#anyway shout out to the voiced names add on for having my character name in there :D

[goofytrait]

just finished the Our Life wedding dlc ... IM GOING TO SOB !!!!

[cre8inghavoc]

What are friends for?

PT. 12

Status: ongoing!!

Updates: no set date.

WC: 2349

Pairing: megumi fushiguro x FEM!reader

Genre/Warnings:[18+] Characters are aged up. This story contains toxic boyfriend, cursing, name calling, self-doubt/hate, angst, breaking up, post-breakup, alcohol, drug use, drunk moments, new friends, dating!au, college!au, no curses!au, dark humour, dark jokes, SMAU (not always), smut, violence

Recap:

You step out of the car, your voice trembling with emotion, a sense of numbness washes over you. "I-I can't do this right now…" you murmur, your words barely audible.

"Y/n! Wait!" Megumi's desperate shout echoes in the air.

"Y/n…?" Megumi's voice softens as he steps out of the car, searching frantically for any sign of you. Panic sets in as he realizes you're nowhere to be seen.

MEGUMI'S POV:

What the fuck?

Where the fuck could she have gone that fast?

Megumi's panic escalates as he realizes that there's no plausible way you could have disappeared so quickly without a trace. Frantically, he searches the surrounding area, driving through the town in a desperate attempt to find you. With each passing moment, his worry intensifies, his mind consumed by the fear of what might have happened to you.

Unable to locate you, Megumi's anxiety reaches a boiling point. He decides to return home, his heart racing as he bursts through the front door. As he enters the house, he's met with the sight of his friends gathered in the living room, preparing to eat breakfast.

His breaths come in shallow gasps as he struggles to compose himself, the weight of his concern evident in his frantic gaze.

"Where are you coming fr—" Maki starts, but Megumi cuts her off before she can finish.

"Have any of you seen Y/n?" he blurts out, his voice tinged with urgency as he paces back and forth.

His friends exchange concerned glances as they take in Megumi's distressed demeanor.

"Y/n? Isn't she asleep in your room or something?" Yuta asks.

"I thought she was with you?!" Itadori's voice carries a mix of confusion and frustration, his eyes narrowing as he searches Megumi's face for answers.

Megumi runs a hand through his hair, his thoughts racing a mile a minute. "She was but then she… She just disappeared."

His friends' expressions shift from confusion to worried as they absorb his words. "Disappeared? What do you mean?" Nobara questions.

Megumi shakes his head, his heart sinking with each passing moment of uncertainty. "I don't know… One minute she was there, and the next she was gone. I've been searching everywhere, but I can't find her."

"Megumi, what the hell are you talking about? It's like 7 in the morning. Where the hell would Y/n be? Where did you two go?" Nobara questions, her tone sharp with concern.

She glances over at Megumi and notices how he's staring at Itadori, so she turns to Itadori and fixes her gaze on him. "Itadori, you know something we don't?"

"Uh, no… Haha, what makes you think that?" Itadori says, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"You're really bad at lying, you know that, right?"

"No, seriously, this isn't the time for jokes. What the hell is going on?" Maki says.

"Uh… well, you see, Megumi had to… you know, work?" Itadori stammers out. Megumi just rolls his eyes and adds, "I had to get shit done for Toji."

"What the fuck, Megumi? I thought you said you were done with that shit!" Nobara shouts, clearly frustrated.

"No, seriously, Megumi, why the hell are you working for your shitty dad?" Maki demands.

"Not my fucking dad."

"Well, whatever, you get what I mean."

"Wait, what does Y/n have to do with that anyway?" Inumaki asks.

"Uh, she kinda followed him… I tried to stop her, but she managed to get your keys and, well, took off before I could process what's going on. I chased her down in my car but lost her at the last minute," Itadori explains, his voice tinged with guilt.

"This isn't fucking important right now! We don't know where she is, and she could be seriously hurt! I don't know what the hell to do!" Megumi's voice raises, a mix of frustration and concern colouring his words.

"Wait, I have her location. Let me check." Toge says calmly as he opens his phone to check.

Megumi's heart races with anticipation as he rushes beside Toge, his eyes fixed on the screen of your friend's phone. With bated breath, he waits for the location to load, his stomach churning with anxiety.

After a tense moment, the screen displays a map pinpointing a general area. "Here," Toge announces, pointing to a spot on the map. "She's in this area."

Without a second thought, Megumi quickly rushes back to the door before his friends can even get up from their seats.

"Wait, we're all coming too!" Nobara shouts as they head out the door and follow Megumi. Megumi hops into his SUV, a seven-seater, and everyone else gets in too. Inumaki takes the passenger seat, his phone opened to the map to direct them to your location.

Y/N'S POV:

As you slowly open your eyes, you take in your surroundings, quickly realizing that you're not familiar with the area you're in. A single dim light hangs above you, casting a feeble glow on the dirty, messy space you find yourself in. The floors are dirt-covered, the walls look ancient, like you're in some sort of abandoned place.

Where the hell am I?

A sense of disorientation creeping in.

Am I dreaming?

But before you can process it further, a sudden pounding in your head jolts you back to reality.

Okay, definitely not dreaming…

You then feel something tight around your wrist, prompting you to turn your head slightly and peer down... but everything feels like it's moving in slow motion, and like it's almost blurry...?

Fuck… What the fuck? What the fuck! The thought sends a shiver down your spine as you struggle to make sense of your situation.

Panic surges through you as you realize the tightness around your wrist is indeed a rope.

Oh fuck, fuck, FUCK! AM I FUCKING KIDNAPPED?

Your heart races, and a cold sweat breaks out on your skin as the gravity of the situation sinks in.

No, no, no. This can't be happening. This can't be fucking happening! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Your heart pounds louder as you hear someone approaching, but the dim lighting and the haze in your mind make it impossible to discern their identity. Everything feels blurry, as if you're looking through fog, and even lifting your head feels like an insurmountable task...

That's until you hear their voice…

"Missed me, sweetheart?"

Haruta.

He moves in closer, his hand reaching for your chin to lift your head, and he smirks as he takes in your half-lidded eyes and constricted pupils. You try to speak, to say something, anything, but no words come out…

He chuckles at your expression before quickly withdrawing his hand, causing your head to fall back down, too heavy to hold up. "Already feeling it, aren't you?" he remarks with a hint of amusement.

You attempt to look up at him, managing to lift your head slightly and scrunching your eyebrows in confusion, but everything feels strange. Your movements, everything—it just feels off. He looks at you and chuckles again. "What's with that face?" he teases, noticing your expression.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" you mumble, your words slurred.

"What was that? Couldn't hear ya," your ex says teasingly.

"I said, what the fuck did you do to me, Haruta?" This time, you manage to speak more clearly, the frustration evident in your voice.

"Isn't it obvious? What I always wanted to do!" he laughs, his amusement ringing through the air. He moves closer, grabbing a chair from a corner and placing it right in front of you. Taking a seat, he reaches for your face again, but this time his grip is aggressive. "Make you take heavier drugs," he smirks, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? What the fuck do you want from me?" you say again, this time more aggressively. "Oh, come on, sweetheart, don't be like that," he says, his hand moving higher up your thigh.

Is he about to—

You panic, not knowing what to do, so you spit on him. "Don't fucking touch me! You fucking disgust me!" you shout, your voice filled with anger and disgust. "Let me go!" You begin to shout even louder, struggling against the restraints of the chair, desperately trying to break free from his grip.

But his grip tightens around your face, and he quickly turns your head to face him again as he rises from his chair. "You fucking bitch! Don't try that shit again, or I swear to God, I'll fucking kill you," he snarls, his voice laced with venom as he looms over you.

He moves his other hand to your throat, tightening his grip until you gasp for air, but you can't do anything to stop him. "Fuck you!" you manage to choke out, defiance burning in your eyes. "I fucking hate you Haruta."

This is it.

This is how I'm going out…

There's no point in fighting anymore…

But suddenly, he lets go of your throat, and you gasp for air, your chest heaving as you start coughing. "This isn't how I wanted to kill you, Y/n," he says, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Why are you doing this?" you manage to say between coughs and gasps for air.

"Why now?"

"Oh, Y/n, I've always wanted to do this," he says, laughing as he grabs a needle and flicks it with his finger.

"What… What do you mean…" you stammer, fear creeping into your voice as you watch him with wide eyes.

"Don't be stupid. You really think I dated you because I loved you?" he sneers, his words cutting through you like knives. You freeze, feeling a mix of confusion, loss, and hurt wash over you.

"Oh god, you really did think that," he laughs, the sound echoing with cruelty. "Pathetic."

Your heart sinks as the truth of his words sinks in, leaving you feeling raw and vulnerable.

"I only dated you to get close to you, Y/n… Close so I could kill you," he admits coldly, the words like a dagger to your heart. "How do you think people would react if my clan murdered the daughter of the L/N family? We'd be the most powerful clan in the world."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" you say, your voice trembling with anger and disbelief. "Why didn't you kill me then, huh? Why after almost a fucking year of being together, why now?"

"I tried. I tried to fucking give you this shit," he says, looking down at the syringe in his hand before locking eyes with you once more.

"Just two milligrams of this can cause death, and you already have one injected, what's one more, right?" he says, his laughter filled with malice and cruelty.

He steps closer to you, and you frantically try to get out of the rope that's tied around your wrists.

"Please," you plead, your voice barely above a whisper, desperation evident in your eyes.

"Please,"

"Don't do this. I—I'll do anything, just please let me go."

But he only chuckles darkly, the sound sending shivers down your spine. "It's too late for that now, sweetheart," he sneers, advancing closer until you can feel his breath on your face.

You whimper as he comes closer, feeling utterly helpless in his presence. "Please, I don't want to die," you plead, tears welling up in your eyes.

As he looms over you, your heart races with terror, and you struggle against the ropes binding you, but it's futile. Tears stream down your cheeks as you realize the gravity of the situation.

"Please," you whisper one last time, your voice barely audible.

But he simply raises the syringe, his face contorted into a twisted grin. "Goodbye, sweetheart," he says, before plunging the needle into your skin.

You feel the sharp sting of the needle as it pierces your skin, followed by a rush of cold dread as the lethal substance begins to course through your veins. Your vision blurs, and the world around you fades into darkness as unconsciousness claims you.

In the depths of your fading consciousness, you can only pray for a miracle, for someone to save you from this nightmare. But as darkness envelops you completely, you realize that there will be no rescue, no salvation—only the cold embrace of death.

MEGUMI'S POV

"What building is she in? Where does it show?" Megumi demands, his voice tense with urgency. Inumaki quickly checks his screen, scanning the buildings in front of them. "The first one to your left," he says, his voice tight with worry.

Without hesitation, they all rush into the building, their hearts pounding with fear and determination. Frantically, they search every corner, calling out your name until they hear laughter echoing in the distance.

"Fuck," Megumi breathes out, his worst fears realized. They follow the sound of laughter and finally spot Haruta, standing over you with a sinister grin. Horror washes over them as they see you tied up against a chair, your form slumped and barely conscious.

They all gasp in horror as they take in the sight before them, Megumi's fists clenching with rage and desperation.

"What the fuck did you do, Haruta?" His voice is low and dangerous, his eyes blazing with fury.

But Haruta only grins wider, reveling in their anguish.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?" Megumi's voice trembles with anger and fear, his hands shaking with adrenaline.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Megumi's voice echoes with raw fury as he rushes forward, his hands closing around Haruta's throat with a vice-like grip. Itadori and Inumaki react quickly, rushing over to restrain Megumi and pull him off of Haruta, preventing him from carrying out his threat.

"Megumi, stop! Gojo will be here, he's gonna handle this," Itadori urges, his voice urgent.

Nobara and the others work to untie you from the chair. With their combined efforts, you are freed from your bonds, though you remained unconscious.

As Megumi backs off, his gaze shifts to you, his concern evident in his eyes.

Megumi rushes over to you, his heart pounding with fear and desperation as he kneels beside you, gathering you into his arms. "Fuck… Y/n, wake up! WAKE UP, please," he pleads, his voice trembling with emotion. Tears well up in his eyes as he gazes down at your still form, his hands gently stroking your cheek.

"Please, angel…" he whispers, his voice choked with emotion, as he presses a kiss to your forehead.

im so sorry this took so long to finish and im sorry that its kinda short...

also im sorry that this is kinda dark....

OK NO MORE SORRYS

also this might be shit? might not be... idek how i feel abt it...

TAGLIST <3

@lavender-hvze @xbarrjallenx @atinymonbebestay @1l-ynn @chilichopsticks @dr-fluff-meow @lost-resonance @maya-maya-56 @ichorstainedskin @luciiferslover @madaqueue @vanitywoo @hazedganyu

[strawberryforks]

your favourite nuisance // red hood x vigilante!reader

summary: you have another run-in with the red hood. this time you’re the one doing the annoying—defeating his target before he even gets to the scene. your vigilante name is striker!

warnings: violence, swearing

word count: 1036

a/n: striker!reader is such a fun character to write and i will probably continue to do so! that said, request/asks are open and encouraged as always!

you get the villain red hood was after. by the time he arrives to the fight, they’re being carted off by police. they’ll be headed to arkham, instead of carted off in a body bag destined for the morgue and the red hood–you add a ‘the’ because it makes his name sound more threatening, and right now, stalking towards you, he looks threatening. at least a head taller than you and wearing that stupid mask that should make it infuriatingly easy to hide his emotions–but he wastes that opportunity. his body language gives him away every time and you swear you can almost see steam billowing out of his ears like some ready-to-explode, red-with-rage, cartoon character. “red hood,” you acknowledge. “nice to see you.”

he starts shouting and you ignore him. you turn into an alleyway, keeping your back to him as you walk away. in gotham, there are very few people you would trust to stand behind you, to watch your back and not jam a knife in it. you’re really surprised when you realise red hood, the red hood, is one of those people you trust. you laugh a little, shaking your head all the while. glancing into a puddle, you see red hood’s reflection storming after you, getting closer and closer. you don’t change your pace. you aren’t trying to avoid a confrontation, you actually don’t care at all. as far as you’re concerned it’s inevitable. you knew what you were doing taking down a villain red hood laid claim to. you knew what would happen, how he’d react and you did it anyway. You’re not trying to avoid confrontation, you’re just trying to move it away from the reporter who had been lingering beside your crime scene, wanting the scoop. you happily gave her the details you could, but didn’t want your generosity being a mistake.

you didn’t want to go home and find yours and red hood’s faces in the paper. not for fighting. not for anything else. drama was something you tended to stay out of and this was different, okay? you weren’t being dramatic, you were simply having fun. red hood was as much a rival as he was a friend. you would never ever voice that, but it made it no less true.

in another puddle you see his hand raise. Before he can grab your arm and force you to look at him, you spin around. you face him but only because you want to (not because, never because, if he really wanted you looking into his eyes he would be able to make you and that could be incredibly embarrassing)

you smile up at him, all fake-niceness. you pat his shoulder, “aw, don’t worry red. i’m sure you’ll get ‘em next time. if not, i left some of the small fishes for you.

“what the hell striker?”

“get over yourself, red. you’ve ruined my day more times than i can count, it’s time you see how it feels.”

he scoffed. “more times than you can count? you’re going to have to go back to school sweetheart because vigilantism doesn’t pay the bills and if you can’t count to twenty eight not even the supermarket near crime alley will hire you.”

“twenty eight? has the red hood been counting our encounters?” you laugh, being flooded with all sorts of ridiculous mental imagery–red hood scribbling in a pink notebook, red hood writing with a dry erase marker on the fridge, red hood, get this, looking forward to seeing you. jeez, you’re laughing so hard your stomach aches.

“do you journal? ‘dear diary, today i saw striker for the fifteenth time! i stole her thunder, ruined her night, and she went home and cried into ramen. ah, such a productive day fueled by tears, the blood left on my suit from the needless slaughter i just love to partake in, newspaper headlines, and assholery!’ is that about right?”

“shut the hell up.”

“i don’t think i will. besides, you don’t want me to. you’d be bored and have nothing to write about.”

“i wouldn’t be bored. there's a clear difference between bored and peaceful. also, i don’t write about you. i don’t even like you, striker.” okay, ouch. the big guy might as well have punched you in the nose because that one hurt a surprising amount.

you recovered quickly, never letting your mask (metaphoric) fall, your actual mask you didn’t need to worry about. it was as secure as secure got. covering your nose and mouth, all that could be seen was your eyes and on nights where you knew things would get messy, you wore goggles, rose tinted ones, that blood couldn’t stain, that you had commissioned from a seller on etsy. “you do too! i’m your favourite nuisance.”

“you aren’t.” he says immediately. hating you is one of his reflexes, how sweet. “you’re like my third favourite nuisance.”

you raise an eyebrow. just one. it’s as accusing as it is amusing.

“second…” he trails off. “alright, goddammit. yeah, you’re my favourite nuisance. happy?

“fucking ecstatic, actually red.” you grin and if you had to guess–he rolls his eyes.

“that villain,” back to business, as always. you straighten your spine and prepare for the scolding of a lifetime. you tilt your chin up and glare at his mask. “that was my target and you know it. that said, you did a good job.”

“if he hangs himself in his cell at arkham i’ll know it was you. i’ll be pissed–wait, red, there’s no way that you just said that. that was so a compliment. the only thing missing and making you seem awful was the fact you forgot to say ‘thank you!’ wow, regardless, i’m proud. honoured, even.”

“next time let me handle it.”

“you’re welcome!” you say in a sing-song voice. one that’s way too cheery for the other vigilante’s liking.

“striker?”

“yeah?”

“you really are a nuisance.”

“i like to put the emphasis on ‘favourite’ but sure, that works.” you slide past him in the alleyway, heading out. you stop on your tippy toes to whisper your goodbyes and don’t miss the blinding camera flash or the gawking reporter at the entrance of the alleyway.

[tumblydovereviews]

Primos Was Okay (And That's Okay!)

On Thursday, after over a year of controversy, delays, and pushback from the general public, Primos finally premiered on Disney Channel, to a surprisingly stable reception.

First of all, congratulations to the cast and crew for the premiere! For a show that was on such unstable waters just a year back, it's great to see that Primos has seen the light of day and not simply became a tax write-off.

As anyone involved in the animation community in June 2023 may recall, Primos' initial response was not great in the slightest, and for good reason. Based on solely the theme song alone, the show featured grammatical errors, unintentionally insensitive names, and was dismissed by others as Disney's cheap copy of The Casagrandes. Comments from cast members such as Tater's voice actor herself only added fuel to the fire. The show, initially set to drop in the fall of that same year, was delayed to January, then June as a precursor to the Big City Greens movie, and finally, July of 2024.

I personally didn't care for the Primos drama too much. Sure, I liked the theme song's beat and for a while it became an earworm, but I wasn't looking too closely at being a consistent viewer on the show. I was mixed on the artstyle, the characters, and the plot, which, while not awful by any means, weren't anything amazing as well.

But, with nothing else to do, I ultimately decided to view the first episode of Primos on YouTube the day after the big debut.

And, the show was serviceable.

The characters weren't annoying, and there were some moments that made me chuckle a bit. The songs were serviceable, and the themes on self-discovery are unique. But, ultimately, I don't see myself with any reason to really engage with this show outside of just watching a few episodes. The story of Primos is all there, but on its own, it's just there.

If there's any character I truly hated, it was Tater and Nellie's mother, Bibi. Knowing fully well she didn't have the time or effort to efficiently take care of twelve kids on top of her two daughters and baby son, yet inviting then over anyways for the sake of 'memories' instead of listening to her kids. No wonder they address her by her first name.

As for characters I liked, I honestly enjoyed the three most 'normal' Primos in my opinion: Lita, Scooter, and Lucita. They get along well and have acceptable personalities. I can especially relate to Scooter and his anxiety, as a person who gets quite nervous themselves sometimes. Also, shout-out to Lucita, who's deaf and actually communicates through ASL on the occasion. Deaf representation is lacking in media, and I love how this show is helping us move one step further in that regard.

I also enjoyed Nellie as a character as well; it is admittedly a but weird how she's an eight-year-old with a Luisa-deep voice but her chemistry with Tater is great.

As for Tater herself, she's okay. She server her purpose as the disgruntled almost ten-year-old trying to find herself. Nothing too much or too little. I can relate to her in the sense of needing peace and quiet away from cousins; my cousins actually moved into my own house temporarily last year for a few months,

i talk about characters a lot in this show, because I believe that it's Primos' best achievement. In a way, each of the characters work off of Tater in their own way, keeping the show fresh and upbeat, but not being afraid to scale things back when needed. I thought that the Primos would act as nothing but plot devices whose only merit is to ruin Tater's life, but, thankfully, that's not the case.

Now, what about this show being mediocre? It can't be all that good, right?

Well, like I said before, the animation and art designs are not my favorites. I can't push back too much since the rough, earthy tone translate into the series as a whole, but personal preference is also a factor. The music and songs, while good for what they are, don't add anything too much to the series and I personally would have preferred if this show wasn't a musical al all; Disney Channel admittedly has plenty of those nowadays.

And, that essentially encapsulates my feelings on Primos as a while. On its own, it works for what it has, but compared to shows with similar plots such as The Loud House, it only holds a candle compared to the latter's sun.

And, you know what? That's okay. If anything, it's a miracle that a show detested so much by the general public during its initial preview became nothing but a mediocre addon at worst.

Maybe I'll tune into a few more episodes to fully solidify my thoughts on this show. But, for now, I'll only be an occasional onlooker exploring the world of Tater Ramirez Humphrey and company. I'm okay with that, and I'm sure you'll be okay too.

[multi-kpop-fanfics]

Remember When

pairing: vernon x fem!reader (ft. Chan, Seungkwan, Jeonghan, Jihyo, Dahyn)

genre: fluff, comedy, angst, suggestive, childhood friends to lovers to exes(?)!AU

warnings: alcohol consumption, unresolved feelings, mentions of political beliefs, propaganda, bullying, violence, cursing, anxiety

word count: 10.5k

summary: growing up in the suburbs of Athens during the seventies was turbulent to say the least - but is it turbulent enough to break the backyard trio friendship? only time could tell.

Author's note: This is my entry for the 70s;teen collab hosted by @svthub! It is based on my all time favorite greek TV show Τα Καλύτερά μας Χρόνια (alt: Remember When, Our Best Years), which takes place in the 70s and very early 80s.

p.s. 1: this fic ate my soul, spat it out and put it in the blender to repeat the process.

p.s.2: a HUGE thank you to @playmetheclassics for beta reading this monstrosity ;-;

Character introduction:

Vernon: The main character of the story and one third of the backyard trio.

Chan: Vernon's childhood best friend and one third of the backyard trio.

Seungkwan: Vernon's childhood best friend and one third of the backyard trio.

Y/N (fem!reader): Vernon's childhood friend and classmate.

Jeonghan: Vernon's older brother.

Jihyo: Vernon's older sister.

Dahyun: Chan's girlfriend (introduced later in the story).

Stelios: The father of the family (name taken directly from the TV series)

Mary: The mother of the family (name taken directly from the TV series)

©multi-kpop-fanfics, 2023. No reposting allowed. No translations allowed without permission.

August, 1970.

“Hnngh……”

“Mmmphhh…”

“Gah, I can’t keep it up anymore!”

“Ding ding ding! Vernon is the winner!” Seungkwan announces the result, “He was able to hold out for longer. Chan, hand me over your cards. I need to count them.”

Vernon checks his biceps, a proud smile on his face.

“Have you noticed any change?” Seungkwan asks.

“Yeah! My biceps have gained more volume!”

“Why do we call them biceps? They look like uncooked chicken wings.”

“They look exactly the same as yesterday and last week to me,” Chan squeezes Vernon’s arm, “All this sweat was for nothing!”

“It takes time and a lot of dynamic exercise to build up muscle.” Vernon rolls his eyes. “It’s clearly written in the magazine as well.” 

“Anyways, at this stage, you’ve managed to win a super rare Pelé card, the footballer who scored his 1000th goal last year! He’s an amazing player.” Seungkwan hands the card to Vernon, who is ecstatic to add this newfound treasure to his collection.

“A rare Pelé card? I don’t have that one.” Another boy sneaks behind Vernon and steals the card.

Ah, Ares. The new kid in the school and the one who has taken up the bully role.

“Hey, give it back!” Vernon tugs at the flimsy paper until it’s torn in half.

“Aw, your little card is all torn up now.” Ares mocks him.

“You’re stupid and mean another word my brother has taught me, but I can’t say it!” 

“What did you say?” Ares pushes him onto  the ground and starts hitting him, but Vernon tries to fight back, kicking his feet to hit the other kid.

“Ares! There you are!” 

The high-pitched voice attracts the attention of both boys, the owner of the voice being none other than Helen. AKA, Vernon’s crush.

"I've been searching for you." She crosses her arms in front of her torso. "Can we go now?"

Ares spares her one glance before he punches Vernon in the eye, leaving him on the ground with a fresh bruise as he walks away with the young girl.

Helen briefly looks over her shoulder at Vernon, but Ares pulls her by her arm to follow her until they disappear from the backyard.

It's not long before Vernon returns home, sitting right next to Jeonghan, who has a similar bruise as him.

"I seriously cannot believe both of you are years apart, yet act the same!" Stelios reprimands both sons.

"Can you stop shouting for a second?" Jeonghan grimaces.

"And what do you want me to do? Sit around and congratulate my kids for getting bruised up? I can accept a nine-year-old kid being immature, but you? You're supposed to be studying to be a lawyer, not running away from the cops with a girl!"

"Stelios!"

"Mary, that's enough!" 

"No, you stop it!" Jeonghan roars, "There was no way I'd let the fucking cops arrest us!"

"Can you be realistic for once?"

"No, I prefer being idealistic."

"Idealists cannot survive in a world where dictatorship exists!" 

"That's why we try to overthrow the goddamn dictatorship, Dad! Not that you could ever understand since your best man is literally in cahoots with them!"

Jeonghan angrily storms off the living room and heads straight to the bedroom, Vernon scurrying off right after.

The boys remain silent on their respective beds, save for a few hisses coming out of Jeonghan’s mouth. He rummages through his jacket to seemingly find something necessary to him.

“What are you looking for?”

“Beeswax ointment.”

“What is that?”

“It’s an ointment that helps your skin when it’s bruised. Now come over here so I can put some on your eye.” Jeonghan opens the small tin jar, and Vernon sits on his brother’s bed.

“Ew, that stinks!”

“Shut up, sprout. I’m doing this for your sake!” Jeonghan carefully swipes a small amount of the beeswax on the boy’s eye.

“Where did you get that from?”

“Martha gave it to me.”

“Is she a friend of yours?”

“Not exactly…”

“She’s your girlfriend then!”

“Shh! Don’t shout!” Jeonghan puts his hand over Vernon’s mouth. “I can’t have Mom and Dad yelling about this again!”

“Is she against the dictatorship, like you?”

“Even more than me, given the fact that her dad is part of it.”

“Were you together at the protest?”

“Yeah,” Jeonghan sighs, “I got punched by a cop while trying to protect her, but she didn’t seem to like that.”

“I got punched by a guy in the backyard because he’s hanging out with the girl I like,” Vernon admits.

“Is that why you’re reading all these dumb magazines about body growth and exercise?” The older sibling chuckles.

“They are not dumb! They will help me get bigger and impress Helen so I can win her back!”

“Okay, okay, lil mister! No need to be so dramatic.”

No matter the teasing remarks, Vernon is dead set on building muscle and transforming his body to win the girl of his dreams back.

“What do you mean he’s trying to build up his body?” Sir Nick raises his eyebrow.

"Vernon asked his dad to fill some tin cans with mud and stick them to metal bars," Chan says.

"He's definitely doing this for a woman." The older man fixes his glasses.

"He's salty about losing Helen to Ares, but we aren't supposed to know that." 

"Love is full of hardships and abandonment, young lads," Sir Nick reads from his magazine, "It's written clearly in the books!"

"This isn't a book, this a magazine," Seungkwan replies, "And a women's magazine at that!"

"It is condensed wisdom, you uncultured twats!" 

"At least girls aren't paying attention to us."

"But what about when we grow up? Then we'll definitely be in trouble, especially me, who's gonna be very handsome like my dad." Chan shrugs.

"You two are supposed to stay away from temptations like proper scouts!" Sir Nick reprimands them. "And the biggest of them all are none other than the spiders-"

"Women!"

"Exactly! Even the bible is full of them - they are the pinnacle of temptation!"

“Yet Vernon is willing to change himself for one.” Seungkwan pouts.

A week later, the trio regrouped in the familiar backyard where Ares is seen with Helen sitting on the edge of the old truck.

“Are you sure you’re just gonna take him head on? He’s taller than you!” Chan whispers.

“He gave you a good beating last time too…” Seungkwan adds with a defeated expression.

“I wasn’t as strong as I am now! Besides, none of you tried to back me up last time!” Vernon retorts.

“We won’t back down this time, though!” 

“You better!”

They approach the truck with bravery, noticing how Helen nudges Ares who turns his attention to the trio.

“You came for another round of beating? Wasn’t last time enough for you?” He picks up a twig and swings it back and forth.

“You’ll be the one to get beaten this time!” Vernon yells and picks a twig of his own from the ground, running towards Ares.

He catches the taller boy off guard and successfully tackles him on the ground, the rest of the trio ganging up on him.

“Say you surrender! Say it!” Vernon points his twig at Ares.

"Fine! I surrender! I'm sorry for hitting you last time!"

Vernon lifts his head and looks at Helen. She flashes him a toothy grin, and he reciprocates it with excitement.

He won.

November, 1971.

“A newspaper?” Helen asks.

“Yeah, like the ones Sir Nick is selling!” Chan chirps.

“And what are we gonna write in them?” Helen asks

“We could write about the things happening in the neighborhood!” Seungkwan adds.

“That’s boring,” you scoff, “The grown-ups can just talk with each other and learn everything.”

“And that’s where we come in,” Vernon straightens his back, “We can spy on them and dish out their secrets!”

“Are you crazy?! We’re gonna get yelled at by everyone!” Helen whines.

“If you don’t want to participate, then you’re free to walk out of this,” Vernon shrugs, “No one  is stopping you.”

“Okay, even if we do manage to find interesting topics to write for, how are we gonna print the actual newspaper copies?” You cross your arms in front of your chest.

“That’s a secret,” he smirks, “But my sources are well-trusted, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“That makes it even more suspicious, Vernon.”

“Again, if you don’t trust me, you can walk out of this while it’s still early!”

"Even if we don't, what are we even supposed to be doing?" Seungkwan tilts his head.

"Easy - You guys will be the reporters, and I'm gonna be the chief editor who publishes the newspaper!"

"That sucks! Why can't I be the chief editor?!" Chan grimaces.

"Because I was the one who had the idea in the first place!" Vernon replies.

"Okay, okay, no need to fight. You can keep the role of the chief editor! But if we get caught by the headmaster, you’re gonna get the entire blame!” The rest of the group point at Vernon. And one by one the kids disappear, save for Chan who asks him, “Are you sure about this? We could get in serious trouble…”

“I’d rather get into trouble for defending myself and speaking my mind, rather than just messing up on tests!” Vernon stands his ground.

"Did your brother teach you that?"

"My sister, as well! If she hadn't stood her ground, she wouldn't have become an air hostess."

"Wow, you really have a rebellious family after all."

---------

A few days ago….

“Tell me what that thing is!” Vernon pulls his brother’s sleeve.

“I cannot! I’m supposed to keep it a secret, you damn sprout!” Jeonghan loudly whispers.

“Aha! It’s a printing press, isn’t it?”

“Shh! Shut the fuck up, nobody should know I have one of these!”

“Is it because they are banned?”

“That’s one way to put it -  But it’s because we use them to print papers against the propaganda created by the dictators,” Jeonghan explains.

“What is propaganda?” Vernon asks, intrigued by the word.

“It’s a tactic used by governments to make people believe they are doing good things for their country, while in reality, they are just trying to gain more power - Basically, they are trying to change the people’s opinions to fit their narrative.”

“So, it’s like they are taking the people’s brains, throwing them in the washing machine, taking them out and putting them back in the people’s heads?”

“Yeah, that’s a good analogy!” Jeonghan pats his brother’s back, “Now that you know everything, keep your mouth shut, and nobody is gonna get into trouble.”

“And what if I want to use the press for a newspaper as well?”

“There’s no fucking way you’re gonna do that, sprout.”

“If you won’t let me use it, I’m gonna tell Mom and Dad everything!”

“You little fucker-” Jeonghan grits his teeth, “Fine, you win! But you better keep your promise. Otherwise I’m gonna burn all your football cards.”

“I always keep my promises, big bro.”

“....What do you even want the press for?”

“I want to publish a newspaper, like the leaflets you put around law school with your friends!”

“These aren’t just leaflets. They send serious anti-junta messages! Plus, do you really want to make yourself a target at the age of ten?”

“But I’m not gonna put the content you put in yours! I just want to write the news of the neighborhood!”

“Hey, I’m serious!” Vernon punches Jeonghan’s arm. “I even want to have my own reporters!”

“Reporters, huh?”

“Yeah, they’ll be hiding around the neighborhood and be on the lookout for juicy topics!”

“That’s just paparazzi work, sprout.”

The newspaper copies were indeed printed out and distributed on every single corner of the Gkyzi neighborhood - after an entire week of the group hiding around in public spaces to observe and eavesdrop on the grown-ups and elders.

It most definitely caused a ruckus around the residents since many secrets were out in the open, and many misunderstandings were caused - along with the school’s headmaster having to deal with aggravated parents.

It wasn’t long before the headmaster found out who the culprits were, and it definitely wasn’t a nice situation.

“What was even going on in your brains when you came up with this stupid idea?!”Stelios yells.

“We just wanted to make a newspaper like the ones you read!” Vernon defends himself.

“The newspapers we read include politics and finance, not if the food of the local tavern is poisoned!” “But everyone who ate those Cretan snails went to the hospital right after!”

“That was a one-time thing!” Mary almost pulls at her hair, “This could have easily dealt a fatal blow at the poor man’s business!”

“But-”

“No buts! You messed up big time, and you have to make up for this - you’re grounded for the rest of the month!”

“That’s unfair! Grown-ups are unfair!” Vernon yells and rushes to his room, slamming the door behind him and hiding under the blankets.

So much for trying to look smart, is all he thinks before tearing up.

February, 1972.

“Chan is still gone, is he?”

“Yeah, a lot of family trouble lately.” Vernon throws another stone towards the red bin. “He must feel terrible now that his parents are giving all of his attention to his younger sibling.”

“Thank God I have no siblings then,” Seungkwan huffs, “That would have been very draining.”

“Helen disappeared as well. Do you think something happened to her?”

“Nah, girls are cunning. They can escape things like spiders,” Seungkwan shrugs, “By the way, what are you gonna dress up as for the carnival? I’m gonna dress up as a soldier!”

“I’m gonna dress up as a cowboy, like the ones in Bonanza.”

Despite the calm discussion about their upcoming carnival activities, something was bugging Vernon about his friend’s lengthy absence. It wasn’t usual for Chan to be away from the trio, as it felt like the balance was disrupted.

The carnival celebrations would soon arrive at the neighborhood of Gkyzi, the concrete buildings dressing up in confetti and carnival masks hanging from the door frames.

The residents have all chosen their own carnival costumes - some of them decided to play safe by dressing up as a famous celebrity, and others chose to unleash their inner animal (literally).

Seungkwan and Vernon held up to their end and indeed showed up as a soldier and a cowboy, respectively.

“What do you need the binoculars for?” Vernon raises his eyebrow in question.

“Don’t be dumb. All great soldiers have binoculars to watch the enemy from afar!” Seungkwan holds them up, “Plus, you can see what other people are doing without getting caught.”

“Lemme see.” Vernon snatches them from his friend, putting them on his eyes to spy on other people.

“What do you see?”

“Uh… a gorilla chasing Marilyn Monroe…..My sister dressed as a wildcat… Bah, that’s boring!”

“Hey, I wanna see too!” Seungkwan grabs his binoculars back and starts scanning the area again, but it ends abruptly after witnessing something very disheartening.

“What’s with the long face? What did you see, Kwan?”

“Nothing.”

“Seungkwan!”

“I told you, it was nothing!”

Vernon steals the binoculars once more and focuses on the spot Seungkwan did a few seconds ago, anger overcoming his facial features as he sees Chan playing with Helen around a tree, gingerly holding her hand.

“Traitor.”

“I’m sorry, Vernon-”

“It’s not your fault, Seungkwan. He’s the one who should apologize for stealing my girl.”

He wishes Sir Nick had taught him about the pain of betrayal by a best friend, aside from the Boy Scout principles, because nothing had prepared him for this.

It’s not long before a piece of cardboard is hanging from the back on the abandoned truck, “traitors and girls are not allowed”, written with bold red crayon and a ton of grammatical errors - dictation was never Vernon’s forte.

March 25th, 1972.

It’s been roughly a month since Vernon saw Chan playing with Helen and the two boys haven’t spoken since then.

Despite the celebratory atmosphere of the day, he’s far from happy himself - there’s a consistent frown on his face, one that stays on even now, all while he’s trying to fix the tyre of his wooden cart.

“Are you still mad at your friend, sprout?” Stelios asks and Vernon nods.

“I can understand how you feel, but you’re still a kid - Not to mention that Chan is your best friend.”

“But he stole my girl!”

“Hasn’t Sir Nick taught you about the meaning of friendships and forgiveness?”

“Sir Nick constantly talks about women acting like spiders,” Vernon pouts, “But nothing about betrayal!”

“Listen here, kid.” Stelios tightens the cart's tyre. “It won’t be long before Chan comes back to you and asks for your forgiveness.”

“How do you know that, Dad?”

“We’ve all been through similar situations when we were kids,” he reminisces about his childhood with a small smile. “And what I’ve learned is that deep down, nobody wants to sacrifice their friendship for ephemeral flings, no matter how old you are.”

Stelios sets the newly fixed cart on the asphalt, patting it on the driver’s seat.

“Come on, won’t you go for a ride with your trusty car?”

“Thanks, Dad!” Vernon excitedly jumps into the seat and rolls out to his destination - his beloved backyard.

He’s surprised when he sees you sitting on the edge of the truck, but he doesn’t mind your presence - in fact, he’s starting to get used to it, even if he’s still salty about losing the car race to you.

“Hi Vernon.” 

“Hi Y/N.”

“You were really good at the school celebration today,” you swing your legs back and forth, “Your poem was nice too! Mine was kinda boring.”

“I don’t think it was boring,” Vernon replies. “You recited it nicely.”

Suddenly, the both of you hear footsteps from afar and you soon see Chan appearing in the backyard, out of breath.

“Go away, you traitor!” Vernon yells.

“Let me explain!” Chan pants out. “I don’t want to have a girlfriend anymore! I want my best friend back! She’s unbearable!”

“And why should I believe you - Ow!” Vernon groans as you nudge him on the sides.

“I don’t want to be with Helen, I want to play with you and Seungkwan again! Sir Nick was right. Women are like spiders!”

Chan kneels on the ground, not hesitating to soil his clothes in order to show his regret.

You nudge Vernon again, nodding towards Chan’s direction.

He jumps down and walks towards his friend, kneeling down in front of him and giving him a tight hug.

“I missed you too, buddy.” Vernon giggles and softly headbutts Chan, finally making peace with his best friend.

June, 1973.

“Are you seriously going on a date with Y/N?”

“I can and I will! I’ve even written a letter for her.” Vernon shows the folded piece of paper.

“And you’re just gonna give it to her?!” Chan’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Of course not, you dumbass! I will ask for help from Sir Nick. He always knows best.”

“Why do you even want to go on a blind date with her? She doesn’t even like you!” Seungkwan rolls his eyes.

“That’s what you think! I’m sure that behind her tough act, she’s madly in love with me - all women act like that before the first date.”

“Who even told you this?” Chan raises his eyebrow in question.

“Sir Nick, obviously! And the pocket-sized book he gave me to read.”

“Wasn’t that a romantic novel for women?” Seungkwan grimaces.

“Well, yeah, but it helped me write the letter, so it works for me!” Vernon grins, “Gotta go now. I have a mission to accomplish.”

“Tell us how it goes!”

“Will do!”

Vernon leaves in a haste and runs towards the newspaper stand to find Sir Nick.

“Good morning Sir!”

“Hello there Vernon! What brings you here today?”

“I wanted to tell you to take a look at a letter I’ve written.”

“A letter? Destined for whom?”

“Y/N! But she doesn’t know I’m the sender, because I intend to meet her on a blind date.”

“So you’re really into her, huh?”

“I know we won’t be in the same school starting from September and I want to take my chances.”

“Ever the brave boy scout. Bravo!” Sir Nick applauds the boy, “Now give me the letter.”

Vernon hands over the letter and sits next to the older man, waiting for his approval.

“So, here we go.” Sir Nick puts on his glasses and unfolds the letter.

Hello Y/N,

You may not know who I am, but I am sending you this letter to tell you that I want to see you before we part ways this autumn.

I will wait for you this Sunday in front of the neighborhood cinema. I will be wearing a knitted yellow beanie and neat clothes.

I look forward to the moment I’ll bring you into my arms and hold you close to me.

Sincerely, 

your secret admirer.

“Well well, I’m impressed! Especially with the last sentence.” Sir Nick removes his glasses and puts them in the front pocket of his shirt.

“I took it from the pocket-sized novel you gave me! I thought it would suit the message nicely.”

“It definitely does! Now what else do you want me to do?”

“Is there a way to deliver the letter to Y/N without her finding out it’s from me?”

“Youngster, you’re talking to a former scout and military soldier. It’s a piece of cake for me!”

As if on cue, you walk down the street and stop right outside the newspaper stand.

“Hello Sir Nick! Hey Vernon!”

“Good morning Y/N!”

“Is the new issue of Manina magazine here?”

“Of course!” Sir Nick goes behind the stand to search for the magazine and hides the letter inside it, “Here it is! It will be twenty drachmas.”

“Thank you! Have a good day sir!” You take the magazine and walk away.

“What now?” Vernon watches you from afar.

“Now we wait. She will notice it soon enough.”

Sir Nick is proven correct as the letter falls from the magazine and it definitely catches your attention. You step aside and sit down on the pavement to read through the letter, checking your surroundings for any suspects.

"See? Told you she would notice!"

"Let's hope she will actually appear on the date."

"I'm sure she will, lad."

Vernon keeps spying on you from afar as you keep reading his letter and an idea pops into his head, making him rush back to his friends immediately.

"Guys!"

"What's up? Did Y/N get the letter?" Seungkwan asks.

"She did, but I need to make sure she will come on the date!"

"What does that have to do with us?" 

"I need you two to be my spies!"

"You want us to spy on Y/N?!" Chan almost falls on the ground.

"Don't shout, you dumbass!" Vernon shushes his friend. "All I want you to find out is how she feels about the letter. I'm sure she's already on the way to talk about it with her friend!"

"He has a point," Seungkwan ponders, "But I'm not very good at spying on people. My mom always catches me whenever I try to steal cookies from her jar."

"I guess it's up to me then." Chan sighs as he cleans his glasses and gets up, “Thank God I’ve read lots of comics with spies.”

“Oh God, this won’t end well.” Seungkwan facepalms.

Surprisingly, Chan was really good at it. He managed to remain undetected all while trying to find out your true intentions about the letter and the blind date.

“Vernon!” He comes running to the backyard.

“What’s the rush, Chan? And what….are you wearing?”

“Oh, this? It’s my spy attire! Cool, right?” Chan flexes his black coat and sunglasses, 

“Ugh, just tell me what you found out!” Vernon stomps his feet on the ground.

“Y/N accepted the invitation!”

“Really?!”

“Yeah! Although she did say that guys who write letters like yours are most likely ugly.”

“Sounds exactly like something Y/N would say.” Seungkwan snickers.

“That’s just one more reason for me to do my best for the date!” Vernon straightens his back and puffs out his chest.

Sunday night comes around and Vernon is standing outside of the cinema, fixing his yellow beanie and the bowtie around the collar of his shirt.

He has already bought two tickets for the Papillon movie and now waits for you to appear.

A couple of minutes later, you walk up to him and you scan his entire outfit.

“Hey Vernon. What are you doing here?”

“I don’t think I have a lot of explaining to do…”

“You’re wearing a yellow beanie….Did you send the letter?”

“Yeah, that was me.”

“Why did you have to go through this hassle?” You ask.

“That’s because….We won’t be able to see each other on a daily basis, since I’ll be attending a boys’ middle school.”

“That’s nonsense! We will never part ways, because we’re buddies!” 

“Yeah, but….This is supposed to be a date…” Vernon scratches his head.

“Did you buy tickets for the movie?”

“I got one for you and one for me.”

“Why not three?”

“Three? Who’s the third?”

“Chan! He’s right there!” You point towards the trees and Vernon mentally curses his friend, who appears from the shadows like a Matrix character.

“Hi guys…”

“Hi Chan! Do you want to watch the movie with us?” 

“Uh, yeah….Sure, why not?” He replies and Vernon throws him a nasty glare.

“Great! Let’s go to the vendor, there must be more tickets left!” You exclaim happily and go to buy a third ticket.

“What are you doing?! You’re not supposed to be here!” Vernon angrily whispers to his friend.

“I’m sorry! I was worried about you and I wanted to make sure everything would go well! I had no idea she would notice me!” Chan tries to defend himself.

“...Some top-class spy you are.”

July, 1974.

“I can’t believe I have to keep the splint on for almost the entire summer. That sucks!”

“Hey, at least our parents agreed about me coming with you, so it won’t be terrible!” Chan grins.

“And what exactly can you help me do?” 

“I can be your butler! I have read about them in comics - they know their bosses' secrets and always take care of them.” He pulls out a pair of gloves from his pocket. “They even wear gloves, like these ones!”

“Okay, mister butler, help me get up.. These crutches are almost as tall as me.”

“If only Seungkwan could spend the summer holidays with us as well…” Chan pouts.

“I don’t think his mom would have let him come either way.” Vernon supports himself on the crutches with his friend’s help. “Besides, he’s probably swimming in the sea of an island right now, so definitely a better choice than my dad’s village!”

“Not to mention that he would have to put up with you and your broken leg.”

“Shut up, Chan! I don’t like it either!”

“It must really suck to have a splint during summertime, though.”

“You have no idea.” Vernon balances himself on the crutches, “I wish I hadn’t joined you in that football match in the backyard.”

“But we would have lost without you!”

“Yeah, but I made myself a fool in front of Y/N!”

“She only sees you as a friend! Didn’t you learn your lesson last summer?!”

“I can’t say you are wrong…”

“What if you meet a girl here? What if she’s prettier than Y/N?”

“There’s no way it will happen!”

“Fine, if you say so,” Chan shrugs, “Anyways, enough about girls - When will the doctor remove the splint from your leg?”

“End of August, most likely,” Vernon whines, “And it sucks!”

“Can you at least take walks at the beach?”

“That I can.”

“Then we should ask your parents if they let us go to the beach!”

“Unlikely, but we can always try!”

“You’re not wrong.”

“Besides, there’s no way they would let us help around with cleaning in your state.”

“You make it sound like I’m handicapped or something…” Vernon pouts.

“You sort of are since you can’t even kick a ball!” Chan giggles and sprints away.

“Get back here, you skunk! You’ll pay for this!” Vernon tries to catch up with his friend while menacingly holding one of the crutches in the air.

July, 1975.

The neighborhood of Gkyzi is celebrating once again and of course, Vernon is dressed to the nines. 

He holds a film camera in his hands and he tries his best to take pictures of his aunt walking down the street in her sequined wedding dress, her blonde hair styled to perfection to uphold the veil as she holds onto his dad’s arm - the tradition of a man walking the bride down the aisle still holds strong.

Amongst the pleasant ruckus of family and friends flocking towards the bride, Vernon snaps one photo with the intention of creating a memory of his aunt’s happy moment.

But instead, all he manages to capture is Seungkwan standing behind a tree holding his mother’s hand. 

He watches them walk away in silence, fear and sadness overcoming his senses as he slowly realizes that the backyard trio will soon become a mere memory of his childhood years.

A few days later, Vernon celebrates his 14th birthday in the living room of his house. He’s surrounded by his family and Chan, waiting for the familiar birthday song to end and finally blowing away the candles on the cake. The words “Happy birthday sprout”, written with bright red syrup steal Vernon’s attention that causescausing a small smile to form on his face as he knows that soon he won’t be called a sprout anymore. The end of middle school is just a year away.

But at the same time, the years of his innocence and the adventures of the backyard trio come to a painful yet silent end.

July, 1977.

The birthday song ends, and the freshly sixteen-year-old Vernon blows away the candles of his chocolate-covered birthday cake.

As soon as he gets up, he's welcomed with a flurry of hugs and kisses from people wishing him nothing but the best.

"Thank you for the cake and the wishes, buuuut I must take my leave now, everyone," he announces with a cheeky smile.

"What? But I canceled my rehearsal so I wouldn't miss your birthday!" Jihyo pouts.

“What is even so important that you have to leave right now?” Stelios asks.

“I have to meet with Chan in less than ten minutes. We want to go south and see Jeonghan’s live performance.”

“Ah yes, the lawyer turned musician.” The father rolls his eyes.

“It’s a shame, though,” Mary sighs.“I even prepared roasted beef with potatoes for you!”

“Mom, you can just keep a portion for me!”

“Fine, if you say so,” she sighs, “Hope you have fun, darling.”

“And no alcohol!” Stelios yells right before Vernon closes the door behind him.

He hastily walks down the stairs of the apartment block, noticing Chan waiting for him on a sleek red Vespa.

“Where the hell did you get this from, skunk?” He asks.

“Surprise! Happy birthday, idiot.” Chan grins.

“I thought we would go south by taxi?”

“Are you dumb? Everyone knows my dad, and if word gets out, we’re done for!”

“As if stealing your dad’s Vespa is a mightier act.”

“Shut up and get behind me already!” Chan yells and turns on the engine, trying his best to drive in a straight line and not like a wobbly baby.

After an hour or so, they made it to the bar where Jeonghan was playing with his band, only to catch him right at the end of the live performance.

“Hey, you guys made it!” The man greets them happily, “Happy birthday, sprout.”

“Stop calling me that. I’m not a kid anymore!” Vernon playfully shoves his brother.

“What the hell are you even wearing?” 

“Aunt gifted it to me.” Vernon fixes his new shirt. “What, it’s not nice?”

“It’s fucking terrible, dude,” Jeonghan laughs, “Couldn’t you have worn a normal tee like Chan did? Anyways, should I get you a couple of beers?”

“What? No whiskey?!” Chan complains.

“It’s either beer or lemonade.” 

“Beer it is, then.” Vernon agrees.

“Okay, it’s settled then!” Jeonghan clapped his hands in excitement, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, but the cute blondie over there has been checking me out, and I’d hate to disappoint her.”

“Are you sure she wasn’t looking at me?” Chan points at himself.

“Shut the fuck up, you skunk.” Jeonghan smacks the younger man’s head and takes his leave.

“So…. Should we get those beers?” Vernon turns his attention to his friend.

“Not before the girls arrive.”

“The wh- Huh?”

“Surprise again! I arranged a date with two girls. They will be here soon.”

“Uhh, thanks? I guess?”

“Don’t thank me yet, skunk.”

Soon enough, the two girls arrive, introducing themselves with giggles and eyelash-batting - Vernon didn’t pay attention to their names.

A bottle of beer turns into two and two turns into three. He starts feeling a bit hazy, but his friend seems completely unfazed, as he keeps disco dancing with the girls.

“Hey, how about we walk at the beach?!” One of the girls suggests.

“Sure, sounds fun!”

“Wha- uh, s-sure, yeah.” Vernon stutters and rubs his face to wake himself up, but it’s no use.

He lowkey thanks the heavens for the bar being just a ten-minute walk from the beach.

“Dude, can you believe it? They are infatuated with us!” Chan excitedly pats his friend’s back.

“I just think they are just excited by nature…”

“Then how do you explain THIS?”

Vernon’s eyes almost fall out of his skull when he sees the girls taking off their clothes one by one, ready to dive in.

“What are they doing?!”

“What do you think they are doing?” Chan grins like an imp.

“Hey! Are you coming or not?!” The ladies wave at the two boys as they take a few steps into the ice-cold water.

“Vern, are we going in or not?!”

“I…don’t feel so good…”

“Oh come on, don’t be a coward!”

“I’m not a c-coward, my stomach f-feels weird…”

“Okay birthday boy, now is not the time to play games!”

“I need…water…”

That’s all Vernon manages to say before he passes out on the sand, the alcohol proving a little too much for him to handle.

“Vernon!” 

Chan kneels down and shakes his friend’s body, tapping his cheeks in an attempt to wake him up, but his actions are futile.

“Why isn’t he waking up?!” One of the girls shouts.

“I don’t know!” Chan panics. “Fuck!”

July, 1977 - one day after Vernon’s birthday.

“It was sheer luck that Jeonghan passed by the same spot where you passed out.” Chan gulps down his lemonade. “Otherwise, mister Stelios would have kicked my ass.”

“Yours and mine both, skunk,” Vernon laughs, “Can’t believe I passed out from just two bottles of beer.”

“Real loser behavior from you, Vern.”

The two boys turn their attention to you, watching you tower over the tabletop football game with a playful grin on your face.

“What’s wrong, boys? Cat got your tongue?”

“Shut up, Y/N, just start the game!” Chan lets out an exasperated groan as he takes over the opposite side of the table, “Can’t wait to win this game and get back at you for the last time.”

“Dream on, skunk.” You scoff and throw the small white ball in the pit.

The handles on both sides are on fire, the wooden football player-shaped figures hitting and stopping the ball when needed. Vernon’s eyes are fixated on the way your hands skillfully switch from handle to handle, earning you another fair and square victory in a matter of minutes.

“This is bullshit!” Chan protests, “How do you keep winning all the time?!”

“It’s called skill, Chan.” You stretch your arms above your head. “Something you obviously don’t have. Now pay up.”

He lets out a sigh as he hands over the spare change in his pocket to his friend. Vernon goes to the bar counter and gives the money to the owner.

“Y/N has really been kickin’ your asses in games lately, huh?”

“You have no idea, Uncle Thomas.”

“So, when are you doing it?”

“Do what?”

“Confess to her, you blockhead of a youngster.” Thomas smacks Vernon’s forehead, “And don’t even dare to deny it.”

“I don’t really think I had a chance to actually confess to her…”

“Then create one, you idiot! You’re supposed to be the lovesick smartass.”

Vernon takes a look at his two friends, and you look back at him with a beaming smile.

“Take the shot while you can, lad. Time waits for no one.” 

He leaves the counter and rejoins the other two, who are still bickering about tabletop football.

“Vernon, tell her that I’m actually good at this game!” Chan points to you, visibly annoyed.

“Chan, you fucking suck at that game.”

“Fuck you, Vernon.”

“Love you too, skunk.”

“Okay, enough with the talking!” You wave your hands to calm down the two boys, “Wanna take a walk to the backyard?”

“How did this come into consideration?”

“It won’t stay as it is for long, you know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“The mayor has received a grand sum of money from the government to reshape the neighborhood, aka make even more apartment blocks.”

“Okay, yeah, but what does our backyard have to do with it?” Chan asks.

“The excavators will dig the entire backyard and throw away everything. It’s part of their plan.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Vernon frowns.

“I wish I was, but I’m not, sadly.”

“Well, I guess that walk to the backyard is necessary now,.” Chan straightens his back and starts walking towards the bar exit. “Come on, whatcha waitin’ for?”

The walk to their destination doesn’t take them more than ten minutes. They have developed a strong muscle memory throughout their childhood years with the hours upon hours they spent playing there which resulted with them often returning home with dirt and sweat all over their skin and clothes.

Everything remained the same - the empty oil cans, the rusty old truck, and the scattered metal bars from past working sites that were never made into real buildings.

“Nothing has changed here, huh?” Chan lets out a laugh, “I still remember the time when the girls tried to claim the truck for their own.”

“That’s because we wanted equal rights to the backyard! And we gained them through hard work!”

“Are you referring to the cart race?” Vernon scoffs.

“You’re quick to catch on, Vern.” You grin and he nudges your shoulder playfully.

“You mean the one where your cart got stuck on the edge of the pavement and you couldn’t take it out?” 

“How do you know that? You weren’t even there, Chan!”

“I met Seungkwan the day after the race and he told me what happened.”

“Ooh.” You narrow your eyes in anticipation. “What did he tell you?

“He said that Vernon was really mad at himself and couldn’t understand how in the world he lost a driving race to a girl.”

“Shut up, Chan!”

“It’s not like we didn’t know, Vern.” You sit on the edge of the truck. “You were clearly pissed off that day.”

“Guys come on, it’s been years since that! I think it’s time to drop it already!”

“That’s cute.”

“Ugh, you two are insufferable!” Vernon rolls his eyes.

In a split second, you exchange quick nods with Chan and he gets the message you’re trying to send him.

“It was nice to see you again my dear friends, but I’m afraid I have to leave now.” Chan announces with a beaming smile.

“And why are you so happy about it?” Vernon questions him with a neutral expression.

“Well, that’s because…” Chan skillfully lies, “I have a date soon and I need to get ready! Bye-bye!”

The two of you watch as Chan almost runs away.

“Hm, that’s weird.” Vernon grimaces.

“What’s wrong?” You ask.

“Chan never told me he has a date today.”

“Maybe he forgot to tell you?”

“Nah, he would never do that. Something is fishy here.” 

“Or maybe you’re hallucinating!” You jump from the truck.

“Haha, really funny, Y/N.” He deadpans.

“I know I’m hilarious, thanks for the reminder, buddy.” You stand right in front of him.

“Can you…stop doing this?” Vernon’s voice grows softer.

“Do what?”

“Calling me your buddy.”

“But…Why would I stop doing that?” You let out an awkward laugh.

“Because I cannot be your friend anymore, Y/N.”

Your blood runs cold.

“Wait, what? What is that supposed to mean?” 

“I cannot be your friend anymore because I like you, Y/N.”

“O-Oh.” You stutter.

“Remember when I sent you that letter back in middle school?”

You gasp.

“You’ve liked me since then?!”

“Yes, but you never reciprocated these feelings! I gave up after some point, but-”

You cut Vernon off by kissing him on the lips, your hands resting on his cheeks.

“Is it too late to reciprocate them now?” You whisper.

His lips curl upwards in a fond smile and his arms bring you closer to his body.

“Of course not.”

December, 1977.

“Come on, we’re going to be late for the premiere!” Mary yells from the house entrance.

“Oh shush, woman, I’m here!” Stelios fixes his tie, “So, how do I look?”

“Like a mannequin - Can we go now?”

“Fine….” he mutters while rolling his eyes.

“Darling, are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” She asks Vernon.

“Yeah, I just took a painkiller. I’ll be fine!”

“Don’t you want some of us to stay here?”

“No! I swear, I’ll be fine,” Vernon whines, “Just go, you shouldn’t miss the premiere - And say congrats to Jihyo from me.”

As soon as his parents and aunt bid him goodbye and close the door behind them, he jumps off the couch and picks up the telephone to swiftly dial your number.

“It’s me, yeah.” He lets out an awkward laugh after you pick up. “My parents just left the house, and they won’t be back until way late into the night. I’ve turned on the stove. Everything is set.”

“I’ll be there soon.” You answer and end the call abruptly, unknowingly leaving Vernon giddy in his spot.

When the doorbell rings, Vernon believes he’s prepared for everything.

But he’s most definitely not prepared to see you all dolled up at the doorstep of his house.

“What… happened to you?” He asks, dumbfounded.

“What do you mean?” You tilt your head. “How do I look?”

“You look… different. Or maybe I’m just not used to seeing you like this.”

“Be honest, do I look like a clown?”

“No, of course not!”

“Your nose will grow bigger like Pinocchio’s with your lies.” You walk inside with a laugh. “The house has changed a lot since the last time - I like how it looks now.”

“If you say so, would you like to see the rest of it?” Vernon offers his hand, and you gladly take it as he guides you straight to his room.

You make yourselves comfortable on his bed amidst the dimly lit room and the small candles burning on his nightstand.

“You’re really staying true to your romantic nature, aren’t you?” 

“Well, it depends on how you see it.” He fishes a coin out of the pocket of his jeans. “Heads or tails?”

“Heads,” you pick. “What’s that for?”

“The loser has to take a shot of liquor.”

“Sounds fair enough.”

Vernon tosses the coin, and it lands on heads. The result causes a grin to form on your face.

“No need to be so happy about it,” he chuckles and takes the first shot.

“No need to be so salty about it,” you retort. “Can you close the curtains?”

“Sure.” He gets up and closes the curtains, returning to his seat.

You clear your throat and fill up the glass to the brim before downing the shot in one go.

“Oh wow.” Vernon lets out a small laugh.

“Stop laughing, I’m serious!” You slap his arm playfully.

“Me too.” He grabs your wrists and brings you in his arms. “You’re really pretty, you know?”

You stay silent and allow your lips to be captured by your boyfriend’s, letting him take the lead.

The feeling is euphoric, and neither of you want it to end - but luck isn’t on your side tonight.

The sound of the door opening and the voices of Vernon’s parents echoing in the corridor send the two of you in a state of panic.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” 

“What do we do now?!”

“Under the bed, quickly!” He almost pushes you off the bed, and you scramble to hide under it, pulling your shoes and bag close to your body.

Vernon pulls the covers over himself, picking up the sick act once his mother opens the door of his bedroom.

"Hi honey, how are you feeling?"

"Kinda better…..Why are you back so soon?"

"Your father felt faint right before the performance, so here we are," She sighs in disappointment, “I feel really sorry for Jihyo. She was so looking forward to it…”

“Is Dad feeling any better now?”

“I think so, although I hope you’re feeling better as well,” Mary checks his temperature, “Hmm, it’s not as hot as it was before…”

“Mom, I’m sleepy…” Vernon mutters.

“I know, sweetie, I just wanted to check up on you. I’ll leave now, okay?”

“Close the door as you leave!”

Mary closes the door once she walks out of the room, and Vernon jumps out of the bed, checking underneath it.

“You can come out now.” He stretches his hand, “Careful not to make any noise.”

“No need to tell me what I already know, Vern.” You roll your eyes.

“I’m really sorry about this, I had no idea things would go that way.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” you whisper and cradle his face. “It was just…really tough luck tonight.” Vernon sighs in defeat.

“Let’s hope next time will be.” You kiss his cheek and put on your shoes.

“I think it’s better to wait until they have fallen asleep. I don’t want to startle my parents.”

“I don’t want that either.”

June, 1978.

Vernon feels like he just got thrown in a freezing cold lake.

“W-What do you mean you’re leaving?”

“We have to go back to my mother’s hometown,” you frown. “But it’s just for a month!”

“We?”

“My mom and I. She has some business to take care of back there, and I don’t want her to go on her own.”

Vernon lets out a sigh while running a hand through his hair.

“Hey, I’ll be back, I promise! Besides, we’ll always be together.” You caress his arm in an attempt to comfort him. 

“This month will feel like an eon to me,” Vernon admits with a sad smile.

“Same here.” You reciprocate his smile and lean in to press a chaste kiss on his cheek. “But it’s only temporary.”

“But damn, we didn’t even manage to go on a proper date all this time.”

One month turned into two in the blink of an eye, and you still hadn’t returned. Vernon was rapidly losing hope that your stay in Ioannina would be something more than temporary.

He’s quietly reading 1984 by George Orwell, a book Jeonghan gifted to him for his 16th birthday - a very Jeonghan-coded pick that matched his rebellious character.

“Vernon! Lunch is ready!” His mother yells from the other end of the corridor.

“Coming!” He yells back, sliding his bookmark over the most recent page he read. He leaves his room, walks over to the dinner table, and sits down, his eyes gleaming at the sight of piping hot Bolognese pasta.

Time passes by and the sound of clinking cutlery on the half empty plates fill the living room.

“How’s studying going, son?” 

“It’s going well so far, except for some...turbulence.”

“Turbulence? What turbulence?” Stelios raises his eyebrow in a rather menacing way.

“He’s been feeling down because Y/N left, Dad, that’s what he means,” Jihyo huffs. “Our sprout misses his girl.” She ruffles Vernon’s hair, and he pushes her hand away with a whine.

“Speaking of Y/N.” Mary flashes a playful smile and gets up from the table. "She actually sent you a letter. It arrived this morning."

As soon as she picks up the letter with her hand, it's snatched by Vernon who immediately dashes back into his room to read said letter while the nagging voice of his father gets drowned in the background.

He closes the door and sits on his bed, ripping open the envelope to reveal the neatly folded piece of paper. He gently unfolds it and your familiar handwriting appears right before his eyes. Vernon’s heart starts beating faster.

Dear Vernon,

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to write back the past two months. Things here are worse than I thought, hence why my temporary stay was extended by one month.

Which brings me to the bad news - I won’t be able to return to Athens to take the national exams.

My mom cannot handle the monthly expenses on her own anymore, and she thinks it’s a better option to stay at Ioannina since she already has a place of her own that’s good enough to house two people.

I truly don’t like this change of events, but I’m afraid there’s nothing else I can do. I just don’t have it in my heart to leave her alone……

“I know this isn’t what you wanted either, but I assure you, the distance will not get in the way of my feelings for you. We’ll always be together, no matter what.” Vernon finishes reading the letter and folds the paper back in half.

“Damn, did you learn the whole letter by heart?” Chan’s eyes widen.

“I’ve read it 45, no…..47 times by the time I got it in my hands.” Vernon sighs in defeat.

“That fucking sucks, dude.”

“I know.”

“Like, this couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

“Whose side are you on again?” 

“Hey, don’t shoot me! I’m just stating facts here!” Chan defends himself. “Besides, I’m your best friend. I’m here to help you get over the bad things and have fun like an actual boy of your age!”

“And I suppose you have an idea of what boys our age do?”

“Of course I do! If I don’t have an idea about fun, who would?”

“I don’t know, man, I don’t really feel like going out…”

“Oh, come on, stop being a buzzkill!” Chan groans.

“Oh my God, stop it already, fine!” Vernon rubs his palms all over his face.

“Wonderful! I bought three tickets for the ‘Lemon Sorbet’ movie. We're gonna meet up with Dahyun in front of your house at 8 tomorrow.” 

“Wait, what?”

“You heard me. We have a movie date tomorrow night!”

“Dude, I’ll end up third wheeling.”

“No you won’t! Now get up, we got stuff to do.”

“What stuff?!”

“Get beers, duh.”

February, 1979.

“Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable!”

“Dad, just stop it. There’s no use in yelling about it anymore,” Jihyo hands over a glass of water to Vernon, “What is done is done now.”

“Jihyo is right,” Mary agrees. “Besides, it’s not the end of the world if he doesn't get into university.”

“Are all of you even listening to what you’re saying?!” Stelios roars on top of his lungs. “He failed the national exams! Even Chan succeeded, and he was a worse student!”

“Dad, just stop it-”

“Stop it? Is that all you have to say?! Open your damn mouth and say which university you put on the entrance paper!”

“Can we just stay at the fact that I didn’t make it into university? That’s it.” Vernon wipes the sweat off his forehead.

“You have the audacity to say that?!”

“Yes, I do!”

“Then I have the audacity to tell you that you’re either going to do your mandatory service or get a job.” The man slams his hand on the table of the living room. “You have a family to take care of!”

“I don’t have a family to take care of and I have no goddamn reason to either get a job or go to the military!” Vernon yells back and rushes out of the house, ignoring the voices of his parents and Jihyo.

The only place he's able to think of is Uncle Thomas's bar, hoping he'll be able to find some solace there.

As soon as he enters the bar, he hears loud cheers and clinking glasses - they're probably celebrating their successful entries, he thinks and his heart sinks even deeper.

"Skunk, you made it!" Chan greets him with a tight hug. "How are you holding up?"

"Terribly, actually," Vernon admits with a loud exhale.

"Dude, it's not the end of the world."

"Easy to say…"

"Chan is right," Dahyun tries to comfort him, "You cannot let one exam define your entire future, Vernon. You still have plenty of time to decide what you truly want for yourself."

"If only I knew what I actually wanted for myself," he sighs again and takes the newspaper laying on top of the pool table, swiftly reading through the entrance bases of each university.

“So Y/N didn’t make it into the Chemistry department of Athens, huh?” 

“I’m so sorry, Vernon…” Dahyun hugs him, Chan follows right after. They form a small group hug as the couple try their best to comfort their mutual friend.

“It’s okay, lovebirds.” He flashes them a sad smile. “I’m glad both of you succeeded, especially you, Dahyun.”

“I still wasn’t the first one…”

“Babe, you’re the first woman to get into medical school! The most prestigious in the entire country!”

Vernon wishes he could hug you like this and congratulate you for your success - except this time, you won’t be able to come back, save for the holidays, perhaps.

Maybe that would have helped him forget about his own troubles.

April, 1979.

The phone in the living room rings for the fifth time this week, yet Vernon refuses to pick it up.

He knows you’re the one calling him, and that’s exactly why he’s not picking up.

“You can’t avoid her forever, you know,” Chan fixes his glasses, “What if she decides to return one day?”

“You know that’s not gonna happen any time soon,” Vernon replies. “She already has a life of her own there - hell, she might have already found someone else!”

“How can you be so sure about that? You haven’t even given her the chance to let her speak to you! I would have given up if I was her, but the fact that she’s still persistent means that she’s worried.”

“Listen, Chan - My life is fucked up to the point where the last thing I can deal with right now is Y/N. Nothing has been going right, and I most definitely don’t want to humiliate myself to her.”

“The only one who is humiliating you is none other than yourself.” Chan gets up from his seat.

“Wait, where are you going?” 

“You obviously need some time to work some stuff out.” The man fixes his shirt. “And I’m giving you the space you need.”

“Chan, hold on-”

“If you think I am giving up on you, that’s not the case, skunk. But if you aren’t willing to get out of the slump you’ve put yourself in, then it’s game over.”

These words are what Chan says before closing the door behind him. The sudden silence in Vernon’s house makes him feel nauseous, and he hates that feeling.

Deep down, he really wants to talk to you and let out all his feelings, yet every time he picks up the phone to dial your number, the words die down in his throat before he even turns the ring to the last digit.

Then it hits him.

He doesn’t have to call you - he can write a letter to you, just like you did when you left Athens.

Writing has been his safe haven ever since he failed the national exams and it’s the safest way to pour his feelings into something that’s not harmful to his health.

He goes into his room and turns on the lamp on his desk. He tears a piece of paper from one of his old notebooks. He grabs a pen and starts writing down everything he wanted to tell you.

Dear Y/N,

I'm sorry for staying silent all this time. Honestly, I tried to call you numerous times, but I always chickened out every single time - Real loser behavior, you'd probably say.

But I actually feel like a loser, especially after the results of the exams. Nothing has been going well for me, let alone the plans I had for the future. My dad has been pressuring me into getting a job or doing my military service - not that I would mind finding a job to get some money, but can you seriously imagine me as an ironmonger?!

By the way, congrats on your results! I always knew you'd get into Chemistry, although I wish you were able to get into Athens…..Kinda selfish, isn't it?

I don't know when you'll be able to visit Gkyzi again, but if it's within the next year, it will be hard to see each other.

Contrary to belief, I decided to enlist next month. It's a good chance for me to think through things while getting over with the service. I know it's sudden, but there isn't anything else holding me down here, especially now that you aren't here either.

I am sorry for being a loser of a boyfriend and an even more pathetic friend. You probably think I am using the military as an excuse to run away from my problems, and I can't blame you for it.

I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. 

Love you always,

Vernon.

He sets the pen down and lets out a breath he was holding, a huge weight being lifted off his chest. 

"Well, it's now or never." He mutters and searches for an envelope to put the letter in. He folds it neatly and carefully places it inside, writing the sender and receptor details.

He puts on a pair of shoes and walks out of his room, clutching the envelope in his hand. However, he bumps into his dad on the way to the living room, the latter sort of looking down on him.

"And where are you off to?"

"I need to go to the mail post real quick-"

"Not before we talk."

"Dad, not right now-"

"There's never a right time for you, it seems!"

"Now is not the time, Dad!"

"And when will it be the time, Vernon? When you turn thirty you'll still live like a parasite?! Writing poems won't get you money, kid!"

"Can you just listen to me for once?!" Vernon yells back in frustration. "This isn't a fucking poem, it's a letter! A damn letter to Y/N and I just want to mail it!"

"Oh so now you have time for love letters?" Stelios follows right behind him. "When will you take up responsibility for your actions?!"

"I'll enlist in the military next month."

"You- Wait, what?"

"You heard me! I'm going to the military, just like you wanted me to! Hope you're happy now!" Vernon retorts and storms out of the house, slamming the door without hesitation.

"What happened? Where did Vernon go?" Mary rushes into the living room.

"Mary," Stelios huffs and rests his hands on his waist. "Our son is enlisting next month."

May, 1979.

Vernon finishes up packing the last of his belongings before leaving the house. He looks around his room, the memories of his childhood and early adolescence flashing before his eyes like a short film. 

The last box has his favorite items in it - his film video camera, the poetry books he bought one by one with his allowance, and a few pictures of his friends to accompany him for the next twenty four months of his life.

“Ready to go, sprout?” Jihyo comes up behind him, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I’m about to go into the military, and you’re still calling me a sprout?”

“Whether you complete your service or create your own family in ten years, you’re still my younger brother!” She ruffles his hair lovingly. “Come on, the others are waiting for us.”

Vernon nods as he seals the box with tape and picks it up in his arms.

It still feels like a fever dream, but reality hits him as soon as he walks out of the apartment block and he is greeted by the rest of his family, Chan and Dahyun, as well as Sir Nick.

“You have no idea how much you surprised me, skunk.” 

“I know, it took you a fucking week to forgive me when I told you I’m enlisting.”

“You caught me like a deer in front of headlights! We already lost Seungkwan, and you’re going away too!”

“Chan, he isn’t leaving forever. It’s just twenty four months - with breaks in between!” Dahyun reprimands him, “He won’t be gone forever!”

“It will certainly feel like it…”

“Don’t worry, Chan, you’ll be fine.” Vernon hugs his friend. “We will be fine.”

“I’m really proud of you, kid,” Sir Nick approaches him. “Once a boy scout, now a grown man who’s about to serve his country - You’ve come a long way.”

“All thanks to you, sir.”

“Stop with that now, I can’t be crying at my age. Now shoo!”

“Come on now, it’s time to go, son.” Stelios pats Vernon’s back. “Put your stuff in the back, I’ll take you to the station.”

He says his goodbyes to everyone, exchanging tight hugs as he knows he won’t be able to see them any time soon again.

He places his stuff in the back of the car and slides into the backseat, closing the door behind him. He waves at them one last time before his dad turns on the engine and drives away from them.

If he had turned his head just a few seconds later, he would have seen you running towards the car while screaming his name.

You feel like tearing up as you watch the car disappear in the distance, kneeling on the asphalt with a piece of paper lying in your lap.

“Y/N!” Chan and Dahyun rush towards you.

“When- When did you get back?!”

“Just….Just an hour ago,” you sob, “If only that damn letter had reached me sooner!”

“I…I am so sorry, Y/N,” Dahyun hugs you in an attempt to comfort you, “We had no idea you’d come…”

“I didn’t alert anyone beforehand, I had no time.” Your tears run down your cheeks without hesitation.

“Fuck, I didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye.”

[taeraeszn]

Hi hi! I really love your works, and I just read your latest one-oh my heart!

Can I request something very soft and comforting with Ricky? I've been in a bad headspace recently, and we all know Ricky is a lover at heart. Something sweet and goofy would be nice. ❤️🥺

not alone - shen ricky

characters: ricky x gn! reader

description: ricky is always there for you and shows it, even when he's busy as a member of zb1

genre: fluff + angst

word count: 1k

warnings: more angsty than some of my other writings, but lmk if there is anything you want to add as a warning!!

a/n: hi luv! thank you for requesting <3 CAN U GUYS BELIEVE THEIR DEBUT IS TOMORROW WTF??? time goes by so fast!!! i love writing for ricky as he's genuinely such a sweet person and is the perfect type of bf hehe

also no fear everyone! the reactions will be back! i just want to finish all my individual requests before i continue my reactions so please wait for that!

the past week has been stressful to say the least, your studies crammed in with personal issues have made it hard to feel enthusiastic about anything. but you never projected how you felt onto other since you didn't want them to worry about you, especially ricky.

ricky was your boyfriend and someone you've known for a long time. but since ricky was busy promoting 'in bloom', you never wanted to worry him about you.

one day when you were sitting at your desk, yet again studying for another night, you got a call from ricky.

you needed a break anyways and picked up the call, on the other end you heard his sweet voice say your name.

"(name)! can you believe it?! our song ranked first on the melon chart!" he exclaimed. you heard his members shouting in the background.

you smiled, "yeah, congrats ricky!" but he could tell from the tone of your voice that something was up.

"is everything okay?" his tone changed to be more concerned sounding.

"uh...i guess. it's just a lot of stress, you know, studying and managing personal issues." you didn't know why but you felt scared to open up to ricky about this, but you knew he would never judge you.

"ah, i see." he began, "do you want to meet up and we can talk? maybe to get your mind off of things?" he suggested. your eyes lit up at him saying that, you haven't been able to see him in a while and he was taking time out of his schedule to meet with you.

"really? you can do that?" he chuckled, "i can do anything baby. i'll ask our manager and see if we can have time to meet up." suddenly you were so thankful you ran into him at the park where you two first met.

"thank you so much ricky, you really know how to brighten my day."

"of course, i'll see you later okay?", you didn't want to hang up but knew he had other things to do, "yeah, see you. i love you."

"i love you too. bye!" and with that the call cut.

that same night ricky texted you and said that you two could meet together the next day at the park where you first met him. your heart was fluttering at the memories of that day. when ricky approached you and tried conversing with you, despite being obviously shy and stumbling over his words when he saw you.

the next day, you put on your best outfit and walked to the nearby park. it was pretty busy with locals and their pets hanging out. some kids were running around and laughing.

you were going to look for a spot to sit and that's when you spotted him. there was ricky sitting there with a picnic basket and pink blanket! he was looking around the park trying to find you!

what made it even more special was that he was sitting at the same place you were those years ago.

you called out his name and his eyes widened as he grinned, waving at you. you quickly ran towards him and pulled him into your arms.

"i missed you." he giggled and held your hand gently when you pulled away. "me too. i wanted to make this day special so i brought some homemade food."

you gasped, "you made this for me?!" he nodded then took out some of the food. there was some sandwiches with snacks included. the sandwiches included cream and strawberries inside.

"well not just me, gyuvin and matthew offered to help." you saw how the strawberries looked a bit smushed and ricky quickly defended himself, "that was gyuvin's."

you pressed your lips on his, "even if it is smushed i appreciate your hard work in doing this for me. i couldn't have asked for someone better."

ricky softly put your head on his shoulder. "i'm glad. i hope this helped you take a break from everything..."

"just having you with me is a reliever ricky. i'm so thankful you did this for me."

the silence was comforting. the sound of the trees moving and people chatting made the aroma better. after speaking to ricky about what has recently been going on in your life with him continuously holding your hand, you indulged in the sandwiches (you had the one that ricky made since he insisted you eat his) and drank his homemade milkshakes.

just having him listen to your worries and letting you rant with no interruptions was all you needed. this was what you needed all along and ricky was the perfect person you could be completely honest and open with.

when the sunset approached, you decided to walk home with your boyfriend. it was then that you had to go separate ways but you didn't want to escape ricky's warm embrace.

"hanbin hyung is going to scold me if i don't make it by eight." ricky joked, opening his phone to see the group chat bombarding him with questions of where he went.

"then if you're going your own way, i want to say thank you ricky. all my stress has worn away by being with you. you seriously have made everything better. i'm so glad to call you mine."

without words, he closed the gap between you two and kissed you directly on the lips. your hand went to cup his cheek and his wrapped around your waist.

you didn't want to pull away but ricky's phone buzzed causing you both to jump and release from the kiss.

"it's hanbin hyung." you pouted, "promise me you'll invite me to go on another date when you have free time?" you put your pinky finger out.

he interlinked your pinky's and kissed you on the cheek, "for sure."

ricky left first, waving at you the whole time until he was out of sight, you sighed but began walking home on your path.

though he was always busy, he was always there to comfort you. you were not alone today thanks to ricky.

[rebellionmoon]

💚 ILLUMI HEADCANONS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY 💚

idk but i just love imagining random facts about illumi, that don't really add to his character, but kindof do too? Maybe it's because there isn't much screen time of illumi in the anime that my brain needs to fill all that empty space of longing in my heart of what could have been.

SO HERE ARE RANDOM ILLUMI (HEADCANON) FACTS THAT SERVE NOTHING:

He drinks beer and uses his teeth to open the bottles. He used to have a collection of bottlecaps, but then he gave them to Killua. So whenever Illumi opened a bottle, the cap would hence force go to Killua. Now the jar of bottlecaps is somewhere in Killua's room collecting dust.

After finishing an assassintion, he likes to get fastfood. Something quick and indulgent, like it's a cheat day. If he was on a job with his brothers then they'd hit a bodega afterwards. Sometimes he would bring food back to Milluki too.

He can hold a burger in one hand and tear through a ketchup packet with his teeth. He dips his food so much, he rarely eats anything without sauce.

Like Silva, Illumi has had a few pets in his life. One of them being a bear. He named it Pikelet. (I'll explore this one more in my fic!)

Although murder is his trade, that shouldn't hinder his other passions, including wild life conservation! This boy grew up in the mountains, albiet privately owned. You can't convince me he isn't a goblin child at heart.

He always thought he deserved to have fangs.

When he sees a walking stick lying on the ground, he has the urge to pick it up and wield it like a sword.

When he was eight he read all the narnia books. Peter was his comfort character, but he wanted to be Prince Caspian. To this day, if you ask him why he likes Narnia, he will give you a disseration and explain why Lucy is the strongest of all the penvensie siblings. He has never had turkish delight, but believes he would betray his siblings for them, they just look so good!

He could grow antlers out of pure will power. No, literally, he can. He can and will show you. "I'm a crytid. Look at my antlers."

He's still a Goosebumps kid at heart. When autumn rolls around, he he lays in bed and watches his favorite spooky shows (scooby doo, goosebumps, are you afraid of the dark?, tales from the crypt)

When he was little, he used to play in the forest by himself ALOT. One time, he crawled into a log, but the log was at the top of a hill and it began to roll down with him in it and then it rolled into a pond. He was able to escape, but he almost drowned and never told anyone what happened. He was a little mortified to tell anyone because he almost died doing something stupid. He'll tell you he has done alot of stupid things in the woods, but won't divulge more than that.

He's actually kind of good at acting and loves watching movies. This is part of why he is so good at diguises, he studies the actors in movies lol Sometimes he repeats lines from movies randomly in the house. Out of nowhere, he shouts 'BILBOOOO BAGGINSSSS' in a gandolf like voice. It's okay, just accept it.

Illumi has rehabilitated many opossums in his life.

He owns an animal rescue ranch, under a different identity of one of his disguises, that rebahilibates injured animals and prepares to release them back to the wild. His current disguise is an old man, but Illumi plans to 'die' and come back as his son/heir. Yes, he has worked out an entire line of succession for a rescue ranch. Did he have to do this? No, but he did anyway.

Once Illumi officiated the wedding between a frog named Freddie Lime to another frog named Emily Spinach. Oh, he was also high, but the wedding was beautiful, and Milluki fished him out of the pond afterwards.

There's a deer in Kukuroo Mountain that is fond of Illumi. If it sees him, it will run up to him. Illumi doesn't know what the forest calls the deer, but he calls it Thimble. He gives Thimble treats, and Thimple lets Illumi pet him, the arrangement has worked out very well so far.

Kukuroo Mountain is self sustainable, and alot of the food they cook they grow themselves. There's also a farm, with cows. Illumi would just be chilling on a hamick and then suddenly killua runs past him, and then so does a cow. Illumi goes back to napping, this isn't his mess to clean up.

"Concept: I will continue to bottle up all my emotions until I snap."

Moss.

Here were some facts! I have more stuff, but those are spoilers for my fanfic (where shadows touch), My obsession might be unhealthy but it's delicious and i love it so I'm not gonna stop.

[queseraone]

You may not have posted the Truth & Dare ask game, but you’re getting it asked anyway

🛼🎲🍬❄️🍦🪲🧩

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis

For some reason I find this type of question incredibly difficult.

😭🫂🚑🚁🏨

🎲 ⇢ what stops you from writing more in your free time? 

Me, myself, and I? My truly free time is so limited that I'm often just so fucking DONE that I just want to sit in front of the TV and do a puzzle or colour on my phone. I really need to be better at forcing myself to write, because I (usually) enjoy it when I do.

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

Um, why am I drawing a complete blank here?? OH! Stealing a bit of your answer for this, because I wholeheartedly agree—Lucy Chen is a total babe and has never been even remotely insecure about her body/appearance!!!!!!! I would shout this from a rooftop if I could. The closest we ever saw to insecurity was post-DOD when she was hiding her tattoo, which is completely understandable. She's a gorgeous, confident woman.

❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

Is this where I try to convince you to write the FWB slowly getting back together thing again???

🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate

Hmm, who do I hate? MONICA FUCKING STEVENS! Can I even think of three good things??? Okay, she has gorgeous hair, I'll give her that. And her outfits are nice? And she's a successful lawyer, so I guess she's smart? I might pull a muscle from reaching like this, she's the fucking worst.

🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

There’s a nagging voice in the back of his mind, a fleeting thought that maybe she was just mistaken earlier. Disoriented. Simply reaching for him out of habit or instinct or a last resort. Maybe if she knew, she wouldn’t want him here.

Sure, he’s the one who pulled her out of that barrel, but it’s also his fucking fault that she wound up there in the first place.

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

I'm incredibly picky about what I read, so there are a ton of things that make me nope out of a fic, but the thing that makes me click away immediately is when I open a fic and see a massive wall of text. Formatting is important people.

[sauriansolutions]

So based on some vague keyboard smash posts, plus some screenshots I saw around Tumblr, this is my interpretation of what I think we English server players can expect to see soon in Chapter 7...

Spoilers below the cut because this is all highly accurate!

Rook's dream:

Rook: Omfg it's Neige and Vil! Onstage, together!

Rook: And now they're singing and dancing about their precious friendship!

Rook: And I have a front-row seat!

Rook: *pulls out a pair of jumbo binoculars* :D

Rook: *puts a pair of tiny opera glasses on the jumbo binoculars* :D :D

Vil's dream:

Vil: Hello there, I am Vil--yes, Vil the very successful actor. Vil, the shining star with no competitors whatever, yes, that's me.

Vil: And this here is my lowly assistant... lol I forget his name?

Neige: *bowing* You're so much better than me, Vil-sama, I am unworthy of a name!

Vil: Ahaha how amusing... a talking ant. Don't make me step on you, little bug~

Neige: You can step on me Vil-sama it's okay!

Vil: ... Alright but don't make it weird.

Epel's dream:

Epel: *unnaturally deep voice* Hello fellow students, I'm Epel and I am Very Tall.

Fellow students: *craning their necks to look up and up and up* .......

Yuu: *takes out their Trauma Count notebook and adds a tally mark*

Later...

Yuu: Uhh so, Silver... is this the kinda stuff you see all the time, when your magical narcolepsy makes you visit people's dreams?

Silver: Yeah. This is all pretty normal.

Yuu: Huh.

Silver: 😐

Yuu: I think I understand you much better now.

Silver: 😐

______

God also, apparently, they're going to go backwards through every character's dreams in reverse order of their introduction? And I can't fucking wait??

Here are my predictions:

Chapter 5: Ignihyde

Ortho's dream:

Ortho: Hooray, I'm so happy we're finally outside!

Idia: Me too!

Ortho: And we're at a park!

Idia: You were right all along lil bro, parks are fun!

Ortho: And all our friends are here too!!

Idia: Hooray for friendship amirite?

Yuu and the gang: Huh, this one is weirdly wholesome. Hey, I wonder if...

Idia's dream:

(It's the same dream, but...)

Idia: Omfg help, SOS, mayday, someone please save me!

Yuu: Idia? Are you--

Idia: You gotta get me outta here! There are people everywhere! They're all looking at me and AHHH OH GODS NO, you're people too!!

Idia: ahhh it's literally my worst nightmaaare ahhh *runs away*

Chapter 4: Scarabia

Kalim's dream:

Grim: omg where are we??

Yuu: I dunno, everything's so bright and shiny it's hard to even look at...

*clouds part*

Giant Baby Otter: HELLO

All: AHHH

Giant Baby Otter: YOU ARE ALL CORDIALLY INVITED BY KALIM AL-ASIM TO PARTYLAND, THE LAND WHERE IT'S ALWAYS A PARTY AND THE PARTYING NEVER ENDS

Grim: Oh shit, I wanna go. Can we go to partyland? Please? Pleeeease?

Sebek: No, we can't go to partyland, we need to save WAKASAMA--

All, including Giant Baby Otter: 🥺

Sebek: ...

Sebek: Okay, ten minutes.

Jamil's dream:

Jamil: Muahahaha! Finally, Kalim is DEAD! I killed him!

Jamil: And now... I'm going to...

Jamil: TAKE A NAP!

Kalim: Yaaay I'm actually alive!

Jamil: What?? No!

Kalim: I was just pretending to be dead! Funny joke huh? Hee hee!

Jamil: I literally stabbed you eleven times, how--

Kalim: The power of friendship!

Jamil: That doesn't even--

Kalim: Let's join hands and sing the friendship song!

Jamil: NoOOOOoooOo

Chapter 3: Octavinelle

Azul's dream:

Azul: Welcome to the Mostro Lounge II! The even better, even more monetarily successful version of Mostro Lounge!

Yuu: Oh. Hmm. This is...

Silver: Yes, this seems about right.

Sebek: This is exactly as I expected!

Azul: Excuse you? Are you calling my dream boring and predictable?

Grim: What, you mean you own TWO restaurants, and make even MORE money now? Ugh, let's go before he makes us wash dishes or something.

Azul: *shouting after them* Wait! There are some new menu items!

Azul: Mostro Lounge II has its own Magicam account!

Azul: ...Come back and buy something!

*cricket noises*

Azul: Fine, I don't need you guys anyway! C'mon, Sentient Coin Collection, let's go count you in the Even More Exclusive VIP Room!

Sentient Coin Collection: *weird muppet voice* Hehe yay! I love when you count me, Azul~

Jade's dream:

(It's just a picture of Jade smiling and saying something that's been blurred out. In front of an entire background that's also been blurred out.)

Yuu: We are legally and morally unable to show you what happened in Jade's dream.

Yuu: Needless to say, mushrooms were involved.

Grim: Never EVER, say the word "mushrooms" EVER AGAIN--

Floyd's dream:

(It's the same picture again, but with Floyd.)

Yuu: You know what?

Yuu: We're going to just. Not talk about this one, either.

Grim: *is just sobbing* I HATE DREAMS

Chapter 2: Savanaclaw

Ruggie's dream:

Ruggie: *opens a closet door and finds it overflowing with random bags of chips, fruit slices, a whole baked ham, etc*

Ruggie: omg yes! Look at all this free food!!

Ruggie: *opens another closet door and finds it overflowing with plastic containers*

Ruggie: EVERYTHING'S COMIN' UP RUGGIE BUCCHI TODAY shishishi

Jack's dream:

Jack: ... One thousand! I'm done my sit-ups!

Jack: And now it's time to start my pull-ups...

Grim: Do you actually, seriously dream about working out?

Jack: ...Yes?

Yuu: And then wake up, and go do it for real?

Jack: ...Yes??

Jack: Well, wait, no. Not before I've had a solid 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, obviously.

Grim: Let's go. C'mon Silver, do the dream magic thing.

Yuu: Yeah, hurry. I'm feeling like a lazier, generally worse person every second that we stay here.

Sebek: *is also lifting weights* Aww, do we have to leave already? I like it here--

Leona's dream:

Leona: zzzzz

*Leona is dead asleep in the middle of the botanic garden*

Yuu: ... can you sleep in a dream?

Grim: Yes, Yuu, we literally just established that in Book 7, Chapter 50-something, weren't you paying attention?

Sebek: So... what do we do now?

Silver: We have no choice. We must... go into his dream-within-a-dream!

*horn noise from Inception*

Leona: zzzzz

*Leona is dead asleep in the middle of the botanic garden, except now everything is staircases*

All: NoOOOOoooOo

*horn noise from Inception*

Chapter 1: Heartslabyul

Trey's dream:

Trey: Oh good, you guys got here just in time. The cookies are ready.

*Trey, dressed in a dentist's garb, pulls a steaming plate of cookies out of a giant mouth*

Grim: NO NO NO EVERYBODY RUN

Trey: Wait, come back, there is a perfectly normal explanation for this I promise--

Cater's dream:

Cater: My Magicam account has its own Magicam account!

All: ...

Cater: Yeah that's it. That's my dream.

Cater: My life actually kind of sucks, okay?

All: 😨

Ace's dream:

Ace: Hey guys, I'd like you all to meet my brother~

Yuu: Is that Patton Oswalt?

Patton Oswalt: Yes it's me, Patton Oswalt, I've been Ace's older brother this whole time!

Grim: Okay wait. Time out. Ace, is your brother actually Patton Oswalt?

Yuu: Or is it just your dream that Patton Oswalt was your brother?

Ace: Wouldn't you like to know!

(This is an inside joke that only me and like one other person will understand...)

Deuce's dream:

Deuce: *surrounded by baby chicks and empty egg cartons* I can't believe it!

Deuce: Baby chicks really do come from grocery store eggs! I KNEW IT!

Deuce: Hah! What do you have to say about THAT, Ace?

Ace: *offscreen* Uhh well, my older brother is Patton Oswalt, so...

Deuce: Argh! Dammit Ace!!

Grim: Are we done yet? I have no idea what's even going on anymore.

Silver: That's pretty normal for dreams, actually.

Yuu: Just one more dream... then we can go face off against Hornton... This one shouldn't be TOO bad, I mean it's--

Riddle's dream

*Riddle is 9,000 ft tall and breathing fire*

Riddle: Who the FUCK ate my FUCKING strawberry tart?!

*Riddle's mom appears, and she is 12,000 ft tall and breathing even more fire and has lasers for eyes*

Riddle's mom: ... LANGUAGE, RIDDLE!

*Godzilla noises in the background*

*Also everything is on fire*

Yuu: *puts on a bowler hat and sips a coffee that just appeared out of nowhere* This is fine.

END

(this got away from me a little)

[oh-cramity-its-amity]

Hello!!! :D Hope you've been having a nice day so far! 💖

For whe writers truth & dare ask game: 🍓🥤🦷🏜️🥐

hi!!!! you too!!!!! it's been pretty uneventful for me lol.

thanks for the ask!!

heres the ask game if anyone wants to see it.

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?

It was elementary school. 5th grade or so, but I was deeply invested in TMNT 2012 with a few of my friends. We would all talk about it, and at one point I wrote a little story in my notebook by hand without knowing what it was called about the show (its long since lost in a flood that happened years ago rip) but I found ff.net months later because I had two infatuations. TMNT 2012 and the original teen titans. I even remember reading fanfic on deviantart. I was really big into April and Donnie and Beast Boy and Raven. I didn't start posting anything until my Wattpad days around 14-16. That was about bandom, Pitch Perfect, then Citrus (I have made bad choices and I meme on myself now but I was JUST THAT STARVED for wlw ships.) Anyway wattpad account got deleted and there was a whole thing where my email got hacked and everything just is gone. (its really soulcrushing to lose work like that). But yeah!! I got back into fanfic during 2020 and the pandemic because I had watched a movie and just decided to write for it. I don't recommend reading anything of that era because it's cringe and just... no.

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

SHOUT OUT TO MY FRIEND GHOST!!!! @localowlhousefanatic. THEIR WORK IS AWESOME AND THEY WRITE SOME AMAZING VEESHA STUFF. ALSO SHOUT OUT TO @witch128chick!!!

Can I give multiple fanfics I love though?? I can't add everyone due to time but I'll give a couple.

TOH:

1.) learning how to be (with you by my side) by uniqueusernamegenerator (<- THIS is my favorite toh fanfic) 2.) I’ll Catch You by Black_Cat_Autumn 3.) all i got is my heart (and my pride) 4.) warm coffee, summer blues by uniqueusernamegenerator 5.) "I love you," ain't that the worst thing you ever heard? by kfaerie 6.) The Rest is History by amityadmirer for Shannon_shannon_shannon 7.) No Tip Necessary by Rohad 8.) i want you to be here (but please don’t come near) by stongrays 9.) Tallmity and Petite Luz future au by the_Shan_yousee 10.) You're My Rainbow in the Dark (HAITUS) by Underw0rld

Arcane: 1.)the oldest game by thehaakun 2.) the heart is a bullet by thehaakun 3.) The World Ends, Or Doesn't by Misthios 4.) how big, how blue (how beautiful) by panglosian

🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

Story sprints are a godsend. Also plotting helps alongside voice memos. I don't really have someone to bounce ideas off of but it helps me to verbalize what I'm thinking if I'm stuck so sometimes I talk through what I'm thinking aloud. Also making playlists or mood boards/collages of character outfits. Just giving you a more visual aspect of what you want to write.

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Just genuine praise of my work feels nice. I don't get comments often. Sometimes they give me anxiety too. Maybe if you have any pointers of my fic to say something like that??

🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh

FOG HORN SOUND EFFECT. SORRY BUT IT CRACKS ME UP.

[firstdegreefangirl]

Run, Run Rudolph

Theme: Day Five - Reindeer @12daysofchristmas

Fandom/Character(s): Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen (The Rookie)

Word Count: 1676

Ao3 link here!

“7-Adam-100, please respond to south side of Westfield Century City Mall. Security requesting assistance with an escaped reindeer.”

“Control, 7-Adam-100 respondi – Control, could you repeat the nature of the call?” Tim has one hand on the steering wheel, the other on his radio, and his jaw halfway to the floor of the shop as he processes what he thinks he heard the dispatcher say.

“An escaped reindeer, south side of Westfield Century City. Outside the Nordstrom at the time of call.”

He knows that voice. There’s only one dispatcher he can think of who would try to pull a fast one on him like this.

“Control, can you 10-3 to another channel for more information?”

“7-Adam-100, going to eight.”

Tim flips the dial on his radio until it chirps the new number.

“Nell, I swear to god, if you’re making this up …"

“Sergeant Bradford!” she gasps. “I would never abuse city channels for fun and games. Even reindeer games!”

“So you’re telling me that there’s a reindeer in the mall? What, is it some dude in a costume?”

“Mall security asked for animal control too, so presumably not.”

“How did the reindeer get into the mall?”

“I’m sorry, which one of us is the investigator?” She laughs, and Tim rolls his eyes, even though she can’t see. “So how about we both get back to doing our jobs, and you can fill me in on everything later.”

Tim glances over to Lucy, sitting in the passenger seat.

“What do you say? Up for drinks after work?”

“With Nell and Elroy? Always.”

Tim promises her a follow-up at the end of their shift, then switches back to the main channel, just a few blocks before they arrive at the mall.

“Control, 7-Adam-100 on location for the … fugitive reindeer. Entering Nordstrom now.”

He pulls the door open for Lucy to walk in ahead of him, one hand already resting on his taser. He’s not sure if it’ll do much against a reindeer, should the situation come to that, but it’s the best move he can come up with. As soon as they’re inside, it’s easy to figure out which direction they need to go, based on where the crowd is gathered and shouting loudly.

“LAPD!” They both shout, working their way through the throng of shoppers. Mall security is right outside the exit of the store, a middle-aged, balding rent-a-cop who’s trying to do crowd control without getting off of his Segway. He’s red in the face, clearly overwhelmed just from trying to keep shoppers in line. Tim looks around.

There’s no reindeer in sight.

“What’s the situation?” He stops in front of the security guard and folds his arms across his chest. “Dispatch said there’s a reindeer on the loose?”

“Thataway.” The guard points over his shoulder. “Last I saw, it was running toward the food court.”

“How did a reindeer get into the mall, anyway?” Lucy asks.

“Part of Santa’s Village,” he explains. “For an extra 15 bucks, your kid can touch a real reindeer after they meet Santa.”

“And how did it escape?”

“The guard onsite said some tyke screamed and spooked it. Broke through the plastic fence and took off.”

“Does anyone need medical attention?”

“Don’t think so. Not yet, anyway. My guys are trying to keep the crowd in check, but 911 said they’d send animal control for the dirty work.”

“They’re on the way,” Tim says, actively trying not to grimace at the suggestion of animal control being “dirty work.” “While we wait, Officer Chen and I will go see if we can locate the reindeer.”

“Snowy,” someone else chimes in from behind him.

“Snowy?”

“It’s her name. I’m Meredith, with Santa’s Season’s Greetings.”

“You’re the … handler?”

“I’m the reindeer control specialist, yes.”

“Great work,” he deadpans.

“She’s never done this before!”

“I’m sure she hasn’t. Ma’am, do you have any treats or anything for …"

“Snowy,” Lucy whispers behind him.

“Snowy,” he repeats.

“I had a full bag this morning, but we ran out. The pet-a-reindeer add on has been a huge seller this year.”

Before Tim can say anything else, there’s a scream from a few storefronts down. He and Lucy run toward the noise, and the small crowd of people pouring out of a handbag store.

“Get over there!” Tim shouts, waving them behind him with one arm. “Behind the security guard!”

At the back of the group is a reindeer – or at least, he assumes it’s a reindeer. Whatever it is, it’s a huge creature with giant antlers. She turns the opposite way out of the store, ambling away from the crowd.

At least there's that going for them today. The last thing Tim needs to figure out this afternoon is how to write up a reindeer stampede.

He and Lucy give chase, jogging behind the animal as she makes her way further into the mall. He’s not sure where she started out, but nothing they’ve passed so far looks like a Santa’s Village, so he hopes that maybe she’s going back where she needs to be.

But no, by the time they reach the winter wonderland, Snowy has picked up speed. The faster he and Lucy move, the faster she goes ahead of them, until everyone is running breakneck through the rotunda.

Tim knows they’ve got to get her slowed down – they're coming up on the food court and the outside automatic doors. The best thing they can do is keep Snowy – and the mall patrons – safe and contained until Animal Control arrives. He tells Lucy as much, and she slows down immediately.

“Lucy?” Tim drops his pace to match hers, suddenly worries. She doesn’t usually tire out this quickly, has run further foot persuits and hardly been out of breath.

“We’re scaring her. Or she thinks it’s a game or something. The faster we go, the faster she goes. I’ll double back and get the escalators, come down on the other side and head her off. Keep her moving, but look – she's already slowing down.”

Lucy is right: in the time they’ve been stopped, Snowy has returned to her leisurely stroll. Which is still faster than Tim and Lucy walk, but much better than the way she was running a moment ago.

He’s worried about letting her face off against a giant animal on her own, but doesn’t see a better solution. So he squeezes her shoulder, reminds her to be careful, and lets her hurry back toward the escalator they’d passed earlier.

From the rotunda, Tim is able to watch her go up to the second level, and run along the railing that gives way to the open center of the mall. She gets to the other side and comes back down, holding her hands out in front of her slowly.

By the time she’s back on the ground level, Tim and Snowy have almost caught up to where she’s at, taking slow and careful steps toward the reindeer.

“Hey there, Snowy,” she coos, in a voice Tim recognizes from the way she’ll play with Kojo after work. “Aren’t you a pretty girl? I’ll bet it was scary when you got screamed at, huh?”

“Lucy, stop trying to rationalize with the wild animals!” Tim calls toward her.

“Yeah, Sergeant Bradford is silly sometimes, isn’t he? You don’t want to hurt anyone, do you? You just got a little freaked out and wanted some time to yourself, right?”

Obviously, Snowy isn’t answering any of Lucy’s questions, but she is slowing down again, eventually coming to a stop a few feet away from Lucy. Snowy snuffles, and Lucy closes the space between them, resting one palm on her snout.

“That’s a good girl, that’s it, there you go.” Tim reaches for the taser again, ready to react if Snowy tries to get aggressive. But he has to admit, Lucy seems to have the situation under control. “You’re such a pretty girl, LA must be so new to you. You’re so far away from the North Pole, aren’t you?”

They’re really not equipped to move Snowy anywhere, and Meredith is nowhere to be found. Tim isn’t willing to leave Lucy alone with the massive reindeer to go find her, so they wait together for Animal Control. The whole time, Lucy keeps talking to her, in that same high-pitched voice. After a few minutes, she runs out of compliments to give, and starts telling Snowy stories from her time in the academy, riding as Tim’s rookie, anything else she can come up with.

She’s halfway through the secret to her homemade chocolate chip cookies – a splash of almond extract in the dough – when Tim sees the Animal Control officers coming up from the other side of the mall. He motions for them to be quiet and points at Lucy, who’s stroking Snowy’s face with both hands.

Lucy nods when she sees the Animal Control officers, and steps back slowly when they wave her back. She keeps talking to Snowy as they toss a lasso around her neck and start steering her back toward the other end of the mall.

Their work done, Tim and Lucy turn for the nearest exit, in silent agreement that they’d rather walk outside than deal with any more reindeer fallout.

“Control, 7-Adam-100,” Tim says into his radio, as he slides an arm around Lucy’s waist. “Animal Control is on scene. Um, suspect in custody? Show us Code Four.”

“7-Adam-100, Code Four.” Nell’s voice echoes between them. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

“That was fun!” Lucy says to Tim as he opens the door for her. “I’ve never even seen a real, live reindeer before today, and I got to pet her too? She was so sweet! Y’know, once she wasn’t so scared and freaking out anymore.”

Tim looks over at her, and when he sees the wistful look on her face, he cuts her off.

“Oh no. No, no, no.”

“What?” Lucy turns to him, blinking her eyes.

“I know what you’re thinking. Absolutely not, we are not getting a pet reindeer!”

[papermint-airplane]

Ok ok so let me explain what it is I'm doing here. Or try to, anyway, because it's admittedly a dumb idea and it's far from original, but I like to think I'm putting a little bit of my own spin on it. First, let's discuss what the original game, Façade is.

What is Façade?

So I'm going to do my best to explain what this game I'm parodying/playing homage to is in my own words. There are plenty of Wiki articles out there about it but I've spent enough time thinking about this cursed game and I'm not about to add actual research on top of it so take everything I say with a pinch of salt.

Façade was created in 2005/2006 by the two guys whose names are on the title screenshot I posted before. These guys.

From what I have gleaned over time, they created this "game" as a masters thesis project (I could be wrong but I already said I'm not looking it up so my source is "Trust Me Bro"). This isn't really a game as much as it is a tech demo to show off their brand new advanced (for the time) AI text parser. For those of us who don't speak übernerd, it pretty much means the game can understand you. Kind of. You type sentences on the screen and the AI does its best to figure out what you mean. Using this system, you can kind of have a conversation with Trip and Grace and they will react using pre-written voice acted lines. That sounds incredibly impressive and it is, especially for someone like me who can barely understand the magic going on under the hood, but what this basically all boils down to is that you can fuck with the characters so much. They have certain triggers which, if you trigger them, can either get you scolded, contribute to the couple's argument (more on that in a second), or outright get you kicked out of the apartment. For instance, the first time I played, while Grace was going "oh my Goooood [Player] you look sooooooo amaaaaaazing", I replied "you look terrible" and instantly got the boot from Trip.

The Story

We've already established that the point of Façade is to be a tech demo first and a game second, so the story isn't as impressive as the code driving it. You, the player, are an old college friend of Trip and Grace's and have been invited to their apartment for a "dinner party". The problem is, there is no dinner, there is no party, and all the couple does is fight in front of you. It is up to you, dear hapless player, to help them with their marital issues that you are, in no way whatsoever, qualified to address. Alternatively, you can just troll the shit out of them.

That's it, that's the whole story. Couple invites you over, couple doesn't feed you, couple proceeds to scream at each other for reasons unrelated to the absent food. And yet, as simplistic as it is, it's captivating for reasons that aren't easily articulated. This is the sort of game that must be experienced in order for you to really get it.

I can't stress enough how impressively made this game was for the time. We're talking absolutely groundbreaking stuff and probably part of the reason AI is going to take over the world and enslave us all. But somehow, in the process of changing the face of technology as we know it, these two guys gave us the worst characters in the entirety of videogame history.

Grace

Grace is a bitch. There, I said it. It's true. Anyone who's ever played Façade knows it's true. And yet, you can't fully hate her because she is justified in her bitchiness. Her husband is shallow, materialistic, and is cheating on her with everyone. She's unfulfilled in a career she didn't want and feels suffocated in her current lifestyle. However...listen, you're just going to have to play the game or watch a Let's Play because the whininess has to be seen to be believed. Grace and Trip are already fighting when you arrive at their apartment (you can hear them shouting at each other through the door) and Grace does a piss-poor job of pretending they weren't. She is the one who throws the first verbal punch and she's the one who keeps it going even as you are frantically trying to mediate. Trip calls her cold but honestly, I find she comes in way too hot.

Trip

Lest you think I am on Trip's side in this debacle, I hate him too. He's the other side of the coin. Where Grace is standoffish, Trip is overly gregarious. Where Grace sees the value in the little things in life, Trip constantly brags about his wealth and possessions. This fool forces you to look at his vacation photo. Yeah sure the vacation in question was to the Italian countryside, but he keeps talking about that photo long past the point where both you and Grace are uncomfortable. Trip is deeply insecure and it shows. It's a bit more difficult to explain what it is that makes Trip just the absolute worst, because he doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve the way his wife does. He's slimy. He's trying to keep the conversation light (at first, anyway), but he does it in the greasiest way possible. Again, you're going to have to see for yourself in some way.

What I'm Doing Here

I've been watching a lot of Façade Let's Plays recently. *Trip voice* "That should be obvious" (if you know, you know). We all know Sims parties never go well so it was a very small step from "game about a disastrous get together" to the Sims. I'm not reinventing the wheel here. Besides, this very concept has been done before, but when has unoriginality ever stopped me? You shut your whore mouth if you're in the comments agreeing with me on that, by the way. So, to ease myself back into the Sims world after my extended unplanned hiatus, I'm going to kick back, turn free will on high, and let the magic of the Sims take over. I have gone out of my way to give Trip and Grace traits that I feel correspond extremely well to my reading of their Façade counterparts.

Trip, for all his rich guy posturing, is still a country boy at heart (much to his dismay), which is why I gave him country music and PB&J as faves. Can't Stand Art isn't exactly canon, per se, but it conflicts with Grace's artistic trait and I thought it would give them something else to fight about.

Grace, as much as she romanticizes the starving artist trope, is a rich bitch through and through and wouldn't survive five minutes on the street.

I'm hoping for fireworks with these traits. Knowing Sims 3, I won't be disappointed.

And finally, who is going to be invited to this evening of pain? I suppose I could send Trip and Grace out on the town to make friends but that's boring and I don't want to spend more time with them than necessary so...

Funnily enough, the game seems to know what I'm trying to do. All of Grace's randomly-chosen friends are the rich and famous of Bridgeport while Trip's are just regular folks. I find that very interesting. Maybe Sims 3 has a touch of Façade's magic AI, too.

[mentallyrecovering]

Choose Your Own Adventure

(like always links to previous chapters are at the end)

I hope my writing is better in this one! I really tried to get the details and character build. If you've seen a certain movie you might know this plot. I'll let you figure out which one.

Remember I'm character switching so this chapter takes place at the same time as the last chapter (Sam chose to follow Bobby)

Story beyond this point

(Remember Sam just went with Bobby)

Hazel Screamed as loud as possible for the rest of the group. Hazel knew things were off, and thought the rest of the group did too. Why did We have to go into the vineyard, more of a maze, and why couldn't we have just passed by this town? The dog show would have been more interesting. Hazel calmed down, breathing slowly, running wouldn't help. The others were probably running as well. Instead, Hazel decided to stay still, yelling out the groups’ names as loud as possible

Hazel’s throat was raw from screaming, making it hard to even talk in a normal voice. Hazel gave up, ‘if i just stay here i will be found, the rest of the group is probably walking around trying to find each other anyway. If we all walk we will never find each other. It was hard not letting your thoughts go to the worst possible scenario. Hazel had already lost their mother, now they were going to lose the group? Even their life? Crying won't help the situation, but Hazel couldn't help it.

Suddenly there was rustling in the leaves and Hazel turned around quickly. Rowan sprang from the vines and rushed to hug Hazel, it was a nice surprise finding each other so quick. After a brief hug Rowan whispered quietly, “I think something is in this field besides us. I dont think it's human.” Hazel took a sharp breath. Rowan continued, “I was running trying to find you, I gave up shouting I didn't hear anyone so what was the point? Anyways, when I popped up, there was a rock in the middle of the field and it had the same symbol as the man’s tattoo.” Rowan swallowed hard struggling to get their words out, “There’s this thing, I never saw it, but there were footprints. They looked like giant hooves. We need to get out of this place. That creature is probably in here with us.”

Hazel didn’t want to do this, but needed a place to start looking for the others, a place that was stationary. “Maybe if we go back to the place you popped up in we can make a permanent marker, a way to find our way back.” Rowan looked confused so Hazel continued, “If we start at the place, the symbol, and break these wooden trellises in a noticeable way we can find our way back? If the others find our broken trellises maybe they will follow them?” Rowan did not want to do this, but making a stationary place where they could create a path to and from would be helpful.

There was one important detail of Hazel’s plan that was left out and Rowan wanted to make it clear, “We can make that our permanent place but, what if that creature comes back?” 

Hazel considered this, “It’s true. But we need a base to go back to. If the creature is here with us, it might find us anywhere. If we keep moving we will never find the others. I honestly don't know what to do…”

Their choices are:

Make a basecamp at the symbol

Continue walking around for the others

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716212039957315584/i-have-to-add-that-there-will-be-reading-in-the?source=share starting post

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716334914436497408/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share 1st post

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716427608586321920/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share 2nd post

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716427608586321920/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share (3rd post)

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716521280771424256/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share (4th post)

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716612292854382592/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share (5th post)

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716702987461050368/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share (6th post)

[cluelessteam]

Charmed: Chris' Identity is Discovered {~Chapter 7~}

Summary: The Phoenix Clan is after Chris, and the sisters are trying to help. But there are many questions that they need answering. How long can Chris keep his identity a secret? [Before Chris-Crossed]

Characters: Charmed Ones, Bianca, Chris, Leo

Pairing: No Pairing

Warnings: Angst, Heartbreak

Word Count: 648

Masterlist

Everyone starts coughing, the smoke filling eveybodyś lungs. No one can see anyone else.

“Paige?! Phoebe?!” Piper shouts. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeah!” Phoebe replies.

“Yep! We’re good!” Paige adds. Eventually the smoke clears, and the Elders are still in a circle, Leo still included. Almost as a group, they turn to see where Chris should be. Chris is nowhere to be seen.

“Where the hell is Chris?!” Piper says.

“I don’t know.” Paige replied.

“Magic has been used. I can feel it.” Says Odin, an Elder to the left of Leo.

“What kind of magic?”  

“Something we haven’t seen before.” He replies.

“Shall we summon him?” Phoebe asks her sister.

“No.” Piper says, sharply. “Give him 24 hours, then we summon him. Just this once, I am giving him a chance.”

{~At P3~} 

“Chris.” He could hear a woman’s voice calling his name. It was so familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Chris. Chris wake up.” The woman spoke louder, and started to shake his shoulders. Urging him to wake up. Slowly, his eyelids began to flutter open. And his eyesight began to focus on the person in front of him. He immediately took in his surroundings, he was in the back room in P3. He was used to this room, having ‘lived’ there for nearly 7 months. He was lying on the sofa. But then, he saw her. Really saw Bianca. He sat up immediately.

“Bianca.” He muttered.

“Hi.” She replied. She smiled at him. “I thought you needed a hand.” He smiled back at her.

“Yeah. I kinda did. Thank you.” He replied. He stood up so he was standing in front of her.

“You're welcome. Besides, there is something I need to do.”

“What?” He asked, perplexed. She smiled, and pulled him towards her. They were kissing like their lives depended on it. And before he knew it, they were lost to each other.

{~At the Manor~} 

“What if it was a Phoenix that took Chris, I mean.” Paige said.

“How though?” Phoebe questioned.

“I dunno, a tracking spell maybe? Phoebe, I am worried he is hurt. I mean, I understand that he lied to us, but that doesn’t mean I have stopped caring. Pheebs, what if he is dead?”

“Don’t think like that.” 

“I am just saying what everyone else is thinking.” Paige says in defense.

“So, what do you want to do?” 

“Summon him?” Paige suggests.

“There is no point though. We are summoning him later tonight with the Eldes.” Phoebe replies.

“I guess.” Suddenly orbs appear in the room, and Piper emerges.

“Since when can you orb? I thought that was my thing.” Paige says sarcastically.

“Very funny. Leo orbed me down, I just went to see Wyatt.”

“How is my little man?” Phoebe asks.

“He’s okay. Any signs of Chris?”

“Nope.”

“I expected that. Anyway, we are summoning him later today. So hopefully we can get some answers.” Piper says, voicing everyone’s thoughts.

“I just can’t help wondering where he is, and if he is hurt.” Paige admits.

“You're not the only one who is worried. I keep thinking it’s the Phoenix. But we will find out in a couple of hours.” Piper says, shocked at her own words.

“Okay, I have to ask. What questions are you gonna ask him? I mean, like, who do you think he is?” Paige asked, both of her sisters.

“I dunno really. I guess, I don’t really care, as long as we get the truth.” Phoebe says.

“I think we know him. Or at least his family.” Piper admits.

“What makes you say that?” 

“There are just too many things that don’t add up. He knows us so well and has so little time. He knows our little quirks, he knows things about the house that not even Leo knew. I am very interested to see if I am right.”

[satans-my-spirit-animal]

A Grim in Devildom ch 10

Chapter 1. Chapter 6

Chapter 2. Chapter 7

Chapter 3. Chapter 8

Chapter 4. Chapter 9

Chapter 5

*suggestive themes, gore*

After she had cut the ropes off Mammon he led her to Levi's room. Levi let them in when he heard her voice.

"Hey Levi, let me see that game you just bought." Mammon said looking around Levi's cluttered room.

"Wh-! It's over there. Why do you want it?!" Levi said looking annoyed.

Mammon grabbed the game off the desk and showed it to her with a proud grin on his face. "Ta-da! Check it out! Dogi Maji Memorium! Or Dogi Maji for short! In this game, anyone who plays is actually pulled into the game. Which means if you die in the game, you die for real! And you have to win because if you don't you won't be able to leave."

"Hey, Mammon! Would you please get your dirty hands OFF my game? That JUST arrived from Akuzon today!" Levi huffed trying to snatch the game away from Mammon.

"Mammon are you saying that we should have Lucifer and Satan play the game? So they're forced to work together?" She frowned wondering if it would actually work. It seemed like the outcome could go either way.

"Wait THAT'S what you want it for?!" Levi stopped and looked at her and Mammon.

"Yes exactly! They may hate each other but it'll force em to bond some, ya see. Man... Is it just me, or am I a for real genius?! I'm pretty sure I am!" He said excitedly.

"Huh, you really think it'll go that well? I dunno..." Levi shared her skeptical look.

"Well, we'll never know if we don't try right?" Mammon went over to Levi's computer and inserted the disk and a registration screen popped up.

"...wait uh, how does this work?" He apparently wasn't familiar with Levi's computer.

Levi groaned and pushed him out of the way. "FINE, let me take over. You'll never figure it out on your own." His fingers clacked across the keyboard. "There. They're registered. And I'll enter my name too, 'Levichan'. And I'll add Cassandra as well. All set." He grinned excitedly as she and Mammon gave him a surprised look.

"WHAT? Whoa... HOLD ON! Cassandra, are you really gonna play too?" Mammon gave her a worried look.

"Well, I guess I should go to make sure they can actually cooperate to win the game." She sighed, imagining Satan and Lucifer arguing the entire time. Besides a fighting RPG was right up her alley. She'd have no problem taking out monsters.

"Seriously? Ya never turn down a challenge do ya?" Mammon sighed shaking his head. "...Hey. if Cassandra is playin' then so am I!"

Levi groaned. "Ugh... Fine. If I really have to... 'stupidmammon'... And done." Levi registered Mammon into the game.

"Hey! Why'd ya tack on stupid?! Leave that out!" Mammon glared at him but was ignored as Levi adjusted the settings on the game.

"Okay, ready!" Levi grinned excitedly as pressed start still ignoring Mammon insisting that he change his name.

There was a flash of light and then they were all standing in a classroom. She noticed that they were now wearing different school uniforms. She looked down and blushed at how short her skirt was.

As she was taking this in, Levi was laughing at Mammon, who'd realized he was now stuck with stupidmammon as his name.

"Hey, Levi... Why are we in a school? And why is my skirt so short?!" She said tugging uncomfortably at her skirt.

Levichan and Stupidmammon both turned to look at her and blushed. "W-well, um Dogi Maji is a school d-dating sim. So um yeah." Levichan stuttered averting his gaze.

"WHA!" She and Stupidmammon shouted at the same time. Apparently, he had thought this was a battle RPG as well.

"One character is designated the heroine, and you've got to increase your favorability score with her. Then in the end you go up on the roof of legend and profess your love to her. And if she accepts you win." Levichan explained the dynamics of the game.

"The Roof of Legend? What? Who's the heroine anyway?" She scoffed looking around, expecting some overly sexualized school girl to come skipping out.

"I um... Set you as the heroine..." Levichan said nervously his blush returning.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Stupidmammon shouted sharing her horrified look.

"You two... So you're the ones behind this..." They all turned to see that Satan and Lucifer had joined them.

Stupidmammon let out a yelp when Lucifer marched right up to him but then he relaxed. "Wait, that's right you're Satan. What's the big deal startlin' me like that? Step off Satan! Get Lucifer's stupid face outta my personal space!"

"Uh, wrong... I'm Satan." Satan said from his own body.

"Huh?" Stupidmammon said surprised.

"It seems that while we're in this world the curse is nullified," Satan explained with a frown.

"Mammon? What was that you said about my stupid face?" Lucifer smiled menacingly at Mammon who took several steps back.

Lucifer sighed turning to her and Levichan. "Now... Will you care to explain what's going on?"

The three of them explained the situation with the game. Lucifer shook his head, looking tired.

"...I see. So essentially we're in a game... And we can't go back to the real world unless we win?" He put his hand to his forehead.

"And to win you have to confess your love to the heroine up on the roof and she has to accept you?" Satan frowned looking equally concerned.

Cassandra ran her hand through her hair nervously. She hated everything about this, her stomach was in knots.

"Yep Cassandra is the heroine... H-hey Cassandra... You're not still mad are you?" Levichan glanced at her nervously and she glared back at him, hoping he felt her strangling him with her eyes.

"I take it you didn't ask Cassandra before you decided to set her as the heroine?" Satan raised his eyebrows taking in her furious expression.

"Why'd ya make Cassandra the heroine anyway?!" Stupidmammon said, he seemed almost as stressed as she was.

"B-because it seemed like it'd be fun!" Levichan let out a nervous laugh. "It'll be ok just relax." He tried to reassure them.

Lucifer and Satan exchanged glances before glaring at Levichan. Stupidmammon noticed their exchange.

"Oh... Uh yeah. Yeah, I know what you two are thinkin', and your right. I apologize for Levi here. I mean no way you two want any part of this stupid plan right? So just leave things to Mammon! I'll profess my love and win this game before you even know what hit you!" He grinned confidently and she scowled crossing her arms.

Satan and Lucifer ignored him. "You know what this means Lucifer? It's a competition to see which of us can get the happy ending." Satan smirked at Lucifer.

"That goes without saying. And I highly doubt I'd lose to the likes of you Satan." Lucifer smirked back at Satan.

Levichan snorted. "You guys are hilarious! Aren't you forgetting someone? You really think you can beat ME?" He laughed looking confident.

"HEY! Why do you all wanna win so badly all the sudden, huh?!" Stupidmammon said annoyed that he was being ignored.

"Because I WONT lose to the likes of him!" Lucifer and Satan hissed simultaneously glaring at each other.

"I guess I just want to win the game? ... And have a 100% perfect run?" Levichan said with a smile.

Stupidmammon growled in frustration. "...Dammit!... Well... Well, don't forget about ME...!" He huffed and turned to her. "Listen up Cassandra! I'm gonna tell you I love you and you're gonna choose ME! Okay? It's totally gonna happen!"

She blushed turning her head away. "Whatever! I just want to get this over with!" She huffed hoping they didn't catch on to how flustered she was.

After serval hours of having to endure the three of them playing the game, they gathered in a classroom to discuss the big event that would take place next: the confession.

Everyone seemed worn out after giving overtop romantic lines to her constantly and she frankly felt the same.

Satan had probably been the best at it. He was undeniably charming with his smooth lines and good looks. If she hadn't known none of what he said was genuine she might have even crushed on him a little.

Levichan seemed to pull all of his lines out of unrealistic romance mangas. She tried her best to play along for the sake of his feelings however she found a lot of his lines cringe-inducing. But perhaps it was because she just didn't do the whole 'hopeless heroine' routine.

Lucifer was very laid back and mature with his approach. He was rather cocky about his lines and delivered them in a way that said no wasn't an option. He frankly put her on edge and not just because of her experiences with him in real life. The man was incredibly intimidating, though she hated to admit it.

Stupidmammon's lines probably were the most genuine out of all of them. He would start out cocky but then get nervous especially if she didn't react the way he was expecting. She'd be lying if she said he wasn't making her flustered as well but she tried to hide it. It frightened her how badly she wanted all the lines about him wanting to spend time with her to be true. She couldn't possibly be crushing on Mammon of all people?!

"Cassandra, no matter who you choose, you shouldn't have any regrets about it. It's only a game after all. So relax and pick whomever you like." Lucifer brought her out of her thoughts, he was being oddly reassuring and she felt herself relax slightly at his words. He was right it was only a game.

"... Lucifer, you're bein' weirdly nice to Cassandra. What gives?" Stupidmammon said eyeing him suspiciously.

"I want to get this idiotic game over with so we can get back to the real world." Lucifer said with a frown.

"You SAY that but perhaps it's part of your plan to raise your intimacy score?" Levichan said accusingly.

"Think what you want." Lucifer sighed exasperatedly.

She noticed Satan watching her as she turned to leave. To her surprise, he followed her out into the hall.

"... Cassandra do you have a second?" He called out to her with a serious expression.

"I mean yeah I guess?" She turned back to him with her arms crossed. She was expecting him to advocate for himself so he could beat Lucifer in the game finale.

"I feel bad and I'm sorry." Satan wore a guilty expression and seemed sincere. "I didn't handle being rejected very well and now Lucifer and I are the reason you're in this mess. I just want to say that before we go back to the real world. I want to apologize for how I acted."

She blinked caught completely off guard. It took her a second to respond and she called out to him before he could leave.

"Actually can I talk to you for a minute?" She said walking out with him into the courtyard. They sat down on one of the benches together and he gave her a questioning look.

She sighed. "You don't have to force yourself to like someone you don't. You may be connected to Lucifer but that doesn't mean you have to like him. Although I don't think he sees you as a child as much as you think he does. He's just a hard ass because he doesn't want to look bad as Diavolo's second in command."

There was a stunned silence for a moment and she wondered if she had overstepped her bounds.

"L-look I'm not trying to advocate for Lucifer here-" She started to backpedal but Satan stopped her.

"You're saying he only acts the way he does because he doesn't want Diavolo to think less of him? I can't say I agree with you there, but even so... You said I don't need to force myself to like someone I don't... That's a refreshing point of view. You're the first person who's ever said anything like that to me." He smiled at her and she relaxed.

After her talk with Satan, there was a cut scene to the next day. Everyone was gathered by the front of the school preparing for the graduation scene. That was when things took an unexpected turn.

Hordes of monsters descended on the computer-generated student body. Screams filled the air as students were savagely ripped apart before their eyes.

Stupidmammon let out a scream as the student next to them was decapitated, blood spraying everywhere.

"Quick everybody inside!" Lucifer shouted and they all ran for the building as the monsters finished off the NPCs and turned their attention to them.

They ran inside and locked the doors just in time. The monsters rammed the other side, causing the wood the creak.

"This door isn't gonna hold for long!" She said turning to the guys.

"Levi! What the fuck is going on?! I thought you said this was a dating sim?!" Stupidmammon screamed at Levichan in sheer panic.

Levichan let out an excited laugh. "This is TOTALLY EXCITING...! I mean who would have thought that what looked like a simple dating sim would have this crazy twist at the end?! Not to mention how bloody it is! OMG, this is so EPIC!"

"We need to move! Like right now!" She shouted as the door began to splinter.

"Move WHERE exactly?!" Stupidmammon said looking at the monsters surrounding the building through the windows.

"We should head for the roof. That's where the game is supposed to end right?" Lucifer said completely composed.

They started for the stairs but she was stopped when the window next to her shattered and a monster came crawling through reaching for her.

"CASSANDRA!" Stupidmammon yelled seeing that she was about to get hit.

She grabbed a nearby desk and threw it at the monster as hard as she could, nailing it square in the face. It tumbled over backward going limp. More monsters started coming through the window and she started to fight them off only to feel a pair of arms wrap around her waist.

Stupidmammon picked her up with ease and slung her over his shoulder. "ARE YA CRAZY?!" He yelled at her as he shot up the stairs.

Despite her protests he refused to put her down until they had made it to the roof, closing the door behind them.

"You didn't have to carry me the entire way up here." She huffed hoping he didn't notice her blush. The fact that she was wearing such a short skirt the entire time made her even more embarrassed.

"It was faster that way! Your short legs couldn't keep up!" He snapped and she noticed his ears were red.

"What you did back there was actually pretty impressive..." Satan looked surprised as he walked over to them.

"Yeah! Cassandra's actually pretty badass." Levichan smiled at her with a wide grin.

"It's almost like I'm working again." She chuckled only for her face to go pale. On the other side of the roof was crouched a familiar figure. "D-don't tell me that's the final boss..." She stammered causing them all to turn and look as the creature raised its three heads and snarled at them.

"Cerberus...!" Satan shouted alarmed as he stepped back.

"This should be easy, right? With Lucifer here, Cerberus will be like a sweet little puppy!" Stupidmammon smiled looking at Lucifer.

Satan shook his head. "I don't think it'll be that simple... This isn't the Devildom after all."

"Cerberus, sit!" Lucifer commanded in a stern tone but the three-headed dog still charged forward its teeth bared.

"Of course, that's not gonna work! This is a game, not the real world!" Levichan cried as the beast charged straight for Satan who was closest.

Satan tried to get away but wasn't quick enough. Cerberus closed in, its jaws aiming for Satan's throat.

"CERBERUS!" Lucifer roared running forward. Cerberus's heads stopped and whipped around to face him.

"I believe I told you to sit. Or did you not hear your master's command?" Lucifer hissed menacingly as Cerberus snarled at him.

"SIT CERBERUS NOW! Just you try harming my brother... Go ahead... See what happens to you! I promise you, I will rip your cock off and put it in a blender!" Lucifer snarled back at Cerberus and Levichan and Stupidmammon gasped.

To her amazement, Cerberus let out a whimper and sat down lowering its three heads submissively.

"Wh...?!" Satan gasped looking shocked.

"Wh... WHOA! Lucifer made Cerberus follow orders here too!" Stupidmammon said looking impressed.

"Well yeah... I mean if you tell someone that you're gonna rip their cock off and put it in a blender then they're not gonna want to test you." Levichan said.

There was another flash of light and celebratory music as the game completed. The next thing they knew they were all standing in Levi's room.

Mammon jumped for joy realizing he no longer had the 'stupid' tacked onto his name.

"Cue the confetti! We just broke the RTA Speedrun record!" Levi cheered looking ecstatic.

"Hey, we did it, Satan! We made it back to the real world!" Mammon smiled at Satan standing next to him.

"Mammon I'm over here," Lucifer replied frowning.

"So you're still in the wrong bodies..." Cassandra sighed. She wasn't surprised, just disappointed.

"It seems the magic hasn't worn off yet." Lucifer said with a frown, looking down at Satan's body.

"What if you guys stayed in the game world until the spell wears off?" Levi suggested.

"What if Cerberus attacks again?!" Mammon said pointing out they'd have to face the boss again.

"No problem. I've got Lucifer. It's nothing my big brother can't handle. Even Cerberus becomes a regular dog when faced with Lucifer's icy stare." Satan smiled at Lucifer with not a hint of sarcasm. Everyone stared at the two of them in shock.

"If you'd like Satan I could teach you how to command Cerberus." Lucifer smiled back at Satan.

Satan looked taken aback at his offer. "Don't be ridiculous. That's something only you can do. I wouldn't have a chance."

"Actually I think you have what it takes to do it." Lucifer said with a genuine tone that apparently moved Satan.

Satan smiled. "Well, maybe. I was once part of you after all."

Lucifer gasped, this might have been the first time Satan had ever openly acknowledged that fact. Satan let out a laugh at Lucifer's stunned expression.

"Oh, man! You should see how goofy you look right now!" He teased.

"...Hey check it out. Have those two finally made up?" Mammon whispered to her and Levi. Levi shrugged him off to focus on reviewing the game on Akuzon.

"For the moment at least." She said feeling somewhat relieved.

Mammon tossed and turned in his bed. He couldn't get Cassandra off his mind. He kept remembering all the time they'd spent together, the feeling of her lips on his, the way she looked in that short skirt, how close that skirt had been to his face when he threw her over his shoulder...

She'd only been with them for about two months but now just the thought of her made him hot and bothered. He had already taken one cold shower that night but it hadn't helped. He got up, throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a white T-shirt before heading out into the hall. Maybe a walk would clear his head.

He passed by the living room noticing Kieran curled up on the couch fast asleep. He paused realizing that Kieran and Cassandra still hadn't made up yet. He found himself wandering over to Cassandra's room stopping outside her door.

He was about to walk away but stopped when he heard a sob from inside. "No... Please don't leave me alone..." Cassandra sobbed from inside sounding distraught.

Without thinking he pulled the door open and rushed to her bedside. She was clawing at her bedsheets her face twisted in sorrow as tears streamed down her cheeks. It took him a second to realize that she was still asleep.

He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to touch her shoulder. He couldn't bear to see her with that look on her face any longer.

"Cassandra...? HEY Cass!" He gently shook her awake and her eyes snapped open. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the pale light coming from the window as they met his.

She jerked away with a gasp. "...wha?! Mammon what are you doing here?!"

"I-I heard ya shoutin' down the hall, so I came to check on ya." He stuttered not wanting to admit he'd been lurking outside her door at 1 am.

"I'm sorry!" She sat up, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. "I didn't wake everyone up did I?"

"Um, n-no just me..." He avoided her gaze feeling bad that he made her worry with a lie.

He sat on the edge of her bed hesitantly, half expecting to be kicked off. To his surprise, she moved over slightly to give him room.

"...Mammon?" She said softly after a minute of silence.

"Y-yeah?" He said nervously.

"Could you... Um... Stay with me for a bit?" Her voice sounded uncharacteristically small as she gave him a sideways glance. It was hard to tell due to the dim light but he could have sworn her cheeks were red.

"Wha?! I-I mean if ya insist..." He fumbled for words shocked at her request. He remembered what she had said before he came into the room and realized she didn't want to be alone.

She moved over further giving him space to lay down next to her. As he settled down, her scent engulfed him. She always smelled very floral, almost as if he was taking a stroll through Diavolo's rose garden. Over the time he'd gotten to know her, he'd found himself loving the way she smelled especially when his scent was mixed with hers.

He looked over at her and was surprised at how close she was. It looked like she wanted to reach out to him but was too nervous.

"Ya don't have to be nervous or nothin', I'm ya first man remember?" He joked trying to ease the tension.

He gasped when she suddenly moved forward burying her face in his chest. He was certain she could hear his heart beating out of his chest.

"H-hey! D-don't startle me like that!" He huffed before wrapping his arms around her. She felt incredibly warm so much so that they didn't need the blanket. He squeezed her even closer enjoying feeling her body pressed against his.

She looked up at him with a soft expression and he found himself bending down wanting to feel her lips against his.

"Thank you, Mammon." She smiled at him warmly before resting her cheek on his chest.

He let out a soft sigh of disappointment. He would have to settle with just holding her for now and he was happy to do so.

[theheadlessgroom]

So is Wallace Shawn's character from the 2003 film supposed to be Hattie? I know he doesn't have his box, but he does wear a top hat at certain points in the film, he's romantically involved with a character named Emma (which is pretty close to Emily) and one of the scenes both of these characters are most involved in is an attic. I know the character's name is Ezra, but we see the hitch hikers in the graveyard scene, so he's clearly not that character.

Did we already see a cinematic adaptation of Hattie, but we just weren't aware of it due to him not being in the ride at the time?

(Either way, I'm still willing to accept the voice of Rex as Hattie over Morbius. Not the voice I ever imagined for him, but at least Wallace is a delight.)

((Y'know, I've never thought about his character that way, but honestly, all of that evidence adds up to, if nothing else, a very on-the-sly reference to Ol' Hatty. Obviously, that was quite some time before the updated animatronic came along, and I believe that was also before Constance came along (also, possibly before that home video footage of Hatty in the ride surfaced?), so honestly, even if one could argue that, yeah, it's all pretty coincidental, I like to think, given all the evidence, that he could be a shout-out to the Hatbox Ghost. If nothing else, I also happily accept Rex as Hatty over Morbius. It's not my go-to Hatty voice either, but I still accept it anyways!))