

"aaa! i'm sorry!" they put her back down and lifted their hands. "what happene- ow!" pastel tried to sit up, but it didn't quite work. "just.. stay still?" they tried to give a reassuring smile, but they felt like shit. "okay." she nodded and got as comfortable as she could on the cold dirt, trusting the more alert robin to know what they should do. the two stayed silent for a while before pastel spoke up again.

"you were crying, right..? what's wrong?"   - "jemma.. i think we're just going to have to be careful." alex sighed in frustration. “jemma?” he turned around and looked for where she had gone. oh god no-

“sorry!” jemma emerged from behind a tree with something glowing in her hands. “it started to get away from me.”

alex sighed once more, relieved. he knew what jemma did, as she’d done it many times before. she’d ‘magicked’ some sort of light ball that was almost like a firefly.

“i would’ve had it made sooner, but i keep forgetting that last word.”

“that’s... fine. it’s alright, thank you. that’ll be helpful.”

jemma smiled at alex. she knew he was stressed and worried, so she didn’t expect him to be as cheery as usual.

they hadn't found an alternate way in, which meant they'd have to carefully climb down the vines. alex explained this to jemma, but now with the addition of they could actually see.

"i'm good with that." jemma said, standing and stretching. to be honest, she would’ve preferred a nice staircase that didn’t have a drop that was god knows how high, but the slope made her feel better. maybe she could roll down if she fell. "of course you are." -

robin had explained what had happened and how sorry they were, voice trembling as they spoke. "i'm ssss-so sorry." at this point, the two had managed to find (most) of the damage. pastel had gotten quite a few deep cuts and some broken bones. robin was the same- but was perfectly and completely alive. robin felt bad. pastel shouldn't have gotten hurt at all, and now she was stuck on the ground because she was in pain and had nearly died. or.. had she? had this been a resurrection or just waking her up? "shut up." she mumbled, gently smacking robin's face. she didn’t really blame them, and she knew they only meant well.  "okay." robin nodded and sat quietly, pulling their knees up. their leg still hurt pretty bad. pastel had tried to heal both of them, but it didn't work out too well. "hey!" there was a shout from a familiar voice above the two. "alex..?" pastel groaned. robin looked up. "where are you?" alex called out. "down here?" robin squeaked. they weren't sure. pastel just waved her good arm, but it wasn't very helpful. "well where is down here?" jemma chimed in. she didn’t want to let the light fall.

robin could see their silhouettes and tried their best to throw a rock at one of them. it didn't work out well as they were rather weak, but it got jemma's attention. "heyy- oh, i see ya!" jemma hopped down with a roll before popping up. "jemma!" alex hissed, carefully climbing down. there was a moment of quiet observation before alex mumbled an "oh.. shit." -

the four got back up with quite a bit of difficulty. alex tried his best to help with it, but they did have to go to the town's doctor. he wasn't good with magic, and jemma was working on it. the two did begin to heal, though. pastel wasn't able to use her right hand or walk (robin hadn't noticed her broken ankle) and robin had a noticeable limp as well as an occasional bit of trouble breathing. alex warned robin against doing that again, but understood that what had happened was probably warning enough. he didn’t mean to be harsh, but he wasn’t sure how robin would take any of it, they accepted it, and sat in shame when he did so. they felt terrible, but wasn't wanting to seem like it. pastel didn't blame them. they didn't know that was going to happen. and if anything, pastel did take a bit of the blame for having been the one to suggest they follow the animal.

there was an unofficial agreement between the two to just be both at fault for that. pastel was the one to enforce this because she didn’t want robin to just take everything and shove it in a box in the back of their mind.

the two healed eventually, and were able to go back on adventures after a while.

[ctoastwrites]

guess who starts fixing smth so it'll look good on tumblr and then i never post it??? that's right, it's me!!

[ctoastwrites]

goop monster thing p1

pastel was wiping down the sinks, humming along to the quiet music that came from her phone.

and then there was a scream and a slam.

not from her, of course.

pastel rushed to the kitchen, defensively holding a mop.

and despite the panic, all that was there was robin, backed against the counter and holding out a spatula they'd grabbed.

"are you okay?" she inched closer, relaxing and holding the mop normally. robin whipped around, dropping the spatula on the counter.

"there! there was a- a- an- uh" they stammered, trying to get out the words as they panted. "a thhh- thing!"

pastel quirked an eyebrow. "a thing..? where?"

robin pointed to the drive-through window- the slamming had been them shutting it with force. "there! the- the thing had- it reached in, and it was going to grab me! it's dark out! and i couldn't really see it.. but it was there! i'm nnnnh- not crazy! i promise!"

"oh.." she didn't know how to respond. something reached in to grab robin? she didn't take this as a joke, considering how panicked robin seemed. "nobody said you were, okay? why don't you go get something to drink and sit at the counter for a bit?" the two would still be able to see each other just fine, considering pastel would have to watch the window.

robin gulped and considered it. "okay."

pastel went over to the window, getting ready to open it a bit.

then she noticed the blackened liquid on the windowsill.

she wiped at it with the nearest rag, picking up the sticky goop.

what the heck..?

taking a deep breath and deciding that it was probably just something spilled by last shift (and that it could've been what freaked out her probably sleep deprived pal if it had stuck to their sleeve), she reopened the window and got settled.

robin was sitting on the counter now, drinking water and watching pastel cautiously.

-

once robin was done they decided to take their spot once again. pastel went back to cleaning, the thought of "maybe i should've stayed in there" lingering in the back of her mind.

robin didn't have much more trouble with the... thing.

they were embarrassed for getting so worked up about something they had probably imagined. so, they were mentally beating themself up over it.

"stupid.." they rambled, immediately stopping when they heard a clatter in the lobby. "pastel..?"

they grabbed their phone and turned on the flashlight, closing the window and hopping over the counter to check out what the noise was.

"this isn't funny!" they complained, quickly flashling the light over everything.

"what isn't funny?" pastel asked, now behind robin.

they hit her in the head by accident.

"ow! what was that for?"

"oh! oh my god- i'm so sorry!"

pastel had leaned over to rub her head, closing her eyes. when she reopened them and looked up, her face fell. "don't move." she stared down whatever was behind them.

"what? why?" robin backed up and turned around, the light revealing a mass that loomed over them.

robin's eyes went wide and they stumbled back, falling to the ground as they bit back another scream.

pastel jumped back, close to panicking as well.

robin was panicking, trying to scoot away from the blob that inched closer- and then grabbed onto their shoe.

pastel yelped and grabbed robin's abandoned cup before filling it with water, throwing the cold liquid at their shoe in hopes of getting it off.

the being shrieked and pulled away, seemingly shrinking. pastel gasped and hurried to do it again while robin attempted to get to their feet.

it took pastel a couple tries- and chasing the mass around -but eventually it escaped through a vent.

pastel took a few deep breaths. robin was behind her, shakily holding another cup of water. they were spilling some, seeming ready to start hyperventilating again. "uhhm.."

"we're leaving." she stated with the last sliver of confidence she had.

"but.. thhh- there's a mess and-"

"it's okay, we gotta go."

robin gathered their things quickly, shoving their and pastel's hats and aprons into their bag. they were wearing their sweater again, and pastel was wearing a pink jacket.

after calming down enough to drive, robin took the two to The House(tm) while pastel called the manager. she wasn't happy to be woken up at two with some silly monster story and one of her employees saying they closed early, but said she'd look at the tapes in the morning.

at least she tried to understand. perhaps she thought she was asleep.

pastel hung up and sighed, melting into the comfortable passenger's seat.

"i don't wanna go back." robin softly stated, turning into their street.

pastel opened her eyes and looked over to robin. "what do you mean?"

"i know that that thing's gone. for now. but what if-" robin made sure they were stopped in the driveway before continuing. they weren't about to start freaking out again and hit a mailbox.

"what if it comes back? or what if there's more!?" robin turned quickly, seatbelt locking up. "and then- and then we could get hurt! what if it learns, and then we won't be able to stop it? or- or- or it'll follow us! oh god, what if it-"

"robin. shut the heck up for a moment and breathe."

pastel was tired, and didn't mean for it to come out that harsh.

robin nodded anyways, leaning back into the seat and taking a moment.

"'m stuck."

pastel laughed. she had heard the familiar 'click!' of the seatbelt locking, but wasn't sure if robin noticed or not. clearly not.

"unbuckle your seatbelt then." she smiled, taking off her own and sitting up.

they were confused, but did that- and groaned once they realized how stupid that had been.

pastel practically cackled, getting out of the car before robin could elbow her or smack her with their sleeve.

robin soon followed, leaving the bag in the car. pastel had The House(tm) key, so they went inside after her.

robin and pastel decided to stay in the living room, robin on the couch and pastel in the chair. both had some trouble sleeping, instead sitting quietly and softly talking.

-

jemma yawned, heading down the stairs to put her shoes on and leave for class.

alex followed, feeling much better than he had the night before.

he went to go sit down on the couch, but stopped when he noticed the two.

"jemma-" alex started with a smirk. "-come take a picture.."

robin was quietly asleep, curled up on one cushion of the couch. pastel had managed to move to the couch sometime during the night as well, because she took up the rest of it.

the two slept until afternoon, which was more than enough time for jemma and alex to save a few pictures.

robin and pastel were none the wiser- that is, until jemma sent both the pictures when she was halfway through her class.

alex played dumb, but couldn't keep it up for long. he eventually broke and happily confessed to being the one to suggest taking a picture (or two. or three.)

it seemed to turn out much better than robin thought it would be. the two were at home, peacefully resting.

then again, alex was probably going to be a little upset when he found out they abandoned the store.