#OH HI HELLO THIS CAME OUTTA NOWHERE

[clutchofmuses]

💭 ( for Abby )

Abby watches him from across the deck of the ship, where he laughs with the bosun - an older, grizzled looking man with a jagged and ropey scar along his right cheek. Maron’s eyes crinkle with mirth, the flash of his sharp teeth, all signs of his genuine amusement. The bosun leaves and Abby continued to watch him, his features relaxing and for a moment, she wonders, Does he know how sad he is in the inbetween? Is that where it hides? In the space between heartbeats?

She crosses to him, only stumbling a little with the roll of the ship and he smiles at her when he catches her gaze. Abby says nothing, but wraps her arms around his waist, tucking beneath his arm and resting her head against him.

I’ve got you.

[vulpixisananimal]

B-Side: Chapter 2

The 3rd Day

(You were walking along the road down from the train station. You were thinking about yesterday, it sucked.)

(You and your friends had worked all day doing odd jobs to get enough munny to go to the beach! But then that guy in a black coat showed up, tripped you up, and stole your munny! You had felt awful about it, and your friends said it was okay, but. . .)

(Some friend you are.)

(You saw Pence and Olette walk from around a corner, you wave at them.) "Morning!"

"Morning Roxas!" (Pence says back, he and Olette take a step forward.)

(And time freezes.)

"Wha-" (You're taken aback for a second, before you running over to make sure they're ok. You wave a hand in front of their faces, no response. You look around, and.)

(There's a girl standing next to you in a white dress with blond hair.) "Hello, Roxas!"

"Uh. . .H-hi?" (You say, confused. You look around.) "And, you're-"

(She pets a hand to your face to shut you up.) "I wanted to meet you, at least once!"

"Me?" (You say, confused. The look in the girls eyes was, hard to pin down.)

"Yes, you!" (She says, smiling. You look away, rubbing your head, but when you look back, she's gone.)

(Time resumes.) "Olette dragged me along to go shopping." (Pence says, casually.)

"Hey, wanna come with us?" (Olette asks. It's like nothing even happened?)

"Uh. . ." (You look around, confused.) "Did, did you see that. . ."

"He's stalling." (Pence says, rolling his eyes.)

"Yeah, well, we'll see you later Roxas!" (Olette adds, and with that, they were off.)

"Yeah. . ." (You say, noncommittally. Who was that girl, anyway?)

>>>

"Let me go!!"

(You had tried following that girl, and ended up at the woods outside of town and then, you were ambushed by more of those weird pale guys!! They came outta nowhere, litteraly, nowhere!! You slapped away the one that had grabbed your arm, but another was trying to get at you too!!)

"Leave me alone already!!" (You yell, getting away from it, you run to the exit back to town, but get cut off by more of those things. What're you gonna do now!)

(In a flash of light, the pale creatures blocking your exit are cut down, in their place was that white cloaked nobody from yesterday. They look up at you, twirling their knife.) "Oh, hey! Knife to see you again."

(You'd laugh if you weren't so panicked, you sprint to the exit. The stranger strikes down another creature as you run.) "Roxas, run!"

(You didn't need to be told twice. You sprinted through the town. Looking behind you, you could see the Stranger fight off more of those creatures that were chasing you.)

(You made it to the Sand Lot, where more of those creatures appeared and cut you off. Not good, not good not good not good! You look back.)

(The Stranger was fighting against three, four, five, too many to count!) "They're everywhere!"

(The stranger, Siffrin, looked over to you and just smiled, they didn't have a care in the world it looked like.) "Find a weapon! You got this." (You hesitate, but spot one of the struggle bats lying on a bench. You grab it.)

(You swing it at your attackers, the weird, dusk-y things, but it just passes right through them. Just like before!! You grunt in annoyance as you swing again and again, getting backed up into a corner as they just keep coming. Eventually, you bump into Siffrin. You're back to back.)

"Not good. . ." (You say under your breath.)

"I don't think I like your fans, kid." (Siffrin jokes.) "Too clingy."

"Haha. . ." (You laugh, but your heart isn't in it, you nervously glance between the dusks circling you, seeing which one will attack.)

"Roxas!!!"

(A girls voice yelled from, somewhere? No! Up high! On top of one the buildings, it was that girl from earlier!!)

"Roxas, use the Keyblade!" (The, what?)

(Keyblade?)

(Before you can think more, one of the dusks jumps at you, you raise your arm to defend yourself and then. . . Light. . .)

>>>

(. . . It's like you're dreaming.)

(You're slicing dusk after dusk with the Keyblade. Jumping from glass platform to glass. It's like you can fly. You're floating.)

(You met a girl in a white room. It was that girl from earlier, she smiled at you.)

"My name is Naminé."

(Naminé. . .)

"Roxas. . . Do you remeber your true name?" (She asks.)

"Do I. . ."

"That's enough." (From nowhere, a man in a black cloak stepped between you and the girl. Wait! You recognized him!)

"Hey! Hey you're that pickpocket!" (You try and run at him but. . .)

(Everything went black.)

>>>

(Your head is killing you, and you feel a bit dizzy. Where. . .Oh, you were lying on the floor, ugh. You get to your knees, shaking your head.)

"Hey, you alright, kid?" (It was that Strangers voice, Siffrin, wasn't it?)

(You look around, you're still at the sand lot, not a monster in sight. The stranger was holding out a gloved hand to let you up. You take it.)

"Yeah, thanks." (You stretch.) "What happened to those, uh. . ."

"I beat em up~" (Siffrin sticked out their tongue.) ""Couldn't handle "Piece'a cake, could even say-"

"Roxas!" (You look over, Hayner, Pence, and Olette came running. Hayner huffed, and ran off, clearly annoyed.)

(. . . Oh, today you guys were supposed to go to the beach.)

"H-hey wait up!" (You say, running after him, oh man. . .)

>>>

"So, you hanging out with that nobody today, right?"

(You caught up to your friends at the Usual Spot. They were all eating sea salt ice cream without you.)

"It's not like that, I promise!" (You try to explain.) "O-oh yeah! How was the beach?"

"We didn't go." (Olette sounded degected.) "It wouldn't be the same without you, right?"

"Sorry. . ." (You look away, c'mon, Roxas. Think of something!) "Oh! We could go tomorrow! We could get pretzels and-"

"I promised I'd be somewhere." (Hayner replied, not looking you in the eye.)

(Oh. . . Oooooh. . .)

(You and Hayner promised to be in the Struggle competition tomorrow. Split the prize four ways. He probably thought you and the champ, Siffrin, were planning something.)

(Hayner got up.) "I'm outta here."

(He left.)

(. . . Great work, Roxas.)

[Prev] [Masterpost] [Next]

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

A Glitch in the Matrix

This is a Shroud brothers age swap AU that I’ve been wanting to write for a long time!!

Idia basically has the same backstory (except Ortho is the dead older brother and Idia is just a bratty like… 10 year old) 😂 This model of Ortho is significantly older (think late teen) because I’m operating under the assumption that kid!Idia built a version of his brother “grown up” so he can have the experience of growing up with him. Slightly different coping method than the OG, but I thought this would be something cute and silly to explore.

Young children are notoriously known for being brutally honest and lacking a filter, so kid!Idia is even sassier than OG!Idia. As for adult!Ortho, I kept him being sneaky, but I also made him super big brotherly!

This is meant to take place during episode 1 of the main story (more specifically, the scene when Trey is explaining the different dorms to Yuu and co)! ^^ Yes, the joke is that Diasomnia’s introduction is forgotten about because they get caught up on Ignihyde—

Imagine this…

“Hey, who are those guys?” Grim pointed at the far end of the cafeteria. “They feel kinda different from everyone else.”

Your eyes followed his paw, landing on a lone table that had been maneuvered to the farthest corner of the room.

A few students—pale as death and donning blue vests—hunched over it, their frames made so small that they barely registered as people. A veil of gloom seemed to cling to them like spiderwebs, hollowing their faces and darkening their eyes. It was like they had been unearthed from their graves and unceremoniously dropped into the school.

“Oh, them?” Trey chuckled faintly. “They must be from Ignihyde. Students from that dorm have a strong grasp on magical tech, but they aren’t exactly the most sociable guys. A lot of them can’t handle talking face-to-fa—”

“Hello!!”

“Whoa…!”

Everyone at the table startled as a blur of blue and silver bounded into view. Forks and spoons clattered, food leapt up from its trays, some of it catching onto clothes and flecking onto skin.

“Sheesh, don’t scare us like that!” Cater groaned, wiping a dot of applesauce from his cheek. “Riddle-kun will have our heads if even one hair’s out of place!”

“Ehehe, sorry! I was just so excited when my visual receptors picked up on unfamiliar faces!”

"M-Myah?! Wh-What the heck, this guy came straight outta nowhere!!" Grim cried.

“Who’s…?” Your voice trailed off as you took a closer look at the stranger.

Sapphire flames in the place of hair danced upon his scalp, a stark contrast to his pallid face. His amber eyes were so striking, so bright, it was like electricity coursed through them. Everything about him was sharp, as though he had been cut out of something tougher than diamonds. But his body—

It was decidedly not that of a human.

Perhaps the most “human” thing about him was the pair of headphones casually slung around his neck—an accessory to pass as a teenager. The rest of his tall, lithe frame was carved out in a silvery white metal, glowing blue lines running down his torso. The joints at the young man's fingers, knees, and elbows were visible, and where his heart should have been was another haunting blue flame.

His feet were particularly strange; too chunky to be made of flesh and bone, but formed like platform boots. And then you realized why his initial appearance had been so odd: he had not walked, but rocketed over. He hadn’t even touched the ground.

You assumed that he smiled at you—you couldn’t tell for certain, as his mouth was concealed behind a black guard of some sort, a skull-like pattern printed on it.

“You are…?”

“Ortho. Ortho Shroud.” He pulled down his mouth visor, showcasing cobalt lips arranged in (as you had suspected) a grin. It was both innocent and mischievous, as though he had a secret yet to be unleashed. “It’s always nice to get to know the new blood~"

“You’re a student too?” Deuce asked excitedly. "Oh...! That would make you our upperclassman, wouldn't it?!"

“Duh, of course he is,” Ace said with a roll of his eyes. "What else would he be, a janitor? The local handyman?"

You shot him a sideways glare for the jab.

“Better a janitor or a handyman than a kid that got put in time out,” you shot back, gesturing to the enchanted collar chaffing Ace’s neck.

He frowned.

“I am present at Night Raven College to monitor and to support my younger brother during his studies,” Ortho replied. "He is a first year in Ignihyde."

His response, you noticed, didn’t fully answer the question.

"What, so there's another big guy lumberin' around campus with his hair on fire?" Grim snickered at the thought. "Must be real easy to spot him in a crowd then!"

"Heheh. Wouldn't you like to know?"

There was an ominous undertone to his words, sending the ghost of a chill crawled down your spine.

"Alright, alright, that's enough of that. You didn't come all this way just to tease the freshmen, right?" Trey adjusted his glasses knowingly. "If I know you, Ortho... you're looking for something."

"Foiled me already, huh? You're no fun." He stuck out his lower lip in a playful pout. "But yes, that is correct. I wanted to ask a little favor of our new friends!"

"You’re already charming your way into getting free labor from your juniors? So mean~ What kind of heartless monster would do such a thing?"

Trey raised an eyebrow at Cater. "I seem to recall someone shirking his unbirthday party duties and dumping the workload onto the underclassmen."

"Ehhh, are you seriously putting me on the spot?"

"Better watch out, Loosey Deucey," Ace smirked to his classmate. "If you're not careful, Cater-senpai's gonna work you ragged!"

"I wouldn't fall for something like that!" Deuce stopped, reconsidering "... Unless they really, REALLY needed me! It's the duty of an honors student to lend a helping hand when asked to!"

"Dude, you're making it too easy to dupe you.”

“I-I’m not easy to dupe!! I could turn down any request if I wanted to!”

“Grim? Prefect? Back me up here.”

You tensed at the suggestion of being tricked. You'd been fooled once by cruelty disguised as kindness—Ace's taunts masked as friendliness—and you wouldn't be fooled again.

"Sorry, senpai. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do for you. I'm just trying to focus on learning the campus and my schedule, so..."

"There's no need to worry! I am at least 20.8% less deceptive than the general student populace of Night Raven College."

"Where did you pull that statistic from?" you wondered, suspiciously eyeing Ortho.

He accepted it in stride. "I am an advanced artificial intelligence. I'm able to run a number of advanced calculations in seconds. There are several other functions only I am capable of—so please believe me when I say that if there were a method for me to resolve this issue alone, I would have."

You hesitated.

The argument Ortho provided was compelling. Maybe too compelling.

"... What do you want?"

Ortho stared directly at Grim.

"H-Hey, what're you lookin' at me for?"

You felt Ortho’s smile under the visor widening. "I'd like to play a game of cat and mouse."

“You can’t find your little brother?”

You briskly walked by Ortho's side, the two of you traversing a hallway which opened into a sunny courtyard. A squirming Grim was tucked under your arm.

The furry gremlin had been taken against his will, whisked out of the cafeteria and away from his plate of mashed tuna, abandoning the Heartslabyul boys to the remainders of their own meals.

"I'll help you, Prefect!" Deuce had promised, only to be shut down by Ace's teasing. ("Oi, what happened to 'I can turn down any request if I wanted to'?")

Not that they would have been of any use, you thought. A statue set on fire, Ace trapped under a cauldron, and a shattered chandelier dancing in your mind.

By now, Grim's loud whining had (thankfully) eased into unhappy grumbling.

Ortho nodded. "I would regularly be able to locate Idia-san by running a campus-wide scan for all living organisms, then isolating by biometrics. However, I can't seem to find him no matter how many times I run the program. He must be using a device to jam my detective capabilities from afar."

"Really? You look... complicated," you commented carefully. "Your brother sounds like some kind of a genius if he's able to pull that off."

"He is," Ortho said sunnily.

"... Well, that's putting you in a bind right now, so I don't think we should be happy about his big brain cells."

“It shouldn’t be an obstacle. Idia-san may be highly intelligent, but I have a trump card now thanks to you!” Ortho snuck a peek at Grim and graced him with a firm head pat. “A cute kitty cat!”

“I’m NOT a cat!!” Grim protested, swiping at Ortho’s metal hand.

“Because you said your little brother likes cats?”

“Yes. I’m sure that we’ll be able to lure him out with this!” Ortho waved a hand into the courtyard. “This would be an optimal spot. It’s a relatively wide open space, so it would appear more innocuous to set our trap here.”

You slowed your pace and scanned the outside, seeking out a blue fire that matched the android's. It was notably empty, with most students away for their lunch break.

“Oi, can ya stop talkin’ about me like I’m your bait?!”

“Quiet, Grim,” you shushed, setting him down in the grass. “You are our bait. Now get your tail out there and try to act natural!”

With that, you rushed to hide yourself behind a column. Ortho chuckled to himself, joining you behind an adjacent one.

“Grrr…”

Grim begrudgingly got on all fours and padded onto the lawn. He glanced around the courtyard and cleared his throat. “Uh… ‘meow’?”

There was silence.

"Meow, meow, me-ooooow!"

The silence grew staler.

"... Okay, that's enough of a stain on the great Grim-sama's reputation for one day!" He stood on his hind legs and stretched his arms to the sky. "I'm headin' back to get my fill of fish!"

"Not yet!! Try doing something cute like licking yourself or playing with a ball of yarn!"

“Not if you’re gonna watch, minion!!”

"I can look away if you're embarrassed."

"That's not the problem here!!"

"What is the problem then?"

"Shh! Wait—” Ortho gasped. "I'm detecting movement from the opposite side of the courtyard. There, in the bushes!"

You looked where he indicated.

Indeed, one of the shrubs seemed to be quivering, causing a few of its leaves to dislodge and fall to the ground. Seconds later, there was a flicker of light, and a small boy clutching a handheld console emerged, followed what appeared to be a floating skull.

He was dressed in a frumpy, oversized black and blue striped sweater. The rest of his outfit was just as comedic and childish, with a pair of pants sporting many pockets and a pair of sneakers splattered with the colors of the night sky. Colorful characters and shapes adorned his footwear: three eyed green aliens, stars, spaceships, and astronauts.

But most importantly, he was just like Ortho. Eyes the same color, fiery blue hair that fanned out behind him, mouth a shade of cyanide poisoning, and skin that looked like it hadn't seen the sun in years.

"That's your brother? Your first year brother? He doesn't look any older than an average elementary schooler," you hissed to Ortho.

"Genius, remember?" He shrugged. "Night Raven College made a special exception for a child prodigy to enroll in its ranks."

So Idia is a child prodigy... and Ortho's a supercomputer that's supposed to babysit him? Wait, how can a robot and a human even be related? Can a human even have fire for hair? Just what kind of a family dynamic is this?!

Your brain hurt from trying to fit the details together. They were like puzzle pieces that didn't quite connect.

A strangled scream resounded in the courtyard.

You snapped to attention, leaping out from your hiding place. Horror clenched your throat, your stomach—

Idia had Grim trapped in a death grip, smushing the poor creature against his face. The little boy wore a silly, toothy grin, revealing that his teeth were pointed like an imp's. His console was shoved into one of many pockets, long forgotten in favor of the cat.

"Hihihihihi, it must be my lucky day," Idia mumbled to himself. "I thought some annoying normie finished stuffing their face with food early and started stomping and shouting, but no! It turned out to be a talented talking widdle kitty witty interrupting my private gaming session... It's okay, I'll forgive you cuz you're seriously sooo fluffy and cute!!"

"Be careful, you're hurting him!!" you called out, charging at the child. You were but a few feet away when Idia noticed you, and his excitement waned.

"E-Eep!! Are you the kitty's owner?"

"I'm NOT a cat!!" Grim moaned desperately.

"Er, no... yes... maybe..." You paused. "It's hard to define, but we live together, so that means I have a say in how he's treated!!"

Idia's expression immediately twisted into a look of total disgust. "Ew. Gross. Go away. No one asked to see your dumb face. I found the kitty, so he's mine now. You should've kept a better eye on him if you cared so much."

"Wh-What..."

What's with this sassy lost child?!

"Now you listen here, mister—“

"Idia-san!!”

Ortho flew right by you, stopping your tirade before it could even start. He practically tackled Idia, smothering him in a hug that was warm and hummed like a generator.

(Grim let out another scream as his body was compressed between the two brothers.)

"O-Ortho nii-san...!?"

"Thank goodness I found you! I was so worried when you disappeared on me!!" Ortho released Idia, but kept his hands firmly on the young boy's shoulders. "It was bad of you to run off and go into hiding like that. My circuits almost fried from the shock!!”

Grim fell to the ground in a furry heap and scrambled into your arms. “G-Get me away from that crazy kid…!!”

You held him to your chest and stroked his back comfortingly, warily eyeing Idia and anticipating another smarmy remark.

He bashfully stared down at his shoes. “………………….. S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Huh?! Since when was he all shy and innocent?! His personality did a complete 180!

“It’s alright! What matters is that you’re safe and sound.” Ortho happily ruffled the flames on Idia’s head. “But promise me that you won’t do that again. I know you’re anxious since it’s your first week of school, but that’s no excuse for holing up for the day.”

“… I-I don’t wanna go to class or eat in the cafeteria,” Idia whined stubbornly, clinging to Ortho’s arm. “I saw. Th-There’s too many people.

He vigorously shook his head. "But I don't want to. I only wanna hang out with you, Nii-san... and the kitty.”

“You know that’s not healthy,” Ortho tutted. “There’s a big, bright, beautiful world out there, full of lovely people waiting to meet you. You won’t be able to experience that if you keep to yourself all year.”

"S-Sounds scary..."

"It's not scary at all! Look, your big bro met these nice people today." Ortho indicated you and Grim. "They helped me out when I was in a pinch. It's because of them that I was able to find you."

"Uh, hi?" You awkwardly waved.

Idia shuffled behind his brother's leg, glaring at you from behind it.

"Don't be like that." Ortho's eyes glimmered with cheer. "Hey, I know! Why don't you introduce yourself to them?"

"D-Do I really have to?"

"Would it help if they introduced themselves to you first?"

Idia said nothing, but his stare turned expectant. Ortho looked at you hopefully.

You sighed and relented. "... I'm the Ramshackle Prefect, and this is Grim."

"That's the GREAT Grim-sama to you, minion!"

"......................... I-Idia. Idia Shroud... I'm a first year in Ignihyde... a-and its dorm leader..."

... Huh?

"I'm sorry, what did you just say? I swear I must have misheard you." You laughed, cupping an ear.

"I'm dorm leader."

... HAH?

"Y-You're... You're a kid though?! And didn't you literally just start school at NRC? How's it possible that you became dorm leader so fast?!"

"Feh!!" Idia smirked, tapping his temples. "Unlike you simple-minded noobs, I've got the brain of a genius inventor up in here! There's nothing I can't achieve, hihihihi!"

He sealed the deal by blowing a raspberry.

Am I seriously being talked down to by a grade schooler?! You took a breath to calm yourself. No, I'm better than this. Don't get mad. Be the bigger person.

"Now, Idia-san... Bragging isn't very kind," Ortho gently chided. "Still, I'm proud of you for managing to get through giving your introduction!"

The android clapped, his face lighting up with excitement. "Since everyone's acquainted...! That makes us all brand-new friends!"

"I don't know if I'd go THAT far," you muttered. "It depends on how loosely you define 'friend'... though it sounds like your definition of it is very loose."

"Friends are friends!!" Ortho insisted. "And do you guys know what friends do?"

Oh no.

There was that odd smile of his again, clearly visible in spite of the visor hiding it. Half innocence, half mischief.

Your stomach sank. You had a bad feeling about this.

"Friends hang out together on their lunch breaks!"

... You should have listened to the warning signs Trey had pointed out.

“Alright, who wants snacks?"

Ortho placed several large bowls before you, each offering up something sweet or salty. There were chips in various flavors, candies in all colors, popcorn, and plain pretzels with a variety of dips. It was a rainbow of treats, definitely an upgrade from all the canned tuna and tap water you had been living off of for the past few days.

"Take your pick of drinks too! Plenty to go around." He pointed to a pyramid of canned beverages as he settled in comfortably next to you. This close, you could sense the heat radiating off of him, could see your reflection in his shiny coat.

"Myah?! You sure are livin' the high life!! You have so much stuff!" Grim crawled around on a fuzzy carpet, his eyes darting around, taking in all the shelves of games and merchandise, the consoles arranged in front of a large television.

"I-I have a kitty... I have an actual kitty in my room...!!" Idia looked like he was going to pass out from happiness. A first for his seemingly bloodless self. "N-Ne... d-do you want to play a game? C-Can you play games...?"

"Can I? Don't underestimate the great Grim-sama!!" He stood up and put his paws on his hips. "I won't go easy on ya just cuz you're a lil' brat! Name your game, buster!!"

“Ahhhh, I get to play with a kitty…! Th-This is pure bliss!!”

“For the last time, I’m NOT a… Oh, whatever!! Show me to your games already, I’ll fish out the best one!”

The duo dug into a cabinet, tossing out several discs and cartridges. Grim’s pitchfork-shaped tail sailed in the air as he rifled through titles. The tips of Idia’s hair were tinged pink.

You bit into a chip as you watched the scene unfold.

Grim’s acting like a little kid himself. All Ortho had to do was dangle toys and food in front of him and he instantly caved…

A cold wetness came upon your cheek.

You startled, relaxing only when you realized it was the sensation of a cold bottle being pressed against your bare skin.

“Living organisms such as yourself need to maintain adequate hydration levels for proper functioning,” Ortho advised. “Please do take care.”

“Thanks.” You cautiously accepted the drink, keeping your eyes trained on him.

He’s more cunning than he seems. Ortho talks himself down, but orchestrating all of this takes some serious computing and forethought.

Dangerous, you concluded. He’s dangerous.

“… Oh? You’re staring.”

“No, I’m not.”

“I can tell,” Ortho chirped. “Your iris and retinal activity indicates that—”

“You definitely tricked us.”

Without missing a beat, he nodded. “Yes. Are you upset that I did?”

“How much of it was planned?” you demanded, pointing the water bottle at him accusingly. “Was there really a jamming device preventing you from finding Idia on your own? When you stopped and said the courtyard was the perfect place to search… did you already know he was there?”

“Hehe. When I saw you and Grim-san in the cafeteria for the first time, I saw an opportunity to make use of our meeting, so I took it!

“My brother would have such an easier time opening up to a creature of the feline variety. I formulated a believable excuse to acquire the target.” Ortho chuckled, coy with his words. “I’d say it was a successful mission. Wouldn’t you?”

“Why didn’t you be honest with us? We would have helped if you had just…”

“I wanted it to be as close to a naturalistic simulation as possible.”

You blinked, taken aback by the immediate and blunt response.

“In a simulation,” Ortho continued calmly, “we imitate a situation in a controlled environment. Multiple factors are considered in the process. By running multiple simulations, we can collect more data and come closer to accounting for a simulation which is most closely related to the randomness that is a real-world system.

“In this situation, it was the inverse. I wanted a scenario in which less information would yield a more natural outcome.”

“You… wanted it to feel ‘real’ for Idia,” you said slowly. “It wouldn’t have worked like that if we knew what was going on and pretended like we were there by chance. You needed us to be in the dark.”

“Correct.”

Ortho had confessed to his guilt, but try as you might, you couldn’t detect any malicious intent.

“Idia-san is special—but he’s socially anxious and has a hard time getting along with his classmates. They don’t like that a young child has been enrolled at this school, or that he has taken on such an important role at it.

“As the one that has been assigned to oversee his school life, I worry. I would like Idia to enjoy his time here to its fullest, yet… the year has barely begun, and I’ve already been instructed by the headmaster that firing a laser is ‘not an appropriate defense protocol’ for dealing with bullies and other instigators…”

“… Crowley’s right about that part,” you interjected.

Ortho laughed, and the fondness and the fluidity of it stunned you. For a second, you forgot that he was not human at all, believing that he was a real boy.

“This will be the first step of many for Idia-san. I hope to be there for the rest of that journey.”

“Ortho-senpai…”

“I’m glad that our paths crossed, Prefect-san.” He flashed a winsome smile. “Thank you and Grim-san for helping me—and for indulging him.”

“… It’s no problem, but next time you’d better not pull another dirty trick like you did today.”

“Next time?” The smile turned slightly cocky, and you vaguely regretted your reply.

“I assume we’ll be seeing you around campus, not necessarily hanging out.”

“Aww, it’s not nice of you to snub your new friends like that~” There was a nip of wickedness to his teasing tone. “… I’m not a formal student, but you might still see me hanging around my little bro. Come by and say hi again sometime, will you?”

You blinked. “You’re not a student?”

Ortho gave no response. His eyes trailed over to Grim and Idia, who had seated themselves before the TV, controllers in hand.

The screen sparked to life with color and light and sound. A night sky speckled with stars blinked into view, along with bombastic blue font.

Star Rogue ~The Road to Being a Hero~

Traced by the glow of the game, the uncanniness in Ortho’s appearance became apparent. The lack of pores in his rubbery skin, the sharp metal sheen of his body, the abnormal lines running in his irises. Even his fire was just a swaying projection, a trick of the light.

Beneath his mask, fake lips moved, producing a close approximation of a human voice.

“… I can be at Night Raven College because of Idia-san.” He cupped the flame that burned in the place of his heart. “That alone… brings me happiness.”

If Ortho was a flame burning brightly, then he had dimmed to mere embers, his voice but a contemplative whisper. Cold, hard logic had been dispelled, leaving only the ashes where a feeling had once been.

Pressure welled in your chest.

I… shouldn’t pry further than this.

“N-Never mind that!” You cracked open your bottle and took a big swig out of it. Slamming it down, you wiped a stray dribble of water from your chin. “Let’s watch the game!! How does it even work, anyway?”

“Star Rogue? Oh, it’s a classic.” Ortho crossed his legs and leaned back against Idia’s bed. “You go…” He pointed a finger at you and pantomimed a firing, then a kickback. “Pew, pew!! And everything in your way explodes! You shoot down the boss and save the galaxy!

“Er… You have way more of a casual attitude on violence than you initially let on.”

Ortho shrugged. “Like I said, the headmaster forbade me from firing lasers on campus. This is the next best thing.”

“Well, as long as you’re not obliterating any real people... I guess that’s fine.”

“It’s better experienced than explained. We should go for a round after those two!” Ortho inclined his head towards Grim and Idia, eyes glued to the television and caught up in an intense round of button mashing.

You chortled. “Okay, you’re on.”

“Great. Prepare to get crushed and left in my space dust!” His eyes twinkled like the stars on the screen, the traces of sadness that had once been there gone.

So human, so real.

The feeling behind them.

Almost like his entire being was lighting up from the inside out.

Huh, so he can smile like that too.

“Hey,” you said slowly, “Ortho-senpai?”

His eyes cut to you, the alien features in his profile still illuminated. “Yes, Prefect-san?”

“I may not entirely understand your circumstances, but for what it’s worth… you have a big heart.”

He looked at you fully, pupils dilated. The fire of his hair and in his chest flared up, as if expressing surprise.

“Really,” you stressed, your brows upturned sympathetically. “Anyone would be lucky to have someone like you in their lives.”

Ortho's gaze sharpened, carefully analyzing you. Your features, your feelings. Contemplating the sincerity behind them.

After what seemed like an eternity--but was surely just a few seconds in real time--he spoke. It was a single, simple word as sweet as the taste of victory.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." You gave him a playful light tap on the shoulder.

With a soft laugh, he returned the favor. When his fist made contact with you, you could feel the warmth emanating from him.

The wires and electricity running through him. His heart pulsing.

“… But don't think this means I’ll take it easy on you,” Ortho warned. “I can get super competitive when it comes to games, you know!"

“Wouldn’t dream of it, senpai.”

[simp999]

A new view on life

𝙑𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨! 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘! 𝙏𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙭 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

Word count: 2.5k

Warning: Baji swears because he's Baji

Characters: Mikey, Draken, Baji, Chifuyu, Mitsuya, Hakkai, Pah-chin, Peh-yan, Nahoya and Souya Kawata

A/N: I wrote this a while back and had it in my drafts, so I decided to share it!

Holy wow you guys! So glad you're enjoying my fics!!

If this gets to 100 likes I'll drop a Chifuyu x reader :D

Masterlist

Enjoy! Let's start with a flashback, shall we? <3

"Ken-chiiin!"

"What is it, Mikey?"

"I want some dorayaki."

Draken lets out a sigh, having already told Mikey that he didn't have any money on him. Mikey let out a pout.

You on the other hand found it cute and decided to help them out. With a grin on your face, you butt in beside them and asked Mikey what flavor he wanted. "See Ken-chin? Somebody cares!" Draken lets out another sigh, this time a small smirk adorning his face. "Yeah yeah, whatever Mikey."

Not too long after, you left the shop with your own snack. You followed the two boys since you had nothing better to do. Maybe it's because you struck his sweet spot, but Mikey was intrigued by you. He decided then and there that you three would be friends. (Draken didn't have much of a choice, but he didn't mind all too much.) Eventually, you guys started hanging out more often. It wasn't rare that you would take Mikey on what you called 'mini-dates.' These mostly consisted of taking him out to get some dorayaki.

+*:ꔫ:*﹤~Present time!~ ﹥*:ꔫ:*+ﾟ

"Hey, hey!! I'm baaaack~" You called out to the gang after making your grand entrance, the room's atmosphere immediately brightening. It was hard to miss the way most of the boys smiled at your presence, you definitely had an impact on them. You heard a few hello's and hi's, then sat down with them.

"Hey angel, you came to join us for food?" You had already told Baji to quit calling you that countless times, but he wouldn't let up. Especially after the events of Halloween, where you quite literally became his angel.

You hummed in response, trying to strike up a conversation to lighten the mood. You asked Mitsuya how the girls were doing. They were doing good. "They won't stop asking when you'll visit again though," He lets out a light chuckle, "I think they like you or something." The conversations went on and on, you were finally glad to be with the people you cared about most. These were the moments you lived for. Draken then grabbed a newspaper that was resting on the table, trying to see if anything important was happening.

"Oh damn. So they strike again, huh?" He more so muttered to himself, but now the boys were interested. He continued:

"Looks like the Wakai Kyoi gang isn't stopping anytime soon. They just beat down another gang that's been around for a few generations."

"They're the ones that usually only take on the older generations, right?" Chifuyu inquired, trying to make sure he was on the same page as everyone else. Mikey then chimed in, his mouth full of dorayaki:

"A new age of delinquents. I like the way they think. But if we're gonna be the top gang in Tokyo, then we'll have to beat them one day."

"It really is a shame that that gang never teams up, they're pretty nit-picky about who joins. I also heard that the boss is pretty two-sided. Reminds me of the twins." Baji joins in on the fun, flaunting his canines at the information he just dropped.

"The boss is known as the Devious Viper, yeah? We should watch out for them. They sound pretty strong. As if they'll just come and attack outta nowhere, y'know?" Nahoya shows off his signature smile, despite genuinely being uneasy at the thought of running into this boss person.

You listened intently on their conversation, curious about their thoughts on this gang that's been lurking. Only now taking a look at the time, you realize that you should have probably left a few minutes ago. Bidding your goodbyes, you explain that family calls. Making sure that the joyride they had planned is still ongoing that night at sunset, you part ways.

+*:ꔫ:*﹤~Timeskip!~ ﹥*:ꔫ:*+ﾟ

"OTSUKARESAMA DESU!"

The familiar sound echoes in your ears. You've taught them well. You head over to your vice-prez. It was suddenly quiet again. The air was cold, and everyone was only focused on one person.

"So. What happened to our younger brother here?"

"Our vice-captain of the eighth division was attacked. It was said that another gang ambushed him. He is now in the hospital with a broken leg, swelled eye, and multiple bruises." Your vice replied reluctantly, nearly afraid of what you may counter with.

It was quiet for a moment, the air becoming colder and more distant by the second. A small frown becoming noticable across your features .You finally made a decision.

"Eighth Division captain, please step up."

"Yes, boss!"  Short, curly hair bounces as he replies.

"Will the Eighth Division be able to take care of this shit-stain of a gang?" You ask through grit teeth, an air of frustration surrounding you.

"Yes, Boss!" The boy replied, and you could see his smirk slowly growing. The eighth division captain was known for being relentless, and for getting his revenge when someone close to him was attacked. Especially his vice-captain.

"Then that is all. Remember! We protect this family of ours with all we've got, no matter what it takes. We are one big family, and that will never change." The once cold air suddenly felt warm, the members remembering why they joined. To have people to rely on, and to have people rely on them. They are family. A few cheers could be heard throughout the crowd, your words made a great impact once again.

You head over to the hospital with your vice-president, planning on visiting one of your youngest members. You had finally arrived at his room. Oh, how you felt so bad seeing your members injured. He was still asleep when you two arrived. You walk over to him gently and lightly lean on his bed. You softy bring your fingers to trace over his face, moving some of the short hairs away from his eyes, and careful to avoid his injuries.

"We will get revenge for you. I promise to take care of you as best as I can. I'm so very sorry for not being there for you." You whisper to him, lightly kissing him on his hairline, reassuring him that you will always do your best to protect your formed family. Your vice president was always happy to see this side of you. It was uncanny how quickly your personality could go from deadly to caring.

Once visiting hours are over, you realize that it's about time you meet up with the Toman boys.

"Could you supervise the fight?" You directed your attention to your vice. "Not that our eighth is weak, but we can't have more members getting too badly injured. Especially with how far he goes sometimes, he may need someone to hold him back." You finish with a light chuckle.

"Of course, boss." Your vice knows the real reason you can't have your members getting badly injured. It's not because your gang will lose power, that's not at all what worries you. Seeing any of your family get injured breaks your heart bit by bit every time you witness it.

"I already told you, call me by my first name," you grin at him. "I thought we were close!" You pester him. The sun is already starting to set once you look out the window, you'd really better get going now.

+*:ꔫ:*﹤~Timeskip!~ ﹥*:ꔫ:*+ﾟ

"Hi, hii! Sorry 'm late, family business got out of hand, haha!" You looked around, feeling bad for taking so long.

"It happens, don't worry about it. You ready?" Mitsuya assures you, knowing firsthand how difficult some things could get. He does have two sisters, after all.

You hop on your motorcycle, the one Draken had perfected to your taste.

"You know it, 'Kashi!"

You glance around one last time before yelling at the top of your lungs,

"LET'S GO, TOMAN!"

Every last one of you took off, the only sound being the beautiful revs of your engines.

It was so warm and comfortable, you think. 'This is what I live for,' you think, 'This is the stuff I didn't want to miss out on. This is the youth I was hoping to live.' You finally built the life you were hoping for. Your family by blood may be gone now, but you built yourself a new one. You now have friends to back you up and to hang out with. You really wish that this could last forever. You speed up a little, old memories resurfacing, making you emotional. You wouldn't want to let your closest friends see the tears brimming your eyes now, would you?

You remember that one time you brought Mitsuya and his sisters ice skating. Mana fell and hurt her knee, so you ended up buying snowcones for the four of you. 'She was over that so quickly, I bet she just wanted a treat.' You giggle to yourself at the thought.

The day you met Chifuyu was when you visited your favorite manga store. It turns out you both were trying to keep up with the same series that was currently coming out. From then on you made it a goal to hang out with him and watch anime together.

You had already met Draken because of Mikey, but the two of you didn't chat or hang out too much until you initiated it. One day you found him on the ground, fixing his bike. You took an interest in what he was doing and offered to help with whatever you could.

Then there was this one time Pah-chin came to you for dating advice. That was a bit of a mess, but you two managed to find some flowers and chocolates that his girlfriend may like. 'It's good to know he's dedicated. Toman really is full of good people.'

Baji eventually convinced you to hang out with him after finding out that you were a little artistic, he offered to go to a suburban area and spraypaint a full wall. The two of you stayed there for hours, emptying a few of the cans. You definitely left your mark there, and it was sure to be there for a while.

You also remember saving Peh-yan from getting bullied because of his fashion sense on multiple occasions. Yeah, he may be dumb, but you'll be there to help out.

And of course Hakkai! He's so fun to tease. The idea of him being a model comes up again and again, even if it's totally out of context. You'll find any means to slip it into conversation just to see his flushed face.

Lastly, the Kawata Twins. They sure were unique. You really did like hanging out with them, even though Smiley could be a bit much. It wasn't rare that you would take them out for ramen, very much enjoying seeing their swapped facial expressions. It's so weird to see Angry smiling and Smiley with his eyes open, but it's cute nonetheless.

Time had flown by, and the sun was just barely in sight. It really sucks that these moments don't actually last forever. At least you could make the best of it while you were there. You smile back at the boys, now slightly ahead of them. (Baji was not content with that whatsoever.) You yelled back behind you, getting a rise out of the Toman members.

"Oi! Race you to the shrine! Last one there's buying lunch tomorrow!"

You did indeed love these guys, they do mean the world to you. But does that mean that you'd let them win?

Absolutely not.

Once everyone had arrived, you finally let out what you had on your mind.

"Man, I'll never get tired of that," You look up at them to see them grinning back at you, clearly thinking the same thing. "How about a picture to remember this by?"

Chifuyu sets up the camera and makes sure everyone is in position. A few seconds after he joins you guys, a clicking sound is heard. You immediately rush to his phone to check out how it turned out.

"Hell yeah! This is so going on my wall~" A few of them chuckle at your sudden outburst, even though they share the feeling with you. What a good day to be alive. It is getting late though, so everyone ends up parting ways, agreeing to meet up for lunch.

Baji was paying, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

You all meet up once again at one of the restaurants you're so familiar with. Everyone is here now. You invited Takemichi as well since he is technically in the gang too. Mikey is nearly passed out, (Draken had to drag him out of bed). Chifuyu is trying to help Baji budget the dishes. Peh and Pah are fighting over which type of soup was better. Mitsuya is helping Hakkai with his outfit, complaining about something being crooked. 'He'll definitely be a good fashion designer.' You think. The twins are deciding on which food to get. They wanted to get the same thing, but Smiley wanted it to be way too spicy. Takemichi ended up bringing his friends because they wouldn't take no as an answer. Oh well, the more the merrier, right?

You shed your jacket before remembering something. You wanted to make this another fond memory, so you get up, excusing yourself. Turning your back to the rowdy teens, Yamagishi notices something. A serpent? Black wings? He wracks his brain, knowing he's seen that tattoo before. It was rare that you wore a tank top, so this was the first time he could get a glimpse. Then it clicked.

"...Holy shit." He's still staring at your back, and it shushes everyone at the table. Most of them are now confused, trying to understand what was up with his sudden statement.

"You guys ever hear of the Devious Viper, from the Wakai Kyoi gang?" A few of them nod at his question, others humming. He continues,

"The boss has a tattoo of a viper on their back, along with black wings." The others finally understand. They're in shock. Not even Pah-chin is making a ruckus.

"Holy fuck..." Baji starts, his face blank. His face then contorts into his fanged grin, "We've got a fuckin' badass on the team!" The table erupts in cheers, nearly getting them kicked out. The Toman members are absolutely shocked at this, but they think it's one of the coolest things ever.

You were just around the corner, wanting to know what they thought about you. You were afraid that they'd ditch you right away, never wanting to cross paths with you again. A sigh of relief can barely be heard. 'So this is what real friends are like, huh?' You then continue your journey, arriving at your destination and ordering what you wanted. A few minutes later, you had finally returned to the table. The members quiet down when you arrive, trying to hold their excitement.

"So..."

You take a breath in, composing yourself.

"Who's up for boba?!"

Wide grins spread across their faces as cheers erupt once again around the table.

You dish out cups of boba for everyone, so very glad that they trust you.

You mutter underneath your breath with a small smile,

"This is why I love you guys."

April 14, 22

[fallenclan]

Frosty had really done it now. He'd been horsing around in the abandoned barn, kicking up clouds of dust and provoking nesting swallows, when he'd heard the press of heavy pawsteps.

Vaguely intrigued, the tom had followed the sounds, expecting to greet another cat, perhaps even make a new friend. It was only when he came face to face with a snarling hound that he realized he had made a mistake.

Currently, Frosty was running for his life.

The dog was making an infernal racket, howling and snapping at Frosty's tail as the tom fled. He running as fast as his legs could take him but the beast was still gaining. This is not how I'm going to die, Frosty thought.

Swerving abruptly, Frosty leapt, sailing over the remains of what was once a fence surrounding the barn's open fields. "Ha! Follow me now, you stupid mutt!" the tom taunted. To his horror, the dog simply forced its way through a less stable portion of the fence, barking furiously as it did. Of course.

Just as Frosty was about to take off again, the dog lunged, jaws snapping shut an inch from Frosty's head. The tom shrieked, scrambling away just in time to avoid getting his head torn off.

Frosty made a hard break for the woods, the dog continuing to blaze after him. Then, with no warning, the hound tore off in the opposite direction, barking frantically at some new quarry. Yes! Frosty internally cheered, only for his heart to drop a second later when he heard a distinctly feline yowl.

Spinning back around, Frosty retraced his steps. This time, he was the one chasing the dog. Moments later he caught up with the hound, stumbling to a halt when he realized the beast was now racing about in circles, struggling to shake off a black-and-cream she-cat who was ruthlessly pummeling its back. Is she crazy? Frosty stared, disbelieving.

"Hey, you!" A grey-and-white she-cat raced into Frosty's line-of-sight, visibly out of breath. "I didn't lead this dog away from you just for you to come running right back up to it!"

"You lead the dog away?" Frosty mrrowed, stunned.

"Yes, yes! Now c'mon. Poppyfeather and Hawkwish have got this." Glancing past the grey-and-white she-cat, Frosty caught a glimpse of a third cat, a brown tabby who was darting in and out of the dog's reach, slashing at its legs and sides as she did so.

Not waiting to see if he was following, the grey-and-white she-cat darted away. "All right, I guess," Frosty muttered, trailing after the she-cat. It was only when they were a good distance away, both gasping for breath, that the she-cat stopped.

"What-" she paused to take another deep breath. "What were you doing out by the barn? Every cat knows twolegs like to snoop around there sometimes, even occasionally bringing those howling mutts with them."

"I was just playing," Frosty mewed earnestly.

"Playing?"

"Y'know, messing around. I didn't expect a dog to burst outta nowhere!"

The she-cat snorted. At first, Frosty thought she was annoyed with him, but after a moment he realized she was laughing. "My name's Willowsplash, by the way."

"I'm Frosty! So are you regularly in the business of performing daring rescues, Willowsplash?" Frosty purred.

Before Willowsplash could manage a reply, the two other cats from before came crashing through the undergrowth. "Dog's gone," the black-and-cream she-cat hummed, shaking out her pelt. She didn't seem to notice Frosty at first, and started when she saw him. "Oh, the loner's still here."

"Frosty," Willowsplash introduced him. "This is Poppyfeather, and that-" she flicked her tail at the brown tabby. "-is Hawkwish."

"Hi," Hawkwish mewed quietly.

"Hello!" Frosty chirped. Hawkwish smiled.

"This is FallenClan land," Poppyfeather spoke gently, her tone velvety in a way Frosty hadn't expected after witnessing her brutally attacking a hound three times her size.

"FallenClan?"

"We're a group of cats that lives in the mountains. There are other clans too, but ours is the best," Willowsplash explained, grinning.

"We're warriors," Hawkwish added.

Frosty's ears perked. "I wanna be a warrior!"

"Do you have what it takes?" Poppyfeather drawled, expression dubious.

"I'm super good at hunting. Actually, scratch that, no cat is a better hunter than me," Frosty declared. "I'm super brave, too."

"That's why you valiantly ran away from the dog, then?" Poppyfeather scoffed, more amused than agitated.

"Be nice," Willowsplash flicked her tail against Poppyfeather's shoulder. "You can't expect one inexperienced cat to take down a dog all by themself."

"Goldenstar could at that age," Poppyfeather replied smoothly.

"Well, this isn't Goldenstar." Willowsplash returned her attention to Frosty. "So you want to join FallenClan, then?"

"Absolutely."

...

When Skyfrost curled into his new nest that night, surrounded by dozens of friendly (and sleepy) faces, he felt truly at home for the first time in moons. New name, new home. Perhaps even some new friends. Closing his eyes, the tom drifted off to dreams of all the adventures he was certain to have now that he was a real warrior cat.

-🐉 (tbh had no idea what to do for this one! i don't feel very familiar with skyfrost as a character haha. anyway, beetle, any characters you'd like to see fics of -- the classic dragon anon question -- ?

dedicated to lollipop anon🍭)

YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Skyfrost my beloved,, you're right we absolutely need to see more of this silly guy, but even so you captured him so well... hes a fun lovin dude!!!!

[yourpalmickeymouse]

uhh hi mickey huge fan uh

opinions on mortimer or whatever his name was

Hello cha0smity,

It's great to meet a fan..? 😳 I guess. Sorry, I just never expected havin' a fan, ha ha. Now I feel kinda bad that it took me a while to respond. Not exactly a great way to treat a fan, but hopefully, you can forgive me.

As for your inquiry...

Mortimer.

What do I even say about Mortimer? He's a jerk. He's a fraud. He won't leave Minnie alone. He's constantly belittlin' me. He's constantly trying to one-up me. He's just... Oh, he's just the WORST.

I mean I've dealt with a lot of people who hated me and wanted me dead, but for some reason, Mortimer seems to get under my skin more than they do. I don't know why. Maybe it is because he seems to target me specifically. And the worst part is... I don't even know why.

I first met Mortimer at Mouseton Middle School. He was a new kid and at first, he seemed pretty normal. I even tried to befriend him and add him to my friend group. But then outta nowhere, he started to be a real jerk to me. Constantly embarrassing me. Tellin' false rumors about me. Turnin' people against me. I'll never forget about that time he filled my locker with frogs, so when I opened it, frogs came flyin' everywhere. Again I don't get where it comes from.

Maybe he was jealous. Maybe he was hopin' to impress Minnie. Except I wasn't really that popular in school and Minnie and I weren't even datin' yet. Regardless, he has absolutely refused to stop and is still pullin' all sorts of schemes. I don't exactly get what he wants. I don't like bein' mean, but I kinda wish he would just get lost sometimes. Or at least change his attitude.

Oh and you might hear him brag about how "Minnie was his girlfriend first"... One, it was in high school. Two, it lasted less than a week. Three, Minnie doesn't like him anymore. But he keeps on tryin' to remind me as if it was some accomplishment, and yet it's not.

Uh... this turned more into a rant than I expected 😅... I hope this is what you were lookin' for.

[thewittyphantom]

Here's Rin's dialogue with Yugo and Zuzu.

[flashback] Rin: Huh? Is this New Domino City? Sector Security: Excuse me... Rin: Huh? S-Sector Security!? Did I trespass into Topsiders territory!? Sector Security: Huh? No...I was just wondering if you wanted to Duel- Rin: Duel against Sector Security!? But I don't wanna be arrested! Yugo: Hey you there! Stop! Sector Security: Gaaaaah! Why... Yugo: You okay, Rin!? Rin: Yugo!? Yugo: That officer didn't harm ya, right Rin? Rin: Yugo... Yugo: I'm so glad you're okay... Riiiiiiiiiiin! Gah...Agh! [end flashback] Yugo: I guess you're more than okay...But I'm not...I can't believe you did that... Rin: I already said I was sorry...I think? When I came to my senses, Sector Security was right in my face! You'd be freaked out too! Yugo: This is the second time you hurt me when I came to save you! Rin: I said I was sorry! Yugo: I thought reunions were supposed to be emotional and stuff... Rin: ...But if our reunion wasn't like this, it would be kinda weird. Yugo: You know...You're right! And who cares about this little hiccup when we can now be together forever! There's so much I have to tell you! Like the Friendship Cup! Rin: ...Yugo? Yugo: Yeah? Rin: Thanks for saving me! I've never been more happy! Yugo: Rin...Riiiiiiiiiin! Rin: Stopppppp! You don't need to hug me every time!

Zuzu: Riiiin! Rin: Zuzu! Zuzu: You're really back! I'm so glad! Rin: Thanks! I can't believe we're finally meeting face-to-face, Zuzu! Zuzu: You're right! I always felt you inside my heart, but it's nice to talk like this! Speaking of talking, were you able to talk to Yugo? Rin: Huh: Yugo? Zuzu: After I saw you and Lulu at the Gate, I asked Yugo to come meet you. Rin: Oh...So that's why... Zuzu: What happened? Rin: I said hello...With a few strikes... Zuzu: What!? How could it lead to that!? Rin: I was in a totally new place with Sector Security all around! And then getting a hug outta nowhere!? I was caught off guard! Zuzu: ...I guess Yugo was being Yugo...But he was losing his mind worrying for you. You might want to apologize. Rin: Yeah... I know. Zuzu: Anyway, I'm happy you're here, Rin! Rin: Thanks, Zuzu!

[alvisiscrazy]

the demon of the night (pt5)

TW-blood play, curssing, sex talk, drugs

summary- a cook for Elvis comes to realize he is really more to what we know, he is something outta this world like a book or a fairytale.

I woke up seeing a note on the side of the bed I picked it up "Y/n Elvis and I will be gone all today he needs you to clean the penthouse he says start anytime you like" It said great cleaning the penthouse I know it's gonna be a mess I goaned, I took a long shower now putting on my unifrom I wanted to start cleaning now I went to the lobby to grab breakfast since I have all day, I gotten up to the penthouse along with a cleaning cart my jaw was to the floor cups and food everywhere I started with the dining and living room first that took a hour I went into a room that looked like a guest room I clean the sheets and picked up a few peices of trash that was left I opened a other door to a room with a huge bed clothes on the bed guessing it was Elvis's room I notiecd the same mini frige he told me to stay out of I picked up the food trays and trash that was along side his room but I couldn't help myself to peak in the fridge I opened it to see blood bags and a human arm I took a step back I was working for a killer I quickly closed it as I heard the door open "Fuck fuck" I said grabbing a cup to act like I was doing something I walked out seeing Jerry and Elvis "You saw the note" Jerry said I nod heading to my cleaing cart "Why do you take a break baby rest a while" Elvis said I wanted to get out but I couldn't say no to my boss "Oh no I'm almost finshed" I said going to the last room cleaning as I turned around I bumped into Elvis "Sorry I didn't see you" He spoke "It's okay, I'm all finshed" Elvis wanted her to stay a while he didn’t want her to feel like she only came to work for him he wanted her to have some fun "Well thank you, for helping" He said "No problem sir" I said putting the clean supplies onto the cart Elvis knew she was still in shock on him walking in on her touching herself he didn't see her whole body tho just her percky breasts he couldn't get them outta his head he wanted to do things with her real bad "Is that all you need sir?" She asked him "I want dinner early tonight I have a other show, and you don't have to worry about cooking only just dinner for me" I nod "Well okay sounds good" I said "Is 7 okay?" He asked she nods "See you later boss" He watched her walk away staring at her nice ass he wanted her so bad he couldn’t explain it. I gotten to my room relaxing till it was time for me to cook, I went down to the kitchen checking the list he wanted something simple steak and eggs I cooked and made my way to the penthouse opening the two doors “I brought the food” I said loudly enough for him to hear me “Hey, coming hold on” He said he walked out in a robe I couldn’t help but to stare his wet hair his face everything was perfect about this man I wondered what was under the towel knowing I shouldn’t I cleared my throat “Hope you do amazing tonight” I said handing him his food “Thank you Y/n” He said “See you around” I said before I walked out, I was oddly tired from today I went to sleep before Elvis’s show had started, The phone had rung I was half asleep “Hello” I said “Elvis wants you up” Jerry said “Okay be up soon” I said yawning I turned to clock 3 in the morning I ended the line with Jerry putting on my robe heading up to the penthouse now opening the two doors Elvis was nowhere in sight “Elvis”

I spoke up looking around I heard the shower running I couldn’t help myself to find out as I gotten closer to the room I heard moaning a girl was here I heard Elvis to why’d he call me up here ? I listen I walked in the room slowly I saw a mirror that was by the bathroom watching them I saw Elvis’s behind he had a nice ass I saw the women she was begging for his mercy “Please let me cum please-“ I heard her say “Please Elvis” My jaw was dropped Elvis knew Y/n was watching he could hear her breathing getting heavy as she watched him fuck this girl he nearly slammed his hips into the girl leaving her breathless “ELVIS” she screamed, I couldn’t help but to watch nearly in shock how his hips move into her I was beyond shocked then the shower turned off I quickly backed up the room leaving the penthouse I hadn’t noticed my panties were soaked by this I was aroused leaving the penthouse my core was nearly throbbing for touch I gotten to my room quickly stripping now touching my throbbing clit going down my wet folds with the image of Elvis fucking that girl a part of me wishes it was me I wanted to get a taste of him I no longer cared if he was my boss I gotten off finally my body was so tired I fell right asleep.

I woke up to the phone ringing and ringing “Hello” I said “Haven’t heard from you, how are you doing ?” Kat asked “I’m good, just waking up” I said “Hm just checking to see if your alive, what are you doing after work?” She asked “Nothing why?” I said “Wanna go get a bit to eat after ?” She said “Sure I don’t mind, plus I have lots to tell you” I said “Oh good can’t wait! See you later” I ended the line I put on a robe going down to the lobby to get something to eat seeing Jerry and Elvis at a booth hoping they don’t see me I gotten my plate of sitting in a corner, “Why are you sitting all alone?” I heard Elvis say I looked at him trying not to remember the events I saw last night “Oh didn’t want to bother you and Jerry” I looked over Jerry was gone “No you wouldn’t have” He said sitting down “You sleep alright ?” He asked with concern “I slept fine” Considering I came thinking of him touching me “That’s good” He said with a smile “How about you” I asked “I slept great that’s why I’m awake this morning” He said with a chuckle I nod

I finished my food leaving Elvis at the table I needed a coffee or something I sat back down at the table now getting a look at his face he was so beautiful I’m glad I was working for him “What you looking at?” He asked looking behind him “Nothing what- I said god what is wrong with me “You sure looks like you seem a ghost or something” “No no it’s nothing” I said taking a slip of my coffee “Anything you’d like to do today?” He asked “I’m free all day till tonight” he added “Shopping?” I suggested “Shopping seems like a good idea” he says “I could use more jewelry for shows” I nod “Well go on and get dressed honey” He said with a smile “Okay be down in a hour” I said taking the last slip of my coffee heading up to my room showering for the day I put on something casual a T shirt with shorts because it’s going to be a hot day I made my way down to the limo I saw Elvis in a suit “It’s way to hot to be in a suit” I said “I’d rather much be hot then dressin ugly honey” he said with a smirk I just stared, We gotten to the first store Elvis had picked out a few things for me to try on “I don’t like it” I frown “What! Your crazy look at ya” I looked like a Barbie doll

“You look cute” Elvis stated trying to make me feel better I guess I ended up getting the dress “One day you should let me dress you” I said with a smile “Maybe when I’m dead” He said both of laughing “Oh please” I said I noticed Elvis was quite a good guy once he was alone away from his friends, Very talkative as a worker I never knew much about him but now since I’ve been here I leaned a lot he was kinda and caring to the people surrounded him and that’s what I liked most about him so far including his dashing looks he was beautiful man “So, you know I’ve been trying to keep ya busy while I’m out working I want you to come clean up the penthouse every other day if you will” I nod “Just to keep ya sane I know my schedule can get crazy” He added

“Well I don’t mind at all plus I find cleaning and cooking stress free takes my mind off of things” “Same here with music” I nod in understanding “We have a few things in common” He says “Hm I guess so at first I wanted to leave but it’s not so bad being here working for a superstar” I said giggling to myself “A superstar huh” He chuckled “Yea you the Elvis Presley the guy from the 50’s causing hell on the south I was going into my teens I believe when that was happening” He looked at me for a moment “I wasn’t a fan tho to be fair all my friends are dying over you me I was the odd man out till I realized- I stopped myself remembering he was my boss “Continue” He said “Well till I realized how nice you were not with the news people said” “Oh baby you have no idea who I am now” He said with a low tone causing shivers down my spine.

“I want to find out” I said turning to look at him from the events of last night I wanted to get a taste of him next “Tell me something you ever hated me?” He asked me “No I can say you pissed me a few times here and there but I’m over that silliness” I said “Good that’s good” He said “I’m quite the guy” He said with all the cockiness in his voice “From so I heard” I said “You know I heard you come in last night” I quickly turned my head looking at out the street “What ?” I said “I knew it” He said “Yea so I walked in, I thought you needed my help” I said looking at him I saw a smirk form on the side of his lips “You like what you saw ?” He asked “No” I said turning my head again I felt him breathing on my neck “You know if you ever what to- “No you are my boss” I said trying to get grab of myself why was he so hard to resist “It could be our little secret nobody has to know baby” He spoke so seductively “Elvis we shouldn’t do that I work for you” I said once again “I’m ready to go” I said “I just wanna get to know you that’s all” He said making me look at him “Maybe even to get know her a bit” He said pointing down to my area “I’m ready to go” I said once again I think he got the hint. He gotten up paying for the things we both picked out for each other, “Why are you so quiet ?” He asked breaking the silence “No reason just enjoying my time out” I said he didn’t say anything “Thanks for the clothes” I said turning to him “No problem” He said turning his head towards the window, We gotten back to the hotel parting ways I went to my room turning on the news “Five missing women the past week” I started to think Elvis had something to do with this I had to find out myself I had a plan I called Kat “Kat I need to tell you something” I said “What’s up ?” She asked “Hopefully you don’t think I’m crazy, I think Elvis is a killer” I said “What?” She nearly screamed “The first night I saw blood bags in the fridge of the plane then in the penthouse and now the news I think he is a killer” I said “Maybe so, what are you going to do?” “Ask him if it’s him” I said “No don’t would if he hurts you” “No he won’t I got this, I’ll do it tonight after his show” I said, I gotten ready for work putting on my uniform heading down to the kitchen looking at the meal list he wanted a cheese burger and fries. I headed up to the penthouse opening the two doors “Elvis are you here ?” I said “No he isn’t” I heard a women say “Well the food is here” I said leaving the cart “Thank you he should be back soon” She said making a appearance “Okay thanks for letting me know” I said walking out the door running into Jerry and Elvis “The food is there” I said

I made my way down to the kitchen cleaning up the mess the phone had rung “Hello” I said “You forgot the dessert” Jerry said “Oh, I’ll get right on it” I said checking the list two vanilla cones I went to the back kitchen to get the ice cream now making my way back “Here you are” I said “Thank you honey, sorry for the inconvenience” He spoke “It’s fine my shift isn’t over yet” “Hey, you know you could come to my show tonight if you want” He said “I think I have plans tonight but I could hang out later in the night if you want” I said “Sounds good to me, see you after my show then?” I nod walking out going to clean up the final mess I left, I gotten ready to meet Kat in the lobby “So what’s the plan ?” She asked “We wait till the show starts then we go in to look” I said “How do you know if anyone isn’t guarding the place” She asked “All his people are guarding him at the show trust me I know” I said, We waited for the show to start now making our way to the penthouse I had the key opening the door it was black “I’m scared” Kat said “Why? He isn’t coming back any time soon” I said opening his bed room looking in no one in sight I pointed to the fridge “Swear if your fucking with me”Kat said “No I’m not go open it” I said Kat sighed we both walked up to fridge she opened it as I closed my eyes “Oh god” Kat said “See I told you” We saw the same human arm from earlier “You weren’t lying oh my god” She said gagging closing the fridge “See now let’s go” I said pulling her out the room We made it out the penthouse going to the lobby “I’m in beyond disbelief” Kat said “I told you”I said “You need to tell him you know” She said “I will” I said, Kat and I went to the strip again hitting many dance clubs we can “Seriously let’s go my feet hurt” She said “I was thinking the same thing”

I said pulling her along “That guy wants me” She said giggling “I thought you were into Jerry what happened” I said “Haven’t called him I’m nervous” She said “Why he is so sweet” I said “I don’t know I’ll eventually do it, now let’s go” Kat said we made it back to the hotel just after Elvis’s show was over Kat and I went to my room “I need a shower” I said stripping myself “Have fun I’ll try to stay up” Kat said “Yea try” I said, I took a shower I heard screaming from the room next to us I quickly gotten up Kat had heard the same thing “Should we go check?” I asked “No what? Let’s stay here call someone” She said I called Jerry “Hey, we think something happened in the room next door would you come check it out” I asked him “Yea sure thing be down soon” He said ended the line, Jerry rung Elvis “Boss, what are you doing down there they heard her screams” Jerry said panicking “She already knows I feel it” He said “I’ll go talk to her” He added “Okay wait a moment just gotten off the phone with her” Jerry said Elvis had waited a moment now knocking on her door “Elvis thank god” She said letting him in the room “May I talk to you in private?” He asked “Yea sure thing” They stepped out into the hallway

“I heard screams or something while I was taking a shower Kat heard the same thing” I said with panic “Don’t play dumb with me Y/n” He said with that devilish tone “What?” I said “You know what I am” He said carefully “I don’t tell me ?” I said crossing my arms “I’m a vampire” He said I couldn’t believe my ears “What? How is this possible you killed those women” I panicked I took back all those things I said about him “No no” I said trying to calm myself down “How’d this happen?” I asked “I’ll tell you once I know I can trust you” He said “You can trust me! “ I said “I need to know for sure” He said “Don’t go running that mouth of yours because I will find out” He said looking in my eyes “Understand?” He added “Yes sir” I said “Good now forget this nonsense and get some sleep” He said “I can’t sleep knowing I work for a killer” I said with disgust I think I pissed him off again “Look, you will forget this happened go back to your little sleepover” He said getting closer to me “And if I don’t ?” I said he gotten closer face to face breathing in his air “You wanna test me again? I know you’ve seen what I can do” He said with a smirk he was right I have seen my clit was literally throbbing by this “That doesn’t mean anything, I could never get in bed with you” I said pushing him away then he gripped me by the neck “Listen here, I try to be kind to you and baby I know you want me all you gotta do is be honest with me mostly yourself” He said pushing me up against the wall “I don’t want to sleep with you ” I said He held up his hand rubbing his thumb against my lips “That’s what they all say, I know exactly what to do with you” He spoke “No this is wrong” I said “Let me at least have a try baby that’s all don’t hide from me” I sighed out loud “Not here” I said giving in “We could do it baby in this hallway” He said “I don’t just sleep with men I wanna be taken out” I said pushing him away “Then let me take you out” He said he couldn’t take a hint I just didn’t wanna sleep with him “And If I don’t want to sleep with you after you promise you’ll leave me alone” I said He nods “You got it” He said “Now goodnight” I said reaching for the door he pulled me back “Let me go” I said “No not just yet” He stood looking me in the eyes “You will let me taste your blood” He said “I will let you taste my blood” I couldn’t move or speak I felt a burn within my neck he bit my neck “Just as I thought you taste lovely” “I want a little more” I looked at his face it had changed red veins and sharp teeth the red eyes he was a real life vampire not like the movies Elvis was a vampire “Drink this” He held up his arm I noticed he was bleeding “Come on baby drink up it will heal you” I took his arm drinking from him “See it won’t hurt ya” He said moving the hair from my face I couldn’t explain this exact feeling but I felt like the world was spinning “There you should be fine” He said wiping the blood from my mouth now looking at my neck He looked at me again “Do you want to me remember this answer honestly” He spoke so soft “Yes” I said “Yes what?” “I want to remember” I said He opened my room door “Get some rest, take care of that neck for me hm” I nod walking into my room “Goodnight” He said closing the door I was left in a daze Kat sat up from the bed “Are you okay?” She asked with concern “Yes I’m okay” I said “What happened?” I stood for a moment “He is a real vampire he is real” I said sitting on the bed “What are you going to do now?” She asked “I’m staying here with him” I said slowly.

[chidoroki]

Hell’s Paradise EP5

aka: don’t doubt the women

Ah, so Sagiri really did fall ill to those butterflies. She looks real pretty with her hair down though.

There’s gotta be people who live on this island with all those sculptures everywhere. It’s probably that group of people from the OP.

“They’re like malformed gods. Both the island and monsters are like that. They’re terrifying, but they’re also stupid.” That’s one way of putting it.

Oh wow, that’s quite the slasher smile Gabimaru has when he’s talking about the elixir being real.

Can everyone stop doubting Sagiri?? I know she’s got her own issue going on in her head that are preventing her from acting accordingly but the girl is doing her best despite everything!

“You’re clearly not strong enough for this island. It’s beyond your limits as a woman.” Oh kindly fuck off Genji.

Oh! We finally get to see Tenza! And he’s.. trying to escape with Nurugai?  Not fond of the insane island huh?

Yeeaahh, when you encounter a creepy shipwreck graveyard like that, I think it’s best to turn around.

Wait, Nurugai was trying to help these samurai and in turn they killed all the other villagers? What douchebags.

Oh nooo! That Kisho dude became a flower pot. Damn, he was pretty.

Tenza is such a good boy for protecting Nurugai while he makes up his mind about life or death.

I love they we’re learning the backstories of so many characters already.. it’s just gonna hurt twice and much if and whenever they die, ahhaa..

“The currents in this area probably all flow back to the island.” Of course this reminds me of Mirage Island.

Okay, yeah… Tenza is real handsome. Hello sir. You’re gonna give Chobei some competition for me.

OHHH Nurugai is a girl, oops. Sorry sweetie. I literally said couple episodes ago she gave me Dororo vibes too.. no wonder.

“I’ve fallen for your chivalry. Once we make it back safely, let’s get married.” Girl saammee! Tenza is precious.

“The insects’ poison acted quickly because of the wound I gave you, right? So I thought I’d, um.. and I owe you a favor..” Aw Gabimaru, he does care.

That’s such a calm smile he’s sporting too.

“If I live as a daughter of Neck-Chopper Asa, I’m scorned by outsiders. If I live as a warrior of the Yamada Clan, I’m shunned by my family.” That’s certainly not an easy choice to live with.

I had a feeling Genji was gonna attack her but our girl was quick on her feet and anticipated it as well! Nice!

Oh shit, that giant criminal came outta nowhere (somehow??) and killed Genji with one hit. Sagiri, honey, you better run.

[orleans-jester]

Aphrodite No last name, much like Cher. Sexual Education Teacher at Halloweentown High School. Sexual Healing / Weakening. Sexpot, Sadistic, Teasing, Ultra-Feminine, Big Flirt, Always giggling.

If Pierre Renault were still topside, he’d be begging for this woman’s skincare routine because she is older than anyone would ever guess that she was. Nowhere near the Horned King, but still higher than her wrinkle-less face would show. A true lady never reveals her age, and Aphrodite considered herself every bit a lady - though maybe not the classiest.

‘Aphrodite’ was brought up in New Orleans during the turn of the century. The 20s flapper aesthetic was all the rage while she was in the prime of her life and she soaked it right up. Having rich parents and an expansive house in the Garden District, she had not a worry in the world. Wasn’t that wonderful? She danced, she partied, she drank, and she lived her life to excess. And the men - and the women - ooh. She had been given the name of the Goddess of Love for a reason. It felt fitting enough to where she shed her old name and stuck with that one, forgetting what she was born with over time.

Now there were witches back then. Course they were. They didn’t just pop out of the woodwork outta nowhere, but it was less acceptable back then. Aphrodite, DiDi to her friends, kept it all hidden up - thankfully it wasn’t something that was really seen, unless someone looked closely. The men, the women, anyone who went to her bedroom would come down looking tired, bags under their eyes, drained. And then down came DiDi, full of vitality and energy, ready to dance the Charleston a little more in her cute little Flapper dress.

The Thirties. The Great Depression. Her parents did alright, they got through the worst of it. They didn’t fall into the poorhouse, but New Orleans grew so dull and depressing during that time. That and people were starting to comment on how beautiful and youthful Aphrodite looked as the town was going to hell in a handbasket. So her daddy darling gave her some cash for traveling and she left to explore her options. To find some new men and to have some fun. She exhausted the French Quarter. Hello New York City.

Back in those days, it was a lot easier to start over. That was when she put her name out as Aphrodite. No one in New York would know her as anything BUT Aphrodite. Oh, the fun that she had while everyone else was suffering financially. Not a care in the world. The Decade of War, the Fourties. Cute, slim fit dresses, victory rolls, and plenty a cute sailor to flirt with.

And then across the pond to Paris in the fifties. Sure, tuberculosis and lack of running water but also Dior, Balmain, Balenciaga baby. It was such a thrill to be alive. And French men - oh, they were wonderful lovers. And then onto Rome for the sixties. Mini dresses. Skareboarding with Clint Eastwood. Being one of his girls in a whirlwind romance. 1970s in London. Bellbottoms and crop tops, being one of Mick Jagger’s mistresses, nearly killed him once or twice by sucking him dry - he was a very vivacious man and his energy was incredible.

Back to New York for the eighties. Andy Warhol painted a portrait of her that she kept and has in her suite today. Partying with David Bowie, Cher and Salvador Dali in Studio 54. Becoming a part of the Club Kid culture at Limelight. Seattle in the nineties, following the trends. Grunge, Nirvana, roadtrips to Cali and doing drugs with Drew Barrymore. It was really an ideal life.

The noughties. California. She liked LA. She stayed in LA for a while. Almost two decades. It was the land of plastic surgery. No one really thought twice about the beautiful Aphrodite with her nightclubs and her face never changing. She just had a good doctor. And then she met Oogie Boogie. She was attracted to the sex that was dripping off of her like sweat. They had that in common. They struck up a quick friendship. A friends with benefits situation sometimes - Oogie had energy and power to spare and Aphrodite sucked it up.

So when the school started up and Oogie was looking for teachers, who did she call? Who else would be better to teach Sexual Education? Aphrodite enthusiastically accepted, packed up, and moved back down to her hometown, which hadn’t changed all that much. She looked up her daddy and her mommy’s grave, hardly looking them up since she had left town almost a century ago. One shed tear and then move on, time to work. She became a controversial teacher, showing pornographic films in her class to emphasize certain things. They weren’t always pretty. She’d just as gladly show pictures of STIs too. The red and brown rashes that occur during syphilis, pictures that she took herself of how the skin was just falling off of Gia Carangi from AIDS in her last couple of days, super unsexy Herpes. It was all funny to her because she never got any of them, the essence she got from people healing her before it even got attached to her system. But, because this was Halloweentown and there weren’t nearly as many rules here, the pleasures of sex were also shown, which makes this class a hit.

She’s still the bubbly sexpot that she had been in the twenties, loving her revealing clothes, dancing, flirting, and not taking life seriously, even if she had just chosen a side inadvertently. She loves Oogie. She adores Oogie. She’s become a part of the ladies night, betting money stolen from the pockets of her lovers or jewelry given to her by those very rich men that she posed for. Life was meant to be fun. She’s here for a good time, AND a long time.

[tdstoryarchive]

This book has so many issues..and This is the REMASTERED version. But once again. Minimal Polish...and well... here.

Chapter 2: Krazoa Palace

Fox and his crew were deeper in the jungle, even more lost than they were before.

Fox looked around, "This your fault, Slippy!" He finally said.

"Me?! You hit the machine!!" Slippy snapped back.

"GUYS! Stop! Seriously, there is no way we are going to get anywhere you two keep fighting. Now, Fox, if you're not going to take lead us I will!" Falco suddenly burst out.

Falco walked off and Peppy followed.

Fox and Slippy sighed and walked behind them.

Soon enough, they were at a village.... Of Sharpclaws.

"Oh no..We cannot be here!" Fox panicked.

"Calm down Fox, let me handle this." Falco walked forwards. "Excuse me, uh..my friends and I are lost and-"

The Sharpclaw interrupted him by growling frantically. Suddenly, Fox and his crew were surrounded by Sharpclaw.

"Oh..boy.." Slippy murmured.

A huge Sharpclaw emerged from the back of the cluster, he had tons of armour on.

"GENERAL SCALES?!" Fox was startled.

" PUNY FOX, HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!" General Scales had yelled.

"We..we are lost and-" Falco tried again.

"SHUT UP! Lucky you you get to be prisoners on our ship!" Scales announced boldly, them turned to his troops pf Sharpclaw. "We are sailing to Krazoa Palace today!"

Fox and his crew were loaded up onto General Scale's ship. And locked away in cells within.

"LET US OUT" Falco was at the bars.

"No! You are the intruders." The Sharpclaw Guard argued back.

"Forget it Falco, we're done for..." Fox was sitting in the floor. Falco sat next to Fox and sighed.

Peppy was laying down on the one of four beds and Slippy was sitting on the floor. The Gaurds had left after Scales beckoned to them.

Suddenly, a few moments later, a figure in the doorway. It wasn't General Scales or A Sharpclaw..But then what was it?

" Hello?" A female voice said.

"Hey!! Hello!! Over here! The cell!" Slippy replied.

The figure stepped into the light. It was a blue vixen.

Everyone else ran to the bars.

"Can you help us outta here?" Falco asked." The keys are over there." He pointed to the wall.

So the vixen grabbed the keys and unlocked the cell.

"Thank you so much!" Falco smiled." I am Falco Lombardi, these are my friends and crew mates. Fox, Slippy, and Peppy. We are the crew of th-"

Fox stopped him" Krystal?"

The blue vixen stepped back" How? How do you know my name?"

Fox then realized, he hadn't known about Krystal yet. "Lucky guess?

"Hmm...well anyways, I got a distress call...was it you guys?"

"No..." Peppy had said.

"Alright...it was either here or at Krazoa Palace. My Cloudrunner knows the way to it.." She started to leave as she deemed her time valuable and her aid fulfilled.

"Wait! Take us with you!" Fox said.

She stopped and looked back for a second. "Well...I suppose my Cloudrunner can call backup..." She thought..Fine! Come on."

When they walked out the door Krystal called her Cloudrunner, then he got some others that were nesrby for the additional four.

But, General Scales came out of nowhere and snatched Krystal up.

Krystal's Cloudrunner flew forwards knocking them down, the ship swayed to the left,almost tipping over.

He grabbed Krystal and flew off" Jump down, you four! My friends will catch you!" The Cloudrunner said.

"You heard the man" Falco jumped down, off the ship and landed on a Cloudrunner.

Followed by Fox, Slippy, then by Peppy.

By this point General Scales had got up and grabbed Peppy's ears."FOX!!" He yelled.

No reply.

"HOW DARE YOU ESCAPE FROM ME!" G.Scales roared. "I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD, RABBIT."

Peppy bit his hand, causing G.Scales to drop him off the side of the ship.

The Cloudrunner swooped down and caught Peppy just in time.

They arrived and the Cloudrunners dropped them off.

There were floating squid like things all around. Krystal knew this was going to be hard without her staff.

But she continued on. That's when Fox remembered, Her Staff fell! If he's not there to get it...then what will happen to Dinosaur Planet?!

Or Queen Earthwalker and Tricky?!

All these things were flashing in Fox's mind.

"Guys.." He started.

Everyone turned around. "I need to get back down to Dinosoaur Planet."

"Why...?" Krystal had asked.

"I know were your staff is plus, the Dinosaurs there are in danger. All I have to do is place the Spellstones back"

" You can't! I need all of your guys' help for this!" Krystall exclaimed.

" Krystal, this is for the safety of Dino-"

"Don't worry Fox, I'll go" Falco interrupted.

"I'll find the staff, and replace the Spellstones"

"But-" Fox protested

"Its okay you three help Krystall." Falco whistled and the Cloudrunner he rode showed up.

" Meet ya guys back here?" He asked.

"Uh..yeah.." Fox replied with a sigh..

Falco nodded and headed off.

"Alright," Fox said." Let's get going."

They all walked on. There was an Earthwalker on the ground, seeming like he was dying. Krystal and Fox ran up to him.

"Are you okay?!" Krystal asked the Earthwalker.

"The Palace got attacked...." He stated weakly. " Sharpclaw invaded, they put these monsters in here...only way to...kill...them.."

"How..did they get here before us?" Slippy had scratched his head.

"Explode.." The Earthwalker said in his last dying breath.

"Explode?" Peppy asked.

They all looked around, for anything that The Earthwalker could've been refrencing.

"In there!" Slippy pointed to a barrel inside a cage. "One problem though, we need a key."

Slippy started to look around, and ran right into one of the electricity jellies.

He got shocked with a bunch of electricity.

Everyone rushed over to him, electricity coursing through his body, "SLIPPY?!" Fox was panicking.

" Slippy!! Wake up."

Slippy didn't move. Tears began to fill his eyes. He tried everything he could but the frog was just..gone.

Peppy was crying as well, he had taken off his glasses to wipe away tears.

"I'll give you two some..time.." Krystal felt bad, but time was ticking.

"Come on Peppy, we gotta catch up to Krystal...." Fox got up, "When General Scales is at risk there is no time to meander."

"Shouldn't we give him a proper burial?" Peppy asked.

"What are we going to do?! Throw him off the side of Krazoa Palace?!" Fox replied he was sad, but..irate

. "Well, no..."

" Then come on!"

Peppy stood there and looked back at Slippy. "I'll bury him down on the surface...try to retrace our steps back to where the ships are...or.." He finally said trailing off and unsure.

Fox turned back around. He sighed"Alright.."

"Bury him with this." Fox handed Peppy his blaster.

"Your gun?"

"I have my one from the academy. The one I gave you...he made it especially for me...on the last mission."

Fox's tears started up again. He walked up to Slippy. "Goodbye Buddy... "

He closed Slippy's eyes. "I'll call you when its done. If you want me to" Peppy said.

Fox was silent.

"Alright, see ya later Fox" Peppy grabbed Slippy, called a Cloudrunner and took off.

Fox looked around. Where was Krystal? That gate was open, so she must've found the key...

"Krystal?!" Fox yelled.

No reply.

She wasn't anywhere outside so she must've been in the palace.

__________________________________________

Previous Next

[soir-rouges-esprit]

xxvii.c: Soul Quench, I’m not doing this for anyone else but myself, and my well-being … “... Jesus Red …” he clasped his hands together and buried his face in his palms and said muffled “This is so fucked” then returned slowly raised from his hands “So what now? You can’t leave for three whole days, That! … is finale understand. But … after that, you’re gonna go talk to her and set this up or what?” I am gonna go talk with her yeah … can’t say what happens after that/during … here is just hoping she still sees me as her son and well … prodigy “She sees you as Property … don’t get it twisted” Yeah, you are right … either way, hoping she still cares for me as something, and willing to help here, if not … then I don’t know really, maybe reach out to some other street connections and see what I can I get done once I’m healed up. “Great … so our only connection here is just her then really … oh gods where did we all go wrong here, Jesus fuck me.” Just … stay positive here, can’t be that bad, plus we currently have the upper hand in a way, Alzon doesn't know I survived the fall … that I've surfaced from the sewer. “That we know of” that we know of … correct, but still, better to act thinking it's true rather than not … that way we don't half-ass our approach here. “Fine … guess you're right, not like we have much of a choice here either … which is … fucking great.” Don't woooorry! … I'll handle it … come on, IT'S ME! for god's sake ... “Yeah … ” He stood up and *Slammed* the call doctor button, then sat back down and said. “That's what worries me the most.” We both glared at each other until the Doctor came in … he explained my situation, broken bone, traumas overflowing, lacerations and bleeding … the whole nine yards. Some time passes … I get out of the hospital in a wheelchair, wheeled out by none other than … The Jester … It was getting dark out but still that diminish blue out, cloudy overhead, with the street lights just coming on. He said “Allllll Riiiiiight! … out we are, bet you were just waiting to finally crack outta that looney bin huh?” ooooh … Fuck! … *Blargh* think I’m gonna … think I’m gonna fuckin paint the sidewalk with lunch, fuck. “HEY HEY Hey, No no nooooo not now, that will not look good right as you’ve left alright, plus it’d be mad embarrassing for me to ask someone to hose down the sidewalk of your barf.” It’s not like I’m trying to hurl here ok … fuck me … I feel like shit … “Probably the meds right? What they got you downin?” uh … a load of pain killers … prozac … more prozac. “Oh! Lovely … you’re gonna be a fun … Fun guy! Now aren’t you?” Shut the hell up fuck face. “Hey now … I’ll push your ass into traffic if you’re not nice to me” Whatever, just get me the hell outta here before this headache turns migraine, please. “Yeah yeah … don’t gotta use the P-Word now, that’s just not like you at all.” Then I hear walking come from my right and from a little behind me and The Jester. “aaaAAAHHH *WACK*” Out of nowhere The Jester falls to the ground slightly and lets out a painful grunt. “OWWWWWW FUCKIN WHAT THE FUCKIN FUCK, YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT YOU LITTLE SHIT!!” The Jester stands up in anger and faces our attacker. Then a familiar voice responded, “YOU’LL PAY IN BLOOD IF YOU DARE TRY ANYTHING YOU SORRY GOOD FOR NOTHING STILL BORN LET DOWN!!!” I turn slowly … holding back a stomach cocktail meant for sewer rats, to witness … “IMP!?!?! What the Fuck are you doing here? AND WHAT THE FUCK WITH THE HEAD BASH???” “YOUR ROTTEN ASS DESERVES A DAMN BULLET!!! … So FEEL GREATFUL, that all I have at my disposal is this shitty picture book.” The Jester grunted and crossed his arms while staring with a pissed expression. I said while looking over my shoulder, basically with a dead voice. heyyyyy M, nice to see you again, say hi J. He made an audible *Hmpf* sound and squinted at her while saying slowly. “Hi … Imp.” “Yeah yeah, hello J, nice to see you’re not dead yet, I guess.” “YOU GUESS!?” ... [To Be Continued]

[herefortheships]

I'm still in season 6A of Teen Wolf but man I HATE that this show made me ship Parrish x Lydia to then DROP the entire arc all of a sudden?! WHY?!! He's barely formed part of this season and he's currently my favorite character right next to Stiles. They spent all that time on Parrish in season 5B and all of a sudden is like he's not even a meaningful part of the show anymore? That's something I absolutely HATE about this show, how they just drop character arcs when a season ends, like it's last season's plot so now it doesn't matter in the new season... They totally did that with Void Stiles as well. He was totally fine next season, in season 4. Like he didn't just get through a possibly life-altering, dramatic, traumatizing experience... Wtf.

And all that lovely build-up between Jordan Parrish and Lydia, like even if it remained a friendship hard-sell tbh because their interactions were HOT ok and there's just a small age gap there like it's not even weird tbh that there's an age gap why do they suddenly have no scenes together?? What happened??! Did people bitch back then because they preferred Stydia or something? Or because of the insignificant age gap?? LOL. Listen, I like both ships, but this show REALLY made me ship Lydia with Jordan Parrish WAY MORE than Stydia and now I'm heartbroken because they have barely interacted and Lydia randomly now loves Stiles outta nowhere (no, him saving her that time doesn't count when you have 5 seasons of pretty much zero build-up to get to that point... Plus I'm pretty sure it was Parrish who carried her in his arms. That was romantic, ok? 😭).

I just don't understand why they had to put so much effort into making things so intense and romantic and even sexual between Lydia and Parrish if they were going to literally pretend like it didn't happen in the next season and do nothing with it. I'm salty af.

They have just made a poor effort to make Stiles x Lydia believable. I've always known they're endgame because Idk they were the season 1 ship, like, if Alison was still alive by the end of the series, she'd totally end up with Scott as well, is what I mean. Because those are the main relationships the show wanted to sell from the start regardless of whether they ended up having chemistry or not by the end. I get that. BUT!! By this season, when nothing that romantically powerful has happened between Stiles and Lydia, while you've SHOWN me something more meaningful and powerful and hot between her and another character, it's just not believable anymore for her to just suddenly be into Stiles romantically just because of one scene! I mean, from Stiles's side it's well-done, I'd say, since he had loved her since season 1 (and I never liked him with Malia, tbh, that came out of complete nowhere), but I've just never felt Lydia to be into him. She's felt like a friend all along... And then they spend ALL that time in season 5 building up Lydia and Jordan Parrish's relationship like that, and they have all that hot af chemistry, and for WHAT??! 🙃💔

My heart is broken and I haven't even finished watching the show. lol

Oh well.

I guess I'll follow blogs who prefer this ship because let me tell you, this is my favorite ship from this entire show, hands down. The chemistry is off the freaking charts. And the story between them? How they compliment each other? Both of them are harbingers of death. Hello?! Like I said: the chemistry is off the charts.

[yoyomarules]

Anyway. Eliot can deal with Milton’s book’s embellishments and oversimplifications—even the stuff about his hair—once they’ve run a job alongside the guy. What he can’t handle is total fabrication, especially if it makes no damn sense.

‘Did you read the epilogue?’ he demands, the moment Hardison answers the phone.

‘Oh,’ Hardison says, ‘so we’re not gonna do, like, “Hey, sweetheart, how are you, you’re looking good today, are you using a new moisturiser”?’

‘Are you using a new moisturiser?’ Parker wants to know. ‘You’re all glowy.’

On the screen, Hardison preens. ‘That’s all natural, baby. Plus, y’know, the humidity here is something else; I’ve never—’

‘Hello?’ Eliot interrupts.

Hardison grins. ‘Right. The epilogue.’

‘D’you read it?’

‘I did,’ Hardison says. ‘What about it?’

‘What about it?’ Eliot repeats. ‘How about where the hell did he get all that bullshit from?’

‘Right, we would never move to Cincinnati,’ Hardison says gravely.

‘I obviously,’ Eliot says, thunderous, ‘mean the part where our fake mastermind has me paired off outta nowhere with a cop.’

‘What’s wrong with that?’ Parker asks brightly, and Eliot knows she’s riling him up but seizes the bait with both hands.

‘For one thing, I’m dating the two of you! For another…’ He searches for the words to describe his indignation but can’t come up with anything besides, ‘What the hell?’

‘You don’t think that’s realistic?’ Hardison asks, deadpan.

‘No, it ain’t realistic, ’cause I ain’t an idiot.’

‘It’d be fine,’ Parker says, clapping him on the shoulder. ‘We’d just have to factor it in. What’s the play, what’s the hook, how do we distract Eliot’s cop girlfriend from the crimes we’re committing—’

‘Or,’ Hardison suggests, ‘you could just tell her, y’know: “Hey, sugar pie, I’m a criminal and my two colleagues I’m definitely just friends with are also criminals—”’

‘“—so if you could look the other way while we steal this rich guy’s money—”’ Parker picks up.

‘“—which I know you won’t have a problem with ’cause cops are so famously unsympathetic to rich assholes—”’

‘Neither of you are funny,’ Eliot says.

‘Uh, disagree,’ Hardison says, but the teasing light in his eyes softens. ‘Eliot, seriously. The book’s been pulled; no one’s gonna know about your—totally fictional, by the way—lapse in all judgement and common sense.’

‘I know! And you two know—’

‘Babe, I absolutely promise you Parker and I do not think you’re about to go running into the arms of a U.S. Marshal.’

‘—and apparently in Nate’s stories I came off as someone who’d bring law enforcement to your door!’ Eliot finishes, and slumps heavily into the couch, mouth pressed into a furious line.

His partners exchange a glance. Then Parker shifts to put her head on Eliot’s shoulder, looping her arm through his.

‘Of course you wouldn’t,’ she says, voice soft.

‘Milton doesn’t know you, El,’ Hardison says gently. ‘He doesn’t know any of us. Nate told him about the cons; he didn’t tell him the personal stuff. The important stuff. He was just trying to tie up his version of the story. And he ain’t that imaginative.’

Eliot shuts his eyes and tilts his head against Parker’s. ‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘Yeah, I know. Just bothered me.’

They’re quiet for a moment, Parker rubbing comfortingly at his arm.

‘If he were imaginative,’ she says at length, ‘he’d’ve had us live forever in robot bodies.’

Eliot lifts his head to peer at her and then, at her entirely serious look, laughs. ‘That’s the plan, huh?’

‘Oh, yeah,’ Hardison says. ‘Transplant our brains so we can carry on doing our thing for the rest of time. It’s all decided.’

‘We already measured your head,’ Parker adds.

‘Well,’ Eliot says, ‘I guess I can get on board with that story.’

[jackalsprey]

Old Wounds

Hello sirs/madams/nonbinaries, I have your order of a happy, sweet appetizer, an angry drama entree, and a truckload of angst for dessert. Hope you enjoy <3 TW: homophobic slur, child abuse

When McQueen gave up his chance of making history in 2006, people knew he was great, for a rookie. When he won his first Piston Cup in 2007, they knew he was a great racer.

When he cleansweeped his second Cup in 2008, winning every race, everyone knew this kid would go down in history.

His donut was one for the record books. Bobby and Cal went all out for his victory prank: a silly string attack on his car and a key lime pie to the face. And now that the race was over and most were getting ready to head out, it was time for the quieter celebrations.

"Two on the shelf, third one next year?" Cal asked, examining the winged trophy with something akin to reverence. Most of McQueen's pit crew, including Mater, had gone out to pack up. It was only the Weathers, Swift, McQueen, Doc Hudson (with his face glowing from pride for his protege) and Sally, relaxing in the now empty Rust-EZE sponsors tent.

"You can bet on it," Lightning quipped, swiping his hard-earned prize out of Cal's hands. "And you can bet I'll have a ring on Sally's finger before you have your first kiss!"

"Hey! Y-You're the one who hasn't had been kissed!"

"Good comeback, Cal!" Bobby yelled from the cooler on the other side of the tent, where he was trying to grab some drinks.

"Well, you're wrong there, Stickers," Sally chuckled. "If you want to propose, you're gonna have to slow down for a bit."

"Slow down? Me? I'm sorry, you must have me mistaken for someone else."

The rest of the small group broke out into laughter. McQueen's grin was ear to ear as he put his arm around Sally's waist and started going on about his plans for their wedding, while she rolled her eyes and humored him. Bobby passed off a cold can of coconut rum to Cal with an Americano for himself and all seemed well. (McQueen didn't drink these days.)

Then...

"Well, well, well, ain't this just a big happy family?" A slurred, Southwestern accented voice drawled, seemingly out of nowhere.

Everyone's heads snapped up and looked around for the intruder. McQueen looked over his shoulder. His dark blue eyes went wide, his Piston Cup falling out of his hand.

It was a fifty-something man, with a massive beer gut, receding brown hair, an unshaven face, wearing a black Piston Cup T-Shirt and stained jeans. His teeth, currently bared in a grin, were yellowed. He had the distinct look of a handsome man long since fallen to deadbeat status.

"What..." Lightning whispered under his breath, turning around. "What... in FUCK are you doing here?!"

He stormed over to the stranger, eyes blazing. Everyone else had no idea what to think. Lightning never cursed. None of them had ever seen this man in their lives.

"Jesus," the deadbeat chuckled. "You'd think after 6 years, you'd be happy to see me."

Lightning scoffed. "It's obvious 6 years hasn't changed you all that matter. Now answer the question. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I came to see you of course. Thought I'd congratulate you on finally making somethin' outta yourself."

"Hah! That's funny, coming from the man who's spent 23 years on his ass, eating month-old pizza, drinking warm beer, and using unemployment checks on 70-year-old strippers."

"Oh, so you're all high and mighty now, hm? Are you forgetting who put a roof over your head and clothes on your back?!"

"If you can call a rusty trailer that leaked every five seconds and worn out rags a roof and clothes, no."

"Hey, uh, Strike?" Cal butt in, concerned. "Maybe we should go."

"Give me a sec, Cal, I'm not done here."

The stranger glanced over McQueen's shoulder; unsuccessfully, seeing as he was about half a foot shorter than him. Still, he caught sight of Sally, watching through narrow eyes in case she needed to get involved. "Who's the bitch?"

"Like I'd let you close to her."

"Have you told her that you're a fucking faggot who sits in his-"

"Sir!" Doc yelled, storming over. "That is far more than enough! Now I will ask you, one time, to leave this tent, and my racer alone, before I have security come in."

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, old man," the deadbeat spluttered, the smell of cheap alcohol stinking up the tent. "This is a free country and I'll-"

"Did he stutter?" Sally cut in, coming up as well. Bobby and Cal stayed well away. With all three of them fuming, this could get ugly. "Sir, allow me to rephrase for him. Leave, or not only will we get security, I will have my colleagues in the law industry prosecute you for trespassing and harassment."

The racer, lawyer, and doctor were a formidable trio when all pissed off at the same person. The deadbeat finally got the message and backed away out of the tent, but not before spitting on the ground at Sally's feet.

Bobby bent down and picked up McQueen's Piston Cup. Somehow, it didn't seem so shiny and precious anymore. "Uh, Lightning? You ok, man?"

The red racer sighed and ran his fingers through his light brown hair. "I will be once we get on the road. C'mon, it's late. We should've been on the road a while ago.

================================================

An hour later, McQueen was in his trailer, alone, flopped down on his pullout bed, not even trying to sleep. His mind was swimming with thoughts.

His small overhead transmitter came on. Mack's sun-beaten face came on, eyes dark and concerned.

"Hm? Oh, hey Mack. We stopping for the night?"

"Nah, kid. I've got enough coffee to make a sloth dance like a monkey. We ain't gonna have to stop for a while. I just...Moe radioed me."

Lightning silently groaned. Moe was Bobby's hauler. Of course he would have spilled.

"Did that happen?"

"...yeah. He showed up."

The truck driver bit his lip. "You wanna talk bout it?"

"I'd rather eat my own feet than waste anymore time on him."

"I get it. Still, ya need anything, just lemme know."

"Thanks, Mack."

With that, the screen went dark. Lightning sighed and rolled over. Memories were flashing through his brain... of cold nights without a blanket or even a hug, of bruises on his cheeks after middle-school fights because "boys don't cry," of a need, a drive to escape...and of a hole where a heart should have been.

[cactuseri]

ok. thoughts on tua s3 that nobody asked for or cared about

• mediocre

• idk i felt like it dragged?? and a lot of it kinda came outta nowhere? it felt all over the place in a way that the other seasons didn’t

• viktor was aleady a fave of mine before but god i loved him this season especially. someone else already said this but his body language changed and he seemed so much more comfortable w himself and i love that. i know his transition was more of a last-minute addition bc the script was written before elliot came out, but i rlly like how everything turned out

• are they???? gonna talk about the SA scene?????? that was so uncomfortable i had to skip it

• i miss short haired goth klaus with eyeliner can we please get that back please im begging. generally i just rlly liked the darker tone of s1

• i know there’d be issues with screen time and tone but damn. the siblings rlly watch each another sibling die and are just like “oh no! anyway” like ???? hello?????

• had no fucking idea what was going on . like im sure thats largely thanks to my ADD, i often zone out when they’re talking about the logistics of the time travel bullshit, but… come on

• the setting of the hotel & the fact that it didn’t change kinda bored me too idk. maybe that contributed to my sense that the plot kinda dragged

• did. did sparrow ben and klaus fuck on that pool table? i have so many questions

• possible pseudo-incest aside, though, they were adorable. that ben was looking for klaus the second he woke up, them cuddling on the wedding night — that’s a dynamic i wish they’d spent more time on

• sloane and luther were cute enough i guess (i wouldnt know, i skipped most of their scenes bc i could not stand them) but im not sure if introducing a bunch of new characters when u already have very many is a good idea? i know it was kinda necessary for the plot and all but. still. like i said i’d rather have seen existing dynamics expanded on, instead of giving us this forced romance plot and expecting us to give a shit. can’t they work with what they have??

• oh five founded the commission? like i said in the tags in another post that was somehow 100% illogical but also predictable

• i wanted diego to do some cool shit like in the end of s2 but. thats too much to ask i guess. i was looking forward to other possible power-ups among the other siblings but aside from allison (sorta) and klaus (sorta — like, the audience already kinda knew he could come back from the dead) that just,, didnt happen. cool. can they at least tell us how ben died. give me Something

• yeah idk i just kinda felt like the writers weren’t even trying anymore

thanks for coming to my TED talk. will probably delete this when i’m sober, good night