#twdg telulah

[ericsonclan]

Some folks really do have a special holiday vibe to them

[ericsonclan]

The Nuttiest Nutcracker

Summary: AJ and Telulah watch a Christmas movie.

Word Count: 783

Read on AO3:

AJ wasn’t sure what he was expecting when Telulah asked him to watch a childhood Christmas movie with him. He sure didn’t anticipate seeing a large rat king wearing a full-body suit with the letter R and a yellow cape singing about how he was the big cheese. Telulah sang along happily, completely content wrapped in her boyfriend’s arms on the couch. The smile on her face hadn’t left since the memorable opening with the Sugar Plum Fairy and while AJ always loved seeing her smile he really didn’t get why she had such a soft spot for the movie.

The teen’s nose scrunched in confusion as he watched on but he was confused. As far as he could tell this was just a very cheaply made adaptation of the Nutcracker. The animations were low quality and sometimes downright goofy to look at. AJ sorta got parts of why she liked it: the humor wasn’t good at all but it was stupid fun and it did have talking fruits and veggies. AJ definitely knew the appeal of that part considering how many times he had watched and rewatched Disco Broccoli and Friends over the years. Hell, he was surprised that he hadn’t burned right through the disc of the Christmas DVD special with how many times he had seen it. It became even more shocking when the number of rewatches skyrocketed ever since Telulah entered his life. AJ kept thinking about it for a moment until he was pulled back into the movie when he heard his girlfriend’s voice again.

“Food fight!” Telulah yelled along with one of the talking foods on the screen. Immediately all the different fruits, vegetables, and nuts got up from their hiding spots on the table and attacked. The oranges all struck poses from their basket before diving headfirst down to the floor, crushing the enemy rats with their round bodies. The pears all shimmied down the tablecloth and joined in to vanquish the enemy aided by the asparagus who blocked the way with their heads. Black-eyed peas used noodles to vault down and it seemed like everything was going their way.

Telulah chuckled at all the different ways the animated food was attacking but what really got her in stitches was when the beans started to make their way forward. With each step forward they let out a loud fart that added to the large, pungent green cloud behind them. Toot after toot emitted from the beans as they charged towards the rats and for the first time since the movie started AJ let out a loud laugh. He couldn’t stop himself during the whole sequence. What could he say? Farts were funny. He always thought they were and he knew that his humor had and would stay in the toilet. Soon both AJ and Telulah were so loud and laughing with so much vigor that they had to stop the movie for a minute.

“Whew, oh boy, that was so funny,” Telulah tried to take a few more deep breaths but she devolved into another set of giggles. AJ wasn’t doing much better as his laughter only grew stronger when he heard his girlfriend’s.

“You should’ve warned me about the beans,”

“No way! The beans are the best part of that scene - I wasn’t gonna spoil it for you. They had to creep up on you like a surprise fart attack.” Telulah tilted her head back to look up at her boyfriend as he laughed. The sight made the smile on her lips grow. She always loved his laugh. It was the cutest.

“Yeah, it definitely surprised me.” AJ took a deep breath and settled back into the couch. “Okay, so this movie isn’t half bad.”

“Half bad- This is the greatest Christmas movie of all time!” Telulah declared loudly then spotted the look of disbelief on her boyfriend’s face. “Okay, so it’s a guilty pleasure and isn’t the best Christmas movie ever. That honor goes to A Charlie Brown Christmas and I’ll die on that hill.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah! Sorry, babe. Muppet Christmas Carol breaks the top five though,” Telulah smirked when she saw AJ’s eyes go large.

“Top five?!? It should be number one!”

“It is in your heart, baby, and for me it’s top three.” Telulah noticed the signature pouty frown appear. “Okay, Grumpy Bear, let’s get back to the movie before the Christmas cheer is ruined.”

“Okay,” AJ continued to sulk as he held Telulah closer. “But we’re going back two minutes to the bean scene. I’m not budging on it, T.”

Telulah laughed from within her boyfriend’s arm before tilting her head back and pressing a kiss to his chin. “Deal.”

[ericsonclan]

Figured it would be nice to show off all our OCs and what better way than by using a simple Until Dawn style intro!

Beautiful commissions were done by the talented  @emcdraws​

[ericsonclan]

Decided to share how our OCs celebrate the holidays

[ericsonclan]

Pumpkin Carvings

Summary: Carley and Lee get ready to carve some pumpkins with their family.

Word Count: 1752

Read on AO3:

“Alright, we have the knives, kid-friendly knives, bowls, sharpies,” Lee listed off the items on his fingers.

“Don’t forget the tea lights,” Carley appeared behind her husband, placing down the bag of little white candles before she wrapped her arms around his waist. With a quick kiss to his neck, Carley knew she had made her husband’s heart do a little flip. Lee moved further into her embrace then tilted his head back, stealing a small kiss.

“We’ve got everything we need except for the pumpkins which should be arriving any minute now,” Lee held onto the hug for a moment longer and then moved to double check things again when suddenly the front door opened. In scampered Maisy, her face obscured by a big orange pumpkin.

“Maisy, wait up!” Louis called out to his daughter as he held Juliet in his arms. The five year old seemed rather determined to hold onto her dad.

“I’ve got it, Dad!” Maisy smiled proudly and took another step forward but nearly tipped over from the weight of her pumpkin.

Carley jogged forward just in time, recentering the pumpkin before taking it into her arms “Good job, Maisy, but how about I carry it to the table, okay?” Carley smiled at her granddaughter who returned the gesture, giving an energetic nod.

“Okay!” Maisy immediately dashed forward past Carley and gave Lee a big hug. “Hi, Grandpa!”

“Well hey there, Maisy. I see you helped carry in one of the pumpkins,” Lee looked over at the door to see that Clementine was carrying another pumpkin as well as holding Lee Kenny’s hand as he carried a small pumpkin.

Behind her were AJ and Telulah who were talking excitedly as their joined hands swung back and forth between them. AJ balanced a pumpkin on his shoulder while the only pumpkins Telulah were sporting were the ones on her Halloween shirt underneath her overalls.

“I see you made it here alright, Sweetpea,” Lee smiled over at Clementine who struggled to place down the pumpkin.

“Yep, it took some work but we got everyone here and we’re ready to get to carving some pumpkins!”

Maisy bounced excitedly at those words and shot her hands up in the air. “WOOOO! Pumpkin carving! I even got my own pumpkin this year, Grandma!” Maisy beamed up at Carley.

“You did? That's great!” Carley helped AJ get the pumpkin on the table.

“Alright, just three more pumpkins,” Clementine took a deep breath. “Lee Kenny, why don’t you sit at the table and pick out a design for your pumpkin?”

“Okay!” Lee Kenny was a bit reluctant to let go of his mom’s hand but soon enough did and jogged over to his spot.

“Do you want me to help grab the other pumpkins?” Louis appeared beside his wife who shook her head.

“No, I think me and AJ’ve got it,”

“Yeah! I can totally carry two of them!” AJ smiled proudly as he stood beside his girlfriend.

“He totally can,”

Telulah’s agreement made AJ’s smile grow and he planted a small kiss on her cheek.

“Alright, well then I’m gonna help the kids get their designs ready.” Louis turned toward the table. “I’m sure you’re really excited about your first pumpkin carving, huh Juliet?” Louis smiled softly over to his youngest daughter, still in his arms. Juliet hid her face against her dad’s shoulder but gave a nod regardless. “That’s the spirit!” Louis then turned to Clementine and stole a quick kiss. “Be careful,”

“I will. Don’t worry, I’m not going to drop a pumpkin on my foot like Mitch did,” Clementine strolled towards the door with AJ and the two walked outside.

After a few minutes all the pumpkins were brought in and assigned.

“I’m gonna make mine look really cool!” Maisy exclaimed as her feet kicked under the table. She tried her best to draw but the little ten year old knew that out of all the art forms drawing wasn’t her best skill.

“Let me help you with that,” Lee offered and picked up a sharpie. “Just tell me what you want,”

“I want it to have big sharp teeth and scary eyes. Just like Uncle Jesse!” Maisy smiled enthusiastically. Lee chuckled then got right to work.

Across from them on the floor surrounded by pillows were AJ and T who were trying to make a cool T-rex outline on their pumpkin.

“Shit!” AJ swore then realized his mistake. “I meant shoot,”

“AJ said a swear!” Maisy pointed at AJ, seeming really happy about it.

“You know the rules,” Clementine looked over at AJ who grumbled as he put a dollar on the table.

“It's just a dollar, don’t be a frowny,” Telulah gave her boyfriend’s hand a quick squeeze and soon his mood turned around.

Lee turned to look at his wife as she worked to make a rather cute-looking and classic design on her pumpkin then let his eyes wander around to see what other designs were being made. Clementine was trying to make a pumpkin that looked like Louis who was rather pleased about that.

“I don’t know, can you capture all my beauty in a pumpkin?” Louis gave a playful smile to his wife.

Clementine immediately returned it. “I don’t know, it's hard to capture all of that a-dork-ableness.”

Those words made a light blush appear on Louis’ face and he quickly looked back to the task at hand as Juliet whispered what she wanted her pumpkin to look like.

“Okay, Juliet, do you want to give it a try?” Louis asked as he held out the sharpie. The tiny five year old looked at it cautiously then took it and began to draw on her pumpkin. Shuffling in his chair while holding Juliet in his lap, Louis looked over to his son. “Alright, buddy, what do you want on your pumpkin?”

“I want it to have big eyes and smile too but a small nose, like Aunt Renata!” Lee Kenny held out the marker, hopeful that his dad would help.

“Say no more,” Louis took the sharpie, spinning it around before flicking off the cap. “When we’re done we can even send Aunt Renata a picture. I’m sure Timothy will want to show you his pumpkin too,”

“Yeah!” Lee Kenny beamed, clearly excited to share his creation with Timothy.

Soon all the pumpkins were marked up and the carving began. Clementine put aside her own pumpkin, helping Lee Kenny who couldn’t stop talking about showing all the others his pumpkin once it was done. Clementine smiled and helped her son carefully carve out the eyes on his friendly pumpkin. Louis worked to decipher the squiggles Juliet had done on the pumpkin into what she’d really meant them to be: a heart. He nodded along, telling his youngest daughter that he now could see her design perfectly and a heart pumpkin was an awesome idea. Juliet gently kicked her legs under the table, definitely calmer than when they had entered. She was also gentler with her pumpkin than her older sister Maisy who was determined to do as much of the carving as she could on her own.

“I gotta get the pointy teeth juuuust right!” Maisy stabbed the pumpkin with the kid-friendly knife and soon realized she had jabbed it in too far. With a grunt she tried her best to get the knife out but instead landed roughly on her butt.

“Maisy!” Carley took a break from helping out with another pumpkin and knelt down to help her granddaughter. “Are you okay?” “That pumpkin is a jerk! I hurt my butt!” Maisy huffed as she held her butt, sending a glare at the pumpkin before sticking her tongue out at it.

“How about I help you out a bit?” Carley offered and Maisy gave a small nod. It took a minute or two to get the knife out but soon the pair was back on track.

AJ watched Telulah with a small smile as she carved the pumpkin, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration. Soon her eyes traveled up and found his. “What?”

“Nothing, you're just cute,”

Telulah’s heart did a little flip at that. Leaning forward, she bopped her nose against AJ’s. “You’re pretty cute too,”

AJ felt his face grow hot at that but immediately got back to work. Telulah laughed softly and quickly got back to work as well.

Time flew by filled with laughter, talking and many, many pumpkin seeds and guts. After some time the pumpkins were done, leaving the table a complete mess. Lee and Carley worked to get all the small candles into the pumpkins then held open the door as the kids carried out their pumpkins.

“I want this spot!” Maisy plopped down her pumpkin that really did bear a striking resemblance to Jesse. Lee Kenny stumbled forward and immediately put his pumpkin near his sister’s. His pumpkin certainly looked happier than Maisy’s.

“Juliet, do you want your pumpkin next to ours?” Lee Kenny looked at his sister who was holding her pumpkin close to herself.

“Yeah,” She gave a soft smile then walked forward, placing her pumpkin in between her siblings’. The other three pumpkins were set down around them then Lee worked to light the candles. All of them stood together looking on proudly at their creations as the lights within them glowed in the dark.

“I have to say we really knocked it out of the park this year,” Louis wrapped his arms around Clementine’s shoulders and kissed her neck before resting his head on her shoulder. “And that pumpkin really does look like me!”

Clementine looked at her pumpkin. It was decorated with some yarn for hair and speckled with sharpie freckles highlighting the carved out smile. “Yeah, it really does.”

“I agree with Louis, everyone did a great job,” Lee smiled at his family then looked at the pumpkins. The happy ones, scary ones and even the dinosaur one all looked great. Each one different, but together they all belonged.

Everyone chattered in agreement before the topic of apple cider came up and soon their minds were distracted with a new fall-time fun. As Carley closed the front door, she felt a smile appear on her lips at the sound of happy laughter that her family was making. With the door snugly shut to guard from the cold, her attention turned to the warm fall drink and the joy that the rest of this family gathering was sure to bring.

[ericsonclan]

It’s Telulah’s birthday! This cutie is one of our newer OCs but we’re already in love 🥰 From her bright, can-do spirit to her neverending curiosity, Telulah’s a joy to write and a great complement to AJ as another person who was born into the apocalypse just like him. We’re excited to incorporate Telulah and her adventures into more and more of our writing!

[ericsonclan]

Halloween Party

Summary: Everyone gathers at Ericson's Diner for a Halloween Party.

Word Count: 2451

Read on AO3:

“Alright, I think I got this on right,” Violet strolled out of the bedroom in an elegant long white toga. The sides of her hair were braided and a golden laurel wreath rested on the top of her head. She focused on fixing the part of the toga that draped over her arm when she glanced up and noticed that Prisha was looking at her. “Prisha?”

“Sorry, it's just... you’re beautiful. You look amazing in that toga,” Prisha walked forward and took Violet's hands in her own then stole a quick kiss.

Violet was overwhelmed by all of this happening so quickly but soon looked up at her wife with a soft smile. “You look so pretty,” She took a step back and took in Prisha’s Halloween outfit. They had decided to go with a couple’s outfits this year. Prisha had made sure to suggest ones that she knew Violet would be comfortable wearing out in public and they had landed on a good one. Violet stared at Prisha for a few seconds, feeling her face heat up with how beautiful Prisha looked in her toga. Prisha felt her own face grow warm as she wrapped her arms around Violet’s waist. Leaning forward, she captured her wife’s lips in a soft kiss.

“If you two can take a break from kissing, we should head to the party,” Allison wandered out of her room in her Lara Croft costume. She worked to tie the fake bloody bandage on her left arm but was failing. Using her teeth wasn’t working.

“Here, I’ll help you out,” Violet moved forward and helped her daughter with her costume.

“Thanks,” Allison mumbled as she double checked to make sure she had each part of her outfit. The red ice axe rested on her hip as well as the bow on her back which crossed over her tank top.

“So if you’re going as Lara Croft, who is Willy going as?” Prisha asked while she worked to grab the keys and make sure all three of them had everything they needed.

“Nathan Drake,” Allison looked over at her mom with a smile.

“Very fitting choices,” Prisha nodded in approval. “Alright, I have everything. Are you two ready?” “Yep,” Violet did one more knot on the bandage. “Good to go,” Violet’s fingers intertwined with Prisha’s as if it was second nature as the pair left the apartment.

“Better not tear shit up when you’re having your own party, Sir Tubbs,” Allison looked over at the cat who yawned loudly, causing his Oscar the Grouch costume to wrinkle before he fell back asleep.

Soon the three were in the car and talking about the party. Violet could tell how excited Prisha was about the party but she was also ecstatic to see Violet in a toga. Seeing how happy her wife was Violet couldn’t help but feel the same. It didn’t take long for Prisha to tell Allison for what was surely the twentieth time what she and Violet were dressed as: Helena and Hermia from Midsummer’s Night’s Dream . Prisha went on and on about how much she had shipped them since the first time she read the play and how Shakespeare had gotten things completely wrong.

When they arrived at the diner and opened the door they were hit with Halloween music that helped complement the atmosphere. A snack table was set out with spooky, tasty treats that Omar, Ruby and Renata had worked to make along with a punch bowl where smoke slipped out and swirled round the air thanks to the dry ice inside. Spiderwebs and other decorations covered the walls and two skeletons sat together in a booth playing a game of cards. Louis had helped set them up with Sophie and Marlon’s help.

“Hey, you made it!” Louis ran forward with a lifeguard board, red swim trunks and his signature sunshine smile. “You guys look great!”

“Thanks,” Violet watched as Allison disappeared into the party. Her daughter moved past Oakley and Duck. It was a bit awkward getting by Oakley who was dressed as a washing machine while Duck was dressed as, well, a duck but one who definitely had a story based on the toilet brush he was holding. The couple offered a shortcut for Allison and lifted up their joined hands. Once she was through they continued their conversation as Duck’s thumb gently brushed the top of Oakley’s hands.

“You and Clem came as a Baywatch couple?”

Prisha’s question made Violet turn her attention back to her best friend.

Louis snapped his fingers and pointed at Prisha. “Bingo! Clem is over by T and AJ,” He motioned over to where some people were dancing to “Spooky, Scary Skeletons Remix”. Two dinosaurs seemed to be having a blast as their giant heads bopped to the music. The inflatable T-rex who they soon discovered was Telulah thanks to the small, clear window at the front of her costume was busy holding both of AJ’s hands while he was dressed as a velociraptor. Clementine laughed and danced along in her red lifeguard swimsuit as she tried to get Omar to join in. The ever calm chef now dressed as Remy from Ratatouille turned down the request but tapped his foot to the beat of the song.

“Come on and grab some snacks - they are spookylicious!” Louis grinned at his pun as he led the way. Prisha and Violet followed close behind him, their fingers still intertwined. When they arrived at the food table they noticed Nurgul and Gabe. Nurgul was dressed as a purple Care Bear. A smiling star and heart with a rainbow connected them were embossed on her belly. Gabe was also a Care Bear. His outfit was blue and the symbol on his stomach was a stormy cloud that dropped a few raindrops and hearts.

“Prisha, Violet!” Nurgul gave a friendly smile and wrapped both of them in a hug.

“Hey, are you a Care Bear?”

Violet’s question made Nurgul’s eyes shimmer. “Yep! I’m Best Friends Care Bear and Gabe is Grumpy Bear,” Nurgul took her husband’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“I don’t know why I agreed to wear this,” A grumpy expression was on his face, making Nurgul laugh softly.

“I think your face right now answers that,” Nurgul got on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Gabe’s lips. His face heated up and he pulled the hood of the onesie down a bit. The couple shared another kiss before they realized they were at the food table.

“Shit, sorry,” Gabe grabbed Nurgul’s hand and the pair moved out of the way.

“Thank you,” Prisha looked over at her friends with warmth then began to examine the different spooky treats. Cinnamon rolls were baked in the shape of intestines and glazed with red icing and cute cupcakes with ghosts and ghouls were surrounded by piles of candied apples. “What treats should we try?” Prisha smiled over at her wife.

“I don’t know,” Violet studied the contents of the table. “I’m more surprised that Soph isn’t hogging the table.” Just as Violet said that she heard her best friend’s loud, bright voice.

“Holy shit, Ren! Six apples?!?” Sophie watched her friend in awe as she threw back her head from the large bucket of water, another apple in her mouth.

Renata spat out the apple with a ‘pah’ sound before she brushed back her hair and sent a wink over to Minnie. “That’s seven - think I can reach ten?”

Minnie felt a blush creep up on her face as she stared at the sexy Princess Leia costume Renata was wearing. The outfit was making her heart pound out of control. “Yeah,”

“I bet I can eat that many on my turn in the water!” Sophie strolled forward proudly, her Starfire outfit shining as it reflected the different lights at the party. Cupping Marlon’s face, she gave him a kiss to hype herself up. As soon as the kiss was done Sophie got ready to chow down on underwater apples while Marlon stood there in a dreamy daze, looking like a dork in his Robin costume.

As the happy redhead worked to eat those apples all while listening to Renata’s cheerful chants, Minnie watched with amusement until she heard a familiar voice.

“It seems Sophie is having a fun time,” James spoke in his usual whisper-like voice. Minnie glanced over her friend’s way, noticing that he was dressed as the bottom half of a horse.

“Yeah, just hope she doesn’t get water up her nos- aaand she got it up her nose,” Minnie let out a snort as Sophie wheezed and shook her head wildly while Renata whacked her back and Marlon hurried over to help.

After a few seconds Sophie gave a shaky thumbs up and she tried to get back to the challenge but Marlon talked her out of it, holding her hand and suggesting that they go to the food table instead. Sophie nodded excitedly, pressing a kiss to Marlon’s cheek. Soon the two were talking happily, their joined hands swaying as they made their way over.

“Hey, I thought you didn’t like Han Solo?”

Jesse drew Minnie's attention, making her notice that he was the front of the horse, a name tag that said “horse” on his chest.

“I don’t like him; he’s an ass. But Ren wanted to dress up as Leia,” Minnie explained before she felt her wife’s arms slip around her waist.

“Besides, Min looks super hot in the outfit,” Renata got on her tiptoes and stole a kiss. “Also I look sexy in this outfit so we’re really the hottest couple here,”

“Heh, okay,”

Jesse’s response made Minnie’s eyebrows furrow. “What was with that response?”

“Nothing, just that if anyone is the hottest couple here, it's me and James and he’s dressed as a horse’s ass so what does that say about you?” Jesse smirked as he noticed he was irritating Minnie but before any more headbutting could occur Renata chimed in.

“Oh! Well maybe we’ll truly become the hottest couple after my costume change. In fact, I’m going to give Log Legs a small hint,” Renata had a playfully teasing smile on her face as she got on her tiptoes and whispered into Minnie’s ear. What she was saying made Minnie turn as red as her hair before Renata stepped away. “Well, it's time to change,” She smiled at Minnie for as long as she could before she spun around, emphasizing the sway of her hips as she disappeared into the small crowd of people. On her way to the break room to change she noticed her favorite teen. “Hey there, Allie!” Renata ruffled her friend’s hair. “Having fun?”

“Sure,” Allison answered, her face looking stoic as always.

“Trying to find someone?” Renata tilted her head to the side, trying to spot whoever Allison was looking for.

“Yeah, I’m trying to find- Willy!” A smile broke out on Allison’s face as she spotted her energetic boyfriend dressed as the infamous treasure hunter Nathan Drake. The water pistols in the twin holsters on his arms sloshed faintly as he jogged over towards Allison.

“Allie!” Willy wrapped his girlfriend up in a hug and spun her around. “I found you!” He gave a big smile before placing her down.

“Yep, you found me,” Allison gave a soft smile, her pinky wrapping around Willy’s.

Willy swayed on his feet back and forth. “So, what do you want to do first? Dancing? Eating?”

“I wanted to play cards with the skeletons,” Allison saw excitement dance in her boyfriend’s eyes at that.

“Yes!! Let’s go!” Willy grabbed Allison’s hand and excitedly led the way. The young couple ran through the party, running past Mitch and Brody.

“Be careful!” Brody called out but saw that neither of them were listening. With a tired sigh she took her husband’s hand.

“Don’t worry about it, Brodes. They’re just having fun,” Mitch smiled over at Brody and led the way to a spooky game that was about to get started.

Brody gave a nod “Yeah, you’re right. Anyways, ready to kick ass and win prizes?” She flashed a competitive smile up at Mitch.

He immediately returned it. “Fuck yeah, we’re gonna kick ass as the two best fighters in Resident Evil,” Mitch displayed his Leon Kennedy costume proudly then glanced over at Brody. She looked amazing in Claire Redfield’s red leather jacket.

Brody caught her husband’s eyes on her. “What?”

“Nothing, just think you look fucking badass,”

Brody blushed at Mitch’s words and planted a kiss on his cheek then continued to lead the way.

The couple soon passed by Ruby and Aasim dressed as Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story who were talking casually until a certain song perked up Ruby’s interest. Twirling her lasso, she snagged it round Aasim. The action whacked against one of his buttons, deploying his wings as an overwhelmed smile pulled on the corner of his lips. Ruby had a confident smirk as she roped him into a dance. As the two danced they noticed that Clementine and Louis were cuddling in a booth.“Aww, aren’t you two the darn cutest lifeguards around!” Ruby smiled over at the couple who were holding onto each other tightly.

“It's for survival,” Clementine nuzzled her face closer and tucked it under Louis’ chin.

“Turns out being dressed in swimwear and putting the air conditioning on high was a bad call,” Louis cuddled closer to his wife. “The AC makes the ghost decorations that James and Tenn made look extra cute though!”

Aasim was about to make a comment until Renata’s bright voice appeared from the hallway. “Is everyone ready for my big reveal?” Minnie swallowed roughly. If what Renata whispered in her ear was really a hint, then she was extremely overwhelmed at the thought of this costume reveal. She had teased that it would show even more skin.

“Alright, here I go!” Renata strolled forward dramatically. Before she had even turned the corner Minnie had passed out, right by the punch bowl. No one seemed to notice though as all their eyes were on Renata’s next costume, jiggling wildly as she bounced out in a large inflatable Jabba the Hutt costume. She gave her best Jabba sounds as Sophie cheered and sang an improv parody of the Teen Titans theme.

“When there’s trouble you know who to call - call Jabba! She can leave a slime trail made of goooooo - It's Jabba!” The song was quickly devolving into nonsense but the two friends didn’t seem to mind nor did the others as they enjoyed the party. Halloween at Ericson’s Diner was always a spooky good time.

[ericsonclan]

Within Their Eyes

Summary: AJ is worried about Telulah's idea of studying a walker with James.

Word Count: 4641

Read on AO3:

AJ’s eyes traveled up to the sky, watching the clouds lazily roll by one after another, hoping that it would calm his nerves. He had been nervous about today and no matter how many others told him otherwise, the feeling in his gut wouldn’t leave. AJ took a shaky breath and placed his arms behind him, putting all of his weight on them as his feet anxiously kicked back and forth against the picnic table. His mind remained in his worries until he felt a warmth appear on the top of his hand. Glancing over, he saw Telulah who gave her usual bright smile over his way. It was a smile that never failed to bring up his mood. As AJ looked at the smile and felt his heart settle a bit, he knew that the smile had done it again. Still, he couldn’t return the smile which made Telulah’s falter.

“What’s spinning in your mind?” Telulah’s hand gently took AJ’s while her other placed her pencil in her notebook before closing it. Her attention was no longer divided between her countless notes that she jotted down in her notebook and her boyfriend.

“It’s nothing, T.” AJ tried to brush it off but one look over at Telulah made it clear that she wasn’t going to take that as a legitimate answer. “I’m just worried,” AJ’s face fell and he focused on his worn out shoes before his focus turned to the zipper on his leather jacket that still seemed a bit loose on him. He wanted anything that would distract his mind and get this pit out of his stomach.

“Worried about today?” Telulah’s voice made AJ’s eyes travel over to his girlfriend’s who had a soft, reassuring smile on her lips. “AJ, it will be okay,”

“How do you know that though? I know you wanna study walkers more but this seems dangerous! You’re gonna be outside of Ericson where you could get bit, or hurt, or have a seizure!” AJ’s eyes shone with concern, concern which Telulah knew was valid.

“I know it's a risk, but James will be there to help us and I’ll have you,” Telulah guided both of AJ’s hands into her own. Her soft eyes made AJ’s heart calm a bit.

“I don’t like risks,” AJ mumbled, his thumbs gently brushing on the tops of Telulah’s hands. Telulah knew well what he was talking about. It was always a risk no matter who you were to wander out there, stumbling upon walkers and other dangerous things that could harm you or end your life.

“I know but if I can get more information on walkers and progress my findings...” Telulah took a deep breath. “I think it's worth the risk,”

AJ wanted to say something more but his attention was diverted when he heard the laughter of one of the youngest residents of Ericson. His eyes turned towards the sound and he saw Mitchie running around Allison again and again. His wild mess of black hair nearly covered his dark brown eyes, causing him to nearly stumble. His hyperness didn’t cease though as his voice grew in volume.

“Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!” Mitchie ran in circles while Allison sat in the rocking chair that had been moved outside to the front of the admin building. Her hands rested on top of her pregnant belly as she watched her son in amusement. Suddenly Mitchie skidded to a halt in front of Allison and held his arms out wide. “I love you!”

A soft, fairly large smile appeared on Allison’s lips at those words. As soon as the words had left his lips Mitchie began to run in a circle again and again until he stopped when he noticed Willy walking alongside Prisha. Mitchie bolted towards the staircase, not thinking of how he was still learning to master them while running.

Prisha and Willy’s eyes grew large and they ran over to the admin building. Willy scooped his son up in his arms and spun him around once. “Hey there, Mitchie! Have you been doing a good job keeping your mom safe?” Willy smiled brightly as his son shook his head wildly.

“Yeah!” Mitchie exclaimed, holding tightly onto his dad’s clothes while Willy walked over to check on Allison.

“You doing okay, Allie?” Willy smiled softly, his eyes holding some concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Allison took Willy’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“You haven’t been overexerting yourself, right?” Prisha walked forward and looked over Allison’s way. Allison could see that Prisha was just as worried as Willy was. It made sense since it was nearing what Ruby guessed the due date would be.

“I’m fine. I’ve been sitting on my ass and rocking back and forth. I haven’t done any stupid shit, just hanging out with Mitchie,” Allison groaned in annoyance and leaned back in her chair, causing it to start rocking once more. She appreciated the concern, she really did, but she also didn’t want everyone hovering over her. It wasn’t like she was going to do anything reckless and she was clearly easy to spot and find.

“Alright, well perhaps you want some alone time for a bit,” Prisha placed her hand on her chin and began to try and brainstorm a possible activity that Mitchie would like.

“Prisha!” Violet’s voice called out to her wife, making Prisha spin around. Her eyes immediately brightened when she saw Violet and noticed that Violet’s eyes had done the same when she had seen Prisha. Jogging forward up the stairs, Violet stole a quick kiss from Prisha. Prisha smiled and deepened the kiss before giving another.

“I think some alone time would be nice,” Allison’s words pulled Prisha and Violet’s attention away from each other.

“Oh shit, sorry,” Violet messed with her glasses for a second. “I was just coming here to see if Prisha wanted to go fishing with me over at the pond.”

“Fish!” Mitchie screamed with excitement and squirmed out of Willy’s arms. Violet gave a light laugh as Mitchie scampered up towards her.

“I can take Mitchie with us too,” Violet offered, which Mitchie seemed very excited by.

“Sure, that would be great,” Allison smiled over at her mom and watched with amusement as Mitchie grabbed both Violet and Prisha’s hands and began to talk loudly about how much fun this was going to be. Violet and Prisha listened and shared a soft smile as they walked off, giving one final look back at Allison who waved goodbye.

“Do you want me to go too?” Willy glanced over at his wife who shook her head.

“No, you can stay,” Her words made Willy beam and he quickly knelt down and kissed Allison’s belly before stealing a kiss from her and sitting beside her. Immediately his hand took hers and he started to talk about this and that to pass the time while Allison quietly listened with a loving smile on her face.

“It seems like today is a good day for everyone,” Telulah commented with a smile. AJ nodded, giving a small smile over her way.

“Yeah,” AJ took a deep breath, his face animated as ever whenever he exhaled which made Telulah chuckle. AJ paused mid breath and looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“Nothing, you’re just cute,” Telulah leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to AJ’s lips. The romantic gesture made his heart do a small flip. AJ blinked in surprise before he hopped off the picnic table and did a little happy dance. “Okay! I’m ready! I’m gonna keep you safe!” AJ declared proudly with a confident grin as he placed his hands on his hips.

“I know you will,” Telulah smiled and got up from her spot. “Okay, I think I spotted James over with Jesse by the horses.”

“Okay,” AJ walked forward as Telulah grabbed her notebook, tucking it under her left arm. Telulah looked at her boyfriend, noticing the necklace that he was wearing, the one she had made to match hers. The simple red stone shone in the light and memories of that day flooded back into the forefront of Telulah’s mind, making her heart grow warm.

Her eyes traveled up and glanced at the scar on AJ’s cheek, the one he had gotten protecting Louis all those years ago on the night the Delta ship exploded. Her heart settled in a calming peace knowing that AJ would be by her side and do everything to keep her safe because that was who he was, a protector. Telulah’s finger brushed against AJ’s scar for a second, causing him to blush.

“Okay, onward to new discoveries!” Telulah crowed.

AJ gave a small nod then proceeded to boop Telulah’s nose. “Onward,” He smiled then quickly took Telulah’s hand in his. In a moment the two were off to where the horses were kept.

They immediately spotted Jesse who was sitting on the ground next to the horses, Adsila and Molly. Both horses looked happy now that their manes had been brushed and were content with the carrots James had recently offered them. James sat beside Jesse, his fingers intertwined with Jesse’s while his head rested on Jesse’s shoulder. His free hand was softly playing with Jesse’s hair as the two spoke about walking through the garden together where the flowers grew. It was only when Telulah and AJ were standing in front of them that the two got pulled away from their conversation.

“Guess time’s up,” Jesse sighed then leaned over and kissed James. He got to his feet, helping up James before looking over at Telulah and AJ. “It’s just going to be the three of you?”

“That's right! But don’t worry, I won’t let any walkers nibble on James,” Telulah smiled brightly, her words causing Jesse to give a faint chuckle.

“Sounds good to me but I know James can handle himself,” Jesse held James’ hand and smiled lovingly at him. “Be careful,”

“I will,” James cupped Jesse’s face and gave him a quick kiss, his eyes holding the same love that Jesse’s did. James gave Jesse’s hand one final squeeze then began to walk off with AJ and Telulah. The three of them quickly made their way over to the front gate where Omar was on watchduty.

James glanced over at Telulah. “So, the spot is ready if you are,” He gave a soft smile over Telulah’s way who returned the smile.

“Yep! I’m all set! I got my journal and everything!” Telulah held up her hand and moved it back and forth, displaying the journal.

“Oh shit! I forgot to get some things. Wait right here!” AJ kissed Telulah’s cheek quickly then sprinted off towards the dorm. Telulah watched AJ with curiosity as he ran off, wondering what he had forgotten.

“T,” Allison’s voice drew Telulah’s attention towards her friend who was making her way over with Willy.

“Allison, you shouldn’t be moving around so much,” Telulah smiled warmly at Allison who gave a small smile in return.

“Heh, I could say the same thing to you. Shouldn’t your ass be planted at the picnic table? We don’t want you getting a seizure while you’re out there,” Allison’s voice trailed off for a second.

“Don’t worry,” Telulah smiled brightly, her eyes glancing over at AJ who was sprinting back with the items he had acquired. “AJ is gonna be with me the whole time. He’ll make sure I’m safe and sound,” Telulah’s hand naturally slipped into AJ’s.

“True, AJ is tough, I’ll give him that,” Allison smiled over at her best friend who had a small frown on his face.

“I’m way more than tough,” AJ muttered before remembering why he had run off to grab the items in the first place. “I got you your helmet, T, in case your epilepsy strikes,” AJ smiled as he helped put a red bike helmet on Telulah, a small safety precaution to make sure that even if she had a seizure and fell she wouldn’t get any head damage. “Oh, and I got your journal carrier too,” AJ smiled proudly when he saw how happy Telulah was that he had remembered both of these things.

“You’re the best!” Telulah leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to AJ’s cheek then turned her attention on making sure her journal was secure.

“You better keep them safe, James,” AJ did his best tough guy impression which normally would be effective on anyone. Anyone it seemed except James who nodded his head eagerly.

“Of course!” James wanted to say more and explain that it wasn’t going to be that dangerous with the one walker he had guided to the spot. But before he could he noticed Lee Kenny scampering forward. Soon the young seven year old slid to a stop.

“T!”

“Yes!” Telulah responded with the same volume and energy that Lee Kenny had.

“You better make sure that my big brother comes back safe or else… or else you’re gonna have to deal with Maisy!” Lee Kenny puffed out his chest, trying his best to be intimidating.

Telulah gave a warm smile and knelt down in front of him. “I promise,” She held out her pinky which Lee Kenny immediately interlocked with his own. After he was sure he had done his job Lee Kenny started to head back.

“Lee Kenny, where are you supposed to be?” AJ’s question made his little brother’s eyes grow large for a second.

“The music room but Dad said it was okay for me to be the messenger and say goodbye,” Lee Kenny smiled proudly when he saw the look of approval on AJ’s face. Without another word he waved goodbye and headed back to the music room where Louis and Aasim were busy taking care of all the kids.

“Alright, well we should head out,” James’ whisper-like voice drew the others’ attention and with a few quick goodbyes James, Telulah and AJ were off.

James securely put on his gloves and mask made from walker flesh and whispered that it wouldn’t be too long of a walk. The three strolled through the woods with James leading the way to the spot where he had placed a single walker. He had been curious as to what Telulah was planning and was more than happy to have someone with a more positive outlook on walkers around Ericson. At least from the conversation he had had with Telulah she seemed more positive.

His gaze traveled over to the pair. AJ’s eyes were steady and trained on the environment. His knife was already out and ready to take down any walker that came across his path. James hoped that knife wouldn’t come to use today. He quickly returned his attention back to leading the way.

AJ’s eyes were focused on making sure no threats were nearby while sneaking small glances Telulah’s way. Telulah, meanwhile, was humming a happy tune, a tune she always hummed whenever she got super excited. The hunting knife that AJ had bartered for with a caravan a while back rested on her hip, the small Disco Broccoli keychain on it swaying back and forth with the movement. AJ’s mind went back to the day he had made that keychain for Telulah and saw how happy it had made her. But soon his attention returned to being on guard, only a faint part focusing on the fact that Telulah’s hand was in his. His heart felt more settled knowing that she was right beside him and if anything bad were to happen he could react the second it did.

“So, Telulah, you asked me to collect a walker today. Why?” James snuck a glance back her way.

“To study them. My hope is that if I get enough data that one day I can save someone from turning into a walker,”

Telulah’s statement made James pause for a moment and put all of his attention on her. “Really? You think that’s possible?”

“Sure! I think with enough research and studying you can make any dream a reality. This one is mine,” Telulah smiled brightly and patted her journal. “I’m hoping to get some really good notes today now that I have a chance to observe a walker up close. I’ve got you to thank for that,”

James was surprised by her answer and was quiet for a minute as he pondered it. A question began to burn in the forefront of his mind until he let it slip out. “Then what is your view on walkers?”

“My view on them?” Telulah raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment. “I guess I see them as creatures that have trapped humans,”

“Trapped them?” James walked forward, his mind solely on this conversation.

“That's right. How do I say this? I think that a part of who we are is still trapped inside a walker. You can sometimes see it in small aspects of their behavior or in other places like their eyes. What it feels like to be stuck in there, inside a decaying form, I have no idea but I’m guessing it's not so nice.” Telulah looked at James for a moment then glanced away, her eyes conflicted on whether to say what she wanted next. After a second she decided to elaborate further. “I want to be able to stop people from turning but that's not all. My hope, my goal, is to be able to change walkers back.”

James’ eyes grew large at those words, shocked by this news. A quick glance over at AJ, however, made it clear that he had heard this before.

“Years ago my brother Demetrius was bit and no matter how much he wanted me to end his life, I couldn’t.” Telulah took a shaky breath and felt AJ squeeze her hand, letting her know that he was still there. He had heard this story a while back and he knew how painful it was for Telulah to bring it up. But she wouldn’t bring it up if she didn’t trust James or feel like it wasn’t important to share. After a moment Telulah continued. “Not when there could be a way to change him back. So I’m going to keep researching walkers, studying them and understanding what makes them tick and one day I’m going to get my brother back!” Telulah smiled confidently even though her eyes were filled with sadness due to the painful memories.

“That's...” James was at a loss for words. “Amazing,”

“Thanks.” Telulah beamed and strolled forward with AJ, making James jog forward so he could walk alongside them.

“So then if you view them as people or something in between,” James took a deep breath, “If you see the life in their eyes like I do, then you must not kill walkers, right?”

“No, I still do. They’re a threat just as much as any human can be a threat. If they’re going about their way then I won’t go out of mine to kill them,” Telulah paused and picked up a few rocks, stuffing them in her pocket. “But if they try to hurt me or someone I care about, then I have no issue with killing them. I know my dream is lofty and it could help people but not everyone can be saved. I know that and I’m not going to risk my loved ones’ lives for a walker’s,”

Telulah’s answer seemed to sadden James somewhat. Still he seemed happy to have someone who valued walkers’ lives even if it was to a degree and in a way that was different from his. James began to lead the way once more, talking about how his ideals differed from Telulah’s. All the while his hands moved animatedly as he tried to shake off the social anxiety of the situation. A few times a walker crossed their path and James immediately threw a rock to guide it away before continuing forward.

After some time had passed James spoke up once more. “We’re almost at the barn,” He looked back at the pair for a moment then returned his attention back in front of him.

His words had made AJ’s anxiety come crashing back. Memories over a decade old invaded his mind, plaguing it with that awful night. The night he had to take Tenn’s life, the night Clementine’s leg had been bitten and the night where he nearly had made a fatal mistake. The cries of the walkers rang in his ears, the smell of blood overwhelmed his nostrils and his heart felt like it was beating way too fast to be safe. His breathing was uneven and his mind lost amongst memories of the past, causing him to stand frozen in place.

That’s when Telulah noticed AJ tense up. Immediately she stopped. “What's wrong?”

Telulah’s words snapped AJ out of his head space and his eyes wandered over towards hers. “Nothing, I’m fine.” he lied, quickly hiding his face so that Telulah couldn’t see his expression.

“Seriously, AJ, are you okay? I know I asked you before if this would be too much for you. If it is we can head back and I’ll come back another day. I can take someone else with me like Willy or-”

“I’ll be fine. I just gotta shake this off,” AJ cut off Telulah, trying to reassure her, but he could see that she was only focused on his well-being.

“I’m worried about you. I don’t want to bring back heavy memories for you,” Telulah’s words made AJ glance down.

“It’s fine,” AJ tried to calm down his anxiety but it wasn’t working.

Telulah was silent for a few seconds then turned towards James. “James, give us a few minutes, okay?”

James looked over at Telulah then at AJ. In an instant he seemed to pick up on what was happening. He gave a short nod. “Alright, let me know when you’re ready,” James walked off and leaned against a tree, taking the moment to enjoy the nature around him and giving the two the space they needed.

Telulah gave James an appreciative smile then grabbed onto AJ’s hand and guided him over towards another tree and sat down with him. She silently took both of his hands in hers before speaking. “AJ, just focus on my face. Forget about everything else for a moment and just focus on my face and your breathing,”

Telulah noticed AJ’s hesitation to do so. It wasn’t exactly the safest spot they were in. But once he saw her eyes and the calmness within them he decided to listen. Slowly he began to follow her deep breaths, his breath being as animated as usual. He focused on her small smile, the look of trust and concern in her eyes. He inhaled again, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling. He pulled all of his focus away from the world and on the fact that Telulah was here with him. Her presence became an anchor for him to hold onto as his mind and heart battled the anxiety. After a few minutes of deep breaths and focusing on Telulah, AJ felt his nerves lessen, even if it was for just a moment.

“Okay, I’m going to ask you again. Do you want to go back home?” Telulah gently rubbed circles on top of AJ’s hands. “Whatever you choose, I’ll support it,”

With that reassurance in mind AJ answered. “Let’s stay here. I want to be here with you. If I went back today and you still came back here...” AJ’s voice gew quiet for a second. “I’d still be worried so even if I’m anxious I wanna be with you,” AJ’s eyes locked with Telulah and she could see the determination burning within them.

“Okay, then let’s go,” Telulah’s usual bright smile returned and she helped up AJ, quickly guiding him back to James. “We’re ready,”

James nodded, leading the way forward, and gently pushed open the door to the barn.

The walker stood in the same spot, looking rather intrigued by the beam overheard. Its bald head shone in the sunlight that pierced through the barn and its clothes were slowly withering off its decaying body. As James, Telulah and AJ walked inside it turned around due to the sound, its milky white eyes looking off into the middle distance in between the humans, unable to pinpoint where each one was. A low, unearthly groan left its lips revealing that it had very little teeth and rather plump gums.

Telulah let out a low whistle then looked around for the best spot to safely study the walker. Her eyes quickly found  a stack of hay that would be high enough that she wouldn’t get harmed but large enough that if she did have a seizure she wouldn’t fall. “AJ, can you help me up there?”

AJ followed his girlfriend’s sight to the stack of hay and gave a nod. Using both of his hands for a spot that Telulah could step on, AJ worked to get her up there before accepting her hand and being pulled up as well. He immediately took out his knife and was on guard while Telulah got out her journal.

Flipping past pages from interviews with Clementine about her amputation and various other interviews with some of the other Ericson residents about their experiences with walker bites, Telulah found a new blank page. “Alright, Gumbo, let’s see what I can learn from you,” Telulah whispered with a smile, her eyes shining with the excitement of the potential new discoveries she could make. She immediately jotted down its physical appearance as her tongue stuck out in concentration as it always did whenever she was fixated on something. After the physical appearance was written down she then tested out the walker’s visual and hearing abilities.

Using the windchimes within the barn as well as the multiple rocks she picked up, Telulah began the series of tests. Her pencil scratched against the paper as she jotted down her findings as well as any peculiar features or behaviors that the walker she’d named Gumbo showed. Something about the walker’s eyes seemed to intrigue Telulah, the way they reacted to a certain test made her want to run more tests on the walker focusing on its eyes and so she did.

AJ sat by her side, ever vigilant in making sure she was completely safe. His grip remained tight and his breathing was still uneven which concerned Telulah greatly. After a while, Telulah yawned and mumbled that she had gotten enough notes for today before thanking James.

“I think these notes will be really helpful, but I’m going to stick to interviews and watching walkers from afar for a little while.” Telulah intertwined her fingers with AJ’s. “Thanks, for coming with me and for keeping me safe even if it meant you had to deal with memories from the past,” Telulah gave an apologetic smile.

“I’m just glad you’re ok. Now let’s get home where it's safe,” AJ gave a small smile then began to lead the way back. Soon he was lost in a conversation with Telulah on the topic of playing card games that evening.

James watched them as he followed behind. His eyes focused on Telulah and noticed her positive, bright energy. A small smile appeared on his lips. Even though she didn’t have the exact same views as him, she still agreed with him on things that most people wouldn’t. A warmness appeared in James’ heart at the realization that he had a new friend. He was curious though on whether her dream and research could ever lead to the future she was striving for. Whatever the case may be, James hoped that she would reach her goal even if it felt out of reach.

[ericsonclan]

Frosty The Snowman

Summary: AJ and Telulah work together to make the perfect Frosty the snowman.

Word Count: 1569

Read on AO3:

“This is gonna be so awesome!” AJ excitedly walked out hand in hand with Telulah.

“Yeah, we’re gonna make the best Frosty the Snowman ever!” Telulah smiled brightly as she balanced the top hat and broom that was tucked under her arm. “Who knows, maybe the snowman will even come to life!”

AJ’s eyes grew wide in awe at the thought but he soon brushed it off. He wasn’t a little kid anymore; he knew there wasn’t anything like magic. “Nah, it won’t,”

“I don’t know, Christmas is the time for miracles,” Telulah pressed a kiss to AJ’s cheek then spun around slowly as the snowflakes drifted down and landed on her winter hat. The sixteen year old looked over at her boyfriend, immediately picking up on the concern in his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m super warm and prepared. No seizures are getting me today,”

AJ walked forward and placed down the items he was carrying. “I know, it's just-” The teen stopped himself. Telulah knew as well as he did that cold weather increased the chances of an epileptic seizure. Without warning, AJ wrapped his girlfriend up in a hug then jogged over and picked up some snow. “Time to make the coolest snowman ever!” AJ felt his heart warm when he saw Telulah beam at that.

“Hell yeah! I even brought my notes from last year so we can fix our mistakes,” Telulah strolled over and started to help her boyfriend. Both of them tried to figure out the perfect spot while they went over the details of Frosty in the short animated film they had just watched. They wanted it to be as close to the movie version as possible.

AJ packed together a snowball as tight as he could then plopped it on the ground and started to roll it. While he did that Telulah started to the middle part of the snowman.

“T! Can you help me roll this?” AJ pushed over the base of the snowman that was starting to build in width.

“Sure!” Telulah grabbed the base and started to add to it. Soon the couple started to make a game of it, pushing the snowball and passing it back and forth.

“When we get back inside we should watch that Disco Broccoli Christmas Special!” AJ looked over at his girlfriend who nodded with enthusiasm.

“Yes! Then we need to watch Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Alpha's Magical Christmas! ” Telulah bounced on the balls of her feet as she shared a high five with AJ. The two of them did their own version of happy dances. It didn’t matter if they were supposed to be too old for those kinds of movies, they loved them and that’s what mattered.

“We need to have tons of hot cocoa and popcorn too!” AJ grunted as he helped his girlfriend push the base of the snowman in place.

“Yeah, and lots of blankets too. We could make a blanket fort!”

AJ nodded enthusiastically then his eyes sparkled with a new idea. “We should have a race with the last two snowballs. Winner gets to watch their movie first,”

“Deal!” Telulah was all pumped up, totally prepared to win.

“Ready… Set…” AJ leaned over and stole a quick kiss from Telulah which made her freeze as a dorky smile appeared on her lips. “Go!” AJ rolled his snowball through the snow with giddy laughter.

“Hey, no fair! That kiss was a distraction!” Telulah started to chase after her boyfriend with the snowball.

“I gotta watch Disco Broccoli first!” AJ gave a confident smile back at Telulah. “All’s fair in love and Christmas competitions,”

“So that's how you’re gonna play this. Okay,” Telulah cracked her knuckles and the competition was on.

It was a close one as both of them gave their all but in the end, AJ won. He smiled smugly as he did his little victory dance.

“That was cheap,”

“Nuh-uh, it was totally fair. You could’ve done the kiss move first, you're just upset that I thought of it,” AJ lifted up the second part of the snowman all by himself, pumped up and ready to show off to his girlfriend.

“AJ, wait-”

But it was too late, AJ had already lost his balance and fallen on his butt. Luckily the big snowball hadn’t broken.

“Are you okay?” Telulah jogged over with a small laugh and helped up AJ.

“Yeah, just looked stupid,” A pout was clear on his lips. “Awww, come on, don’t be a grumpy bear,” Telulah teased her boyfriend as she helped brush snow off of him.

“I’m not grumpy, it was just the snow being shitty,” AJ huffed, his pout remaining.

“Uh huh, okay. Well I know the cure for grumpiness,” Telulah brushed her nose against his. “Ta-da! Your grumpiness is gone!”

It was true. AJ was so focused on how his heart was fluttering that he had completely forgotten all about how much of a dummy he had looked moments ago.

Quickly the two turned their attention to getting the rest of the parts of the snowman together. Once that was done Telulah took out her Christmas notebook and studied it closely, her tongue stuck out in concentration the way it always did when she was focused. AJ smiled at the sight - it was one of the many things he loved about his girlfriend.

“Okay, let's make sure the snow is packed and really tight then we can make the snowman look like Frosty,” Telulah snapped her notebook closed then tucked it away. The pair immediately got to work and got the snow just right before placing the buttons on the snowman’s face to make his eyes and smile. When that was complete Telulah worked to get the top hat and broom set up just right. AJ worked to put in the ‘smoking pipe’ he and Telulah had made from an old wine cork and stick.

“There! It’s done!” AJ placed his hands on his hips and smiled at the creation. His smile faltered though when he didn’t hear Telulah say anything. A second later he heard a soft thud and glanced down. His heart dropped when he noticed that his girlfriend was having a seizure.

“Don’t worry, T! I’ve got you!” He knelt beside her, rolling her over on her side so she wouldn’t choke. Next, he worked to cushion her head and loosened the scarf around her neck so her airway was clear. Once that was done he turned his head towards the house. “Mom! Dad! Telulah is having a seizure!”

It only took Lee and Carley a minute to run outside and help. AJ felt his worry grow; it wasn’t the first time Telulah had had a seizure in front of him but each time it happened he couldn’t get the pit in his stomach to leave until she woke up again. All he could do now was stay by her side and make sure she was okay during all this.

Telulah woke up with a groan. Her neck and body felt stiff and exhaustion seemed to seep into her very bones. She looked around in confusion as her head pounded with a slight headache. It took her a minute to remember what had happened and where she was. Telulah looked over at the small collection of Disco Broccoli and Friends Christmas edition plushies right next to her and noticed a red blanket with snowflakes on it was draped over her.  

“You’re up,” Carley smiled as she walked over and sat on the end of the couch. “How are you doing?” “Okay. Where’s AJ?” Telulah asked as she propped herself up on her elbows.

“He went outside with Lee to shake off the antsy feeling. Want me to get him for you?”

Telulah gave a short nod and Carley got up, wandering off to the front door. After a minute the door opened again and AJ haphazardly kicked off his shoes.

“AJ,” Carley’s tone made the sound of footsteps disappear. “Put away your shoes,”

“But T-”

“Listen to your mom, kiddo,” Lee added. Telulah heard the footsteps pick up again and after a minute they grew louder as they drew closer to her. After a few seconds, she spotted AJ’s afro.

AJ’s eyes shone with relief and happiness when he saw that she was okay. Running over, he stopped by the couch. “Hey, T, feeling okay?”

“Yep, just tired,” Telulah tapped her fingers on top of AJ’s hand.

“Wanna watch a movie?”

“Sure,”

AJ gave Telulah’s hand a gentle squeeze then got up and started up the movie. It took a second for Telulah to realize that it wasn’t the Disco Broccoli special but Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Alpha's Magical Christmas.

“AJ-”

“I won the snowball race so I get to pick and I wanna start with this one first,” AJ walked back and sat down by Telulah. Telulah smiled over at her boyfriend, feeling lucky to have him. “Hey,”

Telulah’s voice drew over AJ’s attention.

“You’re even cooler than the Power Rangers, you know that?”

AJ smiled brightly at that.

“You’re way cooler than the Power Rangers too, T,” AJ leaned over and kissed his girlfriend. After a few minutes, the movie started and both of them settled down, ready to fast forward any scenes that could be too much for Telulah’s epilepsy but excited to enjoy the Christmas fun that the movie brought once more.

[ericsonclan]

Disco Broccoli Adventures

Summary: AJ and Telulah decide to make their own Disco Broccoli movie and plan to make it the best one ever!

Word Count: 2243

Read on AO3:

“You ready to rock with Kali Carot?” Telulah smiled up at AJ while he worked on Telulah’s green carrot top ponytail.

“I can’t wait! I just need to get this ponytail on juuuuust right,” AJ stuck out his tongue in concentration as his white disco jacket crumpled due to the sudden movement. The purple shirt underneath which Telulah and AJ had thrown glitter on was already dotted with green spray on temporary hair dye. AJ and Telulah wanted to make sure they looked as authentic to the characters as possible which meant that AJ had to have his afro green. Of course they hadn’t planned to spray the camellia flowers in the process. Now some of Lee’s white flowers were dyed green. Telulah and AJ had shared a worried look but quickly interlocked pinkies and swore a scallion secret.

Telulah was nearly all blinged out in her brown Disco Broccoli n Pals outfit. She had gone with her favorite veggie Kali Carrot, a chill root vegetable that loved jamming out and had killer eyesight. Something about her design - a jumpsuit striped with orange and purple along with her golden ringed belt and her badass keyboard - always resonated with Telulah. Now that she had found a friend who loved Disco Broccoli n Pals as much as she did, it meant that they got to geek out to their hearts’ content about them.

Telulah glanced up at AJ and felt her heart beat a little bit faster. AJ felt different from her other friends though; something about him just made Telulah feel a certain way. She watched him for another second then returned to studying her special notebook filled with their secret plans for today. They were going to shoot the greatest homemade Disco Broccoli movie of all time. They had the best outfits, a video camera and even awesome props to make it feel extra cool. Telulah’s fingers skimmed the pages as she looked at all the awesome drawings she and AJ had done in preparation for today. “We’re going to make the best movie today,” she declared, bouncing lightly in place.

“Yeah! It's gonna be the coolest,” AJ smiled down at Telulah then resumed his work when suddenly his finger slipped and he put a hair pin in the wrong spot. “Shit!”

The two of them froze for a second before AJ quickly corrected himself.

“I meant shoot. Don’t tell my mom and dad,” AJ gave big puppy dog eyes down at his best friend. Telulah was silent for a split second then lifted up her pinky.

“Scallion secret?” Her smile grew when she saw how happy AJ was that she wouldn’t tell.

“Scallion secret!” AJ interlocked his pinky with Telulah before pressing his thumb against hers. “A kiss to seal it!” AJ beamed at Telulah whose eyes grew large at that statement.

“A kiss?” Telulah’s tone made AJ pause, confused if he’d done something wrong.

“Yeah, my mom and dad always do that with their pinky promises.” AJ was silent for a minute. “That's okay, right, T? I didn’t do a bad?”

“No! I like it! A kiss to seal!” Telulah pressed her thumb against AJ’s one more time then turned to lean over and grab her keyboard. “I can’t believe you have Kali Carrot’s Kickin’ Keyboard! I ended up breaking mine during one of my seizures and Demetrius worked to fix it but I guess I really broke it.” Telulah smiled at the thought of her older brother then looked down at the keyboard as she struggled to get it on with her special new hairstyle that AJ had helped put on.

“I can help,” AJ offered and assisted Telulah in getting the keyboard strap on. His gaze turned to the ground for a few moments after he finished helping her.

“AJ? Are you okay? Does your tummy hurt?” Telulah asked with concern.

“No, it’s just...” AJ focused on his fingers. “I tried to get Clem to convince Mom and Dad to let me use the pillows in the backyard but they said they would get stained.”

Telulah didn’t have to ask why he had tried to do that. She already knew. Ever since the day that AJ learned that Telulah had epilepsy and could have seizures at any moment he promised to be her special bodyguard. He told her that he’d keep her safe and that she wouldn’t hurt her head on anything as long as he was around. Telulah felt super lucky to have someone like AJ who cared that much about her safety even though the seizures only came around twice a month. AJ must've thought that putting pillows all over the ground would mean that Telulah could run around just as wildly as he could. “It’s okay!” Telulah smiled brightly. “We can just get close shots and make it look like I’m doing cool moves while I sit.”

AJ seemed happy with that suggestion and nodded excitedly. His hand rummaged around in his pockets to get the last piece of his outfit in place. Opening up the purple shades, AJ slipped them on his face and struck a disco pose. “It's time for Disco Broccoli and Kali Carrot to save the world!” “Through music and punches!” Telulah added with a grin.

“Yeah!” AJ did a happy little dance. He could hardly contain his excitement about making the movie. First thing was first, they had to film themselves back to back while they sang the Disco Broccoli theme song. AJ quickly ran around this way and that in search of a rock to prop up the video camera. After searching for a few minutes and finding some cool worms to show to Telulah, AJ had found a suitable rock. He worked hard to get the camera just right while Telulah encouraged her new worm buddies that they’d find them the best patch of dirt soon enough.

“I got it!” AJ declared loudly and scampered over after he pressed the record button. Sliding on his butt into place, he leaned his back against Telulah’s and the two beamed at the camera. “I’m Disco Broccoli!” AJ gave a cool smile.

“And I’m Kali Carrot!” Telulah added and held up her keyboard.

“And we’re gonna save the world with our music!” The two said in unison and quickly Telulah began to play the Disco Broccoli theme. She missed a few keys but that didn’t stop the pair from belting out the song.

“If you want to eat our roots, you’ll first have to jam to our groovy tunes. Feel the rhythm, boogie right, all these veggies gonna show you a funky sight…”

Both Telulah and AJ had way too much fun singing the theme song that they sang it twice. After that was filmed AJ stopped the recording and worked on all of Telulah’s cool scenes. They got the riskier shots done first. Telulah gave a mighty kick in one take then moved her fingers up and down the keys on her keyboard.

“My groovy tunes will save you!” Telulah flashed a confident grin at the camera and AJ felt his heart pound faster. She was so awesome. Something about Telulah just felt special to AJ. “Was that good?” Telulah’s question made AJ snap out of his awe.

“Yeah, that was awesome!” AJ shot out his arms and beamed at his best friend. “Okay, my turn!” AJ made sure Telulah was safely sitting down then sprinted off to grab some more glitter for his clothes. Telulah got the camera ready and began to film AJ, capturing all of his epic punches and kicks and cool stunts like hopping down from some bricks that were a foot above the ground.

Telulah cheered AJ on with each one of his moves and bounced excitedly as he struck groovy disco poses. After that the pair did some stunts together, jamming out some mad tunes to defeat the evil before them: a pillow on a chair with a mop head, googly eyes and a deep frown made out of colored paper. Time flew by as the two of them laughed and created what they were sure would be the greatest home movie of all time.

Everything was going great until AJ tried to do a bit of a riskier stunt, jumping from a chair onto the brick sidewalk. “Watch out evil, you’re about to deal with the funky tunes of Kali Carrot and Disco Broccoli!” he exclaimed and was confident all the way throughout the stunt until he landed on his ankle funny. Telulah immediately knew something was up and ran over to check on AJ. AJ clutched his ankle and began to blow on his scraped leg. He winced in pain then looked over at Telulah. “Don’t worry, T.I’ll be okay and we can still defeat the bad guys!”

“Okay but I’m gonna get some help first!” Telulah ran off before AJ could stop her.

“Come on, Princess Peach, let's get that victory!” Lee encouraged his character as she rode forward in her cart. He was comfortably in first place when all of a sudden a blue shell zoomed forward and collided with the princess’ kart. “What?!?” Lee stared in disbelief as Mario nyoomed by him.

“Sorry, but I’m winning this round,” Carley smiled lovingly over at her husband and planted a kiss on his cheek but he saw the competitiveness in her eyes.

“Oh yeah? Well, just you wait and-” Lee was cut short as Princess Peach’s kart got hit by a green shell. “Who the hell?” Lee’s question was answered as Wario raced past him.

“Sorry, Lee, better next luck next time,” Clementine smirked over at her dad while Louis was snuggled comfortably in her arms.

“Well, I’m about to take the lead here, my darling,” Louis tilted his head back and kissed his wife then spammed the unlimited temporary mushrooms that gave him a speed boost. Yoshi shot forward, giving nonsensical exclamations as he tore through the race track until suddenly Louis didn’t turn a corner at the right angle and ran into a wall. “Damn it,” Louis’ smile immediately turned into a pout. He soon accepted that he wouldn’t be winning this round but Clementine, Carley and Lee all were still extremely competitive as they fought to get first place.

“Sneak attack!” Lee leaned over and stole a kiss from Carley. Carley froze for a second, genuinely pleasantly surprised by the tender kiss. So much so that Princess Peach bumped Mario’s kart off the track and claimed first place on the final lap.

“Hey, that was cheap!” Carley playfully swatted Lee’s arm who chuckled.

“All’s fair in love and Mario Kart and that move was true to both,”

“Oh yeah? What if I pulled the same move?” Carley leaned forward and Lee dodged her kiss. “Just accept my kiss!”

“In any other scenario I would but I have to defeat my daughter in Mario Kart right now!” Lee tried his best but soon Carley pressed a kiss to his cheek. The romantic gesture made Lee’s concentration slip for a second and a second was all Clementine needed to pull ahead. Before Lee even realized it he had lost the track.

Clementine smiled over smugly. “Looks like I’m still the best Mario Kart player,”

“Where did you get all this smug sass from?” Lee crossed his arms, a playful smile on his lips.

“Well, she is our daughter,” Carley put in and Lee nodded in agreement.

“That explains everything,”

Louis was about to jump into the conversation but the back door opened all of the sudden and Telulah jogged in.

“Hey, T, everything cool?” Louis asked the tween who shook her head.

“AJ twisted his ankle,” Telulah’s statement made the four pause the game and go outside to check on AJ. Carley had run to grab an ice pack and towel while Louis and Clementine got the Disco Broccoli bandaids. After a tough guy act from AJ that lasted all of three seconds before he saw the concern in Telulah’s eyes he accepted the bandaid and help. A few minutes later AJ was laying on the couch. Telulah wanted to stay and watch some episodes of Disco Broccoli but her older brother had showed up to pick her up.

“I promise I’ll work super hard to make the movie and I'll show it to you next time!” Telulah gave AJ a quick hug then headed home. AJ lay on the couch and glanced at his hurt foot. It would heal soon enough; he would just look forward to the home movie and seeing Telulah again to keep his mind off of it.

A few days passed before Telulah showed up again. Her excitement was barely contained as she barrelled to the TV to connect her computer. Carley tried to help but even after all these years she was still clueless when it came to setting up electronics. So Lee worked to set it up as Carley got some popcorn ready for AJ and Telulah.

Soon the home movie was all set and Telulah sat down right by AJ and began to bounce happily as the movie started. Instantly the two of them became lost inside the world of the home movie, both of them pointing out different action moves and gushing about how cool the other looked. Even though AJ had gotten hurt it had all been worth it. They really had created the greatest home movie of all time.