#also BOY did I go on a rabbit hole adventure today

[theprissythumbelina]

girl help I read a new book and I have visions of a new character and plot

[fuckit-hero-of-trains]

Sit by the fire until... Chapter 2

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25870150/chapters/81650737

Here’s the thing they don’t tell you when you get magically transformed into a bunny rabbit against your will by the corrupted darkness of the Sacred Realm: somethings, unfortunately, tend to stick.  

Now, Legend isn’t saying that he’s hiding a cotton tail under his tunic or that his soul secretly aches to frolic in meadows or spend his time sleeping in holes or whatever else it is that rabbits do when they're not busy being very confused and scared twelve year old Hylians.

No.

But that doesn't mean he was left unscathed by having his entire anatomy re-written in less than an instant.

Because of course he wouldn’t. Goddess forbid he ever catch a break for once in his life.

He was still pretty young when it happened, so Legend can’t remember if his teeth had been quite so bucked before the incident. Regardless if they were or not, they sure as Hylia are prominent now. Then there's also the fact that he never really grew into his ears, the damn things always just a shade longer than they should be for a regular Hylian.

Before he joined this wild cucco chase masquerading as an adventure, Legend would sometimes catch himself looking at Ravio wondering, Is that how I would have looked? Besides the hair and eyes, the merchant was supposed to be his mirror image after all. Zelda and Hilda were, so it stood to reason that he and Ravio should be the same.

In which case, the bucktooth thing was going to be a problem regardless.

The ears, on the other hand, are a completely different story. From the quick glances Legend has managed to steal of Ravio’s side profile, the merchant has relatively short ears himself, which just make the Veteran’s own look comically long when the two stand side by side.

And ugh, and that wasn't even touching on his… less physical changes.

 Namely, his cravings.

Noshing on some leafy greens while home alone doing some chores? A-Okay.

Getting caught by Warriors and Twilight absentmindedly chewing on the hay he was supposed to be feeding the horses? Ehhh, not so much.  

Goddesses, his ego still hasn’t recovered from the amount of jokes the Pretty Boy had made at his expense. And that’s not even mentioning the veritable mountain of carrots he found in his bedroll, no doubt courtesy of that flea bitten farmhand.

Regardless of the less than natural way he got these… attributes, Legend couldn’t say they were all bad. ‘Cuz sure, his ears were a bit longer than average, but he could also hear better than most of his companions, able to catch the sound of crunching leaves above even their loud bickering. Like wise, his eyes were sharper than others in the low light of dawn and dusk, allowing him to see things others would miss.

Frankly, both skills had helped keep him alive during his quests. He was thankful for them in a weird huh, guess that works kinda way, but thankful all the same.

But sometimes Legend wanted to wring the goddesses necks because really? Being turned into a rabbit couldn’t have fixed this particular problem?

This particular problem being his absolutely horrible pollen allergies.

“ A-A-A!”

Each rapid, involuntary inhale feels like a simultaneous punch to the gut and a gasp for breath, the air yanked into his body and then stoppered up. It leaves the veteran in a state of limbo as a paralyzing calm falls over him; lungs full of air, shoulders hiked up, muscles tensed.

For a second, everything feels lodged in place, frozen, like the Champion had used his stasis rune on him.

And–

Legend clamps his mouth shut and tucks his face into his elbow just as tension snaps and–

“- acheew! ”

Nothing but a soft, cut off sneeze slips past his lips, yet, the force of holding it back  still sends Legend bowing over. He stays there, hunched over for a breath as his body recovers, before he straightens back up, sniffing irritably as he tries to ignore the itch prickling at his eyes and the congested pressure throbbing behind his sinuses.

A chortling huff sounds next to him and when Legend glances down he can see Wolfie– or should he say, Twilight– peering up at him, mouth open and tongue lolling in a doggy grin, but icy blue eyes too pointed, too teasing, to be anything but human.

Legend's nose twitches tellingly as it begins to tickle again and the wolf gives another stuttering huff. A laugh. Legend can practically hear Twilight’s twangy, Awww. You sneeze like a bunny.

The bastard.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, dog boy,” Legend grumbles, wiping harshly at his face in an attempt to stave off another sneezing fit. “Don't you have trees to piss on or something?”

That earns him peeled back lips and a growl, but Legend just sends the other a responding sneer as strides past the grumpy wolf and out into the rolling field of tulips that stands in front of them.

Another huff, this one more annoyed than amused, sounds behind the veteran before the wolf streaks past him, loping through the flowers with his nose down and tail high.

Legend rolls his eyes.

Twilight loves to show his teeth, but the farmhand is quite literally all bark and no bite.

And besides, they both have better things to do than needle one another. If Legend is going to be miserable, he may as well take steps to make that misery as short as possible.

Afterall, they aren't out here swanning through a meadow of flowers for pleasure.

The last Dark Portal they had all walked through had, once again, separated them. Legend and Twilight were lucky enough to find one another quickly, though, now that Legend thinks about it, it probably had less to do with luck and more to do with Twilight’s nose.

After regrouping, they had tried to search for the others more that day, but a storm had them holed up in a cave overnight to wait out the deluge. They had gotten up early to start their search again today, but so far they had no such luck in finding any of the others in the forest.

Which just left the inexplicable meadow of tulips surrounding the wood.

Legend had been hoping that the rain would keep some of the pollen at bay, but nooo that would be too merciful, wouldn’t it?

If anything, the rain just made this whole experience more aggravating. Now, along with stinging eyes, a running nose, and a throbbing head, Legend also had the delightful honor of feeling the tulip stalks and leaves and petals sliding wetly across his skin, the annoying slap of his tunic smacking his thighs as it got more sodden by the second, and the disgusting squish of water between his toes with every step he took through this Wind Fish damned field.

And sure, maybe it was worth it to reunite with the other heroes, but really, would it kill the goddesses to make his life just a little bit easier.

A bark pulls Legend from his miserable musings. Twilight's dark tail stands out among the ocean of pastel pinks and yellows and oranges, wagging frantically twenty meters away. It disappears after a second, replaced by a muzzle and expectant eyes.

Twilight barks at him again.

He must have found something.

Finally, Legend thinks as he begins to make his way over toward the other, hopefully a reason to get out of this floral hell hole.

“What is it, boy?” Legend asks, voice going high and mocking as he takes delicate care stepping on as many flowers as possible, “Little Time-y fall down the well again?”

Instead of a growl for his effort, Legend gets a flurry of black flecks falling upward, like pieces of reverse snow, in his peripheral vision.

“You know,” Twilight says as he straightens to his full height, eyes half-lidded. Unamused, “You’re really not as funny as you seem to think you are.”

And before Legend can interrupt that– No, actually, you just have a dog shit sense of humor. Literally– Twilight continues, “I can smell the smithy all over this thing.” He nods down at a small tree stump breaking through the tide of flowers. “The scent is a bit old, probably from sometime before last evening, but still traceable. I should be able to find him from here.”

Legend eyes the stump for a moment, peering into the cracked hole in the top of the wood. Inside, he can see the round, red caps of several toadstools sprouting.

He can also sense magic. Close to that of the fairies– natural and glittering and smelling of moss– but not quite the same.

The Smithy’s doing?

Or a natural occurrence?

Regardless…

“Welp,” Legend says, straightening up, “Let's go find him. Couldn’t have gotten far on those little legs of his.”

“Again,” Twilight huffs, the black fractals already consuming him once more as he transforms, “You’re not as funny as you think...”

His voice distorts and fades into nothing as the magic swallows him whole, leaving Legend once again having a conversation with a very unimpressed looking wolf.

“I like you better when you can’t talk,” Legend tells Twilight as the other sets off, snuffling at the ground.

The other pauses to give Legend a look that would be more at home on a disapproving mother’s face, before continuing his tracking.

He also whaps Legend in the leg with his tail.

Hard.

The prick.

They continue on their trek together like that for a while, Twilight occasionally pausing to shove his nose into the dirt some more as he decides which direction to follow as Legend trails behind, keeping his eyes peeled for a quadripartite tunic and a head of straight, gold hair.

It isn't long before the farmhand turned canine breaks off into a light trot and then a jog, and then a full on sprint.

And stops just as suddenly.

Legend is out of breath by the time he slides to a stop behind the farmhand, but from a cursory glance around, there doesn’t seem to be a short, mouthy smithy anywhere in the vicinity.

“What happened?” Legend asks, still searching, turning circles as he cranes his neck, “Did you lose the trail?”

Twilight gives a light whine, grabbing Legend’s attention.

Then he does two full spins and sits primly, looking up at Legend.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Legend crinkles his nose at the canine. “Use your words.”

Wolfie rolls his eyes in a way that Legend didn’t think was possible for dogs and then stands.

The canine stares at him intently, as though making sure Legend’s eyes are locked with his own. And then he flicks his eyes over the yellow tulip he is sitting next to meaningfully. Then back to Legend. Back and forth back and forth, his eyes go for a full minute before he stops and stares at Legend once more.

Legend feels as his face wrinkles in confusion.

It's just a regular tulip, just like the thousands currently around them. Pretty enough, he supposes. The bulb seems to be a little wilted, like it's been weighed down by rain water perhaps, but other than that, nothing to sneeze at.

Or everything to sneeze at, if you’re Legend.

Legend gives the flower one more skeptical glance before turning to look at Twilight once more, brow raised.

“Pretty,” he assures the other. “Not sure how it helps us find Four.”

Twilight heaves another too human sigh.

And then he reaches up,  takes the sleeve of Legend’s tunic between his teeth, and yanks.

“Hey!” Legend yelps as he’s dragged down into the dirt, “Watch the teeth! The embroidery on this thing took forever to do and even longer to enchant!”

Twilight pays him no mind, pulling him down and forward, closer to his chosen tulip.

Legend tries his best to keep his face away from the damn thing.

“I swear on The Three, if your slobber stains–”

Legend’s words crumple up and die in his throat.

There’s something in the tulip.

At first glance, Legend would identify it as the Smithy's earring. The small feathered one that he takes special care of. The one that Four refuses to tell Legend the origin of, besides his cryptic, “From a friend.”

Legend would say that it was just the earring, but… but it isn’t.

Rather than being completely red with a white tip, Legend can see that this little feather is only mostly red. Right before the tip, a darker red plumage takes over, followed by purple and blue and green.

Also, rather than being attached to the small, golden chain and stud Four uses to fasten the jewelry to his earlobe, it’s attached to a body.

A very, very small body.

By now, Twilight has let go of his sleeve, but Legend both doesn’t notice and doesnt care, all of his attention fixed on the little creature before his eyes.

From what he can tell, the little creature is asleep, curled up in the bulb of the flower, his feather tail tucked up near his nose for warmth. Looking past the plumage, Legend can see that the little guy has a very rat-like face, complete with a small, twitching pink nose, long whiskers and–because the creature is shivering– long, chattering rodent incisors. Oval shaped ears stick out from the creature's head, a mix between mouse-like and Hylian.

And framing those ears is shoulder length, soaking wet blonde hair.

Blonde hair held out of the little guy's face by a green headband.

And…

And he’s wearing the smithy’s tunic?

“... Four?” Legend whispers in amazement.

And just saying the other’s name out loud is like a spell because suddenly Legend can see all signs. The little guy has Four’s bag over his shoulder and the Four Sword at his hip. That same magic that was by the stump– the not-fairy, fairy magic– completely surrounds him, dusting him in the same way he is currently dusted in yellow pollen.

“Is that you, Smithy?” Legend asks a little louder.

But rather than startle awake, the small creature– Four, Legend reminds himself– simply hunkers down more fully into the flower, curling up more fully as his shivers increase.

“He must have transformed in order to speak with the Minish around here.”

Twilight’s voice, even though it is a whisper, gives Legend a start. He hadn’t realized the other had transformed, nor had he seen the farmhand crouch down by his side.

The other isn’t looking at him as he speaks, cool blue eyes instead locked on the fitfully sleeping smithy, face concerned.

“He once told me that the Minish are insatiable gossips. He must have transformed to try and find us.”

The concern on the farhand’s face darkens the longer he stares.

“He must have been caught out in the storm,” Twilight says grimly.

Legend tries to imagine what that would be like. To be the size of a mouse and out in a storm. Tries to imagine what it would feel like for gale force winds to pull at drag at him, crushing him into the dirt one moment and yanking off his feet the next. Tries to imagine dodging back and forth between tulips, avoiding the head sized, stone cold rain drops pelting down from the sky

It's not a pretty pictograph, he’ll admit.

And ugh, Legend really isn't a fan of what it's making him consider.

He spares another glance at Four.

And fuck, the little guy shivers and shivers and shivers until the fower he is sleeping in is shaking with it.

And then, he sneezes, the sound coming out tiny and squeaky and weak.

Son of a bitch.

With a sigh that is as weary and reluctant and annoyed as he can possibly force it to be even though the vetran is feeling none of those things, Legend takes hold of the flower near its stem. As gently as possible, he digs his nails into the soft green there, cutting the flower from the ground while keeping it intact.

He hands it to Twilight, who takes it from him with gentle, if slightly confused hands.

With one hand, Legend flips open his shoulder bag. With the other, he rips his hat from his head with a motion probably a tad more violent than is really called for. He arranges the hat inside the bag, making sure to cover his items with the soft fabric while also shaping a soft bed.

Without looking up from his work, Legend extends a hand out to Twilight.

Makes a grabbing motion when what he wants isn't immediately in his hand.

After a second, Twilight slowly places the stem of the flower back in Legend’s hand and the Veteran gently lowers it in the small nest he had created, making sure the bulb sits in a place both shielded from the sun and extra comfortable thanks to the extra fabric padding beneath it.

In one smooth motion, Legend takes a hold of the strap of his bag, pulls it carefully off of his shoulder, and places it on the other side of Twilight’s neck.

And then, he reaches down and touches the dark stone hanging from the necklace around the farmhand’s throat, letting the darkness flock around and consume him.  

When Legend blinks open his eyes, Twilight is looking down at him smugly.

He is looking down farther than usual.

Also looking smugger than usual.

“Shut up,” he grumbles, shaking out his fur before hopping on all fours to get closer to the bag.

“I didn’t say anything,” Twilight replies, not bothing to wipe the smug look off his stupid face even as he lowers the bag to the ground for easier access.

“Yeah you did,” Legend hisses quietly as he clambers carefully into the satchel, settling down the nest of leather and items and hat.

He pulls the flower closer to his side where it is warm.

Inside, he can feel as Four’s shivers begin to lessen.

"Cute," Twilight laughs from above them.

"Fuck you," Legend whisper spits, though he makes no move to push Four's flower away. If anything, he pulls it closer when he hears the smaller hero start to make small, chittering snores, surprised the smithy could sleep through such a racket.

Twilight, thankfully, doesn't comment, instead pulling the top of the bag loosely closed to give them some shade. Then, Legend feels as he gently lifts the satchel back up, slings it slowly over his shoulder as to not disturb the contents inside, and begins walking, hopefully back in the direction of the forest.

Legend can still hear the farmhand laughing to himself from within the bag, but without the others' eyes on him, he finds he doesn't care.

The pollen still itches at his eyes and nose and Legend can still feel the pound of his sinuses even now.  But something about the shade and warmth and soft rocking of the bag makes it hard for him to mind.

Four gives a harty twitch, kicking a petal directly into Legend’s face.

And even that doesn't dissuade the veteran from his task.

Instead, Legend sighs and pulls Four even closer, relaxing despite the discomfort.

He’s got dirt on both Twilight and now Four, the two heroes with sticks most firmly inserted into their asses. He can get out of whatever chores and lectures they try to pin him with.

Yep, he thinks , distantly. That's why he did this.

For the blackmail.

And no other reason.

[hxlyhead-harpies]

The Last Dream of My Soul part 1. (R.L.)

hello everyone! This is the first part of the Remus Lupin series that i’m starting and i am soooo excited. i am still new at this so any feedback is appreciated!! i hope you enjoy!!

Pairing: Young!Remus Lupin x Reader

Summary: The very bookish (Y/n) has spent most of her life alone, aside from her best friends Lily and her beloved books. But when the infamous Marauders get thrust into her life, how could she resist the beautiful and unattainable Remus.

Warnings: Cursing

Word Count: 3.1k

The yellowing and rough pages of old books had always felt like home to you. The smell of the aging parchment and the worn and weathered covers had always offered you more comfort than any real person ever had. On a bad day, you’d be able to curl up in your bed, lulled to sleep by your favorite characters, and adventures more exciting than your own life. As the years pushed forward this was how your life was. You didn’t have many friends but that was okay because you had your books. Who needed a best friend when you could spend your afternoons in Narnia with the Pevensie siblings or tumble through rabbit holes with Alice? For the early years of your childhood, you were content with the reality that you wished you could be in any world than your own. Your boring, magicless, and unmysterious world.

But that all changed the year you turned eleven. You remember the day as if it were yesterday. You were laying on your bed, your legs tangled in the quilt your mother had made. A Nancy Drew book sat in front of you, the plot of which now escapes you but at this point, you had already solved the mystery yourself. It was a perfect summer afternoon. The sun was out and you could hear the other neighborhood kids shouting from outside your window. They never invited you out to play but you were okay with that; you had far more exciting things to read. You were turning a page, nearly halfway through the book, when you heard tapping from your window. Your head shot up- your reading induced trance was now broken- only to be met with the sight of a snowy owl. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. You had never seen that type of bird around here. And you had certainly never seen one clutching a letter between its talons. You carefully marked your page in your book and quickly hopped out of bed. You made your way to the window and attempted to open it, a task that proved difficult for your small eleven-year-old body. After a few moments of a struggle, you finally pried it open. The owl dropped the letter inside your room and flew off. You bent down to pick up the parchment from the floor to see that the letter was addressed to you, and was from someplace called Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

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

From that moment on your world had been flipped upsidedown, at least in the sense that everything now had to change. But to you, if anything, the world had finally been made right. Magic was real- and you had the pleasure of possessing it. It was like some part of you had always known that magic existed beyond the pages of your favorite books. It was as if everything finally made sense.

You dragged your family down the streets of Diagon Alley, absorbing every bit of magic culture that you could. You reveled in the lights and the feeling of warmth that coursed through your veins when you finally picked up the right wand at Ollivanders. You squealed with delight when your parents purchased you an owl and you nearly died of excitement when you realized that pictures plastered on posters in the alleys moved. And when you ran through the seemingly solid barrier at Kingscross station you thought you would pass out from the thrill. And when you got on the train you curled up by yourself in a compartment, hurriedly reading through your History of Magic textbook, attempting to soak up every bit of knowledge that you could.

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

During your first year at Hogwarts, you came to the slow realization that you might actually need friends. Now that you knew that magic was real you wanted to experience as much of it as you could, and it felt rather lonely to experience it all on your own. The characters in your books had always had sidekicks and best friends on their grand adventures, and being accepted into Hogwarts marked the beginning of yours. Now you just needed someone to share it with. Luckily, the pretty girl with brilliant green eyes and glowing red hair that shared your dorm had the same idea.

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

By your fourth year, you and Lily Evans were attached at the hip. You spent nearly all your time together, inside and outside of class, and told each other absolutely everything. She knew everything about you, every detail and every secret, and you knew the same about her. Sure you had other friends, Marlene and Alice were nice and you hung around them quite often, but it was nothing like your relationship with Lily. She was the Elizabeth Bennet to your Charlotte Collins. Nobody understood you as she did, and you didn’t think you’d ever find anyone else who did.

But despite your closeness, you always felt a tinge of jealousy towards her. She was everything you weren’t: she was strong and outgoing, she felt no fear when talking to strangers, and it seemed that everyone instantly took a liking to her. Everyone loved her. She had flocks of friends, granted she wasn’t as close to any of them as she was to you, but it occasionally made you feel unimportant. It also seemed as if half of the year was in love with her. James Potter was evidence of that, constantly making a fool of himself to impress her. Lily always scoffed at him, not finding any of his antics even slightly attractive. And out loud you agreed with her that he was just a silly boy, but deep down you wished someone would give you at least a fraction of the attention that he gave her. But that was how it always went. Lily was the type of girl that boys would fall in love with. You, on the other hand, her quiet and shy sidekick, went largely unnoticed. But everything was fine. Because in moments when you felt lonely or inadequate you could turn to your books just as you did when you were young. Fingers tracing over the words of Mr. Darcy’s declaration of love or Romeo and Juliet’s final moments. And at the time, it was enough.

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

It was your seventh year when things really started to change. After years of begging, Lily finally said yes to James. You were happy for her of course, she seemed to really like him. And he obviously really liked her. The way that James looked at her could only be described in the words of your favorite novels. But with her new relationship came uncharted territory: Lily now sat with him at most meals, though every few breakfasts she’d make a point to sit with you, and the spot you usually occupied next to her in the common room was now occupied by James. And the worst part was that you were now alone on Hogsmeade weekends, a time that was usually reserved for you and Lily to walk arm and arm around the small village. But despite all of this you couldn’t be mad at her. You saw how happy she was- and her happiness made you happy as well. But you couldn’t help but feel a tad jealous that she got to feel an emotion that you yearned to feel with your entire being. Love.

“(Y/n) come on!” Lily exclaimed, throwing up her hands in exasperation. You groaned, looking up at her from the book in front of you. You were currently rereading A Tale of Two Cities, a favorite of yours that was littered with dogeared pages and underlined phrases. You made eye contact with your best friends, noticing the frustration in her eyes.

“Can you please just come eat breakfast with us?” she asked, rubbing her temple with her fingertips.

“Lils you know I want to eat breakfast with you but I don’t want to interrupt your time with James,” you replied, starting to look back down at your book.

“You’re not interrupting anything! All of his friends sit with us too!” she said desperately. When you didn’t respond to her exclamation she reached down and snatched the book from your hands.

“Lily!” you cried, sitting up and attempting to steal back your book.

“No (Y/n) I’m not giving this back until you come eat with me! I feel like I never see you anymore,” she said.

“Yeah, that’s because you’re always with James,” you responded while making another sad attempt to reclaim your novel. Lily’s face fell.

“Do you think I’m spending too much time with him? I swear I don’t mean to ignore you, I’ll stop eating meals with him and we can go to Hogsm-” she rambled, practically shoving the old book back into your hands.

“No Lily!” you shouted, cutting her off. “You’re not spending to much time with him! It seems like a perfectly acceptable time to spend around your boyfriend. I just miss you that’s all,” you said quietly. Lily’s face softened.

“Then come eat breakfast with me. I want you to get to know James better. You two are my favorite people I want you to get along,” she once again urged.

“Lily I’m not sure… I don’t really know anyone else there and you don’t have to worry I already like James plenty,” you replied.

“Just come, please! I promise that you’ll like his friends!” she practically begged. You sighed in defeat, finally giving in.

“Fine Lily,” you grumbled, standing up to gather your things.

“Yay!” Lily exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

“But, I can only promise today. If his friends suck I won’t come back,” you exclaimed sternly. Lily nodded solemnly.

“Understood.”

The two of you made your way down to the Great Hall for breakfast as Lily attempted to give you a rundown on the group of boys that you were about to meet.

“Ok so obviously you know James, he plays quidditch and is studying to become an Auror. His best friend is Sirius who, I know, has a reputation but I swear he’s no that ba-”

“Lily I know who they all are! We’ve been in the same house for the last seven years,” you said, interrupting her with a laugh. Lily rolled her eyes at you.

“Yes I know you know them but you don’t know them,” Lily replied.

“Fine fine,” you said, throwing your hands up in surrender. “Continue.”

“Thank you,” Lily smiled. “As I was saying, Sirius is not as bad as everyone makes him out to seem. Yes, he hooks up with quite a few girls but he’s actually very funny and is secretly a sweetheart. Then there’s Peter, who I’ll admit is a little odd, but he’s harmless. And finally, there’s Remus. He honestly reminds me of you: he’s quiet and he reads a lot like you do. But he’s kind of a smartass sometimes so watch out for that,” she said, finished with her rundown. By this point, the two of you had reached the great hall. Breakfast was already in full swing and the room was swarming with students. Lily grabbed your arm and led you to a spot about midway down the table. She plopped down next to James, kissing him quickly on the cheek, causing Sirius to make a fake gagging face, before pulling you down to sit next to her.

“Boys,” she said, attempting to catch the attention of all four boys.

“This is (Y/n), my best mate in the entire world, so you all better be nice to her,” Lily stated matter-o-factly. You looked up to give a meek smile to all the boys. James greeted you warmly, Sirius gave you a small nod, Peter waved excitedly, and Remus didn’t even look up at you. You frowned for a moment before Sirius smacked Remus’s arm from his spot next to him.

“Hey Moony, pay attention we have a guest,” he said jokingly before shooting you a smile. Remus’s head shot up quickly, looking from Sirius to you, locking his eyes with yours. Once he seemingly realized what was happening he shot you a quick smile. You smiled back, attempting to hide the blush that the momentary eye contact had caused. You had always found Remus attractive, but you had never been so near him before. Something about the proximity made you jittery and made your palms sweat.

“Sorry about that,” he said, lifting a book from underneath the table. He flashed the cover of the book towards you. The title, Crime and Punishment, was sprawled across the worn cover. You felt your nose crinkle, reminded of how much you disliked the book. Remus’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What? Not a fan of Dostoevsky?” he asked. You shook your head.

“I guess the plot was interesting enough but oh my Godric was it dense,” you replied with a groan. You heard Remus chuckle from his spot across from you.

“Yeah, I suppose I can see where you’re coming from. I am enjoying it so far though,” he replied. You hummed in understanding before reaching for a piece of toast.

“Oh come on Lily,” Sirius said with a grin. “I can’t believe you would bring another nerd along. We already have Remus, we don’t need another one,” he continued. You felt your face heat up, ducking your head as you bit into the piece of toast. Lily narrowed her eyes at Sirius.

“Sirius I told you to be nice,” she said before throwing a piece of her roll at him. He laughed before throwing his hands up in surrender.

“Sorry (Y/n),” he apologized. You sent him a quick nod to let him know that it was okay, before pulling out your own book. As you stared down at the pages in front of you, you missed Remus perking up in interest.

“What are you reading?” he asked, setting his book down. You looked up quickly, showing him the cover.

“A Tale of Two Cities. It’s one of my favorites,” you answered shyly. You felt Lily shift beside you before speaking.

“She’s read that book probably a million times,” she said. You rolled your eyes.

“I wouldn’t say a million times, but yes I’ve read it quite a few times,” you replied before shifting your eyes back to Remus. He let out a soft laugh.

“I’ve never read it before. I’ll have to pick a copy up when we go to Hogsmeade. One of the shops sells muggle books,” he said with a small smile.

“You can borrow mine!” you said too quickly, causing yourself to blush. He looked at you, surprised.

“Oh, uh sure. I’ll borrow it when I’m done with this,” he replied, once again holding up Crime and Punishment. You heard Lily snicker from beside you.

“Good luck trying to read one of her books,” Lily said. “There’s so much writing in the margins it’s nearly impossible to get through.” You turned to her and smacked her lightly on the shoulder.

“Hey! It’s not that bad,” you said with a slight pout.

“I don’t mind,” Remus said, causing your eyes to turn back to him. “I’ll be interested in reading your thoughts as well as the book,” he said earnestly. You felt yourself smile involuntarily. You were about to reply when James stood up suddenly.

“Damnit we’re going to be late to potions,” he exclaimed. And with that, you all gathered your things and left.

Potions was generally a subject that you were good at. You often found yourself shooting your hand up during class to answer questions and Professor Slughorn had taken a liking to you. However, you found yourself unable to pay attention to the lesson. From your seat on the far side of the room, you had caught yourself staring at Remus. He was joking around with Peter, his potions partner, and had a wide smile spread across his face. He had scars running down his face, though they didn’t make him less attractive. In fact, they only seemed to add to the allure. His hair was messy and fell into his eyes. You felt yourself sigh when he ran his finger through his hair to get it out of his face.

“(Y/n)? Are you all right?” Lily asked, startling you. You nearly jumped from your seat, hand pressed to your chest.

“Merlin Lils! You scared me,” you replied. She squinted her eyes at you.

“(Y/n)? What’s going on with you?” she asked, scanning your face.

“Nothing!” you swore, stealing another quick glance at Remus. That was when the realization hit her. A teasing smile quickly spread it’s way across Lily’s face.

“Oh my goodness you fancy Remus don’t you?” she inquired, making your eyes widen and face flush. You pushed her shoulder lightly.

“Lily hush! And no I don’t!” you exclaimed as you glanced around the room to make sure that no one had heard her.

“Oh, you totally do! All that book talk this morning must’ve really got to you huh,” she said, waggling her eyebrows at you. You put your head in your hands and groaned.

“Shut up Lily!”

“Only when you admit it,” she responded.

“Fine! But you can’t tell anybody! Not even James,” you warned. Lily grinned from beside you.

“Oh, this is perfect! The two of you are perfect for each other!” she exclaimed.

“Lily! Just be quiet. It’s not like it’s ever going to happen,” you said. Lily looked at you, confusion was written all over her face.

“What do you mean it’s never going to happen?” she asked. You sighed, glancing at Remus once again. He was stirring the potion in front of him, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“Lily why would he ever like me?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” she replied, clearly exasperated. You turned to her, giving her an incredulous look.

“We have seven years of evidence that boys don’t like me,” you respond. Lily rolled her eyes beside you.

“Well, this is different trust me,” Lily responded. You stare at her.

“How could this possibly be any different?”

“Because you could actually talk to Remus, get to know him He’ll obviously fancy you once he learns more about you.” Then it was your turn to roll your eyes.

“Lily, it’s never going to happen so just drop it,” you responded. You picked up the recipe for the potion that you were assigned to make that day.

“Now, can you please hand me the adder’s fork,” you said, listing off the first ingredient. Lily sighed.

“Fine. But we’ll be talking about this later.”

[imaginethatneathuh]

The Fool: Game Boy - American Gods

Game Boy x partner!reader, romantic

Game Boy plays a game with you.

Part of @dragon430’s Tarot Troop.

TW/CW: None that I can think of.

Word count: 2.0+ K

•

After a long day at work you were relieved to not have to do anything else today. As soon as you got home, you said to yourself, it’s nap time. Sadly, or maybe happily, things didn’t work out that way.

As you stepped into the small, shared flat, you sighed and rolled your neck. Wordlessly, you walked to the kitchen and got some water, tossing your keys on the counter.

You had been on your feet all day; the only thing on your mind was a shower and bed. As you drank, water falling from the corners of your mouth, you noticed there was silence about the house. There was never silence unless your long-term partner, Game Boy was gone. Setting your cup down, you walk around the counters and cabinets that split the living room and kitchen. You stopped at the edge and peered in, hands on hips. With a frown, you tilted your head before walking into the living room, still in your barista uniform.

“Game Boy?” You called in the empty flat. “You here?”

After a long string of silence, you moved closer to the sofa and placed your hands on top of it.

It wasn’t peculiar that Game was gone, just odd that he hadn’t said anything before. He had always told you beforehand so you wouldn’t worry. This time, you supposed, he’d failed to mention his absence. Still, a part of you thought he may be elsewhere in the flat.

As he didn’t answer you, you began to search for him. He wasn’t in the bathroom and you doubted he was in the communal laundry room. Despite knowing that he certainly wasn’t in your room, you still checked. Predictably, he wasn’t there, but you did decide to change into something more comfortable.

With nowhere else to look, you knocked on his room’s door and opened it. It was empty. Gaming equipment, actual games, a computer, a telly, and other stuff like that covered the room, but there was no Game Boy. Your partner Game Boy, not the Nintendo handheld game console. He did, in fact, have one of them on a shelf.

There was a note taped to his computer which is odd because Game Boy rarely ever wrote anything with a pen or pencil. He also never let anything so “dated” as a pen and paper note on his precious computer. Not if he was in his right mind anyway.

You got closer, out of curiosity of what was so important that Game decided to write it out. The handwriting was very sloppy, you noticed.

Do you remember where we met? The note asked. I do. I thought you looked amazing. That’s why I couldn’t talk to you. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t say anything. I was so tongue-tied, it was rather embarrassing.

You smiled, remembering how flushed Game had been. He couldn’t even look at you. It was adorable.

Find where we met. Follow the trail and we’ll see each other soon enough. Let me take you on an adventure. You won’t regret it. I promise. I love you - G

Your heart swelled in your chest.

‘A game from Game Boy,’ you thought. ‘How cute.’

You left the flat, wanting to see just what game Game was playing.

•

Standing near a park bench, you looked around.

You had been around here, on a walk, when you’d bumped into Game. Stupidly, you hadn’t been watching where you were going and ran into him, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“I am so sorry,” you said. “I didn’t see you.”

You looked into his beautiful blue eyes and your heart skipped a beat.

The young man you’d run into turnt away, blushing and pulled his black trench coat tighter. He nodded, still looking at the ground.

“Again, really sorry.” You walked past him but stopped next to a park bench. After a few seconds, you couldn’t help but look over your shoulder at him.

The blue-eyed boy stood there, looking at you, his hands in his pockets and scarf wiping back from the wind. He was considerably round and he had some acne, but it didn’t bother you. His eyes told you everything. There was more going on behind them than most would assume. More what, you didn’t know. But he seemed to know so much. One look into them and it was like you had had a glance into endless something, but you weren’t sure what. It was within your grasp and, yet, an ocean away.

Your eyes met again and warmth filled your chest. You smiled and waved at him.

His already deep blush deepened.

You walked down the path. A note, taped to a bench, caught your attention. You picked it up and opened it.

This is where you stopped when we first met. The moment you looked back at me and our eyes met, I could feel myself falling for you. I don’t get that feeling anymore. It’s more of knowing I love you and you love me kinda feeling, but I digress.

You smiled. His words rang true for you, too. There were no longer butterflies and lightning. But there was a feeling of belonging with him that you could feel in your heart.

Sometimes, I wonder why you weren’t repulsed by my acne and fat. I still have no idea why you’d go out with me. But, I’m glad you did ask me out. Being with you has been something else. A fantastic something else.

After the first time walking through the park, you started going there more often. At one point, it was every single day. All you wanted was to see him again. But, it took months before you did.

And when you did, as cliche as it sounds, it was like the whole world stopped around you. Without even thinking about it, you walked over and asked him out.

You got a stuttered yes, but it was still a yes.

Go to where we had our first date and you’ll find a friend and a note waiting. - G

•

After getting out of the car, you made your way to the arcade you and Game Boy had spent your first date. It had been easier to get him to talk about video games than it was himself. Still, the way he had talked about his favourite, and his most hated, games made you fall deeper in love.

The two of you played a ton of games, usually for two players. He’d even called you his player two, as a joke.

“Hey, Y/N,” the attendant, Steve, said. “G stopped by earlier. Told me to give you this.” He handed you a note.

I know I didn’t really let you talk much when we were here, but when you asked about my favourites to play, I just started rambling. It did make it easier to talk to you, though.

Speaking of rambling, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was a bit nonsensical, wasn’t it? I don’t know why you love that movie (or the book) but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t happy to wear the VHS tape out with you. Seeing you happy was the best part of that. Now, Alice, my dear, go back home and go down the rabbit hole once again. - G

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was indeed nonsensical which was the best part about it. There was no real story. It was nonsense, the best kinda sense there is.

“Thanks, Steve. See ya later,” you said as you left.

•

Back home, you went to the telly and pulled out the VHS tapes. On AAiW’s case was a note from Game.

We’re pretty close to the end now. But, just to say it before I say it, I love you. As much as I found this movie weird, nonsensical, and rather insane, I found it worth every second spent watching because I got to spend time with you. Y/N, you mean everything to me. I love you. The reason I say this now is because I’m not the best at saying things without coming off like a prick. It’s easier to write them.

You can find me at the address below. And, as the rabbit always says, “I’m late.” So get here before I have to chop off your head for tardiness (or should I say tartiness?). - G

You chuckled softly at the pun and ran a finger down the page.

The address below wasn’t familiar to you so you pulled out a map.

•

The warehouse looked disgusting on the outside. Broken windows and grime-covered walls were not the most romantic thing, but still, if Game Boy was here, it’d be worth it.

You walked in, expecting to walk across broken glass or something, but there was no crunch beneath you. A path looked like it had been swept clean for you. It trailed to the back of the warehouse, small origami roses laying on it.

You followed them and picked them up one by one. The first few were plain white with green-painted stems. But, slowly, red started to bleed onto them. The ones farthest away were fully red, just like the Queen wanted.

The last rose sat on a door handle, the kind typically found in warehouses that jut out to the side. You picked it up, twirling the faux stem in your fingers. The rest of the bouquet sat in your arm. You could smell the paint coming off them.

The door creaked open and a shy figure peeked out.

“G?” You asked.

“Close your eyes,” he said. “Please?”

You did as he asked, heart pumping. “Can you please tell me what’s going on?”

As much as you wanted to know, you knew Game Boy had a hard time figuring out what was okay and what wasn’t when it came to real-life people.

“You’ll see,” he said.

The door creaked open more and he shuffled out. He picked the bouquet out of your arms as well as the last flower before disappearing for a moment. The warmth of his hands transferred to yours as he led you into the office. You could hear the door close again. Game Boy positioned you right in front of something, guiding you by your upper arms. His warmth left you before he spoke.

“You can open them now,” he said.

He stood in front of a table, a vase of the origami flowers he had made in his hands. Candles hung down from the ceiling in a heart formation, each holder connected by wire.

You silently stared at the sight.

Game Boy breathed heavily, his coat thrown off to the side. Still, his turtleneck was a little hot right now. He couldn’t tell if it was because he was nervous or overheated. Probably both.

You stepped forward and took the vase from him and set it down on a table.

“You did all this?” You asked.

He nodded, wiping his hands on his khakis. “I wanted it to be special.”

“Wanted what?”

He ran a hand through his blonde hair. “I’m not the best at this,” he mumbled under his breath. He straightened and looked you in the eye, despite that being rather uncomfortable for him. “Y/N, we’ve been dating for a while. Not a super long one, but it’s been a while. And I know you said you wanted to wait before calling us partners, but I can’t wait any longer. I love you so much. I want- I want you to be my player two. Permanently. Not just for a game or two.”

He seemed to have practised saying the speech over and over again.

You walked forward and pulled him into a kiss by the fabric of his turtleneck. Game Boy cupped your cheek and kissed back gently.

You pulled away, smiling. “I’ll gladly be your player two for as long as we both play the game fair.”

Game Boy sighed in relief, a giant grin spreading across his face. He leant in and kissed you again.

[apiratewhopines]

Look at the mesmerizing artwork by @teamhook. Can you spot the villain of this little story?

In the Offing

Chapter 18 — The Stable Boy

Summary: In which our heroine misplaces something

Chapter 18 on AO3

“A guilty conscience means at least you’ve got one

Who will forgive you when I’m gone?”

-Here He Comes, The Wallflowers

“That went further than I intended,” Killian whispered against her throat. She could feel his smile against the sensitive skin and knew that while his words sounded like the beginning of an apology, it was really more of an observation on their current status. Their completely unclothed, totally sated status.

“Hmm, there is something about the motion of the water,” Emma said by way of agreement. She was lazily running her fingers through his mussed hair, appreciating the way the thick, short locks felt silky in her hands. His laughter rumbled through his chest and she gave in to the temptation to run her fingers through the hair there as well.

“I’ll make a pirate out of you yet, Swan.”

“Well, I need to do something special for a man who would trade a secluded afternoon with the most famous actress in the world to spend time with his unknown, magnet-for-trouble house guest.”

She should get up. Lord only knew if there were locks on the door or if they could be interrupted. However, she wasn’t lying about the sensation of being lulled to sleep by the waves. Although sleep was the furthest thing from her mind a few minutes ago.

“House guest? Is that the label we’re going with? How about girlfriend? Lover? Angel? Magnificent creature?” He punctuated each question with a nuzzle against a different section of exposed flesh. “Besides, I am a seafaring man and all sailors know that it’s bad luck to have a redhead on board. Thank goodness I didn’t have to take her out on the open seas. You may never have seen me again.”

“That would have been a shame. I do enjoy seeing you. The more of you, the better.” She allowed her hands to wander over the expanse of skin on display, thankful that the afternoon was warm since there was only one sheet and their picnic blanket from the other day to cover up with. Her eyes had drifted closed during their idle exchange but she cracked open her left to look at him as she felt the bed shift under his movements. He had propped himself up on his elbow and was resting on his side. She was surprised to see his expression had turned serious. “What’s on your mind?”

“I think it’s time we talk. I like the odds of you staying put since you’re naked,” he added with some of his usual swagger.

“If you’re ready,” she told him. Reaching up to cradle his face in her hands, she knew that nothing he said would make any difference to her. She was too far gone already. The only possible outcome was she would fall deeper under his spell. “No matter what, I’m not going anywhere.”

“You don’t know what those words mean to me, love.” He pressed a forceful kiss to her lips and returned to his earlier position. His eyes focused out the window and glazed over as he became lost in his memories. When he spoke, his voice had deepened with emotion. “Liam and I moved here a decade ago with one purpose and one purpose only: To find Frederick’s bloody treasure trove. There was nothing for us in England, hadn’t been in years really. I was graduating and Liam was finishing up his enlistment with the Navy. To my surprise, he didn’t doubt for a moment my claims that I could find our fortune on the rocky beaches of Maine. So off we went without a backward glance at the shores of our ancestors.”

She could imagine a younger Killian, full of life and confidence, pulling along his older, more seasoned brother. After all, no one was more jaded than her and she was already prepared to follow him to the ends of the earth.

“It took us more time to find the pub in Storybrooke than it did to find the first treasure hoard. Oh, Emma, I wish you could have been there.” His grin was something that belonged on a schoolboy’s face, not a man in his mid-thirties. Unable to help herself, she reached up and traced it with her fingertips. He captured her wayward digits and pressed a heartfelt kiss to the tips. “Most pirate treasure was in the form of goods like timber, cotton, sugar, or tobacco. But good old Frederick didn’t disappoint. There was enough silver to make us wealthy even by today’s standards. There were some interesting historical bits as well that will one day find their way into a museum but I won’t bore you with those details.”

“Such a gentleman,” she murmured with a chuckle. “What did you do with it? Aren’t you supposed to alert the authorities when you find stuff like that?”

“I want to be a better man for you, Swan, but I will never be a saint. We haven’t disclosed any of our findings. We simply dip in when we need something extra. Some day we’ll let it see the light of day but for now it rests in Davy Jones’ locker.”

“Wait, I know that one. You mean it’s hidden under the sea?”

“No, we put it in my grandfather’s old locker and buried it under the cottage. It’s the only thing my father left behind when he abandoned us all those years ago.” When she rolled her eyes at him, he simply chuckled. “But to answer your question, the laws vary by state and country. Maine is actually quite lenient with their buried treasure as long as it isn’t found on state property. Luckily, two of the piles we found were on my land at the cottage. Technically, I didn’t own the land when I found the first one but it was under contract. I quickly remedied that and it was all above board when I found the second stash a few days later. That one had more coins and a few loose gemstones.”

“Gemstones?” Visions of The Goonies filled Emma’s mind and she had to stop herself from asking about One-Eyed Willy. Because, as fantastical as it seemed, the man who held her heart in his hands also had a knack for finding buried treasure. A gift she hoped he would survive considering someone out there desperately wanted to get their hands on it.

“Yes, darling,” he answered. “I think several have your name on them.”

“No way,” she argued. “I don’t want any of it. What if it’s cursed?”

“Cursed, you say?” He looked thoughtful as the sunlight was momentarily blocked by an errant storm cloud outside. “Yes, I suppose that may be true. Shortly after I uncovered the third pile, I went to the Rabbit Hole to celebrate my victory. Liam had just met Elsa so I was on my own for the most part those days. Not that it mattered, you know how this town takes to new people so I never lacked companionship for a drink or...whatever.”

“Whatever, indeed,” Emma teased in her best impression of his accent. She sensed he was coming to the part of his story that was the most difficult to relay and tried to infuse some humor into the conversation.

With a rueful grin that acknowledged her effort, both with the accent and the humor, he continued. “I met Milah that night. She was a sight to behold in the dim light of the bar, vibrant in a way that seemed too much for this little town.” He narrowed his eyes as they made contact with hers. “I didn’t know at first that she was married. Lads of twenty-four aren’t known for pumping the brakes when a beautiful woman gives them nothing but green lights and I was no different. Honestly, I was probably worse. I was a rash young man far from home and high on my own cleverness. It never occurred to me to question my good fortune or wonder why no one else was vying for her attention.”

“How far gone were you when you found out the truth?”

“Completely,” he confessed with a shaky breath. “The fight we had when I found out, well, it would have melted paint off the walls. I was a dirty little secret, the younger man who captured her attention but not her affections. It was always like that with her. She was so restless. Always moving, always searching. Nothing was ever enough. It took me a long time to realize that I wasn’t enough either. She wanted someone to rescue her from a life of boredom, someone who would carry her away and show her the world and fill her days with adventures. I couldn’t be that for her but I nearly destroyed myself trying to be.”

He was lost in the past, his eyes distant and filled with pain. Reliving the end of the most meaningful relationship of your life wasn’t easy, Emma definitely understood that. Especially when you gave all you had to it and it still collapsed in pieces around you.

“Her husband came to visit me one night toward the end. Offered me money to break it off,” he scoffed as if the idea still insulted him. “I refused of course, convinced he was the villain in our little drama and that I would win the heart of the fair maiden in the end. At it turned out, I was wrong on both counts. The villain was the fair maiden. Mr. Gold and I were both pawns in her scheme to escape a life she hated. When she had the opportunity, she took the money and ran. In my kinder moments, I feel sorry for her knowing she must have felt trapped. But then I remember the way the whole town thought I killed her and any kindness I’m able to scare up disappears. Just like she did.”

“You’ve never heard from her? You have no idea what happened to her?”

“No. When it ended, it ended badly. She wanted me to take her husband’s money so we could leave town together, was angry when I refused to be chased off into the night. It was then that I realized she didn’t care who she was with, as long as she wasn’t in Storybrooke. It was a tough blow to stomach. I only saw her one time after that, a couple of nights before she disappeared. She showed up at the cottage to apologize. Told me she would never regret our relationship but it was time to move on. She left the map as a parting gift. I knew then that she meant to leave. Make no mistake, Emma, Milah is alive and well somewhere on this globe, living her life to the fullest and not sparing a thought for anyone in this town.”

“Then her absence is no great loss,” she observed.

He shook his head slowly as if he wasn’t sure he agreed with her assessment. “The day after she stopped by for the last time was when I pulled my idiotic stunt. I got drunk and tried to sail directly into a Nor’easter. Liam caught me at the docks and insisted on coming with me when he couldn’t talk me out of leaving. Our boat capsized about a mile up the coast. I’m only glad I was able to pull him to shore.”

“You saved his life? One-handed in a gale?”

With a bitter twist of his lips, he bit out, “Not sure you’ll allowed to claim such a thing when the only reason a person was in danger in the first place is because of you. He was trapped under the broken mast. I’m still not sure how I got him out but I crushed my hand in the process. Got a pretty nasty infection and the doctors told me the hand couldn’t be saved and if I wasn’t lucky, I’d lose the arm too. Seemed like a no-brainer.”

She felt the tension gripping him and trailed her hands down his left arm, running her fingers over the smooth scars she felt there. He didn’t pull away but he didn’t relax either. “We’re all scarred in one way or another, Killian. Yours are a bit more on display than the average person but this shows that you are a survivor. I’m beginning to think it might be a bad idea for me to find Milah. She has a lot to answer for.”

“You know, I’ve tried to track her down but I’m afraid I don’t have your abilities at finding those who don’t wish to be found. I thought I had tracked her to Paris a few years ago, there was a new artist there that had her style of sketching but I could never be sure and they disappeared before I could make contact. I still have a file on my desktop with the various artwork I found in the gallery catalogues. I always thought I’d pick up the search again later.”

A little afraid to hear his answer, she nevertheless asked, “Why do you want to find her?”

“At first, I missed her. I wanted to hear her voice. Pathetic, right?” When Emma simply gave him a look that clearly disagreed, he smiled at her. “Hmm, my secretly romantic Swan. You have a tender heart that I adore but don’t worry, I won’t let anyone know.” He looked at her with such fondness that she was tempted to go for round two right then. However, on some level, she knew this conversation was more important than their physical connection.

Unaware of her thoughts, he admitted, “Lately I’ve wanted closure. Not for the relationship. It’s been dead and gone for years. For the case, in order to clear my name. I’ve done a lot of things that I’m not particularly proud of since I arrived here but I would like any doubt removed about this crime.”

“If you don’t mind sharing, perhaps we can find her together,” she offered shyly.

“Emma, everything I have is yours,” Killian told her. With a laugh he added, “Including the gold bars I found in the third treasure hoard I uncovered.” Taking her in his arms, he held her as they laid in the Captain’s Quarters in peaceful silence.

—

The rain that had threatened in the afternoon made good on its promise by the time they arrived back at the cottage with carryout from the pizza place. Fortunately, it was the kind of summer rain that moved through quickly and left the air feeling crisp and clean.

After her third slice of pepperoni, Emma leaned back in the patio chair and sighed. “I’m supposed to meet Graham tonight to search the woods. I guess I should head back to Mary Margaret’s place eventually anyway.”

With a quizzical look, Killian took a sip of his iced tea. “A date with another man and moving out? Have I done something to offend you?”

“Very funny,” she retorted. “I think we’ve gotten things a little out of order but there’s no reason to rush into this.”

“Darling, we have already fallen headfirst into the fast lane. There’s no reason to get scared now. Besides, I happen to know that David and Mary Margaret have reached the toothbrush phase of their relationship. You will be taking your sanity into your own hands if you head back there tonight. David is a loud...sleeper.”

“I don’t even want to know how you know that,” Emma said with a shiver of disgust. “Fine, I guess I’ll have to stay with you for the foreseeable future. If you don’t have any other plans, you can also join me on my date. We’re looking for bodies in the woods.”

With a grimace, Killian studied her profile. “Okay but only if I get to plan our next outing. A man likes some mystery in a relationship but dead bodies are a little overboard.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Dr. Jones.”

Forewarned about the activities for the evening consisting mainly of traversing hilly, overgrown terrain, Emma did a better job of dressing the part. Outfitted with flashlights from Killian’s emergency kit, she knew if the search lasted beyond the light of the midsummer sun they wouldn’t injure themselves in the dark at least.

Arriving at the Sheriff’s station shortly thereafter, Emma was surprised to find it empty and unlocked. Since another brief summer rain was moving through town, she texted Graham and they decided to wait it out at the station. Twenty minutes later, the rain was over but she still hadn’t heard from the sheriff. “That’s weird. He’s usually better about replying.”

“Text him a lot, do you?”

With a amused shake of her head, she admonished him. “Now is not the time to be jealous, Killian. He’s a friend and, unless I’m mistaken, he’s your friend too.”

“He’s not an enemy,” Killian conceded grudgingly. With a hint of teasing, he said, “But perhaps he is competition.” He moved around the station nonchalantly as if he might find the sheriff under a pile of papers or resting in one of the cells at the back of the open room.

With a deep breath, she walked over to him and linked her arms around his neck. “Not in my eyes. I’m not sure how to convince you that you’ve ruined me for other men.”

“I can think of some persuasive methods that will get your point across.” His roguish eyebrow was cocked in a way that she always found so endearing and sexy. “Why don’t we postpone this search party and you can give it your best shot? I promise to keep an open mind.”

“Keeping an open mind has never been your problem,” she laughed, playfully punching him in the arm. “I have a job to do so stop trying to distract me. We’ll have to go without Graham. We’re losing daylight and I’m running out of time before Henry comes home.”

What she didn’t add was the crossroads his arrival would bring. As much as she had fought against this thing with Killian, now that she was in, she was all in. While the four hour drive to Boston was not an insurmountable distance, she found the idea of being separated distasteful. She knew it was a conversation they needed to have and she wasn’t avoiding it exactly. Her rational mind kept reminding her that they had only met a month ago and people didn’t fall in love and move to different states after a few weeks of knowing someone. Especially single mothers who had children to think about.

Having officially given up on the sheriff, they headed toward the town line. Minutes later, they arrived to find the cruiser already parked on the narrow shoulder, driver side door open and cabin lights on. Jumping out of the truck, Emma exchanged a worried look with Killian and observed, “This looks like trouble.”

He followed her to the cruiser and placed his hand on the front seat. “It’s dry so he probably didn’t get here until after the rain moved through.”

“Graham!” Shouting his name repeatedly probably wasn’t an effective strategy but damn if she could think of anything else to do. Settling in the driver’s seat she found the keys still in the ignition and his walkie on the dashboard. Picking it up, she paged David. Within a minute, he answered, confusion evident in his tone.

“Emma? Why do you have Graham’s walkie?”

“We found his cruiser at the town line. No sign of him. We’re going out to the woods to search but you probably want to get here as quickly as possible. I’ve got a bad feeling about this whole scene.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me.”

True to his word, David’s battered old Ford pick-up pulled behind their truck in record time. Mary Margaret had made the journey with him and as soon as the car was in park, she rushed to Emma’s side. “Still no sign of him?”

“No,” Killian answered with his eyes scanning the thick woods.

“He headed this direction and he was in a hurry,” the brunette observed, her finger pointing toward an invisible trail as if it were obvious. At Emma’s silent question, she explained, “All-State Orienteering champion and the best tracker in town besides Ruby. Knowing your way around the forest is still a skill set that’s valued in Maine.”

“Sure. I mean, why not?” Emma said sarcastically. “Why don’t you lead the way then? We’ve already wasted time waiting around the station.”

Grabbing the flashlight that David handed her, Mary Margaret stepped off the shoulder and moved noiselessly into the woods. She would occasionally murmur an observation regarding a broken twig or boot print in the soft ground. Emma made a point to try to locate whatever signs the other woman noted on their pursuit but was only able to see the tracks occasionally. In no time at all, they had circled back up the hill to come out at the road not even a quarter of a mile from the cruiser. “Great. Back were we started.”

“No,” Mary Margaret disagreed. “Look here.” She squatted down and shined a beam of light on the asphalt.

Sure enough, Emma saw some kind of liquid that had dripped on the road. “What is that? Motor oil?” Reaching down, she lightly pressed her finger in one of the droplets and smeared it against her thumb. Looking at the bright red color, a chill ran through her. “Blood.”

“And tire tracks from an SUV if I had to guess,” David added, his light illuminating the wide tracks partially visible on the wet dirt of the shoulder. “Someone took him.” He immediately started back toward his truck, getting on his radio and calling the other deputy to round up some volunteers and meet them out at the woods.

—

Entering the cottage at four the following morning, Emma dropped on the couch in exhaustion. They hadn’t found any other clues as to the whereabouts of the sheriff or who grabbed him off the deserted road. Had he been followed out to the town line? Is that why he hadn’t responded to her text? Why would he have not reached out to her or David if he thought he was in trouble?

Settling next to her, Killian pushed her hair back behind her ear. “We won’t find him by staying up and worrying. You need to rest.”

“I can’t shake the feeling that this has to do with me.”

“With you? Why do you think so? Didn’t you say he found something in the woods? Something related to a disappearance that happened when you were a baby.”

“I know it’s crazy...”

“I didn’t say that, love. If you think this has something to do with you, I wouldn’t bet against your instincts.” Smiling at her with an expression of full support, he added, “You’ll figure it out. But it doesn’t have to be tonight.”

“He could be out there hurt, Killian, or worse. I think we need to regroup. Go through everything again. I must have missed something. And we’re going to need all hands on deck. The situation is escalating. When are Liam and Elsa supposed to come back?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

“Perhaps you should convince him to come back sooner.”

“That will be a pleasant conversation,” Killian muttered with a roll of his eyes. “Perhaps I’ll call Elsa instead. She’s the more reasonable one.”

“Coward,” she whispered against his lips as she kissed him softly. She would never get tired of this, having him within arm’s reach. His very presence made all her worries melt into the background.

“You have more than enough bravery for the both of us,” he complimented her. “But I’ll do as you ask. After all, he’s the one who brought you into this mess. Not that I’m complaining.”

“See that you don’t. I have ways of dealing with complainers,” she ordered tartly, forcing herself to get lost in this moment with him. As she got up to walk away, his fingers hooked into the pocket of her jeans and tugged her back into his lap.

“Saucy. I like that.”

“Behave, Dr. Jones.”

There weren’t any coherent words spoken as the early morning light started to break over the horizon. He had decided to disobey, misbehaving in the most delightful ways.

[chasingforeverandaday]

Can I ask for #23 from the fluff writing prompts please? “I’d rather live in the woods with you than in a mansion with some (boy/girl/person) I barely know.” I mean, it’s just screaming gendrya at me! Thank you!

Well, how does some Regency era AU sound? This one ended up a full on one shot, because I fell down a rabbit hole real fast. Also I got to write Robb, which was super fun because I never write Robb. He may be a bit out of character, but I feel like if any of the Stark siblings would understand Arya’s conflict of love and duty, it would absolutely be Robb.

half agony, half hope

There are times that Gendry Waters thinks his life would be so much simpler if he’d ever actually learned how to say no to Miss Arya Stark, sister to the Lord of Winterfell. He can stall her in her impulsivities yes, or can sometimes talk her around to his point of view on a matter, but straight up denying her when she looks up at him with those big grey eyes and the pout he always wishes to kiss from her lips?

Stronger men than him would capitulate without question.

Stronger men have.

So when she barges into his smithy one June morning, he steels himself for whatever new (potentially scandalous) misadventure she has in mind for them. But the stricken look on her face as she quietly requests that he close up early and meet her in his personal quarters ignites a panic in his belly, and he hustles the other customers out as quickly as he can after she leaves.

Door locked and forge cooled for the day, he hurries through washing up and finds her in his rooms, pacing back and forth in front of the hearth. He can see the exact moment she notices his presence, as her head whips around to his and her face crumples. Terror seizes in his veins and he crosses the room in two strides to pull her into his arms.

She doesn’t fight him, just lets herself be held for a moment before wrapping her arms around his waist so tightly he thinks she’ll never let go. A shudder passes through her slim frame, then one hand reaches up to bend his neck downwards, her mouth seeking his.

Gods know he’d be happy to kiss her forever, but something must have shaken Arya badly for her to show up unannounced and ask him to abandon his work. Pulling away to lean his forehead against hers, he asks, “Love, what’s wrong?

A tiny voice he’s never associated with Arya Stark whispers, “How quickly can you be ready to leave?”

“What?” Utterly bewildered, he pushes her back farther so he can read her face, but she just burrows her face into his neck, clinging onto him like a limpet. Cautiously, he moves them to his narrow bed, sitting on the edge as she falls into his lap, all the while never letting him go.

She looks up at him then, eyes a little harder, a little more sure as she takes his hands in hers. “Run away with me. Gendry, please, we need to go, and it needs to be as soon as possible.”

“I don’t understand, I thought we had more time, that I had more time to…” Prove myself worthy of you, let myself learn to let you go, something, anything but be forced to watch you choose between me and your family.

“My mother’s invited suitors from houses Frey, Dayne, and Arryn to Winterfell, and I heard her tell Robb earlier that she won’t be letting me reject all of them.” Turning away as she speaks, Arya curls into him more, making herself look even smaller if that were even possible. “She intends to have me wedded and bedded by the end of the summer, seems to think it will curb my more unladylike tendencies.”

“Arya, you’re only twenty two for gods’ sake. She can hardly be that desperate to be putting you on the shelf already!” Almost as an afterthought, he mumbles into her hair, “And I like your unladylike tendencies.”

A sad smile on her face, Arya cups his cheek with her palm as she stays seated in his lap. “I know you do. I think she just wants me to be someone else’s problem now. Besides, all my siblings but Rickon have made good matches and are married. But what my mother said isn’t the important part.”

There’s a subtle shift in her voice as she draws herself fully upright, the pain replaced by something a little more hopeful. She’s finally looking at him again, her grey eyes searching his.

“Because Robb…” she took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders before looking him straight in the eye. “Robb told her he thought I should have more of a choice. He said that yes, I should marry, but that it didn’t have to be one of them. He told her that none of them would make me happy, and that I should marry a man who made me smile, not grimace every time I looked at him.”

Rubbing a hand up and down her back, Gendry cannot help but wonder, “That’s good, even I know that’s a good thing, but why…?”

“Because Robb walked out of his study and found me standing there, pale as a ghost I’m sure. He took me back to my room, and he told me that he thought I shouldn’t be forced to marry a man I didn’t love.” One of her hands comes to rest over his heart, fluttering rapidly at her touch. “Somehow, he knew about you and me, because then he told me he’d been thinking about commissioning you for some ironwork around the estate, and perhaps I could go to town to speak with you about it, since neither he nor Bran could do so today.”

The pieces fall together, and a little of Arya’s hope finds a home with Gendry. “So you think he’s giving us his blessing, and we’re running away.”

“I know he is, he just can’t come out and say it because of who he is.” Threading her fingers through his own, Arya holds their clasped hands together like a talisman, pressing a light kiss to the back of his before looking up with a smile. “We’re going to Gretna Green, and we’re going to get married like we’ve wanted to for three years, and then I’m going to actually learn how to keep a house and run your smithy, and we’re going to be happy, Gendry, so incredibly happy.”

“Aye, in our tiny little home with two rooms and no grand paintings or pianos or anything fancy like what you have up at Winterfell.” He knows that Arya says she has no care for those things, but he needs to remind her of the difference in their standing, just one last time before they make this choice that will alter their lives forever.

“Stupid boy,” she giggles, poking him in the nose with the first true grin he’s seen on her face this afternoon, “I’d rather live in the woods with you than in a manor with some person I barely know. I mean, ideally we live somewhere with a forge for you, but as long as you’re with me, I’m hardly going to be picky.”

Bending down, Gendry allows himself to brush a quick kiss to her lips, a promise made without words. “Give me a few days, so I can finish up my orders and get everything ready so I can leave. Just don’t say yes to any other proposals, and we’ll be saying our vows in a fortnight.”

-/-/-

A sennight later, as she prepares her horse for the journey as surreptitiously as she can, the stable door creaks open. Terrified that it will be that one stablehand who always tells her mother when she leaves the estate without asking permission, Arya hides in the shadows of Nymeria’s stall, peeking out into the center aisle into the hazy, pre-dawn light.

It’s Robb, carefully shutting the door behind him. He walks straight up to her hiding place and holds out his hand to her, a small smirk on his face. “Come out sister, we’ve not much time to waste.”

Slowly, she leads Nymeria out of the stall, fingers tightly gripping her reins. Her brother looks older than she’s ever seen him before. He looks like a lord in a way he never has before, one with the world weighing on his shoulders. But then her eyes meet his, and he smiles at her, and Robb is her big brother once more.

Dropping Nym’s reins, Arya throws herself into his arms, trusting that he will catch her implicitly. She’ll miss this, she thinks, having a brother she knows she can depend on.

When they finally pull away, Robb reaches up to wipe a tear she hadn’t even noticed from her eye. “There now, this won’t be the last time we see each other, little sister. Besides, one would think you’d be happier to be heading off on such a grand adventure with your blacksmith.”

Laughing wetly, she replied, “I am, trust me, I am anxious to start our lives together, I just…” here she shrugged, fidgeting her hands as she tried to gather the words to express herself. “This is the last time I’ll be in Winterfell as Arya Stark, or maybe ever if Mother reacts the way I think she will when she finds out. I’ll miss it here, even when Gendry and I have a new home. It’s all I’ve ever known.”

“You’ll always have a home here, for as long as I’m the lord. Probably after too, as you and I both know you’re Little Ned’s favorite auntie. But I think you’ll be far happier living wherever you and your husband end up than you would locked up in a London townhouse with whatever ponce our Mother has handpicked for you.” The disgusted face he made at his own words made her smile again, which she knew was exactly why he’d done so in the first place.

Serious again, Robb placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze as he said, “I’ve grown to love Jeyne, I have, but I’ve never looked at her the way your Mr. Waters looks at you, or you look at him, and neither has Sansa’s husband. You’re incandescently happy whenever you’re near him, and I can always tell when you haven’t spoken to him in days because you’re so quiet, like you’re holding in all of your thoughts until you can share them with him.”

He sighed before continuing in a soft tone, “If you hadn’t found him, hadn’t fallen in love, then I would try to arrange a marriage for you that could lead to your overall happiness in life. But you did. You fell in love years ago, and I’m glad that at least one of us gets to experience that joy in this lifetime.”

Moving to hold her hand in his left, he reached with his right into the breast pocket of his coat and pulled out an envelope. “This is the information for the accounts I’ve had set up in your name in London.” He placed it in her hand and looked her square in the eyes. “You may not be marrying with a proper trousseau, but this way you won’t be entering this marriage without your dowry. You don’t need to worry about Mother’s reaction either, I’ll take care of it. Jon will meet you in Scotland, I’ve already sent him an express explaining everything.”

Shocked at all the things he had thought of and put in place for her, Arya could only manage to sob, “Robby, I…” before hugging him again.

Her brother pulled her close once more, placing a kiss on her brow before pulling away. “I love you, and I’m sorry I cannot do more. Be happy, Arya. Be happy and one day when we’re old and grey, you’ll tell me stories of all your adventures with the man I know you love and the adorable little children I’m sure you’ll have. Now go, the tasks I set for James cannot take much longer, and you have quite the ride ahead of you.”

With that, Robb helped her onto her horse and led her outside as the sun rose. After he let her go, Arya pushed Nymeria into a trot, determined to make her way to the closed smithy before the people of Wintertown fully awoke. She only let herself look back once, barely able to see the figure of her brother as he waved her off into her future.

[thecomposerofstories]

The Story of a Toy: The full story (So far, anyway, I still have a lot left to write, and any ideas are fully welcome! 💖)

~ The Story of a Toy~

UNDERSTANDINGS.

Amy didn’t understand it at first, why did play-time have to end? Why couldn’t they just play together, like they always did? But now she knew why.

Children grow up, and they leave. And her owner may forget the days they spent playing, and may not miss her the way she did, but Amy would remember, and as long as she did, she would be fine.

She hoped.

Her owner placed her carefully in a box, smiling sadly, as if she knew the small ragdoll she held was sentient, which was, of course, impossible.

Amy never understood the rule toys had to abide by, but always listened to them, because she had seen enough horror movies featuring dolls coming to life to know that humans frowned upon that sort of thing, and Amy, not wanting her owner to fear her or call an exorcist, stayed still.

But she had looked at her as if she were real. All those days spent running around in the park, lazing in the sun, her owner reading to her stories. Her owner’s favourite stories were always The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland. (Whom Amy’s owner had been named after)

Amy noticed that Dorothy, Alice and Wendy all wore blue, and travelled to fantasy worlds which by either flying, tornado, or Rabbit hole, respectively. And all were an allegory to leaving childhood. Which was an interesting coincidence. And much like those characters, Alice had to leave her childhood –and Amy- behind.

Shutting the box deftly, closing Amy in an only temporary darkness, Alice climbed up the steps of the attic.

Placing down the box beside the others, she left unceremoniously.

Amy moved her limbs dully, coming to life. She peered out from the box to get a closer look at her surroundings.

“Hello?” She called out tentatively. Using other objects placed within the box, -some books, old records, and a jewellery box- she clambered out, tumbling over. She coughed at the dust, adjusting her dark hair so it didn’t blind her. “H-Hello? Is anybody there?” She called out again, a little louder.

Nothing. She was the only toy there. Other toys had been sold, lost, and some had even lost hope in Alice and left. All but Amy.

Amy, feeling aloof and uncertain, just stood there.

I’ll wait, she thought. Someone, at some point, will open my box and play with me, or hand me off to a place where I could be played with… or something, hopefully.

And so the poor, steadfast ragdoll stood, waiting to be played with.

CHAPTERS

Reading was always a favourite pastime of Amy’s, a habit she had picked up from Alice. And it seemed to be reading that was keeping her sane. She read any books she could find:

Horror. (for days that she was bored and needed a scare, to give her an extra kick of adrenaline to keep her going,)

Picture books, (Her favourite was one about Dinosaurs, her favourite being the Tyrannosaurus Rex. In the book –Which to Amy didn’t seem that factually accurate- the T- Rex was described as ‘Fearsome and scary’, but she didn’t really think so, especially since she had read a famous quote: 'Green is the prime colour of the universe, and that from which it's loveliness arises', she reckoned anyone who was green would know that.)

Comedies. (Which made Amy laugh even if she didn’t get it.)

Even a huge dictionary titled: Strange Words and Their Meanings. (She adored going through the pages, memorising each word carefully.)

Over the years, Amy had read all of these books, more times than she could count.

Rest of the time spent in the attic she looked out of the window, while perched on a tower of boxes where she could look out but and no-one could see her. Like she didn’t exist. Either with a book or gazing dully out at the passing world outside, in her own little reverie.

Today was just like any other day. Or, it started out like one. Amy knew Alice’s parents had moved out of their house, a few months ago, and was wondering when someone else would come along.

Today was the day! A blue mini-van-like car parked itself in front of the garage, Amy guessed, a moving-van in tow. ‘Egg-Man-Movers’ was spelt along the truck, with funny looking literal egg-like man moving a bunch of boxes with the letters that spelt the name on the truck.

As the car stopped, a little boy, around six or seven, jumped out the car, holding two small figures Amy couldn’t quite see, though she was certain one was wearing a hat. The boy wore a hat, too, a red one. A woman also stepped out of the car, presumably the boy’s mother, and they both got a small creature, probably a baby, out of the car too.

Amy jumped down from the window sill, enthusiastically spinning and laughing. “It’s today! It’s today! A new owner! Yes!” She squealed, she did a fist pump in the air and danced around like some madwomen, spinning, until she tripped over her feet. Laughing, of course.

This was what she was waiting for! Amy loved reading, but do you know what she loved about it the most?

Starting new chapters.

NOTHING

Nothing.

Non-one.

Amy expected for someone to bring some boxes into the attic, notice her and take her out, but no. Why bring stuff with you if you’re just going to put it away and never see it was the only explanation.

Sometimes, she could hear the boy, and the mother, and the baby.

Sometimes, she could hear other voices coming from downstairs, too. The child’s toys, she figured.

They’re having so much more fun than me, I bet. Amy thought. She was never really a bitter person, but she couldn’t help but be a little jealous. OK, a lot jealous. But what could she do?

Wait.

That was it, all she could do. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She mantra’d in her head.

She was sick of it. She wanted to play! To have conversations! Where was the Adventure? While the toys in the little boy’s room were having much more fun than her. Amy elbowed a box in frustration.

A pile of old records and magazines fell on her head.

Yearsshe had been waiting. Decades, even. Amy used some spare chalk to keep track of the days she’d spent in the attic. Today was day number sixteen thousand, six hundred and eighty-six, to be exact.

Today was just another number, it was late afternoon. Amy stepped down from the boxes, covering the window with a curtain. She walked into the middle of the dusty room, thinking. Amy knew she could climb out the window, what if someone sawher? What if she slipped? What if, if she successfully got to a near window ledge, and the window was locked? What if the toys threw her back out for intruding? She couldn’t just stay here forever… but what if she did?

All these thoughts coursed through her cotton-stuffed head, her thoughts so loud she nearly didn’t hear the attic stairs being used, creaking with each step.

She was so shocked she ran and hid behind a vase, narrowly escaping being seen. Through a small hole in the box she peeked at the mother of the little boy and baby as she dumped some boxes and left.

TOYS IN THE ATTIC

“W-where are we?” a voice whispered nervously, other voices replied, “How am I supposed to know?!” “S-sorry…” “Let’s have a look!”

Amy stayed behind the shelf, peeking from behind a vase. She’d had been longing to speak to other toys for so long, so why was mind screaming for her to hide?

Four toys stepped out from the box. First, a rather foreign, futuristic-looking action hero who was a bit taller than Amy, with all sorts of fancy buttons and gadgets attached to them. “Which planet is this?” he asked his friend, a much taller, lanky ragdoll who wore boots with spurs and a cow-print vest over his checked shirt. he straightened his brown hat, taking in the surroundings. “It’s not another planet, Buzz, it’s just the attic.” He said calmly, or dryly, depending on how you read it. The third toy literally sprung out of the box, as he had a spring for a body with a dog’s head and backside at opposite ends. His springy body rattled and made a satisfying noise.

The last figure surprised Amy. A strange creature at first, well, all the toys looked strange and new to her, but this was by far the strangest.

He was a little bit shorter than the one in the hat, but only because he was hunched low, fumbling with his little arms. He was green, his scales made of plastic. Amy tried to place where she had seen a creature like that before, before it hit her: It was a dinosaur! A Tyrannosaurus Rex, to be exact.

She was so enamoured with the creature she leaned against the floral vase to get a closer look, as he observed the room with his friends.

But she leaned to hard, and the vase tipped and smashed. Amy ducked behind some plates before the strangers saw her.

The four toys turned to the sound of the noise, terrified. ‘Buzz’, as his friend had called him, pointed a shining red light attached to his arm at the broken pieces of porcelain.

“What was that?!” the Dinosaur whisper-screamed, hiding behind his friend. The Springy Dog turned to his friends, equally stricken, stating, “We gotta find a way outta here!”

The one in the hat nodded “You’re right, Slink.” he turned to the trap door at his feet, which got them there in the first place. He pulled at the latch, but it wouldn’t open. “It’s locked!” “And the dormer is sealed… it seems we’re trapped.” Buzz fathomed, after analysing the door on the floor.

The dinosaur started to freak out. “We can’t stay in here forever!” Buzz cut him off, “Come on, Rex, calm down!” This only made the poor thing ramble on more. “But what if Andy forgets we were in that box? We’ll be stuck here forever!” “Stop it!” the other three shouted at him, annoyed.

Amy felt the overwhelming need to go and comfort the poor thing, or, Rex, as they called him. She understood how he felt. It was dark and gloomy, (or Mirk, as Strange Words and Their Meanings would say.) She couldn’t blame him for being scared.

Amy wanted to help the other toys, but was confused as to how to introduce herself. She couldn’t just step out of nowhere, as Rex might just die of fright, and she didn’t want that.

Instead, she just kept listening to the other toys’ conversations.

“Maybe we can find another way out of here?” The one in the hat thought to himself. “Great idea, Woody!” Buzz praised, before striking a pose and exclaiming, “I’m ready for a new mission! Buzz Lightyear will have you out of this attic in a flash!”

The other toys just stared, deadpan, at him.

Slink spoke up, “It won’t be easy, we need to find something to light this place up first” Woody agreed, “Yeah, It’s getting dark, soon we won’t be able to see anything” “Oh, I don’t like this at all! I’m afraid of the dark!” Rex sputtered, Buzz shushed him “Quiet, I’m trying to analyse the problem” he thought for a moment, before declaiming, “We can use my laser for light!” he shined his laser into Slink’s eyes as an example. “I don’t think it’s enough to light the whole place up, Buzz.” Woody pressed gently, Slink scoffed, rubbing his eyes with his paws “Yeah, but it’s enough to blind me!” Amy giggled at their banter, as quietly as she could. “Maybe there’s some Christmas lights in here or something”

Woody though aloud, Rex nodded. “Yeah, there’s loads of old stuff here, we’re sure to find something!” Woody placed a hand on Buzz’s shoulder, “And you can always use your laser to see what’s inside the boxes” Buzz grinned.

“I’ll look in the closet!” Slink said over his shoulder, while Woody looked behind boxes with Buzz.

Rex gulped, standing in the middle of the room. He went to inspect the broken vase by the shelves. He was now so close Amy could see all the detailing in his plastic skin.

His eyes locked with hers, eyes wide, and he yelped in surprise. So did Amy.

“Rex! What happened?” Buzz called, his friends following him and rushing to the panicking dinosaur. Amy fell out from her hiding spot, finally exposed. What could she say? “H-h-hello…?” she said, awkwardly, to the other toys who stared at her.

FRIEND FOR LIFE

“Hello” Slink said first, going up to the frightened ragdoll and speaking softly. “It’s okay, we won’t hurt you, do ya have a name?” Amy got up from the floor, dusting off her denim dress nervously. “I-I’m Amy…” the ragdoll stuttered. Woody tipped his hat and shook her hand. “Well, nice to meet you, Amy, I’m Woody.” “Nice to meet you too.” Amy responded nervously. Buzz shook her hand next, firmer than Woody. “I am Buzz Lightyear, Space Ranger. I mean, well not really…well, it’s a long story.” Amy smiled. Slink was next. “I’m Slinky Dog, but you can call me Slinky or Slink if you want.”

Rex was last, he approached her more cautiously, shaking her hand nervously. “I’m Rex, nice to meet you, Amy.” he said warmly, before asking quickly afterwards, “Did I scare you? I’m supposed to be scary, ya’see, so please, tell me honestly.” Amy stuttered a response “N-nice to meet you, too, R-Rex, and I was terrified... But I’ve always wanted to meet a dinosaur.” Rex grinned bashfully, fiddling with his hands. “Really?” “Y-yes.” Rex giggled “I like you, Amy!”

Woody laughed and rolled his eyes. “You’ve made a friend for life, now, Amy. Do you know if there’s any way to get us out of here?” the cowboy asked, (not that Amy would know he was one at this point), but she answered, nodding, “There’s a window above those boxes there, behind that curtain.” she gestured at the tower of boxes in front of them, laid out in just a way that they looked like stairs.

Woody, Buzz and Slinky descended up the boxes. Rex looked at Amy, grinning. “Aren’t you gonna join us?” “Really? C-can I?” “Of course! We can’t just leave you in here! It’s scary! Besides, it’d be nice to have a you around!” Amy smiled, climbing the boxes to reach the others.

Once they reached the top, Buzz pushed back the curtain and while the other toys climbed out. Amy was last. She took one last look at the attic, before straightening her back and walking out on the window ledge.

ANDY’S ROOM.

A breeze hit Amy in the face as she stood on the window ledge outside. Her dark hair flew in front of her face in annoying tendrils. The sky had darkened considerably, which made it even more thrilling. Rex shivered, “Oh, it’s so high!” Amy nodded, looking down at the ground. Amy watched as the three other toys grabbed the drainpipe and slid down to the window just below. Woody waved from below “Come on! Someone could see us!” Amy stuttered “B-but what if I fall?” “You’ll be fine, I swear!” Amy smiled wearily. She gripped the drainpipe, took a deep breath, jumped and slid down to the side of the window.

She screamed internally, holding on for dear life. Her legs and arms wrapped around the pole, eyes looking down at the pavement where she would surely end up. She had only been still for about a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. Could she do this? Would she do this?

She jumped.

Landing in a heap, nearly knocking Woody and Buzz over.

Rex leapt next. He couldn’t properly jump, so Amy and Woody had to pull him into the window. “I’m alive!” Rex breathed, Woody rolled his eyes for what must have been the second or third time today.

Woody turned to Amy. “Welp, welcome to Andy’s room.” Amy turned to face the room.

It used to be Alice’s.

Now, everything was different. It was a strange feeling, nostalgia mixed with the feeling of being in a new place.

The shelf was always there, yes, still there, same colour, too, only with new bits and bobs and toys and books placed on it. Everything else was foreign and strange. Even the wallpaper.

Amy stepped on a desk that wasn’t there before, well, there was a desk there before, but it wasn’t this one.

Amy watched as the four other toys jumped down from the desk to a chair to the floor and copied their example, sort of. She fell in a tangle on the floor.

A group of toys surrounded the five, the first to speak was a funny looking creature with a mustache and a bowler hat with a Brooklyn accent, akin to the shape of a potato “Who’s the newbie?” he asked, Rex replied quickly “This is Amy, we rescued her from the attic!” Amy spoke up gently “Well, rescued is not a word I would choose, really, I’d say they more encouraged me to leave, I say they, but really-” a female voice cut her off “Well, whoever you are, welcome”

The speaker of these words was a porcelain doll, much taller than Amy, who smiled warmly yet dryly, with a skirt that flared out so wide it reminded Amy of a parachute. She carried a long blue cane, holding it professionally.

A small cluster of sheep made bleating noises at her feet. Amy guessed she must be a Shepard.

“I’m Bo Peep.” She stated, extending a hand. Amy shook it nervously. This woman radiated beauty, with her shiny porcelain skin and her golden curls. Amy felt slightly intimidated and uncomfortable under her blue gaze. “Hello, B-Bo, heh, that rhymes, doesn’t it? Nice to m-meet you, and I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you that same Bo Peep from that nursery rhyme?”

Bo smiled, amused at the ragdoll’s nervousness and tendency to drabble, letting down her guard a little bit. “Yes, I’m the same Bo from the nursery rhyme.” The ragdoll grinned uneasily. She remembered when Alice was little, she would read nursey rhymes.

“Andy’s comin’!” a toy yelled, a piggy bank whom Amy hadn’t been introduced too yet.

The other toys zipped in different directions at lightning speed, Amy didn’t know what to do.

So she fell to the ground, inanimate.

~A Dinosaur's Distress~

REPLACEMENT.

“These toys are so much better than my old ones, Mom!” Andy called as he rushed into his room.

He placed the big paper bag with the words ‘Dinosaur Museum’ he was carrying on his desk. “I never knew how many cooler dinosaurs there were!”

Rex cowered, his vision felt like he was watching the whole scene through a fish-eye lenses. He lay frozen, watching Andy tear away the plastic wrapping and boxes the toys were in.

“Andy! Dinner!” Andy’s mother called. Andy trudged downstairs reluctantly down stairs. “Coming!”

Rex felt like he was being choked, his mind clogged with rambling thoughts.

He’d always dreaded this.

Shakily, he moved his limbs, walking towards the desktop. He twiddled with his hands nervously and winced, so wrapped up with what could be up there that he didn’t notice his friends were missing.

He called out tentatively, “H-h-hello…?” he squeaked. The room felt both big and small, a nauseous, nightmarish feeling. But the most horrifying thing was how Rex was alone. No-one could stop him from panicking this time.

The new toys arose and jumped, slithered, crawled, and trudged down from the desk, towering over Rex and cornering him so quickly it was as if they were always there.

“Andy don’t need you no more…” one toy –if he, or maybe it, could be called one- slurred, grey saliva clung to his teeth in thick, sticky ropes. His scales rough and uneven, grotesque muscles rippling in a sickly shade of orange.

“You’re weak. Pathetic. Andy needs a toy that deserves him.” A purple one said, sickly yellow eyes narrowing. This one had many horns adorned to its face and body like piercings. Rex had never seen dinosaurs’ like them before.

The toys seemed to strangely multiply, each one different. Each one better them him. Scarier than him. And much stronger than him. They all taunted him. His anxiety, his arms, his cowardice.

One grabbed his arm with sharp taloned fingers, snickering. “Look at this! What kinda toy factory allowed this thing on sale?” He snickered. Others did the same. Jabbing and poking him till he could take it no more. Rex screamed.

“Stop! please,” he sobbed, pulling away and backing up against Andy’s starry wallpaper. The grotesque creatures just laughed bitterly, prodding him and pushing him and even hitting him.

“Oh, does that hurt?” (Saying it hurt was an understatement.)

“Look at those stupid arms! So flimsy!”

“Look at you! who would want you?”

“Pathetic!”

“Idiot!”

Rex tried screamed for his friends “S-STOP! PLEASE! H-HELP!”

The toys sneered. “They can’t hear you!” the tallest, largest one slurred with his sickly tongue. He was the worst-looking of the lot. His eyes bloodshot and his arms long and rippling with muscle. His bumpy scales the colour of green toxic waste, so ugly looking it glowed. His voice sounded like an earth-quake, loud and booming, yet scratchy, like nails against glass. “But if they did, why would they care? You’re their punching bag. Even they make fun of you!”

They began to taunt him again. Rex tried to cancel them out, squeezing his eyelids shut.

They laughed. Rex screamed again, though it did nothing.

He began to lose consciousness.

BREATHE.

“Rex?” Amy whispered, nudging him a little. Rex had been placed on the bed by Andy, -Who was getting ready for school- and had fallen asleep. Amy had been reading underneath the bed up until he had started muttering in his sleep.

Rex bolted awake, breathing heavily and shallowly, hyperventilating. All the other toys in the room turned and stared at him. Amy looked at him with a concerned expression. He’d been getting more and more jumpy lately since it was declared that Andy was going to the Museum.

Rex jolted awake, shaking like he’d seen a ghost.

Woody, who was also on the bed, went to the dino to see what was wrong. Rex pinned his small hands on the cowboy’s shoulders. “Where’s Andy?!” He said urgently, shaking the confused cowpoke. Woody looked at Rex, bewildered. “Getting ready to leave for school? Is everything alright?” “NO! Everything is NOT alright!” Rex screamed hysterically “Andy’s going to the Dinosaur Museum, and I’m gonna get replaced!” “No he’s not! If Andy was gonna get a new toy, he would have made some withdrawals. And Hamm would know about it.” Woody argued. Then he turned to Hamm, who was on the desk. “Hamm, has Andy made any withdrawals?” the cowboy asked. Hamm looked solemn. “Nope, only deposits.”

“See?” Woody said, trying to calm the dinosaur down. He did. A little.

The toys heard Andy talking to his Mother from inside the room. “Mom, can I have some money to bring to the Museum?” “Sure! I’ll give you five dollars.” “Thanks Mom!”

Hamm watched them leaves outside from the window, with Molly, of course, driving away in the car.

Rex froze. “So it’s true… I am going to be replaced…” he said sadly, quietly, his stress building up from there. “What should I do… what should I do… WHAT SHOULD I DO WOODY WHAT SHOULD I DO!?” Rex screamed, his claws dug in Woody’s shoulders again, shaking him.

The some of the toys –Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, Bo and Hamm- swarmed around the bed. “Rex! Calm down! Please!” Rex couldn’t hear them. he kept fretting. “I’m gonna be replaced! I can’t deal with this! Woody, I CAN’T! “REX!” Woody yelled, shrugging him away.

Amy watched on from behind, unsure what to do. Rex was stressing out, hyperventilating and fretting, all the toys swarming around him, cocooning him in loud noise and emotions, yelling at him to quieten down or he’ll wake the neighbours. Amy moved in front of Rex quickly, to give him some space and probably calm him and everyone else down, when a hand smacked her in the face and she fell to the duvet cover.

Everyone in the room stopped. Amy lay motionless, next to Rex, who stood in silent horror. Her dark hair covered her like a curtain, she wasn’t moving.

Rex stood still, shocked. “A-Amy?” He stuttered. The other toys backed away. Buzz looked shook. He didn’t mean for that to happen…

Amy stirred. “R-Rex...? what happened…?” She murmured. Then it came back to her. “Are-are you okay?” she asked Rex, he looked taken aback. “A-Are you kidding? Y-y-you just got slapped! I-I should be asking you!” he said, still shaking after his outburst, his breathing still shallow, but his voice quieter, making sure his friend was alright. “No, you shouldn’t. You really shouldn’t.” She answered, while getting up, with deep concern for her friend. “Amy, you- you’re hurt!” Rex exclaimed. Amy touched her cheek were Buzz had hit her.

She could feel soft stuffing coming out of a small cut on her cheek, she gasped.

She turned to Buzz. “Why did you do that?” she asked softly, in shock. Buzz stammered. “I-I’m so sorry, Amy, I didn’t mean to hurt you…” he started. Amy then looked at him with a soft expression. “What about Rex?” the ragdoll replied. She spoke quietly, still dazed. Buzz gulped. “I thought it would…” “Would what?” “…I don’t know.”

Buzz moved closer to Rex. The dinosaur jerked back, still freaking out. Buzz put his hands up in peace. “Rex, I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to hit you. It was a foolish mistake.” Rex nodded slowly, understanding “I-I understand.” He still looked shaky. He whimpered. He felt terrible. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He mantra’d in his head. How could he have been so stupid? How could he… all thoughts and sounds pressed against him, squeezing his chest.

Amy turned to Rex. “Rex,” she whispered softly, “What’s wrong?” Rex stayed silent for a beat before speaking. Despite not really having a throat, his voice came out hoarse. “I’m g-going to be r-replaced, Amy, and Andy’s going to get a-a dinosaur w-w-who’s much better than me…” he rambled. He shook, fidgeting with his hands.

The other toys weren’t sure what to do. Rex always was a neurotic, but seeing him freak out like this saddened them.

Amy locked eyes with Rex, backing away from him far enough to give him space to breathe.

“Breathe,” Amy told him gently, “Deep breaths, and you’ll feel better, I promise.”

He took one shaky breath. Then he took another. And another. And another. He could feel air coming in and out of him a bit more normally now.

That was a start.

“Do you want me to talk to you alone? You’ll feel better if you talk it out.” Amy assured. Rex nodded.

ASSURANCE

Amy was walking around the room with Rex, trying to calm his nerves. The other toys had gone back to their own business, a tad confused, and more than a bit worried for their friend.

“W-what about your cut?” Rex asked, Amy dismissed it with a wave of her mitten-like hand, like having her face carved up with stuffing peeking out was the most normal thing. “Don’t worry, I’ll deal with it later, I need to help you first.” She said calmly, absently brushing her cheek. It felt weird, kind of numb, but she would fix it later. Then she added, “And you shouldn’t worry about being replaced, either.” She thought for a moment, calculating what to say next. Could she dare to ask why?

They walked in silence for a while before Amy broke it. “Rex, why are you so worried?” she asked softly, hoping she wasn’t going to upset him. Surprisingly, Rex replied better than she expected.

“Andy g-got me from the Museum…” he started shakily. “The toy company that I was owned by and the Museum had an agreement to sell toys there…” his gaze drifted away from the ragdoll, into the past.

“…I remember the children pointing at me, saying “Hey, look how small it’s arms are!” and ‘and “Heh, look at his dopey face” … They were always more interested in the scarierlooking toys… not me.” Rex trailed off.

“I learnt that the Tyrannosaurus Rex is supposed to be the most fearsome dinosaur –no, creature- to rule the earth.

There were posters in the gift shop where I lived, before Andy. Scary, big pictures of dinosaurs, roaring and growling, scaring everyone… They were respected. And children thought they were cool.

I wanted that. I wanted to be respected. But whenever I try, I become an idiot. I can barely roar. I know everyone in this room thinks I’m annoying, and I don’t blame them. And I don’t hate them for it.

I just know, one day, maybe even today, Andy’s going to get a newer, respectful dinosaur, and I’m going to be abandoned. Discarded. Because I can’t even do what I was made to do. to be scary.

I want to be scary, because I know that’s the only way people will like me. I was alone in that gift shop; no one would talk to me… they hated me for being myself. For not being what they expected me to be.” he paused, before laughing ruefully, sadly. Trying to keep it together, trying to keep from crying. He’d been needing to tell someone that for a long time. “I must be acting really pathetic, huh? And your p-probably bored… forget what I said…” Amy shook her head as if that was the silliest thing she’d ever heard. “No, you’re just talking to me because you’ve had no one to talk to. You shouldn’t pretend to be someone you’re not just to be loved or feared. That’s crazy. We all like you for being you.

You’re special to Andy. And even if he does get a new dinosaur, Andy will play with the both of you. It’s like Woody and Buzz, remember when you told me how much they hated each other at the start?” He nodded. After Amy had arrived to Andy’s room, Rex had felt responsible to tell her everything that had happened to him and his friends. “Well, you’re sure to have a friend in that new dinosaur, if Andy gets one.”

Rex wasn’t so sure. “But what if the new dinosaur is bad? Like… evil?” “Well then, we’ll just do what Woody did and throw him out of the window the window.” She said, smirking. Rex laughed.

PATCHED-UP.

The rest of the day had gone without error, for a room as chaotic as Andy’s. Amy now sat down on top of Andy’s desk as Rex tried to sew Amy back up. She had politely declined at first, but Rex had insisted. He wanted to help, but also, unknown to Amy, because he had nothing to do but worry otherwise otherwise. Also, he felt safer when he was with his friend.

Amy noted the small hollows beneath Rex’s eyes; from all the worrying, she presumed sadly. The poor thing…

She watched as he sewed her cheek up with a needle and a small piece of thread while Amy was seated on top of some building blocks so Rex could reach her. Rex was, surprisingly, really good at sewing. Probably because his fingers were small and nimble. Checking the stitches weren’t loose, he tied the thread off. you’d never know the cut had been there.

Rex remembered, with guilt, how Amy had got the cut in her cheek in the first place. “I’m sorry about your cut…” Rex apologized.

Amy sighed softly. “Well what could I have done? I couldn’t just let you get hit.” “But it’s my fault he tried to hit me in the first place! If I hadn’t’ve freaked out the way I did, if I hadn’t been so dramatic, you wouldn’t have gotten hit! It’s all my fault…” he looked like he’d let her down.

But he hadn’t. “You couldn’t have acted any other way. You were scared, you couldn’t control yourself. and I understand that. And I promise that if you ever feel like that again, I’ll help you. I don’t care how hurt I get; I’ll be able to sew myself back up afterwards.” She smirked.

Rex sighed. “But I was being dramatic! And needy… while I’m whining about my own life… you were cooped up in that attic…” “You were anxious; everyone is dramatic when they’re anxious.” “You’re not…” Rex trailed off. “You’re much braver than me.” He admitted. Amy sighed. But not out of annoyance. “Yes, you are.” Amy countered. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here. And it was brave of you to tell me why you were scared in the first place, it shows good character.” “… it shows good character to be a fraidy cat?” “Yep. When you’re scared, you become stronger by facing what scares. And I know you can face them, Rex.” Amy smiled at him. “What if I can’t?” “You can. And I’ll be right beside you if you need me, no matter what.” “T-thank you, Amy.” Rex stuttered, but grinning.

Well, if Amy thinks he could, he thought, maybe he can.

GLOWING.

Rex fiddled with his hands nervously in the remaining hour till Andy got home. Amy, Hamm, Woody, and Slinky tried to distract the dino with a game of cards.

“He’s coming!” Mr. Potato Head yelled, and the other toys ran back to their places. Amy helped Rex back onto the bed. The dinosaur in question had a pained expression on his face. And he whimpered, staring into space. Amy smiled sympathetically “You’re going to be fine, Rex, I promise.” She whispered reassuringly, before going limp as Andy burst into the room.

To Rex’s dismay, he was carrying a paper bag. Just like the one in his nightmare. Just like the one he’d came in years’ prior today. He felt sick. So this is it…Andy grinned and took the object out of the box, ripping it’s packaging. I’m doomed… Rex thought, he tried to focus on what Amy had said, but he couldn’t…

Rex wasn’t sure if he wanted to cry or laugh as Andy pulled out what he had bought.

It was a lamp. He had worked himself up. For a lamp. Its lampshade had a Jurassic landscape on it, with T-Rexes and Triceratopses and other dinosaurs on it.

Andy spotted Rex on the bed. His face lit up. “Look! It’s the most fearsome creature on the planet!” He grabbed Rex and a few other toys, and started playing.

This playtime, Rex was a ferocious, toy-eating carnivore, stomping across the saloon, eating all in sight. (Even cacti!) He had taken Amy hostage, and she screamed in his grasp, trying to swat him away with her soft cotton hands to no avail. “Help me! Help me please!” she screamed. Luckily, Woody and Buzz, (Ever the dynamic duo,) defeated Rex. Buzz had distracted him with his laser, and Rex followed it like a cat, entangling him in Woody’s lasso, (Slinky). Andy’s Mother then called him downstairs for dinner/tea.

As the toys sprung to life, happy about tonight’s playtime, Rex was undoubtedly the happiest. He grinned at Amy, who was beside him. “You were right.” He said, Amy beamed, “See? What did I tell you? Andy would never replace you.” Rex blanched. “Yeah, but why…?” “... Because who would?” Amy muttered to herself. She wasn’t sure if Rex heard, and she wasn’t quite sure why she had said it.

It was true that she was fond of Rex, but of course, not that fond. After all, he was a dinosaur, and she was a ragdoll, it would just be far too strange. And what if Andy gets another dinosaur... one with pretty scales…? Amy thought with worriment, before snapping out of it. Oh now I’m doing it! She mentally scolded herself, as she and Rex continued to converse.

That night, when Andy was getting ready for bed, the lamp was the only source of light. Silhouettes of dinosaurs patterned the walls with a warm yellowy glow. Rex watched the dinosaur shadows with amusement. Amy had been right. But say, if Andy ever did get a dinosaur, he or she, or they, for that matter, no matter how cool or scary they were, could never replace him. Also, he decided, if Andy did, it might not be so bad.

Especially if the other dinosaur was just as kind as Amy.

[kbmercer]

Ch.1, Pt.1/2: Long Time, No See

[Life’s A Journey]

Summary:

A lot had happened after they parted ways. Nevertheless, the threads that tie them together remained. From children to adults, a reunion that’s long overdue leads the trio to embark on another journey.

Just like old times.

Word Count: 3k+

The screeching of the rail pulls (Y/n) from their slumber. The train they sat in was slowly coming to a halt. An announcer broadcasts their location while bleary (e/c) eyes work to regain clarity. A yawn releases from the trainer’s throat as a (s/c) hand moves to massage their neck from the soreness of lying back throughout the ride. In a half-conscious state they manage to grasp their luggage, rolling it along the thin rug of the transport and lifting it pass the gap between the train car door and the station floor. The cool air-conditioned atmosphere of the station works to rouse them as they take a moment to stretching in the center of the terminal. With a hum of satisfaction, (Y/n) swiftly checks the time on their Rotom Phone before quickly exiting the building. It’s been a long time since they’d been here…A long, long time.

The dim light of the evening sun illuminates the cobblestone streets of Wedgehurst. The sounds of banter from townsfolk and the chirping of Rookidee bring back memories, some insignificant but heartwarming all the same. The sparse lighting of the overhead lamps speckled the town in white and the fluorescent glow of open businesses show just how much the place has grown. It was very interesting to see how much change Galar had been through since the time they had moved away. Though, what (Y/n) wondered most was how their friends were doing. How much had they changed? Soon enough they would know, for stopping by Wedgehurst for a surprise visit is their way of finding out. They just hoped it wasn’t too late to pop in today.

With renewed pep in their step, (Y/n) walks straight ahead until she is met with a tall structure of brown, white, and violet. The pokéball sign over the entrance indicated that it was indeed the Pokémon Lab. It hasn’t changed a bit save for the vines that grew out and over the windowsills. Giving a tentative knock on the door, the veteran trainer walks through and takes a good look. The outside may not have appeared too different, but wow! The inside had some work done. New technology was a given considering the occupation of science and research, though there was so much more greenery and literature that there was now a second floor. The place could pass for a recreational library if it really wanted to.

“Why, hello there. Is there anything I can assist you with?” (Y/n) turns their head to view a rather plain looking lady. A woman of average height with blue-black hair and glasses stands patiently for an answer.

“Hey-ya. I was looking to see if Sonia or Professor Magnolia were here?” The woman shakes her head.

“I’m sorry. They have left for the day. I stayed behind to organize my work, so I’ll be the one closing for tonight.” A small sigh leaves them in response.

“I did arrive too late, then. That’s not a problem. I’ll just visit them when they’re in tomorrow.” Giving a nod of thanks (Y/n) turns to exit, yet upon opening the door they are met with a familiar face. A teen boy with amber eyes and a head of purple hair. He had a stack of annotated papers in hand; the fluffy figure of a Dubwool stood by his side as it bleated at them in greeting. (Y/n) would have greeted the pokémon back if they and the boy weren’t having a borderline staring contest, both shocked at seeing each other once again. Apparently, the boy was at a loss for words so (Y/n) breaks the silence.

“How’s it hangin’ Hopscotch? You haven’t forgotten about me have ya?” A proud smile graces their face. He’s grown so much from the last time they saw him.

In a split second, the weight of his person clings to them in a tight hug. His shoulders shake with quiet sobs as (Y/n) reciprocates, letting tears of their own slip down their cheeks. It was one thing to talk through a phone screen but seeing each other in-person goes unmatched. It has been years.

(Y/n) was like a second sibling to Hop; a wayward soul with a sharp wit and open mind. Someone who, despite being rather blithe was also fully capable of giving their 110% percent. Both they and Lee played a part in making who he is as a person, more than they’d ever know. So, when (Y/n) had made the decision to “go on a new adventure”, he didn’t know how to feel. To be in their presence after over half a decade has him floored. When Hop pulls away to dry the remainder of his tears, (Y/n) takes their hands to playfully cup his face.

“Say it ain’t so! I swear it was just yesterday when I had to crouch to look at you.” The boy huffs swatting their hands away.

“Yeah. Time will do that to a person.”

“I swear it was just yesterday when you weren’t as cheeky either.” Hop laughs.

“What are you doing here?! Just a few days ago you said you were in Hoenn!?”

“Well I was, but I also had a flight soon after our call.”

“So what? You just weren’t going to tell anyone that you’d be in Galar.”

“Nope. I wanted to surprise you all. You should have seen the look on your face.”

“Can you blame me? It’s been so long.”

“Nah. If anything, I’m just as excited about this as you are.”

The subtle sound of the lab assistant clearing her throat pulls the two from their conversation. Having witnessed all that occurred she was happy for the two, but she needed to head home and they were blocking the doorway. With a swift apology and the scratch of a cheek, (Y/n) sidesteps as Hop walks into the facility.

             “Sorry about that. I forgot to turn in a report, so I’ll take over and lock-up.” The woman concedes the lab keys to the teen before taking her leave.

             The young researcher swiftly moves around the area. The older leaves him to it as they take a seat at the table. A hefty nudge of the leg gains their undivided attention as (e/c) hues meet the shining eyes of Dubwool. The pokémon bleats loudly and happily in recognition. (Y/n) does not hesitate to stroke his head and horns.

“So you’ve evolved, eh? Last time I saw you, you were just a small as Hopscotch.”

The sound of a drawer sliding shut is followed by the kid rounding the counter he had walked behind. (Y/n) notices the small bounce in his step as he beams at them. If there was anything that hadn’t changed about Hop it was his abundant energy. Aside from his uptick in enthusiasm at their return, the teen had always been a lively person in general.

“Oh, man. I have so many questions, but first, I really wanna see your pokémon. Can I? Please? This is the perfect place!” His exaggerated gesturing elicits a soft chuckle from them. Taking grasp of a pure black crossbody laid atop their luggage, (Y/n) opens a side compartment to reveal an entire team of six. Taking each capsule to fit between their fingers, the veteran tosses them out, summoning the creatures they held dear.

Calls of different volumes and pitches echo across the laboratory as (Y/n)’s pokémon party take in their surroundings. The team consisted of creatures of various heights and statures—two tall, two moderates, and two smalls; 4 bipedal, and 2 quadrupedal. Venusaur, Quagsire, Aggron, Lopunny, Scrafty, and Sylveon. Amber eyes widen in admiration as he identifies the team. Scrambling to retrieve his Rotom Phone and log the pokémon, he begins to feel a soft texture along the back of his non-dominant hand. Removing his eyes from the device, Hop follows the touch. Pink ribbon-like feelers languidly caress the skin skimming over his fingers, down the palm, and to the wrist before unraveling. Sylveon to whom the feelers belonged let out a noise of approval before moving to Dubwool. The teen raised an eyebrow at what had occurred.

“That was Babe. You’ve seen him nose around on video call before. He knows who you are but has never been the sort to outright trust anybody without deciding that for himself.”

Now that the violet-haired teen thought about it, he does recall reading that Sylveon use their appendages to distinguish emotion. It’s to be expected he supposed.

Following Babe to see him sit by Dubwool, the sheep was conversating with Lopunny. The rabbit pokémon appears to be very talkative and attentive, giving Hop’s partner some much-needed social interaction. Bright eyes shift to (Y/n) once more.

“Her name’s Lulu. She’s definitely the most welcoming of the bunch. Not to say the others aren’t. She’s just warms up to people quicker.” With a nod of understanding, Hop turns his head to observe Aggron and Scrafty. The former stood shyly looking to her trainer for reassurance while the latter practically burned holes into Hop with an intense leer. Giving a soft smile to the two pokémon, (Y/n) pats the boy on the shoulder. He had turned stiff from the dark-fighting type’s intimidation.

“Those two are Gina and Scout. Don’t be fooled by Gina’s stature; she’s just the sweetest. As for Scout, she’s quite tenacious but I assure you it’s just because she’s very protective of the crew.”

“If you say so…” he laughs nervously.

Last but not least, the young researcher shifts to view (Y/n)’s Venusaur and Quagsire. Both were simply relaxing, the grass-poison type comfortably lay next to the terrarium eyeing the boy with warmth and familiarity. Quagsire sat close by with an ever-so lackadaisical look on his face. The water fish pokémon makes eye contact with both trainers and waves at them. Of course they both wave back touched by such a simple gesture.

“You remember those two?”

“Never forgot. You’ve had Poppy and Briggs since the very beginning.”

“Yeah… You’d hang with them all the time back when they were just a Bulbasaur and Wooper.”

             Hop would always recollect the day Leon, Sonia, and (Y/n received their starters. He was five years old around that time. Professor Magnolia had recently returned from a meeting in Kanto and bought their regional starters to Galar. Lee, Sonia, and (Y/n) were set to begin their trainer journeys by choosing from the three. Big brother chose Charmander, Sonia took Squirtle, and (Y/n) adopted Bulbasaur. The grass starter’s personality was mellow—a stark foil to a rambunctious young (Y/n). Even so, they were a match bound by Arceus. When they weren’t busy climbing the ranks, the two would drop by Postwick and entertain his antics. Sometimes they’d even go on capers much to his mother’s worry.

It was at one point that an attempt at lake fishing almost yanked him into the water. If it weren’t for (Y/n) and Poppy’s assistance, Hop couldn’t help but to think the situation would’ve taken a turn for the worse. That encounter was when they had met Briggs, an odd little Wooper who had gotten tangled in the line. The battle that ensued and the capture that followed made an impression on his kid self. It was when the League began to get more challenging that Poppy and Briggs evolved. They had grown stronger and the conscious fear of hurting the boy wasn’t a risk (Y/n) was willing to take.

The memory was bittersweet; a nice glimpse back in time when life was simpler, but it was also a reminder of restriction—something Hop was all too happy to have less of.

“Hey, d’you know if they still like feather toys?” (Y/n) guffaws at the inquiry.

“Seriously, Hop?”

“Yeah! What of it, mate? I’m trying to relive the good times, here!”

                The sky was blackened by night and the two remained in the lab. (Y/n) had since returned their pokémon to their pokéballs and continued to talk with Hop, telling him about their time outside of Galar. Despite often speaking about their excursions on call, the teen would always want to hear more. Today was no exception.

“I’ve been traveling between Hoenn and Kalos for the past few months.”

“Sounds rough. I guess it must be important for you to go through that.”

“Yeah…” (Y/n) drawls before a hefty yawn rips from their throat. “I’ve been helping both Professor Birch and Sycamore conduct research about this phenomenon called Mega Evolution.”

The terminology appears to enliven Hop, a contrast to how weary he looked previously. He had only ever heard about Mega Evolution in passing, so any chance of learning more was a plus. Reclined in the seat across from them, curious amber eyes urge (Y/n) to continue.

“Not a lot is known about the subject aside from whatever sparse records we have. However, what we do know is that a pokémon’s bond with their trainer is very integral to their development—so much so that they are capable of evolving further than we originally thought.”

“Woah! That sounds awesome! Have you guys found out anything else?”

“Unfortunately not. We’ve explored different ruins and studied many relics, but there just doesn’t seem to be enough information to make anything concrete.” He responds with a sympathetic hum.

“That’s just by case of piecing together a substantial timeline, though. We know of almost 50 pokémon that can Mega Evolve.” They say it like it’s no big deal but Hop begs to differ.

“W-huh?! That’s great news! Who cares about the timeline??” (Y/n) couldn’t help but to chortle.

“Hey now. Give timelines a little more credit. If we knew more about the origin of this drastic change then maybe we’d know of more than 50.”

A moment of silence passes and another yawn leaves (Y/n). Perhaps yawns were contagious because Hop lets out his own seconds later. Maybe it was time to wrap up this reunion for now. Still, they had a request to make before they called it a day.

“Alright, kiddo. I think I’m gonna hit the hay, but I have a question I’ve yet to ask.”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“How’s your brother?”

“Lee? He’s alright. Why?”

“Haven’t really heard from him in a while.”

“Really? He’s usually on top of things, but I guess he’s busy. If I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen him much lately either. Lately, he’s been going to work early and coming home late. Maybe something important is keeping him up?”

“I’d say that that’s not healthy, but who am I to say that. I can’t even take my own advice.” (Y/n) shakes their head.

“Anyway, the reason why I ask is because Charizard happens to be one of the known pokémon capable of Mega Evolving. It actually have two different forms surprisingly enough.”

“No way.”

“Yeah dude.”

(Y/n) swiftly reaches into a different compartment of their trainer bag to pull out what appeared to be a golden brooch. The prominent jewel in the center of the accessory glistened with the colors of the rainbow its luster shining brightly underneath the light. (Y/n) moves to pull out another jewel, but this one’s attached to a golden necklace. The colors are also different, taking on the colors of black and blue.

“These are a Key Stone and Charizardite X, items worn to trigger Mega Evolution.” They carefully hand the items over to Hop to which he takes in kind, as if he were scared he’d break them.

“When you see him, just hand ‘em off. If he doesn’t already know what they are then don’t tell him. And if he asks who they’re from don’t tell him that either.”

“(Y/n), you’re scaring me. What is this, some kind of back ally deal? Why can’t I tell him that they’re from you?”

“It’s too late. If Leon knew that I was here, I don’t think he’d hesitate to track me down and I want to sleep.” Hop wanted to argue but they both knew they were right.

“You don’t have to tell him today. Tell him tomorrow,” (Y/n) drowsily checks their Rotom Phone. “Or rather later in the morning. It’s past midnight.” Hop gasps.

“We’ve been here too long! I have to get home!” The teen secures the stones in his jacket before grabbing the lab door keys. (Y/n) follows him out the door as he turns off the overhead lights and fixes the door tight. He turns to the older once again.

“Where are you staying?”

“I’m gonna kick it at the pokémon center down the road. I still have yet to give Sonia and Prof. Mags a visit. I’ll likely be over at their pad bright n’ early.”

“Cool. Send me a notif and I’ll be there. Let’s make this a reunion a good one.”

“Ha. If your reaction was anything to go by, it won’t just be a good reunion. It’ll be a great one.” Giving Hop a hearty pat on the back, they nod down Route One from where they currently stood.

“You go get some shut eye. I don’t want to hear you complaining about being tired tomorrow. Tell your mom I said hi.”

“Will do. See you tomorrow then.” With a quick goodbye hug, the teen turns to leave and (Y/n) assumes their destination to the pokémon center.

                The road to Postwick from Wedgehurst is a short one, so Hop makes it home in no time at all. Entering his abode, he takes a deep breath and exhales as he removes his shoes at the door. His bright eyes look over the living room. To his relief, no one was downstairs. Though luck is not on his side when he moves to make his way upstairs, to which he is effectively blocked.

“Hop, it’s super late! Where were you?” The mix of worry and relief was evident in Leon’s voice, but the look on his face showed that he was evidently peeved.

“At the lab. I got held up, it’s not like I was going places I wasn’t supposed to.” He rolls his eyes. The younger understood why the older would worry, but he could take care of himself fine. Leon scrutinizes Hop. The answer wasn’t good enough for him, but he’d give his little bro the benefit of the doubt. He sighs.

“Hey, it’s fine. Just say something next time so you won’t give mum and I a heart attack. Alright?”

“Yeah. My bad…” Hop half-heartedly apologizes. Nevertheless, it seems enough for Leon as he moves for Hop to pass and ascend the steps.

“Oh. I almost forgot.” Hop stops before he reaches the top. He reaches in his pocket and pulls out the Key Stone and Charizardite passing them to Leon. The former champ gingerly takes them in his hands before briefly inspecting them. They looked oddy familiar, but he just couldn’t remember where he had seen them before.

“It’s a little gift for you and Charizard. Take good care of ‘em.” Turning to reach the end of the stairs, Leon gives him pause with a question.

“A gift from who?” Hop smirks, a small puff of laughter leaves his lips. Looking over his shoulder to give his sibling a knowing smile he answers.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Leon was left to guess as his eyes followed Hop retreat to his room. Just what exactly had he been up to?

[misssunflowersandsangria]

Runways

Happy Day 6 of Temari week everyone!  Thanks to @heartofthesand for hosting the event! I had another story written for today but I super fell down a rabbit hole with this prompt, so enjoy!

Prompt:  Fashion Icon

Summary:  She always did love long walks. 

*

**

Runways 

Temari took slow, delicate steps across the large runway.  Remembering a similar walk just hours ago.  The empty seats and silence were startling compared to the earlier mass of people, music, and camera clicks. 

The cheers were deafening as Temari stepped out as a model into the bright lights for one last time. She strode down the walkway with the same confidence and assurance that she’d perfected over the years. The chaos of music, cameras, lights, and sounds would be disorienting for a regular person but not for her.  The runway raised her.  This was her home, her kingdom and she commanded the stage as a queen would. 

Her focus in all the madness was drawn towards her family smiling brightly at her. The tears in their eyes matched her own. 

She stood at the end of the walk taking a deep breath to capture the moment.  Allowing herself to enjoy the experience while a million memories ran through her head.  One last pose. With a sense of gratitude and a kind of peace, she made her final walk back. 

Temari laid back on the cool surface reflecting on the journey that led her there.

This was it. She was done. 

She’d started working for the Nara House of Fashion when she was 16. They were the first label willing to give her a chance when she’d started off on this modeling journey. From that day she never looked back.

They eased her in with photoshoots and magazine spreads before hitting the runway.  She would never forget the feeling of stepping out onto that huge stage.  Even now that rush is incomparable. 

She had worked for other designers and companies but her relationship with the Naras had been special. Their fashion line was a luxury, worldwide brand with its inspired designs and creativity. At first, she’d been in complete awe over the operation, wide-eyed and afraid of making a mistake. Now after so many years they were her family. 

Shikaku and Yoshino the husband and wife duo and CEOs took her under their wing. Keeping her safe from anyone that may have tried to take advantage of her lack of experience. Her own father had practically disowned her when she went off on her own. Whereas Shikaku and Yoshino welcomed her with open arms. 

Temari looked up curiously hearing a slow soft melody played through the speakers. Her eyes drifted to a handsome, dark-haired man in a well-fitting suit. 

“Dance with me, my Love?”  She grinned up at him taking his offered hand. She settled into his arms, her head rested against his heart. They swayed back and forth slowly under a diamond chandelier. 

“You were breathtaking tonight Tem.”

Shikamaru Nara, son of Yoshika and Shikaku Nara, now CEO and creative director of House Of Nara.  And her new husband. 

She’d met him when he was just an awkward 14-year-old boy dragged along to fittings, meetings, and fashion shows. 

He was annoying and complained the entire time getting on her nerves. Leaving her in disbelief that he didn’t appreciate the life he was born into. His parents would often force him into fashion shoots and even make him work right along side her.  Now she treasured those photos.

Over the years though his genius began to show.  He grew into the role he’d been bred for. His own line, Shadow Stitches, could be found around the world and kept the Naras at the top of the fashion world.  For Temari, even when she was younger, knowing that he was there at the end of that runway always made fashion shows that much better. 

She was thankful that she had him there for the entirety of her career. He’d supported her and held her through the highs and lows. They accomplished so much together. Exploring the world while growing up side by side. 

“The dress is gorgeous.” She sighed into his chest.  His fingers at her hips gripped the delicate fabric.  

“Good, you designed it.” 

They’d spared no expense in the creation. The rare fabric hugged her form perfectly. Real gold spun thread was used to create elaborate patterns.  It was a design that honored her history and was inspired by her desert homeland. An actual work of art that would never be worn by another. It would be preserved and displayed back at their offices. 

She’d delayed her retirement for a year after Shikamaru approached her about creating her own line under the fashion house. She had modeled for so long and worn countless designs that he believed she could create something new. Something that the world had yet to see. His hunch had been correct if the reactions tonight were any indication. 

For the last show of her modeling career, she was able to wear her own creation and it made the decision to retire feel right. 

She was now going to work right alongside him for her own label. 

“It’s going to be so strange being behind the scenes.  I’ve done this for so long now.”

Shikamaru kissed the crown of her head. “I agree. It won't be as enjoyable for me not seeing you walking down the runway and towards me. But you’ll be sitting right next to me.  This is a good thing. A next step, and like everything you do, you’re going to be great at it.” 

She nodded.  They’d talked through this decision so many times now. She’d accomplished everything that she could dream of as a supermodel. Endless covers, shoots, shows, and runways.  She was an icon in every sense.  It was now time to settle into a new role. 

Being a high fashion designer would just be a new adventure. 

So would being a wife and mother. 

He pressed an affectionate kiss into her hair. “I remember that first show that I saw you walk in. I was in the back so annoyed with my parents for making me come watch this thing for girls, but then I saw you.  You were radiant. It wouldn’t have mattered what you wore. There was this ferocity and passion set in your eyes.  That I can still see today. I think that I fell in love with you that day.”

She grinned, her teal eyes shining in affection. 

Shikamaru couldn’t help but smile thinking about those first early years together.  “Growing up I’d always see this all as being so vapid and pointless. You made me see it in a new way. There is an art and a love to it. It’s bringing an emotion, an experience to life. Within whatever the length of a runway you manage to tell a story.  Now you’re going to be telling your own story with what you create.” 

She kissed him wordlessly, her heart and mind at ease. 

She’d missed the bright lights and rush of walking down a runway but there was nothing that could compare to this. Love, home, and family. 

Temari took his hand in hers.  A genuine smile cut across her face.  “Ready to take this walk with me?”

Shikamaru nodded squeezing her hand tight taking a step forward.  “I’ll walk with you anywhere my Queen.”

*

**

OMG I love this AU!  I have an idea to make this a multi-chapter story starting from when Tem goes off on her own and meets the Naras then all the way up to this story.  (I’m so lazy though) but it might be something in the future.  I just love the idea of Tem being this amazing supermodel and Shika is a fashion designer (but will also unwillingly do photoshoots)!  It would be able them growing up and navigating the whole thing together.  Ino and Chouji are there too!  The Nara House of Fashion is just part of a whole empire. 

Well if I don’t write it, even if I do, feel free to ask me questions! 

Thanks for reading!  I really want to write something steamy for tomorrow but ugh we will see!  It might have to come after the week is over and will be part of my Lemonade series on AO3.  Thanks again! Love you my pretty deers! 

[fairytsuk1]

trainwreck | part one.

pairing: katsuki bakugou x reader

genre: fluff <3

warning: none! swearing lmao 

words: 1,670

summary: your train is late and your eye just wont drift away from a certain explosive blond

a/n: cute shit for my baby <3

    His body language is the first telling sign that this handsome stranger must be pissed. It was only a glance at first, which delved into two. Then about five minutes later you were peeking above your book to really see this person making you chuckle under your breath.

     His sagging pants made a laugh bubble in your chest and the disheveled dress shirt just made him look...droopy. He was droopy and just looked weird. Sort of like he tumbled out of a tornado and randomly decided to go to school. You looked back down at your book and skimmed over the neglected words, a fantasy novel that was definitely a copy of a copy of witches and magic and the same stereotypical tropes. Who needed fantasy books anyways? At this day and age, everyone having quirks made everyday life like a superhero fantasy movie.

     His arms cross again and he rolls his neck around. Oh, you were staring again. You dog-eared your page and shut your book, you were way more interested in this “character” standing right in front of you! A ringing noise sounds through the station and a sharp head turn makes you very aware of why this man was so troubled.

     The train to Kokoshi Prefecture was late. Very late. So late in fact, you’d have to be a track star to make it to your class on time. Had you really missed the delay announcement? What had even happened? Hell, you wouldn’t have minded a thirty minute delay, school isn’t too terribly interesting. But an hour? That’s absolutely ridiculous! Who’s manning this station?!

     “...Are you fucking kidding me?” A snapping sound similar to the cracking of knuckles with a mixture of popping balloons was barely heard over the rickety station ambience. “Absolutely ridiculous.”

     You and this stranger shared the same sentiment. You didn’t even realize you were mean-mugging the digital sign until you turned and saw your reflection in the coffee-colored glass of a work booth. The man inside said booth raised an eyebrow at you and a hot flush of shame washed over you. The angel on you shoulder prays he didn’t take it personally. The devil wants you to strangle the man. The station was nearly empty at this hour, most of the people here were students as well. Either texting or napping, everyone had the same displeased expression. Now you wished you had just gotten a coffee like you had wanted to twenty minutes ago, the boost of energy would’ve been nice as a yawn overtakes you. Staying up late was definitely taking its toll on your body, knees weakening during the yawn.

     “You going to Kokoshi too?”

“Huh?”

     Closing your mouth, you stupidly looked up at the boy and let the first word you thought of run out your mouth. Huh. He tilted his head and the gritty train tiles could have swallowed you whole without complaints.

     “I asked if you were going to Kokoshi Prefecture. You know, on the train that’s one hour late?,” he casted a mean look at the station worker, the man through the glass turning in his chair to disguise the fact he was most definitely not working, “I was just asking ‘cause you’re...y’know, wearing a uniform and everything. Nevermind.”

     Rejection. He looked like he was mad and a little embarrassed too. He thought your silence meant rejection. Shit!!

“No, ah, I’m taking the Kokoshi train too! But I was just confused because you didn’t seem like the type to strike up conversation…,” he looked at you plainly. Did you just offend him? “Oh! Well I didn’t mean it like that!! I just meant ‘cause you seemed so wrapped up in your uh...energy that I didn’t think you were gonna come over or at the very least…”

     Rather than hearing a scoff or even a swear shouted your way, he barked out a laugh and turned his head sideways. He laughed. He laughed!

     “So you were watching me? Stalker. Yeah I’m pissed off! U.A.’s gonna have my ass but how else can I get to school, I thought the train’d be faster. Turns out it’s the exact fucking opposite…”

     Popping sounds came from the ground and you became distinctly aware of the burnt caramel smell. You took a quick look down and instinctively took a step back, explosions?! From. His. Hands. Wow, whatta quirk! And did he say U.A.?! Wow, he was basically a pro hero in the making!

“I know what you mean! I mean, I don’t go to your big fancy school or anything but my campus is huge! Now, I might as well not even go...So are you like a hero yet? Well what about your year? How old are you?”

     Please don’t be a third year and about to graduate!

     He almost looked flustered, the tinge of pink in his cheeks could’ve been from anything on his smooth cheeks, but the deep redness at the tops of his ears told you all you needed to know. His eyes flitted down, you had definitely gotten closer from the excitement of talking to a cute boy, if you used your quirk a bit more, you might have even noticed if he focused on your assets or not!

     “I-Uh-A first year. And don’t you know how being a hero works? You gotta get a provisional license first! Then you can blow up as many villains as you want!...What’s your quirk anyways? You’re way too excited this early in the morning.”

     Katsuki felt weird, his chest felt warm and he could distinctly feel the moisture on his palms and fingertips. You were a pretty girl, sure. Maybe it was the fact that you went to a different school, it was new for him! That’s it! He wasn’t nervous, what the hell would he have to be nervous about? You’re just some girl anyways.

“I’m Y/N L/N! Don’t forget it future hero, shout me out when you get famous. I’m a first year too and my quirk is called analyze! If I have a certain amount of caffeine, I can read people’s body language like I've known them for years! It’s actually awesome. It’s not as cool as your explosions though. Those are something else.”

     Oh. That was it. Now he knew what it was, he scrunched up his face and looked away from your overwhelming presence. He didn’t like you, you were just cute and you’d complimented him and...you smelled like honey. Maybe if he just ignored you, you’d go away.

     “Oh yeah? What am I projecting right now, nerd?”

“You’re feeling like you might be...well I don’t know! You’re complex, a couple minutes ago you were shy and now you’re a little nervous and something else. I haven’t had any coffee today, so I can’t read you. I’m sorry about that!”

     It was humiliating, this cool (and attractive) guy asks you to show him your quirk and you can’t even do that?

     “I’ll buy you a coffee.”

“What? Really? I don’t even know your name…”

     “Shut up and take the offer! I’ll buy you a coffee so I can see how actually strong you are. And didn’t you watch the sports festival?,” a boyish grin rose on his face and the sight made your heart melt, “It’s Bakugou Katsuki!”

     Humming, you repeated his name and watched him nod before facing forward once more. It rolled off the tongue in an odd way. Bakugou had such sharp consonants and seemed fiery, it sort of suit him. But Katsuki...that suit him for sure. The starters of each syllable were gentle and reminded you of other words like whipped cream or honey.

“I like your name. It’s a strong one, I’ll be sure to remember it!”

     “No one’s ever said that before. You’re kinda weird you know? I mean, how marks their book pages like that?”

“Hey wait a minute! I just didn’t have a bookmark on hand! Plus I bought it so there’s no harm really! Well maybe a little but nothing long-lasting.”

     “Sure. You heathen,” he carried an amused smile on his face and took a step forward, “here it comes.”

“What?”

T .    he train burst out of the entrance like a rocket, lights shining into your eyes yet also casting a dim yellow glow over the whole station. The wind from the sheer speed of it whipped you in the face and for a split second it’s realized that if you had stood any closer, you might have been blown backwards. You jacket bristles at the contact and a frown dons your features when you realize that this was the end. Well, maybe the beginning of the end of your love story adventure. 

     Bakugou stood proudly, legs in a proud wide stance and his arms crossed as he quickly stepped up to the platform and then onto the train. He turned and jerked his head back, motioning you to be his accompaniment. Hoisting your backpack up even farther, you squeezed through those small sliding door with the rest of the people in the station.

     He said nothing and sat in the closest seat, conveniently leaving the two next of him empty as he looked as you expectantly. Even if it wasn’t meant to be friendly, you couldn’t deny the fact that his sharp glare made you feel a little weak at the knees. Clutching your bag to your chest, you sat so close your knees were touching and your heartbeat thumped like a rabbit’s foot in your chest.

“I actually don’t like riding the train. But…”

     “Don’t get started. I don’t wanna hear your mushy shit.”

     You deflated a bit.

“But yeah, it’s not so bad if you’re around, loser.”

     You smiled and played with the ripped hole in your bag. Who could read who again? You couldn’t even tell anymore as the universe made itself known in the piece of gum he handed you that, indeed, this would not be your last meeting.

[let-love-run-red]

The Adventures of a Single Father-3

Tag List: @sincereleygmg @0hour9am​ @siobhanlovesfilm​ @thefandomzoneisdangerous​

As the weeks went on, you and Adam had grown closer. Usually his job hunting schedule aligned with your work schedule, and he found himself leaving the apartment with Cody at the same time you would walk out the door, dressed in a pair of sensible heels  with a long coat obscuring the rest of your outfit as the seasons turned colder. He would wait for you to lock your door, before walking you down the steps of the building into the lobby. Then you would wait for him to unlock his bike and strap Cody into the small seat before saying your goodbyes and going your separate ways.

It was a routine Adam found endearing, and one you found you didn't mind either. After a few days, you offered to hold Cody while Adam unlocked his bike. You'd noticed he struggled with the key in one hand while holding Cody in the other. Adam hesitated at first, before handing Cody over to you. You cooed to the baby, smiling widely down at him before Adam turned to take him back with the bike leaned against his hip. You had only been holding Cody for a moment, but you could see how anxious Adam was at not having Cody with him.

But after that day, Adam had started asking you to hold Cody while he unlocked his bike or stowed his bag in the basket. It was nice knowing Adam was gaining trust in you, and you definitely didn't mind holding Cody. He was adorable, and getting bigger by the day. Adam seemed much more relaxed around you as well, enjoying your presence rather than seeming on edge.

"Where are you going today?" You asked him one morning. You'd exchanged your heels for a pair of winter boots as the temperature dropped. Rather than the sharp click of your heels on the floor you listened to the rhythm of your boots and Adam's shoes thunking on the hard stairs in the stairwell. Cody was bundled up in a small winter coat, with warm fuzzy socks and boots on his small feet. Adam was in a thicker ratty jacket, wearing his usual jeans and a T-shirt underneath.

"There's a club a few blocks over offering a job. They didn't specify which kind but, it's a job." Adam said as the two of you stepped out into the lobby. As you approached the interior bike rack, Adam handed Cody off to you. Cody babbled happily at you, softly touching the short faux rabbit fur that lined the hood of your winter coat. Adam worked on unlocking the bike, before leaning it against his body and turning to glance at you and Cody. You were softly humming to him as Cody reached for your finger. He felt warmth surge through his chest. You looked like Hayley had, the first time she held Cody.

Adam shook his head violently to clear the thought. You weren't Hayley. She had left Cody, she had left Adam, and she wasn't coming back. You didn't need to take over the role as Cody's mom, because Cody didn't need a mom. He had Adam, and that was good enough. He was good enough.

"That's good. Any idea what the hours are?" You asked, as Adam fussed with the fabric cover and sun shade he'd bought for Cody's bike seat, to keep the cold wind from getting to him.

"Here let me help, these can be tricky." You said, handing Cody back to Adam. Adam took his son, cradling him against his shoulder as he watched you. You laid the fabric cover over the plastic seat, pulling the straps through the pre-cut holes in the cover. You then reached for the sun shade, attaching it to the seat and popping it into place. Adam settled Cody in the seat on his bike. Adam buckled the small helmet over Cody's little hat and pulled out a small pair of mittens from his own jacket pocket.

"I'm not sure, about the hours. I'm hoping it'll be during the day, like setting up for the night rush. It's easier to find babysitters for the day." Adam slipped the mittens over Cody's hands, tightening the string at the bottom and tying them to the loop on Cody's coat sleeves so he couldn't pull them off or drop them during the ride. You nodded thoughtfully as you watched Adam buckle Cody into the seat. He stood straight, flipping his hair out of his eyes as he looked back at you. Cody burbled happily from his seat.

"That would be good. Well, I hope you get the job." You encouraged as you and Adam walked out the door. Adam paused before walking out, lowering the shade down to block Cody from the New York winter winds.

"I hope so too." Adam said. The two of you paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. You finally shuddered from the cold, flipping your hood up and shoving your hands in your pockets.

"Well, I'll see you later Adam." You said with a grin. Adam waved goodbye and you turned to wave at Cody through the tinted plastic window in the shade before walking the opposite direction to your job. Adam waited for a break in the traffic, before pushing off his bike and riding towards the club a few blocks away.

"Hey, I saw you guys posted a job opening?" Adam greeted the man at the empty bar top drying cups. The bartender glanced up, eyeing the baby carrier strapped to Adam's chest before looking back up to Adam's face and snorting.

"Yeah, we did. I'm not in charge of it though." The man said, stacking the cup he'd been drying only to pick up another and continue the process. He didn't say anything else, just continued drying his cups.

"Who would be in charge of it?" Adam asked. He could feel his patience wearing thin. It had been days since he'd found a lead this promising at a job. There was always the opening at Grumpy's, but that was way too close to Hannah for his comfort. He wanted nothing to do with her.

"That would by Viggo Hartvigsen." The bartender said, gesturing to a door at the back of the club. Adam glanced back to see the large black door with red designs on it. Adam sighed before approaching the door. There was a small paper taped to the door that said "Job inquiries, please knock." Adam raised his fist, knocking gently on the door. He heard a booming "come in" before he opened the door. The man sitting at the desk was massive. He had dark hair braided down his back, and a thick beard covering most of his features. When he lifted his head, Adam noticed the beard was braided as well.

"Are you Mr. Hartvigsen?" Adam asked. The man flashed him a smile before standing from his desk. He was a few inches taller than Adam, although the berth of his shoulders made him look much larger.

"Please call me Viggo. You are?" Viggo asked, offering his hand for Adam to shake. Adam gave a firm handshake before Viggo gestured for him to sit in the chair across the desk. Adam glanced around at the walls, seeing old Viking artifacts scattered throughout the room.

"I'm Adam Sackler. I heard you were offering a job?" He said. viggo's face fell as he pursed his lips.

"I'm sorry Mr. Sackler, we gave that position away earlier today. A little college boy came in lookin' for a job, said he needed the money for tuition." Viggo said. Adam sighed, resting his hands on the arms of the chair to stand. Cody let out a squeal and waved his arms around in an attempt to shake off the mittens from his hands. Viggo snapped his head up, finally spotting the baby carrier nestled under Adam's jacket.

"And who might this be?" Viggo asked with a grin. Adam gently took Cody's hands in one of his own, smoothing his other hand over Cody's dark hair.

"This is Cody, my son. I'm sorry I brought him I just couldn't find a sitter." Adam said. Viggo watched as Cody calmed down, resting his small head against Adam's chest.

"Do ya need this job for the wee one?" Viggo asked, his face falling grim. Adam nodded, looking down at Cody.

"Well I'll tell you what Mr. Sackler. I pride myself on being a good person. The Gods saw fit to give me enough to thrive with ownership of this club, and I choose to use it to help those who were handed a rotten fish." Viggo said. Adam blinked. He didn't know what that meant entirely, but he had hope.

"My night security man has has been asking me to hire another man for the evening shifts. He's in hot water with his wife for missing one too many dinners. What do you say to working, oh, every other night?" Viggo offered. Adam felt his heart jump into his throat. This was his first real offer.

"I, that would be amazing!" Adam said, a wide smile on his face. Viggo mirrored his grin and offered his hand.

"It's a deal then Mr. Sackler. How d'ya feel about starting tomorrow?" Viggo asked. Adam graciously accepted. Viggo offered a generous hourly wage for his first month, changing to a large salary after the one month mark. He even offered various benefits that Adam couldn't hope for anywhere else. Adam filled out the paperwork required, before nearly skipping out of the office. This was his chance at a better life for Cody, and he couldn't wait.

You walked through the rear entrance of the restaurant straight into the kitchen. You turned into the small coat closet, dropping your thick coat and hanging it on one of the pegs on the wall, pulling your small black heels from your bag and replacing your boots with the heels. You opened your locker, pulling out your fancy apron and dropping it over your neck, tying it behind your back before doing your hair the way it needed to be done to be considered acceptable for your dress code. Luckily, your manager was fairly relaxed when it came to hairstyles.

You walked through the kitchen, greeting the rest of the waitstaff and the cooks before clocking in and checking in with the hostess at the front to let her know you were there. Luckily your section hadn't needed to be opened yet, as the lunch rush hadn't arrived yet.

Finally, there was a group of four girls that were sat in your section. You rushed over to greet them with your usual cheery smile, asking for drink orders. The girls all gave their order. Some sort of alcoholic drink, except for one. The girl with short hair pulled back into a ponytail. You hated to be rude, but her teeth were also a little crooked. You took their order, giving them to the bartender. The only one you could bring out was the root beer the girl with crooked teeth had ordered.

As you walked back out, you heard the group chatting amongst themselves.

"So what's going on with that Adam fellow? After he dumped me I thought he went back to you." The British one said, addressing the toothy girl.

"No ew Jessa. As if I want anything to do with him." The toothy girl snapped.

"Hannah, you came to me crying after he hooked up with that one girl, I think her name was Hayley?" The blonde said. You couldn't help but listen in as you stood at the waiters station a few feet away after dropping off the root beer.

"Marnie, please. We don't say her name." Hannah said with a sigh as she took a sip of the root beer.

"Didn't he get her pregnant?" The quiet girl in the corner spoke up.

"Ah yes, that's right. He knocked her up didn't he, that's why you're upset. He wouldn't help you raise your baby then had one of his own. I can see why that would upset you." Jessa said. They paused their conversation to show ID's and pay for drinks as the bartender handed them their drinks.

"Well I heard she left him." Marnie said in an attempt to console toothy gi- Hannah. You meant Hannah.

"I heard. Honestly it serves him right, it's hard to raise a baby by yourself and he should have to see how it is." Hannah snapped. "His kid has a stupid name too, mines cuter. Honestly who names their kid Cody?"

Upon hearing that, you almost dropped the refill of root beer you had brought her. You recovered with a small huff, avoiding spilling the root beer in her lap, instead placing it in front of her with a pained smile. They were talking about Adam? Your Adam? It seemed hard to believe he was ever acquainted with that group, they were all varying degrees of messy.

You excused yourself quickly to the back, taking a moment to gather your thoughts. You wondered if Adam would be comfortable talking about this tonight?

On the way home Adam had stopped and bought himself a coffee. Not just a plain coffee, he could make those at home. No, one of the expensive ones from Starbucks. He hated the culture surrounding it, but if he had to be honest they had good coffee. He resisted the urge to buy himself a Christmas cookie as well, he couldn't be going wild just yet.

He couldn't wait to tell you about it. He considered you one of his closest friends, and you had only moved in a month ago. He skidded to a halt outside the apartment building, looking down the street and hoping to see you walking home. He knew in the back of his mind that it would be hours before you got home, he'd only been gone for two, but he couldn't stop himself from hoping.

"Hey Adam." He heard a voice. He looked next to him to see Laura pressing the buttons on the rooms until somebody buzzed her in. She stopped and held the door for Adam as he walked his bike into the building and started locking it on the rack.

"Hey Laura, how's Basil?" He asked. He was still curious about the snake.

"He's doing well, doesn't like the cold but who does." She said. Her voice seemed flatter than normal, Adam wondered if she was alright. He glanced up to see her bundled in a thick coat trimmed with long tan fur. Her black snow boots were laced tight and she was wearing a pair of thick leggings. She had a pair of furred earmuffs on and a cashmere scarf wrapped around her neck. She really didn't like the cold.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked her. Laura shivered and stomped the snow off her boots before walking with Adam up the stairs as Adam held Cody's hand.

"Fine. Chris's roommates are kicking him out so I've been helping him pack his shit- sorry, stuff, all day." She said. She flipped her hood down and pushed the earmuffs off her ears as she dug in her pocket for her apartment key as they reached their floor.

"Why are they kicking him out?" Adam asked. From what he'd seen of Chris, he was a calm quiet man. He couldn't imagine what he could have done to be kicked out.

"One of his roommates assho-jerk, sorry, girlfriend got into his Vyvanse and Chris flipped his shit." Laura said as she and Adam walked down the hall.

"Vyvanse?"

"It's ADHD medication, Chris is ADHD as shi- frick. Vyvanse is like an off brand Adderall, but it's expensive as all he-fuck-wait," Laura hissed to herself, glancing at Cody in Adam's arms. "Sorry I'm so used to swearing all the time." She said. Adam chuckled.

"It's alright, I swear a lot too. I'm working on it but nobody's perfect. Besides he doesn't say many coherent words yet. I'll start worrying more when he copies people." He said with a smile. Laura smiled back as they reached their apartment doors.

"Anyway, his roommates girlfriend took a ton of it. Almost overdosed, Chris flipped because now he's out nearly a week of doses, his roommate flipped out because he had to pay for an ambulance. It's a mess. So they're kicking him out and we're trying to find him a place to stay." She finished as she unlocked the apartment door.

"Damn, that sucks." Adam said as Laura opened the door.

"Yeah, so it's been a bit stressful lately. Sorry for bothering you you didn't need to hear all that." Laura said as she watched Adam unlock his own apartment.

"No worries, you gotta get shit out or you'll explode." Adam said as he opened his own door.

"I'll see you later Laura." Adam said, waving goodbye as he walked into his apartment. He thought about his job again, and did a little hop as he walked to his room. He couldn't stop a smile breaking out as he shucked his jacket off and dropped it on the couch as he walked. He pulled Cody from the carrier and sat on the bed with Cody in front of him as he pulled his son's winter clothing off. Cody babbled happily as Adam puffed his cheeks out and blew a raspberry at Cody. Adam leaned over the bed to unlace his shoes and listening to Cody continue his babbling.

"Dada!" Adam froze when he heard Cody speak. He turned to look at his son, seeing him with a wide smile on his face as he waved his arms towards Adam. Cody leaned forward and made "grabby hands" at Adam and squealing.

"Dada dada dada!" Cody said and leaned forward until he was flat on his stomach. He started scooting towards Adam. Adam felt tears streaming down his cheeks as he reached forward and picked up Cody. Cody leaned against Adam's chest and reached up to grab a handful of Adam's thick black hair.

"Dada." Cody said contentedly as he rested his head on Adam's shoulder and tugged gently at Adam's hair. Adam didn't even notice the sharp tugs as he rested one large hand on his son's back. His shoulders shook as he pressed his cheek against Cody's head. Cody continued quietly babbling to Adam, occasionally saying "dada" again before he drifted off to sleep.

Adam thought he'd never put Cody down again.

[sourcherrybomb]

SoKai Week 2020 - Day 2 - For ____ Eyes Only

Synopsis: During the time period Kairi was within Sora’s heart, she kept a handy mental diary of all the places and people she encountered. Let’s take a peek at it, shall we?

Sneak Peek: I’ve been in Sora’s heart for a little bit as of now. It’s a nice kind of… warm, if that makes sense. Like a perfect sunny day on the Islands. Knowing what kind of person Sora is, it’s unsurprising.

Tags: Light Romance, Adventure, Comedy, All Ages, F/M

Prompt for the Day: First Meeting / Unseen Adventures

Words: 3.5k

Fanart By: @softpinkbee​

Entry 1: Welcome to Sora’s Heart. Population: 1 (I think)

Sooo… This is a thing that’s happening. All because of a stupid, literal world ending storm.

Oh wait, aren’t I supposed to start with “Dear Diary”? Not like I’m physically writing in a journal since I don’t have a body anymore… Ugh, Sora and Riku would probably poke fun at me if they found out that I kept one. Well sorry that I like to be sentimental and have a way of remembering and planning our future adventures, lazy bums.

I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I? I’ll do this once to get it over with.

Hello there (mental) diary, my name is Kairi! I’m 14 years old and I lived on the Destiny Islands before I somehow ended up in Sora’s (my BFF and lazy bum #1) heart. That little mishap took place right after I met this weird old guy in brown robes in our Secret Place. I don’t know where Riku (my other BFF and lazy bum #2) ended up, but somehow Sora got sucked into a black hole that sent him… Or is it us? To another world called Traverse Town.

I mean the boys and I always planned to travel to other worlds, just not like this. We were supposed to travel by raft, I was supposed to have a body, and it was going to be all three of us… Okay maybe I asked Sora if he wanted to go alone with me, only to end up chickening out at the last moment, but this current situation is not what I had in mind!

Apparently these monsters called the Heartless destroyed our world, sending us to Traverse Town. I feel bad. 

Sora was lost and alone. I knew because I felt it in his heart.

Luckily, Sora has met a lot of new people since arriving. There were these two girls, Aerith and Yuffie, that I would have loved to talk and meet with. Selphie definitely would have loved to meet Aerith, she was so pretty! Besides them, Sora also met this edgy guy named Leon (who kicked his butt) and a cranky old mechanic named Cid. More importantly, Sora met this talking duck and dog named Donald and Goofy. They’re pretty entertaining, so I hope they can keep Sora company since I can’t speak to him and we lost Riku.

I’ve been in Sora’s heart for a little bit as of now. It’s a nice kind of… warm, if that makes sense. Like a perfect sunny day on the Islands. Knowing what kind of person Sora is, it's unsurprising.

I just can’t shake off the feeling that there’s something… no, someone else in here.

Entry 2: Topsy? Turvy? Definitely Crazy.

Is it possible to have an out-of-body experience and a fever dream at the same time? Because that’s what Wonderland feels like.

Geez, where do I even start with this one? I guess with the talking rabbit entering the talking doorknob? Granted that rabbit was kind of cute, if not panicky. I could get used to that. Sora shrinking and entering a place full of playing card soldiers and a cat with a decapitated head (I think? He reattached it) are things that are going to take a bit to get used to.

Gosh, that feels like the understatement of the century.

I knew other worlds would be different than the islands. It’s just that going from a quiet city to a place where gravity is bonkers and playing cards can kill a person makes a girl really question what’s out there.

I wish I could take pictures so people would believe my words. Luckily this cricket named Jiminy has a journal where he keeps track of Sora’s journey. He stays safe inside Sora’s hood, so it’s sort of like we’re neighbors and journal buddies! I’d love to give him my point of view on things once I get my body back.

Oh one other thing before I forget, there was this one girl named Alice. I don’t know why, but she was giving off this really familiar aura. I couldn’t help but feel oddly drawn to her.

I feel like this won’t be the first time we come into contact with her.

Entry 3: Anyone else hear horns?

Like seriously, Sora and I both hear horns coming from this world, but neither of us have any idea as to where they’re coming from. This (extremely small) world is the Olympus Coliseum.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy got thrown into some challenges and ended up fighting waves of Heartless. Really makes me think about how I should have tried sword fighting with Sora and Riku. Sure, I’ve picked up some things by just watching them, but I think actually practicing with them would have helped me in the long run. I mean, I totally could have fought off that weird guy in the brown robes.

Ugh, just thinking about him gives me bad vibes. 

Going back to the challenges, Sora totally got his butt handed to him by this guy, Cloud. It was way worse than the loss Sora took against Leon, I don’t think Cloud was holding back. 

I’m thankful he didn’t finish Sora off. Partly because he’s my best friend, but also because if Sora bites the dust, then I’m also gone. It was rough seeing Sora lose again, but watching him take out a giant three-headed dog right after certainly was a sight. Although I swear I heard Hercules whisper to his little red friend, Phil, next to him that he weakened the monster. 

Maybe. But since it felt like I was fighting alongside him, I’m not ready to count Sora out just yet. He’s grown so much stronger day after day.

Entry 4: Note to Self, Never Let Sora Drive

You know, if the three of us did leave on that raft as planned, I always had a feeling that Sora might fight with Riku over where to take us. Sora’s never been one for his directional skills, that was always more Riku’s forte. Because of this, I always mentally prepared myself for the event where Sora would get us super lost.

WHAT I DIDN’T MENTALLY PREPARE MYSELF WAS FOR SORA TO CAUSE A GIANT SPACESHIP TO CRASH BECAUSE HE ARGUED WITH A TALKING DUCK!!!

That’s not even where it ends! This Deep Jungle is nuts! There’s a leopard that’ll attack you like every five steps, there was a giant Heartless that turned invisible, and Sora even got a gun fired at it! Granted that last one was because of some hunter jerk with a stupid mustache, but if he’s from this world, he’s part of the problem.

The only saving grace was the fact that there are giant tree trunks that act like slides and as many vines to swing on as I wanted to. Tarzan has got to give me some tips when I have the chance to meet him, it was like he was flying through the trees! I’d honestly enjoy the chance to talk to Jane myself as well. She seems so smart and would have so much to talk about. I think she’d make pleasant conversation. That being said, when she showed Sora a picture of a castle in the slideshow, I couldn’t shake this sense of… familiarity. Like I had seen it or something like it before. But where…?

Even though this world and I got off on the wrong foot, once I get my body back, I’m definitely making Sora bring me here so I can do all that!

Although I still have no idea how that’s gonna happen.

Entry 5: I don’t know why, but this place feels oddly familiar

Today may have just been one of the best days I’ve had since I’ve been living in Hotel Sora’s Heart, over here!

For starters, dogs. Sooooo many dogs! Leon told Sora about all of these Dalmatian puppies that got scattered across the various worlds. They’ve been taking the time to rescue all 101 of them, and they’re absolutely adorable! Ahhhhhh, I can only imagine playing with everyone one of them.

Secondly, I’m finding Traverse Town a lot more comforting than I originally did. Something about the tall building walls makes me feel nostalgic. I never was from the Islands to begin with, but where I originally came from is a mystery to me. I don’t think it was Traverse Town, but maybe it was another city. I’m sure that in travelling to other worlds, I might be able to remember more!

Today I even got to talk to Sora a little bit, albeit by accident, when he and his friends wandered into this old tower. I looked around and said to myself that it reminds me of the Secret Place, all dark and surrounded by stone. I never expected Sora to hear or see me! I had so much more to say, but when this wizard guy showed up, Sora couldn’t hear me anymore.

But that’s not even the best news: Right after, Sora ended up running into Riku! He’s safe! It was brief, Riku ended up disappearing moments after, but now we know he’s out there and can protect himself. Sora was even able to protect Riku from one of the Heartless!

Never thought I’d see that day where the roles were switched. It suits Sora.

Entry 6: I hate sand.

I may find not having a body to be a major inconvenience, but for once I’m quite pleased at the fact considering Agrabah, the world Sora and his friends just left, was full of sand.

At its worst, sand was rough, coarse, and irritating. It already got into my clothes back on the Islands, but around here I’d imagine it gets everywhere.

That being said, this world has got to be one of the most adventurous we’ve been to so far! Desert temples filled with treasure, magical genies, all in a faraway kingdom? It’s like all the games Sora, Riku, and I used to play when we were younger. If only Riku joined with Sora back in Traverse Town, he would have loved this!

One odd thing though, we ran into another woman, Princess Jasmine, who gave me the same vibes as Alice! Turns out she’s more than just a regular old princess, but one with special powers. I wonder what it could all mean...

Entry 7: Did you know that the stomach would eat itself without the mucus lining its walls? 

Back on the Islands when Sora, Riku, and I made plans to leave on the raft, we always wondered what kind of animals we’d see. The one that would always pop into our minds was a whale since they might be big enough to swallow us whole.

We always laughed it off and went back to working or playing, so actually getting swallowed whole by one feels very ironic. It’s a lot grosser than I thought it would be. Smells like fish everywhere you go, so I really hope Sora, Donald, and Goofy take some showers once they leave.

This whale named Monstro even swallowed this old man and his son, Gepetto and Pinnochio. The latter is somehow a walking, talking puppet!

But what’s even crazier is that out of all the worlds, Riku shows up here, only to kidnap Pinnochio! And not just that, I think he knows where my body is. Geez, Riku was being a real jerk about it, though. Said that Sora was fooling around and not helping, when I know for a fact that he’s doing more that Riku has! I mean, I’m in the guy’s heart, that’s gotta count for something!

I wish I could tell Riku that all this time, Sora has been protecting me. I know I give him a hard time every now and then, but out of all the people in the world, I’m really glad I ended up in his heart.

Entry 8: Rival Redhead Acquired

I know that my last entries make me seem like a jealous person, but mental diary, trust me when I say that I’m not usually one to be envious of others.

Until now.

Being in Sora’s heart, I sort of get a feel for his emotions. By all means, even without being inside him, Sora is pretty much an open book to begin with. It’s just that in being directly connected to his heart, I can feel almost every emotion he has. That includes the mess of emotions he felt when he came into contact with this mermaid named Ariel.

Yup, a mermaid. Atlantica is full of them.

It’s a pretty cool world! There are sunken pirate ships, an underwater kingdom, even a giant sea witch that Sora defeated! But nope, the thing that makes Sora’s heart flutter is another red head when he already has one right here! Ughhh, I’m really glad this diary isn’t physical, I might die if Sora or Riku ever found out I think stuff like this.

Still, Ariel isn’t a bad person so it’s not that I dislike her. She also loves adventure and wants to see other worlds. Moving past my jealousy, I think I’d love to be friends with her some day. Ariel and I are similar, but I think I at least have something over her.

Sometimes when Sora talks about me, he gets this squeezing feeling in his heart. Now I’m not gonna let Sora or Riku tease me over my feelings, I’m sure gonna tease Sora about his once I get my body back.

Entry 9: A lot more tricks than treats!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy going around to houses and getting candy, but I enjoy scaring Sora even more so. I mean, I definitely did that outside of Halloween, it’s just that the holiday made it feel special.

Needless to say, Sora finding a world exclusively dedicated to it is probably one of the best things I’ve ever found out! When Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrived, they even got special outfits to blend in! With Sora being a vampire, I could see Riku being a werewolf, but when it comes to me, I can’t choose between being a witch or a scarecrow.

There are even monsters! There was a talking skeleton who was surprisingly nice, a mad doctor, and a giant living sack of bugs! (It was super gross when he was defeated.) Sora got a bit squirmy when he died, so I really wish I was there to double down and make Sora sora yell out loud!

I definitely want to go to Halloween Town when all of this is said and done.

Entry 10: I miss candy…

So Halloween Town was fun for the thrills and chills, but felt severely lacking in candy. I may be a disembodied heart without a body, but my heart aches for something sweet! Which is why the 100 Acre Wood was torture for me.

Pooh Bear and I would get along. He loves honey, I love candy, it’s like we’re two peas in a pod. I too would probably get myself stuck inside a tree if I was desperate enough for a sweet snack. 

Pooh’s other animal friends are all so cuddly and adorable! Out of the cutest, I’d have trouble choosing between Piglet or Roo. Tigger reminds me of the stuffed animals I keep in my room. Part of me really wants to hold onto him and see if he can bounce around with me on it, like a pogo stick! When it comes to Eeyore, in all honesty I kind of just want to give him a hug...

Honestly this place is a nice change of pace. No Heartless to be found, it’s always a clear and sunny day out. When it’s night time there aren’t any clouds so you can see all the stars in the sky. I remember all the stories that Sora used to tell me about the constellations instead of learning how to find his way with them. That was more Riku’s job.

I’m glad to know that what I’m feeling when I look up at the sky, Sora is feeling the same. Take your time and relax, you’ve earned it.

Entry 11: It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Sora, Donald, and Goofy!

Forget swinging through trees, forget playing with countless puppies, and forget scaring Sora, when I get my body back, I’m making Sora take me to Neverland so I can fly up high in the skies!

Wait no Kairi, focus, there are more pressing things at matter. Mainly, Riku has become a full on jerk, has sided with the Heartless, and is dragging my lifeless body around with him! I mean, my eyes were open, but my body was basically a ragdoll without me in it. I mean on the brightside, Sora was absolutely brimming with joy when he realized my body was safe.

That may or may not have made me feel an indescribable amount of joy and embarrassment, mind you.

I mentioned having an out of body experience in Wonderland, but having a literal one felt even weirder. When Sora got close enough it was possible for me to twitch my hand a little, sort of like I was reconnecting with my body. Sucks that it ended up being dragged away, I was this close to getting it back. What sucks even more is that Riku ended up fleeing to this Hollow Bastion place with it.

Still it wasn’t all bad. Body or not, I was still able to fly around with Sora. He doubted that I’d believe him if he told me.

I don’t think he’d believe me if I told him what I’ve been up to in his heart.

Entry 12: Riku…

I’m back in my body. I wish it was as simple as Sora making contact with it, but things took a turn for the worse this time around.

I need to start from the beginning.

Right before we reached Hollow Bastion, Sora was able to connect with me. He awoke a memory of mine that I’d long forgotten since I came to the island: my favorite story that my grandmother would always tell me. Remembering it gave me this warm feeling, one that intensified when we arrived at Hollow Bastion. 

Only to have that feeling crushed when Riku took the Keyblade from Sora.

I’m glad Sora was able to get it back and knock some sense into Riku, but for a moment Sora really felt at his lowest. Sora was able to become his old self again, but deep in his heart was so much hurt at the fact that he lost Riku to the darkness. Not just any darkness, but from this man named Ansem. He was the one who revealed I was inside Sora’s  heart. Sora was able to beat the possessed Riku, but in the end he made a sacrifice I don’t think I could ever pay him back for.

Losing Sora in my arms made me feel even more useless than I did while I was inside his heart. Interestingly enough, when my heart left Sora’s body, I felt another leave as well. It wasn’t like Sora’s heart, but certainly had similar vibes to it.

Regardless, somehow I was able to bring him back from being a Heartless, but the feeling of losing him in my arms like that is something I don’t want to experience again.

We ended up leaving Hollow Bastion shortly after that. When Sora and I were alone, I was finally able to tell Sora that I was with him the entire time. I had so much I wanted to tell him, but there wasn’t enough time in the world. Not to mention all the unfinished business we had back at Hollow Bastion. I wanted to come with Sora, but he was right. It is dangerous, and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I didn’t really have any ways to protect myself...

I gave Sora my lucky charm. Wherever he goes, I’ll be there with him.

At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Entry 13: For Our Eyes Only

Hi there diary, this might be the last time I update this formerly mental journal. 

Sora’s gone off on another adventure to save Riku. He saved all of the worlds, but wasn’t able to save his best friend. If I was in Sora’s shoes, which I might as well have been, I would have done the same thing for either of them. As for me, I’m back on the islands safe and sound. Part of me wanted to jump across the darkness and into Sora’s arms once more. But after fighting for so long to keep me safe, I think the best I can do for Sora is to let this one wish come true.

I know he’ll come back for me. After all, he still needs to give me back my lucky charm. And when he does, I’ll make sure to give him this handwritten diary to help him understand just exactly what I went through on this adventure. No…

Our adventure.

---

When I started this fic, I was honestly thinking about dropping it and starting from scratch with a new idea. Quite frankly, I’m glad I decided to keep at it. I’m pretty proud of the result and feel that I’ve made a somewhat creative little oneshot!

Once again, thank you to the Sokai: Destined Oath Discord server for introducing me to SoKai Week 2020! Special thanks to the server member Gee for acting as my Beta Reader.

Thanks for Reading!

[thanksjro]

More Than Meets the Eye #11- Soak the Matrix in Lemon Juice and Break Out the Hairdryers

So, small problem.

Prowl realized he was in the wrong comic run and had to split.

But not before yelling at Orion about how stupid he thinks this National Treasure bullshit he’s trying to pull is, and makes a request that Chromedome be left out of this whole mess.

Why the fuck wouldn’t you tell him that?

Bye, Prowl. See you later, I guess.

Chromedome and Roller have brought in some help for the heist from the local college. These students were super gung-ho about stealing the Matrix, not because they’re agents of political chaos, but because the Senator has his name attached to this little project. They feel a certain debt to the Senator, since he’s been doing his best to protect them from the Functionist Council.

Gee, wonder who that truck is.

We get a little rundown of our new friends, while Chromedome has a minor temper tantrum in the background.

Skids is also a member of this group, labelled as a super-learner, enough so that it may not even be a voluntary thing on his part.

In the present day, Swerve’s returned from stealing things from Trailcutter’s room, apparently totally unaware of what’s happened to his roommate. You’d think someone would have gotten in contact with him about that.

I mean, maybe? You did say you liked purple.

Swerve lets it slip that this isn’t the only story time circle Rewind’s hosted in an attempt to get Rung’s brain back up to speed… which makes me wonder just how often the medical staff on board the Lost Light actually check on their patients, if Ratchet had been surprised that this event was happening today.

Swerve makes fun of Tailgate for needing to open up the wiki so he can keep track of what’s going on, then goes over to call Rung the wrong name. Swerve is very lucky Rung is essentially in a coma right now, because that’s probably the only thing keeping him from trying to strangle our resident barkeep.

Whirl helps Rung express himself by playing with his eyebrows, a trait which, now that I think about it, probably only exists for expressive purposes, considering that his eyes are covered by his glasses and we can’t see their shape.

Rewind saves Rung from being played with, perhaps solely because he’s a historical constant.

So you’re saying Rung gets around. Nifty.

Rewind decides that they’ve taken enough of a break and it’s time to get back to the juicy stuff, completely blowing off Ratchet’s professional opinion about what to do with Rung.

Nothing gets in the way of story time.

Nothing.

In the past, Orion Pax is poking Skids in the face, specifically in his mini Matrix tattoo, which is giving him ideas. Skids is a little weirded out, but this isn’t about Skids, now is it? Chromedome goes to pay a visit to a coworker to get things set for the madness that’s about to unfold.

My boy! My beautiful boy!

Yes, Ironfist, before shooting himself in the head and having his spirit broken by the horrors of direct combat, used to be a cop. Everyone’s a cop in IDW, at least for a little while. He’s also missing his faceplate, and isn’t nearly as cute in Milne’s style, but we can’t have it all all the time, now can we?

Chromedome’s feeding into Ironfist’s fanboy nature, pretending to be just as much as a nerd as he is to call in a favor. In exchange for getting Ironfist’s Delta Magnus body pillow back from their boss, Chromedome needs to borrow Ironfist’s one-to-one replica of the Matrix.

I mean, you practically are already, but the sentiment is appreciated. We haven’t gotten to the point where we’re comfortable with thank you kisses yet, and it’ll be a while still.

While the Senator and company gush over Chromedome’s good job, Roller pulls Ratchet and Orion over to the side for a little chat.

Roller doesn’t trust the Senator. He’s done his research, weighed their options, and he really isn’t sure about this guy. Turns out that Orion isn’t the only guy who’s been modified to fit a Matrix without his consent. Honestly, I’m with Roller on this one; that’s mad creepy to be loading the bases like that.

Orion doesn’t really see it that way, though.

Only one of these things was ever a secret, my guy. You worked with Whirl, he was in your precinct for crying out loud! At least he admits to his ignorance.

Back in the present, we check in on Rodimus’ investigation. Looks like we’ve got our answer on who tried to kill Red Alert.

It was Red Alert.

First Aid explains.

Fascinating.

Rodimus fails to see why exactly Red Alert would choose to go this route, because A) he doesn’t know that Red Alert knows about the dirty little secret in the basement, and B) despite probably having depression, may not be the type to have suicidal ideation. It’s true, those types of people exist!

Oh, this is a savior’s complex thing. Nyon really fucked you up, huh Rodimus?

After Ultra Magnus gets Rodimus to stop accosting the doctor, they’re faced with a sort of moral quandary.

IDW’s More Than Meets the Eye! Come for the space adventure, stay for the rumination on whether it’s ethical to allow a mentally ill person the right to self-termination!

After consulting with Drift, because it’s always important to get a second opinion, Rodimus agrees to put Red Alert in cold storage, to remain until their quest is finished and they’re in a place that’s better for his mental health.

Anyway, back to the heist plotline.

Orion breaks down the plan for everybody: the basilica is nearly impossible to break into, but they’re going to do it anyway, because this is the past, and we as the reader already know that things go alright because Chromedome, Ratchet and Skids are still here and Optimus Prime came into being.

Roller will hack the sky spies, make things look all hunky dory, while the rest of the boys magic carpet up to the top of the building.

Looking mighty relaxed there, Glitch.

Glitch is probably sitting down to conserve as much energy as possible, because his job sucks some major chrome- he’s got to keep the detector beams off, using his outlier ability, but it really friggin’ hurts for him to do it. He’s going to have to do it for an extended period of time.

Glitch really got the short end of the stick in all this, didn’t he?

Okay, so I was wrong, Skids uses his grappling hook a fucking shit-ton in MTMTE. Today, he’s going to use it to lower Orion down into the basilica so he can crack open a cold one and steal the Matrix.

Things can never just be simple, can they?

Over on Roller’s end of the workflow, Chromedome’s irritated that he’s got to babysit the Senator. Chromedome spends a good portion of this story arc irritated at stuff, in case you couldn’t tell.

In this case, the Senator agrees that having Chromedome stay back was probably unnecessary. Or at least, he did, until he noticed that the Academy of Advanced Technology is burning to the ground on live TV.

Then the wall explodes.

Things can never just be simple, can they?

Back on the front lines, Orion tags out and Ratchet tags in, because the locks on the Matrix are mad crazy hard to undo and they just don’t have time for pussyfooting around with all that. Ratchet is apparently a master lock pick. Must be those magic medic hands.

Even the Matrix being full of Fiji water is no match for our CMO, as he makes quick work of the bomb and removes it. Hooray! Now we just need to pull him back up and we’ll be all set to leave.

Or at least, we would be, if Glitch wasn’t the dumbest bitch alive.

Ratchet braces for an explosion.

And braces.

And braces.

But it never comes, because Windcharger has magic arms and zero patience for facing his own mortality.

The boys haul up Ratchet and the bomb, fly on out of there, then Orion jumps off the slab they’re floating on because Roller was supposed to call and he hasn’t. I’m going to hazard a guess and say that Roller might be a bit preoccupied at the moment, and it isn’t by the television.

That is a BIG BOY.

“Cleanse and control” was what Trepan’s idiotic tattoo said, so there’s a good chance that our buddy the Senator is about to go the way of Pious Maximus in a minute. Or at least, he would if Orion Pax didn’t embrace is inner monster truck and punch a hole in the big boy holding the Senator like Lennie does a rabbit.

Kroma isn’t one to let the opposite side have all the cards though, as he holds a gun to Roller’s head and suggests that the Senator be given to him, lest we be down a cop in this story that’s simply awash with them. The Senator, being the nice guy that he is, goes willingly to his doom.

Be a lot easier if we knew your name, bud.

The Senator is taken away, but Kroma leaves Orion with the other big boy, and he’s not playing nicely. Orion helps himself by way of domestic terrorism.

But that’s not the end of the story! Oh dear no!

After the explosion, Orion unearths Chromedome, and they make tracks for the Institute. Small issue with that though:

Well, dang.

Thus ends the tale of the Matrix heist, the mysterious Senator, and Chromedome’s awkward relationship with Prowl. Our storytelling session ends with the sound of the alarm, and everyone runs off to see just what the hell’s gone wrong now. Only Skids hangs back to take Rung to the medibay, but not before trying one last thing to help his partner in vent-crawling out.

Man, all they had to do was annoy him and everything would have been fine? Rewind’s going to feel so silly for all that work he put into this.

Back in the past, Orion’s digging through the remains of the Rodion police station, when a robot comes up to him, saying that they have a mutual friend who asked him to find Orion if he ever went missing.

The mutual friend was the Senator.

And the robot is Zeta, who would become Zeta Prima.

The Senator was really playing the field with all these Matrix reformattings.

Speaking of the Senator, he’s just arrived at a The Institute, where they’ve decided to not only shadowplay him, but also empurata his whole deal just to be assholes. He just wanted to be beautiful, on top of conniving, but I guess we won’t be having any of that anymore. Not that it’ll matter.

Because vanity is illogical.

No wonder Whirl’s so goddamn angry all the time.

[neuroduckvergent]

The Beagle Coin

Fandom: Ducktales 2017

Characters: Louie Duck, Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck (Dewey & Huey mentioned)

Notes: Autistic Louie, ADHD Scrooge, ADHD Dewey

-

Special Interests, Louie decided, were both a blessing and a curse.

They were a blessing when they brought you joy and excitement, when you had someone to talk to them about. When they were something normal and not too out of the ordinary, because otherwise the people at school would look at you weird and laugh about your weird obsessions and- he didn't need to go down this rabbit hole right now. He didn't like to think about the other kids at school. They didn't matter. He had his brothers.

They were a curse, however, when you would never be able to complete a collection you have been working on for years. When the missing piece was taunting you oh-so smugly. When it was <i>just</i> out of reach. Close enough to grab it but with such great consequences you couldn't even dream of taking it.

It frustrated him.

Louie's special interest was money, particularly coins. And no, that didn't refer to him wanting to be rich or anything, that was a completely different dream. Having money just for the sake of spending it was really great, but having coins in your collection and knowing all of the history behind the coins, being able to talk about when they were forged, and having so much knowledge in your head you can even put your nerdy brother to shame? That was the best.

Over the course of their adventures, Louie had discovered so many coins he didn't even know existed and it made him so happy! His collection was ever growing. Back when they still lived in the marina he didn't really have a lot of coins. A few old quarters and one of every current coin, but none of them were actually valuable or special in any sort of way. Still, they had emotional value and he cherished them. He knew all the history behind why they had the coins they had today, which led to the missing piece in his collection: The elusive Beagle Coin.

Before Scrooge bought (more like stole) Duckburg from the beagles, they had already started producing some currency. It was only coins and not a lot, but they were known as beagle coins. Nowadays they were worth more than Louie's entire life and super rare, so the chance of ever getting one were below zero. Or, well, so he thought.

Turns out Uncle Scrooge has one.

He was helping Uncle Donald clean the money bin when he stumbled upon the fabled missing piece in his collection. Of course his reaction was immediate, happily clapping and bouncing as he went to show it off to his uncle.

"Uncle Donald look what I found! Look! Uncle Scrooge has a beagle coin! Can I keep it Uncle Donald, please please please?"

Uncle Donald, obviously, told him to ask Uncle Scrooge. Bummer. The old miser would never let him steal it- have it, not steal it. Louie would never steal anything, he was the most honest person he knew! Plus the stern look Uncle Donald gave him kept him from even attempting it anyway.

"Come ON Uncle Scrooge! Please let me have it? I don't want to sell it, I want it for my collection!" "Laddie, do you think I'm daft? This coin is worth thousands of dollars, I'm not going to give it to you. You will sell it and who knows in whose hands it will end up in then!"

Uncle Scrooge really was just as understanding as Louie had predicted: not at all. He wouldn't even listen to Louie trying to explain how much this coin meant to him, which just ended with him being incredibly frustrated about being not listened to, and eventually just having a meltdown. That caused a ruckus and Scrooge pretty much just kicked him out of the money bin.

Well, that was a disaster.

He refused to talk to anyone after that for a few days. It went well for the most part, even when he couldn't really stand Dewey exploding on him about how you shouldn't ignore your family. Huey brought him back to earth quickly by, very angrily, explaining to his brother that Louie was obviously listening and probably just nonverbal and that he should sit down Dewey, he's obviously not doing good!

He managed to hide his mood from Uncle Donald for a few days, not really looking forward to explaining why he refused to talk to anyone, least of all Uncle Scrooge. But Uncle Donald had dad senses, and he was onto Louie, which meant Louie couldn't flee for long. And soon enough he was cornered.

"Okay, Lou. What's wrong? You've been avoiding me for days and I can sense there's something wrong."

And Louie wasn't sure if it was all the frustration that was pent up or if it was because talking to Uncle Donald felt safe, but whatever it was, he spilled the truth pretty much immediately. He began venting about how Uncle Scrooge didn't take him seriously, and about how he refused to listen to him and how overwhelmed he felt by the whole situation.

Needless to say, Uncle Donald didn't take that too well. He patted his head before stomping off. Not five minutes later you could hear his signature anger outburst, loud and echoing throughout the halls. Then everything fell quiet for a while, and Louie briefly wondered if Uncle Donald might have fallen asleep from exerting too much energy by being angry but then he could see his uncle walk down the hallway, Uncle Scrooge in tow. He looked apologetic and Louie was suddenly very aware of the fact that Uncle Donald would probably have murdered Uncle Scrooge if he refused to apologize.

"Ah, laddie. I am sorry. Your uncle... definitely showed me how important this coin would be to you. I wasn't aware coins were your, what do you call it, special interest?”

He was fidgeting a bit and Louie could tell that the other clearly had issues dealing with neurodivergencies, despite having ADHD himself (at least according to Uncle Donald. He overheard him talking about it when he was soothing Dewey about his diagnosis, and how it was fine and normal. "Our family might not be the most neurotypical, but we are the most daring!" That had calmed his brother down a significant amount). Louie could at least appreciate that he was trying, the apology seemed sincere enough.

"I didn't mean ta make you feel like your interests weren't important, but me boy, you need to understand I can't just give you such an important artefact! It's worth a fortune." "But Uncle Scrooge I won't-" "No, I can't afford to lose that much money."

Hopes dashed, Louie looked down to the ground, ready to go back to have the damned thing taunting him. He was about to go "okay, whatever" when Donald intervened.

"How much is the coin worth? I'll pay for it." "Donald, the coin is worth over thousands of dollars." "Well, luckily my life savings are worth almost 10.000 dollars. They were supposed to get me through retirement, but this will be worth it."

Scrooge looked taken aback by that and Louie was honestly just shocked. Uncle Donald couldn't do that! Some stupid coin wasn't worth all that!

"Uncle Donald no! I don't need it that badly-"

Louie might be a conman and devious, but he was also not completely immoral, especially not when it came to his uncle. He knew that Uncle Donald was still struggling with money, so nuh-uh, absolutely no way he was taking that. Judging by Uncle Scrooge's reaction, the older duck wasn't a big fan of that idea either.

"Laddie... This coin isn't worth you wasting your life savings. Okay look, I'll trust you on this okay? I'll trust Louie to not give the coin away and I'll trust you to make sure he doesn't lose it. I don't want to take ye money."

Donald seemed to not have been expecting that, blinking in confusion a few times before smiling softly. Louie, on the other hand, was ecstatic, bouncing excitedly and hugging Scrooge before pulling away quickly and pretending that didn't happen, trying to play cool.

"Yeah, um, thanks Uncle Scrooge."

His giant grin betrayed him, but both of his uncles had the courtesy to not mention it, though Donald did ruffle the feathers on top of Louie's head, making the young duck huff a bit.

[jgroffdaily]

It took until Frozen II for Anna’s reindeer-loving boyfriend, Kristoff, to enjoy his first solo number, and when that moment comes in the animated sequel, audiences are in for a surprise. The true-blue ’80s ballad titled “Lost in the Woods” is a wild departure from the classic musical-theater numbers and Oscar-friendly ballads that make up most of the Frozen soundtrack, and no one was more surprised about this shift than Kristoff himself, Jonathan Groff. “In the moment they handed me the song, I couldn’t believe that they were going to go there,” he said. “I found it personally—and even when I still watch the movie—to be truly shocking when it starts. Like, Oh wow, we’re doing this. Okay, here we go.”

The song, which is available online today, is paired with even wilder visuals in the movie and gets a reprise over the credits performed by ’90s alterna-rock gods Weezer. Groff and Frozen II songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez took Vanity Fair behind the scenes of Kristoff’s big emotional solo.

For some Frozen fans, this Kristoff song is even more hotly anticipated than Elsa’s next big earworm. The cast of the original Frozen was stacked with talented theater stars like Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, and Santino Fontana, all of whom got a chance to flex their vocal cords…except Groff. A Broadway star and Glee darling at the time, Groff was left with only a snippet of a ditty called “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People.” When Groff went on to debut the role of sassy, petulant King George in Hamilton, the retroactive dismay over his Frozen role only grew. “We are ashamed,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez joked, “and will be for the rest of our lives, that he didn’t sing in Frozen.”

“Oh, it was so sweet that people were more upset that I didn’t sing than I was,” Groff said. “It was really sweet that people would express that to me all the time including Kristen Bell who was like, ‘Well, you need to sing more in this movie.‘”

A challenge in Frozen was that Kristoff was a rather gruff, solitary figure, not exactly prone to break out in song and express himself. Even as Frozen II loomed, Groff says, “I couldn’t personally imagine how they were going to get a mountain man to sing. The first one, okay, he’s got a lute, he’s singing a ditty with his reindeer, I buy that. I totally buy that. But how are they going to get Kristoff to sing? I couldn’t even imagine it.” Neither the Lopezes nor Groff wanted to just shoehorn in a song that didn’t make sense for the plot. And, in fact, there was an earlier version of a Kristoff song that didn’t wind up working at all.

“We had originally written a song for Kristoff called ‘Get This Right,’ which was about him putting this huge amount of pressure on himself and it was totally a comedy song, but it kind of fell on the ground for many reasons,” Anderson-Lopez explains. Over the course of the film, Kristoff is trying (and repeatedly failing) to propose to Anna. “[He’s a] a guy that spent his entire life alone in the woods so much that his only friend is a reindeer that he even provides the voice for,” Groff says. “And then in parallel, Anna is a girl that spent her entire life inside the castle walls without ever having any social interaction. It’s like these two socially awkward people come together and of course there’s this inability to express the feelings, and how do I do this, and I want to do it right but I don’t know quite how to.”

For someone as self-consciously closed off as Kristoff, the Lopezes found inspiration in, of all places, karaoke. “There’s nothing better than a man feeling his feelings in a real way at a karaoke bar,” Anderson-Lopez says. “I’ve seen a lot of drunk dudes singing Journey at karaoke,” Groff adds. “And it’s ‘funny’ question mark? There’s also a level of necessity for expression. And Queen is a part of that. Queen was so theatrical and big and when you do something that’s theatrical and big like that and it’s sung by a man, it gives boys the opportunity to really be theatrical and express themselves.”

Kristoff’s unique relationship with his reindeer, Sven, allowed the Lopezes even more musical leeway here. The song is a quasi-fantasy sequence where Sven and a number of other reindeer—also voiced by Groff—provide the backing vocals. This particular element was a stroke of genius from the animators who suggested to the songwriters that they might have some fun with a full supporting reindeer chorus. “That allowed us to go to that stacked Queen-meets-Chicago kind of place,” Anderson-Lopez says. “Bobby laid down like 18 different tracks and then Jonathan Groff did them 18 times. So not only is this a solo for Jonathan Groff, but it’s actually 18 Jonathan Groffs. We gave you 18 Groffs.” Anderson-Lopez is hoping this gift will finally get them off the hook with grumpy Groff fans.

To get Groff in the mood on the day of recording, the Lopezes went down a YouTube rabbit hole of ’80s power balladeers including Bryan Adams. “I don’t think we listened to Journey or Michael Bolton, but it’s like that kind of energy,” Groff says.

For the Lopezes this kind of musical departure presented both a risk and a thrill. “We had never done this before,” Bobby Lopez says. “But where the distorted guitars kick in. I mean, come on. That is the quintessential moment of the ’80s and it just seemed to be perfect.” But the duo were even more delighted by the visual surprises the Disney animators came up with based off one little scribbled note on their lyrics sheet: “Feel free to take this to an ’80s video kind of place.”

“The brilliance of the animators can’t be overstated,” Groff says. “When I saw the hair flip and the singing into the pinecone. The Queen references to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with the reindeer, the sort of emotional walking, even like the supertight close-up on the face. I just lost my mind.” It’s a tonal departure from some of the more earnest musical moments elsewhere in Frozen but Groff suspects that added element of comedy might make the flood of Kristoff’s emotions go down easier, especially with young boys watching Frozen II.

“Normally you’re seeing the girl pining over the guy singing an emotional ballad,” he explains. “And in this one Anna goes off to go on a huge adventure and they’ve inverted it. Now it’s giving the boys the opportunity to feel their feelings and sing about whatever is going on for them, which is so potentially exciting considering how many kids are going to be watching the movie.”

Though it wasn’t written with a rock band in mind, the stacked harmonies of “Lost in the Woods” also makes it perfect fodder for the Weezer cover treatment and that version plays over the film’s closing credits.

[dukereviewsmovies]

Duke Reviews: Alice In Wonderland

Hello, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Duke Reviews, Where Today We Are Continuing Our Look At Disney...

By Looking At Walt Disney's 13th Animated Feature (And One Of My Favorites), Alice In Wonderland...

This Movie Sees Young Alice (Voiced By Katherine Beaumont) Following A White Rabbit To The Merry, Topsy Turvy World Of Wonderland, Where A Person Can Grow Big Or Small Or You Could Run Into Funny Creatures Like The Mad Hatter Or The Cheshire Cat...

So, What Are We Waiting For? Let's Journey Down The Rabbit Hole As We Watch Alice In Wonderland...

The Movie Starts On A Summer Day As Alice Is Listening To Her Sister Read From A History Book To Which Alice Is Bored From...

Wandering Off Without Her Sister Noticing, She Lays Down On A Riverbank Wishing That She Had A World Of Her Own Which Leads To The First Song...

And For Song To Start This Movie Off, It's Okay But It's Not My Favorite Song Of This Movie However, We Do Get To A Song I Do Like Directly After This One...

It May Be Brief But I Do Like I'm Late For What It Is And I'm Also Glad It's Short Because Having One Song Directly After Another Can Be A Problem In Some Films...

Crawling Into The Rabbit Hole, Alice Soon Finds Herself Going Down,Down,Down The Hole Until She Catches Up With The White Rabbit Until He Enters A Large Hallway With A Small Door That's Barely Big Enough For Alice's Head...

With The Doorknob On The Door Suggesting That Alice Drink The Bottle Marked Drink Me On The Table To Shrink Down To The Door's Size, Which She Does...

However, When She Goes To Open The Door, He Admits That He Forgot To Tell Her That He's Locked...

But Luckily A Box That Says Eat Me Appears Which The Doorknob Says Will Help Her Reach The Key However, When She Does She Grows Too Big...

Weeping Hysterically, She Drinks The Drink Me Bottle Again To Become Small, She Goes Right Through The Doorknob And Into A River Of Tears Which Is Where She Meets The Dodo Who Sings Our Next 2 Songs...

And While The Sailor's Hornpipe Song Is Short Like I'm Late, The Next One Which The Caucus Race Song, Is A Good Song And Really Makes You Want To Run Around The Room...

Running Into A Thick Forest, Alice Meets Tweedle Dee And Tweedle Dum Who Do Another Short Song...

It's A Cute Song, But I Think I Prefer The Version Done In The 1985 Version Sung By Edie Gorme And Steve Lawrence...

(Start At 0:09)

But We'll Talk About That One On Duke Reviews Xtra On Thursday And Friday...

But Hearing About Alice Being Curious, They Tell Her The Story Of...

(Start At 0:34)

And I Love This Sequence The Song Is One Of The Best In This But The Ending, Of Course Is Very Sad...

Getting Up To Leave The Two Boys Stop Her As They Attempt To Tell Another Poem Called You Are Old, Father William As Alice Sneaks Away...

It's A Cute Song For As Long As It's On Screen But Again For A Better Version I Refer Again To The 1985 Version Where It's Sung By Sammy Davis Jr....

Coming Upon The White Rabbit's House, She Goes To Talk With Him Only For Him To Confuse Her With His Housemaid, Mary Ann...

That's Because She's Not In Wonderland But On A Deserted Island With 6 Other Castaways...

Ordering Her To Fetch His Gloves From His Bedroom, Alice Gets Them Only To Eat A Cookie That Makes Her Grow So Big That Her Arms And Legs Are Sticking Out Of The Windows And Doors...

Going To The Dodo For Help, He Gets A Chimney Sweep Named Bill To Rip The House's Chimney Off, But Bill's Scampering Causes Soot To Rise Inside Which Makes Alice Sneeze And Shoot Bill Out Of The Roof Like A Cannonball...

Having No Other Option, Dodo Decides To Burn The House Down Which Leads To Another Short Song...

It's A Cute Song, But There Are So Many Short Songs In This Movie They're All Starting To Sound The Same...

Luckily Though, Alice Finds A Carrot In The Rabbit's Garden And Eats It, Shrinking Down In Size To 3 Inches...

Going Into A Garden Of Flowers Where The Flowers Are As Tall As A Tree, They Come To Life And Entertain Her With Our Next Song...

(Start At 0:05)

And It's One Of My Favorite Songs In This Movie...

It's A Fun Song Which Shows The Different Types Of Flowers And Bugs In Wonderland With My Favorite Being The Rocking Horse Fly...

But Their Attitude Changes When Alice Reveals Herself To Be Not A Flower Which Then Causes Them To See Her As A Weed...

After Being Shooed Away By The Flowers, We Move Into Our Next Song As Alice Meets The Caterpillar...

Who Despite Her Best Efforts To Ask Him How To Grow Tall Again, Continues Interrupting Her And Instructs Her To Recite Various Bizarre Poems...

Eventually Growing Angry At Alice's Displeasure Of Being The Same Height As Him, He Becomes A Butterfly As He Tells Her That One Side Of The Mushroom Will Make Her Grow Taller And The Other Side Will Make Her Grow Smaller...

Eating One Side Of The Mushroom, Alice Grows Back To Her Normal Height After A Pointless Scene Involving A Bird That Just Wastes Time...

Wandering Through The Woods, We Get Our Next Song As Alice Meets The Cheshire Cat (Voiced By Sterling Holloway)...

After That Encounter, We Get My Favorite Scene Of The Movie And Favorite Song Of The Movie As Alice Meets The Mad Hatter (Voiced By Ed Wynn)...

Disney Showcase: Ed Wynn

Other Characters He's Played For Disney Other Than The Character He Plays In This One:

The Toymaker In Babes In Toyland

The Fire Chief In The Absent Minded Professor

A.J. Allen In Son Of Flubber

Uncle Albert In Mary Poppins

Ed Parker In Those Calloways

Mr. Hoffstedder In That Darn Cat

And Rufus In The Gnome Mobile (Which Was His Final Performance Before His Death)

Going Back To The Story, There Is Also The March Hare (Voiced By Jerry Colonna, Who You May Remember From Casey At The Bat From Make Mine Music) And The Doormouse

After That Song, They Maniacally Go About The Table, Offering Alice Tea Without Actually Giving Her Any Until The White Rabbit Shows Up, As Hatter And Hare Attempt To Fix His Watch Only To Destroy It As They Send The Rabbit Flying Through The Air...

With Alice Saying...

She Tries To Go Back Home Through The Tulgy Woods, Where She Confronts Many Creatures But Doesn't Find Her Way Home Which Causes Her To Cry As We Get Our Next Song As Alice Cries..

It's A Sad Song But I Don't Know, I Just Don't Care For It...

Finding The Cheshire Cat Again, He Tells Her That The Only Way Home Is Through The Queen Of Hearts, So He Creates A Shortcut To The Queen's Maze Where We Get My Second Favorite Song...

Which Leads To My Second Favorite Scene In The Entire Movie, The March Of The Cards, And This Scene Is Just Amazing And Full Of Color As We See The Cards March, It Is Honestly A Spectacle To See...

With The White Rabbit Announcing The Arrival Of The Queen Of Hearts And The King, The Queen (Voiced By Verna Felton) Notices The Painted Roses Which Leads To Our Next Song...

Finding Out It Was The 3 Painters, She Has Them Ordered To Be Beheaded Before She Meets Alice Who She Invites To Play A Game Of Croquet With Her...

But As They Play The Cheshire Cat Appears And Attaches The Queen's Croquet Mallet To The Bottom Of Her Dress, Believing That Alice Did It The Queen Is About To Order Her To Be Beheaded.

But With The King Demanding A Trial, The Queen Starts The Trial Of Alice...

Having A Frantic Chase All Throughout Wonderland, We See Various Characters From Alice's Journey Through Wonderland Until She Ends Up Back In Front Of The Doorknob Who Is Still Locked...

Asking To Get Out Anyway, The Doorknob Laughs Saying That She Is Outside, Showing Her That She Is Actually Asleep Under A Tree In The Park And All Of This Is Just A Dream...

Saying To Wake Up As An Angry Mob Grows Closer And Closer, Alice Eventually Wakes Up To The Sound Of Her Sister's Voice As They Walk Home...

And That's Alice In Wonderland And Despite Sometimes Having Songs Coming One After Another, It Still Is One Of My Favorite Disney Animated Movies..

The Story Is Very Adventurous, I Love The Characters, Most Of The Songs Are Good, I Love Ed Wynn As The Mad Hatter, I Love The Queen Of Hearts As The Bad Guy, It's Just A Great Disney Animated Feature Altogether And I Say See It...

Be Sure To Check Out Duke Reviews Xtra This Week, As We Look At Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland, The Burton-Less Sequel, Alice Through The Looking Glass And The 1985 TV Version Of Alice In Wonderland That Was Done By Irwin Allen...

Till Then, This Is Duke, Signing Off...