#maybe sprout keychain next time? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

homeformyheart · 3 years

Text

sticky notes - adam du mortain x f!detective (twc)

day 6 - decoration

author’s note: teeny tiny book 3 spoilers. i just thought the idea of adam keeping a secret valentine’s day-themed message to himself would be a cute image, so enjoy!

copyright: all characters, except my oc detective, are owned by mishka jenkins @seraphinitegames. series/pairing: the wayhaven chronicles – adam du mortain x f!detective (regina bishop) rating/warnings: 13+; fluff word count: 1.5k based on/prompt: day 6 – decoration from #28dateswithunitbravo challenge by @wayhavenmonthly summary: regina leaves adam with a sweet valentine’s-themed note after he escorts her home.

sticky notes

regina rummaged around her purse until she felt the large, gaudy, heart-shaped charm at the end of a keychain. she inserted the key into the padlock, swinging the door open to the storage shed next to haley’s house, and used the flashlight on her phone to peer into the darkness of the room.

she shuffled inside after making sure there wasn’t anything on the floor that would trip her up, adam following close behind her.

“please explain to me why you are breaking into your friend’s home?” he asked, hands shoved deep into his coat pocket as he wrinkled his nose at the crowded, musty-smelling space.

“haley asked if i could pick up something for valentine’s day at the bakery. you could’ve waited outside,” she said pointedly, swinging her phone from side to side to examine the shelves.

“and what if someone had come after you? we’ve established that anywhere could be dangerous for you. i am here for your protection,” adam said firmly, his tone softening at the end in a way that made regina think that wasn’t the only reason. especially since he could still probably protect her from the driveway.

but she knew by now not to push him further on it. being patient was not her strong suit, but she was going to try and take farah’s advice, for all that it was worth.

“i do not understand why you have to do this. first of all, i do not think you should be encouraging the shop owner in her desires to test the boundaries of safety by changing her décor as often as she does. and secondly, as detective of this town, you have much more important duties to attend to,” adam grumbled.

regina chuckled as she began opening a few drawers and inspecting them briefly for the stickers that haley had specifically asked for. “first of all, you already know haley’s stance on that. and secondly, she’s not bothering me, i offered to swing by at the end of my patrol since it’s on the way home.”

adam put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. regina tensed at his sudden touch, heart beginning to hammer in her chest as she steeled herself to look up at him. the moonlight behind him cast a large shadow that hid every part of him except his hair and eyes, the green in them so full of tenderness and concern that it made her breath catch.

“why? why would you endanger yourself willingly like that?” he whispered, his voice strained as though he wanted to say more but for some reason was holding back.

“i don’t think doing a favor for a friend counts as endangerment. haley and i have been friends a long time and we trust each other. she asked me if i could pick something up for her if i was going to pass her house since she’s out of town. it’s not a big deal,” she said softly. “you worry too much.”

regina gripped her phone tighter to keep from thinking about how he hadn’t removed his hand from her shoulder and how she desperately wished she could somehow delay his realization of that.

his shoulders deflated and he let out a sigh. “i suppose i must keep worrying for the both of us,” he murmured, shoving his hands back into his coat pockets. “and make sure you don’t go off on your own without protection.”

a cold air of disappointment settled over them both, replacing the tingling warmth she felt from his hand just moments before. she never did well with awkward silences and swung back around to resume her search, waving her phone around haphazardly as a distraction, barely lingering on any one spot long enough for her to see anything in detail.

“you know that i can take care of myself,” she muttered. adam’s use of the word “protection” was starting to grate on her nerves. but maybe she could turn things back on him.

regina pretended to walk to the other side of the room to examine a nearby shelf, noticing in her peripherals that his gaze followed even though his feet did not.

“when are you going to just admit that you want to spend time with me?” she called out, avoiding his gaze and holding her breath. she wasn’t sure where she got the courage to flirt openly with him, since their track record proved that the likelihood of him shutting her down was incredibly high.

“this is not what i would consider valuable time spent together,” adam responded with a shrug of his shoulders. “lurking about in a stranger’s shed.”

maybe it was the darkness and knowing that she could face away from him that gave her the boost she needed. “we’re not lurking and haley’s not a stranger, but that’s fair. then how about admitting that you just can’t be away from me?” she teased, her voice tinged with hope as she moved to another shelf, angling her body so she could observe his reaction without making direct eye contact.

adam opened his mouth as if to protest but then closed it immediately as if he decided better of it. he gave her a long look before turning away and walking back outside the shed. regina blinked in surprise before the familiar signs of hope sprouted in her chest. she shook her head to push the thoughts out of her mind and resume looking for the colored sticky notes that haley wanted.

“found them!” she called out as she picked up the bright pink pack of sticky notes with various valentine’s-themed messages written on them like “with love,” “be my valentine,” and “be mine.” she smiled as she read a few examples, the notes even had space for someone to sign or write a personalized message.

very cute, she thought to herself as she pulled out a few and stuffed them in her pocket to take home with her before walking out of the shed and locking the door.

“this is the end of my patrol—” regina started, taking a step away from adam down the driveway.

he quickly moved to stand next to her. “i will escort you home,” his tone was as resolute as ever, so she just shrugged and kept walking.

the brief walk back to her apartment was silent but not as awkward as the tension between them earlier. her fingers wrapped around the notes she had stuffed into her pocket, the messages written on them swirling around in her mind. before she knew it, they were in front of her door, standing awkwardly as though waiting for the other to say something first.

“goodnight, detective,” adam said softly, giving her a stiff nod before turning on his heel.

“wait,” regina called out quietly. he paused and turned back to look at her.

she rifled through her purse for a pen and grabbed one of the sticky notes from her pocket, scribbling on it quickly against the door before closing the gap between them.

she carefully lifted the lapel of his coat so she could place the sticky on his shirt, above his heart. adam tried to look down at the note but she quickly covered it, rubbing her hand down the fabric to make sure it stayed in place.

“something for you to remember tonight by,” she murmured, mustering the last remnants of courage from earlier to look him in the eyes. “wait until you get back to read it, please.”

regina gave him a small smile before turning back to her apartment. adam watched the darkness of her living room swallow her up, but not before she gave him a small wave.

it didn’t take him long to get back to the warehouse, which was comfortably quiet given the late hour and he trudged slowly back to his room, replaying the evening’s events in his mind. he knew he was still pushing regina away, potentially hurting her in the process, but something about tonight felt different. as though she was coming to expect it and to his puzzlement, understand him.

which ironically, was what he was trying to avoid.

he took off his coat and peeled off the bright pink, heart-shaped note on his shirt so that he could take a closer look.

“you’re mine,” was printed in loopy, cursive letters. he would normally scoff at such a sentimental statement being reduced to a childish display of commercialism, but regina’s handwriting at the bottom changed everything about it.

all she did was simply sign her name.

and he knew, deep down, that she was right.

adam fought the urge to crumple up the note and throw it out, to avoid any more reminders of the dangers of getting closer to the detective. instead, he carefully picked up the picture frame on his nightstand, a simple black frame outlining the photo they had to take while undercover at the carnival and placed the sticky note firmly on the top right corner.

he ran his finger over the note to make sure it stayed in place, lingering over the way her signature looped and dipped across the paper.

he may still be unwilling to indulge in his emotions, especially outwardly in front of others’, but here, in the privacy of his room, he could let himself enjoy this moment.

* * * * * permatag: @kelseaaa; @kat-tia801; @anotherbeingsworld; @crackerdumortain; @pearlsandsteel; @gloynporslen; @sosolenoo; @alyssalauren; @wayhavenots; @gingerbreton; @takemyopenheart; @writer-ish; @fhauvilles;

41 notes · View notes

be-ready-when-i-say-go · 4 years

Text

Just A Phone Call Away

Being a single father to a young child is never easy. And it hurts more when being a rockstar has to take Calum away from his little boy.

Enjoy my masterlist.

Support me on kofi.

_____________________________________

“What do you have there, buddy?” Cal laughs, noticing his four year old, attempting to hold his hands behind his back. Calum can see it’s some kind of toy. He’s not even sure how Jaiden got his hands on it.

“Nofing,” he replies, trying to hide the small trinket he found sitting on a shelf.

“Jaiden, give it to Daddy,” Calum can feel the small smile on his face. The little boy is generally very sweet, but occasionally has his stubborn streak. Jaiden pouts, lower lip jutting out, before handing over the small green alien keychain. When Cal takes hold of the toy, he inspects it. The tag is still attached. It’s not something that what left behind someone else. “Where did you find this?”

Jaiden points to his left. Calum nods, knowing he paused at a rack near the jewelry after spotting some earrings he thought his mom might like. “Do you want it?” Cal asks.

“Yes, pwease, Daddy?” His son nods vigorously.

After double checking the price, Cal agrees, handing it back to his son. It’s only a few bucks. “Next time, please ask.”

“Okay.” Calum stares at his son, his black curls and chubby cheeks. A spitting image of himself, except for the eyes. They’re blue like his mother’s. Calum still has to fight the urge to send her a photo, call her, ask her why she’d abandon the sweetest boy he’s ever known. But he knows he shouldn’t do that. She left for a reason; she wasn’t ready, not like she thought she once was. Calum can’t fault that. Parenthood is not easy at all. He just wishes she stuck it out for Jaiden’s first word, the first wobbly run, the pleases’s and thank you’s that always fall so easily from his lips. That would change her mind, maybe. That would make her realize what she gave up on.

Jaiden kicks his feet a little, playing at the keychain before looking back up to his father. He smiles, showing all his teeth. Calum presses a soft kiss to his forehead, before rustling his hair. He hates this; Calum knows well enough. But sometimes Cal can’t help just a quick tussle of his curls. Jai likes to return the hair tussle when he can, their way of showing affection.

“Daddy, stop!” Jaiden cries, trying to dodge his father’s hand. The two of them laugh before Calum finally stops, double checking that he’s added the soap to the basket. Positive that he has, he starts pushing the cart down the aisle before hooking a right. He grabs his shaving cream and a new set of razors.

Jaiden points out the dog food as the pass by the section. “Duke?” he questions.

Cal nods, grinning down at his son. “I got him a new bag last week. He’s covered.”

With a satisfied nod, Jaiden glances around the Target. Calum pauses at the produce. “Green apples or red ones?”

“Red, pwease.” With a hum, Calum finds a good bag and holds them to his son. Jai gives them a look over too before putting up his thumb.

Grocery shopping is fun for them. Cal tries to get Jaiden to make choices about the foods, so he’s more inclined to eat the new stuff. It’s a challenge when it comes to vegetables. The staples like carrots, broccoli, and corn Jai will eat. But peas, cauliflower, and string beans have been a tug of war. Calum finally got brussel sprouts on the okay to eat list and he’s been working on that for a year now.

Jaiden inspects the bag of brown rice. “What makes it brown?”

Calum pauses, twisting his lips up. “I don’t know actually. Let’s look it up,” he suggests pulling out his phone. Cal place a foot on the bottom rack, typing in the passcode to unlock his phone. He brings up the safari page and types in the question while speaking out loud. “What makes brown rice brown?”

Jai watches his father type deftly on the screen. “What it say?”

Calum scans over the results. “So, it looks like that with brown rice only the first layer is taken off. White rice has the first three layers peeled off when it’s collected and processed.”

Jai nods. Calum knows he doesn’t quite understand, so he attempts to explain it down further. But this leads Calum down a spiral that not even he knows not much about. “I’m sorry, bud. I’m probably confusing you even more.”

“It okay.”

“Excuse, I’m sorry. I hate to be a bother,” a soft voice starts. Calum looks up to his left, a woman standing in the middle of the aisle. She grins. “Don’t mean to interrupt a very cute moment. I just need a grab a bag of rice too,” she laughs.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Calum rushes out.

“Brown or white?” Jaiden asks looking at the woman.

She laughs. “What do you suggest? Looks like you like brown.”

Jaiden nods. “It my favorite.”

“Then I think I should go with brown, yeah?”

With a toothy grin and nod, Jaiden stretches to reach it. His fingers don’t quite reach, so Cal scoots it closer until he can grip it. He hands it over to the woman. “Thank you. Sorry again for interrupting,” she says.

“No, I probably should’ve moved out of the way,” Calum says, a blush heating up his cheeks. “He asked what made brown rice brown and I got too invested answering the question.”

“That’s so sweet. Don’t worry; I heard the whole lecture. Would’ve said for a lot longer but I’m on a bit of a time crunch.” She starts pushing her basket away, still smiling at the two them as she walks. “I hope you’re little man was taking notes. It was a great lecture.” She turns back around, keeping on down the aisle.

Calum watches the sway of her hips before he turns attention back to Jaiden. “What’s up next?” the little boy asks.

Calum thinks for the first time in history, they’re going to make it through a Target run without making a detour through the toy aisle, considering how enamored Jaiden is with the alien keychain. But Calum remembers he needs to get another pillow, his is starting to go flat. Now he can go down towards bedding, which is right across from the toy section. Or he can sleep on a flat pillow for a couple more days until his mom takes Jai for the weekend. He’d rather not sleep on the flat pillow. However, the second Jaiden sees that toy section he’s going to beg to at least see what’s new. If he asks for a new toy, Calum’s not going to be able to say no. He can’t ever say no to his little boy.

His neck is killing him. He refuses to go another night on that godforsaken pillow. With a sigh, he pushes the cart to bedding. If Jaiden asks for something, he’ll just have to say no. Calum can do that. Is it fun? No. But he can do it this time. Jaiden’s birthday is coming up soon. Patience is a virtue, or so that’s what he’s always been told and learned. “Can we look, Daddy?” Jaiden asks, craning to look at the toys.

Calum glances over the plastic covered pillows, before he finds the one he’s looking for. “Only look, alright.”

Tossing the pillow into the full cart, Calum starts towards the toy aisle. Jaiden starts to get a little antsy so when Calum stops, he pulls the boy out the cart and holds him to his side. He likes being up high to see everything. Slowly, Calum walks them through the aisle.

“We meet again,” comes with a laugh. Cal looks over to see the same woman before, the one on the rice aisle. “Can I pick your little boy’s brain about which water gun is better?” she asks.

“I help!” Jaiden responds eagerly. “Can I?”

Calum nods, setting his son down. The lady approaches holding out two different kinds of water guns. She squats down to Jaiden’s level. “My nephew is little older than you, if I had to guess. And I’m trying to be the cool aunt, but I feel like I’m failing miserably. Which one you think is cooler?”

Jaiden purses his lips, looking between the two toys in front of him. The green and blue one is big and cool. But the white and green one has the little pump to it. “This is hard,” he mutters to himself. Calum chuckles, hearing his son take choosing the right toy so seriously.

“Take your time, sweetheart. Thanks for helping me,” the woman encourages. She looks up to Calum again. “Thanks, again.”

He nods, leaning into his cart. “Don’t worry about it.”

“This one,” Jaiden concludes tapping the one with pumping action.

She grins down at Calum’s mini me. “Thanks so much. You’re a rockstar, you know that? Got me my rice and helped me pick out a toy. You’re dad should be really proud of you.”

“Thanks,” he blushes, walking back to his dad, wrapping his arms around Calum’s legs. Calum can’t resist the urge to pick up his son. A grunt falls over his lips.

“You’re getting big,” he mutters to Jai, straightening out his t-shirt.

“Have a great days you guys,” the woman smiles one last time before exiting the aisle.

It takes Calum another ten minutes to get Jaiden satisfied with his tour of the toy section. As the check out, he piles his items onto the conveyor belt, glancing back to Jaiden, to make sure everything’s alright. The drive back home is filled with Calum singing, on and off key, and Jai in the backseat dancing, doing his grandma’s finger wag of a dance. Cal remembers seeing Jaiden do that dance for the first time after coming back home after a weekend away. He took a video, laughing and sent it to his mom. She replied with a smiley face. Of course she’d not say anything else.

Home, Calum gets Jaiden inside with a couple bags of grocery. Jaiden follows his dad back outside. “I help, Daddy.”

“Head back inside. I’ll be done soon, Jai.”

He shakes his head. “No, I help. I’m strong.”

A sigh falls over his lips and then looks down to his son. Yeah, Calum could never deny him. He finds the lightest bag from the trunk and hands it over to the boy. “Wait for me before you go inside.” Jai nods, holding the bag of chips with both hands. Calum grabs a few more bags into his second hand and then nods as he starts towards the front door. Jai walks in front of his dad, putting his bag down next to all the other ones.

Jaiden walks behind Calum, helping him unpack things until Duke distracts him asking for pets. Calum watches the two of them play around a grin lifting his cheeks. For all the craziness that has happened since Jaiden came into the world, watching him grow up is the best thing to ever happen. Calum moved back to Sydney after Jaiden was born and his mother walked away. He wanted to raise a family back at home anyway. But Jaiden’s mother thought staying in the States would be a good idea. Calum, not one for arguing, decided to give it a shot. But a year after Jaiden’s birth, she left. She wasn’t ready nor did she think she was fit to be a mother at that point in her life.

Calum tried to talk her, get her to realize that like no one’s really ready to be a parent, but the only thing they can do is give it their best. She was convinced it would be best for the both of them if she left. Calum cried to his mother. He had never imagined his child being motherless; how would he raise a kid as a single parent? Would Jaiden resent his mother? Would he ever think himself different and grow sad about it? How would Cal explain that his mother walked away and never called? She said she would but he knew that her promise to call was more for his sake than Jaiden’s.

How would Calum explain that he never reached out to her because he didn’t want to hurt her further even though that means potential pain for him? How does Calum juggle caring for both feelings of the mother of his child and his child when they inherently conflict? “You okay, Daddy?”

Calum snaps from his daze, eyes focusing on the concern pulling at his son’s face. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure, buddy. Don’t worry. I was just thinking for a second.” Calum walks over, tussling at Jaiden’s hair. “What should Dad fix for lunch, huh?”

“Dinosaurs!” he exclaims, referring to the dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets.

“Dino’s coming right up.”

The second Calum mentions a nap, Jaiden flees. Calum knows where he always goes, under the sheets of Cal’s bed. It’s where Jaiden goes to when he wants to avoid something or he’s scared. Many times when it storms, thunder booming outside, Jaiden will knock on his father’s door, tiny hands clutching his favorite blanket, blinking up at Calum with tears in his eyes. Calum always does the same thing, scoops his little boy up, shushing him with gentle back rubs. He settles into bed, Jaide pressing into his side, head resting on his chest. Jaiden falls asleep to his father’s voice singing in low hums to his favorite lullabies.

Now Calum watches as Jaiden zips down the hallway, shouting no to nap time. “Jai you know you need a nap,” Calum calls out to the little boy.

Here we go, Calum thinks to himself pushing away from the table. He slows his gait, giving Jaiden enough time to curl up under the sheets. “Now where has my son gone?” Cal says loudly into the house. “He was just as the dining room table. I make mention of a little thing called a nap.” Jaiden giggles; Calum can hear it as he closes in on his bedroom. “And Jaiden has run away. Oh what am I going to Grandma and Grandpa?”

Calum closes in on the bed, kneeling on the floor. “Is my tamatāne...under the bed?” Calum looks under the bed. Jaiden giggles from under the sheets. Duke fights to under with the boy too. “Is he….in the closet?”

“No, I’m right here, Daddy!” Jaiden pulls down the covers to reveal himself.

“Ah there he is!” Calum laughs, “A silly little bug, aren’t you? You still have to nap though.”

Pouting, Jaiden looks up with his blue eyes, wide and blinking slowly. “Can I sleep in your bed?”

“Yes, yes you can sleep in my bed. But no silly stuff, mister.”

Jaiden nods, settling his head on the new pillow. Duke settles in near his feet. Calum tucks the sheets in around him, brushing his hair back with his palm. “I love you,” he whispers.

“Love you too, Daddy.”

Positive that Jaiden’s fast asleep, Calum slips up front. He’s phone has been lighting up with messages for a while now. But he didn’t want to talk about work until he was sure he’d have a big block of time. Tour’s starting up in the next six months. Jaiden should be enrolled into school by that point and it terrifies Calum that he has to leave for so long. But his mom doesn’t think taking Jaiden out on the road is a good idea. Not that Calum is angry at her logic. But he’s worried he’s going to miss so much. He’s worried Jaiden will never forgive for leaving him. He’s wondering if he can hire a teacher who has some experience nannying to go on the road with him. So he doesn’t have to miss so much of his son’s life. Some days that feels like wishful thinking, a dream that will never materialize.

When Calum first became a single parent, the boys were very willing and understanding to take a break. They helped him immensely when he felt too embarrassed to go to his mother for the thousandth time over the same concern. All he’s known for the last three year is living everyday with Jaiden, waking up to him, carting him around on adventures and Duke’s walks. All he’s known are the play wrestle matches, and building rockets out of legos and singing to along to every Disney movie. The last few years have just been daily lessons at the kitchen table in Maori and in English. Can Calum give all that up? Can Calum subject Jaiden to the constant shuffling of tour?

Calum dials his mother’s number. He knows her stance on the issue; he just needs someone to talk to, someone to listen to his fears. “Hello?” she answers.

“Hey, how are you?” he starts.

“I know that tone. Talk to me.”

“I can’t leave him.”

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Jaiden’s going to be alright.”

“How do I bring that up to him? He’s going to want to come along. He’s never been away from me for that long.”

She listens; she hums, she waits. Waits for him to spill his guts, spill every ounce of fear in his flesh. She knows that it’s not that Calum doesn’t trust her, or is concerned about her ability to watch after Jaiden. He’s afraid about what the distance will do to his child. He’s afraid that Jaiden will get mad, afraid that he will start to question why Dad left and why Mom’s not around. Calum’s terrified that Jaiden will compare him to his absent mother.

It ultimately has to happen. Calum has to leave Jaiden. They have spent the months leading up to this, talking about what it means that Calum’s leaving. That Grandma will be staying at the house with him, that he’ll be won’t be going to daycare anymore but school. The first few days of school are thankfully a smooth transition. The week before Calum leaves, his mother stays over to help transition. This what he’s been dreading, being absent. He’s never wanted to be absent.

Leaving for that flight is the toughest part of the morning. Jaiden cries into Calum’s shoulder. “Please don’t go Daddy.”

“I’m so sorry, buddy. I don’t want to leave you.”

“Take me with you.”

“You can’t miss school.”

“I don’t want to miss you, Daddy.”

That declaration breaks Calum’s heart; all the air presses out of his chest. The tears sting behind his eyes, hot and fast. He buries his face into Jaiden’s tiny shoulder, hugging his boy chest to his body. “I love you,” he whispers. “I love you so much. I’ll call everyday; I promise.” This is a promise he will not break. “When we come back here to play, Grandma’s going to bring you to the show.”

Security try to keep the schedule as best as possible. They don’t want to interrupt the tearful goodbye, but the boys need to get kicked in. So Calum place his boy on the ground, squatting in front of them. Calum’s mother stands behind her grandson; she didn’t think it’d be this hard. Calum wipes Jaiden’s face on the sleeve on his shirt. “Daddy’s going to be back real soon. Be a good boy for Grandma, okay, please? I’m only a phone call away.”

Jaiden steps into his father, hugging his neck. “I love you, Daddy,” he cries into Cal’s shoulder.

“I love you, Jai. I love you so much.”

As the boys walk through the airport, they notice fans lined up. Calum can’t stop to talk to them, still wiping tears and fighting the sobs in his chest. He risks a glance back through the glass doors and see his mother picking Jaiden up. He pauses, legs desperately wanting to turn him around and run back to his son, that’s his whole life gone from his fingertips.

“Guess what, Daddy?” Jaiden shouts, settling down in front of the laptop.

“Oh, look at you!” Cal coos, looking at his son. He’s shot up it feels like over night. “You’re getting so big.”

“Grandma’s going to measure me tomorrow!”

“Make sure to do it when I call. Now what did you want me to guess?”

Jaiden shakes his head. “No, you have to guess!”

“Hmm,” Calum thinks for a second. “You got recess today?”

“We get that everyday, Daddy.”

“Okay, uh, you kissed Grandma today?”

Jai rolls his eyes. “You’re bad at guessing.”

Laughter bubbles out of Calum. “Help your old man out. What happened?”

“I got a new teacher today!”

“He had a substitute,” his mother clarifies from the background, fingers working out peeling something just off screen.

“Yeah, but she’s the lady that I helped pick out a toy!”

“Oh!” Calum remembers her. She was very sweet. “Is she nice?”

Jaiden nods. “Yeah, and she remembered me too! I like her a lot. I wish she was my real teacher.” They talk until dinner is made for Jaiden. Jaiden drops his head. “How much longer?”

“Soon, I’m coming back soon. Another month.”

“I miss you,” he finally admits looking back to the screen with his eyes swimming in tears.

“Oh, Jai, bug, I’m always a phone call away. I miss you too. You should be getting something in the mail from me soon, okay?”

He nods. “Okay.”

“I know it’s the same as me coming back home. But it’s only a little bit longer.” When the call ends, Calum rests his head against the leather couch. Why did he have to be so far away when his child only wanted him close?

The last four weeks feel like the drag on, Calum counts the seconds until he can get back to his son. He loves playing shows to fans; he wishes when he crawled into bed, he had Jaiden’s knocking on the door to get in with him. He wishes he could kiss him on his forehead, tussle his hair. His body ache just to hug his little boy. What he wouldn’t do to hold his son?

As the plane lands, Calum fights to keep his knees from bouncing. He grabs his carry on and follows behind Luke out the plane. Fans are lined up and Calum takes a few pics until a voice cries out for him. “Daddy!”

He snaps his head in the sound of the voice. Jaiden waves behind the barrier. Calum rushes over, sliding his carry on bag over his head and drops it to the floor. He sinks to his knees in front of his little boy. “Jaiden, oh,” he cries, wrapping his arms around the boy. He’s grown so much over the course of the tour. He’s a good three inches taller. His face is still chubby, but it’s almost like Cal hasn’t seen him in years.

Tears stream down his face. Calum doesn’t care; doesn’t move an inch to wipe them from his skin. Pulling back, he laughs, through watery vision and blinks to clear it. Cal runs a hand over Jaiden’s hair. “Cut your hair I see,” he laughs. “Matching me now?”

Jaiden nods, tussing Calum’s hair in return before hugging him again. Words are lost in this throat. He doesn’t know what to say now that his dad is back. Maybe words would make the moment less special. All Jaiden knows is that he’s so elated to have his Dad back. Calum stands, holding Jai in his arms. Calum signs for a couple more minutes, but says no to the pictures. He wants to get home as soon as possible and listen to all of Jaiden’s stories, catch up on all that’s he missed.

Jaiden smiles at the fans, waving, but mostly he buries himself into Calum’s neck and shoulder. He doesn’t care how long they stand in that airport. Because he’s dad is finally back, not on a screen, not a phone call away, but here in the flesh. He could stand in that airport for forever if it meant being back in Calum’s arms.

126 notes · View notes

peppusae · 3 years

Text

[kth] lavender honey ch. 8

note: this fanfic has multiple chapters, so please look forward to more!

lavender honey: kim taehyung x reader

genre: crack, fluff, college au, smut

word count: 3.6k words

lavender honey

ch 8: in which taehyung makes minji choose voilence, while jungkook makes her strip for him.

“My… my chances are rare, hyung. I might want to hold tight, the person I like, but... I can’t. Not when things are going well for her with the person she likes. I don’t want to be the person that ruins things for the one person I have the hardest time staying away from, you know?”

The person Taehyung likes?

You suddenly think about the time when you had come home and Namjoon was doing some revisions on a song Taehyung had written, about a girl. Back then, you thought he might have had too much strawberry milk and gotten emo enough to write some good shit for his assignment.

But hearing his words, you realize that he was genuine about what he was saying back then, and it makes your heart hurt a bit.

Who did Taehyung like?

Your heart hurts more as you listen to your brother’s sad little ‘oh’ in response.

Clearly, Namjoon isn’t the one you should be going to for advice.

Taehyung, for one, doesn’t seem to care.

“Like, what if Jin-hyung started dating a friend of yours? You would be sad, right, Hyung?”

“Well…. Yes, I would.”

“And if you find out that it’s someone close to you, that’s going to be even sadder, right?”

There is a moment of silence and you start to feel guilty about eavesdropping, so you decide to go downstairs to create some kind of ruckus so the two would know you were home and close the door, at the very least.

Before you’re able to go downstairs, you can hear Namjoon asking the very question bubbling in your head.

“The person you like is dating someone close to you?”

You’re not sure why, but you’re glad you didn’t wait to hear what he had to say.

---

“So. I need to survive another day with you, huh?”

Taehyung greets you the next day, and his words and actions don’t match at all, because he's holding out a cup of iced coffee for you as he takes his seat behind the library counter.

“I’m trying to finish the assignment we have due on Friday.”

“Oh? You still have a whole week for it, though.”

You open up a new tab on Google, trying to find more sites for citing purposes. “If it’s okay with you, I want to go collect the books on Friday after classes. We finish early on Fridays, remember?”

Taehyung raises an eyebrow, and it’s probably the gray shirt he has on that makes him look really, really attractively confused.

What in heckles is that even.

How does someone look attractive while they’re confused?

Library duty is kinda scary, it makes you find out more stuff about the male that you need to make points for the essay you’ll be collaborating with Seokjin; about all the other-worldly features of Kim Taehyung.

It’s either the shirt, or Minji is just extra horny today.

You decide that the former is a better option, so you go back to your laptop.

“We can go on Friday. We have to go to Daegu, Gwangju, and Busan too, right? We obviously can’t finish the entire trip in a day, so we have to stay the night-”

“Daegu.”

“Huh?”

“We’ll stay at Daegu. At my house.”

That’s kinda weird of him to say that out of nowhere, but you decide that he might just want the excuse to hang out with his family.

You give him an ok sign, and you find yourself smiling a little when you find him pulling out the same assignment sheet you’re working on, from his backpack, and then starting his own work as well.

A little before the borrowing time ends, students line up to take the books they are interested in, so you and Taehyung get a little busy. When the announcement for the end of the borrowing time is announced (in Taehyung’s ridiculously deep voice), you two decide to stay back at the library to finish your assignment before going home.

In fact, you are actually so immersed in finishing your task, that you don’t notice the time until someone taps your shoulder and you find Namjoon, a smiling Jungkook standing beside him.

“Hi, Noonim!”

Jungkook actually does try hard not to call you that when the others are around, but habits are habits, and you’re glad Namjoon and Taehyung don’t make a big deal out of it anymore.

“We’re all going out to eat, Hoseokie-hyung is giving a treat because it’s his birthday! We gotta eat as much meat as we can!” Jungkook announces happily, looking at you with a big grin. You give him a smile, glancing at Taehyung who has closed the lid of his laptop as soon as the two arrived.

“I think we’ve done a lot of work for one day, right? Let’s go?”

“What do you mean, for one day? I’ve finished my assignment.”

You stare at Taehyung in disbelief.

“The fuck?”

“Oh shit.” Namjoon says, making you glare at him. Only when you see Jungkook’s slightly bewildered face, do you realise you’ve probably cursed for the first time in front of the younger boy, and it makes your face heat up while you turn back to face Taehyung.

“How did you finish it so fast? And why are you staying here if you’re already done?”

“I’m an amazing guy, [Name]-ah. You need to give me a fuckton more of credit.” He has to say, cooly picking up his belongings and throwing them all into one big salad bowl (aka his hugeass backpack). “You weren’t done, so I was waiting for you.”

What?

While Namjoon and Jungkook head outside and Taehyung follows you after you pack your belongings, you ask him how long it has been since he’s finished his work.

“I think, 2 hours, maybe?”

“Why the fuck,” you hiss, “Did you not go home?!”

Taehyung looks a bit annoyed right about now, and you want to yell because how dare he have the audacity to look annoyed?!!!

“Like I said, I was waiting for you!” He yells, this time making Namjoon and Jungkook who are walking ahead of you also, to turn around to look at Taehyung. When he sees the two looking at him, Taehyung takes a deep breath and glances at you.

“Leave me alone and go with your little boyfriend.”

Then, he storms off, and Jungkook looks as blank as you feel like, and you don’t know how long you’d have stayed, watching Taehyung walk through the length of the hallway and disappear if Namjoon did not snap you out of your trance and asked you to hurry up.

Who pulled Kim Taehyung’s panties into a wad today?

---

Taehyung colors his hair black for the next day.

It’s so out of the blue, and the incessant way everyone makes a big deal out of it seems a bit understandable.

It really isn’t fair, how good the guy looks.

Yoongi hasn’t even finished that song he says he’s writing about a really stupidly attractive man, yet, and it isn’t fair because you really could use a listen to that song right about now.

Even while Jungkook - a really hot kid - sits right beside you, you can’t help but just stare in awe because honestly, there is nothing - human or extra-terrestrial creature included - that could beat the beauty and attractiveness that is Kim Taehyung.

Minji is shaking her head because a) How dare you say two words like ‘hot kid’ that should never be even put together in the first place, b) Because Jungkook and you are dating, right? Or is it pre-dating? Does that exist? Wait a second-

“Noonim, I’m going with Jimin-hyung and Taetae-hyung to the arcade after classes are over,” he says, “Can we go on that date I mentioned tomorrow, instead?”

“What date?” Seokjin butts in out of nowhere, in the middle of taking a bite out of his grapefruit tart. “Is this why you asked me to stay out of the house until late at night tomorrow?!”

Seokjin, obviously, is a meathead, and a really dumb one, at that.

Multiple things happen at once.

The first one is Jungkook standing up from his seat so fast that he almost spills the bean sprout broth bowl on his tray.

The second one is all eyes turning to Seokjin, which in turn, makes the elder male’s ears turn bright red and him starting to mumble nonsense to himself like a lunatic.

The third one is Jungkook getting off from the bench and dragging Seokjin away from the lunch table, all while Hoseok, Hani, and Hyojin seem to be enjoying the entire ruckus.

Only when you glance at Namjoon do you remember that Jungkook had mentioned he has a roommate… and that roommate was Seokjin, himself.

“You’ve started doing what with Jungkookie now?”

“Shut up! He just asked me to go see his animations and paintings, what are you talking about, Namjoonie?!” You protest, eyes turning to Taehyung, who runs a hand through his hair, takes a final sip of his cola, and then heads out of the cafeteria - a pastel pink-haired Jimin running after him.

Namjoon blinks, and then continues to eat his food, much like Yoongi who sees and hears nothing because of the radio show he’s busily listening to while he gobbles up his lunch.

If only everyone was like Min Yoongi.

It’s ten minutes later when both Seokjin and Jungkook return, the younger one apologizing to you like crazy, even when Jimin comes back a while later, saying Taehyung had some assignment to complete beforehand.

“I don’t know about you guys, but didn’t I bet these two will get it on within a month?”

Apparently, Seokjin doesn’t know when to shut up, and you’re very glad Namjoon has already left by then and that Hoseok does the honor of punching the elder male in the back for spewing nonsense - which he claims is the truth.

This is going to be a long day.

---

You’re driving to college the next day with Namjoon only, for the first time in what feels like ages.

You’d been dreading questions about Jungkook that he might have, but it isn’t about the date you’ll be going on after classes today that worries Namjoon, but something else, entirely.

“My precious sister. We did promise that we would share our secrets with each other, did we not?”

“We did, my precious brother.” You play along, watching the little koala keychain hanging from the mirror inside the car.

“I am not going to question you about why or what you’re going to do with Jungkookie, that’s none of my business,” he starts. You shake your head, mouthing ‘It is, Namjoonie’, which makes your brother smile a little.

“Thank you. I’m not going to question it, because I know my sister well and I trust my little sister. What I’m only going to question is one thing. Are you sure of the choices you’ve made, till now?”

“What do you mean, Joonie?”

You watch as he scratches his head a little, not saying anything for a while as he steers along a few curves and stops at a red light.

“I’ve noticed that your thoughts have been wandering a lot recently.” He points out.

“I don’t get what you mean.”

“What I mean is, your mind seems like it’s always somewhere else, and that has not been the case when you first started going out with Jungkook.”

Has Namjoon been watching over you enough to notice that your mind always wanders all around the place, eventually landing on some stupid thought of Taehyung, in the end?

“It seems to me like you’re not really in love with Jungkookie, but someone else.”

You could swear you felt chills run down your spine because of the absolute bingo he had managed to make; Namjoon had a high IQ for a reason, that you realize then.

You manage to chuckle, shaking your head and waving it off. “That’s ridiculous, Joon-ah, I had a crush on Jungkook ever since we got introduced to each other by Jiminie.”

Namjoon doesn’t say anything, as if he doesn’t believe you - but this was the truth, even if your fraying thoughts only began much much later after that.

Perhaps it’s because you’ve arrived at the parking lot at college, that Namjoon decides to drop the subject, giving you a nod in response.

“Well. It turns out Kookie also liked you since back then. You’re my sister and I just want you to be happy, with whoever.”

It moves you, hearing that. You know that it must have been hard on Namjoon who not only finds out things easily, but over analyzes things he finds as well. It makes you smile, going around to Namjoon’s side of the car when he gets out after parking, and then giving him a big hug, right in the middle of the parking lot.

“Yah, Kim [Name]-ah, what are you doing?!”

“You don’t have to worry about Jinnie wondering if there’s something between us, he knows we’re siblings now!” You say, giving him a wave and running inside the campus before he can say anything else.

---

“And that’s the project I’m working on right now, Noonim!”

You can’t help but to give a big grin to the boy who looks very pleased with your positive reaction after he showed his animation work. Jungkook really wasn’t called the Golden Maknae for no reason, his animations were realistic and flawless, at least from your - a complete amateur’s - point of view. After you say this, Jungkook laughs, thanking you and saying that that is a very lovely compliment to receive considering most of the people who would consume whatever he produces would also be amateurs too, in the end.

His literal statement makes you laugh, and you enjoy the time with the male, your mind definitely not wandering as much as it did on your previous date. You’re glad it doesn’t, and you enjoy eating chocolate pudding and having the banana milk Jungkook prepared for you, while you go through all the lovely paintings and digital art the male had created.

“By the way, Noonim, can you take a seat over there?” He asks, pointing at the center of his bed. Minji has started to strip out of nowhere, and when you glance at Jungkook with wide eyes, you’re very surprised to see that he has taken a digital camera.

So he wants to take a picture of me sitting on the bed, not to start-

Okay, Minji, you need to get a toy or something because you’re being way too horny and there’s no other way we can calm you down.

You find yourself awkwardly waddling and taking a seat at the center of Jungkook’s bed - and gosh does it smell like a very boyish citrus over here - allowing the male to take a few pictures of you which he wanted.

“Okay, I got them. I can’t wait to start drawing you!!” He says, much like a little kid, and it makes your heart swell, holding your hand out towards him and watching him raise a surprised eyebrow, doe eyes wide while he slowly walks up to you. You can tell he is nervous by the way his ears have become a little red, and the fact that he had dimmed the lights and turned on a warm light for your picture does not help.

“Y-Yes?”

You give a smile, watching him place his camera on the side table carefully before he walks back, slowly intertwining your fingers. His nervousness shows in the way he looks down at your hands every three seconds, unable to keep eye contact for long. It’s so adorable that your heart becomes warm, mumbling a little ‘Jungoo?’ barely enough for him to hear.

“Yes, N-Noona?”

“Why did you ask Seokjinnie to not come for a while?”

Now, Jungkook refuses to look you in the eyes even for a second, his cheeks turning beet red.

“Jungoo?”

“I… I never get to hold your hand like this unless we’re on a date…”

You can’t help but to smile up at him, tugging at his hand so that he bends down a little, coming to face-level with you. Even before you put a hand on his face, you could tell that his cheeks were burning, and it makes your heart race because you simply can’t get over how adorable he is.

Jungkook closes his eyes and you kiss him on the nose, gently, and that makes him open his eyes a little startled.

When you end up bursting into a smile, despite the serious look on Jungkook’s face, it seems to make the boy less nervous, chuckling a little before he sits down beside you on the bed.

“What did you expect, Jungoo?”

“You enjoy teasing me a lot, don’t you, Noonim?”

“That’s what you get for calling me Noona.”

Jungkook bursts out laughing, shaking his head. “I shall not make that kind of mistake again.”

You find yourself smiling, and your heart has stopped racing, now feeling more comfortable around Jungkook. Even when he smiles and leans in to kiss you, you close your eyes, kissing him back, so, so comfortable that you don’t even notice until Jungkook leans away, that one of your legs have gone over his thigh and he is looking at you with wide eyes.

Holy shit . You’d always know Jungkook was a muscle-y kid because his jeans always fit him in all the right places, but it’s a different thing when you can actually physically feel that under your own thigh-

“You did lock the door, right?”

Jungkook looks baffled at your question, his jaw dropping open, but he still nods in response.

“No one else will come, right?”

The male closes his mouth, still very startled but nods again.

“Then we could do this a bit more, right?” You ask, and his response is faster this time, nodding once again, a hand going behind your neck and pulling your face to his. You can feel his tongue on your lips, and you part and let him in, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable sitting with one leg over his. It felt like Jungkook felt the same way - and this is where you learn about the mighty strength he has - when he wraps an arm around your waist, completely pulling you onto his lap.

Not only has Minji finished stripping by now, but she has also put on her finest lingerie now.

You’re actually very, VERY startled by this action, so much that you break away from the kiss, looking at Jungkook with wide eyes.

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, you look away from his eyes, a down at his neck. There is a sheen of sweat forming on his neck, and his white shirt has stuck to his skin a little by now.

Oh God save me.

“Noonim…”

“Mmm?”

“Should I let you go?”

The way he says that, the way he words it, sounds so, so sad and you wonder how you can tell him that you were simply embarrassed, nothing else.

And you can’t think of anything to say, so you close your eyes, grabbing his face and kissing him on the lips, heart racing at how brave you were feeling out of nowhere. Was it because this was Jungkook’s room, because you knew no one else would be around?

Or is it because it was Jungkook, both his hands hugging your back, pulling your body so close to his that it’s almost too embarrassing to bear, kissing you like this might be his last chance to do so?

Whatever it is, you find yourself opening your eyes, slowly pushing him back and watching the way his eyes go wide when he falls back down on his bed, pulling you along with him.

For a minute, neither of you do anything, and it looks like Jungkook took a minute to get over his initial surprise, because he wraps his arms - which are already around you - much tightly, rolling over so that he’s the one looking down at you while you look up at him.

And this is so much more embarrassing, because now you don’t even have anywhere else to look, because Jungkook is just so, so, so damn close, and you find yourself closing your eyes, not knowing what else to do.

“Noonim.”

“Mmhmm?”

“Look at me for a bit.” Jungkook whispers softly, and you open your eyes, to see his face a little further away, eyes closed while he takes in deep breaths.

“Noonim. I like you so, so much.”

#lavender honey #bts #taehyung #bts taehyung #taehyung fanfic #taehyung smut #taehyung college au #bts college au #bts fanfic #language major vs music major

11 notes · View notes

vibranch · 5 years

Text

The Keybearer’s Keychains (5/6) - Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction

Rating: T Word Count: 3,870 AO3 link here (Contains some Author’s notes stuff) Part 5/6 The One-Winged Angel, Diamond Dust, Ultima Weapon

Part 1 Previous Part Next Part

Summary: So many Worlds, and so many people. Each one was unique and an adventure to Sora. But one thing that was constant on his journey, was the keychains he received. An exploration of Sora’s thoughts, experiences, and feelings for each keychain he received during his first journey in no particular order.

The One-Winged Angel

Sora didn’t like this Keyblade.

He wanted to. He’d fought so hard to earn it. It was another Keychain he considered a trophy. But he didn’t get the slightest feeling of satisfaction when wielded it. He felt the weapon sap his energy every time he held it in his palm. After every battle with it he swayed and felt dizzy on his feet

Donald noticed faster than Goofy that Sora was having trouble keeping up with them. It was especially noticeable when he used magic. The problems that arose while using this keychain never seemed to pop up when he was using the Keyblade’s other forms.

“Sora, go change Keychains!” Donald yelled at him after a particularly dangerous fight at the Ends of the Worlds.

“No way. I had to fight that Sephiroth guy to get it!” Sora yelled back. He was honestly the most frustrated with it. Sephiroth nearly killed him in their fight and if didn’t learn to use it properly then he would have nothing to show for it.

Goofy handed Sora an ether. An item Sora hungrily devoured. Because, despite how much Sora wanted to deny it, the One-Winged Angel was wearing him down faster than he expected.

Sora tried to focus on the things he liked about this keychain. Such as how the blade ignited the air with flames as he swung it. And, although it wasn’t an especially powerful version of the Keyblade, occasionally the blade would reverberate nicely off a satisfying blow against the Heartless.

Those two aspects were the only upsides to this keychain. But still, Sora kept fighting with it, determined to master it and become a stronger warrior to show for it.

And then it happened.

Sora passed out in the middle of battle. He didn’t even notice at first. He was knocked over by a Heartless and when he thought he blinked, everyone’s position on the field changed. Sora blinked a second time, and once again everybody seemed to teleport from where they once were or what they were doing.

Goofy now stood over him, his shield between Sora and the blade of a Heartless Jiminy had dubbed an Invisible. Donald wasn’t too far away, blasting away with all sorts of different magics.

By the third blink, the Heartless were gone and Donald and Goofy both hovered over him with worried looks on their faces.

“Sora, are you okay?” Donald asked in a tone so concerned, that Sora immediately felt guilty for making him worry so much.

Still delirious, Sora babbled half attempted tries to assure them that he was okay. Determined to prove it, even if he couldn’t say it, Sora summoned his Keyblade to his hand. A burst of flame surrounded the space in front of it as it burst into existence. The minute Sora grasped it, his arm shook from the strain.

Just holding it was challenge now. Immediately dropping the magical weapon on the ground, the rest of Sora’s body began to shake. Partially from exhaustion, but most of it was frustration.

“It’s not supposed to be like this.” Soar said, feeling even more frustrated at just how childish the statement sounded. His voice quivered. “I should be stronger than this!”

Donald drooped his head. “I know Sora, you don’t have to prove yourself to us. Just use a different keychain and see if you feel better, okay?”

“Yeah, you haven’t been able to keep up ever since we got here.” Goofy agreed. “We know you can do better, the only thing that’s changed is the keychain you’re usin’.”

Sora wanted to argue but he didn’t have the strength to even keep a grip on the Keyblade. It vanished from existence a short time later. He studied the ground where the Keyblade had once laid. Just a small burnt outline remained of where it used to lie.

Goofy handed Sora a potion. “Here, drink this.” Sora did, but only got halfway through it before the world changed again.

Sora awoke inside a one-use tent Donald had bought from Huey Dewy and Louie back at Traverse Town. Any trace of Donald and Goofy being in the tent was missing.

Sora was about to call out for the two of them when he heard Donald arguing about something from outside the tent.

“One use! It’s wasteful is what it is!” Donald yelled, his voice full of hot-tempered feeling. “I don’t know how you can be incompetent enough to make a tent that’s good for only one use! It’s clearly an example of planned obsolescence!”

“Gwarsh, maybe you should have a talk with yer nephews about it. Or we could try buyin’ one of them fancy one-use cottages instead.”

“A one-use cottage!? How is a cottage good for only one use?! How would we even carry a cottage with us the first place?!”

“Umm,” Sora hesitated. His voice instantly caught the attention of Donald and Goofy.

“Sora, you’re awake!” Goofy hollered as he wrapped him in a hug. Donald placed a feathered hand against Sora and allowed himself to let out a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, I’m awake.” Sora squeaked from Goofy’s crushing embrace. “Sorry if I worried you guys.”

“Aw, I wasn’t scared,” Donald folded his arms and tried to look disinterested.

“Oh yeah? I think you were,” Goofy hyucked.

“Who asked you!” Donald fired back before turning back to Sora. “Sora? Are you still going to use that keychain?”

“No,” Sora said, summoning his Keyblade to his hand and tearing the winged charm from it. Instantly it reverted to its original form with the Kingdom Key keychain hanging where the One-Winged Angel once hung. “I’m done trying to use it. It doesn’t want to be used. There’s a darkness inside this keychain.”

“Whaddya mean?” Goofy asked.

“It’s kinda hard to put into words,” Sora responded. “Just holding this keychain feels…” Sora trailed off, trying to find the right word. He didn’t want to worry his friends more than he already had, but they would probably worry even more if he said nothing. “Bad, or maybe wrong? It’s harmful at least.”

Goofy gulped in response. “Whaddya think we should do?”

Sora stared into the vast landscape of former Worlds before looking down at winged keychain still in his hand. An idea sprouted in his mind. His grip tightened on the small winged keychain as he knew what to do.

“Sora?” Donald reached out for his friend, trying to offer some reassurance to the boy who’d grown so quiet.

Jerking his body before Donald could touch him, Sora threw the keychain into the distance. He turned around to face Donald and Goofy.

They both gave him questioning looks. He loved gathering his collection of keychains, they couldn’t believe he’d just toss one away like that.

Seeing the question on their faces, Sora spoke before they could ask. “The One-Winged Angel, it’s not something for me to conquer, I see that now.” Sora spoke in a tone free of the doubts and insecurities his voice held earlier. “Like I told you, Goofy. It’s harmful, so I’m not going to bother letting it hurt me anymore.”

Goofy smiled and placed a hand on Sora’s shoulder. “If that’s what you think is best!”

Donald moved to do the same, but he wasn’t tall enough to reach, so instead gripped Sora’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Yeah, good riddance to bad rubbish!”

Sora began to laugh. About what, he wasn’t sure. “Hey, don’t you two start getting mushy on me!”

“Aww, the three of us have always been mushy!” Goofy chuckled as he leaned against Sora and brandished his shield. “But that’s okay. So long as I’ve got my shield, I won’t let nothin’ touch us three mushies!”

Sora laughed as he playfully shoved him off his shoulder. “You guys keep talking like that and I’m liable to throw up!”

Donald and Goofy kept teasing as Sora looked back from where they’d come. He couldn’t help but be taken aback by how far they’d come together. Not just in this World either. Every World they’d walked through, every challenge they faced, it all seemed to form up in a straight line behind them.

They’d been through a lot of tough battles, but Sora knew their toughest ones were just ahead. Sora looked towards the road they still had to travel and steeled himself for whatever he’d have to face next. The future didn’t scare him at all. Afterall, Goofy still had his shield to protect the three mushies.

The Diamond Dust

Sora made his way back to the Gummi ship after a particularly grueling battle against a colossal being called the Ice Titan. As the name suggested, it was made of living ice and commanded said element in all manners of ice based attacks.

Despite mostly throwing solid ice at him, the Ice Titan occasionally breathed out a frosty breath that coated the ground beneath it with snow and froze what lay under as ice. Sora was amazed by it, his thoughts raced back to when he was first learning the Blizzard spell and could only produce small amounts of slush. It was the most snow Sora had ever seen. In fact, even now Sora still felt a chill cling to him as he walked along with Donald and Goofy.

“Say, Sora. You’ve got a little somethin’ stuck to ya there.” Goofy said, noticing a perfectly preserved snowflake on Sora’s hoodie. Goofy made special care not to accidentally crush it in his grip as he plucked it from Sora’s shoulder,

“Huh?” Sora turned to see what Goofy was pinching between his fingers. “What is it?”

“Looks like a snowflake.” Goofy said, in the comically serious way only he seemed to be able to do. He studied the small frozen water crystal as if it were a rare synthesis ingredient.

Donald looked up at the object in Goofy’s hand before turning to address Sora. “Must be a leftover from your exhibition against the Ice Titan.”

“Really…” Sora grinned, pulling his arms over his head and thought back to the battle he’d won singlehandedly. He tried to recall when the snowflake might’ve gotten attached to him, but he was dodging so much snow and ice being hurled at him it was impossible to figure out when it had stuck to him. “I’m surprised it hasn’t melted yet.”

“Gwarsh, good point.” Goofy said, finally looking away from the ice crystal. “Wonder how much longer it’ll last.”

“Well, let’s take it with us and find out.” Donald said as he moved on ahead from the rest of the group. “C’mon, you guys! We gotta get back to Traverse Town! Sora, you told Kairi you’d visit her as soon as you were done here, remember?” he called back at the two stragglers.

“Oh, right!” Sora shouted in return as he ran to catch up with Donald.

“Hey fellers, wait for me!” Goofy hollered after them.

Sora scurried down the streets of Traverse Town alone. He held the snowflake in his hand, careful not to drop it. Curiously, it hadn’t melted during the trip back to Traverse Town.

Sora bounded through the alley that eventually lead into the waterway. Sora figured Kairi would be intrigued by the miraculous snowflake that wouldn’t melt, and secretly he was excited to be the one to show her it.

“Kairi!” Sora shouted, once she was in sight.

Kairi jumped at Sora’s sudden and unexpectedly loud volume. For a moment, she worried something might be wrong.

But Sora ran right up to her and outstretched his hand holding the snowflake. “You’ll never guess what I found! He chuckled proudly.

Kairi looked at the tiny object, and then back at Sora. That was it? Kairi thought. She half expected Sora to be running in to tell her about some sort of emergency from how loudly he’d shouted to her, and here he was with a snowflake of all things!

“Sora, why do you have a snowflake?” she asked. Sora’s grin widened and she suddenly understood exactly why Sora had been so noisy. He get’s excited so easily. She thought.

“It’s not just any snowflake, Kairi. It’s a snowflake that refuses to melt.”

“It… Refuses?” Kairi repeated. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ve had it for a couple hours now and it still hasn’t melted.” Sora extended his arm again, offering Kairi the chance to hold the small ice crystal.

Cautiously, Kairi took it from Sora, half worried that she might accidentally crush it if she wasn’t careful. She held the snowflake between her fingers and slowly turned it over in her hand as she examined it. “Why won’t it melt?”

“I don’t know.” Sora shrugged. “Donald said it might be magical or something… I mean it did come from a giant ice monster, that might be why it won’t melt.”

“An Ice Monster?”

“Well, I think its actual called an Ice Titan, but it wasn’t really much for conversation. So we didn’t get the chance to exchange names.” Sora admitted.

Kairi giggled at the thought of Sora sitting down to talk with a giant ice monster. If anyone could, Sora could, she figured.

After spending some more time examining it, Kairi at last spoke up again. “You know, this snowflake kind of reminds me of home…”

Sora’s smile changed into an expression of curiosity. “Really?” he hadn’t expected her to talk about that. She’d never talked about where she’d come from for as long as he’d known her. “How come? I thought you couldn’t remember anything from your home?”

“It used to snow on my World.” Kairi said, as she stared deeply into the snowflake’s patterns. “It’s weird, I still can’t remember much, but I can remember trying to catch the falling snowflakes in my hand to look at them when I was little. But they usually melted before I got a good look.” She looked back at Sora and gave him a grin that matched the one he had when he first arrived. “It’s nice to finally have a good long look at one”

Sora’s smile returned, he was glad that he had this chance to make her smile. But there was a pang of jealousy inside him that caused his smile to only stay temporarily. “You know, despite all the Worlds I’ve traveled to while looking for you and Riku, none of them had snow…”

Kairi thought back to all the events she could remember while being a passenger in Sora’s Heart. “Well, that might be a good thing.” She teased. “You’re kind of used to the beach. The snow might look kind of similar to sand, but it’s much colder.”

“Hey c’mon, I know that much!” Sora laughed. “I fought the ice thing!”

Kairi laughed in return. “I thought you said it was called an Ice Titan!”

“Whatever it was, it was made of ice!” Their laughter echoed through the cave. After a while silence slowly settled in again. “Anyway, once this is all over, we’ll be going back home. Back to the Islands.”

“Yeah,” Kairi said.

“I’m kinda disappointed that I won’t get to see any actual snow for myself. It��s not like it ever snows on the Islands.”

“Oh,” Kairi didn’t expect Sora to sound so down about it. “I’m sorry, Sora.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s not your fault I never got to see it.” Sora suddenly had a thought. He paused for a moment in nervous apprehension as he considered sharing it. “Hey Kairi?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you tell me what snow is like? Actual snow, not the small stuff Donald can spray from his staff.”

Kairi was a little surprised. She wasn’t sure she could do it. It had been nearly nine years, at best, since she’d last seen the snow, but she didn’t want to deny Sora his request. “Sure, Sora. Anything you want to know in particular?”

“No,” Sora shook his head. “Just tell me what it’s like for it to snow where you live.”

“Well, sometimes it’s really wet and slushy, and other times it’s more compact. You could almost walk on it, but I mean, I was only four at the time. So maybe I just didn’t weigh enough to fall through it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it was pretty magical. Sometimes I’d go to bed and there wouldn’t be any. Then when I would wake up, the whole place would be covered in the stuff!”

“Wow…” Sora said, trying to imagine what that must have been like.

“We even had a name for it back on my world, when we woke up in the morning and the landscape was covered in snow.”

“What did you guys call it?”

“Diamond dust. Because of the way the rising sun gleamed off it.”

“Diamond Dust, huh?” Sora brought his hand to his chin and tried to picture that as well. “That sounds really pretty.”

“It was.” Kairi said wistfully as more thoughts of a home she’d thought long forgotten flooded back to her.

She turned back to Sora. “But try not to feel too disappointed, okay?” She paused to gently place the small snowflake back into Sora’s hand. “After all. you’ve got a little piece of Diamond Dust for yourself.”

Sora looked at the snowflake, another small smile slowly grew on his face. “Yeah, I guess so!”

Another thought crossed Sora’s mind, if the snowflake really wouldn’t ever melt, maybe he could make a keychain out of it. It could serve as a reminder of this moment with Kairi.

“Do you still want to talk about snow?” Kairi asked, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

“Nah, I’ve got a better idea. Check this out,” Sora said, pointing his Keyblade away from Kairi. He could make a keychain out of the snowflake later. Right now, he wanted to see some real snow with Kairi. “Deep Freeze!” He shouted.

The Ultima Weapon

Sora spent a lot of time experimenting with the Moogle synthesis. It was an interesting curiosity to him at first. However, as his journey approached its end, Sora found himself visiting it more frequently.

When pressed about why he was so committed synthesizing, he’d claim that he was doing it to make something cool for everyone. It wasn’t untrue, he’d made all sorts of things. A staff of Donald, a shield for Goofy, along with an assortment of other objects. From bangles, to ribbons, to earrings, to even a crown, Sora had done it all.

But Donald and Goofy could tell there was more to Sora’s sudden interest in synthesizing than he was letting on. He just wouldn’t come clean.

One day, while rifling through the Moogles’s ancient synthesis recipe book, Sora stumbled upon an entry for Keyblade wielders of old, called the ‘Ultima Weapon’. It was the perfect recipe for Sora. It required materials from every World he’d been to, meaning it would take a long time to create. And since its name implied it would be of great use to the dangerous place they were heading towards eventually, Donald and Goofy agreed to postpone their trip to the End of the World

Unlike most keychains Sora had collected, Ultima Weapon was made entirely by him. Looking at the finished Ultima Weapon, Sora could see why it was given that name. Unlike all his other keychains, this one was truly a weapon. An actual sword blade was hidden beneath an elaborate wreath of gold. It vaguely reminded Sora of a sword he’d used once in a bizarre dream.

A dream he had just days before the Islands fell to Darkness. Those days felt so long ago to him now. And now with the Ultima Weapon finished, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were soon to depart to the End of the World and set everything back to normal.

But what even was normal anymore? Sora’s new normal was flying to new Worlds and making new friends with Donald and Goofy by his side. If things did go back to normal, the way he remembered normal being at least, then ironically the only thing that wouldn’t be normal anymore would be Sora. Was it selfish to wish that things could just stay they way they were now?

Holding the finished keychain in his hand, Sora was tempted to hide it someplace and tell Donald and Goofy the synthesis failed and that they’d have to try to make it again. But even they wouldn’t delay traveling to the End of the World a second time.

So, with a bit of apprehension, Sora showed off his entirely self-made keychain to Donald, Goofy, and Kairi, before taking off in the Gummi Ship.

Sora only used the Ultima Weapon occasionally. They stopped at various Worlds. Mostly to visit friends and make Testing it out on the various Heartless that showed up on the Worlds they stopped at, on their way to the End of the World.

It felt powerful, and if its name was anything to go by, it was powerful. But what Sora liked most about his keychains were the events that lead to him receiving them. Each one contained their own story and reminded him of the friendships he’d made.

When the time came that they arrived at the End of the World, Sora hesitated to take his newest keychain with him. Ultima Weapon had no real story to it. Sora had spent a lot of time making it, which held a certain satisfaction. But Sora had synthesized a lot of items along the way to Ultima Weapon. The thought of choosing the Ultima Weapon keychain over all his other keychains didn’t sit right with Sora, especially for what was likely the final new World he’d ever set foot on.

There was a temptation to take all of his keychains with him, to show no favoritism to any of them. But ultimately, Sora decided to only take the Oathkeeper and One-Winged Angel keychains with him.

“No point in traveling with a ton of stuff jangling around in my pockets,” Sora said to himself.

There was a thrill to taking the One-Winged Angel over Ultima Weapon. Sora hadn’t mastered it yet, but the End of the World could be his trial by fire with it.

“Sora are you coming?!” Donald called for him.

“Yeah, Coming!” Sora called back, giving one last look to his newest keychain. Sora set it down on his desk and gave it a slight smile. “Next time,” he whispered to it before running out the door.

Unfortunately for the Ultima Weapon, next time would never arrive. The reforming worlds would claim even the small keychains Sora had Collected. As these too, came from other Worlds.

The Ultima Weapon was ripped apart by the pull of the Worlds Sora had visited, each one claiming back the resources used to create the keychain.

Nearly a full year would pass before Sora returned to the Gummi Ship. By that point the promise of using the Ultima Weapon was a distant thought Sora no longer recalled. Not even the memory of setting it down on his desk remained. Even if he did remember, Sora was far more distraught over the total loss of his entire collection, to care about a promise he had made to a single keychain.

#Sora #Kairi #Donald Duck #Goofy #Sokai #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kingdom hearts #fan fiction #Sokai specifically during the Diamond Dust #My Writing

4 notes · View notes

jumpchain-drop · 4 years

Text

Interlude 2.5

“….aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-”

CRASH!

I landed in a face-down belly flop. It hurt, but somehow I don’t think I was injured. Still took a minute to get up.

“Where…?”

I must have slept through the deadline… I was back in the warehouse, which seemed a lot bigger… because I was still half my human height. I was still a Sandslash.

“Terra?” I called out to the industrial void. “Terra, where are you?!”

“….aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-”

CRASH!

I didn’t even feel a shake as the Torterra landed right behind me, but I did feel the gust of wind.

“Terra, are you OK?!” I asked, rushing to her side.

“I-I’m fine...” she muttered. “J-Just give me a minute...”

“Alright, but if you need anything, that medbay should- oof!”

Something had fallen and bounced off my head. It was the notebook. It landed open to a page with new text. Grumbling and rumbling my head, I read it.

Alternate forms:

A jumper may switch between any form they took on a jump at will.

A companion that possesses alt-forms may also switch them at will. It does not receive an alt-form unless explicitly imported into the world.

Pets with alt-forms can only be changed by a jumper or companion with line of sight.

Your partner has been given a human alt-form.

You jump on in a week.

Alternate forms…? Was it saying I wasn’t stuck as a Sandslash? Hmm, it said “at will,” so…

A poof of white smoke that dissipated a moment later, and I was me again, as human as I was ten years ago in that damn cylinder.

“Whoa, Robert! How’d you do that?” Terra asked. Good, I could still understand Pokémon as a human.

“Apparently now I can switch between being human and Pokémon,” I said. I tested a few more times, poofing between back and forth between them. The smoke was tan when I turned into a Sandslash, but otherwise it was effortless. “The notebook says that you can turn into a human now too. You just have to will it so.”

“Me, a human?” Terra said. “I’ve never considered that before...”

“C’mon, it’s harmless,” I said, ending my flipping on human. “Besides, hugs are a lot easier when we’re both bipedal.”

Maybe that was enough, but there was a huge cloud of white smoke before my eyes, and what came out was… amazing.

She was not a small woman, easily having at least three-quarters of a foot on six-foot me, with earthy brown skin, and short dark brown hair with the tips died green. Her shoulders were wide, and her arms and legs had the toning you’d expected of someone that explored and fought the wild nearly every day for ten years. I assumed her torso was equally defined, as she was wearing a green T-shirt and knee-length tan dress, along with a gray sturdy jacket that I would later see had a tree logo on the back. Her green Aura ribbon, which she almost never took off, hung loosely around her neck.

“Holy shit, you’re beautiful,” I spurted out.

“You think so, Robert?” It was a little surprising exactly the same voice of Mother Earth came out, but I guess it probably shouldn’t have been. She tried out her limbs out a little. “I’m surprisingly comfortable like this. I think I can try out that hug now.” And then she hugged me; her grip was a bit tight, but my human body was pretty tough so it could take it.

I hugged her back. I love this woman so much.

“Master?”

We broke the hug and turned to see running towards us…

“Bolt! Cody! Anita!” I cried out. I crouched a big to hug Bolt as they came up. “I missed you guys!”

“Missed? We saw you just yesterday,” Bolt replied. “Or… I think it was yesterday, I had a bit of a heavy nap...”

“Oh, Bolt, we’ve got a lot to catch you up on.”

To say they were shocked when I turned into a Sandslash and showed that the human woman with me was Terra would be an understatement. Though they were delighted to learn that I could talk to them. It was weird the personalities you could learn when you understood their speech. Bolt was a bit of a goofball, Cody was a worrywort, and Anita was… well, she was still a little aloof even back then, but it was even clearer now when she spent more time perched on the high shelves than coming down and talking to everyone else.

The three Poké Balls we used turned out to be in a new bin labeled “2”. It also had the Treasure Bag, Wonder Map, and the 25 Reviver Seeds we had brought and everything else the Bag contained, along with the stuff we left behind in the warehouse before leaving. On the shelf next to it where seven uniquely-decorated instrument cases, each with a particular elemental motif to them; I checked later and they indeed contained the seven Treasures (which were not the Seven Treasures, funnily enough) we had managed to save. We brought out Shadow, Bitbit, and Maria, and released Manaphy from the stasis pod.

The entire day was spent telling tales and showing the Treasures to the others, as well as getting everyone used to both of my and Terra’s forms. Bolt was a bit disappointed he couldn’t become a human too. At some point, I put the Treasures and their new cases in the secure location I had set up before.

The next six days, though, were quite busy.

First order of business: food. The warehouse’s regenerating supply could barely keep up with just five of us. Now there were nine. Manaphy still got by on Blue Gummis, of which we packed plenty and he had discipline enough not to gorge, though we’d have to start weaning him off those at some point before the supply inevitably ran out. Bitbit also seemed to do just find snacking on electricity. Thankfully for the other six Pokémon, Oran Berries last Pokémon most of the day when they’re not used for emergency healing, especially since these were PMD-brand Oran Berries that could heal ten times as much as in the original Pokémon setting. And of course, Apples were fine belly-stuffers. We disassembled a bit of the spare shelving to make a frame to hold a small garden, watered with the warehouse’s plumbing and lit with the sunlamp and some fiddling with the “selective region” functions of the heat/AC unit. As for the dirt, Earth Power to the rescue! Fun fact: we could still use our Pokémon moves as humans, though the power is far weaker doing so. Anyways, when Terra managed to make the ground of the warehouse erupt, we got soil out of it, and her presence – when she’s a Pokémon at least – seems to make it fertile enough for plants. Granted, most of my gardening knowledge is from Minecraft, but I took some of the berries and sowed them. They seem to be sprouting quickly, and will hopefully produce a crop before the end of the week. The apples are staying in the refrigerator until we have space enough for an apple tree.

...It’s only just now that I remembered that later Pokémon games had the berry-growing mechanic, which I usually ignored because there were better hold items than berries most of the time.

Getting Terra’s human education up to date was going to be uphill and definitely take longer than the week I had. First was learning to read English. Thankfully, the house’s DVD collection included lots of Sesame Street season boxsets and other PBS shows. God, I forgot how much I missed Between the Lions. Zaboomafoo also gave everyone a basic rundown of Earth animals, which were bound to be more likely going forward. Bitbit learned the fastest when he managed to get into my laptop and could just transfer the videos directly into his memory, though it was limited by the time it took to swap the discs out.

We ran a test with the Terran Cymbals. They don’t affect me or Terra while we’re human. It kind of sucks that of the seven Treasures we got, the only ones we got affect Terra, Manaphy, Maria, and Anita – and I can’t even play the lattermost one yet.

There was also some new installment. Attached to the wall next to the pole and plates was a roster board with two columns of eight slots each, with a small light next to each one. On the top was the word “TEAM ROSTER” flanked by two images of the orange almost-asterisk on my warehouse keychain. The left column was full of names, while the right was completely empty. Reading it over, it listed the names of my team members. I think I can guess what would happen if it was full.

Though this week, I established goals for the future:

Get a proper garden set up in here, with a good variety of crops. As a side goal of this, learn how to garden.

Learn how to play the violin. The other instruments too, that couldn’t hurt, but mostly the violin.

Finish Terra’s human education.

Get some way to connect to time that I could bring here so I could Dimensional Scream as I pleased.

Get strong enough to punch the asshole voice’s theoretically-existing face to pieces.

I mean, with the ability to use Pokémon moves as a human – even though you’ll never catch me using my bare hands to Dig – not to mention shifting between a pretty dang fit human and a monster, I basically had superpowers. And if the voice was going to keep giving me powers, maybe if I’m lucky I’ll find a way to use them to kick his ass. Though the fact he keeps picking them for me means he definitely has the house advantage.

But he has to drop his guard eventually.

“….aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-”

CRASH!

I landed in a face-down belly flop. It hurt, but somehow I don’t think I was injured. Still took a minute to get up.

“Where…?”

The cylinder again… Was the week already over…?

But wait… something felt different. I shifted to my Sandslash form. Being a burrowing species, we were more sensitive to vibrations as a form of sensory input. There was a sense of momentum here that was likely here all along but I never noticed it before.

“...This chamber is… going up…” I realized. “Like an elevator...”

“Ah, you finally noticed.”

I was on guard immediately. “You…!” I shouted, brandishing my claws.

“Look at you all posturing. It’s adorable, really. You did a decent job entertaining me last time. I mean, whoda thought you would spur the interconnected continents? And the whole bit with the improv garden right now was inspired.”

He didn’t even sound remotely threatened. Of course not. I wasn’t strong enough yet. So I lowered my arms and turned back to a human. “Fine, whatever. Look, I have some questions.”

“I guess you’ve earned them. Ask and I’ll see what I can answer.”

“First off, I assume you put that pole thing in my warehouse.”

“That is correct. A little something off the record. I thought your companions that didn’t have your built-in counter would appreciate a visual representation of the time left.”

“I see… Second, does that roster board imply what I think it does?”

“If you mean you can only have sixteen companions, yes. Pets, however, are unlimited. And before you ask, pets must be non-sentient unless stated otherwise.”

“Ah… Third, if this is an elevator, where is it going?”

“Up.”

“...Care to be more specific?”

“Up, through the layers of the multiverse. Remember that pole? It’s more accurate a model than you might think.”

“...So, you dumping me in other worlds is… throwing me out of a moving elevator car.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I have to stop it to make choices.”

“Yeah, great job on those so far,” I snarked.

“Thank you,” it replied earnestly. “It wasn’t easy. You have that Persim Band because of the serious lack of 50-point items to compensate.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” I said, wanting to speak about any topic but this. “So why was the 52-mark on the scale next to it so large? What’s so important about the fifty-second world?”

“The fifty-third is what’s important, actually. You’ll know if you get there. Speaking of, enough questions. It’s time for new choices.”

“Now wait a moment!” I protested. “You said last time that I get to pick the worlds from here on out!”

“That I did,” said the voice. “So here’s your choice. I’m going to present icons for three places this elevator can reach in the next like five minutes. Pick the one you’ll spend the next ten years in.”

“And you’ll build my persona in that world like you did the others, I imagine?”

“Now you’re catching on. Here’s the icons.”

The three panels that circled the elevator walls spun around and lined themselves up in a vertical row in front of me. They glowed a moment and when it faded each one was showing a black and white image.

“...”

“Well?”

“These are Rorschach inkblot tests.”

“Imitations using the style, actually. With the icons as the base.”

“I fucking hate you.”

“Duly noted. Now choose. The multiverse is a little twisted and ones we don’t stop at may eventually pass by again, so don’t worry about missing out.”

Grumbling, I looked over my options carefully…

The top one looked vaguely like an angry circle.

The middle one reminded me of two-headed monsters.

The bottom one just made me think of constant numbers.

I pondered my choice for a few minutes before pointing at the middle one. A few more years among monsters couldn’t hurt that much. “There. That one.”

The other panels blanked out and drifted away.

“World selected,” said the voice. “Now making choices.”

I covered my eyes until the reflections on the floor stopped. I noticed the elevator slowed down and stopped once the lights dimmed. I looked up at the light pattern, quickly memorizing it too. Who knows what advantages I’d need against Willy Wonka and his Great Electromagical Lift?

“Your selections have been made. Have a good decade!”

I just sighed as the bottom fell open and I dropped into the void.

#jumpchain #a man chooses #jumpchain a man chooses #story

0 notes

organiclifestylemagazine · 7 years

Text

Sugar Leads to Depression - World's First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

It’s official. If you’re keeping up with the latest science, you know that the gut is inexorably linked to the brain. This year researchers found a correlation between depression and mood swings in men and high sugar intake.1 Last year a study showed probiotics could help with reducing the risk of depression.2 A growing body of evidence is proving that healthy people’s microbiota has a lot in common with other healthy people’s microbiota, and diseased people’s micro-biota also have common traits.3 They’ve been talking about how the gut may affect the brain and the immune system more and more for the last 20 years. Mainstream medicine is slowly figuring out that our gut’s microflora correlates directly with our health, and sugar and other junk foods do not promote healthy gut bacteria.

Trials and Studies

How and Why

Depression Free Diet & Lifestyle

Supplements To Fix The Gut & End Depression

World’s First Trial Shows Improving Diet Can Treat Major Depression

Depression is one of the world’s most prevalent and costly medical disorders. It may be surprising to read “World’s First” in regards to a trial study establishing a link between diet and depression, as many would guess that this kind of study has done before. It hasn’t been, but headlines proclaiming that healthier diets may decrease the risk of depression have been appearing in the news more frequently. That is the work of Director of Deakin’s Food and Mood Centre Professor Felice Jacka and her team. She’s published numerous epidemiological (survey-based) studies reporting that eating an unhealthy diet shows you are more likely to be depressed. The studies were based on questionnaires. They were not actual diet experiments. They have simply educated guesses that hadn’t been tested in the real world yet. Until now.

Professor Jacka said the results of her team’s new study may offer a better approach to depression.

We’ve known for some time that there is a clear association between the quality of people’s diets and their risk for depression.

This is the case across countries, cultures and age groups, with healthy diets associated with reduced risk, and unhealthy diets associated with increased risk for depression.

However, this is the first randomised controlled trial to directly test whether improving diet quality can actually treat clinical depression.” – Professor Jacka

The Study Details

Professor Jacka’s team recruited 67 men and women. The participants had severe depression and also reported eating a relatively unhealthy diet. Most of them were taking antidepressants and/or were in regular psychotherapy.

Half of the participants adhered to a Mediterranean diet while they attended dietary support sessions with a nutritionist. The others continued eating as usual (unhealthy), but they were required to attend social support “befriending” sessions. Everyone’s depression symptoms were graded using several different tests.

Encouraged foods included: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, low-fat/ unsweetened dairy, raw unsalted nuts, lean red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and olive oil

Discouraged foods included: Sweets, refined cereals, fried food, fast food, processed meat.

Beverage information: maximum two sugar-sweetened beverages per week and maximum two alcoholic drinks per day, preferably red wine.

The Study Results

People in the unhealthy diet group improved a statistically insignificant amount, and those in the healthy diet group improved their symptoms with a full third of them fully reversing their depression. It’s also important to note that this was done with conventionally accepted dietary protocols. It should be noted that these “healthy” diets are not that healthy. Imagine the results a more radical approach could have achieved.

How & Why (gut bacteria, B vitamins, etc.)

In another study, scientists from McMaster University wanted to test how mice with different gut bacterial conditions deal with stress.4

The baby mice were stressed from 3 to 21 days old by being separated from their mother for 3 hours each day. This experiment was conducted with mice that had different gut bacterial conditions. One group of mice was grown completely free of bacteria in their guts and kept in a sterile room to prevent bacteria from affecting their behaviors (germ-free mice). The other group were regular mice that were exposed to an ordinary, complex range of bacteria. The last group was a germ-free control group that hadn’t been separated from their mothers. The baby mice with normal gut microbiomes that had been subjected to early-life stress showed an unusual increase in the stress hormone corticosterone. They also exhibited signs of depression as well as anxiety. The germ-free mice, meanwhile, behaved similarly to the control mice, showing no symptoms of anxiety or depression. It is interesting to note that these mice also had elevated levels of corticosterone, just not symptoms of depression. Naturally, the control group showed no elevated stress hormone or altered behavior.”

These results indicate that the bacteria in our environment contribute to our mental health and behavior.

Next, they exposed the germ-free mice to bacteria taken from the stressed group. As the bacterial composition of the germ-free mice changed, so did their metabolic activity and their behavior. After a few weeks, the previously symptom-free mice were now showing signs of depression. Finally, the researchers wanted to see how the control group reacted when they were exposed to bacteria from the stressed mice. In this situation, the mice didn’t start showing symptoms of depression at all.” – IFLS

Our brains are running off of the energy our gut and our lungs are producing. If our gut is producing an unhealthy chemical environment, this effects the whole body including the brain.

Depression Free Diet & Lifestyle

Eat Right

So eating right…we’ve got you covered:

Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes

Stop eating sugar and processed foods. Yes, the depressed brain wants to reach for the nearest comfort food (donut, pizza, what have you), but the mice have proven that’s probably the last thing you actually need. The brain and the gut are intertwined and cultivating your beneficial bacteria with raw, fresh produce; soaked and sprouted nuts; and antibiotic-free, pasture-raised meats is a necessary part of any healing process. You don’t expect a mechanic to work on your car without tools. Why expect the same from your body?

Most people reading this who are really looking for answers to help with their depression are not going to be able to take on an entirely new lifestyle filled with shopping at farmers markets and cooking all of one’s own food. Think of this is the long-term goal and take baby steps towards being more connected and in touch with your food. Also, check out How I Overcame Depression Naturally and I’m Depressed.

Stop with the germaphobia

If you carry a small bottle of disinfectant on your keychain or find yourself constantly rubbing your hands together in a strange imitation of someone over a campfire, step away from the sanitizer. You’re doing more harm than good. Most commercial sanitizers contain harmful ingredients like triclosan, parabens, and sulfates. They also contribute to the inability to fight diseases naturally.

Exposure to harmful bacteria teaches the body how to naturally fight infection. It’s why we suggest that small children spend time playing in the dirt. But antibiotics, hand sanitizers, and household cleaners have taken that away from us, along with the beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria is the gatekeeper to the immune system.

Play With Nature, Get Dirty

Speaking of sticking your hands in the dirt…do it. When you’re depressed, the last thing you want to hear s some random person chirping at you about how you should “just go outside…” but seriously…do it. Vitamin D is your friend.

If you’re near water, you’re in luck. Humans respond to water on a primal level.

Exert Yourself

This one is kind of like the go outside one…you gotta do it. Make it something simple. Maybe swap getting in the car for walking somewhere instead. Play your favorite music or enjoy some people watching.

A depressed brain is likely in short supply of feel-good endorphins and neurotransmitters.

Sleep Well

Make yourself go to bed. Stop looking at your phone. In fact, take a cue from babies, nature’s original fussy sleepers. Or at least a cue from their parents – nighttime routine. No, you’re not in a onesie (are you?), but many of the tricks used by hopeful parents can be modified to help you.

Bath, with soothing essential oils (because you’re an adult now!) or other pleasing spa products? Check. Soothing music/white noise/smoothly voiced NPR podcast? Check. A ridiculous book you don’t necessarily want anyone to see you reading? Check. Momma knows best, but you’re still a grown ass adult. Have fun planning a decadent pre-bed routine. Also, check out Insomnia – A Comprehensive Look with Natural Remedies.

Supplements To Fix The Gut & End Depression

SF722

Abzorb

Magnesium

Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse

Shillington’s Intestinal Detox

Biotin (B complex or Chlorella)

Total Nutrition Formula (which has plenty of Chlorella)

Almost everyone in the world who is dealing with chronic health issues or chronic mental issues has an abundance of Candida and heavy metal toxicity, along with a lack of beneficial bacteria. Diet alone can fix this for most people, but when the head is not working well, choices don’t usually go well either. B vitamins can help alleviate depression until the healthy gut microbes develop. Good fats (click here) are a must for people who can’t assimilate Bs properly. For those dealing with depression, a diet rich in B vitamins and healthy fats is a very good start. Supplements can be used to accelerate healing and eliminate all the other ailments and used to kill Candida and promote healthy bacteria.

How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders

How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

SF722

This is my favorite for killing anything fungal, but it also works on parasites and other pathogens. If you have had yeast infections, athlete’s foot, see floaters, have BO, or eat the way everyone in modern countries do, you’ll want this supplement. There are tons of other choices for killing yeast (click here), but I don’t know of anything that does a better job for the money than SF722. Candida can become fairly immune to many other antimicrobials but studies have shown that this does not happen with SF722.

Probiotics

Probiotics help fix everything int he gut, including breaking down and removing things that shouldn’t be there, like heavy metals. A healthy gut detox the body all the time. Often touted as the cure everything supplement for the well-informed, probiotics are something most everyone is familiar with these days. What most do not know is that the vast majority of probiotic supplements on the market are ineffectual at best, and many actually feed yeast. How the probiotics are processed and preserved make all the difference. It’s not an easy task to produce good probiotics; our stomach acid is designed to kill it. Two of my favorites are FloraMend and Bio-K (the latter is not available in our store, but it is at most health food stores and Whole Foods). I don’t recommend taking a probiotic with antimicrobials. A really good probiotic should come out on top, but you are reducing its effectiveness when you combine it with compounds that kill. For instance, I would take SF722 all day and a probiotic at night and early morning, or vice versa, where I take the probiotic with food and the SF722 late and early. Different digestive issues can favor one over the other so try both ways and see what works for you.

Don’t take them with antimicrobials, and make sure they are high-quality supplements. Anyone without an appendix should take a probiotic every day with every major meal for the rest of their life. Your appendix secretes out beneficial bacteria when you don’t have enough. Take them on an empty stomach as noted or with food to help digest food inside the gut. I recommend mixing it up each day, but I do recommend caution when taking systemic enzymes. Too many systemic enzymes can cause issues, they can start to eat away at the body, so I don’t just grab a big handful like I do with SF722. I personally take 4-6 a day on an empty stomach, and I take more with food as needed.

One antimicrobial you can take with probiotics is olive leaf extract. It’s great for maintenance but it’s not a yeast serial-killer like SF722 (otherwise it would damage the probiotic). It’s a fine supplement, and but it’s not going to do much of anything all by itself. I like Abzorb best right now for a probiotic. For more on systemic enzymes click here.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an old home remedy for all that ails you, including ‘anxiety, apathy, depression, headaches, insecurity, irritability, restlessness, talkativeness, and sulkiness.’ In 1968, Wacker and Parisi reported that magnesium deficiency could cause depression, behavioral disturbances, headaches, muscle cramps, seizures, ataxia, psychosis, and irritability – all reversible with magnesium repletion.” – Psychology Today

A small study reported that over-the-counter magnesium tablets significantly improve depression in just a couple of weeks.11

Magnesium is a foundational supplement, like calcium. In the modern world, there is a tendency to become deficient in this vital mineral, and this effects every single function of the body! Not having enough magnesium is like not having enough oil in the car. Something is going to break down sooner or later, and in the meaning time, things will not be running as well as they should.

Poop Easy

For some, the gut needs more help to eliminate properly. Everyone should defecate once for every meal, and maybe once or twice more for those who also snack on lots of calories throughout the day like I do. Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse is the best I know of for healing the gut, killing parasites that may reside within, and getting the bowels regular. Shillington’s Intestinal Detox helps eliminate heavy metals and anything positively charged (like most pathogens), and it slows down and firms up stools. It also helps heal the gut and rebuild a healthy biofilm. Together the two supplements have synergistic properties, and they can be taken together to help balance the gut. It’s a very effective combination, but if the budget is tight, get the one that suits your needs. Note that if you have chronic constipation and have not tried magnesium yet, Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse may not be necessary with a good magnesium supplement.

Conclusion

We rely on bacteria to survive and yet many aspire to live in an antibacterial world. We know certain heavy metals are incredibly toxic to us, but we excuse them in vaccinations and light bulbs and sushi. Most of us know that fresh, raw vegetables pull our heavy metal toxins, but we grow conventional vegetables with such a heavy toxic load that they no longer have their natural chelation properties. For most people, when it’s all said and done, our physical well being affects our mental well being more than anything else in our lives. Our entire body is built on what we eat. Our heart, our gallbladder, our appendix, our fingers, our eyes, our noise, our brain – they all need the right nutrition to function properly. Nothing in the body gets healthy and stays healthy for long without fixing the gut first, and that includes the brain. If you’re looking for the easiest thing you can do, a little baby-step just to get you started, get the SF722 and Abzorb and some B vitamins. I can’t stress enough how much almost everyone in any modern country could use SF722 to help fix the gut. Get some sunlight or a D vitamin and some good fats. Start squatting every day, just a few to start with and build up daily. And get into some nature, be it walking or gardening or whatever. Another good option would be CBD oil. It’s showing a lot of promise with depression.