#I am oddly very happy that these characters are in the same age range as me tbh

[egg04]

I love them regardless

[aroclawthornes]

Blooming Brilliant, an Aroace Willow Park Manifesto

[id: a gif of a heart locket opening. One half of the locket displays a picture of Willow Park from The Owl House, winking and making peace signs with her fingers. Blue and yellow stars surround her. The other half reads "willow park my beloved." /end id.]

Greetings! It’s me, User Aroclawthornes, and instead of working on all the time-sensitive homework I have I sat down and wrote an essay explaining why I think Willow Park OwlHouse could plausibly be read as aroace, and why it would be a thematically enriching interpretation. I’ve never written anything like this before, so it’s oddly formal, a little pretentious, and contains a lot of qualifying language, but I'm confident that it gets my point across. I’m not intending to speak over other interpretations of Willow or assert that it's the only true way to read her, but it's a headcanon I find interesting, and I think there’s a lot of evidence to back it up, between certain elements that Willow’s arc employs to some good old overanalysed symbolism. If you're aspec, I hope this is validating; if you're not, I hope it's interesting; if you don't care, scrolling past it is quick, free, and easy.

Some disclaimers on terminology: I’m speaking from an aroace perspective, and so when I say “aspec coding” I’m generally referring to both orientations as a catch-all - a lot of the coding surrounding Willow could go either way. I’m also going to be talking about commonly accepted “aspec” narratives, but I’m aware of the limitations of this insofar as my experiences are only a single facet of the diverse range of aspec people in this world, so anyone who wants to add or argue anything - respectfully - is encouraged to.

Analysis below the cut!

The Thing About Plants

I’m not going to pretend that an association with plants is historically indicative of aspec coding, because, frankly, there haven’t been enough aspec characters to establish it as a convention, and it’s also a fairly wide-reaching branch of symbolism. However, I am going to propose that lighthearted comparisons between asexual people and plants (however misguided on functions of plant reproduction they are) are fairly common elements of budding ace teenage humour, as are related quips about photosynthesis.

[id: a screenshot of Willow from "I Was A Teenage Abomination", depicting her sitting on the ground while casting a spell over a small, pink flower. /end id.]

I’m also not going to claim that the colour green Belongs To Aromantics, and therefore that All Plants Are Belong To Us, but in tandem with everything else I’m about to cover, the connection between Willow and plants seems like a fairly plausible nudge to a relatively common element of aspec humour.

“Half-a-witch” Willow and the Late Bloomer Experience

[id: a screenshot of Willow with glowing green eyes, from "I Was A Teenage Abomination", depicting her summoning a mess of thorned vines. /end id]

Willow is literally nicknamed “half-a-witch”, in reference to her supposedly incomplete state - this is a sentiment eerily reminiscent of the pressure to find one’s “other half”, which affects aspec - especially aromantic - people particularly profoundly. She’s considered a late bloomer, someone who hasn’t reached the societal milestones of growth at the expected age, and who is derided and considered immature as a result of this perceived failure. However, we quickly discover that Willow is, in fact, an exceptionally competent and powerful witch - taken out of the restricting frame of the Abominations track, she’s able to grow into her own, “complete” person, therefore proving that she was never really lacking in anything in the first place. Like real-life aroace people, she was perceived as limited and immature based on the expectations and judgements of other people, but Willow was never deficient in anything, least of all herself.

[id: a screenshot of Willow and Luz from "I Was A Teenage Abomination". They are holding hands - the former is laughing with her eyes closed, and the latter is grinning, while covered in abomination goop. /end id]

As far as symbolism goes...the track Willow is initially put in literally requires her to conjure up another humanoid entity, with the expectation that she will therefore prove herself to be a whole and mature person. Only with this ability, she’s told, will she be successful and happy as an adult. The shapelessness of her attempts at conjuring an abomination reinforces this connection in my mind - if I may reference this quote from Ducktales 2017‘s (absolutely stellar) A Nightmare On Killmotor Hill, in which the protagonists explore their own subconscious fears via. the dream realm, for a second:

“I think that’s supposed to be my romantic interest, but I’m too threatened by the concept, so it never takes shape.”

A lot of young aroace people find themselves in situations where they attempt to convince themself of their interest in someone in an attempt to be “normal,” or end up lying in response to family members or friends’ questions about crushes. While Willow’s abominations, first and foremost, represent the expectations from her school, classmates, and family to be a successful, “complete” witch with a profitable future, I think that with an aroace interpretation of Willow they could also very easily be read as representing some latent insecurities over a lack of attraction, or pressure to find a significant other.

(I’m not condemning Willow’s dads, by the way - they seem like perfectly lovely fellas, and I’m confident that they were doing what they thought was best for her. They’re certainly very quick to drop everything to assure her future in Escaping Expulsion, so obviously they care about their daughter very much.)

Greens, Blues, and Yellows: Colour-Coding Willow Park

A while back, I made this post comparing Willow’s palette to the aromantic and aroace flags:

[id: a screenshot of a post depicting the aromantic and aromantic asexual flags, colour-picked from images of Willow in her Hexside uniform and casual dress respectively - these are overlaid on top of the flags. The caption reads "observations on willow park". /end id.]

The grey-and-green aromantic flag has long been the accepted mainstream symbol of aromanticism, and, as the above post - and many others - demonstrate, Willow’s palette reflects it near-perfectly. This could easily be a coincidence, owing to the palette of the standard Hexside Plant Track uniform, as well as her hair and eye colours - which are obviously supposed to be reflective of her plant-related abilities. However, given how fond of employing hidden meanings The Owl House has shown itself to be, I don’t think it’s far-fetched to claim that there’s at least a chance that her palette was constructed with the flag in mind.

The latter is...a bit more problematic for me, although it’s fun to joke about. The blue-and-yellow aroace flag was only created in December 2018, relatively late into The Owl House’s initial production, and it’s still relatively obscure, although on the rise in popularity as the accepted aroace flag (I only recently started using it myself), so I don’t know if Willow’s casual wear is enough to verify the presence of any deliberate subtext. I think it’s a fun coincidence, however, and (as was pointed out in this post) it’s cool that these blue and yellow stars surrounding Willow occur in the same frame as Luz’s bisexual decor:

[id: a photograph of Luz, Gus, and Willow, all surrounding a disgruntled-looking Principal Bump. Luz has flowers in the colours of the bisexual flag decorating her hair, while Willow is surrounded by bright blue and yellow stars. /end id.]

also seen above: powerful bi/aspec solidarity

Conclusion:

Do I genuinely believe that Willow is being deliberately written this way? If you’d asked me, say, two months ago, I’d have said probably not - as far as queer representation in kids’ cartoons has come, it has a ways to go, and focusing on transgender characters seems like a more obvious (and equally invaluable) route to go down. I can name maybe five explicitly aspec characters off the top of my head, two of whom have been written as alloromantic and/or sexual in adaptations or continuations of the source material (I have...some grievances with 2005 Doctor Who). But the emergence of Raine, an explicitly nonbinary character on Disney Channel, has given me a little spark of hope, and so, even if it’s never confirmed, it’s comforting to be able to see a character with such strong elements of aspec coding and think to myself, just maybe, that there might be some intent behind it.

I also...really want to see interesting things done with Willow. We’re halfway through Season 2, and despite some promising setup for her arc in the Season 1 finale, she’s sort of been left by the wayside lately in favour of developing the more “plot-relevant” characters, such as Luz, Amity, Eda, and Hunter. Frankly, I think it’s a disservice to her Season 1 development, despite how much I adore all the characters I just listed - beyond any personal motivation, the prospect that Willow could be aroace adds a lot of sorely-sought depth to her, and, as detailed, a lot of this has already been set up in her earlier episodes. I just...I think it’d be neat. Rarely do you get a kids’ show so brazenly queer in its themes as Owl House, and aspec people deserve to be included in that.

Willow would also be great aroace representation because, well - those five or so aspec characters I mentioned being aware of are all white or “raceless” (...also written as white, basically), and so an aspec Asian character would be a really lovely step forward in this area. Additionally, all the characters I referred to are also conventionally skinny, and Willow is not only fat, but written in a way that doesn’t treat this feature as a caricature. People who are more knowledgeable on these topics than I are absolutely free to make additions, as is anyone who feels like I’ve left certain details out.

tl;dr: Willow’s association with plants could be read as a cool nod to aspec humour, her “late bloomer” narrative is eerily reminiscent of some common aspec experiences, her palette speaks for itself, and it’d be really cool if we could diversify the so-far fairly bland sphere of aspec representation.

I’m going to conclude this by linking Rose by The Oh Hellos, because they’re my favourite band, they share The Owl House’s initials, and I also think it’s a good Willow song. Peace out.

[fyeahnix]

Title: Puppy Love - Part 1 Pairing: Bangalore/Wraith (Voidstrike) Other Characters: None Rating: General Audiences Words: 1875 Prompt: None Other Tags: Cute, Oblivous, Crush, Dogs, Flirting, Friendship Summary: "If Wraith had nothing better to do, she'd be lying under the air conditioning back at her apartment. But here she is out in the eternal Solace summer and misery, sans scarf, in shorts and a tank top ready to start her evening workout routine. ...Or she would have been if she hadn't received the oddest text from Anita. She stares at her phone now, rereading the messages exchanged only an hour ago."

If you like it PLEASE REBLOG. You can read it here or on AO3, via the link found in the notes of this post. Please read on AO3 if you prefer correct formatting!

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It's hot as hell out right now. The evening air is humid, a sticky and suffocating mess of sweltering heat, moisture, pollen, and biting insects. And the people? Running around and playing under the setting sun with their kids and pets, some visibly glistening with sweat. It's gross. If Wraith had nothing better to do, she'd be lying under the air conditioning back at her apartment. But here she is out in the eternal Solace summer and misery, sans scarf, in shorts and a tank top ready to start her evening workout routine.

...Or she would have been if she hadn't received the oddest text from Anita. She stares at her phone now, rereading the messages exchanged only an hour ago.

hey

meet me at the park at 6? got someone I want you to meet

Sure?

It's 6:05. She's sitting on the top of a park bench cooking in the heat, and Anita is nowhere to be found. Great. It's a fairly random text as it is, and Wraith doesn't see why Anita needed to meet now. She knows this is Wraith's time to work out.

Who on Solace is this important? Better yet, who is this person at all? A new friend? Couldn't be. Anita's fairly closed-off, doesn't make friends that quickly or easily. Getting comfortable around the other Legends was enough of a chore. Could it be a significant other, girlfriend maybe? Well, she hopes not. The thought tugs her insides. Of course, she'd be happy for Anita, but…

Whatever. It's not that serious. Whoever it is must be important enough for Anita to meet up with Wraith specifically. Wait, was she the only person asked? Anita doesn't normally send group chats, though. But… no one else is here and it's 6:07. Ugh, god, she's thinking too much about this and this weather isn't helping and it's getting harder to breathe with the nervous lump stuck in her throat-

"Hey! Come back here! Sentry!"

Anita?

Wraith turns, eyes widening as a massive black ball barrels towards her at full speed on four legs. She throws her arms up to protect herself as Anita yells again.

"Sentry, sit!"

Nothing knocks into her, and when Wraith lowers her arms, she makes eye contact with a rather large black dog not five feet away from the park bench. It's stopped in its tracks, large ears and tail standing at attention, as its face twists in a confused expression. It bows, butt in the air and tail wagging before lying down in the grass, wet tongue hanging loosely from its mouth.

Anita ambles up to the canine and kneels to clip on the leash that's wrapped around her fist. When she stands, she half-smiles in apology and leans forward with an arm outstretched.

Wraith dismounts the bench to accept the quick hug. The woman smells good, a familiar cologne gracing Wraith's senses. It's better than the heavy stench of outdoor humidity, that's for sure.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. This little knucklehead can't keep still today." Anita unravels the leash twice from her fist, relaxes. She huffs, lifting the hem of her tank top to wipe sweat off her forehead.

"I, uh-" Wraith's eyebrows raise ever-so-slightly at the welcome sight, but she doesn't allow her eyes to linger. "Didn't know you were a dog sitter."

Anita smirks, this time mischievous and lopsided. "That what you think?"

"I suppose. By the way, where is this person I'm supposed to be meeting? Is it a secret girlfriend I don't know about? Gonna pop out from behind a tree somewhere?"

Anita laughs and shakes her head as she kneels next to the dog. "First off, I don't have a girlfriend. Not yet anyway. And secondly, I never said it was a person, Wraith."

"Then- wait. When did you get a dog?"

The animal in question tilts its head at Wraith like it understands and objects to every word she says. Anita pets it, rubs it on the head and coos at it with praise before she responds. It's oddly cute. And very unexpected.

"His name's Sentry. Got him a couple months ago. Didn't wanna spill about it because I wanted some time to get used to him. And I… wanted you to meet him first."

Wraith's belly flutters at the statement. But her out of everyone they know?

She kneels next to Anita and studies the dog. Sentry's much bigger up close than she thought. He's covered in a shiny coat of short fur, solid black all over, and his pointed ears stand at attention, flicking this way and that to take in the sounds of people walking by. His eyes are a nice shade of light brown, intelligent but unfocused on anything in particular. The dog who very nearly knocked her over mere minutes ago lies relaxed in the grass without a care in the world.

"Rescue dog?"

Anita nods half-heartedly. "In a way. Got some people I know back on Gaea. Said some of their dogs failed police training and were up for adoption. This little guy couldn't stay out of trouble."

"Little? Bang, he's huge."

"Yeah, he is," Anita laughs. "First family couldn't handle his size with their kids. Apparently, he grew faster than they could keep up with. Second person couldn't deal with his temperament."

Wraith purses her lips. "Third time's the charm, I'd hope."

"Heh, yeah. It will be. Two months in, and I'm already in love with him. He's almost two. Still actin' like a damn puppy, but, god, I love him," Anita sighs, exhales, and Wraith's heart tugs at the pure emotion emanating from the woman's voice.

Wraith sits on the edge of the bench, crossing her legs. "Didn't quite take you for an animal lover."

"I think that's a stretch," Anita chuckles. "We had dogs growing up when I was a kid. Military household. Strict but fair. But… we all let our guards down for the pups." Anita moves to sit next to Wraith, leans forward to rest her arms on her knees. She stares out into the park, watching crowds of people bask in what's left of the sun. Sentry gets up as well and lies back down in front of her, panting. She loosens the leash again. "We had two of 'em.

"Two big boys. Angelo was a mutt. Probably an Australian Cattle Dog and Great Dane mix from what we could tell, maybe a little Pit in 'im, too. Loyal as hell. Healthy dog. Ghost was a German Shepherd. Same as this boy." She nods towards Sentry. "Pure white. A bit of a troublemaker, if anything, but still good. Me and Ghost… same age. Inseparable." She pauses, laughs a little, wistful. "I had a connection with that dog. Still do on some level. He died old, when we were fourteen. Right before my bro-"

She stops and scrunches her nose, screws her eyes shut for two seconds. "You know what? Nevermind. Not important."

Wraith doesn't know what to say. Anita doesn't make eye contact. Whatever she hesitated mentioning must have been too personal to share. Understandable.

"Anyway. I'm glad I brought him home. He means a lot to me. And I'm… glad you met him, too."

Why her, though? Sure, they're friends, have hung out plenty. They've had rounds at the firing range before matches, developed duos tactics together, gone out for celebratory dinner after wins and whatnot. She's sure Anita's done that with… everyone, right?

She can't imagine she's any more or less of a friend to Anita than any of the other Legends. Anita and Witt talk frequently enough. She and Ajay also hang out sometimes. Hell, she's even gotten drinks with Octavio when he can sit down for long enough. Why Wraith?

When Wraith shifts in her seat, Sentry focuses on her, rising to walk towards her. His tail wags behind him as he drags his wet, leathery nose across her arms and over her thighs. He shakes, tail flailing even harder. She can't help but crack a small smile and hover a hand over his head, which he sniffs enthusiastically.

"You can pet him if you want. Promise he won't bite," Anita says.

Wraith nods and lowers her hand to Sentry's head. She rubs him, scratches him on the forehead and behind the ears with short nails. His tail calms, and he shuts his eyes as he sits back on his haunches.

"You're a good boy, aren't you?"

He nods, tongue lolling as if agreeing as she rubs both ears with her hands.

Wraith smiles and turns to Anita. "Not to brag, but I think he might actually like me."

"Heh. Guess that makes two of us."

Wraith raises an eyebrow. She stops petting Sentry, and he whines, nudging her arm. The comment is slick and unexpected, typical Anita, but…

"I-"

"You, uh- you busy tomorrow? Thought maybe we could grab coffee or lunch or something."

That's why.

Wraith chuckles and smiles as her cheeks burn at the Voices from the Void. She gives Sentry a few thorough rubs on his cheeks. "I… actually am-"

Anita wipes a stray bead of sweat from her temple. "Oh. Well don't worry about it. Maybe some other-"

"-But. Let me… clear my schedule. I don't think it'll be a huge deal to move some meetings around tomorrow. Maybe you can bring Sentry along."

Anita finally turns to gaze at her. There's a subtle smirk gracing her features, that usual Bangalore bravado emanating from her. It's attractive, no lie.

"All right, I got you. I got a couple places in mind."

"Looking forward to it."

Anita rubs the back of her head with her leash hand as she lets out a short laugh and stands. "Well, I won't keep you. I gotta give this boy a walk so we can get out of this heat."

Sentry whines then barks once. Loud boy.

Wraith rubs him for the last time before she stands too. "Yeah, I better get to my workout. See you tomorrow?"

Anita opens up for another hug, which Wraith gladly accepts. "Yeah. I'll text you later."

This hug's tighter than the last, sets Wraith on edge a bit, but she doesn't want to pull away. Anita's bare, muscular arm feels good wrapped around her shoulders, her body warm in a way that stamps out the suffocating humidity. She can get used to this.

When the woman pulls away, she salutes Wraith and tugs on Sentry's leash to lead him away.

...Okay, so maybe Wraith's a little excited about tomorrow. And maybe she's been looking at Anita a bit… differently lately. It's nothing bad, right? The woman's tall and attractive and her personality is the type to simultaneously make Wraith roll her eyes and draw her in. She's charming, alluring, knowledgeable, helpful, and ten thousand other words Wraith can substitute. It'd be foolish to not give this a chance, wouldn't it?

She bites her lip, clutching her phone in her hand as she watches Anita fade into the distance. She needs to go workout and focus, but that'll be hard waiting in anticipation of tomorrow's lunch date. She doesn't think she'll sleep well tonight, if at all actually, but she'll certainly try, Solace heat be damned.

[curewhimsy]

Plans for “Sparkling Water!”

“Free! Iwatobi Swim Club But With College-Age WLW, Starring My OC Rhona Aequor.”

———

(The pools all across the area are initially closed because of a breakout of mysterious water-born bacteria in the area.) ———

The still water surrounds and envelopes my body... My heartbeat, in sync with the ripples... Secluded, within the vast blue yonder... I am once more in a sober repose, my quiet home beneath the waves... Rhona Aequor opened her eyes. She looked up from her notebook with a sigh that echoed off the walls. Immediately, she was plucked right out of her aquatic wonderland, and was now back in her cramped college dorm bathroom, in the tub, on a sweltering day in June. The nostalgic, summery sound of cicadas chirping from outside the window filled her ears... It was so utterly annoying. So far, her summer writing project was half-way done. All Rhona’s poems, however, were about the same thing. Something she yearned for, that she just couldn’t get off her mind lately... Water. Sitting in the narrow, shallow bathtub with her swimsuit on to remedy the fact that all the local pools were closed, Rhona wanted nothing more than to dive into a big pool and swim to her heart’s content, drowning all her troubles away in cold and slightly stale chlorine water... Rhona put her notebook aside, filled the bathtub with even more cool water—as high as it could go without spilling over the edges, and submerged herself in. It just wasn’t the same. Rhona brought her face out of the water to find her current roommate and friend since high school, Isabel, greeting her. She had a dark complexion, yet slightly lighter than Rhona’s, dark wavy hair, and a round face. She preferred to be called Isa. “Rhona, how long are you going to sulk in the bathtub?” Isabel said. “We only have one bathroom, you know!” Rhona didn’t answer. She was close enough with Isa to know that she knew what she was thinking. “You’re pretty funny, you know, Rhona?” Isa began to laugh. “You’re like a mermaid or something.” Rhona briskly shook her head, drops of cool water flinging off her short hair and onto her face and every surface. It was a sensation she loved. Beads of water splashed on Isa in the process. “Hey!” Isa said, her shirt now damp. “Well, how about this, Rhona? If you want water that badly, there’s supposedly a secret indoor diving well somewhere in the abandoned part of campus.” Rhona’s intense blue eyes grew double their size at Isabel’s words. “Rumor has it that it’s twenty feet deep, and very broad, for both diving and swimming laps. It would be perfect for you, Rhona, since you love to dive under!” Isa looked at Rhona, whose aqua eyes were now sparkling. She could tell how excited Rhona was about the vast 20-foot-deep secret pool. It amused her to see. “But there’s just one thing...” Isabel continued. “It’s said the diving well was closed down because it contains a curse!” Rhona cupped her hands in eagerness. “What sort of curse do you mean?” Rhona asked. “I don’t really know, but it sounds exciting, doesn’t it?” Isa exclaimed. “How about you get out of the tub and we’ll go and look for it together!” Rhona normally refused to follow along with Isabel’s outlandish and eccentric ideas of having fun. The ideas would range having a ketchup packet fight in McDonald’s at midnight while dressed in panda onesies and filming it, to simply buying twenty boxes of macaroni and cheese and leaving them in random places around campus (like in urinals.) But this was an idea that Rhona agreed with. A mysterious abandoned pool? To Rhona Aequor, a pool was a pool. And if it was a pool, she had to be in it. ——— (They meet Luana there alone, who claims the pool is her secret hangout...) (Luana challenges Rhona to a 10-lap swimming race using only freestyle... and whoever wins can swim there. Things get oddly intense.) (Luana had always thought she was the top swimmer on campus... until she witnesses Rhona, the mysterious low-profile expert of all things relating to water.) (Luana is impressed at Rhona’s swimming skill, her speed, and graceful form as she glides ahead of her. Luana gets flustered, but has to hide it to maintain her tough persona. Luana starts getting oddly competitive and showing off the power of her strokes.) (Rhona defeats Luana by several seconds. Isabel, who was watching, says Luana’s speed was impressive as well, but her form was suffering a bit. She may have been faster if it were more like Rhona’s.) (Luana officially declares Rhona as a rival... says some vague threatening cartoon-villain-like things and heads off, vowing to one day get revenge. Isabel comments on it as strange. Rhona says that Isabel shouldn’t be talking, considering how weird she can be herself.) (Meanwhile, Luana’s older sister Oliana finds out that Luana impulsively lost the secret hideout to some random girl named Rhona who allegedly “swam with the grace and power of an orca.” Oliana is in disbelief, she always thought her sister Luana was a fierce shark in the water, with the speed of a torpedo.) (Drama unfolds... slowly but surely.) (Chapter 2) (Rhona is working part-time as a lifeguard and saves a timid girl named Nagisa from drowning in an unexpectedly intense wave pool. Nagisa was accidentally by herself at the deep end.) (Nagisa Onda has always loved the ocean, but is scared of being in deep water. She is nervous, but signs and shows up for the club on a whim because she felt emotional that Rhona saved her and was inspired from watching Rhona’s graceful swimming form afterwards. She wants to learn to swim because it looks so liberating, like flying, and because she feels it could make her brave for once.) (Eventual chapters) (Rhona sets up the Swim Club, but the pool ground needs serious cleaning, and water from a different source, so that it won’t contain the bacteria. Rhona and her friends put in the work. Nagisa does her best to help and works really hard to clean the pool and bring clean water as well.) (Once Nagisa realizes how tough it is to start swimming lessons from nothing, she gets discouraged. But Rhona patiently offers to teach Nagisa how to swim and encourages her to do her best. This touches Nagisa deeply. Over time, she becomes a strong swimmer.) (Umiko joins the swim club to attempt to teach the members the “arcane profundity” of “artistic swimming.” Umiko is an artist who loves the aesthetic appearance of water, and swimming as an art form... but not as a competitive sport. She feels that speed-swimming competitively isn’t how swimming is meant to be, despite being a skilled swimmer herself. She is also a prolific high-diver. Umiko is pretentious and a bit snobby. She has a badly-hidden crush on Luana the slob, who also annoys her. They argue very often.) (Soon, Marina joins. Marina is a nerdy girl obsessed with sports-themed manga and light novels. She is a novelist who is deeply inspired by the fighting spirit, determination, and teamwork and friendship in many sports-themed works. She watches the Swim Club from afar and has a secret yet passionate crush on Rhona. However, Marina cannot swim at all, and is afraid of water. She is also ironically terrified of playing sports. One day, Marina slips an anonymous letter of admiration in Rhona’s locker... and gets caught by Luana! At this point, Luana isn’t a part of the swim club yet, but she encourages Marina to join... by threatening to tell Rhona about the letter if she doesn’t join! Just what are Luana’s intentions? Marina shows up to the next meeting and embarrasses herself... but surprisingly, everyone is very patient with her. She even starts crying out of happiness because of how for the first time, she’s actually feeling the emotions she’s only read and written about for so long. She decides to become a permanent member of the Swim Club, as she feels she’d be able to write a much better sports novel with first-hand experience.) ——— (Nagisa’s backstory with Amara unfolds. Nagisa and Amara were best friends growing up in Chile. Nagisa’s family eventually moved to the United States when Nagisa was 10 years old.) (Nagisa and Amara kept in touch. One day, Amara called Nagisa, telling she is going on a cruise. A few days later, there is news about a cruise ship wreck in the South Pacific with many casualties. After this period, the calls and texts from Amara stop coming. Every time Nagisa calls or texts Amara’s cell phone, she doesn’t answer. Nagisa and her family sadly conclude that Amara’s and her family must’ve died tragically in the wreck.) (However, the reason Amara and Nagisa lost touch is because Amara had lost many belongings in the shipwreck, including her cell phone. Amara and her family eventually move to Spain. She eventually receives a new cell phone with a new number, and knows Nagisa’s number by heart. She texts Nagisa to get back in touch with her. However, Nagisa got her own number changed as well recently. They could no longer call or message each other.) (Nagisa still believes Amara is dead, and that she succumbed to the depths of the sea. Ever since then, she has had a fear of water and the ocean.) ——— (Eventually, Rhona uses her skills in marine biology to identify the bacteria in the water, and the Swim Club to help clean pools and install filters using a solution Rhona made to kill the germs in the town’s pool water reserves. The other members of the swim club help her as well. They end up saving all the pools just in time for National Water Park day! All the kids are happy, thanks to Rhona and her friends’ love and perseverance. Even in a mundane way, Rhona and her friends helped save summer for everyone!) ———CHARACTERS——— The Swim Club- Rhona Aequor- Stoic and determined leader of the Swim Club. Though strong and mysterious, she has a kind and caring heart. She is very supportive of Nagisa, the newest member of the club who just learned how to swim, and encourages her to try her best. Aims to be an Olympic swimmer in a few years. Rhona also loves the ocean, is passionate and knowledgeable about it, and aspires to be a marine biologist and diver as well. Often scuba dives and snorkels. The ocean is her playground. Rhona however isn’t good at expressing her emotions, and can be very awkward. She becomes an Olympic swimmer in the future. The third or fourth-tallest girl in the club, tied with Oliana. Black/African-American. Signature stroke: Freestyle. Theme animals: Whale Shark, Surgeonfish Nagisa Onda- Can’t swim at first, shy and has low-self-esteem. Naive and sheepish. Meets Rhona and the others in college. Nagisa has always loved the ocean, but is scared of being in deep water. She signs up for the club on a whim because she was inspired by watching Rhona’s graceful swimming form as she saved Nagisa from drowning one day at a wave pool. Nagisa feels so inspired to be a swimmer. Once she realizes how tough it is to start from nothing, she gets discouraged. But Rhona patiently offers to teach Nagisa how to swim and encourages her to do her best. This touches Nagisa deeply. Over time, she becomes a strong swimmer. The second-shortest girl in the club. Japanese-Chilean. Signature stroke: Breaststroke. Theme animals: Spotted Seal, Spotted Jellyfish Isabel- Rhona’s childhood friend since high school. Isabel is energetic and bubbly. She is a track and field star who recently took up swimming because she wanted to be a triathlete, which requires a swimming skill. Isabel is often laid-back, though becomes passionate when it comes to her dream... and food. Becomes an Olympic triathlete in the future, but doesn’t do very well... Mexican (Latina.) Signature stroke: Backstroke. Theme animals: Dall’s Porpoise, Nudibranch Umiko Shinju- Loves painting, playing violin, and making art pieces inspired by the ocean. Can swim, but not too fond of it. Was coaxed into joining the club by Luana, her new friend in college. Kind of pretentious and dramatic. A nervous wreck who often makes herself look silly. Underneath her flaws is a very pure heart. Meets the others in college. She learns to love swimming with the others. Japanese. Signature stroke: Butterfly stroke. Theme animals: Bottlenose Dolphin, Sea butterfly Luana Kai- Wild and spontaneous. Very competitive. A very strong swimmer. She prides herself in being “the best” at freestyle swimming. When she sees Rhona, whose freestyle swimming technique rivals hers, she becomes aggressive and determined to out-swim Rhona. She claims Rhona is her rival and they often bicker. However they are very good friends deep down. Likes to talk like a pirate. Becomes an Olympic swimmer in the future. Tongan (Pacific Islander.) Signature stroke: Freestyle. Theme animals: Great White Shark, Parrotfish Oliana Kai- Joins the swim club a bit late, despite being an older student. Becomes an Olympic swimmer in the future, but doesn’t do very well... She also gets an injury early in her career. Luana’s older sister. The third or fourth-tallest girl in the club, tied with Rhona. Tongan (Pacific Islander.) Signature stroke: Backstroke. Theme animals: Orca Whale, Striped beakfish Marina- A nerdy, awkward girl obsessed with sports-themed manga and light novels. She is a novelist who is deeply inspired by the fighting spirit, determination, and teamwork and friendship in many sports-themed works. She watches the Swim Club from afar and has a secret yet passionate crush on Rhona. However, Marina cannot swim at all, and is afraid of water. She is also ironically terrified of playing sports. One day, Marina slips an anonymous letter of admiration in Rhona’s locker... and gets caught by Luana! At this point, Luana isn’t a part of the swim club yet, but she encourages Marina to join... by threatening to tell Rhona about the letter if she doesn’t join! Just what are Luana’s intentions? Marina shows up to the next meeting and embarrasses herself... but surprisingly, everyone is very patient with her. She even starts crying out of happiness because of how for the first time, she’s actually feeling the emotions she’s only read and written about for so long. She decides to become a permanent member of the Swim Club, as she feels she’d be able to write a much better sports novel with first-hand experience. The second-tallest girl in the club. Mixed, Black/African-American and Caucasian. Signature stroke: Butterfly stroke. Theme animals: Humpback whale, Coraline- The shortest girl in the club. English and French (Caucasian.) Signature stroke: Breaststroke. Theme animals: Sea lion, Clownfish Tanya- The biggest and tallest girl in the club. Northern European (Caucasian.) Signature stroke: Freestyle. Theme animals: Blue whale, Azura- Becomes an olympic swimmer in the future. Indian (Bengali.) Signature stroke: Butterfly stroke. Theme animals: Blue shark, Moon jellyfish Other characters- Amara Mendez- Nagisa’s long-lost friend. They reunite one day... ()- Amara’s friend. Sapphire- Established young olympic swimmer. Rhona’s idol. Emerald- Budding young olympic swimmer. Azura looks up to her. Carmine- Budding young olympic swimmer who Luana and Oliana look up to. Claudia- Swim Club coach. ()- Swim Club coach. ()- Swim Club coach. ()- Swim Club advisor. ()- Swim Club advisor. ———

Isabel: When you hit the water, what stroke do you start doing on instinct? Rhona: Freestyle. Coraline: Doggy paddle. Marina: A hemorrhagic stroke.

[toast-the-unknowing]

What are the #thots on CDTH?

This is begging for one of those “edgy/depressed/dumbass bitch/thot/bastard” memes, but sadly you sent it to someone with no patience for slapping together graphics, so you get a lot of words instead. Behind a cut, for length and SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this book, my reactions to most of the additions to canon were positive, it felt a wide range of emotions while reading it and upon finishing I found that it had knocked me sort of off center in that way where I don’t want to write anything ever again, or read anything, or really do much but stare out of windows. I know that feeling will pass, but I’m soaking in it for now. I haven’t yet discerned if there are going to be any substantial changes to the ways that I write these characters, when I write these characters again.

I loved Ronan in this book, which was a relief. I had been a bit worried that Maggie intended for him to end up as Lonely God Ronan, isolated and just too damn special for the rest of humanity, but it now appears that is very much not the plan. It hurt watching him be trapped at the Barns, wanting something different from life and not knowing how to get it, and it was amazing to watch him forge a connection with someone new and find the capability that he has to help other people, instead of just kind of thinking of himself as the fuck-up.

Holy Shit I felt emotions about Matthew, that was unexpected and unprecedented. Fuck did that boy make me sad. I am greatly looking forward to seeing where his story goes, now that he actually has one. I want some quality Matthew & Jordan dream duo bonding time.

I want, just, quality Jordan content in general, I love Jordan, I need more of her, she was wonderful.

Hennessy leaves me cold, but I had a very similar reaction to Ronan until most of the way through The Dream Thieves, so I am giving her the benefit of the doubt and waiting to see what happens in the future.

HOLY SHIT I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT DECLAN.

It did crack me up that it literally took one page for the book to start talking shit about him, but I also found the whole “Declan is deliberately, crushingly boring” idea interesting. It surprised me but still makes sense in retrospect, which is the best kind of surprise. I hadn’t pictured him as the kind of guy who would go to work and let people snap at him and call him by the wrong name, but I think my understanding might have been a little closer to the version of Declan that still thought he could have Senator or Congressman in front of his name. I think Declan might be the character I most have to reconsider, but I’m happy with how he was portrayed here and I’m looking forward to doing that reconsideration, and to seeing what happens to him next in canon.

God but he just continues to be the hardest working brother, and he still fucks it up, but he doesn’t want to fuck up, but he just shouldn’t have to deal with all of this shit, and ow, ow, my heart.

I adored Declan/Jordan and every moment where she delights in surprising an honest reaction out of him. “I see the real you when no one else does” is EXACTLY my kind of ship.

I had really wanted this trilogy to force Ronan to reexamine his understanding of his father, but getting to see Declan do some actual work on processing his pain is fantastic too. I love all of the moments where he admits that he hates Niall. It fucked me up so bad, because it’s like he doesn’t want to be thinking or saying it but he just cannot keep it in. It’s like his emotional nightwash, but he doesn’t get to dream it away.

@comicsohwhyohwhy​ and I once discussed the problem of Ashley, and we JOKINGLY suggested that maybe the Ashley from TRB and the Ashley mentioned in TRK are two different Ashleys, that maybe Declan has just dated a string of women named Ashley, and then we had a good laugh about how absurd that would be, and I cannot fucking believe that that has turned out to be canon. I am oddly delighted with this development.

I am happy with the Adam content that we got and with the size of his role. I felt like the book did a good job of honoring his importance in Ronan’s life, letting him be present and matter and affect Ronan (and disagree with him in productive ways where they didn’t just argue and where he wasn’t just Declan 2.0), while still keeping him in a support role, since that was apparently the goal. I’m unclear on what kind of role he’s going to have going forward, but it looks like he’s being set up to have some kind of character arc, with the “Adam is lying to everyone who knows him” situation, so I really do want that to pay out and go somewhere, even if he does continue to be a supporting rather than featured character.

That whole Harvard situation breaks my heart: Adam’s friends think that his family is wonderful and that his boyfriend is a violent drunk. I can’t imagine any interactions around that that aren’t fucked up. Adam having to defend Ronan to his friends any time he comes up, but not being able to tell the truth, so he just sounds like he’s making empty excuses for someone that’s bad for him…which is something that he has in fact had to do, but not about Ronan, about the parents that all of his friends are “jealous” of him for having. Fuck. FUCK.

I loved every mention of Gansey and Blue. I can understand why Maggie doesn’t want to include them as characters, but that could have easily ended in a situation where they’re just…noticeably absent, and instead we got this, confirmation that they still talk to their friends and love them and are involved in their lives, plus we got A+ Gansey-texts-like-an-old-man content.

I enjoyed Farooq-Lane a lot just from a standpoint of being an ordinary normal person who gets put into a weird as shit situation and then…continues to be an ordinary normal person who has ordinary normal reactions to things. I find that kind of shit fascinating – it’s the kind of thing that makes for great comedy and improv, but it can also be very effective in drama, and we really got to see a wide range here.

What. the actual. fuck. is up with the New Fenian and Mor O Corra. Like I mean okay the Lynches have to live through all their parent trauma again, yeah I get that, okay Niall apparently made a dream double of an actual woman he’d slept with which like, wow I didn’t think Aurora could be retroactively creepier but damn if Niall didn’t find a way, blah blah I get all that. But like. What is – what is that relationship, exactly? Between them? Niall’s ex made a dream copy of him, too, but like…as a kid? Or one that doesn’t age? Has Mor O Corra out-creepered Niall Lynch? What the actual fuck is up with those two. I almost don’t want to know. I kind of love being this weirded out.

Bryde is really goddamn tiresome. I am expecting he’s going to turn out to be a villain and honestly that can’t happen fast enough for me. Although I  anticipate that we’ll see Ronan buying into his crap more before that happens, so, it looks like we get to look forward to a lot more overblown insufferable monologues about how “special” we are and how we’re better than those gross boring mundane people. Blah.

I’m kind of disappointed that this is apparently a series where the stakes are THE END OF THE WORLD and where the protagonists have to fight a SHADOWY INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION that can send ARMIES of WELL-ARMED HIGHLY TRAINED OPERATIVES to HUNT DOWN THE PEOPLE WITH SUPERPOWERS – this is 90% of all fantasy stories, and it’s boring, and I’m tired of it. I like that the stakes in The Raven Cycle are small but still immensely meaningful. What happens in The Raven Cycle if the characters don’t succeed? Gansey dies. Ronan dies and Matthew falls asleep. Adam doesn’t go to college. Blue doesn’t get to travel the world. The world doesn’t explode, but we still care so so much about seeing them succeed, because we care so much about those characters living and getting to build the future they want. That’s a thousand times more interesting to me than “we have to…[dramatic music, put on sunglasses] SAVE THE WORLD.” Spare me.

I’m still going to read the other two, obviously, and I’m not even really mad about this, mostly just rolling my eyes. But I expect that Maggie is going to use this plot device I don’t care about to do things emotionally and character-wise that I do care about, and that’s the important part.

There is one actual thing that pisses me off with this book, that I actively hate and wish was not a part of canon, that I will probably just ignore and pretend isn’t canon, at least once I have wrapped my head around the fact that it even happened in the first place: why the fuck does Ronan go to confession.

I was willing to accept in The Raven Cycle that Maggie had no interest in doing anything with the fact that she had made the Catholic character and the gay character the same character, because Ronan is actively figuring himself out in the course of that series, because there’s so much else going on in his head and his life that I can buy that religion isn’t his top priority, because hey, I kind of liked that the series wasn’t one more Sad Story About A Sad Gay Who Is Sad Because Homophobia. I can accept a Ronan who goes to mass every week because that’s family time, because that’s tradition, because that’s what Lynches do.

But going to confession – with some degree of regularity! – is not going through the motions. When I was a Catholic school girl and an ALTAR SERVER who went to mass twice a week, confession was still a “maybe once during Lent, if we get around to it” kind of deal. What the hell does Ronan say in confession, exactly? He’s not confessing to the shit that he actually feels guilty about, playing god and creating life, because that’s a secret. He’s not confessing to the thing that he’s getting told every week is going to send him to hell. So what is he doing there?

This ceases to be “skipping past homophobia so we can just have a nice happy gay story for once (or at least a story that’s unhappy for other reasons)”. This is firmly into “deliberately and cruelly ignoring the real pain and suffering that the Catholic Church inflicts on oppressed people every single day” and I think it was a grave, grave misstep.

So my super general #thots: loved it, largely positive, some things I’m iffy on but excited to see where they go, a couple of plot elements/characters I don’t care for but can put up with for the sake of all of the good, one big negative that will probably feature only very very sparingly in canon.

[mugionthewater]

Ranking the V3 dub cast against their original DR roles!

Erika Harlacher (Kaede Akamatsu - Kyoko Kirigiri)

I’m not a huge fan of Erika Harlacher’s outing as Kirigiri- she sounds vaguely congested and doesn’t come close to conveying the iciness that should seem the obvious fit for a character like her. Kaede, on the other hand, is earnest and soulful and it comes across well in the dub. It’s a role that plays much more to her strengths, I think, and I’m happy she came back for a more flattering performance!

Kaede > Kirigiri

 Grant George (Shuichi Saihara – Leon Kuwata)

I’ve seen Grant George’s turn as Shuichi Saihara compared unfavorably to someone’s voiceover in a car commercial, which is honestly fair. It sticks out in the emotional monologues in the class trials, but a year later it’s that horrible generic “ah, um” voice clip that gets used approximately 5,000 times in the dub that keeps me up at night. It’s almost enough to forget he did a pretty solid job as Leon in 2014. Leon’s probably the least challenging role in the franchise, admittedly, but he played a solid douchey teenager with an entertaining breakdown.

Leon > Saihara

 Lucien Dodge (Kiibo – Hifumi Yamada)

A tossup here. Both roles are perfectly competent at what they are. The nasally voice for Hifumi was probably more demanding, but the Kiibo voice does a good job combining the Shounen protagonist with the robophobia conscious rigidity.

Kiibo > Hifumi, if only because casting recasting Lucien Dodge as the real Justice Robo was brilliant

 Kyle Herbert (Kaito Momota – Kazuichi Soda)

Kyle Herbert as Kazuichi is pathetic, emasculated, and screechy, so it’s pretty much perfect. It’s all the weirder he plays Kaito as a middle-aged smoker dad. It doesn’t come close to matching the energy of Kaito’s Japanese voice. Another pretty clear winner.

Kazuichi > Kaito

 Erica Mendez (Maki Harukawa – Nagisa Momoe)

An anomalous recast considering Nagisa isn’t in V3 but they invited her back with the other recast voices anyways. Maybe Erica Mendez is just a really cool person and NISA wanted to hang out with her more? In any case, she’s good as Maki and I don’t have much to say here.

Maki > Nagisa

 Johnny Yong Bosch (Rantaro Amami - Hajime Hinata)

Not an interpretation for Rantaro Amami I was expecting; I don’t associate JYB with deeper bad boy voices and he’s a character type I’d expect a softer and lighter brand of mysteriousness for. But I liked dub Amami quite a bit. I’m still going to give the edge to his role as Hinata, since he fits him perfectly and is easily the best protagonist dub voice NISA has given us.

Hinata > Amami

 Kira Buckland (Kirumi Tojo – Hiyoko Saionji)

Of all the recast voices in this game, Kira Buckland showed off the most range with her roles. Hiyoko’s original Japanese voice and the English dub version are both pretty stock voices for that character type, but Buckland as Kirumi gets to show off maturity, warmth, and distance that I never would have expected from someone who voiced Hiyoko. If I had to cast one VA from this game, I’d want her since I’m pretty sure she could do anything.

Kirumi > Hiyoko

 Chris Tergliafera (Ryoma Hoshi – Gundam Tanaka)

So this guy is perfect in both roles and I don’t understand why his behindthevoiceactors.com profile isn’t bigger. Tergliafera can do deep very well and he was a good hire for NISA. I’m going to give the edge to his take as Gundam since that voice role is much hammier and much more memorable for it, showing off comic chops along with the sexiness, but he nails the somber moments with Hoshi and it could go either way.

Gundam > Hoshi

 Wendee Lee (Miu Iruma – Akane Owari)

Akane and Iruma are two character types who could have ended up with very similar voice performances, but Wendee Lee as Akane sounds oddly flat while Lee as Iruma is the exact level of hammy, vulgar, and cartoonish that I could hope for. It’s not hard to guess which role she probably had more fun with.

Iruma > Akane

Kaiji Tang (Gonta Gokuhara – Yasuhiro Hagakure)

Now this one is just disappointing. Kaiji Tang is great and one of my favorite dub voices in the first game, but compared to his natural comic lightness as Hagakure his Gonta sounds like he’s reading from a script the whole time. Reading the dumb Tarzan text was probably as awkward for him as it was for all of us, but it’s still disappointing.

Hagakure > Gonta

 Dorothy Elias-Fahn (Tsumugi Shirogane – Sayaka Maizono – Chihiro Fujisaki)

Our only triple cast! I kind of wish it was a more exciting vocal trio than this one. She’s fine but forgettable as Chihiro (it’s just kind of stuffy), perfectly competent at delivering an American approximation of the Kirby voice as Sayaka, and totally baffling as Tsumugi for a bunch of reasons. First of all, Tsumugi’s whole schtick is being plain; she didn’t need any kind of affect, especially not one as suspicious as the sugary helium voice. Secondly, it was probably more of a strain on the vocal cords to keep that up for six whole class trials. And thirdly, it’s just kind of obnoxious to listen to. What gives, NISA?

Sayaka > Chihiro > Tsumugi

 Derek Stephen Prince (Kokichi Oma – Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu)

(remember when English speakers saw the dub tease and got outraged hearing Oma’s voice saying “Kayayday” thinking they had recast Bryce Papenbrook? That poor man)

Another case where the voice actor is very good at both roles. DSP as Oma is probably more nuanced, since he has to be playful and trollish but also bring a hard edge when he needs to, and the angry rasp he gives Kuzuryu fits perfectly and adds a lot to the SDR2 dub. I’m going to give it to his role in as Kuzuryu just because Oma’s “neeheehee!” voice clip in V3 is horrible.

Kuzuryu > Oma

 Todd Haberkorn (Korekiyo Shinguji – Teruteru Hanamura)

So I think Todd Haberkorn’s voice is incredibly distinctive and I have very particular associations with him as a VA (I mostly know him as the lead in Rosario + Vampire, because I am the worst). Him playing a gag character like Hanamura was entirely within my expectations and is something he’s generally very good at doing. Korekiyo is the exact opposite character type and I busted a gut as soon as I heard it. Korekiyo is a better character when you don’t take him too seriously, and Haberkorn is good with the lines. I’m still more of a fan of him as Hanamura, since the garbled southern accent at the class trial breakdown is much more fun than the sister class trial breakdown, which no VA can probably save.

Hanamura > Korekiyo

 Julie Ann Taylor (Tenko Chabashira - Ibuki Mioda)

Julie Ann Taylor gives basically the same performance for both characters, but it’s a choice that makes sense considering Ibuki and Tenko have a very similar energy. Ibuki is slightly zingier and gets more memorable voice quips, but it’s another one that could go either way.

Ibuki > Tenko

 Marieve Herington (Angie Yonaga – Celestia Ludenberg)

Celes’s wacky French accent? Perfect, amazing, a hilarious and entirely appropriate addition to her character and possibly the best adaptational decision NISA made. Angie’s extremely similar wacky accent? Kind of lazy and highlights the racist parts of her character. Granted, it was probably hard to win with that one, but still. Boo.

Celestia > Angie

 Christine Marie Cabanos (Himiko Yumeno - Chiaki Nanami)

Christine Marie Cabanos as Himiko is my favorite dub voice in V3. She captures the laziness of the Japanese VA so well, nailing the gag of it but also nailing the emotional moments when it counts. What makes it great is knowing about Cabanos’s other work and how ultra-feminine magical girl types like Chiaki and Madoka Kaname are in her usual wheelhouse. Playing a character like Himiko must have been refreshing and it shows.

Himiko > Chiaki

[allythurston2]

Blog #1: Examining Youth Culture

This week we were assigned to watch four films and one television show that encouraged us to examine youth culture. These films and the television show took place in different time periods, ranging from the 1980’s up until the present.  When watching these films, I occasionally found myself identifying with characters and some of their actions. Surprisingly, I identified with Brian from The Breakfast Club. Like Brian, I was very shy and nerdy. My parents put a lot of pressure on me to do well, I was the oldest sibling which meant I had to set a good example. I was easily intimidated by others just as Brian was intimidated by John. I also had a huge respect for authority, I was very careful to not get in trouble. Seeing Brian constantly cut off during conversation was like looking in a mirror. Being soft spoken, when I did talk, I was talked over constantly, which added to my reasoning to just not talk at all. I never really pictured myself relating to him, I have watched the movie before, but I never really saw the connection until watching it again for my communications class.  

While these films were all different in their own ways, they each presented similar themes. The first theme that popped out to me was acceptance. Many of the characters in these films were seeking the acceptance of the people they surrounded themselves with as well as self-acceptance. In the show Euphoria we are introduced to an array of characters, each fighting their own battles. One character in particular named Kat stood out to me. Kat was always considered the less attractive member of her four-girl friend group. Boys often referred to her as “fat” because she did not fit the typical size 4 boy type that many find attractive. Unlike many characters who were seeking the approval of others, Kat seemed more focused on seeking approval from herself. She showed clear signs of being insecure, but after a video of her preforming a sexual act ended up online that all changed. She blossomed, developing this “hot girl” mentality once she realized how many people found her attractive the way she was. She found the acceptance within herself that she desperately needed. In the film Mean Girls, Cady was a prime example of someone who was seeking acceptance from others. She wanted to fit in so bad that she gave up who she was, transforming herself to fit into the Plastic’s cookie cutter standards. She left behind her genuine friends in order to be accepted by the popular crowd who in all reality did not like her in the first place. Both of these characters can be compared to the youth of today. Today’s youth seek acceptance, whether it be from others or themselves, it seems to be a common goal among many. When I was a teenager I wanted so badly to be accepted, but I was quiet, and awkward, a combination that did not exactly scream “cool”. I found myself struggling to remain true to who I was while also trying desperately to find the “group” that I fit in with. While I struggled for most of my high school experience trying to accept myself as well as be accepted, I ultimately had a revelation my senior year that the only person who needs to accept me is me. I focused on loving myself for me and have not looked back since.  Another theme I felt was present in these films would be the common goal to live life to the fullest. Many characters were focused on attending the next party or living their life the way they wanted to, regardless of consequences. In Mid90s the skater crowd just wanted to skate and party, they did not care who it effected in the process as long as they were having a good time. In Kids, Telly was focused on partying and being sexually active. He had no regard for the safety of himself or the girls he was involved with which ultimately was a major downfall. I feel that the youth today still possess the same mindset. Parties are still happening regularly even though we are in a pandemic. People do not care if they get sick, all that matters is they were living their life to the fullest and on their terms. While I was awkward in my youth, I still attended parties regularly. I was friends with people who were at every party every weekend it seemed, and I truthfully enjoyed every moment of it. Thinking back on it now, I was reckless, but being reckless made me feel alive. I feel that everyone at some point goes through their “I’m indestructible” phase of life, but that phase can really humble you. Living life to the fullest is what being young seems to be all about. A final theme I found common amongst all of the films was the theme of sexuality. While it was more present in films like Kids and Euphoria versus the film The Breakfast Club, I felt its something definitely worth mentioning. Sexuality is very prominent in youth culture. Teenagers are experimenting with not only sex but discovering their own sexuality. Promiscuity is no stranger to many high school students, it seemed like high school was a common time for many to figure out who they were sexually. While in that department I am a very private person, I will say that high school was not really the time for me to come to terms with any type of sexuality. I did however witness many of my friends go on their journey of sexual discovery, and I learned a lot from their stories. In high school I felt that everyone always knew who was sexually active and who was not. It always seemed like people would have all this knowledge on other’s personal lives, but not by their choice. People talked; privacy was virtually nonexistent. It seemed as if nothing was sacred, and while the girls definitely did their fair share of talking, it always seemed like the most outlandish stories came from the boys. The scene in Kids where Telly and his friends were talking about girl’s sexual preference and Jennie and her friends were talking about their own preference is what I imagined these conversations actually went like during my time in high school. Being the quiet girl met people always felt comfortable talking about things around me, and I can recall more then one occasion hearing both genders sides of an encounter and let me tell you they were always extremely different.

When watching these movies, I noticed one other big thing outside of my relation to a character and the very prominent themes all the films appeared to share. I noticed the music, and how it set the overall narrative of the film. I noticed how in each film when there was something traumatic or sad occurring the music reflected the feeling the scene was meant to give. When there was a party going on or when characters were doing something fun the music was fast or upbeat. The music helped set the overall vibe and tone for what was happening, it’s almost as if it gave you an indication of what was going to happen. I took the time to create a spotify playlist which I will link below this post. Each song I chose because I feel it reflected my experiences during my youth well. The first song I chose is “Kids in Love” by Mayday Parade. This song reminds me of the silly romances I had throughout my youth. I always thought I was in love, but at that age who didn’t. The second song I chose was “Therapy” by All Time Low. I was a very angsty and depressed kid, I listened to this song on repeat when I would go through my frequent, spurts of depression. While the song itself is sad, it oddly brought me comfort. The third song I chose was “Killing in The Name” by Rage Against The Machine. This song is a bit strange, but the ending in particularly reminded me of my mentality during my youth. There is a lot of colorful language in the song, but I felt the ending, which essentially is saying I’m going to do what I want, was spot on with my overall attitude during the age of sixteen to seventeen. The fourth song I chose is “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks. I have always idolized Stevie, I would listen to this car during the warmer months, driving with the windows down, and feeling as free as a bird. Honestly anything by Stevie put me in a good mood, I would drive around singing her music at the top of my lungs quite frequently. The fifth song I chose was “ I Want You To Want Me” by Cheap Trick. This song represents my desire to be wanted by someone, which I feel everyone can relate to. I wanted to be in love, I wanted someone to be crazy about me. I watched way too many romance movies during my youth, hence my minor obsession with love. For my sixth song I chose “Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS. This one I feel is self-explanatory, I wanted to party all the time! This song is fun and upbeat and to this day I still enjoy it. For my seventh song I chose “I Will Not Bow” by Breaking Benjamin. This song represents my depression, I refused to allow it to break me. I shut myself away from the world a lot, I was “a cold-blooded fake” at times. This song pulled me out of some pretty dark times, I still listen to it when I find myself in a less then ideal head space to remind me that I am strong and “will not break”. The eight song I chose is also slightly morbid but is one of my favorites. I chose “Can You Feel My Heart” by Bring Me The Horizon. The lyrics “I’m scared to get close, and I hate being alone, I long for the feeling to not feel at all, the higher get, the lower I’ll sink, I can’t drown my demons, they know how to swim” was essentially my headspace when I was sixteen. To say mentally I was going through it would be an understatement. This song was not around when I was a teen, but when I first heard it my mind instantly went back to that time. My ninth choice is far less morbid, I chose “First Date” by Blink-182. It reminds me of the nerves and craziness of a first date. It embodies the awkwardness that you feel at the beginning and then the happiness and excitement that followed. The final song I chose is “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance. This one I chose because to me it is the anthem of what being a teenager is! Teenagers can be scary with how little care or regard for safety they have. They’re wild and angsty. I like how this song covers how mean some cliques could be too, it overall is just a really cool song in my opinion. While my song choices are a bit all of the place, I feel my wide variety of genres and songs paint the picture of who I was during my youth. I was a mess, but I made the best out of it. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pvLKBWYfBXFGyloP2Bu8K?si=2oJOguBYTguW12UIhhtdHQ&utm_source=native-share-menu

[black-wolf066]

Well, You Do Have My Chin

Update: OMG!!! MY TIRED 36 HOUR LACK OF SLEEP BRAIN ACCIDENTLY DELETED THE STORY I POSTED THIS MORNING!!! I meant to hit edit, and apparently I hit delete and when it gave me the prompt to hit yes or no, my tired brain that it said “would you like to edit: yes or no”.... so here goes round two... so sorry guys. I wanted to add that i have this on Fanfiction.net now too (under my account Wolf-shadow666) but I just curfunkled everything... ANYWAY underneath is pretty much the post that got deleted... thankfully i save everything on document...

First off, let me just say. I’M ALIVE!!! It is now 8am in the morning, I’ve been working on the better part of this little shit that wouldn’t leave me alone i mean piece since 9pm last night…. i have TO GO TO WORK IN AN HOUR!!! HELP ME!!!!! *flails all over the place* I swear i can adult right sometimes… just not today apparently…. keep this in mind as you’re reading cause even though I’ve proof read this thrice, I’m sure some (or many) things have escaped my brain’s notice.

anyway….

Here is the comment that inspired me to write this one-shot:

@timetravelingpotatoast said:

All I really want from this season is for Killian and Henry to become good friends and talk about Lucy’s “conspiracy” only for Killian to ask who she thinks he is. However, somewhere in the translation it’s lost that Killian is his step-dad, so Henry just says his dad, leading to a “well you do have my chin,” commentary from Killian.

When the curse breaks they just squint at each other for a really long time.

Now, for the sake of the prompt, this is gonna be very heavily AU from season 7. This is by no means a “fix-it fic” because I really am enjoying season 7; I’m only writing this because I really wanted to see something like this be a thing after reading the comment. I absolutely love father/son bonding fics between Killian and Henry and I need more of it in my life… (Seriously there aren’t enough Captain Cobra centered fics to satisfy my craving for it). And I know that I said “I wish I was creative enough to contribute to the fandom of Once Upon a Time”, but after posting my last little snippet; I figured “what the hell I’m gonna do it anyway” because that’s what fandom is (I still feel like I suck terribly but *shrug* if you’re having fun doing it than screw being good at it, right?). (((Also something that should have been maybe 2000 words or less, ended up running away from me toward 4000 (my brain projecting my need for more Captain Cobra moments I guess)… I realize a lot of it is probably considered filler and I could have done away with it, but I kinda wanted to build that relationship between cursed Killian and Henry much like the relationship between Snow White and Emma in season 1)))).

Anyway, here’s a bit of backstory that I came up with for the AU universe of this fic…. If you don’t care and simply just want to read the story, than you can simply scroll down to the Continue reading link:

So in this AU, I’ve pretty much figured that Rumple, Killian, Regina and Emma came to save the day for Henry (Henry may have asked for Killian, Regina and Emma, but the three probably went to Rumple for help or something and Belle urged him to go). I’m thinking the timeline in the realm Henry is in moves faster than the timeline that is Storybrooke, so Henry might be 25 and not 18, but to the rest of his family only 1 year has passed since Henry left in search of his own story((((wondering if this is actually canon considering how shocked they were at seeing him so grown and I don’t believe for a single second that it took Emma and Killian that long to have a baby)))). Emma wasn’t pregnant at the time but eventually as they all stay and help the resistance against Tremaine and Drizella (after finding a way to send word back home that everything and everyone is alright and that they’re staying to help… maybe Rumple being pushed by Belle to stay and help them too), she and Killian end up having twins, and barely a year later Henry has his own kid with Ella. When the curse comes and separates them all, the curse spans the whole state of Washington (Tremaine or Drizella wanting to separate as many of them as they could and not keep them all in the same place… especially the true love couples. But they didn’t bank on Lucy remembering or Rumple finding a loop hole so he didn’t get cursed along with everyone else), so HH is the main hive so to speak but the fairy-tale characters are scattered across other cities and towns. Emma is off in one city (maybe Walla Walla), their twin daughters are in a group home in another city, Henry lived somewhere in Olympia (which is close enough to Seattle and HH), Robin (because I need Regina to be happy damn it! And I figure maybe they found that his soul wasn’t destroyed but simply stuck in the crystal, even across all alternate versions of said crystal in any realm, so he ends up getting freed) is also scattered somewhere, and Rumple, Killian, Regina, Ella and Lucy remained in HH where Tremaine and/or Drizella could keep an eye on them and make their lives a living hell. When Lucy finds Henry, and Jacinda steals his car (much like in the show and what not), he decides to stay at a motel for a week, finding the place interesting (and spurring a bit of creativity that he hadn’t felt since his failed first book) and eventually that week turns into him finding an actual place to stay once he gets to know the people in the neighborhood (made hard by the outrageous prices being asked). When Detective Rogers hears about his search, he offers to turn his den/office into a spare room (the only reason Regina/Roni didn’t offer is because she lives in a small studio apartment above the bar with the only closed room being a bathroom)…. Eventually Rumple as Weaver manages to get everyone back into the neighborhood (((he was the one to give Lucy the book. He was the one to find and bring back the cursed versions of Robin—Kevin Adams, who is a struggling lawyer that ends up helping Jacinda, by Rumple/Weaver’s prompting, get custody of Lucy back—and Emma—Danielle “Dani” Stevens, who was a sketch artist for Walla Walla police department. He was also the one to find which group home the twins were staying in and try to adopt them, since he wasn’t sure how long it would take to break the curse, and he didn’t want them staying there… Rumple and Killian might be civil borderline grey area friends, but he likes the twins and it’ll get them back to their family that much quicker once the curse is broken if he does it like this…)))) and the curse gets broken the same as in season 1 with Henry and Lucy (cause I’m unoriginal and my brain can’t think of anything else right now) ((((That should be enough of a background right? I don’t know… I’m terrible at this… don’t question the plot holes too much okay? You might get sucked into its black hole…))))

(((I looked at apartment averages in Seattle as a guideline (got rid of link since it wasn’t working)… and even though almost 3000 is very high for a one-bedroom apartment that Henry was looking for; I figured that Tremaine and Drizella were trying to weed out the people in the neighborhood slowly so they could bulldoze and improve and bring forth a ‘richer’ environment and a “richer” culture of people to surround themselves with, therefore causing more suffering and separation for those cursed and gaining something else for themselves….))))

((also when it comes to ages, I’m probably way off from canon, but these are my head canon ages for them here so… Emma was 28 at the start of season 1; Killian was 29, Regina 32. Adding 9 years considering Henry left at 18 and only a year passed in Storybrooke whereas 7 years passed where Henry was, that would make them 37, 38, and 41. With another 11ish to 12ish years they are now 48, 49, and 52 with Henry being 37ish.

tagging @superchocovian since she kindly asked me to (hope you enjoy it!!!)

Anyway, without farther ado, i give you this Captain Cobra one-shot in all it’s (step)father/son bonding glory!

Well, You do have my chin

Word count: 4203

Rating: pg-13 for my potty mouth

The din of Roni’s bar was oddly relaxing to Henry as he searched on his laptop for available apartments to move into, but after another site herald the same results, he sighed, closed the screen, and dropped his head into the crook of his arm. Was it too much to ask for a place within his price range? Hell, he was sure he could find something cheaper in the heart of Seattle than he could here.

But no, he stubbornly wanted to stay in this part of the neighborhood. There was something about Hyperion Heights, something that spoke to him, and not just Lucy’s crazy theory that his book was real and they were all fairytale characters scattered across the state (never mind the even crazier theory that he was her father—there was no way he could ever forget meeting a beautiful girl like Jacinda or be stupid enough not to fight for more than a one night stand with said woman).

The scraping of a chair across from him brought Henry’s attention up to that of the arrival of Detective Logan Rogers. The cop’s eyebrow was raised at him in silent question and concern as he sat down and nabbed the untouched bear claw from his plate.

“Bad day?” he asked finally with a tilt of his head as Roni approached with his usual beer.

When Henry still didn’t move to answer, simply groaning and hiding his face back in the crook of his arm, Roni supplied. “He’s looking for places to stay… and failing by the looks of it.”

“The asking prices are outrageous! How do you guys survive here?” he griped into his arm.

Roni snorted and Henry peeked up at her with a perturbed eyebrow raised. “You’ve seen the state of the neighborhood and the state of my bar before I decided to fight back. Isn’t that answer enough for you?”

“What’s your budget?” Logan cut in with his query before Henry could snark back and start an argument with the ornery bartender.

“Well,” Henry’s eyes shifted to him just as the older man took a bite out of the pilfered pastry. “With Seattle, I kind of figured I’d be lucky to find something for twenty-two hundred, but there is no way I’m paying almost three thousand for a place that’s barely in the city’s limits.”

“Welcome to the land of Belfrey greed.” chimed Roni as she walked back to tend the bar and the new arrival of customers.

Henry scowled un-amusedly at her back as she went.

“I have space,”

Startled, Henry gazed, wide eyed, back at the Detective. “What?”

“Well, it’s not really a ‘room’, but the den can easily be turned into one.” Logan continued, his good hand going up to scratch nervously behind his ear.

“Wha—Why?” Tilting his head and narrowing his eyes, Henry pressed on. “I know the three of us are ‘kinda’ working together, but we barely know each other. Hell, for all you know I could be a serial killer.” at Logan’s snort and raised brow, Henry rolled his eyes and said defensively. “Shut up, you know what I mean.”

“I trust you.” Logan relented simply with a shrug of his shoulders. “Besides, I have a gun I’m not afraid to use, and you look to be out of options, mate.”

Still eyeing the older man with suspicion, not used to blatantly kind gestures from others, he asked. “Can I swing by to look at your place before I decide?”

“Of course.” taking a swig of his beer, Logan gestured with his head to the closed laptop. “Now, what was it you wanted to show me?”

(***)

Walking into the apartment after Logan, Henry took in the sparsely decorated living space with a familiar pang beating against his chest. It was neat and orderly, everything he considered the detective to be, even after a week of working covertly with him and Roni. But seeing it so bare, devoid of… well, devoid of life and personality; it all just resonated with him. There wasn’t even a single picture or photo on the walls or table tops (Henry knows there are photos of Logan out there. He’s seen the pictures Roni hangs proudly on the walls of her establishment, knows that the picture of Logan and Roni—two best friends, he’s come to learn, that grew up together in the neighborhood—has a special place right behind the bar where she works). There was nothing, other than the books neatly tucked into a shelf, to give Henry a glimpse into what made this man Logan Rogers.

Walking through the 900 square foot space, he knew it wasn’t just the home of a bachelor; it was the home of someone who was just as lost as Henry himself felt. A space made entirely out of necessity rather than be made to feel like an actual home. It reminded him of his years after the foster system, before he had met his late wife, where he had had nothing of that old life worth keeping. Anything he had gained afterwards had been destroyed by the fire that took his wife and daughter three years ago, and after that he had just never bothered to start over (it wouldn’t bring them back and honestly they were all Henry wanted, not materialistic things).

As Logan led him through the kitchen toward the open den, Henry wondered what kind of past the man must have had, wondered if he too was an orphan looking for a place to belong.

“Here it is.” Logan stated with a flourish of his hand and ultimately cutting Henry out of his thoughts.

His eyes roved over the small space, at the neat and tidy desk underneath the window and the wall lined with more bookshelves and books and a single three-drawer filing cabinet.

“Sorry, I know it’s not much… doesn’t even have a door.”

Henry’s eyes cut to the older man just as he saw his good hand go to scratch behind his ear (a nervous tick he’d come to realize early on in the week). “No, it’s perfect,” He reassured as he walked around the opened room; envisioning where his stuff would fit. “I don’t really need that much space anyway.” he moved back to the opened archway and gave the man a small smile. “And privacy can be fixed with a curtain,”

“Does that mean you accept my offer?”

“If you don’t mind me for a roommate, than yeah, I’ll take it.”

(***)

A little over one month since his move into the neighborhood, and not once did Henry regret his decision (well, maybe a little; after all, Victoria Belfrey and her daughter are a force to be reckoned with… and good god did those two give him a headache sometimes). He genuinely liked it here; he liked most of the quirky people and he could clearly see why the neighborhood was worth trying to save. He also found rooming with Logan to be better than he originally expected. Sure they had their moments (like the kitchen incident that nearly gave the detective an aneurysm, or how scarily grumpy Logan could get when he’s had a bad day at the station), but their camaraderie was easy going between them, and for once after three years, Henry felt like he had a true friend again.

It was because of this easy camaraderie that Henry and Logan, one Saturday morning, found themselves planning a Star Wars marathon and arguing over the order in which to watch it (“They’re my movies, Rogers!” “And it’s my TV, Mills.”).

Somehow Henry won the argument, which found Logan sitting on the couch with the large popcorn bowl settled on the middle cushion and a beer in his hand, while Henry squatted down in front of their combined movie collection to find the first disk.

As he skimmed the neatly ordered DVDs for the one he wanted, his finger froze on a particular title and could barely contain the Cheshire cat grin as he pulled it out and pivoted to face the detective.

“The Princess Bride: Special Edition.”

Logan scowled and pointed his finger at him as he defended. “Shove off, mate, it’s a good book and a good movie; leave it alone.”

The grin on Henry’s face turned impish as he pivoted back and added as he went, “As you wish.”

The couch pillow thrown at his back did nothing to curb his mirth.

(***)

It was almost three months after his move to Hyperion Heights, that Henry managed to work the nerve enough (more like getting the quadrant that was Roni, Logan, Sabine and Lucy to shut up, and to stop hounding him to try and move on and be happy) to ask Jacinda on a date.

Glancing at himself in the hallway mirror, and trying to ignore the grinning idiot leaning against the wall a few paces behind him; he felt the bubbling of nerves roiling in his stomach as he finally turned to face his roommate.

“You’ll be fine,” Logan soothed with the utmost confidence. “You didn’t have any problems when you were flirting with her, one date isn’t going to kill you, mate. Just be yourself.”

“Yeah, be myself.” Henry snorted and rubbed his sweating palms against his jean clad thighs. “Cause any girl would swoon at a failed writer, a widowed husband, and a nerd for all things 80’s, Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Tolkien related.”

“Henry,” Logan stepped forward than, placing his hand and prosthetic firmly on his shoulders as he earnestly stated. “You’ve told Jacinda all of this already and yet she still accepted to go to this concert with you. So cut yourself a little slack, give her a little more credit than that, and go out tonight and have fun.”

(***)

It was almost six months after his move, and during one of their covert meet ups at the bar, when Henry felt a little friendly revenge against Roni and Logan was in order (because dear god, if they didn’t stop and take their own damn advice, he was going to go crazy… or take Roni’s bat and beat himself or them with it… really, he wasn’t picky).

It hadn’t been long after his and Jacinda’s first—or even their second— date that Jacinda decided enough was enough and it was time to try and win custody of her daughter back from her step mother. Detective Weaver had recommended a Lawyer from Spokane, and ever since Kevin Adams stepped foot into Roni’s bar, the two had done nothing but snark at each other.

Within the same month, a missing person’s case had popped up that apparently Weaver thought required the work of a sketch artist from Walla Walla… or so Logan kept griping to him to no freaking end. Honestly, Henry thought Danielle (or Dani as she asked to be called) a rather nice woman, maybe a little too bubbly and Chatty Cathy at times, but if Logan was to be believed than she was the worst woman he had ever had the displeasure to work with.

Yeah… right…

Denial, she is a river, and both of them are currently drowning at the bottom of it.

“So,” He began innocently around a mouthful of pizza. “When are you both going to stop pussy-footing around and ask Dani and Kevin out?”

The soda Logan was drinking and the pizza Roni was currently chewing, both ended up spat out on the table and floor, and the word vomit that followed as they tried to deny it had Henry rolling his eyes so hard he was surprised that they didn’t just roll right out of his head.

“Uh-huh,” putting his slice back down on his plate, he folded his arms across his chest and stared them both down, feeling for all the world like the no nonsense father he should have been to the daughter that would have been thirteen now. “Guys, I’m not stupid… and the last I checked my vision was perfect, so not blind either.” He cut them off before they could rush to deny it any farther. “If I have to sit here and watch you two continue with this charade a moment longer, I will either be checking myself in somewhere or Detective Weaver will have not one but three missing person’s cases to contend with.”

They didn’t try to feed him any more bullshit after that, which he was grateful for, because seriously there was only so much a person can take.

And if he caught his roommate dressed (rather nicely) in a blue button up shirt, black iron pressed slacks, and trying to rush past him and out the door before Henry could say a word with a bouquet of pink and yellow roses in hand.

Well… he could only thank whatever deity listening for small miracles.

(***)

It’s at elven months since his move, that Henry felt for all the world a content man. Jacinda had won her battle against her step-mother, and Lucy had become a constant presence in the apartment, especially since he had offered to watch her after school while Jacinda worked. He loved Lucy and her precocious nature, found her imagination beyond incredible for an elven year old and even began to look forward to hearing her crazy theories about them being cursed.

Sometimes they would be alone, with him helping her with her homework and other times Logan would be there, smiling and humoring her and her theories like they all had agreed to do.

It was during one of these nights, after Jacinda and Lucy had eaten dinner with them and left, that Logan’s curiosity had gotten the better of him. They were in the kitchen, Henry washing the dishes while his roommate dried them, that Logan broke the comfortable silence.

“Who does she think I am?”

“Huh?” Henry glanced over with a brow raised.

“Lucy,” he elaborated. “With her theories, who does she think I am? She never tells me when I ask.”

Henry snorted out a chuckle as he handed over the plate and proceeded washing the next one while answering. “Captain Hook.”

“You’re kidding.” The dry look Henry gave him caused him to roll his eyes. “It’s the hand isn’t it?”

“Probably,” Henry shrugged. “Or it could be the fact that she thinks you’re my dad.”

“What?” Logan froze mid swipe with the towel and Henry could practically feel the man’s eyes burning his profile.

“Yeah, crazy, I know.”

“Mate, if she is to be believed and you are my son; I would have had you when I was 11…”

They both chuckled at that.

“Again, crazy, I know.”

They went back to the comfortable silence as they worked, but the occasional contemplative side eye he would catch Logan giving him in his peripheral as they cleaned up the rest of the kitchen, eventually had Henry turning to stare blatantly at the man’s profile with an eyebrow raised in question.

“Do I have barbeque sauce on my face or something?”

Startled, Logan shifted his attention away from the stove top he was wiping down, and met his eyes with that contemplative expression still in place.

“No, you’re fine.” He distractedly answered.

“Than what’s on your mind? And don’t tell me nothing; you’ve been staring at me off and on for the past five minutes?”

“I was just thinking.”

The other brow rose to meet its twin as he deadpanned. “Clearly,”

Logan rolled his eyes and elaborated. “I was thinking about what you said, about who Lucy thinks I am.”

“Logan, none of that is real.”

“No, I know that… but—now that it’s been said, I can’t help but see it. Hell, Henry you can’t tell me that you can’t see it, not even a little bit.”

Henry tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at him; his eyebrows practically at his hairline now.

“We do look a little alike, mate; long lost cousins or brothers or something. I mean you do kinda have my chin, our noses are almost similar and the brow structure too…” he trailed off.

With a snort, Henry joked. “You’ve been hanging out with Dani too much, you’re even starting to sound like a sketch artist.”

“Shut up,”

He dodged and caught the wet rag thrown at him, before tossing it back; both chuckling at the ridiculousness of it all as they finished up and moved to the couch to see what was on TV.

Expect, as the days and weeks progressed (and Weaver shockingly adopted two pre-teen girls from Aberdeen that looked eerily like Dani and Logan), Henry found that he couldn’t stop thinking about it too (no matter how hard he tried to shake the insane notion from his head each and every time it sprung back into the forefront of his thoughts).

He’d often catch himself staring at Logan when the older man was distracted and—illogically enough as it was—could practically see what the other man was talking about.

It was crazy.

It wasn’t conceivable.

But damn it all if Logan wasn’t right.

They did share the same freaking chin, and though his nose was a bit larger than Logan’s, it was the same freaking shape.

Maybe he needed to check himself in somewhere after all…

(***)

Sixteen months after moving to Hyperion Heights, the curse was broken.

It had been an emotionally exhausting week beforehand, with Lucy suddenly falling into a coma that the doctors couldn’t medically explain. Jacinda had rightfully been beside herself with worry, and all Henry could feel was the crushing feeling of losing another loved one… another child. It had been the very reason why he didn’t like opening up, didn’t like taking these leaps of faith when it came to his heart and feelings. Yet he had stupidly allowed himself to get close to all these people, and stupidly thought he could have a second chance at a family, but those dreams had gone up in flames the first time and now plummeted back down from the stars a second time with the flat lining of the heart monitor as Jacinda brokenly wailed her heartache.

He didn’t feel the hand of his roommate trying to console him as he numbly watched Jacinda break down in the waiting room they had been forcibly moved too when the doctors came swarming into the room. Didn’t hear the words being spoken as Jacinda fought and then bonelessly collapsed in Sabine and Roni’s arms; her wails gut wrenching and shredding his already scarred heart to pieces. The flood of his emotions and his own tears didn’t come until after the doctor told them that their precious, precocious little Lucy was truly and utterly gone, that the defibrillator failed to restart her heart.  

It was Logan who caught him when his legs refused to hold his weight any longer, when the world suddenly came crushing down around him and nothing felt right anymore. And it was Logan who helped him into the chair; the warm presence of his roommates hand at the back of his neck guiding his head to lean on his broad shoulder. And he took the comfort and sobbed for all he was worth. Sobbed for the loss of the wife and daughter he had had to bare losing and moving on from all on his own, sobbed for Jacinda and how much she didn’t deserve to know the gut wrenching pain that losing a child brought, sobbed for Lucy who had been robbed of her own dreams, who had been robbed the chance to live and grow.

His heart hurt as he followed Jacinda into the room to say goodbye, the tears blurring his vision at seeing the white sheet lying over Lucy’s little body; so final in its position that it made him want to collapse all over again. But he couldn’t, he had to be strong for Jacinda as he was the one to hold her upright as they moved toward the bed.

Her sobs as she pulled back the sheet to view her daughters pale face tore at him even more, her words a broken, jumbled mess as she climbed onto the bed and wept onto her daughters unmoving chest.

Running on autopilot, Henry’s feet moved of their own accord; one hand going to Jacinda’s shaking back and the other to card the bangs off of Lucy’s forehead.

“I’m sorry Lucy, I’m so, so sorry.” He whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips to her crown.

The whoosh of wind startled him and before he could right himself to wonder where it came from, the overwhelming flood of memories came next; slamming everything back into place and causing the air to deflate right out of his lungs. The watery, startled gasp from Ella (his wife, his true love) told him she remembered too, but it was the choked rush of life from his daughter, his daughter (his beautiful and very much alive little girl, his other true love), that was bloody music to his ears and heart.

“Papa? Mama?” she wheezed out as her eyes foggily and confusedly took them and her surroundings in.

“Baby!”

Everything was alright.

Everything in the world was right again.

(***)

The moment Lucy was cleared to leave; the overdue reunion of their family came afterwards. The battle was far from over; not with Tremaine and Drizella currently in hiding and no one knowing where they had run off too, but they were together again, and at the moment that was enough for them all as they celebrated at the bar that had been his adoptive mother’s home for the last eighteen months.

Henry had his wife and daughter back, his half-sisters, both his mothers, both his step-fathers and his grandfather. To say he was over the moon would have been an understatement as the din of fairytale characters and his family filled the industrial styled establishment.

It was all so overwhelming still that he had to take a seat at one of the tables; simply content to watch as he sipped at his beer. Killian soon joined him with his own glass, rum he was sure now that the man remembered who he was, and the thought of step-fathers in general had his mind venturing to their conversation once again.

It must have been on Killian’s mind as well because before either knew what they were truly doing, they were starting at one another, eyes narrowed and the rim of their drinks to their lips as they tried to see what apparently their cursed selves had been able to see.

“Man, I hope this is the last curse we ever have to face. I’ve lost count at how many cursed memories we’ve had forced into our heads at this point.” Emma groaned, yet her arrival didn’t completely break their staring contest as she dropped into the chair next to Killian; her eyes not yet looking at either of them but at her daughters who were laughing along with Lucy near the corner of the bar. She blindly but efficiently snatched her husband’s glass out of his hand and downed the last shot of the dark amber that was left as she continued. “Seriously though, can you imagine the identity crisis we’ll have in our old age if we get Alzheimer’s?” Finally glancing over at them, and realizing she had neither her son nor her husband’s attention, she raised an eyebrow and asked with trepidation. “What’s up with you two? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah love,” Killian briefly met Emma’s eyes, before he was squinting back at Henry as he continued. “Apparently while cursed, and thanks to our lovely granddaughter, the two of us got it into our heads that we were blood related; something about seeing similarities in our features and what have you.”

Blinking once than twice, Emma’s eyes bounced from one to the other, before she was tilting her head and squinting at them as well. Satisfied with what she saw, she nodded to herself, shrugged, and stated. “I can see it, especially when you wear your hair like this and stop shaving.” She grinned and chuckled and leaned forward to ruffle her son’s gel slicked hair, which Henry swatted away with a scowl as he tried to fix it back into place.

However her statement only proceeded to have them squint even harder at each other, and Emma could do nothing more than laugh at her first two goofy true loves.

As the celebrations began to die down and people started heading home, Henry and Killian simply shrugged and let it go as they hugged each other goodbye for the night (each having every intention of spending this night with their loved ones).

“Well,” Killian began softly. “Blood related or not, you’re still my son Henry; always have been, my boy.”

The smile that stretched Henry’s face, nearly threatened to split his skin from ear to ear as he replied just as softly but no less sincerely. “Thanks, dad.”

And if they hugged each other just a little tighter and their eyes shone just a little brighter with emotion, no one that witnessed the moment commented on it.

[hannahindie]

Museum of Death: Part 2

Characters: Dean Winchester x Reader (implied), Sam Winchester, Susan (ofc - brief) Word Count: 2,922 Warnings: Mention of a burnt corpse (which is just gross regardless of detail), a sassy reader (are you even surprised at this point?), and an adorable old lady named Susan. A/N: This is part two to my UNDERCOVER CHALLENGE FIC for @amanda-teaches. I love writing this, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have been.

A quick shout-out again to @wheresthekillswitch for brainstorming this with me and for the idea of using the undercover names that I chose. It wouldn’t be nearly as cool without you, my dear. :)

And to @pinknerdpanda for beta’ing this part for me!! Your encouragement and willingness to look over my words make my heart happy. Thanks, bean. :) “ *recoils in revulsion* Oh hannah! *Whispers* I love it”

As usual, tags are at the bottom! If you’d like to be added, please let me know.

Y/N looked up as the hotel room door swung open and Dean threw his suit coat over the back of one of the chairs.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I know you did it on purpose.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “No, I didn’t. Why does it matter, anyway? We still have to help these people, something is going on in that museum.”

“Whatever. Y/N, did you find anything?”

Y/N leaned back and crossed her arms, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, “More than you did, sounds like.”

Dean leaned over and kissed the top of her head, “Are you going to be nice and tell us, or are you just going to be a tease?”

Y/N’s small smile turned into a wide grin, “Oh, you know I don’t tease. I go straight for the good stuff,” she said with a wink.

Sam groaned, “Please, stop. Just...don’t.” He sat down with a frown and Y/N laughed.

“Sorry, Sammy. But in all seriousness, I think I found something. I don’t know how much help it’s going to be, though.” She turned the laptop so that Sam and Dean could both see it. “So I started digging into the history of the museum, and what could have triggered the murder of the security guard and the curator. Up until recently, everything had been fine.”

“So it’s been all quiet on the western front? A museum full of murder memorabilia, and nothing?” Dean asked as he sat down next to Y/N.

Y/N shrugged, “Yea. It’s been oddly quiet considering the subject matter of this place. That was, until about six weeks ago. Dr. Elliot Lyons transferred here from a crime museum up north. It closed and there were plans on relocating, but the curator position at the Museum of Death had opened up, so he decided to part ways with his previous employer and moved here. That’s when things started happening.”

“I thought Dr. Lyons and Theodore were the only murders?” Sam asked as he leaned forward to get a better look at the news article Y/N had opened.

“They are...well...were. Until last night, they were the only ones. Before that, there had been reports of people being attacked, scratched, strangled, you name it, it was happening. The two deaths occurred, and the museum went quiet again for a few days. Last night, there was a temporary guard patrolling the museum, and this morning he was found strangled and crammed into a crawlspace in the basement.”

Dean whistled, “That’s a bad time. How’d they find him?”

Y/N wrinkled her nose, “Well, it was more of a...um...furnace than a crawlspace. They found out the hard way. I was trying to avoid saying it.”

Dean cleared his throat, “I regret asking.”

“So what was the trigger? It looks like it started when Lyons arrived, but why did it escalate?” Sam sat back and Y/N moved the computer closer to her so she could flip through the different tabs she had open.

“I hacked the museum’s database, and it looks like Lyons was working on a special exhibit. He'd been gathering pieces for weeks, but was very careful about who he let see them. I went to the museum and talked to his assistant, who barely knew what was going on either.” Y/N grinned and Sam cocked an eyebrow.

“But I’m assuming since you hacked into their system, you know what’s going on?” he said, trying to be patient but the frustration was evident on his face.

“Well,” she continued, “I started to get an idea when I realized what kind of exhibit he was building, but I wanted to make sure before I got too excited. I went to the police station to check out the previous claims of attacks and they confirmed my suspicions.”

“Well, are you going to tell us?” Dean asked grumpily, “Or are you just relishing the fact that you’re right?”

Y/N laughed, “I absolutely am doing that. Sam is always the one that gets to say ‘so get this’ and look smart. It’s my turn.” She turned the computer back to where Sam and Dean could both see it. “According to the police reports that were filed, all the attacks that happened were against men. Each person has a different story and they’ve given several descriptions of the attackers, but no women were hurt. Same general story each time; the men were walking through the museum when they were suddenly attacked. Some were beaten, some strangled, some of them had cuts. In all the cases, though, they're the only ones that saw their attacker.”

“So these guys got their asses handed to them and no one saw it?” Sam asked as he scrolled through the pictures in the police reports. “How can someone get this injured and no one see it?”

“I don’t know, it seems like the men had somehow gotten separated from whoever they’d come in with, and by the time the person found them, the attack had already happened. Some walked away mostly unscathed, but there were a couple of incidents where they had to be hospitalized. The ages ranged from fifteen to around forty.”

Dean sighed, “You said that you thought you had it figured out after what you found at the museum. How does any of this relate to that?”

Y/N’s smile widened even more, “Because the exhibit he was putting together was comprised entirely of serial killers whose prime focus were men and boys. The museum already had some displays and items related to that, of course, but he has some incredibly rare finds. I’m talking ‘he must have connections in a police department because this stuff is definitely evidence’ kind of stuff. Things that we haven’t even seen pictures of, much less the actual item. I’ll even go out on a limb and say some of this stuff didn’t even make it to court, and if it did, they definitely didn’t show it in the newspaper.” She switched over to the exhibit list and Sam took the computer back.

“How did he get his hands on some of this? I don’t even think some of this would have been taken as evidence, it’s like personal belongings and school records.”

Y/N shrugged, “I don’t know. But there’s a way for you to find out.”

“What are you talking about?” Dean asked with a frown.

Y/N tossed Dean a set of security credentials, “There just happens to be a security officer and curator position open, and since whatever this is is into dudes…” she trailed off and gestured vaguely at them. “Looks like you boys are going undercover,” she said with a grin.

Dean groaned, “Fantastic.”

Dean stomped down the sidewalk and fidgeted with his tie as they approached the entrance to the museum, “Why do I have to wear this stupid suit and you get to wear regular clothes?”

“Because you have to look like you’re working for a respectable security company, and I have to look like someone that’s got a doctorate and will fit the part of ‘eccentric curator’,” Sam said with a smile.

Dean groaned, “You’re eccentric, alright.” He stopped in front of the door and put a hand on Sam’s chest, “Listen up, and listen good. You keep it together in there. That museum is like some sort of weird wet dream for you, so I need you to keep your mind on the task at hand so we can get out of there as quickly as possible. I’d much rather spend my time in New Orleans on Bourbon Street than surrounded by true crime porn for nerds like you. You freakin’ owe me, dude.” Dean threw the door open and stormed in with Sam on his heels.

Sam managed to catch up to Dean and stopped in front of the main desk, “Hello, we’re here for the curator and security officer interviews. I’m Dr. Clay Miller, and this is Tom Hannigan.”

The frazzled lady sitting behind the desk looked up, her large eyes magnified further by thick glasses. “Oh, hello boys, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Susan Ellis.” She looked between the two large men and tilted her head, “Do you know each other?”

Dean smiled, “Yes, ma'am, we’re cousins. Good looks and great career choices run in the family.” He winked, and she looked down at her hands, her cheeks flushed.

“Oh, now, isn’t that nice? Well, I’ll be honest, the plan was to interview you two, but honestly we’re struggling. Since Dr. Lyons passed away,” she closed her eyes and made the sign of the cross, “it’s drawn even more visitors. I guess having serial attacks and murders have brought true crime buffs out of the woodwork. None of the temp agencies will send us replacement guards, and it’s just been a heck of a time. So, as of today, consider yourselves hired.”

Dean held out his hand, “Thank you, ma’am, we appreciate it. If you could just show me where the security office is, I’ll get started.”

She gingerly shook his outstretched hand, “Absolutely, dear.” She pointed at the hallway that stretched out to Sam’s right, “If you take that hallway, the curator’s office is the third door on the left.

Sam smiled, “Thank you.” He nodded at Dean, then strolled off towards the office.

Dean held out his arm as Susan moved around the desk, “Shall we?”

Susan smiled, “Absolutely, my dear.” She took Dean’s arm and they walked in the opposite direction than Sam went. “It truly is good timing that you two came in today. I’ve been getting volunteers, some of our regulars, but that’s not really ideal. They mostly just want free access to the exhibits.” She pulled a set of keys out of her pocket and flipped through them. “It’s just nice to have someone that actually makes it feel safe around here.” She fumbled the key into the lock and the door opened with a creak.

A bank of security monitors greeted Dean, their screens filled with blurry black and white images as people walked through the museum. One screen showed the parking lot, and another showed the back entrance.

“Susan, have you had time to go through the security footage from the other night?”

She shook her head, “No, I’ve been scrambling trying to get replacements and to try to keep this place open. The police took a copy of it, but otherwise I haven't seen it or heard if they found anything.”

Dean nodded, “Fair enough.” Susan started to leave the room and Dean cleared his throat, “Umm...do you know what he was working on? I've heard a few rumors...you know how it is.” He offered her a smile and she frowned.

“He wouldn't let anyone near it. I'm not sure what was so important, but he wanted to keep it a surprise. Dr. Lyons was a good man, but very strange. Hopefully Dr. Miller will be able to piece it together.”

“My cousin is pretty good at his job, I'm sure he will.” Susan smiled, then turned and left, shutting the door behind her. Dean pulled out his phone and began scrolling through footage as he waited for an answer.

“Hey, what's up?”

“I'm in the security office, looks like there's a ton of footage to go through. I'm going to hang in here for awhile before I take a walk around the building. You find anything yet?”

Sam sighed, “No, there are literally boxes upon boxes in here. The man may have catalogued everything meticulously, but his storage habits are nonexistent. I've got a lot to go through.”

Dean stopped the footage starting the morning before the murders, “Alright, well I'm going to look for stuff around the time of the murder. I'll probably go back to the dates of the physical attacks too. Let me know if you find anything.”

“Will do. See you later.” Sam hung up and Dean leaned forward and squinted at the monitor. It was going to be a long afternoon.

Sam sat back in his chair and sighed. Normally, he would love digging through what Lyons had managed to scrounge up; report cards, clothing, drawings that he’d only seen in documentaries. There were boxes upon boxes of things that should have been impossible to have. Sam wondered how much money he’d spent and if he’d gone to more unconventional means of acquiring it, but he’d been unable to find anything to confirm the suspicion. Regardless, none of the boxes held the answer he was looking for, and it appeared that Dr. Lyons, though strange and probably slightly sketchy in his ways of obtaining rare objects, was probably not the person that was causing the murders.

Sam ran a hand over his tired face, making a mental note to shave as soon as they got back to the hotel, then froze when his eyes fell on a rug that was in the center of the floor. He narrowed his eyes, his head tilted as he stared at the far corner of the fabric, its edge flipped up to reveal what looked like spray paint. He stood and walked slowly towards it, carefully navigating boxes and folders that he’d already gone through, and stopped just at the edge of the rug.

“What the hell?” he muttered as he kicked the rug back a little further. Most of it was still hidden, but there was definitely a symbol painted in nearly the same color as the floor. He moved the rest of the boxes that were pinning down the rug and pulled the entire thing back to reveal an unfamiliar symbol. It was hard to really tell what it looked like since the paint matched so closely to the floor, so he went back to the desk and scrounged a piece of paper and a pen, then came back and sketched it out. Even with it being clear, Sam had no idea what it was for. He pulled out his phone and dialed Y/N, who answered on the first ring.

“What’s up, Sam? Find anything?”

“Yea, I think so. I’m going to send you a picture of a symbol, can you help me find what it means? It feels vaguely familiar, but I can’t place it.”

“Sure thing, send it on over. I’ll call you when I have something.” She hung up, and Sam took a picture of his sketch and texted it to her.

As he waited for Y/N to respond, he called Dean as he stared down at the symbol.

“Find something?”

“Yea, I think so. I sent a picture of it to Y/N, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. There was a symbol painted on the floor, and someone had covered it with a rug. I think you should probably come look at it.”

“Sure, be right there.” The line went dead and Sam put his phone back in his pocket. No matter how hard he thought, he just couldn’t place it. The door opened and Dean wandered in, his eyes wide at the sight of so many boxes.

“Dude, you weren’t kidding. He’s even more of a nerd than you.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Just look at the damn symbol.”

Dean smirked, but remained silent as he walked over to where Sam pointed. He walked slowly around the symbol, his brows furrowed as he tried to figure out where he’d seen it before. “I’m not sure. It does feel familiar, but I don’t know where I would have seen it.” He’d made it back to where Sam was standing when he tilted his head and knelt down. “Hmmm…”

“What?” Sam asked as he watched Dean trace his hand along the middle, near the crooks.

“Is this exactly like you found it? You didn’t drag anything across it?” Dean asked as he looked up at Sam.

Sam shook his head, “No. I mean, I moved some boxes, but I picked them up, I didn’t drag them...why?”

Before Dean could answer, Sam’s phone rang, “Hello?”

“Hey. I think I found something, and you aren’t going to like it.”

Sam put the phone on speaker so that Dean could hear, “When do I ever like it? What did you find?”

“That symbol…it’s a summoning sigil. Specifically for Adnachiel, also known as ‘the hunter demon’. I found it in an old book of Bobby’s.”

“That explains why it’s so familiar, I probably saw it researching. Any idea of how to stop it?”

“Well, first you’d have to find who’s controlling it. Whoever did it would have had to paint it in one stroke for it to be successful. There’s a reversal spell, but the sigil would have to be left unbroken. If it’s been broken, whoever summoned it will lose control, the demon will do what it does best, which is hunt, and it’s going to be way harder to stop. I’d assume since it was hidden, it’s probably good though, right?”

Dean groaned, “You’d think that...but I’ve got some bad news.”

Sam frowned, “What?”

Dean smacked the symbol where he’d run his hand over it a moment before, “Because someone must have dragged something over it and scraped the paint. The symbol is broken. Which means-”

“Which means it’s going to keep roaming the museum, killing people, until we stop it.” Sam muttered, his eyes locked on the sigil.

Like what you see? Would you like to read more? Check out my master list HERE.

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[crookedmoonlight123]

The Rain Woman

As promised here is Chapter 5! Chapter 6 will be up in about a week!

The Rain Woman - Chapter 5 - As A Rain Drop Cascades

A/N: Thankyou to everyone who reviewed followed and favourited the last chapter! Its so hard to keep the story going at a steady pace! I really want to rush it as I just find the ideas I have for it so exciting! Anyway, enjoy!

Juvia sat across from her mother awestruck, her pale pink lips slightly parted as hers eyes stared into her mothers.  “He’s…He’s dead… But why?” She gripped the edge of the table feeling the cool wood press into her now sweaty palms.  “And he isn’t, wasn’t Juvias father?” No matter how many times the bluenette said both those sentences, even out loud, it didn’t make them feel them any more real.

Her mother glanced sideways, eyes cast down low.  “After you left, I fell apart, you were my baby girl.” She brought her glistening blue eyes back to Juvias steady ones.  “I was supposed to protect you from all the evils of the world. And in that I failed.”  She reached across the table to cup Juvias hand in her own.  “When you left I struggled to function properly.  I would find myself aimlessly walking around the house looking for you, or watching other kids play in the fields surrounding the house and I’d be crying.  Your step-father I guess he was.  He didn’t like my weak display of emotion.  But when he realised there was nothing he could do to snap me out of my depression, he took his own life.  He hung himself.  It was strange.  It was like we were two strangers living under one roof.  He did realise what a monster he had become though.  When he stumbled upon our old happy photos.  I think that was the turning point for him.  Realising what he had become.”  Juvias mother stared at her daughter waiting for a response.

“Juvia does have vague memories of him being happy… but he was such a angry character Juvia wondered if maybe she had dreamt it.  He always hated Juvia so much and Juvia never understood why, what Juvia did wrong.” Juvia sighed, her eyes feeling hot, she had to remember her mother had been through hell and back aswell.

“He was so charming when we fell in love and when I had you he was overjoyed he had a baby girl.  Until he realised you weren’t his.  It was my fault he hated you Juvia.  But your real father was such a whirlwind romance.” She gave Juvias hand a squeeze.

“How did you meet Juvias real father?” Juvia words were so calmly spoken.  In fact she felt oddly calm like she hadn’t really processed everything yet.

“Well I was on a short vacation on my own, it was sort of a work thing.  I was studying the rare flowers that had been blooming in the warm south climate of Fiore.  The flowers responded so beautifully to my magic blooming bigger and more colourful, but they lacked something.  Then out of the corner of my eye there was a very handsome young man, with the most gorgeous blue hair, darker than an eggshell blue but not quite a sky blue, despite the heat he was wearing a very well fitted pale grey almost white suit, he was fresh shaven and the way he looked at the flowers showed a gentleness I’d never seen before, he treated them so delicately for a man of such a muscular frame, it was like he too could feel the flowers energies.  I couldn’t help but feel drawn to him, so I slowly approached him, tilting my sunhat and nervously fiddling with the hem of my white summer dress which was patterned with navy blue flowers.  As he turned to look at me I thought I recognised his face somewhere, and of course I asked him what he was doing here.  Turns out he too had been asked to examine the plants, he didn’t have any plant magic but  he enjoyed studying them, he was in fact a water mage.  The most powerful water user known, having come from a long line of water mages.  I remembered seeing him featured in a flower magazine for being able to help flowers grow in the most desolate and harshest environments.  We got talking and it was obvious there was some kind of spark between us, or maybe it was just the heat, but before long we had combined our magic and the whole botanical garden was blooming like never before, even the foliage and grass was greener and richer, the bark on the trees was healthy, the flowers were large, colourful, giving off more scent and the water droplets around us were shimmering like a thousand tiny crystals as they caught the sunlight, it was magical to say the least.” Juvias mother eyes were sparkling.  “Of course being caught in the moment meant one thing led to another and you were conceived.   I was torn. I loved your real father but I also loved the man back home.  I had to stay for work for a few months and that’s what I did, getting to know your father along the way and growing slightly suspicious of him too, it wasn’t long before I realised I was pregnant with you when I went to nurse complaining about being sick for over a month, another month passed and it was getting harder to conceal my small bump, I still kept you as my secret and each day I could feel you growing stronger.  One day I peeked into one of your fathers board meetings, he was drowning an older man in his own water magic, I knew there was something off about him despite his loving charms so I fled back home as fast as I could, to the arms of a man I knew, raising you as our own.  He was however always suspicious of your blue hair.  At an unusually early age you were using water magic to change the temperature of the bath, the rain, making columns of water at local ponds scaring all the villagers, your powers were incredible.  Again this caused suspicion, I was a ’plant magic user’ and he had no magic of his own, I tried to brush it off by saying that we have watermages in my family, which was true but he didn’t believe me.  Then he happened to stumble across a photo of me and your father  in my bedside drawer, he saw the same blue hair and the water magic, your father was showing off in the photo, he confronted me and I couldn’t deny it, I told him that it didn’t matter, that he had raised you as his own.  He wouldn’t listen all he could see was red.  All he could see in you was me cheating on him.  That was when it all really started.  The anger and violence.  I tried to get you out the house as much as possible with nursery and other kids groups, but your magic power was stronger than you could handle.  You’d flood bathrooms when you cried, if you got angry you whip up a small tsunami out of a pond.  You couldn’t be near large volumes of water.  The first time you saw him hit me you cried and screamed and the heavens opened.  It didn’t stop raining until the day you rain away.  He said you were cursed.”  

Juvia sat trying to take all the information in.  She was the child of a love affair, and what seemed to be a cruel but charming man.  Another water user.  They were few and far between.  “So where is Juvias real father?” Juvias voice was barely a whisper.

“He doesn’t know you exist.  As far as I know.  Especially with your new name.” Her mother responded just as quietly.  Juvias mind whirred around and around.  Could Juvia have had a better life with a different father?  A water user like her?  One who would’ve understood her powers?  Glancing up at the small antique clock to her left Juvia noted that hours had passed.  It was gone midday.  “What made you return Juvia?” Her mothers voice was full of curiosity.  “And with no more rain, who found your sunshine?” Another question flew into the muddled of words and tangle of emotions in Juvias brain as her brain focused on one word.  

“Gray-sama…” Juvias heart pounded as a wave of nausea washed through her like a flood.  “He took away Juvias rain.”  Juvia glanced out the window into the beaming sunshine causing her to squint.  “Juvia needs some air.” Juvia spoke hurried and she stumbled out the kitchen, down the hallway into the fresh air allowing the coolness of it to calm her thoughts and cool her hot prickly skin.  Before she knew it her feet were pounding their way down the drive on their own, her boots clicking on the tarmac, the smell of asphalt and the surrounding rose bushes filling her nose, she was panicking, all her senses were heightened.  The watermage fumbled for the lacrima crystal in her pocket, finally retrieving it as she tried to get through to the Master.  The little crystal was fuzzing and misty as it tried to connect, Juvia had now wandered into the main street, listening to the sounds of the townspeople laughing and talking, they were probably people she’d met when she was still young, when she had been labelled dangerous.  Finally the smoke cleared in the ball and the Masters face appeared.

“Ah Juvia! I was wondering when I would hear from you.” Juvia heard some commotion behind him.

“Yes Master.  Expect Juvias return no later than this evening.  Juvia has dealt with her family business.” The Master mumbled something as Juvia severed the connection.  As far as she was concerned, she had no need to make contact with her father, he didn’t know she existed after all.  She’d say farewell to her mother and head back to the guild.  This town still left a bad taste in her mouth.

“You came.” A sly voice rang out loudly making Juvia jump, dropping the lacrima crystal out her sweaty palms, Juvia watching as it smashed to the floor in front of her.  Juvia spun around ferociously, unleashing a water cane at the suspicious character behind her hitting her mark.

“STAY AWAY FROM JUVIA!” She shouted at the cloaked man, the same one from before.  “Juvia now knows who her father is.  Juvias mother is fine and now Juvia will return back to the guild.” Juvia spoke her words with desperation readying another attack.

“You need to come with me Juvia Lockser.” He spoke very calmly for some who was just knocked off his feet by a water cane.  “I am under orders to not hurt you.  So I advise you come with me.” He took a defensive stance his face still hidden under his hood.

“Juvia will not.” Juvias eyes turned into slits. “Water lock!” The cloaked figure was engulfed in a dome of cold water.  Only seconds passed before her water lock was broken by an air attack cutting through it like a hot knife through butter.

“You really think they’d send an unequipped mage?” He chuckled.  “If that’s how you want to deal with the situation.  Then on your head be it.” He smirked at her as he pressed something in his pocket.  The adrenaline was still pumping through Juvias body as he disappeared into thin air.  Juvia was reeling even more than before as her blue locks flew about in the wind that had just picked up.  What did he mean ‘then on your head be it’ Juvia wondered as she decided to pursue her previous walk around town to try and calm down.  The village was of a simple lay out, all the shops; the butchers, grocers, bakery, clothes and even a magic shop were all on the main street with a few houses dotted here and there.  The street was made of old uneven cobble stones, making it hard to walk, thank mavis she didn’t wear high heels. As she turned down a few dead end streets she noticed that each house had a small garden out front and a slightly bigger one out back.  Each house was surrounded by a small stone wall adding to the villages overall charm.  Down one dead was a school or nursery, kids were playing in the playground out front, a still pond was set off to one side surrounded by a tall fence with a padlocked gate so no children could accidentally venture in and drown themselves, not even a ripple danced on the surface.  Looking closer at the pond a memory stirred in the back of her mind.  The one that her mother had mentioned about her losing control and creating a mini tsunami.  She couldn’t believe she had done that.  At such a young age.  Juvia had been scared of her magic for such a long time.  She had involuntarily caused suffering by not being able to control it.  Even now she wasn’t sure on its true extent.

As Juvia rejoined the main street, she began to make her way back to her house, as she rounded a corner and the driveway came into view a large explosion snapped Juvias attention upwards, her heartbeat erratic.  It had come from her house.  Pounding the asphalt she tore up the driveway faster than she would have ever imagined possible.  As she neared she saw the front door had been blown off its hinges.  Mother! Please be okay. Juvia thought desperately as she stormed into the house which was in complete disarray.  The soft pink sofas had been flipped upside down and the little coffee table smashed.  Juvia hurried upstairs which appeared to be untouched.  The kitchen. Juvia cursed herself for not checking it earlier.  Sprinting back down the stairs and down the hallway into the kitchen she noticed that half of it where the back door had been was now blown up, her cheeks flushed red in anger as she surveyed the room pots and pans were strewn around the room, the kitchen table split down the middle and what appeared to be blood smeared the floor.  Running into the back garden Juvia froze, her hands covering her mouth at the sight.  She always remembered the care and attention her mother had given her garden, it wasn’t just neat, it was always so colourful and peaceful, it didn’t matter how bad a day you were having her garden always put a smile on your face.  But now, the gardens flowers beds had been torn up, her mothers precious flowers trashed and thrown across the lawn which had huge lumps missing out of it. The potted plants had been smashed to.  Juvia hoped her mother hadn’t had to see her poor garden like this.

“You should’ve come with us when you were asked nicely little water witch.” Someone sneered behind her, Juvias muscles coiled up ready to spring.  A largely built man stood before her, his hair a fiery red, so were his eyes.

“What have you done with Juvias mother!” Juvia shouted at him, her eyes a hard blue, teeth gritted, fists balled at her sides.  “Water lock!” She tried to engulf him in her water lock.  If he wasn’t a wind user then he couldn’t escape.  If he was she would have to switch to plan B.

“Storm mail!” The enemy engulfed himself in wind sending him spinning into the sky.  “Storm shred!” He roared, sending sharp arrows of wind flying into Juvia who screamed in pain as they tore through her clothes and slashed at her skin.

“Waterbody!” She managed to shift to avoid the full force of the attack.  “Reverse water nebula!” She fired two columns of spinning water into the wind user, the columns were spinning the opposite way to the wind slowing him down as she cranked up the power.

“Impossible!” He shouted as she negated his wind defence.

“Water slicer!” Juvia threw razor sharp blades of water at her opponent, relaxing slightly as they hit.

“Rock avalanche.” A cool voice behind her spoke as a shadow engulfed Juvia blocking out the sun.  Juvia looked up a few seconds to late as massive boulders came hurtling towards knocking her unconscious.

A/N: Well I’m ended chapter 5 here! I hope you enjoyed it! I promise you all some Gruvia soon!! Definitely Grays POV for some of next chapter!

Read and review!

CrookedMoonlight.

Unfortunately the italics dont cross over from works word processor, i used to be able to bypass MS Word so i could copy and paste from that as the italics stayed.... apologies for that!

Please leave a review -> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12261807/5/The-Rain-Woman

[marauders1971-1978]

Marauders 1971-1972 Chapt. 1 (Part 1/2)

Harry Potter book canon - Marauders Era 

Characters: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans, Severus Snape (+ Marauders Era background characters)

Genre: Friendship, Close to canon

Rating - same content warning as original series (K+)

1st September 1971

Black, Sirius

Hello. Another Black.

Sirius felt the numbed fear that had been building in him since he’d been presented with his letter, by Kreacher, months ago reach a crisis point. His insides felt like they were physically quivering. He gritted his teeth.

“Don’t do it.” He hissed at the hat, squeezing his eyes shut as though it’d give the words more conviction.  “Please don’t. I’m not like her. I’m not like them.”

Yes, well I’m glad we agree. I see not a cunning bone in you, Sirius Black. Nor do I detect any great respect for ambition…

Sirius didn’t care that he’d just been insulted by an old hat. To hear it, from an impartial judge, that he wasn’t like the others (even in the most basic association) made him slump out of his ridged posture in relief. He’d been so confused, for so long, and pulled in every direction since he first questioned his family as to what kind of person he really was. It felt like a release to be un-cuffed from this one Black tradition.

You’re quite welcome. Now, what would you say to “GRYFFINDOR!”

Sirius pushed up the old hat to reveal the Great Hall in all its cheering glory, and the right-most table clapping almost aggressively in welcome. He flicked his gaze over to the table nearest the doors to see the cool expression of his cousin Bellatrix, her dark eyes boring into him even from this distance. Before he could feel any real nervousness, however, he grinned at the sight of his biggest cousin, Andromeda, head girl badge gleaming on her chest, elbow Bellatrix so roughly she nearly fell off the bench. Sirius grinned back at her and hurried to the Gryffindor table still smiling, the image of his cousin clapping for him filling his chest with happiness like a tidal wave.

Evans, Lily

Lily screwed up her face as the old, frayed and rather dirty hat dropped down over her eyes and obscured the hundreds of faces in the great hall that had been staring up at her. It was oddly comforting, if a bit stuffy. It felt as though she were completely alone, removed from the fears of being separated from her family, and her sister, being in a new place and the possibility of being away from Severus for the first time since she’d stepped onto the magical platform.

No need to be so worried.

Lily stifled a gasp as a clear voice seemed to ring through her skull like an empty chamber.

I’m just flicking through to see where I should put you.

Lily didn’t like the insinuation that the hat was rifling through her thoughts, but she capitalised on the opportunity and thought as hard as she could; I want to go where Severus goes.

Lily thought she could hear a smile in the hat’s next words. I haven’t sorted a Severus yet. We’ll have to see how similar your two are, won’t we? Is he intelligent? You’ll make a model student I’m sure… proud of your own curiosity and ability… perhaps Ravenclaw?

But what’s this?

The hours old memory of her father on the platform had creeped to the forefront of her mind. He’d squeezed her tight, called her ‘Flower’ and assured her that she could always come home, if it was too much. That things didn’t have to change, he’d said. She didn’t have to be brave.

And yet, here you are, Lily Evans, with no intention of leaving. So decisive and stubborn so young. I know when I see a “GRYFFINDOR!”

Someone whipped the hat off her head, pulling loose strands of copper hair free from her long, neat plait and she saw the table furthest from the huge doors giving her a particularly enthusiastic applause. She took a deep breath to push down the shock and allowed her face to break into a wide smile and she walked to the raucous end table, trying not to think of Severus behind her.

Lupin, Remus

Rather than sitting on the stool, Remus rather thought his legs just gave way beneath him and he should consider himself lucky that the chair caught him. He’d been so happy to be going to school for the first time, to not be locked away, but instead be given the opportunity to meet new people, but now… He’d spent most of his life up until this point away from the rest of the world, in the company of only his mother and father. Suddenly thrust into an environment surrounded by hundreds of children was totally nerve wracking. He’d quickly realised he had no idea how to interact with other people his age and being the focus of so many pairs of eyes made him feel physically sick.

The Sorting Hat was dropped on his head and fell down over his eyes, blocking sound and sight completely but not erasing the weight of the hall’s attention.

Remus heard a voice ring clear through his head as though his own brain were thinking the words.

What an unusual young man.

Remus screwed his eyes shut under the hat as though the voice was painful.

Why so worried? I’ve seen students with a lot more riding on their house over the years than you.

The hat was silent, as though it were sifting through his mind to find an answer. An image of his parents swam to the front of his mind and Remus’ knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on the rim of the stool.

I just want them to be proud of me. I make everything so difficult for them, they must be relieved to have their lives back now. It’s the least I can do.

The hat seemed to ‘hmm’ in acknowledgement. Well I see you won’t have to worry about bad marks, with a brilliant mind like that, your belief in hard work and fair play will take you far. You’ve a lot of ambition, for such a young kid.

It’ll never happen though. Remus thought. It’s all a waste. I can work as hard as I like and I’ll never amount to anything because… because of the way I am…

Remus thought he heard the hat chuckle. Have a little more confidence in yourself Remus.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Pettigrew, Peter

Peter’s feet didn’t touch the floor once he’d scrambled up onto the rickety, three legged stool, ready for Professor McGonagall to place the Sorting Hat on his head. When she did, it was as though all the lights had gone out. A smooth voice spoke in his ear and Peter squeaked in shock.

Desperate to prove yourself already and you’ve only just sat down.

Peter thought that he’d rather have faced some of the rumours which were spreading across the Hogwarts Express about the nature of the sorting, rather than sit here with the same hat that knew his parents sifting through his darkest thoughts. There were a few feelings he’d rather keep to himself.

Oh don’t worry I shan’t be telling anyone. Your insecurities are your own business. I suppose you don’t want to be in Ravenclaw?

I can’t compare to them… I’m not smart enough… I can’t… I just don’t know what I’m going to do…

The gut-wrenching memory of his mother hugging him while his father congratulated him excitedly surfaced. Peter had played through it again and again and, like an old tape, had become more disjointed and worried with each viewing. His brothers watching from the hallway, whispering to each other. His mother saying how much this would change things.

They’re all squibs, you see? Peter told the hat miserably. Everyone’s watching me now.

And you just feel as though you can’t live up to all the new attention. Don’t worry, you’re not the first to be living up to high expectations. Not even the only in this year. You might be the odd one in your family, but you won’t stand out in… “GRYFFINDOR!”

Potter, James

James Potter nearly collapsed the rickety stool in his haste to sit himself on it and he could have sworn he saw Professor McGonagall roll her eyes before she placed the old hat on his head. Excitement bubbled inside him like some out of control reaction in his stomach and he swung short legs in anticipation.

Not a concern in your head I see? Said a voice in James’ ear that he knew to be the Sorting Hat.

Yes! I’m going to be in Gryffindor, like my Dad, right? The thought rang so sure and true that, if the hat had any, it would’ve raised it’s eyebrows.

I think I’ll be the one making the decisions here.

James conviction faltered for the first time in a long time.

What? I’m not brave enough?

Well you’re certainly brazen enough. I’m not so petty that I won’t deny you your wish because of a little big-headedness.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Snape, Severus

Oh! Severus, you’ve been mentioned. Made a good friend already, have you?

A hundred memories of Lily were presented by Severus for the hat to witness, all smothered in the association of loyalty, friendship and blissful happiness.

But you put her in Gryffindor.

I put her where she belongs. And now it’s your turn.

The hat must have felt his indecision because it felt to Severus as though it voiced his feelings more accurately than he would ever dare to say aloud.

You’d loathe to be in Gryffindor, and yet, you’d rather be with that girl than anywhere else.

Severus fiddled with his new robes. What if she forgets about me? She’ll make new friends. She’s nice, and pretty and funny and… well, you can see me. Saying (or rather thinking) the insecurities that had been weighing him down regarding Lily hadn’t made him feel better

But you’re not without your qualities. What an excellent mind, and no, I don’t just mean academics. You should have a little more faith in yourself, you’ve an incredible cunning streak you could put to very good use in Slytherin.

The hat must have felt his conflict. It continued; You’re going to have to decide what kind of person you want to be eventually – you can’t deny yourself what you want in the hope of banal happiness. You can keep your connections, if you work hard enough for them, if you really want them.

But people turn against you and you’ll wish you had just relied on yourself all along, right? Severus thought of his mother in that moment, sitting at the table with her son eating a lonely supper looking haggard while her husband wore off his anger on the picture frames and ornaments in the adjacent room.

Well if you want to think of it that way…

“SLYTHERIN!”

[josephstoontown]

Repercussions and Reparations, Ch. II

Chapter II of Repercussions and Reparations, a Joseph's ToonTown story.

Contributions by: shinkothetoongirl Word count: 4,274 – Character count: 24,306 Originally written: April 27th - April 30th, 2016 Slightly revised: January 12th, 2017 Split and revised on: August 16th, 2017

Joseph settles in for a long sleep… only to be interrupted by uninvited guests.  Repeatedly.

Shinko the Toon Girl and related characters and properties created by and © her creator June, KaBlam!, and related characters and properties created by Robert Mittenthal, Will McRobb, and Chris Viscardi and © Viacom Media Networks Droopy McPoodle and Red created by Tex Avery and © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

[ ↶ Prev. Story | ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → | Next Story ↷ ]

    The streets of the Universal District of ToonTown were oddly quiet at 1 AM.  Barely any vehicles seemed to be passing by and the singing from much earlier in the day had given way to little more than the occasional cricket chirp.  Even the living cartoon buildings seemed to be snoozing away, some silent and some snoring aloud.  It was kind of unnerving in a way… but, thankfully for Joseph, nothing of importance seemed to be happening and, before long, he found himself standing in front of a small complex.

    A large, blue sign with a red number 6 stood tall and proud at curbside, brightly lit and humming as it clearly indicated the area and building as the “Motel 6.”  A parking lot sprawled out from the road to a two-story building a few yards away.  As had been the case with Joe’s Diner, everything seemed perfectly ordinary, aside from seemingly being hand-drawn.  That made Joseph feel a bit more at-easy as he walked up to a door marked “Check-In”.

    “Welcome to the Motel 6!” came a chipper voice from behind a desk.  As Joseph looked, he saw an interesting-looking ‘toon girl standing behind a desk.  She looked like a human, short and blue-haired, wearing a fuzzy, orange jacket and a plain, yellow t-shirt.     “Uh… hi?” Joseph replied.  “You… work here?”     “Of course!”  The girl gave a nod.  “I wouldn’t be behind this desk, otherwise!”     As she moved, Joseph noticed the girl didn’t seem to be animated very well…  It kind of reminded him of Shinko… except that Shinko was drawn far better and moved much less.     “You… seem a little young to be working here, is all,” he commented, noting her looks.     “Puh-lease…”     The blue-haired girl gave a piff and hand-waved at Joseph, rolling her eyes.     “I’m in my twenties, dust-mop!  That’s more than old enough to work just about anywhere in ToonTown!”     “You’re in your twenties?”  Joseph blinked.  “You look about half that age.”     “That’s just my character design,” she explained.  “Now, do you want a room… or, did you just come in here to harass me?”     “S… sorry…”     Joseph cleared his throat before continuing.

    “How much is a room for one night?”     “$89.99!  But, for you, ‘friend?’” she said with a sarcastic tone.  “We’ll make it an even ninety bucks!  Minus one penny, of course.”     The fox suspiciously narrowed his eyes at the cashier.  “You… don’t have anything cheaper… do you?”     “Well, you could always sleep in the dumpster out back…” she said, smirking and pointing an oversized hand toward the rear of the building.     “I could…  But, I’d prefer not to.”     With a sigh, he retrieved his wallet and handed a 100-dollar bill to the girl.     “I hope you can make change…”     “Of course I can!  Business is booming!” she said as she rang him up.  A moment later, she handed him a 10-dollar bill and one copper coin… which, he assumed was a ‘penny.’     “Here’s your keys,” she then said, tossing him a keyring with the number B6 on it.  “Your room is on the second floor.  Thank you for choosing Motel 6 for your lodging needs.  Please, abide by the rules of Motel 6 and enjoy your stay!”

    Joseph gave a nod as the lady bowed.  Soon after, he noticed her pull out a small, hand-held device, unfolding it before pressing some buttons while staring at something that was generating light.  He assumed it was a gaming device and shrugged to himself, exiting the main office and heading back outside.  It wasn’t long after that he found his way up to the second floor and to his room.  As he unlocked the door and turned on the lights, he thought aloud…     “Huh…  This isn’t bad.”

    A glance around the room revealed it to be a moderate-sized place with a desk, a television, and one queen-sized bed.  There were also nightstands on either side of the bed, a dresser to one side, and an open door in the back which led to a small bathroom area.  Joseph didn’t really care about any of that, however…  The excitement of the day had finally caught up to him and he was ready to get some sleep…

    After closing and locking the door, he set his backpack aside, kicked off his shoes, and flopped on to the bed, not even bothering to get into it properly.  The comfortable mattress and soft pillow quickly relaxed his body and, soon enough… a knock on the door stirred him from his sleep.  He grumbled, rolling over and falling onto the floor from his bed.

    “Someone apparently wants to die…” he muttered to himself as he stumbled over and answered the door.  “Yeaoh…?”     “Hello,” said a slightly muffled voice.  Joseph looked around, blinking as he failed to see anyone.  A moment later, that same voice called again.     “Down here, bub.”     The fox blinked and looked down.  Standing a little less than half his height was a small, white dog with a tuft of red hair on top of his head.  He had baggy eyes, sagging cheeks, and looked mildly depressed… or, maybe, he was just tired – something Joseph could relate to.

    “I don’t mean to be a bother,” he said sounding like he had marbles in his mouth, “but, I saw your light was on and was wondering if you could spare a neighbor some ice.”     “Don’t these places normally have ice machines…?” Joseph said as he rubbed his face, still trying to wake up from his brief nap.     “The ice machine seems to be broken,” the dog calmly said.     “Figures…  Well… go ahead and knock yourself out, I guess.  Just, ya know… speed it up.  I’m really tired…”     “Oh, thank you, Mr. Fox,” the dog said as he slowly waddled inside.  “Red will be ever-so-happy.”     “Yeah, yeah…” Joseph replied, watching him.  “Wait…  Who’s ‘Red?’”     “Droopy, dear…”

    A voice came from outside.  Standing in the doorway was a much taller and much more curvaceous figure wearing a white, knee-high bathrobe.  Joseph couldn’t help but stare a little, looking the very attractive redhead over.     From what he could see, she had legs for days, short hair done in a lovely bouffant style, and the most crystal-like sky blue eyes he’d ever seen.  She also wore red, high-heeled slippers, eyeshadow that matched her eyes, and crimson lipstick.  Even without the heels, Joseph could see that she was a little taller than him.

    “Come back to bed, Droopy, dear…” she said in a seductive tone.  “Your little red Corvette is ready for her test drive.”     “Just a moment, my dear,” the dog said as waddled by Joseph, carrying a bucket of ice in his hands.  The fox couldn’t help but stare in amazement as the girl leaned all the way down and kissed him on the forehead.

    “You know what?” Droopy asked, staring up at Joseph.  “I think she’s sweet on me.”     “You know it, Droopy, baby…” the girl said, taking the ice off his hands and walking away.     “Thank you very much, Mr. Fox,” was the next thing the hound, extending his short arm up toward Joseph.     “Y… yeah…” was Joseph’s response as he shook the dog’s hand.  “You’re… welcome.”     “Have a good night, Mr. Fox.”

    With that, Droopy waddled out of sight, leaving Joseph to stand there in front of an open door.  For several moments after, the fox could do little more than stare.  Were that human-looking ‘toon girl and that little dog… in a relationship?     “Oh… whatever…” he suddenly said, shaking his head and closing the door.  “Sleep…”

    After making sure to turn the lights off, Joseph returned to the comfort of his bed… only to be stirred by another knock on the door.     “Ash damn it…” he said in a half-growl, standing back up.  “If it’s that little dog again…”     Of course, it was.     “I’m sorry to bother you, again, Mr. Fox,” Droopy said after Joseph answered the door, “but, my sweetie-pie wanted me to give you something.”     The dog reached into his… pocket?  He then handed Joseph a five-dollar bill.     “This is for the ice,” he explained, “and, for disturbing you.  Again, thank you very much.  We appreciate it.”     Joseph blinked… then shook his head.  “You’re… welcome?”     “I won’t disturb you again, Mr. Fox,” Droopy said as he headed back down the walkway.  “Have a good night.  I know I certainly will.”     The half-dead tone didn’t really fit the trailing comment he’d made… but, Joseph didn’t give it much thought either way as he killed the lights again and went back to bed.  And… for the third time since he’d tried to go to sleep…     “Son of a…!”     He found himself disturbed by a knock on the door.

    The fox had to resist his urge to stomp his feet as he got up and checked the door, again.  After sharply whipping it open, he glared down at the figure standing there, half-shouting.     “Who in the–!!”     However… his words came to a sudden halt.  It wasn’t Droopy standing at the door, again.  It was, however, someone he recognized all the same…

    “H… hello…”

    Joseph stared in awe at the nervous figure standing there.  Her head was down, though her blue eyes were skittishly looking at him.  She also had one hand on her opposite arm.

    “Sh… Shinko?”     The fox blinked, ears perked.     “Shinko, it’s the middle of the night…  Whyyy are you here…?”     In an instant, she looked away, trying to hide her face.     “I… I was worried…” she said, just barely speaking above a whisper.  “And, I… I wanted to say… that I was sorry…”     “How did you… find me, though?”     “Oh!”  She rubbed her pointed, bare foot against the floor, hands going behind her back.  “I… I went to where I thought you might be… but, the monkey told me you came here.  The… the young lady at the front told me what room you were in…”     “Oh…  I guess that makes sense…”  He suddenly perked.  “Wait, you want to apologize…?  No no, I–”     The fox went silent as he found a soft, mitten-like hand covering his muzzle.  Shinko was looking right into his eyes with a soft, apologetic smile on her face.     “May I come in…?”     Joseph slowly nodded…  The ‘toon girl removed her hand from his mouth and quietly walked inside, immediately taking a seat on the bed.  Shortly after, he followed, sitting opposite of her.

    “I want to apologize…” she said, setting her hands on the lap of her blue skirt.  “I shouldn’t have acted like I did.  It was wrong of me.”     The fox blinked.  “Uh– uum…  Sh-shouldn’t I be saying that to you…?”     “You have to understand…” she continued, “I’m under a lot of stress.  My life isn’t turning out like I thought it would.  Real life isn’t like the cartoons where everything turns out okay in the end…  But, when you arrived out of the blue… it was like something from a cartoon… or a dream…”     Shinko turned toward Joseph, offering a sad sort of smile.     “I’ll admit, I got a little jealous when you started spending money like it was water… but, after spending the day with you… remembering how you used to make me feel when I was smaller… I wanted to do something nice, in return.  But…”     She turned away, hiding her face again.     “Real life isn’t very nice sometimes.  I know, some day, you’re just going to go away again.  And then, I’ll be here… by myself… alone, again…  That made me upset… so, I tried to distance myself…  But…”     When she’d turned back around, Joseph could see she had tears in her eyes, despite the warm smile on her face.     “I don’t want you to go.”     She hiccuped a little, giving a soft sniffle.     “I don’t mean to sound selfish…  But… I… I need you…  It’s scary, here…  Even with my animator living not too far away, I get scared… and, lonely…  That’s why I was so quick to offer you a place to stay.  Because I didn’t want to be scared and lonely, anymore…”     She leaned over, placing her face in her hands.     “I’m sorry…”

    Joseph could feel his heart breaking as Shinko sat there quietly crying.  She’d put on such a brave face, earlier in the night… seeming so mellow about her living arrangements…  But, hearing her confess her fears and watching her break down… it was too much for him.

    The fox nudged himself over on the bed, quickly wrapping one arm around her shoulders.  She was quick to press her face to his chest, holding him in one frame of animation and continuing to let her emotions out against his shirt.  He reciprocated, wrapping his other arm and tail around her, pulling her closer and gently nuzzling her cowlick, his own eyes closing…  Neither of them said a word more until Shinko had finally calmed down, several moments later.

    “I’m sorry… about that display…” she whispered, leaning up and sniffling with a smile.  “I think the stress finally got to me.  I don’t really have anyone I can talk to about this stuff… and I don’t want to worry my animator… so…” She rubbed one eye and softly sighed.  Joseph softly wiped the tears from her other eye, shushing her and smiling back.     “It’s okay…  I think we all need a good cry, sometimes.”     “Yeah…” she giggled.  “I feel a lot better, now, too.  Except for this headache, I mean.”     “You cried for a while.”  The fox said as leaned down, kissing her forehead.  She giggled again, smiling and blushing.  “So, it’s kind of understandable.”     “I guess I needed that…” she whispered, snuggling up against him and closing her eyes.  “Sorry I made your shirt a wet mess, though.”     “It’ll dry,” he said with a laugh.  “As will your pretty blue eyes.”     “Now don’t start that again…”  Shinko’s blush brightened a little.  “You remember what happened last time.”     The fox’s ears fell at that and he frowned.

    “Shinko?”     She opened her eyes, looking up at him.  Her smile turned to a small frown as she noticed his own expression.     “Shinko, about earlier tonight…  I’m–”     Joseph blinked as he felt something press against his lips.  For a half-second, he’d seen Shinko’s face pressed against his.  A half-second later, she could be seen smiling and blushing again.     “No more frowns, silly fox…” she said with a playful giggle.     Though she was doing her best to reassure him… Joseph still wanted to say what was on his mind.

    “Shinko, I’m sorry my kiss upset you.  I just wanted to–”     Once again, he was silenced by a warm hand on his muzzle.     “I wasn’t ready for it…” she whispered, her blush staying on her rounded cheeks.  “But… now that I know what to expect… maybe…”     It was Joseph’s turn to blush as Shinko put her hands in her lap, cutely sitting in his, their eyes watching each other’s.

    “Listen…” she suddenly said.  “It’s a bit of a walk back to my place from here.  Would… would it be okay if I stayed here with you, tonight?”     Joseph’s ears flicked…  “There’s… only one bed, though.”     “Can’t we share…?”   Shinko blushed again.  She’d asked so innocently… but, it was clear that she was a little shy about it.  The question also made Joseph pause… and, blush all the harder…     “I think my head is going to either going to pop… or, burst into flames,” he idly commented, aware of how red he must have looked.     “Maybe you should splash some water on your face?” she giggled, giving him a nudge.  He hesitantly agreed, letting Shinko slide out of his lap, and walked into the bathroom.

    This is crazy…! he thought as he rinsed his face in the hotel bathroom.  Sh-Shinko’s being… flirty!  I’m sure it’s not my imagination, either…  I mean, she’s a full-grown adult ‘toon in mind and body…  B-but, I never expected her to be so forward… especially after the night we had…  I… I guess she’s not mad at me, after all.  Huh.  Huh…

    Joseph gave a blink as he pondered his own thoughts.  After taking a moment to rub his face dry with a towel, he returned to the motel room.     “I think I’m– huhnn–?!”     The fox felt his face start to heat up all over again as he stared at the figure on the hotel bed.  Shinko had apparently changed outfits while he was in the other room, wearing something Joseph recognized immediately…

    She’d let her long, orange hair down and slipped out of her white blouse and blue skirt, changing into an oversized, blue shirt and… not much else.  She was also laying in a somewhat provocative pose, her left arm under the pillow where her head rested while her right sat on her opposite side.  Her upper leg was slid forward at the knee, accentuating the curvature of her small hips under the drawn, blue fabric while the lower leg was straight down.

    “What’s the matter, Joseph?” Shinko giggled with half-closed eyes.  “You’re steaming…”     “Huaaauuaaah…” was all he could say as the ‘toon water, seeming to recognize the opportunity for comedy, was indeed evaporating off his warm head and causing steam.  After a few seconds, however…     “The look on your face…!”     Shinko had rolled on to her back, slapping the blanket and overcome with laughter!     “I wish I had a camera!”     Joseph just groaned, hiding his face behind the towel.  He was a bit embarrassed… but, he was sure the look on his face had been pretty priceless if she was laughing that hard.

    Once the two had calmed down, Joseph headed to the light switch while Shinko folded the covers of the bed back.  He made sure she’d slid in before he turned the lights off, walking back to her a moment later.

    “This bed sure is comfy!” she commented, her eyes clearly visible in the darkened room.  “There’s room for one more, too…”     Joseph half-babbled before clearing his throat.     “Aww, is the cute fox still flustered from before?”  The eyes disappeared as he could hear Shinko giggling again.     “I can’t help it…” he muttered.  “I didn’t know you could be sexy as well as cute…”     The eyes reappeared, joined by a tinge of pink underneath.  “You… you think I’m sexy?”     “Among other things…”     Shinko’s eyes turned away from the fox, then, the blush disappearing with them.  Joseph’s ears heard sheets rustle and he figured she’d turned around.  That seemed like the best time to join her in bed, to him.  At least… until…     “Eep!”     Joseph had only gotten half into the bed when Shinko made a startled noise.

    “You okay?”     More rustling noises came from the bedspread.  He thought Shinko had given a nod, since the bed shifted just a little… and so, he climbed the rest of the way in, pulling the covers up.  A second later, he felt a thump against his body.     Looking down, he could barely see a blush in the dark, half-buried against his chest.  The ‘toon girl had apparently rolled over and cuddled up against him.  He couldn’t help but smile as he curled one arm around her, gently stroking her head as he leaned down and gave her a nuzzle.     “Sleep well, Shinko…” he whispered.  “Good night…”     He felt her arms curl around him at that, her face rubbing against his shirt.     “N… nite-nite…” she nervously whispered.  Despite that, the two quickly fell asleep together, warm in each other’s embrace as friends… or, maybe more than that… –––––

    Dawn seemed to come in an instant as ToonTown started up, soft singing filling the air along with the sound of motor vehicles putting and zooming around.  Joseph’s eyes fluttered and his ears flicked as he awoke, softly yawning.  As he tried to stretch, however, he noticed something holding his arm in place.  He blinked, looking down…  Something was in bed with him.  Something… or someone.

    “Sh… Shinko?” he quietly whispered.  A blush came over his face as he suddenly remembered what happened the night before.  Had Shinko stayed with him the whole time…?     “Good morning, Shinko…” he happily whispered, giving the bulge in the blankets a little nuzzle.  It didn’t respond, however…     “Still asleep, huh?”  He quietly chuckled.  “Alright… you can sleep in.  I should probably get a start on the day, though…  But, ah… not before I do ooone thing…”

    Joseph tilted his head down, puckering his lips.  His eyes closed as he drew the covers back…  A moment later, his lips made contact with something soft and fluffy.  He drew back shortly after, opening his eyes.     “Rest well, Shink–”  His eyes widened.  “Oh…”     To his disappointment… he’d kissed his own tail.  Apparently, he’d somehow managed to cuddle up with it during the night…

    “It was a dream…”     His ears folded and heart sank as he came to that conclusion.     “Of course it was a dream, you dimwit…”  He scowled at himself.  “Cartoon world or not, this isn’t some fairy tale.  Sometimes, you just don’t get a happy ending… or, a new beginning.”     Joseph gave his moistening eyes a rub with his arm.  A moment, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.     “Stop crying…” he half-snapped.  “You don’t have time for that.  You have things to do, today.  Like… look for a job…”     With a long sigh, he rolled out of bed and prepared for his day in ToonTown.  As he showered, however, he couldn’t help but remember the wonderful dream he’d had about his ‘toon friend… only to start berating himself all over again.

You really have some problems, he thought.  Get over it.  She’s not interested, anymore.  You blew it.     That’s what he told himself as he tried to get rid of the images in his head.  There was no point in thinking about a dream when reality was staring him right in the face… and, though it wasn’t an ideal one… at least, he thought, it could have been worse.

    Joseph gathered his equipment and left the motel room, checking-out shortly after.  He then walked out to the pavement, examining ToonTown in the early morning sun.     “I… really wish I had some sunglasses,” was his thought as he headed out into the day soon after.  As he began to walk, he had one solid goal in mind:

Self-reliance. –––––

    Shinko woke up the next morning with a yawn and a stretch.  Noting the time, she slipped into some comfy PJs wandered into the bathroom to start her day.  About halfway through brushing her teeth, however, she thought to herself…     I wonder how Joseph slept?     With her breath minty and teeth clean, she walked into the living room… only to find that her friend was no longer there.     Where did he go? she wondered.  She quickly retrieved a pocket watch on a chain from her hammerspace, giving it a glance.     It’s early… she noted, so, he should be here…  He… he didn’t leave, did he…?

    Shinko wasn’t sure what to think as she came to the conclusion that Joseph was gone.  At first, panic and worry set in.  Had he run away?  Or, had he simply gone back to his homeworld?  She didn’t know.  As she pondered the possibilities, however, something caught her attention…     Sitting on her coffee table was a pizza box from the night before.  However, something about it looked different.  A closer examination revealed that $40.00 were sitting on top… as well as a writing implement.  As soon as she noticed that, she moved the paper and pencil away… only to reveal a hand-written note etched on the pizza box.

Dear Shinko,

I'm sorry for everything that happened last night.  You're a good friend and deserve to be treated with respect.  That said, I've decided not to stay with you, after all.  Don’t worry about me, though.  I’ll figure something out.

Thanks for a fun time and take care of yourself.

~ Joseph

    A feeling of relief fell over Shinko as she read the note.  She took a deep, cleansing breath and blinked her eyes, rubbing one mitten-shaped hand to her cheek to remove a tear that had worked its way out.     I wish he hadn’t left… she thought, but… at least he let me know why.     She smiled a little more… before something else catch her attention.     Hey… there’s more writing.

P.S. The money I left is for yesterday's pizza and gun show.  You can’t say ‘no’ and give it back if I’m not there, now,  can you?

    The ‘toon girl couldn’t help but smile as she read that last part.  There was a little smiley face at the end of the sentence and everything…     Such a goofball…  I hope he finds his way.

    With the mystery solved, the rest of the morning was spent getting ready for work.  By the time she was dressed and ready for her job at Tiana’s Place – the real-world version of the fictitious restaurant from the Disney movie, The Princess at the Frog, and quite the popular place for ‘toons and humans alike – she kept a small smile on her face.     Joseph was alright the last time he was here, she reasoned with herself.  He’ll probably adjust, again, and… who knows?  Maybe I’ll even see him some time down the road… when we’re both better off.  He may even remember more about here, then…  Gosh, that would be great!

    The thought of her friend doing better and possibly regaining his memories kept a small smile on her face throughout her morning routine.  When it was finally time to leave her apartment building, however, she found herself whispering a small wish for him…

    “Wherever you are, Joseph… please, be safe…”