#All I can think of is face paint and silly entertainment stuff <3 WHY IS THIS ONE OF MY INTERESTS /g
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Learned about a walk-in interview thing to sign up for? Itâs on the 28th. 6 different things to sign up for(?), is for getting a job.
I can already feel the anxiety bubbling up in my body :(
Itâll be fine, though. As awkward as itâll be.
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HAHA HEY LOOK ITS A DRAFT FROM AUGUST 25TH THAT I DIDNT POST
Anyways we (me and bestie) havent been sent the thing for the interview or whatever. We (sys) have been kinda planning to not go anyways tbh. Iâm sure itâd have been interesting but also, Iâm pretty sure weâre not really prepared for job stuff yet.
#sepiasys.txt#Still scouting volunteer opportunities; only a small handful of places are walking distance. Might sign up for one of em.#We need to remake a resume anyways and bestie still hasnât worked with us on it; I think maybe he forgot. Which wouldnt be a surprise ngl#Atleast I recovered the old resume/job related stuff we made in senior year. I donât remember enough of what we did that would count.#I kinda miss the community service stuff we did in middle school(?). I remember one was actually quite fun! It was during a fair I think?#It was at Kenwood elementary I think. Maybe Iâm confusing it with the one fall festival at broâs elem school that one time tho.#All I can think of is face paint and silly entertainment stuff <3 WHY IS THIS ONE OF MY INTERESTS /g#God we saw someone with a balloon animal. Still hung up on it. It looked kinda like a fish from where we stood.#I have repeated the balloon animal thing too many times already lmao BUT I JUST- ITS SO INTERESTING WHERE DID YOU GO TO GET IT AT???
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Dad!Harry having all daughters and all of them are either doing his hair or putting makeup on him while asking him silly questions about himself đ
Title: Beautiful Chaos
Word Count: 1.9k
Category: dad!harry fluff
Warnings: Not proofread but none other than that.
That was lovely to write, too, my heart is about to buRST although I couldnât find a suitable photo for the Instagram post I add at the end oops
There were a lot of things that your husband, Harry, enjoyed. Like, you spooning him after a long day at work, like smelling your coconut scent through the house, and like the fact that he was a father of 3 healthy girls.
Perla, Emerald, and Ruby were 3 girls whom Harry could go to hell and back for, not to mention you, but it had always been like that since the moment he met you.
Perla, being 7 years old, frequently took pride in her âbig sisterâ title, wearing it like a sash around her and especially at her school and around her friends. Out of her sisters, she was the most protective of her family and it was something that had never failed to make you and Harry melt.
Harry even often found himself going on his phone, watching a video he had discreetly recorded when she was only 2. She was sitting on one of the kitchen stools, her eyes following your every move as you made her a sandwich with your baby bump showing, in your 9th month.
âcareful, mummy.â
âMummy, careful!â
âThank you, mummy. Thank you, little baby.â
She had said during the video, adding a kiss to your bump after her last sentence.
Then Emerald came into the world, and Harry sometimes found himself wondering if his heart had doubled its size to fit all the love he had for his family.
Being 5, Emerald â or Emma as you all frequently called her â was quiet. She was a collected, flexible child who enjoyed art. Harryâs music? She would be listening carefully to it, saying comments that not all 5-year-olds would say;
âI like the piano here.â
âUncle Mitch did a great job here!â
âDaddy, the bass is so low.â
And it only made sense that yours and Harryâs phones were full of pictures of her with her toy guitar around her shoulders, strumming as she cutely sang Harryâs songs or even some Fleetwood Mac into her green microphone.
And then came your youngest, being 3 â Ruby.
Ruby was a funny and hyperactive child. No hairstyle could sit still for her and more often than not, she sat with messy and chaotic brown hair, clothes a little disheveled. She was definitely more of a risk-taker than her sisters.
You remember only months ago at the beginning of the year, before the pandemic outbreak, when you and Harry were visiting a friend of yours from work and they had a big dog, a Great Dane, Perla and Emerald hiding behind you and Harry as they saw the dog but Ruby thrashed in Harryâs arms, demanding he put her down so she can âplay with the puppy.â
And the one time you were at Anneâs, Ruby had curiously poked Dustyâs stomach, which the cat didnât like to defend itself, it scratched 2-year-old Rubyâs hand.
Everyone stared in shock, waiting for Ruby to break down and cry but were surprised when she stared at her hand with a frown before looking at Dusty who walked off,
âSorry!â She had only shouted at the cat before standing and grabbing a grape to eat.
With the pandemic outbreak, your family of 5 was quarantined in your London home. Refusing to leave the house unless it was absolutely necessary, you had guided your daughters to understanding how important it was to wear a face mask while outside because it was their duty towards all people, you and Harry included.
But with the pandemic, you and Harry were busy at creating ways that would keep the kids busy as well. From movie nights to activities, you both had tried to keep the kids entertained as well as aware of what was going on as best as you could.
It was one day when everything was just slow-paced, quiet, and chill. Harry had shaved his beard and left a mustache, one that your daughters were very amused by and had been all week.
You sat with your laptop on your lap, earphones connected as you watched The Good Place, but keeping the sound low enough for you to hear what your kids were conversing about.
Harry sat beside you, reading a book he had picked up a couple of days ago, his hand behind your back, fingers gently and mindlessly caressing your back, stroking it up and down in a comforting and soothing manner.
Perla and Ruby were sat together, coloring the most recent sketched you had printed them, while Emerald was sat on the floor against your legs, trying to make you and Harry a beaded bracelet from the toy set Harry had gotten her earlier.
âMummy, does this look nice?â She asked, turning to look at you as she raised a pink-beaded thread string.
You lowered your laptop screen, looking at her. âIt looks very nice, baby. Do you want me to tie it?â
âYes, please.â She stood, handing you the string and watching you in awe as you did as if you were doing pure magic. You tied it in the way you had learned years ago, when friendship bracelets were a thing, making sure that it can get tighter or looser, however the wearer wanted.
âThere you go.â
âThank you, Mummy.â She grinned as she took it before moving to Harry, attempting to climb him which earned her a giggle from him as he helped her up, putting his book aside before mentally cursing himself because he didnât know where he stopped.
âLook! I made you this!â Emerald grinned as she handed Harry the bracelet, watching excitedly and waiting for his reaction.
Harry gasped dramatically, âWoooow!â He looked at the bracelet lovingly, feeling like his heart was about to burst as he put it on, vowing to never take it off to himself. âI love it, Em. Thank you so much, baby.â
Emerald grinned bashfully, raising her shoulders closer to her cheeks as she did, Harry grabbing her to press a kiss against her hairline.
You watched with pure love, show long forgotten as you paused and gave your full attention to the scene.
Noticing what was going on, your oldest and youngest paused their coloring to approach you and look at their dadâs new jewelry.
âGood job, Em. Can you make me one?â Your oldest, Perla, asked excitedly as she eyed the bracelet before grinning at her shorter sister, who excitedly nodded at her.
âMe, too!â Ruby chimed, âBut blue!â
âFirst, Mummy,â Emerald pointed at you, âThen Per,â she pointed at her older sister, âThen Rube.â
âStarting a business, arenât you?â Harry joked, bringing her close to his chest as he playfully gnawed on her cheek, smiling as she squealed out in laughter.
As if the idea had been in her mind for a while, Perla suddenly blurted out a question:
âDaddy, can I put makeup on you?â
You grinned, looking at Harry and waiting for his reply.
He looked at you quickly before moving back to Perla, âI donât see why not. Go on, get the stuff you need.â
âRuby, you think we can paint daddyâs nails?â You asked your youngest with an excited grin, hearing your husband laugh.
Ruby nodded with a squeal, holding your hand as you stood up before Perla ran in front of you, you and Ruby following her as you ran towards yours and Harryâs room to get the stuff needed.
âBlue!â Ruby pointed at the blue nail polish bottle while Perla stood with your makeup bag, âAnd pink.â
âYellow, too,â Perla added.
âHow about we take the whole thing.â You chuckled as you gathered the box in your hands, walking behind your squealing, excited daughters.
At the sight of you, Emerald lit up, âIâll do daddyâs hair!â
âYou girls are giving Daddy a whole makeover, huh?â Harry laughed lovingly, welcoming all the attention.
You sat on Harryâs right, Ruby on his left with the blue nail polish bottle in her hand as she sat on her stomach with Harryâs hand waiting for her. Perla sat on Harryâs lap while Emerald climbed and seated herself on Harryâs shoulders, scrunchie around her wrist as she played with Harryâs hair.
Harry would have been lying if he said he didnât enjoy how everything was right there and then. His wife was painting his nails in pink, pastel yellow, and baby blue while his 3-year-old was having her go with his other hand, getting polish on his cuticles but trying nonetheless. His oldest daughter brushing his cheeks with her momâs blush brush, while his 5-year-old was gently pulling on his hair.
âOkay, done,â Perla closed the blush before moving to choose a lipstick, ending up with your red Mac one and opening it, âDaddy, do like that.â She instructed, puckering her lips. So Harry did, looking up as he did and trying to stifle his giggles as she put on lipstick on his puckered lips, âOkay, no more.â So he set his lips back, Perla continuing on applying the vibrant red color.
You hunched a little forward, a smile making its way to your lips, âLooking beautiful, baby.â
He hummed, his chest shaking with laughter as he felt the lipstick above his upper lip before Perla pulled back and looked back in the bag to apply anything more. He looked at you as you painted the last nail in pink, keeping only his middle fingerâs nail in pastel yellow while his thumb and index were in baby blue, his ring and pinkyâs being in pink. âFeeling so, too.â He said as he closed his eyes and raised his eyebrows, letting out a sigh of contentment for emphasis, overly dramatic, making you laugh.
It was 20 minutes later when his girls were done with their work and pushed him towards him and his wifeâs bedroom, where they had a full-body length mirror.
He looked absolutely chaotic, and he loved everything about it. While his hair stuck in all directions, some lockets were collected by Emeraldâs peach-colored scrunchie, one hand was nicely painted â which was painted by his wife â while the other was an absolute mess of blue but you can spot the attempt and it was nothing a nail polish remover couldnât fix, his eyelids having some glitter on them, red lipstick nicely put except for a smudge right above his upper lip, cheeks too pink.
âWhat do you think?â Perla asked excitedly.
âWow!â Harry breathed out, moving closer to the mirror, âI look glamorous!â He put his hands up in a peace sign, puckering his lips and popping up a leg as he posed, making his family laugh.
âWait, letâs take a picture.â You grinned, raising your phone up as everyone got into a spot; Emerald had her arm thrown on Rubyâs shoulders as she smiled, Ruby sticking her tongue out, Perla choosing to sit down in front of her sisters, crossing her legs as she grinned with her eyes closed. You stood behind the hugging sisters, against Harryâs chest. Harry wrapped one arm around your shoulders from the back, the other around your waist as he smiled into the mirror, his head leaning down to press his cheek against yours. You held your phone with one hand, the other reaching up to hold on to Harryâs arm around you as you grinned before taking the picture.
âLetâs frame that.â Harry whispered to you in bliss, looking at the photo from behind you before moving to wrap both arms around your waist, âThank you, love. For making me the happiest man alive.â
#wellbeafinelime#harry styles imagine#harry styles#dad!harry#dad harry styles imagine#dad!harry imagine#dad!harry au#harry styles fluff#harry styles fluff imagine#harry styles one shot#harry styles fluff one shot#fluff one shot#fluff#harry styles x you#harry styles x y/n#harry styles x reader
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metempsychosis: t. holland series (pt. 3)
a/n | weâre finally getting to the good stuff :-) now that iâm turning this into a submission for a competition iâm having to change all of the names and tenses (bc i canât submit ây/nâ to professionals) so hopefully there arenât too many typos !
synopsis | A young couple whose lives were both lost in a tragic accident are reincarnated as new people. As they collide as strangers in their second lives, they must try to make sense of the innate connection they feel.
cw | reincarnation au. language, fluff, a lil angst, flashbacks. this one ainât too sad. 2.6k words.
Read part 2, join the taglist
1993
{ He took a gulp as he opened the door to see her sweet face waiting to be let in. âHey, glad you found me,â he laughed nervously, arm reaching up and over to scratch at a nonexistent itch on the back of his head.
She wandered through the doorframe, taking in the smell of his apartment, counting the dirty dishes in the sink, smiling at the family photos he had on display. âIâm glad weâre finally getting around to having a movie night,â she grinned back.
âSorry, you know how crazy school has been-â
âYeah, yeah, I know. Chemistry this and med school that. I canât believe Iâve found myself swooning over such a nerd.â
âSays the girl who prefers numbers to real people.â
She gave him a dramatic slap to the shoulder, feigning offense. âJust put on the movie before I ditch you for some spreadsheets.â
He gave her lower arm a lighthearted squeeze and guided her over to the couch, putting the tape in and plopping down next to her. He grabbed a blanket off of the armrest and whipped it up in the air, letting it fall spread out across her lap. She looked surprised at his intuitiveness. âI remember you telling me you canât watch a home movie without a good blanket,â he said.
Her eyes crinkled at the edges at his attention to detail, picking up the corner closest to him and motioning for him to take half of the quilt. âThen you shouldnât, either.â
The rom-com had an argument scene between the protagonist and his love interest where they disputed over who took what side of the bed the first time they slept together. He laughed at the silliness of it all as she sank further into his body as their chests rose and fell.
âDo you think weâll need to pick sides of the bed?â he whispered as the scene changed.
âThis is only our second date- I wonât be sleeping in your bed anytime soon, mister,â she smiled, stare still pointed at the screen.
âWell, fine, but it seems like this is a conversation we need to have if we have any chance of making it,â he said matter-of-factly.
âLetâs just pick sides of the couch then!â She looked down at her own lap, then at his. âIâm on the left side right now, so Iâm claiming it as mine.â
âWait, I didnât even get a chance to experience the left side!â
âThis is your couch,â she rolled her eyes at his playful tone.
âSo Iâm just stuck with the right?â
âYes.â
âForever?!â
âWhat other option would there be?â
He huffed in disapproval, but as time and movie dates passed, he had carved his own dugout in the left couch cushion that fit him like a glove. If he ever wasnât on the right side of her, looking at her side profile from that specific angle, he couldnât help but feel out of place. When they did finally share a bed, there was no need to fuss over who took which side, and no matter how many new couches they went through in different moves at different stages of their life, he sat to the right, learning to keep a throw pillow on his lap to anticipate her inevitably lying down and resting her head on it. }
You walked over to Tom, the soft padding of your feet against the wooden floors ringing out as the only sound in the suddenly quiet apartment.
âCan I get you something to drink?â
âUh, coffee, if you have it,â he replied, still clutching the throw pillow in his lap.
âReally? At 8pm?â
âYeah, caffeine doesnât affect me, I have one of those recessed genes or something.â
You shrugged and obliged, happy to have something to keep you busy as you paced over to the kitchen to brew the coffee, holding your hip. Tom swiveled around to watch you work.
His words sliced through the silence. âAre you feeling any better than earlier? You seemed pretty off in the car-â
âIâm fine.â You didnât want to replay the emotions you felt while Tom was driving in your head, so you cut him off before he could keep talking about it. âHereâs your coffee.â
He took a sip and burned his tongue, scrunching up his face in such a cute way that you couldnât help but let out a small giggle, sitting down next to him on the couch.
âFuck, thatâs hot!â he started fanning his stuck out tongue like it would do something, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smirk when he noticed you were laughing.
âIâm sorry, you literally just watched me brew it...â You shrugged, still entertained by his dramatic display.
The mood changed then and you were finally able to loosen yourselves up, able to chime in with conversation, exchanging eye contact that didnât make either one of you nauseous. Now that you had the chance to look into Tomâs eyes for a little while longer, you was able to see just how mesmerizingly milky they were.
He continued in a panic. âI canât lose my tongue! Thatâs how I make a living!â
You raised an eyebrow at him and he shot back a face of realization.
âThat did not come out how I meant it to.â
You giggled again, pulling a blanket over your lap.
âI meant because I sing-â
âYeah, Tom, I figured.â
You both had laugh lines splaying across your faces and you felt yourself settle back into the cushions a little easier, growing more used to being in his presence. Once you had given it a chance, you and Tom actually got along quite well.
âSpeaking of which, can I hear something?â
âYou want me to play for you?â
âWell, Iâm an artist and you got to see my work...so, yeah,â you smiled, poking at his shoulder.
âUm, I donât have my guitar,â Tom blurted out an excuse, because he was currently terrified of singing to you; you already made him excitedly nervous enough.
But you werenât letting him off the hook that easy. âIsnât it just in your car?â
â...so you saw it, then.â He sighed in defeat, getting up to get his keys.
âYep.â
âYouâre really gonna make me sing for you?â
You smiled and nodded at him.
âItâs the least you can do now that Iâve graciously opened my home and my coffee pot up to you.â
He shook his head as he laughed and ran out to grab the instrument. Once he was settled back down on the sofa, you watched him with your head tilted to the side as he became lost in the strings, tuning and then strumming onto them a truly beautiful melody. He saw you in his peripheral so seemingly enthralled watching him play, your bottom lip half bitten as you focused on his hands and fingers moving.
âWell, truthfully, I havenât come up with anything good in a few days,â he said, still in denial that his dreamy muse had abandoned him. âSo whatâs a song you know? Iâll just play a cover.â
You pondered for too long on the question, thinking your answer would hold a lot more weight about your character than it actually did. Tom was far from that kind of deep thinking; he was too busy taking in the way your wavy hair framed your hollow cheeks.
âHow about âIrisâ?â You took a chance on one of your favorite old songs, assuming he wouldnât know how to play it.
âAh, a classic.â He started to pluck out the first few notes, and you were amazed that he already knew it by heart. But where you expected to hear the lyrics come in, Tom stayed silent. He looked over to your confused expression and stopped the music.
âWhat?â
âArenât you gonna sing the words?â
âItâs not really in my range. You can though, if you want?â
You sat upright. âMe?â
âWell, if you wanna hear the words that badly,â he shrugged, grinning at you.
âUgh, fine.â
âWow, she paints and sings?â
âHey, do you want me to or not?!â
He chuckled at you, loving how rosy your cheeks had gotten, and started the song over, his hands on autopilot.
You sang the first few words of the first verse, and upon hearing your voice, Tomâs jaw all but fell to the floor; he was completely awestruck.
That voice. He knew that voice.
1993
{ He sat slouched on his barstool, listening to someone do a country song a great injustice up on the microphone.
âWhy did you drag me to this, mate?â
âTo a bar?â
âTo a bar with an open mic. I canât listen to a Beatlesâ classic being sung off key for a third time tonight.â He popped the top off of another beer and chugged it down as another amateur made their way to the front of the room.
The girl on the stage started to sing and he all but did a spit take. Her voice was incredible, melting into his ears like smooth butter. And once he turned to look at her, well, that was all it took. He had waded through the bar crowd so quickly that she was barely off the makeshift stage when he approached her, blurting out âHi, youâre so beautiful, I mean, your voice, I mean...uh, can I buy you a drink?â and kicking himself afterwards for not even trying an ounce to playing it cool. But it didnât matter; one look was all it took for her, too. }
Tom racked his brain as you continued to sing, your voice echoing through the apartment like an angelic aura. That was it, he thought, she sounds like the singing voice in his dreamsâand the day heâd met you was the same day heâd stopped dreamingâno, no...that wasnât possible.
But he couldnât shake the eerie thought from his head. Were you trapped in his brain until he met you in person? Had his angel manifested itself into the beautiful singing girl sitting next to him?
He stopped the song halfway through as he felt a rush of copper through his forehead and down to his nose. Shit.
âUm, whereâs your bathroom?â he shot up and covered his nose with his sleeve, his guitar haphazardly falling onto the couch behind him.
âDown the hall, first door on the left,â you answered, confused. âIs everything alright?â
âYeah, just gotta-â Tom bolted down the hall and shut the bathroom door abruptly, uncovering his face in the small mirror to see a familiar trickle of red pooling above his upper lip. When he reentered the living room after cleaning himself up, he hadnât realized that his blood had stained the collar of his t-shirt.
âTom, you have...â you stood up and made her way over to him, touching your finger to his shirt. He looked down in horror and sighed heavily.
âYeah, itâsâŚIâm sorry. I get these nosebleeds.â
You smiled up at him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. âHey, itâs okay. I might have an extra shirt lying around, if you want it?â
Mortified but infatuated with how warming your touch was, Tom smiled back. âThat would be great.â
You came out of your room with a t-shirt in hand. âThis is the only one I have that will probably fit you,â you shrugged, tossing it to him and trying not to let your smile show as he stretched to take off his shirt right in front of you, revealing quite the body underneath. You pretended to busy yourself with something, anything, so he wouldnât notice that you were watching himâbut he did, and he didnât mind it.
Tomâs phone lit up with a call in that moment, and he picked up to hear the tow trucker on the other end.
âHey, sorry to let you know we wonât be getting out to your area for another few hours, turns out the truck lost its own tire on the freeway and weâre stranded,â the voice said, causing Tom to pace around the living room, speaking curtly with the man on the phone.
âOkay, right, thanks, bye.â He hung up and turned to you, pouting.
âMy insurance is shit,â he shook his head. âThey wonât be here for hours.â
You feigned upset, but neither of you were too unhappy about the opportunity to spend more time together.
â...do you have anything stronger than coffee?â
You winked at Tom as you made your way back into the kitchen. âComing right up.â
You passed the night away, mixing your coffee with rum and childhood memories with the anecdotes of a broken heart. As the hours trickled by, you sank closer on the old couch; you kept track of Tomâs heartbeat, watching his chest rise and fall in rhythm, and he kept losing his train of thought in the gold specks of your eyes.
You opened up to him about your disability, and upon seeing you become so open, so vulnerable with him, Tom couldnât help but lean forward, place a light hand around the shape of your cheek, and capture your lips in his own. Upon the contact, you both felt as if you had been delightfully tasedâand it sent your head reeling.
You saw fragmented scenes in your headâimages of flashing lights, a shouting couple, a tender, loving kiss frozen in time. As Tom pulled back, the fantastical man in your head followed suit, and you doubled over on the couch as a shock of familiarity churned your stomach at the realization that the man had been a dead match for Tom.
The flashes continued, and the girl on the receiving end of the kiss became less pixellated; you felt the warmth of a lifetime of memories flooding your system as you registered that the girl in the images was, in fact, you yourself.
Tom held you upright as you held your face in your hands, shaking your head softly. ây/n, what just happened? Was it the kiss? Did I read the room wrong? Iâm-â
âNo, Tom, it wasnât you,  I justâŚâ you trailed off, bolting up from the couch and quickly pacing to the kitchen. âI need some water.â
He watched you from his seat with concern, readying himself to run to your rescue, just as he heard the loud, startling sound of a horn. The tow truck had finally made it.
âYou should go,â you said, refusing to turn around and look Tom in the eye for fear of making any more sense of what sheâd just seen.
ây/n-â
âPlease go.â
âPlease tell me I can see you again.â
You thought on that for a moment, frightened but unready to let go of this mystery.
âOkay.â You remained staring out of the kitchen window.
Tom stood up and silently exited the apartment, closing the door softly behind him, wondering where in time and space he had just lost your thoughts. As he arrived home much later and finally succumbed to sleep, he wasnât able to rest long as he was visited by his own nightmare.
He had been in the driverâs seat of his car, unidentified noises pinging here and there as he heard someone mumbling, unable to discern their words. He turned to the passenger, his vision lagging as it made its way to her, and saw none other than you, yourself but not, crying softly, the vividness of your features making the dream feel more like a memory. As he tried to lend a comforting handâthe arm in his dream seemingly extending a mile away to reach youâthe car was hit with a blinding force, and the vision went black as he was jolted awake.
#metempsychosis#reincarnation!au#tom holland fanfiction#tom holland imagine#tom holland blurb#tom holland fanfic#tom holland one shots#tom holland x reader#tom holland x you
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One Piece 1000 - 10 Confessions as a One Piece Fan
Although we did the Initial Thoughts a week ago (a long week ago, damn) which you can read here I wanted to do something for the official release of One Pieceâs 1000th Chapter At first it started out to be â10 things I wanna ask Oda that I donât think weâll ever knowâ but I couldnât think of 10, then I was gonna do a General opinion post about it, but didnât want it to come off too negative. So I am settling on a confessions post, which will have elements of these anyway.
So as we have a happy 1000, letâs talk about some stuff I usually donât get to talk about in One Piece
Note: There will probably be spoilers so make sure youâre up to date
10. Late Beginnings I think the first confession I have to have is that despite being older than One Piece I am unfortunately not a âDay Oneâ fan. In fact I think I mainly got into One Piece around mid-Whole Cake Island arc, before I had of course known about One Piece, it was a âBig Threeâ anime after all but the most I knew about it was that they had a guy named Luff-y and another called Zorro, and it was about âPirates who canât swimâ. My curiosity only developed when in a youtube deep-dive of anime clips I kept being recommended One Piece clips, and decided to give a couple a go. Most of them were Paradise arc stuff from the anime, the dub voices were mostly atrocious so I stuck to sub. I was happily surprised about the amount of fun and emotional weight these clips gave me, which led me to check where One Piece was as of current and backtrack from there (Ironically I did the same with Beastars). I did eventually get caught up around the time of the Mafia Meeting and Iâve kept up with each chapter since.
9. I mostly still prefer the Pre-Timeskip looks When I first felt this I thought it to be pretty controversial, nowadays not so much. I understand that Oda wanted to change the look for many characters but some of them did feel like a downgrade. I think the ones who got it worst was Franky, I think itâs the bulbous shoulders, Franky was no stranger to body horror from Enies Lobby to Sabaody but I kinda preferred that he still had a lot of his humanity rather than looking like an action figure. Otherwise I think Robin, Nami and Chopper had it bad, maybe Brook too but his was more fashion than design; the women in general took heavy hits by Odaâs proportion design - I mean I get it boobs are nice but proportions are what make them better - but Robin also underwent a skin color change in the anime, who pre-timeskip shaded her skin darker than in the manga and corrected it to match the manga, I think most of us wouldâve preferred Robin to have kept the darker skin tone and possibly even the fringe, Robinâs hairstyle (and her fashion in general) can be hit and miss. I go to and fro about Nami, other than the general waist and bust adjustments I think it fits her character to use her sexuality a bit, she was no stranger to that pre-Timeskip, sometimes though I canât tell whether I preferred her with short or long hair (Short was definitely better on Nojiko), I do think though that Oda could have her show less skin, she is still very pretty in outfits such as Water 7, Thriller Bark and even her fake pirate disguise in the early chapters/episodes. Finally with Chopper I think it was a bad move to alter the hat, that was a memento from his father figure Hiriluk, itâd be like if Luffy altered his straw hat or Zoro replacing Wado Ichimonji, I do also feel that the design for Chopperâs points while easier to draw donât look as good, I think a lot of it is the scruff, or lack thereof in favour of smoothness, Walk Point is fine but Heavy Point, Guard Point and Horn Point seem less threatening, Monster Point especially too, in Enies Lobby he looked like a cave painting of menace and destruction, now heâs smoother and his scruff lighter so itâs not as good. The rest of the designs Iâm quite fine with though.
8. I wish some markings stuck as well Tattoos and Scars seem to be optional in the One Piece world sometimes, unless itâs branded in molten heat like the Dragonâs hoof, Sun Pirates logo or an attack from Sakazuki. While Namiâs redesigned tattoo has stuck around and Luffy and Zoroâs scars persist, they are mainly character reminders/mysteries for huge moments in the story, and I kinda wish that some of the Straw Hats had littler markings, not just scars either. For instance, the Alabasta X on the arm, I really wish that stayed on each of the Alabasta charactersâ arms since it was a symbol of friendship with Vivi, I also wish that Luffy kept the 3D2Y mark on his arm. In terms of scars though it wouldâve been nice to see the characters a bit more battle-worn; Zoroâs ankle scars from Mr. 3 have faded and frankly he should be covered in little and long scratches given his fights with Mr. 1 and 2 years of Mihawk Training, Namiâs shoulder scar is hidden completely by her tattoo and she has no scars on her hand (from fake stabbing Usopp) or foot (from blocking Miss Doublefinger), Usopp himself couldâve used some small scratches because lord knows how thereâs even still bones in his nose plus he was in murder island for 2 years, Chopper could at least have a small bald patch from when his shoulder was impaled and burned by Shuraâs fire lance too, other than that thereâs just Jimbeiâs potentially missing shoulder scar from Marineford, though Oda has kept it obscured a lot so maybe that is still there. I understand why Oda doesnât or forgets to, but it wouldâve been nice if we lived in a vacuum of no time limits and whatnot.
7. Dead End Adventure is my favourite One Piece film I donât know what it is, but Dead End Adventure just gives me the most fun out of the One Piece films. It has a good side plot and the side character Shuraiya was a blast of a character. Granted, Gaspard wasnât too good of a villain side for actually harming the straw hat and his defeat was a bit underwhelming but the race, the settings it was all fun. It is not to say I donât enjoy any other One Piece movies, I delight in the horror fuel of Baron Omatsuri - and that killer final punch - and Zâs tragic tale of a fallen marine, Strong World has that epic entrance to the party and Stampede also had some great team up moments and fantastic writing for Usopp and Smoker but Dead End Adventure always feels like the movie I could watch in any mood.
6. Skypeia and Fishman Island are some of my favourite arcs While I can understand the criticism of the Long Ring Long Land arc (especially since the anime dragged out the Davy Back Fight) it surprised me that people found Skypeia and Fishman Island arcs to be boring or less entertaining than previous arcs. Everyone has their preferences of course but I felt that Skypeia and Fishman Island were very powerful arcs especially with the theme of racism. Both had glorious setting design different to the common customs of the world we had seen, Oda made both Skypeia and Fishman Island feel very much lived in with its own budding culture and prejudices, with a villain who was dead set on destroying everything just to have their way. With Enel and his priests we were able to push several characters to newer limits, with Robin showing her fighting capabilities, Zoro learning his projectile slashes, Chopper having to endure fighting 3 priests and even Usopp growing all the more braver in the face of seemingly indestructible opponents and later gaining access to the dials. With Fishman Island it was different because it was basically a âflex arcâ: where the main villain is meant to be a stepping stone rather than a threat but even then the symbolism of the enemy is whatâs significant with them, the inherited hatred of humans. But at the same time we do learn new strengths from the crew; Red Hawk, the use of armament Haki, Skywalk, Hell Memories, Franky Shogun, Usoppâs pop greens, Namiâs weather eggs, Brookâs Soul Solid and his new DF power (which is possibly an awakening), as well as the first true steps of Jimbei joining the crew. The biggest strength of both arcs is the flashback as well, like Wano would in present time both arcs demonstrated that Oda can carry a story without his main characters and still keep it as captivating as ever, be it the friendship of Noland and Calgara, the tragedies of Otohime and Fisher Tiger or the life of Kozuki Oden and the man who would be Pirate King. And the impact of Fishman Island and Skypeiaâs flashbacks both come back around in Dressrosa with the dwarves and Koala, and Fishman Island really does kick off the whole Yonko saga with Luffy challenging Big Mom, these arcs were definitely significant as they were entertaining with silly faces, strong fights, challenging themes, lorebuilding, good side characters and unique twists. And the overall message of healing from the past is still significant to this day. Through Wyperâs sacrifice and the Bell ringing to Jimbei giving blood and the Ryugu royals wanting to attend the Reverie, it is all very powerful stuff and while the arcs are similar in nature its their similarities that make me love them. Also the cover stories with Enel and Gedatsu on their own mini adventures are fun
5. I really want to know where Ghin is Ghin/Gin was such an interesting character in Baratie. Given that this was right before Arlong Park too so we had not seen a character conflict with different loyalties in One Piece until then, his gratitude to Sanji against his loyalty to Krieg created a fantastically complex character, but then he left and we didnât hear about him ever since. Did he survive Kriegâs poison gas? Is he still with Krieg? One reactor of the episode said âmaybe heâll become the next Donâ which was a concept I kinda really liked. The guy was pretty strong given that he had bested Sanji at that time, and since he didnât appear in a cover story my mind does wonder. Itâs not just Ghin either, a lot of the early East Blue characters kinda fell off the map; where is Morgan? Last we saw he was sleeping as he sailed past Jango, where is Kuro? For someone wanting to resume piracy after some years off he has been very quiet, where is Krieg? Only Arlong and Morgan were arrested and the latter escaped so the rest of these characters are a mystery. Recently in Wano I am still wondering where Lawâs crew that he brought to Onigashima went, as well as Caribou - where is that slippery bugger?
4. Basil Hawkins is probably one of my Top 5 Supernova Thereâs something about that dude I gravitate towards, which makes it quite frustrating when the anime decides to add extra malice and creepy faces to him. Hawkins in Wano is still a victim, if anything he is simply a prisoner with better working conditions, if he thought he could survive escaping Kaido he would but he doesnât so he wonât, heâs also gonna feel sore about Drake betraying him and letting Law cut him up, so it annoys me that Hawkins is seen like a villain. Not only does he have an extremely interesting Devil Fruit and creativity with it but heâs also audaciously confident in his fortunetelling, even Luffy ran from Kizaru at Sabaody while Hawkins looked at his cards while Kizaru was about to boot him to holy hell and said ânah Iâm not dying todayâ, you gotta respect that moxie. At the same time though as a pirate he has that shades of grey element, heâs okay with letting some of his crew be disposable and we donât even know to what end, he doesnât look like a guy too concerned about being Pirate King or having riches. I also get a good laugh in that his hobbies are interior design, it makes me really want to see what the inside of his ship looks like. I think as a top 5, I have Luffy, Zoro, Law, Hawkins and then Kid, Bege, Killer and Bonney are not far behind with Apoo dead last because fuck Apoo. Kid and Killer are cool but I do feel like they need a bit more character, Bege earned some points in being funny and his care for his family in WCI and then thereâs Bonney - I really hope we dig into Bonneyâs significance, she feels really important and that mystery keeps her fresh whenever we see her. Drake too has only really started to become interesting because of SWORD, we could still see more fleshing but for now he is like bottom 3. Itâs a shame Urouge has to be so low, heâs not bad but heâs not spectacular either, gotta admire his hobby of lovemaking though, you do you Urouge.
3. I donât think that either of the âMost Beautiful Women in the Worldâ are the Most Beautiful Women in One Piece The in-world consensus seems to be that the Most Beautiful Women in the World are Boa Hancock, Komurasaki and Shirahoshi, and granted they are very pretty, but the most? Not for me. I mean, yâall know that Nico Robin, Nami and Vinsmoke Reiju exist right? Makino as well is stunning, as are Tashigi, Bonney, Margaret, Ishilly, Nojiko, Vivi, Rebecca, Pudding, Perona, Cosette and Iâm sure a few others, realistically I think they could all give them a run for their money. I get how for those three their beauty is a plot point (Boa itâs drilling home Luffyâs obliviousness to it, Komurasaki itâs the swerve of her not being awful and for Shirahoshi itâs due to Vander Decken IX pulling the creep factor on her) but it wouldâve worked the same way without the âworldâ hyperbole I think. As much as Oda is iffy with proportions and rarely writes women with as much attention as the boys he sure knows how to make them attractive.
2. Some of my favourite individual Straw Hat scenes arenât in Canon If I were to have a top 5 moments of each character, it may surprise you that some of it comes from movies or filler episodes, particularly Sanjiâs flexing on Jessica in the G8 Arc (in fact, Jonathon is one of my favourite marines, T-Bone is in there too, but I donât have room to fit that). Some are of course obvious because of how iconic they are but it does go to show that sometimes filler isnât all bad. Since youâre probably curious: As a Group Goodbye Merry [Enies Lobby] Entering Shikiâs Palace [Strong World] Walk to Arlong Park [Arlong Park] Entering the Grand Line [Reverse Mountain] vs a Stuck Oars [Thriller Bark] Jimbei Giving Luffy Blood [FMI] Vagabond Drill on Big Mom [WCI] Leaving the Big Mom Pirates [WCI] Returning in Wano [Wano] Trying to argue with Luffy [FMI] Brook vs Chess Soldiers & Big Mom [WCI] Flashback [Thriller Bark] Breaking Mother Carmelâs Picture [WCI] Baron Corpse vs Dog Minks [Zou] Hysterically laughing at seeing Duval [Sabaody] Franky vs Senor Pink [Dressrosa] Playing with the Kids [Punk Hazard] vs Fukurou [Enies Lobby] Freedom Roller [Wano] Trapping Caribou in the Barrel [FMI] Robin I Want to Live [Enies Lobby] Clutching Spandam [Enies Lobby] Throwing Usopp under the bus [G8] vs Yama [Skypeia] Clutching Tequila Wolf guards [Amazon Lily] Chopper Monster Point [Enies Lobby] Flashback [Drum Island] Chopper Man (& Minoru Kazeno) vs Usobada [Chopper Man Special] Donât blow the whistle: Immediately blows whistle [Skypeia] Dr Chopper the definitely Human Doctor not wearing fake glasses [G8] Vivi w/ Karoo (she counts okay!) Goodbye speech [Alabasta] Escaping Bon Clay [Alabasta] Karoo Digging Luffy Out [Little Garden] Luffy Fan Club Meeting [Reverie] Slapping Usopp awake [Drum Island] Nami vs Kalifa [Enies Lobby] Standing by the kids [Punk Hazard] Saying goodbye to Bell-mere [Arlong Park] Helping Luffy vs Cracker via Lolaâs Vivre Card [WCI] Luffy WILL be Pirate King [Wano] Sanji âI needed a lightâ [Skypeia] Flexing on Jessica [G8] Saving the Vinsmokes [WCI] O-Soba Mask [Wano] vs Doflamingo [Dressrosa] Usopp Alabasta speech [Alabasta] Awakening Observation Haki [Dressrosa] Sogeking Theme Song [Enies Lobby] vs Perona [Thriller Bark] Saving Luffy from the fire [Stampede] Zoro Nothing Happened [Thriller Bark] vs Ryuma [Thriller Bark] vs Mr. 1 [Alabasta] vs Gyukimaru & Kamazo [Wano] âHeâs sweeping our floors that fiend!â Test of Luck [Loguetown] Luffy âOn the Sea, you fight Piratesâ [Wano] Red Roc [Wano] vs Katakuri [WCI] Haki clash with Doflamingo [Dressrosa] Punching Saint Charloss [Sabaody] I will have to say that for some characters I could go to 20 so if oneâs missing it mayâve just missed the mark, such as Usopp and Nami vs Enel or Luffy putting back a Zombie or Stealth Luffy, I mean it is 1000 chapters as well as movies and filler episodes/specials...
1. Iâve learned quite a lot due to One Piece Since my fascination started with a deep dive of checks, I did start to learn a hell of a lot more not just about the franchise itself (you know itâs almost catching up BATMAN on total sales, which has been around more than 3 times longer?) but I also learned a lot about stuff Oda has used as a reference key; folklore, actual pirates, actual practices, the amount of detail Oda puts in is astounding. Which does lean into another thing Iâve learned, One Piece has changed the way I approach some of my ideas for writings and whatnot, before I would be afraid of either spoonfeeding or being too vague, Odaâs mastery not only in storytelling but character development, character quality and pacing has both helped and intimidated me a lot of times, I mean consider this: it took hundreds of chapters to get a proper backstory on Luffy, the main character, how unprecedented is that? Often I could fall into the trap of making sure you knew everything about the main character from day one but now I wonder about whatâs necessary for the now and what can I work on. Another thing that both inspires and intimidates me is his drawing, I suck at colours and still do, and a lot of Odaâs attention to detail is incredible considering heâs gotta whip that out on the weekly, but at the same time you see some of his rough sketches and theyâre pretty similar to a rough sketch of my own, so in a way itâs a âthereâs still hope for youâ moment seeing those. I canât say Iâve learned Japanese from listening to One Piece, but I have picked up on some stuff, some hiragana there, some phonetics here, I also appreciated some of the stuff kaizokuou-ni-naru does (I wonât tag them in case thatâs a bit rude to do it out of the blue but check out their tumblr) when it came to deciphering the Japanese of chapters and the little puns and hints Oda puts in his native tongue. And of course any One Piece fan has learned one thing above all else: Patience. Oda himself included, it took over 20 years to get to 1000 chapters and we still have plenty of questions to ask, plenty of islands to see and thus plenty of chapters to go. So Straw Hats off to you Oda, and a happy 1000th!
#one piece#one piece 1000#one piece chapter 1000#eichiro oda#straw hat pirates#monkey d luffy#straw hat luffy#roronoa zoro#Pirate Hunter Zoro#usopp#usopp one piece#god usopp#sogeking#nami#nami one piece#cat burglar nami#vinsmoke sanji#sanji#black leg sanji#sanji one piece#stealth black#soba mask#nefertari vivi#vivi#vivi one piece#karoo#carue#tony tony chopper#cotton candy lover chopper#chopperman
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Sanctuary (Jalaska) - Grinder
AN: WowâŚbeen a hot minute since I posted anything to AQ. Currently working on a series but decided I should give myself a wee break and write something else. This is a songfic based on Sanctuary by Joji whom I absolutely adore. And, who knows, maybe Iâll write more Joji inspired fics and make it a collection. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy! Stay safe!
Lots of love to all the discord people for helping me with this and, especially @artificialeevee and V. If anyone of you are thinking about joining the server, do it!
The year is 9872. And Iâve fucking had it.
The nameâs Jinkx Monsoon; intergalactically tolerated American space Historian, a linguist of 3 human languages, and 4 alien languages.
Location: Space somewhere.
I have a question; Is it wrong to destroy the only housekeeper on your ship, an AI bot whose sole purpose is to clean and only clean? Itâs nothing personal against the bot. Itâs justâŚthe thought of thriving as a glamorous space housewife for an hour or two is very appealing to me at this moment.
You see, life on the Sanctuary ship isnât exactly exciting anymore.
Dumb name. The place is anything but a sanctuary. Ivy and I just call it âBig Debbie.â
Speaking of Ivy, sheâs fallen asleep at the wheel again. Yes, this has happened beforeâa few times. The first time, we all had a laugh about it. The second time, we joked about how it was becoming a habit. But the third time, it was starting to kind of get on the Captainâs nerves.
The ship has been spinning in slow circles for half an hour now. Shea storms in, flicks Ivy in the ear, waking her up. I breathe a laugh out of my nostrils as Ivy rolls her eyes. The ship stops spinning and is back on course. Destination? Nowhere.
I notice how Shea looks at me now as I sit my feet up on the controls. She looks like she wants to say something. But what is there to even say? She shares my exact thought and leaves the room.
I look at Ivy as she types away on her keyboard, a bowl of yogurt in my hand, cold spoon in the other. âWhat are you thinking about?â
âAll the fuel weâre wasting.â She puts on a fake smile, hiding her frustration.
Before I get another chance to speak, Phi Phi sits in the other pilot seat, next to me, and slaps my feet off the control panel. âCan we please avoid accidents?â
âWhatâs the fun in that?â I sulk. Heck, at least it would give us all something to talk about.
Who even are we anymore? And how did we get here?
Let me explain.
-_-_-_-
9869. 3 Years Ago
âBe warned, Monsoon; If you mess this up, youâre out of here.â Alyssaâs words ran circles in my head.
I resisted the urge to grab a glass of complimentary wine as I walked around the exhibition room, nodding and offering a fake smile to the attendees. The wine probably tasted like ass. These folks loved that type of stuff. I wasnât part of their social class, not used to such tastes, so it was a hard pass on the booze. However I hoped my green emerald tea dress told them that I was one of them. Not that it would have mattered anyway. To them, I was just staff. But I knew I was so much more than that.
I was pretty good at hiding my nerves. This opportunity wasnât given to just anyone, something I have waited on for a long time. I was to host an entire exhibition, the Universal Museum of Space Historyâs Lost Treasures reveal. A âOne Night Onlyâ event with a guest list of people who probably ate breakfast with a second cousin to a Royal at least once in their lives. And I couldnât fuck it up. I couldnât.
Before I walked into the room that night, I was just a tour guide, and in the current Century, it wasnât as glamorous as it sounded. My manager, Alyssa insisted that we stick to the science-y feel. Instead of having an actual real live tour guide, we just used a hologram instead. And that hologram was yours truly. Groovy, right?
But this event? This meant opportunities. A possible promotion! And not to mention, I would be a part of something big. I was blessed with the task of unveiling a one of a kind artifact. No one knew where it came from. Or the real name. But they called it the Revitalization Grain. The name didnât do it justice.
This pretty, glowy stone brought forth the growth of nature, crops, and resources. If I was a saleswoman, this is the part Iâd say, âBut wait! Thereâs more.â It had healing properties, offered a sort of hit, and even brought someone back from the dead (apparently).
Standing in that room, with all the aristocrats surrounding me, I was the only person who knew all that. The amount of digging and snooping around I had to go through to obtain this information was extensive.
Of course, not everything about the stone was known yet; where it came from, if it was life-form made or natural, or what its real name was.
I passed a Glarglaxian, and she wriggled her scaled fingers in a wave at me. I asked her how she was doing. Not that I cared. It was all about being a good hostess. But I really wanted to grab her and say, âWait 'til you see the shit weâre about to pull out.â The excitement was getting to me.
Greeting a few others, I saw the tall woman standing in front of a floor-length window, staring out at the galaxy and sipping her wine. Damn, she looked classy in her long black mermaid dress, her blonde hair falling to her lower back. She looked human; therefore, I guessed that was what she was.
She seemed lonely, and I had to be a good little hostess and make her feel welcome. I walked up to her and cleared my throat. She turned to look at me, and I swear her eyes were black pits. She blinked, and I saw her eyes were actually just a dark brown. Maybe it was just the lighting in the place.
âI hope everything is up to a satisfactory standard for you, ma'am.â I started before spurting out a few other statements.
âYes,â she drawled, âIâm having a ball.â
I rose on my toes and lowered to the ground again. âI can see that.â
âWellâŚif I could make one improvement, I would have chosen someone else for the entertainment. Someone moreâŚelectronic.â The woman said, her eyes trailing behind me.
I looked around to the other side of the room, where Cher was singing something a bit more slow and soft for her tastes. Yes, we bagged Cher for this gig. The woman was centuries old and still an absolute diva. How she hadnât been given her own planet yet was beyond me. I think her Mom was in the crowd too.
âI couldnât agree more with you, ma'am.â I looked back at the blonde.
âPlease. Alaska will do."
AlaskaâŚStrange choice of name. The last name of Nocturna, USA, Earth. It had been known as Nocturna for over 2000 years. Quite peculiar to choose a name like that.
"Apologies.â I smiled.
Alaska held out her glass of wine. âHere.â
I waved a dismissive hand. âOh, I shouldnât.â
âYou can stop with the formalities, Jinkx. I can feel your anxiety."
"My anxiety?â This caught me off guard. And not to mention, âwaitâŚhow did youâŚ?â
Alaska pointed a perfectly manicured finger to the left of my chest. I looked down. The name tag. âOh. Of course. How silly of me."
"Weird spelling. But, other than that, I like it.â Alaska commented.
âUm, no. Itâs spelled normally."
"Well, it was originally spelled without a 'k.ââ
âNo. Itâs always had the 'k.ââ
âNo. The human race only started to spell it with the 'kâ when Jinkx Jenner was born back in the 49th Century.â
Alaska sipped her wine, and I was speechless. How the fuck didnât I know that? I didnât want to sound like one of those 'Iâm an intellectualâ types. But I had dedicated a significant amount of time to learning about my origin planetâs history. Even going back to the caveman times.
Alaska ended the void of silence, offering me her wine once more. âHere. Drink up, Jinkx-y.â
My face flushed at the nickname, blinking a few times before finally accepting the drink. I took just a sip, not to appear unprofessional. As I expected, it was bitter. But I tried to hide my scowl and handed it back. Alaskaâs upper lip curled up.
âLike thatâs going to do anything.â She commented.
âHonestly, Iâm fine. But thank you for the offer.â I beamed, putting my hands together. âAre you here alone?â
âNo. Iâm here withâŚfriends.â She stretched the âsâ sound. Her gaze traveled to a particular group of people. Looking around, I took in how attractive they all were. They all had glitter painting the side of their faces. And their lashes were long and thick, just like hers.
And dumbass me just came out with it. âGod, youâre all so attractive.â
Looking back, my eyes widened. Why I had said it, I have no idea.
âThank you.â She drawled.
âI-IâŚthat just came out. Iâm sorry.â I stammered.
âDonât worry. We get it all the time.â Alaska stated before smiling.
I thought she was just gloating. But if I had known back then what I know now, it would have meant something else entirely.
Hours later, I was giving a speech that I must have written over 50 times before being proud of the final product. There was a red velvet curtain behind me. I was moments away from pulling a gold rope, dropping the curtain, and finally revealing the Revitalization Grain. The mixture of anxiety and excitement stirring inside was euphoric.
While I was delivering the speech, I spotted Alaska in the crowd, how eager she looked. Her friends were scattered around the room, sharing her expression. It only made me more excited.
And finally. Pulling the gold tassel, dropping the curtain, the stone was finally revealed in its glowing glory. I heard the crowd gasp in surprise. But I was too busy staring at the stone in its glass container.
And gasps turned to shrieks. This was what caught my attention.
I looked around. Alaska and her friends were holding laser guns, pointing them at the other guests. I donât know why, but Cher started singing again. I guess maybe she was trying to calm the situation. For fuck sake.
âWhat the fuck??â I exclaimed as Alaska made her way towards me.
No. Towards the Revitalization Grain.
âItâs been a great night, beautiful people.â Alaska looked at the crowd once before turning and smashing her gun into the glass, smashing it to pieces. Oddly iconic.
My heart had risen to my throat as I watched her reach in and lift the stone. Where the fuck was the security?? Before I had the chance to act, the stoneâs light became brighter in a matter of seconds. So bright if I hadnât looked away, I probably would have been blinded.
I shielded my eyes, hearing the shrieks from the crowd along with Cher still singing like the legend she was. And when the light dimmed, I looked back.
And my stomach knotted.
Alaskaâs hair was longer now, bigger, thicker, and practically white. Confirming that my earlier misjudgment was actually correct, her eyes were all black. Her skin shimmered as if glitter ran through her blood. And those nails, those perfectly manicured nails were longer and pointier.
She was a Celestial. Her friends were Celestials. How hadnât I clocked this before, what with the glitter? And that also explained why I had just blurted out how fucking hot they all were. It was an effect they had on everyone they met.
âThanks for being a great host, Jinkx-y.â She winked before approaching me. She held the stone tight as she leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.
Why hadnât I tried to grab the stone? Because of the feeling of her lips on my skin, I swear I was high for a few seconds. I recovered only when she was walking down from my podium. A Glarglaxian charged as if ready to tackle her to the ground. But one of her buddies intervened, sending the Glarglaxian sliding across the shining floor with a single shove.
Alaska stood in a circle with her followers now. She turned and winked one more time. And just like that. With the flash of pink light, she was gone.
-_-_-_-
I called Alyssa immediately after the incident to just let her know how it went. She was mad because I called it âa small fuck up.â She was a religious woman, so the string of curses and threats of hiring a hit man took me by surprise.
What seemed to be 5 minutes later, she was at the museum, her sugar baby boyfriend in tow. Her first question was, âwhere the flying fuck where the security?â
As far as I was aware, there was no security. Not one guard was in the room for the whole thing. Turns out, they were all hiding in a closet and smoking up. She fired them immediately. And there was no doubt I would be next.
Then came the talk with Government officials. It was all through holographs but still scary as shit. They were equally as disappointed to hear a group of Celestials had stolen something so powerful. They said the matter of the situation was so grave, the President would most definitely have to hear about it. Not one of the US or some other Earth country Presidents. The President of the Universe. So you could understand why they would rather not.
And instead of deciding amongst themselves what should be done next, they put that on Alyssa. But she was just the manager of a museum. How was that fair? And bless Alyssa and all, but she wasnât very bright.
Because I couldnât help but feel somewhat responsible, I piped up, offering to go and find the Revitalization Grain myself. They laughed at first. But upon expressing my knowledge of Celestials and being able to speak their language, they agreed. They would find more people.
And that was it. I was destined to travel the universe.
Of course, I cursed myself for even speaking up. I had never been a part of something like this. And I couldnât just be like, "Hello, lovelies. Just letting you all know, Iâve changed my mind. Unemployment doesnât sound that bad.â I drank two bottles of wine that night.
It took a year to prepare for the journey. And in the process, I met my team. Here, have a nice bullet point list I made aĚśnĚśdĚś ĚśsĚślĚśaĚśvĚśeĚśdĚś ĚśoĚśvĚśeĚśrĚś.Ěś
⥠Shea CouleÊ: The Captain.
⥠Sasha Velour: the First Mate and executive officer. Â
⥠Roy Haylock: Chief Officer of the Flight Department.
⥠Ivy Winters and Phi Phi O'Hara: Pilots.
⥠Milk, Kameron Michaels, and Bob: Engineers.
⥠Willam Belli and Courtney Act: Technicians.
⥠Me, Jinkx Monsoon, narcoleptic nerd: Linguist and Historian.
We met up a few times, different planets for each occasion. Iâd say our visit to Barcelona (no, not the lovely sunny destination on Earth but the planet) was what solidified our friendships.
But for that whole year, I couldnât get one person out of my head. And that was Alaska. I thought not much of her while we talked that night at the exhibit. But that fucking kiss on the cheek. Thatâs what got me. The momentary high, the way I was just frozen as she walked away, robbing us all of the stone. Whenever I remember that night, all I see is her image, like some kind of PowerPoint presentation. And Baby, I love your way plays in my head . Appropriate moment to call me a simp?
-_-_-_-
9872. Present Day
But wait. That doesnât exactly explain how you all ended up in your current situation!
Shut up. Iâm getting there. I just need a wine break.
I find myself in our kitchen. On my way there, I pass Willam and Bob playing ping pong. We went through a phase where we couldnât decide who was the best and who got to go next. But the fun had long faded away. Same with the karaoke machine. That belongs to me. I must say, if I hadnât volunteered for this shit, I would have belted out a song and won over an audience years ago. But without getting off-topic; the karaoke machine ainât fun anymore.
Courtney stood there in the rec room, singing the lyrics that appeared on the screen. Her once electrifying whistle tones brought down to a somber dirge. âIf youâve been waitinâ for fallinâ in love, babe you donât have to wait on me. 'Cause Iâve been aiminâ for heaven above but an angel ainât what I need.â
Reaching the kitchen, I pour a glass of wine and look out the window into the far off distance. And all of a sudden, Iâm reminded of Alaska, standing in that window, looking classy, sipping her wine, how the glitter on her face shimmered as she turned to look at me.
âWhat are you smiling at?â
Fuck, Ivyâs here too. Sheâs sitting on a counter in the corner, eating yogurt. I look away.
âOh. Itâs nothing.â I reply.
âI havenât seen you smile in a long time.â Ivy points out. âIs it really just nothing.â
âItâs justâŚsomething funny from back home.â I lie.
Ivy places the bowl to the side. Sheâs silent momentarily before her face scrunches up, tears surfacing. For fuckâs sake, curse me and my foot in mouth disease!
I sit next to my best friend as the tears come flooding. I hold her in my arms, letting her know Iâm her shoulder to cry on right now. It had been years since Earth was destroyed. But the grief was still fresh for her.
Actually, for the whole team.
Iâm considered the lucky one. After all, I had no loved ones left on Earth. But my team? They had families; parents, siblings, partners, children of their own. And now, theyâre gone.
How the Earth was destroyed? We tried to figure it out ourselves. But with no answers, we are just wasting away, flying around in Space on our ship. Nowhere to go. No purpose in life.
-_-_-_-
9870. 2 Years ago.
I was high-key worried that a year wasnât enough time to prepare for this mission. And this thought hit harder upon arriving on the planet Celestia.
Although, we were expecting some sort of barrier, guards, a surprise attack. But there was nothing. Huh.
The place was pretty much just a copy of Earth, except if you took 10 hits of LSD and were pushed into a never-ending hallucinogenic trip. The blue sky was an oceanic hue, clouds glittering, pink trees everywhere like someone just scattered houses and buildings in the middle of a forest. Nearby planets were visible in the sky, the stars shining bright, and I questioned whether it was night or day.
Music pulsated through the air, all different songs playing at once from all different directions; Electronic dance music. I figured thatâs why Alaska wasnât feeling Cher the night of the exhibit.
Upon approaching, Shea quickly noticed that locals werenât exactly acting how we thought they would. They were excited, cheering, and beckoning us to land. We did so, parking in what I guessed was a parking lot? Except there were no cars.
Exiting Big Debbie, we were distracted momentarily, watching as the Celestials ran around, hand in hand, their spirits high.
But Shea got right to it. âOK! Calm down. Whereâs the Revitalization Grain?â
A Celestial approached us, like an animal ready to pounce, and Shea was ready to brawl.
âJust down the street. Take a right. Youâll see a marquee all lit up. Itâs just in there. Costs to get in, though.â The Celestial explained.
The fuck? How was everyone on this planet this chilled out?
We all collectively agreed to keep our lasers hidden since they seemed harmless now. But I knew they could pack a punch. I had seen it the night of the exhibition. Better to be safe than sorry.
On the way to the marquee, we bickered over how the hell we were going to even pay. Well, Shea and Sasha mostly. Willam and Courtney were more interested in how attractive the Celestials were. couldnât blame them.
All the while, I looked around me, hoping to see a certain someone. But then again, if she saw me here, surely sheâd know something was up.
Coming to the marqueeâs entry line, Sasha managed to get a peek at the front of the line. People were literally paying with anything - false eyelashes, jewelry, scales from their own flesh, fake nails, whatever they had on them.
Roy decided to stay behind, the only thing he thought that would interest them being his rose-tinted sunglasses. And he was not willing to part with them. Over much debating on what we would offer, we agreed that maybe a simple handshake, a sign of peace, would suffice.
We were right. How I wished I could just live there.
When we were in, the deja vu set in. Celestials, humans, and other alien species stood around, sipping wine and talking amongst themselves. The music wasnât live and provided by Cher. But it played from speakers in the corners, the beats fast and fitting with the environment.
And there, on a podium in the middle of the room, was the Revitalization Grain. Its glow was brighter than the last time I had seen it. The light seemed to travel through the podium and into the ground, like veins running through a human body.
I looked around for Alaska, but she was absent. Damn.
Shea gave the command, and we withdrew our weapons. The once cheerful and friendly atmosphere was brought to a grinding halt as the people began to cower. The rest of the team reassured them everything would be fine if they just stayed put. I approached the podium and lifted the precious stone.
And with that, the light from the podium disappeared, but the stone still shone bright. This was itâtime to hit the road.
Everything was going so well. We had gotten back to the ship safely. No one even bothering to attack us.
But before we could get high enough, the ship started to go through what we thought was turbulence. But of course, the Celestialâs decided now was the best time to fight. They were attacking Big Debbie in their own flying pods. There was no way we were going to make it out of the planet alive.
And so we were forced to land in hopes we could fight them off. Disembarking Big Debbie, there was indeed a face-off. My team and the Celestials stood outside; the area around us was more barren and dusty than its main city area.
We were all yelling at each other, not a single word clear enough to understand with the many voices. All I got from the exchange was that we argued they had stolen a rare artifact. They claimed it belonged to them now. It was just back and forth madness.
And then came another pod, this one bigger and more glittery.
And my heart stopped.
It was Alaska.
She exited the pod.
Oooooh, Baby I love your way. Â
She looked right at me as if she could sense the stone within my satchel.
I smiled shyly, âHi, Ala- -â
âJinkx, give me the stone.â She demanded, holding out her hand.
âUghâŚno,â I replied, clutching the satchel strap.
âJinkx, if you donât give me that rockâŚâ Alaska growled as she stormed towards me. Shea tried to block her way, but with a simple wave of her hand, Shea was lifted from the ground and thrown back.
Like a dumb ass, I just screamed and took off. I abandoned my poor team, leaving them with the Celestials. But honestly, Alaska at that moment was terrifying. She really did growl. And her eyes were black pits again. Scary stuff, really.
I donât know how long I ran for, but the sun was scorching, there was no wind or moisture in the air. I just ran and ran until I had no choice but to stop. My legs and lungs burned.
I was doubled over, hands on my knees and panting. I made a mental note to work out more, which I still havenât done.
Looking behind me, Alaska was nowhere to be seen.
âWhâŚWhatâŚ?â I straightened.
A manicured hand clamped down on my shoulder, spinning me around. It was Alaska. How she had got there was beyond me.
God, she was stunning. Ooooh, Baby I lo - -
She grabbed the strap of the bag tight, which brought me out of my trance. I tugged back. âThis is ridiculous! Just give it up, for crying out loud!â
âNo. That stone belongs to me!â
âIt belongs to the museum!â
âJinkx, you have no idea what youâre doing!â
âI do! Iâm saving my career!â
The strap snapped. And the stone flew out from the bag, flying across the rocky plain. We ran for it. Alaska was slightly faster than me. The only way I could think to reach the stone before she did was to fling myself to the ground like a penguin sliding on ice. And it must have been my lucky day because it worked.
A piece of the stone had broken off. For fuck sake!
âJinkx. The rock. Now!â Alaska commanded.
I turned, sitting on the ground now, and pointed my laser at her. âAlaska, honey, you know I canât do that.â
âStupid human. You need to give me the rock right now. You donât understand - -â
Over Alaskaâs shoulder, I could see the ship in the distance, heading in our direction. Damn, I really did run far.
I bolted for a rocky hill, awaiting the shipâs arrival. And of course, Alaska followed.
âGet back here!â She yelled.
I held the stone tight, shaking my head. Backing up, I felt my stomach tighten. My heel was on the edge of nothing. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the long drop down and gulped nervously.
âGive me the stone!"
I looked around as Alaska lunged forward. I instinctively threw myself to the side.
And I watched as she fell from the cliff.
"Alaska!â I yelled.
I watched her fall, becoming smaller and smaller.
My mind was blank. I couldnât even comprehend what was happening. âFuckâŚfuckâŚfuckâŚâ
Before her body could splatter to pieces, her body moved along the plain of land, and shot high up into the sky. âShe can fly? OhâŚOK. Good.â
She was like a glowy blur, contrasting the oceanarium blue of the sky. A glowy blur that was getting closer and closer. âOhâŚOK. Thatâs not good.â
I looked at Big Debbie. And then to Alaska. And then, Big Debbie. And then, Alaska. A dizzying back and forth. Who would reach me first? I hoped it wouldnât be the latter. Death didnât sound too lovely, after all.
âJinkx!â I heard Ivy yell. Alaska was close, but the ship was closer. I saw Ivy standing in the doorway, hanging on for dear life.
The speed of light that was Alaska was catching up. Fuck. The ship was so close. I was so gross from all the sweat, practically feeling the heat radiating off the approaching Celestial.
And in a matter of seconds, the ship was next to me. Ivy was reaching out a hand. I grabbed it, and my skin could have peeled off from the great force of being dragged into the ship.
I hit the ground and rolled, Ivy quickly shutting the door.
We had no time to celebrate our victory. It was time to get the fuck out of Celestia and keep the stone safe.
-_-_-_-
9872. Present Day
âYeah, but you tell that story like itâs the wildest shit.â
I snap out of my daze. Shea is in the kitchen now, pouring herself a cup of coffee. I was so involved in telling Ivy my own account of the story, I didnât realize our Captain entered the room.
âIt was the wildest shit. The way Ivy pulled me onto the ship? It was like something out of an old action movie.â I insist.
Ivyâs not upset anymore. She laughed a few times during my storytelling. Good to know I can lighten the mood for her a bit. âDid Alyssa even notice the missing piece?â Ivy asks, tucking a leg under herself.
âNo,â I answer. Like I said, Alyssa wasnât the brightest. But in returning the stone to the museum, I learned she was also one harsh mother fucker. After the long journey back, she basically said, âThanks for the stone, Jinkx. What you did is so admirable! But also, youâre fired. And one more thing. While yaâll were gone, the Earth was destroyed. So, good luck trying to find a new home. Bye.â
Well, not exactly word for word. But it might as well have been. Alyssa fired me for âletting the aliens steal the stone,â which was totally stupid. I wanted to sue her for unfair dismissal. But at that stage, what was the point? I just gave the stone over and accepted defeat.
âWhat a bitch.â Ivy shakes her head.
âI know. She sounds like one of those bitches, you know the ones who take a vacation to a poor country, come back and throw away most of their wardrobe instead of actually doing something to help.â Shea observes. Sheâs not far off.
âAny other questions?â I ask.
âYeah, one more. You have a crush on Alaska.â Ivy smirks.
â⌠Thatâs not a question.â
âOK, well, 'you have a crush on Alaska.â True or false?"
"False. Are you nuts? As if.â I lie.
âI meanâŚâ Shea squints her eyes, âYou do talk about her some type of way.â
âWellâŚhow do you know Iâm not adding to the story? To make it more exciting?â I raise my brows. Thatâs dumb. Thatâs my worst lie. Iâm terrible at lying, and I know they can see right through me. But they donât question me further, and I am thankful.
Of course, I like Alaska. Whatâs not to like? It wasnât just some plot device I threw into my story for exaggeration. Actually, none of it was exaggerated. Imagine if I told you right now that Alaska didnât even fly, and she had indeed fallen to her death, and that was the last of it. Would it be considered a sad or happy ending?
She really did fly that day. But part of the story I left out was this; when she went soaring into the sky, that motherfucking Baby, I love your way song played in my head again.
-_-_-_-
Iâm in my room now. Itâs only 5pm, but my all-over-the-show body clock is saying 'nap time.â I kick off my boots and fling them into the corner. And before I can even get comfy, in comes the cleaner bot, Tallulah. Sheâs like a slightly bigger version of Wall-E from the Oscar-winning film Wall-E . But instead of eyes, she has a screen for a face. Therefore she only speaks in symbols. Bless her.
âHey, girl,â I murmur, feeling a yawn come on.
â :) â She says. She hovers over to my tossed boots, picks them up, and carefully places them under my bed. She takes almost a full minute to make sure they are perfectly symmetrical next to each other.
âThank you, Tallulah. Thatâll do.â I say, smiling. But she isnât leaving. She starts searching the room for something else to clean. I really really want this nap, but from past experience, there ainât no stopping her.
I think back to earlier in the day when the dark thoughts were getting the better of me. How I thought of ways to destroy her just to live out my intergalactic space domestic fantasy. I regret that immensely. The feeling of loneliness, while being surrounded by people, can sometimes fuck with your head.
âTallulah.â I pipe up, grabbing her attention.
â ? â
âWe love ya, gal.â
â :D â
I smile and lie down on the uncomfortable bed. You get used to a mattress like this when youâve been using it for so long.
I close my eyes, hoping sleep will come quick.
â Hmmm, hmmm hmm, hmmmâŚfalling in loveâŚâ God, that karaoke song that Courtney was singing is stuck in my head now.
The ship shudders, and I huff. The light above my head isnât any help, either. I can only turn it off when Tallulah leaves the room. But Iâm guessing that wonât be for another while. Think Iâll just face the wall then.
My eyes are closed for all but 2 seconds when Tallulah taps me on the arm. âTallulah, itâs nap time.â
She taps again, and so I sigh heavily, letting her know Iâm serious. I turn around. And bolt upright.
I have no fucking idea how but Tallulah has somehow found the chipped off piece of Revitalization Grain. â đ â
âGive me that.â I hold out my hand.
â đŹ â
âTallulah, that is not candy. Itâs very, very precious.â
â >:( â
âLook. I traveled so far to get that fucking stone just to lose my goddamn job. I earned that piece.â
â :( â
She really isnât going to give this up. âOK. Fine. You can have it. But, you need to take good care of it. Itâs not food. Itâs not a toy. And if it falls into the wrong hands, the consequences could be vital.â
â :D â
âGlad youâre happy, honâ.â
The ship shakes again, only more violent this time. âJesus Christ! If weâve flown into a storm - -â
I nearly hit the wall as the ship shakes even more aggressively.
â đđđđ§"Tallulahâs screen flashes.
"Go to your room.â
ââ
â
We both leave my room, Tallulah hovering down to the left and me towards the right.
Iâm jogging my way to the control room, Roy popping out of his own room. âI swear to god. Somebody better be dead.â
The ship jolts. Because we were practically power walking with confidence, we fall the fuck over, right on our faces.
I groan in pain before responding to Royâs statement. âJesus, ainât that a bit much?â
Entering the control room, everyoneâs on their feet, rushing around, pressing all sorts of buttons, Shea giving a lot more commands than usual.
âOK. Whoâs dead?â Roy asks.
âDo you have to?â I roll my eyes. He only smirks.
âSomeoneâs trying to get in,â Shea explains.
âInto the ship?â I raise a brow.
âNo. Into my panties. Yes, of course the ship!â Shea snaps. Canât blame her; it was a dumb question. My bad.
I approach Ivy, looking over her shoulder at the screen.
âThis is crazy. What do you think it is?â I ask.
âI donât know. But, from all the ruckus, Iâm gonna guess and say itâs huge.â
My stomach is sinking to my ass. âFuckâŚâ
âItâs kind of exciting, to be honest.â Ivy laughs nervously.
âWhich side are we talking, ladies?â Shea cuts off our conversation.
âThe South East Side, Captain.â Phi Phi answers.
Thereâs banging. We all look to the North West side. Not the South East.
âWow. Whatever it is, itâs fucking fast.â Ivy says.
âShh. Listen.â Sasha holds a hand up.
Thereâs scratching sounds now. Itâs almost unbearable to listen to like nails on a chalkboard.
Weâre all still, just listening, too afraid to speak, unsure of what to do.
âWhat the fuck is going on??!!â Bob bellows as he enters the room, Milk and Kameron following behind.
âShut the fuck up,â Shea swears through a harsh whisper.
The three engineers stop dead in their tracks, unsure of what is actually going on.
The scratching has stopped.
The ship is still.
And the silence is haunting.
Even though whatever is on the other side is probably a bloodthirsty creature, craving the taste of our insides; honestly, Iâm fucking pumped.
I look to everyone else, but they clearly donât feel the same. Phi Phiâs skin is pale like sheâs looking death right in the eye.
Thereâs still this silence. And I want to break it. âDo you think - -â
The room is illuminated, and we all collectively flinch. And that feeling of familiarity settles in.
When the light has faded enough for us to look, what I fear (or low-key hope) to happen has happened.
In the middle of the room is a figure, the light slipping away from them to reveal their long blonde messy locks, their long arms, talons for nailsâŚOh, GodâŚ
Their head whips around to look at us. And that stupid Baby, I love your way song plays in my head as they flip their hair over their shoulder.
âAlaska!â I gasp.
She holds up her laser gun, aiming it at us. The others aim their own weapons right back at her.
âNone of you could have opened the door? Seriously??â Alaska growls.
âYeah, because inviting in whatever was fucking with our ship wouldnât be a stupid move or anything.â Phi Phi sneers.
Alaska stands tall. âI mean, I did fucking knock.â
âSorry, we didnât hear it,â Ivy replies apologetically, Shea shooting her a look.
âAs if weâd let you in, though.â Shea chimes.
âHow rude.â Alaska comments.
I take in her appearance, which has significantly changed since I last saw her. The once strong, tall Celestial is now frail and seems to struggle to even hold herself up. Her once luscious hair is like straw, dry, and lifeless. And the glitter in her skin. Itâs gone.
âWhy are you even here?â Sasha demands.
âTo take back what is mine.â Alaska pants. âWhereâs the stone?â
âJokes on you, girl. We donât have it anymore.â Roy answered.
Alaska is breathing heavier now, blinking more than usual. âThatâs impossible. I was drawn here. I can feel its energy." Â
The crew is quiet, and I feel like a fucking idiot. Of course, sheâs talking about the broken piece that I gave to Tallulah. Maybe this was reality coming back to bite me in the ass that we canât always have nice things.
No one is saying anything. Therefore, itâs my time to spew some bullshit. "Itâs probably just the aura still left over on the ship. Thereâs nothing here for you.â
Alaska seethes, her body quivering. âSo I saved up all my energy - fucking propelled myself across the universe - used whatever strength I had leftâŚall for nothing?!â
I feel bad but wonât let it show. I just nod my head. âYeah. You kinda did.â
Alaska lowers her weapon, eyes drawn to the ground. At first, she looks in disbelief. Then disappointed. And now her eyes arenât lifting, her chest heaving.
âIf you want, we can fly you back?â Ivy offers, shrugging her shoulders.
Instead of answering, Alaska drops to the ground, out cold.
âJesus Christ!â Bob steps back.
Iâm the only one who rushes to her. I try for a pulse. Sheâs still alive. A sigh of relief escapes my lips, and I look to the others. âAre you just gonna stand there all day? We need to help her.â
âDo we though?â Roy smirks.
âYes. We do.â I snap. Looking back at the passed out Celestial, unsure of what to actually do, I poke her on the forehead. âAlaskaâŚ?â
She stirs.
Kameron kneels on the other side and scoops her up in his arms.
âWow - wow - wow. What are you doing?â I demand.
Kameron raises a brow. âHelping?â
He turns to leave the room.
âYeah, well, be careful with her!â I call after him. Kameron is harmless. But with those muscles and her fragile state, Iâm afraid one wrong move, and sheâll snap in half.
âWhat the fuck is going on?â Phi Phi asks, standing up from her chair.
âI donât know, but I feel so unprepared. What do we do?â Ivy says.
âLetâs all just calm down.â Shea raises her hands, trying to ward off the teamâs anxieties. âLook, we donât have the stone. Weâre not gonna tell her where it is. Therefore, weâre useless to her.â
âMore reason for her to kill us,â Willam noted.
âNot if we keep the peace and give her a ride home.â Shea counters.
Too many thoughts whirlwind in my brain right now. Maybe I should just come clean and tell them about the piece of Revitalization Grain. Or maybe not. I feel like the confrontation would be worse.
âI need a smoke.â I donât even smoke.
âI need a drink.â Phi Phi adds.
âI need to stress masturbate.â Willam groans.
Iâm ready to hurl.
-_-_-_-
2 hours later and Iâm still on edge. Since Alaska broke in, Iâve had a long-ass shower, napped, ate 2 heaping bowls of cereal, and tried to find Tallulah. If anyone found out about the stone, my ass was grass.
The bot is not in her usual hangouts, which wracks my nerves up to 100âtime to try looking through the whole ship.
I search high and low, searching each room I pass. Iâm desperate to get this stone back.
âWhat are you looking for?â Milk passes me.
âTallulah. IâŚspilled somethingâ, I answer, the frustration apparent in my voice.
âSomeoneâs stressed.â Milk comments, continuing on in the opposite direction.
I bite my tongue, knowing full well that a snide remark is on the tip of it.
I find myself at the far end of the ship, where no one really visits too often. Itâs just storage and the prison cell. Yes, we have one of those in the case that a criminal boards.
Finally checking said prison cell, I donât find Tallulah. But I find Alaska. I can feel anger brewing in my chest, knowing this was what Kameron thought would be appropriate. Yes, she broke in, but she is not a threat.
Sheâs just lying there on the ground, and I feel saddened.
But she looks over her shoulder. Iâm glad to see sheâs awake.
I enter and stand before the glass barrier separating us. Alaska sits up and turns to me.
âLook what the cat dragged in,â she says.
âThe Captainâs set sail. Weâre taking you home. Should we expect an attack?â I ask.
Alaska blinks long and hard, looking away in frustration. âI donât think so.â
âGood,â I say. I could just turn and leave. But my feet are stuck to the ground. I just look down at her, feeling the pity inside. But I must remain firm for my team.
âSo, Iâm really stuck in this cell for weeks with no entertainment?â Alaska combs a clawed hand through her long hair.
âWell, when you put it that way, Iâll willingly allow you some form of entertainment. You want a book?â
Alaska gags. âIâd prefer music.â
I move to the wall on the left; thereâs a switch linked to the sound system that plays through the ship. Music used to play on repeat throughout the place. But when you hear the same songs over and over again, it becomes repetitive. I turn the volume, but not too loud as to disturb everyone else.
Some classical tune plays at random. It was never a favorite, but Alaska seems to not mind.
âYou know thereâs one moment I canât ever stop thinking about. It involves you.â She drawls.
âReally?â I let myself smirk, sounding a bit too enthusiastic.
âWhen you let me fall from that cliff.â
âOh. OK.â
âI could have died that day.â She continues. âBut honestly, as I was falling, I thought⌠thatâs alright⌠thatâs OK. Everyone would know that I was legendary.â
âI would have caught you if my reflexes were better.â I try.
âNo, you wouldnât. Then I would have had the stone.â Alaska counters.
I donât even try to argue that sheâs wrong. I know Iâd fucking blurt it out that I found her very appealing and would be pretty sad to know she died. Although, the thought of her reaction was also intriguing.
âYou want to join me in here?â She suggests.
âNot terribly.â I lie.
âAre you scared of me?"
"No.â
âWell, I find it kind of rude with the barrier between us.â
She has a point. But the team would tear me a new one.
âDonât worry. I wonât try to escape.â Alaska raises a brow. âI donât exactly have the energy right now.â
To be fair, she still seems very sluggish. I give in, scan my key card, and enter the cell. Her eyes follow me as I sit down on the ground next to her.
âAt least itâs not cold in here,â I comment.
âIâm pretty cold.â Alaska states.
You wanna cuddle? Nah, I canât say that. âIâll find you a heater later.â
âSo, Jinkx-y. What have you all been at since we last met?â Sheâs intrigued.
âNothing fascinating,â I reply. âPlanet Earth was destroyed. We got nowhere to go. No missions. Nothing.â
Alaska looks disappointed with the answer.
âIâm sorry. Were you expecting something a bit more thrilling? Well, the last time something exciting ever happened, before you got here, was a very long time ago.â I continue.
âYou have a really negative aura right now.â Alaska comments. âMaybe if you had a little more positivity, youâd find happiness.â
My brows connect. âWell, Iâve never been one of those 'fake a smileâ types. Thatâs a one way trip to a massive breakdown.â
âWho said anything about faking a smile?â Alaska tests. âIf you get out of your head, stop focusing on how boring everything else, then youâll see what the world has to offer.â
âWhat are you? A therapist?"
"See, this is what Iâm talking about? The negativity. Itâs making you more hostile. So different to the Jinkx I met back in the museum.â Alaskaâs eyes squint as she analyzes me further. âAnd no, Iâm not a
therapist. If you didnât notice before, itâs just my people are a very positive bunch. Give us a Tsunami; weâll make a water slide out of it. Give us a house fire; weâll toast marshmallows and have one hell of a party.â
I know I could never reach that level of chill. But I find it admirable.
âJinkx, how old are you?â Alaska asks.
The question catches me off guard, but I answer anyway. â33 years old.â
âWow. Youâre likeâŚway younger than I thought youâd be.â Alaskaâs brows raise in surprise.
âAre you saying I look old?"
"I was going to guess late 40âs.â
âOh, wow. Thanks.â The sudden urge to leave and go find some more wine is strong. Actually, maybe thatâs what has clearly aged me.
âLate '40s is still young, girl. But early 30âs. Thatâs really, really young. Practically still a child.â Alaska comments.
âYou have a really warped concept of age,â I note. âHow old are you then? You gotta be younger than me, at least.â
âFar from it. Iâm actually 2099 years of age. Just about to get into my 2100âs."
Iâm shocked. Only then, when she states her age, do I remember that Celestials live for a very, very, very long time. But still. I never imagined sheâd be 2 millenniums old.
"I forgot you humans only have less than 100 years.â Alaska plays with her hair again. âWhich is why I find it sad youâre just sitting here wasting what remaining time you have. You have so much to experience. A lot to learn. You just gotta open your eyes.â
âHuh, youâre not wrong.â I click my tongue. âOK, so let me know more about you."
Alaska looks flattered.
"Why the name 'Alaskaâ? Iâm guessing your parents had an interest in Earth?â
âIâm gonna let you in on a little secret. Just because I like you.â Alaska says coyly, making me blush. âItâs not my real name.â
âOh, cool. What is your real name then?â I lean forward, enthusiastically.
âIâd rather not say.â
âOK.â I donât press her. âDoes anyone know your real name?â I donât want to feel left out.
âOf course they do. But for specific and appropriate reasons. Iâd just much rather be referred to as Alaska. And what about you? Why Jinkx with a 'k.ââ Alaska lies on her side, propping her head up with a hand.
âI donât know. My Mom liked it, I guess.â I also lie on my side, and I just smile at her.
âJinkx Jenner fan?â Alaska asked.
I shook my head. âI have no clue. Honestly, she wasnât very present for my childhood. I never had the chance to find out.â I see the sorrowful look on her face. And I regret taking the conversation to a dark place. Before she can ask about the rest of my family, I take a turn and ask a question. âSo likeâŚare you broke or something? Iâm guessing thatâs why you wanted the stone so bad.â I smirk.
âWhat do you mean?â Alaskaâs brow raises.
âThe marquee. You were charging people to see the stone.â
âOh, that . I guess that was just a perk. Not really different from people paying to see it in the museum.â Alaska explains, her smile slowly fading. âBut no, thatâs not the real reason.â
With a sigh, she sits up again, leaning her back against the wall. Her chest heaves, eyes looking upward. Itâs like sheâs avoiding me, or the topic. Iâm unsure of which one.
âWhatâs wrong?â I ask.
âIt'sâŚâ she pauses like sheâs trying to find words. And then she sighs through her nostrils. âIt doesnât matter.â
Concern takes me over. I sit up and move towards the wall beside her. âHey, itâs OK. You can say it. Itâs just me.â I say as if sheâs known me for years. I donât know why I said it. I guess I just really want her to trust me.
Alaska avoids my eyes. âI really canât. It could be dangerous for Glamtron.â
âGlamtron?"
"Yes, my planet.â
âYou mean Celestia?â
âNo. Glamtron.â
ââŚâ
ââŚâ
âAlaska, youâre from Celestia.â
âNo, itâs called Glamtron.â
âSays who?â
âI do. I renamed it.â
My head cocks to the side. â You renamed it?â
âYes. I do have the power and the authority to do that, after all."
My eyes widen. "Wait a minute. Are you sayingâŚâ
âYes, I am the Queen. Alaska Thunderfuck from the planet Glamtron.â She says so proudly. âSo, yes. I really did rename it to Glamtron.â
I donât even care about the name change any more. Iâm justâŚbeyond shocked. Here, I am; Jinkx Monsoon, a space nerd, sitting with royalty.
"Fuck. I just⌠donât know how to act all of a sudden.â I say.
âWell, Iâm not looking very Queenly right now. Just see me as Alaska from the exhibit for now."
"I know, but⌠Iâve studied Celes - -â Alaska shoots me a look, âGlamtron before. Thereâs never been any mention of an Alaska before. And youâve been alive for so long. HowâŚâ I trail off, not knowing how to even finish my statement.
âBecause Alaska isnât my real name.â She says as if I should have remembered that. I thought she would have been happy to know I forgot.
âWell.â I pause. âI hate to ask, but what do they refer to you as?â
She licks her teeth like sheâs slightly frustrated. âOK. Fine. But you gotta promise to always call me Alaska.â
âCross my heart.â I place a hand over my heart to seal the deal.
âOK.â She looks to the door as if afraid anyone will just wander in. Then she looks at me, leans in close, and whispers, âMy name is actually Thriks.â
My first thought is, 'Oh, yikes. That is kinda awful.â But now Iâm thinking back to my reading. And I am definitely familiar. The Queen Thriks was known as a wild party animal, yet a loving and caring mother-like figure. She was always so strong for her people and went out of her way for them, making sure everyone was in high spirits. Because of her loving nature, she was to go down in history as one of the most adored Queens of Celestia.
âI have read about you,â I say quietly.
âAnd youâre little history books and articles. Do they still call it Celestia?â Alaska stretches the âsâ in Celestia out.
âUh, huh.â
âIf I was a different person, Iâd sue."
But weâre getting off track. I need answers. "WellâŚI could write about you? Iâd write you as Alaska . Iâd call it Glamtron . Iâd make everything right if you help me."
Alaska bats her lashes. "Youâd do that for me?â
âYes!â I exclaim, grabbing her hand.
âHmmmâŚâ she brings a finger to her mouth, thinking, âI canât wait for the part where I robbed the museum. Iâm sure there will be some bitterness in those words.â
Sheâs kind of right. Yeah, Iâm having a good time talking with her. But she did kind of cost me my job. I purse my lips as the classical song ends, transitioning to something from the 1980s.
âAlaska, why did you take the stone?â I ask again.
Sheâs silent again, pretending to be distracted by the catchy Madonna music.
âAlaska, I need to know if Iâm going to write your story."
She stops bobbing her head, huffing put through her nostrils. "Jinkx, I really canât.â
âWhy not? You told me your name.â
âBecause thatâs different.â
âHow?â
âBecause itâs dangerous.â
âWhy?â My tone becomes more demanding.
âBecause it just is,â Alaska replies, her tone the same.
âFor who? Us? Are we in trouble?â
âNo! For my people.â
âSoâŚyou donât trust me?â I ask in an accusing manner. Seems a bit emotional blackmail-ish, but Iâm desperate to know.
âI do trust you, Jinkx. But I canât say the same for your team.â She says with venom.
âMy team are good people!â I say. âThey have never caused any harm.â
âThey terrified my people that day.â Alaska countered. I figure sheâs talking about the day we arrived in Celestia.
âAnd how is that any different to the night of the exhibit?"
"Because unlike you all, we had a good reason.â
âAnd that is?â
âJinkx, youâre really really starting to piss me off.â
âDonât ignore the question. What am I going to do? Go out and tell my big bad teammates? Why would I do that if I have no idea what the consequences are?â
âBecause weâre vulnerable, Jinkx!â Alaska shouts. Her volume causes me to shrink away. Sheâs gritted her teeth, kneeling on her knees and towering over me now. Iâm actually scared.
âLook at me!â She presses her hands against her chest. âIâm fucking dying! My planet is dying. My people are dying!â
In my moment of shock, as Alaska looks down on me, pieces of the puzzle come together in my head.
Thriks; the loving Queen who went out of her way for her people.
The attack on the museum.
The Revitalization Grain.
The one thing that brought restoration and reincarnation.
âYou wanna save them,â I speak through a whisper.
With a sigh, Alaska sinks back to the ground. Her head lowers, blonde hair covering her face.
âJinkx, the stone is of Glamtron origin. It was lost 300 years ago, in the middle of the war with the Holoxyans. For so long, we were wasting away, trying to build up our own energy to keep ourselves alive. And from just laying around, we were just dying anyway. And I had no idea what to do. I didnât know how to save them.â Alaskaâs voice cracks. âFor years, I had to watch as many gave what little energy they had left to my team and me. Just so we could go find the stone.â
Iâm horrified as realization hits; Iâve brought doom to an entire planet.
âPlease, I donât want anyone other than us to know,â Alaska states firmly. âGlamtron has no defense. If someone knows how vulnerable we are, it makes us a prime target for invasion. The Holoxyans. They will attack.â
I move close to her again. I resist the urge to throw my arms around her, now aware of literally how fragile she is. I take her hand graciously; my own eyes must be glistening. âAlaska, Iâm so sorry.â
She puts her other hand on top of mine. âI do trust you, Jinkx. Iâm justâŚterrified.â
âI know. I know.â I say quietly.
Alaska hasnât shed any tears. They were right when they said Thriks was a strong bitch. I held back my own tears, fearing it would be selfish.
âSo, no. Itâs not because Iâm broke.â Alaska comments. And I nervous laugh. She laughs too. âYou promise this stays between us?â She looks me in the eye.
Is it inappropriate to say at this moment Iâm just smitten by the dark irises? âI promise.â I squeeze her hands reassuringly.
âGreat.â She nods. And she leans forward, kissing me on the cheek.
I could fucking melt. The high must be kicking in again because the lights are dimming, thereâs some sort of pink aura emerging, the music is louder, and Alaska feels warm.
She pulls away. I expect a smile. But sheâs looking around her as if sheâs experiencing the same thing.
âAlaska, look.â I point to her wrist. She looks just in time to see something glitter under her skin, like sparkly pink blood flowing through her veins.
Sheâs looking at me now like something has just hit her in the head like a brick. I donât know what, so I just stare back in confusion. âWhatâs - -â
Iâm cut off as she grabs my face.
And she kisses me again.
On the lips.
Suddenly, I know what pink glitter tastes like, even though Iâm pretty sure there is no taste. Her kiss is so gentle, which I do not expect from her. Sheâs lifted a hand to my cheek, stroking a nail along my skin. And I hope this is a sign sheâs not just in it for some nice colors floating around the air. I feel this spark, and it will kill me if she doesnât feel it too. Upon having this thought, I wrap my arms around her tiny waist. The butterflies in my stomach are going wild, my heart is pounding so hard, yet all I can focus on is the soft feel of her lips.
She pulls away, and I almost pull her back in. But Iâm taken aback by the room now . Like, am I tripping right now, or are there really purple fireflies floating around?
Alaskaâs looking around in awe as well. I guess itâs not the cosmic-high feeling from her kiss.
âWell, thatâs never happened before.â Alaska looks back to me with a smirk. The holographic glitter has resurfaced, decorating the sides of her face.
And her hair, almost pale white, longer and thicker. I canât help but run my fingers through it. Never has hair felt silkier to me.
Sheâs glancing down at my hand, still playing with her locks. âI feelâŚalive again.â She breathes out a laugh, pulling away from me, admiring the healthy color of her skin, the glittery fluid coursing through her.
I look away, noting how the floaty lights remain. But the hit is gone. So this is real. There really are tiny glowy orbs floating around us.
"Wow. What is this song?â Alaska asks, moving her body to the rhythm of the music. The 1980s song has long ended. Instead, the song Courtney was singing earlier plays.
âIâll have to find that out for you. Youâd think Iâd know it. Weâve heard it so many damn times now. Itâs kind of annoying.â I laugh.
âWhy do you think that?"
"Itâs justâŚtoo depressing, I guess. I mean, listen to the words.â
âThis is what Iâm talking about. Donât focus on whatâs black and white. Listen to the music.â Alaska turns to face me, her long arms rippling to the tune.
I donât want to be an annoying son of a gun and ruin the tender moment for us, so I take her advice and really listen to the music.
âNot anyone, youâre the one, more than fun, youâre the Sanctuary,
'Cause what you want is what I want, Sincerity.â
My eyes are closed, and my body is swaying. And Iâm feeling it. Like the music is flowing through me. âHey. I think youâre right.â
âSee?â I open my eyes to see her move toward me. She takes my hands in hers. And we spin in a slow circle.
âSouls that dream alone lie awake, Iâll give you something so real.â
As the chorus kicks in, the dance has picked up a pace. I donât even know what kind of dancing this is. Letâs say a mix of slow dancing and ballroom. And I laugh when she spins me around. I try to return the gesture, but sheâs too tall, and I nearly knock her in the face. Iâm embarrassed for a few seconds, but sheâs laughing. And it makes me feel less like an idiot.
I canât keep up this pace; Iâm falling so hard right now. I slow myself down, hoping she gets the hint.
âHold me oh so close, 'cause youâll never know just how long our lives will be.â
I wrap my arms around the small of her back, pulling her to me. I can see the small floaty lights reflecting in her dark eyes. And now itâs my turn to kiss her. Iâm really, really falling hard.
I could stay like this forever, rocking side to side, just kissing Alaska. But reality has to come back and creep into my brain, doesnât it?
I know this wonât last. Weâll eventually have to part when we leave her back to her dying planet, and my team and I will continue on wasting away.
I stop kissing her to get another look at those eyes, and she lays her head on my shoulder. We continue to sway side to side. And the thought of letting go is making all kinds of negative emotions surface. Am I glad for this moment? Oh, absolutely. If she hadnât broken in, Iâd still be in my room, either sleeping or waiting for Tallulah to finish cleaning.
âWaitâŚâ I say.
âWhat is it?â Alaska speaks into the crook of my neck.
âIâŚâ I pause, âOK, donât get mad. But I kinda lied to you.â She lifts her head at this. âYou were right about sensing the stone. The truth is I have a piece.â
Her eyes widen. âI knew I felt it.â
âItâs small. But itâll give you more strength.â I suggest with raised brows.
âNo. I have enough right now. I donât know how butâŚyou ignite something in me, I guess. As for the stone, I know a few people back home who could use it more.â Alaska suggested.
âWell, good. Wait here.â I give her a small kiss. âIâll be back in a second.â
âDonât worry, I wonât be going anywhere.â She calls as I leave the cell.
Iâm too buzzed to search every damn room. I just search for the nearest human who will provide me with answers. I find two in the security room. Ivy and Courtney.
âWhich one of you whores have seen Tallulah?â I ask, peaking my head in.
âNot me.â Courtney answers. Sheâs got a smirk on her face, and I know somethings up.
âMe neither. But weâll tell you what we did see.â Ivy gestures to the 5th screen, showing Alaska still dancing around in her cell.
My eyes widen. âYou were spying on us?â
âNot our intention. We thought weâd keep an eye on things in case something happened.â Ivy then laughs. âAnd I guess it did.â
The shame takes me over, and my face flushes with shame and embarrassment. âOh, for Godâs sake.â
âI actually think itâs adorable. Very Romeo and Juliet.â Courtney coos.
I roll my eyes. This is all incredibly immature. But I know theyâre not going to just let it go. âOK, kids. Iâll let you have your fun. But it stays between us. Anyway, whereâs Tallulah?â
âWe told you. We donât know.â Courtney replies. âTry her closet.â
âOK.â I turn to leave, not before turning and pointing at the two. âRemember; it stays between us 3.â
âYou got it, girl.â Ivy smirks.
I waste no more time with them and rush to the cleaning room, which just so happens to be at the end of this corridor, just around the corner. My pace is so quick, I almost trip.
Upon getting to the door, Iâm thankful to find Tallulah is here but shut down. âTallulah?"
No response. I clap my hands 2 times as if itâll bring her to life. Itâs never worked before, so I donât even know why I tried.
When she doesnât power up, I roll my eyes, grabbing a bottle of disinfectant from the shelf and dropping it on the ground.
Tallulah is up and running in a matter of seconds.
"No. Stop.â I move forward to stop her from going to the bottle. âTallulah, I have a huge favor to ask.â
â :0 ? ���
âYou remember that glowy thing I gave to you?â
âđâ
âGood. Where is it?â
A box on her build opens, revealing the chipped off piece of Revitalization Grain. But I canât just take it.
âWell, thatâs good that you havenât lost it. Can I have it back, please?â
â :( â
âOK, itâs not that I want it. I need it.â
â >:( â
Iâm serious. Thereâs no time to argue.â
â đ¤Źđ˘đđŁđŤđŤââ â
I lick my teeth beneath my pursed lips, realizing this isnât going to be as easy as it seemed.
"Look, Tallulah, I know you like it. Itâs pretty. Itâs glowy. I get it.â I soften my tone. âBut there are people out there who are dying. A lot of people. But this tiny little stone? It can help them get better. If you give it back to me, youâre saving the lives of so many. You could be a hero.â My brows raise.
ââŚâ
Wow, talk about being left on read.
â đď¸ â
âYes. Jesus Christ! Thank you!â I quickly hug her. She hands me the small stone, and I pat her on the head. âYouâre a lifesaver. Literally.â
â 𤺠â
Not sure what she meant by that one, but I leave her to it. I hold the small rock tight in my hand, seeing its glow seep through the gaps in my fingers. And I canât believe that thereâs a chance we can help Alaska save Glamtron. Even if I canât be with her, I would feel better knowing everything is better back on her planet.
I pass the kitchen and stop dead in my tracks. Sheaâs all alone, just staring out at the window. Fuck. I can feel it. The dread creeping up.
âCaptain,â I address her. It feels weird calling her that. Sheâs just been 'Sheaâ for a long time now. But with the new task, I guess itâs only appropriate.
She looks away from the window, taken by surprise. âJinkx, you scared me.â She sniffs, quickly wiping at her eyes. Fuck, this isnât good.
I walk into the room. âYou feeling OK?â
She sighs. âYeah, I guess I will be.â
She goes back to looking out the window. Standing next to her, I follow her gaze. And I immediately recognize the area.
Large masses of rock float around in the distance. Remains of the Earth.
I purse my lips for a moment, trying to make sense of it. I almost feel confused by what Iâm looking at. I know what happened, but it still feelsâŚunfamiliar. âYouâd think someone would clean this mess up,â I say.
âNo. This is a graveyard, Jinkx. It has to stay.â Shea states.
âFair enough.â
We continue to stare, like weâre in some sort of trance, watching the pieces float around.
âWanna hear something funny?â Shea asks, giving me a sad smile.
The mournful aura is weighing down on both of us. Something funny right now would be great. âYeah, of course.â
âAs soon as she broke in, I knew it was our chanceâa new purpose. Finally, for the first time in a long, long time, we get to do our thing. And I wasâŚso fucking excited. I couldnât fucking wait.â She laughs.
I donât find it funny, but her happiness is making me happy.
But her smile drops. And I know now when she said if I wanted to hear something funny, it wasnât going to be funny at all.
âBut then what? What happens after we leave Celestia?â She asks, looking at me with wet eyes.
Nothing happens. We go back to the same old shit and hope that something good happens.
Shea mustâve been holding back a sob because she chokes, grabbing my attention. She covers her mouth as if it will hold back the other ones.
âHey, itâll be fine.â I grab her free hand.
But my words are meaningless. I donât know if it will be OK or not. So I hug her hoping itâll help some.
She whispers in my ear, âI just want my family.â
Iâm devastated. I really am the lucky one. Who knew being abandoned by my own mother at such a young age could be such a blessing? Because this anguish Shea is expressing? Itâs soul-destroying.
She cries into my shoulder some more, and I run my thumb along the back of her shoulder. I canât even tell her itâs alright. Because I know it wonât be.
I look at the stone in my hand, still hugging Shea. If only this stupid glowy thing could restore the life of this ship. If only it brought back the good times, the adventure, the danger.
I continue to stare at the stone. And I have no idea why, but something I thought about earlier resurfaces.
The loving Queen who went out of her way for her people.
âFuck.â I whisper.
âIâm sorry.â Shea sniffles, lifting her head. She dabs her eyes with her pinky.
âItâs not you. Itâs - -â I begin. But I fail to find words to explain my thought process.
All I can say is I know what I need to do now.
I look at my Captain for what will probably be the last time. âShea, when the time is right, come find me.â
âWhat?â
âYouâll know what I mean.â
I pull away from her and go to leave the room, her voice calling after me. But I donât listen. I need to do this.
-_-_-_-
Alaska stands as I enter the room. I pull the stone from my pocket, and sheâs already drawn.
âFuck, you werenât kidding when you - -â
I cut her off with a kiss, something to give her more energy. I donât know how much sheâll need to make it to the escape pod, but hopefully, this should do it.
I pull away. âChange of plan, honâ. You wanna rob the museum?â
âWhat?â Her brows cross.
âIâm gonna make things right - Iâm gonna get the Revitalization Grain back, weâre gonna take it back to Glamtron. And I donât care if that makes me some sort of intergalactic space villain. When the time comes, weâre gonna fight for your planet.â I babble, and only when I finish do I realize how nuts I sound.
Alaskaâs blinking, as if struggling to comprehend everything I just said. âJinkx, you know the stone? You know itâs called the Glitter Bomb, right? And before you argue, yes, I named it that.â
I roll my eyes, adoring her dorky side. And I hand over the piece of the stone. If weâre getting the glitter bomb - as she calls it- she might as well have this piece now.
As soon as itâs in her hand, sheâs glowing. Itâs breathtaking.
Sheâs breathtaking.
âCome on. We need to get to an escape pod quick.â I take her hand.
âNo need. I say we take the quicker way.â
âAnd that is?â
She wraps her long arms around my waist. âYou better hang tight.â
And in a matter of seconds, light envelopes us. And the atmosphere changes. Weâre outside. If it wasnât for my trust in her, Iâd panic at the thought of suffocating. But I can breathe, and I know itâs one of her quirks.
Weâre blasting at the speed of light, passing many planets and stars that would take weeks to pass. And I wonder if people on other planets are looking up at us right now, thinking weâre a shooting star and making wishes.
Speaking of wishes, I kind of wish I could see whatâs happening back at the ship. I can just picture it. The sight of Alaska and I whooping by the windows, Shea realizing whatâs going on, giving commands and ordering everyone to get a move on. Ivy trying to figure out where we went, giving her plenty of searching to do. Milk, Kameron, and Bob working on kicking the ship back into action. Everyone just running around, trying to shake the energy back into themselves.
'Cause they have a new purpose now. I am their enemy. And that couldnât make me happier. Because I know theyâll be thankful for giving this to them, something we all had been waiting for.
But what makes me happier, more than anything, is that Iâm here with Alaska. Weâre going to save Glamtron, the planet formally known as Celestia. Weâre going to protect it at all costs.
And, most importantly, Iâm going to be with her for the rest of my life.
#rpdr fanfiction#jinkx monsoon#alaska thunderfuck#ivy winters#shea coulee#courtney act#bianca del rio#jalaska#fluff#sci fi#angst#hurt/comfort#lesbian au#head in the clouds#grinder#concrit welcome
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SUGAR HIGH, chapter iii. (w. JJK)
You're not entirely sure when it happened, though you'd come to terms with it. You'd counted the days, waiting for the inevitable. You'd truly thought you'd be okay, but by the broken, half-beating thing in your chest - you knew you'd never really been prepared.
alt summary. Â You thought youâd known real love and maybe you had - it just wasnât with who you thought.
pairing. Â jeon jungkook. Â mentions/involvement of ot7.
tags. Â angst, break up, post-break up, comfort, OT7, slow burn, friendship, moving on, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, emotional bagge, fluff, canon compliant, jeon jungkook is bad at feelings, jeon jungkook is a good friend, jeon jungkook is a sweetheart.
rating. Â general (for now?)
word count. Â ~2300
chapter 3. Â Stay with Me
You fall back into old habits but nothing is the same as it was. Â He is sunshine and honeycomb digging into your molars, sending you on a sugar high. Â You are a heart covered in rust and cobwebs and every minute with him is too good to be true.
You were busying yourself in the kitchen by the time he'd stood up, shifting weight from foot to foot as he pressed his hands together above his head. Crack, crack, crack came the sound of his spine, realigning in relief as he straightened up. Â
Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Jungkook studies the apartment, trying to remember what's changed.
The rug on the floor is the same - sunflower yellow and fuzzy. He'd vetoed it when you'd originally bought it in your first year of university, insistent that it would clash with everything else. He's reminded he'd been wrong. It fits just right here, in this little piece of your personality brought to life.
There are photos tucked beneath the glass panel of your coffee table, slotted between lacquered wood. There's a few of the two of you - one being a Polaroid with his signature scrawled across the bottom in silver Sharpie. You'd asked him to sign it a few years ago, claiming you'd be able to sell it for thousands of dollars when Bangtan had taken over the world. You'd only faltered when he frowned, pressing a kiss to his cheek and smearing mint-flavoured lip balm over the skin there. "I'm kidding, Jungkook. I'd never sell anything so priceless," you'd murmured, a twinkle in your eye. His heart swells at the memory, a symphony within his chest that suddenly feels too warm.
The far wall houses a painting that looks like it was done by a child - or Jackson Pollock. It's a white canvas with contrasting colours strewn across it with little rhyme or reason, vibrant coral blending among faded green and stark black. Messy scrawl in the bottom righthand corner looks suspiciously like Jungkook's signature.Â
Being here, among your things, feels like home again. So it's easy when he gathers his backpack and disappears down the hallway into your bedroom.Â
He's walked this same path a hundred times.Â
He tosses his bag at the foot of your bed before dragging his shirt over his head and tossing it into your laundry hamper. He figures you'll do it with the rest of your clothes and then conveniently forget to give it back, as you've always done. Not that he minds. Not that he's ever minded. It means he'll always have clothes around for times like this, means his designated drawer will never be empty. Â
It shouldn't make him as happy as it does - the fact that the drawer still exists. Â
You'd proclaimed it as his one afternoon when he'd dropped by in between vocal lessons. You'd been rummaging around in your drawers when he'd barged in - he'd had a key then, before all of this - two iced coffees balanced in a cardboard tray per your request. You'd hardly looked up when he'd settled into your computer chair, aware of his stare digging into the back of your head as you sorted clothes into two piles.Â
"What're you doing," he'd asked curiously, watching you study an oversized grey shirt in your hands.
"I'm giving you a drawer. You have too much random stuff here. I can never find my own things." You'd said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Of course Jungkook would get a drawer. He deserved a place here in your home, just as he did in your heart. He was your best friend.
You'd felt more than heard him creep up behind you, his chin coming to rest on your shoulder as he settled on his knees. God, he was so boney.
"You know this means you'll never get rid of me, right?"
You'd laughed at that, the sound bouncing around the room like a hyperactive pink bunny. He remembered how your eyes had crinkled at the corners, little wrinkles forming around your nose as you turned to meet his stare. Â
"I think I figured that out a long time ago, Kookie."
Crouching beside the drawer in question, his fingers brush the polished metal of the handle. Would the contents be covered in dust, long forgotten when you'd moved out? He pauses for a moment before some invisible string is urging him forward.Â
The drawer slides open with little resistance and he realizes he's holding his breath.
Relax, Jungkook.
Nestled among the wood are neatly folded shirts and a few sweaters. Further back are a pair of sweatpants and, hilariously, a pack of unopened boxer briefs. Â
It's with some satisfaction that he notes everything seems freshly laundered - or at the very least, recently handled. (Other than the boxers, that is.) The scent of your detergent - the one you both use - lingers on the fabric.Â
He can't help but smile as he plucks a heavily worn sweater and the semi-familiar sweatpants out before tearing through the pack of boxers. He tosses the articles of clothing on the bed, only hesitating when he catches your familiar scent on the collar of the sweater.Â
You must've worn it recently. He hopes so.
You're leaning against the counter, hip resting idly upon the cool top as you wait for the batter to crisp up. Your fingers are tugging at the hem of your shirt - twisting the cotton this way and that as you worry the inside of your cheek.
For once, you're not thinking of him, of the past. Instead, you're focused on making this first pancake perfect (even though you know the first one is always a write-off).
Jungkook hasn't had your cooking in a while and the last thing you need is him making fun of you.
Humming to yourself, you poke gently at the batter, pleased when it pulls from the pan with little resistance. A little noise of triumph slips between your lips, pleasure etched into every line of your expression as you shift back once again. You know it's silly to derive such happiness from something so small but when everything feels a little too heavy, this is a welcome reprieve.
You'd slept well for the first time in days, your best friend was home, and you were alive.Â
Sure, it wasn't the lottery, but it was something.Â
"Smells good." His voice steals your attention and you turn to see him sauntering into the kitchen, crossing from the hallway and into your personal space in only three steps. His hair is fluffy, just barely wet still and swinging to and fro across his forehead.Â
You beam, proud as can be, as you turn your attention back to the kimchijeon. "Thanks - I tried."
You miss the way he stares at you with a tenderness that would stop your heart.
He's wrapping his arms around your shoulders, careful not to rest too much of his weight on you. He draws you back against his chest, his own feet carrying both of you backwards until he's leaning against the sink. He allows another little yawn to slip past his lips.
"Want to watch a movie while we eat? Or after?"
You want to tease him, make a bet that he'll fall asleep five minutes in - he often does - but instead you hum an affirmation. He feels it reverberated through his own chest. "Whatever you want, Jungkook-ah," you agree finally, gently jostling his hold on you as you slide the pancake from pan to plate before ladling out another scoop of batter. Â
The words you don't verbalize speak volumes. He knows you'll agree to anything he says because he feels that same countdown he does, a reminder of his limited time with you.Â
You know he'll always make time for you but this feels different - clandestine, special. Maybe because it's the first time it's just been the two of you in a very long time.Â
Whatever it is, you want to hold onto it for as long as you can before he's pulled away by obligations once more.Â
So you allow yourself to be held by him, to be cradled against his chest like you belong there. You don't even complain when he accidentally knocks your left hand, causing you to drop one of your chopsticks. You simply huff a little sound - loud enough for him to hear but gentle enough for him to know it's all in good fun - and grab another from your cutlery drawer.Â
"Can you grab the beer?"Â You ask once you've finished the last pancake, carefully sliding it atop the others while simultaneously flicking off the stove.Â
He's ahead of you, grabbing the bottles from the fridge while snaking the plates you've just finished. He calls over his shoulder as he disappears around the corner, framed in the kitchen nook like some kind of boy-next-door dream come true.
"You choose the movie."
You'd decided on one of the Avengers movies, partially because it was mindless entertainment and partially because you couldn't resist the look of disappointment you'd caught darting across Jungkook's face when you'd swept past it.Â
Settled into the loveseat, you nibbled languidly at a crispy edge, careful to avoid dropping crumbs into the crown of the boy beneath you.
You really weren't sure why he'd opted to sit on the floor, sprawled between your knees, rather than in the seat beside you or the more spacious chaise perpendicular to you. You weren't complaining, though.
"Your English is getting better," you muse.
Beneath you, your best friend preens at the praise, gaze darting from the screen to your face. He doesn't even falter when he thanks you. "I've been practicing a lot with Namjoon. He thinks I'll be able to talk more during interviews."
You can't help but snicker at the way he pronounces his hyung's name in the unfamiliar tongue, the ah taking on a curiously nasal lilt.Â
"What!"Â He's challenging you, broad chest pushing against the front of your knees as he twists around, seemingly forgetting about the movie that plays behind him.
"You're just so cute, Jungkook-ah."Â
This catches him off-guard, the adjective somehow sounding so much more when it isn't in his mother tongue. For a second, he curses you for having one-upped him. Damn you and your time abroad.
He mumbles something unintelligible as he turns around once more, allowing the weight of his back to rest fully upon your legs once more. He hopes you don't catch the way his ears burn when thin fingers part his strands, gently musing the downy softness with unbridled affection.Â
For his sake, you pretend not to notice.
By the time the credits roll, you can tell he's half-asleep, head lolling to the side as he does his best to keep upright. You feel his breath, hot through the material of your sweatpants, as you shift behind him, shaking him awake as gently as you can.
"We should go to bed. I know you'll have to be up early tomorrow."
It's only a guess but when you've been with him the better part of a decade, it's as educated as can be.
"I'm sleepy," he returns, though it comes out more like a whisper. He's nothing but a big adorable baby as he readjusts, single arm curling around the line of your calf. If you could take a picture of this moment right now, you would - but you're terrified of stealing him from whatever half-remembered dreamland he's currently in.
"I know, I know."Â You all but coo as you move to stand, dragging his fingers from your hand in an attempt to haul him to his feet.Â
It's futile, of course. He's a good ten centimetres taller than you and undeniably heavier than you. You'd hardly move him on a good day and certainly not when he's near deadweight.
"Come on. Get up." Â
You're surprised when he does, surging to his full height without any further urging. You're even more surprised when he brings you with him, sweeping you into his arms as if you were nothing but a bag of feathers.
A squeak parts your lips, settles into the collar of his shirt - truthfully, your shirt, considering how often you wear it - and you lean into his hold. You tell yourself it's so you don't bring the two of you crashing down by flailing. He doesn't mind, either way.Â
Jungkook is happy - over the moon, really - as he makes his way to your bedroom, pausing by the hallway to let you switch the light off. He's careful of your head, making sure not to knock your pretty little crown of (grown out) blonde as he navigates in the dark. It's not hard, but he finds himself taking extra time, enjoying the weight of you in his arms.
When you reach your bedroom, he deposits you into bed like you're priceless, carefully tugging the unmade sheets up to your chin.
"Sweet dreams, jagi." There's a pause, the briefest uncertainty, before he's pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. Â
Your skin burns where he'd touched you, each nerve ending alive with something you can't quite place. It almost distracts you from the fact that he's slipping away, almost out of reach. "Where are you going?"Â
His head cocks as it always does, rounded lips pulling into something like confusion.
Before he can speak, you're pulling your blanket down, patting the other half of your bed like it was made for him. "I don't have germs, you know." You mean to sound light and breezy, noncommittal, but there's something just beneath the surface that belies the truth. A quiet despondency that only reveals itself in the dead of night.
You don't want to be alone again - and he could never say no.
So he slips between the sheets, ignoring the staccato rhythm of his heart as he lays his head down. All around him is you - your face in muted light, your smell in the sheets, the heat of your body from no more than a hairsbreadth away. It's hard to focus with you so close, an appreciative smile spread over your cherry mouth.  When your hand finds his in the dark, though, it doesn't matter.Â
All that matters is you, and him, and this little piece of paradise.
notes. Â that was really just a lot of fluff. fluff fluff fluff. but i'm thinking it's going to get rocky...
#bts fluff#bts#bts fanfic#bts fic#jeon jungkook#jungkook#jungkook fanfic#jungkook fic#jungkook fluff#jungkook x you#jungkook x reader#jungkook x oc#work.zip#bestfriends.zip#sugarhigh.doc#jungkook.doc
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Teachers donât date teachers (but You-sensei and Riko-sensei definitely are) Ch10
Summary: The whole student body and teachers teases the gym teacher, Watanabe You, with the new art teacher, Sakurauchi Riko, that they make a cute couple. How long can You deny this when Riko isnât helping to reduce the rumours?
Pairing: YouRiko
Genre: Romance, Fluff, Slice of Teacher Life ;D
Words: 1066
Author Notes
I wanna write more of this!
May you enjoy~ XD
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Tease10 - You-senseiâs heart is going doki-doki-doki?! (And itâs all because of Riko-sensei!)
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 The awkward moment begins again when dinner and teasing are over and another change of clothes is called for.Â
You stands up awkwardly, blinks a myriad of times before finding her voice, "I-"Â
"I can change on my own this time, You-chan." Riko moves her legs out from under the blankets and You quickly averts her eyes from staring.Â
"T-That's good. I'll. Be...outside!" You dashes out the room, closing it behind her, not hearing the art teacher's giggle.Â
You sighs as she rests her back and head against the door of Rikoâs room, putting a hand over her racing heart.
Why do I get so weird in front of Riko-chan..? SheeshâŚ
You focuses on nothing for a time as she questions her flustered self she could not understand at this point; and after really long minutes, she started looking around restlessly, noting the faded pink walls and very clustered space all around.
Riko-sensei- ErâŚRiko-chan sure has a lot of art stuff.
You turns her head around a little, wondering how things are going on the other side of this wooden door.
Riko-chan isâŚchanging-
âIâm done.â Rikoâs soft voice sounds and You jumps a step back.
âAh! Um, okay! IâŚIâll come in?â Youâs hand hovers at the knob and she turns a shade redder when she hears the art teacherâs lyrical giggle coming from inside.
AhhhâŚWatanabe You!! Why do you do this to yourself??
âYes.â Riko answers and You takes a few deep breaths to compose herself before opening the door.
Changed.
You thinks as she looks at Riko dressed in a long pastel pink shirt. The ash-brunette couldnât make out of Riko was wearing anything below but at leastâŚthe art teacherâs behind was covered by the length of that shirt. You didnât have to question it to know her cheeks were warm and flushed again.
âWell.â You begins with a clap and craning her neck away awkwardly.
Riko sits on the side of her bed. âWell?â
Well. You told me to stay the night. With you. In your house. Just you and me! So!!
âIâll be outside if you need me.â You rubs the back of her neck awkwardly as she takes a few steps backwards to exit the room once again.
Riko simply watches the gym teacher go; her lips moving like she wanted to say something but she was holding back. You closes the door behind her before opening it again in the next second. Riko arches an eyebrow at the ash-brunette who was blushing cutely.
âErâŚGoo- Goo- Good night. RikoâŚchan.â You stutters out.
Was it supposed to be so difficult to say good night to someone?!
Riko chuckles with a hand over her mouth. âGood night, You-chan~â
You stares helplessly at the art teacher who was obviously entertained by her silly self. You grunts and closes the door.
Riko-chan is having way too much fun! Iâm doing my best to take care of her here and she just keepsâŚkeepsâŚmaking me feel weird all over.
You sighs again; the day she understands these feelings of hers, the happier she will be. The ash-brunette pauses as she accessed her sleeping space.
âSeriously?â
You thought she could sleep on the sofa but it was covered in canvases and brushes of all sizes and other paint tools, plus old newspaper all over to perhaps protect the sofa or the art material; You couldnât quite tell.
You ruffles her hair and shakes her head.
Maybe a spare roomâŚ
You carries her feet over to the only spare room available since Rikoâs apartment was a 3-room flat (2 rooms and a living room). You never felt so much disbelief and despair before. The room was filled with more art stuff!
âI know youâre an art teacher butâŚbut do you really need that many art materials!â You cries out to herself; giving the spare room a quick scan, hoping that there might be a mini couch Riko might use to rest after long hours of being arty.
AnythingâŚanythingâŚjust a space that fits for an adult to stretch out her legsâŚandâŚnope.
You trudges back out and hesitantly looks at Rikoâs room door.
Do I go back in..?
You scratches her cheek. âMaybe ask her if she has a spare bedâŚâ
You knocks on the door and it didnât take long for Riko to respond so she opens the door once again. âR-Riko-chanâŚDo you have aâŚspare bed?â
âI donât.â Riko replies as she turned to press the space on her bed.
She hasnât gone to bed huhâŚ
âI see. Then I-â
âJust sleep with me on the same bedâŚâ Riko makes eye contact with You; soft, beckoning hazels staring into widening in bewilderment azure eyes.
âWha-â
âI donât mind.â Riko adds gently.
Well, I do!
âNo, IâŚâ
Riko makes a sad face. âOr I could find some spare towelsâŚand sleep on the floor-â
âSleep on the floor?? No, no. You canât. Youâre sick. You-â
You stops mid exclamation when she sees the art teacherâs small smile; smile but indicating the big news that she has won. Riko pats the space to her right.
âUgh, fine, fine. Weâll share the bed.â You pouts as she makes her way to the opposite side of the bed, plopping herself down quickly before her brain and heart decided otherwise.
Riko giggles soft as she pulls the blanket over herself.
âOnly because youâre stubborn and unreasonable.â You grumbles as she lies down.
The art teacher chuckles, and You was doing her best to not look over to Riko who was hardly ten centimetres away, considering Riko sleeps on a single bed. âRegretting being my caretaker?â
You breathes out heavily as she shifts her head further away from Riko. ââŚNoâŚIâd still choose to be your caretaker.â
I donât want it to be anyone elseâŚ
âOh? Youâll choose me, huh~?â The lilt in Rikoâs voice oozing with glee as she giggled to herself.
Riko-chan!!
Youâs cheeks explodes in a deeper blush than it already was and coughed rather embarrassingly beside Riko. âJust- Just sleep already, Riko-chan!â
Riko laughs unabashedly on her side of the bed for a time before she returned to a calmer breathing pace. âGood night~ You-chan.â
âGood nightâŚâ You replies as she turns to lie on her side fully, so her back was facing Riko; she really couldnât do the opposite. The reason for her being unable to sleep would change if she did so.
Riko-chanâŚ
 Author Notes
See? I just couldnât pass off the chance to write You and Rikoâs first time. Sleeping in the same bed. ;D hehehe~
Iâm also clearly 1 month late. But hey! Iâm back~! XD
I hope yâall enjoyed the chapter! It was filled with You suffering though; because GOSH! Riko-sensei is having too much fun teasing You! Hehe~ ^w^
Leave comment if you like! :D Iâll be up to read it (since Youâs heart is going doki doki with a sleeping Riko beside her~ XD)
See you next tease~! :D
#youriko#watanabe you#sakurauchi riko#love live sunshine#fanfiction#fanfic#teacher/teacher au#the teacher/teacher au I crave for youriko#writing#fluff#teachers#romance#love live
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Okay then, since both of yâall are just delving in Iâll try to keep things (relatively) spoiler-free and stick to story sense and semiotics! Few caveats:
Have not had prior experience with Kojimaâs body of work and if thatâs a prerequisite in how I âshould feelâ about it then yike on a bike (just getting this out of the way based on what Iâve had talked at me)
My read excludes the entire context of moment-to-moment gameplay; I basically watched chronological story cutscenes stitched together with NPC interaction vignettes sprinkled in-between. 9 or so hours in total.Â
I did this because the gameplay does not interest me at all - and not in protest of chill social games (I adore both No Manâs Sky and thatgamecompany stuff, for example, and try to champion anything without Gun in it), but because the setting and length did not align with my expectations for something to invest so much time into. Still, I was super intrigued by the story, and, to a lesser extent, the plot.
also I have a hard time writing in condensed English, so this may run quite long. Iâll put the rest under a break. Second language, sorry!
Iâm trying to think of a good way to start this. Like I said, the story, or what the thing was ABOUT, was infinitely more interesting to me than whatever wacko packaging Kojima thought up for the narrative. Which was a complicated, thought-out piece of fiction shattered into many disparate pieces and fed to us in a mystery-box-filmmaker kind of way, making us reverse-engineer what essentially was a rather simple interpersonal uhh. family tragedy, I guess.Â
But to its credit the lore is visibly built solely to support whatever thematic messaging Kojima would want to weave in there - something I can respect. Meaning it gets as wacky and as nonsensical as it needs to be in order to reflect the high-concept allegories at play, aaand then it does so to a fault. I adore works of fiction that donât give a shit about âtoneâ - I hate that word more than anything in modern media - but effective symbolism in storytelling, IN MY OPINION, requires a deft hand, nuance, strong authorial position, and a good grasp of social context.Â
I want to like, go through these four points individually and nitpick my problems with the game in their lens, because I think they cover pretty much everything I feel like saying:
1. A deft hand - to me means to selectively dramatize correct themes and plot points as you go so that shit makes sense in the end. I felt this was incredibly lacking here. It was like a symphony going for hours without a crescendo. The absolute wrong bits of soulless exposition would be reiterated THRICE within a single cutscene while necessary context of, hell, character motives or even plot geography would be left vague. Intentionally vague, some would argue, but their later function would never arrive. Other times, what would visibly be conceived as wink-and-youâll-miss-it foreshadowing could overstay its welcome to the point of inadvertently spoiling a later plot point. My girlfriend sniped the (arguably) most important reveal of the game, which is left for the tail end of the final epilogue (!), in the first hours of watching. The symbolics and allusions were just too plentiful where they should have been more subdued. I am DYING to provide examples here but Iâm keeping it spoiler-free. Again, if this is a Kojima-ism, too bad; but itâs not a catastrophic failure of storytelling by any means. There are very few masters of this thing working today. But what can be easier to navigate, I think, is...
2. Nuance - this kinda goes hand-in-hand with the upper point but is a bit more important to me and applies to what SPECIFICALLY you decide to heighten in order to slap us across the face with your deeper meanings. Certain characters - not all of them - feel like caricatures. The silly names and overt metaphors (wearing a mask means hiding something! connected cities all have âknotâ in their name!) are honestly, genuinely FINE as long as their function isnât betrayed, but the lean into metaphor worship can sometimes wade into SERIOUSLY shitty territory as contemporary implications are ignored altogether, and that ties into my fourth point, which Iâll address before looping back to the third; needless to say, approaching sensitive subjects with broad strokes is not exactly the way to go. But broad strokes is almost exclusively what this game does, forgetting to incorporate...
3. Social context - and I feel like avoiding examples here will be difficult lest I end up sounding like a dogmatic asshole; but there is a right thing and a wrong thing to do when co-opting IRL concepts to fit fictional messaging/storytelling. I feel that a character âcuringâ themselves of a phobia by experiencing emotional growth that vaguely corresponds to what the disorder could have symbolized is a wrong thing. And I donât even want to get into all the wacky revisionism the lore ended up twisting into, which was mostly honestly entertaining (the ammonite will be a good hint to those whoâve played it), until it decided to, again, lean a bit too hard into painting todayâs reality as a crisis of human connection and imply some questionable things about why, uh, asexual people exist, for example. Yes it makes some sense within the context of the lore and whatâs happening in the plot, but itâs completely lacking in social know-how of the here and now. In other words: a Bad Look. To me, this type of wayward ignorance is a much more serious issue that can historically snowball any piece of writing into a witless disaster. I donât know if it quite does it here, but itâs not really my place to say. Still, you can have wacky worldbuilding that has no sense of dramatic tension, nuance, or awareness towards the audience, and yet containing one last vital glue holding it all together, and that would be...
4. Strong authorial position - or intent I guess, to speak in literary terms - and I still have trouble pinpointing how and where this exists in this game. A bullshit stance you say, and I hear ya; cause this here is a video game very pronounced in its pro-human-connection messaging, painting the opposite outcome as an apocalyptic end to our species. And as I understand the gameplay is all about connections too - leaning into that theme so hard it even renders itself unapproachable to most capital-g Gamers. I honestly respect the balls of that. But really, as an author who headlined the creation of this thing, what was it really about? What were you trying to say?
And beyond âhuman connection is real important to beat apathyâ I got nothing, and I think thatâs because of points 1 and 2 failing in succession, and then point 3 souring the taste. It just had to be apparent the moment the curtain fell, is what I find. You just have to âgetâ it immediately, get what it was trying to say, but that will happen only if itâs been articulated incredibly well up to that point. Maybe the entire punch of that message REALLY depends on you spending dozens of hours ruminating on the crushing cost of loneliness as you haul cargo across countries on foot and connect people to your weird not-internet? If so, Iâve missed a vital piece of context, and with this being a videogame and all, itâs honestly a fair assumption. But otherwise.. it felt like a hell of a lot of twisting and turning and plot affectations that only led to more plot affectations and sometimes character growth (which had its own bag of issues from point 3) and not a hell of a lot to say about human connection beyond the fact that it is. good and useful. It felt like a repeated statement instead of being an argument. Does that make sense? I understand the story optics here are zoomed waay out and set on targeting the human condition as a whole, but like.. if youâre committing to a message, you have to stand by it.
Why is connection good? itâs a dumb question without a DOUBT but since the game has set out to answer it then it.. should? Did I miss the answer? I may have, I honestly canât exclude the possibility. My lens was warped and my framework of consuming storytelling is a bit rigid in its requirements (the four points I mentioned), so maybe Iâm just too grouchy and old to understand.Â
I just think Pacific Rim did it better and took about 7 hours less to do it! And yet, it, too, involved Guillermo Del Toro. Curious.
If you made it this far and are interested in my thoughts on the technical execution of it all as well, uhm, itâs pretty much spotless? Decima is utilized beautifully, the Hideo vanity squad of celebrities all do their very best with the often clunky dialogue, the music is great, the aesthetic and visual design is immediately arresting, and it certainly does an all-around great job at standing out from the rest of the flock. I fell in love with the BB a little bit. It is also a game that is incredibly horny for Mads Mikkelsen, which almost fully supplants the expected real estate for run-of-the-mill male gaze bullshit. It is. A change.
Thatâs all I got folks
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Tom vs. The Underworld
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5Â | Chapter 6Â | Chapter 8Â | Chapter 9Â | Chapter 10
7. All My Best Friends Are MetalHeads
Ever since we met, I started having these strange dreams about himâŚÂ
My golden eyes steadily blinked open to the quaint sanctum that was my room. It was an unusual start to my day since I woke up before my alarm, although I wasnât ready to get up quite yet. I decided to find a more comfortable position in my bed by rolling from my right side and onto my back. I pushed my red bangs that were covering my eyes aside and continued to contemplate the possible meaning behind my dreams.
At first it just seemed like your typical, no-sense-making sleeptime entertainment session that occured every once in a while. But it was starting to form a pattern of happening the night before and the night after I saw him.
The first night after meeting Tom at his Lake House, my mind depicted him sledding down what must have been an endless garbage mountain in a huge metal boot while a gigantic mangy crow chased after him. Iâve had weird dreams before, mainly involving my friends and family, but why would I even imagine something like that to a person I had just met?Â
The night before we ran into each other a second time while my family and I were vacationing in Yomi Town, I dreamt of Tom again. This time he stood in a wooden structure full of hay and had an argument with a broom that had long blonde hair and hearts on its cheeks. Yet another vision I didnât give too much thought to.
The night after he left Yomi Town still continued the pattern, even though it was a short dream. Tom rode in a giant panda-cat-bus, like the one from My Neighbor Torture-o, and was collecting tacos and tennis balls across the land with three large possums dressed up like people. It was a cute dream, Iâd love to ride in a bus full of tacos...
But then, the night before I saw Tom again at Madame Morgueriteâs, it wasnât just a dream that I had about him. It was a nightmare. It was a foreboding premonition that felt too real. It was so terrifying that I fought to wake myself up from it loud enough that my fellow students in the dorm were startled awake and wondering what was wrong. I didnât even realize tears were streaming down my face as I told them it was nothing. They already thought I was different anyway so Iâm sure that incident just gave them more reason to ostracise me further.
Luckily for me, I donât really remember what happened in that nightmare anymore. It was forgotten the moment I woke up. All I remember is that feeling of perpetual sorrow in an infinite darkness...
Suddenly, my Golem--which was now morphed into my alarm clock and sitting on my bedside table--began to clap its hands together in order to alert me of the time. I sluggishly pawed for its head and used my geokinesis to turn it off.  Â
I slowly rose from my bed and wiped the sleep from my eyes. It was morning but you couldnât tell because there werenât any windows in my room. It was always intimately dim as the only light source came from the flickering candles dotting almost every inch of my walls. Bouquets of red spider lilies stood in black vases at my desk and bedside tables while streams of them sewn together by their stems into flower chains decorated the outline of my ceiling before joining together towards the middle and then cascading down my wrought iron chandelier. Iâd like to imagine that the combination of candles and blossoms made my room appear to be whimsically romantic, but my siblings often joked about how ritualistic it looked instead. Â
âI should get ready, heâll be here soonâŚâ I said with a yawn while taking a seat at my vanity. The mirror was headed by a springbok skull and beside it on the wall hang my painting of the dimension with 1,000 sunsets. I began to smile to myself while looking at it.
My older sister, Rochelle, was able to go back and get my stuff I left at that etiquette school. There was no way I could go back after the fiasco Tom and I caused. Iâll be sure to work extra hard at her shop next week to thank her.
I need to find a way to thank Tom too⌠He has done so much for me every time we see each other. And he even wore the necklace we made when he came to see me. Come to think of it, the dream I had of him last night was different⌠It wasnât anything weird or silly. Just him. Standing in front of me surrounded by light. He looked very handsome, not that he isnât handsome already. He smiled at me and held out his hand and I...
I noticed I was blushing in the mirror and quickly shook my head of the thought.
Quit it, Raya. He is a prince. Donât think like that. Especially having dreams depicting him in such a way, I need to stop that too. He just wants to be friends. I should be grateful he even wants to hang around with someone like me⌠And my friends⌠Hopefully they all like him tooâŚ
Getting back on taskâI get distracted a lotâit was time to get ready for the day and I know itâs going to be great! I needed just the right music to get me started.
âLetâs see, what to listen to today.â I murmured, flipping through my CD album collection in front of me. âOh! One of my favorites, perfect!â
I removed my Less Than Jack disc from the sleeve of the album and inserted it into the stereo. I then open the drawer of my vanity and began applying my makeup as the song started to play.
~You think itâs strange, that thereâs a wayâŚ~
âUgh, why am I starting to get nervous again.â I groaned aloud. I was flying through the air through the demon city, Chernabog, and it was my first actual time seeing it in depth. I had seen the volcanic region of the Mountain of Boom far off in the distance before coming into the city, but now my view was filled with buildings stacked too close together to the point of being right on top of each other. It was a huddled mess of clutter and heavily populated too. It kind of was making me claustrophobic from just the sight of the place. The demons that lived here however seemed to not be bothered at all.
I held up my compact phone to see where my directions wanted me to go next.Â
âOkay⌠I passed that part⌠And there⌠Now should be aroundâŚâ I mumbled to myself while searching for the street name.
 The area I was moving toward was heading somewhat out of the suburbs, which was alleviating some of my phobia. The terrain in this area was even more rocky and extended down into a huge quarry.
âOh wow, that has to be her place.â I said in awe as I landed.
The home was built into the walls of the pit of rock with limestone bricks as the face. For a girl who says how ordinary her life is all the time, she sure lives in a house that was anything but. It was a rustic kind of chic and fitting for a family of Stone Demons.Â
There were tall torches that outlined a path leading to grand granite stairs of the Belmonte home. I walked up them entranced by the beauty of the architecture, completely forgetting about my nervousness.
The front entry was a large double door made of black stoneâobsidian, perhaps? It was a nice signature quality by Rayaâs father that I was starting to notice more of. After meeting him and seeing his work, I realized my parents bedroom door at our castle home was constructed the same way.
I took a deep breath and began giving myself a pep talk, âOkay, here I go. First step toward getting to know each other better. Meeting her friends⌠And playing some games at an arcade. Iâm amazing at games so this is totally my element. How can this day not be awesome with an objective like that? Today is going to beââ
I went to knock when all of a sudden the door swung open.
âWhoâs out here muttering in my doorway!â Rayaâs father, Albion, roared while sticking his head out the door.
âGyaaagh!â I screamed while taking cover on the floor.
Albion glanced down to see me and softened his tone, âOh, Your Highness? What gives us the honor of your presence?â
I stood up and dusted myself off. âHeh. H-hey, nice to see you again.â He is going to give me a heart attack one day, I just know it.
âI am sorry, Your Highness. I have sensitive ears and pick up sounds easily.â The paternal demon apologized.
âItâs totally okay. Um, I came to pick up Raya. Well, n-not pick her up like pick her up. More like collect her... to go out⌠Wait! Not like that. Not like a date, sir! We just planned it but itâs with her friends. But totally not a date, sir! Um, so thereâll be others around, not just her and I⌠Uhh. Yea. Heh.â I gave a nervous smile as my explanation came out jumbled.
Albion was left staring at me dumbfounded.
Suddenly, Raya came hopping passed her father and told him all at once, âHey Dad, weâre going to hang out with the gang at Tartarus, Iâll see you later!â
She quickly grabbed my hand and led me down her front stairs in a hurry.
âHoney, was that the Prince I heard at the door?â Rayaâs mother, Griselda, asked sweetly as she peeked her head from around the archway.
âYes, dear.â Albion said still puzzled.
âOh really?â Her tone suddenly changed to a more chastising one, âAnd you didnât invite him in for pie or anything?!â
Albion realized the error in his failed hospitable nature and shouted his shame so loud it shook the quarry, âAgh!! Iâm dishonorable!â
Once we were on the main path heading back into the suburbs, Raya stopped pulling us along. Though I didnât mind holding hands, even if it were for the purpose of fleeing that awkward situation I talked myself into with her father.
âSorry, Tom. My Dad starts asking questions and wouldâve had you come in and we would never leave on time.â Raya apologized.
âOh, no. Itâs okay, I understand.â I said with a half smile. âYou know, next time if you give me your cell number I can call or text you when Iâm close and you can meet me outside.â
âHmm, I would but I donât have a cellphone.â Raya mentioned as we started to walk down the sidewalk again.
âWhat?! A teenager without a cellphone?â I gasped a little shocked.
âNot just me, none of my friends do.â
âAnd this is normal for you guys?â I questioned. âWhat about selfies and tagging each other in funny posts on FaceScript and staying up late texting each other and just general nonstop communication any moment of the day?â
âSounds like a lot of work.â She replied unfazed.
I gripped at my chest and had a pained expression cover my face as I muttered to myself, âSuch a simplistic girl has stolen my heart.â
âHm? What was that?â Raya asked while tilting her head in my direction, not hearing what I had said.
âN-nothing, heh.â I replied as I darted my eyes away. Whyâd I say that out loud. I need to be more careful. I need to wait for the right moment to tell her how I feel anyway. I need to focus on meeting her friends and getting along with them first.
âAre you alright? Youâre pretty quiet now.â Raya mentioned. I didnât realize I was consumed by my thoughts for quite some time as we walked through the city.
âOh, sorry. Just in my head, thatâs all.â I told her with a reassuring smile.
âAre you nervous about meeting my friends?â
We stopped at an intersection and waited for a group of demon vendors pulling food carts along before we could cross.
âAh well, I guess kind of.â I itched the back of my head and glanced at my feet. âThey are your friends after all, and since you hang out with them a lot, I want to get along with them too because I hope we all get to hang out a lot together⌠I guess Iâm nervous over that⌠Like, what if they donât like me, yâknow?â
Raya gave me a comforting smile but didnât reply.
âWhat? Did I say something silly? I said something silly didnât I?â I asked concerned.
âHehe, not at all.â She giggled but then looked me in the eyes and told me, âI never wouldâve expected the Prince of the Underworld to be such a caring guy.â
âYea⌠I think a lot of the demons and monsters think that way⌠Which is why it was always hard for me to make friends⌠â
âWell my friends will like the same things I see in you. So donât worry about it.â She smiled sweetly at me, causing me to smile back at her.
âTheyâll like the same thingsâŚ?â I repeated curiously.
Raya was watching the road as she spoke, âAside from being the Prince of the Underworld, youâre very interesting. You seem to be into the same kind of music and style as us. You wear your emotions easily; when youâre upset youâre upset and when youâre happy it really shows too. I can tell youâve been through a lot of changes in your life... But most of allâŚâ She then gazed at me and revealed, âYou have a big heart, I like that about you.âÂ
Did she really just tell me that? Was it an innocent compliment or was she starting to notice how I feel? Maybe I should just ask her nowâŚ
So I tried to tell her, âRaya⌠Iââ
âOh! Time to cross, letâs go!â She announced, holding on to my hand again and running us across the cleared street.
What am I doing? Why am I being so impatient? I kept telling myself to wait but when she does and says things like that I get too overzealous and want to pressure her into something Iâm not sure she even wants⌠Maybe it was just my brain wanting her to understand how I felt. But I couldnât be too far off. She must be starting to realize how she feels about me. Why else would she be blushing as she told me that?
âWeâre here!â
Raya and Tom crossed the street and pushed through the crowd of demons in order to make their way to the arcade just ahead.
The building was crafted like a Greek temple made of a dark red stone material with the name âTartarusâ in flaming block letters across the front of the tympanum. Five demon teenagers stood outside the entrance.
âHey, everyone!â Raya greeted her group of friends with a wave from afar.
âLate, as always.â A pale yellow female demon remarked. She was wearing a plaid dress, fishnet stockings, and striped hand and leg warmers.Â
âWith good reason, you knew she was bringing someone important.â A lime green demon said as ze waved at the approaching pair. Ze had dark green dreadlocks with some dyed dark-blue strands and was dressed in typical cyber goth fashionâshiny PVC platform boots, tight black pants with matching vest containing a numerous amount of buckles, and the style came complete with a LED gas mask around zir neck.
âSo this is himâŚâ A light-blue male demon said more to himself. He had a blonde Mohawk and some facial piercings. He looked strong from his physique to his jawline. He wore a black leather motorcycle-style jacket with a red plaid long-sleeve shirt wrapped around his ripped-jeaned waist.
âSorry if weâre late.â Raya bowed for forgiveness but came up again to present the newcomer. âIâd like you all to meet, Prince Tom.â
âPlease, just Tom is fine.â Tom corrected still a bit nervous.
Raya then introduced her friends to Tom one by one. Â
âThis is Blair.âÂ
âHi, Blair.â Tom gave a toothy grin.
The lime green demon greeted Tom excitedly and pulled up the black aviator goggles from zir eyes. âHe looks like he will be fun!â Blair delighted zirself over the possible antics their posse could get into with a prince now apart of it.
âThis is Kraven.â Raya waved over to an orange demon of considerable height and girth. He wore a maroon long-sleeve flannel shirt, black jeans, and black converse.
âHey.â Tom brought out his hand for him to shake it.
â...â Kraven continued to stare at Tom sternly, though it was hard to tell if he was actually staring since his eyes were covered by his maroon knit cap.
âHe doesnât like to be touched, and he doesnât talk much.â Raya pointed out.
âAh, okay. I can respect that. Sorry, man.â Tom waited for another response as Kraven continued to stare. âHeh⌠Cool, moving on.â
âThis is Tirasââ
Tom went to greet the sky blue demon boy but he already interjected.
âTiras Zephyrson. The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness.â He spoke with a haughty confidence and shook Tomâs hand quite firmly.Â
âEgh.â Tom winced quietly.
Wind began to blow around Tiras as he focused on the demon prince curiously. âThis is the prince? I expected someone much more frightening and taller, and at least more handsome than me.â He thought to himself arrogantly.
Tom rubbed his hand a little and continued with Raya to the last two demon teenagers.
âThis is George.â Raya announced.
âGargozoth.â The periwinkle demon boy corrected. He wore a dark-blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and suspenders hanging down his legs.Â
âYeeaaa.â Raya drew out her agreement but then whispered to Tom, âHe goes by that because he doesnât think his real name is fitting for a demon.â
âGotcha.â Tom whispered back but then stepped over to Gearge and said, âHey, Geor--Erm, Gargozoth.â He brought out his hand with a slight smile.
George spoke with the gloomiest of spirits as he shook the other boyâs hand limply. âYour Highnessâs appearance is like The Raven. Once perched and gandering down upon all of us from his chamber, but now our presence heâs commandeering. And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floorâŚâ
âUhhâŚâ Tom paused confused.Â
âTLDR version means âNice to meet youâ, as am I, Your Highness. My name is Indigo.â The pale yellow demon girl butted in with a curtsy. âHeâs rather cute up close, I wonder if Raya is interested in him.â She thought with a gleam in her eye.
âNice to meet you both.â Tom responded. A pensive look began to grow on his face when he saw them. âIâm sorry, but you two look familiar. Have we met before?â
Indigo and George exchanged glances and were about to reply when Tiras took it upon himself to interrupt.
âThe Blood Moon Ball. They were two of your attendees you selected at the outskirts of Prickly Plains, or do you not remember that?â Tiras spoke abrasively.
âTirasâŚ?â Raya murmured as she watched her friend concerned.
Tom quickly thought back to that time. âThatâs right. I wanted to impress Star by making sure everything was normal for her, so I had Petey post fliers for approachable and attractive monsters and demons to audition for a chance to attend for free. Those two were there.â
~Back Then
âWeâre next, weâre next!â Indigo cheered enthusiastically while gripping Georgeâs arm and bouncing up and down.
âPlease excuse my portrayal of excitement, it does not stir from the pit of my soul and overflow to an intense head as easily as yours.â George muttered
The demon pair had been standing in a line that seemed to stretch forever and they finally made it to the front.
âAlright, alright! Once the Prince sees us he wonât be able to say no. He may even be so weakened by my beauty that he will ask me to dance under the light of the Blood Moon. And once Raya and Blair find out, I bet they will be so jealous, hehehe!â Indigo swooned followed by a shrill giggle as she fantasized about how glamorous the occasion will be.
âUgh⌠This is going to be absolutely dreadfulâŚâ George groaned.
âNext!â Tom called, though he was preoccupied since he was discussing preparations for the Ball with Brian and two other advisors at a judging table.
Indigo ambitiously pulled George along as they approached.
The demon girl began to say, âH-hello, Your Majesty! We think we should be considered because--â
 âYouâre in, collect your tickets to the left.â Tom informed them in an aloof tone as he snapped his fingers, barely glimpsing at the pair. One of the advising demons on his counsel pointed to a sizable winged demon in stocks on their left.
âHere you go.â The flying demon handed them the tickets.
Indigo accepted them without hesitation as she held them up victoriously to George. The boy demon just shrugged.
~Now
Tom was a little regretful for how he acted back then. Star consumed his world and, as a result, he neglected the Underworld and its inhabitants. But he knew now that you shouldnât put up a false act just to win over the affections of another. He concurred ruefully, âYouâre right, thatâs where I saw themâŚâ
âThatâs the only place? You literally donât remember them at the Ball at all?â Tiras chided now with his arms folded in frustration.
âHey, you know we were just happy to go. No need to get defensive toward the Prince.â Indigo coaxed but it was no use.
âThatâs not what you told me.â Tiras snapped and caused Indigo to jump at his sudden remark towards her.
Tiras kept up his heckling, âI heard it wasnât anything like it was supposed to be. No bubbling cauldrons that melt flesh off. No garbage that destroys the universe. Was there even unicorn blood?!â
âThere was that.â George mentioned aside to the others.
Tomâs eyebrows were furrowed as he stared down at the ground in silence.
âSorry to be blunt,â Tiras crossed his arms over his chest and denounced, âBut if you didnât care about getting to know two of us then, why should we care about getting to know just you now? And making them go all the way outside of the city to be judged, thatâs ridiculous. Prince or not, you should still treat others with some kind of value and not just to show off to your rich friends--â
âI agree with you.â Tom interrupted him.
âHuh?â Tiras gasped astounded.
Tom stared up at the other teenaged boy but didnât look hurt at all from what he had been saying. He appeared relieved as he explained to him further, âMy mind and heart werenât in the right place back then. I hurt a lot of people and didnât care how others felt. I was selfish, and full of myself. I wanted everything to be perfect for someone who found me unbelievably annoying at the timeâŚâ
Tom glanced at Raya and gave her a half smile as he continued. âIt took some help from some special people to see where I was heading. I know now that being that way was wrong. Iâm making amends for how I acted.â He then looked over to George and Indigo, âIâm sorry for not giving you my full attention when I should have back then. I hope weâre cool?â
âYep.â Indigo piped up while George gave Tom a thumbs up.
Tom faced Tiras again and went on to tell him, âAnd Iâm sorry I hurt your feelings too. Your friends are clearly special to you and youâre protective of them. Iâd feel the same way you do if someone treated them like crud. Thanks for being honest with me about how I was. You seem like someone whose dignity I can respect. I just want to start over and make friends the right wayâŚâÂ
Tiras became flustered as if he were a little embarrassed by the compliment from Tom. He was about to come up with a counter but was quickly cut off.
âTiras.â Raya stepped in front of Tom. âRemember, this is our Prince you choose to speak so carelessly towards. Heâs my friend and I invited him here today. If you continue to try and belittle him then⌠Iâll lose all respect for you!âÂ
Tiras mouth was agape in shock. âAhh, no, no⌠Raya, I was just kidding. No need to be so harsh.âÂ
âApologize.â
âHey, itâs all goodââ Tom began to say but Raya shot a glance at him that resembled her fatherâs so he quieted.
Raya diverted her attention back to Tiras and commanded, âApologize to our Prince.â
Tiras looked back at each of his friends now eyeing him. He bowed down to Tom and mumbled, âIâm sorry, Your Highness.â
âDude, itâs cool. Weâre cool.â
Tiras regained his stance and turned away, walking into the arcade still with tinted red cheeks. Kraven followed.
âDonât worry about him, Tom. Heâs pretty arrogant.â Blair commented while patting the prince on the back.Â
âThat was kind of a rough start, huh?â Tom said as he looked to Raya for reassurance.
âYouâre fine, no worries. Tiras is stubborn, heâll come around.â Raya smiled at Tom and wrapped one of her arms in his.
Tom began to blush but then Indigo suddenly did the same with his other arm.
âCome on, letâs play some games and have fun!â The other female demon said excitedly but seemed to shoot a strange glance in Rayaâs direction, though she didnât really pay it no mind.
George rolled his eyes, seeing all too well where this was going.
The remaining group of teenagers proceeded to enter the arcade.
â...â Kraven stared at the screen as the score popped up with a victorious tune indicating that he got a rank of âSâ!
âWhoa!â Tom gasped in awe. They all took turns playing Dance Dance Revoltion but were nowhere as skillful as the latest player.
âHehe, yep. Donât let his size fool you, this is Kravenâs favorite game.â Raya explained with a giggle.
The larger teenaged boy stepped off the dancing platform and seemed to slowly be heading towards the food court.
Raya noticed and quickly whispered to Tom, âHe always works up an appetite after playing, this is your chance!â
âOh really?â Tom was a bit apprehensive. âBut he doesnât like to talk I thought?â
âFood is THE universal language! Go, hurry.â Raya nudged the unsure demon boy.
âAlright, here goes!â He gave in with a newfound air of confidence and jogged through the crowd to catch up to the retreating teen.
Raya called after him, âAnd his favorite thing to order are the Poisonberry Shakes!â
Tom waved back to show he heard her suggestion, all the while Tiras sat at one of the booths sulking while observing the exchange.
âWhatâs wrong? Jealous?â Indigo asked Tiras with a mischievous smile on her face.
The blue demon boy shot up from his hunched position and smirked back at her as he replied, âJealous? Isnât that your prerogative? A Zephyrson doesn't know such a homely emotion.â
âYou mean you try not to show it.â Indigo corrected. She looked rather delighted as she leaned on the table with her chin in her hands.
âUgh⌠Whatever.â Tiras scoffed. He was now watching Raya and Blair race each other on a virtual dragoncycle game. âI mean, just because heâs a prince, Raya wants to spend all this time with him. He doesnât seem that much like one of us. What does she see in him anyway?â
âHeâs handsome, duh.â Indigo swooned.
âWhat?! S-Stop playing around.â Tiras became flustered again.Â
âYou donât see it because you are so conceited.â The teenaged girl began to cackle. âBut if Raya doesnât act fast I might have to scoop him up for myself, teehee.â
âThen you have bad eyes if you think heâs more attractive than me!â Tiras argued back.
âBoth of you belong together.â George said calmly as he sipped from a coffee mug in the booth behind them.
Both Tiras and Indigo gasped simultaneously after being startled by his presence. âCould you not do that!âÂ
Kraven was standing at the counter by the time Tom got there. The employee just asked if he was ready to order.
âHey, man! Whatâs up?â Tom greeted and hung over the counter.
Kraven glanced down at him but then back to the attendant.
âYea, Iâm kind of hungry too. Whatâs good exactly?â The smaller teen was trying to skim over the menu board.Â
âWell, he is a regular here, he usually always gets the same thing⌠20 tacos.â The employee mentioned.
âOkay, I love tacos! Iâll take the same thing. With hot sauce on the side, please.âÂ
âAlright, one moment sir, let me calculate your order. Is it together or separate?â The employee asked.
Kraven reached for his wallet out of his back pocket but Tom halted him.
âHey, no problem. This is on me.â Tom offered. âOh, and can we add two Poisonberry Shakes?â
âSure, one moment sir.â The employee began typing in the order on her register.
Kraven seemed to stare down at Tom with some curiosity now.
The demon prince paid the total and they both stepped to the side to wait for their food. It was awkward at first since Kraven didnât really speak but Tom was determined to get to know him.
âSo⌠Tacos, huh?â Tom said trying to break the ice.
â...â Kraven didnât stir.
âMy best friendâs favorite food is tacos, well actually itâs nachos. He makes some killer nachos back on Earth⌠well I guess it isnât Earth anymore...â Tom rambled.
The two boys stood in silence again.
âThis place is pretty cool. Well, you would know, you guys come here all-all the t-time.â Tom stammered as he rubbed the back of his head.
Kraven leaned up against a nearby claw machine and folded his arms.Â
Tom began to think to himself. âThis isnât going too well. I knew he didnât want to be bothered. And whyâs our order taking a long time? How hard is it to make 40 tacos? In Yomi Town the food came out quick. This guy probably would never leave⌠Oh, thatâs right!â Â
âHey, were you the one Raya and I bought the chocolate scorpions for?â Tom asked him.
Having caught his attention, Kraven turned his head to focus on the Prince.
âIt was you, right?â Tom seemed to be happy to find out he was the one to receive that particular gift. âDude, you have to go there one day. They had all sorts of delicious food, youâd love it! Raya said a lot of the stuff was imports from up above, food you canât get anywhere else or that has been banned for sale in other regions! We tried some of these flaming corn kabobs, Minotaur Cheese, and sugared arachnids, and this Hydra sashimi, Pegasuswings breaded in pixie dust (so good!), dry-cured pig-goat bacon, Ember Berry nectar on fresh-caught Scylla eggsââ
As Tom listed the delicacies from Yomi Town, Kraven seemed to be entranced by the wide array of food selections to the point of almost drooling. He didnât even hear the attendant call out their order number.
âOh, foodâs done!â Tom realized from the fifth announcement. He went to grab both trays but Kraven intercepted them. The larger boy seemed to be offering to carry the trays to the table. âOh, okay. Thanks, man.â
Kraven gave Tom a smirk with a nod and they went back to join their friends.
âDo you mind if we sit with you, GeoâGargozoth?â Tom asked.
George fanned his hand to the empty space in the curved booth in a âby all meansâ kind of way.
The two boys sat down with the other and began to eat.
Tom was putting hot sauce before he took each bite. George watched him rather intrigued. âCuriouser and curiouser our demon Prince becomes.â
âHm?â Tom looked up from his tray.
âYou share a habit with another, is all I mean.â George began to turn the page of his book heâd been reading.
Tom glanced at his coffee mug on the table and was excited to ask. âOh! Youâre the friend we bought the gourmet coffee for in Yomi Town too? That griffin stuff.â
George replied, âKopi Griff, yes. The beans are digested by griffins and the remains create the coffee.â He then took a sip from his mug as Tom and Kraven stopped eating and stared at him rather disgusted. George gave them a grin. âHeh. No need to fret, this is just regular processed coffee from the food court.â
The boys started to eat again as Blair and Raya came over to the table.
âTacos! Can I have some, please, please!â Blair pleaded with drool creeping from the edge of zir lip.
Kraven hunched over his tray to protect it.
âSure, all of you can if you want.â Tom offered.
Tom scooted over to Kraven as Raya and Blair sat down with them.Â
âThank you!â Blair beamed happily as ze reached over for a taco, causing Raya to press up against Tom and left both teens blushing.
âS-so, what did you want to do next? Uh-not just y-you, I mean. What do all if you want to do next?â Tom stammered while he darted his eyes from Raya and focused on the tacos in front of him.
Raya was still blushing as she picked up one and proceeded to put hot sauce on after each bite. âW-Well thereâs Sat-Man or Ms. Sat-Man, either one is fun. Thereâs some shooter games like Gloom, House of the Mewmans, and Spacaga. Or if you want to get real competitive, thereâs pitchfork bowling or even flamethrower tagââ
âOh! Like what we did in Yomi Town?â He remembered as he applied hot sauce before his bite.
âMhmm!â She muffled a confirmation, not wanting to impolitely open her mouth full of food.
George was watching amused with a slight grin across his face.
âSo you guys did a lot there, huh?â Blair asked. Indigo and Tiras in the adjacent booth seemed to be eavesdropping.
âYea, there was so much to do! There was this awesome temple where they did rituals, and ziplining through the caves, and every hour this flaming geyser Old Fearful erupts. We raced hot air balloons powered by these itty bitty dragons--â As Tom gushed over the trip, Raya began to smile to herself remembering all the fun they had. â--and, like I was telling Kraven earlier, the food we ate at this hotel before going to the hot spring was--â
âWhaaaat?!â Blair interrupted bemused. âRaya and you went to the hot spring together? Like bathed in it? How lewd!â Blair grew a naughty smirk from such knowledge. Kraven hung his mouth open in shock while George almost choked on his sip of coffee.
âN-no, it wasnât like that!â Raya and Tom both said together flushed with embarrassment.
Indigo quickly popped up from the booth behind them with an alarmed expression after hearing how the situation turned. She moved over to the one her friends were occupying in a blink of an eye with Tiras in pursuit.
âOh stop your teasing, hehe.â Indigo gave a nervous laugh as she interjected. âRaya is a good girl, she wouldnât do that. Sheâs never even had a boyfriend before.â
âGuys!â Raya groaned pulling her hoodie over her head and not wanting to be apart of this awkward subject.
âI swear nothing like that happened!â Tom spat out in their defense.
âHaha! I was just joking.â Blair stuck zir tongue out and winked in a playful way.
Tiras had an irritated expression cross his face as he finally sat down in the booth while Indigo and George scooted over to make what little room they had left for him.  Â
âSoooo anyway,â Indigo tried turning the attention back to something more appropriate, and less about a possible relationship between her girlfriend and the demon prince. âYou were telling us about Yomi Town.â
Tom gathered his composure again and continued, âOh, well there was also the shopping district. It had this amazing music store, thatâs where we bought some of the souvenirs for all of you.â
âWhaaa?â Indigo gasped surprised. âRaya, why didnât you tell us the Prince helped you pick out the gifts you got us?â she said with a whine, bumping elbows with George. He shifted over to try and reclaim some of his personal space.
âI didnât?â Raya looked actually puzzled from the thought. She put one of her hands behind her head and tipped it in an apologetic gesture while giving one of her clueless smiles, âI guess it slipped my mind. Heh.â
Indigo lightly slapped her own forehead and mumbled, âOh RayaâŚâ
Blair realized something and asked the prince, âAh! So you helped Raya pick all that out? Even mine too?â
âYou mean the widely-sought-after-by-fans album of THE Love Sentence with songs that hadnât been released from when they first started out?â Tom turned toward Blair enthused, âNah, that was all her before we ran into each other. But, let me just say, Iâm SUPER jealous that you got the last copy that was there because if I wouldâve seen it first I SO wouldâve bought it!â
âReally, really?!â Blair giggled with joy as ze grasped Rayaâs shoulders.
âChyeah! Iâm their number one fan!â Tom declared proudly.
âWhaaat?! I love them!â Blair squished Raya closer towards the demon boy by accident during zir fit of excitement--Tiras and Indigo were overcome with distress once again.
Tom was actually unfazed by their closeness this time as he responded to his fellow fan, âLove them so much it gives you anâŚâ
âAwesome Feeling!â Both fans sang in harmony.
âAnd you were like oooh-aahh-ooohh.â Blair started the chorus as ze leaned in toward Rayaâs left shoulder.
âAnd I was like ooohh-weee-ooohhh.â Tom added, also leaning on Rayaâs right shoulder.
âHey! Why donât we do flamethrower tag!â Indigo suggested while slamming her hands on the boothâs table and trying to steer the situation again.
Blair snapped out of zir singing session and agreed, âYes, lets, lets!â
 âUgh, now?â Tiras protested while folding his arms. âWhy not let all that food settle in your stomachsââ
âCome on, it should cheer you up. Itâs your favorite game after all.â Raya said sweetly to her stubborn friend.
A blushing Tiras mumbled while he averted his gaze, âO-okayâŚâ
Tom was beginning to notice this change in emotion and the effect Raya seemed to have over the other teen. For some reason he was starting to feel discouraged.
âThatâs the spirit, letâs go then!â Blair urged and pointed off as if directing everyone toward a grand adventure ready to unfold.
The part of the arcade that had recreational activities other than video games was at its center and shaped like the inside of a great colosseum. It was mystifying how all this could fit inside such a building, the cramped appearance seen from outside of the arcade was very misleading.
But Iâm one to talk, I built my carriage myself and it is as if stepping into another dimension because of all the space inside.
The application of the flamethrower device was the same and so were the rules. The playing arena was much different than the Yomi Town since it went with a very Roman theme, fitting for this arcade. I knew it would be fun based on the activity and the game chosen; however, the only thing I was apprehensive about was our team dynamics. Raya, Blair, and Indigo were the opposing team against us guys.
I couldnât lie; it was still a bit awkward with the group I was in. Kraven was still hard to communicate with since he didnât like to talk and George spoke in confusing sentences at times. Then thereâs Tiras. He doesnât seem to like me at all. And I feel that bias has to do with Raya. If I didnât know any better, he obviously has a crush on her.
We were traveling through the hypogeum of the arena with Tiras in front, Kraven on the tail end, and George and I together in the middle.
Tiras, who was our acting captain, halted at the edge of a long stone ruin and peered around to see if he could spot the enemy. If it wasnât for the light of the torches, we would barely be able to see in front of us.
âLetâs hold here.â He ordered. We all huddled close behind him.
I take it being in a leader role was something always expected of him by his group of friends. He seems confident and is without a doubt strong. So having someone like me here, future ruler of all demons, must make him uncomfortable. And his reluctance to get along with me also stems from my friendship with Raya. Her and I spend time together where itâs been just the two of us. So he is probably jealous of that too the more he hears about it... How long has he known her? And how long has he liked her? I wonder if he ever told herâŚ
I wonder if I told Raya how I felt, would she really want to be with someone like me that she hasnât really known for very longâŚ?
Since Tirasâs back was now all I could see from our formation, I noticed some band buttons on the lower flank of his jacket during my deep thinking.Â
LTJ? Hmm, I like that band too⌠At least we have some things in common other than our love interest with the same girl.
Tiras glanced behind him and caught me staring down his back. He became flustered and questioned me, âW-Whatcha gawking at?!â He tried tilting his head to see down his backside.
I also became flustered and began to chuckle nervously. âHeh. N-nothing. Just uh, admiring uh, your butt-uhââ
âWhat?!â Tirasâs blue skin color turned completely red.
âButtons!â I quickly corrected myself.Â
The other teen darted his head forward again still blushing while Kraven and George could be heard snickering behind us.
Wow, I canât believe I just said that. Now he can add âbeing weirdâ to the list of why heâs uncomfortable around me.
âSoâŚâ I started to say in hopes of breaking the awkwardness, âWhatâs the plan?â
Tiras cleared his throat and tried calming himself enough to respond to me. âW-weâre going to head down that passage way on the right.â
I popped my head around the corner to see what he was talking about. It looked completely dark down that path while another passageway was leading back up to the main floor.
I thought over whether I should mention that or just keep my mouth shut. Maybe he doesnât realize the disadvantage we might be in or maybe he has something up his sleeveâŚ
Iâll just give it a shot anyway. So I suggested, âWouldnât it be better to head back upstairs where we could see?â
âWhat? Is our prince scared of the dark?â Tiras spat out.
Dude, do you even know what real darkness even is? Or what it feels likeâŚ
Unexpectedly, George spoke up on my behalf. âI agree with Tom. Do we continue to run blindly through the madhouse to a destined fail? You know they always find a way to beat us at this game.â
âWell thatâs not happening today. Thatâs why we are going to give them the element of surprise by doing something they wonât expect.â Tiras assured us of his view for victory.
âSurprise!â Blair shrieked while zir head popped up from a shadowed spot in the floor between Tiras and I.Â
âGyaaagh!â I screamed from the sudden shock of seeing only Blairâs head as we all started to run. Ze started to laugh maniacally as ze held up zir nozzle and unleashed the flames from within zir tanks.
âAnd so it came to fruition as I have prophesied..â George groaned.
âHey, we agreed on no powers!â Tiras protested while ducking behind another pillar.
âHm? Mustâve missed that part.â Blair disputed and stuck out zir tongue. All of a sudden ze stepped out of the shadow on the floor and pulled Raya and Indigo out of it.
âWell if thatâs how we are going to play then⌠Letâs play!â Tiras had a gleam of excitement in his eye as he brought his hand by his own nozzle. I felt a gust of wind shoot passed me and twirl around him just like when he shook my hand during our first encounter. Within an instance, as the gust blew, it merged with the fire from the flamethrower and hurled at the other team in mighty blast.
âDetermined to win, are we?â Indigo smirked while commanding Raya to act quickly. âHurry Raya, letâs show âem!â
âAlright.â Raya piped up as she placed her hands to the ground. All of a sudden a stone wall came up in front of their group and shielded them from the inferno. It ignited on impact and trembled the chamber.
âAre you sure this is a game? You guys are acting like you are trying to kill each other?!â I objected.
âThis is how we play, Prince.â Tiras remarked. He quickly squinted his eyes as if searching for something but then became alarmed. âOh no! We lost sight of Blair--â
âSurprise!â Blair shrieked again now popping out from the darkness in the wall. Ze unloaded zir flamethrower on us yet again.
Kraven immediately shoved us out of the way and sacrificed himself by taking the brunt of zir attack, which luckily hit only the sensor on the flamethrower apparatus he was wearing. By singeing the sensor, you would be considered âoutâ.
âHaha! One down, one down!â Blair cheered. Ze quickly retreated into the shadow before ze was tagged by Tirasâs burst of flames.
âUgh! This sucks!â Tiras growled with clenched fists around the gun of his flamethrower.Â
Kraven shrugged and headed toward the lobby of the arena to wait for the game to finish.
âPerhaps would be a keen moment to take flight back to the world above.â George insisted.
âIf you mean run upstairs then I second that!â I added.Â
Blair rejoined Raya and Indigo as they stood their ground.
âWhatever, lets go before Blair tags us all.â Tiras faltered.
As we proceed to the path that led upstairs, a wall of stone suddenly built up from the ground and blocked the way. by Rayaâs doing, of course.
âUh-uh, not so fast.â Indigo teased. âLooks like youâre going to lose again, Tiras.â
With their flamethrowers ready to fire, the enemy was closing in. George gave a sigh in defeat and Tiras had his head held down as well. I felt kind of bad for him. They mentioned that this was his favorite game but he seems to always lose from what George said. And today hasnât been a good day for him at all. He didnât seem to have any fun or participate during any of the games until now--one in which we are losing. Even if he didnât like me, I didnât want him to feel so crushed any longer. Â
If this is how they want to play, then I might as well get serious too. Fire is my specialty after all.
And with that, my three eyes began to glow and I brought my hands up. All of a sudden, a wave of fire exploded from the ground, too fast for Raya to create a barrier of stone to stop it or for Blair to escape into a shadow from it. The flames broke through the ceiling and sent them flying into the air above ground, hitting all of their sensors in the process.
I levitated the guys and myself above ground as the alarm was sounding off in the arena that indicated that our team had won the game. Everyone was mystified at such a feat, including Tiras.
âThat was freakinâ killer, Tom! What a way to win!â Blair congratulated me.
âDefinitely did not see that coming, but you are a prince and we shouldnât have underestimated how amazing you are.â Indigo concurred as she plopped down on the couch.
We were now in one of the swanky karaoke rooms in Tartarus. There were all sorts of colorful lights on the ceiling that would move in sync with the song and huge speakers were in each corner of the room to give a solid surround sound. There was a long leather sectional couch with a table in front of it with some pizza we ordered. The video monitor on the wall was idle and waiting for its first singer to approach, but we all had been too busy discussing the session of flamethrower tag we just got back from to even begin.Â
George sipped from his coffee mug beside Indigo and told her, âI must admit, I was beginning to lose the faculty of enjoying that activity, alas seeing your destruction unfold for the first time has given me a change of heart.â
âHey, stop rubbing it in.â Indigo nagged at him.
I was a little embarrassed from all the praise. It wasnât my intention to show off, I just didnât want Tiras to lose. I hope he understands.
I glanced at the other side of the couch where he was sitting to see his reaction. Raya was sitting next to him and flipping through an album of songs. Watching her made my heart race and almost forget why I looked over there. But instead of seeing a scowling Tiras, he was chatting with Kraven (more like a one-sided conversation) and didnât have that miserable expression anymore. He looked somewhat happy!
I smiled to myself knowing I at least accomplished a few of my goals I set out to do today. But I still felt as if there was one more push I could do to really win them all over.
âWho wants to go first?â Indigo asked as she cradled the microphone in her palm.
âMe, me!â Blair waved zir hands as if to be picked.
âNo way, you always choose a Love Sentence song so you get to go last this time.â Indigo refused to give the microphone to zir.
âAww but I want to sing âJust Friendsâ with Tom!â Blair whined.
Raya slammed the album shut to gather everyoneâs attention. âActuallyâŚâ She stood up and stepped over to me as she suggested, âTom should go first since he won the game for his team. And he is our special guest for today.â
I blushed as she spoke. âWell, if you really want me to⌠But what should I pick?â
Raya handed me the album and said with a smile so sweet I could surely get cavities from, âAnything you choose will be fine.â
âYay! Canât wait to hear it!â Blair cheered as ze hopped over to the couch and sat on the other side of George.Â
Raya returned to her spot beside Tiras and waited for my selection. Tiras and Kraven continued their side conversation quietly as Indigo and George began to eat some of the pizza with Blair.
I went over to the karaoke machine with the album and started flipping through it. I felt all this pressure on me now. What if I pick something corny or silly? What if I pick a song they hate? Maybe I should just pick anything and give it a shotâŚ
Suddenly, my eyes caught the name of a very familiar band. I thought it over but had this strange feeling deep down that it had to be a song by them. It was as if it were fate. Of all the songs to be listed by them, the one I went to choose was my favorite. I knew all the words without the assistance and it was fun, wild, and different. Just like Rayaâs friends.
I punched the song number into the machine and sat the album on the shelf next to it. I retrieved the microphone from Indigo and stood at the front of the display screen, confident of my selection.
I took a deep breath and was ready to belt it out.
As the instruments from the speakers began the intro of the song, the demon teenagers sitting on the couch all froze in bewilderment. From the horn section to the drum build up, they heard a song they all knew too well.
Tom began to sing without reservation.Â
âYou think it's strange, that there's a way
of how you looked and how you act and how you think,
pretend they're not the same as you...
You think it's strange, that there's a way
of how you looked and how you act and how you think,
pretend they're not the same as you!â
His voice was in perfect tune and didnât trip up at any of the lyrics that came fast. It was as if he was meant for this kind of lifestyle.
âOMD, I love his voice!â Indigo thought with hearts in her eyes.
George was in mid-sip of his coffee and had his eyes totally fixated on the demon prince.
âHeâs incredible!â Blair was clapping in celebration of the prince.
Kravenâs mouth was hanging open in awe.
âWhoaâŚâ Tiras whispered to himself as he listened intently.
âDo you know about her strength in convictions?--
Rayaâs eyes had that dreamlike expression cross her face. She was holding one of her hands to her mouth and couldnât believe what she was witnessing. âIs this really happening? This was the song I played this morning andâŚâ She thought.Â
--Or how she puts all her faith in religion?â
As the lights gleamed a brilliant white light against the singing teen, he glanced in her direction and held out his hand to her while singing.
âDid we take the time to really discover--
Rayaâs eyes began to sparkle as she remembered, âThis was my dreamâŚâ She instinctively reached for his hand but stopped herself. Amid everyone getting caught up in the thrill of the song, Raya had an indescribable feeling overcome her. She held her hands to her cheeks to hide the fact that she was blushing.
--How little we know about each other!â
The lights were spazzing out with the drop of the chorus. The group of friends couldnât contain their urge anymore. They all erupted from the couch and joined in singing along and dancing about.
Tiras, Tom, and Blair went back and forth on the mic between lines:
âKeep us from saying anything--â ~Blair
âCan't separate from everything--â ~Tiras
âAnd all this really means is you're one in a crowd--â~TomÂ
âAnd you're paranoid of every sound!â ~Tiras and Blair
âAnother friend you won't miss anyhow!â ~Together
Everyone was rocking out with the music and enjoying every bit of it as they all took turns singing the rest of the song with Tom. Except Raya. She didnât realize she was still seated but quickly stood up as soon as she did so to not arouse suspicion. Indigo looped her arm in hers and tried to get the other girl to skank along with her. Raya did, though only slightly since she was still bewitched by what was overrunning her mind at that moment.
As the song came to an end, everyone clapped and hollered for the prince.
âThat was amazing! Youâre amazing!â Blair jumped up and down while holding onto his shoulders.
âBravo, bravo.â George clapped along with Kraven.
Indigo had pulled Raya with her into the huddle. âI canât believe you can sing like that, and a song we all love too! Howâd you know?â
âThanks everyone, that was so fun!â An exhilarated Tom beamed. He was grinning from ear to ear because he finally felt accepted.
Tiras approached Tom and they both held each other's gaze for a moment. But then the demon boy did something Tom never wouldâve expected. He smiled at him, and genuinely at that!
âYouâre exactly who weâve been looking for!â Tiras said with a toothy grin as he wrapped one of his arms around Tomâs shoulders.
Tom was taken aback by the sudden personality change and stuttered, âW-what? L-looking for?â
Indigo folded her arms across her chest and watched Tiras with a peculiar expression, âOh, buddies now hmm?â
âOf course!â Tiras began to repeatedly pat Tom across the back lightly as he spoke, âThis is our prince! He is just like one of us, canât you see it?â
âHmm...With a voice like that, heâd really help us achieve the style weâre going for.â Indigo commented.
âAnd he is fun to hang out with. I vote yes!â Blair added.
George and Kraven both nodded their affirmation.
Raya was standing outside of the group as if not wanting to be seen. She was clutching her hands together to her chest still deep in thought and not paying attention to the conversation. She didnât hear Indigo call her name until she placed her hand on her shoulder.
âHey, Underworld to Raya. Anybody home?â Indigo asked while nudging her.
Raya snapped out of it and faced the other girl. âOh, Iâm sorry. I was just⌠Iâm sorry, what were we all talking about?â
âYou felt it too, right? The way he sings is perfect. Itâs what weâve been searching for. Letâs ask him.â Indigo told her.Â
Tom finally interjected, âUm, excuse me but ask me what exactly?â
Tiras stepped away from their friendly embrace and joined his friends. They all faced Tom and had a look of both admiration and determination on their faces.
Tiras smirked confidently and asked of him, âWe want you to be the lead singer in our band. Will you join the Seven Undeadly Sins?âÂ
#TomVSTheUnderworldFanfic#TVTU#svtfoe#oc#oc fanfiction#starvstheforcesofevil#tom lucitor#star vs the forces of evil#The Underworld
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Beside the Foggy Elbe / Estrellas ~ Star Troupe 2019
First show of 2019! My home base in Japan is usually Kansai, but for the first time Iâm in Tokyo for a lengthy stay. I saw Elbe/Estrellas twice in the theater plus the senshuuraku live view. Spoilers, because the ending of Elbe was one of my favorite things about it.
Beside the Foggy Elbe [Summary]
I caught Elbe quite late in the run, and most of the feedback I heard from talking to other non-Japanese fans beforehand was fairly negative, but I found it VERY enjoyable. Elbe is one of the most historically famous original Takarazuka works. While I havenât seen more than clips and photos of the older productions, I was already familiar with much of the soundtrack, and I always love seeing and hearing classic Takarazuka elements live, especially as a relatively young fan coming in late in Takarazukaâs 105 year history. Itâs a special kind of fun to be able to sit in the theater and sing along (even if only in my head) to a show Iâve never even seen. The story is most definitely dated, but I love the vintage-ness of it (if anything, I wish theyâd pushed the aesthetics even more vintage). And because itâs an old classic, I was able to suspend my disbelief of the unlikely love story in the same way I can with old Hollywood musicals (is it believable that Dale Tremont falls in love with Jerry Travers three seconds after finding out he wasnât actually Horace? No but Iâm here for it). I also love that they donât get together!! The first time I saw it, I looked at the clock when Margit and Florian began yelling for Karl on the docks, and went sort of wide eyed when I realized there wasnât TIME for it to end any way other than heartbreak. I think itâs much more interesting that way.
Quick complaints out of the way first: while the show isnât really hard to follow, I did find both Beni and Airi quite difficult to understand. Beni uses a very loud, slurred voice to play the foul-mouthed Karl, and while itâs in keeping with her character, I couldnât untangle a lot of her words, even though they werenât lines Iâd find complicated if I read them. Airi put on a shrill voice that I also found difficult to understand. I get that her character is an ingenue to the extreme so it makes sense, but I still feel like she could have landed somewhere between that and her natural voice and been ok. Additionally, there is a parade in the beginning that I think was an UeKumi addition. I didnât DISLIKE it, and I understand its usefulness because itâs a very top heavy show and the parade gives the secondary players a bit of fun extra spotlight, but it didnât really fit the look or vibe of the rest of Elbe.Â
I do think you need to like Beni and Airi to enjoy this show, because it is so top heavy (if you love them, I think this will be a really great show for you). I especially liked the role of Karl for Beni. Beniâs Karl was an extremely insecure person who disguised his self-doubt in brash mannerisms and generally poor behavior, which made his moments of sincerity very poignant. Since Beni is known more for her comedic roles than her serious ones, and sometimes seems to be questioned by fans re: her ability to be serious, I thought this really suited her in kind of a meta way. She leaned hard into the brashness because thatâs more her strength, but for me she also nailed Karlâs vulnerable moments, and that made them sting extra because it felt like it was coming from a real place. Iâm also kind of a sucker for the cross-social-class love story trope. Karlâs behavior for the most part is truly unattractive to the point where it can be hard to sympathize with him, but there are several scenes where you can feel his deep discomfort toward being amongst the wealthy, and how traumatized he is about his ex leaving him because he wasnât rich enough, and Beni makes them hurt sooooo good (shout out to Otoha Minori who had the very small part of Karlâs ex but really helped succinctly convey that backstory in a way that impacted the whole show).
Margit is a hard sell for me because I donât find her likable as a character, but I think Airi did a great job hitting the necessary notes. For the story to work, Margit has to be unhappy, but also sheltered, spoiled, frivolous, and naive enough to fall in love with someone she met in a bar at first sight just because he was a little nice to her and the polar opposite of the life sheâs trying to escape. Airi made it plausible. She also plays the piano for real a couple of times (angrily!) and I was VERY impressed (Coto also does, but she canât surprise me with unexpected talents anymore). I think Airiâs strength is sexier more mature characters and I hope she gets to flex that muscle in their taidan show, because in that sense Elbe left a lot to be desired.
As much as I think Karl suited Beni, Coto is the one who made me think it wouldnât have been quite the same if theyâd given Elbe to any current lineup other than Hoshigumi. The least believable part of the entire story is that Florian is too good. There are no men who are that good. Even for the not-men of our 夢ăŽä¸ç itâs a stretch. But I completely believed that Coto was that good. I donât even know what to say about her... she can do anything and itâs stupid. Muster up heartbreaking sincerity for a truly unrealistic character? Sure. Play the piano flawlessly while speaking? Why not. (And the way she brushed her coattails out of the way before seating herself at the piano bench made me feel A Way).
The newly inserted Tobias was a nice sendoff for Kai. Not quite as delightful and meaty a role as Kiroku, and not as strong of a goodbye present as Sho Fu Kan, but lovely nonetheless. Tobias was not inherently a remarkable character, but he was an excellent blank canvas on which Kai painted herself, making him cool, hot, and everyoneâs big brotherâall around lovable. Her costumes made NO sense (cowboy hat??) but she wore them so well I loved them all against my better judgment. Stage time dropped off pretty hard after Beni/Airi/Coto, but the scenes with the other sailors were my favorite, and Kaiâs involvement in each was prominent enough (and CUTE enough) to make Tobias feel like a juicy role. She gets a lovely bridge solo toward the end, and fittingly leaves the ship crew to get married (to Mizuno Yuri/Karlâs sister), exiting separately in dramatic fashion to everyone elseâs tears and well wishes.Â
I found myself charmed by the supporting castâincluding (especially??) the nameless lurkers of the backgroundâmore than usual. Was it the giant food props? Were they just exceptionally silly back there? I donât know, but unfortunately the recording wonât illuminate them regardless. As for the named support, Mao Yuuki, Seo Yuria, Shidou Ryuu, and Amahana Ema made up the rest of the sailors with lines and stuff, and while there was barely anything for them to do, I (for reasons not entirely known) found Mao and Seo in particular extremely charming. Amato Kanon played a bratty screaming kid, the exact type of role Iâd normally find annoying as hell, but she even managed to make HIM charming; she had a lot of very entertaining wordless interactions with some of the bigger players on the outskirts of various scenes while something else was happening in the middle. Mikkii used 5 of her 7 seconds of stage time prowling through the audience, and seeing her angry face advancing head on toward the gaijin seats was indescribably intimidating. The biggest surprise was I fell a little in love with Mizuno Yuri, who, to be fair, did not have to sing OR dance, but who did play a weird lanky adorably awkward country bumpkin with a stupid accent from Karlâs middle-of-nowhere hometown in a way that I for some reason could not stop watching. She, as Tobiasâs bride, also bawled her eyes out on raku when the two of them ran off together.Â
So far I still think Another World is the crown jewel of Benigumi, but Iâd place Elbe second.
Estrellas
Seeing Estrellas was an odd experience because it got the New Yearâs NHK broadcast, and I watched THAT before I saw it liveâhow often do you see a Takarazuka video BEFORE seeing the show live?? Itâs my personal favorite Benigumi revue thus far. I fell in love with it pretty instantly, and interestingly I think a big part of that was the NHK cinematography, which combined with the song selection made it feel more like a concert or a FNS-style big televised music program. I found that fresh. It didnât have QUITE that same vibe live, but still a good impact. I can see it being polarizing though; itâs very pop and not very Takarazuka at times, and I probably like it so much because I happen to personally like the song choices.Â
Allowing for the fact that she was still performing very much within her own quirky style, Beni (up until Tokyo raku) seemed very on point to me, which I was glad to see; my last live Hoshigumi experience was Another World/Killer Rouge in Takarazuka toward the beginning of the run last year, and in Killer Rouge especially it seemed like she was being extremely cautious with her movements in a way that made me wonder if she was nursing or avoiding an injury. Every time I saw Estrellas though she danced full force. Airi had more than one sexy number to make up for Margit, most notably an all musumeyaku dance in the finale portion that I feel like I see pretty rarely from Hoshigumi. Beni and Airiâs duet dance was also VERY cute and very them.
Kai again got a lovely sendoff, a big long 3-song progression with perfectly chosen lyrics. The way she drank in the theater on the last day, like she was really trying to burn the image of the audience into her eyes, was SO much.Â
Coto is stupid. She paints with her voice and that gets me real bad. Thereâs a solid handful of siennes in the top tier of vocals in Takarazuka, and while many of them are gorgeous singers, the only two Iâve heard play and emote with their voices the particular way Iâm thinking of are Coto and Daimon. Her vocal control while sheâs violently dancing is also astounding. Sheâs stupid.
Senshuuraku was an ordeal! Estrellas opened with Beni doing what I initially thought was some weird attempt at a sexy breathy thing, and then maybe thought she was trying not to cry, till it became abundantly clear that something bigger was wrong. She got hoarser and hoarser till some notes in âTonight is What it Means to be Youngâ failed to come out entirely. She used her chuuzume ad lib time to apologize for her voice... sad, because that was the prime slot for cute and touching moments with the retiring actresses, but she was clearly too panicked and struggling to think of that. Then she explained during the curtain call that she broke her voice at the end of Elbeâand it must have been on the VERY last note, because the entirety of Elbe was COMPLETELY fine (I didnât even notice a weird crack or anything at the end). I didnât know you could break your voice that badly on one note, but I guess you can. She was very flustered and apologeticâalso full on cryingâthough every curtain call, and while I canât blame her for feeling remorseful I wish sheâd dialed it back after the first couple of apologies and let the retiring actresses have their moment. But considering her state it was pretty remarkable that she powered through, and I hope she has a chance to recover before the next show.
Iâve lived through my share of Takarazuka retirements, including ones that turned a whole troupeâs vibe completely upside down, but somehow Kaiâs feels unusually odd (I imagine Miyaâs will as well). I think itâs gonna be a downer of a year.Â
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The Woes and Antics of Living Together-3
THIS CHAPTER! Gaaaahhh!!! It felt like it goes on forever even though it doesn't because I just couldn't get the right words to come out! So, sorry if it seems rough in places I was trying to work through my slight writers block. More slice-of-life like stuff will start next chapter as I attempt to drag this out a little bit rather than just skipping all the way to the Broppy goodness like I want to. (Also we need some of that mutual pining I promised all of you heehee~)
Enjoy.
Previous Chapter/Next Chapter; AO3/FF.net
                          ~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day after morning classes found Poppy skipping her way up to Branch's soon to be old building to help him collect his things. The day was bright and sunny, a sure fire sign that it was going to be great and she couldn't wait to have her new roommate all settled in. Humming a cheerful tune, she glanced around the hallway as she found her way to Branch's door and thought the place could really need a new coat of paint and maybe some pictures of puppies and kittens, everyone loved seeing puppies and kittens! Glancing at the slip of paper Branch had hastily wrote his apartment number on, she found the correct door and knocked in tune to her song.
She heard a muffled 'In a minute' and figuring he had all however many extra locks locked up -he could be so paranoid the dork- leaned against the wall with her phone to wait for him. Making a quick post on all her accounts to tell all her wonderful followers about the excitement happening, Poppy started to scroll though her feed to pass the time, swaying in time to her humming. After a few moments a shadow was suddenly looming over her and she glanced up to see a large man standing next to her.
"Well hey there, Girly~ Never seen ya here before." He said, leaning a hand on the wall.
"Hi! I'm Poppy!" She beamed, "I'm just here waiting for my friend."
"Heh, well how 'bout I...entertain ya till this friend shows up, eh?" He leered closer, musty breath fanning into her face, "The backroom of the lobby is nice and cozy."
"Back off, Griff." Branch's familiar growl echoed as he suddenly appeared between Poppy and the man.
"Oh-ho! Why should I? She ya girlfriend?"
Branch sputtered, "What?! No!"
Poppy smiled and placed her hands on Branch's shoulders, "But I am his friend! And his new roommate! I'm here to help him move!"
Griff snorted, "Shackin' up with a girl, huh? Heh, sure she ain't ya girlfriend?"
Branch growled and tried to fight down the blush he felt rushing to his cheeks, "Just leave us alone, alright? I'm moving just like you wanted."
"Che, whatever. Good riddance." Griff then lumbered off down the hall leaving the new roommates alone.
"Bye! Have a good day!" Poppy cried after him.
Huffing, Branch grabbed her arm and dragged her into his apartment, "You do realize he was trying to come onto you, right?"
"Psh, oh please, Branch." Poppy said, flapping her hand in the air, "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself and would've been fine. And can't you just be nice for once?"
"No."
Heaving a fond sigh and rolling her eyes, Poppy glanced around the fairly barren apartment, seeing nothing but a few boxes and an old mattress, "Oh...wow. This, uh....this all you have?"
"Pretty much." He had to sell whatever secondhand furniture he had to make rent sometime ago.
"Well...At least it'll only take us like one or two trips to get in loaded in my car!" She proclaimed, finding the bright side of things, like always. "Say, what's in here?" She asked suddenly, going to open a lid of a box.
Branch slammed his hand down on the lid, "Nothing important."
"Aww, come on, Branch. Let me see! I promise not to tell if it's embarrassing~"
It was embarrassing but like hell was he going to let her see it was his collection of all the invitations she had given him, "It's just personal stuff, alright?"
"Fiiine." Poppy pouted before glancing at the some of the other boxes, "What's all these?" She grabbed an unopened can of beans and grimaced at the date, "Dude, these are all expired, you know that right?"
"They are not." He tapped the top, "Those are just the purchase by dates, they haven't been open so they're still good. As for what this is all for, is provisions of course. Food, water, medical supplies all in case of an emergency."
Poppy snorted, "What kind of emergency? Zombie Apocalypse?"
"Maybe. You just never know."
Giggling, she placed the can back in the box, "Okay, fine. You can bring your 'Emergency Supplies' but you're going to have to freshen some of the stuff up."
Branch rolled his eyes and grabbed a couple boxes, "You'll be grateful for them when there's a zombie outbreak, just wait."
Poppy merely laughed in response as she lifted some boxes and started taking them out the door.
                       ~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been easy enough to fit Branch's minimal possessions in Poppy's hot pink Volkswagon Beetle before leaving the decrepit apartment building behind and Branch couldn't help heaving a silent sigh at finally being out of that place. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all? Minus having to keep his feelings in check and to try to not watch every little thing she did with that adorable passion she had and to keep from spouting all the poetic words that wanted to spill out right this very moment for giving him this opportunity and-Nope! Branch growled to himself to stop thinking like that and stared out the window, trying to ignore the way Poppy bopped her head to the music playing on the radio and sang along.
He watched the old, grey and crumbling buildings of his old neighborhood meld into the better part of the city as they drove to Poppy's apartment complex. Bright shops and businesses flew by and Branch made a mental note to work out a new bus system for himself now that he'd be living somewhere new. Soon they turned into a parking lot and parked in front of a cheery, tall white building with sparkling windows and vibrant foliage surrounding it. Branch quietly appreciated it's curb appeal as he got out of the car, this was defiantly a place fitting for the pinkette dancing around the front of the car.
"Ok, so! Do you want to see the place first and then come back for stuff? Or start taking stuff up now?"
"Might as well start taking things. Get this over with."
Poppy gave him an exasperated look as she gently smacked his arm, "Oh, stop acting like this is the end of the world. This is gonna be great!" She weaved around him to go unlock the trunk before grinning wildly and jumping up and down, "Creek! Over here!"
Branch's almost relaxed state vanished as he turned with a scowl to watch the person he disliked most casually walk over. Creek Ophir, who wore bright, eye burning yellow pants, sandals, had the worse combination of teal and green ombre hair and was always spouting something about 'spiritual enlightenment' had been a thorn in Branch's side since middle school. He hadn't even done anything to him, they just never got along and it never did Branch's poor heart any good to see just how happy Poppy became in the presence of the 'guru'.
"Why the hell is he here?"
Unlucky for Branch, Creek had heard that, "Why, I simply came over to help Poppy move in her new roommate of course. No need to be so hostile, Mate." He then smiled at Poppy, "And hello, Poppy."
"Hi~!" She chirped, "And, Branch, chill. This will go faster with three people verses two."
Branch scoffed and reached inside the tiny car to grab the few boxes they fit into the backseat, it wouldn't have taken them that long, he barely had anything! Grumbling to himself and wishing Creek would just disappear, Branch followed Poppy as she skipped up to the building, leading the way into the lobby and to the elevator. A short ride later found them on the sixth floor and Poppy led the way to her apartment.
Dropping the boxes in her hands by the door, the pinkette danced in placed as she rummaged around in her sparkly teal purse for her keys. Laughing in success, she pulled out a keyring full of mostly silly keychains and jiggled them as she unlocked the door. Dropping them back into her purse, Poppy picked the boxes back up and bumped open the door with her hip as she declared brightly, "Ta-dah! Welcome to your new home, Branch!"
Rolling his eyes at her dramatics, Branch followed in after her and took in where he'd be living for an indefinite amount of time. The front door opened into a small foyer overflowing with Poppy's shoes and a cluttered end-table before leading out into the open concept living room and kitchen. The kitchenette was small but not cramped and looked like it had pretty good counter space between the oven and fridge, with a little more on the other side where the sink sat in the island/bar. Branch set his boxes on the table that was butted up against the island and covered in various magazines and colorful binders as he looked at the living room portion.
Cozy and warm were the best way to describe it with it's pale blue couch (overflowing with multi-colored cushions), bright pink armchair (was that a giant stuffed animal peeking over the top?) and beanbags sitting around a scrapbook and glitter covered coffee table. A decently sized wide-screen TV sat across the wall, surrounded by game consoles and racks full of movies and games. Shelves and pictures covered the walls, each overflowing with bits of Poppy's personality and her love for her friends. Branch couldn't help but feel a little out of place in this brightly colored apartment as he looked around at Poppy's life.
"Soooooo," Said young woman drawled as she watched her new roommate look around, "What'cha think?"
"It's...bright." He grimaced, "And do you ever clean up around here? There's clutter everywhere."
Poppy placed her hands on her hips, "Excuse you, it has a healthy lived in feel, thank you very much!"
"Now, now, let's not let any negativity ruin such a...fun occasion, shall we?" Creek said as he sat a large box on the counter, "Branch, mate, there's no need to be so judgmental. And, Poppy, Love, you have a very unique way of letting yourself be captured in everything you do. Don't let anyone ever tell you to do different."
Poppy giggled as she grinned at Creek, "Oh, I know~ But thank you for saying that."
Branch gagged before gesturing to the small hallway he could see, "I'm going to go put this in my room."
"Oh! Right!" Poppy grabbed her boxes again and flounced down the hall, "This way~!"
"I think I could've found it on my own, Poppy."
"Says the one that couldn't find me when we played hide n' seek when we were kids ever."
Branch blinked at the sudden callback to their childhood but didn't let that stop him from replying, "For your information I let you win." She never had to know he actually had the worse time finding her and she was as good as she thought she was.
"Ha! Sure~ Anyway!" She hip checked the door at the end of the hallway open, "Here you go!"
The room was decent size, able to fit the full-sized bed in the corner plus the dresser and desk already in there nicely. The bed was made with soft looking periwinkle sheets and the window had some gentle blue curtains framing it. There was also what looked to be some overflow of Poppy's craft supplies in there but all in all it was a nice looking room, it was just missing a bookcase. Although it was shockingly bare compared to the rest of the apartment.
"I'll get the rest of my stuff out, don't worry." Poppy said as Branch sat his stuff down on the bed.
"That would be good." He snarked instead of saying thank you like a normal person would.
Poppy stuck her tongue out at him before turning around, "Let's go get the rest of your stuff, yeah? Then you can 'Branch' up the room to your liking."
"Haha." He replied as he followed her out and back down the picture filled hallway glancing into both the bathroom and her room as they went by. A lot of pink was all he managed to see.
They came back to the living room to find Creek plucking cans out of Branch's ration box and placing them on the counter. He looked up with that stupid condescending smirk of his when he noticed them, "You do know most of these are expired, yes?"
"That's what I told him."
Branch rolled his eyes, "And I told you they're rations and as long as they aren't opened or the cans dented they're fine. Those dates are just when they should be sold by. Now let's go get the rest of my stuff."
As Branch stormed out the door, Poppy couldn't help shaking her head, "He can be so touchy about things."
"Well some people are just like that. The thing to remember is to not let their life choices effect yours." Creek smiled at her, "And do be sure not to eat anything is these cans, I don't want to hear you've gotten sick."
"Don't worry, I'm gonna make sure they get replaced." Poppy giggled. She then bounced up and kissed him on the cheek, "And thanks so much for helping today~"
"Not a problem, Sweet~"
Giggling some more, Poppy skipped out the door with Creek following to go catch up with Branch at the elevator. He frowned at them before pressing the down button and waiting for the doors to open. Once inside, Poppy bounced and sang softly between Creek and Branch before suddenly exclaiming, "Oh!"
"What?" Branch asked, without thinking.
"I almost forgot!" She pulled her phone out of her pocket before suddenly wrapping her arm around Branch's neck and smooshing their faces together, "Selfie~!"
She snapped a picture just before Branch could pull away, "What was that for?!"
"Duh, to commemorate the occasion." She said as she typed away on the small screen, "Gotta post an update on the moving day for the followers."
"Huh?"
"Don't you follow social media, Branch?"
"No. I use the computers at school for homework and real news." And maybe some conspiracy video's now and again, just to know what to look out for.
Rolling her eyes, Poppy pocketed her phone, "Social media is news. Oh! We should make you an account on Instagram or Twitter! Wouldn't that be fun? You could follow me and the rest of the Snack Pack!"
"No."
"Aw, come on. You'd love it."
"No, I wouldn't."
"Yes, you would."
"No."
"Yes."
Creek chuckled at their childish banter, "You know, Branch, Poppy's right. I'm sure you could find something pertaining to your...unique tastes."
Glowering at Creek as they exited the elevator, Branch growled, "No."
"You don't have to be such a stick in the mud, Branch. Posting is fun! And so is vlogging!"
"Ah, yes. Poppy is quiet the known vlogger. She's fairly popular on Youtube, then again it is very hard not to love her."
"Creek~" Poppy giggled.
Branch gagged again as he went toward her brightly colored car, "You do know that there could be anyone behind those so called 'followers' right? Serial killers, rapists, sicko's with a weird fetish! And you're just giving away your personal information like it's nothing!"
"Oh please, you worry too much. And I know not to trust everything on the internet, I'm not stupid, Branch. Also I'm surprised you know what a vlogger is."
"I've heard Bridget and Gristle gush about it before." And he wasn't a complete idiot, just because he wasn't into keeping up with social media didn't mean he hadn't seen a vlog or two. He just didn't get them. "Let's just finish this up."
Another trip up to the apartment was all it took to finish getting his things in and Branch was ready to unpack and to try and ignore the personified sunshine he now lived with. However, Poppy had other plans as she stopped him before he could retreat into his new room.
"Before I forget again..." She started before pulling something out of her pocket with a flourish, "Dah! Dah! Da-dah! Your key! You are officially my roommate now."
She dropped the key into his hand and he couldn't help tilting his head as he looked at the wink face emoji key cap she had added, "...Thanks."
"No problem~" She giggled.
"Well, as fun as this has been, I'm afraid I must be going." Creek spoke up, "I have a yoga class to get to."
"Oh! Of course!" Poppy skipped over to him, "I'll walk you out. Be right back, Branch. No disappearing into your room yet! We're gonna do some roommate bonding when I get back!"
"What?" He asked but they weren't listening as they walked out the door.
Rolling his eyes and deciding to ignore whatever 'roommate bonding' Poppy had in mind, Branch turned to head down the hallway but something on one of the shelves lining the wall caught his eyes. Wandering over, Branch stared in disbelief at the old, dingy and dinged up cowbell that Poppy had kept with her all throughout elementary and middle school. He couldn't believe she had the stupid thing, he had thought she had finally grown out of it in high school but apparently he was wrong.
Now sort of curious, Branch looked though her collection of pictures, seeing snapshots of her life. Most of them had her main group of friends in some variation, while others held her and people she clearly had charmed with her sunny personality. There were shots of people partying, playing games, her dad of course, Branch was even surprised to see one of him and her. Her seven year-old self was smiling widely, freckles gleaming in the sun with arms wrapped tightly around his ten year-old self, who was smiling just as brightly as he held onto her with one arm, the other holding a first place trophy from the science fair he had entered. Branch let himself remember that moment for a second, back when things were happy and uncomplicated but snapped out of it as he heard Poppy come back inside.
"Hey~ What'cha lookin' at?"
Unwilling to admit what he been thinking about, Branch picked the most random thing he saw sitting innocently before him, "This. Why the hell do you have a dressed up troll on your shelf?"
"Hey!" She came over and picked up said troll, cradling it gently in her hands, "Don't diss Princess Poppy. As princess of the trolls she has to look her best."
Branch snorted, "You named it after you?"
Pink hair flew around her as Poppy shock her head, "No, you did. Don't you remember that you gave her to me?"
Now that she mentioned it, he did vaguely recall presenting a younger Poppy with the toy, "Not really, no."
Rolling her eyes, Poppy placed the treasured item back in her spot, fluffing the hair a little, "Well I do. And she's still one of my favorite gifts from you. Along with these~" She gave the rainbow bangles a little shake to call attention to them, "Anyway~" She sang, "I was thinking since it's still pretty early in the day why don't we go to the store as our first roommate bonding experience?!"
Branch gave her a deadpan look, "I'd rather unpack."
"Aw, come on!" She whined, twirling around him and tugging on an arm, "You can unpack later, we need groceries! Cause let me tell you, mister, I am not sharing my Lucky Charms with you." She playfully wagged a finger at him.
"Like I would touch that sugary junk."
"Exactly! We gotta get you some boring cereal. And some bread...chocolate chips...eggs...maybe some mayo, I gotta check."
Branch stared at her as she fell into thought, finger poised by her chin, "When was the last time you went grocery shopping?"
"Eh, it's been a little while yet. Hence why it's a good time to go!"
"So you're using 'roommate bonding', as you call it, as an excuse."
"No!" She crossed her arms and pouted at him, "I think this'll be a fun first experience for us, I've always had fun going with my previous roommates. Plus come on, when was the last time you ate real food?"
"I eat real food!"
"That didn't come from a can!"
"Uggg!!" Branch groaned before throwing his hands into the air, "Fine, we'll go!"
"Yes! This'll be great! Trust me."
                       ~*~*~*~*~*~
A little while later, they returned burdened with more groceries than Branch thought they'd get from a very...eventful trip to the store. After Poppy had managed to force him on camera to introduce him to all her 'wonderful subscribers', they had gone from practically corner to corner of the store as Poppy kept remembering things she either wanted or they actually needed. Branch had tried to stick to just a few things but after a brief argument over wither getting just canned soup counted as grocery shopping or not, he had relented and actually picked a few things he hadn't allowed himself to have in a few months.
He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't just a little happy to have fresh pears and peaches again, plus the small chocolate bar he snuck past his new roommate.
Getting everything put away now was an even bigger event as Poppy, who just couldn't seem to slow down for a second, put on some bubbly pop song and was dancing around the kitchen as Branch tried to figure out where she liked to put things. Her cabinets were a seemingly random host of things that had no rhyme or reason to being stored together. Branch made a mental note to reorganize everything soon so it would be easier to find certain things, for both of them.
"Show the room what you can do, Prove to them you've got the moves, I don't know about you, But I feel better when I'm dancin, yeah, yeah~" The pinkette sang before hip checking Branch, "Come on, Branch! Sing with me!"
"No. I don't sing."
"Oh please, you use to sing all the time when we were kids." She responded as she tossed a boxed of cereal into the cabinet.
"Well I don't anymore."
"Gah! Such a spoil sport." Poppy groaned before suddenly jumping in place as her phone rang, interrupting the music, "Hello? Oh, hi Satin! Really?! A party?!"
Branch rolled his eyes, wondering if there was ever a time where Poppy wasn't excited about a party, and continued shuffling groceries into their places. At least he'd get a few hours to center himself in this new place since she was sure to go.
"Of course I'll be there! When am I not?!" She nodded along with whatever Satin was telling her before replying, "Okay~! Meet ya at your place in twenty!" Then as she hung up, she grinned at Branch, "Branch. My man. How would you like to go to a party tonight? Eh? Eh?"
"No." He was not going to let her drag him to any parties anymore now than before their living arrangement.
"Pleeeease?!" Oh god, she was trying to puppy dog eyed look again.
"No, Poppy." He growled, glaring at her, "No parties means no parties!"
"Oh fine." She pouted before glaring back at him, "Gesh, I was just trying to get you to lighten up a little. As your friend and now roommate it is my duty to make sure you're living life to it's fullest!"
"No, it's not." He waved her off toward the door, "Now go. I'm looking forward to unpacking in peace."
"Fine, fine." She sighed, rolling her eyes before rushing into her room to grab her make-up bag before flying to the door, "Bye~! Happy to have you as my new roommate even though you're still a grumpy troll~!"
"Don't come back drunk!" He shouted but the door had already slammed shut behind her.
Sighing, Branch finished putting away their food before wandering to his room and sliding down to the floor, back against the bed frame. Tilting his head back, he groaned and wondered how he was ever going to survive living with the tornado that was Poppy Meadows. Reaching for his backpack after a moment, he grabbed a notebook and opened it to a blank page and begun to pen down the words that had been swimming in his head since seeing that old picture of the two of them. That woman just had no idea what she did to him and now he'd have to be extra careful not to let any of his unrequited feelings show. She believed them to be friends and he wasn't about to ruin that with his stupid, messy feelings.
Groaning once more, Branch really hoped he wouldn't regret living with her.
                        ~*~*~*~*~*~
I swear I either focus too much on certain details and then not enough on others but then again maybe it's just me as the beta has given this chapter a pass *shrugs* I don't really wanna write Creek I be honest but he's necessary for what little plot I have so.... Also the Snack Pack will be coming in next chapter! I have not forgotten them! I'll also make sure to try and add more snark between Branch and Poppy, like I said still getting the hang of them. c:
Read and Review!
Song Credit: Better When Iâm Dancinâ-Meghan Trainor
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A Tale of Rain, Pancakes and Cats
Commission story for @piecesofeight123 for a fluffy story of two cute lesbian witches living in a cozy home in the woods on a rainy day! I hope you enjoy it, dear! I think Iâm in love with the ocâs I made for this <3
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The daylight shines through the clouded sky, finding its way into a crack between the curtains hiding a small bedroom in a small cottage in the woods. The place is beyond cozy â one could instantly feel their worries being lifted if they walked in; it was like magic. Probably because, well, it was. You see, the people living there were witches.
The bright light spilled into the shape of a pale golden line over a large black cat that had been sleeping on a bed, and as it opened its bright yellow eyes, it let out a loud mewling noise, rolling on its back.
To the catâs left, there was a woman sleeping under the blankets. She had auburn hair that was shaven on the sides and puffy on the top , and she groaned softly turning to the cat and placing her hand over its soft fur.
âYour noisy child is awake, my love.â
The woman, Lorelei, had a kind smile as she watched the other woman with dark bushy hair stretching her arms and placing her own hand over Loreleiâs on the catâs stomach. The woman turned to face Lorelei with a smirk on her lips, eyes still closed.
âSheâs only my child when sheâs noisy, hmm?â
Lorelei giggles, staring at her beloved with an enamored look in her eyes.
âYour hair looks like an untamed ocean, Sirenia.â she says, eyes tracing the waves of unruly curls over her loverâs pillow âCrashing tides framing your beautiful face.â
Sirenia cracks an eye open, blushing at the way her wife just stares at her endlessly.
âYou should write that one down. Itâs pretty.â she moves her hand from the catâs tummy â which earns her an annoyed meow â and runs her fingers over the fuzzy cropped hair on the side of her wifeâs head âI like your new hair. I can see your earrings better.â She pokes Loreleiâs cheek âWhen will you stop showing off those adorable dimples whenever you smile?â
Lorelei scoffed, sitting up and pulling the cat onto her lap.
âIs this an adorableness contest? Because youâre definitely winning with this adorable nose of yours. And the way you pout when youâre embarrassed like this.â
Sirenia sat up with a pout on her lips. She was tall, fat and beautiful, thighs perfect for Lorelei to lay her head on while they talked, big arms covered in intricate tattoos that would dance on her skin and a thick neck made to dangle her many necklaces from.
Lorelei, however, was short and curvy, wide hips, a pudgy stomach and broad shoulders. Sirenia would often say she looked stunning with hoop skirts and sleeveless blouses that showed her figure, and she loved the dangling noise of her many earrings occasionally clinking together.
A very shy Sirenia was about to respond Loreleiâs comments when the cat meowed loudly again, nibbling at Loreleiâs hand.
âOw. I think someone wants breakfast.â
Sirenia bowed to the black cat in an exaggerated manner, speaking with an important voice.
âWe apologize, your majesty, queen Pepper.â
Lorelei grabbed the cat under its armpits, making it jiggle its body.
ââI forgive you this once because you are my court jesterââ she said in a small, nosy voice ââbut this shall be the last time you mock my royal whiskersâ!â
The cat purred contently while the two witches laughed, and kept doing so as she perched on Sireniaâs shoulder on her way to the kitchen.
Sirenia and Loreleiâs kitchen was cozy and small, much like the rest of the house. There was a wooden table with two chairs, many shelves filled with many jars full of colored things and a stove with no wood to feed the fire â they didnât really need it.
Sirenia pointed an old wooden wand to point at the flour and butter to make them float up and into a bowl, and then at the eggs so that they would crack and pour into it as well, singing to herself. She then started drawing spirals in the air with her wand, and the ingredients began mixing and blending together. Meanwhile, the soft patter of rain outside soon turned heavier, and Sirenia breathed in the smell of rain, watching it out of the kitchen window while she cooked.
The cat, Pepper, stared fascinated at the wand as it moved, very entertained eyes following its every movement.
âI wonder whereâs your momma.â Sirenia said to the cat as she made the batter move into a flow that landed on a frying pan over an old stove to then conjure some fire under the pan, making the very first of many pancakes âSheâs gonna be late for breakfast.â
A wind blew the semi-sheer curtain hanging from the kitchenâs doorframe, sweeping it out of Loreleiâs way as she walked inside, cropped auburn hair messed over the top of her head. She carried a basket filled with fruits and many different blue and white flowers. She had an old, worn out wooden stick placed behind her ear, and when Sirenia turned to look at her, she overdid the spell to flip her pancake, and the thing went flying up in the air before Lorelei caught it with a grin, bringing it to her mouth and eating a bite.
âWhy are you still carrying your wand like this?â Sirenia asked with a small laugh of disbelief âHave you forgotten how you got the tips of your hair burned?â
âNah, Iâve been wanting a haircut for a while!â Lorelei said with her mouth stuffed with pancake âSpeaking of my hair, a bird sat on it while I was summoning the fruits into the basket. Unbelievable. It only left when I gave it not one but three raspberries. It just kept coming back and sitting up there again⌠then, - then! â it came a drizzle that turned to pouring rain on my bird nest of a hair, so I had to cast a bubble spell over myself and had to rush back home so⌠hey, stop laughing!â
But Sireniaâs laughter is the bubbliest, most adorable sound, and soon Lorelei is laughing along while she sets the basket on the table and walks around the counter to wrap her arms around her wifeâs waist, humming quietly.
âYou are impossible.â and she kisses Sireniaâs cheek while another pancake flips itself on the pan âSmells so good.â
âYeah, I think itâll come up nicely.â
âI wasnât talking about the pancakes, love.â
âOh, stop that now and go set the table for us. And no sneaking food to Pepper. She knows she should behave better, and you, madam, are an enabler.â
Lorelei goes to the small cabinet by the window, grabbing two plates with stars painted on the glass surface. The stars dance and swirl under the witchâs finger as she sets them on the table.
âThe birds and the cats, all of them mocking me and taking advantage of my innocence just because I canât say no to a chubby and cute creature when they ask me for stuff.â
âIs that why you never say no to me?â Sirenia says with a laugh, piling up pancake after pancake on a big plate
âThat is exactly why and you know it.â Lorelei shrugs, grabbing a pair of mugs from the cabinet; the mugs have hand-made paintings of Pepper, and the tiny cat in one of them runs around the mug while the other sleeps, tiny âZâ letters floating over its head âYou and Pepper both.â
After eating delicious fruit-filled pancake wraps, the two witches lay on a deep blue hammock hanging by the back door of the cottage, Sirenia sitting between Loreleiâs legs that hung out of the hammock. Lorelei wore a beautiful crown of white and blue flowers while she braided another one over Sirenia voluminous curls herself. Pepper slept soundly on a puffy pillow placed by the door especially for her, and Lorelei pressed a kiss to the back of Sireniaâs head.
âDone. I couldnât make you any prettier because I donât think thatâs possible so, uh⌠sorry.â
Sirenia snorted, turning her head to look at her wife over her shoulder.
âDonât be silly.â
âAlso not possible, Iâm afraid.â
Sirenia pressed a kiss to Loreleiâs lips, sighing happily. She then turned back and shifted to lie on top of Loreleiâs chest, closing her eyes and breathing in the leafy scent of the woods and rain surrounding them. It was a beautiful morning, and the cicadas sang along with the rain as it dripped down the roof of the witcheâs home in clear strings of water beads.
âI love you so much, dear.â Sirenia sighed happily
Lorelei slowly leaned back until they were both lying down, rocking very softly on the comfy hammock, humming at the perfect feeling of being together with the love of her life.
âI love you too, sweetheart.â
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Why I take photos
Hey everyone, howâs it going?
Iâm back. Been taking a break from social media this past year. Recently moved to SoCal from Chicago and was busy settling in. Also, I took this time to step back and look at where Iâve been and where I want to go with my photography, as well as how I present it online.
Iâve got a lot of fun new content planned and will slowly start rolling it out. Meanwhile, to make up for my lack of updates, this post is chock-full of awesome photos and interesting thoughts on photography. Climb aboard and enjoy the ride!
Throughout this past year I continued taking photos, but I left social media entirely, feeling that it was becoming a bit too much. Too much of a time investment and mental drain, researching & following, using all those silly hash tags⌠Too much attention being eaten up by a constant bombardment with a never-ending flow of imagery. Too much bots, too much spam & too much noise. Too much âfor the likesâ. Too much stuff I couldnât care to care about anymore. Instant gratification and desensitization were the new norm. Even the quality stuff didnât matter anymore. I knew it was time to jump ship.
But I did miss the things that were actually good about it. There werenât that many, but still⌠I knew that it was only a matter of time before I plugged back in again. And⌠here I am. Meanwhile, my sabbatical allowed me the luxury to think about my photography from the ground up, and think I did. In this post Iâd like to share with you some of the fruits of all that thinking: Iâd like to share with you the 10 reasons why I take photos.
1. Exploration & adventure
Photography allows me to explore new, unfamiliar places, as well as see the old and familiar places in new light, over and over again. Back in the olden days I used to call it a âPassport to adventureâ (pardon the cheese). And I still feel that way.
Nothing else gets me out the door as quickly as a camera and a fresh new roll of film, and not much enriches a life more than travel.
2. Meeting people
Meeting new people is always fun. Itâs a life-enriching experience and helps one feel connected to the greater world. Itâs not always easy to connect with strangers on the street, but a camera usually helps break the ice in more ways than one.
Since many of my interests lie in old mechanical objects, having a vintage camera with me actually sparks a lot of conversations to happen entirely by themselves. And at the end of the day, 9 out of 10 people actually feel honored to be able to tell their story and have their picture taken.
3. Family and friends
I donât need 691 snapshots of what we ate for breakfast every year. I need just a few quality photos that are engineered to stand the test of time and will always bring back the fondest of memories spent with my family and friends.
Quality photography, where I put in the time and effort to make each shot count (ahem, film, not pointing fingers, ahem). Itâs rewarding and it makes my relationships feel that much more special (sorry for the sentimental cheese).
4. Recording milestones
Speaking of family and friends, the moments that we cherish most are the ones that deserve their own dedicated photo shoot. Being a photographer transcends into being a historian and keeper of family history and even tradition.
âProduction valuesâ are high, trips are planned, adventures are had and lasting memories are made. Photos serve as testament to us and the big advancements in our lives - a big move, getting married, having childrenâŚ
5. Fueling curiosity
To be curious is to be human. Itâs what defines us as a race thatâs able to advance and grow. There would be no fire, no wheel, no semiconductor and no landing on the moon and (gasp) no Instagram.
Taking photos for me is a continuation of that fine tradition of discovery. I see, I like, I take a photo. I obsess over the photo and object that lies herein. I learn more about it, wiki-ing about the design decisions on that olive green â67 Cutlass or the impact of that historic Main St. movie theater on the town or how surfboards are shaped. Or why the moon is sometimes red. Or why Dingbats have such a funny name.
Photography helps me learn more about my world. Always a nice thing.
6. Imagination exercise
Every once in a while Iâd take a photo and it would entertain my mind in many not-so-obvious ways. Could happen with a picture perfect landscape or a failed Holga long exposure. It would mysteriously linger in memory for a while, prompting repeat viewing. Often times the effect would be immediately after seeing the photo, other times it would surface years after the fact.
I would be drawn to the photo, get lost in it, imagine myself in it. All sorts of metaphorical thought would crawl into the picture, all sorts of things would form in the shadows and bubble up. Sometimes nostalgia would paint the skies a dull yellow and Iâd feel warmth in my toes that I havenât felt since 17. Sometimes at night, the skyline of Port of LA turns into Port Town from F-Zero and at midday, the sand dunes on the beach turn into a romanticized version of early 20th-century Arabia.
Humans are visual creatures, and photos have the power to play all sorts of tricks on the interplay between imagination, memory and all the 5 senses. Photos help me tie my mindscape together.
7. Giving back
Itâs only natural to want to share with the world something that you truly, honestly love!
Photography is a craft that has lots to do with understanding fundamentals, repetition and learning from your mistakes. It also has lots to do with many other things that are not so immediately obvious due to the exceedingly esoteric nature of what makes or breaks a good photo. Not to mention that thereâs a very complicated technical side to photography as well, film or digital...
The answers to all of these come with time and experience, and as always, with a little help from our friends. As such, itâs always a humbling and enjoyable experience when I can offer my friends a little help of my own, based on my personal experience and observations.
8. Experimentation and happenstance
Photography has always been about experimenting - seeing what works and what doesnât. Every time I try something new I am faced with fresh and, dare I say, invigorating challenges.
Sometimes I learn something cool that Iâd like to continue doing (redscale or Pen-o-ramas). Other times I find a format that completely changes the kinds of shots Iâd do for long stretches of time (half frame or a 6x9). Or I would find a camera so unpredictable that I wouldnât know how the shot will turn out at all (pinholes, Holgas, solarcams, old soviet cameras, etc).
In the world of film photography, there is absolutely no shortage of film, formats, cameras and techniques to try out. We have, after all, more than a hundred years of photographic legacy to fall back on and tinker with. It keeps things interesting and the perspective - fresh.
9. Getting lost in the moment
This is a big one, especially with film photography. A craft so diverse and expansive that condenses down to a singular moment when the shutter goes off. Thereâs so much to love, so many details to enjoy.
Starting with the obvious - not having to chimp or preview the photos and being limited by a scarce, diminishing resource (film) allows more time to bask in the surroundings and bond with the moment rather than just keep popping off the camera like a machine gun. Waiting for the moment (or setting up the shot), anticipating the scene, watching it all come together. Itâs meditation.
The gear, so varied and spanning such a breadth of generations, each with its own intricacies, procedures and character. The mechanical, tangible nature of control manipulations. Itâs all very tactile and ASMR-ish. Come on, all you Leica fans out there - tell me you donât go through an elation every time that cloth goes sssssshwick, haha )
10. Feeling the passing of time
Photos are like a quality wine - they get better with age (I actually donât know if thatâs true, but thatâs how the saying goes). A lot of photos we admire today were received completely different when they were first presented to the world. We look back at the photos from the 60âs, 70âs and go through a portal to that time. How people lived their lives, where they lived, what they drove, how they had fun. Itâs all put through the context of history. Same goes for movies, music - any cultural item.
Itâs important to understand that your photos, if you choose to keep them around for that long, will be viewed many decades down the line and will offer a glimpse into those times. Viewers from the future will look at the cars and marvel at how people got around in these dead-dinosaur-powered vehicles, or how everyone on the street was stuck staring down at tiny glass screens, or even the fact that the very photo theyâre looking at is static, isnât an immersive 3D experience and has limited resolution.
Things get especially interesting when the photographer himself is the subject of the photos...
11. Cars
Wait, didnât I say it was 10 reasons? Well, thereâs always room for cars! Awesome, timeless automotive examples, each with its own personality and style. As they say, thereâs always room for cars...
Conclusion
Sorry if that was too wordy! A lot of reasons, huh? And everybody will have their own⌠Thatâs the beauty of this thing called photography - everyone makes it their own. Hopefully this post presented you with some interesting food for thought, or maybe inspiration for your next photo project. Thanks for reading, everyone.
Stay awesome!
#film photography#analog photography#filmisnotdead#ishootfilm#film#fujifilm#kodak#35mm#120#4x5#believeinfilm
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The Perfect Picture
Remember when I mentioned i was writing a one-shot of Orton being a troll to Block? Well here it is ^^ Honestly while i like thse two as rivals, i also liked the idea of them having a dorky frenemyship where one does nasty things that turn out to be mere tactics for self entertainment which turns out proper at the end for the other.Â
*whispers* Block and Orton friendship is a new thing :3 Gotta thank @annamaetion for motivating me to finish this - Which Iâm about three paragraphs from the end x3
"THIS is my photographer?! Gretchen what is the meaning of this?!"
Orton smirked snidely while Block was towering over his assistant in demanding. The bespectacled woman that is Gretchen remained nonchalant and she responded in a monotone voice. "There's no meaning, Sir. You were asking for the best photographer there is in Danville so here he is," She coolly gestured at Orton.
Block started to shriek like a spoilt child who didn't get what he wanted. "But...! Oh for crying out loud - I only asked for a photographer! Not a movie star of some ridiculous science sitcom!"
Gretchen flinched and Orton spoke up with crossed arms. "Hey you do realize I can be that and a photographer at the same time, right?" The words shut Block up and he fumed, eyes casting on Gretchen.
Gretchen sensed the hostility and gave her boss the crossed arms. "Orton's the only photographer I've found to be available twenty four hours a day," She pointed out and flashed Orton a grin. "Besides, he's a pretty photogenic man if you ask me. He'll know exactly how to help you make the best photo for the Bureau's Hall of Agents Portrait."
Block's eyes twitched and he groaned in frustration. Of all decisions it had to be this - It's either let that punk work or no picture. It's only one day left and he had absolutely no time to waste..
"Ugh fine! You get the job Mahlson," He curtly shook the offered hand. "But you better make it good."
Orton just nodded in reply. "Oh of course Percival. Of course..." He smirked.
In his annoyance, Block did not see Orton's grin flash with mischiefâŚ
Block stared at the well-decorated room while Orton concentrated on nicely bunching up some flowers. The once just plain white room is now home to fancy chairs, mountainous wallpaper and plastic potted plants. How Orton managed to fit all of those in his backpack? He'll never know.
"Hey I thought I had Gretchen order a photographer! Not an interior designer!" He snapped.
A card flew right into his face and Block caught it in two fingers before it could slide down. He read the card.
Danville's Pro Actor Slash Dr Zone Franchise Creator Slash Top Notch Photographer Slash Freelance Interior Designer.
"Wow. That, is a lot of modern positions for someone from the 60s. How exactly did you fit in with society here so easily?!" Block looked incredulous.
Orton rolled his eyes and casually fiddled a flower in his fingers. "Sheesh Blockhead, your brain sure is living the luxurious life of taking its time to process - I have friends, you know? Want me to name them?"
When Block opened his mouth, Orton pinched his lips shut. "You know what? Forget it, I'd rather keep my brethren safe than give their info away to a rotten toad like you so topic closed."
He smirked at the growling Block let out before he gracefully twirled and clapped his hands. "Now chop chop, we still have your photoshoot to do!"
Block grunted and stood up. Orton looked skeptically at the black and red suit from head to toe. Block found it hard to resist punching the guy with the reminder of personal space.
"What's the problem Orton? Why are you staring at my clothes like a fool looking for a scrap of dirt?"
The tawny man stood up and put a hand to his chin. "Hmph nothing serious except - Oh boy... Well I got some news for you." He pulled a part of Block's uniform. "Your clothes cannot do. You need a complete redo! A makeover."
No way. Block gasped. "A makeover?!?"
Orton gave a curt nod. "A makeover."
Nothing could describe the girly squeal Block suddenly let out. The bulky man stopped the embarrassing reaction and gave Orton a questioning look. "Hey you're doing a manly one, right?"
"My! Percy you look fabulous! Oh just come out and look at yourself!"
Orton facepalmed in frustration before going into the closet room to pull Block out. "Seriously, come out you big baby! I have a time limit here and you are wasting every ounce of seconds with your stubborn ass!" He yanked hard on Block's arm and pulled him outside.
The surrounding backdrop workers (lesser time traveller agents) bit their lips in trying not to laugh out loud at their boss.
Block just growled through his pursed mouth, busy stiff and arms pressed at the sides. In the forty minutes of scuffle and dressing up, Orton did a fine job of decorating him.
Wearing the Napoleon-like attire, it made him feel like he's being squeezed and suffocated alive while the high-heeled leather boots aren't making things any comfier. His pants are white and its leggings poofed out at where the boots are overlapping.
Light pink blush and tan colored cream colored his abnormally pale face and his curled ebony hair is tied up in a ridiculous bun. To make things worse, Orton had him wear a navy blue hat resembling that of a pirate's topped with this ridiculously big pink feather. If anything, he looked like a vintage bootleg toy.
Orton snickered and proudly admired his work. "You look gorgeous. Oh you are bound to get a lot of ladies falling for ya!" This sentence made the agents crack up. They hushed however when Block sent them a deadly glare. Orton's fingers turned Block around so he's facing him.
The man was staring right into his face and a devious grin formed. "Now... I believe something is missing,"
Block fumed. "Ooh what could that be? Eyeliner?" He sarcastically said. He's clearly pissed off with makeup at this point.
"No, no! Silly! Eyeliner? Not with those ridiculously large eyebags of yours my friend. I nearly had to use up all of my cream just to cover them up!" Rebuked Orton.
Block winced. His eyebags are so deep it took Orton a long time to apply and rub the covering cream to hide them. "Touche," He muttered and watched Orton pull out a black purse - His makeup kit.
To his horror, the man took out a certain object and opened the cap. Twisting it a bit, a soft red solid rose and Block stiffened. "Is that?!?" He backed away as Orton smirked and went near. "Don't you dare - Get that thing away from me Mahlson! Put that stuff on my face and it's your head!"
His desperate shrieks were ignored and nothing but the sound of grunting and struggle is heard...
Not long later, Block stood in front of the mountainous wallpaper - With his cheeks covered in large lipstick spirals. Block internally swore to knee Orton in the crotch if he plans to make him wear white face paint next. The current extra accessory made him look ridiculous enough.
I could have sworn this shot is supposed to be themed epic and dynamic. Block thought with annoyance. What on earth did Gretchen tell this guy? A request for a Halloween shot?
"Hey no need to be moody, Blockhead. We're all done and over with the makeover!" Orton chuckled and patted the Napoleon clothed shoulder of Block as he seethed still. "Besides, the lipstick makes you look like that one scary Jigsaw puppet with the tricycle and violent methods of criminal punishment. Everyone loves that guy - Right boys?" Orton innocently asked the other agents.
The agents didn't reply for they immediately exited the room to laugh out loud outside of Block's hearing range. Â Orton gave a fake wince and looked at Block. "Well, I think you're perfect," He ignored the look of disbelief on Block's face and pulled out his phone.
Block blinked. "You're using a phone to take your photos?!" The man nodded without taking his eyes off the phone as he went through filters.
"I had to. You know, DSLR cameras are too big and bulky even for me - So I created a model that is basically that and a cellphone in one! The first of its kind, exclusive to myself, though I do have some plans of production. It's still a prototype you see? But it's working fine!"
He lowered his phone so he can grab a nearby ladder and drag it to the center of the background. He returned to the front and horizontally held the phone. "Alrighty, we are all set Block! Now climb up the ladder!"
Block looked stunned. "What?"
"You heard me! Now do it!"
The big man gripped the metal sides and took a step. Three steps later, he was shaking in fear and halfway to the top of the ladder. He flashed Orton a hopeful grin. "Is this enough?"
Orton rolled his eyes and shook his hand in a 'keep going motion'. "Higher." He said flatly. Block winced and climbed farther up. The ladder shook when Block set one foot on the summit step and he shrieked. "Is this enough?!"
To his relief, Orton nodded. But it wasn't the last.
"You're doing great! Now do an epic pose like all those men who pull swords out from stones!"
Before Block could reply, Orton tossed him a large sword that pulled his arms down when caught. The ladder shook beneath from the sudden weight pull and it nearly fell over - The man gasping when he almost fell. He managed to stabilize the ladder and do as instructed.
With Orton raising a thumbs up, Block put on a plastered grin as the phone was raised to capture the pictureâŚ
He waited for the flash. It never came. For a good second, Block thought Orton didn't consider using that like most people who use those things - Until a shocked outcry came out of the latter's mouth.
"No!"
Block gaped and became alarmed. "W-What's the problem? Is it the hair?! The makeup?! A one-off?!"
Orton said nothing. Instead, frowned and sighed in frustration at his phone before flipping it for Block to see the blinking Low Battery logo on the screen.
"Dead Battery.â
Orton slipped the phone into his pocket and pulled out a camera and its aparratus from his backpack. "Give me a moment and stay there, I'll just have to set up my DSLR - You're lucky I brought it with me or I'll have to steal another camera from someplace!"
Block's eye twitched with rage and if he wasn't covered in so much foundation amongst other things, his face would definitely be red like the lipstick spirals on his cheeks. With his emerald glare upon Orton, he could only think of one phrase.
Could a mere photoshoot day get any worse?
For the next half hour, Block didn't say a thing and let his ridiculous picture be taken. He knew it was embarrassing and something to not be displayed on the Hall of Agents - Especially when his picture is gonna be the biggest frame and takes up an entire side of wall.
As much as he wanted a proper formal re-shoot, his mind has already been inflicted by the intense makeover, the clothes and the Nasty Photographer from Hell as he had dubbed Orton for this day.
When the latter finally left with a casual side of teasing remark, the first thing Block did was rip off the suit (not literally.. Maybe?) and scrub his face with lots of soap. After that bath, bed was the first place he went to and he did just so - Planting facefirst on the mattress and pillows...
The next day came by faster than he thought and he badly wanted to be absent, save himself from the chuckling of his agents as Orton further provoked them into laughter with stories on how the shooting went.
Block grumbled and got to his feet. No, it's just a dumb old picture. He put on his usual uniform and sighed. He can just suspend agents that laugh or give some much as one chortle. He's the boss, he's got the privilege. They don't⌠right?
Moments later, he found himself in the portrait filled room where his agents are admiring or happily chatting about their developed works. A few portraits, notably Brick and Savannah's, are said to be home captured and sent them in for photoshop and so on.
The latter pair stood proudly while describing their precious work to the watching fellow agents. The portrait as Block expected from every agent in pairs, displayed Brick and Savannah in a cloudy landscape. Brick was riding a winged horse and Savannah, standing in an epic archer's dress with a spear in readying to shoot the man and steedâŚ
Block winced. So this is how the woman treats her guy. He snorted with an eyeroll. Typical. He moved on to see the other portraits.
His steppings grew slow the moment he entered the chatty environment of the room. Something about the chit-chat bothered him. Although he has no intention of being a busy body, his ears picked up a name amongst the chat -  The one name he doesn't consider pretty after yesterdayâŚ
Orton.
Block blinked in disbelief. Many of his agents are talking about that guy. Talking about how great he is amongst other words of praise. "What the heck?" He rubbed his ears as if to make sure they weren't deceiving him. He wasn't. He was indeed hearing them talk good about Orton and it stuns him. Does everybody know this man? He blinked. Dr Zone. Of course.. He rolled his eyes.
His emerald gaze froze and set upon another certain pair where a lot of agents are crowding around with cameras and compliments. They were standing in front of a large portrait taking up there whole wall but Block was too distracted to see. In the center of the crowd stood Balthazar and Vinnie along with a very familiar man Block knew too well - He stiffened.
"Orton?!"
Silence filled the air and the trio acknowledged Block. Orton especially let out a loud chortle before giving Block a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Why hello Block! So good to see ya drag your heavy butt out here before the crowd! And good thing too because you're just in time for the big premiere!"
He ignored the shocked look on Block's face and clapped for Gretchen. "Hey Gretch! Gather everyone here will you not? The star has finally entered - time to get this event started!"
"I'm on it!" Gretchen called for everyone and in minutes, the entire bureau is crowded around before the spectacle - Brick and Savannah being included in the batch. Orton has an arm raised as a hand enclosed around a part of the cloth covering the large framed portrait. The crowd silenced in time for Orton to begin his opening speech.
"My dear friends and agents of the Bureau of Time Travel, it is with great pleasure that I stand here today to present the most awaited Frame of Honor containing the most wonderful face of no one other than the Bureau's most adored boss, the amazing Mr Percival Block!"
He readied to pull away the cloth but a blur of black and red screeched and grabbed Orton's shoulders with desperate shaking.
"Don't you dare!" He barked much to Orton's 'surprise'. "You already made me look like a child's mannequin - I cannot have you humiliating more in front of all of my agents!" He snapped.
Orton gave him an offended look. "I beg your pardon?" He pried the bigger man off of him. "Oh Blockhead. Why on earth would I do that? I am a man with a heart - I'd never humiliate someone in front of a crowd!" He held in a snicker. Unless it was you that is. He thought to himself but quickly shook his head. No heâd never do that even to him...
Holding Block away with one arm, Orton gripped onto the cloth and with a swoosh, the drape was pulled down and came clean off from the portrait. Block shrieked and shut his eyes, shaking madly. I'm doomed I'm doomed I'm doomed!!! He shot Orton a second lasting death glare. And it's all your fault - Dammit Mahlson!
He covered his ears in expecting the ringing of laughter and words of humiliation to be thrown upon him. None of that came - Instead, the clapping of hands of one person, Vinnie Dakota, before the entire crowd joined in with whoops and cheers.
"Wha??" Block felt Orton's hand grasp his and hold it up in victory pose. "Everybody! Lo and behold - The Block is in the house and is shining with spotlights ever so glorious! Stand back and stare at him! In awe!"
Orton's other arm was gestured to the huge portrait and the cheering applause intensified. Block now felt whatever tense feeling he had drift away and he slowly turned to look at what's behind him.
Instead of an image of him in ridiculous clothing and makeup, Block found himself staring at a much vibrant image; Him in metallic knight's armor and riding an armored steed, his arm raised up high and holding a sword.
To top it off, his face is full of bravery and instead of the dark perms, his hair swayed with the wind in epic motion. It looked so realisticâŚ
"Wow neato!" Vinnie was enthralled and he clapped with Balthazar. "My, that was flashing! Your photographer really did the job!" Added Vinnie's tall partner in amazement. All the other agents were giving out praises of impression and their applause grew louder.
The noises weren't fully acknowledged by Block however as he stared at the portrait as if his mind is taking a while to process things. Before he knew it, he felt a smile tug on the corner of his lips. "I can't believe it!" He grinned and for their first time since yesterday, looked at Orton with immense joy. "How did you do this?! In one night... I don't know what to say!"
Orton shrugged with a chuckle and smacked the man in the shoulder. "If that's so, then don't say anything then." He glanced around the room. "Look about you, with you being the boss I thought it'd only be fair to give you the most supreme piece so there you have it!"
He dug into his pocket for a receipt book and clicking a pen, wrote in some words. He ripped the page off the pad, folded it, and handed it to Block who took the paper slowly. "Here's the bill Block. I'll be expecting to be paid within this week," He smirked and he went forward and through the crowd of agents - But not without giving Block one last devious wink over his shoulder.
"⌠Okay?" Block muttered and reluctantly, he opened the paper with sheer panic in fear of seeing a huge number with so many zeroes at the end - That one day and he already knew how cunning Orton can be. His fingers tipped up the upper half of the paper and reluctantly, he scanned the words and to his surprise, found no number.
Spare those dimes in your wallet because my time having fun with you yesterday is already all the payment I could ask for. That and... I apologize for being too childlike. Hope you can call me again soon, that way I could at least make it up to you. Well. It was nice bonding with you Percy! :)Â
- Orton Mahlson
For the first time since his hostile rivalry with Orton, Block wore an actual touched smile.
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Flight: Chapter 3
  Hey! Itâs Chapter 3! It was Wimbledon when I wrote this, and I love watching tennis. Especially Federer, so I was extremely happy he won the tournament.Â
  These first few chapters are just a warm up, Iâm pretty new to writing fic. Hopefully it gets better along the way.
 Some slight angst in this chapter.
If anyone has any other prompts they want me to try out, just send me a quick message! I have till October to do things, waiting for Uni is both good and bad.
 Liam is being all big brothery and persuading Killian to ask Emma on a date! Enjoy!
Prologue : Chapter One : Chapter Two : Chapter Three : Chapter Four : Chapter Five : Chapter Six : Chapter Seven : Chapter Eight : Chapter Nine : Chapter Ten : Chapter Eleven : Epilogue
 It was 7am on a Sunday. Killian could never sleep in no matter what the day. He had slept well through the night but Emma had been on his mind before and after he fell asleep. He was drinking some apple juice whilst sat on a chair near the kitchen island wondering if she really did like him. She hadnât stopped his kiss after all. He never thought of Henry as an issue, the boy was clever and happy, he enjoyed his company as much as Emmaâs. She was right though, she couldnât dive head first into this, and neither could he. He had been hurt before and that sent him to America for three years. Roger sat beside him and rested his head on his knee. Breakfast was wanted. He stroked the dogâs floppy ears and got up to feed him. He went to the bathroom for a shower and to decide a plan for the day.
 Emma woke up. Her clock flashes 07:30. Too early. Henry was fast asleep still, the journey had clearly took it out of him. She left him to sleep and ventured to see if Killian was up. He was. He was coming from the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, his hair was ruffled with the water. She noticed he was well toned. He hadnât noticed her until she made a startled sound at the sight of him. He turned to her in surprise. âOh my, Iâm so sorry. I didnât think you would be up yet, love. Iâm an early riser.â His towel had slipped slightly revealing his hips. âI just forgot to take my clothes into the bathroom.â âItâs fine, Killian.â She attempted to avert her eyes, but he had his head down so she couldnât look into his. Was he embarrassed? âUrm, well⌠Iâll go and shower.â âIâll make us some breakfast.â He scratched his neck. When she had gone to the bathroom he breathed a sigh of relief. âWell, I couldnât have made that more awkward.â Killian had changed and he heard Henry crying, Emma couldnât hear over the shower. He went into the room and picked up the crying baby. âHey, you. No need for all that, shh.â He bounced the baby on his hip and took him to the kitchen. âShall we make mummy some breakfast?â âM-ma-ma!â He giggled. âAye. Now, what does she like? Toast?â Henry laughed in agreement. âToast it is.â Emma came to the kitchen to see Henry being lifted into the air by Killian and some toast and a hot chocolate on the side. She smiled and sat down by the counter. Roger lay by her feet and she smiled. She really did find that massive dog cute. Her bare feet felt his fur which was as soft as Killian had said. âHey, you two.â She smiled. He hadnât noticed her arrive. âLooks like someone is having fun.â âAye, we are. I heard him stirring so I thought he would want to help me cook breakfast.â He smiled. âSpeaking of breakfast, I think heâs hungry. Alas, that is one job I cannot do.â He smirked. âIâll feed him in a minute. I need to thank your brother and Elsa for all the stuff. It really was too kind.â She finished the last piece of her toast. âI canât thank you all enough.â âDonât worry, love. Itâs our pleasure. I was wondering what you wanted to do today?â âI need to get some work done actually. You know, the reason Iâm actually here.â She chuckled. âOf course.â âSo, what is your job? I never actually asked.â She took Henry from Killian and started to breastfeed him. âI worked by the docks in New York, to clear my head, before that I was a teacher here. I got my degree in English and then went onto my PGCE. So, Iâm going to apply to the local sixth form.â He tried not to look, but everything felt so natural. Her being in his apartment, it felt as though he had his own family. âWow, a teacher. No wonder youâre good with kids.â She smiled. âIâm going to settle down again first. I have some savings. What do you write about?â Asked Killian. âLife. Iâm a columnist, so a range. I have to write about life in England.â âRainy.â He laughed. âI meant like events and celebrations.â She chuckled. âWe have Wimbledon coming up. I donât know how much of a tennis fan you are, but thatâs a pretty big event in the Jones household.â âI watch a few sports. Mainly baseball. I do like the tennis if itâs on.â She smiled. âMaybe we could go to London together.â âI would love that.â
 Two weeks had passed and they went to all sort of places together. The park to feed ducks, swimming, out for dinner with all the family. Emma sent her first few columns to Graham about her eventful time settling to England. Graham couldnât apologise enough. She always added humour to her writing and spoke of the disastrous hotel complication. Emma was sitting at the kitchen island looking at apartments in a newspaper. âWhatâs that?â Asked Killian, coming behind her sipping his coffee. âYouâre leaving?â He couldnât hide the disappointment in his voice, even though he tried. âI canât continue living here on your charity.â She answered, circling apartments. Henry was sitting on the floor entertaining himself with some paint Killian had got out. He had laid out a large roll of paper for him, he was dipping his hands in paint and hitting them on the paper. âItâs not fair on you. Having to pay all my bills.â âThen rent out my room. Stay here, just pay me.â He smiled hopefully. âI really like living with you.â He looked at the floor. âDonât you like living with me?â âLook at me.â He didnât. She stood up and lifted his head and smiled sweetly. âOf course I like living with you. I just didnât think forcing you to live with a baby was fair.â He picked Henry up from the floor. âDonât be silly, he enjoys living here. Donât you?â Henry covered Killianâs face in paint and got it in his hair. âYes, you do.â He smiled and blew a raspberry on his neck. He giggled loudly and wiped paint on his forehead. âHe got paint all over you.â She chuckled. âWhere else would I get that? Please donât leave. For me.â He gave her puppy eyes which she found hard to resist. âPlus I can help look after Henry.â âI have an idea. Work said they will pay for all my childcare, maybe if I hire you as a babysitter. We can make a bit of money.â She laughed. âYou know how to work the system.â He chuckled. âSo, youâll stay?â âGo on then.â He smiled brightly at her and gave her a hug with Henry. âThank you, love.â
 Three weeks had passed. Emma was becoming part of the family more and more. She got on particularly well with Liam as they had some similar interests. Killian was babysitting Henry when Emma needed it, but they mostly did things together such as visit parks or going out with his nephew and niece. Emmaâs work was going really well, Graham said the reception to her column was great and that people loved the stories of Henry and Killian, particularly the ones with Roger. He had asked if she could write four a week. She agreed. The more money the better. She and Killian agreed on ÂŁ150 a week for rent and bills as well as her chipping in for the weekly shop. Killian was getting quite a bit of money from Graham which helped. On some days, they didnât bother going out. Emma would work, whilst Killian amused Henry. Today was one of those days. Emma was sat on the couch with her laptop typing away, she started to add small pictures with her columns which also got published. In her columns she never mentioned Henryâs name for his safety from Neal. Everyone else was fine but she referred to him as âmy little boyâ or other pet names. She was writing about the build up to Wimbledon in the Jones house. They all went to the park for a game of tennis and the competitiveness of the Jones brothers. Her phone started to ring and she took the call into the bedroom. âHello?â âWhat the hell, Emma. Who do you think you are? Taking off to another country!â âNeal?â âWhy havenât you told me? Hmm.â âWhat? I donât even know how you got hold of me. Why should I tell you what I am doing?â âBecause you took my son away!â âYour son? You donât have the right to call him that. You donât even know his name! Youâre not on the birth certificate, you left me. Alone. With a baby, I was terrified.â âIâm going to get him, one way or another. Iâm coming for what is mine.â The phone went blank. Emma didnât know what to do, tears started to fill her eyes. She just wanted to be rid of Neal, and he kept coming back and ruining her life. âEmma?â Killian walked into her room to ask a question, Henry on his hip. âGet out!â She screamed. âWhat?â âGet lost, Neal! I mean⌠Killian.â âUh, sorry.â He shut the door wondering what the hell had just happened? He took Henry with him and sat on the couch. He was slightly out of it, he had never seen Emma like that before. Henry started to cry. âHey, shhh. Something upset mummy thatâs all.â He bounced him gently. âCome on, Henry. Thatâs a good boy.â He wiped the tears from his eyes. He was starting to calm down and Killian gave him a cuddle. He soon wanted to play with his toys on the floor so Killian let him crawl over. Half an hour passed and Killian was still sat on the couch, Henry was amusing himself with some blocks. He heard Emmaâs door open but didnât look her way. âHey.â She sounded weak. She had clearly only just stopped crying. Killian didnât look at her, he was upset himself and looking at her would make him worse. âKillian. Iâm really sorry.â She sat next to him on the couch. âI should never have shouted at you.â He swallowed deeply and his jaw trembled. âI was just upset.â He looked at her then, his deep blue eyes pierced through her. âWhat happened?â âNeal.â Her voice wavered. Over the last month she had told him more about Neal, how at eighteen she had took the fall and went to jail for him. He found her again and promised her everything, she had fallen for him again, she had gotten pregnant and he left her. She couldnât hate someone more if she tried. âHe threatened to take Henry away.â The tears started again. âI canât lose him, Killian.â He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. âShh, donât be silly. Youâre not going to lose him. Neal doesnât have any right to him.â He stroked her hair as she wept into him. âI promise.â âWhy does he even want to know?â He felt her tears come through his t-shirt, she couldnât control herself and he knew not much phased Emma Swan. But threatening her child was clearly the line. âHeâs just being a possessive douchebag. Clearly has nothing better to do.â She gripped a handful of his shirt and tried to steady her breathing. âThatâs a good girl. Shh. I wonât let anything happen to either of you.â Henry crawled over. âI think heâs jealous, love.â âIâm so sorry, baby.â She pushed herself off Killian and picked him up. âMummy was angry thatâs all. I love you more than anything. I do. I do.â She kissed him all over and hugged him. âI need to finish my work.â âHave a break, letâs take Roger for a walk, clear your head.â He smiled. âBut-â âAh, ah. Come on. Work can wait.â He stood up and offered his hand. She took it and he pulled her up. He took Henry from her. âGo and wash your face, love. Freshen up and weâll go.â He pulled her in with one arm and kissed her on her forehead. âNothing bad will happen.â
That evening, Emma put Henry to bed, and Liam and Elsa came round for a while. Emma had weaned Henry off breast milk and he was now on formula and some solids. They were all discussing the Wimbledon final and their plans. The local park broadcasted it and many went to watch and celebrate. It was Federer and Cilic in the final, which made the Jones household very happy. They were long time fans of him, hence Killianâs dog being named Roger. âShall we have a bet, little brother?â Asked Liam, who had drunk too much wine. âYou never win bets, Liam.â âI want to bet you that Federer will win Wimbledon without dropping a set.â âYouâre on. What we betting on?â âFifty quid⌠andâ He whispered something in his ear. âFine. Youâre on.â âWhat was that?â Asked Emma. He just smiled and leant back onto the kitchen surface she was also leaning on, his arm relaxed behind her waist. âNothing.â He smirked. She raised an eyebrow. âNothing at all, love.â She pointed a finger at his chest. âI donât believe you.â He took hold of her hand and squeezed it. âMaybe you should trust me more.â He flirted. Both had big smiles for each other. Elsa nudged Liam, and gave him a signal for them to leave. âWell, we best be off. Donât want auntie getting fed up of the kids.â Smiled Liam. The two were startled by Liamâs comment. âOh, so soon?â Asked Killian. âWeâll see you tomorrow.â Smiled Elsa, kissing Emma on the cheek. âIâll make us a picnic.â âSounds lovely. Weâll see you tomorrow.â Liam hugged her and Killian goodbye. They followed them out and waved them goodbye down the street. âAnother drink, love?â He smiled, shutting the door. They walked to the front room and she sat on the couch. She heard Killian fumbling around in the kitchen, then some music came on. He walked over two glasses of wine in hand. âJust thought some music would be nice.â He smiled, handing her a glass. Oasis, a famous band from Manchester, Emma had learned played in the background whilst they chatted about tomorrow and times to come. âSo, what did Liam whisper?â She asked, playing idly with his hand. âI really want to know.â âI canât tell you, itâs a secret.â He grinned. âI keep my secrets to myself.â Her casual attitude to holding his hand took him by surprise. âFor me. Come on.â That second Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran came on. âOh, I love this song!â She beamed, she placed her glass down and got up. âWhat are you doing?â He smiled. The wine had made her relax, she hadnât drunk in a long time and he was glad she could let her hair down. âDance with me.â She smirked. She grabbed his hands and pulled him up. âI donât dance.â He pulled away from her, or tried to. âSwan.â âCome here, Iâll teach you. Put your hand around my waist, good. Now, hold this hand.â She swayed them back and forth, she never imagined she would be dancing with someone to her favourite song. âYay, youâre dancing.â Killian couldnât believe he was so close to Emma, she had pulled him in so close, he could smell her perfume and the fresh air on her hair, the wine on her lips. He was so close, he didnât want the night to end. She rested her head on his shoulder and hummed into him. âThis is perfect, Emma.â She looked up at him and smiled. âThese last few weeks have been perfect.â She stared into his eyes and smiled. Her eyes glanced quickly to his lips. That was his cue. He reached down towards her and kissed her softly, not sure how she would react. She didnât pull away but deepened the kiss. He could taste the wine on her lips and felt her smiling against him. He wouldnât be the one to stop. The moment was too magical. Though she wasnât giving up either. âMmm,â he laughed. His hands slid to her waist to steady himself. âYouâre beautiful.â Right on cue, Henry started crying. He felt Emma sigh deeply. She pulled away and they rested their foreheads on each other. She was as much as a mess as him, he was glad to know. âIâll go.â âLet me.â Smiled Killian. He dropped her a quick peck and went to Henry. He was crying in his cot, he picked him up and rocked him gently. âHey, you. Youâre ruining my chances.â He laughed. âYou get me and your mum all day. Sleepy time.â He whispered, softly. Emma entered the room. She saw Killian comforting Henry and her heart melted. She wanted to hug them both, she walked behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing his shoulder. âHe suits you. Or you suit holding a baby.â He felt her smile on his back and her hands started to feel his stomach, and go under his shirt, suggesting she wasnât finished. âYouâve had too much to drink.â He smiled, removing her arms. Though it wasnât easy with a baby in one hand and Emmaâs death grip. Why was she so strong? He placed Henry back in his cot who was now asleep. âCome on, Killian. Itâs been ages. I thought you were a gentleman?â âExactly. I would never take advantage of you like.â She had started peppering kisses on his neck. âSwan, please. Donât.â He tried to push her away. âEmma. Iâm serious.â âDonât you want me?â âThatâs not fair. Come on, sleep.â He lay her down and put the covers at the edge of the bed. âStay.â âNo, love. Not tonight.â âPlease, stay.â âIf I stayed, we both know what would happen.â âUntil I fall asleep?â She smirked, pulling him down. He gave up and lay next to her. âNo funny business.â He was lay on his back on top with his arms behind his head. âAs soon as there is Iâm going.â She nodded and moved up to him. âCan I have a cuddle?â She gave him sad eyes. He sighed and lifted his arm up. She smiled gratefully and snuggled her head into his shoulder and put her arm across his stomach. They lay in comfortable silence for a short while and Killian began to play with her hair idly. She inched closer, her nose snuggling into his neck. He felt her place soft kisses to his jaw. âEmma.â He warned. She stopped with an audible sigh. She soon fell asleep after that, when he was sure, he carefully removed himself from her and pulled the covers over her. Henry was sleeping peacefully, he gave the baby a kiss on the head and went to his room. He wanted Emma so much, and she clearly wanted him, but it wouldnât have been right. She would already wake up hung over, she didnât need regret either.
Emma woke up. She was alone. Her head hurt as she remembered the events from last night. Had she tried to hit on Killian? She had. Henry was asleep next to her, she got up and went to the kitchen for coffee. The apartment was empty. No Roger or Killian. Was he upset? She had been quite drunk. How embarrassing. She had some breakfast and did some work, she never finished yesterday. She heard keys in the door. Time to face the music. Roger padded into the kitchen for some water and Killian had shopping bags. He placed them on the counter and smiled. Smirked? He looked proud of himself. âHow are you feeling?â He chuckled. âHeadache?â âYou could say that.â He was pottering around the kitchen but she focused on her coffee. âWhere have you been?â âShopping, love. After all I havenât been in ages.â He was suddenly right behind her whispering into her ear. He was paying her back and he sounded downright sinful. âYou know how that feels?â âWas I that bad?â She closed her eyes. âCertainly took a lot of willpower to resist you, love.â He was still right behind her. âYou pretty much begged me.â He said slowly, she could hear the filth in his voice. It wasnât helping her. She still wanted him, she was just more in control sober. âStop. Iâve embarrassed myself enough.â She stood up and went to the bedroom to check on Henry, he followed closely. âHe isnât awake yet.â Killian hugged Emma from behind and buried his face in her neck. âMaybe, we can occupy ourselves.â He laughed into her. It was all teasing. But he knew what he was doing. âDonât, I donât need reminding.â He let her go and let out a hearty laugh. âYouâre so easy to tease, darling. Itâs cute. Speaking of cute.â He smiled, pacing back to the kitchen. âLook what I bought Henry.â He held up a baby onesie with a ship on the front and lots of little anchors and wheels. âKillian, thatâs adorable. I love it.â She smiled. âI thought you would like it. Maybe he can sleep in it tonight?â âIâd love that. Hey, what time are we meeting them at the park?â She asked, trying to return back to normal conversation. She wanted to forget about the previous night. âJust before two.â âIâll do some work before hand. Do you mind watching Henry?â She smiled. âNot at all. Is he still sleeping?â She nodded and got to work. Her phone rang and she answered. It was Graham. âFive days? Thatâs an awful lot. Iâm only meant to be part time.â âEmma, the reception we have had is great. People love hearing your stories. Please, Emma. Itâs more money for you and for your baby sitter.â She smirked at that. Killian would have looked after him anyway. Bonus he was getting paid. âYou seem to be really enjoying yourself. I told you this would be good for you.â âCan I think about it for a few days?â She asked. âI have to get this column done before two, weâre going out. Iâll send it over quickly. Why arenât you asleep?â âYou know me, sleep is for the dead.â He laughed down the phone. âYou can have two weeks to think about it. Speak to you soon.â âThanks, Graham.â She smiled, and placed the phone down. âWhat was that, love?â Asked Killian, reading a magazine. âIâve been offered another day to write, which means more money and more money for you. Plus more of my writing getting published.â âThatâs great, Emma!â He walked over. âAre you taking it?â âI donât know. I like the balance I have right now. Is one more day just a bit too much? It means Iâm full time.â âYou could see how it is, then tell your boss it isnât working out.â âI know but I want to spend time with you. We both havenât acknowledge that one day, I have to go back to America. Iâve already been here for a month nearly.â âShh. Donât talk about that.â He really didnât want to think about a life without the two in it. âWeâll cross that bridge when we come to it.â âIâm just being realistic.â âLetâs not be realistic. Letâs imagine youâre going to be here a very long time. It makes it easier.â He closed his eyes to stop any emotion escaping. âHey, okay. We wonât think about it.â She gave him a hug. âI need to work. Weâll forget about me leaving⌠for now.â He nodded.
 They arrived at the park. The whole family along with Roger in tow. The Newfoundlandâs tongue dangled at the side of his mouth whilst he trotted along. Emma had sent her column off, writing about the competitiveness of the Jones Brothers and the lead up to Wimbledon and the bet placed between them. Families had all gathered around, there were carnival games, food being served, and children running about and playing. After the match, dance troupes performed and karaoke came on. There were games for the children such as fun races. It was an annual event watching the tennis in the park. Elsa had laid out a lovely picnic, Killian and Liam played a few games of tennis with each other. Emma took Roger and Henry for a walk and the two children were playing a card game with Judy. When the match started on the large projector, Killian sat by Emma eating a sandwich. âDoes our deal still stand?â Asked Liam. âIndeed. Fifty quid. Straight sets. He has to drop at least one. How can he not?â âWell, we shall see little bro.â He smirked.
 Federer was up two sets and hadnât dropped one. Killian wasnât happy to be losing fifty quid as Cilic was suffering. He wanted Federer to win, just not so well. Emma was engrossed in the sport and was cheering a lot, the family tradition was something she could get used to. Henry clapped with her and Killian was watching her. She looked really good these days, she looked less tired and stressed, her smile was always bright, he knew she had a bad past but he wanted to knock her walls down, she deserved to be happy. He saw Liam whisper something in her ear and she threw her head back laughing. Liam was good at making her laugh like that, he never knew what he said to her, but he wished he could do the same. He certainly made her laugh, but not the way Liam could. It was coming up to the point of the last game. Everyone was leant forward. Federer got his point and the crowd erupted. Everyone stood up and clapped, Killian gave Emma a big hug. They watched Federer celebrate and everyone was laughing with each other. âYou owe me fifty quid⌠and you need to fulfil your other half of our deal.â Smirked Liam, who glanced at Emma who was holding Henry and cheering. âFine.â He walked up to Emma and pulled her to the side, handing Henry to Elsa. âMay I have a word?â He asked, nervously. âSure.â She smiled, slightly confused. âWhatâs up?â âWell, as you know, I had another part of a bet with Liam.â âAnd what was that?â She laughed. He scratched his neck. âKillian?â âWill you do me the honour of going on a date with me? Tonight?â He smiled. Hope filled his eyes. âReally?â âCome on, Swan. We both know itâs what we want.â He smiled. âOf course I will.â She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. The Jones family clapped and Emma laughed. âWhat if Federer had dropped a set?â âMaybe I knew he wouldnât. Maybe it was fate.â âSo, where are you taking me?â She smiled. âThatâs a surprise. Elsa will babysit for us. We can have a nice night out, just me and you. How does that sound?â âAmazing.â
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Houroubing to Aruba, Chapter 3, (Branjie) - Blackhighheels
(Read at AO3)
Chapter 3: The ballgame
It is shortly before ten when Jose finally stirs. Brock has been replying to emails, checking up on social media and just surfing the net on his phone for the last hour and a half.
âWhat you doinâ?â Jose mumbles, his eyes barely open.
âJust taking care of some things, reading emails.â Brock isnât surprised when his boyfriend takes the phone out of his hand, throws it to the foot of the bed and places his head on his chest. His eyes close again. âYou wanna go back to sleep or you up for some breakfast?â Brock runs his hands over Joseâs back, rubbing it lightly.
âYou hungry?â
âMmmh, slowly getting there.â Just then Brockâs stomach rumbles and Jose opens his eyes.
âFine, letâs get up before you starve to death and everybody will think itâs my fault. All them cat owning lesbians will hunt me down.â Jose climbs over him to get out of bed and Brock uses the opportunity to pat his butt. âYou better stop,â Jose warns him with a smile and a wink before he walks out of the room. âLord, what did I drink last night? I have to pee so bad, I  might be dripping and dropping all over the floor already. My bladder feels like itâs the size of a fucking water-melon. FuckâŚhope this toilet is built correct and you said all your prayers, âcause we might have the flood upon us.â
Brock titters as he gets out of bed, used to the stream-of-consciousness kind of talking Jose does on the regular, when itâs just the two of them. He loves that he has no filter and stopped censoring himself a while ago. Not only does it provide Brock with countless hours of entertainment, but it also gives him a very clear view into his manâs mind - even though peeing might not be the topic he would have chosen.
After getting ready, they make their way down to breakfast and fall into the usual routine theyâve developed while touring together: Jose gets fruits and vegetables, Brock is responsible for yoghurt, porridge, scrambled eggs and bread. Whoever is back at the table first gets coffee and juice.
They choose a table outside on the terrace which has a view of the beach. The table is in the shade, so they can eat without getting roasted by the sun. Itâs really warm already and Brock sighs in relief when he sits down in his cool chair. Even the wide tank top and shorts heâs wearing feel like too much clothing.
He looks around and notices that there is just one other couple sitting a few tables to the right, since breakfast ends at eleven and most other guests are already by the pool or at the beach.
âThey have a barista here to make our cappuccino right. None of the machine crap.â Jose lets him know and points to the cup. Thereâs a palm tree painted into the milk foam of Joseâs cup and a heart in his. Itâs whimsical, typically Jose and it makes him smile.
âItâs really amazing here. Feels a bit like a dream.â
âDid you sleep alright?â Jose asks him then.
âYeah, until like eight, maybe? Longer than Iâve slept in a while. You?â
âI think I was up around four and got up to close the blinds.â
âThe moon taunting you again?â Brock smiles knowingly.
âI must be half werewolf, Iâm telling ya. Full moon and Iâm up for no reason in the middle of the night.â Jose rubs one hand over the stubble on his cheeks âWould explain all this, too.â
âDonât you always say your hair grows so fast because youâre Puerto Rican?â
âMight be lyin'⌠sneaky cover up and all.â
They fall silent for a moment, just eating and watching their surroundings. âSo, whatâs the plan for today?â Brock finally asks.
âPlan?â
âI thought you arranged it all with Henry?â
âNot really. He gave me a list of stuff we could do, if we want to, but I didnât sign us up for nothing today. Thought maybe we just chill on the beach or by the pool? We can take a look at our options later and see what we wanna do the other days and then let Henry know?â Jose adjusts the black baseball hat he is wearing, the right way for once, and takes the sunglasses off.
âSounds good,â Brock nods and gets distracted by his vibrating phone. Itâs a text message from a booker in London and he quickly reads it.
âHey, Brock?â Jose sounds a bit hesitant.
âMmh?â he asks and quickly checks his calendar, so he can reply to the message.
âI think maybe we should talk about the phone and social media stuff now?â
âJust a secondâŚâ He quickly types out his answer, sends a copy of it to Steve and then puts his phone down. âWhat? Phone and social media stuff?â Heâs lost and doesnât really know what Jose means.
âYou know, if and what we post and what rules we should have for the use of our phones while weâre here. Weâve never really decided on anything, just started talking about it and then dropped it 'cause we were too busy.â
âOh, ok. I didnât know we needed rules for our cellphone use, like weâre ten or something.â Brock wrinkles his nose, but the look on Joseâs face gives him pause. âSorry,â he says quickly, realising this is not the time for flippant replies.
âNo, it⌠I just⌠I donât wanna fight. If you think itâs sillyâŚâ
âJose, no, youâre right.â He needs to intervene and stop Jose from agreeing to everything and bending to his wishes during this trip, simply because he wants it to be perfect. It happened yesterday at the airport and again just now. âWhat do you think we should do?â
âI donât really know. Iâm not sure⌠so, donât take this as a rule or nothinâ, okay?â
âIâll be your sounding board, just go ahead.â
âI know we canât just vanish on the gram for like three weeks. You know, we have to feed the children or theyâll riot. But I donât know, if I want pics from this trip to show up online: A. I donât want no geo tags on nothing, so they donât know where we at, 'cause some stalker ass is always close by and B. I wanna have this for us. If we take crappy pictures with fucked up lighting that we keep to remember this trip by, then thatâs our business. I want no opinions or comments on how cute we look, or how we need to work out more, or if these fuckers like our outfits. When I went to Australia with Matt, no one knew shit and that was real cool. But I also donât want you to think Iâm hiding or holding back or some fucked up shit like that, like with the video.â Jose speaks calmly, but Brock can tell that itâs very important to him. âAnd while we at it, I think we shouldnât work while we here. We both crazy and will get sucked in and I donât want us to spend all the time checking mails and replying to texts on the phone, especially your micro-managing ass. We have assistants, they can take care of it for three weeks and when itâs real important theyâll call, right? Meanwhile, we can concentrate on each other.â
Brock takes a deep breath, because only the thought of being out of the loop for three weeks might send him straight into an anxiety attack. Jose takes his hand and moves his chair closer in silent support. Brock thinks about it, weighs his options and mulls over what Jose just said.
âIâll let Steve know that he should filter the emails for me and put the really important stuff into a separate folder, so I can just ignore the rest. Give me like, an hour a day?â he offers.
âTwenty minutes?â
âForty?â
âDeal.â Jose gives his hand a squeeze.
âAs for social media: I think we should tell Tammy and Courtney to, like, Â post old pics and announcements for upcoming gigs, so we donât vanish? Maybe they could also repost some stuff? Art we are tagged in or something? Youâre right we shouldnât worry about taking pictures for insta or about comments. Weâre here for us. If we wanna share something weâll decide spontaneously, ok?â
âSounds good, toes.â Joseâs smile is wide and Brock knows theyâve made the right decision.
âBut I think we should maybe call Andrew, Steve and your mom and let them know weâve arrived safely and tell them what weâve come up with so they donât start worrying.â
âAnd then we go into flight mode and haul our asses to the beach to chillax and get a tan on?â
âAbsolutely.â They seal the deal with a quick peck, chuckle when Joseâs hat nearly falls off as Brock bumps against it. âSo, what do you say: Is it a swimming shorts or briefs kind of day?â
âWith your white ass, it might be better to go with the trunks, otherwise youâll burn the goods on the first day, which would be a shame. And you just bought new trunks. The Ralph Lauren ones look pretty fresh.â
âThe Ralph Lauren ones it is,â Brock agrees and keeps Joseâs hand in his as they get up to go back to their room and get ready for the beach.
***
âYou think Andrewâll still be alive when we get back?â Jose asks as he spreads his towel out on the lounge bed of their beach cabana. He ist still chuckling because Brock just told him about the phone call he had with Andrew.
âI canât believe both Henry and Apollo have already bit him.â Brock canât help but laugh about it again.
âTold you, you spoil them kitty cats too much.They ainât listening to shit you say. Why would they listen to Miss Nina, who thinks sheâs Cinderella and theyâll dance and sing songs with her while she makes the bed?â
âBut Iâm their mommy,â Brock pouts, knowing full well that Jose is right.
âYou definitely are, but one of those moms who always say: 'Wait until daddy gets home!ââ Jose continues teasing him and sits down.
âI still donât know how you stopped them from sleeping in our bed.â
âGirl, I kicked their furry butts out, thatâs how. You can cuddle them all you want on the couch, but I never want to find no vomit fur balls in my bed, ever again.â He shudders at the memory and Brock laughs, when he remembers the incident. Joseâs screams of terror so loud, he thought heâd been attacked or something. âCan you do me?â
Brock snorts at the request. âHere? In public?â he fakes outrage.
âStop playinâ. You know Iâm talking about the sun lotion,â Jose smirks and holds up the bottle he just dug out of his bag.
âOnly if you 'do meâ next.â Brock takes the bottle from him and sits down behind him. He squirts the lotion on Joseâs shoulders then starts applying it and rubs it in all over his back.
âYou better watch them fingers, perv,â Jose says when he swipes his hands underneath the hem of his trunks.
âAs if youâd really say no,â Brock whispers in his ear and bites it gently, but takes his hands out of Joseâs pants.
âI donât know which adult plus gay resort you used to spend your vacations at, but here at this gay friendly but very straight-people beach, shit like this will get us thrown out. So you better channel your very christian upbringing and manners, cause, bitch, I will not be kicked out of this resort, because you decide to finger me first opportunity on the beach,â Jose rants and Brock cackles when he hears his words. He really hopes no one is close by to overhear them.
âAnd you pretend to be a good catholic boy?â
âDonât have to pretend. I am!â He gives him an exaggerated fake Vanjie smile, that shows all of his white teeth. âAnd now lay down on your stomach like a good little gay boy, so I can get the sun block on you, so you not you roasting and toasting.â Jose doesnât simply rub the lotion in, he gives him a really good massage and by the end of it Brock is so relaxed heâs nearly asleep. âThere you go,â Jose says when heâs done and presses a kiss to the back of his head, before he climbs over him once more and flops down beside him. He crosses his arms behind his head and looks around. âWhat do you think their stories are?"
"Huh?â Brock turns around so he can see what Jose sees.
âThe other couples. What do you think their stories are? Like, why are they here?â
âI donât know. Like, vacation or honeymoon maybe?â
âHoneymoon? These two over there havenât spoken a single word to each other since weâve gotten here and he stares at every ass walking by. If this is their honeymoon, sheâll better have the divorce papers ready.â Jose is talking about a couple thatâs maybe in their early forties and lying a bit further down on the beach on the normal sun chairs. She keeps flipping through her phone while he ogles the other women at the beach.
âMaybe theyâre not a couple?â
âTheyâre wearing matching wedding bands.â Of course Jose would zoom in on details like this.
âThen Iâm out. But maybe weâll find out while weâre here?â
âMaybe. If we ever get like this, boo, even Laurie might not be able to save us.â
âWe wonât. I mean, you just limited my cellphone time and Iâd be scared for my balls if you caught me ogling anyone like this. Heâs not really subtle.â
âYouâd better be, cause Iâd go all Lorena on ya, but wouldnât tell anyone where to find the parts!â Jose confirms. âBut hey, maybe they have one of these open relationship things and heâs just looking for prey?â
âHonestly, as long as he keeps his paws off you, I donât give a fuck.â Brock decides to end the speculations that Jose can get lost in.
âItâs cute when you all jealous and possessive.â Jose leans over and kisses him like itâs the biggest compliment ever. Brock has to admit, that since they got back together not only is he not missing his freedom at all, but also he has become what heâd earlier would have called âclingyâ. Heâs just lucky that Jose is totally into it. âYou wanna go swimming?â Jose accepts the topic change.
âNot right now. Your massage nearly put me to sleep.â A wide yawn follows his words.
âWant me to put you to sleep?â Jose offers and wiggles his fingers. Sometimes when Brock has trouble sleeping, Jose makes him curl up to him and rubs his back until he relaxes and falls asleep. Usually it works.
âItâs too hot, papi. Iâd be dripping sweat all over your shoulder.â
Jose guffaws. âThatâs not the only thing youâre dripping all over me on the regular.â
Brock just rolls onto his side, so he is facing his boyfriend and moves a bit closer. âJust be quiet and let me nap,â he counters, but takes his hand and places a kiss on Joseâs palm and then licks it, before he closes his eyes.
***
âYou wanna go swimming now?â Jose asks as soon as he realises that Brock is awake again. Brock stretches lazily, nods and sits up. Jose basically jumps off the bed.
âHelp me up?â Brock requests and holds out his hands.
âSure, grandpa.â Jose pulls him up and leads the way to the water. Brock watches him as he carefully dips his toes in, then walks in a bit further.
His boyfriend really is beautiful and not only because heâs in great shape, Brock muses, lost in thoughts. Itâs the way he carries himself, wears his heart on his sleeve, his bronze skin, the hair thatâs always falling into his face because itâs just a bit too long. His strong legs, tiny waist and delicious ass - even in swim trunks. And itâs also the way he fits right under Brockâs arm, how he loves to snuggle with him, how he makes him laugh and how he can communicate with just one look how much he loves Brock in return. âIt not too bad,â is Joseâs verdict, before he jumps in and lands in the ocean with a loud splash that leaves Brock dripping wet.
âOh wait, you little shit!â he threatens and jumps in after Jose, but his boyfriend is faster in the water than Brock thought. While he never really mastered how to do the crawl, Jose surely knows how and uses it to his advantage to get away from Brock.
âHaha! You canât get me, grandpa!â he screams and splashes more water in his direction with both hands.
âNo, but I can wait you out!â Brock yells back and keeps treading water and tries to find a moment to counter attack, but Jose is simply too fast. He decides to go back to where he can stand. As soon as his feet touch the ground, he turns around to keep an eye on Jose, but he canât see him anymore. How far can he swim in just a couple of seconds? Suddenly something pops out from under the water behind him and a second later Jose has jumped on his back. Narrowly Brock avoids falling and Joseâs boisterous laughter is ringing in his ears.
âGotcha!"
Brock wraps his arms around Joâs legs and holds him there, basically giving him a piggyback ride. "I think I got you, papi.â Joseâs arms tighten around his neck as he adjusts his position. A second later he leans forward and places a kiss on Brockâs cheek. When he turns his head, another kiss follows, on the lips this time.
âYou taste like salt,â Jose states and smacks and licks his lips when he pulls back.
âSo do you.â Brock walks them further into the sea again and dips down so only their heads are above the water. âI didnât know you were that good a swimmer.â
âI told you. You should have believed me.â
âEver took lessons or were in a club at school or something?â
âNo, but my brother used to take me to the beach with him when we were younger. All of his friends were there and they always thought it was fun to throw the little brother around in the water like a football, or see how long I could hold my breath. I had to be faster than them to get away.â Jose tells the story like itâs a fond memory, and maybe in some ways it is, but Brock has enough knowledge to understand that Jose didnât have too much fun back then and was scrambling for his older brotherâs attention without getting it in a positive way.
âIâm surprised your mom let you go with them if thatâs what was going on.â
âMom never found out. I never told her, 'cause we would have had to stay home all day while she was working.â Brock lets go off Joseâs legs and pulls him to his front instead. Joâs legs are now wrapped around his waist. He doesnât know why, but every time Jose talks about his childhood, all he wants to do is shower him with love and affection to make it all better. His lips find Joseâs again and he kisses him gently, but with enough heat so Jose makes these little noises in the back of his throat that Brock loves so much. Itâs a wave crashing into them that makes them break apart after a while and they both start laughing.
âLetâs get out and get dry. Then we can take a look at the list Henry gave you,â Brock suggests as they wade towards the beach. A group of people, mostly guys, is standing there, talking about something and they all turn towards them when get out of the water. Brock hopes they donât recognise them.
âHey,â one of the guys calls out as a greeting.
âHey,â Brock replies and wants to keep walking towards their cabana, but Jose is already en route to them, always one for socialising even with large crowds of complete strangers.
âYouâre new right?â
âYeah, we got here yesterday. Iâm Jose, this is Brock,â he introduces them.
âNice to meet you. Iâm Bill.â The guy who is talking shakes Joseâs hand and claps him on the back, while Brock remains standing slightly behind him. âWe were wondering if youâd join us playing volleyball. We really need some more people.â
âOf course, Iâm game,â Jose agrees before Brock can stop him, because, really, playing a ball game he sucks at with a bunch of strangers is the last thing he wants to do. Also, they have plans, right? They wanted to see what romantic things they could do over the next days, just the two of them. âBrock, you too, right?â Jose turns around to him.
âI think Iâll sit this one out,â he tells him and some of the guys grumble and try and encourage him to join in.
âCome one! You sure?â
âYeah⌠uh, youâre sure you wanna play with you knee and all?â he tries to talk him out of it without being too obvious.
âMy kneeâs fine,â Jose shrugs. âSee you in a few?"
"Yeah,â Brock nods and walks off to the cabana. He can see and hear them perfectly from where he is sitting, wrapped in his towel.
They quickly form two teams and start the game. Jose isnât half bad, but every time he misses the ball he pretends he is the worst player ever. In no time he has all of them cheering him on and laughing about everything he does or says. He weirdly fits in with these straight men, jocks, and banker-types, who have all come together to play volleyball but instead have fallen under the spell of Vanjie without knowing it. Bock watches it with fascination and envies his boyfriend for a second. He wishes he was that charismatic and engaging in social situations. Jose lives and breathes entertaining crowds of strangers, while it gives Brock anxiety. He wishes he could be there and play as well, get some of Joseâs attention and jokes directed at him, but knows he would be all awkward and would quickly become the guy no one wants on the team.
They all love Jose and they all have Joseâs attention as he makes them laugh, makes them cheer him on, makes them feel like theyâre his buddies.
His good mood fades more and more, the longer he watches the game. He doesnât want to analyse what heâs feeling and finally lies back and closes his eyes. He can still hear them, can hear Joseâs happy laughter and hilarious comments, neither of which are directed at him.
âHey, you asleep?â Jose pants a while later, standing beside him in the sand, completely dripping wet.
âYou done?â
âNah, half-time. We just went to cool off in the sea for a second.â Brock knows Jose is observing him closely, even though he can barely see it, because he is blinking against the sun. âWhat did you do?â
âNothing.â
âWhy you saying it like that?â Joseâs eyes narrow further behind his shades, Brock can tell just by his tone.
âIâm not saying it 'like thatâ. Iâm just doing nothing.â He knows he is pouting, but he doesnât want to talk about it. âWhy donât you go back to your game and let me get back to my doing nothing,â he suggest and closes his eyes again.
âGet up!â Jose suddenly sounds like his mother when sheâs pissed, a latin accent even comes through.
âWhat?â he opens his eyes again.
âNow, white boy,â Jose orders and waits until Brock is standing beside the bed. Then he kicks Brockâs flips flops towards him and puts on his own, before he drags him off by his wrist.
âHey, what are you doing? Let go of me! Where are we going?â Brock complains and tries to free his arm, but Jose just keeps dragging him through the resort until they reach their penthouse. Jose unlocks the door, drags him in and pulls out a chair from the table in the living room and places it in the middle of the room.
âSit!â he orders and Brock is so dumbfounded he complies. âTalk!â
âWhat?â he crosses his arms in front of his chest and plays dumb while Jose glares down on him. His refusal makes Jose take a deep breath and he pulls out a chair for himself.
His voice is softer when he speaks again, just a bit. âTell me what got your trunks in a twist. We done playinâ, Brock! No drama on this fucking vacation! Just spit it out.â
âI thought we were making plans for all the romantic stuff and then you go off and play volleyball with all these guys.â
âYou could have played with us.â
âI suck at all sports involving a ball and they would have just laughed about me.â
âYou an idiot, Brock.â Jose sighs loudly. âA pouting, jealous idiot.â He gets off his chair and walks over to him. âGet up,â he says, but there is no more authority in his voice. He sounds a little bit amused, which rubs Brock the wrong way.
âYou just told me to sit down!â
âBitch, really?â Jose sniggers and raises one eyebrow. Brock knows he is acting ridiculous, he doesnât need Jose to rub it in. As soon as Brock stands, Jose is on his knees in front of him, pulls down his swimming trunks and sucks his dick into his mouth.
âJo, what the fuck?â Brock exclaims in surprise, but the hand that flies to Joseâs head and tangles in his wet hair is certainly not pulling him off.
âYou need some attention, 'cause youâre being a jealous little whiny bitch, and I wanna suck your dick, becauseâŚdo I really need a reason?â He shrugs. âAny problem with that?â He licks his cock like itâs a popsicle and Brock is sure his eyes roll into the back of his head. He moans.
âNone, your honour,â Brock says when he finds his voice again.
âThen shut up and hold on tight.â With these words Jose goes down on him again. He starts slow, licks his shaft and his balls and focusses on the head for a while. Then he takes him deep, even gags one time, then continues, bops his head fast and sucks like heâs starving. Itâs truly ridiculous how fast Jose has him going from being limp and jealous to coming down his throat with a loud groan.
âYou really are fucking crazy,â Brock chuckles as he helps Jose stand up and pulls him against him.
âDo you feel better or not?â Joseâs hands find their way to his naked butt.
âI do. Thank you.â He kisses him deeply and gets a thrill out of the fact that he can taste himself on Joseâs lips. Take that you damn volleyball players!
âYou ready to go back down and stop the drama or you wanna stay here and pout some more?â Jose is back to teasing him, which is a good sign.
âHow about I return the favour first?â He cups his crotch through his wet swimming trunks and unsurprisingly finds him half hard.
âNo! First you gotta earn it by playing some volleyball with me and the guys and then we gonna tackle the damn list, so the romance is back on.â
âFine, but I might need a snack in between. Iâm getting hungry.â
âIâm the snack!â Jose points out and pulls Brockâs shorts back up.
âYou are, but youâre not letting me suck you off.â
âCome on, you attention whore, maybe Imma feel more giving later.â Brock smiles when he gets another kiss before they leave their penthouse. Jose stops him again just before they reach the others on the beach. âOh and just so you know: Thereâs a ballgame, where itâs really good  when you suck!â His wiggling eyebrows make Brock chortle and forget about his anxiety about being faced with a group of strangers and having to play a game with them. They both learn that day that Brock likes volleyball and isnât bad at it at all.
***
After cooling off once the game is done, they pack their things and make their way back to the terrace by the restaurant. While drinks were served on the beach, they needed something to eat, because dinner was still hours away.
âHello gentlemen, what can I get you?â Itâs Henry who shows up to take their order
âHenry, hi. You being a waiter today?â Jose asks him happily.
âI simply saw you coming up and decided to check in on you. I hope everything is satisfactory?â
âEverything is amazing, thank you,â Brock replies.
âWe gonna make the romance plans now and then let you know, ok?â
âVery well. What can I do for you meanwhile?â
âCan you get us a large bottle of non-sparkling water and two salads with tuna and garlic bread?â Brock orders.
âMake that two bottles of water. I feel like Iâm drying up from the inside out,â Jose supplies.
âThank you and see you later.â
âBye Henry,â Brock tells him and waits until heâs gone before he speaks again. âYou think heâs spying on us? That was kind of creepy.â
âMaybe he ordered the Vanjie tracking device when he heard we were coming,â Jose jokes and leans in conspiratorially. Brock decides not to go on with this topic, because if Jose is already opening with this statement, only god knows what will come out of his mouth next.
He pecks his lips and changes the topic. âSo where is the famous romance list?â Jose digs through their bag and hands it to Brock just as their drinks arrive. âYou know if you wanna do something sporty or with a group?â
âI think we had enough group and sport action today. Send you right into a jealous fit. How about just the two of us? Something relaxing?â Jose changes his sunglasses for another pair, so he can read along. The lenses in the stylish other pair are great for everything except reading, because they are designed to fix Joseâs myopia.
âTomorrow evening is the movie night under the stars. Theyâre showing 'Notting Hillâ, but thatâs with a group, I guess,â Brock thinks out loud.
âWe could maybe do the picnic in the afternoon and go to the movie night after dinner. If we still feeling like being alone, I donât think anyone will care,â Jose suggests.
âSounds good. Should we plan the rest of the week already or you wanna be more spontaneous?â
âWe could maybe do the segway tour the day after?"
Brock immediately shakes his head forcefully. "No! No way you are doing a segway tour. I saw you once on a scooter and on ski, uh-uh, ainât happening.â His words only make Jose chuckle.
âFine. How about this hike? Seeing the best places of Aruba and go snorkelling in between doesnât sound too bad.â
âI like it,â Brock agrees, because he really wants to see a bit of the island and not only the resort.
âWe really good at this shit now,â Jose points out.
âPlaning trips together?â Brock asks just as Henry comes back with their salads.
âTalking, toes. But sure, planing, too.â
âHave you found something?â Henry asks them after placing their food in front of them.
âYes, weâd love to go on a picnic tomorrow around noon and then join in on the movie night. And the day after, the hike with the snorkelling sounds really great,â Brock lets him know, while Jose is already devouring his salad.
âOf course. Do you have any special requests for picnic stops? By the beach, in town?â
âNo, just surprise us, we trust you.â Brock shrugs and Henry leaves them alone again.
âLook at you being all spontaneous all of a sudden,â Jose points out.
âI can be spontaneous.â
âGood, but swallow before you talk or Imma tell your mama,â Jose laughs when salad nearly falls out of Brockâs mouth.
âAnd apparently I can be very sexy, too,â he laughs about his own mishap.
âWanna spend the rest of the day being sexy by the pool before we have to get ready for dinner?â Jose asks him, still sniggering. Brock agrees, and once more they have a plan.
***
After dinner that night they go back out on the restaurant terrace and order themselves some gin tonic. Their table is on the edge of the terrace and so it takes a while when more and more couples come out, until someone comes up to them.
âWeâre sorry, but may we join you? All the other seats are taken.â A tall woman, maybe in her sixties, with bright blue eyes and white hair, asks them. Her tan skin makes her eyes even more striking, even in the near darkness.
âYes, of course, please do,â Brock nods and Jose even gets up and pulls the chair out for her.
âOh thank you, darling. Iâm Margaret and this is my husband Magnus,â she introduces them and they all shake hands as Brock and Jose introduce themselves.
âJose? Youâre Spanish?â she asks.
âPuerto Rican, but I live in LA now.â
âAnd you, Brock?â her husband asks. He is also tall, a bit on the heavy side and looks like Santa Claus, Brock thinks.
âIâm originally from Canada, but I live in L.A. now, too. And where are you from? I think I hear a bit of an accent.â
âAnd he should know about having an accent,â Jose teases him.
âWeâre from Sweden.â
âOh how nice!â Brock gushes. âIâm like a quarter Swedish or something and Iâve been to Stockholm a while ago. You live there?â
âNo,â Magnus laughs about Brockâs enthusiasm. âWeâre from a very small town up north. Just three hundred inhabitants.â
âUp north? Like at the north pole?â Jose asks and waves for the waiter.
âNo, thatâs even further north,â Margaret smiles.
âBut it real cold there, right? He from Toronto thatâs damn cold, too. Never seen so much snow in my life, Mary.â
âYeah, we have a lot of snow.â She confirms.
âWhat do you want to drink?â Brock asks them when the waiter has arrived.
âWhat is it youâre having?â
âGin tonic. Oh, you could bring us two more,â Brock decides, making use of the opportunity that the waiter is there.
âMake that four, weâll have the same,â Magnus decides.
âYou here to get away from the cold?â Jose asks curiously and places his hand on top of Brockâs leg underneath the table, his fingertips gliding over the naked skin of his knee with comfortable familiarity.
âYeah, that tooâ Margaret confirms. âBut mainly weâre here for our 25th wedding anniversary. We spent our honeymoon here and decided to come back. Itâs even more beautiful now, with the resorts they built and all.â
â25 years, wow, thatâs a long time, mama.â Jose nods his head as he speaks.
âIt really is. Thirty years together, 25 married.â She nods along with him.
âThatâs the goal, isnât it? No matter if you married or not, just stick together through thick and thin,â Jose muses and Brock takes his hand that is still resting on his knee.
âItâs not always easy and weâve had our moments, but we donât regret it.â Magnus adds. âAnd what are you doing here? Youâre here with your girlfriends or wives?â The question is asked good-naturedly, but still makes Brock a bit nervous. He doesnât really know how to reply without making it uncomfortable for all of them. Jose has no such reservations, of course.
âHa! If you want we can flip a coin and then tell you who the wifey is,â he guffaws. âWe here together for our first vacation.â
âOh you are a couple, how sweet!â Margaret seems genuinely excited. âYou know you two are the first real gay couple Iâve ever met. Otherwise this way up north we only get gay people on the TV.â
âI think youâd be surprised,â Brock canât help but snort. âMy sister was married for years and had a couple of kids before she came out as a lesbian. Not everything is as it seems, no matter how small the village.â
âWhatâs the statistical statistics stuff?â Jose asks and turns towards Brock.
âSomething like 5%, I think?â
âAs in 5% of people are gay?â Magnus asks. They all wait for their drinks to be set on the table before they continue their talk. âThat would be like 15 people in our village? I wonder who that could be!â
âMaybe old Sverre? He never got married and I donât think Iâve ever seen him with a woman?â
âI could google the exact percentage for Sweden, but my man here has banned cellphones for the time being.â Brock says and wraps his free arm around Joseâs shoulders.
âAnd youâre right to do so, darling. Itâs horrible when all this people are only staring into their phones and donât talk to each other anymore.â Margaret pats Joseâs arm.
âYou had your forty minutes of internet time today, toes. The rest of your time belongs to me,â Jose smiles up at him and slurps the rest of his gin tonic. âAnd Iâm a darling, you heard that?â He looks so proud and smug that Brock just has to kiss him.
âI heard, papi.â
âThere is this couple here at the resort, they have been here for four days⌠or is it five Magnus?"
"Which couple do you mean?â
âGianna and TJ. Â Sheâs always on the phone and he keeps ogling everything on two legs?â
âMami, we know exactly who youâre talking about!â Jose exclaims excitedly, Brock pulls him closer and they are off to kiki about the real tea at the resort until the bar closes and they stumble back to their room, so drunk they barely find the way.
âI still havenât got to suck your dick,â Brock remembers when they are lying in bed beside each other, clad only in their underwear.
âYou drunk⌠Iâm more drunk. Can wake me up with a blowjob if you want,â Jose slurs, barely awake.
âK⌠blowjob t'morrow mornin'⌠G'night.â Brock repeats and closes his eyes, hopes that the bed will stop spinning soon.
âG'night.â
TBC
#rpdr fanfiction#brooke lynn hytes#vanessa vanjie mateo#branjie#fluff#smut#drama#canon compliant#houroubing to aruba#blackhighheels
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