#Drawing him was reeeally fun I’ve been thinking about it for a while. He works well in my style

[rick-ety]

erm HAPPY BIRTHDAY @vellichorom!!! THIS ART LAS LOWKEY BEEN IN MY WIPS FOR LIKE HALF A YEAR BAHAH. I sent an anon asking if I could draw goreguts and proceeded to not draw goreguts anyways the past is in the past HERE THEY ARE NOW. Sorry JT could have been more cleaned up but I got a *tad* lazy. I still really enjoyed this piece

(rosemary belongs to @tomiechu!)

[dragonclaude]

May I pitch a fun "alternative chapter 5" in place of "oh Sakura just didn't die". What if it's something along the lines of "She enters a deathlike state that fools even Monokuma" and essentially pulls a Romeo & Juliet on them with only Hina in on the plan (she still does the whole disrupting the crime scene thing because *acting*) and Hina eventually wakes her back up... of course neither of them are chemists and it takes a few months for Sakura to wake up (thus allowing for an Upgrade Tree!)

See, that’s pretty interesting but I don’t know if the two of them would be able to convince Monokuma since he could hear everything while they’re talking about the plan. Even if they go somewhere like the bathhouse where he couldn’t see or hear it, he would know something fishy is up. Sakura was currently betraying him and that should be enough to lead him to believe she would be pulling something drastic.

Though, I do think there could’ve been more fun things done with the chemicals in the room. Could you imagine if someone with vague chemical knowledge used them to make an explosive substance??? Goodbye data lab door, we’re gonna go kick Junko’s ass directly.

But also this ask reminded me of something I’ve forgotten about for a while. It’s an idea I had before even starting the Roaring Cherry Blossom stuff. It was closer to “what could Sakura’s Revenge look like?” with the emphasis of making a spinoff that could fit into canon somehow. In the end, I kind of just took the gameplay idea and drew it for RCB but now that I think about it again…. It might not be a bad idea as a different way to start RCB instead of making it strictly an AU of DR1. I'd like to know what y'all think.

That’ll take a little bit to explain so bear with me. And also, @bananacreamphi it’s REALLY funny that you sent me this *during* the time I was typing this down xD

It’s not the exact same but you might want to read below ;D

Long read with a few colored drawings below!!

For the rest of this, I will refer to Roaring Cherry Blossom as RCB for shortening sake. If any of you reading don’t know what it is, make sure to see my tag that has all of my AU drawings or click this link to start looking!

--------

Okay so, in this version, Danganronpa 1 happens. Same survivors, same deaths, same apocalypse. People are fighting for their lives, the Remnants are running rampant and the future foundation is struggling to fight them back.

But, here’s the thing. When the remnants went to Hope’s peak to retrieve the parts of Junko’s body, they also decided to desecrate the bodies in the bio lab for despair reasons. While opening and examining all the bodies, they notice that all of the bodies but Sakura’s are at a point of no return…...and Mikan gets a great idea.

What if she revives Sakura and brainwashes her to become another remnant?

She did briefly work under Junko and she could get it right this time. The remnants would have one more strong fighter on their side and would massively catch the enemy off guard.

So they take her back to the remnant’s base and set up a brainwashing room directly in the medical room. Mikan revives Sakura with her medical knowledge, she wakes up immediately being brainwashed into thinking everyone she knows and loves is dead and that she failed her family’s legacy. Nekomaru welcomes her to the team, and we begin the tutorial of learning the controls. You would have reeeally brutal attacks at first, Nekomaru would be empowering you to not hold back and just murder as much as possible.

Here was a drawing of her I made in late 2020 that I decided to redraw with her RCB clothing, enjoy.

I don’t think she would have the Kanabos at first but I think it looks cool xD

It would also be cool to see what life was like on the remnants’ side and how camaraderie could show up with people who’ve fully succumbed to despair. Nekomaru and The ultimate Imposter would be the general leaders I’d say. The first to motivate the group in battles and the other focused on infiltration and enemy Intel.

But anyways after some time going on missions and wreaking havoc, Sakura finds out about the future foundation and that her friends are still alive; sparking a speck of hope that is enough to start messing with her thoughts. When bringing this up to the others, they recommend she go and destroy the source of the issue to bring her the despair that she needs. She lets Hiyoko destroy whats left of her home and next comes planning how she is going to kill her friends. (maybe delving into the thoughts she had during the time she was a spy in DR1)

For the sake of this, let’s say she goes with a plan that revolves around baiting them out from the foundation and picking them off one by one. Long story short, Sakura gets very close to killing Makoto but the foundation pulls out everything in their power to knock her out. (say, chain binds, chemicals, stunning explosives, or tranquilizers perhaps)

…...And now Makoto gets a great idea.

We will take Sakura and test out the current version of the Neo World Program. If it works on her, then we can be sure it will work with the others.

They bring her to the room, memory-erasing happens and the brainwashing is removed. Sakura regains consciousness in Jabberwock Island like Hajime did and is very confused. (She would likely have her DR1 outfit on)

She soon finds Usami, and maybe even Chiaki, to explain why she’s here and how to escape. Artistic rendition because I like this idea C:

She does the Usami chores while getting a little more interaction with the digital characters and “graduates” from the trip. There could also be a moment where the foundation members from the outside communicate with her inside of the program to give her more context and to assure her she's not just stranded in some island.

Then she comes back out, has a touching moment with her friends now that she’s back to normal, and gets straight to work finding the remnants like regular RCB. But, this time she knows how the program works and can vouch for it if she ever needs to convince someone.

Man, imagine how the reunion with Kenshiro would go once she reaches Towa City.

So yeah, this is another option without making an entirely new AU of DR1. I hope this didn’t stray too far from the original point, I just thought it would be fun to finally write it down! C:

I would like to know you guy’s thoughts on this too, maybe it’s a little too much Idk xD

======================================

Since this post is kind of an anchor point for this whole AU, here’s a TLDR for the whole plot!

======================================

DR1 happens

Dead Sakura is taken when remnants took Junkos parts

Mikan revives Sakura and turns her into remnant

Remnants cause havoc and gets attention of Future foundation

Sakura tries to capture Makoto, the foundation manages to knock her out

Makoto brings Sakura to the Neo World Program and undoes the despair

Now the game’s goal is to find and capture all the remnants to put them into the Neo World Program too

I’ve drawn lots of this idea, so if you want to see more into the game, look at my pinned post!

[spencersawkward]

hi! today is my birthday (yeah, a day before his) and as a big fan of yours that i am, i know that you made a one-shot for his birthday, but could you do it like it would be if it was your first birthday with him? i reeeally appreciate and love your work! keep doing this, you're amazing! thank you!!

ok the daddy kink gotta go on pause bc we have an EMERGENCY called it's a baddie's birthday! 🥳 happy birthday babe i hope it's as special and lovely as can be! also thank you that made my day of course i'd be happy to write a one-shot like that :)

summary: reader reunites with Matthew for her birthday after his absence on a week-long trip. 

relationship: Fem!Reader/Matthew

content warnings: unprotected penetrative sex, creampie, fingering, oral (female receiving), dirty talk.

word count: 3.8k 

masterlist

after lighting my favorite candles on the bedside table and smoothing out the wrinkles on the bed, I climb onto the mattress and fold my legs up beneath me, criss-cross applesauce. there's a warm, peachy light that falls onto the white comforter, aureate and gentle when I straighten my spine.

I have spent my birthday so far dealing with tired limbs and people I don't like; the only good part so far was getting lunch with a couple of my friends, but something still feels absent.

that something is Matthew.

he's been in Los Angeles for a week, and I miss him like crazy. the apartment is cold and hollow without him in it, despite the numerous objects of his that decorate every nook and cranny. a star and moon mobile hangs above our bed, which sounds childish but actually is fun for both of us to look at when we're lying together at night.

our eyes always follow as the crescent and circle shapes cross each other in a slow circle while we talk. and every time he's gone, his side of the bed gets cold. I miss his mouth and the shape of his arms when they enfold me. I've never been much for showing affection, but I would cover him in kisses if we had all day together.

absence makes the heart grow fonder, I guess.

he's coming home tonight and I've been looking forward to it for days now. even our kitten, Clarisse, lifts her head every time someone in the hallway of the building passes. she likes to sit between us whenever she can.

I let my thoughts roam freely as I take deep breaths and center my mind. it's hard to reign in the joy I feel at the memory of him. I haven't had an orgasm since he left, not because I haven't had the motivation, but because Matthew has created a new rule.

neither of us can pleasure ourselves until we see each other again. technically, I suppose we could break the rule and there would be no ramifications-- but it's kinda fun, to be honest. every night he calls me, and every night he tiptoes around the things he wants to do when he gets home. he can always hear the shortness of my breath when he says anything erring on risqué, asking what I'm wearing or if I've been thinking of him. of course I've been thinking of him; my nights swell with apparitions of his touch, moving over my skin without any tangible reality.

it usually ends with him tsking and telling me to be patient while I dig my fingernails into the inside of my thighs, resisting every urge within me to get off to the sound of his voice. he does it so well, too. all deep and desirous when he tells me to be good.

even as I sit here on the bed, a tingling feeling starts in my stomach. I want him too badly, and waiting has been absolute torture. I remember two nights ago, when I was sitting in his favorite armchair with my knees tucked into my chest, speaking softly to him.

"what have you been up to?"

"nothing out of the ordinary: filming, drawing... thinking of you." he had said, the last three words igniting a flame in my stomach. I love to hear him say that.

"anything in particular?" I started to trace absent-mindedly over the skin of my calves.

"thinking about how good you'd look with your hands between your legs." his voice was somehow silky and raspy all at once, like the idea of it was arousing him. I bit my lip and squeezed my thighs together.

"stop tempting me."

"why?"

"you know damn well why." I giggled. he sighed on the other end of the line.

"I'm starting to hate this rule."

"you made it!" I argued, practically able to hear the mischievous little smile on his face.

"I know, but I wanna hear your noises."

"Matthew..." I blushed, even though he wasn't right in front of me.

"I can't wait to hear you scream that." the drop in his tone made goosebumps rise over my skin.

"are you hard right now?"

"maybe." he hesitated. I felt every cell in my body begging me to cheat our rule-- maybe bend it slightly-- but I hold true.

"get home, then, and I'll suck the soul out of you." I laughed a bit and heard him move in his seat.

"stop teasing."

"you're one to talk," I glanced out the window at the city glittering, full of so many people and empty of him. "I should go before we fuck this up for ourselves."

"no..." he whined like a needy puppy for a moment. "just talk to me normally."  

"fine," I pretended to be disappointed. I didn't want to hang up, anyway. "do you wanna hear about my coworkers? that's guaranteed to eradicate all sexual thoughts."

...

he texts me half an hour later, as I blow out the wicks of my candles and watch the rest of the sun disappear. I love nighttime. he's on his way and I get butterflies, despite the fact that I already know what's coming.

instead of waiting giddily with Clarisse, I elect to take a hot shower and wash the day from my bones. I feel more at ease now that I've had some time to sit with my thoughts, although they've made me even more sexually frustrated.

it's only when I'm drying my hair and sitting in my new lingerie slip dress that relief walks through the door in the form of Matthew and a pizza from our favorite neighborhood place. I hear him come in, practically leap up and run into the living room.

"hi!" he greets, standing in the entryway with his suitcase and a scarf thrown casually around his neck. he shuts the door just in time for me to get to him.

"hi hi hi!" I attach myself like a parasite, wrapping my arms around his waist and holding him tightly.  

"happy birthday, my sweet girl," he kisses the top of my head and lets out a chuckle at my affection. "can I set my stuff down, quick?" Clarisse brushes against his leg.

reluctantly, I disentangle myself and take the pizza box from his hands and carry it into the kitchen. he makes a high-pitched whistle noise as I walk away, bending over to greet our cat.

"liking the view." he jokes. I set down the box and return to him, removing his scarf and coat with something of an impatience.

"shut up," I laugh. he starts to kiss my cheekbone, smiles against my skin while I peel off the winter layers. he's got too many clothes on. "you didn't need to pick up a pizza."

"it's your special day-- I wanted to get you the finest cuisine in Manhattan." he replies sincerely. I bite back a grin and stare up at him, completely and utterly in love with his stupid turns of phrase.

"it's gonna get cold, though."

"why?" he frowns. I answer by pulling him in for a voracious kiss, cupping his face in my hands. after a moment of us pressing our torsos together, he grabs the backs of my thighs and I jump, letting him hold me up. one of his hands rests beneath my butt, squeezing the flesh while we embrace.

"you're gonna drop me if we don't get to the bedroom soon." I giggle into his mouth. he playfully smacks my ass and carries me into our favorite place, slamming the door shut with his foot and setting me down on the mattress. I smile at his perfect features, wanting to both tear into him and preserve this moment in time forever.

he climbs onto the bed, pushes my legs apart and runs his hands along the outside of my thighs to hitch up my slip. I raise my eyebrows but don't argue when he gathers the dress up around my waist and yanks my panties down.

"I've been thinking about your pussy all day." he kisses the skin above my knee, moving much too slowly up my legs while he holds them open. I feel my hips leave the bed in eagerness, and he glances at my core hungrily. "you're dripping, baby."

"don't make me wait any more." I roll my eyes and he places the flat of his hand over my center, barely stimulating me while pushing me down. he knows the effect it has from the tortured whine I release.

"the best things come with time." he winks and continues his open-mouthed kisses along my inner thighs. his head is between my legs, but not nearly in the way I'd like it to be. I crave more; he knows it. he licks over a spot near my pussy and I moan.

"sensitive, huh?" he raises an eyebrow. I run my fingers through those unruly curls, tug.

"don't act as if you aren't just as turned on right now."  

"delayed gratification is a skill, darling." he's smirking and it's driving me wild looking at him in this position, not doing anything. he peeks at my body again before meeting my eyes. "you're dragging this out by talking, by the way."

"oh my god." I throw my head back into the pillow, but go silent as he starts to resume his movements. finally, slowly, he licks up my entrance, pausing at my crest to flick his tongue. I gasp and look at him, his focus all on my face.

he rolls his mouth expertly over me, dipping between my folds to taste and releasing a greedy moan before starting to lap and play with it like he can't stop himself anymore. this time, when I grip his hair, I use it as leverage to grind against him. he feels so good, the sounds coming from my lips are truly unhinged.

"oh, shit, shit-- just like that." I choke out. every part of me clings to him. he wraps his hands around my thighs and yanks me down the bed so he can do more with me. every action with his tongue is like a delicious torture, him exploring all the parts of me as if he's never tasted them before. when he runs his teeth gently across my clit, I moan loudly.

"so hot, Matthew, god, please--"

he doesn't even stop to tease me at all. judging by the darkened irises and blown-out pupils, he's lost in his own world while he eats me out. I can feel the pads of his fingertips gripping onto my skin as if it's his only tether to reality. he behaves like someone inebriated, trying new tricks and thrusting his tongue into my entrance. I'm already close, and he can feel from the insistence of my sounds.

he pulls away for a second and I whine, but he puts two fingers over my clit and rubs me like crazy while he talks.

"is this what you wanted for your birthday, sweetheart? to cum?" his mouth is glistening with my essence, lips swollen, while he holds my gaze. I'm whimpering.

"we're gonna have dinner after this and then for dessert, I'm gonna give you what you want," he pants and I can see the erection straining against his clothes. "okay?"

"mhmm." I buck against his touch, which is bringing me closer with every passing second.

"I'm treating you until that little pussy can't take it anymore." he bites his lip and watches me squirm. I'm almost to the edge and I know what will finish me.

"I need your mouth." I beg him hopefully. Matthew grins.

"whatever you want, baby." and with that, he bends down again and replaces his talented fingers with his lips, flicking and running over my clit until I can feel my stomach tensing.

"fuck!" I cry out, rolling against his face and climaxing intensely. my eyes squeeze shut at the tightening of all my muscles. my skin is on fire as I clutch at my tits through the fabric of my dress and feel my back move off the bed. he's pulling my legs up so that he can work me through my orgasm at an angle, harshly sucking at it until I'm completely worn out.

he puts me down and I breathe deeply, try to settle the quickness of my pulse.

"how was that?" he asks, rubbing over my legs affectionately while I come down from my high.

"amazing." I sit up and start to tug at his belt in the hopes of undoing it, but Matthew removes my wrist and shakes his head. I peek up at him with a curious, disappointed expression.

"it's your day, remember?" he says it so lovingly with a slightly higher pitch than normal, soft and laced with kindness. I look at his erection, anyway, always wanting the sight of it.

"that can't be comfortable."

"oh, it's not." he laughs. I let him lift me off the bed and he guides me to the kitchen on my slightly weak legs. everything about him leaves me like that.

Matthew and I eat pizza and drink champagne while he tells me about his trip, about all the cool people he met and places he went to shoot. he shows pictures of the cast and him making silly faces, and a bakery he saw.

"all the pastries are named after amazing women," he grins and presents a photo of the interior, which is full of flowers and hues of rich blue. "so I obviously thought of you."

I smile through my bite of food, heart fluttering. he shows me a picture of a half-eaten cookie that has the silhouette of a woman on the front, sitting in a chair. it's very 1800's-looking.

"it's supposed to be Jane Austen."

"I'm jealous." I grin.

"I'll take you sometime." he puts his phone away and we go back to talking normally. I could watch his lips move forever, listen to his voice forever. there's a quality to his speech that is entirely unique, that draws me in and makes me want to claim him for life. I didn't know it was possible to want someone so completely.

I rant about the things I had to deal with today, and he chuckles at my naturally indignant tone. by the time I run out of steam, we're just sitting with pleased expressions on our faces. even when I'm angry about something that's happened earlier, he knows how to make me forget all about it.

"it would be fun for everyone to meet you." Matthew toys with the napkin in his lap. I sigh.

"as long as there's alcohol involved, sure."

"why?"

"they make me nervous!"

"you have no reason to be nervous," he shakes his head slowly. "they'll love you."

"that's the thing-- I want them to like me so badly, I'll do something to mess it up."

"you couldn't. you're adorable when you're shy." he reaches under the table and squeezes my knee reassuringly. I try to smile, but my stomach twists up at the thought. it's easy for Matthew; he's so uninhibited.

"you say that now, but it'll be a different story when I've managed to fall on my face in front of everyone."

he snorts. "okay, that would be kind of funny."

"hey!" but I'm hiding a smile.

"they'll love you," he keeps his hand on my leg as he looks at me. "you wanna know how I know?"

"how?" I wait patiently for his reply. he leans forward in his seat and beckons me closer.

"because you are the sweetest--" he kisses me. "smartest--" another peck. "funniest girl I know."

"stop." I deadpan as I turn my face away just enough for him to nuzzle my cheek with his nose as I laugh.

"not to mention the sexiest one, too." he whispers in my ear. I put my hand on his shoulder, intending to push him away playfully but finding myself not wanting to.

"I knew that's where you were gonna take that." I roll my eyes. his other hand has been creeping progressively up my thigh until his fingers brush my core. I suck in a breath, remembering that my panties are still in the bedroom.

"you want me to prove it to you?" he starts to stroke over me, gathering the wetness on his fingers that already waits for him. I let out a slight moan as he dips inside and curls his digits.

"mhmm."

he starts to finger me easily, adding a second and pumping them inside while I grip the edge of the table and watch his face concentrate on mine. he's rough and deep, the result of not having his own orgasm earlier. I can see the lust in his eyes like he can't wait to dive in. all that comes out of my mouth are chants of his name, begging for him as his thumb toys with my clit. my walls clench and his jaw hangs open with a slight smile.

"do that again." he says. I obey, squeezing my thighs around his wrist. he feels so good there, and he's not even doing that much. "god, I can't wait for you to do that on my cock."

"fuck me, then." I breathe.

"gladly," he removes his fingers so suddenly, I make a disappointed noise. "get on the table, sweetheart."

"the-- the table?" I glance down at the surface. he nods in complete seriousness. oh, wow.

we clear off the two plates and down the rest of our champagne, his lips capturing mine easily the second I turn around from putting them in the sink. he walks me back to the table, never breaking our contact, before I end up sitting on it. he's between my legs, pushing his hips to mine while he moves my dress up again.

I hum into his neck while he starts to grind against me, undoing his belt and breathing quickly in my ear. I can feel his length through the fabric, feel how desperate he is. I scoot closer to the edge and try to get more.

"are you sure you don't want me to suck your dick?" I peek at him. he tilts my face up and I feel myself sink into those dark circles around his eyes. my beautiful, haunted boy.

"I need to be inside you." he says it without an ounce of humor. every word weighted with desire as he holds me there. my insides feel like they've been electrified, nerves sparking. all I can do is nod fervidly and pull his shirt off.

he takes off his bottoms and stares back at me, stroking his cock while I trail my nails down his chest, abdomen, whatever I can find. he's so gorgeous, I want to leave marks just so I can make sure he's real. he rubs himself in my essence, then pushes the head inside.

"Matthew--" I bite down on his shoulder to silence myself as he stretches me out. it hasn't even been that long, but it feels like the first time. his head dropping down with a long, low groan of pleasure.

"I missed this." he sheathes himself inside, deep, and I feel my walls tightening around him. there's a pressure on my clit from the position we're in, too. I whine on it, letting myself wiggle impatiently.

"move." I whisper. he starts to withdraw, only about halfway, before going in again. I throw my head back at the force of his thrust, so greedy. he's groaning softly while he presses his mouth to my throat, the flutter of his breath over my skin causing shivers to run up and down my spine.

I wrap my legs around his waist and he starts to find a rhythm with my body. nails dig into his back as an anchor. the closeness of his chest to mine is comforting.

"do you know how hard it was not to get myself off, baby?" he says, the words threaded with a needy tone. I shake my head and pray he'll keep talking. "every night I'd think about you and I couldn't do anything about it."

"you could have." I taunt.

"this is better," he goes faster, clutching at my waist and legs to pull me closer. "so much better."

"yeah?" I giggle, although it's hard when he's pounding into me so hard. I cling tightly and try to meet his thrusts. he's hitting different angles within me that I didn't even know existed, tearing me apart in the absolute best way.

"I wanna be inside it all day." he moans. I'm scratching his back with the way we're working together, every word out of his mouth and the sounds he makes causing me to lose my mind. his fingers dig into my ass as he slams into me. the table shakes beneath.

"that feels so fucking good." I grab on and roll my hips against his. his hand moves to my shoulder to push the straps of my dress down.

"let me see you," he tugs them until my tits are out, at which point he grabs my waist and pulls me against him, moaning loudly at the feeling. "pretty girl."

I can feel the tidal wave building within me, the seconds that gather into one wild, exquisite torrent of pleasure. the knot in my stomach tightens as he fucks me.

"I'm gonna cum." tears prick the back of my eyes. he's working my figure so perfectly, I can barely see. my legs are shaking before I even reach the culmination.

"good." he gets erratic as he imagines how pleasurable it'll be to have me clenching around him, and I sink below the surface. my hips jerk and I cry out like it's my last time being with him, his name pouring from my mouth. Matthew speeds up.

"so... tight--" he shudders. "oh fuck-- that's it, baby, that's it."

he spills inside and it prolongs our orgasms, both of us breathing hard while I remove my arms from his shoulders and lean back on my hands against the table, him still thrusting gently into me while we hold eye contact.

when he's finished, he removes himself from me and then we're just there, looking at each other with love all over our faces.

"happy birthday, Y/N." he grins.

"can you give me one more gift?" I bite my lip. he frowns.

"oh, I have several gifts for you in my suitcase--" he starts to say with a laugh, then sees that I'm not referring to anything tangible. "yes, anything."

"can you Clorox this table, please?"

Matthew kisses my cheek. "of course."

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

KH OC Week 2020--Day 7: Summer’s End

Road Trip!

[Hoo boy this turned out long. But that’s how I write, apparently. 😂 This week was real fun as always! I’m hoping one day I’ll get to writing Erica’s story. Of course you can’t rush things like that so we’ll see. Maybe if there’s another OC Week next year I might have a new character idea to use. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! This was real cute to write.] @khoc-week

————

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Erica.”

“We’ll be really careful, I promise. And besides. I’ve been there before.”

“But it goes against the rules. You know that.”

Erica frowned. Summer was drawing to a close, and they had all had a great time so far. But she wanted to do something special before it was over. “But they’ve gone to a different world before.”

“. . .Well, you’re right about that. . . .”

“It’ll just be for a day. Then we’ll head home, I promise.”

The dream eater tilted their head in thought. They knew Erica was careful when it came to these kinds of things. But a lot of things could happen if people from different worlds were to meet. “If anything happens, you have to leave as quickly as you can.”

“I promise.”

Chirithy studied her for a bit before sighing. “All right. Just this once. But after today, no more ideas like this, okay?”

“Yes!” Erica picked up Chirithy and hugged them. “Thank you so much! This’ll be great, I know it will!”

Chirithy held back another sigh. I hope nothing goes wrong.

She set them down. “Now I just have to figure out which world to go to.”

————

Olette stifled a yawn as she waited in an alley in Sunset Terrace. “What do you think’s going on?”

“Beats me,” Hayner said, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

“Her message was pretty vague,” Pence mentioned.

“But why so early?”

Pence rubbed his chin. “Maybe she’s found another wonder here!”

“Maybe,” Olette said. “We’ll just have to wait until she gets here.”

A few minutes later, the others came around the corner. Yet Erica wasn’t with them.

“Any idea what comin’ here so early is about?” Lea asked before yawning.

“Pence here thinks Erica’s found another wonder,” Hayner said, reminding Roxas of the time he had to dodge balls flying out of the wall he had been trying to get to. “But I doubt that.”

“Perhaps this is something she wants to remain between us,” Isa guessed.

“Maybe,” Roxas said.

“Oh, here she comes!” Naminé said. Hayner, Pence, and Olette peeked out from behind the corner to see Erica jogging her way over to them. But her stealing a glance over her shoulder raised a yellow flag for everyone.

“Good. Everyone’s here,” Erica said.

“What’s going on?” Xion asked.

“I have a surprise for you guys.”

“Really?” Hayner said.

“And here I thought something was up,” Lea said.

Erica checked her surroundings again. “Okay, this way.”

Everyone followed her further into the alleyway, and she took one more glance behind everyone.

“So, what kind of surprise is this?” Hayner asked.

“Don’t worry, it’s a good one,” Erica replied. Starlight appeared in her hand, and she faced the wall before pointing her Keyblade at it.

“You’re not doing what I think you’re doing, are you?” Lea questioned. A corridor of light appeared, pulling surprised noises out of Hayner, Pence, and Olette. “Yeah. You are.”

“Hey wait. That’s that portal thing!” Pence realized.

“It’s a corridor of light,” Erica explained. “I want to take you guys to a new world before summer ends.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Lea asked.

“We’ve all been to a different world before,” Roxas said.

“I know that, but . . . this is different.”

“Lea’s right,” Isa said. “This might not be the best idea.”

“I’ve been to this one before,” Erica said.

“That doesn’t matter. It could be dangerous.”

“Aw come on you two!” Pence said. “This could be fun!”

“It’s like Roxas said,” Olette pointed out. “We’ve all been to a different world.”

“And it was awesome!” Hayner added.

“I wouldn’t mind going,” Xion said. “It might be nice.”

“Yeah,” Roxas agreed.

“I’m sure Erica wouldn’t do this if it was dangerous,” Naminé pointed out, and Lea and Isa exchanged sideways glances.

“You guys have to make sure not to say a peep about Twilight Town,” Lea said. “Not everyone knows about other worlds.”

“Got it,” Pence said. “We have to become one with our surroundings.”

“And no wandering around,” Isa added.

“No problem,” Hayner said.

“Then let’s go!” Olette beamed. Erica smiled, and the group entered the corridor. They were met with silence for a few moments before waves brushing against the shore and the smell of the sea welcomed them.

“Woah! Where are we?” Pence asked.

“This is Atlantica,” Erica said. “Well, actually we’re closer to Prince Eric’s castle.”

“Prince Eric?” Roxas repeated, only to remember he had been inside Sora upon first hearing that name.

“You know a prince?” Olette asked.

“Yup, and he’s really nice,” Erica said. “Oh! I think there’s a town here we could go to.”

“Well, you’re our expert here,” Lea said.

As Erica led everyone down a path through a sort of archway of rock, Lea and Isa kept an eye on the group from the rear. Along the way, she told everyone as much as she could about the world (with the exception of what was under the sea. Some things were probably still lurking down there). She also mentioned knowing a seagull named Scuttle.

“He talks?” Xion asked.

“Mmhmm,” Erica said.

“This is like a whole other dimension!” Pence said.

“That’s one way to put it,” Lea commented.

“We should head back to the beach after this,” Olette suggested.

“I wonder what kind of shells are there,” Xion wondered.

“Maybe they’re different from Sora’s world,” Naminé said.

“Heeeeyyy!” someone shouted, making the group stop.

“Who’s shouting?” Pence asked.

“Heeeeyyy!” This time the voice was closer, and moments later wings flapping brought everyone’s attention above them. “Look out below!”

A seagull came in for a rough landing, pulling startled noises out of everyone.

“Boy I really gotta work on my landings,” the seagull commented as he dusted himself off.

“Did he just talk?” Pence whispered.

“Yeah,” Hayner replied. “I bet that’s—”

“Hi Scuttle,” Erica said.

“Hmm?” Scuttle looked up at her before squinting. “Y’know, you look very familiar.”

“It’s me Eri—”

“Wait don’t tell me. It’s right on the tip of my tongue. . . .” He rubbed his chin. “You’re a friend of Ariel’s right? The one with the reeeally curly hair?”

“Yup. That’s me.”

“Is he serious?” Hayner whispered.

“I got it!” Scuttle said. “Erica! Hey it’s been a while!”

The wielder in question laughed a bit. “It’s good to see you.”

Guess he didn’t get it memorized, Roxas thought.

Scuttle finally laid eyes on everyone else. “Woah. That is a lot of humans.”

“They’re friends of mine,” Erica said, and Naminé and Olette waved before the curly-haired girl introduced everyone.

“Nice to meetcha!”

“Nice to meet you too,” Olette said.

“So, what are you up to today?”

“We were going to head to the town to walk around for a bit,” Erica said.

“Y’know what, there’s a shortcut I found just a couple days ago that’ll get you there in minutes.”

“Really?” Xion asked.

“Yeah! C’mon I’ll show ya!” The bird took off in the opposite direction after a couple flaps, and the group exchanged looks.

“You sure we should be trusting him with directions?” Lea asked.

“He can be a bit . . . off sometimes, but we can count on him,” Erica said.

“All right. If you say so.”

The group then proceeded to follow Scuttle.

“I can’t believe birds talk here!” Pence said, trying to keep his voice down. “Are they the only animals that talk here?”

“I know a fish and a crab that talk, too,” Erica replied.

“No way!” Hayner said.

“Y’know, so far this hasn’t been a bad idea after all,” Lea commented to Isa.

“You could say that,” Isa replied. “And taking directions from a talking seagull is certainly something. But, every world is different.”

After a couple more minutes Scuttle stopped before a cave that made a few eyebrows rise.

“We have to go in there?” Hayner asked.

“Are you sure about this?” Erica questioned.

“Positive,” Scuttle replied. “Oh uh might wanna watch your step in here. Y’know since humans can’t fly and all.” He squinted at the cave. “I don’t think I remember it being this dark last time.”

Lea shot the bird a look that went unnoticed before sighing and stepping away. Grabbing two sticks, he checked to make sure Scuttle was still facing the cave before igniting the sticks with a brief fire spell. “Well I have our light. Lead the way.”

Scuttle looked to Lea. “Huh. Fire. You humans really know how to use that stuff.” The seagull went inside, and the group followed him in with Lea right behind him.

“How many times have you been through here?” Roxas asked, holding the other stick.

“Ahh a couple times, give or take. But don’t worry. I got this cave mapped out perfectly up here.” The seagull knocked on his head briefly, and Lea once again gave the bird a look that Isa caught.

The cave didn’t really have much to it other than the dozens of small rocks and pebbles tossed around here and there. Lea and Isa both had a couple inches of room above them, but that really didn’t seem to make them feel any better. But, after a short while Scuttle proved true to his word, and they could hear the sounds of bustling people ahead of them.

“And here we are!” He pulled back fabric that acted as a curtain before squeezing himself through a space between two of the several boards that were shoddily boarding up the hole.

Managing to find a loose board that could be pushed aside to form a way out, Olette made her way through, and she brushed the curtain aside. “Woah! Guys, over here!”

“Huh?” Roxas put his torch out before following after her, and the others followed suit. Lea was the last one out once he put his torch out, and he and Isa could already see how excited the others were.

“Thanks, Scuttle!” Erica said.

“Any time, Erica,” Scuttle said. “I’ll see ya later!”

Once he was off, Xion tugged Lea and Isa along, and the rest finally ventured out into the open. People were going to and fro all around them, some looking at those selling their wares while others simply enjoyed the atmosphere. There was a puppet show going on that was capturing their young audience very well, and a couple stands in the streets were situated at just the right angle to catch one’s eye.

“It’s very different from home,” Naminé said. “But it’s a good different.”

The scent of flowers caught Xion’s attention, and she noticed some very familiar ones.

“Forget-me-nots,” Isa said. “I haven’t seen those in a while.”

“They’re really pretty.”

“Hey can we check out what’s down that way?” Pence asked, pointing at an archway.

“They’re selling paint over there,” Naminé said. “I’ve always wanted to try painting.” Lea and Isa exchanged looks.

“All right, here’s the deal,” Lea said. “We’ll meet back at that fountain over there in two hours.”

“Stay in pairs or groups of three,” Isa said. “And don’t stray too far from one another. Understood?”

“Yes!” Pence said, and he nudged Hayner. “C’mon guys!”

“Wait up, you two!” Olette said before hurrying after them.

“Where’d you see that paint?” Lea asked.

“That way.” Naminé took him by the hand and led him to the stand.

“H-hey!” Roxas said. Isa watched him leave, and he looked to see Erica still with him and Xion, the two girls’ attention already captured by the flowers.

“There’s so many here,” Xion said. “It’s almost hard to pick.”

“Which one did you see first?” Erica asked.

“Those blue ones there.” Xion pointed to the forget-me-nots.

“I have some munny if you want them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mmhmm.”

“. . . Then, I’ll get them. Please.”

Erica bought the flowers, and Xion’s eyes drifted to the rest of the stand.

“What about those?” She pointed to a few other ones, and Isa pulled out some extra munny.

“You have quite the eye,” he said. The seller gave her a basket for the flowers, and Xion thanked both him and her friends. After the trio moved aside, Xion carefully sifted through her basket before pulling out a forget-me-not and giving it to Isa.

“There’s enough for everyone else, so I thought I could share them.”

He glanced between her and the flower before gently taking it. As for Erica, Xion gave her one of the blue chrysanthemums. But there was another flower attached to it.

“A dandelion,” Erica said. Just the very word reminded her of Master Ava and her friends. It was strange how one word could bring up so many memories. . . .

“Some say you can wish on those.”

“I uh, I think I’ll try to keep it in one piece.” Erica tucked both flowers behind her ear, making sure they wouldn’t fall. “Thank you.”

Xion smiled. “Let’s try to find everyone else.”

It didn’t take too long for the trio to find Lea, Roxas, and Naminé. The blonde-haired girl couldn’t stop looking at the bottles of paint she had acquired, already thinking of what to paint once they got home.

“That’s a lot of flowers,” Roxas said as both groups met.

“They do look nice,” Naminé commented. Xion picked out a daisy for Naminé, an orange chrysanthemum for Lea, and a white one for Roxas.

“Looks just like your hair,” Isa commented as Lea stuck his flower in his hair with pride.

“I bet it brings out my eyes, doesn’t it?” Lea replied, earning laughs from the girls.

Naminé gently picked a forget-me-not from the basket and placed it in Xion’s hair. “You should have one too.” Xion gave her a smile.

Erica looked around the square, but she was unable to spot Hayner, Pence, and Olette. “Um, should we look for the others?”

“You might wanna look over there,” Lea said, gesturing with his head to the trio in question running toward them. Hayner had a sort of box in his hands, and Olette had some smaller things in her hand. As for Pence he wasn’t too far behind them.

“You got excited,” Isa said with a small smile.

“They have pretzels here!” Hayner said. “Oh, and we saw this girl with long red hair. She was pretty nice.”

“Was she with a guy with black hair?” Erica asked.

“Oh yeah. He was nice, too,” Pence answered.

“I think that was Ariel and Prince Eric.”

“That was them?”

“Yup.”

“They looked really sweet together,” Olette said. “Oh! I almost forgot.” She held out her hand, revealing beaded bracelets much like her own and some wristbands. “I got these for us.”

“You did?” Roxas asked.

“Mmhmm.” Olette passed her gifts out.

“You didn’t mention anything about where we’re from, did you?” Erica asked.

“Don’t worry. We kept quiet about that,” Hayner said.

Xion turned her wrist to admire her new silver bracelet. “Thanks, Olette.” Going through her basket, she picked out flowers for Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

Olette looked at her orange chrysanthemum. “These are for us?” Xion nodded, earning a smile from Olette. “Thanks, Xion.”

“So, we ready to head back to the beach?” Hayner said.

“Sure, if you want to,” Lea replied, leading the others to agree.

“All right, then let’s hit the road!”

Lea and Isa held onto the baskets of paint and flowers, letting the rest of the group chat away excitedly.

“Best. Day. Ever!” Pence beamed.

“Yeah this was awesome!” Hayner agreed.

“Heh heh. I’m glad you liked it here,” Erica said.

The redhead’s eyes drifted to the flowers. “Y’know, our home world had a lot flowers there.”

“I remember them,” Isa replied. “I wonder if they’re the same.”

“I figured they’d be, what with the people in that world restoring it and all.”

The blue-haired man glanced to the others, spotting Hayner playfully shoving Roxas, who shoved back. “Perhaps one day we’ll see it again. Properly.”

“And maybe once we find her, we should take her with us.”

“I think she’d like that.”

Eventually the group reached the beach, and the sun was beginning to set. A soft breeze passed through as they sat in the sand, making sure not to sit too close to the water. However, Isa noticed Erica had stayed behind, her distant gaze on the dandelion in her hands.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked.

“Hmm?” She looked to him. “I’ll catch up in a bit.”

Her usual smile didn’t reach her eyes, but he decided to leave her be. Erica waited for him to keep walking before closing her eyes. She could just imagine herself back at that beach with those other wielders. She could just hear their laughter as they messed around with each other, the leader of the group trying her best not to laugh with them.

Of course, that was in the past. She had other friends that she could share memories with now. And . . . maybe one day they would all meet.

One day I’ll see them again.

Erica blew onto the dandelion, and she watched the wind carry its seeds far, far away. . . .

“Hey Erica! You coming?” Pence called.

“Be right there!” Pocketing what remained of the dandelion, she briskly headed toward everyone else. As she sat down, Roxas noticed she had only one flower in her hair.

“Your dandelion’s missing,” he said.

“I decided to make a wish on it.”

“What did you wish for?” Xion asked.

“Can’t say. I’m hoping it’ll come true.”

“Maybe it will,” Olette said. Once she opened the box of pretzels for everyone, their heavenly buttery scent filled the air.

Pence pulled a piece off of his to pop into his mouth. “Hey these are better than the ones back home.”

“I guess the baker here’s pretty good,” Lea commented.

“They taste the same to me,” Roxas said.

“I think so too,” Xion said.

Olette swallowed a bite. “Do you think we could do this again?” The former Organization members and Erica exchanged glances.

“Uh we’ll see about that,” Lea said.

Naminé looked to the horizon, feeling the breeze against her face. “At least we got to spend time together like this. That’s what matters the most.”

“Yeah,” Xion agreed.

“I guess we’re pretty lucky,” Roxas said. But thunder followed by sudden rain decided to say otherwise.

“Aw man!” Hayner complained, gathering his shoes.

“Q-quick, head for that cave!” Pence said, and everyone collected their things before darting off. Erica couldn’t help laughing a bit, which led to Naminé laughing as well. And luckily the group made it just before the rain got any heavier.

Erica puffed out a brief laugh. “That came out of nowhere.”

Hayner poured some water out of his shoes. “No kidding.”

Olette glanced to Roxas, and she couldn’t help snickering. “Roxas, your hair.”

“My hair?” He parted the hair from his eyes like a curtain.

“You look like a hippie,” Hayner teased.

“Axel’s hair got kind of long,” Xion pointed out with a laugh.

“And Pence’s hair looks like a wilted plant,” Lea quipped, and the group shared a laugh.

“I think our pretzels got soaked,” Pence said. “But at least the flowers got some water.” Naminé laughed a bit only to sneeze.

“I’ll see if I can get a fire going.” It wasn’t very long until a small fire was made, and the group huddled around it as they listened to the rain.

“I hope we don’t get sick tomorrow,” Hayner said. “That’d really be a bummer.”

“Same here.”

Olette readjusted her flower. “Thanks for taking us here, Erica. It was amazing.”

“You’re welcome,” Erica said. “But um, we should probably head home once we’re all dry.”

The group voiced their agreements. They’d get home eventually, but for now, they were going to remain just how they were—gathered around a fire and listening to the rain and the ocean.

Together.

————