#like as soon as i heard his voice i was like “wow haha that sounds like burn gorman. WAIT HOLT SHIT THAGS BURN GORMAN!?!?!?” | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

skelitinonmyback · 1 year

Text

short skirt/long jacket

pairing: poe dameron x fem!reader

synopsis: poe is a barista at the coffee shop you go to everyday, and he is absolutely head over heels for you. your femme fatale, business woman vibe makes his knees weak every time you come by. after pressure from his coworkers he put his moves on you. and you are more than happy to take him on.

content warning: SMUT 18+, dom!reader, sub!poe, oral sex (r!receiving), edging, male whimpers, grinding, teasing

word count: 3.9k

You were the only thing Poe looked forward to. His ears perked like a dog whenever he heard the bell at the front of the store chime at the arrival of a new customer, hoping it was you. His coworkers Finn and Rey caught on pretty quick by the way he turned bright red and stuttered everytime you came in. There was one time when Finn swore he saw Poe check his breath when you came through the door and he has yet to live that down.

That was the only reason Poe was putting on his apron now actually. The guarantee of seeing you was a greater motivator than the coffee they sold at the cafe. He clocked in and instead of being a good worker, his eyes were trapped on the door hoping to summon you. Maybe you were wearing a trenchcoat since the fall weather has finally started. God, you would look so good in a trenchcoat.

“You know staring at the door won’t make her get here any faster,” Rey shook her head behind him, the sound of her voice making him jump.

“Fuck, don’t sneak up on me like that,” he pouted, not happy being called out like that.

She rolled her eyes, she was standing behind him for two minutes before she finally said something. “Why don’t you just ask her out? She totally checks you out everytime she comes in! She even asked where you were yesterday when you didn’t work.”

“Did she really?” His eyes lit up at the idea, but he soon killed the flame not wanting his hopes to get up. “Whatever. If it’s so easy, why don’t you go ask Finn out hmm?”

Rey’s face turned sour and before she could scold him, Finn’s lovely voice came from the back of house. “What are we talking about?” His face appears from the doorway after his voice with a teasing look on his face. “Is he finally gonna ask her out?”

Poe’s face was starting to flush and he swore steam was coming from his ears with all the teasing he had to endure. He was racking his mind with ways to get back at his meddling coworkers but his focus was broken with the ring of the door bell. With the sound of your name coming from Rey he knew who it was. Didn’t everyone just have impeccable timing today.

“Wow, slow day today?” you questioned, surprised by the bare cafe on a Monday.

“Y-yeah, you just missed the crowd, haha. Get us a-all to yourself” Poe stuttered, turning a whole other shade of pink by your presence. He looked over to Rey for some help who just mouthed ‘smooth’ at him. In his defense, you looked good today, like how you look good everyday but more. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what made you look different today but he knew he liked it.

“Oh lucky me,” you giggled, always flattered by how flustered Poe was when you came in, it’s so cute. “Oh, Rey! I tried that lipstick you recommended. What do you think?”

“Oh my god, it looks so good! I knew that color would suit you,” she gushed. “What do you think, Poe?”

Suddenly, his throat closed up with mucus and he just didn’t know what words were anymore. “G,” he cleared his throat. “Good. I think it looks good.”

“Thank you, Poe,” you said, enjoying the way his eyes widened when you said his name. “I’ll just take my usual.” You set the exact change you’ve come to memorise down in his palm before heading to the end of the bar, talking to Rey who was making your drink.

You guys were over there talking for about 5 minutes before Poe got suspicious. Before he could intercept the conversation you already had one foot out the door and a napkin that Rey had handed you. When Poe tried asking Rey about it, she just shrugged and said ‘what napkin’. It was stuck on his mind for the rest of the day.

It wasn’t until later that night when he got a text did he realize what hijinx Rey was up to.

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Hello, Poe.

POE: hello? can i ask who this is

You sent him your name and a little apology for not starting with that.

His heart dropped to his stomach and his palms got sweaty. Wow, you didn’t even need to be here to get him incredibly nervous.

POE: OH, hi! hope you dont mind me asking but howd you get my number lol

YOU: Rey gave it to me this morning. I hope that’s ok!

His face turned red, so embarrassed by his match making coworker. God, he hoped you didn’t blame him for her meddling, completely ruining his chance with you.

POE: oh goodness, im so sorry abt her, i hope she didnt force anything on you :/

YOU: Oh, it’s no problem, Poe.

Even the way you texted was so sexy and sufisticated. It really shouldn’t be turning him on as much as it was.

POE: are u sure? if she was over stepping bounds id be happy to make it up to u

Be more desperate, Poe. Jesus Christ.

YOU: Well, if you do want to make it up to me, I am free tomorrow at 6:30 pm for dinner. I’ll be expecting something nice.

POE: oh sure i can do dinner tmrw. have u ever been to ogas grill

YOU: Poe, honey, it doesn’t actually have to be fancy. I was teasing you.

HONEY? God, you were going to give him a heart attack if you kept that behavior up.

POE: no its ok i like it :)

YOU: See you then!

Poe quite literally couldn’t wait. He could feel all of the cells of his body vibrating with excitement and he couldn’t fall asleep. Once he finally did, he woke right back up an hour later when his alarm for work went off. Oh he couldn’t wait to see you when you came in for your coffee as usual but this time you had a date planned.

And as if time was flipping before him, he was already clocked in for the shift, 30 minutes before you usually come in. His demeanor was distant for he was drifting away in his thoughts that were occupied solely by you. He was distracted in the back, zoned out doing the dishes when Finn calling your name dragged him to reality.

Poe didn’t bother turning off the water before running out front to see you waiting for your drink at the end of the bar. He called out your name in a tired, breathless voice as if he just ran a marathon to see you.

“Hi, Poe,” you beamed with a bright smile that practically burned Poe’s insides.

“Hi, you’re here early,” he observed. “N-not that that’s a bad thing, I just don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before 7:30. NOT that I’m like keeping track of you or you know what I’m just gonna stop talking.”

“It’s ok, honey,” you giggled unaware of the way Poe gripped onto the counter to stop himself from falling to his knees for you. “I just couldn’t wait to see you today is all.”

Poe’s eyes went wide with awe and he had to hold himself back from jumping over the counter and kissing you. “Really?” is all his brain managed to come up with as he started planning out your entire relationship together.

“Yeah,” you laughed at his shock that you were infact excited to see him, gushing over the sheer cuteness that was him. Cutting off your moment together, Finn sets your drink down for you on the bar. “I’ll let you get back to work, but I can’t wait to see you wait at dinner, honey.”

“Me too,” he sighed, eyes dazed watching you leave the store.

“Dinner?” Finn gasped, perplexed by your words.

“Shut up.”

—

Later that day Poe was practically shitting his pants as he waited outside of your apartment. He brought flowers because he thought it was the right thing to do but as he looked at flowers he started overthinking about the casualness of everything. What if you just wanted to get dinner to know him better as a friend and you would laugh in his face and call him stupid for ever believing you would want to go out with him. So he settled on a bundle of baby’s breath and eucalyptus.

When you answered the door all the breath from his lungs escaped him and a stitch started forming in his side from just standing there and looking at you. You were wearing a dress, midi length, that hugged you in all the right places and revealed more skin than he ever thought he’d see on you. Your lipstick red and heels stiletto, doubling down on your femme fatale image.

“You know,” you start, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without your apron on. It’s nice, you clean up well.”

Hi siliva stuck to the back of his throat at your compliment, causing him to roughly clear his throat. “Um, I got these for you, wasn’t sure what kind you liked so,” he said humbly, handing you the flowers with weak hands.

You thanked him, obsessed with how bashful he was, and turned back into your house to set them down on the counter before taking his arm and heading with him to his car. His palms were already sweaty simply from the grip you had on his bicep and when he opened your door to let you into his car he felt some relief of getting a little bit of distance from you, just so he could breathe again.

Luckily for him, Oga’s Grill was just a five minute drive down from your apartment, so he didn’t have to worry too much about making polite conversation and instead he could focus on regulating his breathing. It was unfortunate for you however. You loved watching him twitch and get nervous over a car ride with you. It made your imagination run wild, thinking about all the reactions he would have if you were actually trying to make him nervous.

The dinner was, well, awkward. Poe couldn’t stop getting nervous and accidentally knocking stuff over and it was honestly the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. You could tell he was immensely nervous more than anything but you couldn’t bring yourself to console him, loving how red he got from stirring in his own juices.

When the check came, he felt panicked because the date didn’t go at all how he had planned. He was waiting for the moment he would gain the confidence to sweep you off your feet but it never came. He put his card in the checkbook, hands shakier than ever, not knowing how to rebound after making himself look like a complete buffoon.

When you guys got back in the car, Poe didn’t put the key in the ignition, instead he just stared at the steering wheel in front of him. Excitement sparkeed in your abdomen, thinking he was finally going to make a move. He swallowed every nerve crawling up his throat so he could get out this sentence.

“I’m sorry for my… behavior today. I was just so nervous, I kept on embarrassing myself, I guess,” he said, too ashamed to look at you.

For the first time that day, your heart actually tugged at the way he struggled to communicate so you officially needed to put his worries away. “Hey, it’s ok. I thought it was cute.” He scoffed at you and you had to double down. “Honest. Really, I think it’s kind of… sexy.”

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline and for the first time in the whole evening he made eye contact with you and you could’ve crumbled right there. The way his eyesbrows pinched together and his mouth pouted with confusion was slowly chipping away at your patience. And the sound of his voice when he said “really?” was practically begging you to go on.

“Come on, you can’t look at me like that and pretend to be confused about what I find attractive about it all.”

“Wait, you’re being serious?” His voice was weaker and he faced his body towards you, the best he could in the car, and you wanted nothing more than to kiss that surprised look off his face.

“As a fucking heart attack, Poe, I swear I was wet for that entire dinner,” you admit, throwing caution to the wind.

Embarrassingly so, Poe choked on his spit, awed by the words you just said about him. He shook his head, not completely understanding what you meant by that. Frustrated by all the back and forth, you grabbed his hand and shoved it up your skirt to where your thighs parted, where you had undoubtedly soaked through your panties. The sound of a whimper passing through Poe’s lips made your thighs clench around the hand you brought between them.

“Feel what you do to me, baby?” you questioned with a pout. Completely dumb by everything around him, he just nodded, eyes boring into yours. His finger tips twitched, running along your clothed cunt purly on intsinct. “Why don’t you take me home, huh baby?”

You didn’t have to ask him twice. He ripped his hand away from you and forced the car into reverse and maybe went a bit above the speed limit to make it home. You weren’t making it easy for him to focus on the road either. You had a hand on him the entire time, running your manicured nails up and down his thigh and he could feel himself twitching and lurch in the confines of his pants.

When you got to the parking lot of your apartment you werre sure he was going to hurt himself with how fast he got out of the car. You couldn’t help but laugh at his eagerness when he was already to the front of your apartment by the time you left his car.

“C’mon now, honey, don’t want me to think you’re desperate,” you teased, completely joking. But when you saw the way his eyes twinkled and lips stuttered you knew he was taking you seriously, and liking it. You clucked your tongue at him and shook your head before letting him into your apartment.

You kicked off your shoes in the foyer and he did the same, mimicking all of your actions. Poe was very nervous, he wasn’t really the type to have sex on a first date so he didn’t really understand the protocol or what would be expected of him. You felt his nervousness and knew that he didn’t really know what to do with himself so you threw him a bone.

“Why don’t you go sit on the couch for me, baby?” He immediately followed your instruction, walking the ten paces to took to get from your front door to your couch. Satisfied by his obedience you called him ‘good boy’ that gave you a harsh sigh and a stuttered step in return. You were willing to call him good boy every second of every day if it got you that in return.

“Aww, you like it when I called you that?”

His eyes were wide and lips were parted when he nodded back at you, sitting incredibly straight on your couch. You stood in front of him and shook your head, disappointed with his response. “I need to hear you.”

“... yes.”

“That’s a good boy. You answer all of my questions when I ask them, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am,” his voice hoarse in response.

Your spine tingled at the new nickname he developed for you and your control almost faded away completely. But, you didn’t want to scare him away by pouncing on him so instead you settled for sitting gently on his lap, lining his hips with yours.

“This ok?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he repeated, his voice higher, whinier than before. The sound of it made you roll your hips against his and the jagged gasp he let out had you doing another and then another until he was heavy panting and his nails dug into the fabric of your couch.

“Sorry, pretty boy, you just look so good everytime I do it,” you huffed, unable to straighten out your breathing.

“I’it’s ok, ah,” his voice strained when you started grinding down on him harsher and more frantic. “F-fuuck, oh fuck. Stop, please I’m gonna, gonna cum, oh.”

“Already, baby?” Your hips stilled as you looked at him with curiosity. He nodded and you could tell by the way his jaw was dropped, eyes barely open, and neck completely flushed he was lying. He began to writhe under you, subconsciously looking for the friction that’ll have him finished. “But, you haven’t even touched me yet.”

“Can I,” he cut himself off, looking at the ceiling embarrassed.

“Can you what baby? Come on, use your words.”

“Can I eat you out?” he admitted, bringing his chin down so his eyes could search yours. His desperation grew when you didn’t respond to him right away. “Please, ma’am, wanna taste you so bad. Just wanna make you feel good, baby, please”

“Shh, of course you can, baby,” you muttered. Soon you were yelping when he picked you up to switch positions, setting you down on the couch with your ass to the very edge.

Without any other words, he kneeled down in front of you and fuck was it a sight to behold. He didn’t look up at you, all of his focus was on your legs as he rolled up your skirt with furrowed brows. You felt the scrap of teeth and a tug, realizing that behind the skirt pooled around your thighs was Poe, taking your panties off with his fucking teeth. He reappeared, panties between his teeth. He looked at your face and seductively took them out from between his teeth and settled them on the couch next to you before diving back in.

You inhaled sharply and cursed and the sudden ravaging against your cunt. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted to eat you out because his tongue was lapping against your hole like a fucking dog and his nose dug into your clit. You lifted your skirt up enough to grab ahold of his hair and keep him at work tight against you.

“Fuck,” you groaned, “Good fucking boy, ugh, feels so good.” Your voice was deep and raw and the sound of it tagged him on further, making his lick and nudges harder. It didn’t take long for a spring to break in you and Poe clenched his nails into your thighs when you started shaking, trying to get him off you with the intensity of your orgasm.

Finally calming down, you used your grip on his head to manivuer him back so you could get a good look at him. You wished you could take a picture of him and frame it from the way he looked now. His hair unruly, face bright red, and chin completely damp with your essence was a sight to behold. His chest heaved from the air suddenly rushing back to his lungs.

You pull him up to sit next to you on the couch and you take apart his pants. He lifts his hips so you can pull down pants, boxers following. Soon his cock laid up against his stomch, bright red, leaking, and twitching like he was fighting off an orgasm. Unable to help yourself, you ran your finger nail up the underside of it. His hand darted forward to try and stop you, a hiss escaping his mouth.

“Uh uh, you let me touch what’s mine,” you tsked. When he let go of you and returned his hand to his side you hummed “that’s right,” before wrapping your fist around him.

Immediately, strings of fuck’s and oh god’s were piling out of his mouth. His hips were jerking along with your movements and precum dribbled onto your hand as a natural form of lubricant.

“Shit, I’m gonna c-cum, I’m gonna,” his rant cut off as you removed your hand away from him. He looked over at you with wild eyes like a puppy you just kicked.

“You only get to cum inside me, ok?” you were stern with your words and he had no other choice but to nod along with them.

You kicked your leg to the other side of him and brought your lap down to his, this time you were touching each other’s most intimate parts bare and the stimulation made Poe light headed. You knew Poe wouldn’t last long but you didn’t mind, completely satisfied with the orgasm he brought you earlier.

You reached under your dress where you two met and pulled his cock up, lefting your hip with it. You teased the tip over the slit of you, making him bunch the meat of your hip into his fist and whine. You swore you saw tears form in his eyes as he pleaded for you.

Breaking him from his misery, you slowly sid down his length. Thank you, thank you, thank you fell from his lips as he was consumed by you.

It would’ve been embarrassing for him if he could think about anything other than the warmth of your cunt. It only took five more ruts of your hips before his legs tighten, hips spasmed and hands flailing to different parts of you. You knew he was on the brink of cumming but for some reason he was denying himself. He was waiting for you.

“Go ahead, baby, cum for me.”

His eyebrows furrowed and abs tighten with the focus of hold himself off. “But, you haven’t.”

“It’s ok. Wanna feel you cum inside me. Can you do that for me? Can you cum for me baby?”

That last push was all he needed and soon enough he was whining out profanities and thank yous and he shook beneath you. You moaned at the feeling his hot cum coating you inside, at the way his eyes rolled back, at the way he choked on his breath. You gave it a few beats before you made a move to clean up.

“We should probably head back to my bed huh?” you said through the fit of giggles you found yourself in.

“Yeah,” he sighed, head resting against the back of the couch. “Just give me a minute.”

You got up from the couch, cum dripping down your leg, and extended your hand for him to take. “Come on, big guy, let’s get cleaned up.”

He followed your direction and eventually you ended up nice and clean, cuddling up in your bed. He looked over your shoulder at the alarm clock next to your bed and groaned. “What’s wrong?”

“I forgot I had work at 5:00 am tomorrow,” he whined, and it being midnight meant that was in five hours.

“Don’t worry about that now. Just go to sleep and I’ll give you a ride, ok.” Very happy with the sentiment of your statement he drifted off to sleep. He didn’t even consider the inevitable questions Finn and Rey would have for him when you kissed him on the lips and told him to call you when he was off.

#poe dameron smut #poe x reader #poe dameron fanfiction #poe dameron x reader #poe dameron

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mybelde · 2 years

Text

10: downpour ♤

17 January, Monday 4.25pm

Location: Teyvat University's Foyer

Nothing ever goes as planned. Therefore people tell you to expect the unexpected. But how were you supposed to know that day it was going to rain? Even the weather forecast didn't expect it. What made things worst was that you forgot your dorm key and now you couldn't even go back to your dorm if you wanted to. You therefore resorted to texting in your gc for help

17 January, Monday, 4.47pm

You sat at your campus' foyer as you waited for Aether to arrive. You watched the rain pouring down everywhere. To see the water droplets crash down everywhere seemed so fascinating to you. Even though it was late afternoon, the sky was so gloomy. It almost seemed like it was in sad mood. The opposite to what you were feeling currently.

Your heart was racing and you waited for Aether with anticipation.

You didn't know why you were so worked up. Was it because it was your first time seeing Aether after two weeks? Probably.

You genuinely enjoyed his company that day and you wanted to hangout with him more. But you didn't know what was stopping you from asking him again. Did you feel shy with him? Did he enjoy your company? You hoped he did. Otherwise your goal to be friends with him was going to be impossible to achieve.

You soon heard the sound of someone running towards you. You turned around and spotted a familiar blond holding a large umbrella.

"Sorry if you had to wait a long time for me to arrive yn, I came as quick as I could."

You glanced over his features, he looked like he was out of breath and was gasping for air.

"It's alright Aether, I didn't wait for long. And you shouldn't have ran all the way here when it's raining, what if you slipped and got hurt??? Your sister would probably be worried sick!!"

You heard him give a small chuckle as a response and you sighed.

"Let's just wait here for a while until you catch your breath. After all, you only came here just because Lumine told you and I feel bad."

"I came here because it was you yn."

You felt your breath hitch and you looked at him in confusion.

"W-well i heard from lumine that no one was able to pick you up... and i thought you wouldn't have liked to stay here and wait until 6 for my sister or Hu Tao to arrive when you could be doing other things. I mean I wouldn't want to be stuck in this downpour alone as well, hahah.."

Wow, he was so thoughtful.

You gave him a small smile and replied, "Thanks Aether, I really appreciate you coming here to pick me up."

"Don't mention it! So..." He held his hand out towards you.

"Shall we get going?"

"We shall."

The walk in the rain was a quiet one, despite the rain crashing down everywhere. Both you and Aether were walking to his and Lumine's house in silence. The siblings opted to live in their own house instead of the campus dorms since their house was quite near to the college.

The both of you were sharing an umbrella together and were heading towards your destination. Though the umbrella was big enough to fit you both, you can't help but fluster over the fact that you were standing so close to him. Sure, you were literally on him when he saved you from the cyclist that day but that was different! It was in the heat of the moment. This time you were actually walking next to him and trying to not get wet in the rain.

"So... how was your day?" He asked. Probably trying to break the silence between you guys.

"Hmm... I guess it was alright. But Professor Varka was definitely picking on me today. He kept on asking me questions during lecture today and I couldn't even get out of it. And I think Ms Lisa is starting to get annoyed of me and Scara's antics lol, plus..."

While you were going on and on about your day, you didn't notice how big Aether's smile was getting as he stared at you.

"Oh shit, my bad. I didn't mean to talk so much haha.."

"No its fine, your voice is so soothing to hear if I'm being honest with you."

Oh?

Your heart started beating faster and you quickly became flustered.

Damn, I didn't know he was such a smooth talker.

"O-oh thanks... I didn't think my voice was actually that soothing to hear.. well what about you? How did your day go??"

Nice recovery yn.

"Me? It was pretty alright as well. I just finished my first journal entry today about Fontaine's latest invention."

"Ooo can I read it? I wanna know how you write your journal entries. I'm used to reading Lumine's entries, but I'm sure you have a different writing style than hers."

"Yeah sure! I can let you read some of my journals, oh and it looks like we finally arrived."

You looked up to see the familiar house you've been to many times. You used to visit Lumine at her house a lot since highschool, but whenever you were around, Aether seemed to be nowhere in sight. But now, it was just the two of you, in the house, alone.

And before you could do anything else, you had to get something off your chest first.

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Finally done with this chapter 💀

Took me a while to figure out what to write, hopefully it came out okay

tag list - open |•| @bobaducky @belovedxiao @mangobee @kokxm1 @crueldinasty @c-sunflower01 @xiaosoneandonly @denisemyg @shinjume @droopygh0st @yae-raidenmyloves @goodnight-haley @cocaine-milkshake-666 @bubiblossom @hollowedtime @redactedhimbo @scaramouche-slut

if your name is in red, it means its not letting me tag you from some reason :(

send an ask if you want to be added to the taglist

#genshin impact #genshin impact smau #genshin fluff #genshin imagines #genshin au #aether smau #aether x reader #aether x y/n #aether fluff #your bestfriend's twin brother

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montague-love628 · 28 days

Text

[……Eternal Love]

Hello everyone. I'm Nolan Chance

Oh, this is my flashback. Don't forget. Today, August 25th, is apparently my birthday...

Today's protagonist seems to have forgotten his birthday. I know it's not good to say this, but I don't think it's good to forget, haha...

Now, let's put the flashback aside and get into the main story.

・

"…Work, work."

I took my notebook off the shelf and checked today's mission, but there was nothing written. I was about to leave the study, thinking that someone had forgotten again, when I heard a knock on the door.

"Nolan, can I say something?"

"Antonia! Who's on duty today? It's not written in the notebook again. How many times has this happened...?"

"……You really forgot."

Antonia in front of me sighed at Nolan, who had forgotten what today was.

"You forgot? What? Hey, Antonia! Don't pull my clothes!"

"See for yourself."

She silently pulled my clothes, so I almost tripped, but I kept my balance and came to the door of the room where we always meet. Antonia said to see for myself, so I reluctantly followed her and opened the door in front of me.

"Happy Birthday!!!"

The moment I opened the door, I was surprised by everyone's high-pitched cheers. I looked around in surprise at the unfamiliar sound of loud crackers and the flying confetti.

"...Huh??"

[Do you remember what today is? Nolan, it's your birthday]

"My birthday... Oh, that's right. August 25th... I completely forgot, hahaha."

(Leader, don't forget your birthday!!

May was really looking forward to celebrating your birthday!!)

{May is a kid who loves her leader

Anyway, happy birthday, Nolan. Oh, do you want to go get pizza?}

(Piper???)

{Because it's true, right?}

［Stop it! It's shameful to fight at such an important time.］

I thought May and Piper would start arguing like usual, but Antonia scolded and calmed them down, so I gave a bitter smile.

"Hahaha..."

"I'm glad we celebrated your birthday, though, brother! Happy birthday again!!"

A man with a sturdy build appeared in front of me. I looked up a bit and saw that it was Fish Chic.

"Oh, Chic. I forgot about my birthday too. Thank you."

〘Wow, I didn't know it was Nolan's birthday today. But happy birthday〙

"Oh, it's okay. I forgot my birthday too. Don't worry about it. But thanks for celebrating."

"By the way...Kado? Why did you come...?"

I was having a trivial conversation while receiving congratulations from my friends, but I saw a stranger in the corner of my eye and turned in that direction.

"...I can't help it, I can't help it. I only came because that woman told me to. Why would I celebrate my enemy's birthday...?"

I smiled bitterly at the person who was congratulating me in a small voice while talking to himself, thinking that there was still a little humanity left in him. I couldn't help but smile when I saw the food that Antonia and the others must have worked hard to make lined up on the table. As we all ate and drank happily, time passed without me noticing. It was past 10:30 at night, and I suddenly looked towards the window and sighed.

"Nolan, come here for a second."

Suddenly, Antonia called out to me, so I looked up and realized that she was beckoning me.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

[This is a letter entrusted to me by the person you were waiting for.]

I received a small letter from Antonia and noticed that it had a familiar diamond engraved on it.

"...This..."

[Now, hurry up. The date will soon change. Leave through the back door.]

I was almost stunned by the letter, but Antonia's words stopped me and told me to leave the place immediately, so I gave a wry smile and went out through the back door.

・

If you leave through the back door, it will take about 30 seconds to arrive. When I arrive at the small villa behind the house, I stand in front of the door, take a deep breath, put my hand on the doorknob, and start walking inside. It's not dark, but I notice that the lights are a little brighter, so I look around for the person I'm looking for.

"... Nolan..."

"... Ah! What a surprise..."

Suddenly, I'm hugged from behind and a familiar voice calls my name, so I'm surprised because it was sudden, but when I see a familiar expression through the light,

"... Montague!"

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you."

I seem to be a little regretful that I surprised the other person with my actions, but when the other person puts his hand on my cheek, I can't help but smile and put my hand on his.

"It's okay, but... I thought you wouldn't come."

"It's important, so of course I'll come. Nolan, you're my important lover."

I wasn't used to him looking me in the eye and casually saying cool things, so I instinctively looked away.

"Nolan..."

"...//"

When he lifted my chin lightly, his soft lips touched mine.

"Get used to it, Nolan...lol"

"You're getting too used to Montague..."

Everything he does is perfect and cool, but I'm still not used to the fact that everything he does is sneaky, and every time he does it, I feel embarrassed, and I try to hide that embarrassment. I hugged him tightly.

"That's right...Nolan. I'll say it again. Happy birthday. I'm so happy to be able to celebrate such an important day.

And meeting Nolan and becoming your lover is very important to me. And...eternity may not exist, but it does exist for us.

So, thank you so much for meeting me. Let's continue to celebrate this important day."

"Montague...hehe, it's really embarrassing to hear that again..."

But thank you. Of course, please continue to celebrate my birthday from now on. Hehe..."

"...I love you forever, Nolan."

And on Nolan's hand is a beautifully sparkling diamond ring.

The meaning of the pink diamond is "perfect love" and "eternal bond."

Diamond Chance's future may be eternal...

#fortnite #Nolan Chance #Montague #montague fortnite #nolan chance fortnite #diamondchance #Happy birthday

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janetbrown711 · 2 years

Text

First Bowl of Noodles

The story of how Mei and MK stumbled into Pigsy's Noodles and met Pigsy and Tang

**Several years pre-canon**

Ao3 Link

It was a regular rainy thursday afternoon for Pigsy, customers shifting in and out of the restaurant at a slower pace than usually, the soft pattering of rain outside, and Tang working on his dissertation, still hemming and hawing at whether or not he chose the right topic has he had been for just about forever now– and of course, he was also not paying for his food. Pigsy would’ve bothered him, but the restaurant was so quiet and peaceful he didn’t feel like disturbing it.

It was right then he jinxed it, as he heard the door burst open, followed by the sounds of sopping wet sneakers ducking under a booth and some whispers, leaving what he knew without looking was probably a massive trail of mud water and dirt without an apology.

Kids.

Just what he wanted right now.

Here we go…

Pigsy put the pot he was working on to a simmer before going to the booth and knocking on the table. “Can I help you two down there?” he huffed. Sheepishly, two maybe ten-year-olds, one boy and one girl, popped out on opposite sides of the booth– with the girl having a massive bruise on her cheek.

“Haha, sorry sir, can we have a menu?” The girl smiled brightly at him. Pigsy rolled his eyes and pointed to the rack of them against the wall. “Oh,” she laughed nervously and grabbed one, burying her face in it. Pigsy huffed and went back to the kitchen.

“They’re just kids Pigsy, let them be,” Tang gave Pigsy a look.

“Pay for your food and maybe I’ll listen to your advice,” Pigsy smirked, going back to working on a plate of biangbiang noodles.

“Do you think we lost em?” Pigsy could hear the boy attempt to whisper clear as day due to the sheer emptiness of the restaurant. He tried to ignore it, but he was always a bit of an eavesdropper.

“I dunno, I’d say so,” She said, her voice muffled from still hiding her face in the menu presumably.

‘Lost em’? The last thing Pigsy needed on this perfectly calm Thursday afternoon was a fight in his restaurant. He glanced at the door as he finished the biangbiang noodles, put it into a to-go container and bag and handed it to the last remaining paying customer.

“...sorry I kind of let you get punched in the face back there, Mei,” The boy picked at his menu anxiously, which made Pigsy furrow his brow.

“Psh, you know I can handle myself.” The girl, Mei, said, finally lifting her face from the menu. Pigsy busied himself by wiping down the counters in the kitchen.

“Well yeaaaahhhh, but still– sorry,” The boy apologized again.

“What, you want me to punch you in the face so we’re even?” Mei snorted.

Pigsy immediately set down his rag and went to the table.

“You know you have to come to the bar to order, right?” Pigsy asked the kids, causing them to jump in their seats.

“Yes sir, Mr..?” The boy had no idea where he was.

“Pigsy. Of ‘Pigsy’s Noodles.’ You know– the restaurant you’re in right now? THe very restaurant you dragged all of your muddy footprints into?” Pigsy tapped his foot. He could practically feel Tang’s ‘go easy on them’ eyes on his back but he didn’t care. He would not have any fights or tomfoolery in his family’s restaurant, no siree.

“Wow Pigsy’s Noodles?! My parents never let me come here,” Mei grinned, leaving Pigsy confused as to if he should be offended or not.

“Look kids– I don’t want any trouble, so either order food or get on your way, alright?” Pigsy rubbed his forehead before he pulled out a pen and pad from his apron.

“Right! W-well, I’ll get the– uhm.. the crab roe noodles,” Mei grinned at him as she put her menu back.

“This kid just ordered the most expensive noodles in the shop and she has no clue,” Pigsy shook his head.

“You sure? They aren’t cheap,” Pigsy wrote the order down anyway.

Mei nodded. “And MK will have—”

“I will have reganmian, please and thank you,” the boy, MK, grinned as big as the girl.

Well at least one of them seems to know prices.

“Alright, that’ll be ready soon enough– and if there’s any kind of mischief or antics you guys are out of here, understand? Also, I expect you two to also mop up those footprints– makes my business look bad,” Pigsy shot a look and the kids did a military salute.

“Yes sir, Mr. Pigsy,” They said in unison before laughing. Pigsy just rolled his eyes and went back to the kitchen.

Pigsy got to work straightaway, thinking that if the kids did have to bounce at least he could enjoy the crab roe noodles– he never let himself have it because of how much it cost him to even get the stuff.

Tang was still tap-tap-tapping away at his keyboard, and the rain quieted to a soft drizzle, leaving the only sounds once again to be the boiling of water and the kids talking.

“...How mad are your parents gonna be when you get home late?” Mei asked.

MK took a bit to respond. “I dunno– probably a lot.”

“Like– last time you snuck out bad or worse?”

“...I dunno. Maybe worse.”

“Oh… sorry…”

“It’s not your fault those guys are a bunch of bullies and decided to chase us through the city,” MK assured.

Ah, so that was their story.

Hmph.

“What kind of parent blames their kid for being bullied?” Tang whispered to himself while typing, meaning he was eavesdropping too.

Pigsy tried to focus on his cooking as some orders also rolled in from the online service.

“If it’s any help, my parents are gonna be mad at me too. Especially after the whole motorcycle stunt, haha.”

“That was pretty stupid of us, wasn’t it?” MK laughed. “Man, I can’t believe it didn’t explode after all the junk we did to it– and the look on your nanny’s face was hilarious.”

“Haha, yeah! Good times,” The ten-year-old girl smiled.

“I wish I could tap into my inner dragon though– it’d help a lot with the bullies instead of being all bark with very a reasonable bit but not enough bite. My dad unlocked his when he was seven, I’m practically a runt,” Mei gave a dramatic huff and rested her arms and head on the table with a slam that made the table shake and Pigsy cringe.

MK was quick to comfort though. “You’re not a runt Mei, you’re you– like that book I hate– Charlotte’s Web.”

“Wow, MK, you have such a way with words,” Mei laughed. MK laughed too, to Pigsy’s curiosity (that he was totally feeling on accident because he was just so focused on cooking you know).

Pigsy finished MK’s dish, and so kept it under low heat while he started to cook the crab for Mei’s noodles.

“Okay, okay, for real you don’t need an inner dragon right now, you’re totally cool as is,” MK was pretty sincere for a kid.

“Yeah, yeah, ya big sap,” Mei blew a raspberry, which was followed by the whacking of a menu, which was followed by the whacking of another menu and–

“I said no antics, you two,” Pigsy scolded from the kitchen.

The kids gave a simultaneous “Sorry!” before it turned into a giggling fit.

Oy, was this crab ready yet?

Nope, still needed ginger and sugar and wine.

Pigsy muttered to himself and added the spices.

“Woah– that’s a cool plaque. Hey Mister Pigsy! What’dya get this plaque for?!” The boy shouted so loud so suddenly Pigsy nearly cut his finger off.

“Kid– don’t distract the chef when he’s cooking, alright?” He gave the kid a look, causing him to shrink down.

“You talking about the big blue and gold one up top?” Tang gave Pigsy a quick look before swiveling his stool towards the kids.

“Yeah! Looks cool!” MK said, his spirits returning.

“I believe that was the ‘Best Non-Dragon Themed Restaurant’ about five years ago?” Tang tapped his chin.

“Oh please– it was the ‘Best Wontons 2008’ and you know that, Tang,” Pigsy rolled his eyes.

“Oh right. Best Non-Drago Themed Restaurant is the one over there,” Tang pointed at the one right beneath, which was black and green with a fairly impressive carving of a dragon on it– which, come to think of it, kind of defeats the purpose.

“Haha, cool!” Mei said. “How does a restaurant get so many plaques? There’s a billion of them!”

“You think this is cool, there’s even more in the basement. This restaurant has been in that old grump’s family for generations–”

“Tang, I really don’t need you to give the kid’s my entire life story, I can do that on my own time,” Pigsy said, turning the heat off the crab to make sure it didn’t burn.

“Is it true? That’s so cool–! Family history is so cool, I wish I had a cool family,” MK had a huge dopey grin on his face. Tang and Pigsy shared a look.

Pigsy added the crab to Mei’s noodles and hit the bell. “Alright, food’s up. That’s 120.38 yuan for the crab roe noodles, and 43.83 yuan for the reganmian.”

MK tensed at that, as Pigsy expected. He sighed as he tapped numbers into the machine, expecting Mei or him to admit they didn’t have money, but to his surprise, the girl walked up confidently with a little coin purse where she pulled out a–

Sweet mother of God– is that a Silk World Card????

“Kid, where the heck did you get this?!” Pigsy didn’t even know if his machine would take such a thing.

“It’s mine– see? It says ‘Mei Dragon’ right there,” Mei reached over the bar to point.

Mei… Dragon??? As in the descendant of the White Horse Dragon????

Holy fucking shit.

“R-right, um… this’ll just be a second,” Pigsy had no idea how she was being so casual about this– how she was a casual kid in general– No– not in general, she was a kid with a huge bruise on her face and mud all over her shoes from getting in a fight– how the hell was she the daughter of a billionaire???

Thankfully, his machine took the card and Mei took the noodles happily back to the table. When he looked back, Tang’s mouth was wide open.

“You mean you’re a descendant of Ao Lie???? The White Horse Dragon??? The one from The Journey to the West????” Tang was practically fanboying.

“Yep!” Mei said, getting a good whiff of the noodles, whereas MK was scarfing his down at lightning fast speeds.

“Jeez kid, it’s like you’ve never had a decent meal in your life,” Pigsy joked, kind of startled how a kid that small ate that fast.

MK wiped his face with his sleeve. “Lunch was meh and I skipped breakfast so– hungry I guess,” he laughed.

“You should see him when they have pop-tarts in the cafeteria. He can eat ten of them in like– five seconds,” Mei said it like it was a brag and not something incredibly disturbing.

“It’s true,” MK grinned, slurping a noodle through his teeth.

“Man, kids these days,” Pigsy shook his head and went back to work.

“You know, it was a billion years ago, but you were also a kid once too, Pigsy,” Tang teased him, typing away at his laptop again.

“Really?! Man, if you told me that old grump was always an old grump I’d believe you,” Mei said with her whole chest, to the point where Pigsy was only 80% sure she was joking.

“Oh no, I’m pretty sure he’s always been a grump,” Tang smirked at Pigsy, who almost gave him the finger, before remembering there were kids here.

“Imagine a frowny faced little piggy– in his big ole chef’s hat with a big frown saying ‘i better not hear another peep outta you guys!’” MK shook his fist dramatically.

Day one and these kids were already making fun of him.

And this was why he usually refused service to lone children.

Right then, a gust of cold air came through the door as the bell chimed for another customer, shutting up MK and Mei instantly as they buried their heads in the menus again.

“Can I help you..?” Pigsy raised an eyebrow at the kids, before realizing a possy of three stupid looking fourteen-year-olds were standing in the doorway, dripping rain and more mud water on his floors (and he had just mopped an hour ago).

“We’re looking for two brats who ran off in this direction, two fifth graders, one girl one boy– seen em?” The ‘leader’ said, sticking his hands in the pockets of his ‘oh-so-tough’ leather jacket.

“Jesus Christ– I do not want any fighting or antics or teenagers in my restaurant. Get out,” Pigsy ordered, briefly glancing at Tang and the kids–

Fuck.

The teens followed his gaze and strutted up to the table, the leader guy slamming his hands on the table.

“Hey there, Lizard Girl. Thought you got away?” He pulled down Mei’s menu.

“It’s Dragon Girl. And buzz off,” Mei glared at him.

“Yeah! Buzz off,” MK defended his friend.

“Yeah, yeah, you still owe me for what you did to Xiran’s face,” he snatched their menus away.

“Hey– no fighting! Especially ten-year-olds– Jeez, do you not have anyone your own size to pick on,” Pigsy angrily rolled up his sleeves and stepped out of the kitchen.

“It’s not my fault Xiran fell out of that tree– I was climbing very normally and she decided to leap and–”

“Blah blah blah– Do you ever shut up?!” The bully grabbed MK’s collar and Pigsy intervened, pulling the two apart.

“Out. Now.”

The kids laughed, though one was notably worried. Pigsy gave them a death glare, and the leader raised his hand in an arrogant behavior that made Pigsy’s eyes roll so hard it almost hurt.

“Alright, alright, we’re good kids, we know when we aren’t welcome. Let’s go, crew.”

Pigsy scoffed and watched them until they were almost completely out the door, heading back to the kitchen when he suddenly heard a very loud shatter sound and a scream from Mei, as well as the teens laughing and running out of the restaurant.

“MK!!! A-a-are you okay?!” Mei asked her friend who was–

Holy fuck those idiots threw a fucking plate at his head– oh my god–

“...Ow,” The kid was bleeding like crazy and was now holding his head.

“Holy fuck, kid–! Are you okay?! Tang, go get a towel– and call an ambulance maybe too,” Pigsy leapt to examine the damage done, while Tang quickly scurried to the supply closet.

“Why the fuck did they do that–??? Jeez– what is wrong with kids these days– that was a perfectly good plate– are you alright? What’s today’s date? Do you know your home address?” Pigsy started asking the kid questions for concussions. Tang quickly returned with a towel, and Pigsy put it against the gash in the kid’s head to help stop the bleeding.

“Fucked up her face– fell from tree– branch gave her big ol’ scar,” MK was very, very dizzy.

“Tang, you calling that ambulance?” Pigsy glanced at him, who snapped out of his fearful state to grab his phone and start dialing.

“MK– a-are you okay?” Mei was trembling, the poor kid.

“He’ll be fine, okay sweetie? Jesus– do you know those kids' names? You’ll need them to press charges, because holy fu– I– uhm…” Pigsy said– biting his tongue for swearing in front of kids.

What? Just because he didn’t like them in his restaurant didn’t mean he didn’t have manners.

Mei nodded her head, tears filling her eyes as she patted MK’s back, who gave a goofy smile in response.

Jesus Christ this kid was delirious…

Thankfully the ambulance was here before they knew it and well– everyone just kind of came along because– it made sense seeing as they were the only witnesses. Pigsy quickly locked up the place before they all hopped in. Sure he’d miss the dinner rush but this mattered to him… for some reason.

When they got to the hospital, MK was taken away for stitches and an x-ray, leaving Mei, Tang and Pigsy in the lobby.

It was awkward in the lobby, as none of the trio really knew what to say. Mei sat in between Pigsy and Tang, just looking at the ground with a bouncing leg and a fresh ice pack a nurse gave her for her bruise.

“I’m sorry for the broken plate, Mr. Pigsy,” Mei eventually broke the awkward silence.

“Don’t sweat it kid– I just hope your friend’s okay,” Pigsy brushed it off, which seemed to upset her somehow.

“But you said you didn’t want fighting and shenanigans and we stayed anyway and now there’s a lot of bl–bl—...” Mei shuddered at the memory.

“I know what I said, but it obviously ain’t your fault. I’d never get mad at the little guy,” Pigsy assured her, which brought a little smile to her face.

“Thanks, Mister,” Mei yawned.

“You know… those noodles were really good. I wish I gotta eat them all,” Mei sighed, her eyelids starting to get heavy.

“Yeah, well you’re welcome to visit anytime kiddo,” Pigsy said, and he was pretty sure he meant it. These kids were… cute? Funny? Pigsy didn’t know– but he did know he liked them– and it’s clear they needed someone who could keep an eye on them.

“Thanks, Mr. Pigsy,” She smiled up at him tiredly.

Pigsy smiled a little before he realized Tang was giving him a look. Pigsy flashed him the finger, which made Tang roll his eyes with a snort.

The chef was too busy being annoyed by Tang to notice Mei had curled up in the chair and began to sleep on his arm.

Oh my god– what am I supposed to do? Can I move? Is she really asleep? Is falling asleep? How long will I be like this? God– I bet Tang is taking pictures– I need to stretch my legs– what am I even doing here I don’t even know these kids– oh my god–

“Mr. Pigsy?” A nurse called from across the room, making Pigsy internally panic more until thankfully Mei sprung to life and ran to the nurse.

“Is MK okay? Is he dying? Dead? In a coma?” She asked as Pigsy got up with Tang.

“Your brother is doing quite alright,” The nurse laughed and patted her shoulder. Pigsy was only half surprised she didn’t correct her.

The nurse then turned to Tang and Pigsy. “There’s no fracture in the skull thankfully, but he has a minor concussion and it’s very likely he’ll have a scar across the forehead.”

“Ah that’s good,” Pigsy sighed a breath of relief.

“Mhm. He should be out in just a moment now– and I recommend going easy on the hugs for right now,” She said that last part to Mei who nodded very seriously.

Right then, the door swung open to reveal MK, who had giant bandages on his head. Mei almost immediately ignored the nurse’s advice and ran over to hug him– though she wisely contained her strength and gave a regular tension hug.

“Hi Mei,” MK hugged her back.

“Aww, you’re right Pigsy, these kids are cute,” Tang smiled and patted his shoulder.

“Excuse me, I never said that I–”

“I’m a mind reader Piggy, you know that,” He pinched his cheek too.

“Yeah, yeah, shut up,” The chef stifled a smile. “How’re you feeling kid?”

“Really, really sorry for messing up your restaurant, I-i promise I’ll make it up to you, sir,” MK begged for forgiveness by bowing.

“Jeez kid, it’s alright– it’s not your fault,” Pigsy pulled at the collar of his chef’s shirt. MK looked at the ground and kicked it.

“I’d still like to make it up,” he mumbled.

Pigsy sighed. “How’s about once a week you can stop by and, I dunno, mop the floors or something? How’s that sound?”

MK’s eyes instantly lit up. “That sounds amazing! Thanks mister.”

“Mister? Are you not Qi Xioatan’s fathers?” The nurse looked very confused.

“Ah– no, I’m just the owner of the restaurant where he was attacked,” Pigsy confessed, though he would’ve earlier if anyone had asked him.

“I see– Xioatan, do you know your parents’ number?” She asked MK.

“I uh… I do…” He glanced at Mei.

“I-i am his uncle though! So I can take him home,” Tang interrupted.

“Ah, wonderful! You’re all checked out, have a safe trip home,” the nurse smiled at MK.

“Thanks for all the help,” MK smiled and waved as the group started to head out.

They all walked in silence for a bit as they moved through the maze that was the hospital until they got to the city bus stop and sat on the bench to wait for it to take them back to Pigsy’s Noodles or whatever stop was closest to MK or Mei’s home.

They rode the bus in silence too, and it turned out the stop around the corner from Pigsy’s noodles was the closest one to MK’s home and so they all got off there.

“I um… thanks a lot, misters. I…” MK clearly didn’t know what to say, kicking at the rocks.

“He means to say we’re really really happy we ran into your restaurant out of all the others. You guys are cool– I think we found ourselves a hangout spot,” Mei grinned at her bestie, who laughed and grinned a little back.

“Like I said, you’re welcome whenever,” Pigsy assured with a crooked smile.

“Sap,” Tang whispered in his ear, and Pigsy quickly elbowed his side.

“You kids alright going home from here?” He asked. Mei and MK nodded.

“We know this city like the back of our hands, don’t we MK?” she said.

“Yeah! And I live like– two or three blocks down, so we’re good,” MK said.

“I dunno– it is pretty dark– how’s about I drive you? It’s not far I know, but it’d make me feel better to know you two don’t get kidnapped the moment you’re out of my– our sights,” Pigsy included Tang for some reason.

“You know what– how’s about I borrow your phone so I can call my parent’s car? I’m sure my parents would like that more than a stranger driving me, no offense Mr. Pigsy,” Mei said, fiddling with her jacket zipper.

“Oh of course– that makes a lot of sense,” Pigsy took his phone out and handed it to the girl, who walked a bit aways to make the call.

MK watched her as she left, his face falling to a one of contemplative sorrow.

“You okay kid?” Pigsy asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Y-yeah! I just– I dunno what to say to my parents,” MK shrugged off the hand, which only made Pigsy and Tang more worried.

“Are your parents… good to you?” Tang clearly didn’t know how to ask that kind of question.

“O-of course they are! They’re just– um– they– they don’t like fighting– yeah, they don’t like that and they’ll be upset to know I got in another fight,” MK clearly lied.

“Well… Pigsy’s Noodle’s doors are always open if you need it kiddo, alright?” The pig chef asked.

“Y-yeah! Thanks– thanks a lot– I… I promise I’ll help sweep and mop and do the dishes once a week– how does Tuesday sound?” MK got excited again at the prospect of working, which was the last thing Pigsy expected.

“Sounds great, kid,” Pigsy gave him a thumbs up just as Mei came back.

“They’ll be here soon,” Mei told the group, who nodded in confirmation.

“Well, to repeat what I said earlier, Pigsy’s Noodles is open whenever, so feel free to stop by anytime, not just when you’re in a lot of danger,” He joked, which made the kids laugh.

“We promise it won’t be all the time,” MK said.

“Well– we promise it won’t be most– no um– we promise there will be some times we visit that we won’t be in danger,” Mei said, and Pigsy laughed despite not knowing if she was kidding or not.

“And hey– if any of you are into the stories and legend of Sun Wukong, I am a scholar so–”

“You know the stories of Sun Wukong?! I love the Monkey King!!!” MK’s eyes practically sparkled with delight.

“Not those legends– I thought this dissertation would be the end of me hearing about Monkey King,” Pigsy groaned.

“Oh please, I need to pass my knowledge down to the younger generations, Piggy, surely you know that,” Tang gave that same stupid smile he always did that made Pigsy want to punch him and kiss him at the same time.

“Yeah! Pass down that knowledge! Monkey King is the coolest– how can you not like him?!” MK seemed almost offended.

Pigsy snorted. “I just prefer stories of actual heroism– stories of good people doing good things and working hard with no powers.”

“Aw, but that’s lame!” MK booed.

“You know, maybe I will ban you two from Pigsy’s noodles after all–”

“NO!” The kids pleaded simultaneously.

“I’m joking, I’m joking– you kids are funny, you know that?” Pigsy laughed so hard he wiped a tear from his eye.

“Meanie,” Mei blew a raspberry before laughing with MK. Just then a long white limousine pulled up, the driver stepping out in a perfect suit with a jade dragon pin on the lapel.

“Mei. Xioatan.” He said, opening the doors for them.

“Thanks Mr. Zihan! And thank you again Mr. Pigsy and Mr. Tang– tonight sucked but was also fun! You two are weird!” Mei grinned as she took her seat.

“Yeah! You guys are weird, I like it,” MK agreed with her before stepping in. “I’ll see you tuesday!”

“See you Tuesday kid,” Pigsy waved as the driver closed the door and before the scholar or the chef knew it, the car was gone.

“Wow you are SUCH a softie– I mean– I already knew that, but I thought you were gonna hide it from them for a lot longer!” Tang immediately started making fun of him.

“You know, one of these days I’m actually going to stop making food for you without you paying and then you’ll regret all this teasing you do,” Pigsy huffed, reaching into his pockets for the keys to Pigsy’s Noodles.

“Ah, you and I both know that’ll never happen– you love me too much,” Tang grinned stupidly.

“Keep testing me and we’ll see,” Pigsy mocked the smile as the lock clicked and they went in.

The interior was somehow worse than they remembered, though there was a distinct smell of boiled over water, burnt noodles and other such vegetables.

He forgot to turn the stove off.

“Yeesh, that’s a mess– that’s great so I’m just gonna grab my laptop–” Tang squeezed in, but Pigsy grabbed his shirt sleeve.

“Nuh-uh. You want free food, you’re gonna clean too. I’ll deal with the kitchen, you deal with the sitting area,” Pigsy ordered, and Tang hung his head in defeat.

“I hate you,” Tang said, going to the supply closet.

“Aww, love you too Tang-y,” Pigsy smirked as he went to the kitchen and turned everything off and scraped the bad food in the trash.

“Do you think that kid– MK– is gonna fulfill his promise? He’s gotta be like– ten,” Tang asked when he returned with a mop.

Pigsy shrugged. “I dunno. He seemed genuine enough.”

“And you say you don’t want kids, tsk tsk tsk,” Tang teased him again, and Pigsy threw a sponge at him.

“I said not to test me, Tang,” He glared.

“But you make it so easy–”

Pigsy threw more sponges, but this time Tang ducked.

“Haha! Didn’t get me–”

Pigsy threw another one and it smacked him right in the face.

“Get to work, you freeloader,” the chef ordered.

“Yes sir, Mr. Pigsy,” Tang mocked him, actually starting to mop.

“Mr. Pigsy,” The chef scoffed to himself as he used his now only remaining sponge to clean pots and pans.

…It wasn’t that Tang was wrong– Pigsy wasn’t the biggest fan of children, but Mei and MK were… different? They were kinda cute, kinda funny, kinda concerning every time they talked about their own families– Pigsy liked them– sued him.

They clearly needed an adult figure they could turn to and–

God what was Pigsy saying? He wasn’t a father figure– he was hardly a “figure” to anyone ever.

But you know– if one of those kids needed him, he wouldn’t like– say no or anything. After all, that Mei girl is part of the Dragon Clan and that meant some serious good business– yeah, good business.

…okay, okay, he was kind of lying to himself– he liked Mei because she was a funny kid and so was MK and they were welcome any time because Pigsy was worried about them already and he only knew them for a couple of hours.

He hoped he wasn’t in over his head or anything– the way Mei talked made it seem like they were a danger magnet.

Kind of like his younger years almost…

Pigsy smiled to himself as he continued to rinse and scrub dishes clean.

It didn’t matter if he was in over his head, he liked those kids and would help them out anyway, and that was a Pigsy Guarantee.

#lmk freenoodles #lmk #lego monkie kid #pigsy #mk lego monkie kid #mei dragon #my fics #tang lmk #whoops ig i'm a dad now trope #tang x pigsy #i love tang and pigsy and mei and mk so much #pre-canon #i have no idea how hospital works especially in foreign countries #this is probably rushed af but tbh i do not care #<3333 #that's y'alls problem now #bone apple tea

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fireflyhwufanficwriter · 1 year

Text

My thoughts on the Dr. Stone special (“Dr. Stone: Ryusui”)

My thoughts after watching Dr. Stone: Ryusui:

01. A drama club! XD And it looks like the familiar school building with the clock HAS to show up in every anime series, even Dr. Stone! :D

02. Kohaku looks like a serious narrator :O And it's nice to hear her talk this much! :)

03. Taiju and Yuzuriha as themselves, Chrome as Senku, Kinro and Ginro as one single tree... Suika with multiple parts, and they even got a swallow to join! :) Maybe it's the same one Senku first revived, and the one that flew above their expedition caravan in Season Two! :D

04. Kinro and Ginro's shocked acting! XD But they're still better than Chrome during the tournament arc! ...Actually, Chrome's acting has improved a LOT from the tournament arc! :D

05. Yo has really not learned his lesson about laughing at the stone world era folks...

06. What I don't understand about Magma's boat entry is... why are the human figures in the water instead of on the boat?

07. Yo's raft was more impressive in his imagination than in reality...

08. The way Senku's eyes shown as he looked at the first drawing... :) (I don't think he acknowledged the second drawing, haha!)

09. Yeah... with THAT drawing, Senku DEFINITELY wins! Everybody was really impressed! :D

10. Don't worry, Chrome and Kaseki... you have a ton of people who can help you build the ship! :)

11. Looks like Senku still plans on using sextants on the ship!

12. Yay, Kohaku's on the digging expedition! :) But, as she had to remind Senku, she is NOT a gorilla :D

13. I always like it when Senku and Kohaku are in scenes together :) They've both gotten curious about that Ryusui dude...

14. "We won't find anyone who's a more skilled sailor than Ryusui-kun..." Minami's case against Ryusui was hopeless as soon as she uttered those words XD

15. Ryusui's back! :D

16. And Burnout Syndomes is back with Good Morning [New] World! :) It's slightly different from the original opening song - slower, lower, more distorted in parts - but the song still sounds exhilarating! :O A lot of the character images are from the previous two seasons, and about the running scene, I love that Kohaku is in the lead, Chrome gets a burst of energy because of his excitement, and everybody, even Gen (and Ryusui, who's in the middle), eventually leaves Senku and his poor stamina behind... so accurate! XD

17. When I first heard Ryusui's deep voice in the initial trailer, I, like many people, was perplexed and weirded out and thought it didn't suit him at all :D But now, I think his voice makes a lot of sense to be that way - he's older than the MAIN main cast (except for Kaseki), and is going to be a leader in his own right - it wouldn't feel right for him to a have thin, youthful, teenager-y voice :)

18. Ryusui, stop traumatizing poor, innocent Kohaku and put some clothes on! :O

19. Poor Ryusui has no Francois just yet :) Also, how do his fingers end up in that formation after snapping? My fingers don’t look like that after I snap them... :O

20. Yeah, seriously, how does his middle finger also end up in the air?

21. Ryusui’s kind of like Tsukasa - very quick on the uptake! While Tsukasa’s intelligence took form in not surrendering the protection of the stone until he knew the situation AND using that stone to his advantage, Ryusui’s intelligence was shown in his immediate grasp of the facts after thousands of years of being pertrified :)

22. Thank you, Minami, for giving Ryusui clothing so that he can finally cover himself up! XD

23. Ooh, so Magma considers Kohaku (and Minami) and attractive... interesting information... :D Aww, poor Nikki... and also, with being kicked there, maybe poor Magma, too... :O

24. Wow, Ryusui doesn’t have sailing skills, he has storm prediction skills, too! Which, I suppose, are also included in sailing skills... but still, quite impressive! Way to show his knowledge this early on! :D

25. This is really interesting; four of the five wise generals are out there covering the lumber for the ship! :) Really smart of Senku to test him like that, and I like the detail that Senku’s coat is a darker color because it’s soaked from the rain! :)

26. Ah, a new title for Chrome - resource king! :D Wow... Chrome as the lead explorer, Kohaku and her amazing eyesight, and Ukyo with his incredible hearing... that is an all-star resource expedition team! I think Suika would have made the team even better, but that might have just been overkill in terms of awesomeness XD

27. Ryusui gets an oil field, and the kingdom of science gets currency XD And he has a gold-plated house, hahaha! Ramen, cotton candy, and manga all for sale... just like in the old (current) days... And why does Senku look so evil?! :D

28. Making the link between trust in Senku and trust in his new currency... Ryusui’s a wily one! :)

29. Ukyo’s ears and Kohaku’s eyes... wow, what a combination! :D

30. That’s a GIGANTIC WATERFALL!! :O

31. And poor Ukyo... he’s the only one in their group of three who truly knows what it means to now have a gigantic waterfall near Mt. Fuji... :(

32. Aww, Suika’s wistful bird idea gave Senku an awesome scientific idea! :D And even Ryusui is shocked by Senku and Gen’s tactics! XD

33. It’s really funny that Magma was really aware of what Yo’s reaction might be! :D And this one time, Yo was totally casual and admitted his own ignorance! :)

34. Kaseki was so excited and so pumped up, so read for a long, painstaking roadmap to human flight... but the roadmap only had three stages! XD

35. I LOVE that Senku also depends on Yuzuriha and really respects her skills and is asking for her help! :) I mean, he’s actually bowing to her! I don’t think I’ve EVER seen him to that to ANYBODY! Wow! :O I love their faith in each other and their friendship! :D And they did a high five too; awesome!! :D

36. Kinro’s so diligent, but even he wants the thread spinning to end! XD

37. Magma asked a very logical question... but honestly, Yuzuriha’s response made a lot of sense, too! It IS easy work, just... incredibly tedious... :O She’s so adorable, daydreaming about her little, handheld loom! :)

38. Wow, that’s an incredible loom! I think it even has a seat cushion! And there’s a place for drinks, and a lamp! Not to mention the, you know, actual LOOM part... :D

39. Kaseki isn’t sure if this was what Yuzuriha wanted, and Senku is ADORABLE, wondering if Yuzuriha wanted an electric loom! :)

40. I don’t know how looms work, but I’m glad Yuzuriha does! :D Nikki’s going to dye cloth, and Ginro is so sick of spinning thread... XD I love Suika enjoying how soft the cloth is! :D

41. Oh, poor Kinro is so tired from spinning all that thread! :O Actually, everybody is exhausted! XD

42. It’s really interesting how Senku chooses his scruples XD But it’s nice to think that he’s usually a very ethical person (not being cool with Gen using blank paper to motivate everybody) and saves his evil side for when he’s trying to win a bloodless war (the fake Lilian plan) :)

43. I really like that he went to Yuzuriha again for the department store! :D Ah, so Yuzuriha and Kinro and Ginro are friendly enough to be familiar with each other; that’s great! :) And of course, Taiju would be totally used to this side of Yuzuriha! :D

44. Ruri, Kinro, Suika... they were either embarrassed or awkward, but Kaseki walked like a pro! I’m guessing that they asked the villagers to be their models because the modern era folks would be the main target audience for that modern clothing :)

45. Oh, Ryusui... Oh, Senku and Gen... I suppose it all worked out in the end...? XD

46. Whoa, Chrome just up and RAN as soon as he heard about the flying machine! Wait, why didn’t Senku tell him sooner?! XD

47. Senku with his hot-air balloon mathematics... :O Suika and Ginro are acting like sewing is so normal for them; Ginro doesn’t even look like he’s paying full attention but he’s still really fast and productive! After sewing hard leather all the time, it must be really easy for Suika and Ginro and the others to sew soft cloth! :)

48. Gen’s playing cards for the hot air balloon theory have “Theory of Evolution” and “Natural Selection” written on them; haha! XD

49. “You’ll never get a platinum ticket like that again” - intriguing word choice... :D

50. Taiju, that’s a very, very good question... XD

51. Chrome RAN all the way from Ishigami Village to the kingdom of science’s new headquarters... AND he drew the right card through willpower alone! (Cough, cough; Gen totally didn’t influence that at all...) He’s so happy! :D

52. They’re flying; they’re flying! :O Kasek’s so happy that he cried, and he made ME cry, too! :’) And Chrome so, so, happy... this is an amazing moment for him; for all of them... :)

53. Chrome’s so happy about being amongst the birds! :) But Senku... not so much... wow, that was like a Matrix-style dodge from Senku! His reflexes ain’t bad! :O

54. Ah, so Ishigami Village is a two-day walk away if you’re REALLY in a rush, like Chrome was... and two hours away by hot-air balloon! :)

55. Ooh, Ryusui just called Chrome an AMATEUR adventurer! Those are fightin’ words! :O I really like that Chrome dropped some knowledge about the wind and rivers to back up his status as an EXPERIENCED land adventurer! :D

56. The big antagonist for this special is... a dragon-shaped cumulonimbus cloud XD And, wow, they’re really lucky to be able to keep their balance inside that wildly flying hot-air balloon! :O

57. Oh, Chrome has faced - and run away from - a black/grey bear, with Mister Bear running at 50 kilometers per hour and Mister Chrome running at 30 kilometers per hour... :O And he sort of used his land experience to help him in the air! :)

58. Wow, the revival fluid is helping them even now... and SENKU was blasted out of the hot-air balloon! Scary! :O

59. They did it! They defeated Mister Cumulonimbus! :D And... Senku, with his poor stamina, is still hanging outside the hot-air balloon! XD

60. Aww, Kohaku’s there with the flag! :) And she’s amazed that they’re flying! :O She said Chrome and Ryusui’s names quietly, but she shouted happily and waved when it came to Senku’s name! :D

61. Maybe they were all just taking a break or something, but it’s really nice that everybody was gathered there near Gen and the cell phone, as if they were all waiting for news for the hot-air balloon crew’s safe arrival! :)

62. Nice jump from Kohaku! :O Very twirly! Oh, so it was Ukyo who called Gen! And I’m glad the explanation for the cards and the nature of choice was show here, just at the end :)

63. Chrome was acknowledged by Ryusui as a fellow PROFESSIONAL adventurer! :D And a high- uh, middle-five AND a fist bump between them? Nice! :D And... Senku’s STILL hanging from outside the hot-air balloon, hahaha! XD

64. Senku and Chrome are excited to learn more about the world, Ryusui will take them where they need to go, and Kohaku and Ukyo are eager for them to descend to Ishigami Village! :D Our next goal is to make a map... and after that, to find oil! Congratulations to Ryusui on his (unpetrified) television debut! :O This was a marvelous TV special! ^_^ (And I can FINALLY watch Season Three, yay! :D)

https :// fireflyhwufanficwriter . tumblr . com / MyDrStoneEpisodeMangaThoughts

#dr stone #ishigami senku #kohaku #dr stone kohaku #nanami ryusui #dr stone ryusui

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nimbasa-librarian · 1 year

Text

A Special Challenger Appears

“Master Anya!” Called a voice from the vestibule

Anya sighed, hands full of two rather delicate archive boxes “Aye, Patrick?”

“You have visitors!” He announced

“... Visitors, ‘r challengers?” Anya requested a little specification as she put one bin away with Drew’s assistance.

“Uh.. I think one of them is a challenger? The other one is just visiting, she said”

“... Who are they?” Anya questioned as she started putting away the next bin.

“She said not to tell you….?” Patrick admitted “It's a surprise, she said.”

Anya’s brow furrowed - confusion evident in her and her Yamask’s face. She shut the archive locker, waiting for the secure click and beep.

“... I will be up soon” The librarian nodded.

“I’ll let them know!” Patrick called back before she heard his dress shoes “clack” up the stairs. Drew’s head tilted curiously

“Yahma?”

“Let’s see, Drew” The woman sighed “Let’s hope it's not Elesa with December again. I don’t need ‘er tryin’ me again so soon

Anya and her pokemon made their way back up the stairs and into the library, towards the front circulation desk, seeing a familiar oversized sweater contrasted against dark skin, joined by a pale boy with a pikachu on his shoulder.

“Hi Miss Anya!” Iris greeted, keeping her voice low for the sake of the echoey library foyer

Pleasantly surprised, Anya waved back, with her Yamasks floating forward to greet the teenager and her friend “Ah, Hello, Iris”

The young champion grinned at the librarian pleasantly - her friend next to her giving Anya an interested stare before he was distracted by Drew and Daniel

“My friend here wanted to take your challenge!” The girl sounded very enthusiastic, bouncing a bit before motioning over to the boy “This is my friend, Ash! He’s from Kanto!”

“Hiya!” Ash waved, voice surprisingly boisterous.

“Sh!!!” a gaggle of people hissed at him from the nearby children's library area

The teenager tensed at the wordless scolding- the library was clearly not a place he frequented with that volume of voice.

“Sorry” he shrugged nervously - several decibels lower, and getting an amused chuckled out of his friend.

“Aye, i’s fine.” Anya reassured with a raised hand “Nice t’meet ya, Ash. I’m Anya Ambermight, and these are m’yamasks, Drew ‘n’ Daniel”

“Yah!”

The teenage boy stared wide-eyed at the Yamasks with sheer wonder “Oh wow! Two different Yamasks! A Glarian one to boot!”

Iris began scolding him before anyone could even shush him “Ash, stop yelling!”

“Yahmah?”

“Mas-Mask!”

Anya chuckled with a shake of her head. “So, ye wanted t’take m’challenge?” Anya asked, getting everyone’s attention once more.

Ash collected himself a bit, before lowering his tone again to respond “I mean, yeah! Iris told me about it - and I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it before! Sounds like a real challenge, and my pokemon and I love a good challenge, right Pikachu?”

The pokemon on his shoulder nodded excitedly.

“Yeah! And when I told him I haven’t beaten you yet, he really wanted to give it a try” Iris chuckled “Right?”

“Haha, guilty is charged. Kinda wanna beat her to it” Ash grinned.

“Pika!”

The librarian waved them over as she turned around “Follow me, then”

Anya led the friends to the back of the library, where the arena was, with the study hall on one side, a reading area on the other, and the two circulation desks hard at work.

Anya turned around once they were in the center of the arena, hand on her hip “So… Did Iris tell ya ‘bout the rules?”

Ash shrugged honestly “Kinda!”

Anya sighed, not seeing Iris’s excited grin “Alright. Lemme give ya the rules, then.”

Anya made a sign to one of the librarians behind the left circulation desk who nodded, and flipped two switches behind said desk. One of them turned on the disc, which made a soft whirring sound before going quiet again, and flashing green. The other seemed to activate some kind of protective shield around the area - which seemed to startle Ash and his Pikachu.

“Up above us is “the disc”, i’s a noise sensor.” she slightly raised her voice as she continued to speak “If it get’s too loud” The disc’s green ring turned yellow in a circular flash “it changes color.” She lowered her voice again “If it gets t’red, the person who made th’sound automatically loses- even if ye managed t’beat m’pokemon.”

Ash nodded in understanding. “How many pokemon?”

“Two on two, one at a time” Anya explained “If ye can beat me an’ my two pokemon wit’out settin’ off the alarm, y’win the challenge”

Ash grinned “Al-rightie! I think I got it! I can totally do that!”

Anya rose a brow in amusement at his enthusiasm. “We’ll have t’see - go to the right side, I’ll be on the left.”

Iris seemed just as hyped as her friend, grinning widely and rushing over to the rear circulation desks - that Ash was realizing also worked as the officiator of the battles that happened back here. She walked through the weird shield that had gone up - how did that work? - and waved at him.

Anya and Ash stood on opposite sides of the arena, and Anya tossed out a pokeball with no fanfare, her hatterne bouncing out, surprisingly quiet, and glancing back at Anya, who gave her a singular nod.

Ash contemplated who he could use against a hatterene, and threw out his Lucario, whose steely personality seemed perfect for the challenge.

Ash stage-whispered to get the pokemon’s attention “Lucario!”

“Roh?”

“This is a quiet challenge! You gotta be quiet! Listen for me!” Ash instructed the pokemon, giving a hilariously playful wink.

Iris giggled quietly at his determination. Just “being quiet” was what she tried her first time too. This was gonna be a funny battle, if nothing else.

Anya looked over to one of the librarians, standing in the officiant space, and making a motion with their hands in quick succession to a dramatic point

Ash tilted his head “Huh? Was that sign? Has the -”

With a rather aggressive diagonal motion - with one hand curled into a sign Ash didn’t understand, the hatterene quickly lunged forward, startling both Ash and Lucario.

The minute Irene lunged, Iris hit the “start” button on her Xtrans’ timer.

The battle lasted only 25 seconds, and all because Ash yelled “Dodge!” the second time Lucaro was getting attacked

The red light bathed the arena in a harsh flash, and Irene looked unimpressed at the quick completion of the fight. A perfect imitation of her trainer’s expression - which was a bit softer.

“... Damn” was all Ash said as he recalled Lucario before the pokemon could also look at him with a disappointed stare

Anya returned Irene to her pokeball similarly, giving Ash a nod, which seemed to be enough to get his attention “Well then. You had a go at it, but unfortunately, ye didn’t succeed” The vaguely sparkly barrier seemed to dissipate. “Ye can try again another time, if ya like”

“Hah, wow, that was fast” Iris teased, returning to Ash’s side and punching his shoulder playfully “Maybe you need to do “silent training” with Lucario and try again!”

Ash huffed, that determined glint in his eyes returning almost immediately “Maybe Lucario and I should!” He announced - once again too loud-

“SHHHH”

Anya had already left the arena by the time Ash recovered.

#FYI #pokemon #pokemon oc #anya ambermight #nimbasa librarian #pokemon iris #champion iris #pokemon ash #pikachu #yamask #hatterene #lucario #Drew #Daniel #Irene #Unova #nimbasa city #written #fan fiction

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meelomb · 2 years

Text

psst more larry and jacq being brothers headcanon stuff

most of it is lore for a au i have going on in my mind though

but it should be fine

I'll explain and give context at the end of each bit of writing so my ideas arent that lost on people

(Cw: Hints at child neglect, murder, abuse, emotional and mental distress)

"Are you sure this is the last one? You said that the last two times"

"Of course, I've never lied to you have I?"

"You just- whatever."

Of course this wasn't the last one, he wasn't going to let Jacq believe it was though, he needed him to lower his guard just a little bit more.

"See!? You lied!"

Perfect.

"Oh, I guess I did. This one should be the last one I think."

"I don't believe you!"

He could practically hear the pout in his voice. Funny.

"I mean it, I suddenly remembered this one is the last one."

"Larry, I'm gonna punch you if it's not the last one."

"It's the last one."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

All according to plan.

Jacq slowly moved the little square through the maze, slowly inching closer and closer towards the trigger.

"What's so great about this anyway? You wanted to show me this so badly but it's just-"

He was suddenly cut off as the picture and overly obnoxious horror scream came from the monitor.

All that could be heard was Jacq's screams of pure terror and him falling out of the chair.

Of course, one could hear the sound of Larry cackling as Jacq cried on the floor as well.

----------

(This was just a fun idea I had of them, Jacq used to be a heavy gamer before he got into biology and stuff, and Larry used to troll him a lot with certain games, the one he used here was the maze game with the jumpscare at the end.)

----------

It was relatively quiet in the restaurant he frequented. It was a pleasant day off(wow a day off for Larry, unheard of.) for him at the moment, no one disturbing him, no battles, just him, quiet, and f-

"Larry! There you are!"

Rats.

Swallowing some food, he glanced over at the person addressing him, hoping it wasn't who he thought it was.

Unfortunately for Larry, life loves to ruin things.

Standing at the door, disheveled and winded, stood his little brother, Jacq.

He rushed over to him and sat in the empty seat next to him. (It wasn't actually empty, the occupant had merely went to use the washroom)

"Larry! I know you don't get a lot of breaks, which is why I rushed over here as soon as I could!"

"You shouldn't have."

"My pleasure! Anyway, so I've been doing research and!-"

He really shouldn't have.

Larry didn't particularly want him here, on one of his precious days where he isn't hounded by his boss every second of the day.

Maybe that's an exaggeration, but it didn't change the fact she sucked.

"Larry? Larry you there?"

A poke to his face pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked over at Jacq.

"Yes, I'm here, where else would I be?"

"Haha very funny, were you listening?"

"Of course I was."

"Really? What was I just talking about?"

Rats.

After a few moments of silence a look of smugness filled Jacq's face.

"That's what I thought, here, I'll start over from the beginning, I was doing some research-"

"Tu fais beaucoup de recherches aujourd'hui, est-ce parce que tu es enseignant?"

Jacq stopped mid sentence to stare at Larry, cold dead eyes replaced the normally bright and vivid ones that were usually there, and Larry innocently turned his head away to face the food sitting in front of him. He could hear Jacq's breathing intense ever so slightly.

Larry could guess why.

"I'm gonna ignore that and continue like you aren't trying-"

"Ignorer quoi? Je parle juste normalement, avez-vous un probleme avec ca?"

Even though Larry was turned, he could feel Jacq's stare dig into him like a dull knife, not enough to cut through, but just enough to cause uncomfort.

Larry was having a blast though.

"Like I was saying, I-"

"Non hai risposto alla mia domanda."

Hands slammed on the table and Jacq's gaze intensified, turning from a mild annoyance to a frantic anger.

"Stop it! You know it freaks me out when you do that!"

"Smettere cosa? Sto solo parlando."

It took everything inside of Larry not to burst out laughing in front of all these people, but it was difficult.

If he laughed in front of them now, surely he would never get a peaceful break ever again.

But who could resist not letting out a chuckle?

"Shut up!"

"Perche? Non stavi facendo ricerche o cose del genere?"

"Stop!"

"Ou etes-vous occupe a enseigner, qu'est-ce que vous avez encore enseigne?"

Jacq let out a shriek and began lecturing Larry on the importance of accents and annunciation of words in different languages.

Again.

Larry really couldn't help himself, he tried to restrain himself, he really did.

But Jacq made it really difficult not to.

"Ce que vous etes, mamma e papa?"

He was tackled on the ground and shook, Jacq screaming at him in french, and he let out frantic laughter and cackles as onlookers watched.

He'd get in trouble for this later, but he didn't really care.

It was more fun on his breaks and days off when Jacq was around anyway.

---------

(I had a funny idea that Larry and Jacq are french italian with them being able to speak both, Jacq prefers french though but Larry doesnt speak either too often so nobody knows he actually can, but when he does he says it with 0 accent and it freaks Jacq out.

Perfect for messing around with your sibling.)

---------

Doors slammed open as Jacq burst through the door.

He had gotten a call from Hassel that Larry had fainted while working, and he dropped everything he was doing to come here. (He was in the middle of a class, but Mister Clavell would understand right?)

A couple feet away, Larry sat holding his head with Hassel supporting him, quietly speaking to him while Larry nodded or shook his head.

"I-I'm here! I came here as quickly as I could!"

He dropped his bag on the floor and glanced over Larry, looking for any sign of injury.

All he saw was a quick look of guilt flash through Larry's face when he met his eyes.

Damn you.

"Ah, Jacq, I think Larry's doing alright now, but just in case- take him home for a couple of days, I'll talk to Geeta."

After a few quick words between the two while Larry went to gather his things, Jacq thanked Hassel for helping Larry while he was gone.

Though in his mind, he was also thanking him for taking care of him when he can't.

"How are you feeling? Do you need to sit down longer?"

Larry looked relatively fine, but Jacq knew better. A head shake told him everything he needed to know.

And yet he couldn't look at him.

"You know, even though your boss is, like that, you don't have to force yourself-"

"I wasn't forcing myself."

Right.

The rest of the journey was left in silence, only occasionally being broken when Jacq asked if he was alright.

Larry wouldn't look at him either.

Neither of them could.

They arrived at Jacq's home, and he took Larry's briefcase and set it aside and sat him on the couch.

Normally, when this happened Larry would be at his own home, taking care of himself.

But he wasn't.

Worrying.

"Are you hungry? I can make you something to-"

"Don't you have a class to be at?"

Silence fell over the two again as Jacq pulled out an instant meal.

He did have a class to be at. They both knew that. Clavell certainly wouldn't be happy about Jacq's sudden disappearance, but if he explained the situation, surely he would understand.

He had to, right?

"You don't have to take care of me, I can take care of-"

"You were out for two hours."

"Pardon?"

Jacq opened the meal with unusual frustration and he looked away from Larry's direction.

"When Hassel called me, it had been two hours since you fainted."

"..."

More silence.

It was deafening. Strangling. Too much.

It hurt.

"I know there are some things that will happen, you know it too, and though I don't like it, I let Hassel handle it and help you when I can't,"

When I couldn't.

"But when he called and told me how long you were out, it scared me. You never go out that long. It worries me how badly Geeta treats you."

He began putting the meal together, putting a pan on the stove in order to heat it up so it wouldn't be cold.

Say something.

"I know you can take care of yourself. But I worry, Larry. I really do."

He took a wooden spoon from the dishrack and used it to stir occasionally, keeping the food from burning.

Say something.

"So, I'm sorry for acting like an overbearing parent, but I really can't let you walk around on your own like this, at least for now."

He gripped the spoon tightly.

Say. Something.

The heat from the pan flushed Jacq's face and he couldn't find the energy to continue.

Weak.

Silence fell over once again.

He turned off the heat and transferred the food to a plate and grabbed utensils for him, and he finally turned to look at Larry.

And he sat there.

Staring right back.

A look at guilt rested on his face.

Jacq can't help it.

Gripping the plate and utensils tightly, he went over and handed it to Larry.

He could tell by how Larry looked away, he let him down again. He didn't need to look in the mirror to tell.

A look of hatred fell over Jacq's face when he turned to him.

If only he could find the words to tell him, it was never directed at him.

But at himself.

Weak.

--------

(A more darker idea I had in mind. I usually like to make things darker than they are, but Larry fainting at work just seems like something that would actually happen, seeing as how he works three jobs, probably gets little to no break.

Of course a little family drama doesnt hurt anyone.)

---------

(Warning: This specific part and the part below contain hints of murder, emotional distress, child neglect, suicidal thoughts. Please do not read if you are sensetive to these topics.)

---------

Crying filled the air, the two children sat in opposite corners of the room, one staring, the other crying. In front of them lay a bloody mess, with a pokemon floating above it.

It was an accident, it just got scared, right? (But why is it scary?)

It wouldn't do this for no reason, right? (Was it how it normally looked, or was it..smiling?)

So why, why was it staring at them like that? (Why were its eyes filled with excitement?)

Why was it getting closer to him? (Go away.)

Why wasn't anyone helping? (Stay back.)

Why was no one here? (Don't touch him!)

Why is it dark? (Get away from him!!)

Why wasn't he fast enough?

------

Hospital beeps filled his ears, flooding him with unending stimuli. But despite all this, he couldn't focus on anything.

How could he?

His family was attacked by some rabid pokemon, his mother was dead, his father was nowhere to be found, and Jacq..

He didn't want to think about it.

He couldn't look at the people who came to help them.

He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see anything.

He couldn't focus, he just needed to know if he was okay, if he would be alright, if he would live god he didn't know what he would do if he was dead please just live-

"Larry? Larry, can you hear me?"

A coarse voice cut through his thoughts and brought him back to reality.

Blue gray eyes met his, filled with worry and concern.

"I've been trying to get a note of how Jacq's doing, but they won't say anything, I'm sorry."

I'm sorry.

Mister Clavell shouldn't be saying that. He should be the one saying that to Jacq.

Maybe if he acted quicker, if he moved faster, if he had picked a pokemon partner sooner, maybe he could've done something. Maybe he could've stopped it.

But that's in the past now.

He just wanted to know if Jacq was okay. He needed to know.

He needed to know if he was alive or not. If he were alive then it would be easier to live with the guilt.

But if he wasn't…

He didn't want to think about what he'd do.

------

(Probably the darkest part for my idea and au. It's probably ooc for larry but, its whatever, im having fun with it.

Basically to sum it up, their mother was attacked by a haunter and was killed, which then turned on Jacq.

I like the idea of pokemon just being evil and destructive for no apparent reason, seeing as how Arceus shows that with Beni and Kamados past. If only they broke free from child ratings.

They brush over a lot of importan details for story and lore. I get its a kids game at the end of the day, but you dont need to immediantly brush it off, you know?

I might post more of these when they come to me, i might not, it just depends.)

#gym leader larry #larry pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #jacq pokemon #pokemon jacq #theyre french #it could be worse #they could have been british #they all could have really #but its eh #clavell #clavell pokemon #i keep forgetting tags god damnit

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jasmariswonderland · 2 years

Text

Shining Hearts Chapter 6 ~ Imperfect Harmony

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Chapter Summary: Danica struggles with maintaining strong leadership of her team while Vil struggles with more unchecked emotions of his own, and a decision that has the potential to turn everything around for the better, or make things even worse.

Warnings For This Chapter: Vil starts really acting mean in this chapter, and there is a very brief mention of weight issues.

A/N: A special thank you goes to @twstinginthewind who was kind enough to let me use her ocs Joker and Punch for this chapter as well as chapter 8 coming up. I was a little nervous working with ocs that weren’t my own so hope I was able to do your babies justice! ❤

~~~

With Danica and Kalim both preparing for the VDC, the light music club found itself deprived of two people. It was their plan to hold a concert during the festival, even if it lacked the pomp of the VDC. Still, Danica couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about it and decided to drop in on their after-school meeting the following afternoon.

She followed the sound of music to the cracked door of the classroom where they normally met up. Peeking in, she saw Cater sitting at Kalim’s drum set, clumsily hitting the cymbal and snare. Next to him, sitting on a desk and strumming a ukulele, was a rather tall Ignihyde student she couldn’t recall meeting before, but something in his face seemed strangely familiar.

“Heyyyy, Dani-chan!” Cater dropped one of his drumsticks to wave her in. “If you just heard some off-beat drumming, that was me,” laughing a little. “Don’t worry, I’ll be on my A-game by the festival!”

“Good to see you, Cater-san!“ said Danica. “I never knew you could play drums, I always figured that was Kalim’s thing.”

“Haha, true dat,” he laughed. “But since Vil snatched you both up, we were lacking in the percussion department. I thought I could make up for it.”

“And my sis recruited me to join you guys!” the Ignihyde student smiled.

“Your sis?” Danica glanced at him again, trying to figure out in her mind why his face seemed so familiar. That’s when it hit her. “Ohhh, you’re Joker’s twin brother! Punch, right?”

“Yep, that’s me!” He put down the ukulele and reached out to shake her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Dani. May I call you Dani? Joker’s told me a lot about you!”

“Of course! Pleasures all mine,” she smiled, seeing now the resemblance he shared with his sister. “And only good things I hope!”

“What bad could I possibly find to tell him?”

Joker’s voice came from the hallway, and in the next moment, her head popped in through the doorway. Lilia stood right behind her.

“Hey, Songbird! Fancy seeing you here! I see you’ve met my brother!”

“You’re well, we hope,” Lilia added. “I haven’t heard from Kalim or Vidaria so I figured Vil was keeping you all busy.”

“Oh, trust me, he is,” Danica tried to laugh. “I should actually be on my way back to Ramshackle soon to begin rehearsals. But I wanted to check on you guys and see how you’re faring without Kalim and me.”

“See what I mean, Punch?” grinned Joker. “Her sweetness knows no bounds!”

“Of course you’re welcome to join us for a bit!” Cater replied. “We were just about to have a snack break.”

The five of them pushed some desks together and Joker pulled several packages out of her bag. An array of tempting treats lay before Danica’s eyes. Tempting enough for her to want to take some, if the fear of incurring Vil’s wrath wasn’t greater. She reached out for one pack, but then pulled her hand back at the last second.

“Vil-san banned all of us from eating any candy or snacks,” she said. “He’d flip if I ate any of these.”

“Wow, really? Well maybe not. But then again, who’s going to tell him?” Joker asked, pushing one bag of candy in Danica’s direction. “Look we even got those green tea candies you like, and Sam even had those doughnuts Kalim always brings.”

Joker had Danica at green tea candy. She stared at them with longing but it didn’t take long for her to give in, to her friends’ amusement.

“Well, I guess one or two won’t hurt,” she relented and opened the candy, the soft, sweet taste offering a brief respite from her worries. “I could use a sweet little pick-me-up after yesterday.”

“What happened yesterday?” asked Punch.

“BESIDES your rehearsal pic on magicam getting noticed by Neige Leblanche!” Cater added.

“Well honestly, I think at this point, that’s the LEAST of what happened yesterday.” Danica sighed. “In short, I’m having trouble with the girls on my team.”

“Oh no,” Lilia gave a concerned look. “I know Vidaria has been feuding with Sidonie since their freshman year. But I do hope she’s behaving herself.”

“It’s not just their feuding, though that is part of it. I don’t think I’m doing a good job leading them and I’m worried my inability to do so will affect them badly.”

“I think you’re being a tad too hard on yourself, Songbird,” Joker replied. “Vil-senpai wouldn’t have chosen you to lead the girls’ team if he wasn’t 1000% sure you’d succeed.”

“You’re like the third person to say that to me.”

“Because it’s true,” smiled Lilia. “You know better than any of us just how meticulous he is.”

“But I’m not a leader like him,” Danica lowered her head. “And I’m not…”

“Maybe you should look at this from a different angle,” Punch said. “Instead of worrying about what you aren’t, focus on what you are . You don’t have to be exactly like Vil to be a good leader.”

“That’s a good way to look at it,” Joker nodded. “Ohhh, look at it this way, who’s your favorite teacher?”

“Favorite teacher?” Cater gaped. “People have those?”

“Hmmm,” Danica thought for a moment. “Well, if I had to pick a favorite, I’d say my homeroom teacher. Professor Trein.”

“Alrighty! What do you like about him? What do you think makes him a good teacher?”

“OTHER than the fact he’s an unrelenting hardass!” Punch sighed.

“I know he’s a hardass,” Danica admitted. “But he’s also fair. He never asks anything of us that’s impossible. And he seems to really enjoy the topic he’s teaching. I can see the passion he has for these topics and I think that’s something to admire.”

“And he’s also a hardass,” Punch replied.

“YES! He is also a hardass. We all know this!” Everyone laughed. “But honestly, I think Vargas is worse.”

“Oof, Ima have to agree with Dani on that one!” Cater said.

“But the reason I asked is so you can think about the things that make a good teacher or leader. Fairness, passion, and wanting to succeed,” Joker smiled. “That all sounds like you, Songbird. Don’t ‘cha think?”

“Hmmm, yeah I guess it does. Yeah, it does!”

Danica grinned. Something about her friends’ banter mixed with the taste of the forbidden sweets was doing wonders for her state of mind. Yes, she could be a good leader and Swans of Seven would pass their next evaluation. She had to believe it.

“When you put it that way, I feel like maybe I could be a good leader.”

“Of course you can! I believe in you!”

“I do too!” Cater grinned.

“Me too!” Lilia added.

“I’ve literally just met you,” added Punch. “But I believe in you too!”

~~~

Ramshackle Dorm ~ Reception Hall

As much as Danica would have loved to stay longer with her clubmates, VDC priorities called to her and she left not too long after receiving their advice. By the time she returned to Ramshackle, the boys had already departed but the girls were already waiting for her to begin rehearsal. Just as she was walking in, Crisanta also came in right behind her.

“I hope I’m not too late,” she said.

“No, I’m a little late myself,” Danica replied. “But I’d like to stress to you again how important it is for you to stay all the way through this time, alright?”

“No worries!” The blonde smiled. “They know I’m here and I’ll also be skipping the next few meetings too since we’ll likely be rehearsing elsewhere.”

“That’s good to know. Go sit and we’ll get started.”

Crisanta sat next to Ione, and Danica saw that they were sitting some distance from the other girls, with Taima and Sidonie sitting away from Iman and Vidaria. Everyone’s mutual animosity was still very clear, and Danica knew this was her time to bring harmony to their group. Remembering Joker’s words, she took a deep breath and addressed her teammates.

“Okay, guys. I’m going to say this once so please listen. Yesterday was a shitshow but it’s over and done with. We aren’t going to talk about it ever again. The day after tomorrow, Vil is going to evaluate us again and I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that failure is NOT an option! That said, I’m going to lay down a few rules. Taima, as discussed earlier, you're the vice-leader, so if anyone has any issues, please bring them to either me or her. But when I say issue, I mean a matter of life and death, nothing stupid and nothing petty. Secondly, I know we all have…varying opinions about our song. But the fact is, Vil has selected this song for us and the likelihood of him changing his mind is greater than none. So unless it’s performance-related, keep your opinions to yourself!”

“Finally, and this is serious, no more fighting! I understand we all have our differences but we must be in harmony with each other if we’re going to win. If there is another repeat of yesterday, I WILL speak to Vil about removing you from the team. But that would be a final straw sort of thing. The truth is, each and every one of you has a gift you bring to this group and I’d hate to lose any of you. We need to combine our gifts to make a beautiful performance. Does everyone understand?”

The girls murmured their agreement, and Taima got up. A full mirror stood at the corner of the room, which she pushed to the center.

“Yuulan was nice enough to bring this down for us,” she said. “It can’t compare to the larger mirrors in Pomefiore’s ballroom but I think it could work.”

“What a good idea, Tai-chan!” Danica smiled. “That can be the first part of today’s lesson. We’re going to practice our choreography in the mirror, memorizing it until we all know which hand goes where, when to turn, and how to move to the music.”

And so for the next two days, Swans of Seven rehearsed their performance at nearly every free hour they had, even practicing early in the morning before preparing for class. During this time, Crisanta missed no rehearsals and Danica noticed how Ione was slowly beginning to improve with her friend by her side. Sidonie was also beginning to improve her timing and on the evening before their evaluation, was able to fully sing the song without messing up the lyrics even once.

Danica was also beginning to take to heart the idea of enjoying what she was teaching. The idea of being a teacher had never occurred to her and while it wasn’t something she exactly wanted to do, she now had a few found respect for Trein, Crewel, and all those who did it as a profession because it wasn’t easy.

The day of their evaluation just happened to be a Sunday, and Vil told Danica that if the girls passed, they could join the NRC Tribe during their ballroom rehearsal that afternoon. Farron would also take measurements for their costumes. With so much riding on this, the girls woke early that morning, rehearsing as much as they could before Vil finally walked in.

“Danica, I don’t think I need to remind you all that is riding on you girls giving me an adequate performance this morning,” he said.

“Don’t worry, Vil-san, we definitely understand,” she replied.

“Very well. Go ahead and show me what you’ve been working on.”

Anxiety bubbled in her stomach, but she mentally forced it away as they got in position. The music began and this time, everyone moved much more smoothly. There were still many mistakes made but they weren’t as noticeable and they at least seemed to know what they were doing. Amateurish to be sure, but with noticeable signs of improvement and, more importantly, potential to improve further still.

Yet, as Vil watched them, a sense of unease crept over him as something about their performance didn’t quite sit right. He had to admit how much they had improved in two days’ time. But now, looking at a general idea of what the performance would look like, he found himself not as pleased as he thought he’d be.

Danica’s voice was lovely as always, and her dancing was beautiful, but something in her eyes made him feel strangely disappointed. Outwardly, she was playing her part impeccably. The role he desired she play of the perfect white swan, singing about her innocent feelings for the prince who had captured her heart. What’s more, as Vil listened to the lyrics more closely, he noticed more than a few lyrics that piqued his interest. One passage at the beginning gave him the impression that this song was about someone in particular. During winter break Danica had changed many of the lyrics to remove anything that referenced Vil or could be implied to be about him.

But despite this, Vil was no fool and even with the more subtle words, could quickly decipher just who this song was about. And if he noticed, surely others would as well. Yes, this was perfect. With a few more weeks of polish, this performance would be exactly the remedy to break the curse upon him. Vil should have been happy, but instead, for the first time since knowing her, he found no enjoyment in watching Danica perform.

This is infuriating! I must get a grip!

He understood the root of his disappointment, but he forced it to the back of his mind. It didn’t matter now, or better put, it couldn’t matter now. What was important was that Danica was playing her role perfectly and the Swans of Seven had passed his test.

“Well done, spudlings,” he nodded. “There are several elements of your performance that need improvement, but at least you no longer look like a band of hapless children wandering about with no direction.”

“Oh?” Danica allowed herself to look up at him. “Vil-san, does that mean…?”

“You’ve passed,” allowing himself the smallest of smiles. “And let me just say, the way you’ve begun whipping your team into shape, I’m impressed. But don’t think about resting on your laurels just yet. You’ve all still got a long way to go. Understood, Little Potato?”

There was a kindness in his voice along with the return of his nickname for her. She smiled, her confidence finally returning.

“Yes, Sir!”

The moment he left the room, the intense spell that always followed him vanished as well and the girls all let out a collective sigh of relief. Vidaria broke out into a little fit of laughter and Taima actually collapsed on the floor.

“We did it! We actually did it!” She said, fully spreading herself out on the floor and groaning up at the ceiling.

“Off the floor, vice leader!” Iman smirked, “You’ll get dirt in your hair! But this is still pretty awesome!”

“And I actually got the lyrics right!” Sidonie added.

“Great job, guys!” said Danica. This is a good sign; I want to believe it. And since it’s still early, we aren’t going to rehearse anymore until we head to Pomefiore.” There was a loud round of cheers, and a smile of relief came to her face. You all can rest until then if you like.”

“Thank you, Danica,” Ione said. “I’m glad we’re getting better now.”

“Everyone, please be back in the lounge by two," said Taima. “Rehearsals will start up again at two thirty.”

~~~

After days of practicing in less-than-ideal surroundings, it was a great relief for Swans of Seven when they and Yuulan entered the large, open ballroom. Equipped with barres, mirrors, and a floor suitable for dancing. They decided to arrive earlier than scheduled since they were unsure how this would work with both them and NRC Tribe sharing rehearsal space at the same time.

“Vil-san told me the boys would be rehearsing from four to eight,” Danica said. “It’s quarter to three now. Let’s take advantage of being alone in this space for the next hour and see how we look in a full mirror that can accommodate all of us at once.”

“This room is definitely bigger than the other one,” Taima thought aloud. “So everyone be sure to consider that when spacing out. This might actually be more accurate to what to expect of the size of the stage.”

“Want me to manage the music for you guys?” Yuulan asked.

“If you don’t mind, that would be great,” Danica smiled. “The room has a full sound system, so just hook my phone up to that speaker over in the corner and you’ll soon be able to hear it everywhere.”

“Okey dokey, just don’t forget it’s over here! Your phone, I mean.”

Yuulan began the music and Danica sang out the first verse.

“ With but a single glance of your jewel-like eyes, you’ve stolen my heart. And now I’ll follow your radiant light until I reach our happily ever after …First pose, everyone. Five, six, seven, go!”

Access to the full mirror did wonders for them and their routine was finally beginning to take shape. They practiced multiple times, and to her surprise, the more Danica practiced with her team, the more her sugary sweet song began to grow on her. There was definitely a charm to the lyrics and the new arrangement did make it easier for her not to cringe whenever she thought about them. And she knew Farron had begun working on a new costume for her, more in keeping with Vil’s wishes. If it turned out to be just as lovely as her first dress, Danica believed she could fully learn to enjoy her performance.

The hour passed quickly, and the girls were still practicing when the boys finally arrived. Vil instructed them to enter quietly so as not to interrupt the girls before they were done. In truth, he wanted to better look at their progress and wondered if seeing how they improved would help him reconcile his strange sense of disappointment or, better still, erase it.

Unfortunately, Vil could only find satisfaction in seeing Danica slowly becoming more assertive with her teammates. He particularly noticed how Iman kept getting one turn wrong but was less than thrilled by Danica correcting her. But Danica remained firm and eventually, Iman took the correction and said nothing when Danica made her do the turn twice more to ensure she wouldn’t make the same mistake again. She was finding her voice, and Vil felt the smallest measure of pride in his little potato, even if he was still indifferent to everything else.

“Our petit cygne is beginning to spread her wings,” Rook whispered to him. “Isn’t it merveilleux?”

“Hmph, she still has a long way to go,” Vil replied. “They all do, but it’s a good sign, I suppose.”

The girls decided to run their song one last time but hadn’t yet noticed the boys watching them. Yuulan started the music up again, Danica sang out the first verses and they went into their choreography. But this time, a few snickers from the boys could be heard and it was enough for Danica to call for Yuulan to turn the music off. Danica looked into the large mirror in front of them and realized they were now being watched.

“You must never stop the performance before its natural conclusion!” Vil chided.

“How can you be sure I wasn’t silently evaluating you?”

“Oh! Were you, Vil-san?” Danica asked.

“Hmph. I’m not going to answer that, Little Potato. I’ll leave it for you to ponder.”

“Maaaaaaan, and I thought we were bad off!” Ace laughed at them. “Talk about a mess! You guys look like a bunch of ducks waddling in a pond! Especially you, Miss Priss!” Pointing to Ione. “You’re stiffer than a tree!”

“Excuse you?!”

Ione glared at the redhead, her face heating up with humiliation and anger. While she did feel that he was correct, hearing it still stung. Crisanta gave an encouraging pat on her back but to both her and Ione’s surprise, Iman spoke up in defense of her.

“So what if she is?!” she snapped. “We’d looooove to see what the NRC Tribe can do if one of them is gonna comment on one of us like that! Are you any better, Ace?!”

“No he isn’t!” Deuce spoke up. “He’s just as stiff as Ione!”

“What the hell, Deuce?! Expose me much?!”

“If that’s the case, leave Ione alone!” Iman went on. “If you can’t honestly say you dance better than her, then keep your mouth shut!”

“Well excuuuuuuse me, Princess!” Ace scoffed, not appreciating being exposed and told off like this.

“There’s no need for any of that, mes amis,” Rook intervened before things could get more heated. “There will be plenty of time for Swans of Seven to watch our progress and vice versa.”

“Danica, Farron is in his studio waiting,” Vil added. “He’s already created a new dress for you and while we’re practicing, the girls can have their measurements taken for their costumes as well.”

Crisanta was the first to be measured, followed by Iman and then Taima. Farron also discussed with them what each girl wanted for her costume style. And it was with equal parts excitement and anxiety that Danica awaited her turn to finally see what she would be wearing on stage.

While waiting, she focused on watching the NRC Tribe’s rehearsal. Seeing how their progress compared to Swans of Seven and taking notes on how Vil directed them. What she saw was that the boys really weren’t any better or worse than them at this point and like her team, some of them stood out better than others.

“Stop! You’re completely off-base, Supudling Two!” Vil completely dug into Deuce, with a harshness that she definitely couldn’t emulate. “You’re so focused on your hands, you’re completely neglecting your feet!”

“S-sorry…” Deuce muttered. “I’ll work on that.

“Not that you’re any better, Epel,” Vil went on. “You need more flexibility.”

Poor Epel… Danica thought. His discomfort with the training camp was evident since day one and even beyond that. She wondered if Vil was even aware of just how much he didn’t want to do this. Epel certainly had her sympathy, but his unfortunate response to Vil momentarily erased it.

“Ugh. All these girly twisting movements, they’re embarrassing. I don’t like them.”

Girly?! Embarrassing?! EXCUSE YOU?!

Danica bit her lip but her face showed all the annoyance she didn’t express in words. From a dancer’s point of view, NRC Tribe’s choreography wasn’t all that similar to what Swans of Seven were learning. And beyond that, the idea that dance could be gendered made no sense to her, considering her own ballet teacher had been a man. Epel often expressed opinions that were rather provincial but that was ridiculous.

And for the first time in weeks, she and Vil agreed on something as he wasted no time berating Epel for his narrow-minded words.

“What’s that? I’m sorry, are you seriously gendering movements?!” Vil glared at Epel with one part rage but three parts astoundment. “You sound ridiculous! Like a lunatic raving in his sleep, not that I’d accept such drivel in that case!

He yanked roughly on the younger boy’s ear. Epel loudly whimpered and Danica felt a little bad for getting amusement out of this. But at the same time, she agreed with Vil, especially when he went on a tangent about the absurdity of feeling embarrassed about acting feminine.

“Did you grow up a century ago?”

“N…no, Sir.”

“That settles it, starting tomorrow, you will receive separate training from the rest of us. You’ll be taking ballet lessons until I say otherwise.”

“Whaaa? Me? A ballerina?!”

“I’m not asking you to go en pointe, but I do expect you to at least master turning with grace,” Vil went on. “And more to the point, I expect you to toss out your antiquated ideas of what’s masculine and feminine.”

“But…I…”

“Don’t act like he’s asking you to swallow poison!” Danica told the boy.

“But Danica…” Epel turned to her with shock. Usually, she was on his side.

“The ‘girly’ movements you’re turning your nose up to? Those require a lot of muscle control, so you’ll actually be a lot stronger after a few ballet lessons!”

“She’s correct on that point,” Vil replied. “And it’s exactly why Danica will teach your lessons.”

“WHAT?!” Epel and Danica gasped in unison and Danica added, “But Vil-san, what about training for Swans of Seven?

“I’ll see to it that Epel’s lessons don’t interfere with your training. In fact,” turning back to the Epel with a slightly malicious gleam in his eyes. “A day of Epel observing your training might be good for him.”

“No…”

Great, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything at all…

If Danica had previously felt sympathy for Epel, it had now completely vanished. As if she needed anything else to add to her stress, she was now expected to teach the boy how not to be an idiot through ballet. Why couldn’t Vil just hire her own ballet teacher—a male one at that? Having a man teach Epel ballet would get Vil’s points across better, she felt.

“Pssst, Cygnet.” There was a gentle tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to see Farron standing over her in the doorway. He smiled. “I’m done measuring everyone. Ready to see your new costume?” He didn’t have to ask twice! “Vil-san, I’m showing Danica her new costume. We’ll be right back.”

Whatever Danica had previously thought didn’t matter now. Farron helped her to her feet, and with a skipping heart, she followed him down the hall.

~~~

Pomefiore Dorm ~ Farron’s Studio

“Ummm, it’s…a little loose around my waist.”

“You’ve lost a little weight. But don’t fret. I can take in the seams and have it fitting perfectly by this time tomorrow.”

Danica heard him, but she wasn’t fully listening. She was trying to comprehend what she was feeling as Farron fitted the shimmering white dress around her. He couldn’t have designed this dress to be more different from the previous one if he tried and Danica even wondered if it was indeed intentional. There was nothing necessarily wrong with it, save for her heart refusing to forget the sleek black costume she had initially fallen in love with. A dress she could still see through a crack in the closet door.

This new dress was white with accents of gold ribbon and lace along the sweetheart neckline and iridescent bodice with sheer puffed sleeves instead of being strapless. The skirt was a high-low design like the black one but it was longer, especially in the back, nearly hitting the floor. Snowy white feathers decorated the left shoulder and skirt and there was a matching hair accessory with the same white feathers encrusted with rhinestones.

“I know, it’s not as elegant and daring as the black one,” Farron said, almost as if he were reading her thoughts. “But you look stunning as always, Cygnet. Trust me.”

“Of course, I trust you, Farron,” she replied, forcing a smile for good measure. “And don’t think I dislike this dress. Quite the opposite!”

It was half true, but as much as Farron needed to know. The full truth was that Danica was honestly torn. One one hand it was beautiful—soft, airy, with breathable fabric that was easy to move in and would be as easy to dance in. Really, there was nothing objectively wrong with the dress but while she appreciated it’s beauty and practicality, she couldn't shake the sense of déjà vu.

She already had several white stage costumes from her days with the TGA idol club. In fact, this dress bore a strong resemblance to what she wore for their final performance, on the day she graduated. In fact, if she didn't know better, she'd wonder if Farron had designed the dress that way intentionally. If anything, it felt like a step backward rather than forward.

What she loved so much about the black dress, beyond the incredible feeling it gave her, was how different it was from anything she had worn before. In her mind, she imagined herself embarking on a new chapter at the VDC, shedding her past and embracing a fresh identity as a performer. The kind of performer she secretly always wanted to be. But with this? It was as though she hadn’t changed at all. The girl she saw in the mirror was still fourteen. The same girl overly infatuated with Vil Scheonheit who wrote Our Happily Ever After.

And if Vil's vision for her was to come true, nothing would change, and that realization left her disheartened.

“Will all the girls have white costumes?” She asked.

“Yes, the one difference is their dresses will be trimmed with silver instead of gold. But Vil was very clear he wanted you all to be in white.”

White dresses for white swans, I guess it makes sense. Danica suppressed a sigh as she heard someone knocking on the studio door. Farron called for the person to come in but even he was a little surprised to see Vil when he opened the door and walked in.

“Hello, Vil-san, I’m almost done with Danica’s costume,” he smiled a little. “Doesn’t she look exquisite?”

“Exquisite indeed,” Vil smiled as well, directing his gaze to her even as he spoke to Farron. “You’ve outdone yourself, Farron. She looks absolutely beautiful, a perfect swan.”

“Oh…Vil-san…” She blushed and lowered her head. This was the first time he had ever complimented her in such a direct way and it was more than a little surprising. If only she could see herself through his eyes.

“You’re still so bashful, it’s almost adorable,” he chuckled. “Are you also taken with how you look?”

“This dress, it’s…so…”

“Elegant? Is that what you mean, Little Potato? Elegant? Charming? Enchanting?”

“All those things, Vil-san, but it’s also, very…very…”

Her train of thought was lost as she realized she hadn’t yet fully formed her thoughts into words. Unfortunately for her, Vil could make an educated guess as to what was troubling her. His smile subtly faded. Since he himself was trying to reconcile how he felt about this, the last thing he needed was any further hesitancy from his perfect swan.

“Farron, would you be so kind as to leave for a moment? I must speak with Danica alone for a moment.”

Vil’s tone was amiable enough and Farron thought nothing of it. He nodded and pulled out the last few pins out of Danica’s dress before walking out. Vil closed the door and beckoned Danica to sit down. Her chair was a few feet away from his but her heart skipped several beats at the thought that they were now alone. But when she looked up at him, she could see the clear displeasure in his eyes. She bit the inside of her lip, hoping she hadn’t said anything wrong.

“First things first,” he said, handing her a phone, her phone. “You left this on the speaker in the ballroom. You shouldn’t be so careless about leaving things around. Someone else could have picked it up.”

“I’m sorry, thank you for returning it to me, Vil-san,” Danica took her phone, opening it briefly to check the time. She didn’t notice that one of the videos from her files was open and turned her phone off to look up at Vil. “As for my dress, I do like it. Don’t think I don’t, it’s just…”

“Then why do you look like that?” he asked, his frown deepening. “Your lips smile but your eyes give away your dissatisfaction.”

“I’m not dissatisfied, Vil-san, really!” Danica turned away, but she knew she couldn’t easily lie to him. “I just really liked the dress Farron initially made for me. But beyond that, I already have a few costumes like this one.”

“Exactly,” Vil nodded. “I had Farron watch some of your old performance videos from TGA and that’s how he came up with the design.”

“So this was intentional!” She stood up. “Vil-san, it’s been two years since then! Why can’t I be allowed to take on a new image for myself?”

“You mean change from a white swan to…”

“No! No! Just change in general! You can’t expect me to be the same girl I was when I was fourteen! I like this dress but if you want the truth? I like the black one better! I like that dress better and I liked my other song better too!”

“Ara ara, and just when I thought we were past this nonsense.”

Vil got up as well, moving closer and looking at her with an intensity that made her feel more than a little nervous. She tried to move away from him but her back hit the closet door and quickly realized what an awkward position she was in. His voice became unsettlingly low, tinged with a hint of malice.

“I don’t like repeating myself, Danica, you know that. You’re a smart girl. You know what’s expected of you by now. So please do not make me repeat myself again.”

“You don’t have to repeat yourself, ca…can I just show you what Farron originally made?” She felt behind her and grabbed the door to the closet, pushing at it to crack it open. “Look, isn’t it…”

“No, I refuse! I’m not looking at it!”

His sharp tone was enough to stop Danica’s hand but he grabbed it to be sure, eliciting a small gasp from her lips. She tried to pull her hand away but his grip tightened just in case she tried to push the closet door again. But Vil’s eyes couldn’t help but shift toward the open closet. And from a quick glance, he saw something far more intriguing than the sugary white creation that she was currently wearing. Danica noticed it too and tried once again to move her hand, only for it to be nearly crushed in his unrelenting grasp.

“Ah! Please…Vil-san!” she winced. “Please, can I just…”

“WHY do you persist in your stubbornness?!” He glared at her. “Do you intentionally wish to make me mad?!”

“That’s the LAST thing I want to do, Vil-san!” she replied, even though that was exactly what she was doing. She bit back frustrated, painful tears. “All I want to know is why. What would be so terrible about being a black swan? I want to meet your expectations, but I also want to understand why. No, better yet, I need to understand why!”

“You don’t NEED to understand anything!” He shouted, roughly releasing her hand. “It doesn’t matter if you understand or not! All you need to do is what I say!”

His words shot at her like knives and Danica fell back into her chair, catching her breath and working her mind overtime to prevent tears from forming. Vil’s anger quickly vanished, seeing how she recoiled in distress. He took a few breaths himself before sitting back down as well. He saw her grabbing her hand, trembling as she caught her breath, and was swiftly overcome with an intense wave of shame. When he thought she wasn’t looking, he hid his face in his hands, shielding himself from the pain that he had caused.

No, this was exactly what Vil didn’t want to happen, letting his emotions go unchecked again. Looking up at her, he saw her eyes were closed, probably to keep herself from crying. She seemed to retreat into herself and in that moment, she embodied the perfect image of a white swan—beautiful, fearful, and utterly defenseless. An image to be adored.

How could I?

No, this wasn’t this fault. After all, he just wanted what was best for her. So why couldn’t she understand?

“I’m sorry. It was uncouth of me to raise my voice like that, forgive me.”

“N-no, forgive me…” Danica whispered, squeezing her eyes shut tighter “I…want to be a perfect swan, but I also want to understand. I just..." her voice broke with the weight of emotions she still could not understand. "I just…just...why…?”

“Can’t it be enough that you trust me, Little Potato? Do you truly think I would steer you down a direction of ruin?”

“Vil…”

Her eyes remained closed for several minutes until she was sure no tears would come. When she finally dared open them and looked over at the mirror, she saw the image of herself that she knew needed to be: sweet, gentle, fragile, even as she was coming into her own as a performer and finding her voice. She was becoming stronger and less passive by leading her teammates.

It was an image so twisted in its level of irony.

When Vil was sure she was calm, he rose from his chair and approached her in the mirror, making a point of closing the closet door. Placing the striking black dress out of sight, and hopefully, out of mind. Danica’s matching hair accessory sat on the makeup stand next to her and he picked it up and placed it in her hair.

“Trust me, Danica. This is the image the world wants to see,” he gently lifted her chin to direct her eyes to her reflection. “This is the image that will win the hearts of the world. Is it really so terrible?”

“No, it’s not”

Danica once again gazed at herself in the mirror. Really, there wasn’t anything wrong with what the mirror reflected back at her. And what she felt was wrong, she clearly couldn’t articulate in a way that Vil could understand. Truthfully, she did not fully understand it herself, only that it made her feel mortified and uncomfortable. But since she hadn't yet found the words to express this, she knew her discomfort would continue to go ignored. She sighed and shook her head.

“There’s nothing wrong here.”

“Then let this be the last time we discuss this. Agreed?”

A silent nod answered him and he apologized again for yelling at her, smiling and softly raking his fingers through her hair. His voice really could sound so kind and sweet when it suited him, she thought. How could she not agree to anything he wished when he spoke to her in such a way? How could she possibly refuse him when he graced her with such a tender, beautiful smile? Was she truly so malleable?

Soon after this, Vil left the room, and now alone, Danica walked hesitantly over to the closet, opening the door. Her gorgeous black dress stood on a dressform before her and she slowly ran her fingers down the soft feathered bodice and black lacing. A burning sensation came to her chest, leaking past her eyes. Even if Danica had resigned herself to what her VDC performance would be, she realized at that moment that she would likely regret it even if her team was victorious.

Why... will you only ever accept me as a white swan, Vil-san? What's so wrong with wanting to change?

A knock on the door quickly snapped Danica out of her thoughts and she quickly shut the closet door and sat back down just in case it was Vil again. Thankfully it was only Sidonie.

"Danica, dear, are we going to continue rehearsing?"

"Sidonie..."

Danica glanced up at her, with a dejected feeling that appeared plainly on her face. The older girl could immediately tell something was wrong and sat beside her. She looked up and down at the white dress she was wearing and smiled.

"Is this your stage outfit? It's very pretty," she said. "I hope you think so too."

"I...yes...it is pretty."

Danica sighed. She gave a little smile to be sure but she knew she wouldn't be able to lie easily to Sidonie. She glanced up at the mirror again, but quickly lowered her head as she felt a sudden influx of tears. Sidonie could see it as well.

"Danica, is...something wrong?"

"No, nothing at all," she said, her voice cracking and becoming choked by tears. "Nothing is wrong because I can't explain what is wrong!"

More tears slid down her face as Sidonie wrapped her arms around her. She held Danica close but to her surprise, the younger girl didn't cry. She remained silent even as the tears streamed down her face. It was a silence that voiced her frustrations louder than any sobbing could.

~~~

“Mira Mira, on my phone.”

“Yes, what are you searching for?”

“At this moment, who is the most beautiful one of all?”

“Searching the web for the account with the most mentions of ‘beautiful’…results: Neige Leblanche.”

Vil’s fist clenched with anger as Mira answered him. Though there were still a few weeks before the VDC, nothing had changed from his last inquiry and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t frustrate him. Doubly so as it seemed Danica was not as on board with his plans as he initially hoped.

The beautiful little boy made his final monologue of defeat, exiting the stage as another beautiful boy quickly passed him to make his triumphant return. A strange sadness overtook Vil as he watched Neige from the wings, seeing how the audience adored him in a way Vil had never known.

“Well done, Vil,” said the director. “You performed marvelously and the audience loved you.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Vil smiled a little. “But…I think the audience loved Neige more.”

“Of course they do. It’s only natural that they’d respond better to Neige,” the director replied. “After all, he is the heroic young prince who has fulfilled his grand quest. And his struggle and ultimate triumph are things the audience can relate to.”

“I see, I guess the audience wouldn’t be able to relate to a bad guy like my character.”

Vil hung his head for a few moments, looking down sadly at his feet. It was true, he was a bad guy and no one liked a bad guy. It was a role he had played time and again and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it to some extent. Sometimes, it was fun being bad, even if it was only acting. But the truth still remained, no one liked a bad guy, and once the bad guy was defeated, no one would shed a tear.

The director was at his side, watching Neige’s final scene with him. Vil noticed how entranced the man was watching him, practically spellbound by his enchanting smile and passionate soliloquy about the power of friendship and being true to one’s heart. The way he looked at Neige, the way the audience responded to him, was very unlike how they would towards Vil. He couldn’t describe it, but Vil knew that so long as remained a villain, he would never garner the same kind of adoration as Neige Leblanche.

And that’s when a fine new thought entered his head. “Sir, next time, I think I’d like to play a hero! I want to play the role of a prince too! I think if I do…”

But his words fell on deaf ears, so taken was the director with Neige’s performance that he didn’t hear him. It was as though Vil were invisible. When Vil realized he was being ignored, he went silent, not wishing to speak further when it was clear no one was listening. Instead, he continued to watch as Neige absorbed all the captivation that Vil could only ever envy…

A sharp pang went off in his chest and Vil quickly banged his fist on the table next to him before he found himself lost further in the painful memory.

Why couldn’t Danica understand? Only a white swan could be worthy of a hero’s love and only a white swan could win the hearts of the world. If she continued in her current way of thinking, she would soon be cursed just as he was. The world would never see her devotion, her tenacity, only the image of the sensuous, villainous black swan.

“Do you want to know what Vil-kun said during rehearsals today?”

“What did he say, tell me?”

“That one day he wants to play the role of a hero! Like Neige!”

“Ah, a very noble sentiment, but rather silly to my mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“Even though he’s only seven, Vil has displayed acting skills unlike any I’ve ever seen. And his beauty is also quite remarkable, it could even be compared to some adults.”

“With all that in mind, why couldn’t Vil ever take on a more heroic role?”

“It’s precisely because of those traits, because Vil is so grown up at such a young age, is why he can never take on such a role. A child hero requires a certain level of tenderness and naivete that Vil simply does not have.”

“I suppose it’s true, Vil is elegant but dangerous while Neige Leblanche is benign but delicate. And the audience can be endeared to one, but n̷̫͕̥͇̻̰͇̿e̵̹̬̦͚̯̒̈́́̾̉͋̋̿v̶̲̤̟̔̂ẹ̵̛̯̥̘̐̆̂̒̎̈́͠r̵̯͖͖͑͌͘͜ͅ the other.”

“Heh heh, it’s only silly statements like Vil’s that remind me that he is indeed a child.”

He knew she was unhappy but she would be even unhappier when the world would paint her as only a black swan and never see her brilliance beyond that. She would be far more unhappy when people looked at her with only lust in their hearts and never admiration. She would be miserable knowing how people would profess to adore her for her beauty but objectify and vilify her for it in the very same breath. And she would hate when people would make open comparisons to her and sweeter, more gentle idols. All the same fate that had befallen him for the last twelve years of his life.

Vil stared at his phone for a long time, specifically at his contact list and saw his manager’s number at the top. He didn’t want to do this; he knew he might very well be crossing a line he wouldn’t be able to return from if he decided to proceed. But how else could he make her see? She constantly claimed she didn’t understand. Well, how else could he help her understand?

No. He was going to do it. He had to, for her own good and his as well. Without further hesitation, he tapped on his manager’s number. She answered immediately.

“Hello, Vil,” Adela said cheerfully. “Quite a surprise to hear from you at this hour.”

“I know it’s late,” he replied. “But this couldn’t wait, I…need you to do something for me.”

~~~

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #twst writing #things i write #twst vil #twst rook #other ppl's ocs #shining hearts ~ melodies and melancholy

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ahogedetective · 13 days

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"P-please be careful...! We don't have to bring them all at once, we can make multiple trips!"

"I know what I'm doing! I can see just fine!"

*soon enough the sounds of two pairs of footsteps can be heard accompanying the chatter before they enter the room, two separate people holding onto large stack of presents! yuma is holding about six, a sheepish smile on his face as he nods at the birthday boy before quickly making way for kaito who's holding about a dozen and a half! the only way to tell that it's him is by the very tip of the tallest spike of purple hair that's just barely jutting out from atop the stack of presents!*

"Navigator Yuma, I don't hear you moving! What's our location?"

"Y-you can put them down now, Kaito. We've arrived at our destination."

*with that, kaito's trembling hands can be seen lowering the large stack, yuma quickly putting his own stack down so he can help him! they land with the smallest thud, kaito paying no attention to his slightly trembling arms as he leaps up and his beaming smile can be seen clear as day!*

"And there he is, the sole resident of planet Shuichi! Who knew that we would stumble onto the one planet in the entire Ahogite Galaxy that's celebrating a birthday, haha~!!" *kaito then rushes over and pulls him into a huge hug, yuma following suit although he looks incredibly bashful*

"Happy birthday, Shuichi! I-I hope you don't mind if we celebrate at the same time. When Kaito and I realized that we had the same idea, we pulled our gifts together into one giant present! W-we hope you like them all, hehe~!" *it turns out that that the two of them have gotten the birthday nothing but hardback mystery books, yuma having double checked beforehand that each and every one of them was a book that shuichi didn't have!*

{ Shuichi Birthday!! 🎉}

"...?" Looking up from his book when hearing those approaching voices, his eyes widen when seeing Yuma and Kaito come in, carrying all those presents!! "K-Kaito? Yuma? Umm, d-do you guys need help setting those down...!?" He quickly puts his book away, and was about to rush over to help them, but sees that they were able to put the stacks of gifts down with no trouble, much to his relief.

Then he finally returns the greeting, giving a small wave to them before giving a small laugh at Kaito's words. "A-Ahaha... yep, that's right! Welcome to Planet Shuchi, travelers. Thank you very much for visiting! It'll be even more fun to celebrate today with you guys!" ("What's an 'ahogite' galaxy, though, I wonder...")

But never mind that, as he lets out a happy yell when Kaito brings him into that big hug, along with Yuma! Instantly Shuichi is wrapping his arms around the both of them to return the hug just as tight, laughing as he looks between the two of them with a beaming smile~! "Thank you, thank you! Why would I, of course I don't mind that! I see.... ahaha, that just goes to show how well you two know me, to want get the same kind of presents that you both knew I would like. I'm positive I will! B-Because wow, you guys certainly went all out, didn't you! I'm still impressed you guys could carry all that...!!!"

Once they're all done hugging, Shuichi walks over to the tower of presents so he can get a closer look at them. The more he reads each title on the side of the books, the more shocked he is when realizing these are all books he doesn't already own! "Y-You guys... made sure each book here wasn't something I already owned? That's some amazing memories you guys have! Ahaha, I won't have to worry about buying books for a real long time! Yuma, Kaito: thank you guys, so much...!" And this time, he's the one pulling them into a big group hug~! "I can't wait to find nice places to put all these, and to start on some of them later! But for now, I'm ready to have fun celebrating today with you two, if you don't mind staying a while! Auntie is going to bake a cake soon, so let's enjoy some together...!"

#BOOK TOWERS!!! 📚📚📚#KDFJNDJK HIS ROOM HAS TRULY BECOME AN ENRICHMENT EMPIRE HEE HEE~!#THANK YOU TIMEEE!!!#BLESS these purbl boys for spoiling the sushi wushi like this hehe~!#he's gonna take care of ALL them books!!!!#Shuichi answers;;#essenceofjustice

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sitpwgs · 10 months

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Hi! I'm sorry you're still not feeling well. It seems like it really sucks I hope you were still able to have a good and fun weekend with your friend though! I hope the new medication helped as well but from your latest update, it seems like it didn't. Aww I really hope you feel better before your birthday and the holidays coming up. I've never had black forest cake I don't think..or is that the one with cherry filling in the middle? If it is, then I have and I think it's yummy too. I do love Oreo cake, vanilla, and just plain chocolate or double chocolate. But I have a lot of favorite desserts too..but it's mostly brownies and cookies. I like chocolate chip and double chocolate and ice cream but I don't love it when it's cold. I've never had tiramisu I don't think though.

I want need to be released too but mostly just cuz all of the girls was already released so I hope it is and it is like False God. I think cuz it sounds so different from any Taylor song to me. When I first heard it, I think it sounded more like a Selena Gomez song..maybe in the verses more than Taylor..but I do love how Taylor shows her vocals in the song and I do know other people love it a lot. The only thing about that is then it would be technically the last rerecording to be released and idk if it should end with that but I do see how it kinda works. Unless she puts out an eras rerecording doc or something as a thank you for the tour, then it would be the next best thing. I do still like to play it around Christmas sometimes. She also has a show on her birthday next year so that's exciting enough too.

Haha wow. I actually listen to something new like everyday so I could never get burnt out on new music haha. Basically my sister has a long drive everyday so we pick a new album to listen to everyday and kinda have a theme for each week based on genres. That's how I discover so much new music and we add a few songs to a big hours long playlist all year and play it near the end of the year haha and then we will pick our favorites. Obviously if it's an artist I really like, I play their albums for at least a week. I also play a lot of recommended radio so that's how I find new artists too. So what's your top artists and songs for Spotify wrapped since it came out? I think there's an equivalent with apple music if you use that. But I'm so excited to know and I will add anything you recommend to my list. I wasn't really surprised..obviously Taylor was my top artist lol but I feel like it also matters how long an album is and for top songs it's how much a certain song will play on your recommended radio and if you let it play. Oh I forgot about those but will listen eventually of course..along with the fruitcake EP soon.

As for books, I'll have to work on my list and I can tell you what I'll be reading more specifically later. Sorry it's just not something I'm focused on right now but I did find a few more books to add to my list recently so idk and I'm always looking for new recommendations too so I'll look at your post whenever its updated. Oh that's so cool and exciting. I've recently getting more educated on the publishing world which sounds exhausting so that's actually pretty cool. I honestly haven't read Hunger Games in a long time but that sounds like a pretty good plan if you get to it.

Oh I like her music but I'm not sure she would fit as Eurydice..cuz her voice is too soft almost? Thanks for the link! I will go thru it later and give my full opinion. Oh I mentioned a doc about the rerecordings earlier but would absolutely love this too! Beyonce had a little bit of this in her movie which I thought was really cool and made it different than eras. She would talk for a few minutes about something that would kinda lead into the next song so the transitions were pretty smooth and didn't distract from the show. Also it's always very cool to see her talking and share stuff from her personal life which we don't get to see as much. I'm pretty sure she didn't cut anything either which was impressive! I couldn't help comparing it to Eras but more so in a fun way cuz I love both of them and you can really see how much artistry and care they put in the work and that's a really cool thing to see. Taylor also supported Beyonce at her premiere just like how Beyonce did for her and I loved her dress so much..it was really on theme haha. I also paid attention to the sets and it's something I have to pay more attention to in the eras movie again. Another cool thing Beyonce's movie did was show all the different outfits she would wear for a certain song and I kinda wish eras movie did that now lol. Also Beyonce showed all her special guest performances in her movie too. It was kinda cool cuz it was almost set up in eras too but in a different way I guess cuz it wasn't by era..but she did start from the beginning of her career and mixed in a few songs. Also her opening songs started out slower in the show but I think that's pretty typical of Beyonce..like she gets more energetic as the show goes on. She also did not sing a song from every album..there was nothing from Lemonade but that's also a personal album for her or maybe didn't fit this show. But she sang every song from Renaissance and somehow made them work in the order of the album...and she even included the performance of songs she only sang at a few shows. I think seeing it was fun too cuz I didn't know the full show as well as eras even if I saw a few clips online and having it professionally recorded helps a lot too. Even if you don't love her music, it's definitely worth a watch at some point.

I do think it was cool of her to sing it for the end of the year and cuz there's a bit of a break on tour and I agree with how it makes her feel. I just think the chorus could be better cuz she repeats the same lyrics or used thing more than once and I don't love the melody but some people love it. Its just there to me and some songs are just like that I guess. I feel similarly about Illicit Affairs but I like it on tour and maybe even Off the top of my head, the first two opening nights had the best songs! Mirrorball and Tim McGraw and State of Grace and This is me trying but i would probably pick night two. Another one would be the eras movie pick or I Can See You and I think Maroon? Also Getaway Car and Maroon! I got pretty lucky with Right where you Left Me and Castles Crumbling too!!! I liked yours too! What about you?

Aside from seeing the Renaissance movie, I also got a haircut after a long time which was nice. I will probably also be busy for the next few weeks just letting you know. The end of the year is always stressful to me so I'm sorry if I don't reply as much. I hope your weekend with your friend was still fun! Happy Monday and I hope you have a great week!!! 🩷

hi friend!! it was one of the best weekends ever, i think — just something that i very much needed + very good for my soul, but i am very tired and just quite sad now! long distance friendships are so so hard :( i've mostly been feeling a bit better aside from my voice which just does not want to return to me for some reason!! but that's okay — the good news, is that it gives me an excuse to not be super super social at the work party on wednesday (which i'm lowkey dreading haha).

and yes! black forest cake is the one with cherry in the middle — i don't really like cherry, but i do loveeee black forest cake for some reason! i am not a huge fan of super sweet sweets (and often, brownies are too sweet for my taste) but one of my friends has been talking to me about brownies all week and now i really really want one. i think i'm going to try to get one on wednesday when i go to my work party as a pre-party treat, actually! tiramisu is delicious — if you like coffee (i don't know if you do, actually — i don't think we've talked about coffee! do you like coffee? what's your coffee order?) which i do!

i would love love love more BTS for eras and the rerecordings! i just think all of that is so interesting, i want to know about the costumes + the thought behind the dive, the choreography, why the piano is painted with those flowers, why debut was cut from the setlist :(, whose idea it was for those very specific visuals, etc. i just want to know everything!

there is an apple music equivalent — it's called apple replay! my top 5 artists were: the 1975, taylor, holly humberstone, maisie, and sabrina carpenter — but replay also gives you your top 15, so here are the rest of them: inhaler, gracie abrams, the japanese house, noah kahan, beabadoobee, del water gap, olivia rodrigo, lizzy mcalpine, haim and charli xcx! and my most listened to songs are: oh caroline, happiness, if you're too shy (let me know), lost the breakup, body better, me & you together song, you're just a boy (and i'm kinda the man), the good witch, about you, i'm in love with you, pressure, menswear, scarlett, heart out and the sound! which is so funny because i don't even remember listening to a good half of these that much (probably in the first half of the year). my most listened to albums were: the good witch, emails i can't send fwd, notes on a conditional form, the good witch (deluxe), speak now (taylor's version), paint my bedroom black, reputation, barbie the album, the 1975 (deluxe), guts, cuts & bruises, i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, good riddance, in the end it always does and midnights (3 am edition)!

and you don't need to apologize — just know i'm excited for your favorites when you have them! i will try to figure out my list as well! and ahhh, the renaissance film sounds so so good! i'm excited to watch it when i get a chance to 🤍

and yeah, i have a really hard time picturing her as eurydice! but i think she'd be a great girl in once, if she ever did that!

tied together with a smile was my favoriteeeee. it just means so much to me as a song, and i'm so so glad i got to hear it! honestly i really lucked out with my songs — and i think everyone that i went with was really happy (my friend bailey loves ttwas too, my friend mansi got a reputation song night 1 — this is why we can't have nice things, etc.)! just very special! very lovely evening. i'd loveeee to hear mirrorball, or anything debut though. i'm really just manifesting something from debut for my mom :")

and no worries about replying either!! 🤍 take your time, i know you're busy + things are goin on! happy monday + hope you have a good rest of the year friend!!

#post: answered #🩷 anon

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dzthenerd490 · 1 year

Text

Kingdom Hearts: The Brightest of Hearts - Chapter 2: Madness and Darkness

Sora couldn't believe it; he was in an actual spaceship! Or a Gummi ship as Donald and Goofy called it. The outside looked very colorful but looked like a bunch of Legos put together. The inside however, was futuristic looking with three seats and an advanced looking keyboard console system in front of the seats. Sora's eyes sparkled at the amazing display of magical technology the ship had.

"Wow! This is awesome! So, this is how we're going to get to different worlds?"

"That's right!" Sora heard a strange high pitch voice behind him and turned around to the front console and saw two chipmunks.

"Wow, uh hi?"

"Why hello! I'm Chip! and this is Dale!"

"And we're your engineers for the last but most reliable Gummi ship in the Multiverse!"

"Cool! So, you guys can... wait, last Gummi ship?"

"Oh, well maybe not THE last but... it might as well be."

"You see, since the Dark Army can use the Void; they don't need Gummi ships, so they decided to destroy all Gummi ships to stop the Guardians of Light."

"Our ancestors used to help the royal family repair and even build Gummi ships like this one and ones that were even bigger! They helped unite worlds across the multiverse without causing chaos, they helped Keyblade Wielders of Light protect worlds at a moment's notice!"

"But when the Dark Army rose to power they destroyed as many Gummi ships as they could... all our ancestors work... gone in such little time." Chip and Dale both looked sad. Sora felt sad as well; like his own home, their entire family tradition was undone. However, instead of moping Sora just huffed in determination, as it was just another reason to stop the Dark Army.

"Well, I feel safe on this ship because I have two of the best Gummi ship engineers in the Multiverse! And when I find Maleficent and the other Keyblade wielders of Darkness I'll show them what happens when they mess with your Gummi ships."

"Aww, thanks Sora!"

"Oh boy, look at us feeling down when we're supposed to be helping your pilot the ship."

"Right! Sora, grab that controller." Sora looked to the front console of the ship and saw what looked like a basic joystick video game controller. Sora then grabbed it and was confused by its simplicity compared to the rest of the Gummi ship.

"Um, ok? now what?"

"Now just keep watch and if you see any Heartless press the button to fire cannons and use the stick to move from side to side."

"Uh... ok but why would I want to move side to side? also what do you mean if I see Heartless? we're going to be in space, why would the Heartless be out here?"

"Well, we're in space right now, but pretty soon we'll be traveling right through the darkness in-between worlds. It's normally easy to go through but now that the Dark Army is in power, they remade the Heartless born there into Heartless ships. These Heartless ships try to destroy any Gummi ship they find, it's part of the reason there are so few Gummi ships left."

"Which is why we'll be the ones coordinating the Ships' destination, it's your job to defend the ship from the Heartless trying to destroy us before we get there... so you know no pressure. haha?"

"Huh... just a video game! Riku and I always heard about video games from the adults, but they never bought us one. It was part of the reason we wanted to leave, so that we can play them! Once I rescue him and Kairi I gotta show them this ship! They're going to love it!" Chip and Dale looked at one another and then laughed as they quickly got back to work.

"Alright then! Starting the Gummi engine!"

"Get ready Sora! Defend this ship like your life depends on it... because it does!"

"First stop! Let's see... oh, it's Wonderland!"

"Wonderland that sounds like an amusement park!"

"Sora! Defend the ship!"

"I got it! Don't worry Donald." The Gummi ship then lifted off and launched into space. Before it got too deep into space the Gummi ship launched a ball of energy in front of the gummi ship that transformed into a portal. The Gummi ship entered the portal and was now in a new space. This new space was infinite and extremely dark. The only thing inside it was what looked like collections of dark clouds with red lighting sparking inside them. It was almost like a place of pure bleakness and evil.

"This is the darkness in-between worlds?"

"Yup... this is the energy that holds the multiverse together but also the same energy that creates the Heartless. Gosh, I do have to wonder, has it always been this creepy?"

"Ok fellas! Getting the light tunnel ready!" Then a forcefield of concentrated light formed around the Gummi ship. A second later, the forcefield expanded into a tunnel leading to an eventual exit that glowed in light.

"Alright fellas! This ship is ready to go!" The gummi ship started flying down the tunnel of light and heading right for the exit. Sora felt weird holding a controller but not actually controlling the ship.

"So wait, if this is a light tunnel, then why do we even need to worry about these Heartless ships? Doesn't the light repel dark things like Heartless?"

"For normal Heartless yes, but not for the Keyblade Wielders of Darkness and anything they make like the Heartless ships. The Heartless ships are made of several regular heartless fused together, making them bigger and stronger. Strong enough to pass through the tunnel of light. That's why we're in charge of flying forward and you, Sora, are in charge of defense."

"Sora! The Heartless ships!" Sora looked up and saw that Donald was right; Several dark and evil looking ships were slowly entering the light tunnel and their guns were pointing right at the Gummi ship. They made a diamond formation and started blasting red lasers at the Gummi ship. Sora only barely dodged causing them to get scratched by the laser rather than getting hit head on, but they received damage nonetheless.

"Sora!"

"Give me a break I've never done this before!" Sora then made the ship dodge more perfectly this time and started firing back at the Heartless ships. Though Sora managed to destroy a few Heartless ships he was still bad at dodging their return fire. He was also completely unaware of how much he was shaking the ship causing Donald and Goofy to fly off their chairs.

***

By the time they finally made it to Wonderland the Gummi ship was still in one piece but covered in burns and damage from enemy fire.

"Whew! We made it and we're ok! Right guys?" Sora looked at the two backseats and saw Goofy out of his on the floor and groaning in pain. Donald on the other hand, was upside down with his arms crossed; he was glaring at Sora in disappointment.

"Uh... sorry..." Then Chip and Dale then busted out of the Gummi engine looking exhausted with lots of smoke coming out of the engine.

"Ugh... We're gonna have to repair the ship *cough, cough* So you guys should go and help the people of this world *cough, cough* while we get our work done." Sora then scratched the back of his head out of embarrassment. Donald walked up to him, jumped up and roughly bopped him on the head with his staff. Donald then left the ship and Sora, who rubbed his sore head, followed; Goofy who was still dazed managed to barely get up and follow them.

***

"Uh... Where exactly are we?"

"Well Sora, we are in Wonderland!"

"I mean where in Wonderland? Because right now it just looks like an empty forest."

"Huh, you know your right sora. gosh, for a world named Wonderland you'd think it would be more... Wondrous."

"Yeah, no offense to this place but it's kinda boring. for miles all you can see are trees and all you can hear is a girl crying... Wait a minute!" On impulse Sora started running toward the voice. From a distance it sounded like Kairi's voice, so Sora ran despite Donald and Goofy calling out for him to stop. Sora eventually found the source and saw Alice sitting on a rock and while still crying and singing a sad song. Sora wanted to get closer to ask what was wrong but as he did, he saw the strange creatures surrounding her all seemingly sad because of her song. Sora couldn't help but stare at them in awe because of their bizarre and funny looking forms. So that's why this is called Wonderland Sora though as he continued to walk forward and stare at them all. However, Sora wasn't paying attention as he continued walking and accidently bumped into Alice.

"Ah! sorry that was an accident! uh... hey, are you ok?"

"Why no I'm not! I was so close to going home and then- *gasp*" Alice continued to cry during her rant but was shocked at the sight of Sora. Sora backed up a little out of confusion wondering what shocked Alice so much. Alice then slowly walked towards him and gently touched his face, she then started feeling more of his face and even started pinching it.

"Ah! Ow, hey! Stop that! What are you doing?!"

"You're a boy! A real boy! A normal boy! Not a talking doorknob, or a smoking caterpillar, or a tea obsessed Hatter, but a real normal boy!"

"Uh, no? yeah I'm a boy alright." Sora wanted to laugh but couldn't tell if Alice was making a joke or being serious.

"Ahem, I'm Sora by the way."

"Sora... my name is Alice. Please, can you help me get home?"

"Wait, this isn't your home?"

"Oh of course not, nothing here makes sense, and everyone is either so strange or so rude!" As if on cue, both of them started hearing strange singing. Both of them looked up the tree next to them to see a pink and purple cat smiling at them.

"Oh! Cheshire Cat, it's you!"

"Is that... a talking cat?"

"See? It's like this entire world is mad!"

"It doesn't look angry to me."

"No, no, no! I mean mad as in insane!"

"Oh... you could have just said that." Alice then pouted angrily at Sora while he shrugged and smiled trying to stay on Alice's good side.

"Oh, nevermind! Cheshire Cat can you please help me! I want to go home!"

"Go?! You want to go? Well, no one is allowed to go, not without the say of the Queen!" The tone of the Cheshire cat sounded devious, enough to scare Sora and Alice to back a step away from him. On impulse Alice grabbed and held Sora's hand. Sora was the first to blush, then Alice once she realized what she did. They looked at each other and upon realizing how close their faces were they quickly looked away while blushing in embarrassment. Alice then realized they were still holding hands and quickly let go and faced Cheshire again.

"Uh... ahem! But I don't know a queen."

"You don't know the queen?! Well you simply must! She would go absolutely mad just by the sight of you! Hehehe, simply, absolutely, horrifically, delightfully, mad!" Alice wasn't sure what Cheshire meant but nodded to show she wanted to see this queen if it meant going home. Sora on the other hand was skeptical and walked forward and stood in front of Alice while facing Cheshire.

"Wait a second! I don't know what horrif- ical... I don't know what horrible means in this world, but where I'm from it means bad! What exactly is up with this queen?"

"What is up? Why would you want to know what is up? The clouds are up! the moon is up! The sun is down but it will eventually come back up... but everyone knows that so why the curiosity?"

"What? No! I mean can this queen really help?"

"Oh, she CAN help but if she WANTS to help well. Hehehe, that my dear children, is up to you!" Sora was still confused by all this, and Cheshire wasn't helping in the slightest. Still Alice stepped beside Sora to speak to the cat directly again.

"So where do we find this queen?"

"Well some go this way, some go that way, and others go those ways... but for me I prefer a short cut." Cheshire pulled on a branch as if it was a lever, then a large chunk of bark disappeared from the tree and inside formed a portal that led to what looked like a castle surrounded by a hedge.

"Sora! Don't go running off like that!" Suddenly Donald and Goofy finally caught up to Sora, leaving Alice shocked at the sight of the two.

"Oh my! I saw talking birds and strange dogs but never ones that dress and act like humans! Actually I might have encountered a few, my goodness this world is so absolutely mad that I believe I might end up the same."

"Hm, but it doesn't seem that angry to-" Sora then quickly covered Goofy's mouth and smiled at Alice which actually left her confused.

"Oh, actually these guys are with me! this is-"

"Donald!"

"And Goofy." Doanld forcefully got on top of Sora's head and leaned forward and extended his hand toward Alice. Goofy on the other hand bowed a little to show his respect while also extending a hand to Alice. Alice was shocked at first but then laughed and shook both their hands.

"It's delightful to meet you Donald and Goofy, I am Alice, and I must say you're the most kind and pleasant gentlemen I have met since I got here!"

"Likewise, miss Alice!"

"Hope Sora wasn't causing you any trouble."

"Hey! We were actually having a nice conversation before you showed up!" Sora shouted as he forced Donald off of him, Sora then crossed his arms to show his anger at Donald while the duck started chuckling at Sora. Goofy looked at Alice and scratched the back of his head, embarrassed that Alice had to see them bickering; however, she just laughed in delight.

"Oh, you three are an absolute delight! Won't you help me get home? I promise you all a wonderful tea party the moment we get back!" Sora never had tea therefore didn't have a taste for it, but he still liked the idea of helping someone out. So he accepted and walked with Alice into the tree toward the queen's castle.

***

Thankfully it didn't take long to get through the hedge maze and upon getting out they found themselves in a large and vast garden. There they saw three living cards painting white roses red and singing about it.

"Wow those guys look funny." Sora and Alice looked at Donald for his comment, they then looked at each other and started laughing. Donald noticed them laughing and demanded to know why. The two of them closed their mouths but smiled at each other still thinking it was funny. However, the fun was cut short when they heard one of the card men screaming and looked back to see him attacked by a Heartless.

"Oh my! What are those horrible creatures?!"

"It's the Heartless! Alice, stay here, we got this!" Sora then yelled at the Heartless to get its attention, allowing the card men to run. Soon more Heartless showed up, some looked like normal Shadow Heartless, but the Emblem Heartless had strange and wacky forms.

"What's with those heartless?"

"Gosh do ya, think the Keyblade Wielders of Darkness are running out of ideas?"

"A doorknob that talks, a caterpillar that smokes, and a hatter obsessed with tea... Oh no, those heartless are the people of this world! The rotten Dark Army is already corrupting this world!"

"Then we better start liberating!" Donald and Goofy then charged forward to fight the Heartless. Sora followed by jumping in the air and landed closer to the Heartless and started slashing at them. Sora was still fighting but was surprised by how light his body felt, it was almost like he got stronger than when he was in Traverse Town. Before Sora could ponder anymore, Heartless started surrounding him. An Emblem Heartless with the face of a flower and spider legs appeared and tried to headbutt Sora. Sora managed to use his keyblade to guard. Donald cast a lighting spell on the Heartless trying to surround Sora. Sora still had his keyblade raised up so Goofy got on top of it and jumped off. Goofy filled his shield with magical energy and fell straight down releasing the magic in an explosive impact. Sora then smiled in awe at the amazing display of magical power. Sora chased after the remaining Heartless and finished them off and Donald used fireball to get the very last one.

"Haha! That was awesome!"

"Don't get overconfident Sora, there's no way that was all of them."

"Gosh Sora, you handled that battle pretty well. Aren't you supposed to be new to this keyblade business?"

"Yeah... It's weird to say but, I feel stronger ever since I locked Traverse Town from the darkness." Donald and Goofy looked at each other in confusion, they didn't know everything about keyblade wielders since there weren't any left. What they did know was locking a world from the darkness shouldn't make a Keyblade Wielder of Light stronger, it just keeps the darkness out.

"Sora! That was amazing!" Alice then ran over to Sora and hugged him tightly. Alice laughed in joy and faced Sora but they both blushed when they realized how close their faces were. Alice then let go of Sora and they both distanced themselves from each other. Goofy smiled at the sight of them and Donald laughed.

However, the moment was ruined when more card men showed up; all of which were of different colors and all singing to a song about praising the queen. Then the queen stomped forward angrily with the tiny king following her. Then the three card men from earlier showed up, ran beside the queen and clumsily bumped into each other and then hastily bowed to her.

"... WELL? WHERE ARE THESE SHADOW CREATURES YOU SAID INTERRUPTED YOUR WORK?"

"Uh... I uh..."

"We swear your majesty they were just-" The card man looked to where the Heartless attacked them and saw Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Alice.

"Them! It was them who attacked us!"

"HM? THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE SHADOW CREATURES TO ME!"

"Uh... they... blindsided us! yes! That's it!"

"Y- Yes! it all happened so fast! Our eyes tricked us, is all your majesty!"

"WHAT?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all couldn't help but yell in shock and anger at the accusations. Alice even jumped from their sudden yelling, but she felt the same as they did.

"SO THEN, YOU FOUR DISRUPTED MY MEN PAINTING MY HIDEOUS WHITE ROSES INTO BEAUTIFUL RED ROSES?"

"Hey! Those shadow creatures were here! We just defeated them already!"

"Yeah, we saved you guys!"

"Why are you saying we attacked you?"

"SO, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU THREE LIED TO ME?"

"Uh- um- no your majesty! We really were attacked! it's just that the shadow creatures aren't here anymore so we thought you would accuse us of lying so I tried to place the blame on them!" The other two card men then tried to cover the speaking card man's mouth, but it was already too late. The queen turned red in anger.

"LIARS! ALL THREE OF THEM! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" The card soldiers then started singing as they grabbed the three card men and started dragging them away. Sora couldn't believe how this was escalating so horribly and so quickly, Sora ran over to the queen and grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Hey! knock it off!" This proved to be a bad idea, the queen turned redder out of anger. She quickly jumped up and slammed her body into the ground causing everyone to fall to the ground including sora. Sora, now on the ground, looked up at the red queen who glared at him with intense Hatred.

"YOU DARE TOUCH ME, YOU PEASANT!"

"Uh well. You were going to kill those guys! Sure they lied but don't you think you're taking things too far!"

"YOU A PEASANT DARE TELL ME A QUEEN WHAT AND WHAT NOT TO DO?"

"I dare to tell you what you're doing is wrong!" Sora got up and stood tall. Despite the queen clearly being taller than him he still glared at her to show his determination. Donald and Goofy started panicking, they forgot to tell Sora the full extent of their mission. While they are supposed to liberate worlds of darkness, they also have to keep the natural order of worlds. In other words, they cannot interfere with the locals, which was exactly what Sora was doing. Alice was moved by Sora's bravery, so she quickly ran over to his side, stood tall, and faced the queen with determination as well.

"Just because your queen doesn't mean you have to be so rude!" The queen glared at them both but then looked to the sky as if she had an idea.

"HM, HIGH RANKING ARROGANCE? WELL MADE CLOTHING? A SENSE OF POWER? IS YOUR RUDENESS PERHAPS ROOTED FORM ROYAL HERITAGE?" Sora and Alice looked at each other in confusion wondering what the queen was talking about. Suddenly Goofy ran up to Alice to cover her mouth and Donald jumped on Sora's back to cover his mouth.

"Yes! Yes they are royalty!"

"Indeed, they are your majesty, a-hyuk! This is Prince Sora and Princess Alice! we are here on a uh... diplomatic treaty from the... uh... Disney Castle!" Donald looked at Goofy in shock since he referenced their world. Goofy, now embarrassed, shrugged since he couldn't think of anything better. They both quickly smiled at the queen hoping it worked to, surprisingly it did as the queen seemed surprised by this and then delighted.

"OH! SO, YOUR ROYALTY!" Goofy let go of Alice, she looked at him in confusion and he nodded to show her that she should agree. Sora then forced Donald off of him and glared at him to show his annoyance, Donald then pointed at the queen and Sora sighed. Then both Alice and Sora lied that they were indeed royalty.

"OH! HOW PECULIAR!" The queen smiled in delight, then immediately slammed her body into the ground and glared at the four of them with burning rage.

"THERE CAN'T BE OTHER ROYALTY IN WONDERLAND I OFFED ALL THE HEADS OF THE OTHER KINGS AND QUEENS! THERE IS NOTHING LEFT BUT ME! ... UGH AND THE KING."

"Well perhaps you just missed us?" The queen then looked closer at Alice, seeming angry about what she said. She then looked at Sora, then she backed off seeming to no longer be mad but disappointed.

"HM... PERHAPS, I DID. NORMALLY I WOULD JUST OFF YOUR HEAD AND BE DONE WITH IT, HOWEVER I AM NOT WITHOUT HONOR! JOIN ME IN A GAME OF CROQUET! IF YOU WIN I SHALL... CONSIDER THIS DIPLOMACY OF YOURS. BUT IF YOU LOSE! OFF WITH YOUR HEADS! PREPARE A GAME AT ONCE!" The card soldiers all got up and started getting what was needed for the croquet game. The queen then looked back at the four, huffed in amusement, and walked away to prepare. Alice looked at Sora in concern while he shrugged in confusion, then Donald hit him in the head with his staff.

"Sora! We aren't supposed to be interfering with worlds like this! Every world has their own natural order, and we have to respect that!"

"Ow... ok, but to be fair, you guys didn't tell me that. Also, this was kinda out of my hands. I mean sorry guys, but I don't really know what else to do but to go along with it." Donald just sighed in defeat while Goofy patted him on the back.

"So, uh... what's crockett?"

"Oh Croquet! I've seen the older women back home play it all the time! I'm not too familiar with the rules but I do believe I know the basics."

"That's good enough for me! Let's show this queen what we're made of and then get you home!" Alice smiled in delight and Sora did the same, both of them were unaware of how Donald groaned in disappointment while Goofy just continued to pat Donald on the back.

***

With the only alternatives being, leave Alice behind to be beheaded or fight the queen and disrupt the natural order even further. Donald and Goofy had no choice but to help Sora and Alice play Croquet. Their only hope was that in return the queen would help them stop the darkness and then return Alice to her original world. The card soldiers gave the queen her mallet bag and from it she pulled out a living flamingo. Sora and Alice both had to cover their mouths from laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation but quickly stopped when they saw the queen glaring at them.

The queen huffed in annoyance, got herself ready, and then swung the flamingo at a hedgehog, the hedgehog wasn't actually hit but instead lightly tapped. The hedgehog then started running and then started rolling toward the card soldiers acting as the hoops for the game. The hedgehog managed to get past five of the card soldiers but missed the last one. The card soldier ran over trying to let the hedgehog pass him, but he was too slow.

"HMPH! IF I WIN THIS GAME YOUR HEAD, OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" The card guard bowed while shivering in fear, he then left for the dungeon. Sora frowned with how cruel the queen was being, but she simply just handed Sora the flamingo and smirked at him.

"CHIN UP PRINCE, WIN THIS GAME AND HE WILL BE SPARED." Sora grabbed the flamingo and it started flailing around, the queen just laughed at him while Alice tried to help calm the flamingo. After a while the flamingo finally cooperated but still looked mad about being handled by someone not the queen. Sora then got ready but hesitated when he saw the hedgehog, he didn't want to hurt the little animal, so he leaned down to it.

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you, ok? Just gonna lightly tap you, so be ready to run." the hedgehog looked up at Sora, surprised to receive such kindness and nodded.

"HURRY UP!" Sora sighed and then got the flamingo ready but when he swung, the flamingo bent its neck to not touch the hedgehog at all. The queen noticed this and just smirked while quietly chuckling.

"HAVING PROBLEMS?" Sora huffed in annoyance and tried again and again but the flamingo still bent its head.

"This isn't fair! the flamingo is not doing what it needs to!"

"WELL, IF YOU TWO ARE TRULY ROYALTY JUST TELL IT TO OBEY YOU. THAT'S WHAT I DO AND IT WORKS FOR ME, AFTER ALL I AM THE QUEEN." Sora looked back at the queen and then to the flamingo.

"Do you wanna help me?" The flamingo shook its head to which Sora sighed but then he just let the flamingo go.

"Then you don't have to." The flamingo was surprised by this but shook its head and went back to the mallet bag. The queen was shocked as well but then chuckled in amusement.

"HOW WILL YOU PLAY THE GAME NOW, DEAR PRINCE?" Sora grunted since he could tell the queen was mocking him, but then he smiled brightly and summoned his keyblade. Donald and Goofy were shocked and both facepalmed in disappointment knowing Sora was using a powerful tool of light to play a game. Alice was confused on why Sora was holding a large gold key but still smiled knowing the queen couldn't cheat with the flamingos anymore. None of them noticed the genuine fear in the queen's eyes when she saw the keyblade.

Sora then swung his keyblade but made sure to slow it down and only lightly tapped on the hedgehog. The hedgehog smiled at Sora then ran with all its might until it was able to start rolling to the card soldier hoops. The card soldiers were about to get away from the hedgehog, but the queen smiled and waved her hand: ordering them not to. The card soldiers were confused but did as they ordered and let the hedgehog roll through them.

The hedgehog managed to roll past six card soldier hoops. Sora wasn't entirely sure but hoped it was good that he scored one more hoop than the queen did. Sora jumped up in excitement while Alice clapped in joy and Goofy cheered as well. Donald on the other hand still didn't like this but smiled knowing that it managed to work out. Donald then looked at the queen and was surprised to see her smiling deviously. She held her hand behind her back and snapped her finger. The card soldiers then started screaming as from the shadows more Heartless started showing up.

"Oh no! Those horrible shadow creatures are back!"

"Alice, stay here! Donald, let's help Sora!" As Sora was surrounded by Heartless, Goofy and Donald ran over to help him. Thankfully, Sora slashed through the heartless with ease. Sora thought this would be another quick battle; but then a large shadow formed in the ground in front of him. Out of the shadow a large foot popped out and kicked Sora back hard. A massive Heartless then slowly rose up from the shadow and showed itself to be the Trickmaster. On the right shoulder of the Trickmaster was another black hooded keyblade wielder of darkness.

"Hey there, Keyblade wielder wannabe! Lord Oogie sends his regards!" The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness then ignited fire in his hands and threw fire balls at the garden causing everything to burn. He then summoned his keyblade which looked like a swirl of flames with a handle detailed with a silver and crimson ring with spikes.

"I'm not a rookie like the others! I was there when we destroyed the last stronghold of the Guardians of Light! You're just another heart for me to make into a toy! Just like the rest of this stupid world!" The Trickmaster then started marching forward. Sora was ready to attack but saw how the Trickmaster was seconds from crushing one of the hedgehogs. Sora rushed in and slashed the Trickmaster's foot, keeping it from crushing the hedgehog.

"You, ok? go to Alice! She'll watch over you while we take on this jerk!" The hedgehog nodded and then rolled over to Alice. Sora pointed his keyblade at the Trickmaster while Donald and Goofy ran to his side. The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness then stomped on the Trickmaster's shoulder to get its attention. The Trickmaster then pulled out two strange staff looking items and Keyblade Wielder of Darkness threw fireballs at them to light them up like matches. Sora, Donald, and Goofy lost their colors at the sight of the Trickmaster twirling around its torches with ease.

"Uh... Donald you wouldn't happen to have water magic, would you?"

"No, but I got something better! Ice magic!" Donald raised his staff proudly in the air, but a fireball shot by the Keyblade wielder of Darkness at the staff, causing it to fly away. Donald was frozen for a second but then ran off to get the staff back leaving Goofy and Sora alone.

"Um Goofy I don't wanna sound mean, but is Donald really the best wizard in Disney Castle?"

"... He's actually the only wizard in Disney Castle." Sora wasn't sure what to do with that information, so he just sighed and focused back on the Trickmaster. However, the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness stomped on the Trickmaster's shoulder again and it backed off as the other Heartless started advancing. Sora was ready to attack but Goofy stopped him and stepped forward.

"It's a trick he's trying to make you tired so defeating us will be easy. You take on the keyblade wielder of darkness and his heartless, I'll hold back these ones." Sora nodded in agreement, Goofy then raised his shield and Sora jumped on, Goofy then pushed him up allowing him to soar high in the air. As Sora started falling down, he was aiming right for the Trickmaster. Though Sora was hoping it wouldn't happen, the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness raised his keyblade just in time and blocked his strike.

Sora was then forced off and landed on the other shoulder of the Trickmaster, Sora got into a battle stance and faced the hooded boy but stopped when his back felt suddenly hot. Sora quickly realized the Trickmaster had lit his back on fire, Sora was now panicking trying to put it out.

"Ah! Ow! This is cheating!"

"Cheating? I'm a keyblade wielder of darkness, I make my own rules and the first rule is, I always win! no exceptions!" Sora tried putting the fire out but could only do so much with the Trickmaster still attacking him. though to Sora's surprise the fire didn't hurt as much as he thought it would, instead it was more annoying than agonizing. Sora then ran across the Trickmaster's Shoulders and ran right toward the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness. Both their keyblades clashed strike after strike, Sora couldn't believe how well he was handling his keyblade now or how natural each attack felt. Granted neither of them were making any progress in defeating the other. However, he still felt amazing for being on equal footing, after being nearly overpower by the last two Keyblade Wielders of Darkness.

I've definitely gotten stronger since Traverse Town Sora thought to himself it's so weird, but I guess I shouldn't be complaining. The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness then slashed at Sora with all his might. Sora managed to block again but he also had to back up a step and almost drop his keyblade.

"Ha... Ha... grrr! You don't even have a master or proper training so how are you this close to my level?!" Sora looked at the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness, quickly noticing how tired he looked. Sora then smirked at him.

"By the looks of it, I'm actually above your level." The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness groaned furiously and cast a large fireball at Sora causing him to fly off of the Trickmaster. Sora was now more on fire and panicked while rolling around to put the fire out. Thankfully Sora successfully put all the fire out this time but now he was on the ground exhausted and covered in burns.

"Sora come on get up! ugh... we can't give up now." Goofy said despite being extremely tired himself. Suddenly both of them were surrounded by a green energy and they no longer felt tired or hurt but instead bursting with energy. The two of them turned around to see Donald standing proudly while holding his magic staff.

"Donald! you cast the cure properly!"

"Thanks Donald!"

"Wait, cure? isn't that a basic spell?" Donald then finally cast his ice spell on the Trickmaster, putting its flames out. The Trickmaster could still move just slower. The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness growled in frustration and jumped down and faced the three of them. He unleashed large flames all around him making Sora, Donald, and Goofy back away from the unbearably hot flames. Alice was watching the entire time in horror.

"Oh, I can't just stay here! I have to help but how can I..." Alice looked around for a weapon or anything that could help her. She instead saw the white rabbit who had passed out due to the shock of the Heartless ambush. Alice smiled and gently placed the hedgehog from her shoulder onto the ground.

"Wait here, I know how to help Sora and the others." The hedgehog nodded, and Alice quickly rushed over to the rabbit. Meanwhile, Donald blasted an ice spell that quelled the flames allowing Sora to charge at the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness. Their Keyblades clashed once again, Sora smirked then focused his strength forward. Before the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness could regain his balance Goofy bashed him with his shield pushing him further back. Donald then cast a fireball at the hooded boy which had no effect, instead it actually rejuvenated him making him slightly stronger. The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness then stood up and looked at Donald in confusion while Sora and Goofy did the same.

"... You know I'm a fire elemental, right?" Donald's eyes grew wide in realization and then face palmed in disappointment. The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness started laughing uncontrollably. However, this was a bad move on his part for Sora slashed him. Sora raised his keyblade to strike again but the Hooded boy managed to guard this time despite being seriously injured.

"Ugh, lucky shot! It- It won't happen again... ugh, especially with my Trickmaster!" The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness kicked Sora back and then shot a fireball back at the Trickmaster, freeing it from the ice. He then ran behind the Trickmaster so that he could recover with the Trickmaster covering him. The Trickmaster ignited its torches once again and spun them around while approaching Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Goofy and Sora tried to attack the Trickmaster, but its spinning torches were too fast and too hot forcing them to back off. Donald tried an ice blast again only for the fire to be too hot for it to take effect.

It seemed there was nothing left that could be done; the three of them were being forced back and had no way to stop the Trickmaster. Worse off, the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness was slowly recovering. They were making no progress and were quickly getting cornered. Sora looked at Donald then Goofy and saw the fear in their faces. Sora then looked back at Alice who was trying but failing to wake the white rabbit up. Sora felt his frustration building up, he just started this adventure, and he was already so close to losing, if he lost, he would never be able to see Kairi or Riku ever again.

Yes... your frustration is justified... but it cannot be quelled... not without the darkness...

Sora was now sweating in fear, the sinister voice was back, though it felt weaker it was still terrifying none-the-less.

"Sora?! why aren't you moving?!"

"Sora? what's wrong?!" Both Goofy and Donald were calling out to Sora as they were forced further and further back by the Trickmaster's ever approaching spinning torches, but Sora couldn't focus on them.

The Light is where we are born yes... but to truly thrive... we need the DARKNESS!

no... please stop it!

do not be afraid child... the darkness does not have to be your enemy... instead... make it your power!

I said stop! Suddenly Sora stabbed his keyblade into the ground, and electricity emitted from it and shot right toward the Trickmaster. The Trickmaster was stunned but only slightly damaged by the electricity. Sora looked just as surprised as Donald and Goofy did, Sora then looked at his hands and saw small sparks of electricity flowing around his fingers. Sora then thrusted his hands toward the Trickmaster but nothing happened. Sora then resummoned his keyblade just as he had hoped electricity started flowing through it. Sora then pointed his keyblade at the Trickmaster, shooting a large bolt of electricity toward the Trickmaster. The Trickmaster roared like it was in massive pain, when the lighting stopped the Trickmaster slumped to the ground while blackened with smoke.

"Wow... Sora that was magic!

"But you haven't been trained; how did you do that?"

"I... I don't really know. I was frustrated at first but now... I don't feel like that anymore." Goofy smiled, not really getting it but glad to see how Sora was improving. Donald on the other hand was concerned, normally nothing good ever grew out of negative emotions like frustration. However, the Trickmaster was not done yet and neither was the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness who had finally recovered. The three of them got back into a battle stance. The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness pointed his keyblade at the Trickmaster and turned his keyblade. The Trickmaster was now infused with more dark energy causing it to grow bigger and its color to become darker. The Trickmaster then grew red spikes all over its body that ignited flames. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked up at the darkened Trickmaster in defeat, it took so much to defeat the Trickmaster before and now it was stronger.

"I do apologize for being so late! Please leave this horrible beast to me Sora!" Sora recognized the voice of Alice but for some reason she sounded so much louder. Sora then turned around in confusion only for his face to turn into shock when he saw a giant Alice in front of him smiling down on him.

"Alice?! How are you doing that!"

"Well like I said this world is absolutely mad, it's difficult to understand but I suppose even the oddest of situations has its perks."

"wha-! Trickmaster! take her down!" the darkened Trickmaster then slapped Alice with its flaming staff. Alice gasped and touched her burnt cheek in pain while the Trickmaster laughed with its monstrous voice about this. Alice was hurt but still glared at the Trickmaster in anger. Alice then punched the Trickmaster so hard that it was practically launched into the air and fell hard into the queen's maze hedge. The Trickmaster was trying but failing to get back up due to the massive amount of force it was hit by. Alice's cheek still hurt but she stood proudly knowing how she defeated the darkened Trickmaster so easily.

"Uh... that... you... You overgrown brat! What kind of lady are you?!" Alice then looked down at the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness, in disappointment. She then kneeled down, grabbed the hooded boy, and lifted him up to face her.

"And what would you know about ladies? why I bet you've never even talked to a lady." Sora, Donald, and Goofy couldn't help but laugh. The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness was now angered and covered his whole body in flames. The flames burned Alice's hand forcing her to let go and she even started crying from the pain. The hooded boy landed on the ground successfully and raised his keyblade while igniting his flames. The Keyblade Wielder of Darkness stomped over to Sora to burn him alive but one of Alice's large tears then landed on him. Sora, Donald, and Goofy started laughing at him while he looked up at Alice in anger.

Alice then managed to calm down and wipe away her tears, Alice looked down on the hooded boy with a look of disappointment and then quickly stomped on him. Alice then huffed and stomped over to the Trickmaster to finish it off before it could get back up. Sora, Donald, and Goofy stopped laughing, now the three of them actually felt a little scared of Alice now. They walked over to the crater and looked at the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness in pity.

"Uh, are you ok?"

"I'm... going... to destroy.... all of you!" Sora sighed in disappointment then slid down the crater and slashed at his keyblade destroying it but leaving him unharmed.

"There. Now you can't do bad things anymore, so leave this world and stop harming innocent people." Sora turned his back and walked out of the crater. Sora was completely unaware that Keyblade Wielder of Darkness, ignited flames in his hands and was getting ready to charge at Sora. Sora felt this at the last second, but thankfully Donald noticed this in time and cast an ice spell freezing the hooded boy. However, by impulse Sora then slashed at the hooded boy hoping to just injure him but with Donalds ice his body quickly shattered and faded into darkness.

Sora was shocked at first but then just felt disappointment, it really didn't feel good to him to be defeating keyblade wielders of darkness like this. He wondered what happened to them after they were destroyed. Do they return to their worlds but good now? Did they get cursed as Heartless? or where they just... gone? Before Sora could ponder anymore on the topic another large thud could be felt close to the crater.

Sora quickly climbed out and stood with Donald and Goofy to see a beaten up darkened Trickmaster with Alice standing there covered in burns and her dress ruined but still standing strong and proud. Alice then picked up a bottle from her pocket and started drinking it, Alice slowly started shrinking and eventually became the same size as Sora.

"Wow, Alice you're amazing!"

"Why thank you Sora, I do hate how that dreadful monster ruined my dress, but I am proud that I was able to keep it from hurting the rest of you."

"Don't worry Alice! I'll cure you and fix your dress!" Donald then raised his cane to cure Alice but Goofy and Sora stopped him before he could finish.

"Uh, maybe we should help Alice after the Trickmaster is dealt with." Donald looked disappointed but just brushed it aside and walked over to the Trickmaster to destroy it. Sora and Goofy exhaled in relief while Alice looked at them both confused. The Trickmaster was right behind Alice and if Donald cast his cure wrong again there was a possibility it would just cure the Trickmaster. Donald then quickly cast an ice spell to freeze the Trickmaster. Sora was about to just simply slash at the Trickmaster but Goofy stopped him. Goofy instead raised his shield over his head and encouraged Sora to run at him. Sora smiled and rushed at Goofy, he jumped on Goofy's shield, then Goofy launched him up while giving him a magic boost. Sora could help but laugh as the added magic given to him by Goofy gave him so much energy. Sora then raised his keyblade and as he was falling toward the ground, he slashed at the frozen Trickmaster breaking it into ice and darkness. As the Trickmaster's body was destroyed Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Alice then all stood there in awe as the liberated Hearts started floating into the air and faded away.

"How beautiful! What are they?"

"They're the hearts of people cursed by the Darkness but now they're free thanks to us... Thanks to you Alice." Sora smiled proudly at Alice while Alice looked at Sora surprised but also blushed from the praise. Sora didn't see the blush since Alice's face was covered in ashes, however Donald quickly fixed that by casting cure.

"Finally! I mean- got it the first time!" Sora then looked behind Alice and saw several flowers that were now abnormally large almost as if they were grown by healing magic. Sora just giggled, while Goofy sighed, and Alice was left confused by their reactions.

"Haha. Well, that guy must have been the Dark Conduit which means this world is liberated! All we have to do is find the keyhole and get Alice home!" Just then the four of them were surrounded by card soldiers who pointed their spears directly at them from all corners. The queen then showed up, her face red with anger but she was also strangely smiling.

"WELL, HOW PECULIAR! THE SHADOW CREATURES APPEAR YET AGAIN AND YET AGAIN YOU FOUR ARE PRESENT! YET AT THE SAME TIME NONE OF YOU ARE HARMED IN THE SLIGHTEST! IT'S ALMOST AS IF YOU ARE THE ONES BEHIND ALL THIS!"

"Wh- What? No! We are trying to help!"

"That's true your majesty! We fought those Heartless to save you all!"

"HM! SAVE US? YOU CAUSED MORE DESTRUCTION THAN SALVATION!" The queen then pointed at the hedge maze and the garden. The four of them saw how parts of it were crushed and destroyed and the rest was in flames. Alice covered her mouth in shock at the sight of a garden burning while Sora, Donald, and Goofy were full of guilt. They had now disrupted the natural order beyond repair and were currently paying the price for it.

"YOU ARE NO SAVIORS! YOU ARE CLEARLY SAVAGES! AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE IT! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all got in front of Alice to defend her from the card soldiers.

"Ah! just a second my dear!" Everyone then stopped and looked to a tiny voice next to the queen.

"That's the king? He's so tiny." Donald and Goofy quickly covered Sora's mouth as the King started to speak.

"Would it not be fair to at least give them a royal trial? they are still royalty after all."

"WHAT?! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"b- b- but my dear-!"

"LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO MY GARDEN! THIS SHOULD NOT AND CANNOT BE TOLERATED!" The queen kept yelling at the king while he kept trying but failing to appease her. Sora kept looking around for an idea on how to get out while Donald kept his eyes on the queen. Donald remembered how the queen was scared when she saw Sora's keyblade and how the Heartless appeared after she snapped her fingers.

"What are ya thinking about Donald?"

"I think I know what's going on." Donald then cast a lighting spell at the queen. She was shocked at the sight of lighting heading toward her but then she summoned her keyblade and blocked the lighting strike.

"YOU VILE DUCK! HOW DARE YOU... OH NO." Sora's eyes widened at the sight of the queen holding a Keyblade of Darkness. Sora then ran past the card soldiers toward the queen and slashed at her keyblade, destroying it. Suddenly from the shadows more Heartless revealed themselves only to quickly fade away.

"Wh- What's going on?"

"The Heartless are retreating, without a dark conduit they can't stay! So it wasn't that Hooded boy who was the Dark Conduit it was the queen! She was leading the darkness into this world!" All the card soldiers and even the king gasped at this realization, while the queen just stood in silence. Sora then ran to the middle of the card soldiers to get their attention.

"So that means the queen has betrayed wonderland and you guys don't have to serve her anymore!"

"Uh. Sora what are you-" Alice ran to be beside Sora and help him move the hearts of the card soldiers.

"That's right! This queen has been rude to everyone and threatening to off the heads of anyone for the most ridiculous reasons!"

"Alice! Please don't-"

"Yeah! The queen has been ruling over you all unfairly for long enough! Now that the darkness is gone you all can be free! So, what do you all say?!"

***

Now Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Alice were running for their lives from a seemingly endless army of angry card soldiers. Donald seemed especially angry about their current situation.

"Why did you two have to say all that?!"

"Sorry! The queen was being an unfair jerk! I thought they would be happy to be free of her rule!"

"Obviously they serve her for a reason! This is why we don't disrupt a world's natural order! If we do something like this will happen!"

"A-hyuk! But Donald if we hadn't disrupted the order, we wouldn't have found out that the queen was the Dark Conduit helping the dark army let Heartless in! So didn't it kinda work out?!"

"Shut up Goofy!"

"Oh dear! This is all unraveling into a nightmare! I just want to go home!"

"Don't worry! I think we're almost at the Gummi ship!" Goofy was leading the way toward the Gummi ship but suddenly stopped looking around confused.

"Goofy! Why are we stopping?!"

"I- I can't remember if it was this way or that way." Alice looked around and seemed to recognize where they were and took Goofy and Sora's hand leading them down an unfamiliar path; also nearly leaving Donald behind. Sora could see in the corner of his eyes they were passing by a lot of wonderful and interesting things but was more focused on getting out of there. Eventually Alice led them down a strange looking tunnel that led to a tiny door with a living doorknob. Alice pleaded with the doorknob to get them out, but it refused no matter what she said.

Sora looked behind them and saw the card soldiers getting close and closer, so summoned his keyblade ready for a fight. Sora didn't want to fight them but felt like he had no choice. Sora's guilt filled him up as he felt that Donald was right, this really would have gone better if he didn't disrupt the natural order as badly as he did. However, Sora's attention was directed right back to his key when it started glowing brightly and seemingly attracted to something behind him.

Sora then waved his keyblade around wondering what it was so attached to, then the doorknobs mouth started glowing blue. The doorknob was seemingly mocking Alice but then its mouth was forced open until it turned into a world keyhole.

"My word! What's going on!"

"Wow... Haha! You did it! Alice, you found this world's keyhole!" Sora then entered his key into the keyhole and locked it. However, unlike the last time he did this, suddenly it unleashed a blinding light that grew brighter and brighter and till nothing was visible.

***

Sora woke up suddenly and looked around, it looked like he was near the edge of a forest with the other end leading to a mansion. Sora then noticed that Alice was sleeping right next to him with her head on his shoulder, Sora blushed but she seemed comfortable, so he didn't disturb her.

"Huh... where are we?"

"Woooah!"

"Waaah!" Then Goofy and Donald fell from the tree and landed right in front of Sora and Alice, the loud thump woke Alice up right away.

"Oh! No please queen! please don't-! huh? where... I'm home!" Alice quickly got up and looked around in joy to see things were familiar and actually made sense.

"Oh! Is this your home? I was wondering what this place was." Alice then looked back at Sora in confusion.

"Is your world not normal like this?"

"Oh no, it's a pretty normal place but where I'm from it's a small island where there's really not that much to do. Yeah, it's not really as wide and free as this place, man Riku and Kairi always wanted to visit a beautiful mansion like this..." Sora was happy remembering his home and his friends but then started to remember how much he missed them.

"Who's Riku and Kairi?"

"Oh, they're my best friends. We always dreamed of leaving the island and going to other places like this one. Riku promised he was gonna find a way to get it done, but the Dark Army destroyed my world and took him and Kairi away." Alice then covered her mouth in shock.

"But it's ok! They're out there somewhere and I'm gonna find them and save our home! The Dark Army is going to pay for hurting my friends! And for hurting people like you, Alice." Alice was quite surprised to see how positive Sora could be despite dealing with so much, his world destroyed, and his friends and family missing. Alice wondered what she would do if she was in a similar situation. However, Alice knew better than to dwell on negative thoughts; especially now that she was finally back home. Instead faced Sora with a bright smile.

"Well, I do believe if anyone can save your home, family, and friends it would have to be a bright and brave boy like you Sora. Oh, speaking of family! I'm so sorry! I know I promised you all tea, but my mother and father must be worried about me and-"

"Worry not, miss Alice! We need to leave anyways, now that Wonderland is liberated from Darkness it's our job to go to the next world."

"Oh, I see." Alice looked disappointed and sad at just the thought of Sora leaving so soon, Sora then grabbed both her hands and faced Alice with a smile.

"Hey! like I said: me, Riku, and Kairi always wanted to go to different places, so once I get my friends back, I'm definitely coming back here to show them. I'm sure they'll love it, and they'll love to meet you. So, no matter what, we will definitely meet again, I promise." Alice lit up with Sora's promise and even blushed with joy. Alice even found the courage to kiss Sora on the cheek which surprised Sora.

"I think I'll hold you to that promise. Farewell Sora. I'll be waiting." Alice then ran back to her home while Sora was left standing there blushing. He then placed his hand on the cheek that Alice kissed. Sora wasn't sure what to feel at the moment. He only recently thought of Kairi as more than a friend ever since Riku brought up the paopu fruit. Now another pretty girl shows up and kisses him on the cheek, Sora just couldn't help but blush in confusion. Sora then turned around and saw Goofy smiling joyfully and Donald smirking at him. Sora then smiled and chased after the two of them. Alice watched them as they left and then resumed walking home when they were out of sight.

"Well Wonderland was certainly an experience. However, I think out of all the strange and yet wondrous things from that world; the part I liked the best was meeting Sora."

"How do you know Sora?"

"Hm? Who are you?"

"Me? My name is Riku, and I need you to come with me."

Part 3

Part 1

#DZtheNerd #Kingdom Hearts: The Brightest of Hearts #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kingdom hearts fanfic #kingdom hearts AU #kingdom hearts sora #kingdom hearts goofy #kingdom hearts donald #Alice in Wonderland

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