#call it gut feeling wooo

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Prologue Part 1 - The Beach Episode

Wrapping up part 1 of the Prologue, wooo.

No TWs apply to this current post.

The Beach (The Beginning) | The Mart (Part 2) | The Park (Part 3) | The Tower (Part 4) | The Cottage (Part 5) | The Boardwalk (Part 6)

Prologue Part 2 Beginning

Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, it’s a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination, his shoes hitting the warm sands of a beach. He was shaking badly from the impromptu flight but he managed to hold his ground.

“Hmm…it seems we explored everywhere we could.” Mikado then huffed, crossing his arms. “Augh, to think the Kagarin heir would be so slimy. If punching him didn’t result in being blacklisted in future companies, I’d have done it in a heartbeat.”

“K-Kagarin heir…?” He asked, trying to catch his breath. Mikado looked at him.

“The Kagarins are a conglomerate that specializes in technological advancements, specifically for astronomy. I did some freelance work for them in the past before coming here. I didn’t think the heir would be here though…” The mask frowns. “But that’s besides the point. Why don’t we go over everything we know to organize our thoughts?”

“Yeah, sure…Just, haaa…let me calm down.” He said, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart. The moment he calmed down, he stood up straighter and spoke. “There are…a lot of different people around. And there’s at least fifteen of us, right?”

“Right. But unfortunately, we couldn’t find any clues that could narrow down our hypotheses. All we have are guesses to what’s going on…” Mikado said, lifting his hand up to his mouth in thought.

“Yeah…and almost everyone is calm about this…” He hesitates before turning to his friend. “Do you…Do you think we’re taking this too seriously?”

“A decent dose of skepticism has kept me safe for years, my dear. There’s nothing wrong with being too serious.” Mikado crosses his arms with a sigh. “And if I’m wrong, I’m wrong and we can simply move on.” He remains quiet for a while before slowly nodding his head.

He still had a bad feeling nagging at his gut, but he tried to push it down as he checked his watch.

“…Wow, it’s been two hours already. Maybe now is the time to gather everyone?” Mikado tilts his head before nodding his head.

“Yes, I believe so. It’ll be good to discuss everything as a group.” Mikado said as he started to float away. “I’ll go east, you go west. We’ll be able to cover more ground that way.” He gave the wizard a thumbs up before turning on his heel and jogging onto the pathway. He barely heard Mikado fly off, the flap of his cape disappearing in the blink of an eye.

It didn’t take long to gather everyone. While some of them needed convincing (mostly Yuri and the guy that refused to give them his name, if the displeased look on Mikado’s face was any indication), they were all there. Not a single person is missing from the group.

It was somehow relieving to know that.

“So, we’re all here now…” Yuki was the first to speak up. He looks around the group of teenagers, all very different in personality and talents. Except for the one amnesiac that didn’t have any memory of who he is, let alone his own talent and name.

He can’t help but feel like he stands out in the group. It makes him feel a little anxious...

“Hey, hey, why’d we all have to gather? I wanna explore the island some moooore….” Hibiki complained barely a second later. He tried to ignore her.

“Well, there are a couple of reasons why we called you all here.” Mikado starts, raising his hand. He can already see one of the students, the unnamed guy, dozing off underneath a palm tree. The wizard starts counting on his fingers. “The first is so we could all gather together and get to know each other better. And the second reason is-”

“Regarding our current situation, I presume.” Kokoro interrupted. Mikado’s mask flattens its expression.

“Yes, that.” Mikado huffs as he scratches the back of his head. “We need to discuss the possibilities of what’s going on and how that could affect us as a group.”

“Yeah, we need to talk about that.” Yoruko spoke up with a smile, playing with her scarf. “Glad to see we have at least some regular people here.”

“Wait, so you’re telling me the fucking wizard is one of the normal ones?” Nikei said with a hand on his hips. He seems to have taken some mild offense to that.

“What situation? What are you guys talking about?” Shinji sweats as his eyebrows rise. He put a hand on his hip as he raised his other. “Isn’t this just the entrance ceremony?”

“I, uh, wouldn’t call waking up on an island with no memory of where we are or how we got here an entrance ceremony…” He said, if only because he really didn’t think now was the time to be all relaxed about this. For all they knew, they were kidnapped and brought to this island for nefarious reasons.

“Thank you.” Yoruko waves her hand, closing her eyes in annoyance. “At least someone is proving my point here.”

“After speaking with all of you…” Mikado quickly moves the topic back on course. “…it feels like there’s something suspicious about this.”

“I agree.” He chimes in, pressing his hand against his chest. “I’ve been getting a really bad feeling since I woke up on this island, and I’m just…waiting for the other shoe to drop.” No one responded to his words, almost as if half of them were finally realizing how wrong this all feels.

“…I’m honestly more amazed that there are people like you who are perfectly calm about waking up on a random island.” Yoruko turns her attention to Setsuka, who immediately raises her hands with a shrug.

“Now, now…No need to be so serious, Pinkie Pie.” The billiards player said with a tease. Yoruko sighs as she looks away.

“It’s Yoruko Kabuya. Please get it right, Setsuka.”

“Okie dokie, I guess you didn’t like that one, Yuko.” Setsuka puts her hand on her hip and points upwards while Yoruko gaps at the sudden change in nickname. “But what’s the point in getting all worked up? It’s probably just a school event.”

“Uh…maybe?” It was Hajime this time, having his own hand on his hip. “I have heard that Hope’s Peak has done some crazy shit from time to time, since it’s so huge.” Somehow, he found himself agreeing. It did feel like a famous place like Hope’s Peak would pull off a crazy stunt just for their Ultimate students.

It still didn’t make it right. They should’ve at least told them about this island field trip in advance before whisking them away without warning.

“Well, they do say that this school randomly has stuff like puppies growing ten stories tall, or buildings suddenly exploding…” Iroha said with an awkward laugh. He blinked at her with wide eyes, not really expecting that kind of response.

“What is the deal with this school…?” Shinji asked, dropping his arms while sweating. Honestly, he took the words right out of his mouth.

“But if those stories are true, then it’s possible that this is also some kind of event.” Emma chimed in, before closing her eyes and basking in the breeze with open arms. “A beautiful, tropical island…a once-in-a-lifetime opening ceremony caressed by a warm breeze…An image forever engraved in your memories!” He presses his lips together into a tight line, hesitating.

The more they talked about it, the more this situation started to feel less abnormal and more…typical? As if his gut was telling him that what they’re saying wasn’t wrong and that the school was probably just as eccentric as they think it is.

Maybe his suspicion is wrong then…?

“Let’s not be too relaxed.” Mikado cuts in, almost as if he was on edge. “Even if that’s true, that still leaves the issue that there isn’t anyone else but us on the island. And the school has yet to contact us in any way.”

“Honestly, I’m like eighty percent sure that this is a kidnapping.” Yuri said, subtly agreeing even if he wouldn’t say it out loud with Mikado being a guy.

“Ehhh?! A kidnapping?!” Iroha yelled out, immediately becoming scared at the thought of the situation being a lot more serious than she thought. She wasn’t full blown panicking just yet but it looked like she was on the edge of it.

“My kidnapping sense is tingling.” Yuri raises his hands with a big smile, talking like this was a normal thing. He was probably happier to turn his attention to a girl, being the misandrist he is. “As a veteran of being kidnapped, I’ve got a feeling that this must be a kidnapping on a grand scale!”

“The hell do you mean, ‘kidnapping sense?!’” Shinji put his hands on his hips. It looks like he’s also growing nervous as well. Emma crosses her arms and looks to the side, still relatively calm but considering now.

“Hmmm…If this is a kidnapping, the culprit must be quite daring if they chose to target all of Hope’s Peak’s freshmen.”

“Wait a sec!” Hibiki cuts in with a point of her finger. “If we have been kidnapped, shouldn’t we be tied up or have somebody guarding us or something? I’ve never heard of a kidnapping where the kidnapper just let their victims run around an island willy-nilly!”

“I…don’t know about that. Just because we aren’t locked up doesn’t mean that the situation is any better.” He speaks up, trying to calm himself down as he recalled Mikado’s words from before. “If our kidnappers are allowing us to roam freely, they might be confident enough to think we won’t be able to escape that easily.”

“Except there’s a boat sitting on the shore.” Setsuka steps in with a raise of her hand. He opens his mouth to retort but the billiards player stops him. “Sure, the door is locked, but it does mean we have a way to leave.”

“Well, I guess that is very different from your average kidnapping.” Yuri said, almost stepping down from his idea instantly.

“I don’t think it’s that serious.” Hajime said, who is a lot more composed than everyone else in the group. He almost felt a little jealous for his calmness. “The world ain’t all that bad, and it’s not easy kidnapping all of the new students of a government-run high school.”

“Oooh, this is gold. ‘Nefarious Crime or Scholastic Event?’ Yeah, that would definitely be today’s headline.” He can hear Nikei from here and turns to see him writing something down in his notepad. He licks his lips, feeling as though everyone was starting to lose the seriousness of the situation.

“But, um, even if this was just a school event, it’s not…There’s a lot of issues with it. They never told us about this field trip and none of us remember how we got here. It’s just…so suspicious!” He felt his voice raise a little bit, nearly cracking at his own tone. Everyone turns to stare at him, which only makes him feel even more tense. “It’s been several hours since I’ve woken up on this island. Shouldn’t something have happened by now?!”

“...It is a bit disorganized, I admit.” Setsuka rubs the back of her head awkwardly. “Like they have no idea what they’re doing…”

“But, like, what should we be doing…? It’s not like we can stay on the boat right now…” Hibiki said, looking a bit more worried now. Mikado’s mask slowly blinks before rubbing his chin.

“We don’t know enough about what’s going on right now, so why don’t we stick together instead of splitting up?” Mikado suggested and everyone started to nod in agreement.

“I think that’s a good idea. We’ll be able to look out for each other if we stay close!” Yuki said. Shinji smiles as well with his hand on his hip.

“Yeah, I agree. Sitting around bickering isn’t going to solve anything.” He chimes in.

“Roger. So we stay here until something else happens.” Nikei raises his hand with a grin. Iroha holds her sketchbook against her chest, seemingly cheering up now that the situation is starting to lighten up.

“Oooh, how about we talk to each other some more! I’d love to get to know you all.” Iroha happily walked up to the nearest person, who happened to be Setsuka. Before anyone could say anything else, though, the unnamed man seemed to have woken up at some point and started chuckling. Even from here, he can see the arrogant smirk on his face.

“Huh? What’s up with that look?” Shinji asked, narrowing his eyebrows but still having a genial smile.

“So you dragged me here just to talk about this shit. Ugh. Precious seconds of my life, down the drain.” The guy said, cleaning out his ear with his finger. He felt himself become defensive but Hajime was the first to reply.

“Hey, no need to be a jerk. It’s true that we haven’t solved anything yet, but we’re at least trying to figure out the situation.” The boxer said with a raised eyebrow. The messy guy only shrugged his shoulders, uncaring but still having that smarmy grin.

“Whatever. Only reason I showed up is ‘cause I was morbidly curious about you brats.” He then drops his smile and puts his hands in his pockets, turning away. “Can’t see what I’d gain out of getting chummy with you people, so I’m just gonna pass.” He feels his heart sink a little at the casual admittance.

“Wh-What?! Hold it! You can’t just talk trash out of the blue and leave!” Yoruko yells out as she clenches her fists. Her voice falls on deaf ears, though, as the guy walks away without another word.

“....Aaaand he’s gone. That guy has some kinda grudge against the world or something?” Nikei asked, although he suspects it was more a rhetorical question than anything else.

“When I tried to introduce myself to him, he’s the only one who didn’t tell me anything…” Iroha said. It barely made him feel better, knowing that he and Mikado weren’t the only ones that got rudely dismissed.

“Ewww, I have to go to school with a guy like that?! No way! He looks like an old fart!” Despite Hibiki’s loud complaints, he couldn’t help but snort at the way she worded herself.

“Well, like Iroha said, it can’t hurt to get to know each other, at least.” Emma said, calm and maybe a bit hopeful.

“Ooh, since we’re all sticking together, I have a great idea.” Setsuka speaks up with a smile, pointing as she puts her hand on her hip. “We’ve got sun, sand, and surf. Why not go for a swim?”

“What?” He said without a second thought. Setsuka just gives him a nonchalant grin as she shrugs.

“That store over there has some swimsuits. I didn’t see anyone working there, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if we borrowed a few for a bit.” Setsuka said, looking like she wanted to go and do it, regardless of what anyone said. Yuki, however, seemed to be against the idea.

“But that’s not what we’re here for!!! We’re supposed to be figuring things out, not messing around!” Yuki raises his hands, curling his eyebrows as he gapes at Setsuka.

“I agree. Even if this is a school event, what are we gonna do if the teachers show up?!” Yoruko said, once again being the voice of reason amongst the group. However, the moment Setsuka dropped the idea into everyone’s heads, it seemed like most of them had taken to it like a fish to water.

“Let’s hurry up and swim!” Yuri said, jumping onto the bandwagon with a huge grin on his face.

“Wooooo! Swimming is awesome! Can’t remember the last time I had a beach day!” Shinji yelled out, his energy suddenly skyrocketing once again as he raises his fists. Mikado cringed at the yelling, nearly taking a step closer to him again.

“Wait-” Yuki was still resisting the idea but Iroha steamrolls him with her words without a thought.

“Oooh! That’s totally what they’d do at a school event!” Her eyes shined like gemstones, excitement radiating off of her. “Come on, let’s all go pick out swimsuits!”

“No way I’m gonna miss out on swimming! Let’s go, Kanade!” Hibiki cheerily joined in, but her sister seemed to be a bit more apprehensive.

“U-Uh…?! S-Sis, I don’t really want to swim…” Kanade tries to resist but her sister is already dragging her by the hand.

“Oh, whatever. What’s the worst that could happen? Count me in.” Hajime chimed in with a shrug and a hand behind his head.

“Let’s go!” Nikei said, almost taking the lead as the group leaves. Only Emma, Kokoro, Yoruko, Yuki, Mikado and himself were left in the dust. They all just stand there, either accepting the outcome or simply being dumbfounded.

“They all just…left.” He said, unsure of what else he could say. Mikado merely nodded. Yuki just stood there for one more second before finally snapping.

“Ugh, I give up! These Ultimates are used to doing things their own way!” Yuki tosses his hands up in the air before lowering himself close to the ground. He wasn’t sitting down, exactly, but he might as well be hugging his legs. Emma simply laughs but makes no move to join the others. It seems Kokoro was too busy with her tablet to care at all. Yoruko just sighs, also giving up. On the other hand, he…was a bit more hesitant. Should they really move on from their discussion of the situation? The lack of information was really driving him up the wall.

But when he glances at Mikado, he seems to have caught his eye and shook his head.

“There’s not much else we can do, my dear.” Mikado said, seemingly calmer than he was before. He wavers before finally caving in and nodding. He couldn’t think of any better ideas and it’s not like they can break into the ship anyway.

“I’m…I’m gonna go join them!” He exclaimed, deciding to commit to this decision. He didn’t want to keep worrying about the situation. If he can have fun and make new friends, then why not? It’s not like they had any other information to work with and it’ll help pass some time before they have to seek shelter for the night. The pier with the lodge houses would take care of that easily if the cruise ship doesn’t open up by the time they're done. But that does leave the question of food…No, no, he didn’t want to worry about it so he shouldn’t!

“What?!” Yuki shot to his feet with his jaw nearly dropping. “Not you too! We could be in a dangerous situation!”

“A-And you’re right! We could be!” He raises his hands, trying to placate his fellow student. “But maybe we are worrying over nothing. Maybe the staff and teachers are just…hiding out on the ship, which is why it’s locked. Maybe they’re just letting us…do our own thing, to see if we can develop our talents…?” He was just spitballing random ideas to wave away the suspicion. But it was clear that everyone nearby wasn’t buying it, not even Emma who was the most easy-going out of their current group. He slumps over. “...I know that’s just an excuse. But I just…don’t want to be anxious about this whole thing. Especially if it turns out to be nothing after all.”

“...Well, constantly worrying isn’t good for your health.” Emma said with her arms crossed. Her tone was amicable and she was giving him a gentle smile. “If you think joining everyone with swimming will help calm yourself down, I say go for it!”

“I still think everyone is too relaxed about this whole situation.” Yoruko closed her eyes in exasperation, but she had dropped her arms like she didn’t want to try and stop him.

“...Go on ahead. It’ll help you alleviate some stress.” Was Kokoro’s response, tapping away on her tablet. Yuki pouted at him, seemingly pleading with him through his eyes. When he glances at Mikado though, his mask has gone back to its big normal smile.

“I’m afraid our only option right now is to wait and see. If you wish to have some fun in the meantime, I will not stop you.” Mikado said, almost shrugging his shoulders. Yuki stared at him as if he’d been betrayed but his words were enough to give him a boost of confidence in his choice.

“Yeah, okay…I’ll be right back with the others!” He said, and before anyone could convince him otherwise, he ran off towards the store.

It didn’t take long for him to enter the store and just in time, too. It looked like everyone was finished picking out their swimsuits. They all turned to look at him, and it was Hajime who had spoken up first.

“Hey, joining us at the last minute?” Hajime called out. He takes a few breaths to regain his stamina before straightening himself out.

“Y-Yeah…Where are the swimsuits?” He asked. Setsuka immediately waves him over.

“Over here! There should be one in your size, big guy!” She said, lowering her voice in a sort of playful way. He just rolled his eyes before walking over to the shelf where almost everyone was at. It seems like some of them were starting to leave, though. Probably to find a place to change in private. There were a few rows of some decent swimsuits for both guys and girls. Bikinis, one-piece suits, tankinis to name some for the women but he brings his gaze over to the men’s wear. Swim trunks, board shorts, leggings…none of these caught his eye until his eyes landed on one that was hidden away between two other pieces of swimwear. The only reason he managed to notice it was thanks to the bright colors it had and he pulled it out to see it.

It was a rainbow speedo and he couldn't help but immediately gravitate towards it.

“Whoa, looks like someone is confident in his body.” Hajime said, raising an eyebrow at the choice of swimwear. He sputters a little, feeling his face blush.

“I-I mean…I really like the rainbow…and I don’t mind showing a lot of skin.” He said, holding the piece close to himself.

“Hoho, I look forward to seeing you in that piece.” Setsuka freely admits, which only made him even more embarrassed.

Which was exactly the moment Iroha noticed the swimsuit in his hand and decided to make her thoughts known.

“Wh-Why did you choose a speedo!? Are you a pervert??” Iroha said, her face turning red as she gapes at him. If his face wasn’t red before, it certainly was now. Hajime cringed at the painter’s words while Setsuka laughed, albeit slightly awkwardly.

“I-I am not!” At least, he hopes he wasn’t before coming here. “I just…thought it looked nice!”

“Yeah, come on, Iroha. Just because he’d be wearing a speedo doesn’t mean he’s a pervert or anything.” Hajime said, dropping his arms with a small frown. “...although I didn’t expect you to choose a speedo. I was thinking you’d choose swim trunks or something…”

“Er…sorry.” Iroha pulls her sketchbook up to her mouth, clearly embarrassed now. “I just…I’m having a hard time imagining you wearing that, is all…!”

“...Are you?” Hajime raised an eyebrow. Setsuka whistled, her smile growing a bit wider as if she put together something a lot more interesting. Iroha sputters, looking like she was going to try and defend herself when-

“H-Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a speedo! He probably just…liked the design.” It was Shinji, who looked a bit embarrassed but was approaching them cautiously. Huh, it’s weird that he seems to be getting all shy now. He looked at his arms…

…and realized he also had a speedo.

“Same swimwear?” He said without thinking. Shinji gave him a bigger grin.

“Same swimwear.” The firefighter showed off the black and yellow speedo in his hand. Which only made Iroha’s face turn a brighter shade of red. Even with his sunglasses on, he could tell that Hajime was giving her a stern stare with the way he crossed his arms while looking at her. The painter just turned her back on them.

“...I’m going to die.” He barely caught her mutter before she ran out of the store with the rest of the group. He watched her go with wide eyes.

“Don’t worry about her. She’s being dramatic.” Hajime said, rubbing his head.

“Oooh, I feel bad for her. It seems Ro-Ro can’t handle herself around some hot guys and girls.” The billiards player giggles and it was only then that Iroha’s reaction started to make sense. And it seemed like Shinji also connected the dots as his face immediately turned as red as his hair again.

“S-Stop…Can we focus on getting r-ready for our beach trip?” Shinji grips his shoulder and waist, embarrassment flooding his face. “Th-There’s changing rooms behind the store. We can use those.”

“O-Oh, great! Let’s go, then!” He immediately backs up Shinji, wanting to move on from the idea of Iroha’s indecent thoughts.

“Fine by me! I should check on how the girls are doing anyway.” Setsuka said, taking her own black bikini with her as she left. That left the only three guys left in the store, and none of them had anything else to say on the matter of their choice of swimwear.

“...Well, let’s not stay here any longer. We got what we need, right?” Hajime asked, pulling up a red pair of board shorts with a white star on it. He gave a thumbs up while Shinji immediately led the way to the changing rooms, which were split between the women’s and the men’s. It wasn’t very hard to find as it was right around the back of the building. Which made sense since the pathway to the beach wasn’t very far either. Surprisingly, Yuri was already finished changing and was sitting on a bench outside. He was wearing a space pattern button up with short sleeves and a few buttons undone to his sternum and camo board shorts. He was wearing teal sandals and had a bag on his lap, crossing his arms as if he was waiting for something. Hajime let out a sigh before leaning over to whisper to him. “Oh boy, do you think we can walk on by without him noticing?”

“I heard that.” Yuri snapped with a pout, his gray eyes locking onto them like a sniper’s lens. He can’t help but flinch at the stare. “The ladies sure are taking their time. You best not have any vulgar ideas, as detestable males.”

“We were not-!” Hajime started defensively, only for another voice to call out from the women’s side of the changing rooms.

“Yeah, right! Like you weren’t thinking of it by standing right outside!” It was Hibiki who spoke, which immediately made Yuri flustered.

“I was not! I was just asking if you ladies need anything.” Yuri protested, which only made him suspicious in his eyes. Even Shinji was raising an eyebrow at him.

“Y-Yeah…no thanks.” It was Kanade this time around, and her words alone were enough to make the astronaut slump over. He decided it was time to move on from this slightly flustering conversation.

“We’re just going to get changed now.” He said, walking past Yuri. He didn’t even bother to respond to him, probably because he decided to give him the cold shoulder. Which was fine by the rest of them, as he, Shinji, and Hajime enter the changing room. Just in time to meet face to face with Nikei, who was carrying his own bag filled with clothes.

“Oh, hey! You three definitely took your time getting here.” Nikei grinned at them, wearing a blue and black swim jammer with, somehow, a pencil logo on it. “I’m gonna go on ahead. I’ll meet you there?”

“Yeah, sure. Oh, and try to take Yuri with you? Before he earns the ire of the girls…” Hajime asked with a cross of his arms. Nikei just gave him a flat stare but Yuri spoke before he could give his own opinion.

“No way. Like I’d let a man move me from my spot!” Yuri snapped, clinging to his bag. Nikei twitched at the comment.

“...I’ll try my best but I make no promises.” He grunts before stepping out of the changing room.

“...Let’s hope they don’t try to kill each other while we’re changing.” Shinji said it as if it was a joke but he couldn’t help but feel a little bit uncomfortable at the thought of murder.

It was probably just his paranoia.

“Then maybe we should be quick?” He offered and the two of them agreed without another word. They all took changing rooms for themselves and locked the doors.

“Hey, is Mikado not joining us?” Hajime called out to him. He sets his backpack down, slipping off his flats as he puts down his swimsuit.

“Apparently not. I don’t think he was interested in swimming.” Mikado didn’t give him a reason, but perhaps he was simply content to stand on the sidelines and watch. Or maybe he was still worrying over the situation but choosing not to burden him with his thoughts. Either way, the wizard didn’t have to give him a reason if he didn’t want to say.

“That’s a shame! Everyone should have a good swim every now and then.” Shinji said, the sounds of clothes hitting the floor reaching his ears. He snorts before taking off his accessories and putting them into his backpack. He might as well use it to store the clothes he has.

“I’ll say. You can’t always have a nice swim like this unless there’s a pool around.” Hajime replied, the sound of a door unlocking nearby. It seems the boxer had already finished, which made sense since he was wearing the least amount of clothes in comparison to himself and Shinji. “You guys ready?”

“Hold on, I’m still changing!” He called out, folding his jacket into the backpack. He pulled off the rest of his clothing (which included rainbow briefs apparently) and folded them up, that way there was still plenty of room in the backpack. Once he was done with that, he took his speedo and put it on, just in time to hear another door unlock to signal that Shinji was already done. There wasn’t a mirror in the changing room, so he couldn’t check to see if it looked good or not. He’ll have to ask Shinji and Hajime their own opinions.

Still…Shinji had complimented him on his athletic skills earlier that day, but he didn’t realize how toned he really was. Despite how thin he was, he had pretty large muscles and even a six pack to go long with it. He must’ve been one hell of an athlete if his body was any indication. However…

What’s with this strange star-shaped scar on his side? It was just above the pelvis, almost looking like it was somewhere around his kidney but with no signs of a surgery. At least, not one that was very deep anyway. He almost didn’t notice it if it weren’t for the fact that he was changing into a swimsuit.

And now that he was examining his body a bit closely…it looked like he had other scars too. Most of them were thin and hard to notice but they were definitely there if you knew where to look. Most of them seem to be cuts, a few on his side and stomach but otherwise old and faded. Others might be from surgery as well with how thick some of them were. There was even one on his leg too.

…Just what kind of situations did he land himself in?

“Hey, are you coming or what?” He jolts upon hearing Hajime’s voice.

“Uh, yeah, I am!” He took off his goggles and tossed them into the backpack, closing it up. He can worry about what kind of past he had later. Right now, he was here to relax and have some fun. Carrying the backpack by the handle, he unlocked the door to the changing room and stepped out. Both Hajime and Shinji were wearing their swimsuits, with the former having put away his coat and bandages but still wearing his sunglasses. Their swimsuits definitely suit the both of them and he can’t help but blush a little at the amount of skin they were showing, especially Shinji. “Um, how’d I look…?”

“Pretty great, not gonna lie.” Hajime said with a whistle. He gave him a grin. “You definitely look like you’ve been in some scuffles. Did you get into trouble a lot?”

“Who knows? Certainly not me, haha…” He laughs a little as he rubs the back of his neck. At this point, he might as well joke about his amnesia. It’s not like he can do much about it anyways. All he can do is wait until his memories come back to him or he gets back to the mainland to investigate where he came from. He starts to turn towards the exit. “Let’s catch up with the others-”

“Whoa!! What happened to your back!?”

“Huh??” He tries to turn his head at the sound of Hajime’s voice. But it was near impossible to see what he was talking about. “What’s wrong with my back??”

“There’s…There’s a really big scar on your back. It…It looks bad.” Hajime explained, gripping the side of his head as he pointed at him. He gulps, feeling his anxiety spike up a little as he silently turns his back towards Shinji to get his opinion on it. His eyes immediately go wide at the sight.

“Oh…that’s…Yeah, that looks pretty nasty.” Shinji lifts up his hand to touch him but he steps away. He didn’t feel comfortable with touch at the moment. Thankfully, he gets the message and drops his hand. “Looks pretty fresh, too.”

“Really…?” He tries to crane his neck behind him one more time but to no avail. “I can’t really see it for myself.”

“Hold on. There’s phones in the store. Let me go grab one so I can take a picture to show you.” Hajime then left the changing room before either of them could say anything. It was awkwardly quiet between the both of them, Shinji seemingly at a loss of words while he…didn’t know what to do. Nor did he know why he had so many scars.

“...Fuck. I guess I really was in some kind of accident.” He said, if only to say something to break the silence. Shinji stared at him before glancing down at the floor. He laughed, empty and distraught as he rubbed his head. “I mean…of course I was. You don’t…you don’t just wake up with amnesia for no reason, right? But I…I can’t remember anything before coming here. Not a hospital or…or anything. Just nothing, you know? What am I…what am I supposed to do?”

“...I don’t know.” Shinji replied, a lot quieter than he usually was for the short amount of time he knew him. But then he put his hands on his hips with a smile. “But what I can tell you is this: keep moving forward. Your memories may be gone now, but you’re not alone. Your Big Bro won’t allow it!” The firefighter’s voice rose but it wasn’t distressing. If anything, it only made him snort.

“Thanks, Shinji. I…I guess I’m more worried about what I’ve been up to before losing my memories.” He rubs the back of his neck, averting his gaze. “I don’t even know where I got these scars. Let alone the one on my back. It makes me a little worried.”

“...If it makes you feel any better, you’re not alone in having scars.” Shinji said, and before he could respond, he suddenly turned around. His eyes go wide upon seeing Shinji’s own scar on his back. It was clearly an old scar, but it was chaotic and red, stretching over his back and shoulder blades and stopping right above his tailbone. He can’t help but hiss upon thinking of how painful it must’ve been to get a scar like that. “Remember when I mentioned an injury?”

“Y-Yeah, I remember. Does it still bother you?” He couldn’t help but ask. Shinji turns around, his grin only growing wider.

“Not anymore. I mean, I still have to be careful with it in case it gets worse from overworking. But I went back to work no problem.” Shinji said, crossing his arms. “Being a firefighter is one of the most dangerous jobs out there. Sometimes you get injured for trying to save as many people as possible. But I love this job! I’m proud to work as a firefighter, and I will do everything in my power to save people!!” He takes a moment to pause in his yelling before leaning over. “And maybe, the scars you have aren't as bad as you think it is. It’s possible you just had a job that put you in a lot of danger in exchange for protecting the innocent. And if that’s true, I’d say that’s something to be proud of.”

“...Wow, um…” He gulps, moved by his classmate’s words. He can’t help but smile. “Thanks, Shinji. You’re right, maybe I was doing something good before getting injured. I mean, I still lost my memories…but I’m here now, right?” Shinji’s smile becomes smaller but he can tell that he was still happy. His energy just lessened a bit. A thought suddenly hits him and he hesitates. His smile falters as he decides to take a plunge anyway. “If…you don’t mind me asking…What happened to get you that scar, Shinji? Obviously a fire, but…”

“Oh, uh…” Shinji sweats, the bravado he had mere seconds ago suddenly disappearing. He looks down at the floor. He suddenly feels bad for asking. “Well-”

“I’m back!” It was Hajime, who thankfully had the perfect timing to interrupt the depressing topic before it could get started. They both sigh in relief as the boxer enters the changing rooms. He waved the phone in his hand. “I found one that is working. I mean, considering Kokoro got herself a tablet from here, it really shouldn’t be a surprise.”

“That’s great! Uh, I guess. Take a picture and show me.” He immediately turns around to show his back, glad to drop the subject of Shinji’s scar. Shinji took a step back to let Hajime get a clear view before the three of them heard the snap of the camera going off. “How does it look?”

“I don’t usually take pictures but I’d say this is probably one of the better ones I’ve taken.” Hajime said, and the amnesiac turned back around. “Take a look for yourself.” He inhales before setting his backpack down and taking the phone from him.

Like the two of them said, the scar looked bad. It was clearly fresh as Shinji said, with how bright in color it was. It was also just as chaotic in shape as Shinji’s scar, but this one stretched as far as to his neck, down below his tailbone and almost reaching his shoulders, with thick lines of surgery keeping the skin together. When he reached behind himself to feel it out, it felt a little flat but still hard to the touch and he shivered at how sensitive it was. It wasn’t too painful, thankfully, which explains why he never noticed something was wrong despite wearing clothes. If Hajime hadn’t pointed it out, he likely wouldn’t have noticed he had such a scar.

“Holy shit…” Was all he could say upon staring at the photo.

“Yeah.” Hajime rubs the side of his head, unsure of what to say. “Like I said, it’s bad.”

“Does it still hurt? It looks like it hasn’t ‘matured’ yet.” Shinji asked, which he shakes his head on. It felt like his nerves were tickling but it wasn’t that bad. He can pretty much ignore it. “Well, alright. Let me know if it gets worse, though. Actually, I should share some tips on how to manage your scar.”

“Thanks, Shinji.” He turns the phone off. “...What do you guys think happened?”

“Professionally speaking, it was probably a fire. Only burn scars can look as chaotic as that.” The firefighter pauses before raising his hand and putting his hand on his hip. “Although…There seems to be other bits that look a bit too sharp to be from a fire. Maybe from shrapnel? There’s even lines of surgery so there must have been some broken bones…”

“Hard to say. I’ve never heard of anyone getting amnesia from a fire but I’m just a boxer. I wouldn’t know much about the medical stuff.” Hajime said, grimacing. “But enough talk about all of this. Why don’t we head down to the beach? Everyone already went on ahead.”

“Y-Yeah, sure…” He hesitates before opening his bag and putting the phone inside. “Before we do, are there any shirts I can use? I don’t think I’m comfortable showing off this scar…”

“If you like Hawaiian shirts, they’re right around the corner of the swimsuits.” Shinji said, looking like he completely empathized with his feelings. He smiled and thanked him before leaving the changing rooms with his bag in tow. Yuri and Nikei were nowhere to be found, which made sense if they had already left to play at the beach. It didn’t take him long to find where the Hawaiian shirts were and there were even fake flower necklaces next to them, a name that was unfortunately escaping his mind. He didn’t let that bother him though as he took a pale yellow shirt with orange and magenta floral pattern and a pink, red, and yellow flower necklace and tossed both on. Once he was ready, he put his backpack on and left the store to catch up with both Shinji and Hajime.

And so, he joined his classmates at the beach.

Almost everyone was hanging near the sand of the beach, none of them going too deep to swim out just yet. But that didn’t stop them from having fun: they were all splashing each other with water, or chasing each other around the beach. Setsuka was in the middle of splashing Iroha, who laughed as she tried to cover her face. Shinji was chasing Nikei with the plan of tossing him into the deep end, much to the journalist’s fear. But he was laughing with a big smile on his face, so he knew that Nikei was taking this all in jest. Hibiki and Kanade are the only ones who stayed on the edge of the shore, with the older twin looking down on her younger twin as she sat and played with a crab that was scuttling by. Hajime was trying to get Yuri to talk about his workout routine, but it was obviously going nowhere thanks to his misandry and lack of interest in general. Hell, he heard that the astronaut said that he usually uses an escalator as “training,” which clearly disappointed the boxer.

As for him, well…

“GAH?!” Hajime jumped just when the amnesiac poured cold water onto his back. The boxer turns around to try and splash him but he just manages to get out of reach. “Oh, you’re on! Come here, you!” Yuri immediately gets out of the way, seemingly happy to be out of a man’s reach.

“Nope! Can’t catch me, haha!” He runs off, managing to avoid Iroha as she tries to take down Setsuka into the water with her. The billiards player laughs before suddenly pulling the small painter into her arms and starts giving her a noogie.

“Aaaack! Nooo!” Iroha struggles but is unable to get out of the young girl’s reach. She immediately caves in and reaches out for the nearest person, which was… “Hajime!! Hajime, help me!”

“Oh, for the love of - I’m coming, Iroha!” The boxer immediately switches tactics, deciding to help out the painter instead of getting revenge. He stuck his tongue out at him, which only seems to motivate him as he tugs Iroha out of Setsuka’s reach. She raises her hand placatingly before running off to join Hibiki and Kanade. Before Iroha could thank him, Hajime suddenly picks her up and puts her on his shoulders and she squeals. “Come on, Iroha! Help me push this guy into the water.”

“Oh, hehe! Okay!” Iroha agrees without a second thought, raising her hands in what she thought was a threatening gesture. Really, she was just wiggling her fingers around as if she was going to tickle him instead. “Come here, come here!”

“Uhh, nope! Pretty sure two against one isn’t fair.” He said, backing up but the smile didn’t fall off of his face. Before he could try to run off, he accidentally bumps into someone and he yelps. He was about to apologize when two big pairs of hands grab a hold of his sides and suddenly lift him up with ease. “Ahh?! Wha - Shinji?!”

“Don’t worry! Your Big Bro won’t let you get taken down that easily!” Shinji’s yell was practically heard by the entire class and he was lifted onto his shoulders, his long legs dangling over them. When he looks behind him, he sees Nikei floating in the water on his back, resigned and yet content. Looks like Shinji managed to toss him into the water after all. “Come at us, Hajime, I-Iroha!! SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT!”

“Is that a challenge?! Cause you’re definitely getting taken down!” Hajime immediately took the challenge like a fish to water. Iroha, on the other hand, looked a little bit apprehensive.

“O-Oh boy…Uh, I mean, yeah! You can’t take us d-down!!” Iroha said, trying to fire herself up even though the poor girl was sweating bullets. He can feel Shinji falter underneath him, which he quickly gives a pat on his hand. As determined as both of them were to take the other challenger down, they knew they should be careful with Iroha as she was the smallest and probably frailest compared to the rest of them. Let alone the entire class.

“Geez, look at them go.” He can hear Hibiki comment on their two-against-two swim wrestling. Or whatever the heck this is called. “I guess boys will be boys no matter where we go.”

“W-Well, they definitely look like they’re having fun, Sis…” He barely caught Kanade’s words as he tried to push Iroha off Hajime’s back. But his grip was tight and the painter was surprisingly fast with the way she tries to (weakly) jab him.

“Bwahaha! I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly enjoying the view!” Setsuka called out very loudly, which was enough to make Shinji trip over his own two feet and almost make the both of them fall. Thankfully, he manages to right himself before Iroha could try and take advantage of it and push him off of the firefighter’s shoulders.

“Ha…” Yuki’s sigh was carried across the wind and reached his ears. He tries to perk up at the conversation to try and listen in, even as most of his focus was on the game before him.

“There’s no talking to them when they’re like this…How can they be so relaxed?” He glances at Yoruko for a moment, which was enough for Iroha to try and push him hard. It nearly catches him off guard and he was only able to stay on Shinji’s shoulders thanks to his tight grip. It wasn’t enough to pull him out of his eavesdropping and decided to make it known.

“Hey!! Are you sure you guys want to sit out on this?” He calls out to them and waves his hand. Both Yuki and Yoruko pull their gazes over to him. “If you want to swim now, you better grab a swimsuit!” He can see Yuki hesitate before turning to Yoruko. They seemed to lower their voices for the time being before Yoruko replied.

“Nah, I’m fine. I’m not a fan of noisy stuff anyway. Honestly, I’m feeling a bit dizzy, so I’m gonna sit down for a bit.” Yoruko said with a sigh, finding a rock and sitting down on it. That was when Iroha tried to push him one more time. This time, he was prepared and retaliated with a shove of his own. Iroha tips back so far that Hajime had no choice but to drop her lest he falls over as well. The painter sputters and flounders before getting to her feet before Hajime could help her up.

“Augh, bleh!! I think I got salt water in my mouth!!” Iroha spat out, trying to get rid of the taste. Hajime pats her back comfortingly and that was enough of a signal for the rest of them to stop. Shinji sets him down and decides to run off somewhere to do some swimming. His face was red again and he can’t help but raise an eyebrow at how much the firefighter has blushed throughout the day.

“Ah, forget it!” Yuki’s voice calls out among the group. He turns to see his fellow classmate clench his fists as he steps forward. “Guys! Count me in!” He immediately grins while Setsuka turns around with her own smile.

“Great, the more the merrier I say!” She said and he walked over onto the beach. He still felt uncomfortable around Yuki but he was also happy to have him join them. He wanted to get to know him better and this is probably one of the best ways to do it.

“I’ll go with you, Yuki. We can swim some laps together once we get you a swimsuit!” He said, which somehow embarrasses the shorter boy.

“I-I can pick out a swimsuit on my own!” Yuki exclaimed, which only made him laugh.

He can’t remember anything. And yet, there was still a feeling of nostalgia in his chest. Classmates running around on the beach, laughing and playing like the carefree teenagers they were. Spending time together and having fun as they get to know each other. It made a warm fuzzy feeling form in his chest, almost washing away the anxiety he’s been dealing with all day. It almost felt like he had longed for days like these.

For a moment, he felt as though there was nothing to worry about at all.

And in just that moment, the normalcy shattered like glass.

Ding dong bing bong!

They all freeze, the sounds of laughter and casual conversations coming to a grinding halt. The strange bell-like noise made him froze up, the smile falling off his face instantly as alarm bells rang in his head. It felt as though someone had dunked him into cold water and screamed at him, ‘This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong.’

“Is…that an announcement?” Nikei was the first to speak as static can be heard throughout the island. He tried to breathe but he felt as though he had choked on air.

“I-I did see a speaker pole, but I couldn’t find where it came from…” Kanade spoke up, her stuttering voice being much too loud in his ears even though she was only a few feet away. He gulps, managing to take in a deep breath this time, and was about to give out his own thoughts. Perhaps it was a teacher from the Monocruise. Perhaps it was a staff member of the island. Perhaps it was just nothing at all.

Except it wasn’t nothing.

It was something far, far worse.

“A body has been discovered!”

[aaron-loves-hisoillu]

Phone calls

Prompt:  "I've missed your voice..." Kurapika finally (And reluctantly) answers Leorio’s calls

A/N: First post wooo!!! I decided to attempt to write some sweet leopika fluff... Yep! This is my first time writing for these two and it is not some gut-wrenching angst... Anyways I hope you enjoy it!!

Warnings: not proofread, may contain grammar mistakes, and maybe out of character Kurapika and Leorio??

‘This is the 5th time he’s called me…He really doesn’t give up, does he?’ Kurapika thought as he pulled his vibrating phone out of his back pocket looking at the familiar caller ID. ‘Might as well answer him and see what’s so important that he couldn’t text me..’ he rolled his eyes, accepting the call. 

“Kurapika! Jesus took you long enough to answer... What if there was an emergency!” is all Kurapika could hear from the other side of the phone that he placed against his ear. “Well I was starting to think it was, considering you blatantly ignored my message to just text me..” he retorted, irritated, “So what was so important that you couldn’t just text me?” he questioned quickly, not giving Leorio enough time to sneak in one of his annoying comments.

There was a pause on the other line of the phone, worrying the blonde a bit. “Tsk…There is no reason! We haven’t talked in ages Kurapika! I just missed hearing your voice…Don’t know if you’ve been paying attention but it has been months since we’ve seen each other!” Leorio tried to skip over the comment of missing Kurapika’s voice, slightly embarrassed, while also making sure he put emphasis on reminding Kurapika that it had been months since the two had actually heard the other voice. In complete honesty, Kurapika had known it had been a while since he listened to the other’s voice but he hadn’t thought it had already been months. Kurapika paused for a moment like the one Leorio had given Kurapika before. “I see... Apologies Leorio. But, you’ve missed hearing my voice?” the blonde's voice was clear with slight confusion. What was so special about his voice that had the other missing it? To be fair Kurapika had also missed Leorio’s voice, but you will never hear him admit that. 

“Does that really matter right now?!” The other was clearly very embarrassed, even if he would try to deny that his voice would betray him. “It kind of does consider that is one of the reasons you called me” the other commented quickly, amusement clear. Another pause of silence. “Ugh… Must you be such a smart ass?! Yes, I’ve missed your voice! It’s so calm and gentle, and it’s felt like forever since I’ve been able to hear it…”Leorio was basically mumbling out of embarrassment, face completely flushed. Speaking of flushed faces, Kurapika could feel his face become warm as it flushed as he listened to the other’s words. 

There was a very long pause. “Kurapika? Are you still there” the other asked slightly more quietly than was normal for him. Kurapika, finally starting to pull himself together gave a little cough, “yes I’m still here… I apologize. I suppose I just wasn’t expecting such a nice compliment from you... Thank you Leorio.” Kurapika finally managed to get out, face still completely flushed as he felt a small smile tugging across his face… god he was head over heels for this idiot. “Hey! I can say nice things You know?!?” and there’s the Leorio Kurapika knew. “But you're welcome I guess..” Leorio said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

The two continued their conversation for a couple of hours until Kurapika had to go. But after that day, as you can guess, there were many more calls between the two… 

[rotting-corpse45]

Creepypasta D&D character!!

Tw for like: scars, hospitals, death, etc

She's literally just a mix of a lot of creeps cuz I love them <<3 and my DM said I could! wooo!!!

BACKSTORY!

“Okay class silent reading time please.” the teacher spoke before sitting at his desk marking papers.

The class was silent and reading. I couldn't seem to focus on my book. The words were not making sense and I was bored. I watched people around the classroom slowly looking around at everything. “Gray. read please” the teacher noticed me and I swiftly looked down at my book looming each word.

A few moments go by and I hear his paper move and a small wince. “Oh dear…” he muttered under his breath. “Children stay here I must go to the office” he stood up and I smelled this scent, it was so strong it made my nose singe. Before I knew it I felt taller than normal. Different, strange. I lunged at the teacher hearing kids scream as blood splattered all over the walls and floor. Organs and guts are everywhere.

Eventually after a while I wake to bright lights and sirens. What happened? I looked around as my vision went from a foggy blur to clear. I saw my parents worried and two tall nurses “what's happening mama..? Papa..?” My voice sounded weak and tired. My mom was crying and dad was holding her. No one spoke and I laid there confused. I went to sit up but I couldn't. Looking around again I was tied up and chained to this bed “What's going on?! LET ME GO!! MAMA PAPA!!” I started to scream and cry and kick. No one was helping me. One of those nurses walked up to me with a syringe and I can't remember anything past then

I wake up in a new area in pitch black and no sounds. I couldn’t see or move much.. Let alone talk. something that was over my face. “Hello Gray.. your parents have left me in my care.. I’m doctor Woodaker " I heard a male voice. He sounded quite young. I wasn't able to see much about him due to whatever was on my face. He continued to explain things and as I listened my chest felt heavy. I could hardly breathe. I started to feel ill. After a little bit I threw up. “Oh.. my.. You're a special girl huh?” Dr. Woodaker spoke. I felt my face be touched and suddenly I could see, it was bright and I saw Dr. Woodaker. “Welcome to your new home Gray.” he got up and left

For years I’d bond and communicate with him, gaining his trust and seeing him as a father figure. Sooner or later I hit the age of 12.

He stopped coming into my confined room and started having nurses take me in and out of this room to a new one. A new terrifying room: a room with a metal bed with straps on it, a medical light above it and a tray of tools. Some didn't look medical, others did. “Gray.. hi sweetie” Woodaker was there so I knew I was safe.. Right?

“Daddy? What's going on..?” I was terrified. Before I knew it, he smiled and put on a medical mask and a grimy apron. As he did that, I was strapped to this metal bed “Gray whats your last name? Can you tell me?” Woodake asked me. I couldn’t speak, my chest felt heavy again, and I couldn’t breathe. It's been so many years since I’ve felt this. I threw up this black liquid all over my gown. “Oh dear again..” Woodaker chuckled.

Eventually he grabbed a scalpel and sliced his finger open. Blood poured out of his wound. I felt that same singe in my nose I smelled when I killed my teacher. I again felt different but I could see everything this time and hear. “YES! YES IT'S TRUE YOU'RE A MONSTER!” Woodaker screamed in joy and delight. Monster..? I'm a monster? That's all I could think of. He smiled and grabbed a few tools. He’d use these tools for what was called these “examinations”

My bones.. Were broken, sharp nails nailed through my bone into the table, cuts, bruises, bright lights.

He took it too far. One night when I was 18. I heard those clacks of the nurses shoes, I pushed myself into a corner trying to get away from them. “NO! STAY BACK! STAY BACK! STAY AWAY!” I’d scream and shriek but they grabbed me anyway. Dragging me to that dreaded room, that disgusting room. I’d continue to scream on my way there but I couldn't do anything. I was in a straight jacket.. Like always ever since day one. “GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME! I’LL KILL YOU!”

They were laughing at me knowing I couldn't do anything. I was strapped back down to the room's metal bed. “Gray, you are always my favorite.” Woodaker would laugh and smile. “Today we have a special test for you.” his disgusting smile glared at me before that medical mask was put on. He did his usual triggering of this “monster” when it came out he immediately shone a light in my eyes. I couldn't see anything. Then I felt a burning on my left eye. I shrieked again and screamed. After that pain was over I was satiated and woke up in my room. My left eye was black. I could see nothing. It took a year to get used to.

I hit 20 years old, and it took about a month. I did this for so long that I was trapped and abused so much I couldn’t bring out this “monster” so I tried to find a way to get out of this jacket. There were crosses, holy water, and a prayer book all around me keeping my demon away, so I thought if I was able to knock those crosses and flip them, something could happen. But nope. I tried and tried, and eventually, I figured out a way. I ripped the fabric just enough. The second I heard those clacks and that door open, I ran. No more holy symbols, I became a demon. Killing every doctor in sight there screaming, brought me pleasure. “SHE'S GOING TO KILL US ALL!!!” one screamed. I laughed “kill you?! No, I'm going to save you. SAVE YOU ALL AHAHAH” my voice sounded raspy and worn out. “STOP HER!” they continued to scream and beg for help, “NO! STAY AWAY! GO AWAY FROM ME! STAY AWA-AHAH” I laughed. I killed them all except for Woodaker; he was nowhere to be seen. I broke out and landed in a forest. Dead bodies everywhere. I felt this hunger.. I started eating as much as I could. Ripping their organs and feeding. Till I hear steps behind me, I turn and see normal people behind me. They are shocked in horror.

(THERE IS EXTRA STUFF IF CURIOUS ILL POST THAT TOO)

[troidatoi]

Day 2 - 8/24/2023

Wooo, day 2! Happy Mamba Day to those who celebrate! I still miss you a lot, Kobe.

Today was okay. My sleeping schedule is so fucked. I keep sleeping late and waking up late. Maybe because I'm still funemployed but I know that someone is going to hire me soon. I told my personal trainer I can't do sessions with him anymore until I find something new and I was sad face!! I'm probably going to have to tell my therapist I can't afford her anymore until someone hires me and might have to stop pole for a little bit which makes me even more sad. I got an email back from Fox Sports and have an interview with them next week and it's an hour?! Like dawg, it's the first interview, no phone call or anything. LMAO. I'm grateful obvi because I've always wanted to be in entertainment or sports. :) And I lowkey teared up when I saw the email because I'm so desperate for a job right now but I just got to trust that I'm doing the right thing and someone is going to hire me. Plus I got the email yesterday which was Kobe's birthday and I'm not saying it's a coincidence but I'm also not not saying that. Whoever ends up hiring me, I hope it's an amazing job that's perfect for me.

I started eating one meal a day to help with my leaky gut. It's only day 3 and I'm okay so far. Plus it helps because I have Invisalign and I don't have to take them out as much anymore. I am also hoping because I'm not eating as much and eating as frequently my body has time to digest and also get rid of the bad bacteria. Some days are better than others but I hope I can heal my gut and I can eat whatever I want again. It's so tiring to try to figure out what to eat and most of the time I can't have anything. I know it's for healing and the longer I stick to my treatment plan then I know that I'm going to be okay. I have to remember that everything always works out for me.

I also baked some cookies today because my friend wanted to buy some from me and I don't like charging my friends. She was adamant on paying though so I said okay. LOL. I've only done it once because my best friend asked me to make her cookies for a company holiday party and I was like okay. I also like don't know how much to charge people because nowadays people be overcharging like RELAX. People always tell me to sell my stuff but honestly like fuck off because I don't want to monetize a hobby. LOL. I did want to go to pastry school and own a bakery but my parents said no and I was forced to go to UCLA. :) So now I bake as a hobby but it's also extremely therapeutic for me. I'm grateful that people like what I bake. I wish I could have a career in it but doing anything in food always seem so risky and uncertain. I wish there was more funding for things like this and music and the arts because I feel like a lot of people are passionate about things like this but are stuck doing something they don't necessarily like because of money. I know for a fact if money wasn't an issue, I'd probably going to pastry school and just work at a bakery. I was even looking at pastry schools in France. LMAOO. I don't know if I could survive like 2 months in France but it'd be cool to take classes and learn more things! I do hope to go to Europe in 2025 so manifesting that!! <333 Anyways, I hope she likes the cookies!!

I think I'll end it here. I hope the rest of the week is amazing to not only me but to you too!! And again Happy Kobe Day! <3

[thewhizzyhead]

iiiiiiii can’t ditch the life plan though I tried, for a week I really tried, but it. didn’t go to plan.

I brought everything up with my parents, yadda yadda maybe stop putting so much pressure on me yadda yadda at dinner aaaaand

well, to sum it up I don’t think it’s healthy to breakdown about 3 times in one sitting aHa-

plus they made a really good point that my desire to be the best of the best was never them, it was a decision I made, and they’re right- no one ever told me to aim for what I am but now I can’t stop because I don’t know which parts are just me and which parts are my parents and which parts I’ll get in trouble for not following up with-

And on the Asian quotas: yep, race quotas exist, usually only in private schools though, public schools like UCLA and USC can’t do that unless there’s a law passed or whatever

speaking of laws they almost passed a proposition here in California that would allow public schools to set quotas... thank god it didn’t pass but it scared me for a good while

mm and on the entrance exams thing that’s the sat/act, but even that is very skewed because if you’ve got enough money, you can do act/sat prep classes, which makes it really unfair for students who can’t afford those

they’ve stopped using them for that reason, I think? at least in California? yeah I don’t think sats/acts count anymore... for now

(is it bad that I’ve spent so long doing what my parents wanted me to be/like that I no longer have a concept of what I enjoy and what I am passionate about?)

(probably)

(oh wells)

(if nothing else I have sad word spam on a google doc that will never see the light of day)

also please don’t be intimidated by me being debate club president it’s really not that big of a deal (also remember the friend I lost secretary to? she disagrees with me but we’re debating this Friday and I’m certain she’s going to win... my reputation is about to take a hit)

just between you and me I think there was nepotism involved- there was definitely some bias going around,,,

-🍵!!!

i can relate on um not being able to get rid of the life plan anon aaa for the most part I'm the one pressuring myself to be the best that I can be (cause my parents learned to lay off once I started doing quite well at a sci high school which is um yea a fucking miracle really). but in the end that self-pressure has and keeps on fucking me over multiple times so rn I'm constantly learning to try and go easy myself and allow myself to make mistakes. i don't think either of us is fully gonna get rid of the life plan mindset buuut we could both try to kinda take it a bit easier on ourselves, like i dunno lowering the very high standard bar by 5 centimeters every week or so. it's a long process with quite a few unavoidable relapses bu hey we'll be a lot happier if we do so! And perhaps one day you can find the parts of yourself that are truly yours in the process so yay! I'm rooting for you mate but don't forget to take it easy on yourself!!!

also dude um you can take this new high school opportunity to truly get to know yourself and separate yourself from the image that your parents paint you to be! explore shit and do whatever the hell you want! And if you don't know what exactly you want then um explore shit that looks kinda intriguing! i had a similar experience back in 9th grade and i was only able to snap out of the little-miss-perfect mindset when i started befriending a classmate of mine (whom my parents didnt really like) that helped me step out of my comfort zone which then led me to participate in more interschool writing shit and eventually led me to realizing my bisexuality so yea long story short (sorry for the ramble tea anon jdfjd): 7th grade me would be absolutely disgusted at 11th grade me and you know what? I'm completely fine with that cause 7th grade me was what i though my parents and everyone else wanted me to be and I didn't really want to be that also 7th grade me is a homophobic entitled bitch. So yea sorry for the lengthy preachy thingy tea anon but i guess all i wanted to say is to um take this opportunity to separate yourself from the perfect image in your head and find out who you really are and who you really wanna be cause at the end of the day, your happiness and wellbeing is what will stick.

and yea the racial quotas still kinda fucks with my brain aaa like that's kinda fucked up??? That'll be so easy to manipulate in favor of white people though aaaaa i mean i know it's part of affirmative action stuffs aka um movements for more poc representation and stuff but like mfjsjs it can also go the other way and further harm poc aaaa. also yea entrance exams are a bit skewed too aaa it's the same over here: if u have enough money and time to go to entrance exam classes and shit, then boom you are 99.9% guaranteed to pass the exam which is a bit unfair to those who can't afford it aaaaaa college shit is complicated and has a lot of systemic problems.

also DUDE I AM VERY INTIMIDATED OF DEBATERS CAUSE I REALLY WANNA BE ONE VJDJSFJ like my friends say that I'm good at debating bUT THE THING IS I DON'T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE AND COHERENCE OF ONE AND WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE AND COHERENCE AAAAAA. So yea i automatically admire you a lot mate aaa goodluck on the Friday debate woo I'm sure you'll do well!!!

[word-scribbless]

Oh baby part 8

Wooo this one has been in the works for a while! Sorry for the delay life has been very busy! @leroyjethrogibbsgirl and I are very excited for this chapter and the next (this one had to be cut off because it was getting super long so part 9 will pick up right where this one leaves off). We also have a little extra thing in the works we’re excited about!

We’re also very excited about a new character introduced in this chapter!

Side note this chapter and the next deal with some PTSD and anxiety so if that’s a trigger just be warned.

Masterlist

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The 3 months after Jethro and the girls were reunited were not the easiest. Both Gibbs and his little girl were having nightmares and Y/N was trying her best to pretend she wasn’t having panic attacks every morning when Gibbs left.

While difficult, it was also a very snuggle and love filled 3 months. Their little family did anything the could together. They would snuggle every night before bed, spend days off together (like usual) but they didn’t take a single second for granted.

“Hey you” Y/N greeted.

“Morning” Gibbs smiled and kissed her while scooping Amelia up off the counter.

“Making breakfast together?” Y/N asked as she smiled at the stack of pancakes. “Pancakes on a weekday?” She questioned with a smile

“Yeah, we were up. Figured we’d spend our time making momma’s favorite.”

“Momma loves CAKES! Wiff chippies” Amelia shouted as she moved to hug her mom.

Y/N couldn’t help but smile at her little girl and her husband, but something in her gut told her the reason they’d been up was because they were woken up by their nightmares.

“Rough night?” Y/N whispered to Gibbs when Amelia was distracted.

“Mhm, easier for both of us to just get up.” He said and Y/N frowned.

“Please wake me up next time? She can nap and I only have 1 class this semester, you are our super hero you need sleep!”

“I know” he smiled “just needed some time with her.”

Y/N understood, and wished she would wake up when Gibbs had nightmares, because he’d never wake her up. However her own daily panic attacks took so much out of her, she slept like a rock.

“Just wish you’d let me be there for you too.”

“Ya need your sleep”

“I need to know that you’re okay.”

He just nodded and kissed her head. Truly none of them were okay, but Y/N and Gibbs knew that together they’d get there eventually.

It was quickly approaching Amelia’s 2nd birthday and they were all using that to distract them. It probably wasn’t the best idea but both Gibbs and Y/N knew if they focused on their little girl then they’d be alright.

PTSD however, doesn’t care that it’s a few days from your daughters birthday. The Gibbs family found that out one night when Y/N came home from dropping Amelia off so she and Jethro could get party supplies for the weekend. Y/N walked into the house and noticed a side table flipped, and a vase broken. A few boxes were off the shelves and maganizes off the coffee table. Y/N automatically reached for her phone to call Gibbs and panic set in when his phone rang on the couch.

She stalked slowly to the basement where she head sobs. She ran down the stairs to find her husband curled up on the floor crying with two crumpled up papers in his hand.

“Baby, hey” she cooed and kneeled next to him. She winced when he shrunk away and pulled his hand away from hers.

“Jethro, hey” she tried again. “It’s just me can- can I help?”

She heard him sniffle but he didn’t move.

“Okay I- I’m just going to sit right here. if and when you’re ready I’ll be here. If you want me to go just tap my hand once.” She said, trying to keep her voice even. She wasn’t new to panic attacks at all of course.

She knew that with Gibbs and his PTSD from everything in his life, this was most likely an episode. He usually hid them from her, much like she did with her panic. After this, she knew that they would have to try harder to talk about it.

She waited for him to tap her hand to ask her to leave, she knew how much being alone helps him process. Much to her surprise, when she did feel him touch her hand it wasn’t a tap, it was him sliding his fingers through hers.

“Can I hold you?” She whispered after a few minutes of holding his hand.

He nodded slightly and she wasted no pulling him into her chest.

“I-I-I” he stammered.

“Shhhh” she assured as she stroked his hair. “We can talk in a minute baby, just breath. Can I see what you have?” She asked pointing to the crumpled papers. He nodded and tried to smooth them out a bit before holding them out to her.

She gasped as she saw what they were. It was a stack of letters, half from her that she had written from the safe house a few months ago and half from Shannon, that she had written from protective custody before they were killed.

Tears came to her eyes as she realized just how much it hurt him when they had to go away.

“Aw baby” she said as she kissed his head.

“We’re here, we’re safe. I’m so sorry you had to go through this again.”

“I- I found the letters and thought about how I lost them and I almost lost you and Amelia and I- I can’t lose you.” He cried into her chest. “I just- god it hurt all over again reading these”

“I know, I know” she said, tears falling slowly.

“Has this been happening a lot?” She asked him after about 20 minutes of just holding him.

“Not this bad” he admitted.

“I um- my panic has been bad too. I have been thinking about seeing some one, think maybe you should too.”

“Y/N-“ he started to argue.

“I’m not asking you to spill your guts, just try it?”

He nodded and took a deep breath “I’ll think about it.” He said and she knew that was the most she’d get for now.

Later that night as they were wrapping Amelia’s presents Gibbs finally remembered what she had said about her own panic.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were panicking again?” He asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

She leaned back into him and sighed. “I just was hoping it’d go away”

He nodded, getting that more then she knew.

“You gonna get help?” He murmured.

“I actually made an appointment yesterday, thinking about going back on meds.” She had been on them back when Ryan had first died but slowly cut back.

He nodded.

“Had one when I was with meals the other day... I- I- have to be okay for her.” She said and snuggled further into his grip.

He nodded and marveled at how strong and fearless his wife was. She would do anything for their little girl and he wouldn’t even go talk to someone after breaking down. He couldn’t, he just had to keep going. He thought if he was ‘strong’ enough he’d be able to fix them all, even though he knew Y/N would tell him being ‘strong’ didn’t mean you didn’t need help. He just never knew how to ask for it.

The next day Gibbs went in to work for a few hours, Andi and Josh still had Amelia until her party that night. Y/N had her therapy appointment and had to pick up her new medicine. She had one more stop to make.

She had set up the the perfect gift for not just amelia but her whole family.

She pulled into the drive way a few hours later and smiled to see Gibbs truck already there. He had made Amelia her first “Big Girl Bed” complete with railings on the side that they could remove to sit and read to her or when she didn’t need them anymore, and was planning to put it together in her room that afternoon. She smiled at the new member of their family in the back seat.

“Alright bud, hope dad isn’t too mad at me for this” she said and smiled as her new “son” barked from the back seat.

Y/N knew Gibbs loved dogs and that even if he wouldn’t admit he needed help to any other humans, maybe he’d let a dog help him.

She had contacted a program that trains dogs for people with panic disorder and PTSD. She also knew that a puppy would work wonders for their little girl who still woke up From nightmares every few nights. As soon as she saw this particular pup she knew he was theirs.

She walked into the house with the dog following close behind her.

“Jethro” she yelled and she heard “up here” from Amelia’s room.

“Can you come down real quick?”

“In a minute”

He said and she smiled and patted the dogs head as she heard her husband’s foot steps.

“Uh Y/N” he said when he spotted she wasn’t alone.

“Hi”

“Why do you have a dog”

“Meet Sniper, your new puppy son.” Y/N said as she nodded to sniper to go and see the man.

Gibbs smirked and leaned down to pet the dog who had moved to greet his new owner.

“Hi handsome” he said taking the dog’s head in his hands and scratching his cheeks.

“You got her a dog?” He questioned looking up.

“Got us a dog.”

Gibbs smiled and shook his head.

“You’re crazy” he laughed and kissed the dog’s head.

“So you like him”

“He’s our son now...of course I like him” he laughed and she smiled wide, sitting down next to him.

“Sniper huh?” He asked with a grin.

“Thought you’d like that” y/N smiled and he kissed her head.

“He’s trained for families who have members battling panic and ptsd”

“You did this for me?” He asked and she can tell he is a little apprehensive.

“You’re not the only one I did this for Jethro. He is trained for kids who have been through trauma as well.”

“You here to help us buddy?” He asked and smiled when the dog barked happily.

“Just like how we help each other.” Y/N said.

He smiled and kissed her, “you’re crazy, and incredible.” He laughed and hugged her to him.

“Meals is gonna love you” he said to sniper. “Hope you like hugs.” He continued and laughed as Sniper almost leaned his body weight into him, waiting for a hug.

Yeah, she made the right choice, she thought as she watched her husband with sniper.

It was almost time for Andi to bring Amelia home. They had decorated the whole house, Gibbs had finished her “big girl bed” they had put a big bow on it and Sniper was laying on his own bed next to hers with a big bow on his head.

Y/N opened the door while Gibbs stayed upstairs to keep sniper in his spot.

“Hi baby! Happy party day darling!”

“Hi momma!!!! Where poppa!”

“Well, you get most of your presents from momma and poppa on your actual birthday tomorrow, but you get two surprises from us today! They are in your room with poppa, should we go see?”

“Yeahhhhh” she squealed

“Poppa I home!” She yelled and swung the door open stopping in her tracks.

“Hi baby! Happy almost birthday!”

“Rrruff” sniper barked happily and wagged his tail.

“Amelia wanna come meet sniper?”

She nodded and walked over to her dad and the dog.

“He our doggie?”

“He is baby” Gibbs laughed and she pet him.

“I has a puppy brover?”

“Yup you have a puppy brother and poppa made you something too.”

“A BIG GIRL BED!” She yelled jumping up on it.

“Puppy come on my big girl bed?”

“Sure sweets, sniper can go up.” Y/N said looked at the dog “go ahead” she said and the dog jumped up and started licking Amelia’s face.

“I LUV PIP-ER”

Gibbs laughed at how the little girl said sniper and smiled as he watched Y/N join the love fest.

“Come on gunny” Y/N said as she motioned Gibbs to join them. He shook his head and plopped down on the bed sandwiching sniper and Amelia between him and Y/N. Feeling all the more lucky for the ladies and now gentleman in his life.

————-

Next chapter

@mac99martin @kittenlittle24 @drakelover78 @hopscotchandlemon @viper-official @viper-official @ilovemark1951 @theofficialzivadavid @averyhotchner @andreasworlsboring101 @diesinspanishbcimhispanic

[runawaybouqet]

MAJOR GORE/BLOOD/DETAILS OF CANNIBALISM WARNING!!

SERIOUSLY DO NOT LOOK AT THE IMAGE/READ THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO THIS SORT OF THING, I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE ANY UNNEEDED HARM. -

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"Dinner is served!"

The words seemed to leak out of her mouth with a violent, yet barely noticeable shaking to it.

You look on the disturbingly bloodied plate. Three human eyes. One in the bread, the other two just lying there. You stare them down. They seem to mockingly stare back. Every single second you stand there, eyeing the abhorrent sight, you feel your stomach convulse into your gut.

"Well.. are you just gonna sit there? Eat up!"

The girl looks at you with a happy smile spread wide across her face. It looks forced, but you know damn well, she's having fun with this. She picks up a fork from the pocket in her apron. She picks up one of the eyes. She touches it with her bare fingers. You watch as the iris moves around like a liquid.

"Man.. this one was really pretty... I wish I could've kept it.. Oh well.. My dearest Master Nelson said I 'simply must feed it to you'! And I gotta do what he says."

She mocked the greedy bastard's voice. You feel disgust and rage boil inside you brain as she approached with the bloodied fork.

Suddenly, her fingers are at your lips, they're forced wide open. She's DEFINITELY having fun now. She forces the fork into your mouth, eye, veins and all. You gag for a minute, hoping this was just some sick nightmare.

You entered the castle expecting to be treated like a lavish deity. Not to be gagged and choked by some teenage-looking girl with a hand-grenade for a brain, and at the command of your new 'friend'? Disgusting.

"Come on.. don't be scared! I cooked it special! Just.. for.. you. Now open wider. The rest of this lavish dish won't eat itself."

You watch as she picks up more of the gross, so called "food" she had prepared. A smile appeared once again. But this time it looked different. It looked innocent and caring. But you knew for a fact, the eyes and brain on that same face were anything but "innocent" or "caring". You close your eyes as a tear of agony streams down your face. You don't even know if you're going to survive. But if you do, God can't save you then.

"Damn you, Nimiko.. DAMN YOU TOO, NELSON."

Well. You got THAT off your chest. You know the fire you've started. But the problem is.. how do you extinguish it?

WOOO. LETS GOOOO, FUCKIN FINALLY DONE. I NEED TO E A T.

also, not me writing a whole ass scenario for this bullshit LMAO

[skullrock]

the (fake) date

pairing: Steve x Reader

summary: In an attempt to avoid Keith’s advances, you tell him you’re going out with Steve. Steve makes that a reality.

word count: 2.4k

warnings: none!!

a/n: first oneshot in months!!! wooo!!! this includes Steve being scared of haunted houses xox

===

Every week, you had to feed Keith another lie as to why you couldn’t go on a date with him.

You could have simply told him you weren’t interested, but he was your boss, and you were worried that letting him down harshly would have consequences. It wasn’t like there were a plethora of jobs in Hawkins once the mall burned down; Family Video was all you had. Family Video and your creepy, weird boss that always carried a bag of Cheetos with him.

You’d say just about anything to get him off your back - that you were busy with school, or you had plans with family, or you were sick. Anything to get him to walk away. You even spent a week trying to make yourself look sick - sunken and dark undereyes, hardly combed hair. It was so convincing that Steve walked up to you and put his hand against your forehead to feel for a fever.

“Not sick,” you told him.

“You look like hell,” he said, brows furrowed.

“That’s very sweet,” you said, and continued to the back room to sort tapes.

But this week, you were out of ideas. You didn’t know what to tell him.

“Friday, you and me?” Keith asked, hand sunken into a bag of Cheetos. “We can go to a haunted house.”

“Oh, I can’t,” you say weakly.

“What’s got you so damn busy this week?”

You searched your brain for any kind of excuse before blurting out, “I’m going to one with Steve.”

The Cheeto bag fell from Keith’s hand.

As if on cue, Steve comes out from the back room and promptly trips on his own feet, slamming into the counter. He smiles dorkily at you before moving to the other side of the counter to help a customer.

“You’re going out with Harrington?” Keith was practically seething.

“Yeah,” you say quickly, turning to watch Steve. “I am.”

Keith scoffs and walks away, dejected and pissed that Harrington won again, mumbling something about how he shouldn’t have hired him.

You lean against the counter, letting out a breath you were holding. Close call.

You thought that was the end of it - but Keith, of course, brings this up again, and in front of Steve this time.

“How long have you been seeing each other?”

“Couple weeks,” you say, while Steve stands on the other side of Keith, confused.

“Wh-“ Steve starts, but you look at him with pleading eyes, and it clicks with him.

“Yeah,” he says, recovering. Steve steps closer to you and wraps his hands around your waist, pulling you into him. You pray that you’re not blushing too noticeably. “Yeah, since September 28th.”

Keith scoffs. “No PDA in the store, Harrington.”

Steve shrugs and lets you go. “Sorry, Keith. Can’t keep my hands off of them.”

Keith points a dust-covered finger at Steve. “Hands to yourself.” He leans back just slightly. “We have a form you need to fill out if you’re dating. Saves the company’s ass if something goes wrong.” He produces the papers from his back pocket and slams them onto the counter. “Fill ‘em out. I want them by your next shift.” He shoots Steve another hard glare before stalking off, out the front door.

Silence.

You grab the papers and fold them, shoving them into your own back pocket and attempting to walk away.

“Wait,” Steve says, gently taking your arm. “We gonna talk about this?”

You freeze.

Steve had been your crush since forever. You were always in love with him - when he was a dorky 7th grader, when he was an asshole junior, and now as a dorky young man. But you’d sunken into a beautiful friendship with him that you absolutely weren’t willing to throw away over dumb feelings.

“You know Keith.” You try to sound nonchalant. “He keeps asking me out on dates.”

A sudden jealousy hits Steve right in the gut, but he swallows it down.

“And he wouldn’t leave me alone. So I … I told him that we were seeing each other.”

Steve blinks.

Steve coincidentally has also been into you. Maybe not as long, but just as deep. And he’d be damned if he ever tried telling you that. So if he has to pretend to date you to get close to the real thing, he’ll do it.

“Oh, God, please don’t be mad -“ you begin, but he cuts you off.

“I’m not mad,” he says. “No. No. I’m not mad. We should have done this sooner.”

You blink.

“Because - so that - he would have left you alone sooner,” he clarifies, shifting, putting his hands in his back pockets. “You know.”

“You don’t have to -“

“I want to,” he says, then shakes his head a bit. “I mean - not like, I want to be your boyfriend - or anything weird -“

“I get it,” you say, a bit crushed but happy that he’s not pissed and is willing to go along with you. “I told him we were going to a haunted house this Friday.”

“Well, maybe we should,” Steve suggests. “You know - so we seem like a real couple.”

You blush deeply and look away, busying yourself with a random piece of paper on the counter. “Yeah, that would be fun. Or - the house would be fun -“

“I get it,” he says. He leans his back against the counter and watches your fingers play with the paper, smiling softly as he does. “Should I pick you up at seven?”

“Sounds good,” you say, trying to sound casual, but your heart was about to hammer out of your chest.

So was Steve’s.

===

As it would turn out, Steve hates haunted houses.

Every sound makes him shake, and his teeth chatter loudly as you move through the rooms. Steve tries to laugh off his fright, but he gets more worked up as it goes on. After all he’s been through, something like this shouldn’t make him so scared - but it sends him into a near panic attack.

And he feels so stupid, because you’re taking the frights like a champ, laughing at the masks and costumes and guiding Steve along. You willingly hold his hand and help him through the rooms, never once making fun of him for being scared. Steve thinks he probably looks like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, and it makes him want to drop to the floor and die.

“This is bullshit,” he mumbles, holding onto you for dear life as actors walk around you.

“What’s bullshit?” you ask, laughing and blushing, holding his hand tightly. “They aren’t real, Steve.”

Steve runs a sweaty palm through his hair. “Yeah, yeah, I know -“

A person in a mask jumps out randomly and Steve shouts, “Jesus!”

It’s very endearing in an odd way.

“You hate this,” you declare over the loud and obnoxious sound effects. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Thank God,” Steve says hoarsely, and allows you to guide him to the exit.

Outside, Steve takes in large gulps of hair, keeping watch for any monsters - or humans. You rub his back soothingly, and he wipes his palms on his jeans.

“Gross,” he groans. “I didn’t know - ugh, you had to hold these -“

“I don’t care,” you say, and that settles it.

“This might sound crazy,” he says as you both head for his car, “but I’ve never actually been to one of these before.”

“You haven’t?” You’re shocked. “And how many dates have you been on? A thousand?”

Steve glares at you in his periphery. “No. Doesn’t matter. Point is, I’ve never been to a haunted house before.”

“Glad I was there for your first time,” you say, and Steve’s happy you were there, too.

When you approach his car, you realize you’re both still holding hands, and you pull your hand away quickly. Steve frowns.

“Sorry,” you say.

“For what?”

“Holding your hand for so long.”

“Didn’t bother me.”

You pause, studying his face. He looks warm, a slight smile on the edge of his lips, shoulders relaxed, almost leaning towards you but not quite.

You continue looking at each other for a few moments, trying to decipher each other. Finally, Steve whispers, “I’m still scared, you know.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he confirms, and holds his hand out to you. “I think you should hold it again.”

You blush and smile. “Let’s get in the car.”

Steve practically sprints to his side, then runs back to get your door for you. He tucks you inside, then runs back to his side. In his head, he gives himself a pep talk, tries to remember how to be flirty and smooth. But Steve Harrington doesn’t know how to be suave, not anymore, and maybe that’s not really a bad thing. Steve quickly puts his seatbelt on and then reaches over the center console, taking your hand in his.

“It’s still sweaty,” you say, quietly, a lame attempt at a joke.

“That didn’t bother you before,” Steve says, smiling slightly.

The look he’s giving you is so sweet and pure that you almost want to run out of the car. Or lean forward and kiss him. Or maybe both.

And even though you’re both holding hands and very obviously pining, neither of you actually know what this means. Steve has hope in his aching chest that maybe this is almost a real date under the premise of being a fake one. You have hope that it is, too. But neither of you know how to breach the topic, and after some lingering looks, Steve starts to drive. His right hand is still laced in your left, tightly, almost afraid that you’d let him go.

“Where to?” he asks. “It’s only nine.”

You desperately try to think of something to do, anything to keep him with you for a little while longer. “I- horror movies?”

Steve can’t help the laugh that bubbles from his chest. “I don’t do super well with those, either.”

“King Steve!” you say, faking a scandalized tone. “You telling me you hate horror flicks?”

“Can’t stand ‘em,” he says, absentmindedly squeezing your hand. “They make me jump.”

“How high?”

A childish giggle comes from him. “At least five feet.”

“I’d like to see it.”

“Too bad,” he smiles, glancing over to you. Then he gasps. “Oh, I know a place!”

===

As it would turn out, the quarry is a perfect place for a chilly October night.

It’s scary, but not too scary. It’s more so serene and beautiful, and the moon casts a silver glow onto the water and trees. You and Steve lean against the front of his car, hands to yourself, as you watch the surroundings.

“You scared?” he asks suddenly.

You laugh. “No. Are you?”

“No.” A pause. “You just - you seem like you’re shaking.”

“I’m just cold.” You wrap your arms around yourself for some warmth. “I don’t know why I thought a thin sweater -”

Steve scoots beside you and takes his jacket off - the infamous Members Only one, which he insists to Robin is made with the very threads of good luck - and he wraps it around your shoulders. You slink into yourself, smiling coyly at him and he secures it onto your frame.

“Better?” he asks.

“Yeah,” you whisper. “Thank you.”

Steve nods and smiles down at you. The moon hits the left side of his face and illuminates his features, and you hold yourself back from tucking a stray hair behind his ear.

“What about you?” you ask. “Aren’t you cold now?”

“A little,” he admits. “I’ll be okay.”

You don’t believe him. You wrap your arm around him and pull him in closely, and his hair flops over his forehead as he leans into your side. His arm snakes around your waist and you feel frozen in time, like nothing could ever be this perfect, like you never want it to end.

“What are we doing?” you whisper after a moment.

Steve smiles. “If you ask me, I think we’re on a date.”

You blush against Steve’s shoulder and he can feel the heat through his shirt.

“Yeah?” you ask. “A fake one or a real one?”

Steve swallows hard, contemplating his answer. “Seems… seems like a real one to me.”

You look up at him at the same time he looks down at you and your noses almost brush together. Steve’s eyes trail down to your lips and he leans forward a microscopic amount, his arm still tight around your waist. You look away before he can close the gap, and his shoulders slump just slightly.

“I think it seems like a real one, too,” you say, voice cracking from nerves.

There’s a moment of silence before Steve whispers, “Hey.”

You look at him and there’s no time to contemplate.

Steve’s lips are warm and soft, tasting vaguely like cherry chapstick and Coca-Cola. They move against yours slowly, and although the kiss feels like a minute, it only lasts a fleeting moment before he pulls back, gauging your reaction.

“Is that… cherry chapstick?” It’s all you can think to say.

“Cherry Coke,” he corrects. “L-Lipsmacker.”

A slow smile breaks out over your face. “I have the same one.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You smile wider. “Maybe you should taste it on me sometime.”

Steve melts into you, pulling you closer to him. “I think you taste just fine without it.”

Your lips meet again and time stands still once more. Steve’s warm hand cups your face as he pulls you in, and your thumb traces his cheekbone. You’d never felt so alive and lucky as the cold October air picks your hair up and blows it around you.

Steve leans his forehead against yours as he breaks the kiss again. You remain there for a while, thanking the universe for your luck.

Steve thanks his jacket, and, oddly, Keith.

“Hope you kept those papers,” Steve mumbles.

You laugh. “I did.”

“Good,” he smiles, his breath tickling your nose. “Because I think we’ll need to sign them.”

===

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[im-a-star-boy]

Chrysopoeia (Part 1)

eyyyyyy 2 parter,,, nether fun with a side of angst,,,,,

@panna-pan @princeboo do yall still want me tagging you when I post this AU or should I stop?

TW: Panic attacks

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Summary: They haven’t been to the Nether since they left the SMP, but they can’t put it off forever.

Word Count: 1,700

Date of Completion: Saturday, January 16th, 2021

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Tommy cast an anxious look to Tubbo and Ranboo, who were chatting quietly between themselves. “Is this a good idea?”

The two looked up at Tommy’s voice. Tubbo glanced back to the cave and made an unsure noise. “I mean, we gotta at some point, we’ve been here for two months. And… and we need quartz.”

Tommy looked down for a minute before returning his gaze to the cave. “Okay…”

The three bore their armor, enchanted iron with gold boots, and made their way down. The walk was quiet and tense as the stone slowly shifted into netherrack, patches of gravel shifted soul sand, there were small patches of blackstone and nether wart growing around, crimson vines hung from the ceiling, their sharp thorns dangling hazardously. Something in Tommy’s gut twinged as they approached the nether portal. 

The three had found it a few days before from a zombified piglin exiting the cave, an active nether portal that they hadn’t built. The nether had seemed to seep into the cave, converting natural minerals into the nether materials. It was built in the same style as the old ruined portals, but it wasn’t ruined, and it was still active. Some of the obsidian had begun to crack and weep, but not enough to offset the portal as the dark purple continued to swirl and whisper. The portal was protected by the cave, surrounded on all sides by stone supports. On the top of the portal, two gold blocks still glimmered, unwavered and untouched by the elements. 

They didn’t know who built the portal or how long it had been there, just that it was there. Tubbo shifted in his spot in front of the portal. None of them had been to the Nether since they left the SMP, and the idea of going back put them on edge. “You got the gold?” Tommy asked.

Ranboo nodded and lifted up the bag. “Yep,”

“Everyone have their tools and armor?”

Tubbo and Ranboo nodded and murmured softly in agreement. Tommy took a deep breath and led the way. “Then in we go,”

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

The Nether hadn’t changed much. It was still hot, it was still dangerous, and it was still quiet, so, so very quiet.

Sure, there were sounds, but not enough in Tubbo’s opinion. The sound of fire crackling, lava bubbling from a lavafall nearby, the distant sound of a ghast crying, the sounds of piglins, or maybe hoglins, snorting somewhere. These sounds would break the silence every few minutes, but it was never enough to calm his nerves. Tubbo hated the Nether silence.

It wasn't like the Overworld silence, the sliver of time where the crickets would stop chirping, where the nocturnal animals would find their resting place, where the brooks and streams seemed to stop, if only for a moment, as the sun rose. It wasn't the peaceful moment of calm where everything in the world slept, everything but him at least. When the sun would break the horizon, the birds would take the place of the crickets and their cows and horses and chickens would wake and begin their day. The moment would be over. 

The Overworld silence was peaceful, momentary, and calm. The Nether silence was deafening, a threat, a reminder that few creatures lived here, that few creatures ever could even survive here. He could count all the truly living mobs here on one hand, and still would have less than ten if he counted the undead mobs. 

The portal had led them to a crimson forest. Tommy half expected to come through to the Nether hub, to see the bridges to his exile and to Techno’s house, to the floor from where the portal formed precariously over a lava lake, but no. It was untouched, overgrown, and empty. 

The portal was built into a wall on the edge of the crimson forest, the same stone brick framing around it keeping it stable, and the same cracks of obsidian that wept the strange purple fluid. The gold that typically decorated the structures was missing. A zombie piglin spared them an uninterested glance as they stepped through and examined the terrain.  

Tommy was quick to step forward and loot the chest that accompanied the ruins. There was a flint and steel, two fire charges, a clock, a few iron nuggets, and a helmet.

Tommy pulled out the helmet and examined it for a moment before returning it to the chest. Tubbo stepped forward, swallowing thickly. “Come on, let’s build a quick base here.”

Tommy raised an eyebrow. “A base? Why?”

“A place to store our stuff, it doesn’t hurt to have some emergency supplies here.”

“I’m with Tubbo, it doesn’t have to be complex, just something safe if we need to bunker down.” Ranboo piped in.

Tommy looked between the two and sighed. “Alright, fine, whatever, let’s build a base.”

Tubbo grinned. “Can you chop down some trees?”

Tommy didn’t reply, just grabbed his axe and stepped forward. “You two pick a spot, I’ll start there.”

Tubbo nodded and began searching. A little ways off from the portal, there was a nice flat area. “Over here!” He called.

Tommy stepped forward and began chopping the trees down, taking down the nether wart blocks that were like leaves to the tree. Once a good area was cleared, he handed materials off. Tubbo glanced at the materials and back to Tommy for a moment before smiling. “Tommy, why don’t you carve out a pathway? We can make it with red nether bricks, but we’ll need the netherrack to make them.”

Tommy straightened up a bit, his eyes brightening slightly at the idea of building a path. “Oh so now you’re making me do all the shitty work?”

Despite his snippy reply, Tubbo could see his excitement as he already began digging. Ranboo chuckled as Tommy got to work, looking eager with his job. 

The three had worked quickly, Tommy had carved out a path, chopping down trees as he went, and had set all the netherrack to smelt into bricks, letting Ranboo combine them into red nether bricks and then into slabs. He frequently would get sidetracked in cutting down trees and chopping the thorny crimson vines that dangled dangerously. He was quick in placing the slabs, looking immensely pleased with his work. 

As he placed the final slabs, he paused when his communicator pinged. He grabbed it, expecting a message from Tubbo, but froze when he saw the message. Niki says: Hey, Tommy. I know you’re… gone… but I need to apologize one last time. I’m sorry this happened to you, I’m sorry you have to pay for our mistakes, and I wish things could’ve ended differently. You didn’t deserve to die for our causes.

Niki says: You, Tubbo, and Ranboo were just children, and we chased you away. You died for a cause that didn’t last and I’m sorry we put you through that. I wish you three the best in whatever afterlife exists, and I hope you can find it in you to forgive us.

Tommy reread the message over and over. Niki had always been one to give speeches to the dead, but one to him? They thought he was dead?

His stomach churned as he read it again. He hadn’t even realized his breathing was picking up, or that his vision was blurring, or that it was suddenly too hot, too cramped, he can’t breathe he’s dying I’m dying I’m dying I can’t breathe I’m dying- Dream help please Dream I’m sorry-

There was a hand on his shoulder. “Tommy, deep breaths Tommy,” A gentle voice encouraged.

Tommy looked up, tears blurring his vision. When had he sat down? “Tommy, follow my breathing, okay? It’s okay, you’re okay,”

Tommy sucked in a shuddery breath and felt his hand get guided to someone’s chest. He could feel the expansion and collapse of their lungs and attempted to follow along. He took deep, shaky breaths. “Tubbo?” 

The brunet smiled. “Hey, Tommy.” 

Tommy took a slow breath, looking uncertain as he gathered his surroundings again. “Oh,”

Tubbo nodded gently. “You had a bit of a panic attack there, Big Man.” Tommy avoided his gaze, repeating, “Oh,” a bit softer. 

Tubbo’s gaze softened. “What happened?”

Tommy shakily pointed to his communicator, which he had dropped during his panic attack. Tubbo glanced over to it and Ranboo, who was watching worriedly from behind him, grabbed it, handing it to the brunet. He looked up at Tommy, getting his permission, before turning it on and seeing the message from Niki. His gaze hardened as he read the message before shutting it off. “Ranboo and I just got a similar message,” He hummed, setting the communicator aside for the meantime. “On the bright side, if they think we’re dead, they won’t come looking for us.”

Tommy avoided his gaze. “Why are they just now apologizing? After they think we’re fucking dead, that’s when they choose to apologize?!”

Tubbo nodded gently. “Yeah, it’s pretty stupid, isn’t it?”

Ranboo shrugged. “I mean, at least they’re trying, I guess.”

“Trying a bit too fucking late!”

Ranboo flinched back at his yell and Tommy quieted, curling in on himself. “I’m sorry, Big Man, I’m sorry.”

The Enderman hybrid’s gaze softened as he met his eyes. “It’s okay, Tommy. You have a right to be angry. They shouldn’t have waited until we ‘died’ to apologize.”

Tommy nodded weakly in agreement, still looking beat. Tubbo stood up and offered down his hand. “Wanna head home? We’ve made a lot of progress and I say we deserve a break.”

The blond nodded again. “Yeah, I could use some water and a nap.”

The other two nodded. “We’ve made pretty good progress on the base I’d say, it’s pretty and functional!”

Tommy grinned. “Oh yeah? We’re making headway, bitch! Soon enough we’ll have netherite again!”

Tubbo pumped his fist happily. “Yeah!”

Ranboo grinned at the two. “Wooo! Blowing up the nether with beds!”

Tommy let out a strained but genuine laugh. “Hell yeah!”

The three walked back through the portal, seeming a bit more eased about the situation.

[thehostandthefarewell]

"Inquisitor (Return to the Stump)"

WOOO VENT ART YEEAAAH EMOTIONS WOOOO

So brain has been on a fast track down the path of "Let's think of your ex constantly." So I made this to more explain how I have been feeling.

So, Edmund (My grim reaper OC from my comic series) is returning to the grave site of Ghost (an old vent character that I had made, killed off brutally, had come back as a spirit and break and torture until I finally thought I made peace and gave him a flowerbed funeral) after hearing the faint dead calls of Ghost calling for his former love.

Upon arriving to the grave and listening close to what Ghost is saying, he is gutted with emotion and plans to put an end to Ghost's suffering and allow him to rest.

-inhales- Alright, so the song I binged to get this art out was "Inquisitor" by The Dear Hunter (Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgCUoOIuAlc )

Now I sleep. Goodnight.

Art and character are mine

Inspired by The Dear Hunter

[capricornus-rex]

Two Sides of the Coin (9)

Chapter 9: A Sense of Familiarity | Jidné Sheedra x Cal Kestis

Summary: Hell-bent on exacting revenge and retrieving the Holocron, the dreaded Darth Vader is now on the hunt for the young Jedi Knight, Cal Kestis. Under the assumption that he still possessed the artifact, while fueled by the intrigue of the boy’s strength and skill with the Force, the dark lord hires the bounty hunter, Jidné Sheedra, to track him down and have him delivered alive. However, the task becomes a trial for young Jidné, as she faces a conflict that tests her beliefs of a scarred past she had hidden for so long.

A/N: I am way overdue, so so so sorry about this!! ;;A;; I had to recover from yesterday’s COVID-19 testing because I have EXTREME needle phobia, I passed out minutes after being needled. On the bright side, I came out negative of the virus, yaaay!! ^^ Hope you all are staying safe and healthy 💞 Friendly reminder to wash your hands ;3

Also tagging @silver-is-in-too-many-fandoms​

Also in AO3

Tags: Fem OC, Jidné Sheedra, Force-Sensitive! Fem OC, Bounty Hunter! Fem OC, Jedi! Fem OC

Chapters: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 | Previous: Part 8 | Next: Part 10 | Masterlist

9 of ?

Dawn broke and the badlands met the sun’s rays.

The desert animals poke out of their rustic homes to bask in the first few minutes of sunrise—from the tiniest lizard living inside an animal skull to the apex predators emerging out of their dens.

Cal decided to venture out into the badlands as well, it occurred to him that he had only seen the forest and the town—whose name he learned to be Diitana, thanks to BD-1’s diligent scanning from yesterday; he gave the badlands a try.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,”

“Beeee!”

The Jedi was careful to avoid the eyes of the hulking beast with a pair of great horns on its head and another on the end of its muzzle, a thin mane wrapped around its leather neck, the skin was color ranges from stone gray to a shade of burgundy that matches with the color of the sand or the unique breed of grass in the region.

These giants eagerly protected their turf and grazed at the same time, letting the females and the young play around within their circle. BD-1 leaned forward and forward, until his legs were at the edge of Cal’s armor straps.

“I know you want a scan, BD, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to get close. Those horns look sharp,”

Cal and BD-1 continued their trek, the Jedi had his eyes on the island across the great lake. He squinted his eyes, used his hand as a visor over his brows, and surveyed the distance if it was safe or not. Choosing to walk would take longer as he would go around the road until he reaches the island, swimming wouldn’t be so bad. The water crashed and pulled at his feet, he cautiously dipped his boots into the water to get a feel of the depth; he went further from the shore, then the shallows, and eventually paddled his way through the water.

It wasn’t a long swim, neither was it a short one. He simply kept his eyes on the objective.

The Jedi climbed out of the water and found himself in the island situated in the center of the lake—whose channels branched out and turned into more rivers—the animals that resided there were mere medium-sized vermin, perhaps contesting with the size of the Bog Rats back home in Bogano or the Scazz in Zeffo, but these local animal were completely docile.

“Alright then, I guess you could scan these since it’s safer here… I hope,”

“Wooo-wooop!”

The tiny white droid hopped out of Cal’s shoulders while the boy wrung the water off of his shirt and shook his legs dry. Meanwhile, little BD-1 skittered left and right, ahead and back, flashing his blue scanner lights at anything that won’t jump and attack him for the sake of standing too close. He even managed to scan a skull of the same beast back in the mainland.

“Oh, so that big thing’s called the Uroda,”

“Beee-woop!”

“Yeah, I agree. Best we take a look around, you go on ahead and scan around—just be careful,”

With Cal’s permission, BD-1 scanned whatever and wherever he pleases; meanwhile, the boy explored the islet which was significantly big for one, nevertheless it fascinated him. Something lured Cal and so he brushed his way through a patch of tall reeds, leading to the other side; when he pushed down the grass that was blocking his view, it was too little too late for him to realize that it’s become his undoing.

A Haxion Brood hunter was idling on the other side of the island. He heard the rustling of the reeds and anticipated the Jedi—for all that hunter knew, it could have been an animal, yet he was full of conviction that it was Cal. Before the boy brushed away the grass that draped him for protection, the hunter flicked the safety of his rifle and rested it on his shoulder…

Until Cal found him—or the other way around.

“There ye is, Umah!” the hunter snarled and squeezed the trigger, Cal dodged the shot by an eyelash.

The hunter was accompanied by another human with cybernetic limbs, apparently named Umah, only this time the second one donned a jetpack—making him extremely inconvenient for the boy.

“Aww, too easy to kill, innit, Pavo?!” the second bounty hunter, a rough-voiced female, barked.

With the push of a button, Umah went flying off the ground with her jetpack—literally having the high ground and the advantage, her flight lessened Cal’s odds of winning this skirmish, which somewhat boosted her confidence that she and Pavo would get the bounty for the Jedi.

“We’re not done yet!” Pavo snarled and tossed a flashbomb, he cloaked his eyes with his gauntlet while Umah flew a bit farther from the blast radius.

The din of the skirmish didn’t reach far in the expanse of the badlands, but the faintest sound was enough to alert the right person.

“Beee?” ID-3 inquired after noticing that Jidné paused from gathering desert plants.

“Something doesn’t feel right, ID-3,”

Jidné and ID-3 stared at one another, but she was listening carefully for the sound. The distant echoing of a barrage of blasters made her ears prick up. She lousily stuffed the bushel of plants she’s collected so far and, out of instinct—or perhaps, of impulse—she followed the din of the battle. Jidné hurried to the direction of where the sound was coming from, with every step she took, the louder the sound.

I’m close! I’m in the right track! The fleet-footed bounty hunter thought to herself, leaving plumes of dust at her footsteps’ wake.

It got louder, every minute. Battle grunts could be heard, explosions of bombs popped in her ears, and the humming of a lightsaber sung hollowly in the empty trenches. She’s now close by the island, she kept her momentum was perfectly constant—instead of swimming, she made stepping stones out of the logs and the rocks sticking out of the water until she’s set foot on the island. She arrived unnoticed.

As Jidné ran, she spotted Umah floating about in her jetpack. There was an inclining boulder at the edge of the island, she brandished her lightsaber as she ran over the rock to gain height in order to reach Umah. While the enemy was unaware, Jidné severed the wing of the jetpack, causing it to immediately malfunction and plummet Umah hard to the dust.

Cal was too focused on Pavo that he didn’t noticed that Umah had been incapacitated until her face skidded across the shore.

“UMAH!!!” a startled Pavo exclaimed.

“Mind if I even out the odds?” Jidné blurted, landing flat on the balls of her feet after her jump attack succeeded.

“Jidné! Am I glad to see you!” Cal quipped back.

Umah brought herself up to her feet, even underneath the overhanging rim of her helmet and the mask that covered half of her face—it doesn’t need much thinking to figure out that her fury against Jidné is through the roof, along with her fatally wounded pride of having her face shoved into the sand.

This display of assertion didn’t intimidate the younger bounty hunter, frankly, it excited her more. With Umah’s eyes glued to her, Cal could keep himself busy with the Pavo fellow.

“I’M GOING TO GUT YOU OPEN AND STICK A FLASHBANG IN YOUR INSIDES!!!” Umah roared.

“Oooh!” Jidné mockingly shuddered at the threat, and then gripped tight around her lightsaber hilt. “That’s imaginative of you—even for a crook!”

With the bounty hunter seething with blinding, reckless rage, Jidné has the upper hand. Umah ditched the jetpack and produced a vibroblade from the holster clipped to her belt; upon seeing the weapon, the Jedi girl positioned herself into a defensive stance—anticipating for Umah to come charging towards her to avenge her damaged ego.

While Jidné’s engaged in melee with Umah, switching between kicks and slashes of the lightsaber; Cal is attempting to get a jab at Pavo, who kept himself safe behind his compact shield that folds into his gauntlet. It was tricky for Cal, but he managed to make his own luck by using his Force abilities. The redheaded Jedi anticipated the moment Pavo was open and vulnerable without his shield, and then inflicted Force slow on the enemy—when that tactic was successful, he didn’t spare a second in dawdling and dashed towards the hunter with an overhead strike.

“Come here, you little shit! I’ll have that pretty face delivered to Sorc!!”

“You can see me through that damn roof on your head, you wench?!”

The taunt did it. Umah raises her vibroblade, both hands on the hilt, and makes a running attack on Jidné; the young girl managed to evade the incoming attack, Umah quickly recovered and twirled around to afford another hit—but Jidné denied it in the blink of an eye. The vibroblade’s glow flickered out for a second against the blinding purple gleam of Jidné’s saber.

Jidné pulled away and immediately followed through with a diagonal slash to finish off Umah. The crook’s body thudded lifelessly on the sand, Jidné’s head jerked to the sound of Cal’s cry of pain—Pavo had knocked him down hard using the shield. Thinking fast, she lobbed her saber at his foot—the only body part unprotected from the shield—and gashed his shin, then mustering all her Force energy, Jidné sent out a powerful push against Pavo and sent him into the water.

Both Jedi caught their breaths, Jidné walked up to Cal and was the one to offer him a helping hand this time.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” he takes her hand and she pulled him up his feet. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. I owe you one after all, from those Bashiji cats the other day,”

“Right,” he nodded, recalling his rescue for her in the jungle.

He absentmindedly fixated his eyes on the girl’s hand and then to her alternately—he recalls the faint ripple of the Force that he sensed the day he landed into Ombari, and that ripple grew until it became stronger the moment he discovered Jidné. There was something unusually warm about her—aside from the fact that she was also once a Padawan and a survivor—Cal simply found it easy to talk to her and that she was easy to be around, despite being someone who carried a similar burden.

At first he thought it was a fluke or a trick, but today otherwise proved it to him. He and Jidné had an uncanny knack of finding each other in the right time—even if they never expected it.

“Um, Cal…”

“Yeah?”

“You can let go of my hand now, pretty sure you can stand without a support,” Jidné weakly chuckled, eyeing on their conjoined hands and then shifting her look back to Cal.

Cal slightly tilted his chin up, his fingers slowly unfurled and his palm slipped away from Jidné’s grasp. He looked away to shield his reddening face from Jidné’s eyes. The boy did all sorts of fiddling across his person just to shake off the awkwardness.

��What brings you here in the badlands?” he initiated, trying to divert her attention from his blushing.

“I was collecting some desert plants and herbs. A vendor in Diitana told me she’d give coin to whoever can bring them to her. And you?”

“Just wanted to take a better look at Ombari,”

Cal walked up to the edge of the island, scooped up a handful of water to splash it on his face; he combed his fiery scarlet locks with his damp fingers as he turned to face Jidné—from her view, the sun perfectly tinged its rays on the sheen of the top of his head, it was like watching fire dance softly. Goosebumps pelted her skin, she could feel them underneath the sleeves of her beige jacket, and the hairs at the back of her neck stood up—her hand impulsively reached for her nape and rubbed it to calm her nerves.

Jidné pensively surveyed the island, “Not bad for an itinerary.”

The two Jedi laughed at the lighthearted joke, they were so caught up with their giggling that they didn’t realize Pavo was still alive. The crook swam upwards, as quietly as possible and caught a glimpse of Cal’s leg; as Pavo neared the surface, his right cybernetic arm clawed its way out of the water and hooked around Cal’s ankle—it all happened within a flash that neither Jedi was able to react against it in time.

“CAL!!” Jidné shrieked, she jumped into the water seconds after Cal was pulled in.

Pavo had his arm wrapped around Cal’s neck, the boy kicked wildly as bubbles foamed out of his nose and mouth while trying to loosen the crook’s arm around his neck. In the blur of the lake’s water, Jidné paddled as fast as she can, apparently Pavo was armed with little turbines on the ankles of his boots to speed up his swimming and she only had her breather on her.

She swam as quickly as she could, her shoulder joints were beginning to ache but she didn’t care, her legs were gradually cramping from the forced paddling until she got closer to them; she pulled in Pavo, who still had Cal in a chokehold, and Cal suddenly headbutted Pavo in the middle of the pull—allowing himself to break free at least a few inches away from the bounty hunter—and then Jidné ignited her saber through Pavo’s chest. The hum of the saber was muffled by the bubbling of the water and she gave a slight push of the body away from her and Cal.

The dead bounty hunter’s arms opened and limped in the water, Cal paddled towards Jidné and gawked at the glowing purple beam—his jade eyes were wide in bewilderment, and then air bubbled plumed out of his mouth, forgetting that he needed to breathe. They both swam to the surface, but Pavo had pulled in Cal so deep that he’s lost most of his breath trying to break free—his hands desperately searched for the breather in his pocket until he found it and attached it to his mouth. His lungs were relieved to finally suck in some air and he was able to keep up with Jidné. Both Jedi sprang out of the water and clutched onto the sand, too tired and heaving to pull themselves up, they dragged their bodies to the shore as they greedily panted for air whilst their droids skittered off of their shoulders to shake off the water that seeped into their bodies.

“How…” Cal gasped. “Your lightsaber… How did you…”

“It’s… ahh…” Jidné heaved, her chest rising and falling. “A modification I made… a long time ago. My master had it too.”

A series of breathing was their only exchange after that.

“Can’t yours work underwater?” she added.

“Nah… doesn’t…”

“I can help you with that,”

Cal turned his head to the side, examining Jidné’s face riddled with water droplets trickling and drawing from her cheekbones and forehead. Tiny rainbows reflected on the beads of water on her skin thanks to the sunlight; he had a glimpse of the silhouette of her profile—the slight parting of her lips, the defined bridge of her nose and the curving scar across her cheekbone.

“You will?”

“Yeah, it’ll come in handy the next time something like that happens to you,” and then Jidné chuckled before uttering her follow-up. “And I won’t be around to save your ass if that happens.”

“Well, I’d rather have you around,”

Jidné shifted her head to her left side, she finds Cal facing up in the sky with his eyes closed as he continues to catch his breath—but his breathing has calmed, the slow rhythm of the rise and fall of his chest disturbed the fabric of his drenched jacket—she spots a little smirk curling at the corner of his mouth that faces her.

Her heart pounded wildly again, so much so that she had to clutch her chest to calm it down—she felt like it would rip through her shirt if it beats any faster. Emotions flooded and then conflicted her with the objective in mind. She bit her lip as she zoned out, staring back at the blue sky hoping to find enlightenment to this confusion—to her dismay, there were only white plumes of clouds hanging above their heads, no answers, no clarity to these feelings that have muddled her ever since she found her sweet, redheaded target.

“Think you could help me modify it today?” asked Cal.

“No problem, but you’re gonna need another crystal,”

“You mean, another kyber crystal?”

Jidné looks at the Cal straight in the eye to prove that she’s not joking and then nodded.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to make a cutting trip to Ilum then,”

Cal groaned, Jidné sensed the disdain in his voice. Going there must feel like a chore—a very cold chore.

“Would you like to come with?” he added.

Taken aback by the invitation, her eyes shifted around, quickly thinking of an alternative. She wouldn’t want to leave the Scarab one planet away—she simply couldn’t leave her baby in the middle of nowhere! Even if she activated the cloaking device on the ship, there’s no guarantee that scavengers or animals would bump into it sooner while she’s gone.

“O-Oh, I don’t know, Cal…”

“Oh, I wouldn’t wanna push it on you. We could still meet after I come back from Ilum, then you can help me modify it!”

“Are you always this… optimistic?”

He lightly chuckled, “Well, you’re the second person to say so.”

Eventually, the two arrived at a stalemate whether or not Jidné comes along with him to Ilum. She told him that she couldn’t leave her ship behind—that was hiding amongst the trenches in the badlands—he understood her side, and so there was a compromise.

Jidné ended up being left behind in Ombari.

“Just promise me one thing,”

“What’s that?”

He took both of her hands into his, and gave it a quick shake before speaking.

“Swear you’d wait for me?”

Her heart jumped. She blinked which prompted Cal to reiterate, constantly assuring her that Ombari was close by Ilum’s system.

“I promise it won’t take much time, so long as you promise me you’d wait for me and you’ll help me,”

His eager, emerald eyes shone brightly right in front of Jidné’s dark, earthen eyes. She can feel his fingers caging her knuckles tighter by the second, she never thought she’d find herself lost in his eyes and that kind, innocent smile. She could feel her heart sinking down and joining her butterfly-filled stomach.

She sighed and pursed her lips, “Okay. I’ll see you soon, then.”

His hands gently clutched her arms and exclaimed happily in reaction to her reply. As a matter of fact, it startled her, but she’s still too prideful to admit that it felt nice. Once again, she felt genuinely wanted or needed—not because they want her to get rid of a target, but for honest reasons such as Cal’s. It almost made her tear up, she couldn’t remember the last time she felt this way.

Jidné almost didn’t want Cal to let go—he didn’t want to admit it, rather he was too bashful to say so—but he did, she sensed the hesitation in his withdrawal and compensated with an awkward bidding of goodbye.

Cal searched for a way out of the island, and then he turned to Jidné as if asking for a hint. She pointed at the same path she took when she got to the island.

“Just a hop, skip, and a jump there, ginger.”

“Thanks, Jidné.”

“You’re welcome… Cal.”

The young bounty hunter watched the boy cross the logs and stepping stones across the river until he landed on the other side and then disappeared out of the badlands.

Oh… Oh joy… the voice in her head groaned.

“Trill, beee!” ID-3 sang in high-pitched notes.

“Ha-ha, real cute, ID-3,”

ID-3 argued with his owner, further insinuating that Jidné is starting to get “attached” to Cal. The droid went as far as using the “Attachments are forbidden to the Jedi” card.

“Whoa, whoa, since when did you pick that up, lil’ guy!?”

“Beee-beep, chirp!”

“Have you been scanning my journals?”

The guilty droid lowed a soft chirp, Jidné chuckled and patted his head, reassuring him that she’s not angry with him, but could’ve just asked her to lay out all her manifests for him to expand his databank. Meanwhile, the conflict within her continues to swirl like a storm—her feelings battled with her sense of duty. As she watched Cal’s figure shrink the farther he goes, all she could think about is the warmth that she gets from him during their interactions and it always drew a little smile out of her.

[hellobrockie]

Some very long Rambly TROS thoughts

Holy fuck there is so much wrong with this movie.

Let's start at the beginning. Kylo tracks down the wayfinder/holocron crystal thing that will lead him to the sith homeworld. We learn that Palpatine was behind both the Snoke and Vader voices in Kylo’s head-basically the dude has been manipulating him for 30 years. Kylo states very clearly he's gonna kill this motherfucker. This is very in line with the Last Jedi- Kylo wants to destroy everything- the Sith the Jedi the Resistance- because he’s tired of the constant push-pull of rejection and manipulation. BUT THEN HE DOESNT KILL PALPATINE???? At first the film argues that he doesn't kill Palps because Palps promises him the big FINAL ORDER fleet? Okay...but I don’t think Kylo really gives a shit about a big fleet of ships when it's offered by the fucker who has been scrabbling his brains for shits and giggles. Once the ‘Rey Palpatine’ thing comes to light, we are lead to believe Kylo went along with the whole final order plan because he wanted to kill Palpatine together with REY???? Ahh okay? 

So now we switch back to Rey. She's basically a jedi, cool. And I guess the Skywalker saber just fixed itself, with literally no scars or anything. A great visual representation about how this film feels about character development that happened in The Last Jedi. So Rey breaks concentration and fails the courses. According to the film, this happens because sheisapalpatine. If you had two brain cells you would realize Rey could be upset for normal reasons ...like that in order to the Resistance to win she’s going to have to put Kylo down like a dog. Its kinda cool that Leia is her teacher (more on that later).

Soo then we spend the next hour on a pointless adventure with the Trio™. Which would be fun, if they were ever established as a Trio. Arguably the real trio might be Rose-Finn-Poe. More on Rose later. Here is a list of incomprehensible things that happen here:

Kylo reforges his mask. Because Reasons? The knights of Ren. Because Reasons?

A handful of force bond scenes. The first one actually isn’t half bad. By wearing the mask, Kylo is rejecting the intimacy inherent to the connection because he is about to  defile it. Grabbing Rey’s necklace is a physical and emotional violation. It's the first time he has ever used the connection for personal gain.  The other connection scenes mostly just play around with the two of them being able to pass each other stuff. They lack the careful editing of TLJ connection scenes. Disclaimer: I’m a pretty hard core Reylo and these scenes really lacked the magic they previously had.This might be un-purpose Kylo is clearly pretty lost as this point.  Dull, lacking in heart like so much of this film. 

Kylo becomes a cartoon power ranger villian spouting Palpatine exposition and attempting to create suspense by almost catching the trio a couple times. Some of the dialogue is almost Revenge of the Sith Anakin level awkward.  It lacks both the unstable angry energy of FA or the sad tired boi energy of TLJ. 

Rey makes force lighting because I guess she was upset and it's a genetic ability now???

Poe gets a female love interest, becuase hes heterosexual. HeTeroSeXUal.

Poe and Finn flirt for a whole hour while Poe checks out some new chick and Finn now has a harem thing kinda. 

Poe is now a spice trader. BECAUSE YOU KNOW HE'S THE HAN SOLO OF THE TRILOGY. Let's just forget that TLJ establishes that Poe is his own character, probably loyal to the resistance since birth. His parents are rebellion alumni.

Two death fake outs. I don’t know why they had to give 3PO his memories back. He lost them at the end of the Prequels and R2 loved him anyway. Chewbacca capture was a missed opportunity to get some resolution to him shooting Kylo in the gut. 

Hux is the spy. Lovely. He is the ultimate weak bitch. Tbh the most consistent character development. Arguably my favorite detail on the entire film. Perfect execution. Domhnall Gleason is a gift. 

Now onto Endor. Endor has so much potential and squanders most of it.

Finn meets other people who left the stormtrooper program. Cool. Weird how it's tied to force sensitivity. I like the idea of the force putting Poe and Finn in the right place at the right time, but I think to imply people’s ability to escape slavery is tied to force sensitivity brings us to the problematic terrority of the sequels. Also the only one who talks to Finn is also black. And Clearly has a romantic vibe. Okay…..

The Rey Palpatine thing is made explicit. Even though anyone will half a brain figured it out 90 minutes ago. More wierd implications…..who would agree to fuck an old man Palpatine? So Rape i guess. Rey’s parents were normal...is this some kinda side material hook to read more about them or some shit??? Kylo refers to Rey’s parents as ‘filthy junk traders’. He's right. THEY SOLD HER INTO FUCKING SLAVERY. However Rey’s parents are good people??? WTF THIS IS THE JEDI COUNCIL ALL OVER AGAIN.

 Soo Kylo destroys the wayfinder to force Rey to work with him. Anti-Reylos will often get their panties in a twist about how it’s an ‘abusive relationship’. This is the only scene that really comes off as manipulative- in a way it never did in TLJ. Partly because they play up this idea of power-hungry Kylo (which has little basis in reality. In FA he just wanted to make Snoke his daddy. And TLJ Kylo is just soo fucking lonely) rather than sad boi Kylo trying to hold onto someone. Damn the TLJ throne scene is soo careful with getting that energy right, balancing the heartbreak with a little gaslighting (sorry off topic).  Then They Fight. Kylo doesn’t even pull out a saber at first because he literally has no intention of killing her. Rey fights because she's mad. Leia decides to intervene at this time, which is weird because Kylo still has no intention of hurting Rey. Apparently Leia sending Kylo a text is enough to freak him out. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE TIME FOR FLASHBACKS, MAYBE A ‘YOU’RE MY ONLY HOPE’ TO TIE HIM BACK TO HIS NAMESAKE. 

Instead Rey gets him in the gut. She then heals him, something that should have been really intimate. This would have been time to kiss him in that wistful ‘ I wanted to know what it would be like before I exile myself forever way’. This is one of the scenes that desperately needed more breathing room AND GIVE KYLO SOME FUCKING DIALOGUE YOU COWARDS. Healing him combined with Leia stuff should have reduced Kylo to a pile of tears. I think he would find it completely overwhelming that someone thinks he is worth it, worth a part of their life source, worth their final breathes. 

Oh woah surprise Han Solo. This kinda works for me because unlike robot Leia and fairy godmother Luke, Han looks alive. Plus Han is only a memory so Kylo has to save himself, make his own choice. Aww fuck this got me the closest to tears becuase he looks so fucking sad about the fact that he can’t go home. Damn you Adam Driver and you’re big weepy eyes. His mother is dead and I don’t think he ever truly realized that she wanted him back. I guess with the way things went with Luke, he just assumed he was unwanted. Even now, Han is the only one of the 3 Ben can really imagine taking him back. Who knew Han was such a softie.  At the same time there is something so unintentionally sad about the fact that Ben’s whole family can become force ghosts and not a single one gives enough of  a shit about him to show up at the turning point of his life. 

Also the implication that Ben turns to protect Leia’s lifework is strange. Leia’s legacy is the Rebellion, a democratic senate, a planet wiped off the map, NOT SKYWALKER JEDI #2 JJ!!!!! Ben doesn’t even interact with any of the larger powers at work, he just saves Rey. 

Also while Ben’s guilt and shame about killing Han (his true sin) keep him on the dark side, this doesn’t address the 8 million other reasons he left the light. Also why do Leia and Rey never discuss this???? His own fucking family repeatedly rejected him because of his ‘Vadar-ness’ which is ironic considering…….

Then we cut to Rey’s fairy godmother-esque trip to Ahch-To where she arms herself with all of the Skywalker’s personal effects:

Mad that Rian Johnson denied you that ESB fanservice call-back of Luke being able to pull his x-wing out of water?? Don’t worry JJ has got you covered. 

Mad that Leia didn’t have lightsaber? Don’t worry JJ has got you covered, Leia was always prepared to be a back up to Luke because she doesn’t have her own perspective or anything or like a whole fucking political system to run. Also she stopped training because apparently completing her journey would end in Ben’s death...ooo SmArT foreshadowing that Rey using her lightsaber will end in one dead Ben boi. 

Leia and Luke ALWAYS knew about Rey Palps. Which is funny because they threw their own flesh and blood in the trash because he seemed kinda Vader-y. I guess it's wrong to judge people by their bloodlines unless its your own bloodline. I can’t even. 

There is no mention of Ben at all- even though Leia and Luke both died for him and Rey put her whole heart into saving him.  

Now to Exeger or whatever again. Almost two hours in and we’re back at the planet we were on in the first 5 minutes.

Spaceship stuff happens. Take out your checklist to get those pilot and ship cameos. Ooo look its The Ghost! OG trilogy pilot! Lando is there! WOOO! Poe’s girlfriend lived somehow! 

Ben’s last words are ‘Ow’.

Palps wants Rey to kill him because I guess that will make her evil? Since when does killing people make you evil? I don’t think killing Palps to save the world in the same as ‘striking your enemies down in hatred’ or whatever. 

Oh Hey Ben is here. Palps doesn’t care much I guess even though trolling Skywalkers is his whole life’s passion. 

Palps drains the life out of Ben/Rey. They don’t die. Ben goes flying into a pit. Rey has to face Palps alone because I guess even though Ben/Rey are stronger together and are cosmically linked the lone jedi thing will happen anyway?? Is feminism about doing everything on your own rather than building meaningful connections with your equal partner. Honestly only Men would think a women has to do everything alone to prove her worth, Rey has been wanting allies and family her whole life LET HER HAVE IT. 

Also okay sooo Palps did technically kill Rey’s parents and she had about a whole 5 minutes to think about that. Multiple generations of Ben’s family have been tortured by this guy, so I think it would be rather cathartic to see him play a bigger role in the end of Palp.

Rey enters the Avatar State. Cue more fanservice cameos (I love you Ahsoka, but you said it yourself, you ain’t a jedi). In another backhanded slap to TLJ were back on the TheJediDidNothingWrong line of thinking. Anakin is present ...I wonder if anyone else is interested in talking to him…...

Rey dies. I’m not sure why. Palps legit sucked the life of her and she lived, but the Avatar State killed her. 

Ben crawls out of pit. Damn Adam Driver has legs for days. He heals Rey, its kinda sweet but it's also really really weird that he hasn’t said anything. Not saying we need an over the top love declaration but even his emotionally constipated parents managed to get an ‘I love you’ out. 

Ben saves Rey. The thing Anakin thought the dark side would give him the power to do. Interesting bookend. Sad that my boy has such low self preservation, he gives her his life without hesitation. Why do we have to die for other people? It’s much harder to have to live for other people. To move and grow beyond the past. To try and be our best everyday, even when its hard. Isn’t that real redemption? 

Ben kisses Rey. Awww. Its missing some of the elements of a big romantic drama kiss, which I would be okay with ...if it was followed up with a big romantic kiss with a sunset on a new planet before the credits roll. Alas this does not happen. The audience is somewhat befuddled since their had been almost no dialogue referencing their emotional connections. The ‘no one knows me./I do.’ dialogue from the trailer did not appear in film. 

Ben smiles. It has all the boyish charm and innocence Anakin wished he had in the prequels. Aww he really has never kissed anyone. I wonder when the last time he smiled was. HAS THIS MAN EVER HAD A GOOD DAY HIS ENTIRE LIFE. I am emotionally moved until approximately 2 seconds later….

Ben dies. There is no funeral. No mention. Rey doesn’t shed a single tear. This dude literally gave you his life without hesitation. Is Reylo one-sided? Or at least not equally felt? Ow. U The Resistance doesn’t wonder what happened to the Supreme leader. We know at the end of TLJ Luke became a legend, I do not think this happens to Ben. 

The Resistance parties. Cue Return of the Jedi film reel. Poe and Finn are heterosexual. No resolution to the stupid ReyFinn force sensitve thing. Two women kiss. It will be cut out of the Chinese release. 

Rey buries the lightsabers on Tatooine because you know Luke lived there and Leia once wore a metal bikini there. Rey choose the name Rey Skywalker. Which is interesting because she didn’t get along that well with Luke. She finished her training with Leia Organa Solo, Princess of Alderaan who just happens to have been a result of a sperm donation from Anakin Skywalker. She found a father figure in Han Solo. She loved a guy named Ben Solo. I’m not saying she should name herself Rey Solo, but it certainly is better than Rey Skywalker. I mean it's almost like a person's worth and ability aren’t dependent on either a bloodline or acceptance into the galaxies most powerful family. Rey nobody would have been fine.  I’m not going to get into the feminist angle of a self made women tying herself to the legacy of a man. Cue theaterwide groaning. 

Twin suns. Cool. I liked them better in The Last Jedi.

Rey has a yellow-ish lightsaber and maybe made out of her staff. Wonder where she got the crystals from and why they didn’t introduce it earlier. Possible implication she's going the way of the ‘grey’ jedi? idk some Jedi have yellow actually. Ahsoka had a yellow one. Not sure since this film is back on the JediwayisBest bullshit. 

We see Luke and Leia's force ghosts. Ben’s last word was ‘ow’.

In Summary, some odd implications:

Rey Palpatine is quite possibly the worst idea of all time. Worse than midichlorians. The highest level of fanboy pandering and Rian Johnson erasure. Rey has a lot of very real things to be angry about - her rough childhood, the deaths of her mentors, loving someone as dense as Ben Solo, having to come to terms with the fact that her parents didn’t love her. 

Return to prequel-esque thinking on slavery. Apparently it is not that bad if you sell someone as long as you do it with LOVE. 

Making Finn force sensitive is not character development. Its just half assed pandering and additional exposition in a film filled with exposition.

There is some truly awful dialogue in this film. Its shot composition and editing is so sloppy compared to FA or TLJ. 

The force in balance means killing everyone on the darkside. 

Rose is completely sidelined. She is the only Asian character on screen. She is seemingly replaced with a black woman who has a similar background to Finn and is a scavenger like Rey. Yikes. Why does this feel like an anti-interacial relationship thing. 

Said Black women Jarrah talks to Lando, another black character in a bizarre dialogue that vaguely implies all black people are related. I might be really misreading this, but its weird. I would have liked her to talk to Rose instead because female solidarity. 

FinnPoe is played up a LOT. But we are also repeatedly reminded they are attracted to women. This does not feel like woke Bisexual culture. This is pandering without making a commitment. 

Rey’s worth as a character is related to her connection to powerful people in the Star Wars mythos, not her own traits. 

Ben’s character resonates really strongly with abuse victims and outsiders. His lack of dialogue strips him of a lot of his agency.  His estrangement from his family is not resolved. Vader, who arguably did a lot worse things gets a whole dying monologue and force ghost thing. 

Oh hey C3PO said the festival is every 42 year old….OG came out 42 years ago. heh.

In Summary:

Watch the Clone Wars animated series

Fall in love with Ahsoka

Watch Star Wars Rebels or at least all the episodes with Ahsoka and also the series finale, it's got some cool force stuff in it. 

Think about the cool force stuff in Star Wars Rebels and the cool force stuff in The Last Jedi. Woah.

Apply all this cool force stuff to your own personal version of the Rise of Skywalker

Wait for clone wars finale Feb 2020

Rinse and Repeat

Peg Kylo Ren

Oscar Isaac is the Captain on the FinnPoe Ship. 

The Last Jedi was the Best One. Fight Me. 

Find the fanfiction where Rey tells him what a good boi he is which reduces him to a puddle. Find the fanfiction where he cries during sex the first time, the second time, every time. Find the fanfiction where his force ghost gets a hug, where his family welcomes his back. 

Read Fanfiction:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21852886

What I would do instead:

Delete Rey Palpatine

Ditch the mask. You have a fucking Oscar nomiated actor hiding under it. 

After the Endor part, have Kylo join either Rey or the Resistance. Personally I think him hitching a ride on the Falcon would have been wonderfully awkward. And maybe give some closure the calling Finn a ‘traitor’ thing. This is fanservice-y, but no more fanservice-y than the rest of the film. And maybe finally answer the question of who does/doesnt know who Kylo Ren is. Would like a verbal declaration that he identifies as Ben Solo or least Ben or something. 

Ben can still die I guess but maybe give him some kinda funeral. Or reuse the golden dice symbolism. 

Slow everything done. Let the audience feel sad, feel happy. Oh and cut out those fucking death fake outs. 

[caddyheron]

When things are hard, I’ll be there. Chapter 3.

So I’m actually going to start being active on here, but I sort of forgot this existed. I have a few works which need tweaked and then can be posted wooo.

Chapter 3- 3,283.

“Then I saw him,” Catherine of Aragon finished, looking towards the kitchen tabletop and not to her friends. There was fear evident in her tone. Catherine had helped Jane explain as much as they knew about Anne’s situation – it wasn’t much, however, as Anne had fallen asleep before Jane had gotten a chance to ask anything of the situation.

Catherine Parr looked bewildered. Her godmother had seen Henry? She wasn’t sure what to say or do or think.

“Do you understand, Catherine?” Jane spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, still not completely calmed down herself. Cathy nodded.

The look of confusion was plastered over Cathy’s face. Her eyebrows and lips were twisted with fear and difficulty in comprehending exactly what Catherine (and partially Jane) had told her. Henry was potentially back? There was part of her, the researcher part, which could fully understand it – it made perfect sense. The queens were back, the Ladies in Waiting were back… so why not Henry? But another part, the emotional part, wanted to scream. And why not their children? The question haunted her a little. If Henry was back, but not their children…

“I do,” she nodded, pulling her hand from Jane, and hanging her head low. She wouldn’t admit how afraid she truly was at the concept. It seemed like everyone was, though, so there was no point in complaining about the same fears everyone else shared.

Cathy took a sip of the coffee that she had been making. It was black, quite a bit of sugar and getting cold due to how Catherine and Jane had stalled on talking to her about it. Catherine had initiated, telling Cathy first about Anne’s experience which they barely knew anything about yet, and then Catherine’s own experience. Seeing as it was Catherine who had experienced it, it made it seem oddly more believable because it was Catherine. Catherine with good logical thinking, the person who wouldn’t lie about such a significant thing.

“It isn’t fair,” Cathy stated finally, taking a small sip of her sweet yet bitter coffee. “It isn’t fair,” she repeated again, pinching the bridge of her nose before standing up. There were things she wanted to say – things she wanted to scream -, but she wasn’t sure exactly how to go about saying the things. What do you say when your abusive, ex-husband, previous King of England is apparently reincarnated?

Jane nodded, standing to beside Cathy. She placed an arm gently on her shoulder, squeezing it without much pressure. The kitchen was freezing, even as the sun was streaming in from the transparent glass window which overlooked the immaculately kept garden. Jane and Katherine were immensely proud of their work to it; upkeeping a vegetable garden was not a simple task. Jane hoped Katherine didn’t find out about Henry, the thought suddenly flooded her mind as she looked out to the garden, imagining them both laughing and planting. Anna tended to watch from a deck chair, laughing along herself with a small glass of alcohol. Jane wanted to keep that serene image of Katherine in her head, rather than one of her and Henry. Jane didn’t know exactly what Henry (or Thomas Culpeper or Henry Manox) had done to her Katherine but she didn’t want to know.

Shaking her head to try and remove her thoughts, she took her hand off of Cathy’s shoulder, continuing her staring out of the window. How much would life change if Henry was back? Could they continue the show? Would they need to move? There was a part of Jane, however, which she despised, that could almost feel excited for Henry to be back. He loved her, didn’t he?

“It isn’t fair, love, it really isn’t,” Jane replied, her tone slightly wistful. “But if it is the case, we will be able to get through it, I promise.”

Cathy agreed, taking a seat back down, a little defeated by her own thoughts, draining her last bit of coffee. “Of course,” she smiled, not convincingly.  

“I told Anne that I was going to pop down to Tesco in a little bit.” Jane stated, changing the conversation topic.  It had been awhile since Jane and Anne had woken up and Jane was starting to get hungry. “Do you want anything? Anne suggested chocolate and I feel inclined to agree,” Jane laughed at that, taking a seat back down. She was often telling the girls that they need to eat a healthy, balanced diet and no, they could not have chocolate for lunch. However, chocolate seemed reasonable enough in this situation.

Cathy laughed also and nodded. “Definitely… galaxy?” she asked with a slight, hopeful smile.

Jane nodded; all the girls liked galaxy chocolate, so she couldn’t exactly say no! “Do you want anything, Catherine?”

She took a moment, pondering to herself. She didn’t often ask other people to get herself stuff, but she was tired, scared and Jane needed a distraction from everything. Shopping was a release. “Some mango tea, please?” Catherine asked. She knew that Jane had also been wanting to try it, so a perfect suggestion.

“Certainly! I’m going to head over once I’m dressed – do call me if Anne wakes up though please, or if the ladies come over as Anne was asking for Maggie,” Jane spoke, her tone unwavering as she arose from her seat, leaving the other two queens to converse.

Cathy’s heart was pounding. Something was wrong; she wasn’t sure what, but there was something desperately wrong. It was like a nagging feeling to her gut and a whirring sensation to her brain. Something was going to happen, but it was completely out of anyone’s control as what would happen; that she was sure of.

“Are you alright?” Catherine asked, noticing the slight change in her goddaughter’s demeanour.

“Something’s wrong,” Cathy stated, tapping her fingers on the table methodically.

Catherine was lost for words. Something was wrong, most certainly wrong.  They could feel it, loud and clear that there was a shift… almost a connection present somewhere. A feeling as strong and as clear as when they had found each other – unshakable. However, Catherine didn’t agree for the sake of not worrying the person she cared so much about, but rather, she tugged her into a hug and awaited the sound of Jane returning to the kitchen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Jane! Dunno if Cathy told you, but Maggie is coming later. She’s letting Anne sleep for a little bit more before she comes though. And- what happened to Anne?” Katherine asked with a sleepy enthusiasm, greeting Jane as the older girl walked up the stairs, meeting Jane just outside her room.

“Cathy did. Thank you for asking, Kitty. Oh, by any chance, is Joan coming with her?” Jane spoke, completely disregarding the question, Katherine wasn’t ready to know. Only if the situation became dire, Jane swore.

“Don’t really know. I think she might stay for a bit, and Maria and Bessie wanted to come too but they have an interview or a display or… something? So, she might stay!” Katherine didn’t decide to pursue what was wrong was Anne. It simply added to her anxiety about the whole situation, but if there was a reason Jane hadn’t told her, then there was a reason. She tried not to dwell on it too much because she knew if she began to theorise, it could easily send her spiralling into a panic attack which would then dampen her chipper mood for the day.

Jane smiled, releasing a breath at the fact Katherine wasn’t asking anymore questions. “I’m going to go to Tescos once I’m changed to pick up a few things. Do you want to come with me?”

Katherine shook her head, screwing up her face. “I’m hungry and we have a cinnamon roll left and I really want that before Cathy takes it. Thanks for the offer anyway, mum,” Katherine smiled, laughing as Jane gently shook her head, pulling Kat into a slight hug, and moving into her own room.

It didn’t take the girl a long time to choose clothing; a simple, silver jumper and a pair of black jeans. Despite the fact they were often extremely comfortable clothes that Jane enjoyed wearing, they felt uncomfortable and almost… prickly? Ignoring the odd sensations, Jane made the way back downstairs, again to the kitchen where Cathy and Catherine were sat, Cathy still held in her godmother’s arms.

“Is everything okay?” Jane inquired, furrowing her brow in concern.

“Everything’s fine,” Catherine Parr stated, pushing away. “Will the Tesco be open?” she then asked, changing the conversation topic, despite the fact she knew that it opened seven o’clock, so it was quite a stupid question to ask.

“It should be. Isn’t it about nine?” Jane asked, looking down at her phone and nodding at the correctly made assumption. “When Katherine comes down, she’s going to have the last cinnamon roll,” Jane told them in a “by the way” sort of fashion, smiling a sigh whilst the other two women nodded.

Shopping (or cleaning, or cooking, or baking) were always excellent distractions for Jane, often taking her out of the distressed mindset which caused the need for a distraction. The Tesco wasn’t too far away – just outside Holborn; not too far a distance from Coven Garden, where they lived. It took a moment of pondering whether or not she wanted to get the tube and walk from Holborn station to the Tesco, or, simply, drive the car. Taking the easiest option, she chose car. Sometimes, when Jane was with others, or simply just wanted to get out, she would take the underground. But she didn’t really enjoy it, it was constantly loud and crowded with train delays and rushed Londoners. Jane smiled again, grabbing her bag and keys, and left.

The travel to Tesco was nothing extraordinary, however she didn’t put on her usual cast recording of Beautiful: The Carole King musical. Something about music - or something distracting at all – seemed just… wrong at the time, and Jane was having a hard enough time concentrating on the road anyway. She was feeling something odd, a sort of hum in her head and odd restriction to her chest which didn’t leave as she pulled up to just outside the Tesco express.

Jane got out of the car, sighing slightly at nothing in particular, and grabbed a bag. It only took her walking into the Tesco to realise she didn’t actually know what she was there for other than literally chocolate and mango tea. What did they need? Bread? Milk? Eggs? Jane mentally checked the basics off, before settling on take everyone out for Sunday lunch or a Sunday treat, like they often did. Jane was clinging to some normality, even if what was presumed to be going on, was going on, their life would the fact she may as well just buy a few treats and something for a nice dinner. Walking aimlessly around, a thought came to her that, if everyone was up for it, might just not be the same again. So a decent roast dinner or a trip to Kensington would be appreciated.

Shaking her head slightly, Jane grabbed some chicken and bacon sandwich paste, a packet of ham, and smoked cheese – an odd choice to anyone else, but something which Jane knew the other girls would appreciate. Besides, Jane remembered how she promised Anne a “nice lunch”, so the odd choice of foods (and chocolate) would grant exactly that. Mindlessly, she sauntered over to the sweets aisle before she accidently bumped straight into a man as she had been so concentrated on the patterns of the floor tiles. This man was tall, pale-skinned, had flaming red-hair, and was looking at Jane with a look that immediately caused her to retract. It wasn’t exactly malicious, but something about the look and the appearance of the man caused Jane to physically retract from him and turn the opposite direction, breath heavy. Was that who Catherine had been talking about? Was that Henry? Jane’s mind ran as she sped up her pace, but not enough so it was noticeable, as not to make an obvious scene or provoke the man to speak to her.

The lights were blinding as she tried to work her way through the Tesco which she thought she knew so well. Jane wondered how much the Queens would be annoyed if she didn’t manage to bring any of the food which she promised home. Ideas of ways in which she could make up the lack of treats attempted to trickle into her mind, but it seemed wholly focused on what had just happened. She didn’t seem to see the other man in front of her as she accidently brushed passed him. This time, it felt different. The same feeling which she had felt in the car washed over her, but ever so slightly different, and she didn’t feel the same panic for a split second. It was almost like a connection present, but not strong, if Jane hadn’t been incredibly aware of herself and her own surroundings, she doubted she would have even felt the connection. It was a confusing feeling. There was wistful air to it, but also a breathtakingly terrified feeling, making her hands shake and recoil immediately away from the other man.

This man, although she didn’t get a clear glimpse, wasn’t as tall as the previous, dark-haired, and was not stealing odd glances at the woman. All in all, she should have been fully unafraid of this man, but alas, terror struck her in icy cold waves. There was almost no way that she would be able to stay, no matter how much she wanted to make her friends’ feel a little better. Quickly diverting back to the same aisle in which she got the food, Jane left, checking once, twice, three times to make sure there was no one following her before she moved into the car. Anxiety wasn’t an uncommon feeling for any of the girls, but it was unusual that Jane, in particular, would feel it to such an extent, often giving that title to Katherine, especially around men.

Sitting in her blue car, parked well in the car park of the Tesco express she had just left, she dialled for Catherine of Aragon, a familiar voice would be enough to ground her.

Cathy had wrapped herself up in the arms of her godmother again as she felt the familiar vibrate of the older woman’s mobile phone start to ring in the pocket. They had moved to the sofa from the uncomfortable bar stools at the table in the kitchen, both wrapped up in warm dressing gowns and with a cup of herbal tea. Cathy wasn’t always great at showing affection, even to the people she loved, but she’d gratefully accepted cuddling up to Catherine in this one instance; her thoughts still haywire.

“Let me get that,” Aragon stated, pushing slightly off of the smaller form, but the call went to voice mail, having waited just a bit too long. Catherine despised leaving the call too long, it made her feel awful, like she had failed.

In the car, Jane had finally managed to calm herself down and bring herself back to reality a little better. Self-talk often helped her come back around and ground herself. Things like “this is okay, you’re safe”, and “it’s okay to feel like this”, really helped the woman. However, there was still a feeling which she couldn’t shake. It was settled deep, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable in her surroundings and a sense of something was wrong overcame her in harsh waves repeatedly.

Then the phone didn’t pick up. Logically, Jane knew that Catherine could be doing any number of things – making food, tending to Cathy, heating up the cinnamon roll for Katherine. All normal things. Illogically, Jane’s mind ran to Henry coming back and hurting her. She called again, silently whispering a prayer of hope.

“Jane?” was Catherine’s voice on the other side of the mobile phone: tired and seemingly a little confused, pushing away the fact she felt bad for not picking up sooner.

All in a second had Jane realised she didn’t quite know what to say to Catherine. All she had wanted was a familiar voice. Even if she had shared a similar experience, Jane still felt the annoying urge to not be truthful oh what had happened, to feign experience. So, she did.

“I’m sorry love, but I couldn’t find any chocolate or that tea you wanted, or really anything for a nice lunch like I had promised Anne…” Jane started, her tone wavering, slightly too defeated for the situation which she was telling Catherine. Overall, the lie was weak. How was she unable to find chocolate or decent lunch ingredients at Tesco?  “I’m just going to come home now,” she spoke. “But I was having a think: we could maybe go out later on, once our ladies are here, and have a nice lunch out instead?” She tried to steady her voice more as she spoke, attempting to add enthusiasm.

The voice on the opposite to Catherine’s line seemed… almost distressed? Was everything okay?

“That’s completely fine. I think a nice lunch sounds bloody wonderful!” Catherine spoke, using a calmer and more mothering tone than one which she was used to, despite the fact she was notably confused as to how Jane was unable to even get chocolate. However, she didn’t push. “Also, Kat hasn’t come down for her cinnamon roll yet.” Catherine added, a small noise which was meant to seem like a laugh punctuated the end of the sentence,

Jane nodded, sighing a little in contentment as she remembered how oblivious Katherine was to the whole situation unfurling right in front of them, and at how Catherine bought her lie. “Thank you,” Jane said, fully truthfully. The familiar voice helped her as much as she hoped as they both said their goodbyes and ended the call, leaving Catherine still confused and leaving Jane more hopeful than before.

About halfway home, Jane received another call, this time, however, the call connected through her car (a feature she was so grateful to have access too) so she was able to answer hands free. The call was from Cathy Parr and Jane didn’t question it before answering.

“Hello lovely,” she spoke, her voice calmer than before.

“Heya. Joan and Maggie have popped down now; they came a bit earlier than expected because Bessie and Maria have the interview at eleven, not one like they’d thought, and it takes way too long to get down to Guildford,” she laughed a little at her end statement.

And then, it wasn’t Cathy on the phone. It was the familiar voice of Anne’s lady, Maggie.

“Yep, you’ll have to deal with us here until at least five,” her voice came through the car. It seemed, her tone anyway, that she hadn’t been told about Anne’s situation yet. But Maggie’s spirits often were uplifted by small things - so maybe she had been, and Jane wouldn’t have to recount the story again?

“I’ll be back home in about ten minutes,” Jane beamed, almost forgetting the men at Tesco and the fact she didn’t buy anyone anything like intended. She sighed again, the call cutting off as ended it with a quick “goodbye”. Jane spirits were higher than they had been for a while, and she was calmer than when she had entered the car. For this, she was grateful, a serene sort of piece, a moment of forgetting for the drive home. She even managed to turn on her musical theatre radio.

[musicalmukebox]

Let’s Get (Back) Together | l.h. (15)

Ctto of the gifs used!!

AU: Parent Trap Dad!Luke

Summary: A strong love which led to a strong marriage and twin daughters. Yet in the end, it didn’t turn out so well. You strongly refuse to encounter him ever again. But what happens when both of you coincidentally send your twin daughters to the same summer camp in Florida after 10 years?

Word Count: 11k

Warnings: angst, swearing, sweet sweet revenge, verbal and almost physical fighting, mental breakdowns, s e x u a l tension

A/N: Gahhh it’s around 1:40 am here! I enjoyed writing this chapter like wooo! I hope you guys won’t find it too cheesy or underwhelming! First, I wanna thank my parents for giving me the medical terms mentioned here, though I still struggle with capturing some concepts of it haha! And by the way, I found out the Parent Trap film just celebrated its 20th year anniversary since its release a few months ago. Pretty coincidental to say the least! Anyways, enjoy!

I don’t own Parent Trap and its ideas. It’s only used as inspiration.

1 / 2A / 2B / 2C / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

Feedback/Questions/Others? Here.

-

2022, Los Angeles

These past weeks, you’ve created a new daily routine. Or rather, your body did.

Wake up suddenly. Race to the bathroom. Vomit your guts out. Go back to sleep. Wake up to get ready for work. Prepare breakfast. Race back to the bathroom. Vomit again. Fully lose your appetite. Take a shower. Get dressed. Drive to the studios or film settings. 

It pretty much varies, but this was a close one to each passing day. You ached the rush of your guts boiling up to your throat because it was physically draining and hindering you from current filming projects. Also to your disdain, Luke was on a mini tour at the moment, so you were on your own for this, though it was bound to end soon so a speedy recovery must be in order. But he knew what you were going through due to your nightly (or morning) video calls you do almost every day whenever both of you can.

“Are you sure you’re really okay, (Y/N)? I can ask Eleanor to come over and help.”

“No need! I’m fine, Luke. Just need more rest, that’s all.”

Even though the directors of latter were lenient and kind enough to give you some rest days since they knew how much of a busy woman you’ve become, you still felt bad because it looked as if you haven’t taken care of yourself too well with your condition.

Was it something you ate? Did you exert too much effort to the point your body couldn’t handle it? Are you overworking on these projects? Seriously, did you or Luke cook something that actually expired?

Actually before the nausea, fatigue has hit you faster before you begin working on-set. Thus, sitting out became a norm that quick. Going home after is just exhausting, and crashing on the bed is a lot easier than usual. Not really a bad thing, but you still had to work on your lines and respond to emails. Alongside that, you’ve suddenly gained weight despite the nausea. Your jeans don’t fit like they used to and mostly, you prefer wearing crop tops and sweaters instead of anything tight. 

The last straw was today, when you no longer tolerated that insane wave of nausea that hit almost every thirty minutes in the late morning which clashed with the fatigue. Only now were you growing concerned on your health since you figured it firstly to be a stomach virus, but it could possibly more than that. Hence, you needed to get a clear idea of what is happening to you. So today, you excused yourself again to the director of one of the filming shootings for the day due to health reasons, and urgently went to the hospital. Fortunately, he freely allowed you to do so because you had one of the lead roles, and really wanted make sure that everyone was healthy.

By chance, no paparazzi was present in the area, which made it easier to check inside. Seeking guidance from any expert in the lobby as soon as you walked in, a young looking woman in her green scrubs raced to your aid, probably an intern in her twenties who was starstruck by your appearance by the way she beamed when she greeted you.

“Omg hi, Miss (Y/L/N)! How may I help you?”

Although flattered, you bluntly gave her the synopsis of your physical well-being. “Well, something’s odd with my health, like I’ve been easily tired these past weeks, and vomiting hardcore too which makes me lose a lot of sleep. Today took a toll me while at work, so I just want a clear idea of what’s happening because I’m pretty nervous and hoping it’s not serious that it could affect my work ethic.”

Upon talking, she was taking down of everything and it didn’t take too long for her to think of a procedure or solution to assist you. “Oh no! It’s a good thing you’ve come today. I suggest you take a blood test, which you can get the results of next week if that would be okay. Though for nausea, avoid oily foods and eat something bland like pretzels.”

As impatient as you were feeling now due to the tension of what’s happening within you, you trusted her opinion and pushed through with it. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good! Now, may I lead you to the institute of pathology? That’s where the laboratory is for blood extraction.”

“Surely, lead the way.”

-

“And we’re done!” The phlebotomist, or someone who extracts blood from you aka. the patient for testing, exclaims as she ejected the needle from your forearm and untied the tourniquet right above. Internally, you celebrated for facing your long fear of needles for the sake of your health.

“Thanks so much, love. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“I doubt that it is. You’re practically glowing and fit since you’ve acted and done your own stunts in your films too. Also c’mon, your body is goals!”

Gushing, “Aww, thanks again.” You attempted to stand up from the seat, but it only made you dizzy so you sat back down. You weren’t even in a rush, self. Chill. “Wow, I’m getting dizzy and tired so fast nowadays honestly. This sucks.”

“What else have you been feeling then? – By the way, I’m Claire.” She introduced whilst asking, tucking away your blood sample in a cabinet.

“Nice to meet you, Claire. Hmm well,” You leaned back in the chair to suit your comfort. “I get the most absurd food cravings at weird times yet there is non-stop vomiting late in the morning especially. I gained weight too, where I can’t fit some of my jeans and shorts and wearing tight tops and bras are suffocating. Also whenever I try to go to gym, the fatigue kicks in. Actually, the fatigue is always there, but they get worse like the vomiting.”

“Oh, I see.” Claire, who just sat across from you, listened and put her mind into use of what may have caused this, although the answer was so predictable to her and still wanted to inquire. “Have you been … sexually active recently? I mean, you are married and all to Luke Hemmings!”

You gushed again since you weren’t much to talk about your sex life with him, covering your burning cheeks. But if it’s meant to help you, then by all means go. “Last time we’ve gone at it was around 2-3 months ago, right before he went on a mini tour in the country.”

“Interesting. - When was the last time you’ve got your period?”

Frankly, you weren’t much to check on your menstruation patterns nowadays since you’re too time consumed with your career. Besides, if it’s arrives, you have pads prepared back at home. “I don’t remember. I’ve been so distracted to keep track. Why is that so important?”

“Oh my god, is it that hard to unravel? – Morning sickness, weight gain, weird cravings, over fatigue, late period?” She asked back, cracking an enthusiastic smile. But you shook your head, still not understanding where she’s getting at.

“Though I’m glad you took this blood test to be sure, my motherly instincts are telling me that you, Mrs. (Y/N) Hemmings, are pregnant.”

-

A week later, and she was right.

You received from the mail the results, which confirmed your suspicions. Since that extraction, you couldn’t stop thinking about it despite everything making much more sense now. All the symptoms were exactly what Eleanor felt when she was still pregnant with Nick, how naïve of you to have not realized sooner!

The need to tell Luke in person as soon as possible is making you impatient, and you were in utter luck that he was coming home tonight already after months.

You were still in contact with Claire, who was ecstatic for you when you told her and hastily recommended you to the best OB-GYN doctor in the hospital named Dr. Katherine Han. Booking an appointment today was challenging at first, but luckily, you got it. Waiting outside her clinic, her secretary kindly invited you in. “Dr. Han is ready to see you, Mrs. Hemmings.”

Dr. Han, or Kate as she fully claimed, scanned through your results happily, recommended the necessary vitamins and insisted you afterwards to make an ultrasound to inspect on your unborn child. “This is pretty exciting, must I say?”

Unquestionably, yes. Maybe, at first, you freaked out because that would mean a lot of adjustments. You and Luke have talked about before about wanting kids later in your marriage, when you’ve toned down from your busy lifestyles. But now, who cares? Your mindset changed drastically, and the idea of carrying a little life inside you was mind-blowing. It was actually happening.

With that idea having you feel thrilled for the next months to come. But the moment you lied down on the examination bed and put up your blouse, there was already a bump, which is unlikely since it’s early in the pregnancy. Regardless, you then felt the wand move below your abdomen with the cold gel, you were breathless of what your eyes witnessed on the screen.

“You see that flickering light? That’s the heartbeat. Let me raise the volume of it.” 

Doing as she said, the thumping increased and you felt goosebumps grow in your entire body. There was the little bean in its glory, your little bean.

“Oh wait a minute.” She paused briefly, raising the wand higher to show another flickering light and an echo of sounds. “Looks like you have two healthy heartbeats. – Congrats, Mrs. Hemmings. You’re expecting twins. Would you like a copy of the sonogram?”

Just as you though things couldn’t get any better, you’ll get two little bundles of you. Okay, maybe one mini-you and one mini-Luke. Though if they are both mini-Luke’s, it’s alright too. It’ll be a quite a mess since Luke is practically a man-child. But, who cares?

“Mrs. Hemmings?” Too absorbed in your thoughts, you haven’t answered the doctor’s question.

“Yes please.”

-

As great and fantastic these news were, you were bound to surprise Luke this when he gets home. It’s been quite a while. Also, you really wanted him to be the first to know before telling anyone else. Since your careers are already over the top, you planned to just keep it simple. Besides, the both of you weren’t much into giving lavish luxury items, well except on special occasions. 

But on a normal basis? Nah, you’d like to save some money for the future. Most likely for education. It’s always nice to think ahead.

There were balloons on the walls and some tied down the legs of the side tables, where you were sat by the couch with a small bag of goodies were inside with a mutual meaning. Time is ticking on your watch, and Luke could be home any minute now. He’ll be exhausted since he’ll be coming back from New York. You’ve missed him so much, where neither video not phone calls were not as sufficient as physical contact. Especially the rated R ones!

Well, before you got “sick”.

Your calm body was sprawled on the couch, trying new positions that’ll suit best for your little beans and scrolling up and down possible room decorations to purchase. Oh yes, baby fever is real with you, starting with the nickname of little beans. While at your enjoyable daze, you can hear the fumbling of the door knob from the outside, unlocking it. Struggling to roll down his huge luggages and his dufflebag as his hand carry, he dropped them immediately.

“I’m home!”

For him, all he knew was that his home is wherever you are. 

There he was in his glory. His hair was a lot messier as compared to usual, his facial expressions of tiredness from the long trip but still gave a loud greeting that could get a noise complaint from the neighbors.

Again.

“Luke!” You shot up from your seat, catching his attention. Upon hearing, he knew in a snap you were in the living room. He hoped you cooked dinner or something because as much as he did like eating everywhere from hotel rooms and famous restaurants, nothing beats yours. But then again, you’ve been sick so probably not. As long as he gets to see you, he’ll be happy.

Advancing there, he lightened up at the sight of you, as if you were glowing like the sickness never bothered at all. The blue dress you had on with your beaming smile had him fall over heels all over again. Absolutely smitten.  Alongside that, another thing that caught his eyes were the few balloons that bordered where you stood. Coming home from tour or a trip has never been new to since your jobs require to, yet little additions like them was blissful. He couldn’t waste anymore time, running to you and lifting you up in a tight hug by the waist.

Gasping at such suddenness, you enveloped your arms around his neck whilst internally praying he doesn’t crush the little beans, even by a bit. He then puts you down not so long after, giving you a lingering kiss on yours. He could care less if he would get sick. Tour is over anyways, and he has a break before going back to business. 

God, feeling them just never gets old nor unsatisfying, like they were custom made just for you. “I’ve missed you so much.” 

“I missed you too, love. These past months felt way too long.” Dragging the “too”, his interest returned on the balloons. As a symbol of celebration and surprises, something is up. Maybe he was just overreacting, considering this homecoming was a celebration in itself. 

As he felt your arms linger away his neck, you brought out the small bag of goodies from the floor, preparing yourself for the reveal. “I came across some items you might like when I was the way home.” 

He grew skeptical, but he went along with it. Taking a seat right beside you, he rummaged through them and brought it all out, laying them on the coffee table right in front.

“Hmm,” He begins his close observation. “An orange-flavored Caprisun, animal crackers and Starburst. Well, maybe for you, they were some of your favorite childhood snacks. I only liked the  Starburst. – I’m still pretty lost with this.”

Not bad, he got a keyword: childhood.

This next step is the climax, which involved a sealed envelope from your jacket right beside you. It was quite nervewracking at first, but you came this far and nonetheless of his reaction, it wouldn’t affect how you feel towards the beans. “Here. Maybe this can make much more sense.”

He was so confused, but you didn’t blame him. “You’re scaring me, love.”

“Just open it.” You laughed, anticipating for too long and wanting already to see his reaction. Unsealing it felt like a lifetime, also ripping it a bit in the middle. There he saw two folded pieces of paper and took them out. The first was a short note, which he read aloud.

“Hello there! So as of now, we can’t eat and drink those treats so you can have them! Maybe give us around 6-7 months and we’ll steal them from you! We can’t wait to meet you, dad! Love, Little Bean 1 and Little Bean 2.”

Dad.

It took him seconds to sink in the premise of the surprise. Unfolding the last paper, it was the ultrasound from early afternoon, his mouth hanging down from the surprise and racing happiness that he was gaining. There was still a short sentence written on the back side.

“Turns out it wasn’t the flu or a virus. It’s just us adjusting, sorry for hurting mom though.”

From his contagiously, cute smile, he was the exact opposite of what you were overthinking previously. He was at a loss of words as he repeatedly looked back in forth at the goodies and the letters before facing you, having a matching smile and blushing. To add, he got up on his feet to really sink the information further because he was too happy.

“I’m pregnant, Luke.” You blurted, no more holding back.

Luke swore he was breathless for a moment, before lifting you up again and back into his arms you were. “Oh my God, wow. Fuck. – This is the best thing I’ve heard all day!” You were laughing too hard from his reaction, and as he put you down, he was literally filled with so much adoration for you.

“It’s actually happening! Like you’re going to be a mom, I’m going to be a dad, we’ll be parents! And twins?!”

“It’s going to be double trouble but double fun, right?” You reassured, only leading him to pull you closer for a kiss on your forehead.

“Fuck yeah. I hope they have your nose though.” He booped your nose, knowing that it annoys you often. But you let it pass.

“I hope they have your blue eyes, they are gorgeous.” You complimented, grazing a finger on his scruffy face. You were equally appreciating every facial feature of each other, giving more “I hope’s” back and forth and then confidently, you tiptoed to place your lips against him, sharing a much more passionate kiss that can are as equal to the kisses from your consummation.

He was the first to pull back, desiring to place his available hand on your lower abdomen with a grin so pure it can spread world peace. “There’s a little us there, and I’ll make sure to take care of the three of you.” Your hormones were about to get the best of you, but you didn’t let it control you for now.

“God, can we just stay in this moment forever? It’s too amazing.” He pleaded, looking directly in your eyes.

“I really do as well, but if it helps,” You pointed your finger at the fireplace, where a tiny camera was situated. “I recorded the whole thing for us to look past on.”

He couldn’t get any more blessed and grateful for you, scattering your entire face with pecks. “Fuck, I love you so much. I can never picture anyone else having my children except you.”

Your heart was fleeting crazily, but his cursing was all over the place which is now considered unacceptable in this household. “I love you so much too, Luke. – But one, stop swearing around me, or at least minimize it. They can hear you, you know?” He frowned in guilt, but when you laughed out the seriousness, you declared once more.

“Second, you’re the only person I would ever want to have a domestic life with.”

-

2034, Sydney

It was 4 am, and most of the adults were passed out drunk in their separate bedrooms in the second floor. The house they were lodging currently had 4 stories with a basement. In the third floor, there were designated rooms for the young boys and girls. Stella and Rebecca currently shared a bed and a room with Scarlett and Beatrix. Yet, it was Rebecca to get up first due to the soft alarm she set on her phone. Good thing no one else heard it or else Scarlett would be complaining so much about how precious sleep is.

Shaking her sister gently to wake up, it didn’t take too long before she groggily did, having some of her blonde strands covering her visage and lips. When she blew them off, her eyes crinkled open more from the flashlight Rebecca switched on since Stella was arrogant to move at first. But because now she couldn’t fall back into sleep, she urged her body to get upright and focus on her awoken twin.

“God, this bed was too comfortable like you said.” She stretched her arms, unwrapping her tiny body from the duvet and put on her slippers.

“I told you so! Anyways, we need to grab some things at the kitchen and pantry first.” Rebecca tells, adjusting her sweater and jumps out the bed with her phone. Slowly sneaking out the door without disturbing anyone else, the twins tiptoed their way to the stairs and hurried to the pantry where a huge chunk of their needed materials lied.

Rebecca switched on the light, a mischievous smirk forming in her face as she stepped on the mini ladder so she could reach items that were up in the shelves. Stella watched her, making sure she doesn’t trip or anything, but she also took some items on the lower shelves they knew they would need. When they finished, they gathered their things and laid them down on the kitchen island, arranging and checking them orderly.

“Hair dye?” Stella asked.

“Got it. Honey?” Rebecca picks the item up for showing.

“Check. Balloons?”

“Done.”

As they completed in reviewing their materials, “You ready for this, brat?”

“Fuck yeah. Sierra deserves only the worse.”

“Truly. So Camp War 2.0? Let’s get to work.”

-

Phase 1.

Luke dazedly woke up to do his morning run around 6 in the morning in hopes to watch the sunset by the cliff that he loves to do alone. He was blessed to not have gotten wasted like Ashton. Tying the shoelaces of his shoes and inserting his airbuds, he was on his way out the house. Sierra was in a peaceful slumber for quite some time – That was until the first alarm from her phone hit piercingly. Groaning, one eyelid was open to stop it. She didn’t recall putting any alarms before getting to bed, but nonetheless, she wanted to claim back her beauty sleep.

But the second alarm then came around not even 10 minutes later, and there she was annoyed. Muttering profanities under her breath, she turned it off and tossed back to her initial sleeping position. Unfortunately, the deafening sound of the alarm messed with her mind, which made her lose the drowsiness. No longer forcing it, she rose from her side of the bed with bad bed head. Disoriented by her “dysfunctional” phone, the first thing she was looking for was her glasses, which is usually by her bed side so she can properly operate. However, it wasn’t there as she rummaged it. Odd again, but she ignored it again since just a few hours, she was drunk off her butt and probably left it someplace else.

With blurry vision, she stumbled her way to the bathroom, discarding her pajamas to take a warm shower. Here, another scheme is set. Putting on shampoo is a normal thing when cleaning yourself, only that when Sierra applies it on her hair, it gradually left her a raging red shade. 

It didn’t process to her what was happening until she saw the shower floor filled with red water. At first, she figured that she got her period, but she just got it 2 weeks ago and it’s long ended. Pulling the handle open of the shower, she went nearer to the mirror to see what has took place. 

“Fucking shit!” How did this happen? Did she take the wrong shampoo? The smell was right though. Maybe there was a chemical malfunction, and she has to get this fixed as soon she can because God knows how much more damage it can bring. Also, email the company about this. 

Rinsing it off with a towel, she changed into cleaner clothes and pretty set for the day, knowing she has a few things on her agenda already. She likes to be productive after all. But first, breakfast. She just needed her phone to do some contacting. When she got ahold of it on her bedside, she received a message. 

 [6:40 AM] Future Husband: just went out for a run! but i have a surprise for you downstairs in the basement, come check it out x 

 She loved surprises, where she gets to be spoiled rotten by absolutely anything she wants. And since recently he’s been so distant due to the whole surprise family reunion, she assumed that he felt bad and is making up for it. 

 [6:50 AM] Sierraaaaa: just showered babe, i’m gonna check it out! love you, hubba!

 Meanwhile from the work room, where security cameras were placed in the major rooms like the basement, living room, the small lobby, and patio, Rebecca and Stella were imitating vomiting sounds due to the pet names Sierra gave. “So this is dating works, huh? Just bleh!” 

“I suppose so. Good thing I’m too young for that! - Shit, she’s by the staircase already!” 

They watched carefully her movements, hoping she doesn’t take any unnecessary detours and giggling at the new hair color on the side. When Sierra reaches the end of the corridor of the first floor, which leads to a another staircase going to the basement, the girls were on the edge of their seats, giddy. There were two open tabs on the desktop computer they were using, one showing Sierra and the other on the basement. The latter was a total and messy obstacle, which was about to be unleashed in less than a minute.

“Fuck, let’s get the actual party started!” Stella exclaimed. 

Phase 2.

“Hope you like it, babe. Love, Luke.” Sierra reads the sign on the door, pumped up what lies behind the wooden door. With the suspense it expressed, Sierra couldn’t wait any longer and unlocked the door in front of her.

It was quite dark since the curtains were spread open at the large open doors on her left, so through her eyes, she searched for any light buttons to switch on. Luckily, there was one on her left, but it was pretty far from where she stood, so she moved her body to do so minimally. However, as she did, she actually overpassed a light string that was connected to the light switches. Instead, she slipped on the floor instantly and caught the tacky view of the basement.

First feature: A mixture of honey and maple syrup spread throughout the floor like peanut butter on bread.

She slid so fast throughout the entire interior of the room like an indoor slip-and-slide, hitting the corners and sides of the walls with almost every part of her body. Her mind was spinning, and every time she tried to get back on her feet, the syrup would always make her tumble repeatedly. Unfortunately enough, she had no protective gear on her figure to keep her safe from the friction and bumping the hardness, most especially her head. Yet there was another detail that got her much more drenched.

Second feature: There were numerous balloons surrounded in the entire room that were either filled with air or water.

Whilst sliding, different balloons were popping around her as she hit different spots of the room. When did, she’d pop a few balloons in the process that would either trigger her sensitive ears or wet any parts of her body. This went on many times because she really tried her best to stand up and evacuate this mess. Here, her body was reconnecting also with the discomforting syrup then faced one last detail.

Third Feature: One of the light switches from a while ago was connected to the electric fan above her, which would rain the room with feathers.

Various sizes of feathers would glue to her soaking clothing. She sneezed at every encounter she got with them, meaning that she was continuously sneezing during the entire experience. No part of her body was spared, resulting to looking like a hairy chicken, especially with the red hair!

“Bok bok, bitch.” Rebecca referenced Rachel Cho, satisfied by the ugliness of the maze which got Sierra the deserved treatment. But that so-called maze wasn’t the end just yet.

Phase 3, aka. the total knockout.

Drenched and still slipping numerously, her rage and annoyance levels skyrocketed into inflation. Thus, it resulted into passionate and thunderous screams, almost like someone was being murdered. She wanted to get out of this horrendous room, and back to the bathroom to rinse off. But on top of that, she wanted to fight whoever was in charge of this, and she knew exactly who they were. Who else?

“Absolute brats!” 

Since it was impossible to go back to the main door unless she wanted to slip and fall again, she resolved into opening the big, wide doors facing the beach. Carefully taking her time making steps, she pushed them out, relieved that her stay at that maze was over.

Or was it?

Right above where she was drenching and groaning from discomfort, another line of string hung by her eyes with a tiny note with another message. “You think it was over? – P.S. flip over this note.”

She pulled it out strongly, unfolding it effortlessly because she wanted to know more about the minds of the sinister sisters. Little did she know that a bucket of chocolate syrup was stationed right above her, where a friendly creature was swimming in it, or possibly drowning.

“You mess with our parents, you mess with us. Also, look up. – R & S”

Right on cue, she tilted her head upwards and low and behold, the sticky substance splattered all over her entire body, coating the water and honey from earlier. It was almost Carrie 2.0, except there was no huge audience except the twins, who were busy rejoicing for their success. It came upon them of how smart they work together than against each other like in camp, gladly knowing that they have a valid reason to act so. Besides, they are young and bright, they have to hone their growing potentials.

Sierra remained still and quiet, trying to regain her composure because she will not let the brats win over. It took her years to get to where she is, and she will strike back because losing to them is basically like losing to you. However, that idea was scratched off as soon she felt something crawl above her dyed hair. She was disturbed at the foreign sensation, reaching over it to get a touch of what it is. When she did, it continued to brisk off and by the rough skin and long tail, it was a lizard. And she screamed bloody murder when the lizard slid down to her face, even went to her mouth! Spitting it out along other saliva that was contaminated, she attained her breaking point, finally fed up and throwing numerous tantrums like the spoiled woman she is.

“Wait, where again did you find the creepy crawly, Stella?” Rebecca asks, watching Sierra and enjoying herself at her rage.

“When I was placing the bucket by the ledge of the patio. He was crawling everywhere, but I figured he’d be important.”

Just in time with her screams, Luke just arrived back at the house from his morning jog. Removing his airbuds, he could easily determine the voice and raced to where it was occurring. But when he got to the living room so he could get to the patio and see the commotion, he was beaten to it when a soaked Sierra stormed inside with a frustrated look on her face. She pushed away any object within her vicinity and kicked some chairs too, beyond pissed. It wasn’t too long when the other boys and their families were disrupted from their rest and came running down the stairs, seeking answers towards the unexpected fuss. Just like Luke, they thought that she looked like an absolute, hot mess, psyched and intrigued by who could’ve pulled off such an accident.

“Wha-What the fuck happened, babe?” It was all he can come up with at the spur of the moment, his focus more on her newly dyed hair that just didn’t suit her with the chocolate syrup dripping on the wooden floor.

All this pent frustration and the newly added one began to overtake her mind and mouth. She was officially done. When she took a few steps closer to him, “Here's what's going on, buddy, your twins happened! The day we say “I do" is the day I ship those brats off to Switzerland or maybe give them fully to (Y/N). Get the picture? It's me or them. Take your pick.”

Right after she spits her fire, muffled voices blasted from the speakers in that room. Those speakers can be activated a few ways, commonly through Bluetooth or the aux cord from the work room. Rapidly, the device boosted in volume, giving a clearer hearing of what was being voiced out.

It was none other than last night’s convo between Sierra and Arzaylea.

The two and everyone else paused themselves momentarily to take a listen, and in the end were they stopped dead on their tracks by the intensity and ruthlessness of the situation. Though humiliation additionally crashed on Sierra because she was the main involving party.

Oh, poor Luke. The big secret behind his psychotic fiancée was uncovered and served like a slap on the face. Somehow, everything these past years made much more sense. That honestly pep talk she gave yesterday was pure bull. Everything about her was an ongoing façade.

Once the audio reached its end, the twins publicly made their entrance from the work room, giving off their petty and naughty smirks to their main target. So far, so very good.

“Woah, good morning everyone.” Rebecca greeted innocently.

“What’s for breakfast?” Stella continued on casually.

But Luke wasn’t having it, too frazzled by the situation within the room and couldn’t even look at Sierra when she tried to capture his attention numerously during that audio play. “Alright girls, quit playing. What is going on?”

No more sweet talk, just get down to the business.

“Wasn’t the audio enough, dad? Aunt Sierra over here is a lie.” Stella claimed strongly, pointing at the messy woman.

“Dad, please don’t be associated with her anymore. She’s been manipulative before we were even born!” Rebecca defended further, which finally gave Sierra the balls to speak up for herself.

“That audio you gave could’ve been self-made! What other allegations can you give?” She tested, trying to redefine her name. Aish, wrong move. Rebecca was actually bundling up pieces of paper in her arms, and once she opened them up, “Do screenshots of conversations between you, TMZ, Perez Hilton, US weekly and many more tabloid platforms count? Also saw money and private information were involved too.”

“By the way, aunt Sierra, be careful for your surroundings before running your mouth and opening your devices. This house isn’t as big as you think it is.”

First passing it to Luke for his viewing before giving them to Michael, and just by the tired look he had post-work out he begun with, he grew mentally disheartened by the accuracy of his twins’ accusations about his fiancée. Though mischievous, they weren’t wrong at all.

“Ooh, got an extra audio file that can count as evidence if you don’t mind.” Stella added, excusing herself to return to the work room and play the file of Sierra’ conversation at the Forum. The strong persona of Sierra turned weak again when the papers were handed to different people and that extra audio blasted. Her exposure was forceful, and she had nothing else to say or do to deny them especially since the twins were stating facts.

Luke just listened to Sierra’s hurtful words, in disbelief that she was capable to do this all behind his back for the past decade. He was frozen at his standing position, wanting this to all be from the crazy part of his imagination. But once he was fixated with Sierra’s when he almost spaced out, he looked away quickly at disappointment. Sierra saw that short glimpse, still immersed on his facial features that drooped down. “L-Luke, please let me ex-”

Luke cut her off, putting his hand near her face so she would stop blabbering. “So this whole time, you wrecked our marriage?”

“Wait, ple-”

Luke kept going with his questioning. “You’ve planned this whole thing out vividly so that you and I would be the endgame?”

“Luke, st-”

“This meant having to ruin the lives of (Y/N), Becks and Stella?!”

Silenced and interrupted repetitively, Sierra couldn’t contain the concoction of the variety of emotions boiling up in her system. All these years she’s bottled them up has made her insane, insane to do absolutely anything for this particular man that has once helped her genuinely in the past. But in the end, she doomed herself to unsuccessfulness and obsession. All eyes were on her now, and she really is trying to compose and defend herself in her own words despite either way, she was going to lose. But those smirks of the twins which exactly resemble yours ticked her off completely.

“All of the actions I’ve done were out of 18 years of loving you, Luke! I was always there for you, way before (Y/N) came in the picture. Your breakup with Arzaylea? I was there. When people criticized the band’s hiatus and music post-Sounds Good, Feels Good and you needed moral support? I was also there. Every drinking session you wanted and invited me to out of celebration or sadness in your old home? I was fucking there! How did you not see that? We had something going on, but it was so effortlessly destroyed when she kissed you in that Valentine music video! Since then, I never liked her because I just knew she lured you in and used you so she could be famous. I just couldn’t allow that to happen, so I had to do what was best for you. Besides, if she trusted you, she could’ve told you the real behind the scenes of our relationship and we would’ve not been friends anymore. Gosh, secrecy! But I knew how to use my words so she wouldn’t bother to tell you anything. So yeah, the bitch does not deserve you, Luke. And those brats you call daughters are just as sneaky as she is!”

There it is.

The unsaid has finally dropped, which may have brought embarrassment because Sierra didn’t hold back nor had any filter to fix her words if she was to be misread. The rawness of it was a bombshell since no one ever expected it, even you if you were present. Luke felt as if he was stabbed in the gut mercilessly, not wanting to acknowledge her. Her so-called assumptions on what she thought was good for him was beyond ill-advised. Now one thing is guaranteed: she was the biggest factor to the destruction of your marriage.

“And you think you’re deserving?! Since when were you knowledgeable to know what was good for me?! I understand that you were trying to look out for me behind the scenes, but to hurt people in the process is different!!” His voice was on full blast, startling everyone and putting them on the edge as the rising drama climaxed. Sierra buried her face in her hands, put on the spot to reply back, but either way, it was a lose-lose situation. Luke’s fists balled up and hit the first thing he saw, which was a box of Lucky Charms.

“All the controversies you’ve had, I’ve looked past them because you’re a genuine and talented girl. Turns out you’ve fooled us all. Honesty is the best policy you also said yesterday, bullshit!” No one expected him to swear, making the boys and their wives cover some of their kids’ ears.

Sierra grabbed him by the arm to make him look at her. “I still am that girl, Luke. Let’s sort this out, please.”

“You never were.” Luke swat her hand away, but still turned around with a face as red as a tomato. A mix of post-workout exhaustion and frustration. “You know, (Y/N) had her own hustle, having to balance university while looking for job opportunities. Meeting her was a coincidence gone right. I thought I could fix you and your controversies, help make you become greater than that. Yet, it but turns out that you can only fix yourself, and you failed badly.”

Sierra needed to speak, she had to. Regardless of the risks. “Wow, now you’re defending your ex-wife? Last time I checked, you no longer wanted to be associated with her because she broke it off and hurt you so bad!”

Although truth was spilled, Luke began to pick up on her words and tried to piece them together with past events. Then, he realizes how some connect to each other. “She broke it off because the rumors you’ve paid to get done was a bad environment for our family then and we began to lose trust in each other. But you know what the worst thing was that occurred in that kind of setting?”

“What?” She had the nerve to cross her arms in a cocky manner.

Luke’s walls were near to breaking, but he didn’t want to leave the fight losing. “Because of the divorce, it led to half custody, meaning my twins, or “brats” as you said were robbed of a happy and full family. All thanks to you.”

To top off the cherry on top, Luke stepped a little closer to Sierra and ordered, “Leave.”

“Excuse me?” She sneered, putting a hand on her chest.

“L-E-A-V-E, Sierra. Get the picture?” Luke hissed. “You are a love-blinded psycho. By the way you said my twins are sneaky is saying that I am too because they are half of me! With this leave you’ll take is a leave from my life for good. I don’t know about the rest of everyone here, but I have lost all interest to be involved with you. So do leave the ring too, then bring all your stuff and never ever show yourself to me. You have done enough.”

His rage reached its peak, still not moving one bit. As much as they were aware that they’ve succeeded, the twins did not apprehend that their father would be severely affected in the process. All they wanted to do was prove a point and hence, they did get their justice. But for him to become sadder too wasn’t in their truest intention. They were too blinded and motivated in getting the both of you together by doing their war that they didn’t think through of the consequences.

“Luke, I-”

“Did I fucking stutter, Sierra? Leave!”

Sierra threw a hissy fit at the treatment she finally deserved, and angrily walks out of the living room. Luke remained unmoved, but warm tears swelled down his cheeks. He didn’t bother to rub them off, and as vulnerable as he is already, he tried to stay strong and hold it in.

“Luke,” Calum bravely took initiative to comfort his friend, only for Luke to finally move backwards away from his friend from this anxiety that overfilled his entire being.

“Don’t touch me, just stay away from me. Please!” He skipped to the workroom and locked himself inside, where he was left with himself to completely crash down and bawl out his pushed back emotions.

That reluctance to recognize them? Gone.

Emotional walls? Vanished.

He whimpered loudly, punching the different pillows in the couch along with knick-knacks on the desks. Pain was prevalent everywhere. Though his fists were bruised, his heart was deeply affected because he relied on his mind to give the practical solutions. Not entirely wrong, but with complete disregard of his heart meant disregarding his feelings, bottling them up for too long.

It was too difficult to make things seem normal in the household now.

Calum and Michael really did their best to change the atmosphere of the entire room by preparing breakfast, cracking eggs and bringing out the pancake mixes. Crystal needed to walk out to the patio to get fresh air away from the stuffiness. Ashton and Bryana were trying to think of easy ways on how to answer the questions from their children about Sierra since it wasn’t something they’ve ever seen before. Eleanor wasn’t too behind to follow Sierra’s steps, but not too near for the latter to see her. Arriving at her door and leaning against, she watches the ex-fiancée angrily throw different items in her dufflebag, observing how much she wanted to leave this situation.

“I’ve always had strong feelings you were still as controversial back in the day.”

She sensed a sneaky smirk from the brunette, who zipped up her packed bag and put the strap on her shoulder. Back on her feet, she came closer to Eleanor with that exact cocky expression. “You should’ve stopped me then, but you didn’t.”

As she tried to get on her way, Eleanor blocked her way, not letting her get off the hook that easily. “That was because I believed you could’ve grown better, but you chose to be a lot worse. Trashy even.”

“Ugh, harsh. But you may have forgotten that I am a girl who is passionate, who’ll do whatever it takes to get what and who I want in life. Luke isn’t something I could swipe left, babe.”

“Have you no pity or a heart?! You destroyed the well-beings of two of the most kind-hearted people, even got their children involved! - I’m so glad you were exposed. The bitch as you’ve described my best friend? Her intellect and determination were traits passed on the twins. With you, all you could ever give is your body and manipulation.”

Sierra’s jaw clicked, her free hand preparing to slap Eleanor, but she beat her it. Gripping her wrist tight that it could leave a mark, “Smart and nice way to accept loss, babe. Also by the way, I see something that doesn’t belong to you anymore.”

Referring to the diamond engagement ring, Eleanor removed her grip to the hand and watches with keen sight on Sierra sliding off the metal band. Once it was off, she effortlessly handed it to her new enemy, leading to Eleanor unblocking her. She didn’t wear her smirk anymore and scrambled down the stairs and to the garage, where a vacant, extra car awaits.

She was finally defeated.

Meanwhile, the twins managed to discreetly vacate from the living room and back to the basement, only this time, they’ve brought garbage bags and every cleaning material they could find in the pantry. Stella harshly scrubbed first the sticky floor from one row to another, whilst Rebecca disposed every popped balloon remains in the bag, shaking off any syrup stuck in it. Their progress was quite slow because some of the sticky area hardened, making them exert double energy which is more than what their bodies are capable of. Taking breaks in between increased, thinking how impossible it will be to accomplish this the entire day.

Not even halfway, a loud knock was made on the main door, the one from inside the house. “Come in!” Rebecca called out. The knob turned to its right and clicked open, which revealed the older kids, carrying spare cleaning materials and wearing similar frowns.

Stella stopped her actions. “What are you guys doing here?”

Beatrix put down her bucket and mop, entering inside the dirty room followed by the others. “I’m assuming you guys need some help after all that craziness you pulled off with Aunt Sierra.”

“But haven’t we been a burden enough to you all? This trip so far has been horrendous, at least we need to fix our mess down here.” Rebecca fired back, embarrassed to even look at them. Unexpectedly, Oliver advanced to her with his apron getup and declared, “To be honest, Rebecca, if any of us discovered the hidden intentions of a vicious woman like aunt Sierra on our parents, we would do absolutely everything to make sure that the bitch doesn’t walk free.”

“Also your strategy was crazy good, it serves her right!” Nick justified proudly. As much as it gave a short dose of hope and enlightenment to the twins, knowing their friends got their backs, they couldn’t help still feel guilty on bringing upon more emotional instability to their father.

“Thanks for the support, guys. Still though, we made our dad a lot more broken, and we can’t forgive ourselves for that.” Stella opens up, having trouble to maintain eye contact on anybody because of the shame. She may have blinked back tears because she isn’t one to show her vulnerability, another evident trait she got from her father. Less to her knowledge, Alex came to her aid with tissue paper on standby.

She was baffled, putting it away. “Thanks but no thanks, Alex. I’m fine.”

“You aren’t, Stella.”

He was right, and at the same time, one tear from Stella streamed down and he was the one to wipe them off with his thumb. Caressing her cheek, “It’s okay to be vulnerable, Stella.” He gave a hopeful grin, which was easily reciprocated with a tight hug. “T-Thank you, Alex.”

While they had their moment, the other kids were also silently cleaning those spots that the twins haven’t reached and faced the same struggles with the syrup. But now they was a lot more of them, the job was more time and energy-efficient. With that, the whole basement became spotless in another hour. Sharing jokes and another round of funny stories in between made the experience a lot less tense.

Now on their way to return to the ground room with their sweaty figures and full garbage bags, which they first leave by the front door, they were taken aback by all their parents, Luke included with red eyes from all the crying, explicitly arguing post-Sierra excluding Eleanor, who was sat in the couch really trying to get stressed due to the baby. This hindered them to go inside and stay behind the wall near the open entrance. Crystal was right behind Michael, who sided with Ashton. “Luke, you need to tell (Y/N) this.”

“I agree. What happened to no more secrecy?”

Calum joined in, giving a piece of his mind. “Mate, if you want things to work out between you two, you have to be honest. You lost her once, don’t do it again.”

Bryana had the last say. “And if you do so, she’ll give in and likely to share her perspective on why she didn’t tell you about her real relationship with Sierra.”

The anxiety within Luke couldn’t stop raising, not being able to think straight of what the right action is. He thought it was just Sierra keeping secrets, but you did too. Though knowing you all these years, whatever you choose to do and achieve in life always has a good reason behind it. It was thoughtful, yet a secret is a secret, which jeopardizes the trust of the relationship.

“I cannot lose her again, guys. When I tell her that I know, she’ll run away! That means Stella will go along too.”

“But Luke, isn’t the lack of trust the main reason you’ve ended it?” Eleanor caved in from the couch, offended at his defense because it led to her losing all contact with you, her best friend. Running away from Luke meant running away from everyone else.

Lifting herself up, her hands putting more pressure on her lower back to support her growing belly, she approached towards the lanky man. No pregnancy hormones caused her growing rage. “I have had it up to here with you. Not only did that factor caused you to lose the love of your life, but it caused everyone here to lose a friend and our kids to lose a great aunt. Fuck, (Y/N) was my best friend, whom I haven’t heard in over a decade! But mostly, your kids lost half of their parents. If that doesn’t disturb you enough, I have no idea what else will.”

As they eavesdropped, the kids couldn’t help feel the goosebumps up their arms by the hurt and may have gasped a little too vocally. The adults overheard it, sensing that their children kept an ear out for their mature conversation and becoming tenser since it’s like their happy, cheerful innocence was gone in a snap.

“Kids,” Ashton croaked, put his palm on his forehead to relieve the headache he’s bound to receive not so far from now. “We know you’re there. – Please do enter.”

As much as they didn’t want to, disobeying their rules would be a lot worse. One by one they’ve joined inside the crowd with their heads down because they were scared shitless, especially the twins who brought this to everyone. The sense of shame still stayed, aware that they could’ve approached it much more maturely.

“How much have you guys heard?” Bryana questioned, her heart weakens mostly at her kids with their doe eyes overfilled with fright.

“Enough to know that uncle Luke won’t tell anything that happened awhile ago to aunt (Y/N).” Scarlett replies on behalf, being the eldest after all.

Luke knew how energetic his niece was, but the softness of her voice made him feeble because he’s unintentionally brought back the decade old damage and it was just unacceptable for him to bring her and the other children down with him. He needs to get and give space, praying to the heavens that those kids would not have this piece of information get stuck in their heads for too long. It was just too soon for them to face this sort of reality. However, it was the twins’ reality, and it beats him up everyday. He should’ve done better.

Bringing back the need of space, he needs it starting right now.

“Rebecca Audrey Hemmings, Stella Charlotte (Y/L/N).” He directed his entire focus on the girls, who instantly elevated up their faces to his voice. “Pack your things, now.”

His tone was very serious, and very unlike him. But with all this pressure, it has took a toll on him. Not wanting any more trouble, they scurried their way out and to the stairs, trying not to slip from Sierra’s mess and make anymore delays.

Ashton, on the other hand, did not enjoy the way he instructed his kids despite his personal pressure. He negotiates, “Luke, don’t bring them into this. They are already as afraid as you are.”

“Are you their father, Ash? I just need s-space. So excuse us, but we’ll be on our way.” He bumped against the older man on the way out of the living room that became ironic because it now suffocates him in all aspects.

“Let me repeat what I said. – No one will speak of this morning to (Y/N).”

-

“Oh my, back so soon?” 

Luke roughly dropped off his dufflebag, rethinking of the words he’s planning to say. The trip back home was intense and filled with deadly silence. The twins were too startled to make a sound since hwas already developed much more sensitivity with his environment. Fragile almost, so they resorted to talking through texts. 

“Oh, we got an emergency meeting tomorrow, so we had to cancel. We’ll move it to next weekend, maybe you can join us this time?”

Fuck, you really wanted to go this time. But life as an actress isn’t always filled with vacations even if you go abroad a lot. By next week, you’ll be back in Los Angeles working. Just last night before heading to sleep, you received a long distance call from one of the producers of an action film where they’ve accepted you to play the main antagonist. This meant that the first meeting will be in a few days time, cutting off your stay. 

“I would love to, but it’s just that,” Your hands clasped together. 

“That?” Luke picked up. Your twins beside him were listening attentively, curious.

Heavily sighing, “I got a meeting with a producer this weekend, meaning I need to head back in a few days.” Your view then switched to Stella. “This also means you have to come back with me.” 

As expected, she was quick to retort. “No! I don’t want to leave dad and Becks, not again.”

Rebecca was on the same plane with her. “I agree! Dad, do something please!”

Undoubtedly, he wanted to beg you to stay longer after everything, but work is work. A mantra you and he have followed ever since, and especially now as parents, it must be strictly applied if you want things between you to succeed. His mind has again overpowered his heart.

“Girls, I respect your mother’s priority of work, so since she has important work she needs to attend to, what she says goes.”

Half that statement he didn’t agree to, which was that if you left, there’s more deprivation of bonding time with Stella. He needed to catch up on everything she’s done, and Rebecca still needs to know her more. 

Another thing with you leaving you again is that he can’t mend things as properly as he desired to. He’s afraid to lose you again.

But it isn’t like you weren’t feeling the same way. You’ve missed Rebecca, wherein there was never missed a day to think about her. You could’ve reached out, but you never did. 

Then for Luke. Oh, Luke. 

Although work is an important aspect, it was another factor that deteriorated your marriage. With fame comes time consuming plans and activities that would limit your family time, especially since you both reside on opposite sides of the world. You can’t stay away from them for too long again. 

Then again, work is work. The girls grew cranky over it, like all their hard work was for nothing.

“I though you were on our side, dad.” 

“I lost Stella and mom once, dad. Who knows when we’ll see each other again?”  

On that note, they spontaneously left the scene of the discussion, going up the stairs with frowns and heavy hearts. You felt your heart drop too by their disappointment, investing your sight now on Luke, whom by the crooked grin he gave off, reciprocated the feeling.

“Fuck,” You groaned, returning to sit down at the couch and burying your face in your hands. “I’ve already failed this family.” 

Luke took upon himself to comfort you at your saddened state, putting aside him personal misery and sat right next to you, rubbing your back up and down. “They’ll come around eventually, they are 11 years old. And come on, hasn’t work always been a huge priority for us, love?” 

Love. He’s said it a few times throughout this trip, but now, it felt much stranger. You might’ve felt electrified it, but regardless. It’s just a title, right?

“It was when we were still married.” 

“But it’s more important now because we have the twins.” He affirmed. He had a point, and from where you stand when everything is crumbling down, you would accept any useful advice to help you. 

“You know what, you’re right. They must already understand how hard it can be to balance work and family. They are still equally important, but this job, I cannot simply turn it down because I’m meeting with other great actors. I can’t be disrespectful.”

“Well, there you go!” Luke praised, gladly patting your shoulder with your realization. “Why are you still so glum, love?”

There he goes again, and somehow you could feel much more comfortable around him to express more. His eyes were gleaming with concern, anticipating to listen. 

He’s always been a really good listener. He didn’t brush his hair that much either, but it still looks good on him. Curly hair has always suited him. Distinctly, he bit his lip whenever he is sad to see others feeling down because he always wanted everyone to be okay, and here he did. Though another reason he would bite his lip is he was turned on.

Luke hated seeing you like this, quietly mourning over being a failure so early in the restarting process of familyhood. It still haunts him that the both of you took one twin away, and now that they found each other, it forced you to talk and straighten things out in a flash. But you’re both still pained by the past, and it isn’t easy to simply open up to each other, especially now when you have different significant others. Well, Luke had. Though he knows Timmy has a high dislike for him, he’s there for the sake of his daughters. 

But with you, there is one thing he cannot stop thinking about: your happiness. If Timmy can make you happy in better ways, then so be it. After all, it’s all parental right. But he wouldn’t be lying if he didn’t find you beautiful during the premiere or gorgeous by the way your spectacles drooped to your nose when you were reading awhile ago. Not only that, he found it cute to find you focused on the book, the way your brows knitted when a certain chapter irritated you.

Wait, what was he thinking?

But hey, what were you thinking too? 

Snap out of it!

“(Y/N), you okay? You haven’t answered my question.” He shook his hand in front of your face while you were spacing out, and staring at him too. 

“I preferred love more than my name.”

“Oh sorry there. - I’m pretty bummed because I don’t want to mess things up again. I can’t lose Becks and you again for good.” You worried, not realizing how you were leaning closer to him. He took you by the wrists, clasping them together between his large hands. 

“You won’t, (Y/N). As much as I fear the same, there is no fucking way I’ll let it happen. We can work this out.” He promises, hoping for the best in the future. With wisdom comes intimacy, which is followed by the close proximity of your faces.

Specifically both your lips. 

You could’ve sworn he brought himself closer first, but habitually, you returned the gesture. Maybe some old habits don’t die too easily. 

His blue orbs were as beautiful as you’ve looked into them deeper, diving into his spell that you can’t resist like previously. He barely had any wrinkles on his face, though his eyebags got darker and his scruff is bushier. You could think of other things to describe his gorgeous physique.

The way you licked your lips, which is a sign of you being nervous or contemplating different choices in your head, got him wrapped around your finger. The short-lived grin you gave to show him that you accept his help was too precious, almost like he was falling for you all over again.

There was strong tension building up, but your self control was working stronger. Gaining personal respect towards each other these past weeks has led to respect towards your life decisions. There was no way either of you could blow this up. Nonetheless, you freely picture yourself wrapping your arm around his neck to pull nearer to get a taste of him. Just once and that’s it. 

Your mind is always the dominating party, why don’t you let your heart take charge for once? Besides, did you really mean by what you say, that it’s all parental? The white shirt that grew transparent from his sweat showcases his fit abdomen and his long neck was clean. Too clean.

You accidentally caught a glimpse of his tightened crotch on his chino shorts, the length of his member visibly seen on the side. If only you could give it a - okay self, what the actual.

Luke was too tempted to swoop under your waist and on to his lap where he let you straddle his waist with your legs. He can imagine you tugging on his locks and peppering his neck with short kisses, maybe sucking on his weak spot more deeply and roughly.

Shit, you were only wearing sleeping shorts, flowy and only up to your butt. If he just slide in his digits up inside your - fuck, stop right there! He jerked back first, trying to calm his dirty thoughts because he is no longer obliged to think that way anymore. You in the other hand moved away as well, rethinking on how stupid you were to do that. 

“Stop, self. Let him go. He has Sierra as his bride now.”

“No, Luke. You blew your chance, and she’s already happy with Timothée.” 

Left with your withering realizations, a ding sound echoed the area, alleviating the massive awkwardness that developed. Instantly checking who it belongs to, it was yours. 

[12:35 PM] Timmy Tim: Can we please talk?

Scoffing lightly, he still had the nerve to reach out to a wound that is still so fresh and stinging.

[12:38 PM] (Y/N) angel: Why? “I drunkenly cheated” isn’t big enough?

“Who is it, (Y/N)?” Luke shouted from behind, hearing the clashing of a few pans accidentally which made you giggle because he’s always been clumsy. At the same time, your phone dinged again. 

 [12:40 PM] Timmy Tim: Please (Y/N). I’m so sorry. 

 “Oh, just the same producer. - And oi, be careful! We don’t wanna to nearly burn the house down like before!”

“I’ll try!” 

Rolling your eyes because the short banter brought you back to the old days, he actually bought the half lie. As terrible as at is, you didn’t want to bring him to your personal relationship issues. The less people, the better. You try to distract yourself by rereading some of the chapter you were stuck at to get a better understanding of the plot, yet your mind kept on reflecting on Timmy. By his texts, you can vibe his sincerity although it was you who was the victim.

Ignorance from you is improbable since you preferred facing your dilemmas head on, and you couldn’t become a lie of your own words. Though there is pain, ignoring it prolongs it. It’s closure or nothing. Snatching your phone from the coffee table, you typed out your frustration. Only mildly, you call the time to express when you see him next. 

[12:55 PM] (Y/N) angel: Fine. Noon, the Café Sweetener near your hotel. Oh, and I’m sorry too, that I was too dense to not have realized sooner.

[valasania-the-pale]

Happy Birthday Ozpin!

Prompt: Qrow smashes cake in Ozpin’s face.

When Ozpin had woken up that morning, it had been with the sense of perfect serenity and comfort that comes with feeling totally at one with your life. He’d felt well-rested and amiable, a state of being he usually struggled to maintain as the headmaster of a school of variously complicated, precocious young adults, each with superhuman abilities and weapons of, arguably, mass destruction.

And it had been a wonderful morning too! Though the other side of the bed was empty, and he’d half-rolled over into the depression left behind (Blankets! Sleeping in had some benefits!), once he’d finally pulled himself out of the warm languor he’d been greeted by a lovely breakfast – all his favorites.

Eggs, scrambled with cheese and tiny bits of ham mixed in. Mm. Grapefruit and a tall glass of water to wash it down? Mmm. Bacon crisped to perfection, with those adorable little pancakes drenched juuuust right with syrup? Mmmmmmm.

And the kicker, a still piping hot (but not too hot!) mug of Vacuo’s best cocoa.

Ahhhh… Some days made immortality worth it.

But there was something missing to this perfect day – where was his beloved? He was hardly the type to miss out on claiming responsibility for treating his partner so well. No, there would always be the casual arrogance and predator’s grace that accompanied him, the knowledge that HIS actions led to Ozpin’s satisfaction, nobody else’s. And he’d always be there to take credit, just in case someone else tried to muscle in on the fruits of his work…

As if Ozpin would ever let them. Well, unless he was teasing. Then he might a little, just to rile him up…

When he brought his dishes over to the sink to wash up (Eh, he could do it this morning – he’d gotten to sleep in and breakfast was sitting in his gut just right, his mood could survive doing the dishes) however, something fluorescent yellow caught his eye.

Sticky notes. Or one. Singular. He’d never quite come to appreciate them the way Glynda does, but they were serviceable.

‘Xiao Long House, Nine o’clock. See you there, Oz. -Q’

Ozpin smiled. That would be a lovely time. The children were always adorable, and always begging for just one more scrap of a story from a Real-Life Huntsman! And he could never refuse those eyes. Lilac and Silver, wider than should be humanly possible, just the riiiight amount of fake tears to warm his heart.

He returned to their room and threw on his best – slacks, a blazer, tightening his forest-green cravat with the ease of centuries of practice (muscle memory was the best, really, and so useful for things outside of combat too). After slipping into his dress shoes (the nice pair, shined so bright he could see his face in them in the right light) he glanced in the mirror. Should he style his hair…?

Nah. Qrow liked the bedhead. And Little Ruby would probably mess it up anyways, she so liked playing with it.

And then he was off, and it felt like mere minutes before he was outside the front door of the tiny Patch cottage, instead of the half-hour flight from Vale that it really was.

“Come in!” Taiyang called from within.

Oz smiled, stepping inside with practiced, casual confidence. How long would it take before Ruby wa—

“SURPRIIII—”

‘SPLAT!!’

His world went white. Not the white of unconsciousness, but the white of cream. Vanilla, by the taste, of which he had ample time to sample given that it now coated his face.

“Oops.”

Bastard. Casual arrogance maybe, but predator’s grace his ass!

Oz silently plucked his spectacles off his nose, revealing that behind the layer of extravagant frosting the rest of the room was staring at him in utmost horror – or glaring death at a certain raven-haired bastard for ruining the moment (Thanks Tai, but you obviously don’t know your brother-in-law if you think that’ll matter to him).

Said raven-haired bastard smirked at him. Only smirked, arms held up high in the air, his feigned innocence an utter farce, belayed by his expression. Oz could only stare.

Hey wait.

He licked his glasses clean (Tai sighing behind him) and looked back at Qrow, a smirk of his own on his face. “You got the flavor right – Auntie Mistral’s Finest Vanilla?”

“Got it in one.”

Damn him.

Well, two could play at that game. Oz stepped right up into Qrow’s personal space and threw his arms around the suddenly-flailing huntsman, pulling him tight to his chest and smothering his best clothes in vanilla and what was obviously very delicious, very fluffy cake.

“Payback’s a bitch,” he muttered in Qrow’s ear, just low enough for the children to not overhear.

“Does this mean we’re not having a food fight?”

“Ruby, we’re not having a food fight, that would make a mess.”

Poor Tai, you’re just poking the bear saying things like that.

Qrow pulled away, a glint in his crimson eyes, and delicately grabbed a chunk of cake off of Oz’s shoulder. He drew back.

Huh. That was a nice shot – frosting dripped down Tai’s forehead, all along his face…

“Wooo! Food fight!”

“Yang! Ruby! Nooooo!”

“Weeee!”

The two huntsmen ducked behind a couch for cover as the war began, carefully marshalling their ammunition as Tai scrambled to protect the finery…

Oz gave Qrow the gimlet eye. “You planned this from the start.”

Damn that smirk. “Happy birthday.”

What else could he do but smile?

Happy Birthday yourself @tigerstripedmoon !

[showurbadgerpride]

Story time

So this is actually just a funny story about the past day and today.

~~~~

So yesturday, March 20 of the year 2019, was my birthday. Wooo.

It was Wednesday. A school day. I sadly could not go because I wasnt feeling well AT ALL and had to stay home to rest and get better.

Staying home on your birthday can be fun, unless you're really sick, have long lasting headaches, and are coughing your guts out.

So I sleep most of the day away, have birthday dinner, and sleep again.

Next morning (this morning), I wake up not being able to talk, have a trouble breathing, and am starting to break a fever.

Now usually, even when I don't feel so good, I go to school to get my education and try to be a good scholar. So when I say, I cant go to school, my parents know i CANT go to school. I sleep in, and when I still domt feel good, dad takes me to the doctor and we wait awhile.

I'm finally called and examined cor the basic stuff, heart rate, blood pressure, height and and weight. All that good stuff. And I get put in an examine room.

Doctor comes in, really nice, got straight to asking how I felt, what I was having for symptoms and explaining what it might be. While looking at my chart she noticed that I hadn't been vaccinated yet.

(I'm usually vaccinated every year, but becaus of how hectic everything has been, I didnt get a chance to this time)

She told me she was going to test me for flu and strep throat since that's what my symptoms looked like. She doubted both a bit but she had to be sure so that I was properly taken care of.

Test came back positive for flu.

So I caught the flu on my birthday.

The only year that I wasn't vaccinated. And I caught the flu.

I didnt realize how easy it was to catch it because I'm usually prepared for it. And thousands of kids in the U.S. alone are catching this stuff every year. And some aren't getting treated for it. I'm in so much pain right now and if I'd gone to the doctor a day later, I could have been pretty badly damaged and susceptible to other, more harmful viruses.

People forget how important this shit is. Get vaccinated, get your kids vaccinated. Gosh damn it's not that hard.

TLDR:

Vaccinate your fucking kids. Vaccinate yourselves. If not you'll get the flu on your birthday. And that really sucks.