#me noticing that I basically drew Rainbow getting hugged just like that before

[chimchiri]

Out of all of the Mane Six, who would you say gives the best hugs? (Btw, love your art!)

For me it's a tie between two lovely women:

AJ is probably an obvious choice and she definitely gives BIG ENTHUSIASTIC AND WARM hugs. I imagine you immediately feel the energy and her love when she hugs. Also she's probably a big fan of swirling and spinning people around while hugging them.

But I think Fluttershy might be really underestimated too, with soft, comforting hugs. I think when you're feeling down she'd definitely give you the most comfort.

[toxickimi]

FO4 AU CH.4 Making a soldier

Before the night could come Aiko summoned Kimikyo to the throne room. Kigra was stood beside Aiko as Kimikyo stood below, looking up at them. Aiko had a very serious look to her. The room was uneasy and hard for Kimikyo to read. "Princess Kimikyo." Kimikyo jolted at her mother's voice, fearing she did something wrong. "Y-Yes ma'am--mother?" "I have decided to grant your wish to train however," Kimikyo looked up at her, prepared for the worse. "You will not be trained by any of our knights, you'll trained by Elder Maxson." Kimikyo fell to her knees. "Please...mother please don't make me train with that man." Aiko tilted her head. "Oh? Why is that?" Kimikyo looked up at Aiko. "He's arrogant and rude." "He is an Elder. Do you want to train or not? This is your only opportunity. Take it or leave it." Kimikyo looked at her then Kigra, who looked away. "Maybe she wants to stay weak and useless." Kigra smirked as she spoke. "Kimikyo, my little koi, this will help us build a union with them and he has already agreed. Do you really want to let protentional allies down?" "Again?" Kigra had added even though Aiko glared at her. Kimikyo stood, then bowed. "I will do it for the kingdom mama." She didn't look up from the ground as she turned and walked away. Kimikyo walked back to her room, locking her door before she slid down it crying. Of all things why did Kigra have to even mention anything. She knew all too well what Kigra was referring to when Kigra said 'Again?'. She began to tear up thinking back on the day she turned eighteen. She was betrothed to a prince of a neighboring kingdom, the two betrothed as children. It was the day of their wedding per tradition they shared a bed the night after. The prince had taken one look at Kimikyo's body, seeing it covered with scars, he was revolted at the site and had the marriage annulled that night. The two kingdoms had been on bad terms ever since with Kimikyo being blamed. Aiko and Azumiral knew the truth of it all but Kimikyo allowed the rumor to spread as to not make anything worse. Kimikyo started to quietly cry thinking back in that night and the following years. All the times she let her family down when men agreed to marry her then would back out after seeing her. Soon enough she began refusing the men, becoming stone hearted to any man.

Outside of her door stood Piper, about to knock when she heard the silent sobbing. She sat beside the door, gently pushing a drawing under the door. It was a drawing of a Deathclaw, with labels and facts on it. Kimikyo looked over to see the picture next to her. "Th...this is a Deathclaw...?" She whimpered quietly. Soon another picture slipped through of Nick. "This is a good friend of mine." "I..I know him." Kimikyo sniffled. "He...he came through with a wrinkly old man..." Piper thought for a minute before busting out in laughter. "You...You mean Hancock? I guess he is kind of old.." Piper looked up to see Preston looking at her curiously. Piper wrote down what was happening, that Kimikyo was quietly crying. Preston nodded to Piper before speaking up. "Hey Piper can I see some paper?" Piper handed him some paper and a pencil before he sat down and began to draw. "What...what is Hancock?" Kimikyo looked at the door, wiping some tears away. "He's a ghoul but one of the good ones." Piper went through the drawings, pushing one of a feral ghoul under. "There's two...well technically more but the basic two are ferals and non-ferals. Feral ghouls have no sense of though other then attacking. They don't speak...all humanity lost. Then there's just ghouls, like Hancock. They are basically like Preston and me just...wrinkely without a nose or ears." Preston pushed a drawing under the door of Dogmeat. A small gasp could be heard then a tiny "Puppy...!" Preston and Piper laughed quietly at it. "That's Dogmeat. He's super loyal! I'll bring him through next time." Kimikyo shuffled to her feet, unlocking the door before opening it. "Can...can I keep these?" Preston looked at Piper who shrugged. "I don't see why not. If you like I can draw you some more

pictures while we're here. When I go back I can take pictures for you with my camera." Kimikyo tilted her head at Piper. "Camera?" "You guys don't have cameras here?" Kimikyo shook her head at Piper. "It's a machine that makes pictures for you so you don't have to draw." "Interesting." Piper smiled at Kimikyo. "Tell you what, I'll look for you one when we go home." Kimikyo nodded at her before thinking for a moment. "Then in return, may I give you a gift?" "I'd like that." Kimikyo looked at Preston. "O-oh me too?" Kimikyo nodded to him. "You drew me a picture, it's only right." Preston waved his hands in front of him. "No need. It was only a picture." "I insist." "No really. It's fine." Kimikyo stared at him, unblinking. "Please. I insist." Preston stared back at her. "Really. It's fine." The two stared at each other for a long while, neither blinking. "Since when did this become a staring contest?" Piper chuckled causing Kimikyo to blink, looking over at her. "a what?" "It's where two people stare, unblinking at each other. Who ever blinks first looses...and well.." "I lost." Piper patted Kimikyo's hair before her and Preston walked off, back to their rooms. Kimikyo walked to her bed after turning the lights off, forgetting to shut her door. Mages walked the halls dimming the lights with magic as they went. Kimikyo laid in her, fast asleep. Maxson slowly and quietly walked into the room, placing the gift wrapped wolf plush on the bed next to her before leaving. Kimikyo tossed and turned in her sleep before finally waking up. She saw the gift next to her, opening it slowly. She smiled, hugging it to her before laying back down looking up at her ceiling. She laid awake the whole night only just dozing off as the sun came up. Azumiral as always knocked on her door and rushed Kimikyo out of the room and to breakfast. Kimikyo was in a daze most of the day, dozing off through out Azumiral's lessons. "Kimikyo...Kimikyo! Did you stay up reading all night?" Kimikyo looked up at her sister before looking away. "No..." "Nightmares again?" Kimikyo remained silent before sending a maid to gather Maxson. Azumiral continued her lesson while waiting. Soon enough the maid returned with Maxson. "You called?" His voice had a heavy hint of annoyance as he spoke. "Yes. I'm afraid we'll have to cancel today's training. As you can see Kimikyo isn't up for it." Maxson walked off the Kimikyo, leaning down to look at her. "She seems fine." "I haven't slept. It may come as a surprise, your royal arse, but I have chronic nightmares." Maxson stared down at her, looking angrier then ever since being there. "And?" Kimikyo looked up at him. "And, I'm exhausted. I don't feel like doing-" "Calling it quits already. My men have nightmares most nights. They have seen and been in wars. What do you dream about? You dress being too small, your hair not perfect?" Azumiral went to step in between, however under orders of Aiko the maid stopped her. Aiko order to let Maxson and Kimikyo argue but to only stop when fist flew. "For your information! I have nightmares about my past. This may come as an even bigger shock but my life isn't all rainbows and horseshoes." "What some one steal your cake?" Kimikyo gritted her teeth before walking out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Azumiral sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "That...could have gone better." Maxson looked at Azumiral. "Where is she going?" "More then likely her room. She always sits at that bay window of hers." Maxson left, going straight to Kimikyo's room. He knocked only for her to reject who ever. "Open this door. Your mother gave me clearance to do whatever I had to, to make you train." "Bite me, you ass!" Maxson took a deep breathe before kicking her door in. She was sitting at the bay window with the wolf plush in her arms before she jolted. "What the--You can't kick my door open!" "Your mother gave me the okay to get you trained. You wanted to train did you not?" Kimikyo looked around before throwing a book at him. "You broke my door! I'll have the guards on you!" Maxson

stepped into her room towards her. "Wh-what are you doing?! Get away from-" Before she could finish Maxson had thrown her over his shoulder. He began walking down the halls of the castle with her kicking and screaming a while the guards watched or looked away. "This is madness! Put me down!" Maxson remained silent as he continued walking. They ended up passing Aiko on the way to the training grounds. "Mother!" Kimikyo reached her hand out to Aiko who only turned away. "I'm sorry daughter." Kimikyo finally went limp at her mother's betrayal. Once at the training grounds Maxson tossed her to the ground. "Look I don't care what you've been through or who you are. You are under my training now. I don't do this magic shit you guys do so you better be a fast learner. You'll be learning hand to hand combat for now. Once we're able to go back I'm bringing weapons back to train you with them." Kimikyo looked up at him, not knowing what to do or say. He helped her up before the two began training, having her run around the track. "Maxson...c-can we please stop?" She was gasping for air on their third round. "I..I can't run in this damn dress!" Maxson looked at her, only now noticing she was in a puffy, floor length dress. "Go change." "I can't I think my legs are going to give." She fell to her knees in agony just as Aiko arrived. "Going well?" She smiled at the two though she was met with a glare by Kimikyo. "If I may speak. You majesty I think it'd be best if all your daughters learned basic training. Running, jumping, self-defense, and basic combat." Aiko thought for a moment before nodding. "I think that would be a marvelous idea, dear Elder. However, how do manage to handle them all? Once Kimikyo and Kigra are together they will argue non-stop and distract each other and Azumiral will be caught in the middle." "I'll have my paladin train those two." Aiko smiled happily, everything was going as she hoped with Kimikyo and Maxson spending one on one time together. She had hoped this would help Kimikyo. "Very well. I will let my other daughters know. Now then, Hannah has brought Kimikyo a change of clothes." Hannah handed Kimikyo the clothes before holding up a thick blanket to allow Kimikyo to change, this caused Maxson to turn around only catching a very small glimpse at a scar that could of have easily been mistaken for a tattoo. Aiko watched Maxson showing Kimikyo proper fighting stance, it being similar to boxing, before she went back inside the castle. "These next few days will be interesting." "Indeed, your majesty." Maxson then showed Kimikyo how to throw a punch, "Put your weight behind it. Don't loose your stance." Kimikyo threw a few punches, loosing her footing each time. "Again." "I can't..."Kimikyo stayed on the ground. "Excuse me? That is not a word I know." Kimikyo glared up at him, tears following from her eyes. "I can't! Mama was right. I can't be a knight. Kigra was right, I'm pathetic!" She hugged herself repeating that she was pathetic, weak and stupid. Maxson looked around before kneeling in front of her. "If you let them tell you who or what you are then you will never get anywhere. You will be trapped in your cage forever, slowly dying this miserable life that has been planned for you." He held his hand out to her. "Do you want to walk that road or do you want to prove you are so much more?" Kimikyo looked up at him, wiping her eyes. "I...I shouldn't be greedy." "You should." Kimikyo slowly reached for his hand, taking it lightly. He helped her stand up before nodding to her. "Now. Again. Through your weight into it. Act like I'm Kigra or someone you don't like." Kimikyo closed her eyes taking a deep breathe before she threw her punch, not stumbling this time. "That was weak but better." "I've never trained. Give me a break." She smiled up at him. "Again." They continued this until sunset when they were finally called in for dinner. Aiko was stood at the head of the table, waiting for everyone to gather and sit down. "I'm glad to see everyone is still in one piece. Now that you are all gathered her, I

have a few announcements. Firstly, Kimikyo your birthday is in one month and thus preparations for you coming of age celebration has begun. Please make sure to follow the preparation list the Azumiral has for you. Next starting tomorrow, Kigra and Azumiral will be partaking in basic training. You will start with Paladin Danse then with Haku." Kigra tightened her hand around her cup, smiling at Kimikyo. "I see and why the sudden training, dear mother?" "Elder Maxson suggested it and I agree. Your three have not had any proper training. Id you don't like it then I will make sure you are unable to use any magic." "Yes, forgive me mother." "Now then let us eat." The group began to eat with silent chatting going around the table. After dinner finished Kimikyo walked by herself to the bath house. She looked around before climbing into the water this time without any covering. She floated on her back, staring at the ceiling. She thought back on what Maxson had said to her about staying in a cage and how her life was already planned out for her. She let out a sigh before she finished her bath. She had gotten dressed in a night gown, then headed to her room. She laid on her bed, reading over the list that was awaiting her. The next morning Kimikyo was greeted by Azumiral's shouting. "What the hell!? Where's your door?" Kimikyo sat up, looking towards Azumiral. "Elder Maxson kicked it in yesterday." She yawned as she stood up. "I-I see...." Azumiral walked over to a rope on the wall pulling it three times before walking over to Kimikyo. "Did you get a chance to read the list? You're going to be busy this next month." Kimikyo nodded to Azumiral, though she was looking behind Azumiral. "The butler is here." "Ah! Good. Could you send for the carpenter to fix the door?" The butler bowed before leaving. "I'm surprised you slept in here without a door, what with those strangers here." Kimikyo looked at Azumiral with a confused look. "You've been fawning over one of those strangers from day one. Mama has us training with them. I don't believe they will be strangers for much longer." Azumiral looked at Kimikyo, sighing. "They will be gone before long. The construction for the building is nearly done and soon they can go home. I doubt they will be back." Kimikyo went to speak before closing her mouth. "Now let's get you to the dress maker. He's already here."

[sprnklersplashes]

heart of stone (6/?)

AO3

Janis ditches the tights and jean shorts by Wednesday. There’s a slight look of ‘I told you so’ on her mother’s face, but she spares Janis the lecture out of politeness. Janis never thought she’d miss them, but here she is.

Sitting cross-legged on her bed, she scribbles another flower on the page, a twin for the one next to it. Not an exact twin, it’s thinner and its petals are more spiked and sharp than the one she drew before it. It’s less inviting, more dangerous. Angry, even. Like if she picked it up she’d cut her finger on it. She hadn’t intended for it to happen; in fact, she’d set out to doodle some pretty little flowers in an attempt to brighten up her sketchbook. But the pencil, as it often does, did what it wanted. She turns it on the side, trying to find a way to like it. It’s not bad work, not her best but certainly not her worst. Maybe she could like it if she had drawn it earlier, but she had really been hoping to get something nice into her book today.

With a sigh, she sets the book on her lap and swings her body around so that her feet dangle over the edge of her bed. Her next round of chemo isn’t due for a few hours, a long stretch of time to attempt to fill with activity. While she’s only been in the hospital for two full days, she’s decided that the worst part is the waiting around for the next thing to happen. Granted, much of that can be put on her as she’s spent more time in her room than she has anywhere else, distracting herself with TV and art and her parents and texting her friends every chance she can get. It all comes together and forms some kind of routine for her, one that’s built with as much familiarity and comfort as possible woven through it. The only downside to it is that the room’s been getting progressively smaller since two days ago and it wasn’t long before it started choking her.  

She left the door slightly open and peers into the hallway, the brightness of the walls striking against the cool tones of her room. She can hear the faint sounds of half-conversations that overlap with each other; nurses gossiping with each other while fiddling with IVs, the inhabitants of the longue talking and laughing about who knows what, doctors prescribing new rounds of medicine. The ward is much more alive than she had Janis ever thought it could be, a constant hum in the background of the day to day life keeps the place awake.

She taps her nails on the cover of her book, her swinging legs gaining momentum as she debates following the pull in her chest, compelling her to maybe leave her room for more than five minutes at a time and follow the sounds of conversation. Maybe talk to people who aren’t her medical team or her parents. Make some friends, because as everyone knows, cancer wards are prime social hotspots. She may not be here forever, but she’ll be here long enough to justify getting comfortable.

What’s the worst that can happen, logic had asked her that first night.

Literally so freaking much, she responded. Friends aren’t exactly her strong suit. Regina was a mistake, Damian was luck, and Cady was a gift. She could indulge her inner loser and tell herself it’s because she’s special and tailor made to a few specific people, but the thought of that makes her roll her eyes. So she faces up to the truth and all it entails; that she’s merely been unlucky in the friendship department, something that can be boiled down to one terrible experience and everything that came after it and lingers long after the smoke has cleared.

You’re being ridiculous she tells herself. If there’s a Regina George clone here, she’ll be thoroughly impressed. So she pulls her boots on and pushes herself off the bed, quickly explaining to her mom that she’s going to hang out in the longue for a bit.

“You need me to come with you?”

“I’m fine,” she says, a small smile on her face as she pulls on a cardigan. She nods at the intense competitive cooking show her mom has on the TV. “Tell me who wins. And don’t leave out any details.”

“Well we both know it’s not going to be Leticia judging by the look of that beef,” she says seriously. Janis clicks her tongue before turning and heading down, her steps smaller than normal and her sketchbook held against her chest like a shield. Her stomach twists uneasily, not from the chemo or anything like that, just from good old-fashioned anxiety. In an odd way, it’s a relief to feel ill in that way.

When she pushes herself past the open doors, all eyes turn to her and only look away to talk with other people. It’s far more populated than the last time she was here, people sitting in groups of two and three, most in pyjamas and some with hats. But all of them in groups, belonging with each other. Is this how Cady felt all those months ago, when she and Damian spotted her heading to the bathroom? Maybe her girlfriend had the right idea that day. A bathroom stall is a way better alternative to a room full of strangers.

Unfortunately, she knows better by now, and so she settles in an armchair as gracefully as she can, her legs tucked beneath her, and tries to shake off the discomfort she feels by opening her book and giving her hands something to do.

“You’re new,” a girl sitting on the floor states. She’s one of the few that actually has hair, dark brown and curly, and it makes Janis feel a little more at ease. Is that bad, she has to ask.

“Third day,” she explains, offering her a small wave. “I’m Janis.”

“Melissa,” she says. She leans back on her arms and exposes a little bandage inside her elbow. Janis pulls her own arm a little closer. Melissa doesn’t seem to notice, instead gesturing to her with her chin.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, this?” she asks, her cheeks growing warm. “Oh, just some drawings I do.”

“Cool,” she says. “So you do art?”

“Sometimes it’s like the art does me," she says dryly, earning a chuckle. “But you know how it is.”

“My best friend says that all the time,” Melissa sighs. “She says she wants to go to art college but I’ve watched her cry over trying to hand in assignments.”

“You sound like my mom,” Janis replies. “Literally every time I bring up doing art in college she tells me how stressful it is.” She shrugs lightly. “She’s not wrong, but it’s the only thing I want to do.”

“Is your mom here?”

“Yeah, she’s back in my room,” she explains. “I left her watching some cooking show on TV.”

“Wow, and you’ve only just here. I’ve been here for a month and I only just got my mom to let me out of her sight,” she sighs, a resigned smile on her face and her eyebrow raised in a silent ‘you know how it is’. “Want to play some Scrabble? We’ve started keeping a scoreboard so we can add you in. We have a whole tournament going.”

“Sounds fun,” Janis says, pushing herself off the chair. “Although I should give you warning, I’m dyslexic, so I kind of suck at it.”

Janis follows her across the longue, slipping her hand into her pocket when she thinks she sees the other girl reach out to her. There’s a pang of guilt in Janis’ chest even though Melissa doesn’t seem to care, and she does her best to work through it. She exchanges names and smiles with other kids, all introduced by Melissa. It’s an odd feeling; she’s not used to being the one who’s introduced. She’s either known people so long she doesn’t need to or she’s the one making the introduction, but today her mouth feels dry and her tongue tied so much that all she can do is say ‘hi’ and try to keep up with the rest of the little group. But despite this, and despite the fact that she does supremely suck at Scrabble, they aren’t half bad. They welcome her in with no problem at all, asking her about school and life and art as they set up tiles and she knows the right questions to ask them. She laughs at their jokes and nods along to the conversation, even adding in her own take now and again as it builds into a steady flow.

It’s not entirely perfect; she can’t help but feel slightly on the outside when they bring up a nurse or a patient she doesn’t know and she’s much more quiet than she’s used to being, unsure which, if any, topics are off-limits, where the lines are. But she’s enjoying herself enough to drown out her earlier worries even if it can’t make them fade entirely, and her mood only picks up when she hears someone behind her say (squeal) her name, followed a flash of pink and rainbow appearing in her vision. How times change when a pink sweater can make her smile instead of grimace.

“Maddie!” The younger girl leans into her side, eyes bright and sparkling, and Janis puts an arm around her shoulders. “Hey kid, where have you been?”

“Where have you been more like,” she replies. “I haven’t seen you since Monday.”

“Been busy,” she says. No one presses, likely because they all understand.  They’ve all been where she is before. “And now I’m busy losing at Scrabble. Badly.” Maddie chuckles and when her arms wrap around Janis and chin rests on her shoulder, she can’t say no to it. There’s nothing uncomfortable about such a gesture and it almost feels as natural as hugging Damian or when Karen rests her head on her shoulder, despite her only knowing the girl for two days.

“Oh hey, did they tell you about the photography thing yet?” she asks.

“That what now?”

“Oh it’s this thing the cancer centre started,” Melissa explains. “Basically they want us to take pictures of stuff that matters to us. Us doing hobbies, us with our friends, the whole shebang. It’s meant to be about our cancer not defining us or whatever.” She gives a casual shrug. “It’s fun anyway. You should do it. Especially since you have your art thing.”

“Sounds like fun,” she says before poking Maddie in the ribs. “Now come on, kid. Help me make a word out of these.”  

And maybe it’s Maddie’s presence or just time passing, but Janis suddenly finds herself a lot less anxious. She even gets to the point where she trades playful insults with another kid, a boy around her age, and form a team up of sorts against him with one of the other girls. They can’t replace her real friends and she wouldn’t try to, the bonds she’s formed with Damian and Cady are too important and were put through too much to be replicated, but she suspects that they could quickly become new friends.

What’s more, treatments and diagnosis come in and out of the conversation with unexpected ease, and when Janis talks about her own, it’s the same. She hadn’t realised how much of this she’d held back, even in her texts and calls with Damian and talks with her mom. And while she feels bad for it, it also feels so, so good to talk to people like this. People who aren’t her parents or her doctors. People who are, well… like her.

And as it turns out, her next round is scheduled the same time as Melissa’s, and so they head down the hallway together. While Melissa continues to make conversation, Janis’ responses dwindle the closer she gets to her room. It doesn’t take long for the good feeling from the longue to fade, and the image of the needle in her vein becomes sharper in her mind.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Janis asks suddenly.

“Sure.”

“Does it…” She swallows past the lump in her throat. She finds a loose thread on her cardigan and toys with it until the question comes out. “Does it ever get easier? All this?”

“Well…” Melissa stops in their tracks and Janis almost trips as she does the same, immediately regretting asking. The other girl bites her lip, searching for the right answer. It feels like hours before she says “I don’t really know. I can’t speak for you. We’re all different here.” She tucks her hair behind her ear. “I mean… I guess you get used to it. So it starts getting less scary, I guess.”

Janis only nods and then Melissa reaches out and taps her arm.

“It doesn’t stop sucking,” she sighs. “You just get used to it sucking.”

“And then we all bond over it sucking?” she asks, smirking.

“You get it,” she replies with a laugh. “See you later, Janis.”

“Bye.”

After Melissa leaves, she lingers in the hallway for a minute, pressing her finger into the spot where her IV goes. The problem is exactly what Melissa said-you get used to it. And she really, really doesn’t want to get used to it. Getting used it to means that she’ll be here for a while, that something else replaces her old life. Especially now, after the year she had last year, she wants to get used to good stuff, not stuff that ‘sucks’. The idea of this, medicines and hospitals and doctors, becoming normal to her sends a shiver down her back.

But she learned a while ago how to live in reality, even when it’s not what she wants. And it’s with that attitude she walks into her room, where she finds not only her IV set up, but a text from Cady detailing something funny from her math class and how much she misses her.

Even if she gets used to everything else, she knows she’ll never, ever get used to missing Cady.

                                                                                               *****

Friday morning, she wakes later than she normally does. It’s a slow process at the start, sleep pulling her in and begging her to stay, the hospital-issue sheets softer than soft around her and forming a cosy cocoon that she’s so tempted to remain in.

That is, until she remembers what day it is, and then she’s jolted awake.

Friday. Or as she’s called it, Damian-and-Cady day.

It was an unspoken agreement that the two of them were visiting her in here. Just like her father, they were insistent on coming over every moment they could, with Damian jokingly suggesting he could hide under her bed and they could have a sleep over (which they had considered in seriousness and attempted to plan). But thanks to a little thing called school, and another thing called distance, today was the first day she could see them, which is why now she’s wide awake, bright eyed, bushy tailed, everything. Because she’s finally seeing them again and filling the hole in her soul being away from them had carved.

“Morning, kid,” her mom says cheerily, entering the room with a cup of coffee in one hand. “They’re still serving breakfast downstairs, or if you want it brought up to you-”

“Sounds great, Mom,” she replies, only half paying attention. She turns on her phone, her leg bouncing anxiously as she waits for it to load. Has it always been this slow at turning on? She swears it hasn’t been. It takes an eternity for her lockscreen to come up, the time written across it in thin white numbers.

“Ten thirty?” she reads out loud before her head snaps up. “Mom, why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Why would I?” she asks. “You need all the rest you can get, and you’ve still got time before you’re due a round.”

“I know,” she sighs, rubbing her eyes. “But Cady and I text good morning to each other and it was my turn this morning. I don’t want her to think I forgot.”

“Well, I’m sure Cady understands. You know, with all that’s going on, maybe she’s not expecting good mornings right now.”

“Course she is,” she replies quickly. In what universe would Cady not wait for a good morning from her? “It’s our thing. Didn’t you and Dad have a thing?” She types out the message and sends it quickly, although Cady probably won’t see it for at least another two hours.

“Oh, you think we did good morning e-mails back in those days?” she says, laughing a little. She sits on the bed next to her on the bed. “So are you getting some breakfast? Someone can bring it up if you don’t feel up to going down, I’ll just tell them what you want-”

“It’s fine, Mom.” She reaches under the bed and pulls on a sweater before slipping into her boots and raking a brush through her hair. “I might as well go down. Someone might take the last yogurt while I’m down there.”

Truthfully, she doesn’t really feel like eating. Not anything bad, she’s just not hungry, but it’ll put her mom’s mind at ease. Just as she thought, the tension fades from her mom’s shoulders, and when she pats her shoulder, there’s more relief in her smile than just breakfast warrants.

She eats in her room, with the TV on, like she does when she’s sick at home. She could eat in the dining room, but despite the new friends she’s made she prefers eating in private, especially away from the buzzing nurses. As she flips around the channels, her phone buzzes on the plastic table, the screen lighting up to show her a new text that makes her smile and roll her eyes at once.

‘Good morning, babe. Can’t wait to see you today. Also, ik I can’t really change it now, but what do we think of the outfit?’

Beneath the message is a picture of Cady in her bedroom mirror, clad in a black vest and blue flannel shirt with white skinny jeans, her hair held back in a high, loose ponytail, soft curls framing her round face, her eyes looking up at the mirror as she gives an open, toothy grin. And Janis can’t help it, she squeals. God damn it, her girlfriend is cute.

‘Love it, love it, love it. You’re the queen of cuteness. And apparently, texting during class. Stop doing that. If I get a text from you between now and lunch I will not cuddle you later.’

‘I’m not texting during class, it’s study hall.’ Wow, what on Earth has happened to the ever-studious, rule following Cady Heron? Not even Plastic Cady texted during study hall. ‘Besides, you have to cuddle with me. It’s legally required and I’m deprived of Janis cuddles.’

‘Only if you be good and don’t text during school hours.’ She fires back, chuckling under her breath. ‘And you remain that freaking adorable.’

“Well someone’s in a good mood.” She looks up and sees Doctor Wiley standing in the doorway, and her smile dips a little, the perfect bubble she was sitting in with Cady ruined. Not enough to ruin her mood, nothing could do that, but it shakes it.

“It’s her girlfriend,” her mom explains.

“How do you know that?”

“Your smile,” she says. “It’s your ‘Cady smile’.”

“I don’t…” Her voice trails off and her mom simply shrugs. Well look at that. She’s that girlfriend now.

“Well, that’s nice to hear,” Wiley says, striding towards her. Under the table, Janis crosses her fingers that this is a normal good morning visit. She’ll take bad news on any day that’s not Damian-and-Cady day. “So, Janis, a lot of us on your team have been talking and we’ve decided to ask if you might want to get a port inserted.”

“A what?” she asks.

“Think of it like a little reservoir put underneath your skin,” he explains. “Just to make receiving the chemo easier on you. A lot of patients have one put in.”

“Oh, wow.” Way to bring the mood down, Doc, she thinks. Sometimes she envies the younger patients who have their parents making all the hard decisions. Still, one word sticks out in all that. “It makes it easier?”

“Quite a bit easier,” he agrees. “For one thing, it’s a lot more comfortable than an IV.” There’s a plus. “And a lower risk of your medicine leaking out-”

“Sounds cool,” she interrupts quickly before he can bring up an image she doesn’t want. “Um, can I think about it? I mean, is it urgent?”

“No, of course not,” Wiley replies with a stiff smile. “I’ll let you and your mom discuss it.”

He leaves them after an uncomfortable silence, nodding to her and her mom and reminding her that he’s around if she has any questions.

“So what do you think?” her mom asks.

“I don’t think.” She picks her phone back up and jumps off the bed. “Where did you put my clothes?”

“I put everything in your bag, it’s under the bed,” she replies. Janis pulls out her bag, sorting through the mass of denim, cotton, plaid and leather, all while her mom hovers behind her with anxious eyes that drill into her back. "Janis, you should consider this.”

“And I will,” she sighs. She pulls out a shirt she’s always liked and throws it on the bed. “Just not right now.” She shakes her head, trying to clear some of the smoke in her brain. Still sitting on the ground, she looks up at her mom and sighs. “Mom, I just want to not think about cancer stuff right now. I just want to see my friends and think about that.” She toys with the shirt in her hands and bunches it into a tight ball, her arms tense and shaking and her grip tight. “Is that okay?”

Her voice sounds impossibly broken on that question. And while it wasn’t intentional, it works on her mom, who nods and comes over to pat her hair.

“Okay, sweetie,” she says, and that’s the temporary end of it.

The day passes even slower than it normally does in hospital-time. Hours stretch on and on with no end in sight and she can’t distract herself no matter what she tries to do. She can’t focus long enough to read or settle on one TV show and even games in the longue can only get her so far. She tries checking her social media when on her IV, but she’s hardly there a minute before her anxiety peaks again after seeing pictures of her friends. Besides, it’s mostly dry now, everyone else is in class.

Finally, finally, it comes to the afternoon and it’s close enough that she can justify beginning to get ready. She stretches, grateful for the little power nap she took earlier, and fishes her make-up out of her bag. It’s not everything, but it’ll have to work, as will the tiny mirror in her bathroom.

“What’s going on in here?” The voice makes Janis jump six feet, even though it’s the honey-toned voice of one of the older nurses. “Little makeover.”

“Just wanted to look nice today,” she explains as she unscrews the foundation. She’s a little bit surprised to see that she’s not out of practice since she’s been bare-faced for well over a week now. Bigger priorities and all that.

“Her girlfriend’s coming over today,” her mom says in a low voice.

“It’s not just that,” she says, even though it might be. “Damian will also be here.”

“Oh you kids and your relationships,” the nurse chuckles as she takes the empty bags out. In the mirror, Janis sees her point sternly in her direction as though she were her mother. “Just remember Janis, if she really cares about you, she won’t care how much muck you have on your face.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she says as she applies a coat of eyeshadow, deep indigo and sparkling under the low lights. She adds a generous amount of purple lipstick next, a shade that’s always been a favourite of hers, and four coats of mascara. Some say that’s overkill, she disagrees. Bigger, bolder, better after all.

She takes a second before looking at herself properly, and when she does it makes her happier than it has any right to be. She looks like herself again. Not a girl with cancer. A girl who is perfectly healthy and happy, the dark circles around her eyes and the pale tint to her face deliberate. Not only that, she feels stronger, even though she hadn’t been aware of any weakness before. She can breathe easier now. She’s herself again. A little winded but it was worth it.

When she’s done, Cady and Damian should get out of school in about ten minutes. They worked it all out; they’ll get the first bus from school up to the hospital, which should take about twenty-five minutes. She offered to pay their bus tickets and her mom had offered to pick them up, but neither one of them would hear any of it. Damian in particular would die before accepting money from anyone.

So she has just over half an hour. Maybe closer to forty minutes when factoring in waiting for the bus and various stops…

She probably should have left the make-up to later just to give herself something to do.

No, it’s fine. The last thing she wants is them walking in on her doing her make-up. Besides, there’s plenty to do for half an hour. She’s waited this long after all. She checks her outfit again, first in the bathroom mirror, by bouncing repeatedly, and then by using the camera on her phone. This morning she was sure about this outfit. Now she’s not sure about this skirt. Maybe if her mom had woken her up earlier she’d have had more time to plan it. The shirt is fine, it’s something Cady loves, so she won’t trade it, but the skirt… it’s not working. She grabs more stuff from her bag and lays it out on the bed, debating each one carefully. There’s a pair of studded shorts that she doesn’t think looks right with the shirt, a pair of jeans that would be far too uncomfortable, and a dark grey skirt that she’s not worn that much and is a little short-

“Holy crap,” she sighs. She shakes her head at herself. She hasn’t obsessed this much over her looks since middle school. “You’re insane, Sarkisian. You’re fine.”

They’ve both seen her look worse, surely.

She forces herself to sit on the bed and just watch some freaking YouTube like a normal person. She gets a text from Damian telling her they’re on their way, and she takes a deep breath and sends a response. She then has one eye on the phone and one eye on the window, all the while counting the minutes until they should be here.

Twenty five minutes. One video later, it’s twenty one. Another video, eighteen. Another video, plus a sip of the coffee her mom got her, fourteen. Another video, plus re-checking her make-up, ten. Another video, six. Another video, three.

And now they should be here. They probably are; they’re probably walking through the lobby. Maybe the elevator’s a little slow, maybe they got lost. This is a big place and they don’t even know where they ward is. Do they? Did she tell them? She grabs her phone and checks their groupchat, scrolling through the week-

“Janis?” Her name is accompanied by a soft knock on the door, and when she looks up, Cady is standing in the doorway, looking even more beautiful than she did that morning with a breathless smile and dimples in her cheeks. And everything else she was feeling melts away.

Janis doesn’t care about dignity, she runs over and throws her arms around her. As Cady hugs her back just as fiercely, Janis fights the urge to pick her up off the floor.

“I missed you,” Cady whispers into her shoulder.

“I missed you more,” she replies, certain that she’s correct.

“Well I’ll just go then,” Damian jokes. “If you two need a moment alone.”

“Don’t even think about it,” she tells him seriously, jumping into his embrace. He runs his hand through her hair and even rocks her and everything about his embrace feels right.

“Got you these,” he says when they eventually pull apart. He presents her with a bunch of white flowers wrapped in silver paper. The scent is just like the gesture; so sweet it makes her well up.

“Oh you losers,” she says. “I love them.”

“Hi kids,” her mom greets from her chair in the corner. To be honest, Janis had actually forgotten her mom was there. So her mom has watched her run across the room and tackle-hug Cady. Nice. “How was school?”

“It’s fine,” Cady replies. “You know… senior year….”

“Oh I’m sure it is,” she says fondly. “I’ll give you kids some alone time.” She gives Janis’ shoulder a squeeze before heading out, and then Janis can hold Cady’s hand as tightly as she wants and pulls the two of them to the bed, utterly giddy at having them at her side again.

Even if it won’t last a voice in her head whispers.

“So come on, what have I missed?” she asks. “Other than you two, I mean. Tell me everything. Spill all the tea. I crave gossip!”

“It’s been a week, Jan,” Cady tells her, grinning and swinging her legs as her feet don’t touch the floor. “But, you do know that you’re talking to the newest captain of the North Shore Mathletes.”

“Come on then.” Janis digs her elbow in her girlfriend’s ribs. “Tell me everything.”

That’s all the incentive Cady needs.

She babbles on about her plans for the new year as Captain, how she’s already getting new recruits and she’s even allowed to invite freshmen and create Junior Mathletes, how she’s sure that membership is going to be double what it was last year (at which point Damian reminds her that there were only three people on the team last year), and about how they’re already starting to put together teams for a few contests, more than last year, and of course, how she’s ready to defend their state champion title. With each word, Janis’ heart grows warmer, the sense of security she’s craved all week settling and wrapping around her like her favourite blanket, and their hands lie intertwined on the bed a though they’d never been apart.

“So that’s my life…” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear. She shakes her head and covers Janis’ hand with hers. “But what about you, what’s it like in here?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” she scoffs. “I’m always fine.” Cady’s smile dips, not enough, but Janis notice and let out a sigh. “I mean it’s not the ideal situation. But I’m… coping?”

“I do not like that inflection,” Damian adds, leaning back on the bed and raising an eyebrow.

“You wouldn’t,” she says. “Like, it’s not too bad. You know… the food is actually pretty good, we have some cool stuff in the longue, they know how to keep us occupied. The doctors are all great. Including one hot med student I’m considering setting Damian up with.”

“Consider my attention grabbed,” he says. “How hot are we talking here?”

“Like… Okay I’m not into dudes, so I’m not that great at guessing, but he’s a solid 7.5,” she explains. “Would be a 9 but he stabbed me several times while trying to find a vein.”

“He did what?” Cady squeals, making the two of them jump. Her eyebrows shot up her forehead. “He stabbed you?”

“Woah, yeah.” She grasps Cady’s shoulder and silently bites her tongue. She rubs it in circles, bringing her back down. “And it hurt for a few seconds and I was slightly annoyed by it. And then we laughed about it.” She strokes Cady’s cheek carefully. “Nothing bad, Caddy.”

“Okay.” Cady lets out a breath and shakes out her hands. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, love.” She plays a kiss on her cheekbone, the tension fleeing Cady’s body as she does so. She tangles her fingers in her hair. She even missed her hair. “It’s cute that you worry so much.”

“I always worry about you.” At that moment, Damian turns his attention to the window, and Cady rests her head on Janis’ shoulder and Janis wraps her arms around her. This, the fearful looks and causing anxiety to her, this is what Janis wanted to avoid in the first place.

Damn Cady Heron and her unflinching loyalty.

“You’re feeling okay though?” she asks quietly. “Right?”

“Okay’s a bit of a relative term these days,” she says. “I’m feeling a bit bleh. But it’s fine.” Cady murmurs something she guesses is an agreement and nestles closer to her. Janis rubs her hand up and down her arm. “I’m fine.”

“Good.” She presses her cheek into her head and closes her eyes, only for a moment.

“Anyway, enough of that stuff,” she says, bouncing and turning to Damian, beckoning him back over. “There’s got to be more that I’ve missed. Come on, spill.”

“Well…” Damian begins, spinning around to face them with a grin stretched across his face. He’s been waiting to tell her this, she can tell. “They’ve announced that the musical this year will be… drum roll.”

She can Cady drum their hands on their legs, the sound bouncing off the walls and making the room tremble with anticipation as it gets higher and faster until-.

“Cabaret!”

“No way!” she gasps. Damian nods excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet and clapping his hands together. “Stars have aligned, mon amie. Stars have aligned.”

“Which means,” he goes on, throwing himself down on the bed with such gusto that it bounces. “I am going to be the greatest Emcee that North Shore High would ever wish to have.”

“Damn right!” The two high five, their glee double that of the slightly out of the loop Cady. “Emcee has been one of Damian’s dream roles ever since middle school.”

“Ever since I came out of the damn womb!” he exclaims. “I cannot tell you how much I screamed when the drama club announced it.”

“I can,” Cady adds. “It was loud and long and he got several death glares from everyone else.”

“That’s the only appropriate way to react,” Janis chuckles. “We watched the movie way back when and that’s when he decided he was going to play the Emcee or die trying.”

“It’s also when Janis became gay for Liza Minelli.”

“I’m gay for myself,” she corrects. “Liza was just the object of young Janis’ affections.” She rests her chin on Cady’s shoulder and smiles at him. “I’m helping you prep for this. I don’t care if I have to break out of here with an IV in my arm, I’m helping you.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” he replies. “Also the drama club is devastated you can’t do the set this year.”

“Who the heck says I can’t?” she says indignantly. “Those morons they have won’t last five minutes without my guidance. And I will not have your shining moment ruined by a subpar set.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder. “We all know who really runs that drama club.”

“Oh really, madame,” Damian scoffs, turning so his leg is folded beneath him. Janis keeps smiling, despite the feeling that its being tugged down and the weight settling in her stomach. Of all the times he had to do Cabaret, why did it have to be now?

“Everyone really missed you at school,” Cady tells her.

“Bet it’s not everyone,” she says, half joking. “Not one person in particular.”

“Hey!” Cady slaps her arm. “Be nice.”

“I promised to play nice to her face,” Janis reminds her. “Not behind her back.” Cady huffs out a laugh, her face slightly scrunched up. “But how’s the most important thing; LGBT+ society?”

“Well, we’re having our first welcome back meeting on Wednesday,” Damian says. “And Gretchen is taking over your stall at the fair. Sonja’s going to help her out though,” he adds. “And Sonja’s taking over your spot on the committee too.”

“Good choice,” she says. Lovely as Gretchen is most of the time, Janis isn’t sure she could handle the pressure of running her stall. And Sonja’s the perfect choice to take over her committee spot, smart as a whip, decisive and funny as hell.

So why does the idea make Janis so uneasy?

“Yeah, why don’t we turn this TV on?” she says, grabbing the remote. “It apparently has Netflix, although I’m not entirely sure how to operate it. There’s a load of DVDs in the longue as well.”

“A DVD. Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a while,” Damian says.

“I don’t think they have Cabaret though,” she sighs. “Which would be perfect for us right now.” She’s telling half-truths, because there’s a substantial collection of old movies, including musicals, but she doesn’t really want to brave the longue now, or to take them in there. The longue is probably her favourite place in the hospital, but it’s bound to be full right now. And for now, she wants to keep her cancer world and the real world separate.

So with some fussing, they manage to find Netflix and learn how to work it. Cady is insistent that Janis pick the movie, since it’s her room and she doesn’t know half of them and has already watched the other half. At the start of the summer, Janis had made Cady a list of every movie she needed to watch, and by the end of August they’d almost made it to the halfway mark. The best part wasn’t the movies themselves; it was the movie nights. Huddled under a comforter and surrounded by pillows, Cady’s body pressed against hers and the lights down low, buttery popcorn and sugar-covered candies keeping them going until one (usually Cady) fell asleep.

Now they make do with the thin hospital bed and the near-plastic sheets. At least they can adjust the height of it, and Janis positions Cady against her and Damian sits in the comfiest chair to watch The Parent Trap. It’s none of their favourites, but it’s familiar and good enough and while it wasn’t on the list, Cady hasn’t seen it yet. Besides, Damian can make any more fun.

And really, Janis can’t take any more of the back and forth debate.

The more the movie goes on, the more normal Janis feels. She runs her fingers up and down Cady’s bare arms, her girlfriend’s jacket discarded across a chair like she would in her house. The conversation is light and easy and full of giggles even at the stupidest, silliest thing, Damian quoting along with the movie and Cady hopelessly lost, especially at around halfway through when Janis decides to tell her that Annie and Hallie were played by the same person.

“No way!” she declares. “I’m not believing you until I see proof.”

“Google it,” she says. “Damian?”

“Way ahead of you.” He pulls up the page and shows her the cast list, with one little Lohan billed as the two twins. Cady’s mouth falls on the floor, her shoulders shaking in a silent, disbelieving laugh.

“Jesus Christ!” she says. “How did they do that all the way back then?”

“Movie magic,” Janis replies, wiggling her fingers for effect. “It’s okay, Caddy, we all felt betrayed when we first found out.”

“Didn’t she go off her rocker a bit?” she asks, pointing to the screen. “I know that much. Regina told me.”

“A little,” Janis agrees. “But I kind of feel bad for her, you know?”

“I guess.”

“Oh. Oh!” The camera pans up, revealing the striking and scary figure of Meredith Blake, and Janis squeezes Cady’s arms. “I hated this bitch.”

“I hated her more,” Damian adds, his tone not 100% light. “When I first watched this I had this soon-to-be stepmom, because my dad was back in the dating game, and she was…” He gags and points down his throat.

“Real mature, Damian,” Janis jokes. “I mean she absolutely was, but still. Mature.”

“Okay, missy,” he laughs. “Nah but I used to try to get inspiration from how to deal with her from this movie.”

“Shh!” she hisses sharply, covering Cady’s ears. “Spoilers!”

“I can still hear you,” Cady tells her. “And I could sort of guess. All the movies about step parents do that kind of thing, don’t they? Bratty kid gets wreaks havoc on the step parent?”

“Are you saying thirteen year old me was a brat?” Damian asks.

“Seventeen year old you is also a brat,” Janis teases. Damian gasps and grabs the cushion from the chair, aiming it at her head. Part of her is completely sure he wouldn’t, not in a hospital, part of her is completely sure he would because of course he would.

She doesn’t find out either way, because their gathering is interrupted by her medical team, and the weight in her stomach comes back with a vengeance.

“Not getting in the way are we?” Nurse Lucy asks.

“Not at all,” she says. Before she stops herself, she’s already pushing Cady off her. Heat rises in her cheeks. “That time again?”

“Unfortunately so,” she replies as Cady slides off the bed. “Is it okay if Jackson does it this time?”

“Yeah, sure.” As she rolls up her sleeve, her friends catch on to what’s happening, and Damian rushes to Cady’s side.

“I promise I’ll find the vein this time,” Jackson jokes.

“Oh this is the one you said-” Cady is cut off by Janis making a small ‘cut it out’ gesture with her hand. She then raises an eyebrow at Damian, whose small smirk tells her everything she needs to know.

She takes a look at her IV and her bare arm before turning back to them. She still hates this; shockingly, she hasn’t gotten used to it in under a week. Her stomach still drops a hundred feet when she looks at the needle and her chest tightens even if she’s only thinking about it.

“You guys don’t need to watch this,” she tells them. “It doesn’t hurt. But if you need to look away, it’s fine.”

“I’m fine,” Cady tells her. When Janis looks down though, she sees how tightly she’s holding Damian’s hand.

“Okay,” she says.

This time around it only takes Jackson three tries to find her vein before securing it with the bandage. Good for him. He’s learning.

“You know the drill by now?” Lucy asks.

“Two hours, stay hydrated.” She gives her a two-fingered salute.

“Two hours?” Cady echoes, and Janis has to chuckle at it. “This takes two hours?”

“That’s what she said the first time she found out,” Lucy says, gesturing to Janis. “I can see why you two like each other so much.”

“No but… two hours,” she says again as they leave. “What do you do for two hours?”

“I just… sit here I guess,” she answers, looking up at the medicine. “You know, there’s TV. I have books. I draw. Sometimes it knocks me out and I get a little surprise nap, so that’s fun.”

“Is that… should we go?” Cady asks. “If you’re going to-”

“Oh no.” She shakes her head firmly. “No, it’s fine. I’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Completely.” She’s such a liar it’s a wonder her tongue hasn’t turned black and crumbled. “Come on. Let’s finish the movie at least.”

Cady lays beside her rather than on her, and Damian stays on the other side of the bed, away from her IV. She catches him once or twice, watching the drip instead of the movie. His gaze is unreadable, and since she’s always been able to know his thoughts without him speaking, it unsettles her.

It’s not long before that familiar tiredness descends on her, clouding her mind and pulling her downwards. And she fights it; she keeps her eyes open despite how they itch and shifts her body when she finds herself too comfortable lest she start drifting off. It’s a challenge, not just because of the medicine’s effect on her, but because of Cady’s warmth next to her, promising security and comfort and being there when she wakes up.

And she must have given into it at one point, because she opens her eyes after a blink and the movie is over; Nick and Elizabeth are together again, Annie and Hallie stay with each other forever, happy endings all around.

“What time is it?” Janis asks.

“Nearly five,” Damian explains. Visiting hours don’t end for another two hours. “Are you okay?”

“Me?” she asks. “I’m fantastic.”

“You sure?” Cady’s hand is on hers, slowly linking their fingers together. Janis squeezes her hand, clarity coming into her mind by her own will.

“Of course I’m sure.”

They don’t have to be home for another hour. Home for dinner, that’s the rule. That doesn’t really change. Damian tells her that his mom is thinking about her every day and was beside herself when she heard the news.

“She’s started following more baking blogs,” he tells her. “So prep yourself for a lot of baked goods on your doorstep.”

“I can’t object to that,” she says. “Especially since Val always bakes with love.”

At some point during the hour, Janis pulls Cady into her lap again, or Cady crawls into it, or both. Her head is under her chin and her back against her chest, slotting into place perfectly. Like if she holds her this close, she won’t have to leave.

Wishful thinking, she knows, because when it gets close to six, Cady picks up her jacket and her backpack and there’s nothing but empty air against Janis’ body.

She wishes she could lead them to the door, but her IV catches on everything, so they say their goodbyes where they are.

“Don’t miss me too much,” she warns them teasingly.

“I hardly ever think about you,” Damian replies, his voice thick.

“And you,” she tells him. “Better run lines with me. When’s auditions?”

“Next Thursday,” he tells her. “So I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Perfect,” she says. “I have treatments at 11, at 2… You know what? I’ll text you them.”

“Okay. And you were right by the way. That med student is a snack.” They laugh, and then there’s a moment of silence before he folds her in his arms, her face burying itself in the crook of his neck and his hand cupping the back of her head. “Take of yourself, okay?” His voice is so soft, so desperate, that it sounds like a plea.

“I will,” she says. “I always do.” Knowledgeable as always, he gives her and Cady space to say goodbye themselves. She rubs her hand on her shorts, nervousness gripping her body in a way she hasn’t felt in a while and she thoroughly dislikes.

“I’ll text you the second I get home,” Cady says. “And can I call you tomorrow?”

“Of course you can,” she says. “As long as you get some homework done tonight, kid.”

“I will,” she says. “I didn’t get the top grade in Norbury’s class for nothing.” Cady takes in a deep breath, her hand fidgeting around her backpack strap and her hair half-hiding her face. Janis reaches out and pushes it back and if she notices her shaking hand, she doesn’t say anything.

“Caddy-”

Janis actually wasn’t sure what she was going to say there, but it doesn’t matter, because Cady steps up and kisses her. It’s not perfect; it feels clumsy and awkward and they bump against each other, but it’s everything Janis needs. So much so that when they pull away, she doesn’t even attempt to hide the blush on her cheeks.

“Okay,” she whispers, grinning. “I’ll see you soon.” She steals another peck.

“See you later, Janis,” she whispers. They don’t stop holding hands for as long as they can and Janis is still looking at her until she’s out of view, walking back down the hall with Damian, maybe getting lost again. Down the hall, to the right, into the elevator and out the double doors. Bus stop down the street, next stop home. They ride together until Damian gets off and Cady stays on. All the while she stays here, IV in arm and her phone buzzing, talking to them until she falls asleep.

[hoodie-lover]

My Multiverse Part 10

Ink was ready, he had his number two ready to help him, and he had his toys ready to play with. Before he opened a portal to the anti-void, he walked up behind Dream and hugged him, placing his hands in and around Dream’s soft ribs. 

“Can I have a kiss~?” Ink asked, his eyes a pale pink. 

“Why?” Dream asked, smirking and turning around to place his hands on Ink’s skull, rubbing it tenderly. 

“So we can get you into the right mindset. I’m soulless so I can’t truly be guilty, but you still have a soul, however deformed it may be, you can still feel genuine emotions. And we don’t need you feeling any guilt about what we’re about to do.” Ink explained, but continued. “But it can also be fun~.” Ink added, winking. 

“Sure Inky~.” Dream said, tackling the guardian. 

The two guardians kissed, a soft moan escaping from either one of them every now and then. Ink soon grabbed Dream’s shoulders and pulled him closer, then flipping. With Ink now on top, he summoned the chain he’d used on Dream when he’d first kissed him. And he tugged it, bringing Dream’s skull upward, and then he forcing the skull back to the floor with a prompt and deep kiss. 

They continued to flip and kiss for about 15 minutes before they both needed a break. Both thoroughly happy, and satisfied, they opened the portal to the anti-void, ready to begin the punishment. Though as both skeletons got up from the floor, a strong blush was spread across both faces. Ink’s face was a rainbow and Dream’s face was a bright yellow. 

Dream grabbed Ink’s arm, leaning his body against Ink’s and leaving his head on top of the god’s head. When they entered the anti-void, they saw Error holding Blue like a sleeping child. Dream squealed just a bit at the scene, he found it so cute. Ink chuckled at Dream and shook the guardian of his arm before walking up to the cute pair on the anti-void floor. 

“Glitchy~, wake up. It’s time for your punishment.” Ink whispered. Error perked up and pushed Ink away, gripping the sleeping Blue tighter. 

“What do you want?!” He cried out, covering place Blue’s ears would be if he actually had them. 

“We’re going to punish you for trying to tell Blue about my powers.” Ink said, booping Error on the nose. 

“We…?” Error repeated, and upon seeing Dream, he felt his metaphorical heart stop. 

“I made him like me. So I can have someone to relate to, and have fun with.” Ink said, looking at Dream with a longing look. “And thanks to you Error, credit where credit is due.” Ink added on, giggling as he poked Blue in the skull. 

When Blue’s glitchy eyes opened up, he looked up, in no particular direction. “Error…? We...out?” Blue asked, his voice still echoing. Blue grabbed Error’s clothes, beginning to shake and tremble. 

“Hi Blue! Did you miss me?” Ink asked, and Blue stopped breathing. 

Error panicked and began to run Blue’s back, whispering a soft song. But Blue was still frozen solid, like a block of ice, and just as cold. Error had often been told this was a sign of an upcoming REBOOT. Though Error never stopped breathing before, and he often went limp or isolated himself. 

Glitching and static covered Blue’s body as his eyes became covered by the glitching of his body. He was in the middle of asking a question, or screaming, Error wasn’t sure, but he was stuck on the ‘ah’ sound for the time being as he had something akin to a seizure. Error and Ink were stunned, Error usually went limp when he was close to or REBOOTing. What was going on? Error quickly moved Blue off of him and gave him some space. Ink also backed up, though he was more curious.

When Blue finally stopped, a REBOOT progress bar appeared over his head and began to fill up, a percentage showing how far along he was. 

“This is new. Dream get over her and take him.” Ink called out, and Dream walked over and picked up Blue by the shoulders and threw him over his back like a sack of potatoes. 

“NO!” Error screamed but Ink blocked his path and grabbed his hands, which had already been tangled with his strings, signalling he was ready for a fight. 

Ink threw Error onto the ground and placed a foot on his chest, pressing down and breaking a rib effortlessly. Ink then let Error’s hands go and untangled the strings, letting the soft material rub against his boney hands. He giggled and began to pull them, and pull hard. 

Error cried out in pain as Ink pulled on them, forcing Error’s eyes to make more, and it hurt, “STOP! PLEASE!” Error begged, trying to grab the strings and keep Ink from pulling more. 

“Fine.” Ink said as he ripped the strings clean off Error’s eyes. Then Ink looked over at Dream. “Make sure Blue doesn’t wake up, making him uncomfortable or feeling in danger should do it.” Ink told Dream, and the positivity guardian gave a thumbs up in response. 

Error breathed a sigh of relief as he was let go, but he clutched his ribs in pain as he sat up. Ink opened a portal to the pale AU Error knew all too well. And in front of him were Nightmare, Cross, and Fresh. They stepped out in unison, eyes blank and void. Though Error noticed something off about all of them. Fresh’s glasses were gone, Nightmare’s goop was more liquidy and runny, and Cross was slouching, something he would never tolerate. 

Ink snapped a finger and Nightmare walked up besides Ink, staring into nothingness. “As you probably guessed by now, I was bluffing when I said I’d dust them, but I most definitely will torture them.” Ink explained, and Nightmare collapsed to the ground and screamed in pain. 

It was loud, even the souls Error had stringed up above them were shaking from the noise. Ink spun his finger in a circle, like turning a dial, and Nightmare screamed louder, his tentacles flailing about. Error also saw the large tears were falling down his face. 

Far away from Ink, Dream looked on. He had a hand clutching Blue’s ribcage, cracking it every few seconds, which resulted in Blue’s REBOOT being stunted at 26%. Dream may not have felt guilt about what was being done, but a small tear in his soul, or whatever it was at this point, drew his attention. Dream used his free hand to summon his soul and look at it. It was normal, or normal for what is was now, a golden apple core with a rainbow sheen. The rainbow was the embodiment of his gift from Ink, the gift of control, and it also showed his undying allegiance. As Ink’s signature color, or colors, were forever on his soul. 

But the blue shone greater than the other colors, Dream knew that Ink’s blue vial represented sadness, so did Dream feel sad? He didn’t understand, he wasn’t guilty for what Ink was doing and his role in the torture of his brother, so why was his soul saying he was sad? Dream stole a glance at Blue, his limp body and glitchy bones, this wasn’t what Dream had thought their next meeting would look like. He still remembered when Ink had explained the vials to Blue. 

“Your soulless?! How?!” Blue had gasped, staring at Ink in shock. 

“I woke up like this, so I have no idea.” Ink said, though Dream knew it was a lie at the time, Dream was never told the truth either. 

“Well, I find it ironic that the favorite color of the Magnificent Sans is the color of sadness. For we all know that I am the most positive Sans in existence!” He announced to the room, which other than him only consisted of Dream and Ink. 

It was a favorite memory of his, he’d have to ask Ink if it was real or not. He silently hoped it was real. That was when he saw the blue color fade, and a golden hue take over. Dream dispelled his soul and made another crack in Blue’s ribs, setting the REBOOTing process down to 25%. 

Error was trying to get to Nightmare, trying to calm him down, but he couldn’t. Nightmare just screamed and cried in pain and Error was powerless as Ink laughed. Error managed to get his feet, but shambled as he found his footing.

“See Glitchy? This is what happens when you don’t do what I say. Honestly, I can make him scream and beg for death, of his own will. But I’ll give you one more try to not mess it up. If you spill anything, I will know, and your family will never be happy again.” Ink threatened as he grabbed a rusty knife and ran it across Nightmare’s face.

Error recognized the knife, it was the same one from the dungeon wall. He saw it break and slice and the bone as if it were butter. Error was terrified, as his, basically, dad screamed in pain Ink carved his name into Nightmare’s cheek. 

“Now that he’s done, time for Crossy~!” Ink announced and dropped Nightmare in a portal. A loud bang came from the portal, signaling Nightmare had hit the ground, and the portal closed. 

“You didn’t think I’d stop at one Error? Did you?” Ink cackled as he brought up Cross. 

Just then a blue bone shot up through Error, keeping him in place. “Just in case.” Ink explained and snapped his fingers. And Cross’ eyes sparked to life, and he collapsed on the ground. Scowling, but not at Ink.

Characters belong to their respective owners

Next

First

[a-mad-scientist-approaches]

The Fluff Pup

My contribution to Maybel 2018, Week 1: Animals.

Werewolf AU! I’ve wanted to write this for a while.

Part 2    Part 3    Part 4

AO3

Mabel sat eagerly bouncing on the edge of her bed, watching the forest through the attic window. The full moon would appear any minute now.

“Mabel, would you stop it?” Dipper said irritably.

“Sorry, Dip Dop,” Mabel smiled at him. “But no, I won’t stop it. It feels like forever since I’ve seen the fluff pup!”

“Not this again,” said Dipper wearily.

“Yes, this again! ‘The fluff pup’!” Mabel spread her hands and moved them in a rainbow shape above her head. “Because that’s what you look like when you do your thing. It’s much better than ‘werewolf’. That’s boring. It’s literally just ‘manwolf’. Fluff pup adds illustration.”

“We don’t know any other werewolves though.” Dipper tried to reason. “Maybe not all of them are fluffy. Definitely not all of them are puppies.”

Mabel held up a finger. “That’s where you’re wrong, bro-bro. All dogs are puppies. And a wolf is basically a dog, and a werewolf turns into a wolf. In conclusion: you are a puppy. Sometimes. Also, you’re not fully grown, so you are actually a puppy as well. I suppose werepuppy might be acceptable . . .”

“It’s a pity the Journal doesn’t have anything on werewolves.” Dipper said, grabbing it and flipping obsessively through, like he had been all day. “When I found it, I thought there might actually be a cure.”

He looked so crestfallen. Mabel slowed her bouncing until it ceased completely.

She loved her brother: it didn’t matter what shape he was. If it had been her, she would have been ecstatic. Becoming an animal? How cool was that!

Dipper wasn’t like her though. He was lonely having no one who could really relate to him, no matter how hard Mabel tried.

He was okay enough with the whole thing once he got used to it. He’d been pretty freaked out the first time he Changed, but Mabel found that, really, he was like any other animal – just a bit more magicky than normal. He wouldn’t hurt anyone unless he was pushed to. However, he still worried. The first time, he’d been paranoid that he would hurt someone, and terrified that it would be Mabel, until they discovered that some instincts ran very deep indeed: there was no way he would ever harm his sister. If Mabel was around, he behaved exactly how he looked: like a fluff pup.

Tonight was their first full moon in Gravity Falls though. Their first full moon away from home. They didn’t know how he would react when his rationality disappeared and his instincts took over in an unfamiliar environment. Dipper had been badgering her all day about restraint precautions (which Mabel had flatly refused), back-up plans (which she had listened to for his peace of mind), and readily available supplies of meat (which she had stored under her bed). Mabel was entirely confident that this would go exactly the same as usual. Dipper wasn’t.

He cracked his knuckles anxiously, eyes flitting between the window and the Journal.

“It’s just like falling asleep.” He muttered. “Falling asleep after a lot of growing pains, and itchiness, and sensory overstimulation.” He groaned. “This is going to be fun.”

“It will be for me!” Mabel said cheerfully. “You never want to play catch,”

“Yes I do,” said Dipper, mildly offended.

“But not with your mouth. Proper catch, Dipper.” Mabel said, as though this was obvious. “When you’re a fluff pup, you understand me.”

“Stop calling me a fluff pup! I am not fluffy, nor a puppy! I’m a werewolf, I’m scary, I could kill someone!”

“Nah.” said Mabel airily. “That’s just a myth.”

“We thought werewolves were a myth, Mabel!”

Mabel gasped as an idea struck her. “Do you want me to get Gompers up here? You could have an animal buddy!”

“Mabel, I might eat Gompers,”

“Nah.” She responded again. Then she turned thoughtful. “Gompers might chew on you a bit, though,”

Dipper was about to loose another agitated reply, when a white light shone through the window and illuminated the side of his face. The Moon had risen.

“Oh no,” he gulped.

“It’ll be okay, Dipper,” Mabel reassured him, hopping off her bed and going over to her brother’s side of the room, where he was sliding off his own bed onto the floor. He had a large blanket wrapped around him. It was odd that he was so self-conscious about changing shape, but when Mabel had shown him photos of his transformation one time, he’d been horrified and had kept himself completely obscured ever since. It also doubled as a way for her to be around him during the Change without invading his privacy: Dipper took off his clothes before it happened. He’d reasoned that not being prepared was going to be expensive in the future if he tore up his clothes every month.

He started breathing rapidly, then winced in pain. Eyes tightly closed, he looked like he was concentrating very hard on something. When Mabel had inquired once, it turned out to be on not losing his dinner. Small hairs started growing on his face, and his ears looked like they were trying to shift around his head while simultaneously lengthening to points. With a whimper, Dipper dove under the blanket.

After a minute or two, the lump Mabel had been watching frantically writhe around stilled. Laboured breaths filled the room, quicker than a human’s resting rate. Mabel slowly and carefully drew back the blanket. She couldn’t stop a very unwelcome thought from entering her head.

What if Dipper’s right about this time?

He wouldn’t be. Mabel knew her brother. He wouldn’t hurt anyone unless he had to, least of all her.

There was still a bit of a quaver in her voice when she ventured, “Dipper?”

A whine.

The lump shook itself, and the rest of the blankets fell away.

Dipper the wolf sat up on his haunches, tongue hanging out, soft dark fur slightly dishevelled, but brown eyes the same as ever, oddly enough. He even retained his Big Dipper birthmark, in slightly lighter fur than the rest of him. He licked her face.

“Dipper the fluff pup!” Mabel cried, hugging him tightly. Dipper nosed at her hair, letting her know everything was fine with him. No change at all. He’d – they’d – been worrying for nothing.

Dipper rose up on his legs, sniffing around under her bed.

“Hungry, huh?” she said sympathetically. She could imagine the Change took a lot out of a person. Opening a can of meat, she was happy to play with his incredibly soft fur until he finished. Then he yapped at her.

“Shh!” she hushed hurriedly. “We don’t want Grunkle Stan coming up here!”

Dipper quieted obediently.

“Y’know what,” Mabel said slowly, “we could never go outside in Piedmont. Too much city stuff. Out here on the other hand . . .”

She grinned at Dipper. Dipper wagged his tail.

“Let’s go see Gompers!”

They both scrambled up, and as Mabel finished stuffing her feet into some shoes, she realised just how big Dipper the fluff pup was.

If she was to get on her hands and knees next to him, shoulder to shoulder, he’d be noticeably bigger than her. And he was only a puppy! She wondered if this was standard for some dogs. Or werewolves. It might be. Nothing was standard about this situation.

She grinned as she realised how big he’d eventually be. He might be able to give her piggy backs one day!

Mabel grabbed the ball they played catch with, and the Journal. As an afterthought, she grabbed her camera as well. They were here to make summer memories after all.

“Let’s see if we can do this without Grunkle Stan noticing,” Mabel whispered, opening their bedroom door. Dipper might have given a nod, or he might just have been flicking his head. She was never quite sure how intelligent he was like this, and he never remembered enough to tell her.

Apart from Mabel’s camera spontaneously flashing when they were halfway downstairs, their temporary escape was successful. The siblings crept quietly out, one on two legs, one on four, but both pretty happy with the arrangement.

Fortunately, Stan was occupied playing with his own chew toy in the basement.

[starc00kie]

Lucimano Soulmate AU

A/N: Tell me if you want an angsty sequel!

For years we've grown up seeing different coloured hearts floating over every person's head. Whoever shares the same shade as you is supposedly your soulmate, I can't be the one to tell you because no one knows what colour my heart is, not even me. If people become tainted with negative emotions the centre of the heart turns black, and mine's too broken for you to see anything BUT the centre. I guess it's my fault isn't it? I let myself become envious, sad, and maybe a little bit angry. My grandpa preferred my brother and put me up for adoption, and everyone continued to prefer my brother and dislike me... it's always the same. He even found his "soulmate" with a lime green heart over his head. I don't like him, he scares me, not only is he all my brother talks about now and takes all his time, but our grandpa died from a doctor trying to rush his procedure, I think you can guess who's dad that was.

I don't know if I'm actually just jealous, but those are the reason's I don't like him and I can't come to trust him with my little brother. Feliciano is... always at his soulmate's house, he barely comes home to see me anymore. I overheard his friend/third-wheel Kiku telling some other kid that my brother was even planning to move in with his soulmate. Sometimes I can't help but wonder, would I care so much if I had a soulmate of my own? A ruler smacks down in front of me, sending a harsh ringing careening through my ears, "Mr.Vargas! Are you looking to get sent to the principal's office?" Our teacher, Mrs.Marabella growled, clearly angry that I've fallen asleep in her boring ass math class for the fourth time today. "N-No Mrs, it won't happen again." She shot me another glare, but my statement somehow seemed to satisfy her as I'd answered the equations correct both the second and third time. I just sat there and stared at the ticking clock as everyone around me whispered about how lazy I am, I want the bell to ring.

It's finally over, my last class of the day. I don't even bother to look for Feli this time and just head straight home, not letting anything distract me from my path. That was a lie, I can deny it as much as I want but I can't ignore how easily I'm distracted. This time though, it was something incredibly eye-catching for me. A cute little shop with a wooden sign that spelled out the words, 'H E A R T  S M I T H' across the roof of the shop. I know it's dumb, but I didn't even hesitate before entering the shop. Almost everything inside was either white or lavender, from the carpet to the lights overhead. There was a chemist sitting at his desk, peering into some test tubes with a cracked lavender heart slightly tinged with black in the centre floating above his head. "U-Um... c-ciao." The words came out of my mouth flat and awkward, great introduction Lavino, bravo. The man looked up at me and quickly tried to change his comfortable posture. 

"Ah! Ciao, my name is Flavio, how can I help you~?" He smiled softly at me and held his hand out to shake. "L-Lavino, I was wondering if me heart is... repairable." I shook his hand limply, looking at the ground as to not meet his gaze.He grimaced as he peered up at the remains above my head. "Do you mind if I... take a closer look at it?" He asked, cupping his hands carefully. I nodded my head and pulled the heart from above my head and shifted it over to let it float over his hands. He pulled out a mini telescope from his breast pocket and closely examined the broken heart. "I can fix it... but it will cause you severe depression while it's being repaired, do you have anyone you can stay with during the procedure?" He asked, I shook my head miserably, looking down, I didn't even notice when the hot tears fell down my face. He looked at me pitifully before looking back at my heart. "I, have a brother who probably wouldn't mind staying with you, would that be okay?"

He handed me his number, and gave me a quick hug before setting my heart on his desk. "I'll start on it as soon as you call to let me know you're home alright?" His eyes were soft as he gave me a rainbow lollipop from the pot on his desk, I hesitantly took it, which he seemed to be happy about, and nodded my head one last time before turning around and exiting the small shop. I had a spring in my step all the way back to our shared house. I called the chemist known as Flavio to let him know that I had reached home and was prepared for the procedure to begin. Flavio said okay and began to cut into the piece of heart on his desk, causing me to drop the phone and fall to my knees sobbing in pain and misery. After a while, the feeling dulled as I got used to it, which meant that Flavio wasn't cutting anymore. "Lavino? Lavino are you there?" Flavio's voice practically echoed throughout the room from the phone. "Y-Yeah, I am." He wasn't sobbing anymore.

"Well... You know how I told you about my brother, right?" He asked, "his heart is the same colour as yours." My eyes widened, his brother was my soulmate? I couldn't believe it, all I could do was gasp, which apparently was enough for Flavio. "I told him, he's on his way over, he'll look after you until I'm done, okay?" Flavio asked me and waited until I agreed before he hung up. I guess it was just because the store was in town, but I was still nervous when I heard the door open and close softly. "Hey, I'm Luciano, Flavio's brother." a velvety voice slid through the air as if it were silk. I couldn't see him, but I heard his approaching footsteps, and felt the warmth as he pulled me into his lap. "I know this probably isn't the ideal way to meet your soulmate, but he said you were undergoing drastic heart remodelling so... I wanted to be here to... y'know" He mumbled, getting more quiet as he spoke. "No, I don't know, enlighten me." My voice came out sassy and slightly hostile, not even the way I meant for them to sound, but Luciano only giggled.

"Most people undergoing remodelling become suicidal once what is left has been severed and attached to new parts, I'm... basically supposed to stay with lonely patients to make sure they don't do anything stupid." He gave me a half smile, not gonna lie it was the dorkiest smile I have ever seen, but it was still somehow beautiful to me. we ended up staying up all night, he'd just talk to me on and on until Flavio finally called to tell me that the procedure was over. Luciano asked if he could spend the night with me, and of course the older brother happily obliged. I learned a lot about Luciano that night, from his schizophrenia, to his love of sweets, and shared interests with me. He seemed really happy to meet me, but there's only one thing I can't shake off, he had a sort of guilt behind his eyes, I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he told me it was nothing until I attempted to move on and asked the one unfortunate question. "So... does Flavio have a soulmate?"

The sadness took over his eyes as he slowly shook his head, subconsciously reaching for my hand for comfort. "They found each other online and planned to go on a date. Flavio got there early and waited, only to see his soulmate get hit by a car... his name was apparently Mani, he only got to see what she looked like for a split second. He doesn't want to heal his heart because... he's afraid that he'll forget about her." He was crying now, and for once I understood his guilt. Yes, he was happy to find his soulmate, but knowing his brother didn't have one anymore made his heart heavy. "It's okay, he's happy for you... and no matter what happens he's still have unconditional love even without a soulmate..." I trailed off, I didn't know what else to say, and I feared it was only making his pain worse. Luciano looked at me, confused, until the words sunk in and his eyes went wide. "Y-Yeah, I won't leave him... I hope he knows that." Luciano was smiling again, holding his soulmates hand and trying to decipher his expression.

"Thank you." He said softly, pulling me into a hug. I shook my head, but I didn't pull away, I didn't want to. it took about half an hour until we reverted back to normal and were able to talk about other topics, but we did, can't say we separated from each other though. I told Luciano all about my brother and my upbringing, while he told me how Flavio raised him and his younger brother after their father passed away due to liver failure. He had a lot of funny stories to tell, and for once I wanted to listen. We ended up going out and buying four whole tubs of ice cream around midnight and returning home to binge watch a show that we both enjoy. He wasn't as far into the season as I was, but I didn't mind rewatching a couple episodes in order for him to catch up. I don't think we slept at all that night, we just kept binging shows and having long drawn-out conversations. It was great to be honest, I even got up the courage to show him my sketchbook. I continued my self deprecating habit, but Luciano stopped me saying he can't draw a stick figure. 

I jokingly told him to prove it and flipped to a blank page, rolling a pencil over to him. He seemed nervous, but it still kept a smile on his face as he took the pencil in his left hand and setting the tip to this paper. I watched as he brought his hand straight down, but he ended up making a diagonal squiggly line. Next was the head, which turned out to be an incomplete oval. Two more squiggly lines and he was done his jelly-looking stick figure. He put down the pencil and stared at his creation. I was planning to put my hand on his shoulder and comfort him as I know how frustrating it can be to see something you drew as a failure, that was, until he started laughing his ass off. I have to say that his laughter is incredibly contagious, in seconds I was laughing too, doubling over in laughter beside him. I guess even if I'm not as good as Feliciano at art, at least I'm not quite as bad as my soulmate. 

The next morning I walked Luciano to the shop his brother owned. It was Saturday so I didn't need to go to school today. When we walked in, Flavio was looking sadly at a crying girl with green hair and a shattered sea-foam heart floating above her head. "I'm sorry, I can change your heart's colour or sew the cracks, but you'll lose your love for them." Flavio said softly, gently setting his hand on top of the girl's head, she didn't even look at him, just continued to sob louder. Luciano looked uncomfortable, especially when Flavio gave him some sort of... hand signal? Luciano slowly nodded, before going behind the desk, grabbing something from underneath it, and approaching the girl. He pulled a syringe out of his sleeve and injected it into her neck and lowering her to the ground. Flavio went over and took the girl's heart, laying it on the desk and brandishing his sewing needle... until Luciano put another syringe in his neck, leaving him slumped at his desk with his needle in hand. 

"I have an idea." Luciano grinned, turning to me and motioning for me to come over. I did as he asked and watched as he removed his brother's heart and set it next to the girl's before grabbing a sea-foam liquid. "If the sea-foam spreads slowly when he's awake it'll look natural!" He practically cheered, "I don't know what will happen after I tamper with fate, but I just... hope this works..." He was a heart chemist apprentice, so I couldn't really tell him what was wrong or right, but something little nipped at the back of my mind. "Hey... doesn't colour only drip when the heart is over the person's head?" Luciano turned around quickly and nodded as if he had forgotten it. He grabbed a white liquid, and injected all of it into his brother's heart, "this is to make sure the colours don't mix, I've seen fratello do this hundreds of times." he mumbled as he worked, he then asked me to put the heart back over Flavio's head as his hands were covered in lavender. I did so and watched as he injected green into the heart without it changing the colour.  

He then sat Flavio up into his original position and walked over to the place where he was originally standing, I fallowed suit. It didn't take long for Flavio to awaken, same with the girl but Luciano put her back asleep. Flavio lifted the girl's heart again and stitched up the wounds before walking over to the girl and putting it over her head. Luciano feigned a gasp, "fratello! Your heart changed colour!" Flavio's eyes widened and he frantically reached up to look at his heart. Sure enough, his heart was now sea-foam green like the girl's. Flavio was blushing and shaking slightly, and Luciano had to hug him just to keep him standing. The girl woke up right that moment and stared at Flavio, I wasn't sure if it's just because he's right in front of her or it was the sudden love towards him, but I did see a faint blush across her cheeks. I didn't know what was in store, but for now, I'm happy, for the first time in a decade.

[d-noona]

MAKE OVER

Chapter 8: Saturday Night

Jung Hoseok x Reader

Reader as Kang Hyeonji

SUMMARY: When Kang Hyeonji transformed herself into a striking redhead, the entire male population of Seoul stood up and took notice. But her make over was for Jung Hoseok’s benefit alone. He began to show interest in the new look but not in the way she wanted. Suddenly he was over-protective, perhaps a little jealous. It seemed that the idea of having a relationship with her couldn’t be further from his mind. The girl however wants more. So it was time for an ultimatum. If Hoseok didn’t want Hyeonji to lose her virginity to another admirer, he had no option but to make love to her himself.

Hyeonji could not concentrate on her work. How could she, with Choon Hee besieging her with suggestions from the moment she arrived at work on Monday morning and spied the newly made-over Hyeonji.

Choon Hee's main advice was directed at Hyeonji's choice of clothing for the big night. The trouble was, she changed her mind every day. On Monday she insisted Hyeonji buy black. Lace, preferably. Black lace was so-o-o sexy!

Hyeonji didn't think she could carry off black lace and told Choon Hee as much. So on Tuesday Han Byeol came to the office and butted heads with Choon Hee, they now moved into getting Hyeonji a red satin...before they realised red would clash horribly with Hyeonji's new hair color.

From Wednesday to Friday the girls went through every possible color in the rainbow, plus every possible style from strapless and sexy to tight and slinky, then finally to white and virginal.

This last, desperate idea was an attempt at reverse psychology, since Tinashe would never dress in such fashion. Hyeonji was glad to leave work on Friday afternoon, having informed her avid friends thay she would simply buy something that suited and flattered her. Choon Hee had pulled a face before pressing the solemn promise from Hyeonji that she would finally wear the perfume she and Han Byeol got for her on her birthday.

"And buy yourself some drop earrings," had been Han Byeol's last hurrah. "I was watching this body language expert on television the other day and he said dangling earrings projected highly sexual messages on some subtly primitive basis. Apparently there's this tribe in Africa where women stretch their earlobes with heavy rings and weights. The ones with the longest earlobes are considered the sexiest, so the longer the earrings the better."

Choon Hee laughed out loud yet nodded to have Hyeonji wear some drop earrings for more appeal. Hyeonji had sighed and agreed to wear long, dangling earrings as well as the perfume.

Saturday dawned slightly overcast but the sun came out during Hyeonji's short train trip up to the shopping center. The forecast that morning had predicted twenty-eight degrees, average for their small little town in March. Fortunately, the humidity was low so Hyeonji would mot have to worry about perspiration ruining whatever dress she bought.

She arrived just as the shops opened, her mother's gift of five hundred and forty-five dollars tucked safely in her purse. Four hours later her mission was finally accomplished, and her purse was pretty empty. Hyeonji could hardly contain her excitement on the train ride home, hugging the parcels on her lap.

She would never have thought she could look so good, or sexy. Of course, it was to be seen what Hoseok would think of her, but she could never reproach herself for not pulling out all the stops. She hurried home from the station, puffing a little as she struggled up hill with her bags. It was one thirty and Hoseok's car was nowhere in sight. His mother was, though, Mrs Jung waving from where she was attending to her pot-plants on the front porch.

"Been shopping for tonight dear?" She called out, her smile bright just like her son. Hyeonji was grateful to stop for a minute. "Yes, Mrs Jung. I've been very extravagant," she confessed rather breathlessly. "New dress. New shoes. New everything, actually."

"Oh you must come in and show me. I'd love to see them," says Mrs Jung. Hyeonji hesitated, then glanced back down the hill. She didn't want to be caught by Hoseok coming home. She didn't want him to see her today until she was ready.

"Don't worry," Mrs Jung said "Hobi's not due. He has to work all day today. He just rang to say he'd get ready down and arrive straight to your place. Come in. You can have a cool drink while you're at it. You look hot."

Hyeonji was hot, but it wan't from the shopping. Suddenly, tonight was all too real. It was also her last chance. If nothing came tonight with Hoseok then she would give up all hope. Total failure was less than a few hours away.

"What lovely dress!" Mrs Jung exclaimed when Hyeonji drew the silk bit of nothing out of the bag. Mrs Jung held up the clothing "Oh yes, that's just the thing." She chuckled delightedly.

"You're certainly going to make that boy of mine sit up and take notice in that dress, aren't you my dear?" Hyeonji's eyes rounded at Hoseok's mother, who gave her a softly knowing smile in return. "You think I haven't guessed all these years that you're in love with my son?"

"I...I..."

"You don't have to say a thing. Just listen. Hoseok does not love Tinashe. She is, however, a beautiful and clever girl who panders to his not inconsiderable ego and knows exactly how to handle him." Hyeonji was all ears as Hoseok's mother went on. She'd been riveted from the moment Mrs Jung had said Hoseok didn't love Tinashe.

"I know my son very well, Hyeonji. I know his strengths and weaknesses. Basically, he is a good, kind, loving boy, but he has an obsessive workaholic personality with a one-track mind. I'm sure you've seen evidence of this yourself. I used to have to set an alarm clock next to his computer to get him to school reasonably on time. When he becomes absorbed in a project nothing can distract him, not even his male needs, which I might add are as strong as any other normal red-blooded man's."

This wasn't any news to Hyeonji. She'd seen the trail of girlfriends, all of them not exactly the types you just talked to on a date.

"You think Hoseok has only ever been attracted to the most beautiful girls," his mother went on. "That he's like a moth drawn only to the brightest of flames."

"Well, his girlfriends have all been stunners, Mrs Jung." Hyeonji pointed out.

"True. So I suppose if I said it was their personalities which won him you would be sceptical?" Mrs Jung chuckled.

Hyeonji laughed.

"I understand your cynicism. Nevertheless, what I am saying is true. The only girls who've attracted Hobi have been the ones who had enough confidence in themselves to break through his absent-minded nature and force him to notice them. I have no doubt most of them approached him first, made none too subtle passes and flirted with him outrageously in order to win him away from his other, all-consuming passion."

"Naturally, the only girls who have such a degree of confidence are usually very beautiful ones which gives them that added edge. Once they have Hoseok's attention, they have the equipment to ensnare his sexual desire as well. Even so, he usually tires of them rather quickly. Either that or they themselves become frustrated with his tendency to forget dates, and they leave the relationship of their own accord."

Hyeonji intensely listening and nodding to every word Mrs Jung had to tell her, felt like having a fairy god mother by her side.

"Tinashe, however, has hung in there. I think she must be very good in bed. I also think she knows Hoseok's net worth and wants to hitch her wagon to a star. I suspect this so-called trial separation is suppose to frustrate Hoseok enough for him to agree to marry her. I don't know if it will work. I sincerely hope not, because she does not love my son and it will make him miserable in the end. He doesn't believe in divorce, you see. Hoseok needs someone who truly loves and understands him. In short , Hyeonji, he needs you."

Hyeonji was speechless.

"You have the perfect opportunity to put a spanner in Tinashe's work tonight, my dear," Mrs Jung continued in a conspiratorial voice. "But you must be bold. And daring. Make him notice you, in more ways than one. Flirt with him. Let him know you want him. You do want him don't you?"

All Hyeonji could do was nod.

"Then go after him, with as much cunning and ruthless as Tinashe did. In short SEDUCE him."

Seduce him?

Hyeonji went home with those daunting words ringing in her ears. How did an inexperienced virgin seduce a man like Jung Hoseok? According to his own mother, he'd had coubtless sexy, beautiful women do just that and do it superbly! What chance did she, Kang Hyeonji, have?

Made-over she might be, but that was only a skin-deep transformation. Inside, she was still a quiet, reserved kind of girl. Basically, she was not bold. Or daring.

Okay, so she'd spoken up for herself a few times recently, but only in private and with people she knew well. The thought of openly flirting with Hobi in a very public place at a well-attended formal dinner sent frenetic butterflies fluttering around in her stomach.

At six-thirty she still found those butterflies still in full flight. Yet her reflection in the dressing-table mirror went some way boosting that confidence Hoseok's mother had insisted she find. Outrageously long, the green crystal drops hung nearly to her shoulders, swaying seductively whenever she moved. They've been worth every cent of the fifty dollars they'd cost.

"Oh Hyeonji, you look gorgeous."

Hyeonji swung around at her mother's voice, the A-line skirt of her dark green silk dress flaring out before settling into more discreet folds against her thighs. Not that a skirt that short could ever be discreet. It ended a good five inches above her knees. When combined with the four-inch heels of her strappy, bronze-colored Jimmy Choo's shoes she looked all leg.

"Do you think so, Mom?" Hyeonji was desperate of reassurance, her own eyes not to be trusted. Zil's admiring gaze traveled from her daughter's shimmering hair, down to her perfectly made-up face, past the flamboyant earrings and finally to the little sexy dress which showed off Hyeonji's recently reshaped curves to perfection.

The low, scooped neckline hinted at a very adequate and perfectly natural cleavage, the tight bodice nipped-in waistline showing that Hyeonji could rival Scarlett Johanssen in the hourglass figure department, and with out the help of a corset.

"Turn around," her mother said. "Let me see the back again."

Hyeonji did so a little tentatively. She knew the lace-up back was daring, exposing a deep section of creamy flesh right down her back to her waist. This was part of the style of course, but it precluded the wearing of bra, even a strapless one. The only underwear Hyeonji had on, in fact, was an expensive set of lace silk panties.

Hyeonji turned back to find her mother frowning slightly. "What's wrong?" She asked, panicking. "Do you think the neckline is too bare? Should I wear a necklace instead of these earrings?"

Zil smiled reassuringly. "Not at all. Those earrings are perfect. No. I was just hoping everything turns out right for you tonight."

Hyeonji scooped in a steadying breath. "I do too..."

Zil came forward to take her daughter's hands in hers. "Whatever happens, you look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you Mom." Hyeonji smiled at her mother fondly.

"You smell lovely too. What's that perfume you're wearing?" Zil tilts her head in curiosity. "It's the one Choon Hee and Han Byeol have me for my birthday. It's called....SEDUCTRESS."

Zil's eyebrows shot up. Mother and daughter looked at each other, then laughed. "Let's hope it has a secret ingredient," Hyeonji said, shaking her head ruefully, "because I think I'm going to need it."

"You'll do fine my love. Just be your sweet lovely self and Hoseok will be enchanted." Now Hyeonji felt confused. She had Hoseok's mother telling her to be a vamp, her own advising the natural approach she had an awful feeling neither would work. The only time she'd had a real response from Hobi was when he'd been jealous of Mr X.

Maybe that was the way to go. Mr X had been very useful so far...Hyeonji had been speculating on how shw could use Mr X to further advantage tonight when the doorbell rang. Her stomach immediately crampedm oh, dear heaven.

"That will be Hoseok," her mother whispered. "I won't come to the door. Say I'm in the bath or something. If he has those papers for me, just put them on the hall table. Oh and don't worry about how late ypu get home. I won't. In fact i won't worry too much if you don't come home at all."

Hyeonji's hazel brown eyes rounded at this amazingly broad-minded mother she'd suddenly acquired. "Mum," she said. "I'm shocked but I love you for being so understabding. Still, I think you'll find I'll be home soon after midnight like a good little Cinderella."

"I don't know about that," Zil said wryly with another glance at her striking-looking daughter. "Now off you go," she added when the doorbell rang the second time.

Hyeonji picked up the bronze clutch purse which matched her shoes and made her way carefully downstairs, taking her time lest she trip over in her new high heels. Be confident, she kept telling herself as she approached the front door. And bold. And daring.

Schooling her face into a cool smile, she swung open the door, prepare to accept Hoseok's surprised admiration as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Unfortunately, she hadn't prepared herself for being confronted with Hoseok standing there looking blistering handsome in a superbly tailored black dinner suit.

Most men looked good when dressed in a tux.

Hoseok however was breath taking.

She stood there in speechless admiration of his beauty and missed his initial reaction to her own appearance by the time she recovered sufficiently to look into his eyes he was shaking his head at her with a mildly rueful reproach.

"I can see this is going to be a long and difficult night."

Hyeonji was taken aback. Did he like the way she looked or not? "What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I meant you minx, my God, are you wearing any underwear at all under that excuse of a dress?" Hoseok says.

Hyeonji blushed and bristled at the same time "I'm only following your suggestions. You told me you don't like women who wear pants."

His shocked brown eyes zoomed to where the hem of her skirt ended at mid-thigh. Hyeonji rolled her own eyes. "That's not what I meant. I do have pantyhose on with built in panties," she said dryly. "I was talking about my wearing a dress and not pants suit."

"Oh, that's a dress you're almost wearing, is it? I thought it was a left-over from a lingerie party." Hoseok added furiously.

"Very funny. Truly, Hobi, you're acting like some over-protective big brother, though I don't know why. You never have before." Hyeonji getting all frustrated as Hoseok answers back. "Well you've never looked like THIS before."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" She replied. "It could be a damned problem." Says Hoseok.

"I don't see how," she said airily. But she wasn't as thick as she was making out, and the reality of Hoseok's brooding reactions thrilled her to bits. He was perturbed by how she looked. And really jealous of any other man she might attract tonight.

His own mother's words popped into her mind. "Go after him, with as much cunning and ruthless as Tinashe did..."

"So," Hyeonji went on, twirling around and mercilessly pretending she had no idea of the effect the back of the dress would have on him. "Will I knock 'em dead at dinner?"

"I don't know about the others," he growled, grabbing her wrist to stop her from twirling around again "but I'm in my grave already."

She feigned a flustered frown. "But I'm not talking about you, Hobi. I was thinking of all those successful and possibly available businessmen at this dinner night."

Hoseok glared at her. "So that's why you changed your mind about partnering me tonight? Because you want to parade yourself for other men's eyes, like you're in some kind of meat market?"

"Well...I wouldn't put it quite crudely. And I'm really only interested in ONE man's eyes." Hyeonji only meant she wasn't the sort of girl who played the field, but immediately Hoseok took it the wrong way.

"One man?" He frowned, then scowled. "Oh my God. Don't tell me your infernal Mr X is going to be in this bloody dinner tonight!" He bit out.

Hyeonji tried not to color guiltily, but failed. For the first, the use of Mr X had backfired on her. "Damn it Hyeonji!" Hoseok exploded. "You should have told me."

"Why? Would you have refused to take me if I'd said he was going to be there?" She asked, even while her mind raced Mr X simply had to be disposed of once and for all, she decided he'd been very useful up till now, but suddenly he was beginning to get in the way.

Hoseok opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut again. "It's and irrelevant question anyway," Hyeonji went on swiftly. "Because Mr X is NOT going to be there. Mr X has been wiped from the planet from this moment onward. I've decided to take your advice Hobi, and move on. This is me moving on. Now, do you think WE might move on and get going? Or do you want to be late and make a grand entrance?"

"With moving-on-Hyeonji by my side?" He mocked. "Heck, no. I'd prefer to slink in the back door."

"There's no pleasing you tonight, is there?" She snapped as she stepped outside and banged the door shut behind her. "I only did everything you told me to do. I happen to think I look very nice."

Hoseok gripped her nearest elbow and began urging her along the path. It set her crystal earrings swinging, along with her unfettered breasts. She kept her eyes straight ahead but had a feeling Hobi was staring daggers at her highly mobile bust. She hadn't realized till that moment what substantial movement did to bra less breasts. Ones of her size, that was.

"Nice is a very ineffectual word to describe how you look tonight" Hoseok muttered. Hyeonji extracted her arm from his grip once they reached the passenger door of his car. "So how would you describe how I look?" She challenged.

His brown eyes blazed as he yanked open the door and waved her inside. Not a word passed his lips while she lowered herself into the seat, but his eyes spoke volumes when they dropped to take note of the way her skirt rode up dangerously high when she sat down.

"Provocative" he snarled at last, then banged the door shut.

"Good" she snapped back, once he'd settle himself behind the wheel. "That's exactly the look i was looking for tonight."

Hyeonji dropped her purse into her lap, noting with some dismay that the smallish bag covered almost half of the minuscule skirt. Had she gone too far with the dress? She wanted to attract Hoseok, not revolt him. She'd had no idea he could be such a prude. He certainly wasn't around Tinashe. Good God, some of the gear that girl wore was downright disgusting.

Still...at least she did have his attention that was something. Pulling the seat belt out, she was in the process of buckling herself into place when Hoseok's hand shot out and gripped her chin she gasped when he wrenched her face around this way, then gasped again when his mouth was suddenly covering hers.

His lips pressed down hard, insistent in their demand for surrender she yielded more from shock than any immediate passion. Her lips fell apart again his tongue plunged deep into her mouth. Her whimpering moan seemed to snap him back to the reality pf his quite savage kiss, for his head whipped back abruptly, his eyes widening. She just stared at him, the back of her left hand coming up to cover her still stunned mouth.

He groaned and shook his head, clearly appalled at himself. "I'm sorry Hyeonji. I don't know what got into me." Hyeonji didn't believe him. He knew darned well why he'd done what he'd done. By adopting ignorance of his very male actions he was throwing the ball in her court. How she acted now would set the tone for the whole evening.

Her hand trembling slightly, she removed it from her mouth and reached out towards him, letting it come to a shaky rest against his cheek. She twisted and leaned towards him till her mouth was only inches away from his. "I'm not," she whispered, and made the momentous decision to close those inches.

His shock was even greater than hers had been. For a few excruciating moments his mouth froze under kiss. Hyeonji hesitated herself. Good God, if he wrenched his mouth away, what would she do? Impossible to laugh it off. She would utterly be crushed.

Don't be tentative, came the voice of desperation. Be bold! Be daring!

She lifted her mouth from his and smiled. "What's the matter, Hobi? Haven't you been kissed back by a girl before?"

He didn't say a word, just kept staring at her as if she were a stranger. Sighing, she dropped her hand away from his face and settled herself back in the passenger seat. If nothing else, she'd taken the initiative and salvaged her pride.

"It's not that," he growled as he fired the engine. "Let's be honest, Hyeonji. It's not me you really want to be kissing anyway is it? Look I won't say you're not a temptation, looking as you look tonight. But might I also remind you that I'm supposed to be getting back with my girlfriend tomorrow? I don't like complications in my life, and if I don't watch you might become a complication. So let's just keep our old status quo going, if you don't mind. We're good friends. Nothing more. I'm sorry I kissed you just now. I promise you it won't happen again."

Hyeonji bit her bottom lip and turned her face away to stare through the passenger window. Her immediate response to Hoseok's words was to sink back into herself and oblivion. Underneath, she'd expected failure, hadn't she? Game, set and match to Tinashe.

But is seemed her new appearance had imbued her with more confidence in herself that she would ever have believed. Or maybe it was everyone else's confidence in her. Whatever, her mind gradually turned more positive, clinging to the fact that Hoseok hadn't mentioned Tinashe as his first excuse for backing away. His initial withdrawal had been because he thought she didn't really want to be kissing him. He mistakenly thought he was just a substitute for Mr X.

Hyeonji's frustration was acute. She heartily wished she'd never invented Hoseok's mysterious alter ego. She toyed with telling Hoseok the truth during the tensely silent drive down to the event. That he was Mr X, that she was crazy about him and would do anything for him.

But by the time Hoseok turned into the club car park ten short minutes later she'd abandoned that idea. It smacked too much desperation and would send any man running the opposite direction. No, her mission tonight was to seduce Hoseok, not openly declare her undying devotion.

Tomorrow several hours away and she aimed to make the most of them. Now, what worked best for her this past week or so?

Jealousy...

Not over Mr X this time, she decided. Over some other man. Hyeonji hoped and prayed there would be a suitable candidate at this dinner tonight, and that he would find her as provocative as Hoseok had...

Chapter 09

Masterlist

[zwei-the-penguin-with-a-pen]

‘Stars’

So, this one isn't going to be much of a narrative story, really, just an account of my experiences meeting the cast of RWBY at NebKon. I'll try and make an actual story out of it, but no promises. You guys know, ZweI is a bit of a spazz when it comes to stuff like this.

ANYWAY, two days before the Kon our saga begins!

"ZWEI!" I hear after roaming the bus station for more than a few minutes. I look across the street and lay my eyes on Regular-Sized Jimmy. I say 'regular-sized' because in some circles I'm known as Little Jimmy. This Jimmy doesn't actually know me by either of those names and calls me my real one, but that isn't really anyone's business but mine.

So I grab my bag and haul across the street once the crosswalk lights permit me, and before I can even get in the car Jimmy begins to complain. This, that or the other, just general Kon stuff and things. This wouldn't be a problem if we hadn't had to drive all around Omaha during high-ish traffic and do fifty thousand errands even though one of us just got off a damned day-long bus ride.

RSJ's errands include picking up the Bobb, one of the housemates, bringing her to Omaha Oriental THE COOLEST SHOP KNOWN TO MAN BY THE WAY IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF IN OMAHA YOU SHOULD MAKE THE SCENE so she can acquire Kon supplies, a phrase which here means 'all manner of Asian junk food', and stopping at Lowe's for something or other for RSJ to finish his cosplay.

Finally, we make it to their house. My bestie is still at work, most unfortunately, but the wonderful Mick is home. She'd stayed home sick from work, which is never a good thing to have to do, but she felt better by the Kon. Good times to be had by all. After a hug and a few words, I go straight to 'my room' which is in disarray because it's only a storage area.

Mick apologizes for not having the room cleaned and ready for me, and I tell her to do no such thing. Also, I have just realized, as in just now at the time of this writing, that I'm writing in present tense. It fits well, even though I don't like the style, so I guess I'll keep it just this time.

Around 11, my bestie texts me that his occupational imprisonment has ended. I'm so glad he'll be home soon. Once he makes the scene he knocks on my door and proceeds to crash into my bed. Hang time ensues, as it's easier to stay awake with him talking to me. The rest of the roomies are quieter than I'm used to, so I had been dozing off here and there.

DAY BEFORE CON! RSJ works frantically to finish his cosplay, enlisting much help from Mick and at one point trying to recruit me. I inform him that I'm terrible with a paintbrush and would do more harm than good. Ooh, did I mention the Bobb bought takoyaki and shared with us? Good stuff, as far as fried balls of cabbage and octopus go. That was the night before. Anywho...

I try and get a jump on my writing challenge, knowing full well the Kon will swallow all my time the next three days. Bestie has work again because EFF BUCKY AND HIS CONVENIENCE STORE I mean what? I said no such thing! How dare you incinerate that I can't use big words!!

Sorry... not sorry at all. WAHAHAHAHA

FRIDAY, FIRST DAY OF CON!!!

Get packed, stop for breakfast at two in the afternoon, and suddenly we're at the Kon.

And I see cosplay before we ever even park the car. A Garnet from Steven Universe walks by us and we cheer for them. A Doctor Mercy, like from Overwatch but not in her battle gear, parks next to us.

We finally make it into the hotel and I'm completely mystified. There's cosplay everywhere. Did I mention this was my first nerd convention? I go to the check-in area and show my three-day pass to acquire my t-shirt. Then, whatever my bestie and I try to do after that repeatedly becomes entirely derailed as I become enamored with every other cosplayer that walked by me.

RWBY cosplayers seem to be the order of the weekend. I see more Noras and Yangs and Rubys than anything, but there are Torchwicks and Neos and even the occasional Adam. As the Kon goes on I see more Blakes, which is never a bad thing as she's my fave, and Jaunes and Rens and PYRRHAS. I miss my waifu. It's a shame she was murdered, but it was destiny or something.

She was based on Achilles...

Bestie and I make a couple of panels, including 'Walking in Godzilla's Footsteps' which is basically constructing a city out of cardboard boxes and destroying it over an over again. We meet Avatar Aang and Toph Beifong as well as Lord Raiden and even the real Nora Valkyrie. She worked on the Kon staff and was ALWAYS in character. Someone even asked me if she was Samantha Ireland because she had the voice down so well

She wasn't. I tell you, SHE WAS THE REAL NORA! She escaped into our world and wreaked havoc upon us. Unfortunately, she didn't break my legs. Oh well, maybe next time.

Next panel we make is Voice Acting 101, featuring Erica Lindbeck and Arryn Zech. MY BAE IS IN THE SAME ROOM AS ME YOU GUYS! And she's talking to Barbie, apparently. Yep, Erica Lindbeck is the voice actor for Barbie. Every time you see those Target holiday commercials, THAT'S MY GIRL! Also, we find out that Arryn is a massive Digimon fan. Ah, can I count the reasons I love this woman?

The first RWBY signing is right after this panel. We make the scene to find that the line has wrapped around two hallways. After nearly two hours of waiting they close the door on us. We never even got close. Good thing they were signing all three days.

Bestie and I make a short trip to Runza. Good eats, by the way. 12/10 would recommend. When we get back, we finally go to the hotel room and release most of the stuff we've been carrying and decide what we're to do next. I decide to take a rest before whatever the next panel I'm interested in, and I ended up crashing until after midnight and missing it. I catch up with bestie around 1:30, and we make the IT'S 2 AM AND WE'RE STILL GOING panel.

We roam around a bit longer after that before retiring to the room for all of two to three hours of sleep.

SATURDAY! The RWBY signing for this day is stupid early, so we leave the room by 8 and make the scene, and there's already a bit of a line. We end up in line behind a Penny, a Nora and a Ruby that are all friends. This Nora becomes known as 'Nora with the Hammer' because she had a Magnhild prop that was twice her height. Also, I need a title to differentiate from Duct Tape Nora who I met the day before and had an incredible cosplay.

Behind us are a couple fellow muggle folks, and Bestie gets to talking with them about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I pop in and out until they start talking about RWBY, at which point I spazz. Naturally. Oh yeah, the line finally starts moving, and before long we can see the doors of the room. Omaha D was the room in question.

Sometime during this wait, I see two professional cosplayers dressed as Ren and Pyrrha and beg for their picture. This happens a lot with different cosplays. Before much longer we're in the room and I can hardly contain myself.

Lindsay Jones notices my bestie's Rainbow Dash shirt and proclaims for the whole room to hear that RAINBOW DASH IS BEST PONY! Bestie warns her that she's in a gigantic den of nerds and that saying such things could start a rumble. She's Lindsay, though, so she should be fine.

I come next, and she thanks me for supporting the show. I tell her it's shaping up to be my favorite anime but that it will be tough to top Yu Yu Hakusho. "Excellent choice! I love Kuwabara!"

"HE'S ON YOUR SHOW NOW! OF COURSE, YOU LOVE HIM!!" I shriek as she signs my sketchbook and the poster for my niblings.

Kara comes next, and I mispronounce her name. She says nothing about it, instead lightly complaining about how the staff wants the signees to cut conversations with the guests short and that her favorite part of signings is the talking.

I'm swiftly approaching my bae, you guys. I'm shook that I'm this close to her. I'm clutching my drawing of her for dear life. Bestie mentions that we went to the VA 101 panel, and she apologizes. He goes on to mention the Digimon thing, saying that he's also a superfan.

"Ooh, Bob's Burgers!" Is the first thing Arryn says to me, noticing my favorite shirt. She asks where I got it after she signs my things, and even asks for a picture of it. THERE'S A PICTURE OF ME ON ARRYN ZECH'S PHONE YOU GUYS!! I'm still shook.

She mentions her boyfriend, as his name is Bob, and I say that I used to watch his show, The 100, but I lost track of it because I'm terrible at watching shows. "So, I made you something..." I say, passing her the picture.

SHE WIGS OUT THAT I DREW HER! "WHOA! SHUT UP! THAT'S SO SWEET OF YOU!"

"I'm sorry I made your eyelash game so strong, but I'm glad you like it!" And then I ask her for a picture. And my soul leaves my body as I snap the photograph.

On to Barbara, still buzzing hard from Arryn. Barb makes puns at my bestie, as he made a joke about the Yang cosplayer a few people in front of us. "DUDE, YANG'S ABOUT TO MEET YANG! tHE UNIVERSE WILL IMPLODE!"

"Yeah, especially if they start cracking jokes..." I mention. Barb signs us and makes puns at us. Lovely times.

And finally, we reach Elizabeth Maxwell. In addition to Winter Schnee, we find out that she voiced Lady Urbosa from Breath of the Wild. Bestie tells her that she's her favorite Gerudo. I get an Urbosa poster for her to sign, planning to give it to Bestie. She notices my shirt and we talk Bob's for a minute.

And our mission is complete, so we make our way to the nearest eats we can find. After filling our faces we find our way to the vendors' block and proceed to spend more money than is humanly necessary. Soon we catch up with RSJ and Mick at a panel on cosplay fabrics. Later we catch the RWBY Q&A, and times are great until that business with that one guy that is not our friend.

We also see Her Majesty the King leaving the bar as we're heading into the jam with Bard and friends. THE BARD LET ME PLAY HIS GUITAR! WE JAMMED SO HARD YOU GUYS! So did everyone in the place. It was a beautiful time, it really was.

On Sunday, Bestie got signed by Todd Haberkorn for a friend of ours, and as he waited he found a Weird Al cosplayer WITH AN ACCORDION! Dance party shenanigans ensue, naturally.

We catch up again later and make the 'How'd We Do' review panel and Closing Ceremonies. We're super bummed that the Kon has just ended. We eventually make it back home, and I crash on his floor before I realize what's going on. The next afternoon I catch a bus back to Louisiana, still spinning from everything.

So yeah, that's how Remnant was made... or something.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I MET MY BAE!!!

*makes heart eyes for forever and a week*

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Day 18: A VA dressed as their character

For once, I have more than a rant for this day. XD

But yeah, meeting them all was glorious.

Oh yeah, i’m finally caught up. Well, i will be when I finished the next fic. Formal wear. Hmm...

[mairzymarzipan]

The third time he met Dudley though, the lamp was in a bit of a bind.

It was the night after Phillip had considered calling Winnie.  Like, really considered it.  Had opened up Winnie’s page in the contacts book and his number hovered over the call button.  Phillip was already rehearsing a speech- a speech to convince Winnie why he had no choice but to take Phillip back.

A second later, Phillip turned off his phone and turned up the Netflix movie he was watching.  

Phillip realized, he was lonely.  He had acquaintances, neighbors, online friends.  But what Phillip didn’t have- what he really missed, was touch.  Just the simple act of sitting next to someone and feeling their warmth.  

The next day, he was at the humane society, meeting cats.  

It would have been easy to adopt the first cat who won his heart, but Phillip reminded himself his home was hardly cat ready.  He didn’t have a litter box or scratching posts or toys.  He couldn’t just, adopt a cat because he was feeling sad.  He’d have to prepare for this.

Even so, just interacting with the felines helped his endorphins a little.  He had much less of an urge to call Winnie with some guilt-tripping, manipulative message.

He was walking back to the car when he noticed the man in the small dog park.  Phillip probably wouldn’t have recognized him but it seemed like the guy never changed his clothes.  He was even still wearing the poet shirt and the parka Phillip had given him- which was, concerning.  Dudley looked quite different, though.

He didn’t have a head.

He was the same man up to neck but there was a lightbulb where his head should have been, gving him a pinhead-like appearance.  He was clutching onto the railing of the gazebo like a drunk, and Phillip kind of wondered if he was.  Phillip approached the chain link fence and put his fingers in between, “Hey, Shade, you alright?”

“Harmonica, that you?”  The voice sort of seemed to be coming from the wrong place, but at least Phillip could hear it.  Dudley tried to straighten but he sort of stumbled and just hugged the railing tighter, “I can’t- see my body.”

“Oh.  Oh?”

“Yeah?  I’m on top of this stupid roof.”

Phillip’s eyes tracked up just slightly and he saw a pink, stripey object there.  The man smacked his lips.  “Your head’s stuck.”

“You can say that.  So are do you really want to prove you’re all sunshine and rainbows, kid, or are you gonna leave me up here?”

Phillip bit his lip.  Dudley needed a ladder, which meant Phillip had to get to the other side of the large dog park.  Both were empty at the moment.  These places didn’t have much appeal in the winter. 

“Kid?  Kid!  Oh jeezum, I knew it!”  Dudley put a very clenched hand over his bulb.

“Hold tight, Dudley, I’m gonna find a ladder.”

“Kid?  You’re still there?  I mean, great.  What else am I gonna do?  Run a race?”

Phillip jogged around the parks to the emergency vet clinic.  There was a shed out back, and Phillip sprung the lock with some wire.  Some tricks you never forgot.  The ladder was orange and sort of like, rolled in on itself.  He grabbed this, and ran back to the entrance of the small dog park.  Dudley must have saw him coming, because he shimmied his body to the side.  Phillip wondered how he did that.

He leaned the ladder on the gazebo.  The lampshade was tucked between the cupola and the roof.  

“Took you long enough,” Dudley said, glaring.

“You’re welcome,” what a weird lamp, Phillip thought, picking up his head.  It was hollow inside, “huh,” he said.

“What?”

“I dunno.  I didn’t expect your head to- literally be a lampshade.  Like I thought where was some kind of brain in here.”

“You mean, where my bulb is supposed to go?”

“Well,” he shrugged.  The lampshade was resting on his knee while glaring at him even harder, if that was possible, “I dunno.”

“You going to sit there making stupid observations all day, or can I get my body back?”

“Oh,” Phillip jumped a little, “uh, sure.  Want me to just like, toss you, like a frisbee?”

“No!  Hand me, for Crissake!”

That made sense.  Phillip crawled over to the edge.  Dudley’s body had cautiously moved way from the gazebo and was holding up its arms.  Phillip lowered Dudley’s head until he could grab it with one hand.

Dudley put his head back on his body and looked around himself, “What the hell is this place?  A dog park?”

“Yes?  You telling me you came in here and tossed your head on top of this thing, and you didn’t even know it was a dog park?”

Dudley clenched his fists, “Hey!  It wasn’t me, alright?  Some kids grabbed it, and ran in here with it.”

“Wait- seriously?”

“Yeah,” Dudley stuck his hands in his pockets and scuffed his foot.  Then he seemed to think of something and jumped so he could see his sole.  First one, then the other.  “Oh, great.”  He said.

“I have wet wipes in my car,” Phillip shrugged, even in his laying down position, “so, the kids threw your head up here.  You came in here all the way up to the gazebo- realized you couldn’t see what your body was doing anymore, and froze up?”

“I know it’s impressive, Harmonica,” Dudley said, “maybe someday you’ll be capable of the same feats.”

Actually, it was impressive.  How had Dudley managed not one, but two dog gates when his eyes were way up here?  Getting a little dog poo on his foot seemed like the least that could have gone wrong.

By the time Phillip got himself and the ladder down, Dudley was already halfway across the small dog park with a scuffing walk.  Phillip leaned the ladder by the gate and brought Dudley over to his car, offering him the promised wet wipe.  The man’s clothes looked worse for wear, and even his shade looked a little scratched up.  Phillip frowned.

“Here’s your crappy wet wipe,” Dudley said, snapping Phillip out of his thoughts.  Phillip took it before he realized what he was taking, but he was kind of stuck with it, now.  

“Listen- do you got some place to go?”

“Around,” said Dudley.

“Well- let me give ya my number.  Yanno- just in case those kids run off with your head again.”

“Harmonica,” Dudley spoke as if he was talking to someone who couldn’t grasp basic math, like a Trump voter, “how am I going to call anybody if I can’t see my phone?”

“I- uh, well-” Phillip sighed, “can I give it to ya, anyway?  And also, my offer still stands.”

Dudley just stormed away from the car, though, “Obnoxious kid.”

“Excuse me?”  Phillip drew up and puffed out his chest.

Dudley turned around, snapping, “Kid, why are you always trying to keep tabs on me, anyway?  Are you afraid going to I’m skip town before you can cash in on your other-”

Dudley blinked, and crossed his arms.

“My other what?”  Phillip asked.

“Nothing.  Just- what is your deal, anyway, with helping me?”

Phillip thought for a moment, then shrugged, “I’d be homeless right now if you hadn’t come along and-” he tapped his hat, “and now, it seems like, you’re in that same boat that I was trying to avoid and-”

“So, this is about guilt.”

Phillip’s words were cut short, and he dropped his hands to his side.  He shrugged, but only with his shoulders, “I guess you can say that.”

Dudley just laughed, a rather harsh, “Kid, that is the absolute worst reason to do anything for anybody.  You want me to live in your house?  You can’t trust me.  You don’t even know me.  I might be some kind of criminal.  I might have hurt people.”

Phillip just scoffed, “Like I don’t know criminals.  I got a criminal record, buddy.  That’s gonna haunt me with every job I try to get.  Oh, that’s another boat you kept my out of- prison.  Listen, people do bad things.  I know better than anybody that that doesn’t make them bad people.”

Dudley said nothing, just regarding Phillip for a few seconds with his shade tilted and his eyes have veiled.  “Shows what you know,” he said, barely audibly.