#(yes I have two lock screens- one with fandom art for at home and one with old painting for uni/going out)

[yourlocalabomination]

Read my tags real quick guys. Below is proof.

The starcanwrecked fandom has the most talented artists ever, I'll die on this hill you all make the most incredible art of all time.

[laisaxrem]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Naruto Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi Characters: Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi Additional Tags: Kakasaku Month 2021, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Same Age, Flirting, Sort Of Summary:

Sakura joined the Dice Club almost as a joke. She did not imagine that thanks to the application she would meet one of the most fascinating men she had ever seen.

KakaSaku Month 2021. Week 1 - AU. Day 4 - Same Age

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Sakura had just finished a fifteen hour shift in the hospital and was on her way home.

The hot sun on her skin was a relief after being locked in four walls all that time so she had chosen to get out of the subway a couple of stops before her usual and take a stroll. She couldn’t wait to take another shower after the quick one in the hospital, throw herself into bed and sleep for a few hours. She regretted a little bit having said yes to her friends when they offered her an evening together because that meant she couldn’t sleep more than five hours… but at the same time she wanted to see Naruto, Ino and the others again. So Sakura quickened her pace a little, the music pounding in her ears through the earphones, her purse bobbing on her side.

She was half a dozen streets away from hers when her cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out to see if it was something important (“not the hospital, not the hospital, please please, not the hospital”) and discovered that it was a notification from the Dice Club.

Sakura had joined the Dice Club just for fun.

Her ex-boyfriend had dumped her because she was too adventurous in bed, the one before him because she wasn’t enough, so she had decided to put her love life on hold. But she missed the sex terribly. Once, while hanging out on her favorite porn site, she came across an ad advertising the Dice Club. Intrigued, she had opened a new page in her browser and looked for some information. What she had found had thrilled her.

The rules of the game were simple. The first phase was the registration in which each interested party was asked for a whole series of information on sexual orientation and personal tastes about the aesthetics of the partners. Once registered, each member received a unique identification code and two special dice to always carry with them, one with an action and the other with a part of the body. Once the dice were received, you were officially part of the club and the real game began. Through an application on the mobile phone, the Dice combined small meetings between members that the administrators deemed compatible.

And apparently her walk had brought her close to one of these person.

A075BL91 is nearby. Do you want to meet A075BL91?

Sakura weighed her options. She could press “no”, go home and continue with her schedule for the day. Or she could answer yes and take a detour and see if this new person inspired her anything. Okay, she was tired and the other times it hadn’t gone too well (she had also blocked two men and reported a woman) but she had lost a patient that night, a fifteen year old boy who had taken his parent’s car without permission, and she wanted to get distracted a little.

So, without giving herself time to think about it, she gave a short tap with her finger on the green rectangle and waited for the response of the app, her heart beating in her throat. Once both parties had accepted the meeting, in fact, the application provided the directions to reach the other person and each time that waiting devoured her alive.

Finally the phone vibrated again and Sakura hastened to unlock the screen. Apparently the meeting point with her partner was two streets from her. Quickening her pace, Sakura walked towards the indicated point, her two plastic dice that seemed to weigh tons in her jacket pocket.

When she turned the last corner she discovered that the street was not empty. A man was standing in the exact center of the road, his head bowed to his cell phone.

And well, A075BL91 was definitely cool and definitely her type.

He was tall, probably about five and a half feet, but it was difficult to tell because his silver hair was combed up (silver hair, really? Yet he was definitely around her age, Sakura had specified that during the inscription). He had a lean and not too muscular body, just the way she liked it (surely he regularly kept himself in shape, perhaps with some martial arts?). He had a shoulder bag which Sakura determined to be the case of a professional camera and was dressed very casually. He was too far away to see the color of his eyes but Sakura didn’t really care about it because she was focused on staring at the perfection of those features to really look after it.

In short, she liked what she saw, she liked it a lot.

Swallowing a bit with difficulty and trying to give herself an attitude, Sakura headed towards the man who, at the sound of her footsteps on the asphalt, raised her head and stared at her. Shit, he was terrifyingly cool. Those lips… Sakura was in desperate need to kiss those lips and lick that little mole and… “what the fuck, take it easy, girl”.

When they finally found themselves a few steps away, Sakura stopped and slightly returned the smile that was offered to her by that charming stranger and the woman had to ignore the pleasant tightness that that slight curving of lips had caused in her stomach. She had to quickly find someone to have sex with if the mere sight of a handsome man reduced her to that state.

Then, without a word, the stranger pulled the dice from his jeans pocket and casually tossed them onto his open hand. Sakura couldn’t help but lean forward slightly to peek at the result. “TOUCH” and “NECK”. The woman felt a shiver run down her spine as he read the instructions and then fixed his dark eyes on her (grey, the stranger’s eyes were grey). In two steps he was close to her, just slightly inside her personal space, and in a deep voice he asked: ��May I?»

Sakura nodded and he reached out until his long, hot fingers touched her neck. It was a long, slow and deliberate contact, from under her ear to where her skin met the fabric of the shirt visible under the open leather jacket. When he lowered her arm, she ignored the rapid beating of her heart and pulled out her set of dice and then dropped them on her left hand stretched out in front of her, close to the stranger's chest. This time two different commands came out: “SUCK” and “HAND”.

Oh, well, not bad. Without hesitation, she again shortened the distance with her playmate and waited for him to raise his arm. She then looked at him questioningly and, having obtained a nod, she gently took him by the wrist, bringing his hand to her lips. Mirroring his slow movements, she opened her lips a little and slipped his index finger into her mouth, her eyes fixed on that almost too perfect (almost) face. When she saw a sparkle in his dark eyes, she sucked his finger hard a couple of times before letting go (but not before running her tongue slowly around the last phalanx).

This time the man did not immediately move away from her and remained in her personal space for a few seconds, his eyes chained to hers that seemed darker than they had been only two minutes before.

She wanted to say something to him and opened her mouth to do it (even though part of her knew that everything that would come out of her lips would be a proposal to follow her home for an afternoon full of sex) when she felt the phone vibrate continuously in her pocket. Shit, a call.

With a small sigh, Sakura took a step away and smiled again, greeting him with a slight wave of her hand as she grabbed the phone and answered her intern.

***

«Kanpai!» Naruto roared for what was probably the tenth time.

Sakura laughed as she raised her glass of whiskey and brought it to her lips without hesitation. Okay, maybe she was slightly drunk, but for the first time in weeks she was really relaxed: she had forgotten how different it was, infinitely more beautiful, drinking with someone instead of doing it alone.

She also seemed to suffer less the alcohol as she chatted and laughed and toasted with her friends (her doctor’s mind told her it was an illusion, of course, but right now she liked to be lulled into that illusion… she would have count with hangover the following day).

She was emptying the last drop of amber liquid into her throat, Naruto’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, when she felt the short blast she had assigned to the application of the Dice. After checking that Naruto wasn’t peeking, she unlocked her cell phone and quickly read the notification text:

A075BL91 has added you to favorites.

As soon as a smile curled her lips, a new notification arrived:

Do you want to add A075BL91 to your favorites?

Without thinking too much Sakura pressed “yes”. Then, the smug expression still painted on her face, she went back to dedicating herself to her friends.

***

Blin.

Kakashi picked up the cell phone that he had badly thrown on the bed seconds before. Smiling briefly at the screensaver on which Pakkun’s frowning face stood, he opened the notification of the application he was using just before:

J837PH26 has added you to favorites.

Kakashi’s smile widened and he threw his cell phone back on the bed along with his clothes and slipped under the shower, the memory of the pink-haired woman, her warm touch on his wrist and her tongue around his index finger, still vivid within him.

[philliamwrites]

Ocean Eyes, Golden Mind

Fandom: All For The Game (Nora Sakavic)

Pairing: Neil/Andrew

Tags: #math nerd neil, #neil with glasses, #no exy

Summary: In which Neil hates his new prescribed glasses until they attract the interest of a certain Andrew Minyard.

Commissioner: Ziegenkind

Notes: Title taken from Billie Eilish’s ‘Ocean Eyes.’

Ocean Eyes, Golden Mind

Dude, it’s just a frat party. Who doesn’t go to frat parties?

     The message flashes Neil’s screen white, its sender none other than his roommate Nicky who is supposed to study for an upcoming test in Public Policy in exactly nineteen hours. That’s what Neil writes him. Nicky’s reply comes instantly.

Those who study tend not to party. You know. Like you.

     Neil leaves him on read. If he wants to party, he’ll lock himself inside his room, two bottles of Jack Daniel’s by his side while watching every existing compilation of cats attacking people on the small screen of his phone. He knows how to have a good time, alright. Not everyone has to set their scale like Nicky: More than once Neil has been the spectator of him coming back to the dormitory completely wasted, but still eager enough to get frozen waffles from the fridge. Being too drunk to put them in the toaster, he usually just climbs up to his top bunk and puts them between his thighs to eat them partially defrosted. It’s this fragile line between genius and stupidity that has Neil doubting if he should fill in a request for changing roommates or just live with the fact that Nicky Hemmick is one special kind of man.

    So instead of spending his night curled into himself, wall against his back and eyes on every stranger distributing awful shots, Neil sits at the Math Tutoring Centre on the west side of the campus and gives group tutoring sessions.

    Math comes to Neil like breathing. Like Bertrand Russel said, not only does Mathematics possess truth, but supreme beauty—a beauty cold and austere, like that of a sculpture. It is sublimely pure, and capable of a stern perfection such as only the greatest art can show. It is poetry—elegant and deep—of logical ideas to create harmony in a written line. Once he tried to explain that to Nicky over microwaved Mac n Cheese with Girls running in the background, clearly overestimating him, because Nicky only stared into space for a few seconds, and replied, “You really need to get laid, man.”

    Reluctant at the beginning, Neil only agreed to join the Tutor Program because his math professor promised to throw in some extra cash. Something about raising the graduate numbers in order to get the board of education off his back. That’s where Neil’s jurisdiction of interest ends, but he has enjoyed it more than expected—the empty hallways, the harsh light of the ceiling lamps, the smell of chalk, the faint echoes of students still lingering in classrooms. There’s this magic about the Palmetto State University at night—a vulnerability that can only live once the sun sets behind the horizon. When else would he find a kid sleeping under a table in the library, or seniors breaking down in tears for exact 10 minutes before continuing their studies as if nothing has happened.

    There’s another reason he’d rather spend his evening on campus, one Nicky doesn’t need to know because then Neil won’t hear the end of it. That reason being 5’0’’ tall chemistry prodigy Andrew Minyard, sitting in the last row of Neil’s math sessions each Friday. He only knows about him thanks to Nicky’s never-ending complaints, but that never really stopped him from throwing a few or more glances in Andrew’s direction. Just curiosity, of course.

    So when he stands in front of the blackboard now, putting away his lesson papers which are full of numbers and equations—the kind that has enough letters to look like sentences—he feels dozens eyes burn holes in the back of his neck, and one pair belongs to Andrew. No one asks why he’s here, but everyone knows he doesn’t need to be.

    In his one year of giving tutoring sessions, Neil has learnt that exactly three types of students exist: Students who are really good, certainly not in need of the extra lessons, but going anyway for some extra ego-buff and unnecessary brain-flexing. The second type is students who are okay, doing their tasks, following the lesson, not really attracting any attention safe for some crude jokes. The last type has Neil questioning his belief in the educational system of the whole state because he doesn’t understand how they are allowed inside the sacred halls of PSU.

    Andrew is a special type on his own—the enigma that keeps Neil awake at two in the morning because he’s desperate to solve it, but without knowing where to start, he’s just running in circles. His fingers itch to solve an equation with multiple variables, to find the solution to a problem and get it off his mind.

    He doubts it will be this easy with Andrew.

    “Before we continue to look at scalar products in R- and C-vector spaces, we’ll consider bilinear and semi-bilinear forms in general, and link them to matrices for their representation to chosen bases.” Neil’s hand flies across the board, leaving letters and parenthesizes that look like bizarre drawings—art in its most complex form. Once he’s finished, he takes a step away, wipes the chalk on his fingers off on his jeans, and turns to his audience. “What happens to this equation with the semi-bilinear form σ?”

    Two hands shoot up immediately. He ignores them; no need to feed their ego, and instead picks a freshman who’s been staring at his phone for the last ten minutes. Making way, Neil moves back to the student’s seats and leans against a desk.

    Is it the farthest place away from the board? It is.

    Is it the closest that will get him to Andrew? Might be so.

    It certainly gives him a good look at what Andrew’s been doing since Neil started—and that is not solving a single task on the paper Neil has handed out at the beginning of the session. Andrew, apparently bored before it even started, has taken out a slip of paper with a sudoku puzzle on it and is solving it against his leg, completely linked out of the instruction.

    Neil tries not to stare too much at Andrew’s bare arms, and instead looks back at the board.

    “Does that look right?” the freshman—Rhys or Rheeze or something like that—asks, turning around.

    Neil narrows his eyes and squints at the board. He can’t make out a single thing, and that’s bad, yes, but his feet betray him, staying rooted where they are instead of reducing the distance until he can distinguish σ from a.

    “Where does the l come from,” he asks. Multiple heads snap in his direction.

    “That’s a j, Josten,” someone says from the other side of the room.

    Neil squints harder. “And the u?”

    “A μ.”

    “No, it’s a v,” a girl next to Neil says, and that’s when the everyone starts shouting about what’s on the board and what isn’t.

    Neil bears it for a solid minute before he surrenders. He pulls a small case from his pocket, opens it. Puts his glasses on.

    The whole room goes silent.

    Neil checks the equation, nods. “Correct. Who’s next?”

    Multiple people stir, one manages to get up, and walks straight into a table leg. Neil questions that ‘straight’, because only then the freshman guy stops staring at Neil and steers his attention to the equation on the blackboard.

    It was a bad idea, and Neil still hates Allison for forcing him to go. She’d dragged him to the doctor last week to get his eyes tested, annoyed by his never-ending questions of ‘What’s written there?’ or ‘Is that a six or an eight?’.

    “They’re my eyes,” Neil had said, arms crossed as he sat in the office and waited for his turn.

    “And it’s me who has to see your ugly squinting face,” Allison had replied.

    Two hours later Neil had finally his prescriptions but that didn’t mean he was free from Allison’s clutches. He would have been fine with some glasses from the dollar store, but she insisted that if he’s going to wear them more than once a day, he should get designer glasses—thin frames and a color that matches his copper hair. She suggested gold. Neil picked black. The look of disappointment on Allison’s face was something that deserved its own painting to commemorate it. But once they’d finally chosen the right pair, she’d given him the very same look most of the students are giving him now—a mix between slight awe and disbelief as if he’s grown a second head. Or owes them all a month’s worth of lunch money.

    “Well,” had Allison said at least, turning away to pack up and go home. “Tigers have their stripes. I have my eyeliner.” She threw him another scrutinizing look over her shoulder. “You have your glasses.” If it was supposed to make him feel better, it didn’t work, and right now he regrets nothing more than allowing Allison to drag him around.

    Neil’s eyes land on Andrew’s sudoku puzzle, now half-hidden under his papers, and he sees now that he isn’t even solving the thing, but simply coloring in the empty squares.

    He takes a second too long and meets Andrew’s eyes staring back at him.

    “Problem, Josten?” Andrew asks with a blank expression, tapping the end of his pen against his monochrome picture of black and white squares.

    Neil wants to see how far he can push until he walks against a brick wall and breaks something. He returns his gaze to the board but feels Andrew’s eyes like a solid touch on the back of his neck.

    After the session, the students hurry outside, still throwing curious glances over their shoulders at Neil and if he could merge with the back of his chair and disappear forever, that would be totally okay. It isn’t until a shadow looms above him that he looks up from his own homework and draws in a careful breath when Andrew towers above him.

    Neil raises an eyebrow. “Problem, Minyard?”

    Andrew’s face gives nothing away, and when he stretches out a hand, Neil doesn’t flinch. His glasses slip off easily, held between Andrew’s thumb and index finger.

    “Nicky told me he’s trying to convince you to join him tomorrow,” Andrew says. Neil needs a second, because that is the most words he’s heard out of Andrew’s mouth.

    “I have no reason to go,” Neil says, his eyes jumping up and down, from the equation that makes his sight blur to Andrew leaning his slender waist against the table.

    “You have one now.” It’s barely neutral enough to not sound like a threat, but Neil stares at Andrew nonetheless, and when he puts Neil’s glasses on, Neil’s heart does a weird stutter. He’s still starring at Andrew when he leaves the room, and no, his eyes don’t stray, they stay on Andrew’s broad back, and if they dip lower it’s because of the light.

    Once he’s alone, Neil takes a deep breath, exhales slowly. Puts his head in his arms and counts to ten in French first, then again in German. His heart still does this weird thing, trying to bruise his ribs from the inside.

    He gets his phone, texts Nicky he’ll go to the frat party tomorrow and puts it away, not interested in his roommate’s reply. There’s still the equation he needs to solve, but for the first time Neil’s heart isn’t really into math, and he is quite alright with it.

[flippityflaps]

1. She/Her

2. Red, Black and Blue

3. I love to spend my free time reading while I am listening to music or spend it drawing

4. I have a lot of favorite books, but if I had to pick just one I would say Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

5. V for Vendetta, is a true masterpiece🛐

6. Shadow and Bone or Carmen Sandiego

7. definitely spring, I hate summer because I suffer too much from the heat

8. I have never been to one

9. I guess I'm good at drawing...? although I don't consider it "hidden talent"

10. i am aquarian♒

11. I live for Queen and Ghost

12. i really love blue passionflowers and sunflowers

13. I'm not sure... I guess something to do with science or art, maybe astronomy, I don't know

14. 💅🏻😒🙄 (I feel like these emojis make me look mean, but I swear I'm a nice person😩)

15. It makes me laugh when children fall, because most of them stay processing the accident for a few minutes and then they start crying uncontrollably. After this I feel VERY guilty😔

16. I think if I could I would dye it dark purple, but for now I'm fine with my natural color

17. Amsterdam, because it is the place where Ketterdam is inspired, I always wanted to visit the Anne Frank museum, I love the architecture of its houses and I would be fulfilling two dreams at the same time because my dad is also interested in going there

18. They are white, practically from the day I was born, with my mom we want to paint them a light purple (I wanted to paint them dark blue but everyone is against me)

19. If I could meet someone, dead or alive, I would choose Marilyn Monroe because she seems to me simply a wonderful person, she is the perfect combination of beauty, intelligence and kindness, there are many mysteries about her that I would like to be able to ask her about and it would be for me a great honor to meet her

20. Waffles and lasagna

21. I do not have one🤷🏻‍♀️

22. Nope

23. I think it was Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean(or rather Johnny Depp🥴), I'm from many fandoms so it's hard to remember which came first

24. The one that I enjoyed the most when I was a child was Pocoyo, I don't remember exactly why I only remember that I loved it

25. yes, quite a few times. Part of my family lives on the other side of the continent, so from time to time I travel to see them, but I have never traveled by plane for another reason.

26. They are brown💩

27. 💅🏻

28. Does allergy to dust and climate change count?

29. Cherry tree

30. Definitely night, I love seeing the moon and the starry sky, it gives me a lot of peace

31. on weekends I go to bed at 00:00, but when I have to go to school I go to sleep at 22:10

32. It's actually quite a long story but I'll try to summarize it. When I was very young I had seen in a video that if you said in a dream "I know I'm asleep" something bad would happen to you and it scared me a lot, so when I fell asleep I found myself outside my grandmother's house surrounded by strange people who didn't I knew, no one noticed or presence until I whispered "I know this is a dream" they all stared at me after a while in which I felt very afraid they all started running me down the street and when I felt they were about to catch me I managed to wake up.💀

(the nightmare was much longer than this, I left out a lot of details) maybe I'll write the whole dream in another post

33. I'm not sure but I think I would choose astronomy

34.

lock screen wallpaper:

home screen background:

(yes, i'm obsessed)

35. Spanish (my native language), English, Portuguese and the basics of Russian and French

Ask game to get to know your mutuals!

(I made a writer‘s ask game last time so I figured why not make another)

mutuals ask game

1. What are your pronouns?

2. Favorite color(s)?

3. How do you like to spend your free time?

4. What’s your favorite book?

5. What’s your favorite movie?

6. What’s your favorite tv show?

7. Do you prefer Spring or Summer?

8. What was your first concert?

9. Do you have any hidden talents?

10. What’s your zodiac sign?

11. What‘s your favorite band?

12. What’s your favorite flower?

13. What are you planning to go to school for?

14. What are the three most used emojis on your phone?

15. Do you have a guilty pleasure?

16. If you could dye your hair, what color would it be?

17. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

18. What color are the walls in your room?

19. If could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

20. What’s your favorite food?

21. What‘s your favorite drink?

22. Have you ever met someone famous?

23. What was the first fandom you ever joined?

24. What childhood show did you enjoy the most and why?

25. Have you ever been on a plane?

26. What color are your eyes?

27. What’s your favorite emoji?

28. Do you have any allergies?

29. What’s your favorite plant?

30. What’s your favorite time of day?

31. What time do you usually go to bed?

32. What was the strangest dream you ever had?

33. If you could choose any career to have, what would it be?

34. What is your phone lock screen/background?

35. How many languages do you speak?

Tag your mutuals!

[red-winters]

*Batfam fic-recs

*Some are Tim Drake Centric

**Some links are not working in mobile (and ONLY mobile) for some reason? And some titles that were bolded in the original post are ALSO not displaying on mobile correctly. Idk what to do about that, but you can still look up the fic, I guess.

The Bat’s Crest - livierambles

Note: I will always keep recommending this fic. It’s epic, thrilling, and hilarious and sometimes angsty. Also, everyone is confused, including the ones doing the confusing. Maybe especially the ones doing the confusing. Also, some Tim and Damian bonding, which is always nice.

Summary: Tragedy strikes the hero community when Bruce Wayne commits a crime so heinous even the best start asking for blood. However, as the heroes try to recover from the hit and carry out justice for their friends, a random assortment of people start acting oddly, including the current Speedy Tim Drake, a child hostage in Gotham, and a young man from an unremarkable circus amongst others. All of them seem intent on saving Bruce Wayne from the grasp of the Justice League for no apparent reason, going as far as betraying their previous allegiances.

Unknown to the Justice League, these people are equally confused. Clearly they're stuck in another dimension, but how do they get back? How did they even get here? Who else is stuck in this world? And how long will Tim's patience last? Back home, the Bat was a planetary symbol that struck fear in the hearts of criminals. In this new world, it has no meaning, save for the handful of stranded souls.

In the Shadows - Kieron_ODuibhir

(shortened) Summary:

“I’m not like you.”

The cowl still looked like something he was wearing, but Clark knew it was not. It flexed like skin when Batman narrowed his blank white eyes and said, “I can see you know that.” 

Chirp - AmariT

Summary: Every piece of the signal Tim unlocked revealed more locks, and by the time he broke through the last one, he was already mentally rehearsing his many upcoming talk show appearances. 'Yes,' he told the interviewer, 'it was difficult for me, a ten-year-old genius, to break open the worldwide alien conspiracy. That's why it took a whole hour.'

When the crackling audio started, he expected some weird alien language. Maybe squawks and high-pitched squeals mixed with musical woofs. Maybe they wouldn't talk at all, and images would beam directly into his mind. Maybe they'd talk in practiced English with a Midwestern drawl like their other resident alien.

Instead he heard a low, guttural voice growling out of his computer speakers. "Robin," it said. "Are you in position?"

A Better Cage - Mangaluva

Note: I was absolutely DELIGHTED to see a Young Justice Crossover with the Justice Lords (Earth-50) from the animated Justice League series, which is near and dear to my heart. I admit I haven’t really had much time to hunker down and read this, but even skimming, it’s an intriguing piece of work. Also, Justice Lords.

Summary: Wally's grateful to have woken up at all, really. He just doesn't know what to make of the world he's woken up in. At least they want to find a way to his world as much as he does, if not exactly for the same reasons...

Common People - AmariT

Note: The Bat boys are all Bruce’s blood sons, but it still feels very much like a found family. I haven’t really read everything in this series, but I feel the author has an amazing grip on all the characters. Lovely and heartwarming.

Summary: His whole life, Jason’s mom had told him his dad was Bruce Wayne, but he’d never been dumb enough to actually believe it. They lived in a rundown, one-room apartment in the worst part of town, and in every single picture he’d ever seen of that rich bastard he was wearing a suit or sipping champagne worth more than everything they’d ever owned.

But if he wasn’t Bruce Wayne’s kid, then what the hell was he doing sitting outside the man’s office in Wayne Towers?

Red Robin and the Hood - momoejaku

Note: Haven’t read this in a while, but it made an impression. Though it’s a fic set during the Red Robin arc, it very much is about both Tim and Jason. Plus, it fleshes out the Pru and Z a bit more, too.

Summary: Bruce Wayne is dead. Superman brought back his body, and the family mourned him, holding a quiet funeral in secret so that the legacy of Batman could live on. But not everyone has been able to put him to rest.

Reeling from the loss of Bruce, his identity as Robin and his trust in his family, Tim Drake sets out on a personal quest that will take him across the world to prove what he knows in his heart: that Bruce Wayne is alive.

Though intending to make his way alone, Tim reluctantly accepts help from his predecessor, Jason Todd, who knows from personal experience that death is not always as final as it seems.

Together, they are Red Robin and the Hood.

Liminal Spaces - Calamityjim

Note: Skimmed this only since I’ve been busy, BUT it does look well-written, and I’m always a sucker for alternate dimension/dimension travel intervention-type of fix-its. It’s a very specific trope.

Summary:

Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension.

Or

When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.

Little Bird’s Vengeance - KatHarkness-Katara

Note: Crossover with Avengers. Awesome fic with Tim and Jason and some Outsider POV (via the Avengers) of these dimensional stragglers. I think Tim’s team shows up in the later chapters, too. If you’re reading on mobile, it’s still very much worth reading despite FF.net’s horrible format and abundance of advertisements in the mobile version.

Summary: Why is life never simple? Red Robin's ended up worlds away from home once again, and now what's he to do? What do the Avengers want from him; do SHIELD have another agenda; and is there any way back? Pre-New 52. No slash. Rated for inevitable language/violent themes.

A Displaced Red Robin - dragonprincess1988

Note: Worth reading despite FF.net’s horrible format and abundance of advertisements in the mobile version. Well-written fic! EMOTIONS! I love them. Younger Dick Grayson is adorable, Tim is a competent fixer-upper for other people but not so much himself. He’s kind of angsty and making YJ Dick want to keep him (and YJ Bruce, too, if you read between the lines). On the plus side, seems like he’s making good friends with Young Justice Roy. This fic was written before certain episodes of YJ came out, though, and the fic reflects/will continue to reflect that. Still, I give it five stars.

Author’s Summary: Tim gets transported to the cartoon Young Justice world, and he's not sure he knows how to deal with it. Attention: If you want to know about Artemis or people from Tim's world the final note on my profile is for you. Also, a special thank you to angel-gidget over at Tumblr, who made the wonderful cover art for this story.

The Till-then From the Ever Since - Keiron O_Duibhir

Note: Fandom classic. Definitely a must-read for Batfam fans, in my humble opinion.

Summary: It began, or seemed to begin, with Jason.

Usually that would have meant something in the order of fire and explosion and probably at least one gunshot wound, but for once (as Tim said, sourly), it wasn't actually Jason's fault.

The Wayne Family Ghost - pupeez4eva

Note: Please read this. Especially if you’re sad or anxious or just have time. I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s my go-to cheer-up fic. Absolutely hysterical.

Summary: In which Bruce realizes that having a legally dead son, who regularly hangs around the family, might be slightly problematic. 

Bloodline - chibi_nightowl

Note: Complicated family dynamics, this time centering around Tim, Selina, Bruce and, surprisingly, Damian. Jason and Dick make an appearance as supportive big bros, too. It works. Take a read, it isn’t that long.

Summary:

“Mr. Drake, I can’t think of a better way to say this, so I’ll just be blunt. This file is for your first adoption. By the Drakes.”

Tim blinked. “My what?”

“You were adopted as a newborn by Jack and Janet Drake.”

“Excuse me, but what the fuck are you talking about?”

Talon!Tim AU Series by keeptogethernow

Note: Found family, from a different angle. Cool fic and well-written.

Summary of Tso’ape Mumbichi, first in the series: Ten years ago, two people made a deal with the devil--unlimited funds in exchange for their child. And now it's time to pay up. But there's no way to ensure that the child will cooperate.

Shutterbug Series by goldkirk

Note: Exactly what it says on the tin! Found family.

Summary:

Tim Drake is thirteen, runs the famous BatWatch blog that has spiraled hilariously out of control, has absentee parents that suit his purposes just fine, is training himself to run the streets at night, and is doing absolutely peachy, thank you.

Alfred and Jason disagree, and get Dick and Bruce involved in figuring out their weird next door neighbor kid’s life. Everything goes uphill from there.

Thursday’s Child - anthalogia

Note: Well-written and has found family and Tiny!Tim? Automatic win.

Summary:

He’s not the first child with nowhere else to go that Bruce Wayne has taken in. Dick Grayson was the first and the most high-profile – because no one would have thought Bruce Wayne was interested in ever raising a child, let alone the orphaned son of circus performers – but Jason was maybe just as much of a shock to society for being a street kid who came out of seemingly nowhere. Tim Drake is ordinary by comparison – his parents died in a plane accident. He can’t think of anything very special about him except that he met Bruce a few times when his parents hosted parties to keep in touch with Gotham society.

Or, tiny Tim Drake is adopted by the Waynes a little earlier than scheduled.

We’re Not Driving (How did we get here?) - TimTheToaster

Note: Short and sweet, a little angsty, and then very sweet.

Summary:

Tim stared at his phone, as if that would change what was on the screen.

Dick Grayson @FlyingDGrayson

It took some doing, and in some cases a little blackmail, but we've finally got the whole family together for a movie night! #WayneManor #movienight #familytime #schedulingisanightmare

15 minutes ago

Take It Back Now Y’all - TimTheToaster

Note: And Tiny!Jason has made his appearance. Also, Tim, I am begging you to please take care of yourself—ah, Bruce has made his appearance. Interesting. Also, I gotta say this author is good.

Summary:

There was absolutely no way this sunshine was from Gotham in April.

Not possible.

Which meant, Tim was no longer in Gotham, in April.

(In which Tim finds himself in the past, and tries to do the right thing. It's more complicated than he'd like.)

Takes a Little Time, Takes a Lotta Twine (To Get Us Back Together) - TimTheToaster

Note: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, beginning of reconciliation, and brotherhood. A satisfying, cathartic moment during the Red Robin arc to soothe your heart.

Summary:

Tim was in Gotham.

Tim had pretty specifically been avoiding thinking about Dick as much as possible for the last few weeks.

For the last year, really. No need to open that can of carnivorous worms.

Dick had other plans.

Everybody’s Heard (Bird is the Word) - TimTheToaster

Red Robin Era ANGST, but like, deliciously well-written. Also, protective Dad Bruce is always epic. Light bashing of Green Arrow and BC, though. But considering the situation (in this fic), kind of warranted.

Summary:

5 times Batman heard other heroes talking about his wayward brother,

And 1 time they were talking about his son.

A Choice to Make - scorbusfics

Note: fresh and interesting premise! Cool world building, too.

Summary: They have to choose. Dick and Bruce have to choose one person each to save, and one to disappear through the door.

“Send one of us,” Dick says fiercely, not for the first time. His face is dark and angry and desperate, eyes flicking from brother to brother. “Send one of us instead. I won’t choose.”

“Neither will I,” Bruce says.

But Tim knows.

Secret Places - RenaRoo

It’s ANGST, but the author knows how to use it well. Also, Jason’s line at the end killed me. Damn.

Summary: Tim Drake goes missing. The search to find him begins.

[self-proclaimed-chaotic-good]

Night at the Museum | Adam Milligan x Reader

Prompt: Family

Fandom: Supernatural

Words: 2230

A/N: Wasn’t feeling well for a few days (still don’t but oh well), so here’s yesterday’s story prompt. This is a continuation of [True Winchester Fashion]. I’ll have today’s prompt up later.

-

The cases were getting more confusing with each passing day. One incident looked clearly to be the work of a vampire, the next is a witch, and another a werewolf. All in one town in the span of two weeks. Sam and Dean gathered in Adam’s apartment, their things scattered on the medium sized Ikea dining table.

Adam had been checking up on you every now and again, and you appreciated it, which was why he was the first person you thought of when something bad happened again. You had been working in the museum after hours when you heard noises coming from one of the exhibits under construction.

“Larry?” you called out to one of the security guards in the walkie talkie.

“Everything alright, (Y/n/n)?” Larry asked.

“Yeah, just thought I heard something from the west wing.”

“I’ll check with surveillance and have someone stick with you until you go home if you want.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“No problem.”

You went back to finish sorting through the bookstacks, a small hand radio softly playing nineties music on one of the desks.Twenty minutes later, you were finished with one large stack and deciding to call it a night. You checked your phone and realized how late it got. Looking sound, you had assumed that one of the security guards were guarding the library entrance, but no one was there.

“Larry?” you said through the walkie talkie. You waited, hearing nothing but static. “Larry? Bill?”

You grabbed your things, stuffing a thick and old leather bound book in your bag, and clutched the walkie talkie close to you as you closed up. With every sound or movement you thought you saw in the corner of your eye, you would try to contact the security guards again.

Whenever you had seen these types of situations on screen, you always thought of how foolish that person was for being in a building after hours, alone at night. But, you had always felt safe in the museum. The staff was friendly and the security guards were caring and protective. The fact that none of them were answering was worrying. You thought back to the night that your friend died, your heart racing in your chest as you try to make one last call out before leaving.

“Larry?” you tried again as you made your way towards the exits.

You waited. Static. Then tried again. There was an echo of your voice from a walkie talkie nearby. You turned, but saw no one. You squeezed the walkie talkie, pressing the button one more time without saying anything. You heard the noise again, looking around the dimly lit room and spotted the walkie talkie lying on the ground next to a pool of dark liquid.

You forgot to breathe as you rushed out of the building, your back feeling vulnerable as you jogged to your car. Your hands shook as you tried to unlock the doors and climbed in, locking them again as soon as you sat down, then started the engines.

This was a small town, so you had always tried to stay out of trouble or else the entire town would know about it. Meaning, not once had you gone above the speed limit, in fear that your parents’ friend and classmate gave you a ticket and then they would never stop bringing up the one ticket you ever had and how you disappointed them. This time, however, a ticket and frustrations was not as scary as the possibility of getting murdered.

Once you were locked away in your apartment, you sat in your bathtub and called Adam.

“Hey, everything alright?” he asked.

You let out a long breath, wanting to steady your heartbeat. “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why this is happening,” you whimpered, “I didn’t know what to do, I just… i needed to talk to someone to calm down.”

“Okay, we can do that. Do you wanna talk about what happened?”

A hot tear rolled down your cheek as you tried to make sense of the past events. “I think… I think something happened to the security guards at the museum. I panicked. I didn’t get a good look, but I just wanted to get out of there as soon as I could. Am I being silly?”

“No, of course not,” Adam assured you, “Listen, I’m in contact with those feds that came by that night at the bar. I’ll go speak to them and see that they can look into it, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Adam. I’m sorry for bothering you-”

“You’re not bothering me. I want you to be safe.”

“Okay,” you said softly. “I, uh, I’m gonna call a coworker and see if she can notify the police of what happened. Can you… can you come over?”

“Yeah, sure. Just text me your address.”

Adam hung up, clenching his jaw as he pictured you at home, too afraid to even go outside after what’s been going on around town. You didn’t deserve to deal with all of this. Whoever or whatever is killing people will have to face the Winchesters for what they’ve done. 

He walked out to the living room and slumped down in a chair next to his brothers. Sam noticed his tired expression, wordlessly passing a can of beer to him. Adam nodded in thanks, popping it open and taking a swig.

“What’s up?” Dean said, looking up from his laptop screen.

“Something’s going on at the museum and I want to go and check it out,” Adam said.

“What, like a Night at the Museum thing or like a new contemporary modern art exhibit with canvases that just have random splashes of paint worth thousands of dollars kind of thing?”

Adam frowned, thinking back to cases in the past few weeks and how they were connected. You were always nearby when they happened. He stood up and grabbed his jacket and car keys.

“I don’t know. The police are heading over there right now. I’m gonna go and check on (Y/n).”

“Right. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Dean teased.

“So do everything except eating healthy?”

Adam shut the door behind him before Dean could retort. The oldest brother shook his head. 

“What an asshole. Where the hell does he get it from?”

Sam gave him a pointed look, then turned his attention back to his research as he cleared his throat.

-

Sam and Dean had arrived at the museum, flashing their badges and speaking with the sheriff. They had found one surviving security guard who was knocked unconscious while the rest who were on duty had been killed.

“Anyone else was here during that time?” Dean asked the museum’s director.

She shrugged. “Usually some curators, conservators, and one or two archivists. Everyone’s been working hard to get the new exhibit up and running, which is why we usually have more than one security guard on duty.”

“Exhibit?”

The director’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes. We’re doing something fun this year and diving into myths, legends, and magic. These stories have contributed to our history and we’ve wanted to do something different. We even had a few donors who’ve had records and items from the Salem witch trials-”

Sam and Dean exchanged a knowing look. “When did these donors come in?” Sam asked.

She tapped her chin and hummed. “About two weeks ago? Oh, dear. You don’t think someone would kill for these items, do you?”

Sam offered her a reassuring smile. “We’ll figure out who did this. In the meantime, I suggest postponing the exhibit.”

“Of course, of course.”

“Mind if we check the exhibit? You know, just to make sure nothing was stolen.”

“Oh, yes, of course. Follow me.”

The director led them to the back where they stored the items and displays, leaving them for a moment to retrieve the inventory list. Her heels echoed through the spacious warehouse until she reached the back. She frowned at the list, going back and forth between the opened crates.

“Oh, dear, there’s something missing,” she muttered, “Oh, I see. It must have been one of the historians or the archivists. Usually they’d make a note of it, though. They know not to leave the building with any of the items here.”

Dean asked for the list, which she readily handed over. She pointed at the missing item, a thick leather bound book with a metal lock on it. He flipped through the pages, looking for a picture of the book before handing it back.

“Are there cameras in the warehouse?”

-

Adam pulled up in front of your building, double checking the address and apartment number. He climbed out and immediately felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“Be careful,” Michael said to him, “There’s something here. Get to your friend quickly.”

“Why do you think they’re all after (Y/n)?” Adam asked, speed walking towards the steps.

Michael paused for a moment. “There must be something they’re not telling us.”

Adam knocked on your door and waited a beat. He could hear shuffling on the other side of the door followed by two locks clicking open. You poked your head through the door, opening it wider when you saw that it was Adam. He walked in, watching as you relocked the door and made your way towards the couch.

You slumped against the arm rest, burying your face in your hands. “This is all my fault,” you mumbled.

“What do you mean?” He slowly sat next to you, eyes scanning the room before looking back at you.

“I knew better than to take the book, but… I don’t know what I was thinking. It was almost like it was telling me to take it. Because of me, Rachel is dead. And so is Larry and Billy.” You rubbed your face hard, tears falling out before you could do anything about it.

“(Y/n)), start from the beginning. What book?”

You got up on shaky legs to retrieve your bag from your room. Reaching over to your desk, a bang from the window startled you. A shriek escaped your lips, heart threatening to follow after. Adam rushed over, wrapping a protective arm around you. He narrowed his eyes at the window but saw nothing. He led you back to the couch where you handed him your bag.

He unzipped the bag and pulled out a heavy leather bound book with a padlock holding it closed. In closer inspection, the leather material may not be leather at all, just that it was dyed and weathered to look like it. With one quick look, Adam could easily identify it as some kind of grimoire.

“Where did you get this?” Adam asked.

“The museum,” you said, wrapping your arms around your knees as you curled up again, “The director needed someone who spoke Latin to help translate some of the pages. The historian that usually does it is away, so that left me, though I can’t translate quite as well as the historian, the director insisted that I translate it as soon as possible… Now that I think about it, it seems all ridiculous. I don’t know why I listened.” You shook your head. “I guess I was too scared of losing my job, but I didn’t really realize until I translated the first few pages how dangerous it was.”

“What does it do?”

“I didn’t think that it was real! I just thought… I didn’t know…”

“(Y/n),” Adam said more gently.

You took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. “It… apparently it has a spell that draws in all creatures within the vicinity, as if it was a beacon. It sounds crazy-”

“(Y/n), trust me. This is not crazy.” Adam inspected the book before putting it down on the coffee table. “Those feds that you met at the bar a couple of nights ago?”

You nodded.

“Well, they’re my brothers…. And they’re not feds. They…. My family comes from a line of hunters,” Adam began to explain.

“Hunters are quite different from brewery owners,” you muttered, trying to lift your mood up.

Adam chuckled. “Yeah, they hunt everything that goes bump in the night and then some. They’re the best at what they do and they’re looking into what’s been happening around town. They can help you with the book, (Y/n).”

You huffed out a laugh and shook your head at the situation you brought yourself into. “That’s great, but is there anything else that you failed to tell me?”

Adam looked down and smiled. “The, uh, the notes from micro lab? I didn’t need them. I just wanted an excuse to talk to you.”

“Adam, if you’re lying to make me feel better about endangering the entire town-”

“I’m serious!”

There was another thud at the window closest to the living room. You jumped, your eyes immediately landing on that cursed book lying among your stained coasters, ripped envelopes and spare rubber bands. The cursed book that started all of this. It shook with each thud that hit the window, a tall dark shadowy figure standing on the other side of the curtained window. You covered your ears as Adam stood, quickly texting Sam and Dean to hurry over.

“Don’t worry, (Y/n). I won’t let anything happen to you.”

[sheerfreesia007]

Finding Love In Legacy Oaks pt. 6

Title: Finding Love In Legacy Oaks pt. 6

Fandom: Kingsman

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x Reader

Author: @sheerfreesia007

Words: 23,186 (Am I insane? Yes, yes I am.)

Warnings: Fluff, Bullying

Permanent Tag List: @paintballkid711, @fioccodineveautunnale​, @phoenixhalliwell, @synystersilenceinblacknwhite, @linkpk88, @weirdowithnobeardo

Author Notes: I have no words to describe how happy I am that I’ve finally finished this chapter. This will be the longest chapter I will EVER write. So this spans over a whole work week, hence why it’s so long. I absolutely loved and hated this chapter haha, I love the slow soft relationship I’ve created between these two wonderful women. I hope you all enjoy! I need a drink. Also don’t come for me for the pirate names I used a generator because my brain was broken by the end of this. Feedback is welcome.

Gif Credit: Google

Bunny walked back into the kitchen after she shut the front door letting Jack out of the house. Stepping into the bright kitchen her eyes were immediately drawn to Butter who excitedly rolled from his back to his front in his dark brown fluffy dog bed. Bunny burst out laughing as she watched the little dog roll over too much and have to correct himself. His body twisting and turning as he tried to right himself and he let out a little yip when he finally got it right and laid upright in the bed looking up at her excitedly.

   “You’re a bit of a mess aren’t you?” She asked fondly and watched as his tongue lolled out of his mouth and he began to pant softly. Bunny turned to the cabinet under the counter at the corner and the sound of nails on the floor rang out. She grabbed the dog treat jar she had stored in there and turned around to see Butter trying to run over to her hurriedly but his feet got caught up underneath him and he belly flopped on the floor and slid across to her feet where he came to a stop. Bunny chuckled softly and shook her head at him. “Such a mess.”

She then pulled out a dog biscuit and held it out in front of him. Butter obediently sat and waited as she placed the biscuit on his nose balancing it perfectly. “Wait.” she told him softly as she then stood to her full height and he didn’t move an inch. “Alright get it.” she said happily. Butter snapped his nose upward and the treat flew in the air a few inches above his nose. He twisted his face and quickly caught the treat in his mouth and Bunny clapped her hands proudly. “Very good!” she cheered proudly. Butter stomped his little feet in excitement and Bunny laughed at his antics.

   Turning from Butter she turned back to the fridge and peered inside of it surveying to see what she had grocery wise for dinner for her and Esme. Spotting the thawing chicken she had in the fridge she smiled and turned to walk to her pantry to check she had all the ingredients she needed for what she had planned.

   “Alright I’ve got everything I need for dinner so I’m gonna catch up on some more work before we have to go get Esme from the bus stop in a few hours. Don’t make too much trouble go it?” she called out as she walked across the hall to her office. When she turned and looked back into the kitchen Butter was already sprawled out in his bed again on his back with his tongue hanging out of his mouth once more. “Such a mess.” she chided softly with a chuckle and a shake of her head.

———

   Bunny rubbed her eyes when she heard the front screen door of Mrs. Parker’s house squeaked loudly on its hinges, I really need to get them some WD-40 for that door. Blinking rapidly she sighed softly, she had been working hours on this one client’s website trying to make the dimensions and what the client wanted work together cohesively. Unfortunately she hadn’t been able to get it to work and a headache had begun to form behind her eyes. Sighing softly she saved her progress on the website and quickly shut her laptop.

   Looking down at her phone she pressed the power button she saw that she had just five more minutes before her and Butter had to start heading to the bus stop to pick up Esme. Standing from her chair she lifted her arms and stretched wide letting out a large yawn. Running her hands into her hair she scratched at her scalp and groaned lowly at the pleasure it brought her before she shook her hair out and let it fall behind her.

   Grabbing her oversized navy blue knit sweater from the back of the desk chair where she had put it hours ago, she pulled it back over her head and let it fall to cover her white tank top. Then moving around her desk she grabs a knit scarf and a pair of fingerless gloves, while it was the beginning of the year it was still chilly enough to require some extra clothing for warmth.

   Walking out of the office she whistled softly for Butter as she made her way down the main hallway towards the front door. She effortlessly slipped her feet into her trusty black combat boots and zipped up the sides. When she stood tall in front of the mirror she smiled at herself before she grabbed Butter’s leash from the hook next to the door and her keys from the mosaic key bowl on her little table. She laughed as she heard the skittering of nails on the floor as she jingled the dog leash in her hand.

   “So good of you to wake up sleeping beauty.” She teased softly as she bent down and held out the harness for the little dog to step into. Butter licked her chin excitedly as she finally clasped the buckle on the harness. “C’mon you wanna go get Esme at the bus stop bud?” Butter began to prance around her feet as she stood tall again and then opened the front door.

   Holding the leash loosely in her hand she turned and quickly locked the door before skipping down the front steps. Butter quickly tried to dart ahead of her but was jerked back by the leash and Bunny burst out in laughter as the little dog tumbled backwards clumsily. Shaking her head at him she tried to calm her laughter.

   “When are you gonna learn Butter? The leash doesn’t retract buddy.” She said softly to the little dog still shaking her head at him. He yipped at her and she grinned at his response. “C’mon we can’t be late for Esme.”

Walking down the block Bunny silently looked around her neighborhood and admired how quaint it looked. The trees were slowly losing the frost that had swept in last month and looked as if they were finally thawing out. She knew next month the trees should start budding as they got ready for spring to arrive. The flowers would soon need to be planned out for when the neighborhood would help with planting them. Hopefully Sarah would have some ideas that they could bounce off each other.

Bunny waved at Mrs. Carter as she passed in her Volkswagen Golf on her way home after work. The walk to the corner bus stop wasn’t very long and as Bunny came to a stop on the sidewalk Butter looked back at her confused as to why she stopped when normally they would walk all the way to the dog park so that he could get his exercise in.

“We gotta wait for Esme bud. I told you this.” Bunny said easily. Just then she heard the loud squeaky brakes of the school bus as that bus made the turn into the neighborhood. Bunny smiled and waved her hand at the bus driver as he pulled to the curb and opened the door waiting for the kids to pile out.

There were the older two girls that Bunny had seen last time she saw Esme at the bus stop walk off the bus and then Esme appeared at the top of the bus stairs. Bunny watched as the little girl tilt her head at her for a second before a bright smile spread across her face as she remembered that she’d be staying with Bunny for the week.

“Bunny!” Cried Esme happily before she bounced down the stairs to the pavement.

“Hey Esme!” Bunny called out happily and Butter began jumping around excitedly as he barked catching onto the little girl’s happiness easily. Bunny watched fondly as the little girl kneeled down and began petting Butter and hugged him around his neck softly. “So I was told you put in a request to go visit the playground before doing homework and I am here to make that request a reality.” Bunny explained easily.

“Really?!” Esme cheered excitedly as she quickly stood from the pavement.

“Yeah I gotta take Butter for a walk anyway. Would you like to go to the big playground or the little one?” Bunny asked, smiling down at Esme. “The big playground is closer and usually more busy now but if you’re up for a little bit of a longer walk there’s a smaller playground that not a lot of kids go to.” Bunny explains as they begin to start their walk down the sidewalk towards where the main part of the community is.

“Can we go to the little playground? I don’t really want to play with anyone else right now.” Esme asked.

“Of course.” Bunny answered before nodding her head.

“Can I hold Butter’s leash?” Esme asked softly as she twisted and turned unsurely while she walked next to Bunny on the sidewalk. Bunny looked down at her with a kind smile on her face.

“Of course Es. Just hold him tight and if he pulls you you have to tell him no and stop walking immediately. That’s how I taught him when he was a puppy, but when it’s someone else walking him he’ll try to pull ahead. And let me hold your backpack so you don’t have to worry about it.” Bunny explained as she looped the leash handle around Esme’s wrist and showed her how to hold the leash and took Esme’s backpack from her casually tossing it over one shoulder before they started walking again.

Once they had crossed the main road running through the community Bunny directed Esme to walk past the big playground and then follow the winding cobblestone walkway. They were quiet for a bit just taking in the scenery before Bunny spoke up.

“So how was school today?” Bunny asked curiously as she watched Esme focus on walking Butter properly. At her question Esme turned her head to look at Bunny with a bright smile.

“It was fun. We did a lot of arts and crafts today and not that many sports.” Esme said happily as she began to skip down the sidewalk.

“You like doing a lot of arts and crafts?” Bunny asked, wanting to gather some ideas on what she could do with Esme during the week when she got home from school.

“Oh yeah my favorite is drawing and painting but today in art class we did some sculpting with clay which was really cool!” Esme said excited as she continued to bounce.

“What about bead bracelets? Do you know how to make those?” Bunny asked curiously as she silently stored away that information about Esme.

“No, not really I know how to braid a lanyard though. I did that in summer camp one year.” Esme said distractedly as the two of them continued walking along the path. Soon the trees began to grow closer and closer along the sidewalk and Bunny smiled as she began to walk slower taking in the imagery of the trees looming over the sidewalk created. She pulled her phone out and lined up the shot of Esme walking along with Butter looking up at the trees. Smiling she snapped the shot and admired the picture before she sent it off to Jack in a text message.

She then quickly caught up to the two of them and they finally came across the smaller playground. Esme squealed in delight and Bunny held her hand out to take the leash from her before she quickly ran towards the playground. Slowly walking Butter in the grass before the playground Bunny kept an eye on Esme as she made it to the fort and began to climb. Her eyes easily took in the way that Esme would take a moment to catch her breath when she climbed too quickly. She wondered quietly how severe her asthma was and soon ideas started to begin to form in her head on ways to help Esme through that.

Bunny walked closer to the playground and leaned against one of the poles of the swing set while she kept her eyes on Esme. She watched as the little girl happily made her way up and down the playground. When she slid down the slide for the fifth time she came racing over to where she stood and sat down on one of the swings and began to swing herself. Bunny smiled and set the backpack against the pole before she took a seat on the other swing and lazily began to swing back and forth. Butter danced around her legs and happily barked as Bunny tapped his behind with her shoe. Esme burst out into happy laughter as Butter then began chasing Bunny’s shoes as she lazily swung them in the air.

“So why did you name your dog Butter?” Esme asked as she slowed her swinging so that she wasn’t so high. Bunny let out a loud laugh at the question and turned her head to look at Esme as she stopped swinging.

“I didn’t mean to name him Butter. His first name was Butterscotch because he has the same colors as butterscotch. But when I first adopted him I brought him over to show him to my nephew.” Bunny began to explain happily as she remembered the day she adopted Butter. “My nephew Henry was only three at the time and was only talking a little bit. You know when little babies are just learning how to talk and only know how to say certain words?”

“Yeah.” Esme responded nodding her head in thought at Bunny’s words.

“Well when I introduced Butterscotch to him Henry couldn’t say the word butterscotch so he kept saying ‘Budder’. And it was really cute so his name changed from Butterscotch to just Butter.” Bunny explained easily as she laughed softly at the memory.

Esme burst out into laughter at the story and Bunny smiled warmly at the little girl. She watched amused as the little girl bent over on her swing as she continued to laugh happily.

“That’s so silly!” Cried Esme happily as she still laughed. Bunny nodded her head at Esme’s words and watched as she slid off the swing and began to pet Butter as she giggled. “Do you like your name Butter or do you like Butterscotch?” Esme asked still giggling and Butter began to bark loudly and jumped around the little girl in excitement making her laugh harder at his antics.

“Alright kiddo, what do you say we start heading back so I can make us some yummy dinner and we tackle your homework while I cook?” Bunny suggested softly as she smiled down at Butter and Esme.

“What are we having for dinner?” Esme asked curiously as she nodded her head and picked up Butter’s leash. Bunny stood and grabbed Esme’s backpack and slung it over her back again.

“I was thinking chicken parmesan with linguine and pasta sauce. How does that sound?” Bunny asked.

“Oh! Can I help after I finish my homework?” Esme asked eagerly as she turned to face Bunny as they all began walking down the sidewalk once more.

“Yeah of course.” Bunny said nodding her head amenably. Esme cheered loudly throwing one of her fists into the air and Butter barked loudly in excitement as he jumped around not knowing what was going on. Esme and Bunny burst out laughing when Butter tripped on his own feet and did a faceplant into the sidewalk. “You alright Butter?” Bunny asked fondly as she bent down and brushed the dirt off his face and kissed his head. Butter made a happy grumbling sound and butted his head against her shin gently making Esme laugh and Bunny smile at him.

———

After the three of them had gotten back to Bunny’s house she had told Esme to go wash her hands after playing on the playground before starting her homework. Bunny had unhooked Butter’s leash and turned on the lights in the house so that they would all have enough light to be able to do what they needed to for the night.

Bunny moves about the kitchen effortlessly pulling out pots and pans and all the ingredients she needs to be able to cook dinner. She turns on her music player on her phone and hooks it up to the bluetooth speakers that she had installed into the house about a year ago, turning down the volume to a background noise level, and she begins to start dinner. She’s already salted the pot of water she needs to boil for the linguine and set up her dredging stations for the chicken parmesan before Esme reemerges from the bathroom all clean. Bunny points to one of the stools where she set down Esme’s backpack for her.

“Are you alright to sit at the island while I cook? Or do you want to go to the dinner table over there?” Bunny asks curiously as she begins to chop up some onions and garlic to add to the pasta sauce she’s making.

“No, I can do it here.” Esme says confidently and Bunny nods as she continues to chop.

“So how much homework do you have tonight?” Bunny asks idly as she looks over to Esme as the little girl pulls out a sparkly navy blue folder with a white label that says homework on it.

“I only have vocabulary and math to do tonight. And they’re only two worksheets.” Esme says with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Ok, do you want to try and do it yourself and if you get stuck you can ask me for help? I don’t know how your dad does homework with you.” Bunny says softly at a loss for words or direction. She looks over at Esme and sees the little girl smiling brightly at her.

“I usually do it myself but Daddy helps me if I get stuck.” Esme says nodding her head as she pulls out a pencil case that is also sparkly and purple. Bunny nods and smiles warmly at the little girl.

“Ok, that works for me.” Bunny says nodding as she turns and adds the chopped onions and garlic to the large pot on her stove. Stirring the onions and garlic she smiles when the scent of them cooking together enters her nose.

It’s not much longer before Bunny is adding the jar of pureed tomatoes to the pot with the onions and garlic and she begins to season the sauce with oregano and basil.

“Hey Bunny, I need help with my nine times table. I keep getting stuck on that one.” Esme says from behind Bunny and she turns to face the little girl.

“Ok what are you having trouble with?” Bunny asks as she moves to lean over the kitchen island to look at the little girl’s math worksheet.

“It’s the only times table that I have trouble remembering.” Esme said dejectedly as she huffed down at her worksheet.

“Okay, do you have a piece of scrap paper?” Bunny asked and Esme nodded handing her a piece of spare paper. Bunny easily picked up Esme’s pencil and began to write out the nine times table for the little girl. When she was done writing it out she turned it around to show Esme. “So the way that I was taught was that each number in your answer for the nine times table will add up to nine. This only works for up to nine times ten though.” Bunny began to explain to Esme. She points to show the little girl that if she adds each number in the answer it will add up to nine. “Also the first column of the answer goes from zero to nine and the second column goes the opposite nine to zero.” she explains as she shows that little girl. “Does that help you?” she asks, worried that she might have confused the little girl even more.

“It did. Thank you.” Esme says nodding quickly as she begins to fill in the answers for the worksheet. “So if I add nine to this answer I will get the next one right?”

“Yes that’s right.” Bunny says relieved that Esme seems to understand it.

“Cool thanks!” Esme said happily as she quickly finished her worksheet. “So can I help with dinner now?” Esme asked as she began to pack away her homework.

“Sure thing kiddo. Pull up a chair and I’ll let you dredge the chicken so I can fry them.” Bunny explains as she begins to set out plates on the kitchen island for the dredging. Cracking two eggs she beat them until the yolks and egg whites were mixed on one of the plates and then poured out some breadcrumbs on the other plate.  Esme pulled a chair around the side of the island and climbed up onto it. Bunny easily flattened the chicken breasts and handed them to Esme to dip into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs before laying them on a plate for Bunny. “So I was thinking maybe tonight we could watch some Pirates of the Caribbean? And then maybe tomorrow we could watch The Mummy?” Bunny suggested as she laid the coated chicken breasts in the pan of heated oil.

“I love pirates!” cheered Esme excitedly. Bunny smiled over her shoulder at the little girl who was still standing on the chair at the kitchen island. “I’ve never seen The Mummy though.” Bunny gasps loudly and presses a hand to her chest in mock outrage.

“You’ve never seen The Mummy? Oh I’m gonna show you all of my favorite movies. This is gonna be fun! What kind of movies do you like? Are there certain ones that you like?” Bunny asked over her shoulder as she would periodically look over it to Esme.

“I watch a lot of Disney movies. Dad doesn’t really know anything besides Disney.” Esme said with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Oh well that’s good because I have a ton of Disney movies that we could watch. What about Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter? Do you like those too?” Bunny asked curiously.

“You love Disney too?!” Esme cried as she bounced a little bit on the chair. Bunny laughs softly as she nods her head.

“Oh yeah I grew up on Disney kiddo. I’m like a Disney guru.” Bunny said making a silly face at Esme over her shoulder making the little girl laugh.

As dinner continued to cook the two of them continued to talk about movies that they could watch together during the week that Esme would be here. Once dinner was done Bunny easily made two plates and walked them over to the coffee table in her living room and turned on the tv pulling up the Pirates movie. She quickly then got Esme situated on the floor before going back to the kitchen to grab silverware and their drinks. Before she walked back into the living room she grabbed her phone and checked to see if she had any messages from Jack. When she saw that there weren’t any she quickly headed into the living room figuring that he was still busy with work.

———

“I love that movie!” Gushed Esme as the credits rolled for the first pirates movie on the tv screen. Bunny laughed and nodded her head. The two of them had finished their dinner about halfway through the film and just wound up slouched on the floor leaning back against the couch.

Bunny sat half slouched against the couch with one knee bent in front of her and one leg splayed out. Butter laid draped between her legs with his head resting on her thigh. He was snoring loudly with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Bunny looked down at the snoozing dog and laughed softly at him.

“I do too. It’s a really good movie.” Bunny said easily as her hand came down to rest in Butter’s fur and she began to pet him softly along his body.

“So we’ll be able to do that every night? Watch one of the movies you have?” Esme asked as she rested her head back on the cushion of the couch and rolled it to look over at Bunny. Bunny turned her head and smiled warmly at the little girl. She looked so at peace with where she was right now. Her eyes were sparkling, her smile was lazy, she looked satisfied.

“Of course I’ve got tons of movies that we could watch. I’ve got The Mummy we could watch tomorrow. There’s also some girlie movies likes 13 Going On 30 or Pipi Longstocking.” Bunny told Esme. Esme nodded her head eagerly at all the movies that Bunny was naming off. “Alright how about this we watch one more pirate movie before bed and to relax we’ll do some face masks?” Bunny suggests as she nudges Butter who wakes with a start and yelp as he twists his body until he’s standing on his little legs making Esme giggle next to the two of them. Bunny shakes her head at the dog and sighs. “Always such a hot mess.”

“What’s a face mask?” Esme asked softly and Bunny whipped her head around to her with a delighted gasp and wide eyes.

———

Bunny was finishing up smearing the lumpy light green avocado mixture onto Esme’s face. Just then Bunny heard her phone chime and not moving from her spot in front of Esme she quickly finished applying the face mask to her face.

Once done she set the bowl of the face mask down and grabbed her phone quickly. Seeing that she had a message from Jack she opened it and read it.

Is it alright to video call now?

She smiled as she read the message knowing that Jack was probably anxious to talk to his little girl. He hadn’t sent her a message besides when they were on their way to the park. Typing out a message she turned to see Esme admiring herself in the mirror that Bunny had brought out.

“Hey Es, wanna video call your dad?” She asked kindly and the little girl quickly turned to her nodding her head rapidly.

“Yes can we call him?” She asked hurriedly. Bunny smiled and tapped the video call button on Jack’s contact and handed the phone to Esme. Bunny then began applying her own face mask to her face while the two of them waited for Jack to pick up, which he did after only a few rings.

“Oh my god! What did you get into?” Came Jack’s worried cry and Bunny jolted at his loud tone. She quickly walked behind Esme to look into the phone as well.

“It’s nothing bad, it’s just a face mask. Perfectly fine and safe I swear. We’re doing a little girl spa night.” Bunny said quickly and watched as Jack stare at the two of them with concern for a moment.

Just then Bunny watched as another man peered over Jack’s shoulder and she shrieked loudly making Esme whip around to look at her as she retreated from the screen. The words from the man not resonating with Bunny at all as she quickly moved away from the phone. Esme watched her shrewdly for a moment until a bright happy grin spread across her face.

“Hi Uncle Tequila! I don’t think Bunny wants you to see her in her avocado face mask.” Esme teased happily as she giggled. Bunny shook her head at the little girl who grinned over at her from her spot on the chair.

“Oh and I can?” Came Jack’s question over the phone and Bunny rolled her eyes at Esme who giggled loudly again. Huffing out a soft breath Bunny spoke up so that Jack could hear her.

“Jack we’re friends of course you can see me in a face mask. I’m watching your daughter. Uncle Tequila is a literal stranger.” Bunny said loud enough for Jack to hear. She rolled her eyes and felt her face warm at having been seen in a face mask by someone other than Jack and Esme. Not to mention now that she thought about it she was quite embarrassed that Jack had seen her in her face mask as well.

“Bunny’s embarrassed.” Esme sang teasingly as she grinned into the phone at her father. Bunny scoffed softly at the little girl before a grin of her own spread across her face.

“Just wait until you’re a teenager little one. You’ll know all about being embarrassed.” Bunny grumbled out and Esme giggled again. Bunny shook her head and began cleaning up the bowl and other things that they had taken out to do face masks giving Esme and Jack some privacy to talk.

———

It wasn’t too long before Esme was walking into the living room from the kitchen still on the phone with Jack. She had a happy sparkle in her eye and as Bunny looked up from the book she was reading she was glad that she was able to give Esme and Jack this little reassurance that things were alright here.

“Hey Bunny, Daddy wants to talk to ya before he hangs up.” Esme said as she let out a big yawn.

“Alright, just give a minute and I’ll help you wash of your face mask. Did you say goodnight to him?” Bunny instructed warmly.

“Yeah. He just wants t’say goodnight to you.” Esme said with a bright smile and Bunny instantly felt her cheeks warm at the thought. Taking the phone from Esme she nodded her head to the little to go down the hallway.

“Meet ya in the bathroom?” She suggested lightly and Esme nodded before walking away down the hallway. Turning back to the phone she smiled at Jack who grinned and chuckled lightly at her.

“Still can’t get over that green stuff on your face.” He said softly.

“I’ll have you know it does wonders for the skin.” Bunny defended with a laugh and Jack grinned at her.

“I just wanna say thanks again Bunny. You’re doin’ me a real favor here.” Jack said warmly and for a second there Bunny thought she heard a warm southern accent in his voice that made her head tilt a little bit. Odd. Shaking her head lightly she immediately pushed the thought away.

“Jack I told you I don’t mind watching Esme. She’s been a sweetheart. There’s nothing for you to worry about I promise.” Bunny said earnestly as she stared into the phone at Jack.

“Alright, alright. I just I really appreciate it.” Jack said again and Bunny smiled at his almost pleading tone.

“What do I gotta do to get you to stop thanking me?” Bunny asked teasingly and watched as Jack’s eyes dart away from the phone and then back to her. Was that a blush she saw creeping onto his cheeks? Before Jack could become even more embarrassed Bunny spoke up again. “Don’t mention it Jack. Seriously don’t.” She teased him and he chuckled and shook his head. Just then Bunny let out a wide yawn and Jack chuckled again as her hand came up to try and hide the yawn from him.

“Alright I’ll let ya go. I’ll text you tomorrow morning.” He said with a nod and Bunny nodded along with him.

“Sounds good to me. Goodnight.” She said starting to feel the drowsiness creep into her body.

“Goodnight Bunny.” He responded and Bunny smiled before pressing the red button on the bottom of the screen. With the call ended Bunny set her book aside and stood up stretching. Yawning again she began to walk down the hallway towards the bathroom. When she saw Esme sitting up on the counter she grinned at the little girl.

“Alright girlie let’s get these masks off and you tucked up into bed.” Bunny said warmly and set about cleaning off Esme’s face first.

———

Bunny jolted awake suddenly and sat straight up in bed. Her hand came up to her chest where she felt her heart racing so fast underneath her skin. Taking a moment to look around the dark room she wondered what had woken her up so suddenly when she heard it. A loud piercing scream rang through the air and Bunny was instantly moving.

Throwing off the covers Bunny scrambled out of bed a little unceremoniously and almost fell when her feet got stuck in the blanket. But she was able to get to her feet and rushed out of the room. She grabbed the doorknob to the guest bedroom across the hallway from her and opened the door quickly. Her hand slid along the wall for the light switch and when she finally found it she clicked the light on.

Her heart clenched tightly in her chest when her eyes adjusted to see a bed head wild eyed Esme sitting straight up in bed shaking. Moving to the side of the bed Bunny sat down on it and peered at the little girl who was whimpering and shaking as she sat in the bed.

Bunny gently placed a  hand on Esme’s back and began to gently rub circles trying to soothe the girl. Slowly catching her breath Bunny watched as Esme’s eyes slowed their wild and crazed darting around the room. Her breaths began to slow and her trembling also eased. Suddenly her body slumped forward and Bunny quickly wrapped the girl in her arms where Esme curled into her and buried her face in Bunny’s neck.

“I had a nightmare. Daddy didn’t come home. And then I woke up and it wasn’t my room.” Esme cried softly and Bunny tightened her arms around the little girl.

“It’s ok, your Dad is fine. Remember we just talked to him a few hours ago. And when you get in the morning he’s gonna call again. He told me he was gonna call again.” Bunny tried to reassure the little girl softly.

“I miss him.” Esme whimpered softly and Bunny rested her head on top of the girl’s.

“I know sweetheart. It’s a big change for the two of you. I know he was very worried about you when he had to leave and I know he still worries about you. But I’ll get you through it and soon enough he’ll be home.” Bunny reassured.

“Can you stay until I fall back asleep?” Esme asked quietly.

“Of course, let me just grab my phone for my alarm in case I fall asleep ok?” Bunny said softly. Esme nodded and Bunny quickly left the room only to return moments later with her phone and phone charger. She pulled it into the wall and set the phone on the end table next Esme’s bed.

The little girl then scooted over and Bunny climbed on top of the covers next to the little girl. She opened up her arms and Esme quickly rushed to snuggle herself against the woman. Bunny lay there holding Esme and let her hand gently trail up and down the girl’s back hoping to ease her back into sleep.

Not long after Bunny heard Esme’s soft snores as the little girl fell back asleep. Bunny tried her hardest to keep her eyes open but soon she found herself falling asleep next to the little girl.

———

The loud blaring of Bunny’s alarm had both Bunny and Esme groaning and trying to bury their heads back into the pillows beneath them. Bunny chuckled softly as her hand reached out blindly to grab her phone and shut off the alarm. When it finally ended she sighed softly and began to snuggle back into the bed.

Just then the loud chiming of a video call came through on the phone and Bunny groaned again and rolled over to grab the phone. She yawned widely as she sat up in bed and accepted the video call not bothering to look at it.

“Well good morning sleepyhead!” Came the chipper voice of Jack and Bunny’s whole body seemed to jerk in it’s spot as her eyes opened wide to stare at his smiling face on her phone.

“Is that Daddy?” Asked Esme suddenly wide awake. She sat up and then clambered behind Bunny to peer over her shoulder.

“There’s my sleeping beauty.” Jack said happily as he smiled. Bunny smiled as she began to rub sleep out of her eyes. “Hey is everything ok? You look like you didn’t get much sleep.” Jack said concerned and Bunny realized he was talking to her and not Esme.

“Geeze Whisk, have you forgotten how to talk to women after all this time?” Came a snarky voice in the background of Jack’s phone. Bunny burst out laughing when she heard the voice and shook her head as she watched Jack’s cheeks heat up again. “Nothin’ more than a woman wants to hear is that she looks like she needs more sleep.” Came the voice again and Bunny chuckled as she titled her head to the side and pursed her lips.

“He’s not wrong.” She teased Jack and he made a face at her making both her and Esme laugh at him. Turning to Esme she began to hand over the phone to the little girl. “Here talk to your Dad while you pick out your clothes for school. I’m gonna go get dressed alright?” Bunny suggested and Esme nodded thankfully up at her.

“Thanks Bunny.” Esme said warmly and Bunny nodded knowing that the little girl meant more than just this. Standing from the bed Bunny stretched and tuned out the conversation that Esme and Jack were having before she walked out of the room and across the hall to her own room.

Dressing quickly she walked back out of the room and down to the kitchen so that she could wake Butter up and let him out before she started breakfast.

“C’mon Butter, let’s get you out in the backyard.” Bunny called out to the dog who was laying in his bed waiting for her. She laughed as he launched himself out of the dog bed and began booking it down the hallway to the back door. “Alright, alright hold your horses.” He grumbled out as he began to bounce on his feet at the back door barking happily. Opening the door for him she watched as he quickly ran for the squirrels that had congregated under her bird feeders. She chuckled softly and shook her head as she watched him try in vain to get to the squirrels. “Crazy dog.” She scoffed softly and turned back to the hallway after shutting the door.

Walking back down the hallway she meets Esme at the bottom of the stairs still talking to Jack. Bunny smiles and walks into the kitchen and pulls out a pan as well as some eggs and bacon for their breakfast.

“Hey Esme, how does eggs and bacon sound for breakfast?” Bunny asks warmly.

“That sounds good to me.” Esme says happily as she climbs onto one of the stools at the kitchen island.

“Sounds good to me too.” Jack says over the phone and Bunny laughs softly at him.

“Me too!” Chimes in another voice and Bunny grins as she shakes her head.

“Daddy! Uncle Tequila you’re not here you can’t have any.” Esme scolds them and Bunny laughs happily as she begins breakfast. They all happily chat as Bunny cooks and soon enough her and Esme are sitting down at the dining table to eat. Bunny sets the plates down and hears Butter barking at the back door. She quickly lets him back inside and then comes back to the kitchen to eat with Esme.

“So Esme tells me that you two had a rough night last night?” Jack asks softly from the phone that Esme had propped up against the jug of milk in the middle of the table. Bunny shrugs her shoulders as she finishes chewing her bite of eggs.

“It wasn’t too bad. She just missed you that’s all.” Bunny said truthfully and Jack nodded before opening his mouth. Bunny held up a finger to him and narrowed her eyes at him. “I swear Jack if you thank me one more time.” She threatened softly pointing her fork at him through the phone, Jack quickly shut his mouth and Bunny nodded her head. “It’s no big deal. It’s gonna take some adjusting but we’ll get through it.” Jack nodded his head at her and smiled warmly.

“Alright well me and Tequila are gonna’ head out to grab some breakfast. I’ll text ya later alright?” He said and Bunny nodded her head as she took another bite of eggs.

“Sounds good.” Bunny said easily and Jack smiled at her.

“Bye Es. Love ya!” Jack said lovingly to his daughter and she easily returned the sentiment.

“Love you Daddy. Bye!” Esme called out before pressing the end button. The two of them easily fell into a comfortable silence as they finished eating their breakfast.

“So I’ve noticed you and your Dad have accents but not all the time?” Bunny asked curiously as she picked up both plates from the table and began walking them over to the sink.

“Oh yeah Daddy and I are from Kentucky.” Esme said proudly and Bunny smiled as she nodded her head at the little girl. “I’ve got a little accent but Daddy’s got a bigger one. But ever since Mommy died he doesn’t use it.” Esme explained softly and Bunny stopped what she was doing and turned swiftly to the little girl.

“I’m so sorry Esme. I didn’t mean to bring this up.” Bunny said truthfully watching the little girl.

“It’s okay. It happened awhile ago. Daddy still gets sad sometimes but not as much anymore.” Esme said softly. Bunny knelt down and held her arms open for the little girl who quickly rushed into them and hugged Bunny tightly.

“It’s okay for him to be sad. And you too. It’s okay for that.” Bunny said softly as she held the little girl tightly. “If you ever wanna talk about your Mom you let me know and I’ll sit and listen ok?”

“Ok.” Esme said nodding her head.

“Good. Ok, go brush your teeth and I’ll pack a lunch for ya.” Bunny said easily as they pulled away from each other and the little girl ran up the stairs to her bedroom to finish getting ready for school.

Standing Bunny turned back to the sink and sighed softly. She was still learning things about Jack and Esme and truly didn’t mean to bring up her Mom at all. Now the accent she’d been hearing over the phone made sense.

———

The day progressed like normal if albeit a little more sluggish than it usually did. There was a sleepy haze hovering over Bunny since she woke up this morning to Esme screaming. But she pushed through it and went about her work day. She idly wondered if Esme was having as much trouble today staying awake as she was.

Soon the alarm on her phone went off and Bunny powered down her computer. She was still having difficulty with one client’s website design and hadn’t made any leeway unfortunately. Hopefully soon she’d find the inspiration to get the way the client wanted it.

Walking to the front door she grabbed onto Butter’s leash and whistled for him. His little pitter patter of feet on the hardwood floors filled the house and he came running into the front entryway. When she opened up the front door after putting the leash on Butter she could see that it was much foggier than it had been this morning. Making a quick decision on what they would have for dinner she smiled widely and the two of them set off towards the bus stop.

Once they had gotten to the bus stop Bunny stood there waiting with Butter who sat down at her feet and began to pant for air with his tongue hanging out. It wasn’t that long of a wait but as Bunny stood there she could feel the chill starting to creep into her bones and shivered slightly at it. Her phone chimed from in her pocket and pulling it out she saw that she had a message from Jack.

How are you guys doing? You smiled down at the phone and began typing out a response. It was sweet that he was checking in with her and Esme already.

Sleepy but good. Waiting for Es to get home. Bunny shook her head softly as her eyes darted over to see Butter rolling on the sidewalk on his back.

Are you alright? Came the next message and Bunny felt a warmth envelope her chest at his worry and concern for her.

I’m fine. I planned an exciting adventure to the grocery store to get ingredients for dinner. Hopefully it’ll wake us both up. Bunny heard the loud brakes of the bus squeaking behind her and she looked up from her phone to see the bus pulling up to the curb.

Esme slowly walked down the steps of the bus with a tired look in her eyes and Bunny could feel her heart melt at the way Esme’s shoulders slumped forward as she walked along the sidewalk towards her and Butter. She looked up at Bunny once she was in front of her and let out a big wide yawn that made Bunny start to yawn before she quickly covered her mouth to hide it. Esme giggled brightly at her and Bunny couldn’t help but grin at the little girl.

“So what do you say to a walk around the block and then head to the grocery store to get some stuff for dinner I had planned? I think it’s a little too cold for the park today.” Bunny suggested softly as she watched Esme tilt her head to the side tiredly.

“That sounds good.” Esme said with a sleepy nod of her head. “What’s for dinner?”

“It’s a surprise but we’re gonna make it fun.” Bunny said a little cryptically and she grinned as Esme looked up at her with a squinted look. “C’mon let’s get this butterball walking and home, then we can head out to the grocery store.” Bunny said hurriedly as she began ushering Esme and Butter around the block.

———

It took a little bit longer for the three of them to get around the block because half way around the block Butter spotted his nemesis, Mr. Squirrel and had to take a good few moments to continuously bark at his rival. But finally Bunny was opening the front door and everyone was piling into the front hallway. Quickly unhooking Butter’s leash Bunny hung it up on the hook and then walked farther into the house.

“Alright kiddo, how much homework do you have tonight?” she asked over her shoulder as she walked down the hallway to the craft room at the back of her house.

“Only one worksheet for vocabulary.” Esme said happily as she stood watching Bunny curiously.

“Good, set your backpack in the kitchen and then come help me.” Came Bunny’s voice from the craft room that she had walked into.

Esme did as she was told and then walked down the hallway to the room at the end of the hallway. Stepping into the room Esme let out a soft gasp at all the craft material on display. Her eyes danced around the room with excitement, there was a small square table in the middle of the room that many different labeled containers stored underneath it that held different craft materials. On the walls were different inspirational posters and other craft tools stored in different odd puzzle like configurations. There was a long desk along one side of the room with a computer monitor and printer on one section of it and right next to it was a sewing machine. The room was brightly decorated with rainbow colored posters and wall decorations around the craft storage. Esme could feel herself starting to grow excited at the possibilities that she would be to make with all of these materials.

Just then there was a loud grunt on the other side of the room and Esme walked over to see Bunny bent over a very large chest that looked like a pirate’s treasure chest. Esme bounced over with excitement building up inside her.

“Is this your treasure chest?” Esme asked excited and Bunny laughed happily at the little girl’s excitement.

“Oh yeah, but it’s a different type of treasure.” Bunny said conspiratorially. She opened the lid of the chest and let it fall gently back to reveal what was stored inside. Esme gasped as she spotted all the clothes that were folded and laid inside. Reaching out she let her hand gently graze the clothes and grinned up at Bunny.

         “Are these costumes?” Esme asked as she practically vibrated next to Bunny.

         “Sure are. I have a friend at the local stage theater who lets me pick out any of the costumes that they are getting rid of after they no longer need the costumes. Plus I’ve sewn a few of these, nothing crazy or anything.” Bunny explained. “But for our dinner tonight we have to dress up to go get it. It’s the only way that you should go out and get these ingredients. Are you down for that?” Bunny asked seriously as she stood next to Esme folding her arms over her chest.

         “Yes! Yes! What are we dressing up as?” Esme asked excitedly. Bunny plucked out two large sombreros from the chest and set one on top of Esme’s head making her giggle as it slid down over her eyes. Bunny bent down and tilted the sombrero back so that Esme could see clearly and grinned at the little girl.

         “You look absolutely perfect.” Bunny said happily. “I figured we need a little pick me up for dinner tonight since we’re both tired. What better way than dressing up to go get ingredients for Taco Tuesday!” she cheered the end of the sentence loudly and Esme squealed with delight and bounced on her toes making the sombrero bob and sway with her movements. “Alright what do you say to take a few pictures for your Dad so we can send them to him?” Bunny asked then and Esme grinned up at her nodding her head eagerly. Bunny laughed softly and placed her own sombrero on her head and knelt down next to Esme.

   “Do you have a selfie stick?” Esme asked softly and Bunny tilted her head for a second trying to remember if she did have one.

   “Oh! Yes hold on!” Bunny said, suddenly remembering. She clambered up onto her feet and moved to the closet in the room and opened the door. Esme squealed as she saw what was inside the closet making Bunny whirl back around to her in surprise. “What? What is it?” she asked hurriedly before Esme rushed into the closet.

   “You have pirate swords!” Esme cheered loudly and Bunny laughed relieved as Esme pulled out the fake pirate sword from the closet.

   “Yeah, I forgot I had all these props for when the community does photo booths. Jeremy the guard bought me a selfie stick at one of the parties that the community threw and I completely forgot about it.” Bunny explained as she looked for the selfie stick in the closet. “Got it!” she called and pulled it out of the closet triumphantly.

   “Can we dress up as pirates one day after school?” Esme asked sweetly and Bunny smiled nodding her head at the little girl who cheered happily and jumped on her toes.

   “Okay go ahead and put that back for now. We will definitely dress up as pirates one day. I promise.” Bunny promised as she nodded her head over to the closet for Esme. Esme did as she was told and then came back to stand next to a kneeling Bunny. They both smiled for the first picture and Bunny snapped a few shots.

   “Can we do a silly face one?” Esme asked as she giggled happily. Bunny nodded and lined up the phone again and the two of them laughed and giggled as they made funny faces for the pictures.

   “Alright let’s pick which ones to send to your dad and then we’ll head to the grocery store.” Bunny said as she pulled her phone from the selfie stick and showed Esme all of the pictures that she took. She let Esme pick a handful of them and sent them off to Jack with a smile. “Ok kiddo let’s get going so we can get the ingredients.” Bunny said smiling as she put away the selfie stick before ushering Esme out of the room as they both still wear the sombreros on their heads.

———

   While they’re walking up and down the aisles Bunny is laughing as Esme bounces around making her sombrero flop around her head. Just then Bunny hears her cellphone start ringing and she pulls it out seeing that Jack is video calling her. She grins and looks over at Esme showing her the phone to the little girl. Esme bounced over and giggle as she took the phone from Bunny and quickly answered the call from her Dad.

   “Daddy! Happy Taco Tuesday!” She cheered happily as she saw her father show up on the phone screen. Jack’s laugh sounded from the phone and Bunny smiled at the sound. It was a sound that she knew she was starting to get used to hearing and looked forward to it whenever he called. Shaking her head she continued down the aisle and picked out taco shells that she would need for dinner.

   “Hey Es, do you want hard taco shells? Or do you want to do soft tortillas?” Bunny asked over her shoulder to the little girl. She came bounding over to her with the phone with happiness just emitting from her in waves. Bunny smiles at Jack as she sees him on the screen as a feeling of relief and gratitude fills her that Esme is able to see her father even if it’s just on a video call.

   “I want hard taco shells.” Esme says in response and Bunny nods her head before picking up a package of the taco shells. She continues down the aisle with Esme walking next to her talking animated to her dad.

   “So I really liked those pictures you sent him girls.” Came Jack’s voice sounding a little teasing and Bunny laughed happily at that.

   “Oh yeah it’s part of my plan to wake us up. It is Taco Tuesday and we have to celebrate. What better way than to wear sombreros as we pick out taco ingredients for dinner.” Bunny said with a shrug of her shoulders. “Plus it’s always fun cooking together and I figured Esme would enjoy it.”

   “Oh I think it’s a great idea and it looks like you guys are having a ton of fun.” Jack said warmly and Esme giggled as she nodded her head making the sombrero to fall over her eyes. Bunny laughed and helped adjust the hat on her head.

   “Having a lot of fun Daddy. I really like being with Bunny.” Esme said happily and Bunny felt her heart melt at the little girl’s words. She wrapped one arm around the little girl and cuddled her into her side smiling down at Esme.

   “And it definitely looks like Bunny enjoys having you around.” Jack said fondly and Bunny looked over at him as she still held Esme close to her. She smiled brightly at the man on the phone screen and watched as his own smile grew and his breath stuttered in his chest.

   “Alright kiddo let’s get going and finish up our shopping so that we can get cooking. I’m getting hungry.” Bunny said as she continued down the aisle letting Esme time to talk with her dad.

———

   It was later that night that Bunny and Esme are sitting on the floor in the living room as 13 Going On 30 is playing on the t.v. Dinner was done and cleaned away already and the two of them are sitting with their backs against the couch and the coffee table in front of them. Bunny has a wide array of nail polishes laid out on the coffee table in front of them.

   “Alright so I figured we could do something special tonight by doing manicures and pedicures.” Bunny suggested kindly. “I can paint your nails and do anything you want on them.”

   “Oooh, really?” Esme asked excitedly as she looked over the many bottles of nail polish. “What do you normally do?” Esme asked curiously.

   “Well I usually do two different colors unless I find something on Pinterest that I’d like to try out. I find different patterns that I like to try sometimes. But it’s up to you if I can do it I’ll do it. Let me show you some of the stuff I’ve found on Pinterest that I’ve done.” Bunny explained as she pulled up her Pinterest on her phone and began showing Esme some of the nail painting ideas that she’s been able to do.

   Esme took a few minutes to look over the Pinterest board that Bunny had created. Bunny watched as she scrolled through the pictures and then smiled when Esme turned the phone back to show her the nail polish design she would like done on her nails. It was a simple design of black nails with rainbow dots.

   “Ok, go wash your hands first and then we’ll get started.” Bunny said excitedly as she too got up from the floor pausing the movie. Esme rushed off to the bathroom to wash her hands and Bunny went into the kitchen and washed her hands as well before coming back to the living room. “Alright so first things first, pick a hand lotion you would like to wear once I’m done. Once your nails are dry I’ll put the lotion on your hands to make them smell good.” Bunny explained as she showed Esme her collection of hand lotions.

   “Why do you have so many hand lotions?” Esme asked as she began to sniff each other trying to figure out which one she would like to wear.

   “I have dry skin and the skin on my hands crack and dries out very quickly if I don’t use hand lotion.” Bunny explained as she smiled at Esme. “I also like the smell of the lotions so I buy a bunch of different ones to try out.”

   “I like this purple flower one.” Esme says as she shows Bunny a container of lavender hand lotion. Bunny nods her head and sets aside the hand lotion. Bunny then started setting up the nail polish she would need to be able to paint Esme’s nails.

   “Ok so we’ll use that at the end. That’s a good smell, it should help you relax. Lavender is a relaxing scent.” Bunny said as she continued to set up everything. “Alright so first what I’m gonna do is a cuticle oil that’s going to moisturize your nails and cuticles. It’s gonna help your nails grow too because I’m going to rub it into your skin. Then I’ll begin painting your nails ok?” Bunny explained to the little girl with a smile.

   “Ok, can we still watch the movie while we do this?” Esme asked eagerly and Bunny nodded her head.

   “Of course. We have to see how the movie ends, duh.” Bunny says like it’s a no brainer and grins at the excited girl.

   Soon Bunny began applying the cuticle oil around each nail on the girls’ hands and began to rub it into the skin. The little girl watched for a little bit before her attention was pulled back to the movie playing on the t.v.

   “Are you going to paint your nails too?” Esme asked curiously as she looked back at what Bunny was doing.

   “Yeah I’ll even let you pick out my nail polish and design.” Said Bunny as she continued to massage Esme’s fingers.

   “Could we match?” Esme asked, sounding unsure and insecure. Bunny looked up suddenly at the little girl and saw her avoiding her eye. She saw the little girl bite her bottom lip in concern and Bunny couldn’t help but feel for the little girl. She wonders if the little girl is looking for a motherly figure to look up to and Bunny realizes that she doesn’t want to overstep but she would love to step up and be that person for Esme.

   “Of course we could match. I think that’d be really cool to do.” Bunny gushed happily. She knew that she would have to tread lightly with wanting to be there for Esme, she didn’t want to step on any boundaries that the girl had or any parenting that Jack had for her. So Bunny knew she would be there for Esme whenever she could be and would look out for her. She wouldn’t push but she’d always try to be there for her. “So what’s going on with school? Anything exciting?” Bunny asked as she began to paint Esme’s nails.

   “Well I made a new friend named Nadia. She’s really cool. She’s a lot of fun.” Esme said happily.

“That’s great Es! I’m glad you made a new friend. Does she live far from here?” Bunny said excitedly as she swiped base coat onto her nails. Blowing softly on her nails Bunny looking up at Esme and saw the slightly saddened look on her face.

“No, she lives over by the library.” Esme replied a little downtrodden and Bunny nodded her head at the little girl.

“Well that’s not too far from here. If the two of you ever wanted to hang out after school like on the weekends I don’t think it would be too far of a drive for your Dad.” Bunny said knowingly and Esme seemed to perk up at that.

“Do you think he’d let us have sleepovers?” Esme asked as she bounced slightly in her seat. Bunny smiled as she set aside the base coat bottle and picked up the black nail polish bottle.

“It’s up to him sweetheart I don’t know what he would say.” Bunny said truthfully not wanting to get the girl’s hopes up to only be crushed when her Dad said no. Esme nodded her head at what Bunny said and Bunny began to focus on painting the first layer of black nail polish.

“Nadia said she’s going to introduce me to her other friends too. Said I should make more friends who will be nice to me.” Esme said easily and Bunny furrowed her eyebrows at that.

“What do you mean friend who will be nice to you? Is there someone not being nice to you at school?” Bunny asked as she felt her body tense at the idea that there were kids who weren’t being nice to Esme. Esme was such a sweet girl in her eyes she couldn’t imagine anyone finding anything to tease Esme about. And then suddenly it clicked. Bunny looked up to see Esme trying to avoid her eyes once again. “Es, are you still being bullied?” She asked softly as she stopped painting her nails and looked up at her giving her her full attention.

Esme shrugged her shoulders and kept trying to avoid Bunny’s eyes. Bunny tilted her head down to try and catch Esme’s line of sight. When she wasn’t able to Bunny sighed softly.

“You know, I was bullied when I was a little bit older than you.” Bunny said softly and saw out of the corner of her eye that Esme was now looking up at her surprised.

“Really?” Esme asked in shock. “But you’re so cool.” She said softly and Bunny laughed loudly at that.

“Thank you. I didn’t used to be when I was a kid though. The kids at my school made fun of me because I was always reading. Anytime I had spare time while at school I had my face buried in a book. I had some friends but we weren’t popular. We didn’t do a lot of sports, just what was required in gym class. I was more interested in books and doing crafts than sports and going to parties like a lot of the other kids at my school. So I got picked on a lot at school. Oh! And I loved to swim, my family had a swimming pool and I was in it all summer from sun up to sun down pretty much. The chlorine in the pool started to change the color of my hair and when I went back to school I got teased for that by the kids at my school.” Bunny explained about her experience in school. Esme watched her silently as she listened to what Bunny said.

“How did you get rid of the bullies?” Esme asked softly. Bunny sat there for a moment and thought back to how she got the bullies to stop teasing her.

“I showed them that I didn’t care about what they said. The bullies are looking for a reaction from you. They want to see you cry and get upset. If you don’t cry or get upset they could stop. Or you can stand up to them and tell them to stop.” Bunny said truthfully.

“Like Nadia did the other day when the girls were teasing me about not playing in gym.” Esme said matter of factly. Bunny nodded her head.

“Did the girls stop teasing you after Nadia told them to stop?” Bunny asked curiously.

“They did.” Esme said nodding her head.

“Ok so maybe when they start teasing you again tell them no and stop. If they don’t stop you go to a teacher and tell the teacher what’s going on. They shouldn’t be teasing you for not being in gym.” Bunny said honestly.

“I don’t want to get in trouble.” Esme said dejectedly as she looked down at the floor.

“You won’t get in trouble for telling someone to stop teasing you. Or telling the teacher what’s going on.” Bunny said emphatically. “If someone is bothering you and making trouble for you, you have to say something otherwise people can’t help you sweetheart.”

“Ok. If they start teasing me again I’ll say something.” Esme said as she nodded.

“So maybe we need to find you something that you would be able to do instead of gym. Something that your asthma wouldn’t be aggravated. Let me talk to your Dad later and see if we can try something this weekend before he comes home.” Bunny suggested as she began to paint Esme’s nails again.

“You think there’s something that I can do that’s a sport?” Esme asked.

“There’s definitely a possibility. We’ll start off easy though and do something that’s not a sport. We’ll see how you do and then go from there.” Bunny said, trying to caution the little girl. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up too high. We have to see how you do with this first one.” Bunny said softly as she looked at Esme. Esme nodded her head slowly at Bunny and she responded with a soft smile and ruffling the little girl's hair on her head which made her squeal and try to get away without messing up her freshly painted nails.

———

“Dad! Look at my nails! Bunny painted them for me. And she painted her nails the same way so that we match!” Esme said excitedly as she showed Jack her painted nails as she sat up in her bed. Bunny was in her own room getting changed for bed and could hear the conversation going on between the two of them. She tuned it out a little bit to give the two of them some privacy but kept an ear out for anytime Esme would call out her name.

It was probably a good ten minutes later that Esme called out to Bunny from across the hall. Placing her bookmark in the science fiction novel that she was reading she set the book on the bed side table and got up from the bed. Walking across the hall she smiled as she pushed the door open and saw Esme lounging back on her pillows as she held the phone up to still look at her Dad. Her eyes were drooping and she had a sleepy smile on her face when she noticed Bunny.

“Dad said he wanted to say goodnight to you.” Esme said softly and Bunny nodded her head at the little girl.

“Sure thing, did you finish saying goodnight? I’d like to talk to your Dad for a quick second.” Bunny explained as Esme handed her the phone.

“Yeah. Can you read me a story once you’re done?” Esme asked as she yawned widely. Bunny laughed softly and nodded her head at Esme.

“Of course I can. Once I’m done I’ll come back in okay?” she said easily to Esme and Esme just nodded as she snuggled further into the bed.

Turning back to the phone Bunny walked out of Esme’s room and into her own. Bunny smiled softly at herself as she realized it was only day two with the little girl and she already thought of the spare room as Esme’s room.

“What’s the smile on your face for?” asked Jack and Bunny looked back at her phone letting the smile widen.

“I was just thinking that that’s Esme’s room already.” she said fondly and Jack grinned at her through the phone. “So I wanted to talk to you about possibly enrolling Esme in a dog yoga class that the community holds on the weekend.” Bunny explained confidently to Jack. “She mentioned that she’s still being bullied and teased at school for not being able to do gym or sports. I did a little bit of research and I have a friend in the dog yoga class who has asthma. Yoga is something that Esme could be able to do even with her asthma. It’s a slow class and very low key, I’ve gone a few times and maybe it’ll help with her asthma.” Bunny began to ramble again, she grimaced slightly as the words left her mouth and she felt herself falling farther and farther down the rabbit hole of trying to convince Jack to let Esme go to yoga. She had even begun to pace as she talked about what she wanted to do for Esme without even being aware of it. “I’ll be with her there the whole time. I’ll make sure I have her inhaler. I don’t want to overstep but she wants to do sports and she’s been upset about the teasing and bullying.”

“Easy Bunny, easy.” Jack said lowly with a little bit of an accent and Bunny took in a deep breath after stopping the word flow coming from her mouth. She shivered a little bit as the low easy comforting tone of Jack’s voice embraced her through the phone. His voice was so soothing and the accent that her ears now tried to catch and pick up was something that she knew she would love to listen to for hours. Feeling a flush grace her cheeks she grimaced slightly at the phone. “Let me call her doctor tomorrow morning and ask if that would be alright. To me it sounds fine, I know you’ll take care of her. I couldn’t ask for a better guardian to Esme than you.” Jack said softly and Bunny felt her heart thud heavily in her chest.

“Thanks Jack.” Bunny said softly as tears began to prick her eyes. She didn’t know why his words were affecting her like this. Yeah, she cared about Esme and wanted the best for the little girl but was just two days long enough to make her so invested in the girl? Bunny stood in the middle of her room where she had stopped her pacing. She stared off into her room and tried to gather her thoughts and found that all she wanted for Esme was her to feel good about herself. She didn’t want Esme to feel bad that the other kids teased her about her asthma. She felt connected to the little girl because of her own childhood past of being bullied and teased. She had wished that there was someone in her life back then who had stood up for her like Nadia was doing for Esme now. Or someone to help make her feel better about herself like she was trying to do for Esme.

“Did I lose ya Bunny?” asked Jack suddenly and Bunny was pulled from her thoughts suddenly. She turned her eyes back to the phone and smiled before letting out a big yawn trying to cover it quickly with her free hand. Jack laughed softly at the sight and Bunny flushed brightly.

“Sorry just got lost in thought for a moment.” she said sheepishly and he shook his head at her.

“No worries Bunny. I’ll let you get to sleep. I’ll let you know what the doctor says after I call her okay?” he says warmly as he grins at her from her phone screen.

“Alright sounds good to me.” she said easily. “Goodnight Jack.”

“Goodnight Bunny.” he responded and Bunny smiled again before hanging up the video call. Feeling her stomach fluttering a little she tried to push it down. She knew it would be dangerous to start developing feelings for her new neighbor so soon. But she couldn’t help but feel happy that he thought she was a good guardian for Esme.

Walking back across the hall to Esme’s room she peeked in and saw the little girl was already asleep snuggled in her bed. A medium sized stuffed octopus clutched tightly in her arms as she snored softly in her sleep. Bunny sighed softly as she leant against the doorframe and watched Esme sleeping. Shaking her head softly she smiled at herself, who knew her new neighbors would manage to weasel their way into her life so easily.

———

The next morning Bunny’s alarm blared her ‘Hype Music’ playlist waking her up from a deep peaceful sleep. She blearily blinked as she noticed the soft gray light filtering into her bedroom. Esme slept through the night! Sitting upright from the bed Bunny silently fist pumped into the air and gasped happily as she swiped her phone from the end table turning off the alarm. She had to tell Jack.

Quickly pulling up Jack’s text message thread she typed out a quick message to him.

Taco Tuesday was a success and Esme slept through the night!

Not waiting for a response she set her phone back down and got up from the bed. Changing easily into a pair of gray baggy sweatpants and a hunter green long sleeved shirt Bunny quickly tied up her hair out of her face and grabbed her phone before exiting her room. She peeked into Esme’s room quickly to see the girl still sound asleep and she grinned from ear to ear before she bounded down the stairs to the kitchen.

“C’mon Butter let’s get you outside to pee.” Bunny said softly as she walked into the kitchen stretching widely feeling more refreshed and accomplished than ever before. She patted her thighs and whistled for Butter who was still snoozing himself on his back half in his dog bed and half out of it.

When he heard her whistle his little body twisted and flipped in such a way that had Bunny groaning in sympathetic pain. But the little dog quickly got to his feet and slid across the floor towards her. She laughed softly and walked him down the back hallway to the back door.

“Go on. Get it done quick so you can come back into the warmth.” she told the dog as he leapt from the back steps and made a mad dash for his arch rival who was once again taunting him with his tittering fluffy tail. Shaking her head Bunny shut the back door and watched for a moment as Butter rushed the squirrel who quickly broke away from the discarded birdseed on the ground.

Turning back around Bunny walked back into the kitchen and set up her phone to begin playing her playlist on the downstairs speakers. She hummed and swayed her hips to the upbeat song and began setting out the ingredients for an egg and veggie omelet. She was cutting up the veggies that she wanted to put in the omelet when she heard the spare bathroom door close from upstairs and she smiled.

She let Butter back into the house and was just plating up one of the omelets when Esme walked into the kitchen already dressed in a pretty light purple shirt and dark wash bootcut blue jeans, her hair was in disarray and she looked crestfallen at that fact as she tried to pull it up into a ponytail.

“Here, eat your omelet and I’ll take care of your hair ok?” Bunny offered as she set the plate of the omelet in front of Esme. Esme looked up at her gratefully and nodded her head.

“Thank you.” she said softly before she began digging into her breakfast.

“No problem, do you want a ponytail or a braid? Two braids?” Bunny asked as she walked around Esme and grabbed the brush that was sitting on the kitchen island.

“Oooh! Can you do two braids? Or two braids that go into one?” Esme asked eagerly.

“I can do two braids, one of either side of your head for today. Anything else fancy and I’ll have to look it up on google on how to do it.” Bunny said as she began to brush out Esme’s long hair.

“You’d do that? Look it up for me?” Esme asked curiously and with a hopefully lilt to her voice.

“Of course. If I can figure out how to do it for you I will. So what would you like for tomorrow? Two braids that go into one?” Bunny assured her easily.

“Yes please!” Esme cheered happily. Bunny nodded as she hummed along to the song playing on her phone and began to braid Esme’s hair into two long braids.

“Oh! I’ve got a sparkly ribbon that I can tie into bows on the end would you want that?” Bunny asked suddenly as she thought about the ribbon that she had in her craft room.

“Is it purple?” Esme asked as she turned to look at Bunny with wide eyes.

“It might be let me go get it and we’ll see if it looks good.” Bunny suggested as she hurried over to the craft room and grabbed the sparkle ribbon she had. When she made it back to the kitchen Esme had already finished her breakfast and was just finishing up her orange juice. Bunny showed her the ribbon and Esme nodded eagerly as she still drank from her cup. Bunny laughed and walked behind Esme again. Easily tying a neat little bow on the end of each braid Bunny nodded her head in accomplishment. “Alright all done. Go on upstairs and brush your teeth, get your jacket and backpack while I eat my breakfast ok?”

“Thanks Bunny!” Esme called after she put her dirty dishes in the sink and rushed upstairs. Shaking her head slightly Bunny quickly made her own omelet and ate it standing at the kitchen island. Furrowing her brow slightly as she leaned against the island just letting her thoughts run away from her as the music still played over the speakers. Gasping suddenly Bunny turned towards the notebook she kept next to the fridge and quickly began jotting down ideas that she had for the client’s website that she was designing. She smiled as she realized after writing everything down that all her ideas were all inspiration from braiding Esme’s hair.

———

It had been a few hours since Esme had gotten onto the school bus and Bunny had been eyeballs deep into her work. After the inspirational breakthrough she had this morning thanks to Esme she had easily applied her ideas to the website design for her client and had completed a very sleek and eye appealing website. With the finishing touches now being completed Bunny sent off the design to the client and powered down her computer.

Swiping her phone off the desk she lazily scrolled through the notifications until she saw that Jack had texted her about an hour or so ago. She had already warned him on the video call he had with Esme this morning that she would be busy with her work today as she had finally gotten over the block she had come across. He had told her it wasn’t a problem and that he’d text her later but not to worry about responding back right away. He knew how work could easily keep your focus and you lose track of time.She opened the text and smiled when she saw what he had written.

Doctor says yoga is a-ok with her. Also said any other exercises or sport classes that are low key like yoga would be good too. If you have any suggestions I’m all for it.

Bunny tilted her head to the side as she tried to think of any other classes that Esme could take that would make her feel better about having asthma. Bunny stood from her desk chair and walked into the kitchen to begin prepping for dinner tonight. She had plans to get Esme more into helping her cook tonight and she knew the little girl would enjoy it. Typing away on her phone she sent off a text to Jack and set the phone down.

Did the Doctor suggest anything? Do you think she meant classes like karate or tai chi? It could maybe help Esme feel better if she had some self defense classes. It might make her feel more confident.

Pulling out the yeast packet Bunny began making the dough for the homemade pizzas she had planned for tonight. After kneading the dough she placed it in a bowl with a towel over it and set it to the side. She then pulled out some veggies and began chopping them up so that they’d go easier on the pizza. Then Bunny began heating up some tomato sauce and adding spices into it and letting it simmer on the stove. Once everything was done and prepped she looked over at the clock over the stove and saw that she had about ten minutes until the bus would be arriving.

“C’mon Butter! Let’s go get Esme!” She called out to the dog and heard his feet scrambling against the floor as he ran from his spot in the hallway where the sun managed to hit the floor and heat it enough for Butter to take a cat nap. “You silly dog.” she said fondly to him as she clipped his leash to his collar and the two of them walked out of the house together. Slipping her phone out of her pocket when she heard her notification sound go off she smiled as she saw another text from Jack.

That’s a good idea. Do you know of any karate classes?

I’ll see what I can find out and let you know. ;)

Bunny froze as she looked down at the text that she sent Jack. The little winking emoji stared up at her and she felt her breath slowly escape out of her lungs. Why did she send that?! How was Jack going to take that little emoji? Was he going to think she was flirting with him? Was she flirting with him? Would he like that she was flirting with him? Thoughts raced through her mind as she stared at the emoji and waited to see if he would send a response really quickly or not.

“Bunny!” Shouted Esme and Bunny jumped almost a foot in the air as she whipped her head around to look at Esme. Pressing the hand holding her cellphone to her chest she tried to calm her racing heart. “You okay Bunny?” Esme asked curiously as she stared at her.

“Oh yeah, yeah kiddo. I’m fine. Sorry I was a little distracted.” Bunny said easily to Esme.

“What were you distracted of?” Esme asked and Bunny smiled softly at the mix up of words from her. And then she remembered what had distracted her. Bunny’s heart began to pound in her chest again and she took in a deep breath to try and calm herself down.

“Nothing sweetheart. Let’s get walking so Butter can go to the bathroom and then I’ve got another surprise for dinner tonight.” Bunny said softly. The two of them began walking around the block together and Bunny looked down at her phone to see that she had gotten another text message from Jack.

Thanks sweetheart. ;)

Bunny felt her face flush and she slipped the phone into her back pocket quickly trying to put the text message out of her mind. But that text message would stay with her for the rest of the night.

———

The next morning Bunny’s alarm rings out and she rolls over in the bed sighing softly. Staring up at the ceiling she lets her hand rest against her stomach and her mind begins to drift off with Jack in the spotlight. Last night after her and Esme had made two medium sized pizzas with different toppings, Esme had said she wanted to take a bunch of pictures to send to Jack and Bunny had pulled out all the stops. She took pictures of Esme holding up her homemade pizza and then pictures of Esme eating the pizza.

Then the pictures had devolved into dressing up and having a dance party in Bunny’s bedroom. The two of them took selfies with the selfie stick as they posed and danced. Bunny had captured some videos too to send to Jack of her and Esme dancing around like crazy.

When Jack had video called later that night he had laughed at the excited Esme as she giggled. He had even told Bunny that he loved her picture in the fuzzy boa before he winked at her over the screen. Bunny had flushed almost immediately and had quickly left the video call. Esme had given her an odd look for a moment before turning back to the screen and talking to Jack.

Bunny stared up at the ceiling focusing on the white paint and felt herself flushing again at the thought of Jack. She knew she was going to be sad when Esme was no longer staying with her, she had definitely gotten used to taking care of the little girl and having her around. But Jack was coming home in a few more days on Sunday night and Esme would have to go back home. Shaking her head Bunny tried to clear the sadness that was trying to creep up on her. It was only Thursday and she still had four more days with the little girl and the weekend to spend time with her. She wouldn’t let the sadness of her leaving ruin her time with her now.

Getting up from the bed she dresses in a pair of black leggings and slips on a light blue tank top and then a charcoal gray oversized sweater. She walked down the stairs after checking on Esme and quietly let out Butter into the backyard before stepping into the craft room and pulled out a length of sparkly rainbow colored ribbon that she wanted to weave into Esme’s hair. She had looked up how to videos online and had found some really cute designs for braids and ribbons to try on Esme.

In the kitchen she pulled out some frozen waffles and slid them into the toaster. She then pulled out some fresh fruit and began cutting them up and placing them in a medium sized bowl. The toaster went off and Bunny put in some more for herself before setting the first two on a plate and pulling out the butter dish and maple syrup.

Esme was just walking into the kitchen when Bunny pulled the other two waffles out of the toaster. Smearing butter onto the waffles she stacked them on Esme’s plate and poured some maple syrup over them.

“Mornin’ kiddo. How’d you sleep?” Bunny as she dished out some fruit as well for Esme.

“Good. What’s the rainbow ribbon for?” Esme responded easily as she yawned widely. Bunny chuckled softly and pulled the video of how to and showed Esme.

“I figured I’d try my hand at weaving some ribbon into your hair for your hairdo today. How’s that sound?” Bunny explained as Esme watched the how to video and squealed delightedly.

“That looks sooo good!” Esme cheered happily and Bunny nodded her head. “Oh please can we do this?”

“Of course sweetheart.” Bunny said easily. “Eat up your waffles and some fruit and I’ll braid your hair.” Bunny explained as she began eating her own waffles.

Once Bunny finished her waffles she moved behind Esme and set up her phone so she could watch the how to video as she braided Esme’s hair and weaved the sparkly rainbow ribbon into it. She braided one braid on each side of Esme’s head and then combined it into one larger braid all while weaving the ribbon into her braid. When she was finished she looked at the results and smiled warmly nodding her head.

“There we go. C’mon let’s go get check it out in the bathroom and then finish getting ready for school.” Bunny said nodding her head and began leading Esme up to the bathroom upstairs. While in the bathroom Bunny took a picture of Esme’s hair and showed it to her. Esme squealed with happiness and bounced on her feet. “You look very pretty Es. I hope you like it.” Bunny said truthfully and watched as the girl in front of her gasped and then lunged forward wrapping her arms around Bunny’s waist.

“I love it, thank you Bunny. You’re the best!” Esme cheered happily as she continued to hug Bunny. Bunny wrapped her arms around Esme and leant her head on top of Esme’s. Smiling softly she just let herself be hugged by the little girl and began to feel happiness start to consume her.

“You’re very welcome sweetheart.” Bunny said warmly to the girl and then patted her back three times. “Should we send a picture of your hair to your Dad. Show him how pretty you look today?”

“Yes! He’s gonna love it!” Esme cheered happily. Bunny quickly pulled up the text thread for Jack and typed out a message before sending the picture of Esme’s hairdo off to him. She walked out of the bathroom and went into her own to brush her teeth. Just then her phone started to ring with the video call ringtone and Bunny answered it as she was brushing her teeth.

Jack’s face came onto the screen and Bunny hummed at him as she continued to brush her teeth. Jack’s laughter came over the speaker and he grinned at her before she bent over and spat out her toothpaste.

“Hold on one second Jack.” Bunny said quickly as she rinsed out her mouth and began walking to Esme’s bathroom. “Good morning by the way.” Bunny said easily and grinned at him.

“Good mornin’ to ya too Bunny.” Jack said easily and his grin grew in size on his face. Bunny pressed a button on the screen and switched the camera to face front and showed Jack the back of Esme’s hair. Jack gave a long loud whistle and Esme whirled around with a grin on her face.

“Doesn’t she look so pretty Jack?” Esme asked smiling at the girl.

“She looks as beautiful as a rose. You did a good job Bunny, you’re setting the bar high for me aren’t ya? Good morning sunshine!” Jack said happily and Bunny handed the phone to Esme who switched the camera back and began talking to her Dad. Bunny smiled at the excited chatter that instantly filled the bathroom.

“Good morning Daddy. Thanks! I really love what Bunny did with my hair.” Esme said easily as she continued to grin and bounce lightly on her toes.

“She did a really good job with it.” Jack agreed with her. Bunny smiled as she walked out of the bathroom leaving the two of them to talk.

———

Bunny had seen a very excited Esme off on the bus. The little girl bouncing around happily saying that she couldn’t wait to show Nadia her hair ribbons. According to Esme her new friend Nadia always had such pretty hairdos and pretty barrettes in her hair. As Bunny walked back to her house with Butter she idly wondered if she could make Esme a set of pretty barrettes that Jack would be able to put in her hair.

When she got back to the house she walked into the craft room and booted up her computer to look up what she would need to create some pretty barrettes and bows for Esme. As since she had finished the project for her client ahead of schedule Bunny had the next two days off to spend however she wanted. She would only need to wait on the response back from her client and then she would be back to work to implement the website design for the client.

Looking at the computer screen Bunny saw what she needed to make bows and nodded her head confidently as she saw most of the supplies she needed she had. Putting on some background music she began pulling out all the supplies she needed.

Before she actually got down to creating the bows a notification came across the speakers in the room and she looked over at her phone to see she had gotten a message from one of her girlfriends named Mercy who ran the dog yoga classes on the weekends.

Hey honey bunny! I heard through the grapevine that you’re going to be joining us this weekend with Butter and a friend?

Bunny smiled as she saw the message and quickly began typing out a response to Mercy.

Yes I’m bringing Butter and a little girl named Esme who’s my new neighbor’s daughter that I’m watching this week. She has severe asthma so I’m trying to help find her classes that her doctor approved for her to take. The doctor suggested karate and tai chi but I don’t know of any classes nearby for that. Would you happen to know of any?

Girl, I got you covered. I’ll bring all the info I’ve got on those types of classes. There’s a few places not far from the community that offer up karate and tai chi. There’s also father/daughter classes too if the Dad is into it. Or mother/daughter classes if she wants you to do it with her.

Oh, that’s sweet of you but I don’t want to overstep. But I appreciate any help you can give me! Thanks sweetheart! I’ll see you on Saturday!

Can’t wait! See you Saturday!

Feeling a little accomplished with the prospect of having some information on classes for Esme Bunny grinned as she set her phone down on the counter again.

———

The day had warmed up a little bit, Butter was sprawled out in a large patch of sunlight that had heated up the wood floor in the craft room and Bunny was seated on the stool that sat next to her craft table in the middle of the room as she looped another pretty red ribbon on itself before securing it with her hot glue gun. Blowing lightly on the hot glue she pulled her fingers away and smiled triumphantly when the ribbon stayed perfectly still where she had placed it and glued it down. She picked up a black fabric covered button and put hot glue on the back of it before she pressed it in the middle of the red bow and let the glue adhere to ribbons and the back of the bow barrette.

Just then the shrill ringing of her cellphone caught her attention as the music cut off on the speakers. Setting the bow and the hot glue gun on the counter Bunny reached over and grabbed her phone. She saw Jack’s contact show up on the screen and smiled curiously as to why he was calling her in the middle of the day. Swiping her finger over the screen she easily unlocked the phone and heard the call connect.

“Jack? Are you okay?” Bunny asked curiously as she pressed the phone to her ear.

“Hey Bunny I’m sorry to call you during the work day.” came Jack’s rushed voice.

“No, no it’s okay what’s going on? What’s wrong?” Bunny asked now feeling worry start to course through her body. She felt her muscles tense as Jack’s tone. Something was wrong and her whole body was picking up on it just in his tone.

“I’m okay. Sorry, I’m okay. But I got a call from the school.” he said blowing out a sighing breath. Bunny was instantly relieved and then her body tensed when she realized that he mentioned the school.

“What’s wrong with Es? Did something happen? Was it her asthma?” Bunny began questioning him rapidly and Jack blew out another breath of air.

“No, she’s okay. I’m sorry I’m really bad at relaying this.” he said quickly trying to calm Bunny down. Bunny took in a breath and slowly blew it out closing her eyes as she slowly relaxed her tense muscles one at a time.

“Okay, next time just start out with everyone is okay then get to the info.” Bunny suggested as she tilted her head to the side and Jack chuckled softly at her words.

“Yeah that would have definitely been better. Sorry I didn’t mean to make you worry.” Jack said softly.

“It’s okay. My mind just jumped immediately to the worst case scenario. What’s going on though why did the school call you?” Bunny asked curious as she rested her elbow on the counter and then laid her head in her palm.

“So Esme got bullied again today and she went to a teacher to get it to stop.” Jack said softly and in a tone that sounded so heartbroken.

“What did the teacher do?” Bunny asked as she quickly picked her head up from her hand.

“The teacher stopped and brought the bullies to the principal’s office. Esme didn’t get into any trouble but the other kids are giving her the cold shoulder because she told the teacher.” Jack said dejectedly.

“Oh Es.” Bunny said softly as her heart instantly broke for the little girl.

“She’s probably going to come home not in the best mood at all. I just wanted to give you a heads up if she comes home and she’s down.” Jack said softly and Bunny nodded her head along with his words.

“Okay no problem. I think tonight I’ll see if she’ll be up to doing some crafts with me tonight. I’ve got a surprise for her that I’m hoping will lift her spirits a little after the rough day she’s had.” Bunny explained kindly as her eyes darted over to the pile of bows that she had already created. The bright colors with odd middle pieces made her grin with excitement to show Esme what she had created.

“Oh? And what did you make for my little monster?” Jack asked curiously.

“A bunch of bows to put in her hair. She mentioned this morning that her new friend Nadia has some pretty barrettes that she puts in her hair and I got to thinking maybe I should make some for the girls to wear. I made some for Es and I made some for her friend Nadia if she wanted to share them with her.” Bunny explained excited and Jack chuckled softly over the phone. “I’ll send you a few pictures later on. I’ve got a few more I wanted to make before I had to go get Esme from the bus stop.”

“Oh okay. That sounds great. Thank you Bunny. I was nervous at the beginning of this but you’ve definitely put my mind at ease with leaving Es with you. I can’t thank you enough for helping me out with this.” Jack said emphatically.

“Jack, what did we say about thanking me? No more okay? I don’t mind watching Esme for you, she’s a wonderful little girl and this week has been really great. I really enjoy being around her.” Bunny said sternly, trying to get Jack to finally stop thanking her. “Oh hey, while I got you on the phone my girlfriend Mercy said she has some info on classes for karate and tai chi that aren’t that far from the community. She runs the dog yoga so when Esme and I go this Saturday she’ll be able to give me the info. I’ll give it to you once you get home for you to figure out which class would be best for Esme.”

“Wow, that’s great! Okay thanks I really appreciate you getting information on those classes. I think they’ll be great for Esme. I really liked what you said before, that she might feel more confident with some self defensive classes. I think it’ll really be good for her.” Jack said animatedly and Bunny grinned at how into it Jack was into this idea.

“Yeah I think it’ll be good for her too. She really wants to be able to participate in gym class. And by doing something that she’s able to handle with her asthma I think it’ll make her feel a little more included sort of. Or at least I hope so.” Bunny said easily.

“Yeah I know she does it’s just tricky with her asthma. Alright I gotta get back to work. Thanks again for getting the class info. I appreciate it, I’ll talk to ya later sweetheart.” Jack said quickly and Bunny flushed heatedly at the pet name.

“Okay talk to you later Jack.” Bunny stumbled out softly and quickly hung up the phone. Fanning herself with her hand Bunny tried to calm her racing heart. How could he be affecting her so much over a damn phone call and a pet name?! Bunny took in a few more deep breaths and let them out slowly trying to calm herself. She knew that her emotions and feelings for Jack were brand new and it always felt so good in the beginning but there was so much more to figure out first than to continue developing these feelings for him. Shaking her head she began to push her feelings away and down deeper inside of herself. She had to make sure Esme was okay first and then maybe just maybe there could be something for her and Jack.

———

It wasn’t that long after Jack’s phone call that the alarm to go pick up Esme was ringing out into the air. Bunny looked up from her hunched over stance over the counter and set down the finished bow in her hands. She stretched widely letting her arms reach out on either side of her body as she slid off the stool she had been sitting on.

Bunny guessed she got so involved in finishing up the bows that she lost track of time. Arching her back she heard the pops in her joints and groaned softly. Smiling softly Bunny realized that she had never actually felt this tired in a long time. It was as if her whole body was just exhausted, she had a feeling it was because she was always trying to make the evenings fun for Esme and had been doing quite a bit of moving around.

“C’mon Butter let’s go get Esme.” Bunny said easily as she ushered the little dog out of the room and down the hallway towards the front door. The two of them quickly get the leash attached and are out the door.

“Bunny!” Called out a voice that made Bunny’s head snap up and turn to the side spotting Mr. Quinten sitting on his front porch waving at her.

“Hey Mr. Q. How are you?” Bunny asked as she led Butter across the front lawn over to the fence dividing her yard from Mr. Quinten’s. “Are you warm enough? It’s a little chilly out.”

“I’m fine, I promise, stop worrying about me. How’s it going with that little girl you’ve been watching this past week?” Mr. Quinten asked, waving away Bunny’s concern.

“She’s doing ok, had a rough start but now we’re doing good together. Tonight I think we’re going to do some crafts.” Bunny explained easily to Mr. Quinten. “Am I still taking you to the doctor on Monday?”

“Yep still scheduled to go.” Mr. Quinten replied. “That’s good that you guys are getting along. Never know when it comes to you dear.” He teased and Bunny rolled her eyes at the older man as she chuckled softly.

“Sure Mr. Quinten whatever you say.” Bunny grumbled out and Mr. Quinten laughed loudly.

“That’s what I like to hear Bunny!” Mr. Quinten called out as Bunny shook her head and waved at Mr. Quinten before leading Butter back towards the sidewalk to go walk to the bus stop.

Once Bunny and Butter had gotten to the bus stop Bunny had a seat on the curb and Butter quickly walked over and curled in her lap. Bunny ran her fingers through the fur on his back and Butter turned and twisted in her lap until he was laying on his back and presenting his belly to her. Bunny chuckled softly as she began to scratch his belly making him wiggle with delight.

“You’re such a needy little thing. I love you Butter.” She says softly to him as she cuddles him up in her arms and close to her chest. She laughs as he burrows into her chest and huffs loudly. Just then the sound of the brakes on the bus ring through the air and Bunny looks up from her spot on the curb to watch as Esme dejectedly walks down the steps of the bus.

When the little girl looks up and spots the two of them sitting on the curb and gives a soft grimace. Bunny smiles softly at Esme and holds Butter up to the side of her face hoping to make the little girl smile. It works as Esme lets out a loud giggle at the silly sight of the two of them. Bunny counts it as a win as Esme walks over and takes a seat next to her.

“Are you ok?” Bunny asks softly as Butter squirms in her arms as he tries to move to climb into Esme’s lap who giggles at his antics. The dog seems to vibrate as he wiggles in Esme’s lap and starts to lick her in the face happily. Esme’s giggles emit into the air and Bunny smiles as she sits next to the little girl and wiggling dog.

“I’m okay now.” Esme says quietly and Bunny watches her with concerned eyes. “You were right I didn’t get into trouble with the teacher when I told her about the bullying but the other kids. They weren’t so nice after they heard I told on the bully.” Esme explained, Bunny nodded her head at her words.

“Yeah sometimes people blame the person doing the right thing instead of the person doing the wrong thing. I know it stinks but those kids aren’t the friends you want in the long run. Was Nadia nice to you after you told on the bully?” Bunny tried to explain to her.

“Yeah Nadia thought I did the right thing. She was still nice to me afterwards.” Esme responded.

“Good that’s really good Es. Nadia is a really good friend then. She’s one you should keep around.” Bunny said knowingly. “I hope the two of you stay friends for a very long time.”

“I like her a lot.” Esme said softly and Bunny nodded her head.

“So I’ve got a surprise for you at the house. I was thinking maybe we’ll order some Chinese food and have it delivered while we do some crafts together, how does that sound?” Bunny suggested.

“Ooh what kind of crafts? And what’s the surprise?!” Esme asked excitedly, making Bunny laugh.

“Well any kind of crafts you’d like. We could make friendship bracelets for you and Nadia. We could do anything you really wanted. If I don’t know how to make it I’ll look it up on my computer.” Bunny explained easily to her. “And it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you what it was now would it?” Bunny teased softly and Esme squealed in her seat.

“I wanna make a friendship bracelet for you and Nadia!” Esme cheered and Bunny felt her heart clench in her chest at the thoughtfulness of Esme.

“That sounds like a plan to me girlie. Let’s get going so we can walk this one and then order some food and get crafting.” Bunny said as she began to stand up. She looked down and watched as Esme let Butter crawl out of her lap and then grabbed the leash. Bunny took the backpack from Esme and the three of them began walking around the block.

———

Bunny laughed as she watched Esme race with Butter up to the front door and then bounce in place as she tried to wait for Bunny to come unlock the front door. Taking a leap up the small three step porch she had Bunny was quickly unlocking the front door and opening it for both Esme and Butter. Esme quickly undid Butter’s leash and hung it up on the hook by the door.

“Alright kiddo the surprise is in the craft room. Let’s get in there and do a bit of crafting to relax and then I’ll order dinner how does that sound?” Bunny asked.

“Sounds good.” Esme cheered as she raced down the hallway and turned into the craft room. Bunny shook her head and walked into the kitchen to serve Butter his dinner for the evening and refresh his water bowl. Hearing the loud squeal from the craftroom Bunny couldn’t help the proud grin that burst across her face.

The sound of racing steps reached her ears and she looked up from the sink where she stood to see Esme standing in the archway of the kitchen with tears in her eyes and a duo of bows in her hands. Putting the dog bowl full of water on the floor Bunny turned fully to Esme as the little girl rushed forward and wrapped her small arms around Bunny’s waist. Burying her face in Bunny’s stomach Esme sniffled softly and Bunny felt her heart clench tightly in her chest as her hand came to rest against Esme’s soft hair.

“Thank you so much. I love them all.” Esme said around a few more sniffles. Bunny pulled Esme back a little bit and smiled down at her brightly.

“You are very welcome sweetheart.” Bunny said softly and ran her hand over Esme’s hair again. “Now c’mon let’s pick some out for Nadia and then we’ll make some bracelets.” Esme nodded her head and began making her way down the hallway towards the craftroom.

Once inside the room Bunny moved to the containers that held colored lanyard, colored string, beads and other things that they would be able to use to make bracelets. Bunny also pulled out a measuring tape and a few pieces of paper and a pencil, she had another idea to help Esme feel better about things that were going on.

“Alright so which ones would you like to share with Nadia. Or do you not want to share them with Nadia?” Bunny asked as she pulled out two stools next to the counter. The two of them sat on the stools and Esme began to look over all of the bows that she had in her pile. Bunny watched as Esme started to set aside a few of the bows for Nadia as she inspected them all carefully.

“Nadia likes the colors yellow and orange to most. She says she likes them because of sunsets.” Esme explained softly as she moved a brightly orange colored bow into Nadia’s pile.

“Well that’s nice that you’re picking her favorite colors for her. And sunsets are pretty. I get why she likes yellow and orange. What’s your favorite color?” Bunny asked Esme curiously as she watched Esme pick up a teal sparkly bow with a silver octopus figurine in the middle of it.

“I like purple and teal because it reminds me of the ocean.” Esme explained easily as she set the octopus bow in her pile before picking up another one. As Esme continued to go through each bow and decide which pile it would end up in Bunny pulled out her measuring tape and began holding the tape up against Esme’s body in certain places. When she found each measurement she needed she would write it down on one of her pieces of paper. “What’s your favorite color Bunny?” Esme asked softly.

“My favorite is teal, like a light teal. It reminds me of water and it’s really soothing.” Bunny explained and Esme nodded her head at her words.

“How come so kids are really mean and some are really nice?” Esme suddenly asked in a tone that sounded as if she was going to cry and Bunny instantly froze at the question. Feeling her heart shatter in her chest Bunny blinked her eyes for a few moments as she felt tears begin to pool in them.

“You know I don’t know why some kids are mean. It could be a lot of different things. They could have really mean siblings who pick on them at home, or really strict parents who don’t let them do things, or they could just be mean. There’s a lot of reasons why someone could be mean. But none of the reasons have anything to do with you, got that?” Bunny tried to explain to Esme so that she understood. “I don’t know why the kids at school were mean to you. But you’ve got your Dad, Me, and Nadia who care about you and we’ll be here to help you ok?” Bunny said confidently and Esme nodded her head slightly and Bunny slipped off her stool and hugged the little girl tightly. “I promise not everyone is mean and there’s some really good people out there. You just gotta look for them.”

“Ok.” Esme said softly as she hugged Bunny back around the waist. When the two pulled apart Bunny pulled over the materials for the friendship bracelets that the two of them would need to make. Esme smiled as she began knotting and tying off lanyard cords. “You’re the best Bunny.” Esme said quietly as Bunny climbed back onto her stool and pulled over the colored string to begin her own friendship bracelets. When the words reached her ears Bunny whipped her head over to Esme and grinned widely.

“You and your Dad seem to think so.” Bunny said fondly and Esme grinned at her nodding her head.

“Daddy likes you a lot. He thinks you’re really cool and a good role model for me.” Esme said knowingly and Bunny tilted her head to the side as she smiled softly.

“That’s nice to hear.” Bunny said softly and the two of them fell into a companionable silence as they began making bracelets together. Conversation flowing easily between the two as they appraised each other’s work. But Bunny’s eyes kept darting over to her paper with measurements listed on it silently drafting up ways on how she was going to create Esme’s surprise for tomorrow.

———

The next morning Bunny is awake before her alarm and after the morning routine with Butter she is easily rushing into Esme’s room and cheering loudly.

“It’s Friday! Wake up sleepyhead!” Bunny cheered happily as she opened up Esme’s bedroom door. The little girl let out a loud groan as she tried to snuggle deeper into the covers of her bed. Bunny laughed loudly as she moved over to the bed and took a seat on the edge, her hand coming up to rub along Esme’s body under the covers. “C’mon sleepyhead, only one more day of school and then it’s the weekend!” Bunny cheered happily as she patted Esme. “Besides you’ve gotta deliver Nadia’s bows and bracelet to her today.” Bunny teased softly as she stood up and left the room slowly.

“Oh! That’s right!” came Esme’s still sleepy response as Bunny gently shut the door. She chuckled softly as she heard the little girl rushing around the room to get dressed before she moved back down the stairs to let Butter back into the house. Bunny moved into the kitchen and quickly began to make omelets for her and Esme.

“Butter what are we gonna do when Esme goes home this weekend? We’re not gonna have a guest for very much longer.” Bunny said absentmindedly to the dog who was curled up in his bed staring at her silently. He barked loudly when she turned her head to look at him. She smiled at him and nodded her head. “I know we’re gonna miss her right?” Bunny asked fondly of the dog and he barked twice making her laugh. “Yup I’m gonna miss her.”

Just then Esme walks into the kitchen and both Bunny and Butter look over at her. Butter barking happily as he rushed over to Esme and danced around her feet making her giggle happily.

“Good Morning Butter!” cheered Esme as she bent down and pet Butter’s head. Bunny shook her head amused as she watched the dog trot off to his bed once he got the pets he wanted and slumped into the plush dog bed. “Hey Bunny, do you have a bag that I can put Nadia’s bows and bracelets in? I don’t want them to get messed up before I give them to her.” Esme asked as she looked over at Bunny.

“Yeah I think I do, let me see.” Bunny said as she plated up Esme’s omelet and then turned off the stove before moving to the pantry to see if she had any ziploc bags for Esme. “Ah, here we go.” she says producing a medium sized bag and Esme nodded her head eagerly as she took it from Bunny and set it aside.

“Thanks Bunny.” Esme said easily as Bunny nodded her head and turned back to the stove. “So what’s with the wake up call today?” Esme asks curiously as Bunny begins making her own omelet for breakfast.

“I’ve got things to do today so as soon as I get you up and off to school I can get to the things that I gotta do today.” Bunny said vaguely.

“What things?” Esme asked curiously and Bunny smirks softly.

“Things.” Bunny teases and Esme makes a scrunched up face at her making her laugh.

“Why can’t I know?” Esme asked curiously and Bunny shook her head.

“It’s a surprise.” Bunny said secretively and Esme eyed her shrewdly.

“You like surprises a lot huh?” Esme asked as she tilted her head at Bunny.

“For other people, yes. For myself I hate them.” Bunny answers honestly as she plates her omelet and moves to have a seat at the kitchen island.

“What do you mean for other people?” Esme asks and Bunny smiles at her.

“I like making surprises for other people. But I don’t like receiving surprises.” Bunny explains.

“Even if they’re good surprises?” Esme asks and Bunny nods her head as she begins to shovel her omelet in her mouth.

“Even the good surprises.” Bunny said with finality and Esme tilts her head and then nods.

“Well that’s good to know.” Esme says easily and Bunny nearly chokes on her food as she’s mid-chew.

“You’re a little sassy this morning aren’t ya?” Bunny griped out amused as she looked over at Esme with a grin.

“You won’t tell me what you’re doing today and just say it’s a surprise. Expect the sass.” Esme said as she huffed. Bunny’s eyes widened at the sass from the little girl before she began laughing delighted.

“Oh man your Dad has his hands full with you doesn’t he?” Bunny asked as she continued to laugh.

“You have no idea.” Esme said as rolled her eyes. Bunny’s laughter filled the room and Esme only responded with happy giggles of her own.

———

“Mr. Quinten, honestly I just asked for cardboard boxes. Do you have any? I don’t need the crochety old man act from you right now.” Bunny said tiredly into her cellphone as she pressed it to her ear. Listening to his response she blew out a long breath. “It’s for Esme. I want to surprise her.”

Bunny moved about the craft room as she eyed the large pile of cardboard boxes that she had gathered from her stockpile and the neighbors next door. She only needed a few more boxes and had hoped that Mr. Quinten would have them and wouldn’t give her a problem but of course the old man had to give her the whole 20 questions about why she needed the boxes.

She only needed three more boxes to finish up the pirate ship she was planning to make for Esme. This morning after she got Esme on the bus and got through the video call with Jack she had quickly raced home and gathered all the cardboard boxes that she had stored up. She then had asked the neighbors that she knew were home today if they had any boxes that she could have. They all had eagerly given them up to her so that they wouldn’t have to put them out on the curb and they knew that Bunny would find another way to repurpose them.

“I just need three you can keep all the others.” Bunny said exasperatedly. “Yes once I take them they’re mine I won’t be giving them back to you. Goodness, maybe I’ll just ask someone else if this is the trouble I gotta go through to get them.” Bunny complained as she pulled the phone away from her ear glaring at it. “Look can I have the boxes or not? I gotta get going on this if I want to get it done before Esme comes home. And if you’re giving them up I gotta find someone else with boxes that will let me take them.” Bunny explained. “Thank you! Finally, it’s like pulling teeth with you. I’ll be right over to come get them.”

Hanging up the phone Bunny let out a loud sigh as she blew out a breath. Shaking her head, her attitude began to change as she realized that she finally had all the cardboard boxes she would need to be able to create Esme’s pirate ship. She walked out of the craft room when her phone began ringing and she looked down to see that she was getting a call from Jack. Furrowing her eyebrows she quickly answered the call and placed the phone to her ear.

“Hey Jack, is everything ok?” she asked quickly and heard Jack softly curse on the phone.

“Yeah I’m sorry to call you during the work day again. I just-I wanted to make sure you were okay. You weren’t really on the video call this morning and I was worried something was going on that you didn’t want to say in front of Esme.” Jack explained in a soft worried tone. Bunny smiled softly to herself, he was checking up on her.

“Oh yeah I’m okay. There is something going on that I didn’t want to tell Esme but it’s nothing bad. I’m making her cardboard pirate ship as a surprise and figured we’d do some reenacting of the pirate’s movies after school.” Bunny explained easily as she continued to walk out of the house.

“Wow.” Jack said softly and Bunny laughed softly. “You can do that?”

“Don’t underestimate me Jack. I’m the crafting queen.” Bunny said amused. “I’m heading over to Mr. Quinten’s house now to pick up the last of the boxes I need to make the pirate ship. Then I’ve got some sewing to do for Esme’s costume and then by then it should be time for her bus to be coming home.” Bunny explained easily and happily as she bounded down the front steps of her house.

“You’re going all out for this huh?” Jack asked bemused.

“Oh yeah if we’re gonna play pirates you gotta go all out Jack. C’mon.” Bunny scoffed at him.

“You truly are amazing.” Jack says softly almost as if caught off guard by his own words.

“Jack.” Bunny begins to warn him softly.

“No, no hear me out. I don’t know many other women who would go and make a cardboard pirate ship for a little girl who’s had a rough week being away from her Dad. All just to make her feel better. I just want you to know that I really appreciate you doing all this for Es. Ever since Maria passed away I’ve kinda been going at this from the seat of my pants and probably failing spectacularly. But you’ve been such a good thing for her this week and I really do appreciate it.” Jack said earnestly. Bunny stopped in her tracks as she heard the honesty in his voice.

“I gotta admit I’m gonna miss her come next week. It’s kinda insane how easily I’ve gotten used to her in my day to day.” Bunny admitted softly and almost guiltily.

“Well we’ll definitely be seeing you around the neighborhood and if the yoga class goes well or those karate classes work out we could work something out where you and her get to spend some time together. You two can do all that girly stuff that I’m not into.” Jack said kindly and Bunny felt her lungs catch on her next breath. He was trying to keep her in your life even though you were only a neighbor.

“Oh Jack really? I’d love that! But if you wanna take her to karate or tai chi that’s all you, I don’t want to take that from you.” Bunny said quickly even as her heart lifted at being able to spend time with Esme. “Ok, ok let’s not get too emotional now. I still gotta build a pirate ship. I’ll send you pictures and videos once everything is set up and I get her into costume. Ok?” Bunny said quickly as she grinned.

“Alright sweetheart. I expect to see you in full costume too.” Jack said with a happy laugh.

“Duh Jack. Honestly who would I be if I didn’t get in full costume also?” Bunny asked with a scoff before she laughed softly. “I’ll talk to you later Jack.”

“Talk to you later sweetheart.” Jack said in response before the call ended. Bunny is already continuing her path to Mr. Quinten’s house when she stops again and realizes that Jack called her sweetheart twice during that phone call. She feels her face flush heatedly before she shakes her head, this man and his daughter were slipping so easily into her life it was a little daunting.

———

Bunny smiles as she stares at herself in the mirror. She’s decked out in her pirate queen costume. Gray pants cover her legs while knee high tan boots cover her feet. A dark brown leather corset sits on her rib cage and a loose fitting white shirt is underneath that. The look is completed with a long vibrant black and gold coat that falls to her knees, a fake sword is strapped to her waist loosely and a worn tattered pirate hat sits on top of her head. She smiled as she grabbed her phone from the dresser and took a few pictures of her costume. She sends one off to Jack with a catchy pirate themed comment and easily stows her phone in the pocket of the jacket.

Moving out of her bedroom and down the stairs Bunny makes a quick stop in the craft room and opens up the chest full of costumes. She grabs the octopus costume and walks into the kitchen smiling brightly at Butter. The dog looked over at you from his sprawled out position. When his eyes spotted the octopus costume he quickly scrambled up and raced over to you barking loudly.

“Alright, alright Kraken let’s get you all suited up and then we’ll go get Esme yeah?” Bunny asked as she laughed at the little dog’s response to the costume she held. Butter jumped around Bunny’s feet and she tried to wrestle the costume onto the dog. “Butter hold still bub.” Bunny instructed and the dog listened as he stood still for her and she quickly strapped the velcro straps around his body. “Okay good.”

Standing upright she ushered the dog over to the front door and attached his leash to his collar before the two of them were out the door. As Bunny walked down the sidewalk she grinned and waved at the neighbors who were returning home from work. Some laughed and waved back while others looked at her curiously before shaking their heads. Bunny stopped at the corner and stood there holding Butter’s leash and posed in a very Jack Sparrow-esque pose as she waited for Esme’s bus to arrive.

When the bus did finally arrive at the corner and Esme stood at the top of the bus stairs the squeal she let out could probably be heard two streets away. Her legs couldn’t move quick enough as she bounded down the stairs and ran straight for Bunny.

“Oh my god Bunny! You look amazing!” Esme cheered as she danced and bounced around Bunny. “And look at Butter!”

“Excuse me little miss. I don’t know anyone by the name of Bunny nor Butter. No. My name is Delilah ‘The Siren’ Vail and this ‘ere is the Kraken.” Bunny says in a horrible pirate-esque accent. Esme giggles loudly and bounces on her toes excitedly.

“Are we playing pirates?” Esme asks softly and Bunny grins before nodding her head eagerly to Esme.

“Yeah, we’re playing pirates. Wanna head home? I've got some surprises for ya.” Bunny says easily and Esme nods her head quickly. The two of them usher Butter back towards the house quickly and he barks as they try not to rush him too much.

Once back at the house Bunny unlocks the door and ushers everyone inside. She unleashes Butter and shoos Esme towards the craft room.

“Your costume is in there. Go get changed into it and then we board the ship in the backyard.” Bunny says hurriedly.

“There’s a ship?” Esme asks loudly as she moves down the hallway. The cheer and squeal from the craft room almost deafens both Butter and Bunny. But Bunny can’t keep the grin off her face as she hears the excitement coming from the craft room.

“Es, Butter and I are gonna be outside ok?” Bunny calls as she passes the craft room with her Kraken dog at her heels.

“Ok!” calls back Esme.

———

The ship rocked and swayed on the high seas as waves crested underneath knocking its occupants off their legs continuously. Seagulls cawed and cried above the crew’s heads as the birds circled the tall masts holding the fluttering sails. A storm was brewing in the air and the sea was churning with anticipation of it. Ivy ‘Gunner’ Wendell stood at the helm gazing out over the churning waters. There was something in the air that was making her cautious of their course. Something that she was forgetting.

Suddenly the ship shook as a loud thud was heard from below deck. It felt as if something had crashed into the side of the ship. As Gunner looked around bewildered she spied a dark wood ship in the distance that was flying a black and gold flag from their crow’s nest.

“Mateys, turn the ship around! There be the Golddust in the distance! We need to be sure her captain won’t board us!” Gunner called down to her crew and watched as they all whipped their heads to the side to gaze at the ship that was fast approaching. “Mateys!” Gunner cried out loudly and they all scrambled to do their part to turn the ship away from the Golddust.

Just then another loud thud was heard from below deck and the ship shook with it’s impact. Gunner nearly lost her footing and had to grab onto the helm before she fell over. When she looked back up to see where the Golddust was, she was dismayed to see that it gained at least half of the distance it was before.

“Mateys brace yourselves!” Gunner shouted as she tried in vain to turn the helm as quickly as she could. The helm spun for a moment or two before coming to a dead stop almost throwing Gunner to the floor of the ship. “What is this?!” Gunner cried out as she tried in vain to turn the helm. Her eyes darted up to see that the Golddust had drawn closer and was now turning so it would be parallel with Gunner’s ship. Gunner could see Pirate Queen Delilah ‘The Siren’ Vail gazing at her from her own helm with a smug smirk on her face. But as the Golddust sat parallel with Gunner’s ship the Golddust crew didn’t move to come aboard. It was almost as if they were waiting for something. Something to happen. But what? Just then it made sense to Gunner what those thudding impacts were below deck.

“KRAKEN!” Gunner shouted to her crew and watched as four large ugly purple and teal tentacles surged out of the water on each side of her ship. The tentacles rose higher than the masts of the ship and the horrified crew below cried out in horror. They all tried to scramble away as the large tentacles suddenly crashed down onto the floor of the ship. The wood splintered and Gunner was thrown from her position at the tremor of the ship. Quickly righting herself she drew her sword and began rushing towards the Kraken to defend what was left of her ship. “I will have your tentacle for what you’ve done!” cried Gunner loudly as she surged forwards to try and slice at the tentacles.

Suddenly the tentacles drew away and Gunner looked around bewildered along with her crew. She was ready to defend her crew and ship against the abomination but it had withdrawn. There was a grumble to the side of the ship and Gunner turned her head swiftly to see Pirate Queen Delilah standing on the rail of her ship holding onto some of the rigging with a smug smirk.

“He’ll only come when I call. Might as well give it up Princess.” taunted the Queen. Turning to her Gunner pointed her sword at the woman and sneered angrily.

“Never!” Gunner shouted and the Queen laughed mockingly.

“You would let your ship and crew go down to the depths of the sea all because you won’t join my crew?!” Shouted Queen Delilah. “We would be unstoppable! How can you not see that!?” Queen Delilah cries out as she easily boards Gunner’s ship.

“I will never join you! You’re evil! A black cad!” Gunner shouts as the two women circle each other. The Queen has drawn her sword now and the two are in a standoff.

“Then we fight.” sneers the Queen and she lunges forward striking out with her sword. The clanging of their swords fills the air as the two fight to get the upper hand. The Queen has the advantage of being stronger but Gunner is     quicker as she darts around the Queen. Neither one of them are gaining any leverage until the Queen lets out a loud cry and Gunner’s ship tries to withstand another thudding impact from the Kraker.

“Cheater!” cried Gunner as she’s almost thrown completely off her feet.

“I play to win Princess.” taunts the Queen as she advances. Gunner tries to defend herself but soon the Kraken is laying hit after hit upon her ship and is destroying it. Wood is flying through the air as the tentacles curl around the ship and begin to squeeze.

The Queen gasps and her eyes widen when she realizes that she will be destroyed with the ship if she doesn’t disembark. Spinning quickly she runs to the side of the ship and leaps from the railing to sail through the air and tumble onto the floor of her own ship. Gunner races after her and stops at the railing.

“You would’ve been saved Princess if only you had agreed!” cried out the Queen as she smirked and gave a little wave to Gunner.

“I will avenge my crew and ship!” Gunner cried out before the Kraken’s tentacles completely crushed the ship and Gunner was plunged into the icy waters of the unforgiven seas. Her fate left up to no one but herself.

   “Would she survive or would she perish along with her crew and ship?” Bunny calls out in a contemplating tone and Esme grinned as she sat up from where she lay on the grass right next to the cardboard ship. Butter was racing around the backyard barking happily and Esme giggled loudly at his antics. “Alright kiddo. Should we hold off for another day for part two of the saga of the Pirate Princess and the Pirate Queen?” Bunny asked as she helped Esme to stand. “It’s starting to get darker.”

   “Yeah!” Esme cheered and Bunny smiled down at her. “Can we send the pictures and videos to my Dad before we call him?” Esme asked excitedly.

   “Sure and dinner should be arriving soon too.” Bunny said as she ushered Esme into the house. “Butter c’mon!” she called over her shoulder to the dog who was still crazily running around the backyard. The two laughed as he dashed from the far fence to the backdoor his tentacles dancing around him.

[zenonaa]

Link to AO3

Chapters: 1/5 Fandom: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Fukawa Touko/Togami Byakuya Characters: Togami Byakuya, Fukawa Touko, Genocider Syo | Genocide Jack, Monokuma (Dangan Ronpa), Naegi Makoto, Class 78 (Dangan Ronpa) Additional Tags: Time Loop Summary: The morning after Monobear revealed their embarrassing secrets and hidden pasts, Togami wakes up back at the beginning of the same day. Over and over again. It might have something to do with Touko Fukawa.

Comments: I started this for tofu day but it got too long aha... but now it’s done!!! Thank you to everyone who read (most) of it over and to @otomegrandma​ for drawing the beautiful cover art. ;w; <3

***

The library in the mansion Byakuya Togami grew up in had been huge, spanning multiple floors all connected with steep, spiraling staircases. Maids regularly flitted in and out as they cleaned polished units housing books upon books upon books, and no dust particles were to be seen in the rays of natural light that flooded in during the daytime, or in the artificial breath of indoor lighting situated throughout the library.

One would expect the library at a prodigious, world-class academy to rival those of Byakuya’s childhood home or at least those in the other schools he attended growing up, yet the one that Byakuya stood in right now had no windows, and the little amount of light from the ceiling lamps bleared his vision with their lack of intensity. Dust speckled the air, adding to the illusion that he was staring at old movie footage, and the dreary shades of brown that made up most of the library’s colour scheme threatened to consume the person standing opposite him.

“As long as we’re in this place, no matter what happens, I won’t let Genocider Syo kill again,” promised Touko with her hands clasped tightly in front of her, training her wide eyes on Byakuya from behind round frame glasses. “T-Thank you, Togami-kun...!”

She dropped into a bow, but not before he glimpsed the corners of her lips quivering, teasing to curl upward. He averted his eyes, setting his gaze on the hand he had resting on the library desk. In a situation like this, where everyone in his class were locked in a school by a robotic bear mascot, enticed to murder each other to escape, he shouldn’t have taken his eyes off her for even a second. But he did.

“... Leave,” he said in a low voice, no louder than the sound of a page in a book rustling.

Byakuya saw movement at the edge of his vision, and then he heard her footsteps as she retreated. The door shut behind her with a respectful click, leaving him by himself.

Seconds crawled by. His fingers inched inward, dragging across the desk, to close his hand into a fist.

Just now, an interesting conversation had occurred. One of his opponents, Touko Fukawa, revealed to him that her body hosted an alter, and that alter was Genocider Syo. Yes. The serial killer. Touko had Dissociative Identity Disorder. She provided proof too - she showed him the scissors, the scars depicting the exact tally of victims on her thigh and a backstory that told him what picture the scattered jigsaw pieces in his hands were meant to create when they all joined together.

For many, many years, Byakuya pored over this case, determined to figure out the killer’s identity. In the end, it had been given to him in a school building caging them into a killing game by a girl with the name Touko Fukawa.

And she had given him a timer.

It was only a matter of time before that killer inside of her came out and tried to silence him, because now he knew her secret. If anyone else in the killing game found out about it, that would put her at a disadvantage. Syo wouldn’t be able to kill anyone without suspicion falling on her. She wouldn’t be able to win the game. Not only that, but like all of Syo’s victims, he was male. Even if Syo somehow didn’t know that he knew, she would be sure to target him regardless.

With people who had DID, alters didn’t always share memories. However, even if, for example, Touko couldn’t remember what happened while Syo fronted, that didn’t mean Syo had no awareness. He remembered reading that for some alters, they could observe while not fronting but they couldn’t do anything during this. Each system was unique, as was each alter and their capabilities.

And while Byakuya could always ask Touko if Syo remembered, Touko might not have known. Or even, she might lie. He couldn’t risk assuming the best.

Byakuya exhaled and took his heavy hand off the desk. Deciding to retire to his room earlier than first planned, his mind buzzing with too many thoughts to be able to concentrate, he returned the casefile he had been reading to the backroom - Genocider Syo’s, coincidentally - and left the library. He strode through empty corridors, descended down a silent staircase, but when he emerged into the dorm area, a grating voice blasted out of the speaker on a television screen hanging on a wall nearby.

Static distorted the image momentarily. When it cleared, Monobear’s face materialised.

“Ehhh, this is a school announcement. It will soon be Night Time,” deadpanned Monobear, like it did every night, and Byakuya shifted his weight, about to move on, but then, “Before that...”

He paused. Waited.

“... all students are required to attend a gathering at the school’s gymnasium!”

Monobear shuddered, and as it next spoke, its voice rippled with energy. Its body flailed.

“Emergency! Emergency!”

The screen snuffed out.

Byakuya blinked. His brow furrowed. Even though nothing remained on the black screen anymore, his gaze lingered on it for several more seconds before he changed direction. In order to enter the gymnasium, one had to cross through the trophy room. Upon arrival, he spotted some of his opponents dawdling, choosing not to go into the gymnasium yet, but he didn’t glance twice at any of them as he sauntered past. The rest of his classmates were waiting in the gymnasium, and within the next minute, those loitering outside dribbled in.

Only Monobear was missing now.

Everyone stood in silence for a while, exchanging creased looks and pallid faces as time wore on, until Kiyotaka raised a fist to his chin.

“Hmm... What does Monobear want with us this time, gathering us all in here so abruptly?” Kiyotaka pondered aloud.

A short distance away, Celes pursed her lips, standing with her fingers laced together in front of her.

“I also wonder what he’s up to,” she said. “It must be something important if it couldn’t wait until morning.”

Byakuya could have rolled his eyes at their stupidity. No one had died since Leon’s execution, which could only mean one thing. Much like the videos that Monobear gave out before, the robot had come up with another way to liven up the game and get things rolling again.

Simply put, Monobear wanted someone to commit murder.

He folded his arms over his chest. His lips twisted into a smirk. A chuckle tickled his throat.

“It seems our captor won’t let us grow bored after all,” remarked Byakuya.

The others turned their gazes to him. Hifumi fiddled with his glasses.

“Why are you always cackling? Can’t you put up a more pleasant smile? It’s like you’re about to kidnap my grandfather and put me through a series of death games,” bemoaned Hifumi.

That was a reference of some kind. Hifumi mopped his forehead with a handkerchief that had a cartoon character on it.

“For example, you could wear a smile like the one a certain housewife in that popular cartoon show flashes just before the ending credits,” Hifumi added. He tucked his crumpled handkerchief back into his pocket, still looking too hot.

That had also a reference of some kind. Normally, Byakuya would have scoffed at such a response, but he regarded Hifumi with his grin maintained. The game seemed to be about to become more interesting. Aoi looked around at everyone else before fixing a glare on Byakuya.

“He shouldn’t be laughing at all in this situation. What’s up with that?” Aoi asked.

No one answered. Her fists trembled. She almost got a proper laugh out of Byakuya but as fleetingly as it came, his good mood was starting to wane, and the ends of his lips dipped.

Honestly, other than Touko, only two of his classmates earned his attention: Kyouko, who sleuthed around and dealt with corpses with familiarity, and Makoto, who lit a spark in the previous trial. An ordinary guy like him... solving a case like that... was curious. As for the rest of them, they bored Byakuya, and even those three would bore him too sooner or later like everyone and everything else.

For once, Byakuya welcomed Monobear’s appearance, which spared him from more of their pathetic babble when it decided to finally spring out from nowhere to address them all. It stood on a podium, surveying the gymnasium with unblinking eyes, until it hung its head.

“Lately, I’ve been feeling down,” announced Monobear in a solemn tone. “My fur is thinning and losing its shine. I think it’s because of these monotonous days we’re slogging through.”

That practically confirmed Byakuya’s suspicions. He pushed up his glasses, watching Monobear as it slumped its shoulders further and heaved out a sigh.

“It’s way too boring here when no one is being killed. Therefore...” Monobear didn’t move right away. Then, it threw up its arms, suddenly energetic, and raised its voice. “... I’ve decided to treat you all to another motive!”

Most of the class tensed like Monobear had cracked a whip at them. Byakuya’s eyebrows rose, but his expression otherwise stayed as stony as before. Nearby, Kiyotaka shoved a foot forward and raised a fist.

“I don’t know what you’re scheming, but none of us are going to kill anyone ever again!” shouted Kiyotaka. He thumped his hand against his chest. “Do your worst! We won’t bend over to you!”

Monobear snickered behind its paws.

“Wow, if I could experience human emotions, I would be scared! Alas, I can only experience bear emotions.” Its red eye glinted as it brought a paw to its ear and leaned its head toward them. “We’ll see if you’re as brave as you’re acting very soon, because today’s theme is...”

It paused its speech as it vanished behind the podium. Moments later, it jumped back into view, brandishing a fan of envelopes with a different name on each one.

“Dadada! ‘Embarrassing memories’ and ‘secret pasts’!” crowed Monobear, and it held them higher. “Everyone has them. You, your neighbours, people you think you know everything about... They’re all things you don’t want anyone to know about. While you guys were sleeping, I read your minds, and here is what I came up with!”

Rather than hand them out, Monobear flung the envelopes onto the floor. Everyone approached hesitantly, like crossing through a minefield, and began searching for their name. Byakuya located his envelope and bent down to pick it up. He peeled it open and when he read the single sentence scribbled onto the paper slip inside of it, his breath caught in his throat. His grip buckled the bit of paper.

‘Togami-kun cheated his way into becoming the heir of his precious conglomerate.’

Surprised voices cropped up around him but he didn’t hear what any of them said, just the noise, as he stared down. Down at that piece of paper.

“The time limit is twenty-four hours,” announced Monobear, and when Byakuya tore his gaze away, he saw Monobear wearing a large, ugly grin.

Its expression never changed in general, but from its voice, from its body language, they could tell if its grin was genuine. And it was.

“If no one dies, I will tell everyone what is written down,” added Monobear, squeezing its cheeks as it squirmed with excitement. “I’ll send out letters to everyone you know. Publish them in magazines. Post them on popular message boards.”

Monobear tossed its head back and hacked up some wheezy laughter, clutching its stomach. Several pairs of eyes flitted over to Monobear’s quaking form. Makoto stared at Monobear with a frown, holding his envelope in both hands.

“Is that it?” he said in disbelief, which prompted Monobear to turn to him. It cocked its head to one side.

“Ain’t I a stinker?” asked Monobear.

“I mean, it’s embarrassing, but it wouldn’t make me kill anyone,” said Makoto.

It wiggled happily for a few more seconds until it realised what he had said. Then Monobear flinched.

“Eh?” went Monobear. Kiyotaka nodded fervently.

“Naegi-kun is right. It’s no problem at all. No one would kill because of a reason like this,” he informed it, waving his envelope.

Excitement seeped out of Monobear like air escaping a balloon as it slowly deflated.

“Wow, that’s so mean... I really thought I had something there,” it said. “Memories connect you to the outside world, and I thought you wouldn’t want anyone to find out. I put all my EXP toward learning to mindread and everything. I neglected my social life, and my wife divorced me and took the kids too, and for what?”

No one humoured it with an answer. Monobear turned away from them with its head bowed.

“Oh well,” it said, holding its paws behind its back. “In twenty-four hours, we’ll have circle time and share everyone’s secrets. That might cheer me up. Until then... Bye...”

And with that, Monobear hopped off the podium and shuffled away. No one said anything for a while. Most of the class returned their attention to their envelopes. Others looked around shiftily. Aoi scratched her chin, brow creased, her other hand grasping her envelope.

“You know, I was scared at first, but I think we’ve been let off easy this time,” she said, her lips quivering as they tried but failed to form a smile. “Naegi’s right... It’s embarrassing, but I won’t kill anyone over something like this.”

Byakuya was inclined to agree. People finding out what was written on his envelope would annoy him and be an invasion of his privacy, but them knowing wouldn’t change anything. After all, throughout the heir selection process, he had proven his worth to the conglomerate, and he continued to ever since then.

No, what got Byakuya was how Monobear knew about that. Monobear couldn’t have read his mind. That was impossible. Instead, it implied something more sinister. It knowing something like that required infiltrating the conglomerate. Someone betraying him. That got him.

Kiyotaka cleared his throat.

“In that case,” Kiyotaka put his hands on his hips, chin held high, “let’s just tell everyone what is written down right now. Then we don’t have to worry. I’ll start. My grandf-”

“I d-don’t want to hear anything embarrassing about you!” Touko snarled.

Her voice ripped through the air. Kiyotaka twitched and choked on his breath. Everyone wheeled around toward her. Touko stared forward, body shaking. Of course she was shaking. Byakuya knew what had to be in her envelope.

“Besides, I refuse. I don’t want to talk about mine!” she hissed. “Even if you try to force me to... I won’t say it!”

Celes bobbed her head in agreement.

“I agree,” she chimed in. “As much as I want to, I simply cannot.”

A chorus of voices rippled throughout the group as the class neared a consensus. Byakuya didn’t contribute, in thought. All he could hear in his head was a ticking. The ticking of a timer.

Now would be the perfect time to tell everyone about Genocider Syo. They were all here. Right now. He could tell everyone. Right now. Before she killed him.

So he did.

“Hold on,” he said, elevating a hand. “I have something to share with you all.”

Everyone turned to him. His features hardened.

“Earlier, Fukawa told me something. She told me... that she is Genocider Syo!”

He pointed at her. Everyone spun around to face her. Touko squawked, jumping back, and nearly dropped her envelope. She fumbled with it before hugging it to her chest. Then, one by one, the rest of the class returned their gazes to Byakuya.

“Fukawa?” Mondo said with a hard squint. He jogged his thumb toward her. “That girl?”

“Fukawa-chan can’t even stand blood,” scoffed Aoi. “She fainted when Enoshima-chan died, and she couldn’t look at Maizono-chan’s body either. How could she kill a bunch of people?”

Kiyotaka jerked his fist at him.

“That’s a ridiculous claim!” Kiyotaka concurred. Byakuya jutted out his chin, keeping his finger pointed at Touko.

“Read her secret. That will prove me right,” he said.

Touko shifted a foot back. However, no one stepped toward her. No one even looked at her. Makoto’s brow furrowed.

“That wouldn’t be fair on Fukawa-san,” he said. “Anyway, I don’t think that even makes sense.”

Celes placed a hand lightly over her lips, barely masking her amusement.

“That is because it doesn’t make sense.” She looked off to the side and now did a better job at smoothing out her features. “To me, it sounds like Togami-kun simply wants to embarrass Fukawa-san. What will happen is she will reveal her envelope and it will say something else, but she will be humiliated. How needlessly cruel... but also unsurprising.”

Byakuya jabbed the air. “She told me. She told me this!”

“I...” Touko gripped herself harder, caving in on herself. Her voice escaped her lips as a pathetic wisp, but it won the attention of the others, who craned their necks to peer at her. She hunched her shoulders. “... I d-didn’t...”

Aoi set a hand on her shoulder. “We know you didn’t. Togami’s just being a jerk to you. I don’t want to show mine either.”

“Me too,” piped up Chihiro. “I’m... I’m not strong enough yet...”

Kiyotaka bit his lip. Mondo tilted his head to one side.

“No one’s going to budge, Kyoudai. For now, we have to leave off it,” said Mondo.

“I guess...” Kiyotaka tried for a smile. Didn’t really succeed. It seemed ready to slip off at any moment. “We can talk about it tomorrow. I mean, no one is going to kill anyone over it, right...?”

That was the general consensus. Soon after, the group dispersed. While the others headed to the dorm area, Byakuya decided to go back to the library and read some more. After this new development, he didn’t feel ready to sleep. His mind was too busy, hard at work. Besides, he had to compile proof of what Touko said to him. With the new motive, Syo had more reason than ever to silence him before the time limit expired.

Once he arrived at the library, he made a beeline to the backroom, searching for the casefile again. He didn’t take long to find it - he found the casefile where he left it earlier. Like the main section of the library, the lighting in this room was poor too, and he could barely make out the text printed onto the front of the casefile.

As he adjusted the angle of it, the font glimpsed more legible, and something sharp pierced the back of his neck.

Pain exploded through his body like blood splattering. Byakuya let out a howl and stumbled forward, falling over some boxes and hurtling to the ground. He hit his chin on the edge of a shelf on the way down.

Above him, wide eyes behind round frame glasses stared down at him.

Touko.

No. She didn’t smile like that. Her tongue didn’t hang out of her mouth like that.

“I’ll scissor later!” she said, and she sounded like Touko, but she also didn’t, gruffer. Smirking. “Get it? Scissor? See ya? Because I stabbed you with my scissors!”

She flourished the silhouette of a pair of scissors. Black spots began to blot his vision. His muscles spasmed. He was helpless. Pain seared hot. Unbearably hot.

“My heart’s hurting real bad,” she said, sounding further away than she really was. She flicked her tongue. “You must have hurt Gloomy... and if you do that, I get so turned on!”

Her laughter shook his body. His whole vision faded to black, and his body didn’t weigh anything anymore.

***

Byakuya jolted awake. Darkness cloaked him and he tried to sit up, but his whole body refused to cooperate and tensed, rigid, like an invisible hand curled into a fist around him. All he could move were his eyes like flies trapped in a glass jar until finally his body thawed.

Then he sat up, aching all over, and hearing a familiar creak, he realised he was in his bed and not in the backroom at the library. Heart racing, he heaved himself to his feet. He staggered over to the light switch, turned it on, and felt his back before bringing his hand in front of him.

No blood.

All that must have been a dream. Yes. Byakuya had been reading a lot of casefiles, after all, especially that one about Genocider Syo, and it came together to make that mess of a dream. Obviously. Even if he couldn’t remember going to bed yesterday. That could be explained. He must have been too tired and forgotten what happened. Of course.

His hand closed into a fist.

Though Byakuya avoided the others at mealtimes, after what transpired last night with the motive, he had to admit he was curious how they coped... or more specifically, if they coped. Surely someone had a big enough secret that would drive them to kill.

For example, Touko did. Most people would have barricaded themselves in their room after what he did, what he exposed about her. But to do that would be cowardice. He couldn’t let her or anyone think he was intimidated or weak. That would make him a target.

When Byakuya walked into the cafeteria, Kiyotaka and Mondo had their arms draped over each other’s shoulders, and they belted out laughter while their peers watched with wrinkled brows.

It seemed they had all got over their unease last night. Byakuya didn’t know what had caused those two to go from butting heads to palling around at some point, but at the same time, he didn’t care, and he walked toward the door to the kitchen.

“Male friendship is indeed different than female,” remarked Sakura. Sat next to her, Aoi released a sigh and faced her palms toward the ceiling.

“You can say that again.” She looked away from Mondo and Kiyotaka and caught sight of Byakuya, who by this point had almost made it the whole way across the cafeteria. Her tone sharpened. “Togami? What are you doing here?”

He opened the kitchen door and glanced over his shoulder at her. “I’m being held hostage here too. Do you remember?”

Aoi glowered.

“What about all that mean stuff you said about us poisoning your food?” she asked him.

“‘Mean’? Is that what you call it?” he retorted. He adjusted his glasses. “It’s called common sense. If you want to survive, you should try using some. Instead of playing friends, you should stay on your guard.”

“Ignore him,” said Mondo with a scowl, having since seated himself at a table with Kiyotaka. “He’s just trying to mess your head up.”

Aoi placed her hands either side of her head, like he meant it literally. At another table, Celes smirked, cradling a cup of tea.

“It seems the unkillable Togami-kun still needs to eat. If his food has been poisoned, I’m intrigued to see what will happen next,” Celes said, and though she talked about him, not to him, she watched him closely.

Byakuya refused to dignify her quip with a response and entered the kitchen. Metal worktops occupied the centre of the room, with bronze and silver pots and pans hanging overhead on ceiling units. To his right, boxes of various vegetables sat about, all out in the open so one could just pluck one out and help themselves. On the other side of the room, ingredients rested on shelves within a glass case, and nearby, a set of knives were pinned up on a wall, with different sizes for different uses, presumably.

The kitchen offered a range of options, but Byakuya prepared himself a bowl of cereal, unable to do much else. Normally, he would have a chef prepare his meals. Sometimes, in the morning, he would eat a French breakfast, and other times Japanese or Polish... but here, he didn’t have that choice, so cornflakes would suffice for the time being.

Of course, if he really wanted to, he could have taught himself to prepare more complex meals. In fact, he would do that today. When he finished eating by himself, he left his bowl by the kitchen sink and withdrew to the library.

Sticking to what he told himself, he browsed for a cookbook. Prior research into the school informed him that a Super High School Level Cook enrolled at the academy the year before, and the library would be the appropriate place to keep any cookbooks. Sure enough, he soon stumbled upon the section with them, mixed in with books on poisons. He plucked one cookbook off the shelf and sat down with it.

Today, he was in the mood for Beef Bourguignon. Once he found a recipe for it, he skimmed through it, and deeming it to his tastes, he grabbed some paper and a pen from the backroom and began making notes on what he would need. After he did that, he made a note of the page number and read through the rest of the cookbook for other ideas for meals.

It was as he had once said. Someone could poison their meals, so for his own sake, he needed to learn to prepare his own food. Not only that, but he needed to brush up on poisons and how to test for them.

The door creaked open. He didn’t look up, continuing to read a recipe for steamed mussels and white wine. By now, they should have realised he wanted nothing to do with them, yet just yesterday, Makoto had come here with Touko to bother him. Now someone was bothering him again. It had even been around this time when those two had wandered in, and Touko had come out with some nonsense about how she imagined him telling her to be controlled by a strong man.

“Um... Togami-kun?” said Makoto.

Great. That guy was talking to him. No, not great. Wrong word. Annoying. It seemed he hadn’t learned his lesson. Byakuya lifted his gaze, firing a glare at him, and noticed Touko hovering nearby in the background. 

His jaw clenched. She stared at him, her mouth hanging open and a line of drool streaking her chin as she gripped the edge of a bookcase across the room. Their eyes met briefly, and as they crossed paths, his insides gave a quiver while she continued to shamelessly ogle him.

After he tried to reveal her secret, she should have hated him. Was she really that deluded, to still stalk him? She had even chosen the same unit to lurk behind as yesterday. Byakuya jerked back his head.

“Are you serious?” he snapped. “Do you like the sound of my voice? I told you yesterday to leave me alone. You’re eyesores, the pair of you.”

Makoto cringed, but Touko drew forward, having been acknowledged even a slight amount and undeterred by his harsh tone. As she approached from out of the shadows, more of her details fleshed out. Her pale grey eyes, slim face, the purple tint under her eyes and the mole on her chin all bloomed into view. Byakuya watched her warily. To think this girl killed him in his imagination... this girl who stuttered, who never stood straight and whenever she made eye contact with anyone, looked ready to vomit.

She stopped a short distance away and swallowed, trembling faintly.

“Togami-kun...” Touko trailed off with a distant look on her face. He didn’t answer, but that didn’t discourage her. A smile tweaked her lips and she picked harder at her fingers. “Do you remember those words you said to me? ‘You should become a woman who doesn’t control weak men but is controlled by a strong man’...”

Byakuya gritted his teeth and struck his book against the desk. It only hit with a dull thud, but the other two recoiled.

“Do you take me for an idiot? You already tried this yesterday,” said Byakuya, heat rising to his face.

Touko blinked. “Eh?”

He let go of the book and jerked his hand, holding it aloft.

“It was literally yesterday you got Naegi to come in here with you to annoy me, and I told you then that I never said that. You even admitted to me that I never said that, and that you thought it was something I wanted to say,” said Byakuya.

His eyes bore into her. She stared back at him.

“What are you talking about?” asked Makoto, equally confused. “We didn’t come here together yesterday.”

“Is this a joke? You did. You both did,” said Byakuya. Makoto gestured to himself.

“Me? I think you’re the one that’s joking. I’m telling you, we didn’t. Not together,” Makoto said.

But they had. They had. They had to have had. He could remember it happening, yet he couldn’t spot any signs of a grin being fought down, or any telltale twinkles in their eyes. Their faces were painfully stupid but at the same time painfully honest.

He realised he was shaking slightly and stood up.

“Get out,” Byakuya said in a curt tone without raising his voice, and without looking at either of them in the eyes. “My patience has worn thin. And you... Fukawa. Go take a shower. You reek.”

She clasped her hands together.

“I-If that’s what you want, you only have to say,” she told him. Byakuya waved a hand at her like swatting a fly.

“I did. Yesterday. Now get out of my sight!” He thrust his finger toward the door. “The whole room stinks of your stench. It’s making me nauseous.”

Touko yelped, slapping her hands over her mouth, but did as he asked, shuffling away with Makoto following her out shortly after. When the door closed, Byakuya raked his fingers through his hair, his other hand supporting his weight as he pressed it down on the desk. A few seconds later, he sank back onto his chair, and he thought. He thought a lot.

Maybe his dream hadn’t been as similar to what just happened as he thought. Maybe he misremembered the dream, and after this happened in real life, what he thought he remembered from the dream were gaps that he filled in later with this experience. Otherwise, he dreamed something that ended up happening, which wasn’t impossible. Just unlikely.

Hell, he could have dreamed the entire Touko being Syo revelation. The new motive.

Still, he couldn’t shake off the sense of uneasiness that coated his skin in a prickling film.

To his relief, no one bothered him for the rest of the day. After dinner, again eaten by himself and consisting of a simple salad and cold cuts, he went back to the library and settled down with Genocider Syo’s casefile, much like the night before.

Because the library didn’t have any windows, as time wore on, the lighting remained unhelpful in informing him how late it was. However, the night time announcement hadn’t sounded when a crawling sensation crept under his skin.

Someone was watching him. He looked up and saw Touko hiding behind a bookcase with only part of her head poking out. The sight tripped him up for a moment. In his dream, she had been lurking there. A coincidence. Even so, he kept his guard up, not taking his eyes off her.

“Oi,” he said. She jumped, like her puppeteer pulled her strings taut. “I know you’re there. Get out.”

Touko slipped out from behind the bookcase, but instead of leaving, she approached him. Her feet dragged across the floor. Messy hair restrained in braids framed her pale face, which housed light eyes that didn’t quite meet his gaze. The awful lighting painted shadows like bruises on her and tinted her skin in its subdued shades. She wrung her hands together, biting down on her lip, and as she stationed herself the centre of his vision, he realised he had witnessed this very sight before, in his dream.

Byakuya sat up straighter. Touko forced herself to meet his unrelenting gaze and trembled, but she didn’t crumble away.

“Togami-kun... can I ask you something?” she said, her voice barely carrying over the short distance between them.

He leaned back in his seat. Eyed her.

“What is it?” he asked. Touko folded her arms into her sides.

“You know Genocider Syo?” she said.

Her words chimed in his ears. He stiffened. This was just like his dream.

“The others wondered if that murderer... that monster... was in the school,” she told him, hunching her shoulders, wringing her hands together.

So was that. She had said those exact words in it too. He gulped. Steadied himself.

“So?” he said quietly. “What’s your point?”

“That person... They’re in the school right now. I know this for a fact,” she said.

No.

“It’s true,” she said, even though he hadn’t said anything. She squared her shoulders. “It’s because...”

And like in the dream, she pointed at herself, and she said,

“... because she’s inside of me.”

Byakuya gaped at her. She must have taken his silence as disbelief because she began explaining herself, like she needed to. Like she hadn’t said this in his dream, word-for-word.

“We share a body. She was created when I was younger... created from an accumulation of abuse and pressure...”

Everything she said...

“... Each day I fear she will come out and strike again. And that... that she will kill again, and in this awful place...”

... she already told him...

“I don’t want to die. But most importantly... I don’t want her to kill you!”

... in his dream.

Touko stared at him. Byakuya stared back. His mouth turned dry. She went on to show him the scars on her left thigh and her holster of scissors on her right. Like in the dream. He tore his eyes away from her scars. Sought her gaze.

“Where do I come into all this?” he asked, straining his tone so it came out hushed, controlled. Like he wasn’t unnerved. Its gravelliness buried his waver.

“With your help, I can try to keep her inside. If I can’t abolish her, I can at least stop her. If I can... be with you... I can stop her,” she said. “You can give me the strength to stop her. I just need you to promise me you won’t tell... and that you’ll help me.”

Byakuya pushed up his glasses and with his heart beating faster, he turned his head away. Really, now that she had told him, neither had any choice. Touko couldn’t take back what she said, and he couldn’t wipe away from his memory what he had heard. They were in a house of cards, leaning on the other, and if one were to fall, so would the other. Her secret would be exposed. He would have to be silenced.

He lowered his hand from his glasses.

“All right,” he said, and he turned back to her. “I promise.”

The corners of her lips quivered, teasing to curl upward. Byakuya looked down, setting his eyes on the hand he had resting on the library desk.

“As long as we’re in this place, no matter what happens, I won’t let Genocider Syo kill again,” Touko gushed. “T-Thank you, Togami-kun...!”

His eyes narrowed.

“... Leave,” he said.

A beat passed, and then he heard her footsteps as she retreated. The door shut behind her with a respectful click, leaving him by himself.

Byakuya planted both of his hands against the desk. Thoughts whirled around in his head, but he couldn’t focus on any of them. They combined to fill him with noise. Was he dreaming again? He had to be dreaming again. And this time, it was lucid.

Therefore, if he waited long enough, then...

The television screen positioned on the wall began to hiss with static, and sure enough, Monobear’s face appeared on it.

“Ehhh, this is a school announcement. It will soon be Night Time,” deadpanned Monobear, right on time. “Before that... all students are required to attend a gathering at the school’s gymnasium.”

Monobear sprung to life and thrashed its arms around. Even its wild movements were the same as in Byakuya’s dream.

“Emergency! Emergency!” it shouted.

And then the screen snuffed out.

Byakuya peeled his palms off the desk. His pace didn’t falter as he took wide strides, as he left the library, as he walked through different corridors, and he only stopped when he arrived in front of the podium where Monobear would appear. The others spilled into the gymnasium behind him. He didn’t look away from the podium.

For a while, everyone stood in silence, until Kiyotaka raised a fist to his chin.

“Hmm... What does Monobear want with us this time, gathering us all in here so abruptly?” said Kiyotaka.

A short distance away, Celes pursed her lips, standing with her fingers laced together in front of her. “I also wonder what he’s up to. It must be something important if it couldn’t wait until morning.”

Unlike last time, Byakuya didn’t say anything, watching the podium while the others talked amongst themselves. Monobear soon emerged from behind the podium, and it regarded them with its shiny, lifeless eyes.

“It’s way too boring here when no one is being killed. Therefore... I’ve decided to treat you all to another motive!” Monobear declared, arms raised up high as it recited the exact same speech as before.

Kiyotaka shunted a foot forward. Anger twisted his features into the same shape as last time.

“I don’t know what you’re scheming, but none of us are going to kill anyone ever again!” He pounded his hand against his chest. “Do your worst! We won’t bend over to you!”

Monobear tilted its head to one side.

“Wow, if I could experience human emotions, I would be scared!” Monobear remarked. “Alas, I can only experience bear emotions. We’ll see if you’re as brave as you’re acting very soon, because today’s theme is...”

It reached behind its back, and moments later, it revealed its paw, brandishing the envelopes that contained their hidden secrets.

“... ‘Embarrassing memories’ and ‘secret pasts’!” Monobear waved them about like an owner trying to get their dog to perform a trick. “Everyone has them. You, your neighbours... people you think you know everything about... They’re all things you don’t want anyone to know about. While you guys were sleeping, I read your minds, and here is what I came up with!”

Monobear tossed out the envelopes, and everyone wandered over to get theirs. Byakuya glanced over his envelope, turning to Touko, who was still searching for hers on her hands and knees. If he showed everyone her envelope said she was Genocider Syo, they wouldn’t be able to brush it aside like last time.

Even though this was only a dream so it had no actual real life consequences, he would know what happened and that was enough for him. He needed to do things right, so he looked around and when he spotted hers, he pounced.

“H-Hey! That’s mine!” Touko shouted as he picked it up.

Ignoring her, he straightened up and started to open it. Touko threw herself at him and clawed at his hands. He gritted his teeth and shoved her off with his shoulder, but by this point, Sakura had closed in on him. She snatched the envelope from Byakuya and glared down at him.

“Togami, you cretin,” Sakura growled. “How dare you assault Fukawa like that! Have you no shame?”

Touko whimpered behind Sakura, cradling her right hand. Mondo grabbed Byakuya’s shirt and hoisted him closer so they were face to face. Noses almost touching. Byakuya could feel the heat radiating off Mondo’s face. Almost taste his sweat.

“Are you out of your mind?” cried Makoto, scrambling up to them, but he wasn’t talking to both of them. He stared at Byakuya. “Togami-kun, what the hell is your problem?”

Sakura held the envelope too high for Byakuya to reach, and even in a dream, Byakuya didn’t fancy his chances against Sakura Oogami and Mondo Oowada. He tried willing Sakura to give it to him, but she remained resolute. She didn’t so much as quiver.

“That girl, she told me minutes ago that she was Genocider Syo,” said Byakuya, pointing at the person in question, and Touko shrieked, throwing up her arms in front of her defensively. “She told me she lives in fear of the serial killer inside of her, who may kill again.”

Blinks scattered across the faces gawking at them.

“Geno-what now?” said Hifumi.

“Genocider Syo,” Celes corrected grimly. She looked into space like there was a camera there. “We talked about her earlier, by the way.”

Chihiro squeezed their hands together.

“You mean the serial killer? B-But...” Chihiro shuddered and hunched their shoulders. “... Fukawa-san can’t even stand the sight of blood. How can she be that murderer?”

“It’s... It’s not true,” said Touko, trembling. “My... My envelope... contains a humiliating secret... that if anyone knew, I would drop dead...”

Everyone’s eyes flitted about, flickering between Byakuya and Touko. Between a cruel man who seemed to revel in a game that encouraged murder and where one had to kill to escape, who boasted how he would be the one to survive to the end and didn’t care about hurting the feelings of the likes of Chihiro and Touko or anyone else, unfiltered and cold, and a woman who stuttered and fidgeted and stared at them all like a wild animal caught in the beam of headlights in the middle of the night. Unfiltered, cold as well, with a persecution complex.

Makoto fixed his eyes on Byakuya.

“Togami-kun... you really are too cruel,” said Makoto on behalf of the class.

“Barbarian!” Hifumi sneered, punching the air. “Harming women is unacceptable! My hair is going to turn yellow at any moment.”

Byakuya breathed loudly. His nails dug into his fists.

“We should tie him up,” said Mondo. He stretched out his arm, holding Byakuya further away from him. “I don’t trust that bastard to leave our sight, even for a second.”

“After such behaviour, I think that may be for the best,” said Sakura. She turned her back on Byakuya. “Come, Fukawa. I will walk you to your dorm.”

And so the rest of the class separated, but not before slinging scathing looks at Byakuya on their way out. The only one who didn’t was Celes, who flashed him an amused grin before quickening her pace. Mondo hardened his hold on Byakuya.

“Oi, Hagakure,” barked Mondo. “Grab me some rope and take it to my room.”

Yasuhiro stopped walking and swiveled around.

“Can do!” said Yasuhiro with a salute.

Mondo dragged Byakuya to his own dorm, not letting go even as they waited inside. Soon, Yasuhiro arrived, and the duo tied Byakuya to a chair. Yasuhiro offered a wave before leaving them alone. When the door closed, Mondo put his hands on his hips, but only for a few seconds. Then he sat on the bed and took off one of his white loafers. Byakuya glowered.

“You fool,” said Byakuya. “You don’t - ”

Before he could finish, Mondo stuffed a sock into Byakuya’s mouth.

“That’s ‘cause I can’t stand the sound of your voice,” said Mondo.

Byakuya gagged and tried spitting it out, but that just prompted Mondo to push it back in so he stopped. Mondo grinned.

“That’s better,” he said.

The ropes restricted all of Byakuya’s movements, so Byakuya could only sit still and survey his surroundings. Large flags with golden text about the Crazy Diamonds decorated the room, one against the bed, another across the desk and three hanging from the ceiling in the walkway. He cast them no more than a cursory glance, uninterested in learning anything about the gang Mondo belonged to. Nor did he care about the gritty manga spread out on the bed or the hair products across the room.

Mondo strayed from him only to lock the door, and then he sat back down on his bed. He grabbed a manga, crossed one leg over the other and started reading in silence. Byakuya tried to shimmy. The ropes didn’t slacken.

For a while, only the rustle of a page turning and the occasional cough broke the silence, until they heard a knock on the door. Mondo set down his manga and got to his feet, crossing the room with large strides. He disappeared from sight as he reached the door, but Byakuya heard Mondo open it.

“Fukawa?” said Mondo. “What are...?”

Mondo cried out in pain, and Byakuya tensed, hearing a loud thump as Mondo stumbled into a wall and collapsed. Byakuya widened his eyes and tried breaking out of his restraints. Seconds later, he saw the braids. He saw the glasses. The sailor fuku. But he also saw the tongue, the scissors and the light dancing in her eyes as she turned to him, standing across the room from him.

“Here’s Johnny!” Syo called out.

Byakuya couldn’t move. With a grin, she raised her scissors, and Byakuya could do nothing as she pumped him full of metal.

***

He woke up in his bed, paralysed. At first, he thought he was still tied up, but when he could move again, he thrashed and discovered he was entangled in his bed sheets, not ropes. His heart burned and when he finally laid his hand over his chest, it felt wet. Barely able to breathe, Byakuya staggered to the bathroom and tore off his shirt, staring at his chest in the mirror.

No blood. No wound. No incision. Just sweat. A lot of sweat. He left his room.

In the cafeteria, a familiar scene greeted him.

“Male friendship is indeed different than female,” remarked Sakura as she stared at Mondo and Kiyotaka.

Mondo was very much not dead. On the contrary, he laughed loudly, pressing hips with Kiyotaka.

Aoi heaved a sigh, resting her chin in her hand. “You can say that again.”

Without being noticed, Byakuya returned to his room and started pacing. He carved a mark onto the table then paced some more.

This time, he didn’t push it when he tried telling everyone about Genocider Syo, but rather than go to the library, he watched Touko slink into her room before retiring to his one, and for the rest of the night, he stayed there, even when he heard his doorbell fitting. He tried to stay awake, sitting on the edge of his bed, but he must have fallen asleep because he woke up lying down on his bed.

Immediately, he went to the table. The notch was gone. Byakuya pushed hair from his eyes and went to the bathroom to shower, and as he removed his shirt, he noticed marks on his arm by his wrist. Like scars.

Three of them, to be precise.

Three tally marks.

[shefightslikeagirl]

CORSETS AND STRIPED STOCKINGS: OUTFITTING THE ASYLUM FOR WAYWARD VICTORIAN GIRLS by She Fights Like A Girl

These articles are best viewed on desktop, but are mobile friendly. Please excuse any strange formatting on your phone browser or the Tumblr app.

This article was longer than intended and image-heavy, so it’s been split into two parts.

PART V: AN ASYLUM MUSICAL

“And if I end up with blood on my hands, Well, I know that you’ll understand ‘Cause I fight like a girl.” - Fight Like A Girl (2014)

And now we're back to the relatively recent past, when this blog was in its infancy and the fandom couldn't decide whether to stick with the forum or run rampant on Tumblr. Fight Like A Girl (the album) was still being recorded, but Emilie did a few live dates Down Under and decided to feature the title song from the unfinished album.

To my understanding, the Harvest Festival was another one of those concerts where the show was considerably downsized because of the cost of shipping props and set pieces. But where the South American tours hadn’t pulled back in the wardrobe department, the Harvest festival did. Emilie and the Crumpets performed in one costume for the entire set. But to make up for the lack of glam, EA debuted the first costume of the FLAG era.

This costume was worn for the cover art of Fight Like A Girl, and acted as the signature corset for the very first Fight Like A Girl World Tour (2012). 

“Asylum Secrets: All of my costumes over the years have been made to look as though someone had been murdered in them and come back from the dead to enact a fabulous revenge. To achieve this, I have employed techniques from melting fabrics with an industrial strength heat gun to spraying them with solutions that no human should ever breathe. In the case of the corset pictured, I burned it mercilessly with sticks of incense before painting the fabric to make it look moth-eaten.” - EA on the creation of the FLAG corset (June 25, 2018)

Speaking of the 2012 FLAG World Tour! While there were a lot of changes from The Door Tour and Harvest Festival, this tour is probably best remembered as a transition phase between eras. There were new costumes, but… the Rat Queen still introduced the show with 4 o’Clock. There were new set dressings, but… the shadow scrim was still main stage center. The new corset was mixed in with the Rat Queen ensemble and the structure of the show hadn’t changed terribly. New, but… kinda not?

Except for that Warrior Mohawk, of course.

Upper: WVC content / eBay listing photo. Lower: Making of the Warrior Mohawk from Emilie’s Flickr account.

This is the only tour where Emile wore a mohawk for the entirety(-slash-majority) of the show. Later concerts would see her removing it after the third song. There was some slight skepticism in the fandom with its debut, sparking discourse about everything from cultural appropriation to thematic relevance, but EA didn’t make much comment on the criticism.

“[The Warrior Mohawk] signified the transformation from victim to warrior. I feel that it is important for me to let go in order that I may go on to transform yet again and create new bits of wearable magic to surprise you with... This headpiece symbolized the birth of a new era in the Asylum…. This is the headdress of a tribal Queen…” - EA, 2012 eBay auction description.

“The Mohawk headdress represents the tribal, wild element of the sisterhood that formed during the imprisonment of the inmates, and shows that, once we escape and are on the rampage to take down our oppressors, we have indeed transformed from individual, helpless victims into a strong and beautifully terrifying tribal warriors.”  - EA for Natalie’s World, 2013 (x) (x)

Another costume that debuted on this tour was the MC of the Ophelia Gallery, who had his own brand-new number: Girls! Girls! Girls!

And as for its history...

(My best guess is that this photo originated in 2009, based on her hair.)

This character is a hint at the structure of the tour (and album) to come, where it would be less about the mad girls existing inside the Asylum and more about the story of how they got there, and what happened once they were interned. Allow me to stray from the costuming topic for just a moment…

A TANGENT: OF STAGE SHOWS AND ASYLUM CONTINUITY Spoiler filled ramblings of a long-time fan.

I’ve got a running theory that The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, in all its forms, runs in parallel to the concerts. But they match each other in reverse. [Spoilers for the book to follow.]

Emilie’s first concert of the Opheliac brand was in a small venue in Chicago, alongside Lady Joo Hee. In The Asylum… book, Emily-with-a-y’s final days in the Asylum were spent with Sachiko (a character based on and formerly named Joo Hee). 

The Opheliac shows of 2007-2011 were all about the women in an Asylum singing songs and welcoming others home. Cannibals, ballerinas, pyrate captains, nymphomanics -- they all ran rampant with no apparent oversight except from Emilie herself. Rats crept and crawled onstage unbothered; toys, crumpets, and cupcakes were in abundance, often served alongside “tea,” and there isn’t a single cell door in sight.

Especially in the earliest days of the concerts, the set design had an emphasis on appearing hand-made -- not only because it was, but because it should be for these girls. This was the world EA branded for herself: a world of freedom, without judgement, earned by their own hands.

In The Asylum… book, after the Inmates take over and kill the doctors, this is very much what they do: impersonate medical professionals and welcome sick and not-so-sick girls home to protect them, nurture them, and give them the best life that the Victorian Age fails to do. They take over the Asylum and make it their own.

Then in the FLAG performances (2012-2014), the storytelling shifts. EA’s Asylum world is no longer loosely themed with inmates running amok, but adheres to a more rigid storytelling structure, detailing the struggles and despair of the girls locked up in The Asylum(-with-a-capital-T). It mirrors the bulk of the content in The Asylum… book. The carefree, whimsical stage dressings shift to bars -- a representation of the cells and gates in The Asylum. There might be a bear tied to a dreary grey harpsichord; you might even see a single rat scratching about. But they don’t have dominion here. There’s no freedom. Just the story of the girls trapped behind the bars.

And now we’re stalled on both sides of the street. We’ve met in the middle. The concerts started at the end of the book, and ended at the beginning. 

Ok, I’ll put my soapbox away. Let’s get back on track.

BACK TO BUSINESS

Where were we?

Oh, yes: Girls! Girls! Girls! and new costumes.

So let’s jump forward a little more, because there isn’t much else to say about Emilie’s costume style in the 2012 FLAG World Tour. Moving on to the 2013 Fight Like A Girl: North American Tour (and following European and Australian tours), a brand new show was brought to the stage. Full new stage set-up, new costumes, and a full new setlist. 

A costume I’ll be referring to as the “armored corset” replaced the moth-eaten FLAG ensemble in the opening number. Both Maggots and Veronica were given new costumes as well, replacing the costumes they had worn for years. 

Armored Corset, with varying amounts of sparkled (2013)

Maggie Lally; Captain Maggot / Captain Maggots

Veronica Varlow; The Naughty Veronica

The show design of this tour had Emilie in the armored corset with the mohawk for the two opening numbers, Fight Like A Girl and Time for Tea. The mohawk and the armored plates on her chest and hip were removed during the 4 o’Clock Reprise, leaving her without her armor for What Will I Remember? as the narrative moves back to the beginning of the story, before the “Uprising.”

On the subject of the corset: structurally, it was outfitted with snaps to attach the armor and allow for easy removal (see corset detail above, bottom right). The mohawk proved a more difficult challenge to remove, as it was securely clipped, pinned, and secured into EA’s hair. This ended up being corrected in the redesign that produced Mohawk 2.0.

Back to the show! By the time we get to Veronica’s Dominant fan dance, EA has removed the armor corset completely in the interim to prepare for the Girls! Girls! Girls! costume change. After Scavenger, the entire cast changes into Asylum Inmate Rags to perform Gaslight and The Key, and then changes back into full costume for the finale. Emilie wears the full FLAG ensemble from previous tours to close out the show, with varying headdresses. 

But I’m skipping over something important.

The Scavenger.

Inspired by Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, The Scavenger, a vulture-esque representation of Dr. Greavsely, appeared onstage for Scavenger. 

“This is the start of the original costume @maggotmagpie wears in our show, the one Greavesly wears in #AsylumMusical will be bonkers…” - EA on the Scavenger (February 7, 2016)

EA on Twitter/Twitpic 2012 (x)

The Scavenger was usually worn by Maggots as part of a stilt-walking performance, but if the venue couldn’t or wouldn’t allow for stunts onstage, Emilie would appear alone in the costume for the number. 

Scavenger has plenty of different “shows” (A show, B show, and C show for my theme park friends), with “A Show” being Captain Maggot on stilts.

Note: The Atlanta show featured here is a bit strange, as it uses the Stage Screen and the Asylum Bars during a tour that doesn’t feature the former. Emilie also isn’t in the normal costume for this number, using a personal scarf to cover her bloomers and bra.

“B Show” would be Emilie performing as the Scavenger, due to venue restrictions. This was actually the way Scavenger debuted, until Maggot’s first performance later in the tour. (See pictures and even more info here.)

“C Show” would be Moth’s performance in the final set of Fight Like A Girl tours, as seen below:

(There’s also “D Show,” (ha) which is this random dude performing as The Scavenger. I’ve yet to figure this out, but my guess is it was a technician stepping in at the last moment or a friend of EA from Oakland.)

Last, but not least, are the Asylum Rags. You’d think there wouldn’t be much to say here, but there is. Click on the continue link below to learn more about tattered costumes and the rest of the FLAG era, because Tumblr only allows 10 pictures per post.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.

Fly back… PART I: Enchant and the Faerie Queene PART II: Drowning Ophelia PART III: Vecona, Seamstress of the Asylum PART IV: Wayward Victorian Girls

Remember to visit Part III and enter our giveaway! Ends 12/1/19.

[SEE ALL CREDITS AND SOURCES HERE.]

[fandom-necromancer]

377. “I’m going to make sure everyone knows about this. Everyone will know what a freak you are! No one will ever want to be friends with the likes of you!” “At what point did you assume I would care?”

This one is longer than my normal shorts on here, but enjoy nonetheless!

Fandom: Deus Ex | Ship: Jensard (Warnings: discrimination, violence, violation of privacy)

'So you say, he's stable, yes?' 'Some friend of his found him in that alley and brought him to some kind of aug expert. But he could only stabilise his augmentations, he is still dipping in and out of consciousness.' 'Sounds more like you need a doctor, not a software specialist.' 'The problem seems to be one of his internal systems keeping him in an... what did he call it... emergency stasis? At least I think that's what the mechanic told us.' 'Good. I don't want to find out I've travelled all the way over into this hell of a city just to tell you he needs medical care. I have business over in Detroit, you know?' 'And Interpol needs Jensen back at full functionality. I think your business can wait, can't it?' Francis sighed inwardly. He started to guess the man deserved the scar in his face, regardless how he might have gotten it. Full functionality. Hell, Jensen wasn't a machine. Well, mostly machine, okay, but they were still talking about a person. Francis was thankful his own augmentations were more discrete, he looked natural enough for all these assholes living here. And he had always thought Detroit was bad.

‘And where is he now?’ ‘Still with the tech, just down this road, it is disguised as a vintage bookshop. You’ll find it.’ Francis looked in the direction Jensen’s co-worker pointed him and nearly winced at the fences and heavy patrols “guarding” just another exit of the aug ghetto. They even had an automated turret. What the hell. ‘Hey, you realise, I’m augmented, right? And even if they don’t recognise it, I have my equipment with me. I guarantee you they won’t let me through. You want your human weapon back? Free the way, then.’ ‘I don’t have the time to babysit you through this. Just go around. Jensen sure as hell always finds a way. I don’t have time for this.’ The bigger man turned and walked away, muttering ‘Fucking civilians’ under his breath.

‘Yeah, fuck you, too’, the hacker called after him, not caring about angering the people who gave him the papers to freely roam the city. Of course, Jensen would find a way. He had no doubt, passing these guards was a piece of cake for the sharp-minded, heavily augmented super-soldier armed with the experience of a cop, a security agent and at last an infiltrator. But there was no use complaining now. He had to get moving. Standing somewhere too long or staring at someone most likely would get him killed here.

In the end he found a side entrance to the areal barred by wood and a locked door. Francis managed to push his equipment over the fence, flinching at the sound of it hitting the ground on the other side. If anything in there had broken, Interpol was paying for the damage. Then his own body followed – graceless but undetected thankfully. On the other side he gathered his materials and dusted himself off. Yeah, he would never again complain about Detroit.

The bookshop looked terrible. Not in the way it was build or arranged, but it seemed to have been a full-blown battlefield: ripped out pages covered the floor, books had fallen out of their shelves and bullet holes lined the walls. What on earth had happened here? Francis wandered through the aisles looking for any sign of life. Of course, it found him instead: ‘Ah, you must be the hacker! They told me you would come!’ Francis turned to someone who looked more like one of those punks living at the outskirts of civilisation. He would have rather thought the man to sell drugs to junkies than fixing up the complex machinery that was Jensen. The man held out his hand and Pritchard shook it hesitantly. ‘My name is Koller, I helped Adam out in the past a few times already. He is such a work of art! I heard you worked on some of the software?’ ‘Pritchard’, Francis nodded reserved, unwilling to be on first name basis with the man. Somehow, he thought Jensen must have been, too. ‘Where is he?’

'Oh, yeah, right! Sorry, I got carried away. He is down in the lab, follow me, follow me!' Pritchard walked behind the man bouncing all over the place like an excited child. His only reason to not deem this a lost course and call it a day was the fact that he was curious deep down. He had supervised Jensen’s missions two years ago. The guy was like a shadow clearing entire buildings without getting spotted. And even if it came to the point of confrontation, he doubted anyone to easily subdue the man in combat. Not with these augs and not with these reflexes. Whoever managed to catch the former head of security off guard had to be someone experienced and nearly as heavily enhanced as the man himself. And if that was the case Jensen needed his help, regardless of what their personal opinions of each other had been.

The “lab” turned out to be a junkyard full of spares and tools, not one thing in a place it would have belonged. This Koller seemed to live down here – half eaten Energy-bars, some instant soups. God, it looked worse than teenaged Francis’ room could ever have. Definitely not a place that deserved the name “lab”. It was a cleaner part of the sewers if anything. To even think of opening someone’s inner systems up in here send shivers down his spine. Well, the times had changed. And this was Prague. This was likely one of the better establishments if he thought about it.

‘Welcome to the inner sanctum! Please, make yourself at home!‘ Koller introduced the chamber and Francis didn’t even answered. ‘Where is he?’, he repeated his question instead and looked around, finding the subject of interest by himself. Jensen was strapped to a chair to hold him in position, the HUD-lenses retracted for once, but eyes closed. He was naked from the waist up, but someone had draped his coat over him to keep him warm. He was breathing underneath, it looked as if he was sleeping and Francis had never even once seen him this relaxed.

He took the few steps up to the chair, immediately kneeling next to the unconscious body to unpack his equipment. ‘What did you do so far? Do you know what happened?’ ‘He was found in an alley, already unconscious. Alex brought him here.’ Francis wouldn’t ask who that was, it wasn’t important. ‘His augs were twitching, took me some time to pin him there. Had overloaded energy systems. I drained them and repaired the damage the machinery did to itself while Adam was unconscious. The body is fine again, but he didn’t wake up. I’m not familiar with the code Sarif Industries implemented and it’s far too advanced for me to understand. My expertise is the tinkering, you see.’ ‘I see’, Pritchard commented sarcastically, already diving into his screens, setting up the diagnostic programs before plugging the different cables into Jensen’s ports. He waited for the results to emerge and as he looked up again, there was a cup of coffee standing in front of him. Disbelievingly he looked at Koller, sitting in a corner observing him. ‘Hey, don’t look at me like that. I worked with guys like you before, I know what my programmers like.’ Pritchard bit back that he was in no way one of his programmers. The man just brought him coffee, he should cut back the hostility a bit.

The results confirmed Koller’s diagnosis: There had been sudden surges of electricity to every system resulting in a critical overload that had disconnected the few biological parts in order to save them from the worst damage. The sudden disconnection had left the augments to themselves, which resulted in them damaging themselves further. But he had to give it to him, this Koller-guy had done good work on them. They were as good as new. Now to the software blockers. He had to connect and calibrate the different augmentations all over again. He sighed deeply, forgetting that he had an audience.

‘What? What is it?’ ‘Nothing. It’s just… this will take some time.’ ‘Okay, I’ll leave you to it, I have a few projects of my own to work on. Call me if you need anything!’ Pritchard grumbled something unintelligible. I just need one thing and that is silence. And maybe another coffee.

At least one of that he got: Koller didn’t bothered him anymore, except maybe for his music playing. But that he could tune out. He began tiping away on his keyboard, writing line after line to initiate the reconnection and administrate it. There would be enough errors coming up for him to bother with starting and stopping new processes. From there on, it was more waiting for the software to boot again and start up the augments. Enough unused time for Pritchard to get bored and think. Think about what the hell could have happened in that alley. Sure, he could wait for Jensen to wake up and keep it all a secret. But there was another solution. One the man would hate him even more for. Ah, well, he wouldn’t have to know about it, would he?

Making sure to have his headphones plugged in and only attached to one ear as to still know what happened around him, he started digging for the programs Sarif had ordered him to write in case something went wrong. In case his guard dog wriggled out of his confines. Francis hadn’t particularly liked writing the code and felt guilty for using it now, but hey, no one would ever get to know any of this, right?

He started up one of the little tools and it began downloading from Jensen’s sensory systems. It took some time to compile into one video-feed, but in the end, there was the pop-up window: start the recording? Francis hovered over the ok-button, hesitating. He looked up to Jensen’s relaxed face. Another violation of the man's privacy, one to add to the many others. But this one was purely of Francis' own making. No one pushed him to pry. But before he could decide otherwise, he hit the mouse button.

A dark alley came into view, the camera- Jensen's head- was shifting from one side to the other and guessing from the hands trying to steady the body against a wall, stumbling forwards. The HUD informed him of a toxicological overload even the sentinel couldn't compensate. Jensen was drunk beyond safe measures. Francis recognised the alley; it wasn't far from the apartment complex he lived in. Jensen's colleagues had shown it to him on the way here. Had he angered any neighbours? Who would attack him this close to home? The camera footage went dark as Jensen leaned against a wall after a particularly bad stumble to one side. He had no chance at reacting to the attack, especially not in his state. Multiple errors and warnings spammed the HUD and Francis managed to decipher enough to reconstruct what happened: electric prod to the back. Jensen fell to the ground, still conscious but unable to get himself up fast enough to defend himself. Another electric surge flooded the systems and a static laugh was heard.

‘Fucking techno. Surprised they can even still get drunk. No augmentation for that, huh?’ Jensen managed to roll to a side, but some boot kicked him down again, followed by another zap that messed up his systems enough to corrupt his vision. ‘Stay down, asshole. I’m going to make sure to leave you here where all your little robo-fuckers can see you. I’ll make sure to tell the police how you attacked us. I’m going to make sure everyone knows about this. Everyone will know what a freak you are! No one will ever want to be friends with the likes of you!’

‘At what point did you assume I would care?’ Francis jerked up in his seat, looking around for who had caught him looking into the man’s memories. But Koller was still working away to his weird taste in music and no one else was there. Could it be…

Jensen was smiling. It looked weird, the man still being unconscious and relaxed, but smug at the replay of the memory. ‘I am a freak, and nobody wants to be near me already. I know. Everyone does.’ It was mumbled and heavy with sleep, but Pritchard could hear the words and feel their impact. Before he could decide on what to think exactly, Koller had jumped from his desk. ‘You finished? You fixed him?’ In record time, Francis had shut down the secret programs he had once written for Sarif and regretted deeply now. ‘Yes!’ A little too eager maybe. ‘I-it will take some time until he wakes up, but he’s good to go once the calibration is done.’ ‘Awesome! And so fast, too! He hasn’t lied about you being one of the best out there.’

The tech rambled on for some time, but Francis had filtered his voice out. I am a freak, and nobody wants to be near me. At what point did you assume I would care?

Maybe he should extend his vacation in Prague. Maybe Jensen would need more fine-tuning later when awake again. Yeah. Definitely fine-tuning. Work. Not an excuse for spending some time with his former colleague.

[bae-in-maine]

Juliantina Fic & Drawing Collab: Mi Cariño: Chapter 1

It’s heeeeeeere! Chapter one is complete, all 8,000+ words. 

Huge thank you to @xlyre-art @xlyre who did the beautiful drawing. Go give her lots of praise and hugs ‘cuz she deserves it!

Title: Mi Cariño

Author: Jude81 aka Bae-in-Maine

Artist: Xlyre

Fandom: Juliantina, Amar a Muerte

Rating: Explicit

Chapter: 1 of 2, possible 3. 

Tags: Love, sex, first time, loss of virginity, fluff, cuteness abounds

This is also posted on A03  https://archiveofourown.org/works/17867207/chapters/42165767

**********************************

Mi Cariño

I’m ready.

It took Valentina a moment to understand what Juliana meant, and when she finally realized, her mind immediately went blank, wiped cleaned; like a well-oiled machine suddenly seizing and shutting down in the blink of an eye. It was only a millisecond, but it felt like forever, as if time yawned open before her, filled with too many possibilities. And then her mind sputtered, and the spark was lit.

Are you sure?

Valentina squeezed the phone in her hand, knuckles white as she waited for the little dots on her screen to transform into words.

Yes.

She could barely breathe, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed out one word.

When?

Tonight.

The word appeared instantly, no hesitation.

Valentina smiled, her mind immediately racing, full of possibilities that made her blush. Tonight was good. Tonight was perfect. Tonight was…terrifying. She gripped her phone tighter, reminding herself to breathe. In and out. Repeat. She looked around at the other students headed to class. She wondered if anyone could tell that she was texting her girlfriend, and if they understood what the blush staining her cheeks meant.

Girlfriend.

The word still sent tiny shivers down her spine to settle in her belly.

Two months. Two months since that quiet confession at the café, when they both realized they didn’t have to hide or deny their feelings anymore, at least not to themselves or each other. And those two months had been filled with laughter, whispers in the car, midnight texts, hands sliding against each other, and mouths slotted together perfectly.

And they’d talked about it. Unsure of the right words to use, blushes staining their cheeks more often than not, their voices shy and trembling sometimes; but still no less eager to try. And sometimes, hands had slipped under shirts, lips had followed the slender lines of a throat, only for slim shoulders to tense and hands tremble.

Juliana hadn’t been ready, and Valentina understood that. Sex was new to Juliana in ways that it wasn’t to Valentina. Valentina spent long hours googling women loving women, homosexuality, lesbian, the list only kept growing. And she’d been both dismayed and intrigued that many off her google searches had turned up porn.

She sighed and looked around again before looking back down at her phone. She still had two classes that afternoon, and she knew Juliana would probably come over as soon as she was done selling lottery tickets in the park. She had a couple of hours at least.

She chewed on the corner of her lip, her eyes straying back to her phone, the screen saver now on. She smiled at the picture of her and Juliana, cheeks pressed together, arms around each other. Her eyes traced the soft lines of Juliana’s face. Decision made, she grinned and sent one last message before thrusting her phone in her pocket and turned away from the tall, brick building where her final two classes were for the day.

Mi Cariño.

She made one stop on the way home, the sales lady had been more than helpful, but Valentina knew it probably wouldn’t occur to the lady that what she’d purchased wasn’t for a boyfriend but for a girlfriend. And Valentina had been struck with the sudden urge to tell the woman that the lingerie wasn’t for a man to enjoy but for two women, but she’d refrained, biting her tongue, stifling the desire to tell this woman and everyone else in her life how much she loved Juliana.

It had become harder and harder over the weeks to keep silent, but she’d quickly learned that leaving Eva in the dark was for the best. Her older sister had already expressed her distrust of Juliana, believing the younger woman was simply trying to extort money from Valentina. All of Valentina’s protests and explanations had fallen on deaf ears, and Eva had warned Valentina to end her friendship with Juliana, an order that Valentina blatantly disregarded.

Guille had been much more understanding, only happy that his sister was finally happy. Their father’s death had taken a toll on them both, and Guille credited Juliana with Valentina’s new happiness. He approved of Juliana, but he had moved out of their shared house, leaving Valentina to deal with Eva.

She stepped into her bedroom, dropping the small bag on her bed and sitting down at the foot of the bed. She rested her elbows on her knees, hands clasped, head down. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to calm the nerves rollicking in her belly. She rubbed her forehead, before digging her phone out of her pocket. Juliana would be arriving in an hour or two.

She hopped up, looking around her room to make sure nothing out of place or messy in any way, but of course nothing was; the maid ensured that. She rubbed her palms down over her thighs, trying to get rid of the sudden clammy feeling. She blew out a breath in irritation. She’d done this before. Sex was not new to her, except…she’d never had sex with Juliana. She realized her nervousness had less to do with the fact that Juliana was a woman, and more to do with the fact that she was simply…Juliana. Sex with Lucho and her boyfriend before him had been nice, nice and nothing more, and usually less than nice. Sex had been more something she had to do as opposed to what she wanted to do.

But Juliana was different, and more importantly how she felt about Juliana was different. She loved Juliana, when she hadn’t loved Lucho. Juliana was her cariño. And that changed everything.

She blew out another breath, pushing her hair back behind her ears, before deciding to take a shower. She stepped under the hot water, letting it pound against her face and drip down her chest and belly. It didn’t take long to finish lathering and washing, but she took extra time shaving her legs, dragging the razor slowly and cleanly up her leg and over her knee, up her thigh. She hesitated at the juncture of her thighs. She’d always kept the hair between her legs neatly trimmed, shaving the edges to create a wide strip. She fiddled with her razor wondering if she should shave all of it. Women were completely shaved in the porn videos she’d watched. But those were porn, and she blushed at the thought before sighing and putting the razor back on the small ledge in the shower.

She stepped out of the shower, toweling off and padding back into her bedroom. She stared at the bag on her bed, biting her lip, arms crossed, slightly unsure. She rubbed her arms, hating the way her stomach fluttered.

“Oh my god! Just put it on!” She muttered to herself, huffing in irritation as she grabbed the bag and pulled out the lingerie. It wasn’t particularly risqué, a matching pantie and bra set made entirely out of delicate black lace. The lace was softer than she had thought it would be, and she pulled the panties up her legs, settling them in place. The thong fit well, and she hoped that Juliana would like it. She pulled a robe around her and sat back down checking her phone again, before standing and pacing, until she finally settled in the window seat. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm the pounding of her heart, and slowly her breath evened out.

***************************

It was the light tapping at her door that woke her, and she almost fell as she stumbled to her feet, robe wrapped around her legs. She practically threw herself at the door, yanking it open so hard that Juliana stumbled back in shock.

“Hi! I’m sorry! I…I sort of dozed off….I…” she laughed and shook her head, a rosy hue painting her cheekbones as she reached out and grabbed Juliana’s hand, gently tugging her into her bedroom.

Juliana smiled and let herself be pulled into the bedroom, her mind immediately flashing back to the last time Valentina had pulled her into her bedroom after Guille’s birthday party, eagerness dripping from every hectic motion. But this time was different. This time nothing was between them, and she smiled, pushing forward and into Valentina’s arms.

She’d intended to kiss Valentina, let her hands cup Valentina’s face, trace her cheekbones with her thumbs; but instead she wrapped her arms around Valentina’s waist, pulling her tightly into her own body, her head finding its natural place on Valentina’s shoulder.

Valentina held her firmly, running her hands up and down her back. “Are you ok?”

When Juliana nodded but still didn’t raise her head, Valentina smiled and simply held her, widening her stance a little so she could bear more of Juliana’s weight. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You can say stop at any moment, and we will stop. No matter how far…” she hesitated, brow scrunched trying to find the right words, before deciding to go with what was the most simple. “No matter how far along we are.” It sounded weird to her own ears, but she was still trying to figure out the language between two women in love. It was different than with men, heavier, warmer. Filled with more longing, and she couldn’t always find the right words, the words that fit into her mouth and felt right when she released them.

Juliana pulled back, her hands coming up to cup Valentina’s face. “Sorry, I just wanted to hug you.” She shrugged a little, a small blush staining her skin.

Valentina laughed and pressed her forehead to Juliana’s. “You never have to apologize for hugging me or wanting to hug me.” She brushed a lock of hair behind Juliana’s ear, “I am here for all of your hugging needs.” She pressed her lips to Juliana’s, sighing into the kiss, when Juliana opened her mouth fitting against her own perfectly. It was soft and warm, and she wanted to cover herself with it, drown in it. But she reluctantly pulled away, but her lips betrayed her, finding Juliana’s once again.

Valentina finally pulled back just enough to whisper against her mouth, “I’m here for all of your needs.”

It felt bold, the words too large to hold, and they hung heavy between them, a declaration. She pressed her forehead against Juliana’s again, smiling when Juliana tilted her head up to kiss her.

“You know the same goes for you too, Val. This isn’t just about me.” Juliana pushed the hair off Valentina’s face, letting her fingers linger on her temples, before brushing them down her cheeks.

“I know. But I also know you’ve never done this before,” she stopped when Juliana blushed, and slid her hands around Juliana’s neck, smiling at the way her hair brushed against her knuckles. “There is nothing wrong with that, cariño. I just want to make sure you are entirely comfortable,” she chuckled and winked, “weeeell, maybe not too comfortable.”

Juliana laughed and nodded, the blush still gracing her skin. She looked down between them, the way their breasts and bellies were pressed against each other. She bit her lip, head down just enough that Val couldn’t see into her eyes.

“Baby?”

“Yes. Is that ok? Should I not call you that?”

Juliana shook her head, glad her hair was covering her cheeks, which she was sure were bright red now. “No, I like it. No one has ever called me that before.”

“Good. Because you are mine. Mi cariño. And I’m yours.”

“Mine,” murmured Juliana as pressed her face into the crook of Valentina’s neck. Over the last few months, it had quickly become her favorite place. It was warm and safe, and Valentina’s skin was slightly sweet against her mouth.

She reluctantly pulled away, stepped out of Valentina’s arms and walked around her to the window, slipping her black and gold jacket off and tossing it onto the window seat. It was Valentina’s favorite jacket on her, and she’d made sure to wear it, along with the blue shirt that Valentina had given a few weeks ago, just because. She played with the necklace around her neck, her fingers worrying the braided tuft of strings at the bottom of the necklace. Valentina had given it to her months ago, when they’d first met, and Juliana only ever took it off to shower, swim, or sleep.

“I watched some videos,” she blurted out, immediately wincing a little and biting her lips. “I mean, I wasn’t sure what is…uh…involved,” she finished lamely, wanting to roll her eyes at herself.

Valentina nodded and walked over to Juliana, stopping about a foot from her. She held out her hand, waiting until Juliana grasped it before gently pulling her to her. She walked backward and turned, until Juliana was standing against the bottom of the bed. She pushed gently, smiling when Juliana sat.

She cupped her face and leaned down and kissed her. “So did I. I did a lot of googling,” she chuckled as she sat down next to Juliana, taking her hand in her own.

Juliana nodded, interlacing her fingers with Valentina’s. “Um…a lot of the videos were…”

“Porn.”

Juliana laughed and blushed a little. “I don’t think they are particularly realistic. She wrinkled her nose a little. “There was almost always a man involved too, and even though the women were..uh…” she waved her hand in the air, “…I think it was still more about the man.”

Valentina nodded, “Yes. And I really doubt most women wear high heels while completely naked,” she laughed. “I never did,” she shook her head.

Juliana nodded, saying nothing for a moment, while looking down at their hands. “You once said that sex didn’t matter to you?”

Valentina nodded quietly, “that was before, I realized that I could actually love someone. I’ve never loved any man except for the men in my family.” She shrugged, running her thumb along Juliana’s fingers. “I didn’t realize I could feel this way about anyone, and the fact that it is you…”

“Me?” It wasn’t so much a question of Valentina’s feelings for her, but more a prompt to continue.

“Yes. You. I’m not really sure what it means, if I’m gay or not, and I don’t think it matters right now. But I know I love you, and I want to share this with you. The thought of doing so,” she hesitated again, licking her lips a little. She squeezed Juliana’s hand, leaning in and brushing her lips against Juliana’s ear, “is exciting.”

Juliana shivered slightly, jerking her head a little. She turned and looked at Valentina, swallowing hard, but not dropping her gaze. “I’m glad it’s you. I never wanted to before, but now I do, and uh…” she looked down at their hands again, chuckling a little, “yeah…just really glad it is you, because I love you.”

Valentina smiled, reaching over and sliding her hand behind Juliana’s neck and tugging her softly towards her, “I’m glad it’s me to.” She pressed her lips to Juliana’s, her eyes fluttering closed at the feel of their mouths moving against she other. It wasn’t long before, she felt Juliana’s tongue pressing against her lips, and she opened them enough to let her slip inside. She hummed against her mouth, turning her body more fully, so she could cup Juliana’s face with both hands.

She brushed her tongue against Juliana’s, smiling into the kiss at the way Juliana instinctively curled her tongue around her own, and she wanted more. She pressed a little harder into Juliana, drinking in every part of her, so lost in the kiss, it took her a moment to realize that Juliana’s hands were on the belt holding her robe together, and then suddenly her robe was open.

She shivered slightly at the sudden feel of the cooler air, and she could feel Juliana’s hands still. “It’s ok, keep going,” she encouraged, pressing lightly kisses against Juliana’s mouth, sucking on her lower lip.

Juliana could barely breath, convinced it was because Valentina had so lovingly plundered her mouth and robbed her of all the air from her lungs, and her head swam, her vision a little blurry when she opened her yes in an effort to see what was beneath the robe her hands were tugging on.

“Stand.” She meant to ask, but it came out more as a command, but it seemed to work considering Valentina hissed an affirmative under her breath.

She leaned back on her hands, her mind fuzzy, and she blinked almost blearily up at Valentina who was now standing sliding the robe the rest of the way off. She felt her lungs seize when Valentina tossed the robe away, and she could feel the burn along her neck and cheeks as she started at the small, lace bra and panty set that Valentina was wearing. It was simply but beautiful, and she had to remind herself to breathe.

“Do you like it? I bought it today, for you.” Valentina suddenly wished she had the robe, so she could twist her fingers in the belt, but instead she wrung her fingers together, trying to stop the nervous trembling. The air in the room was cold on her skin, making it prickle, but she was sure it had more to do with nerves than actual temperature.

“Wow…I…my god, you are so beautiful,” muttered Juliana, suddenly wondering how she would compare. Not that it was a competition, but she felt more gangly and awkward in Valentina’s presence sometimes.

“Not nearly as beautiful as you,” murmured Valentina as she leaned down, placing her hands on Juliana’s thighs, smiling at the way Juliana’s eyes immediately strayed to her cleavage. “Not nearly as beautiful as you, cariño.” She kissed her and stood up slowly turning around, “You haven’t seen all of it.”

She heard Juliana gasp behind her, and she smiled, the smile only growing bigger when she suddenly felt warm fingers trace down alongside the thin strip of fabric between her cheeks. “I thought you might like this.”

It took Juliana a moment to respond, too mesmerized by the pale, smooth flesh in front of her. She let her fingers dance over the skin lightly before pulling them back into her lap. “Yes…it’s…um…” she coughed a little, “yes…I like it.”

“Good.” Valentina turned back around, smirking a little at the heat in Juliana’s flushed skin. She leaned down again her hands finding the hem of Juliana’s shirt, “Can I?”

Juliana nodded and raised her arms, letting Valentina pull off the shirt and toss it on the window seat. She let her hands rest around Juliana’s waist before pushing lightly, jerking her chin towards the top of the bed.

Juliana nodded and quickly scooted back up on the bed, stopping only when Valentina’s hands grasped her feet. The other girl quickly undid her shoes tossing them to the floor with her socks, before climbing onto the bed after her.

Valentina sat on her knees, motioning Juliana to scoot towards her so she could wrap her arms around her waist. She kissed her, letting her lips trail along her jawline, her fingers mapping the soft muscles of her back that twitched under her touch.

“I love you, you are so beautiful.” Her fingers caught against the back of Juliana’s bra, and she plucked at it lightly, so Juliana would know what she wanted. She looked down at Juliana, lifting her eyebrows, and when Juliana nodded, she quickly unfastened it, glad she managed not to fumble it.

Juliana shivered and scooted closer to Valentina, the skin on her back feeling especially sensitive. She ran her hands up Valentina’s arms, enjoying the way the skin prickled against her palms, until she could wrap her arms around her shoulder. She pressed her lips against Valentina’s pulse, feeling it flutter against her tongue. She sucked lightly, her nerves growing slightly at the way Valentina groaned and pulled her closer. It was almost too much, overwhelming, skin against skin, and she wondered if she would survive the rest of it without passing out.

“You ok, cariño?”

Juliana nodded, not saying anything, but she cocked her head to the side, when she felt Valentina’s mouth against the tender skin there. She sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of Valentina’s tongue pressing hard into the muscle of her neck, her teeth nipping lightly and then sucking gently. It was wet and hot, and it felt better than the few times she’d allowed a boy to do that much. It had always been sloppy and mess then, and she’d felt like she’d been slobbered on. But this, she could feel her muscles react under Valentina’s mouth, and grow heavy and warm, and she shuddered.

She imagined Valentina’s tongue in other places, and she felt the nerves in her belly shoot up into her chest, and she dug her fingers into Valentina’s shoulders. “I-um…”

Valentina stopped and pulled back so she could see Juliana’s face. “Are you ok? We can stop. We don’t have to…I mean…are you uncomfortable?”

“No,” Juliana shook her head. “It’s a bit overwhelming…” and she hurriedly continued when she saw Valentina frown in sudden worry, “it’s good. It feels good. I like it,” she assured her, rubbing little circles into Valentina’s shoulders with her fingers.

“It’s just um…I was w-wondering if we are going to…uh…” she was blushing again, stuttering a little, and she hated it. She growled under her breath and blew out a gust of air in irritation.

“It’s ok, baby. There’s no rush. Take your time.”

Juliana nodded and rested her forehead against Valentina’s shoulder for a moment before continuing. “Are we going to do that?”

“Uh…do what?” Valentina pushed a strand of hair away from Juliana’s face, concerned at the way Juliana wouldn’t quite meet her eyes.

“Jules?”

“Are we going to do everything in the videos with our mouths?” She practically spit out the words, cursing herself for sounding like a child. She felt awkward and vulnerable, everything a little off kilter.

“Oh, you mean…oral sex? Go down on each other,” Valentina slipped two fingers under Juliana’s chin. “Cariño, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but I would very much like to taste you, if that is ok with you?”

Juliana felt her face flame, and she nodded. “Yes. Uh…I want to do that with you. Um…to you?” She chuckled weakly, the laugh quickly dying when Valentina pressed her mouth to her own. She quickly forgot what she was worrying about and simply enjoyed the wet heat of Valentina’s mouth.

Valentina leaned forward, rising up on her hands and knees and gently pushed Juliana down, so her back was flat on the bed. “You can change your mind, just so you know. Nothing is set in stone, ok?”

When Juliana nodded, she laid down beside her, propping her head up in her hand. She placed her hand on Juliana’s belly, letting her fingers trace along the ribs. She took Juliana’s hand, intertwining their fingers so the back of Juliana’s hand fit perfectly into her palms. She dragged their fingers up between Juliana’s breasts, unable to tear her eyes away from Juliana’s breasts.

They were bigger than her own, a darker shade, capped with dark pink, almost rosy called nipples. She wanted to press her tongue against them but settled instead for dragging their hands over Juliana’s nipples. She grinned at the way Juliana stiffened and then sighed, her body melting back into the bed.

She released Juliana’s hand to cup her cheek, turning her face towards her own. She kissed the corner of her mouth, lightly stroking her cheek, letting her fingers trail down the soft skin of her neck, along her collarbone to finally rest at the top of her breast.

“Is this ok?”

When Juliana nodded, she kissed her again, pressing her tongue into her mouth, drowning in the taste of her. Her fingers lightly skimmed around Juliana’s breast, learning the shape and curve of it. Her fingers trailed across the soft nipple, slowly hardening under the soft swirls of her touch.

She shifted closer, “and this?” She pressed a kiss to Juliana’s breast, letting her tongue press briefly against the flesh.

“Yes,” muttered Juliana as she watched Juliana dip her head and trace the curve of her breast with her tongue. She didn’t even realize she was holding her breath, until she felt the burning in her lungs, and she let it out in a whoosh, making Valentina look up, concern in her eyes.

“It’s ok…just a little uh…nerves,” she muttered, bringing her hand up to rest on Valentina’s head for a minute. “It feels good.”

“It does feel good,” murmured Valentina, dropping a kiss on the nipple, before sliding her tongue across it, her other hand playing with Juliana’s other breast, gently teasing the nipple out into the open. She closed her mouth around Juliana’s nipple, rolling it with her tongue, letting her teeth scrape gently across it. She pulled back, and it glistened in the light. It was harder now, just starting to plump up, and she dragged her tongue across it, humming while she closed her mouth around it, enjoying the feel of the nipple swelling in her mouth. She sucked lightly, flicking her tongue back and forth over the nipple, pleased when it hardened even more into a tight bud. She licked it, and played gently with it, occasionally dragging her teeth over the pebbled flesh. She was surprised at how sensitive Juliana’s breasts and nipples were. Her own breasts had never been particularly sensitive, and despite how much men had leered at them, when she actually had sex with Lucho, he’d been too hurried to bother to pay much attention to them, other than to grab and squeeze. Or perhaps it was just the wrong person had been touching her, and what her body had always craved, without realizing it, was Juliana.

She hummed around the nipple in her mouth, letting it go and blowing air across it, smiling at the way Juliana shuddered and bit her lip.

“Cold, cariño?” She blew across the tight bud again, smirking at the way Juliana simply nodded, mouth open slightly, apparently unable to speak her agreement. She leaned down and swirled her tongue across the nipple, blowing on it again, and she was rewarded by Juliana’s hand tightening in her hair, and the other hand scrabbling for purchase on her shoulder pulling Valentina tightly to her breast. Valentina switched her attention to the other nipple, playing with it, suckling for a brief moment.

But she could feel more than see the way Juliana rocked her hips lightly, and she smoothed her hand over the fabric of Juliana’s pants. She slipped her hand down between her thighs, smirking when Juliana opened them without any further encouragement. She cupped Juliana’s heat, pressing lightly against the jean fabric. She could just feel a hint of moisture seeping through the girl’s pants, and she let go of the Juliana’s nipple, placing a lingering kiss on the wet bud and looked up into dark, wide eyes. She smiled and leaned in, pressing her open mouth lightly against the corner of Juliana’s lips. “You’re wet,” she murmured.

She felt the Juliana’s cheeks heat up, and she pulled back to smile at her, but hesitated when she realized that Juliana wouldn’t quite meet her eyes. Instead, the younger girl nervously chewed on her lower lip, clearly embarrassed, eyes shifting away from Valentina’s. Valentina flicked her tongue out, smoothing over the lower lip the girl was worrying. She sucked it gently between her lips and pressed gently against her sex. She pulled back and shifted so she could rest her forehead against Juliana’s, “It’s perfect. You’re perfect, and it’s natural.”

She dropped kisses along Juliana’s nose and cheeks, finally drawing a relieved giggle from her. “I’m glad you’re wet. For me. Because of me.”

She kissed Juliana, letting her tongue press against her lips, until Juliana opened her mouth. Valentina groaned at the way Juliana tangled her tongue with her own, sucking on it briefly. Valentina could feel the wetness growing between her legs, and she squeezed her legs tightly for a moment trying to ignore how good it felt. She pulled away, balancing herself on one arm, hand brushing the hair out of Juliana’s face.

“It’s ok. It’s a good thing you’re wet, but we don’t have to. We can stop here if you want, cariño.”

“N-no. No, I want to. I’m just a little nervous.” Juliana blushed, dropping her eyes. She huffed a little in irritation. “I’m sorry I’m so nervous. I’m not usually this nervous about anything,” she muttered. She pressed her fingers against Valentina’s belly, smiling a little at the way Valentina shivered under her touch.

“It’s ok to be nervous. I’m nervous.” Val wrinkled her nose at Juliana and stuck out her tongue, hoping to illicit a laugh from Juliana.

Juliana rolled her eyes. “Uh huh. Sure you’re nervous,” but she laughed at the way Val wrinkled her nose, her chest warming at the sight of light brown eyes glinting with laughter looking down at her. She pressed her mouth hard against Valentina’s, relishing the way Valentina suddenly seemed to sink into her, letting her weight drop onto Juliana.

Valentina kissed Juliana softly, cupping her sex and squeezing lightly, then dragging her fingertips up and over her covered mound until her fingertips rested against the button of her jeans.

“Can I?”

Valentina felt the breathy yes against her neck, where Juliana had hidden her burning face. Valentina felt her chest swell and ache with love for this woman, and her eyes prickled with tears as her fingers quickly undid the button on the jeans, and she slowly drew them down Juliana’s hips.  

“Lift,” she whispered, and Juliana raised her hips slightly so she could continue to pull the pants down past her hips and thighs. She shifted and sat up, noticing that Juliana immediately threw an arm across her eyes. She stopped what she was doing and leaned forward on her knees, arms bracketing Juliana’s rib cage.

“Hey. Are you ok?”

Juliana nodded, blowing out a breath and dropped her arm. She laughed, the sound catching in her throat. “Sorry, just no one has ever seen me naked.” Juliana plucked at the bedspread with one hand, the other hand pressed tightly against her belly. “It is a little overwhelming.”

Valentina kissed her gently, murmuring against her lips. “Remember, we can stop at any time, cariño. But you should know…” she pulled back so she could look Juliana in the eyes. “You are beautiful, so very beautiful; and I love you. All of you.” She pressed a light kiss to Juliana’s lips, smiling at the way the other girl smiled. “I love every inch of you, your hair, your eyes, your shoulders, your belly, your toes.”

“My toes?” laughed Juliana, the hard tightness in her chest easing at Valentina’s words.

“Of course, your toes.” Valentina pressed her mouth against Juliana’s again, “every single millimeter of you. The entire sum of you,” she whispered.

Juliana felt the breath catch in her throat and tears burn her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered sliding her palms up Valentina’s slender arms and across her shoulders to intertwine them behind Valentina’s neck. She leveraged herself up and planted a hard kiss on Valentina’s lips, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, her fingers finding the catch on Valentina’s bra.

Valentina smiled when Juliana let herself go, her body thumping lightly back on the mattress. She felt her bra fall away down her arms, and she chuckled at Juliana’s pleased look.

“Pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you?” She teased, tossing the bra aside and laughing when Juliana nodded and grinned at her.

“It was pretty smooth,” laughed Juliana, congratulating herself.

“I love it when you laugh. I think it is my favorite sound in the whole world,” whispered Valentina pressing herself down against Juliana for a moment, their breasts pushed together. It was warm and sent little tingles down her spine, and she reluctantly pulled away, sitting back on her heels, curling her fingers around the pants and pulling them down to Juliana’s knees. She couldn’t resist; she palmed Juliana’s thighs, squeezing lightly and then dragging her fingers down the smooth skin. “Beautiful.”

She shook herself out of her reverie and tugged the pants down a little harder, tossing them behind her, not caring where they landed. She gently maneuvered Juliana’s limbs so that she was kneeling between her legs.

She traced the curve of Juliana’s panties, pressing her palm firmly against her lower abdomen, letting Juliana feel the warmth of her hand. “Can I take these off too?” She held her breath, her hand hovering just over the waist band of her panties. She was half afraid Juliana would say no, and half afraid she would say yes. She licked her lips, praying her nerves wouldn’t betray her with her skin flushing.

“Yes.”

It was one word, soft, hanging in the air between them, and it was enough to cause Juliana’s shoulders to sag slightly in relief. “Ok,” she murmured, “ok.” She carefully pulled them down Juliana’s long legs, her mouth drying out even more, her heart pounding in her ears, the blood rushing so quickly, she almost felt light-headed. She took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. She set the panties aside, her hand trembling just enough to surprise her.

“Are you ok?”

Val jerked her shoulders in surprise, not expecting the question. She leaned forward, placing a hand on either side of Juliana’s shoulders. She kissed her chin. “Yes. Sorry, just a little nervous too. I told you,” she laughed, a blush stealing across her cheeks.

“Ok. I believe you.” Juliana grinned, the smile stretching her face wide. “And I’m glad you’re a little nervous. I mean I know you told me you were, but you seemed like you know exactly what you are doing.”

Val stuck her tongue out a little, wrinkling her nose at Juliana, “Well…I did watch a lot of porn. So obviously I’m an expert,” she tossed her hair back and rolled her eyes, laugher dripping from each word.

Juliana laughed, relief making her almost giddy. As much as she was glad that Valentina had more experience than she did, even if it was with men and not women, it was also a relief that Valentina really was nervous also.

“Well, my little expert…” Juliana wrapped her arms around Valentina’s neck, “why don’t you show me what makes you such an expert.”

Val chuckled and nodded her head, nuzzling her nose and face against the warmth of Juliana’s neck, whispering soft kisses against the other girl’s skin. She pushed her knees out from under her, so she was laying between Juliana’s legs, and it only took a small amount of pressure for Juliana to bend her legs and bring them up slightly, so Valentina could fit in the cradle of her thighs.

Juliana whimpered lightly as Valentina’s weight settled between her thighs, and the soft weight of Valentina’s panties pushed into her wet folds, causing a delicious friction. She pushed her hips up into Valentina and glared at Valentina when she didn’t push back against Juliana.

“Val,” she whined as she pushed again, her earlier embarrassment almost entirely forgotten. Valentina chuckled and finally ground down lightly, beaming when Juliana’s eyes glazed over slightly. She dropped little kisses along Juliana’s flushed neck, letting her tongue skate along the curve of her collarbone. She sucked the skin, letting her teeth scrape along it, worrying it lightly, for a long moment, until a small lilac blossom burst along Juliana’s collarbone. She wiggled lower, sucking and nipping at Juliana’s breasts, enjoying the feel of the girl squirming against her. She licked and nibbled her way down the soft belly, her hands running up and down the girl’s sides, her fingers tracing the lattice of her ribs.

She sat back on her knees again, and reached down, tugging Juliana’s legs up more, bending them at the knee and then pushing out lightly, opening Juliana up to her gaze. She felt her mouth drop open slightly, and her tongue felt thick in her mouth. She was beautiful. She carefully ran one finger through the short, trimmed hairs, smiling a little at how they tickled her fingertips. She played with the short hairs tugging on them just enough to make Juliana raise her hips.

“Want something?” she teased, leaning down and kissing her mound, shivering at the way the hairs tickled her lips. She was quickly distracted by the glistening gloss around Juliana’s lower lips. She licked her lips, scooching lower so she could see better.

Juliana squirmed under Valentina’s heated gaze, unsure how she felt about the intensity with which Valentina gazed at her sex.  She bit her lip again, worried that maybe Valentina didn’t like what she saw. But as she stared at her, she saw Valentina’s tongue flick out again, licking her lips. She felt the muscles in her legs shake slightly as Valentina ran her fingers up and down the insides of her legs. She felt herself grow wetter under Valentina’s hot gaze, and she watched as Valentina’s eyes widen briefly and a smile tug at her lips.

Valentina let out a satisfied sigh when she noticed that Juliana was growing wetter under her gaze. She smiled and let her fingers continue to soothe little circles against the inside of her thighs. She danced her fingertips through the short hairs, until she could no longer resist and dipped her head to run her tongue up the short hairs.

Juliana jerked under her hands, whimpering in surprise. She had known what Valentina was going to do, but it had still taken her by surprise, and she jerked her legs, her muscles tightening. She reached down, her fingers settling against Valentina’s face. She pressed her fingers against Valentina’s cheek, suddenly unsure, the nerves re-appearing instantly.

“I-I…” She struggled to find the words, but nothing seemed right, and she wasn’t sure why she had stopped Valentina.

Valentina froze, looking up into Juliana’s nice, immediately seeing the shadows in her beautiful dark eyes. “What is it?” She turned her head and pressed a kiss to Juliana’s palm. “We can stop.”

“No. No. I just…I’m sorry, I was suddenly nervous. I mean…what if I…” Juliana wrinkled her nose and blew out a breath of air, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling. She could feel the heat staining her cheeks, and she gripped the bedsheet with one hand, her other hand cupping Valentina’s cheek. “What if I taste bad?” She barely whispered the last word.

Val pulled herself up a little, crossing her arms over Juliana’s hips and resting her chin on them. “I love you. All of you, Jules. And you taste good,” she grinned and moved her arms, pressing soft kisses to her lower abdomen. “Trust me?”

Juliana nodded releasing her grip on the bedsheet and moving her palm up to the top of Val’s head just letting it rest there. “Yes. I do.”  

Val kissed her belly again and lowered her head, breathing deeply, inhaling the Juliana’s scent. It filled her nose and lay soft on her tongue, slightly musky, even earthy, like fresh soil in a new garden. She clicked her teeth together, then dragged her tongue along the bottoms of her front teeth. She scraped her tongue repeatedly, her chest heaving as she tried to etch the scent forever in her mind.  She grunted and pushed down, letting her knees go out from under her fully. She lay between Juliana’s legs, gratified when Juliana lifted one leg around her back, drawing her closer.

Valentina blew across the slightly damp curls and then leaned down, tracing the short hairs with her tongue. She flattened her tongue against Juliana, before she dipped her head down and filled her mouth with Juliana.

She simply held her briefly in her mouth then pulled back and slid her thumbs up the inside of her folds, pulling them apart gently so she could look at the glistening flesh in front of her. She blew lightly across Juliana’s inner folds, slightly enamored with the way that her flesh clenched and shivered. Her sex was a deep blushing pink, glistening with silky gloss. Her inner lips were like soft petals, and Valentina purred deep in her chest when she slid her tongue along the folds. She sucked them in between her lips, running her tongue along the furled edges.

Juliana tightened against Valentina’s mouth, groaning softly at the feel of the heat of her mouth against her wet sex. She felt the heat in her belly expand and fill her muscles as they strained for more. Her toes curled slightly, and she felt tingles rushing along her skin. She widened her legs further to give Valentina more room, despite the growing urge to simply trap Valentina’s face between her thighs. She tried to steady her trembling muscles, breathing deeply and exhaling in a harsh rush, but she couldn’t focus long enough to regain control of her body, as she felt Valentina’s tongue insistently push between her folds, tracing her moist flesh.

None of the few videos Juliana had watched prepared her for the feel of Valentina’s tongue against her. She hadn’t known what to expect really, hadn’t realized how sensitive she would be. She imagined it would feel nice, possibly like a wet massage, but the way Valentina slid her tongue up and down her sex made her pant, the teasing pressure just enough to heighten her breath, make her skin flush, and make her skin tingle, but not enough to give her more. The “more” being an unknown shadow that sat at the edge of her vision.

Valentina flattened her tongue and licked up the center of Juliana’s sex, letting the tip of her tongue rest on the underside of Juliana’s clit. She gently traced the little nodule with her tongue, simply letting her get used to the weight of her tongue. She circled around her clit, then flicked her tongue across the tip of it. She coaxed it gently from its hood, and when she felt it begin to swell a little, she pressed her tongue firmly against it. She ground her tongue against Juliana’s clit, hoping it was the right thing to do.

The videos had been less than forthcoming on how to make a woman actually cum, and she knew most of not all the orgasms were fake, but they had still given her a few ideas. She gently blew across Juliana’s clit, smiling at the way the flesh twitched lightly.

Juliana groaned, her fingers digging into the back of Valentina’s neck, where she still cupped her head. She felt the heat coil harshly in her belly, making her muscles strain and tighten. She arched into Valentina’s mouth, and she could feel the air hit the dampness that had gathered at her lower back. She was flushed and sweating against the sheets, twisting her body searching for something more that sat on the edges of her senses. She whimpered in frustration when she felt Valentina’s tongue relax and let go of her clit, but she groaned when she felt the wet muscle trace her opening. Her swollen, inner muscles instinctively tried to grab the tip of Valentina’s tongue and pull her in, but Valentina resisted, pulling back and continuing to trace around her opening, gathering the wetness along her tongue only to smear it messily against her clit.

Valentina panted hard against Juliana’s swollen sex. Her head stung from where Juliana had dug her fingers in, and her face was wet from Juliana’s glistening sex. Her taste lay heavy on her tongue, and she scraped her teeth against her tongue, not wanting to miss anything. She wrapped her lips around Juliana’s clit, sucking lightly, her hands pushing down against Valentina while she jerked her hips. She was rewarded with Juliana garbling her name, and her thighs closing around her head.

Valentina reached up and pulled Juliana’s thighs open so she could breathe. She rolled her tongue, fitting the opening against Juliana’s clit, and let it slide in. She shivered at the feel, and she flexed her tongue around the pulsating nodule. She massaged it and bopped her head again, feeling it harden and swell.

Juliana closed her eyes tightly, seeing shapes and colored shadows flickering and fading. She could feel the swelling in her clit, and she was sure it would burst. She had never felt this before, certainly not the few times she had explored her own body, never quite daring to touch herself too much; mostly afraid her mother would burst in on her.

But this, this…this…thing…this wave that was creeping up on her, threatening to steal her breath and wipe her mind clean was just out of reach, sitting blurry and sharp on the edges of her nerves. She wanted to grasp it and pull it towards her, inside of her and feel it explode and shimmer or burn.  She whimpered and groaned, her hands clenching in the bedsheets, her legs jerking as she pushed back against Valentina’s tongue. And with one last insistent tug on her clit, Juliana felt the cold burn sweep up through her straining muscles, and her mouth fell open, and Valentina’s name tumbled past her lips, straining and brutal.

Her chest heaved and her sex clenched, her body jerking without her permission. She was the marionette, and Valentina pulled each string perfectly with every stroke of her tongue. Her chest burned, and she groaned pushing against Valentina’s face when she felt the brunette’s hot mouth close sharply around her clit and suck hard. She bucked up her hips, instinctively trying to dislodge Valentina from her over-sensitized clit, and yet her hands grabbed Valentina’s head and held her tight against her sex. She felt the burning in her toes, and this time it itched its way up her legs and buried itself in her belly. The sharp lancing heat in her belly made her want to scream but she didn’t, as the tendrils of heat seeped through her fatigued muscles, and she shook in Valentina’s arms, whimpering and begging.

“V-Val, I…please,” she whimpered, hips twisting in the beddings, one hand anchoring herself in the bedsheets, the other buried in Val’s hair. “I can’t,” she whimpered, her body straining against itself. “Don’t stop,” she begged in the next breath, as her second orgasm pulsed along her shredded nerves.

Valentina wanted to answer her, but her mouth was too occupied, and she couldn’t tear herself away from the straining clit against her tongue, Juliana’s hot sex too tempting to leave. Instead she raised her hand and rubbed soft circles on Juliana’s lower belly, while suckling the straining bundle of nerves, milking Juliana’s second orgasm from her, determined to carry her through it. She felt the hot moisture bathe her chin, and she groaned around Juliana’s clit, as Juliana pumped her hips against her mouth. She had resisted when Juliana pushed against her face, knowing Juliana wasn’t done yet. But once she shook and shuddered against her, and she felt her legs collapse, she pulled back from the swollen, red clit and smiled.

Valentina licked her lips, enjoying the sticky cum painting her lips. She blew on Juliana’s clit and smirked as Juliana jerked. She tenderly kissed the overused nodule, just barely resisting swirling her tongue around it again. She felt hands in her hair tugging at her, clearly commanding her to crawl up her body, and she was eager to comply.

“I-I…” Juliana blew a breath out, her muscles heavy and warm. Her limbs were splayed across the sheets, her chest heaving, sweat glistening between the valley of her breasts, on her belly, legs. She raised her arms, welcoming Valentina into her arms, sighing in relief at the weight of the other girl settling partially on top of her.

“That was…I just…thank you.” She muttered, heat staining her already flushed cheeks. She blushed harder when Valentina laughed, and she pushed her face into the warm crook of Valentina’s neck.

Valentina laughed, sliding one arm under Juliana’s neck, cupping her face with the other arm. “No, mi Cariño, thank you.” She waited for Juliana to pull her face from her neck and look at her. She tenderly brushed her fingers against her cheek. “You are so beautiful, so perfect. I love you.” She kissed Juliana, pulling back just enough to wink at her and say, “and you tasted amazing.”

Juliana squealed and blushed, lightly slapping Valentina’s arm, before burying her face in the crook of her neck again. She shivered and breathed in the smell of her warm skin. Valentina still vaguely smelled of her body wash, blue pomegranate and jasmine. But Juliana could also detect the warm sheen of perspiration, and she pressed her tongue against her neck, enjoying the way, Valentina jumped under her tongue. She sucked on the skin, her arm sliding up and around Valentina’s waist, tipping the older girl onto her back.

“I want to…” a yawn broke through her words before she could finish them, and she shivered lightly, her skin cooling in the air, the sun having moved on and no longer shining through the window.

Valentina chuckled and pulled Juliana down onto herself, her other arm straining as she reached down, fingers scraping the edge of a blanket. It took a little bit of huffing and maneuvering, but she was finally able to draw it up and settle it around them. “Shhhhh, mi Cariño. Sleep. I’ve got you.” She kissed Juliana’s forehead, smiling at the way the other girl’s face was already relaxing into sleep.

[tinsley-goldsworth]

you can’t get it back

read on ao3!

summary: ricky wants his boyfriend back and shane just wants ryan back

wc:1705

A/n: ricky and tinsley are spirits in this story just to clarify

-

As everybody knew, Shane didn’t believe in the paranormal. He simply refused to believe that the “supernatural” existed; science could debunk any claims about the paranormal. Of course, this irked Ryan and Ryan had gone to great lengths to prove that ghosts, spirits, demons, or whatever spooky entities he read about on the Internet were real. But Ryan obviously did not expect to get possessed by one.

After the true crime season ended, Shane and Ryan agreed to take a little break before starting on a new supernatural series. Shane took this break to actually rest and spend time with Sara while Ryan, whose thirst for mysteries was never quenched, still stayed up until 3 am reading Wikipedia articles about ghosts.

One sunny summer day, Shane was minding his own business and bingeing a new show that came out on Netflix when he got a call from Ryan. As he pressed the pause button on his remote, Shane answered Ryan’s call, “Hey Ryan! What’s up?”

“I got some unsolved supernatural ideas in mind and I was wondering if you could come over to my place so we could discuss them?” Ryan’s voice sounded a little off but Shane couldn’t place a finger on what exactly was different in his voice. Shane was probably just tired and his mind was probably just playing tricks on him.

“Yeah, sure man. I’ll be right there,” Shane replied, standing up and turning off the TV as the call ended. He walked up to Sara, who was focused on her drawing and tapped her on the shoulder, “I’m heading out to Ryan’s place. He wants to talk about unsolved. Do you want me to pick up dinner on the way back?”

“That’d be great, thanks! I’m fine with anything; you can pick,” Sara didn’t even look up from her art, a sign that she was really focused on finishing the piece. Shane chuckled at his girlfriend’s behavior, kissing her on the top of her head before heading out.

When he arrived at Ryan’s, he knocked on the door, waiting for Ryan to answer it. There was a beat of silence before Ryan called out, “Come in! The door’s open.”

Shane didn’t think twice about his odd behavior before stepping into the house, closing the door behind him. He didn’t notice that the lock turned and locked itself behind his back. The windows were partially closed and only a few rays of summer sunlight slithered through the drawn curtains. The lights were off as well and Shane started feeling a little uneasy as he wondered why it was so dark. He walked into the living room and saw Ryan sitting on his couch, his legs crossed and his arms crossed.

Ryan was staring at the blank, dark television screen and Shane was starting to get really creeped out. Ryan seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in when he saw Shane enter the room out of the corner of his eye. “Shane. Boy am I glad to see you.”

“Glad to see you too,” Shane replies hesitantly, carefully approaching Ryan as if he was contagious. Ryan smiled and a shiver ran down Shane’s spine at the way he bared his teeth. “Are you okay? You’re acting kinda weird.”

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m just a little sleep-deprived,” Ryan commented casually, seeing to be unaware of the fact that he was acting a totally different person. Shane hesitantly sat down next to him on the couch, glancing at the blank TV screen. He opened his mouth to speak and suddenly, Ryan reached out his hand and wrapped it around Shane’s arm.

Pain bled into Shane’s arm and suddenly memories colored in black and white flashed through his head like a rapidly playing movie. They flew by too quickly but Shane had a feeling that they weren’t his. Shane jerked his arm out of Ryan’s grasp, staring at his friend in shock as he stood up, walking towards the door. To his dismay, Ryan, or whatever that thing was, stood up as well and followed him, a grin fixed on his face.

Shane took out his phone, dialing Sara’s number in panic and waited for her to pick up. Ryan’s pace quickened and Shane’s slow walk sped up into a jog. Shane ran to the door, trying to open it to find that it was sealed shut. The call went to voicemail and he ended it, trying to call the police only to look up and see that Ryan’s hand was on his arm again.

This time, the memories exploded into colors and emotions, making Shane’s head burn and a scream accelerated out of Shane’s throat. He felt a million emotions at once and saw some colors he didn’t even know the names of and all the chaos halted to a sudden stop. He opened his eyes, feeling something foreign in his systems. Shane tried to speak, cry out, and make any sort of noise but he had no control over his own body. Instead, he looked up at Ryan and a voice bubbled out of his body, “Ricky?”

“Tins! You’re back!” Ryan- wait, no, Ricky?- exclaimed delightedly, embracing Shane. Shane tried to budge and pull away but he still had no control over his body. He had no idea who was speaking through his body and his fear was starting to envelop him.

“Why am I in this body? I- didn’t we die? What are we doing here?” The entity possessing Shane stuttered as Shane still tried to fight for control. He felt like he was stuck behind a bulletproof window, watching the two people talk while he pounded on the glass, trying to get into the room. Shane heard a whisper somewhere in his headspace; a name that sounded like “C.C. Tinsley” and figured that that was probably the name of the spirit who was in his body.

“I brought you back! I found a host and I found you a host. We can be together again. It’s been so many years since we’ve been together and I’ve missed you so bad. I found the perfect hosts and we can spend as long as we want together now,” Ricky held Tinsley’s hands in his, looking him in the eye with his golden-brown eyes. Ricky’s lovesick expression shifted into one of surprise when Tinsley pulled his hands out of his grasp.

“No! Ricky, we can’t stay in these bodies. These two humans have lives. They still have a long life to live. We already have lived our lives but they still have a lot to do,” Tinsley argued and Shane wanted to whoop with joy at that remark, even if Tinsley was using his body to say that. At least one of the spirits was rational.

“But… but what about us? I love you. I can’t lose you again,” Ricky sounded like he was on the verge of tears, barely keeping himself together. Tinsley looked away, pain blossoming in his chest as he felt his boyfriend’s desperation combat with his judgment. Shane felt Tinsley as he sifted through his memories, observing his life silently.

“Ricky, I love you too but we can’t take their lives away from them. You’ve basically blocked all of Ryan away and letting Shane have some view of what is happening is even worse. They can’t live like this. We can’t live like this. You can’t get our past back. Do you understand?” Tinsley held Ricky’s hands in his, meeting his boyfriend’s teary eyes. Ricky nodded slowly, a single teardrop sliding down his face. Tinsley straightened, smiling sadly as he said, “We’ll meet again one day. I promise. I love you Ricky Goldsworth.”

“I love you too,” Ricky echoed and Shane felt their hands separate as he gained control of his own body again, feeling a comfortable warmth spread through his entire body as he returned to reality. He gasped for air, not even realizing that he felt like he was suffocating when Tinsley was in his body.

Shane saw Ryan lose his rigidity as Ricky left his body and quickly caught him before he slumped to the ground. Shane carried Ryan over to the couch, laying him down as he tried to fight off the mild headache. Ryan regained consciousness after a couple seconds, gasping for air just as Shane did after Tinsley left his body. “Where- what… what happened? What day is it?”

“It’s Tuesday,” Shane replied softly, watching Ryan’s confused expression shift into one of terror. He sat up abruptly, wincing as a pain shot through his brain.

“I- I remember it being Sunday. Something… something was in my mind. Who…?” Ryan barely managed to string his words together as tried to form coherent sentences. He ran his fingers through his messy hair, eyes still wide with shock.

“Some guy named Ricky Goldsworth I think. He then got some dude named C.C. Tinsley to possess me. It was wild,” Shane informed, watching Ryan try to gather bits and pieces of what happened. He figured that Ryan had no recall of anything that happened when Ricky possessed him since Tinsley mentioned that Ricky completely took over Ryan’s body while Shane maintained some sort of consciousness while Tinsley was controlling him.

“I had a feeling a spirit had followed me home,” Ryan shook his head, murmuring under his breath and shaking his head. Shane frowned as he watched Ryan sit up completely, reasoning, “You couldn’t have possibly known for sure. Don’t blame yourself.”

“I guess,” Ryan put a hand to his head as if he was trying to feel if he had a fever. Shane’s phone started ringing and Shane took it out to see that Sara was calling. He answered it, speaking carefully as if he was terrified that he was going to hear Ricky Goldsworth’s voice on the other end of the line, “Hello?”

“Hey Shane, are you okay? Why did you call me?” Sara asked tentatively. Sara somehow always managed to sense when something was wrong with Shane.

“No reason. Everything is fine now,” Shane lies, watching Ryan stand up and start pacing around the living room. Yes, Shane hadn’t believed in the paranormal but after that experience, who wouldn’t?

~

this was my first time writing for buzzfeed unsolved! I’ve been lurking in the fandom for a bit and finally decided to write a fic :)

Feel free to send requests!

[sweet-teeth-mfs]

fiddy q tag yo

Heyo, I got tagged by mini-pretzel 👋🏻

1. What takes up too much of your time?

What I call my ‘loading screens’, which is those moments of the day where my attention gets locked into a particular thing and I can’t quite shift it, causing me to sit somewhere completely focused on one thing, thereby losing time, forgetting to eat, all that bad shit. Since realising I have some attention/focus issues I’ve been trying to be more proactive about it, but it’s taking a bit of getting used to. 

2. What makes your day better?

On a simple level: sunshine. If its sunny, I’m quite easily more happy.  On a larger level: accomplishment, I like getting shit done. 

3. What’s the best thing to happen to you today?

Omg. Today was great. Was it getting quoted in an article talking about BTS & Fandom or was it pulling my THIRD HOBI PHOTOCARD IN A ROW?!? (ok this was yesterday)....

4. What fictional place would you like to go to?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the fictional universe of my own smut. Fuck yes. 

5. Are you good at giving advice?

I think so? Ask @feedmeramyun

6. Do you have any mental illness?

I have diagnosed major depression and social phobia. I’m pretty sure I have a few more but those are the official ones. 

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

No, although I’ve had it in dreams, which might be aligned.

8. What musician inspired you the most?

I really appreciate musicians who are true to their own interests but who manage to change, shift and grow through their careers. I recently watched Beyonce’s Homecoming and I’ve got to say, that whole thing (the stage craft!) was so inspiring to me. 

9. Have you ever fallen in love?

Yuh, but I will say, I thought for a long time (like, into my late 20s) that maybe I didn’t understand ‘love’ and questioned whether what I knew was love, whether I had truly experienced it. So I’ll just take the time to say, don’t worry if you feel like you’ve never experienced love, because its a very different thing for different people. 

10. What’s your dream date?

breakfast in bed (wakes me with coffee and a smoke)

followed by a stroll into town in the sunlight

followed by an art gallery

a film

a coffee

a photobooth

some food?

followed by drinks

followed by flirting 

followed by fuck this lets go home

followed by fuck that, lets just fuck right here

followed by... 

followed by smoking, talking, falling asleep

11. What do others notice about you?

From Bee:

12. What is an annoying habit you have?

I talk over others when I’m excited and I also talk out of sequence, so I’ll go straight back to previous conversations from days ago, or into completely new conversations without signposting. 

13. Do you still talk to your first love?

Um no, but my parents still reference my first long-term boyfriend on the regular. Sigh. 

14. How many exes do you have?

Errrr. It rhymes with “Dover-Shirty” if we’re talking sexual partners.

15. How many songs are in your playlist?

My main kpop playlist is 11 hours+, but I have multiple playlists. 

16. What instruments can you play?

I learned to sing for musicals and choir, but I’ve tried to learn guitar, drums, bass, piano...so I can play a tiny amount of all, but not enough to make any real music. I love mixing music on computers though. 

17. What do you have the most pictures of?

My meme and gif folders are pretty big yo. Then there’s the google drive of EXO shit that @feedmeramyun and I have. 

18. Where would you like to go before you die?

I’ve been lucky to go to a lot of the places I’d love to visit before I die, but I’ve not been to Japan, which I’ve wanted to visit since I was a child, so I’ll say there. 

19. What is your zodiac?

Cancer/Leo cuspian. 

20. Do you relate to it?

I mean, I’m in two minds about zodiacs.. But I do have a lot of highs/lows that come from being between two signs, and the idea of a fire sign and a water sign in one person does explain a lot.... 

21. What is happiness to you?

That laugh that you can’t stop coming out of your mouth. 

22. Are you going through anything right now?

Oh wow and how. 

23. What’s the worst decision you ever made?

Probably any of the times I cheated on people. Its mean and I regret it.  

24. What’s your favorite store?

Literally any museum/art gallery store I come across. 

25. What’s your opinion on abortion?

Human right. 

26. Do you keep a bucket list?

Nope, but I keep lists of pretty much everything else. I have a yearly ‘to do’. I don’t think I really believe in bucket lists. I think you should be striving to experience life daily, not in one big lump cause you’re expecting to die. 

27. Do you have a favorite album?

I actually really agree with Namjoon here, in that I think albums should be listened to as wholes, or - I have a preference for albums that can be listened to as a whole. I *really* love what old people (me) once called the Concept Album, which in Western music is a single album focused around one idea, very, very similar to what we see in Kpop as far as eras... so I love a lot of big concept albums (like the Eagles Hotel California, Beatles Sgt. Peppers and most definitely The Who’s Tommy). I change my musical interests pretty often, so I’ll just list a few longstanding favs. 

Grimes - Visions

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

Haim - Days are Gone

Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight

Air - Moon Safari

Tegan & Sara - The Con 

SZA - Ctrl 

Tame Impala - Currents

I would say my favourite Kpop album is most definitely Blooming Days by CBX. 

28. What do you want for your birthday?

An embroidered bomber jacket. 

29. What are most people’s first impression of you?

I’m not sure, although I often see people doing the double-check face when they meet me, like, ‘are they for real?’ so maybe I seem a bit much? I am a very loud-mouthed, sweary Australian-accented hyperactive person, and my ‘protection mode’ when I’m meeting strangers is usually to be me but at 150%, so it can be a bit of an assault. 

I remember saying as a teen that ‘If they (strangers) can handle me at 100%, when I’m completely hyper, then they can handle me at 40% when I’m quiet and timid and shy.’ I don’t know if my insular nature/quietness is a shock to people, but some people have had trouble with it. 

30. What age do you seem according to most people?

Hahahahahaha. I’ve only just stopped getting carded lately and its a sad fact of life. But then I’m like 17 years over legal now so I guess I shouldn’t be too sad. I usually get people expecting me to be mid-20s. Its the baby cheeks. 

31. Where do you keep your phone while you’re sleeping?

Either on the bedside or next to my pillow. Just in case I can’t sleep. 

32. What word do you say the most?

Words I use too much: fuck, man, bro, motherfucker. 

33. What’s the oldest age you would date?

Probably not much older than me, so mid 30s. I like it when people get my cultural references.

34. What’s the youngest age you would date?

Bitch would have to be super mature and convincing to make me go anywhere under 30. Sure, y’all pretty, but you’re crazy as hell. 

35. What job/career do most people say would suit you?

I’ve always been that awkward kid that people said should “do something creative”. 

36. What’s your favorite music genre?

Rap. Hands down. Probably followed by Electro. 

37. If you could live in any country in the world, where would it be?

I really enjoy living in England, but if I had my way I’d summer in Italy. Fuck me I love Italy. I’d love to try living in a really busy city or somewhere really technological, but I don’t think I’d have the opportunity unless its for work. 

38. What is your current favorite song?

This week its a toss up between ‘Focus on Me’ by Jus2, ‘Home’ by BTS, ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ by Demi Lovato and ‘Shangri-La’ by VIXX. 

39. How long have you had this blog for?

Since October 2018. 

40. What are you excited for?

Finishing my PhD. Fuck me. 

41. Are you a better talker or listener?

I’m an OK listener, but boy can I talk. 

42. What is the last productive thing you did?

Probably this lol. 

43. What do you want for Christmas?

Stupid kpop merch. Lingerie. Art. 

44. What class do you did you get the best grades in?

Highschool: Art / English / History Bachelors: Dissertation (topped my class like the bitch I am)

45. On a scale of 1-10, how are you feeling right now?

Maybe a 6? I’m not in pain, I’m sober and its early on a cloudy day. 

46. What can you see yourself doing in ten years?

This is the difficult question cause like, I have no idea. I have the potential to do quite a few different jobs, and I’m not sure which I’ll choose/get. I’d love to have written a few books, maybe done some teaching, maybe worked on some games... who knows. I’d like to be a bit healthier, and hopefully a bit happier. I’d like to have my money managed, and be able to travel more. 

47. When did you get your first heartbreak?

I literally cannot remember my first real heartbreak, but I can remember an early childhood nightmare, where I was left to die in quicksand by He-Man (who had joined forces with his arch-nemesis Skelletor!) and I remember feeling completely betrayed and abandoned in that moment. It broke my little heart. I’m a softie. 

48. What age do you want to did you get married?

I was 34. 

49. What career did you want to have as a child?

Actress -> Writer -> Artist 

50. What do you crave right now?

Vices. As always.  Vices and Hoseok. 

i tag: @feedmeramyun, @thotantics, @red-exo, @anonchoiminho, @rosyyeols, @xiudaengerous, @xiusmybeautifulnightmare, @havokhayley

[quenepas]

celeste back at it again with the tags - get to know me

how many of these have i already done? not enough.

(via @bittersweet-faerietale) another one of these from @cayendo-contigo, i need a study break anyway before finals season hits

📱 Show your phone lock screen and/or home screen

******** fanart by @pepplemint ********

💕 Your two top fave fictional characters

Ummm...Lance aaand Bucky Barnes (he'll always have a special place in my heart) yeah, I haven't been into many fandoms rip

🕹 Video game you are currently playing

None at the moment although I’m looking forward to buying Life Is Strange: Before the Storm and Horizon Zero Dawn for summer 

🌡 Fave season

Summer

🏫 Are you in school, what grade

Nope

🎒 Are you in college, major area of study

Yep, neuroscience and studio art double major

🏢 Your job (You don’t have to be specific) or dream job if you don’t work

Student assistant for a sciences-events outreach division of my university’s planetarium

📷 Post the 12th photo from your phone’s gallery

(it’s my sis)

📅 Your birthday

December 13 (y’all got no excuses now - I’ll be waiting...)

🎂 How old are you

18

📏 How tall are you

5 ft 2 in

🔑 Key to your heart

Not trying to “fix” or “change” me, but instead loving me for who I am, with all of my flaws.

📖 Fave book

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini PLEASE GIVE ME BOOK SUGGESTIONS

📝 Fave quote

“Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors.” ― Andrew Boyd

short vers: that's how it is on this bitch of an earth

🌐 Languages you can speak and/or are learning. Which are you fluent in

English and Spanish, fluent in both

💻 Desktop/Laptop/iPad/other

uhh, ThinkPad 13 and iPhone 7...that’s all I have (and enough, tbh)

📔 Do you keep a traditional diary

No...but I want to keep a scrapbook

☠ Something that angers you

The fact that mental “illnesses” are actually more common than people think, and that too many people’s lives, jobs, education, etc. are at stake throughout different societies if someone has even a notion that someone has a mental “illness”

🐷 Junk food you can never get enough of

White cheddar popcorn

🌼 Fave flower

Hibiscus 

📺 Fave anime

I don’t really watch much anime...but “Angel Beats!” so far is my all-time favorite. . 

🎥 Fave film

NOOOOOO, I HAVE TOO MANY FAVORITE FILMS ;-; I’m just gonna say what movies I want to see b/c I can do whatever I want and I’m already looking forward to my summer movie bucket list: Love, Simon; Loving Vincent; Infinity War; Lady Bird; Darkest Hour...GIVE ME MOVIE SUGGESTIONS PLEASE

📻 Fave song currently

“Fever to the Form” by Nick Mulvey

🎙 Can you sing

no

🎁 Best gift you ever received and why

My beagle, Rubio, b/c he’s my sunshine dogs were bred to have a symbiotic relationship with humans 100% proven science

👾 Do you believe in aliens

Yes, it’s possible we’re not the only “living” ones in the universe

👻 Do you believe in ghosts

Nope 

⛪ What is your religion

None

🌎 What country do you live in

US

📸 Post a selfie

@normalpancakes @the-bug @supercforcute @suga-is-sugoi @cyber-gloss aaand anyone else, feel free to do this if you want 😎 or ignore this, that’s totally fine (although i’d really like to see what y’all put for these)

[i-am-adlocked]

Got tagged by two people and since the questions are custom-made (lol) I guess, I’ll answer twenty-two instead of eleven LMAO. Love you both guys!

The rules are:

• Post the rules

• Answer the questions given to you by the tagger

• Write eleven questions of your own

• Tag eleven people

QUESTIONS FROM @equusgirl​

1. If you could have lunch with anyone alive or dead, who would it be?

This is a tough one. I have many different aspects of myself—several masks. My joker-self would want to be with my friends because I never fail to make them laugh their pants off. My lonely-self would want my future spouse, whoever that person is, right now. My artist-self would want Vincent Van Gogh so I could do the Doctor Who thing where I would reassure him that he is amazing. 

My desperate-self would want Bob Ross because I bet he’d inspire me the hell out. My sad-self would want to have lunch with my dead happy-self because I bet I’d slap the hell out of my face. My family-oriented-self would want my maternal grandfather I never got to meet because he doesn’t know me and it’s nice to have a family who would probably say that they’re proud of me. Estranged relatives are like that, I think lmao

OH and I would also want any psychologist, so I’d have free sessions to deal with my ADHD because I can never afford to have more sessions, and I’d finally get a prescription cos I need dem meds.

2. You’re stuck on an elevator with whoever is on your lock/home screen. Who is it?

If we’re talking about my phone, I guess I’m stuck on an elevator with the Eiffel Tower (lock screen) and Mona Lisa (home screen). If we’re talking about my computer, I guess I’m stuck on an elevator with Sherlock (lock screen) and Leo Valdez (home screen). Ho-ho-ho I will be in an elevator with self-loathing mask-wearing joking-but-dead-inside heroes. That will be fun.

3. Last TV show/movie you watched?

I rewatched the last episode of The Crown again after I binged-watched Riverdale and re-re-re-binged-watched The Good Place. Movie-wise, it was the Filipino film called “Ang Larawan”. It’s actually hard for me to watch films because it takes a lot of time for me to stay focused in one episode.

4. A cottage on the beach or a cabin in the mountains?

Cabin in the mountains. I hiss angrily at beaches because I tan so easily and I kid you not, I haven’t swum in a beach since 2009. In a country where lighter paler skin was more cherished, and being an insecure bullied 10-year-old. You’ll understand why. Nowadays, I guess the habit just stuck. ALSO CABIN IN THE MOUNTAINS HOW FREAKING COOL WOULD THAT BE... I’d be surrounded by trees, it would be cold there, I can sit by the fireplace, look out my window to view the beautiful forest and night sky, and just drink whiskey, read a book, and quietly whisper, “Bless.”

5. Last song you listened to?

If we’re not including Brooke Simpson’s performances (specifically, “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”) in The Voice which I legit just binge-watched before opening Tumblr, it would be the Riverdale Cast’s cover of “Mad World.” I was shookt that I liked it.

6. Most recent obsession?

Video-editing. More-so than usual. I legit have anxieties when I’m not making a video. I should probably stop after finishing these videos I’m doing because I know it will hinder my studies (which I’m already failing at because of my worsening ADHD), and it’s already ruining my sleeping patterns and eating habits. It’s a toxic kind of obsession.

7. Last thing you googled?

“people find out harry potter is abused fic rec” shut up (if interested, click here)

8. Which city would you most like to visit?

(for the first time?) Athens. (again?) either Assisi or Rome or Paris. You can’t make me choose.

9. If you could bring one (1) fictional character to life, who would it be?

I’m having a hard time between Mary Watson (Sherlock) and River Song (Doctor Who) *sobs*

10. Favorite thing about yourself?

My... God, I don’t know, really. I don’t really like myself so how can I find a favorite thing about myself? My ability to brag for things I’m not even good at, I guess? False advertising of myself, I guess? HAHAHAHHA WAIT NO! My ability to make anything sad or depressing. Yes, I’m good at that. It’s not my favourite thing about me but out of all, that’s the only thing I think I’m really good at.

11. Ideal career?

Becoming a wife and mother. Some people give me odd looks for this but I really want to take care of people in ways I never experienced. I want to be there for some people—to feel needed and depended on—to be trusted, long-term.

Younger-me would be furious. She was aro-ace. As a person who grew up only relying on books as company, I thought I would grow up as the typical strong independent woman who is a CEO or is an actress, or a musical theatre performer... I used to want to be that... 

But those dreams were based on what my family wanted. CEO because I grew up poor and being a CEO would make me financially stable which my parents wanted. Actress/Theatre Performer because my sister and I bonded through musical theatre, TV shows, and films, and we both love the arts (but I have to admit that she’s better than me with everything srsly im not kidding)...

But as just for myself? I really don’t see myself working for money, or working for the arts. I mean, obviously I want to work for money and for the arts, but... I want to work for people I care about—for a family I will finally not be scared enough to say “I love you” without fearing they would laugh in my face.

—oOo—

OKAY, NOW QUESTIONS FROM @musical-chick-13​

1. If you could wake up and be magically good at something you’ve never done before (or have little experience doing), what would you want it to be?

The ability to quickly understand things I’m not interested in and explain them to people easily with how I understood them. I think that would help me a lot in my Law class now at uni. Seriously, I’m having troubles reading, and I always stutter in class because I’m not good at formal English. 

My stupid brain needs time to process what I learned (which was written in English), explain it to myself (in Filipino), translate my explanation from Filipino to English, and focus enough to say those things out loud.

2. What is/are your favorite genre(s) of music?

I have an odd range: musical theatre, rock, indie, classical music, PIANO IS LIFE, ANYTHING AS LONG AS IT IS GOOD PIANO AT THE BEGINNING (usually starts with an A, idk why). Also, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. Hands down.

3. What was your first fandom?

Avatar: The Last Airbender. THE SERIES OKAY. A year after that was Harry Potter and Sherlock AT THE SAME TIME 2010 was a crazy year. Just like that, since I was eleven years old, I went down the road to fandom hell.

4. What is a play/musical/opera/etc. (basically any fictional work that’s not a book, movie, comic, or TV show) you like?

BOY YOU CAN’T MAKE ME CHOOSE BETWEEN UGHGHGH ILL JUST PUT MY TOP SIX

Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, In the Heights. (I listen to the full album completely. The music is divine and the stories are beautiful. You got a story about sex, a story about mental illness, and a story about Hispanics). Spring Awakening’s and Next to Normal’s rock + violin music in a setting of 1800′s Germany and a typical family house, gets me on, ya know?

Sweeney Todd, Wicked, and Rent. (The typical classics I love, note that whenever Sweeney Todd’s Prologue and Wicked’s As Long as You’re Mine starts, I get orgasms just as much when the peak of Rent’s Goodbye Love goes). Great songs, seriously.

5. If you could get paid for doing a mundane task, what would you choose to get paid for?

Organising files.

6. What is a joke you really like?

My death.

7. If you had to have a job working under a fictional character, which character would you choose to be your boss and why?

Sherlock. He would know how to take care of me. He would know how to make me feel better. He has great work ethics, and he knows when to be harsh with his words and gentle, because he knows which people are deserving to be called idiots and those who are just insecure. Though I’ll probably annoy him because of how nervous I’d be but since “Faith Smith” I’d think he’d know how to deal with me, I guess.

8. What article of clothing is your favorite to wear (i.e., dresses, skirts, pants, suits, hats, jewelry, etc.)?

A gold necklace my grandmother gave to me because out of all my cousins (or our generation in our lineage), I’m the first one she gave an “inheritance” to because I happen to be her roommate. Considering that I am the dumbest in the family as well as the family freak, I consider this as my sole victory.

9. Do you consider yourself to be an optimist, a pessimist, or something else entirely?

A total pessimist. An optimist to those who are feeling pessimistic.  In my head, there is nothing but hopelessness, despair, and utter misery and pain. But homie, you say shit like that to me? You tell me you are feeling those? Yo, imma throw my rainbows and sunshine up your ass, you are gonna vomit glitter and light, I swear to all deities out there.

I may claim to say that I’m like this because I’m the only one who should be pessimistic, like I’m some narcissistic the-world-revolves-around-me idiot because I don’t like being depicted as anything else but manipulative, cruel, and an arsehole. So please stop telling me I’m nice or that I’m a good person. It makes me feel weird. They’re like unnatural things to say to me.

10. Feelings on cats?

Tolerable. My sister loves them. My school has cats just chilling around. They love me idk why. I love dogs more so I’m surprised they let me in their pack.

11. Favorite soda (or beverage in general if you don’t like soda)?

ALL MY FRIENDS KNOW OF MY WILD ADDICTION TO COCA-COLA.

—oOo—

MY QUESTIONS:

1. Are you feeling okay right now?

2. What is the funniest thing you have ever first-hand witnessed/experienced in real life?

3. Who is/are the most important person/people in your life and why?

4. What is a memory that wouldn’t fail to make you smile like an idiot while you’re in public?

5. How did you come to your current obsession?

6. Why do you ship your OTP (either real-life or fiction)?

7. Let’s pretend speed and distance (lol basically velocity), and quality are the same, would you rather be in a plane or a ship in a storm where there are many lightnings and thunder involved in December?

8. What is the object that is most sentimental to you?

9. If you could be in any fictional world, which one would you explore, and will you or will you not interact with your favourite character? Why or why not?

10. What animal do you most relate to or you consider to be your spirit animal? Why or why not?

11. How do you define the word, “Happiness”?

Tags: @thank-you-for-being-with-me​ @sentimentalgenius​ @addignisherlock​ @randombiochemist​ @simpleanddestructivechemistry​ @its-sentimental-adlock​ @themissadventurer​ @sorrowsflower​ @throughtheparadox​ @theleftpill​ No pressure, guys! Also to anyone who wants to answer, too! I even tag those who tagged me.

[daleisgreat]

35 Years of NES - Flashback Special!

It took me 12 minutes to set up this shot of what encapsulates my NES fandom! Please sit down and listen for awhile as I recount my life and times as a NES kid! This October in a couple months will mark the 35th anniversary of the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America so that means it is time for another flashback special where I recount my personal history with the NES. This is the 11th platform that has gotten the flashback special treatment from me in the little over a year I have been doing them and if you want to get caught up with the rest make sure to check out the links at the bottom of this entry! Furthermore, if you are looking for a more traditional anniversary piece chronologically highlighting the history of the system and its top games I have you covered there too. At the bottom of this article I have embedded old podcasts of mine I recently uploaded to YouTube from my personal archives where we highlight the system as a whole on its 25th anniversary ten years ago. I additionally have podcasts from my history of RPG and comic book videogame series highlighting the NES entries from those genres that are all featured at the bottom of this article to keep that NES anniversary train rolling for the rest of the year! Being Introduced to the Power

I will never forget the first impression the NES made on me because it was the first time I ever witnessed and played a videogame! It was the Christmas shopping season of 1988 and I just got home from Kindergarten class to see my older sister playing some electronic contraption that was absolutely foreign to me. My eyes soon gazed upon the TV where a crudely pixelated man in red overalls was running and jumping across the screen to the catchiest of background music jingles that will always stick with me. She soon enough passed along the NES’s vintage rectangular controller to me and within minutes I was hooked as I sunk my teeth into my first videogame, Super Mario Bros.. Our family got the ‘Power Set’ which had the 3-in-1 cart featuring Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet along with the Power Pad and Zapper accessories. I was too little to figure out how to operate the Power Pad at the time and rarely played World Class Track Meet, but the family did get a decent amount of playtime in Duck Hunt and groveled over how we could never shoot that damn dog! We always kept coming back to Super Mario Bros though. I had no idea what I was doing as a five-year-old at that time, but I knew I had to give it my all to get Mario to jump to the top (and over???) of the flagpole at the end of most levels. Eventually I stumbled my way accidentally jumping into hidden blocks that contained SECRETS like extra lives, bonus coin blocks and vines that lead to bonus coin rooms and warp zones! Much like today how I have to explore every nook and cranny in the latest open world sandbox game, Super Mario Bros. planted the seeds for that gaming mindset in me to jump around and explore everything to find whatever secrets Nintendo had in store for good ‘ol Mario.

The minus world was the ultimate secret in videogames for so many years that it was the #1 secret of the top 100 secrets in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power. It took me about a couple years of trying over and over and taking advantage of all the warp zones and extra live secrets I could, but the original Super Mario Bros. was the first game I ever finished. When I thought I discovered all the secrets in the original Super Mario Bros. a friend or cousin would power it on and showed me all new secrets and tips that blew me away. First it was getting to time a jump just right on a koopa troopa coming down the block stairs so Mario would repeatedly jump on them to get near-infinite lives. Then they showed me the hidden warp zones….and then there was the day after much repeated attempts that my cousin showed me the much talked about ‘minus world’ in the game that perplexed me so much that I lambasted him with questions about said level’s eye-opening odd level design. ‘Why did the level never end? Why is this magical force sucking Mario through the bricks, cousin….IS MARIO A GHOST!?!?’ That tripped me out as a Kindergartner, but not as much as the most sinister-looking baddie in the game, the dastardly Hammer Bros!!!! No I am not talking about the adorably-huggable hammer bros. from Super Mario Bros. 3, I am talking about the spiky-squiggly-shaped monsters that chucked super-sharp-metal-thingies at Mario!!! The original Hammer Bros. petrified five-year-old Dale!!! Just see for yourself below…

Encountering the Hammer Bros. for the first time in a night level only amplified the terror they unleashed! I was terrified of them, but what was especially terrifying was how Nintendo gave them a paint of cuteness by their look in Super Mario Bros. 3 as you can see above on their right. You can almost look walk right up and give them a hug! Bring back the sinister OG hammer bro Nintendo! As much as I loved the original Super Mario Bros., I never got to put a lot of playtime into its sequels. I think they were always rented out at the local video store. I do recall watching my cousin finishing Super Mario Bros. 2 and watching in awe the quality of the ending ‘dream’ cinematic that stirs controversies to this day! I never played much original NES Super Mario Bros. 3 either until I got Super Mario All-Stars where I later played a ton of both of those games, but that is a story for another day. The Joy of Renting and Garage Sale-ing

Speaking of renting though, it was how I played almost all my NES games for the first couple years our family had the NES. I was too young to realize games could be purchased at the store and thought games could only be rented at the video store….at least that is what I think my mom caused me to believe anyways. Looking back I loved those early NES years perusing the local video store and only going by misleading box art on what to rent. There are four specific renting memories stood out from those years around the end of the 1980s. One is playing a ton of the first CastleVania and being perplexed at why the heart pickups did not restore health, second is perishing repeatedly in the original Mega Man right from the start which got me to swore off the franchise for a few decades (more on that later). Another time I freaked out at the video store receiving my copy of Tengen’s RBI Baseball and discovering how their black cartridges differed than the standard NES gray carts, but only to have the video clerk assure me they would work on the NES. Finally, my favorite rental memory was getting gleeful goosebumps as a result of the mesmerizing beats of what is my single favorite NES theme, yes I am talking about the ‘Moon Theme’ of Duck Tales. A theme so powerful it still gives me the shivers to this day.

Behold the single best NES stage music of all time!! Now listen to it for ten hours straight!!!! I mentioned in previous flashback specials how I grew up with divorced parents. I would visit my dad on the weekends and he would usually be a system a generation behind because he was big on garage sales and people were getting rid of their old systems typically when the next system was hitting. So when the NES was the primary system, I would play Atari 2600 at my dad’s on the weekends. Around the time SNES launched in 1991 was when my dad finally got a NES, and he would have another regular NES game or two every several weeks he found at another garage sale. I recall the first four games he got with his NES: Days of Thunder, Gauntlet II, Ikari Warriors and 10-Yard Fight!

My dad bought whatever he thought was a deal at the time of those garage sales, and the quality of games he brought back varied greatly. His garage sale bargain was how I first played classic hits like the original Legend of Zelda and Maniac Mansion. I was seriously into both of those games even though I struggled to make progress in Zelda because all I had was the packed in map to guide me in the pre-Internet and strategy guide days. I made my own dungeon maps in Zelda, and loved trying to figure out the way to get past its increasingly trickier dungeons and puzzles, but eventually got stuck after the third dungeon and could not deduce the pattern in its version of the ‘Lost Woods’ for the life of me. Maniac Mansion was the first adventure game I was exposed to and was instantly hooked, even with the clunky and censored NES port I was resilient in attempting to figure my way around the lighthearted obstacles of the mansion and trying to hide from its alien residents. Reflecting back on my fandom for Maniac Mansion, it got me confident that if I was aware of the PC gaming scene of the late 80s/early 90s instead of the NES scene that I would see myself being head over heels for the countless adventure games from Sierra and Lucas Arts at the time. There were other times however my dad would come back from a garage sale with not-so-desirable titles like XEXYX, Dash Galaxy and Rocket Ranger, but sometimes his picks were a surprise. I somehow got locked into the addictive nature of the stock market game of Wall Street Kid and played far more of that than I had any right to. My dad eventually got the four player adaptor for the NES and the family tried to do the unthinkable one day and dedicate an afternoon to finishing Gauntlet II. We loved that game, but never had time to finish it in a session because the levels just kept never ending and we presumed it had to end by level 100. So one of my favorite NES memories is when the family gathered determined to finish level 100…which we did, but our bravery was for naught when we were all stunned to see that was not the end of the game. I believe we got to around level 130-ish before we eventually threw up our arms and powered off the NES. How the hell were we suppose to know back then that the levels procedurally generated!?!

Gauntlet II and Ikari Warriors were two of the four games that came with the NES my dad purchased at a garage sale and thus we invested countless hours in both, yet both titles we failed at finishing! My dad, brother and I played far too much Ikari Warriors together. I know it is a sloppily designed game with a lot of glitches and other hiccups, but the setting and atmosphere of Ikari Warriors rode the coattails of the infectious Rambo-hype of the 80s. Ikari Warriors on the NES felt like more of a faithful videogame adaptation of that film than the actual Rambo NES games itself. Ikari Warriors was the next best thing by chucking grenades and wreaking havoc with a tank, especially with a second player in co-op! That game burned through lives to the point of where I expected there to be a cheat code to get more lives because it would hang at the game over screen for a good 10 seconds so eventually I mashed buttons until I memorized that ‘A,B,B,A’ unlocked three more lives! I was super proud of being able to figure out a cheat code on my own! The levels in Ikari Warriors went on forever though, and regardless of having near-infinite lives with that code, we would eventually get bored and/or confused at that awkward fourth stage with the bizarre piping the warriors would get hung up on. Over the years the odd gameplay quirks of Ikari Warriors I look back at fondly I came to discover that everyone else detested as one of the worst NES titles, which I feel is a bit much. If my words cannot do it justice, then James Rolfe captured the highs and lows of Ikari Warriors perfectly in an episode of Angry Videogame Nerd I highly recommend giving a watch by clicking or pressing here. Playing with a Different Sort of Power

Over the years I came to find out that the mega popular Nintendo Power magazine was the go-to source for NES fandom of that era. I am an outlier in this case as I was not aware of the magazine until well into the 16-bit era. I chalk this up to never buying games brand new at the time where most new games on Nintendo platforms came bundled with Nintendo Power subscription inserts which I did not become keen to until getting new GameBoy games in 1993. So where was I to get all my latest NES coverage in the late 80s and early 90s before the Internet and then completely oblivious to the videogame magazine market? Through super cheesy, early 90s videogame-themed TV shows! There was not an official Nintendo Power show, but there was an awesome game show on weekday mornings for a couple years in the early 90s called Video Power that showcased kids playing the latest NES games in various challenges. Nickelodeon had a videogame TV show too, which was another game show called Nick Arcade. They had kids answering trivia and competing in various arcade game and virtual reality-esque challenges. The magazine GamePro also endorsed a TV show at the time and it featured more traditional game coverage and I recall it having an over-the-top host showcasing the latest secrets and tips. If you are not familiar with these shows, they are fun to look back on as they capture the goofy ‘extreme kids’ nature that dominated the early 90s. James Rolfe once again does a nice breakdown video of Nick Arcade and Video Power I will embed below or you can click or press here to check it out. These three shows and the latest gossip with classmates and friends were the only ways I got my news about the latest NES games back then.

Nick Arcade and Video Power are dissected in the above video and those TV game shows were how I was initially glued into the latest NES games as a kid. NES ‘Rights of Passage’ For those that grew up with the NES, I bet you have a good idea where this is going. Anyone that owned the traditional rectangular NES with the flip cover of doom will know that model of the NES was notorious for only powering up games about half the time. Recess-rumors lead us all to believe that blowing into the cartridges made them work better, and while it usually did I still remember my dad buying cleaning kits at the store and insisting using it to clean the games instead of blowing into them…but I like many other NES-kids were super impatient and instead went with the blowing/jiggling the NES-cartridge ever so gently into place….and sometimes wiggling the cartridge up and down several times before firmly locking the cartridge into place and powering on the system. That was the way I convinced myself to get NES games to power on their first try with a 60% success rate! For younger readers here who are doubting me, I am not kidding. This was a thing….seriously! Click or press here for proof where the GameSpot crew of 2005 detail their near identical NES-troubleshooting demonstrations in their excellent video on the NES!

As the header above alludes to, that was one of several ‘rights of passage’ for all NES-kids of the era. The so-bad-its good animated show, Captain N the Game Master likely was part of your Saturday morning cartoon lineup (yes, I have the DVD set, be on the lookout for a review…eventually). Another one was ‘NES-thumb.’ I love Nintendo’s directional-pad, but on the NES longer play sessions with button-mashy-prone games would result in it leaving a scouring imprint on the thumb for hours! I feel safe to say a majority of NES-kids encountered an awful LJN-published game based off one of their personal favorite licensed properties of the 80s. For me it was the atrocious X-Men title, its agonizingly bad Back to the Future game and most of their WWF games. As much as I loved the Ikari Warriors code described above, the most popular code spread across several NES games was the ‘Konami’ code. Ask any then game player 35+ and they likely would be able to subconsciously spout it off to you instantaneously! John Cena turned the code into his best t-shirt design! Calling Nintendo’s long distance-fee heavy hotline for the latest tips from Nintendo’s endorsed gameplay counselors was another thing that got kids to surprise their parents with $100+ phone bills. The last big hurrah for NES-kids was going to see The Wizard at the end of 1989 to see a few precious minutes of Super Mario Bros. 3 gameplay a couple months before its release! I could go on about The Wizard forever, but that was why I covered it here on my blog last week instead so if you want to know all about the Nintendo adver-film, then click or press here for my entry on it! 8-Bit Sports Fun for Everyone! Talking to other core gamers and listening to many gaming podcasts over the years one irk-ing trend is of most ardent game players shaming sports game fans. I understand why the main EA Sports and 2K Sports games are sim-focused experiences that are not for everyone, but they continue to sell well and have their dedicated fanbase. Back in the 8-bit and most of the 16-bit generation, sports games were simpler pick-up-and-play affairs that worked for almost anyone, especially on the NES with its simpler graphics and only having two primary action buttons. The first sports game I got into on NES was Double Dribble which blew me away with its ‘cinematic’ dunks. Nintendo’s Ice Hockey was a huge favorite of mine and it featured fast, scoring heavy action, and had fights, overtime and shootouts all crammed into a NES cartridge. I thought it was the best hockey game on the NES, and then I discovered the more brutal and up close fights in Konami’s Blades of Steel! There were a deluge of baseball games on the NES and the two I got into the most were the original RBI Baseball and BaseWars. RBI Baseball had the illusion of realistic baseball, but simple enough for anyone to grasp. It had a twee-art style, happy-go-lucky background music to nod along with and was one of the first baseball games to feature real MLB players. BaseWars frigging ruled! Futuristic teams of robots duked it out on the diamond and would engage in battles when attempting a tag out!

For pigskin NES classics, the first one I got into was 10-Yard Fight! It had rather….particular…controls for a launch-era NES football game, but I eventually adapted to it. I know now that Tecmo Bowl and especially its sequel, Tecmo Super Bowl were the cream of the crop of NES football games, but I never got a chance to play them until many years after the fact (and I was still blown away by my friend’s first play he picked against me which was scrambling to the back of his endzone and unleashing a 100-yard touchdown pass!). My own personal top pick is NES Play Action Football, a gridiron game that will forever have a place in my heart! I have everlasting memories of my dad teaming up with me to take on the computer. The passing controls in this game are garbage so we only did running plays, but the players ran absurdly slow…and that was even when factoring in there was a turbo speed button! My dad and I however learned to own that ridiculous control scheme! I would hand off the ball to him and then I would take control of the linemen and block defenders for him as he ever-so-gradually-inched-his-way-across-the-field. I am not embellishing by saying it took a good two whole minutes to traverse about 80 yards. It was completely asinine, but I felt a huge sense of accomplishment with every first down and touchdown my dad and I accomplished with our teamwork! That covers the four major American sports, but there was also a lot of representation from the ESPN Ocho tier of sports games. I loved me some Super Dodge Ball and loved going through its world cup mode. Its adorable oversized character graphics carried over into Nintendo’s soccer game, Nintendo World Cup. Nintendo also delivered two excellent golf titles on the system with the self-titled Golf during the black box launch era of the NES, and a more fleshed out version of that game with a career mode and three courses in NES Open Tournament Golf. Konami’s pair of International Track & Field titles were excellent arcade conversions. Finally, I would be remiss if I was not to give Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out a little love here. I ate up the puzzle pattern boxing gameplay with its distinctive roster of foes for the affable Little Mac. I wish I was not awful at it as I could only get to Bald Bull before my inferior skills met their match.

I invested countless hours into marginally satisfactory NES wrestling games. The cream of the crud pictured above is Wrestlemania Challenge and Tecmo World Wrestling. The wrestling nut in me begrudgingly admits there is not a five star grappler on the NES. All the WWF games range from middling to atrocious. WWF Wrestlemania Challenge I would say was marginally solid because it had functinal enough gameplay, a decent roster with wrestlers not seen in many other games at that time like Rick Rude & Andre the Giant, featured finishing moves and best of all one of the few wrestling games that played AWESOME chiptune renditions of the wrestler's theme music throughout gameplay! Avoid Tag Team Wrestling and M.U.S.C.L.E. at all costs, both of those abysmal wrestling games make all the LJN WWF games seem competently made. Pro Wrestling is good for a launch era game, but it is very limiting all things considered. I had a lot of fun with WCW Wrestling back then, but its unique controls have not aged well. I would have to give Tecmo World Wrestling the nod as my favorite NES wrasslin’ game because of solid controls, Tecmo’s trademark cinematics and its goofy announcer providing nonstop text play-by-play on the bottom of the screen that constantly had my attention.

Some of my favorite driving NES games seen above are Micro Machines on the left and Super Off Road on the right. A Micro Machines game with the same style of core racing mechanics has appeared in almost every console generation since! Super Off Road is probably my favorite four player NES game. Driving and motorsports were another favorite of mine, and the NES was loaded with them! My two favorites were Super Off-Road and Super Sprint. The former because it was a pretty faithful conversion of the arcade game and had four player support my family and friends clocked many hours with. Super Sprint had a similar overhead view of the whole track, but felt like it had more realistic handling, yet still contained many increasingly tough obstacles to overcome. In a strange twist, I later found a couple years ago the developers of Super Off-Road made a F1 style of that game that is also four player compatible in Indy Heat, but it also features pit stops where you can ram over the pit crew! Excitebike was an early childhood rental favorite as I loved going over the ramps and wiping out and randomly assembling a mish-mash of parts of a course in the track editor. I was bummed the NES never got the excellent OutRun from the arcades so I had to suffice with Square’s take on the checkpoint-based driving game, Rad Racer and its sequel a couple years later which were almost, but not quite on par with Sega’s flagship arcade driving game. RC Pro-AM and Micro Machines I am a huge fan of both racing games that feature an overhead camera that locks on and follows the car from a birds-eye view unlike the average behind the car camera perspectives that dominated that era. Collecting for the NES As the 1990s wore on a local video store selling its excess stock and a local game store called Tiger Play were my go to spots for a few years for used videogames. I will never forget lucking into a $2 copy of Tengen’s Tetris at the video store. Eventually eBay opened the floodgates to track down a lot of the NES games I rambled on about above. A regional annual retro game convention, The Midwest Gaming Classic, I attended several times over the past 15 years also attributed to many of my NES games. One year I was ecstatic to get a fan translation of the original Mother game that Nintendo would later officially release on the WiiU as Earthbound Beginnings. I was also ecstatic to get a fan mod updated rosters version of Tecmo Super Bowl. I eventually got a NES-clone system towards the end of 2000s that handled NES games exponentially better than the original Nintendo system and also allowed the ability to play Japanese Famicom games. At MGC I would buy one or two random cheap Famicom games a year to make use of the Famicom slot. I only wound up with several Famicom games, with highlights being Baseball, Tetris and Mighty Final Fight.

The last trip I made out to MGC in 2018 I went in with the goal to finish off my Power Pad game collection and hunt down the last three Power Pad compatible games I did not own to officially have all eight or nine Power Pad games. After perusing the many vendors there I was able to track down the much treasured copies of Athletic World, Eggsplode/Street Cop and Dance Aerobics down, along with a bonus homebrew NES cornhole/bag toss game, Tailgate Party, that also took advantage of the Power Pad. A couple years ago YouTube creator, Pat Contri released his exhaustive Ultimate Nintendo Guide to the NES Library coffee table book/tome that reviewed every single NES game. I read it over the course of a year via a few pages a night before bed. It naturally turned me onto several games I either long forgotten about or completely went over my head and I wound up tracking them down online. That book got me wound up on a NES four player game kick and I have about a dozen four player NES games right now. One night a couple years ago I did a four player NES party night and managed to have a fair amount of fun with some friends going at it in Super Off-Road, Gauntlet II and Super Jeopardy. Right now my preferred way to play NES cartridges is via the Retron 5 system. I know that clone system is a little polarizing because of its emulation software it uses, but I love its performance at playing NES games and other cartridge based systems on my HDTV without the fuzzy graphics and lag that happens when plugging in old composite/RCA cables that came with the NES. I also love that it allows save states and the equivalent of Game Genie cheat codes. A couple years ago I finally got around to playing through SNK’s action-RPG, Crystalis and I would be lying if I said I did not take advantage of save states and a couple of the cheats. Official Nintendo NES Preservation Nintendo has been doing their part, for better and worse, at keeping the NES catalog alive digitally going back to the launch of the Wii in 2006. I picked up several NES games digitally for the Wii at $5 apiece for the Wii’s Virtual Console. I did the exact same thing a few years later for the WiiU and 3DS. The Virtual Console was a handy feature I took advantage of somewhat, but I think it far benefitted younger gamers who were being introduced to those classics for the first time. Nintendo spawned the mini-console craze a few years ago with them debuting the NES Classic, which packed 30 first and third party NES games into a pint sized version of a plug-and-play NES. It featured a solid lineup of games across all genres and was a great bargain considering strong library of games. The emulation quality was leagues better compared to the Virtual Console and the NES Classic feature better implementation of save states and now the ability to rewind gameplay. I brought the NES Classic over to family gatherings and it was a hit all night long.

The NES Classic and NES Channel on the Switch are my two top legitimate recommended ways to digitally dive into the NES library! The best part about the NES Classic was how easy it was to mod and upload your own games to. I know the various RetroPi’s and Mister devices have been capable of this for awhile, but there is something special about the NES Classic’s interface that makes it the preferred way for me to re-experience these NES gems. For a little last minute prep for this article, I loaded up Nintendo’s latest way to experience NES games via the NES Channel on the Switch. Right now it has a little over 50 unique NES (and a small selection of Famicom) games available to play in North America. I dabbled with a few different game for a little over an hour, and finished off my session by playing through the first several stages of Super Mario Bros. again. Nintendo once again stepped up their emulation efforts here by having even better functioning save states and rewind features and now the ability to do online two player. I got my nephew to play with me online and it worked surprisingly well…..other than my fifth grade nephew initially being a little crabby at the graphics being ‘old’ at least. I do not hear many people touting this feature that much and I think it is awesome that Nintendo made this back catalog online and all things considered is part of a great value for $25 a year for Nintendo’s online Switch service.

If those two options do not interest you than there are a ton of other NES games that got re-released as part of collections on many systems over the years. On the current gen alone I would recommend the first Mega Man Legacy Collection that collects the first eight Mega Man games, of which the first six are the NES games. That was how I first experienced Mega Man 2 after the aforementioned boycotting of the brand. Yes, it was after decades of reading testimonials on how Mega Man 2 is one of the all-time greats for the NES I finally played it off that collection a few years ago and loved it. It also allows save states thank goodness, or else I would never be able to conquer that final gauntlet leading up to Dr. Wily! Other recommended collections would include the digital collections Konami released last year rounding up the early entries of the CastleVania and Contra games, both of which have all their NES installments. I highly suggest getting Capcom’s Disney Afternoon Collection that has six of the best licensed NES platformers such as both Duck Tales and Rescue Rangers games. SNK released an excellent 40th anniversary collection last year too which includes several of their NES games including my beloved Ikari Warriors and its two lesser sequels. The Double Dragon and Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle gathers the Double Dragon trilogy, and a ton of Technos favorites like River City Ransom, Super Dodge Ball and nearly a dozen others that until now were exclusive in Japan. For younger readers not familiar with the NES library, these are all recommended ways to legit first experience a healthy chunk of some of the best games of the NES library! The Power Lives On…. I cannot believe it has already been nearly 35 years since the NES first launched in North America. Since it is the system of my childhood, I will always be super nostalgic about it. The NES introduced me to the world of videogames and I have been hooked ever since. My favorite game for it would have to be the original Super Mario Bros., with podium finishes going to The Legend of Zelda and yes, the dastardly Ikari Warriors. Whenever I go into a retro game shop or convention I almost instinctively find myself glomming towards the NES section in hopes of finding some long neglected title to have in my collection even though I constantly remind myself I have every game I want for it. Many thanks for making it through this beast of a read and indulging my lifetime of NES memories and I hope I have either introduced you to some new NES factoids and games here or at least had a fun trip down memory lane with me. If you want to indulge me in more NES retrospectives, but in audio form this time, I have embedded a few podcasts I recently un-vaulted from my archives below.

Here is the all-encompassing retrospective I did on the NES for its 25th anniversary 10 years ago.

And here is where we do a deep dive on all the comic book videogames on the NES.

To wrap it up, here is podcast deep dive on all the RPG games on the NES.

My Other Gaming Flashbacks Dreamcast 20th Anniversary GameBoy 30th Anniversary Genesis 30th Anniversary PSone 25th Anniversary PSP 15th Anniversary and Neo-Geo 30th Anniversary Saturn and Virtual Boy 25th Anniversaries TurboGrafX-16 30th Anniversary and 32-X 25th Anniversary

You have not lived the late 80s/early 90s NES fervor without watching a whole episode of Video Power. I present this episode above for your consumption!

Wait a Second, Did I Forget Some Games? Bonus Overtime!!!! I know, I know…I have rambled on forever so that is why I officially concluded this flashback just above. However, if you are somehow, someway still scrolling down and find yourself here I have a few more NES favorites and memories I would love to share so they do not remain on the cutting room floor. First off, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy on the NES I have to get some reflections on! That first game….what a mess of a platformer it turned out to be. I did love its theme music though! TMNT fever was ubiquitous during the NES generation and I was an ardent fan of the shelled heroes like almost all kids my age so I forced myself to put way too much time into it than I should have. Several years ago I revisited it and finally finished it, well after the help of Game Genie cheat codes that is. Even with the cheats that swimming level remains a tumultuous effort to persevere through.

TMNT II: The Arcade Game is exponentially better and is a pretty decent port of the first arcade game. While the graphics are dialed back significantly to run on the NES, that did not stop my friend Matt and I revisiting and romping through this and its sequel several times over the years. TMNT III: The Manhatten Project is a NES exclusive, and featured the same arcade brawling engine as its predecessor, but this one has colorful beach levels with foot soldiers that toss sand at the turtles!! Yes, I have played the NES version of TMNT Tournament Figheters and I will give props to Konami for mustering everything they could out of the NES graphically by late 1993 and making it the only proper 2D fighter on the NES, but it simply does not measure up to its vastly superior SNES counterpart. There are some first party Nintendo games I held off from touching on in the main feature because I have had only minimal experience with them. It is totally on me! There was one more renting memory I refrained from above, and that is dealing with Metroid. Bottom line, it spooked me too much around age six or seven to progress far into it and I remember being irate at going back a screen to see enemies I eliminated moments earlier had respawned again. I need to correct this and revisit it someday. Kirby’s Adventure I briefly played on the NES Classic to briefly try it out before moving on to different games and I never got around getting back to it. That is another NES regret I must rectify as I have played through and enjoyed past Kirby games before! Nintendo’s official licensed version of Tetris is a good playing and looking version of the classic puzzler, but it lacked one key thing the Tengen version had and that is multiplayer! My dad and I played a ton of competitive and co-op multiplayer of Tengen’s Tetris. The Tengen version also had the more Russian-flavored art style that made the visuals pop more. The co-op mode was surprisingly addictive teaming up with my dad to clear a wider, single drop box. I was surprised no other Tetris revisited this idea until it was announced days ago for the upcoming deluxe version of Tetris Effect on Xbox Series X.

Nintendo's Tetris is on the left, Tengen's Tetris is on the right. I love the unique aesthetics and music in both of them, but Tengen's version had an excellent 2-player VS. and co-op modes that made it highly sought after, especially after Nintendo got it banned from stores! The only traditional RPG I put a lot of time into on the NES was the first Dragon Warrior. I rented it, and borrowed it another time from a friend later on and enjoyed the early parts of the game before I ventured out under-leveled and was too young to grasp the concept of grinding to level up in order to properly square off against the tougher foes. I eventually got much farther into it when it was re-released on GameBoy Color. Wait a second, does Zelda II: The Adventure of Link count as an RPG? I have heard for years people argue whether the Zelda series is considered a true RPG and I have always been on the side of classifying them in the action-adventure genre, but Zelda II is incredibly different from all other entries in the series and has leveling up and experience points involved so I would make an exception that Zelda II be considered an RPG. Unfortunately, it was another one that was too brutal for me in my childhood and I never got that far in it. I want to finally wrap this beast up by applauding the preservation market for unearthing several prototypes and lost games that were finished, but never released. Some of the more famous examples of this are Capcom’s California Raisins, a NES version of SimCity and last year the UWC Wrestling title that was canned at the final minute before resurfacing with noticeable roster and gameplay changes as WCW Wrestling. I also want to commend the smaller publisher and indie game scene for finding the resources to release new games on actual physical NES cartridges. They may be unlicensed, but it nevertheless puts a smile on my face to see new NES games being released today! Okay, with that I am finished for real this time! Many thanks again for spending an afternoon powering through this!

You heard my favorite NES background music earlier with the Duck Tales' 'Moon Theme.' Now behold the worst NES music...no 1942 does not qualify. I am talking about this grinding, ear screeching exuse for music that is the general background stage music for Back to the Future. You are Still Here!? Even after all these videos and links and over 6000 words of my babbling of NES nostalgia? I guess then I have one more story to share since you made it this far. This one is not a moment I am proud of. Sometimes being a NES kid brings out a…..darkness among rival NES kids. I was spending an afternoon at a cousins playing NES games all day. The same one who showed me the Super Mario Bros. 2 ending. The same one who we decided to put on hockey gloves to mimic the fights in Blades of Steel, though thinking back in hindsight I think we got our mimicking of the hockey fight in reverse and we should have had gloves off.

My cousing introduced me to some of my favorite NES sports games like Double Dribble and Blades of Steel. And as you are about to see, it brought out the worst in us! Anyways, this day he was showing me Double Dribble and we played it all afternoon. It impressed the hell out of me by having the national anthem opening and its cinematic dunks! Towards the end of the day we were playing other games when my mom arrived to pick me up. As I was getting ready to leave and my cousin was distracted playing a different game my NES-darkness overtook me and I thought I could ‘borrow’ my cousin’s copy of Double Dribble without asking him. I think I slid another game in Double Dribble’s place where it was on the carpet and I was super slick by flipping it upside down so he would not see the label. Yeah, I only made it out about halfway to my mom’s car outside when he came barreling out and we play-wrestled on the ground for a brief moment until I forked over that copy of Double Dribble. I must have been around eight or nine at the time and one dumb kid to try and pull that off……I should have went for his copy of Super Mario Bros. 2 instead! I am kidding of course, kids do not be like dumb NES-kid Dale and mess with your friend’s games! Extremely not cool, hugging out with a heartfelt apology, now that is cool, no wait, it is emphatically…..Totally Rad!