#and after that the bug got out a mallet and knocked me out

[batnbreakfast]

We’re both sick as hell, but we dragged our sorry behinds to the shore to see one last sunset.*

* in Thessaloniki, not in general

[thr-333]

Mismatch- Part 20

Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month 2020

The Batman hiding behind a corndog stall from a teenage girl: are you sure this is necessary? Twins: yes

First < Previous > Next

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They arrive at the fair without being followed by Harley, at least she hopes so. Bruce somehow being able to convince Marion to not eat before going on the rides. In return Marion takes them straight to the most intense ride they have.

“Oh darn Mari,” Marinette says being dragged in line, “I don’t think we can go on this one without our disguises falling off,”

“Don’t worry I’ve been on plenty of rides like this and my glasses have never fallen off,”

You have magic glasses you twat! Marinnette glares, getting only a grin, telling her Marion knows exactly what he is doing. She's about to say as much when she notices an unfortunately familiar pair of pigtails in the crowd.

“Mari-” She looks over to her grinning twin.

“You know Nette if you really don't want to go on you don't have to,” Marion teases, Harley Quinn getting way too close to escape.

“On second thought let's go,” Marinette pushes Marion towards the ride, ignoring Bruce's surprise and Marion's taunting.

They get pulled onto the ride, Marinette coming off ghostly pale. Thankfully no Harley Quinn in sight.

“Let’s go again,” Marion starts pushing Marinette back in line, too light headed to stop him.

“How about we try some of the food, instead,” Bruce offers, looking over at her with concern.

“Sure, we can go on the rides later then,” Marion calls cheerfully, skipping off to a cotton candy stand.

“I got played didn’t I?” Bruce asks, watching Marion join the line.

“Like a fiddle,” Marinette starts to get some of the color back in her cheeks, “Don’t worry happens to everyone,”

“Yeah, he’s like his Mom,” Bruce mutters under his breath, but she still hears, “I mean…”

“It’s alright,” Marinette shrugs, walking towards the stand “Cotton candy?”

“Do I have to eat it?” Bruce grimaces, following her.

“Marions going to find a way to make you try it one way or another,”

Marion somehow manages to convince them all to get cotton candy. Bruce being thoroughly confused by it.

“It’s easy, all you do is pull a piece off,” Marinette demonstrates pulling off a piece.

“Or you can just bite it,” Marion faceplants into it.

“And get it all over your face,” Marinette deadpans, sneaking some to Tikki.

“Exactly,” Marion grins, coming back up with pink sugar all over his face.

“And you’re sure I don’t need any utensils,” Bruce says, looking quite out of place with the oversized pink cloud.

“No!” They both shout.

‘Alright then,” He pulls off a piece, cringing as he eats it, “This is just sugar,”

“Precisely,” Marion grins, biting off a big chunk.

“You're going to make yourself sick,” Bruce looks like he’s about to yank it away from him.

“ Precisely ,” Marion says, muffled by the dissolving sugar, “We should try funnel cake next!”

“Dear god, he’s just like Dick,” Bruce frets, watching as Marion bounces to the stall.

“I’m willing to bet Mari’s worse,” She watches as he eyes up the powdered sugar, “he’s a bottomless pit,”

“I think you might me right,” Bruce winces as Marion receives an oversized funnel cake, “that's terrifying,”

“You should see him around cheese,” Marinette suggests innocently, “Especially camembert,”

“I’ll have to keep that in mind,”

Please do

They follow Marion around the food stalls. Marinette is able to keep up by feeding most of her sweet treats to Tikki. Bruce is not so lucky. They come across a mirror maze Marinette points out to give Bruce a break.

“Ah yes the mirror maze the best place to make sure no one recognises you,” Marion recites theatrically.

“The reflections are distorted,” Bruce walks past a mirror making him comically short

“Yeah that guy looks kind of like the Joker,” Marinette looks over to where Marion is pointing.

“Ah Mari,” She hesitates looking over the group of clowns reflected in the mirror that should definitely not be holding guns, “I think that is him,”

“Not again,” Marion mutters, backing up.

She tries to form a plan, they have to make a break for it to change into costumes or people could get hurt. But how are they supposed to so that with Bruce hovering over them. He looks like he’s trying to find an escape route, they have to find a way to protect them and-

“Is that Harley Quinn?” Marion whispers.

Sure enough they watch a reflection of the group making out from the stretched image as Harley walks over to the group and hits the Joker right over the head with a mallet.

“We should leave,” Bruce whispers, herding them in the direction they came.

“Will she be alright?” Marinette asks, watching the fight through a different mirror and gunshots echo.

“Yeah I think she’ll be fine,” Bruce says, as Harley knocks the gunmen's weapons away while hyenas chase after them through the maze.

They exit the maze in record time, Bruce being able to lead them through it easily.

“Do you think we should tell someone?” Marinette asks, there doesn't seem to be any more people going into the maze, maybe it's a Gotham six sense.

“We should,” Bruce agrees, less than enthusiastically.

“Or, or,” Marion dances in front of them, “We could go play some games,”

“We were almost attacked by the Joker and you think that's a good use of time?” Marinette can tell Bruce is thinking the same.

“Exactly! We were almost, so it doesn't count now does it?” Marion doesn't wait for an answer as he rushes off further into the fair.

They have no choice but to sigh and follow after him. Well they do but that's beside the point.

“Oh how awful it is, to not get to partake in the joys of a rollercoaster, unlike yourself whom screams with delight and fear every time-” Marinette uses the water gun to spray in the clown's face, “Hey!”

Unfortunately the clown that is related to her, not the carnival game. Marion tries to grab the water gun and they start fighting over it. Somehow they still manage to get a high score, enough for the big prize. Whether it was her good luck or Marion's bad luck projecting onto the stall runner is unclear.

“Unbelievable,” Marinette sighs as they walk away from the stall.

“Sorry, Nette there's just no love for the bugs,” Marion grins, hugging the giant black cat to his chest.

“I will find a Ladybug, just watch me,” She promises, this was never a problem in Paris, they have tonnes of Ladybug plushies.

“Sure you will,” Marion hums, Bruce just looks amused at their antics.

“If not I’m sewing spots onto the cat,” Marinette threatens, walking between rows of stalls none having a Ladybug plush.

“Nooooo,” Marion cowers, hugging the cat close.

“I think I saw a Ladybug prize somewhere back there,” Bruce points in the opposite direction.

“Where?” Marion runs where Bruce is pointing, Cat raised above his head, “We must go to save Dough boy!”

“Dough boy?” Marinette jogs slightly to keep up.

“From your disproving tone I can tell you approve,” Marion turns on his heel walking backwards.

“You know I technically won that game,” She pokes the cat toy in the chest.

“Please you were losing without me,” Marion grins, people moving out of his way.

“No I wase- look out!” Marinette pushes them both into the gap between stalls.

“What’s wrong?” Bruce asks, on guard looking out for the Joker, Marinette can feel him scanning the area.

“The devil has arrived,” Marion whispers, noticing Lila, “Her dark shadow always follows us,”

“... Pardon?” Bruce relaxes taking it for a joke, which it is most certainly not,  Marinette tenses as Lila sends Kim right to the stall they are hiding behind.

“Girl at school we really don’t like, who really doesn't like us,” Marinette summarises, shallowling inhaling the smell of greasy batter.

“Which one?” Bruce analyses the group of teens near them.

“Sausage hair over there,” Marion nods to her, watching as Kim comes back with a corn dog, “Gasp, cannibalism!”

“Are you telling me Lila wouldn’t eat another human?” Marinette crouches down further keeping to the shadows.

“Are you telling me Lila is human?” Marion mutters back, both keeping their voices down.

“Good one,”

“Thanks,”

“Who’re we spy’n on?”

They all jump at the new voice. Marinette twisting to come nose to nose with Harley Quinn.

“De ja vu,”

“What?” Bruce turns to Marion.

“Nothing!” Marion very smoothly avoids eye contact.

“Spy’in on another date are we?” Harley asks, squeezing in next to the group.

“Another?” Bruce looks between them confused.

The twins frantically shake their heads behind Bruce's back. Harley makes a ‘o’ face and gives a nod.

“We’re spying on the devil,” Marion points at Lila, grateful she could at least serve as a distraction, “Bless whatever unfortunate soul has the displeasure of dating her,”

“Sounds to me like you have some strong opinions,” Bruce says, with slight disbelief, probably thinking they are overreacting.

“Trust me they’re founded,” Marinette whispers, cringing at the shrill laugh Lila gives.

Bruce gives her an expectant look and wedged together between a corn dog stall and who knows what else isn’t the best place to pick a fight.

“That’s a grade A psychopath right there,” Harley finally whispers to them.

“You can tell?” Marinette asks, ignoring Marion giving Bruce a smug look.

“Well from what I can see she’s a manipulative Liar-”

“To put it lightly, I don’t think she’s told the truth once in our years of knowing her,” Marion scowls, as Lila animatedly tells another tale, “Not even her name, don’t you think Lila and liar is a bit too convenient?”

“Anyway, she has pretty much all the class wrapped around her finger,” As if to prove her point Sabrina runs off to fetch her a drink, “Makes up rumours about anyone that doesn't follow her blindly and turns the rest against them,”

“I’m taking it you didn’t follow her blindly?” Bruce guesses, what on earth would give him that idea?

Harley seems to be studying Lila like she is a particularly interesting bug.

“Oh no we just love Lila so much we hide in joy every time she comes near,” Marion retreats further into the shadows, a hair away from actually hissing.

“You went toe to toe with scarecrow are you honestly telling me you're hiding from her,” Bruce studies Lila, as if looking for some sign of danger.

“If it helps she literally appeared in my fear toxin… illusions?” Marion looks for confirmation, Bruce giving a nod, Marinette shrugs he had already told her and didn’t feel like a stretch, “As the devil, soooo…”

“What did that meanie do to you!” Harley cries wrapping Marion in a hug, its alright Bruce only looks very concerned.

“Then I suggest we retreat rather than wait for them to leave,” Bruce offers, Marinette gives a nod but Harley has other plans.

“Not until I fuck that girl up!” Harley stands brandishing a mallet.

“Harley no!” Marinette hisses the three of them trying to pull her back out of the stalls.

“Let me go!” Harley struggles but not with any real strength, making sure not to hit them with the mallet, “She needs to pay,”

“Harley if we wanted her gone we could have done it already,” Marion placates, trying to push her away.

“You want her around?”  Harley stops in her tracks, tilting her head to look like a confused child.

“If we wanted her gone violently ,” Marinette specifies, guiding Harley out the alley.

“So you’ll accept a non violent way?” Bruce speaks up surprisingly.

“Yeah… I guess?” Marinette hesitates, Bruce and Harley share a glance then a nod, whatever just happened it might be better to remain ignorant.

“Well, glad we avoided that disaster,” Marion sighs, as he stretches out.

“What disaster, those outfits? Because you look utterly ridiculous,” They all turn to see Chloe scowling down at them.

That's right they said they would be with their aunt today and had turned down her invitation to the fair.

“Chloe! Hi great to see you,” Marion cringes, backing up under the blondes glare, “And everyone else, what a pleasant surprise,”

“Who were you hiding from?” Kagami asks, or rather demands staring suspiciously at Bruce. She gives a simple nod at the waving Harley.

“Would you believe Lila is here?” Marinette sighs, pointing back at the gap they escaped from.

“I suspected she was after Adrien threw up,” Chloe shrugs, Marinette's concern pushes into overdrive, overlooking Adrien for any signs of damage.

“I think that was more the rides combined with this food,” Kagami informs, looking down at a deep fried hotdog with disgust.

“Guys, please…”  Adrien blushes, glancing at her for some reason.

“Who is this?” Kagami demands, definitely demands this time.

“Harley Quinn-”

“Yes we know that,” Chloe huffs, cutting off Bruce.

“Oh.. um,” Marion exchanges a hesitant glance with both of them, “Bruce Wayne?"

“Right, and why is he here with you two?” Chloe doesn't look impressed at Marion's awkward chuckle.

“Um well… uh,” Marinette tries, glancing at Bruce who doesn't meet her look, “We just happened to be in the area?”

“Bzzt! Wrong! Try again,” Chloe makes and ‘x’ with her fingers.

“Publicity stunt?” Marion says, in the most unconvincing tone conceivable.

“Rion, if you were planning a publicity stunt there  would be confetti glitter and fireworks,”

Marinette tries not to laugh remembering a publicity stunt involving MCD that features exactly that.

“What do you want from me,” Marion whines, hiding behind his large plushie.

“The truth,” Kagami snaps, scowling.

“You don’t have to lie to us,” Adrien says gently, half reaching out to them.

“The truth is…” Marinette trails off, completely weak for the boy but it’s clear Bruce doesn't want them to know.

“... I am their biological Father,”

They all look at him in shock. Marinette’s is a happy shocked, but their friends...

“What?!”

“I knew it!” Harley cheers, jumping up and down.

“But you- there was- you said-” Kagami stutters, a rarity for her.

“You, me,” Chloe points at Marion then at herself, “Words, now ,”

“Someones in ~trouble~,” Marinette whispers over to him.

“You too Marinette Dupain Cheng,” Chloe points right in her face.

“Ohh full name,” Marion returns the favour, “It’s been awhile,”

“Careful Cheng Dupain,” Chloe glowers, Marion chuckles uncomfortably.

“I’m in danger,” Mario gets dragged to the side, Marinette following, leaving Bruce behind.

“You’re in trouble ,” Kagami scolds, as they stop out of earshot from Bruce and Harley who is buzzing around asking a million questions, “If you don’t explain right now,”

“You owe us an explanation,” Chloe lets go of Marion's arm, “You were in the hospital and we were all worried trying to control these rumors and now you tell us its the truth and I-”

“Chlo, I’m sorry Selina only just told us,” Marion cuts off her rant, bordering on tears, he adds, “In the hospital,”

“You’re Aunt told you, but how would she-” Adrien puzzles, realisation dawning, “ No ,”

“Yes?” Marinette backs up a step, everyone realising the same.

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous,” Chloe stomps her foot, “How can someone do that?!”

“Chlo, we’re not mad,” Marion tries to placate, Chloe turning on him.

“Of course you're not!” She explodes, “You two are perfect and forgiving which is why I have to be mad for you,”

“I think it would be nicer if you weren't mad and just supportive,” Marion smiles, Chloe's anger crumbling around her.

“... but it’s so much easier to be mad,” She whines, “Can’t I be angrily supportive?”

“I feel like you're going to be anyway,” Marion grins, one of whom they both know Chole is powerless against.

“So what are you doing now?” Adrien asks, looking back at Bruce who is now arguing wiht Harley, or rather getting yelled at.

“Trying to figure things out I guess?” Marinette looks over to confirm with Marion, “Bruce wants us to be sure we want, this,”

She gestures around herself, not sure what she means either.

“Do you want it?” Kagami asks carefully.

“... We want to try,” Marion gets a nod from Marinette.

“Very well, I will make sure he is worthy of you,” Kagami stomps off towards Bruce.

“Kags, you really don’t have to do that!” Marion calls, chasing after her.

“And she’s gone,” Marinette sighs, turning to the others, both smiling, “Adrien, Chloe can you do something?”

“We sure can,” Chloe walks over next to Kagami who is chewing out Bruce with Harley, “So, what do you want with my friends?”

“Not what I meant!” Marinette yells, getting a pat on the shoulder from Adrien.

“Quite you, the adults are talking,” Chloe waves her off.

“I’m older than you!”

“You should know they already have amazing parents that you can't replace,” Adrein adds to the onslaught of demands from the girls, a lot less threatening.

“I know, I’m not trying to,” Bruce answers evenly, still looking concerned at their guard dog like friends.

“Very well, you should know they are both amazing, and if you show anything less than a hundred percent support I will slice you in half,” Kagami threatens, and if she had her sword she would be holding it to his throat.

“Kagami no,” Marion tries to calm her down.

“You’re right, I will make it far more painful,” She growls.

“~Nooo~,” Marion backs down, hugging the cat to his chest.

“That's right, and don’t you dare think that just because your a billionaire your money will cut it,” Chloe scoffs, “Trust me the twins aren't that superficial, in fact they aren't superficial at all, it's frustrating,”

“She said twins,” Marion whispers to her as the demands continue.

“Package deal,” She hisses back, Bruce looking more and more overwhelmed by the pushy teens.

“Good friends you got there,” Harley whispers, content to let the chew out Bruce.

“What were you yelling at him for?”

“Oh nothin, he said some crap about not wanting to put you in danger, so I calmly explained the psychology behind it,” She crosses her arms smugly, “I think I got through to him,”

“If you're worried you should know Mari- they are really strong and can protect themselves,” Adrein says, Bruce starts to agree but is cut off.

“Hey! You were going to say Marinette! Weren’t you?” Marion demands, distracting the three from their onslaught.

“Both your names start with Mari,” Kagami points out, turning to him.

“Are you so insecure you immediately thought he meant Marinette?” Chloe taunts, inspecting her nails.

“No-I,”

“Geeze Rion I know Marinette awesome but your, you know… ok,” Adrien joins her teasing, muttering, “I guess,”

“That’s it, I’m disowning every one of you,” Marion points at each of them before turning to Bruce, “By the way, these are my ex-friends we used to be quite close, then they made the decision to humiliate me and I cut them out of my life forever,”

“Don’t be like that Rion,” Chloe grins, leaning against him.

“Yeah just because Marinette probably won that prize,” Adrien takes his other side, poking at the cat.

“She did not!”

“I did,” Marinette grins, Marion rolls his eyes.

“It was a team effort,”

“Heavily leaning on Marinette,” Kagami adds.

“Alright, let's settle this,” Marion looks at Bruce, “Where did you see that Ladybug?”

“Follow me,” Bruce smiles minutely leading the way.

“Ohh, Ladybug, maybe I should get one,” Chloe gushes, as if she didn’t have a hundred Ladybug plushies already.

“Yeah I can win it for you,” Marinette smirks, flexing her muscles.

“That does it! I’m winning that prize and sewing on cat ears,” Marion pouts, getting cooed at as they point out Marinette is the better seamstress.

“So how’ve you two been doin?” Harley asks, walking in between Chloe and Kagami.

The two start blushing, spluttering denial; which does nothing to convince Harley, or anyone else for that matter. Bruce follows them through the fair on their search for the Ladybug. If Marinette saw him taking pictures as they fought to win the Ladybug first, she wasn't going to say anything.

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Hi sorry I missed a few days life got busy>-< Also sorry if I don’t respond to messages or likewise I’m still trying to figure out Tumblr I’ll get there eventually... hopefully.

Taglist:

@technicallyburninggarden @fusser90  @misslenamooney @superbwhispersconnoisseur @biodad-bruce-month @nalu-ismyjam @the-one-woman-army @rosesandsailboats @blackmagicforever @zeneralla @ivymala07 @tired-butterfly @tired-butterfly @Ranger-gothamite @A-star-with-a-human-name @enchanted-nerd

[magicstar16]

A cruel joke

NOTICE: This is a fanfic based on Spectralreplicas Puella magi au, I do not own the au. I also do not own the Puella magi madoka magica franchise or the Danganronpa franchise.

Summary: After a nasty fight and being kicked off of Shuichi’s team, Kokichi sets off on his own to fight a witch himself. He later discovers how disturbingly appropriate the witch and it’s labyrinth seem to be, given his situation

 Third and also kinda second person narration, mostly second.

TW Character death

Also may or may not be slightly OOC but Kokichi’s going through a lot and he needs time to be an actual human being with feelies and not just a lying little shit nugget. 

Kokichi ran through the labyrinth, panting heavily, knocking out familiars who got to close. The familiars were just little fuzzballs balancing on top of bouncy balls, so he could just knock them away as he would with the little balls that came with his mallet. He’d use one of the balls on his outfit, but that took magic, and with his soul gem already pretty murky, he couldn’t risk it. Besides, even if he could afford to take that risk, there weren’t many walls, the labyrinth took the form of an outdoor, cheap county carnival, so there wouldn’t be much to bounce on. In the distance he saw the witch, it was a black ball with cartoonish arms and legs, with a large, cartoony mouth for a face, riding a colorful unicycle. The witch’s cacophonous laughter echoed throughout the labyrinth. Kokichi ran towards the witch without hesitation, pushing off the familiars. The witch pedaled away, still laughing. “Stop running away, You stupid witch!” Kokichi yelled, in between breaths. “This would be so much easier if I was still on a team” he said to himself.

He stopped in his tracks

“Oh wait...” he muttered, his voice trailing off

“That’s right...”

*Flashback*

Kokichi jumped from platform to platform, knocking around his croquet balls as they bounced around as carelessly as he did, with a childlike laughter that only he could produce, while smashing the occasional familiar. The giant witch’s slow, rusty, mechanical wire-like arms kept trying to squash him, like a slow bear trying to squash an annoying little fly. “Come on, you overgrown toy! Give me your best shot!” He laughed, taunting the witch. Shuichi, Kaito, and Gonta, however, were not amused with Kokichi’s jokes at the witch. 

“Stop screwing around Kokichi” Kaito yelled, trying to shoot away the rusty familiars in a nearly blind panic. Kaito’s arrows kept flying towards different directions, sometimes at the familiars, who kept getting closer and closer towards him as Kaito tried to distance himself. 

Shuichi ducked the arrows and croquet balls that flew around the labyrinth. “Would Everyone stop screwing around?! PLEASE?!” Shuichi asked, desperately trying to find some sort of week point.

“Shuichi! Over here! Gonta may have found weak point!” Gonta called out to Shuichi, near the base of the witch. Near the base of the gigantic mechanical body, in a mess of wires and gears, Gonta seemed to have found a large, beating mechanical heart. Shuichi lit up! “Thanks Gonta!” Shuichi replied, Shuichi shot at the heart rapidly, the witch didn’t seem to notice, as it was busy with Kokichi.

Kokichi panted,”Is that all you got, rust bucket?” He asked, Now face to face wtih the witch. It’s glowing eyes glared right at him. It slowly opened it’s mouth, revealing what appeared to be a second mouth with a large cannon inside. Kokichi stared blankly. “Is that supposed to be a no?” he asked. 

As Gonta was wailing on the witch’s heart with his butterfly net, he looked up at the witch, seeing if it had noticed him and Shuichi yet. 

Good news: The witch didn’t notice them!

Bad news: It sure had noticed Kokichi.

Gonta saw the cannon emerging from it’s mouth, it started heating up, about to fire any second. In a moment of impulse, Gonta leaped away from the heart, and onto the platforms to where Kokichi was. 

“Kokichiiiiiii!”

Kokichi stumbled back and looked up at Gonta, who taking the bright, fire like blast for the smaller boy. Kokichi was even more dumbfounded by larger boys action. “Why” Kokichi muttered. “Why are you doing this? You should be helping Shuichi.” Gonta grunted, trying to ground himself in place. “Because” Gonta replied, through pained grunts. “Gonta... g-gentleman. G-gentlemen... protect... others...” Gonta looked back at Kokichi and smiled, even though Gonta could feel his soul gem cracking. “Becoming... gentleman... was... G-gonta’s... wish... after... all...”

Two tortured screams echoed throughout the labyrinth, both followed by a crash and a crack as the labyrinth disappeared. It all happened so quickly. Kokichi fell onto the ground, feet first, not a perfect landing, but still a landing. Gonta was not so lucky, as he fell onto the ground limply, like a ragdoll dropped by a child.

Kokichi chuckled at the bug-lover, who had seemed to suddenly detransformed for some reason. “Klutz” He teased, trying to shove Gonta’s words in the back of his mind. Kokichi detransformed. “Come on ya big lug, we gotta meet with the others!” Gonta just laid there. “Don’t be so dramatic, I know your soul gem took a crapload of damage, but Shumai and Kaito will definitely share the grief seed if you beg enough!” Kokichi joked, trying to laugh, but all he could muster was a chuckle. 

“C-come on idiot” Kokichi murmured, trying to maintain his carefree tone. “T-this isn’t funny” Kokichi kicked the body a little, with no response. “Is this payback for that time I pretended to be dead, and laughed when I saw you crying? Well, I get the point you’re trying to make now.” He said, trying to hold back a couple of tears that seemed to have pricked up. “It’s not very funny on the other end! Ya got me Gonta! You can get up and laugh at me now!” Still no response. Kokichi got on his knees, in an apologetic position “I-i-if you want an apology, I’m sorry! I really am! I understand that it’s not funny! I won’t do it again! Now Please! get! up!!” He cried as he banged his fists on the pavement. Kokichi felt some tears fall down his face, he just couldn’t hold back anymore.

Kaito and Shuichi, now back in their civilian forms, looked around for the grief seed from the witch Kaito looked under some parked cars, “Come on, stupid seed, stop screwing around. My sidekick needs you so he can clear his soul gem.” He said, frustrated. He looked under some more cars, hoping that nobody would be driving out to see four schoolboys (allegedly) screwing around in a parking lot. He REALLY wasn’t in the mood to get scolded by some stranger for playing in a parking lot in the middle of the evening, as he was already mentally preparing himself from the scolding he’d surely get from his grandparents for staying out way past dinner. That and hoping someone wouldn’t run over the seed if it was near a car wheel or something. Kaito ducked under a pickup truck and lit up as he saw a small, black glimmer. “There you are” He chuckled. He looked at the black seed with the gear-like design on it. He found it kinda cool that all grief seeds seemed to have their own symbol. He reached into the underside of the truck and grabbed it. He got up and waved to the others! “found it!” Kaito called out. Shuichi got up from looking under another car, dusting off his uniform and ran over to Kaito. “Alright, good work Kaito! Now we need to tell the others!” Shuichi and Kaito both walked to the side of the lot to avoid any cars, and the two began their search for Gonta and Kokichi.

Kokichi sobbed on his knees quietly, clutching his scarf tightly, begging Gonta to wake up. “P-please Gonta...” He whispered. “I’m sorry for tricking you, I’m sorry...” Kokichi looked up to see Shuichi and Kaito running back. “Shit they might have seen me” Kokichi thought. He turned away and wiped his tears and pulled himself together, and then leaned on a nearby car with his hands behind his head and his elbows up. Trying to look as relaxed as possible. “Took ya long enough.” Kokichi chuckled as they approached. Shuichi, being shuichi, seemed to immediately notice something was off. “What happend to Gonta?’” Shuichi asked. Kokichi, Shuichi, and Kaito looked down at Gonta, who wasn’t moving an inch. “Probably tired, he took a lot of damage after all, let’s help him up” Kaito suggested. Shuichi, and Kaito grabbed Gonta by the arms and lifted him up. Kokichi helped, uncomfortably pulling Gonta up by the feet. The trio took their green-haired teammate to a grassy area on the side of the lot. They laid Gonta on his back. Gonta’s eyes were closed, he had a pained expression stuck on his face. He was unmoving, and cold, like a statue. Shuichi checked the side of Gonta’s neck for a pulse. “H-his heart isn’t beating” Shuichi said worryingly.

Kokichi choked back some tears. This couldn’t be happening. Gonta couldn’t eb dead, and not because of him, right? Sure Kokichi may have lied, manipulated and took advantage of the gentle giant’s kindness and stupidity so he wouldn’t have to do as much work fighting witches, but Gonta always pulled through. He’d bounce back again right? This was just payback!

“It’s completely shattered” Kaito muttered.

“What is?” Shuichi asked

“Gonta’s soul gem... It’s completely destroyed!”

Those words sent a chill up Kokichi’s spine. Kaito held the light green soul gem in his hand. Pieces were scattered around in his palm. 

Kaito looked down at his shaking palm. “You...” He muttered, clutching the remains of the gem. “YOU!” Katio shouted at Kokichi, as slammed his empty fist against another car, making Kokichi unknowingly flinch. “GONTA’S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU! HE’S DEAD BECAUSE YOU SCREWED AROUND AND HE HAD TO SAVE YOU FROM YOUR OWN STUPIDITY! YOU! KILLED! GONTA!” Kaito screamed in between sobs, Slamming his fist against the car for emphasis on the last 3 words.

Kokichi looked down, not wanting to look up at the enraged taller boy, he’d rather die show himself in such a sorry state. Kokichi choked back tears, and he defeneded himself the only way he knew how.

“It was his fault” Kokichi lied. “He was being stupid again. All he does is waste time trying to save us indvidualy, or be selfless at all” Another lie. “We’re not friends, we’re teammates. We’re colleagues, hinting witches is our job, you don’t need to save teammates” Kokichi spewed out another lie. Kokichi looked up, with a fake smile on his face and a twisted feeling in his guts as he said the following words. “I don’t need him! I never needed him or any of you morons!” He could feel his heart shatter as he spewed out the lie. Like venom that he spit out and swallowed at the same time. 

Kaito baweled with rage and punched the car, choking back sobs. “You monster” He whispered. “You lying, heartless, little monster” Kokichi maintained his smile despite that it felt like glass shards were being stabbed into his heart. “I don’t know why we ever let you on the team, all you do is make everything harder for us!” Kokichi maintained his composure, even though the words felt like knives in his chest. Kaito stormed off. Shuichi, who had been silently mourning over Gonta as the fight when down, approached Kokichi with a lump in his throat. “I’m sorry Kokichi, but Kaito’s right. You don’t corporate with are plans, aside from being a distraction to witches, you also not only take advantage of Gonta, but...” Shuichi hesitated, and choked out a sob “You’re not even grateful for his sacrifice” Shuichi wiped back his tears and looked at Kokichi, right in the eyes. “You’re kicked off the team Kokichi. We can’t be with you if you’re going to be like this” Shuichi looked away, “And, I don’t think we should speak for a while” Shuichi muttered, in a way that was clearly putting it lightly. Kokichi could tell that Shuichi meant that they didn’t want to be friends anymore. He could tell when someone was lying. That was his personal magic after all. Even then he didn’t need magic to know what Shuichi meant. This wasn’t the first that some told Kokichi that they didn’t want to be friends anymore. As Shuichi dragged Gonta’s body away, Kokichi held back his overwhelming amount of tears and yelled out one more lie, without any thought

“FINE! I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP! I DON’T NEED ANYONE’S HELP!”

Kokichi ran off, wishing that Shuichi would at least call out to him, but of course he didn’t.

Nobody would call out his name now

*End of flashback*

Kokichi aimlessly ran throughout the labyrinth as the painful memory flashed through his mind, tears blurred his vision. He could still hear the witch cackling in the labyrinth, the sound pulsed through his head, it almost hurt to listen to. “Shut up!” Kokichi yelled, as if the witch would listen. He batted away at more familiars, it almost seemed as if they were laughing too. In the distance he saw the witch, it seemed as though it was gesturing Kokichi to come towards it. Kokichi ran towards it with whatever strength he somehow had left. “GET! BACK! HERE!” Kokichi screamed, in between tired, stressed breaths. The witch kept laughing as it pedaled away, fast enough to keep away from Kokichi, but slow enough to stay in Kokichi’s sight. Kokichi chased the witch all the way into what seemed like a funhouse. Kokichi walked around the funhouse cautiously, in case the witch could have set up a surprise attack. He heard a little giggle from behind him, Kokichi turned around, to his surprise, there was nothing there. He kept walking through the funhouse, looking around at it’s seemingly endless maze of mirrors. Kokichi felt something tap on his shoulder, he turned around again, nothing.

Nothing but faint giggling

As he looked at all the mirrors in the funhouse, he could hear more giggling, trying to figure out where it was coming from. The mirrors frames seemed to be locked to wide, goofy smiles, in a similar  to comedy masks, it was as if they were about to burst into laughter at any minute. He quickly walked through the halls of the the funhouse until he saw a single mirror in his way, surrounded by giggling familiars. Kokichi stopped and stared at what the mirror displayed.

It was him, crying and knocking around familiars, like he had been earlier. It was like the familiars had recorded him or something. There were even some mirrors laughing at it. (It seemed the mirrors were also familiars.) were all laughing at the “footage” (For lack of a better word) of Kokichi crying and knocking away at familiars with his mallet, like a bunch of children laughing at a funny clown on tv.

Kokichi picked a ball off of his hat and placed it on the floor. He lined up his mallet near the ball. He glared at the mirror playing the footage of him in such a sorry state. He hit the ball with all his might watching it crash into the mirror playing the footage of him, and then bounce from mirror to mirror, breaking them upon each impact. He smirked to himself as he watched the ball smash the mirrors into pieces. He left the hallway proud of himself, there wasn’t really a need to get the ball back, he could always summon more, the balls on his outfit grew back over a certain period of time. 

However, as Kokichi walked away, he felt a blunt impact on the back of his head, causing him to stumble forward onto his stomach. He picked himself, back up, rubbing the back of his head. He looked down to see the ball he had hit earlier. He chuckled to himself, “At least nobody saw that”.

He realized what he said. He plopped the ball back onto his hat and walked away casually. (Sure he didn’t HAVE to retrieve his balls after hitting them, but it was still good to get them back whenever he could, every bounce made his mallet hits stronger after all). Hoping none of the mirrors recorded that. His hopes started to diminish as he went further into the funhouse, hearing more and more laughter as he got deeper. He could even see some of the mirror familiars laughing at him, writing insults on lower leveled mirrors for Kokichi to read, and  even playing the footage of him getting hit by his own ball. Kokichi kept looking forward, he needed to preserve his magic to fight the witch, or any familiars that decided to gang up on him.  

He trudged up to a large door with laughing mouths on it. He opened the door to see what appeared to be a circus ring, with the witch in the center, the seats were filled with familiars. They cheered as Kokichi entered, as if they were excited to see him. Kokichi glared at the witch, it bounced gleefully and gestured Kokichi to come towards it. Kokichi sprinted after the witch with his mallet. Kokichi swung with all his might, but the witch dodged. Kokichi kept trying to hit the witch, but it kept dodging. As Kokichi kept trying to hit the witch, the laughter from it and it’s familiars got louder and louder. Kokichi, stumbled around, desperately trying to hit the witch. Eventually Kokichi collapsed onto the ground, it was like he could barely be able to hear his own breathing over the laughter from the labyrinth. The witch rolled up to his pathetic form. 

“Why?” Kokichi asked, more to himself to the witch. “Why would it bring me to the center of it’s own labyrinth?”

As if to answer his question, the witch opened it’s gaping mouth in a rectangular shape, like a tv screen. The familiars all went silent. Kokichi stared at the mouth in shock. It was a mirror playing footage of him, but not just any footage. 

It was footage of his fight with Kaito.

It almost hurt to watch the recording, but the strange (Or worst) part was that the recording paused in between Kaito’s sentences, to give time for the familiars in the audience to laugh, like a sitcom.

“GONTA’S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!” There was Laughter from the audience “HE’S DEAD BECAUSE YOU SCREWED AROUND AND HE HAD TO SAVE YOU FROM YOUR OWN STUPIDITY!” again, there was laughter. ”YOU! KILLED! GONTA!” There was not only laughter, but cheering from the crowd, almost as if the familiars were all saying “You tell him” in response. Kokichi watched his response in the recording. Wishing he could say how he really felt. Wishing he had the courage to say the truth.

The truth was, It was Kokichi’s fault.

The truth was, Kokichi was the stupid one, in a way

The truth was, Kokichi really did see them as friends.

The truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was the truth was...

“I need you” Kokichi whispered, pleadingly, “I need you” 

Kokichi kept his head down as he tried to hold back tears. The recording continued the play, with the occasional laughter from the familiars. Until the recording finally ended, with the last scene. Himself, running away while crying. 

As the recording stopped and the witch’s mouth returned to normal size, there was silence. Much to Kokichi’s relief. He looked up to face the witch.

The witch began to faintly giggle, the giggle grew into a mocking laughter, and then grew into a hysterical cackle, even pointing at Kokichi. It’s voice became deeper, and gained a demented echo to it. It’s familiars began to laugh to, the fuzzy ball balancing familiars pointed their tiny arms at Kokichi, while the mirror familiars wrote insults on their reflective surfaces, the on their frames now animated with laughter. With insults such as Crybaby, fool, liar, weakling, monster, and others. Kokichi stared at the at the crowd of familiars, all while tears poured out of his eyes. It all seemed so funny to them, his struggle, his misery, his despair, it was all so funny to these sick beings. It was all so funny that...

He started laughing too.

“Oh I get it now!” He shouted. “I get the joke now!” He yelled out to the crowd, crying and laughing at the same time. He turned to the witch, as if it could understand him.

“This is all a big joke!” He said. “This is a joke and I’m the punchline!” Kokichi laughed, feeling a little dumb that he didn’t get it sooner. “You’re some kind of a clown or circus witch” He explained. “You’re entire thing is making people laugh, or more accurately, making people do things to make YOU laugh!” He gestured towards is outfit. “My costume is basically a clown costume, and clowns make people laugh. One of the most common types of humor is seeing other people get hurt, like slapstick!” Kokichi felt kinda stupid for explaining the witch’s own gimmick to itself, but the explanation was more for his own benefit, it would be impossible to hear himself think with the cacophony of laughter from the witch and it’s familiars. “It all makes sense, the cheap carnival theme, the familiars, the funhouse, the circus tent center, The witch leading me here, the familiars being excited to see me.” He let out a deranged laugh, almost on par with the witch’s laughter. “This is all an act and I’m the main event! I’m the hilarious main event! This is all slapstick to you all! To you all, I’m just a clown putting on a show!” He picked up is mallet. “And the best part is, it’s kinda true in a way. It really is kinda funny!” He picked up his mallet and pounced onto the witch, smashing his mallet right on to unicycle, making sure it couldn’t get away. “So go ahead! Laugh at me!” Kokichi smashed his mallet on the witch, who was still laughing at him. “Laugh at the funny clown!” He smashed the mallet onto the witch again, knocking a few teeth out of it’s giant face- mouth. 

“Laugh at the pathetic, crybaby, lying, heartless clown who can’t hold on to a single friend!” Kokichi than rapidly mashed his hammer on the witch, his laughing now indistinguishable to his gross sobbing. 

Finally, after for what seemed like eternity of laughing, crying, and smashing, the witch was finally dead. The labyrinth disappeared, revealing the empty city crosswalk where it had spawned. Kokichi detransformed and collapsed onto the sidewalk, he panted, he could barely breathe. He picked up the grief seed and  crawled onto a nearby bench at an empty bus stop and sighed. He looked at the grief seed’s pattern, it was a laughing mouth, just like the one on the witch. It was like even after defeat, the witch still laughed at Kokichi. The purple haired boy could still hear the witches laughter in his mind. Kokichi took his sould gem and placed the grief seed on it, watching a the murky blackness fade away. Kokichi felt as if a giant weight that had been left on his chest for hours and had finally been lifted. Kokichi took a deep breath in relief.

But why did he still hurt? He had no injuries (At least no major ones) and his soul gem was squeaky clean. Plus, how would he get home? It was almost 9:00, he should have been home an hour ago.

Kokichi didn’t really care anymore. He figured he’d just take the next bus, it would only be arriving in about ten minutes anyway. He could just say he got lost or something, It had happened before.

Kokichi stared at his soul gem, now in ring form, feeling tears prick up in his eyes. He curled up into a ball.

And finally cried.

[lilaclovestowrite]

Arcade Chaos (Katsuki x Cheerful!Reader)

“ Bakugo oneshot with cheerful!reader at arcade plz? ”

Type: Request from Quotev

Words: 2556

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Pairing: Katsuki x Reader

Genre: Hint of fluff, lots of Katsuki rage lol, and mainly humor

Summary: Somehow, you’re able to drag your crush, Katsuki Bakugou, to an arcade for the day. Of course, this creates chaos, since the Bakusquad happens to be there as well. But maybe, after all the chaos, you’ll finally be able to confess your true feelings to him!

Warnings:

None

💥💥💥

 “Why the heck are we in this lame place!?” questioned an irritated Katsuki.

“Cuz arcades are fun!” I answered, leading him in by the hand. He was very resistant—but he was no match for my nonexistent strength.

 “Fun? This place is for nerds who live in their mom’s basement. Just like stupid—”

 “Deku, yeah, yeah,” I finished for him with a blasé attitude. “I’ve heard it all before. Why don’t you just focus on something else besides Midoriya?”

 “Pfft, like what?”

 “Uh, something that actually matters. Video games, obviously.”

 “I’m leaving.” Just as he tried to escape, I pulled him back.

 “Get yer hands off me!” He flicked his wrist away from me, and huffed as he scanned the arcade’s interior.

“Come on, please stay with me for just an hour? PLEEEEEAAAASSSEEEEEE~!?” I forcefully smiled, holding my hands together in a purposely pathetic pose.

 “Well, you already kidnapped me so—whatever. And what’s the difference between these games and the ones on my phone? Only geeks play these chunky, 8-bit fossils.”

 “Trust me. You’ll see,” I vaguely left as an answer.

After I dragged Katsuki around the building, I asked him if anything caught his eye. “So, do you know what game you wanna play?”

 “’Nuke the Zombies’ didn’t look too trashy, I guess.”

 I blinked once. “Uhh, how about something more child-friendly?”

 “Fine. How about ’Blow up the Bunny’ then?”

 Why did I ever think this was a good idea?

 “Let’s not.”

But what we didn’t know, is that our other friends happened to be here as well! Eijiro, Denki, Hanta, and Mina approached us all at once.

 “Wow! Hey, guys! Nice to see you here,” Eijiro greeted.

 Hanta laughed. “Didn’t really expect to see you two here. . .specifically, together.”

 “The heck you mean by that!?” Katsuki nearly erupted, but I held him back.

 “Oh, y’know—just figured you’d be at home plotting your revenge for Midoriya or something.”

His response only earned him a snarl from Katsuki. But Mina, on the other hand, decided to push all of Katsuki’s buttons without thinking.

 “Maybe they’re on a date!!” she gasped. “WAIT, ARE YOU—”

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!! This isn’t a heckin’ date!” Katsuki debunked. “She bugged me nonstop about coming to this trash hole, and finally got on my nerves, so I came.”

 By the smug look on my friend’s faces—they were obviously not buying it. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have minded it if were a date. Considering I’ve always had a thing for Katsuki. People may have thought I was crazy for liking someone so spastic with anger management issues—but there was more to him than just his atrocious personality. He had a lot of admirable qualities like uh, well, I’ll think of some later.

 “Alright then~” Mina giggled.

 “Guys, when can we play some games?” asked Denki.

“Right now!” Eijiro made an immediate beeline for Whac-A-Mole. “Bakugou, you gotta try out this game! I used to play it when I was younger, and it’s so much fun.”

 “The heck is it?”

 Katsuki stormed over and studied the attributes of the vintage game, while Eijiro explained the rules of it to him.

 “And when the mole thing rises up, you just hit it with this mallet!”

 “Pfft, sounds like a baby game. Pass.”

 “Aw, c’mon!” I joined in, trying to convince him to try it out.

 Hanta agreed, “Yeah! Don’t be such a wet blanket, man.”

After all our nagging, he eventually gave in and reluctantly picked up the game mallet. “Gross, a thousand brats probably got their diseased germs all over this thing.”

 “They’re not as diseased as your attitude, that’s for sure—”

 “COME AGAIN, KNOCK-OFF PIKACHU!?!”

 “Hey, hey,” Eijiro tried calming. “Just try one round at least!”

 “Ugh, fine.”

Once the game started, the plastic moles slowly rose up from their holes, and each one was hammered by Katsuki. He displayed his obvious boredom through stance and expression.

 “This game is about as fun as watching paint dry.”

 “Oh, it gets harder,” I snickered.

 “This is about as hard as using Deku as a football.”

But he was soon showed otherwise—as the game’s difficulty increased. The moles now only stayed up for half a second now, and even Katsuki was having a hard time keeping up.

 “C’mon, dude! Whack them!” Eijiro cheered.

“THIS STUPID MALLET ISN’T WORKING!!!” he screeched, causing the rest of the people around us to stare. It was a bit embarrassing. But that’s my penalty for going out in public with Katsuki. “DIE, RATS, DIEEEEEE!!!!” So, he dropped the mallet, and just started exploding the moles with his hands.

 And of course, the result was he melted the arcade machine. All the moles were now nothing but liquefied plastic, which was totally uncalled for compared to the games standards.

 I walked back to my friend’s table with Katsuki by my side.

“Alright, I just called Katsuki’s therapist and he was able to, er—scream out his issues. So, I think we’re good!” I informed with a thumbs up.

 “My therapist can bite rocks.”

 I let out a sigh of disappointment at his rude response.

 “Hey, (Y/N)! Did you see any games that caught your eye?” Hanta wondered.

 I answered with, “Hmm. . .well, I did wanna play Whac-A-Mole. But now it’s melted into the flooring, so. . .”

“It wasn’t even fun,” Katsuki downplayed. “I have more fun beating Deku. Wait—they should make a game called Whac-A-Deku. Now, I’d play that.”

 We only stared at our friend, mildly disturbed.

 Hanta said, “Pac-Man it is, then.”

 After playing a few more games, we headed to the eating area. We ordered some pizza and soda, so we just chatted as we ate.

 “You guys, what do you think is better? Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man?” asked Mina.

 “They’re the same thing, Raccoon Eyes.”

 “NO, PAC-MAN IS A MAN, AND MS. PAC-MAN IS A WOMAN.”

 I awkwardly nibbled on my pizza, watching the conversation between them take a nosedive for the worst.

 “Guys, is butter a carb?” Katsuki asked us.

 Denki replied, “I don’t know—I don’t watch Gordon Ramsey.”

“Whatever, I’m getting cheese fries.” He launched his pizza in the trash can (which he carelessly missed), and headed back to the ordering station.

 Just as Katsuki got out of earshot, Mina immediately began interrogating me.

 “So. . .ya sure you two weren’t on a date~?”

 I went red with total shock and embarrassment. “What? No way! He doesn’t like me like that.”

 Hanta chuckled. “He liked you enough for you to literally drag him here. That’s like, a deathwish for most people.”

 I knew he had a point.

 Eijiro said, “Plus, he needs a girlfriend. He needs someone to keep him fairly sane.”

All their talking had me blushing. Yes, I liked Katsuki a lot—but I never thought it’d go any further than that. However, you never know about these kind of things.

 “So. . .should I ask him out or something?” I hesitantly questioned.

 “Go ahead! I mean, there’s not a line of girls trying to date him, that’s for sure.”

 I took it into consideration. Maybe today, I should try to make a move. I mean, YOLO, amirite?

 “Alright, I’ll try next time I see him,” I gulped.

 They all smiled uncontrollably, but instinctively stopped once Katsuki returned to the table.

 “Why’re you idiots all staring at me like a bunch of idiots?”

“Oh, uh—well. . .” I mentally prepared myself for rejection. I knew all my friends were bursting at the seams, waiting for me to confess my feelings to Katsuki. But it was just so awkward. So, I chickened out. “I uh, wanted to know if you were gonna share your cheese fries with me.”

 “What does share mean?”

 I could hear Eijiro facepalm. So, I ended the awkwardness with, “Nothing! Just eat your fries—”

 Later, we all continued searching for what else to play.

 So, I cleared my throat to get everyone’s attention. “Ahem. How about we do something that’s multiplayer?”

 “You mean like a competition?” Katsuki wondered, a psychotic smile forming on his face once the idea of winning first place entered his mind. Now, we were all scared.

“Uh, you’re smiling like a psycho again—I MEAN, uh, yeah! We just need to find a game that allows two players. . .and one that isn’t taken.” As I examined the room and every one of its consoles, I found one that caught my eye.

 Dance Dance Revolution (DDR).

 “Hmm, I know! That one!” I excitedly pointed to the one I was referring to.

 “OMG, that one is so cool! I used to play it when I was younger!” Mina beamed.

“Oh, great. Dancing? I thought you’d pick something that would actually hold my interest. Like no-scoping zombies or something.”

 I crossed my arms and said the thing I knew would make him do what I wanted. “What? You think you can’t beat me? Think I’m gonna win instead~?”

 “Pfft, in your dreams. I’d beat you at any game at any time of the week. You’re a lame gamer.”

 “You think so, eh? Well, let’s just find out!” I skipped over to the DDR machine and patiently waited for the two children to finish up their round. However, patience wasn’t an idea Katsuki could process in his arrogant brain.

 “Hit the road, punks! I’ve got a game to win!” He shoved the two kids off, and cleared the platforms for both of us. I tried mouthing an apology to the two schoolboys, but they had already escaped to find their parents.

 Katsuki extended his arms and stretched out his fingers. Eijiro and Hanta approached me, asking if I was sure this was a good idea. I knew Katsuki was unhealthily obsessed with winning, but that only made it more fun being his opponent, at least in my opinion! (Plus, seeing him fail was ten-times funnier).

 “Go easy on her, dude,” Denki tried helping out.

“No way, Calamari. I’m not a braindead loser like you.” Finishing up his mini exercise, he stepped onto the dance platform. “What’re you waiting for, girly?” Katsuki snarked at me with a confident smirk.

 I stepped on mine as well, and scrolled through the list of songs to perform. “We could start with easy mode,” I offered.

 “No way. Go for the hardest mode you can find.”

 Someone was going to break their legs, and it wasn’t going to be Midoriya this time around.

 “Oh. . .well, uh—alright!” I landed my finger on this Vocaloid song called The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku, which was apparently the most challenging one on this menu. “Alright, there’s the modes: Beginner, Intermediate, Pro, Master, and uh, Death.”

 “Choose Death then.”

 With a cloud of anxiousness looming over my figure, I pressed that option. I didn’t know what to expect—but I was scared.

 “How bad can it be?” chuckled Eijiro.

 Oh, but it was pain. It was the most torture I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.

When the gameplay started, it wasn’t too hard in the intro of the song. But when the fast part came, it was like we were dancing to save our lives. People in the building came to spectate us and our anguish—but our friends cheered us on the entire time.

 “REEEEEEEEE, END MEEEEEEEEEE!!!” Katsuki screeched as he barely managed to touch the flashing tiles on his platform.

I felt as if I was jumping across a room full of nails sticking straight up. I could barely keep up with the beat of the song, and I was already exhausted. But we weren’t even halfway into it.

 “BEATING ALL FOR ONE IS EASIER THAN THIS TORTURE MACHINE!” roared Katsuki.

 “You’re almost to the beat break!” Hanta reassured.

Finally, the first verse of the song ended. So, our legs could take a break for a few seconds. Katsuki and I were desperately trying to regain oxygen, since it was such a rush. When we looked at our current scores—I saw that I was luckily five points higher than Katsuki.

 “WHAT THE HECK!? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!?” he raged.

 “HA.”

 Everyone cheered for me at the moment, but Katsuki wasn’t having it. He was more than determined to beat me now.

When the gameplay resumed, we continued to push ourselves to dance on the correct tiles. Our scores were nearing closer together, and it was only a matter of time before one of us passed each other for good and won.

 “ALMOST THERE,” Katsuki spoke to himself, as he glimpsed at his own score.

But just the moment before it was all over, Denki accidentally activated his Quirk due to the hype building up in his system—and it shot out at the DDR machine, causing it to short-circuit and die.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” Katsuki bellowed out, as he fell on his knees and placed his hands on the now black screen. “I’M GONNA KILL YOU, STUPID PIKACHU!!!”

 However, it was pointless because Denki already fried his brain and went dumb. “Wheyyyy~”

Eijiro couldn’t help but laugh hysterically, along with Hanta and Mina. It only made Katsuki’s blood boil—and frankly, I couldn’t help but giggle too.

 “I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PAIN.” Katsuki stood up and stalked out of the arcade. Of course, I followed him.

 “Katsuki! Don’t be upset. It’s only a game.”

 “I WAS SO CLOSE TO WINNING!” he fumed. “I COULD HAVE BROKEN THE STUPID RECORD—”

“Shh, just relax! They’ll probably fix it, and we can always come back later.” I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, which he surprisingly didn’t flick off.

 “Hmph. I’m never playing that demon game ever again.”

 I laughed softly. “Well, there’s plenty of other games. But other than the fact Denki shut off the game—did you have fun?”

 He turned his head to me, and for I moment, I swear I saw his eyes soften by a fraction. “Maybe a little—but not that much.”

 I’ll take that as a yes, coming from him.

But now that we were together with no other distractions, I decided to take a risk and slide my hand into his. He widened his eyes—since affection was probably a concept far removed from his unfriendly mentality.

 I looked down at the floor and smiled, saying, “I was thinking, Katsuki. Would you uh, would you consider being my Player Two?”

 I didn’t even care how cheesy I was being at this point.

 “The heck does that mean?”

 Our friends screamed from a distance, “SHE’S ASKING YOU OUT, GENIUS!”

Katsuki stiffened up, since he was struggling to find a riposte to throw back in my face. But it was relentless. Instead, he let out a sigh and told me, “That’s the sappiest and most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard—but sure. You’re not as annoying as the others.”

 I strained my cheeks from smiling so much, and I threw my arms gleefully around Katsuki. The others were probably afraid he’d blow up or something, but thankfully, he didn’t. Instead, he returned the favor by awkwardly rubbing my head.

 “They’re so cute together~” sighed Mina.

 “Yeah, Bakugou better not screw it up,” Eijiro added with a smile.

 “It’s Bakugou, he screws everything up.”

 “True.”

 Maybe coming to this place was a good idea after all~

[star-linedsoul]

Legacy: A Supernatural Fanfiction | Sneak Peek

STORY SUMMARY:

Dean & Sam Winchester have spent their lives surrounded by the evil forces of the world, pushed and pulled and forced to bend in attempt to rid the world of evil and save innocent lives. As such, they jump at the chance to close the gates of Hell, forever removing demons from the face of the Earth. However, a visitor from the future causes the brothers to question this decision as the cost of this endeavor makes itself clear. Raised in a future where demons rule the world, Erica Winchester longs for an escape from the darkness that has destroyed her family. Sending herself to the past to finish the job her father started long ago, she hopes to atone for her own mistakes as much as she hopes to fix her world. As she delves into nigh-impossible trials and ancient magicks, however, she begins to wonder whether redemption is even possible. Perhaps, in the end, destiny cannot be avoided. Perhaps, for a Winchester, the only possible legacy is one of blood and death.

CHAPTER SUMMARY:

After the events of episode 8x13, “Everybody Hates Hitler,” Sam & Dean return to the Men of Letters bunker to find that they are no longer the only ones entrusted with its secrets. A search ensues to determine who or what has compromised the security of their new home.

Well, as definitive proof that I really need to work on my self-control, the writing bug has officially refused to leave me alone when it comes to this WIP. It will probably be awhile before I post any full chapters of this story, but I couldn’t resist sharing an excerpt featuring the first meeting between Dean and my OC Erica. I’m trying a couple new things in regards to a more concise writing style and a streamlined writing process that will hopefully allow me to write faster. Feel free to give me some input/constructive criticism on whether or not you feel it works! I put the excerpt under a read more due to length and mild spoilers for anyone that isn’t caught up on the series!

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As always, my askbox and messaging are always open for discussion or if you would like to be added to the taglist! :D

EXCERPT:

Shaking his head at how ridiculous it was to be playing hide and go seek in his own home—without even knowing who he was looking for—Dean securely latched the door on his way out of the bedroom. No one was violating his space more than they already had. Not if he had anything to say about it.

The hunter crossed the corridors on silent feet, every sense tuned to pick up on the slightest sign of the bunker’s mystery guests. He knew he had finally struck gold as he turned into the hall leading to the garage. Amid the funky rhythm and melodic vocals of what his ears immediately recognized as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the metallic clang of tools clattering together sang through the air. He knew that sound well. Pressing his back against the wall flanking the stairs that led up into the garage, he quickly texted Sam, letting him know that he had finally found something.

Dean ascended the first few stairs leading into the garage, stopping when he was just high enough to see over the concrete walls of the motorcycle bays flanking the stairwell. Scanning the open garage, he found all of the cars and bikes still in their places, with the sounds coming from the corner workspace at the rear. He ducked back down out of sight as he caught movement between the shelves that separated the work area from the rest of the garage. Bingo.

The hunter not-so-patiently waited until his phone vibrated with Sam’s confirmation that he was on his way before climbing the stairs to fully enter the garage. He kept his gun low but at the ready as quick strides carried him toward the corner, where a single figure was silhouetted behind the shelves. Ready to duck out of sight if anyone else should show up, he stayed close to the vehicle bays.

Several choice curses punctuating Anthony Kiedis’ melancholic crooning through “Californication” had Dean categorizing this particular intruder as female, and he absently wondered if this was the owner of the jacket he and Sam had found in the library. The loud music masked his steps as he approached the gap that left the workspace open to the rest of the garage, giving him a moment to survey the scene without being noticed by the target. This objective was even better served when he saw that the woman stood at the near end of a collapsible worktable, on which rested a shiny, black and chrome motorcycle. Her back was to the hunter as she leaned one shoulder against the bike’s rear tire to hold it in place while she struggled to install its axle with her free hand.

“Come on, girl,” she growled between the dull thuds of a rubber mallet knocking the axle into place. “Stop being such a bitch!”

As if the bike heard her, the shaft finally found its seat. Dropping the rubber mallet to the table, the woman rested one hand on the reinstalled tire, running her other hand through choppy black hair as she muttered, “Finally!”  

Deciding to press his advantage while the woman was still unaware that she was no longer alone, Dean reached over and turned off the small stereo on the shelf next to him. As the intro to “By the Way” abruptly cut to silence, the hunter raised his pistol to the ready position. “Nice bike.”

With a loud gasp, the woman whirled around, swiping the mallet from the table once again and adopting a defensive stance in a single, fluid motion. She froze, however, as she spotted the gun leveled at her chest. Narrowed eyes widened in surprise and a crinkle formed along her brows while her knuckles turned white from gripping the mallet in her hand.

“Who are you?”

“Funny. I was planning on asking you the same thing,” Dean gestured to the woman’s hands with the barrel of his gun. “Drop that mallet and kick it under the table. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

The hunter thought for a moment that the woman was going to try something very stupid. She had the looks of an animal caught in headlights and panicking, seconds away from bolting. He had left her nowhere to run, making him wonder if she might try to charge him. He had her unquestionably outmatched in size, but fear made people do crazy things. Luckily, she proved to be a bit more sensible. Though her body was still taut with tension and her eyes remained glued to him, she crouched and placed the mallet on the floor. She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender as she rose, kicking the mallet away.

Though it was the result that he had wanted, something didn’t sit right with Dean. He couldn’t quite explain what it was. Maybe it was that this was too easy. Maybe it was that the intruder seemed to be trying too hard to appear normal. This woman before him had somehow managed to infiltrate their bunker—which was supposed to be secret and hidden—and yet she was tinkering in the garage instead of robbing the place of its virtually priceless collection. Nothing about her appearance suggested that she was anything other than average. Surely no older than thirty, she wore a simple, black T-shirt, form-fitting jeans, and scuffed biker boots, with no logos or embellishments visible that might be traced back to a store. No charms or amulets decorated her wrists or hung around her neck, nor were any weapons visible that might suggest that she was a hunter. And yet there was something unsettling about her. About how quickly she had picked up that mallet and prepared to defend herself only to disarm just as fast. About how she looked as submissive as possible, wide-eyed and with her hands in the air, and yet her entire body was tensed as if ready for a fight.

Remaining on alert, Dean stepped closer to the woman only for her to back away in equal measure. “What do you want?”

The hunter was sure it was meant to be a demand, but her voice was too shaky for it to have the desired effect. “Hey, you’re the one in my home without permission, sweetheart. I’ll handle the questions.” Before she could protest further, Dean closed the distance between them, grabbing her shoulder and pushing her to turn around. “Keep those hands up.”

His pistol ready in one hand just in case, he quickly skimmed his free hand over the woman’s lean frame. Starting at her torso, he then went down one denim-clad leg, confiscating the switchblade tucked into her boot. On the way up the other leg, he swiped the leather wallet from her back pocket.

“Hey!” she protested, whirling back around and reaching for the wallet. “Give that back!”

Dean dodged her, moving out of reach. “Don’t worry, you’ll get it back so long as you don’t do anything stupid.” He could tell she didn’t like that answer as her hands tightened into fists. Green eyes fixed him with a scorching glare, which he elected to ignore as he flipped open the wallet to check for ID. “Got any friends with you?”

“It’s just me.” Dean glanced up at the woman’s wooden tone, but he found that she wasn’t looking at him, fixed on a spot behind his left shoulder. Then, faintly, “Oh…there’s two of you.”

Turning to follow her stare, Dean found his brother surveying the scene, pistol lowered but ready. About damn time. “Hi, Sammy! I’m so glad you finally decided to join us.”

The younger Winchester answered with a curt nod, glancing between his brother and the woman he’d cornered. “What’s going on?”

“I was just getting acquainted with our new friend here.” Dean made a show of holding up the ID he had pulled from their guest’s wallet, keeping his tone casual. “Meet Erica Jackson from Seminole, Oklahoma. She’s a...let’s see, carry the one, thirteen minus seven…twenty-six year old Gemini and”—he raised an eyebrow, looking at the woman’s choppy black locks—“a blonde?”

She shifted her weight to one leg, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry, is dying hair a crime these days?”

Dean definitely didn’t like that snippy tone. “No, but breaking and entering is. So give me one good reason why you’re in my garage and I’ll think about letting you walk outta here.”

“I-I didn’t know anyone lived here.” Erica had the decency to at least pretend to be remorseful, nervously tucking her hair behind one ear and scuffing one toe against the concrete as she glanced between the brothers. “The place was empty when I found it.”

“And you just decided to move in?” Sam inferred, moving forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Dean.

“No, of course not!” Erica returned, indignant. But then she faltered, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. “Well, kind of, I guess…” She huffed. “It’s a long story.”

[anna-mator]

How to Draw a Toon - (In-Progress) Fandom: Warner Bros, Looney Tunes, Disney, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Animaniacs, Rating: M Categories: M/M Relationships: (eventual) Bugs/Daffy Warnings: Language, moderate violence, cartoon violence, racism, Additional tags: friends to lovers, mystery, adventure

<< FIRST CHAPTER | 

When the Warner’s alarm went off, it was always a race between the two brothers to see who’d turn it off first. If Yakko got lucky, he’d be the one to turn it off first. Otherwise, Wakko would simply use his trusty mallet. This morning, Yakko was able to jolt awake just in time to stop Wakko’s mallet from hammering down onto the alarm. He tossed it aside and then hit the snooze button.

Yakko sat up slowly, disturbing his younger siblings only slightly. Being between the two, he managed to worm his way out of their sleepy grasps and slide off of the bed. He smiled to himself, deciding to let them sleep in just a little longer.

After his morning-care routine, Yakko headed downstairs. Unsurprisingly, Bugs was already up and hovering over the stove. Knowing how jumpy Bugs was, Yakko announced himself. “Mornin’ Bugs...” he chimed.

Bugs turned around and gave Yakko a nod. “Good morning. You get your sibs up yet?” He asked.

“Eehh… I thought I’d let ‘em sleep in.” Yakko told him before moving to make himself a bowl of cereal.

“You spoil ‘em more than I do.” Bugs chuckled, turning back to the hot meal on the stove.

“I’m their big brother. I’m allowed.” Yakko said it before he could really stop it.

The two went deadly silent. It had been a year since he had taken them in, and Bugs still had no idea where he stood. Was he simply an acting mentor? Was he some kind of parental guardian? No one who was involved really knew. At some point in Bugs’ life, he remembered having decided against having kids. And yet, he took in the three without any hesitation.

Once Yakko made his cereal, he carried it over and sat down on a barstool chair under the kitchen island. He ate and watched Bugs prepare breakfast for the rest of them. Finally, Bugs broke the silence.

“Daffy is stayin’ wit’ us.” He mentioned.

Yakko swallowed, “Oh really? Why here? Couldn’t find himself a private island off the coast of Malibu?” He asked.

“Dat, I’m sure.” Bugs chuckled, “Also, I thought it’d be easier for us to work on school stuff. Dat and I figured it’d be nice to have some help around the house.”

“Oh right, your school.” Yakko remembered, “You sure you really want to hire Daffy as a teacher?” He asked.

“Why is everyone askin’ me dat?” Bugs felt slightly annoyed, “I brought Daffy on because he’s my friend. He’s great with kids and he’s been in this business for as long as I have. Longer, if you can believe it.” He defended.

Yakko wasn’t entirely convinced, still he nodded. “If you say so.” He said.

“You three were invited to the ribbon cuttin’ ceremony yesterday, by the way.” Bugs mentioned, shooting a glare at Yakko.

“Ooh… was that yesterday?” Yakko asked, pushing away his now empty cereal bowl. “Well, you know how it is sometimes. We all get so carried away on set and we end up home later than usual.”

“Uh-huh.” Bugs said, not quite sure he believed Yakko, “Ya mind waking up your kin? This is almost ready.” He said.

“I’m on it.” Yakko said, hopping down from his chair and making his way back upstairs.

When Yakko reached their bedroom, he saw Dot fully ready to go. Wakko, however, was still sound asleep and had taken over as much as he could of the California king-sized bed. After a solid few minutes of Yakko working to peel his sibling off of the bed, Wakko was up and able to start his routine.

Once they were all ready, the three came downstairs to see the kitchen table full of food. Dot eagerly sat down in a seat Bugs pulled out for her. Wakko raced to his seat at the table and began to pile his plate with the assortments of food. Once Yakko and Bugs sat down, Bugs turned to Wakko and Dot.

“I wanted to let you both know I invited Daffy to stay wit’ us.” Bugs told them, taking a bite of his breakfast.

At that, the two of them looked super pleased. “Hooray!” Wakko cheered before chowing down.

“That’s great! And for how long?” Dot asked curiously.

After hearing that, it only just occurred to Bugs that he had absolutely no long-term ideas concerning Daffy. Was he going to help him hunt for another estate? Daffy made it clear last night that the rent was ‘so damn high’, Bugs wasn’t sure Daffy was looking for a permanent stay. If he wanted to continue being a teacher, it was clear he would have to come up with some kind of living arrangement. While he was thinking along those lines, why did Daffy even agree to a teacher’s salary? Surely after all their royalty checks, he didn’t exactly need the extra income. Daffy’s motives were obviously very unclear to Bugs.

Bugs swallowed his food, “Eeehh… We’ll see.” He said carefully.

As if on cue, the three siblings caught sight of Daffy floating mid-air down the hallway, past the living room and into the closest seat at the kitchen table. Bugs had watched him and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. He took the act as a high compliment in regards to his cooking.

Daffy gave a smile and a small sigh when he opened his eyes to the plethora of food at his disposal. Immediately, he began to eat. “Oh man, I could get used to this.” Daffy said more to himself than anyone.

After a moment, Bugs’ cleared his throat slightly. “Eh, Daff… I was hopin’ to go over some stuff about the school today.” He said.

“Today? No can do.” Daffy said, pulling out a cellphone from behind his back, “I have about five different interviews, three of them are public appearances and I have just about fifteen different emails asking for article interviews.” He said.

Bugs’ felt his ear twitch in annoyance. “Didn’t you just fly in yesterday?” He asked.

“What does that have to do with anything? I’m Daffy Duck. Soon to be Professor Daffy Duck!”

“Not if I decide I don’t like what you’re gonna be teachin’ at my school.”

Watching the two banter was like watching a tennis match for the siblings. Especially considering the two were at separate ends of the kitchen table.

Daffy glared right back at Bugs with no fear. “Then why don’t you come up with whatever I’ll be teaching, huh?” He asked.

“Daff, I’m the principal of the only school in Toon Town. There’s no official district to tell us what we should be teachin’. I jus’ wanna make sure we’ll be doin’ this right.” Bugs told him. After a moment, he realized Daffy wasn’t going to budge so Bugs rolled his eyes. “Fine. How’s about this? You go an’ make your way around L.A., do all your lil interviews, and once you get back ‘ere we go over school stuff... If not tonight, then tomorrow... Capiche?”

“Fine.” Daffy said simply, though it didn’t seem like he was too happy about it.

Once the two were done arguing, Yakko decided to speak up. “Well, we better get goin’...”

The siblings took that as a cue to stand up from their places, with Wakko being the last as he shoveled in the rest of his food as quickly as he could. Daffy watched curiously when Bugs stood up and walked to the kitchen, pulling out three paper bags from the fridge. “Y’all have your studio passes?” He asked.

“I have the studio passes, this time.” Yakko said, presenting the three lanyards for Bugs to see. “Cuz we all know what happened to Wakko’s last week.”

“I got hungry…” Wakko said with a small pout.

“When are you not hungry, Wakko?” Dot asked, to which Wakko only answered with a giggle.

Bugs began to hand over their premade lunches when they were at the door, “Remember, you run into any problems on set you call me… alright?” He asked. Bugs was satisfied when he saw them nod in agreement.

“Eehhh… could you venmo a couple bucks for the Uber?” Yakko asked.

“Your account should have a hundred smackaroons already…” Bugs said, looking suspiciously at Yakko.

“What can I say? I leave ‘em great tips.” Yakko said with a smile.

“...You’re on dish duty when you get home, Yakko.” Bugs said, pulling out his phone.

Yakko rolled his eyes, took the three lunches Bugs had provided and walked through the door. Dot hugged Bugs before she turned away, “Bye, Bugs!” She chirped.

Bugs gave her a wave and looked on as Wakko gave his own wave, “See ya, Dad!” And saw a mixture of amusement and horror spread across his black and white face.

The word felt like something had hit Bugs’ chest and knocked the air out of him. As if to soften this blow, Bugs immediately returned with a rushed sounding, “GoodbyeWakko!!” and slammed the door shut.

When the three got in their designated car, Wakko looked at Yakko. “Did I mess up?” He asked, with a small blush on his white cheeks.

Yakko sighed slightly, “No kiddo, you didn’t mess up. I’m sure Bugs is taking it in stride.” He said. “It’d probably be best to try and not to say it again until he gives the okay though, alright?”

In the house, Bugs had hoped Daffy hadn’t heard the exchange. He had hoped he wouldn’t read into the deep blush that had bloomed across his fluffy cheeks. But as soon as Bugs looked up and down the hall, he saw a smug look plastered on Daffy’s face.

Bugs almost wanted to run away, but he couldn’t. Instead he sat up and walked over to Daffy. “Why are you givin’ me dat look?” He asked.

“So much for the biggest Bachelor of Toon Town. You realize once the paparazzi get in on this, you’re rep is gonna take a whole ‘nother turn.” Daffy said.

“Unlike you, I don’t care what anyone else thinks of me or what I do with my life.” Bugs snapped.

“If you say so.” Daffy said, his smug look never going away, “Personally, I think fatherhood suits you.” He told Bugs. “And who knows what could happen if this household had a more womanly touch?”

After hearing that, Bugs knew what Daffy was trying to say. He shook his head, “Oh I see, you like to think Lola suits me… Cuz you and nearly half of da world thinks she and I were made for each other.” He said.

“Bugs… She was literally created for you.” Daffy said.

“No! She was a Toon created for one movie in the nineties, to be cast in the role of my love interest. Nothin’ more.” Bugs corrected. Do you know what that does to a Toon’s psyche? He nearly asked, but kept it to himself.

“But you two were together, eventually. And I distinctly remember that the only reason you two broke it off was because you told me you didn’t want kids, and she did.” Daffy pointed out.

Bugs felt his cheeks ignite once more, “Believe you me, dat wasn’t the only reason.” He said.

Daffy hovered over Bugs as he began to clear up the kitchen table. “Oh really? Pray tell, what else was there? Did she snore? Was she draining your wallet? Did she have an annoying laugh? Did she cheat on ya?” He interrogated.

“What’s it to ya, Duck?” Bugs asked, continuing to ignore his friend’s line of questioning.

“Look, any Toon with half a brain would give their left foot to have a perfectly drawn counterpart like that. To get a fraction of what every iconic Toon couple has.” Daffy told Bugs, “Like Donald and Daisy, like Popeye and Olive Oyl, like Spiderman and whatever her name is.”

“Mary-Jane…” Bugs finished for him.

“That’s what I said.” Daffy said immediately. Bugs rolled his eyes and carried a stack of empty dishes to the kitchen sink.

Years before Daffy had moved to his private island, he remembered Bugs and Lola being the hottest couple in Toon Town. The two were featured on tabloids and TV shows, and their joint merchandise sold like crazy. They had been happy and nearly inseparable. Now, Daffy couldn’t even find a single picture of Lola inside Bugs’ house.

“What happened to you two?” Daffy asked.

“Don’t you have interviews to get to?” Bugs asked loudly as he turned on the faucet and began to rinse off his dishes. “I thought your day was soo busy!”

Daffy looked offended, “You don’t wanna tell your best friend about your previous relationship when he asks, then fine!” He exclaimed.

Bugs stopped what he was doing and shut off the sink immediately. “You wanna pull that card, eh?” He asked dangerously. “Last time I checked, best friends didn’t leave one anoda high and dry in a mansion off the coast of Central America!” He shouted back.

“Hey! Communication is a two-way street, bub! You coulda called or visited me any time!”

“Yeah sure Daff, lemme just hop on my private jet to my private yacht and snorkel my way to your front door when I need you most.” Bugs felt and swallowed a small lump that formed in his throat after saying that.

“Why would you swim to shore when I have a perfectly good runway for the private jet?” Daffy asked, more confused than anything.

“Missin’ the point, as usual.” Bugs said, disappointingly. He felt a headache coming on when he turned the water back on in the sink,  “Maybe invitin’ you to stay wasn’t such a good idea.”

“Are you throwing me out?” Daffy asked.

“I jus’ might, if you don’t leave for those interviews soon.” Bugs said, throwing Daffy a harsh glare over his shoulder.

Daffy turned away and threw his arms into the air. “Fine! I’ll go, I’ll go…” He said with a low grumble.

Minutes later, without another word between them, Daffy was in the backseat of a hired car and driving away from Bugs’ house. He pulled out his phone and rang up his agent. It was clear to Daffy that he had missed out on a lot of Bugs’ life. He was going to make it his mission to bring himself up to speed. As soon as he heard the other line pick up Daffy didn’t hesitate, “Cancel Conan, I’m making dinner plans with a certain pig.” He said.

“Are you sure, sir? Conan is a big gig. He’s really curious about Bugs’ school.” His agent asked.

“Then tell ‘im to get Bugs on his damn show.” Daffy said lamely before hanging up.

Once that was cleared up he dialed another number, “H- h- ah- hello?” The other end asked.

“Porky! My ol’ pal! I’m sure you’ve heard about it already, but I’m in town--”

“N- n- nuh- uh, no.” Porky stammered.

“--and I thought we’d play a little bit of catch-up! Whaddya say?” Daffy asked.

“W- w- well I’m uh- I’m a lil busy…” The other Toon started to say.

“Nonsense! Let’s do tonight at seven. I’ll send you the address.” Daffy said and then quickly hung up.

Hours later, Daffy walked up to the restaurant to claim his reservation for two. The place was dark, seemingly only lit by fairy lights, therefore making it a little difficult to see for most. Luckily, Toons were created to see in low light situations. Once he had reached his tall wooden booth, Daffy began to order. Not too long after, he saw Porky Pig approach his table and sit down.

“Okay Porky, I’m gonna need a rundown of every major life event I’ve missed in Bugs’ life since I’ve been gone.” Daffy said, without exchanging any sort of pleasantries.

Porky sat across from Daffy with a blank stare. “You- you uh think I’m his chronicler? He- he- his secretary? Why w- why do you wanna know this all of a sudden?” He asked.

“I’m staying with him. And since I’ve been with him I’ve learned that he’s been watching the Warners, started a Toon school, cut out Lola from his life and looks terrible after all of that. You and I are his only friends in this life—“

“Ab ab- We’re definitely not his only friends.” Porky tried to interject.

“—and if we don’t find out what’s eating him up inside soon, it could be too late!” Daffy proclaimed dramatically.

“D- d- does he owe you something?” Porky asked curiously.

“Porky, I’m trying to do something decent for my best friend: find out the stressors in his life and stop them.” Daffy said, crossing his arms.

“I d- don’t understand why you don’t just ask him.”

“We had an argument.” Daffy mentioned, “Plus, you know how secretive Bugs can get.”

Porky sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to get out of this no matter what. He had learned by now that when either Bugs or Daffy had their mind on something, they would see it through.

“Listen… all I- all I know is that shortly after The Looney Tunes Show was cancelled, Lola and Bugs broke up.” Porky said.

“But how? They were the jewels of Toon Town! They were inseparable. They did all sorts of mushy couple stuff. Even before the show, Bugs helped get her athletic career going. And Lola went to every sleazy bar and fancy casino Bugs could gig at when he was trying to get into stand up during the late 90s. You remember that, right?” Daffy asked.

The phrase that had haunted Porky for years finally slipped out, “S- she changed. That’s what he said, anyway.” He said. He had heard it from the drunken lips of Bugs Bunny himself. To this day, he didn’t know exactly what it meant, but the way he said it still unnerved him.

Daffy sat in silence for a long time. “Changed… what? How? When?” He asked, feeling even more confused than ever.

Porky shook his head. “I d- I d- I don’t know. My best guess has been that they just grew ah, grew apart.” He said.

Daffy wasn’t fully convinced. “There’s gotta be more to it. You sure he didn’t tell you anything else?”

“No.” He said quickly, “Bu- bu- but I will say. Ever since he’s had this idea for a Toon school, he’s been becoming more paranoid and stressed.” Porky pointed out. Immediately, Daffy thought back to last night where Bugs nearly caved his skull in with a bat. “And- and I don’t think raising those rambunctious kids on his own is doing much good. So, if you can, try to stay on his goo- goo- uh, good side and help him out.”

Daffy gave a small huff in Porky’s direction. “Yeah okay…”

Back at Bugs’ place, he had spent all day working from home. Brainstorming different classes, sending follow up emails to potential teachers and over all trying to think about his school. He knew that a lot of people, especially Toons, were expecting a lot from him. So he wanted to make sure things were coming together.

Later on, he received a text from Porky Pig that read, “Your feathery guest came to talk to me. It seems like he has good intentions, but I never know when it comes to him.”

Bugs rolled his eyes and replied back, “I’ll take care of it. Thanks for letting me know.”

After all of that, Bugs had found himself spending quite some time sitting on the couch staring at his cellphone. Every twenty minutes or so he’d remember the number was sitting undialed on his keypad. And every time he thought about calling it, he’d circle the room. After a long while, he finally took in a deep breath and dialed the number.

“Allison… I think I’m ready.” Bugs said when he heard the line being answered.

There was a pause, “... For…?” She questioned.

“Operation, Dad.”

“Oh!! Oh I’ll get the paperwork to you straight away Mr. Bunny! I’ll also get another interview appointment for you set up soon, y’know, adoption agency stuff. I’m sure they’ll be properly in your custody in no time! Well... as soon as everything is signed and approved, anyway. I’m so happy for you all!” Allison chimed.

“About the paperwork, I’d like to make a special request…” Bugs said.

Over the course of the next hour or so, Bugs and Allison spoke about what was next in the process in terms of adopting the Warners. Technically, in human years, they were full-fledged adults and would have been well out of the system. The three were created in 1991, after all. But there were a couple of rules in place for Toons which simply states that because of their child-like nature, they were still recognized as children. So Bugs still had to go through the same process as though he were adopting children. Even if that wasn’t the case, Bugs would most certainly find the means to adopt them.

Once Bugs hung up, he felt better about things. This meant they all still had time to talk things over. Bugs still wasn’t entirely sure about each of their feelings on the subject matter, but he was even more determined to find out now more than ever. Bugs couldn’t help but think back to when Wakko had called him ‘Dad’ earlier. So much pride and happiness swelled in Bugs’ chest, he began to softly cry. He loved them so much, he wasn’t sure what to do with himself if they didn’t want this.

To keep himself from thinking about things too hard, he wiped away his tears and decided to start making dinner. Cooking was a source of comfort to Bugs. It helped him keep his hands and mind busy. By now, Bugs had learned to cook meals for six or more, to accommodate for Wakko’s monstrous appetite. In truth, Toons had a larger stomach than the average human, a fact that was commonly exploited. For some reason or another, Wakko’s stomach and appetite was two times that size.

Bugs’ ears perked at the sound of the front door opening. He peaked around the corner with a smile, only to have it melt into a frown when he saw Daffy walk through the door. He had returned to his cooking by the time Daffy made his way into the kitchen. The two sat in a long silence, Daffy watching Bugs’ every move.

Finally, Bugs broke the silence, “You eat?” He asked.

“Yes, I had dinner with a friend.” Daffy said.

“You feel like sayin’ anythin’ to me?” Bugs asked.

Again, there was a long and agonizing silence between them. Bugs couldn’t help but smile slightly. He knew it was incredibly hard for Daffy to apologize. To admit wrongdoing would be admitting failure, and failure was less-than perfect, which was the opposite of what Daffy strived for.

“I was jus’—“ He started. Daffy immediately stopped that line when he saw Bugs’ ear twitch. “I want to help.” He tried.

“Well then, you can start by apologizin’ for pryin’.” Bugs said.

Daffy groaned out like he was in physical pain, “Auugghhh! Alright! I’m sorry.” He admitted. “I just feel like I missed so much.” He said, just before he noticed Bugs’ tail wiggle slightly. Daffy wondered since when did he find that kind of adorable? He tried not to let his eyes linger there for long; instead, focusing up on Bugs’ gloved hands while he prepared his food.

“Well if you really feel dat way, you can always just talk to me.” Bugs said simply.

“You’ve always been so closed off! And stand-offish! And you wouldn’t tell me that one thing.” Daffy huffed, crossing his arms.

“Daff, I opened my home to you. I answered most of your questions and I’ve been very patient. As far as things concernin’ Lola, all I’m asking is dat you leave it alone. You don’t wanna go down this rabbit hole.” Bugs warned.

Hearing him say that only made Daffy more insanely curious. Still, he filed away these feelings for later. “Fine.” Daffy said with a small pout.

Bugs looked over at Daffy with a kind smile, appreciating the fact that he was respecting this boundary. Something that, if had been brought up in the past, would have been trampled all over. “Y’know, I have a coupla questions myself.” Bugs admitted.

“Oh?” Daffy asked.

“Yeah. Like, why’d you wanna come back to teach at a school? It can’t be for da money.” Bugs said.

“You know what I’m about, Bugsy.” Daffy told him, leaning on the kitchen island, “I want fame, recognition and fortune. Owning a legacy comes with that. I want to be remembered in history books. Being apart of the first Toon school? That’s history right there.”

“Well, I can’t argue with dat.” Bugs said with a shrug.

Soon, Daffy took the barstool and they continued to talk. And just like that, it seemed like they were right where they had left off all those years ago. Daffy wasn’t sure if it was the content of their conversations, or if that was just the effect Bugs had on others. He was always such a smooth-talker and it always felt like he had control of the conversation. Daffy interjected when he could (it was in both their nature to be the center of attention, after all) and most importantly they shared stories.

From what Daffy understood, the Warners brought a lot of joy and excitement in his life. Even if it had only been a little over a year. Ultimately, Daffy was proud of Bugs. “So when are you gonna adopt ‘em?” Daffy asked.

Hearing that, Bugs nearly dropped a dish he was pulling out of the oven. Luckily he had been close enough to the kitchen island that the dish simply landed on it a little harder than if he’d normally place it down.  “Eeh.. well, I uh. I talked to the adoption agency today, actually. There just needs to be a few more interviews and some paperwork.” He said.

“Of course. Wouldn’t wanna rush into somethin’ like this.” Daffy said.

“I… still don’t know if I’m ready, Daff.” Bugs admitted, looking down at his casserole. “I don’t know if dat’s really what they want.”

“Are you kiddin’ me?” Daffy exclaimed, “All you’re missing are family portraits to put in your wallet. You’re perfect dad material. If they can’t see that, it’s their loss.”

“Who’s loss?” A nasally voice asked.

Bugs and Daffy turned simultaneously and saw the Warners peeking around the corner by height. Wakko sniffed the air and gave a small sigh. “It smells so good.” He commented.

Internally, Bugs was screaming. He wasn’t sure just how much the Warners had heard of their conversation until Dot spoke. “So when are we getting those family portraits?” She asked with a grin.

“I guess we could all use some new headshots.” Yakko joked with her.

Bugs took in a deep breath, “They’re sendin’ Allison over for anoda coupla home interviews.” He announced.

“Oh won’t that be nice? I was starting to miss her.” Dot chimed. “Can you believe it took them ten interviewers before they found her?” She asked Daffy.

“She’s put up with a lot of our shenanigans.” Wakko said.

“Eehh… What are we gonna tell ‘er about the duck?” Yakko asked, pointing his thumb in Daffy’s direction. Daffy looked a little annoyed, but didn’t say a word.

“Oh! What if we tell ‘er he’s our second cousin twice removed?” Wakko proposed.

“We ain’t lyin’.” Bugs said quickly, “He’s here temporarily, and that’s what we tell ‘em.” He said.

Daffy shrugged and got up to start walking out of the room. “Well it’s obvious you’ve got some things to talk about. I’ll see myself out.”

With that, the four began to set the table with what Bugs had cooked for them. Once the table was set and food was served, Bugs spoke up. “About the adoption… I don’t need answers from you guys yet. The process is long to begin with. Just… think about things for me, alright?” He asked.

“You got it, Bugs.” Yakko said with a smile and a small wink.

After hearing that, Bugs felt like he was on top of the world. Things were falling into place more smoothly than he could have ever imagined.

----

Huzzah!! This chapter is more relationship establishing stuff. Overall, I’m satisfied with it. Hope y’all enjoyed it! 

[thebrownssociety]

Porky Pig: Solver of Problems.

I feel I need to explain this one a bit. I was watching James and the Giant Peach [Roald Dahl] and I thought: 'These characters look a little like toons.' I mean – if you didn't know how they were made you may easily make the mistake, I though. [I don't know if that's true or not] So I came up with this little story.

Initially I wanted Dr Scratchensniff to help Elmer out, but I couldn't type his speech pattern so I gave up and switched it to Porky instead.

I do not own Looney Tunes in any way, shape or form.

Porky Pig was used to getting visitors at all hours. Whether it was morning, noon or night it didn't matter. If a toon had an issue 9 times out of ten, they would bring it to him. It came with the territory of being one of the oldest toons and thus the 'wisest'. Not to mention that somehow, he'd been created with the ability to read and write which automatically made him a genius in the eyes of most toons. Most of the time he was very pleased with his reputation and took great lengths to uphold it-

Knock, knock, knock

Occasionally though he just wanted to knock whoever was bothering him out with a mallet. Like now for instance.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

He groaned and flicked an eye over at his alarm clock. 10 o clock at night! Granted that may not sound late, but he had filming tomorrow and everyone knew that –

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK – BBBBRRRRIIIIIINNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG-

"ALRIGHT I'M C-CO-COM – ON MY WAY!" Porky yelled.

Two seconds later he'd dragged himself to his front door and flung it open. "WHAT!?"

Elmer Fudd stood there, looking suitably embarrassed clutching a letter. "…Is this a bad time?" He asked.

Porky's eye twitched.

Seeing this Elmer backed away a little. "I'ww come back tomowwow…" He decided and went to go.

Porky's arm reached out and grabbed the back of Elmer's shirt. "O-oh no you're n-not!" He yanked Elmer inside, slammed the door shut and glared at him. "Y-you can t-tell me why you're-you're carrying that l-le-let – piece of communication!"

"…I want you to wead it over fow me." Elmer said, wide-eyed. "Make sure it makes sense befowe I send it off to the boss."

Porky paused, thought it over and massaged his fore-head. He felt a headache coming on. "W-why me?" He asked, after a couple of seconds. "A-after all the lot of you can r-r-read and write now. Y-you could ask anyone. Daffy's good at co-co-co - protesting to Warner Brothers – ask him!"

Fudd went to speak and the closed his mouth slowly. He looked down at the letter and then back up at Porky with big doe eyes. "B-but I'm not suwe if I've got it wight." He tried to explain. "I feew I might be missing something, but I'm not sure. And – if I send it to Wawnew Bwothews and get it wrong then they might laugh at me. And Daffy definitewy WIWW laugh at me. Same fow Bugs…you'we the only one who'ww be patient and nice! So…" He pushed the letter towards the pig's face. "…hewp me? Pwease?"

Well what was he meant to say to that!?

"…F-fine, go sit down…"

"Oh goody!" Elmer clapped his hands and scurried into the living room.

Porky sighed and rubbed his eyes before looking at the clock. 10:17. So much for an early night…

"A-alright, what's this letter?" The pig asked tiredly, sitting down in his armchair.

Silently Fudd handed it over, then sat back in the couch and waited.

Porky, meanwhile, read:

Deaw Mw Directow of Wawnew Bwothews.

It has come to my attention that thewe may be some toons over in Engwand that work for a company cawwed Aardman Animations.

They are cwearwy new types of toons because they look diffewent to us ink and paint toons. However, I am awawe that there is new technowogy being made aww the time and these toons may be a resuwt of this new technowogy.

I think it wouwd be in the spiwit of being an Amewican that we at weast invite these toons over to America to wive with the west of us here in Toon Town. After all – it's not wike space is ever going to be an issue for us, is it? And it must be vewy wonely ovew thewe. It seems thewe's only about 100 of them and considering there's way more humans than that in Engwand they must get very wonely. If necessawy I could show them awound and get them up to speed with the west of us? Or maybe the Goofy Gophers wouwd be bettew seeing as they'we 'Engwish?'

Whatevew you decide – know I'm happy to hewp.

Youws sincewely, Ewmew J Fudd.

Well. This was interesting.

"What do you think?" Elmer asked, anxiously. "Does it make sense? It doesn't come acwoss as to pushy does it? Powky? Powky!"

Porky shook himself back to reality. "Er…no! No…it's – it's er good. Yes good. J-just one t-thing though…" He trailed off and looked down at the letter. This was not going to be easy to explain…

"…Weww?"

"YouareawareAardmandoesn'tmaketoonsaren'tyou?" Porky said all in on breath.

Elmer blinked. "Wouwd you mind saying that again, pwease?"

"You are aware Aardman doesn't make toons, aren't you?" The pig repeated.

Elmer blinked again. Then went to open his mouth before closing it again slowly. His face took on a look of complete puzzlement.

Clearly not then, Porky thought.

"They don't make toons?" Elmer repeated, slowly.

Porky nodded.

A small pause then a passionate: "But they'we not made with computews! The textuwes aww wrong!"

"Y-you're wight – I mean r-right!" The elder of the two took a breath. It was so easy to pick up Elmer's speech pattern…

"But then…"

"One m-m-moment…" Porky got up and pulled down a whiteboard. "A-aardman make characters like Shaun the Sheep, Ginger and Rocky ext, ext right?" He asked, drawing said characters on the board.

Elmer nodded.

"They m-make them out of c-c-clay and plasticine and in order to make them m-m-move basically take p-pictures of them in different po-po-po – actions and then link the frames together…you know kinda like when we make comics? We a-act, the animators r-r-remember our m-moves and draw them onto pa-pa-pa – dead tress - and the whole thing works like c-c-clockwork, got it?"

Elmer nodded.

"So t-t-that means that the - the c-c-characters aren't t-toons because they are made out of pla-plas-plasti - NOT either ink and paint or computers. Besides – I d-don't think anyone outside of A-a-a- this great country - knows HOW to make toons." Porky looked over at the younger toon who had a look of complete bewilderment on his face. "I-is this making any s-se-sen – are you understanding me!?"

The hunter jumped and sat straight up in his chair. "Yes sir!" There was a pause and then Elmer sighed. "I suppose I bettew scwap the idea of sending the boss that lewwer then, huh?"

Porky sighed and handed it back to him. "Y-yes I suppose you'd b-b-better."

Elmer nodded and slipped it back under his hat. "Thanks Powky. You'we a life-savew."

Porky laughed modestly. "W-well, I think that's going a bit f-f-far…" By this point he'd manged to edge the hunter towards the door who thankfully took the hint and opened it before pausing.

"Oh, Powky…"

"D-d-don't worry. It doesn't go any f-fu-fur – anywhere else."

Elmer smiled, tipped his hat and left.

[thecomicsnexus]

Men of Shadow

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #29 MARCH 1990 BY A. C. FARLEY

SYNOPSIS (FROM TURTLEPEDIA)

In this issue's prologue, we see a man seated in what appears to be a space craft, musing about his desire to be a hero... as his computer accesses files regarding the Necronomicon.

Meanwhile, the TMNT are apparently skirmishing with a gigantic turtle robot in the woods of Northampton as Master Splinter looks on. Suddenly the bot ceases its operations and comes crashing to the ground. The Turtles scramble to open the machine up, and Donatello pops out, explaining how he accidentally overloaded the onboard computer and with a few tweaks he'll have it ready to roll again.

In Arkham, Massachusetts we're introduced to two boys, named Max and Pervis. Max has just purchased an expensive back issue of a comic book and Pervis is warning him about his parents' reaction... which is sure to be very negative. Max explains that he's already in trouble and headed for summer school because he flunked math. The bad news only gets worse as the two lads are assailed by a group of bullies, led by a big fat kid named Barry. Barry grabs Max in a head lock and then tears up his comic before walking off, warning the comic fans that he'll be back later.

Cut to scene at the University of Massachusetts, where we learn that a group of armed men have taken control of the UMass library annex, called the Whately House. Swarms of police surround the building and the situation is dire and tense. Apparently the house had just been moved to the Amherst site from its original location of Arkham. Almost everyone managed to escape the criminals thanks to two heroic people inside, but those people are now being held captive... the heroic duo being April and Casey! The gunmen have sworn to destroy the museum and kill all inside rather than surrender.

In the Whatley House, April and Casey are tied up and are being held at gunpoint by three pointy eared men who are accompanied by a small horde of what appear to be zombies... zombies that have telltale bite marks on their necks, as if they'd been bitten by vampires. The three malefactors vow to blow up the museum rather than let the humans find physical evidence of their existence. The leader hands a detonator device to a zombie and tells him to hold the button down - if commanded, the underling is to release the button, which will detonate a huge stockpile of TNT and decimate the structure, including all inside.

As April and Casey discuss their predicament, the leader of the criminals, Mallet, snarls at them (revealing vampire teeth) and tells them that they're waiting for their Master Traquer to arrive. Mallet then radios a henchmen who is outside in a truck, surrounded by numerous police vehicles, and alerts him to the plan. Apparently the "brainless ones" will be used as a diversion that will allow the vampires to escape with some sort of mystic artifact that they've come here to retrieve.

Just then we see the TMNT crawling through an attic window located at the rear of the house. The Turtles walk downstairs and tell Mallet that they've only come for Casey and April, and if they're allowed to leave, there will be no trouble. This amuses Mallet and he tells the Turtles that they will die with their friends. Suddenly, the man from the prologue appears out of thin air and grabs Mallet. The Turtles leap into action. The mystery man informs our heroes that to rid themselves of their undead foes, they must pierce their hearts with wood or separate their head from their body. The Turtles are a bit freaked about the news that they're fighting zombies and vampires, but they waste no time in breaking up the furniture to make crude stakes. The zombies are dispatched easily, but the vampires turn into bats and fly out of a window. The mystery man has subdued the "neo-dead" slave holding the detonator, and he leaps from the window with the zombie and bomb in tow. As the man and monster fall, the dynamite explodes.

The vampire in the truck below takes this as a sign to flee, and so puts the peddle to the metal, scattering the police as he tears away. The TMNT spot him and Don throws a special tracking shuriken that imbeds itself into the back door of the vehicle, so the Turtles will be able to locate the vehicle later. The guys then untie Casey and April and everyone escapes while the police are distracted by the fleeing truck.

Meanwhile, Max and Pervis are out in a field. Max is standing with his arms spread wide, explaining to Pervis that his home is light years away, that he's a prince brought to Earth to escape assassination threats. As Max tells his tale (which Pervis isn't buying for a minute), he screams for his "family" to pick him up and return him to his home planet... and just then something crashes into the ground a few meters away!

Max rushes to investigate, and the mystery man crawls from the wreckage, a real mess his own self. Pervis takes off to get help for the injured fellow while Max helps him to a hidden underground chamber filled with incredibly advanced technological devices (and strange beasties, creatures with one giant eye and bat wings). The man climbs into a pod, telling the lad to stay put and not to touch anything.

As soon as the man is sealed in his pod, Max ignores the instructions and accesses the main computer. He finds the log files and we learn that the man is named Clark Ashton Allard, and he's being spied upon by the strange bug-eyed creatures that are locked up in the cages. Apparently the beasts are being sent by Master Traquer in effort to keep Allard out of Tracquer's affairs - which involve something in the Whatley House. Clark notes that the house should never have been removed from its original site, as it was protected by many powerful spells that were broken once it was moved... protective spells that kept the artifacts within the building safe from harming humanity. The Whatley family had safeguarded these artifiacts for generations, and Tracquer had spent that time deciphering what they were and how to utilize them. Allard writes that he has no idea what the vampire is up to, but he's sure it means great suffering for the world... so Clark vows to stop Tracquer and continue to fight for good, as he's done for aeons.

Meanwhile, the Turtles, Casey and Splinter have tracked the vampire truck to Arkham, Massachusetts, but right outside of city limits their jeep has broken down. Fortunately they've brought the giant Turtlebot with them, so everyone climbs on board and Don pilots the mechanical terrapin.

Back in Allard's secret underground chamber, Max is rudely interrupted from his reading as Master Traquer and three of his vampiric underlings arrive. Unfortunately Clark is still in his healing mechanism, so the monsters grab the boy and smash the glass on the pod to unceremoniously remove Allard, who is out cold.

Pervis hears noise back where he'd left his friends and returns to investigate. The boy sees Traquer dragging Max out of the chamber by his neck. Pervis tries to ride off to seek help, but he hits a rock and breaks the front wheel on his bicycle. As he laments his situation, he sees a loud and looming form emerging from the darkness... it's the Turtlebot!

"Hey, kid," Casey calls out, "We're kinda lost! Can ya give us some directions?!"

Innsmouth, Massachusetts - The vampires are in a hideout on the wharf, inside Allard and Max are tied. Fortunately, Clark has almost healed fully at this point. Traquer announces that they are going to summon a hideous monster called Dagon to destroy mankind. As the convocation begins, the TMNT crash through a wall and a huge battle ensues. Unfortunately, the ceremony was completed and Dagon arrives - a huge tentacled beast that immediately begins grabbing vampires and eating them. Don's robot is captured in tentacles but he blasts out of the machine before its swallowed. Casey is fighting Traquer but not doing very well... as the vampire master prepares to dine on Jones' neck, Max stabs the monster in the back with one of Casey's broken baseball bats and kills it.

Meanwhile, Allard is struggling with an artifact in the attempt to close the gateway that has allowed Dagon to enter our dimension. As he makes adjustments to the device, the beast grabs him. Clark tosses the artifact into the gaping maw, hoping to close the gateway from the other side. Suddenly a huge explosion rocks the building to its foundation and our heroes run for cover as the structure collapses. Once the dust has settled, Splinter sends his students to find Allard and the artifact, but there's no sign of either.

The next day we see Max and Pervis walking down the street. Once again Barry and his cronies show up. Barry states that they've got unfinished business from yesterday. Pervis tells Max to apologize, but Max refuses.

"No way!" Max shouts in defiance, "After last night, these guys are nothin'!"

So Barry punches Max in the eye, knocking him to the ground and giving him quite a shiner.

"Some thanks for saving the world!" Max bemoans.

Meanwhile, we see Casey phoning April and telling her that they'll be home as soon as they fix the truck.

Finally, we see Clark Ashton Allard in his healing pod.

REVIEW

I appreciate A. C. Farley’s intentions, and I did get his Lovecraft references... but... I cannot say it worked for me. There is just too much going on. Robots, vampires, extra-dimensional entities, an android... I know this is TMNT and anything can happen, but I don’t feel like any of these things worked in the end.

The art is also a bit weird, the Turtles look a bit like the Jim Henson version of them, but a little bit more lifeless (then in the other hand, they do look like Turtles).

I give this story a score of 5.

[hoopdiddies]

I'm Not Over You // Ben Hardy x Reader (Part 5)

A/N: Oh gosh, my stomach hurts. Question: Was it unlawful of me to pour the milk in before the cereal?

Anyway, enjoy part 5, I'll get to writing 6 by the time the bacteria in my digestive tract stop roughhousing uwu

Summary: You had always loved Ben ever since you two met in university and became the best of friends. That feeling went out like a candle flame when the two of you parted ways until he re-entered your life...but this time with someone who has already occupied his heart.

Warnings: Mentions of drinking and alcohol, angst, fluff and (jealousy?)

Word count: 3177 (oops?)

Tags: @mickmoon @ziggyspurplehaze I honestly need more people to permanently tag in this series, please let me know 😁

Part 4

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1

"What the hell, Y/N? Did you lose your way into the place?" One of your colleagues snigger at your delay in finding them. Eager to get this night done, you brush off his comment and pull out a seat next to him, finding yourself looking over where Ben is seated. Not a text or a call from him that would have 'warned' you that he'd be out for a drink in the exact same place you thought would help you eradicate 'that' problem. In hopes he wouldn't catch you or take heed of your presence, you turn away and participate in ordering your drinks, suppressing the urge to glance over your shoulder and blow your cover.

The waiter arrives with your orders and the rest holler in satisfaction as he distributes your drinks. You've ordered a martini but just because you decided to start with something light doesn't mean you'll stick with it in the following hours. It's just one night anyway, what have you got to lose?

Later on, Joe arrives at the pub alone, scrutinizing the place from top to bottom before marching in, straightening the collar of his button up shirt as his eyes rove every occupied table just to find you. To your demise, a large hand rests upon Joe's shoulder and spins him around, the hand belonging to an astonished Ben with a glass of whiskey in hand. "Mate! You're here!"

Joe's nonchalant expression flits into a surprised one at that, a little concerned on the inside since he knows you're here as well and he hasn't found you yet. "Ben, buddy! Great to see you again. " He throws an arm around Ben and pats his chest.

"You're back in London, what brings you here?" Ben asks, raising a thick, disheveled brow at him. Joe trails his bottom lip subtly with his finger as he debates on telling the truth or not, taking in account that you're here with your colleagues and nowhere did you mention anything about being with Ben.

But he just doesn't feel like lying to him, and so with a sincere apology reserved for you, he replies, "Y/N invited me over."

The crinkles under Ben's eyes fade out and he allows a stiffened sigh to slip past his lips with almost nothing more to add. "She's here?"

Joe nods as a matter of fact

"You two on a date?" The question sounds forced coming from Ben and Joe did not see that coming. He had forgotten that you had projected a fake relationship with him during Ben's birthday and now it came back hitting him like a mallet. He scratches the bridge of his nose awkwardly, avoiding Ben's scouring gaze. "Y-yeah, I gotta go find her, bud. We'll catch you later." In utter haste, Joe firmly pats Ben's shoulder before whisking past him to continue his search for you, leaving Ben standing a feet away from his own table, chewing over his thoughts. He snaps out and returns to his own circle, prompted to turn his head around the place to find you.

"Yes, I need another one of this!" You demand bluntly, slamming the seventh shot glass you've drunk from on the table but not hard enough to shatter it. You really stuck to your thoughts about intending to subject yourself to intoxication. Although it's not the best way to let go of everything that's bugging you, it was tempting. And besides, a little fun wouldn't harm you entirely, right?

Three out of six of you have indeed succumb to the influence of alcohol, and the sober half is trying to get you momentary drunkards upright, one of which is you who is getting real squirmy. "Y/N, I think you've had enough." Debbie, one of your sober colleagues, stop you from getting another shot.

"I think nooot." Your speech is becoming slurred as you prop your elbows on the table, grinning mindlessly.

"Please, this isn't becoming-"

"Let me handle her." A certain redhead volunteers from behind you, making Debbie's brows perk up as she suddenly recognizes Joe.

"Hey. Um, sure. She's had too much already and it's concerning."

Joe nods with a crooked smile and peeks at you over your shoulder with his hands positioned on either side of your arms. "Y/N, hey. You alright? "

You whip your head at Joe too quickly and end up headbutting him by accident. The both of you yelp at the impact but you recover easily, your droopy eyes widening a little as you recognize Joe, who's rubbing and squinching from the bump. "Heyyy, you're late." You giggle and pinch his pale cheek, leaving a faint mark.

Joe chuckles softly yet briefly and he sweeps your ends of your hair off your shoulder. "I'm sorry, got stuck in traffic."

"That's not nice."

"Look, Y/N, you're drunk. I think I may have to skip joining your 'party' and take you out of here." He says, worry filling his eyes but you whine childishly and slump on your seat, a pout on your lips. "I just want one more shot, just one more, no more no less."

"Y/N, come on," he looks down at you in all seriousness and is not taking any of that drunken stubbornness tonight. You angle your head to one side, eyes heavy and skin flushed from the heat produced by all the drinking, staring plainly at Joe whose expression could serve as a plea to you.

You sigh inwardly. "Nope."

To your inconvenience, your adamancy would now lead to something unwanted, something Joe reluctantly just thought of. "Okay, I might not get you to budge. Your boyfriend can't make you, right?" Joe presses his lips together and his brows arch teasingly. You shoot a rather lazy yet baffled smirk at him and he shrugs apologetically. "But your best friend might." He turns around and marches to get Ben but of course, being drunk, it takes a good minute for Joe's plan to sink in to your brain.

Not a minute later, he returns true to his word with Ben looking uneasy from worrying. He had to willingly excuse himself from Rosy and his friends to come to Joe's 'rescue'. Ben asks politely if the chair next to you is taken and Debbie shakes her head, gesturing for Ben to sit down. He does yet despite with him and Joe flanking you, you remain hard-headed, snapping your squint at Ben who's got his arm positioned on your shoulder. "Oh. What are you doing here?" You put a mean emphasis on your words.

"I didn't know you were here as well, but regardless, you're sozzled."

"So? That's my problem." The drunk sass could never be any clearer.

Ben sighs and glances shortly at Joe who responds with a clueless shrug.

"I don't want to comment on that but please, you need to rest. You've had too much. " Squeezing the side of your arm gently, Ben tries to reason out with you. You roll your eyes at him deliberately, sniffling as you flick a finger at him. "This is just one night. Don't act like you-" you trail off for split second, feeling your stomach boil as nauseatic feeling hits you like an omen. Joe takes notice of the abrupt discomfort on your face and asks. "Y/N, is everything alright-" Restricting him from finishing his question, you push Joe and Ben aside and sprint to the lavatory, miraculously pinpointing it in spite of your current incapability to make a beeline. Fortunately, the stalls are flat-out empty and you shove one open, flipping the toilet seat up and vomiting into it.

Joe and Ben excuse themselves from your table and scurry to the women's room, considering to look away in advance in case the room is jam packed with girls which is not the case as of now.

"Anyone here?" With his head turned away, Joe asks indecisively to which he doesn't get a reply, affirming the bathroom's lack of users, except for you. He and Ben saunter in and call out for you. You've slumped up against the door after regurgitating, overcome with fatigue and sweat. You hear their murmurs but you don't bother to fish for their attention, however your heavy breathing would give you away, which it has.

Ben knocks on the door you're against, cooing your name before falling quiet and hearing your uncontrolled breathing pattern. He nods at Joe and slowly swings it open, your tired body following the movement of the door as it creaks ajar to reveal you. Joe scoops you up on your feet as Ben drapes your other arm around his neck, allowing your weight to be equally distributed. "That's it, we're really taking you home." Peering down at you, Ben softly reprimands. In his eyes, you were never one to have this kind of excess overwhelm you. He always knew you for occasionally turning down invitations to drinks and now you've got him wondering what goaded you to drink heavily.

"I think I should take it from here, buddy." Joe suggests, shifting your body closer to his.

"Mate, she's really limp. I need to-"

"Temporarily. You need to get back to your table and your girl. She must be wondering why you've taken so long."

Ben mulls over it and the redemption he would have had for not finding the time to hang out with you. He's conflicted between leaving to accompany his fiancee and staying to take care of you. But Joe's the 'boyfriend' and to him it would be unfair. And so with a sad sigh, he removes your arm from his shoulder and tips your head back to clear your flushed face of hair, nearly planting a kiss on your mouth by mistake– however agonizingly tempting for a moment– and wincing as he draws back to kiss your forehead, hoping Joe didn't notice which of course he did, and he's trying his best to prevent a smile from twitching on his lips.

"Take care of her, mate. I just wish she'd tell me what's wrong." He frowns, smoothing his hair back with his fingers.

"She'll tell you on her own terms."

"I suppose."

Joe displaces you from your weak stance and you let out an incoherent mumble as he lifts you up bridal style in his arms. He hands Ben a small smile before exiting the bathroom and briefly approaching your colleagues to tell them he's going to be taking you home. Debbie nods and wishes him luck, allowing Joe to leave.

He sets you down in the passenger seat of his car and buckles you in, at the same time making sure you're comfortable. Meanwhile, Ben makes it out just in time for Rosy to interrogate him. "Where have you been? And whatever you did, what took you so long?"

He closes his eyes for a mere fraction of a second and shakes his head, the jerking motion loosening the strands of hair he had combed back. He tugs his seat out, wishing to not feel obligated to answer for once. "I was just helping Joe with Y/N."

"She's here?" Rosy asks snappishly.

"For a supposed date with Joe." He exhales disappointingly, nodding at one of his mates as he takes his glass up to his lips to drink away.

Rosy rolls her eyes at Ben's sudden change of demeanor, oblivious to the reason he's discouraged.

With you curled up in his arms, Joe struggles to grab a hold onto the knob of your door. He teeters aimlessly in a desperate attempt to clip onto his balance, you being quite fidgety in his arms making it uneasy for him. "Okay Y/N, we're here. Let me just get the d-door." He finally lays his hands on the knob and twists the door open, nudging it wider with his shoulder and stumbling in with you. You're pretty much still conscious albeit it's not your own, self-controlled state of mind. You're just getting there.

Joe pauses in his tracks as he feels you yank on his collar. "What?" He asks, voiceless.

"Where's...Ben?"

"Probably still at the pub. Let's get you on the couch. I'm gonna get you a cup of...something." Between each suppressed grunt, Joe lays you down carefully on the fabric, adjusting his waistband and excusing himself to get you something to drink. You drop dead on your side and curl into a fetal position, your eyes bleary and fluttering shut at the beckon of sleep. Shortly after whipping up a glass of lukewarm water and some Aspirin to relieve you of a headache to come, Joe comes back with the items on a tray, finding you on your side, dozing off.

A mildly satisfied smile lingers upon his lips and he lays the tray on the coffee table before you, going back to the kitchen to prepare a towel to dry your face of sweat. He returns once again with a basin and just in time for a knock on the door to catch his ear. Placing the basin next to the tray, he dusts his hands together and slides them downwards his shirt in the act of drying them, answering the door and finding Ben with arms crossed impatiently behind it.

"What are you doing here?" Joe leans against the frame, making out his visit to be utterly unexpected.

"I just...is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fallen asleep."

Ben hangs his head low for a brief pause before shifting on his footing. "Mind if I get in?" Half expecting Joe to decline, he does otherwise, stepping aside for Ben to enter. He thanks Joe quietly and proceeds to find you knocked out real good on the couch. Softened by how angelic you look in your drunken slumber, Ben gets down on his knees before you, laying the back of his hand on your forehead to check whether you've caught the flu or something. Joe approaches his side with arms crossed. "She's alright, Ben. Might get a hangover tomorrow but really, she's okay."

Ben falls silent for a while as he continues to observe you, your delicate features causing a smile to pull on his plump lips. "It's crazy. I had to leave ahead of Rosy and the guys just to check on her."

"You're making it sound like a bad thing, bud."

"No," Ben heaves out an audible exhale, taking the free space at the end of the couch, "well, maybe. But my point is that I've been too busy for a week that I haven't been completely in touch with Y/N. I want to make it up to her. You wouldn't mind that, would you?"

Joe descends on the chair opposite of Ben, throwing his right leg over his left. "What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't mind me hanging out with her, for possibly a whole day, right? "

And with that, Joe gets the point. Once again, for the second time tonight, he forgets about the charade you both are still up to and it just really dawns on him oftentimes that you're in this pretend relationship with him to compensate for what you mistakenly said to Ben the other night. "Yeah, no. I wouldn't mind. But let me ask you a question. It may be personal but don't take it as an offense from me," Joe shifts on his seat, resting his hands firm on the armrest, "was there ever a time you felt something different towards her?"

As if looking back on something lost, Ben sighs and chuckles to himself, a chuckle enigmatic in feeling. "Mate, chill, okay? I'm just her friend."

"I'm not jealous. Just curious. In the time you've known each other, have you ever felt something for her at one point?"

Uncertain but obliged to answer, Ben interlaces his fingers together and talks just loud enough for Joe to make out. "Homecoming."

"Homecoming?"

"Yeah," he breathes out, stealing a quick glimpse of you and remembering how similar you look during that night, "I had another a girl with me that night but when Y/N entered the room...something just snapped in me. She looked...divine." Chuckling to himself, he blinks rapidly and continues. "I easily wondered why I didn't ask her in the first place."

"Well you should've, you clueless bastard." Joe grumbles inaudibly enough to go unheard and he's got a hand for that skill. Ben shifts on his end and presses his lips together, doing his very best not to stare at you long enough to anger Joe.

"By the way, mate. You're invited to my wedding." With the words coming unanticipated from Ben himself, Joe coughs harshly as a reaction, his eyes growing wider by the minute at the news. "Wedding- you've proposed?" He's trying his hardest not to shriek and wake you up.

"Yeah? I thought you- I thought Y/N had already told you."

"No she did nothing of the sort!" To make it more effective, Joe yells voiclessly, gesticulating at the same time. It stuns Ben for a second that you didn't tell him– Joe being your 'new confidant' and all– but recovers soon enough to make it more clearer. "Well now you know."

In Joe's mind, that's probably the reason why you've gone heavy tonight at the pub, and he's correct. It affected you the most, second being your departure for medical school. He was right for gaining the prospect that Ben was going to go for it the night you two had left his birthday early. Joe regains his composure and rises from his seat, ruffling Ben's golden locks which have been at their floppiest tonight, also finding it hard to utter the words in his head. "That's great, buddy. That's just...amazing." He couldn't even articulate 'amazing' without thinking of your reaction when you had known first.

Ben nods, his mouth twitching a tad, his voice cutting deeper and hoarser. "Thanks, mate."

Remembering that you haven't had dinner yet, Joe decides to have Ben look after you as he goes out to buy you something to eat by the time you wake up. Ben inclines to it, even if it takes Joe the entire night to get you food. Trusting you in his temporary care, Joe rubs Ben's shoulder and leaves him to it for half an hour at max.

By the second Joe closes the door, Ben gets up with the incentive and takes the damp cloth from the basin on the coffee table, tenderly sweeping strands of hair away from your face, his refined touch making you sensitive and shudder lightly on the couch.

He wipes your forehead and the warm contact of the cloth elicits a quick groan from your throat, the pout forming on your lips prompting Ben to grin ridiculously. He swallows and dares to lower his forehead onto yours with the cloth still in his clutch, the warm touch of his skin on yours sending a sensation through your unconscious body, bringing a lone tear to trickle down your cheek. He whispers to you in the frailest tone he hasn't spoken in in a while, squeezing his eyes shut in the process.

"Please, tell me what's hurting you..."

[epickendall]

The Thrilling adventure of Spider-Man and Harley Quinn

Usually, for Peter Parker, he would be swinging around New York City as Spider-Man ready to fight any villains that either robbing a bank or trying to take over New York City and the world. However, Peter is lying flat on his back in some office building floor with no knowledge of how he ended up in the office building.

Peter sits up to think how he got here, "let's see last I remember I was dropping off Shocker to the police then I wanted to go to that taco place then.. that is it I can't remember after that,"

Peter gets up off the floor to the office building in shambles with the cubicles are torn to pieces, broken chairs and computers, and dried blood on the walls and floors.

"Where the hell am I," Peter thought

Peter finds a large hole opening up to the outside of the office. Peter goes through the wall and falls from the office building, landing on a sidewalk. Peter looked around to see desolate and ruin city than a newspaper flew around in the air gets on Peter's leg. He picks up to see the location and date are San Francisco 2/5/2022 with a large picture of a superhero dress like a vampire with the text saying, "Alucard parade tomorrow it's going to be wild!"

"It seems that I end up some post-apocalypse city in the future, or somehow Deadpool put some hallucinogenic drug in my coffee for fun, better check out the city I should find someone to tell what's going on,"

Peter swings around the city, looking for any answers. Only to see no people, but wreck hover-cars, destroy buildings, overgrown plants, and small animals wandering around the empty streets.

"Come on some sort twisted joke I'm in I can't be by myself, am I?"

Then Peter spotted a woman below him. She had pale white skin like some clown makeup. She had blonde pigtail hair; each of the pigtails has two dyed colors, one was bright blue. The other was red, the women wore a black and red leather jacket, red and black tank top with a red star on right side and black spade another other, she wore a grey gun holster with a yellow star in the middle, black and red pants, red socks, and black and red shoes. The woman was holding an oversized mallet, two dual pistols, and a large black pistol behind her back.

The woman walks around the streets seemly whistling to herself Peter seeing no other person in sight he goes to her. Peter swings down to a parked grey wreck hover van near the women who got startled by Peter, suddenly dropping down.

"Excuse me, can you tell me what's going around here?" said Peter  

The women made a wicked grin and said "no idea what's going on here, but who are you?" the woman says in a Brooklyn accent

"You know your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man of course,"

"Never heard of you before,"

"Seriously?"

"Nope, are you like working for Batman or the justice league?"

"Who Bat.." Before Peter could finish his sentence, the woman swung her mallet at Peter, almost knocking his head off his shoulder. Peter jumps out of the way, landing behind her.

"If you are, I'm not going back to Arkham!"

The woman kept trying to hit Peter; luckily, his quick reflexes and Spider-Sense help Peter dodge the woman attack.

"I have no idea what you are talking about clown girl," said Peter

"Oh please don't try to lie to me now hold still bug boy," said the woman

Spider-Man shoots a web line grabbing the mallet pulling out of the woman's hand and throws it to the ground. The woman tries to punch Peter, but he puts her into a full nelson lock.

"Now enough with looney tune stuff, okay you're going to listen to me,"

The woman laughs "Looney tune I get it,"

"I try now what's your name,"

"Harley, Harley Quinn,"

"Harley I'm not with Batman or the justice league whatever,"

"Your not?"

"No"

"Then can you let me go, not that I'm complaining about the way your holding,"

Peter lets Harley go as she picks up her mallet and turn to him

"Now, do you know what happens to this city, Harley?"

"Again no idea last thing I remember I was getting over Mr. J with helping my friend Poison Ivy on robbing some art gallery then pop I woke up in a half burn doll store,"

"Hm, it seems that we both end up here with no knowledge on getting here," Peter thought.

Then Peter and Harley see the sun going down, and they hear loud growls from a dark alleyway behind them. Peter Spider-sense was going off as they see many glowing red eyes appearing in the dark.

"This isn't good," said Peter

"Things are getting more fun bit," said Harley with a grin and a laughter

[poppun-chan]

Poppun Live Blogs Mokku....Sort Of

Alright, I’ve wanted to do this for a little while now and we’ll see how well this goes. I’m going to a live blogging sort of thing of Kashi no Ki Mokku, partially to show my friends why I enjoy this series so much (borked up moments and all) and partially in hopes that I can get enough people interested in it that we can campaign for somebody to release the full Japanese version. I have the 3 DVDs that did come out for it though so I’ll include comparisons on that when I can

Let’s see....I’m going to try mostly doing these on thursdays (I’ll explain later, but let’s see if anyone else works it out first) and I’m not sure if it counts as live blogging if I’ve seen it already (plus the format is more like the Pony episode followups). Also I’m hoping to finish episode two later today, for now here’s an image from the opening credits (since I couldn’t find one to summarise it with)

So this is what the series opens with, I’d like to mention that most of the narration in this how isn’t in the Japanese version or most of the other dubs (which is better, especially since what we get here actually contradicts a later episode)....Also it’s really weird to think technically three of the main characters are in this shot.

And here’s a fun easter egg, these figures are all other Tatsunoko characters: In the middle we have Hutch the Bee (the first of three series that had this style of character design and story and the most successful, ironically it did the worst here, you can’t find any of it’s dub movie), on the right is Guzura, then in the upper left is Hakoshon Daimaou (from the series Akubi Musume is a spin off of) and last is Dokachin....Actually this series came out during the studio’s 10th anniversary so this is a big chunk of the main characters they had to choose from.

And right away they have a better dynamic than in the original book....No seriously, by this point book Pinocchio was already messing with people, also Geppetto got into a fist fight with another old man....twice....(Sweet Goodness, no wonder his marionette child turned out the way he did)

And here’s Cricket, isn’t he cute?

Actually, this was right after the first “Hutch” series finished, so I wonder if it might have influenced his design (actually he’s a little more accurate, the bees Hutch only had four limbs).

And he’s completed! ....Sort of. So to explain; Mokku is an altered version of “Moku” meaning wood (Basically it would be like calling him “Woodie” in English). And the rejected name in the original version was “Kashi” (As in Kashi no Ki, or Oak Tree), I’m not sure if Cricket’s laughing and thinking it’s funny (okashii) was a play on words or because “Kashi” would sound similar to “Kathy”

Moving right along, look everybody: It’s Magic Tree Mom!

Actually, it’s really neat how they handled her in this; making her his literal Mother instead of an adoptive one

This scene is really cute though, watching new....born? Mokku stumbling around and Cricket being supportive

There isn’t really anything to say about this one, I just thought it was cute.

And then this happens. Cricket tells Mokku not to wake up his father (grandfather in the original version), he ends up being slapped off his nose and onto the mallet and it tips over. This is actually a bit nicer than the book; in the book it’s never clear whether killing the Cricket was intentional and Pinocchio just throws the hammer at him when he ticks him off. This was more of a freak accident.

And here Geppetto is going on an emotional monologue of how he finally has a child and completely ignores said child pecking him the whole time....and having woken him up by breaking a piece of furniture, and having knocked him on the head twice....to be fair it turns out Mokku can’t actually feel pain, so....

Also how did his beard not get ripped out here?

And we’ve skipped a bit here, but basically he’s given clothing and tears the brim off the hat (honestly it looks better without it). Also not matter what the dub says, it doesn’t actually fit

“I invited some other children in the village to wish you a happy birthday“

“Great! Are they puppets too?”

(I don’t know, I just find that bit hilarious)

Oh gee. Everybody, this guy with freckles is Franco; Franco is a horrible person (and one of the few characters whose name wasn’t changed in the dub), in this shot he’s just injured his hand because he though hitting somebody made of wood was a good idea. (This shot is actually from later than the next two)

And here’s Anna, she’s a sweetie and the designated big sister friend. In case you’re wondering, in the Japanese version she comments “How cute! I love puppets” right before this (with honoriffics and everything); never mind how he can blush without any blood, it’s cute.

And here Geppetto (In everything I’ve seen of the Japanese version he’s never referred to by name) is going to get some fruit even though the other girl brought a cake and Mokku starts to leave with him (I’d like to think he’s trying to avoid Franco here)

Why do they always accidentally light themselves on fire? Amazingly this doesn’t hurt at all

So when Anna tries to put the fire out one of Mokku’s legs pops off and then his nose comes off when he falls after trying to stand up and he falls over several more times trying to stand with only one leg. So Franco decides to throw the leg at him, because he’s a jerk

“I wish it were that easy when I got hurt“ Oh Sophia, it stops being that easy after episode 14. Still, at least this happened at home; I do have to give this Geppetto credit for giving him a little time to get used to being alive before sending him to school (he even seems excited about it)

Why are they always okay with marionette shows? Also is it just me or are the arms on the boy with the scarf too short? And ignore the implications of somebody made of wood owning books

So Franco tells Mokku to pawn his books to get money for a ticket, to be fair we later find out that Franco’s father is wealthy enough that in his family this would just be a mild inconvenience. But as ghost Cricket (he’s doing better than the dead bugs from Hutch, I don’t think any of them got to be ghosts) points out Mokku’s Father had to pawn his cloths to buy his books

This bit is actually quite funny, especially the Japanese version’s “Stupid, you can’t kill a ghost” line, I had tried getting a screenshot that looked good, but this one I think works better

Egads, I don’t envy whoever had to do this shot

So this is the fire eater, or Sneeroff as the dub calls him; he ends up being a major antagonist later on, which is somewhat ironic considering his literary counterpart was one of the few decent people in the book (No seriously, even the Fairy has a mean streak in the book)

Oh look, it’s Franco. This time he’s selling his classmate to an evil puppeteer....(That sounds really weird when it’s written out) and said classmate has no idea what’s happening.

Oh look, it’s the girl marionette from the opening credits.

Honestly this is how I would expect a setient marionette to react to puppet shows, even knowing the other ones were inanimate it would still weird me out

So in the book the marionettes in the show all stop performing to greet Pinocchio as one of them, here we get him being told via telepathy how awful being a puppet is

And body horror (it doesn’t help that in the Japanese version it’s hard to tell if they’re calling it “hako” (box) or “haka” (grave))

And this one’s head popping off when Sneeroff goes to use him

....Can’t you just put the head back on? Burning it might be a bit much

Oh great, now you’ve traumatised him. And therapy hasn’t even been invented yet.

Really though, I do feel bad for him here; it seems somebody has explained fire to him now and the whole scene manages to take something that would normally be a bit harsh and make you feel a bit of Mokku’s horror here.

And the broken puppet seems to wave as is burns, thank you for that Tatsunoko

“Smile for the audience“ Really now? After all that? 

And after being thrown around and humiliated in front of the audience, we finally find out why every version of Pinocchio wants to become human when it comes with so many more vulnerabilities; Life as a setient marionette is, honestly, a bit horrible.

Joins us next time when he runs away and gets to go home

[queennicoleinboots]

Day 43 of Peter W. Parker and Xara the Goat's Curse: Another Toilet Breaks

A/N: Making fun of Southern women, suggested incest

I arrived at Peter's side of the house because Godiva was busy talking on the phone as she was twirling a strand of her brunette curly hair with her finger. When a woman is twirling her hair with her finger, you do not bother her.

Peter also looked busy because he answered the door with a pencil in his hand. "Sup?" he asked with a head nod.

"Well, I was thinking of ways to troll you diabolically," I said as I entered the door.

"Oh of course!" Peter said before a fly flew and danced around his head. He looked at the fly with the meanest scowl. "You mother fucker!" He turned to Godiva's side of the house. "MOM! Where's the fly swatter!!!!!????"

I laughed because my phone went off. Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater was calling.

"THOR! How art thee?" I asked.

"My world is unraveling. The VA has hacked my computer! I'm beating the hell out of it now!!!" Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater yelled.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" Peter yelled.

I turned my attention to Peter's turning of attention to a tanned human-like walrus woman with big legs and sagging breasts. Unfortunately, this creature was wearing a bikini and mowing the lawn. There was a rag on the back of her bikini that made it look like there was a rip in her royal blue bikini bottom.

I heard Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater beating his laptop to smithereens while I was trying to process what happened to the fly, Peter, and me. The fly dropped out of the air out of sheer fright. Peter then beat the fly to smithereens with his big hand to relieve his stress and anxiety.

"What is that indeed?" I asked.

In other news, Jamie rolled into Peter's side of the duplex and wanted him to call an upholsterer regarding his van of some year.

Tug rushed and saw the walrus woman with legs. "Holy Fuck what is that?" he asked and stopped dead in his tracks. He saw the same horrific sight Peter and I saw: the walrus woman with legs wearing a bikini mowing a lawn.

I did not process the fact that she too had an extensive toilet garden. I thought Godiva was the only woman who felt the need to have a toilet garden. Must be a Southern woman thing...

"Peter... she has a toilet garden," I said.

"What?! Again!?" Peter asked as he took a closer look out the window. "Fuck! The toilets follow me!!!"

"Toilets are everywhere, now call the upholsterer," Jamie said calmly.

Peter screamed before he ran away from the window and called the upholsterer.

"Yes. Hello. This is Peter W. Parker, the son of Jamie Parker, of course, ahem, a client of yours. Anyway, the roof of the van is falling apart on the 2000 2000 what... One? Dad...? DAD! What's the year of the van?!... DAD...," Peter was attempting to leave a message on the unfortunate upholsterer's answering machine.

"Yes. 2001, Peter," Jamie answered.

Meanwhile Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater was swearing over the phone to me in Nordic at his accursed laptop as he continued to beat the hell out of it. "Motherfuck.... Damn E-mail!"

"2001 Chrysler Dodger Van, and we need it fixed or my father's world as we know it will end. Please help. Thank you," Peter finished the voicemail and hung up the phone. "Ughhhhh! Jesus."

"I hate those phone calls. I make those more often than I care to admit," I said to Peter.

"I do, too!" Peter yelled.

"I hate this laptop!!!" Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater said as he screamed in Gaelic.

A phone call was coming in on another line. Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig was on the other line.

"Mr. Thor, I need to tend to my walrus bear pig. Call you later," I said.

"Ahhhhhh!!! I gotta shit!!!" Peter yelled as he ran to the toilet.

Tug followed Peter to the bathroom.

"I'm going to check on Godiva. She was ordering broken toilets for her garden," Jamie said as he wheeled away.

I heard a chorus of ploops and farts as Peter was taking a crap in the toilet. Tug waited outside of the bathroom door.

Mr. Thor was beating his laptop and swearing while not giving a fuck about me at that point.

I switched lines, "Hello BaeWhuhh. Bullshit happens here," I said as I laughed.

"Oh God. What?!" Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig asked.

"Well, Peter is fucked up. He had a pencil in his hand before a fly assaulted him," I said with a laugh.

"Speaking of flies, a millipede is crawling on the floor. Let me squash it. I swear I'm going to fucking spray this entire house for bugs!' Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig yelled as he squashed the bug.

"I know. Millipedes are constantly assaulting Peter. Lol," I said.

"What else happened?" Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig asked.

"We saw a walrus woman with legs who was wearing a bikini and mowing the lawn!" I yelled. "The fly dropped to the ground in fright, and Peter smashed it with his bare hand."

Peter was still pooping in the background, and his butt was singing an opera of diarrhea.

"Oh wow. That's fucked up, bae. Not a good image to have," Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig said.

"Yeah. She had a rag hanging from the back of her bikini. I thought her bikini had a rip in it. Very disturbing," I said as I shook my head.

Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater called me back, but I was still finishing my conversation with Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig.

Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig laughed loudly before yelling, "Haha Woooooowwwwwww!!!" He continued to laugh.

"Yeah. Then Peter is now taking a dump. He had to call an upholsterer earlier, and he didn't know what was happening from Adam. Haha," I said as I chuckled.

"OH NOW WHAT THE FUCK?! MY BITCHASS TOILET WON'T FLUSH. OF course not. Fucking asshole!" Peter yelled at his toilet through the door.

"I wanted to let you know that Kissy laid with me while I slept. I just woke up. She looks like a T-Rex orange tabby with a long body and short legs," Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig said.

"She takes after you, Bae," I said with a laugh.

"Haha. I know. I'm still tired. You have got to be exhausted," Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig said.

"I'm slaphappy, and Peter is screaming at the toilet and banging on it," I said with a laugh.

Peter bleated out of distress. He was also part of the secret society of goats. In fact, he was half a rank above me.

I responded with a bleat to calm his nerves.

"I called to tell you you need rest. Go help Peter. He sounds fucked up," Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig said.

"He is," I said.

"Well, I love ya," Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig said.

"Love you, too," I said before Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater called me again.

Wally the Walrus the Bear the Pig hung up before I switched to Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater's line.

"Yes?" I asked over the phone as I knocked on Peter's bathroom door.

Peter screamed in an Afrikaan language before he shouted, "I am so sick of this mother-fucking toilet in this mother-fucking bathroom!!!" Peter yelled again as I heard a crash.

"I need help beating my mother-fucking laptop. It won't die. The government is tracking me, and I won't stand for this. I'm a Norse God!" Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater yelled.

"I will be there when I can. Peter had diarrhea," I said as I knocked on the door.

Peter bleated in extreme distress as I heard more porcelain breaking.

"Oh God. And I thought I had issues. Send some of his diarrhea to the motherfuckers who are tracking me," Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater said.

"Haha. Yeah, really. I'm surprised Peter has a butt left," I said.

"Fuck you!" Peter yelled as I heard something fly out of the bathroom window. At first, I thought he was telling to me.

I couldn't help but crack up.

"What the fuck now?" Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater asked.

"I think Peter threw his toilet out of the window," I said as I belly-laughed.

Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater laughed uncontrollably. "You need to get here ASAP to get the fuck away from that guy. He is fucked up," he said as he continued laughing. "I need to beat the laptop. This goddamn thing is pissing me off."

I laughed loudly. "No problem. Let me fix this asshole. Then I'll be there," I said.

"Yeah, literally," Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater said with laugh before he hung up.

I saw a mallet come through the bathroom door. I jumped back and stared at the bathroom door.

"Holy Shit fuck this! I'm leaving," Tug said as he hauled ass out of the house.

The mallet tore through the fucking door. Peter kept beating the shit out of the door. "Another fucking toilet broke! God. Dammit. I thought I was done with toilets randomly breaking. It happened non-stop at the other house," he began to rant before he hit the door again. "I guess I was wrong. This motherfucker broke, too. I guess I was destined to not have a fucking toilet. I threw that son of a bitch out of the window. I'm done with toilets. I'll just shit in a hole in the floor and flush it down with a bucket. Why not? All of Africa does that!! I'm black! It's fitting!!!!"

At that moment, the effects of the West Nile virus have subsided, and Peter returned to his original form. He looked like current Godiva's twin brother.

"Ohhhhhh fuck you! I was just getting used to being black, too. I guess I have to buy another toilet and new bathroom door! This door was a fuckin' piece of shit anyway!!!!" Peter yelled as he beat the ever-living shit out of the door. He added a kick for dramatic effect. He made that bitch look like cardboard.

I held my right hand to my heart and started laughing hysterically.

"I'm ordering a new toilet. Fuck this. As soon as I get my dog back in the house, I'm ordering a new toilet AND A DOOR THAT ACTUALLY FUCKIN' WORKS!!! Not to mention another fucking window. Fuuuuck it. I'll remodel the whole bathroom!!!" he yelled at the pile of wood on the floor. "I need to fix this house. My parents gave me the bullshit side of the house, that's for sure!!!" He continued to rant like a psycho as he carried his mallet with him to the outside world. "I just want a toilet that fucking works! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!!!????"

I followed him out in the hallway and started laughing again. "YES!!!" I yelled as I burst out laughing.

His phone started ringing and thereby caused the Pokemon battle theme song to start playing.

"Oh for the love of God!" Peter yelled as he went to answer his phone. He looked at the caller ID. "OH GOD IT'S PAUL!!!!!" He screamed before he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Peter. You sound normal. How are you?" Paul asked.

Peter laughed hysterically before he answered. "Anything but. My dog escaped the premises, and my toilet just broke," he said.

I chuckled at the response.

"That's some tough shit to deal with right there," Paul said with a chuckle. "Sorry to hear. By the way, I need you to work tomorrow."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Peter said as he was grinding his teeth and squeezing the phone.

"No problem. See you at 9 a.m. sharp in Covington, GA. I'll text you the address," Paul said.

"Okay," Peter said with gritted teeth and a left eye twitch.

"Goodbye, Peter," Paul said before he hung up.

The Pokemon battle theme song stopped.

Peter put his phone down gently on his desk and sighed. He still had that gritted smile on his face.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO GO TO WORK TOMORROW!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO DO DRYWALLLLLL!!!!" He yelled before letting out a blood-curdling bleat of frustration.

I let out a bleat of complete amusement and Scheudenfreude before laughing uncontrollably.

All of a sudden, he held the mallet with both hands and started walking forward quickly while swinging it up and down repeatedly and swiftly to the rhythm of this song, https://youtu.be/gbeXteFwkng.

He was breaking everything in his path as headed outside to break more shit. He busted the doorknob to his front door before we made it to the outside world.

Jamie and still young Godiva Parker were outside talking to the walrus woman with the bikini. She was mowing their driveway and lawn. Her broken toilets had taken over the yard.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS????!!!!" Peter screamed at all the toilets in his yard as he continued to wave his mallet up and down.

Godiva laughed and went to her son who looked like her twin brother. "Samantha, our new neighbor and I decided to grow the largest toilet garden in the state of Georgia. I'm ordering new toilets," she said with a smile.

Peter gritted his teeth in an angry smile before he stopped waving the mallet up and down and thereby caused this song (https://youtu.be/gbeXteFwkng) to stop. "I have another toilet to add to your garden. I just threw mine in the fucking yard," he said through his gritted teeth.

I was in shock. There were over 40 broken toilets in their yard. I thought they escaped the toilet gardens when they moved. I assumed Peter thought the same thing.

"Oh fantastic, Peter," Godiva said as she hugged and kissed him. "You're amazing." She scratched his back while reaching under his light gray shirt.

"Is he your twin brother?" Samantha the walrus woman asked.

Godiva was about to answer her question with a "no," but explaining to a stranger that she was actually his mother when he returned to normal would be too much for Samantha the walrus woman. She instead said, "Yes. We're Peter and Godiva Parker. This man, Jamie Parker, is our father. Our mother, Wanda Parker, died six years ago from a terrible car accident." She hugged Peter around his waist while her arm was in between his light gray shirt and milky white flesh. She was rubbing his back and right side.

In reality, Wanda was Godiva's daughter, but everything else was true.

"Oh wow. Your parents made two beautiful children," Samantha the walrus woman said as she was mesmerized by their beauty.

Jamie went to correct Godiva, but Godiva looked at him and coughed. He instead said, "Yes. My children are absolutely gorgeous. I miss their mother, but they do great in taking care of me."

Peter and Godiva grinned at Jamie.

"There is one profound difference between me and my sister, though," Peter said as he looked at her. "She, for some reason, has this damnable OBSESSION with having broken toilets in our yard! I thought we agreed to forget the toilet gardens this time!" He had the hardest press smirk that could possibly be conceived.

"I get excited about toilet gardens. Sorry, Peter. I couldn't help myself. Imagine all the plants and Venus Flytraps you can have in your yard. Think of it as living security," Godiva said as she leaned up against Peter and kissed his left side.

"I think that's a shitty form of security. I'm the fucking security," Peter said as he stormed off and started smashing the toilets with his mallet. "SECURE THIS, MOTHER FUCKER!!!!" Peter laughed maniacally as he was smashing the porcelain thrones into pieces. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY!!! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY YARD!!!!! Hahahahaha!!!"

I was HOWLING with laughter and noticed Tug coming back to witness his crazy owner smash a bunch of broken toilets and swear up a storm. Tug rolled on the edge of the driveway near their mailboxes and started howling with laughter, too.

Samantha the walrus woman was in shock. "Your brother is extremely crazy. Hot, but extremely crazy." She scratched her butt as she watched Peter smash toilets. "I spent over 40 years collecting those broken toilets."

"Not to worry. The toilets will resurrect by next week. I know someone who fixes toilets that have turned to rubble. Peter had an episode like this a year and nine months ago. Dad and I found a man who could fix toilet bowls from rubble, and he raised the toilets from the dead. Your toilets will be restored to their former glory. Also, I ordered more toilet bowls just to fuck with my brother," Godiva said with a laugh that sounded evil.

Pennywise the Dancing Clown rose out of one of the toilet bowls with his face on one of the sunflowers and asked, "I'm Pennywise the Dancing Clown. How do you doing, Georgie?"

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY!!!!!" Peter yelled as he smashed the toilet and sent the pieces in an entirely different yard.

Tug and I continued laughing our heads off. I was crying and having a hard time breathing.

Jamie Parker watched Peter and said, "My boy has issues."

Peter then smashed the toilet that he took a dump in earlier. Some of his turds and a few pieces of used toilet paper were laying in the yard.

"Maybe toilet training issues," Samantha the walrus woman said as she grinned.

"Apparently. I think that toilet broke recently," Godiva said with a chuckle. "There will be some remodelling in that bathroom." She shook her head with a huge grin as she suppressed laughter.

Peter walked over to everyone else with sweaty brown curls sticking to his face and a mallet in his right hand. "I am victorious against the toilet garden. Now to fix my bathroom!" Peter said as he walked inside of the house. Tug followed him in the house after a massive laughing fit. Jamie also went inside while Samantha the walrus woman and Godiva talked.

I meanwhile left the premises to deal with Mr. Thor the Appliance Beater's laptop. But first, I laughed until no sound came out at the fucked-up series of events that just occurred one after another in front of me.