#have fun trying to escape THAT mass! good luck little snake

[fisheito]

watched aegis yaku's r5 and immediately felt the need to balance out the universe [SMUSHES YAKUMO FLAT]

[aclosetfan]

are u still doing the ask game? can i ask for 19 or 20?

for you anon, of course! 20 is actually a really lame two-sentence note that isn't worth anyone's time, so I'll do 19!

19 is a really sad story tbh. I've always really liked the character Sedusa and it kills me that the writers never did more with her. I believe they said the reason why was because they couldn't think of many kid-friendly scenarios to put her in, which is fair lmao.

lol one of my notes for this outline is "this is my dark manifesto to [Sedusa] and it comes off like a bad CW remake," which was written way before the CW show announcement. so not to get a big ego about things, but I totally beat them to the punch. This fic is my only rated M fic (though arguably Acting Normal may also change into M just for its dark themes as well).

This story is adequately tilted "Sedusa" and it follows how a plain jane named Sara became one of Townsville's most notorious villains. The plot's below, though content warning, please don’t read if your triggered by abusive relationships, domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault/harassment, or gore. The outline won't be detailed (and tbh the actual story won't be heavily detailed either) but i believe that everyone still deserves a fair warning :)

The outline doesn't do the plot justice, but it's all I got so hopefully people just Get It.

CHARACTER NOTES:

Canonically, I believe the Sedusa's character was supposed to represent envy and lust. So, one of the main themes I try to stick with when writing her character is the definition of envy, which is a "feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck."

PLOT:

Sara is a sweet and mousy little girl, who tries her best to stay invisible. She's rather plain-looking except for her really beautiful long dark hair. Originally, she's not from Townsville, but somewhere in the "country" where a person could be considered a bumpkin. Sara's a smart young girl, but her intelligence is rather unrefined. She spends most of her time obsessing over greek and Egyptian mythology.

She's from a rather big family, but she's the baby. Her father is abusive. Her mother is neglectful and Sara resents her mother for just standing by while abuse is occurring. To cope, Sara dreams of running away and falls deeper into her mythology obsession--specifically Medusa. Sara feels like Medusa would understand her.

At 16, she runs away to Townsville where she tries to be a hairdresser. With no money, she ends up in a really seedy part of town and the beauty parlor she works for ends up being a front for more illicit activities. She still does hair, but really makes her money as a call-girl of sorts. Just one of those girls who gives handjobs in the back to sad old men. It's easy money (I'm pro-sex work lol so I don't make this a big deal, but she's still a minor and it's wrong), but she's disgusted with herself (and men). At this time, she isn't very good at manipulating men--it's more like they have power over her and it reminds her of her father, only making her angrier and angrier.

It is also of note that while she's working at the Parlor, she encounters Sarah Bellum via tv (Ms. Bellum is just an intern with the Mayor at this point). She's instantly fascinated by this other Sarah and forms an odd (slightly toxic) parasocial relationship with her. Sara thinks it's amazing that Sarah went to school and is just so glamourous. Ms. Bellum is really everything Sara wants to be.

*time skip*

Sara falls in love with some jackass. Still slightly obsessed with Sarah Bellum. Still working at the parlor. Sara feels stagnant and worthless. Her jackass boyfriend and a few of his shitty friends end up attacking Sara and cutting off her hair (which was her prized possession). She gets away, but not totally unscathed.

In the process of running away, she bumps into a mysterious man who promises He can fix whatever is troubling her. The mysterious man manipulates an affirmative answer out of Sara and he "fixes" her problem. The man is HIM and he transforms her into the woman we all know as Sedusa (who goes by Ima when disguised).

“And what is it that you want?” HIM tsked, almost sounding bored.

She looked back at the mirror, at her broken reflection and lipstick smeared down her face. With a sore, croaking voice she sneered, “I want my fu-fucking hair back.”

Behind her, the entity smiled, Its facing splitting wide into two, “Oh, now that I can do.”

She watched through the shattered glass how It—HIM—snapped its odd monstrous claw. HIM’s smile grew more grotesque, as a thin bead of sweat began to break out on her forehead.

“This might hurt a little bit,” the entity giggled as she began to hyperventilate, “but what is that you little humans say?" HIM paused, watching her with a tilt of Its head as pain shot through her temples, "Oh, that’s right—”

She gasped and then screamed, dropping to her knees as she clutched at her head. Something wiggled underneath her scalp, pushing harder and harder to break against the resistance of her skin. It felt as if something was pressing against her brain, trying to carve away at her skull.

“—beauty is pain.” HIM growled, appearing next to her so Its voice—now low and baritone—was right in her ear, and It grasped her by the chin forcing her to watch the mirror as snake-like tendrils sprouted from her skull. She cried out at the sight and her body trembled with the pain.

One black, oily, twisted snake after another shot out of a bloody crater on her head. She tried her best through the pain to shake HIM off—to look away—but It held her still with a twisted laugh. She thrashed and howled in agony as the blood poured down her face in rivets. HIM didn't let go. Instead, HIM forced her still, grabbing her by the chin so she'd peer directly into the broken mirror.

Sara paled right before her very eyes, from a peachy skin tone to a white paste. She tried to blink away the tears that wouldn’t stop welling in her eyes—the green of them becoming more acidic with every passing second.

“The fun should be ending soon.” HIM giggled again, Its voice back to a soprano, but she was too forgone to hear him, as her eyes began to lull into the back of her head.

Eventually, when the transformation is complete, we see this:

Sara had stayed collapsed on her knees after HIM vanished into thin air. She stared with wide eyes as blood, sweat, and tears dripped onto and rolled off her thighs. She hardly paid attention to her surrounding, all she could do was listen. She listened to her hair. She listened to the constant moving, living, mass that slithered around her head, neck, and shoulders. The coils almost seemed to be cooing at her, comforting her through her pain, offering sweet apologies for what they had done. They promised her nothing bad would ever happen again. They were a dangerous shield forged from her own body to protect her.

Her body. A vessel for this odd new life.

“Heh.” A deranged giggle escaped her mouth, “Heh. Heh ha—hahaha!” She laughed until her throat burned and tightened, her tears finally drying.

It was instantaneous. It was powerful. Sara had never known love before, but she loved them. She loved every single one of them.

And here she had thought she'd never be a mother.

Sara becomes Sedusa--taking inspiration from Medusa, her childhood fascination. She wonders if HIM knew, but she wouldn't bother asking. She feels sexy, powerful, and unstoppable. Her hair has instilled a new confidence in her and she's finally able to stand up for herself. Soon, she realizes that she's an "exotic" beauty and has men eating out of her hand. She isn't someone who kills, but if she gets bored (or feels threaten) she will.

Things are going good until the PowerPuff Girls are finally created. When she sees them for the first time, she pities them, especially when they're run out of town. She relates to them for not being loved little girls, but is completely shocked when she finds out they've won the town over. This shock turns into resentment and she decides she'll get even with the girls

Then, cue canon. Sedusa seduces the Professor. We see what happens in that episode plus a little more. Sedusa takes out a lot of her repressed childhood trauma on the girls and is plain awful to them. By the time her stint with the Professor is over, she hates them all.

Then, there's the episode with Bellum. Bellum becomes the Athena to Sedusa's medusa. Bellum is still this elevated person in Sedusa's mind, and it only makes sense to Sedusa that she should become Bellum. To become Bellum, Sedusa seduces Bellum and they end up having a brief relationship. (Sedusa pretends to be an intern at City Hall and the two ladies bond over having the same first name). Eventually, Sedusa reveals her plot and the canon events happen. (Bellum is heartbroken over Sedusa).

I'd like to emphasize that Sedusa's relationship with Bellum almost turns her "good," but her hair coils (HIM's curse) prevents her from taking those steps. Her coils prevent close loving relationships--since they're supposed to be shield that keeps people out, preventing any chance that Sedusa's heart may be broken again. [coils represent her inability to heal from the past]

Then we run through a quick montage of her other appearances.

[throughout all of this, I would write how her hair coils are making her more and more insane]

*time skip to after the events of the og show*

This is where my plot can go anywhere. I think Sedusa becomes sloppy, maybe kills a politican. She's spirialing out of control and mad that she can't find any real happiness in her life. I think it'd be interesting to show her interacting with the rrb, not necessarily to show their relationship, but to show how Sedusa would be infuriated that HIM had sons, especially sons who hurt girls for fun ( i.e. the ppg) (a real 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' moment for her). She's also infuriated at HIM for turning her into a monster, so being mad about his "sons" is just an excuse to get even with the entity.

To hurt HIM, she decides to hurt the boys, but the girls interfere. They won't let innocent live be taken, no matter the person's moral alignment. This infuriates Sedusa even more than HIM ever could. Because again, despite all the shitty things that have happened to the Girls, they are still good as opposed to Sedusa, who ended up bad. She doesn't understand why she had to end up the way she did.

However, the girls aren't the people who finally "defeat" Sedusa. Instead, that honor is left to Ms. Bellum (Sedusa's "Athena"), who Sedusa still very much loves in her own sick twisted way. Paralleling the Sedusa/Bellum episode in the og show, the girls (while protecting the boys) are almost defeated by Sedusa until Bellum intervenes. It's revealed that Bellum had a shitty childhood too (again enforcing the parallels/differences between the two women) and believes that it's not too late for Sedusa to change her ways (it’s a real “I’m rotten work” “no it isn’t. Not if it’s you” moment) In a moment of mental clarity, where the coils (and by extension HIM) cannot affect her judgement, Sedusa releases the boys and the girls. Sedusa doesn't stay though, like Bellum pleads, she gets scared and runs away. (but does tell Bellum she’d always love her, whatever that’s good for)

[also I decide bellum to defeat sedusa to show that the girls are still to young and that adults should be the ones dealing with other adults] [and bellum has a good track record of doing just that]

Idk if she'd be gone forever, but it's implied that she hasn't been seen in Townsville for a long time. What she gets up to is left ambiguous. She can't be good because of her hair coils, but she doesn't want to be bad. idk I don't want it to have a sad ending, but I don't think it can really be happy.

-----

I try hard to play with the concept of beauty, womanhood, purity, love and how negative/positive responses to trauma affect these concepts. Idk it's really rough and needs to be thought out more, especially the end, but I think Sedusa deserves her own story.

[not-my-givenchy]

Tragic Fate pt. 4 (Tony Stark x Reader)

Summary: Saying you and Tony Stark had a tumultuous relationship was the understatement of the Century, but no one can discount the love you shared and the good you provided to each others lives.

A/N: This features a young Tony Stark, before his parent’s death, and WELL before the avengers. Here is what I think is going to be the last installment. If anyone wants to request a scene between Tony and the reader let me know tho, I’m always open to suggestions!

Word Count: 3,860

Warnings: mild cursing...alcohol use

Part 1|| Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4

The sun had long set, and you tiptoed back to your desk desperate to avoid your associate Mark. It was already well past midnight, and all you wanted was to be curled in bed. Investment banking was exactly as you imagined it would be, boring and time consuming. 

“Y/N!” Mark’s door was closed, but his shout always managed to find you. 

In an attempt to quell your annoyance you take a deep breathe before pushing your head through the door. The city lights poured in through the window behind his desk practically blinding you. Mark was a large man only 2 years your senior, but the rigors of the job were already taking there toll on him. His hooded eyes remained fixed on the papers before him even after you had fully entered the room. 

Desperate to end the encounter as soon as possible you let out a meager cough. “Hi, I heard you call me?” 

“Yes, I want Ryan to sit in on the pitch tomorrow, so leave the Mitsui files on his desk before you leave.” He flipped through the papers still not looking up. 

Ryan was a little Mark in the making always sucking up and undermining your work. “Oh,” you paused to debate the risk of arguing, “I was hoping to sit in on the pitch…seeing as I’ve been the lead analyst on it since the beginning—.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed as he looked up. “Ryan has been here longer,” waving you from the room, “I’ve made up my mind.” 

“Sir, if I may—,” you began. 

“No, you may not.” His deep voice filled the office and with a huff he turned his focus back to the papers before him. 

You had already committed to fighting for the case, so you stood your ground. With a deep breathe in you rolled your shoulders back. “Ryan and I actually started on the same day, so if your decision is going to be based on seniority then I would like to remind you that I am senior to him on the Mitsui case.” Your voice matched the ferocity that Mark’s had. 

Mark’s hands folded and he leaned onto his elbows. His bloodshot eyes inspecting you, and his mouth twisted into a tight smirk before addressing you. “Well, I need you working on the Franklin report.” He leaned back in his chair laughing lowly. “If you can manage to finish it prior to the meeting, then I’ll consider allowing you in on the pitch.” He emphasized. 

The Franklin project had only been announced this morning, meaning it would take months of collaboration before it could be drafted. “Mark, you know that’s impossible.” 

“Well I guess you should cancel your plans tonight then.” His smirk was sinister, and you knew he was giving you an impossible task to keep you from the Mitsui meeting.

Turning on your heels, you swallowed your discontent and left the office before you could say something vulgar. Knowing your half mug of coffee wouldn’t be enough, you made your way back to the break room. Two other analysts stood blocking the cherished coffee machine gaping at the news. Not having time for pleasantries, you tried to nudge your way between them. 

“It’s crazy right,” one of them directed at you. 

You raised your eyebrows in hopes that your absence of a response would speed up the conversation. 

Josh, at least thats what you think his name is, motioned to the T.V. “The Starks…they’re dead.” 

Burning coffee caught in your throat, causing you to spit it all over your mouth. “What?” You coughed now fully focused on the breaking news before you. 

The newscaster was somber; your mind blurred, and you begged yourself to focus on the words coming out of her mouth. But you couldn’t pull your focus from the firefighter shuffling around a smoking car in the distance. Soon the camera panned from the police shuffling under the caution tape to the coroners van replacing the ambulance. When it cut back to the young reporter you finally made out her words. “At this time we can confirm that Howard and Maria Stark have died as the result of a tragic—.” 

Shaking your head back to your now empty mug you told yourself. The coffee pot shook in your hand as you refilled your mug unable to shake the reoccurring what if scenarios flashing through your mind.

“Are you ok?” The analyst asked motioning towards your shaking hand. 

“Um yea,” you chuckled awkwardly, “I must’ve had one too many cups.”

He nodded before turning back to the news. You took that as your opening to escape, and rushed back to your desk. Deep breathes you reminded yourself shakily. But your hands wouldn’t stop shaking making it near impossible to start the Franklin report. Trying to rub the pain from your face with clammy hands you thought back to the last time you had seen Tony. It had been a little over a year.

—————————————

Your eyes searched the crowd before you. Felix was throwing an end of the semester bash and you desperately wanted to thank him for the free booze. Being with Tony had taught you how to get along with the 1%, and much to Jennifer’s delight you and Felix had finally grown close. It also helped that Felix was often in Jennifer’s room every time you found yourself there crying over your now ex. Plus, being in an arguable unhealthy relationship had opened your eyes to how amazing Felix was for your best friend. So when you finally spotted him in the sweaty room you were quick to run into his open arms.

“Felix!” You shouted into his shoulder over the thumping music. 

Your feet lifted from the ground as he shook you side to side. “Ravishing as always!” He shouted back. “Where is my love?” He exaggerated placing you back on the ground.

“Jenny!” You squealed with wide eyes. 

“Oh this just won’t work.” He tsked looking around. 

Your eyes met as the lightbulb when off in your head, “shoulders!” 

“Genius!” Felix shouted while kneeling down dramatically. It must’ve been a sight, you were both absolutely trashed, but somehow you managed to make it on his shoulders without falling. Felix pushed his way through the crowd as the two of you shouted your friends name. 

Yet to recognize anyone in the crowd, you soon realized how dangerously close your head was to the swinging chandelier. The heads were all one mass blur, and you lifted your hands and vigorously rubbed your eyes to try and focus. Felix stopped abruptly causing you to sway backwards and without your hands bracing on his shoulders there was a split second where you believed that you were going down. But Felix was one step ahead and had already begun to drop to a knee so you could slip off safely. Before you could look past to see why your quest had stopped abruptly, Felix moved to block your path. Your nose crashed into his broad shoulders and you cursed at the stinging pain.

“Felix,” You drawled trying to get his attention, but it was clear that he did not want you to see who he was talking too.

Despite his complaints, a hand managed to shove him aside, and suddenly you were face to face with the devil himself. He eyes were glossed over, and he ran a sweaty hand through his damp hair.

“Isn’t this a treat!” His eyes glistened with mischief as he tried to get you to smirk back. 

Protectively, Felix’s arm snaked around your shoulder. “I’m gonna find Jenny-fur—,” he slurred trying to offer you an out. 

You nodded approvingly and moved so that his arm fell from his shoulders. You weren’t going to let your history ruin your night of fun. 

 “Just shout if you need me.” Felix’s eyes threatening Tony before finally heading out. 

Tony’s hands managed to find your own, and your heart fluttered at the simple touch. The dance floor, Felix’s living room, was packed with sweaty bodies and you were slowly pushed together. Breathless, you leaned into his chest. Finals were over might as well allow yourself a little treat. And you danced. After that, the night became a blur. Tony bullied his way to the pong table. Your combined enthusiasm making up for your combined lack of skill. Soon he was cheering drink in your ear and you obliged chugging the sour beer down before slamming the cup onto the table. 

 You smacked the ball back into his hand. “It’s fine, we got this!” You cheered.

Neither of you had successfully landed a shot, and you went first hoping to break the streak. The ball slipped easily from your fingers before soaring into the air. Tony grabbed your arm, but the ball bounced off of a rim before landing on the ground. Your opponent laughed, and waited for Tony to miss as well. However, with a stroke of luck, Tony’s ball managed to find the target and plinked softly into the warm beer. Throwing your hands into the air, you jumped on Tony’s back hooting and hollering. That was the only success you had, and the game finished quickly but you were officially smashed. Suddenly the song switched, and Tony’s eyes lit up.  

His hands shook your shoulders. “You hear this shit!” 

With that, you both made your way to the dance floor. Together you jumped in the air and screamed the lyrics back and forth. The majority of the dance floor was drunk friends half crying half dancing, and the other half was comprised of couples eating each others faces. Meanwhile, Tony and you were busy making fools of yourselves and having a blast. When the song switched to another one you were equally as fond of, you grabbed Tony’s hand and tugged him with you towards the speaker.

“Lift me up!” You begged. 

His eyes twinkled and he grabbed your waist, hoisting you above his head. While you were in the air, your foot got tangled around something, but you were too busy laughing to notice. That is until Tony placed you on the ground and the music was cut. Looking down at the cord now tangled around your foot your eyes widened. With a hand covering your mouth your cheeks flushed red. Luckily this was common, so your penance was already on its way. Felix charged through the crowd bottle in hand — it was a crude mixture of punch and various types of alcohol. Around you everyone was chanting “redeem yourself”. 

Felix’s gaze was of devilish delight, and he thrust the bottle into your outstretched hands. The crowd silenced at the raise of his hand. “Y/N Y/L/N! You have committed the greatest sin, do you wish to redeem yourself?” Felix boomed through the now silent house. 

This was the first time you were the one in need of redemption, and you tried to swallow your laughter knowing Felix took redemption seriously. Instead you nodded vigorously before bending to one knee. The drink smelled foul, but it was already emptying into your stomach.  Around you everyone was hooting still chanting “redeem yourself,” and you couldn’t let them down. So you chugged desperately trying to empty the bottle in record time. Felix pulled you to your feet as you finished the last drop. 

He turned towards the crowd. “Do the people find this display sufficient?” He boomed. The partygoers hollered in response; satisfied, Felix fixed the speaker. The sound nearly blew out your eardrums, for you had forgotten how close you were to them. Standing in front of you, Felix looked at Tony’s arm around your shoulder and raised his brows. 

“I’m going to join Jennifer in the basement if you want to join.” He was sweet to offer you an out. 

“Oh Felix, thank you soooo much.” Your pulled him into a tight hug again. “I’m having a blast though, so I’ll find y’all later tonight ok.”

Felix winked before turning back from where he came. The basement was usually where the rich kids did their drugs, and you didn’t have a rich relative to bail you out so you were quick to avoid it. 

Tony’s arm snaked around your waist and pulled you close to his side. “Can we go somewhere else?” His lips dangerously close to your ear. 

Feeling his breathe on your ear, you leaned your back into his chest and nodded silently. His hands shifted to give your shoulders a light squeeze. Slowly, you turned to him and realized just how close you had become. The taste left in your mouth from the drink was foul, and too subconscious of your breath you just smiled up at the boy in front of you. Smiling, Tony tapped your nose playfully before interlocking your hands together. He was quick to pull you out of the sweaty room and towards the back door. 

“Tony,” you complained, “it’s December…and I’m drunk…and I don’t have my coat…and it’s cold.” You pouted planting your feet and pulling back on his arm. 

Tony spun on his heels; wordlessly, he pulled you in the other direction. It wasn’t until you were half way up the stairs that you realized where he was taking you. The hallway was empty, and the party roared below you. Soon enough, Tony was pushing his head into a bedroom. 

“All clear,” he whispered pushing his way in. 

Soon enough you were both laying side by side on the bed moving no further. His hand was intertwined with yours and your shoulders just barely brushed. Neither of you dared to speak, both staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. You had spent the night successfully ignoring the hurt pulling at your chest, but now it had returned. You tried to focus on the low thump of the music downstairs, hoping it would sober you up. The rising tempo matched that of your beating heart. The rational part of your brain begged you to stand and walk out on Tony. This was your chance to close the door on that chapter of your life and leave him questioning everything. Your brain replayed every photo of Tony’s hands on other women. However, your heart would take control and replace those with the memories of his hands on you, cherishing your body, worshiping your folds, and pressing his lips against every inch of you. You squeezed your eyes shut, wanting to shut it all off for a moment.

As if Tony could sense your qualms he interrupted your thoughts, “have you decided where you’re going to law school?”

Your eyes opened and you let out a deep sigh, “I’m not applying. I think I’m going to take a gap year or two.” 

You felt Tony shift beside you. Suddenly, you cursed yourself for not lying, but this was your Tony—he would’ve known. 

“Hey,” he whispered reaching over to stroke your cheek. It was a soft gesture and he turned to his side to better look at you. 

Turning to face him, you tried to ignore the way your heart swelled.

His eyes searched yours. “If it’s about money I can help.” He whispered. 

Your heart broke at the offer, “Tony I can’t take anymore of your money—.”

“Yes you can.” He rubbed his thumb across your cheek. “Please…let me.” His voice was desperate. The money his way of keeping you in his life. Now unable to meet his eyes, you looked down at your hands. They laid awkwardly between your chest and his. “It’s not even about money.” You whisper was uncertain. 

His eyes explored your face pausing for you to explain. 

When you realized he wouldn’t move on without one you sighed. “I’ve already been offered a job.” 

His face scrunched, “doing what?” His thumb still stroked your cheek. 

“Investment banking.” As soon as you said your new reality you couldn’t help but laugh. “God, I’m going to turn into those people I hate.” 

“Well that depends,” he smiled, “what company are you selling your soul too?” 

“Goldman Sachs,” you both laughed in response before growing quiet His fingers slowly brushed down your shoulder and down your arm leaving goosebumps behind. When he finally had your hand wrapped in his own, warmth spread through your body. His heartbroken eyes were downcast, staring at your intertwined hands. Maybe it was the questionable amount of alcohol in your system, but you couldn’t stop yourself from leaning closer. Your chest pressed softly against his, and your lips met the corner of his mouth leaving the vague memory of a kiss. Your eyes searched for his, and when they met his begged you to initiate contact. So you did—you ignored everything in your brain screaming stop. Running your fingers through his hair, you pulled him in. The kiss was slow, and your lips were a whisper of secrets against his. Neither of you tried to deepen it and make it something that it wasn’t. Soon enough, you pulled away wanting to cry, wishing you could let it all out, but there was nothing left. Tony’s eyes were understanding, and you couldn’t dare to meet them. So you rested your head against his rising chest letting his arms pull you close.

“Thank you…for helping with tuition—one day I’ll pay you back,” you whispered. 

“You already have.” His lips brushed against your forehead.

Before you knew it, the two of you had drifted into sleep.

Sunlight poured into the room, and your head bounded aggressively making it impossible to open your eyes fully. The bed was still warm beside you, but Tony was long gone. You knew it was for the best, last night had been your last hurrah with him. You wanted to remember it like—blissful. If it weren’t for the hangover brewing in your body, you would have felt completely content in that moment.

—————————————

The smell of coffee filled your nose, and lulled you from your hazy sleep. After rubbing the tired from your eyes, you took in your surroundings. The lumpy surface leaving knots in your back was far from your comfortable bed, and the room was far too florescent to be your bedroom. The sound of the coffee maker in the corner meant you had fallen asleep in the break room again. Your dear roommate and friend Felix hovered above you with a steaming mug of coffee. His eyes were playful waiting for you to make space for him.

“Long night,” he joked gesturing to your coffee stained blouse. 

Seeing the large stain officially brought you back to reality. “Shit!” Your eyes widened as you frantically jumped up. “What time is it?” 

“I think it’s almost 7:30,” he threw himself beside you on the couch. 

You grabbed his wrist to look at his watch. “Shit shit shit. Do you think I have time to run home and change before 8?” Your voice was frantic.

“Mmm, I thought you’d say that. Soooo…” He smirked while reaching down to grab a plastic bag.

Your hands grabbed it, and peering in you saw it had a fresh set of clothes. “Thank you so much Felix!” You jumped up from the couch clutching the bag desperate to change out of yesterdays outfit. But you needed caffeine first. 

“So do you want to talk about it?” He called from the couch. 

Peering up from behind your fresh cup of coffee, “about?” You questioned innocently. 

Silently, he placed his mug on the table before him. Crossing his legs, he gave you time to rethink your answer. “Have you seen the news at all? Or did you really just cram over reports all night.” 

“Oh the news,” you took a long sip of coffee, “yea I saw it break last night.”

“And?” He waited. 

“And what?”

“Are you ok?” 

You rolled your eyes, “I mean yes it’s sad.” 

Felix just raised his brows. “You dated their son for almost three years.”

“That’s a stretch,” you coughed, “I would argue we only actually dated for like a week max.”

“Y/N stop deflecting.” He looked like a worried mother, and if you weren’t trying to avoid the conversation you would have taken the time to make fun of him.

Instead, you finished your coffee and turned quickly towards the door. “Thanks for the clothes, wish me luck.” You shouted running out of the break room before he could say more.

Once in the bathroom you hurried to make yourself presentable. Happy enough, you walked out hoping that Felix had gone back to his desk so you could sip one more cup of coffee in peace before the big pitch. However, once the door closed behind you Felix emerged. He shoved the break room phone into your hands and whispered Tony’s name before making his way to the coffee maker. Your eyes shot daggers at him, and you vowed to get him back. Luckily, he didn’t pick up, and you were able to get by with leaving a voicemail. After smacking Felix’s arm and taking his coffee, you made your way to Mark’s office.

Typically, after spending the night on the break room couch you would have dreaded the buzz of your day. But today you were grateful for the busy day, and the look of shock on Mark’s face when you handed him the finished Franklin report provided you more adrenaline than coffee ever could. You rode that wave right into the pitch, and when Mark let you speak you didn’t let him down. The meeting went until lunch, which normally you would have hated because you now were behind on your other reports, but you were still buzzing. 

The last person finally left the conference room, and you quickly made a beeline towards your desk. Of course, Mark had to stop you. His hand wrapped around your arm, and you tried not to spit on him as you turned around. “Good work in there.” His hand fell back to his side. “If you keep it up, I might just recommend you for the promotion to the new Japan office.” His smile was huge, this successful pitch helped his career more than yours. 

Your heart swelled. “Really? Thank you Mark!” That promotion was huge—even though you didn’t particularly like Investment Banking—it meant a higher paycheck and almost guaranteed you’d make associate in one year instead of two. 

With a smile and a nod, he dismissed you from the room. Your practically danced towards your desk thinking about where you could drag Felix for lunch to celebrate. Quickly, you grabbed your bag and waved to the secretary making your way towards the elevator where Felix waited. 

“Ms. Y/L/N!” The secretary called after you. 

You turned and smiled, she was a small polite woman. Normally, the secretary would wait until after your lunch to relay any news, but she was new, so you made your way over to her desk.

“You have a phone call.” She paused, uncertain, and looked down at her notepad. “A…um…Mr. Stark.” Her eyes widened in realization. 

Well, there goes your peaceful lunch.

[blschaos3000-blog]

Its 8:09 pm sunny/spring/RIP Steve Cash

Welcome to *8 Questions with……”

I first met our next guest,film director Michael Wong,a couple of years ago. He had sent me a email me asking if the cheetah and I would review his debut film,”The Story of 90 Coins“. I agreed to take a look and was blown away with how good it was,it made our Best of List for 2018. But as I often do with actors and directors,I stayed in touch with Michael. Many nights found me chatting with him about film and then life and family. I kept waiting to see what Michael would produce next and last year he finally dropped his second short film called “The Tattooist” which is a 90 second hayride to hell. I had never seen such pure creative storytelling done in a mere 90 seconds but Michael had done it and “The Tattooist” won several awards from around the world and it also made our Best of List last year. Michael currently lives in Beijing,China and has gotten a front row seat of the Covid-19 pandemic and how China was handling it. Its been a very hard ordeal on hundreds of thousands of folks but they are really doing a great job in staying united and helping each other. I admire his grace under pressure outlook and tremendous courage while  sheltering in place in his home. I thought now would be a long overdue time to do a interview and so I asked Michael if he would like to share his story and below is his response. I hope you enjoy it as much as I liked conducting it…….

  Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about you.

I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but I’ve been working and residing in China since 1999. I started off building a career in the advertising industry as a visualizer, then climbed up the ladder as an Art Director and finally a Creative Director; having worked at such leading advertising agencies as Ogilvy, BBDO, TBWA, Grey and Saatchi & Saatchi. In 2010, I made a career jump to be a film director and I’ve never looked back ever since.   My directorial debut short film ‘The Story of 90 Coins�� picked up 60+ accolades from international film festivals; which includes the Best Direction and Best Cinematography at Malta Short Film Festival, Rising Star Awards at Canada International Film Festival, Best Foreign Short Film at Ukrainian International Short Film Festival, Best Drama and Best Cinematography at Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Foreign Short at Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards, among others.     My most recent micro-short film ‘The Tattooist’ has been awarded Best Trailer at HorrorHaus Film Festival, Best Gore, Best Editing and multiple nominations at Independent Horror Movie Awards, Most Terrifying award and multiple nominations at Top Indie Film Awards, Best Trailer at Terror In The Bay Film Festival, Best Director at Diabolical Horror Film Festival, Winners at Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and Cult Critic Movie Awards, among others.    Nowadays, I do film projects mainly in Greater China and on and off for Malaysia and the South East Asia region.

What was it like growing up in your home?  I grew up in Pudu, a slumpy district in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Back then, my mom operates a hair salon in an old shop lot which also doubled up as a home for the family. The place was smacked right in the middle of a huge marketplace; a dense area with a rich potpourri of multi ethnics and assorted of trades. There was this large wet market that sells all sorts of fresh farm products. Encircling the place are pots and pans stalls selling snake oils and cheap goods, holes-in-the-wall dim sum places, VHS rental shops, cheap electronic shops, traditional Chinese medicine stores, sundry shops, etc.    Back home in the daytime, there were lots of activities going on at the hair salon. The customers were mostly shop owners and people from the neighborhood thus I’ve had tons of real-life stories and fascinating gossips to be immersed in. It was such a fascinating place to grow up in!

What three films did you watch as a youth have stayed with you and what made them so special? Alien (1979): A classic, scary alien movie. The Thing (1982): Another classic, scary alien movie. Demons (1985 & 1986): Perhaps my first intro into gory (yet fun) horror flick during the VHS era. For a 13 years old teen, it was truly memorable; with certain scenes that stuck in my mind like an ice pick! *Note that all 3 titles are R rated. For a 10+ years old child, it’s always a novelty to pick some off-limits genre upon walking into a VHS store.

How did you get your start in the film industry?   After more than 16 years in the ad industry and has won over 50 creative awards, I somewhat found myself getting more involved in a managerial role and office politics and less of the actual creative work.     Initially, I decided to have a long break from advertising and started freelancing as an Artistic Director for film production houses. Basically, my role was to help out with the local Chinese film directors in elevating the aesthetic look of their work. After a few projects, I was pondering if I should be helping myself craft a name of my own.      My first break into the filmmaking scene was as a writer/film director gig on a commercial project for Lenovo; a viral video campaign that was to be used in such markets as India, Russia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Turkey, South Africa, South East Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Finally, I’ve taken a leap of faith and pursue a career as a film director on the receiving end; concentrating on film crafting and artistic expression.

What do you enjoy most about directing?

It’s most enjoyable when you see that the vision is built upon, layer by layer. The creative process from A-Z as your ‘baby’ is being realized; from concept, idea development, script, pre-production, production, and all the way up to post-production.

What are some of the pitfalls young directors should try and avoid?    Try: Doing freebies! It’s the best way to own a new piece of work. Since it’s a collaboration deal, it opens up a great opportunity to push for your wild ideas and have it accepted by the client or producer.     Worth trying: Don’t be afraid to copy and imitate other director’s styles. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.” Remember that!     Avoid: Avoid copying/ imitating directly! Only select things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. Then your work will be authentic.

How did you come up with the idea for “The Story of 90 Coins”?

    Well, it started off with a jewelry company client of mine who wanted to jump into China’s digital bandwagon; the mass shifting of the advertiser’s marketing budget from traditional media to internet media phenomenon, and also to leverage the online video craze. Instead of doing a hard-sell advertisement, they wanted a less intrusive yet effective approach in their marketing strategy. The owner of the company specifically asked for a story that touches the heart and our team started off scratching our heads trying to make up some interesting romantic stories. We had a stroke of luck when my writer came across three interesting true stories that happened to her friends. Very touchy stories on their own merits. One of them involved the idea of embedding little memoirs with coins wrapped in small envelopes. The client eventually chose that story and we further spiced it up with our ideas and developed a concrete storyline.

Do you like to handle the casting of your projects or are you okay with casting directors?  Well, it really depends on the budget and the unique situation with each project. For ‘The Story of 90 Coins’, we initially worked with a casting director. They came back to us with a stack of comp cards and casting videos for the 3 main roles. One candidate by the name of Han Dongjun was highly recommended by the agent for the male protagonist role. Following his ‘The Story of 90 Coins’ role, Han Dongjun catapulted into stardom after appearing in the popular Chinese drama series Wu Xin: The Monster Killer.    For the female role, we don’t have any good candidates as all that was shown to us looked superficial plastic look. Then, we got lucky and came upon Zhuang Zhiqi who was a friend of Han Dongjun’s acquaintance. It was her first time acting in front of a camera! She was in Hong Kong and she e-mailed us a home-made casting video and we immediately fell in love with her earnest performance.    The antagonist José Acosta was an acquaintance of the client and he is a shoe designer in real life.    For ‘The Tattooist’, I handled the casting myself and gotten the amazing ensemble from Troy’s Team Action. They also doubled up as the film production team! Brilliant and crazy-ass talented folks!

  What is the relationship like between a director and a producer?   A director handles the creative side and its job is to dream it all up and be extravagant. The producer needs to ensure that it all happen on time and on budget, so their job is to conserve. The director and producer have opposing jobs, and this symbiotic relationship creates an important balance. The little tug-of-war between the producer and the director is necessary and healthy.

Why are cats the perfect pet? I’ve owned both a dog (he passed away a few years back due to old age) and cats as a pet. Cats are perfect as they demand less attention from the owner. There’s no need to walk the cat during snow, rainy days nor any other days.

If you had a chance, would you like to make a feature for “The Tattooist”?    The idea for ‘The Tattooist’ started off from an escape room business that my business partners and I have created. I wanted a theme that players are yearning for; something that they would love to experience in a controlled environment but wouldn’t want to experience in real life, hence a horror theme.     ‘The Tattooist’ which is currently in a micro-film form was written in a way that has the potential of becoming a full-length feature. There is so much potential backstory to build around the antagonist as well as those poor victims. Hopefully, ‘The Tattooist’ will gain enough traction to pique the curiosity of producers (Jason Blum & James Wan, please take note!) from Netflix and film studios alike.

You live in China; how have you been personally affected by the culture?    I arrived in Beijing in 1999 for a job posting in BBDO as a Senior Art Director. The country was pretty backward and raw back then. One of the more memorable snapshots of life back then was a minibus ride I had along Changan Avenue, the main boulevard in the capital. The minibus was kind of a dingy stuffy vehicle ran on diesel. As I stepped in, the bus conductor handed me a foldable wooden stool and mumbled a few words to me. I can’t speak a word of Mandarin during that early years so I can’t comprehend at all what he was saying. He pointed to the rear of the bus and I was flabbergasted to see some other passengers were sitting on stools in the middle of the aisle! Fast forward 21 years later and you can find that all the city buses are running on electricity. No more messy paper ticket but you pay either using a bus card or by tapping the smartphone on the scanner. It’s a crazy pace the progress that’s happening here.     In terms of career, I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some memorable campaigns during China’s best advertising period; the dotcom boom (and subsequent bubble burst) in 1999, the roaring economy from 2004 towards 2008 as brands capitalized on the Beijing Olympics. Then, there was the automotive industry boom in the early 2010, followed by the consumer-driven digital economy and now the Industry 4.0.     It has been a fruitful and amazing journey living through these China milestones and having personally being rewarded spiritually and economically throughout these years. Lots of ups but unfortunately some downsides as well, which includes 2 global pandemic that was SARS and now the SARS-CoV-2.

Do you feel the film industry can bounce back from a pandemic like this? Even back in late 2018, China’s film industry was already affected by a State Taxation Administration campaign that tightens its tax policies and collection methods within the television and film business. The controls caused investors to pull the plug on new productions and even on-going projects.    To further aggravate the suffering, the Covid19 pandemic puts 5,000 Chinese film and TV firms out of business, as recently reported in Variety.    Being an optimist, I’m sure that the film industry will bounce back from this crisis but will be operating within a new ecosystem. In the near future, there’s no doubt that the film and TV industry will need to accelerate its pace of digitization and shifting online. This trend started a few years ago as the local Chinese players saw the success of Netflix’s major international expansion into 130 new territories (excluding China) in 2016. We have already seen the increase in budget and production quality of these web series and the focus will continue to do so.     Due to the pandemic, cinemas are still shuttered and ticket revenues are badly affected. Looking at all this, investors and studio producers will be more focused on internet-based movie and series.

The cheetah and I are flying over to watch your latest film but we are a day early and now you are playing tour guide, what are we doing?    First of all, the ‘must-see’ is the usual Beijing tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Drum & Bell Tower plus a tour to the old hutong (alleys) for a glimpse of old Peking. Another must-do recommendation is an overnight stay at the Simatai stretch of the Great Wall of China. Simatai offers a memorable experience of the unrestored part of the Wall with superb vista for sunset and night hiking along the Wall. For night activities, perhaps to catch a Chinese opera show and the famous Peking Duck feast in the capital. Foodies will love the Ghost Street, where a long stretch of restaurants operate 24/7 offering different choices of gourmet from various provinces around the country.

I like to thank Michael for taking the time to chat with me and with the bright hope that he and his fellow peers can get back to making films,look forward to his next project. I know Michael must be chomping at the bit to get behind of the camera once more!!

You can follow Michael by the following ways:

You can follow him on Vimeo. You can follow him on Facebook. Keep track on his upcoming projects via his IMDb page.

Thank you for taking the time to read and supporting this interview. If you’re new to the blog and “8 Questions with…..”,you can catch up by going here and meeting over 100 very talented people from all over the world. 

8 Questions with……. film director Michael Wong Its 8:09 pm sunny/spring/RIP Steve Cash Welcome to *8 Questions with......" I first met our next guest,film director Michael Wong,a couple of years ago.

[anthonianrhapsody-blog]

The Helpful Wolf

by Lee Yan Cachero

In a small clearing was a little white rabbit, her body unusually thin for a supposed fluff ball. She was enjoying her meal taking small bites and savoring the taste. Freshly grown cabbage was the best and she rarely could grab any. Actually, that goes for any other food. It’s been hard to get a good meal these days because of the humans guarding their food; she would have to be very sneaky in attaining food from the humans’ garden which was just outside the forest. There was one time she got caught and she was chased around with a large broom stick. Humans seemed highly territorial, but so are animals, so who is to judge?

She turned somber at the situation that they were in; food had become scarce these days and she and her family were starving. She just wished humans were a bit kinder and not chase them away because really, the only way they can get food today is from the humans. Now it’s getting even more dangerous as hunting season was nearing.

A low growl was suddenly heard.

Rabbit immediately stopped eating started to look around, her ears twitched trying to figure out where the sound came from. The mammal could feel its heart pounding, feeling as though it was about to jump from its chest.

She knew that type of growl, having heard it before; it sent tremors down her spine. It was the kind of growl that came from rather hungry predators. Very, hungry and very dangerous predators.

Another growl. Heart pounded louder. Slowly, taking one step, Rabbit moved cautiously. The leaves of bushes rustled, turning her head towards the movement, and there she saw it. A hulking mass covered in fur dark as night, in an attacking position, with claws that dug into the ground, its muzzle wrinkled as it showed the sharpest fangs she had ever seen.

The mighty beast snarled, jaws tightened.

Not hesitating, Rabbit bolted.

 There was a game that she and her brothers and sisters used to play, one of them pretending to be a wild beast eating every single thing in sight. It was a fun game; they would play it every day. They all joked that the game was preparation for when an actual beast comes.

Well, look where she was now.

Running through the forest as fast as her thin legs could carry her, avoiding stumps of trees and large branches. As she ran, she could hear the beast giving chase; hearing its paws hit the ground crushing the leaves beneath it.

For what seemed like forever, Rabbit could feel herself getting tired; her muscles ached and her breath got heavier. She wanted to stop running, but if she did she’d die.

Then the sounds behind her stopped.

Her ears twitched as she noticed that, but it still didn’t stop her from sprinting. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that it stopped chasing her. Her parents had always told her and her siblings to never stop running in these moments. “Don’t be fooled. Not everything is always what it seems.” They would say and their words were taken to heart. She kept going, not looking back.

 “I should’ve thought this through!” Rabbit said out loud as she found herself in an unfamiliar part of the forest. The trees were tall leaves covering the skies, with only small rays of light seeping through. It was dark and it was hard to see what was around her. Taking a step forward, she stepped on something. It felt like a rough piece of plastic and it stuck to her foot. She shook her foot to get it off.

She didn’t know when she stopped her sprint; all she knew was that she was lost. Lost and tired, she wanted to go home and rest. Be with her family and cuddle with them, show them love. ‘Have they eaten yet?’ Rabbit worried. They have always managed to get by, but she won’t be satisfied with just the thought. She needed to see them, make sure they weren’t hungry.

Hiss.

‘Oh no,’ she thought, ‘please not again.’ There was no doubt the sound came from another monster, a snake in particular.

Growling.

Oh, great. There were two beasts after her now.

Turning, she once again tried to escape, but her foot got caught. She tripped on the piece of plastic she stepped on a few moments ago. A sharp pain went through her foot, as if she had twisted her joint. All hope was lost.

She needed to run, run to live.

But she couldn’t. It wouldn’t be possible. She’s going to die here.

Closing her eyes, she formed a picture of her family in her mind. The days she spent with them, taking care of them, loving them.

With a heavy heart, she accepted her fate.

The beasts pounced.

 When Rabbit opened her eyes, she was greeted with a blinding light and the very first thing she thought was that she’s in heaven. Bright light equals heaven, right?

Standing on her hind legs, which took a tremendous amount of effort, she looked around to take in her surroundings. The sky was littered with little white clouds, and the sun was emitting a warm glow, its rays hitting a small pond that had a sparkle challenging the brightest gems and stars in the world. Flowers were scattered all around, coloring the grass a rainbow.

Heaven was quite nice.

“You’re awake finally,” A bored male voice spoke.

Turning around, her blood turnED cold. Just when she thought that she could finally relax, the very beast that she was running away from was sitting right there.

The mighty creature stood up and went closer to Rabbit. She didn’t move an inch and just stared. Up close, she could see icy blue eyes that contrasted with its dark fur. She has been calling the beast ‘it’ for a while, but now she cOULD properly smell the beast and she could tell that it was a male. Those details didn’t matter, however. What mattered was that this creature in front of her was a wolf and that this wolf didn’t eat her and it looked like it wasn’t planning to any time soon.

The wolf opened his mouth and for moment she felt faint, but all he did was grab Rabbit by the scruff of her neck and carry her to the pond. He put her down and waited. She looked rather confused and stared at him as if asking "What am I supposed to do?" He saw this and he gave a small and strange explanation.

“I’m sorry for attempting to eat you earlier, I was just really hungry.” He said in an apologetic tone. “You must’ve been scared—” Scared doesn’t even begin to describe it. “—and tired. Drink from my pond as my apology.”

…This wolf was very weird. What sort of predator apologizes to its prey?

“Oh, and don’t worry about me eating you. That snake was enough to satisfy me. Trust me.” He said in a cheerful tone that was meant to be comforting.

…Very weird.

 A few things Rabbit has learned: One was that she was still alive. Two, the wolf that tried to kill her earlier was now taking care of her. And three, the wolf was probably the friendliest and weirdest mammal she has ever met.

So far they’ve had a pleasant conversation with each other; he’s told her about the things he likes and dislikes, told her about how the meadow they’re in was his home. She found herself doing the same thing; telling stories about her family, what she likes and dislikes and the story of when she snuck into the humans’ garden and got chased away with a broomstick; Wolf laughed at that story.

Rabbit then realized something. She has been enjoying herself that she forgot that she needed to go home. Her family must be worried sick. She needed to tell Wolf about it though.

“Umm… Wolf,” She started a bit nervous. “I appreciate you helping me but, I must get back home.”

“I would let you, but with that injury it will be hard.” Wolf replied, “It would take at least a few days for it to heal. Also, hunting season is almost near.”

Rabbit’s ears drooped.

“How about this, I’ll help you get back in shape and when you’re fully healed, I’ll guide you back home with food for your family.” Wolf offered.

Filled with surprise at the generous offer, Rabbit couldn’t believe her luck.

But all of a sudden she turned skeptical. It was too good of an offer, so she asked. “What do you want in return?

“In return, you shall be my friend.” Wolf gave a gentle smile.

…Remember when Rabbit thought that Wolf was weird? She still thought that.

O

The next few days saw a blooming friendship. Rabbit never thought that it could happen, but it did. She and Wolf became friends. Wolf took good care of her. He was patient and kind, he left and came back with food for her to eat and some extras to prepare for the trip back to her home. Whenever they were both bored, he would tell the most wonderful stories. He was very genuine with her and took great effort to earn her trust.

Rabbit would sometimes remember her parents warning to her about avoiding predators and it would bite at her, filling her with guilt over disobeying her parents. That thought led to another, if her parents were to ever see Wolf, they would be scared and would keep her from seeing him anymore. She voiced out her concerns to Wolf.

“Don’t worry so much,” he assured, “I’m sure that they will be open to it.”

And she did.

 “I’m really worried.” Rabbit says hopping next to Wolf who was carrying a bag of food for Rabbit’s family. Her foot had fully recovered and was ready to go back home. Both animals packed the food piled up and went on their way to her home.

“With the peace offering I have I sure that they’ll be welcoming. Trust me.” Wolf joked.

Rabbit laughed and for a moment stopped worrying.

 It took a while but they made it. They both stood in front of the bunny borrow. It was rather big, bigger than Wolf actually and he was gigantic. It made him wonder just how many are there in Rabbit’s family.

After telling Wolf to stay put, Rabbit entered her home.

The tunnel was wasn’t that long. So it didn’t take too long before she reached the end.

When she got there, expecting a lot of things to happen. She expected to be engulfed in warm hugs and kisses. She expected that her siblings would jump up to her crying tears of joy. She expected her parents asking question on where she was.

She expected her family to be here.

Instead, what greeted her was an empty, destroyed nest

 Back outside, Wolf was waiting patiently. It had been a minute since his friend went inside and in that time he started to get anxious. Rabbit had been telling him about how her parents had been. Mother Rabbit was small but she had a massive temper, Father Rabbit was bigger than any bunny but was soft spoken. They both shared one belief, though: never trust anything. If they found out about their daughter being affiliated with someone like him, they would not be happy and would prevent her from seeing him. He rarely ever made friends and the thought of being separated from his one and only friend, brings pain to his heart.

Then, he heard a loud honking noise from afar.

He looked towards the sound and it came from beyond the bushes. It sounded like a one of those makeshift ducks those humans made.

…If that were the case then, humans must be present.

Wolf thought it was odd, hunting season wasn’t here yet.

Then he heard a shuffling next to him. Rabbit looked like she had seen a ghost. He grew concerned for his friend so he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but she beat him to it.

“They’re gone!”

 After she had explained what she saw, he had a sneaking suspicion that the humans may have something to do with it. He told her to follow him and they found themselves hiding behind bushes. There they saw an old truck and two humans. Both were grown men and they seemed to be carrying cages, three cages to be exact and they were loading them into the truck.

Rabbit could only feel anger at the humans when she saw what were in those cage.

Inside of those cages was her family. The looks on their faces were of pure misery and grief at being taken away from their home.

“Is starting early this year really okay?” One of them asked.

“That’s the third time you’ve asked that. And yes there’s no harm in starting hunting season early. Besides these rabbits were too good to pass up.”

Humans were really mean creatures sometimes.

Growl

Startled at the sound, she noticed that Wolf was out of his hiding spot and was now growling at the humans. The humans turned fearful at the sight of the might wolf snarling at them, his sharp teeth bared and claws out.

The humans were quick, however and they were able to get in the truck, turn on the engine and sped away. Wolf wasted no time in sprinting not far behind Rabbit followed.

Rabbit never knew how fast Wolf was before and seeing him now running after a speeding vehicle with no sweat. It made her wonder how she was able to escape him in the first place. In no time, Wolf was able to reach the back of the truck. He spotted a small latch and reaches for it with his mouth. With a quick strong tug, the latch fell off and so did the mini truck door.

 As if getting torn away from home was stressful enough, imagine seeing a wolf chasing the truck you’re in and you come face to face with it. The bunnies screamed at the sight of the wolf and tried to back away somehow in their cages.

Wolf saw this and assured them. “Don’t worry I’m here to help! I’m a friend of one of your sisters! You know? The one who went missing for a few days? In fact she’s right behind me now!” The wolf shouted against the wind so they can hear him.

Looking behind and sure enough, they saw their sister.

With a quick decision, they trusted the wolf. They then started to push their cages trying to move forward.

First time, they only moved an inch. Second time, they were on the edge. With one last try, they moved back to their cage and struck forward.

All the cages fell out and broke.

 The bunnies cheered and they went to their sister and cuddled her. They then went to the wolf and cuddled him as well as a form of thank you. Needless to say, Wolf was treated as a friend of their family and Rabbit couldn’t be any happier.