#not so much real rabbits those are cute until they yawn

[tearlessrain]

rabbits scare me for the same reason babies scare me. not because of the harm they could do to me but because they are so small and constantly trying to die and there are so so so many ways to accidentally kill them.

but also slightly worse than babies because babies don't have razor sharp incisors that they might use to take you down with them.

[hoaqins-funk-house]

Springtrap

Yandere

Male Reader

Part 1

Sitting in the black swivel chair, you spin once or twice before coming to a stop, grimacing at the feeling of sticky floors beneath your shoes. This place is brand new, how the hell are the floors sticky? 

Actually, on that note, how is everything so covered in dust?

Sighing, your mindless fidgeting comes to a stop as the phone, just as dinky as the walls around you, begins to ring. You pick it up but put it back on the table, eyes drifting to the laptop and swing-out tablet. When you flip the former open, you note the four buttons, each relating to something you would have to reset when it comes time to. The latter has cameras that are scattered around, including a separate tab for vents. There’s an option to block off vents, which sends a chill up your spine as you glance to the big ass one at your side.

You decide to block that one off for now.

Humming, you familiarize yourself with the layout of the place, deciding to ignore the shadows that crept through your vision.

Your unenthused eyes scan and take in everything. The replicas (you had seen the originals, and they were permanently stained with both the smell and color of pizza sauce and lawsuits) that were in and around the office, as well as the little bobbleheads that sat on your desk of the animatronics, which were, for some reason, human? You boop the one who you assume to be Freddy, hearing the familiar squeak. 

A small smile comes to your lips.

It was at this time that you realized you had completely ignored the man on the phone, but you couldn't really bring yourself to care. 

The little drawings that were put up were authentic; not just anyone could recreate what a child's mind spits out and decides to draw. 

That Freddy looks a bit fucked up.

The posters were cutely designed, and after getting the gist of what everything was and how everything works, you were on your phone the rest of the night.

When six strikes, you casually leave, giving the building a quick once over as you leave the doors, locking them behind you.

If every night is going to be like that, this is going to get boring.

-

He’s stuck.

This suit traps him like a rabid dog, eager to stay gripped onto his neck.

Still, things would be changing soon.

He can feel it.

He can feel it as a fresh breeze, the first in many years, hits his nostrils, sending a wave of euphoria through his system. The bloodied musk that hung in the dank room was not a pleasant one.

He can feel it as his body accepts this new host, more and more, until soon, quite soon, he will become one with his vessel. 

Just as the animatronics before him did.

He ponders. 

Why was he being freed from this prison of his own design?

Is he being taken somewhere?

…

Will there be a night guard to terrorize?

A grin takes to his broken lips as he ignores the pain and blood that comes from them. Oh, a night guard! Truly, that will be a sight!

He can't wait. 

For now, however, he must play dead.

My, that voice that shouts with excitement from behind him…

It sounds so familiar.

"Bring the truck around!" He calls. "I found one, a real one! It's got the rips, the weird colors, and what I am going to assume is pizza sauce! Ohohoh man, I hit the jackpot with this one! Fazbear's Fright needed something, and here it is!" 

His congratulatory tone made the man within the suit want to throw up. Finding him was nothing to be happy about; he is despicable, incapable of redemption, and an awful being. 

And you know what? 

That's just the way he likes it.

So to have someone happy to find him, especially for their own purposes?

He won't let it stand. 

Yeah, if this place has a nightguard, he'll kill them without mercy before burning the entire thing to the ground.

Might as well make it fun for himself.

As light peeks through, clearly originating from a flashlight, he feels his pupils shrink, resisting the urge to let out a groan as his weak eyes ache from their decades of being in the dark.

"Whoahoh! This one looks gnarly!" The same man as before speaks, probably referencing the organs and tendons that were showing. "C'mon, let's get it up!"

His grin only grows as two people lift him onto a dolly, beginning the move.

Goodbye, saferoom.

And hello, Fazbear's Fright.

-

Humming, you walk into the building, skimming over the decorations once more before noticing something.

The papers that had fallen onto the ground from before, they had dirt on them. Not surprising on its own, but when they were in the shape of tire tracks? 

You decide to follow them, using your memory of the cameras to guide you through the building, which was already rather linear anyway.

Entering the last area, you could see a rather dilapidated animatronic suit, with organs visible and its fur matted with blood. Real blood. The old Springbonnie suit was nearly green from how old and dirty it was.

Your eyebrows raise. "Is that guy just stupid or did he knowingly bring in a suit that has a dead body in it?"

Honestly, you didn't care. "Eh, whatever. It'll probably start moving when I start my shift… I've heard those rumors about the other locations." You turn, stretching, unaware of the eyes that followed you or the head that turned your way.

Damn, does he want to kill this one?

Well, he can think it over more soon. After the merge.

He grins again, feeling his uneven, gouged skin begin to flare with pain.

You exit the room fully, making your way back to the office with all the urgency of an ADHD-riddled person doing laundry.

Which is to say… not much.

You fall into the chair, cursing as the thin mesh cushion does nothing to protect your tailbone from the metal frame of the chair. The phone rings not a moment later, you picking it up and laying it on the table again, eager to ignore it just as you had done before. You stretch again, arms raising above your head as you begin to flip through cameras, finding the rabbit in the same spot it was in before. 

You yawn.

Hopefully it starts moving soon, or else the entire reason you took this job would be unfulfilled. 

You were bored, and you remembered this place from the times you had gone with your younger brother, who was now in his early twenties. You, however, were 28 years of age, with nothing better to do than 'investigate' the Fazbear's Fright that opened up. Still, if that rabbit has a corpse in it, it should make things more fun.

As you lazily flip through your cameras, you set it down and look to the side, seeing a rather dirty looking man with an eyepatch and fox ears. To his confusion, before he could lunge at you, you reach out and swipe a hand through his chest. You continue to swipe forwards and backwards, the incorporeal man stuck standing there until you leaned back.

"So, you're a ghost."

His mouth opens as if to retort, but he just gives up and leaps at you, you not even looking at him anymore. He closes his mouth halfway through the jump, and with an unsatisfied sigh, he disappears.

You continue flipping through the cameras, checking in on the rabbit a couple of times before shoving the tablet out of the way, opening the laptop to have it ready and sitting back in your chair.

You glance towards a shifting figure in front of the window, the hat and bear ears telling of who it is. He limps along, eventually falling beneath your view before seemingly phasing through the wall and leaping at you. You stare passively as he does so, him not completing the jump to instead stand in front of you, confused. 

For shits and giggles, you wave your hand through his chest once or twice.

"Why… aren't you… scared?" He croaks, voice ruined from years of no use.

"Oh, was I supposed to be scared?" You genuinely ask. "Uh, sorry. If you do it again I promise I'll hyperventilate."

"Don't try to… lessen your survival chances…"

"Okay. My bad." 

He sighs, and after annoyedly rubbing his face, he disappears.

You flip out your cameras once more, finding the screen obscured by static and a small error in the center. Lazily, you reset cams.

When your screen clears, you check the rabbit. He looks… strange. Like his body is evolving in front of your eyes. 

To be honest, you don't give enough of a shit to watch a potentially world-changing discovery if it looks that gross. You aren't paid enough to, anyway.

At this pay grade, you even coming into the damn building is volunteer work.

You check your phone for the time, seeing a cool time of one in the morning. 

"Aside from that science experiment gone wrong happening in the back room, it's still really damn boring."

However, it's still not boring enough to watch that transformation or whatever. That corpse (well, at this point, you kinda doubt it's dead) can do whatever the hell he wants with that suit. It's his body, not your business.

After another fifteen minutes of staring at a wall, you check the cameras to the sound of loud clicks and pops, now seeing a heavily scarred man with 1.5 rabbit ears in place of the suit. He takes one step out from his original spot, body heaving forward before he lifts himself up, looking up at the camera with a grin.

"Huh. That's new." You say, watching him jolt forward, continuing to take steps before relearning how to walk smoothly.

It only takes him a moment to rocket off.

"I doubt that's good." You mumble, beginning to flip through the cameras to follow him before playing a sound in the room behind him, making him pause. He turns, walking back with a confused expression.

Continuing to flip through cameras, you watch as the man, who you'll dub Rabbit Guy, wanders, seemingly having lost his focus. Hearing a sound to your left, you pay no heed to whoever it is, instead waggling your hand in what you would assume to be their torso.

"You're strange…" They say.

"Uh-huh. If you'd excuse me, I am currently working on keeping Rabbit Guy the hell away from me." Your voice is monotonous but sincere; you aren't trying to be sarcastic or mean, just trying to tell them the facts.

Glancing to the side, you see that it was a child, so you were waving your hand in his collar. "Oh, my bad. Does that… make you guys uncomfortable?" You ask, retracting your hand.

"No, we can't feel it." 

"Huh." You blandly respond, playing the sounds to lead Rabbit Guy back to where he started, before resetting sounds as you weren't able to play them anymore.

It seems like Rabbit Guy is getting progressively more and more annoyed at being led back, if his attempts to move fast enough to avoid the sounds or block out his ears meant anything. 

His body was responding to the sounds, not him.

It was then that he disappeared, so you check vents, finding him in one that led directly to the room beside your office.

You block it off, much to his annoyance, before yawning and sitting back as any thumps you hear from inside the vents come to a stop. 

You find him standing in the room where he had entered the vent, irritated as he glares at the camera. Preemptively, you reset all, thankfully right as cams and sound go out. 

Sighing, you lazily check through cameras, brows slightly furrowing as you look for him. He was completely gone, not in vents or in rooms. It really is unfortunate how many blind spots and shadowed areas there are.

When you hear the thumping of the vents, you search through them, only finding a stupid knick-knack laying on its side halfway in your sight.

Looking to your side, you peek into the vent, leaning down to see if anything was there. Your gaze meets Rabbit Guy's. 

"Shit." You say, quickly switching cams over to this one and holding down the seal button. 

Your eyes shift back to him, finding him way too close for comfort. As you lift your finger to let the gate close on the vent, the man (who was crouch walking) catches it, forcing it back up. You hear something grind that definitely shouldn't be grinding, and you have a feeling that that vent cover just might be broken.

Getting out of the vent, he stands over you, waiting for some sort of plea or… literally any response at all.

"So, you, uh… come here often?" You ask, leaving him genuinely at a loss. 

"Wh- was that a pickup line?" His rough, baritone voice catches you slightly off-guard. 

You weren't expecting something that was pretty much a zombie to have such a good voice, or a slight british accent for that matter. "Was it? Shit, more people've flirted with me than I thought."

"Really? That's all you can come up with before your death? I'd hate for those to be your final words." He lightly teases, leaning against the wall with a mean grin. 

You look up at the ceiling with a vague smile, his eyes widening momentarily. "To be honest, of any place to die, I'd much rather have it be in a place where I know I'll reach the front pages than in some random alley."

His grin falls into a frown as he watches you turn to him, the smile still on your face. It feels strange.

He feels strange. 

Why does a random night guard make him feel so…

So… comfortable?

You were calm, collected, not making any sudden moves or even attempting to exit the chair. Theoretically, the perfect prey, but not a satisfying kill. 

If he even wants to kill you, that is.

“What’s your name?” He asks, watching as you spin to face him in your chair. You would be taller if you stood, but he would still have a few inches on you.

“Y/N. You?” 

“I’m… William. Or, rather, I was, when I was well and truly human.”

“And now?” You ask.

“I don’t exactly have a name.”

“Can I still call you William, then? Well, if I live long enough to do so?” You ask, eyes moving up to meet his. Looking up at him like that… He wishes the hot feeling in the pit of his stomach would go away.

“...Fine.”

“I mean… are you going to kill me?” You ask, face not shifting as he glares down at you. 

“I won’t kill you on the first night, you need to give me more entertainment.” At least, that’s what he told himself.

“Oh, so we’re both here for the same reason.” You blankly say, his face contorting from a glare to confusion once more.

“You’re here… for entertainment?” He slowly asks, answered by your nod.

“I’m certainly not here for the pay. This place gives like half of minimum wage but I can’t complain about it because the other part is supposed to come from tips. Somehow.”

“How do you even live?” 

“Well, right now I’m on an paid leave due to some unfortunate deaths in my family. To be honest, I never really cared for any of them, but hey. I’ll take any chance for a break I can. Then I got bored.”

He huffs out a laugh. “So you went to another job on your break?”

“Listen, getting a month off leaves a man with little to do when capitalism has left me with no hobbies. Besides, this gives me a great excuse to continue avoiding people.”

His lips curl into an amused grin as he leans forward, lowering his head to be eye level with yours. "Well, you won't be avoiding me." He practically purrs, you averting your eyes at the tone he uses. 

Why would he say it like that?! 

His golden eyes follow you as you close the laptop's screen, enjoying your reaction. You…

He'll keep you around. 

You're entertaining and friendly. Open, and… warm.

He wonders. 

You're human, and fully alive. He's a revived corpse who merged with his vessel. You probably are very warm compared to him.

When he comes back to his senses, he notices you slowly raising out of your seat, hand outstretched towards him. 

Well, might as well take the chance.

He grabs your wrist, looking down at you unimpressed. You quietly huff, falling back into your chair and forcing him to move away from the wall in order to not dislocate your wrist.

Well, his hypothesis is correct. You are very warm. 

He feels the tightening in his gut, not wanting to let go but knowing that he will have to.

You, however, don't actually care either way. You begin your attempt again, this time with your left hand. Slowly raising out of your seat, you actually manage to stand fully up before he notices again, grabbing your other wrist. 

"What are you even trying to do?" He asks, a light sneer on his lips.

"Well... uh, I was trying to… boop your nose? If you're bonded with one of the original suits, then I figured either you or Fredbear would have the sound effect."

He lets out a few short laughs, his sneer replaced with the same amused grin as before.

"I'm afraid neither of us have the sound effect. That only came about with the second and third generations of animatronics."

You hum, interested.

His eyes quickly scan over you, taking in your form. This position, practically holding you hostage… Needless to say, he didn't dislike it.

Still, he releases you as he catches you glancing at what he assumes to be a phone. Things have advanced quite far since he was trapped. 

You turn it on quickly, checking the time. “Well, we have around an hour and a half before my shift ends, so…” Pausing, you check the time again. An hour and a half?

He steps closer, you glancing back up at him before leaning back as he leans forward, looming over you. “Tomorrow, you best make this more fun for me. I’ll greet you, but then I’ll head to the back. Try and stop me from getting in.”

“Uh, sure. Are you still planning on making the punishment for loss, uh, death?”

His eyes narrow in coordination with a widening grin. “That’s for me to know. You either figure it out, or you don’t. It all depends how well you play.” His gruff voice slightly echoes in the mostly empty building, you nodding in response. 

“Oh, cool. Can I tell my brother about you?” You ask suddenly, him quirking a brow as he stares down at you, easily at least half a foot taller than you. He was always tall, but now that he’s in this new form, he grew to be somewhere from 6’6 to 6’8. You sit down once more, exacerbating the height difference.

“Feel free to. Just know that if he ever comes around here, he won’t be alive for very long.”

“I doubt he will. He’s always preferred Foxy the most because he has taste, but-”

“Taste? For liking that liability-strewn fox? You like him as well?”

“To be honest, I never really liked any of them more than the other. I was in my emo phase when I went to see them, so it was practically illegal for me to like anything. But Foxy had sharp teeth and a wicked lookin’ hook, so… I guess I did.”

He hums, clearly slightly annoyed.

“Are you jealous that I liked the fox more than the rabbit that isn’t even the same generation as you?”

“I really should kill you.” His irritated expression shows the truth to your statement.

“It’s okay, I’m willing to call Springbonnie my favorite.”

Now, William was confused. Your tone… you weren’t joking. You were being genuine about something as stupid as this? What is with you?

“You’re very confusing. I think you joke, and then I listen to your tone and you’re genuine. But still, I wouldn’t mind if you did so.”

“It’s not nearly as confusing as how time passes in this place. It’s been like ten minutes since I met you but the clock says like three or four hours have passed.”

“What? Really?” His brows furrow as he steps closer, finding another excuse to close the distance between you both as he leans over the chair, seeing you pointing to the screen. “How strange…”

“Yeah. It doesn’t seem like tomorrow’s hunt will last for six hours, then. Thankfully.” You sigh.

“What, do you not want to feel like my prey for six hours straight?” He grins, leaning over further until his arm rests on your shoulder.

You shiver. “Why do you have to say it like that?”

“Because it makes you react, obviously. It’s entertaining to watch you squirm from something as simple as... the tone of my voice.” Of course, in order to prove his point, he does exactly what he did before, lowering his voice a few pitches and upping the growliness of it.

In covering your eyes, you also cover your cheeks, which have gained a slight flush. “William, I am begging you. Please, please, please, stop talking like that.”

And, naturally progressing, he was left somewhat stunned by the sound of your pleading tone. There’s just something about it, especially as you say his name, that makes him want to…

...makes him want to chase, and capture, and possess forever.

You as his prized prey, and him as the hunter.

“I’ll use it when necessary.” He vaguely answers, watching your head droop.

“I’ll take what I can get.” You concede breathily. 

He chuckles, hearing the chime of a bell, signifying 6 in the morning. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, then. Don't keep me waiting."

"Asshole. I won't." You turn your head away from him, hiding the flush on your face, and stand up, stretching. "See ya, William."

He hums, eyes tracing your form as you stretch. It was a nice view, watching the button up shirt crease around your back as you stretch, clearly hinting at the muscle beneath. His eyes did drift lower once or twice, and that's how he figures out that damn, you have a really nice ass!

You begin to walk out, and he follows you with his eyes, watching you turn past the replica Freddy husk and unlock the door, exiting into the fresh morning. His eyelids droop, gaze slipping up as his lips curl into a wide grin.

“Y/N… I won’t kill you. Especially not when I’m presented with such an ample opportunity to make this into something so entertaining.” 

Well…

Is that the only reason?

Of course, he knows it isn’t.

His grin falls, leaving him coldly leering at the aged panels above him before his sight shifts back to the room around him. As he exits the office, he glances at the stained and shaded glass of the door, not allowing much, if any, light in. He turns away, heading back to where he was originally.

As he walks, he lets his form shift, feeling his body grow to his previous monster rabbit self, the creaks of his metal joints loud in the silent building. 

He ignores any shadows that creep in the edges of his vision, the specters traversing without sound. 

“This is going to be… boring.” His voice, far rougher than before, comes out unfeeling and croaky. As he returns to his previous position, slouching over once more, he decides to use his old tactic to pass time; inflicting enough pain on himself to fall unconscious. It doesn’t matter if his dreams are infested with darkness, nor how much he suffers in them. 

It was better than the boredom of sitting in one position with an unchanging environment.

He begins forcing his muscles to flex and strain within the suit and pull against the beams they have welded to, making him grit his teeth before the searing pain fades away, along with his vision.

Goodnight, Y/N.

-

“Yo.” You greet your brother, the man tiredly yawning as he ruffles his hair.

“Heya, Y/N. What’re you up so early for?” 

“Well, I got bored and got a night shift job at this dinky little horror attraction opening up next week. I decided to tell you about what happened there before I head off to sleep.”

“You got bored during a break from your job so you… got another job?”

“Y’know, William said the same thing.” You say, your brother narrowing his eyes at you.

“A coworker?” He asks. 

“Eh, not quite… he is the reason I stayed up to talk to you, though.”

He hums, walking around the couch you were splayed on with your shirt half unbuttoned. 

“So, to begin my tale, you remember Freddy’s? The pizzeria with the animatronics?” You question.

“Yeah?”

“Well the horror place I went to is based off of that; it’s filled with replicas and a few actual things from the pizzerias of the past, but something came in tonight that was… different.”

“Which was?”

“An animatronic. One of the originals, Springbonnie. Granted, the suit was ripped to shit and covered in enough dirt to be green, but it was authentic. It even has the dead body! Well - not so dead body, but still visible.”

“Did you call the cops?” He asks, worried.

“Hell no! I’m not paid enough to give a shit about what could-or-could-not-be a dead body. Either way, he transformed into a human, which was rather odd, but-”

“Just to be clear, this rabbit had a dead body inside and transformed into a human, and you don’t question it?”

“No. Continuing on, he got into my office and then we talked for a bit, I learned that his name is William, time passed really weirdly, and then we struck a deal where I have to keep him out of my office or I'll maybe die.”

“You’re still going back there?! And ‘maybe die?!’”

“Yeah, he said the knowledge about whether or not I die from losing the hunt was ‘for him to know.’ I didn’t question it further.” 

“You know, Y/N, sometimes it feels like I’m the older sibling. You’re fucking stupid.”

“I’m well aware.”

He leans over the couch, glaring down at you. “Then wisen up and quit that damn job.”

“I’m good. William is good company.”

“He threatened to kill you!”

“And? He hasn’t. Yet.”

“You infuriate me, gayboy.” He says, stepping away from the couch.

“Cool. I’ll sleep here for now, when you get back from work I’ll definitely be up.”

“Whatever.” He waves his hand at you, ignoring the middle finger pointing his direction from behind the couch’s back.

---

Part 2

also a lot of the stuff i write from now on may be male reader inserts lol

heres my springtrap design

here's the updated design lol

[writeyouin]

Skids X Reader - For the Dancing and the Dreaming (COMMISSION)

A/N - A commission for @officialpolnareff​ who I would like to thank for their patronage. You are a very cool person, thank you very much and I hope this is too your liking.

Description – Skids and you are in an established relationship. After a long meeting with Ultra Magnus, you come home tired to your favourite film, Sleeping Beauty. Halfway through the film, you are struck with the urge to waltz to the music. Skids comes to visit and is entranced with your dancing, completely awestruck that somehow, he managed to earn your affections. 

Warnings – None.

Rating – T

Word Count – 1066

You stretched and yawned, glad to finally be back at your hab-suite after a day spent in another dull meeting with Ultra Magnus, distracting you from your real job as the ship’s liaison to Earth. Why he felt you had to review the rules and regulations regarding human safety every three months was beyond you; it was nothing but a waste of time. Besides that, this meeting was longer than the rest usually were because now you were dating Skids; Ultra Magnus had added another twenty-nine pages of rules about human courtship with Cybertronians and you actually thought that list might have taken five years off your life. It was no use arguing that the Cybertronians only had to attend yearly meetings; Ultra Magnus had prepared a counter-argument about human fragility. Damn your organic body.

You sighed upon entering your room and turning on the TV. What you needed more than anything was a nice relaxing film that didn’t require much thinking. You couldn’t count the amount of times you had seen Sleeping Beauty, but it was enough for you to know all the words. While the film played in the background, comforting you with its familiarity, you decided that you would clean your room and maybe sweep up a bit. The sweeping used to be taken care of by Roombas, but after you had put two of them in a make-shift arena with balloons and knives attached to them, Ultra Magnus declared that you couldn’t have them back until you appreciated them for their intended function; killjoy.

You didn’t much mind losing the Roombas; it had been worth it. However, you did grow quickly bored upon sweeping the floor. You turned your eyes to the screen upon reaching your favourite scene, where Aurora was dancing in the woods surrounded by the woodland creatures. You smiled fondly at the sound of the music, and as Aurora waltzed with the owl and rabbits, you waltzed with your broom.

While you danced, lost in a world of your own, enjoying the simple pleasure of the music, you didn’t notice the hab-suite door open. Skids had come to visit you, having finished his own work early. He was hoping to lure you out on a romantic evening in his holo-form, which he had tailored especially for you, knowing the type of man you liked. He had short-cropped dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and a body that suited leather jackets and black jeans.

Instead of interrupting however, Skids leaned against the door-frame, watching you dance, completely enchanted by you. He had no idea you were into the whole romantic princess deal; his favourite part of your new-found relationship was finding out all these new little details about you and piecing them together like he was trying to solve a puzzle. 

His eyes flicked up to the screen where Price Phillip was watching Princess Aurora in awe. As the prince in the film swept Aurora off her feet, Skids too decided to make his own presence known, removing the broom from your grip as he pulled you into his arms, scaring you half to death in the process.

“Princess,” He smiled, bringing your hand to his lips. 

“Skids,” You blushed breathlessly. 

“I didn’t know you could dance.”

“I didn’t know you were a peeping Tom,” You retorted playfully.

“Only when my girlfriend is doing something cute,” He chuckled, caressing your cheek. “So?” He asked.

“So what?”

“May I have this dance, milady?”

He remotely hacked the film you were watching, removing the dialogue so it only played the music. Having studied waltzes among his research of famous human dances, Skids bowed to you, making you laugh. You curtsied in return and offered him your hand, the other going to his shoulder. Skids put his free hand over the small of your back, making your heart beat faster; this sort of thing never happened on Earth, it seemed that with Skids at least, chivalry wasn’t dead.

Without Skids’ support you would have quickly fallen behind in your amateur waltz, but his expertise led you into a world of sophistication and elegance. He knew exactly how to manipulate your movements as he spread your arms apart into a diamond shape, dipped you, and pulled you into his arms only to spin you out once again.

“Where did you learn to dance so well?” You asked, completely beguiled by his suave movements.

“I told you before,” He whispered in your ear upon embracing you once again.

“All skills are worth pursuing, especially if one can use them to woo a beautiful maiden such as yourself.”

You felt your heart race and your knees buckle as Skids drew you closer than he had before, his arms wrapping around your stomach, and his artificial breath warming your neck.

“Careful, you don’t want to fall now,” He teased.  “But if you do, at least I’ll get to catch you.”

You shivered in anticipation and Skids found his eyes tracing the curve of your neck. He slowly lowered his head till he was kissing your shoulder, nibbling lightly, and slowly making his way up to your jaw. He wanted to show that he was utterly devoted to you, that you had rescued him just as much as he rescued you on the night that you first began dating. The way how was simple, and Skids didn’t mind being open with his feelings, even if he wasn’t sure that you were ready to return them. 

He released your waist, turning you around to face him, then going down on one knee, he took your hand. “(Y/N),” He murmured your name reverently. “I love you.”

Shocked at the sudden omission and the fact that it had come after the two of you had only been dating for a couple of weeks, you fell clumsily to your knees. Skids smiled lopsidedly, grabbing your shoulders to support you.

“Don’t worry,” He said comfortingly, “You don’t have to say it back. Wait until you’re ready. I just wanted you to know-”

You threw your arms around Skids’ neck, crushing your lips against his, invading his mouth with your tongue and inviting him to do the same. He tasted of those three delectably sweet words that he had spoken. He loved you and nothing could ever sound, feel, or taste so good as that.

When you parted, you whispered breathlessly, “I love you too.”

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[clumsyclifford]

good morning 💕 (morning for me anyway) so firstly waking up to a new spidey au part is amazing & then a cute jalex prompt is even better 🙈 also i'm very excited to listen to the happy recs 😊

anyway since i had a night of too many vivid dreams i'd like to request "33. Kiss in a dream" with lashton, please? -fiancee

good morning! except you sent this at almost 4am for me and now it’s 9pm so not really morning either way but i accept the sentiment. i’m very happy u liked the fics and i hope u like the recs <3 AND i hope you like THIS fic. i fell down a rabbit hole of 5sos family instagrams so we also get a jack scene because, you know, i love him. xoxo

-

“Had a weird dream last night,” Luke yawns, trekking into the kitchen. Jack’s sitting on the counter, looking at his phone with a mug of coffee in his left hand. 

“Yeah?” Jack says. He doesn’t look up. “What about?”

Luke frowns. He probably shouldn’t have mentioned it, but whatever. It’s just a dream. “Have you ever kissed someone in a dream?”

Now Jack does look up, grinning. “Oh shit, really? First dream kiss! Congrats, Lukey, that’s a big deal.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Luke says defensively. He doesn’t want it to be a big deal. He has weird dreams all the time, and those aren’t big deals. Just because in this one he’d kissed his friend, doesn’t make it a bigger deal than the one where he’d been invisible in a broken-down elevator with Green Day.

“Who’d you kiss?” Jack prods, then takes a sip of his coffee. “Someone I know?”

Luke blushes. “No,” he says, except he’s always been a terrible liar.

“It totally is,” Jack says. Luke turns away, reaching for the loaf of bread on the counter and pulling out two slices. “It is! Who was it?”

“I don’t want to tell you,” Luke says, putting the bread in the toaster. 

“If I guess it, will you tell me?”

Luke sighs. “Fine.”

“Calum.”

“No, oh my God!”

“Well, I don’t know,” Jack says, holding up his hands in surrender. “Uh, Calum’s sister?”

“No.”

“...Michael?”

“No.” Luke makes a face. “Michael? Really?”

“I’m just going down my mental list of your friends,” Jack says. He gives Luke an impassive look. “There aren’t that many of them, you know. I’m bound to get it eventually.”

“Maybe it wasn’t one of my friends,” Luke challenges.

Jack waves him off. “No, it definitely was, or you’d have told me. Okay, who haven’t I said. Calum, Michael…Ashton? Was it Ashton?”

Luke reddens. He turns back to the toaster. “No.”

“It was Ashton!” Jack crows. “Hey, no shame, mate! Ashton’s cute.”

“He is not.”

“You don’t think Ashton is cute?”

Luke splutters. “He’s — that’s not the point! Stop it,” he says, pointing a finger at Jack. “I didn’t ask to dream-kiss him, okay? I’m not in control of my dreams.”

“They’ve got to come from somewhere, though,” Jack says. He grins. Jack always grins like he’s going to make fun of Luke, whether or not he actually is. “It’s fine, bro, you can want to kiss Ashton if you —”

“I don’t want to kiss Ashton!” Luke insists.

“You wouldn’t have dreamed it if you didn’t,” Jack says.

“That’s so not true! I dream weird shit all the time that I don’t actually care about.”

“Yeah, but it’s a kiss, Luke. That’s not just some random weird shit. That’s a real thing you actually dreamed about doing with a person you know. Your friend.” Jack gives him a meaningful look. “Who you think is cute.”

“This is why I don’t tell you this kind of thing,” Luke says, scowling. “It was just a dream.”

Jack shrugs. “If you say so. I don’t care.” He takes another sip of his coffee. Luke makes a face. He can’t fathom that Jack actually enjoys coffee. It smells awful. “Are you going to tell him?”

“Tell Ashton?”

“Yeah,” Jack says. “If it was just a dream, you might as well. If someone snogged me in a dream I’d want to know.” Luke supposes he’d want to know, too. Jack has him cornered, too, because if he says no, of course I won’t tell Ashton, Jack will point a victorious finger — so it wasn’t just a dream after all! But he really doesn’t want to tell Ashton, because that’s a weird thing to tell. And even if he prefaces it with this doesn’t mean anything at all, I just thought you’d be interested to know, it’s still weird. Ashton will think it’s weird.

(Also, maybe Luke has a small crush on Ashton, maybe. And he really doesn’t want to jeopardize their friendship, which is still so new.)

“Sure,” he lies. “I’ll tell him.”

Jack shakes his head and drains the last of his coffee. “You will not.”

“Why would you ask if you’re just going to argue when I say I will?” Jack laughs. “Whatever, Luke, fine. Let me know what he says.”

“I will,” Luke says stubbornly, forgetting that this is a lie. He’s not going to tell Ashton, right? He can just make something up. Yeah, he said good for me, and everything’s aces! Yeah, right. Jack’s seen through every single one of Luke’s lies this morning. Luke should invest in lying lessons, or else he’s not going to get very far at all.

“Good,” Jack says, hopping down off the counter. “And it’s your day to take the trash out, don’t forget.”

“I know,” Luke says. Jack puts his mug in the sink.

“Have fun at band practice,” he says as a farewell, and then retreats from the kitchen, maybe to go do homework or, more likely, play Fifa. Luke scowls at his back. There’s a reason he doesn’t share embarrassing shit with his brothers (Jack, specifically) anymore.

He reaches for Jack’s mug and rinses it out so the coffee doesn’t dry at the bottom, then grabs a plate for his toast and retrieves the Vegemite. The dream is exiled to the back of his mind, and he doesn’t think about it the rest of the morning.

(Doesn’t think about how much he’d like to remember exactly how it had felt, because all things considered it’s not like he’s ever going to get closer to kissing Ashton, and already the details are slipping through his fingers, until all he can remember is the warmth in his chest from knowing that someone like Ashton could have ever wanted to kiss someone like Luke.)

-

“Okay, we need to take a break,” Michael declares, setting aside his guitar. Michael’s not the boss of them, but Luke is inclined to agree. He’s getting bored of playing “I Miss You” over and over, and anyway he needs water. “Five minutes.”

“Five,” Ashton repeats, firmly. “And then everyone back here.”

“Sick,” Luke says, also putting his guitar down. “I’m getting water, anybody want?”

All three of his bandmates raise their hands, and Luke sighs. “I can’t carry four cups of water.” “I’ll help,” Ashton says, leaping to his feet. Calum coughs, and Ashton shoots him a look. Luke just smiles gratefully, and together they head to the kitchen.

“I really like that song,” Ashton says as Luke reaches for four plastic cups from the cabinet. 

“Me too,” Luke says. “Fun chords. And the ending is cool.”

“Yeah,” Ashton says, although he probably wouldn’t know fun chords from boring ones. But Luke appreciates the effort. 

“It looks fun to do on the drums, or,” Luke makes hitting gestures with his hands, “the cajón. You know.”

Ashton mirrors his movements, laughing. “Yeah,” he says. “It is, yeah.”

“Alright, look.” Luke scowls, but Ashton just pats his shoulder, and the look disappears pretty quickly.

“It’s fine,” he says, taking one of the cups out of Luke’s hands and thrusting it under the tap. “Tap water is fine, right?”

“Unless you see someplace else to get water,” Luke says, making a show out of glancing around the room. Ashton rolls his eyes. The smile doesn’t disappear from his lips. Luke likes that about Ashton, that he’s always smiling.

“So how are you?” Ashton asks. “I mean, aside from rehearsal? How was your morning? How were you yesterday?”

“One question at a time,” Luke jokes. “Fine, all fine. I mean, I didn’t sleep much last night because of homework, and then Jack was making fun of me this morning, but you know.”

“Making fun of you for what?”

“My —” Luke breaks off. He can’t stop now, or it’ll seem very suspicious, but they’re getting dangerously close to uncharted waters. “Just a weird dream I had.”

“Ooh, I love weird dreams,” Ashton says conspiratorially, handing off one full cup to Luke and swapping it for an empty one. “What was it?”

“No, it wasn’t that weird,” Luke tries to say, but Ashton’s face starts to fall, and Luke doesn’t want to be responsible for that. “I mean, it was just — I kissed someone, in my dream. Which was really strange. I’ve never had a dream-kiss before.”

Ashton raises an eyebrow. “Get it,” he says, and Luke ducks his head, laughing through the nerves. His face is surely burning red by now. “Who’d you kiss?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Luke says emphatically. Attempting to change to subject, he adds, “Anyway, that was right after I found out I was adopted and Billie Joe Armstrong was my real dad all along.”

“Did you kiss Billie Joe Armstrong?”

“Ew, Ashton, I just said he was my dad in my dream!”

“Well I don’t know what kind of freaky shit your mind comes up with!”

“No,” Luke says vehemently. “It was a friend, oh my God.”

Ashton immediately looks more interested. “A friend?”

Fuck. “Well,” Luke says diplomatically, “more like just a person that I know in real life. Not necessarily a friend. Could be someone from school. Or, like.”

“So a friend,” Ashton says, a teasing smile on his lips. “I can see why Jack made fun of you for this. Why don’t you just tell me who it was? I won’t laugh, I promise.”

“You will laugh,” Luke says. “I don’t want to tell you.”

“Come on,” Ashton wheedles. “What’s the worst that could happen? Can I guess?”

“No,” Luke says, because that’s exactly how Jack had gotten him this morning, and he’s not going to make the same mistake twice. “Nothing bad will happen. It’s just weird, and I don’t want to say.”

Ashton rolls his eyes. They’ve filled all four cups of water now, and there’s no reason for them to linger by the sink, yet Ashton looks like he’s not planning to move. “You don’t have to tell me,” he says. “I just thought you could. Because we’re friends. You know. If you really don’t want to, then I’m not going to make you.”

Luke stares at him, guilt rolling around his stomach. That’s not fair. Ashton’s totally manipulating him, and Luke knows that, and it shouldn’t be working, and Luke wishes it weren’t working, but it is.

Fuck. It totally is.

“Fine,” Luke sighs. “I’ll tell you, but promise you won’t make it weird?”

“I won’t make it weird,” Ashton swears.

Luke worries his bottom lip between his teeth. He picks up a cup and takes a long drink from it. “Okay, well, it was you,” he finally says, looking down at the tiles of the kitchen floor so he doesn’t have to see the look on Ashton’s face.

A beat.

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” Another beat. “That’s nice. How was I?”

Luke looks up. “Don’t make fun of me,” he says.

“I’m not!” Ashton says quickly. He cracks a smile but it’s a little uncertain. “I just want to be sure your first dream-kiss was an enjoyable experience.” Luke groans. “This is weird,” he says. “You’re making it weird.”

“I’m not trying to.”

“Well, you are. I take it back. Pretend I never said anything.” Luke takes his cup of water and moves past Ashton, but Ashton grabs his arm.

“Luke, just calm down a second. Sorry if I sounded like I was making fun. I’m just, um, I guess I’m just wondering —” He clears his throat. “Like, maybe it would be nicer in real life than in a dream?”

Slowly, Luke turns, fingers tightening around his cup. “What? Like, kissing in real life?” 

Ashton is blushing. Luke’s never seen Ashton blush before, but he’s definitely doing it now, cheeks turning patchy pink as he rubs a hand across the back of his neck. “Well, I don’t know. Yeah. I mean, it’s not really fair that you got to have a dream about kissing me and I’ve still never kissed you, in dreams or otherwise.”

“What?” Luke says dimly. “You don’t want to kiss me.”

“Well,” Ashton says, “I can pretend I don’t, if you want. I just thought — I’ve never kissed anyone in a dream that I didn’t want to actually kiss in real life, so I figured —”

“Yes, I want to kiss you,” Luke says boldly, over the sound of his heart battering his chest. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” Ashton says, frowning. “I wouldn’t joke about this, what kind of person do you think I am?”

“I know, I just, um, you’re you? And I’m me,” Luke says, gesturing between them like this is some big revelation. “So I’m taking a moment to process.”

“Oh,” Ashton says. “Well, take all the time you need.”

Luke stares at him. It occurs to him that Ashton is waiting to kiss him, and that thought fills his whole body with butterflies. “Okay, I’m done,” he says, even though he’s not really, and could spend hours trying to reconcile the idea of Ashton as a person with Ashton wanting to kiss Luke and probably still come up empty. 

“That was fast,” Ashton says. “Can I kiss you now?”

“Yeah,” Luke breathes, setting his cup of water down on the counter. Ashton smiles and shuffles closer. He presses both palms to the sides of Luke’s face, and Luke’s eyes flutter shut, soaking up the heat of Ashton’s hands against his skin. Already this is better than his dream, a hundred times better. 

Then Ashton presses their lips together, gently, and all thoughts of Luke’s dream dissipate, replaced by real Ashton, actually kissing him, in real life, in Michael’s kitchen. He’s pretty sure his hands are shaking from the excitement.

Ashton pulls away and smiles, and Luke smiles back, then ducks his head, feeling far too nervous to look Ashton in the eyes.

“So?” Ashton prompts, which makes Luke look up again. “Better than the dream?”

“Oh,” Luke says, smiling like an idiot, “so much better.”

Ashton looks pleased, and Luke hopes he dreams of kissing Ashton again tonight, just so he can wake up and remember that he’s actually done it for real. 

[kerikaaria]

If I Never Met You: Chapter 19

(??? X Reader) Idol!AU, Manager!Reader

Genre: (PG13) Fluff and angst

WC: 5.8k

Warnings: Swearing – offensive/derogatory words (censored)

Series Masterlist

Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20

It was nearing the end of September and the boys already released their first comeback, with their first mini album O!RUL8,2?. It had been just barely three months since their debut, but this album was already in the works during their debut promotions and they quickly went into practicing and recording once those died down enough.

Today was a day where the boys didn’t have any outside schedules, but Sejin and I still had some things to take care of at the company and the boys had some practices and lessons to go to. There was a meeting scheduled for early this morning, so I arrived for that but didn’t have anything in particular to do afterwards. I sat in the office, checking on a few things that we were working on before relaxing into my chair and browsing the internet on my phone.

Even though their popularity was slowly but surely growing (despite N.O not doing quite as well as we had hoped), the people who have negative things to say were starting to become much more obvious in between the positive comments. I really don’t understand why there are certain things people feel like they have to say. I wish I had a way to keep the boys from seeing those comments. But unless they want to completely ignore the internet, it was inevitable.

Thankfully, most of their interactions are on twitter where those who tweet them are for the most part supportive fans. They started to become good at filtering out the negativity, but I knew it was impossible to not be affected at all. I just hoped they used it as motivation to do their best and prove people wrong.

I found myself yawning and realized that I was actually really tired. I still had a couple of hours before I had any other real engagements, so I set my phone down and decided to take a bit of a nap at my desk.

I was woken up sometime later by a knock on the door. I slowly came back to consciousness as the person walked into the small room.

“Noona?” I recognized Yoongi’s voice.

“Hey, Suga,” I replied as I re-entered the living world. “What’s up? Do you need something?”

“No, not really,” he shrugged. “Sejin hyung asked me to check on you. Sorry to wake you.”

“It’s okay, I needed to wake up anyway,” I said, looking at the time on my computer, signifying that I had been asleep for about an hour. I quickly realized I was feeling rather hungry. “Have you eaten lunch?”

“No, not yet,” he said. “I was actually just about to go get some.”

“Mind if I come with you?” I asked as I grabbed my purse.

“Of course not.” He flashed a small smile and held the door open for me. “Anywhere in particular you want to go?”

“Not really. We can just go to that place you guys frequent. The one whose owner is really sweet.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said as he put on his mask.

When we walked into the small restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the kind woman who ran the place. “If it isn’t some of my favorite customers,” she said with a warm smile. “How are you doing?”

“Good,” Yoongi said as he removed his mask. “We were hungry so we thought we’d come get some lunch.”

“Of course!” she said as she directed us to one of the big tables. “Is everyone else coming?”

“Oh no, just us this time, imo,” I said.

“Oh, alright.” She switched directions to a small table and urged us to sit down.

“What do you want to eat, noona?” Yoongi asked me.

“Whatever you want. I’m not picky, you know that,” I responded, smiling.

“Okay, then,” he shrugged. He ordered two different dishes, which she excitedly went to cook right away.

“How are you doing, Yoongi?” I asked.

He looked at me curiously. “Why are you asking me that?”

“Sometimes we’re all so busy I feel like I don’t have time to ask how you’re feeling.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. We’re getting used to the pace now so it’s not as hard as it was at first.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” I said, honestly feeling relieved.

“How about you, noona? Are you doing okay?” I paused, a bit surprised at the unexpected question, and he lightly chuckled. “You check on us, but who will make sure you’re okay if we don’t?”

He really is very thoughtful, I thought, smiling softly. “I’m doing fine. I’m much more confident in my abilities with the job than I used to be.”

“Good. Because you know, you really are a great manager.”

Yoongi was surprisingly talkative today, and we kept conversing until our food was brought to us a little while later. As I smiled and thanked her, I noticed the kind woman looking at me like she had something she wanted to say.

“Yes, imo?” I asked, inviting her to say what was on her mind.

“I’m just really glad that these sweet boys have someone like you to keep them company,” she said, making me smile. “I wouldn’t be surprised if one day one of them realizes how great you are and snatches you up for himself.”

“I-I’m sorry?” I asked, not quite sure if I heard her right.

“I mean you’re a great catch and I’d love to see one of the boys be the lucky man,” she said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Yoongi coughed, almost choking on the food he was chewing on as my mouth opened in surprise.

“Oh, well thank you,” I said, unsure of what else to say. I was sure my face was beet red. “I appreciate the compliment,” I finished, nervously.

She smiled before leaving to pay attention to another customer.

I turned to Yoongi and our gazes met for a moment before we both looked away, embarrassed by the woman’s words. Me? With one of the Bangtan boys? It was something I had never thought about. But to be honest, I felt that whoever ended up with the boys would be some of the luckiest people ever.

We finished eating and left the restaurant, and there was still a slightly awkward air left between us after the comment she had made. I wasn’t sure why it felt awkward. Maybe it was because she put the thought into my head that possibly one day, I could end up in a relationship with one of them. And maybe similar thoughts were going through Yoongi’s mind too – but was he wondering about the possibility of me dating any of them or specifically himself? Wait, no. I was stopping that thought train right there. I was not going down that rabbit hole.

I shook my head in a literal attempt to get rid of the thoughts before they went too deep. I could see Yoongi staring at me out of the corner of my eye, so I turned to look at him. Suddenly I felt a smile tugging at my lips and then both of us were laughing, quickly lightening the mood back up. I had no idea what made us start laughing, but I welcomed the change in the atmosphere.

“That was something I did not expect to hear when we decided to go out for lunch together today,” he said once our laughter calmed down.

“I know right,” I replied. “I guess it’s hard for people to see a girl hanging around a bunch of boys without thinking there is or will be romantic feelings involved somewhere. Especially when the boys are all rather good-looking,” I said in a teasing voice, knowing it would make him feel embarrassed. It was hard to embarrass Yoongi, so I enjoyed doing so when I could.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” he quickly retorted back, catching me off guard.

I playfully scoffed, hoping the heat rising to my cheeks wasn’t too obvious. “Yeah, right.” I did not consider myself to be a beauty by any means, and although hearing those words wasn’t going to make me feel any different, it still made me feel embarrassed to receive the compliment.

“You really are pretty though,” Yoongi muttered, barely audible. I was surprised I picked it up at all. But I chose not to address it.

The next few minutes back to the company building were spent in silence, but not awkward like a few moments ago. Despite me being embarrassed by Yoongi’s compliment, it was still a rather comfortable silence which I welcomed.

Yoongi walked with me back to my office before he went off to his own destination, probably his studio to write some music. Sejin was sitting at the desk when I arrived, and he greeted me with a smile.

“Where did you go with Yoongi?” he asked.

“We just ate lunch together,” I said. “It’s almost time to talk with the stylist team isn’t it?”

“Yeah, you got here just in time,” he confirmed. “Let’s head on out.”

We had a couple of meetings during the rest of the day. One of which was with the team that Haewon was a part of, but luckily she didn’t seem to want to cause any drama and was rather civil today. Maybe after the last time when her efforts were fruitless, she decided to give up.

Everything took a few hours, but once that was over I didn’t have anything else I needed to do so I took a look in the dance studio, where I wasn’t surprised to see the boys practicing their choreography. I carefully entered the studio and sat in the front to watch them dance.

It always made me happy to see the instant change in them when I entered the room while they practiced. While they were still focused and concentrating, they seemed to be a little happier, and maybe more determined to make it look good for their one-person audience.

After a little while, they took a break and I got up to bring them water from the nearby bottle stash.

“You done with meetings for the day, noona?” Namjoon asked.

“Yup, I don’t have anything else to do today,” I responded. “How long are you guys going tonight?”

“Probably about another hour,” Hoseok said. “There’s a few things that need polished up still.” Leave it to him to spot the tiniest inconsistencies.

“Jimin and I went to the usual place to eat earlier,” Taehyung said, “and imo told me you and Yoongi hyung stopped by together for lunch today, noona.”

“Yeah, we did,” I replied. I looked at Yoongi, who already had his gaze fixed on me. He gave me a small smile which I returned before we both looked away.

“She said you two looked cute together,” Tae added, smirking.

“What?!” Yoongi and I said simultaneously.

“Yeah, she said she thought you’d make a cute couple,” Jimin added, looking equally mischievous.

“Yah, what kind of comment is that,” Yoongi said, scoffing.

“I definitely don’t think we acted like a couple at all,” I added.

“She’s right though,” Jungkook instigated. “You two would look cute together.”

“You all want me to kill you, don’t you?” Yoongi asked as he stood up and approached the maknaes. “Guys, I think our group is going to go down to four members after today.”

The three culprits stood up and ran for cover, Tae choosing me as his shield.

“What makes you think I’m protecting you from this?” I ask him before switching places with him, grabbing his arms to lock them behind his back and hold him still.

“No, noona!” Tae pleaded. “You wouldn’t let hyung hurt me would you?”

“Hmmm,” I pretended to think about it while Yoongi approached us. “I don’t know. What was that thing about me and Yoongi again?”

“You guys are really good friends!” he quickly righted. “There’s definitely nothing going on between you guys. Come on, please. Don’t let him hurt me.”

I released my grip on his arms so he could run off while Yoongi approached the other two who also started blurting out apologies and taking back what they said as well before they could face their hyung’s wrath.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the whole scene. Of course he wasn’t actually going to hurt them, but it was cute seeing them play around like this.

“I got some funny pictures out of that,” Jin said, smiling.

“Oh, I want to see,” I said.

“Sending them in the group chat,” Jin responded.

I went to my purse to grab my phone while I heard the notifications ring from the others’ phones. But my phone wasn’t in the pocket I usually kept it in. Confused, I continued to search through the rest of my purse but it seemed to be nowhere in the bag.

“Everything okay, noona?” Jimin asked, noticing me struggle.

“Yeah. I think I just left my phone in the office,” I replied. “I’ll be right back.” I walked out of the room to go to the office, convinced I must have left it there at some point during the day. I heard the door to the studio open again behind me and turned to see Yoongi following me.

“I’m coming with you,” he said.

“You don’t need to, it’s fine,” I replied.

Yoongi shook his head. “You don’t have your phone on you, so I’d feel more comfortable with you not being alone.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “I’m only going to my office.

Yoongi kept a blank expression as he looked at me, not budging at all.

Knowing he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, I conceded and we began to walk. When I got to the office, I searched around my desk and Yoongi looked around the other surfaces in the room to see if I could have left it elsewhere. Being unsuccessful, I looked in the pockets of my jacket I left draped over my chair, and even double checked the pockets in my own jeans. Still, nothing.

“That’s so weird,” I said. “I know I had it with me earlier.”

“When was the last time you recall using your phone?” Yoongi asked, double checking the places I looked at as well.

I thought about it for a moment. “Actually, it was probably in here. Right before I took my nap, I was using my phone.” I paused before suddenly remembering something. “I set it down on the desk before drifting off, and I don’t recall grabbing it before we went to lunch.”

“Hmm,” Yoongi contemplated what could have happened. “You don’t think Sejin hyung would have it, do you?” he asked.

“I doubt it,” I said. “Worth a shot to ask, though.”

Yoongi called Sejin on his phone to ask if he’d seen my phone at all today, but he soon ended the call before shaking his head. “He said he hasn’t seen it.”

“What could have happened?” I asked, trying to piece things together. “Was it even on my desk when I woke up?” I thought about it for a moment. “Wait. You’re not playing a prank on me are you?” I asked, walking toward Yoongi with my hands outstretched toward his pockets.

“Yah!” Yoongi said, backing away from me quickly. “Of course not. I wouldn’t go through this much trouble for a joke. Let me try calling it,” he suggested.

“Why didn’t we think of that sooner?” I asked myself under my breath.

He called my number, placing the phone to his ear just for a moment to confirm it was ringing before pulling it away to listen for my phone. But neither of us heard anything.

“I know I left the volume on,” I said, becoming increasingly confused.

We stood in silence for a moment, thinking.

“Let’s go back to the dance studio,” Yoongi said. “I need to get back to practice and it’s obviously not here so being in here won’t help us at all.”

I nodded and followed him back to the studio where the rest of the boys looked ready to resume practice.

“Did you find it?” Hoseok asked as we walked in.

I shook my head. “No. It wasn’t anywhere in the office. That was definitely the last place I remember using it, which was actually this morning before we went to lunch. I have no idea what happened.”

Yoongi had been looking at his phone the whole way back, and suddenly he stopped and looked up at me. “Noona.”

“What’s up?” I inquired.

“I think someone took your phone,” he said, turning back to his screen.

“Why is that?” I asked hesitantly, scared of the answer.

He showed me what he was looking at, and my eyes widened. The pictures that could have only been the ones that Jin mentioned before I went to look for my phone had been posted on Twitter. There were two, one of Tae hiding behind me and the other was me holding his arms behind his back while he stared at Yoongi approaching him.

“What’s going on?” Jungkook asked.

I took the phone from Yoongi’s hand, wanting to further investigate. I heard Yoongi responding but was too focused on my mission to hear what he was saying. Clicking on the profile of the person who originally uploaded the photos, I found other tweets. All from today, and all pictures of me and the boys that we had taken over the months. And of course, they were tagged with anything that would lead someone searching for BTS to them. The profile had been created just today and all the tweets were shared starting within the last few hours. Definitely after my phone had gone missing.

By the time I looked up from Yoongi’s phone, he was standing next to me observing what I was doing, and the other boys were all looking at their own phones to check it out as well. I turned my attention back to the posts, which were getting way too much attention for comfort. Luckily, I hadn’t saved any pictures from the morning when I woke up in Jin’s arms, and those were the only ones I could think of that could cause a legit scandal. I clicked on one of the tweets and scrolled down, seeing a slew of comments that I probably would have preferred to not exist.

“Who are you and what are you doing with my oppas???”

“Wow look at this sl**. Who does she think she is?”

“BigHit must have terrible management if they’re letting some foreign w**** put her hands all over BTS.”

“Ugly b****!!!!”

Yoongi grabbed the phone out of my hands before I could read anymore. “Don’t you dare listen to them, noona.”

The volume of his voice shocked me. It also garnered the attention of the other six boys, who all looked at me with concerned faces.

“She read the comments, didn’t she?” Jin asked and Yoongi just nodded in response.

“I’m going to call Sejin hyung,” Namjoon said. “Jin hyung, you call Bang.”

“Why would someone do this?” Jimin asked. “Who would… Wait never mind, I know exactly who would do something like this.”

I fell to a sitting position the floor, my body not having any strength to hold me up and my mind going blank. I vaguely heard some shuffling and a few arms were quickly supporting my back.

“It’s okay, noona,” Tae’s voice said from my right.

“Don’t worry, it’s only temporary,” Hoseok, who was on my left, added. “Bang and Sejin hyung will have a solution for this.”

Taehyung gently led my head to his shoulder and stroked my hair gently, knowing well that when I was upset affection was the best comfort for me.

The rest of the boys surrounded me on the floor, except for Joon and Jin who were still on the phone.

“Noona, whatever those people said don’t mean anything,” Jungkook said.

“They’re just upset because they don’t know who you are,” Jimin added.

“Yeah,” Tae chimed in. “And you’re none of the things they’re calling you. You’re an amazing and beautiful person, noona.”

Jin knelt in front of me, having ended his call with Bang PD-nim. “He just found out about it too. PR only caught wind of it just a little bit ago. He wants you to go to his office.”

I nodded, and attempted to stand up but my legs felt like jelly. Noticing this, Tae and Hobi helped me into a standing position.

“Sejin hyung also just heard from PR,” Namjoon said. “He asked me to tweet a picture of the eight of us and mention you’re our manager. That should help calm things down until an official statement is released.”

“It’s going to be okay, noona,” Jungkook said. “You didn’t do anything wrong, you know that. PD-nim will help fix this.”

“Come on.” Yoongi held out his hand. “I’ll go with you to see him.”

I took his hand and he led me out the door, heading towards our boss’ office. Once there, he knocked for me and we entered.

I bowed deeply, feeling at fault for what was going on. “I’m so sorry, PD-nim. It’s all my fault, I should have kept better care of my belongings.”

“Sit down, (Y/n),” he said calmly. “You too, Yoongi. Thanks for coming with her.” I straightened up and followed his instruction. “So, Yoongi said that we believe someone took your phone. Tell me, when and where do you think this happened?”

“The last time I recall using my phone was this morning in my office, just before I dozed off into a nap,” I admitted. “I think I left it sitting on my desk and I don’t recall grabbing it after I woke up. But I didn’t notice until just a little bit ago that it was gone.”

“If it happened here, that’s good,” Bang PD said. “Let’s go look at the security footage from the hallway, see if anyone entered your office.”

We all walked to the nearby security office and they helped us pull up the recording from this morning. Sure enough, we saw someone walk by the door to my office, and double take to look through the window. She stood outside for a moment, seeming to contemplate something, before deciding to open the door and came back out a moment later, very obviously holding my phone in her hands.

I’ll give you one guess whose face I recognized on the screen. So much for thinking she had given up.

“Haewon,” Yoongi practically growled her name.

“Well, someone’s getting fired,” PD-nim said as we all started walking back toward the dance studio. “Don’t worry about the rest, (Y/n). I’ll take care of it. We’ll release a statement explaining who you are and your relationship with the boys, and that your phone got hacked by an employee of the company who has now been terminated.”

“Can’t we be in the room when you fire her?” Yoongi asked. “I want to see her face when she realizes she’s been found out.”

“It would be rather inappropriate of me to have you in the room,” PD-nim said, stopping at the studio door. “But I may happen to accidentally video call you,” he said with a smile before turning the handle.

We walked into the room, all eyes turning their attention to us. “Oh, and (Y/n),” Bang called out to me before closing the door all the way. “Comments written in jealousy are empty and mean nothing. Don’t listen to them, okay?”

I gave him a small smile and nodded before he walked away.

“So?” Jimin asked expectantly.

I looked at Yoongi, who just smirked. “We’re going to have a show to watch.” It wasn’t really necessary to explain what had happened – by now everyone had figured that there was only one person who would stoop so low.

As we waited for the “accidental” call from Bang PD-nim, Namjoon showed me the tweet he shared. He wrote, “Everyone, meet our manager and friend, (Y/n)! She’s been with us for a year now and she’s amazing and treats us so well. We hope you love her as much as we do!” Underneath was one of my favorite pictures of the eight of us. It was from the day they surprised me at the park last year, and we had asked someone to take a picture of us. We’re in some kind of big group hug and we all look really happy.

The comments underneath were amazing, drastically different from the ones I saw before.

Awww, I’m so jealous of her, getting to spend so much time with you! You all look so happy!

I knew it had to be something like that. I’m glad you said something, those jealous girls needed someone to shut them up.

But why and how did the pictures get released in the first place? Was this planned for publicity?

She’s so cute! You got a fan in me, (Y/n) unnie!

She looks young to be a manager, but maybe that means she’s just that good at her job. BTS, (Y/n) unnie, fighting!

And many more similar comments filled the feed. A wave of relief washed over me. Some may not believe it and still think it was a publicity stunt, but the explanation would be coming soon with the PR statement. Bang PD-nim just needed to talk to Haewon first.

“See, I told you it was temporary,” Hoseok said as he wrapped his arms around me to hug me tight.

“I’m just glad this was something that we could wash over really quick,” I said.

Yoongi’s phone rang and he accepted the video call, keeping his own camera off and muted his microphone just in case. He propped it up in a spot on the floor where all of us could see.

“She’s about to enter my office,” Bang PD whispered toward the phone.

We then heard a knock at the door before he invited the guest to come in. She walked in, slightly bowing her head and saying hello. He had positioned his phone really well so we could see everything she did.

“You needed to see me?” Haewon asked, trying to sound innocent.

“Yes,” PD-nim responded. “Something happened today, and it caused quite a bit of an uproar with the netizens. Some photos from a BigHit employee’s personal phone were leaked.”

“Oh really?” she responded, acting surprised. Wow, she was surprisingly good at putting on an act. “I’m sorry, but I’m not from PR. Maybe you have the wrong staff?”

“No, I definitely have the right staff,” he assured her. “Miss Son, did you know that we have a strict policy against workplace harassment and bullying? And we also don’t tolerate theft. It’s also in the employment contract that leaking sensitive and personal information regarding BigHit activities or its employees is strictly forbidden. All three of these acts are grounds for immediate termination.”

“You tell her, Bang,” Jin quietly cheered.

“I’m sorry, I’m not quite understanding how this has anything to do with me,” she replied, still playing the innocent card.

“Miss Son, did you take another BigHit employee’s personal belongings this morning?” he asked. “Specifically, a cell phone.”

She pretended to be confused. “Of course not, sir. Why would I do that?”

We could hear Bang PD sigh. It seemed like he was tired of being patient with her act. “Son Haewon-shi, I don’t appreciate lies.” He turned his computer screen to face both of them, also bringing it into our view. He clicked on a file from his desktop, bringing up the security footage from when she stole my phone this morning.

We saw the look on her face as she panicked, probably trying to figure out how to get herself out of this one. But we all knew there was no getting out.

“Why would you enter someone else’s office,” Bang PD asked, “one you had no business entering? And you’re very obviously holding (Y/n)’s phone in your hand. I’d appreciate it if you returned it to me. Right now please, Haewon-shi.”

“I wanted to talk to her, and saw her in the room so I opened the door,” she tried as an excuse. “But she was asleep, so I left shortly after. That phone in my hands is my own.”

“Wow, she has quite some nerve,” Namjoon said as some of the others scoffed or muttered under their breath at the ridiculous excuse.

“Okay, we can play this game,” Bang PD said, clearly fed up with her. He opened up another file on his computer. I instantly recognized it. It was a combination of three security cameras, the first showing me and Yoongi around a corner before walking into a hallway. And then it switched to the second camera which showed Haewon and her coworker walking towards me before pouring her coffee on my arm. And a few moments later, after I turned another corner and they had walked away, it switched to the third camera to show me in pain and Yoongi quickly wrapping his jacket around me and leading me away to treat the burn.

I heard various reactions from the boys to the clip, everyone displeased with seeing the event take place. While they all knew it happened, the rest hadn’t witnessed the scene so it seemed to be hard for them to watch.

“That was an accident, sir,” Haewon quickly defended.

Jimin scoffed. “She was so obvious. It didn’t even look like an accident. She literally tipped it over and spilled the whole thing on you. What a-“

“Language,” Jin said quickly before Jimin could get the word out.

While Jimin spoke, Bang PD had said something to a similar affect as him (although in a calmer, more professional manner) on the other side of the call. Then he pulled up another file. This time, it was in the main lobby when I had chased after Taehyung.

“How the heck did he find this one?” I asked. “I couldn’t even remember what date it was.”

We watched as Tae defended me against her attempt at causing trouble before grabbing my hand and leading me out of the building.

“Wow, you look so cool, hyung!” Jungkook admired.

Tae flashed him a smile as he linked his arm through mine.

“I’m sorry sir, but what is this one proving?” Haewon asked. “It looked like something was wrong, so I asked if I could help.”

“Except that you had a smile on your face before approaching them, not a look of concern. And you obviously said something to make Taehyung feel defensive,” PD-nim said. “Not to mention the look on your face as you watched them walk away is tell-tale to your dislike of (Y/n).”

Haewon sat back in her seat, crossing her arms. Her façade was quickly fading.

“And let’s not forget,” PD-nim said as he played the last clip, from the cafeteria.

“I already told you about this one,” Haewon defended.

“But you told me a completely different story than what both the footage and (Y/n) and Hoseok’s accounts do. You approached her, and based on what I see, it looks like you’re the one who’s bothering her. When you came to me, you told me she was harassing you, but you couldn’t go into detail. (Y/n) and Hoseok both explained the conversation in detail and it perfectly matched with what I see here.”

Haewon didn’t have any more defenses, and we could see how irritated she was.

“Yes! Go in for the kill, PD-nim!” Hoseok cheered.

“So, multiple accounts of workplace bullying, theft of another employee’s personal belongings, and leaking personal information of said employee that could have potentially caused damage to the company,” Bang PD summarized all the counts against her. “Do you still want to claim you are innocent?”

Haewon rolls her eyes. “Fine. I bothered her a bit. But she’s so arrogant and annoying. She isn’t even good at her own job and thinks she can do other peoples’ jobs for them. She’s a useless child who should go back to where she came from.”

I saw Yoongi stand up abruptly, starting to head towards the door. I quickly followed, stepping in front of him just before he reached the handle. “Yoongi, calm down.”

“How can I be calm?” Yoongi practically yelled. “How can you be calm after hearing her talk about you like that? I’m sick of her thinking she can just walk all over you and insult you without any consequences!”

“She is getting her consequences, Yoongi,” I said as I placed my hands on his shoulders to try to calm him down.

“By getting fired,” he retorted. “What exactly is that going to do?”

“Yoongi, please,” I said as I held his gaze with my own. “I know you’re angry. But it’s not your fight, it’s mine. And I’m choosing to let the consequences that Bang PD is dealing suffice as her payment. That’s enough for me.”

He looked away, letting out a huff as he calmed down. I took hold of his hands with my own to lead him back toward everyone else. They remained on the floor, but it seemed their full attention had turned to us. I also noticed it seemed that the call had ended.

“What did we miss?” I asked as we sat back down.

“Basically just PD-nim saying she’s fired, needed to give your phone back, and that if she saved anything from your phone on an outside device it has to be immediately deleted and never ever show up anywhere unless she wants to be sued,” Taehyung explained without taking a breath.

“Oh, okay then,” I said chuckling.

“That was amazing!” Namjoon exclaimed.

“Oh my gosh, the look on her face when it changed from ‘I’m innocent’ to ‘Oh no I’m screwed’ was so hilarious!” Jimin said.

As they continued to be ecstatic over the events that just occurred, PD-nim entered the room, holding my phone. “You might want to change your password to something that isn’t so obvious, (Y/n)-shi. Even I guessed it on the first try.”

I chuckled nervously as I took my phone from him.

“What is your password, noona?” Namjoon asked.

“1306,” I said.

“What’s even the point of using a password if it’s going to be so obvious, (Y/n)?” Jin asked as he laughed.

“Well, I’m just glad this is over now,” Yoongi said. “No more Haewon causing you trouble or bothering you.”

“Thank you, Bang PD-nim,” I said as I bowed deeply. “I appreciate all your help and your understanding.”

I saw him smiling as I straightened up. He reached out to place a hand on my shoulder. “If you ever need anything, and I mean anything, never hesitate to let me know. You’re a part of our family and I’ll always be here for you.”

A/N - I just wanted to say that it really is not okay to say things like the offensive comments portrayed in this chapter. People can be quick to judge, and with the internet and a computer in between it can be easy to forget that on the other side that is another person, and you may not have all the proper information of the situation. Of course, everyone is allowed to have their own opinions but if they’re unkind then do they really need to be said? Just a general PSA to not be a prick :)

Series Masterlist

Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20

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[40ozalctears]

the sweetest kindest little ringing remind or ashtin or spooked rabbit keeper sweetest, spiteful my vices ahh!her luv damn. why!

The cause of harm is the greed and not the farm that you arm your weakest prodigal son, in the wake of a maybe fatal frigid Hellscape frozen over the hold over Queen majesty - when all they want is the monarch taxes back - like do u rly think the easy dirty easy money like stealing, type super  funny, honey its sweeter than the milk and soft as the spin the scar tissue hard. Trust me, the watching who hold hate close to the knowledge of the madgods jewelry is stinking of lunacy, from the quiet kind boy behind the monarch stark cast of Godlike endless hatred rage - take it from the prophesied leader of spirits who know prophesy fulfilled when he listens to to the whistling of ancestor spirits. Shh. Pawned so many rings that belonged to wrong ruler and song girl bringer of here. I am  crystal clear that I am the Belle the Gaelic attempt to keep it super sly and secret. Keep the sharp teeth wolf boys feel. You use the hints and kinks in the story is so old to known to young unsung but done as done prophesy is - stuck in a state archdruidic sickening states of being wasted on the loss my rightful throne and every hidden secret locked in the labyringth in Gothic leviathan cathedral bearing my Gaelic, as the eventually overthrown Roman blew in the gail winds of fading traditon, until no one listened - French, drenched in gas so the most certain ancients know that the young stuck between wolf with teeth perfectly shining, glistening like misshappen young Bellovaci younger holy boys who were just always in a feral state as this, to purr and meow and give the serpent hiss in the name of making your place certain beneath more primal - I relinquish the dirt that just sits in the sink, until I relinquish link to like the hoops in the ear that would claime me the the arch-druid so sickly addicted to every little drink that is as ichor of death, to be anything but self assured in the word of the lycan simply lurking. Stuck between sprint, torn denim, more wolf than man, more Perfectly evil than pleasantly Godly like the most ready to know the foam that forms when see see her have their beloved dark black long hair sheared like wheat and chaff before the wind - like the sick should fall to the bloodied slice of the sickle - for less obvious matters, let the frigid whisper of winter being fickle, just enought to tickle the just to depravity. As such, the little who felt the eyes of boy who circled the edge of town as if he could not exist if not considerign the sting of monarch moth never more than a state eternal failing - the bread of a war machine God called Heaven, and stole my lost profit lost cost of certain life - being stuck in the state of eternal decay, which I studied and loved until I travelled under and dug, and built a man made moat just so you and your favorite things that makes you a sweet thing, and I would let your eye widen as the Sun dies again, for how many nights we d did not fight against sleep, as if it was impossible to not see the glow of the her slow in the bright of the certain doom and the looming harvest of farthest mens beliefs- understanding them from the wise who came far from the East, and so when I fed on what I studied to be the understanding of the love of another that was as fulfilling as shared cute snack that feels like return of the hero, but no great war - just what she stored I locked in impossible chance of ever being forgotten in the permafrost frigid acceptance that my ribs form a page that is nothing short of permafrost accounting for the Godliness of Loss - so for all the simple beauty and the cutie doe with the fawn eyes who I saw forever in a way, sleepîng on a hateful yawn, and as soon as she wakes, blinks, yawns, I steal her from the fate of never escaping the state of eternal maze - by which I named my first son already the Scarecrow Prince who will only  know keeping away crows, and those who know the harbingers of death, if you trust the call of keeping death then you invite again the flow of euphoric state of moon blasting through, like it baptizes you new under the last name you gave as you noticed her lose the tame, like a newly free thing who was only knew cage - I suppose many act as they should as if they ever only knew rage - for all labyrinth trap and reasons of setting traps for the unwanted seasons, so in the sickest of seeping Spring I know one ring keeps me sharpening teeth, and assured that the meek not sheep for the weak of the word, but the deared dark-eyed soul  that I saw tending to to contraption that was asked to keep us in safety, and just as the sweetest of sickly sweet thing that makes all lycan boy, between and here and there was a maiden, one of iron, one which was so tired, that it tired me, even in my infinite gift of plan to hatch the love of my own twisted roots of oak until I am choked by the end of my joke that is just make the sweet doe eyed in the man made moat I spit this as quick as a slit I would made, but it would take little more me to riddle a liittlle harmless threat, with the debt of what is owed to the protector of Queen of all that I have seen more goes than majesty, tragedy that it had to be you, and I saw her look away, but I think she was keen of a certain sense to know I was such a penniless who could spend endless words for you learn that it takes as such, that you get as much as you give, and even to keep her breath steady - you not  take your never ending, butterfly wing, malfunctioning thats most fear but she hears vibrated like like quiet of the hum and summer nights - and so for me take the claws, fix both red stained glass eyes, wide as severed - ways to explain that it painful to say that given what I have scribbled in the hieromanic of trance, and I cannot sing and and dance like I do not having to call for the Fall of Man, just every plan of man, no matter well maid, always led themselves, naked shivering, exactly to the step of my trap, which I simply set to wet my taste that in my heart the start of the most bright exploding morning flail - the believe that mourning any distance bright candle simply doused by the petty candle lick, quick-witted way the light of your life might just decide one day, in its trickery, sickening mastery of things more man than a boy who finds join the acceptance as wolf more always in between, hurting and dirty for never truly becoming, but since in absolutely delightful beauty quiet she floats on the wooden boat, Singing in tongues what might be the meaning of death in  ending of sum - in that if speaking trying to make sense of the sounds is beyond the bond of human to the satisfaction with simple humanity, not having grasped the the roots and found how to shoot start out of the sky on  a night  so loud from the crowd of surrounding pounding drums, of those fat-bellied fascists, who heard word you of your solitary goddess too honest to ever say she just believes without being knowing as so many, too-knowing will claim until they slain the in the name of the lie - I remember the Ilai, Eli, of course...a a lie, I have thought the less real lamb that stood as she stands, as he landed on the peak of Golgotha, the Aramaic was perhaps soft on the dying son confused by the plan of the Eternal, that when the nails jailed themself to a cage of childish rage, in his purity, in his fury, the absolute terrifying baring of teeth, from a thing more than a man who we only know as the Italian son of a man who weaponized the need, of knowing the idea of the Son, asking the father for a taste of Honey, as burned to death due to fault lines in the times conflict, the Son would consider, despite the nights in wild, where I was the child and babe possessed, nearly the Lord of Death - given mastery over connection to Father, God, the peak of throne - just as the wildest time I ever came close to perhaps becoming too full in my how MUCH my teeth bled as I felt them become blades, that only most alone lycanthrope knows that in a statone of alone, given nothing but instinct, and the nonsense worthless broken porcelain that looked so wrong in it raped poor, sad fatal estate, as the rate increased and the feast my own consuming of stars in the sky forgetting the name of the Hatred of the idea of my meek littlle priestess - seeped in my need of simply believing in Queen, should the Kind pawn and not think for a again, at least inn a state of knowing it staying put in insanity, instead of grasping at the fact, so beautfiul but tear-filled years and years of waiting, Hating the need for blood spilled -  sip on sour cloud break int raped time I believe I must drink the blood to avoid the or, some prophesy that is as misplaced as a poisoned chalice, or even living in a palace, as I lived in what i make an intricate safet confusing little maze of a cluttered and dimly lit clean as can home fit for as modest and as the innocent stern deity who submisses to no dismmissing of her strength in the way the drenches the weak in the their defeat - became as haunting, piercingly loud, as if thhe crowd of the rage of a forget tradition of boys lost in the most deep of Belgic, someone some-where look like the Sun King withought the messes of lost den dwellers wishing for one gem laden gauntlet of a boy so Shining finally given the palace where he stood like the final piece to the puzzle, but any failed watch maker who understands the importance of the love and  acceptance of failure - to sit in silence as loud as the sound the once-dead no piercengly quiet -only tickicking the old heiroom , alone in the darkest little steel  box of lock between myself and what seemed to be the reason i even kept any thing dirty, having a penchant for ugly, as it is easier to hug, with unwarranted terrible pain, that if I should given a shame all the was of the certainly nervous and tall nothing but simple boy, who kept strange so deranged and misunderstood, the closest I ever became to command I then claimed over how we become the beast we studied, the most, so le loup garou je troube q c maps mal nous tous les jeune honnes, donner in the grace of the silliest stiill alive-ancients, I remember waking to up the nothing but fear, clearly awake, before I considered that the stuck between stations of dashing and springting with tongue out more in between than ever, and severed from reality like nape of the rapist of health, who deserved exactly how painful it is to attempt to take the breason of breath of a deathly sweet little thing, that I had no quarrel, with so many inner-wars possessing my core, this came as 2 and 2 would naturally come to one who lives for another but must act out of of absolute focus on the swarm of locust, of channeling the hate the state of still convinced of weak willed humanity always grasping back to the need to such greedy with our grasping little human disease name our most useless scraping of kness, simply to not exist as mist with a debt to death, that will never be paid until in your maiden, somehow still, as sweet and, as opened like the intricate lock, who only ever talked so soft, though never stern as if to teach those who do not know how made the young boys go when laid bare to the fair skin little thing, and the presence of something listening, lurking and working on the moat, so he has a place to return, that I earn the trust, as my mane because the the River Styx by which the depth of how trim ourself fur and how soft we pur, keeps a little thing like, what seemed at first to be weak little sheep, who watched as i watched, weeks on weeks. i think think of the God Army who drew blade in the name of those who came most like there before - brought about the strength in the week after week, until walked tilted in the way of a wolf, though alone, mostly likely believed a sort or auditory glitch cast by the shadows and  tossed at me like a joke of a bone, simply to give me the idea of home, that I would her here still quietly, but so softly as sweetly - something I wanted to ask but was terrified to even utter to to no one for nothing in silence, she awoke the new sense of 6 all together as one, and for all the boy so scared of the swinging like moon in the sky, when i was convinceded of something tied to things not allowed to those who do not have the raising of dead, all i think id like to just try to return from..if not the grave than the furthest forgotten part of the den, where this story and meaning began as it ends - just a way to say i know exactly why you know what i knew, and i hope against hope i do not lose sight of the memory of you - because although forever boy  -with vices and plain as a night with just white rice and help help of her so harmless little smirk and a wink, that made the pendulum brain that swung like i as hells  bells were insane - as in not quite normal, as normal we love - it all seemed so normal until we were visited by boys, who saw the goddess of seasons in this simple quiet absolutely shierking riot of so many ways she would love, to  tell you all the the words she knows you think of them too much and so when, just when become so accepting of the power your hatred of having to wait - to just wait until the gates by which you always would return her staring, although as if, withouut casting you a spell of  smile, you stop and and look at pacific clearly piercing blue - that for all of her tears that welled up as after 20 nights in defiance of any sort of defeat - as is if being apart,though as he deep how the frozen hold outside the jail of you eternally lost, but kept in sigh chest - where i see the mathers failig and erring to say, I know you began as seeming to sculpted from diamond, though second, the wolf second  sum, more loud and addicted to pride than the smaller though, equally capable man, who just because he can run on all fours as his foretold type apocalypse fate, was as interesting fate fatal as the final pale horse her death - and I do not remember exactly when I began to notice, the boat floathing alone, or when my bright as sprayed over faint barely dim stupid quiet was not chrome or calling me home, by my allowing for all - the absolute Belgic Prophecy joke, that began simply as stupid, but in presence of the spooked little rodent type queen - switched names - without asking why, I suppose that in the attempty of knowing how we know how, and by no means do i say this this with hope ,to achieve the same cheating way of reaching such perfect connection life, than finding your reason to not be Hateful of God when god has been failing idea, of the might of the male, that the simple fact at the bottom of all - is that the Fall of Man is silly little becoming the return, of when I think i will deserve to stop trying be either incredibly far, either evil little devil grasping at the need being weak and pink like,a pig, or in the face of death - the forgetting of breath, i do believe i must rememer the name, the message more than sent in house how many ways, as studied as any believer in science, by wise as the misunderstood men in the dresses from east - so in the incredibl terrible rage, terrifying reminder, she is just theperfect little strength of the flood of all time, for the perfect cute thought little whimsical nonsense word spoken in tongues, simply because she said so manu in barely audible cute litttle whisper lispy magical lilt - i do not think i am of the acceptance of born to die,just as in the dying light of the night Moon gave the light on things in tht nearly blackened painting canopy brush - each as deep as the piercing I made - that was not necessary, but perhaps as if if to stay, i will remain close to the hope digging and searching all the rocks and the mud, until I return to just where I was, until I stand to reason that was a man without her seeming reason for me to defend my hatred of each season, but the love the way they all die so quickly as if they know exactly when I am becoming physically ill by not a shift in understanding of her. i think it was ashtin - like the dust dust to eternal rusting of my loss of self into choked back fears until years of years of studying the defense against against anything bent againt I would feel the power of endless power in the little bit of lovely blood, that once again reminded where I began that bit of a dream, that seems a bit too dramatic of anything more than panicking dream. But my word, the rodent she named Oliver, soft and attaching to words like they are herds she saves with  a simple different way slaying their understanding on plain until the unheard know her death when her breath is missed is harshest in the breach iof the rift in the stone dark endless wall how her breath clears the fog, and sends the echoes back home in whisper just a little lisp, little kiss on my lips, a sly wink with an entirely unexpected opening of entrance to entire  too much to look without being to have your jaw slacked wide - as if the little unexpected so quick little joke, make slit the unknown threat and simple bet her slight bit of doubt in my weakness, i suppose she might have had - and although i do not low i crept as the wind  often does, to bring about clouds when the blue is too much of lie for sky to accept - the debt of your once hated seething refusal of death, allowed again to renew simply by the news of the dreams of the queen who was, ash- ashtin. spooked rabbits are just needing one, as so ti goes...the cutest little feets. keeping me in state of accepting my defeat and knowing the tirump of eternal here and there insanity that had me consuming a star, one by one until the undoing on sun was brought about  queen without the way of making thos who crossed the way with evil kept in its sway, had my pulsing blood, as fucked as the hellish dark of black matter noahs boat couldnt hold - despite being ebnt by the old joke - the grace of god - how one man leading the other keeping the Fall as evil menacing as it kept gluttonous fiendish fucking tearing apart all the planes as if to grow greater in danger to the consatnt and terrifying state of new danger of a  maybe hades boy who ddi too much grasping at pinkish shell to let myslf be reduced the feral final story, horror to some but silly little clever story, that had me eating guts and close to none,a dn then I might the final sum, and we only spoked in like poetic guessing, and, and riddle spun in the funniest little nonsense tongus and you could lose all sense and sight of self -  i think i saw a glimpse of her tasteful, when I cried so long into them moat, that if she left for how I protected her and her little, then just as I took gathered all then found all colorful shades of Easter hues, I thought how she would look up look from some written words - that I know she I loved had never heard - and every time she looked from from the blue, i learned something from the eyes in the books and words i never knew - just to put me where I need to be, to clear pulsing pride from bloodshot, sclera  slit like tip of ice - just as if to say - wolf - what was it! Doggy! DOG BOY!  To catch up to me in my stupid race, and give me exactly the bitter taste of how much she knew in calm and little lil just barely out the pink ishupon which quit the pyre lit - as when I took at the happy easter colors, and I CURSED her named, and named her killer of every color - now that moat is turning black, and the sky shows all the suns so much at once, that at the zenith of the apex boy - little predator muttering all nice sweet letters, because in the frantic end of choice - you not much of choice in - when you you your eyes and count to ten youll wake up up not  stuck in questions asked, so many times that the night  is just the final break day, where eternal empress who claims her seat - only kept around by the spare and rotten, which the boy who always knew, that he hated any end, but not than he seethed at the types of you, who always approached the little lamb, with no regard for how she lead the herds, or which she spent the pitch black birds, with little lick of lips and tonguepoked as if to say, I dont to scary you - its just the way I bite! To make you wonder, and faint and make you beg for me to say that I am not dead, in the native tongue of keeping me tracked by not enough breath to explain - stupid lungs cannot keep up with brain! and so just as I felt the clear the moat around the little steel trap cottage,which in intense dreary clarity pain, I remember how shed always up though the softest sweet soft cooked rye break eyes, which I would break with woodlant carcass, dead, but this type sweetness reminder of her would keep the memory so fucked a blur, that when I needed the guidance of the hiding empress, Ash- Ashtin. I remember her important on the fidget little wind up nature - of the small ones but must be scare, and when i was so close to something more - I do not care for the letters  and their and tried young symbols, I forget how just, a more recently learned cast in iron, attempt self to make the pariah undertood - by way of building the knee sout of rotten would - I do not think or remember or cared cared - to ever do more than simply stare -or imply what youd so quick succinct, without the fear or  drink at the brink too many silly drinks to death, I remember how the static how she just threw all havoc in side my head, and I do not think how it was crackling snow on snow, unlike other other little question that I knew to do, was I given the absolutely never allowed chance - for the lady priestess who herself who so clean of pride - that she took the form of something so  weak in stature - but if was was real ash or rabbit, spooky rodent or wahtevr oh no dew! im so close to new water on the grass - she would say something  something equal  smart - and in this i knew i shaped my heart in form which i recall our elbows linked, and in this, the sotry clinked, like chainmail just so perfectly made, that when i closed my eyes ans the ring of pearl blue simply slain - by knowing that the death of pain,would be cutting the story short, just who had long forgotten why he kept me weight alone - under earth and across the darkest emerald thicket where in the almost dark drk of calm cool breeze - it almost seemed that something she jagged knife told me so many times in a way defeated, there are so many you times you rhyme your want with rotten meat - each time so produ to drop your pittace at my feet - id notice things id though she keep to herselp, like ifif she heard a sound that sort of clicked, she used all her little rabbit nervous, and look at the place that sound had surfaced, shed dart her eye look up and down, i swear to god the became possesed ttha little - as if this tiny little secret might have been some unknown weakness of myself, and sense ofsilly self alone, or how she hated to admit - as if she only felt my  tense and nonsense wit, and how id  spit and drool some nonsense shit, when perk and smack my mouth,and when shed calm and look all normal, shed twist her eyes so deeply wide and locked the a perfect socket into mine, like the human little shaky princess off the greenest ever dark shadow shade - that robot intensity was if her closest thing to shame, as if she knew when  returned the secret little glen, she hated when i knew she cared  - as if she knew the stupid end, and hated the love and silly nickname as though she did not think the the first name fit, and we spoked and we went on and in the game of just the longest song, which always began with us just screeching cute littl sounds, until, shed begin with A, as if to see how w eboth felt to do, with eah little letter we knew so well,and I remember an ANNOYINGLY loud, and I liked to do things just know with how id b so glad to know want cares, for me to be sory of follow hey very little cutey challenge, so i held her given named above her head - as if to bring her to my secret little home - and anoint with strangest deepest love warming feeling - until corner her with feelings -until were both so dumb kid squealing, I corner her with her given name , as she was the one cutie types, no matter silly im am, ur the dumber piece of stinky dumb dog pudding slung so poorly, like its barely even taut at all - that the only time we were said such cute little things, that rhyme together, are so dreamy perfect, as im not sure if we even rhymed at all, but in night as our giggles turned to cackling tearfilled calls, we would end just other begins, just as simple sum as dipped in depth as deepest why crying over the dimming sun is oh nopers! as shed often say. id hear here do her beauty cutie thing where shed say, the type pitter patter nopey nopers, until l my hopes are all in where I hope she keeps the darkenest wait, so quickly lit with razor wit, that right before i sleep for the firostin so long again - she finally has me brawling crying out for the light of lights to not go out, that a final word shared just before accept hoh nopers dannnnnngit! Dange gangly nooonopers! as she just liked to she how silly she could sound, but when wanted to bring just edge of life, and making the queen the jewel of the dirtdog simple, the priestess of the brightest secret light, who ended each and every night, with final thing if to jsut a silly tired thing, and I rememebr one really faded in to greatest chipped old fade- in the love of the little fidgety way, that on the dirst in central little metal room - enthused by how it felt like such a lovely tomb while drifted in and out of sleep, everytime id come back to awake, shed be staring directly in eye my eye, or even wake me up with her fucking Hey! Fuck you! type ofpicking at my skin blackhead whitehead or little red think she could pick, as if me not knowing  thats shes afraid that i dont know,,that even though the little snarky rude type silly teacher preacher joker stoker of the loving flame - she thinks mentioning lame is stupid all bark mr neutered bad dog! lil piece of crap.  n then, feigning sincerity in sweetest way possible her eyes roop and he strts talkin all  sorry andloopy  , and says super very slow, i know for a fact shes spitting on my eyes oh my loird this absolutely silly evilly queen of jokes, fuck stoked the fire so i know my f;ace, and im just as i tryin to mutter - wh..are you..spraying your nasty stupid spit  on my f-f-face.I know exactly how but why id even why this stupid little chunky  chimp do do anything just on a silly whim - to prove chance, that although a very loud annoying little yappy annoying dog, and based on this i would  and must always let her win. even when shed really make me start to cry  because i thought about how she would either disappear or either disappear of or be gonetoo long 2 diappear - or just be ok withou withou the fear-  gone too long and just because intilledwith fear until she calls me stupid just all day long, sometimes sall ur silly things get to me way deeper than they ever should - just because i feel my knees creaking like crutches with twoodworm and the rotten wood - but when the sweetest little knows im a bit too sh turns from stupid annoying silly thing, worth all the waunt gather in the form of my simple fear of the obvious big unspoke thing if we were either prepared or knowing that the beauiful haunting song, of hows omething would be lost, if we simply lived all boring quiet, because in teh certainy of her going i umumumum. I dinnot say YOu are..STOOpidn, i sad you....are souping! souping out! and i stop and i realize exactly why I go....oh...yeah? and i start laughing... and gasping and  hey ashtin. for all the metaphor. what do i have to do do for spooked rabbit self to pitter pitter patter. I suppose I know what’s been the matter

[zoocross0vers]

Raspberries Challenge #10: 101 Dalmatians

Raspberries Challenge #10: 101 Dalmatians

                                          101 Funnies and Boxes

My story begins in Zootopia, not too long ago. And yet so much has happened since then that it feels more like an eternity, a bored male voice narrated as the sounds of uninspired romantic piano music came from the second floor window of a tall beige apartment complex. At that time, I lived alone in a bachelor pad just off of Cypress Grove Lane. It was a beautiful spring day. Real terrible time of the year for bachelors.

Oh! That’s me, said the internal voice as he sat at a piano. The narrator in question was a slender red fox with a black tail tip and the most handsome emerald green eyes. He wrote notes and tested new keys to try to get the right melody, Nick. Nick Wilde, he introduced himself, I’m a musician of sorts. Nick tried a new rhythm that he had written down. He smiled, believing it sounded good until he realized it was just the same uninspired, repetitive theme he had already been playing.

He groaned, dropping his forehead frustratingly over several keys on the piano, causing the large musical instrument to create a loud shrill sound. That’s it! He gives up.

Nick slumped on his swivel chair and turned to face away from his piano, feeling greatly uninspired to write or play anything. He miserably viewed his surroundings. His small apartment, a complete mess -- it screamed stereotypical messy, single male at every corner. Nick sighed at the mess, You know, as far as I could see the old notion that a bachelor’s life was so...glamorous and carefree was all one big fat lie. It was downright dull. Nick stretched and yawned, only to slump back on his seat.

Yeah...I’m pretty sure it was plain to see that I needed someone. I had been a bachelor for...well pretty much since forever at this point. I’d been married to my work and I wrote songs about romance, which to be fair was a subject I knew absolutely nothing about. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a few flings in my youth but never anything serious. Nick looked to a pile of entertainment and clothing store magazines next to him and picked one up. It depicted a pretty red vixen in a purple nightgown. He stared at it with a smile and opened it to the female clothing section to view other pictures of other gorgeous female mammals of varying species.

It was at that moment that I thought, ‘why don’t I just settle down?’ It’d be just the inspiration I need for my work. And besides, I’m a pretty good-looking guy. I’m a smart catch too. There’s no reason I can’t get a cute girl like the ones in these magazines. Nick shifted his gaze back down to the pile of magazines and noticed another magazine with a beautiful female rabbit in a pink and green teddy on the cover. He immediately picked it up with intrigue and gave the image a flirty growl. Plus, I’m not picky when it comes to species. I’m willing to marry outside my kind if it’s the right girl.

With a new rejuvenated sense of life, Nick jumped off his swivel chair and ran to peek out his apartment window. The question was, where to start looking? Nick gazed out the window, paying attention to every young female that walked down the street. At the moment, only a young eligible female elephant and mouse passed by his street. Nick grimaced, Hmm. I’m not picky with species, but I’m pretty sure she should at least be near my size in order to count. Don’t want her too small that I could crush her or too big that she’d crush me.

Nick shook his head, wanting to get that last image out of his head. Just then, a more appropriately sized female made her way around the corner. Ah, here comes a good one. Nick saw that it was a very lanky, very plain looking red vixen with a slouchy gait. She wore glasses and a black beret -- an artist of sorts -- a painter by the looks of it. Hmm, pretty unusual breed for a vixen. He chuckled as the more he watched her, the more he found her unique gait rather comical. Very unusual…...nah. He shook his head. Though her outward appearance said artist, she just didn’t seem like the type of artist that could inspire him.

He turned his attention to the next oncoming girl, a portly pig in a brown pencil skirt business suit and cap. She had golden locks of hair sticking out right from under her cap. Well, what’ve we here? Nick observed her as she walked swaying her all too large hips side to side, causing Nick to primarily lay his focus on her lower back and rump. Hmm...well I like big hips, but...maybe those are a little too big. Giving it another thought, he reached his conclusion, Nope.

Onto the next oncoming girl, Whoa! Nick gasped with wide eyes, his jaw falling at the sight of a gorgeous and voluptuous, fancy looking arctic vixen. By the looks of her expensive opaque lavender coat and matching puff of a hat, a financially well endowed vixen at that! Look at that knockout! Now that’s a fancy vixen if I ever saw one! he thought in excitement. At the moment he thought he had finally found the mate he was looking for, but...upon further inspection of the vixen and her high nose posture, the more he began to question exactly how good of a match they would be. Surely she would not want a struggling musician like himself for a husband, plus given her demeanor and pursed lips, she really didn’t look very approachable. In fact she looked pretty snobbish and like she’d very perfectly live up to the literal definition of a ‘vixen’.

Nick’s excitement died out as did his attraction toward the vixen. Hmm...maybe she’s a little too fancy. He gazed at the vixen once more to confirm, Yeah, too fancy for my taste.  

Nick looked back down to the street, his tone somewhat defeated as if losing hope in his venture for a wife. His deflated mood only worsened when he saw the next two candidates passing by. The first one was an old jittery goat riding her bike down the street while the second was a small juvenile skunk in a yellow dress licking a large swirled lollipop. Too old, too young. Nick mumbled internally in defeat.

Nick sighed discouraged and slumped his cheek on the palm of his paw, This was going to be tougher than I thought. A lot tougher. Nick shifted his gaze back down, hopeless and with very little interest now.

Until...

His eyes caught view of something and he had to shake his head to do a double take to make sure he wasn’t dreaming -- as at that very moment, making her way around the corner was another candidate -- perhaps, the candidate! Nick’s ears stood on end with intrigue and he smiled wide just as his long canid tongue stuck out in joy -- reminiscent to a happy puppy. His tail wagged in excitement, Well, now that’s more like it! The most beautiful creature on two legs!! Nick exclaimed in his mind as he gazed in wonder and admiration at a lovely young female rabbit with beautiful gray and white fur and gorgeous decorative black tips atop her long soft ears that hung low behind her shoulders. From what he could see, she had just the cutest pink button nose he had ever seen -- though he’d never tell her that -- lest he’d risk making her, a rabbit, angry by calling her ‘cute’.

She wore a beige colored, flared skirt business suit and matching hat with a decorative yellow sunflower on the side of her hat. Her features fair and soft, telling him that she was of a very gentle nature. In her arms she carried a small book -- an interest in literature could be a sign of a smart, creative girl in his wake! She was almost too good to be true! I’d never find another girl like that even if I had to look for her for a hundred years!

Not wanting to lose sight of her, Nick ran to the other window at the top of his small stairway. He caught sight of her, Ah, she’s heading for the park! A perfect meeting place! Now if I could only find her there. Nick grabbed his coat and hat, ready to run out the door, but stopped short as he glanced at his clock. Uh-oh. I almost forgot, I can’t ruin my work schedule. I don’t stop playing ‘til after five. But then, that’ll be too late and I’ll lose her. Hustling himself, Nick readjusted the time on his clock from 4:34 to 5:13pm. He smiled proud, There we go. Problem solved! He chuckled and ran out, excited to reach the park and win the heart of his new fair bunny.  

.

Nick sped walked through the park, practically jogging through it in search of the gray bunny. It almost seemed hopeless. The park was huge and full of mammals. She could’ve been anywhere!

Nick could somewhat see someone in the distance wearing a brownish-beige suit and hat. Could it be her?

He jogged over as fast as he could, but when he got close enough he sadly realized that it wasn’t her. It was the pig he had seen earlier in the brown business suit. She just sat there, knitting something and minding her own business.  

Nick sighed disappointedly and continued on his way. He kept his eyes peeled and shifted his gaze every which way in search of the rabbit.

He crossed the park’s bridge hovering over a body of water and spotted another familiar face. It was the lanky red vixen from before. She sat by the lake shore just painting a canvas of the scenery before her.

Nick huffed, growing anxious. Where could she be?!

He hurried off the bridge and continued on his way, but was stopped in his tracks when some giggling children, two young lambs and a bunny, zipped right in front of him. Two girl lambs ran with a jump rope in their hooves and the young male bunny rolled on some four wheeled roller skates. Nick sighed in annoyance and continued on his way after they crossed his path.

His anxiousness was quickly turning into despair as there was still no sign of the bunny. At first I was afraid I’d missed her, he narrated in thought, Maybe she strolled right through the park.

Nick continued with his rushed pace, passing by a path between two bushes. He quickly peeked in and took a few more steps forward when he froze in his tracks -- his brain catching up with his sight. He peered back in to ensure he wasn’t seeing things. He smiled wide.

Then suddenly, I spotted her!

The gray bunny sat on a bench suited for a mammal of her size and with a perfect view of the lake -- a perfectly romantic view that is. Nick wagged his tail. He couldn’t have set this scene any better even if he tried!

Now the question was how to get her attention? She seemed awfully preoccupied with her book as she turned another page. He didn’t want to be rude and interrupt her, but he did want to find a way to start up a conversation with her. Whatever he did, he had to be smart in his approach. Polite. Smooth. Suave. Confident.

Alright Nick, Nick thought to himself as he took in a heavy gulp, You can do this! The bachelor fox took a deep breath and poised his nose up and strolled before the bunny with a confident gait.

As Nick passed her by, the bunny curiously lifted her gaze up from her book to him. She followed his every move as she saw him take a seat at the other end of the bench she was at. Nick kept his gaze forward for a few seconds, pretending to mind his own business.

He then glanced over to her -- curious if she had noticed him at all. The minute he looked toward her, their eyes met. It was only for a second however, as the bunny immediately blushed in embarrassment that she was caught staring at him and quickly buried her nose back into her book.

Nick looked away from her as well, but with a smile. She noticed him! And boy are her eyes just the most beautiful shade of amethyst purple he had ever seen! For a moment it seemed to have worked. At least she'd seen me. Now if I could only start up a conversation with her... Nick rubbed his neck and casually shifted his gaze toward her once more -- his focus landing on her book -- it was Jane Mouseten’s “Pride and Prejudice”. That’s it! He thought in excitement. He had his ice breaker! Plus it was a book he had read before and really liked! It was perfect!

Alright, it’s now or never Wilde. Nick shut his eyes and cleared his throat with a light tug at his shirt collar. He turned his body towards her, his eyes still shut as he opened his mouth to utter his first syllable. He had only managed a breath when he opened his eyes and realized -- She’s gone! Nick’s jaw dropped as he gazed at the now empty spot where the bunny sat. He looked up and saw that she was already a few feet away, walking along the path beside the lake.

No… Nick thought miserably. Had he really just lost his opportunity to talk to her? His ears fell in defeat until, out of fate or sheer luck, the bunny’s loosely placed book, plopped right out of her purse.

Nick smiled wide, “Thank you!” he whispered gratefully to the sky with his paws clasped together in a prayer position. Without a second thought, the fox quickly lept into action to retrieve her book from the ground. Once in his paws, he smiled confidently. There was no way he could mess this up now -- he’d give the book back to her and then segway into a conversation about it until he’d find the right moment to ask her out.

The fox adjusted his hat forward, determined. Nothing could stop him now! He cleared his throat and jogged forward, “Excuse me miss?” he called out to the bunny in the distance, “You forgot your book!” Lost in the bunny ahead and in his determination to reach her, the fox failed to notice an abandoned pair of roller skates in his path. “Miss? Mi--Aaaaahh!!!”

Accidentally stepping on one, Nick was propelled forward down the sloping path -- much, much faster than he had intended to move! Along the way he came across the children from before, playing jump rope right in the middle of the walkway. “Waaaahhhh!” Nick crashed right in the middle of their jump rope, yanking it right out of the hooves of the two little lambs and taking it along with him.

“Look out!” he called out as he realized he was about to crash into his lady bunny. The bunny turned just in time to see Nick crash right into her. She let out a loud yelp as before either of them knew it -- they were both entangled to one another with the jump rope.

“Oh! Sweet cheese and--!” the bunny cried out in shock as she found herself pressed up against the fox.

Nick blushed, both in embarrassment and of the fact that he was pressed up against her. “I-I’m really sorry! I-I didn’t mean to--”

“What on earth!” the bunny cried again as both she and the fox tried to pull themselves free from the rope’s grasp. Both mammals struggled and rocked back and forth, unaware that the more they moved, the more they began to move toward the lake.

Before they knew it, “Whoaa! Whoa, whoa! WHOAAAA!!!”

SPLASH!

The two fell into the lake, finally becoming untangled from one another, but both soaked to the bone!

They landed side by side -- Nick kicking his legs up in an attempt to sit up, while the drenched bunny sat and coughed.

Nick lifted the sopping wet brim of his hat from his eyes to see her. He watched as she shivered both in embarrassment and from the cold of the water. He placed an embarrassed paw over his snout, guilt drenching him more than the water, Oh boy, did I mess up big time, he groaned internally.

The trembling bunny looked down at herself, completely mortified and near the brink of tears in sheer embarrassment. “M-My new spring suit,” she stammered, “A-And m-my new hat!” She pointed to her hat that was slowly floating away from her with the water’s gentle current.

Overwhelmed with guilt and desperate to make things right, Nick stood up and quickly waddled over to fetch her hat. “D-Don’t worry I’ll get it for you!” In his rush and because he couldn’t see much given the brim of his soaked hat covering his eyes, he lost his footing, grabbing the bunny’s hat but landing belly and face first against the water.

SPLASH!

The gray bunny yelped and took cover behind her small arms as water splashed against her. She gasped, wiping the excess water from her face. Nick surfaced from beneath the water and instinctually shook himself to dry off some of the water. “H-Hey!” She took cover with her arms once more as some stray droplets flew her way.

Uh-oh, Nick thought, immediately seizing his actions. Way to go Wilde, if I wasn’t dead in her eyes before, then I really am now. “I’m sorry! I-I really didn’t mean to--It’s just my insti--Here, let me help you up.” Nick said as he gently placed his paws underneath her arms to stand her up and escort her off the lake and onto the dry bank. “I don’t know what happened back there,” he tried to explain as he placed her soaked hat over her head, accidently causing more water to stream down her face. “I-I was just walking along the path, and then there was this roller skate, and then there were these kids and a jump rope, a-and I-I…”

“Oh, nevermind, nevermind!” retorted the shivering bunny, not wanting to hear another word from him.

Watching her shiver, Nick chivalrously removed his red coat and placed it over her shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm -- not that it would do much good given the equally soaked state of the coat. The embarrassed bunny flinched from his touch, pulling away from him, the coat still on her shoulders, “Please just go away! You’ve done enough!”

Nick felt his heart in pain -- broken, before he could’ve even gotten the chance to know her. His normally bright emerald eyes dimmed in shame. His ears fell back. He blew it...

Despite not wanting anything more to do with him, the gray bunny still sought warmth from his coat, tugging at the lapel with one paw to better adjust it at her shoulders while her other paw brought her purse up to fish for something inside it.

Though the brim of his hat kept slouching over his eyes, Nick could still see how upset she was as she dug into her purse. “I...,” he spoke, compelled to say something to her, “I know you probably don’t want anything more to do with me, but...I’m really, really sorry--”

“Please...” groaned the bunny as she pulled out a hankie from her purse, hoping to use it to dry herself, “Please just--” she stopped in shock when she saw that her hankie was just as equally soaked as she was.  

Ever the gentlemammal, Nick immediately dug into his back pocket and pulled out a red handkerchief. “Here, take mine.”

The gray bunny’s jaw dropped when she saw the state of his hankie. It too was drenched. She didn’t know why, but for some reason just seeing the state of his hankie brought a humored smile to her face. She stifled a breathy chuckle but then allowed herself to laugh wholeheartedly as she pointed at the soaked handkerchief.

Though at first in shock at hearing her laugh, Nick quickly followed suit and began to laugh as well. Perhaps it was simply because he was relieved that she was no longer sad but smiling. Perhaps she found his attempts to be a gentlemammal sweet and adorable. Or perhaps it was the humor of the the entire situation finally just hit them. After all, had they been on the outside looking in, everything that happened to them would’ve been pretty hilarious! Mostly given how silly they looked.

Whatever the reason, Nick was just happy to know that she was okay and no longer angry at him.

Their laughter began to die out after a while, but their smiles remained. Nick removed his hat to wring it dry. The gray bunny giggled at how much water poured out from it. Nick chuckled as well. “Hey, I--I really am sorry about everything. I didn't mean to knock you into the lake.”

“It's okay,” she said with a smile. “You're the fox from before, right? The one who was sitting next to me on the bench?”

“Yeah,” Nick said with light wag of his tail, delighted to hear that she did notice him!

The bunny giggled, noticing his tail. “So...does the fox responsible for tangling me up and knocking me into the lake have a name?”

“Indeed he does,” Nick offered her his paw, “Wilde. Nick Wilde.” The bunny took his paw and shook it in greeting. “And does the lovely bunny have a name?”

The bunny hummed happily with a blush. “Hopps. Judy Hopps,” she responded in kind.

“Judy,” Nick echoed her name. It was a name he never, ever wanted to forget. They smiled at one another just as Judy's book floated over and bumped against the bank where they stood. “Huh?” Nick looked down to it, “Oh! I almost forgot…” Nick reached down to fish the book out, “Here,” he said handing it to her. “You uh, you accidentally dropped it when you were walking on the path. I was actually trying to get it back to you in one piece until a lone roller skate decided I was in serious need of a bath.”

Judy couldn't help but giggle, admiring his sense of humor. “I guess you weren’t the only one in need of a bath seeing how I fell in too. But thank you for returning it, nonetheless. This is actually my favorite book.” Judy responded with a sweet and appreciative smile as she held the book close to her heart.

“Really? Well then you have good taste Judy. I remember back in high school I hated reading, but this was the first book I actually managed to read all the way through.”

“So I take it you liked it?” Judy asked with a curious interest.

“Believe it or not, it's what got me into composing romantic melodies.”

“You're a musician?” the bunny asked, her ears perked up with intrigue.

“Yup! Er...well, sort of an up and coming piano composer,” he said with a twinge of embarrassment and a nervous rub to the back of his neck, “I haven't composed anything noteworthy yet. Guess I've just been waiting to find the right inspiration.” He gave the bunny a gentle smile.

“And have you found it yet?” the bunny asked curiously.

Nick met her eyes, as if searching for an answer within those gorgeous and sympathetic amethyst pools of hers. “Yeah…” he breathed with a mesmerized certainty, “I think I have.”

Judy smiled, bashfully lowering her gaze, as if somehow knowing that she was the newfound inspiration he was referring to.

Feeling emboldened, Nick decided to leap into the frey, “Hey listen Judy, I don't know if I’m being too forward but, seeing how we’re both soaked to the bone and very likely to catch colds if we don't warm up soon... would you...like to get a coffee with me?”

“I’d love to, Nick,” Judy said with a smile. Nick returned her sweet smile with one of his own. Both of them happy and aware that this was simply the beginning of something more growing between them.

[kiwi-cake]

Mated (werewolf!luke)part 2

masterlist

A/N: I’m thinking about making this a series because it’s so fun to write! Let me know if that’s something you guys would want

When Y/N was little, she used to have really bad nightmares. She would wake up crying every night and inevitably wake her parents too. Now, if she had the same dreams now at 19, it wouldn’t phase her. But to a kid, having a dream about your class laughing at your macaroni art or the boogie man was pretty damn scary. She did eventually grow out of it though, as most kids do. She hadn’t had a real nightmare since she was 10 years old. Which is why she was pretty damn freaked out when she woke up in a cold sweat after a very realistic dream about a big, mean dog. This had been the third night in a row of nightmares about things that lurk in the forest, and it was getting really old. College students have enough trouble getting enough sleep as it is, she didn’t need this extra subtraction from her already minimal amount of sleep.

“It’s probably because you always eat crisps right before bed,” Michael suggested, sipping his tea. They were sitting at Costa in between classes. Y/N insisted a coffee place because she hardly made it through her communications lecture without falling asleep. She looked terrible, and Michael made sure to tell her the minute she walked in the shop, ‘Jesus Y/N you look like you’ve been ambushed by a flock of geese!’ He wasn’t exaggerating. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun (but not the cute kind) and she had deep circles under her eyes.

“What do crisps have to do with nightmares?” she grumbled.

“You’re not supposed to eat past midnight, it gives you bad dreams. It’s some sciencey shit about metabolism and brain waves,” he said over a mouthful of almond croissant.

“I think I’ve been sleepwalking,” she says in a lower tone, so the other nosy college kids couldn’t hear, “I wake up with dirt and dried leaves on my feet. And my window is always open just a crack.”

“It’s the crisps Y/N, I’m telling you.” So that night, Y/N did everything right. She didn’t eat past 6 (even though her roommate offered her leftovers from the bakery she works at), she got in her comfiest pajamas, and drank chamomile tea right before bed at strictly 10pm. It really seemed to work, or so she thought. She had zonked out after ten minutes and dreamed of a rabbit peacefully nibbling on a patch of clovers. That is, until her foot was suddenly really cold and wet. Her eyes burst open and she somehow found herself in the middle of the forest, wearing an oversized t-shirt, with her favorite socks soaked in a freezing puddle. This would have been very aggravating to Y/N (nothing is worse than a wet sock) if it weren’t for the huge golden wolf standing two feet from her. This was not the wolf who had haunted her dreams, but it still seemed familiar to her. She was about to suck in a deep breath and scream as loud as her lungs would allow, but then she realized that she is definitely still dreaming. Wolves do not exist in the real world, and if she screamed in her dream then she might scream in real life and really piss off a building full of sleeping college kids. So she tried to rationalize. The wolf did not seem threatening, it was just kind of standing there. She tested this theory by taking a careful step forward. When the wolf did not react, she took a few more steps until she was face to face with it. It actually hunched down a bit so she could see it’s face better. This wolf seemed to be amused at her cautious actions.

“You’re not so scary, you know,” she said to it and it looked back at her indifferently, “The other wolf I usually dream about isn’t so friendly, but you’re kind of just an oversized puppy.” And if this weren’t a dream, Y/N would think she imagined that the wolf rolled its eyes at her. It all of a sudden laid down with a big thump, and at its new height it began to sniff at her bandaged leg.

“I got it caught in some animal trap,” she explained, “pretty clumsy, right?” She decided to sit down with the wolf since her leg was kind of hurting for some reason. She timidly reached a hand out to pet its silky golden coat. The wolf stiffened up at first, but then leaned into her hand. Its eyes struck her now that she was so up close. They were a deep blue and they were unlike any animal’s eyes she had ever seen. Usually, dogs have an innocent, almost empty look in their eyes. They were lucky enough to not have to worry about getting a good gpa and paying bills. But this wolf’s eyes held so many emotions that she didn’t know animals had the capacity to feel.

“This is pretty cool, I’ve never been able to lucid dream before,” she said, resting against a tree, “Thanks for showing up instead of that other wolf. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good night’s sleep.” She yawned and her eyelids started to feel heavy. The wolf made a sudden decision to lift itself from the ground and walk off without even looking back. She called out a goodbye, but wasn’t too concerned about what dream wolves do when they’re bored of being in a dream. The moss below her was all of a sudden very comfy and she could probably fall asleep against this tree. She heard the crunching of leaves, this time coming toward her. It couldn’t be her wolf friend, as these steps were much lighter. She felt like she was in that christmas movie waiting for the ghost of christmas present to pay her a visit. To her surprise, Luke stepped out from the trees, not the ghost.

“Oh hey Luke,” she waved, “what are you doing in my dream? Are you mad I’m in the forest again?”

“No, it’s evidently not your fault,” he said, crouching down, “c’mon I’ll take you somewhere nicer to sleep than a rotten tree stump.”

“Okay!” she held her arms out and he lifted her up easily, “I met a nice wolf today.”

“Did you?” she could hear the smirk in her voice.

“Yeah. It was really big and had pretty fur that was super soft when it let me pet it. He must use a high end conditioner,” she reached up to poke at his curls that were a peculiarly familiar color. He peeked at her from the corner of his eye, but didn’t tell her to stop.

“You look tired. Close your eyes, we’ll be there soon,” so with that she rested her head against his shoulder. She could smell a very nice woodsy smell on him and she drifted off to his steady breathing.

For the second time that week, Y/N woke up at Luke’s house. She quickly assessed her body and found no injuries, which begs the question: how did she get there? The door creaked open and the grumpy forest patrol she had come to know as Luke stepped in. He seemed to already know she was awake.

“So uh, quick question, what the hell am I doing here?” she demanded.

“Not much of a morning person, I see,” he grimaced and looked over her face a few times. He handed her a glass full of a thick green smoothie and instructed her to drink.

“Fine. But only because I love smoothies, not because you told me to. And don’t ignore my question.”

“Drink first, then we’ll talk,” she eyed him suspiciously for a second, but then decided he didn’t look like the type to drug someone via smoothie. She downed the whole glass quickly then looked up at him expectantly.

“What do you remember from last night?” he asked.

“I went to sleep in my dorm and I somehow woke up here… also, that’s cheating, you can’t answer a question with another question.”

“You don’t remember anything at all? Not even the slightest detail between going to sleep and waking up here?” he seemed frustrated at her lacking short-term memory.

“I mean… I guess I had a weird dream that I was in the forest, but I’ve had that dream every night.”

“Alright, I guess we’ll do this the hard way,” he said, grabbing her hand, “come with me.”

“Is this where you take me to your sex dungeon?” she joked as he pulled her through the hallways of the house to a big window with the curtains drawn.

“No, that would be rather forward of me. I always wait at least a month before I introduce the sex dungeon,” he said, before pulling back the curtains. The window overlooked the grounds of the house and the surrounding forest. There was a nice garden, a pool, and some landscaping that looked like it belonged at a castle.

“Nice view you have here, but what does this have to do with last night?” she said, chewing on her lip.

“Look closer,” he urged. She peered in between the trees in the distance and saw at least ten giant wolves walking the perimeter of the grounds. They were all varying colors and sizes, but the smallest would still tower over her. She turned to Luke with wide eyes and he looked back cautiously, as if he was expecting an outburst. He was probably right to expect an outburst.

“THEY’RE REAL? Those giant wolf things actually exist?” she placed her hand on her head in disbelief.

“Listen, Y/N, I know it must seem very scary to you right now, but there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Nothing to be afraid of?! One of those things definitely tried to make me its late night snack, there’s plenty to be afraid of!”

“I know, and I’m sorry about that. The younger wolves don’t have much experience with humans while in their wolf form, but he wasn’t going to eat you, we don’t do that.”

“We??” she felt stupid. Of course he was one of them, how else would he know about it? All of the memories from her dreams came flooding back to her. He had the same eyes as the wolf from last night, the same hair color. He nervously ran a hand through his hair and nodded.

“Oh my god, I’ve been plopped right in the middle of a teen fantasy show. Are you sure this isn’t just an elaborate prank?”

“We both know it’s not.” They sat in silence for a few minutes while she processed everything. He seemed to be, for whatever reason, very invested in her reaction to the news.

“How did I end up in the forest last night Luke?” she stared blankly at the floor.

“You, uh, sleepwalk apparently, or at least you have been the past four nights. You always come close to where the house is,” for some reason he seemed bashful about giving her this information.

“Then how did I end up in my dorm the other nights?”

“I carried you back. I thought if you never remembered that you encountered our kind then you would stop coming. Last night I realized that wasn’t going to happen.”

“How did you know where I--- never mind, I don’t want to know,” she tried not to think about the fact that he definitely saw her period underwear laying out on her chair waiting to be put away.

“Do you have class today?” he scratched at the back of his head.

“No, why?”

“I think it would be a good idea for you to see some of us up close. It might help with your nightmares.” He stood up from the little bench by the window they were sitting on and gestured for her to follow him. She considered flipping him the bird and getting the hell out of there as fast as she could. That would be the smart thing to do. But she had to know more about this new world that she never knew existed, so she followed him.

First, he led her back to what she now assumed was his room that she had slept in twice. He handed her an oversized sweater and some sweatpants, which she was grateful for since her pajamas from last night unfortunately did not include pants.

“This will help the others know not to harm you. As long as you’re near me or have my scent on you, you’ll be perfectly safe,” he explained. However, despite his reassurance, she was practically shaking with fear as they neared the wolves outside. He stopped walking and peered down at her with a confused expression.

“What’s wrong? You weren’t like this last night with me,” it was still a little weird to think of Luke and the golden wolf as the same thing.

“You’re not scary,” she muttered, eyes trained on the ground. He brought his hand to her face and tilted her chin up so she would look at him.

“Listen Y/N, you know how wolves in the wild have a leader?” she nodded, “we have the same thing. I’m the alpha here which means everyone is compelled to do as I say. So if I tell them not to touch a single hair on your pretty little head, then they won’t.” She felt a little better after that. Somehow, she knew that Luke would never let anything happen to her, even though she’s known him for less than a week.

“Now come on,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer into his side, “you need some exposure therapy.” The proximity of his body had an immediate calming effect on her, she even stopped nervously biting at her nails when they came upon the closest wolf, a reddish brown colored one. It was the biggest of all the wolves around them, though still not as big as Luke. Its eyes were a sparkling hazel color, and it seemed perfectly calm as they approached.

“Y/N, this is Ashton. He’s kind of my second in command when I’m feeling democratic,” Luke said, eliciting a snort from Ashton. The wolf sat in front of her and held up a massive paw for her to shake. She giggled at his very dog-like gesture and she felt Luke let out a breath he must have been holding in.

“You’ll like him, he’s proper domesticated. He’s even house trained when he wants to be,” Luke jokes and Y/N didn’t think she’d ever get over the sight of a wolf rolling its eyes. From just behind Ashton, she caught the sight of a familiar black coat. Luke tightened his grip on her hipbone as the wolf who attacked her nights before approached with its ears down and hesitant footsteps. Luke was glaring daggers at it, though it kept moving towards them. With the way all three of them were looking at each other, it seemed like they were having some kind of conversation that Y/N couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, Luke wasn’t happy about it.

“Y/N,” he suddenly turned to her, his angry eyes softened a little, “Calum would like to apologize for what happened the other night. Would that be okay? It’s alright if you don’t want to.” She looked back over the the wolf staring at her with pleading brown eyes. The way he looked now, she didn’t think he could hurt a fly. She supposed there was no harm in hearing an explanation.

“That’s fine,” she agreed, toying with the sleeves of Luke’s oversized sweater. The wolf, Calum, stepped forward and laid down before her, his head on the ground while he looked up at her shamefully.

“Calum says he’s very sorry for hurting you. His first change was much later than all of ours, so he’s still not fully in control of his wolf form. It’s sometimes hard for young wolves to distinguish between an enemy and a harmless human,” Luke translates for her. The wolf whines at her feet, and she gets the feeling that he had no control over his actions.

“It’s okay,” she crouched down to pat the wolf on the head reassuringly, “one time I thought someone was breaking into my dorm in the dark, so I hit them with a broom, but it turns out it was just my roommate getting back from her boyfriend’s place. She had a nasty lump on her head for a few weeks, and I felt terrible.” The wolf wagged its huge tail back and forth, having the same effect as an industrial fan. She chatted with him and Ashton for a bit (translated by Luke), and she eventually just felt like she was hanging out with two dogs with a really good understanding of meme culture. Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her sweatpants, and she checked her notifications for the first time that morning. She had three missed calls from Michael and an endless stream of texts. She sighed and excused herself from the two huge wolves and Luke to call Michael.

“Y/N! Where are you? I went to your dorm and you weren’t there and Rebecca said she hasn’t seen you since last night,” there was barely one dial tone before Michael answered the call and started interrogating her.

“I’m uh...” she looked up to see Luke and the others watching her warily. Something tells her that people like her aren’t supposed to know about this place or what happens here, so she lies to Michael.

“I went on a morning jog,” she says.

“Since when do you exercise?” he shouts. And if fantasy movies had taught her anything, it’s that werewolves have acute senses and they could probably all hear her conversation.

“Shut up, I exercise,” she snapped.

“The only time I have ever seen you move faster than a leisurely walk was when you woke up 5 minutes before stat and had already used up your absences,” he laughed, “plus, don’t you still have that bandage on your leg? You shouldn’t be running.”

“It’s none of your business what I do with my leg!”

“Whatever… come back to campus there’s a code red.” Code red was their word for a risky situation with one of Michael’s female flings. He tends to always hook up with these crazy chicks at parties who usually don’t take it too well when he doesn’t call them the next day. She usually has to step in and diffuse the situation. One time, this girl hooked up her amp in the campus square and started singing a song exposing intimate details of their hookup. Y/N was the one who had was the one who had to unplug the amp.

“Not again… I’ll be there in ten,” she hung up the phone, and announced that she probably shouldn’t overstay her welcome.

“Do you want a ride back?” Luke offered.

“I probably shouldn’t,” she shook her head, “he will never believe I was running if I’m not at least a little bit sweaty.”

“Right…” she couldn’t help thinking he looked a little disappointed, “I’ll walk you to the gate.” They walked in silence until they reached the heavy duty gate that opened to the unpaved  road leading back to civilization.

“No more sleep walking, okay?” he said, opening the gate for her.

“I can’t make any promises, but if you find me again just let me wake up in the woods alone. Waking up in a nice bed after that is positive reinforcement, you’re coddling my subconscious!”

“Proper psych major, aren’t you?” he laughed, “Be safe.” She walked through the gate and there was a short pause before she heard it close. She had to force herself not to look back behind her and make sure the whole place didn’t disappear as if it was all a dream. She walked a few minutes before she felt a buzz in her pocket. An unknown number texted her,

“It’s Luke. Text me when you’re home so I know you got back alright”

“Since when do werewolves have phones?” she replied.

“You’ve got a lot to learn about me sweetheart…”

Please remember to to request if you want more parts!

[fulloflesbeans]

Hazel Eyes & Cake Pops [Ch. 19]

Read on Ao3 here

It wouldn't be much of a sleepover if we didn't sleep at all. Since Victoria wanted to talk to Rachel and ask her everything she ever wanted to know, we were stuck there. I felt bad for Chloe, because she didn't want to be with me and Kate but she also didn't want to be with Victoria and Rachel. She was the awkward fifth person with no one to talk to.

I sat with Kate on her bed again, eating from the box of cake pops and, not going to lie, it tasted way better than the Starbucks ones. The sweetness wasn’t as overpowering and it melted more in my mouth.

"I guess you'll be staying over after all." Kate lightly laughed.

It was a strange situation. I mean, I already knew we were going to stay after realizing it was two o'clock. She didn't seem to mind as she continued to munch on the variety of different colored cake pops.

"You tried to send us home." I reminded her.

"Because I knew Victoria would try to keep her here and, in turn, keep you and Chloe too."

"Do you really mind?"

She ate the rest of her cake pop and shook her head.

"Not at all." She answered happily.

I smiled back, "So then, tell me about next Sunday."

"All I'll say is that you could sleep in. My plans don't start until ten."

"Whoa, that's late, what is it?"

"I can't tell you. Mine will be as much as a surprise as yours was."

"Fair enough."

Suddenly, I heard a strange noise. It was to my left, where the dresser was, and where her pet was. It sounded like the hay inside moved around and then a very small thump sound.

"Is she okay?" She stood up a little to look inside. The black-and-white rabbit was lying on her side with her eyes closed.

"She's fine, rabbits do that when they feel comfortable and safe."

"Wowser, I feel special! She's so cute," I sat back down to face Kate again, "Alice is such a great name too."

"I love her so much."

I think the sleepiness finally hit both of us. When we stopped talking, we would yawn and stretch, but neither of us attempted to lied down. It was about four o'clock. Rachel and Chloe had to leave at fucking five.

"So, if I were to sleep, where would I go?" I asked. Kate rested her head against the wall, smirking at me. I don't know what image I had in my head from Kate doing that, but it caused my entire body to just heat up on its own.

"Are you comfortable being in the same bed?"

Hell, was I? First of all, it was a twin-sized bed. I felt an actual panic attack set in. I think this was a real gay panic.

"It's okay if you're not. I was just asking."

"W-well, maybe," I finally stammered, "I'm not sure, I used to share with Chloe, but I got booted to the couch."

"That's too bad. Then just let me know," she exhaled audibly in a bothered way, "I've never been so sleepy before. I'm usually up wide awake at this time."

"Why do you stay up so late?" I asked. She hasn't text me at late times recently, which was good. It meant that she was sleeping.

"You asked me that before. It's just something that has been happening since ninth grade."

"I know, but it can't just happen, right? I'm sorry if I'm pressing you, but it seems serious."

"It's fine. I knew lots of people who did the same thing."

After Kate said that, there was a knock on our door.

"Come in." Kate turned around.

The door opened cautiously and Rachel took a step in, "Hey, we have to go now, Max. Are you coming along or staying?"

"I'm going to stay; do you mind that?"

"No not at all! We'll pick you up later, okay?"

"Okay, have fun at the photoshoot!"

"Thank you, sleep well." Then Rachel left, gently closing the door.

Kate turned back to me. We were staring at each other for a moment—it felt way longer to me. I was still feeling my heart beating, but it wasn’t the same as every other time. The only light in the room was right on her bedside table and her staying in the shadows was mysterious to me. She suddenly stood up and went to her dresser. She pulled the bottom drawer and pulled out the familiar black-and-white plaid shirt.

“You should take it before we forget. I washed it for you.” She hands it to me.

I hesitated to take it, but I took it from her hands, hugging it to my body, “Thanks.”

It was quiet as she crawled into bed and sat next to me, back against the wall.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, referring back to the other topic we were on.

"Yep, I've been dealing with this for years. I still feel bad about texting you during those times."

"Don't, I'm happy to help you sleep. Maybe I bore you to death and that's why you do that."

"No, you don't! Talking to people just helps me."

The door was slammed open, scaring the shit out of both of us. Victoria has changed into silky black pajamas and anger was plastered on her face.

"You are not going to sleep in the same bed as Kate. You're not even going to sleep in the same room."

"Then... where am I going?"

In a matter of five minutes, I was sleeping on a couch again. I was given one blanket aka, a black-and-white polka-dot bed sheet, and I snuggled myself into every pillow. I gathered them to me as much as I could. I even put on my flannel again for more warmth. It was pretty lonely and I looked pathetic as I looked at my reflection in the TV's screen.

"Sorry Max," Kate sat down on the longer seat, "I wish you could have stayed."

"It's okay. I had a feeling I wasn't going to be able to."

"I'll make it up to you, okay?"

"That's what Sunday is for."

Kate then messed with my hair, giggling, "Goodnight, Max."

Sleep was extra difficult; it was more like I took a nap. I heard two door slams, Victoria and Kate talking to each other, and then another door slam. The last one was definitely the front door. Then, I heard light switches, a tea kettle whistling, and humming. I sat up and hunched over, letting out a loud yawn. It was around eight-ten.

"Good morning." Kate came into the room from the kitchen with two mugs in her hands. She must drink green tea every single day.

"Good morning, Kate," I grabbed one of the white cups from her, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You heard her call you weird, huh?"

She sat next to me, holding her cup close as she took small sips.

"Yeah, but it's fine. I knew she wasn't going to like me."

"She should at least get to know you. It'll take time. I know from experience."

I only nodded. Victoria was interesting, to say the least.

After watching TV and finishing our drinks, Kate got ready for the day and we left her apartment. We walked together to school, where she said she'll leave me for when Rachel and Chloe have to pick me up. We didn't talk much during our walk; We didn't say anything until we were in front of our school.

"Guess I'll be staying here for hours..." I said, sulking.

"I wish I could come back, but I'll be out all day with them. Don't be sad, you can still text me."

"That makes me feel a little better."

Kate giggled, "Good, I'll see you tomorrow for class, okay?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

I watched her walk away towards the bus stop at the end of the street. I sat on the curb and finally let everything sink in. I was sitting in front of school, wearing the same outfit as yesterday, with no money, a phone at ten percent battery, and the feeling of rejection from Victoria. I wonder what I did wrong or what Kate said about me to make her so hostile? Nevertheless, I had plans Sunday and I couldn't wait to see what she had in store.

I hugged my knees to my chest, watched the cars pass, and waited patiently.

Using the last of my battery, I text Rachel and Chloe to pick me up at school. They didn’t pick me up until the afternoon. Knowing I was starving, they brought a whole pink box of doughnuts and water, though they admitted to eating a few of them on the way. I still let them eat some.

“I see you got your flannel back.” Rachel turned around in her seat. I was sitting behind her, stuffing my face. I nodded to acknowledged I heard her.

“Was it better today?” I asked, my cheeks full.

“Nope, he was still shitty.” Chloe replied. They both looked more exhausted, but I don’t know if it was from not sleeping or they worked harder today. It could be a combination of the two, no doubt.

“Come on, let’s talk about something else,” Rachel groaned, clearly over this day as much as Chloe was, “Tell us about your sleepover!”

“There isn’t a lot to say. I got kicked out of her room by Victoria and I was sleeping on a couch… again.”

I could hear them sigh, realizing that we all had a tough morning. The atmosphere was very dull and we were all ready to sleep the day away.

“Was there anything good that happened? At all?” She asked once more. Her eyes were droopy and looked back at me with a small tinge of hope. I swallowed, sighing after.

“I have a date on Sunday.” I said.

She could only smile, “That’s good! At least one good thing happened! Are you surprising her again?”

“No, actually, she’s surprising me.”

Rachel clapped, “How exciting! That makes most things that happened today worth it.”

“What happened at the shoot?”

Rachel looked at Chloe, then looked back to me again, eyebrows furrowed, “We’re so tired…”

I chose not to pry, as much as I wanted them to tell me, but they needed peace and quiet. And it was just that.

Peaceful.

[fallen029]

Reminiscent

Laxus had taken to sleeping facing away from her recently. Not that Mirajane took it personally. He wouldn't admit it, but she knew that after his last job he'd hurt the ribs on his other side and couldn't stand laying on them for very long.

It gave her the chance, anyhow, to cuddle up against his back. Mira found that she rather liked that, honestly, for some reason. Not that they'd never done it before. It was just that it became their new norm.

That was how she was sleeping that night when it happened, all curled up against him, one arm thrown gently around his middle, hugging him when she felt the need.

"Why were you crying yesterday?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why," he repeated slowly, staring off into the darkness, "were you crying yesterday?"

Mira just snuggled closer to his back. "When?"

"Do you cry that much, demon?" Laxus asked. "That you don't know when I'm talking about? Or are you just trying to avoid the question?"

Shifting slightly, she ran the hand laid across him up so that she could stroke his chest. "Dragon?"

"I just want to know."

"It's late. Shhh. Go to-"

"You didn't know that I was up," he told her softly. "Yesterday. I had got home from training and you thought that I was asleep. But I heard you. It woke me up, hearing you…sob like that. But I just couldn't… I don't do tears well." It was his turn to shift then, uncomfortable even with the memory. "And you stopped so soon and I knew that you didn't want me to notice, so I just laid back down and eventually you came to wake me up for dinner. I-"

"You shouldn't spy on people," she breathed softly against his back. "Dragon."

"What was wrong?"

She nuzzled against his back. "Nothing."

"Mirajane-"

"It was nothing. You know me. I cry over silly things."

"You do," he agreed, holding back a yawn. "A lot."

"So-"

"But not like that. I could tell. You were hurting."

"Lax-"

"You always tell me that we need to be honest with one another," he pointed out. "So what-"

"I was just…thinking about my mother. That's all."

He blinked. Then he shut his eyes. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't…I thought that someone had done something to you or something."

She kissed his back that time. "What would you have done if they had?"

"Killed them."

"Laxus."

He patted the arm she had wrapped around him. "You're my demon. Those are the consequences. People should be aware. If I have to make a few examples to get the news out, so be it. I kill those who make you cry."

"What if you make me cry?"

"Let's just never try to get into that predicament, huh?"

That fell between them for some time. Mira was nearly back to sleep when, softly, Laxus whispered, "Wanna talk about it?"

"Hmmm?"

"Talk about it," he repeated.

"Wha'?" she yawned. "Dragon?"

"You know." He was stroking her arm then. "Why thinking about…made you cry."

"Oh." She didn't even open her eyes. "No."

Again, he got quiet for a second before saying, "Did you…I mean…"

"Lax, let's just-"

"You had pretty good parents, right? I mean, we've never really talked about it. They're dead, huh?"

"Yes, Laxus." She removed her arm from around him then before rolling onto her back. "Of course they are."

"Well, I know, I was just-"

"Well, just don't, huh?"

He had a sharp intake of breath too when he moved to turn as well. His side was still in so much pain though that he just moved to lay on his stomach, head tilted towards her.

"You need to see a doctor."

"I ain't a whiner."

"Laxus-"

"What's goin' on with you, demon? Huh?" He was staring at her then and, well, she had no choice but to glance at him. "You normally like talking about yourself. And especially about personal things."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"I just didn't like hearing you cry."

"And you're bringing it up now because-"

"Because it's been bothering me, demon." He let out a slight breath. "I just love you, woman."

Usually, that made her coo, but at the moment, it only drew forth her own sigh.

"It was Lisanna," she told him softly then. "We were talking up at the guildhall and she asked me something and… She just doesn't remember a lot. Or she doesn't pretend to. I think sometimes she just likes asking me things so that I can tell her about how things were."

"If it makes you cry though," he started, "why don't you tell her to knock it off? I mean, you don't like to think about it, clearly, so-"

"No, dragon," she told him. "I don't dislike it. I love it."

"You cried because you loved it?"

"I cried because it got me thinking of the past and it just worked up a lot of feelings through the day. That's all."

"Then you don't like it," he reasoned. "And she shouldn't do it."

"No, Lax, I do, but-"

"Crying and being sad clearly shows that you don't like it."

"That's not true. I love thinking about them." Glancing over at him, she asked, "Don't you ever think about yours? Your mother, I mean?"

Shutting his eyes, Laxus said, "No."

"Laxus-"

"She left me," he told her simply. "That means she doesn't get the honor of crossing my mind. Not at all."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"I asked about yours." He let out a slow breath. "We're even."

Smiling then, she shut her own eyes. "I love to remember every single detail I can. From the tiny house we lived in to the way my father would say my name. He had this really thick accent. Mira. You should have heard the way he'd call me. When he'd call me that, I mean."

"What else would he call you?"

She giggled then as it was her that turned onto her side, opening her blue eyes to stare at her restless dragon.

"Janie," she sang softly, making him peek his own eyes open to glance at her. "It's cute, huh? Whenever I was upset, he used to call me that and tell me how good he needed me to be. Janie. Be good. I was the big sister. And big sisters couldn't argue. Janie."

Reaching a hand out, he gently placed it on her cheek, stroking softly. "You loved your parents."

"I love them," she corrected. "Always."

"I'm sorry."

"Why, dragon?" Mirajane smiled at him then. "I'm sorrier for you than me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I had my parents," she told him. "And they loved me. Until the day they died. That's more than either of yours ever gave to you. And no matter how great he is, Makarov can't fill that."

For a moment, he just laid there before going back to caressing her cheek, the calloused pad of his thumb rough against her soft white flesh.

"I didn't need them."

"Everyone needs their parents, Lax," she told him. "You just adapted without them. That's all."

"You know," he said slowly after giving that a few minutes to sink in, "if you really do like to think about 'em or whatever, you don't have to wait for Lisanna to reminisce. I…I wouldn't mind listening to…"

"Dragon-"

"I'm serious." Again, his thumb stilled as he stared at her. "And don't ever feel like you can't cry in front of me. I-"

"Laxus, you hate crying. You-"

"No," he said with a frown. "I just don't know how to deal with it. It makes me uncomfortable and-"

"Which means that you hate it."

"Which means," he amended, "that for most people, I'd rather not be around when it happens. But you're my demon. And I can be uncomfortable for you. I wanna be. I want you to know that you can be real with me, Mira. If you're feeling sad and need me, that's fine. You don't have to hide from me. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Then don't shut me out." Then, with a grin, he said, "Janie."

"Shut up, Laxus." But she was giggling as she shoved his hand off. He only moved it to gently tug at her downed bangs before dropping it to the mattress between them. "You need to sleep anyways. You-"

"No."

"No?"

Shaking his head, he said, "After all this, I deserve at least one story, huh? Something more than just that nickname stuff. Come on, demon. Give me somethin'."

Mira's eyes searched his then, as if to track down any disinterest or teasing in them, but, of course, she found none and, after another moment of thought, she spoke.

"You know how Lisanna loves animals? I mean, she honestly loves them with all her heart," Mirajane said to which he nodded slightly. "It was even worse when we were growing up. She was probably three or so and we lived in this tiny, one room house at the edge of town. It was so small. My parents had a cot on one side and me, Elf, and Lisanna all slept together in another on the other side of the room, over near the fireplace. You know, so we could keep warm during the winter?

"Well, anyways, there just wasn't any room for us all. I don't know what we'd have done if…if they'd lived and we all just kept living there. But you know when you're a kid, you don't notice things like that. Especially not the baby. And we all treated Lisanna like a baby. Constantly. And if she wanted something, we all tried to get it for her."

Mirajane was giggling then, but it wasn't her usual, upbeat one and Laxus only laid there, listening solemnly.

"So Papa always let her-"

"I didn't know that was what you called your father." Laxus didn't mean to, but he found himself saying that then. "I just always assumed you called him Father or Dad or-"

"No," she told him, shaking her head slightly. "He was my papa."

Laxus smiled slightly. "That's cute."

"Dragon-"

"It is," he told her. "But continue."

"I was just saying that Papa always let her keep anything she brought home," she told him then.

"Anything?"

"Like…gosh, Lax, we had to have had five frogs, a toad, four kittens, a dog or two-"

"You guys lived in a zoo!"

With a grin, she said, "And Lisanna used to cry so much in the winter when the snow would pile up, that her babies would freeze out there and that if we didn't let her bring them in, she'd just go sleep out there too. And Mama used to complain so much, but Papa would bring all of them in. All of them."

"In that tiny space?"

Nodding, Mirajane told him, "You think sharing a bed with Elf and Lisanna is bad, imagine doing it with dogs and cats and everything else as well. Oh and the rabbits. I can't even tell you how many we'd have at any given time. Papa finally built her a little bunny hut on the property. And if you saw how many dog houses we had all around, you'd flip. It was crazy.

"But he loved his baby. He used to carry her around with him everywhere. She'd ride on his shoulders or in his arms and he'd kiss her head or agree with her when she said that we were being too mean. Lisanna didn't do chores, she didn't help clean up even after her animals if she didn't want to. Because she was the baby. Always."

It wasn't hard or even very much, but a few tears did fall down her face then and, instead of freaking out or drawing attention to it, Laxus just looked forwards then, at the headboard, before softly speaking.

"I remember her smell."

"W-What?" Mira sniffled, glancing at him. "What are you-"

"I know it doesn't make sense. And you don't have to believe me. I don't even know if I really do or not," he admitted softly. "But sometimes, when I'm in the market or out around a bunch of people, I catch a whiff of some woman's perfume or something and I just… I get these flashes of being a little kid and this woman that I know can't be real. It's just my mind playing tricks on me. Inserting the few photographs I've seen of her with some bullshit wish or… But I smell that and I just think of these sheets. These nice, clean sheets and she's making the bed and she's complaining at me, because I keep messing them up? But I'm just a little boy and she's giggling about it and I'm giggling as she falls into the bed with me too, wrapped up in those sheets and when she snuggles me, I can smell it. Smell her. Smell…my mother."

He laughed then, but it was dark and took Mira aback.

"But I don't want to remember her anyhow," he growled then, his canines flashing in the darkness as he widened his malicious grin. "She didn't want me. I don't want her. She left me. With Ivan. She knew, she fucking knew, that he was insane, that there was something wrong with him, so she got the hell out of there. But she left me there. All alone. And never came back for me. Never sent me a letter or tried to get in contact with me or… I don't care. I don't. It's stupid. She's stupid. She's just a fucking idiot, is what she is. Because I'm the most amazing mage ever. She missed out. Her and Ivan. Both. Those fucking idiots. Those two fucking…fucking…I just…"

"It's okay, Laxus. You don't have to-"

"It's not okay." He shut his eyes tight then, pulling away when she tried to lay a hand on his arm. "It's not okay to do that to someone. To someone you're supposed to care about. To just leave me and not care. I wasn't that bad, was i? That she couldn't even take me with her? Or come back for me? She never even checked in on me. Who does that? People treat fucking dogs better than that. She raised me for three years and then just… Don't, Mira."

She couldn't help it though. That time, her tears were more prevalent as she tried to wipe at them discreetly.

"I can't help it, Laxus. I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that."

"I am."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." He kept his eyes closed as he heard her sniffle some more. "I'm way better off without a bitch like that in my life. Ivan too. Gramps was the only person I had and he's all I needed. The only good thing she ever did was leave me the hell alone and the only thing he did right was put this lacrima in me. For the wrong reasons, fine, but it turned out for the better. I'm fine. I'm well-adjusted. I'm perfect. It's them that's fucked. Not me. I have a life, I have friends, I have a woman. I'm fine. I'm fucking fine."

That time he could only flinch as Mirajane moved to gently lay a hand against his arm. Stroking it, she leaned over him and brushed a kiss against his golden locks.

"You are," she agreed. "You more than fine, Lax. And that's her loss. And Ivan's. No one else's."

"Damn right. I'm the strongest mage to ever live, I got a nice place, I got friends that would fucking die for me, I have Fairy Tail, and I have you. I have the only woman that matters in my bed, every night, looking out for me. I don't need her. I never did."

"That's right. You- Laxus."

He only pushed up though before moving to gently shove her back down. When she was on her back once more, he just laid his head down against her breasts, shutting his eyes.

"I don't," he whispered against the fabric of the shirt of his that she always wore to bed, "want to think about it anymore."

Slowly, Mira moved to rest one hand against the back of his head, tenderly running her fingers through his hair.

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay, dragon."

"I want…"

"What? Tell me."

Sniffling himself then though he'd have blamed it on allergies if she asked, he whispered, "I wanna hear more about your parents. Your…papa."

Mirajane leaned her head down then, getting a whiff of him before shutting her eyes as he took his own of her, finding it far more appealing than the one he was speak of before.

And, with a grin, Mirajane said, "I can do that for you, Lax. I can do anything for you."

[filosofablogger]

Good morning, friends, and welcome to the first day of a new {yawn} week.  Now, I want to start by reminding you all that today is Earth Day!  I tried … I really tried to find a way to combine Jolly Monday with an Earth Day post, but it just wasn’t working out, and finally I had to admit that it was about as much fun and as interesting as a trip to the dentist.  Part of the problem, of course, is that Jolly is in the shop for repairs and without him I’m … well … Jolly-less.  Sigh.  I may have an Earth Day post this afternoon if I can quell the mind bounce and focus later on, but for this morning, I think we shall just try to have a bit of humour with which to start our week, okay?

I did not bake this morning, so you’ll have to settle for treats from the local donut place.  Leave the one with sprinkles for Benjamin, okay?  It’s the only kind he likes. Grab a bite and let’s see what we can find to bring a smile to our faces. 

  …………………………………………………………………………. 🤔

…………………………………………. 🤔

…………………………….. 💭

……….  😣

Okay, well … um … that worked out well, didn’t it?  Tell you what … how ‘bout I dig up some jokes?

A man and his pet giraffe walk into a bar and start drinking. As the night goes on, they get drunk, and the giraffe finally passes out. The man decides to go home.

As he’s leaving, the man is approached by the barkeeper who says, “Hey, you’re not gonna leave that lyin’ here, are ya?”

“Hmph,” says the man. “That’s not a lion — it’s a giraffe.”

Um … yeah … fell flat, huh?  Let me try again …

Q: What do you get when you cross a bear with a deer?

A: Beer.

Not even a chuckle, eh?  One more try … lawyer jokes are always good for a grin at least …

Farmer Joe decided his injuries from his recent accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court, the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe.

“Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”

”Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the–”

”I didn’t ask for any details,” the lawyer interrupted. ”Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”

”Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and was driving down the road–”

”Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.” By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe’s answer and told the lawyer so.

”Well,” said the farmer, “as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ol’ Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, ‘Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?'”

Ah, at least a few grins, so I think I’ll quit with the jokes while I’m ahead … kinda sorta.  Okay.  I have no choice but to revert to my old standby … cute critters.  {Oh Jolly, please get well soon … I NEED you!}

According to one site … a couple, actually … these are the ten cutest animals in the world:

Fun Fact: Hedgehogs are largely immune to snake venom.

Hedgehogs are spiny mammals that can be found in Asia, Africa and Europe. Although they look more like a rat but are undeniably cute and harmless too. Which is the reason they are increasing in popularity as an exotic pet animals. If you are looking for a cute pet which is also unique in itself, go get a hedgehog.

Fun Fact: Penny the Little Penguin was the mascot for the 2007 FINA World Swimming Championships held in Melbourne, Victoria

What could possibly be anything cuter than penguins, it’s their little version. These penguins are absolutely similar to normal penguins except for the size. Their small size make them much more cute than normal ones, so much so they can be said one of the top 10 cutest animals on earth.

Fun Facts: Northern little owls often take prey same size or larger than themselves.

Northern Pygmy Owls are small owls native to western north America. These little birds are the smallest species of owl. Adults are 15-17 cm in overall length (nearly 6 inches) and are gray, brownish-gray or rufous in color.

Fun Fact: Koalas do not drink much water as they get most of their moisture from the leaves they eat. Even the word “koala” means “no water”.

Koalas are easily recognizable animal by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of 60-85 cm and weighs 4-15 kg. Koals are very cute animals, and their face has innocent kind of expression, which just enhances the adorableness.

Fun Fact: Arctic foxes can survive extreme cold, they won’t start shivering until temperature go lower than -70 degree Celsius.

Arctic foxes also known as polar foxes or snow foxes are the breed of fox adapted to live in extreme cold environment. Their round body shape is good to minimize heat escaping from the body, and it also give them a very cute fluffy look.

Fun Fact: They are Herbivorous Carnivoran, means genetically they belong to carnivore group but are more similar to Giant pandas (which are herbivorous).

Red pandas are mammals native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Even though, their name consist Panda, but genetically are not closely related to Giant Pandas.

They have reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs, and is slightly larger than a domestic cat.

They are an endangered species. Habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression, although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries.

Fun Fact: Two dogs were rescued from Titanic wreckage and one of them was a Pomeranian.

Pomeranians are also known as toy dogs due to their small size and cute teddy bear like appearance. They are continuously going smaller in size. But their smaller size is rapidly increasing their popularity.

In terms of registration figures, since at least 1998, the breed has ranked among the top twenty most popular breeds in the USA, and the current fashion for small dogs has increased their popularity worldwide.

Fun Fact: Rabbits have a lot of babies. Mommas can give birth as much as nine babies each year.

Rabbits are small cute herbivorous mammals that are some of the most popular pet animals on earth. Rabbits come in many different colours and patterns, just like cats and dogs, and are family friendly. Although require some special measures around kids due to those little teeth, that can easily pierce human skin.

Fun Fact: Those oversized ears are not only excellent for listening purposes but also serve as a way to dissipate heat and keep cool in the desert environment.

Fennec Foxes are exotic animals that you can also have as pet, though they require different treatment than domestic cats and dogs. They are extremely playful and family friendly, even look more like a mix of cat and dog than a fox. Their furry body, small size and big ears make them one of the cutest animals on earth.

Fun Fact: Persian Cats‘ long hair look may look like it requires high maintenance. But in reality, they are considered to be one of the most low maintenance and friendliest cat breeds.

Even though almost all of the cat breeds are cute. Watching a playing kitten in the early morning puts a big smile on your face. If you’re are an animal lover, you most likely have a cat or dog in your home or around you right now. If you own a cat and it’s not Persian, so please don’t be upset. But we’re choosing Persian cat for this entry as they’re tiny bit more cute than other cats.  Note:  We have a part-Persian and she is the meanest darn cat I’ve ever known.  We named her Tiger Lily before we knew how ornery she was!

Friends, this isn’t much of a Jolly Monday post, and for that I apologize.  I’ve had the wind knocked out of my sails in the past week, between the Mueller report and related reactions, the Notre-Dame fire, and yesterdays horrific bombings in Sri Lanka and I just can’t find my humorous side, especially with Jolly gone.  Next week … I promise to do better.  Meanwhile, have a great week, and please, find a smile and share it with someone this week.  Love and hugs from Filosofa … and the missing Jolly!

Tryin’-To-Be-Jolly Monday Good morning, friends, and welcome to the first day of a new {yawn} week.  Now, I want to start by reminding you all that today is Earth Day! 

[my-obsession-with-fiction]

The Rabbit Hole Stained Red

Alice fell asleep in her garden on a warm summer day. Suddenly, a furry rabbit scampered across the lawn.

“I’m late. I’m late,” the rabbit shouted as he jumped down a hole.

Alice, out of curiosity, followed the rabbit down the hole. She ended up in a magical world called Wonderland. Throughout Alice’s time in wonderland, she met a variety of animals and people. Alice met the Cheshire cat in the woods , the Madhatter at tea time, and the Queen of Hearts at her croquet game. Alice attended a trial the Queen set up to find out who stole her tarts. The one being trialed was the Knave of Hearts. Alice was flabbergasted by the King’s “evidence” about how the Knave indeed committed the crime. Alice started to grow as she became more and more upset about how the trial was being run. The cards started to attack Alice as she grew back to original height

“Alice wake up,” a distant voice calls.

Alice wakes up to see her younger sister, Sydney, calling her name.

“You were acting very weird big sis,” the five year old says.

“Sydney, you’ll never believe what happened to me,” Alice exclaims.

Alice tells her sister about the magical creatures of Wonderland and how logic did not apply there. All the while, Sydney’s eyes grow large in wonder.

            “Alice, Sydney, come inside for supper!” Lorena, their elder sister calls.

Ten years later

On a sunny day in England. Sydney and Alice are tired of their constant studies, so they decide to take a nap under the shade of a tree. Sydney is startled awake when a white rabbit starts to shake her.

“OH you must help. Wonderland is in incredible chaos,” the rabbit says frantically.

“It’s you,” Alice exclaims.

      “This can’t be real,” Sydney says, “rabbits don’t talk.”

Before Sydney could process what was happening, the rabbit takes both of their hands and drags them down the rabbit hole. They both land in an empty field littered with bodies.

“What happened here?” Alice asks the rabbit.

            “You see Miss Alice, Wonderland is at war with the neighboring country, Masquerade Land.” The rabbit replies. All of a sudden, an explosion goes off in the distance.

            “Come, we mustn’t talk here, it’s too dangerous,” the rabbit says, “I’ll bring you to the headquarters.”

Alice and Sydney follow the white rabbit through the forest and to a tree. The rabbit pulls down a branch and the center of the tree opens.

The rabbit calmly walks inside. The two sisters follow. Once they emerge from darkness, the sisters are blinded by a bright light.

            “Off with their heads!” A voice yells.

            “Wait, my queen, “ the rabbit explains, “this is Alice and her sister Sydney; they have come to help us.”

            “Glad for you two to join us,” the Cheshire cat says.

            “It’s six o’clock, “the hatter cheers, “time for tea.”

            “Don’t we need to worry about  the war at hand?” Sydney says exasperated.

Her cry falls on deaf ears as everybody sits around the circular table to enjoy their tea.

            “Come Sydney, let’s enjoy tea,” Alice motions to the table.

            “You have got to be kidding me,” Sydney mumbles under her breath.

Once the clock struck seven o’clock, everyone threw their teacups to the floor. The somber mood returned instantly. The dormouse was the first to speak.

“It was ten years ago when you last visited wonderland, Alice. In the time you were gone, the neighboring countries’ queen died of old age and a new queen was chosen. The new queen’s name is the Black queen. The Black queen rules Masquerade Land. The residents have a special power which they will instantly transform into the mask they are wearing.“

The Cheshire cat was the next to speak, “We need you two to infiltrate Masquerade Land and assassinate the Black queen.”

            “Why do we have to kill her?!” Sydney screams.

A loud bang resonates from the fist which slams down onto the mahogany table.

            “I have lost too many card soldiers in this war. The Black queen must pay,” the Red queen growls.

            “I will train you two to be highly dangerous,” the Knave of hearts explains, “both of you will be able to fight in hand to hand combat and will have a special weapon of choice.”

            “This is crazy. I must be dreaming. Alice, do you believe this?” Sydney questions.

            “The people of Wonderland are in need of our help. I think we should help stop this war,” Alice suggests.

            “You’re all mad!” Sydney screams as she stalks out of the room.

Sydney ends of walking back from the way she came. She finds herself in the middle of a barren wasteland. A fire is seen off in the distance. Sydney decides to go investigate. As Sydney approaches the miniature village, she can hear cries of agony and sobs of grief.

            “Halt, you are encroaching on the Wonderville property,” a guard tells Sydney, “ State your business here.”

            “I have no way of going home, and I was hoping you would let me stay here in the meantime,” Sydney replies.

            “We already have too many mouths to feed. Now le…”

Before the guard can finish talking, a woman approaches both of them and says,  “Nonsense, we shall not turn away a person in need. Now let the poor girl inside.”

The guard huffs in irritation, but nevertheless stands aside.

            “Thank you for allowing me to stay here,” Sydney says to the woman.

            “You are welcome,” the woman replies.

            “Now you must be hungry. Follow me to the kitchen tent.”

            “Auntie Jasmine, who’s your friend?” a young boy asks.

            “Oh, Ashton, this girl was looking for a place to stay, so I let her stay here,” Jasmine explains.

“What is your name?” Ashton asks curiously.

Sydney giggles and replies, “Sydney.”

         “Ashton, do you want to show Sydney around the place?” Jasmine asks.

         “Yeah,” Ashton says with excitement.

The rest of the day, Sydney is brought to various places. Sydney learns a boat load of information about Ashton. How he wants a dog named Ruffles. He wants to be a doctor when he grows up, so he can help his aunt with the sick people. How his favorite color is blue. How he misses the way the sky looks on a clear summer day. Now all he sees is a gray sky from all the explosions and gunpowder being set off.

As night approaches, everybody starts to enter into their assigned tents to go to bed.

            “Come on Ashton, time for bed,” Aunt Jasmine whispers.

            “But (yawn) I’m not tired (yawn),” Ashton sleepily replies.

            “I’m sure you are, you had a big day of showing Sydney around,” Aunt Jasmine promptly picks Ashton up and takes him into a nearby tent. Jasmine then comes back out, and sits next to Sydney.

            “Ashton really likes you,” Jasmine says to Sydney. “I haven’t seen him smile that wide in months.”

            “He’s a cute child,” Sydney replies. “He wants to make a better future for this town.”

            “I wish we had more people like that in the world,” Jasmine says, “Well, I better start a fire. The temperature drops dramatically at night.”

            “Wait, you have done so much for me, let me go collect firewood. You can go to sleep early,” Sydney suggests.

            “I couldn’t let you do that; you’re our guest,” Jasmine retorts.

            “I insist,” Sydney says as she walks toward the woods.

Jasmine has a hint of a smile on her face as she disappears into a tent.

As Sydney is walking through the forest, she hears a low flapping sound. The noise starts to increase in volume. She looks above her head to see at least 100 sparrows flying through the night sky. Out of curiosity, Sydney follows the giant flock. As Sydney reaches the entrance to the woods, she can see the flock hovering above Jasmine’s town.

Suddenly, all of the sparrows transforms into soldiers covered in black armor, and they start shooting the multiple tents. Sydney’s eyes grow large, and she pumps her legs as fast as she can to arrive back to the town.

As she is about to enter the town, a wildfire starts to ravage the place. An explosive is set off, which flings her backward. She watches in horror as the town is engulfed in flames; while the people scream in agony. Sydney tries to enter the town, but a magical barrier is blocking the entrance, so nobody can go in or out. Through all the smoke, Sydney can see a tiny figure crawling toward the entrance. A miniscule burnt hand reaches out toward Sydney; before falling lifeless. Sydney starts to bang furiously on the barrier.

            “LET ME IN!” Sydney screams. “LET ME IN! LET ME IN! LET ME…” she does not finish her sentence as she falls onto her knees into a puddle of tears.

            “I am so sorry,” Sydney whispers into the night.

The next morning, Sydney has her resolve to stop this war, and end the Black queen’s reign of terror.

            “Which tree was it?” Sydney says, as she tries to find her way back to headquarters.

Suddenly, a garbled battle cry comes from deeper inside the forest.

            “That sounds like Alice,” Sydney proclaims.

She runs deeper into the woods; until she stumbles upon a clearing. There she sees Alice and the Knave of Hearts sword fighting.

Alice is wielding two anelace daggers, while the Knave of Hearts is carrying a long sword. The Knave of Hearts charges at Alice, while she barely dodges the sword as the blade grazes her arm. Alice winches from the cut. Alice starts to spin her to daggers in a circular motion. The Knave of Hearts strikes the center of the daggers which sends the daggers flying out of Alice’s hands.

            “You need a faster spin,” The Knave of Hearts says.

            “Wow, Alice. That was impressive,” Sydney says with admiration in her voice.

            “Ah, glad of you to join us, Sydney,” the Knave of Hearts says,” Why don’t you pick up a weapon?”

Sydney sees in the far corner, a rack of various weapons. The first weapon to catch her eye is the long bow.

            “I guess all those years of archery lessons will pay off,” Alice chimes.

            “Now that both of you are here, let’s begin the training,” the Knave of Hearts says.

The next month is grueling and treacherous. Alice and Sydney learn about hand to hand combat, stealth skills, and pressure points. Finally, the time has come to infiltrate the enemy’s castle, and end this war once and for all.

Tonight was the Black queen’s annual  ball. Everybody attending wore masquerade masks, so the sisters would be hard to be found among the rest of the guests. All dressed up in ballroom gowns, Alice and Sydney make their way inside the Black queen’s domain. The interior of the castle was decorated in black and red. There was sparkling white chandeliers hanging for the ceiling. Along the wall, was a twenty - five yard table covered with food and drinks. The grand foyer seemed to go on and on for miles. On a balcony seated above the guests, sat the queen on her throne.

            “Ladies and Gentlemen,” the queen says eloquently, “tonight is the annual masquerade ball. Please enjoy yourselves, and try to forget all about your troubles.”

Throughout the night, Alice and Sydney are able to blend in with the crowd and stay unidentifiable. As the night was coming to a close, the queen offered rooms to guests who had a far travel home. Alice and Sydney follow the other guests deeper into the castle. Alice and Sydney stray from the group; trying to find out where the queen walked off to. Alice and Sydney find a giant set of double doors protected by multiple guards. “This must be the queen’s private quarters,” Alice whispers to Sydney.

As the sisters try to make up a plan of attack, one of the guards spots them.

            “Intruder!” a guard shouts.

Alice and Sydney jump into action. Alice unsheathes the daggers from the back of her dress and starts to charge. Sydney unstraps the bow from her back, and takes her arrows out of her boots. One of the guards takes out his sword and charges at Alice. Alice swiftly slides under the blade and slices the abdomen of the guard.

Multiple guards surround Sydney and closes in on her. Sydney takes a handful of arrows and rapidly fires them at the guards. The guards drop down with a thud. Alice is running sporadically through rows of guards, slicing off various body parts in the process. Sydney is dealing with multiple guards around her. She has no time to re-cock the bow, so she uses the steel tips of the bow to fend off her attackers. Luckily, Alice sees her sister in trouble, and runs over to help her. Alice mercilessly drags her daggers across the legs of the guards. They all scream in anguish as they fall down.

Once the last guard falls to the ground, the two sisters approach the large brass doors. Sydney knows she will be the one to kill the queen; her weapon is for long ranges, while her sister’s weapons are not. Sydney knows once she lets the arrow go, there is no turning back. Her regret disappears when she remembers all the innocent lives the Black queen has taken. When the doors are open, Sydney has no hesitation as she lets her arrow fly.

[bambamsgotjams]

Home || Park Jinyoung

Title: Home ~ Park Jinyoung

Words: --

Genre: Fluff

A/N: This is a strange idea that I’ve had stuck in my head for a while. It’s basically just a CEO!Park Jinyoung AU X Child!Reader. I have no idea what caused me to think this was a thing that needed to happen, but hey, it didn’t turn out to bad and I didn’t realize how much I actually needed this in my life until now. So without further a do, please enjoy xx

Park Jinyoung never had a time in his life where he truly felt pain. He had always been a successful man. Throughout his entire life he had grown up in a rich and loving family. Never once had he felt betrayed or depressed. His parents would come in, tuck him in every night, read him his favorite bed time story, and then kiss him goodnight before reminding him how much he meant to them. Not soon after the night was over, he would wake up to the fresh smell of pancakes that his housekeeper would wake up early and place in the shape of a heart on his favorite Ryan the Bear plate. To say the least, he always admired his childhood.

 In his teen years as well as his college years, he found himself becoming the center of attention for all the ladies. He had to admit, he was amazingly handsome. There wasn’t a man in his class that didn’t want to be him. The girls all tried to get with him by confessing their hearts out to him in the most sincere way the possibly could and made him the tastiest chocolates he ever had. As much as he enjoyed the love and attention he got from his peers, he was a modest and respective man and preferred to be on his own and take his life slow. He had a couple girlfriends in his life, but no one really stuck out and seemed to want to be with him for him, they only wanted him for his looks.

 Despite having what a person could describe as a perfect life, he never really felt complete. It was like something was missing from his life. At first he thought it was because all of his closest friends were settling down, starting a cute little family on their own, but Jinyoung wasn’t like that. As jealous as he felt from time to time about not having a family, he promised himself that he was going to stay single so he could focus on what truly made him happy, working in the music industry. He was a manager for one of the biggest labels in Korea and that meant that he would rarely get to spend time and take care of a family as is due to the fact of being busy with all the idols and groups he had signed under his label.

 It wasn’t until one cold winter morning when he finally realized on what he had been missing his entire life. Jinyoung was walking down the nearly abandoned streets of Seoul, with it being only 3:30 am, not many people were out and about. He didn’t have to get up as early as he did, but he felt this strange feeling in his chest that seemed to be telling him that he had to go out and just walk. So he followed what his gut told him to do and threw on the quickest pair of dress pants and a nice shirt, grabbed his favorite suit jacket and left his apartment just like that. And now here he was, following in the direction his heart was leading him to.

 He gave a couple quick glances and smiles towards the friendly city goers as the past by and shoved his hands in his pockets as he continued down the streets. He turned a corner to an unfamiliar street and swallowed hard, nervous about what could be down this way. His heart began to race as if it was telling him that this was it, this is where he was meant to go. Jinyoung stopped walking for a couple minutes and took his chance to look around at his surroundings. The street was dimly lit, only one street light seemed to be working but even that one flickered every now and then as if it would go out at any second. Tall buildings and dark buildings seemed to crowd the street, making it look smaller and narrower than it actually was. Jinyoung almost had to squint his eyes as he noticed a small shadowy figure under a small hutch that was attached to the side of one of the buildings. He decided to take a closer look and walked closer to the figure, unsure of what was ahead of him. Once he arrived, he crouched down to the height of the tiny hutch and he swore his heart almost dropped at the sight in front of him.

 Sat under the hutch was a small girl who looked like they couldn’t be much older than the age of 5. Her body was stick thin, only small tattered up rags covered her body. Her arms and her legs were covered completely in goose bumps from shivering so much in the cold. Jinyoung reached out to her and touched her arm slightly. He gasped at how cold her body felt. His eyes traveled down to her finger tips that he swore looked blue. At this moment, Jinyoung couldn’t tell if the young girl was alive or not. Luckily she was breathing, he could tell from the rise and fall of her chest. He reached out and brush her scraggly hair out of her eyes and smiled at the sleeping young girl.

 “Yah,” He said quietly in his husky morning voice as he shook her small frame ever so gently afraid that he would hurt her if he shook any harder.

 The little girl stirred in her sleep and turned her body towards Jinyoung. Her eyes fluttered open as her jaw stretched out into a long yawn. Her own [e/c] eyes looked into Jinyoung’s darker colored ones. She quickly flinched backwards at the sight of the older man in front of her and began to tremble.

 “W-Who are you? You’re not my mom!” She screamed as a tear began to leak from one of her eyes.

 Jinyoung felt a pain strike his heart for the first time since he was child. He had never met a little girl who was in such bad shape as this one. She looked so terrified to see a person it almost looked as if she had met the devil himself. Her eyes looked bloodshot as her skin looked as white as snow, probably from being in the cold all night, but needless to say, Jinyoung felt as if he needed to help this young girl.

 “It’s alright, you can trust me. I won’t hurt you,” He stated as he looked back at the younger girl with sincerity in his eyes.

 The girl just sat in the corner of her hutch, refusing to move and not taking her eyes off the man in front of her in case he planned on doing something to her.

 “I want my mom,” She whimpered.

 “I don’t know where you mom is,” He replied to the girl, “But can you tell me when the last time you saw her was?”

 The girl was silent for a couple of seconds before speaking up.

 “She dropped me off here 2 months ago and told me to wait here. She gave me this cloth and backpack with food. I haven’t moved since.”

 Jinyoung furrowed his brows and looked at the girl quizzically.

 “She just left you here?” He asked as the young girl nodded in response.

 “Now can you please leave in case my mom comes back?” She asked as she turned her back from the man and closed her eyes to sleep again.

 Jinyoung knew that he should have listened to the little girl’s request, but he couldn’t help but feel a strong feeling in his chest that was telling him to reach out to her and take her in. He knew that it was uncommon for a woman to just leave her child in the street, not only just that but with a bag full of necessities one would need to survive. This child seemed convinced that her mother was coming back, but somehow Jinyoung knew that she wasn’t, but the little girl just couldn’t seem to understand that. He understands though, if his own mother would have done that to him at her age, he too would want to wait as long as he needed to in order to see his mother again.

 “Yah,” He called out once more, “At least let me take you inside my workplace so you can get warmed up. It’s awfully cold outside.”

 The young girl shook her head and curled up into a little ball.

 “We have a hot coco machine, I can make you some if you want,” He said.

 “Mommy said that men cox little girls out and promise them goodies so that way the cant take their virginity, whatever that means,” She replied.

 Jinyoung couldn’t help but chuckle at the intelligence this little girl had.

 “They aren’t real men if they do that,” he told her, “A real man helps out those in need, and you my dear are in need of my help, so please let me help you. If you want, afterwards I can take you back here.”

 The girl looked up at Jinyoung questioningly and hesitantly stood up, pulling a small stuffed rabbit behind her. She walked carefully over to Jinyoung before nodding to signal him that she would go with him. Jinyoung remembered how his parents would always warn him about crossing the street without holding an adults hand when he was the little girl’s age, but he figured that if he wanted to prove to this child that he wasn’t some creepy man, it would be better to just let her walk on her own.

 He gripped his knuckles tightly as he made the young girl walk in front of him so that way he could keep an eye on her and make sure that she was safe. He told her the directions on how to get to his work building, following closely behind her in case of any danger that might cross their pathes. Lucky for them, they made it to Jinyoung’s label without any harm done to them. He watched as the girl looked up at the large building, admiring the pictures of the different groups and artists that we displayed on the outside. She looked up at Jinyoung and cocked her head to the side.

 “You work here?” She asked, “My mommy said that only talented people get into places like this.”

 “This is my label,” He replied, “I own and run all those bands in the pictures.”

 The girls looked up at the pictures in amazement and back at Jinyoung. She let out a small yawn before rubbing her eyes. She looked as if she was about to fall asleep any second. Jinyoung crouched down to her height once more and looked at her in her beautiful eyes.

 “Do you want to come in? You can sleep on my sofa in my office,” He said.

 The girl nodded and hesitantly reached her arms up to Jinyoung. He sent her a warm smile and lifted her up in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes and Jinyoung slowly made his way inside the building, greeting his secretary who he was grateful for coming in at such an early hour of the morning. He then made his way to the elevator and pressed the button that led to the floor his office was on.

 Once the elevator arrived at his floor, Jinyoung stepped out and quickly walked into his office, closing the heavy wooden door behind him. He then set the girl down on his sofa and began searching his office for a blanket to cover her with. The girl looked around his office and studied the items with in it. He had many record awards placed along the walls and the shelves. She squinted as she tried to read the shiny gold name plate that was placed on the edge of his desk.

 “Park Jinyoung,” She read it out loud.

 Jinyoung turned towards her at the mention of his name. The girl pointed at the plate she read outloud, causing Jinyoung to smile as he found a blanket on the top shelf in one of his closets.

 “That’s my name,” He said as he walked back over to her, placing the blanket on top of her.

 The girl laid down and cuddled her rabbit close to her chest. She looked up at Jinyoung with tired eyes as she made herself comfortable on her sofa. Judging by the way she smiled as she laid her head down on the soft material, it seemed as if she hadn’t slept on something comfortable for a while. He stroked her tiny head gently before walking back over to his desk to get some work done.

 “My name is [y/n],” She spoke up suddenly.

 “Well it’s very nice to meet you, [y/n],” Jinyoung said as he looked up from a stack of papers on his desk.

 “…you too…” She muttered as she fell into a deep slumber for the first time in a long time.

 [y/n] peaked open one of her eyes as she finally woke up from her morning nap. She stayed laying down, too comfortable and warm to get up and move. She snuggled into her stuffed rabbit more as her ears perked up at the sound of two men having a conversation, one of them she recognized as Jinyoung.

 “…I found her on the street all by herself. You didn’t expect me to just leaver her there, did you? I’m not heartless,” Jinyoung said as he began to pace in front of one of his assistants.

 “But she’s a complete stranger, Jinyoung,” A deeper voice replied.

 Jinyoung let out and exaggerated sigh as he finally stopped his pacing to face the man once more. [y/n] finally sat up slightly and rubbed her eyes to see what all the commotion going on was about. Knowing that she was involved made her more curious to see what was going on. There stood along with the man known as Jinyoung was a taller and more built looking man. He had brownish-redish dyed hair that was flat against his forehead. She noticed that his appearance looked far more intimidating than Jinyoung’s. The man wore a pair of black skinny jeans and black turtle neck that went along with a black blazer. The man turned his gaze towards the young girl who was staring back at him. He stopped talking to Jinyoung and made his was over towards the girl on the sofa. [y/n] looked back at him with terrified eyes as he grew closer to her frame. Once he was right in front of her, he knelt down to her height and smiled at her. Jinyoung followed behind and stood behind the other.

 “You don’t have to be afraid, [y/n],” Jinyoung spoke in a gentle tone, “He’s not going to hurt you.”

 [y/n] didn’t fully trust Jinyoung yet, but she somehow knew that no matter what, he wouldn’t let her get into any danger that would potentially hurt her in any way.

 “So you’re [y/n],” the man asked, “My name is Lim Jaebum, but you can just call me JB, okay?”

 The younger girl nodded as she looked back up to Jinyoung, her stomach growling afterwards making her blush slightly. Both men laughed at her reaction. JB stood up from his position, never breaking eye contact with [y/n].

 “Sounds like someone’s hungry,” He stated as he turned back to Jinyoung and placed a hand on his shoulder, “You better take care of that.”

 JB’s voice sounded strict. [y/n] could tell that he wasn’t talking just about feeding her by the way Jinyoung seemed to grow tense at his words.

 “I will,” He said as he watched JB leave his office.

 Jinyoung sat on the edge of the sofa next to [y/n]. He reached down and stroked her head gently, smiling the entire time. [y/n] sighed contently at the touch of his hand.

 “Let’s go get you something to eat, yeah?” Jinyoung asked as he stood up and walked towards the door, waiting for [y/n] to follow.

 [y/n] stood up from the sofa and grabbed her rabbit before walking up to Jinyoung, grabbing his hand without hesitation before the two walked out the office and towards the lunch room. Jinyoung couldn’t help but feel a flutter form in his stomach as she grabbed his hand. Little did he know that [y/n] would soon become a huge part of his life.

 Soon enough a couple of months had passed since Jinyoung had met [y/n]. [y/n] never left Jinyoung’s side since that day. She knew that even though her mother had told her to stay put and that she would be back for her someday, she wasn’t going to come back. Something in her gut had told her that, but she couldn’t help but feel so attached to Jinyoung as if he was her own father. Jinyoung had called many adoption centers and stations to get any news on [y/n] to see if they knew anything about the girl or her past. Sadly, he was unsuccessful in finding out anything.

 It’s not like her minded though, he enjoyed spending his days taking her to the local park or just to his work building in general. [y/n] got along well with the idols and staff within the label., particularly one man and general. He was a trainee rapper/singer who went by the stage name of Bam Bam. He was basically like a child hiding in a middle aged man’s body. He would offer to spend time playing and entertaining [y/n] in his free time for Jinyoung when he had work to get done. No matter how many idols [y/n] would get close to, there was no one she loved more in the building than Jinyoung himself.

 Since [y/n] didn’t have a home, Jinyoung decided to take her in for the time being. He found himself growing attached to the girl more and more as the day’s went by. He loved spending time playing, snuggling, and just taking care of [y/n]. She made his life more interesting and worth something. It was like she was the missing link that he needed in his life all of this time.

 Jinyoung looked in the mirror on the wall of his bedroom and straightened his black tie before walking out of the room and into the living room where [y/n] was quietly watching a cartoon on the television. She turned as she heard Jinyoung’s footsteps enter the room. She smiled and run up to the man, clinging onto his leg almost immediately.

 “You look so handsome, Jinyoungie!” She exclaimed at the older man making him crack a smile as he reached down to pat his head.

 “Are we going into your work today? Bam Bam said he had a new game that he wanted to teach me!”

 Jinyoung laughed at her enthusiasm and shook his head.

 “Actually, I had something else in mind that I have been meaning to do for a while. I hope it all works out though, I don’t know what I would do if it didn’t,” He replied.

 “Where are we going then?”

 Jinyoung reached down and picked up [y/n] in his arms, giving her and eskimo kiss before answering her question.

 “Why don’t you go put on your prettiest dress and we’ll find out together okay?”

 [y/n] nodded and ran into her bedroom to get changed quickly. She quickly ran back out, her hair still in a knotted mess as she struggled to put on her fancy pink dress up shoes. Jinyoung sat down to help her out before the two grabbed a quick breakfast and left their small apartment.

  Jinyoung held [y/n]’s hand tightly as they entered a large white building. The young girl looked around in amazement at the fancy place before looking up at Jinyoung with questioning eyes.

 “What’s this place?” She asked him.

 “It’s a court house, it’s where a person can come to get legal work done,” Jinyoung replied.

  [y/n] didn’t question any further, still not quite knowing what was going on, but she trusted Jinyoung. She knew that he was a smart man and knew what he was doing. That was all she needed to know to understand that he was doing what was best for her in his life.

 Jinyoung talked to an older looking man before following him into a room. Jinyoung took a seat down in the room they were led to, placing [y/n] on his lap. A funny looking old man walked out with a document and handed it to Jinyoung. Jinyoung carefully read over the paper before signing his name with a smile, then sliding the paper to [y/n], handing her the pen.

 “What’s this?” She asked.

 “Legal adoption papers,” He replied, “It’ll will give me fully custody over you.”

 “You mean-“

 “I want to be you new Daddy [y/n],” He replied, “Only if you want me to be.”

 [y/n] was speechless. She looked over at the paper and back to Jinyoung, thinking about all the times he took care of her and made her happy. She loved him, very much to say the least. No one would ever come close to being her parent though. But Jinyoung was different. She had never met a person who had ever loved her as much as he did to her. It made her happy. Is this what she really wanted?

 Yes

 [y/n] smiled before writing her name out in her neatest handwriting before handing it back to Jinyoung. Jinyoung took the paper and handed it to the man who stamped it and declared full custody of [y/n] onto Jinyoung.

 “I love you, Daddy!” [y/n] declared as she threw her tiny arms around Jinyoung’s neck.

 Jinyoung hugged her back, too happy to say anything in return. He never thought having a daughter would make as happy as he was now. That thing he mentioned before about having a missing piece in his life, this was it. A family. A child that he could call his own. This is everything he wanted.

[vesperlionheart]

Under the Rabbit’s Moon

Part 2

Their story did not have a happy ending. Happy endings were endings, the finishing of things. Their story cycled into the hibernation of another ancient pattern doomed to be repeated in a later generation. Her boys died to save the world and all it had achieved was a handful of years meant for peace.

But it was peace, and hoards of people were too tired and too lost and too broken to believe it was anything less than what they had been fighting and dying for all along. The fatherless drank deep cups of sake in a shared tent and sang until they couldn’t feel the tears on their face anymore.

To them it was enough.

Not for her.

Sakura felt cursed with her inability to let go and see the resolution to their conflict as anything less than what it was. She couldn’t lie to her self, (though she tried), and believe things were okay. No, her boys were dead and that force was not yet defeated. Their last, best hope hadn’t been enough to lay the moon goddess to rest for good. The mother of all chakra still remained, but Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi were all gone.

She was alone, and that was why she dug through the ancient tree, peeling back bark and acid sap and carving out chunks of the innermost wood before reaching the nub of gelatin like coating that housed the immortal. Sakura’s body was decaying fast, burning down to bones, but she peeled it back and broke the pod open, yin seal blow wide and glowing.

‘‘You hope to kill me?’’ Kaguya’s voice was a mournful echo between Sakura’s ears. “Ah, if only you could. There must always be a cursed one. That is the price of things. Magic, chakra, power…it isn’t free. Don’t you know that silly child?’’

Sakura screamed, feeling her face burn as the seal spread out lines of iridescent purple thicker and thicker across her body. She was dying and being reborn all at once, but it wouldn’t last forever. She would run out of chakra and die soon enough and no one would be around to find her body. No one dared come close to the sacred tree, not after they saw what it had done at the last battle. Too many people remembered being a part of it, of being sucked dry by it.

“I’m taking you with me,” Sakura grunted through clenched teeth.

The woman’s voice tinkled like a bell. “Will you do it? Will you free me from this curse?”

Suddenly, it was more than just a voice between Sakura’s ears. She saw the moon goddess  standing in the darkness, her skin ash white and eyes as wide and ancient as the surface as the moon reflected across a still ocean. Sakura’s mental defenses sprang up in response, strong and faster from all those years of developing a second persona. Mental hands reached for the mental moon goddess, but froze just shy of squeezing her to death.  

“I’ll give you what you want if you can take it from me,’”Kaguya intoned, closing her pearl colored eyes and opening the slit on her brow to show a spinning third eye, patterned with the sharingan.

Sakura’s body was nearly gone, approaching the point of no return as the acid burned faster and harsher than ever. In her mind she fought against the woman, but in the real world she was paralyzed.  It wasn’t unexpected. Sasuke and Naruto had been powerless when they teamed up alongside Kakashi. What made her think she would be enough?

“But you are. They were going about it the wrong way,” Kaguya cried.

Sakura screamed, feeling the pain of her physical body  give her the last mental boost needed to finish closing her fists and squeezing the woman out of existence. Kaguya was gone in a cloud of shimmering moon dust and Sakura collapsed, knowing her body wasn’t going to last more than a minute.

’That’s fine. I’ll see them again,’ she thought, closing her eyes.

In the back of her mind she felt cold fingers run patterns through her thoughts. There was a tinkling of bells and womanish laughter. “Yes, you will.”

That had been three years ago.

Sakura makes it a game to guess the ages of the children who dare each other to pass into her hedge garden, a place she’s tended to with the intention of making it a place for healing the sick and tending to the injured. It just so happened that too many of the men and women she restored took to repaying her with cultivating the land into a zen garden surrounded by intricately trimmed hedges. It makes it easy for her to develop a genjutsu on the hedges that keep out intruders.  

Children too young to see through her illusion wander until they are tired and give up or fall asleep in the cooling shade. More than once she’s had to carry out sleeping children, proving further stories of horror and terror.

There is a boy today too young to be much older than five or six with ashen blond hair, stumbling around, trying to get through. Sakura recognizes him as one of the boys she has had to carry out. Admittedly she found him cute with wide eyes and a face full of soft baby fat too innocent and too young for the leg guards and gauntlets he already sported.

When he falls asleep under one of the hedges Sakura stops just outside the reach of the hedge’s shade and wonders if she shouldn’t just keep him to herself, protect him from the fighting she knows is happening not too far away in a land she has no interest in.

She kneels, loose pants brushing the soft grass as her knees touch down. His mouth is open and drooling onto his arm as his legs stretch out in sleep. He is content where he lies, he feels comfortable in the shade and it nearly breaks her heart. 

Nearly.

Sakura reaches out and brushes the hair from his face and he closes his mouth, tasting breath before opening it again. He doesn’t wake when she lifts him up in her arms and holds him close. Carrying him is easy.

It’s warm out, but his skin is cool like the shade, reminding her of the changing seasons. She figures if she is in the world she thinks she’s in, it’s her own world a few hundred years ago. The tools and clothing are too dated and crude for even the more backwater places. The manner of speak is also different, the dialects reflect an older, more proper time with rigid social casts and titles. Sakura knows she is in the past, but is it her past?

“I’ll give you what you want if you can take it from me.”

The memory of the voice almost makes her stop walking, but Sakura doesn’t even falter anymore when she hears those words. She hadn’t made sense. What Sakura wanted was Naruto, Kakashi, and  Sasuke back along with all her friends, but mostly just her boys. She wanted her family back, but instead she was sent here, to a long ago place that likely isn’t even in the same dimension. (Time travel did that. )

Sakura finds a shaded spot far away from her hedges and lays the boy down by the roots of the tree. He seems at peace there. When he yawns and turns over he feels the rough of the tree and curls into it. Sakura knows one of his friends or relatives will find him here soon. Someone always comes to claim this one.

Sakura waits and watches. An hour later another little boy with two toned hair finds her sleeping intruder and begins to kick him awake in playful anger. The ashen haired child rouses on a groan and catches the offending foot before the two of them roll together into a mess of wrestling limbs.

Sakura leaves before she can see any more, but this time at least she learned the child’s name. Kawarama, and his brother’s name had been Itama.

The next time Kawarama came back he was alone and doing a good job of weaving through her genjutsu. If it had been a weaker illusion he might have dispelled it with his first shout of ‘Kai.’ Sakura chuckled when she heard his voice crack.

Watching him became a sport. He trespassed at least once a week and nearly every other time he would fall asleep in the hedges. Sakura hated to admit she looked forward to his visits, even if they never interacted. It had gotten to the point where she recognized his chakra signature and could feel him from a ways off.

Her hands were bloody when she felt him approaching. Removing her fingers from the incision Sakura replaced them with a metal clamp that pulled the infected tissue mass out. Her hands then glowed green to seal the opening with practiced ease. The woman’s husband watched Sakura work with eyes wide with wonder. Surgery is still such a far off thing for this time period, she doubts he’s even heard of it before.

“He’ll be just fine after this, but no heavy foods. Soups and then rice, he’ll need to rest to regain his lost strength so don’t overwork him. You’re welcome to stay here until then, take a hut for yourself,” Sakura said, sweeping a bloody hand out behind her to show off the row of grown houses meant for providing shelter to the sick and recovering.

“Truly?” the woman breathed in wonder.

“Of course. You make no trouble with those you meet here and you will find no such trouble. Those are my rules.”

The woman bowed her head, eyes downcast. “You are a blessing.”

The low bow made Sakura feel odd, so she looked away and hummed before taking her leave.

It took a few weeks, but after first coming back Sakura realized she wasn’t physically the same person she had been before the incident. A quick medical diagnostic showed an intricate path work of bolstered chakra pathways stemming from her Yin seal, only her Yin seal was supposed to be empty and no longer a part of her physiology. The war had drained her in ways more than one. Instead of her seal, something else pulsated there.

“Will you free me from this curse?” Kaguya had said, only for Sakura to understand much later on.

A part of Sakura had been transformed by the goddess’ cells. She felt it in her cells, how they refused to age, in her eyes, how the seemed to see so much further now, on her forehead where a seam one day appeared, only to open and show Sakura what it felt like to view the world through a third eye.

That had been a fun migraine to get over.

Sakura hadn’t opened the eye since first discovering it, bandaging it over with cloth and pretending she was fine for it. The other things were easier to deal with, like Kaguya’s own form of earth release and gravity manipulation. Sakura could do some of those things, but the drain on her chakra reserves was substantial, even if her reserves were tripled. She suddenly had so much new power, but she didn’t have the body to manipulate it well. She stayed away from most new jutsu and did her best to forget she was any changed at all.

Still, the wood release helped her make so many houses, even if they were ugly and rough in parts. That was something she could use. The rest of her was violence and Sakura swore to never fall into that lifestyle again. She would use her gifts to help and heal, the world of bloodshed was done with her, like it or not.

“That boy is here again, sensei.”

Sakura turned and saw one of the in training medics that lived inside the garden. Sakura mentored them when she could and tutored them as they needed it. She never asked for clan names or affiliations when they came, but took on anyone who swore they would get along and treat everyone equally, regardless of clan loyalties.  

“I will see him out then. Thank you for letting me know, Aoi.” Sakura  reached for a cloth next to the pitcher of still warm water and wiped her hands clean.

“You’re quite tolerant with him.”

“I am allowed weaknesses,” Sakura huffed, running a hand through her short bangs before heading off.

By the time she reached the hedges he was already sleeping under a different bunch. Just as peaceful looking as before, Sakura waited a long moment before reaching for him, hesitant to alter the image she watched.

The moment her hand touch his shoulder Kawarama’s eyes went wide. Instead of running or scurrying away he launched himself forward, landing on her arm and wrapping himself around it.

“Got you!” he cried.  “I caught you, you’re trapped.”

His statement wasn’t entirely true, but Sakura felt too stunned by the turn of events to do anything other than stay frozen in his grip. He was smiling up at her with wide eyes and a wider smile. Sakura felt her ears burn. “Y-you tricked me,” she stammered, trying to remember how she should behave in such a situation.

“I caught you, so now you have to tell me your name.”

“Is that it?” he nodded cutely at her answer. When Sakura groaned, already feeling like she was powerless, he only grinned harder. “What if I don’t want to tell you?”

“You have to! I caught you, it’s the rule. It’s what ninja do. You have to spill all your secrets.”

“Aren’t you a little short for a ninja?” Sakura asked, standing up and dragging him with her. He held on fast to her arm, more persistent than a spider monkey.

At her accusation his cheeks inflated and his eyes narrowed. “I’m not short. Itame is almost my same size!”

“He’s short too, I’ve seen him before. He’s the crazy kid that can’t make up his mind what color hair he wants.”

“Th-that’s not his fault!” He readjusted himself on her arm, beginning to slip. “Besides, I’m already a ninja. I’ve watched battles and in a few months I’ll be able to join them.”

Sakura felt cold dread travel down her spine. He was so young, small enough that he fit on her arm and he was going to go out onto the battlefields. There was no modest war in this time. The people that came back to her for help came back in pieces. He was too small. He was going to die.

Just like everyone else….

“You won’t be going anywhere trapped on my arm like that. Eventually you’re going to fall off.”

“I won’t.”

“Oh?” Sakura hummed, starting to shake her arm. He squeezed it so tightly she felt the skin under his hands grow tight. His face was one of pure determination. “What if I shook harder.”

“Noooo, you’re trapped. You need to tell me your name. You’re not supposed to shake me off.”

“How old are you?” Sakura bent her arm, drawing his face closer. She didn’t miss the way he shrank from her gaze.

“I’m five. I’ll be six soon. The-then I can join my brothers.”

“What about your mother?”

“Dead.” The answer came quickly and was so matter of fact that Sakura wondered if the woman died in childbirth, leaving Kawarama with no memory of the woman. Such a fate wasn’t rare for women. They died in their beds all the time.

“Ah,” Sakura’s voice was a single note in the wind. “Then there is nothing I can do about you.” Sakura lowered her arm but still the boy held tight, like a desperate monkey. “You’re going to have to come home with me.”

She heard him hiss out a secretive cry of  ‘yessss’ under his breath as he buried his face in her sleeve but ignored it. When she got back to her lands she went straight to her personal tent to shake him off her arm for good and land him on her bed. He had put up a good effort, but Sakura’s actions were sharp and he landed on the best of her pillows, settling down safely.

Sakura fisted her hands on her hips and stared down as the adorably innocent looking child. There was no room for war in him. She could see clearly, that if he joined any battle anytime soon it would be the last thing he did. Death was in his youth.

“If you’re going to stay here you’re going to have to be useful, at least until your brother comes looking for you. Do you know what it is I do here?”

“You take people and eat them!”

Sakura flinched, not knowing if he was serious or just joking. “No, that’s the opposite of what I do.”

His face is wide and open as he turns his head to one side and watches her with innocent eyes. “You steal their food?”

“What, no? Who gave you that idea? I don’t do anything like that here. You think I look like a person who would do that?”

“Yeah.”

Sakura wanted to slap herself in the face. He was far too, brutally honest. 

“I don’t know if I want to hear what made you think such a thing, but you’re wrong, regardless. I don’t do anything like that here. In this garden, in my lands, people who are sick get treated. I heal people. That’s my occupation. Like, you’re a ninja…” When he nodded she pressed on. “I’m a healer. Understand?”

“We have one of those, but she’s old…older than you. You must not be very good. Do you use chakra? Someone said it was possible you could! Can you really do it? If you can you’re a ninja,” he laughed, bouncing on her bed a bit.

“Of course I can do such a thing,” Sakura scoffed, not pretending to be modest for the child.

She knew most people who healed did so using the old ways. Chakra was a battle element, it had no place in the healing tents like back in Sakura’s time.  Aside from Sakura, she doubted there were more than five people alive in the world who knew how to use chakra to heal. It was one of the reasons why the first Hokage had been such a legendary figure. He had no need of a healer like all the others in his battalion.

“Come with me, little bean,” Sakura sighed, letting her hands drop to her side as she turned to lead the way out of her house and into the main area of her garden. When she turned to look behind her the child was following close. “Tell me your name again, kid.”

“I like little bean, so you can call me little bean,” he laughed, thinking it so funny she couldn’t remember his name. “What do I call you? I caught you so you have to tell me more of your secrets, like your name.”

“You didn’t-uh, never mind. My name is Haruno Sakura.”

“Sakura chan!”

Sakura frowned. “That’s awfully familiar,” she said. ‘And a little too much like what I’m used to.’ A flash of Naruto made her heart hurt.

“You can just call me Haruno san for now.”

“Show me your home, Sakura chan!” he cried. Kawarama tugged on her arm and pointed towards the odd looking houses that Sakura had grown herself over the course of a couple of months. They were shoddy and rough. “What are those for?”

“Sick people rest in those until they can leave or work.”

“Where did they come from?”

She squinted at the houses, too embarassed to admit to actually growing them herself with jutsu. They really were such ugly things. “I…built them.”

“All by yourself? Where is your family?”

“I don’t have a family here. I came to this place on my own after they died,” Sakura explained in a detached voice, thinking of Naruto and Team 7 when she should have been thinking about her parents. Both her mother and father had died some time back, but it was her team she thought of when she heard the word family. Team 7 was dead. They were gone, so her family had died.

“What about your brothers?”

“I don’t have those.” Sasuke and Sai and Naruto were running through her memories, straight through the light and into the maw of destruction where she could not follow. Sakura swallowed before adding, “Not anymore.”

“I guess that happens. Sorry. My brothers are stronger than anyone, so they won’t die though. You can share mine with me. We don’t have a sister or a mom so it could be fun.”

“I don’t think I’m old enough to be your mother,” Sakura laughed, remembering she was still not even twenty. 

Or maybe she was. Maybe she had been here longer than she imagianed. She didn’t keep track of such things. Has it been two weeks or two years?  

“And I’m content here on my own. I don’t need things like a family anymore.”

Kawarama scrunches up his nose with a thought but then he grabs his stomach and frowns. Sakura watches as his lower lip quivers as he refuses to say anything. Seconds later the rumbling turns audible. He flushes a cute pink color and Sakura laughs, making the blush darken. Still, he looks down and refuses to ask for food.

“I have plenty of meal to spare, come with me, you’ll make your own from what we grow in the gardens.”

“I-I’m not supposed to take food from a stranger.” Still, he follows when she begins to walk away.

“Many say that when they come here, so I won’t force you to eat anything I make. All the same, if you harvest the food yourself than it’s not food from me, is it?” He ducks his head lower and walks close to her side, making her think of him like a scolded dog before adding additional reassurance. “And I really owe you a treat anyway, since you’ve captured me. It’s only fair.”

That seemed to work and feeding him became infinitely less challenging once he believed he had earned his own food. It was nearly twilight when one of the patients came to her to let Sakura know that he had sensed a child not far from the garden borders. He was a sensor type that insisted on staying in her garden until his debt was paid off along with his newly recovered son. Kawarama was bragging about something to the man’s son and didn’t overhear the adults hushed conversation.

Sakura rose from where she sat at the outside table and nodded in understanding. “Kawarama,” she called out. Immediately the boy dropped his hands from the air and turned his face up to meet her, eyes wide. “It’s time you went home. I think your brother is here for you.”

“Ah, Sakura sama,” the sensor ninja interjected. “There are two others that just approached as well. There are a total of three now.”

“Those are all my brothers!” Kawarama exclaimed, jumping up to stand on the seat of his chair and raise his hands high as fists. “They all came to try and find me.”  He jumps down and then freezes. When he looks up his face is ashen. “Is dad with them?”

Sakura looks back at the sensor nin and he shakes his head. “No,” Sakura says.

Kawarama breathes a sigh of relief. “I’m not in trouble then.”

The grin returned and he followed Sakura to the edge of her garden and happily continued on his own until he noticed she had stopped. When he turned around she was smiling and waving.

“This is as far as I will go. Stay safe with your brothers.”

“You’re not going to meet them?” Not far off there is a voice calling for Kawarama.

“Not today.” Sakura smiles and waves her hand, sealing back up the genjutsu. She sees the moment she becomes invisible to him right before he stumbles back, dizzy and confused.  “Maybe another day.”

[josephstoontown]

A Rainbow of Emotions, Ch. I

Chapter I of A Rainbow of Emotions, a Joseph's ToonTown story.

So, alright.  I wrote things the way I did, in this story, for a reason. Just, keep in mind, my interpretation of certain characters may not accurately reflect either the actual characters themselves or how I actually feel about them.

Word count: 5,712 – Character count: 32,116 Originally written: December 27th, 2016 Revised on: Auguast 13th, 2017

After seeing something she shouldn't have, Lola seeks shelter the storm-clouds of her mind… as well as the ones overhead.

Lola Bunny, Walter Bunny, The Looney Tunes Show, and related characters and properties created by and © Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Pops, Pop's Moon Palace, Johnny Bravo, and related characters and properties created by Van Partible and © Turner Broadcasting System

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    Deep in the heart of the Warner District of ToonTown sat a small place off the beaten path.  A colorful sign on a large column sat behind the main building, the name of “Pop’s Moon Palace” clearly visible on the vaguely spherical display.  The building itself had a somewhat unusual design and didn't look much like an eatery.  If anything, it almost looked like a motor lodge.  Still, the smell of hot-cooked meals could be smelled by nearby potential patrons and passersby alike.  The building was more than just a diner, however…

    “Another Tipsy Carrot, please…”

    A somewhat large, balding man in a spotted bow-tie stood behind a bar, casually rubbing a glass clean with his apron.  He’d looked toward the speaking patron with a sneer.     “I’m not really sure I should do that.  You look like you’ve had plenty!”     The customer looked up from her half-collapsed position on the bar, red cracks showing in her eyes.  She had one hand on a near-empty glass with a carrot top in it.  Sat nearby were about three more glasses like that one in varying states of emptiness.

    “Just… one more, okay, Pops?” she quietly requested.  “You know I can afford it…”     “Eeh, that’s not the problem…”  The man, whose name was apparently Pops, sat the cleaned glass down and crossed his large forearms over his chest.  “The problem is… you’re drunk.  Really drunk.  I bet you can’t even sit up, can you?”     The patron rubbed her cheek against the bar, giving a grumble before responding.     “I like the bar better…  It makes my head hurt less than sitting up.”     “Geez…  I haven’t seen you like this since that Bugs fiasco.”  Pops gave a frown of genuine concern.  “How’d you even get like this, Lola?”     “It’s a long story, Pops…” the rabbit replied.     “Eeh, I’ve got nothin’ but time…  Most people seem like they wanna go to one’a those fancy chain restaurants they keep buildin’ than come here.  But, enough about me!”     The balding man lowered himself to eye-level, resting his arms on the bar.     “What’s got you feelin’ so low, kiddo?”     The orangey rabbit gave a long, labored sigh…

    “Alright, so there’s this guy I like,” she said, sitting up and sounding perfectly sober.  “I met him at the library and–”     “Hold on a second now…” Pops said as he straightened up.  “It’s not Bugs again, is it?”     “What?”  Lola gave a blink of her bloodshot eyes.  “No.  But, I like him, too!”     “Hmm…  Alright.”     “Anyway…” she continued, “he’s super-nice and really cute.  He’s also a really good kisser…”     “Eh, aren’t they all?  Heh!”     “What?”  She blinked at that statement.  “No.  I’ve dated a few people who were pretty bad at kissing.”     “Sorry,” Pops said as he took a rag and started wiping the bar.  “Just thinkin’ out loud.”

    “Well, anyway… I like this guy a lot!  He’s not like some of the guys I’ve dated.  And, just between you and me…?”     Lola leaned over the bar, whispering to Pops with her hand to the side of her mouth.     “He’s an alien from outer space!”     “An E.T, eh?”  The man gave Lola a suspicious look.  “Ya sure he’s not just pullin’ the wool over your eyes, cottontail?”     “Well, I mean, he had a really big backstory when he told me…”     “People can make a lot of stuff up, kiddo.  Why, just the other day, I had a guy come in here claiming he was th’ real Mickey Mouse an’ that Disney’s usin’ a puppet at th’ House of Mouse!  Gotta admit… if it wasn’t fer th’ high heels an’ beat-up face, he did look and even sound a lot like good ol’ Mick!  But, eh, he was just some down-on-his-luck hobo lookin’ t’ make a quick buck.  Gave me my money’s worth, too…  Heh heh heh.”     Lola gave another blink.  Pops had a fairly unsettling grin on his face…

    “Well…” she continued again, “we really hit-it-off during the April Fool’s fair and just kinda kept hanging out from then on!”     “He kiss ya on the Ferris wheel?” Pops asked.     “What?  No.  He kissed me in his bed.”     “Oh-ho-ho-ho!!  Maybe we ought’a save this story fer after-hours!”     The rabbit gave a confused blink.  Pops had that grin on his face, again…     “My point is that he’s super-nice and super-sweet and I was pretty sure he liked me!  At least… until today.”     “Oh?’” Pops prompted.     “Something happened…”     “Did he make a move on ya you weren’t expectin’?”     The rabbit tilted her head.  “You could say that…  But, it wasn’t on me.”     “Oh yeah?”     “Yeah, it was on another friend of his.”     “I think I see where this is headed…”     Pops’ grin returned… though, it wasn’t quite as creepy as the last two.  He crossed his arms over his chest again before leaning on the bar and giving the rabbit girl a friendly look.

    “I bet you caught him cheatin’ on ya with this ‘friend,’ right?”     “We’re not together,” was Lola’s immediate response.     “Yer not?”     She shook her head, giving an audible denial.     “Well then, what’s th’ problem?”     “Problem?”  She gave a blink.     “Yeah!”     Pops turned to face her directly.     “You came in here an’ started orderin’ drinks like th’ world was comin’ to an end tomorrow!  You even settled down on th’ bar all quiet-like.  I just figured somethin’ was wrong!”     “Oh, that?”  She gave a bright smile.  “I just like Tipsy Carrots.  They’re really good!  But, they make me kinda sleepy…”     Pops gave a blink of his beady, black eyes as Lola yawned, stretching on the stool.

    “So wait a minute…” the man said a moment later.  “If yer not datin’ this guy… an’ he doesn’t have ya down… then, why’d’ja bring ‘im up in th’ first place?”     “Oh!”  The rabbit perked, then smiled.  “Because, I like talking about my friends with you!  You’re a really good listener.”     “I see…”     “Plus, I’m really not sure if I should like him or not!”     “Well?  What’s the problem?”     “I think he’s dating his roommate’s girlfriend,” she said like it wasn’t a big deal.     “How d’ya figure?”     “Because I saw them together.”     “And?”     “In bed.”     “Oh?”  Pops gave a blink… then his eyes opened wide.  “Oh…!  I see!”     “Yeah… so did I,” she replied.  “I could see just about everything…  I could hear everything, too!  They really should have locked that window if they were gonna do that.  I think she really liked what he was doing, too…”     The man gave a blink, noticing a change in her disposition.  Her eyelids were starting to lower and her neutral face had become just a little upset.  She also started fidgeting with the collar and chest of her turquoise dress.  It didn’t take much guesswork to tell that what she’d seen bothered her…

    “Ya snooze, ya lose, I guess!” he said with a laugh that snapped Lola out of her funk.     “What?”     “Seems t’me that you waited too long and got this handsome fella stolen right out from under yer cute little nose, kiddo!”  He laughed again, returning to wiping the counter as he continued.  “Wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened and sure won’t be th’ last!”     “I don’t follow,” the rabbit honestly responded.  “What do you mean?”     “Isn’t it obvious?”  Pops paused to grin at her.  “You’re in love, cottontail!”     “What?  I’m not in love…” was her reply… before she asked, “am I?”     “You don’t sound too sure!  But, in this ol’ greasy-spooner’s opinion, it does sound like a classic case of watchin’ ‘n waitin’ fer too long.  I mean, if ya saw your beau in bed with some other babe… well, ya know.”     Lola gave a visible wince at that, fidgeting with her dress a little more.  After a moment of listening to Pops laugh, however, her expression turned strangely indifferent.

    “He can do what he wants,” she told Pops with quick words.  “I’m not his keeper.  If he wants to fool around with someone else’s girlfriend, that’s his problem.”     Her eyes narrowed…     “And, I hope it comes back to bite him in the tail.”     “Hey now,” Pops said with a look of concern.  “Is that the Tipsy Carrots talking, or…?”     “Doesn’t matter,” she coolly said as she reached for her miniature purse.  “How much do I owe you, Pops?”     “Well, with your current tab, about a hundred bucks plus change!”  He gave a scowl.  “I know yer good fer it, Lola, but–”     He found himself interrupted as the girl slammed a handful of cash on to the bar.     “Keep the change,” she muttered before standing up.  “I’ll see ya…”

    All Pops could do was stare, baffled and somewhat concerned, as Lola casually walked out the door of his diner.  That is… until he started counting the money she’d left behind.     “A hundred-fifty plus…  I should give some’a this back.  But on the other hand, she did say ‘keep the change…’”  He grinned to himself.  “Wonder if that Mickey look-alike’s still in the neighborhood…  I feel like bein’… ‘charitable.’  Heh heh heh…” –––––

    Lola patiently stood at the bus terminal down the road, waiting… and thinking…     That was a bad idea, she thought, handing Pops all my money like that.  I don’t think I have enough to get a room tonight… but, I don’t want to sleep out in the park.  I might be crazy… but, I’m not stupid!     Her head turned as she saw bus number 45 coming her way in the distance.     The 45…  That bus runs right by… there…  I could stay there tonight, without paying a dime…  But… do I really want to go back… there?     The rabbit gave a blink.  Something had struck one of her ears.  She looked up just in time to get sprayed in the face by a storm-front that had slipped in under her radar.     Well… I guess that answers that…     With a mutter, she took shelter from the rain under the bus stop’s meager enclosure.  Thankfully, the 45 pulled up not too long after.

    I can’t believe I’m this desperate, she thought as she popped a bus token into the transport’s cash box.  It’s been such a long time since I’ve been back there…     The lightly moistened rabbit made her way to the back of the bus as she thought.     I wonder if they even remember me…     She paused… then, she scowled at herself.     I wonder what about me they remember…     The bus took off a moment later, heading to its next stop.

    Lola couldn’t help but wonder if there were any alternatives to where she was heading as the bus drove around the Warner district.  She racked her brain trying to come up with one… but, to no avail.  She didn’t really have that many friends willing to put her up for a night and she knew she didn’t have enough money to pay for a room even at the worst hotel…  Sleeping out in the open was well out-of-the-question and going back to Joseph’s after what she saw… didn’t seem ideal.  In the end… it seemed like she was completely out of options.     I just hope they’ll let me stay the night… she thought with a sigh.

    The ride to her stop took longer than she’d expected.  They’d made several stops in-between, causing the bus to fall slightly behind schedule.  It also didn’t help that the weather had gotten almost impossible to navigate.  It had started raining cats-and-dogs – literally – which made the bus driver especially cautious.  Lola was very thankful by the time it stopped.  It also seemed like it couldn’t have picked a better time…

    “Blanc Drive!” the bus driver announced.  Lola reached up and gave the signal cord a pull in response.  A moment later, the bus came to a stop and the rabbit made her way out.     “Get somewhere warm quick, alright, miss?  It’s nasty out there!”     “I will,” she told the driver.  “Thanks.”

    Lola gave a sigh as she used her purse like a makeshift umbrella.  It wasn’t terribly effective… but, at least it gave her some protection from the rain.     What a great night to be doing this… she mentally muttered to herself.  Well… I’d better get going.  No sense in catching a cold out here.     With that thought in her head, she began walking to the west from the bus stop.  She knew she had a long walk ahead of her, since the closest bus stop to her desired location was a good mile away… but, given her options, it was the one that made the most sense to her.

    Blanc Drive seemed like a nice enough stretch of road.  The block she’d started from – a section nestled between Messick Road and Welker Avenue – was a small place which housed a mix of residential and business property.  There was one market on the corner closest to Welker Avenue that she liked, in particular – a small, strangely nameless store run by a small, Chinese-looking ‘toon she didn’t know the name of.  She could always count on him for decent prices on common goods if she were in the neighborhood.  However, she wasn’t going there, that night, and continued walking on by.

    After trekking for a good fifteen minutes through the rain and occasional mud, Lola eventually found herself standing outside of a large, two-story house sitting a good distance away from any main roads.  Even in the rain, the place looked remarkably good for being an older, wood-crafted building.     The outside of the house was surrounded by a white, picket fence, set back several yards around the perimeter.  The house itself seemed made of solid, white planks of wood while the roof rose up at an angle, sloping toward the back of the acreage.  She could see a familiar-looking rose garden in one area of the yard as well as a nice, hearty carrot patch stretching out from behind the garage to the right.  It didn’t seem like much had changed since her last visit…

    Well… she thought, here it is.  But, do I really want to–     A sudden crack of lightning made her jump.     “I’m going, Mr. Storm, I’m going!” she shouted at the sky, hopping the fence and running to the porch.  Though, all things considered, she was glad to finally be out of the rain.     For a moment, she considered just camping-out on the porch itself.  Surely, the people inside wouldn’t notice her if she just spent the night there…     “Ha-choo!”     Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me… she mentally muttered.  The shiver that followed her sneeze seemed to confirm her thought.  She was going to catch a cold if she stayed out there… or, maybe even something worse!  As much as she hated the idea of staying in that cozy little house… it seemed like she really didn’t have any other choice.  Plus, she’d made it that far, already… and so, she took a deep breath, raised a finger to the doorbell… and gave it a ring.

    The seconds passed slowly as Lola waited, her clothes and fur dripping and her body shaking.  Was it from the cold, horrible weather, though?  She wasn’t sure…  All she knew was that, in a matter of moments, she’d be greeted by the main reason she’d hated that place… and, with her lack of options, she would just have to grin and bear it.

    After a long while, her ears caught the sound of a latch, followed by a lock, being undone.  She took a step back and watched as the door opened just wide enough to reveal…     “Hi, daddy…” she said with an awkward grin.  “Can I come in?  It’s kinda wet out here…”     A single eye narrowed from between the door and the jamb.  The door closed a moment later, leaving Lola to stare in confusion as nothing happened for several moments more…  Eventually, though, she heard the chain of the door become unlatched… and, she watched the door open all the way.     “Come in, come in,” said a masculine figure standing much taller than Lola.  “Don’t drip on the carpet, dear.  Here’s a towel.”     “Thanks, dad…” the rabbit said, accepting the towel with a skittish smile.     The strong-looking rabbit-man closed the door as Lola began to dry herself.

    “So, what brings you back here at this hour, Lola?” he said as he started to rummage through a small cabinet set against a nearby wall.     “Oh, you know…” Lola began as she toweled off, “I was just in the neighborhood… thought I’d drop by, unannounced… say ‘Hi’ to you and Mom…  Is Mom here?”     “She went to spend some time with a friend who lives in Georgia,” her father said.     “Oh…”  She draped the towel over her shoulders with a frown.  “That’s… that’s too bad.”     “But I’ll make sure to let her know you dropped by.  Unless, of course…” he said, turning toward her with a small glass of amber-colored liquid in his hand, “you’d prefer we keep this visit between you and I.”     The female rabbit’s eyes lowered and she looked away.  She knew what that tone meant…

    “What’s the real reason you’re here, Lola?” he asked in an accusatory tone.  “Did you get caught stalking another, more successful actor?”     “I’m successful…” she quietly defended.  “And, no.  I just… um…”     “Let me guess,” continued before taking a sip of his drink.  “You’ve run out of money?”     “I have money…”     “Then, what brings you here?  If you have money, why not head to a motel?  Or, better yet,” he continued, his tone turning more hostile, “why not save your money and get a nice apartment?  I’m sure with your line of work, you can afford a fairly good one.”     “Wh… what’s that supposed to mean?” she nervously asked.     “Nothing, nothing…”  The male took another sip of his beverage.  “I only assumed you made some good money doing whatever it is you do.  What are you up to these days?  I would hate to think my little girl was doing something her own parents would be ashamed of...”     Although he’d said that, Lola knew better…

    “Why do you always assume I’m doing something bad to get money?” she asked.  “For all you know, I could have a nice job at a place like Tiana’s.  But, even when you ask, you’d rather just assume.  Like always.”     “Well, you’ve never given your mother or I any reason to assume you’re anything more than a filthy street urchin, dear.  That is, after all, the life you’ve chosen…”     Lola narrowed her eyes, her face turning as stormy as the weather outside.

    “See, this is why I don’t come by very often,” she said, gesturing one hand toward her father.  “You always do this!”     The taller rabbit finished his drink before turning to pour another.     “Do what, exactly?” he casually asked.  “Think about all the poor choices my baby girl made in her life?”     “If only!” she said in a raised voice, finally walking into the room proper.  “No, every time I come over, it’s always ‘disrespectful’ this and ‘shameful’ that…  You act like you’ve never made a bad choice in your life!”     “I haven’t.”     The smug look on her father’s face as he turned her way made her blood boil…

    “Even before Warner terminated our contracts, I invested the money your mother and I had made in proper stocks… diversified our funds, paid close attention to the market… and, here we are.  Living comfortably with more-than-enough money to pay for our expenses.  Granted, it’s still a far cry from the Country Club lifestyle we portrayed on our show…”     The rabbit lowered his head, giving his daughter a snide sort of grin.     “But, at least we’re not forced to perform unscrupulous acts just to get-by.”     Lola’s face curled into a horrible, ugly scowl, her eyes starting to water.  Even though she knew what to expect from her judgmental father… it still hurt to hear him say such things.

    “Why do you always say things like that…?!” she squeaked, barely able to keep from yelling at him.     “Because…” he said, still wearing that grin as he walked toward her, “I know you.  You haven’t got two pennies to rub together nor the skill with which to earn them.  Now, you may not be the prettiest thing out there… but, I’m sure there are some depraved lowlifes out there would be perfectly happy to… help… a girl-in-need, such as yourself.”     The paternal rabbit took a long sip of his drink, walking around his tensed daughter.  She seemed like she was somewhere between bursting into tears… and laying him out with a right hook to his smug, superior face.     “It really is a shame,” he said with a chuckle.  “Your mother and I were hoping for so much more than some no-class vagrant girl…  But, with the way you went through your savings, I suppose it was inevitable!  If only you’d bothered to listen to us instead of spending all your time stalking that rabbit boy and partying…”     He reached over, trying to nudge her head up.  She immediately pulled away, keeping her eyes clenched and biting down on her bottom lip.     “Then, you wouldn’t be the blemish you are on our good family name…”     The rabbit walked into the living room, walking behind a couch and giving a sigh.     “If it wasn’t for you, maybe your mother and I would be more well-to-do.  If it wasn’t for you, we might have connections… powerful ones…  If it wasn’t for you–”     “You’re the blemish…”

    The tall, grey-haired rabbit jolted, staring at his daughter as she spoke up.     “I beg your par–”     “I said, you’re the blemish!!” she shouted, giving him a hate-filled look.     “Don’t you dare raise your voice to me, young lady!”     He stomped back over to his daughter with a threatening look on his own face.     “I helped bring you into this world and I can certainly help remove you from it!”     “You didn’t do anything, Walter!”     Once again, the taller figure was taken aback.     “Excuse you, Lola?!  What did you call me?!”     “Walter!” she spat, the anger in her face continuing to grow.  She was scowling at him, stood hunched-over with her fists clenched and tears rolling down her face.     “Don’t you dare talk to your father that way!”     Walter brought his dominant hand back, swinging at his daughter’s face.  However…     “You’re no father of mine…”     Lola wasn’t having any of that.

    “Let… go of me!” the taller figure said, tugging on his arm.  “Let go of me this instant!”     Lola had a vice-like grip on his wrist… and, it didn’t seem like she was going to let go anytime soon.     “No.”     “No…?”  Walter narrowed his eyes.  “What do you mean, ‘no?!’”     “I’m done here.  I’m done with this place… done with you!  I’m sick of your abuse!”     He gave a sneer, glaring down at his daughter.  She wasn’t even bothering to look at him, anymore…  He didn’t deserve her full attention, as far as she was concerned.

    “You think you’re so high-and-mighty just because you know how to play the stock market, don’t you, Walter?”     Hearing his name come from his own daughter made his temper flare.  Once again, he tried to yank himself free… and, he succeeded!  He gave his sore wrist a rub as he watched Lola slowly walk away from him, her back turned and her voice unsettlingly calm.     “You kept an eye on how things went…  Invested low, sold high…  Good for you.  I’m proud – I really am.  Want to know what I’ve been doing since my last job?”     He didn’t really care… but, for some reason, he just let her keep talking.     “I’ve been living out on the streets of ToonTown, making money by playing people at games.  I’ve held up in this motel room when I had the money or that flop-house if I thought I was going to have the money for it… or, sometimes, I just curled up under a park bench, cold, alone, and scared.  Yes, scared, Walter.  I live every day scared that I won’t have enough money for the next day.  Yeah, I might put on a smile and make jokes… but, Walter…  Inside, I’m just a scared little girl who’s afraid of what will happen when her luck finally runs out.”

    Lola turned back, tears still falling from her black eyes as she looked at him.  She didn’t seem quite as angry as she had been earlier… but, Walter could tell she was still angry enough.  With that in mind, he decided to let her keep talking…

    “You don’t know what it’s like, do you, Walter?” she calmly asked, not looking for a response.  “You don’t know what it’s like, always being afraid that someone’s going to hurt you… take your money… or do something far worse…  And, why should you?”     She gave a hollow chuckle and a shrug.     “You and mom have it made!  A nice, cozy house in the suburbs… plenty of things to keep you distracted… and, of course, a nice, steady income from gambling with your stocks.”     She gave another chuckle, crossing her arms and smiling.     “You don’t know a thing about what it’s been like for me.  You didn’t make the same mistakes I did with your money… and, even now, I really hope you never do.  But, Walter?”     Lola closed her eyes, slowly shaking her head before continuing.     “Just because you don’t understand the life I live… just because I made some mistakes that lead me down this one-way street… doesn’t give you the right to judge me the way you always do – especially when mom’s not around.”     She turned her back to the taller figure again, taking those few extra steps toward the door.  It seemed like she was just about to leave when she paused…

    “I meant what I said, by the way…”     Slowly, she looked over her shoulder.  The disdain for him had returned to her face…     “You’re didn’t do anything.  At least, you didn’t bring me into this world.”     Walter’s brow furrowed in anger.     “What is that supposed to mean…?”     Lola gave another hollow chuckle… then sighed.     “I’m a ‘toon, Walter.  I wasn’t born… I was designed.  I was designed by the same people who made you.  Difference being… I was my own character.  You, on the other hand…”     His brow furrowed again… as if processing her words.     “You and… yes, mom, as well…  You were made to give Bugs someone to be funny with.  The whole ‘over-protective father’ thing is sooo cliché… but, it still works for both kids and adults to this day.  Sure, you and mom had your own personalities… but, at the end of the day?    You guys were just comic foils.”     The taller figure’s brow shifted a third time.     “Still, though… they made me for a specific purpose, too – to play opposite the real star: Bugs Bunny.  Once the series was done and our contacts expired… I was nothing to Warner.”     She offered a wicked grin to the male.     “But, if I was nothing… then, I guess that makes you less than nothing.  Huh… ‘dad?’”

    With that weight finally lifted off her chest, she gave a long sigh and turned the doorknob.     “Tell mom I said ‘Hi,’ Walter,” she commented as she took a step toward the raging storm.  “Or, maybe… just do like you said and ‘keep this between us.’  I still like her… but, you?”     Lightning flashed as Lola took one last look back.     “You’re no father of mine.  You’re just a mean, cruel, judgmental man who’s great with the stock market but is too wrapped-up in his own perfect little world to realize when to be a parent… much less what it means to be one.  And, with that, I say…”     She gave him one last, teary-eyed scowl…     “Goodbye… Walter.”     And then, she was gone. –––––

    I still can’t believe that happened…!

    Joseph was all grins as he reclined on the couch of his apartment.  Even though he had work the next morning, he was far too excited to sleep, thoughts of the day’s events still playing on-repeat in his head.

    And, what I really can’t believe, he continued to think, was that Woody… didn’t kill me.  He wasn’t mad… heck, he wasn’t even surprised!  In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d almost say he knew what was going on between Winnie and I the whole time… which… may be the case, now that I think about it.  Winnie had no reason to hide it from him.  They’re in a… eh… ‘semi-open’ relationship?  I’m just lucky Woody likes me, though.  I’m sure if I’d been someone stranger… or, someone he didn’t like… he probably wouldn’t have been so jokey about it.     Still though… the fox thought with a shiver…  When Winnie started telling him about our day after he came home, I just about jumped out of my skin!  It hadn’t even dawned on me that she’d tell him outright the first chance she got!  I mean… she was kinda subtle about telling him… but, she did tell him!  Right in front of me, no less!

    His thoughts turned back to a few hours prior.  Woody had just eaten the dinner Winnie made and was feeling pretty good.  Joseph remembered being on the far end of the couch when his lady friend sat on the coffee table and told Woody she’d wanted to talk.  He remembered feeling like his fur was going to pop right off in fright as she ran familiar “what-if” scenarios by her boyfriend… most of which, they actually had done, that day!  He then recalled his heart almost leave his chest when she asked, “What would you say if those ‘what-ifs…’ weren’t…?”

    I almost can’t believe Woody actually congratulated me! he thought with an odd sort of smirk.  I mean… he said he wants to watch next time… what a perv!  Still, though… he was fine with it!  Really, truly fine!     The fox gave a happy sigh.     That woodpecker…  Both of those woodpeckers…  They’re crazy…  Crazy-awesome…

    After a moment, Joseph reached over to the coffee table, setting his glasses down and retrieving the TV remote.  He decided he’d spent enough time reminiscing and should get some sleep.  He had a long day of dish-washing ahead of him, after all…     Oh, geez…! he thought as a crack of thunder caught his ears.  I really hope it doesn’t keep raining like this, tomorrow…  I could have Woody drive me… but, I really don’t want to ride in his little car again.  I mean… it does beat walking… especially in this… but, man is it cramped.     He murmured, shuffling down against the couch and pulling a blanket over his body.     Well, I guess I’ll worry about that, tomorrow.  No sense giving it any thought, now…     He murmured again, his eyes drifting shut.     I feel bad for anyone that does have to be out in that weather, though…

    Suddenly, his ears picked up on a different sound.  A slight rapping on wood?  It was soft… but, certainly audible.  When he’d heard it a second time, though…     I really doubt someone is here at this hour… he thought.  But, I’d better make sure…

    After putting on some pants and his glasses, the fox undid the deadbolt lock on the apartment door, keeping the chain attached just-in-case.  There was no sense in being reckless, after all…  Slowly, he pulled the door open… only to jolt at what he saw.     “L… Lola?!”     Standing on the other side of the door was the waterlogged form of one Lola Bunny.  Her fur was drooping and dripping, making a mess on the hardwood floor of the hallway, her damp, platinum hair was covering her eyes, and even her normally-springy dress seemed to sag on her thin frame.  Yet, despite all of that… she wore her usual cheerful smile.

    “What in the Void are you doing here at this hour, Lola…?” Joseph asked.  “And… why are you so wet?  What’d you do?  Walk here?”     “I may have…” she said with a grin.  “Can I come in?”     “I… yeah,” he answered before withdrawing.  A moment later, he brought the soggy bunny a large towel.  “Just, ya know… keep it quiet.  Woody’s trying to sleep.”     “Caaan do!” she happily exclaimed.  “Oop– I mean… can do…”     Joseph shook his head before finally letting her in.

    “Seriously, Lola…” he said as he watched her dry herself, “what are you doing here?  It’s like… almost 1 AM!  Who visits at 1 AM…?”     “I do, obviously!” she quietly giggled.     “Well, at least you came in through the door, for once…”     The fox gave a blink, ears perking as he realized…     “Wait.  You came in through the door.”     “Yeah?  So?” Lola politely asked as she worked on her hair.     “You… never come in through the door.  You said you like climbing the ladder up to the fire escape scaffolding, which is kind of odd for most being… but, regardless–”     “Can I stay here tonight, Joseph?” she suddenly asked.     Once again, the fox was caught off-guard.     “What… what did you call me?” he suddenly asked.     “‘Joseph?’” she replied, a confused look on her face.  “That’s your name, isn’t it?”     “Well, yeah, but…”  His ears fell back.  “I… don’t think I’ve ever heard you call me that before…  It sounds kinda… weird… after all the ‘Jojos’ and ‘Mr. Foxes’, really…”     He was chuckling… but, all she could offer with a slight, amused murmur.     “Lola…?” he asked, growing more concerned.  “Is everything alright?”     “I’m just… really tired,” she reassured.  “And, maybe a little drunk off Tipsy Carrots.  Busy night!  I’m gonna go sleep in the tub… ‘kay?”     “I… sure…?”     The fox gave a frown as she walked by him.  He’d thought about offering her the couch… but, given how distant she was being so suddenly, he decided not to argue, figuring that maybe, after a night’s rest, she’d be more talkative.  If only he’d know what she’d been through…

    Lola’s eyes closed as she thought about the night, making herself comfortable.  Removing her soaked garments or dying her fur seemed so very distant from her mind…  She didn’t want to come back to that place… but, in her mind… Joseph was still the only one she could count on.

    Even if he didn’t care for her… like she did for him.