#Okay who made playtime cry

[the-artist5917]

"Okay...Who made Playtime cry...?"

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

OKAY HEAR ME OUT HEAR ME OUT.

Grandma cat!reader. Who was a old women who got experimented on and turned into a smiling critter but like the caretaker of the smiling critters.

Often seen walking around with a scruffed smiling critter hanging from her mouth(somehow-) and overfeeding the smiling critters or children.

How would a saved dogday and (maybe) good catnap react to the player bringing them to readers containment room. (She was locked in before the Hour of Joy due to something and just stayed there)?

I just want to see them get some sort of parental love 🥹😖

- Marshmellow🤍

I swear ya'll are gonna make me cry with these requests /nm <3

.....

Dogday

In your old age, you didn't wanna retire from Playtime Co. and spend the remainder of your life laying around, waiting for your body and mind to deteriorate.

So instead you became one of the few willing volunteers for the Bigger Bodies Initiative, being turned into a Smiling Critter (which made you especially happy since your grandkids adored the toyline and cartoon show).

In the show, the gang mentioned a grandma character several times (albeit she was unseen) and with Catnap being recalled from all promo materials, Playtime Co. took creative liberties and made you the newest feline replacement, fitted with a cinnamon scent and pie necklace.

Your tagline was something like "The Smiling Critters take care of our orphans, but who takes care of them? Why, their Grandma [Y/n], of course! She's full of love and wisdom!"

True to that, you became the caretaker of the Critters and children, ensuring everyone's fed well and staying out of trouble.

The incident with Bron (Thomas/Experiment 1199) had scientists rethinking how they'd introduce willing experiments to those...well..less-than-willing.

So you had a supervised introduction to the SCs (with children also present to discourage them from reacting violently). You were even given a containment cell you could retreat to in case of emergencies.

Luckily, you never had to use that room--as they accepted you and began calling you "grandma" since day one.

Dogday, especially, got attached to you.

You called him "DD" and "Doggy-Dearie".

Being a bit taller than the rest of them allows you to pick them up by the scuff of their necks if they're being too rowdy (Kickin and Hoppy, especially).

Even so, you're very sweet to all of them, letting them snuggle up to you as you shared stories and made them food so they could keep up with the little ones.

All was well in the Playhouse up until the Hour of Joy of course.

But you were unaware of it since Catnap sabotaged your room's lock, keeping you trapped to lower the Smiling Critters' morale.

Dogday was 100% convinced you were dead.

However you survived long enough for the Employee's arrival years later, never knowing what happened to the factory..

After rescuing Dogday, they find your door and powered it up, allowing the two entry into the perfectly intact space within.

Your fur was matted and you looked sickly, but you still jump up upon seeing the state your dear "grandson" was in.

It devastated you.

"My word..Dog-Dearie.." Your heart shatters. "Your legs..where are they? Where is everyone?"

Something inside of him ultimately breaks as he realizes you were alive...and you were here all along.

"G-Grandma...! Oh...god..I-I thought you were--" He crawls away from the Employee and towards you, sobbing into your lap. "You were h-here..this whole time! I-I wanted to see you, but..C-Catnap..he.."

"Shh, shhh..I'm here now, my sweet pup. It's alright." You hush, stroking his ears and resting a paw on his back, before looking to the Employee. "You must be terribly confused..as am I.."

After explaining your role--and calming Dogday down--the two tell you about what's happened to the factory, and at first you can't believe it...

Until you all wander through the Playhouse and see the horrid state it's in, but they're confused as to why none of the mini Critters attack you.

Only then do you mention feeding them over the years through little vents and holes in the walls, keeping their hunger moderately satiated.

Dogday feels awful, and even more upset at Catnap for lying about your fate.

But still, you don't show any ill-will towards any of the Smiling Critters, even if one of them had betrayed you all.

Instead you just let Dogday cling to you as you escape together and try your best to keep up.

Catnap

Like the rest of the Smiling Critters, Catnap considered you family and often went to you for snacks and such.

Or if he needs a break from trying to put all the rowdy orphans to bed in Home Sweet Home. Only then is he given permission to see you.

He always liked curling up in your lap, purring while you stroke his fur and tell him a story (which is sometimes an event from your old human life, albeit you do accidentally confuse yourself since ofc you're not supposed to remember any details of your old life).

The Prototype sees this as a problem, as Theodore Catnap was getting a bit too comfortable with his life here and needed a reminder of his mission....and so he tells him the truth.

About how you not only worked at the factory until you reached retirement age...but you were also a willing participant in the experiments.

And suddenly, he couldn't look at you the same way anymore. Only with resentment.

It wasn't fair.

You got to lead a long and fulfilling life. Theodore barely got the chance to grow up and be a normal kid.

You had the procedure and associated risks explained to you clear as day. Theodore never had the luxury of being warned ahead of time before he was grabbed and put under the knife after recovering from the incident with the green grabpack hand.

All he wanted was to free the others, but he ended up becoming their warden instead.

He almost forgot all of that because of you.

He refuses your food now, and you worry for him when you see how skinny he becomes as the months pass.

But he's very cryptic in the way he talks to you, the other SCs, and the staff...so you didn't know for sure what you did to upset him so much.

"Catnap, dearie..you're skin and bones. Let me-"

"I know what you were, and what you've become...the Prototype told me so."

You don't know what to say. What could you say when he kept talking about this "Prototype" person?

Despite his hatred, the SCs were conditioned to love you regardless, and so before the Hour of Joy Catnap decided to sabotage the locks of your containment room.

That way, he wouldn't be tempted to kill you...and he'd spare you from the grief of what he ends up doing to the other SCs, including Dogday.

Years later, when the Employee finally knocks some sense into him after saving him from being sacrificed to the Prototype, he takes them to your room, believing you to be dead from starvation.

Instead, though, they break you out and he discovers you're very much alive.

And Catnap just breaks down, groveling and begging for your forgiveness.

You were the one who always tried to reach out and comfort him, giving him some relief from the misery of being trapped in this factory....and he pushed you away.

But you don't hate him for locking you up, realizing that he still cared about you after all this time. Even when the Prototype told him about your past.

He wanted to keep you safe.

That alone proves he had a heart, and you reassure him of that as he cuddles up to you for a little while.

Once he's calmer, you go with him, Dogday (assuming he was saved), and the Employee to meet with Poppy and Kissy--both of whom are relieved to see you alive

[astrophileous]

Hey hey, it's me~

If I could, I would like to request a Derek x Reader or Spencer x Reader, how you feel it better. Maybe where the Reader is someone working with kids (in a nursery, childcare center, if possible ? If not, no problem at all). I wonder how they would react with someone like this 😇

Bonus point if the Reader is short 🙈

I'm weak for your fluff stories, and any of you works if I'm being honest so a fluffy one would be nice.

Again, no pressure if you don't feel writing this. Congratulations for your almost 1k, you'll get them I'm sure of it ❤️

Have a wonderful day sweetie 🌸

val, my love, tysm for the request and the kind words 🥺💞 I'm so happy you entrusted me with this request! Idk if this is what you were looking for, but I hope you're happy with it ❤️ (p.s. you can just send more requests if you weren't satisfied with this one lol)

Warning(s): derek morgan x fem!reader, stalker, break-in, typical cm stuff, swearing (?)

This blurb was written as a part of the "Zara's Birthday Bash and Road to 1K" celebration.

Zara's Birthday Bash and Road to 1K Masterlist / Criminal Minds Masterlist

Seeing all the flashing red-and-blue lights outside the building he had grown to know intimately for the past couple of months was perhaps the closest thing to a heart attack Derek Morgan would ever experience in his life.

Derek ignored the shouts of his name from his fellow teammates as he ducked beneath the yellow police tape, along with the curious glances people threw his way as he stalked towards the building with purpose. Once inside, he thoroughly checked every room he passed by, stopping only when he spotted the familiar figure sitting on one of the chairs in the pantry.

"Derek? What are you—"

You didn't get a chance to finish your question before Derek was enveloping you in a bear hug.

A wave of calm instantly flooded over his entire being. Derek buried his face deeper into you, breathing in the smell of your body wash and the addictive tang of your perfume. Your own arms wrapped around his muscular frame once the shock evaporated, letting the warmth of Derek's body seep into you as you listened to the rhytmic beating of his heart.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked once he could finally find his voice again. "Did you get hurt? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, Derek. I'm fine," you convinced him as you pulled away. "I called 911 right away. He broke through the back door but ran as soon as the police arrived."

Derek rubbed his palms up and down your arms, an appeasing gesture for you as well as a reassuring one for him. He needed to make sure that you were fine.

"Good. That's good. You did the right thing, sweetheart."

"All thanks to you, Derek." You smiled. "I wouldn't have known what to do if you didn't warn me beforehand. We're all safe because of you."

Derek's heart sat fifty pounds heavy inside his ribcage. Before he could pull you back towards his chest, an interrupting cough sounded from behind him. Derek turned around to see Rossi standing in the doorway.

"Everything alright in here?" the older agent asked.

"Everything's fine," Derek replied. "Rossi, this is (Y/N). She works here."

Rossi wasn't blind. He knew you meant something more to Derek despite the younger man introducing you as an employee of the daycare center where all of you were standing in. Nonetheless, Rossi made no mention of it as he shook your hand and offered you his name.

"Are you the one who called 911, Miss? Can you tell us anything about the man who did this?"

"Yeah, I did. I've told pretty much everything to the officer over there," you said, pointing to the uniformed policeman standing outside in the hallway. "It was before lunch, so the kids were having outdoor playtime. One of the kids, George, suddenly came crying to me about someone being hurt. His hands were red. It looked like blood at first, but after a closer look, I realized that it was paint. That's when I told everyone to gather inside."

Rossi jotted down everything you said in his little notepad. "And that's when the man barged in?"

"Yeah. He tried to go through the front door at first and became aggressive when he noticed it was locked. I called 911 after that. He just barely managed to break down the back door when the police finally got here."

"And then he fled the scene," Rossi concluded. You nodded your head in confirmation. "Same MO as the school and the orphanage. This is definitely our guy."

"Did you happen to get a look at his face, sweetheart?" Derek asked.

"I, uh, I think so? But everything happened so fast, I don't know if my memory is reliable."

"You should still sit down with our sketch artist, Miss. We'll take any help we can get," Rossi responded.

For the next hour, Derek proceeded to investigate the crime scene with his team while you sat inside with a sketch artist who brought your hazy memory of the perpetrator's face to life. Derek eventually reunited with you again on the front porch of the daycare, approaching just in time to see you bidding a goodbye to one of the kids you were caring for.

"Can I get a one? And a two! A three? How about a four? Now a five! And a high five!" The little girl in front of you laughed wholeheartedly as she gave you a high-five. Derek's chest constricted at the sight. "Good job, Bee! Now, go to your mother. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay!" Bee exclaimed, throwing herself into your arms to give you one last hug. "I love you, Ms. (Y/L/N)."

"I love you, too, honey."

Your eyes never strayed from Bee as the little girl dashed towards her mother. You looked up to see Derek staring at you from across the porch, the tilt of your lips stretching even wider when you caught sight of his face.

"Hey, you."

"Hi, beautiful." Derek smiled before taking your hand in his. "Are you ready to go? C'mon, let's get you home."

"Wait, you're taking me? But you're on the job!"

"The team can survive a couple of hours without me. 'Sides, there's no way I'm letting you take the bus all by yourself after what happened here."

Your insides melted into a goo at Derek's statement. You wanted so desperately to kiss the living daylights out of him at that moment, but knowing that there were so many prying eyes around—including those belonging to his team—you decided to settle for a quick peck on his knuckles instead.

Ten minutes later, you found yourself sitting inside a standard FBI SUV with Derek driving next to you. The two of you arrived at your building in no time, where Derek insisted on walking you all the way up to your front door before offering to stay with you for the rest of the afternoon.

"I'm telling you, Derek, I'm fine! You should get back to your team."

"But, what if—"

"No what ifs, Mister. I'm okay. Besides, if anything happens, I will call you immediately."

"You promise?"

"Promise. You have nothing to worry about," you assured. "Now, go! Before I kick your sexy butt out of here."

Derek's eyes twinkled mischievously. "You think my butt is sexy?"

"Go, Derek!"

"Fine, fine! I'm going!"

You turned towards the apartment door to unlock it, but just as you were about to step inside, the sound of your name stopped you in your tracks.

"Forgot something."

You yelped in surprise when Derek pressed his lips to yours without warning. The kiss was over too soon before you could react, but the ferocity alone was still enough to send you soaring high towards the stratosphere.

"D-Derek?"

The man grinned after seeing your dumbfounded expression. "I'm going, sweetheart. I'll see you soon, 'aight?"

And just like that, Derek Morgan was gone, leaving your entire world whirling over the remaining taste of his lips on yours.

[ratsummer]

Okay so I have seen headcanons here and there about the abbey having a nursery for the ghoul kits and human babies and I LOVE THAT. I've been having a rough few days so I've been thinking a lot about what that looks like c: Maybe someday I'll type up my thoughts on what the system overall looks like, but for now...

How would our beloved band ghouls interact with the little ones??

I'm starting with Swiss! Maybe this will become a little series if I feel like it/anyone wants to know what I think about the other ghouls c:

Though I believe there's a dedicated nursery staff in the abbey, I think they always welcome and encourage volunteers to come hang out so the babies can socialize with all kinds of different people! Swiss is one of the ghouls regularly assigned to work nursery shifts when things slow down a bit for the band, but the rest of the time I think he visits voluntarily because he likes it.

Overall, I think Swiss is super great with kids of all ages. He's got deep wells of energy and patience, and though he of course loves playtime, he also actively enjoys most elements of caretaking! Keeping everyone fed, clean, and cozy can be fun too! He helps with everyone, but his most favorite group to spend time with? The toddlers.

Ghoul kits becoming ambulatory is... interesting! Like many human babies, they typically start with some scooting and then get into crawling. But, I think ghoul kits stay in the crawling phase for much longer than humans. After all, they have those pesky tails to figure out, too! Switching to walking on two legs is so hard when everyone is cheering for you, and that's exciting so your tail starts wagging, and then you're thrown off balance, and then you're on the floor, and yeah that's annoying, so maybe you should cry about it... or stick to moving around on four limbs because it's way faster anyway! Practicing moving around on four legs for a while longer lets them build up their little hip and ab muscles, especially while their tail moves around with their emotions.

But just...

Swiss on his knees behind one of the kits who is so close to figuring out walking upright on their own. He's got an arm on either side of the little one, hands just in front of them. The kit is little bitty tiny, maybe air, so even though they're using their whole entire hands, their little grip doesn't quite extend all the way around even one of Swiss' fingers.

Swiss has propped up one of their favorite toys, a big plush bear almost the same size as the kit, against an armchair just a few feet away.

"You see your bear-bear, baby?" Swiss coos, bouncing his hands a bit to jiggle the kit's arms.

The kit is shrieking in delight, little tail lashing around and whacking into Swiss' stomach. Their giggles are infectious, and Swiss' face aches from the strength of his smile.

"I know, baby! Should we go get your bear??" Swiss moves his arms just a smidge forward, gently encouraging the kit to take a step.

Their chubby little leg jerks forward a bit awkwardly, but with a confidence that sends Swiss' heart soaring. This kit had been one of the more shy, timid babies when they had come into the abbey's care. They rarely smiled, much less laughed, just taking in the world around them with big eyes and arms held tight to their chest. They'd arrived during a busier time of year for the band ghouls, but Swiss had met and interacted with them enough times to see the remarkable change in their energy. He made a mental note to shower kisses on the nursery ghouls specializing in infant care.

"Yes! Well done, my darling!" Swiss cheers, scooting along on his knees behind the kit. They're taking strong, only slightly wobbly steps toward the bear. "Go get bear-bear! He wants a hug!"

Swiss squirms a finger out of the kit's grip, but they maintain their awkward forward momentum with only one finger to hold. They're practically bouncing as they lurch toward their bear, bright laughter filling the room.

When the kit finally makes it to the plush toy, they let go of Swiss and flop onto its round belly, giggling and nuzzling into its neck. Swiss claps and hollers for the kit, cheering and celebrating their hard won victory.

"You did it, my love!" He coos, rubbing the kit's back. His heart melts over how tiny they are, his hand spanning the entirety of their torso. "I'm so proud of you! You're getting so strong!"

The kit flails a little bit but is quickly turned back around to face Swiss, a huge grin lighting up their face. They only laugh harder when they see him, the big, gasping laughs that they nearly choke on.

"I know, baby! Aren't you cl-"

The words catch in Swiss's throat as the kit pulls themselves up on their feet, a bit wobbly, but notably standing up with no outside support. He watches on, breathless, as they hold their tail out behind them, mostly still, and put their arms out to the side for balance. They take one tiny step, and then another, stuttering laughs breaking through their sudden and intense focus.

Swiss holds his hands out toward the kit, ready to catch them, but otherwise not interfering. They take only two more steps before their toe catches on the rug and they go lurching forward, but instantly Swiss is scooping them up and jumping to his feet.

"You did it!" He cries, dancing around while holding the kit on his hip, "You walked all by yourself!" As he whirls around, the kit in his arms matches his joy with their shrieks. "Oh, clever baby!"

Swiss stops spinning around to pull the kit up onto his chest so he can nuzzle under their chin and around their neck, scenting them thoroughly. He's purring so hard his chest hurts, but he's just so overwhelmed he can't help it. When the kit starts a cooing purr through their laughs, Swiss starts kissing and play-nibbling over their face and hair, making gobbling sounds as he goes.

"What a sweet little kit," he says between kisses, "I think I'm going to have to eat you up! I don't have much time left, soon you're going to be able to run away!"

An exaggerated gasp from the door has Swiss turning on his heel to find one of the main infant through toddler caretakers making their way in, a snack for the kit in hand. When the kit sees them they're instantly squirming and screeching in delight and reaching for their caretaker, and Swiss happily hands them over.

"Don't worry baby, I've got you now! I won't let Swiss eat you!"

And because Swiss is a deeply sentimental ghoul he is going to immediately detail what just happened and he is going to start crying about seeing a kit's first steps and generally just be gooey about it and you cannot change my mind!!! Aaaah!!

So ya ghouls with kits on my mind has been keeping me saaaaaane recently and I have so so many thoughts!!! Idk if I'll write anymore BUT look out who knows! I have a stressful week ahead lmao save me ghouls with kits save me 😭

[bimobuddy]

"I Wanna Play with the Kitty!"

SFW Hazbin TK fic

Lee!Husk, Ler!Niffty

A little bit of huskerdust if you look real close

Spoilers

Summary: Husk is just trying to finish up work, when he's suddenly handed a hyperactive little maid to look after, who quickly decides it's playtime

He didn't know exactly what time it was, all he knew was that it was time to close the bar, since business was getting slow and most people were turning in, heading back to their rooms. Husk sighed, letting out pent up stress from the day, stretched his wings, shook them out, then started to wipe down the counter.

It wasn't long before he heard a familiar voice coming down the hall, though instead of the usual crazy rambling, she was heard whimpering, immediately catching his attention and making his ears perk.

Angel walked into the lobby with Niffty in his arms being cradled like a child. He walked over to Husk and unceremoniously plopped her on his head.

"Aw what- *sigh* Come on!" Husk grumbled, looking up at Angel, who put his hands on his hips. "Her favorite side character in a book just died, it's your turn to watch her." "Manga." Niffty corrected, popping back up, wearing Husk's hat. "Manga, sorry sweetie. Anyway, Husk, you watch her, I told her she could play with the kitty." Niffty grinned, nodding. "I wanna play with the kitty."

"Angel are you effin' kidding me? I just got off work, I don't have time to babysit."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't have a soft spot for kids."

"She's twenty two."

".....Look me in the eyes and tell me you honestly see her as an adult."

"..... Fair."

Angel crossed his arms and nodded with an 'Mm-hm!' And made his way back toward the stairs. Husk could feel Niffty tug on his ears, earning an irritated groan from the bartender. "Niff, if you're gonna be up there, at least be gentle, I know to you I look like this big fluffy kitty-cat, but those are actually my ears you're pullin' on."

Niffty stopped for a moment, as if processing this information she's been given. "Okay!" She said, starting to rub his ears again, gentler this time. A bit too gentle. It tickled.

Husk let out a huff before he managed to shut himself up. "N-Niff, why don't you do somethin' ehelse for a while, kay?" He said, reaching up to try and grab her. Unfortunately, she was much faster, evading his hands and crawling down onto his back, between his wings before settling there.

"Nifft- no dont- grr... Alright fine, you can stay there, just let me work, kay kid?" He asked, before returning to work. And that's how it stayed for the next five or so minutes; Husk working, and Niffty behaving aside from the occasional opening of the cat demon's wings to look at them or to make them flap and pretend he was flying.

Husk didn't completely mind this. Angel was right, he did have a soft spot for kids, and as far as he was concerned, Niffty counted.

Unfortunately though, her grip on his wings shifted more toward the base, where they met his back. Not prepared for the sudden shock, Husk wasn't able to hide the sudden grin on his face or stop the surprised chuckles as his wings fluffed up.

"A-Alright, Niff, I thihihink ihit's time t-to gehet dohohown-" He started, trying to reach back to grab her, but his spread wings were blocking his arms from getting to her.

Niffty only started to scritch and pet his wings after this. "But Husk! I'm being gentle see??" Husk snorted and had to lean against the counter to hold himself up, not wanting to drop and accidentally hurt her. He buried his face in his arms and just laughed, his shoulders and wings shaking as he did so.

The more Niffty ran her fingers through his feathers, the more they fluttered and twitched as he snorted and laughed into the counter. He knew he could have stopped her, but he worried in doing so he'd either hurt her or make her start crying again, neither of which he wanted, so he decided to just try and endure it.

"Oooo is this where your wing bones connect??" She asked before gently digging into the spot just under his shoulder blades. Husk let out a loud laugh, standing straight up, his wings involuntarily flapping a little, tempted to fold in, but Niffty was there.

He was quick to snatch her up with his tail before she fell to the floor, and he held her up in front of him. "Alright missy, I'm starting to get the idea that this isn't an accident anymore." He panted. Niffty just smiled at him. And he couldn't help but grin back.

"Hey Niff, why don't we go pay a certain spider a visit, hm?"

"And I'll kill it and make it into a puppet!"

"Haha, no, we're not killing this one. Not literally anyway."

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

In your AU, if a toy ever had a wedding, what would it be like and what kind of chaos would likely ensue?

Dogday and Catnap's wedding would be an event that would go down in history with how chaotic it was (affectionate).

Skipping the arc in which Dogday and Catnap fall in love (again) and start dating, some years down the line they just look at each other and go "you know what would be fun? A wedding! In practice it wouldnt change a thing except some legal stuff but it would be so much fun to call you my husband AND also have it be on paper!", and, after talking with Angel + Prototype about it, it's wedding preparations!

I think Catnap would like it to be in the church he goes to, or at least have some catholic elements due to him being religious. Dogday doesn't mind (they talked about it since they started dating) but would like Angel to also add elements from their religion bc it just feels right. In the end, they pick a big wedding venue in order to host all the toys + human friends they would like to invite.

I know there would be – inevitably – a lot of media attention, despite Angel's best efforts in keeping the family away from any unecessary attention. I think at this point there's rumors of one of the "toys" Angel rescued being actually a monster, so when Prototype shows up the only surprise is that the media rumors are indeed true. Everyone who was invited already knew he existed and were used to him by this point so it's all okay!

Speaking of people: Dogday and Catnap invite their neighbors and the parents of the kids they help babysit with the other Smiling Critters. Catnap also invites his friends from the church and the old ladies are SO excited about it (they helped him talk to Dogday before they started dating)! Plus there's also the entire family there.

Craftycorn helps Dogday make his and Catnap's wedding dresses. She's literally vibrating when Dogday asks her for help, she was BORN for this. They make a trillion designs and settling in on one takes months – yes even Catnap has trouble picking a design. Also yes, Catnap's dress is black, he's a goth king.

Mommy Long Legs helps with the decoration. Picky is the one who took care of all the flowers used and also helped with the food. Kickin is helping everyone out with their tasks, and helps the couple pick the music. Bubba and Poppy meanwhile are helping with overall organization, but he and Delight go overboard with helping MLL with the lights so Poppy ends up doing most of the organization work. Speaking of which!

Poppy is there 24/7 next to Catnap and Dogday, making sure all the preparing is more fun than tiring, and eventually she and Kissy help Picky with the flowers and Crafty with the outfits. She's the one that made Catnap and Dogday FINALLY settle on a dress choice. They're glad to have at least one person who can help them settle on a final choice.

When the wedding happens, it's even more chaotic than planned, but in a good way. Everyone is crying, the single reporter allowed to record anything is also crying because she also became a family friend as the years went on, etc etc.

Prototype is trying not to cry, cries anyways because he never thought the kids would ever be able to live this much, Angel is crying because it's their kids getting married and they look so happy. They both get drunk and Angel is recorded dancing on a table, Dogday is laughing so much he's crying.

Mommy Long Legs sings karaoke and her voice is surprisingly good. She, Crafty and Dogday are all singing together while Bunzo is playing a clarinet in the background, and then Catnap joins them and it becomes a whole musical.

What no one expects, however, is Hoppy showing a video showcasing the couple's journey, and the video has OOOOLD recordings of when everyone was back at Playtime Co. pre-HoJ. Prototype found the recordings and gave to her. There's also lots of family videos from the years since the rescue, all in chronological order, featuring plenty of shenanigans and funny moments as well. Catnap and Dogday keep the video after the event, of course.

I dont know who they would pick as best man/woman but I am 100÷ sure this led to an argument. Not between them but between the other toys, because for Catnap and Dogday all Smiling Critters + Delight, Poppy and MLL should be best men and women, but Poppy is like "nononono that's too much!", but in the end they're all picked to be that.

Things that also happened:

Mommy Long Legs and Bobby playfully fighting each other over the flower bouquet. MLL doesn't even plan on marrying, she just wants to show off, and Bobby joined her because she's just excited.

Angel ended up catching the bouquet by pure accident. They were just chilling on the sidelines and then BAM, bouquet on their face. Dogday pretended it wasn't intentional on his part.

The humans kids + the mini critters making a nice surprise for Dogday and Catnap by making nice little drawings and folding them in paper airplanes.

Kickin was completely oblivious to one of the family's human friends flirting with him and genuinely thought the lady was just being nice.

Huggy ended up trapping himself on a tree and Catnap had to rescue him.

Bunzo, who had just hit 21, drinking for the fist time and proudly proclaiming "EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU HYPED ME SO MUCH FOR THIS?", cue to Angel drinking their 5th glass of alcohol and Bunzo staring at them in dissapointment.

Catnap and Dogday dancing forró and piseiro.

Dogday, a bit drunk, starting to cry upon realizing that yes, he just got married.

Prototype and Dogday having to drag Angel to a quieter area because they drank too much.

The following day news showcasing that Dogday and Catnap had their wedding ceremony. Wish I could know what the internet would think about it but I'm 100% sure the fandom for the Smiling Critters cartoon show will never let anyone not know that in real life, DayNap exists.

I think way more shenanigans happened, but on the top of my head, these were the main ones!

[naomijoestar]

helloo!! Hope you're doing well, I just saw your Narancia hcs about him being a stay at home dad and it's so gosh darn cute, aghh!!! If you could, do you think you could do hcs of him being a dad in general?

Knowing his past and how empathetic he can be, he would be such a great dad, it's just plain adorable thinking about it 😭

Masterlist here <3

Hello! I’m doing well what about you? Narancia as a dad would be so wholesome and heartwarming. His past would absolutely shape him into being a compassionate and attentive parent. I just adore him <33

Also I deeply apologize for the late reply, I hope you enjoy this! :)

Narancia as a father general headcanons

- Given his childhood and how much he was hurt by abandonment and betrayal, Narancia would want his child to feel safe at all times. He’d always keep an eye out but wouldn’t smother them, knowing how important independence is

- If his kid ever faced struggles, Narancia would be the first to remind them that they’re never alone. He’d be the kind of dad who sits with his kid for hours, helping them solve their problems, no matter how small

- Narancia has the vibe of a dad who’s always up for playtime, whether it’s a water gun fight in the yard, building pillow forts, or dancing to music in the living room. He’d match his child’s energy, no matter how exhausted he might secretly feel

- While he might not be the best chef, Narancia would insist on making meals with his kid. He’d let them crack the eggs, stir the sauce, or taste-test everything. “You think this needs more salt? No? Okay, Chef, I trust you.”

- Narancia would be incredibly in tune with his kid’s emotions. If they ever felt sad, he’d immediately know and do whatever it takes to make them smile—whether it’s cracking jokes, snuggling, or just listening

- Having faced hardships himself, he’d encourage his child to be brave but would remind them that it’s okay to cry or lean on others. He’d balance teaching them strength and vulnerability beautifully

- Even if life gets busy, Narancia would make sure family comes first. Movie nights, trips to the beach, or just lying in bed talking about their day would be a non-negotiable routine

- From macaroni art to acing a test, Narancia would hype his kid up like they just won an Olympic gold medal. He’d show off their work to everyone with a huge grin, saying, “Look what my kid made/did!”

- If anyone ever tried to hurt or belittle his child, Narancia wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for them. His protective side would kick in full force, but he’d also teach his kid how to handle conflict

- Narancia might not be super book-smart, but he’d find creative ways to teach his kid life lessons. Whether it’s through music, stories, or practical demonstrations, he’d make learning fun and memorable

I hope this meets your expectations <3 If you’d like anything specific added/changed message me and I’ll fix it!

If you enjoyed this make sure to check out my other posts, and if you’d like anything specific written for a jjba character/squad you can request it if my requests are open!

[dragon-creates]

She Was Like A Sunflower

Read on AO3

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12

Yeah, I just finished this so there may be some spelling mistakes. I just didn't want to delay the second chapter any further so I'll fix them when I wake up. Also, WHO PUT DOOMED YURI IN MY FUNNYBUNNY FIC?!?! Also, come support me and Pandora's new au on our shared tumblr called 'The Amazing Digital Redacted AU'. If you love indie horror like Bendy and the Ink machine, Poppy Playtime, FNAF then you'll love this AU. Here's the link Don't forget to check out twitter as well All that said, enjoy chapter 2! (and dont kill me pls)

2. Marjorie

What died didn't stay dead

You're alive, so alive

And if I didn't know better

I'd think you were singing to me now – Marjorie by Taylor Swift

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Cloudy skies, not a hint of light coming through. It was going to be that type of day today, and that type of mood by the way Winter observed Riley’s behaviour this morning. The redhead was at the table, drinking coffee and bouncing Percy on her knee. Winter could tell whenever a smile was pretend, and the way her wife smiled right now was no exception.

Could she blame her? Winter was a wreck when Jack went missing and knowing how close Penny and Riley were, it made sense for her wife to behave the way she did. But the thing is, Riley didn’t, or scream, or get angry. The passionate, loud, amazing women she married wasn’t the one holding their son at the table. There was only a shell. And after that visit she had with David, Riley’s shell had only gotten tougher.

If Riley said anything that related to Penny, it would be to trying to find her. She never spoke about how it made her feel, never saw a tear, or the grieved anger that one would expect. Riley was always so loving towards anything about her sister, it unnerved Winter seeing her wife like this.

“Look at him,” Riley cooed at the little baby on her lap. “We have the cutest kid in the world, look at him.”

Percy giggled as his mother held him up under the arms, thrashing his legs about as he peered at his mama over the kitchen island. “He is the cutest baby in the world,” Winter agreed. “Um, I know Captain Rae is okay with you working on this case. But are you sure-”

“We should get him a new mobile,” Riley cut her off, focusing her attention on Percy. “I think the other one isn’t working to well, he never pays attention to it.”

Winter pursed her lips, tapping her fingers on the kitchen counter. She wanted to at least say something about Penny before Riley had to leave to drop Percy off at Laura’s. “Listen, Riley,” she spoke, making her wife turn to her. “You have been nothing but patient when I found out Jack went missing, I know this type of this is so fucking far from easy. Whatever you’re feeling, I’ve felt it too. You…you know that right?”

“I know,” Riley smiled warmly. “You know, you can say if you’re missing Jack again. You don’t have to be light about it to make me feel better, okay Hun?”

“No, no, that’s not what I’m trying to say,” Winter pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’ve heard you in the night, waking up crying. I understand what you’re feeling, you can talk about Penny-”

“-Okay Percy,” Riley turned back to her son. “Are you ready to see Grandma?” She immediately stood up, holding him by her hip as she grabbed her own bag, Percy’s baby bag and car keys from the table.

It was as if a switch was flipped, a wall was put up and the shell was hardening. “Riley, wait!” Winter went round the kitchen island as she chased her wife to the door, “Riley.”

Riley froze as she opened the door, facing the outside, her face hidden. Winter heard her take a sharp intake of breath before facing her with the same faux smile that she had been wearing ever since she came back from David’s “Yeah?”

“I…It’s just,” Winter tried to find the words, to say something that didn’t involve her life leaving without at least finishing a conversation. But she knew that no matter how hard she tried, Riley would find an opening in order not to face it, and it would only make Winter’s efforts even harder. The dark-haired woman sighed, “I’ll see you at work later. I…love you.”

A glimpse of a real smile appeared on Riley’s face, “I love you too carrot cake.” The redhead pressed a kiss to her wife’s cheek, “I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah,” Winter nodded solemnly, “See you soon.”

With that, Riley turned her focus back on Percy and shut the door behind her. Winter let her soldiers sag, a painful ache forming in her heart. She knew Riley was hurting, she saw it flicker in her eyes every time a dead end came up for Penny’s case, she heard it when Riley awoke crying from nightmares – yet Winter pretended she was asleep in order for Riley to not feel ashamed – and she felt every single anger and grief that she knew Riley was having because she had felt it when Jack went missing.

So why wouldn’t Riley talk to her?!

Winter took a deep breath, trying to cancel out the negative energy. Everyone copes differently with these types of things. Besides, she and Riley were as strong as cement, they could work through this despite how bleak everything seemed.

Riley would come to her eventually…maybe…hopefully.

So why did Winter feel so lonely?

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“Okay, let me understand this as best as I can,” Ragatha started. Pomni and Jax had set up some bean bags for everyone while they sat on the bed, just finishing up their rundown of everything that happened in the last day. “You two have your memories back?”

“Yup,” Jax nodded.

“And you two were engaged before you got sucked in here?” Zooble questioned.

“That would be correct,” Pomni agreed.

“And now you guys might know a way to escape this place?” Gangle asked.

“That is a plausibility,” Jax replied.

Ragatha pressed her hands together and held them near her face, taking a long, deep, exhausted breath, “This is a lot to take in.”

Pomni bit her lip nervously, “I know this is the last thing you were all expecting, but you’re all handling this well all things considered.”

“I’m just confused on how you managed to fall in love with Jax of all people,” Zooble muttered, glaring at the rabbit.

Jax rolled his eyes, “Thanks Zooble.”

Pomni frowned, taking his hand into hers and squeezing it tight, “Because he loved me despite everything, saw me at my worst yet stayed because he knew I could thrive into my best. And right now, he helped me find a possible way to get everyone out of here. Do I excuse what he’s done to all of you? No. And I’m still not happy with how he treated me and Ragatha on my first day. So don’t think I’m taking sides, I’m simply observing.”

Zooble sighed, almost feeling guilty…almost. But they trusted Pomni’s word, not Jax’s (they didn’t know if they ever would) but definitely Pomni’s. “Fine” she muttered.

Kinger looked more lost than he usually did. The usual quiet brainstorm he would have in the middle of the room increased like wildfire. “Memories…returning,” he mumbled. “This…I don’t…I haven’t seen anything like it.”

Jax turned to the chess piece. He didn’t like this reaction, not one bit. It brought up too many painful flashbacks of someone similar to Kinger going through the same thing a long time ago, “Kinger, buddy, stay with us.”

It was like going in one ear and out the either for the royal character, still shaking like a leaf, “How…what is…something is…a trip?”

Trip? Jax didn’t want to see how far this would go, how far Kinger would go unless he’d – no, he wasn’t going to finish that thought and he wouldn’t let this continue. “Kinger!” Jax clapped his hands, the sound ringing through the room and snapping the chess piece out of his mumblings.

Kinger blinked. Once, twice, “Oh Jax.” And once again, he was back to himself, “Apologies, I must have been lost in a dream. But it’s so nice to know you and Pomni were together, young love finds a way.”

Despite the chess piece giving them all a scare, that statement alone made the rabbit and jester blush. Would it be rude if he kicked everyone out and smother his fiancé with attention? Yes, yes it would. And while it was tempting, Jax couldn’t afford to indulge. Not when the giant elephant in the room was still being addressed.

“It is really sweet,” Gangle whispered. It sounded like a genuine compliment from the masked woman – and it was don’t get her wrong – but there was something else lacing her tone. Something else that suggested the bodied ribbons couldn’t be as happy as she wanted to be. But she didn’t say, it wasn’t her place. No one could even tell from that slight lilt in her voice that she felt this way.

But Zooble noticed.

“Okay, still a little confused but I think I’m getting there,” Ragatha finally spoke up again. “Listen, Pomni. You know I trust you whole heartedly, but we’ve been here for years and no one has seen an exit until now, are you sure that what you’ve seen is accurate?”

Pomni’s face fell. Despite the door in front of Ragatha, despite everything she told her, why did the ragdoll still doubt her? “But we told you. The exit door is right there,” Pomni pointed to the door on the wall, desperation filling her eyes. “I know it seems impossible but I really think we can get out of here!”

Ragatha gasped, covering her mouth with guilt at what she said, “Sorry, sorry Pomni I phrased that wrong. It’s just…we’ve all tried looking for a way out and it always backfired, even when we think we’ve gotten so close. I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.”

Pomni opened her mouth, about to speak when-

“Ragatha,” Jax spoke. Everyone’s eyes widened, he never said Ragatha’s actual name, and so seriously either. “We saw her mother. She saw us send out a message to her. She knows we’re alive.” He paused, watching the ragdoll process everything with shock written all over her face. “Someone knows we’re here now. I know you’re scared, but this is a real chance of finally leaving.”

Ragatha’s mouth opened and closed, cutting off words before they even arrived at her lips. She thought she knew everything about the circus, had accepted that no matter how much they tried they could never escape. It was a horrible thing to accept, but she had to if she wanted to stay sane and not end up like…she could still feel herself almost crumbling away when Kaufmo’s abstracted form attacked her. No, no! She can’t lose herself now. She should be grateful that Pomni and Jax managed to find a way to be free, so why did it feel so hard to grasp onto that hope? “Okay,” she sighed. “I trust you, Pomni. But what about Caine, do you think you’ll tell him-”

“NO!” Pomni cut her off, fear swimming in her red and blue eyes. Even everyone seemed shocked by her sudden volume. Jax held her close, hugging her trembling form as the jester took a few breaths to calm herself down. “No, I-I don’t think that’s a good idea. He already had a weird way of trying to make things ‘fun’ here, I don’t know how he’ll feel when we say we’ve found a legitimate exit. What if he tries to take that away?”

The rest of the group nodded slowly. Even before Pomni arrived, Caine had always shut down the possibility of an exit being possible. And every time it was shown to him, he would twist it and prove to them that it was just another part of the circus. It was like he feared an exit even existing.

“It’s just your imagination!” he always said, leaving them to doubt if what they saw was actually there. And if you lost yourself in those thoughts, then it was a one-way trip into the cellar. And nobody wanted that.

“Well in that case…” Ragatha trailed off, closing her eyes for a moment. When they opened, they were fierce and determined. “Keep doing what you’re doing. This actually seems like a true way to finally get out of here. But do not let Caine find out. Keep pretending that everything is the same, you two are just friends, you don’t remember your past and that there is no way an exit is even here.”

“Got it,” Pomni and Jax said in unison.

“Which means that you two should stop acting like a couple whenever you’re in public,” Ragatha stated.

“Oh we know,” Pomni smiled innocently.

“Yeah, it’s not as hard as it seems,” Jax replied cooly.

Ragatha raised a coy brow at the two of them, “Pomni, darling, you’re sitting on Jax’s lap.”

Oh, right, the two of them forgot about that. They were both quick to slip back in to how they used to be before the circus, which meant a lot of trusting physical contact that the two were proud to have developed over the years. But then again, Ragatha was right. Something like that would be extremely obvious to Caine that something was up.

Pomni slid of the rabbit’s lap, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly while Jax coughed nervously behind his fist. “Right, sorry,” Pomni laughed sheepishly, while Jax pouted at the lack of contact.

Ragatha pinched the bridge of her nose again, this is gonna be a disaster.

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Riley paced back and forth in her mother’s living room, her phone held to her ear as she chewed on her fingernail. “Oh god I fucked up, I really fucked up,” she mumbled as the dial buzzed in her ear.

“Riley, sweetie, it’s gonna be okay,” Amber put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders, ceasing her pacing. “If this Samual boy is as nice as you say he is I’m sure he’ll listen to you.”

“I was really awful the last time I saw him, Mom,” Riley winced as she remembered his cries, ignoring him as the elevator doors shut behind her. “And the worst part was, I genuinely believed he was telling the truth. You always told me to trust my gut and I did! With him! But then Jason Wood said stuff that sounded plausible, and I feel so fucking stupid because even my head was screaming at me not to believe him. I didn’t know whether to trust the facts because both of them were laid out to me and I-”

“Hey, hey,” Amber’s voice was soft yet firm.  “This isn’t like anything you’ve ever worked on before. We are dealing with something that we didn’t even know existed, and its personal since both Jack and Penny are involved in this. In a normal case, maybe someone like Jason is right about this. But this isn’t a normal case, and we have proof that this Jason guy isn’t to be trusted.”

Riley nodded, “I have to let him know how sorry I am. This kid, he’s been through so much, all I did was make his situation worse. If Jason really treated him like that them…oh god…oh god Mom we really need to help him!”

Amber nodded feverishly. When Riley told her what Samual went through, with his parents going missing and how Jason was like to him whenever they were brought up, all the mother saw was nothing but red. The only time Amber looked like she was ready to kill was with David after the car crash all those years ago, and again when he showed up at both of her daughters’ homes unannounced.

Riley was about to speak when-

“Hello?” Samual’s voice answered through the phone.

“Ah, Samual!” Riley gasped, keeping the phone tight to her ear. “Samual you were right about everything! We couldn’t trust Jason!”

“M-miss Riley?!” His tone was small and frightened, almost trading on eggshells at the sound of her. “What are you talking about?”

Riley only wanted that type of fear from the voices of those who wronged her, not from innocent kids trying to help. She wanted to slap herself in the face for making that mistake, “Samual, you know the emails you showed me? Of the mystery person? The same thing happened to my Mom, my sister, I think she’s trying to get into contact with us.”

There was a small pause on the other line, before the boy spoke meekly, “You…you believe me?”

“Yeah, yeah kid I do,” Riley was nothing short of breathless. The last twenty-four hours have been nothing but a blur. But the way she spoke to him, at the height of her anger. Even if this situation wasn’t real, she shouldn’t have spoke to a hurting kid like that. “Samual, I owe you an apology.”

“Oh no, you don’t need to-”

“Samual, please,” she gently cut him off. “The way I spoke to you was nothing short of cold and rude. I was in a bad place and me and my family have gone through so much pain, but that’s no excuse and I should never have taken my anger out on you. I’m so sorry Samual.”

There was a pause, Riley waited with bated breath. Mere seconds felt agonisingly long until Samual finally answered, “I forgive you.”

Riley felt her lungs fill with air, finally letting herself breathe, “Really?”

“Yeah, I get it. Jason has a history of getting people to believe his stories,” Samual said. “I don’t blame you. And now I’m guessing we have more proof that he’s lying?”

“That’s right,” Riley confirmed, “Are you free to come check it out?”

“I’ll be there as quick as I can,” Samual’s excited and curious tone returned. “I can’t wait to get started on our secret FBI work!”

The line cut off before Riley could say another word. She grinned, shaking her head.

He forgave her.

“I’m guessing it went well?” Amber asked, her own smile gracing her lips.

Riley nodded, relief washing over her again and again, “We might actually be getting somewhere.”

Amber faltered a little. For a while, she was starting to lose hope that she would ever truly hear those words. But somehow, mercy was gifted to her and her family. “We’re gonna find her,” she stated firmly to her eldest daughter “We’re gonna get Penny back.”

“We will Mom,” Riley agreed, “We will.”

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Yes the option to not go on Caine’s adventure was always available, but it didn’t mean that the ringmaster was too happy whenever someone decided to stay behind. Right now, Zooble was idly walking down one of the hallways on the tent, kicking their foot against the carpet a few times. Ironically enough, Zooble wasn’t the first and only one who volunteered to stay behind for the day. Nope, it was Gangle who asked first.

Normally the ribboned lady wouldn’t mind tagging along on an adventure with everyone else, but today she turned away at the offer trudging back into the circus. Zooble had instantly recognised that it wasn’t Gangle’s usual behaviour and decided to stay back too. He would deal with Caine’s shenanigans once the pair of dentures came back with the rest of the crew.

Zooble paced up and down the hallway, the day was nearly up but she hadn’t actually worked up the courage to see if Gangle was okay. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but Gangle was one of the sweetest and sensitive people here. Zooble cherished the fact that someone like her wanted to be friends with someone like him, to the point that they even got a bit nervous when talking with her one on one. But right now, there was something obviously wrong with Gangle and Zooble made the choice to stay behind to make sure that she didn’t feel less alone. Yet here she was, keeping a distance from the masked lady because he was nothing but afraid.

But then they stopped. When he was in the gloink hole, Gangle was the only one to realise he was missing, even being brave enough to try and bring her back. It would be selfish of Zooble to not at least try to comfort the girl and see if she was okay. Swallowing both his fears and pride, Zooble marched themselves down the hall to find Gangle.

He found her sitting on the stage, her silk legs drawn up to her chest as she sighed to herself, her comedy mask was once again broken and she had to rely on her secondary, sombre one instead. Under Zooble’s stoic expression, she was absolutely terrified. They didn’t know why, Gangle was their friend. Why did they feel afraid to start a conversation alone with a friend. Their sweet…kind…pretty friend. Ah! Pull yourself together! Gangle needs you!

Zooble took a deep breath, he could do this. And so, he walked up to the stage, slipping into their usual and calm posture, “Hey Gangle. No adventure today?”

She jumped a bit at the sound of her name, relaxing when they saw who it was, “No, not today. I wasn’t in the mood.”

“Oh,” Zooble nodded awkwardly. They weren’t really good at the emotional fluffy stuff, every time they tried she somehow always reached a dead end. But he didn’t want Gangle feeling this lonely, he had to at least try and help her out, “Any reason why?”

Gangle rubbed her arm, giving Zooble a sad smile, “It’s okay Zooble. If you have somewhere to be then you can go, you don’t need to stay and talk to me if you don’t want to.”

“No I do!” Zooble said a bit too quickly, making Gangle squeak. “Gah, sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to sound like that. It’s…ugh how does Ragatha do this so easily?” They closed their eyes for a moment, breathing deeply before opening them again. “I’m here because I want to be. And I’m always willing to lend an ear if you need to talk. Gangle, if there’s anything you wanna say or do, I’m here.”

The ribboned woman seemed to be taken aback by that, not fully expecting that level of support from the usual reclusive assortment of parts. But she wasn’t complaining, she liked seeing this side of Zooble. “Well, it’s just…” she started, fiddling with the ends of her ribbons for a moment. “I’m happy that Pomni and Jax have their memories back, really I am. And it really is sweet that they used to be together, but…”

“But?” Zooble asked.

“…Jax has done nothing but torment us, prank us and make our lives miserable,” Gangle spoke. “Every day, he’s done nothing but go out of his way to annoy us just because he likes seeing funny things happen to people. And now he has his memories back and we’re suddenly happy for him?! After all he put us through. As if it erases everything he did to us! With Pomni, I’m glad that she remembers who she was. She was so scared when she got here and Caine has done nothing to help her, so it’s good finally seeing her smile. But with Jax? It might be wrong for me to say but it doesn’t seem fair! We’ve been trying everything to remember who we were, all the while he laughed at us for doing so! Like he hadn’t tried doing so in the first place as well yet he still made fun of us! And now he gets them back just like that! I wanna remember! I tried so hard to! Yet he berated me for trying and he-”

She covered her mouth, ashamed. She said too much. “Oh gosh, that’s horrible what I just said!” her eyes darted round the area. “I need to find my comedy mask, that why I’ll stop talking like this and be happy! Where is it? I swore I had it here somewhere, it’s not broken. Oh god, what if it is?! No, no, no! I need my comedy mask! I need it! I wanna stop feeling like this!”

“Gangle! You’re okay!” Zooble quickly caught Gangle’s flailing hands in theirs, holding them firmly yet gently. “You’re not a horrible person for saying that and I get what you’re trying to say. I know you don’t mean anything bad by it and I understand your frustration. Am I glad that bozo has his memories back, sure. But it doesn’t mean that I forgave and forgot all that he put us through, and you don’t need to either. If someone as weird as Jax can get his memories back, then someone as amazing as you can get yours back too.”

Gangle lips parted for a moment, speechless at the honesty in Zooble’s tone. “Y-you think I’m amazing?” she whispered.

Zooble’s voice got caught in her throat, her entire face flustering up as she removed his hands from Gangle’s. “Well, yeah,” they replied nonchalantly. “You don’t overwhelm me like Caine or annoy me like Jax. Plus I like your acts you put on.”

Gangle practically beamed at that, “You like my acts?”

“Hehe, of course,” Zooble’s eyes gleamed. “You got a real talent for that.”

The masked lady giggled, “You know, for someone who doesn’t think they’re good at soft stuff, I think you did a pretty great job with talking to me.”

“Oh,” Zooble blushed, clearing their throat before mumbling, “Thank you. And your comedy mask, you wanna leave it or…”

“No I can’t leave it,” Gangle quickly told her. “Everything just gets too much in here, I need my mask to make it easier, to make me happier. That way I won’t bring everyone down and I’ll be as happy as I need to be.”

Zooble furrowed his brows at Gangle’s statement, “But you don’t bring-”

“Oh, I think I know where it is!” Gangle grinned. “I’ll be back soon! Thank you Zooble!” She then tore off down the hall, all the way back to the bedroom quarters.

“Wait but…” Zooble reached out an arm to her, but Gangle was already gone. “But you don’t need your mask to be happy.”

They sighed. They had seen Gangle smile without the mask, a real genuine smile that wasn’t forced by some code from the character model forced onto her. If anything, Zooble swore that the mask only made things worse for Gangle, making her rely on it more and more. Zooble wished to see that real smile again.

Their train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a group of voices, tired and groaning. She turned, looks like the adventure was over for today. “Jeez, what happened to you guys?” they asked.

“Football stadium adventure,” Ragatha mumbled, rubbing her lower back. “Turns out when you put four inexperienced players against a group of NPC’s coded with tons of knowledge about it, you tend to face a lot of back pain.”

Zooble hissed through his teeth, “Yikes.”

“But it’s all a part of the adventure!” Caine boomed, making them all jump. “After all! How boring would it be if you didn’t learn at all!”

“You couldn’t at least give us a tutorial?” Jax grumbled. “Was that really too hard for you to do dentures?” He wasn’t really angry for himself. Well, he was. But Pomni had a really hard time on her feet during the whole game, easily being outnumbered and beaten by the NPC’s.

At one point, one of them kicked her in the leg instead of the ball, sending her to the ground. For a moment, Jax had forgotten all about the pretending, tackling the NPC to the ground before checking on his secret fiancé. Thankfully, Caine saw it as Jax thinking they were playing soccer (despite him literally kicking the ball for hours on end) and being a good teammate. Jax had never been more thankful for the AI’s naivety, especially when it gave him a chance to take Pomni to a nursing room and dressing her wound (he wouldn’t forget about how her cheeks turned red when he kissed the side of her bandaged knee).

“Anyhow!” Caine fiddled with his cane before tossing it away, a cartoonish sound effect resonating from where it landed. “I suggest you all rest up! We’ve gotten even more adventures planned for tomorrow and you’ll all need a good feast and rest before that!”

“Oh great, its not as if we heard that line before,” Jax muttered. Pomni crossed her arms over her chest, raising a brow at the rabbit. Jax only grinned, rolling his eyes at the pair of dentures before circling his finger at the temple of his head, clearing stating his opinion of the ringmaster. Pomni scoffed, failing to hide a smile at her fiancé. Jax’s face softened, he’ll never get tired of making her smile.

 “I’ll leave everyone to themselves before dinner!” Caine boomed with his usual, yet unsettling, toothy grin. “Take care my superstars!”

Like the same song and dance he had done many times before, the pair of dentures vanished in a puff of smoke. Jax waited a few seconds, making sure that the ringmaster was gone before rushing over to Pomni. “How’s your knee? Does it still hurt?” he asked, brushing his hand over the bandage.

“Yeah Hun I’m okay,” Pomni reassured him, petting behind his ears. “I’m sure it’s just a bruise now with the way things work here.”

His brows furrowed worriedly, “You sure? No more aches?”

“No more aches,” Pomni repeated.

“Good, good,” Jax let his thumb brush over the bandaged skin one more time before standing up. “So, you ready to get back to business.”

Pomni took in a sharp breath, both excitement yet a hint of nerves washing through her, “Yeah, let’s go see my Mom.”

Jax nodded, the two of them going down the hall again, unable to feel the gaze of everyone else���s eyes on them.

“Still having doubts Rags?” Zooble turned to the ragdoll.

“A little bit,” Ragatha nodded, a bit of shame shown on her face. “It’s not that I don’t trust them. I guess I’m just…scared. We never had anything like this. It could go either really well or…” She didn’t want to finish that sentence. She didn’t want to finish that thought! Never before had they tittered on a tight rope so close to collapsing. If this went wrong, then all of them could suffer a fate worse than abstraction. No, no she wasn’t going to think about that. It she was brought down, then so would everyone else. And she wasn’t going to allow herself to act so selfishly, “Never mind, how about I go see if Bubble would like help making dessert?”

Zooble frowned at Ragatha’s shift in mood, “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Ragatha questioned innocently.

“You always do that, act like you’re not sad when you are,” Zooble told her. “You’re allowed to not have good days, you know that right?”

“Oh Zooble, you worry too much,” Ragatha patted his arm. “I’m absolutely fine, no bad thoughts in my head whatsoever. Now, I think a pie would do well for dessert for tonight, don’t you think?”

With that, the ragdoll turned on her heel and headed to the kitchen. That was two people in a row that pretended to be happy to Zooble. He hated when that happened, when they forced down any type of negativity in the fear of being abstracted. It wasn’t fair that this threat kept hovering over everyone’s head, and Zooble hated it that Caine didn’t do anything to sooth their worries, instead leaving them to wallow with shallow adventures that they all hated. It was another reason why Zooble felt bitter with Jax, he kept pushing them on the brink every single time while knowing how much they all feared the fate of the cellar, yet he never stopped. Zooble felt frustrated tears at the corners of her eyes, allowing them to fall. The others might be too scared to cry, but they didn’t want to (part of them was glad that Pomni felt the same way as well).

He felt a hand cover her shoulder, rubbing it carefully like a parent would do with their child. Zooble turned his hand, it was Kinger. His eyes didn’t meet theirs, still lost in his own worlds of chaos and insects. Yet his hands moved on their own, as though another part of his mind wanted to reach out and sooth them. Zooble sniffed, if they could smile then he would be smiling at Kinger right there and now. As crazy as it sounded in her head, Kinger somehow seemed to be the sanest of them all.

.

.

.

Knock, knock

Riley rushed to the door, opening it wide as it revealed the startled face of one Samual Abel. “Samual,” she gasped. “Thank you so much for coming! I’m so, so sorry!”

“Miss Riley, it’s okay,” he smiled softly. “I already told you I forgive you.”

“I know, I know,” Riley brushed back some of her red hair. “But you didn’t need to. You could have just accepted my apology and moved on, but you forgave me. Why? The way I spoke to you was awful.”   

Samual shrugged, “When I was a kid, my Dad always taught me that forgiveness is a heavy thing. Many people will feign an apology just so they can unburden themselves with forgiveness without actually being sorry. I don’t forgive a lot of people, I don’t think I can forgive some of the people at C&A for lying to me and letting Jason control me, I know that if they said sorry it wouldn’t erase all that happened over the years. But you, you didn’t know. You were tricked and I know that you meant how sorry you were. That’s the difference that my Dad taught me about, I’ll know the right people to forgive and not to bring myself down with the people I don’t choose to give that right to.”

This kid was just too kind, speaking with a wisdom many people who lived longer on this earth lacked, “Your father sounds like a good man.” Not many people have that luck.  

“Both he and my mother were great people,” Samual’s eyes were warm, lost in a memory of love and comfort from so many years ago. He blinked them away, his face simple yet determined. “Anyways, you got something to show me?”

Riley nodded, slipping back into business, “Yeah, let me introduce you to my Mom. She’s the one who got the messages.”

She led Samual into the house, shutting the door behind him. Amber came into the room, her hands clasped together and a cardigan wrapped around her shoulders. “Oh, hello,” she blinked in surprise at the sight of the boy. She turned to Riley, “Is this Samual?”

“Yeah, this is him,” Riley confirmed.

“Hi, it’s so nice to meet you,” Amber walked over, wrapping her arms around him, his eyes widening in surprise. “Riley told me what happened, I’m so sorry all this happened to you.”

He stood frozen for a moment, as though he wasn’t used to someone wanting to hug him back. But his arms wrapped tight around Amber like Riley expected, burying his face into her shoulder. He was shaking a bit, she couldn’t hear any sobs but Riley was certain that the kid hadn’t received this level in security in a while. Hopefully with how things were going so far, that would change soon enough. Soon, Samual pulled away, trying to still his shaking hands. “Right, so,” he took a step back, his hands shoved into his pockets. “Ready to get to work?”

Amber nodded, grinning, “This way.” She guided him to the sofa, letting him sit down as the computer switched on next to him. “It was so bizarre. I’m not sure what your experience was like, all I know from Riley was that you only received messages.”

Samual lifted a brow, “I guess yours had more to it.”

“Yes,” Amber confirmed. “Before I got the messages, all my lights were flickering, like something or…someone was controlling it. That’s when I got these.” Once the computer was up and functioning, Amber clicked onto the documents that held the words from her daughter.

Samual shifted closer, “Yeah, this is certainly…different. I only got emails, but it looks like someone wrote this if it’s on a document.”

“That’s the thing,” Amber turned to him. “I don’t know how but Penny was in this room. I couldn’t see or feel how but she was there, controlling the lights and writing to me.”

Samual’s eyes widened, no disbelief was seen but rather surprise at this new revelation, “Your daughter is trying to communicate with you. She even managed to be here with you somehow.”

“Yes, yes!” Amber exclaimed, grinning. “She was right here in this room.”

“But you said not physically?” Riley asked, her tone curious rather than accusatory.  “She managed to speak to you but her body wasn’t here?”

“Unfortunately,” Amber’s face fell slightly.

“So wherever she is, she’s still trapped,” Riley sighed.

Samual got up, facing the two women, “But it doesn’t seem impossible to find her. If she managed to get here the first time than its possible that she could come back.”

Riley bit her lip, “But how would we know?”

“Riley’s right,” Amber agreed. “I might have spoken to her then but I don’t know how to get in contact with her again-”

The lamp flickered, the trio’s attention focused in on it. “I’m guessing that wasn’t my eyes playing tricks on me?” Riley observed, her toes curling at the thought of who she hoped it was.

“Nope,” Amber’s grin returned, whipping back round to the computer. “Penny, is that you baby?”

Hey Mom

I’m back

Riley’s hands covered her mouth, her knees dropping to the ground, “Penny? Is that really you?”

Unbeknownst to Riley, Pomni had done the same thing. Matching her sister as she tried to stifle a sob, “Hey Jax, do you mind?”

The rabbit chuckled behind her, watching the exchange go down. There were no memory-like pathways this time, just a simple walk through the door and they arrived right back in the living room, “Yeah babe, I got it.”

She’s here, she just got a little overwhelmed seeing you all again

Hi Mrs Reed

It’s good to see you again

Amber brows furrowed in confusion for a moment before realisation struck. There was only one other person that she knew who disappeared the way her youngest daughter did, “Jack?”

Yup, that’s me

Hope you’re not too disappointed

The older woman let out a breathless laugh, about to reply with how happy she was to see him…until she was interrupted by another voice, “YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

Jax’s ears pressed flat against his head as Riley stood from the ground, fury written all over her face. Pomni, Amber and Samual had to take a few steps away from the raging woman.

“YOU TELL MY SISTER THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO MARRY HER AND TRY TO MOVE AWAY ON THE DAY OF YOUR WEDDING! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!” Riley screamed loudly. “YOU’RE SO LUCKY I CAN’T SEE YOU OTHERWISE I WOULD RIP OFF BOTH YOUR ARMS AND LEGS AND FEED THEM TO WOLVES WHILE WATCHING YOU BLEED OUT!”

Jax gulped, he should have known this was coming. After all he heard from Winter how Riley slammed someone’s head against a table just because they looked at Penny funny, if he wasn’t in the circus he would be on a missing poster by now. He took a deep breath, typing away on the keyboard.

You’re allowed to be angry

Furious

What I did was unforgivable and I understand if you won’t forgive me

But please understand then when I say sorry, I mean it

I’m so sorry Riley

For hurting your sister the way I did

For everything

Riley crossed her arms as she scowled, letting herself think long and hard about it, emphasise on long (she wanted to make him suffer at least a little bit). Jack was an asshole for what he did, but she knew what he went through as a kid and how hard he tried to make things right both for himself and for everyone else. She looked to Samual, the boy giving her a smile and a thumbs up before she turned back with a sigh, “Thank you for your apology.”

Jax’s stomach did a flip. There was a thank you, but no forgiveness. It was expected, a bit disappointing, but also a good start.

You’re welcome

Riley’s face turned soft again, shifting her feet on the rug below her, “Penny, are you…can you speak to me?”

Pomni clenched her hands, grinning and trembling with excitement as she rushed over to the computer.

Hey Riles

Please don’t kill Jack when we get back

Riley sniffed, wiping a stray tear from her cheek, “I’ll try not to, but I’ll do it for you Pen. Oh my god I missed you so much.”

Pomni bit back her sob, if she missed her mother so much already, then the weight of missing Riley hit like a bag of bricks.

I missed you too

You’re making me cry Riles

“I can’t help it,” Riley laughed. “You’ve been gone for three months.”

I know

You have no idea how much I wanna hug you all – Penny (did that so you can tell who you’re talking to)

Jax hummed, amused by her quick choice, “Smart.”

She gave the rabbit a quick grin before she turned her gaze to the boy in the living room, tilting her head curiously.

Who’s that guy?

Jax followed her gaze, letting out a small gasp of realisation at who it was, “Samual Abel?!”

“Wait, you mean-?” she realised now who he was talking about.

“Penny, Jack,” Riley walked over to the boy. “This is Samual Abel, son of Kaleb and Quinn Abel. He’s gonna be helping us get you home.”

“Uh, yeah,” Samual replied nervously. “Hi again Mister Jack, nice to meet you Miss Penny. Um, I’m really sorry I couldn’t do more for you when Jason came up to you that day Jack.”

Jax frowned as his fingers reach for the keyboard again.

It was nobody’s fault but my own kid

I was the one who took up Jason’s offer

Don’t beat yourself up about it – Jack

“Copycat,” Pomni stuck her tongue out at him.

Jax chuckled, “Couldn’t help it little lady,”

“But I should have done something!” Samual stood so fast it nearly gave him whiplash. “Jason always does this! He knows it’s dangerous when people touch that stupid game! The moment he said where he was sending you I knew what job he was talking about! I could have stopped all this!”

Riley faced the boy, confused, “Game? What game?”

“That fucking game!” he cursed. “It’s been the root of all of our problems yet he never got rid of it! It started small with people disappearing in the company with headsets left behind, but then it started spreading somehow to the public! And now we lost the file! It keeps jumping from place to place and we can never catch it! All because Jason was too stubborn to get rid of it!”

“Sam, Sam, hey,” Riley clicked her fingers in front of his face, his attention solely focused on her. “What game are you talking about.”

Samual’s buried his face into his hands, a stressed groan leaving his mouth, “It was supposed to be a VR remake of the first game my dad made, but Jason kept making too many shaky choices with it. Then my parents disappeared. I hate that game… ‘The Amazing Digital Circus’.”

Pomni gasped, “That was the game I saw when I tried to find you!” She turned to Jax, “We’re stuck inside the game!”

“I-I remember!” Jax clenched his hands. “When I disappeared! That was the file I saw!”

It fell on deaf ears. “The reason why Jason wanted to send Jack away was because that was where the last person went missing, the last time we saw the file,” Samual told them. “He wanted to send Jack there as a way to retrieve the file and get back to working on the game again, even if he knew it wasn’t safe. Unfortunately the file routed its way back to this city and took Jack with him.”

“And then it took Penny,” Amber whispered.

“Okay,” Riley gathered herself, her mind settling back into business. “Jason sent Jack away and lied to everyone for all these years. That wasn’t your fault Samual.”

“But I-” he tried to speak.

“You told me that whenever you tried to speak up to talk to someone then Jason would get in the way and scare you into stopping,” she stated firmly. “Don’t blame yourself because a grown man was enough of a coward to bully a child.”

He looked like he was about to retort, but a stern glare from Riley was all that he needed to heed what she said, “Ok Miss Riley.”

“Next,” she moved on. “What should be our second course of action.”

Pomni quickly moved back to the computer.

No one else in the circus has their memories

Is there a way we can try and help them get them back? – Penny

“Oh, oh wait!” Samual piped up, an idea bright in his mind. “I overheard Jason talking about this. He has USB files of each person that went missing, including their past leading up to this point.”

“You overhear a lot of stuff kid,” Riley crossed her arms. “I didn’t mean that as a criticism, just observing.”

“Hehe, well, when you’ve been isolated from everyone and everything all your life you tend to get a bit bored,” Samual replied with a wry smile. “Case in point, eavesdropping on the guy you’re suspicious off in order to gather information.”

“So if we get the USB files and hook them into this computer,” Amber started to catch on.

“It could help get their memories back,” Samual finished. “I’ll get to see if my parents are there!”

“This is amazing!” Amber cheered. “Well, not fully amazing because their all still stuck but we’re getting somewhere. Oh wait till Winter hears about Jack being alive!”

A wide grin appeared on Jax’s face. Winter, his sister, he could finally see her again! Reassure her that he was alive-

“-Wait! No, no!” Riley quickly interjected, making everyone become quickly confused at her sudden outburst. “We can’t tell Winter, not yet at least.”

Amber blinked in surprise, “Honey, she’s your wife. She’s been missing Jack for so long, she needs to know the truth.”

Pomni watched as Jax’s ear twitch, a slight scowl was on his face. He didn’t like this one bit.

 “I know that,” Riley said. “But you weren’t there when Jack was gone. She went nearly catatonic, unable to move, speak or eat. The devastation of losing him for so long nearly broke her. We nearly lost Percy in birth because of the impact. I…I can’t risk that happening again.”

A slow, angered breath released through Jax’s nose as he started to type again.

This is a mistake Riley

Winter deserves to know

You can’t keep this from her – Jack

Riley shook her head, “I’m doing this to protect her. It’s for her own good Jack.”

He wasn’t convinced, turning away from her. Riley shouldn’t have to make that choice for Winter, it wasn’t fair! She needed to know, not be kept in the dark!

Pomni patted his hand softly as she went to the keyboard.

But he’s right Riley – Penny

“I’ll tell her eventually,” Riley reassured everyone. “J-just not now, until I know for sure that everything will be fine.”

Pomni sighed. Riley was as stubborn as they came, there was no changing her mind with this.

Both rabbit and jester jumped when they heard the dinner bell ringing from outside the exit door. It was time to go.

We have to leave

You better know what you’re doing Riley – Penny

“What? But you just came back!” Riley cried.

Amber put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, “Don’t worry. If this interaction has proved anything, they’ll be back.”

Riley was unconvinced, but if there was anyone she trusted more than anything, it was her mother. “Ok,” she nodded, “Just…please be safe Penny.”

I will

And like that, both rabbit and jester rushed out the door. They were able to make it on dinner on time, and Caine was none the wiser about what happened. But despite the feast laid out in front of him, everything that Riley said left a bitter taste in Jax’s mouth. After Penny, Winter was the one he was closest to out of anyone in his life. He might not have been the greatest person, but Winter was the furthest thing from bad. She was the reason that he started to believe that good things could happen in his life, and now Riley was refusing to tell her that he was here and alive.

It felt so wrong.

Pomni’s hand was on his leg, still yet reassuring. It was a silent confirmation that she was on his side about this. He laid his hand atop hers, making sure it was out of Caine’s sight. He squeezed it, hopefully things would be okay…they had to be.

.

.

.

“Riley…”

Black, everything was black.

“Riley…”

It was like she was stuck in inky tar, unable to move her feet, stuck in the black substance.

“Riley.”

She looked up, the redhead gasped as she saw one very familiar, visible figure.

“Penny?” Riley’s voice sounded louder in her ears.

The brunette was wearing the same outfit Riley had last seen her in, a plain white T-shirt and grey leggings. Though it looked dirtier than she last remembered, and why were her eyes shut?

“Why did you leave me?” Penny’s voice echoed.

Riley was startled by the sudden statement, “What?”

“You’re my big sister,” Penny mumbled. “You’re supposed to protect me…yet you didn’t.”

“No, Penny I didn’t mean for you to get trapped!” Riley yelled out for her. “I’m doing everything I can to bring you home!”

“You said you would always be there for me,” Penny whispered back. “You said that no matter what happens I would be safe if you were there…but you weren’t…you didn’t save me…you’re a liar.”

“I’m so sorry Penny,” Riley sobbed, hands on her leg as she tried to pull them out, but to no avail. “I’m really sorry!”

“Liar,” Penny repeated.

“Liar!”

“LIAR!”

“L̷̩͚̯̲̖͖̙͔̹̬̮͉̲̝̑̊̀́ͅỈ̸̢̹̝̝͓͔̟̠̌́́̆͝Á̵̬͎͛̐̑̔̃̈́̓R̶̳̪̩̹̳̬̻̜̫͇̓̏̀͐͒͂̚͠͝͝”

Riley gasped, trying to run but she was frozen solid in the ink. Suddenly, the darkness was replaced by thousands of multicoloured eyes staring at her as Penny drew closer.

The brunette grabbed Riley by the collar of her shirt. It was nothing but silence.

Then her eyes opened.

Riley screamed when she saw that they were as hollow and black as the ink.

Penny opened her mouth again, the same ink leaking out from her lips as she screeched one more time.

Ļ̷̨̛͚̙̭̖̩̥̝͇̮̻̼͍͎̗͉͍̦͖̹͎͔͈̞̰̟̯̩̝̠̻̫͕̱��̎͊̽̈́̇̀͊̄̑͋̅͊̔̄͒̃̀͌̈́̏̈͆͐̋̓͐̾͛̊̈́̈́́̏̋̀̄̏̈̚̚͘͘̕̕͠ͅ��̶̧̧̧̛̛̪͔̝͚̫͎̝̬͈̺̫̭̱̞̹͖̞̹̳̻͖̫͉̋̓͋̈́̓͂͗͐̈́̐̈͐̒͗͆̏͛̈̏͌͗͑̈́̐͐̔̂̊͊́͆͆̒̓̾̀̀̾͘̚̕̕̚͜͝ͅͅA̷̢̧̛̛̻̳̞̬̟͇̟̟͉͔̻̻͙̩̣͈̖̘͙̪̱͎̰͙̝͚̣͈̓͒̎͛̆̓̋͌̅̈́͂̏̎̈́̅̍̈̈́̆̕͜͝͠͝ͅR̴̡͈̞͔̮̻̩͋͂͑̚ͅ

.

.

.

Riley awoke with a scream tearing from her throat, her hands fisting the bed sheets beneath her. She failed her, she failed Penny, she couldn’t save her, she was nothing but a failure-

“Riley, Riley!” Winter reached out, taking her wife’s hands in hers. “It’s okay, see, everything is ok.”

Riley was still trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Breathe with me babe,” Winter told her, taking deep breaths in and out again. Riley gulped down a sob, repeating her wife’s pattern. Eventually, she breath was even again and she was calm enough to see her surroundings. There was no ink, no eyes. She was in her bedroom with Winter as the other woman turned the lamp on beside the bed. “It’s okay, it was just a nightmare.”

She was about to bring Riley back into her arms, before the redhead pulled away and stood up, “Sorry I didn’t mean to wake you. I’ll go sleep in the guest room, to let you rest before work.”

“No, wait, Riley!” Winter shouted as her partner gathered up her pillow and a spare blanket. “I just wanna talk, you don’t have to do this.”

“I want to get some sleep before work, alright? Conversation over,” Riley stated, gathering what she needed in her arms before marching to the door.

“Riley enough!” Winter yelled, making Riley freeze in her tracks still facing the door. “We can’t keep doing this.”

“Doing what?” she retorted bitterly.

“You avoiding me,” Winter told her. “Especially when you’re hurting. You can’t keep pretending that I don’t exist just because you’re too scared to talk about Penny.”

Riley bit her tongue, nearly drawing blood, “I’m not scared Winter. Stop it.”

“Where were you last night?” Winter questioned, unrelenting. “Yesterday you wouldn’t answer your phone after I tried calling you for hours. Where were you?”

Riley couldn’t say, she couldn’t. If Winter was told about Jack, she feared about what could happen. She still remembered Winter’s pale face, nearly slipping in and out of consciousness during Percy’s C-section. She nearly lost both her wife and her son that day. She couldn’t tell her, it’s for her own good.

“My mom’s house, my phone was on silent,” she said, her voice void of emotion. “I’m tired.”

She slammed the door behind her, leaving Winter all alone. The black-haired woman brought her knees to her chest, too exhausted to cry. Too tired to keep having these moments with Riley. She would give anything just to have her wife back.

.

.

.

“Well good morning little lady,” Jax bowed as he walked out of his room the next morning. “And how was your sleep last night?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be subtle?” Pomni placed her hands on her hips. “Cause as far as I can’t tell, I don’t think this is what it’s supposed to be.”

“But it made you smile, right?” he smirked.

Pomni blushed, he was right, she was smiling, “Shut up.”

He chuckled, nudging his head to the direction down the hallway, “Hungry?”

“Yeah, I could eat,” Pomni nodded. She was about to walk beside him when she noticed something in the corner of a door from one of the past circus members. She cocked her head to the side as she inspected it further.

Jax paused in his tracks when he noticed that his fiancé wasn’t next to him, “Pen?” He saw her staring at the door of an old string-worm character, coming up behind her carefully so he wouldn’t spook her. “What is it?”

“Do you see that?” she inquired.

“See what?” he asked.

She pointed to the corner, “That.”

Jax’s eyes squinted as he followed her fingers, they widened when they finally noticed what Pomni was talking about. The corner was glitching, similar to how Ragatha was when Kaufmo attacked her on the jester’s first day. “How is this possible?” Pomni observed.

“I…I don’t know,” Jax replied honestly. “I don’t think we’ve seen anything like this.”

Suddenly, the glitch sparked wildly and loudly, making them jump back in surprise. It started to spread across the door, erasing the face of the string worm with its flashing colours. Jax held Pomni protectively, guiding her away from the door as they stepped away slowly. They watched as little by little, it swallowed up the door, before disappearing entirely.

Both of them panted in surprise, this wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all. “I think we need to hurry with our escape plan,” Pomni told the rabbit holding her.

“Agreed,” Jax nodded. “We’re on a timer Pomni.”

“The question is how long do we have?” her voice shook slightly, gripping onto him.

“Long enough for us to get out of here,” he told her, reassurance in his voice. “That much I know.”

“O-okay,” Pomni hated that she was stuttering, but the sudden fright of what happened didn’t seem to be letting go of her anytime soon.

“Come on, let’s get downstairs before Caine tries to find us,” Jax stood, holding out his hand and helping up the jester.

While the two walked down the hallway, they couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling of what just happened. Did they really not have enough time? Was it just another strange part of this world?

Those questions rung through their mind as they walked down the hall, unaware of a second little glitch behind them in another little corner of the hall.

[starlightglimglam27666]

Cheering Up Player

Summary: After Player is made fun of by Bron and Boxy Boo, the Smiling Critters decide to cheer him up.

It was far from an average day at Playtime Co. Bobby BearHug was just minding her own business when she noticed Player running away, looking upset. Bobby doesn't like it when her friends are upset, especially if it's Player. She asked Poppy to be in charge of her tasks until she returns. She went to the others to tell them what was going on.

"Guys! I just saw Player running away and I think he was crying, too?" Bobby said, talking with the others.

"Oh, why is Player so upset?" Crafty asked, worried about Player.

"Who did this to him?" CatNap asked, angrily. "I want names and numbers!"

"CatNap, calm down," said DogDay. "It's not a crime scene."

"Guys, I think we should focus on how we're going to cheer up Player," said KickinChicken.

"I know!" Bubba Bubbaphant exclaimed. "It's the perfect plan! I know just how to cheer him up!"

"How?" PickyPiggy asked, shrugging.

"We tickle him!" Bubba said, grabbing a box and taking a feather out.

"You had that this entire time?" Hoppy Hopscotch said, staring at him.

"I had a lot of time on my hands," Bubba said, smiling.

Player was in his room, hugging himself, tears flowing freely. The Smiling Critters came in, going over to him. Bobby hugged him with one of her signature comfort hugs.

"Player, why are you crying?" asked Kickin.

"Boxy Boo and Bron made fun of me," Player said, wiping his eyes. "all because of my personality disorders."

"Those monsters! They're gonna get it from me!" CatNap said, getting a look from DogDay.

"It's okay, Player," Crafty said, rubbing his back. "Everyone has personality disorders. Especially us."

Bubba, unable to contain himself, ran over to Player and started tickling him.

"Hey! That tickles!" Player said, giggling.

"Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Bubba said, tickling his tummy, causing him to burst out laughing.

"STAHAHAHAHAHAP IHIHIHIHIT! I'M TOHOHOHO TICKLISH THEHEHEHERE!" Player protested through his laughter as the feather tickled him.

"Guys, join in!" Bubba said, with the others obliging. CatNap and DogDay tickled Player's sides, Hoppy and Picky tickled under his arms, Kickin tickled his ribs and Bubba, Crafty and Bobby tickled his tummy, making him overwhelmed with hysterical laughter. Kickin tickling his ribs was worse because Kickin had feathers unlike the rest.

"NOHOHOHOHOHO! PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAHAHAP IHIHIHIHIT! THIHIHIHIHIHIS ISN'T FUHUHUHUHUHUNNY!" Player pleaded through his laughter as he was shown no mercy by the Critters. He soon felt his earlier sad mood disappear and be replaced by laughter.

After twenty minutes of nonstop tickling, feeling like hours for Player, Bubba blew a raspberry and the Smiling Critters let him go.

"Did... we go too far?" Kickin asked, hoping Player wasn't unhappy with them.

"You didn't," Player said as he was catching his breath. After he fully caught his breath, he lightly tickled Kickin's tummy before stopping.

"Hehe! That tickles!" Kickin said, backing away.

Little did they know, CatNap snuck away to have a word with two certain perpetrators.

[uswnt5]

Okay, so I have been sitting on this for a while now, thinking on whether or not I should share this. I've been working in woso for a few years now, specifically women's academy football and I want to add something to this horrifying cycle of abuse we keep seeing in sports. I see a lot of people wondering "how the fuck does this keep happening" and "where the fuck do they keep finding such horrid people" and I want to provide an inside perspective.

When I started working in woso, I was given the chance to work for the first team or for their academy team. I was young and thought I could change the world so I chose the academy team. At that point we still only had one academy team, a U18 team that played in the second division of women's football. I was an idealist and wanted to do more than just work in football, I wanted to innovate and improve football, and I thought a young academy team would give me more opportunities to do so.

I worked with young girls from ages 15 to 18. And I thought I was amazing at it. I would have done anything for that first generation of kids that came up through me. One of them made her debut for the national team recently, and I was crying in the stadium the whole 16 minutes of playtime she got. I love those girls with all my heart, I really do.

But, I also learned very quickly how easy it is to lose yourself, and the person you think you are.

We discuss their bodies daily. We monitor their sleep, their mood, their periods, their fatigue, their weight, every little bit of exercise they do… I know their bodies better than I know my own sometimes. And with that familiarity comes a blurring of boundaries that I never expected myself to be capable of.

At the beginning of last season, one of our girls tore her ACL. It sucks, but it happens (her recovery went absolutely perfect and she's going to back in games sooner than anyone could have hoped). This girl is a 'high potential', tall, strong, really good with her left foot, and only 16 years old at that point. When I say tall and strong, her dad is build like freaking Hagrid and she definitely takes after him.

When the results of the scan came back, confirming the ACL tear, we had a meeting with the whole staff on how we were going to support her through this. Everyone signed the 'get well soon' card, and then we started on making the post-surgery plan. And at some point our PT said: we're really going to have to watch her, because she is going to get fat. With that bodytype, she is going to gain weight, she is not going to stay fit at all. She needs to be put on a diet, right now. Everyone around the table agreed. And we started to discuss how we could prevent her from getting fat while still keeping her knee safe. We were talking about a very injured little girl, and we were discussing her weight, using brutal and harmful language, as if we were discussing the weather.

Because that is part of professional sports, but the habit of talking about bodies, normalizes it. It becomes a casual conversation, and even with the best intentions, that casual conversation turns very cold very quickly. As if there was no human attached to that body. And from cold, it's only a short step before you become cruel.

When someone's body becomes a series of statistics, a product almost, you start to forget how to appropriately handle it. You forget that you shouldn't have ownership of what happens to that body, you forget that it is not normal.

I hope I never turn abusive, I hope someone steps in before it can even come close to abuse. And I too despise the people who abuse their athletes. But I know how easily you can lose yourself, even when your heart is in the right place.

And that is even without taking into account the stress that comes with having to perform at the highest level, how exhausted we all become the longer the season goes on, how worried we constantly need to be that one bad game is going to end our career at a club. I see my staff more than I see anyone in my family. We're starting pre-season in a week and yesterday I worked until 2AM. We haven't even started yet.

It's just a very difficult environment to work in and that frustration and stress does get taken out on the athletes too. And the exhaustion makes you say things that you know you can't say. It's so toxic, even good people just get lost in it.

I am not condoning what is happening now, I was capable of taking a step back and realizing that my words were not okay, that my actions were deeply flawed. If I can do that, everyone can. But the institution is broken, and that can only lead to broken people.

Wow, thanks for sharing. I can see how easily to can be to lose the human element of it when discussing a player as a "tool" used to better your "company" (team).

The institution is definiltey broken, you see it across all sports at every level.

[griffin-girl-r]

First Easter

Created: 22.04.2022

Finished: 24.04.2022

Edited: 11.09.2023

Word count: 1,086

Age: 10 months

Warning: Tony

Detka = Baby

Request: No

Summary: You and Natasha celebrate your first Easter together.

—

Natasha had never been a person who cared too much about celebrations like birthdays, Easter, Christmas, or any other there could be.

That was, of course, until she became a mother.

When Natasha unexpectedly had you, her world turned upside down, and suddenly all the things she was taught to be wrong and bad, were no longer wrong and bad.

She started to crave love and affection.

She wanted to be the best mother for you. To give you everything she couldn't have as a child.

Hugs, kisses, celebrations, silly faces, playtime, lullabies, or stories became the things the ex-assassin loved with all her heart now.

After you, of course.

You will always be the thing Natasha truly loves with all her being.

—

"Good morning, baby!" Natasha cooed at her baby as she took you out of your crib

"Mama!" You excitedly clapped your hands

You said your first word about a month ago and there weren't actually too many words that you could currently say. Three words. That was all you could say at the moment. But Natasha was so proud of you for being an early talker and she tried her best to slowly teach you new words.

As soon as you were in her arms, you snuggled closer to her chest and remained silent for a few seconds while Natasha rocked you from side to side.

"Guess what day it's today, baby?" Nat lowered her head to look at your face "It's Easter! Can you believe it, detka?! Your first Easter!"

As an answer, you started babbling when you heard Natasha's excitement and she couldn't help but smile and copy you.

—

"Where on Earth it's Stark?" Sam shouted as he entered the common room where everyone was gathered

"I don't know." Steve declared "No one had seen him the entire morning, not even Pepper."

"Why do I feel like he's about to do some stupid thing, only his ass could do?!" Bucky stated as he continued to eat some fruits from his plate

Let's just say that Bucky wasn't wrong at all.

Because when Tony ran inside the room dressed as a bunny, well... more like a drunk bunny, all the kids started screaming and crying.

All except you.

"Hey, hunny bunnies! Guess who's here?!" Tony started moving around the room and closer to you who were sitting in your mother's lap on the sofa

Natasha finished feeding you just in time before Tony made his grand entrance, scaring all the kids away.

Everyone collectively face palmed themselves, this was such a Tony move. And yet, they kind of expected him to do something like that. He's Tony after all.

"Mini Romanoff..." Tony extended his arms to take you from Natasha's "Come to Uncle Tony."

The moment Tony started removing you from your mom's arms, you screamed so loud that Tony almost dropped you to the ground. But as soon as Natasha held you again, your cries faded away.

Natasha only glared at Tony and the man vanished into thin air.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay. Mama's right here." Natasha whispered while rubbing your back as you hid your face in her chest, clinging to her

—

Natasha already had planned a lot of fun activities for you two to do together.

She started by dressing you in the cutest pink and white dress there exists and a baby jacket that had a white bunny on the back.

Then she took you outside the compound, and you both lay on a picnic blanket.

Natasha was looking mesmerized at you all the time. You were her little miracle and you simply amazed her more and more with each day that passed.

The way you would turn your head at every sound or how you would smile and babble when Natasha explained to you about nature and animals, and sounds or look where she pointed and carefully watched whatever she showed you with curious eyes, was something the woman thought she'll never get to experience because of her past.

—

"Look, Y/N! Here's your gift!" Natasha lowered down beside you a basket full of things, after you two returned from watching the duckies at the pond and feeding them

As soon as you saw the multitude of things in that basket you did your best to sit using all your baby strength and started giggling as you reached to pull the things out.

There were a few baby books, a baby blanket, some stuffed animals and interactive toys, and clothes. All for you.

You first reached for a stuffed dog.

"Pup." You smiled at your mom, proudly showing her your new toy "Mama. Pup."

"That's right, Y/N. It's a puppy. Good job!" She kissed the top of your head "Let's see what else you have here."

You spent the rest of the day in your mom's arms outside, playing with toys, listening to her as she read you from your new books and sang happy songs for you to clap and babble along and maybe even get you to learn a new word.

—

It was late and the day was almost over when Clint, Steve, Wanda, and a beat-up Tony, made their way inside the common room.

But as soon as they got inside, they froze in place.

"Is that... Romanoff?" Tony questioned "F.R.I.D.A.Y., record this please."

"Tasha?" Clint called for her

But Natasha was too focused to chase you, crawling all around the room. The sound of her laughter and happy voice, alongside your baby giggles, were filling the compound.

"I'm gonna catch you! I'm gonna catch you!" Natasha laughed as she crawled after you

The sight of her pretending to move faster only made you crawl as quickly as you could.

"Come on, guys!" Wanda pushed the boys out "It's not our place here. Let them have their moment. It's private!"

—

Even if they got out, Tony still kept the recording of Natasha crawling after her daughter during their playtime.

That video will become an important reminder for you of how much your mom loves you.

—

"I love you." Natasha whispered in your ear after she finished her lullaby but you were already sound asleep in her arms "I hope you enjoyed your first Easter as much as I did, baby."

Natasha's heart swelled from joy when you smiled in your sleep as she kissed your forehead before putting you back in your crib.

This was the first Easter ever for both of you and it was definitely a memorable one.

[weirdoldstans]

Okay, but Ford trying to be a baby one day and he just isn’t in the right headspace for it (nothings wrong, he just feels like being an adult for a bit), so he ends up taking off and throwing away his only kinda wet diaper and tells Stan that he’s going to check out some shops at whatever little coastal town they’re at. When he leaves, Stan, who has been taking care of him but who absolutely hasn’t brought up wanting to try things himself, has a bit of time to spare. And the poor guy has wanted to try diapers and playtime for such a long time, but maybe during his biker days (a brief period where he had a bunch of people he was constantly around) he got caught sucking his thumb sleeping with a stuffed animal he secretly had and was tormented by his gang. Like, it got really bad and they even shredded his plushie and he was so embarrassed and hurt that it was ultimately what made him leave so he’s just pushed all those feelings so far down that even now he can’t quite get to them. But with Ford gone he sneaks into his room and he knows that Ford has definitely counted how many diapers he has left so Stan just takes the used one and puts it on and oh my god he instantly falls in love. So he sits down and is playing with some blocks for a bit in just a t shirt and diaper with a binkie and he starts to get that tingly feeling. He starts thinking way to hard about how Ford wet this before him and it’s all warm and squishy against his dick and he just can’t himself but to start rubbing the front of said diaper. Once he’s fully hard Ford just barges in swearing to himself about forgetting his wallet and he just stops and stares and Stan goes beat red. But Ford is immediately so sweet and just smiles asking him why he didn’t tell him that he wanted to try being the baby and Stan’s a stammering mess as Ford’s eye flick to the pack of diapers and Stan can see the gears turning as he looks at the pattern on it and finally asks if that was the one he had been wearing. Stan can’t even speak so Ford just smiles and pushes him back, squeezing the his diaper against him and keeps rubbing him until Stan is moaning behind his binkie as he cums. Ford starts gently pressing on his bladder whispering and telling him it’s okay if he wants to use his diaper too so after a few minutes of Stan squirming and whimpering, he finally lets go while Ford praises him. And then Ford just hoists him up and to the bed and grabs a vibrator and presses it against him again. And Stan is stammering about how he’s not even sure he can get off twice in a row but Ford just gently shushes him and assures him that Ford will help and he does. He coos and praises him the entire time while Stan has to hide his face until he throws his head back when he cums a second time. And Ford is just so proud of him and hums gently as he sets to cleaning him up, powdering him, and taping him up in a nice clean diaper while Stan absentmindedly sucks on the binkie. And Ford curls up next to him afterwards and while Stan is falling asleep clinging tightly to him he quietly admits why he didn’t tell Ford and how his gang treated him as he slowly falls asleep. He wakes up and he’s no longer in Ford’s arms, but he’s sitting at the end of the bed reading and Ford beams at him when he wakes up and tells him he snuck off while Stan was napping and got him something and grabs a new teddy bear out of a bag and hands it to him. And Stan is just so overcome and he’s crying while Ford reassures him and dries his tears before helping him to the floor so he can play some more.

(I really hope you don’t mind getting stuff this long. It feels like I’m talking your head off. Sorry if this is annoying!)

NOT ANNOYING AT ALL I LOVE IT SO MUCH

wahhh i don’t even know where to begin…stan putting on ford’s wet diaper is SO GOOD, and jerking off in it AHHH AND FORD COMING BACK AND ENCOURAGING STAN TO WET THE DIAPER TOO IM GONNA EAT A TRUCK

AND!! ford getting stan a new teddy oh my goddd TOO CUTE THANK U FOR THIS

[hustlemeanokay]

Sometimes, I genuinely worry about the, what is it - Generation Z? Those who are about aged 20 or so. A lot of fic writers are in this age range, or at least they write like it/their concept of experiences read like it. (Nothing wrong with that at all, just gives off that vibe.) That's not the worrisome part. Not even the rise in CNC or dom/sub or like degradation kinks or anything like that. Those aren't worrisome - whatever tickles your pickle. What is worrisome, that I often see, is the loop around. I'll explain.

Character A (often male) will be a total and complete fuck-head; an asshole of epic proportions and Character B (often female or "reader") will get pissed about something and tell Character A to get fucked, rightfully so. OR Character A just yells at Character B for something because Character A is so "damaged" and they were pushed "too far" or something and Character B gets their feelings hurt, again - rightfully so. Anyway - so this event happens. Character A will often storm out or leave or something. And Character B will be angry/devastated/crying or whatever.

And okay, drama - I get it. But the issue that happens, the worrisome part... is that they will write Character B looping back around in their head and somehow believing that the whole thing really was their fault? Like "oh I shouldn't have pushed him that far" or "I really was being a bitch that day" or something and then Character B will completely take the blame for the whole thing and will be the one to apologize to Character A. And I'm always left sitting there just blinking at the screen. Because... that's not okay. That's really not okay. That's the loop around.

And I see this a lot. From a lot of different writers. And I genuinely hope that they know... that this is not okay in real life. Because art imitates life. We write about what we know and what we see and experience. And... this is not okay. Sometimes, yes - we can be a bitch and push buttons on purpose (male, fem, non-binary doesn't matter, I use bitch as a descriptive word) but we are responsible for our own actions. Not anyone else's. How someone reacts is their responsibility. While you can totally apologize for your behavior, you absolutely do not take all the blame if their response was to scream at you and storm out, making you think your entire relationship was over. Because keeping someone on edge like that? Pulling the rug out from under them and creating an environment with zero security? That's emotional abuse. Big time.

Over-reacting and loosing one's temper - not okay. Especially when you should be able to be a fucking adult and handle the situation while keeping in mind that you are still talking to the person you supposedly love. That's why things like name calling and shit are absolutely not okay, even in arguments - because they're still talking to their fucking partner. And if their anger has made them forget that? Or if they somehow think it's okay to call their partner names or say things specifically to hurt them? Then they are the asshole in the situation. If they're always threatening to leave or always kicking you out? That's fucking abuse, too.

So while I understand that there are kinks that revolve around degradation (not my bag but hey whatever) - there is a difference between playtime and real time. And when it's not playtime, that shit is not okay. And I really, really hope that these writers know that. Because seeing "reader" or Character B systematically, across multiple fics, multiple writers, take the blame for Character A's shitty behavior? It's worrisome.

[knightyoomyoui]

Sana x M Reader- “Ikaw Pa Rin” (It’s Still You)

Happy 24K reads and and also a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR SHIBA INU, BUBBLY SQUIRREL, GIRLFRIEND COLLECTOR, SANAKE, ULTIMATE BIAS WRECKER, MS. SHY SHY SHY, *inhales and exhales* DUALITY GODDESS AND ONCE'S ROYAL PRINCESS, Minatozaki Sana!

As a commemoration of her special day today and being true from what I mentioned on my announcement I gave days ago, HERE'S A TRIPLE UPDATE FOR YALL READERS!

But beware, this has an angst also just like the female reader featured one yet don't worry cuz the additional special one-shot will be FULL ON FLUFF.

Also, as you can see in the title ... it's in a different language called Tagalog (which is my native language and yes, I am a Filipino) so I guess you guys have a clue already on what you would encounter in this story, but don't worry... I tried my best to translate although it's not a bit perfectly accurate.

Lastly, these three new updates will be my final ones for this year and also to finally close Set 4 before I go on to my indefinite hiatus.

(This story is based on a Filipino song titled "Ikaw Pa Rin" by mrld. Go and give it a listen because I swear the song is so good!)

I wish you all again A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

---------- START ----------

You were standing in front of the altar with your friend and the priest nearby.

All of the visitors were staring in the same direction as you through the closed huge door.It suddenly opened. A dazzling light from outside greeted everyone within the church initially, until a figure slowly enters, highlighted by the light behind her.

Minatozaki Sana, the love of your life, finally enters the chapel in her white wedding gown. She had everyone's attention, even yours.

Of course, who can resist looking at how stunning she looks in white?

As she gradually began to go down the aisle, each step she took and her presence drawing closer to you reminded you of all the memories you shared with her, dating back to when you two first met.

(25 YEARS AGO - 1997)

You were 8 years old when you went with your Filipino parents to a friend's wedding at Manila Catheral in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines.

You were standing behind your father, who was now conversing with some of his associates, when he spotted you glancing around, quiet and unsure of what to do or why you were staying with him.

He kneeled in front of you and placed his hand on your shoulder. "Nak, huwag kang magpapalayo ha? Dito ka lang, babalikan kita kapag malapit na magstart okay?" (Son, don't get too far. Just stay here, I will return to you when it's about to start, okay?), your father Mr. Torres, told you with his small smile in the end of his words.

"Opo, papa.", you nodded at him before he patted your head.

"Good, sige dito ka lang muna ha? Puntahan ko lang mga ibang bisita natin.", (Good, all right, just stay here first, right? I'm just going to see our other guests.) you nodded your head once again before your father walked next to a group of people standing near at one of the statues of the saints displayed inside the church.

You decided to walked into the front of the church and sat at one of the steps in its staircase.

Pulling out your phone in your small bean bag, you opened it and pressed some installed game of yours to play with.

During your playtime, you suddenly heard someone crying near at you which got curious.

You tried to ignore it but it just seems to keep on getting louder. It raised your concern.

"Kanino yun?", (Whose is that?) you asked to yourself.

You paused your game for a while, putting it back to your bean bag as you stood up from your seat.

You turned your body and slowly walked to the side where some benches near the barricated plants are placed.

It made you saw that a girl sitting at the last bench, looking down on the ground while crying.

Worried at this girl who was exactly the same age as yours before, you slowly walked up to her and looked at where she's looking at.

There, you noticed that a melted ice cream was on the ground in front of her.

"Hey, bakit ka umiiyak? Anong nangyari sayo?", (Hey, why are you crying? What happened to you?) you asked the girl wearing a plain purple dress designed with an image of Betty Boop character on the chest.

She only glanced at you with a puzzled expression when you questioned her.

"Nani o itte iru?", (What are you saying?) she said. It made you furrow your eyebrows instantly as you didn't understood what she just said... however, that language sounded very familiar to your ears.

"Eh?"

"I- I said I... don't know much Tagalog...", she stuttered as she translated for you on what she meant to respond at your question.

"Oh... sorry. You speak English and...? Wait, are you a foreigner?", you started to speak English the same as her since she does look like she can speak with it after all too.

"Yes, Japanese.", her tiny voice declared her nationality. That confirmed your initial thoughts after hearing her familiar language, though you're confident that you're right.

The advantages of playing multilingual video games, you thought.

"Woah, so you're from Japan? Cool.", you said in awe, shocked that you just met a foreigner too early in your age. "I am a Filipino though."

"Me too. I- I'm half.", she revealed to you the reason why she can atleast understand a bit of Tagalog words, making you gasp. Her mom was actually a Filipina while her father is a Japanese, hence giving her a half Filipino- half Japanese race.

"So, why are you crying?"

"Ice cream... nahulog? (fell) Was that the word?", she asked you, wanting to know if the Tagalog word she picked to explain was accurate.

"Yeah it is.", you answered, impressed and confused that she can somehow learn how to use some words she knew already well.

"Ohh... now I know. Is that your favorite?", she only nodded while pouting her lips. She looked really cute.

You went silent as you think of a way to cheer her up.

"Wait, stay here and I'll be back.", you said to her after finally gaining an idea to do so. She mouthed okay while continuing to wipe out her tears as you left her for a minute, returning back inside the church.

Afterwards, you returned with money on your hand. You went towards Sana who is still silent and sniffling as she cleaned her reddish wet eyes from crying.

"Follow me, I'm giving you something.", she just listened to you although she hd no clue what are you're planning to do for her

You and her went to the ice cream truck parked in front of the chapel. Her eyed shined as she was now back at the truck where she bought her wasted ice cream.

"Pabili po ng isang strawberry at isang mango. Eto po bayad.", (Can I buy one strawberry and one mango. Here's the payment.) you said to the ice cream vendor man who followed your order.

He started to prepare it, scooping two three times on the chosen flavor and putting it on the cones.

All finished, the vendor gave to you the two ice creams you bought.

"Salamat po." (Thank you.)

After receiving it, you gave the mango-flavored ice cream to Sana who is still staring in surprise at you.

You observed a while ago that the flavor of the ice cream she dropped was mango so you just ordered the same then.

"Take it. It's yours.", you said to Sana, lending the mango ice cream to her.

"B-but... I don't have any money to give back...", she shyly looked away, swaying her body back and forth slowly.

"Don't worry about it, it's fine.", you shook your head. "It's my family's money and I wanted to get some ice cream too so... to be fair, I just bought us one each."

Enough to be satisfied at your defense and just let you do what you want since you assured her, she accepted it. "T-thank you."

You licked at your chocolate flavored ice cream before asking and introducing yourself to her. "I am YN, what is your name?"

"Sana.", she smiled, her fluffy cheek inflated with it, contributing to her cuteness.

"Okay, nice to meet you Sana...", you gave your hand to her for a handshake gesture which she unreluctantly accepted. " Uhh do you want to sit with me and watch me play games on my phone?"

"Yes!"

And because of that, Sana officially became your first childhood friend, starting a long impressive strong friendship with her.

She sat beside you on one of the steps in the staircase in front of the entrance door as she watched you beat down the boss of the level in the game you're playing on your phone.

(20 YEARS AGO - 2002)

You and Sana both entered high school in the same school also at 13 years old.Joining her on your first day of class, each sought on your respective classrooms where your section is assigned.

"Here is my room, my name is on the list.", you said to Sana after locating your name on the list posted at the wall beside the door of your classroom.

"Kimi wa dōdeshou? Samahan kita maghanap?" (How about you? Should I assist you on searching?), you asked her since she haven't found her room yet.

"It's fine, kahit huwag na YN.", Sana tried to reject your offer. She can also speak Tagalog now since you've been helping her Filipina mom to speak your native language for 3 years after she got to know about you being Sana's new found friend. You also want her to speak more comfortably and easier to understoood each other.

"May 20 minutes pa pala bago magstart.", (There's still 20 minutes left before it starts.) you said after looking at your phone. "Halika, hanapin nalang natin muna yung sayo.", (Come on, let's find yours first.) you didn't mind her declining anymore as you decided to initiate on your own to help her instead.

You and Sana proceeded at the next room adjacent to yours. Just like what you did, Sana tried to find her name if it belongs with the other names listed inside.

"Take your time."

Sana was gliding her eyes up and down while searching until it stopped when the surname initial M on the girls list caught her eyes.

Reading the full name, she immediately recognized it as hers.

"OH YN! YN, LOOK!", Sana excitingly called you as she points on the list. You followed where her finger is leading you and there, you read Sana's imprinted name; confirming that she now had a section and a room to enter everyday to participate in the class.

"Looks like we won't take us longer to find, magkatabi lang naman pala tayo ng room.", (Our rooms are just next to each other.) you chuckled.

"Mabuti nalang." (Thank goodness.), she stated, sighing in relief. "Sā, jugyō ni ikimashou, malapit na rin dumating teachers natin.", (Come on, let's go to class, our teachers will also come soon.) she bid goodbye to you for a while, stepping away from your side as she waved her hands.

"Okay. See you later sa recess Sana!"

"Okay!"

After the end of the class, you and her walked together again on your way home while eating your favorite street food with as both stopped by to buy some.

Before entering your house, you invited Sana to play together tomorrow since it's weekend. As her suggestion, she wants you rather to teach her how to ride the bike as she admitted that she kinda felt jealous seeing you few days ago bringing your newly bought bike with you into your house.

Since that's what she wanted to do with you, you were eager to oblige and granted her request; setting a different plan on your time with her tomorrow.

The next day, you lived up to your words as you taught her by letting her borrow your bike for tutorial. As you keep on teaching her the techniques and tips to help her focus and balance riding on the bike, Sana attentively listens to her friend's lessons.

"Ulitin natin?" (Let's repeat again?), you asked her, still holding her to support her posture for balancing. Shenodded her head as a yes in response.

"Okay... 1,2,3 Pedal!", you let go of her as you gently pushed her to some minor force, allowing Sana to do the work as she started moving her legs to drive the bike.

She observed that she wasn't falling yet as she just kept continuing on pedaling the bike, maintaining the wheels to stood straight while rolling across the road and guiding her away from you. "YN!!!", she shouted in glee as she's getting a glimpse of success on what she's doing.

"Yan sige tuloy lang! (Yes, go keep on going!) Keep your eyes straight!", you reminded her by yelling, forming your hands like a megaphone to echo your voice for her to hear.

"AAAAAAA YN!"

"Anatanara dekiru! (You can do it!)", you cheered her more before you were satisfied enough at her progress.

"YES! STOP, STOP THE BIKE NOW, SANA.", she listened to your direction, pulling the brake to lessen the speed of the bike. She slowly hopped out from the seat as she ran in front of you.

"Oh my God, nakita mo yun YN?!", (Oh my God, did you see that YN?!) she asked you with those huge gorgeous grin on her face.

"Yup, malinaw na malinaw.", (Yup, very clear.) you said confidently to her.

"AAAAAA MARUNONG NAKO MAGBIKE!", (I KNOW HOW TO BIKE NOW!) she squealed, raising her pair of arms and wiggled it in joyfulness. You just calmly laughed at her actions.

"HAHAHAHAHAH see? I told you na madali lang. But keep on practicing okay? Para masanay ka talaga lalo.", (I told you it's easy. But keep on practicing okay? So you can really get used to it.) you said to her, presenting your hands forming a thumbs up as your another way to inform her that she did a good job.

"Gusto ko umulit pero siguro bukas ko nalang itutuloy.", (I want to repeat again but maybe I will just continue it tomorrow.) she lets out a slightly dismayed expression.

"Why? Pagod kana?", (You're already tired?) she nodded her head while pouting her lips to tell you silently that she is.

"Oh sige, pahinga muna tayo dito bago tayo umuwi.", (Oh well, let's rest here before we go home.) you said as you sat on the sidewalk in front of your house while she took the space beside yours, drinking the water inside her tumbler.

After a few minutes, you saw the sky about to turn dark for the sun the start setting down and let the moon in for nighttime. Both of you decided to return in your respective homes.

"Oshiete kurete arigatō (Thank you for teaching me), YN-kun", she gave her gratitude to you after you escorted her in front of her house.

"Daijōbu (No problem),-sana chan.", you smiled at her.

"If masanay na talaga ako, pwede bang sabayan moko mag bike?" (If I really get used to it, can you always join me on riding our bikes together?)

"Yeah, sure. Gusto ko yan.", (Yeah, sure. I like that.) you accepted her favor. "Another way of bonding narin natin." (Another way of our own bonding together.)

"YAYYYYY!!! SALAMAT ULIT YN!", (THANK YOU YN!) she exclaimed again in excitement and happiness. You just laughed at her before it halted in a snap when you just experienced for the first time what she did next to you that completely transformed your perspective on your childhood bestfriend.

She leaned her against face closer against you and planted a soft kiss on your left cheek then releasing it with a tiny smooch sound. Your eyes sprung wide in astonishment when she did that unexpectedly.

"BYEEE HEHE", she said goodbye to you before sprinting ahead inside her house.

"B-bye... Sana.", you only spoke that under your breath, unable to make her hear as she already closed her door quickly, leaving you standing alone still in disbelief at the kiss she just gave you.

If you could have seen your reflection at that moment, you would have noticed the heavy blush created around your cheeks, particularly in the spot where she kissed you, which troubled you for days as you gradually began to grow fascinating profound affection for Sana while thinking whether did that kiss meant something else.

(15 YEARS AGO - 2007)

You and Sana turned 18 years old and both were still studying at the same school as seniors.

It was the month of February and Valentines Day has arrived. You just left the auditorium where your club just held a meeting and ended it exactly in recess for the members to have lunch before returning to your classes.

Walking down the hallway, you encountered Sana who was walking too along with some... gifts in her hands that she's carrying with. It made you became suspicious on whoever gave that to her.

"YN!!!"

"Hey, Sana," you said to her. You cast a downward glance at the paper bag and flowers in her hands. She hadn't even responded yet, but you had a suspicion you wouldn't like what she was about to say, which made you uneasy.

"Ano iyang mga dala mo?" (What are those you're carrying?)

"Well... hehe eto?", she looked down on the gifts she's holding, her smile seemed embarassed and fluttered which got you gulped nervously.

"Ahh may nagbigay sakin." (Ahh, somebody gave these to me.)

Just like that, your smile immediately shrinked down.

"Woah... seryoso? May nagbigay sayo ng Valentines Gift?"

"Yup! Shōgeki-tekidesu yo ne?(Shocking, right?)", she giggled. "Hindi ko nga ineexpect na may magbibigay sakin eh pero... heto." (I didn't even expected that there will be somebody who will give to me but... here it is.), she reached the thing inside the paper bag, which revealed to be a squirrel plushie.

"Ang cute diba?!" (It's cute, right?), she asked you as she gripped it tightly.

You can see in her face that she was really happy with the gift she received, but that wasn't supposed to make you happy for her because... it should've been you who had to make her feel like that.

You were now having a crush on Sana since 7th grade where the kiss she gave to you on that weekend awakened and bloomed something different in your heart that you never felt before when it come to her.

And that is none other than this crazy little thing called love.

You started to act more active whenever you're with her, giving her some hints or signs that everything you've been doing for her holds a different reason with all of it.

But unfortunately, her heart was too blind to make her see it all. Her kiss that she gave to you back then was just nothing but a false hope.

That is because she was the polar opposite of you, she doesn't see and think of you more than just a friend. She only stays like that for you.

Most importantly, how could she even develop a loving fond to you if she wasn't even interested at all to you? Instead, her attention is all set on this other unknown guy that she found probably from the other class who was the same mysterious person that gave her these precious gifts for Valentines.

"A-ah... oo." (yes), you agreed. It really does cute, also looks like same as her because for sure that guy knows also that Sana has a similarity and considers hamsters as her spirit animal.

"Ang sweet naman ng nagbigay sayo. Baka naman... c-crush ka nun?", (Whoever gave you that is so sweet, could it be... that one has a crush on you?) you tried to tease her but that only left a bitter taste in your mouth when you said it.

"S-sana nga... (I hope so)", she hoped. It hurted you, hearing this girl that made you fall in love with, wishing that the other guys she prefers than you would want her too.

It's almost as if you felt like she doesn't even need your love at all because she has this one that she would likely glad to have more of.

"O-oh sige, balik nako sa room ko.", (O-oh okay, I'll go back to my room.) you excused yourself to her, only to escape this conversation you're having with her because you don't know whether you could insert yourself to it much longer and hear more inappopriate story about that guy who gave her the gifts. "Need ko magreview konti sa quiz namin." (I need to review a little on our quiz.)

"Okiii goodluck YN!"

"Thanks.", you solemnly said before entering to your classroom and went back to your seat.

You sat down as you sighed off the pain that you were enduring after what Sana commented regarding your teasing.

You unzipped your bag hanging in the back of your classmate's seat and there, what contains inside made you grimace completely in remorse.

Inside your bag was supposed to be your Valentines gift you were about to give to Sana today. But after what you just witnessed and heard from her, you guessed that it would rather need to be cancelled instead because someone already went ahead of you already of doing so for Sana.

"I guess this wasn't needed anymore. May nauna naman na sakin.", (Someone has already made it first before me. you muttered to yourself before closing again and laid your head to your armdesk, spending the whole 10 minutes break remaining for a short nap in loneliness.

As you went home with Sana, you regretted pulling off a cold treatment to Sana throughout the rest of the walk as she tried to share her stories with you about what happened to her today, including the full summary about her admirer giving her the gifts you examined a while ago.

When she spotted your blank expression, you just reasoned that you weren't feeling well. She wished you to get well and hugged you before entering her house, earning atleast an uplifting moment from her today to recover from earlier.

"Hi Ma", you greeted your mother who is sitting in the couch, scrolling on her phone.

"Musta ang klase anak?", (How is the class, son?) your mother Mrs. Torres, asked you as you gave her a respectful bless by the hand after walking closer to her.

"Okay lang naman po.", (It's just okay.) you lie but thankfully it was enough convincing for her to accept.

"Good, kikilos na muna ako sa kusina at nang maipagluto na kita ng paborito mong ulam ngayon.", (Good, I'll go ahead for now in the kitchen so that I can cook for you your favorite dish today. ) well that atleast made your mood brightened up a little bit.

"Yey! Patawag nalang po ako, ma. Magpapahinga lang po ako sa taas.", (Yay! Can you please just call me, mom? I'm just going to rest upstairs.) she got it understood as you made your way upstairs.

Entering your bedroom with your uniform still around your body, you laid down on the bed. The smile you're wearing in front of your mother disappeared.

You opened your bag and took out your supposed to be gifts for Sana: a flower and a box of chocolates. To keep it handy, you planned to give it to your father later as an additional Valentine's present for your mother when he returns to home instead.

You opened his phone and saw a new message notification from Sana's account.

You clicked to look at its contents which made you saw two recently sent pictures, one is the gifts Sana received and one is her picture with the guy who gave her gifts, which revealed to be the most popular guy around the campus because of his intelligence and good looks in your batch year named Seth.

You closed again your phone and placed it beside you, staring through the ceiling as you felt saddened that you already considered yourself defeated knowing that you have no match against someone like Seth.

(10 YEARS AGO - 2012)

You and Sana both graduated and finished your four years of college education. In recognition of your accomplishment with her, both of your parents agreed to attend dinner together, where they showered you two with praises and congratulatory notes.

Not forgetting about your own ways of having fun with Sana, she urged you to join her and Seth tomorrow going outside to hang out.

Yes, Seth unintentionally became your friend just because when Sana introduced you to him. There was no uncertainty that some girls would fall for him based on your observations of him. He actually embodies what a woman's ideal man might be in reality.

Although he is a pure Filipino just like you, his appearance seems like he is a foreigner just like Sana, his facial features might even reach and qualify to the standards of men's looks in other countries.

You wanted to say no ofcourse because you know that these two both share the same mutual strong admiration towards each other.

And you don't want to take the VIP pass just to see them being lovey-dovey throughout your whole time being with them while you're still having a crush wth Sana, considering it as a torture to your heart.

But, not wanting to disappoint Sana that you declined the opportunity to spend time with her and also to your friend Seth, you just accepted her invitation and there you are with them in the park, sitting on the bench as you used your phone for a while to entertain yourself while waiting for them to return.

Sana approached you while holding two hamburgers on her hands.

"YN!", she called your name, grabbing your attention away from your phone. You looked up her and saw her giving you the other wrapped burger she had in her right hand.

You took it from her willingly. "Thank you."

"May binili pa si Seth kaya pinahatid niya nalang muna sa akin yung sayo.", (Seth still bought something else so he sent yours to me first.) she said, pointing her thumb backwards.

"Drinks?"

"Yeah."

"Lawak ng ngiti mo ngayon ah.", (Your smile is so wide today, huh.) you said after spotting her apparent big grin pasted on her face. That grin that never fails to melt your heart when you see how captivating it is.

"Anong iniisip mo?", (What are you thinking?) you asked her teasingly, wiggling your eyebrows while smirking.

"Aah... oo nga pala, a-ano kasi... nag-usap kami ni Seth kanina.", (Aah... yes, by the way, what... Seth and I talked earlier.) she said sheepishly.

"And?"

"Tinanong niya ako kung gusto niya ba daw akong maging girlfriend so... (He asked me if he wanted me to be his girlfriend so...)

... YES sinagot ko agad siya.", (YES I answered him immediately.) she said that one word that rang into your eyes annoyingly.

Your heart felt like it just stopped beating when you heard it. Body frozen, breath stolen, heart clenching. All of that happened simulteanously because of that single statement.

A game where you are completely dominated by the final boss leading you to a game over. That's exactly what it felt like when Sana said that one yes to do, confirming your biggest fear when it comes to her.

That game is called "Race For Sana's Heart", you were the challenger and the final boss was none other than Seth who just beat you easily, claiming the victory you tried your best to fight for.

It was unfair if you will look on the other angle, because Seth has the advantage already since that prize he's chasing for chooses him to be as the rightful possessor more than you.

"O-oh... so... kayo na?" (Oh, so... you two are now together?), your smile shifted into a fake one. Every pound of your heart to your chest was getting heavier and intense in pain the more you look at her happy state you know who's capable of doing that to her every single day.

"Hai,-sōdesu. (Yes, we are) Boyfriend ko na siya.", she nodded with a smile.

You tightened your lips and sighed. Eyes were blinking rapidly, fighting the urge to cry in front of her to avoid worrying her because of your stupid crush issue. "W-wow... nice. C-congrats sa inyong dalawa, Sana. Di ko inexpect h-ha?" (W-wow... nice. C-congrats to both of you, Sana. I didn't expect it huh?)

"Yah, sorry. Kita ko nga sayo na gulat ka.", (Yeah, sorry. I can really see that you are surprised.) she chuckled, slapping your arm that made your body broke out in its frozen form.

The sting came from the impact of her hit didn't do much damage to you because you are completely numb as of the moment due to your heart shattering in half.

"Masyadong out of nowhere. Puntahan ko lang ulit siya ha?" (Too out of nowhere. I'll just go back to him, okay?)

"Sure.", you nodded your heard, giving her the permission to return back to her now-proclaimed boyfriend Seth.

Watching her shrink from your sight, you wandered your eyes around at the park to distract yourself just so you won't be bawling your eyes out in tears after learning that your crush was now successfully claimed by someone else.

(6 YEARS AGO - 2016)

You spent your day-off and what better way to do so than having your childhood bestfriend Sana on your side throughout the entire day.

It was 9PM at night and drove her home by using your car after you ate with her in a restaurant and leaving the mall where you two went shopping together.

Parking the car just in front of the gate of her house and opening the headlights to light up the street, you turned your head to Sana who is sitting next to you on the drivers seat.

"Koko ni ita, (We're here) Sana", you informed her. She stretched her body posture, removing her back away from leaning onto the car seat.

"Oh... thank you, YN."

She was about to exit the car but you haven't pressed the button to unlock it, preventing her from going out because you remembered the main reason why you decided to bring her with you everywhere like the usual thing you do together since childhood.

"Wait... Sana, uhm... bago ka lumabas may sasabihin lang ako.", (before you go out I just want to say something.) you said, alerting her.

She glanced at you, curiousity struck her. "I'm all ears, YN. Sorehanandesuka? (What is it?)"

"May rason ako kung bakit talaga kita inimbita ngayon na lumabas tayo.", (I have a reason why I really invited you today for us to go out.) you looked away from her, setting your gaze to the steering wheel where you're holding at, tapping your fingers uneasefully.

"Uhm... kasi..." (because)

"Kasi ano?" (Because what?)

"Gusto ko munang magbonding tayo bago ako... umalis.", (I want us to go bonding together before I... leave.) you bitten your lower lip, closing your eyes as you felt the immense sadness you're feeling knowing that this would be the last time you'll get to meet her again for now.

"Umalis? Wait, YN... s-saan ka pupunta? (Leave? Wait, YN... w-where are you going?", she crunched her forehead, eyebrows nearly connecting in confusion.

"Well... yung company na pinagtatrabahuan ko inofferan ako ng kontrata sa isang company sa Canada for 6 years.", (Well... the company I was working for offered me a contract with a company in Canada for 6 years.) you shrugged your shoulders, eyes still watching your fingers grazing and sliding through the texture of the steering wheel nervously.

"Naexplain nila sakin ng maayos na mas magiging mataas yung sweldo na makukuha ko and opportunity narin na matuto ng marami sa field ng engineering." (They explained to me properly that the salary I will get will be higher and I will have the opportunity to learn a lot more in the field of engineering.

"Inisip ko sila mama, papa pati mga kapatid ko kaya ayun... k-kinuha ko.", "Pati rin ikaw, gusto ko mang tanggihan pero mas kailangan ito ng pamilya ko." (I thought of my mom, dad, and my siblings so... I took it. You too, I wanted to reject it but my family needs it more.) your voice lowered at the end before you mentally said those words you wanted to say to her.

"K-Kailan alis mo?" (W-when is your leave?)

"Bukas." (Tomorrow.)

"At mawawala ka ng... ilan? 6 years?", (And.. you'll disappear for... how many? 6 years?) you just nodded in response to her clarification.

"Tagal rin.", (Still long too.) she muttered, heaving out a sigh then her lips formed a pout. "Bale magaantay ako ng ganun kahaba para makita ulit bestfriend ko." (That means I'll be waiting that long to see my bestfriend again.)

"Kanashīkedo dō shiyō (It's sad but what could I do), pangarap mo yan and ang magagawa ko lang is to support you." (That's your dream and all I can do is support you.) , she lets out a bitter smile.

She holds your free hand laying on your lap firmly as glanced at it, sending chills through your skin.

"Pero thank you, dahil kahit papaano ako agad naalala mo bago ka umalis. Sapat na yun para hindi ako malungkot masyado sa pag alis mo.", (But thank you, because somehow you immediately remembered me before you leave. That's enough for me not to be too sad when you leave.) she showed a smile that's indicating she was touched by it.

"Ofcourse, ikaw yung long time b-bestfriend ko and masyado na tayong malapit sa isa't isa... dapat lang.", (Ofcourse, you are my long time b-bestfriend and we are too close to each other... it should be.) you said, stuttering at the word you wished it wasn't just your role to her life.

You gripped her hand, bending all your fingers to lock her hand within your warm grasp.

She narrowed her gap between you and her, pushing her body forward to wrap you in a hug for comfort, knowing that you were probably feeling very low that you won't be seeing her around for quite a long time starting tomorrow.

"I will miss you, YN. Mag-ingat ka doon ha?" (Be careful there, okay?), you heard her clearly that she started sniffing, signifying that she's getting teared up at how sad she's feeling seeing her bestfriend need to be gone afar to pursue a part of his dreams to come true.

"Noted, Sana. Gusto ko pa kitang makita syempre." (I still want to see you of course.), you chuckled, she felt your body vibrated because of your laughter. "Thank you for spending your time with me today.", you whispered to her as you pushed her closer through your body, enjoying how it feels so good to embrace the woman that had got head over heels for so long.

2 minutes later, you found Sana sleeping peacefully in your arms after noticing that it's becoming awkwardly quiet now inside the car, no one taking the dare to break the silence.

"Pagod ka na pala pero pinili paring makinig sakin. Hays, di talaga ako nagtataka bat gusto kita sobra.", you murmured under your breath, staring at her sleeping face placed on top of your broad shoulder. (You're tired but still choose to listen to me. Sigh, I'm not really surprised that I like you a lot.)

You carefully carried Sana in your arms in a bridal style and entered her house, greeting and reminding Mr. and Mrs. Minatozaki that their daughter is now asleep. They understood as they let you bring her to her own room.

Placing her in the bed and tucking in the blanket in her body, you looked at her peacefully sleeping face and cupped his cheek one last time before planting a kiss on it.

"Goodnight, Sana. Babalik ako para sayo, promise.", (I'll be back for you, promise.) you whispered to her as you swayed some strands of her hair away to unblock the view of her unreal beauty before leaving her room, marking the start of your 6 years disappearance as you left Philippines to Canada to continue your work there.

(PRESENT TIME - 2022)

Back in the present, your senses revived, teleporting you back to reality as flashbacks in your head stopped.

You were still standing in front of the altar, facing the audience... but not as the groom of the bride striding down the aisle, catching everyone's attention as if an angel had just descended within the sacred place.

Instead, you were picked as best man, and the wedding that was held today was none other than Sana and her partner Seth.

Sana reached the end of the path, both yours and her pair of eyes connected at each other.

You walked closer to her as she did the same, hands placed in your pants' pockets.

"Thank you, YN.", she mouthed to you with a smile escaped at the end.

"Welcome. C-congrats again, Sana.", you nodded, providing a timid smile before passing ahead of her, returning back to seat as you let her go to the man she was destined instead to share her love for the rest of her life in this world.

A little recall, during your stay in Canada in the entire 6 years; everyday before and after going to work... your mind and heart was filled by the same and only woman you loved.

When you were feeling exhausted, all you had to do was check up her images on your phone to restore your energy.

When you were longing for her, you basically drowned yourself out of reality by rewinding every wonderful moment you spent with her, either by zoning out or by watching videos you filmed with her.

When you're feeling down, you just call or speak with her like you normally do to keep in touch. Just seeing and hearing her voice especially her adorable laugh as she responds to your messages immediately puts a smile on your face.

Summaring it all, everything is just her. Aside from your parents, your other purpose of living is because of Sana.

Without one of these two, that purpose would quickly fade to black.

Just weeks ago, after you returned back in the Philippines; she was the first person you wanted to see as you landed in the airport.

After you arrived in your house with your luggages on hand, Sana was standing along with your parents. She immediately ran and crashed her body to wrap you in a tight, longing hug that she missed for 6 years.

Your heart blossomed in bliss after you got to able to touch her and witness her beautiful face once again. Noticing her new hairstyle which she colored her hair brown, that sidn't do much difference to her appearance anyways since she remained the same as always: deadly attractive.

As you decided to catch up those last times with her, she informed you about a news during your conversation with her that switched your mood in an instant.

She told you that she was now engaged to Seth after he proposed to her few months ago during their vacation in Boracay. She even showed you the engagement ring she has on her finger that took your attention when you saw it as she held her phone, facing at you.

And what broke your heart even worse was that she appointed you as the best man, which was opposite of what you wanted to experience with her.

You wanted to marry her and be the husband of her family not that but you don't have any more choice but to accept her invitation.

She was taken anyways and you will never make her yours whatever you do, that's the truth and you cannot change it.

Now leading you to where you at right now, you painfully watched them sealed their wedding vow and end the event with a loving kiss to each other while feeling devastated and burdened with heartbreak.

You clapped along with the guests with tears flowing out on your eyes, mixed with happiness and sorrow knowing that Sana is now married but with another man.

(1 HOUR LATER)

The after-wedding reception is currently being held beside the chapel.

The guests including the newlyweds are having fun, eating delicious foods, chatting along with friends, families and relatives and dancing along to every song being played by the host and the DJ.

You on the other hand, walked out and seperated yourself away from the crowd after you saw that Sana and Seth are about to take the turn next for their slow romantic dance on the center, which is precisely what you wished to do with her...but now it only can be possible in your dreams.

You went in front of the chapel, holding the wineglass full of red wine in your hands, and sat on one of the steps to drink.

After more than ten minutes of being alone, you weren't even aware that Sana just appeared beside you, holding her white gown to support her steps and prevent her from tripping, since she was worried that it might happen due to her clumsiness.

"YN!", she called your name,which completely took you aback as she gave you a mini heart attack at her jumpscare.

"S-Sana.", you mentioned her name while caressing your chest, still fresh from your surprised state.

"Bakit ka nandito?" (Why are you here?)

"Ah... wala, nagpapahangin lang.", (Ah, nothing. Just taking in some air.) that was only a half-lie.

"Tara, doon tayo sa loob.", (Come on, let's go inside.) she encouraged you. "Samahan mo kami sa table, nandoon sila Mama lahat ngayon." (Join us at the table, they are all there now.)

You didn't listened to her as you only stared at her hand offering to assist you from standing up.

Drinking the last shot of wine in the glass, you placed it carefully on the surface before standing up on your own, tempting Sana to lower down her free hand instead.

You looked straight at her with your exhausted and powerless glare as you prepared yourself from what you were about to do tonight, with only you and her could know this secret you've been hiding from her since you two were little.

"Sana."

"Hmm?"

"Congrats pala sa inyo ulit ni Seth.", (Congratulations again to you and Seth.) she smiled at your greeting. "Seryoso, masaya ako para sa inyo na kasal na kayong dalawa." (Seriously, I'm so happy for both of you that you two are now married.)

"Arigato, (Thanks) YN.", she said, grinning. "Grateful rin kami lalo na ako na... inaccept mo yung invitation." (We are also grateful especially me that... you accepted the invitation.)

"Sabi ko nga sayo diba sasamahan kita sa ganitong okasyon kasama ng lalaking para sayo balang araw.", (I told you that I will accompany you on this occasion with the man destined for you one day.) you blurted, snickering a bit that caused her to let out a chortle. "Ngayon na nandito na tayo, tinandaan ko talaga sa sarili ko na gawing totoo yun." (Now that we're here, I really kept it in mind to myself that I will make it true.)

"Ang supportive mo talaga, YN.", (You are so supportive, YN. she grabbed both your shoulders and playfully shook your body while saying it to you with her groaning tone of amusement at her bestfriend's kind-hearted attitude.

"Shinpaishinaide (Don't worry), dadalo rin ako sa kasal mo balang araw.", (I will also attend your wedding one day.) she chuckled, patting you in the chest. Thankfully, she didn't felt your unique rapid heartbeat only her could able to do that. "Kaya ikaw, maghanap kana kasi ng babaeng sa tingin mo ay para sayo." (So you, you should look for a girl who you think is right for you.)

"Nah. Hindi narin naman kailangan.", (Nah. It's not necessary.) you chuckled bitterly. "Hindi narin naman mangyayari yung kasal na gugustuhin ko.", (The wedding I want will never happen anyways.) you glanced at her, sadness starting to form in her your emotion.

"Bakit mo naman nasabi?" (Why can you say so?)

"Kasi yung babaeng minamahal ko, nauna na siya sakin.", (Because the woman I love, she has gone first before me already.) you smiled weakly and looked at her devastatingly.

"At nakatayo ako mismo sa harapan niya ngayon." (And I'm standing right in front of her now.)

"H-huh? YN?", she was puzzled, unable to comprehend what you were implying to convey.

You stepped closer towards her, roaming your eyes around her admirable face that charmed you no other women could ever do the same for you.

You stroke her long hair from behind, she remained staring directly at you monitoring your actions.

"Sana, di ko alam kung may sense paba yung mga susunod pang mga araw, buwan o taon para ilihim ko sayo to.", (I don't know if the next few days, months or years will make sense for me to keep this a secret from you.) you started your revelation as she continued listening on what you're trying to tell her.

That's why naisipang kong sabihin ko nalang sayo agad to and alam kong hindi sa tamang oras itong gagawin ngayon, but I just want to say it to you already so that I couldn't make myself suffer any longer and to let you know finally about this secret I've been keeping within me for years. (That's why I decided to tell you right away and I know it's not the right time to do it now, but I just want to say it to you already so that I couldn't make myself suffer any longer and to let you know finally about this secret I've been keeping within me for years.)

Sana... masaya ako sa inyo ni Seth. Masaya ako na nakita kitang ikinasal na pero... masakit sakin dahil ikaw yung babae na gusto kong makasama sa ganitong sandali.", (Sana.. I'm happy for you and Seth. I'm happy to see you finally got married but... it hurts me because you're the woman I wanted to be with at this kind of moment.) your voice became shaky as body shivered from your emotions about to urge yourself to began crying in front of her.

You sniffed before and snorted some fresh night air before finally saying those three words to confess to her at long last.

"Sana, mahal kita." (Sana, I love you.)

Sana just stared at you, speechless for her longtime bestfriend who just admitted his true feelings he developed only because of her.

She swallowed some pride to speak in response for your confession although still dumbfounded that she just heard it loud and clear to the man she never thought would fall in love for her too.

"YN... s-seryoso ka?", (YN... you serious?) she asked you in a low tone. You nodded as an alternative way to say yes.

"Yup. I've been admiring you for way too long already. Simula pa noong buong childhood natin.", (Ever since our whole childhood.) you replied to her. She just sighed heavily and tilted her head in disbelief, gasping.

"Ewan ko rin ba, nagsimula lang naman lahat nang makakuha ako ng unang halik mo sa pisngi ko.", (I don't know, it all started when I got your first kiss on my cheek.) you pointed to your cheek where she did that to you many years ago.

"Nagagandahan narin ako sayo nun sobra pero doon ko lang narealize kung bakit ako nagkakaganon lagi pagdating sayo." (I always found you to be so beautiful but that's when I just realized why I always act like that when it comes to you.)

"Gusto kong umamin sayo dati pa kaso hindi ko magawa. I gave you so many signs pero hindi mo makita, yun pala naunahan na ako ni Seth nang hindi ko alam.", (I wanted to confess to you before but I couldn't. I gave you so many signs but you couldn't see, that's why Seth had preceded me without me knowing.) you clicked your tongue in disappointment for yourself. She lowered down her head in guilt as she discovered her own fault for destroying your hopes and dreams you want to share with her.

You looked above and saw the towering structure of the chapel standing highly in front of you two. A memory flashed in your mind and it got you sharing it to her too since she's part of it anyways.

"Naaalala mo ba yung nagsimba tayo dito parehas kasama parents natin noong bata pa tayo?", (Do you remember when we went to church here together with our parents when we were kids?) you asked to her. Sana just realized that both you and her were standing exactly to your favorite spot here in this place where you also first found and met her as the girl who dropped her ice cream when you were just a kid back then.

"Oo. Ayun yung unang beses na parehas lumabas magkasama family natin right?", (Yes. That's the first time our family went out together, right?) you nodded in response, she looked up at you; now both her eyes were cooperating with her lips whose forming a frown right now in pity for you.

"Sabay nating inamin parehas na gusto nating ikasal dito sa simbahan nato, katulad ng parents natin.", (We both admitted together that we wanted to get married here in our church, just like our parents.) you recalled what happened in that moment.

"Doon palang na alam kong may gusto na ako sayo nun, at ang nasa isip ko lamang nun ay ikaw lamang ang gugustuhin kong babaeng ikakasal sakin balang araw.", (That's when I knew I had a crush on you, and the only thing on my mind was that you were the only woman I would want to marry me one day.) you then proceeded to hold her hands. She looked at it and thought that it could've meant more also for her if she wasn't ignoring those signals you've been trying to send her for years.

"Pero sinira ko yung tadhana nayun na gusto ko, lalo na't hindi na ikaw ang aking makakasama.", (But I broke that destiny I desired of, especially since you are no longer the one I'll be with.).that words hurted you so much that it was enough for you to let go one single teardrop to flow down in your cheek.

Sana saw it and her heart clenched knowing she was the cause of that and never intended to give you that.

"Kaya deserve ko rin naman to. Pinili kong maging duwag at iskreto sayo ng matagal. Nagmukha pa akong nagtatangkang sirain yung pinakamasayang araw ng buhay mo dahil sa mali ko.", (So I deserve it too. I chose to be a coward and kept it a secret to you for a long time. I even looked like I tried to ruin the happiest day of your life because of my mistake.) you said, referring to your confession tonight at the same time her wedding just ended hours ago.

Your arm raised, hand placed on the side of her face as you started caressing it. Sana just shut her eyes down, feeling the bittersweet effect of your touch through every nerves cursing around her body as her own tears started to rush out from her.

"Alam kong wala na akong chance Sana, pero... hindi na siguro magbabago isip ko.", (I know I have no chance, Sana but... I might not change my mind.) you shrugged your shoulders as you continued admiring her elegant facial features.

You grasped both her hands tenderly and stared deeply at her.

"Ikaw pa rin ang pipiliin ko. Bahala na kung araw araw na akong masasaktan... (It's still you I will choose. It's up to me even if I get hurt every day...)

... ikaw pa rin ang hahanapin ko dahil Sana Minatozaki, (It's still you I'll find for because Sana Minatozaki,)

ikaw lamang ang aking dahilan, ang aking pahinga, ang aking sinta at ang tanging ninanais... (you are my only reason, my rest and the only one I want...

... kahit na hindi ka naman sakin papunta." (... even if you're not going for me.)

Sana quickly hugged you, trapping you to her comforting embrace which was effective for you to finally release the heavy burden you've been carrying for such a lengthy amount of years you spent secretly admiring her from a far.

Your lips quivered, breathing intensified, reflexes gone weak as you cried harder in her arms, Sana felt your whole body shake so she hurriedly calmed you down by rubbing your back gently.

"Parang napakasama kong kaibigan, YN. Hindi ko alam kung magagalit, malulungkot o madidismaya ako sa sarili ko. Patawarin moko, sobra.", (It seems like as if I am a very bad friend to you, YN. I don't know if I will be angry, sad or disappointed in myself. Forgive me, so much.) she begged as her voice began cracking due to her cries of empathy for her heartbroken bestfriend and admirer.

"Hindi ko naman sadyang maging bulag sa nararamdaman mo sakin at saktan ka ng napakatagal. Kung hindi lang ako din naging manhid, alam kong may pag-asa sana na... magustuhan rin kita." (I didn't mean to be blind to your feelings for me and hurt you for so long. If only I hadn't been so numb, I knew there was hope that... I would like you too.)

"Napakabuti mong tao, YN... hindi ako magdadalawang isip na makasama ka habambuhay... pero dahil sa ginawa ko, hindi ko to magagawa nang higit sa kaibigan ang turing ko sayo.", (You're such a good person, YN... I wouldn't hesitate to be with you forever... but because of what I did, I can't treat you more than a friend.) she kept on pleading to receive your forgiveness for her mistake but you interrupted her at the end of her words to take the turn to speak in your part.

"Wag mong sisihin ang sarili mo, Sana please. Hindi ko narin sisisihin ang sarili ko, wala narin tayong magagawa nandito na tayo.", (Don't blame yourself, Sana please. I won't blame myself neither, there's nothing we can do now since we're now here.) you told her. "Magiging masaya ka rin kay Seth, alam natin sa isat isa yan. Don't take this confession of mine and make yourself overthink about it too much to distract you from him, please." (You'll be happy with Seth too, we know that. Don't take this confession of mine and make yourself overthink about it too much to distract you from him, please.)

"Siguro nga, mas magiging higit pa yung pagmamahal niya kaysa sakin", (Maybe, his love will be more than mine.) you confidently said, since you knew that Seth is still quite the example of what a husband material should be.

"Kaya huwag ka magalala sakin, Sana. Basta tandaan mo lang na nandito parin ako lagi para sayo whenever you need help." (So don't worry about me, Sana. Just remember that I'm always here for you whenever you need help...)

"I will stay and remain here always as one of the most special person and the one and only first bestfriend you had in your whole life.", you assured her.

You released yourself from the hug. Pursing your head forward, you kissed her forehead with pure tender.

Sana knows that it was your usual symbolization to signify a perfect heartwarming message you created during your young days with her, so she smiled at your nostalgic act.

"My special kind of love and care will always kept reserved only for you.", you said, repeating the meaning behind that sweet gesture you did aside from using it as a way to express your respect for her as a woman like she is.

"Thank you sa closure, Sana. Makakahinga narin ako ng maluwag.", (Thank you for the closure, Sana. I can finally breathe in relief.) you chuckled as you started to wipe away the tears that might ruin her make up even more.

"Thank you rin for finally deciding to open up your true feelings for me, YN.", she formed a smile again, tapping your chest where it contains the source you used to pour out your words of affirming your admiration towards her.

You nodded your head before sharing a wide smile, this time it was sincere and unforced for the first time. It was such a relief you thought that you were able to finally let Sana know about it although the result you were orginally expecting to receive was gone already.

"Tara na, masyado na tayong nagtagal dito.", (Come on, we've spent too much time here.) you said, breaking the topic and returning the good vibes to make yourselves continue to enjoy the night.

Both of you chuckled as Sana also can't deny the truth that because of your confession, she had to stay with you alone longer just to hear what you wanted to say for her. "Inaantay na ata nila tayo." (They're probably waiting for us.)

You presented your hand for her to freely take it without hesitation. "Motto hayaku soko ni ikimashou! (Lets go there faster!)", she exclaimed.

Grabbing your hand along to hers, you reached for your empty wineglass before she pulled you with her as both ran back to the venue where the visitors are still celebrating.

---------- END ---------- - 🐹 -

[jaytoons7]

Day 15: Night Playtime

The first thing I thought of for this prompt was a pillow fort! But I don't really feel like drawing for today, So I wrote a story instead!

It's a Rave family thing because of course it is. It's mostly fluffy, But Terrence and Randy do talk some angst near the end, It ends up okay though.

It takes place about a year after Terrence was overthrown. Him and Randy aren't technically married yet, But they do live together.

Also at one point, Gabe is referred to by their old name because they haven't come out at this point. They're called their actual name in narration (Please use they/them pronouns for this version of Gabe)

One of the things Terrence did not expect to see when he came to his small apartment home after work was a pile of large blankets and pillows made into a fort right above the couch.

The culprits revealed themselves as the 6 year old Henry and Gabe, Who were running out of their room holding some smaller blankets and stuffed animals. Terrence gave a small smile before leaning down a bit. “Henry, Gabrielle? Mind telling me what you’re doing?” The two kids giggled a bit before answering.

“We’re making a pillow fort!” Henry smiled. “We worked really hard on it.” Gabe added. “Do you like it?” Terrence ruffled both of their hair. “It looks great, I’m impressed.” He looked around a bit. “Hey, Can either of you tell me where your dad is?”

As if on cue, Randy dragged a mattress into the living room. “Ah, Terry! I didn’t hear ya come in! How was work today?” “Oh y’know, Same old same old.” Terrence hummed. “But I wasn’t aware you were in on your kid’s plans.” “Aw don’t give me any of that, Terry! They really wanted to build a pillow fort and I couldn’t say no!” He leaned over to Terrence and whispered. “They gave me the puppy dog eyes.”

Terrence chuckled at that. “I see. Well, I don’t see any reason to stop you, Especially since it looks like the fort’s almost done.” “Yeah, Almost. I just gotta add one more thing.” Randy placed the mattress onto the floor next to the couch seats. “There, Now it’s done!”

Henry and Gabe laughed as they began exploring the now complete fort. That’s when Terrence got an idea. “Since dinner’s gonna be in about an hour, How would you two like it if I ordered a pizza for dinner?” The two kids cheered. “Yeah! Yeah!” Henry cheered. “And since the fort’s on the couch, We can make some popcorn and have a bit of a movie night.” Randy added. If the kids weren’t excited before, They definitely were now. “This is the best day ever!” Gabe bounced on the couch a bit.

After the pizza dinner, Some popcorn was made and the family sat inside the fort, Where the TV was still viewable. They watched a few movies (With Henry and Gabe covering their eyes whenever there were kissing scenes) until nearly 11 at night.

The kids were fast asleep on the mattress near the couch, With Terrence and Randy still sitting on the couch. “Aww. The poor things aren’t used to being up this late.” Randy hummed, Looking over at Terrence and seeing him frown a bit. “Terry? What’s the matter?”

“Rand… I…” Terrence muttered. “I don’t deserve any of this…” “What..? What do ya mean by that?” Randy asked concerned. “Randy, I’ve fucked up bigtime..! I failed as a Toppat leader so badly, It got my own people killed.” Terrence weakly smiled, Trying to keep himself from crying. “You had faith in me as both a partner and a leader, And I failed..! There’s nothing left for me in either the clan or in the outside world… I’m sorry…”

“Oh, Terry…” Randy placed his hands on his shoulders. “Don’t talk about yourself like that! If anybody should be apologizing, It should be me. I didn’t just fail as a leader, But I also left you! I was a coward, And I made you pay for it… There’s nothing I could ever do to make it up to you…”

Randy teared up a bit. “But I can promise that I’ll never leave you again! We don’t need the clan, We have each other and the kids! And I know it ain’t gonna be easy, But you don’t have to do it alone anymore…”

Terrence wiped some of his tears before leaning against him. “My parents never let me build a pillow fort.” “You like it..?” “Yeah. It’s nice.” Randy wrapped an arm around him. “I’m glad ya think so. We worked our asses off on it.” The two looked down at the sleeping Henry and Gabe. “Should we get them to their beds?” Randy asked. “Can we wait an hour..?” Terrence buried his face in his shoulder. “This is the nicest I’ve felt in a long time…”

Randy nodded and the two quietly continued to watch TV.

[charliespringsleftconverse]

The Barbie movie resonates so deep. And I didn’t realize it until days later. When I saw the movie I was like, “That was nice. That message was too loud for my taste but nice.”

And then I went about my normal life, and life did her thing. Laughed in my face is what she did. She said “oh, you don’t see how the (America Ferreira’s) monologue relates to you? Hold on to your piña colada, bestie.”

I’ve always taken care of my family. I’m always making sure everyone feels heard and no one gets left behind. You’re not feeling well and need to stay back? I’ll stay with you. What do you need. Are people speaking over you? Let me capture their attention so you can express your opinion. Just so many things. Little things of course. But they accumulate.

I’ve always felt like a mother to my brother and I always kind of chucked it to being the oldest. You’re supposed to watch out for the little ones, no? He’s always been prone to tantrums so Ive always had to teach him that we don’t throw our shoes at people when playtime is over. But I’ve always been the only one doing the teaching. For my parents, I’ve always had to apologize for their behavior because my dad is oblivious to what he does and doesn’t do and my mom exhibits the same anger driven behaviors my younger sibling has learned.

This entire week that we were supposed to be on vacation everything felt multiplied. My brothers anger was over the roof when we didn’t see eye to eye. My dads obliviousness skyrocketed and he was always walking a million steps ahead of us in these sketchy places almost like he was racing an invisible force, leaving all of us to fend for ourselves. My mother‘s frustrations at everyday life was a constant from not just the heat but especially to things beyond her power because she couldn’t control unexpected events.

I’m always the one to apologize to my brother. I’m always the one calling out my dad. I’m always the one reassuring my mom that all will be well. I’m always the one. And I didn’t realize how exhausting and draining it was until I was the one who needed help.

Now that we’re on our way home from this “vacation,” my body became physically exhausted and started trembling from exhaustion the day before. I got a cold yesterday. And today, while brushing my teeth, I somehow managed to pull a back muscle and can’t bend and barely sit down. I was sharing a room with my brother when that last one happened and through all the deep lamas breathing and yelps, not once did my brother ask if I was okay. And when I told him, he didn’t ask how he could help. So I explained that I just needed him to massage a spot on my back. And when my dad called us asking where we were because the taxi arrived 30min early, I got nervous because I had spent all morning trying to get my back to work properly rather than getting ready. So I wasn’t ready yet. And I started crying. And my brother told my dad I was hysterical and stressed because the taxi was there…rather than explaining I needed help and was in pain. And within a minute, my brother was downstairs. Leaving me to fend for myself with an injured back. I was barely able to get ready. My mom kind of helped. She was the only one to come into the room and check on me. I don’t know how I made it downstairs. Probably out of spite. Idk.

By the time we got to airport, everyone knew that my back was in pain. I put my backpack on and grabbed our bag full of everyone’s snacks and food and carried on. I’m doing an awkward walk across the airport, mostly shuffling. How I got my bag off my back and back on when going through airport security, I have no idea. I blacked out. Couldn’t tell you. Blame my cold.

As we’re getting to our gate, my dad asks if he wants me to give him the huge bag of snacks and things I’ve been carrying. And I just…like I’m at the gate already. I’m not sure where you’re going to carry it to. And what comes out of his mouth is something along the lines of “don’t get mad that you’re carrying all these things when help was offered.”

It’s like I’m supposed to be grateful for the crumbs. Like sir, what you’re offering is the bare minimum. And I’m suppose to accept it like it’s cold water and I just hiked the longest trail of my life. OH YES. THANK YOU THANK YOU. YOURE SO KIND. Like sir, at best, this is a baton race that I ran and you’re just standing on the finish line waiting for me so you can claim the win.

All in all to say that I only just now realized that I’m always watching out for everyone else but I forget that even those closest to me don’t care for me the same way. I’ve always been taught to be caring, to be giving, to put others first. That’s what a daughter should do. What a sister should do. And now here I am sitting in an airport, in a foreign country, congested and in pain only just now realizing that I forgot to care for myself. Because I wanted everyone else to be happy. I wanted everyone else to have a good time. And now here I am physically and emotionally sick. And all it took for this self realization was a damn Barbie movie.

There’s something ironic about a plastic doll teaching you about the human experience.