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medea10 · 3 years

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My Review of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni GOU

(a.k.a. When They Cry Gou)

I know what you’re thinking. Why the heck am I reviewing this anime again? I’ve already written a review in 2009 and re-polished it in 2016. (Here it is BTW) I’ve made my point on who I like, hate, what ships are worthy, and poked fun at all the deaths that happened throughout the series. I think some time has passed that I should say some thoughts on this…um, story. After all, Higurashi is one of my favorite animes.

STORY: Ah shit, here we go again!

Higurashi or When They Cry is about a boy named Keiichi Maebara who recently moved to a place called Hinamizawa. And ever since moving to this town, he’s found his days are filled with fun mischief with fellow friends Rena Ryuuguu, Satoko Hojo, Mion Sonozaki, and Rika Furude. But little does Keiichi know that there’s a little murder mystery that surrounds the town. During a town festival known as Watanagashi (or Cotton Drifting), there’s usually one or two people that go missing or turn up dead. And this year, Keiichi is next. So let’s relive the horrors that plague the town of Hinamizawa and…

One episode later.

Wait, what the…?! It’s episode 2, why are we seeing Hanyuu? I don’t remember that in the manga. The visual! THE VISUAL! WHAT THE FUCK?! ISN’T THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A REBOOT? WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY IS THERE AN ADULT RIKA?! WAIT, IS THAT ADULT RIKA OR BERN? IS THIS GOING TO BE THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE TO THE WITCHES OF UMINEKO?! THE SHADOWS IN THE OPENING ARE TOO FAMILIAR FROM OTHER WORKS! Ryukishi07, you magnificent, fucking troll master for keeping this hidden until the second episode’s air date!

Many of us did not see this coming. When they announced a new Higurashi series that was going to be done by a different studio, many of us speculated whether this was going to be a reboot or a sequel. But then we got the PV trailers and it looked like we were going to get a reboot to correct the mistakes Studio Deen made years ago. Rika’s head doesn’t look like its gonna snap off because her body is so small in comparison. Improvements! I mean, they showed everything we were already used to like the yandere girls, the original soundtrack, the original freakin’ cast, and death by baseball bat. Hell, the first episode ended with an Eiko Shimamiya song! It was on track to being a reboot! A better looking reboot!

Here in lies the sequel aspect! After episode one, we get a scene that isn’t usually seen until the Kai part of Higurashi (a good 4-5 arcs away). And they give away the secret that Rika Furude is repeating the timeline of June 1983 over and over because she keeps dying. And as the series progresses, you notice little things different from the original series. Many of the well-known storylines end much differently than what you remember. Instead of Keiichi killing Rena and Mion with a baseball bat, you’ve got Rena going psycho on Keiichi. And Rika’s fate is somehow worse than the stories of the original series. So let’s head back to Hinamizawa to hear the cicadas cry and watch a murder mystery unfold.

THE SUB: All the original voice actors have returned to voice their respected roles. Perfection in a nutshell!

LICENSING: You’ve gotta be shitting me!

As I’ve mentioned years ago in my review, the original Higurashi anime went through a turbulent time being licensed in the states. It was originally licensed and dubbed by Geneon. But once Geneon collapsed, FUNimation licensed it and did absolutely fuck all with it. Geneon could only manage to squeak out one season. At this point, FUNimation was picking up titles that Geneon used to have before it fell under including Familiar of Zero, Kyou Kara Maou, and yes, Higurashi. All of these titles mentioned here were done absolutely nothing with despite having cult followings, second seasons, and OVA’s.

A year or two after licensing it, the license expired for Higurashi. For nearly six years, the only copies you could get were out of print and estimating at $500 at the very least for a full collection. Single DVD’s could be found in rare shops, but it would take like 13 years to complete the fucking collection if you did it that way. And that was only for the first season. Second season, the best all of us could do was bootleg DVD’s from Japan Town or fansubs with glaring errors for the best season to Higurashi. We had to deal with this shit until Sentai Filmworks licensed and released the first 2 seasons and the Rei OVA’s.

AND NOW YOU’RE TELLING ME FUNIMATION IS CLAIMING HIGURASHI ALL FOR THEMSELVES?!

Where the shit was this love 10 years ago when we were asking politely to release Kai? People ignorantly blew Higurashi off for years because season two was never released in the states until 2016 because they thought the damn anime ended after Rena held up the school. I’m already irritated with FUNimation after the Interspecies Reviewers debacle and I’m still quite butt-hurt over them re-releasing Nichijou with a dub to make a quick buck. Licensing Higurashi just brings back old anger. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Higurashi is legally licensed and can be seen on at the very least Hulu. It’s just that I hold grudges and this was a big one.

THE DUB: Holy…um, okay! This is a rather big gulp to take in. As I’ve repeatedly mentioned in past reviews, the Higurashi dub was a mixed bag of okay, bad, and oh gasperts kill it with fire. So, not great! The good folks at Geneon (before bankrupting in America) dubbed the first season with a good chunk of folks that put their fake names to the credits. Again, not great! To me, there were some aspects of Megan Hollingshed, Mela Lee, and Grant George’s performances of Mion, Rena, and Keiichi that were okay. SOME! John Snyder and Karen Strassmen as Ooishi and Takano were the best out of that dub. Everything else was just irredeemable! It needed a redub, an overhaul, and a spit-shine. For years, I’ve wondered who would be the dream cast. Sentai Filmworks unfortunately never dubbed the remaining seasons when they released them. Would Luci Christian be the heavenly voice to do Rika Furude? Could we get Hilary Haag to do Satoko? Okay, that never came to pass.

This dub is a breath of fresh air. Rika doesn’t sound like Mihoshi. Satoko doesn’t sound fake, Keiichi doesn’t sound like a weird Sonic the Hedgehog. It’s perfect. ESPECIALLY BRITTANY LAUDA AS SATOKO! I knew the second she was cast as Satoko that she was going to excel the fuck out of this role. And I was not disappointed! The only voice I’m still not quite used to is Michelle Rojas as the Sonozaki twins. Probably because I was somewhat okay with Megan Hollingshed’s voice in the 2006 version that it’ll take some time! And we FINALLY got a voice for Hanyuu. I am super excited that Xanthe Huynh is the voice and I know she’ll do great with this role! With all of that said, here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Keiichi is now played by Khoi Dao (known for Kiriyama on March Comes in Like a Lion, Murata on Demon Slayer, Chaka on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Pt. 3, and Iskhan on SAO: Alicization)

*Rena is now played by Emi Lo

*Mion/Shion is now played by Michelle Rojas (known for Shizu Delta on Overlord, Touka on Assassination Classroom, Minase on Psycho Pass, Kanan on Love Live Sunshine, and Kusakai on Keijo!!!!!!!!)

*Rika is now played by Apphia Yu (known for Rio on Assassination Classroom, Marie on Black Clover, You on Love Live Sunshine, Victorique on Gosick, Natsumi on Danganronpa 3, and Laki on Fairy Tail)

*Satoko is now played by Brittany Lauda (known for Riko on Made in Abyss, Meidri on Interspecies Reviewers, Lessar on Index III, and Ichigo on Darling in the FranXX)

*Hanyuu is played by Xanthe Huynh (known for Menma on Anohana, Haru on Persona 5, Hanayo on Love Live, Hidomi on FLCL: Progressive, PallaPalla on Sailor Moon Super S [redub], and Sachi on SAO)

ANY CHANGES IN YOUR HATE-O-RADE:

Okay Medea, let-a-rip!

*inhales and exhales*

Teppei Hojo is trash. He is ultimate trash. This fucker needs to be murdered in every timeline. He is a turd in a Glenn Quagmire shirt. Him and his wife are trash. And when this pile of trash is cheating on that pile of trash, he sleeps with peak trash named Ritsuko. Teppei Hojo needs to die in every timeline. Whenever Keiichi bashes this cum-burger’s head in with a blunt instrument, I scream at the top of my lungs, “DIE SCUM, DIE”! And nothing, I repeat, NOTHING will change my opinion of Teppei Hojo.

Episode 23.

Oh, fuck you Higurashi Gou!

MUSIC: Okay, thank you for proving me wrong. I did not despise the opening theme. Having Higurashi with no Eiko Shimamiya is like having Pokemon with no Rika Matsumoto. Or Rozen Maiden with no ALI PROJECT. But this new opening is fine by my standards.

That’s right, get the niceness of the review before I get angry down below.

THESE TIMELOOPS: Rika tries to find solutions to end her time-loop in June 1983. Much like the original series, we follow stories from the Onikakushi-hen, Watanagashi-hen, and Tatarigoroshi-hen arcs (the first three stories to Higurashi, although now these have different names). However, all of these arcs have different endings. And after a positive turnaround with Satoko escaping from her abusive uncle, shit goes south when Detective Ooishi, who up to this point has never suffered under the Hinamizawa Syndrome or died a painful death goes on a murderous rampage. Higurashi style! That means, he’s after Rika Furude, will slaughter anyone in his way, and scratching his neck because he sees maggots (part of the hallucination effect).

What the shit? Ooishi for the most part has been a great guy. With the exception of the Tatarigoroshi-hen storyline, he was a nice guy! In the limbo with Hanyuu, Rika now remembers who has killed her. Every time Rika dies up to this point, she never remembers who was the cause of her demise. Hanyuu implanted that power to remember the deaths and a clue for Rika to use and then she disappears.

Now seriously, imagine Rika’s plight here. She has been repeating the month of June 1983 for over a hundred years. And each of these times she repeats, she’s horribly murdered. Rika got the shit-end of the deal in the murder department in the original series, including being dissected on while alive. Then, leaving her bloody, naked corpse out in the open of the Oyashiro altar! She’s tired of this shit! She wants to live a happy life away from Hinamizawa. She wants to grow older, become a teenager, and have fun. And this series made it worse by having her die four times in one episode. Not just that, but murdered by the most unexpected people including Akasaka, Chief Kimiyoshi, Mion’s mother Akane, and Keiichi. Keiichi has never killed Rika in any of the timelines up to this point. He has killed Mion and Rena, but never Rika. Keiichi loves Rika! Welcome back to A Million Ways to Die in Hinamizawa.

I’ll just add decapitation, drowning in a lake, set on fire, drowning in a sewage pipe, and death by…um…

Alexa, play Chandelier by Sia.

ENDING: We all know by now that in the original series, Miyo Takano is the betrayer and the reason behind all the murders during the Cotton Drifting Festival. This time, it’s someone closer to Rika that’s causing Rika so much pain. After we watched the worst kinds of murders happen to Rika, the episode after gave us our answer. Satoko, Rika’s friend and confidant is not happy that Rika is turning her back on Oyashiro and Hinamizawa. All the while pulling out her intestines!

Oh Higurashi, don’t stop being gory!

Yes, Satoko is aware of past timelines much like Rika and is almost on a god-like state. So what the hell happened to her? I know Satoko’s past has been a cluster-fuck of horror with her brother disappearing, her parents dying, and every form of abuse from her uncle. But she was able to prevail after all that. After surviving 1983, a lot has changed in Hinamizawa. The three big families of Hinamizawa put an end to the Cotton Drifting Festival and claiming there is no curse of Oyashiro. Mion and Shion moved on and are going to high school. And Rika decides she wants to move away from this village. By attending St. Lucia! And she wants to do this with Satoko.

Oh, if you don’t recall St. Lucia, Shion attended this academy until she escaped during the Meakashi-hen arc. It was also the same school that Ange from Umineko attended. But of course Ange attended it in the 90’s and we are clearly in the 80’s. Moving on!

Rika and Satoko studied their butts off for years and their hard work paid off as both were admitted into St. Lucia. Now Rika was able to prevail and fit in with everyone. Satoko on the other hand couldn’t do the same as her grades took a dip, her manners are atrocious, and she doesn’t seem to fit in with anyone. And this caused a drift between Rika and Satoko! And so during a trip to Hinamizawa, Satoko went to the old shrine where she ended up getting sent to that limbo place Rika and Hanyuu were at many times before. There, she meets Eua (God, I hope that really isn’t her name). She’s much like Hanyuu except a lot more condescending. Oh, and she’s that mysterious shadow during the opening theme. She bestows the power to Satoko of reviving on death and returning to a certain point in time. In the hopes that Satoko is able to stop Rika from going to St. Lucia! But Rika is not going to budge. She wants out of Hinamizawa no matter what. And Satoko just wants to be with her friend no matter what. Satoko is even shown Rika’s past and still no dent in…Okay, this is bugging the fuck outta me. Pause the Ending portion!

MY GRIPES WITH SATOKO: Satoko, girl, the fuck is wrong with you?! I know Rika is like your main chick and everything, but for fuck’s sake loosen the grip you have with Rika. This season has changed you and not for the better. You made a connection with ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS from Hinamizawa. Big connections! At least in the original series you did. Look at your moments with Keiichi and Shion. Are you just going to shove them off? And what really sets me off is that Satoko literally had the opportunity to learn about Rika’s hundred year’s loop of death. And feels nothing about it! Only that it’s a challenge to break her herself! God damn, at the end of season one, Keiichi learned the truth and he was remorseful. This bitch doesn’t care that her friends were murdered in such a way. And Rika’s been shot in the head, had a live dissection performed on her, and other forms of torture…AND IT DOESN’T FAZE SATOKO!

I know in my original Higurashi review, I felt sorry for Satoko as she did seem to get the short-end of the stick living in Hinamizawa. I mean, her parents died right in front of her, she suffered abuse from her uncle, abuse from her aunt, ostrisized by the town for years, and a myriad of all types of shit to befall her. But Higurashi Gou has ruined this character. Rika didn’t really do anything wrong to Satoko. She didn’t snitch on her when Satoko got in trouble. She offered help to Satoko when she thought her grades were slipping. Satoko just held onto this petty vendetta. Satoko acted like Rika sexually assaulted her and have two other people gang rape her while drugging her. Okay, that’s a call for revenge, not your petty shit.

YOU SEE WHERE I’M AT WITH YOU SATOKO?! Your actions are so bad that you have me siding with the protagonist from Redo of Healer.

REDO.

OF.

HEALER!!!

I’m done with you! Girl, bye! We now return you to my talk about the ending already in progress.

BACK TO THE ENDING: Sorry, had to get that off my chest. Yeah, Satoko is leaving a bad impression on many of us who have been following the Higurashi story for years. And it just gets worse as she uses her new power for petty shit and abusing it at that. I mean, we saw Rika use her power in order to find a way to live past June 1983. Satoko is just using that shit to win some games and have things go her way. What else could this series bless us with? How about an epiphany from Teppei Hojo?

What?!

Teppei changes for the better.

What?!

Look, I admit that these moments with Teppei and Satoko were tame compared to the shit she’s pulled in the last several episodes. But this is Teppei Hojo! The same guy that used Satoko as his personal punching bag! The same guy who fleeced Rena’s father! The same guy many of us who cheer every time we see him on a moped because we know someone’s going to bash his head in with a baseball bat. Even my best friend knows how I am with this guy. When she gave me Higurashi free swag, I took everything except for Teppei. I don’t take trash. So seeing him so remorseful makes me…conflicted.

So now Satoko’s got things turned around for her. Her uncle has…changed?! Add to that, her God-like power. Satoko decides to change the past for her own advantage. This includes changing one of the biggest stories in Higurashi Kai with the kids vs. Miyo Takano. If Rika doesn’t experience the pain in those timelines, she won’t think about leaving Hinamizawa. And if she doesn’t leave Hinamizawa, she’ll stay with Satoko forever.

Oh what a tangled web of crazy Higurashi Gou was! I gotta tell you, Higurashi got me excited all the way up until we learn it was Satoko. And then it went straight to Hell. They turned Satoko into a straight-up selfish monster. Totally unlike the Satoko we’ve all grown to love in the original series. Yes, Satoko had those moments where, yeah, you would want to throw a chair at her and beat her ass with it. But that was only temporary! You would always see the good in Satoko despite that mischievous laugh and those episodes in Higurashi Rei. And God help me, I was a shipper of Rika x Satoko 10 years ago. Not a big one, but a supporter of it. Now, I would rather support Amourshipping from Pokemon than root for this. And I despise the living fuck out of Amourshipping. That should tell you something!

If original Satoko were bestowed the powers from Eua, I think things would be different. Satoko would probably use her powers to prevent all the bad stuff from happening to her friends and to her brother Satoshi. I mean, my goodness, not once did I see her think, hey maybe I should find a way to help my ailing brother. Change a few timelines, make him all better! And of course, feel sympathy for Rika’s plight. Do it for Rika’s sake, not your own selfish desires! Rika has died horrificly for hundreds of years. And I seriously just can’t get over Satoko’s reaction to that when she learned the truth. Instead, she wants to treat Rika like a caged bird. Best friend my ass!

Now can Higurashi SOTSU fix the hot mess of Satoko? Time will only tell! And good on them for having Higurashi air in the summertime. Summertime is for Higurashi! Autum is for Umineko. Speaking of, it’s been since 2009. Any chance you want to give Umineko the old reboot or sequel it sorely needs? Oh forget it! My likeness for this season is conflicted. I was annoyed by it, but I didn’t fully hate it. It’s just that last arc with Satoko really burned my beans. And I’m sure a lot of you all feel the same way.

Guys, if you want to watch Higurashi Gou, do yourselves a favor and watch the original series first. Let that swirl around your heads for a while. I know the creator tricked us at the beginning of this series thinking it was going to be an honest-to-God retelling. It is not! It is a sequel. And a sequel that isn’t based off a game or manga of all things. So fans are jumping into this with eyes closed! And if you’re a fan of Satoko Hojo, I’m sorry. I’m just sorry.

If you want to check out Higurashi Gou, it is available to watch on FUNimation and Hulu. But please, if you haven’t watched the original series, go to HI-DIVE now and watch “When They Cry” and “When They Cry Kai”. I think you can manage without watching any of the OVA’s.

I’d rather watch that Kira OVA where the fanservice is thin, you can practically lick off the whipped cream from the Sonozaki’s tit.

That should tell you something if I’m starting to say something nice about Higurashi Kira.

See you in a few months when Higurashi SOTSU comes out.

#anime review #Higurashi no Naku Koro ni #higurashi no naku koro ni gou #When they cry #when they cry gou #Rika Furude #satoko hojo #mion sonozaki #keiichi maebara #hanyuu #rena ryuugu #miyo takano #eua #teppei hojo

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fantasymouse · 5 years

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Our Ordinary Life - 3

Word count: 5.2k

Tags: ot7 x reader | monster!au | fluff | mature themes

Summary: When a hapless human named y/n is inducted as a “volunteer” into the government exchange program, her world is turned upside down.

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Yet another sunny, summer day. “Okay, we’re going to review the Interspecies Exchange Bill,” Jungkook explained. He was standing in front of a whiteboard, where he had scribbled different laws and other rules onto. He held up his fingers accordingly “ first, humans and other species may not harm each other. Second, a non-human may not go out unless accompanied by their host family” Jungkook crossed his arms for effect, before turning to face the whiteboard and drew a cute doodle of what was obviously him and you hugging. “Third and most importantly, the exchange student who’s lived with the host longest is ranked highest, so you have to listen to me!” He exclaimed, while quickly doodling Jimin as number two and Hoseok as number three. Jungkook even drew a large picture of himself, writing number one beside it and small phrases such as ‘so cool’ and ‘most handsome’. Hoseok was quick to berate him “you can’t just change the law.”

Jimin, however, seemed to take every word Jungkook was speaking very seriously. He was holding a thick book, with all current interspecies exchange laws in it. “Really?” he asked with a convinced gleam in his eyes “don’t be deceived, Jimin!” Hoseok exclaimed. Jungkook tapped on the whiteboard to gain their attention “you there. Do you understand? Hoseok?” Hoseok glared at Jungkook, responding “quiet. I already know the Interspecies Exchange Bill.”

You opened the door to the living room with Namjoon on the phone. “Hobi, Namjoon said you should fill out your homestay application.” The second you entered, Jungkook and Jimin stared intently on the visible skin of your thigh. Or rather, the blue horseshoe mark on it. Jungkook turned to Hoseok with a bloodthirst. “Humans and other species may not harm each other” he hissed at the centaur. Hoseok shrunk into himself, feeling incredibly ashamed. “No- I just…” Before Jungkook jumped at Hoseok, you quickly stepped in “hey Jungkook! I can explain. I was going to get your bath ready so I went into the bathroom. I didn’t think Hobi was in there. It’s my fault” Hoseok hastily blurted “n-not at all. I-I worked up a sweat during my morning run. If I’d locked the door, this wouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry” you smiled sweetly while Hoseok tried apologizing. Neither of you taking notice of how much Jimin was struggling with reading the heavy law book.

“It’s okay, I’m used to it” Jungkook jumped between you and Hoseok, loudly whining “Princess, you’re always defending Hoseok! Hoseok, hurry up and fill out your homestay application!” Hoseok stepped back and nodded “I swear, centaurs are so violent. She only saw you naked!” offended, Hoseok pointed at Jungkook and bickered “what? How dare you ignore your own faults? Sir Kim told me everything. I heard you dislocated her shoulder!” Jungkook’s cheeks tinted red when he was reminded of that incident. “I just couldn’t contain my emotions…” Hoseok wasn’t finished and continued to argue with the stubborn naga. “In contrast, my master jumped in front of an evildoers sword to protect me!” They started getting in each other's faces, squaring up in a small territorial display. “Well, my princess beat up some delinquents to protect me!” You tried to calm them down but quickly realized that it was a fruitless task. “She was far more valiant protecting me!”

You suddenly noticed Jimin moaning in pain his head completely overheated from trying to understand the many difficult laws and rules. “Jimin?” he groaned “the Interspecies Promiscuity Bill is too confusing. My head hurts. I want to take a bath” you gently patted his head suggesting that he go take one. “Let’s take a bath together, Master!” surprised at his request you looked to Jungkook and Hoseok “what? Ask Jungkook or Hobi to…”

“I’ve taken a bath with my princess!” Jungkook hissed, by now he had his long tail wrapped around Hoseok, as the argument kept getting more heated. “Well, my master f-fondled me!” Hoseok was easily carrying Jungkook which was quite a strange sight, Jungkook coiled his tail tighter while snarling “what? I’m so jealous!” you instantly recognized that those two were getting nowhere in the foreseeable future. So you ended up leaving with Jimin.

While filling up the tub, Jimin started taking off his clothes. “Hold on! Namjoon got you some swim trunks” you handed him the dark blue shorts, he complained but eventually changed into them. Jimin eagerly jumped into the now filled bath. Floating on the surface while giggling. He patted his stomach inviting you to sit on him, which you gently refused. Of course, he wasn’t having that, so he pulled you closer. Not caring that you were still dressed. Jimin placed you on top of himself, your ass directly on his dick while you squirmed to get comfortable. His heart skipped a beat at the sensation. “This is great” Jimin blissfully sighed as he enjoyed the feeling of floating on the water with you so close to him. You couldn’t stop yourself from giggling as you mentioned:

“We’re kinda like parent-and-child otters.” His smile brightened considerably, finding the comparison amusing. “I think of us as a family too!” Surprised he thought so highly of you, you couldn’t stop yourself from asking “really?” Jimin nodded viciously “well, you play with me, you’re nice to me even when you scold me for being bad, and you praise me! I’ve always wanted a family of my own, so I’m really happy now!” he turned you around so you were laying stomach to stomach. You were surprised by the loving expression he had. “W-well, I guess I wouldn’t mind being family” you quietly admitted. Jimin wrapped his feathery wings around your body in a tender hug.

“Then let's get closer, like family” he not so subtly rutted against you. Your face turned beet red as you barely accomplished to push off his chest. “Hey! What are you-” his wings remained on your hips, keeping you in place. Jimin innocently replied “my heart jumped when you touched me earlier. I want to feel that even more” his sweet and innocent way of talking did not match his intentions at all. “Family doesn’t do that!” You exclaimed in a flustered frenzy, your heart was beating out of its chest while you tried getting off of him. Jimin smiled playfully, thinking you wanted to play. “You’re resisting me?” he playfully warned before suddenly rolling you both around, making him go on top of your body. You flailed in the water as you tried getting out of his grip. “You bad girl!” Jimin scolded, standing up to jump you. Before he could, the door burst open to reveal Hoseok with an angry scowl. “Unbelievable. I’ve been tolerant because I believed you to be a child, but you’re my age? I won’t allow you to behave this way” Hoseok easily pushed Jimin off, his wings too wet and heavy to fight back. “I-I can’t move” Jimin whined while trying to fly after you.

Seizing your chance, you stepped out of the bath. “Hobi…” your relief only lasted so long as Hoseok extended his hand to you and commanded “Master, climb on my back” not bothered by his request you replied “okay? sure.” before you could swing your leg over his back, Jungkook stormed in behind you. Shouting and waving around Hoseok’s Homestay application papers “hold it right there! How dare you run off behind my back? Namjoon is coming to pick up your paperwork soon. Hoseok, you have to fill out your...” He didn’t get to finish as you had already mounted Hoseok and he was running full speed out of the bathroom. Jungkook narrowly managed to dodge, although his tail wasn’t so lucky, part of it had gotten trampled by Hoseok’s hooves making Jungkook howl in pain and curse at the crazy horse. By the time Hoseok slowed from a gallop to a steady trot, you were a few blocks from your house. “Jimin should cool down, given some time” he headed for the neighborhood park. When you reached the entryway, Hoseok halted and walked normally. You couldn’t help but sigh, relieved that you were no longer at risk of falling down.

After what happened last time you had been riding Hoseok, you were apprehensive of galloping. The entire park was in full bloom, every tree lush with leaves in a lovely shade of green. In the large grass areas were small flowers sprinkling in some vibrant color. The cool air provided a nice balance from the heated summer sun. “Are you alright, Master?” Hoseok asked you held a firm grip around his waist as you nodded “yeah, I’m fine. The wind from riding on your back dried my clothes off” he smiled in response although his face was slightly red. He softly asked “really? In that case, could you let go, please?” you realized how close you were sitting and jumped down from him, apologizing profusely, as you knew he became easily flustered. “It’s alright, for one who serves you, it’s not a serious problem.” you couldn’t help but frown, it was very flattering that he thought like that, but you couldn't help saying “serves me? You’re exaggerating” Hoseok quickly turned to face you defending: “I’m not! The dignified centaurs are warriors who value loyalty to their masters above all else. That’s why I’ve been searching for a master to serve!”

You had no words, Hoseok's entire body moved with renewed passion. “My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather did the same. I am a knight first, and a man second. This is the spirit of my kind. It is no exaggeration” by now you could practically see every generation of warriors standing behind him as he talked with pride. “Okay, I get it. But… This isn’t your home country. I know centaur culture is important to you, but you could let your hair down a little” you smiled kindly at him, causing his cheeks to redden once more. “I could never” Hoseok softly mumbled, you patted him on the back while suggesting “you should take advantage of the Interspecies Exchange Bill. That’s why you came here. Isn’t there anything you want to do?” he looked around dumbfounded “anything I want to do?” Hoseok spotted a couple walking together through the park while holding hands. He mumbled “um, I… No, never mind” you spotted the same couple wondering what he wanted “don’t be shy.” His hoof scratched at the ground while he shyly replied “my hand. I was hoping you’d hold my hand...” Hoseok couldn’t meet your gaze. “I’ve only ever held swords and bows, so I thought… I just thought that’s what people do in human society. There’s no deeper meaning. No, as one who serves my master, that was an unbecoming outburst. Just pretend I never said-” without a word you grabbed his hand. Intertwining your fingers. His request to hold hands didn’t bother you and he was being positively adorable while he ranted. “Like this? Um, Hobi?”

His face was by now completely red and he couldn’t take the wide smile off his face. Hoseok instantly pulled his hand back and covered his face while turning away from you “d-don’t look. Even I don’t know what I look like right now” you tried stepping around him so that you could face him “yeah, but…” Hoseok once again avoided you by turning the other way. “I told you not to look!” The moment was interrupted by Jungkook who literally fell from the sky. Shortly followed by Jimin who gracefully flew to the ground. “What’d you do that for, Jimin?!” Jungkook cried while rubbing his backside. Jimin leaned forward with a mischievous grin “you told me to let you down.”

Jungkook, mildly outraged, exclaimed “I didn’t tell you to drop me!” once Hoseok got out of the shock of seeing a fully grown naga falling from the sky, he yelled “what are you two doing here? You said yourself that you’re not allowed out alone!” Jungkook spun to a stand shrewdly responding “it’s fine if no one finds out!” Hoseok was quick to scold him “that’s not a reason-” Jungkook and Jimin didn't listen, both too distracted by how Hoseok was hugging you tightly to his body. Not an inch between you. “Hoseok!” Jungkook snarled at the other male. Hoseok quickly stepped away from you, trying and failing to explain what was going on “no, this is just…”

Jungkook without hesitation grabbed you from the centaur and hugged you to his own body. “Stupid horse, you kidnapped my princess just to flirt with her?! Dignified centaur my butt!” flustered, Hoseok grabbed your other arm and pulled you back into his embrace. At this point, you were starting to feel more like a chew toy, that two dogs were fighting over. Both sides trying to pull you closer. “Enough. I’ll not take this from you, you vindictive snake! Who are you calling ‘Princess’ anyway?! Do you think you’re my master’s husband?!” Jimin suddenly enveloped you in his soft, brown wings from behind, and pulled you to his own chest, gleefully exclaiming “I’ll be taking y/n, then.” Both Hoseok and Jungkook shouted, “stay out of this, chicken wing!” Jungkook was pulling at your right arm, Hoseok your left and Jimin was hovering above you, trying to fly off with you. All guys were yelling at each other getting equally more riled up. “Fine, then. We’ll settle this by force!” They exclaimed.

Jungkook let go of you, his tail twisting with anger as he readied himself to lunge at the other two. Hoseok pulled out his sword while stomping his hooves in fury and Jimin let out a horrifying screech as his talons extended completely. At this moment, you could understand why humans had so many legends of evil monsters. All three of them were terrifying, especially considering that you were caught in between them. In all of the commotion, you failed to notice a familiar black SUV pulling up and Namjoon rushing out of the car. “s-stop!” you feebly tried calming them. You stood in front of them all to gain their attention. Unfortunately, you also stepped right ahead of Namjoon just as he fired his tranquilizer gun. Three small shots hit bullseye right in your back. It didn’t hurt all that much, it was barely a pinch but you very quickly started to feel tired. When the world started spinning, you heard everyone screaming your name in shock.

By the time you woke up, it was late into the evening. You were lying on the couch in your living room, with a pillow beneath your head. The first thing you saw when opening your eyes was Namjoon, in his usual suit with a coffee mug in his hand. With a sheepish smile he exclaimed “wow, I can’t believe I hit you, Princess. They may be tranquilizer darts, but I’m surprised you’re okay after getting hit by three” your massive headache begged to differ. You carefully sat up while holding your head, trying to stop your vision from swaying too much. “I’m not okay” you groggily moaned. Namjoon smiled sweetly and cheekily remarked “I could get in trouble for this. Don’t tell anyone, okay?” he even winked at you, like this was some cute little secret between the two of you. You suddenly sprung into action, realizing that none of the boys were in the living room with you, “where are the guys? Normally they’d come running” Namjoon silently pointed to the hallway. You turned and was met with all three of them peeking from behind the wall, only their heads visible from the ajar door. “W-what are you doing?” you questioned. All three had a disheartened expression, Jungkook was the first to speak “this happened to you because of what we did” Jimin added with tears in his eyes “I’m sorry, Master!” Even Hoseok’s head was bowed in shame. “I have failed as your servant” Namjoon couldn’t help but chuckle at their behavior.

Soon after they all entered the room, they lined up. Jungkook once again spoke first “so, the thing is, we decided that, from now on, we’ll hold back. So we won’t cause any trouble for you!” you were immediately confused by what they meant by hold back. Jimin continued saying what they had rehearsed “yeah. I won’t ask you to play with me!” Hoseok also added “I won’t act out of line again” shocked at what you were hearing you blurted “what are you talking about?” You tried standing but had to steady yourself against the couch, as your legs still wobbled somewhat. With a forgiving voice, you explained “sometimes you do go too far, and it’s not good to fight. But it’s really Namjoon who’s most at fault here” Namjoon had just taken a sip of his coffee, and nearly choked when he heard what you said. Not minding Namjoon's outburst, you continued comforting the guys “problems happen. Isn’t learning to overcome them a part of doing a homestay? And since this is a homestay, that makes us family. So you don’t need to hold your selves back” all three men were staring at you with wide eyes. What you said meaning more to them than you could ever know.

Just as you were about to continue, Namjoon interrupted your tangent with a joyful sneer “that’s perfect then!” he adjusted his tie while ominously laughing to himself. “Family. Family, huh? I was right to ask Princess to take care of them” by this point you were more scared of what Namjoon was plotting than you had ever been of the boys. Namjoon enlightened you on his thoughts: “recently, there’s been a movement to amend the Interspecies Exchange Bill. It’s just a few minor changes, but one of them would allow humans and other species to marry. I was just looking for a test case to see if that’s truly possible” your eye twitched slightly in a mix of annoyance and bafflement. “What?” you stuttered. Namjoon continued, undisturbed by your protesting. “Princess, you will marry either Jungkook, Jimin or Hoseok!” all three guys blushed as they repeated the word ‘marry’. Their earnest eyes drifting to you.

“H-How did this suddenly lead to marriage?” You exclaimed while following Namjoon, as he headed for the front door. He turned to you with a patient tone explaining: “Going forward, marriage will become an unavoidable part of interspecies relationships. As a test case, you-” You interrupted Namjoon by wailing “that’s not what I meant! You can’t suddenly tell someone to get married! That’s crazy! What am I supposed to do?!” The guys looked slightly rejected while you continued to loudly protest. Namjoon scratched his chin in thought “do your best?” was his final answer. Annoyed you mumbled “you’re not even trying! Hey, wait. Why are you trying to leave?” Namjoon had opened the door and had one foot outside already. He turned back to you and with a satisfied expression, he waved Hoseok’s papers saying “well, I got what I came for. Wait… I forgot to tell you something... Oh, well. It probably wasn’t important. Bye. Do your best!” with that, he slammed the door behind him and drove off. Leaving you a flustered mess.

When the full moon was at its highest, you were still awake. Lying face down on the bed, you contemplated everything Namjoon had announced. “What is he thinking, telling me to get married? He said he’d arrest me if I laid a hand on them. No, wait. I haven’t tried anything with any of them” you scoffed and looked out at the moon. “They did try to seduce me, though. Every time, it took so much self-control to-” realizing what you were thinking, you slammed your face back in the soft pillows and screamed “wait, what am I saying!?” you kicked your feet in frustration. When your small tantrum subsided, you rolled onto your back and stared up at the ceiling.

“Marriage, huh?” Two knocks at your door interrupted the silence, and nearly scared the life out of you. You practically leaped up to sit, when Jungkook softly called out to you from the other side of the door. “Princess, are you awake?” He silently opened the door, cautiously poking his head in. His dark locks were messy, suggesting he had been sleeping restlessly, if at all. “You seemed distressed, so I was worried” Jungkook whispered, his expression saddened considerably, “I thought maybe you didn’t want to marry any of us” you hated seeing him look so unhappy. You hesitated but eventually explained “no, it’s not exactly that. I was just at a loss because he forced it on me. It’s not about the marriage itself” Jungkook’s eyes quickly returned to you a hint of excitement in his voice “really?” you continued explaining “well, technically speaking. I’ve never even dated a guy. And I’m a virgin” Jungkook entered your room, closing the door behind him. “I see. So It’s not that you don’t want to get married” his movements were fluid as he slithered across the floor and now that he was closer, you noticed how his amber eyes were glazed over.

“Jungkook?” you questioned when he suddenly leaned towards you. “I knew you would say that, Princess. After all, you’re so sweet. That’s what I love about you” Jungkook brushed some hair away from your face. His fingers traveled down your cheek and lingered at the corner of your soft looking lips. When he started getting even closer to your body, you leaned further back. Eventually, his weight forced you to lay down beneath him. His black tail wrapped itself around your legs while he caged you in between his arms. Jungkook looked into your eyes, huskily whispering “Princess, did you know? Snakes mate all night long. They wrap around each other from head to tail, just like this, so tightly that the lines between them blur” your lower body was by now, completely coiled up in his tail as he pushed against you. Jungkook's large, chilly hands moved beneath your shirt, pulling it up to reveal more of your soft skin.

The black scales on his cheeks were tinted pink. He smiled seductively at you “hey, Princess, why don’t we become one?” Jungkook poked out his long, forked tongue and licked the visible area on your stomach. Your heart was beating a mile a minute and you had even worked up a bit of a sweat. You had no idea what was going on with Jungkook. Normally he was flirty and clingy, but tonight, he was sort of bewitching. “Wait, Jungkook-” a loud crash caused both you and Jungkook to stop. Jimin had literally burst through the window, grabbing Jungkook and thrown him off of you. In the process, you tumbled out of bed. “Are you okay?!” you questioned since he might have gotten hurt when breaking the glass.

Jimin straddled you, answering “I’m fine” which he most certainly was not. He wasn’t wearing any pants, giving you a full view of the already semi-hard package. “Where’s your underwear?!” you shouted, completely flustered. You couldn't decide where to look. Eventually, you managed to lock eyes with Jimin and gulped when you noticed the lustful look in his eyes. He almost seemed drunk. his body moved sluggishly, while his words were slow and sensual. “Huh? Oh, it’s okay. We’re getting married, so it’s okay” panicked, you squeaked “it’s not okay! Do you even know what marriage is?” Jimin looked back at Jungkook who was completely knocked out, then answered “it’s when you mate and lay eggs, right? With my pe-” by now your entire body was completely flushed, “that’s too direct! You can’t say that!” he smiled sweetly while asking “why not? I’m an adult. I’m not sterile either. I can mate, too, so it’s okay. I can even get married to you” his voice was captivating while he spoke. Jimin, too? What had gotten into them? He had changed way too much since all this talk about marriage. The sound of hooves alerted you that Hoseok was nearby. Hoseok, actually, kicked down your door, yelling “are you alright, master?” Your room was by now in total disarray, an unconscious naga on your bed and Hoseok had swiftly flung off Jimin who was now covering the small bump on his head from landing harshly on the floor.

“I’m too late” Hoseok stated. Relieved that at least one of them was acting normal you breathed out “thanks, Hobi. Everyone’s acting weird” he walked up to you and gestured to the sky. “I’m not surprised. After all, there is a full moon tonight. Instincts are fully awakened on this night” you turned to stare at the white ball hanging in the sky. “A full moon?” you questioned, encouraging Hoseok to elaborate on their unusual behavior “with marriage on the table, they must have lost control of themselves” you walked to the open window, shivering from the draft. “Just because of that? So are you okay, Hobi?” you asked. He almost sounded offended at the accusation, loudly claiming “of course! I don’t lose my head over a mere full moon! I swore my loyalty to you. My body and heart are yours. Therefore, you can do anything to me! We are as good as married!” He grabbed both your hands and pulled you close to him “come, you can touch me all you like, master!”

By this point, you were shaking. Even Hoseok had succumbed to his instincts “you have lost it!” Hoseok moved his hands to your ass, you could faintly hear Jimin and Jungkook growling and hissing behind you. Jungkook’s tail had curled itself around the steel framing of your bed and bent it from squeezing so tightly. “princess, can I squeeze you?” Shocked at what you were seeing, you barely noticed Jimin walking closer to you, moaning “I want to squeeze you, too!” his sharp talons were fully extended, leaving claw marks as he walked closer to you. “Don’t try to get ahead of me! I want to do it, too!” Hoseok stomped his hooves into the ground, creating large dents in the wooden floor.

They could obviously not control their strength, they were all acting on instinct. If they tried mating with you now, you might actually die. Fearing for your life, you sprinted out of your room, rushing towards the stairs. “I got you!” Jimin exclaimed when he grabbed your shoulder, “I’m not letting you go. You are destined to marry me, princess!” Jungkook clung to your arm. “Master’s marrying me!” Jimin whined, Hoseok angrily growled “only I am a worthy companion for my master” all three of them yelled your name so you could tell the others off. Luckily, they had been so distracted by yelling at each other, they still had not noticed you make your escape. You ran downstairs and hid beneath the dinner table. You nearly screamed when your phone buzzed. You hurried to pull it out and answer so they wouldn’t hear. “Princess, are you alright?” Namjoon’s warm voice asked. “Namjoon!” you hissed angrily. “I forgot to tell you there’s a full moon tonight” irritated you seethed “yeah, I know! At this rate, we’ll be holding a funeral before the wedding!” You could faintly hear water splashing in the background. This guy had the nerve to call you while he was taking a bath. “Did you do them?” he casually asked which you strongly denied. “Since you brought up m-marriage, they’re even more excited than usual. They’re beyond my control” Namjoon hummed in understanding.

“So, have you decided who you’re marrying?” the fact that you didn’t answer, told him everything he needed to know. “So you haven’t decided yet.” you whined “I can’t possibly decide that!” instead of humoring your complaining, Namjoon sternly asked “have you discussed your plans for the future with them? You ran right to your room and hid, didn’t you?” you couldn’t defend yourself since his accusation was spot on.

“It’s no wonder they’re so uneasy, you won’t talk to them. That’s why they’re all acting like that” he sighed heavily “well, for the time being, you need to cool them down” you perked up, relieved to have a possible solution. “Is there a refrigerator nearby?” carefully, you rushed to the kitchen, opening the fridge. “you could cool them down with ice” clearly that wasn’t going to work. “You’re so thoughtless!” you chastised his bad idea, abruptly there was a loud splash and you could faintly hear Namjoon cursing a colorful selection of words “my phone fell in the bath-” the line cut to static before ending the call. “Namjoon? Namjoon?!” you were starting to panic again. You had no clue what to do. Sadly you didn’t have time to ponder it, all three guys bust through the door and ran straight into you. Completely wrecking the kitchen. “I caught you” Jimin gleefully cried, Hoseok seductively stated, “you won’t escape again, master.” Since you didn’t respond they all leaned back, Jungkook sweetly asked “what happened, princess? You’re soaking wet-” his voice turned cold when he looked at his hand. It was completely covered in a deep, maroon fluid. They all gasped in horror when they saw that you were laying in a pool of the liquid. They jumped from you in terror.

Confused, you sat up “huh? what? Oh, the ketchup… I hope it’ll wash off” you mumbled to yourself when you realized that you had landed on a full bottle of ketchup and its contents had been splashed everywhere. You sighed with relief “hey, you’ve calmed down. Are you back to normal?” You immediately regretted turning around. They were all glaring at you with a dangerous glow in their lust driven eyes.

When morning rolled around, they were sleeping soundly in the living room. Hoseok was lying face down on the couch with his upper body. His horse part on the floor. Jungkook was curled up on the second couch, clutching a thick blanket to his body and Jimin was sleeping on the coffee table, with the largest pillow you could find. Softly, you shook Jungkook’s shoulder and prodded “Jungkook, wake up. It’s morning. Jimin and Hobi, you too.” Jungkook yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes “huh? Good morning, princess…” he gasped in shock when he saw you. A large band-aid on your cheek, covering a cut from Jimin’s talons and an ice pack strapped to the bump on your head from being tackled by them all. With no amusement or joy in your voice, you responded “good morning.” They all examined your bruised body with concern.

“P-Princess, what happened?” Jimin stretched his wings before asking “who did this to you, master?” even Hoseok seemed utterly clueless as to what happened last night. “Did something happen?” All morning you had prepared for this. So with confidence, you declared “I’m fine! Well, not really. But this happened because I was indecisive! I made all of you feel uneasy. I’m going to try to make a decision.” You cleared your throat before announcing “I’m going to start dating all three of you as potential marriage partners. So, you know… I’ll look forward to it!” You felt unsure of how to end your little speech but decided you were happy with the outcome. All three of them had wide eyes and broad smiles. Clearly, they were happy and relieved to hear this from you. Although their joy didn’t last long because you suddenly started swaying and collapsed. Your body too tired and beaten from running to stay awake anymore. “Also… Go to bed early on full moon nights…” you groaned exhaustedly.

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creativitytoexplore · 4 years

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Liberty Station by Dan Rice https://ift.tt/2zvRwN3 On a space station populated by humans and aliens, a lowly teacher must face a growing climate of bigotry; by Dan Rice.

My students, styluses to tablets, work studiously on the math quiz - except for Ben, a top-notch pupil if a bit entitled, and Felix, a quiet and kind lad. The polka-dots covering Felix's skin pulse yellow, contrasting against his otherwise light blue complexion. His arms are crossed before his chest, and he glowers at Ben, who is whispering something and has a broad smile plastered on his face. I stop myself from sighing. Disciplining my students is far from my favorite task, but I can't let this go on, or the boys will disrupt the quiz. Putting on my best stern teacher face, I march in between the neatly arranged desks toward the boys. "You know, Governor Spade is going to let us throw all your polka dot faces out the airlocks," Ben whispers to Felix. "You Starlight Missionaries aren't good for anything but taking our jobs. Good, high-paying human jobs. You're going to suck vacuum - " "Ben!" I say, hardly believing the vileness coming from the boy's mouth. Since the election of a Governor Spade four years ago, this kind of talk has become commonplace in the hallways of Liberty Station but never before has it entered my classroom. I'm very aware everyone is looking up from their tablets and gawking at me. "Ben, that kind of talk is unacceptable in this classroom. You know better." Ben turns red in the face and stares up at me with disdain. "Humans first. When Governor Spade wins the next election, he's going to throw all the aliens off the station, starting with polka-dot faces. That's what my dad says." "Ben, go to the principal's office immediately," I say, struggling to keep my tone neutral. "Why?" Ben asks, whiny. "Go, or I will be forced to call Principal Montoya to the classroom."

I stay late, grading math quizzes on my tablet when the door to the classroom slides open. Looking up, I smile at my visitors: Felix, and a woman who must be his mother. "May we come in, Mrs. Musashi?" the woman asks demurely. Her galactic common is easy to understand but carries the accent of a non-native speaker. "Please. You are Felix's mother?" I say and stand up. "I am. You may call me Lilly. I just wanted to say thank you. Felix told me what you did for him today. Standing up for him." "It was nothing, really. Any other teacher would do the same," I say. "School policy is crystal clear. Interspecies bullying is strictly prohibited." "You're wrong, Mrs. Musashi," Felix pipes up. I glance at him, nonplussed. "What do you mean, Felix?" Lilly says something in her native tongue that sounds like an admonishment. Polka-dots turning yellow, Felix stairs at the floor, and scuffs his feet. "It's true. Kids have said things in other classes, and the teachers don't do anything," Felix says. "We used to all get along before Governor Spade. I hate him." "Felix, wait outside," Lilly says, her polka-dots momentarily flaring bright orange. "Yes, Mother," Felix, says and steps outside. "I'm sorry about that, Mrs. Musashi," Lilly says. "No need to apologize," I say, shaking my head. "It's been hard. Especially this past year with the lead-up to the election. Governor Spade's rhetoric is divisive. He's stirring up old grievances." Lilly walks across the classroom to stand next to me, beside my desk. Held in her hand is a small coin, like the ancient currency of Old Earth. Only this token is translucent, and inside it, swirls what I can only describe as a glowing micro-galaxy. "This is a star coin. My people use it as currency on our home planet. Please, take it as a gift showing my gratitude." Staring in wonder, I pluck the star coin from Lilly's palm. It is smooth, featherlight, and warm to the touch. I can't help feeling like I hold a galaxy in my hand. "It's beautiful," I gasp. "I'm glad you like it. Thank you for your kindness and understanding." "I don't deserve this," I say and try to hand the coin back to Lilly, but she is already striding to the door and shakes her head.

I lay in bed half the night dreading my students will arrive the next morning ready to parrot Governor Spade's hateful rhetoric again. I finally fall sleep, but my alarm startles me awake far too soon. I arrive in the classroom almost an hour early to finish grading the math quizzes and prepare my lessons for the day. Periodically, the star coin sitting on the desk next to a "Galaxy's Best Teacher" coffee mug captures my gaze, and I smile. I don't deserve the gift, but I do appreciate it. At 0800 Liberty Station standard time my students arrive, and I take attendance. Everyone is on time except for Ben who is absent for the entire day. Turns out my anxiety the night before was misplaced, and class proceeds without any of the governor's rhetoric repeated by my students. It's a relief, really. At the end of the school day, I settle down at my desk to grade homework when my tablet pings. It's a message from Principal Jayleen Montoya summoning me to her office. "Great," I mutter and stand, knowing that if the meeting goes very long, I'll be staying up late grading papers instead of catching up on much-needed sleep.

I sit across a desk from Principal Jayleen Montoya, and stare out the porthole at the swirling orange and yellow clouds of the gas giant that Liberty Station orbits. Some people claim the churning billows are hypnotic if you stare at them long enough. I don't experience the mesmerizing effect because to my relief Jayleen wants to get right down to business. "Grace, Ben Hartman's parents visited me today," the principal says. "They are putting in a transfer request to another school. Do you know why?" The relief I felt moments before goes up in smoke. "Are you serious? They want to transfer him because of what happened yesterday? Ben is a good student. He is studious and usually will behaved, but what he said was totally out of line." "Grace, you are being accused of taking an anti-human stance in class and favoring aliens," Jayleen says. My jaw drops. "I do not. I treat all my students equally." "Several other parents filed complaints. Some of the students felt intimidated by, and I'm quoting, Mrs. Mushashi favoring alien students' well-being to the detriment of her human students." "Watch the classroom recording," I say, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "I didn't favor any species above any other. Ben threatened to throw Felix out an airlock. What was I supposed to do?" "I've reviewed the recording. Felix was clearly acting aggressive. At the very least, you should have sent them both to my office. This is a severe lapse in judgment, Grace. I'm afraid I'll have to write you up." "It was a clear case of interspecies bullying," I say, jumping up from my chair. "Is that allowed now?" "Governor Spade has made it clear that the new station policy is humans first. You're one of us, Grace. It's time you do your part to implement Governor Spade's policies in your classroom. I suggest you go home and think long and hard how you're going to do that. Oh, and the gift that Starlight Missionary gave you. Don't display it on your desk. Take it home or something." "Fine," I say and storm from the office. I leave the star coin on my desk in the classroom. The small show of defiance makes me feel like a rebel as I walk through the bustling halls of the station and head for the mag train platform. I arrive at the platform about 30 minutes before rush hour, so when I board the train, I'm surprised it's standing room only. The cars are chock-full of men and women wearing the green jumpsuits of the asteroid miners' union. It's odd that so many of them are on the train. The miners work long hours extracting precious hypercrystals, the 100% pure kind used in the lasers that cut the fabric of space-time to facilitate faster than light travel. I hold onto a pole and shift my weight with the acceleration and deceleration of the train. Brooding about my meeting with Jayleen, my mood turns into a sour soup of anger and sadness. A ragtag group of miners standing in front of me starts a boisterous conversation. "I lost my job to one of those blue faced freaks. The foreman told me they will work for half what I make. That's slave wages." "Corporations need to pay them more." "Damn Starlight Missionaries are hogging all the jobs." "They need to be given a choice. Leave our station or suck vacuum." Cheers erupt around the car at the last statement. My chest tightens. It's no wonder Ben is spouting off xenophobic garbage in class. Before Governor Spade people kept such views to themselves, but since Spade's election for years ago, his rhetoric has normalized anti-alien speech. There's even been violence, humans targeting alien businesses and the like. At times like this, standing on the train surrounded by angry humans, the station feels like a powderkeg waiting on a single spark to explode. An automated voice comes over the intercom. "Next stop the Starlight Missionary District." My relief is palpable. I can walk home from the train terminal and not have to listen to any more xenophobic ranting. To my surprise, the miners surge toward the exits. What's going on? I hear what sounds like chanting. As the train slows, I begin to make out the words and stare out a window in utter disbelief. At the terminal, a mob of riotous humanity chants: "Starlight Missionaries leave our station!" The miners rush off the train as soon as the doors open to join the mob. I see men and women in grimy jumpsuits assaulting two Starlight Missionaries. "Oh my God," I whisper. The victims are Felix and Lilly. The polka-dots covering their blue faces are bright yellow, like stars. I join the crush squeezing onto the mag train platform. The racket is deafening as I fight my way through the crowd toward Felix and Lilly. A burly man in an oil-stained jumpsuit pushes Felix to the ground. I barrel into the man, knocking him aside, and suck in a whiff of sweat and industrial solvent. I take Felix by the hand and pull him onto his feet and snatch Lilly by her arm. They quiver in fear. Too outraged to be afraid, I try leading them away from the immediate danger. Through the throng, I see a service hallway free of rioters. "This way," I say. A towering woman blocks our way. She holds a metal pipe overhead. "Get off my station." My heart roars inside my chest like starship thrusters in atmosphere. I expect the pipe to crush my skull, but a Starlight Missionary, polka-dots burning red, tackles the woman. We race into the hallway and stay on the move. "Are you all right?" I gasp. They nod. I let go of Lilly and use my handheld to summon station security, but the device fails to connect. My insides turn cold. From behind us comes shouting and the heavy clomp of boots against the metal floor. I glance over my shoulder and see three men in pursuit. I have no idea where this hallway leads, and the men are closing the distance fast. Up ahead, the hall gently bends, and to my relief, I see an abandoned electric cart. "Get on," I say. I jump into the driver's seat, and Felix and Lilly clamber into the passenger seat. From behind us come enraged screams. I slam my foot onto the accelerator, and the cart careens forward. "Watch out," Lilly says. Something flies over my head, just missing me. Whatever it is, it hits the wall with a metallic thud and falls to the floor. Fingers rest against my forearm and I realize it's Felix. Our eyes meet. The polka-dots covering his face still blaze bright yellow. "It's okay, Mrs. Musashi," he says. "They can't keep up with the cart." I draw a deep breath to calm myself, but I can't find a sliver of tranquility. The angry bellows of the men echo through the hallway. I don't even want to consider what will happen if they catch us. I check the cart's charge gauge on the dash. 15% charge. I clench my jaw. That might be enough to get us to safety. Looking over my shoulder, I don't see the men, and I swear the sounds of pursuit are fading. I ease my foot off the accelerator. The last thing we need is for the cart to run out of juice before we're safe. "Does your handheld have a signal?" Lilly says. "I lost mine in the riot." I fish my handheld out. "Oh, thank goodness. Yes." I connect to station security. The bored face of a middle-aged officer fills the screen. "There's a riot in the Starlight Missionary District," I splutter. "We're trying to escape. We're being chased." "Whatever," the officer says and disconnects. "Did he just..." Lilly says. "That bastard," I say and glance at Felix. His eyes are saucer-wide. "Pretend you didn't hear that." I retry security. "You again," the officer says. "I want to talk to your superior," I say. "Right now." I hear a voice from offscreen. "What's going on?" "It's nothing -" "Rioting in the Starlight Missionary District!" I yell. "Get out of the way." The officer moves aside. A woman slides into his place. "I'm Sgt. Chen. What's the emergency?" In rapid-fire, I tell her about the riot and the men chasing us. "Okay. Can you get to safety?" "I think so," I say and listen to our surroundings. I only hear the electric hum of the cart. "I think they stopped chasing us." "Good," Sgt. Chen says, her gaze flicking offscreen. "It looks like you're about five minutes from your apartment. Get inside and lock the door. I'll be around to check on you in ten minutes. Don't open your door for anyone else." Safe behind the locked door of my apartment, Lilly and Felix seem calmer. Their polka-dots are still yellow but aren't shimmering as brightly as before. Lilly takes my hand, her skin smooth and warm. "Thank you for helping us." "I'm sorry for what's happening," I say, not believing I deserve one iota of thanks for doing what any decent individual would do. After convincing them to sit down at the kitchen bar of my sparsely decorated open layout apartment, I make tea for Lilly and give Felix a cookie. "Thanks, Mrs. Musashi," he says. A few minutes later, the doorbell buzzes. I check my handheld, expecting to see Sgt. Chen at the door and the device nearly slips from my grasp. It's the three men who were chasing us. One man with a bushy beard bangs against the door with a wrench. I tap the talk button on the screen. "Go away," I say. "Open up. We know you have those polka-dot faced freaks in there. Give them up, and we'll leave you alone," comes a gruff voice from the screen. I turn to my guests, who are cowering behind an off-white couch in the far corner of the living room. I put a finger to my lips for silence. Their polka-dots are orange and emit an eerie luminescence. "They ran off. I'm alone." A short man climbs into the electric cart. "8% charge," he says. "Open up, lady. We just want the missionaries." "Leave. Please." The man thumps the wrench against the door. "We can get a torch." "I've called station security," I say, and bite my lower lip. Sgt. Chen is late. The miners confer in the hall. I try to listen in on their conversation, but they must be whispering because I can't make out what they're saying. It looks like they're about to leave, but then the one with the wrench starts rummaging through the electric cart's trunk. He hefts a plasma torch. His compatriots high-five each other. The dull blast from the torch is audible through the door. I don't know how long it will take them to burn through the door, but judging by the orange glow around its edges, not long. I race into the kitchen and grab a knife from the counter. I sprint across the living room to stand in front of the couch that Felix and Lilly cower behind. I hold the knife out before me and wait. I might have been standing for 10 seconds or 10 minutes when the door collapses inward to strike the floor with a resounding thud. The edges of the door and doorframe glow orange. The miners step inside and eye me warily. The one with the beard uses his wrench to point at my student and his mother. "Let us have them, lady," he says. "Nothing bad needs to happen here." "No," I say through clenched teeth. The bearded miner glances at his cohorts. "We rush her on three." The miners grunt their approval. "One." I draw a shuddering breath. "Felix. Lilly. I'll hold them off." "Two." "Just... just make a run for it." "Thr-" "Station security. Don't move." Standing in the doorway is Sgt. Chen with her stunner drawn and aimed at the men. Two miners spin and rush the security officer. A fizzle followed by a loud pop fills the air once then twice. Two miners drop to the floor, stunned. The bearded miner is still on his feet and hurls his wrench through the air. It crunches into the officer's shoulder, and she falls. The miner charges her. Screaming, I run at the miner's broad back. He whirls to face me with a maniacal glint in his eyes. His fist flies through the air. Out of nowhere, Felix comes between us. The polka-dots covering his body are bulging and pulsating red. He catches the man by the wrist. "Leave my teacher alone," he says in a low growl that I barely recognize. Bone cracks. The bearded man is yowling. Felix's fist smashes into his jaw. The miner's eyes roll back into his head. Felix is going to strike again, and I'm afraid he'll kill the man, but then I hear the most beautiful humming. It makes my insides vibrate, but at the same time, it's calming. Felix releases the man, who drops with a thud. Swaying, my student falls to the floor. Lilly, still humming that glorious sound, kneels next to her son and caresses his head. Felix is unconscious; his polka-dots aren't bulging and are fading to blue. Lilly stops singing and stares up at me. Her polka-dots still have an orange tint. "You weren't supposed to see that." "He could've done that the entire time?" I say. "It's an extreme fight or flight response," Lilly says. "A small percentage of our young males are burdened with it. Most can repress it by adulthood. We don't want you humans to know about it because you're scared enough by us as it is." "I didn't see anything," I say. "I didn't see anything either," Sgt. Chen says. She is sitting up now with her right arm hanging limply at her side. "What about him?" Lilly asks, gesturing to the man her son had knocked out. "Don't worry about him," Chen says. "He'll be on the next prison transport off station for assaulting an officer. I have a cart outside. We'll head to the nearest security station." I sit at the security station on a folding chair next to Lilly and Felix. Officers in body armor and carrying automatic rifles move purposely about the office. Occasionally, a man or woman in a green jumpsuit is led past us in handcuffs. A newsfeed plays on a monitor near the ceiling. The chaos playing out on the feed is terrible. Station security is authorized to use live fire to end the riot. It's only a matter of time before some semblance of order is restored. The scabbed over wounds torn open by the day's events will take a good deal longer to heal. Unable to watch more of the violence, I turn to Lilly. Felix is conscious and sits next to her, but seems in a daze. "The humming you did earlier," I say. "It was beautiful. Magical." "We don't find it so. It just stops the rage."

After the riots, I consider returning to the Inner Planets. I have family on Bali XI. But I can't stomach abandoning my students, so I stay, despite feeling like an asteroid adrift between solar systems. A month later, Lilly comes to my apartment with a tentacled Drakonusian and an officious looking young man in tow. The Drakonusian smells pungent (it's a species trait), forcing me to concentrate on not crinkling my nose, which might be interpreted as impolite. "We need to talk," Lilly says. "May we come inside?" I'm not thrilled to have visitors after a long day of refereeing my fifth-grade class, but I can't say no to Lilly after what we've been through. We sit down in the living room, and Lilly begins the conversation. "We think you should run for governor." "What? I'm not a politician. I'm a teacher." The Drakonusian speaks, a triangular device around the alien's neck translates guttural growls and high-pitch clicks into galactic common. "A teacher is what we need in our next leader. Someone who will remind all of us why our ancestors chose to live together on Liberty Station. My people have run mathematical simulations. If the current regime continues, there is a chance humans will turn against my people. That will have tragic consequences. Peace between our species is mutually beneficial." "You can win," the man says, leaning forward in his chair. I laugh and say. "You need name recognition to run for office." "You haven't been watching the newsfeeds?" the man says, turning his tablet toward me. "Your story has been trending this month on all the feeds. About how you saved your student." "I've been avoiding the news," I say and stare at the feeds displayed on the tablet. Truth be told, I'd heard rumors. A comment by a student or someone in the teacher's lounge. Still, it's unfathomable that the headlines are about me. I didn't do anything special. All I did was protect my pupil like any good teacher. That shouldn't make me famous or bring me accolades or qualify me to be governor. "Anyway," the man says, flipping the tablet around so the screen faces him. "You have a real chance at winning. Especially if we get out the alien vote." "They don't vote," I say without thinking, then blush because I'm afraid I might have embarrassed my alien guests. "We will vote for the right candidate," Lilly says and leans forward. Her gaze is intense, and the polka-dots covering her skin are glowing emerald green. I've never seen a missionary produce such a color, and I'm not sure what it means. "The riot has changed my people's opinion on voting," Lilly says. "We always found it silly. A human eccentricity. Now, we understand that if we are to live side-by-side with humans, we must be cognizant of how the station's leader is chosen." The translator interprets the Drakonusian's growls and clicks. "You are the candidate humans, Starlight Missionaries, and Drakonusians can support." I lean back in my chair and stare at the ceiling, trying to find my center. My pulse tap-dances, and I feel woozy. I don't want to be governor. That's insane. Then again, can I really pass up a chance, no matter how crazy, to prevent the current regime from having a second term? I turn my gaze upon my guests and take a moment to compose myself. When I speak, there is steel in my voice. "I'm in. I'm in for the victory."

One years after that fateful meeting in my apartment, I stand in my campaign's office in a converted diner located in the Starlight Missionary District on election night. My supporters surround me: humans, Starlight Missionaries, and Drakonusians. The room is silent with anxious anticipation as the returns play out over the newsfeeds on a supersized monitor attached to the wall. I'm head-to-head with Governor Spade, it's too close to call. I want to win for my supporters; but for myself, I want to lose. Governor Musashi? It has a nice ring to it, but I'm not qualified, and all I really want to do is teach. Aliens and humans alike roar in approval as newsfeed after newsfeed declares the election in my favor. By midnight, I'm told by my advisors I should proclaim victory if only to force Governor Spade to admit defeat. My head swims in the ecstasy and terror of triumph. Lilly and Felix, their polka-dots pulsating blue, usher me to a podium before my supporters, so many that they spill out of the campaign office into the hallway. I gulp, certifiably a nervous wreck. I've never spoken in front of a crowd this massive before. I feel a tug at the sleeve of my jacket, it's Felix. "It's okay, Mrs. Musashi. Just pretend this is your classroom. You'll do great." I turn my gaze back to the throng. Starlight Missionaries. Humans. Drakonusians. Just like my classroom. I can do this. I begin the lesson.

#FICTION on the WEB short stories

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pepperminthotchocolate · 7 years

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Voice Like An Echo: Chapter 1

Tanaiya Moore sat chewing on her nails in silent protest of the young people sitting before her. She hadn’t wanted to attend group circle that night. If she were to be honest, she would have much rather curled up in the corner of her crate with a book and nothing but silence to accompany her after the events of that long, bewildering day.

To be fair, she hadn’t wanted to attend group circle any night that she had been living at the Whitsett-Sedalia Tiny Shelter in the past ten years, but tonight was different. It was supposed to be a special night and Suzanne was running the group, which meant she HAD to come. Otherwise there would be a big commotion about her not wanting to come to her last group circle, a well-meaning yet one-sided conversation with one of the handlers about self-discovery and willingness to engage with her peers, and her being brought to the circle anyway. No, it would just be easier to come along instead of causing a strain.

And so there she sat, barely comprehending the over-enthusiastic speech behind given by Suzanne and that week’s teen representative, Wendy Glazier, about the benefits of getting involved in interspecies activities. It seemed as if the rest of the minute teenagers were just as engaged as Naiya was, although she was sure their minds weren’t racing nearly as much.

The residents of Whitsett-Sedalia were split into four discussion groups every week; the “East End” group with children ages five to eleven, the “West End” ranging from twelve to nineteen, and the adult male and adult female groups who were twenty and up who resided in the upper part of the shelter. Each group was led by a human handler who was supposed to maintain the flow of conversation, but more often than not held the role as peacekeeper for the tiny people. They began with an opening statement of affirmation, a round-robin check-in for how everyone was feeling, a discussion topic that was pertinent to their lives as a “citizen of the world standing only a few inches tall”, any news from the shelter’s higher ups, a review of the events calendar for that month, and a closing statement. It had become so routine that Naiya could do it herself, if she had ever spoken a word during any of the meetings.

Suzanne glanced down at her clipboard. Her face lit up in a smile that brought out the apples of her round cheeks. “Next, I see that we have two West-Enders to congratulate tonight!” The group of eleven glanced around confused; the shelter, although technically massive to them, was interconnected and word always spread quickly. Almost everyone had only heard of one adoption from the West End and two from the adult male group.

“First, we have Nadeem who was filed for yesterday morning. He’ll be going to his new home on Friday.” The young man stood up from his folding chair and took a dramatic bow. That came as a surprise to no one; he had only been with the shelter for about two weeks, yet he had had a profound effect on the West End.

“And also, which might be news to some as it just happened before the shelter closed tonight, Tanaiya! After ten years with us, she’ll be going home first thing tomorrow.” An unmistakably confused murmur made its way throughout the crowd, but the vast majority of the residents turned a kind gaze toward the girl sinking lower in her folding chair. She felt a nervous grin spread over her face as her eyes fell to the floor. Despite her look, the lump continued to grow in her throat at the anticipated attention.

“I’m sure you’ll all join me in wishing them congratulations and good luck with their new homes.” She said cheerfully, beginning a round of polite applause. Nadeem was beaming from ear to ear, and Naiya herself dared to peak up from the floor at the circle of people around her.

“Even if they don’t want to be adopted in the first place.” A voice said flatly and without expression. Most of the group and the lead handler shifted their gazes to look at the male resident with his dark red hair pulled back in a short pony tail and a smug look on his face, although Naiya’s eyes remained fixed firmly on the floor in front of her. A heated silence grew in the room as he nonchalantly took a sip of water from his disposable paper cup. He crumpled it and dropped it to the side of his chair. “I don’t know how she’s getting out of here. All she does is hide in the corner when the big folk come around, but she’s getting shipped off tomorrow?” He finally sneered.

Her gaze fell to her feet, and a curtain of dark hair further eclipsed the right side of her face. The short girl with haphazard curls and steely, glittering eyes sitting beside her shot a menacing glare at the boy who had spoken up. She inched her chair closer to her friend and put an arm around her. Tanaiya didn’t respond at all; not even a trace of emotion.

“Thomas, I’ll remind you that we do not try to purposefully make any resident feel uncomfortable.”

“I’m not!” He said defensively, holding up his hands. “I thought this group was for “getting in touch with our emotions?”

“Alguien mejor que me abrazara antes de golpearlo.” Libby muttered to herself, which made Taniaya glance up for a brief moment and hide a muted smile behind her hand. Although she only understood parts of what her best friend had uttered, she had received the overall message.

The remaining group members sat in shocked silence. Thomas stared around for a few seconds before throwing his hands up dramatically. “What? Nothing? Not one person has a problem with her getting out of here?” His fingers drummed, agitated, against his thigh. He stared her down all the while, as if he were waiting for her to retort. It was all she could do to not meet his glare. “Look at her! She’s not even looking up because she knows it’s true. She’s scared of humans!”

“You don’t know anything about her, pendejo, you live on the other side of the crates as us!” Libby finally called out, unable to keep her words within her anymore. “Just because you’re jealous don’t mean you can take it out on someone who never did anything to you!”

A chorus of “ooohs” erupted from the circle of young people, and Suzanne opened her mouth to interject before the situation got too out of hand.

“Hey, I’m just saying that maybe it should be reserved for people who actually want to get out of this place, not some mute who hides in the corner whenever people come around.”

“I’m just saying that you should go fuck yourse-!”

“Isabel, Thomas! That’s enough.” The lead director announced, placing her hands firmly on the desk. “Thank you for your contributions, although I’d like to make a general reminder that we want to keep our group statements positive and non-judgmental. We are here for support, not to harm.” Her last statement was directed more at the tiny man who had spoken in the first place, although beyond his slumping shoulders he didn’t show any remorse. Libby herself sank lower into her chair, glaring off to the side.

The older woman brightened a bit, addressing the rest of the young group members with a sweet smile. “I suppose we’ll end group today with a positive affirmation. Please repeat after me.” Suzanne settled into her seat and closed her eyes. She claimed this was to feel more in touch with her words. Many of the other residents chose to do the same, although Naiya did take a glance around the circle at this point. She knew this might be the last time she would see many of them, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“This evening, I feel gratitude and joy.

I welcome and embrace the lessons I learned today.

I take this moment to see the goodness around me.

I am centered, focused and above all, safe in the company I keep.

And, despite my size, I will continue to make a difference in the world.”

Suzanne concluded, her milky-blue eyes falling on Naiya. She gave a small smile at this, the puckered skin surrounding her scar pulling tight. The “continue” part was new.

“That concludes our group session. According to my watch, dinner will be served in about half an hour, and then an hour of free time before lights out. Thank you all for participating today.” Just like that, the group of teenagers began to disperse. They chattered in small groups, a few of them sparing glances at the girl who had been adopted and the one who had defended her during the circle. Suzanne eyed the young man who had spoken up earlier carefully as he left the table alone.

“Tanaiya, Isabel, if you could stay behind for just a moment?”

Naiya’s heart jumped into her throat at the request, just as it always did when anything involved a handler. The three waited until the rest of the group had descended the rope ladders and stair cases surrounding the table where the circle had been held. As the last head sank beneath the edge of the platform, the two diminutive girls turned to the lead handler. Libby was able to crane her neck up to look her in the eyes, but Naiya kept her eyes on her shoulder instead. Suzanne was cleaning her glasses on the hem of her shirt and gave them a gentle smile.

“I’ve been here for quite a long time, ladies. I’ve seen so many little ones get carried in and out of that front door. I’ve been able to see people from all walks of life find homes and new lives to cherish. Likewise, you two have been here even longer than most of the adult residents. When someone like that gets adopted, well…” She hunched herself over a bit, trying to get closer to their level. “Staff tends to take certain precautions with the person interested in adopting them.”

Tanaiya’s brow knitted together as she finally looked up. The curtain of frizzy hair fluttered away from her face, exposing the faded, puckered scar running the length of her right cheek to her chin. Suzanne took in a deep breath at the sight. Yes, she certainly had faced her fair share of hardships at such a young age.

“Now, Tanaiya, I understand you’ve had some difficulties with adoptions in the past. I promise you, there’s no reason to be scared, sweetheart. I’m consulting with your owner tomorrow, and from what I’ve read in the reports he’s nothing but kind. However, if you should ever feel…concerned, in any way that things are not as they’re supposed to be…” She slid a tiny sliver of folded up paper across the desk to her. It was hardly the size of Suzanne’s fingernail, but to Naiya it was almost the length of her hand.

“I would like you to keep this on you at all times. It contains the phone numbers for H-PAT and the shelter. You’ll have this, and once you leave tomorrow you’ll have your personal alarm, but that will only work for a year on its own power unless your owner gets the batteries replaced. You need to know what your resources are…if you are ever in trouble, you just need to contact us and we’ll be there. Do you understand?”

Tanaiya’s eyes were fixed on the banner-sized piece of paper in her hands and the swirled, oversized handwriting. Clearly astounded by this act of kindness, she nodded quickly, but her eyebrows were still furrowed in a look of concentration.

Suzanne smiled, placing her finger softly on her shoulder. After a moment she turned to the other girl. “And Libby, just one thing:” She waggled her finger at her in a mock accusatory fashion. “Don’t you dare bite that handler tomorrow.”

Her heart was in her throat following the discussion, but she played it off as no big deal. “No promises, Suzanne.”

Libby couldn’t say for certain which human was going to be taking her best friend away. To be honest, she hadn’t been paying close enough attention to the figures lumbering in and out of the shop throughout the day. Most didn’t spare her a passing glance.

Libby had been brought to the shelter six years ago after her previous owner, Jimena Escobar, had passed. The old woman had taken care of her and her father, las pequeñitas as she liked to call them, like family for years, but even love couldn’t stave off the inevitable. When her cabrón of a grandson had dropped them off at the shelter in an old shoe box, however…that was something she HAD tried to prevent. There hadn’t been a day since where she’d cursed someone so much.

Six years was a long stretch of time in a tiny’s life, but it was nothing compared to what Naiya had endured. Libby had lost the jarring fear of being adopted after a year or so, and now she seemed to just wave people by. No one wanted a difficult tiny, and the sign on the outside of her cage deterred most with a wary look:

Caution: Resident has been known to bite/inflict physical damage. Do not pick up without alerting a handler first.

Naiya, however, had no such protection. Despite her height and broad shoulders, she was fragile. She hardly spoke a word when she had arrived all those years ago, and now she didn’t speak at all except for bits and pieces to the girl who shared her enclosure. To Thomas’ credit, she did indeed wait in the corner for the humans to pass by her crate. She’d made a habit of curling up with a book, hiding herself away until the coast was clear.

Libby waited until her best friend had finished her descent down the rope ladder that lead to the entrance of the travel tunnels. Her face had been clouded with worry all day, even more so than usual. She hadn’t said a word either, which was saying something at this point in the day. Libby grabbed her hand as she turned away, which earned her a startled look from her roommate. “What’s in your head?” She asked, which only prompted Naiya’s face to crumple at the much too familiar question.

She pulled the shorter girl in to her chest and rested her chin on the top of her head. Libby’s hands immediately found the crook of her back, but she didn’t speak. Naiya stroked her hair silently with wide eyes. For tomorrow was her second adoption day, which was to be met, not with joy, but terrifying uncertainty.

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So...I have no self-control. The first chapter of this story came about at the beginning of this summer, when I thought “oh, I’ll have time to write before school starts again”. Then I didn’t write for a good three weeks, and then pushed out two more chapters and a BASIC outline in one night. Good times.

I’ve had ideas for how I want to write this story, but unfortunately it’s going to be sporadic when and how I’ll upload. This story also has mentions of abuse and neglect, so I’ll forewarn you now: if you see * <----- this symbol in the title of any chapter, that means there will be troubling descriptions that might not be suited for anyone with a history of abuse. There’s only one or two chapters where this will come in to play, but I wanted to let everyone know ahead of time.

In the meantime, enjoy this chapter! Hopefully chapter two will go up in the next few days!

Chapter 2: http://pepperminthotchocolate.tumblr.com/post/163719760508/voice-like-an-echo-chapter-2

#Giant/tiny #giant #tiny #adoption story #original characters

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