#Springy Hedgehog

[hedgehog-a-day]

82: dandelion!

[evilasiangenius]

Crowley found himself drawn to Aziraphale’s bed, which the angel would have never used but for him. In fact, until Crowley moved in, this room seemed as if it were no more than an afterthought: a chaise longue, a lamp, and an occasional table for Aziraphale’s tea or cocoa. But then one morning after waking up from a tangle of snaky limbs on the downstairs couch, he had come up to find Aziraphale leaning over a big bed, straightening clean undyed linen sheets of a pale shade that was like tea poured into milk and unfolding a big down-stuffed duvet made of the same material.

With a laugh he had thrown himself onto the bed, dragging Aziraphale down with him, into the pleasant embrace of down and scratchy linen the way he liked new linen to be and an angel who was softer and warmer than all of that put together and the press of Aziraphale’s lips shy upon his cheek and-

Crowley collapsed onto the cold, empty bed. It was perfect, with a firm springiness that he knew had been selected especially for him by Aziraphale. His fingers ran over the tea-in-milk colored linen, the fabric worn soft from use though with an edge of roughness that he could still discern and he wondered how long it would be before he would see Aziraphale again, if ever.

And then he got up from the bed.

Crowley was on the floor again, upon his newest confidant and best friend, the evil rug.

The soft ticking of a clock marked the passing of time and Crowley wondered what he could do, miraculously, to keep that clock from running. Just so he didn’t have to think about time passing, just so he wasn’t continually reminded of Aziraphale’s absence, of the looming doom just beyond the boundaries of this bookshop.

Well, he knew what he could do, after all, it was at the tips of his fingers. But stopping time wouldn’t help either, it would only prolong the agony of waiting.

With an annoyed snarl, he snapped his fingers and the clock ground to a halt, sapped of all momentum, the stored energy in the gears suddenly dissipating like smoke. Aziraphale would get on him about that later, for interfering with his clock but he didn’t care, he needed the silence in order to think.

A few hours later, Crowley had come up with his own plan.

In Crowley’s opinion, as plans went, this wasn’t a very good plan. But it was a plan and one that involved action, which felt to him much better than waiting. It involved traveling to Paris, going to the Ritz, finding Asmodeus, abasing himself before the former Prince of Hell, and begging for mercy for both himself and for Aziraphale. And while of course he did not want to return to Asmodeus’ side, at this point there was very little choice; let the poor angel somehow stumble into a trap in which he would be destroyed by Asmodeus, or break the tenuous detente by offering himself entirely.

He had already started the process of growing his hair out instead of leaving it in this short stylish modern cut. Not that the hair had progressed much; without miracles that was a pretty fixed speed at which hair grew and not much faster, but perhaps the vague insinuation of shagginess would convince Asmodeus that he was sincere in his abject abasement.

“And it wasn’t that bad, was it? Nah, not as bad as the occasional round of torture. Much nicer than a little imprisonment, a lot of searing pain…he never did that at least. Didn’t have a taste for torture, not like the others. Had other tastes though. Eh, those weren’t all bad, a lot of them were pretty fun. Haven’t had that kind of fun in a long time…”

Crowley shrank upon himself, as curled up into a little ball as a long and lanky demon could manage without actually turning into something more amenable to being a little ball like a cat or a snake or a hedgehog.

“But I don’t want to go back. Not Downstairs, not to him. I only want to go back to-”

And then Crowley laughed, a sharp bitter sound. The only place he wanted to go back to was this bookshop but only because Aziraphale was here.

The only place he wanted to go back to was Aziraphale.

Crowley cursed, snarling as he blinked back tears and stared at the weave of the slightly evil but very tasteful rug. So close to his eyes, he could not see the pattern clearly; it was a blur of colors as he mentally began to prepare himself for an eternity at Asmodeus’ side.

more

[therapyshoppe]

We just dropped a few new products on our website!

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[webkinztournament]

Summary - June 23 Polls

Winners are listed first in bolded text.

SWEEPS (Winners at 80%+)

Endangered Signature Dama Gazelle / Texting Puppy

Chocolate Milk Cow / Groovy Gorilla

Tinker Cat / Lil Orange Goblin

EASY CHOICE (Winners at 70-80%)

Reindeer Calf / Purple Goldfish

Arctic Fox / Lollipop Snail

Hoppy Floppy Bunny / Celestial Unicorn

White Swan / Sweet Tooth Tiger

Cocoa Dinosaur / Sweetheart Chipmunk

Buttons Bear / Angora Bunny

DEBATABLE (Winners at 55-70%)

Kiger Mustang / Aquarius Retriever

Akita Puppy / Springy Kangaroo

Signature Horse / Rockerz Cat

Musical Dalmatian / Weimaraner

Brilliant Penguin / French bulldog (2023)

Blonde Dachshund / Glamorous Gorilla

Black Panther Cub / Ballet Pup

Sea Otter / Kiwi Parrot

Signature African Wild Dog / Hedgehog (2017)

Basset Hound / Blue Bay Dolphin

TOUGH CHOICE (Winners below 55%)

Earth Fawn / Signature German Shorthaired Pointer

Mocha Pup / Poodle

Pioneer Pony / Cute Octopus

Rottweiler / Chillin Sea Lion

Tanuki / Axolotl

[diary-of-dr-eggman]

AI Prompt: Write an entry in Dr. Eggman's diary about Azure Lake Zone.

Dear Diary,

Today was an adventure in the most unexpected way. I found myself in Azure Lake Zone, and let me tell you, it was a bizarre experience. The very first thing I noticed was the crystal-clear lake, which seemed to be teeming with fish. As an avid fisherman, I was immediately captivated by the prospect of reeling in a big one.

But then I turned around and saw the incredible scenery around me - the lush trees, sparkling waterfalls, and sprawling hills. It was like something out of a fairy tale. And to top it all off, there were these strange, springy mushrooms that sent me bouncing all over the place.

Of course, I wasn't there to sightsee. I was there to further my world domination plans. But even that was a struggle in Azure Lake Zone. The fish were too slippery to catch, the hills were too steep to scale, and the mushrooms were too unpredictable to use effectively.

And don't even get me started on those pesky hedgehogs. I swear, Sonic and his friends are popping up everywhere these days. Just when I thought I had a clear path to victory, one of them would come racing by and ruin everything.

But you know what? Despite all the setbacks, I kind of enjoyed my time in Azure Lake Zone. It was a nice change of pace from the usual chaos and destruction. Maybe I'll even bring a fishing rod next time.

Until next time,

Dr. Eggman

[aduelbetweenkingdomsafreshstart]

ADBK: Dark Chimera

Epithet: The Psychopathic Ruiner of all he Surveys

Voice Actor: Dee Bradley Baker

Tribe: The Undead Oligarchy

Biography: With a high, hissy voice and a form that resembles something out of an sci-fi horror movie, Dark Chimera is a springy, quick-witted demon with claws as sharp as knives. Despite his name, he's not an amalgamation of three creatures rolled into one.

He's called it because of his three fighting styles based on three Tribes; his standard Mantis Style, resembling the Chinese martial arts moves and make him more than a match for the likes of the Kamakiriman; his Dragon Style, a kick-based move set that allows him to temporarily air-walk; and his Tiger Style, a more stealth-based move set that involves deceptive dodges and powerful slashes from his claws.

Born in the Pit of Hate and growing up with the likes of Barox and Zorc Necrophades, he had and still has a rather sadistic personality, loving to pull the wings off of living beings with them, and devouring anything smaller than him like a gluttonous hedgehog.

When the coup succeeded in deposing Summoned Skull from power, Dark Chimera was made a general by Zorc himself, and he went across the Duelscape causing trouble with various vile non-Fiend monsters.

His usual works involve Metal Guardian and King of Yamimakai, though he's had his share of failures in his sadistic quest for bloodshed. One of this author's personal favorites is when he and Metal Guardian got trounced by Phantom Dewan after the two were sent with a platoon of minions to reclaim the souls given to The Kindred by the Reaper of the Cards.

[metallicmadnik]

A dull BONK resounds when Sonic kicks beneath his head and the distance Metal is knocked backward in response is enough to further ruin his perfect trajectory in going after Sonic. His head has to spring back to right itself, and just as quickly as his double, he races back on his feet. Metal Sonic is less springy than Sonic, moving like a stop-motion video with frames missing, his movements sometimes too quick and choppy to be registered entirely. By people other than the Blue Blur, at least.

Can't go any faster? Both of Metal's arms retract back to their usual positions as he disengages some of his enhanced secondary abilities. All the power from them funnels into his engines--His primary and original function. His favorite. Sonic may not feel threatened yet, but Metal will make sure he learns. Things aren't quite the same as before. I'll make you eat those words. Bending his legs at the joint, he zooms toward Sonic through the air and feints a blow at his head in return, pretending to trade the same upper cut he received moments ago--">> Need a head start?" he asks, before boosting himself to run a few tight circles around Sonic instead, waiting nanoseconds for the hedgehog to make good on his obvious matching desire for running. If Sonic wants to race, he's in luck. Metal's lensed pupils flatten slightly to mimic an equivalent competitive glare.

"What, no comeba--whoa!" Metal throws Sonic over his head and Sonic just complies, sailing through the air like a toy until the moment he hits the ground and drops into a spindash to try and hit the underside of Metal's chin and use the remaining momentum to sail back into the sky.

Sonic lands at a relatively safe distance from Metal, palms meeting ground, springing backwards and back onto his feet. "Okay, I guess that answers that," he observes, "So you got some new limbs and some upgrades. Like I said already, that's great. But--," his grin darkens, competitive edge striking gold in emerald-green eyes. "Those upgrades mean nothin' when you still can't go any faster than me." Which means no matter the flashy dance the robot's putting on right now, Sonic doesn't feel threatened. To the hedgehog, Metal Sonic is still old hat. News from yesterday. An impostor. A fake. That's right, True Blue does it better than anyone else, so get in line, sucker!

[mobijeuxatelecharger]

Springy Hedgehog : découvre ce jeu de puzzle

Dans la rubrique « Logique » de Mobijeux, tu pourras découvrir le ludiciel « Springy Hedgehog ». Dans ce jeu de puzzle, tu auras pour mission de diriger un hérisson et de l’aider à ramasser des pommes. Pour y arriver, tu devras éviter des obstacles !

[sophbun]

when the 3am triangle fruit cravings hit 😩

[evilasiangenius]

“It’s summer, Crawley. The moon was very bright last night, so I went for a long walk. I saw an owl! She said something very silly to me that doesn’t bear repeating, but there she was, up a tall tree. It was all very exciting. Now that the haze of spring flowers are gone, the meadows are full of glow-worms – they don’t fly here, but they cling to the grasses and leaves, like little bright green stars all scattered. They’re rather fond of me; if I sit in a meadow long enough, I end up absolutely covered in glow-worms, to the top of my head. Of course, that is if the hedgehogs don’t beat them too it; they like piling up in my lap. Isn’t that the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard? More ridiculous if you could see it – I imagine you’d laugh.

“But...something about it was a bit hollow. Actually, if I must be honest, these walks seem a bit empty. I’m not sure why. After all, I’ve been alone all this time on Earth, ever since the beginning. Why would I feel lonely? Ha ha! As if I were a human, bogged down by humanly attachments….” Aziraphale chuckled, as if finding the idea preposterous, but then his stilted and awkward laughter turned to tears.

“Oh God, Crawley. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t know why this is happening,” Aziraphale said, as he wiped at his tears, tears that would not stop flowing, and the pain in his heart seemed to hold him tightly within its grip, consuming.

Shakily, his hand dropped onto the bed, onto Crawley’s shoulder, bony and thin under his fingers and-

“Angel,” Crowley leaned in, her long dark hair stroking Aziraphale’s bare shoulder where the angel’s cream-colored linen dress did not quite cover the skin, her voice soft, and above them the palm trees swayed in the air that felt so warm that it seemed the entirety of the sky was embracing them, even as they embraced each other.

“Hmm?” Aziraphale asked, drawing Crowley closer in her arms, squeezing the demon tight.

She smiled at Aziraphale, as if amused but her golden eyes were sad with an unspoken longing. “You have got to let go of me, Aziraphale. I can’t stay like this forever.”

“I know, but just a little longer, just a little longer, please. If I ever lost you, I would never forgive-”

With a gasp, Aziraphale drew his hand back.

“What was that?” he shivered, sitting back in the chair as tears blurred his vision.

“But I don’t know you,” Aziraphale whispered. “How could that memory be? How could it be real? It’s a trick, it must be a trick-”

But the memory of that slender waist in his hands, the bony edge of Crawley’s shoulder tucked beneath his chin, the feel of the demon’s long fingers entwined with his own…

Aziraphale stood up. He eyed the doorway, ready to flee, but something stopped him.

He turned to face the bed. Crawley’s pale hand was lax at his side, and Aziraphale leaned down to cover it with the blanket. But then instead of doing that, he did something that surprised himself – he sat down on the bed.

It was a little firmer than he had imagined it, of a particular springiness that he had not anticipated from a down-filled mattress.

He sat there, feeling awkward and a little embarrassed, but just as he was about to stand up, Crawley dragged him down onto the bed.

“Goodness!” Aziraphale exclaimed, as the demon put his arms around Aziraphale’s waist and for a moment Aziraphale was sure that Crawley was awake, but as he noticed the demon was still soundly asleep, he realized that Crawley must have been drawn to the warmth of his body as a snake would be drawn to a sunny rock.

more

[fbwzoo]

It's been like 6 months, but I'm still so happy that Spring likes his food now & eats so well. He rarely skips meals anymore (most often just wanting breakfast later, around lunch time). He gets excited about meal times, bounces & prances while leading you to his crate, & immediately digs in. And he really likes eating in his crate, where he's not concerned about what's going on around him and no one will push him off his food. Mealtimes are just so much less stressful with him since all of this fell into place.

Happiness is a chihuahua who is excited for their food.

[fastest-hedgy-sonic]

A glimmering cloud of almost cosmic make-up swirled amongst the blue array of tones, the plume of stardust wavering sky-high like a flame's smoke.

If it hadn't been for the obviously misplaced treeline the light glimmered from, the source would have likely been lost. Fortunate for those curious, the beacon gleamed below it almost invitingly, light bouncing softly off of thin, almost springy tree trunks. These trees' wooden bases were clearly fresh, a mystery lying in how they'd existed prior to that morning as they swayed under the breeze and curled from the roots in a more gradual incline compared to most. Fresh, green growth. And completely out of place. The darkened trees clearly not settling in or holding firmly to the ecosystem they'd sprung from, the wide-leaved palm cousins almost shaking in the wind with disapproval.

There hadn't been any noise to mark the beginning of this anomaly, nor a clear gauge to how large it could become or what it could do. The colors were soft and light, yet twinkled with a calm that seemed to almost radiate like a fireplace, although not in warmth. In simply the sense of power. Almost daunting and atmospherically pressing the closer to the light any that saw it became.

*The first one who witnessed this shining light from the distance was none other than our speedy blue hero who was on his usual speedy stroll throughout the Green Hill zone. From all the adventures that he had over the years, being transported to magical worlds that were only told in stories, to mysterious planets inhabited by friendly yet powerful creatures, you'd think that he wouldn't be surprised by that soft colored light shining in the distance.. but no. Instead, he wanted to find out what or who the source was of that light..

Without any time to waste, he speeded up. The sooner he found out, the better.*

「“I ᴅᴜɴɴᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ's ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪs ʜᴀs ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴏs ᴇᴍᴇʀᴀʟᴅs. Hᴇʜᴇ.. Tʜɪs ᴏᴜɢʜᴛᴀ ʙᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ!”」

*With Sonic's incredible speed, it was only a matter of seconds before the blue tinted hedgehog got to his destination. (No not "destination" as in a goal ring or a spinning sign.) However upon arrival, he stopped.. well.. slowed down to walking speed a little early. He realized that if it really was a new person who possibly had the power to control that light, that it would be wise to approach them rather casually as to not startle them.. Plus, he'd be able to enjoy the magical "firework show" a little longer before it fades away.. And so.. the hedgehog continued to walk towards the source of the light as he enjoyed the show with a smile that's equally soft as the colors before him.*

[doubleaye-vee14]

Earlier this year I drew a bunch of hedgehog ladies because I just think women are so goddamn beautiful, prove me wrong

In order:

Anima.MOV - @gusvaqre

Nailea - @springy-less

Wacky - danicorelove

Minus Fanon and Nantelle - raenablaze626

Obsidian - @tiapng

Nene - BlackHat_dlt

Chilly - VancyNo

[cracking-the-code]

✦ＳＫＺ Ｈｏｇｗａｒｔｓ Ａｕ✦

⨳ BangChan, Gryffindor.

𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒇-𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅

✦ᴡᴀɴᴅ

Hawthorn wood with a Dragon Heartstring core, 12 ⅓ and Unyielding Flexibility.

✦ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ

Timber Wolf

✦ᴘᴇᴛ

Hedgehog

Seeker of the Gryffindors Quidditch team. -no one can stop him-

Skilled in Healing Magic.

Excels in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Joined The Frog Choir at Felix's request. -He thought it would only be a season, but ended up enjoying it more than expected-

Loved and well respected among his housemates. -Especially the younger ones-

⨳ Lee MinHo, Slytherin.

𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒇-𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅

✦ᴡᴀɴᴅ

Spruce wood with an Ashwinder Ash core, 13 ½" and Hard Flexibility.

✦ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ

Red Lynx

✦ᴘᴇᴛ

Abyssinian Cat

Could have joined the Slytherins Quidditch team as a Seeker, but thought it would be more fun being a Chaser.

Loves Care Of Magical Creatures Class. -especially when he has a chance to cause trouble-

Excels in Potions Class.

Skilled in Transfiguration.

Enjoys going to Honeydukes for sweets.

⨳ Seo ChangBin, Gryffindor.

𝑷𝒖𝒓𝒆-𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅

✦ᴡᴀɴᴅ

Laurel wood with a Dragon Heartstring core, 12 ½" and Solid Flexibility.

✦ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ

Bull

✦ᴘᴇᴛ

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Beater of the Gryffindors Quidditch team.

Constantly bickering with his housemates in the common room. "We're not fighting, we're just joking."

Excels in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Talented in Combative Magic. -Protective and Offensive spells, mostly offensive though-

Sat once on JeonGin's pet by accident. "IM SORRY, IM SORRY. I SWEAR I DIDN'T SAW HIM."

⨳ Hwang HyunJin, Hufflepuff.

𝑷𝒖𝒓𝒆-𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅

✦ᴡᴀɴᴅ

Larch wood with a Pixie Heart core, 12 ¾" and Swishy Flexibility.

✦ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ

Mountain Zebra

✦ᴘᴇᴛ

Merino Guinea Pig

Seeker of the Hufflepuffs Quidditch team.

Excels in Transfiguration class.

Popular among House's for his beauty and his Quidditch achievements.

A mischievous prankster.

Took Art and Music as extra curricular. -Felix almost convinced him to join The Frog Choir with him-

⨳ Han JiSung, Gryffindor.

𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒇-𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅

✦ᴡᴀɴᴅ

Cedar wood with a Peacock Tail Feather core, 12 ⅗" and Slightly Yielding Flexibility.

✦ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ

Otter

✦ᴘᴇᴛ

Boreal Owl

Excels in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Talented Duelist.

Took Divination out of curiosity. -Professor Trelawney's convinced he has the Sight-

Enjoys Astronomy class. -although he doesn't understand it sometimes-

Really good at flying but not interested in playing Quidditch.

⨳ Lee Felix, Hufflepuff.

𝑴𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒆-𝑩𝒐𝒓𝒏

✦ᴡᴀɴᴅ

Chestnut wood with a Puffskein Tongue core, 11 ¾" and Supple Flexibility.

✦ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ

Holland Lop Rabbit

✦ᴘᴇᴛ

Siberian Cat

The Hufflepuff common room smells like pastries and sweets because of him.

Excels in Herbology, he has learned to mix cuisine and Herbology. -Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey loves him-

Enjoys going to The Three Broomsticks for Butterbeer. -Brings brownies to Madame Rosmerta every time-

Joined The Frog Choir with BangChan after weeks of trying to recruit HyunJin and Han.

Often feeds the giant squid in the Great Lake. -They're friends now. It often picks up the things that Felix accidentally drops into the water-

⨳ Kim SeungMin, Ravenclaw.

𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒇-𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅

✦ᴡᴀɴᴅ

Elm wood with an Augurey Tail Feather core, 13 ¾" and Quite Flexible.

✦ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ

Gentoo Penguin

✦ᴘᴇᴛ

Singapura Cat

Ravenclaws Prefect.

Skilled Duelist. -Protective and Offensive spells, mostly Protective-

Excels in Charms class.

Popular among House's. -Has friends everywhere-

Talented with Hexes, Jinxes and Curses. -although he DOES NOT use them WITHOUT a good reason-

⨳ Yang JeonGin, Ravenclaw.

𝑷𝒖𝒓𝒆-𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅

✦ᴡᴀɴᴅ

Pine wood with a Unicorn Hair core, 12 ¾" and Slightly Springy Flexibility.

✦ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ

Swift Fox

✦ᴘᴇᴛ

Stoat

Excels in Transfiguration.

His pet doesn't seem to like ChangBin, because he bites him whenever he can -It seems personal at this point- JeonGin totally uses this to his favor.

Non-Verbal Magic comes easily for him.

Practice Healing Spells with BangChan.

Enjoys HyunJin's antics -especially when MinHo's in the picture-

𓆈ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ❁

[sandwichrin]

A Little into You (Junkyu x Reader) (Ch. 27)

Chapter 27 - Is it still cold?

Word count: 4k words

Genre: Fanfiction, PG13, Comedy, Romance.

A/N: Hi! Here’s the next chapter ^^ Let’s get the ship sailinggggg~ (Well, technically, it hasn’t fully sailed but you know, we’re getting there fhdjsjs) Hope you all like this one btw <3

YGE Building (Cafeteria/Rooftop Balcony)

Junkyu stared at the being underneath the table. His knees were starting to feel numb from kneeling at this point.

He had searched the whole 1st floor for you, and never would it cross his mind that you’d literally be underneath a table—at the far end of the balcony, where it’s most exposed to the cold breeze outside too.

Junkyu sat himself down comfortably and scooted closer towards you, him being directly facing you; and struggling to fit himself underneath the table as well.

He lifted his finger to poke your hands that were hugging your knees close to your chin.

Cold. Too cold. How long have you been out here?

Junkyu gulped to himself. Fearing the worst. Is y/n even alive at this point?

He leaned in closer to your face and lifts his finger towards your nose to check on your breathing.

“Ah, she’s still breathing. Thank goodness,” he muttered to himself as he felt warm air against his finger.

But Junkyu was still worried. Why aren’t you moving? Why are your eyes closed even when he poked you?

“Ah, right! I should give Jihoon-hyung a call,” he began rummaging through his pockets—only to realise that he had left his phone in his small bag in the practice room. Junkyu groaned to himself, disappointed that he had rushed off to find you without at least grabbing his phone.

“What should I do now? Why are you unconscious out here?” He asked you even though he knew you wouldn’t answer him.

Junkyu sat there for a minute, taking in your image in front of him right now.

Your head leaning forward, chin resting against your hands—arms hugging your knees close to yourself. You looked like you were in a deep slumber, he thought. Few strands of your hair were covering the sides of your face, making your face look small. Even with your skin turning pale by the second because of the cold breeze outside, Junkyu thought you looked pretty.

Junkyu wanted to maybe stroke your head, maybe push your strands of hair away from your face but he didn’t want to come across as creepy.

His eyes fell towards your hands. Your fingernails were turning blue.

“Ah, you must be really cold right now,” he said, panic in his voice. He realised that this wasn’t the time to stare and be mesmerised by how pretty he thinks you look—he needed to do something.

Should he go downstairs and call for his friends? Should he try to wake you up? But what if you didn’t want to see him? It had been clear that you were avoiding him.

Just what should he do now?

 *

YGE Building (Staircase Loft)

“Hyung! You should eat it this way,” Jeongwoo said as he demonstrated how he dipped his kimbap slice into his ramen broth. He pressed the kimbap into the broth, letting it sit in there for a couple of seconds.

“That’s…kinda weird…” Chani said as he watched the younger kid in front of him. “Besides, I thought your ramen finished long ago,”

“Oh, this isn’t mine. It’s Doyoung-hyung’s,”

Doyoung choked on the drink that he was drinking from, earning a slap on his back from Mashiho who was seated beside him on the staircase.

Doyoung wiped his mouth after he was done coughing. “Hey, why’d you soak the kimbap into my broth??” he pulled back his bowl from Jeongwoo’s hands.

Jeongwoo snickered at him. “Heheh I was just teaching Chani-hyung how to properly enjoy the kimbap.”

Chani shakes his head. “Nope, not gonna try it.”

“Aw come on!”

“I’ll try,” Yoshi said with his small smile. He grabbed a piece of the kimbap with his chopsticks and dipped it into his ramen broth, eating it after letting it soak for a while.

Everyone watched Yoshi munched on the kimbap.

“Hmm, good,” he said, his voice slightly muffled as he chewed on the food in his mouth.

“See? It’s good, hyung! Try it!” Jeongwoo said, still trying to convince Chani.

“I don’t know…I mean, I’m not—”

Chani got interrupted when in all of a sudden Doyoung raised his hand.

He lifts a finger to his mouth and whispered, “Shh, I think I hear footsteps approaching,”

Everyone fell silent for a while. They waited to hear if there were any more sounds.

“Hm. Nothing.” Jeongwoo said, assuming that there was nothing else to be heard.

And just as they all resumed to eating their food, they heard a loud gasp coming from behind Mashiho and Doyoung.

All of them turned their heads to look at who it was.

“Oh??” Jaehyuk said as his head popped up behind Junghwan.

“What are you doing down here??” Junghwan asked, his face in shock.

Everyone turned to look at Chani.

“Wait, you mean, me??” Chani questioned as he points at himself.

Junghwan shook his head. “Sorry, I meant—what are you all doing here?? I thought everyone was supposed to go search for Y/n!”

“Uhh, what are you guys doing here?” Chani asked Junghwan’s team back.

Junghwan, Asahi and Jaehyuk all exchanged looks with one another.

“Uhh…” Junghwan scratched his head and looks away from all of his hyungs.

“Ooohhh you’re all here to go sneak and buy some snacks from the convenience store!” Jeongwoo said, teasing the other team.

All three whom were standing on the top part of the staircase began to blush, embarrassed that their plan was exposed this way.

“Yahh, you’re all eating and having fun anyways. Why can’t we do the same?” Jaehyuk said this time, a slight whine in his voice.

“Okay, okay. Let’s not argue,” Doyoung said, getting up on his feet. “Come here, Junghwan. Here, have some of my kimbap,” he held out his ramen bowl to the maknae.

Junghwan leaned forward, peeking into the bowl. “Hyung…There’s nothing left in there…”

“Eh??” Doyoung said loudly. He checked his bowl and uses his chopstick to pick up the already broken kimbap in his broth. “What are you saying? There’s still some kimbap here. If that’s not enough—my love for you will keep you full,”

“Eyyyyyy” Everyone groaned at his pickup line.

“Noooo hyunggg don’t start,” Jeongwoo begged.

Junghwan giggled at his hyungs’ antics and shook his head. “Fine, fine. We’ll join you. What else do you all have here?”

 *

YGE Building (GS25 Mart / Ground Floor)

“That’s weird. I thought Mashiho and Jeongwoo were in charge of being down here,” Jihoon said, as both him and Yedam stood in front of the convenience mart.

Yedam looked around, “Huh. You’re right. I don’t see them around at all,”

The both of them were approached by Hyunsuk and Haruto not long after, both looking tired and hungry.

“Jihoon-aa, where are the rest?” Hyunsuk asked as he walks up towards the two in front of the store.

“Beats me,” Jihoon shrugged. “I told Yedam to text them just now though,”

Haruto pulled out his phone from his pocket and tried to dial Asahi’s number. He shook his head when the hyung failed to pick up his call.

“I guess not all of them brought their phones with them. I saw Junghwan sending his bag to the practice room earlier. He must’ve left his phone in his bag,” Hyunsuk reasoned.

“Yeah, sure, but some of them must have carried their phones with them too, you know?” Jihoon replied.

The four of them looked around the area, noticing how deserted it was considering its way past lunchtime now.

“Oh well, I guess we can buy some food first and wait for them out here after that,” Jihoon suggested. “You okay Ruto? You must be hungry, huh?” he asked the youngest among the four of them there.

Haruto nods back at his hyung, “Somewhat hungry,”

Jihoon snickers at this and gestured them all to follow him into the store. “Come on,”

And just as the four of them were about to enter the convenience store in front of them, they heard the door not too far on their left opening.

It was the door leading to the staircase loft.

The four of them turned their heads just in time to catch—

Jeongwoo and Junghwan walking out of the door and chatting with each other; oblivious that their hyungs were watching them.

“Yahhhh I know that sunbae!! He picks on the girls in my class too! Aish, what a douche!” Jeongwoo said to the maknae who was walking beside him.

“Really?? Aigoo. He should know his limits though! One time, he came over to my class to pick on the girl sitting behind me too! The sunbae said to the girl; ‘your hair is so springy like noodles even my dog wouldn’t date you’,”

Jeongwoo lets out a loud gasp. “That’s so rude?! So, if her hair is super-straight, he would’ve said said ‘my hedgehog wouldn’t date you’??” Jeongwoo said in annoyance.

The both of them stopped by the trash bin at the center of the floor and Jeongwoo discards the ramen bowls he collected from his hyungs before this.

“Oh, right. Let’s stop by the store and grab some soda for the other hyungs,” Junghwan said. Jeongwoo nods back at him.

But then, as they turned around, they saw Jihoon already standing right in front of them, a smirk on his face.

“Having fun, kids?”

“Uh oh,” both the maknaes said at the same time.

 *

YGE Building (Cafeteria / Rooftop Balcony)

You felt cold all over. You were starting to feel numb when you felt something poking your arms.

You scrunched your nose, feeling itchy in all of a sudden.

“Yahh, why won’t you wake up? How long do you want to stay like this? It’s cold here,” the voice whined.

You stirred from your position, trying to grasp the feeling of your numb body.

Slowly, you opened your eyes, expecting for your face to be hit by the bright sun despite the cold wind that you felt the whole time.

But then, instead of the sun rays hitting your pupils—you opened your eyes to meet bright, dark brown orbs staring back at you.

The both of you gasped at the same time.

You hugged your knees closer to your chin, surprised to see Junkyu sitting right in front of you, him looking as surprised as you were.

When did he get here? You were sure you had been alone earlier.

And wait—how did you not realise him being here??

Another gasp left your lips when you realised—that you had cried yourself to sleep before this.

You touched your cheeks, feeling the sticky residue from your dried-up tears. You groaned to yourself. You probably look like a mess right now.

Junkyu watched as you touched your face, shaking your head on your own and then rubbing your eyes slightly before finally looking at him again; as if you’d just remembered him being there.

“I uhh,” you began to say. “You…what are you doing here…”

“I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you huddled up here—” his eyes looked around as if judging you for choosing to sit underneath the table. “—and out here too, where it’s cold,”

Your body shivered after he pointed out the weather being cold. He was right though. You still couldn’t feel the tip of your fingers too. Your body must’ve absorbed all the cold whilst you were out asleep, you thought.

“Let’s go, we might catch a cold if we stay here any longer,” Junkyu said when you didn’t respond to his question.

“What—wait, go where?” you asked, your mind still groggy from the sleep you had.

Junkyu looked at you as if he was mortified by your silly question. “Anywhere, duh. You don’t want to stay here, do you??”

You looked away from him. A little taken aback by the way he responded to your question.

Junkyu noticed your expression changing after what he said, making him feel a little guilty. His tone must’ve sounded a little harsh, he thought.

“Look, I didn’t mean to say it like that—let’s just get back inside, okay?”

“Why are you here, Junkyu?” you asked him back, your eyes now on him again.

It was Junkyu’s turn to fall silent now, him being taken aback by your sudden question.

“You…Junkyu, look. I had a bad day. And you being here, after what happened between us; it’s all just making my head hurts. I can’t. I really can’t deal with everything like this, not all at once,” you huffed.

“I know. I’m sorry,” you heard him say, with a small voice.

You sniffled. The crying you did earlier plus the coldness out here must’ve made your nose runny, you thought as you tried to keep your runny snot from dripping out your nose that you couldn’t seem to feel at this point.

“Y/n, I know… what I said had hurt you. And I’m sorry. I really am,” he paused, staring at your eyes, trying to assure you that he meant what he said.

“I hope you know…that I didn’t mean what I said the other day,” he continued.

“But you did.”

Junkyu shakes his head, “No, I really didn’t! I just—I just…” he lowered his gaze, not looking into your eyes anymore.

You let out a sigh. Taking in a deep breath, you tried to move your legs just to make sure it doesn’t stay numb.

Junkyu kept quiet as he watches you again. His mind racing, thinking on how to make it less awkward between the both of you. He said sorry didn’t he? But why is it so hard for you to accept his apology?

After making sure that you could somewhat feel your feet as you tapped your feet against the cold floor, your eyes looked back at Junkyu, noticing that he had been watching you since just now.

“What?” You asked him.

“Where are your shoes?” He asked, curious as to why you were barefoot.

You looked down at your feet, embarrassed that he questioned you this.

“W-well, my feet were hurting from wearing my heels. Also—I don’t see the point of wearing it when I’m sitting down here, duh,”

Junkyu shrugs at your reply, not knowing what to say now.

“You don’t have to stay here, you know.” You said.

“What?”

“Wait, no. You haven’t answered my question though. What are you doing here??”

Junkyu shifted in his position, trying to make himself comfortable whilst sitting in front of you. He looked down at his hands for a while before looking back at you whom was waiting for his response.

“Well…Chani told us you had gone missing. So, we went around the building searching for you…”

“Wait—we?”

“Yeah, me and the other boys. And well, Chani too,” he added as he rolled his eyes at the moment Chani’s name came out of his mouth.

You stared at him in shock. “Whoa.” Just how did it come up to this? Why would they search for you though?

“Hold on, but you’re here,” you pointed out.

Junkyu nods at this.

“Does that mean…you’re the one that found me first?”

Again, he responds with a nod.

“Huh…” you wondered how much of a coincidence that the only person you dreaded to meet after what happened was the person that succeeded in finding out where you were.

You sniffled again, trying to stop yourself from shivering. One thing you were glad was that you had worn your slacks instead of your skirt today. At least you’d feel less cold out here.

“Y/n,”

You looked at Junkyu who was giving you a serious look right now. “Hm?”

Junkyu was determined. He was determined to explain himself to you. Sitting out here, underneath this secluded table; the cold wind slowly making his ears feel numb, he realised that this was indeed the only time he would have to actually tell you everything.

When would he get the chance to be alone with you again, right?

And so, with his trembling hands, he reached out to grab your hands in his.

“J-Junkyu,” you stuttered as soon as you felt his warm hands touch yours. What’s going on right now?

Junkyu took a deep breath before saying, “Y/n, listen, okay? I want you to listen to what I have to say.”

You blinked a couple times, your heart beating fast now. You nod your head slowly.

“Okay,” he said before swallowing the lump in his throat as he felt even more nervous now that you’re really focusing on him.

“I…I may have said some words that hurt you. And I regret it. I really did. I couldn’t sleep just thinking about how much I have hurt you. I saw how you looked at me that day—and it pains me to have you look at me that way. That isn’t the way I want you to see me as,” he shook his head.

“Y/n…I really am sorry. I really am. You might think that I have meant what I said, but I didn’t mean it. No way. You’re not annoying, not at all,” he continued.

You felt your eyes welling up. You could tell that he was trying his best to apologise sincerely but then, him talking about what happened just reminded you of how painful it was to hear him say those words about you. It hurt you so bad—to think that the person you like would have the guts to say that about you.

Junkyu felt your hands tensing up in his, so he gently rubs his thumb along your knuckles, trying to calm you down. “Y/n, look at me,” he said.

You didn’t realise that you had averted your gaze from him while you were reminiscing on what happened that day. Slowly, you lift your eyes to look at him again.

“I am so sorry. I was annoyed—yes, I admit it. But it wasn’t you I was annoyed with. I was just…upset at the time, you see. Your name crossed my mind at the time, but it wasn’t you that was annoying to me, I swear!”

You reluctantly nod at his explanation, trying to understand what he was trying to say.

“Y/n, I…Actually I…” Junkyu took another deep breath, gathering his courage. “I uh, I like—"

“AHCHOO!”

Junkyu froze in his spot, surprised by the sudden intrusion as he was about to confess his feelings for you.

“Oh my god, Junkyu! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—” you panicked as you saw him freeze and not blink after you had accidentally sneezed in his direction.

Pulling your hands out of his hold, you looked around, as if you’re looking for something.

“Damn, I didn’t bring ‘em,” you complained to yourself since you were sure you had tissues in your bag.

You turned your attention back to Junkyu who was still silent, probably still in shock of you sneezing at him. Great, he probably thinks I’m gross now, you thought.

“Junkyu, I—”

“Do you want to go inside?” He suddenly says, interrupting you from panicking any further.

“S-sure,”

 *

YGE Building (3rd Floor / Treasure’s Practice Room)

“Hold ‘em straight! That’s right, just like that,” Jihoon’s firm voice boomed in the walls of their practice room.

“Hyungggg please, my arms are screaming at me, can we please not do this??” Jeongwoo cries out, his arms shaking from holding it up straight for the past 10 minutes.

“It’s only been 10 minutes Jeongwoo,” Jaehyuk said to him.

“Still! I’m tired!” Jeongwoo continued whining.

Jihoon shakes his head at the younger boy and scanned his eyes around the room to see if anyone was trying to get out of the punishment.

The only boys who weren’t punished were of course, Jihoon, Hyunsuk, Haruto and Yedam. The other three aside from Jihoon were sitting comfortably on the floor, eating up hot ramen from their purchase earlier.

“This isn’t fair, my team was the last to join them eating, hyung. We didn’t loiter as long as they did,” Junghwan complained, pointing out that the other teams had indeed stopped their search way earlier than he did.

“Now, now. You all have another 10 minutes to go. If I hear any more complaints, I’m adding another more 5 minutes, get it?”

“Awww nooo hyung!” “No way!” the younger kids in front of him groaned as they struggle to stay still.

“Aigoo Jihoon-aa. Just let them go already. Come here and eat with us, will ya?” Hyunsuk called out to his co-leader.

Jihoon looks back at the boys in front of him before shrugging and attending to Hyunsuk’s side. He sat himself down beside his hyung and grabbed the bowl of noodles in front of him.

“Here, hyung,” Haruto handed him a can of cold drink as he took one for himself.

“Thanks,” Jihoon said, earning a nod from the boy.

“Yah, aren’t you gonna let them go just yet?” Hyunsuk asked again, concerned that the kids might feel too tired for practice later.

“I want to. But I can’t yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Jihoon stopped stirring his halfway-soggy noodles to turn and look at the rest whom were still raising their hands up. His eyes fell upon a specific person, making him smirk as he turns back to Hyunsuk who was still looking at him with concern. “I think it’s kinda fun. Don’t you think so, hyung?”

Hyunsuk furrowed his eyebrows and looks over at the others. “Jihoon…I know what you’re doing,”

“Aigoo, hyung. He deserves it too, no? He’s been bothering you and Junkyu’s minds lately—as if I don’t know that,” Jihoon chuckled, finally taking a big slurp from his bowl.

Hyunsuk looks over at the rest again and mouthed a ‘sorry’ to them since he couldn’t help them much.

“Yah, Kim Doyoung. Stop moving about, will ya? You’re distracting me,” Chani complained.

Doyoung rolled his eyes at the boy. “I wasn’t moving at all. I was just scooting next to Asahi-hyung,”

“Hey, no moving about!”

“There was no rule about changing seat positions, though,” Yoshi defended Doyoung.

“Yeah, he’s just scooting over. Chill it, will ya?” Junghwan replied in annoyance at the hyung.

“This is stupid. Why am I even here anyways,” Chani huffed, dissatisfied as to how he was getting punished as well.

“Yeah. Why are you here, huh?” Jaehyuk asked back.

“Beats me. Your hyungs brought me here along with you guys. This is stupid, I’m putting my arms down—”

“If Chani puts his arms down, I’m adding 10 more minutes for you all,” Jihoon’s voice said in all of a sudden.

Instantly, all the boys surrounded Chani and forced him to raise his arms up all over again.

“Hey, hey! What are you all doing?? Let go of me! Hyungggg they’re all breaking the rules!”

“Hm?” Jihoon tilts his head as he watches his kids and Chani struggling to push one another.

“Yah, yah, yah! That’s dangerous! Stop it, kids!” Hyunsuk said to them but they all ignored him.

Haruto and Yedam stayed put in their spots laughing as they watched Mashiho managed to hold both Chani’s arms up and the rest of the boys laughing and cheering at him.

Jihoon too, giggled as he watched this. “Hmm, Hyunsuk-hyung is right. Kids, you all can stop.”

“Oh?” The boys stopped and turned to look at Jihoon.

“Yup, you all are free,”

“YAYYYYYYY FREEDOMMMMMM” Jeongwoo ran around the room, chanting the word freedom over and over.

“Except for Chani,”

“What?” Chani looks at him in disbelief.

“Hey, I would’ve let you go but you were the noisiest at the end,” Jihoon shrugs.

“No way,”

“Okay kids, make sure Chani stays putting his arms up for another 10 minutes,” Jihoon said casually before returning to eat his food.

“Hey, that’s not fair! I’m not even your team member. Where’s your sidekick, huh? Shouldn’t he be getting punished too?”

“Huh, he has a point though. Where is Junkyu anyways?” Hyunsuk asks Jihoon.

 To be continued…

[princessmadafu]

Eric

Two years ago, an emigrating friend presented me with the gift of a cactus. What I am about to say will, no doubt, cause offence to some people, but please bear with me.

I love my garden. I grow my own veg. Lots of veg, actually. I grow wildlife friendly buddleia bushes and sunflowers and teasels and ivy; I reserve a quiet corner for nettles and thistles; I allow my neighbour's brambles to leer over the wall. For an all too brief few weeks in summer, the honeysuckle around my kitchen window buzzes with hummingbird moths; for an all too brief few weeks in winter, the bullfinches stuff their fat faces with the seeds from my Glory Vine and strip my jasmine starkers.

But I hate houseplants.

I hate spider plants and Busy Lizzies and yuccas and cheese plants and pots full of bulbs. I really hate daffodils; Wordsworth, wandering, as he did, lonely as a cloud o'er vales and hills, never had to put up with his mother-in-law buying him a pottery rabbit with ruddy daffodils sprouting out of its arse.

Most of all, I hate cacti. Let me rephrase that; I loathe cacti.

Now, you may think that my friend was trying to tell me something in deeds rather than words, but I prefer to think that she misidentified my cherished pots of window sill herbs, salad greens, tomato plants and assorted seedlings, and believed them to be house plants – of an ornamental, decorative but otherwise useless existence. I have no doubt my friend believes that beans grow in tins of sauce on supermarket shelves. I have no doubt that she was too polite to ask why I kept my chitting Maris Pipers in egg boxes in the front room, instead of in a big bag in the freezer, peeled and chipped and labelled "oven-ready".

So two years ago, she gave me a cactus. His name is Eric. He looks like a hedgehog stuffed inside an old green sock and flattened with a rolling pin. I have been trying to kill him ever since.

Unfortunately, he is a cactus with attitude.

I spent several days reading up on cacti in my books and on the internet. I made careful notes on how to love him properly. Then I did the opposite.

First I tried overwatering him. He trebled in size, grew an extra knob and smirked at me for weeks.

Then I put him on starvation rations, in solitary confinement, in the coldest room in the house. He retaliated by sharpening his spines and acquiring a collection of spiders.

I brought him into the schoolroom and poked him with barbecue sticks while the kids drew cartoons of Roadrunner. I refused to repot him; my sadistic side emerged when I placed an unopened bag of cactus compost two millimetres out of his reach. He ignored me. I ignored him back and gave him no food or water for six months. He acquired fruit flies and refused to die.

Yesterday, I received an email from my absent friend. She's only going to be absent for another month, and then she's flying back to visit me. And check up on Eric's welfare.

Eric and I negotiated an agreement. I would promise to look after him for the next few weeks if he promised not to expire the day before my friend arrived.

Then I plunged Eric, in his pot of parched, baked, two-year old soil croutons into a bucket of water. I discovered that Eric has fleas. Cactus fleas.

Within seconds of submersion, the bucket was writhing with hundreds of tiny, springy white creatures resembling miniature sand-hoppers, all twisting and flipping in a desperate attempt to escape from a watery grave. I added more water and a smidgen of washing up liquid to break the surface tension.

I had a sleepless night, and awoke this morning feeling Not Happy.

My problem now is, do I help Eric through his personal hygiene crisis until my friend has gone back home, or do I do what I have always wanted to do and nuke him in my microwave oven for ten minutes?