junglekarmapippa

[junglekarmapippa]

V is for vomit

RJ heard Casey retching from the bathroom and ran from the kitchen to the bathroom. He found his student bent over the basin, effectively emptying the contents of his stomach in the toilet.

RJ ran his hand up and down his back, trying to reassure him. "You're okay, you're okay," he whispered. Casey finished vomiting and leaned against the wall.

"I'm going to die." he moaned.

"You're not going to die," RJ said as he flushed the toilet. "Stay sat for now, okay? I've got you. You'll be fine."

At that second, Lily started retching from her bathroom. "I'll be right back," RJ told Casey and ran to Lily's bathroom

"He picked her hair back in a ponytail with his feast, making sure to keep it away from the vomit. Lily also lay her forehead on the basin and moaned:

"I haven't even eaten anything..." she whispered, her voice sounding defeated.

RJ found a scrunchie for her hair, and sat to braid her hair back, as he rubbed her back trying to comfort her too.

"It won't be forever, you'll be fine." He reassured her. He helped her lean against the wall, and ran to Theo, who was retching and copiously vomiting in RJ's bathroom.

"Theo!" RJ got next to him and also ran his hand up and down his back. He also left Theo to wait for the next wave of vomiting, laying against the wall.

All three looked very tired and uncomfortable.

He went back to the kitchen where he was preparing a concoction of ginger, peppermint, and camomile, desperate to bring them some comfort.

The poisonus spider Rinshi had managed to bite all three of them and RJ prayed the effects would disappear on their own, because if it didn't, he'd have to go to the Pai Zhua library to look for antidotes.

The doorbell of the loft rang and he went to open it. He was beyong happy to see Fran..

"How are they?" She asked, handing RJ a bag full of rehydration solutions in a variety of flavors.

"They have been vomiting all night. I can't get anything to stay in, I'm making them a tea for the nausea but I don't know if it will work.

They walked to the kitchen with the three mugs were cooling on the bar.

"Can you take this one to Lily? RJ asked. "And a cherry solution, she'll love it."

"I'm on it," Fran said, grabbing the cup and the bottle of solution.

"Remember she has to drink them slowly.

"Yes, boss," Fran replied and went to Lily's bathroom.

RJ grabbed a mug and a coconut solution and went to Casey. The boy looked exhausted laying against the wall. He approached him.

"Case," he said. This made Casey retch and bend over the toilet again. The dry heaving had begun, and now it was just the physical pain fo the violent retching but his stomach was empty.

He helped Casey lean against the wall and put the mug and bottle next to him.

"Take them slowly, okay? one and then the other. Slowly or you will vomit them, okay?"

"Okay..." Casey answered weakly.

RJ went back to the kitchen and grabbed the other mug and a raspberry solution and went to Theo. Theo was almost asleep, and in that moment, the dry heaving started again and he bent over the toilet but had absolutely nothing to throw up. RJ ran his hand up and down Theo's back and helped him lay back again.

"Here," he said, showing him the mug and solution. Drink them slowly, okay?" Theo barely nodded.

RJ went back to the common area and found Fran-

"RJ, they can't be in this condition," Fran said, her voice full of worry.

"If I bring them to lay down in the hammocks out here, can you look after them for a bit while I go to the Academy and see if I need a particular antidote for this Rin Shi?"

"Of course!"

With Fran's help, they set up three hammocks, and RJ showed his master superhuman strength by taking each of his students and putting them in a hammock.

"Fran will take care of you while I go to the Academy to look for an antidote for that spider Rin Shi. Try to rest, okay? Drink you tea and solutions slowly, okay?

"Okay," they all said weakly.

"RJ," Casey called weakly. "What if the Rin Shi comes back? What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry about that, I've got it covered. I need you three to rest as much as you can, okay?"

Neither RJ nor Fran got any sleep, but the combo of ginger, peppermint, and chamomile seemed to have worked, and the three exhausted rangers spent soundly through the night.

RJ spent the night going from one to the other, making sure there was no fever or anything else. AFter each round, he would sit with Fran and they'd talk about the book she was reading.

"Fran," RJ said, in his sleep deprived state. "Would you like to know what your animal spirit is?"

Fram let out a chuckle. "It's probably some kind of ridiculous bird like a goose," she joked.

"it's a rat."

"A rat?" Fran looked disappointed.

"Hey, the rat is a spirit in the Pai Zhua council. They are strong, and very intelligent, they learn quickly, they're very loyal, strong for their size, fearless... Rats make for great animal spirits."

"Well, if you put it like that," she said.

He hugged her. This night would have been even more of a nightmare without you, Fran. Thanks for being here."

"Let's hope the drinks work and they stop vomiting."

In that moment, Casey jumped out of his hammock and ran to the bathroom, and they could hear him vomiting the little tea and solution he had drunk.

RJ looked at Fran. "Make us some coffee. Looks like we're going to need it."

And with that, he went to Casey and started rubbing his back again.

"You're alright. It's alright."

"I'm going to die," Casey whined.

"You're okay. You're going to be fine." RJ kept rubbing Casey's back. "You're all going to be fine."

[junglekarmapippa]

RJ farmed ALL the aura and never let it go.

every 6th ranger FARMS aura

[junglekarmapippa]

U is for Uplift

RJ sat on his chair, his gaze lost in the floor of the loft.

He was worried. Very worried.

The rangers had barely made any effort winning their last battle and he was fearing they were getting too complacent.

And because when it rains, it pours, the restaurant was also in peril, this time from the bank. keeping up with all the loses the rangers were causing, as well as the fear for the area the constant monster attacks had cut his clientele in half.

They were becoming very strong warriors, but their training wasn't occurring in a vacuum like it would in the Academy.

He drank the last of his cold tea in one gulp, and got up to take the empty mug to the kitchen, noticing he was dragging his feet.

No amount of meditation or positive thinking could hide the battle may be slipping out of their hands.

As he watched the mug, he heard the others say good night to Fran and come upstairs.

"and I think I finally have enough for those badass red sneakers I saw at the store!" Casey was excitedly telling his friends.

"You've had your eyes on those for a while!" Lily exclaimed happily. "So cool you finally get to buy them!"

"Perhaps you should invest that money more wisely," Theo suggested.

"Or he can buy something that makes him happy, Theo!" Lily chided.

RJ watched them in silence from the kitchen. They were in very good spirits and he couldn't help but smile for Casey buying his new sneakers.

"What about you, Theo? What do you want to save for?" Casey asked.

Theo's cheeks went red. "I haven't decided yet," he said.

RJ knew he wanted to buy Lily a special necklace she had pointed out the last time they were at the mall, that cost a bit more than Casey's sneakers.

"What about you, Lily?" RJ asked, walking towards them.

"I found this amazing dance equipment stores and they have beautiful pointe shoes! I haven't worn them in years but I'm sure it will be like riding a bike!"

"Oh, sounds great," the mentor said, unable to contain a smile anymore.

"And you, Master?" Casey asked, mocking RJ with the title.

"I don't know yet," RJ said. "I was thinking a proper computer is long overdue," he added, pointing to his old, second-hand computer.

"That sounds like a great plan!" Casey said.

"Are you guys hungry?" Lily asked, walking to the kitchen.

"Yes," the three men replied, walking behind her. They all helped making the dinner and sat to eat together.

The other three shared stories about the customers for the day, but RJ barely noticed their words, soaking instead in their joy and carefreeness. The longer they talked, being enthusiastic even about fighting again the beast that had escaped earlier, the more RJ felt his mood uplifted.

They would never know how happy it made him to have them there. How even the darkest skies disappeared when they celebrated completing an exercise or winning a sparring match.

They'd never know how much better their sole presence made him feel.

After dinner, RJ grabbed the plates and took them to the sink.

"Okay, it's getting late, so off to sleep, all of you," he instructed.

He stayed doing the dishes and soon found himself humming a tune, his mood irrevocably uplifted.

[junglekarmapippa]

Writing Description Notes:

Updated 9th September 2024 More writing tips, review tips & writing description notes

Facial Expressions

Masking Emotions

Smiles/Smirks/Grins

Eye Contact/Eye Movements

Blushing

Voice/Tone

Body Language/Idle Movement

Thoughts/Thinking/Focusing/Distracted

Silence

Memories

Happy/Content/Comforted

Love/Romance

Sadness/Crying/Hurt

Confidence/Determination/Hopeful

Surprised/Shocked

Guilt/Regret

Disgusted/Jealous

Uncertain/Doubtful/Worried

Anger/Rage

Laughter

Confused

Speechless/Tongue Tied

Fear/Terrified

Mental Pain

Physical Pain

Tired/Drowsy/Exhausted

Eating

Drinking

Warm/Hot

[junglekarmapippa]

When your Character...

Gets into: A Fight ⚜ ...Another Fight ⚜ ...Yet Another Fight

Hates Someone ⚜ Kisses Someone ⚜ Falls in Love

Calls Someone they Love ⚜ Dies / Cheats Death ⚜ Drowns

is...

A Ballerina ⚜ A Child ⚜ Interacting with a Child ⚜ A Cheerleader

A Cowboy ⚜ A Genius ⚜ A Lawyer ⚜ A Pirate ⚜ A Spy

A Wheelchair User ⚜ A Zombie ⚜ Beautiful ⚜ Dangerous ⚜ Drunk

Funny ⚜ In a Coma ⚜ In a Secret Society ⚜ Injured ⚜ Shy

needs...

A Magical Item ⚜ An Aphrodisiac ⚜ A Fictional Poison

A Coping Strategy ⚜ A Drink ⚜ A Medicinal Herb ⚜ A Mentor

Money ⚜ A Persuasion Tactic ⚜ A Quirk ⚜ To be Killed Off

To Become Likable ⚜ To Clean a Wound ⚜ To Self-Reflect

To Find the Right Word, but Can't ⚜ To Say No ⚜ To Swear

loves...

Astronomy ⚜ Baking ⚜ Cooking ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Food ⚜ Oils

Dancing ⚜ Fashion ⚜ Gems ⚜ Herbal Remedies ⚜ Honey

Mushrooms ⚜ Mythology ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Perfumes

Roses ⚜ Sweets ⚜ To Argue ⚜ To Insult ⚜ To Kiss

To Make False Claims ⚜ Wine ⚜ Wine-Tasting ⚜ Yoga

has/experiences...

Allergies ⚜ Amnesia ⚜ Bereavement ⚜ Bites & Stings

Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ CO Poisoning ⚜ Color Blindness

Facial Hair ⚜ Fainting ⚜ Fevers ⚜ Food Allergies

Food Poisoning ⚜ Fractures ⚜ Frostbite ⚜ Hypothermia

Injuries ⚜ Jet Lag ⚜ Kidnapping ⚜ Manipulation ⚜ Mutism

Pain ⚜ Paranoia ⚜ Poisoning ⚜ More Pain & Violence

Scars ⚜ Trauma ⚜ Viruses ⚜ Wounds

[these are just quick references. more research may be needed to write your story...]

Writing Resources PDFs

[junglekarmapippa]

T is for Tramp

Casey, Theo, Lily, and Dom were woken very early by RJ tramping all over the loft, his heavy footsteps making Casey wonder if he had turned into a werewolf again.

Casey dragged himself out of the room he shared with Theo towards the common area, where he found RJ setting up five color-coded backpacks with what seemed like random stuff from the loft to Casey.

"RJ, what are you doing?" Casey asked.

The Master stopped and smiled. "Good! you're awake! Go get the others, it's gonna get late."

"Late for what?"

"We're going hiking. There's a new tramp that goes from the forest to the beach and has a fantastic view! We're going to have so much fun!"

"A new tramp?"

"Yes, a new trail. Go on, go wake the others!"

Casey turned back to the sleeping quarters and opened the door to his room. Theo was already awake.

"Great, get ready for the new tramp," Casey told him, and turned around to exit the room.

"The new WHAT?" Theo called after him.

"Tramp!" Casey replied from the outside of Lily's door. He knocked on the yellow door.

"Lil, you awake? RJ wants us to go on a hike," Casey said.

"I'll be right there," Lily called from the inside.

Finally, Casey walked to Dom's hammock, where the white ranger was deeply asleep, Casey thought he probably had spent all night reading.

He shook the blonde man softly. "Dom?" Dom grunted softly but didn't wake up. "Dom?" he said again, shaking him harder.

Dominic opened one eye. "Rinshi?"

"I wish. RJ wants us to go explore a new tramp."

"Hiking?!" Dom asked.

"Yes. That's why he's been stomping all over the loft.

They got ready, had breakfast, grabbed their backpacks, and RJ drove them to the start of the trail.

"The trail is really long, so we can take our time. It will be a tramp to get to the beach, but the long walk will be worth it."

The grabbed their backpacks and started walking. After a few minutes of silence, CAsey turned to Dom.

"So, wanna tell us stories about your times as a tramp?"

"oh, well, you know, the usual. Getting paid for odd jobs, travelling freely. Going from town to town, some times staying longer. It was all very interesting, wouldn't change it for anything." He pointed at RJ. "Now, this one, this one has a great story of when he was a tramp."

"yes, I walked away from my parents and with that, from their fortune, but I managed to make it for about a month, pretty much same as Dom. Different is I had a fully paid college tuition -that may have been my father saying sorry or mom trying to save me- but I still wanted to work. I found this Italian restaurant owned by a lovely couple, Bernadino and his wife Ginevra. They took me in and taught me everything I know about cooking Italian food. They ended my days of tramping," the wolf master recalled with a tender smile.

After some walking with light conversation, Theo turned to Dom and RJ: "What about stories of you being tramps tramps."

"OH, no. Those stories will be shared after you can drink something from the alcohol cabinet," RJ replied, him and Dom sharing a laugh with Theo.

They finally made it out if the woods and to the top of a cliff. A ship could be seen in the distance. It wasn't rare to see tramp steamers and other boats close to the beaches of Ocean Bluff.

They all gathered to enjoy the view.

"Wow," Casey said. "You were right, this was totally worth the hike."

They gathered, enjoying the spectacle nature was giving them. After a few minutes, RJ spoke.

"It's a tramp to the bottom, but the beach here is insane! We can relax for a day!"

Note: I challenged myself to fit as many meaning of the word Tramp in this chapter, just for shits and giggles, which is why the word is used so often.

[junglekarmapippa]

S is for Scroll

RJ finished dressing and walked out of his room to find Fran waiting for him, her eyes on a book as usual. Dom and Casey were in the kitchenette drinking coffee and chatting softly.

"Ready, Fran?" RJ asked, making the girl look up.

"Yes, boss!" She said happily, putting the book in her bag.

He grabbed the keys from the holder and walked towards the door. "Come on, let's go."

"Where are you going?" Dom asked from the kitchen.

"Andrew Hartford is showing some of his collection at the Natural History Museum. Tons of stuff he recovered from the area," RJ answered, giving no explanation of why he was taking Fran and nobody else.

Fran and RJ made their way to the exhibit and were happy to learn Andrew Hartford had a talk later that day and they could buy tickets for it.

They walked around the exhibit, surprised at what Andrew Hartford had found. Very little of it was from the big archeological sites in the world. Andrew had made it his life mission to explore other areas and discover more of human history.

"He found these in London!" Fran said, pointing at an exhibition box containing coins, jewels, and a human femur.

The exhibit was created around the centerpieces: The Corona Aurora, with all five gems, and all the other relics his team had recovered in the process of getting the Corona back.

Fran was immediately drawn to that and moved immediately to the queue to see them, while RJ continued to scan the area.

After a couple of minutes, there it was. Hanging between two panes of glass that protected it from everything was the Pai Zhua's Scroll about the Crystal eyes.

Everything was on it: who were the Phantom Beast, where they died, where the Crystal Eyes were. No suggestions about defeating them, though.

Underneath, a sign from the museum said that Andrew Hartford had found five of the supposed eight existing Crystal Eyes and he had searched all around the area where they were supposed to be, according to the scroll, but couldn't recover them.

RJ focused on reading the scroll, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Robert?" He turned around to find Andrew Hartford next to him.

"Uncle Andrew!" RJ said warmly and hugged the man.

RJ's dad and Andrew Hartford had been doing business for ages, and RJ had grown up seeing him around the house, one of his father's closest friend, who took the title of "uncle" from a young RJ many, many years ago.

"So, did you like the exhibit?" Andrew asked,

"I haven't seen it yet," RJ dismissed. "Uncle Andrew, where did you find this scroll?" He asked, pointing at the relic.

"Not far from here, actually. Why?"

"It belongs to the Academy," RJ told him. Neither he nor his father had ever given Andrew too many details about the Pai Zhua but sometimes Andrew would find a relic that belonged to the Academy, so he was told it existed.

That day, he had six relics that belonged to the Order of the Claw.

"I figured it might," Andrew replied, looking at the scroll himself.

"I need it. I need the information on it," RJ said.

"You can read it?"

"It's ancient Chinese. I learned at the Academy." RJ's gaze fell on the exhibited Crystal Eyes. "Are those the originals of the eyes?" RJ asked.

"Of course not," Andrew replied under his breath. "Do you need the eyes?"

"I just need you to keep them safe for tonight. The stars will align and if it touches them, the Phantom Beasts trapped inside will escape, or resuscitate, you know the drill."

"They are in our safest vault," Andrew said. "But if the Academy can keep them better, I'd have no problem handing them over."

"Do you still have your team?" RJ asked, looking for Fran in the crowd around the Corona Aurora and not finding her.

"They're one call away. Why? What do you need?"

"There's three more Crystal Eyes. If you can't find them, that means Dai-- the bad guys have them. Having another team ready to go just in case would be nice."

"I'll make the call," Andrew said, needing no more explanation.

In that moment, Fran made her way back to RJ. In her usual breathless style she said: There you are! You have to see the Corona Aurora, it's unlike anything I've ever seen! And they found something from Atlantis! ATLANTIS! You have to--" She stopped mid-thought when she saw Andrew Hartford. "Andrew Hartford! Oh, my god! I have read all of your books. You are the greatest relic hunter in history! Your latest book about the gems of the Corona was a real page-turner--"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ reminded her.

"I'm sorry, that was so embarrassing."

"This is Fran," RJ introduced. "She's my right hand at the restaurant, and, as you can see, a big fan of yours."

"I see," Andrew commented with a smile. He grabbed a book from a nearby exhibit and signed it for her: "To Fran, who has so much wonder in her eyes, she forgets to breathe."

"Thank you so much, sir! This is the first signed book I've ever owned!" Fran said, looking at the book like it was her firstborn.

"RJ, why don't you enjoy the rest of the exhibit. I'll have everything set up as you asked. I'll up the security around the... items until you tell me danger has passed."

"Thanks, Uncle Andrew."

"Say my hello to your dad."

"Will do!"

RJ turned to Fran who was looking at him like he had grown tentacles. "Show me the Corona Aurora, I hear it's mesmerizing," RJ requested, but Fran didn't move. "Fran?"

"Uncle Andrew?! UNCLE Andrew?!"

[junglekarmapippa]

Q is for Quit

RJ was in a great mood that day.

Sure, his rangers had had trouble defeating the current Dai Shi demon, but he trusted them and knew they would win eventually.

He picked a song from the jukebox, fixed his pants and sleeves, and then let the music guide him into a relaxing and fun dance session.

He jumped and turned halfway around, landing on his knee, and that was when he saw Theo, sitting on his exercise ball, his gaze lost.

"Theo?" RJ asked, walking towards him. He waved his hand in front of Theo's face but got no reaction. Finally, he used his bare foot to softly push Theo off the exercise ball and onto a bunch of cushions next to him.

"I pay you for working, right?" RJ asked

"Yes," Theo said, sounding defeated.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" RJ insisted. Theo nodded in silence. "Are you going to work?" RJ asked with a hand gesture.

"Why bother? You can find someone better," Theo replied.

RJ took a moment to consider the suggestion. "Possibly. But right now, I've got you."

"Yeah, too bad for you."

"What are you saying?" RJ asked.

"Fire me," Theo asked.

"No. If you want to do this, you do it. You say the words."

"I quit," Theo said without any effort.

RJ stood there for a moment looking at him. The young man in front of him was not Theo, or maybe, this was the most Theo he had ever seen Theo, destroyed over one mistake. "Is this about the battle with Gecko?"

"He made fool of me."

"Yes, he did. You ate mat, HARD. I watched it on all the screens, it was ugly. I recorded it, played it back, still ugly." RJ took a moment to look at his student. "You're not going to let that stop you, are you?" he asked. Theo simply nodded his head. "That's it, we're going on a road trip, help me with my chair."

"You CHAIR?!"

It hadn't been easy to take the chair from the loft to the back of the jeep, but they managed. RJ then brought a small icebox and put it next to the chair.

He got on the driver's side. "Get in, loser, we're going training," he told Theo.

Theo dragged himself towards the other seat and put on his seatbelt.

RJ drove them out of the garage and towards the edge of the forest.

"You know, losing is something that happens to everybody," RJ started.

"I know that," Theo said. "It's not the loss that got me."

"Then what was it? The humiliation?" Theo didn't respond. "Pardon me, but I don't think you were taught how to fight on the side of a building without any equipment."

"Still..."

"Still what? If you never learned the skill, you don't have it."

"I know similar skills," Theo whispered. "He made me look like an idiot, and in front of--"

"Lily," RJ completed.

"And Casey," Theo added.

"I don't think you care about Casey's opinion as much as you do Lily's," RJ said, with a smirk he couldn't hold back.

"It's not funny, RJ!" Theo complained.

RJ forced his face back into a serious expression. "I'm sorry," he said honestly. "But, Theo, this is going to keep happening. Sometimes the monsters will be badder and meaner, and there's nothing you can do about it. You are a very skilled fighter, you just need a little--"

"Stature?" Theo completed bitterly, looking away from RJ, towards the forest.

"Confidence," his Master completed, parking the car. "Help me with the chair."

"What are we doing here?" Theo asked him as he dragged himself to help RJ with the chair.

"I plan to tire you down and leave you behind so you can find the way home with breadcrumbs, obviously," RJ said, his face completely serious.

"I'm serious, RJ."

"So am I," the Master said. He put a hand on Theo's shoulder. "Come on, let's get you out of this bad funk. You're not making anybody, except perhaps Gecko, happy with these low spirits."

[junglekarmapippa]

Little dino says no needless guilt! We should be allowed to live our lives without feeling guilty about everything!

Chibird store | Positive pin club | Webtoon  

[junglekarmapippa]

R is for Repair

RJ waited for his tea to be ready while looking at Casey.

Earlier that day, he had asked him to train him "more", whatever that meant. RJ had made him promise to do anything he asked for, and so far, the student had been quite obedient.

Trying not to laugh while Casey gave him a shoulder rub had almost killed him, but it had been so worth it.

RJ blamed him for breaking his chair -technically, RJ himself broke it by sending Casey flying across the loft into the chair- and ordered him to fix it.

As he made himself some tea, his brain already planning Casey's next task, he watched Casey turn the heavy chair and stare at the mechanism, trying to see how it worked.

That was one of Casey's greatest strengths. He could look at things or situations and reverse engineer them, to figure out how to make them work or disarm them.

He saw Casey pick up a pair of pliers and try to force something under teh chair, RJ couldn't tell what from where he was standing.

"This coil has to be latched... here... and then this piece goes... over here? No..." Casey muttered to himself as he familirized with the chair mechanics.

RJ grabbed his mug and made his way to Casey.

"How's it going?" He asked.

"Well, the good thing everything here is in good shape so it's not as hard to fix it."

"Yeah, when I got it, everything down there was at least 30 years old. I had to replace everything."

"Had you done it before?" Casey asked, taking a moment to look at him.

"No, but I was very meticulous while taking it apart. You and Lily make fun of Theo and Fran for being methodical and meticulous, but that's how you win some of the races. Paying close attention to what you're doing."

"I'm still trying to figure out what this thing here does," Casey said, pointing at a piece.

"Oh, don't worry about that," RJ dismissed.

"It looks important."

"It's not broken."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"What does it do?"

"It turns on the teleporter," RJ said, pointing at the huge hole in the wall right next to them.

"Sorry I asked," Casey said,m with a smile.

"Do you think you can work in silence so I can do some light meditation?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Great!" RJ got up to find his yoga mat. He set it on the floor next to Casey and sat down to meditate. Casey did his best to remain silent, but the master could still hear him grunting and sighing, as his tools clanked and scraped.

After a while, he heard Casey say: "There, it's fixed! And my forearms will never be the same again!"

RJ's mouth briefly turned into a smirk Casey couldn't see.

"I was thinking maybe we can do some one-on-one training."

It took every inch of RJ's self-control not to laugh as he said: "Yeah, why don't you wash my yoga mat? I think there's something growing in it."

"Wash your yoga mat?!"

RJ raised his fingers and his eyebrows. "Whatever I say," He reminded.

He left Casey there, struggling with how disgusted of the mat he was.

That wasn't even RJ's yoga mat. He had found that somewhere in the messy garage of the building. Casey should have known because it was white.

RJ's yoga mat was purple.

And he washed it himself religiously every single Sunday.

[junglekarmapippa]

Some close ups/details of my favorite looks from Georges Hobeika Couture Fall 2025 collection

[junglekarmapippa]

And that's just before you finish it.

[junglekarmapippa]

Q is for Quarrel

"You are UNBELIEVABLE!" Casey yelled at the top of his lungs, throwing his shark sabers to the side.

"Casey..." RJ started in a clearly warning tone.

"You said you HATED the shark technique!"

"And I did. I do."

"Oh, you just happen to be marvelous at it by the grace of God, then!"

RJ didn't want to engage. He had better things to invest his energy in and he didn't like getting angry in general. But Casey was, once again, going too far.

"IS ANYTHING YOU EVER TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF TRUE?!" Casey yelled again.

That blew RJ's temper off. Nobody, especially not one of his students, called him a liar. "ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING I TELL YOU ABOUT ME IS TRUE!"

Casey looked at him, his expression clearly letting him know his student didn't believe him, and that just made RJ angrier.

"I don't exactly go around opening up about myself to everybody I meet," he started. "So when I open up to you, know it is a rare thing and that I am trusting you much more than anybody else."

Casey stood there in silence. "And yet, you keep so much hidden."

"I am not your boyfriend, Casey! I owe you NOTHING!" RJ spat. "I shouldn't even be your friend."

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"I am your MASTER!" RJ yelled. "And you are my student. My own Masters would rather die than let me know anything about themselves."

"I thought we were friends!" Casey said, sounding hurt.

"And I think trying to be your friend is the worst mistake I ever made as a Master."

"You don't mean that," Casey insisted. "You don't mean that!"

"I am your Master! Legally, I am your FATHER! I shouldn't be trying to make friends with any of you."

"Our father?"

"Yes. Your foster father..."

"So that's what we are to you? A box of kittens you picked up from an alley?"

"You are my Pai Zhua Students. And my employees. And my children. You can never... You will never be my friends."

Casey stood there frozen. He looked like he was about to cry. RJ stood in front of him, breathing to regain his calm, his face blank of any expression.

"Pick up your sabers," RJ ordered, his voice cold.

"Yes, Master," Casey whispered before moving to do as he was told.

"The shark technique was one in a long list of techniques I had to learn after becoming a Master," RJ explained while Casey picked up his sabers. "Go get washed, you have a shift at the restaurant."

Casey started walking away, but then he stopped and turned. "You were the only friend I had. You know that, right? You were my only friend."

"I am not your friend."

"It's too late for that."

The silence hung between them, thick and painful.

"Go," RJ said again. "Get ready for your shift."

Casey stood there looking at him for a few more seconds but RJ wasn't even looking at him. Without another word, he turned and walked away.

RJ stood there, his heart broken. He felt himself turn more and more into his father with every day Casey, Theo, and Lily spent training with him, and he hated himself for it.

But he wasn't their friend. He wasn't their equal. His job was to care for them and protect them, not befriend them.

He felt a tear slip down his cheek.

"You were my only friend too, Case," he whispered to nobody. "You are my favorite son."

He sat on his chair and sniffed once. He already took back everything he had said, but that was the thing with words. Once you said them, they were said.

And they stayed said forever.

Casey walked out of his room in his restaurant uniform and walked up to him.

"You are my friend," he declared, making RJ look up at him. "You can't take that away from me. I don't allow it."

With that, the red ranger turned around and left.

Well, if he didn't allow it, then there was very little RJ could do.

[junglekarmapippa]

[junglekarmapippa]

My brain is coming up with a Jen/Alex story to this song and... I may do it, as part of something bigger I'm planning. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=2QIeysaQnQk&si=vzY2pmxQdRZoy2k2

[junglekarmapippa]

Inner peace 🕊️🐱😌

[junglekarmapippa]

jf doodles 🐅❤️💙💛🐆