#armadillo shoe

[kestreleve]

ummm hi can I help you

[tekatonic]

Had to put the boys together ! Good luck reading the literal instruction manual I made for Shadow's equipment, haha.

And then there's Mighty and Ray ! Pretty proud of them still. You might notice the different in amount of content... I had a lot more ideas for Mighty at the time, Ray's just a lil goober.

( animation of Mighty doing a magnetic javelin throw : here )

[lesbianmagolor]

hey sonighty nation im back. i didn’t have many ideas so I decided to outfit swap them

[pacdevil]

wanted to sketch the boysTM <2

[shojo]

Um hello????

WAS NO ONE GOING TO TELL ME

ABOUT THE STEAMPUNK VERSIONS OF FREDDY 

AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, BALLORA????????

LET’S NOT FORGET THIS LITTLE BASTARD TOO. 

[mywillbedone]

saw a wee baby passum so i think my trip is now blessed

[lbeth1950]

A Hog a Day Part 5

“Hurry up and get your shoes on.  We’re going to Mr. Grady’s house.  You can play with his grandkids.”  Daddy called behind him as he headed for the truck. “I ain’t waiting for you!” I was near frantic as I tore through the house looking for the shoes I’d kicked off the last time I’d been made to wear them.  Shoes were for school and going places.  I’d never have worn them voluntarily.  “I gotta…

[rock-and-roll-hell]

February 18, 1977

Rock And Roll Over Tour

Madison Square Garden - New York City

 "Stumbling in the darkness into a KIϟϟ concert, as this well-meaning observer did Friday at Madison Square Garden, might lead on directly to dire meditations on the decline of Western civilization. How else, after all, are we to interpret an entertainment that highlights a bass player spitting ‘blood’ atop a tower, surrounded by swirls of smoke and bathed in bilios green light, all the while dressed in a black leather and silver costume that makes him look like a diabolical armadillo? And the sight of this apparition evoking a dull, throaty roar of appreciation from the sold-out house, the cries of the multitude overlaid with the treble piping of a large pre-pubescent minority“ (New York Times, 2/20/77).

Ace was drunk at sound check, so Bobby McAdams filled in. The concert was billed as a 'Triumphant Return of the Conquering Heroes’. An after party was held at the Parc Swim & Health Club on 56th Street. The band showed up sans makeup and numerous guests were tossed into the pool, including Ace, who lost his shoes.

[charleecat-bat]

Horror/Slasher AU designs for Mighty, Matilda and Ray!

Mighty and Ray are ghosts, while Matilda is alive but is seen as a creepy and offputting girl or as a bad omen, as death seems to follow her—and that's mostly thanks to the two ghosts that are attached to her.

Some notes on the designs and then backstory below the cut:

-Mighty appears like this when 'calm' but when Angry, he appears like a large fiery almost demon like being. The gaping hole in his chest ignites into flames when he's angry, as well as his eyes and even develops horns along his shell. When he appears in a non-threatening look he takes a lot of punk rock sort of look. He doesn't know why he looks like this...

-Matilda actually dyes/paints her shell green. Her natural colour is brown. At first she chose to dress in all dark and gloomy emo clothes and now it's just all she has since sh'es constantly on the move and only could pack a few things.

-Ray's eyes are sunken in, and his tail is similar to what roadkill would look like. His Poncho is supposed to be similar to the flying squirrel skin and also like the typical sheet ghost look. He's also missing a shoe and his ear is almost torn off his head.

The backstory is very tragic but i'll try to keep it as short as possible.

The Armadillo siblings had a rough family life. In this AU, their mother wasn't around, and they had their awful father, who was a very abusive sheriff-type figure. He only really cared about his reputation, so while he'd act 'decent' in front of others, to the kids, he was abusive. Especially to Mighty, he and Mighty would frequently get into fights.Their father was the one man that Mighty would lose his temper at.

Their closest friend was a lone neighbourhood kid, Ray, who had a rough situation himself that mostly involved him being heavily neglected so he just wound up playing and wondering around alone. He and Matilda are actually the same age as teenagers but Ray's growth was stunted due to his neglect so he just looks smaller...

At some point, Ray just... vanished. He stopped showing up to hangout with the siblings and it got to a point even his family noticed. They found his body in the forest and assumed it was some accident despite the injuries looking suspicious. The real story of Rays death was that he was walking alone in the rain and was struck by a car, being driven by Mighty and Matilda's father. While it was unclear if it was an accident or a malicious act, his selfish act of dumping ray's body in the nearby woods instead of taking him to a hospital to get help still solidified his awfulness.

During this time of grief, Matilda started to see Ray around. At first she was scared but then would start trying to talk to him, and even try to convince Mighty of what she was being told. Mighty was reluctant to believe her but soon started to when she said details that seemed too specific to be made up... as well as weird happenings starting to occur.

Soon, though, another fight broke out in the Armadillo household. Matilda cowering a distance away while Mighty fought his father. Now, due to his position, of course, the father had a gun and would threaten them with it or even shoot close to them to scare them. This had become an unfortunate norm. This time, the fight was particularly bad, and Mighty had dared to try and take the gun off of him.

Everything froze when a loud bang was heard. The gun had gone off when their father had attempted to take it off of his son and accidentally pulled the trigger.

Before he could even say a single word, Mighty had already dropped to the floor, his eyes wide and bleeding badly through a hole in his chest. It was Matilda's screaming and cries that triggered their father in action and he fled to the phone while Matilda was left trying to help her brother despite not knowing what to do... the bleeding wouldn't stop and he was barely breathing. It wouldn't take long for him to go completely still.

Her brother was gone...

What put the nail in the coffin for her, though, was what her father did as a selfish attempt to cover his own precious reputation. He said Mighty did it to himself. A suicide, right in front of them. She was threatened to keep quiet, but that didn't stop her from letting her rage simmer quietly. Her only company was Ray's spirit, who stayed alongside her... and then it eventually hit her. If Ray had died and somehow returned to her, maybe her brother could do the same. But she couldn't leave it up to chance, she wanted to make sure it happened.

So then began Matildas obsessive research into the occult, including getting her hands on an old worn book.

And despite her inexperience in performing anything like the book asked, she tried anyway. She didn't care what happened at this point, all she knew was that she despised her father with all her heart and wanted the one member off her family back in her life. miraculously, it worked... but not like she intended.

Due to her inexperience, as far as she believes, Mighty had come back, but... he wasn't quite himself. He looked, scarier? Like Ray but he didn't appear just as how he died. He covered in spikes, a dark gaping hole in his chest. Fiery coloured eyes and sharp jagged teeth. He almost looked like a demon.

Matilda was scared of her course but what she tried had technically worked, she had her brother back... but something didn't feel right. Despite all this... he didn't seem angry at her, he looked more sad, or confused. And for that moment, it felt like everything might be okay.

And then her father showed up. Hearing that distant angry yell made the spirit of her brother contort in anger and his form started to change. Almost appearing demonic, the hole in his chest igniting a flame and his eyes doing a similar act. He appeared larger and more monsterous as he quickly went to attack him.

At first Matilda had no remorse, she hated her father and her brother was getting revenge.

But the coming bloodbath was too much for even her to bare. Not even her own brother was capable of something like that... not the one she knew. He would never do something like this spirit did, not even to their own father.

It scared her.

It went quiet again shortly. The fire spirit of her brother fading into the form he had before, no longer angry.

He could tell she was scared, he didn't understand why he did what he did. But he was just trying to protect his sister.

That night, she left, as shellshocked and scared as she was. She took her brothers hand and left that home.

And since then, she's been from town to town, trying to deal with these two spirits now attached to her and being her ghostly bodyguards. While she's happy she still has them... she can't help but be scared and stressed when the news gets around to towns that she seems to be an omen of death...

[mikespice97]

Lady Gaga wearing McQueen armadillo shoes, 2015 🇺🇸

[tellyourcatisaidpspsps]

Audhd Rage & Unwanted Touch: A Rant

I'm sorry, but when someone touches me, I want to shove my foot so far up their ass that the tip of my shoe grazes their brain stem and they are suddenly infused with the knowledge of how it feels.

This feeling overwhelms me. It's hard to control and I feel like I'm crazy but I just. hate. being. touched.

Like a thousand ants crawling on my skin--fire ants. I want to rip my skin off or just roll into an armadillo ball and get away from any more touching.

I hate it. It drives me batty and people don't respect my requests to not to be touched...because for some reason, in this society, 'I don't like it' isn't enough explanation.

Then, when I go into my Full Explanatory Speech Mode, they're put off and repulsed by my honesty. 🤨

You're only going to get one or the other with me. I don't understand. If 'no' isn't enough, but my tiresome explanation pisses you off, then what else should I do? Fucking tap dance?

Since this, my simple request, has somehow become all about you?

Fuck gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. Fuck social conventions.

And most importantly, FUCK YOU, you disrespectful, neurotypical, touch-obsessed leeches!

What more do y'all neurotypicals want from us?

All I want is some damn peace.

[squirrelmop]

I started with a quick line practice with fruits (orange??) and ended with armadillos being turned into juice/wearing shoes. There is nothing deep about it (I think) I just let my mind wander.

[nifolution]

You Loved Me Once

Pairing: Jake Jensen / Plus-size Reader

Summary: It couldn't be gone. Somewhere deep inside him, he remembered their love. He had to.

Warnings: fluff, angst, feels, humor, mentions of naughty times with food, injuries, car accident due to explosion, mention of guns and being shot and stabbed, concussion, memory loss, fat shaming, heartbreak, breakup, enemies to lovers to strangers

A/N: Takes place roughly 5 years after the movie. This is a revised copy of my oc fic. It is still written in 3rd person. No stealing, no reposts, no translations, no feeding to AIs. Comments, reblogs and likes are always welcome and appreciated.

Main Masterlist

Jake Jensen tiptoed behind his niece, holding a finger to his lips to keep her friends mum about his presence. Carefully dropping a card into the hood of her zombie sweatshirt, he scampered away. The birthday girl would notice soon enough. And if not, her friends would point it out. The eighth graders well onto the sneaky uncle’s game.

Hannah was old enough that she preferred picking out her own things, but Jake hated the idea of just handing her a gift card. So he bought several for her favorite places; the ice cream parlor, the sporting goods store so she could get new cleats, the movies and so on. Throughout the party, Jake would stick a gift card in his niece's hoodie without her knowledge. The first was placed when he hugged her and wished her a happy birthday. Once discovered, he would find an opportunity to put in another.

Groaning, Stephanie plopped herself down, joining the table of chit-chatting adults. “You're a great uncle, but why did you have to convince her to have a zombie birthday?” She pointed an accusing finger at Jake, “Do you know how difficult it was to make a brain cake that oozes fake blood?”

“What? Christmas in July, zombies in June, not to mention 13 is an evil-evil number, made perfect sense to me.” He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Hannah found the gift card, pursing her lips in mock annoyance as she pocketed it. “Besides, Angel here deserves half the credit.”

Y/N scoffed, “Don’t throw me under the bus. Your sister knows this was all you.”

In reality they both had an obsession with the genre. The couple loved watching monster movies together. Gotten into more than one heated debate over who could defeat whom. Each of them had their favorite creature army and strategies. And although dead and undead things didn't technically qualify, it fell under a similar umbrella.

“Party’s almost over. Any exciting plans after this?”

“Hannah is spending the night at her best friend’s house. So I plan to finish a bottle of wine, and the rest of that cake, while I watch my show and pass out. Then tomorrow, she has to be back by noon, to start her project on ‘armadillos and their impact on the environment.’ Don’t forget, Jake, you promised to help her research for the report and make a diorama.”

“Ooh, I can help too. I know lots of armadillo facts. They’re insectivores… they love to swim… give birth to identical quadruplets, and their armor is tougher than a 9mm.”

Jake threw his arm around his girlfriend, “My Angel is so helpful.” As he spoke, his niece walked by with her overnight bag. He quickly placed another card into her hood without missing a beat. “I can’t wait to get you home, watch Godzilla kick some Ghidorah butt. Maybe have my favorite snack, a little taste of the rainbow,” he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

Stephanie cringed at the suggestive tone, “Eww, I don't even want to know.”

Hannah began to put on her shoes to leave, finding another gift card inside the left one. “UNCLE J!”

Looking as smug as ever, Jake grabbed Y/N’s hand, announcing that was their cue to leave.

---------------

The day Clay introduced Y/N to the team, Jake didn’t take too kindly to her. Giving any reason he could think of as to why The Losers didn’t need a sixth member. Determined to prove her untrustworthy and unnecessary, he drilled her about the drones she makes and her qualifications, trying to catch her in a lie.

He didn't find one, and Clay insisted that she would be an asset. While the rest of the unit was in the field, Y/N would be at home, providing remote support. So Jensen could focus on staying alive instead of his computer. It didn't stop him from feeling like he was being replaced. He was the tech guy, why did they need her?

"Just so we're clear, Y/N, if that is your real name, I am hacker A and you are hacker B. I was here first and I'm not going anywhere."

After the first operation she more than proved her usefulness. Research, logistics, hacking, navigation, and drone assistance. Her drones gave them a bird's eye view, cameras, surveillance, real time topography, thermal imaging, warning systems, an extra set of guns and more.

It was impossible to deny she knew what she was doing. They only walked away in one piece because of her. But it wasn’t until Jake was making his usual attempt at humor mentioned battling kaiju, that the most beautiful sound graced his earpiece. Y/N was laughing, she understood the joke. She then told him a real kaiju would stomp him into monster toe jam, giving Jake a fit of clamorous snorting and wheezing.

“Careful there, Jakey, I don’t want to have to call the paramedics because you passed out.”

He heard the smile in her voice, he couldn’t get enough. “I changed my mind. You are now hacker A. A for Angel.”

Everything changed after that day. Jake flirted with her constantly on comms, much to his teammates' chagrin. His nonsensical banter was now mostly aimed to amuse her. He loved hearing her heavenly voice in his ear. Willing to do whatever it took to make her laugh. The more time he spent speaking with her, the harder he fell. There was an undeniable connection between them.

"So my beautiful Angel, keeping an eye on us from high above, when will you grace me with a date?" Jake had asked before and she had let him down gently. He had to try one more time, even if it led to another rejection.

"I told you, I don't date coworkers. Not even reeeaaally cute ones," she whined. Once again regretting the no.

"I know, but we're more like… long distance coworkers." He smiled to himself, lowering his voice to what he considered a sexy tone, "We work oceans apart so we can be skin to supple naked skin at home… and occasionally other locations. So it's not really breaking your rule."

Y/N giggled, "How can I say no when you put it like that."

"Soooo that's a yes?"

She couldn't help but give in to his dorky charm. "Yes, you can take me out when you're stateside. We'll see where this goes."

"Oh it's going. It's going so far you won't know where the hell we are. Just me and you, lost with nothing but a flashlight and our body heat to keep us warm."

There it was again, his favorite sound.

Four years later Jake still makes inappropriate comments over comms. Their relationship remained strong. Their love and devotion never wavering. Y/N didn't know Jake had been hunting for the perfect ring and planning a big proposal. He wanted to get it just right, his Angel deserved no less.

---------------

“Let's get it oooonnnn.

Let's love, baby.

Let's get it oooonnnn, suGAR.

Let's get it oooonnnn, woo hooooooooo.”

An hour and a half outside one of Sri Lanka’s capitals, the roar of a large truck speeding down a dirt road, was accompanied by very offkey, shrill singing.

Pooch gripped the steering wheel tightly, turning his head briefly to yell at the offending teammate, “Shut up Jensen. You sound like a cat being skinned alive.”

The criticism didn’t bother Jake at all. “Don't be a party pooper, Linwood, I’m serenading my love.”

Y/N shook her head, smiling to herself. “You can sing to me later Jakey. Give the guys ears a break.”

“My gorgeous sexy Angel, when I return, I want to run a hot bubble bath for us. I need to feel those pretty nails scratch down my back. Then I’ll order sushi so you eat it off my naked body. This may or may not be followed by an equally sexy shower.”

"Clay, if I have to listen to this much longer, I'm gonna stab him." Aisha had enough. His lovesick screeching needed to be stopped.

Jake grinned ear to ear, placing his hands behind his head, "What can I say, she loves the angle of my dangle.”

“Okay, The Pooch does not need to hear about the weird Klingon sex or whatever you two are having.”

“Ooh Angel, HIja' bangwI' Ha'.”

"That’s enough,” Clay snapped. “Stop giving them new kinks and focus. The compound is eight klicks ahead. So unless you want to die today, zip it."

“You got it boss. Playtime’s over.” Jake’s voice became gruff and ominous, “Their evil lair looms in the distance. We must prepare our shields and sharpen our silver swords.”

“They aren’t werewolves... I don’t think.” Checking that her drones were in place and out of sight, Y/N cleared her throat, “Alright, it looks like the first set of guards are stationed in an armored vehicle outside the northwest entrance. All clear beyond that gate as of now.”

Clay nodded, “Copy that.”

“Come home to me safe Jakey.”

“Always my Angel. Love you.”

“Love you.”

---------------

All targets were eliminated, the team was on their way back to the hotel, the coast should have been clear. The explosion shocked everyone when an IED detonated under their truck. Four crawled out of the wreckage. The fifth was trapped inside, unconscious and unresponsive.

To say Y/N was drowning in guilt would be an understatement. She blamed herself for the accident. For logging off when she did. She wasn't watching out for them when they needed her. She should have monitored the vehicle better. It could have been prevented had she been more diligent. This was her fault. She would never forgive herself.

Clay knew the call would be a disaster. Weeping women made him uneasy. “I am the one that declared the mission complete. If you’re going to blame someone, blame me... No, do not fly out here. It could raise too many red flags and make the situation dangerous for us. Aisha already had to slip out of the country to avoid detection. Sit tight. I will call you when he wakes up… Jensen’s a fighter, Y/N, he will pull through.”

It would be three days of crying and worrying herself sick before she would hear from her team again. Clay called with good news; Jensen was awake.

“He’s okay. Like the rest of us, he has some superficial cuts and deep bruising. He has a concussion, so they want to keep him a couple more days for observation. Then we're heading home.”

Y/N could breathe again. “Please, let me talk to him.”

“That wouldn't be a good idea right now. Jensen is too agitated and confused due to um…” Clay exhaled, scrubbing a hand down his face, “Well, the concussion seems to have caused post-traumatic amnesia.”

“Amnesia? You mean he can’t remember anything?”

“He remembers everything before 2010 without any problem, but everything after is a blur. He doesn't remember… you.”

“He doesn't know me anymore? I…That doesn’t… If this is a joke, it's not funny, Clay.” As mad as she would be, she prayed this was a bad prank of Jake’s. Hopelessly looking around, expecting him to be sneaking up on her to grab her.

“I wish it was. The doctors assure us it is temporary, but its duration is undetermined. Could be hours to months. Until then he needs to avoid stress and stimulation, let his head heal. We can calmly tell him things he forgot, but not try to force him to remember. It will come back on its own.”

Clay grimaced, “And it kills me to ask this, Y/N, but can you pack up some of his things? It would be better if Jensen stays with his sister, just until he’s more acquainted with you. He would undoubtedly be more comfortable somewhere familiar with someone he’s known his whole life.”

There was no response. If it weren't for her breathing, Clay would have thought the line disconnected. “Y/N?” he tried again. “I know it’s a lot, hun, but you guys will get through this. Jensen will be better in no time. I’ll keep you updated.”

Y/N’s voice cracked as she softly answered, “O-okay.”

---------------

Jake had a killer migraine. The more he tried to think, the worse it got. Waking up in a different year will do that to a person. He wished it was because of something cool, like time travel or being kidnapped by aliens that zapped his brain, but no, it was just a car accident. An occupational hazard that caused him to lose the last five years of his life.

It felt like being trapped in the twilight zone. Everything was different. His team did their best to fill him in on what he was missing. He had to be told of their set up and life as fugitives. Of Roque's betrayal and death. How they were cleared and given honorable discharges, but let the ties remain cut. They were their own unit now, with Clay still leading. It made Jake happy that hadn't changed, they still kicked ass together. He didn’t want to lose anyone else.

The part that intrigued him the most was being told he had a long time girlfriend, Y/N. Whom he called Angel. The group did the best they could telling him about the love of his life. His phone was damaged in the accident, so he couldn’t see a photo. The rest of the team weren’t picture taking people, with the exception of Pooch, who had a million of his son. Crazy, that his friend was now a father.

He learned how they met, about their home, and things they liked to do together, like mini golf and road trips to comic cons. That he loved everything about her, often claiming he secretly made her in a lab, because she couldn't be more perfect for him. And Y/N felt the same about him. He’d give her the honor of wearing his pirate hat when he was away. The one he claimed can only be worn with undies. The Losers hated that they knew that detail, but Jensen liked to overshare. How he still begged her to create a drone that can grab him and carry him through the air like Superman.

Jake listened intently and was excited to meet the awesome mystery woman they spoke about.

---------------

He had been back for less than twenty four hours and his head was killing him. He hadn’t recognized his own niece, she had grown so. Hannah jumped into his arms when he walked in the door, and he didn’t know her. Jake saw the heartbreak on her and his sister’s faces when she told him who she was. He felt like shit. The years he misplaced, this damn brain injury, was hurting the people he loved most.

Someone decided to throw Jensen a welcome home dinner at Clay’s. It certainly wasn’t Clay. All of the Losers would be there, including Y/N. They hoped this night would trigger his memories, or at least make him comfortable enough to move back home with her. They convinced themselves that seeing his girlfriend again would make everything click back into place.

Jake anxiously awaited her arrival. Practically bouncing off the walls with nervous energy. Clay had told him more than once to sit his ass down and relax, but he found it impossible.

Having gotten a babysitter for the night, Pooch arrived with his wife Jolene, a few cases of beer and bottles of wine.

Cougar was the next to arrive, he thought it better to not bring a date for once, Jensen didn't need actual strangers around to confuse him further.

Aisha walked in shortly after. Jake’s face lit up as he ran over, “Holy smokes, you guys weren't kidding. She is definitely mine.” He attempted to put his arm around her waist, but she was faster, catching and twisting the limb until it nearly broke.

Clay walked over to separate them. Sadly, this wasn’t the first time he had to rescue Jensen from her for doing something stupid. “Not yours, mine.” At Aisha’s glare he clarified, “When she wants to be that is. Jensen, this is Aisha. Hands to yourself or she is likely to shoot you again.”

“AGAIN?!”

“Did we not tell you that?”

Shit, she was late. Y/N had stopped to pick up dinner and it took longer than expected. This was not the way she wanted to see her Jakey again. She wore the superheroes vs supervillains jacket he bought for her. Each side ran up a sleeve and collided in battle in the back. Hoping that the sight of her in it will jog his memory. Nervously bouncing her legs, she checked her appearance in the car mirror. Not everyday the love of your life meets you for a second time.

Y/N quietly entered the apartment, her eyes instantly locked onto Jake. He was having a conversation with Pooch and Cougar, laughing and carefree. She noticed the cuts and bruises on his face and arms, knowing there were more under his clothes. It took all her strength not to run over and kiss each one.

She stood awkwardly by the door with the bags of food in her hands, waiting. Jake turned his head and looked right at her. Holding her breath, Y/N searched for any spark of recognition in his eyes. He watched her quizzically, but gave no other reaction. Maybe she should have worn the droids shirt she had on when they first met.

Jake, seeing no one else moving to help, rose from his chair to assist. Giving an apologetic smile as he took the bags from her, “Sorry about that. Do we owe you anything?”

She blinked at him, “Huh?”

“I'm not sure who paid for the dinner,” he lifted the bags in question closer to eye level.

“Oh, I did. It was my turn.”

Jake stared blankly at her, before tilting his head, “So we know you?”

“Yes, I’m part of the team. I'm - I’m Y/N, your girlfriend.”

He threw his head back, “Ha! Very funny. Which one of them put you up to this?” Jake looked around the room for the culprit.

It felt like a snake winding around her heart. Why didn't he believe her? She looked at the group with worried eyes. This was getting uncomfortable for everyone. “No, it's not a joke. We’re together. We just had our fourth anniversary two months ago.”

“Oh,” Jake's eyebrows furrowed. He looked Y/N up and down, frowning. “Um, nice to meet ya. I guess.” Turning his back to her, he walked the food to the table. His splitting headache returned, thoughts swirling and unable to stick. He hated this.

Y/N didn't miss the pity in everyone’s eyes as she silently followed. She sniffed, trying to prevent the tears from falling. Her second first impression was turning out worse than the original.

During the meal, Jake sat in the chair next to her. His body tense, his smiles tight lipped and forced, unlike before. He avoided her gaze, scowling whenever Y/N tried to start a conversation. She made the mistake of touching his arm, and he recoiled. Her stomach was in knots, not understanding why he was reacting so harshly to her.

After everyone ate, Jake and the guys set up the poker table. He watched the women talking, growing bitter. As they brought over more drinks, he turned back to his friends, “This sucks. I deserve a hot babe like Aisha or Jolene. How'd I get stuck with the boring fat chick? Love of my life,” he scoffed, “I don't think so. Waste of my life maybe.”

Y/N froze in shock, her lip trembled. He couldn't have meant what he just said.

Pooch jumped to her defense, “Jensen what the hell, man? How could you say something like that? Amnesia or not, you’re never this rude and disrespectful. You may not remember right now, but Y/N is everything to you.”

“If you like her so much, why don't you date her,” he sneered.

”I have,” Clay retorted. “That’s how she came to work with us. Aisha and I were on a break and we dated. So I have first hand knowledge of how amazing she is.”

Jake’s voice filled with disdain, “Then why aren't you together? Perhaps it's because my first instincts about her were right. She can't be trusted and shouldn't be on this team.”

“Listen jackass, it’s because I decided to hire her. And you know I prefer my women a bit batshit crazy. She’s too sweet for me, but she’s perfect for you. You both have been smitten with each other from day one.”

Briefly turning to Y/N before refocusing on Clay, Jake shrugged, “I don't feel a damn thing when I look at her. Now that Aisha, she’s got parts of me stirring. Maybe I should steal her from you instead. Or have a different girl each night, like my man Cougar. Now that's the way to play it. Why tie myself to one woman, especially that one.”

There was an uproar from the group as Y/N sprinted to the bathroom, sobbing. Everyone began yelling at Jensen for his behavior. He fought back until his migraine got too severe. His vision blurred and he felt sick. Remembering his condition, the team felt guilty for the distress they caused. Cougar drove him back to his sister’s, while the women checked on Y/N.

Jolene rubbed Y/N’s back, trying to console her devastated friend. “You know his mouth is faster than his brain. He…”

“Talks out of his ass,” Aisha finished.

Jolene gave her a pointed look before continuing. “You two are amazing together. Just be patient, things will be better soon. This will all be like a bad dream before you know it.”

It was getting harder to breathe, the snake wound tighter and tighter. Y/N tried believing, but doubts and insecurities screamed in her head. And somehow the loudest was the one whispering, ‘You lost him and he's never coming back.’

---------------

Stephanie kept the team updated on Jake’s progress, or lack thereof. He spent the next two weeks hiding in her guestroom, sleeping or on his laptop, refusing to talk about what happened. In fact, he wasn’t speaking much to her or Hannah at all. Her brother’s silence was deeply concerning. To her memory, he’s never been quiet for more than ten minutes at a time. Hell, the man even talks in his sleep sometimes.

No one could imagine how hard this was for Y/N. They encouraged her to hold on just a little longer and her Jakey would be back to normal.

He doesn't mean it. You guys didn't hit it off the first time either. Keep trying.

You two need to spend more time together. You know he is crazy about you.

Sometimes brain injuries can lead to personality changes. This is temporary. The man loves you.

He will remember and come crawling to you with his tail between legs, begging for forgiveness.

He's not himself right now. He hasn't even been following how Hannah's soccer team is doing.

Give him another chance.

---------------

It was Tuesday night so the Losers went to their favorite hangout, Bar None, for half price drinks. Everyone was surprised when Jensen showed up in an Uber. Y/N did her best to greet him with warmth and a bright smile. For the next hour she tried talking with him, mentioning things from their life together and unsuccessfully keeping his eyes and attention on her.

Regrettably, he didn't give her the chance that she was trying to give him. Jake only looked at her with hatred in his eyes, making snide remarks. Her Jakey didn't have a mean bone in his body. He would get a bit aggravated with others when presented with something he forgot, but he was acting so cruelly toward Y/N. As if his subconscious was telling him she was his worst memory and protecting himself from her. It broke her heart more to think that may be true. She tried to hold her ground, but he was winning and his eyes were wandering.

Right now Jake was busy flirting with some redhead by the bar. The new him was surprisingly smooth. The woman responded to whatever he was saying with giggles and soft touches to his arm. After getting the chick’s number, he walked back to the booth like he won a trophy. He was met with a sea of disappointed and angry faces.

“What's wrong cougar, ya pissed I'm taking all your tail? The handsome cool laconic stranger act only goes so far pal. I'm on a roll tonight.”

Aisha’s fingers twitched, aching to grab her gun and shoot Jensen in the leg. “You’re pathetic. You are going to hate yourself when your memories are back. You’re royally fucking up here. The real Jake only has eyes for Y/N.”

Jake was sick of everyone telling him what he should feel. “Well, I'm not that Jake, I'm this Jake and this Jake doesn't want to go home with the ugly fat ass.” He looked at Y/N with disgust. Then raised his bottle in the redhead's direction, “I prefer to sample the riper fruit.”

The snake sunk its fangs in. Swallowing her hurt and humiliation, Y/N grabbed her purse and jacket, apologized to her teammates and headed out of the bar. Jake smiled at her retreat. ‘Good,’ he thought. His head felt better already.

Clay followed after his recruit, grabbing her arm before she got outside, “Don't go.”

“What's the point? Y/N screamed, her eyes watering. “You heard how he truly feels about me. We're clearly over.”

“He just doesn't remember.”

“And he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to know me. He wants nothing to do with me. What we had must have been some huge cosmic fluke. I have no other explanation for how he could stand to be with me.” She shook her head, arms falling limp at her sides.

“Y/N.” Clay clasped her shoulder, unable to find the words to comfort her.

“Don't Worry, I'll get my own fat ass home.”

Cougar was furious. Jensen was directing his confusion and ire toward the person he needed the most. Y/N did not deserve this. As his friend got up to get another beer, Cougar stood in his way.

Jake sidestepped, only to be blocked again. “What’s your problem, Cougar?” he snapped.

“How dare you… You haven't shut up about that woman since you met. She gets you. Does all that geeky nerd shit with you. I’ve never seen two people so sickeningly in love. If you let her go, you are the dumbest fucking asshole on this planet.”

Jake laughed, “Wow! Tell me how you really feel.”

Cougar’s teeth clenched, "Go. After. Her."

Sparing a glance as Y/N slipped out the door, his lip curled. “I can do better.”

---------------

Clay was hesitant to allow Jensen on the new assignment in Corpus Christi. Jake begged, stating boredom and that his sister was treating him like a child. “I know I've been grouchy, but I'm fine, really. It's not like we’re even leaving the country.”

The Losers were already down a member, Aisha having business elsewhere that took precedence. Even with Y/N’s drones, three men on the ground wasn’t enough. Clay acquiesced on the condition that Jensen would alert the team if he got dizzy, his headache worsened or things became too much.

Jake was acting like his typical talkative self, but the topic was one Y/N couldn’t bear to hear. She did her best to be professional and not to let her team hear her cry.

“What a night boys. What... a… night. I’m surprised I can still move. Yasmin, that redhead from the bar, more like yaaas ma’am. I was gladly on my knees for that insatiable little sex kitten. And get this, we stopped to grab some beer and I saw a bag of skittles. Light bulb! I had the brilliant idea to trail the wet candy on her skin and lick off flavors and she was dowwwnnn for it. She…”

Y/N ripped out her earpiece, clutching her stomach. She was going to throw up. That was their secret thing. Jake loved saying he wanted to ‘taste the rainbow’ in public and it meaning something kinky.

The snake consumed her heart whole. Their love was gone. The shared laughs, the kisses, the cuddles, the sex, the conversations were gone. Their precious and too little time together now only memories. He wasn't her Jakey anymore.

Her Jake made her feel special and beautiful. He showed her everyday that he loved her dearly. He would never do this to her, never treat her like this. He’d kick anyone's ass that made her feel less than. He never let her doubt herself, always knew how to make her laugh. Her sweet motormouthed goofball was gone. She didn’t recognize the man that took his place.

What were you supposed to do when your whole world shattered in front of you?

Y/N could not continue working with them. It was too hard. Staying would surely kill her. Angrily wiping at her eyes to clear her blurred vision, she took a series of deep breaths. The monitors needed to be watched properly. She could at least do that. She could keep the Losers safe one last time.

Putting her comm back in, she knowingly subjected herself to hearing Jensen spill more details about his wild night with that woman. Y/N stayed online until they were back inside the safehouse.

Getting out of the van, Jensen tried to convince the team to go out. “We’ll grab a little surf and turf. Then find a nightclub to drink, dance and mingle. Come on guys, let’s get this party started.”

Everyone adamantly refused.

“Then let's stay for another day and go swimming at the beach. I'm sure there’s an army of bikini clad hotties just waiting to be wooed by us manly men.” His friends looked at him with disapproval. “What, I'm horny.”

Clay knew she was still there, he stayed on as long as she did. Not saying a word until, “I'm so sorry, Y/N.”

---------------

Another Tuesday, another night at Bar None, only this time Y/N met the Losers to resign. She wanted to have a goodbye drink with her friends.

Pooch embraced her, “Don’t leave us. Don't leave him.” He was unaware that over his shoulder, she could see Jensen with his tongue down a brunette’s throat.

“I can't. I'm sorry, I can't.” She couldn’t stay and watch this again.

Aisha shook her head, she wasn’t a hugger and found the loss of her friend not something to celebrate.

“If you need a glowing recommendation, you know who to call.” Clay smiled, understanding she had to do what was best for her.

Y/N returned the gesture, “I already landed another job. I’ll be leaving the country in a few days.” She handed a business card to her former boss. “This is the real estate agent willing to sell the house. If you could give that to Jensen, or he can keep it. I don’t care.” She refused to cry again.

Cougar took Y/N’s hand, glaring at Jensen who was walking their way with his new conquest. He placed a lingering kiss on her hand, slipping her a small piece of paper in the process.

“I’m going to miss you Losers.” Y/N finished her beer and walked out of their lives.

Clay’s fists clenched, “Jensen, consider yourself suspended. Effective immediately.”

Jensen rolls his eyes, “Tsk, why? Because we lost a ton of dead weight. You should be thanking me.”

“Because you have proven the ‘new you’ cannot be trusted. You can return to duty when you're back to your old self… I need a team I can depend on and right now you are the farthest from that.”

“You’re serious?” Jensen dragged the brunette with him to find another booth. “Whatever, I don't need this shit.”

---------------

(3 weeks later)

Jake groaned, sleepily scooching closer to cuddle the warm body beside him. “Mmmm, my Angel.”

“Ooh baby, you ready for another round?”

Jumping at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Jake scrambled out of the bed. He grabbed his gun and aimed it at the unknown woman. “Who the fuck are you? What did you do to my Angel?”

Her eyes grew as big as saucers, “I don't know who you're talking about, you goddamn psycho. We came here alone.”

Gun in hand, Jake began tearing through the apartment, searching for any evidence of Y/N.

“I'm calling the cops. Get out of my goddamn house,” she screamed, throwing his clothing at him.

Picking up his belongings, Jake yelled back, “I'm going, stop screaming.”

“Go fuck yourself, you fucking freak!”

Jake ran out holding his clothes, managing to get his boxers on as he fumbled down the stairs. Fishing his phone out of his pants, he dialed Y/N. Instead of his girlfriend’s voice, he heard ‘We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service.’ ‘That can't be right.’

Once outside, he put his glasses on and looked around, not recognizing a thing. ‘Where the hell am I?’ He redialed. “Come on Angel, please.” He received the same message. 

A dark cloud of understanding enveloped him. ‘Oh God. What the fuck did I do?’ “You fucking idiot, what did you do?”

Jake trembled, “This can't be real. It's a nightmare. That's all it is.” He squeezed his eyes shut and began slapping his face. “Wake up you loser. Come on, wake up. WAKE THE FUCK UP!”

The sound of sirens approaching, and the sting of his cheeks proved a consciousness that he couldn’t accept. His eyes remained closed, “Please.”

The End

A/N: Thank you to everyone that has read this version or the original. I appreciate you all. I’d love to know your thoughts.

* Bad klingon: HIja' = yes, bangwI'= my love, Ha' = let’s go 

Sequel: Love Me Again

[joyrose-fandomer]

My issue with Minecraft live is, I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Everytime it's ooooh an auto crafter! So cool! Are they actually adding it or are they lying to themselves and everyone?

I'm just tired of getting fales hopes

It's the exact same thing with the minecraft mob vote

I wanted crabs and penguins for years!

Why can't I have them?

Because the armadillo is better?

But it's not? It's the same! It's the exact same!

It's a cute animal! They all where! There no difference! None of them was better then the other! They where all good! And now two of them are getting stollen away...

Give them back, please

Give them back...

[queerdiazs]

some of my personal fav eddie hcs 🫶🏼

he's the oldest cousin and only boy so he doesn't know what it's like to have any older siblings, but when he met hen and chimney, he felt for the first time what it was like to be taken care of as a younger brother and he's never ever going to take it for granted

it took him a while to grieve his wife, but eventually he brings shannon's things out of storage and puts them out all over the house. sometimes it hurts, but it's all worth it when he gets to answer his son's questions about where the eccentric iron armadillo came from

when shannon found out she was pregnant, she told eddie and they decided to run away. it was fun while it lasted, but eventually they ran out of money and had to return home. he'll forever treasure those few weeks they had together; it was their happiest time.

shannon loved music, so when he's missing her he'll put on the songs she liked and dance all over the house with christopher

he LOVES watching movies at the theater and often goes alone in the mornings after he drops chris off at school. he stops at the dollar store first and get snacks and puts them in his boots to sneak them in

he's queer (it's easier than explaining the complexities of being bi and on the ace spectrum) and he's known since he was 20 years old. it wasn't a sudden realization; it hit him slowly, like snow falling one by one. he's comfortable in his queerness and he has support from his family.

he wore his wedding ring even after shannon died. he lost it, though, and he went to a pawn shop to buy another one, and then buried it next to her grave when he finally felt ready to let her go

what sold him on the 118 after graduating the academy was how hard bobby fought for him without even knowing him. he didn't have to prove himself. it was nice.

he doesn't want anymore children. he didn't even want christopher, honestly, but it takes two to tango and shannon was excited and he was, too, even though it took him a while to wrap his head around the idea of being a dad.

bobby and buck are his emergency contacts.

he used to wear his abuelo's boots because the man was a real-life cowboy and eddie wanted to grow up to be just like him

he used to love thunderstorms but after buck's accident he doesn't like them much anymore + listens to music when it's late and the thunder's too loud

he has his childhood dog's name tattooed on his leg

his favorite flower is magnolias. he likes dark chocolate covered strawberries and buys two dozen for himself every valentine's day. he brews his own sweet tea. he leaves his tomatoes on the windowsill to sun and ripen further.

bobby's like a dad to him, the kind he deserved

he had a little crush on linda when he was at dispatch (and buck LOVED it)

he loves buck, like that, but his heart's big enough for more than buck buckley and he's enjoyed every relationship he's had that led him and buck to one another

when buck proposes and they start planning their wedding, he turns into bridezilla. groomzilla?

he is a sassy dude. his mouth gets him in trouble sometimes, but he says stuff so dryly and blandly people look over it. it drives chim up the wall.

he dances with maddie at her and chim's wedding, and jee-yun, too, who stands on his shoes

he tries really hard to be normal when christopher starts dating, but it's hard when it's the kid of abbie jean gentry, pta president and eddie's sworn enemy

he visits shannon's grave often and talks with her. she's dead but he isn't gone, not when he can see her in their son's smile and hear her in their son's laughter, and he likes to tell her what chris is up to even though he's pretty sure she's watching

he loves cartoons. LOVES them, i'm so serious. i can't stress enough how INTO cartoons he is, okay.

buck said kissed him first and decided they were going on a date. eddie went batshit, didn't go to the date because he was making a list of all the reasons why he and buck shouldn't be together, and buck finds him in his kitchen and he's pissy, and eddie shows him in the list, and on it there's 'buck keeps his loft on 68. cold.' and 'buck uses too much onion powder' and 'buck doesn't wear socks to bed and he sticks his cold feet on me' and buck just laughs and laughs and laughs because they're terrible for each other, kinda, but that's what makes them perfect for each other, too. losers.

his favorite color is green and when apple came out with a green iphone he was so excited he squealed

he's a fan of country music. not that new age, jason aldean, toby keith did to country music what pantyhose did to fingerfucking type shit, but the real country music, full of outlaws and rebels and rednecks. it's one of his roman empires.

his favorite movies are twister, titanic, without a paddle, dirty dancing, and dazed and confused

patrick swayze in roadhouse was his Awakening

he enjoys sex, even with the people he had one night stands with, and doesn't care whether he tops or bottoms because it feels good regardless. he does tend to lean toward the (soft) dominant side of things, which his partners respond to beautifully

he was born 31 october 1991

he was held back a grade in middle school to give him another year of eligibility of playing baseball in high school

he was a member of ffa, held office as sentinel all throughout high school, and supports the organization still. chris is in 4h, but the high school he wants to go to has an active ffa program and eddie's really excited about it

he's soft and so full of love he doesn't know what to do with it sometimes. it just spills out of him, splashing at his feet and flooding everybody around him. he doesn't hold it in anymore because he likes the way people respond to him when they realize he's sharing his love, all smiles and acceptance and unconditional love in response

[sunlitsparks]

Chapter 1: A New Pair of Boots

Summary | Next

Chapter under the cut ☆

Hooray. Another day at work.

Honey twirled her pigtail around her fingers distractedly, watching the bustling outside from the view of the store’s front glass door. The store was a cozy little place, with shelves lining the sides of both walls and racks full of more clothing, spaced evenly enough apart for some walking space, plus two fitting rooms in the back of the store near the register. They sold a small variety of clothing including dresses, skirts, shirts and pants, shoes, and a counted selection of purses occasionally. It was mostly marketed towards feminine individuals. Being located at a small shopping center, the entire front of the store was glass, with no windows or doors located elsewhere, save for one more door in the back for employees to exit.

Working in a boutique had once been her dream job—she has always wanted to start selling her own line of clothes someday, so working in a clothing store would give her just the experience she needed to begin pitching her own sales and researching what styles customers enjoy! When she was approached with this job opportunity, she knew she had landed the jackpot. What could possibly go wrong??

Oh. Right. The fact that her store was always dead.

“Honey? You went quiet all of a sudden.”

The voice sounding from her phone jolted her out of her thoughts, reminding her that she wasn’t quite fully alone. “Sorry Mina,” she laughed half-heartedly. “Just… thinking how boring it is here!!”

“Hey, I’m sure someone will show up at some point,” her friend reassured, though Honey doubted her words. She appreciated the attempt at reassurance, though. “I’d show up myself to hang out if I weren’t getting ready for my gig tonight.”

“The gig that I’m not even gonna make it to because of work,” Honey grumbled, slumping down against the register desk even more than she was before. Her yellow mongoose friend was a talented singer, occasionally landing small gigs in local restaurants and such; Honey always did her best to be there for as many as possible. In fact, today’s gig would be the first one she didn’t make it to in the year since her friend started.

“Hey, don’t worry about it! I know you can’t help it,” her friend reassured. “It’s not like there’s many other employees there you could’ve swapped shifts with.”

The amber-colored cat sighed, twitching her tail to and fro. “Well… I just hope it all goes well for you.”

A figure moving closer towards the door caught her attention again; at first she suspected it was a passerby, on their way to one of the local restaurants or grocery stores. They appeared to be crossing the street to their side, though the longer they walked, the more they appeared to be headed straight for this location after all.

“Oh hey, looks like I’ll have a customer after all,” Honey remarked, standing on her toes to get a closer look, trying to judge what they might be looking for before they even walked in.

The longer she stared, though, the faster her heart began to beat. They were an armadillo with a dark red shell and deep blue eyes. They appeared to be on the phone as well, smiling at some point in their conversation, making Honey audibly gasp without even realizing what she was doing.

“Honey? Did you hear me?”

The armadillo raised his gaze to the door and made eye contact with Honey, and she let out a startled squeak and ducked behind the counter out of his sight. “Oh no he’s hot!!”

“What?” Mina was now dying of laughter from the other end of the conversation, and Honey flattened her ears out of embarrassment. She knew she had no reason to be embarrassed though—this was her best friend, her partner in crime, the person she shared all of her darkest secrets with!! And yet she could feel her face flushing dark red, and her fur frizzing up. “Wait, hold up, scale from 1 to 10?”

“I don’t know I can’t look again or he’ll know I’m staring!!” Honey thought to herself, trying to conjure his image in her head once more. “Probably like an 11 or something dude, he’s hot!!”

“Ohhhh,” the mongoose’s voice giggled. “Dude, go shoot your shot! He’s coming into your store isn’t he? You gotta acknowledge him anyways! Besides, I gotta go meet someone before this gig.”

“Wait Mina don’t go—”

“You got this, girl! Love ya! Byeeeeee!”

Click. The phone call ended.

“Ughhh!!” Honey groaned, kicking her feet a little. She was tempted to curl up into a ball and tuck her head between her legs, but instead she tapped her cheeks gently with her fingertips. Snap out of it, you got this!!

She grabbed a random stack of papers from one of the shelves on her side of the counter, standing back up as the bell rang, signaling the customer walking in. “Welcome to Vivienne’s Vibrant Boutique,” she called, placing the stack of papers on top of the desk, trying to play it cool as though the reason she ducked in the first place was simply to pick it up.

He was no longer on his phone, having apparently ended the conversation before walking in; he smiled shyly and mumbled a small “H’lo”, gazing around. He had a kind of lost expression on his face, giving Honey the impression he had genuinely no idea what he was doing here.

She walked out from behind the store counter, her heels clacking with every step; the sound caused the armadillo to lift his gaze again, realizing he was being approached. “Anything I can help with, doll??” she asked, giving him a smile, though she was quite convinced it came across as a goofy grin rather than comforting and inviting.

He didn’t seem to take notice of her awkwardness, however, and his eyes brightened a little, looking somewhat relieved. “As a matter of fact, yeah,” he answered. Honey’s heart fluttered more as he spoke. His voice was somewhat smooth and bright, not extremely deep but not too high pitched either, perhaps… boyish? It was rather handsome—wait, can voices be described as handsome?? Is that how that works?? “I’m looking for a gift for my younger sister; she’s been wanting some new boots, but I can’t quite decide what she likes…”

“Well you’ve come to the right gal!!” Honey giggled, immediately wishing she could smack herself. “So what does she generally like?? What activities are they going to be used for??”

“Hmm…” The armadillo rested his hand against his chin, pondering. “She’s kind of introverted, honestly. She likes to go on hikes though. So probably just for that, and school.”

“So normal wear and tear, enough for hikes though,” Honey mused, glancing around the selection available. Her eyes landed on something simple, a smooth black, slightly higher than ankle length, with zippers along the side as well as standard shoelaces, with black soles. The material was faux leather, and it was a reasonably affordable price, in her opinion.

“These are a good option,” she suggested, pointing them out to the customer. “Faux leather but very good in quality and budget-friendly too!! I own a pair of these myself in red, and really like them!!”

He looked them over, intrigued, but not quite fully satisfied, it would seem. “They do look nice… but she likes to doodle on her shoes, and I’m not fully sure these would work for that…”

How cute!! She couldn’t help but smile at the thought and at this armadillo’s thoughtfulness.

“Then this may be closer to what you’re looking for!!” she replied, passing him a different pair towards the left. The soles were rubber as well, but the outside of the shoe was white and made of hemp, providing a smoother texture. This pair lacked the zipper, and though it had shoelaces they didn’t actually tie anything; they were made more for simply slipping on and going.

“These are a little cheaper in price but still good quality as well!! Also comes in other colors and is much more ideal for drawing on.”

His expression brightened, and almost as soon as he looked at the shoe she was holding out to him, his gaze darted toward the other pairs, looking at the other colors presumably. He seemed to find what he was looking for, a shade of light green, and once he picked out the correct size, he pulled out the box and handed it to her with an adorable grin on his face.

“So what’s the occasion, a birthday or something??” I asked, walking over to the register with him so I could ring him up.

“Nah, just… her current shoes are falling apart at the soles, she needed something new, so I figured I’d pick some up for her since I got paid today.”

“Fair enough,” she replied, setting down the box and scanning them with the handheld scanner.

“So, it doesn’t look like it gets too busy here, huh?” he mused, looking sideways, almost as if… avoiding eye contact?

Is he trying to make conversation with me??

“Yeah, not really,” she laughed awkwardly, placing a hand behind her head and subconsciously rubbing behind her own ear. “Uh. Small businesses, ya know how it goes.”

“True,” he replied, glancing back at me and giving a small smile. “I work for a small construction company, so I don’t work a lot in between contracts, unfortunately. Have to pick up side hustles here and there, where I can.” “Wow, it must be tough.” Honey was lucky enough to live with a relative, so she didn’t have to rely on bills and such, and was mainly focusing on saving enough money to enroll in a fashion design course at the local university.

“Yeah, it has its challenges for sure, but I try my best to make it work,” he responded, pulling out his wallet to pay as I finished ringing him up. “Oh, uh, not that I’m trying to brag or anything—”

“Oh don’t worry, I get you,” Honey giggled, handing the armadillo his receipt. “Here you are! Anything else you need?”

“Um, yeah actually… I was wondering if I could get your number?”

“HUH?!?!” the cat exclaimed loudly, her fur and tail frizzing up with surprise. “Wh—huh—just like that??”

His gaze was warm and steady but he was flushing furiously. “I always figured a direct approach is the best way, right? I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Nonono, not at all.” Honey was shaking her head frantically, though that was perhaps also because she was a bit shaky. Her heart was beating so fast and her head was spinning. “Just—no one’s ever been so direct with me before. Not that it’s a bad thing at all!! Normally it’s a lot of beating around the bush and then I have to make the move—which, I don’t have an issue with, it’s what I’m more used to. Just, this is new but not bad!! I think you’re really cool,” she confessed quickly, realizing she was rambling. “I like your aura, and you seem really sweet, and you’re handsome, and I’d love to get to know you better!!”

“Is that a yes?” he pressed cautiously, his small smile getting slowly wider.

“Yeah!!” Honey answered, pulling out her phone to enter his contact info. “Oh, wait um—this sounds so silly!! But… what’s your name??” She realized that she also hadn’t introduced herself, but he probably already knew her name from the name tag on her blouse.

“Oh, of course!” He smacked his forehead softly, shaking his head. Once he gathered himself, he met Honey’s eyes again. To Honey, it almost felt like a scene from an anime, where the main protagonist’s hero or savior introduces themself by name in a big, epic reveal.

“My name is Mighty. Mighty the Armadillo.”

Summary | Next