#splat? alone made the movie good

[fumagus]

I saw Strange World today!  Very Marnie-core, and just pure, fun action.  A solid 9/10.

But I also had the misfortune of hearing Crisped-Rat Mario right before.

[opal-owl-flight]

7. Do they take part in ink battles? What kind and how often?

Absolutely! Inksport leagues are what most of the NSS do outside of agent duties. Theyre a major part of most Inkfish's lives in my writing, a lot of the themes I explore revolve around uh. Sport Movie kinda dealios BAHAHAH (alongside rhe Horrors but shh. When it comes to ocs outside the NSS, Inksports are the main focus)

3s a turf war legend both topside and underground. They were there when the sport was something only the delinquents did, unregulated and dangerous, matches that moved at a fast pace and where they had to leave IMMEDIATELY after or be caught by the authorities. Squid Force eventually found this sport and started sponsoring a safer, more regulated version of it. 3 rose up the ranks all the same (while complaining abt how EASY it is now). Theyve been here since the start. Their splashtag is whispered in awe ans reverence. They are usually followed around by a gaggle of fans or press (please leave them alone qoskw). They still participate in trench turf to satisfy their desire to turf like the good old days. 4 and 8 and Neo3 have no clue about it. They show up with new light scarring and people think its from agent stuff they do on their own -- nope!!

They also play ranked. Tower Control is their favorite mode! Positioning is critical in all modes, but this one has some very specific spots they can exploit and the battles have a flow thats easily readable to them. Its the same route every time! Opposing teams move in pretty specific ways! Its like chess to them. Massages their brain just right.

4s a rising star in the turf leagues. She was great at it back in her hometown in the highlands (the sport has been established here for awhile), but she feels that people are intentionally throwing their matches against her because shes a clan singer. She wanted to have the Real Deal. Moving to Inkopolis, she had a taste of what real turf matches are like...and saw how much more brutal they are. She grit her beak and learned, explosively, in fact, how to play properly. She rose up the ranks quickly the second she found her main weapon class. Shes only ever played topside turf but she is a force to be reckoned with. 3 complains that the new regulations made the game "easier", but someone who grew with the rules can see that its added more complexity. You cant just brute force everything in here. 4 weaves around these added limitations with ease. One can argue shes just as good as 3, if not better...

Her favorite ranked mode is (obviously) Rainmaker. Sneaking around, getting up close and personal with the carrier or their teammates clumped around them is something she greatly enjoys. Holding the nuke itself also gives her quite the rush!! Literally. Shes so beefy that she can carry it faster than the rest of her team (Judd flags her for that, she has to slow herself down to keep the game fair for everyone else). The Rainmaker mode is also reminiscent of some of the ceremonies she does/participates in back in the highlands. Its her job in those ceremonies to call the rain. It involves moving from place to place, carrying a relic that will make her voice heard to the heavens. Despite her not liking how suffocated she was in her homeland, she admits that she misses it, as well.

8 is relatively new to the turf scene. Shes always yearned to be a part of it, back when she was still underground. Now that shes on the surface, she frankly doesnt understand why its such a big deal anymore. Its just a game?? Why are people sweating over this?? And why is all this violence so revered here?? I think her general dislike for combat/conflict may be due to her being raised in a wartime context. She got out of that life, shes not going to go back to it. Still, bc she adores hanging out with 4 (and later 3), she plays the more casual turf war leagues. She occasionally plays ranked modes (splat zones are a favorite), but she tends to stick to the casual side of things. The high octane action and vigilance of the pro leagues makes her uncomfortable...

Neo3 is very new to the turf scene. She compares it to the sacred salmon runs that shes been a lucky witness to (its her only point of reference, bless her hearts). A fight for honor! A fight to the death! And you get to keep living after them? Its the best of both worlds! She enjoys terrorizing the opposing team in any mode. Shes as tenacious and as stubborn as a salmonid that easily slithers over enemy ink. Hitting from blind spots. Easily overwhelms foes with strength and numbers. As annoying as a flyfish. Occasionally, she claws and bites her opponents...which gets her flagged down by Judd. Its fine!! Shes having fun here!

Her favorite ranked mode is definitely Clam Blitz. In salmonid spawning season, the survivors of the runs gather the dropped eggs around the battleground into the nesting grounds to hatch them. Neo3 is reminded of that time as she gathers clams. She defends them as if they were eggs. (And then you see her trying to crack the clams open so she can eat them after the match....)

[glitterp0prhaps0dy]

Bad Hair Day

It was Friday night, which meant Carol and Riff were in the house. Floyd, now equipped with crutches since his sprained ankle had healed but his leg remained broken, sat on the floor, taking it easy. Barb lounged on the couch behind him, busy styling his hair into whatever wild creation she pleased. Meanwhile, Carol had gathered an assortment of ingredients, concocting something slimy-looking.

Riff occupied the house phone, ordering a pizza for the evening's indulgence.

Thrash had planned to spend the evening at home, but plans took an unexpected turn when Sid Frett decided to drop by for a visit. Sid wasn't alone; accompanying him was his unusual but charming pet bat, which nestled comfortably in his lap. As Carol busied herself concocting one of her infamous slime recipes, Sid assisted by passing her various ingredients, all the while gently stroking his bat.

Meanwhile, Rebel was on a mission throughout the house. She was diligently collecting blankets, pillows, sheets, and a variety of plushies. Her goal was to transform the living room into a cozy fort where everyone could gather, relax, and enjoy the playful ambiance of their makeshift hideaway. The evening was shaping up to be one of those spontaneous gatherings that promised laughter and a touch of whimsy.

Carol triumphantly lifted the bowl above her head, her face alight with mischievous glee. "BEHOLD! My latest masterpiece! Bow before the might of my slime creation!" she proclaimed, her voice echoing through the room.

Sid chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "You've outdone yourself, Carol. That looks... interesting."

Riff, from his spot on the couch, smirked and called back, "That thing's more terrifying than half the horror movies we've watched!"

Floyd, still fiddling with his crutches, couldn't help but laugh. "Just don't get any of that goo near me, please."

Roxanne, the bat, seemed particularly captivated by the glittering slime. With a swift flutter of her wings, she swooped down, snatched the bowl from Carol's hands, and ascended rapidly, perching herself high on a bookshelf where no one could reach.

"Hey! Roxanne, bring that back!" Carol shouted, jumping up in an attempt to retrieve her creation.

Sid stood, trying to coax the bat gently. "C'mon, Roxanne, let's not start a slime war here."

Riff joined in, "Maybe she wants to add bat artistry to it, eh?"

As they all tried different tactics to persuade Roxanne, the bat seemed to consider their pleas. With a sudden decision, she tipped the bowl and dropped it right as Rebel walked into the room. The slime cascaded down, landing with a splat on the left side of Rebel's head, covering her hair and shoulder in sticky, glittery goo.

Rebel froze, wide-eyed and slimed. "Seriously? Right when I thought this day couldn't get any stickier," she groaned, wiping the goo from her face.

Carol burst into laughter, even as she rushed over with apologies. "I swear it's good for your skin... or hair... maybe?"

Riff couldn't contain his mirth. "Looks like you've been officially initiated by Roxanne's slime baptism!"

Floyd, still safely away from the slime fiasco, grinned. " It's not a proper hangout until something weird happens."

Rebel playfully hurled a bundle of blankets at Floyd, sending him toppling over with a surprised yelp. The soft landing cushioned his fall, eliciting a small puff of air as he landed. Next, a barrage of plushies flew towards Carol, who welcomed them with a triumphant shout of "MY ARMY!" She gathered them around her protectively, as if preparing for battle.

With everyone suitably equipped for the fort-building mission, Rebel distributed the remaining items she had gathered. She then made her way to the kitchen, intent on washing off the sticky remnants of slime from her encounter with Roxanne's playful antics.

Barb followed Rebel into the kitchen, grabbing a towel as she entered. "Need a hand?" she asked, pitching in without waiting for a reply.

"Thanks," Rebel replied, turning on the faucet and adjusting the temperature. "How's your day been?"

"Usual chaos," Barb chuckled, helping to work shampoo into Rebel's hair. "Carol's experiments never cease to amaze me—or terrify me, depending on the day."

Rebel laughed, her head under the stream of water. "Yeah, her creativity is something else. I'm just glad her enthusiasm is mostly contained to non-explosive materials these days."

As they worked the suds through the tangled locks, they soon realized the slime was stubbornly clinging on. They exchanged a glance, a mix of frustration and amusement in their eyes. "Well, this is going to be tougher than I thought," Rebel sighed.

Rebel and Barb were at their wit's end trying to remove the stubborn slime from Rebel's hair. They had already tried multiple remedies, from dish soap to mayonnaise, but nothing seemed to work. The slime clung to her hair like it was meant to be there permanently.

"Okay, let's not panic. We'll figure this out," Barb reassured Rebel, though her own confidence was waning.

Carol, feeling responsible for the mess, joined in. "Let me try something else," she suggested, fetching a bottle of vinegar from the kitchen. "This could help break it down," she said with hopeful eyes. Despite their doubts, Rebel let her pour the vinegar over her head, wincing at the smell.

"Anything?" Carol asked, her voice filled with hope.

"Just a stinky head," Rebel replied, frustrated as she rinsed her hair yet again, only to find the slime mocking their efforts.

Seeing the ongoing struggle, Floyd limped in with a new suggestion. "What about ice? Freeze it and maybe it'll peel right off?"

"That sounds... a bit extreme," Rebel hesitated but agreed out of desperation. They wrapped her hair in ice packs, waiting for a miracle that never came. The slime remained, unaffected by the cold.

Riff entered the scene with a confident stride. "I've got it—club soda. Works on stains all the time," he announced, pouring the fizzy liquid over Rebel's head. Everyone watched anxiously, only to sigh in disappointment as it too failed to dislodge the sticky mess.

The frustration was palpable when Carol, out of ideas and feeling guilty, blurted out, "Well damn... Well, it looks like we're gonna have to cut it out."

"YOU'RE NOT CUTTING MY HAIR!" Rebel shouted, the very idea pushing her to her limits.

After a tense silence, Rebel finally relented. With a resigned nod, she allowed Carol to grab a pair of scissors and begin snipping away at the slime-encrusted hair. Piece by piece, the slime-coated locks fell away, revealing a surprisingly stylish side shave haircut underneath.

As the last of the slime-coated hair fell away, Rebel examined her new 'do in the mirror, a mix of surprise and amusement crossing her face. "Well, I guess this is one way to shake things up," she remarked, a hint of a smile playing at her lips.

Everyone regrouped in the living room, each member of the group ready to dive into the fort-building project. Floyd, still navigating with crutches, showed no signs of slowing down as he directed the placement of cushions and blankets. Together, they draped sheets over chairs and tables, transforming the space into a cozy enclave. Pillows were strategically placed for comfort, while plushies scattered across the ground added an extra layer of softness.

As they were setting the last blanket in place, a knock echoed through the room. Riff, ever eager, dashed to the door. His face lit up as he greeted the pizza delivery person, the aroma of freshly baked pizza filling the air as he brought the box inside. The group gathered around, each taking a slice, their fort-building efforts momentarily paused in favor of the delicious treat.

With their energy replenished, the movie picking session began. Carol kicked things off with her choice, a bizarre sci-fi called "Galactic Goo Monsters from Mars." Floyd selected a classic action-packed thriller, "Skyline Heist," known for its spectacular stunts and explosive plot. Barb, ever the romantic at heart despite her tough exterior, surprised everyone with a little-known indie film, "Whispers of the Heart." Riff rounded out the selection with a horror flick, "Nightmare on Crow Street," which he claimed would keep everyone on their toes.

With a stack of movies lined up, the group settled into their plush fortress. The lights dimmed, the first movie began, and laughter mingled with the occasional shriek filled the room. As the night wore on and the final credits rolled on their movie marathon, the group decided to break out Monopoly to keep the fun going.

The game started friendly enough, with each player strategically acquiring properties and building their empire. However, as the game progressed, the competitive spirit took over. Sid found himself relegated to jail after a risky decision didn't pay off, spending turn after turn unable to escape. Riff, on the other hand, thrived, amassing almost all the game's money and properties, becoming a Monopoly mogul. Barb wasn’t as fortunate; her finances in the game mirrored a rollercoaster ride, ultimately leaving her bankrupt.

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As the night deepened, the energy of the room gradually wound down. The once lively banter and laughter subsided into a comfortable silence punctuated only by the soft soundtrack of their final movie flickering in the background. One by one, the group succumbed to the warmth and coziness of their makeshift fortress. The plushies that once lay scattered on the ground now served as soft, makeshift pillows or cuddly companions as each member found their spot under the expansive blanket ceiling.

Sid, exhausted from his extended Monopoly jail time, was the first to drift off. He nestled into a snug space between Floyd and Riff, his head resting on a particularly fluffy stuffed dragon. Floyd, managing to adjust his crutches beside him, leaned back against a pile of cushions, his breathing slow and even as he too fell asleep. Riff, ever the night owl, stayed awake a bit longer, his eyes barely keeping open as he watched over his friends like a protective older brother. Eventually, even his eyelids grew heavy, and he joined the others in slumber, his hand still clutching a handful of Monopoly money as if guarding his empire even in sleep.

Barb, known among her friends for her ability to sleep through almost anything, was out like a light. She had inadvertently turned Carol into her personal pillow, her head resting comfortably on Carol's shoulder. Carol, slightly less comfortable but too amused by the situation to move, watched Barb for a few moments, smiling softly at her friend's gentle snoring before her own eyes closed, and she too drifted off.

Rebel found a quiet corner of the fort, away from the gentle chaos of her friends. Roxanne, curled up in the crook of her neck, both finding comfort in the presence of the other. Rebel's breathing was soft and rhythmic, a peaceful counterpoint to the occasional snuffle or shift from the others.

As the movie ended, the TV cast a soft glow over the room, illuminating the peaceful scene. The fort, filled with friends and laughter just hours before, now hosted a serene tableau of connected lives, the outside world forgotten for a few precious hours. In this safe haven of blankets and dreams, they shared more than just a space; they shared a bond that nights like these only deepened.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later, as the night deepened into the wee hours, Thrash returned home. The house was quiet, the only sound the gentle hum of the refrigerator and the soft murmur of the TV left on low. As he entered the living room, he spotted the group of sleeping teenagers, nestled within their cozy fort. Their peaceful slumber brought a warm smile to Thrash's face, a rare moment of tranquility in their often chaotic lives.

However, his serene reverie was abruptly shattered when his gaze landed on Rebel and her unexpected companion. Roxanne, the bat, was curled up beside Rebel, nuzzled against her neck in a display of unusual affection. Thrash's eyes widened in shock, his mind racing with a million questions and concerns.

He stood frozen for a moment but then started retreating to the safety of his own room. In the end, his instinct for self-preservation won out. With a mixture of fear and bewilderment, Thrash turned on his heels and hurriedly ascended the stairs, seeking refuge in the solitude of his bedroom.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Little Things I Dig About STRANGE WORLD

Much like the one I did for PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, this post will be a list of unorganized thoughts on STRANGE WORLD. And as usual, if you haven't seen STRANGE WORLD and were planning on doing so but haven't really had the chance nor gumption to fire up Disney+ and watch it, there be spoilers ahead!

'They're The Clades'. This is a hit the ground running opening right here. An all-too-brief cel-shaded depiction of Jaeger Clade's adventures and exploits, and how his son Searcher was by his side but was never really the rough-and-tumble explorer type. The song would do the Mello Men proud, as it recalls the songs of various live-action adventure movies that Disney had made throughout the '50s. This whole movie, if it wasn't clear before, is a massive homage to that era of adventure stories. The scene alone is evoking an early-to-mid 20th century pulp comic. Also during this sequence, we see these really lovely paintings of the Clades on their adventures. Particularly the visuals of them encountering birds of prey and a bear. It hits all those classic wilderness aesthetics in mere seconds flat.

Avalonia itself is actually quite a cool-looking world. It being on the back of a giant turtle-like beast swimming around on an all-water planet is very much Terry Pratchett's DISCWORLD, but being someone who lived the early 2000s as a kid, it also struck me as very BIONICLE. Hey, did you know Walt Disney Animation Studios was looking to option DISCWORLD for an adaptation of MORT? That was to be Ron Clements and John Musker's movie after THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, but due to rights issues, that fell through, and they ended up pitching other ideas that would later morph into MOANA.

Continued, Avalonia in the post-Pando era: The retrofuture setting, the sortakinda steampunk-like aesthetic, very TREASURE PLANET in some ways. The graphic design recalled various decades of aesthetics of the 20th century, too. Some '30s and '50s touches on Callisto Mal's ship, the Venture, subtle and neat stuff. Loved the architecture, technology, and cruisers. The cruisers, especially the one the Clade family uses to dust the crops, in particular reminded me of the hovercraft vehicles in the JAK & DAXTER series. That was another action-adventure franchise from the early 2000s that I was very much big on back in the day (and still am!).

Legend. Just Legend. He's literally one of my dogs, but in Disney animated form. Plus he's a tripod. Disabled rep, even for a doggie! It was also nice to see a shot of a disabled Avalonian, too.

Primal Outpost reminds me of game called Heroscape, which I remember being advertised a lot circa 2004... Though my 12-year-old self never played it or got invested in it, I thought it always looked cool. The hexagon pieces and such... But yes, I liked that a role-playing/strategy game played a part in this world, it just added a depth to it: This is a game that the kids/teens play. Today I learned that Heroscape ran from 2004 to 2010, and there was a failed revival somewhere down the line. I kinda wish STRANGE WORLD came out in 2004, this would've been my *shit*. Big time.

The lighting choices are what really make the "strange world" pop. The subtle sunset-like oranges and pinks, the misty-like layers, really brings out a lovely look to everything.

There's a particular shot when the Venture is crash-landing while careening into the insides of the Avalonia turtle-beast-creature... Searcher and Legend drop off as the ship is still speeding, it's a particularly well-done shot.

What little there is of the vibe - both good and bad - between Callisto Mal and Meridian Clade, particularly when it shows up during their confrontation in the Venture cockpit.

Right before Ethan meets Splat in that cave of bioluminescent creatures, some of them are apparent in a few frames: They look kind of like glass vases with fireflies inside of them. A small but cool detail, and the framerate on them is much slower.

Splat slapping Ethan when you think they're going to do the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON-esque connect-with-each-other moment, a well-timed send-up of those kinds of person-and-creature scenes.

The Clade men playing Primal Outpost is a standout scene to me, and I absolutely love the jab at the well-repeated "criticism" that Disney animated movies don't work without traditional bad guy villains in them.

How Searcher and Jaeger can't get the handshake/gestures right, they're preemptively doing a different one. It's a fun little character beat for both of them.

Everything about the much healthier insides of the beast after the heart is restored. A colorful, near-psychedelic set of images.

[andydona-chan]

Bad, bad treat!

Read it at AO3!

Scratching a bit on the wall with the spatula, Danny sighed, he had been trying to remove the mix of candy and ectoplasm from the walls on Fenton Works for at least 3 hours now. He was tired, but the memories from the day before still made him smile, so he supposed it was worth it.

Looking back at what happened, he should have seen it coming, he sighed and turned to look at his two best friends, Tucker and Sam were helping him, and even though Tucker looked like he was melting with all the activity this required and Sam, with red-tinted cheeks from the sun, who was just spraying the spots with a Fenton ecto-removing formula were also tired, they also didn’t seem to regret what happened.

Danny chuckled a bit and thought back to Halloween night (aka yesterday), the three of them had been planning on what to do for that night to make it a very interesting trick or treating experience.

While both Tucker and Danny had spent a good portion of their budget to buy candy (in which only half of it actually went for the trick or treating basket), Sam and Jazz had worked together to create a spooky corridor from the entrance and down to the lab. Jack and Maddie had been invited to talk at some conventions, the convention was actually for horror movie fans and ufo theorists and the sort, so it was nothing too serious but it will keep them out for the following three days, leaving them alone for the best night of the year.

Using that as an opportunity, they made the ghost portal the biggest attraction. Jazz of course had taken some ‘security measures to prevent things from going downside, or so she thought. The corridor that Tuck and Danny had to assemble (girls designed, so they built) guided people through some weird-looking plants and spider webs, also some splats of glow in the dark paint that looked like ectoplasm had been on the paper-made walls. The black light and some of the rumors about the portal made it for a very good-looking spooky place, especially with the lights off.

Danny and Tucker had both dressed up as scarecrows and were sitting about a meter away from the portal, there was a line there that said do not cross and they were supposed to stop any curious kid if they tried to go near. Danny had the candy basket and from time to time he would move and scare some children. Jazz and Sam were taking turns helping people go down while talking like a witch and a vampire, which helped prevent a big amount of people from coming and going.

It seemed to be working, at least until a ghost was detected nearby. Danny turned to look at Tucker who just shrugged and looked at him. Danny was sure the ghost hadn’t entered from the portal because it was closed, but natural portals were now becoming a constant so he still needed to go and check. He transformed and left the basket on the chair they’ve been using to allow Tucker to continue with the act.

Turns out it was just Johnny and Kitty, who had tried to pass as teenagers going trick or treating, they hadn’t really used their ghost powers or influence to get candies and they actually seemed to be having fun, so after negotiating a calm night with the pair Danny went back to his place. He flew around the place once before turning invisible and intangible to give the people outside something to talk about, however, when going back, Tucker was on the floor, placing the candies back on the basket.

“What happened?” Danny asked returning to his human form and helping Tucker with the candies.

“Youngblood,” he said with a frown, “just a moment ago the portal opened and he tried to kidnap the basket, so I tried to stop him, we were pulling on the basket for a moment, who would say that kid almost pulled me into the Zone, however, I negotiated to give him a handful of sweets and the brat just let go of the basket, thus the mess. He took the candies and left but yeah, nothing serious.”

“Well, at least it wasn’t anything worse and no other ghost came out right?” They finished lifting the candies and Danny placed the basket on Tucker’s arms as he sat.

“Yeah, the girls stopped the tours when the alarm went off, Sam just came to make sure I was okay and left, they must be on their way down again” Danny nodded, at least Jazz’s plan had been good so far.

“Let’s keep it spooky then”, said Danny posing again as a scarecrow. It was no surprise that after a couple of children, some teenagers also started showing up, Paulina and Star, Dash, and even Wes walked down to get candies and then left, by ten pm they had run out of candies, and people on the streets with children were less and less.

“Wow, no big incidents tonight, talk about good luck!” said Tucker after they closed the door.

“Yeah, it was also fun, not creepy and full of horror as I was expecting, but it was alright,” said Sam pulling candy from an inside pocket on her vampire cloak.

“And with all the safety measures we took, nobody got hurt, abducted, or lost in the Zone, so there’s that…” said Jazz, cut short by Sam’s scream of pain.

“What in hell…?” Sam had thrown the popsicle she had just removed the cover off to the floor and was looking at one of her fingers covered in blood, she turned to look and Danny and showed him her tongue, for a second he thought she was joking, but then he saw there was also blood there.

Tucker had gone to lift the popsicle from the floor. “That stupid thing bit me,” said Sam, and Tucker retracted from where he was about to pick up the candy. It was Danny who then moved and went to get the candy from the floor; he lifted it and touched the strawberry glassy surface of the candy, only to have it open something like a mouth trying to bite him too…

He then turned around and looked at Tucker “Dude, did the candies enter the Ghost Zone when you were dealing with Youngblood?”

Tucker opened his mouth to answer but then lifted a finger and cursed silently, it was then that they heard people screaming. Danny, Sam, and Jazz shared a look, this was a big problem. In a minute they were making a plan, with a net to pick up the candies the girls were going to visit and or try to locate the people with the candies, Danny and Tucker had to sacrifice their share to replace the contaminated ones, so they left and started doing their own trick or treat route.

Some people were already looking for them, some other people were screaming in their homes, in a matter of minutes there was chaos in the streets of Amity Park. “How many people went to the house today?” asked Danny while trying to catch some of the candies that the people were running from.

“I didn’t keep count,” said Sam, “but it was a lot!”

While she tried to catch some of the candies with the net Danny had an idea. “The shield, people will be able to go into it and it will stop these, let’s get them there” Jazz and Tucker who were also nearby heard him and took off towards the house telling people to follow them.

Jazz made sure to turn on the shield and cover the housing ratio, Tucker was calmly telling people to go in, and just as expected the ghostly candies couldn’t follow. Danny used that moment to go ghost, and tried to use a shield of his own to gather all the candies. These allowed people to go back to their houses, some of them grabbed candies from the non-contaminated pile, but others just left and the ghost shield on the house was turned off.

At that point, Johnny and Kitty showed up on the motorcycle. “Wow, the first time I see treats become tricks on Halloween night,” said Johnny, “but I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said pointing ad Danny’s shield full of furious candies.

“Why?” asked Danny.

“Candies can only support certain contamination level, they’re not made to keep it for too long, that’s how we can eat the candies, they dissolve and become part of us, but when not part of a ghost and with a constant increase of contamination made by an ectoplasmic shield, they’ll just… boom!” said Kitty as a matter of fact.

Just then Danny looked at the contained candies in the shield, as if Kitty’s words were a command, some candies started exploding like popcorn, Danny let go of the shield, however, the candies didn’t fall, instead, they remained floating and started exploding, splatting candy and ectoplasm everywhere but mostly onto Fenton Works, some of the most colorful ones creating something that looked like fireworks.

Jazz, Sam, and Tucker were already inside, and if the look of horror on Jazz’s face was something to go by, this was going to get him grounded, it didn’t escape him, however, how his friends laughed at the whole thing, Johnny and Kitty went back to the Zone shortly after the show ended, but Danny entered covered in a sweet mixture of candy and ectoplasm.

Jazz had only asked him to make sure the house was clean before their parents arrived, something that by the looks of it was still going to take time. The ectoplasm candy he was trying to get off finally gave out and fell to the floor, he lifted it and placed it inside the ghost proof trash bag they were using, then reaching inside his pocket, Danny pulled out candy, the green-yellow candy screamed at him once and he threw it in his mouth, Tucker and Sam looked at him with disgusted faces, but he just shrugged.

“Someone’s got to eat all those sweets,” he said smiling. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz had found themselves with some ecto-contaminated candies after the whole thing, and Danny was supposed to get rid of them, but the ectoplasm actually gave it a different kind of flavor, he had been unable to keep his share of candies from Halloween, so it was only fair he at least had those.

[iamwhoami]

Under the Mistletoe (Chicago PD)

25 Days of Christmas - Day 3

Chicago PD

   Y/N and Jay Halstead are partners but when he kisses her under the mistletoe, was he just following the Christmas rules or was there something more to it?

Warnings: None

Requested = Yes

“So do you have any plans for Christmas?” Jay asked before tossing you a long string of paper gingerbread men. 

   Since there was no active case right now, you and Jay had been put on “decorating duty” with the task of making the 21st District look more ready for the holiday season. 

“No, not really,” You replied as you got on the step ladder to tie one end of the string to the hook over one of the office doors. “What about you?”

“Will invited me over,” Jay responded, “But Natalie’s going to be there too so I don’t wanna  be the third wheel, you know?”

   You laughed, “Oh yes I do. It seems like I’m always third-wheeling.”

“Here, let me get the other end,” Jay said and quickly tied up the other end of the string of gingerbread men. 

   You thanked him and stepped down from the step ladder before going back to the box of decorations. You found a small bundle of mistletoe that had a little red bell tied in with it as well and pulled it out.

“We need to put this up,” You grinned mischievously, “Maybe we can catch Burgess and Ruzek under it.”

   Jay chuckled and moved the step ladder right underneath the main entrance way so that you could step up and hang up the mistletoe while he watched from a distance.

“So are you still going to go? To Will’s I mean,” You asked, stepping down from the ladder and walking over to where Jay was standing.

“Maybe, don’t really want to spend Christmas alone, even if it does mean I have to third-wheel,” Jay answered, “Why?”

“Well...here’s a crazy idea,” You debated whether you should actually tell him or not, “What if you came over to my place for Christmas?”

   Jay raised an eyebrow and you felt yourself blush, thinking that he thought your idea was stupid.

“Told you it was crazy,” You looked away, embarrassed a little.

“No, no!” Jay quickly said, “I don’t think it’s crazy...it’s just...really?”

   You nodded, “Why not?”

   Jay smiled, “I’ll be there as long as you’re not cooking.”

“Hey!” You punched him in the shoulder but couldn’t help laughing.

“You two are having way too much fun over there,” Trudy commented from her desk, “You were supposed to have drawn the short end of the stick.”

“It’s not that bad. Especially since I get to spend time with this loser,” You jerked a thumb over at Jay.

“Hey!” Jay exclaimed and you burst into another round of laughter.

   You shook your head, “I’m just kidding.”

“Are you though?” Trudy raised her eyebrows.

   You opened your mouth but quickly closed it, earning another look from Jay. You gave him a tiny grin.

“Okay, maybe not.”

~~~

   Of course something just had to happen on Christmas Eve and everyone ended up being called in and a case was opened.

  It was rough. Cases were always rough but it always seemed harder when kids were involved.

  You guys didn’t end up solving the case until Christmas so your plans with Jay quickly went out the window.

   It was late when you guys were all wrapped up and though everyone was bummed out, everyone also understood that this was just apart of the job. 

   You were exhausted and was walking down the stairs from the bullpen when you heard someone call your name from behind you.

   You were so tired that you didn’t even register it until you felt someone put their hand on your shoulder.

“Huh?”

You quickly swerved around to see Jay.

“Oh...yeah? What’s up?” You rubbed your eyes as you prepared to leave the building.

   Suddenly, you felt a pair of hands touch the side of your face before a pair of lips were pressed against yours.

   When they parted, you opened your eyes to see Jay, not that you already didn’t know that since who else could it be?

“What?” You whispered, confused as to why he just kissed you.

   Jay blushed, “We’re under the mistletoe.”

   He pointed up above and you saw that he was right. You two were splat center underneath the bundle of mistletoe that you had put up.

“Oh...” You nodded.

   For some reason though, you felt disappointed to know that the mistletoe was the reason for Jay kissing you.

   Jay swallowed, “But that’s not only why I kissed you.”

You thought your ears were deceiving you.

“What?”

“I love you Y/N,” Jay whispered, “I keep trying to brush it off or not think about it but I can’t. I love you and I can’t help myself.”

   You stood there, in complete shock. You were so tired you must have fallen asleep and this was all a dream.

“Y/N?”

   You snapped back into reality to see Jay standing in front of you, a sad look on his face. You realized that your silence must have been worrying him since he just confessed his love to you and you said nothing in return.

   You smiled softly, “Then it’s a good thing I love you too then.”

   You watched as the worry dissipated from Jay’s face. He beamed at you, his eyes bright.

“Really?”

   You nodded and leaned back in for another kiss. Why not? You guys were still standing underneath the mistletoe.

“Finally.”

   You jumped and turned your head to look for the source of the voice. It turned out to be Trudy who was leaning forward on the front desk, having watched the whole thing.

“You saw all of that...” Jay scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and you turned a bright red.

   Trudy chuckled, “About time, really. You guys have been staring at each other with those lost puppy eyes the moment you met.”

“Really?” You had never noticed that Jay looked at you that way. Mind you though, you had also never noticed that you were looking at him that way.

“You two are the only people in the unit, the entire District even, that haven’t noticed,” Trudy grinned, “I guess it’s the Christmas magic.”

   You glanced over at Jay who was also smiling from ear to ear.

“I guess it is,” Jay made eye contact with you.

“Then in that case, I could really get used to Christmas magic,” You grinned at Jay.

“Alright, you love birds can take that romantic affection out of my district now,” Trudy waved you off, “Go home and enjoy the rest of the Christmas magic.”

   Jay gave a tiny salute with two fingers, “Yes Ma’am.”

“Merry Christmas Trudy,” You smiled at her.

“Merry Christmas Y/N,” Trudy smiled back, “You too Jay.”

   And with that, you and Jay left the district, walking down the stairs and outside.

“It’s snowing!” You whispered excitedly, “It’s so pretty...”

   Jay nodded, “You know, this Christmas started off really bad for me, but it sure took a turn.”

“Tell me about it,” You chuckled, “You know, you can still come over. I have beer in the fridge, plenty of cheesy Christmas movies.”

   Jay grinned at you, “That sounds amazing.”

“I’ll see you then,” You twinkled before walking off.

[unimooshi]

Christmas Fluff Snippet Megapost

(brought to you by your host Mooshi bc I’m stuck at home and wanna procrastinate cleaning my room :) )

Rated: G/Fluff

Relationship(s): Literally as many I can think within the span of 3 hours as they’re all basically 1 paragraph long. Feel free to read whichever ones you want I’m making word soup rn. We smackin’ tonight kings, queen, and royals in between😌😭✨

All relationships can be whatever universe you want, unless stated otherwise. Have a good time

Also please keep in mind that I haven’t read a lot of the comics and have a limited knowledge on the cartoons bc I haven’t watched some of them, but I’ll try my best to write out the dynamic as I see it.

1) Starscream/Optimus (StarPrime) you knew we were gonna start with OTP

“I know you wanted to visit Earth for a small vacation, but did you really have to choose the coldest of Earth months to visit?”, Starscream said with borderline disgust as he stared at the snow at the bottom of their ship, the only redeeming thing about the environment was the setting sun.

He kneeled down and scooped up a pile of snow, watching it crumble away between his digits. His internal heating system kicking into overdrive to compensate, little puffs of steam floating into the air. It wasn’t that it was cold, the issue was how wet it would be. The mess that would be made inside their circuits and the water dripping from exposed wiring made Starscream shiver.

“No, I didn’t have to but Earth has such a happy culture this time of year and I wanted to share that with you. I think you’ll like Christmas. Cheer up, let’s take a walk.” , Optimus planted a small peck on the side of Starscream’s helm and stepped outside, the soft crunch of snow following the Prime.

Starscream reluctantly stepped into the snow and groaned with how much water his sensors were already detecting, “How happy could this holiday possibly be with frozen condensation falling from the sky and getting into your circuits?”

“Well, according to what can be found on the internet, it’s an annual religious festival, but most humans use it as a time to see loved ones and celebrate their love for one another.”, Optimus took Starscream’s servo and interlaced it with his own, removing his battle mask to reveal a soft smile with blue optics to match, “and besides you can take a warm lather in the washracks later while I warm up some energon. I know you like watching Earth movies every once in a while.”

Starscream really couldn’t argue with his conjux and just vented out more heat, the puff leaving a trail of white steam as it floated into the evening sky. If being on a mud ball planet meant Optimus would be relaxed then he supposed it would be worth getting his circuits drenched for. Honestly, doing anything was worth it if it meant his Prime would stop thinking about his responsibilities even for just a cycle.

“Your strobes are blinking by the way.”

Starscream stopped walking and flapped his wings into view then dipped them low, brushing it off.

“It doesn’t mean anything.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t.”, Optimus rolled his optics and laughed, holding his conjux’s servo a little tighter.

———

2) Knockout/Breakdown (KOBD)

“Merry Christmas Knockout!”, Breakdown burst into the Medbay with a clumsily wrapped box.

Knockout nearly dropped his datapad and jumped from the sudden intrusion, his servo switched out for his buzz saw until he saw who it was.

“Breakdown!”, Knockout vented out and transformed his servo back, “Don’t scare me like that so suddenly.”

“I’m sorry, but I just wanted to finally give you this. I knew you just had to have it when I saw it and I really hope you like it.”

“All is forgiven. Thank you.”, Knockout casually tore away at the wrapping and lifted the lid, his optics glowing brighter.

“Well...do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it!”, Knockout unfolded the white stripe vinyl inside to it’s full length, laughing with a full smile, “You always know just what to get me!”

He put his gift down on the examination table and went to go hug his conjux, climbing up a little to properly plant a kiss.

As high as the mood was brought up, it was quickly shot down again.

“Wait, I’m not done with your gift yet.”, Knockout left for his datapad and scrolled through something.

“It’s alright, you don’t have to give me one. Your company is the only gift I need.”, Breakdown tried to comfort his conjux, but Knockout held out a servo to stop him.

“That’s a sweet sentiment, but it doesn’t feel fair if I had my gift before yours is even done and I don’t want you seeing it while it’s incomplete.”

“I’m sure I’ll like it even if it’s unfinished. The thought matters more than what it is. Can you tell me what it is?”

“Are you sure?”

Breakdown nodded excitedly.

Knockout sighed and handed over the datapad, “It’s only about 75% of the way done, but it’s a transcription of that Earth book you wanted to read but couldn’t find an online PDF version of it.”

Breakdown scrolled through the pages of words and felt his frame melt.

“I know it’s not as good as what you gave me but—”

“I love it!”, He lifted Knockout off the ground and squeezed, “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome but watch the paint!”

———

3) Bumblebee/Blitzwing (TFA Blitzbee)

Bumblebee wasn’t one for snow to be perfectly honest. Sure, making snowmen and having snowball fights with Sari were fun, but he mostly did those activities to make her happy as her best friend. The frosty windows on the base served as another reminder as to why he liked to stay inside where it was warm and there was plenty of oil to drink, so it was rather ironic when he started seeing a mech who could make ice and enjoyed just burying himself in the frozen stuff.

“Come outside my little bee~”

Random sang softly and taunted him from outside the Autobot base. The heat from Blitzwing’s system fogging up the window further. Everyone else in the base had retreated back to their rooms for the night, leaving Bee free to do what he wanted in the living room. At least, he would be if there wasn’t a giant beige and purple bot trying to get him outside.

“No way Blitzbrain. It’s beyond freezing out there. I’m not locking up my servos just so you can eat street snow again.”

Bumble whispered harshly and opened the window, a gush of frozen air creeped their way through the cracks of his frame. His central heating system kicked online.

Random’s glossa slithered out of his intake, “Aww why not?”

“Because it’s gross. And that’s saying something when it comes from me!”

Vrrrr.

“I suppose that’s true.”, Icy’s lips pouted outward as he pressed his digits to his chin. His sharp features standing out in the crisp darkness of the night, “But aren’t you the one always wanting to go out? Why is it so different this time?”

“Because time impossible to drive in snow and I don’t wanna deal with traffic.”

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“So?”

Vrrrr.

“So why don’t you want to come out here and spend some time away from this stupid base you tiny bug bot!”

Bee held a digit to his intake, “I’m right here idiot, you’ll wake everyone up and then they’ll see you and then we’ll have to fight.”

Vrrrr.

“You’re afraid of the snow aren’t you.”

“What? No. That’s not—I’m not afraid of it are you kidding me? Only sparklings are afraid of stupid things like that.”

“Ok, so you just don’t like the cold.”

“So what if I don’t?”

“Even if you can’t drive, it’s still a nice night for flying.”

Bumblebee’s optics widened, “Flying?”

“Yes. Calm winds, clear skies, no organics or bots in the streets, what more could you wait for?”

“You’re gonna take me flying?”, Bee’s voice rose in pitch and he looked up at his mechfriend with stars in his eyes.

Vrrrr.

“If you keep repeating the same thing I’ll crush you with this wall!”

Vrrrr.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen something go splat!”

Random laughed at his own morbid thought.

“Ok, first of all, don’t crush me. You’re like three times my size, you don’t need a wall. Second, as long as I don’t have to get my servos wet I’ll be there in a nanoklik.”

Bumblebee gave a quick peck before racing away to touch himself up a little for his small impromptu date.

———

4) Megatron/Soundwave (MegaWave)

Megatron was busy. Again.

Soundwave didn’t mind it much as he just worked on his reports, but deep in his spark he really hoped he would’ve made some time to be with him. There was no such luck unfortunately. Soundwave knew his leader was always busy which is what made their small times together all the more special and intimate. Nobody ever saw the side of the warlord that he did and he was quite proud of that. It made him feel special.

>Soundwave.

A private communication line blipped open from Megatron. What convenient timing.

>Yes, Lord Megatron?

>I need you to send a message to Shockwave about the latest export of energon. There will be a delay because of Autobot meddling, but it shouldn’t take more than a couple earth cycles to have everything in order.

>Message received. Will be sent as soon as possible.

>Good. By the way Soundwave, I’ve left something for you in your desk compartment. Consider it a token of my appreciation for all you’ve done staying loyal to the Decepticons.

>Understood. Thank you Lord Megatron.

With that, the line cut off and Soundwave was left alone again in the communication center. His optics glanced over at the large compartment in his desk and opened it. Inside he found a small stack of datapads and one single use datapad filled out.

—

‘To: Soundwave

Silent as a thief in the night

You crept into my spark and took flight

Your visor so full of mystery

Yet take away much of my misery

In war there is treachery

In war there is loyalty

No words could ever be strung to say how much you mean to me

Merry Christmas,

From Megatron

—

A/N: I’m done with this post. Whoop. 4 short stories in one post. This is all I could crank out in a few hours. I didn’t anticipate this day to be so busy for me😭😭. I’ve been hanging out with family and dropping off gifts for friends at their door step. You can kinda tel I gave up at the end and poems aren’t really my thing. I’ll finish the rest tomorrow, so just pretend that whatever I post tomorrow was done today. Tell me what you think and have a nice night. I’m gonna pass out now. Mwah.

AND YES WHEN I WRITE MEGS IN ANY FIC HE IS A MUSHY BASTARD WHEN HES NOT AN ASS HAT AND THATS ON SOFT BASTARDS😌✨✨

[sunshineseung]

Ideal Dates // Stray Kids

💌 Info: Stray Kids x gender neutral!reader fluff 💕 Includes: a lot ✏️ Word Count: ~enough

Bang Chan

He loves taking you out to parks or in nature!

And he loves how you dress casually on these dates

Picnics are always super cute

Running around and playing sports w/ him omg

He loves spending the entire day with you outside

He just thinks you’re perfect no matter what

Hot day? You’re sweaty and messy? perfect.

Cold day? You’re covered head to toe in thermal wear? perfect.

Rainy day? You look like a drowned rat? Perfect.

So lovely, always complimenting you

“You shine brighter than any sun, baby!”

Lee Know

Taking you out to upscale restaurants >>>

He loves getting dressed up in suits for you

His heart stops whenever you wear fancy outfits

Being able to pay for the food is his biggest flex

He just wants to show you off in public 

Bc you’re his prize

And the love of his life

Always takes you to fancy restaurants for anniversaries or celebrations

Teases you under the table sometimes 

Never goes to the same nice restaurant twice unless you ask to

“Don’t worry about a thing, sweetheart. It’s my treat.”

Changbin

Movie dates are his favorite

Especially horror movie dates

When you cuddle up and lean on his shoulder ^^

Gets super flustered when you lean on him

He’ll buy the popcorn and you sneak snacks in your purse

Loves talking about the movie afterwards with you

His hand is always on your thigh or arm around your shoulder

His face in the dim glow of the movie screen is so handsome 

Also he’s just always handsome bUT hear me out

Sometimes he whispers jokes to you ab the movie

“Did you like the movie? Yeah, me too!”

Hyunjin

At-home dates are his forte

He just loves to see you play with Kkami

And cuddling on the couch with him is always great

He randomly attacks you with kisses

But are you mad? Ofc not

Watching movies, eating snacks, making pillow forts… it’s all fair game

Even just sitting on your phones in silence is enjoyable with him

He also loves seeing you in casual clothes

And when you wear his clothes??? His heart melts!

Sweetest (and neediest) boy in the world

“Hey, please come over, I’m lonely :((( See you in 10? Thank youuu!!!”

Han

Drive thru babyyyyy

Loves long drives with you and eating fast food in the car

Has your order memorized so he doesn’t have to ask every time

Just driving for hours and taking about nothing is so nice to him

And night drives are always adorable

He loves your face being lit up by streetlights

And he just… loves you!

Sometimes he puts his hand on your thigh

Whenever you need a ride or just need to get out, he’s there for you

But sometimes you still pay for gas lol

“I know I should keep my eyes on the road, but you’re just so pretty, babe.”

Felix

This nerd takes you to the arcade

But he pays for your tokens sometimes so it’s fine

You’re trying to get enough tickets to get a big prize

Felix is really good at skee ball idk i just have the feeling

You’re good at stacking games or coin pusher games

With your tickets combined, you can get a LOT of laffy taffy

And he loves winning stuff for you in crane games

You save all the stuffed animals he wins you

You beat his ass in air hockey

But he beats you in DDR so it’s even

“I won you another teddy bear! Yeah, it's cute, but you know what’s cuter? Youuu... and me but mostly youuu”

Seungmin

Pottery and painting dates are superior

Loves putting his arms around you while you work on whatever

Super supportive of everything you make

When you accidentally get paint or clay on your face, he wipes it off with his lil sweater paws TT

The way his waist is synched in an apron ?? wow

Always makes the most lovely works of art

If you’re painting alone together, he’ll sing for you

Although neither of you are perfect artists, you save everything you make

Occasional paint splat fights

Literally the nicest boyfriend ever

“You’re doing so great! We should put this in our apartment!”

I.N

Takes you to small concerts

Always for artists you both like

Mostly underground indie artists

He loves seeing you so excited, because he’s excited too!

Is willing to wait in line for over an hour with you

Always listened to music you suggest him so he knows where to take you for concerts

No matter how crowded the venue is, he makes sure you’re next to him at all times

Super conscious of the people around you to make sure you’re safe

Also super into the music and the vibe

Crowdsurfing was a mistake...

“That song was good! Are they in town soon? I’ll take you there!”

do yall like posts in this style? i can write more if ya’ll like em :) i made this post for instagram (@dcrunchbabe hi) but i thought i’d also post it here!

[haikyuu-sickfics]

Ooo yes well if you are taking request could you please write a fic with Suga and Iwaizumi? a sickfic if you’d like or a injury fic

Alcohol+Vomit warning! Koushi groaned as bright light flooded his vision.  The all too familiar pressure of a hangover pressed against his forehead and abdomen.  Dizziness swam dully throughout him as he struggled to remember last nights events.  A party.  Sawamura.  Hajime.  Alcohol.

Shit.

"You're finally awake," a distant voice commented.

Koushi sat up quickly, the quick movement inviting ruthless nausea to attack for the briefest of moments.  He forced his palm against his forehead, closing his eyes and swallowing a couple times to setting his stomach.  It was only once he reopened his eyes that he realized he was in an unknown place.

Panic surged through him, his eyes quickly scanning the room for any hints of what happened last night, Hajime stood in the doorway fully clothed- a good sign.  The room had no clothes strewn about the floor- another good sign.  Koushi was wearing unfamiliar, poorly fitting clothes- a bad sign.

"Whoa there, don't get up so fast.  Here, I brought water and a tylenol, figured you'd need it," Hajime offered, quickly making his way to Koushi with the water extended in one hand.

With wide, clueless eyes, Koushi took a couple tentative sip before tossing two tylenols into his mouth and washing them with a gulp.  He shuddered as he felt the cool water mix with the burning contents of his stomach.

"So," he started, voice groggy, "what happened last night?"

"Well... there was a party on campus, you were outside, I went outside to call someone and I saw you and talked to you."

Koushi knew this wasn't the whole story, far from it.  Hajime wasn't the type of person to randomly strike up conversation.  Something happened.  Koushi thought hard, setting his water on the nightstand so he could rub the weariness from his eyes.

They were crusty.  The specific type of crusty that one may only achieve after a long night of crying.  So Koushi cried last night. Why?  And that still didn't answer his change of clothes.

"So then I just got in your car?"

"Well, no," Hajime squirmed, obviously he could remember it and obviously if Koushi could then he would be halfway out the door by now.

"So tell me!" Koushi whined, eyebrows furrowing in pleading.

"Let's wait until you eat some, I'll make some toast for you.  Meet me in the kitchen in a couple minutes, it's just down the hall- can't miss it."

Koushi pouted as Hajime left him in the room.  He squeezed his eyes shut, trying so very hard to grasp onto the loose thread of memory from the previous night.  That course of action proving fruitless, he searched for his phone.

It was hidden next to him in the covers, it's batter nearly dead.  Koushi frowned at this before opening his messages.

Oh no.

He could remember now.

The picture someone sent him of Sawamura and some random boy dancing closely.  Too closely for just friends to dance.  Above that conversation was Sawamura frantically trying to explain himself to a pissed off, drunk Koushi.

"Ohh, fuck!" He cursed loudly, bits and pieces of his conversation with Hajime coming to him.

He said too much, way too much.  The alcohol and calming presence of Hajime led him to display all of his deepest thoughts in neon lights.  From the distrust he had been feeling to how neglected Sawamura had been feeling and all the way to the feelings Koushi had for Hajime.

"Fucking shit!" He cursed again.

He confessed last night.

Sharp pain burst from his arm where he was pinching it, hoping to anything and everything out there that this was a dream.

It wasn't.

Koushi thought about possible escape plans.  First- the window.  That was a dead end.  It was locked, only to be open by some complex series of actions which Koushi did not know.  Even if he did know how to open the damned thing, it was far too high off the ground- and even if it wasn't- Koushi wouldn't get far without his shoes.

So he was stuck with leaving the normal way.  Out the front door after having breafast.

Sighing heavily, he pulled himself up onto shaky legs.  Nausea swirled dangerously for a moment before dying down and allowing him to move on.

Taking deep breaths to prepare himself physically and mentally, Koushi followed the smell of toast into the kitchen.  The scent was suffocating, forcing its way down Koushi's nostrils and settling like a boulder in his midsection.

"I put some butter on yours," Hajime nodded to a single piece of toast on a paper plate next to the sink.

Koushi grimaced, trying his best to give a meaningful thanks.

The plate was warmer than the toast, who's butter had melted fully.

Not wanting to appear rude, Koushi took a bite.

His stomach revolted immediately.

"Bathroom," Koushi stated, voice muffled by his hand.

"Shit, uh, down the hall to the right."

Koushi nodded, quickly making his way down the hall with his eyes glued to the floor.

The door was open, allowing him to spot the much needed room easily.  Collapsing to the floor infront of the toilet, Koushi clenched his jaw in an attempt to spare the last of his dignity.  Best case-scenario, the nausea spell was just that- a spell- and would fade without trouble.  Worst case-scenario, well that's exactly what was happening.  Bile splashed agaisnt the back of his upper throat, forcing his mouth open to fall into the toilet with a splash.

Koushi groaned.  This was the absolute worst way to spend a saturday morning.

"Still got some in you?  I can't belive you have anything left in your body after last night."

The new clothes made sense now as Koushi remembered how sick he got last night.  

~

"You knooooow~ you have strong, STRONG muss less!!" Koushi slurred, squeezing Hajimes Biceps.

Hajime scooched away, taking away Koushi's support and causing him to fall into the railing.  The cool metal dug into his gut, pushing on the angry stew of alcohol.  Before he knew what was going on, a loud gag forced it's way out.  Strain tugged on his forehead and pulled on ever muscle from his stomach to his tongue.  The gag ended, leaving him breathless.

"What was that!  That was crazy!"  Koushi turned towards Hajime who was backing up cautiously.

"You should take a seat," Hajime advised, uncomfortable with the close vicinity of him and Koushi's mouth.

"I don't need a seat! My ass is so fat -hic-  that whenever I walk it's like I'm sitting on a cLOOUD!"

Koushi coughed, gagging again, bending forward with the force of the retch. Hajime jumped back and behind Koushi.  One more heave resulted in something productive.  Alcohol singed it's way up Koushi's throat before landing on the floor with a splat.

"Holy shit!" Koushi straightened his back, "I was -hic- NOT expecting that, were you?"

Hajime remained silent.

"Do you have a ride home, or someone I can call?"

Koushi smiled remorsefully, "my only ride is getting dicked right now."

"Oh," Hajime paused.  He really wanted to go home, but there was no way he could leave Koushi alone at this point, "I could drive you to my place."

"Ohhhh!  Are you hitting on me!?" Koushi crooned, leaning into Hajime.

Hajime couldn't help the heat that rushed to his cheek, instead deciding to hide it by taking Koushi's hand and dragging him to the front of the house where his car was parked.

"Oouuu!  Aren't you supposed to wait until the second -hic- date for this!"

Hajime opened the passenger seat, ushering Koushi in and clicking the belt over him.  He pointed out the plastic bags which were stuffed in pockets of the door- he was friends with heavy partier, this wasn't his first rodeo- before seating himself behind the wheel.

"Ready?"

Koushi hiccuped in response, already fumbling for a bag.

~

That's the best way to confess to someone.  Drunk off your ass before throwing up all over the place.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Koushi groaned at the memory, wiping his palm down his face, "But what happened to my clothes?"

"You got really sick on the walk between the car and the front door," Hajime grimaced at the ugly memory.

"So you remember everything?"

"Yup."

"I was drunk, you know."

"Mhm."

"I didn't mean it-"

"Yes you do."

"Okay but-"

"I like you too."

"What?"

"I have blankets on the couch and blinds over the windows, I know the perfect hangover movie.  Come on out when you're ready."

[brella-boi]

for the write a fic post: chili goes to therapy

Ya'll are just not gonna leave my son alone are you

Title: Doctor’s Home Tags: Cursing, bad english, bad therapist, Chili, Tai. Words: 1500

For weeks a certain someone decided to start making an effort to make amends. He would come every couple days with a pizza or a movie, hang out, and let his sister roam around while he fell asleep halfway through. In a way it was interesting to see someone you’d consider an asshole suddenly show a change of heart, but on the other hand Tai was curious of any ulterior motives that inkling had bubbling underneath the surface.

For one, Tai never trusted Chili. Not one bit. Not after seeing how he treated Mint. Several times, in fact. Though, he gave him the benefit of the doubt. Tai came over to his home a few times, tried to learn different things from the inkling. Granted, he did learn a few things that Mint was no help with, like which neighbourhoods to avoid, using the splatting weapons in turf wars, and general paperwork. Although it was a grueling process. Not only because the inkling held a heavy accent Tai found hard to understand at times, but also because he was so forceful and rude about everything. How did Mint find any part of that inkling appealing or tolerable is beyond him. To Tai, Chili was simply an asshole. An interesting asshole.

He quickly noticed how differently he acted around the vicinity of Mint, and immediately took interest in that.

Now, Tai may not know much about psychology, but he is well versed in the medical field. That’s close enough, isn’t it?

The next time Chili decided to show up at their apartment Tai was prepared. So prepared in fact, that he made sure Mint was still out and about in town and the two of them could get some private alone time. So when he finally knocked on the door, Tai was ready to answer with a smile.

“Hello Chili. I was waiting.”

The inkling grunted as a way to greet the octoling, focused on finding the other twin he was hoping to meet instead. “Mint’s stuck in traffic or what’s up?”

Tai tapped the wooden door rhythmically as he closed it behind Chili. “Hm. Yes.” They weren’t, but Tai wouldn’t pass the opportunity of an excuse like that.

“‘Aight. Ya won’t mind if I snag the couch for myself then.” He didn’t need an invitation, or a denial, he did as he pleased regardless of the answer he received.

“No. You can sit down.”

But the inkling stopped halfway, his eyes grazing across the living room. He wasn’t an idiot. Hearing Tai agree with anything, or say how he was waiting set his suspicions off. Something wasn’t right.

“Nah. Actually I’ll stand.” He watched Tai stalk towards the small island separating the living room and kitchen, and continued his tapping against its stone surface.

“I think you want have a seat.”

The two boys squinted at each other, neither of them budging from their place in the staring contest.

“‘Aight, I’ll bite. What do ya want from me? More teaching? Money? A beating?” Tai slowly approached the inkling as he continued talking. His height became more apparent with each step he took. “Silent treatment, eh? Or is my vocab too advanced for ya to understand? Damn, if only Mint was here to help ya out and translate like a good kind sibling.” By now the octoling stared down Chili from how close they were, and Chili felt himself leaning backwards and away from Tai who only continued to press forward. This was awkward. “The fuck ya want dude.”

“Hm. You want to be good boy, yes? For Mint? Sit.” He straightened up again, and let the inkling fall backwards into the couch with a dumbfounded expression.

Be good? A good boy? Him? Chili? He didn’t know what to say at the clear display of not-giving-a-fuck. There were times where this strange octopus would get into a specific mood. A mood that is both creepy, intimidating, unsettling, but also weird as fuck to deal with. When he does you cannot reason with him at all. Mint called those moods as a ‘crazy-scientist awakening’. Chili feared this was one of those moments.

“Good.” Tai flashed a faint smile as he himself took a seat on a chair across from Chili. He leaned back and inspected the tense inkling eyeing him suspiciously.

“I know what you play.” Chili raised an eyebrow and Tai continued. “Why?”

“Why what.”

“Why so nice beside Mint? You are jealous?”

Chili folded his arms with a bored expression. “Of what? There ain’t nothing Mint has I don’t.”

“Hm. Yes. A big home, good job, many friends... A boyfriend.” His eyes averted. One mental checkmark to Tai’s list of theories. “You are jealous.”

“Whatever ya think it is, Mr. Know It All, yer wrong. Newsflash, I’m also friends with Hiraeth and the system, and I don’t need a huge home or fulfilling work. So whatever’s brewin’ in yer head, stop it.”

“You sure? Why no talk with Mint for.. Hm. Weeks? But you talk with system. It make no sense.” Tai paused to think, his fingers tapping against the arm of the chair in thought before returning to waving around as he spoke again. “Unless… Halcyon say you are close to Pensacola. Very. And you ask me to slap you, like he. So,” he grinned toothily at Chili, excited to see the reaction to his theorie’s consensus, “You was scared of Mint because you like them, and Hiraeth was faster, so you run away. But now because he and Pensacola is gone, you come back. No threat, no worry. Yes~?”

Chili stared incredulously at the octoling who single handedly deciphered his entire motivation towards Mint in the most broken inklish he’s ever heard. It almost felt like an insult. This guy he knew for less than five months somehow found himself digging so deep inside him it was embarrassing. Has he really been hiding it that bad all this time? No, others never found out. So what gives Tai the right to know?

“Ha! Ya must be out of yer god damned mind. I’m done here. Have fun interviewing some other sucker that easily falls into your trap.” He stood up from the seat and took a step towards the door before a sudden sharp pain knocked into his neck.

He whipped around to face the smug octoling still sitting in the chair, but now brandishing a nerf gun in his hands aimed towards Chili. Before he could speak again another bullet smacked him in the eye and he doubled backwards from the sudden shock of it.

“Sit down.”

“What the FUCK is yer problem?” Shot again. “Stop it! Agh-! Fine!” He sat down into the seat once again with arms raised above his face to shield from any more oncoming bullets.

“Am I right or wrong.”

“You’re fucking stupid. OW-”

“Wrong answer.” Tai loaded another few rubber bullets into the gun. “I ask again. You like Mint?”

Chili stuck his middle fingers out at Tai through the shield and felt another three bullets pelt him in the stomach. “AgH- I ain’t gonna fuckin’ tell ya!”

“So yes. Okay.” He whistled at the hiding inkling who now sported a faint blush. “I won’t tell. But you are asshole.”

Chili groaned, “What’s new.”

“No. You are idiot. You pretend like you are good.”

“I’m trying real fuckin’ hard, so thanks.”

“You are happy to pretend? Only pretend? You are lying. Lies will bring death.”

Chili felt like his words got lost in translation. It was probably some octarian analogy. But he understood what he meant regardless. “Yer not a therapist Tai, ye don’t get a voice in this.”

“I am doctor. I have experience.” He did not, in fact, have experience in the mental health department. Ask him to stop bleeding? Place stitches? Sure. Ask him about depression? Anxiety? Relationship advice? Maybe not the best idea.

Chili huffed. He didn’t know about any of his prior experience, but he didn’t deny his medical knowledge was extensive. “I don’t need another therapist. So shut up and mind yer own fuckn’ business.”

Negotiating with Chili was brutal. Nothing goes into his head without going in one ear and out the other. Neither did he have the nerves or stamina to punch him like his friend to bring him to his senses, and he felt like he wasn’t being taken seriously either. What was he to do? The nerf gun would only get him so far, and three more shots did nothing but prompt more cursing.

“Stop lying to Mint. Is all I ask.” Tai stood up with a frown. “You are lost up here-” he tapped his own head as he headed towards the door, ”-and you are bad to me and you friends. You need understand what you are wanting before you lie again. Go. Think about it.”

Tai held the door open for Chili who looked like he was about murder Tai with his gaze alone. Red in the face and hands curled into fists. But, he stood up and wordlessly stepped outside the door as instructed. The octoling watched him with a solemn face and slowly shut it once he disappeared beneath the stairs.

“Ayayayay… So stuck up his own ass it’s impossible to get it out.”

[slimy-vore-bog]

Going Through Lots of Denial

Alternate title: Encounter with another Beast

Alright this story is definitely not to everyone’s taste... (pun intended) Let’s get the warnings/contains out of the way (mostly warnings this time)

Contains: prey Luz and Amity, feral pred, a tiny bit of lumity, (Luz is completely convinced Amity’s dead in one point in the story) assumed fatal vore (but both characters make it out alive) mentions of hard vore, mentions of digestion. (Luz also assumes she bumps into Amity’s remains after she’s eaten, but Amity quickly screams back, so it sorta becomes a funny scene?)

Either way... This is not much worse than a child accidentally seeing an 13+ animated movie on accident, in terms of how bad it is.

(most of the shock comes from the unexpected, but I don’t want to not warn people properly. Not since Worrying; I felt really bad ‘bout that one)

So the rating is 13+ for the somewhat unsettling imagery (and some minorly depressive tones after Amity’s eaten)

This is the pred character, but I do describe him in the story itself: The Beast I was too Lazy to Name

word count: 6.5 k

***

Luz and Amity were taking a stroll through the forest, Luz had gently grabbed the other girls had a couple minutes ago. Amity seemed nervous, but Luz did her best to convince the young witch everything was going to be fine. That was why she had opted to hold her hand. Totally not because she wanted to hold her hand and just the thought made her flustered. That was definitely not it. The only reason her heart was fluttering was, because it was dark and they were both nervous… Definitely.

Amity’s hand felt clammy against hers. The green haired witch’s gaze flicked to her and away again, but she never did anything to protest the hand holding. She even leaned a bit into Luz while they walked. But that had to be because the witch was anxious too.

Luz shifted her shoulders, feeling a bit awkward, “so, what about the forest is so dangerous?” Amity had mentioned some sort of beast that lived out there, but she couldn’t remember why exactly the beast was something to be feared. “The thing that lived out here hasn’t been spotted in a while, right? Maybe it’s dead?” They hadn’t run into anything scary yet, and they were quite far into the forest at this point.

Amity looked at Luz with an unreadable expression. “Or maybe the beast has just caught the last few witches that saw it.”

A chill went through Luz’s body. “There’s no way, Amity!” Luz spoke louder in her unease. “It can’t be that hard to not get caught by that thing you told me about.” Luz paused. “What does it even look like?” She couldn’t remember if Amity described the creature.

Amity thought about it for a couple seconds. “It’s over twelve feet from the ground to the shoulders… It looks like a manticore, but without the batwings and the scorpion tail… It has bird legs in front, and a giant underbite…” Amity let go of Luz’s hand while thinking about it. “I think there’s something about the tail… It’s scaly.”

They continued to walk beside each other, now more on edge than before. Neither of the girls made the move to grab the other’s hand again. “So it’s a lion with a scaly tail and bird legs? Does it have a mane?” Luz didn’t know if that meant it was male or female, having learnt about maned lionesses before, but she wanted to know what to look for.

Amity nodded. “It does have a mane.” She thought about Luz other question. “I guess it is like a lion, but it doesn’t have spikes across its back and two tails. A regular lion doesn’t have all the traits of the beast either.”

Of course, a lion wouldn’t look like an earth lion there. Luz should have guessed that. If there wasn’t a Boiling Isles equivalent, Amity wouldn’t have known what that even was. “There’s sure a lot of creatures that looks like earth lions here,” she stated with a bit of a laugh to her voice. Her smile faded, as a thought hit her. “But if it does find us, what exactly are we supposed to do?” Luz didn’t want an encounter with a twelve-foot-tall lion, but she wanted to know what to do if it did find them.

Amity tensed. “I don’t know…” She glanced over at Luz, before her a realization hit her. “You’re human! I don’t know what humans are supposed to do… If I get caught, please just run without trying to save me.”

Luz had no idea what Amity was on about. Was there a protocol for getting caught by a monster? “I’m not going to leave you to die! Amity, let’s just head back before anything happens.”

Amity nodded, relieved at Luz’s suggestion to head back. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”

Luz wished that was how it had ended. Amity and her deciding to head home, maybe Amity and Luz having a sleepover at the Owl House due to how late it was. But, of course, she wasn’t lucky enough for that. She would have to live through something traumatic to ever get something half as good.

It was eerie to walk through the quiet and dark forest. Luz could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the slightest shuffle of pine needles. Even the ones that rustled under Amity’s shoes, nearly made her jump. Amity had suggested getting left behind for Luz’s sake and Luz wasn’t going to let that happen. She had grabbed a tight hold of Amity’s hand; there was no way Amity was leaving her side now.

Amity’s hand was holding onto hers too, but it wasn’t as tightly. They walked in silence, glancing into the forest and back out on the path they were following. Amity’s ears twitched and turned from time to time, her grip tightening when she heard something Luz couldn’t. But it turned out to be nothing.

“I think there’s something stalking after us,” whispered Amity, making Luz jump and eep in surprise from the sound of her voice alone. “Sorry…” she apologized quietly. “But I swear I can hear something walking out there.”

Luz couldn’t hear a thing, but there was no reason to take risks. “Alright; is it better to walk or run?” she knew that running from a normal lion would cause it to give chase, but maybe the Boiling Isles were the opposite.

“We need to walk, and seem like we’re not worth eating.” Amity let go of her hand. “We can’t match anything like that in size…” She thought about it for a few seconds. “I’m going to summon an abomination.” She cast the spell, as the abomination rose from ground. It was puny compared to the one she had made grom night, but it was still taller than her. “It can defend us, if anything is out there.”

It groaned behind them, staring down at them with the hollow sad look in its eyes.

Amity commanded it to be quiet. It stopped the noises immediately, but still stared down at its creator.

Luz grabbed Amity’s hand again, slowly moving towards the Owl House. But Amity didn’t seem to want to hold her hand anymore. Luz wouldn’t let go when Amity told her to. “I’m not going let you fall behind, if we have to run!”Luz couldn’t explain how horrible the thought of that was. She unintentionally tightened her grip on Amity’s hand. “If you get eaten; it would be my fault!”

Amity shushed her. “Please be quiet!” she hissed out. She spoke, after calming down. “If the beast hasn’t found us yet; it’s going to.” Amity’s ears twitched, as she heard something even Luz could hear. The quiet slow pats of something hitting the pine needles just beyond the trees.

They both stood completely still, watching as the creature stepped out from behind the cover of trees.

Amity’s description hadn’t done the creature justice. If Luz had known it looked like that, she would never had taken the risk of heading out into the forest. Luz took a step away from it, clutching onto Amity’s hand.

The lion watched them with intense orange eyes. Its mane was dark and matted, and so was the fur on its legs… At least where there was fur. Its front legs were birdlike and covered in thick reddish-brown scales, ending in long claws that could pierce through them with tiniest amount of pressure. It began to drool, as it watched them.

Luz took another step away, tightening her grip on Amity’s hand. Its tail, the same color as its legs, flicked, as it focused on Luz. It tilted its head, before she could see its nose twitch. Its mouth was wide. Luz noticed just how wide that was, as it dragged its split tongue the entire way across its mouth. A couple teeth stuck out towards end of it. It opened its mouth to adjust its huge fangs in the bottom of it over its upper lip. It was bone thin, even some of its spine was visible.

It felt like she watched the starved creature for hours, but at most a few seconds had passed.

Amity yelled her command to the abomination in a panic, “Abomination attack!” She tightened her grip on Luz’s hand, before she began running away from the creature dragging Luz after her. “Run, Luz!”

It took Luz a second, before she managed to get her legs to work, but when she did, she immediately outran Amity, dragging her behind her instead. The lion growled. Luz could hear splatting noises behind them, before it gave chase.

Its footfalls were loud, and felt like thunder in Luz’s panicked ears. Her adrenaline was in top gear, as she made the decision to run in between the trees. Amity had managed to match Luz’s speed. Luz wasn’t sure she wouldn’t get lost, but getting lost would be nowhere as bad as eaten.

She realized she would have to let go of Amity’s hand, if they wanted to escape. It was slowing both of them down to hold onto each other. “This way!” Luz yelled, after letting go off Amity, and changing directions sharply. Amity followed just behind her.

The lion barely took notice of the sharp turn it had to make.

It was catching up to Amity already, and before another second passed Luz heard the girl scream.

“LUZ!” The thundering footfalls stopped, and Luz skidded to a halt. She spun around to see Amity pinned under the beast’s claws, as it dragged her farther away from Luz.

Luz let out a scream of her own. No words could express the horror she felt as she watched the lion drag Amity away from her. She couldn’t even scream her name.

A burst of anger exploded in her.

She immediately broke out of her horrified trance, running towards the lion with a handful of light glyphs. It was not going to eat Amity.

She activated them two feet from the lion’s face, while it watched her in confusion. It let go of Amity, and Luz help her up to her feet again. “Come on! We can still get away!” Amity dizzily stumbled on her legs panting for breath, before she managed to stand up straight, still trying to catch her breath. Luz began dragging her away from the lion, and tried to get Amity to run. “Come on, Amity!” Amity finally got her legs working, but she was nowhere near as quick as before. “Please, I can’t leave you behind!” Her eyes stung, as she pulled on Amity even harder, trying desperately to get her to go faster.

The lion grumbled and snarled behind them; Luz knew they didn’t have long, before it would be chasing after them again. She knew that it was hopeless, but she would never be able to live with herself, if she didn’t try her hardest to save Amity. “Amity, please!” She hadn’t felt so desperate to save someone for a long time. She felt the tears stinging in her eyes finally fall.

Amity gave up completely. “Luz, you have to leave me behind. I promise I’ll figure out a way to get out of here alive, but if you’re caught I can’t.” Luz wanted to protest, but Amity continued before she got a word in. “Please, just save yourself.” The beast was ready to chase them again. Amity looked at the lion, casting a fire spell. “Get away, Luz!” She held the flame close Luz’s arm. “I’ll burn you, if you don’t run right now!”

Luz involuntarily took a step back. She tried to grab Amity, but she moved the flame to where Luz was trying to grab her. “Amity!” She couldn’t believe what the girl was doing. Was she trying to get herself killed? But Luz didn’t get a long time to think about it, before Amity tried to set her on fire again.

She backed away, watching the panicked look in Amity’s eyes. The lion watched what they were doing, carefully, before it hesitantly stalked towards them. “Luz, just go!” shouted Amity, before the lion sprinted towards them and grabbed Amity by the legs. It quickly began dragging Amity away again.

Luz stared in disbelief, feeling her skin itch after Amity had tried to set her on fire. She had hit her with the flame. The lion watched Luz with a scowl, before it flipped Amity over on her back, sniffing her hungrily. Luz ran towards the lion, but as soon as she did; it grabbed Amity in its mouth, running towards Luz, leaping over her.

Luz only registered happened, after the lion was running away from her. She sprinted after it, as soon as she realized what it just did. “AMITY!” She screamed after it and her friend.

It stopped to look back at Luz for a moment; it had already nearly put a two-hundred feet distance between them. Luz could still see Amity struggling in the beast’s jaw. At least the beast hadn’t killed her by biting her into her, when it landed on the ground.

The lion dropped her on the ground, letting her get up on her feet, before it grabbed her again, shoving her straight into its mouth.

Luz’s heart skipped a beat in pure shock. This was happening. Amity was getting eating in front of her eyes. She couldn’t move a muscle, as her body was frozen in horror. Any moment Amity would be chewed to a bloody mess, or ripped apart by the massive teeth and claws the beast had.

The lion tilted its head back, before more of Amity disappeared into its giant mouth.

It took Luz a second to realize what it was doing, but when she did, she could do nothing but stare in horror. She backed away, her brain still processing what it meant. Amity was being swallowed alive by the lion… The lion was swallowing Amity alive… Luz’s gaze fell on the beast stomach.

Luz couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t breathe, and she was suddenly aware of how out of breath she was. She collapsed into the forest floor, watching as the lion jerked its head forward and Amity disappeared from the outside world. Luz squeezed her eyes shut in pain, letting her tears run down her cheeks. She began crying, sobbing in between the burning breaths she was taking. She couldn’t move an inch, even if she wanted to. Everything hurt. Her legs, her heart, her lungs, and her arms; they all hurt, and she was completely exhausted.

She looked up at the lion seeing the last of a bump on the its throat move farther into its body, before it licked its lips, its split tongue dragging across its whiskers. It barely took a couple more seconds, before a slight bump protruded at the low end of its ribcage. She squeezed her eyes shut once more, knowing that that bump on the malnourished creature’s body was Amity.

She could hear the creature step closer to her, but she couldn’t find the energy to fight for her life. The only thing she could feel was the dread as the creature moved closer. Her efforts in trying to save Amity had been in vain and now she couldn’t even live for Amity’s sake… She should have run the moment Amity told her to.

The lion slowly strolled over to her with a content joy in its orange eyes. It licked Luz’s face a couple times, before it grabbed Luz by the back of her hoodie, not trying to eat her just yet. It walked deeper into the forest, with the defeated girl limply hanging from the creature’s jaw.

Luz felt exhausted, but unable to sleep, as the beast carried her to its den. Amity was undoubtably dead in its belly now; there was no way she could breathe in there. It put Luz down next to some bones that were splintered beyond recognition.

Luz watched the lion, as it began cleaning itself. It dragged its snakelike tongue through its matted fur, but it barely made any progress in brushing out the knots. Yet it still continued washing its fur. Luz wondered if it knew how much it hurt her by eating Amity, as it groomed the fur on its chest.

It gave up after a couple minutes of this, and walked over to a big pile of pine needles, before lying down in it and yawning. It rolled over on its side, exposing its slight too round belly.

Despite feeling like crying again; Luz realized that if the lion went to sleep that could be her chance to escape. She could still make Amity’s death count for something. She was going to make it out alive for Amity. She had to get back and tell people what had happened.

It only took a minute for it to fall asleep. It looked like it was in the middle of the best sleep it had ever gotten, as its face relaxed into a “smile”. It almost made Luz want to kick it awake. It had killed Amity… It deserved it. But she had to stay calm and leave the cave it slept in without getting noticed.

She carefully got up on her legs, not making a single noise, as she took the first couple steps towards the exit. The lion didn’t react, other than a particularly deep sigh. Luz faced the lion, as she took another hesitant step toward the exit. The lion still didn’t wake up, but Luz wasn’t relaxing until she was out of that cave.

It went on like that, the lion peacefully sleeping, and Luz backing away, before Luz finally stood under the trees again. Her legs were aching from her adrenaline fueled run earlier, but she was convinced she could make it far enough that she wouldn’t get caught again.

She kept backing away, until she unwittingly backed into a tree. She slammed her head into it in surprise, but she managed to keep herself from crying out in pain. She finally decided to turn her back on the lion and the cave.

She couldn’t run, and she had no idea where she was. The fact that she had lost Amity to a hungry beast definitely didn’t help either. She wanted to wake up, but this wasn’t a dream; she knew it wasn’t. The burns on her arm were too real, and so was the pain in her heart from the loss of her friend. And her exhaustion. Nothing about this was a nightmare; everything was too real.

Luz shivered, feeling the cold night air on her bare arms. When she was with Amity, she knew that they could just snuggle up together, if they were really cold and lost, but now… Amity wasn’t there, and she would never be ever again. The thought itself weighed her down to the point of near collapsing, but she wasn’t far enough away from the lion’s den.

The only thoughts that kept her going was Amity’s last wish, and the thought of Eda and King waiting for her to come home. She would come home to them again. She had to.

She felt her legs shake under her, but she knew she could make it somewhere. Maybe she wouldn’t make it to the Owl House, but she could make it to town. Or another nearby building. She hoped she wasn’t wandering straight into another beast’s territory, or further into the forest.

She continued walking in the same direction, despite everything that hurt. She didn’t want to think about what happened to her friend. Instead, her mind felt hollow, as she barely had the energy to move on foot in front of the other.

It continued like that for minutes, and every step felt like it took all the energy out of her. She no longer thought of Amity’s last wish as her driving force; that would mean she had to think of Amity. She focused completely on getting home to Eda and King. Thinking of Amity took too much energy out of her.

Minutes turned to over an hour and she still had no clue where she was. Everything felt real and fake at the same time, but she had given up any hope of waking up from this living nightmare.

She eventually realized that she couldn’t move a step farther and slumped down against a nearby tree. She didn’t want to sleep, but after everything that had happened; her body knocked her out on its own.

She woke up to the snarling and growling from the lion, as it was barely a foot from her face. She screamed, slamming her head into the tree in her panic to get away. She tried to stand up, but the lion held her back with a single foot. It only took a moment to lick at her, before it opened its mouth.

Her eyes widened, and she immediately kicked against the creature’s leg. But it barely took any notice of her struggling, as it shoved her into its mouth. It lifted her up off the ground. It continued to lap at her as she felt it starting to feel it walking.

She swung her leg into the creature’s jaw, but it barely took notice of it. She felt powerless, as it threw its head back and sent her flying into its throat. She tried to squirm in its throat, but nothing could help her anymore. The lion was quick to swallow again, sending her farther into its body.

She tried to push herself back into its mouth by writhing backwards, but its throat kept shoving her down. She hadn’t even entirely realized what was happening yet; her mind was still half asleep, despite the panic.

Her legs were the only thing left of her in the lion’s mouth was her legs, but it barely took it a second to swallow them down too. It still didn’t click in her mind what was happening to her, the only thing that registered was how scolding hot it was to her cold body.

The smell of the lion’s gut nearly made her want to puke, as her head was quickly squeezed into the belly of the lion. But she knew something was off, as her head bumped into something that wasn’t the slime flesh it should have been.

Despite the heat of the creature’s body; she felt a chill running through her body, making everything hair stand on end, as she screamed. That could only be the remains of Amity’s body.

But to Luz’s shock; the thing moved, before it screamed too.

She stopped screaming immediately, and the last of her body was forced down into the creature’s stomach. Was that Amity? How could she possibly still be alive in there? There was no way it was her! But that scream sounded so familiar. She reached into her pocket, but the water damaged paper tore apart between her fingers.

The stomach lit up in a light purple shine, as Amity casted a spell. Luz felt weird, as small pang of something that felt like an electric shock went through her entire body.

Luz stared where she had seen Amity’s face just a second before. “Amity? How are you still alive in here?” Luz hadn’t believed her eyes in those few seconds she had seen Amity. But she was there; she felt it, as the small space forced Luz to lie on top of Amity.

Amity cast a light spell, her eyes wide in panic. The girl ignored Luz’s question “How did you get caught? I thought you got away from it! It’s been hours!”

Luz didn’t know how to respond. She took a breath, trying to ignore the foul smells. “I thought you died and I couldn’t bring myself to move!” She had a hard time processing what the hell was going on. “I’m sorry… If I had run; I could have gotten help.”

“That doesn’t explain why it’s been hours!” Amity looked past Luz. “The thing slept for two hours!” She held out two fingers, as she seemed more annoyed than scared. “And as soon as it woke up it growled and chased you down!”

The beast growled above them; it was probably annoyed by the fact that its belly was being so noisy.

Luz explained what had happened to her, before shifting back to the fact that Amity was still alive. “But I still don’t get how you’re alive…” It obviously wasn’t that she was upset with that fact, but she didn’t understand why Amity wouldn’t have told her she would be fine.

Amity shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry that I didn’t explain anything to you… I know a spell, but I didn’t want to give you false hope in case the beast ripped me apart.” She took a moment to look at Luz, before she looked away again. “I figured with its wide mouth; it would probably swallow its prey whole.” Amity looked back at Luz, who was a little baffled that Amity had put that much thought into it. “It’s standard procedure.”

Luz nodded, “so, what’s the plan now?” She hoped that Amity did have a plan. Or at least knew of something they could do.

Amity summoned her scroll. “Don’t laugh, but I had to message my brother and my sister over Penstagram.” She looked over the messages. “Hold on, Ed has seen it!” Amity stared expectantly at the magic device, but nothing was happening just yet. She looked up at Luz. “Do you think he believes me? Should I have included a picture?”

Luz couldn’t help being a bit amused at the thought of taking a picture inside a lion’s stomach. “I don’t think that’s necessary.” She suppressed a snicker, before continuing. “But if you think it’s going to help, sure, anything to get out of here sooner.”

Amity gave a quick nod, snapping a picture. “Do you have any idea where exactly its cave is?”

Luz thought about it. She was carried quite a while… They had run into the forest and then taken a turn… So they had been following the path. Problem was she had no idea if it were to the north, west, east or south of the path. “It’s to the left of the path from where we walked into the forest.”

“That’s in the northern part of the forest…” Amity wrote a quick message to follow the picture. “Do you remember any landmarks?” She looked at Luz expectantly, but she couldn’t remember anything other than feeling sorry for herself.

“The cave is pretty big…” She felt embarrassed. “I didn’t see anything else eye-catching.”

She gave another nod. “So the beast lives in a cave at the northern part of the forest…” She sent the message to her brother. “That could be enough for them to figure out where we are…”

Luz didn’t like the sound of that. “Could be? What are we going to do if they don’t find us?” She knew that Amity couldn’t keep them alive forever. “You do have a back-up plan, right?”

“I think the lion will throw us up eventually…” Amity looked up where the lion’s head was. “It’s hopefully going to realize we aren’t digesting properly…” she trailed off, looking ashamed. “I really don’t have any plans after that; there’s not a lot I can do…”

They both fell quiet after that. Luz had to think about what had happened. She and Amity had been out walking, before the beast attack them. She had thought Amity died. She realized how thankful she was that the girl was sitting right in front of her and alive. She threw her arms around Amity, squeezing her tightly. “I thought you were dead!” Luz felt tears build up in her eyes again, but this time it was out of pure relief. They could still make it out alive. Both of them.

Amity’s arms hovered hesitantly to Luz side, before she wrapped them around her. “This is really not a hug moment…” Luz heard her mumble.

Luz didn’t care, as she squeezed her tighter. “I never want to feel like that again…” She had been completely convinced her friend died. “Te quiero…” She whispered to Amity, as her heart ached with the thought of ever losing her again.

Amity sensed that Luz had said something important. Luz knew that when Amity’s hug started feeling even more awkward. “What did you just say?”

The words slid of her tongue easier than they should have. “I love you.” It wasn’t completely a confession; it was more so a statement. She loved Amity. She wasn’t trying to get anything romantic out of it. “I never want to lose you ever again.” It was her heart that commanded her to speak. It helped ease the pain to get the words out.

Amity was quiet; she didn’t even breathe for a few seconds, before she shook her head. “You definitely didn’t confess inside a beast stomach… What does te quiero actually mean?” Amity’s pronunciation was impressively on point from hearing the word once.

Luz thought about it… “I’m not confessing.” Her thoughts hit the brakes. “Wait, hold on.” Luz had a realization hit her that exact moment, before she wiped her tears away. She did love Amity… She wanted to hold Amity’s hand… Sometimes she had wanted to give Amity a kiss, but quickly had shoved the thought away again. “I wasn’t trying to confess,” she corrected, realizing now what she meant and had felt for a long time.

Amity stared at her, mouth agape in disbelief. She closed her mouth, before opening it a couple seconds later to speak. “You seriously confessed to me inside the stomach of a beast…” Amity slammed her fist into the creature’s stomach wall. “Couldn’t you have waited until we were out of here?”

The lion grumbled at the hit; at most it was mildly annoyed.

Luz wasn’t really sure what to think of Amity’s reaction. “Do you not like me back? I’m sorry!” It would be super uncomfortable to be pressed up against someone you didn’t even like, after they confessed.

Amity stared at her, slowly blinking in confusion. “You think I don’t like you back?”They didn’t get any further with their discussion, as there was a noise from Amity’s scroll. Luz had forgotten Amity still had it out.

“Edric has contacted someone!”

After Amity had replied, the two argued back and forth on multiple things. Why Luz decided that that was the best moment to confess and why she hadn’t picked up on anything on Amity’s part.

They argued for the most part, but after a while they fell into a gentler discussion. It was still odd to talk in the lion’s stomach, but they didn’t have anything else to do to waste time.

Eventually they heard the lion roar in anger, and people yelling commands to each other.

Luz had been worried about them needing to cut the lion open, but Amity had told her they more than likely would have a vomit inducer. She didn’t want to be covered in blood; she couldn’t care less about what they did to the lion.

It didn’t long, before they felt the lion fall to the ground.

They heard the lion roar and growl in protest, before it began retching.

Luz had thought being swallowed by a lion was bad enough, but this was unarguably worse; the only thing that made it better was that this was a way out of the creature’s gut.

Luz and Amity were both puked up in a matter of seconds. Both got up to scramble away as quickly as possible.

They both got up on their feet, staring at the beast.

The people who had saved them, however, were fixated on Amity Blight. With emphasis on Blight. “You know we don’t do this job for free, right?”

They both snapped their heads towards the person speaking. Amity was quick to reply. “I don’t have any snails on me.”

Luz felt a bit defensive of Amity. “Yeah, and how many snails do you think she could keep in her pockets?” Luz gestured to Amity, “I’m pretty sure her dress doesn’t even have pockets!” She lowered her arms again, deciding to crack a joke. “And besides; what are you going to do if we don’t pay you? Shove us back in?”

Nobody laughed. “We just might, if you keep being a little brat!”

Luz raised her hands, and took a step back. “Hey! I just meant that Amity can’t pay right now!” She realized it sounded like she meant they were trying to sneak their way out of paying. She didn’t understand why they would have to be paid, but she wasn’t going to argue. “And I was making a joke…” She was disappointed that Amity hadn’t laughed.

The person glared at her. “Well, ha ha, very funny,” he said, giving them another judging glance. “But we fully expect to be paid handsomely for rescuing a child of the Blight family… And whoever you are supposed to be.”

Luz felt a bit uncomfortable, even as Amity took the word again. “If you want to get paid; you need to get my parents.” Amity shuffled nervously. “If we pay extra, can you help us get home?”

The people looked around at each other. “You’re sure your parents will pay that much for a brat like you and her friend? This isn’t going to be cheap, little Blight.”

Luz could tell that hit a weak point on Amity, but she quickly shook it off. “My parents will pay to have me back home.” Her voice was confident, but she clearly wasn’t. “And you’re not getting anything if we get lost out in the forest.”

“Alright, you win,” said the leader of the group, “come on, let’s help them get home.”

They stood outside the gate to the Blight manor. “You know, your house is really fancy.”

Amity didn’t take much notice of her remark, as she seemed lost in thought. She turned to the rescuers. “I’ll go get my parents, and then you’ll get your money.”

Luz didn’t want to be alone with the people. “Can I go with you?”

Amity flinched, before she spoke, “sure.”

They walked up to the door of the house together. Luz pulled her hoodie over her head. She didn’t think Amity’s parents would be particularly happy to see their daughter with a human.

Amity’s parents opened the door, before they even got up there. “Amity!” yelled her father. “What were you thinking?” But his voice calmed as he noticed Luz. “Who is your friend?”

Amity was quick to respond, “it’s just someone from school. She got eaten with me, because we had something that needed settling.” Luz didn’t like how quickly Amity came up with the lie. That wasn’t a good sign. “But I got to know her a little bit and she lives a long way away from here, so I was wondering if she could stay over? Or at least borrow the shower?”

Her mother gave her a skeptical look. “What were you two settling out in the forest?”

Amity barely hesitated, as she lied again. “She challenged me to a witches duel, and I had to show her who was the better witch.” Amity thought for a few seconds, probably trying to find holes in her story. “But she is actually really nice. Can you let her stay?”

Her father gave Luz a cold glare. “What’s your name?”

Luz looked over at Amity. She decided it was better to lie. “Light!” she replied a bit too loudly. “My name is Light.” Maybe using the translation of her name was a little boring and risky, but she was only pretending to be this Light for one night. They both eyed her suspiciously. “Sorry, it’s just… you’re a really important family, and I got into a fight with your daughter…” Luz laughed anxiously. “I’m really nervous.”

The two adults looked at each other. Her mother spoke up. “You can use the guest shower, while we figure something out.” He stopped, before turning to Amity. “You take a shower too.”

Amity stood still for a bit and so did Luz. “Actually… The people who saved us need to talk to you… They expect to be paid a lot for saving me.”

They nodded coldly, and eerily in sync. “You two get inside. When you’re done showering; throw the clothes out.”

Luz and Amity nodded and rushed inside.

She borrowed some of Amity’s clothes, before getting shown which bathroom to use.“You should take this too.” Amity handed her one of her school cowls. “Just say that you don’t like to show the back of your head. Say you got an extra eye you’re insecure about, if they ask.”

Luz was still confused at Amity having such an easy time lying. Nothing about Amity told her “liar”. If anything, it was the opposite. She was not at all prone to cheating. She tried to tell on her siblings, and she was a top student. So something had to be going on for her to be a good liar. “Thank you,” was all Luz said. Amity definitely wasn’t ready to talk about her past or parents with Luz.

She was pretty sure she had never felt better after a shower than she did at that moment. Clean and insanely soft clothes on her body felt great. The only downside was that she had to wear the cowl up. But it didn’t bother her much.

Amity’s parents called on her a few minutes after she had gotten done showering.

Luz waited for them to speak, having a feeling they wouldn’t take kindly to her taking the word.

Amity sat farther away from her, also waiting for her parents to speak.

Finally, they did. “How far away do you live?”

Luz looked away from them. “On the other side of town…”

“Then you can stay for the night,” replied Amity’s mother. She turned to Amity, with an unreadable expression. “We’re going to have a talk tomorrow.”

Amity nodded nervously, her eyes flicking between Luz and her mother. “Do I need to get the spare room ready?”

Her mother’s response was short and simple. “Of course.”

Amity quickly got everything set up, refusing Luz’s offer to help. It wasn’t proper manners to have a guest fix up their own room, according to her.

Initially that upset Luz, but after a while she could only focus on the fact that she would have an actual bed to sleep on. And on top of that; it looked to be very high quality everything. At least higher quality than her sleeping mat.

Amity stood and watched for a few seconds after getting everything done. “So… Why did you call yourself Light?”

Luz shrugged. “My name means light, not much other reason than that.” She sat down in the bed, watching Amity tiredly. “Can I just go to bed now?” She tried to suppress, but it easily escaped her.

Amity yawned too. “Yeah, it’s fine.” She turned around just before she left. “Goodnight, Luz.”

“Goodnight, Amity,” said Luz, before climbing into bed, and even if she had something to change into; she wouldn’t have bothered.

***

That’s the end! I got bored... Sorry. I mostly wrote this just to be angsty, but then it shifted a bit and I just wanted to finish it. Yes, Eda and King are worried out of their minds, but Luz will get home... Eventually.

Also could have been really angsty and wrote “Luz opened her eyes, realizing that everything had been too good to be true. She was still under the tree she where had fallen asleep, and she had to face Amity was gone.” But that’s not actual ending; what’s above the *** is the true ending. I just like edgy stuff, but not actual fatal.

Te quiero are the right words here btw.  Te amo is a lot more meaningful and Amity and Luz aren’t that close yet. It’s mostly for long established partners and sometimes nearest family members.

[cattestfanciest]

Strawberries and Cream

This is a short piece that I wrote for @the-sloth-woman!

It is a Valentine’s Day au for her babs, Alrick and Lilly-

2549 Words 

WARNING NSFW

It was rare for Alrick to try this hard at anything- let alone seduction. His effortless charm and natural charisma was something that he couldn’t turn off if he wanted to. This was the problem with humans and their stupid holidays, at least once a year he had to think about what he was doing. 

He had sent Lilly out on an errand, which he knew was immediately the wrong thing to do- it was Valentine’s day, she obviously knew that he was up to something. He was smoother than that. He could have orchestrated some situation, demanding her attention. 

He grabbed another handful of rose petals and scattered them throughout the hall behind him. Alrick had seen this in several movies- a rose petal pathway leading to the romantic date spot. It seemed like the perfect combination of mystery and playfulness that Lilly would enjoy. He had a bunch of candles in the backyard, a thick comforter spread out on the ground, and a picnic basket full of sweet treats, fruit, and wine.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he had failed to notice that it was already growing dark outside. It wasn’t until he heard the engine of the car, and the crunch of gravel beneath its wheels that he knew that Lilly was home. 

“Fuck.” he muttered to himself. It was showtime, and he hadn’t even finished setting the stage. He ran towards the back door, dumping the rose petals as he ran. He let the door slam behind him- making him cringe internally. He knew that she would have heard that. Alrick dove for the comforter, trying to take up an effortless and sexy pose. He rolled up his sleeves- he knew that she would love that. 

Alrick found himself getting a bit stiff. He knew that Lilly had been right behind him, that’s why he had ran out of the back door in such a rush. Was she being held up by something? Was she punishing him for the obvious ruse? Was-  His heart stopped.

Was she mad at him for sending her out on Valentine’s day?

The idea was ridiculous, right? He was just psyching himself out. The whole “servant” thing was just a facade for his father, it had been months since he had acted like that to Lilly. The thought of her, crestfallen, thinking that they had taken a step backwards in their relationship was too much for him.

Alrick pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the grass and rose petals. He was going to set this straight, romance be damned.

“Alrick?” 

Alrick turned around, trying to keep the surprise from his face.

“Hey Lilly, did you get the groceries?” Inwardly he yelled at himself- The Groceries?! She’s right here, and that is your opening line?

“I did, I hope that I haven't been gone too long. We had to make an extra stop.” She looked at the spread behind Alrick and let a small grin over her face, “I hope that you haven’t been waiting too long.”

An eternity wouldn’t have been too long. 

“Not at all,” he said, “You are worth the wait.” He gestured towards the comforter. “I took the liberty of preparing dinner for us.”

“Dinner?” Lilly let out a small laugh, “All I see is a bit of fruit and cheese. If this is all that it takes to satisfy you, it looks like I’m about to be doing a lot less cooking.”

“I thought that it would be a good idea to stay out of the kitchen since the cake incident.” He pushed back his hair, some of his natural swagger returning, “Besides, I don’t want you to be too full for the main course.”

This was easier. The conversation was natural, and flowed from him without effort. He would crack a small joke, and she would giggle. Being with her felt like he had released a breath that he didn’t even realize that he was holding.

A dollop of whipped cream hit him squarely on the nose.

“Oops, looks like I missed.” Lilly grinned at him from under her red hair.

Alrick knew this game- he invented  this game.

“You know, this is very good whipped cream. I don’t break this out for just anyone.” He said teasingly, “And I can’t get this off myself. You’re just going to have to lick this off.”

She leaned forward, and licked his nose, her soft tongue tickling him slightly. Before she could pull away, he took a small handful of whipped cream and splat it against the side of her neck.

Lilly let out a small shriek.

“Alrick! You’re going to get me all sticky!” She said sternly. She wasn’t wrong either, the whipped cream was dripping down her neck onto her shirt- and worst of all, into her hair. Alrick smirked.

“Well, it looks like I have to lick it off of you now.” Alrick said with a devilish grin. He leaned forward with his tongue outstretched towards her delicate neck, only to be pushed back.

“No. You need to get me a wet towel.” She saw the protest in his eyes. “Please, Alrick? It’s in my hair.”

There was no fighting it. She had that look in her eye that he couldn’t resist. The way her face just looked so fucking cute. He rose to his feet, feeling slightly embarrassed, his grin slipping into a more sheepish grimace.

“I’ll be right back, Lilly.” He said, and was off. 

The hallways were dark, and with a passing thought he noticed that there were no rose petals by the back door. He stopped. He traced his way back to the main hallway where a small trail of rose petals ended in an abrupt pile, some blown in every direction.

Of course. He had forgotten that this was a stupid human tradition that he saw in a movie. If he had even thought for a moment he would have known that rose petals wouldn’t stay in place to form a neat path. And even worse, he had dumped the bucket in the hallway in his panic.

He shook his head and went to the kitchen to grab a towel, and moisten it with some water in the sink. Stupid human holidays.

Alrick absentmindedly opened the back door, thinking about what a flop this night had become, but froze stiff in his tracks.

Lilly laid effortlessly out on the comforter in a state of scandalous undress. His eyes wandered up her stockinged legs, up the thin trails of her garters. They followed the curve of her waist, her stomach, and up to the perfect pair of breasts, held in a cupless bra. She had been biting her lip softly, until she caught the expression on his face. 

She giggled, “It looks like it was worth the detour. I wasn’t sure if this was the right one, and it felt so awkward, like it barely counts as lingerie.”

Alrick slid over her in a moment, silencing her with a passionate kiss.

“Hey,” she teased, “I wasn’t done talking!” But the breathless tone of her voice, and the slight gleam of victory in her eyes said that this was exactly the response that she had hoped for.

“It looks like you still have some whipped cream here.” Alrick whispered into her ear as he traced her neck with his lips. He punctuated this with a small kiss- and a small bite. It wasn’t enough to break the skin- not even enough to really hurt, but he reveled in the small gasp that it brought from Lilly.

His hand traced over her stomach, following the lines to her hips, hooking his thumbs underneath the top of her underwear. Alrick peppered her collarbone with small kisses and nibbles, slowly working his way back up her neck and finding her mouth.

He sunk into a deep passionate kiss with her, their tongues lightly playing around each other, reveling in the taste of her. He bit her lip, eliciting another small yelp.

He pulled himself back to look into her eyes. She stared up at him in passion, in worship, and with complete desire. She wanted this as much as he did. He didn’t realize it, but she had unbuttoned his shirt while they had been locked in the kiss, and her hands were tracing lightly over his skin, every so often giving his shirt a needing tug.

He was going to take this slow- It’s Valentine's day after all-  he thought with a smirk.

He buried his face between her breasts. He could never articulate the feeling, so soft and warm, but he couldn’t linger, not just yet. He traced his hands downwards following with his mouth in a soft percussion of kisses. As he kissed lower and lower, Lilly’s gasps rose in intensity. When he was to her bellybutton, she was panting in desire. When he made it down to her thighs, she was lost in it. 

He slid a single finger into her, and her whole body stopped for a moment- as if a single breath would stop him.

Then the tension broke, as he plunged it deeper into her. Alrick caressed her thighs with his lips, slowly tracing back upwards to where they met. 

He could not resist. Her smooth thighs practically begged him to. So he did. He bit down into her left thigh, his fangs breaking through her delicate skin. 

“Alrick-” Lilly’s voice caught in her throat like a hiccup as a moan escaped her.

He drank her blood with fervour. It was sweeter than anything else that he could describe. Even if he had the use of all of his faculties, he would never be able to describe the taste, but to compare it to Ambrosia itself.

Alrick let his fangs slide free, keeping his hand moving in a constant motion, stroking her inner wall gently with every thrust. He kissed her gently, and then began working with his tongue.

Alrick lost himself in her, licking her. He flicked his tongue over her clit while continuing to tease her with his fingers. Every once in a while, he would pause to suck on it, long and hard, like he was passionately kissing her mouth. 

Lilly was softly panting his name, but seemed like she couldn’t get past the “Al-” part of it to save her life.Her hands twined and grasped into his hair, pushing his head downwards onto her.

Inside of Alrick, he felt a devilish grin. He knew what he was about to do to her.

Abruptly, he stopped.

“Ahhhh… Alrick?” Lilly whined up at him. Her eyes pleaded with him-

Don’t stop- for the love of EVERYTHING please don’t stop. They said.

Alrick freed himself of his pants, and the confusion left Lilly’s face, to be replaced with a look of- What was that? Smugness? Victory? Normally Alrick would have stopped just to win, but right now a raging storm pushed him forwards. He was physically incapable of stopping now.

He felt Lilly’s hands on his chest again, this time firmer- pushing him onto his back.

She was in control now- her head bobbing up and down on his cock. His shoulders rolled, and he felt tenser and more relaxed at the same time. 

Without even meaning to, a soft, “Fuuuuuuccck.” escaped his lips.

Lilly looked up at him, victory gleaming in her eyes. She slowly pulled her lips off of his shaft. She left her hand on his shaft, slowly rubbing its length, and pulled her lips right next to his ear.

“Is there something that you want, Master?”

It tore through him. One word- two syllables. It broke his resolve, leaving only raging tides of lust pulling him forward.

He grabbed Lilly by the hips, diving into her. Lilly’s weight pushed her down onto him, slowly enveloping him entirely.

“Ah-ahhhhhh.” A sigh of contentment and lust slipped from Lilly’s lips as their hips met.

Alrick never felt the cold, but he never felt as whole and as warm as he did when he was buried into Lilly entirely.

She began to slowly rock her hips, her hands planted firmly on his chest. She ground a steady rhythm, tightening and releasing as his cock slid in and out of her, sometimes coming dangerously close to leaving her warmth, but never quite coming out. His hips pulsed in time with hers, one hand clinging to her waist desperately, the other tracing up and down her body.

Alrick was intoxicated. With every thrust, his body felt a pulse run through him, as if every time their hips met it sent a heartbeat through his body. Every pulse wound him tighter, every time she settled down on his cock he felt his body grow tighter, and more sensitive.

Alrick gathered one hand on her waist, the other just below her shoulder, and sat up- pushing Lilly down further on his member. Her eyes widened in pleasure and surprise- her mouth making a soft, “Oh” shape.

All reserve gone, he pulled her to her back. He moved instinctually, knowing every curve of her body, every response she would have to every thrust. He felt his mind go blank as he kissed her, her breasts, her mouth, even the palms of her hands.

Alrick knew it was coming- he felt the tension in his hips, his chest, and in the way his thrusts grew more erratic. He knew Lilly was getting there too, in the way that she seemed to tighten around him. He wanted to pour into her, to see her filled with his thick, creamy-

She wrapped her legs around him suddenly, and he felt her tense underneath him.

“Oh fuck, Lilly” he moaned, letting go, arching his back and pouring himself into her, their bodies growing impossibly stiff as they panted in release to each other.

Lilly looked up at him, her breath shallow, sweat softly beading down her neck. Her arms wrapped gently around him. 

“I love you, Alrick.” she whispered. He felt a pull in his chest- it was sadness and warmth at the same time. If he had a heart- if he could love, he would have said it back. She was beautiful and perfect, he wouldn’t be able to help but love her. 

Instead of a response, he kissed her. It held the embers of the lust that had just taken them both, but it was still hot with their passion. He hoped that the kiss told her what he couldn’t say to her, and it seemed as though it did.

Alrick had let Lilly go to the bathroom, she needed to shower after their rendezvous. He had offered to join her, but she said that she actually needed to get clean- as if they couldn’t do both at once. He had already cleaned the comforter out back, and was sweeping the rose petals in the hallway. Normally he would have a familiar do it, but it felt nice to hold the broom, and to be doing something helpful. There were rose petals all over the foyer and hallway, and this would quickly become a chore. He chuckled to himself- if there was any day he was willing to put in some effort, it was Valentine’s day.

[afterspark-podcast]

My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise, Part 1 Transcript

[This can also be found on AO3!]

[Stinger]

O: So I'm like, “No, I'm just fine with pretending this never happened, honestly.”

[Intro Music]

O: Welcome to our April Fool’s Special!

S: The Transformers/My Little Pony: Friendship in Disguise crossover.

O: Specifically, issues 1 and 2 here.  An episode covering issues 3 and 4 will be released in a few weeks.  Um, so obviously our podcast doesn't normally talk about ponies.

S: For all that it too was a popular Hasbro franchise in the 80’s- I mean, still is.

O: Yes.  I will attempt to give a short blip about My Little Pony characters that show up, but we're gonna kind of assume that you know the mane six.  Which is Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie.  Ah, Specs has seen some of the My Little Pony episodes, whereas I have seen... all of it at this point.  Um, so I'm reasonably familiar with most of the characters.  And uh, for the record, Twilight Sparkle is my favorite, but that's because she's basically me. [laughs]

S: This was a crossover comic that was released in 2020 (for your information).

O: Uh, most of the Transformers characters in here are part of kind of the regular G1 cast that you're all probably used to seeing in various things.  Most of them we've talked about.  There's a few we haven't um, because they just haven't popped up in the series yet.  [Like Arcee.]  The exceptions being Gauge who's from IDW2, and Windblade who's from IDW1, Cyberverse, and several other things.

S: Mm-hm.  They did some fun things with the fonts and some of the other visuals in this.

O: Such as using the Transformers font for ‘Equestria’ and the My Little Pony font for ‘Cybertron’.

S: Mm-hm.  And the character’s speech bubbles use the fonts from their respective series.

O: Some of the issues are done by who I think is the current artist for the My Little Pony comic series.  While the rest are done by Transformers comic artists- like, plural, several of them.

S: And with that we begin.

O: Part 1: Transformation Is Magic!

S: In Equestria, a pony by the name of Quibble Pants is standing in front of a newsstand complaining about some very applicable meta issues.

O: Quibble's a side character.  His whole shtick is that he picks apart plot and whatnot.

S: He's a bit of a nitpicker.

O: The newsstand pony tells Quibble (and by extension us) that this is all for fun.  So don't worry too much about continuity here, guys.

S: Mm-hm, a loud clap of thunder transitions us to a nearby mountaintop where Queen Chrysalis is up to nefarious plots

O: She [Chrysalis] is villain.  She is the queen of the changelings.  She can transform into different creatures, basically, or different ponies.  I think, judging by some of the background characters in some scenes later, that this is after she's lost control of most of the other changelings?  Though she does have a small group working with her here.

S: She plans to bring forth other changelings from other worlds to take over Equestria.

O: I'm sure you can see where- where this is going. [laughs]

S: Mm-hm, and now, on cybertron.

O: The Autobots and Decepticons are fighting, shocker.

S: The Decepticons are clearly trying to take control of a malfunctioning space bridge.

O: A space bridge that Shockwave is convinced is breaching other dimensions.

S: Suddenly, all of the Autobots and Decepticons are zapped away through a portal.

O: Leaving only poor Grimlock to smash into view a few seconds later... thinking they have all ditched him.

S: Poor Grimlock.

O: Poor Grimlock. [laughs]

S: Back in Equestria, Twilight shows up with several royal guards to stop Chrysalis but it's too late and a portal opens, sending the Cybertronians zooming past through the air.

O: Twilight is horrified to see that Chrysalis has summoned living things that are about to go ‘splat’ onto the ground, or more likely ‘crunch’! [laughs]

S: Or possibly clank, if someone slows them down-

O: [laughs]

S: But I mean, who knows?  Twilight speeds off to try and save the newly arrived Cybertronians.  While Chrysalis stays behind to acquaint herself with Megatron.

O: Bee is both surprised and resigned to see himself falling to a colorful death.

S: But Optimus grabs Bee's hand, and intends to break his fall with his own body.

O: Optimus, are you okay?  Do you need to talk?  I feel like you need to talk.  We need- we need to get you into therapy, dude.

S: It's all the self-sacrificing, but yes.

O: [laughs]

S: Yes, he needs some therapy.  The two are saved by Twilight’s a very timely arrival and magical powers.

O: The Cybertronians are just as surprised by the ponies, as the ponies are of them.

S: Bee attempts to blend in by transforming into vehicle mode, to Twilight's consternation.  But Twilight says that doesn't really help him blend in, but it's okay if they're different!

O: She comments on their ‘shape-shifting magic’ and that Chrysalis will be disappointed that they're friendly.

S: To which Optimus says... unfortunately, they are not all friendly.

O: And then we are given the most amazing image. [laughs]

S: Queen Chrysalis, as happy as a kid in a candy store, on top of a tank, aka Megatron.

O: Seriously, it's one of the best images in the comic. [dissolves into laughter] And one that was shared I think, pretty frequently after the comic came out?  So it's very funny.

S: Mm-hm.

O: And we begin part 2 of issue 1: Shine Like A Diamond.

S: Rarity and her staff at her Manehattan boutique have been volun-told to get Starscream all dolled up for his coronation.

O: You know, the outfit he's in in the G1 movie, the purple cape and the crown get up.

S: Rarity attempts to calm him down, because he is being a snippy asshole during all of this.

O: Yes, with vague, implied threats throughout.

S: Mm-hm, so Rarity says, “Happy, healthy subjects show just how good their king is, don't they?”

O: A car is heard in the distance, much to Starscream's surprise, as he didn't think the ponies had cars.  Which, he is correct!

S: Mm-hm, Arcee barrels into him with a flying kick.

O: And Starscream retreats.

S: Leaving Arcee and Rarity to introduce themselves.

O: They seem to become fast friends as Rarity thanks Arcee, and Arcee tries to help clean up the mess Starscream has made.

S: Unfortunately, Starscream returns with the rest of his trine in tow.

O: Arcee intends to fight them alone, but Rarity generates a magic shield to help protect Arcee while she fires on the jets.

S: Thundercracker takes a direct hit, while Starscream and Skywarp are herded closer together by Arcee's fire.

O: Once they're close enough, Rarity uses her magic to wrap the fabric from Starscream's cape, that she was helping make earlier, around the two of them.

S: Skywarp says, “This is stupid!  I'm out,” and teleports away.

O: Leaving Starscream to nosedive to the ground with a boom.

S: Arcee compliments an exhausted Rarity on her help.

O: While they both agree they would do anything for their friends, and for each other!  Now, you may notice that none of the My Little Pony characters have been shown in the Transformers universe, but that is about to change.

S: In issue 2, part 1: Inspiring.

O: It would seem that Twilight's assistant, Spike (the dragon) is wandering around the Ark writing a letter to Twilight.

S: Of course, with Grimlock being the only one left behind, he's presumably found Spike and brought him to the Ark.

O: Spike is of course very enamored with the big old Dinobot.

S: And Grimlock seems to like Spike quite a bit too.  Even holding him in his open palm while they get an alert from Teletraan about an attack.

O: Said attack, by way of the Constructicons, who have come to destroy the Ark while everyone else is away.

S: Grimlock transforms into dino mode and meets them.

O: Grimlock makes the mistake of saying, “Puny Decepticons, even together you no match for Grimlock!”

S: To which, they respond by forming Devastator, and stomping the absolute crap out of him.  “Grimlock and Grimlock's big mouth.”

O: Spike shouts words of encouragement to Grimlock, but quickly sees that the Dinobot is losing.

S: So he thinks, looks at the Ark, comes to a realization, and then runs inside to make his realization happen.

O: Inside, Spike flips through two large books.  ‘Modern Cybertronian For Everyday Conversations’ and ‘Teletraan I For Dummies’.

S: He then climbs onto Teletraan’s console and starts the main engine cycle countdown.

O: Spike yells at Grimlock to get down.

S: Which is, you know, not that hard as Devastator is still stomping on him.

O: Devastator is then blasted by the bit of the Ark that's still sticking out of the ground, causing Devastator to fall to pieces.

S: The Constructicons flee, and Spike checks on Grimlock.  Spike still feels pretty down about himself, because all he did was press some buttons.  But Grimlock says Spike did even more than he did.

O: “Spike learned new language, and operations system in short time!  Spike think of using busted engine as canon!  Spike use pronouns!”

S: Grimlock tells Spike that Spike inspires him, and that he's full of potential.

O: Spike collapses into a happy little puddle of dragon that Grimlock called him, “Inspiring.”  Their friendship is so cute! [laughs]

S: And now it's time for part 2 of issue 2: They Eat Ponies, Don't They?

O: We are brought onto the stage of a cooking show, “Prepping With Pinkie,” hosted by Pinkie Pie.

S: And a special guest, Gauge!

O: And all I can think is- Arcee she still one of her parents in this continuity?  Is Arcee worried about her child!? [laugh]

S: And in the spirit of cultural exchange, Pinkie and Gauge will be sharing some of their favorite recipes in today's program.  I never thought about giant robots having recipes before this, and I didn't want to think about it.

O: [laughs] Pinkie is, of course, making cupcakes.  While Gauge has brought iron filing casserole.

S: Poor Pinkie and ah, several audience members are questioning their decision based on their facial expressions.

O: Pinkie goes to start her cupcakes, but suddenly everything starts shaking.

S:  [singing] Dun, dun, dunnnn!

O: [snorts]

S: A space bridge appears with Shockwave stepping out of it.

O: He has, by his own admission, come to ‘spice things up.’

S: Ah, time for some puns.  Unfortunately, his recipes require a bit more audience participation.

O: Shockwave’s apparently come to discover how much pony it takes to fuel one Decepticon.

S: [sighs]

O: [laughs]

S: He transforms his hands into a grater and a whisk, respectively.

O: Pinkie and Gauge evade him, causing him to demand that they stay still so he can finish his experiments.

S: Oh god, by attempting to whisk them!?

O: [laughs] I know, I know!  I'm not saying it's sane!

S: I know, I mean, I read it too.

O: [laughs]

S: It’s just, now I have vivid mental images of this being attempted and everyone being very…

O: Confused? [laughs]

S: Yes.  Gauge whacks him in the head with a cookie sheet, completely bending it out of shape, and tries to get Pinkie to flee.

O: Pinkie refuses, but in the background the show's audience is running through the exit door- at least part of their audience is running through the exit- exit door.

S: Mm-hm.  Shockwave transforms his hands again, this time to a spork and spatula.  Sporking them to death is not gonna work, dude!

O: Tell him that! [laughs]

S: Mm-hm, again, with the mental images.  Gauge rips off the spork and spatula, sending Shockwave falling backwards, where Pinkie trips him.

O: Pinkie and Gauge grab some frying pans and bean Shockwave's face in between them.

S: Shockwave, thoroughly beaten by a small Cybertronian child and a pony, is kicked back into the space bridge and disappears.

O: The remaining audience claps.

S: And 47 minutes later, the duo tries the other's culinary... contributions.

O: Pinkie declares it as success, though her face implies she didn't enjoy the iron filing casserole.

S: In the background, Gauge is clearly trying to politely spit out the cupcake in a towel. [laughs]

O: And that ends issue 2.  So, join us next time for issues 3 and 4 where we will finish this mini-series.

S: And that just about wraps it up for us today.  Remember to check us out on Tumblr or Pillowfort as Afterspark-Podcast for any additional information, show notes, or links we may have mentioned.  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word), and various other locations by searching for Afterspark Podcast, such as AO3, iTunes, Spotify, and Youtube, just to name a few.  And feel free to send us questions on Tumblr, Youtube, or AO3.  Till next time, I’m Specs.

O: And I’m Owls!

S: Toodles.

[Outro Music Plays]

[quixotic-writer]

Hang in There!

Request by: @birdgirl1772

Summary: Waking up in your neighbor, Sal’s, yard: weird. But what’s even weirder is waking up as a cat in your neighbor’s yard. Out of panic he decides to call the one person he knows can take care of a little feline: Q. He takes you home and you spend the day with him and his other cats.

———————————————————

I awoke to a large clap of thunder, my eyes snap open and i’m in a place that isn’t too familiar. Trapped in by a white fence and surrounded by a grassy area, there’s a house so I assume i’m in a backyard somewhere. I look up to the sky and feel as rain drops splat onto my face, it’s storming pretty hard. When I get up, a strange sense of dysphoria hits me, why am I still so close to the ground? I look at my body: covered in white fur, a tail, paws with claws.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” I scream out, taken aback by my new physical form. What is happening? Why me? What is going on? I look around for someone, anyone. “Help! Someone please! Help!” I run about the yard looking for any escape or just for someone to save me. I feel as though my head is spinning and my eyes feel strained because of the sudden stress. The moment I look up, someone had come out the door to the backyard. He wore black frame glasses, a black t-shirt with a blue jacket to cover him, and cargo shorts. He looks around then notices me and jolts a bit.

“What the fuck. No, no, nonono. Please not a cat.” As I look closer at him, he looks like my neighbor, Sal. He backs himself up into the door and he screws his eyes shut. I can practically smell the fear radiating off of him, I sit down in the grass and just marvel at the grown man mentally crapping himself in front of me. “Okay. No I can’t just leave you out here. You must be lost. I can’t do this. Okay, listen... fella... i’ll call someone who can help you, you can’t stay here.” He shuffles back into his house in a frenzy. I walk over to the door and overhear the conversation he’s having inside on the phone.

“Brian, you NEED to get here ASAP. There’s a lost cat outside. I don’t know what to do, I can’t do it but I know you know how to handle this stuff... Just. Just get your ass here and help me out, okay?” I shake off the rain water that coated my fur and sit next to the door with my tail swishing back and forth. I hear footsteps coming closer and closer to the door, it swings open and he looks down to see me and yelps. “Okay, you cannot just do that.” This guy must be on something, what grown man is this scared of a cat.

For the next couple minutes, we stand silently on the porch and stare at each other. He stood there with his fist against his mouth staring attentively at me. It was awkward, mildly terrifying, as well as incredibly disturbing. He looked as though he was staring death in the eyes, death being the tiny little white cat that I was. Any movement I made, his eyes grew wider and he looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

When we heard a knock at the front door, I could see a sense of relief wash over him.

“Stay right there, I got someone to help.” He paused for a moment and narrowed his eyes at me. “Why am I explaining myself to a cat? I’ve been hanging with Q too much.” He disappears into the house yet again, leaving me outside alone. When he comes back out, he’s with another guy adorning a superman T-shirt also wrapped up in a jacket and wearing dark blue jeans.

“So this must be the little friend.” He smiles and makes kissy noises kneeling down to get closer to my level. I cautiously step towards him until I was within arms distance of him. He gently scratches my head and strokes my fur, it felt heavenly to say the least. He takes me into his arms and cuddles me close to his incredibly warm body, I involuntarily begin to purr. “Aww what a little cutie. I can take things from here Sal. I don’t want to drive much in the rain, so i’ll take care of her for tonight and bring her to the vet tomorrow.” I cuddle up against him and I can hear his heart beat, it felt like being a baby again.

“As long as she’s safe and well and also not on my porch anymore.” He sighs out relieved that my departure is near and he won’t have to be so on guard anymore. Q walks along with me in tow hidden away in the warmth of his jacket to avoid anymore rain falling on me. He opens up the passenger side door and places me down where a warm blanket was carefully arranged for me.

“There you go buddy, i’m gonna be taking care of you for a bit. Let’s hit the road, shall we?” He talks quietly and with a slight baby tone that you get when you talk to your pet.

As we go along the road, every opportunity he gets he takes a quick glance over to me and will give me an occasional pat on my head or scratches behind my ears. Halfway there, my eyes got a little heavy and I decided to take a quick nap. Off I dozed into peaceful oblivion in the warm comforts of the passenger seat.

When I awoke, Q had me up in his arms again. I had no clue where we were, but it for some unknown reason didn’t bother me in the slightest, I felt so safe and secure that nothing could bother me. We stepped through the front door of what I assumed to be his home, and at his feet and below me were three full grown adult cats circling him like sharks.

“Hey guys, don’t be rude and be nice, we have a guest today.” He steps around them and gently sets me down. The other cats surround me and I start backing up out of fear.

“Guest, huh?” The black cat spoke in a gravelly voice. He circled around me and I feared that he would pounce at any moment. I realized quickly though: I could understand him, I could fully understand what an animal is telling me. This for sure had to be some dream at this point, a lucid dream worst case scenario.

“Benjamin, be kind you old man.” Q kneels and I spring into his lap, fearing the other cats would be equally as displeased to see me or even be around me. “That old black cat is Benjamin cat, the white one with grey patches is Chessie cat, and this lovely lady here with the black patches is Brooklyn cat.” He points each of the cats out. “You guys behave, I have to clean myself up, it was POURING out there and i’m freezing!” Q stood back up and disappears to somewhere else in the house, leaving me and the three cats alone. Benjamin doesn’t even give me so much as another look and he too disappears elsewhere.

“So where are you from? Are you a stray? Are you lost? Why are you here? How’d dad find you?” Brooklyn speaks in a trill voice and circles around me asking question after question.

“Easy on the house guest Brooklyn. Not everyone is used to your jabber-jaw.” Chessie hops up onto the couch and finds his comfort zone on the arm of the chair. “Forgive Benjamin as well, he’s older and only has an affinity for dad and maybe a handful of other people. He’s not very warm and welcoming.” It’s so weird hearing a bunch of animals refer to my neighbor’s friend as ‘dad.’ Then again, that is what he is to the animals, so I can’t say much else.

“It’s, uh, it’s fine. I guess he’s territorial is all. I’ll be out of your guy’s hair.. er, fur, soon enough.” I finally speak. Brooklyn rubs up against me and purrs out.

“You talk funny for a cat, maybe you’re not from the area. Ooh! Are you a distant adventurer?”

“Well, funny story, i’m not even a cat.” The two cats in the room stop immediately and just stare at me. I feel nerves rising and if this body could sweat, I probably would be swimming in it. Why would I say that? Would these animals even understand the weird abstract situation i’ve found myself in? Suddenly Brooklyn bursts into a fit of laughter. “I thought I was crazy! You sure are funny!”

“I don’t understand it either but i’m supposed to be human!” I hear footsteps coming back down the stairs and we all redirect our attention to a fully cleaned up Q standing there with a big smile on his face. Guess that weird conversation is over, thank goodness.

“Okay guys, din din time!” Everyone jumps and starts walking to Q, watching with careful intent as he scoops food into bowls for them. Is it already that late in the evening? Where had my day gone? I still haven’t moved from my spot in the corner since I arrived at the house, it’s just a weird sensation because I don’t know how to go about acting natural as a cat in some stranger’s house. He places each of their food bowls down and they all start consuming their food. With one bowl left, he looks over to me. “Come on little one, dinner!” He shakes the food bowl and the rattling of kibble echoes in the room.

In my head I was telling myself that I will not be eating cat food, that would be a whole new low to this whole dilemma. My stomach grumbled in protest to my thoughts. “I can’t believe i’m gonna do this.” I say to myself and I slowly walk over to Q, his smile gets bigger the closer I get to him and he sets the bowl down in front of me. I take a couple sniffs of the food and my mouth waters, either i’m terribly hungry and desperate or this food just smells that good to me right now. I start eating away and Q strokes along my back.

“There you go! Enjoy your food.” He gets up and disappears into the kitchen, presumably to make himself dinner now.

The evening goes on and I feel myself growing more comfortable with Brooklyn, Chessie, as well as Q. He plays with all of us and gives us all love and attention and I had never felt so loved. I wish I could say the same for Benjamin enjoying my presence, he didn’t say much to me, only speaking in one word answers and avoiding sitting near me.

We had eventually reached a point in the night where we all gathered around the couch awaiting Q to pick a movie to watch. I was curled up against him watching as he flipped through movie after movie.

“How’s inside out sound guys? Haven’t watched it yet and I want something a little light hearted for the little one.” He gently pets me and I swear I can’t get enough of it, I finally understood why animals loved being pet so much. Maybe being a cat wouldn’t be such a bad thing especially with someone who obviously cares, if this was permanent I wasn’t gonna complain. He presses play and I feel eyes on me again, and when I look over I see Benjamin staring. I was tired of the unease.

“So what’s your deal?” I finally spoke out. “It’s not like i’m here forever, though i’d like to be!” Benjamin rolls his eyes.

“Why does it matter?” His ears flick about in annoyance and I feel my claws dig into the couch. How does he not realize how rude he’s being?

“Because you’ve been making everything so uncomfortable, is it so hard to treat others kindly for one day?” Chessie and Brooklyn’s eyes dart back and forth between the two of us watching as our argument become more and more heated very quickly.

“Trust isn’t given out like candy on Halloween, little one.”

“And what have I done exactly that makes me so undeserving of respect?” I come back quickly with a rebuttal that leaves him stunned and at a loss. I knew he couldn’t come up with an answer. There’s a moment of silence with the white noise of the movie playing in the back that no one but Q was paying attention to at this point.

“Benji has a hard time trusting people if he hasn’t already made it clear.” Chessie finally spoke out. Benjamin looks to him almost as if to get him to be quiet, but Chessie ignored him. “You know that you acting like this isn’t appropriate, she’s clearly a young kitten.” Chessie says clearly over Benjamin and his hard front he’s been putting up this whole time. It must be making the others uncomfortable too.

“If I may ask: why is he so closed off?” I asked as though Benjamin wasn’t in the room, but I knew he wasn’t going to give me an answer.

“Well dad wasn’t his dad at first. He was abandoned by his mom, she left somewhere and never came back. He was left with dad and lived here ever since in his care. He was the only one that showed him love after his mom left so he grew protective of dad. He wasn’t too happy when I came home at first.” Brooklyn chimes in to the conversation. But everything had made sense after learning the origins of the old cat. Over protective of the person who rescued him, not warm and welcoming, fearing that I could take the one good thing he had. I could never understand what that could ever feel like, but I could imagine that it must hurt beyond recognition.

“Benjamin..” I say quietly, unsure really of what else to say. Suddenly I feel water hit the top of my head, I look up and see Q quietly crying. When I look to the TV screen, I had no clue what was going on in the movie but sad music was playing softly. Benjamin hopped off the chair he was on, hopped onto the one where Q and I were sat and curled up on his lap.

“Hey Benjamin, i’m okay, just a sad movie that’s all. I’m fine bud.” Q chuckles and rests his hand on Benjamin using his other hand to wipe away whatever tears were left tracing down his cheek.

“Hey, listen kid, i’m sorry. Maybe I was too harsh on you.” Benjamin looked disappointed in himself, I knew he was genuine. It’s hard to get ‘sorry’ out of an old human, I can’t imagine how hard it must be to get one out of an old cat. He starts licking my fur, and while weird, it felt endearing.

“Look at you two getting along chatting it up and being nice. Benjamin i’m proud of you, you grumpy bastard.” Q laughs at the sight of us.

“Yeah you guys are just shaping up to be BEST FRIENDS.” Chessie speaks out mocking the tone Q spoke in and mocking our tender moment.

“Now let’s not push our luck here.” Benjamin spoke with and equally sarcastic tone.

The night went along and I finally felt welcomed by everyone into the home I was brought in. Things were winding down for the evening and I started to grow tired. It seemed as though everyone was on the same page as I was, yawning and eyes growing heavy on each of us. Once the movie had ended, Q began cleaning things up for the night and shutting everything down.

“Come on, kid. Let’s head up to bed, i’ll show you where we sleep.” Benjamin nods his head for me to follow him and I do as such with Chessie and Brooklyn close behind. Things here must work like clockwork because not much needed to be said, they just knew it was time for sleep. Up the stairs we went and stepped our way into Q’s bedroom and up onto his bed. Everyone found their spots and curled up into a ball to rest. I found my own spot as well and curled up in my own warmth. Benjamin had found his way next to me and decided that it was his new resting spot.

“Feeling affectionate to this stranger tonight?” I tease.

“It’s new, but maybe I can learn to be kinder.” I purr against him and he purrs back in response. A sense of solidarity with no words needing to be spoken, it was heartwarming. Eventually we all had cuddled up together and fell comfortably asleep.

When Q saw all the felines together, he couldn’t help but smile.

“What makes this little one so different that she has you so soft Benjamin.” He says quietly into the dark and silent room. He climbs into bed and drifts off to sleep.

———————————————————

When I had awoken, I looked around and saw that I was in my own bedroom, incased in the four walls I had grown terribly familiar too. Had everything been a freak dream? Was any of that real?

I slip out of bed and look out the window to see a cloudy day, it seems as though the storm had passed, the streets were still covered in wet spots that were waiting for the sun to dry up and the sweet scent of morning dew seeped through the open window.

There’s only one person I know that could give me answers.

I had gotten myself cleaned up and immediately walked to the next house over. I rang the doorbell and patiently waited, I heard footsteps creeping closer and closer to the door and my heart began to pound out of my chest. The door swung open and there stood Sal.

“Hey neighbor! What brings you here, is everything okay?” He says delighted to see me and brings me in for a hug.

“Everything’s fine, just a random question: have you seen a white cat wandering about the area?” He raises an eyebrow at my inquiry.

“Yesterday there was a little white cat in my backyard, my friend took care of it though... Wait, how did you know about the cat?” My palms are soaked in sweat and I put on my best poker face.

“I just know you don’t enjoy the company of a cat. Also, that was my cat...” I say sheepishly. It felt bad having to lie through my teeth, but I NEEDED to see this cat to know I wasn’t entirely bonkers.

“That was YOUR cat?! What was it doing out in the rain??” I chew on my bottom lip trying to think of a lie.

“The storm made her act up and I guess she found a way to get out! I’m really sorry about it I should have been watching her more carefully but she’s a little escape artist.” He sighs and grabs a piece of paper and a pen and starts scribbling something down on it.

“This is the address to my buddies place. He has the cat, and if you get there hopefully he didn’t bring it to a shelter yet, i’ll give him a call and let him know you’re on your way.” He rips the paper out of the notepad and hands it over to me. I really do feel as though i’m going crazy going on a wild goose chase for a cat. I thank Sal for his time and waste no time getting into my car to get to Q’s place.

When I get there, it felt like a rinse and repeat of what went down at Sal’s place: Knock furiously and wait for a guy to answer the door and look at you confused. There stood Q with a smile brighter than the sun.

“Hi, you must be Sal’s neighbor. Name’s Brian but call me Q.” He shakes my hand and I smile. Little does he know that I have already met him on weird circumstances, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. “I’m guessing you’re here for the little one. Please, come in!” He steps aside to allow me to walk in and cats start swarming my feet. “Hey guys, easy on our guest here, be nice please.” I maneuver my feet carefully to make sure i’m not trampling any of the little felines. I sit down on the couch and all the cats are all over me snuggling, cuddling, rubbing their heads against me. Do they know that it’s me?

“I went to grab the little one, she was sleeping and — wow, the cats just love you. Even Benjamin is all over you, that’s incredible.” In Q’s hand was the little white cat that I was yesterday. She was real, so was I, how was this possible? I stood up and held the little kitten close and I felt an unknown spiritual connection to her, it felt as though our paths were meant to cross like this and it felt right to finally have her in my embrace.

“Thank you so much for taking care of her, I really do appreciate it.” I look down and see Benjamin circling around me and grabbing at my jeans like he was begging me not to go anywhere.

“Benjamin, leave her alone. Sorry, he’s grown oddly attached to your little friend. Haven’t seen him this friendly with a new cat ever.” Q gestures to the kitten who mewls in response. I look down to Benjamin and see his eyes saying something else. His eyes looked into mine like you do when you KNOW someone. I kneel down and give him pets and scratches behind his ears, he begins purring.

“What a sweet guy.” I smile back to the little black cat. I finally get up and realize I should probably get going, i’m being weird and over staying my welcome when all I came to do was pick up this cat. “Thank you again, Q.”

“If you’d like to, I think Benjamin cat would enjoy your company again along with your little kitten... what’s her name?” Panic. Think of a name, just nothing stupid.

“Her name is Opal.” I sound as confident as I can. I look into the cat’s multi-chrome colored eyes and realize that it suits her perfectly. And now that I named her I have to keep her, it’d be messed up if I did otherwise.

“Opal, it’s fitting and cute like you.” He gives a wink and I was taken aback by the sudden compliment. I giggle a little and feel a few butterflies hatch in my stomach.

“I’ll be going now, thanks for taking care of her. See you around?” He gladly nods and we step out the door and I find myself back in the car now with the addition of little Opal in the passenger seat. I take a glance at her and she looks at me with vacant eyes having no clue what’s going on. “What kind of glorious mess have you gotten me into?” I say pulling out of the driveway and back home. I still have no explanation as to what happened to me, but it guided me where I am now, and somethings telling me that I met Q for a reason.

[hexlikesramennoodles]

32 please :)

32. A kiss so passionate, so perfect - that after they part, neither person can open their eyes for a few moments afterwards.

Author’s note: this one got away from me! Writing unnecessarily long fic is my brand, I guess.

“What the hell are you doing?” Steve’s voice demanded.

The bathroom door swung shut behind him with a metallic scream of hinges. In the corner of the mirror, Billy caught sight of him: stalking forwards with his hands bunched at his sides, his hair a ludicrous, flopping bouffant. He was wearing a new sweater: a deep navy blue, luxurious and soft-looking. The Ralph Lauren logo was sewn onto his breast, its stick man arm raised. His mom had bought it for him, Billy guessed. Steve rarely chose any of his clothes himself, and it showed—he always looked awkward, conscious of his body and how you perceived it.

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” Billy zipped his fly, then stepped away from the urinal. He let the faucet run, taking his time on purpose. If Steve was going to come in here and harass him while he answered a call of nature, he could wait until Billy had washed his hands.

“Uh-uh,” Steve said. “Don’t do that. I hate it when you do that.”

“Harrington, I’ve got a date waiting for me, so if you’re gonna—”

“Oh, a date, huh?” Steve’s eyebrows arched high. “A date with Stella, of all people? Since when was she your type?”

“Since yesterday,” answered Billy. “Time is money, Harrington. I’m gonna miss my movie.” He smiled nastily. “Who knows, maybe we’ll get to second base before the credits roll.”

He didn’t doubt it. Stella Delgado was one of those girls whose clinging insecurity was as loud and obvious as the cheap perfume she wore. She was every small town cliché wrapped into one: an alcoholic father who beat her bloody on the regular. An absent mother, dead or eloped with another abusive deadbeat. Three runty, snotnosed siblings under the age of ten of whom she was the unwilling primary caregiver. She looked at Billy the same way Karen Wheeler looked at him: with moist, lip-wobbling hope. Billy imagined that she’d already written the names of their children in her lockable diary, using neat, curlicued handwriting; two of them, a boy and a girl with his hair and her eyes.

Steve stared at him, red-faced and irate. A loose thread dangled from the sleeve of his sweater. Billy was seized by a strong impulse to pull at it. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Don’t,” Steve was suddenly snarling. He took a step towards Billy, long and darting, then seemed to stop himself. “I hate it when you act like there’s nothing wrong. Like you don’t know exactly what you’re fucking doing. It drives me crazy.”

Good, Billy thought. That loose thread was starting to piss him off; everything about Steve was starting to piss him off.

“This is about Nancy, isn’t it?” Steve went on. “Who told you we were going to the movies? Fucking Carol? I knew it.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Billy said venomously. “You think you’re that important, Harrington? Huh? You think I pine for you?”

“Stella’s really nice.” Steve’s voice was deliberately calm, rigid. “You’re gonna break her heart. Does she know you’re g—”

Billy lunged at him. Steve must have been expecting it; he rapidly backpedaled, raising his arms as he did so. “What was that?” Billy said loudly, putting a hand to his ear. “You wanna repeat that for me?”

He hated that he knew which of Steve’s clothes his mom had picked out for him, and which ones Steve had chosen for himself. He hated how looking at Steve made him feel: tight and hot and uncomfortable, as if he was covered in a layer of clay that had set wrong and was starting to buckle at the edges. Brittle, too close to snapping. Most of all, he hated Stella Delgado, and how vulnerable she was. How trusting.

She should know better by now.

“Look, it’s whatever, alright?” Steve said. “Just stay away from Nance. I mean that.”

His sneaker squeaked on tile; in the bathroom mirror, Billy saw him turn to leave. “You think she loves you?” he called.

He shouldn’t have said it, should’ve known when to leave well enough alone, but that required more foresight than he was capable of mustering. It was too gratifying to watch the words land, the impact they had on Steve’s posture: a visible rippling down his spine, as if he’d passed close to an electric current. He was so easy to read. There was a hole in Billy’s chest, a hole with ragged, eroded edges that went all the way through him. The sickly rush of gratification filled it right back up, made him believe—for one brief, terrible moment—that he wasn’t so hollow inside.

“Nance fucked Jonathan Byers,” he said. The faucet was still running, the sound seeming to come from right between his temples. It was thunderous, relentless; the sound caught him, swept him up, and he didn’t know how to make himself stop and so all he could do was keep going, descending towards his inevitable doom. Billy’s mother had been an alcoholic, too; self-destruction was in his blood.

“We’re past that,” Steve said quietly.

Billy licked his lips. “No. I mean—I mean she fucked him again. On Memorial Day. Ask Carol if you don’t believe me. She doesn’t love you. She’s just waiting for something better to come along.” He licked his lips again, then showed Steve his teeth. It felt more like a grimace than a smile. “Looks like she found it—”

But Steve was shaking his head. “Jonathan’s my friend, Billy. Why would he—Christ, do you even hear yourself sometimes?”

“She doesn’t love you,” Billy repeated. “Ask Carol. Ask anybody. Half the town knows by now. You’re the only one who’s not with the program, pretty boy.”

He was paraphrasing what Carol had told him, if only to spare Harrington’s ego. In reality, Carol had drunkenly mimed the story using a popsicle stick and the middle of a jelly doughnut—splat!—laughing while she did it. Her grin had been wide and stupid, her laughter snorting and pig-like. Billy had wanted to throttle her.

“What are you saying?” Steve sounded tired, not outraged. Billy hated that, too. Wheeler made Steve so fucking weak. Billy had been expecting a shove, maybe even a punch. He deserved as much. But no—Steve was good for Nancy, perfect princess Nancy. “It’s Nancy, it always comes back to Nancy. Are you trying to tell me that I’d be better off with you?”

Billy opened his mouth. He had the words, all the bad nasty evil words that he knew would hurt if he decided to unleash them. You think I’m some kind of fucking queer? When Stella had bounded up to him in front of the concessions stand, her mud-colored hair pushed behind her ears and her unremarkable mouth stretched into an even more unremarkable smile, she hadn’t even noticed the lipgloss Billy was wearing. Maybe she’d told herself it was a trick of the fluorescents, that she was seeing things, silly girl. People always see what they wanna see.

“Billy,” Steve said. His voice was much closer. “Do you love me?”

His reflection had become a smudge on the glass of the mirror. It hurt to look at him. It made Billy’s eyes prickle. His hands were frozen around the edge of the sink, the water streaming from the faucet ceaselessly. Its spray wet his face and his eyelashes, but he could hardly feel it.

“Yeah, right,” Steve muttered. “Like you’d even know what that is. People are just disposable to you. Just—”

When his sneaker squeaked again, it was accompanied by the sound of the door reopening. Billy looked up. Steve’s sweater was shrinking, vanishing into the hallway outside, its loose thread fluttering.

They had entered an arrangement based on a mutual understanding of three things. One, that Billy had a cock. He wasn’t like Nancy, or any other girl Steve had been with before her. Two, that he wasn’t soft, delicate, or malleable. He would never fit into whatever Steve’s ideal for a life partner was. He didn’t want to. Three, that Steve didn’t want him, either. Steve liked his body and his face, but he was always telling Billy about the things he didn’t like. Always telling Billy he was too much, too intense.

Fine. Crystal fucking clear. Or so Billy had thought.

“I’m goin’ away for the summer.” Steve was holding the door open with his foot. He always had to have the last word. “With my parents. To Spain, then Portugal. Might visit the grandparents while we’re there. Do some … soul searching. So.”

Billy felt himself blink. “So?”

Steve’s Adam’s apple was a slow roll. He shrugged, and pushed the door wider. He was leaving. Billy watched him go, his hands gripping the sink uselessly. Faucet still splashing, but the sound wasn’t inside his head anymore. It was far off, unimportant. Steve was leaving, and Billy wasn’t doing anything to stop him.

“I’ll miss you,” he blurted.

Steve sighed.

The door slammed shut. Two, three steps: Steve was moving faster than Billy had ever seen him. He yanked Billy by the collar, kissing him with such force it jarred his neck. Billy’s hipbone was crushed against the sharp edge of the sink, but the pain was the sweetest he’d ever felt. Steve kissed him hard enough to make his jaw ache, then soothed the ache with a touch of his fingertips. He kissed the lipgloss from Billy’s mouth and moaned at the taste. He kissed angrily and with teeth, like he had a bone to pick, an itch to scratch. That was nothing new.

“I miss you all the time,” Billy said.

“Shut up,” Steve whispered. “Don’t talk. Everything you ever say—you never mean it—”

“I do. I do. I’m sorry.”

Steve’s fingers were still touching his face. Billy didn’t open his eyes. He could feel Steve there, a closeness that bordered on claustrophobia. His spine was pressed up against the sink, running water soaking the back of his shirt. The stillness, the intimacy of being this close to someone without doing anything about it, was unbearable. Exhilarating.

“God.” Steve exhaled harshly through his teeth; his breath surged over Billy’s face. When Billy willed his eyes open, Steve was standing in front of him, looking like a middle schooler faced with a complicated math problem. His eyes were scrunched shut, and his teeth worried at his lower lip. Billy could see where some of the glitter from the gloss had smeared on him, pink and little-girl pretty. Before he realized what he was doing, he reached across and wiped it off with his thumb. 

Steve’s eyes snapped open. He looked at Billy almost wonderingly. “You wanna get out of here?”

What about Nancy? Billy wanted to say. I’m gonna miss my movie, he wanted to say, like a smartass. He wanted to kick and scream and give Steve hell, send him flying straight back into Wheeler’s bony arms. Instead he lowered his head, meek, and let Steve entwine a finger around his pinkie. Stella was better off without him.

They left the bathroom together. Walking past the concession stand and the claw cranes, the squashy chairs where you could sit and watch the trailers for every movie that was coming out for the summer. Steve’s finger stayed curled around his pinkie, because he couldn’t outright take Billy’s hand. Not while they were in public.

By the time they reached the escalators, they were running.

[indigosandviolets]

Lucky Son of a Bitch

Pairing: Joseph Liebgott x OC x George Luz

Word Count: 2068

Summary: Andrew Marin has a nightmare. Joseph Liebgott helps. Tea spilt. George Luz, Andrew and Liebgott all make discoveries. Someone’s a lucky bastard.

TW: F slur, period typical homophobia

Thanks to @whatwouldidowithoutgeorgeluz for the BoB script again! Every time I need to do some fact checking, I go to the script first!

Part Two of We Happy Few

-

Aldborne, England

Andrew’s breath caught in his throat as he lurched awake in his cot. He looked around frantically, trying to find the source of him being woken up. It revealed itself to be Joseph Liebgott, with his hands pulled away from Andrew.

“Shit, Lieb,” Andrew said, rubbing his eyes. “Don’t scare me like that. I was havin’ a damn nightmare.”

“I could tell,” Liebgott replied. “You looked like you were having a damn seizure.”

Andrew sighed. “It fuckin’ felt like it.”

“What was it about?”

“Sobel,” Andrew said, cracking a smile. “I had a nightmare over Sobel.” It’s funny.

“Why in God’s name would you have a nightmare over Captain Herbert Sobel?”

“So, we’re all up in the planes, it’s you and me and Luz and Guarnere and Spiers and Sobel in this plane, and instead of Winters being in front ‘cause he’s CO, it’s me in front.”

“The guy with the lowest rank?”

“Low blow, Lieb.”

“It’s higher than Webster.”

“Anyway, I’m one, and Sobel’s two. He fucks up. He says I’m ready when I’m not. The light goes green, and instead of me being able to jump out, he pushes me out. Bombs are goin’ off and this guy fuckin’ pushes me out of the damn plane. My chute doesn’t deploy properly, so I’m just falling, and falling, and falling, and I just don’t stop. But then...splat. I hit the ground. Flat. I can’t see anything and my chute is all tangled up around me and I can’t see a damn thing. All I can here is Sobel yelling at me ‘sick men do not make paratroopers’ over and over again while I lie there because I can’t get up or see a damn thing.”

Liebgott pats Andrew on the back. “It’s just nerves. You’re gonna be fine, Drew. Plus, Sobel’s still on training duty way back in Toccoa. You ain’t got shit to worry about.”

“I know, I know. It’s just…” Andrew couldn’t think of the words. It would be so easy to tell Lieb the real reason why he was so damn nervous if it didn’t put both of their lives at stake, so he just decided to keep his mouth shut and come up with a bullshit excuse. “Bad nerves kinda run in the family. My mother worried, my father worried, my brother worries, everyone worries in my family.”

Liebgott, instead of telling Andrew the usual response of ‘get over it’ (a response he heard too damn often from other men), pulled the smaller man up and out of the cot. Andrew stumbled a bit, but Liebgott held tight with one hand on his shoulder and the other hand in Andrews. It was almost like a slow dance.

“What are you doing?”

“Get your boots on,” Liebgott says, letting go of Andrew when he knows the younger man is steady.

“What’re we doing?”

“We’re gonna go for a walk and a smoke.”

A walk and smoke in Upottery mean that you’ve got nowhere else to go and you want to be alone. Andrew frequently went for walks and smokes, sometimes with Liebgott, sometimes with Luz, but mostly by himself.

As the cigarette smoke entered his nostrils, Andrew let out the drag and sighed. “What do you want to talk about, Lieb?”

“I wanna ask you something, Drew.”

“Go for it.”

“Say, well, I’ve got this dream after the war.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I wanna go back to San Francisco, get my job back with the cab company, maybe become a barber, I don’t know. Get a nice house and marry a pretty Jewish girl and get a bunch of little Liebgotts running around, right?”

“Yeah?”

“That sounds like every guy’s dream after the war, right?”

“Yep.”

“What if that plan changes, Drew?”

“It’s your life, Lieb,” Andrew tells him. “I don’t see why it would matter, it’s what you want to do.”

“What if… there’s certain circumstances around it.”

“Like you don’t make it out of the war?”

“Other than that one.”

“The woman you’re in love with rejects you?”

“No, no, not that.”

“Well, then like what?”

“I’ve - I think I-”

Before Liebgott could tell Andrew another word, the man himself, Wild Bill Guarnere made himself present and known to the pair.

“Marin!” The Italian called out as he walked over. “Hey, can I bum a smoke?”

“Yeah, sure thing,” Andrew said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his pack of Lucky Strikes and handing it to Guarnere.

“What the hell you two fags talkin’ ‘bout anyway?”

Fags. Fags. It was noticeable. Fuck. “What we’re gonna do after the war,” Andrew said, swallowing thickly.

“Ah, nice,” Guarnere said, lighting up his cigarette and handing the pack back to Andrew. “I think I’m gonna marry this girl Ruth.”

“Who’s she?” Liebgott asks. “You’ve never mentioned having a girlfriend before.”

“Met her in a bar when we were back in New York, the night before we shipped off,” Guarnere informs them. “She’s beautiful, smart, and a good fuck.”

“So you’re gonna marry a girl who you’re gonna forget in six months?” Andrew asks, laughing.

“Alright, Mr. No-Sex-Before-Marriage, what are you gonna do after the war?”

Andrew paused for a moment. “I think… I think I’m gonna go back to school. I wanted to go for museology before the war, but I was working so I could save up enough money to go,” he tells them. “It’d be interesting, working with all those artifacts, y’ know? Holding pieces of history.”

“So, no women for your foreseeable future?” Guarnere asks.

No women in general, Andrew thinks. Instead, he says, “No, not yet.”

It hurt. It really hurt not being able to tell the truth, but he had to lie. He couldn’t risk anything. Not now. Not when they were so close to everything.

As more men were waking up, Guarnere finally wandered off, leaving Liebgott and Andrew alone again. The air had gone stiff, but without Guarnere, it eased. It felt like they were both playing a role when they were around Guarnere, but now that he was gone, it was over. They could breathe.

“What were we talking about before?” Andrew asked, turning to Liebgott. He dropped his cigarette, stamping it out with his boot. “It sounded pretty important.”

Liebgott shrugged. “I forget.”

“Oh, c’mon. Lieb,” Andrew said. “Don’t give me that.”

“If I remember, I’ll tell you, how about that?”

“Alright.”

Andrew knew that there was something more, that there was something there. Liebgott wouldn’t have woken him up if he was just gonna forget what he was gonna say. That’s just not how Liebgott works. He had to be hiding something, but Andrew knew he shouldn’t pry, so he kept his mouth shut.

Mr.No-Sex-Before-Marriage, Andrew thought. I better be able to shake that off.

-

Andrew was back to his book. It wasn’t often that the men got downtime during the day, but it was rainy and cold and the movie hadn’t started up yet, so he figured why not? It wasn’t like anyone was gonna stop him from enjoying the peace and quiet of his cot.

Unless that ‘anyone’ happened to be George Luz.

“Private Marin!” Luz said in his Horton voice. “Why in God’s name are you alone when you could be spending time with your best friend, Private Luz?”

Andrew laughed, looking up from his book. “Oh, knock it off, Luz. Don’t use that voice with me, I’m not gullible like Sobel.”

“I know, I know, but it’s fun! I bet if you could do it, you’d do it all the time,” Luz says, walking over to his cot. “Why are you all alone anyway? The movie’s about to start.”

“Wanted to catch up on my book,” Andrew says, handing it over to Luz, who was now sitting on Andrew’s cot. “I was too tired last night to pick it up, and I really wanted to finish the chapter I was on. I knew I had a few minutes to spare before it started anyway.”

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Luz reads out, holding up the book. “Isn’t this the one about the Great War?”

“Yeah,” Andrew replies. “My uncle was in it, and I figured since I’m named after the guy, I might as well read it, y’ know?”

“I’ve never heard you talk about anyone other than your brother.”

“I,” Andrew starts, his mouth suddenly dry. “My parents aren’t exactly happy with me.”

“About becoming a paratrooper?”

Andrew shook his head. “No, no, it’s not that.”

Luz’s eyes were soft, trusting, respecting, understanding. Andrew could tell Luz, right? He knew he could.

“Is it what I think it is?” Luz asks in a quiet voice. He knows.

“Well, what do you think it is?”

“Depends,” Luz says, “Can I do something?” He knows, Andrew.

Andrew takes in a deep breath and nods.

Luz moves his hand up, placing it on Andrew’s cheek. He cups it and pulls him in. It’s perfect. It’s sweet. It’s a beautiful moment. The kiss is soft, it’s loving and calm and steady. It’s George Luz.

Andrew pulls away first. Luz has that loopy, silly lopsided grin on his face. The signature one. Andrew loved that grin. “Yeah, it’s that.” No, there’s more to it, damnit.

Luz looked down and checked his watch. “Movie’s about to start.”

“You sure you wanna go?”

“Not at all, but I don’t think either of us wants to get court-martialed.”

“Since when have you cared about getting court-martialed?”

“Since I learned that I could do this.”

Another kiss. It’s more passionate this time, less timid. No one's gonna catch them. Not now, they’re all getting ready for the movie to start.

Luz pulls away first this time. “C’mon, we gotta go before Guanere and Toye get all the popcorn.”

“Alright, fine,” Andrew says. “But first-”

Andrew couldn’t help himself and Luz sure as hell wanted another one, so the third kiss was deeper, more loving, more...everything. They both knew it was illegal and if they got caught they’d be sent straight home and publicly shamed and humiliated, but damn, if they didn’t care.

Andrew pulls away. “Alright, let’s go catch that movie.”

-

It’s Liebgott who pulls Andrew out of the movie. He and Luz sat away from each other so that there wouldn’t be any suspicions, so it was only easier for Liebgott to pick him out of the crowd.

“You remember what you were gonna ask me?” Andrew asks.

Liebgott smiles. “I never forgot.”

“So, you lied to me, is what I’m hearing.”

“Not lying, per se, I just avoided the truth.”

“Ah,” Andrew says with a smile. “How delightful.” It was always fun to add sarcasm on top of Liebgott’s sass.

“It is actually, uh, really important,” Liebgott says looking around to make sure that no one was watching or listening. There were a few MPs across the way, so Liebgott pulled Andrew around the corner of where the movie was being shown.

“Lieb, what the hell are you-”

Andrew was cut off by a quick kiss. He froze up for a moment before returning it. It tasted like chocolate and cigarettes, it was chaste but firm and welcoming, it had that tinge of attitude that just made it Joseph Liebgott.

When Liebgott pulled away, Andrew looked up at him, concerned. It was nice, he had to admit, but this was much bigger for Liebgott than either of them would have anticipated.

Andrew opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn’t begin to even comprehend what Liebgott must’ve been going through. Sure, this went against Andrew’s family’s beliefs, but this went against Liebgott’s entire faith.

Words couldn’t fill that gap, so Andrew and Liebgott went in for another. This time Andrew was able to feel the little cuts on Liebgott’s chapped lips, his calloused hands running against the back of his neck. The tobacco flavor was back, cutting through the saltiness of the popcorn that lingered. It was passionate, hungry, like neither of them could get enough of each other. Andrew’s pretty sure he let out a soft sound, no, no, he’s very sure he did.

“Fuck, Andrew, I…” Liebgott says, pulling away. “I think I’m a fag, Drew.”

“You think?”

“No, no, I know.”

“I figured.”

“You cheeky little bitch.”

“You’ve got no idea.”

Two men kissed before Jump Day, Andrew thought. Damn, you’re a lucky son of a bitch.

-

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