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helloblobbyblobfish · 4 years ago

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Safety in coils

(Anîla refers to the mains humans as “kids”, but they all are in college, between 19 and 25.)

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The 32 of July

New place, new diary! Hello, four diary, I will call you Helbert. I think it’s a common name for Americano males. Any way, I shall present myself to you to: I am a member of the proud race of naga, but I have yet to receive a proper name, having only 34 year old in human year. I am currently trying to live away from my tribe as a sign of maturity, however. I have decided that I would also record to myself what I am doing for my descendants to know what I did. I decided also, than, given the fact that I will pretend to be a human, I need to write in their tango, so that I would be prepared to speak with them.

I shall also name myself Anîla âbhoga, as respect for my elders, and because I lack creativiti. I should try to find myself a cave before looking for a house. In all accounts I read, we need to wear “clothes” when we takes our human forms, so I will steal them later on.

See you soon, Helbert!

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2 of august

Hey, Helbert! You wouldn’t believe in the number of kids that went into the forest today. I could have eaten any of them without issue, they are so trusting! But that would end up alerting someone, and I don’t want hunters yet. Americannans; They don’t seem to realize the danger that exist, I was told of their ignorance; but it is really worrisome.

Trough, that mean that I have plenty of Americanans that can explain to me everything. I am even more persuasive that most of my clan, the reason as to why I was allowed to travel the sea unsupervised. As you serve as my “recording devices”, I think I am supposed to give you the description of the youth I have met. They all got to see my eyes and should not be worried about my half-snake appearance, but I will keep a human look next to them, as to not push their limits. I could not make them come back to me at a precise time, so I will put them back under. It would also make them less suspicious of my questions.

The first kid I found was running, and scared. I guess he was lost for a while, and got into trouble, because he had what he told me were call b-r-u-i-s-e-s. (I Made him spell it, I am learning English word I was not told existed. The excitation!) It’s brownish marks that indicate you were p-u-n-c-h-e-d. He also had a similar marks on one of his eyes, but it was black. Apparently, it is black or blue around the eyes, and as such, you call those bruises “black eyes”. He has yellow hairs, with dirt and twigs in them when I fond him, but I clean him. He had green eyes, if I saw correctly, before he saw mines. I though he was short, but all the humans I met were close to his height. He has 19 year, and is name is Noah.

A few minutes after I brought Noah at the edges of the forest, I fond another male, who is named Andrew Evans. He is really different in behavior and look. I did not tell you about the clothes! It is kind of important! Humans wear different “styles” of clothes depending of their ages, gender or role in the town hierarchical structure. Noah was wearing gray “S-w-e-a-t pants” and a red “H-o-o-d-y” with a green stripe. It was way too big on him, so I guess he and his family does not have a lot of money. He also screamed and tried to run when he saw me. Andrew Evans has black hairs that he “greased”, brown eyes, I am sure for those, I thought to ask. He is wearing blue “J-e-a-n-s” with holes he said he made himself. I guess there is a meaning, but I was asking basic questions, I will interrogate the kids more later on.

Andrew Evans also has a silver chains dangling on the side of his pants, a white “T-s-h-i-r-t” who he cover with a “Leather j-a-c-k-e-t”. He also had dangling “dog tags” around his neck, who reached lower than his “P-e-c-s”. They are by two, silvery, oval, and contain info. His “dog tags” were about his father, who got them in a war. Andrew Evans is proud of his dad and wear them. Ritualistic importance? He also tried to attack me with a knife when I met him. As punishment, I kept the “dog tags” I do not understand the meaning of some of the info, like the “AB” mark.

It appear Andrew Evans was looking for Noah, so I showed him the way to civilisation. And then, I heard cries of “Andrew”, because I presume someone went after Andrew Evans. Perhaps they do know the forests are places you get lost in, but none of the kids seemed prepared to meeting me. Are americanos forest really without nagas? How?

Any how, the third kid has a darker skin color that the other two, but it is not as dark as the skin color of the humans who live in India. He had brown hair who looked that fluffy spikes, and I had a hard time flattening, blue eyes, and was wearing another “T-shirt”. They cover only part of their arm, fascinating choice, in my opinion. He also had “Jeans”, but his were gray, and without holes. He wondered where I was coming from as he never saw me, and did not believe me when I said I was a newcomer. To worry about. I simply calmed him and told him where to find Andrew Evans. I was not sure what to ask of him. Except his name, it’s Leo

I ended falling on a fourth and final kid by complete accident, nearly an hour later, despite him apparently entering with Leo. This kid was looking at least a head taller than the rest. His name is Chris. He stated he “was” 24, witch I think is a bit old to call a human, a kid, but I have to look more into it. He is as pale as Noah and Andrews Evans. His hairs are the fabled red, and his eyes remind me of hazels. He also wears a “Leather jacket”, who he kept closed, because he wears nothing underneath, and blue “Jeans”, who should be burned given the numbers of oil stains who covered them, and also massive holes, with is knees basically being in the open. I had to tell him to change clothes, or he would be hurt if he fall. He wasn’t taking me seriously, so I put him under my gaze at this moment.

Over all, it was an excellent day to start seeing what kids human act and look like. I will go into town tomorrow to meet adults.

---

3 august

Well, wouldn’t you know, Elbert, I was using phrasing of a sentence and idoms who sound old, for someone in his thirties. One day interacting in the town, and I already got a reputation as an “old-timer”. Who could have guess? Most people are wonderful, in any case. I also bumped into Andrew Evans, Leo and Chris. They were with another kid in their age range, Steve. He is taller than Leo, but smaller than Andrew. Oh, yes. Evans is a family name rather than a composite surname. My bad.

Leo was still suspicious of me, and I wasn’t able to talk with them. He said something about “stranger danger”. I wonder if he is more afraid of other humans than what is living outside his town. What are humans doing between themselves? It would appear our knowledge of their society is dated. I need to get alone with him if I want to examine their behaviour properly. Instead I met a few adults and discreetly made their door open to me. I did take a trip to the house seller, but I will need papers and money for one. It’s more difficult than we expected when I left my home forest. There is also that man named John Miller. He seems to think I am weak because he can’t see muscle. Probably an hunter. I need to keep an eye on him too.

Wait, there are footstep sounding close. I come back once I saw who is it, and why they are here. What if they already know?

It was Noah! Unlike the others, he still wears the same clothes than yesterday. Truly poor. And because he already saw my eyes, he is so easy to put under. Actually, he is sitting right next to me, and when I took my hybrid form, he was all too happy to snuggle in. Good human. So, because he is really easy to interact with, and he told me he just often goes into the forest when he is “overwhelmed”, he will be my number one source of information! So, I will ask some questions, and note the answers into you, Ebert!

So, Noah Miller! Turn out he is the son of John Miller, who isn’t a hunter, but a construction worker. Noah seem to be hiding something about him, but I don’t want to push. Noah seems nice, I don’t want to destroy his intelligence or his being. So, I will wait till he wants to tell me for further explanations. He also doesn’t want to tell me where do those “bruises” and cuts come from. I am a bit worried for his safety. Does he try to get into fights to prove himself to his father?

Human kids his age like to play something call “video games”. I need to come to his house to play, however. Well, after I ended up asking question, we will play fetch. I heard pets like that, and I might keep Noah around, I really like him. His outfit is one he picked because he wants to cover “them”; Okay. Apparently, “cool” outfits for him show muscle, leather jackets always work, Jewellery show wealth, seem like the meanings are the same as we naga knew, just a bit differently. Jewelry

Yes, I asked Noah to correct mistakes he saw. It’s useful for my human guise. Also, Andrew is the popular kid who has a bright future. That mean he can get away with selfishness and violence, in this society. I can’t believe it. Well, as a subject and potential pet, I should give Noah a good life, so the research is put on hold the time I get the other kids to respect him.

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6 August

Hey, Albert. Been a few days, but I had to make Andrew, Chris, Steve and especially Leo way more pliant that they were. But today, they will all come to this forest with additional clothes they think would fit Noah and make him looks “cool”, so that he joins their “friend” group. It looks a bit more like a hierarchy in itself, but I will make sure they treat each other better. Win-Win for everyone! I hope I use those expression correctly. Anyway, Noah too got more contacts with me. He seems to really trust me “more than anyone” he says, but he still won’t tell me where his injuries come from. I am a bit disappointed. Seem like he made some strong barriers about it, if I force the answers from him, it would hurt his brain, a lot.

Leo has arrived. I had to get to his parents first, to be alone with him, but heh. I have a bed in their basement now. Leo was really distrustful. Now, he is a bit over-zealous to obeying me, but I don’t see any other psychological impact. I do keep an eye on him for his safety. He also is the one closer in size to Noah, so I expect his clothes to be most of the ones Noah come home with. Leo also make delicious chicken wings.

Now, Steve has arrived. Coming back to my few notes, I forgot to describe him. He has black hair, brown eyes, and the first time he saw me alone I was shirtless and that made him red, for some reason. But he doesn’t want to talk about it. He is 23. He is the drag-along man of his group, and easily scared. It amuses me to make loud noises behind his back. He jumps every single time! Today, he is wearing a sleeveless black cloth he calls “top”, and blue “shorts”. He really doesn’t know how to visit the forest.

Andrew and Noah arrived together. Andrew is surprisingly the one who brought the more clothes. When I asked, he stated he bought them. He is ironically the one who took the most the rings in my eyes, even more than Noah, who I found easy to put under. And I remind you I am strong in charm by naga standard. Andrew is also missing his dog tags. Apparently, you put “blood type” and height on it. I shall ask for their size and weight once I start the experience again.

Well, Chris is finally here. He at least wears something without “sexual innuendos” for once. I’ll admit I don’t understand them. Also, except Steve, they all have a weird combo with leather jackets and ties, to welcome Noah into the group. Really odd-looking, even fir me, and the fact that I wear “professionals” clothes all the time makes people talk. Noah, of course, is wearing a hoody and “baggy” pants. I’ll tell you how it went.

Really well!!! Now, Noah has a collection of “gym” clothes, rings, chains… the perfect “streetwear”, as Chris said. The boys are all very happy playing with the ball I gave them. And they all are super happy when I tap their head to signify that they are good boys. I’m so happy they stopped using gel, I can play with their hairs. But play time is over. I’m going back to studying them and their interactions, so they aren’t aware I was ever in their lives for now. I want to see them act normally.

Wait, why is Andrew berating them all. I understood he was mean to people outside his group, but he is controlling of the people in it? Chris is obeying him without question and making subtle threat for the others three to follow? Noah is afraid??! Leo is just done with this and complaint but does not act? Steve is not shivering like Noah, but I think he is afraid too. How could I miss that, and how can I let this happen in front of my eyes? I’ll be right back, Albert!

---

So, they have been some changes in the group dynamics of the boys. Now, Leo is the leader one. He also asks for my opinion on things and agree that I am smarter and wiser than him, and as such, my decisions are absolute and override his. Andrew is really happy to be led. He takes more easily to my suggestions than the others, so he is “living the dream”, as the “omega” of his group. I don’t know what that mean, he declared himself one. In his opinion, Leo is an “alpha” and the rest are “beta”. Andrew also wanted to classify Chris as the second-in-command, but I preferred Noah, because I have to admit at being biased, but Noah doesn’t want to lead, and Leo will be a great leader under my guidance, and he wanted to be the “top dog”.

Chris is really the one who got the best changes, though. He was really afraid of what to do without someone who use him as a muscled henchman, so now, he can suck up all type of information. His “G.P.A” will improve, thanks to that. We might have a “smart one”, after a trip to the library. And the, there is Steve. I don’t know what to do with Steve. Steve never showed much personality. When I asked him how he would describe himself, he said “gaie”, which mean cheerful in French, is I remember correctly. Didn’t appear that happy for me… Well, now, he is being nicknamed “the cheerleader” by his friends. They will not question the changes, but I think I will have to drop by their parent’s house later.

Well, I’m glad to see they all are having fun. Leo started a “soccer game”. Look interesting. Steve is cheering for them because they are an odd number. He seems decided to compliment Chris on his muscle, for some reason. Well, he also commented a few times about mine. Maybe he just put a lot of attention in physical health. I’m going to watch.

August 8

At the teaching place the boys are going (I though in English it was called school, but the refer to it as college), Noah is now one of the centres of attention, as a new friend of Andrew and thanks to his new look. Steve convinced him to wear “guyshadow”. Didn’t expect it to work well with the dark lines under Noah’s eyes (named “eye’s bag”, this language relies on such obvious terms, it’s worrying me. Are humans worried about being incomprehensible? It’s probably not the only human one to be this on the nose, but the only one I’m good at.), but now, he has a lot of weird attention from females and a few males, including Steve. I don’t understand why is external looks and money so much more important that what’s inside for humans.

Wait, I hear sobs. Why is Noah in pain?

HIS FATHER WAS VIOLENT TOWARDS HIM!!! THE FIEND! HE DESERVED BEING REDUCED TO A HUSK BY ME! SO GLAD HE IS NOW OUT OF NOAH AND MISS. MILLER’S LIFE!! Now, I heard a mother without a husband faces hardship in this “tolerant” society humans call America, so I will make sure the remaining Millers in town are wall-loved. I think I will move my human place from Leo’s house, he is okay, and go to live with Noah and his mom Susan.

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August 10

Albert, while I was playing with Noah, he called me Dad. Apparently, it means he sees me as a major role model, and it’s a sign of a deep bond, said Susan. She seemed ready to laugh, and also a bit awkward, when she said that to me. Well, I’m glad he thinks so highly of me! I also think highly of my pet. Now, he is completely open to any change in personality or look I ask of him. I have a little doll I can dress and make talk as I want. He is a cowboy, a pre-re-education Andrew, a hunter, a servant. I asked of my sister she send me some jewelry, and now, he has wonderful gold hoops in his ear, and a silver chain with an emerald that he show to no one, but whose touch remind me of how good he is while looking at me... Truly, I am enjoying this study.

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Author’s note (how do you make italics on Tumblr?): So, this is a story I wrote in Summer 2020 for a contest about supernatural on a hypno-site. I planned to make a one-shot, then I liked the characters too much and started making an universe for them. If you have questions on them, I probably have some answers. It feature no pron, so I though. You know what, I should publish my own stuff on Tumblr. Hope you people enjoy

#male hypnosis #naga #no sex #sfw #hypnosis #tw: abuse #?#personality change #safety in coils #forgot tu put the series tag oh my god

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casualneonglitterpainterposts · 4 years ago

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"First Encounter"

So this is the story/ how I imagine Jules met/ encounter Michael and how she kinda ended up falling for him...

Heads up there is a little bit of violence in this- It’s not OTT though..

It was early evening, Jules had finished her last coaching session for the day- so she went down to her fave place- the batting cages for a while to smash up some balls for a bit. As she left the pitching ovals with her duffle bag and bat in hand, from within the shadows- “The Shape'' had been there the whole time. He’d been secretly watching Julie for many days, weeks and months- she seemed to intrigue him, causing feelings he’d never had before to rise inside him and now he just wanted her all to himself …

Of course he followed her discreetly and from a distance to the batting cage to watch her some more- watching such a sweet and loving woman like her show her wild side and smash the crap out of baseballs was very therapeutic (seeing this side of her was a bit of a turn on too).Soon after arriving and getting in the cage, Jules let herself get lost in the moment and started smashing out those baseball without a care in the world. Time certainly flew by, Jules had been there for two hours, she’d been having a great time smashing some balls- her hard hitting had a small crowd of kids standing there watching in amazement from the other side of the cage. She smiled and decided to teach em’ to hit like her too. Though from behind the dark shadows between an empty batting cage, he watched her- she was so beautiful, so sweet and certainly knew how to swing a bat alright- his heart pounding harder against his chest as he watched some more …

Hours later, it was just her and the owner, (Michael too of course, in the shadows- he probably wandered off and killed a few people though). The owner was beginning to close up- after hitting her last ball, she turned off the machine, put down her bat and cleaned the cage up. Now she was done Jules grabbed her towel, patting the small droplets of sweat from her forehead- then picked up her duffle bag and bat, walking out the cage and towards the front door..

On her way out Mr. Hardstone called out smiling and waving..

“Goodbye Julie, you have a good night now deary”.

Julie (looking over her shoulder and waving back): “Oh, Goodbye Mr.Hardstone, you have a lovely night too”.

And with that she made her way down the road, by foot of course back to her grandparent’s house. On her way home of course, she without her knowledge was followed by “The Shape”.

As she was making her way back home, at least halfway down the street from her grandparents place- Julie was attacked by a bunch of creeps.. Michael of course (from within the shadows of the street lights) wouldn’t let harm come to this woman…

“Hmmm, what’s a pretty lil’ thing like you wandering the streets late out at night?” (Creep leader says with a disgusting pervy smirk on his face)

Rolling her eyes in frustration and with her bat out in front of her- Jules swung it wildly towards them to protect herself..

“Get lost .. you sick pervs, keep your filthy mitts to yourself” (Jules yells as she continued to swing her bat about).

Though she swung her bat hard out in front to protect herself, the creeps were getting closer and closer to her..

As she swung her bat once more, one of the strong looking creeps grabbed a hold of it and threw it aside on the street, Poor Jules was a little frightened right now, but she wasn’t ready to let them get away with what they were trying to do to her. She then swung her fists at them, using her taekwondo and self defense skills to protect herself..

“G..GET BACK!!!.. O..OR ELSE. I MEAN IT!!!” Jules shouted at them with a tremble of fear in her voice

“Or else what?” (the creep leader snickers at her as they cornered her)....

“O..OR.. OR…” (Still swinging her fists at them)

“GOTCHA!!!!!”

“ARGH!!!!!!!!” ….. “LET GO OF ME.. RIGHT NOW!!!!” Jules cried out yelling, kicking and screaming.

The Creep leader came up close with that pervy smirk still on his face, Jules still kicking and screaming..

“Hmm.. Now why would we wanna do that little lady?”

Jules swung her leg and kicked him hard in the arm.

“Oof, you certainly know how to kick don’t you sweetheart. Come now, let’s teach this feisty little firecracker a lesson boys” (the creep leader says rubbing his arm where she kicked him)...

“No, No.. Keep you filthy hands away.. Don’t touch me” (she screamed with a tremble in her tone).

As he watched from the shadows, a deep rage was growing inside…

Jules was still kicking and screaming- as she turned her head to the side, one of the creeps went from behind to inappropriately touch her…

“NO.. NO.. DON’T TOUCH ME!!!.. LEAVE ME ALONE, LET ME GO” (Jules cried once more freaking out and panicking a little).

“Now, sweetie, there’s no need to be like that. I just wanna have some fun”( he says in a disgusting fake sweet tone)...

Just as he was about to let his hand caress the sides of her beautiful body, from behind- lurking in the shadows, a tall figure with a chef’s knife pierced right through his neck. Instantly he fell to the ground bleeding to death- everything went silent, the men froze in fear and their faces went pale white when they turned around to see that it was none other than Michael Myers…

Julie couldn’t believe her eyes- it was really him. As she was still in the grasp of that filthy creep that grabbed a hold of her, she watched Michael tear apart these disgusting men with his bare hands. Watching him use such sheer strength certainly made her blush a little, oh boy he was certainly strong. As the guy holding onto her freaked out- watching this brute kill every single one of his mates, he dropped Jules aggressively to the ground. Jules quickly got up and as hard as she could- sucker punched him right in the face as hard as she could.

Her elbows and knees were scratched up and scraped a bit, they were quite sore and poor Jules was left a little shaken up too. But she hobbled over to the tree nearby best she could to lean up against it before she fell. As she stood there leaning against the tree, she continued to watch this hunky strong brute tear these creeps to shreds.

As Michael broke the neck of yet another creep, the Creep leader was watching- enraged as he was, he quickly pulled out Mikey’s knife from his friend and charged towards him, piercing the blade of his knife right through his thick muscular arm. Julie wasn’t going to stand around anymore- though a little wobbly on her legs, she managed to grab her baseball bat. Just as he turned around, Jules did her killer swing and smashed him real hard across the face and head- knocking him to the ground unconscious. All the creeps were on the ground, surrounded by nothing but road and blood- though after pulling the knife from his arm, Michael plunged it right through the unconscious bastard's spine- standing there staring and doing his good old head tilt.

Jules, though still very wobbly in the legs and ever so sore managed to retrieve her duffle bag and towel- with them and her baseball bat in her arms she turned around, though as she turned around Michael was right behind her. Jules blushed as she stared up at him- her heart racing wild and her legs shaking a little more. He was so tall (Jules was only “5’2” tall) and his heavy breathing from behind his mask was a little freaky too.. But she could see right through him and sense that he wouldn’t harm her. Jules was more concerned about him since he was stabbed in the arm- she could see he was bleeding.

He looked back down at her through his mask, then at the dead creeps, then back at her again. Without any hesitation Michael lifted her up into his arms effortlessly Jules and her belongings too- walking her down to her grandparents house (of course he knows where she lives- he’d been watching her for weeks- following her everywhere). Jules was a little nervous at first- could you judge her?- but being in his strong arms (even if he was a killer) made her feel comforted and safe. It wasn’t long before he arrived there and made it up her grandparents front porch- unseen of course, luckily they were outta town for the next two days- so the place was dark and empty. After unlocking the front door of her grandparents house, The Shape pushed it open with his foot and walked in with her still in his arms. Shutting the door behind him, he went over and placed Jules on the couch, sitting beside her. She switched on the lamp nearby, Jules looked over at him, staring at his bleeding arm concerningly. Then courageously she scooted over a little closer to him- Then Jules grabbed his arm, firmly pressing her towel up against it to stop the bleeding…

He was surprised and huffed out loud a little..

Julie looked up into the slit eye holes of his mask sincerely...

“You’re hurt badly, please stay there, hold this. I’ll go get my first aid kit” she said in a soft sincere tone.

Looking into her sincere eyes made his face fluster and his heart pound hard against his chest- oh thank goodness the mask was covering his beet red face right now. He just grunted a little and sat there holding the towel to his bleeding arm. Though she was a little scratched up and quite sore, Jules hobbled into the kitchen, opened the cupboard under the sink, grabbed the first aid kit and hobbled back over to the couch. She grit her teeth together from the pain as she sat down, nevertheless she ignored it and opened up the first aid kit- she then got him to move the towel and uncover his arm.

“Alright then, um.. Can you take your arm out of your sleeve so I can clean it up? Please?” Jules asked nicely.

Michael just grunted (still flustered under his mask)- though after being a little stubborn at first, he unzipped his coveralls a little and took his arm out of his sleeve. Jules just sat there with a damp cloth, her face glowing all cute and rosy. Once his arm was uncovered, she gently wiped the wound with the clean damp cloth, then pat the surface of it dry. She then grabbed the antiseptic ointment- as she was grabbing it, Michael turned his eyes towards her for a moment, but the minute she turned back towards him- he looked the other way still blushing and flustered underneath the mask, yet still heavily breathing too. Placing a small amount of the ointment on her finger, she looked up at him ..

“This might sting a little, sorry about that” (she says ever so sweetly).

So she gently applied the ointment , dressed his wound and wrapped the dressing with a bandage. Then out of habit (since she’s used to doing first aid for children- especially since she’s a baseball coach and occasionally encounters injuries) she gently laid a small soft kiss on his bandaged wound. With his face burning red under his mask, Michael quickly covered up his arm with his sleeve again and awkwardly grunted of course. Jules moved back a little, blushing and apologising.

“I...I’m so sorry if I upset you, it was something I just do out of habit since I’m used to doing that for the kids I coach when they get hurt and patched up” she says blushing a little deeper.

He sat there, still heavily breathing- burning red under the mask. Though he felt a bit bad for the way he reacted, Michael knew her intentions were good. He looked over at her- she was blushing and averting her eyes. To reassure her that it was alright, he brushed his thick fingers over her hand and grunted a little softer than before. Jules looked up, eyes wide open and her face all cutesy and red. A small gentle smile crossed her face, she then gently touched his hand back. As she moved her leg, she scrunched up her face a little from the pain, she grabbed the first aid kit and got a clean wet cloth..

Though just as she went to clean her wounds, out of the blue- surprisingly, Michael got a hold of her wrist- not tightly though- taking the cloth from her hands he began to clean up her wounds. Julie’s face went bright red, but she just sat there and let him do so. Though he might have been a little rough cleaning (he did his best to be gentle for her) but she knew he meant well. Then he patched them up with a few thick bandaids and sat there after doing so. She sat up slowly, still blushing bright red Julie mumbled…

“O..oh.. um..Th..Thank You for that”...

“Hmm” he grunted back softly as he watched her get up and put the first aid kit away.

By now it was getting pretty late, Jules was pretty much tired now- she made sure the front door was locked , then turned off the lamp beside the couch. Though as she headed towards the staircase, once again she was swept off her feet into Mikey’s arms- her face glowing all rosy as he carried her up the stairs to her room. Placing her down on her bed he stood there looking down at her ….

“Oh um, thank you. You didn’t have to do that” Jules said with a cute awkward smile on her face.

She then got up, going into her en suite, she closed the door over and changed into her pyjamas- getting herself ready for bed. Once she’d gotten herself ready Jules poked her head out the door a little- Mikey was still standing there- though she was surprised he wasn’t running off before that nutter Loomis and the cops turned up down the street looking for him. It was cute though how he was concerned about her. She gently pushed the door open and hopped into bed- resting her head down on the pillow and staring up at the ceiling. Of course though, Michael sat himself down at the end of her bed (on the end of her bed mattress)- watching over her as he heavily breathed through the mask. She laid there with a small sincere look on her face, she let her fingers brush over his hand again as she fell asleep. She soon fell into a deep slumber, he just sat there staring as Jules cuddled into her quilt, peacefully resting. As he let his fingers brush over her arm, Michael stood up glancing over at her slumbered body as he left her room- quietly closing the door behind him. He made his way out into her grandparents backyard and out of that street before Loomis and the cops came along.

As he got back to his hide away, without alarming anyone- “The shape” slumped himself into his chair, taking off his mask- sitting there with his face resting in the palm of his worn hand for a moment, then after he unzipped his coveralls, he just sat there in silence looking at his bandaged arm… As his gaze remained focused on his arm, all he could see was Jules cutely placing a sweet kiss upon his arm. His face flustered a little pink, his heart felt a warm sensation he’d never felt before.. Love. How could a cold blooded killer fall for such a sweet being like her? Though it didn’t really matter, she was the one being he wanted to protect rather than kill. Michael soon found himself drifting into a light sleep- only to wake up a few hours later to go out killing again.

Dawn soon rose, Jules awoke to find that Michael had left. She still couldn’t believe that he’d saved her like that or how he just let her patch him up. Jules knew that he wasn’t a monster- looking deep into his eyes- she could see the pain in them. She knew he just needed someone to show him true affection. As she got herself out of bed, showered and dressed, the only thing Jules could think about was when she’d encounter or when Michael would show up again...

#julie osteen #jules #halloween 1978 #my original character #my oc #first encounter #michael myers x oc #michael myers

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chadsinclair · 3 years ago

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How millennial Disney star and.

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Deadline loomed on May adidas stan smith j white tactile blue 23, 2008, Ifergan made the purchase: the first ticket came in before the deadline but the ticket with the fateful numbers burped out seven seconds after the cut off.. They are studying. "Humans are just farm animals," Cain says at one point, pinning Shido body beneath his own on a bed, pouring a glass of blood into the struggling lavender haired vampire screaming mouth, "Eat as many as you want."Hey, if someone told ME to do that in HIS voice. The way was cramped and twisty, and so low that Hodor soon was crouching. You should not in any way force cortege every day. ‘You’re a base man,’ she horno teka hc 610 me blanco had said to him at parting. Taiwan was also a zealous Nike Air Max 24 7 Men Grey/Black participant in this year's shoes fair. Her brown hair was tied back in a knot.. But they also reflect light when released in the atmosphere, which keeps sunlight out and causes Earth to cool. The regular oval of his rather swarthy face, his superb teeth, his small, rather thin, beautifully chiselled lips, his rather long straight nose, his high forehead, on which no wrinkle could be discerned, his rather large grey eyes, made him handsome, and yet his face did not make a pleasant impression. “I earned my spurs in Dorne. I did not do none of that, Oakley said. Clarke: (sighs) I'm never going to understand you and I don't want to anymore. I noticed that she was making great effort to suppress her emotion, as though too proud to let me see it. Perhaps he should have asked the washerwoman. His braid was black and shiny, his skin as dark as burnished copper, his eyes the shape of bitter almonds. I didn't even think he drank. If you're suffering from osteoarthritis in your hands, it certainly has nothing to do with this nervous tic. I proved it to him, even from his own point of view. After it had been parked on the driveway for hours. 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In all, the Census counted 13,404 Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders last year (including 4,145 children in Oregon), still just 0.35 percent of the state's population.

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sympathyfortheblinderdevil · 4 years ago

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All Is Fair: Ch. 17 Buying Forgiveness

Tommy has been a shithead, so he tries to buy Lia's forgiveness. Little does he know, she would have totally forgiven him anyway. In the time leading up to Christmas, Lia forms a bond with Charlie and encourages Tommy to do the same.

Tommy was a half-drunk, half-delirious mess. His shambolic footsteps dragged on the stairway, pitching him forward as Lia struggled to keep him from falling. For the previous hour, he’d been whispering what she could only categorize as confession into her hair; at least, that’s what she thought it was, for she could understand very little of it. She had finally convinced him to go back to bed, which led to her current predicament. She wedged her shoulder underneath his arm and coaxed him, “I’ve got you, Tommy, but you have to help me,” and they haltingly made their way to her bedroom.

When they reached their destination, she paused at the door to switch on the light, and in a moment of lucidity, he suddenly rasped, “Don’t... No lights.” He was raw enough to feel shame and to want to hide his face from her.

Once he was on the bed, she helped him out of his jacket, her arm grazing the cold steel of his pistol as she did so. She flinched, then turned her back to drape the heavy garment over the chair. Did Tommy shoot back, or did he just run for cover? she wondered. She stood there trying to collect herself, breathing in and out, pushing those thoughts down. For a fleeting moment, she thought to walk away… just go out into the warm brightness of the hallway and down the stairs to her parlor... leave him to deal with undressing himself, and let him sleep it off. But, just behind her, she heard his shaky breaths and his fumbling hands struggling with leather straps. A rush of almost maternal warmth enveloped her, compelled her to stay, and reminded her that for all his faults she was hopelessly in love with him. When she turned to face him, his glassy eyes apologetically searched for hers as she undid his gun holster. Once freed, his arms went around her. He pressed his face into her belly and he mumbled, “Stay with me, Lia. Don’t leave me.”

Moonlight shone through the window in a muted sliver of luminescence and played off of the silver strands that hid in Tommy’s hair. She brushed it away from his forehead and promised, “I won’t leave you, baby. I won’t ever leave you.”

He was high. The vulnerability he showed her tonight would vanish in the morning, but Lia couldn’t help hoping that Tommy would reveal some small bit of his pain to her once in a while. She couldn’t pretend to understand the brutality and the coldness that overcame him, and the precision with which he could compartmentalize that part of his life. How could he put all of the horrors to one side and just get on with things? But if he could show her that on some level it bothered him, that he had still had a soul to save, she could try to be what he needed.

When she had him stripped down to his undershirt and drawers, she shrugged out of her dress, climbed in beside him, and sank into a deep dreamless sleep.

***

In the days that followed the shooting Tommy and Lia didn’t discuss what had happened. It had been kept out of the papers, so no one outside of Tommy’s immediate circle even knew about the killings or Tommy’s injury. For her part, she was apprehensive about reliving the shock of what had happened to Rodney and the realization that Tommy was much more flawed than she had previously let herself believe. Jenny had tried to tell her about the violence and criminality that were as much a part of him as his pale blue eyes, but until she was faced with the aftermath of the attack and the subsequent murder of the attackers, she hadn’t wanted to believe her.

The Tommy that she fell for was a devilishly charming, handsome man. He told her that he did bad things, but he had an art collection and country estate for God’s sake! She had naively believed him when he said that people didn’t come after him anymore even though it contradicted all evidence. She had never known anyone who needed to carry a gun everywhere, but she had never known a member of Parliament. Maybe all MPs carried guns, she had reasoned. Every warning and every red-flag sailed right past her because she was mesmerized by the warm smell of his skin, the velvet at the nape of his neck, the soft words he breathed into her ear when they were alone.

The little trip to Watery Lane with Polly reminded her that he came from hard beginnings, but it took watching Charlie Strong stitch up a gash from an enemy’s bullet to drive the point home: Once a gangster, always a gangster. Maybe that was what Polly was trying to make her see all along. When she thought back to the way he reacted when she confronted him about Rodney she felt dread. He changed into someone else before her eyes. Polly’s words echoed in her memory, He did have a big heart. Did. Past tense. But then, he was so tender with her afterward. She made herself believe that there was hope for him after all, that Tommy was the paradoxical hard man with a heart. He was ruthless on his climb to the top and would always have a target on his back, so yes, he had to be hard. It was so much an ingrained part of Tommy’s life that he simply accepted it and moved on. She wanted to be like Tommy, and accept it, too.

Consequently, they fell into a comfortable pattern of denial. Nearly every day after it happened, she received a delivery of one kind or another—Flowers one day, a basket of exotic fruits the next, a box of wine and cheese from Harrods, a box of chocolates imported from Switzerland, it went on and on. On the nights he came to stay with her he brought antique volumes of poetry (obviously Ada’s idea) and a diamond bracelet to match the necklace he had already given her. She wanted so much to tell him that he didn’t need to buy her forgiveness, but pointing that out would only draw attention to the subject they were trying to avoid. Instead, she shared her fruits and chocolates with the girls at the library and drew jealous gasps from them as she told about the first edition Shelley that Tommy had given her.

As the holiday season drew closer, Lia finished working out her notice at the Birmingham branch of the library in preparation for her transfer to London. Naturally, she began to spend more time at Arrow House. Charlie was finished with lessons, so he and Lia fell into a pattern of riding, playing games, and baking cookies. At first Tommy had reservations about the growing boy hanging around the kitchen, but then Arthur reminded him of all the winter afternoons that John spent at Polly’s elbow making the Christmas treats. Ultimately, Tommy felt that while he was at work it was nice that someone besides a maid was with Charlie.

He especially enjoyed the greeting he received at the end of a long day. It was often dark when he finally pulled around the fountain and came through the door. Charlie and Lia could hear his car’s approach down the long driveway and had displaced Frances as the ones to meet him at the door. Lia would kiss his cheek and take his coat and hat while Charlie plied him with samples of their latest confections. Dinner at Arrow House was different, as well. Except for the nights that Tommy would be egregiously late, Charlie joined the grownups for dinner. Etiquette and decorum in great houses dictated that children were fed separate from the adults, and Tommy had been too busy to even question it. Lia, however, thought it was strange. She had grown up with family around the dinner table together, and she reckoned that Tommy had as well. Tommy was distant from Charlie in many ways, and she sought to remedy that where she could; having nightly dinner together was a step in the right direction.

One night after dinner, the three of them went into the sitting room for Charlie to play a while before bed. He had spent half of the afternoon setting up a racetrack, complete with pebbles marking the outline of the oval, toy horses on their marks, and toy soldiers crowded around as spectators. Tommy had one arm draped loosely around Lia’s shoulder as he chuckled lowly at the voices Charlie did for the announcers and the people in the crowd. They sipped their whiskeys and whispered their bets to each other.

“I think the black one will win by at least a length,” said Lia.

Tommy leaned closer until his nose grazed her ear. “I think it’ll be the bay. What would you like to wager, Miss?”

She looked up at the ceiling and pretended to think before replying, “How about three kisses?”

Charlie stopped galloping his horses and crowed, “Yuck, I can hear you two, you know.”

“You won’t always think it’s yucky, my boy. Now, run the race so we can see if Lia or your old dad has won.”

When Charlie was once again engrossed in the intricacies of the Derby, Tommy crossed the room to refill his whiskey. He motioned to Lia with the decanter and she joined him for a refill. They were just out of Charlie’s immediate line of sight, so he slipped his arms around her. She relaxed into his embrace and sighed, “This is lovely, but we’ll miss the end of the race.”

“I know what you are doing,” he said. His voice had taken on a more serious tone.

She put her hands on his chest and looked up. “What do you mean?”

“The dinners, the cookies at the door every afternoon, all of it,” he took a final drag from his cigarette and held her gaze as he placed the end in a nearby ashtray. “You are trying to have me spend more time with Charlie.”

“Charlie is a precious boy, and he loves you more than anything, Tommy. No matter what you may think, you deserve his love.”

Tommy stared at her in silence, stunned that she had read him so easily. She was innocent, guileless, and had no ulterior motive for what she said. She only wanted him to have a relationship with his son. The revelation both warmed him and filled him with uneasiness. He had let his mask slip in front of her, and she had seen the guilt and self-loathing that he hid from the world.

He silently blinked at her. When at a loss for how to react, his default was always to stall with a blank expression, a cigarette, and a glass of whiskey. He had stepped back from her and begun rummaging through his pockets for another smoke when Charlie’s high pitched voice called, “They’re in the final stretch!”

She turned to face the boy and his track, and as she did she caught sight of Grace’s photograph. He was far too young to remember the loss of his mother, but he knew the sting of growing up with a father who was absent due to an overwhelming sense of guilt and fear. Lia often reflected that Charlie seemed remarkably well adjusted for a child who had been through so much. She put it down to Ada and the staff, who honestly spent much more time with him than Tommy did. Then and there, she resolved to convince Tommy to have the boy stay in London with them. She couldn’t imagine being separated from him if they could help it.

***

“One of my boys should take you to your parents. I don’t like you taking the train on your own,” Tommy grumbled as his eyes shifted around and noted every shadow of the train station.

Both statements alluded to the very topic they’d been avoiding for a month—one of Tommy’s drivers being shot, and his lingering nervousness about the possibility that danger was still lurking about. Tommy hadn’t minded the train journey before, because Jenny was taking the trip with Lia. At the last minute, though, Jenny decided to stay in town an extra day with her new boyfriend, a Birmingham police detective.

“I’ll be fine. It’s just a couple of hours. Besides, I need a chance to explain to my parents about us. I can’t just swan into the village in the backseat of a chauffeured Bugatti. It’ll give my poor dad a heart attack,” she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Tommy cut his eyes at her. “I thought you said you had told them about me already.”

“They know I’m seeing you, but they don’t know how serious we have become. They definitely don’t know about London. I need time to ease them into the idea of me moving to the city with you.” She didn’t say without a ring on my finger, but it hung in the air, nonetheless.

She didn’t want their last moments before the holiday to be anything less than perfect. She wanted the Hollywood movie sendoff, complete with passionate kisses on the train platform, but she would settle for a respectable kiss and less of his moodiness. She cocked an eyebrow and turned her face up to his. He licked his lips and leaned in to oblige her. She blushed up to the roots of her hair when she thought about everywhere his lips had been just a few hours before.

They had spent the night before “saying goodbye” until well after midnight. Tommy (or his secretary) had really outdone himself. They started with an extra-long supper with Charlie. He had become quite attached to Lia and wanted a chance to say goodbye before her trip home. After Charlie went up to bed, Tommy took Lia upstairs where all her things for her trip were packed into Louis Vuitton cases.

Lia gasped, “Oh, Tommy! It’s too much!” She ran her fingertips over the leather and along the brass closures and groaned with pleasure, “Its only a three-day trip.”

He approached her from behind and nuzzled her ear, “Consider it an early Christmas gift. The rest of it is at your house.”

“The rest of it!” She shouted through bubbly laughter, spinning around and grasping Tommy’s face. He was smiling broadly and loudly kissed her.

“You’ll need it when we go to London. So you see, my girl, it’s actually a very practical gift.”

“Wool stockings are a practical gift. This cost more than the house where I was raised.”

He caressed her shoulders and his face took on a more serious expression. “Get used to it, love.”

Lia leaned into him as his hands slid from her arms to her back. He traced down and back up her spine, stopping at the top button of her dress. With achingly slow hands he undid each button while Lia pressed herself closer to his body. Maybe it was the after-dinner whiskey that had made her so giddy before, but now her head was dizzy with want and she found it hard to catch her breath.

After he slid her dress off of her shoulders he grasped her chin between his index finger and thumb and pulled her face up to his. He took in her drowsy expression, and with his eyes wide he gruffly whispered, “Lia, eh? Look at me.”

She fluttered her lashes and complied.

Tommy ground into her until she could feel the blood pulsing through his veins. “I want you to get used to having the best of everything, Lia. You are with me now, and London is on a whole other level than Birmingham. You’re a smart girl, but in London, I’ll need you to be sharp. Can you do that?”

He still had her chin in his hand, but she nodded as best as she could. She had barely breathed out, “Yes, Tommy,” before he had taken her mouth with his own. He spent the rest of the night taking everything else she could give him.

He was thinking of the same thing when he reached into his pocket for his watch. It was time. “Call me when you arrive,” he insisted as he looked her up and down. Even though she would only be gone for a few days, he wanted to remember every detail: the soft waves of her hair, the freckles on her nose, the sad smile on her deep red lips. Standing on that platform watching her go, he began to realize that he wanted her to stay. In the sober light of day, he wanted her to stay, and that worried him.

Hell yeah, I have a Masterlist!

#peaky blinders #tommy shelby #peaky blinders fiction #peaky blinders fic #peaky blinders fanfic #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby x oc #all is fair

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yastaghr · 4 years ago

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Nest(l)ing

I've been writing this one for a while now. It's a hypothetical alternate universe to Grey where Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics are at play.

Summary: A serious of snapshots for Blue's nest building as an Omega, from his first nest as a child to his first nest on the Surface.

Characters: Blue = Underswap Sans, Stretch = Underswap Papyrus, Edge = Underfell Papyrus, Red = Underfell Sans, Underswap Gaster

Warnings: Homelessness, Domestic Violence, Implied Rape/Noncon, Bad Brother Stretch

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583658

The Gaster of Underswap #832 was a lover, not a fighter. Well, in a way. Romantic or sexual love? No. Platonic love, especially parental love? Yes, please. He would happily talk about his amazing little 5 year old and his adorable little 14 month old to anyone who gave him the slightest excuse. Blue, at 5 years old, was so bright, a cheerful little thing that was always smiling about something. Stretch was still small for a 14 month old, but he was crawling around now quite easily.

Blue was coming up on his 6th birthday, so when Gaster walked into his boys’ room and encountered a roughly circular mess it wasn’t that much of a surprise. His family had always matured early. Still, he wished that Blue didn’t have to go through this so soon. He remembered his own transition, and Blue was going to be ridiculed when he started school and already had to deal with heat suppressants.

The hardest thing about heats, though, was definitely how they made you feel. Blue seemed to currently be in a down state. He was sitting in the middle of the mess looking frustrated and overwhelmed.

Gaster knelt down and held out his arms for his son, who predictably crawled right into them. He rocked Blue gently while his little star cried into his shoulder.

Eventually the tears dried up and Blue patted his leg to get his attention. “DADDY, I DIDN’T MEAN TO MAKE A MESS! IT JUST… IT FELT LIKE I HAD TO. I JUST NEEDED TO HAVE ALL MY SOFT THINGS AROUND ME, BUT IT JUST DOESN’T SEEM TO WORK NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I MOVE THEM.”

Gaster smiled softly down at him. “That’s okay, my little star. This is a special thing. I can show you how to do it while I explain it, okay?”

“OKAY, DADDY. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?” Blue immediately said.

Gaster couldn’t be prouder of his little star. Blue had immediately taken personal responsibility for this. He was amazing. “Well, the first thing I want you to do is help me make some piles. We need to take all the soft things and make piles for blankets, pillows, and toys. Can you do that?”

Blue nodded and set about cleaning up his mess, his little blue tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. While he worked, Gaster explained. “Now, what your body was telling you to make is called a nest. Omegas like you and me always like to have a nest. It’s a vital comfort to our instincts. Remember, I told you about what being an Omega means?”

Blue nodded as he placed the last stuffed toy into a heap. “YEP!”

Gaster smiled at him. “Good. Now, the next step is to set up your pillows in a rough circle. Can you do that for me?”

Blue nodded, stuck his tongue out of his mouth in an adorable display of concentration, and arranged his pillows. The shape was more like an oval than a circle, but that didn’t really matter. It was rounded and that was all that mattered.

“Well done, Blue. Now the next step is to lay your blankets over the pillows so that the extra blanket covers the center of the circle. Does that make sense?” Gaster asked.

“UM… I THINK IT DOES? SO I MAKE THE INSIDE OF THE CIRCLE BE COVERED IN BLANKETS THAT ALSO GO OVER THE EDGE OF IT? LIKE… LIKE THAT TIME WE MADE PIE CRUSTS TOGETHER AND WE PUT THEM IN THE LITTLE BOWL THINGIES, RIGHT?” Blue rephrased what Gaster had said, a trick Gaster had taught him to help him make sure he really understood things before he jumped into doing them. He was proud of his son for remembering how to do it.

“Yes, exactly!” Gaster confirmed. Blue smiled his beautiful, shining smile and giggled. Then he got to work, covering the base of the nest just like Gaster had said. When he was done he turned to Gaster for guidance. The scientist and proud father explained the next step, “Okay, Blue. The final thing you need to do is take the soft toys and line them up just inside of the pillows. That way you’ll have something to cuddle with.”

Blue did as he said and arranged his soft toys inside the circle. He didn’t have many of them, but the few he did have he loved and cherished. Most of them were gifts from Gaster’s co-workers and boss. Gaster’s meager salary wasn’t enough to buy his sons very many things. There was one he had gotten for his son, a little stuffed skeleton that he'd found in the dump and washed thoroughly before giving it over.

“IS THIS GOOD, DAD?” Blue asked quietly.

Gaster blinked his way out of his reverie and smiled at his son. “Yes, Blue. It’s a beautiful little nest, and I’m very proud of you for building it so well.”

Blue beamed at him, then crawled into his nest and sat down. He patted it gently, getting used to the feeling of having it around him. Gaster left him to it. Your first nest was a very special place.

=====

Blue stared at the measly collection of semi-soft things he’d managed to track down in despair. There weren’t nearly enough to build the nest he wanted - no, needed to make. Without a nest this abandoned building he had found wouldn’t count as a home, and that would mean that the 6 year old Stretch would break curfew and become a rule-breaker like him. Blue would do anything to avoid that fate for his little brother. Anything.

Resigned to his task of building a makeshift nest, the 10 year old Blue grabbed the first ancient pillow he had pulled out of a dumpster behind a mattress shop and set it out. He used the remaining six to form a circle. It was a very small circle. There was no way that it was going to fit both of them. That was okay, though. After his stay in the hospital that had lasted for months as a kid he was already a rule-breaker, so he didn’t really need to be in the nest. All it needed to hold was his little brother.

After the pillows went down Blue lined the nest with the moldy towels and ripped blankets he’d managed to scrounge up. There were just enough of them to make it work. At least the small size of the circle allowed for that.

When that was done Blue set the handful of stuffed toys he had managed to save from their old apartment along the rim of the nest. He took extra care with the little stuffed skeleton. It was a gift from his father, unlike all the other toys. Blue didn’t know what had happened to Gaster in that accident, but he wanted to cling on to the few reminders he had that his father had once loved him.

He surveyed the finished nest with disappointment. It wasn’t nearly up to the standards of the ones he had built in the past during his heats; it was clunky, moldy, raggedy, and small. It would have to do for now, though, because Blue didn’t have any other supplies to make it better.

=====

The 18 year old Blue didn’t fight against his brother when he duck-taped him to the wall in his room in the house in Snowdin. He figured it was just a prank, and it didn’t seem that harmful. That idea was quickly shattered by Stretch’s own actions. The 14 year old turned an expression on Blue that he’d only ever seen on the faces of his rapists. Then he turned around and started methodically destroying the nest Blue had only just finished building.

“STRETCH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!” Blue called out, distress evident in his voice.

Stretch turned on him the most condescending look Blue had ever seen. “destroying this stupid waste of space, bro. you’re a rule-breaker. you don’t deserve to have a nest like this. you haven’t earned that privilege with all the slutty behaviour you’ve been showing lately.”

“STRETCH, WHAT- I WAS IN HEAT! YOU TOOK AWAY MY HEAT SUPPRESSANTS BECAUSE YOU SAID THEY COST TOO MUCH. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT ME TO DO? ALL OMEGAS ACT WANTON WHEN THEY’RE IN HEAT, AND I WASN’T EVEN ACTING LIKE THAT AT ALL! I LOCKED THE DOOR TO MY ROOM AND DIDN’T COME OUT UNTIL MY HEAT WAS OVER. I DIDN’T EVEN TRY TO FIND A HEAT PARTNER! MAKING IT THROUGH A HEAT WITHOUT ONE IS-” Blue was interrupted in mid sentence.

Stretch snarled, “i don’t care about your excuses, blue! everyone in town could smell you. they were all ravening after you! i’ve never heard so many gross things in one week. if you’re going to cause problems like that you don’t deserve anything soft or comfortable. maybe if you have to sleep on the floor you’ll understand how not okay it is for you to make me that uncomfortable! now, shut up or else!”

Blue gulped and did as he was told as his mind raced to try and understand. He knew what Stretch thought he did wrong, but he didn’t know what he could have done differently. He’d done everything he could not to make his heat into a burden on others! Why did Stretch want to punish him for that? Pale blue tears dripped out of his sockets as he forced himself to watch Stretch rip, shred, and tear all of the soft things he’d used to make his nest. The drip turned into a torrent when Stretch found the stuffed skeleton. Blue cried out, “NO, STRETCH! PLEASE, NOT THAT ONE! DAD GAVE THAT TO ME JUST BEFORE-”

Stretch growled at him. “what did i say about shutting up? just for that i’m going to take my time destroying this one!”

Blue watched in horror as Stretch summoned a sharp bone and started cutting tiny pieces out of the “bones” of the skeleton. The pieces were no bigger than an ant, and he took his time to shred them and scatter them all over the mess he had made of Blue’s room. Blue closed his eyes, trying to save himself the anguish of watching this destruction.

“hey! if you don’t open your eyes right now i’m letting in the rabbit gang. they’ve been especially hungry for you this whole time. i’m sure they’d be overjoyed to know that you had offered to… satisfy their hunger.”

Blue knew exactly what his brother meant, and he opened his eye sockets in shock. Had his brother really threatened to- he had, hadn’t he? New tears flooded his vision. How could his own brother threaten to do something like that? Hadn’t he raised him better? Or had he raised Stretch right, and Blue really did deserve to be treated like this? It had to be that, right? He’d given up everything to keep his brother safe, healthy, and happy. Stretch was just giving him the treatment he deserved.

Blue forced himself to watch Stretch destroy the rest of the nest. It made him feel horrible, like the time he’d been forced to swallow boiling water by one of the gangs in Waterfall. His throat felt raw and inflamed, his hands were trembling, and the tears were pouring down his face. It felt like Stretch was destroying the only safe thing Blue had left. He just must not deserve even that.

=====

Edge stared at Blue with confusion that bordered on consternation. What was this weird little Omega doing? He could smell the beginnings of a heat on him and offered to go get him some suppressants, but that brother of his said no. Edge had accepted that. They were clearly in some kind of relationship, so, if he was his brother’s Alpha, he might have decided that Blue didn’t need the suppressants. If he wasn’t, he might know that Blue’s Alpha didn’t want him taking them, although why an Alpha would want an unprotected Omega off their suppressants was a mystery to him. Edge didn’t want to judge.

All of that made a certain amount of sense - right up until he caught Blue, half naked, washing his clothes and saw the lack of a claiming bite on his body. That changed everything. If Blue wasn’t claimed, why would Stretch get to tell him whether he could take the suppressants? Unclaimed Omegas got to choose that for themselves! Edge promised himself that he would ask Blue the first chance he got.

He did, but Blue’s reaction confused him even more. He’d looked at the ground in a haunted way and said, “IT’S NOT MY CHOICE TO MAKE.”

“NONSENSE,” Edge dismissed. “IT MIGHT NOT BE IN YOUR WORLD, BUT HERE, IT IS; BY LAW, WHICH YOUR BROTHER IS OBSESSED WITH OBEYING. WHY WOULDN’T YOU GET TO CHOOSE FOR YOURSELF?”

Blue still didn’t look up at him. “IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE, EDGE. WE CAN’T-”

“BLUE,” Edge reached out and tilted his skull up to face him, “THEY’RE FREE HERE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY.”

“REALLY?” Blue asked, his voice shaking. “WE - I CAN TAKE THEM AGAIN? I DON’T HAVE TO LOCK MYSELF IN MY ROOM TO KEEP FROM BEING RAPED? I DON’T HAVE TO GET TAPED TO THE WALL JUST FOR GOING INTO HEAT?”

Edge gaped at him. Then he shakily held out his arms for Blue and knelt down on one knee to make them closer in height. “I… THAT’S… I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. RAPE, HERE, IS ONE OF THE BIG 4. THAT MEANS IT’S PUNISHABLE BY DEATH IF THE VICTIM WANTS LENIENCY ON THEIR ABUSER AND A MAGIC CUFF FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE IF THEY DON’T. THAT’S WHY HEAT SUPPRESSANTS ARE FREE, SO NO OMEGA IS TAKEN WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION. AND… WHY WOULD SOMEONE TAPE YOU TO A WALL FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN’T HELP? YOU’RE AN OMEGA, AREN’T YOU? YOU HAVE TO GO INTO HEAT.”

Blue stepped back from him and put on a cheerful smile. Edge knew it was fake. He’d worn the same smile himself, many times. It was as fake as fake could be. He didn’t have the energy to press for the truth, though. Pressing was something that had been Red’s forte.

“WELL, IT’S A LITTLE TOO LATE FOR THE SUPPRESSANTS NOW, SO… I CAN GUARD YOUR ROOM SO THAT NO MONSTERS COME NEAR AND TRY TO HURT YOU OR TAPE YOU TO THE WALLS. I’LL ALSO GIVE YOU MATERIALS FOR A NEST. WHAT DO YOU PREFER, WARM MATERIALS, FLUFFY MATERIALS, OR MATERIALS THAT ARE EASY TO CLEAN?”

None of that seemed like it would be a reason to burst into tears, but that’s what Blue did. Edge went to stand up to hold him, but Blue backed even further away from him, so Edge sat back on his knee. “BLUE, I’M NOT GOING TO HURT YOU. I WON’T MOVE UNTIL YOU SAY. OKAY?”

Blue had backed himself into a corner. He was shaking from his skull to his feet. Stars, Edge thought, what had been done to this poor Omega?

“I’M NOT SURE HOW I UPSET YOU. WAS IT SOMETHING ABOUT THE MATERIALS FOR YOUR NEST?” The other’s nod was barely distinguishable from his trembling, but Edge had practice with that with Red. “WOULD IT FEEL BETTER FOR YOU IF YOU GOT TO PICK OUT THE MATERIALS YOURSELF?”

Blue, finally, found his voice. “I’M NOT ALLOWED TO. I CAN’T- I CAN’T-”

“YOU CAN’T WHAT, BLUE? YOU CAN’T PICK FOR YOURSELF? DO YOU WANT ME TO PICK SOME FOR YOU?” Edge asked.

“I C-C-CAN’T BUILD A NEST. I’M NOT ALLOW-W-WED TO. NO, NOT… NOT ALLOWED. I D-D-DON’T DESERVE TO. NOT AFTER WHAT-T-T I’VE DONE,” Blue sounded like that idea had been beaten into him. Edge needed to tread carefully.

“I DON’T KNOW OF ANY REASON WHY I WOULDN’T LET AN OMEGA BUILD A NEST. THAT WOULD BE LIKE STRIPPING AN ALPHA OF THEIR WEAPONS, OR A BETA OF THEIR TOOLKIT. IT WOULD BE TORTURE; PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE AS WELL AS PHYSICAL. I WOULDN’T EVEN DO THAT TO A CHILD RAPIST,” Edge said quietly.

That idea made Blue flinch. Interesting. He needed to talk to Stretch later on. Privately. That’s what he thought until Blue spoke. “IN OUR W-W-WORLD, ANY CRIME IS THE FAULT OF THE VICTIM FOR NOT TAKING ADEQUATE PRECAUTIONS. I… I’M NOT VERY GOOD AT TAKING ADEQUATE PRECAUTIONS. I’VE BEEN R-R-RAPED A LOT, AND I BROKE THE RULES, AND SO I DON’T DES-S-SERVE TO HAVE A NEST.”

Edge closed his eyes to hide his anger. That was so messed up he didn’t even know where to start. Who had taught Blue that? Why did they think like that? How long had this been going on? All he could think to say was, “THAT’S WRONG.”

Blue swallowed, trying to maintain that happy smile. “I KNOW, BUT I WAS JUST A KI- NO, THAT’S… SORRY. THERE’S NO EXCUSE FOR LETTING THAT HAPPEN. I’M JUST GLAD I KEPT MY BROTHER SAFE FROM IT. HE WAS SUCH AN INNOCENT AND HAPPY CHILD. I DON’T THINK I COULD LIVE WITH MYSELF IF HE HAD HAD TO GO THROUGH WHAT I DID.”

“NO, BLUE. THAT’S NOT WHAT’S WRONG. YOU NOT DESERVING A BASIC PART OF YOUR NATURE BECAUSE YOU WERE THE VICTIM OF SUCH A BIG CRIME? THAT’S WHAT’S WRONG. YOU NEED A NEST. YOU DESERVE A NEST. I WILL DO ANYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE SURE YOUR NEST IS KEPT SAFE. PLEASE BUILD A NEST, BLUE. FOR ME, IF NOT FOR YOURSELF,” Edge said, clasping his hands and shaking them in the classic pose of pleading.

Blue eyed him like he was crazy. That slipped into thoughtfulness as he looked around like a cornered animal waiting for the attacks to begin. Then, as quietly as Edge had ever heard him, Blue said, “CAN I HAVE THE FL-”

“blue, what the hell are you doing out here? where’s your shirt? you’re flirting with our host, aren’t you? seriously? how disgusting. why don’t you just drag him into the bedroom and betray me completely?” Stretch’s scathing voice carried over Edge’s shoulder. Edge felt his spine stiffen and had to resist the urge to let his pheromones do the talking.

He turned around and glared at Stretch. “HE ISN’T IN HEAT YET, AND I DON’T SEE YOUR CLAIM MARK ON HIM. I DON’T SEE ANY CLAIMS ON HIM. AS AN UNCLAIMED OMEGA, HERE, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO DECIDE ABOUT SUPPRESSANTS, MATES, AND NESTS FOR HIMSELF. IT’S TOO LATE FOR SUPPRESSANTS TO WORK, SO I WAS OFFERING TO GET HIM THE NESTING MATERIALS OF HIS CHOICE. HEATS ARE AS UNAVOIDABLE FOR OMEGAS AS RUTS ARE FOR ALPHAS. I'M GIVING HIM MY PERMISSION TO TAKE OVER MY BEDROOM FOR THE DURATION OF HIS HEAT. IT’S THE SAFEST PLACE IN THE HOUSE. NO ONE CAN BREAK INTO IT ONCE IT’S LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE.”

Stretch glared back at him, flexing his pheromones and trying to seem like a big Alpha. Edge hated posturing like that. He easily overpowered Stretch’s smell and stalked him down. “YOU WILL LEAVE BLUE ALONE. YOU WILL WORK ON THE MACHINE. THEN, MAYBE, I’LL LET YOU TAKE HIM HOME WITH YOU, BUT IF I FIND OUT ONE MORE MESSED UP THING ABOUT YOUR UNIVERSE I WILL ADOPT HIM AS MY OWN FAMILY AND KEEP HIM HERE.”

Stretch slunk away from him, then ran out of the house. Edge sighed and turned back around. Blue was shaking so hard he was barely able to move, but he was trying to present to Edge like a good Omega. Edge sighed. “I’M NOT GOING TO CLAIM YOU, BLUE. NOT WHILE YOU’RE IN HEAT AND CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT. I WILL PROTECT YOU AND GET YOU THE FLUFFY NESTING MATERIALS, THOUGH. WHY DON’T YOU GO UP TO MY ROOM AND GET STARTED?”

Blue nodded slowly and crawled up the stairs to Edge’s bedroom. Edge sighed and headed for the shed. What a mess. Still, he’d managed to fix even worse conditioning in the past. Red had turned out okay, hadn't he? Edge could do this. He believed in himself.

=====

“okay, blue, i get that your world is weird. but how come you haven’t built a nest yet? is it just a thing for during your heats in your world, or do you need new materials, or what?” Red asked. Blue froze where he was chopping tofu for some tacos. Red just waited. He knew that stuff like this could be an unexpected minefield thanks to Blue’s past. He just hoped that this wasn’t going to be too bad of a pothole in the end.

“I… NESTS ARE MORE THAN JUST FOR HEATS. NESTS ARE AN IMPORTANT THING TO THE PSYCHE OF THE OMEGA. A HOUSE WITH A… PROPER OMEGA IN IT ISN’T CONSIDERED A HOME WITHOUT A NEST. AT LEAST, NOT IF THERE’S A CHILD IN THE HOUSE. THAT MEANS THAT THAT CHILD WOULD BREAK THE RULES IF A NEST WEREN’T MADE. AND NESTS CAN BE MADE OF ANYTHING, AS LONG AS THEY’RE ROUGHLY ROUNDED AND VAGUELY SOFT,” Blue answered him.

“then why haven’t you made one? is it because of some stupid thing about you breaking the rules?” he asked cynically. Most of Blue’s problems related to those stupid rules, sooner or later. Whether that was through the laws, the infrastructure, or that brother of his, his Queen was the real one at fault. She’d written those damned rules in the first place.

Blue carefully set down the knife, but Red could see how his hands were shaking. He ached to grab them and soothe them, but he didn’t want to cause more trouble like he had last time. “IT… IS. AFTER STRETCH FOUND OUT ABOUT WHAT I USED TO DO, WHEN WE FIRST MOVED INTO THE HOUSE IN SNOWDIN, I BUILT A NEST RIGHT AWAY. BUT, JUST WHEN I’D FINISHED BUILDING IT, STRETCH… HE TAPED ME TO A WALL AND MADE ME WATCH WHILE HE DESTROYED IT. HE EVEN D-D-DESTROYED THE LITTLE SKELETON DAD GAVE ME… HE SAID I DIDN’T DESERVE A NEST BECAUSE I’D CAUSED SO MANY MONSTERS TO GO WANTON WITH MY HEAT. I DIDN’T MEAN TO!”

Blue gulped. His whole body was shaking now as he stepped further into the memory. “I EVEN LOCKED MYSELF IN MY ROOM WHEN HE SAID I COULDN’T GO OUT AND BUY MORE SUPPRESSANTS. BUT… PEOPLE STILL SMELLED ME. HE DIDN’T LIKE HEARING WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY, SO HE SAID… THAT IF I SLEPT ON THE FLOOR I MIGHT LEARN NOT TO MAKE PEOPLE ACT LIKE THAT. HE SAID… IF I DIDN’T WATCH, HE’D TELL THE RABBIT GUARD I SAID THEY COULD U-U-USE ME. AND I THOUGHT… I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO RAISE HIM RIGHT, SO… IT HAD TO BE M-M-ME, RIGHT? I HAD TO HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG FOR HIM TO DO THAT TO ME… AND IF I REALLY DID SOMETHING WRONG, THEN I SHOULDN’T TRY TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT I DIDN’T DESERVE, AND HE SAID I DIDN’T DESERVE TO MAKE A NEST, SO… THAT WASN’T RIGHT, WAS IT?”

Red shook his head. “nope. he was being a jealous asshole of an alpha that wanted to control you. also, he was being a regular asshole, too. i’d never try to do that to an omega and i’m a fucking beta! especially with how rare they are.” Blue quivered to face him, just like Red thought he would. Blue had told them about the previous timeline, and Red figured he must have at least gotten to a heat, but the way Boss was he wouldn’t have wanted to put pressure on Blue if he was just going to leave. Red could relate, but Blue had decided to stay here, so he needed to know. “yeah, the birth rate for omegas here has been really low for a few centuries. they’re down to less than a eighth of the population. omegas who can carry a child to term? they’re rarer than moldsmaals.”

“THE OMEGA GENE ONLY MANIFESTS WHEN THE MOTHER FEELS COMPLETELY SAFE AND RESPECTED BY THEIR ALPHA,” Blue said monotonously. “THAT’S WHY THE QUEEN HAS RULEBREAKERS TREATED SO BADLY. SHE DOESN’T WANT THEM REPRODUCING.”

Red bared his teeth. “fuck that. we’ll take them all and treat them proper! starting with their nests. d’ya wanna go splurge on materials? boss and i’ve got a lot saved for this, and you deserve the best nest that money can buy. we can even find you a skeleton plushie, or maybe get someone to make you one. how does that sound? only the best for our mate.”

Blue hesitated. “IN THE LAST TIMELINE EDGE SAID HE HAD MATERIALS FOR ME TO USE. I DON’T WANT TO WASTE YOUR MONEY BUYING NEW ONES.”

Red felt safe enough now to press a kiss to Blue’s teeth. “are you kidding? those are from the public stocks. our queen made a giant stockpile for emergencies. you get to own your own nest now, baby blue. besides, most of what we’ll be getting is replacement clothes and blankets for edge and me. you’re our omega, so your nest should smell like us as well as you.”

Blue’s bright eyes filled with tears. Red could see the happiness in his face, though. “YOU REALLY WOULD LET ME USE YOUR THINGS?”

Red kissed him again, wiping those tears away from his Omega’s face with a smile. “of course, baby blue. now, let’s go raid our closet and get you some stuff to start with. then we can head out to the stores and get shopping!”

=====

The Gaster of Underswap #832 was a lover, not a fighter, and he found it odd that he found himself so much more at home in a world where people had once had to fight for a living than he had in the one he was born into. He still wasn’t into sexual or romantic love, but he had found a new form of love to enjoy after he and the other Omegas had been rescued; grandparental. He loved talking about his twin grandchildren to anyone who would listen. They were still just soulings in Blue’s belly, but he knew they were going to be amazing. After all, with parents like they had, how could they be anything else? He couldn’t wait to meet them.

Right now, though, he was content to help his son and his son’s datemates settle into their new home here on the Surface. He was amazed at how much stuff they had. Blue had 3 boxes; Red and Edge had 18. Considering that most of Blue’s stuff had been stolen back in Underswap #832, it wasn’t surprising that the ratio was so off. That just meant that Gaster got to take him out shopping like he’d always wanted to! Taking Red and Edge as well was a wonderful bonus!

Tonight Gaster had insisted that the others rest while he put away their purchases. When he was done he couldn’t help but check in on them. They weren’t in their bedroom, so the next place he checked was the room with Blue’s nest.

There, asleep in the nest lit only by the light of the moon through the blinds, were Red, Edge, and Blue. Blue was sandwiched in the middle of them, being hugged on both sides by his loving mates. His shirt had ridden up to expose his swelling belly. Two still-white soulings glowed through the light blue of his ecto. They flashed at him slightly, and he pulsed his magic back, then closed the door, smiling, on his son’s well-deserved peace.

#undertale #underswap sans #underswap papyrus #underfell sans #underfell papyrus #underswap gaster #underswap #underfell #yastaghr

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darkgunslinger · 5 years ago

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Adamantine Shield short (from Saving Zim)

Just a little taste @luckyrabbit1927 of what I promised - taken from a section of deleted chapter way waaaay back - of more Zim/Prof.M scenes. Why am I always so shy to post these? XD

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He held his hands out. He wasn’t sure what else to do.

This wasn’t exactly in his repertoire of experiences.

Membrane had only turned away to grab some printed schematics and brood over them a moment, and there hadn’t been a single sound to draw his attention.

Perhaps Zim had seen an opportunity, or imagined one, and before he’d realized how erroneous it was, he’d crashed to the floor – his departure from the bed a regretful fall – and the thin line of IV tubing had crisscrossed over one arm and around his foot. The telemetry leads, having been stretched unceremoniously, pinged off one by one, causing the ECG to protest with alarms.

Zim struggled, tightening the tubing, and furthering his panic. Membrane, seeing the situation develop, paused for just a millisecond before approaching, and when he did, the creature’s panic intensified. In just one moment Zim had become a wild, terrified animal.

“Everything’s all right. You’ve got yourself tangled up.” But that one extra step seemed to trigger an even stronger reaction.

Zim rolled onto his side, unable to steer himself vertically, the twisted tubes snagging against his arm and ankle. “Stay! Stay a-away!”

The professor watched the Irken’s tiring struggles. He acted as though he was in a snare.

What signals remained from the Irken’s vitals escalated into the dangerous zone. Warnings on the professor’s wristplate flared in response.

He didn’t understand why Zim was so terrified.

“I need to free you little one, if you just let me approach.” He took another step and stopped. Zim’s claws blindly jerked around to slash at the tubing. Goaded by the fear the tubes inspired, his aim was appalling. Long scratches of deeper green began to appear from slit skin. Unable to breathe above the barbs of panic, Zim tried to prop his right arm beneath him, but his hand slid, shiny with blood, and he went back down again.

The professor could not endure it. He closed the gap between them and was not dissuaded when Zim spent all of his breath to release a bone-chilling scream.

“There there now, I’m freeing you. It’s all right, hush, hush.” Quickly he loosened the tubing around his shivery leg and arm in the hopes that this would dissolve the Irken’s undue terror. His vitals were in the red, his blood pressure falling fast despite the aggressive speed of his heart rate.

He held his littleness to his chest, feeling every shake and shudder bully the frailness that remained. “Let’s do our breathing exercises, hmm? I think now is a good time as any. You remember what to do? Breathe in, deeply now, and feel how my chest moves. Hold it in a moment, and then let it out.”

He exaggerated his chest movements so that Zim would feel them in turn. His tiny body was ice cold, skin clammy with sick-sweat. Though his eyelids were open partway, the pink pupils were extremely dilated. Barely visible nostrils flared somewhat, but it seemed unlikely he’d even ‘switch on’ enough to remember to breathe.

“Everything’s okay.” The professor said, keeping the cadence of his voice soft and steady.

Zim’s claws clutched insensibly on his arm as if it were a ledge he meant to cling to. His eyes slowly began to focus, the deep magenta almost warming up. As much as the professor saw him coming back to himself, he did not rush or hurry him.

When he seemed better able to comprehend the situation, he looked about him, blinking. He watched the little creature’s antenna unfurl until it gradually straightened. For much of his panic, the one antenna had dangled from his head like a velvet shoelace.

Those large eyes, shimmery with undisclosed emotions, blinked again, and his pink pupils coasted around as if he was looking for a target: something that had triggered the antagonism. The only ghoul was the fear, shelved deeply inside. It was the same adulterated fear most animals showed when faced with something beyond their control and comparative safety.

The professor had once tried to treat a deer he’d encountered on the road late one June summer’s day when Dib had been attending school. It had clearly been hit by a car or truck, and had been left for dead. Its hind quarters had taken the main brunt of the collision, and its back legs were broken. Prof. Membrane coaxed it into the backseat of his car where it bleated and struggled. He wasn’t sure why he’d chosen to take responsibility for it. He supposed it was simply because he couldn’t just drive off and leave it there. He’d always taken the mantle of the world’s problems as his own, knowing he’d been gifted with foresight and intellect. What was the point of the gift if he didn’t apply it?

But alas, the deer did not survive. Like Zim’s wild nature, fear itself seemed to devour its mind along with its vestiges of life, and before he’d even managed to haul it onto a table with the help of his two co-workers, it had died, not of its injuries, but of terror.

It was why he had curtly let Zim go without argument after the ‘baloney’ incident. Quite recovered and eager to move on, Zim had hurried away without much afterthought or conversation, as if lingering any longer might trigger some trap or plot beset by the wiles of man. He had wanted Zim to choose his next step, but sadly, he had intervened when that next step was never chosen.

At least, unlike the deer, Zim could understand human language. He would watch the professor’s expressions, as if trying to guess the deeper intentions beneath the words.

One day he hoped Zim would come to trust him.

“It’s okay now. Nothing’s here to harm you.”

Claws ran frantically along the brittle bones of his legs and arms, as if he half believed the tubing to still be there. A caged beast, used to being bound, may have had similar reactions.

His troubled eyes tirelessly checking and rechecking everything, Zim assertively pushed himself from the man’s gentle hold and stood precariously on stick-like legs, his left leg failing to bend as if the joints had locked up.

“You need a break from this room, don’t you?” He knelt close and took his hand before the Irken had a chance to get dizzy and topple over. Without any telemetry leads, his vitals were now closed to him. He had to now rely on Zim’s body language alone. “You are not trapped here, little one.” He wanted to affirm, in case that was what was on the Irken’s mind, and why wouldn’t it be? He was largely under their control; it had to be this way in order to keep him on the road to recovery. Even so, being mostly confined to one room allowed one’s imagination to fill in the blanks.

Membrane wondered if all members of Zim’s race were this highly strung, and prone to stress.

The Irken’s worried eyes swept upwards to look at him, again trying to determine the lies or the truths.

He had not given the former soldier his prognosis yet. He’d been holding back on it, fearful that Zim may take it very hard, or shelve it, like he did with things he’d rather ignore. Dib himself was still trying come to terms with it. Once he was onboard, the professor would inform the patient as gently as he possibly could. But not telling him was making Zim wary. He knew his continual existence here, in one corner of the lab, weak and disseminated, spread wide his suspicions. It was very likely that Zim already knew. But admitting it was something else entirely and therein lay the problem.

The Irken’s continued quiet was abnormal in every sense. When he’d sat on a chair years before, recovering from his sausage deformation, he had posed every question, yelled every suspicion, and demanded and shook until he was able to work his brain and limbs enough to flee. Even then, he’d been much more vivid and brighter a character. This creature before him was full of fear, lungs lugging heavily through his chest wall, greyer skin slathered in sweat, eyes rimmed and wide, limbs and hands shaking constantly.

“Recuperation is vital. But! I can take you wherever you’d like to go. I’m here to look after you. It’s my sworn oath.” He looked for signs of recognition, of understanding.

The Irken took a loud swallow, his eyes dull with drugs and exhaustion. He stood there, head bowed, looking brittle and ancient. Every night spent here seemed to enlarge those wrinkles under his eyes. His skin wasn’t as grey as it had been since his circulation had improved, but the professor couldn’t seem able to get the skin as green as it used to be. What vital ingredient was missing? What did the poorly thing lack?

Maybe it wasn’t medicine at all.

Maybe it was just care and warmth that the little bug needed.

“Let me show you my favourite room.” He said, squeezing gently on Zim’s arm. “No tubes. No wires. How about it?” The Elite’s eyes, hazy and unfocused, as if he was unfastening himself from the world a little at a time, started to shimmer, and the tension inside softened beneath his touch. “Let’s lift you up.”

He felt those bird bones as he picked him up, and then he sat him on the crook of his arm.

The invention room was tidy and spacious, with tables assembled down one side. A great ponderous machine stood at the back on a round podium beside several test dummies. The machine was oval in shape, with gadgets bristling down its sides like hedgehog spines. “I call it the Adamantine Shield.” He said proudly when he watched Zim turn his head towards it. He was clued up on technology and the intelligence behind it. He would have made a very good co-worker. “It’s just the prototype at the moment. It’s designed to withstand blasts from an outside energy source, be they physical projectiles or energy pulses. Let me demonstrate!”

Like a kid in a toyshop, he put Zim down on one of the chairs and approached the monolithic object. He tapped on a button, and it deposited a capsule. The capsule opened, revealing a pulsing blue strap. He extended it in his hands, revealing a thin metallic strip. This strip he placed along a wooden dummy’s shoulder. “It adheres to anything. Fabric. Skin. Armour. It automatically configures the body of whoever is wearing it, and once activated, it envelops them in a nigh-indestructible shield.”

Zim cocked his head, one eye slowly narrowing.

“I do apologize! I get my best ideas from you!” The professor was saying, instantly seeing the recognition form in the Irken’s dark reflective eyes and from the slant of his antenna. “Your PAK produces absorbent shielding upon activation! Taking from your life energy in order to maintain it! I have created one that feeds on the energy it absorbs! Making it infinitely better! Here, let me show you just how it works!”

He took a device from a drawer, one of those surgical lasers that only worked for short distances. He walked close to the dummy wearing the metallic strip, and hit the button on the surgical laser. At once a shield of rushing azure appeared, and the weak laser beam fizzled as if the bubble shield’s surface was corrosive. The dummy remained protected.

“Hey. Th-that’s pretty cool.” Zim croaked, antenna docking forwards. “Have you tried sh-shooting some m-missiles at it?”

“Everything! Nothing gets through. But it’s top secret. I do not want the government using this technology. They’d exploit it for nefarious purposes.”

“What do you need it f-for?” Zim’s voice was a thin weedy rasp.

“I want it for my son in case he takes space exploration seriously. It’s completely harmless, only serving to protect the user. I do not endorse weapons, or anything that will encourage violence. My gift is to help others: the world, if necessary, even when humanity is set to destroy it.”

“W-Why?” He rasped.

“Because Earth is my home, as it is yours, little one. You may try to disagree with me, but you know it to be true. I hope that you’ll see the good here, and in every living thing. For a heart is a heavy burden.”

#sorry for the delay I feel like this is just more useless scrap #Saving Zim extras again lol #From the deepest darkest barrels of my insane pitiful writing

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misskikuwrites · 5 years ago

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Fair Honesty

Bederia Week 2020

Day 1 Prompt: Fair/Amusement Park

Bede/Gloria (dressedinpinkshipping)

@bede-x-gloria

The annual Wyndon Fair was bustling with life. Crowds surged through the gates like water spurting forth from a broken dam and Bede cautiously stepped to the side lest he be swept away in the torrent of people. He was swamped with noise. Laughter and shrieks of children, the rumble of rollercoasters and cries of Pokemon. He scanned the jumble of people with a frown. This would be like finding a needle in a haystack-

"Bede!"

His heart fluttered in his chest at the sound of his name called over the buzz of the crowd. He barely had time to turn towards her voice, to see her rushing towards him, before Gloria slammed into him with a hug.

He stiffened involuntarily, his body flashing alight with heat, as her arms wrapped around him. A hug. He'd forgotten that he'd given her permission to hug him, to embrace him like this as she did to all her friends.

It was hard to remember anything, let alone how to speak, when Gloria was hugging him like this. She stepped back before he could snap out of his stupor and hug her back. He missed his chance. All his regrets were cast aside when she smiled brightly at him.

"I'm so glad you made it!" she beamed excitedly. "Now we're all here!"

Right.

Bede looked behind her, to where Marnie and Hop were standing not far off. Marnie had a curious twinkle in her eyes, Hop stared elsewhere, looking disinterested with his hands in his pockets.

Bede shoved the trickle of frustration in his gut down. He'd already been doused in disappointment when he'd realised earlier that she'd invited Marnie and Hop as well. He wasn't going to go through another round of that.

"C'mon, Bede! The obedience and athletics competition has already begun!" Gloria skipped off towards Marnie and Hop. "This way!"

How could he remain disappointed when she was so excited like that? When she smiled at him so brightly, dazzling and striking and blinding. Everything seemed to dull in the presence of her smile and Bede followed with an amused grin.

They made their way through the river of people to a small grassy oval that was set up for competitions. An array of equipment littered the oval, a woman running the course with a bounding Arcanine at her heels. Arcanine leapt cleanly over the hurdles, jumping it with ease with powerful legs. The owner called quick commands and Arcanine followed obediently. They tracked around the course, making the final jumps in quick succession to the excitement of the watching crowd.

Gloria cheered loudly, bouncing on her toes. "That was amazing!" She clung to the low fence surrounding the oval, an elated sparkle lighting up her eyes. Her reactions were as entertaining as the event itself. Bede smiled to himself, sneaking glances at her when she cooed at the next Pokemon to take to the track.

And saw Marnie looking straight at him. Bede froze. She stood next to Hop, on the other side of Gloria, and stared flatly at Bede. Slowly, her lips pulled up into a knowing smile.

Bede stole his eyes away. A prickle of heat trailed down his neck. A slow pulse of panic beating in his ears.

Shit.

She'd seen him. Seen Bede smiling softly at Gloria, attention fixed solely on the Champion and the unbidden emotions flashing over her face, obvious and ever changing.

Marnie has seen him smiling like a lovestruck fool at Gloria.

Bede steeled his gaze forward and tried to pay attention to the competition and not the piercing gaze watching him. Not the excitable Champion next to him who wouldn't stand still for even a second.

"Look! What Pokemon is that?" Gloria cooed at the next contestant and their Pokemon, and brought out her Rotom phone, flicking to the Pokedex. "Houndoom? Wow! It's native to the Johto region!" She leant forward, eyes sparkling with wonder. "There's so many Pokemon I don't know about!"

Bede bit back his smile.

"It says they live in packs!" Hop read off Gloria's Pokedex. He stood close to her, peering at her phone as if their close proximity was completely normal to them. "Hey, Marnie! It's a dark type! You could add one to your team, then."

Marnie nodded, smiling whimsically as she watched Houndoom begin it's turn.

Gloria gasped excitedly at every Pokemon that appeared, whether she recognised it or not. She cheered as if the contestants were her own Pokemon, winced when they fumbled and applauded when they finished. Bede was content to watch silently. Gloria and Hop made enough noise for the rest of them.

For once, the rumble of the crowd, the buzz of noise and laughter and cheers didn't bother Bede so much. On other occasions, he would have stalked away to a more quiet, secluded area. Well, he wouldn't have even gone to the fair in the first place. The crowds, the noise, the heat and onslaught on his senses were not something he cared for at all.

But he'd accepted her invitation without a second thought and found that he wasn't regretting it in the slightest.

"Where should we go next?" Gloria asked, unfolding the map of the fair and laying it out so everyone could see.

Bede stepped closer, looking at the map as if he cared what they did and not the fact that it was an excuse to be next to her.

"Oh, we've got to try the Rayquaza Coaster! It's the fastest rollercoaster in all of Galar!" Hop beamed. "You can't go to the Wyndon Fair and not try it at least once!"

Bede thought otherwise.

"Yes!" Gloria gasped. "Let's do it!" She nudged Bede with her elbow. "You've got to try it with us!"

Bede gave her a disinterested look. "I'm fairly sure that I don't."

"Your loss!" Hop called, already heading in the direction of the rollercoaster.

Bede didn't miss the smirk that flashed on Hop's face and scowled. He joined Gloria, Hop and Marnie in the line for the coaster despite the swirling trepidation in his gut. It was hard to ignore the twinkle in Marnie's eyes. Unsaid words glittered in her eyes, the silent insinuation in her look louder than the screams coming from the coaster as it raced around the track. He wanted to glare at her and snap "what?!" but didn't want to give her an excuse to voice what that look in her eyes meant.

Bede pointedly looked away from Marnie as they filed into the rollercoaster. Gloria and Hop climbing into the seats ahead of Bede and Marnie. Gloria laughed at something Hop has said and Bede fought the scowl off his face.

He thought he heard Marnie laugh. He narrowed his eyes at her, automatically barking, "what?"

Her slight grin was enough to freeze Bede in place. "Nothin'", she said.

Bede's heart flopped.

She knew.

He didn't get to comprehend the terror of that realisation as the rollercoaster took off. He stiffened and instantly regretted his choice to join them.

He was a complete and utter fool. The coaster climbed almost vertically and teetered on the edge of the drop. Bede snapped his eyes shut.

Arceus.

The things he did because of Gloria.

Bede may have passed out on the rollercoaster because he remembered none of it. The next thing he knew, they had stopped and were climbing out. His ears rang, throat raw as if he'd been screaming. The solid ground seemed to sway beneath his feet. A gentle hand rested on his arm.

"Are you okay, Bede?" Gloria's soft voice washed over him. The world spun.

"Whoa, you're looking a little green there, mate."

"You going t' be sick?"

Bede swallowed the bile rising in his throat and blinked to clear his vision. "I'm fine," he huffed.

Then realised that Gloria was standing close, peering at him in concern. Her hand still rested on his arm. He straightened and looked away. Pulled away from her touch as casually as he could. "I do not understand what kind of person could consider such a horrific contraption 'fun' in any sense of the word."

Gloria smiled regretfully at him. "Why don't we grab something to eat? Then we can decide what to do next."

Bede's stomach dropped. Damn it. He'd switched back to snapping at her without thinking. He felt so exposed, with Hop and Marnie watching him, that his skin prickled irritably. His nerves were on high alert. The snarky, gruff walls he'd managed to drop around Gloria had clicked firmly back into place.

Bede held back a sigh. "Food sounds like a good idea," he agreed, and when she smiled in response he felt his heart relax. At least he hadn't hurt her.

They meandered around the fair to the food stalls and split up, grabbing whatever caught their fancy before meeting on the grass beneath a large tree. The shade was a welcome respite from the hot sun and the noise was at a tolerable level away from the majority of the crowd. They ate comfortably in the shade, Gloria and Hop sharing a large packet of hot chips and squabbling over the dipping sauces like children.

Bede tried not to pay too much attention to them as he tucked into his wrap. His heart clenched at how easily, how naturally they got along. Hop joked and teased Gloria so easily, laughing with her, honestly and openly. He smiled without a thought. Grinned widely without shame.

A prickle of envy stabbed into Bede's heart.

"Alright," Gloria began, then stopped to swat Hop's hand away as he tried to sneakily dip another chip into her sauce. "Stop! You've already used all of yours! I'm trying to get the map out!"

"Aw, but you're hardly using it!" Hop huffed.

"I'm saving it." Gloria levelled a narrow stare at him before retrieving the map and spreading it out on the grass.

Hop leant back, stretching his arm around her to reach the sauce.

"Hop!" She yanked his arm away before shifting the small tub of sauce further away. Hop laughed and Gloria rolled her eyes despite the smile on her face. "Anyway, as I was going to say, is there anything you guys really want to do? I thought it'd be cool to catch the Wooloo herding exhibition. It starts in half an hour and it's not too far away."

Bede studied the map as the group discussed their options. He hadn't spared a thought about doing anything until now. Hadn't cared about anything except for the fact that Gloria has invited him. Didn't even consider that his opinion would be asked about.

He'd never been to the Wyndon Fair before.

"Is there anything you'd like to do, Bede?" Gloria asked him as she saw him studying the map.

Bede pointed to a stadium not far from where they were. "That seems like it would be fairly interesting."

"Ooh, the triple-battle arena! They're also running rotation battle matches there too!" She beamed a bright smile. "Great idea! It's running all afternoon so we can check it out after the herding exhibition!"

Marnie nodded, an interested gleam in her eyes.

"Guess that's settled then!" Hop took the moment to snatch Gloria's sauce packet and dipped his chips into it.

"Hey!" Gloria squawked indignantly and stole it back. Hop shoved his chips into his mouth with a grin.

The fight for the sauce continued until all the chips were gone and they headed over to the oval where a flock of Wooloo grazed in a fenced-in area. Boltund and Yamper stood obediently beside their trainers just outside.

Gloria rushed over with a bounce in her step. "It's going to start soon! Come on!"

She beamed like an excited child and Bede couldn't help but smile at her bubbling excitement. Seeing her like this made even the most mundane things take on a new air. She found joy in the strangest of places, in things that Bede wouldn't have spared a second look. It was like the light had suddenly shifted and the world became brighter.

It was strange, the effect her happiness had on him.

He shook his head to himself, smothering another grin that threatened to form, and saw Hop looking back at him. Bede narrowed his eyes slightly as Hop came over. He had an indescribable smile on his face.

"What's that look supposed to mean?" Bede folded his arms instinctively when Hop's smile turned into a cheeky grin.

"I can't believe it," Hop said, still grinning.

Bede frowned. "Believe what?"

"You've got a crush on Gloria!"

Bede's heart stopped dead. Hop's grin grew as the blood drained from the Gym Leader's face.

"Ha! I knew it!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bede scoffed. "You must have something medically wrong with your eyes if you've come to that conclusion."

Hop laughed in disbelief. "It's so obvious! Man, who would've thought! You couldn't even stand to look at her in the beginning and now you can't stop gawking at her!"

"I-I was not gawking!" Bede sputtered.

"Don't worry mate, I won't mention a thing to Gloria," Hop chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day when Bede of all people got all flustered over my best friend!"

"Y-You're not listening to a word I'm saying!"

"Yup! And it's amazing!" Hops amused grin only widened. "And here I used to think you were a posh jerk, stuck-up stick-in-the-mud type of guy but now you've fallen for Gloria! She's your complete opposite!"

Bede scowled. "We are not that different."

Hop laughed. "Oh, you've got it bad. This is hilarious!"

Bede's protest died in his throat when Gloria called over to them. "Bede, Hop! You're going to miss it!"

Hop clapped Bede's back with a chuckle and skipped over to rejoin Gloria and Marnie at the fence. Bede sighed heavily into his hands.

Arceus.

It had gone from bad to worse.

They headed over to the battle arena after watching the herding exhibition and walked into a wave of noise. The crowd cheered at the battles taking place, a burst of lightning and then fire streaking into the air. On one court, there was a three-by-three match, three trainers on either side. Another had two trainers facing off in a rotation battle, the last had two trainers battling with three Pokemon each.

"Wow!" Gloria gasped, scanning the different battles. "That looks like fun!"

Hop whistled, impressed. "Imagine having to command three Pokemon at once. Sounds like it could get confusing real fast!"

"Look! We can sign up for a match!" Gloria pointed to a table set up at the edge of the courts, a line of people waiting for their turn. "We should do a triple-battle!"

"Unless you haven't noticed, there's four of us," Bede deadpanned. "A triple-battle requires three trainers."

Gloria's expression fell. "Oh, right."

"I'll watch," Marnie offered, "an' cheer you three on."

"Marnie…!" Gloria took her hands, holding them tightly with tearful eyes. "Thank you…!"

Bede swallowed his comment that he hadn't agreed to the triple-battle and decided that it wouldn't be so bad to fight alongside Gloria. She beckoned him and Hop to follow as she skipped down the stairs, taking them two at a time as she hurried to the sign-up desk.

"We'd like to sign up for a triple-battle!" Gloria said to the man at the desk, pointing to Bede and Hop.

"Alright. Write down your names and the Pokemon you're going to choose. It's one Pokemon each, whoever knocks out the opponent's team first wins. Any questions, just let me know."

Gloria took the clipboard and sign-up sheet from him and bounced over to Hop and Bede. "Which Pokemon do you want to use? I'm thinking I'll go with Fyrian. We've got a few new moves I'm eager to try!"

Her Cinderace. Bede should have expected as much.

"Then, I'll go with Rillaboom!" Hop decided. "That'll balance us out."

"What about you, Bede?" Gloria asked. She wrote down their names as well as her and Hop's Pokemon choices.

"I'll use Hatterene."

Gloria nodded. "Great!" She finished with the sheet and handed it back to the sign-up desk. They were directed to wait beside the triple-battle court where Gloria rocked restlessly on her feet.

"Ah…! I'm so excited!" Gloria grinned, squirming with boundless energy. "I wonder what Pokemon we're going to face?"

"We'll find out soon enough," Bede said, motioning to the losers of the previous match as they exited the court. Gloria gasped in excitement as they were ushered forward.

"And now, challenging the undefeated trio, we have trainers Gloria, Hop and Bede!" the announcer called, his words booming around the arena. "Give them a warm round of applause!"

"Undefeated?" Bede scoffed. He eyed the triplets standing on the opposite side of the court. They grinned smugly.

Gloria returned their grin with a blazing smile of her own. "Not for long." The heated look in her eyes sent a shiver down Bede's spine. She was serious about this.

Hop and Bede took their places either side of Gloria and faced the triplets, Pokeballs in hand.

"Let the battle begin!"

At the announcer's call, all six competitors sent their Pokemon out onto the court. Lights flashed, Cinderace, Rillaboom and Hatterene standing ready in front of their trainers, and faced down the opposing Pokemon.

Three Pokemon Bede had never seen before. The Pokemon shared similar features, standing upright on two feet, but the fur on their heads was shaped differently and each was a different colour.

"Wh-What are they?" Gloria gaped. She glanced anxiously to where her bag and Rotom phone sat just outside the court. She had no Pokedex to help.

"I dunno!" Hop echoed. "Never seen them before!"

Bede glanced between the Pokemon; the green one had fur on it's head and tail shaped almost like the club from a deck of cards. The firey red one had a tuft of fur licking up like a flame, the blue one with fur that trickled down its head like limp noodles.

"Let's go with the assumption that they're grass, fire and water typed," Bede said quickly. "That's the obvious choice."

Gloria nodded stiffly. "Right. Good idea."

The triplets didn't give them much time to react.

"Simisear, Fire Blast on Rillaboom!"

"Fyrian!"

Cinderace leapt in front of Rillaboom, bracing and absorbing the scorching blast of fire. The blue Pokemon leapt into action immediately after, shooting a torrent of water at Cinderace. A shimmering barrier of light lessened the impact, but the attack sent Cinderace crashing backwards into Rillaboom.

Gloria flinched. Even with Light Screen, a head-on impact of Hydro Pump did a lot of damage. She had to think fast. They had to deal with the Water and Fire types quickly.

"Hop, Bede, take out the Water-Type. I've got the Fire-Type!"

"On it!"

"Fine."

"Fyrian, let's get the red one!" Gloria called, wishing she at least knew the Pokemon's name. She vaguely remembered one of the triplets calling something earlier but the heat of battle made the memory hazy.

Cinderace leapt to his feet, hopping eagerly and ready to pounce. As if a starting gun had fired, Fyrian dashed forward at Gloria's command, streaking across the court towards Simisear. Simipour readied another blast of water before Rillaboom crossed the court, arms raised to strike.

Cinderace slammed into Simisear at full speed, unflinching as Simisear tried to slow the racing Pokemon with a desperate blast of fire. At the same time, Simipour flew across the court from Rillaboom's Wood Hammer. Hatterene sent a wave of dazzling light shooting around the court, raining down on the three opposing Pokemon.

"Now, Fyrian! Pyro Ball!"

"Hatterene, Mystical Fire!"

Two surges of fire shot at the Simisage from opposite directions, engulfing the Pokemon in a roar of fire and heat. The smoke lingered for a breath, revealing the fainted Pokemon when it lifted. With Simisage recalled, two Pokemon remained.

"Let's do this!" Gloria cried, pumping her fists.

Bede smirked. She didn't have to tell him twice.

Simipour sent a torrent of water at Cinderace, who leapt into the air high above the court. The sudden height shocked Simipour, who stared up at the soaring Cinderace and didn't see Rillaboom approaching. Hatterene sent a swirling Shadow Ball at Simisear, causing it to dodge before it could launch another Fire Blast in time.

Cinderace landed squarely on Simisear's head as Rillaboom sliced at Simisage with a gleaming blade of green light.

The crowd roared as Simisear and Simisage fainted simultaneously. The triplets gaped. Gloria squealed ecstatically.

"We did it!" Gloria engulfed Hop in a hug before rushing over and embracing Bede. "We won!" She dashed off and hugged her Cinderace without noticing the burst of red across Bede's cheeks.

Bede breathed a tense sigh and praised his Hatterene before recalling it. Hop grinned widely at him, and Bede scowled in response.

"Hey, I didn't say anything," Hop protested.

Bede rolled his eyes and stalked off the court, Gloria and Hop following, leaving the triplets to stare at them in disbelief.

"Well done," Marnie congratulated them. Gloria, still running on the high from their victory, hugged Marnie joyfully.

"Thanks! But it's all thanks to Bede; I had no idea what Pokemon we were facing!"

"Even without knowing their names, their typing was fairly obvious. Bright red, green and blue? It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

Gloria rolled her eyes. "I was trying to compliment you."

"Nah, Bedey's just embarrassed," Hop teased.

"You're embarrassed?"

Bede flushed, scowling darkly at Hop. "I am not. And don't you dare call me that again."

"Aw, but Bedey is such a cute nickname!" Gloria gasped.

Bede's heart lodged in his throat, skittering and fluttering at the way it sounded on her voice. "No. Don't call me that, ever."

Arceus, he wouldn't be able to breathe if she did.

Gloria pouted but gave in. "Alright. Let's watch a few matches; I want to see how a rotation battle works! Then let's head to the Ghost Train that Marnie mentioned earlier!"

Bede breathed a sigh of relief as that topic was dropped and they watched a couple of rotation battles, meandering around the courts to see all the different Pokemon and battle styles.

After they left and headed to the Ghost Train, they were about to join in the queue when Gloria stepped over to him. Bede swallowed and tried to keep his heart from thundering away in his chest as he met her eyes.

"You don't have to join us on the ride if you don't want to," she said gently. She smiled at him with a soft and concerned tilt of her head. "You didn't seem to enjoy the Rayquaza coaster much."

"That's different. I doubt a ghost train is about to fling us around a track at ridiculous speeds."

Gloria brightened. "Then, you'll join us?"

"I suppose."

Despite his lackluster response, Gloria smiled happily. She skipped into line, Bede joining her, and they shuffled forward until it was their turn to board. Bede steeled himself as he ended up sitting next to Gloria on the narrow seats. Hop looked over his shoulder at him and grinned sneakily, turning back around before Bede could level a deathly glare at him.

Gloria made a tiny squeak as they began to move, the train clacking forward slowly. Bede raised an eyebrow at her as they descended into the tunnel and were enveloped in darkness. He heard her gasp over the rickety clicking of the train.

"Hold on - are you scared?" Bede asked. He thought he saw her twitch in the darkness.

"N-No." She sounded close. "I just can't see anything, that's all."

Bede hummed, unconvinced.

The train creaked as they rounded a corner. A whisper of cold air washed over them. Something chittered in the distance.

"Bede, you're still there, right?"

He scoffed lightly. "And where, exactly, would I go?"

"I-I don't know! I can't see you in the dark!"

"What, do you want to hold my hand or something, so you know I'm here?" he chuckled, then jumped as a hand brushed his leg.

"Yes!" she squeaked. Her hand fumbled across his thigh.

Bede snatched her hand quickly. "C-Calm down! Nothing's happened yet!"

Gloria shrieked. "S-Something just touched my shoulder!" She pressed closer to Bede, curling up against his arm. She was warm and… soft. He knew exactly what part of her he could feel pressing right up against him. Heat seared through his body and he choked on a gasp when her fingers threaded through his.

Arceus, this was too much!

"There's something there!" Gloria hissed. A Gengar dropped from the ceiling, waggling its tongue with a loud cry. Gloria shrieked, her whole body flinching as the Gengar vanished.

"You have Ghost Pokemon on your team!" Bede huffed, trying to keep the squeak out of his voice as she pressed flush against his arm.

"Th-This is different! I can't see anything!"

"That's the whole point of a ghost train!"

Gloria grumbled incoherently in her throat. She tightened her grip on his hand, the heat from her fingers pooling into Bede's chest. Every movement she made only served to press her closer to him. Every jump and gasp when a group of Litwick flared their candles for a second in the darkness, when a laughing Misdreavus tapped on Gloria's shoulder and made her scream.

Bede suffered in smouldering silence. Burning up from within. His cheeks felt as though they were sizzling, as though he'd be able to feel steam rising from his face if he touched it. He managed to look in her direction, unable to make out her outline in the darkness. He could hear her breathing, so close to his ears, and yet couldn't see her at all. Which meant that she couldn't see him, nor the full-faced blush he was wearing.

Bede went to breathe a sigh when they were doused in light, the train finally exiting the tunnel. He blinked through the blinding glare, opening his eyes to find Gloria's face mere inches from his. Her eyes widened. Lips parted in a soft gasp that brushed hot against his mouth. She stared at him, shock, panic and something else, something deeper and warmer swirling in her eyes. She didn't pull away. She looked into his eyes and for a moment, Bede couldn't breathe. The dusting of her breath against his lips made them part and her eyes flicked to follow the movement. He couldn't look away from the heat in her eyes. They were so close. He had only to tilt his head to close that tortuous distance between their lips.

And she hadn't pulled away. Did that mean he could…?

The train creaked and Gloria jolted, stealing away from Bede in an instant.

"S-Sorry!" she squeaked, snatching her hand out of his and reeling as far away as she could in the narrow cart. "I-I didn't realise we were- it was so dark and I…! Sorry…!" She blushed darkly and looked away.

"It's fine," Bede croaked.

Arceus. Had he almost…?

His throat closed up on him, dry and hoarse. He stole a glance at her at the moment she did the same and they both snapped their gaze away. They rocked in a tense, deafening silence as the train rounded the corner to where they'd first embarked. They climbed out without another word.

"Ah…! That was so good!" Hop exclaimed. "I've still got shivers!" He rubbed his arms up and down furiously. "Gloria? You okay? You've gone all red-"

"L-Let's go check out some stalls - I saw some this way." Gloria grabbed Marnie by the arm and dragged her away before Hop could question her further.

Hop slowly turned to Bede, a grin growing on his face. "Hang on, did something happen-"

"Don't." Bede cut him off and stormed after Gloria, ignoring the obvious flush on his cheeks.

Gloria wouldn't look at him. Hop wouldn't stop grinning at him. It was a nightmare in progress. They walked aimlessly through the street filled end-to-end with various stalls, from weird hats styled after Pokemon to merchandise of the Gym Leaders and endless plush toys. Anything and everything was being sold. It was a welcome distraction. Something else to focus on other than what had just happened. What had almost happened.

Bede couldn't stop himself from glancing at her. Couldn't stop his eyes from dropping to her pink lips, the memory of her gentle gasp against his mouth still very fresh in his mind.

Her lips had been so close, looked so warm and soft and-

No, no, no, no.

Heat began to creep back up Bede's neck. He had to stop thinking about that. He sighed and let himself follow Gloria and Marnie as they wove through the stalls, trying on silly hats. Gloria put on a pair of large sunglasses shaped like Shedinja's eyes, making Marnie laugh uncontrollably.

Hop sidled up next to him, grinning.

"Don't." Bede frowned. He didn't look at Hop, wouldn't feed into his teasing.

"I didn't say anything!"

"You were going to."

"Maybe."

"Look, nothing… nothing happened." Bede folded his arms, looking away at nothing as his cheeks warmed. "I didn't try anything if that's what you're worried about."

Hop raised his eyebrows in shock for a moment. "Nah, I'm not worried as long as Gloria's happy. If that means being with a jerk like you then that's none of my business." He said it lightly, as a joke, but it made Bede stop. He frowned.

"Hop."

Hop turned. Tilted his head curiously.

"Look, during the Challenger's Cup I… may have said a few things to you that were uncalled for."

"May have?" Hop lifted an eyebrow coyly.

"Fine! I said some things to you that I have now come to regret. I… saw my own failings in you and unjustly took my frustrations out on you." Bede shoved his hands into his pockets with a sigh. "I apologize for what I said."

Hop blinked at him for a moment. "Wow. Never thought I'd hear that."

"Is that all you're going to say?!" Bede huffed. A bashful heat spread across his cheeks.

Hop laughed. "It's all good, mate. Thanks for apologising, I just never thought I'd see the day! You sure have changed a lot since the Challenger's Cup."

Gloria had a thing or two to do with that, Bede thought.

"What d'ya mean you saw your failings in me?" Hop asked. "I didn't think we had anything in common."

Bede's expression became pensive and far-off. A shadow flickered across his eyes. "Let's just say that I know what it's like to live in someone else's shadow and feel like everything you do, every time you fail, it's going to be reflected on them."

"Ah." Hop nodded in understanding. "Guess we've both stepped out of some shadows and into the light then!"

Bede looked at Hop for a moment, finding that his irritation towards the loud, energetic guy that he'd once despised had faded without him realising.

"I suppose we have."

"Hey! You two!" Gloria called down the street. "What're you doing, you Slowpokes! We'll leave you behind!"

Hop and Bede shared a snort of laughter at the Slowpoke hat on Gloria's head. The ears flopped up and down as she pressed some mechanism in the strips of fluffy pink fabric that draped down either side of the hat. Marnie was doing the same with a Morpeko hat.

"Please don't tell me you bought that," Bede chided lightly as he and Hop walked over to them.

Gloria pouted. "Why not? It's cute!"

"You're just saying that because it's pink," Hop noted.

Gloria grumbled. "And that's a bad thing?!"

The Morpeko ears flopped alternatively on Marnie's head. Left, right. Left, right. Her eyes twinkled.

"I don't care what you say, it's cute." Gloria huffed. "We should all get one!"

"Why?" Bede raised an eyebrow.

"It's fun! That's a good enough reason." Gloria turned around and fished through the hats for a moment. She plopped a hat over Bede's head, smothering his eyes for a moment. "It's perfect!"

Bede glowered, shifting the hat so that it no longer covered his eyes. It fit strangely on his curly hair.

"Come have a look!" Gloria tugged Bede around the stall where a mirror hung and motioned for him to look.

A hat like Gloria's and Marnie's sat on his head, styled like a Sylveon with large pointed ears. Gloria smiled at him in the mirror.

"See? It's so cute!"

Bede gave the fluffy fabric dangling down a tentative squeeze, making the Sylveon's ears perk up. "It's not completely awful."

Gloria huffed, rolling her eyes with fake hurt. "There's just no pleasing you, is there?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things that would please me."

Bede instantly regretted saying that as Gloria's cheeks coloured pink and she ducked her head, shuffling back over to Marnie and Hop. He hadn't even meant anything specific - especially not anything regarding what almost might've happened earlier - and flushed as he realised how she had taken his quip.

Bede forced himself to walk back to them, where Gloria had a Scorbunny hat on her head now.

"See? It's cute and not pink!" she said to Hop, jutting her nose in the air stubbornly. "Now we have to get you one- hey, look! This one's a Snorlax!" She placed it on Hop's head and nodded satisfyingly. "Perfect!"

Gloria took the four hats and paid for them, handing them back with a grin. "There, as thanks for coming with me!"

"Aw, Gloria, I would've come with you anyway. I'm sure all of us feel the same," Hop said, giving Gloria a quick hug.

She laughed. "I know, but I still wanted to get you guys something."

Marnie smiled, a gentle, happy blush colouring her cheeks. "Thanks," she said softly.

"It's not bad," Bede said and ran his fingers along the faux fur. "At least it's soft."

Gloria grinned happily at them as they donned their hats and meandered through the rest of the stalls.

After perusing the remainder of the stalls and going on a few more rides until they were dizzy, they gathered outside the fairgrounds and waited for their sky taxis to arrive. Gloria and Marnie kept twitching the ears of their hats absently.

Marnie's was the first to arrive. Gloria embraced her in a tight hug, getting a light pat on her shoulder in return.

Bede raised his eyebrows slightly. It seemed he wasn't the only one who could be awkward with physical contact.

Marnie climbed into her sky taxi with a small wave goodbye and was soon gone.

Gloria and Hop's sky taxi landed next. She turned to Bede with a soft, yet slightly bashful, smile.

"Thanks for coming today, Bede," she said.

Bede's heart skittered at the gentle tone of her voice, the bashful smile on her face sending a crackling of warmth through his chest. He stiffened automatically. It was suddenly hard to breathe.

"Y-Yeah. I… had fun," he admitted quietly. Bede tugged the collar of his coat higher.

Gloria's eyes widened fractionally before her smile softened. "I'm glad." She drew close, wrapped her arms around him briefly in a tight hug. Bede managed to slide his arms around her back in return this time. Light enough so that she could step away easily. She pulled back, her hands lingering on his shoulders for a moment longer.

"See you later," she said, stepping away completely this time with a wave.

Bede ignored the wide grin Hop was giving him and waved back. "Bye."

His chest still fluttered after Gloria was gone. It had been an… interesting day, to say the least. He hadn't expected Hop to be so accepting of his feelings towards Gloria. Hadn't expected a lot of the things that had happened. He had been more honest with himself, and with Hop, than usual.

Strangely, that didn't bother him at all. He gave the dangling fabric of the hat he was wearing - shaped like the Sylveon's paws, he realised - a squeeze, making the ears pop upright.

It had been a good idea to come, after all.

"Bede!"

"I'm so glad you made it!" she beamed excitedly. "Now we're all here!"

Right.

Bede looked behind her, to where Marnie and Hop were standing not far off. Marnie had a curious twinkle in her eyes, Hop stared elsewhere, looking disinterested with his hands in his pockets.

"C'mon, Bede! The obedience and athletics competition has already begun!" Gloria skipped off towards Marnie and Hop. "This way!"

And saw Marnie looking straight at him. Bede froze. She stood next to Hop, on the other side of Gloria, and stared flatly at Bede. Slowly, her lips pulled up into a knowing smile.

Bede stole his eyes away. A prickle of heat trailed down his neck. A slow pulse of panic beating in his ears.

Shit.

She'd seen him. Seen Bede smiling softly at Gloria, attention fixed solely on the Champion and the unbidden emotions flashing over her face, obvious and ever changing.

Marnie has seen him smiling like a lovestruck fool at Gloria.

Bede steeled his gaze forward and tried to pay attention to the competition and not the piercing gaze watching him. Not the excitable Champion next to him who wouldn't stand still for even a second.

Bede bit back his smile.

Marnie nodded, smiling whimsically as she watched Houndoom begin it's turn.

But he'd accepted her invitation without a second thought and found that he wasn't regretting it in the slightest.

"Where should we go next?" Gloria asked, unfolding the map of the fair and laying it out so everyone could see.

Bede stepped closer, looking at the map as if he cared what they did and not the fact that it was an excuse to be next to her.

"Oh, we've got to try the Rayquaza Coaster! It's the fastest rollercoaster in all of Galar!" Hop beamed. "You can't go to the Wyndon Fair and not try it at least once!"

Bede thought otherwise.

"Yes!" Gloria gasped. "Let's do it!" She nudged Bede with her elbow. "You've got to try it with us!"

Bede gave her a disinterested look. "I'm fairly sure that I don't."

"Your loss!" Hop called, already heading in the direction of the rollercoaster.

He thought he heard Marnie laugh. He narrowed his eyes at her, automatically barking, "what?"

Her slight grin was enough to freeze Bede in place. "Nothin'", she said.

Bede's heart flopped.

She knew.

He didn't get to comprehend the terror of that realisation as the rollercoaster took off. He stiffened and instantly regretted his choice to join them.

He was a complete and utter fool. The coaster climbed almost vertically and teetered on the edge of the drop. Bede snapped his eyes shut.

Arceus.

The things he did because of Gloria.

"Are you okay, Bede?" Gloria's soft voice washed over him. The world spun.

"Whoa, you're looking a little green there, mate."

"You going t' be sick?"

Bede swallowed the bile rising in his throat and blinked to clear his vision. "I'm fine," he huffed.

Gloria smiled regretfully at him. "Why don't we grab something to eat? Then we can decide what to do next."

Bede held back a sigh. "Food sounds like a good idea," he agreed, and when she smiled in response he felt his heart relax. At least he hadn't hurt her.

A prickle of envy stabbed into Bede's heart.

"Alright," Gloria began, then stopped to swat Hop's hand away as he tried to sneakily dip another chip into her sauce. "Stop! You've already used all of yours! I'm trying to get the map out!"

"Aw, but you're hardly using it!" Hop huffed.

"I'm saving it." Gloria levelled a narrow stare at him before retrieving the map and spreading it out on the grass.

Hop leant back, stretching his arm around her to reach the sauce.

"Hop!" She yanked his arm away before shifting the small tub of sauce further away. Hop laughed and Gloria rolled her eyes despite the smile on her face.

"Anyway, as I was going to say, is there anything you guys really want to do? I thought it'd be cool to catch the Wooloo herding exhibition. It starts in half an hour and it's not too far away."