#get new cute sheets that aren’t yellow and white and you have a new dark blue and white tie dye sheet and pillow case set in your cart rn

[milo-is-rambling]

Quick Netflix play the Tuca and Bertie episode where Bertie has intrusive pastry pete memory/fantasy masturbation and then has panic attacks and tries to get rid of her vibe and her bed to magically fix herself. Umm. No reason why I wanna watch that one tho. It’s fine. No comment.

[abloomntime]

A Bloom In Time Ch27 Welcome To Mafia Town

You know. It feels a lot better sleeping on something soft than it was sleeping on a hard cold wooden floor. Also much better to wake up with having sore muscles for a third time. Slowly waking up, blue eyes peered out awake to the world, blinking away the blurry vision that came with it. Where was she again? The first thing she saw was a very dark purple and she blinked. Was it still dark? Well, yes. It was still dark and other than a blue light filling up the attic making it clearer to see for her.  ......And slowly she started to remember what happened last night. Groaning, the grown woman slowly sat up on the bed and reached a hand up to push the long bangs out of her face, she felt so tired even after sleeping. But strangely relieved in a way. The memories of last night poked through the morning fog and Poppy groaned, rubbing her face more remembering the nightmare and talk the two had last night. Man. And here she thought her new life adventure wouldn't get any weirder than what it already was. Poppy paused feeling something soft bump against her hand and a grumble that was deeper than her own voice. Pulling her head away from her hand she blinked over and saw Snatcher of all people laying curled around her like some giant shadow snake, his head resting on his claws as he laid there just a foot or two away from her. He looked rather peaceful. Was Snatcher here the entire night after she drifted off back to sleep? Did he fall asleep too? Could ghosts even sleep? Do they even need it? She thought the whole 'Rest in Peace' thing was always just a nice way of showing respect for those who had passed on, but now she wasn't too sure how literal it might've been at this point. Meeting a ghost like Snatcher was definately an eye opener, he wasn't like the usual descriptions of ghosts at all she had heard. Ghosts were supposed to be white as sheets and yell 'BOO' all the time, or stay invisible and silent. Snatcher wasn't white OR invisible, and with his loud mouth he definately wasn't silent either most of the time. But she felt an odd gratitude upon seeing him right there after she still fell asleep. He had cleared up a lot of the mess for her and she couldn't have been happier. Yellow eyes opened up once he felt the floor shifting next to him and he stared right at her.

"Oh. You're awake," he said pushing himself up with his arms and stretching his long body out similar to a bushcat before his body as usual floated up into the air, looking at her. "It looks like you had a nice nap."

"Uh. Yeah.'' She gave a small tired smile yawning again and stretching her body out, stretching her arms out and looking behind her. A part of Snatcher's tail was behind her and she guessed that must've been the super soft thing she was sleeping against. She had no idea ghosts could be solid or so soft, another surprise she guessed. Poppy slowly pushed herself to her feet. Weird dark blue dress still on her and the fake rubies around her collar shining in the dim blue light, her long braid already messy from her sleep. Smiling, Poppy looked back up to him. "Were you really with me all night?"

Snatcher stared at her for a moment before frowning a bit. "Well didn't you ask me to? I'm not completely heartless you know. I make sure all my employees are situated well. "

"I did kinda ask that didn't I?" She yawned and walked over to one of the shopping bags when she saw it. Oh yeah. She still had a few things to put away from yesterday didn't she? "You mind leavin'?"

"What for?"

"So I can put on somethin' else besides this dress reject." She gestured to her dress.

"Oh." Of course she would want to do that. With a cough he turned away and started to melt through the floor. "Right. You get on that."

***********************************************************************************************

Poppy was feeling great! Better than she had been feeling in a whole while! After a brief moment of switching clothing and putting her newly aquired tools and clothes away, Poppy appeared in the control room riding the orange platform down from the attic. Hair retied back in a neat long braid and her wearing one of the new dresses she had bought for herself. The white one with purple flowers, she felt good enough to wear one of her favorite things today. FLOWERS!! And of course the glittering gold bracelet on her wrist. Oh. And the heavy duty leather apron around her shoudlers, she never left home without it. The small bag of pons sitting in the larger of the two pockets of it. When she rode down she found Snatcher frowning, arms crossed, listening to the two children babbling on about something and stuffing their faces with those take out things Cookie ordered for them to go, she thought Cookie said they were called 'Hamburgers' if she remembered right. Like some kind of fancy greasy sandwhiches. But he looked up when he saw a blur coming towards them from the corner of his eye, said eyes blinked in surprise a bit in the cute purple flower printed dress she wore. Well this was different from her usual blue attire he was used to her wearing, but he had no right to judge someone's clothing.

"Fancy new clothes. It-...I-It looks nice on you,'' he complimented.

She smiled in thanks making her way down the ramp heading towards the two children and Snatcher. Both were now staring at her silently eating. "Thanks! I bought it just yesterday. And I see ya two are already up and ready to cause trouble ah presume." Both nodded with big smiles and she noticed they were wearing the same kind of outfits again but with different patterns again. Hattie's whole outfit and hat were a pink minus the pants she wore which was a beige color, and bow was wearing a light blue dress with a white jacket with purple buttons, light blue cat pockets, and a pink bow on the back, another pink bow in her hair, and purple boots. These kids must really like the same style of clothes. "You two look hungry huh?"

"Better than apples!," Hattie mumbled holding up what looked like one or two bites remaining of her burger.

Poppy chuckled. "Well lucky for all of us I aim to change that today! Cookie mentioned how they sell a lot of human food in ..Mafia Town right? Well, that's where I'm headin' today!"

"What?!," Snatcher asked bewildered, "You want to go there?! Bad idea! Very, very bad idea! That place is full of foul men who'll rob you for a single corn chip! I thought you already had enough excitement yesterday!"

Poppy just smiled triumphantly back. "Well, yeah. I did have a rough start, but now I'm all fired up and ready to see where the day takes me. And right now it's tellin' me ta get these girls and myself some food!" Both girls happily threw their hands up with a loud cheer at the mention of yet another trip out together for the three of them, but Snatcher looked slightly worried.

"Now? Don't you even know what kind of people live in a town like that?!," he argued back shaking his head, "It's asking for trouble to happen AGAIN if you go there. Aren't you dealing with enough stuff?"

"We can protect her!," Bow happily said before tossing the rest of the burger she ate for breakfast into her mouth.

Snatcher didn't look the slightest bit convinced. "Yeah because that worked so well last time."

This time Poppy frown one hand on her hip the other pointing at him. "Ok purple onion. If you have a problem with mahself goin' out and gettin' food for YOUR kids and taking care of them while yer galavanting off haunting whatever forest ya want, then please. Feel free ta get off ya rump and go buy them food yerself if you have a problem with ME taking care of their needs like YOU wanted. If not shut her trap! I'm not a pet bird you can just keep in a cage. I'm a human and we need food!" Snatcher stared at her silently for a moment, stunned at the sudden berauge of sass thrown his way...but he frowned at the children who giggled at him being put in his place.Poppy waved a hand. "If you're so worried 'bout what happened yesterday, you're more than welcome to join us. I'd appreciate the company and help you'd provide, but otherwise ya'll can go back to your fore-"

"OH ALRIGHT!!" He scowled and recrossed his arms like a pouting child. "I might as well since someone has to keep you out of trouble!" Actually it was because he was worried about her. The kids can hold their own against the mafia, and to him they were nothing but pesty mice. But he LOATHED the idea of Poppy being around so many men especially ones like the mafia. So it would be better to do, besides. His head minion could handle things without him for a little while longer.

Poppy nodded smiling again and waved a hand at the girls. "Go wash off those greasy hands of yours and we'll leave ok?" Both nodded and ran off towards the kitchen, Hattie shoving the rest of her food into her mouth as she did.

"Shouldn't you eat something too before we head out?," Snatcher asked her raising a brow.

"Nah. I'll be fine. Not the first time I'd skip breakfast-" She was cut short when Snatcher literally grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her towards the kitchen. "Hey! What gives!?"

"Fat chance. You go eat something before you leave right now. I'm not going to be following a growling stomach all day."

She protested but relented after Snatcher said he wouldn't teleport them easily to this Mafia Town, and she STILL wasn't fond of the kids' version of travel, and it'd be easier with Snatcher teleporting them. So reluctantly she agreed but just grabbed an apple out of the small basket in the fridge. Taking notice that there was only a few eggs left in the carton after Cookie's omlets, only a few apples left, and half a wheel of cheese. How could these kids just eat these all the time? Following the children out of the kitchen back to the waiting Snatcher, while also carrying a giant woven basket she found as it'd be easier to carry the food in, he sighed again and held out his hands to the small giggling girls, who both grabbed onto his large clawed hand with ease, and he held out the other claw to her.

"When someone hangs onto me it's easier to teleport them and saves energy for me. Since I'm teleporting long distance I suggest you hold on so we're not seperated in town."

Well that was certainly something she didn't want happening so she grabbed onto his hand and he curled his claws gently around her before summoning the magic to transport them all down there.  The teleporting worked as quickly as any other time he did it. Purple energy completely took over the world around them like the many times he's done this before and swallowed them all whole. He's done this plenty of times before teleporting himself places or taking the girls home against his will when they fell asleep in his forest. Poppy closed her eyes when purple invaded her vision out of habit. One moment of dark black-purple later the four of them ended up somewhere much more warmer by how Poppy felt the air suddenly shift.

"You can open your eyes now."

And she did. And blinked at WHAT she saw now. They were on a beach! A literally sunny beach with the sun beating down on them and in front of them was a small lot of sand, filled with palm trees and picnic table with umbrellas sticking out from the top of them. A blue and white striped tent was set up to the far right end of the sand lot and a giant stone building of some sort in front of them. Snapping her head behind her, the sparkling reflection of the vast ocean met her confused gaze with the gorgeous view of the morning sun making the soft waves sparkle as they rolled by. Directly in front of them all was a giant pair of red doors and two men standing guard on either side of them. In fact there was a lot of men in fancy blue suits and aprons walking around where they were, most gawking at them from the sudden apearence of a grown woman and two children in a flash of purple.

"Wow." Poppy said breathlessly staring out at the ocean. She could see some kind of land in the distance, a bouey, and some kind of ship slowly passing by. "Look at that view! I've never been to the ocean before!"

"Yes, yes. Very pretty," came the annoyed voice of Snatcher making her snap outta it. "Don't we have something to do?"

She blinked. "OH! Right I-" She paused...looking around but not seeing the giant sixteen foot ghost anywhere. "Hey. Where are you?"

"Look at your shadow."

She did and humped a few steps back seeing two yellow eyes from her shadow staring back up at her. "Snatcher??"

"Who else?," he asked and she saw his glowing yellow mouth as he spoke from her shadow. "You think it's easy to be walking around in the open for someone like me? It'll be easier for both of us if I remain in the shadows unless nessasary."

Well...It might be easier for her to walk around freely without drawing a bunch of attention to her being followed by by a giant ghosts babysitting her like she was a little girl herself, and if this place was as dangerous as he said, she's appreciate the extra help. He had a couple good points.

Nodding she looked around, basket in hand. "Ok. Now let's see. Where do we go from here?"

"This way!," Bow called from over by the blue and white tent before running up a large pair of stairs behind it.

Poppy followed across the sand lot with Hattie running past her and joining Bow up the stair case and waiting for her at the top of the stairs. Around the tent she went looking around and up the stone stairs she went. At the top was a cobblestone floor and more tables. The two continued to lead Poppy down a cobblestone pathway and all the while gave her a wonderful view of the ocean, seeing a couple boats and rocks sticking out of the water. A couple times they would pass another blue suited man and they would either walk past or gave them a passing look but nothing else. Didn't seem so bad so far. But she was curious about all the contruction and spray painted walls as they passed. When she asked, Hattie said 'This place is always being rebuilt' and explained the graffiti was done by Mu before Cookie took her to live with her away from this place. She saw a bunch of 'Down With The Mafia' sprayed on walls, some kind of man with a giant mustache and red hat, and few of MU herself. Guess Hattie was telling the truth about all that.

"So where are we supposed to buy food around this ..Uh.. Rebuilt place?" She asked them glancing at all the incomplete buildings they passed.

"Past the docks," Bow answered slowly down her pace from in front of her to walk next to Poppy. Gazing up at her with a neutral gaze before staring at her free hand not carrying the basket before reaching up and grabbing it. Poppy without giving it much thought curled her hand back to hold hers making the small girl light up light a firework as they both followed Hattie skipping a few yards in front of them. Snatcher smiled with glee at the sight between Bow and Poppy.

They continued along the cobblestone pathway until it collided with an actual docks. A large building that looked like a giant seafood resteraunt was on the left side of the docks with blue tables was there and on the right side was a pair of docks, with a few more strong looking men there  unloading fish from a ship stationed on one side of the docks as they passed, passing then some kind of giant barrels on their sides and then back up yet another cobblestone path leading up to what looked like a town square to Poppy. Cobblestone everywhere. With three Green, red, and orange-tan giant buildings on the right side of the water fountain that was smack dab in the middle of the square. The green building had a giant sign saying 'Blooming' but looked dark inside, the red building had a hamburger with the words 'Spicey Buns' on the signs but was blocked off by yellow rope, and the only one that seemed open was the tan building who was currently being manned by a single man with the sign reading 'Juice'. The left sight of the square was just a giant brick wall and clock tower, showing it was nine thirty four in the morning. Still an early day. She continued to follow Hattie until she stopped in front of another pair of stairs leading up to another level of the stone wall and she pointed. Of course Poppy followed her holding Bow's hand and up the slightly bigger steps they went until meeting another cobblestone floor and the first thing she saw was a stand with another one of those blue suited men behind it.

"Here it is!," Hattie said standing next to her and pointing down the left where it turned into a street like market.

Guess this was the market of human food Cookie spoke about and Poppy smiled. Well at least now she could be able to get what she needed now. The only stand to the right seemed empty so Poppy went right up to the first stand in front of her already catching the man's attention as he sat behind it and looked at her as she approuched. Looking at the products on the shelves behind him and next to him was a bunch of cheese wheels. The entire area was kinda dark being in a closed in area and torches ran down the length of the market area. Poppy stopped in front of the stand as the man looked at her.

"Mafia sell finest cheese aged by Mafia. Would red haired lady like to buy?," the man spoke in a deep voice as she looked around.

Eventually stopping at one cheese wheel that looked pretty good and pointed at it. "Yeah. That one there please."

The man smiled and grabbed it. "Mafia enjoys sells. Mafia will sell it to red haired lady for fifthteen pons."

Poppy blinked at him for a moment raising a brow. "Fifthteen pons for one cheese wheel?"

"Mafia make good pure chedder. Take it or leave."

"....." Well considering things were a lot more expensive than when she was alive that she remembered, then she guessed it was a fair price and she had over twenty five thousand of the small things. Reaching into the front pocket of the apron she pulled out a handful of those small green emeralds and counted out fifteen before dropping them into the man's outstretched hand. She also noticed that he was wearing an apron, that said 'Kiss The Cook' with a small red lipstick kiss mark. How odd.

The man took the pons and counted the ones in his hand with his eyes for a moment before smiling. "Mafia thanks lady for purchase. Here is cheese." He held out the cheese to her and Poppy happily took it from him.

"Thank you." Placing it into the giant basket she carried and started off towards the other stands, children following.

"You know you shouldn't have paid that fool such a large amount." Snatcher whispered out from her shadow that barely showed in the dim torch light. "I can be very persausive."

"The last thing  need is you scarin' off the people I'm trying to buy from," Poppy shot back tossing a quick frown over her shoulder at him before she continued. "As a fellow storekeeper let me do my own business and hush up." Snatcher grumbled but hushed up much to her pleasure. She didn't want to explain why she was talking to the ground behind her to strangers. The next stand was just a couple yards from the first and this one looked like it was selling fruit, mostly bananas and apples. Poppy breifly wondered if this is where the girls originally got their apples back on the ship before stopping in front of it and admiring the bananas. She had only seen a couple of them once. When the royal food wagon was making it's way to the Queen's summer home she visited whenever the prince did. They were tropical plants and as her father said tropical plants and fruits were impossible to grow where they were due to the fall and winter seasons. So seeing the oppertunity to obtain some she happily smiled and pointed at a couple bunches that looked ripe to her. "How much for three bundles?"

"Mafia sells Mafia island bananas for pens pons each,'' the man explained and Poppy blinked at him for a moment looking exactly like the other men she'd seen but shrugged it off.

"And those apples?"

"Mafia sell those same prince as Mafia Island bananas."

"Oh." So about thirty or forty pons. Seemed a little expensive for bananas but she wasn't going to complain about getting food she could actually eat. To cut losses she decided to only buy two bundles of bananas and one bundle of apples instead of the three bundles of bananas and into the basket they went. The kids giving dirty looks to the mafia men around them as they went. And FINALLY she found something she was hoping to find around here. A meat market...Or a stand what sold fish in this market. A bunch of fish were hung along the stands wall and the man manning the stand had his sleeves rolled up currently deboning a fish but looked up when Poppy stopped in front of him gazing up at the fish hung around. "Hello. Can you tell me how old the fish are?"

"Mafia caught fish from ocean this morning,'' the man explained pulling his hands away from work and wiping them down with a damp towel next to him. "Straight from docks. Super fresh."

She smiled at that glancing around and setting her eyes on two very nice looking bass on the right hand side and pointing. "How about those two bass there? Those looking mighty juicy."

"Mafia needs thirty five pons for fish."

.....She blinked. "Hold up. You want thirty five pons PER fish?" He nodded and she frowned. "Back in my day in was ten per fish! That's ludacris!''

"Mafia want paid is what mafia is owed. If lady won't pay price, lady no gets fish," she stated back firm,

Poppy could feel her eye twitch as her annoyance spiked a bit but took a breath to cool herself down. Just remember. This wasn't her time. Things were different now. No use getting upset over a thousand year difference she couldn't control. "Ok, I'll pay. Just please get me those two fish."  Reluctantly and much to Snatcher's silent annoyance she did end up paying another seventy ones for two fish. Poppy was starting to think her choice to accept Mr. Grooves offer was the right one after all. She needed the pons for this definately. They all watched as the man took some kind of paper from under the stand and pull the fish down to wrap them all in....after he carefully counted all the pons she gave him of course. And she took them with a 'thanks' tho it did come off a bit annoyed as she moved along the last few stands now in just a slightly more sour mood. And slowly the basket filled up with just a few more things. Some eggs one man claimed to be taken from the birds that morning, she found someone trying to sell what looked like slightly spoiled milk but managed to find a whole bottle of it that was pretty fresh, and bacon stri-......Bacon? How the peck did that get there? .....Snatcher snatching bacon from Cookie's dishes suddenly flashed across her mind and she shot a look over her shoulder to Snatcher who still remained hidden as the girls boredly/curiously walked around near them and looked around. By the time they got to the end of the stands(where the market ended in a dead end meaning they'd have to turn around and go back the way they came to exit), the basket was heavy with a giant cheese wheel, a glass bottle of milk, one carton of eggs, two bundles of banansa, a bag of apples, two large fish, and a mysterious pound of bacon that just appeared out of no where. Usually the basket would've been heavy for someone but considering her less than normal strength, it was pretty easy to carry without tiring. The last stand didn't look like it sold any kind of food items like the others but a man sitting there noticed her curious look at it and he pointed behind him at the white shirts Saying 'Mafia #1' hung up near him.

"You like Mafia? Buy clothes supporting Mafia! Mafia is number one!," he gladly stated.

Oh. He was selling clothing? Well she already saw what everything else had to offer, might as well see what this had to offer her too. And too Snatcher's protests of lightly tugging her dress to get her to stop, she walked over to him. The stand on closer inspection sold the same blue suits and aprons all the men here wore along with OBVIOUSLY spray painted gold statues of said men and those white t shirts. ......Not really things she was really interested in or needed....Except maaaybe that one thing right there-

"I can't BELEIVE you actually wasted ten pons on that!," Snatcher's rasped out as they walked along the cobblestone back towards the town square.

"Oh shush. I could use one of these for regular house work," Poppy muttered placing the newly aquired 'Kiss the Cook' apron neatly into her larger leather apron pocket to keep it off the food. She could use an apron just for cooking and other things besides her work apron. "Besides, why are you complaining about me buying an apron? You couldn't even pay for the bacon ya'll snuck into mah basket."

"Hey! You have no proof it was me firstly! Secondly even if I did do that, what purpose would I have to do it? I'm DEAD. It's not like I could eat it if I wanted too anyways. I can't even taste anything if I wanted to," He argued back from her shadow as Poppy walked back down the steps towards the square holding Bow's hand again as the child happily smiled at her. "I bet it was one of those two."

"No it wasn't!," Hattie retorted back sticking her tongue out at Snatcher.

"Guys. Please, ya'll are out in public. Act like civilized people will ya-....." Poppy stopped at the last step down before stepping back onto the cobblestone streets of the square she had passed before, Hattie running into her leg and falling onto her behind on one step, her hat falling over her face. Shaking her head, Hattie pushed the hat back up from her face and asked Poppy what was her big deal but the grown woman just stared at something. Beinf on the flat ground, Snatcher couldn't see what was going on either and was about to bark at Poppy demanding what she was staring at when the red head suddenly scowled. "HEY!" Her eyes narrowed at the sight of two of those big burly men corning a poor little old man back against a brick wall, but she had shouted when one of them pushed him down gaining their attention and began stomping her way over to them. Bow grabbing and pulling back on her hand to try and get Poppy to stop.

"Wait, Poppy! Don't!"

Poppy didn't listen to Bow's words and instead pulled her hand away before placing and big basket into her arms. "Hold this for a sec." And then stomping her way back over to the men and stood before them, hands curled into fists on her hips and deep scowl present on their and her faces. "HEY! What the bloody PECK do ya think yer doin' to that poor old man!?" Old man? Huh. Well compared to Poppy's age that old man was probably a baby, but never mind that now.

"Shoo! Mafia can't have lady witness while Mafia teaching lesson!," one of the two men sternly said back but Poppy remained unbudging.

"You'll got one chance and I'm only askin' nicely once. Please leave that man alone," she spoke as calmly as she could despite the annoyed tone on her face and in her voice.

"What do we do with eye witness?," the mafia man asked the other mafia man.

The other man looked at Poppy like she was a harmless flower raging at them. "Teach lesson to those who interfere with Mafia!" He reached a hand out but it was quickly smacked away with a loud WHACK sound making the man recoil and cradle his hand to his chest.

"Do. NOT. Touch me!," Poppy warned in a low and slow voice. "I'm only going to warn you once."

"Mafia won't bow to small lady!!," the other one suddenly bellowed looking at her with anger but Poppy just rose a bored brow when he raised a hand to punch.

"POPPY!! LOOK OUT!!"

"Prepare to feel Mafia's Wrat- GAH!!"

That was it. How it all ended. As soon as the bigger man went to punch her, Poppy grabbed a hold of his arm and in an impressive desplay of speed, turned on her heel and literally threw him over her body by his arm and slammed him quite hard to the ground with a very loud thud. Everyone stood there for a moment quietly stunned from what just happened, except for the man who was laying on the stone ground groaning with the face of Poppy looming over him scowling as if she had the fury of a thousand burning suns....Before blowing the bangs from her face and snapping her scowl over her shoulder back to the other man who flinched at the sudden blue eyes flashing at him.

"Ya'll got somethin' to say 'bout this?" The man still cradling his hand shook his head no furiously with a look of fear on his face and Poppy nodded still scowling. "Good. Now take your buddy here and scram!" The mafia man had just run off without another word as his pal just remained unconcious on the ground. Not that she really cared and turned around to the little old man who through all of this just flat out leaned against the wall slack jawed. But Poppy gave him a soft smile down at him. "Hey there, Mister. Are you alright?"

"Uh-...I-..Y-Yes! I am!," he answered back in an old but happy sounding voice. Smiling behind that white mustache of his, he slowly got up and reached a hand up to readjust his glasses. He couldn't have been a foot or two taller than the girls. Such bullies for picking on a poor defenseless old man like this. Dusting himself off he smiled at Poppy. "Thank you very much young lady. You won't believe how many times a month this happens."

"What did they want?"

The old man sighed. "Money. I've been saving all my pons to move out of this pecking town to go live in a nice quiet neighborhood, but every week they harass me for 'protection' money. But I never give in."

"Oh wow. That sounds aweful." She thought she heard Snatcher give a small 'mmhm' like he was right all along, but didn't comment on it. "I'm very sorry for that."

He waved her off. "No. Don't be. Just two more weeks and I should have enough to get out of here for good." He looked her over again and frowned. "You're a young  one. If I were you I'd get out of town while the getting's good. You don't want to get caught up in a place like this."

Poppy nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm glad you're ok." She held out her hand. "Do you need any help?"

He shook his head. "No, no. I'll be alright getting my way home. Not the first time this has happened and probably won't be the last before I leave."

"Alright. Be careful on your journey now.''

Hattie looked at the long shadow pertruding from Poppy and the yellow eyes blinking up from the ground. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"You ever heard the metaphor hell have no fury like a woman's scorn?" The raspy voice of Snatcher asked the child and Hattie shook her head. "Well it means a woman's anger is something you don't want to get the reveiving end of, Kid. And that saying happens to apply to this situation."

Poppy continued to stand there and waved the little old man good bye with a smile on her face sighing as a wave of calm came over her and she turned back around to look for the basket. She found it on the ground by Bow, who had been standing there watching the whole thing with one hand on the basket's handle patiently waiting for her. Poppy still smiling walked over and reached down to pick up the basket from Bow and pat her on the head...When another shadow fell over her. Poppy paused seeing the long shadow come over her. The head of the shadow was pointy and had a wide brim obviously some kind of hat and Poppy looked up towards the maker of the shadow over her, blinking at the sun's gleam blocking her veiw of the smiling pink wearing woman right in front of her.

"Well, well. Is THIS the famous woman he spoke of?," asked an obviously female voice.

"HAZELLE!?", Snatcher suddenly blurted out in shock blinking his yellow eyes out from the shadows....And immediately wanted to punch himself when the witch's copper orange eyes shifted their gaze over to the ghost attached to Poppy's shadow laying on the ground. But it was too late to stop the smug look on the witch's face as she seemed to quickly putt two and two together right in front of him.

"Well, I guess so! Hello, Snatchy.~ Fancy seeing you out here in broad daylight. Was the forest finally too gloomy for your tastes?," she asked in a calm manor that made the ghost growl.

"YOU WISH, WITCH!! WHAT THE PECK ARE YOU DOING HERE-" His question was answered immediately.

"TIMMY!!"

Hattie and Bow had run up to a small boy who looked maybe one or two years older than them in a hug and Poppy slowly stood up staring at the new comers to the party, the boy(Timmy as she heard) hugged his friends back and gave Hattie a friendly shove to her shoulder which she giggled and pushed back playfully. But Poppy still stared at the witch as she went back and forth with the ghost like she did it every day.......A witch?....A REAL WITCH?! Like the kind who rode on brooms, cooked up potions, had black cats, and did magic willy nilly!? HOLY PECK!! And there was one right here right in front of her. Poppy couldn't help but stared wide eyed at her. She didn't look like a typical witch like the tales she was told about. No green skin. No warts or black robes. Nothing. In fact she looked like a regular person. The only way one could really tell she was a witch was the pointy witch hat on her head which was a pink and white color, along with the rest of her clothes. Really bright  girly clothing if she said so herself.

"Can't a respectable witch and her apprentice go out and about practicing our trickery spells on all these meatheads?", she replied calmly back. "How was I supposed to know you all would be here too?"

"HMPH! Strange coincidence." Snatcher narrowed his eyes in annoyance with a scowl from her shadow.

"I'm sorry...Who are you?,'' Poppy asked confused to Hazelle.

The witch looked over at her and Poppy had to admit, she was very pretty for a witch. She thought they were all supposed to be ugly old ladies. The witch bowed tipping her hat at Poppy politely. "Oh sorry. How rude of me. My name is Hazel but with an extra L E at the end. Exactly how it's pronounced too! Nice to finally meet the lady behind my dear old friend's-...." She paused giving the scowling ghost a sly smirk. "...'New helper' he spoke about."

"Hazel?....You mean like Witch Hazel?"

Hazelle waved a hand. "Yes, Yes. The famous Witch Hazel. Yada yada. It's an old family name passed down to every man in the family in one form or another, but since the next generation was a girl they just decided to slap an extra L E at the end to add that feminine variation. It's complicated I know."

"Oh wow! I've never met a real witch before!" Poppy gawked wide eyed like a puppy. "Can you really do magic?!"

"Absolutely. But I don't think you've told me your name, Miss."

.....Poppy blinked. "OH!! Oh. How rude of me!" She smiled and stuck out a hand in polite greeting. "Howdy! Mah name's Poppy. Poppy Rose Bloomington! Nice ta meet ya!"

Hazelle smiled and shook her head besides Snatcher's grumbles before turning her head over and to the ground and the groaning mafia man on the ground raising a brow. "Well I must say, Ms. Bloomington, you really did a number on those goons. I like your style."

Poppy chuckled nervously and reached her free hand to rub her neck. "Well...I couldn't just let stand by and let them push around that poor old man could I?"

"What a coincidence! Timmy and I were just about to try out his new slime rain summoning on them! But then he noticed his little friends over there and stopped to watch the fireworks." She nodded her head over towards the children moving towards them.

"Timmy?," Poppy asked looking down to the little boy with strange blue markings on his face and a brown cap on his head. "Oh. Is this your son?" She flinched when Hazelle suddenly released a few high pitched giggles.

"Him? Oh no! It may look like it at first glance, but in reality I'm more of a teacher. He IS my apprentice after all. Gotta make sure those magical powers of his develope properly."

"Oh." Poppy looked down to the young boy smiling up at her and she smiled back. "Hello, there lil guy!"

He reached over to her and she blinked in surprise when he grabbed her hand and pulling his hat off his head before kissing the back of her hand like a gentlemen. Before smiling back up at her again. "Hello, Ma'am. A pleasure to make your aquiantance."

SNatcher all but bristled in sudden anger behind her and Poppy giggled at the adorable sight. "Well aren't ya a lil gentleman? Such nice manners!"

"Yes, Ma'am. My father taught me everything I know," Timmy said proudly letting go of her hand and placing his hat back on his head.

"Well he must be quite the gentlemen too raising such a polite young man."

Hazelle smirked again. "OH! Moonjumper's quite the nice and friendly guy. I'm sure he'd just LOVE to meet you too-'

"DON'T YOU HAVE PECKING HOCUS POCUS TO FILL YOUR HEADS WITH?!," Snatcher demanded in an angry voice already sick and tired of this ridiculous encounter.

"Oh. I guess you're right," Hazelle smiled down at Snatcher with a wink and turned. "Then I'll chat with you later, Snatchy dear.~ See you back in the forest." Throwing a look over her shoulder she tossed Poppy a smile and motioned for Timmy to follow her. "And I'll definately be seeing YOU later too, Red head. "

Snatcher growled as she left with Timmy trotting after her, and could feel anger oozing off of him like a building volcano would. He WOULD talk with Hazelle later, and she was NOT about to go flapping her gums to Moonboy and blow his cover!!!!

"You have a witch friend?," Poppy asked looking down to the shadow curiously waving bye and he growled.

"Unfortunately!.....She has her uses with her magic and potions, but she has absolute foolish behavior when it comes to personal boundaries," he huffed, "Are we done here? We better leave."

Poppy just rolled her eyes but agreed with Snatcher it was probably better to go before they all got in more trouble. Considering what she saw  with the poor old man and the unreasonable prices in her opinion, She figured it was better to leave while the getting was good. Beckoning the girls behind her, Poppy turned and started walking off back towards the way they came, leaving the man she flipped who was just now starting to push himself up. It'd be easier if Snatcher took them back the way they came right? While walking she thought she saw some of the men looking over at her when they passed but they quickly looked away when she snapped them a glare that could crack a diamond. She guessed the fella who ran off gossiped about what just happened to his pal by the water fountain, ok. Not that she cared. Let it serve as a warning to anyone else if they tried any funny business now. The small group went back the way they came. Back down the cobblestone path onto the docks and slowly making their way across it, some men on the docks still unloading some shipment from the ships there. Poppy took a glance or two at the ocean and admired the pretty blue scene. One mafia man walked out of the seafood cafe with a frowning face and turned in their direction. Absolutely freezing once he saw Poppy calmly walking along admiring the ocean, and his eyes became wide with fear.

"B-BOSS!! SCARY LADY IS AFTER MAFIA!! HELP!!," The man yelled at the top of his lungs before running back through the open doors of said resteraunt slamming it behind him with a bang.

......

.......

"So. We meet again Kid With The Hat!"

[maleficarfic]

Hearts are Foolish Things

Pairing: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Rating: Explicit

Additional Tags: Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot

Summary: Rain drives Aerith and Cloud into a chilly shelter on the road home from the church.

On AO3: Link

She’d felt the resonance. First, on the plate in Sector 8. Then, when he crashed through the roof and landed in the midst of her flowers.

Aerith knew better. She knew better than to want men whose eyes were the color of the sky, and she knew she only wanted this one because of the faint harmonies within him. He was bound up with Zack. She could close her eyes and—

She knew better.

But hearts were foolish things.

She followed Cloud Strife across the rooftops, peppering him with questions and dodging his own.

“Maybe,” she said with a laugh, “he thought I could be the greatest SOLDIER yet.”

Cloud let out a sigh of exasperation. “Forget it.”

Such a prickly creature. She half expected him to casually shove her off the rooftops just to be rid of her. But, no, he warned her as they came up to the thin pipe.

Was he as brave as he acted?

She wasn’t. As she pressed herself against the side of shanty home, her heart pounded in her chest. The ground was a long way away. If a SOLDIER fell, he might be fine, but her? It would hurt like a bitch.

“I… actually… haven’t traveled by rooftop before,” she said slowly as they ducked through a low overhang. Shredded awnings hung from the ceiling, creeping like spiderwebs against her naked arms.

Aerith shuddered.

“Be surprised if you had.”

She rubbed her hands over her arms, trying to erase the tickling feeling from her skin, and turned her eyes upward to a dusty, rickety ceiling. Was he capable of more than five words at a time? He was lucky he was so handsome.

But his sour attitude didn’t bring her down.

She watched him slide down a ladder, grinning over the edge of it. “It’s honestly kind of exciting.” She swung her legs around and slid down after he’d cleared it, her skirt floofing up.

He jerked away, scowling into the distance.

Red stained his cheeks, and Aerith’s grin turned mischievous and pleased.

“Well. First time and all.” He scratched at his chin, refusing to meet her eyes.

Aerith leaned toward him, her hands laced behind her back. “First times are very exciting. Aren’t they?” she asked, letting some of that desire seep into her voice.

His flush deepened. Blue-green eyes met hers and then darted away. He cleared his throat. Rocked back on his heels. “We should keep going.” Stepping around her, he resumed a much brisker pace than before.

Aerith trotted after him, pleased with herself. Little was as fun as making stoic men like him blush.

Quickly, though, he outpaced her. He leaped over the rooftops with ease, leaving her on the far side of a large jump.

Heart pounding so loud she felt her pulse in her ears, she peered over the edge.

With a strangled little sound, she jerked back. It was a long way down, even with all the progress they’d made.

When she glanced up, he was halfway around the corner of the next building. “Wait!” she called, clutching her hands to her chest. He wouldn’t abandon her. She knew that. For all his bluster and too-cool attitude, he wasn’t cruel. “Give me a moment, would you?”

He paused, looking over his shoulder at her. They stood too far apart for her to read his expression, but he turned back. He came back.

“Come on,” he said, holding out his hand to her.

Swallowing down her nerves, she took a step back and then flung herself forward.

The tip of her boot caught on the corrugated iron rooftop, and she pitched wildly forward, crying out with alarm. Her heart jumped into her throat, her stomach twisting into a sudden, vicious knot.

And then his hands, wrapped in warm leather, closed around her wrists. With inhuman strength, he pulled her against him, and Aerith collapsed into his arms. Safe. Warm. So warm. He smelled like sweat and dirt and the crackle of ozone, and she wanted to press her face against his neck and just breathe him in for hours.

One hand rested lightly on his chest. The other smoothed over his shoulder. “Thanks,” she said softly, smiling up at him.

He stared down at her, still faintly red.

“Maybe next time, you don’t run off on your own?”

He chuckled, the corners of his mouth quirking up. “Those the words of a SOLDIER candidate?”

Oh, he had an adorable grin. And he teased her. He rose to her bait and gave as good as he got.

“So petty,” she huffed, but she kept smiling, too. Her arms twined around the back of his neck, and she leaned closer. Her lips brushed his ear, and his body tensed against hers. “Lucky for you, I like that.”

She drew back, sliding her body along his before pulling away, and left him standing behind her with a poleaxed expression. She also liked that, but he didn’t need to know that.

The sky grew darker, the plate’s shadow deeper.

Aerith paused on a rooftop, holding onto a half-rotted wooden pillar behind her. Tipping her head back, she peered at the sky above them. “Looks like rain.” As if to confirm her suspicions, thunder rolled on the plate’s horizon.

She glanced at Cloud. “We might want to find a place to wait out the storm.”

He frowned. “Won’t the plate—”

“Nope,” she said with good cheer.

People new to the ground often thought they were safe from storms. Not true. The slums covered by plates got the worst of it. Dirty rain water slipped between the gaps in a plate’s structure. The runoff dropped groundside long after the rain stopped plate side, dragging sludge and refuse from the plate above to the slums below.

“The plate makes storms gross. The stormwater is downright vile. We should find a place with a decent roof.”

Cloud crossed his arms, turning his frown on the nearby buildings. “So… no one lives in these buildings?” he asked hesitantly.

Aerith wondered why. Was he concerned about breaking into someone’s house or that he’d have a cute girl curling up against him when the water fell from the plate and turned everything chilly?

“Nope,” she said, sliding up to his side. He leaned back, but only a little. Only enough to meet her eyes. “No one to get mad if we make noise.”

His eyes widened.

Aerith pressed one finger to the middle of his chest. Pushed just enough to throw a normal person off balance. He, of course, didn’t move. “What’s that face for?” she asked with a laugh.

Turning, she ducked around the corner of a ramshackle building. The walls had buckled around the windows, so she passed that one by.

Behind her, she heard Cloud’s footsteps on the flimsy wood boards. “We might be able to get to the station before the rain… drips down from the plate?” He made the last bit of his statement into more of a question.

Aerith peered around his shoulder, squinting at the horizon beyond the steel sky. Heavy, dark clouds obscured the sun, painting the sky angry purples and blues. “No,” she said. “This storm is moving too quickly. And it’ll get too dark to see where we’re walking.”

She felt it in the distance. Rain pelted the cracked, dry earth outside of Midgar, those dead plains that wheezed and gasped for life.

Another peal of thunder rolled through the sky, louder this time. Lightning struck in the distance, fracturing like white veins against the clouds.

“This way.” She caught him by the wrist and tugged him after her, leading him deeper into the tangle of dilapidated homes.

The heavy clouds obscuring the setting sun cast the slums into darkness. Shadows deepened as Aerith and Cloud scoured homes in search of a roof that hadn’t split or fallen away. Eventually, he unsocketed one of his yellow materia, holding it up for light so they could see.

They’d just found an abandoned house with a serviceable roof when the first thick, black blob of runoff fell from the plate above them. Cloud stared at the dirty splotch on the pipe beneath their feet, his brows arched with surprise.

Another droplet plopped onto the pipe beside his boot, and Aerith grabbed his wrist with both hands. “You really don’t want that to fall on you,” she said, pulling him into the house.

He stumbled inside, catching himself on a large crate before he could topple over, and she gave him a flash of an apologetic smile.

Setting his sword and the yellow materia on the top of the box, he turned to the pockets in his pants. “Here,” he said, and he removed a handful more materia.

Purple, green, and yellow light filled the tiny house. A small fortune in materia cast strange shadows across the wood and corrugated iron.

Above them, fat runoff pinged against the roof, plinking out a staccato rhythm.

He frowned at the ceiling, sitting near the box.

Aerith laid her own staff on the box, unsocketing her materia, too. They’d want all the light they could get, no matter how strange the riot of color was.

“It gets really loud,” she said, lifting her voice so she could be heard over the sound of the runoff. She smoothed her skirt down her legs and sat opposite him, studying him.

Cloud winced, nodding.

She gave him a sympathetic smile. SOLDIERs had excellent senses. No doubt he found the sound irritating. She did, too, and she couldn’t hear someone drop a pin through three floors of concrete.

They sat for a moment in relative silence, listening to the rain pinging against the roof. As it began to pour down from the plate above in sheets, the air grew noticeably cooler. Aerith suppressed a shiver, wrapping her arms around her middle.

Cloud didn’t seem to notice the cold. His eyes kept skipping over her, studying the cast of the shadows over the room.

She took the opportunity to study his face. The green materia made his eyes brighter. The purple, almost magenta materia warmed his skin. And the yellow? It made his hair glow in the faint light.

Handsome. He was handsome, just like Zack. And when she stilled her mind and focused on her breathing, when she touched that warm, green place inside her heart, he felt like Zack, too. He felt like warmth and solace. He felt like safety and familiarity.

“It’s a bit cold, isn’t it?” she asked, rubbing her arms.

He made a soft sound of agreement, ducking his head to study the dusty floor.

Aerith scooted closer.

Zack was gone. She’d felt him go. There was no point in hanging onto him, but she couldn’t bring herself to let go of him. Cloud wasn’t Zack.

But hearts were foolish things. For just a moment, she wanted to feel close to him again.

Aerith laid her hand against Cloud’s upper arm.

He jumped, jerking his gaze to hers.

With a soft smile, she lifted her hand to his cheek. Her fingers feathered over his cheek. “You feel chilly.” Her thumb brushed his bottom lip. His mouth was perennially downturned, whether in a pout or a scowl she couldn’t say. But as her thumb traced the soft line of it, his lips parted, and the faintest bit of desire curled them.

She watched his eyes, feeling like she was falling off the edge of a plate and into the sky.

“It’s not that bad,” he said, but he didn’t look away.

“Maybe not to a SOLDIER,” she replied, rising to her knees at his side. Her other hand curved against his cheek. She cradled his face, and the chill in the air faded for the heat expanding like a slow-rolling thunderstorm inside her. “Help me ward of the chill, Mr. Bodyguard.”

His eyes widened for only a moment before a look of soft, simmering interest replaced surprise. “That costs extra.” His tone was playful. Kind. Inviting.

“How much?” Her fingers applied a gentle pressure, urging his head to tip backwards.

“We can negotiate a rate.” Hesitant hands settled on her hips. Slid higher.

Aerith inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering shut as his hands ran over her waist, beneath her jacket, and up her sides. “After?”

“After,” he agreed, and she bent her head to kiss him softly.

She felt more of his hesitation, but not unwillingness, no, for his lips parted beneath hers with a gusty sigh. He tasted shy and uncertain, his lips moving always a second later than hers, but she found she didn’t mind.

He gave her the space to lick into his mouth and discover heat beneath the uncertainty, and when she teased his tongue with hers, he rewarded her with an aching little moan.

Her hands slipped from his face. One slid behind his neck, her arm curving around him as she settled against his chest. His arm wound around her, too, banding about her waist to tug her closer. Her free hand ran down his neck and along his shoulder. She traced her fingertips over his bicep, drawing idle lines against his skin.

At his wrist, her fingers curved into the edge of his gauntlet. A gentle tug pulled the armor down his wrist and over the back of his hand. He pulled in the opposite direction, and the glove fell away.

His callused fingers brushed against her elbow as she turned her face, catching his mouth from a new, better angle. Like this, her hair fell over her shoulder and cut off the light from the materia. Heavy shadow obscured his face when she opened her eyes, but not so much that she could confuse him for someone else.

She didn’t want to. She didn’t want to climb into bed with a ghost; she wanted a living, breathing man with hot skin and hotter moans.

“Hey,” she whispered when his eyes met hers.

“Hey,” he whispered back, his hands easing up her body. One bare, one still in his glove, his hands paused just beneath her breasts.

A shiver ran down Aerith’s spine, but not from cold. Desire warmed her and deafened her to the pounding rain. All she heard was the beat of her heart and the whispering exhalations of Cloud’s every breath.

She kissed him again, hungrier this time. Their mouths fit together, and she sank against him, sank into the heat of his body and the warmth of his kiss.

His hands slid up, slid over her breasts, slid to her shoulders where he pushed at her jacket. She arched her back, drawing her hands from him. The heavy denim jacket dropped to the ground behind her, and she left it there, forgotten.

Surging forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her skirt climbed high on her thighs as she slipped into his lap, her legs bracketing his.

She settled against him as her fingers drove into his hair. An easy pressure with her fingers cajoled his head to turn, to tip to the side so she could slide her tongue into his mouth and devour her.

His arms came around her. She felt the brush of them against her sides as he yanked off his other glove. Then his hands were on her again, curving over her ass as he drew her hard against him.

The strength of his grasp made her moan.

“Sorry,” he gasped into their kiss.

“No.” She nipped at his lower lip. “No, it felt good. Feels good. You feel good, Cloud.”

Her hips pressed against his, desperately seeking friction and contact. Between her legs, she felt the line of his cock against her thigh. A shuddering heat rippled through her, and she rolled her body against his for the exquisite pleasure of feeling his desire.

She made quick work of his pauldron, unsnapping it from his suspenders.

It clanked to the ground. He shoved it further aside and then returned his hands to her. One hand pressed against the small of her back, urging her to move against him again. His other hand pressed between them and brushed against her belly. His fingers danced against her, making her gasp and then laugh. He tugged loose the tie around her stomach, and then his fingers lifted to the buttons.

He paused, drawing back. “This okay?”

Aerith brushed her nose alongside his. “Remember when I said there isn’t anyone in these houses?”

He watched her with wide eyes. When he spoke, he was breathless. “Yeah. I do.”

“Remember how I said no one will get mad if we make noise?”

He nodded, his fingers fiddling with the button between her breasts. Each little motion rubbed his knuckles against her skin, and the teasing promise of touch through fabric made her ache.

“Make me scream for you, Cloud.”

The button popped off. He jerked her hard against him, fitting her hips to his. Their mouths crashed together, their kisses hard and fast and good, yes, so good. She moaned against his mouth as her fingers raked down his chest and yanked at his shirt.

He shimmied, letting his suspenders fall over his shoulders, and then grabbed the back of his shirt. He pulled it over his head in a fluid motion, setting it beside them, and then he wrapped his arms around her and rolled her to her back beneath him.

She gasped, laying panting on his shirt as he dropped his mouth to her chest. Hungry, sucking kisses danced down her chest. His tongue traced the edge of her dress.

“Yes,” she breathed, arching her back for him.

She caught the heel of one boot with the toe of the other, kicking first one and then the other off her feet and out of their way.

In the mad rush to lose their clothes, she yanked open his pants, and he rucked her skirt up to her hips. He left her dress buttoned, sitting back on his heels to take in the sight of her.

The weight of his gaze made her burn. He devoured her with hungry eyes, sweeping his hands up the inside of her legs.

He bent, brushing his nose against her cunt through her panties, and Aerith gasped.

“Kiss me.” Her fingers combed through his hair, her legs falling wide to accommodate the delicious breadth of his shoulders.

She urged him closer, and his lips pressed against her.

A broken moan fell from her lips.

He tugged her panties to the side, revealing her cunt. The heat of his breath washed over her like a warm wave, leaving her delirious for more. She didn’t tug him closer, though; she let him take his time. Let him study her.

“Do you like what you see?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he breathed, and she shivered beneath him. “Like when you move like that.” He shifted closer, and his lips brushed against her slick flesh.

She moaned his name for him as fire swirled through her—and then she cried out for him as he ran his tongue up the length of her.

If he’d never done this before, it didn’t show. He tasted her with long, deliberate strokes that had her aching. And when she sank too easily into those motions, her hips rolling with each drag of his tongue, he slid two fingers inside her and ran the tip of his tongue around her clit.

No, he’d definitely done this before.

She was so grateful to whomever had come before her as Cloud’s fingers curled inside her. He started an even pace, testing to find out what she liked, and then moved faster to keep time with the rolling of her hips and the aching cries that spilled out of her.

Her fingers clenched and tugged in his hair. She arched her hips against his mouth and keened for him. Decadent tension built between her legs, a slowly increasing burn that spread through her entire body. She could float in this forever, she thought, opening her eyes to stare blankly at the wash of rainbow color no the ceiling. She could lay on the dusty floor and let Cloud fuck her with his tongue until she expired from the lingering pleasure of it.

But he didn’t give her eternity. He pressed her, he pushed her. His tongue flicked against her clit as his fingers worked inside her, and he cajoled her deeper into the consuming flames of pleasure.

She came with sobbing cry, her back arching off the floor. Her toes curled, her legs wrapping almost violently around his sides as she clutched him against her and her cunt clenched around him.

Her breath stuttered and shuddered along with her body. Sweet ecstasy prickled her skin and clouded her vision.

“Kiss me,” she begged him, her hands pressing against his shoulders to urge him up.

Cloud slipped up her body. Curving his fingers around the back of her neck, he lifted her into a kiss that tasted sharp and tart and sweet. She licked herself off his lips as she pushed her fingers into his pants to stroke the length of his cock.

He broke away to groan her name. The arm bracing his body above hers trembled.

“If you keep that up…”

She smiled at him. “Will you fall on top of me?” She squeezed his cock, and he swore. “Let me ride you, then.”

Cloud didn’t hesitate. He rolled to his back, bringing her with him. She heard the thunk of his boots hitting the ground as she pushed his pants down his hips. His hands joined hers, and then his feet dragged his pants lower.

She settled astride him. A roll of her hips caught his cock between the lips of her cunt, and Cloud made the kind of sound that nearly killed her. She adored that sound on a man’s lips.

“You’re killing me,” he groaned.

Aerith moaned, too, head falling to the side. “The best kind of death. Good thing you have tufts of phoenix down.” But items didn’t save a man from the kind of death that came with sex.

She rocked her hips against him, dragging her cunt along his length. With every roll of her hips, she rubbed her clit over him. The pleasure of it made her shudder—made him shudder. She let him soak in it as she did, working herself against him so she could burn as hot and bright as she had when he’d had his fingers in her and his mouth on her.

His hands swept up her hips. He plucked at the buttons of her dress, opening the front of it so he could fill his hands with her breasts.

She gasped, her hips moving sharply against him as her cunt clenched on nothing. Rough calluses against her skin. Delicious texture. Her nipples hardened under his touch, and with a glance at her face, he closed his fingers around the little nubs.

An aching moan spilled out of her as he pinched her nipples. A louder one filled the air when he released one nipple, surging up to close his mouth around abused flesh.

Wet heat seared her. Need blazed inside her.

She reached beneath her skirt, catching his cock in her fingers. As he sucked her nipple hard, she sank down on him, and the burning stretch of it was good, so good. She pressed her cheek against the top of his head, gripping his shoulders hard enough to bruise.

His hands stayed gentle on her hips. A light pressure showed her how he wanted her to move, and she rocked against him to the rhythm he so sweetly asked for.

The hot brand of his cock rubbed against already sensitive flesh. She groaned again, almost whimpering when he released her nipple and tipped his head back to look at her.

Sky blue eyes met hers. She fell into them, fell into the sky as he moved inside her. Wind rushed through her hair. She soared on the front of the thunderstorm as it crashed furiously over the city. The storm screamed in the face of Shinra’s hubris, and she screamed with it as Cloud’s fingers slipped beneath her dress to dance over her clit.

She came at least twice for him, her cries sounding with the thunder as he clutched her to him. And when she shuddered against him the last time, he rolled her to her back so he could fuck her the way he needed to.

A few hard thrusts left him shaking over her. His fingers slid into her hair, and he kissed her rough and hard as he spilled inside her.

They lay there for a long time.

Slowly, she began to hear the sound of runoff on the roof. Gradually, she felt the warmth of sex recede for the chill of the storm.

She smiled faintly. “Good thing there aren’t any neighbors to bother.”

Cloud huffed out a chuckle. “Not sure I’d care if there were.”

No, she wouldn’t have cared either.

Hearts were foolish things, but it felt good to feel cherished again. The neighbors could go to hell for all she cared.

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Kawaii Box Nov 18

So far nothing from Blippo, but it’s only been like... 3-4 days since I got the email from them, I assumed if anything it’d at least be a week, maybe two at the most. But again no tracking so I can’t be positive.

I can’t wait!

This months Japanese word: Shichimencho - Turkey

Gudetama Chocolate Bar

If you’ve been a reader of this blog then you might recognize the candy bar image on the wrapper. That’s right. It’s this again. I swear every few boxes we’re getting one. 

But for anyone new or who are unfamiliar with this, this candy bar has a textured outside, sorta giving it a log design. On the inside is wafer, usually with a very thin layer of cream. They either come in chocolate or white chocolate, and features tons of various wrapper options; I usually just see Sanrio, but I’ve also seen Disney ones and on the Blippo website they have a Detective Conan one right now for $1.90.

Rating: ♥ ♥

It tastes pretty good, and that’s coming from someone who isn’t the strongest fan of white chocolate. I prefer dark or strawberry, but regular chocolate is always good too.

It makes me think of an imitation kit-kat bar, which isn’t bad at all. But I really wish they would give us something else.  

Sakura Desk Calendar

Our next item is a very useful one for writing down appointments and keeping schedule of important dates- next to a planner that is. This is a cute little fold-able, standing calendar featuring a water color sakura theme.

And kitties of course.

It also features a side for writing down important notes or events/appointments. Available on the blippo website or $3.90.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I really love the colors and designs, they’re so gentle and pretty to look at~ Calendars are useful and all- but in all honesty I can’t even put mine on the calendar. Not only because Peach (my cat) would knock it down, but because I can’t get these ones with the folding bottom to sit. At all. I don’t know why, but they don’t work for me.

But on the plus side it’s small enough that I could keep it next to my bed in my stand, or I could put it in my bigger purses.

Sanrio Characters Sakura Plushie

A super cute Sanrio buddy to match our adorable new calendar. Each has a pretty pink pastel color scheme and cute little sakura on them. This line features My Melody, PompomPurin, Hello Kitty, and Cinnamoroll, and each one costs $4.90. These types of plush are similar to Tsum-Tsum, which means they can be stacked. Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ No, it doesn’t go with Thanksgiving like at all, but it’s so cute! I love the detail of the little flowers, which are very pretty to look at. The plush quality is also really nice, and she’s very soft~ 

Sushi Pen

Okay, still not thanksgiving- but at least this item is a food, which counts for something right?

Each pen costs $3.90, and there are 6 variations; salmon, egg sushi, riceball, rice in leaf, fried shrimp, and shrimp on rice. The topper is a rubbery plastic.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The pen is fine-tipped and it works very well. But the ink takes a while to dry so it isn’t a good option unless you plan to leave your book or paper out to avoid smears. I also discovered that the topper doesn’t stay on like you think it would. When you put the cap on the “pen butt“ it falls off semi-easily. 

Thankful Memo-It Notes & Molang Eraser

Our next item are these cute Memo notes themed after 3 different girls, and oddly a polar bear. Each set is $1.80, and they have 30 notes in total.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I think it’s a cute idea, you never really see memo notes like this here. I like how you can write on her top, and if you’re really bored you could “design“ her a new one.

What bugs me is that it feels like lately they’re always giving us memo notes, and I have them practically coming out of my ears now; but at least I have a variety to suit the mood or theme.

Going with the stationery theme, our following item is a set of adorable Molang erasers. The set costs $1.90 on Blippo.com- and to get it out the way now, no they aren’t scented. They stink like eraser. 

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The quality is pretty much like any other eraser, pretty good. They look so cute together, I can’t bare the idea of actually using them though~

Pastel Animals Coin Purse

Next up is this cute pleather (imitation leather) coin purse that features an adorable animal on a soft pastel background. Each costs $2.90, and besides this sheep, there is also a pink bunny, a light blue squirrel (which oddly says “forest” despite being surrounded by cactus), and a mint one with dancing kitties.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

For a coin purse this is perfect. It has a nice clasp to keep it shut, and the inside is really soft, but I feel like it could collect dirt easily. As much as I don’t like yellow, I still think it’s pretty cute. It’s small enough to sit in a variety of locations and not get in the way.

I will note that there is an issue with the fabric, as you might be able to see in the pic; it’s like the material is deformed. I didn’t use this yet and it hasn’t been out of packaging or the box since I took the picture. I’m not really sure what caused it, and nothing seems to fix it. 

San-X Corocoro Coronya Stickers & Kawaii Neko Letter Set

For $2.50, this is a sheet of Corocoro Coronya stickers featuring Coronya and his friends, and pretty gold line details. The sheet includes 70 stickers in total, and their smaller size makes them puurfect for dressing up plain items~

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

They’re so cute~ These would be perfect for resin projects if I was still doing them. When stickers include gold or glittery detail, I sometimes worry the sheet will end up being a mess (like the jinbeisan stickers I got a while back...). But this one is great! There are a few gold lined spots that are messy, but I would still give it an 8 or 9 out of 10.

Next is this cat letter set from the brand TreeinArt, a stationery and gift shop. There are 3 envelopes and 6 pages. I couldn’t find the exact one on Blippo.com, but I did see a unicorn set that looks like it for $2.90, so I’m going to assume that was what this one is too.

Both the paper and envelopes have a kitty design.

Rating: ♥ ♥

It’s very simple, but kind of cute still. But I kind of wish there was more to it than this this. Like I think it would have been cute if they had included a pencil and eraser (or an eraser on a pencil), or maybe a little sticker sheet to decorate it a bit more. I don’t know, to me it feels like it needs something...

Marumofubiyori Plush Pouch and Coin Purse

Our final item is this adorable Marumofubiyori pouch/coin purse. Available for $5.90, there are 4 different poses available, each one cuter than the last~

The inside of the pouch has a very soft mesh-like cloth in it, so it feels really nice to touch. The tag also includes little details on Marumofubiyori and his friends.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

With how many Marumobubiyori items that have been popping up lately in these boxes, I’ve quickly become a fan x3 they’re so precious. The quality on the pouch/purse is well done, although they used a slightly transparent white fabric (you can see the spots of his blanket through him). The applied blush is also an adorable touch~

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - ♥ ♥ ♥ Honestly I wasn’t feeling this box too much. I like a couple of the items, but it’s overall stationery theme was kind of bugging me. I love getting new pens and erasers, but did we really need all of the stationery basics in a single box? 

Price -  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  Some of the items I was a bit surprised over how pricey they were. But I’ve seen worse so it’s not too bad, and in total this box costed $32.50- and remember, the box itself only costs 17-19 dollars. So yeah, I’d say they were spoiling us with this one.

Theme - ♥ Nothing actually fit thanksgiving, like at all. A couple of items had Thanksgiving descriptions in them- but I felt like it was forced, and I’m sure there are ways they could have achieved something that felt like the holiday besides the cover art. 

Total Rank: 4 out of 10 Cuties. This box felt completely underwhelming to me. It wasn’t bad and I’m probably being too critical, but compared to this one I felt like last months box was way better. I don’t have a problem with stationery, but I know for a fact they do have some food items that would have been perfect for a Thanksgiving box.

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

1. Sanrio Sakura Plush - I love love love love pink, and I love love love flowers! This is a perfect item for me ♥

2. Pastel Animals Coin Purse - As much as I dislike yellow I ended up really liking this purse a lot more than I thought I would. I really like pastels though so I think that plays a part in it. The sheep on mne is also just really cute.

3. Coronya Stickers - Looking at these just makes me want to sink my teeth into some delicious coronet~

4. Marumofubiyori Pouch - I kind of wish I got it in one of the other poses, but this one is still really kawaii~ I also like how soft the pouch is. I definitely want to start using this one.

5. Sushi Ink Pen - I really wish I would have gotten the rice ball one, but it’s still pretty cute. I love sushi, so sushi-themed items are automatically awesome in my books. Although looking at it too long is liable to make me hungry~

6. Memo Notes - The little girl design is pretty cute. 

7. Molang Erasers - As cute as they are, the poses are generic. Plus I was an avid eraser collector as a child, I know I can’t use these. I’d hate to ruin them.

8. Sakura Calendar - I love how pretty it looks, but the folding flap on the bottom is kind of annoying. I don’t understand why they don’t work for me >3<

9. Gudetama Chocolate Bar -  The package is pretty cute, but I’m tired of these.

10. Neko Letter Set - The images are cute but I really don’t see myself using it anytime soon.

[iwillphysicallyfiteyou]

Looking Past Star Eyes - Chapter One - Capricorn

Capricorn: one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. People who are born approximately between the 22nd of December and the 19th of January come under this sign.

Doyle opens the heavy door for me, and we enter Edison High School.

I dreadfully look at all of the students. Freshmen are wearing new overpriced clothes while talking way too loud against the red lockers. Herds of sophomores are walking down the hallways while listening to their music with headphones. Most of the juniors and seniors aren’t here yet.

“Why are we here early again?” I ask Doyle.

“Because I have no idea where the new AP English classroom is,” Doyle explains.

We walk down the hallway, and a couple of freshmen ask for directions to classes.

“124...125… Yes, 126!” Doyle says as he finds where his classroom is.

“Hey,” an incredibly short freshman greets as she walks up to me, “sorry for interrupting you, but do you know where Mr. Baker’s room is?”

“Get lost,” Doyle snarls at her.

“Sorry,” she apologizes before scurrying away.

“Dude, what was that?” I cross my arms.

“She was annoying.”

“She was lost.”

Doyle rolls his eyes before muttering a quiet, “whatever.”

I lean against the lockers and take my phone out of my pocket and check my messages. No one has texted me since the last time I checked them, which was approximately five minutes ago.

“Who are you talking to?” Doyle asks as he leans against the locker next to me.

“No one, sadly.”

“Mr. popular doesn’t have any new messages?”

“Says you, people actually have your number,” I retort, a small smirk on my face.

“Yeah, yeah,” Doyle tries to hide a smile by covering his mouth with his hand.

Doyle sits down on the ground and takes out his laptop. I just noticed his long-sleeved yellow shirt matches his yellow converse.

“Hey, Star Eyes,” a deep voice says as a hand with a strong grip grasps my shoulder.

The owner of the hand is Roman. Even though Roman and I talk quite a bit during school the only things I know about him is that he plays basketball, he really likes the color red, and he loves talking to everyone. Oh, and one time during the annual camping trip in middle school he wet the bed.

“Star Eyes?” I question as Roman takes his hand off of my shoulder.

“Yeah, you like stars and you have really vibrant eyes,” Roman explains.

“Creative.”

Roman grins. He must have been outside a lot over the summer. His normally light peach skin is now a deep golden tan.

Doyle suddenly puts his laptop away and stand up from the ground.

“Come on, it’s not a bad nickname,” Roman defends with a smile on his face.

“Do you need something?” Doyle asks, attitude thick within his voice.

Roman’s raises his eyebrows, before quickly switching his face back to his neutral expression.

“Sorry for wanting to talk,” Roman apologizes before walking away.

“Dude,” I sigh.

“He’s annoying.”

“He’s just outgoing. What’s wrong with that?”

Doyle rolls his eyes.

“Don’t you think it’s weird that someone that popular is talking to someone that only has one friend?”

I clench my jaw and furrow my brows.

“What are you implying?”

Doyle ignores me and starts walking down the hallway.

We go to my locker, which is only one hallway down from where we were standing. I grab my astronomy textbook and am immediately shoved into the lockers. My textbook is thrown onto the hard hallway floor.

“I’m so sorry,” a high-pitched voice squeals.

The culprit of the shove, Patton, scurries off of the ground. He picks up my textbook and gestures it towards me.

He has always worn sweatpants and graphic tees, however, today he’s wearing a white button up with a pattern of black cat doodles. On top of the button up is a classic light blue denim jacket. His grey sweatpants have been replaced with black skinny jeans that aren’t too tight.

“It’s alright, no need to worry,” I say as I gently take my book from him.

I put the textbook into my locker and grab my schedule out of my book bag.

“Ooh,” Patton snatches my schedule from my hands, “let’s see… We have World Literature and Statistics together.”

It’s kind of weird he’s so excited that we have classes together when we never talk. Although let’s be honest, he’s probably just being nice. Or he’s trying to make me forget the fact he just barreled me into a locker. Or both.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun. I’m excited.”

“Hey Logan,” Doyle says.

Oh no.

“There’s this cute new cheerleader, Gia.” Doyle stands between Patton and me.

“Oh?” He’s not one to get crushes.

Patton awkwardly waves his hand goodbye before walking away.

“Yeah, her hair goes down to her waist,” Doyle explains with too many awkward hand gestures.

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask as I glance at where my first class is.

“So you know how hot she is,” Doyle scoffs as he puts his hands on his hips and pops one leg out.

“Does her hair being long make her hot?”

“God, you are so clueless,” Doyle chuckles.

Logan playfully rolls his eyes.

I guess Doyle’s out of his little funk now, thank goodness.

Ring!

Shoot, the warning bell. How is it already 7:55?

“See you later,” Doyle says before rushing down the hallway.

I scramble to put my schedule back into my bag before darting up the stairs to class.

I sit down in the table that’s perfectly in the middle as Mrs. Markle says, “don’t get too comfortable everyone, I’m going to pick your seats.”

Quite a bit of students groan.

I check my phone again, no notifications. Surprise, surprise.

I put my phone back into my pocket and lean back into the hard blue chair.

There’s only juniors and seniors in this class. Mostly everyone is wearing their nicest clothes. Like every year, in a couple of days, everyone’s going to go back to wearing sweatpants and hoodies.

Ring!

“Alright,” Mrs. Markle gets everyone’s attention, “everyone go stand up and go by the board.”

The class trudges towards the board. The smell of body odor, axe, and perfume is overwhelming.

Mrs. Markle tells everyone where they’re sitting. Finally, she gets to the back corner table.

“Virgil and Logan, you’ll be sitting over there.”

No, no, no, no.

I trudge over to the table, and Virgil sits next to me.

I look out of the window next to me. The downpour from only half an hour again is now a light drizzle. The sidewalks and the playground are completely bare, and there are muddy puddles drowning the cement. The middle school building is only across the parking lot. The red brick building is full of fun, youth, and innocence. This building, however, is full of weird hipsters who think that because they can memorize a couple of facts they’re going to get into Harvard.

Maybe I’m being too hard on the people here. Okay, I definitely am, but it doesn’t change the fact that I really don’t want to be here.

In front of the class is two students that are known as the bad kids. They’re known for smoking way to much weed and beating people up every other day. They’re barely out of juvie enough to get a real education. Although they are seniors so if they keep up what they’re doing then they’ll be in big boy prison where Mommy and Daddy can’t just bail them out.

Other than those two, Hudson is a really good neighborhood. There are houses lined up on every block, besides the east side of Hudson, which has a ton of restaurants, stores, businesses, and a couple of factories.

A sheet is placed in front of me. God dammit, I zoned out again.

Mrs. Markle explains what this class is as I read the sheet.

Astronomy Permission Slip.

“Why do we need our parents' permission for Astronomy?” A student interprets Mrs. Markle’s explanation.

“School policy,” Mrs. Markle mumbles.

I sign my name on the students' signature line.

I read Virgil’s signature and ask, “your last name is Barsotti? Are you related to Valerie Barsotti?”

“Yeah, she’s my sister,” he says with a soft-spoken almost whisper.

I didn’t know Valerie had siblings.

Mrs. Markles continues to answer some questions as I glance through the rules. I can only be absent three times a quarter? Has whoever wrote these rules ever been sick before? What if I get the flu? Or need surgery? Okay, surgery is probably excused.

I read some more.

Why are we not allowed to go to the bathroom during class? I can’t control my urine, no one can control their urine. Why am I so upset over urine?

I tighten my dark grey jacket around me. Why are high schools so damn cold?

Virgil’s black sweatshirt with a black denim jacket over it looks really warm. Lucky.

I can’t believe I have to sit next to Virgil. Nothing says exciting senior year like having to spend every morning sitting next to this weird asocial emo. I really need to be less negative. I should at least give him a chance, he can’t be that bad. I mean, so far he has been really nice.

Virgil’s head turns towards mine. Oops, I’ve been staring.

“Woah,” Virgil says as his eyes meet mine.

“Yeah?”

“Your eyes are… intense.”

“Um, thank you? I think?”

Virgil whips his head forward so he is no longer facing me.

“Today we are going to be doing ice breakers. I want everyone to share your name, grade, what clubs you’re in, and what sport you're in if any,” Mrs. Markle explains, “let’s start with Gia.”

“Hi, I’m Gia,” she giggles, “I’m a junior, I’m in student council, and I’m a cheerleader.”

So that’s Gia. Her blonde hair is tied up in a high ponytail and is even longer than I expected. She’s really small, height and weight wise. She’s wearing a plain red hoodie with black leggings. She’s sitting next to another girl that looks almost exactly like her. Although to be fair, quite a bit of people at this school look exactly like her.

I take my phone out and put my binder in front of it so Mrs. Markle can’t see it.

I text Doyle to complain about how boring ice breakers are. He responds almost immediately.

Doyle: You’ll live.

Me: Will I though?

I place my phone back into my pocket and rest my head onto my hand. There are space posters all around the dull white walls, with fairy lights surrounding them. There are planet models that are about the size of basketballs hanging from the ceiling. The fluorescent lights make Virgil’s plum purple hair look more like a blue-violet.

Mrs. Markle definitely likes Pinterest. Although, who doesn’t?

Virgil lightly elbows me in the side.

“Hmm?”

“It’s your turn,” he whispers.

“Oh,” I face the impatient gaze of my peers, “my name is Logan, I’m a senior, and I’m in the astronomy club.”

“I’m Virgil, I’m a junior, and I’m in yearbook and photography club,” Virgil mumbles.

“Alright, that’s everyone. I guess I’ll tell you all about me then. I’m Mrs. Markle, this is my eighth year teaching at Edison. I’m in charge of the Astronomy club, and I have five kids.”

I’ve had Mrs. Markle every year, and she uses the same introduction every single time. Having five kids isn’t a personality trait, but whatever.

“Let’s go over the syllabus,” Mrs. Markle says as she turns on the SMART board.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I swiftly take my phone out.

Doyle: I have no idea how I got into AP English, I have no idea what I’m doing.

Me: You’re a good writer, you’ll be fine.

“Everyone get out your notebooks, I want you taking notes,” Mrs. Markle announces.

We all do as we’re told.

“In this class we’re going to learn about the Big Bang, the discovery of the galaxy, the age and origin of the Solar System, methods of observational astronomy, the sun, planets of the solar system, the Earth in space, the search of extrasolar planets, modern views of Mars, and an overview of the universe.”

Virgil starts sketching in his notebook.

I play with the polaroid that is badly glued onto the front of my binder. The picture is of Doyle and me at age eleven years old at Valerie’s birthday party. She always invites the entire grade to her school, even the new kids she doesn’t know. That party is when Doyle and I first talked to each other, and we were immediately friends. Seven years later and we’re still best friends.

Wait, if Valerie and Virgil are siblings then why is he never at her birthday parties?

I turn to ask Virgil, but as I get a glimpse of his resting frown I decide against it. You never know what is a touchy subject, and I’m not curious enough to risk it, especially with someone I basically just met.

“Fifty percent of your grade will be short quizzes that are at the end of each chapter.”

Thank God, short quizzes are my strong point when it comes to academics.

“I am really bad at short quizzes,” Virgil mumbles.

Well, at least one of us will be passing this class.

“Thirty percent of your grade will be short weekly assignments.”

Virgil’s random pencil scratches are starting to look like the outline of some kind of bird.

“Twenty percent of your grade will be participation points.”

“Welp, I’m gonna lose twenty percent then,” Virgil mumbles to himself.

This is the most I have ever heard Virgil talk. Mr. Shy-Wallflower isn’t so shy, huh? Maybe it was a phase that he grew out of. Or maybe it’s because this is the first time I’ve been next to Virgil by himself. Well, as alone you can get while sitting in a full classroom.

Virgil puts his pencil down next to his notebook. In his notebook is a surprisingly good sketch of a dragon.

Mrs. Markle continues to drone on and on about the syllabus as I scroll through Twitter.

“Hey, Logan?” Virgil whispers as he plays with the frayed hems of his sleeves.

“Yeah?”

“Why do you hate me?”

[moyochu]

get to know me tag

i was tagged by @gukhopes  love u neha !!!!!

RULES: answer the questions and tag 15-20 followers you would like to get to know better.

NAME - una

NICKNAME - ,,,,, una is my nickname lmao

ZODIAC SIGN  - libra!!! ♡♡♡

HEIGHT - 5’4 & 1/2... tHE HALF IS IMPORTANT

LANGUAGES SPOKEN - english, arabic, & i’m in my third year of learning french! 

NATIONALITY - yemeni american

ORIENTATION - straight

FAVOURITE FRUIT - strawberries, watermelon, cherries

COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE - none of them lmao,,,, i don’t like hot drinks and i hate coffee and tea

FAVOURITE SEASONS - fall!!

FAVOURITE FLOWER(s) - sunflowers, azaleas, hydrangeas

FAVOURITE SCENTS - vanilla, cheese smells (jjnfjsd is that weird?), food smells basically ; i’m a foodie 

FAVOURITE COLOURS - maroon, dark reds, dusty rose, light pinks, dark pinks, yellows!!!!, sunset colors,,,,,

FAVOURITE ANIMALS - cats, pandas

AVERAGE HOUR OF SLEEP - really depends. can range from 6-10 hours

DOG OR CAT PERSON - cats!! dogs are cute but i’m deathly afraid ;-;

FAVOURITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER - muLAN (IF THEY MESS UP THAT LIVE ACTION EVEN MORE THAN THEY ALREADY HAVE IM THROWING ALL OF MY HANDS), zuko from atla (don’t sleep on my man), okoyi (a badass) and shuri (a queen) from black panther, gordon ramsay bc there’s no way that man is fucjing real

NUMBER OF BLANKETS YOU SLEEP WITH - one, no sheets, i get hot fast

DREAM TRIP - spain, japan, south korea, singapore, anywhere get me out of here

BLOG ESTABLISHED - march 2nd, 2018! 

FOLLOWER COUNT - just reached 600 today :,))) i love love love and appreciate and support and did i say love? u all kjjksdjdsk

RANDOM FACT(s) - 

1) i’m 16 as a senior in high school 

2) i can’t whistle

3) i’m not scared of heights but i’m scared of moving heights (like rollercoasters-- frick them i tried going on one a year ago to rid myself of the fear but the death trap almost took my hijab and then my life too tf sjnfsjfn never again)

4) beyoncé is my mom and rihanna is my sis

5) i am a hijabi (i hide snacks in my scarf)

6) i love stickers and stationery,,, my laptop is filled to the brim with stickers, front, in between, and on the back

7) i’ve been told i’m a shy extrovert?? as in i like doing “extroverted things” and when i’m in a group full of introverts i’m instantly the loud and out going one but if i’m in a group full of other extroverts, they usually overpower me bc i think i’m not that funny or ppl won’t take me seriously,,,,,

8) i’ve made five teachers in my life cry, thus far,,,, (bc of personal narratives i wrote jdfnjsfnsjfnsj) my ap lang teacher started crying when he read the FIRST line of my poem and i didn’t know what to do i was so embarrassed jfbjfs (he gave me 5 extra credit points ; he was a great dude)

9) i like writing poems, personal narratives, speeches, stuff like that. example a being the fact above & homegirl got a lot to say bc it’s a tough life out here when u aren’t white and a male #yikes (unpopular opinion ?? nah, just facts)

10) i really don’t have that many irl friends bc ppl don’t like me hahaha but i feel happy here so im ok

anyways !!! imma tag some new mutuals and ppl i’d love to get to know better or ppl i love in general just so u know i appreciate u

@guksheart @maknaelne @napmon @cyphergguk @yvesaintae @awjiminie @frecklesjimin @raplinesgf @juntenth @kooksphoria @bloomyg @guksdimple @gukx @taescult @tearhobi @kthtears @jungcock @gjft

[amandajoyce118]

Cloak and Dagger Episodes 1-4 Easter Eggs and References

Okay, I promised Easter eggs and references for the episodes, so here they are. I pitched a few Cloak and Dagger related articles for Screen Rant, but the show hasn’t been garnering enough attention for the site to cover it. Moral of this story: if you want to see content about shows you like, and you want writers to get paid for covering shows you like, you have to actually read about the shows you like.

Easter eggs will go up after the new episodes on Thursdays nights. And, obviously, spoilers for the episodes follow.

Series Premiere “First Light” and “Suicide Sprints”

The Marvel Flip

The Marvel Flip that plays comic book art at the opening of every MCU project is pretty standard. Most of the same “whoosh,” “Fooom,” and outlines are used in all of them. But there’s usually a change depending on the project. The flip for Cloak and Dagger has Daggers light knives appear for a split second. I’m sure there’s something related to Cloak as well.

Ballet

Ballet was a big part of Tandy’s life as a little girl in the comics too. In fact, her original white leotard costume was inspired by ones worn during rehearsals. I love that it’s still so much a part of her that she wears ballet slippers as a teenager too.

Mom’s Back Problem

Mom’s drug use is not a result of the things that happen to her and Tandy after Dad dies. Her “back problem” is code for her taking lots of pain pills. Tandy’s mom was already in trouble long before they lost their money and security.

On The Bridge

Tandy’s dad on the phone discussing complete structural collapse and energy dispersion with someone we don’t know? That’s, uh, not so subtle foreshadowing of the “oil rig” that explodes moments later. I’d bet money that the structural issues aren’t a result of them drilling for oil though.

Tandy’s dad being the guy warning the higher-ups, and not being listened to, is also a nod to the levees breaking when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the BP rig in the gulf having structural issues that no one ever took care of. The show is shot in New Orleans, and there are a lot of nods to the history throughout the series.

Billy

In the comics, Billy isn’t Ty’s brother. Instead, he’s Ty’s best friend, whom he also witnesses get shot. The effect on Ty is pretty much the same. (He does have a sister in one of the series, but she’s never given a name or anything.)

Roxxon

It’s no coincidence that the truck that runs Tandy and her father off the road belongs to Roxxon. Or that the oil rig belongs to Roxxon, as we find out later. Both Tandy’s father and Ty’s mother work for the company. It’s also pretty evident that whatever was in the truck is what gave Tandy and Ty their abilities as that’s the first manifestation of their powers (right after the shockwave through the water). That’s not how they get them in the comics - instead they’re kidnapped and experimented on. This is better. It would be interesting to see if there’s anyone else in the area that also ended up with abilities. Just saying.

Number 11

Ty’s jersey is #11. That might be a coincidence, but I thought it was cute because, while they were introduced in Spider-Man books and got a four issue mini series after, their first “real” series only lasted 11 issues. After that, they and Doctor Strange were given short stories in a revival of Strange Tales.

St. Sebastian’s

Not a Marvel reference, but I like that the school is named for Saint Sebastian, who had to be killed multiple times because people kept saving him. He supposedly offers protections against plagues and he’s the patron saint of athletes, which fits for a school where basketball is hugely important.

Glowsticks

The club where Tandy finds her rich kid victims? It has glowsticks that look a lot like her light daggers.

Tandy using the knife as a screwdriver later also reminded me that she’s the one with “daggers.”

The Crick-Hits

This band appears on Tandy’s shirt when she goes to the party in the woods and meets Tyrone. They’re an obscure band in Marvel Comics that were meant to be a nod to the Beatles. (I’ll admit that I never would have spotted this if the showrunner hadn’t talked about it in an interview. Apparently, the band will have more nods on the show too.)

Tandy’s Name

There really was a computer named Tandy. In fact, there was a whole company of them. Tandy Corporation started out as a leather company in Texas before diversifying. They owned the now defunct RadioShack.

Tandy the Pickpocket

Her being good with her hands reminds me of the early Skye days on Agents of SHIELD. Skye distracting Mike Peterson with a three card monte of sugar packets while she swipes his ID, anyone?

But really, this moment plays to the role reversal in the show. Tandy picks Ty’s pocket at the party, but in the comics, after they’ve both already run away from home, it’s Ty who thinks about stealing Tandy’s purse when they first cross paths. Ultimately, he decides not to, someone else does, and he ends up getting her purse back for her. The show does a nice twist on their first meeting.

In the comics, Tandy runs away from her privileged life because her mom doesn’t have time for her (among other things) and ends up an addict. Ty runs away from home because the police think he robbed a store, when really, he saw his friend get shot. Ty doesn’t come from a wealthy background in the comics like he does in the show, and it’s a nice change.

The Black Sheet

Ty finds himself teleporting in only a black sheet. Looks kind of like a cloak, no? I mean, I figure this one’s obvious, but I thought it was a nice touch. (Sidenote for those wondering about his powers: in the comics, he actually accesses his power through the Dark Dimension, which is wear Darkforce comes from. We’ve already seen Darkforce AKA Zero Matter in action on Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter. The latter, conveniently, was wear a subsidiary of Roxxon tried to experiment with it and opened a doorway to another dimension. Who’s sensing a connection?)

“I’m afraid even if you do everything perfectly, I’m going to lose you.”

Valid concern for a woman with a black teenage son in America. It had to be said.

Tandy And The Hoodie

In case it’s not clear, Tandy is more sentimental than she lets on. Her favorite hoodie is the one Ty took from his brother and rescued her in. She kept it just like she kept her old ballet bag. Aw.

Emma Lahana

In case anyone is wondering, that detective used to be a Power Ranger. She was the Yellow Ranger in Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. You’re welcome.

The detective, who doesn’t get a lot of lines until the next couple episodes, is named Brigid O’Reilly. In the comics, she’s also a cop that initially goes after Cloak and Dagger, but she also becomes a vigilante herself. Her name is Mayhem.

The Tarp

I love that once he teleports with it, Tyrone decides to test to see if he can use it again. It really looks like a cloak when he wraps himself in it. I also like that he tries it again a few times with other black tarps/fabrics. He’s learning.

Father Delgado

The priest that Tyrone spends so much time with also gave Cloak and Dagger a hand in the comics. He gave them a place to stay when they had nowhere else to go. He also defended them when police came looking for him. Father Delgado traditionally has a church in Hell’s Kitchen in the comics and he’s also hosted the New Mutants and Spider-Man. As the story goes on though, he becomes convinced that Cloak s a demon and that he has to save Dagger from him. He also actually becomes possessed by a demon and tries to kill Dagger, soooo… he should be fun.

“The cumberbatch too.”

It’s okay that he didn’t know it was called a cummerbund. It’s funnier because Cumberbatch is the actor playing Doctor Strange. Whom Cloak and Dagger shared issues of Strange Tales with. It’s fitting. And purposeful. The showrunner confirmed it on twitter.

“We fail. You still profit. Ain’t that America?”

Social commentary at its finest. And true. Which is a little depressing.

Pill Bottles and Gravestones

The showrunner said that pill bottles and gravestones might include names that are Easter eggs, but I didn’t get a good look at any of them, so help a girl out if you did!

S1E03 “Stained Glass”

Tyrone Thinks He’s Cursed

In the comics, there were a lot of people who thought he was cursed. As it turned out, there was a demon in the Dark Dimension that he was connected to. It was that demon that actually “fed” on energy and light, and was part of the reason Tyrone loved being around Tandy when using their abilities.

Damballah Voodoo Tours

Voodoo Tours (and other tours involving historic sites) are a real thing in New Orleans. Damballah though is a being that appears in Marvel comics. Sometimes portrayed as a god, sometimes as a demon, Damballah looks like a snake. He’s appeared in a few obscure issues and was banished by Scarlet Witch.

For anyone who wants even more trivia, Gerry Conway is credited with creating Damballah. Conway also created Punisher, Vrellnexians (you know, the roaches in space on Agents of SHIELD), and made the decision to kill off Gwen Stacy.

The Dolls On The Mantle

During the show livetweet, it was mentioned that fans should pay attention to the detail in the dolls on the mantle. All I’ve got is that they all appear in pairs. Tyrone has been added to the mantle, but Tandy hasn’t yet.

“You have to try something else.”

Look, there is sooooo much symbolism going on in their visions, and I think you can dissect them a million different ways to interpret them the way you see fit. Some of my personal favorites though are Tyrone appearing with what looks like old school plantation wear and dining spread in the middle of the bayou in Tandy’s vision, only to repeatedly end up in modern street clothes when he’s targeted by the cops, while Tandy giving up her dagger for him and adding it to the table gives him a new path. I also love that Tyrone’s vision of Tandy shows that she knows that the more she struggles, the more she gets caught in metaphorical quicksand, and it’s not until he uses his own power on her that she attempts to try something else. Tyrone has the pressure of so many people investing in his future. Tandy has the guilt of bringing Liam into her life. Etc. Etc.

They balance each other out, which isn’t a coincidence, of course. But man, their visions are good.

S1E04 “Call/Response”

“He chased your cop away yesterday.”

I’m throwing this line in here because it shows how condensed the timeline for this series is so far. Episode four is the next day from episode three. (Apparently Tandy heals really quickly since the gash on her head is gone.) The first three hours take place relatively quickly as well. Only a few days have passed in the lives of Tandy and Tyrone and yet everything has changed for them.

Their Powers

Okay, so this episode gives you a better idea of what their actual abilities are.

Tandy is the literal embodiment of hope and light. Yeah, she can grab light daggers out of nothing, but her actual power in the comics is the manipulation of Lightforce (oh, hey, the opposite of Tyrone’s Darkforce, right?). With her ability in the comics, she can create daggers from light, but she also stores that energy inside of herself. It builds up over time, and if she doesn’t use it every so often, it discharges on its own and she has no control over it. Her daggers can be used to drain someone’s energy in the comics and also to manipulate their “life force” to a new direction, giving them a glimpse at what their life would be like if they made a different choice. Tandy being able to see people’s hopes when she touches them is the show’s take on that.

Tyrone’s ability to get into people’s nightmares is an example of him being the opposite of Tandy, of course. In the comics, he doesn’t have that ability, but I think it’s a nice touch for the show. Instead, he can channel Darkforce and absorb people’s energy with it. He can become intangible using it, and he can access the Dark Dimension to teleport, of course. Something we haven’t seen on the show yet is that he can also teleport other people through the Dark Dimension, but because it’s so dangerous, Tandy is usually the only one to accompany him. Her Lightforce offers her a measure of protection. Tyrone making the comment that his ability seems to bring him to Tandy is likely a nod to his Darkforce being drawn to her in the comics. The demon that controls the Dark Dimension likes to absorb her Lightforce.

“Character is what you do when no one else is watching.”

I can’t decide if Tandy’s dad was paraphrasing writer C.S. Lewis or UCLA basketball coach John Wooden here, who both said a variation of this. Probably the latter is what the show’s writers were going for since Tyrone plays basketball.

Stashing the Bike

On twitter, the showrunner mentioned that the debris where Tyrone tosses his bike holds some clues, but honestly, I didn’t notice anything that stood out. I figured I’d note it in case anyone else did.

Mardis Gras Indians

This group is the real deal. Essentially a secret society that’s not so secret in New Orleans, the group is made up of Black Americans who partake in the carnival. Their parade during Mardis Gras is one of the biggest. You want to learn more about the history of the group, this is a pretty good start.

“Shit goes boom.”

This made me laugh a little bit because Olivia Holt used to be on a Disney show called Kickin’ It where her character used the phrase “boom goes the dynamite” all the time. The girl likes a good use of the word “boom.”

Founded 1982

This phrase appears on one of the flags in the Red Hawk’s place. When did Cloak and Dagger make their comic book debut? You guessed it, 1982.

Cloak

While it’s sad (and also sweet) that Tyrone picks Billy’s cloak from the room of failures, I love that it looks like his comic book cloak come to life. Where the beadwork is references where most artists use different shading to show changes in light and it’s just perfect.

I also love his dad’s speech about the costumes giving them strength. That’s why superheroes wear what they do.

Tandy Likes Tyrone’s Eyes

I just think it’s cute that she already told him she liked the way his jacket hangs on his shoulders in an earlier episode and now she likes his eyes. She’s not shy. She’s honest. It’s nice. In fact, all of the women in this show are, and it’s a nice change from the usual idea of women on TV that have to be cryptic with the men around them.

Greg’s Death

We see Greg killed by the water delivery person, but the cards for the episode outline shared on twitter say that the “unseen assailant” was going to be his wife. I’m curious if his estranged wife will still play a part in the episodes ahead or not.

Check Your Privilege

Has another Marvel series ever been so timely? Tandy denied action because she’s a woman doing what she has to do to get by. Tyrone targeted by literally everyone because of the color of his skin. Both of them trying to atone for the things they think are their fault, but going about it in very different ways. So. Good.

[queermikehanlon]

Birds of Paradise (Stanlon AU)

Summary: When Stan was eighteen he started running a flower shop and now as he's three years older he's made friends with the tattoo apprentice next door, Mike.

Words: 4494

ao3

A/N: This is part one of three! I don't know how often I'll update it but I wanted to get something posted before the end of the year. This idea came and I ran with it. I hope you all enjoy it!

One / Two / Three

Stan loved his little shop. When he started it at the age of eighteen, he didn’t expect to love it as much as he did now. He started the flower shop because he loved gardening and he thought it would be the good way to make some money while he put himself through his business classes at the local community college. Now, Stan is twenty-one; this job was his main aspiration and his eighteen-year-old plans of being an accountant were thrown out the window.

Stan lived his life with sun shining through long windows and his life was surrounded by bright colors. The heat from his UV lamps in the shop made him feel warm and cozy on a winter day. Stan’s building mates (the owners of the other half of his building, a tattoo parlor) were nice and didn’t make his life hell like his past mates. Life is good.

Stan’s life is full of flowers and lovely people needing bouquets for their significant others, their friends, people needed well wishes, and weddings. It was sunflowers and roses, lilies and daisies, carnations and hydrangeas. Stan had his loving friends and a good relationship with his parents. Life is good.

Life had gotten even better for him when the bell rung on his shop after lunch on a sunny Wednesday.

Stan had been moving around the orange clay pots, making sure the matured flowers that were the prettiest were out in the shop so all his customers could see the pretty ones, and all the ones that were getting a little old or the ones that weren’t matured yet were in his small greenhouse in the back. Stan had his little grey and green cloth gloves on and his shop was looking fuller and pretty. The bell above the door jingled and Stan turned to face whomever came in.

A man wearing a black Henley with the sleeves cut off and a chain with a class ring hung around his neck. His dark skin had a few dark thin lines of tattoos. He was glancing around the shop with nervous eyes. Stan set his small pot of petunias on the counter and made his way behind it to greet the guy.

“Hi, how can I help you?”

The guy, who couldn’t be more than a couple months older than Stan himself (and very good looking, if you asked Stan), wrung his finger together and spoke. “My mom and my grandma are coming into town for a visit and I need anything you can throw together.”

“All right, I can set you up.” Stan pulled the fingers of his gloves and took them up and got some hand sanitizer. “When are they coming in?”

“Tonight.” The man spoke, leaning his hands on the counter. “They surprised me with a call while they were at the airport, and I can’t call 1800 flowers, not after last time.”

Stan’s eyes widened, and he nodded his head with affirmation. “Okay, we can do this, don’t worry. Do you know what flowers or what colors they like?”

The man sighed with relief and let his shoulder’s drop. “My mom likes irises and the color yellow and my grandma like all the small pink flowers. That I do know.”

“Yeah, we can do that. Give me a quick minute to pull out some stuff from the back and let’s see what we can make up, yeah?”

The guy nodded his head and let himself lean down a little on his elbows.

Stan moved quickly throughout the back, grabbing small plastic cups of flowers as samples to show him, the guy who he had yet to be introduced to.

Stan loved making compositions and loved it when his mind ran through all the possibilities of different flower combinations. It was what he used to do with numbers that made him good at accounting and what he still did sometimes with his intrusive thoughts (Only sometimes now. The medication he took now helped him a lot more than his fourteen-year-old self would like to admit). Colors and sizes and shapes went through quick.

Stan pulled out some yellow pansies (pink was the most popular for pansies so he kept those out front and all the other colors in the back) and some more orange than yellow poppies. He had some irises up front and wait to get those later.

For the second bouquet, Stan grabbed some baby pink peonies and some of the same shade of carnations, then some light lavender colored petunias. With his arms full of small, plastic pots of flowers he pushed to the swinging door with his back and laid the small plastic pots on the counter in front of the guy. “It’s two different bouquets, right?”

The man nodded and spoke. “Uh, yeah.”

Stan smiled and grouped the flowers into two separate bouquets. Then he moved away from the counter and grabbed one of the pots from the window, the pot that had irises in it. Stan started his little rant, his little flower rant. “This is what I’m thinking: we have the irises and we have the yellow pansies to make the purple stand out. Then we have some orange poppies to make the blue in the irises stand out. We just need something white or cream colored to make all the other colors stand out.”

The guy leaned forward. “Aren’t there little flowers that look like this,” his fingers brushed over the petals of the yellow pansy, “but like, smaller and like cream colored? I think I did a piece with them a few weeks ago. Johnny somethings.”

“Johhny Jump Ups.” Stan spoke in recognition. “I think I have some of those, not a lot of people ask for them. Let me check.”

Stan went through the back and went through his little plots and he found the Johnny Jump Ups, small and white and a related to the pansies. The ones had a little touch of lavender on the ends of the petals but that would go well so there wasn’t too much yellow in the bouquet. Stan came back through the door.

“These are perfect.” Stan sat them down. “They’re small enough to fill it up but pretty enough so they’re not out of place.”

“Yeah, I did a few flashes with them, I got used to drawing them.” The customer said. With Stan’s confused look he explained. “I’m an apprentice at the tattoo parlor next door, it was such a relief to have this shop next door with them coming to town.”

“Oh, yeah cool. I guess you do a lot of flower stuff.”

“Yeah, almost once a day, probably even more once I’m not an apprentice and I’m a fully licensed artist.”

“That’s really cool.” Stan smiled, and they were both leaned in over the flowers and he looked at the guy, and for some reason he actually noticed him.

Dark brown eyes and hair that was long on the top and faded on the sides with two stipes shaved on the right side. He was handsome, and Stan reveled in it. Stan wasn’t closeted by any means, but he didn’t announce that he was gay to the entire world all the time at work. He leaned back, showing off the other flowers.

“And for your grandma’s set I was thinking these peonies with the carnations and the light purple petunias. It’s a lot softer than the other one.”

“You thought of all of that on the spot back there?” He asked, with a chuckle, still leaned over the counter. “Are you a wizard?”

Stan took a moment to consider it. “Yes. The flower wizard, making sure that everyone has something pretty.”

The man laughed. “Good, I would only trust a flower wizard to make these bouquets.”

“So you like the idea? The flowers all together?”

“Yeah, it’s amazing, perfect, thank you.”

Stan went to the drawer behind the counter and got one of his order slips, a big pad of paper with the white, yellow, and pink sheets. The customer info, the types of flowers, everything that Stan could think of to make sure that he got everything right.

He began writing, one slip he wrote the flowers iris, pansies, poppies, Johnny Jump Ups, the on the other he wrote peonies, carnations, and petunias.

“Can I get your name?” Stan asked, both for the order and because he wanted to know it. The man was cute, a good sense of humor, and he knew a little bit about flowers? Sign Stan up.

(He was by no means closeted, all of his friends knew and his high school bullies are long gone in New England. He didn’t put a rainbow flag in his shop to announce it to the whole world, but when cute men come in your shop for flowers? Can Stan take it as a sign?)

“Michael. Mike Hanlon.”

“Alright, I’ll get this form all filled out for you. You said they were coming in tonight, when will you need them by?”

Mike put his hands up, “Don’t drop other stuff to get mine done quickly. I don’t want you to-“

Stan stopped him. “Mike, it’s two bouquets. I can do them pretty quick. What time do you need them done?”

Mike bit his lip and thought. “I can come by before 6, or you could drop them off in the parlor considering that our door goes into my room.”

Stan thought about the door, the one that connected their two shops. Stan had never gone through the door, as courtesy more than not wanting to (c’mon Stan was always curious). “I always wondered what I’d find on the other side. I guess I didn’t want to accidentally run into something awkward or something.”

Mike laughed. “Just little ol’ me. Thank you so much for doing this, on such short notice.”

Should Stan say what he thought? You’re cute so it’s fine? “It’s no problem, honestly. I’m just going to need your phone number to complete the order form.”

“And not for yourself? I’m hurt.” Mike had a teasing smile on his lips and Stan’s ear went red with embarrassment because Mike managed to guess what Stan was thinking.

“I guess I’ll have to use it for myself too then, just so that your feelings aren’t hurt.” Stan was quick with his wits, he got that from being friends with his bunch of boys. Making sure you didn’t crumble under the pressure of a bad burn, Stan learned how to one up his friends.

“Good. It’d be a shame if I find this cute guy and he wouldn’t call me on a professional courtesy.”

Stan’s blush moved from his ears to his cheeks. “Well, what is that phone number?”

Mike rattled off the phone number and Stan wrote it down on the order form. When he capped his pen and looked back up at Mike, he was closer than he was when Stan had looked down.

Mike held his phone out to Stan, showing him the new contact page that he opened his phone up to. Stan bit his lip. “How will I know it’s the cute flower shop guy who’s calling me and not one of my clients?”

Stan grinned but tried to keep it so he wasn’t showing it to much and he took the phone in his fingers. He typed out his name and his number, making sure that everything was right so that Mike had the right number. “I guess I can give it to you then, just so you don’t get confused with one of your clients and not so you can text me later and ask me to hang out.”

“Or something else?” Mike’s voice was raised, and his smile was teasing. Stan hadn’t had someone come on to him as strong as this since he went to the gay bar for the first (and last) time.

(That was a mistake that his friends had made, and he was dragged along. Gay bars make their drinks to strong and Stan found out the hard way.)

“Or something else.” Stan agreed.

Stan went back to the order form and ripped it out of the pad, taking the pink carbon copies and giving them to Mike. “These are your receipts.”

Mike took them, making sure to go the extra mile and touch Stan’s hand when he did. It was obvious to Stan that he did it on purpose, but he didn’t mind.

(Sure, he’d have to wash his hands later, but he would wait until Mike had left so he wasn’t acting out with it.)

“Thank you for doing this, Stanley; it means a lot.”

“Stan,” he corrected. “or Stanley, if you prefer.” He forgot about the name embroidered on his shirt that had his full frst name.

“Okay, Stan.” Mike smiled. “I think my break’s about to end soon, so I should probably be getting back before they fire me or something.”

Mike pulled out his wallet and looked at the price on his receipt and paid. Stan put the cash in his register, typing fast on the keypad so he could get back to talking to Mike as soon as possible. Stan went back to the counter and held the receipt form in his hand, curling the corner of the paper in between his fingers to keep them busy with his anxious energy talking to Mike. “I’ll be by. Before six, that’s what you said?”

“Yeah, thank you so much for this.”

Stan laughed a little. “It’s my job to make bouquets, you don’t have to thank me.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have to thank you.” Mike glanced at his watch, then glancing back up with the same nervous eyes that he had when he walked in the door. “Now I really have to go, but I’ll see you later.”

“See you later.”

Mike walked out the door, the bell jingling behind him. Stan watched and when he saw Mike through the window, Mike was glancing inside looking back at Stan. They made the other smile just at the thought of them not wanting to leave and wanting to look at each other more.

When Mike was out of Stan’s sight he let out a breath, of relief or of something else; Stan didn’t know. He stood in his spot behind the counter and let his wrists that still held his paper fall to the counter so he had something to ground himself to, and maybe, he should start on those bouquets.

It was five fifty-five. Stan had two bouquets in his hands, the one for Mike’s mother wrapped in a silvery white paper to cover the stems and the one for his grandmother in a gold. He held them in his hands and he waited by the door that was shared between the tattoo parlor and his flower shoppe. Mike said he could come through the door, that it goes to his room in the studio, but Stan felt that him walking through the door was too much, too casual. At least for right now.

He went through the greenhouse to get to the door that separated the backrooms from the shop that Stan made to be the prettiest part because if a flower shop wasn’t pretty no one wanted to shop there and that was half of Stan’s job in running the place.

He took out a sign from behind the counter and made his way out the front door of his shop. The sign that said ‘Sorry, you missed me! I’ll be back in ten minutes!’ He didn’t really close the shop until around eight thirty, because some people like to get last minute flowers for dates, but he didn’t open until nine thirty to make up for it. He didn’t like to leave the store alone, in case he missed someone, but because he was the only one working today (he usually had his friends pick up shifts on the weekends when they needed some extra cash) so he would have to leave the shop alone for a few minutes.

Stan made sure he still had his keys in his pocket and walked out the door, balancing the flower bouquets and the sign in his hands while he locked the door behind him and made his way out in the cooling air. He hung up his sign on the little nook that hung outside on the door frame. This sign went over his open sign and once it was on there okay Stan walked the few feet to the door of the tattoo parlor.

In just walking the few feet Stan could see the differences between his shop and theirs. Stan’s windows were filled with green leaves and the dusty yellow that reminded him of some old Spanish building, along with all the orange clay pots and the beige clay vases that his friend, Bill, made sometimes when he was having blocks with his writing.

When Stan walked over in front of the windows of the tattoo parlor he saw the walls were painted a dark red and the black leather furniture. The decals on the windows blocked some of his view but he could see the different pictures on the walls of the small tattoos that you could get.

Stan opened the door and then felt incredibly out of place in the parlor. He felt awkward in his work button down and his khaki shorts and tennis shoes.

“Can I get you some help?” Stan’s head turned to the sound of the reception desk.

Red curly hair and the side of her head pulled into two tight braids. The arms that were covered in a see through pink long sleeve. Black chipped nail polish. Stan recognized the girl behind the counter. “Beverly?”

Beverly was dating Ben and Ben was friends with Stan. Stan and Ben had met in high school, along with all their other friends and with their movie nights Beverly had come along some nights and they had become okay friends, not the best of friends but they could hang out with each other.

“Stanley, hey.” Beverly pushed her curly hair off of her face and sat up a little more. “Can I interest you in a tattoo?”

“I didn’t know you worked here.”

“Ben never mentioned?”

Stan shrugged, the bouquets still in his hands. “He mentioned you were a tattoo artist, I don’t think he mentioned that you worked right next to my flower shop.”

Beverly laughed. “I didn’t know you worked next door. Maybe I can come hang out in there rather than eat in our dirty break room.”

“Hey, I cleaned that break room!” A man around their same age shouted across the room. He had been hunched over a desk and writing something. Stan had barely acknowledged that he was there.

“Not good enough! Apparently!” Beverly shouted back then turned back to Stan. “What can I help you with?”

Stan blushed, and held the flowers tighter in his hands. “I’m actually looking for Mike?”

Beverly smiled and glanced at the flowers in Stan’s hands. Stan recognized the sly smile on Beverly’s face. “Those flowers for Mike?”

“Yeah,” Stan said, then corrected himself. “He made an order and I’m delivering them. I need to deliver them.”

Beverly winked. “Of course, you do. I’ll take you back there.”

Beverly got up from her seat and got out from behind the counter and Stan moved forward. Beverly walked to the hallway in the back and Stan followed, albeit a little slowly trying to take in the parlor as it was showed to him. It was a little bigger than his own shop, but his shop floor was small so his back room would be bigger to hold all of the flowers he had to grow, all of the pots he had to keep and the piles of dirt. the parlor was able to open up all of their shop so anyone could be in it. Stan liked the openness of their floor.

“Mike is apprenticing right now so he’s probably tattooing on a banana or something.” Beverly chuckled, as if it were an inside joke. “Maybe you could be Mike’s first client, eh? Thinking about getting a little flower tattoo in a place where the sun don’t shine?”

Stan blushed. “No, tattoos aren’t really my thing.”

Stan didn’t feel like describing the entirety of being Jewish and having tattoos so he just left it at that. Beverly turned down a hallway and shrugged. “Maybe when you see what Mike can do with a pen will make you change your mind.”

Stan twisted his fingers around the flower stems wrapped in the foil. “Yeah, maybe.”

Beverly knocked on the door at the end of the hallway and opened the door. “Mikey? You gotta visitor!”

Stan looked through the open door and saw Mike at a desk, a lamp and a few knick-knacks on the table and a tattoo bench in the middle of the room. Mike looked up and then saw Stan behind Beverly. “Thanks Bevvie.”

Beverly stood there and waited. Stan walked through the door, standing beside Beverly rather than behind her. Mike put his pencil down and faced them. “You can leave now, Bev.”

“Maybe I want to stay and watch the show. Stanley wouldn’t mind, would you, Stanley?”

Before Stan could think of a rushed response, Mike stood up and stood facing Bev. He put his hand out and slightly pushed Bev back out of the doorway. Mike put a smile on his face and used his fingers to wave goodbye to her as he closed the door.

“Y’all best not be fucking when I check on you!” She shouted then Stan hear footfalls that were getting softer and quieter as he assumed Bev went down the hallway.

“Yeah, Bev’s not the kindest one in the bunch she’s cool.” Mike said, rubbing the skin on the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I know. I’m friends with her boyfriend.” Stan told him. He sat on the tattoo bench, but he didn’t lay back like you were meant to, just sat down with his knees together and the flowers in his hand. The flowers! “Oh, here are your flowers!”

Mike looked as if he almost forgot about the flowers the same as Stan. “Oh yeah.”

Mike took the flowers from Stan’s hands and held them up and looked at them. “These look better than what you made in the shop. How do you do it?”

Stan smiled. “I thought we talked about that, I’m a flower wizard.”

“Oh right of course.”

Mike sat in his chair, which he rolled so that he was closer to Stan. Stan looked around the room and saw that the room was bare and unlike the lobby of the parlor and didn’t have many frames of drawings or any small tattoos. There were a few, some of snakes or flowers, then some geometric shapes made into wolves and elephants. Then just a few photos that Stan didn’t want to get too close to look at lest he seem too interested and stalkerish.

“You did all those drawings? They’re amazing.” Stan stood up from his seat and stepped closer to look at the drawings even closer, seeing the pen marks making the scratchy sketch lines.

“Thanks,” Mike said. “I actually wanted to ask you something?”

Stan turned away from the drawings and faced Mike, who was still sitting in his chair. “Yeah, sure, ask away.”

Mike bit his lips and Stan noticed him scratching his thumb with his index finger, something Stan did when he was fidgeting too.

“Maybe, if you’re free and if you wanted to, you want to go see a movie with me? Maybe Friday night?”

Stan smiled shyly, but he had to make sure. “Are you asking me out on a date, Mike?”

Mike’s nervous smile dropped, and his eyes widened. “Did I read this the wrong way or?”

“No,” Stan said quickly, hoping to cover up his mistake in Mike thinking he wasn’t into it. ”No, just making sure. I want to go on a date with you. I think we’d have a fun time.”

Mike shoulders dropped and a smile spread across his face. “Okay, cool, yeah.”

Stan and Mike waited in the room in silence, a comfortable one. Stan was not one to just go out with a guy, especially one that he meant that day, but maybe this guy was good? Bev seemed to like him, and that seemed good in Stan’s eyes, even though he didn’t know her well. (Stan trusted Ben and if Ben trusted and loved Bev then that was good enough for Stan.)

Mike had a way to himself, maybe it was the way he spoke or maybe it was the way that held himself but Stan wanted to know more about him, spend more time with him and maybe taking chances that he normally wouldn’t would make it so that Stan would actually get a boyfriend.

“I should probably get going back to my store.” Stan said softly. He didn’t want to go away so soon. “I think maybe you should use my number when you figure out what movie we’re going to see.”

“Yeah, I definitely will.”

Stan, in something that wasn’t Stan at all, touched Mike’s shoulder in saying goodbye. “I guess I’ll see you on Friday?”

“Not unless I visit tomorrow.”

Stan smirked. “The store’s usually slowest in the morning, just for future reference.”

A knock came at the door and Stan jumped at the sudden noise. Then Beverly’s voice called through the door. “Boys! What’s going on in there?”

Stan walked closer to the door and put his hand on the door knob and let him turn the knob and open the door to Beverly who had her ear pressed to the door. When the door was away from her face, she slowly stood up straight.  “Have you been standing here the whole time?”

“No,” Beverly stated, very quick with her response. Stan looked at her with his eyebrows raised and she shrugged. “You think I’d waste my time eavesdropping on my dear, dear friends?”

“Yes,” Mike answered. “You definitely would.”

Stan walked past her and turned around to Mike. “You’ll text me later?”

Mike nodded his head with a smile and Beverly looked between them with her head turning back and forth like she was watching a tennis match. Stan laughed at her.

“Well, I’ll see you later then.”

Stan walked out of the room and down the hallway back to his shop. He walked through the lobby, seeing the guy that shouted at Bev earlier and gave a small wave when he looked at Stan. He walked outside and took the sign from the door and went back into his warm and cozy shop, waiting for Friday to come and the text that would start Stan and Mike talking again.

[badboygoesfluffy]

About lonely people and love (chap 1)

Cataleon had moved into this town a year ago, and ever since the first day, a certain redhead had caught her attention. The bad boy of the school, who looks so sad when he thinks no one’s looking.

Castiel x OC (Cataleon) Drama, Romance

"Yo. Kitten! Why you in such a hurry?" I hear a voice calling for me down the hallway, making me sigh. I easily recognize the voice, practically hearing the smirk in his voice. I stop and wait for him anyways, knowing that we're heading to the same classroom. I've been going to this school for almost a year now and I've known him ever since the day one. Sadly he's become quite a pain in the ass lately. I still remember my first day in this new town, and how sweet he used to be. I had to transfer here in the middle of the school year, so I didn't really have time to get used to the town before starting at the school. I moved in with my aunt, and it was already night time when I got to her house.

The house looked fairly normal on the outside, a dark beige two-story building with a small yard in the front, if you even could call the small grass plant and a single dried bush a yard. The house next to my new home stood out from the neutrality of beige, light grey and yellow of the street, as it was almost black. The yard was surprisingly well kept with some bushes and even a small pond. It was rather odd, but I didn't think of it too much, already tired from the drive to here. I decided to bring my stuff inside now, not wanting anything to get stolen. I took two of the lighter boxes, and went to the door, opening it and almost dropping the boxes when I saw what was waiting for me. The outside didn't give out any hints of what I saw inside. Bright pink walls with purple swirls on them greeted me in the hallway, and from my spot I could see the kitchen and living room. Both were very bright, mostly pinks and purples with splashes of white, blue and black. I knew right away that it would take me some time to get used to it all. My previous home was mostly black and white, with some greys to balance it out. All of the furniture was modern and sleek and it never really felt like home, more like an office with it's huge windows. I had grown so used to the bland and boring colour scheme that even a splash of pink would have weirded me out, let alone this mess of colours. I shook my head slightly as I walked up the spiral stairs, wishing that my room would be at least a bit more neutral. I saw a note on one of the doors, saying that it was mine. I slowly opened the door, peaking inside. I let out a sigh of relief, as I saw the light grey walls, with black and blue accent colours. It had a really calm feeling to it and I knew I would feel at home there in no time. I placed the boxes on the floor and saw a note on my new bed.

Hi darling! I hope your new room is what you wished for. I had the walls repainted, so you would feel more at home. I will be back later this week, there's food in the fridge. Love ya, auntie <3

I couldn't help but to giggle slightly at the note, already feeling very welcome. I've never known her that well, just met her at a couple of parties before, but she seemed very nice and she let me stay at her house to study so I couldn't really complain. Before leaving to get the rest of my things, I opened the window to let some fresh air in. I looked outside, seeing the same dark grey house from before. Straight across from my room was another one, with deep red curtains pulled in front of it. I stretched lightly, making my way back downstairs. I got back outside, and started taking some more boxes from the trunk, placing them on the ground so I could lock the doors soon. I almost hit my head as I heard someone talking and jolted up to see where the voice came from. "Are you robbing the house or moving in? Should I just call the cops or?" I could hear someone ask with a very amused voice. I looked at the tall young man with a big dog next to him. I saw the smirk on his face as he got closer and I chuckled. "Of course I'm robbing it. In the middle of the evening when people like you are walking their dogs and what not." He seems a bit taken a back by my reply but chuckles as he sees my smile. "In all seriousness, I am moving in" I smile at the guy who nodded and seemed to be thinking about something for a moment. "So is the crazy old lady finally moving away?" he asked, sounding almost hopeful, and I bursted out laughing. Well that surely described my aunt well. She's a fashion designer who doesn't even care what other people think, which most of the time leads to something odd. Like last week when she came to see me, she was dressed in a pink, ruffly dress, saying that she was going to be my fairy godmother now. The young man looked rather puzzled, but didn't say a word, possibly waiting for me to explain. "Sorry about that... "The crazy old lady" you're talking about happens to be my aunt. So sorry to burst your bubble but you won't be getting rid of her just yet" I chuckle as I see his pale skin turning light pink in embarrassment. "Uhh... Sorry.. You two look nothing alike so... I didn't know.." he mutters, making me smile. "Don't sweat it. She is... a rather extraordinary person to put it nicely. But crazy lady describes her just fine as well" I laugh and the other seemed relieved by my words. "Do you need help with those?" the guy asks after a moment of silence, motioning towards the pile of boxes. "Nah, I'm fine. You just continue your walk. He seems to be getting a bit antsy" I said, referring to the dog by his side. "Demon? No, he just wants to come and say hi" he shrugs, letting the leash go when I kneeled down to pet the dog. "Well aren't you a good boy~" I cooed at the cutie who almost pushed me over, laughing at it. "I could still help you, though. I live right next door so we were just finishing the walk" the stranger suddenly speaks again and I look up at him. So he's my new neighbour? "If you insist, then sure. I'll make us dinner as a thank you" I say as I get back up again, taking a box from the ground. "And no buts," I continued as he was about to protest. " You help me so I need to do something to pay you back. Besides, I haven't eaten since the morning and really need some food" I smile at the other, who sighed in defeat, before nodding. "Fine. I'll just take him home first. Be back in a minute" he said, taking the leash again and walking to his house. Damn... I never thought I'd meet my neighbours this quick. Besides, he is kinda cute with his long red hair and grey, intense eyes. I took the box inside, deciding that it's best to get all the boxes inside first and then bring them upstairs. I just lifted one of the last boxes when he got back. I looked up at him, telling him to just bring the last two boxes in while I lock the car doors. I went inside after him, closing the door behind my back. "My room is upstairs, second door on left. The door's open" I say as I pick up one of the boxes, walking up the stairs after him. He places the boxes next to the ones that are already there, looking out the window. "I don't think I asked your name before" I mused out loud, getting his attention again. "So do you mind telling me? Or should I just call you "mystery neighbour?" I ask jokingly, grinning at the taller one. He just snorted at me, before answering my question. "No thanks. It's Castiel" he said as he started walking back downstairs. "Castiel..? That sounds familiar. Didn't my aunt used to babysit you when you were young?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah, when my parents weren't at home." "I'm Cataleon, by the way. I know, strange name, but my parents weren't the most normal people" I laughed lightly, but something in that sentence caught his attention. "Weren't?" he asked, turning to look at me. "uhhh.." I muttered, turning my gaze away. I had been living with my father's brother before moving here. Him and his wife happened to live close by and they took me in when my parents died when I was younger. Now I needed to move in with my mother's sister since she lives closer to my new school and I would have never asked them to move for me, with their small child and all the hassle of finding a new job and all that. Probably sensing my discomfort with the question, he changed the subject. "Cataleon, huh? Well that's an odd name. I'm starting to see how you and Agatha are family" he chuckled as we moved my stuff upstairs. The conversation died out after that and we didn't say a word before getting to kitchen. "Are you fine with some pasta?" I ask and he nods, sitting down. "Can I ask why you moved here?" I heard his voice and glanced at him from over my shoulder. "I'll be starting at the school here tomorrow" I answered while cooking. "Sweet Amoris high? I go there too. Third year" he says and I look at him again. What? He's the same age as me?? I thought he was at least three years older than me! "What? Did I say something weird?" He asked as I placed the two plates on the table. "No, not at all. I just thought you were older than me, that's all" I smile at the other as we start to eat. He left after dinner and I put the dishes away, too tired to wash them. I went straight to my room, and put the sheets on the bed, collapsing on top of it afterwards. I didn't even change my clothes and fell asleep, not even turning on my alarm.

I woke up the next morning, still feeling tired from the night before. I stretched for a moment before looking for my phone, finding it on my bed. I looked at the clock and jumped out of the bed. "Oh no! No no no no! Not today!" I yelled at myself as I rummaged through my boxes, finding some clothes to wear. I went with a black band t-shirt, a short blue skirt and white, knee-high socks. I checked from the mirror that my red hair, ever so long and wavy, didn't point to all the possible directions, and took my bag, running down the stairs and straight to the hallway, deciding to skip breakfast. I put on my sneakers in a hurry, trying to balance on one foot and almost falling over. I shouted a quick goodbye just in case, before running out the door. In my hurry to my car, I didn't notice another pair of feet walking towards me until it was too late. "Ah!" I yelped as I fell, pulling the other person down with me. "Well good morning to you too, Kitten" I could hear Castiel snickering on top of me with his hands on both sides of my face. I could feel the blush creeping up my face as I opened up my eyes and could see his face just inches away from mine. "D-do you mind getting up? I'll be late.." I muttered in embarrassment, trying to avoid his gaze. "It's cute how shy you are" he grinned, but got up anyways, taking my hand and pulling me back to my feet. I still didn't look at him, trying to tidy up my clothes quickly. Then I realized what he had said earlier. "Wait, what did you call me? Kitten?!" I snapped at him, but he only laughed. "Well, Cataleon reminds me of a cat, but you're more like a child, so kitten it is" I could see the proud grin on his face and only shook my head. "I'm not a child..." I muttered and started walking to my car. "Do you need a ride to school? My bike is surely faster than your car" he asks, pointing at the motorbike parked in front of the houses. I was wearing a skirt but I also didn't want to be late. "Sure. Do you have an extra helmet?" I asked back and he nodded, passing one to me. "Would I have asked if I didn't?" He asked knowingly and I just huffed at him. I sat behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist as we left. I was sure we broke some speed limits on the way, as not ten minutes later we pulled up in front of the school. "Here we are. You can let go now" he chuckled, patting my hands lightly. I did as he said and got off the vehicle, taking off the helmet. As soon as I did that, I could hear him burst out laughing. "What.. what's so funny?" I asked him, and he only pointed at my hair. I got back next to the bike, checking my hair from the side mirror. "Oh gosh... this isn't my day at all.." I muttered as I saw what I feared, my hair a huge mess. I took my bag and searched around for a moment, finding a hair tie and pulling my hair up to a messy ponytail. At least I look presentable now. "Are you going to stay there all day?" I could hear a voice from the distance and saw Castiel walking ahead. "Wait for me" I yelled back at him, taking a few running steps to catch up. We walked inside together and Castiel showed me the way to the principal's office. "Thanks. I would have been so lost by myself.." I smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. "No problem. But you're on your own now, I don't feel like being late again" he grinned at me before leaving. I took a deep breathe before knocking at the door, waiting for someone to let me in. I was surprised to see a young, blond boy open the door. "Yes? Are you lost?" he asked with a sweet smile. "Uhh... I'm starting here today. Isn't this the principal's office?" I asked back, afraid that Castiel had taken me to the wrong door. "Oh! You must be Cataleon. Yes, come in, the principal will be back in a minute" He let me in, getting back to work himself. I just stood there awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. He seemed to notice my discomfort and turned to face me again. "I'm Nathaniel by the way. I'm the student council president here, so if you need help with anything, just ask." I smiled at the boy, shaking his hand. "Thanks. If you don't mind, I could use a tour around the school" I said a bit shyly and he nodded. "Sure thing. Are you free tomorrow morning before school?" I could only nod before the door was opened again and an older lady dressed in pink got in. "Oh, you must be miss Reyes. Nice to meet you" I couldn't help but to feel a bit intimidated by the woman, who's voice boomed in the almost empty room. "Yes, that would be me" I finally answered, offering a smile. "I don't have much time to waste, but I will show you to your first class. After that you can ask the other students, they will surely help you" she said, motioning me to follow her. "And here's your schedule for now. There might be some changes, if the teachers feel like you would fit better in another group, depending on how well you do in your studies" the lady explains and I only nod, taking the paper from her. I had to almost run after her, not being able to keep up, even though my legs were much longer than hers. We stopped in front of classroom 125 and she knocked on the door, opening it without waiting for a reply. "Mr. Faraize, I have your new student here" she said, motioning me to get inside. I walked into the classroom and could here some whispering right away. "Well, why don't you introduce yourself, miss" the nervous man behind the teacher's desk said, and I kind of felt sorry for him. "Yes, of course! I'm Cataleon Reyes, but feel free to call me Cat. I just moved here, so I hope I get to make some friends soon" I flashed a dashing smile at my new classmates, even though I could hear some snickering from the back of the room. Sadly I didn't see Castiel in the midst of the students. "Great. You can now go and sit next to... uhh..." the teacher looks around, trying to find an empty spot. I see someone raising their hand, only to see a ruffled sleeve and top of their silver hair. Well that seems odd. "Yes. Lysander. Thank you. Now let's get back to the topic" Mr. Faraize started explain something about history, but I didn't pay too much attention as I got to my new seat. I raised my brows as I saw the pair of mismatched eyes looking up at me. I sit down anyways, taking a good look at the odd person next to me. His hair is silver, those messy locks covering his forehead as he smiled gently, his golden and green eyes boring into me and his Victorian era styled clothes didn’t really help the impression of someone a bit to the lunatic side. "Hi, pleasure to meet you, Cataleon" he smiles sweetly and offers me his hand. I took it, thinking that he just wanted to shake it, but got surprised as he raised my hand to his lips, lightly kissing the back of it. “I  wish you’ll enjoy your time here. If you need any help, don't be afraid t ask” he said, turning back to his work. I was left sitting there, a bit shocked by what just happened, but decided to just let it be. He seems like a nice person after all. At least going to school here didn't seem to be boring. After the class Lysander showed me around the classrooms I had that day so I wouldn't be late again. On our way we saw a couple of his friends, a group of three girls. Violette seemed like a sweet and shy girl, who loved art even more than I did. Iris was bursting with sunshines and positivity and I couldn't help but to smile with her. And as soon as I met Kim I was sure she was someone to trust. A bit loud, but surely a great friend. I thanked Lysander as we got to the last classroom on the list and he left soon after, not wanting to be late either. I didn't have anyone I knew with me in the next classroom and I ended up sitting next to a girl named Peggy, who kept asking me question through out the hour and half. She told me she's a journalist for the school magazine, which explained her curiosity. In the end, I had a lot of fun talking to the brunette. Soon the class came to end and she left, saying that she was too busy to have lunch with me and the small group of people I've got to know. I was walking down the stairs to get to the cafeteria as someone pulled me from bot of my arms behind the stairs. "Well well. Who do we have here? The new girl who doesn't know her place" A blonde girl I had never seen before laughed at me as her friends kept me in place. "What..? What are you talking about? I haven't broken any rules?" I asked, confused by the trio. "Not the written rules, Kittycat. The rules I make" she took a hold of my chin, pulling my face up to face her. "Don't you dare to get close to Castiel. He is mine" she hissed in a low voice, letting my go and scratching my cheek with her acrylic nails at the same. I yelped in pain, trying to pry away from them. "Huss... You don't want anyone to hear us right. Everyone here likes and trusts me. So you better keep your little mouth shut or I'll do worse. And remember. Don't talk to my Cassy. Don't even look at him" she kept talking down at me, running her nail down my cheek, making it bleed slightly. I tried my best to keep my cool as they left me there, sitting on the floor. What was that all about. My cheek was pulsating with pain as I got up, planning to just wash it in the bathroom when someone took a hold of my arm again. I spun around, ready to slap the three assholes, only to see Castiel standing there, looking rather confused. "What happened to your face?" he asked, looking at my bleeding cheek. "Nothing.. I was just clumsy" I muttered as an answer and tried to get away from him, but he took his hold on my arm. "No. Your nails can't be long enough for that kinda scratch." I hadn't seen the mark myself, so I didn't know what he was talking about. "Let's get you to the nurse's office. She'll patch you up. Then I'll take you back home" he started walking back upstairs, still not letting me go. "I can go by myself. I'm not a child" I huffed at the redhead, but he wasn't having any of it. "Just tell me who did this and I'll let you go. Or you'll be coming with me and telling the nurse." I gave him a tired look, but he kept being stubborn. "I don't know who they were. Some three assholes. One was blonde, the other brunette and I'm pretty sure one of them was Asian" I explained and he let go of my arm. "Amber.. I should have known" he muttered to himself. "Why didn't you tell me straight away?" I could tell he was used to dealing with the three of them. "We just met yesterday?" I try, but even I knew at the moment that I wasn't too convincing. "She said that I shouldn't talk to you at all, or it would be worse next time..." I finally gave up, looking away. The redhead only huffed, taking my arm again and starting to pull me up the stairs with him. "B-but! You said I wouldn't have to go if I told you?" I tried to get away from him but he didn't seem to listen or care. "We'll show that to her brother. Guess he can make her behave" I gave him a puzzled look, but followed him anyways, as we got back to the principal's office. He knocked and waited until the blond boy from before opened the door. "What do you want?" Nathaniel asked, clearly pissed off. "Not me, her. Your sister is acting like an animal again. You better keep her under control" Castiel points at me and I only smile sheepishly at the blond boy. "Amber did that? Oh gosh... Come here, let's clean that up" he let me in as Castiel waited outside. I stayed quiet as he cleaned the wound. "I'm sorry. Amber doesn't realize the world doesn't revolve around her..." he sighed when he was done. "It's not your fault. I just wasn't careful enough" I offer a smile at the other who only shrugs. "I'll try and talk to her about it. Hopefully she'll stop acting like a brat soon" he led me out of the room where Castiel was still waiting. "What took you so long? I was going to leave you behind" the taller boy said and Nathaniel huffed at him. "Then why didn't you?" he asked with a raised brow and I turned my gaze back to Castiel. "She doesn't have a ride home. And she doesn't know the town, so walking can't be a good idea" he explained, making me smile a bit. "Thanks for the help, Nathaniel: We'll be off now" I smiled at the blond, making my way past Castiel and towards the main entrance. We didn't talk much until we ran into Lysander. "What are you two doing together?" He asked, looking very confused. "And what happened to your cheek?" I glanced at the boy next to me before replying. "It's a long story. I got into a bit of trouble and Castiel helped me out" I smile at the worried guy who only nods. "And how do you two know each other?" he seemed even more puzzled by the fact that he saw us together, not about my cheek. "Oh, she's my new neighbour. I saw her moving in last night and gave her a ride this morning or she would have been late" Castiel explained, clearly the two of them were good friends. They chatted for a while longer before we all got to parking lot and parted our ways to get home. As we got in front of our houses, I could see my aunts car parked there. Oh, she's home already. Castiel tried to sneak away but couldn't disappear fast enough, so my aunt told him to come and eat dinner with us. We sat in the living room while my aunt cooked for us, not saying a word. "Tell me, Cassy darling, how are you liking your new neighbour?" she grinned from the kitchen, making Castiel clearly uncomfortable. "She's fine" he replied quietly, "much better than you..." he added as an afterthought and I couldn't hep but to laugh. "That's great! You will be spending a lot of time together, I'm sure. You're always welcome in this house, no matter what" I could tell that there was some bigger meaning behind those words, but I didn't question it. They had known each other for years, so of course my aunt would know things about him that I didn't. I excused myself to go and change my clothes before the dinner was ready. I heard them bickering about something was I went upstairs but didn't really think too much of it. I changed into a loose t-shirt and jeans and brushed my hair that was still a mess from this morning. I made my way back downstairs and we had a nice dinner, with my aunt telling all kinds of stories from when Castiel was still a child. I couldn't help but to laugh at his embarrassment, but I could still tell he wasn't actually mad at her. After eating, Castiel went back home and I decided to do some homework before sleep. When I got anything done, I didn't feel that tired anymore. I took my guitar and started playing around with it, not really playing any particular song, just going with the flow. I almost jumped out of my bed when I heard something hit my window. I peaked out, seeing Castiel at the window across from mine. I opened the window before he could throw another small rock at it. "You didn't tell me you played the guitar" he said simply and I chuckled. "You never asked" I answer, turning to sit with my back against the wall again. "Can you play something for me?" He asked after a moment. "Sure" I mused, thinking for a while, before starting to play. After a while I peaked out of the window again, only to see Castiel already sleeping. I smiled to myself, putting my guitar away and going to sleep as well.

That was over a year ago. Things have changed quite a lot, but I'm happy with my life here. I've got used to almost everything, except for one thing. One person to be exact. And it was the redhead calling for me. Castiel.. is hard to explain. He is mischievous, but sweet at heart. He’s a bully, but knows when enough is enough. He has a sharp tongue and doesn’t really know how to comfort others but I guess he’s trying. He has short temper and when he hits his limit, he really does hit it. He doesn’t like many people but once you get to his good side, he’ll be loyal to you. He acts all tough and like a bad boy but when he thinks no one watches him, he has this sad look in his eyes, and I still don't know why that is. He is.. A lot of things.

But above all of that, he’s the boy I love.

[abloomntime]

A Bloom In Time Ch27

You know. It feels a lot better sleeping on something soft than it was sleeping on a hard cold wooden floor. Also much better to wake up with having sore muscles for a third time. Slowly waking up, blue eyes peered out awake to the world, blinking away the blurry vision that came with it. Where was she again? The first thing she saw was a very dark purple and she blinked. Was it still dark? Well, yes. It was still dark and other than a blue light filling up the attic making it clearer to see for her.  ......And slowly she started to remember what happened last night. Groaning, the grown woman slowly sat up on the bed and reached a hand up to push the long bangs out of her face, she felt so tired even after sleeping. But strangely relieved in a way. The memories of last night poked through the morning fog and Poppy groaned, rubbing her face more remembering the nightmare and talk the two had last night. Man. And here she thought her new life adventure wouldn't get any weirder than what it already was. Poppy paused feeling something soft bump against her hand and a grumble that was deeper than her own voice. Pulling her head away from her hand she blinked over and saw Snatcher of all people laying curled around her like some giant shadow snake, his head resting on his claws as he laid there just a foot or two away from her. He looked rather peaceful. Was Snatcher here the entire night after she drifted off back to sleep? Did he fall asleep too? Could ghosts even sleep? Do they even need it? She thought the whole 'Rest in Peace' thing was always just a nice way of showing respect for those who had passed on, but now she wasn't too sure how literal it might've been at this point. Meeting a ghost like Snatcher was definately an eye opener, he wasn't like the usual descriptions of ghosts at all she had heard. Ghosts were supposed to be white as sheets and yell 'BOO' all the time, or stay invisible and silent. Snatcher wasn't white OR invisible, and with his loud mouth he definately wasn't silent either most of the time. But she felt an odd gratitude upon seeing him right there after she still fell asleep. He had cleared up a lot of the mess for her and she couldn't have been happier. Yellow eyes opened up once he felt the floor shifting next to him and he stared right at her.

"Oh. You're awake," he said pushing himself up with his arms and stretching his long body out similar to a bushcat before his body as usual floated up into the air, looking at her. "It looks like you had a nice nap."

"Uh. Yeah.'' She gave a small tired smile yawning again and stretching her body out, stretching her arms out and looking behind her. A part of Snatcher's tail was behind her and she guessed that must've been the super soft thing she was sleeping against. She had no idea ghosts could be solid or so soft, another surprise she guessed. Poppy slowly pushed herself to her feet. Weird dark blue dress still on her and the fake rubies around her collar shining in the dim blue light, her long braid already messy from her sleep. Smiling, Poppy looked back up to him. "Were you really with me all night?"

Snatcher stared at her for a moment before frowning a bit. "Well didn't you ask me to? I'm not completely heartless you know. I make sure all my employees are situated well. "

"I did kinda ask that didn't I?" She yawned and walked over to one of the shopping bags when she saw it. Oh yeah. She still had a few things to put away from yesterday didn't she? "You mind leavin'?"

"What for?"

"So I can put on somethin' else besides this dress reject." She gestured to her dress.

"Oh." Of course she would want to do that. With a cough he turned away and started to melt through the floor. "Right. You get on that."

***********************************************************************************************

Poppy was feeling great! Better than she had been feeling in a whole while! After a brief moment of switching clothing and putting her newly aquired tools and clothes away, Poppy appeared in the control room riding the orange platform down from the attic. Hair retied back in a neat long braid and her wearing one of the new dresses she had bought for herself. The white one with purple flowers, she felt good enough to wear one of her favorite things today. FLOWERS!! And of course the glittering gold bracelet on her wrist. Oh. And the heavy duty leather apron around her shoudlers, she never left home without it. The small bag of pons sitting in the larger of the two pockets of it. When she rode down she found Snatcher frowning, arms crossed, listening to the two children babbling on about something and stuffing their faces with those take out things Cookie ordered for them to go, she thought Cookie said they were called 'Hamburgers' if she remembered right. Like some kind of fancy greasy sandwhiches. But he looked up when he saw a blur coming towards them from the corner of his eye, said eyes blinked in surprise a bit in the cute purple flower printed dress she wore. Well this was different from her usual blue attire he was used to her wearing, but he had no right to judge someone's clothing.

"Fancy new clothes. It-...I-It looks nice on you,'' he complimented.

She smiled in thanks making her way down the ramp heading towards the two children and Snatcher. Both were now staring at her silently eating. "Thanks! I bought it just yesterday. And I see ya two are already up and ready to cause trouble ah presume." Both nodded with big smiles and she noticed they were wearing the same kind of outfits again but with different patterns again. Hattie's whole outfit and hat were a pink minus the pants she wore which was a beige color, and bow was wearing a light blue dress with a white jacket with purple buttons, light blue cat pockets, and a pink bow on the back, another pink bow in her hair, and purple boots. These kids must really like the same style of clothes. "You two look hungry huh?"

"Better than apples!," Hattie mumbled holding up what looked like one or two bites remaining of her burger.

Poppy chuckled. "Well lucky for all of us I aim to change that today! Cookie mentioned how they sell a lot of human food in ..Mafia Town right? Well, that's where I'm headin' today!"

"What?!," Snatcher asked bewildered, "You want to go there?! Bad idea! Very, very bad idea! That place is full of foul men who'll rob you for a single corn chip! I thought you already had enough excitement yesterday!"

Poppy just smiled triumphantly back. "Well, yeah. I did have a rough start, but now I'm all fired up and ready to see where the day takes me. And right now it's tellin' me ta get these girls and myself some food!" Both girls happily threw their hands up with a loud cheer at the mention of yet another trip out together for the three of them, but Snatcher looked slightly worried.

"Now? Don't you even know what kind of people live in a town like that?!," he argued back shaking his head, "It's asking for trouble to happen AGAIN if you go there. Aren't you dealing with enough stuff?"

"We can protect her!," Bow happily said before tossing the rest of the burger she ate for breakfast into her mouth.

Snatcher didn't look the slightest bit convinced. "Yeah because that worked so well last time."

This time Poppy frown one hand on her hip the other pointing at him. "Ok purple onion. If you have a problem with mahself goin' out and gettin' food for YOUR kids and taking care of them while yer galavanting off haunting whatever forest ya want, then please. Feel free ta get off ya rump and go buy them food yerself if you have a problem with ME taking care of their needs like YOU wanted. If not shut her trap! I'm not a pet bird you can just keep in a cage. I'm a human and we need food!" Snatcher stared at her silently for a moment, stunned at the sudden berauge of sass thrown his way...but he frowned at the children who giggled at him being put in his place.Poppy waved a hand. "If you're so worried 'bout what happened yesterday, you're more than welcome to join us. I'd appreciate the company and help you'd provide, but otherwise ya'll can go back to your fore-"

"OH ALRIGHT!!" He scowled and recrossed his arms like a pouting child. "I might as well since someone has to keep you out of trouble!" Actually it was because he was worried about her. The kids can hold their own against the mafia, and to him they were nothing but pesty mice. But he LOATHED the idea of Poppy being around so many men especially ones like the mafia. So it would be better to do, besides. His head minion could handle things without him for a little while longer.

Poppy nodded smiling again and waved a hand at the girls. "Go wash off those greasy hands of yours and we'll leave ok?" Both nodded and ran off towards the kitchen, Hattie shoving the rest of her food into her mouth as she did.

"Shouldn't you eat something too before we head out?," Snatcher asked her raising a brow.

"Nah. I'll be fine. Not the first time I'd skip breakfast-" She was cut short when Snatcher literally grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her towards the kitchen. "Hey! What gives!?"

"Fat chance. You go eat something before you leave right now. I'm not going to be following a growling stomach all day."

She protested but relented after Snatcher said he wouldn't teleport them easily to this Mafia Town, and she STILL wasn't fond of the kids' version of travel, and it'd be easier with Snatcher teleporting them. So reluctantly she agreed but just grabbed an apple out of the small basket in the fridge. Taking notice that there was only a few eggs left in the carton after Cookie's omlets, only a few apples left, and half a wheel of cheese. How could these kids just eat these all the time? Following the children out of the kitchen back to the waiting Snatcher, while also carrying a giant woven basket she found as it'd be easier to carry the food in, he sighed again and held out his hands to the small giggling girls, who both grabbed onto his large clawed hand with ease, and he held out the other claw to her.

"When someone hangs onto me it's easier to teleport them and saves energy for me. Since I'm teleporting long distance I suggest you hold on so we're not seperated in town."

Well that was certainly something she didn't want happening so she grabbed onto his hand and he curled his claws gently around her before summoning the magic to transport them all down there.  The teleporting worked as quickly as any other time he did it. Purple energy completely took over the world around them like the many times he's done this before and swallowed them all whole. He's done this plenty of times before teleporting himself places or taking the girls home against his will when they fell asleep in his forest. Poppy closed her eyes when purple invaded her vision out of habit. One moment of dark black-purple later the four of them ended up somewhere much more warmer by how Poppy felt the air suddenly shift.

"You can open your eyes now."

And she did. And blinked at WHAT she saw now. They were on a beach! A literally sunny beach with the sun beating down on them and in front of them was a small lot of sand, filled with palm trees and picnic table with umbrellas sticking out from the top of them. A blue and white striped tent was set up to the far right end of the sand lot and a giant stone building of some sort in front of them. Snapping her head behind her, the sparkling reflection of the vast ocean met her confused gaze with the gorgeous view of the morning sun making the soft waves sparkle as they rolled by. Directly in front of them all was a giant pair of red doors and two men standing guard on either side of them. In fact there was a lot of men in fancy blue suits and aprons walking around where they were, most gawking at them from the sudden apearence of a grown woman and two children in a flash of purple.

"Wow." Poppy said breathlessly staring out at the ocean. She could see some kind of land in the distance, a bouey, and some kind of ship slowly passing by. "Look at that view! I've never been to the ocean before!"

"Yes, yes. Very pretty," came the annoyed voice of Snatcher making her snap outta it. "Don't we have something to do?"

She blinked. "OH! Right I-" She paused...looking around but not seeing the giant sixteen foot ghost anywhere. "Hey. Where are you?"

"Look at your shadow."

She did and humped a few steps back seeing two yellow eyes from her shadow staring back up at her. "Snatcher??"

"Who else?," he asked and she saw his glowing yellow mouth as he spoke from her shadow. "You think it's easy to be walking around in the open for someone like me? It'll be easier for both of us if I remain in the shadows unless nessasary."

Well...It might be easier for her to walk around freely without drawing a bunch of attention to her being followed by by a giant ghosts babysitting her like she was a little girl herself, and if this place was as dangerous as he said, she's appreciate the extra help. He had a couple good points.

Nodding she looked around, basket in hand. "Ok. Now let's see. Where do we go from here?"

"This way!," Bow called from over by the blue and white tent before running up a large pair of stairs behind it.

Poppy followed across the sand lot with Hattie running past her and joining Bow up the stair case and waiting for her at the top of the stairs. Around the tent she went looking around and up the stone stairs she went. At the top was a cobblestone floor and more tables. The two continued to lead Poppy down a cobblestone pathway and all the while gave her a wonderful view of the ocean, seeing a couple boats and rocks sticking out of the water. A couple times they would pass another blue suited man and they would either walk past or gave them a passing look but nothing else. Didn't seem so bad so far. But she was curious about all the contruction and spray painted walls as they passed. When she asked, Hattie said 'This place is always being rebuilt' and explained the graffiti was done by Mu before Cookie took her to live with her away from this place. She saw a bunch of 'Down With The Mafia' sprayed on walls, some kind of man with a giant mustache and red hat, and few of MU herself. Guess Hattie was telling the truth about all that.

"So where are we supposed to buy food around this ..Uh.. Rebuilt place?" She asked them glancing at all the incomplete buildings they passed.

"Past the docks," Bow answered slowly down her pace from in front of her to walk next to Poppy. Gazing up at her with a neutral gaze before staring at her free hand not carrying the basket before reaching up and grabbing it. Poppy without giving it much thought curled her hand back to hold hers making the small girl light up light a firework as they both followed Hattie skipping a few yards in front of them. Snatcher smiled with glee at the sight between Bow and Poppy.

They continued along the cobblestone pathway until it collided with an actual docks. A large building that looked like a giant seafood resteraunt was on the left side of the docks with blue tables was there and on the right side was a pair of docks, with a few more strong looking men there  unloading fish from a ship stationed on one side of the docks as they passed, passing then some kind of giant barrels on their sides and then back up yet another cobblestone path leading up to what looked like a town square to Poppy. Cobblestone everywhere. With three Green, red, and orange-tan giant buildings on the right side of the water fountain that was smack dab in the middle of the square. The green building had a giant sign saying 'Blooming' but looked dark inside, the red building had a hamburger with the words 'Spicey Buns' on the signs but was blocked off by yellow rope, and the only one that seemed open was the tan building who was currently being manned by a single man with the sign reading 'Juice'. The left sight of the square was just a giant brick wall and clock tower, showing it was nine thirty four in the morning. Still an early day. She continued to follow Hattie until she stopped in front of another pair of stairs leading up to another level of the stone wall and she pointed. Of course Poppy followed her holding Bow's hand and up the slightly bigger steps they went until meeting another cobblestone floor and the first thing she saw was a stand with another one of those blue suited men behind it.

"Here it is!," Hattie said standing next to her and pointing down the left where it turned into a street like market.

Guess this was the market of human food Cookie spoke about and Poppy smiled. Well at least now she could be able to get what she needed now. The only stand to the right seemed empty so Poppy went right up to the first stand in front of her already catching the man's attention as he sat behind it and looked at her as she approuched. Looking at the products on the shelves behind him and next to him was a bunch of cheese wheels. The entire area was kinda dark being in a closed in area and torches ran down the length of the market area. Poppy stopped in front of the stand as the man looked at her.

"Mafia sell finest cheese aged by Mafia. Would red haired lady like to buy?," the man spoke in a deep voice as she looked around.

Eventually stopping at one cheese wheel that looked pretty good and pointed at it. "Yeah. That one there please."

The man smiled and grabbed it. "Mafia enjoys sells. Mafia will sell it to red haired lady for fifthteen pons."

Poppy blinked at him for a moment raising a brow. "Fifthteen pons for one cheese wheel?"

"Mafia make good pure chedder. Take it or leave."

"....." Well considering things were a lot more expensive than when she was alive that she remembered, then she guessed it was a fair price and she had over twenty five thousand of the small things. Reaching into the front pocket of the apron she pulled out a handful of those small green emeralds and counted out fifteen before dropping them into the man's outstretched hand. She also noticed that he was wearing an apron, that said 'Kiss The Cook' with a small red lipstick kiss mark. How odd.

The man took the pons and counted the ones in his hand with his eyes for a moment before smiling. "Mafia thanks lady for purchase. Here is cheese." He held out the cheese to her and Poppy happily took it from him.

"Thank you." Placing it into the giant basket she carried and started off towards the other stands, children following.

"You know you shouldn't have paid that fool such a large amount." Snatcher whispered out from her shadow that barely showed in the dim torch light. "I can be very persausive."

"The last thing  need is you scarin' off the people I'm trying to buy from," Poppy shot back tossing a quick frown over her shoulder at him before she continued. "As a fellow storekeeper let me do my own business and hush up." Snatcher grumbled but hushed up much to her pleasure. She didn't want to explain why she was talking to the ground behind her to strangers. The next stand was just a couple yards from the first and this one looked like it was selling fruit, mostly bananas and apples. Poppy breifly wondered if this is where the girls originally got their apples back on the ship before stopping in front of it and admiring the bananas. She had only seen a couple of them once. When the royal food wagon was making it's way to the Queen's summer home she visited whenever the prince did. They were tropical plants and as her father said tropical plants and fruits were impossible to grow where they were due to the fall and winter seasons. So seeing the oppertunity to obtain some she happily smiled and pointed at a couple bunches that looked ripe to her. "How much for three bundles?"

"Mafia sells Mafia island bananas for pens pons each,'' the man explained and Poppy blinked at him for a moment looking exactly like the other men she'd seen but shrugged it off.

"And those apples?"

"Mafia sell those same prince as Mafia Island bananas."

"Oh." So about thirty or forty pons. Seemed a little expensive for bananas but she wasn't going to complain about getting food she could actually eat. To cut losses she decided to only buy two bundles of bananas and one bundle of apples instead of the three bundles of bananas and into the basket they went. The kids giving dirty looks to the mafia men around them as they went. And FINALLY she found something she was hoping to find around here. A meat market...Or a stand what sold fish in this market. A bunch of fish were hung along the stands wall and the man manning the stand had his sleeves rolled up currently deboning a fish but looked up when Poppy stopped in front of him gazing up at the fish hung around. "Hello. Can you tell me how old the fish are?"

"Mafia caught fish from ocean this morning,'' the man explained pulling his hands away from work and wiping them down with a damp towel next to him. "Straight from docks. Super fresh."

She smiled at that glancing around and setting her eyes on two very nice looking bass on the right hand side and pointing. "How about those two bass there? Those looking mighty juicy."

"Mafia needs thirty five pons for fish."

.....She blinked. "Hold up. You want thirty five pons PER fish?" He nodded and she frowned. "Back in my day in was ten per fish! That's ludacris!''

"Mafia want paid is what mafia is owed. If lady won't pay price, lady no gets fish," she stated back firm,

Poppy could feel her eye twitch as her annoyance spiked a bit but took a breath to cool herself down. Just remember. This wasn't her time. Things were different now. No use getting upset over a thousand year difference she couldn't control. "Ok, I'll pay. Just please get me those two fish."  Reluctantly and much to Snatcher's silent annoyance she did end up paying another seventy ones for two fish. Poppy was starting to think her choice to accept Mr. Grooves offer was the right one after all. She needed the pons for this definately. They all watched as the man took some kind of paper from under the stand and pull the fish down to wrap them all in....after he carefully counted all the pons she gave him of course. And she took them with a 'thanks' tho it did come off a bit annoyed as she moved along the last few stands now in just a slightly more sour mood. And slowly the basket filled up with just a few more things. Some eggs one man claimed to be taken from the birds that morning, she found someone trying to sell what looked like slightly spoiled milk but managed to find a whole bottle of it that was pretty fresh, and bacon stri-......Bacon? How the peck did that get there? .....Snatcher snatching bacon from Cookie's dishes suddenly flashed across her mind and she shot a look over her shoulder to Snatcher who still remained hidden as the girls boredly/curiously walked around near them and looked around. By the time they got to the end of the stands(where the market ended in a dead end meaning they'd have to turn around and go back the way they came to exit), the basket was heavy with a giant cheese wheel, a glass bottle of milk, one carton of eggs, two bundles of banansa, a bag of apples, two large fish, and a mysterious pound of bacon that just appeared out of no where. Usually the basket would've been heavy for someone but considering her less than normal strength, it was pretty easy to carry without tiring. The last stand didn't look like it sold any kind of food items like the others but a man sitting there noticed her curious look at it and he pointed behind him at the white shirts Saying 'Mafia #1' hung up near him.

"You like Mafia? Buy clothes supporting Mafia! Mafia is number one!," he gladly stated.

Oh. He was selling clothing? Well she already saw what everything else had to offer, might as well see what this had to offer her too. And too Snatcher's protests of lightly tugging her dress to get her to stop, she walked over to him. The stand on closer inspection sold the same blue suits and aprons all the men here wore along with OBVIOUSLY spray painted gold statues of said men and those white t shirts. ......Not really things she was really interested in or needed....Except maaaybe that one thing right there-

"I can't BELEIVE you actually wasted ten pons on that!," Snatcher's rasped out as they walked along the cobblestone back towards the town square.

"Oh shush. I could use one of these for regular house work," Poppy muttered placing the newly aquired 'Kiss the Cook' apron neatly into her larger leather apron pocket to keep it off the food. She could use an apron just for cooking and other things besides her work apron. "Besides, why are you complaining about me buying an apron? You couldn't even pay for the bacon ya'll snuck into mah basket."

"Hey! You have no proof it was me firstly! Secondly even if I did do that, what purpose would I have to do it? I'm DEAD. It's not like I could eat it if I wanted too anyways. I can't even taste anything if I wanted to," He argued back from her shadow as Poppy walked back down the steps towards the square holding Bow's hand again as the child happily smiled at her. "I bet it was one of those two."

"No it wasn't!," Hattie retorted back sticking her tongue out at Snatcher.

"Guys. Please, ya'll are out in public. Act like civilized people will ya-....." Poppy stopped at the last step down before stepping back onto the cobblestone streets of the square she had passed before, Hattie running into her leg and falling onto her behind on one step, her hat falling over her face. Shaking her head, Hattie pushed the hat back up from her face and asked Poppy what was her big deal but the grown woman just stared at something. Beinf on the flat ground, Snatcher couldn't see what was going on either and was about to bark at Poppy demanding what she was staring at when the red head suddenly scowled. "HEY!" Her eyes narrowed at the sight of two of those big burly men corning a poor little old man back against a brick wall, but she had shouted when one of them pushed him down gaining their attention and began stomping her way over to them. Bow grabbing and pulling back on her hand to try and get Poppy to stop.

"Wait, Poppy! Don't!"

Poppy didn't listen to Bow's words and instead pulled her hand away before placing and big basket into her arms. "Hold this for a sec." And then stomping her way back over to the men and stood before them, hands curled into fists on her hips and deep scowl present on their and her faces. "HEY! What the bloody PECK do ya think yer doin' to that poor old man!?" Old man? Huh. Well compared to Poppy's age that old man was probably a baby, but never mind that now.

"Shoo! Mafia can't have lady witness while Mafia teaching lesson!," one of the two men sternly said back but Poppy remained unbudging.

"You'll got one chance and I'm only askin' nicely once. Please leave that man alone," she spoke as calmly as she could despite the annoyed tone on her face and in her voice.

"What do we do with eye witness?," the mafia man asked the other mafia man.

The other man looked at Poppy like she was a harmless flower raging at them. "Teach lesson to those who interfere with Mafia!" He reached a hand out but it was quickly smacked away with a loud WHACK sound making the man recoil and cradle his hand to his chest.

"Do. NOT. Touch me!," Poppy warned in a low and slow voice. "I'm only going to warn you once."

"Mafia won't bow to small lady!!," the other one suddenly bellowed looking at her with anger but Poppy just rose a bored brow when he raised a hand to punch.

"POPPY!! LOOK OUT!!"

"Prepare to feel Mafia's Wrat- GAH!!"

That was it. How it all ended. As soon as the bigger man went to punch her, Poppy grabbed a hold of his arm and in an impressive desplay of speed, turned on her heel and literally threw him over her body by his arm and slammed him quite hard to the ground with a very loud thud. Everyone stood there for a moment quietly stunned from what just happened, except for the man who was laying on the stone ground groaning with the face of Poppy looming over him scowling as if she had the fury of a thousand burning suns....Before blowing the bangs from her face and snapping her scowl over her shoulder back to the other man who flinched at the sudden blue eyes flashing at him.

"Ya'll got somethin' to say 'bout this?" The man still cradling his hand shook his head no furiously with a look of fear on his face and Poppy nodded still scowling. "Good. Now take your buddy here and scram!" The mafia man had just run off without another word as his pal just remained unconcious on the ground. Not that she really cared and turned around to the little old man who through all of this just flat out leaned against the wall slack jawed. But Poppy gave him a soft smile down at him. "Hey there, Mister. Are you alright?"

"Uh-...I-..Y-Yes! I am!," he answered back in an old but happy sounding voice. Smiling behind that white mustache of his, he slowly got up and reached a hand up to readjust his glasses. He couldn't have been a foot or two taller than the girls. Such bullies for picking on a poor defenseless old man like this. Dusting himself off he smiled at Poppy. "Thank you very much young lady. You won't believe how many times a month this happens."

"What did they want?"

The old man sighed. "Money. I've been saving all my pons to move out of this pecking town to go live in a nice quiet neighborhood, but every week they harass me for 'protection' money. But I never give in."

"Oh wow. That sounds aweful." She thought she heard Snatcher give a small 'mmhm' like he was right all along, but didn't comment on it. "I'm very sorry for that."

He waved her off. "No. Don't be. Just two more weeks and I should have enough to get out of here for good." He looked her over again and frowned. "You're a young  one. If I were you I'd get out of town while the getting's good. You don't want to get caught up in a place like this."

Poppy nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm glad you're ok." She held out her hand. "Do you need any help?"

He shook his head. "No, no. I'll be alright getting my way home. Not the first time this has happened and probably won't be the last before I leave."

"Alright. Be careful on your journey now.''

Hattie looked at the long shadow pertruding from Poppy and the yellow eyes blinking up from the ground. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"You ever heard the metaphor hell have no fury like a woman's scorn?" The raspy voice of Snatcher asked the child and Hattie shook her head. "Well it means a woman's anger is something you don't want to get the reveiving end of, Kid. And that saying happens to apply to this situation."

Poppy continued to stand there and waved the little old man good bye with a smile on her face sighing as a wave of calm came over her and she turned back around to look for the basket. She found it on the ground by Bow, who had been standing there watching the whole thing with one hand on the basket's handle patiently waiting for her. Poppy still smiling walked over and reached down to pick up the basket from Bow and pat her on the head...When another shadow fell over her. Poppy paused seeing the long shadow come over her. The head of the shadow was pointy and had a wide brim obviously some kind of hat and Poppy looked up towards the maker of the shadow over her, blinking at the sun's gleam blocking her veiw of the smiling pink wearing woman right in front of her.

"Well, well. Is THIS the famous woman he spoke of?," asked an obviously female voice.

"HAZELLE!?", Snatcher suddenly blurted out in shock blinking his yellow eyes out from the shadows....And immediately wanted to punch himself when the witch's copper orange eyes shifted their gaze over to the ghost attached to Poppy's shadow laying on the ground. But it was too late to stop the smug look on the witch's face as she seemed to quickly putt two and two together right in front of him.

"Well, I guess so! Hello, Snatchy.~ Fancy seeing you out here in broad daylight. Was the forest finally too gloomy for your tastes?," she asked in a calm manor that made the ghost growl.

"YOU WISH, WITCH!! WHAT THE PECK ARE YOU DOING HERE-" His question was answered immediately.

"TIMMY!!"

Hattie and Bow had run up to a small boy who looked maybe one or two years older than them in a hug and Poppy slowly stood up staring at the new comers to the party, the boy(Timmy as she heard) hugged his friends back and gave Hattie a friendly shove to her shoulder which she giggled and pushed back playfully. But Poppy still stared at the witch as she went back and forth with the ghost like she did it every day.......A witch?....A REAL WITCH?! Like the kind who rode on brooms, cooked up potions, had black cats, and did magic willy nilly!? HOLY PECK!! And there was one right here right in front of her. Poppy couldn't help but stared wide eyed at her. She didn't look like a typical witch like the tales she was told about. No green skin. No warts or black robes. Nothing. In fact she looked like a regular person. The only way one could really tell she was a witch was the pointy witch hat on her head which was a pink and white color, along with the rest of her clothes. Really bright  girly clothing if she said so herself.

"Can't a respectable witch and her apprentice go out and about practicing our trickery spells on all these meatheads?", she replied calmly back. "How was I supposed to know you all would be here too?"

"HMPH! Strange coincidence." Snatcher narrowed his eyes in annoyance with a scowl from her shadow.

"I'm sorry...Who are you?,'' Poppy asked confused to Hazelle.

The witch looked over at her and Poppy had to admit, she was very pretty for a witch. She thought they were all supposed to be ugly old ladies. The witch bowed tipping her hat at Poppy politely. "Oh sorry. How rude of me. My name is Hazel but with an extra L E at the end. Exactly how it's pronounced too! Nice to finally meet the lady behind my dear old friend's-...." She paused giving the scowling ghost a sly smirk. "...'New helper' he spoke about."

"Hazel?....You mean like Witch Hazel?"

Hazelle waved a hand. "Yes, Yes. The famous Witch Hazel. Yada yada. It's an old family name passed down to every man in the family in one form or another, but since the next generation was a girl they just decided to slap an extra L E at the end to add that feminine variation. It's complicated I know."

"Oh wow! I've never met a real witch before!" Poppy gawked wide eyed like a puppy. "Can you really do magic?!"

"Absolutely. But I don't think you've told me your name, Miss."

.....Poppy blinked. "OH!! Oh. How rude of me!" She smiled and stuck out a hand in polite greeting. "Howdy! Mah name's Poppy. Poppy Rose Bloomington! Nice ta meet ya!"

Hazelle smiled and shook her head besides Snatcher's grumbles before turning her head over and to the ground and the groaning mafia man on the ground raising a brow. "Well I must say, Ms. Bloomington, you really did a number on those goons. I like your style."

Poppy chuckled nervously and reached her free hand to rub her neck. "Well...I couldn't just let stand by and let them push around that poor old man could I?"

"What a coincidence! Timmy and I were just about to try out his new slime rain summoning on them! But then he noticed his little friends over there and stopped to watch the fireworks." She nodded her head over towards the children moving towards them.

"Timmy?," Poppy asked looking down to the little boy with strange blue markings on his face and a brown cap on his head. "Oh. Is this your son?" She flinched when Hazelle suddenly released a few high pitched giggles.

"Him? Oh no! It may look like it at first glance, but in reality I'm more of a teacher. He IS my apprentice after all. Gotta make sure those magical powers of his develope properly."

"Oh." Poppy looked down to the young boy smiling up at her and she smiled back. "Hello, there lil guy!"

He reached over to her and she blinked in surprise when he grabbed her hand and pulling his hat off his head before kissing the back of her hand like a gentlemen. Before smiling back up at her again. "Hello, Ma'am. A pleasure to make your aquiantance."

SNatcher all but bristled in sudden anger behind her and Poppy giggled at the adorable sight. "Well aren't ya a lil gentleman? Such nice manners!"

"Yes, Ma'am. My father taught me everything I know," Timmy said proudly letting go of her hand and placing his hat back on his head.

"Well he must be quite the gentlemen too raising such a polite young man."

Hazelle smirked again. "OH! Moonjumper's quite the nice and friendly guy. I'm sure he'd just LOVE to meet you too-'

"DON'T YOU HAVE PECKING HOCUS POCUS TO FILL YOUR HEADS WITH?!," Snatcher demanded in an angry voice already sick and tired of this ridiculous encounter.

"Oh. I guess you're right," Hazelle smiled down at Snatcher with a wink and turned. "Then I'll chat with you later, Snatchy dear.~ See you back in the forest." Throwing a look over her shoulder she tossed Poppy a smile and motioned for Timmy to follow her. "And I'll definately be seeing YOU later too, Red head. "

Snatcher growled as she left with Timmy trotting after her, and could feel anger oozing off of him like a building volcano would. He WOULD talk with Hazelle later, and she was NOT about to go flapping her gums to Moonboy and blow his cover!!!!

"You have a witch friend?," Poppy asked looking down to the shadow curiously waving bye and he growled.

"Unfortunately!.....She has her uses with her magic and potions, but she has absolute foolish behavior when it comes to personal boundaries," he huffed, "Are we done here? We better leave."

Poppy just rolled her eyes but agreed with Snatcher it was probably better to go before they all got in more trouble. Considering what she saw  with the poor old man and the unreasonable prices in her opinion, She figured it was better to leave while the getting was good. Beckoning the girls behind her, Poppy turned and started walking off back towards the way they came, leaving the man she flipped who was just now starting to push himself up. It'd be easier if Snatcher took them back the way they came right? While walking she thought she saw some of the men looking over at her when they passed but they quickly looked away when she snapped them a glare that could crack a diamond. She guessed the fella who ran off gossiped about what just happened to his pal by the water fountain, ok. Not that she cared. Let it serve as a warning to anyone else if they tried any funny business now. The small group went back the way they came. Back down the cobblestone path onto the docks and slowly making their way across it, some men on the docks still unloading some shipment from the ships there. Poppy took a glance or two at the ocean and admired the pretty blue scene. One mafia man walked out of the seafood cafe with a frowning face and turned in their direction. Absolutely freezing once he saw Poppy calmly walking along admiring the ocean, and his eyes became wide with fear.

"B-BOSS!! SCARY LADY IS AFTER MAFIA!! HELP!!," The man yelled at the top of his lungs before running back through the open doors of said resteraunt slamming it behind him with a bang.

......

.......

"So. We meet again Kid With The Hat!"

[agreementtale]

Chapter 9: 1.Never give all the information.

They were trapped.

Running.

Tired.

Didn’t know what to do.

Didn’t know where to go.

The underground had gone empty.

They called for their friends, someone, anyone.

From the dust covering their hands, came the answer.

On the shape of gut-wrenching screams.

“What is wrong with you?”

They were suffocating.

“Why do you have to do this every night?”

Hands trembling on their mouth, they rocked themselves.

“It’s just a nightmare!”

Soft whimpers came out of their sore throat

“What are you, a baby?”

Their brother was on their side holding their arm supportively.

“Scared of every little dream?”

They let their hands fall to his vines, taking deep breaths and trying to calm themselves.

“You’re lucky she was already sleeping this time” He was close, holding a fluffy thing to their arm, they took it.

It was the plush goat. Mom had restored it for them, it was all white, with soft fur, they touched the little curvy horns, and the small cute paws, fidgeting with the delicate wool, breathing deeply, listening to their brother’s voice.

“Or she would go another night with only four hours of sleep” The warm blanket, the vine patting their back, the familiar room, slowly it all made sense.

“Is…” they struggled to form a sentence.

“Yes, we are here and alive and blah blah blah” That was the only thing that mattered “So what was the stupid dream this time?” He never failed to ask.

“Underground…” they wheezed, feeling the texture on their hands, imagining their mother was the one holding them “Empty”

“The one we all left and you stayed here all alone?”

The guilt was crippling, but they battled for the strength to nod.

“It’s a stupid dream, we are trapped, remember?”

Yes, they knew that well.

“And even if we were free… Now that she has her claws on you, you aren’t going anywhere alone”

They could relax at that thought.

“Now go back to sleep, I’m tired” They cleaned their face with the sheets, grabbing the glass of water she had left on the nightstand.

“Good night... Flowey”

“Night” He made a cocoon of the little blanket around him.

They couldn’t sleep, though.

Their mind wandered to dark places every time they closed their eyes.

So they kept them wide open. It was night, the lamp as off, the room was faintly illuminated by a small star beside their bed, the golden light was pretty, they could stare directly and still don’t hurt their eyes.

Flowey could see it too, the save point had appeared in the room on the first night they saved here.

Mom could not, she had even commented how good their night vision was, when she caught them writing in the bed. They had thought the lamp was on, but it was just the star.

She had then proceeded to give them a lecture about eyes and the importance of a well-lit place to study, and posture and a good reading chair with proper back support. Flowey had looked smug the whole time. He always got this weird satisfaction seeing her scolding them, maybe because they actually listened when she was the one talking.

Lately he had even started to deliberately threaten them with it, when he wanted something they were not in the mood to do, he would became smug and say in a sing song voice ‘I’m telling her’, it was most of the times enough for them to rethink the situation, they didn’t want to worry Mom.

It was a two way street though, since he moved with them he had to control his tongue. Mom would not have kind of degrading comments, he would only ever call them ‘idiot’ or ‘stupid’ when they were exploring the ruins, far away from her. And when he slipped and called them names inside the house they would just smile smugly, seeing his face as he realized his mistake, and either smugly call for her, or hear his pleas of mercy, whatever felt funnier at the moment.

Seeing him sleeping on the boot was soothing, he was calm, he was safe. Mom was too. She was clearly doing better than when they first found her.

But it wasn’t enough.

And they had a list to prove that.

Maybe if they couldn’t sleep, they could start the day early.

They started writing down their thoughts and doing some drawings. Not that they were particularly good at drawings, but schemes were easier to remember than words.

They had gotten used to their lack of memory, if they really concentrated they could remember a thing or two, but they had to have a clear goal in mind. Putting themselves through different situations helped, a kind of learning as you go, they instinctively knew how to deal with a few monsters and better yet, they hadn’t lost a single fight since eating the pie.

Their muscles had more memories than their brain, apparently.

But then again, drawings.

Sometimes they would remember things in dreams, things that were not easy to put in words. On their dreams their friends were shadowed figures, nameless and voiceless.

There was a happy red and white and a calm white and blue, they drew the two patterns on the paper. For some reason it felt like they needed a little bit of indigo connecting them, then a little bit of orange and green for the first, and yellow for the second. They ended up with a page full of messy colors. But looking at it made them feel warm.

Next page they drew a strong indigo and a soft yellow, adding green to the first and purple to the second, the colors became fuzzy in this page, the forms were more important, they drew something like an arrow and a TV.

The third page they drew Mother, themselves and their brother, in a much less abstract way, they were holding hands and happy… but there was someone else that should be there… circling the three of them they drew a circle of white and yellow, on the outside of the circle they filled the page with blue and orange with bits of purple all around.

It took them quite some time, but they were proud of their art. Knowing that only they would know the meaning of it was rewarding.

But enough of drawing for today, they heard door noises and saw glimpses of light outside the door. Got out of the room silently, careful not to wake him up, they were taking too much of his sleep as it was, he deserved to rest.

She was in the kitchen, and seemed to be carrying a bag? It didn’t seem like she had just woken up. They approached quietly.

“You are up early, child” or at least they thought they were being quiet.

“Good morning” since they failed at being stealth, they just approached giving her a big hug, she gently brushed their hair, battling to keep a few rogue strands out of their face, they just giggled at the concentration on her face.

“Are you hungry?” Giving up from fixing their hair she grabbed something from the bag “I have something for you” pouring it on a cup she handled it to them.

“Apple!” they cheered while she grabbed a few more items for breakfast “How?” the liquid lingered on their mouth, it tasted like human food.

“It was a little tricky… but this old woman still has a few tricks up her sleeves” but how? There was no apples on the underground “Let’s say I have several little friends I can count on” little friends? She laughed at their confusion “if I’m willing to pay, that is” Oh! So the spiders had brought new items, they had to go take a look, after a whole month of waiting for their request, it was about time for it to arrive!

Having juice and a snail dish for breakfast, they negotiated having the classes for the afternoon instead, they were excited to see if the spiders had gotten the right items, and to start plotting how to use them.

They got out of the house without problems, but hadn’t walked too far before a displeased grunt made them aware of the flower following them.

“So you would just ditch me there?” they swore he had bags under his eyes.

“I just wanted you to have a little more time to sleep” he was following them on the ground, boot forgotten on the house.

“Yeah, and leave me alone with her…” they didn’t understand why this bothered him so much.

“I didn’t know she would wake you” It was no use, he kept complaining the whole morning, all the way from the spiders, who had fortunately brought a package for them until their way back home, when they found Napstablook.

They still hadn’t had a meaningful conversation with him, every time they were lucky to find him he vanished… at least the last few times they could talk a bit, before he disappeared. He seemed lonely, despite affirming he went here to be left alone, maybe it was just a matter of time until they grew on him.

They got home before lunch, quietly entering the house and hiding the package under their bed, they set Flowey inside the boot.

“Already back, child?” Her voice came from some unidentified place on the house, they could tell she was far, damn, she must have a super hearing or something…

They could test that “I am, is lunch ready?” they spoke in a soft voice, but she didn’t answered “I scrapped my knees a little, could you heal me?” said in a normal volume, it should give them a reaction... but it didn’t.

“You fell again?” he asked instead “How hard is walking with your human legs?” They made a shushing noise, so he quickly proceeded to ignore them. Still only calm and distant steps approaching.

When she finally reached the room she just called them for lunch and that was it, maybe she didn’t heard a thing, which was confusing, but they let it slide.

They spent the afternoon focusing their energy on the lessons and trying to ignore Flowey’s weird faces. He wanted them to miss what she was saying, and tried to cause a fuzz in general, they could see he was tired, but still he successfully hide every time she looked at him.

The afternoon went slowly, and the lessons were not that particularly interesting, but they still managed to pay attention for Toriel’s sake. Still they couldn’t be more happy when she released them for the day, going to her room, saying something about planning the next lessons.

They quickly ran to the kitchen, school activity always took her some time, and they were eager to get something done. Flowey just eyed them from the table on the other room, he knew better than question their weirdness, but they knew that if she got out of her bedroom he would find a way to warn them.

Scanning the kitchen they eyed the shelf, there was no way they could just reach there, maybe if they climbed…

With careful steps they balanced their feet on the cabinets, they successfully avoided making noises, the wood was strong, it didn’t even creak under their weight. The cabinets were far too distant from the shelf, but they had a nice view from there, something metallic caught their eye, she hadn’t moved the silverware since then.

Good.

It meant they could snatch a knife before running away.

…

It meant she trusted they wouldn’t…

Ignoring the surge of guilt they jumped back to the ground, they could steal a knife on any other day... not on the one she brought them their favorite juice…

Talking about juice!

They poured a big cup for themselves, enjoying how it tasted. It was definitely human made. It didn’t have the frizzling touch of magic, and left their breath smelling like apples, mouth watering from the weird sensation of a food made completely of matter.

Mom’s pie had matter, but it was mostly magic, this juice was more than just tasty, it was necessary for their development and survivor in the long run, it was very thoughtful of her to get them this.

They poured themselves another glass, a bit of juice on their stomach will be nice after the nightmares, maybe this time they can spare Flowey the trouble of comforting them.

Filling the cup till the brim, they left the bottle on the fridge, almost empty, they ignored this, going quietly to their room, one step after the other, so the liquid didn’t spill.

“Stealing juice? Really?” They stick their tongue out, passing by him in determined strides, apple juice was important enough!

He just rolled his eyes and kept reading the books on the table.

They didn’t have to be judged for the amount of juice they drank, they had done a decent job so far, they didn’t have any results yet, but they were working hard! And yes, their plan involved stealing from the most loving monster underground, but they had to do it! It wasn’t because they wanted to! And it wasn’t like they were hurting anyone, it wasn’t like they were going to hurt her, they weren’t… they–/

Crash!

The sound of breaking glass and sudden cold on their feet made them avert their gaze from the memory to the floor, it was a mess of juice and little shards, they spluttered apologies, paralyzed.

“Oh, child!” The monster formerly engulfed in flames morphed to take their mother’s form “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you” She was over them in an instant, the door to her room open in the hurry.

“Sorry” all her trouble to get fresh juice and they were wasting her efforts.

“No, it’s my fault, I shouldn’t be wandering” It was her house, she had all the right of walk around, they were the one startled for nothing.

“I dropped it” they had to stop being so disperse, it could be dangerous on serious situations.

“I startled you” her insistence caught their eye, she was hunched over them, not caring for the mess and probably stepping on the broken glass, guilt dwelling on her eyes.

“Mom” she looked at them, pupils small in a fear they didn’t understand “You didn’t do nothing wrong” she smiled, strained, empty.

“I should pay more attention” She pat their back softly, the usually comforting gesture was nothing of the sort, they could feel on her touch the underlying darkness dashing her hope.

“It’s just a cup of juice” it made no sense.

“What if you got hurt?”

“I’m fine” They were not the ones stepping on glass.

“But I…” They held her head with both arms.

“Mother” she looked quickly in their eyes “It’s ok” her expression was difficult to read “I’m ok” they smiled, trying to make her believe it, holding her incredibly tense shoulders, she seemed to ease a little.

“How about I clean this then?” She got back to her usual posture, her eyes much more serene than before.

They nodded “I can collect the shards an–/” Before they could finish she had scooped them up in her arms.

“Absolutely not young one” Her height and broad torso made them feel small, the easiness she carried them only added to feeling like a toddler “you are not getting near broken glass barehanded and barefooted”

She delicately placed them on the reading chair, signaling for them not to move “But I can help!” For the first time they felt annoyance for being infantilized, they had dealt with worse things than glass.

“By getting cut and bleeding everywhere?” Flowey taunted from the table.

“I can handle sharp objects” They retorted, he looked at them with a strange expression, then looking at mom, she was walking to the kitchen. He leaned closer, they understood, angling the chair so she would not see their interaction.

“Do not get hurt in front of her” he whispered quickly “you saw how she got” by the seriousness on his tone he had seen the whole scene “she don’t deserve that” they agreed.

“There there” as soon as she entered the room they pretended nothing had happened “Now stay still, there may be some shards on you” She kneeled in front of them, holding a piece of cloth.

Delicately she cleaned their foot, making sure to dry and remove any solid piece. If it was that important to her, they didn’t mind behaving like a child. Diligently she did it again, using a little bit of green magic, just to make sure.

“Cat got your tongue?” His mocking tone confused them, but instead of his evil face he had a serious one, right, they must have been quiet for too long.

“Silence is the best reply to a fool” They countered, he made a disbelieving noise, but they were on the same page. She was looking at her handwork, like convincing herself that they were unharmed “Don’t you think mother?”

“Ha ha” she was quick on disguising her distress “Your sibling is correct, sometimes silence is more powerful than words”

“So they get to call me a fool, but I can’t call them an idiot?” Her hand stopped fidgeting on the cloth, she seemed to be either real quick to get a hold of herself, or have some practice on ignoring her own discomfort to assist the ones she cared for.

“It’s not an insult if it’s true” They beat her to answering him.

A few more rounds of nitpicking earned them long minutes of scolding, by the end of it, she was back to her usual self and they were sent back to their room without any cookie for the night, but only after she attentively cleaned the hall from the glass, still smelt like apple, though.

The whole ordeal had taken longer than they thought, taking the bag from under their bed they held the first item, a flask of powdered cinnamon, deciding to postpone baking to a happier day the flask was promptly hidden on the drawer.

The second item was a unbranded bottle that read ‘make your fur fabulous’ and ‘snow version’, there were a few instructions handwritten on the back. They hoped the money was enough to buy something decent, but if their guts told them to trust the little spiders, trust they would.

“So what?” he asked yawning, safely allocated on the nightstand beside their bed “you are just going to ditch this thing on her soap?”

“I was thinking of going for a swim and convincing her to join me… then ditching it on her soap”

“Sounds dumb” How he could not see how fun an entire day playing in the water would be?

“Have a better idea?” Asked, already expecting a negative answer.

“A hair cut”

“A what?” Her fur wasn’t long enough for it to be called hair…

“Your hair is long, it’s getting in your eyes, she ask if you want her to cut it for you, you say yes, but you want to make her hair too, she laughs, say yes, and you use this thing the right way” he said sleepily.

“That… is actually very thoughtful” if it worked they would comment how pretty she was, and she was surely to want to use that on the rest of her fur.

“That’s cause I don’t do the first dumb thing that comes to my mind” He closed his eyes in another yawn “I think before acting” getting comfortable, a little blanket around his stem.

“Well, thank you, it’s the perfect idea” he had his eyes closed, but he smiled a little, he should be exhausted “good night Flowey”

“Night” he murmured.

For his idea to work they should make it obvious they needed the haircut, so she was the one to offer, then they could demand the exchange. Simply asking her seemed too straight forward, but if she didn’t gave the first step, they could always try it.

“The hallway is clean” she announced opening the door softly and entering on the room “But just to make sure, don’t walk barefoot until I clean it again tomorrow” tucking them in the blankets she looked completely fine now “The night has a habit of hiding small missteps”

“Good night” said making an acknowledging gesture.

“Good night, child” She gave a light kiss on their forehead, turning to Flowey, that slept on the nightstand “Good night for you too, young one” she said tucking his blanket.

“Night mom” She tensed for a second, then relaxed a lovingly feeling all but emanating from her.

“Your brother is a funny child” she said with a smile on her face, he was still pleasantly unaware of the world around him.

“He is” turning the lights off, she walked out of the room. They wondered if they should tell him about his unconscious confession, or if this would make him avoid her more than normal. They decided not to. They would save this memory as it was.

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[chadpetersondatingblog]

13 DIY Couples’ Costume Ideas That Are Better Than Anything You Can Buy In A Store

I love Halloween. I love creepy things. I love parties. I love candy (but not candy corn, gross). And most of all, I love making things. So, it’s pretty much the perfect holiday for someone like me. I spend all year making little notes on my phone of good couples costume ideas and mentally engineering their creation so that by the time fall rolls around, I’m all set and ready to go. But let’s assume that, unlike me, you aren’t a neurotic Halloween lover and you don’t have a ton of DIY couples costume ideas in your phone. Don’t worry, you can have some of mine. Trust me, I’ve got plenty.

So, whether you prefer something cute, sexy, or nightmare-inducing, I’ve figured out how to put it on your bods. Yes, you could just run down to the local costume store, but that’s so boring! That’s how you end up at a party with everyone in the same Harley Quinn and Jack Sparrow costumes. Anyone can buy a costume at the store, but it takes a bit more effort and creativity to make it yourself. And really, don’t you and your partner deserve to win all the contests this year?

Here are some ideas to borrow, or at least to get your creativity flowin’.

1. Baby And Debora From Baby Driver

Giphy

This year’s coolest couple, hands down, are Baby and Debora from Baby Driver. If you have a partner who’s tough to talk into dressing up for Halloween, this is the couples costume he won’t be able to turn down. Who doesn’t want to be a bad ass get away driver? As a bonus, it’s actually really cool stuff you will want to wear year round.

For Debora, you’ll want to find a cute retro waitress dress and pair it with a sheepskin lined denim jacket. The Baby costume is just as easy: You just need the varsity style jacket, a white tee, black wayfarers, jeans, and black shoes. If you really want to complete the look, you can add a scar with with wax. Just make sure not to forget the earbuds!

2. The Fairly Odd Parents

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Want to be Wanda and Cosmo for Halloween this year? Your wish is my command. This one will take some minor fabrication, but I promise you are totally up for it. For Wanda, you will need a yellow tee, black pants, wings, and pink hair spray. Cosmo’s outfit is just a white button up shirt, black tie, black pants, green hair spray, and, of course, some more fairy wings. That just leaves their fairy crowns and wands. Time to get crafty. To create the crowns, you’ll need small headbands that will blend in your hair, a sheet of yellow foam, and some craft wire. To make the wand, you’ll need some wood dowels painted black, and you can use the leftover foam sheet to make the stars.

3. Yorkie And Kelly from Black Mirror

Netflix

Did you cry like a baby when Black Mirror’s San Junipero episode took home the Emmy for Outstanding Television series this year, too? Yeah, that’s because Yorkie and Kelly are everything, including this year’s queer girl couples costume goals. Unless you want to spend your next month trawling through a million thrift shops to find the perfect blinged-out jacket, the key is to just find modern pieces, which, when accessorized properly, give them an ’80s feel.

To channel Yorkie’s party girl vibe, you’ll need an embellished purple jacket, black corset top, and black harem pants. Top it off with a black oversized bow in the hair. To capture the adorable nerdiness of Kelly, pair a light blue sweatshirt with a pink collared shirt, khaki shorts, and don’t forget the wire-rimmed glasses. Cutest duo ever.

4. Cards Against Humanity

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Need a last minute costume that is actually awesome? Good news: This one only requires some foam boards and black and white paint pens! If you want to get more interactive, opt for chalkboards and erasable pens. Warning: That can get very dangerous as the night goes on and the drinks are flowing. Hmm, actually, that pretty much describes every game of Cards Against Humanity I’ve ever played, so it’s on theme!

5. Diana Prince And Steve Trevor From Wonder Woman

Warner Bros. Pictures

All I want in life is to be Wonder Woman. Is that too much to ask? Yes, yes, it is, because I don’t have the fabrication skills to create a breast plate. Now her disguise outfit… that’s something I can achieve. Was there anyone more dapper than Diana Prince and Steve Trevor as they made their way through the streets of 1910s London? Nope, and this is how you steal their style this Halloween.

This is not a warm-climate-appropriate costume. Go this route only if your Halloween is going to be on the chilly side. To get the Diana look, you’ll need a wool houndstooth coat, belted. Under the coat, you’ll need a white collared shirt, long skirt, and Victorian style boots. Oh, and don’t forget her sword. Steve’s costume is made of up layers: Start with a turtleneck sweater, topped with a brown leather vest and sheepskin lined coat. Pair all of this with a pair of dark khaki pants and black boots. Top it off with a navy brood hat to really nail the period costume.

6. The Purge

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Personally, I love a scary costume on Halloween, and what is scarier than the idea of all your friends and neighbors suddenly turning into homicidal maniacs for 12 hours every year? Plus, this costume is great if you’re a procrastinator, because it can be made up almost entirely of things you already have in your wardrobe. Your best bets are something sexy — or ironic — like lingerie, a prom dress, or a tux. To complete the look, you’ll need to make a mask, and there are great tutorials online on how to turn them into Purge masks. And of course, you’ll need your killing spree weapons of choice.

7. Pop Art

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Another last-minute costume that will still wow at any Halloween party is to turn the two of you into living pop art. There are some great tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through the makeup technique. To complete the look, think retro-inspired comic book clothing, and you can add speech bubbles with a headband, craft wire, and some paper. One last bit of advice: I highly suggest a few practice run throughs before hand. Otherwise your costume might be a living Pinterest fail instead.

8. Dipper And Mabel

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Is it creepy if your couples costume is made up of a brother and sister? Nah, not when it’s Dipper and Mable. They’re hardly the Lannisters, if you know what I’m sayin’. Anyway, moving on. Here’s how to become Gravity Falls’ greatest mystery solvers. For Dipper, you’ll need an orange t-shirt, blue vest, white socks, black shoes, and grey shorts. To complete the look, you’ll also need his signature hat, and to create that you need a blue trucker hat and some fabric paint to add the little blue tree. You might as well get the whole fabric paint kit, because you’re going to need a few more colors to create Mabel’s rainbow and star turtleneck. The rest of her costume is easy; it’s just a denim skirt, white knee socks, and some black ballet flats. Oh, and her headband too, of course. Cryptids of the Northwest will shiver when they see you coming.

9. Ellie And Grant From Jurassic Park

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You know who were an awesome couple? Ellie and Grant from Jurassic Park. They were smart, adventurous, and totally went toe-to-toe with prehistoric monsters… and won! Total couples goals. Yes, I know they weren’t together in the sequels, but let’s just make a pact to pretend they never happened, OK? Good. Moving on.

Here is how you can become Ellie and Grant for Halloween. Spoiler alert: Brace for khaki. For Ellie, you’ll need khaki shorts, a blue tank top, a pink button up (tied at the waist), hiking boots, and grey socks. For Grant, khaki pants, a denim shirt, a red bandana tied at the neck, hiking boots, and top it off with a wide brimmed fedora. Oh, and some dinosaur props really tie it all together.

If your boo isn’t really a “Grant type,” there’s always the doctor of chaos himself, Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcom. Just sayin’.

10. Hook And Tinker Bell

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Who wants to be Peter Pan and Wendy when you can be Tink and Hook? They have all the best accessories anyway. I dunno, I ship ’em. To create a cool Captain Hook, you need a red blazer, white blouse, a hook, and pirate captain’s hat with feathers. To get your Tinker Bell on, you’ll want a green tulle dress and fairy wings. Simple and cute.

11. Pennywise And Georgie From It

Giphy

Did you see It yet? Of course you did — everyone has. Thats because it’s scary as hell. I had nightmares for two nights after I saw it that Pennywise was peeking in my window. How messed up is that? Anyway, that also means it’s going to be a fantastic couples costume if you want to terrorize everyone else at the party. What else is Halloween for, right? The Georgie costume is easy; all you really need a is a hooded yellow rain coat, rain boots, and maybe a paper boat. To create your Pennywise, you’ll need a men’s white ruffled shirt, neck ruff, and pirate style pants. Add red pompoms down the front and on the toes of the shoes. Top it off with a red wig, killer clown makeup, and a red balloon. Why? Because they float. They all float.

12. Nasa And The Stars

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I love this couples costume, because what is more “meant to be together” than a NASA nerd and the galaxy? It’s sweet and clever and probably mostly already in your closet. Don’t lie — we all bought a galaxy dress in the last few years. Now you get to pull it back out and be the cutest couple at the party. For your astronomy nerd costume, you’ll just need a NASA tee, some nerd glasses (or add tape to yours), and suspenders are a nice touch. The stars really aligned for this costumes. Eh? Nudge, nudge.

13. Rick And Morty From Rick And Morty

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You’re gonna wubba-dubba-dub-love this costume idea! Want a reason to love Rick and Morty, I mean besides the fact that it’s just stone cold genius? This season they decided to implement gender parity in the writer’s room, and the show has never been better. Plus, when internet jerks decided it would be awesome to doxx those writers, creator Dan Harmon publicly smacked them down. Awesome. OK, now that you are pumped to celebrate all things Rick and Morty, here’s how to achieve the look. For Rick, you’ll need a lab coat, light blue shirt, khaki pants, a wig, and his trusty portal gun. Morty’s costume is a yellow shirt and jeans, but I

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[ashleyjacksonblog]

13 DIY Couples’ Costume Ideas That Are Better Than Anything You Can Buy In A Store

I love Halloween. I love creepy things. I love parties. I love candy (but not candy corn, gross). And most of all, I love making things. So, it’s pretty much the perfect holiday for someone like me. I spend all year making little notes on my phone of good couples costume ideas and mentally engineering their creation so that by the time fall rolls around, I’m all set and ready to go. But let’s assume that, unlike me, you aren’t a neurotic Halloween lover and you don’t have a ton of DIY couples costume ideas in your phone. Don’t worry, you can have some of mine. Trust me, I’ve got plenty.

So, whether you prefer something cute, sexy, or nightmare-inducing, I’ve figured out how to put it on your bods. Yes, you could just run down to the local costume store, but that’s so boring! That’s how you end up at a party with everyone in the same Harley Quinn and Jack Sparrow costumes. Anyone can buy a costume at the store, but it takes a bit more effort and creativity to make it yourself. And really, don’t you and your partner deserve to win all the contests this year?

Here are some ideas to borrow, or at least to get your creativity flowin’.

1. Baby And Debora From Baby Driver

Giphy

This year’s coolest couple, hands down, are Baby and Debora from Baby Driver. If you have a partner who’s tough to talk into dressing up for Halloween, this is the couples costume he won’t be able to turn down. Who doesn’t want to be a bad ass get away driver? As a bonus, it’s actually really cool stuff you will want to wear year round.

For Debora, you’ll want to find a cute retro waitress dress and pair it with a sheepskin lined denim jacket. The Baby costume is just as easy: You just need the varsity style jacket, a white tee, black wayfarers, jeans, and black shoes. If you really want to complete the look, you can add a scar with with wax. Just make sure not to forget the earbuds!

2. The Fairly Odd Parents

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Want to be Wanda and Cosmo for Halloween this year? Your wish is my command. This one will take some minor fabrication, but I promise you are totally up for it. For Wanda, you will need a yellow tee, black pants, wings, and pink hair spray. Cosmo’s outfit is just a white button up shirt, black tie, black pants, green hair spray, and, of course, some more fairy wings. That just leaves their fairy crowns and wands. Time to get crafty. To create the crowns, you’ll need small headbands that will blend in your hair, a sheet of yellow foam, and some craft wire. To make the wand, you’ll need some wood dowels painted black, and you can use the leftover foam sheet to make the stars.

3. Yorkie And Kelly from Black Mirror

Netflix

Did you cry like a baby when Black Mirror’s San Junipero episode took home the Emmy for Outstanding Television series this year, too? Yeah, that’s because Yorkie and Kelly are everything, including this year’s queer girl couples costume goals. Unless you want to spend your next month trawling through a million thrift shops to find the perfect blinged-out jacket, the key is to just find modern pieces, which, when accessorized properly, give them an ’80s feel.

To channel Yorkie’s party girl vibe, you’ll need an embellished purple jacket, black corset top, and black harem pants. Top it off with a black oversized bow in the hair. To capture the adorable nerdiness of Kelly, pair a light blue sweatshirt with a pink collared shirt, khaki shorts, and don’t forget the wire-rimmed glasses. Cutest duo ever.

4. Cards Against Humanity

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Need a last minute costume that is actually awesome? Good news: This one only requires some foam boards and black and white paint pens! If you want to get more interactive, opt for chalkboards and erasable pens. Warning: That can get very dangerous as the night goes on and the drinks are flowing. Hmm, actually, that pretty much describes every game of Cards Against Humanity I’ve ever played, so it’s on theme!

5. Diana Prince And Steve Trevor From Wonder Woman

Warner Bros. Pictures

All I want in life is to be Wonder Woman. Is that too much to ask? Yes, yes, it is, because I don’t have the fabrication skills to create a breast plate. Now her disguise outfit… that’s something I can achieve. Was there anyone more dapper than Diana Prince and Steve Trevor as they made their way through the streets of 1910s London? Nope, and this is how you steal their style this Halloween.

This is not a warm-climate-appropriate costume. Go this route only if your Halloween is going to be on the chilly side. To get the Diana look, you’ll need a wool houndstooth coat, belted. Under the coat, you’ll need a white collared shirt, long skirt, and Victorian style boots. Oh, and don’t forget her sword. Steve’s costume is made of up layers: Start with a turtleneck sweater, topped with a brown leather vest and sheepskin lined coat. Pair all of this with a pair of dark khaki pants and black boots. Top it off with a navy brood hat to really nail the period costume.

6. The Purge

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Personally, I love a scary costume on Halloween, and what is scarier than the idea of all your friends and neighbors suddenly turning into homicidal maniacs for 12 hours every year? Plus, this costume is great if you’re a procrastinator, because it can be made up almost entirely of things you already have in your wardrobe. Your best bets are something sexy — or ironic — like lingerie, a prom dress, or a tux. To complete the look, you’ll need to make a mask, and there are great tutorials online on how to turn them into Purge masks. And of course, you’ll need your killing spree weapons of choice.

7. Pop Art

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Another last-minute costume that will still wow at any Halloween party is to turn the two of you into living pop art. There are some great tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through the makeup technique. To complete the look, think retro-inspired comic book clothing, and you can add speech bubbles with a headband, craft wire, and some paper. One last bit of advice: I highly suggest a few practice run throughs before hand. Otherwise your costume might be a living Pinterest fail instead.

8. Dipper And Mabel

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Is it creepy if your couples costume is made up of a brother and sister? Nah, not when it’s Dipper and Mable. They’re hardly the Lannisters, if you know what I’m sayin’. Anyway, moving on. Here’s how to become Gravity Falls’ greatest mystery solvers. For Dipper, you’ll need an orange t-shirt, blue vest, white socks, black shoes, and grey shorts. To complete the look, you’ll also need his signature hat, and to create that you need a blue trucker hat and some fabric paint to add the little blue tree. You might as well get the whole fabric paint kit, because you’re going to need a few more colors to create Mabel’s rainbow and star turtleneck. The rest of her costume is easy; it’s just a denim skirt, white knee socks, and some black ballet flats. Oh, and her headband too, of course. Cryptids of the Northwest will shiver when they see you coming.

9. Ellie And Grant From Jurassic Park

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You know who were an awesome couple? Ellie and Grant from Jurassic Park. They were smart, adventurous, and totally went toe-to-toe with prehistoric monsters… and won! Total couples goals. Yes, I know they weren’t together in the sequels, but let’s just make a pact to pretend they never happened, OK? Good. Moving on.

Here is how you can become Ellie and Grant for Halloween. Spoiler alert: Brace for khaki. For Ellie, you’ll need khaki shorts, a blue tank top, a pink button up (tied at the waist), hiking boots, and grey socks. For Grant, khaki pants, a denim shirt, a red bandana tied at the neck, hiking boots, and top it off with a wide brimmed fedora. Oh, and some dinosaur props really tie it all together.

If your boo isn’t really a “Grant type,” there’s always the doctor of chaos himself, Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcom. Just sayin’.

10. Hook And Tinker Bell

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Who wants to be Peter Pan and Wendy when you can be Tink and Hook? They have all the best accessories anyway. I dunno, I ship ’em. To create a cool Captain Hook, you need a red blazer, white blouse, a hook, and pirate captain’s hat with feathers. To get your Tinker Bell on, you’ll want a green tulle dress and fairy wings. Simple and cute.

11. Pennywise And Georgie From It

Giphy

Did you see It yet? Of course you did — everyone has. Thats because it’s scary as hell. I had nightmares for two nights after I saw it that Pennywise was peeking in my window. How messed up is that? Anyway, that also means it’s going to be a fantastic couples costume if you want to terrorize everyone else at the party. What else is Halloween for, right? The Georgie costume is easy; all you really need a is a hooded yellow rain coat, rain boots, and maybe a paper boat. To create your Pennywise, you’ll need a men’s white ruffled shirt, neck ruff, and pirate style pants. Add red pompoms down the front and on the toes of the shoes. Top it off with a red wig, killer clown makeup, and a red balloon. Why? Because they float. They all float.

12. Nasa And The Stars

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I love this couples costume, because what is more “meant to be together” than a NASA nerd and the galaxy? It’s sweet and clever and probably mostly already in your closet. Don’t lie — we all bought a galaxy dress in the last few years. Now you get to pull it back out and be the cutest couple at the party. For your astronomy nerd costume, you’ll just need a NASA tee, some nerd glasses (or add tape to yours), and suspenders are a nice touch. The stars really aligned for this costumes. Eh? Nudge, nudge.

13. Rick And Morty From Rick And Morty

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You’re gonna wubba-dubba-dub-love this costume idea! Want a reason to love Rick and Morty, I mean besides the fact that it’s just stone cold genius? This season they decided to implement gender parity in the writer’s room, and the show has never been better. Plus, when internet jerks decided it would be awesome to doxx those writers, creator Dan Harmon publicly smacked them down. Awesome. OK, now that you are pumped to celebrate all things Rick and Morty, here’s how to achieve the look. For Rick, you’ll need a lab coat, light blue shirt, khaki pants, a wig, and his trusty portal gun. Morty’s costume is a yellow shirt and jeans, but I

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Stealing into the basement after his parents were asleep had been the easy part. The tricky maneuver was getting his father's new time machine turned on, and running smoothly before his father came down to stop him. It had been his father's intention to make the first ever test trip back into the past, and Johnny couldn't let his dad take that chance. After all, he was over 55 years old, and there was no telling what physical conditions were needed for a trip like this. And since Johnny was in the best physical shape he'd ever been in he figured it would be better, at least for the first test, if he went instead of his father. He left his father's settings on the machine, and then threw the main power switch. There was an immediate humming that quickly intensified to the point that the very air around Johnny began to vibrate. A sudden flash of lightning as an dark oval window appeared out of nowhere in front of Johnny, and as he heard footsteps in the kitchen above him he stepped through the time portal. Johnny was amazed. The trip through his fathers latest invention the space/time portal had landed him gently out in a field with a sky full of stars, and the horizon full of vehicular headlights all heading one way, and not getting there very fast. A quick look at his watch told him that he had until noon two days from now before he had to return to his own time at this very spot. He quickly took note that he was standing on a boulder next to a scarecrow, and then headed in the direction everybody else was going. He knew that his father's new time machine had been set for upstate New York, sometime in the late 60's, and that this was it's first test run, but that was all he knew. He found the problem of the stalled headlights 15 minutes later. It was an old school bus with a weird paint scheme, and steam billowing out of the engine compartment. "What seems to be the problem?" He asked the thin black man with the grease stained face. "Damn engine keeps overheating, and I can't figure it out," the stranger then looked at him, and his eyes went wide in surprise, "look honkey, what I don't need is another lecture on the complexities of the internal combustion engine. If I don't got the money, then I can hardly afford paying a mechanic, right?" "Actually," Johnny said, "I was going to say you need a little duct tape for that radiator hose." "Duct tape?" "I have some here in my ruck sack, hold on, I'll have it fixed for you in a jiff." Two minutes later Johnny had the entire hose wrapped up in duct tape. "There ya go, just add water, and she'll be okay." "Yeah, but for how long?" Asked the black man. "Well, it might last a year, but you'd be better off replacing the hose before then." "No shit? Thanks. And sorry about the honkey thing, I was just a little on edge. Hey, if you want to you can ride with us... um..." and he put out his hand. "Johnny," he finished for him shaking the offered hand. "Johnny, eh. I know how that goes. My name is James, but everybody calls me Jimmy. Hop in." The bus was filled with black people who suddenly stopped what they were doing as they saw the white man in their midst. "This is Johnny, he's okay," James said by way of introduction, "he fixed the engine for us." And just as quickly as they had stopped they went right back to doing what they were before spotting him. He took note that many of the people had musical instruments in front of them, and that they were in a heated debate about what key to play in for the national anthem. Not being a musician himself Johnny just took the nearest seat as the bus lurched forward, and enjoyed the ride. In less than half an hour they reached what Johnny could only describe as some strange, maybe even cult like huge campgrounds in the middle of a farm. People everywhere were hugging, and kissing, singing strange folksy, but not quite country western songs that he wasn't quite familiar with, and they all were drinking a great deal of wine. Everyone it seemed smoked in this era, and dressed in strange denim costumes, or next to nothing in the diminishing heat, but at least they had long hair like him even if not as hygienic as he kept his. "Thanks again," James said stopping to let him out, and this time gave Johnny a hug, and then slipped him a piece of paper. "You can use that to get backstage. See you at the concert." "I could easily get lost here," Johnny chuckled to himself as the bus continued on without him. "Who are you looking for?" The voice sounding like musical notes was strangely familiar. When he turned to see who had questioned him his mouth gaped open, as he got lost in the brilliant deep blue eyes framed in delicate lattices of the natural straight ass length blond smiling demigoddess. Her buxom top wrapped in a flowery print halter only emphasized her sculpted racy curves, and tight yet dainty musculature below. Her extremely short denim skirt barely covered her pubic area enough to hide her bottom even while standing. "They call me Daffodil," and again that musical aura of hers seemed hauntingly familiar. She put her hand out to shake Johnny's, and he started trembling the moment she put her hand in his. "So, are you looking for anyone special, or just here by yourself to enjoy the concert?" "The latter I'm afraid," he replied, hypnotized by everything about the girl. "Groovy, you can join us then," and she led him to a modest campfire nearby with five small tents surrounding it, and blankets scattered around like throw rugs with people sitting, drinking, smoking, and some even necking as they joined the small group. The looks on their faces as he came into their campfire light were as if they'd seen a ghost. "Hey John! Get out here!" Yelled out the svelte redhead with flowers in her hair sitting with what looked like a real Native American passing a long pipe around. "I think your soul double just arrived." "Say what?" Asked Johnny's spitting image coming out of the tent to his right, closely followed by a cute brunette, both of whom were buckling their belts. The youthful face with the scraggly three-day-old beard, and wildly curly hair could only be Johnny's father, John Howard Jr. His face mirroring Johnny's own astonishment at each other's similarities. "Well, since I'm an only child, and all of my cousins are girls I'm certain that we aren't related," his father's voice held a vigor, and arrogance to it at this time that he wasn't use to, but it was comforting just the same when they shook hands. "And you would be?" "I'm J... Joe," he replied, almost saying his real name. "Well, two J's, eh. Welcome to my little commune, Joe." His arms going wide to indicate the immediate vicinity around the campfire. "Make yourself comfortable. The woman are as easy as they want to be, so be cool, and I'm sure one of them will bed down with you if they want to. If not there are plenty of free lovers around to take the edge off. Hell, maybe even Daff-o-dilly will give up her cherry while we're here." "You are such a fool John Howard," came her musical retort, "and don't forget stud, you had your chance already." The scowl that crossed over his father's face then was so familiar it almost made him laugh out loud. The laugh died a borning as the goddess next to him suddenly whirled, and kissed him full on the mouth. Her tongue like that of a snake entering his mouth insidiously began dueling with his own. Her breasts poking into his chest made it clear that she had no bra on under that halter top, and he found himself instantly erect, and gasping for breath. Though to be truthful he could have melted in her Juicy Fruit vortex for the rest of his life. "You can sleep in my tent," Daffodil said after they broke from their kiss. "Bitch!" Johnny heard his father grumble mumbling before returning to his own tent with the brunette in tow. "Not so ruff this time John," murmured the brunette as she followed. "He's just jealous," Daffodil giggled. "I don't want to get in between you two if there's something going on," Johnny said. "There was until Miss Twiggy came along and spread her legs," she nodded at the tent where his dad and the brunette were. "But don't worry, he wouldn't really hurt a fly. I'd kick his ass if he even tried." "I think you would," Johnny agreed, his face as mirthful as a Leprechaun. "My father is a Green Beret," she stated semi proudly, "and he taught me how to defend myself before going off to Vietnam." The look of total shock that came over Johnny right then as he suddenly realized just who the hell his love goddess really was had Daffodil slightly off plumb for a moment before she added; "We obviously haven't always agreed on government policy." "Daffodil isn't your real name, is it?" Johnny said. "Well, I was born Daphne Ann Sedgway, but I think Daffodil fits me much better, don't you?" His mother's smile now so much more brilliant, and innocent than it was in the future at the sage old age of 55. "Just how old are you Daff," he decided on using her nickname to keep on safe turf not realizing that he shouldn't have known that her grandmother had called her that for years. Her eyes glimmered in delight though, just the same. "I turned 18 last spring, why?" "I just don't want to be accused of child molesting later on." He lied, having no intention whatsoever of ending up in the sheets with his own mother, even if she was the most gorgeous woman he'd ever met. "Groovy," she said, and handed him a bottle of wine labeled Bali-Hi. It wasn't bad, even though it was very fruity as if concentrated, but there was definitely alcohol in it. "It's two parts Bali, and one part Stoly," she informed him as they settled down together close enough to the fire to take the chill of night off them. "Without the vodka it's just too tame to even get a buzz off of, and since I don't smoke I need all the mellow yellowing I can get." "I see," Johnny said, and ended up gulping down a great big slug when his mother's delicate hand brushed up against his cock through his trousers. "So tell me, who's your favorite?" She asked, all bubbly and in his face. "My favorite?" "The Dead, Country Joe, Jimmy, Janis? Need I go on?" She was obviously talking about something, but he wasn't quite sure how to answer until it suddenly came to him that she was talking about the performers in this out of doors open concert. "Actually, Daff, I'm a closet Beatles fan," he confessed truthfully, "always have been." "No shit? Me too! Even their early stuff. Oh, but don't tell John, he's really into all of this anti war, and free love culture. Don't get me wrong, I am too, but that's still my daddy over there, and I love him with all of my heart." Johnny had never met his grandfather on his mother's side, he'd died shortly after Vietnam from Agent Orange contamination. Oh he'd heard all of his mother's stories about the man, but until now they'd only been stories. Ranting by his mother about a man that she'd hardly known. The giggling, slightly inebriated young woman next to him barely resembling a sister that he'd never had. But if she suspected anything it was that Joe was flirting back at her, not that this was the only child that she would ever bear. And the fact that Joe looked so much like her one true love didn't hurt either. "Here, have some more Bali/Stoly," and she passed him the bottle once again. In all of his life Johnny had never seen his mother drink alcohol to get drunk, but she certainly was now. And getting more comfortable in front of him she was displaying more of her charms than a lady like her normally would. Johnny could see up her skirt as she sat lotus fashion, and Daff/Daphne/Daffodil wasn't wearing any panties under her mini skirt. "Like what you see, stud?" His mother's thick kinky blond pubic thatch had little sparkling dewdrops mixed up in it that had Johnny's rapt attention. He tried not to look, but he couldn't help himself, taking note that her slit was clearly visible through the thick blond forest, and had a delicate softness, and intimacy to it that he couldn't fail to notice, or appreciate. This young ripe woman in full bloom was a virgin, and more than ready for the biggest thrill of her life. But by her own son from the future? "Yes, very much," he replied at last, still unsure of himself. "What say we finish up this wine, and retire to my tent then?" Just who was seducing who here, Johnny wondered, but gulped down some more of the thick fruity cocktail just the same, and passed it back to her. "All things in moderation," she said, then finished off the bottle, and took his hand crouching down then, leading the way into her tent. She was all over him the moment that they were securely secluded inside, and Johnny couldn't help but react as any red-blooded male would given the situation. Daphne had his shirt off in seconds, her halter-top following close behind floated to the floor with it. Their naked chests pressing up against each other as they kissed passionately. Daphne's hands moving in between them to undo Johnny's pants soon had them puddled down around his ankles. Her fingers quickly taking hold of his cock through his boxer shorts almost made Johnny cum on the spot. "Easy Maw... my darling," he'd almost said mom, "let's go slow, and enjoy this. One of us at least is a virgin, and I know it isn't me." "I can't help it, Joe, you make me so damn hot! It's almost..." and she blushed profusely. "Almost what?" He inquired, and reached up to fondle the exquisite breasts that he'd sucked milk from so long ago. "It's silly really," Daphne replied, but forced herself to continue, "I have a cousin, and we almost, well, you know. But then my dad interrupted us calling me back to the picnic, and nothing happened." "I see," he said, and wondered at the woman he had never really known, but grown up with just the same. "Please, Joe, I need it so bad. Do something!" "Okay, let's get comfortable first," and he eased her down on to the bedding. With his cock as hard as a rock, and dripping precum he needed a little time to cool off enough to take his mom to seventh heaven the way she needed to this first time. He helped her squirm out of her mini skirt, and gazed with lust upon the one naked woman in the world he had no business lusting after. The one woman in the world who was so absolutely beautiful that it simply took his breath away every time he looked at her, or she looked at him. In Johnny's time period it was common for young women to have a bikini wax, or even have most of their pubic thatch shaved away, or trimmed down. But here in his mother's youth it wasn't the norm at all. And her wild hairy muff was like some jungle, or lost continent that called to him. The beating of his own heart like native drums pounding in his ears. There was a scent in the air like that of smoldering Jasmine leaves, and it wasn't coming from any incense burning nearby. Sweet, and tart both it was filled with a special innocence of youth, and her subtle perfume. The intoxicating fragrance becoming more pungent as his face moved nearer to his mother's widely spread thighs until at last he was no longer capable of pulling away. So caught up in his mother's youthful subliminal seduction was he, that it actually startled him when he found his tongue slurping up along the length of her hot moist fur covered slit. Her hands running through his hair then pulled him in tight to her groin as she groaned in muffled release loud enough to make those outside of her tent snicker. "Oh yesss!" She hissed. "Don't stop, please Johnny, don't stop!" He was startled that she had called him by name, and then he realized that she was calling out to his father John Jr., and not him. As Joe he was only the mirror image of his mother's fantasy lover, and as his father's look alike was really relegated to the duty of a living, breathing doll with a talented tongue, and none vibrating dildo as far as his young mother was concerned. And then he remembered what the brunette had murmured before following his father in that tent. It would never do for a virgin like Daphne to be broken in by a selfish ruff house lover as his father obviously was at this time in his life. It could have easily ruined her as far as having sex with men was concerned. No, it was much better to have an experienced gentle caring lover the first time, and Johnny was all of that long before he'd made this journey back into the late 1960's. And that thanks to the gentle warm and caring nurturing of the very woman whose musky pussy he had his tongue in at that very moment. Johnny knew she was ready for the real deal after hearing her sigh into her fourth tongue induced spirited orgasm as she wriggled her ass up at his face. Her legs at last stopped scissoring his neck, and flopped to the ground spread wide open. He too was ready to penetrate her vagina, but he had to be especially careful from here on out. He began to kiss her soft inner thighs, and then worked his way upward along her taunt belly. Paying special attention to her belly button, he tongued it as if it were a tiny mouth, then proceeded upwards towards her mountainous mammary. He knew that fifty poets couldn't do justice to describing those splendid peaks capped with pink nipples that were even now crinkled up in erection from her excitement. His mouth closing over first the left one then the right to suckle at tenderly before kissing his way higher. Until at last he was face to face, cock to cunt with his mother, and prepared to enter her very wet slice of heaven. Her arms and legs once again rising up to wrap around behind him. Johnny Howard the third was well aware that he was already lurking in dangerous grounds, and flirting with laws of paradox in the space-time continuum. Were his mother to fall in love with him instead of his father they might not ever get married, and if they didn't marry they wouldn't have him. Thankfully she was already in love with his dad, and by the looks of things dad was equally in love with her even if he wasn't ready to admit it to himself as yet. So the only real problem left to Johnny was breaking his mother's cherry, but without impregnating her in the process. For that he'd have to pull out of her before he came, or there'd be all hell to pay, as he hadn't brought any rubbers with him. "Please baby, now!" Daphne groaned as his cock slipped in between her lower lips ready to take the plunge. And she tried to pull him into her without success. "This might hurt a little," he whispered. "I know, but I need it now, baby!" He wasted no further time then, and eased his cock into her until he came up against her hymen. He saw as well as felt her brace herself, then jammed right past the blockage until he was buried deep, and all the way inside of his mother's pussy. Once there he waited for her to catch her breath, and steal away the pain to where she could relax enough to enjoy the rest. While he waited, and she whimpered Johnny reached between them, and gently caressed her clit, and sucked at her magnificent teats. In no time he felt her hips reacting to his gentle persuasions as they thrust upward at him. The whimpering continued, but it was intimate, and much more demanding. Johnny's hips began to rise and fall then. Slowly at first, bringing her along, as well as following her needs. The tempo picking up as she writhed under him urging him on as if riding on top of a stallion, instead of under him. In no time they were galloping along, and quickly approaching the fence on the edge of eternity. "OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD!" Daphne cried out at the top of her lungs, but they didn't hear the laughter it inspired outside of her tent as they jumped the last post, and plunged over the edge into the endless pit below. Johnny barely pulled his cock out of his mother's pussy in time. His prick spraying all over her taunt belly, and massive lush tits in the process. At first surprised by this turn of events Daphne was also fascinated by the frothing slime spitting out of his dick and soaking the front of her. Once she calmed down enough to do so she simply stuck her finger in one of the ropes of slime, and brought it to her mouth to sample. Daphne must have thought the taste to her liking as she squeegeed the rest with her fingers, and licked it off of them. What she didn't lick up she smeared into her flesh like skin lotion. The whole process looked on by Johnny had his dick staying hard as tempered steel. And when Daphne saw that he was still erect she wanted to taste that too. Watching his own mother crawl over on all fours naked, and take his cock into her mouth almost blew Johnny's mind. He'd never imagined any sight that arousing, and he nearly lost his second wad right then in his own mother's cock sucking mouth. Who'd of thought his sweet old mother could be such a whoring slut back in her youth? Hell she didn't even know him, and she'd given up her precious cherry to him already. What next, her ass? And why not take her ass cherry too? He thought. His mind so wrapped up in his own lust now that he was willing to try anything. It was then that he saw the magic marker lying next to him. Daphne had used it to make protest signs, and simply forgotten it was there. He reached down then, and took hold of it, and as she continued to suck heartily on his cock he printed out the word; "Whore," on her buttocks upside down just for the fun of it. "What did you do?" She asked, that musical tone once again in her voice. "I wrote Whore in big black letters across your fanny, babe," he chuckled. "How does it look?" "Great! As if you'd been born with it." "It sure tells it like it is," she giggled, and went back to sucking his cock again. It didn't take long for Johnny to lose it what with his mother's exciting touch, and watching her gulp down his discharge was almost as fantastic as taking her cherry had been. So much so that he was still semi-erect afterwards. "Wow! What are you? A love machine?" Daphne giggled, and snuggled up to him in her bed. "What next, you've had every hole I own." "Well, not every hole," he cajoled. "No way!" She sat up straight suddenly. "That really would hurt." "Not as much as you think," he responded, "and if done properly it makes for the strongest orgasm a woman can have." "You're kidding, right?" And when he just shrugged, leaving it to her to decide, her mind became a turmoil. After all, how could anything be better than what she'd just gone through with Joe already? But then it had been Joe, and not John hadn't it, and that made it all the more perverse in her eyes. No, she would save her ass for John, for when they were married, and treasure what she had with Joe here at this rock concert the rest of her life. Joe had branded her as his whore, but it was a brand that would soon wash away. Her love for John never would. There was something about that crazy scientist wannabe that she just couldn't resist. Oh sure, he was with that bitch now, but she knew deep down that he wanted Daphne most of all. Hopefully Joe would make John jealous enough to do something about it. At least that was her plan for now. In the meantime she'd learn as much about sex as she wanted to with Joe as his whore. ************ Morning brought with it the need to pee erection that insisted Johnny wake up. Feeling soft lips, and a tongue sucking on his cock as he returned to the landscape of his parent's youth wasn't helping relieve that insistence either. Knowing that it was his mother's mouth made it all the worse. "If you don't stop that," he groaned, "and let me go pee, I'm going to piss in your mouth." "I don't mind," Daphne replied, and to help him relax enough to pee she simply stopped sucking on his cock, and held it in her mouth. "You really are a slut, aren't you," he managed to say as his bladder at last released its liquid cargo. Daphne had no time to reply right then as she was busy gulping down his sterile urine. And she never lost a single drop doing it. But with his cock still in her mouth Johnny's cock only became semi-erect, and not entirely limp. So that when he finished pissing down his mother's young throat he simply began fucking her now cock sucking face as if he'd been doing it all of his life. The purely deviant behavior of his mother when she was a teenager was just too wantonly filthy for him not to. After all, how many guys did he know even in his own time period that had as beautiful a woman as Daphne, let alone that she was willing to actually drink their urine? And how easily she had accepted the magic marker condemning her as a whore still had his emotions smoldering. "Can I gather by this that you reached a decision to actually be my whore while we are here together at this concert?" Johnny inquired looking down at her, and taking in every inch of her lush pristine body. "I'm already naked, Joe, are you stripping my skin off, or what?" "Just trying to memorize," he retorted, "you are the most lovely creature to share a bed with, as I'm sure you're well aware." "What does being your slut entail?" Daphne asked after taking his cock out of her mouth for a moment. "Challenges," was all he could cough out as he started to ejaculate just as she popped his dick back into her mouth. Again she swallowed down all of his essence, as if she just couldn't get enough. "I thought you might like to be the inspiration for the term "Groupie." He fucked her again, as that was all he could do once she jumped on top of him still naked impaling herself on his cock. He loved watching her big titties swaying, and flopping around in front of his face like two pillow clouds dog fighting. Her face scrunched up in painful bliss as she undulated in the throes of many mini orgasms. He really didn't want to cum in her cunt, but Daphne gave him no choice as she refused to dismount long enough for him to cum anywhere else. Johnny could only hope, and pray to God that there wasn't enough left in his pistol to cause any real damage. "Ever think of having sex with a black man?" Johnny asked her as they finally got dressed to rejoin the rest of the world. "Oh, you really are nasty, aren't you," she giggled. Then figuring that she had nothing to lose telling Joe, after all this wasn't her one true love just a photo copy, "To be truthful, it's a fantasy that I've had ever since seeing the movie "Gone With the Wind." I mean I've heard all of the legends, of course..." "But you'd like to find out if they're true, right?" He finished for her. "Well sure, what girl wouldn't? But..." "But then you'd be a real free lover, wouldn't you?" He prodded sarcastically. "I..." She stopped then, and he watched as she struggled with herself, and her conflicting background. "I guess what I'm saying is that as your whore, I'd be foolish to not to comply with your wishes. Even if it meant that I'd have to give my body to black men." Johnny could see what a real leap of faith that had been for her. Especially with her southern background, but the woman he knew in the future didn't have an ounce of bigotry in her, and maybe his being here had ordained that. In any event, he was determined to make this concert a real eye opening experience for his mother, especially knowing that the rest of her life as the wife of John Jr. would be fairly sedentary at best. If nothing else, she'd never forget this as the biggest, and best adventure of her life. "Look, I just thought," he suddenly felt foolish, and almost apologized before remembering that in this time period Daphne was nobody's mother, "I have a friend, and he's the lead singer in one of the bands playing here, and I just thought you might like to meet..." "Hell yes!" Daphne broke in interrupting his train of thought. The explosive eyes wide excitement as she fairly jumped up, and down in place taking him aback. "I'd do it with Jimmy if I could get close enough to him." "You've heard of him then?" "Jimmy Hendrix? Who hasn't?" "Hmmm, he didn't actually give me his last name, but I know he's playing in one of the bands at this concert." And Johnny took the time then to explain how he'd met Jimmy. "I thought that was his bus when I saw you get out of it," Daphne replied when he'd finished. "So you only hit on me to get closer to a rock star?" Johnny inquired. "No, I approached you because of that, but when I saw your face, well..." The entire campgrounds were a buzz with anxiety as the time for the live concert rapidly was approaching when they left Daphne's tent. John Jr., and his thin brunette sidekick were in a heated debate with the redhead, and her Native Indian friend about the evil war mongrels dying in a far off land fighting for their right to argue. John Jr. gave Johnny a nod of knowing acknowledgement that turned into a scowl by the time it reached Daphne. "We're going to see Jimmy backstage," Daphne announced, instantly getting a raised eyebrow from John Jr. "Can you keep an eye on my stuff?" "Nobody's gonna rip off your homemade fruit punch Daffy Dilly," John Jr. threw back sarcastically. "Not when there's so much pot floating around here." Then to Johnny he said; "I'd be careful if I was you. Now that you broke her in, she might want a taste of some dark meat for comparison." "I can live with it," Johnny replied, "can you?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Hey, you're the one into FREE love, right?" Johnny said, then turned and walked away, his hand possessively clasping his mother's rear over her denim skirt. Daphne giggling outrageously as he slipped a finger into her pussy from behind for John Jr.'s benefit. They didn't get more than twenty steps further when they were suddenly jumped upon as Johnny's own father tackled him, and started swinging wildly. "You son of a bitch!" John Jr. screamed, and threw a right cross that slammed into the side of Johnny's head knocking him out cold. It was dark again when the world swirled back into his vision. He found himself back inside of Daphne's tent, and he wasn't alone. "Thank God!" His father's young voice said. "I thought I'd killed you." "Are you alright?" That musical voice of his mother at 18 inquired. "I... I think so," Johnny said, and tried to sit up before the world started spinning madly around him again. "Hey! Take it easy," his father urged gently pushing him back down. "You could have a concussion." "I thought you said he wouldn't hurt a fly?" Johnny groaned as his mother's young face moved into view over top of him. "My father says even a cornered rat will strike out if you scare it enough. I also told you he was jealous." She actually snuggled up to John Jr. affectionately then. "Is that music I hear, or are the angels calling me?" Johnny asked then. "The concert started hours ago," his father replied, "looks like Woodstock is going to be an historical event." "Then what are you two doing in here missing it all?" Johnny inquired. "We're trying our honeymoon out for size," his father said with a smirk, and his mother had the sensibility to at least blush profusely, "if it works out we'll live together for a while as common law, and maybe then make it legal, and have some kids after I graduate from MIT." "Sounds like a plan," Johnny said, and tried again to get up, but much more slowly, and succeeded, "I guess I need to find some other tent to sleep in." "Use mine," his father insisted, "I owe you at least that much. Oh, and the brunette likes it ruff, and ready, but she downplays it. As if everybody already didn't know she was into kink." "Hmmm. Maybe I'll introduce her to Jimmy then," and they all snickered at that. "In any event I have to leave early tomorrow. I have something personal that needs attending to back home." "Well, I can't say that it's been an entire pleasure meeting you Joe," his father said taking his hand and shaking it, "but it has been interesting. I hope we meet again." "Oh, there's plenty of time, I'm sure we will. The wheel always goes full circle." The man who stood waiting in the basement as Johnny returned to his own time period, and home had a little of that old cocky arrogant look in his eyes, even if surrounded by many wrinkles. His father once again putting out his hand, now withered, and gnawed by age. "Welcome home... Joe."