#but to be fair i also put my two least favorites as sticking around for a while!

[silent-partner-412]

so, i just played through chapter 1 of project eden's garden again with a friend of mine, and of course we had a great fucking time, and it had us thinking about what would be a compelling future for this game. so i decided to outline a basic idea of what i think could be an interesting set of cases for the rest of the game, and what i think that would look like story-wise. naturally, we have no idea what plans they have for the characters that remain, and how they will develop, so i could be completely off base here. but i think we have enough info about them all that i could see all of this working somewhat well and being interesting. spoilers for chapter 1, of course.

ok, to start, chapter 2. i think this one doesn't need a whole lot of explanation motive wise; my biggest worry if anything would be that the communist killing the billionaire would be too predictable. but so far, we haven't seen a ton of outward animosity from cassidy towards wenona, and i think having cassidy be a killer and wenona be a victim would be interesting as their personalities would suggest the opposite based on danganronpa history. also, i hate to say it, but i think cassidy sort of needs to die early. she's got a pretty loud and sometimes abrasive personality and i think it would be ill-suited for the later chapters tonally. but also, what the fuck do i know?

chapter 3 is hard because i think this of all chapters will be crucial for this game's reputation, and yet, the two characters i put in here were both basically the remaining ones after i figured out the rest of the chapters. simply put, i think eloise would be a super boring victim because she just SCREAMS victim energy to me, and i also just don't really see ulysses making it super far. i also think ulysses' notebook has more potential to be interesting if he is the victim compared to the killer, but maybe i'm not thinking deeply enough about it.

so my friend actually was the one who gave me the idea for chapter 4 here. the idea is that, by this point in the story, stakes are high enough and the atmosphere is bleak enough that ingrid is willing to make a sacrificial play to get toshiko out alive. it would require some specific, extremely thoughtful writing to make this work, especially regarding the rules of a double murder where there are not only two victims but also two killers. but, i think if done well, this could be really fucking incredible. it would follow the chapter 4 trope of a muscular character dying, but i think that would be worth it. as for mark and jett being the victims, my main idea was that if the two killers here are seen as a "pair", it would be fitting for the victims to be as well. this is also about as far as i'd personally be willing to let jett live, since i think he sort of has to die before the late game similar to cassidy. i also think it would be good to bring whatever's going on between jett and mark to a head by this point, making it potentially relevant to the case. i don't know, either way my friend cooked with this idea and if it becomes reality i will probably lose my shit.

chapter 5 is also hard because so much of what makes these chapters good story-wise depends on which characters are given a lot of attention by the narrative, and by this point, i simply have no idea which characters that will apply to. but i think desmond and diana, as far as we know them now, would fit the bill as shocking and heartbreaking late game deaths. i'm not entirely sure how it would play out story-wise, but i could see diana being something of a parallel to wolfgang by this point in the story, being a uniting force of some kind whose death shakes people, with desmond being the cool and collected killer who maybe doesn't want to kill, but is forced to for some reason. i also think it could be a chance to subvert expectations by making desmond's method of killing have nothing to do with his talent, perhaps via something like poisoning or burning. once again, i think this will all depend on what the writers do with the plot and characters, but right now, i could see this being good.

our final idea was that instead of having chapter 6 be the "here's all the plot" chapter, which has never been particularly exciting to me, it's the final murder that decides which two characters get to leave. i think it would be hard to write this, but we had the idea that damon is the killer, and instead of it being a bait and switch like with kaede in v3, you're trying to convince the others with evidence that you are not the killer. i think this could be interesting in a couple ways: either you fail, and our last two survivors are jean and grace, or you succeed, and damon is the sole survivor of the game. as for why kai would be the victim, i think it would be fitting and heartbreaking based on the way they're setting up damon and kai's relationship early on. assuming that gets developed, i could only imagine how awful it would be for damon to choose kai as his victim at that point in the story. like chapter 4, i think this concept would be super tough to get right, especially since at this point, there would only be three people in the trial. but it sure would be exciting!

as for the survivors... well, of course, i could see chapter 6 killing both of them off, but if they survive, i think it would be existentially horrifying for jean to be one of the people to make it out alive. my friend offered the idea of "what if the captain didn't go down with the ship", which i personally thought was brilliant. he's also just smart and level headed; i think it's not hard to envision a guy like him making it to the end. as for grace, i could see her being like fuyuhiko, where she's absolutely awful and insufferable early on, but the events of the game soften her a bit and make her a lot more likable and easy to root for by the end. admittedly, right now, she's easily my least favorite character in the cast, but i see potential within her, and i think this would be a way to fulfill said potential.

would this all make for a good game and a good story? i have no idea. but it was a fun exercise for me, since i already enjoyed the shit out of chapter 1, and i like thinking about these characters.

[a-writing-otter]

WIP Wedneday

“Scoot over! Scoot over! I wanna see!”

Yuuri grunts as he takes an elbow to the side, flailing nearly off of the bed as Phichit weasels on up onto the bed with him.

“Okay, am I not allowed to talk to him by myself?”

“No.”

And, yeah, alright, Yuuri should have expected that.

It’s been four months since Yuuri’s trip to Las Vegas, four months since Champions on Ice, and, more importantly, four months since he has a middle-of-the-night shotgun wedding to International Figure Skating’s darling, Viktor Nikiforov.

At the time, Yuuri had immediately offered to annul it (why the hell would someone like Viktor want to marry someone like him?), but Viktor had merely smiled at him and told him he’d rather not.

Now it was Skype calls every few days, constant texting, and two very, very nice care packages as they go through the clumsy work of working backwards from “married” to, well, certainly friends, to start with.

Yuuri feels like he’s the only one perturbed by this whole thing sometimes given the fact that Phichit has run away with the idea of his best friend being married, only lamenting that he didn’t get the chance to give a best man speech (“You should have called me at the church!” “Phi, I could barely write my name let alone work my phone.”) and Viktor is messaging Yuuri constantly with idle conversation bordering from friendly to salacious in a single line.

He has pointedly not shown Phichit those messages.

The laptop rings and Yuuri throws his weight back against Phichit so he’s taking up most of the screen before clicking the ‘accept’ button. There’s a bit of fumbling around on the other side of the screen before it comes into clear-ish view and Viktor is there in his fuzzy, post-practice flushed glory.

“Yuura!” He cries like he they didn’t just talk two nights ago. It doesn’t stop Yuuri from smiling though and even flushing a bit when Viktor starts blowing kisses at the screen.

“Hi, Vicchan.”

Viktor beams at Yuuri for a moment, just staring like he can’t get enough before his eyes slide slightly to the side and his face lights up again.

“Oh! Oh, is this Phichit?! Hi, Phichit!”

Phichit shuffles around so he’s koalaing around Yuuri’s back, arms over his shoulders and head beside his.

“Hi, Viktor! Yuuri’s been so mean keeping you to himself!”

“Mm, well, you know Yuura gets protective.” Yuuri, in spite of that flushes and frowns.

“You’ve already monopolized my video calls with my mom, can I have Viktor?” Yuuri asks, trying to get Phichit off of him to no avail.

Phichit leans closer and it forces Yuuri to have to bend over, Phichit putting his hand to his mouth in an exaggerated stage whisper.

“He’s just mad I���m his mom’s favorite son.”

“Oh, you’ve chatted with Mrs. Katsuki?! Yuura, why won’t you let me talk to her?!”

Yuuri rubs at his temple with his free hand, throwing Phichit a look.

“I want to be present the first time you talk to her, I don’t want to just give her your number.”

And, to be fair, it’s also because she doesn’t yet know that Viktor and Yuuri are married, none of his family does. He didn’t know how he was supposed to broach the conversation of “Hi, I got married” and “Hi, it was drunk in Las Vegas” and also “Hi, I married my celebrity crush.” If Phichit was heartbroken about not being at Yuuri’s wedding, that’s nothing to the guilt that Yuuri’s going to feel when his mother finds out she didn’t even know about the wedding.

“I can behave myself. Around her, at least.” Viktor winks, or at least Yuuri thinks he winks, the video lags for a moment.

“You’ve never behaved once in your life.” They’ve only been talking for four months, but Yuuri knows that. Still, he can’t help his own smile when Viktor sticks his tongue out at him. This back and forth banter has gotten a little easier, Yuuri doesn’t puff up like a wet cat whenever Viktor teases him now and even Yuuri can get out a little teasing, especially when it makes Viktor Nikiforov a little bashful.

“Like you’re one to talk,” Phichit accuses, pinching Yuuri’s cheek before turning to the screen. “It’s a shame you didn’t see it in Las Vegas, Yuuri gets so sexual when he’s wasted. I’m surprised he didn’t try to (ave his way with you in a—“

“Okay, okay!” Yuuri sits up fast enough that it knocks Phichit off of his back and onto the bed. “Group video call time is over!”

Both Phichit and Viktor whine in the same moment as Yuuri reaches over Phichit to grab his headphones.

“Oh, come on! I wasn’t going to tell him about the—“

“You’re not telling him anything!”

“No, but I want to know about my husband!”

Yuuri puts the headphones on around his neck, plugging it into the laptop.

“Don’t you have an English paper to write?” Yuuri asks, waving Phichit off.

“Oh, what? So when you shirk off your physics homework to talk to your boyfriend, it’s acceptable, but when I take a break from my essay to talk to him, it’s not?”

Yuuri gives a sharp nod of his head as he picks up his headphones.

“He’s my husband, so yes.”

[27dragons]

New Year Countdown: Dec 13

Today's fic is a hospital AU featuring established Winteriron and many medical inaccuracies!

Dec 13 - Winteriron - Hospital AU - Blanket

Most of the year, Bucky loved his job. He loved helping people. People came to him hurting and in despair and he did everything in his power to make them feel better. Whole again, or at least closer to it than before.

It was never easy to see people who’d lost limbs in a terrible accident or because of an infection. But when they saw his own prosthetic arm, when they heard his story, they knew that he understood, at least a little, what they were going through. They let him convince them that life was still worth living, that it could still be beautiful, and he loved that. He loved the moment when his patients realized they could use their new prosthetics to do things that they’d had to work around, before.

And he especially loved working with Tony. His husband’s genius not only provided limbs that were nearly as functional as living ones, but also ensured that each prosthetic exactly matched the personalities and desires of the patient, from the girl who wanted a sparkling pink unicorn princess arm to the emo teenager who demanded a gothic black leg that ended in a spike rather than a foot to the older woman whose new hand was a perfect match her china pattern.

He loved seeing Tony throughout the day, sneaking kisses between rounds, and he especially loved going home with Tony at night.

All in all, Bucky’s life was just about perfect.

But this time of year, during the holidays, the hard parts were especially hard. People who should have been comfortably nestled with their families were confined to sterile hospital beds. They should have been drinking cocoa and wrapping gifts and lighting candles, but were instead doing occupational therapy. Money that might have been spent on presents and feasting was torn away for medical bills. Vacations that should have relaxed and soothed their stress were replaced with the shock and horror and despair of trying to adjust to a life that would never again be exactly the same.

And the icy, extra-crowded streets just made accidents all the more likely.

“I hate this job,” he announced when he came through the door. Usually he and Tony left the hospital together, but an ambulance had screamed through the emergency entrance just as they were packing up for the night, and Bucky had volunteered to stick around in case he was needed.

Tony stuck his head out of the kitchen door and gave Bucky a small, lopsided smile. “No, you don’t,” he said.

“I hate it tonight,” Bucky grumbled. He unwound his scarf and unbuttoned his coat and kicked off his shoes. 

“That’s fair, I suppose,” Tony admitted.

“I had to tell a woman we couldn’t save her arm. And her husband is probably going to have scars that will limit his mobility for the rest of his life. They were on their way to spend the holidays with his family. It’s their first Christmas since they got married, and they’re going to spend it in the hospital. Not even in the same room.” Bucky hung up his coat and threw himself on the couch, dropping his arm over his face.

Tony came the rest of the way out of the kitchen carrying a tray with two mugs of hot chocolate. He was wearing pajamas. “I know,” he said. “Nat called right after you left.” He set the tray on the coffee table and sat next to Bucky, close enough for the heat of his body to leach through their clothes into Bucky’s skin. Tony pulled Bucky’s favorite blanket off the back of the couch, soft grey and decorated with stars, and spread it over their laps.

Bucky let himself be pulled into Tony’s embrace, taking the mug to wrap his hands around its heat and resting his head on Tony’s shoulder, even if he had to scrunch down a bit to make it work. “I’m not sleeping tonight,” he warned Tony.

“That’s okay, snowflake,” Tony murmured. “We can put on a stupid movie and stay here for as long as you want.”

“I hate my job,” Bucky said again, softer. Not really meaning it.

“I know,” Tony agreed gently. “That’s fine, tonight.”

Bucky relaxed into the feel of Tony’s fingers combing through his hair. Maybe he didn’t always love his job.

But he always, always loved Tony.

[fuck-customers]

so idk how to go about this so i ask/tell here. (🫠)

TLDR; supervisor doing dumb shit, i do not know how to go about talking to boss about it feeling like i'm being targeted by supervisor every day and i feel like she's trying to get me fired at this point.

i have a supervisor at work whom i feel is targeting me as a whole, having an attitude with me almost every single time we're on shift together. i had to go to therapy today (10/2) and subsequently, someone pulled a block on the jenga tower and my car decided to break down as i was leaving for my appointment, so my brother had to take me back to work.

also a few notes about this before i go on:

- this particular supervisor has refused to drive our cart around despite having driven it before, and claims its because she can't back it out of the port with the trailer on it. so i'm the one made to stay late to do it, which i don't mind. i would like to have a warning instead of being told AS I GET THERE EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME. also i'm going to get pissed off or spicy irritated, but i will literally live my life and get the fuck over it every single time even though i think it's the dumbest fucking thing in the world.

- same supervisor has pointed her finger at me accusing me TWO TIMES of doing things i have never done, such as rolling my eyes and telling her fuck you? again, never did it. she keeps putting words in my mouth, and my boss is believing her instead of me because she's the ✨favorite✨ and i'm just not believable, apparently! "let's all get along!" my ass. can't get along when one supervisor consistently has an attitude about someone sitting down for like five minutes during downtime, WHICH IS THREE HOURS LONG BEFORE DINNER. i'll go stare at the paint peel off the wall from now on while you get to sit and talk to the other coworkers you'd never tell this shit to!

(and to be fair, downtime is long, and things could be getting done. so this one is 50/50, but i sit down because i get too hot. my knee and back hurt. some of the stuff is mostly done save for one or two things anyway, and it takes not even a few seconds to pull those things and she needs to chill out in my opinion. not my fault the workers don't listen to me worth a damn, they barely even listen to the OTHER supervisor, (snd didnt even listen to the BOSS today) but that's really only because he's a dick and pokes the bear with a stick and leaves us to deal with it. but at least he's more helpful and a lot more understanding!)

- same supervisor i feel like is on a whole trip because she makes two more dollars and hour and "managed the golden arches for 30 years" and never misses an opportunity to tell someone about it.

i have cried my eyes out all day today trying to figure out what to even do if i can do it. i need this job because it's well paying, but if it means i have to cry my eyes out every single day because of her, i don't know if it's worth staying. because if i go to my boss, and she tells her, i feel like it's just going to get worse.

Posted by admin Rodney.

[sweettoothedtrickster13]

How to Start a Commonplace Book

Since I have zero desire to start a YouTube channel or a separate website blog, I guess I'll throw this here.

What is a commonplace book?

It's a simple question with a different answer from anyone who keeps one and/or knows what it even is. In very basic terms, a commonplace book is a physical book where you write down quotes you find interesting. That's the extent of what some people do, but I say take it a step further. Add your thoughts on the quote. This helps in a few ways- it helps put the quote in context in your life, and it trains your brain to really think about what you find interesting.

Why a physical book?

There have been tons of studies about handwriting vs typing, but really I can only give you my own experience. I really like the act of writing longhand. It helps cement things in my memory and gives me an actual record of my life. I can look through old notebooks and see what was important to me at that time in my life.

Another reason I think a physical commonplace works better is that it takes time. And that's the point. Re-writing a quote and then your thoughts forces you to slow down and examine yourself to see why you react the way you do. And slowing down in this age of super-fast information is something I think most people would benefit from.

How do I keep one?

Take a notebook- any one will do- and a pen. It doesn't matter if you choose a super fancy $300 notebook and a fountain pen, or a composition book and a ballpoint pen. If you want some cheap options until you find out if you even like the process, I suggest hitting up your local school supply store and getting the cheapest notebook and box of pens you can find. I prefer black ink, but you do you. I like Bic ultra round stick grip pens, but again you do you. The best pen I've come across is the click pen I got for free when I voted. So really any pen will do. You might have to experiment a bit to figure out exactly what you like as you go along. If you want some other advice, I recommend checking out this post. Fair warning, I haven't checked out the brands listed because I have a truly ungodly amount of unfinished notebooks hanging around.

Then you need a source to pull quotes from. You can use books, podcasts, youtube videos, friends, family, countrymen, movies, TV shows. Anything that strikes your fancy and contains quotes that resonate with you in some way. Don't worry about if it isn't 'scholarly' or 'high brow' enough*. I've had quotes from children's cartoons stick with me.

*and 'enough' is really a stupid term because really it only has to matter to you. Fuck everyone else, they shouldn't matter in terms of how you judge yourself. If you like it, that's reason enough.

Why should I keep one?

Expressing any thoughts to yourself and self-examination is a hard process but a worthy one. Only through self-examination will you figure out who you are and what you believe. And figuring that out is crucial, because it's so much easier to just absorb the qualities and thoughts of the people around you instead of standing on your own two feet. Knowing yourself deeply and truly means that you can control your own future better. When you really know yourself, it's really hard for people to try to convince you to do/think something that is antithesis to who you are/who you want to be. Knowing yourself is the first step to knowing who want to be at all. At least in my opinion.

How do I even start?

I recommend your favorite media. As I said before, I don't care if it's a book or a cartoon. Consume it again, and really pay attention to which parts you like. Write them down in your notebook and examine why you like it so much. It will feel weird and awkward and hard at first. You'll automatically want to stop. I say give yourself at least a week of doing this regularly to decide if you want to continue or not.

I also suggest pulling from more than one source of media- if you read a lot of books, try podcasts. If you like TV shows, try movies. Just diversify your intake. You don't have to branch into genres you don't like, but knowing how different media can accomplish different things is a worthwhile endeavor to me.

What if I don't have any thoughts on the quote/can't pin down why I like it?

Leave a blank space after the quote. You might not be able to examine the feelings now, but there will come a time later where you will. The subconscious is a miraculous thing. Often, writing down the quote helps your brain recognize that it's important and worth thinking about. Don't ever feel bad for not figuring it out right away. It will take time.

How do I keep up with the habit?

It doesn't matter if you come across a good quote every day or every week or once every ten years. Just keep your ears and eyes open, and you'll find good ones along the way. And when you find them, write them down.

My commonplace book isn't as pretty/organized as other people's. Why bother?

Fuck others commonplace books. Take inspiration if you want, but your commonplace is just that- yours. You don't have to add drawings or keep an index or have a theme if you don't want to. Just the fact that you are thinking about what you consume puts you ahead of the pack.

Other thoughts

Starting a commonplace book is one of the things that helps me know myself, other than journaling. Both are good in different ways, and I might do a journaling post in the future. Taking a close look at why you react the way you do to certain things is the best way to figure out what the purpose the creator of the media had when they created it. Propaganda isn't just in the news- it's everywhere. Taking the time to examine your reactions to others' words is the best way I've found to recognize it. And if you don't want to go that deep, that's fine too. Consider it a way to keep your favorite quotes close.

So happy commonplace book keeping.

[mouse-fantoms]

Inspired by my tags in this post

Alex was slumped in the couch of the garage. He opened his tired eyes and looked over to the chair beside him and saw Reggie still sound asleep. Sure, falling every night on a couch in a garage wasn’t idle to the average person but considering Alex wasn’t the average person anymore it wasn’t a half bad circumstance.

Ray always offered to spiff up the garage to accommodate for their sleeping arrangements which was nice to know that if they ever wanted a change Ray would easily be on board. Ever since he found out about them, he welcomed the boys with open arms. It was reliving to have this supportive parental figure, at least for the time being.

Alex had had that supportive parental figure in his own parents for the longest time until they knew about his… “lifestyle”. Then it all changed. They only saw his “lifestyle” not him. Why would Ray be different? At least for the time being it was nice to have that again.

Alex excepted to see Luke on the opposite end of the couch but was surprised to see he wasn’t there. He never was an early riser before but of course now with Julie in their afterlives she changed that. He was probably bugging visiting Julie at school if he wasn’t in the garage.

Speaking of, the blond noticed a pink envelope sitting in the coffee table in front of him. In Julie’s neat writing was his name.

He opened the envelope and saw a handmade card for him (another one of Julie’s creations) and signed from her, Ray and Carlos.

It brought a soft smile to his face. That was a nice.

All of the sudden, he heard Luke poof in.

“Alex!” Luke seemed urgent.

He responded by putting his index finger to his lips and then pointing to the chair with the sleeping Reggie.

“Alex.” Luke dropped his voice seeing the still sound asleep bassist. “I need to show you something.”

“Wow not even a good morning?”

He rolled his eyes. “Good morning now would you- Oh, you got Julie’s card.” His tune immediately changed.

“…Did you tell her?”

He shrugged. “Reggie and I might have said something. It was only fair since you two told her about mine.”

He nodded understanding the reason. “Thank you.”

Luke lightly nodded smiling with him. “…Can you show now?”

“I guess?” His answer came as a question considering it was early in the morning. Where could Luke have been so early that made him want to bring him along?

~~~

“Where did-” Alex started to ask Luke where they were going. He looked around and noticed they were in a house. The living room looked oddly familiar.

He looked and saw Luke sitting on the kitchen’s counter. The kitchen that also looked… …like it hadn’t changed in 25 years.

“Look.” Luke pointed to the dining table.

Emily Patterson was sat at the table, using a knife to smooth a cake’s white frosting. She looked looked calm and content as she smoothed. The cake was a double layer one, with red frosting spirals that went around the cake’s top.

“It’s red velvet.” He heard Luke say behind him.

Alex turned his attention when he heard footsteps.

“There we go.” He saw Mitch Patterson put an already opened pack of single stick candles on the table as he took a seat.

“Did you get the matches?” Emily asked, setting the knife on the table happy with her smoothing job.

“Right here.” Mitch opened his hand to show her.

“Perfect.” She bought the pack of candles to her.

She at first went to grab the light pink candle that was in the pack but then switched and grabbed the rainbow spiral colored one instead. She placed the candle in the cake and looked to her husband to light the match. It took a few attempts to get the flame on the match but once it was, he lit the wick of the candle and shook out the match. They grabbed each other’s hand once the candle was lit.

“…Happy birthday Alex.” Emily said out loud with hesitation considering who it was for.

They had… made his favorite cake. They had decorated his favorite cake. They had put a rainbow candle in his favorite cake. They had done all of it for him on his day. All for… him. They made his favorite cake… that Emily chose to put a rainbow candle in? They were… supportive? Supportive parental figures? Had they done this same thing for him all his past birthdays for the past 25 years just as they had for Luke?

Alex approached from behind them, closed his eyes for a moment and then blew out the candle.

“Happy birthday by the way.” Luke spoke up.

“…Thank you.” He swallowed trying to keep the water in his eyes. “…Really thank you.”

[heretherebedork]

What are your top 4 favorite BL shows that are currently airing?

Okay! So I'm actually gonna do this one in two parts. First part is 'favorites that are ending soon' and then 'favorites overall that aren't those' because three shows started while I was on a road trip and I want to start responding to this before I spent like two hours catching up and seeing if anything moves around.

ANYWAY.

Currently airing and soon finishing (aka at least if not more/close to than halfway done)...

Tokyo in April is...: This is glorious. It's a Japanese BL that's like Our Dating Sim meets My Beautiful Man in the most Japanese way possible and with so much pain but also beauty... I adore this show. It's about two teenagers who were best friends who had crushes on each other but put the other person on pedestal and the pain that brings, especially after an involuntary separation that neither of them fully understand for completely different reasons.

La Pluie: This show. I am destroyed. I love them so much. The deconstruction of soulmates and the deconstruction of romance tropes while still honoring the love stories that they're trying to tell. This is one of my favorite shows ever at this point and they just need to stick the landing, damnit.

Dinosaur Love: Look, is this a pulp? Yes. But it's got the sweetest main lead who's also very much the honest and straightforward type with his hurt and scared bunny that he's flirting with and taking care of. Fair warning for self harm and assault but none of it done by the lead character who is doing a great job being a total sweetheart and saying the right thing.

Step By Step: This show is falling apart more than a bit at the end but it's doing so by being too realistic and not BL enough. Very much a realistic office romance between the two leads but the side couple is a real disaster in almost every sense. They've messed up the slow burn at the end but the rest was just oh so sweet.

Okay, now I'm gonna go catch up, come back, and then tell you if I would add any of the three that just started to this list, since Step By Step and La Pluie are both ending this week.

Stay By My Side is a Taiwanese BL (FINALLY! YAY!) and it's darling if a bit on the nose... I fell in love with the two idiots quickly but episode 2 is starting to push deeper on the concept and I'm down for it. But it is absolutely idiot 4 idiot romance.

Hidden Agenda is the new GMMTV show and it's definitely interesting, lots of 'everything has a secondary agenda and everyone has something else besides their main goal... except the main character who is fairly straightforward' kind of thing.

Also, just for you, Ja and First are in a new BL called Be Mine Superstar and it's definitely a fan/idol romance.

[waters-and-the-wilde]

okay scenario. somewhere mid s3 the Carte Blanche ends up working with some of Buddy's criminal contacts/acquaintances who also take something of a specific and possibly impertinent interest in the Unnatural Disaster. their guy clocks Nureyev as 1.) the shady sixth ranger with the least amount of rapport with Jet, and 2.) a gossipy bitch (bc that was the gender he put on when he left the house that day) so they get him aside and try to get him to talk

nureyev’s is like. hmm. (juno is being mouthy to try to draw attention to himself. buddy has been a very particular kind of polite and pointed, and vespa is. playing with a knife and glaring. which to be fair she Does That but she's watching this guy and only lightly heckling juno and if nureyev is starting to suspect that they're maybe playing off each other a bit? and jet seems like he's just trying to vibe but he's definitely sticking even closer to rita than usual.

and then. oh he can tell the guy's trying to get him to talk about Jet, and sure he could just dissemble without a fuss but… he could also dissemble and make the other guy feel awkward about it)

nureyev: listen. i know what you're after. and i understand, truly. you want to know if it's true what they say about him, but you're too intimidated to ask outright.

contact: *shifts nervously*

nureyev: and of course, who could blame you? he's even more compelling in person, isn't he? the gravitas, the self-possession, the shoulders.

their contact: uhh. i mean you're not wrong.

nureyev: and he can cook.

contact: ...wait really? huh. you know he seems like a really good listener too.

nureyev: oh, absolutely. but i think it's only fair to warn you that you ought not to get your hopes up. because it's entirely true - he's just not interested. in anybody. devoted in his friendships, to be sure, but when it comes to all other affairs, you'll find him completely impervious. nothing personal. you could have just asked him, there'd be no harm in it, and i'm sure he'd let you down gently -

juno (wandering over to see what's up): could go either way, really. he put me in a dumpster and threatened to crush my head with the lid.

their contact: ...

nureyev (dear i am trying to make them feel bad about their assumptions about our friend and you are undermining the bit): compared to what other people have followed through on after meeting you, i'd say that only proves that he's a very paragon of restraint and circumspection. you do have a way about you, dearest beloved.

juno: you know if i had a cred for every time I had a crush on a master thief who put me in the garbage, i'd have... two creds, i guess.

nureyev (nostalgically): we both ended up in that garbage chute, didn't we?

juno: and I hated every second of it.

nureyev: I know dear you complained about it vociferously

*smooching*

their contact: ohh well that's a shame thanks for the heads up im just gonna - i think my hovercraft is on fire

nureyev (absentminded, still gazing into juno's eyes): bye-bye now

juno: i can cook too you know

nureyev: i know dear but we mustn’t let it get around, the last thing i need is another crime ring trying to sweep you off your feet

juno: i mean. wouldn’t they look at you first?

nureyev: my love. I can’t cook.

juno: oh yeah

(their contact's boss, later: so did you find anything out about what the Unnatural Disaster's up to now that he's back on the scene?

their contact: im sorry he's never gonna go out with you. the rumors are true he's like. completely aro-ace.

boss: oh.

contact: yeah

boss: are you sure

contact: no yeah. i thought maybe aurinko's son was just talking out his ass but their hacker backed it up.

contact: she was really nice actually. gave me a coupon for her favorite ice cream place.

contact: do. uh. do you wanna get ice cream with me.

boss: ...yeah that'd be nice.

boss: (later over ice cream) wait aurinko has a son??

contact: or whatever he’s adopted idk but he's super obnoxious

[reireichu]

We will forever have the scars 1What inspired you to write the fic that way? 2: Which scene did you put in first? 3: What is your favorite storyline? 4: What is your favorite line of dialogue? 5: Which part was more difficult to write? 6: What is your special fic or different from all your other fic? 7: Where did the title come from? 8: Did any real person or event inspire any part of this? 9: Was there an alternative version of this fic? 10: Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story? 11: What do you like most about this fic? 12: What do you like least about this fic? 13: What song did you hear, if any, to make you want to write this story? Or if you haven't heard anything, what do you think readers should be listening to to accompany us while reading? 14: Is there anything you would like readers to learn from reading this fic? 15: What did you learn when writing this fic?

Hello hello! This is such a late answer, so let's see, let's see...

We'll forever have the scars;

What inspired you to write the fic that way?

I got the benefit of reading a lot of interesting and great Aegon x OC fic, and I also felt like writing. The story was rattling around in my head, and I love myself a modern!AU and also TGC knocked it out of the park with Aegon. Also, I have a lot of feels about Rhaenyra/Alicent and how Aegon basically represented the death of their love or something something.

There's a lot that went into my idea of writing the fic, but it essentially basically started off as: "hi, I wanna write this trash bin child and how he falls in love with a carbon copy of his mum but then realises that she's probably just as fucked up as he is."

Eventually, Sophie came into her own in terms of development and her own story, along with the OTHER story (if you know, you know), and that just... took off? I didn't actually post until I was writing the second chapter because I wasn't sure if it would stick.

2. Which scene did you put in first?

I actually wrote the first chapter from Soph's POV. I have it somewhere in my graveyard files, but the first chapter was Soph working in the hospital and has a more in-depth look into the hospital crew dynamics and what a pain in the ass Aegon was as a patient lol. Alicent also came and lost her shit at him and Aegon was a bit more....... flippant about it all, and he was more open to dating Sophie because he thought it'd be funny and Soph was a lot more 'yeah sure ok lol' but I re-read it and something was missing.

I kept one or two lines about it, but what really made me want to re-write it was the Alicent and Aegon thing. I thought instead of Soph overhearing Alicent's reaction, it would be better that Aegon overhears how upset Alicent actually is and the compassion offered that is a rarity for him as a Targaryen.

So basically, the first 3k of this got scrapped and rewritten.

3. What is your favorite storyline?

Cathy Devereaux as a demented version of the ghost of hamlet's father. As @theonngreyjoy would say... MY WIFEEEEEEE.

4. What is your favorite line of dialogue?

Not particularly the dialogue, but this might be my favourite scene. Honestly this will always be my favourite part of the fic, because it was the start of me leaning into all my campy gothic tropes and my pretentious writing and the fucking references I make to pretentiousness:

In the dream, the Russian oligarch tries to warn her. She can’t hear it. She keeps watching herself upon the high table, looking at who is she and isn’t her. She’s laughing, a laugh that sounds like money.

The oligarch tries to warn her.

Her companion has hair as fair as starlight.

You can’t repeat the past, the oligarch whispers.

The man of starlight laughs at the thought of it, that you can’t repeat the past, “Of course you can.”

Aegon has a very volatile, casual type of inner narrative. He's very blunt and he actually makes me laugh sometimes when I write him. Sophie's voice was harder to find, but when I wrote that scene, it was like YEEEEES HERE WE GO because I knew in that moment exactly where it was all going.

When I finish this fic, I will make a drinking game out of the times I mention the dead Russian prince. Or not, because it might be really bad for my liver.

5. Which part was more difficult to write?

Daemon's interlude.

It was honestly really fucking hard to write him in a modern setting and justifying all of his actions in his own head. I have written Daemon before in something that I haven't finished, and that's very much a canonical Dance one-off that went into the graveyard, but the mentality there is different.

This Daemon is very much a bit scary for me to write because it's a balance of him and his feelings for Rhaenyra, his history with Cathy and the whatever with Sophie. Also, it's hard to feel okay when writing a manipulator and gaslighter from their POV.

The scenes of Daemon and Sophie talking really were difficult to write because it's writing through the lens of someone who knew Cathy. He can't stop seeing Cathy in Sophie, no matter what, which is really hard to write because his subconscious was going out of its way to trigger Sophie (she's her mother's daughter, he knew Cathy and its almost like knowing Sophie, in some ways).

Anyways, that was a difficult scene to write. The entire interlude was so difficult to write.

6. What is your special fic or different from all your other fic?

IDK if it's special, but I think the difference in this one is the fact that it's a god damn feature on the insanity know as the Devereaux fam. We've not even scratched the surface on this.

7. Where did the title come from?

Honest to god, I really actually cannot think of how I came up with it. I just thought it sounded very trash emo aesthetic pretentious and went with it.

8. Did any real person or event inspire any part of this?

I plead the fifth, even though that shouldn't really apply here.

9. Was there an alternative version of this fic?

Yes.

The alternative version of the fic actually was that Soph didn't know she was a Greyjoy and that was prolly the big plot for the first story arc, but I decided that it wasn't fun. Rhaenyra was also less interested in Sophie, but I couldn't really stop that from happening and it didn't vibe well with Soph being on a lower playing field from the Targaryens.

Putting Sophie in a family that is of old money prestige, with a title and that carelessness which comes with it, it helped a lot with her character and the story itself. Whilst she rarely 'acts' on her privilege, it offers her a lot of passive protection (that comes at a cost) and it allowed the story to progress much faster than before.

There's supposed to be an alternative telling of this, in which it has to do with the Greyjoy and their illegal drug/organised crime business (which has been hinted a lot in the 'canon' fic anyways), but I basically didn't couldn't see that matching up to the storyline.

Also, there's another alternative version of the fic that I would call the 'insane timeline of doom that is essentially a deconstruction of the cathy devereaux diaries'. It's colour coded and it's a nightmare.

;D

10. Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?

Aegon and Sophie were always the first idea of the fic, especially with the idea of them being very much pushing each other away but then dragging each other back. They're just odd and terribly mismatched but surprisingly well suited at moments.

I also say this having written a breakthrough for the two of them recently. I have said this to someone, which is that I don't overly ship Sophie with Aegon as much as I should, but that's because she's a difficult person to write. She's very closed off and she's very guarded and also when you see her letting go, she's got these self defence mechanisms which is to essentially play the people around her. It's also something that is a bit painful to write and read, because you go from the start of the story where Aegon just sees her as this insufferable perfect bitch who has nothing to worry about and then she's basically revealed to be someone who has been manipulated and used by every single person in her life and has in turn weaponised that to protect herself, versus Aegon who has just gone "FUCK YOUUUUU" to everyone around him.

Ironically, if I wrote her in the canonical Dance settings, I think she would be more of a firecracker than she is here. But more on that later/never (whether that happens is yet to be decided).

Rhaenyra just happened. It's probably the entire 'Sophie is Alicent 2.0' moments I have when writing her with Aegon. But she wore Cathy's dress and to be honest, it wasn't meant to be Rhaenyra who goes to the barn but Daemon. But the idea of Rhaenyra going to her and making her laugh and smile whilst Aegon sees it, that just gets something going in the entire story and like, Rhaenyra is there seeing this beautiful girl with those big doll eyes and that dark hair and is the most beautiful thing she's ever seen--oh right, that's like when she first saw Alicent, so of course she would go after her.

Special mention to Jace and Hannah for just being cute in the background. They're the rom-com no one knows is going on and I live for this.

11. What do you like most about this fic?

I really did write it for a complete audience of one: myself. The story evolved from "boy meets girl by running his car into her workplace" to "boy gets involved with a girl whose family is just as fucked up as his own" and that includes the ongoing insanity that just keeps coming out to fuck shit up.

You think that there are no more skeletons in the closet, and then there's just another fucking crazy thing happening.

I leaned into my love of a lot of pretentious writing, dark academia vibes, gothic romance and Fitzgerald and also really really really painting the town red with generational/inherited trauma. The entire story really starts latching onto the idea of "are we who we are because of our parents choices or do we have no choice but to be like our parents".

Also I do love the reaction I got from some people reading it. I honestly felt like the fic was unoriginal and flat and overly cliched/predictable, but some of the reactions I've gotten are so great and makes me want to finish the story.

12. What do you like least about this fic?

A lot of it. It drives me fucking nuts. I also have given up on the beta idea because we ride or die like yellowjackets and humanity. Also, that it has to deal with a lot of internalised misogyny and the patriarchy fucking everyone over.

Also that I can't write it fast enough/I can't tell if the pacing makes sense.

And also sometimes I write parts of it, and then have to YEEEEETTTTTT IT OUT OF THE WORD DOC because it just gets so fucking dark.

13. What song did you hear, if any, to make you want to write this story? Or if you haven't heard anything, what do you think readers should be listening to to accompany us while reading?

IDK, but I did make a Daemon/Cathy inspired creepmix.

Yeah, the actual fic itself doesn't have a fanmix, but the fucking assholes known as Daemon and Cathy get their own weird creep mix.

14. Is there anything you would like readers to learn from reading this fic?

Society is bad for your brain, it hurts you and twists you around and you should go 'fuck it' and live by your own standards and as your own self instead of who history and society and family demands you to be. Something like that. Actually, there's nothing to learn from this fic. Purge it from your brain pls.

15. What did you learn when writing this fic?

Everybody loves the dead girl.

[the-haunted-office]

[ SPLASH ]:     sender and receiver arm themselves with water guns and prepare to soak one another in a water fight.

@katsuko-rp-blog

“I’m so excited that you’re staying the night, Katsuko!” Thursday says, practically humming with energy. She rubbing her hands together and shuffling her feet around a lot, and grinning. “We are gonna do all the things. And I mean it. ALL the things, ehehehe. Better get some of these energy drinks going, because we’re gonna need them to keep us going!”

She then announces, “First thing’s first! Let’s get to baking some goodies for us to snack on the rest of the evening!”

[ OVEN ]:     sender and receiver engage in a baking challenge against one another (think GBBO, but for two people in one kitchen!).

 [ PICNIC ]:     sender and receiver arrange and enjoy a living room/bedroom picnic together

[ FROZEN ]:    sender and receiver design an ice-cream sundae bar together.

[ PIZZA ]:    sender and receiver make pizzas together from scratch.

Thursday wants to bake cupcakes.

Katsuko wants pizza.

So, naturally, rather than either picking one or both simply baking their own thing, they decided to make a competition out of it to see whose cuisine would reign supreme.

Well, the kitchen is a mess and she has no idea who won that competition, but at least they have cookies and pizza now!

“Suppose this means we both won, ehehehe,” Thursday laughs, and starts piling up the goodies on a rolling cart to wheel off to her room for them to enjoy, leaving behind a huge mess in the kitchen that she swears she’ll get to later.

[ VIBE ]:     sender and receiver listen to music together.

[ STYLE ]:     sender and receiver do each other’s make-up.

After polishing of most of the pizza and a fair amount of the cookies, Katsuko has insisted on doing Thursday’s make-up.

Thursday hates make-up. She hates the way it makes her face feel. It makes her face feel like it can’t breathe - it’s terribly uncomfortable to her. But... she allows Katsuko to do it.

“Just no mascara, please. I hate those bristles being so close to my eyes! I literally can’t sit still enough for you to do it, I’ll keep flinching and you’ll eventually blind me. So, everything else, okay, but no mascara!”

She puts on some nice trance music to introduce Katsuko to some of her favorite music while she goes about putting make-up on her.

[ KARAOKE ]:     sender and receiver sing karaoke together. [ BOOGIE ]:     sender and receiver dance to music together (either a full chaotic dance party or a slow dance)

Now that they’re both all make-upped - with Thursday’s much better done than the clown face she accidentally put on Katsuko - the music gets changed to fun 80′s pop and rock music. This being some of Thursday’s most absolute favorite music, of course her energy is rekindled.

Thursday teaches some of her favorite Starship songs to Katsuko and helps her learn how to sing them, and also tells her the story of how she and Cyrus sang “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” for Stanley and the bucket during their pretend wedding. The room is full of laughter and eventually she beckons Katsuko to dance with her.

Hopefully none of the leftover cookies or pizza got stepped on.

[ GAME ]:     sender and receiver enjoy a game night (using video games, board games and other mediums) together.

[ BOARD ]:     sender and receiver play board games together.

[ SIP ]:     sender and receiver play drinking games (not necessarily using alcohol! just a drink of choice) together (e.g. never have i ever, where one person says something they’ve never done before, and the other drinks if they have done it, or doesn’t if they haven’t).

After all the dancing shenanigans, it’s decided to sit down and play some board games together. And drinks - that’s important, gotta have the drinks out. Thursday despises the taste of alcohol, so she decides to stick to sparkling grape juice.

“Here, I have so show you the game of Life. It was my favorite growing up! I loved the little cars, and filling up the cars with kids, ehehehe,” she laughs while setting everything up. “My best friend at the time - Sherry - and I modified the game a little bit. We made it so that instead of getting $5000 from every player when you have a baby, you pay $5000 either to whoever is the doctor or just to the board. More realistic that way! Oh! And we also created our own fake Life tiles, like one of them I remember had something to do with George Clooney and some of them even made you lose money at the end. It upped the challenge a bit! Now, for housing, personally I always liked the trailer, because it said ‘deals on wheels’ on the card and for some reason that always struck me as funny, ehehehe.”

[ OUTAGE ]:     sender and receiver end up stuck at home during a blackout and come up with electricity-free ways to entertain themselves.

They’re in the middle of Life when the power suddenly flickers a couple of times, and then goes out altogether.

“Oh... Oh, that’s not good... That magical battery that Jackson set up for us was supposed to last at least a year! I wonder if something’s gone wrong,” says Thursday, getting up to get her mobile phone and calling Thisday, who is up in the control booth. “Hey, man, what’s going on up there? We lost power down here.”

“So I’m told that, uh, some, like, eight foot tall street lamp thing got into the office and somehow took out the power with it,” Thisday explains. “That’s, ah, that’s all according to Cyrus and Aurora, by the way, I only caught a brief glimpse of it before we lost power, so- just stay in your room! You and Katsuko stay where you are, I’m going to go downstairs and see what we’ve got going on here.”

The line disconnects.

Thursday turns to look at Katsuko, using the light from her phone to see.

“Apparently a rogue street lamp is terrorizing the office. Wanna go check it out?”

[ PILLOW ]:     sender and receiver engage in a pillow fight with each other.

[ TWIST ]:     sender and receiver play a game of twister together.

[ FIGHT ]:     sender and receiver engage in a game of play wrestling together.

[  spar  ]  Thursday beats Katsuko in a fight!

After taking care off the street lamp creature and restoring power to the office, Thursday and Katsuko eat some more pizza and cookies and ice cream, and then, since they are both wound up with adrenaline, decide to start a pillow fight. While playing Twister. Which turns into wrestling. Which miraculously leads to Thursday successfully pinning Katsuko down onto the floor... although she knows the kitsune would easily toss her away.

“Hahahaaaaa, I knew all those Red Bulls would come in handy!” she declares.

[ Q&A ]:     sender and receiver play the question game together (i.e. asking random, soul-searching questions which they must answer honestly)

[ JIGSAW ]:     sender and receiver do jigsaw puzzles together.

It is finally time to start winding down, so Thursday gets out an all white jigsaw puzzle she found online and decided she wanted to try out for the sheer hell of it.

“This sucks!” she complains as she’s hunting for the one white piece out of 500 identical ones that she needs. “Whose idea was it to get this thing?! Well, maybe we’ll get like, halfway done before it gets too late,” she says, ignoring the fact that by now it’s already two in the morning.

While working on the puzzle, Thursday chatters about her life before the office, about her childhood, about her mother, about school, about her friends. The meaning of life. Why she’s not religious. When she realized she liked girls as well as boys. All that fun stuff.

She trails off in the middle of explaining that she should have shown Katsuko what happens when you put Mentos in Diet Coke because she has suddenly fallen asleep.

Hours later she wakes up with puzzle pieces stuck to her face and a room full of pizza crusts and cookie crumbs, but also a night full of fun memories!

[kathyprior4200]

Zoophobia

Chapter One: “Cameron’s Early Years”

“Greetings. My name is Salvia, a human staff member at Zoo Phoenix Academy. Don’t mind my thick red hair, it often covers my face. I love romance films and novels and I play violin. I also have extensive knowledge of psychic powers and prophecy. Me having existed since ancient times could explain it.”

“Let me tell you an incredible, albeit bizarre story about the world I’m from. It is what mortals call ’Zoophobia.’ First, a provenance about said world…”

“Safe Haven…it is a sanctuary, an oasis for animals, anthropomorphic beings and other creatures. The Zoo Phoenix Academy is part of it. We sustain ourselves here…and serve as a utopia and protected escape for all kinds of creatures that are ostracized by the human-dominated world beyond the Oceania Forest. That is why there are so few humans here.”

“Safe Haven is split into seven districts and each district has an important purpose and contributes to the society as a whole. The Animal District, Capital City, the wealthy E! District, Marine District, Avian District, the Farming District and the District of Magic. (Do not go to Xirxine Labs, they do horrible experiments on beings deemed ‘troublesome.’) Pacts were made and spells were cast to prohibit malevolent forces from entering the boundaries of Safe Haven. But to maintain the peace and tranquility of this thriving culture, very specific rules were put into effect by the original peacekeepers who founded Safe Haven.”

“Evil forces include evil spirits, rogue vampires, true demons, and blood hunters. (And don’t forget many of the entitled angels in Heaven, they can be deceiving.) The laws here are strict and they keep the dangers out, while keeping the citizens inside and safe. But this is why no living being is permitted to leave for good. It goes against the pacts that protect us. And breaking those pacts could lead to the corruption of the magic that shields us. Without magic, we would be at the mercy of not only dark monsters, but also outside humans who have wanted to hunt us all down. We would be overcome with the dark forces that have been wanting to enter Safe Haven for centuries.”

“Safe Haven has not had a violent crime or a dangerous predator in years, and we do everything we can to keep it that way. But one circumstance changed all that we knew.”

“This story first begins in the human world…and follows an ordinary female by the name of Cameron Walden…”

0 0 0

“Are you ready to go, sweetheart?”

“Coming, mommy!”

A jubilant fair-haired girl jumped for joy before dragging her small suitcase behind her down the hall. She was around six years old and her hair was slightly messy. Her golden-brown-haired mother looked at her with loving eyes.

“What will we do on our camping trip today?” little Cameron asked eagerly.

“Hmm,” she said. “Last year we went canoeing at the lake and made crafts out of sticks. Remember when we roasted marshmallows under the stars?”

“Oh yes!” Cameron said. “Those snores were delicious!”

“I think you mean s’mores,” her mother chuckled. “Your face and hands were so sticky afterwards. You looked like a goopy little monster.” She playfully pinched her cheeks and made a funny face as Cameron giggled.

“But I’m thinking this year, we’ll do some of your favorite activities. I know how much you enjoy fishing.”

“Oh yay!” Cameron cheered. “I remember daddy catching at least two. And I got to feel their smooth scaly skin. Glad he let them go at the end.”

“He might teach you this time. But you’ll have to be patient.”

“Don’t worry, I will…maybe.”

Her mother chuckled again. “Let’s go, your dad is waiting for us.”

Cameron’s father also had white skin and golden brown hair, except he had a scruffy beard that he often let Cameron feel. His eyes were kind and thoughtful and a Christian cross necklace hung around his neck. All of them wore casual jeans, brown hiking shoes and shirts of gray.

Soon, Cameron and her family piled into their car and Cameron’s father drove them through the city streets. The city was dull and gray, reminiscent of New York City but without the splendor. But even the smoggy city didn’t deter Cameron’s excitement. During the long drive to the woods, Cameron and her family sang some songs, played I Spy and that game where you call out a word and then have to call another word that starts with the end letter.

“Salad,” said Cameron’s father.

“Diver,” said her mother.

“River,” Cameron said.

“Ratable,” said her father.

“Uh, lion!” said her mother.

“Ha! You lose!” said her father.

“No fair! Ratable has a silent ‘e.’ You cheated!”

Her father just shrugged playfully and winked at Cameron before focusing back on the road.

“Why’d I space out like that?” her mother mumbled.

They entered through the woods, trees surrounding either side as they rushed by. The dullness of the city faded behind them as greenery whizzed to life as they drove.

“Have you ever thought about what you want to be when you grow up?” her mother asked.

“I don’t know,” Cameron answered. “But I do want to help people and make the world a better place!”

“Great spirit you have there,” her father remarked. “Anything in particular?”

“Maybe…a counselor! Or a zookeeper! Or maybe a marine biologist! Surely it can’t be that hard comforting animals and humans the same!”

“Well,” her mother began. “I know how much you love animals, especially fish. But humans are more…complex creatures. You need to have good listening skills in order to start. And…” she said in a singsong voice, “That means making friends!”

Cameron groaned. She was quite shy, even in her youth.

“I know it can be hard,” said her mother. “But you can’t expect to be alone forever. There are so many different individuals out there. And it’s true some of them may be...strange at first glance."

“What if they…don’t like me or hurt me?”

“No one would hurt you,” she said. “If they did, I’d make them run for the hills. Plus no one could possibly dislike such a sweet angel like yourself. Just take it one step at a time. You’ll find someone special to love. And I know you will be confident and successful one day, whatever you decide to do.”

Cameron smiled at the thought as they continued down a dirt path. Her mother had always wanted her to be happy above all else. The car swayed and bounced as they went deeper in. At last, they found their favorite camping spot and parked. It was a pleasant area with a few pine trees, a wooden bench and a small ledge overlooking a nearby lake. As Cameron’s father pitched the tent and gathered wood, Cameron and her mother gazed at the nearby lake. Sunlight shimmered and sparkled on the water, mesmerizing Cameron. A few ducks quacked off to the side and horsetail reeds swayed in the cool breeze. A dragonfly zoomed in and out among the reeds, occasionally touching the liquid surface. It was a relief to get away from the city and into the much cleaner fresh air.

After a fun day of hiking (Cameron identified several types of leaves and tracks), hide and seek (Cameron climbed a small tree but was found anyway) and fishing (Cameron caught one small fish), they had an early evening dinner over the fire. Cameron inhaled the scent of sizzling bratwurst and hamburgers as the meat cooked. A few stars had already appeared as the sun painted the sky orange and gold. The meat was delicious and slightly overcooked. Then they had s’mores for dessert.

“Aw man,” groaned her father as he stared at his blackened marshmallow on a stick, “I overdid mine.” Then he grinned playfully and proceeded to eat it.

“Gross!” Cameron remarked with a face. “How can you eat that?”

“A marshmallow is a marshmallow,” he said with a shrug.

Cameron’s marshmallow was a perfect golden brown in between the chocolate pieces and graham crackers. Cameron’s mother had her marshmallow plain white.

After the satisfying meal, Cameron was eager to explore some more. “Can we go on a quick hike, Dad?” she asked. “It’s not as hot now.” A refreshing breeze caressed her skin.

Her dad nodded. “There’s still some light out. We can look around and gaze at the stars too.”

“Just don’t go too far,” added her mother. “And take a flashlight with you.”

“See you shortly,” called her father as he took Cameron’s hand and began their nightly hike. Cameron’s mother waved with a smile while sitting on a log and finishing her dinner. The fire crackled brightly.

By now, the sky has turned a dark indigo. The moonlight lit the path in front of them but they were still careful not to trip over any stray sticks, holes or rocks. Along the way, they spotted a rabbit, several squirrels, and even a stag hidden among the trees. The natural world was a wondrous place for Cameron. She and her father eventually relaxed on a cool boulder, naming the various constellations above them.

“This is the best camping trip ever, Dad!” Cameron smiled.

“It sure has been lots of fun, kiddo,” her father smiled. For a while, they let themselves be mesmerized by the twinkling stars and the comforting sound of the still night air. Then all too soon, he sat up and said, “We should head on back. After all, an overnight sleepover never gets old.”

“Yeah, let’s go!” said Cameron. She let out a yawn and was looking forward to being warm in her cozy sleeping bag. They got off the rock and walked back hand in hand.

As they wondered the trails back toward camp, the forest was quiet. Eerily quiet. There were no bird songs or bugs or even the swaying of the wind. Even with the flashlight and moonlight, it grew much darker than before. Cameron grew silent and scooted closer to her father as they walked. A prickling feeling crept up to her neck…she felt like something was watching her. With every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves, she flinched slightly.

“Are there m-monsters out here?” she asked, almost in a whisper.

“Don’t be concerned. Other than the devil and wild animals, monsters don’t exist. Everything is fine,” her father assured her.

Cameron grew less and less convinced as they continued their trek. Shadows flickered and warped this way and that, a trick of the eyes. Cameron whimpered softly. Something tall loomed up ahead. A large tree was in front of them, larger than the other trees around. It looked like an ancient oak tree with hanging branches and a worn down trunk. Cyan fog surrounded the tree and the area, giving it an enigmatic and ominous feel.

A low hooting sound came from nearby. Cameron glanced at a black hole in the tree, at her eye-level. A smaller branch stuck off to the side of it. She peered inside and didn’t see anything.

But then…a pair of glowing yellow eyes blinked from inside. And a white owl emerged onto the branch! She shined her flashlight at it and it didn’t flinch. Just stared intently.

Cameron had never seen such a majestic creature before. It had white feathers, tiny black spots on its coat and a sharp hooked beak. But there was something peculiar about this owl. Looking closely, Cameron could make out zig-zag yellow stripes down the front of its body. And its eyes…they were big and yellow like an owl’s but seemed…older. Instead of being a single color, the large orbs glowed yellow with dark stripes like a bumblebee. It almost appeared as if the lines in the eyes were moving. Strange small jagged eyelashes jutted out from the sides of the orbs. The owl eyed Cameron like she was an innocent mouse; she did not like the look at all.

Cameron blinked and for a millisecond, she saw a bizarre being; what looked like a bird but with the head of a woman with white blonde hair and pale skin. Before she could comprehend what it was (a harpy), it had turned back into an owl in the blink of an eye. After letting out an ominous hoot, it vanished into the hole as Cameron’s father called her name. She hurried off to catch up to him.

Cameron shook her head, convinced it was just her fearful imagination. No owl would come out and look through her like that.

A strange sense of foreboding flowed through Cameron. She and her father quickened their pace.

 Back at camp, a low growling sound grew steadily louder.

Growl. Crunch. Crunch. Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sounds of steps and shuffling grew closer. Cameron’s mother looked around, holding a bratwurst in one hand.

Grooooowwwlll….snort, snort.

Hot breath on neck. Snapping of twigs.

Cameron’s mother slowly turned around, meeting large dark eyes…

A scream echoed out into the night, almost paralyzing Cameron in her tracks.

“Dad?”

 It was shrill and pleading…and then it rang out again.

Longer lasting screams and roars seemed to be coming from everywhere. The world seemed to be spinning.

“What was that?!” Cameron cried.

“I don’t know, but I have a feeling we need to get back,” said her father with concern. For the first time, he appeared sacred as well.

Without hesitation, her father grabbed hold of her hand and raced as fast as his legs could carry him. Cameron briefly tripped over a log but her father picked her up. A sudden gust of biting wind pushed against them, but they still ran. They flinched from the sudden cold and the dust that flew in their faces. It drowned out the screams until they faded away. The wind came to a howling peak and then halted as they reached the clearing.

Her father suddenly gasped and froze to a stop, Cameron almost bumping into him. His flashlight fell to the ground. There was the tangy smell of…Cameron figured it wasn’t the cooked dinner they had.

“Stay back, Cameron!” her father ordered sharply, pushing her behind him. “And don’t watch!”

But of course she did…then wished she hadn’t.

Standing over a figure in the dirt was a monstrous brown bear. The bear bared his sharp teeth, paw on its food, mouth caked with blood. Tearing and squelching was heard. Crimson splotches looked jarring in the limited light. And underneath the bear was…

“M-mom?!”

In one swift motion, her father retrieved a gun he had safely secured behind him and took aim.

Bang! Bang!

Several shots rang out, deafening like bombs. Cameron covered her ears and yelped. A primal bellow of protest followed. The bear roared one last time before bounding and stomping away. Bush leaves rustled as a few more shots rang out. Her father yelled curses and raced toward where the bear had left.

Creeping closer, Cameron sank to her knees and stared in disbelief. It was her mother…or what was left of her. Her face was ashen, dirty and pale, scratches all along her body. Her back and belly had disastrous bites, thick dark red blood oozing onto the grassy ground. Muscle and viscera were visible from the gashes.

Cameron turned her mother’s face around and was met with guttural heaving breaths. The unnatural agonizing kind right before death.

“Oh god, oh god, oh god…” Cameron muttered, voice cracking, eyes wide. “Somebody help! Help!” The smell made her gag, but she still stayed.

Her mother’s eyes fluttered. She slowly reached a pale shaking hand toward Cameron. Cameron moved closer as both their hands met. The cold clammy hand squeezed her little fingers.

“S-safe Haven…” she wheezed, staring long and hard into Cameron’s eyes. “You’ll do…g-great things. Unite them all. Stay safe, safe…”

“Mom, w-what do you mean? Safe Haven, what?”

“My a-angel…”

Her mother wheezed and croaked again before her hand went limp, letting go of Cameron’s fingers. Her mother gave her one last kind look before her eyes glazed over. She had stopped moving. Nothing but cold flesh, blood and a lifeless form.  

“Mom? Mom! Mooooom!!!”

Cameron’s father pulled her back a bit. Without a word, Cameron’s father cradled his wife’s body as Cameron buried her face in her bloodstained clothes.

Her father pulled her back a bit after gently lowing her mother to the ground. He closed her eyes with his fingers. She looked like she was asleep, even though she wasn’t. (Or if she was, it was eternal and dreamless. Or maybe she was already in Heaven; Cameron didn’t know). Cameron and her father stood silently still, embracing each other. Tears rolled down their faces, Cameron’s primal sobs echoing through the night. Her hands were stained with leftover blood. After about ten minutes of utter grief, her father looked at her.

“Cameron, get in the car.”

“W-why?”

“Just do it.”

A sternness and aloofness look appeared on his face, a look Cameron had never seen him make in front of her. The bright color and spark in his eyes had been snuffed out. Without waiting for another answer, her father picked her up, carried her over to the car and placed her in the back seat. The door closed. From outside, the fire was put out, leaving only dying embers and sad orange sparks. The light gray smoke curled into spirals, doing somber dances in the breeze before vanishing.

Cameron waited in the back seat, curled up into a ball. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her mother had been mauled by a bear before her eyes…and she could’ve been next! The ruthless face of the bear would haunt her memories for many years. Not long after, she saw flashes of red and blue light through the dirt-spotted windows. Her mother’s body was covered by a white sheet and taken on a stretcher by medics who had driven by. Fortunately, they still had decent cell phone service. Without another word, her father packed up the tent and all their belongings, tossing them in the back. He got in the driver’s seat and took them home on a long solemn drive.

0 0 0

The funeral went as well as one would expect. Prayers and condolences were spoken and family members talked in hushed tones, all wearing black. Cameron glanced around passively at the stained glass church windows, sad and bored at the proceedings. Her mother’s coffin was gently lowered into the ground afterwards. Vivid flowers were placed everywhere; red, pink, white, yellow and purple. Being so young, Cameron later didn’t remember the funeral at all. All she knew was that an important part of her life had vanished.

She and her father were never the same afterwards. As Cameron grew up and went to the dismal public school, he became preoccupied with his work. She hardly saw him much anymore. They grew distant, not in a bad way but similar to how different friends grow apart when their interests take them down new paths.

Cameron went to therapy for a while, with Mrs. Winkler, a kind old lady. But the sessions didn’t seem to help. For one thing, Cameron’s fear of animals grew worse each passing year. The fact that she had taken a trip to the zoo with her father only deepened it.

Her father had hoped that a new trip would cheer her up. But the animals would scare her as they roared and pawed at her through the glass when she watched. No one noticed a glowing golden apple which appeared in the exhibits…it let out light and made strange humming noises. The animals all threw themselves menacingly at Cameron with roars, hisses, and growls: Lions, tigers, bears, cheetahs…But it wasn’t just the predatory animals that somehow grew agitated at her. The flamingos squawked nosily, the gators snapped their jaws, and the monkeys would laugh and throw food at her which bounced off the cage wall. The sharks and birds, and oh goodness, the snakes too. The only animals that didn’t appear to pay her any attention were the fish. They just swam around and around as if nothing happened.

Strangely enough, her father didn’t notice.

“What has gotten into you, Cam?” he asked in disbelief after she screamed and sobbed. “Those animals aren’t attacking you.”

“Y-yes they are!” she cried. “Didn’t you see?”

But no one else seemed to notice either. They were just smiling and observing the animals like regular visitors. And the animals were doing their normal routines. A few people gave Cameron looks and raised their eyebrows.

Her father pulled her close. “You’re almost a teenager. Stop acting like a sacred child.”

“I-I know what I saw!” she sobbed. “I know it!”

Her father sighed and merely said, “Let’s go home.”

Cameron lowered her head. She used to enjoy the zoo more than anything…now she had an unbreakable fear of animals. (It had gotten bad to the point where she didn’t even want any pets.)

Cameron didn’t see a grinning yellow face with matching eyes blending within the trees when she left the zoo. Nor did she hear its high pitched cackle. A slender hand held up a golden apple and the illusions replayed.

Another thing that didn’t help was school. Cameron was smart enough in class (especially in literature) but was often bullied for her meekness. Many of the bullies would make animal sounds and jump at her from behind corners.

“Look how sacred she is!” they would mock. “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? And everything else in existence? Lamb Cam!”

“Don’t call me that!” she spat. “It’s Cameron!”

“Scram, Cam! Scaredy cat! Scaredy cat! Mrrow!”

And the creepers too as she became a teen.

“Ride me like an animal, Cam! Damn!”

“Are you a turtle, dearie? Cause I’d love to fly through your tender shell…”

“You must be a kitty cat, ‘cause you’ve got some fine pus…”

“Don’t you finish that sentence!”

After finally graduating high school hell, Cameron went to college. After hard work, she got her degree in Guidance Counseling. She figured she’d stray away from animals and gear more toward helping members of her own species. Helping others was her purpose…and getting her degree was a great accomplishment. Friends and boyfriends came and went. She soon lived on her own.  

Getting a job, however…much easier said than done. No matter where Cameron looked or how many interviews she went to, they all seemed to dismiss her.

“I’m sorry, you don’t have the right qualifications we’re looking for.”

“We are currently reaching out to other applicants at this time. Thank you for your interest.”

“No social skills…no experience…hmm…not quite fit for this position.”

They always changed their minds at the last minute. Cameron never understood why.

Cameron buried her face in her hands in her room. The fear and sorrow would never go away. The gray skies and the pattering of rain over the glum city matched her mood. She was now twenty-five years old, unemployed, and utterly alone.

Her last hope was a new job position offered to her by a lady with white blonde hair. She had given Cameron her business card and office address: “KayCee: guidance counselor position interview, 12:00 sharp tomorrow.”

Another failed interview, but she figured she’d give it a try.

And then her nightmares. The nightmares that always seemed to come back. They were always the same. Cameron racing through the forest, being chased by every animal and mythical creature in existence. The gnashing of teeth, swipes of paws, being chewed on and swallowed into darkness. Then, thinking it was all over, she’d wake up…

…only to see her mother’s dead body on the floor in front of her.

“Monster! Monster!” a shadowy crowd chanted, surrounding her. But they were pointing their fingers at her, their glowing white eyes accusing.

“No! No, I’m not a monster!” Cameron cried, looking down. Her mother’s head snapped up and her eyes were yellow and black stripes, eyelashes curling out on all sides. “Monster!” She let out a crazed laugh, white teeth sharp, tongue out, eyes rolling back.

Cameron felt herself falling, falling, being watched by dozens of eyes. Eyes, eyes everywhere. Staring into her reflection, she gasped and screamed in horror. She saw her frightened blonde face, but her body consisted of white feathers, talon feet, a thin neck and bat-like wings. She was a harpy. An abomination…becoming what she feared itself.

More screams as she fell down, down, her black pupils growing wider…

0 0 0

Cameron’s pupils shrank back as she lay on her back on a couch. She wore a business casual light gray shirt and a dark skirt. A back headband sat on her golden brown hair, while a few strands hung from either side of her freckled face. The walls were stark gray on all sides. A lone palm frond plant sat in a pot to the side. A grandfather clock ticked quietly in the room, the pendulum swinging from side to side in rhythm.

“I had that dream again…it was so vivid this time,” Cameron told Mrs. Winkler.

“Perhaps your upcoming job assignment played a part in that?” The elder Mrs. Winkler suggested. The therapist wore a gray dress and took notes on a clipboard.

“Maybe,” said Cameron. “But why that dream? I haven’t had it in so long. It was just…so unexpected.”

Cameron sat up. “It was like reliving the whole thing. And bringing back all those memories.” She shuddered slightly, glancing off to the side. “I mean, I’ve been stressed out lately but…I’ve never had that dream so suddenly…”

“Well, dear…” the therapist began, looking at her clipboard. “It sounds to me like…”

Cameron glanced up at the clock, which chimed 12:00.

“Oh! Oh my god, I’m late!” she cried. She leaned in, hands clasped. “Thank you so, so much for listening, Mrs. Winkler! Wish me luck!”

Cameron grabbed her handbag, turned the doorknob and hurried out of the room. “Taxi!” she yelled as she bounded out of the building and down the steps. The rain poured down as she got in. She soon arrived at the other building. 

Inside the office, a voice came over through the PA with a bzzt.

“Ms. KayCee. The 12 0’ clock is here…late.”

“Send her in,” replied the woman. She had a tan face, long white hair and narrowed eyes that appeared to glow. She wore a gray business suit and a green pendant around her neck. She sat at her desk with an apple and a pencil holder off to the side. She glanced down at some paperwork in front of her, pen in hand. Rain pattered from outside the window.

Cameron appeared in the doorway. “I’m so sorry I’m late!”

“Come in,” said the woman.

Cameron caught her breath and hustled over to the desk. “I uh…lost track of time.”

“It’s quite…alright…”

The woman glanced up in surprise, noticing Cameron’s wet hair.

“It’s, heh…r-raining outside…” Cameron stuttered nervously, making a gesture.

“Take a seat please,” said KayCee. “So we can begin to discuss your placement with this program.”

Cameron lowered herself into a chair.

“Again, so sorry for being late,” Cameron said.

“It’s alright,” KayCee replied.

Cameron nervously glanced off to the side. KayCee stared intently at Cameron, a faint yellow glow around her eyes. She rested her chin on her hands.

Cameron raised an eyebrow, a faint chill racing through her body. “Do…I know you from some…”

“Yes,” KayCee cut her off.

Cameron knew that KayCee didn’t want to get into the déjà vu moments. After a brief moment of staring, KayCee cleared her throat and looked at the forms in front of her.

“Well looking at your report and resume, I wasn’t able to find a suitable position for you. We don’t seem to have a vacant job here with need of your skills…”

‘Oh no. Not again,’ Cameron thought with dread.

“I’m afraid there is not much I could do…”

Cameron leaned forward and put her arms and elbows on the desk in a begging position. “Please! I really need this job! I have been waiting for an assignment for so long, there has to be something!”

Lightning flashed and thunder cracked from outside as KayCee looked over the form again.

KayCee observed the form. It read “Classified” in bold letters at the top. “Needed positions” “Possible applicants” were shown. “Guidance Counselor” was heavily circled underneath it. Off to the side read: “Agreement to transfer required.” “Must be informed of where.” Below was a “job applicants” list.

“Well…” KayCee began. “You do have a degree in counseling, do you not?”

“Yes! I do!” Cameron said. She didn’t even question how this lady knew that fact. “I’ll take it! Please!”

“It’s a transfer position, it would require relocation,” KayCee mentioned.

Cameron stood up and leaned into her face. “I’ll take it! Wherever it is, I’ll take it!”

“Very well then,” said KayCee. “A private jet will take you from this building on Thursday, 9:00. I suggest you pack all your things.”

Cameron raced over and hugged her. “Yes! Oh yes! Thank you!” KayCee’s eyes briefly turned white with glowing yellow stripes. She narrowed her normal eyes and deadpanned, “Don’t be late.”

“Oh I won’t!” Cameron declared, stepping back. She put her hands together. “Thank you so much!”

“You are quite welcome, Ms. Walden,” KayCee said, reaching for the red apple.

“Oh! Call me Cameron!” Cameron took her bag and opened the door. “Thanks again!” she called before shutting the door with a click.

“Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm,” KayCee chuckled lowly. Her fingers grew crooked and her black nails grew sharp. The apple in her hand vibrated and a golden spiral emerged from the center. Soon the apple was golden and glowing in her hand. KayCee lounged on her desk, knocking over the pencils in the holder off the desk with a foot.

“No Ms. Cameron…” She then spoke in a high pitched echoing shrill, “Thank you!”

In a flash of magic, KayCee had turned into her true form. A being with wild white poufy hair that sizzled with white electricity strands. She wore a white dress with holes in them. She grinned a sinister grin of sharp golden teeth. Her black and yellow striped eyes and long jagged eyelashes made her appearance all the more untamed. She let out an evil maniacal laugh.

0 0 0

“Salvia here again. As you probably have figured out, KayCee is no ordinary human. She is Eris, the Greek Goddess of Strife and Chaos. For she was the one who tossed the Golden Apple of Discord to provoke arguments between Aphrodite, Athena and Hera over who was the fairest goddess. Paris of Troy chose Aphrodite, igniting the Trojan War. Eris, along with Jestine and some other deities, exist to cause discord, nightmares and all sorts of trouble. KayCee/Eris indeed, sent Cameron to Safe Haven, knowing full well that she had no knowledge about the denizens of the destination. Her plan is thus: with Cameron fearing the animal residents and Safe Haven having been discovered by an outsider, the magic protecting it weakens over time. Eris hopes the barriers will eventually break, resulting in war and mass murders from the dark forces…and the humans. For the more chaos there is, the more her power grows. And she won’t stop until every world becomes her chaotic playground.”

“None of us knows what Eris truly wants, but one thing is for sure. Cameron and all of us have to keep our guard up. Eris thrives on manipulation, deceit and black sorcery. To her, the apocalypse is an entertaining musical.”

“For now, we continue our story of Cameron, who soon departs her hometown and embarks on her journey toward Safe Haven…”

Chapter Two: “Cameron’s Arrival to Safe Haven” (5,000 words per chapter)

It wasn’t long before Cameron arrived outside the building where she had her meeting with KayCee. The sky was clear but smoggy with tan pollution. The city silhouette stood in the background. She soon spotted the jet…which looked more like a dull forest green plane. The plane was old-fashioned with a propeller in the front and two wings on either side of the craft. It was dull green in color and decorated with black stripes. Cameron wore her usual gray clothes and carried her suitcase. At the ramp of steps, a figure stood waiting for her.

“I’ve never been on a private j…plane, before. Are you the pilot, Miss…?”

“Snake.” The woman answered in a low voice.

“Snake?” Cameron asked in confusion.

The woman had light green skin and strangled forest green hair decorated with dark specks. A pair of sunglasses rested on her head. She wore a green tank top, an emerald green scarf and a green-gray skirt. Long elbow-length gloves covered her hands and a white cigarette was in her mouth.

“Interesting name,” said Cameron. “Does it mean anything?”

Snake did not answer.

Cameron continued, “Because I have never heard of someone naming a child something like that.”

Had Cameron been anyone else, she would’ve gotten a harsh slap for the insult. Instead, Snake crossed her arms, holding her cigarette between two fingers. “Save the jaw-flappin’ fer later, hunny. I don’t wanna fly with a headache.” She dropped her cigarette and crushed it with her green high heel on the ground.

Cameron flinched. “Oh! I-I’m sorry! I’m just a bit anxious…”

Cameron walked up the steps and into the aircraft. “Going to new places and everything, ya know?”

“Sure,” Snake answered with disinterest. “Just put a sock in it ‘till we get there.”

Snake sat down and pulled various levers and pressed buttons. The plane was soon off the ground and flying over the city. The propeller spun fast and they zoomed away. Cameron sat nervously in her seat. ‘I hope this was a good idea,’ she thought to herself. ‘There’s no turning back now…’

As the plane swooped over a vast forest, a spectral form of KayCee/Eris grinned mischievously against a large boulder, watching the plane. The sun rose over the hill in front of them, a promise of a new life and adventure.

Snake piloted the plane, sunglasses over her eyes, lost in thought. She briefly cleaned her teeth with a toothpick in one hand, going around her two white fangs.

Snake was in fact, a loner and shapeshifter, who could transform into a green snake at will. One of her friends was Taxi, a yellow werewolf who worked as a cab driver, mechanic…and merrymaker. She would drive monster trucks around while Snake would fly and fix various planes. The two of them bonded over their love of machines, smoking and drinking. Snake was also a secret agent in Safe Haven, skilled with guns and weapons. Her skills in stealth were so great, that she was soon hired by the Zoo Phoenix Academy staff to travel to the human world to retrieve recruits. 

Snake, Taxi and Taxi’s werewolf friends would often party, drink and get into trouble. Although Snake had enjoyed it, she also was not proud that she had killed other people on the streets. So in a way, this job was fine with her.

But then Cameron broke the tranquil silence.

“Wow! I didn’t know the forest was this big,” she exclaimed. “We’ve been flying over it for hours…it’s like, endless!”

Snake scoffed. “Yeah…why ya think it’s called the f*ckin’ “Oceania” Forest, hm? ‘Cause it’s big. What’d I say about talkin’?”

Honk!

Honk!

Cameron looked out the window with a loud gasp. “Oh my…” A giant sky blue bird was honking outside her window. It was larger than any regular bird she had seen.

“Snake!” Cameron wailed out loud, making Snake flinch. “T-there’s a giant bird outside the window!” Cameron grabbed onto her.

“What?” Snake asked.

“G-giant bird! It was huge…giant…! What if it attacks the plane?!”

“Get back to yer seat!” Snake yelled, baring her fangs.

‘Snakes on a plane!’ Cameron thought in fear, after spotting her fangs.

Cameron obliged and looked out the window. The bird was gone.

‘Great, now I’m seeing things…’ she thought.

The sun set outside, turning the sky pink and yellow. Cameron sat, bored. She fell asleep as night fell. The next day, Cameron woke up, sunlight shining through the window.

Snake was nowhere to be seen.

“Hello?”

She stood up and walked down the dark empty aisle.

“Uh…what’s going on?”

No answer.

“S-Snake?!”

Cameron looked out the window and saw a bunch of shadowy creatures outside.

“Oh god.”

Trying to be brave, she peered out the window.

“Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god…”

“Surprise!” hollered the bizarre creatures.

Cameron walked down the steps, stunned. There were so many strange new faces, she couldn’t keep track. Fabian the fox, Perci and Malcom the red and green dragons, Carrie the blonde demon, Zechariah the cheetah, Principal Winston the one with the yellow squid head, a teal eel with a monocle, a person with orange and yellow hair, a midnight blue stag, a yellow fox, and Salvia too. All the Zoo Phoenix Academy staff were there to welcome her.

Cameron stared off into space, seeing the creatures. Was this some kind of prank? Were these just people in costumes trying to bully her again?

Just then, Perci the dragon got into her face and said, “Welcome to the zoo, Cameron Walden! Well—hah! Of course it isn’t really a zoo! Sorta ironic that I just called it that, really! Hahahaha!”

Cameron gulped. She felt like it was a zoo…a dangerous wacky one with escaped mythical creatures. Perci put an arm around her. The eel shook her hand. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear!”

Were these really talking animals?

A strong hand lifted up Cameron’s arm as a tough light gray face with blonde hair inspected her.

“She sure is a scrawny-gangly-shaky li’ thing, ain’t she?” Carrie remarked in a gruff voice.

“Oh nonsense Carrie,” said Fabian the red fox. “I think Ms. Cameron looks perfectly fine.” He gave her a wink and a sultry look, Cameron cringing in disgust. Was that fox hitting on her?

“I’ll take your word on that, Fabian!” called the blind green dragon teacher Malcom. His hair was black, skin light green. He walked up to her. “Good evening? Morning? Day!”

There was a brief silence.

“How about a kiss, pretty lady?” Fabian cooed, getting close to her with his tongue.

“Eeeeiiiiahhhhhhee!”

Cameron screamed at the top of her lungs. “S-stay back! A-all of you! Don’t come any closer!”

The animals glared at her, teeth showing. Any moment, they would pounce on her. For several moments, Cameron could only hear growls, slurps, mutters and hisses.

The cheetah rumbled in thought as the squid principal slurped his tea loudly beside him.

Cameron took more steps back. “I-I mean it! Stay away from me! Stay away! D-don’t come any closer!”

“Calm down, dearie,” Perci reassured. But Cameron only heard a strange growl from him that sounded like “Raaalmm, rrowwn, geeerrek!” She was too scared to properly comprehend the human speech.

Cameron suddenly pointed behind them. “Look! What’s that over there?” She promptly dashed away with a zip while only Perci glanced behind him. The others narrowed their eyes in confusion.

Cameron screamed some more before skidding to a halt. She gasped. “Oh my! What on Earth?”

Before her lay a vibrant magical world beyond her greatest imagination. It was a cross between Jurassic Park, Zootopia and a child’s version of New York. A blue sea creature eel with three eyes slithered across a teal street with dark stones on it. A slender red bird appeared to be pulling a covered wagon in the distance. A yellow cab drove by a golden dragon and a yellow bird with long feathers. The buildings were curved, concaved and had glass coverings around them. There was a small pond, several sidewalks and lamps illuminating the small park below. Birds of many colors flapped and fluttered freely in the air, some of them looking like pterodactyls. A large red spotted wall had several archways of different sizes, green vines going up it and a large golden eye in the center. Several birds were perching on the top of the wall. A few waterfalls flowed through the arches of the wall. There were several dinosaurs too; a two headed blue longneck, a golden dinosaur with multiple eyes and a flap of skin on its head, and a violet triceratops that looked like a pincher beetle. Nearby buildings of blue, yellow and pink read “Gym,” “Liquor,” and “Le Crumbles” respectively. 

Cameron shook her head. “This is not happening…I’m dreaming this.”

Cameron felt something soft and furry press against her back. Without a word, her eyes darted upwards and met the gaze of a cheetah.

“Is there something wrong, Miss?” asked the cheetah.

But of course, Cameron only heard hungry growls. She saw the cheetah’s teeth and maw and felt lightheaded.

“Uhhh…”

This was it…she was now cat food. Her eyes rolled back and she fainted onto the ground. The cheetah rolled his eyes and sighed in concern.

“Somebody get our new visitor to the infirmary.”

“I can do it,” Fabian purred.

“No. I got it,” barked Carrie, lifting up Cameron’s form easily.

0 0 0

“Wuuuhh?”

Cameron groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision cleared and she saw a man with tan skin and blonde hair with bangs jutting off to one side. He wore a sky blue shirt, a torn white tie and dark pants. Cameron was lying on a table. In the dark room, a sky blue poster with a yellow smiley face read “Smile! It’s almost over!”

“You okay, hun?” the man asked. He was Chastopher the nurse.

“W-what’s going on?” Cameron asked, sitting up.

“You are in the nurse’s office, my dear!”

Cameron rubbed her head. “Oh thank god…I just had the worst dream ev…what is that?” Her face turned pale.

The man held a red power drill in one hand. As he turned around, Cameron swore she heard the screeching music from “Psycho.”

“Willis said you needed a checkup!” he babbled, leaning close to her face. “Willis is very smart, you know!”

He hugged a stuffed lime-colored unicorn with a black button eye and flicked on the drill. The drill buzzed loudly, mixing with his crazed giggles.

“Help!” Cameron screamed. She dove under his legs off the table and scrambled away. Cameron flung open the door and gulped with a pause. The cheetah was back, blocking her way.

“Are you feeling better, Miss Walden?”

“No.” Cameron replied, eye twitching. Why was she talking to a cheetah? Animals didn’t talk, yet here they were. She turned around, clutching her head. There had to be a way to escape.

“Okay! O-kay! T-This is just a big crazy dream! Wake up! Wake up Cameron! Wake up!”

“Wake up,” the nurse sang with a dopey expression, holding his toy. After closing her eyes, she opened them again. To her disappointment, she was still in the same place.

“Are you finished?” the cheetah deadpanned, an annoyed look on his furry face.

Cameron sighed. “Okay…I give up…w-what’s going on?”

“Were you not informed about…”

“About what? Informed about what?!”

The cheetah stared at her in confusion. “You were not informed about this place before being sent here?”

“Sent where? Where am I?!”

Oh dear, this was going to be hard to explain. They needed a better place to talk.

“Follow me, Miss...” said the cheetah, moving on four legs.

Feeling like she had no choice, Cameron awkwardly obliged. Cameron peeked back toward the room and saw the nurse sleeping against his toy.

“S-So…” Cameron began as she raced to catch up to the cheetah. “Y-you’re a giant cheetah?”

“Yes.”

“Just checking…”

They walked past green lockers and into an office.

“Have a seat, Miss,” said the cheetah. He mentioned to a large purple desk chair as Cameron slowly sat down.

Sluurrrrppp!

The principal with a yellow and red squid head with three lip-like designs on his forehead was slurping loudly from a pink teacup. He wore a dark business suit with buttons. A matching pink teapot sat at his desk and slobber dribbled onto the desk surface. Cameron darted her eyes toward him in bewilderment.

The cheetah smiled. “Oh this is Principal Winston. He is quite harmless.”

“Right…” Cameron breathed, pulling her knees closer together.

The cheetah stared at Cameron with concern. He felt bad for this newcomer who had been so traumatized on her first visit. He remembered when he himself first arrived to Safe Haven, formerly being a regular cheetah and accidentally falling through a portal. He had magically gained the ability to talk thanks to Salvia and became one of the staff members at the school. Although he missed his original family, he had found other creatures like himself…a new family.

Perhaps he could help Cameron be a part of it…quirkiness and all. But the hard truth had to come first.

The cheetah straightened his spine and cleared his throat.

“Well my dear Miss Cameron. I have some news for you. My name is Zechariah, and I regret to inform you that there seems to have been some sort of mistake with the company that employed you. You were hired to be a guidance counselor, correct?”

“Y-yes.”

“Well, all humans employed or chosen to be sent here are given strict details about this world, and it is their choice to be transferred.”

Zechariah’s eyes glowed yellow and narrowed in suspicion. “Whoever sent you, did an incredibly dishonest thing…for once here, you cannot return to the outside world you once knew…”

Cameron could hardly breathe. “S-So I’m stuck in the crazy magical world of oversized talking animals?”

“I am afraid so, Miss.” Then he added in a more professional tone, “Also, this is an interspecies society. There are many different creatures. Not just ‘animals.’”

Cameron shuddered with renewed terror. “Like what? Other scary things? Vampires?”

“Yes.”

“Mermaids? Demons? Ghosts?”

“Yes.”

“Aliens?”

“Aliens do not exist, Miss Cameron.”

“Where am I right now?” Cameron wondered out loud.

“You are in the Zoo Phoenix Academy,” said Zechariah. “This is where you were employed. So we brought you right here. Would you like a tour?”

“Okay?” Cameron hesitated.

Zechariah held up his tail which had a watch on it. He spoke into the device. “Jackie, can you come to my office please?”

“Absolutely!” a voice replied.

Cameron grabbed onto Zechariah’s tail. “Who’s Jackie?”

Cameron soon got her answer when a woman strolled into the room. “Hey, hey hey!” she trilled in a sing-song voice. Jackie wore a long dress in different shades of blue; navy blue at the top to sky blue at the bottom. Her dress had yellow trim around it and she wore matching yellow shoes. Her skin was light brown and her hair was in vibrant shades of blue, with yellow tufts toward the back and a green tip that served as a bang. Her hair was reminiscent of parrot feathers.

She was a parrot shapeshifter…and she chatted like one too.

She walked over to Cameron and eagerly shook her hand.

“Hello, hello, hello! I’m Jackie! Drama instructor. So you are the new girl everyone’s talking about? What’s your name?”

“Cameron,” she replied nervously.

“You caused quite a scene huh, Cam?”

“It’s Cameron.”

Zechariah leaned over.

“She is in need of a tour, Jackie.”

Jackie put an arm around a stunned Cameron and guided her through the door.

“Not another word, Zech! I got this!”

0 0 0

Jackie eagerly showed Cameron around the vast campus. Despite being inhabited by strange beings, Cameron couldn’t help but admire the buildings and scenery. The grass was bright green and fresh and the trees provided ample shade for hot days. The building exteriors were made of smooth glass and round in globe shapes. They walked through a cobblestone courtyard, where a fountain trickled in the center. On either side of the entrance, there were statues of phoenixes made of bloodstone, garnet and rubies. The phoenix was the mascot, symbolizing rebirth and new hope. “Rise from the ashes, soar into success!” was the academy motto.

“I love our mascot, don’t you?” Jackie asked Cameron. Cameron mostly zoned out as Jackie chatted on and on. “Though I’d much prefer parrots! They’re so beautiful and lively. The school would do good to spread some more musical cheer. And parrots would be perfect! Just notice how well they can talk and sing. The Zoo Parrot Academy, wouldn’t have to worry about changing the acronym.”

They soon walked through some double doors and into a vast chamber made up of the red spotted wall.

“I really think you will love working here, Cam! This is the main lobby. All the subject wings branch off from here.”

Reflected watery light of an aquarium danced around the floor and walls. Jackie guided Cameron through a large room with an elevator and long tan chairs off to the side. A winding green staircase swirled up to an upper level with glass panes and a marvelous view of the outside. Several archways branched off to different sections. They passed under an arch, which was against a light blue wall, leading to the aquarium. Inside, Cameron could see a friendly-looking fish, a hammerhead shark, a swordfish and a bottlenose dolphin gliding playfully through the water.

 “Have I gone insane?” Cameron breathed as she looked up at the aquarium ceiling in wonder.

“No, not really!” Jackie replied.

One archway had a grandfather clock beside it, another was adorned with red curtains and another was supported by Greek pillars.

Cameron stopped for a moment as Jackie turned around.

“You ready?” she asked.

Cameron stood there puzzled as Jackie wandered off toward the stairs. Jackie looked at her and laughed sheepishly.

“What? Did you think I was gonna be like ‘Come, I’ll show you my wing first?!’”

Cameron nodded.

“Oh, that would be kinda silly. I mean, why not save the best for last?! There are so many great places to explore here, wouldn’t want to deprive you of the diverse experience, ya know?”

Cameron let out a small understanding smile. “Thank you.”

“Alrighty! Let’s flutter on up! Heh…or walk, rather…”

Cameron rolled her eyes as she followed Jackie up the stairs.

They walked into the first wing supported by Greek pillars, and Cameron could smell the scent of dusty books.

“This is the library!” said Jackie. Then she covered her mouth, speaking softer. “I forgot I’m supposed to whisper in here!”

Going inside, there were rows and rows of books on shelves all around them. Some were leather bond with yellowed pages while others looked brand new. There were also magazines and modern computers on round desks where students were doing their work. Several winged birds were busy organizing the books on the higher shelves, which arched toward the high stained-glass ceiling. The ceiling had glass designs of owls, phoenixes and trees. At the front desk, a camel lady with thin glasses was busy exchanging books with passerby.

“Here you’ll find everything you need to study on counseling techniques, textbooks or just reading for fun. It’s the go-to place for research of all kinds. The students here are teenagers but we have majors and college-like courses in this high school!”

“Quiet!” whispered a nearby gray owl with a monocle at Jackie.

“Sorry!” she whispered.

“Well…that’s quite something,” said Cameron.

“I know, right? Trying to combine different curriculums, school systems and diverse races and species of students can be a lot of work. But thankfully the founders of Safe Haven helped out tremendously.”

“And they are?” Cameron asked.

But Jackie instead got distracted and waved at a red-haired woman in the distance.

Toward the back of the library was a shadowed section labeled “Restricted Section,” which housed books on dark magic. Sitting at the edge of that section on a chair was Salvia with a book in hand. Jackie guided Cameron over to the red-haired woman. They stopped just short of her.

Salvia lifted up her face slightly from a book labeled “Romeo and Juliet 2: Love and Lies.” She wore a black dress with red etched patterns.

“Can I help you?”

 “This is Salvia, one of the staff members,” said Jackie in an excited whisper. Jackie gestured for Cameron to introduce herself.

“Uh…hi,” Cameron said with a nervous grin and wave. Salvia peered at her closely, her eyes hidden behind her hair. “You’re the newcomer, right?”

Cameron nodded.

“Welcome to Z.P.A.,” she said.

“Huh?”

“Zoo Phoenix Academy, the place you’ll be staying at briefly until we can get you a new home nearby.”

Cameron paced back and forth, anxious again. “No one has explained exactly what is going on here, what this place is, what’s it called?” Cameron asked. “I know you guys are trying to keep me from getting scared but I’ve had it with being confused! Explain things to me.”

“Shhh!” several voices shushed Cameron when she raised her voice.

“Oh of course,” said Salvia, putting the book down and conjuring magical images and sigils in front of her. “Might as well explain it to you now rather than wait three whole weeks later after witnessing a vampire attack to do it.”

“W-What?” Cameron asked before she was shushed again.

“I can see glimpses of the future,” Salvia mentioned. “Anyway, Cameron, you’ve only been exposed to the Zoo Phoenix Academy and its grounds…we were gonna wait until you felt more comfortable with the school but, if you insist on knowing this place…”

“Yes, I’m still a capable adult,” Cameron added.

“This place is much bigger than what you have experienced. It is called…Safe Haven.”

(“Salvia here. For the next few minutes, I described the magical protection and the origins of Safe Haven that I had already verbalized in the introduction narration. Feel free to go back if needed but let’s skip and continue on.”)

Cameron stood, jaw dropping. “Oh my God! There really are monsters out there?!”

“Do not worry,” said Salvia. “As long as you’re here, you should be safe. I’m hoping you’ll get more used to this place and not cause the magical barrier to eventually collapse.”

“I’d never do that!”

“Not intentionally. But someone else wants to make sure that happens.”

“Who is it?” Cameron asked, but Jackie stood in the way, much to the annoyance of Cameron and Salvia. 

“Thank you Salvia,” said Jackie with a nervous chuckle, pushing Cameron along, “But we better get going! Heh, heh! So many things to see.”

Salvia gave Cameron a knowing apologetic look before going back to her book.

Moe shushes followed them out of the library. “Whew, I can speak again!” Jackie boomed as they entered a hall with brass walls. Jackie’s voice echoed off the walls. “Echo! Echo!” Cameron flinched and grit her teeth.

“On with the tour!” They passed through another archway flanked by torches and five golden rings overhead. “This is the Sports Wing!” said Jackie as they walked down the hall. “Here you’ll find our gymnasium, our pool, outdoor courts and dance studios.”

Cameron looked through a glass window at an indoor basketball court. The court walls were decorated with vines. A monkey was busy swinging from the vines with his tail, dribbling a basketball in his hands. A bear, a bull, a ram, a goat and a chipmunk were stomping around, trying to get the basketball. The monkey dunked it into a nearby hoop as a zebra coach blew his whistle.

Outside in the courtyard, a few lions were practicing fencing while a fox and a hare did gymnastic tricks on bars. Several cheetahs raced each other along a round track and a black bearded centaur hopped over hurdles along the way. A dog and a cat were busy playing hand ball. A few hyena hybrids snickered as they taped a “kick me” sign on the back of a student with peacock feathers.

In a swimming pool, a boy with shark features and a girl with blue scaly skin laughed as they raced each other down the lanes. A woman with swan feathers was preening herself in a hot tub as several male ducks peered for a closer look. A mermaid relaxed beside her, staring at her reflection.

Several brightly colored werewolves were listening to blaring electronic music in the weight room as they lifted barbells and rapidly punched hanging bags. A lone black-wearing vampire stood in the corner drinking dark red liquid from a bottle. The boxing ring was currently being used by bi-pedal boxer dogs.

“Too much sweat and exertion for me,” Jackie mentioned. “I’m more for the grace and beauty of the theater! Onward!”

 They soon left the Sports Wing and headed through the arch with the grandfather clock.

“Here is the History Wing!”

They walked around what looked like a museum, with a variety of items on display. There were ceramic pots from ancient civilizations within glass boxes all around. Various paintings were hung from the walls, with signatures. Several weapons were on display further back. Among the weapons were a few that glowed white with swirls and crosses.

“Oh, those are angelic weapons. They are highly valuable and rare. It is said that they can kill any demon in Hell.”

“Why not use them to fight off the monsters?” asked Cameron.

“Good question. Some demons gather the weapons and sell them on the black market for later use. They kill each other off, causing lots of chaos. Heaven’s been using the Exorcists who wield these weapons to eliminate demons each year for centuries. Archangel Adina’s idea to insure ‘purity’ up there.”

“How do you know all this?”

“A friend of a friend of an ex told me. Horrible stuff, I’m telling you. Best to lay low and stay safe.”

 They continued onward past treasure chests, antique clothing and various art of mythical creatures in battle or passionate embraces. Exiting that wing, they turned toward another wing made of metal.

“Ah, the Science and Engineering Wing! Perhaps the most confusing and loud section there is. Try not to touch anything!”

 It was indeed very loud. Clanks, hisses, bangs and booms permeated through the rooms. Cameron had to cover her ears as she followed Jackie. In one area, raccoons, cats and a few dwarves were working on a metal machine that bellowed smoke and sparks. It had wheels, engines, pipes and canvas wings on either side of it. “Primitive flying car” was labeled next to it. A gopher was working on a computer as green 0s and 1s blinked down a screen. A few other students were taking notes on a steampunk blimp made by a snake inventor of the Industrial Revolution.

There were also several dimmed laboratories illuminated with teal blue fluorescent lights. Blue flames flickered under Bunsen burners while students peered through microscopes at their ant friends. A blue anglerfish man was pouring colorful contents from different vials together, snickering. A mad scientist in a lab coat was instructing one class on how to make a serum that could strengthen the DNA of animal hybrids.

“Let’s move on,” Jackie coughed, swiping away the nearby smoke.

They exited the wing and had arrived at the vast bustling cafeteria.

“The heart…erm, stomach of the campus!” Jackie joked.

 Rows of white tables hosted hungry students and staff. Several birds were slurping up bowls of worms. Werewolves were munching on raw meat while horses chewed casually on hay blades. There was also regular food for the more human-like beings as well: salads, sandwiches, soups, potatoes, tacos, casseroles, stews, banquet style meals, fruit desserts and ice cream. There was even a stand giving out spectral food for ghosts. Like many college eating areas, there were various sections serving different kinds of dishes like a miniature food mall. It was an all-you-can-eat paradise.

Cameron’s stomach grumbled as she inhaled the scents of exotic foods. But Cameron soon led her out and back to the main lobby.

“And now, for the best and last part of the tour…” she led Cameron through the wing with red curtains. Rusty and another spotted animal watched them go from the top of the stairs.

“This is the Arts Wing!”

Jackie held her arms in the air as they walked down a hall. The walls were red and decorated with spirals. A poster with a comedy and tragedy theater mask shone within a frame of lights. There was a red “Just Dance” poster and a green movie posted with a clawed black hand labeled “Now showing: The Ded.” There was a painting of a waterfall and a nearby forest.

Cameron looked around. “Oh my, never woulda guessed…”

Jackie laughed. “Hahaha! Sarcasm! I like you Cam!”

They stopped by the dance room and pushed open the double red doors.

 “Baby! I got someone for you to meet!” Jackie trilled.

A man with the same colored skin as Jackie, clapped his hands. A group of girls, Mia and Ava, Penelope and Camilla were in pink tutus and ballet slippers doing practice.

“Okay girls! Once you’re warmed up…Jackie!”

The man turned around and beamed.

 “Oh god…” Cameron looked in disgust.

The man wore a vibrant red pinstriped suit with blue vertical stripes on it. His bow tie was yellow with red and blue dots on it. His hair was mostly red with a white spot to the left side and blue tips toward the bottom back. His hair also resembled parrot feathers. He currently wore dark blue pants, pointed black shoes and a pink tutu. He also had a gold tooth.

He leaned into Cameron, his eyes golden yellow.

 “Salutations senorita! Name?”

“C-Cameron.”

“Soopity, doopity to meetcha! My name is Alanzo but call me Al! It’s shorter!”

He also eagerly shook Cameron’s hand before hugging his wife.

 “Heh, nice to meet you,” Cameron began. “So what subject do you…”

 “Dance!” Alanzo explained with a flourish.

Jackie chuckled nervously, guiding Cameron out of the room. “Well honey, we gotta run. Got a lot of school to show!”

 “You do yer thang, gal!” Alanzo said with a snap of his fingers.

 “So he was…” Cameron began as they walked out of the room and down the hall.

Jackie smiled. “That was my husband. We both work in this wing!”

Jackie showed Cameron more rooms.

“And here is…the Art Room!”

Addison and his adoptive Indian snake mother Latika were busy painting on a canvas. A vivid painting of a flying phoenix hung in the background.

 “The Music Room!”

Calvin, a yellow crocodile with a black and yellow back with squares on it, played a tuba, which matched his color scheme. A smiling brown fox named Christopher played a white saxophone with blue swirls on it. A black porcupine named Priscilla played a black cello.

Dodododo do-do-do-do…they played a cheerful tune that sounded like Gooseworx’s two Zoophobia themes. (Look it up on YouTube!)

 “The Film Room!”

A white and gray wolf twin (Leonardo or Vincent) held onto a fire hydrant with a joyful expression as a fan blew him back. A green screen was in the background. A cheetah, a gray-haired student and the other wolf twin looked at a screen in bewilderment. Another guy with a black hat, flinched from the force of air.

 “Why do the animals have giant fans?” asked Cameron.

 “Guess they got a bigger budget!” Jackie exclaimed.

“But why?”

 “Their last film almost did win at the festival,” Jackie pondered.

At last, they entered a vast auditorium.

Jackie spread out her arms. “And here is my domain! The Theater!”

Cameron glanced down at a group of figures sitting on the stage.

“A-are those your students?”

Jackie wiped a tear from her eye. “Yep! They are my little prodigies!”

Then she trilled in a sing-song voice: “Good afternoon my sparkling little turtle doves!”

“Hey Jackie!” the students harmonized in song.

To Cameron’s bewilderment, an orange fox named Spam, peered at her from atop her head…then licked her face randomly before scampering off.

Spam, Penelope, Jack, Makenzie, Zillion, Kayla, Sahara, Daimon, Taylor and Vanexa were all there.

Penelope wore a stylish white dress and a teal headband with two peacock feathers on it. She was currently admiring herself in a small hand mirror. Mackenzie the cat girl had messy red hair, pale skin and a lavender shirt with a cat on it. She saw herself as a cat after being raised by her equally cat-loving mother Margo.

Jack was a light brown jackal with a worn down body and droopy ears. Zillion was a mix up of creatures and had yellow skin, purple eyes, purple antennae-like ears and a small green snake for a tail. Taylor was a guy with red sclera eyes, light brown hair with purple sides, and he wore brown clothing. He and Zillion were currently locked in an arm wrestling match.

Kayla the beautiful kangaroo was Zillion’s girlfriend; she was happily perched on top of the black grand piano. Sahara was a dark skinned woman wearing a pink head scarf over her dark hair. She had an affinity for magic. Behind her was a darker colored jackal Damion, with red pupils, black sclera and wearing tattered clothes of red and black. Finally, Vanexa was a purple bi-pedal cat, reading a book with a disinterested look on her face. She viewed those around her in a detached annoyance.

‘These are her students?! Just more magical freaky animals?! How crazy can this world get?!’ thought Cameron.

Zillion pinned down Taylor’s arm, much to the latter’s annoyance. “Who’s your friend, cracker jacks?” he asked Jackie.

Jackie put an arm around Cameron. “This here is your new guidance counselor fellas!” Cameron awkwardly looked off to the side.

“Oh good!” Jack and Damion called at the same time.

Damion smirked sarcastically, “I need a lot of ‘guidance!’”

Cameron walked over and pointed at Zillion. “Um sorry, I hate to ask but…what exactly are you? I want to know how scared I should be…”

 “Well I…” Zillion began to explain but Jack snickered with a “Kekekeke!” from beside him. Zillion glared at Jack.

“Pass,” Zillion deadpanned. “Not even I know what I am.”

McKenzie sniffed Cameron for a moment, then let out a “Hiss!” It was her habit among strangers. Cameron flinched in confusion.

Damion chuckled and leaned toward Cameron. “You really got your work cut out for you, lady! Just sayin’.”

Cameron stared at him. “H-how are you floating like that?”

Damion grinned. “Oh well it’s because…” He turned on a flashlight under his face and bared his fangs wide, his eyes swirled stripes of red against black. “I’m the Antichrist! Hahahahaha!”

Cameron almost felt like fainting again.

Jack inched closer to Cameron with an apologetic look. “I’m really sorry about my cousin!” He smiled and clutched her hand. “Hello! My name is Jack! And I would like to schedule with you as soon as possible!”

Cameron raised an eyebrow. “Uh, okay?”

Jack let go. “Sorry! It’s been a while since I had someone to talk about my problems…”

Clang!

A stage light fell down and collapsed on top of Jack. He fell to the floor in a heap. A pool of dark blood was visible on the floor around his head. One of his paws had an exposed bone. Cameron covered her mouth in fear and shock.

“Aw man! Not again! You okay dude?” Zillion asked in concern.

Zillion turned to Cameron. “Yeah, this happens a lot. He’ll be alright.”

“Hey, Jackie! Another light fell!” Taylor called.

“I saw it!” she answered.

“So Cam!” said Jackie. “Do you wanna stick around for the class?”

“I’m sorry to say…I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed,” Cameron breathed in almost a whisper.

“Understandable, hun! Vanexa, would you mind escorting Cam to her office?”

The purple cat nodded and led the way, book in hand.

Jackie turned back to the class and clapped her hands. “Alright guys! Showtime!”

They soon reached a pair of wooden doors underneath a sign that read “Guidance.”

 “T-thank you. V-Vanexa was it?” Cameron asked nervously. Vanexa did not answer. There was an awkward silence as they looked each other in the eyes. They each seemed to be trying to decipher the other’s thoughts. Cameron coughed.

“W-well…yeah…good evening to you, talking cat…” Cameron stuttered.

“Enjoy your stay,” said Vanexa before she walked back down the hall.

0 0 0

Cameron slammed the door shut behind her, catching her breath. Her office was small and dimly lit with a few books on one shelf to the left. A palm plant was off to one side and blinds were in the center of a yellow wall. In the center was a desk with a couple chairs and “C. Walden” on a label. A pink gift bag lay on her desk with a bunch of strange items inside; a pink flower with yellow tips, a green dragon figure, and what appeared to be cosmetics. Cameron read the tag on the gift: “Dear Cameron, Welcome to the Family! Z.P.A. Staff.”

Cameron smiled slightly at the thoughtful gift.

Cameron was reminded of Mrs. Winkler’s office…and then was reminded of home. This small space didn’t feel much like home.

“How are you coping with things thus far, Cameron?”

Cameron whirled behind her and spotted Zechariah the cheetah.

“Holy mother of…please d-don’t do that…”

“My apologies,” he said.

Cameron sighed. “Yeah…well all things considered…” She slide down onto the floor, overwhelmed.

“I’m sure this is a lot to handle,” said Zechariah.

“Yeah…”

“This place will take some getting used to, Miss. Miss?”

To Zechariah’s surprise, Cameron was sniffing and sobbing, burying her face in her knees. This was not how Zechariah imagined the newcomer would feel.

 “I am truly sorry this has happened to you, Miss,” Zechariah said empathetically. “I wish there was more I could do…”

Although stern on the outside, Zechariah had a sweet and protective heart. Being a staff member had gotten him exposed to more human emotions. As the ZPA staff had welcomed him during his arrival to Safe Haven, it was no wonder that he went out of his way to try and do the same for others.

Zechariah nuzzled his furry face into Cameron’s like a comforting cat. Cameron didn’t flinch this time. In fact, she cried and wrapped her arms around the cheetah. She didn’t care that he wasn’t a regular human. She just needed something…someone to give her comfort. Someone to let her know she wasn’t alone in this strange new world. Zechariah’s warm soft chest felt good to Cameron…like a comforting blanket or a pet. Zechariah stared in brief surprise, before closing his eyes and embracing the gesture. Cameron reminded him of when he had been a young cub, trying to find his place. 

Cameron’s animal-loving side from her childhood briefly came back…before it faded with the moment of their separation.

“There is…something you may like to see,” mentioned Zechariah in a soft voice. He had an idea. “This way, Miss.”

Cameron followed Zechariah up the stairs and into the observatory.

“W-what’s up here?” Cameron asked.

Then she looked skyward and gasped.

 “Oh my god…”

Shimmering in the starry night sky were glowing yellow koi fish floating in the air. They had yellow skin, glowing white eyes, white lines and spot designs across their bodies. One large fish had a yin-yang symbol on its forehead and was as big as an airplane. Their fins were transparent and flowing gracefully like they were angel wings underwater.

“These are guardian fish spirits,” said Zechariah. “The Fish of Peace. They appear when everything is safe. Similar to the butterfly orcas, used to calm anxiety.”

 “How…how’d you know I like fish?” Cameron breathed. “This is…beautiful!”

‘Salvia’s magic of course,’ Zechariah thought.

Zechariah purred. “Welcome home, Miss Cameron.”

A magnificent ocean-colored whale swam by among the fish, decorated with bioluminescent spots along its back.

For several minutes, the two of them stared in wonder at the ethereal spirits. Cameron felt like maybe this place wouldn’t be so bad after all. Especially with her new furry friend and mentor.

Then a question spilled out of her mouth.

 “So…where am I going to live anyway?”

One of the fish in the sky turned a deathly white and took on yellow and black stripped eyes. She peered closely at Cameron. “And so it begins…”

0 0 0

One day later, an earth-colored griffin-like creature named Skoni pulled a cart of packages around the street. He sang the “Mail Time” song out loud:

“Here’s the mail

It never fails

It makes me want to wag my tail

When it comes, I wanna wail

Mail!”

He stopped and knocked on Cameron’s door.

Cameron cracked open the door of her new small home. “Y-yes?”

“Package, ma’am!”

Cameron took the package and stared at Skoni. He suddenly appeared to be sprouting eyes all over his body…

 “Get away monster!” Cameron cried, waving a bat at him.

Skoni looked taken aback. “You just arrived yesterday, lady! I’m here to deliver your mail! Gaah!”

“Demon!” Cameron yelled, squirting hose water in his face.

 “Fine!” Skoni scoffed. “Have a nice day!”

Cameron blinked a few times and saw a regular pouting Skoni trot away. “Oh you were just delivering the mail again... Sorry!”

Eris (or “KayCee”) laughed as the Skoni illusion replayed from her golden apple. She ate a sub sandwich in the darkness. “So let’s get this party started then, shall we?”

Chapter Three: “Jack’s Counseling Session” (5,000 words per chapter)

Cameron’s first test of her new career began several days later. Jack had mentioned that he wanted to get an appointment with her as soon as possible. And by sheer luck, his desire was granted. (However, he had to deal with several shoves from Rusty, slipping on a banana peel and tripping on the sidewalk several times on his way there.)

Cameron glanced at a long list of confidential session notes provided to her by Salvia for the week:

Client One: Jackson Wells. Concern: Daily bad luck.

Client Two: Addison Woods. Concern: Trauma from experimentation in Xirxine labs.

Client Three: McKenzie Payoray. Concern: Daily bullying and coping with feline lifestyle.

Client Four: Damion Beelzly. Concern: Proper educational environment.

Clients Five and Six: Zillion Martinez and Kayla Christling. Concern: Anniversary troubles.

Client Seven: Vanexa Pierce. Concern: Solitude and fitting in.

Client Eight: Camilla Jimenez. Concern: Dancer, hopeless romantic, doesn’t like her rep.

Client Nine: Autumn. Concern: Increase self-worth.

Client Ten: Tom. Concern: Break up with Addison and stealing souls.

Client Eleven: Daphne Dafadellia. Concern: Being less judgmental toward men.

Client Twelve: Rusty (Call him by his real name Reuben, he hates it). Concern: Bullying issues.

(Don’t mind my mind reading.)

Cameron smiled as she stood on a chair and hung up a sign on her office door that read “Ms. Walden. ZPA Guidance.”

She placed a small green tree in a pot on a side table, hung up a blue poster of two fish that read “Just keep swimming,” and placed a golden dragon statue on a side table as well. Her desk was polished and had a label on it with her name. She stepped back and observed her handiwork.

“Mhm! Much better!”

She glanced at her watch and sat down at her desk, arms folded in front of her.

‘Okay, you can do this,’ she encouraged to herself. Her heart jolted when she heard a knocking at the door.

Jack peered into the room.

“Um Ms. Walden? I’m uh, here for my session…”

“Oh yes! Jackson, good morning to you,” greeted Cameron. She mentioned to a purple beanbag chair on the floor. “Please take a seat and we can get started! Hope you don’t mind bean-bags…”

Jack settled onto the bean-bag, enjoying the comfort. “Naw, they are actually really nice, heh…Also I, um, like what you did with the new room! It’s very humble!”

“Thank you!”

Cameron placed a hand under her chin with a sheepish grin. “Yes I’m…very thankful to Zechariah for letting me change rooms. I kinda have a weird connection with my surroundings. The old room was just a little too intimidating on first arrival…”

“Yeah, I understand what you mean…” mentioned Jack.

Cameron cleared her throat. “So! You are my first official counseling session here at Z.P.A.! Is there um, anything bothering you at all that you would like to talk about? Anything!”

Jack stuttered, already beginning to feel a sort of crush for her. Cameron had appeared so nice on her first day and he figured maybe she could ease his current situation a bit. “Umm…well…I think for things I tell you to make sense…I have to kinda fill you in a bit about...myself...and my “condition,” or well…my curse…”

Jack then explained his origins.

 “You see…my parents were extremely close…according to my mother. And when she got pregnant with me, they were very excited. But…before I was born, my father was killed in a very freak accident. My mother was devastated by it. In desperation, she turned to her sister. My aunt Narissa, who…well is married to the devil…as creepy as that sounds. She begged him to make a deal but as a gift to his wife, he granted my mother her wish. To give her unborn child the gift of eternal life…But the devil’s magic works in very odd ways…so his gift was really a curse. When I was born, he cursed me with immortality…along with a supernatural affinity for bad luck…and, heh…thing is…I still feel pain…”

He barely remembered himself as a pup, flinching in a grass bed as Lucifer’s long dark finger shot a bolt of hot magic through him…burning him to his very core.

His mother was grateful she didn’t have to worry about him dying, but was concerned about the bad luck.

Jack glanced off to the side. “So, um, yeah. Not being able to die on top of the very crazy, often violent things that happen to me…with the pain…it um…yeah…not fun.”

Jack looked at Cameron in concern.

“You okay, Miss. Walden? I’m sorry if my story is a little strange…”

“No…” Cameron replied. “I’m just…still getting used to hearing about the…supernatural things…and the devil being real…”

Cameron continued. “Phewww…I am very sorry for your situation, Jackson. It sounds…simply dreadful. What else would you like to share about your hardships? I can tell there is a lot you have to tell…”

Jack twiddled his thumbs. “I really hope you don’t mind me talking a lot about myself. I just think it’s a good idea to fill things in.”

“No Jack, it’s fine,” Cameron encouraged. “It helps to know these things!”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, it’s just…been a while since I explained this stuff. I don’t often tell people about the curse anymore.”

“Why is that?”

Jack buried his face in his hands as he explained.

“Well because…It just gets hard explaining it over and over to people…why so much crazy stuff happens to me, around me. And the moment I mention that it is an actual “curse,” people immediately get sacred to be around me. I can’t really blame them; they don’t want to get hurt. But…sometimes I don’t really like it. I don’t like people avoiding me out of fear. And I don’t like people thinking I’m making it up for attention!”

Cameron was reminded of how many people with disabilities felt similarly about having to explain their conditions to other people who didn’t experience them. Some had trouble walking or controlling their bodies. Others felt chronic pain or experienced constant negative thoughts in their heads. Their disabilities were things they were born with and had no control over. Similar to Jack’s bad luck.

Jack continued. “It just gets a little stressful sometimes, plus some people think I’m pretty…well, weird ‘cause the whole curse thing and my luck has made me pretty superstitious. It really doesn’t help how people see me with all my behaviors and, um, customs. Heh. (You’d feel the same if you noticed me with four ladybugs on my ears, four leaf clovers and a dreamcatcher around my neck, a rabbit’s foot and dice hanging from my legs and me holding a cricket in a cage. Trying every good luck charm imaginable to counteract the bad. Of course, nothing works.) Most people here kinda avoid me for the most part just seeing what kind of stuff happens and finding me odd.”

“Do you have any real or close friends, Jack?” Cameron asked.

Jack brightened. “Oh yes! I have a few. And honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without my best friend Zill…”

“I think I know him…in Jackie’s class, right?” Cameron asked. “What creature is he anyway?”

“I have no idea! I’m not sure he knows either. In fact, he always seems confused about it.”

“He doesn’t know?”

“I don’t think so!”

“So how long have you known Zill?”

“Since I found him! About thirteen years now,” said Jack.

Cameron appeared confused. “I…I’m sorry, you ‘found’ him?”

“Yeah!”

“What do you mean by that?”

Jack chuckled a bit. “Oh heh-yeah sorry, let me explain!”

Jack then explained the next part of his origins.

 “I was born in Safe Haven’s animal district. It’s a kind and more natural environment, so my upbringing was more ‘traditional,’ I guess. My mom never really explained my curse to me when I was younger. I just thought the world was against me and that she didn’t even care. So I ran away from home a lot back then. I just felt I had to escape somehow.”

“It was never much help, but I seemed to kinda enjoy the time away from her. I remember the last time I ran away, I was like five, and during a really foggy rainy night, I took shelter in a tree. I heard some growling in the forest. It was really scary at the time, cause most animals in the district respect private boundaries, plus I was young too…heh. I heard this creature emerge from the bushes. He approached the entrance to where I was hiding. His eyes were glowing green. I had never seen anything like him before and I was extremely scared. He was just really curious of me I think, but he behaved much more…well bestial than what I was used to. He was like…well, an ‘animal,’ which was new for me. Most animals in the district can still speak universally! Especially upon first meeting.”

“Zill was extremely wary of me and I was just terrified! But really he was just extremely curious of me. Unlike me, Zill was just unafraid and bold! Also surprisingly unfazed by my curse. (He put back my broken arm like it was nothing.) In fact, for the first time, I had met someone who not only was unfazed by it, but he actually…intervened! (After water poured on my head from a leaf, he used his wing to keep me dry.) So really, Zill meant a lot to me, almost right off the bat.”

“We actually kinda lived together in the forest for like a full month, getting to know each other as friends. He didn’t talk to me at first, but when he started to talk, he only spoke Spanish! Which was like jibberish to be…heh. So the language barrier was still there, yet we still understood each other somehow. After a while I decided to actually bring Zill home with me! My mom was beyond happy I was back. But she actually didn’t take very warmly to Zill.”

He remembered going along with Zill, with his mother being worried that Zill might harm him. He then told his mother that he didn’t need constant protection all the time.     

“How did Zill get his name?” Cameron asked.

“Oh! Well, he spelled his name for me in the dirt while we were in the forest.”

Cameron listened with intent curiosity. “It’s interesting he was so intelligent, despite living in the forest!”

“Well I mean lots of intelligent animals live in the wild! But I understand what you mean. Zill did come off as pretty primitive at first.”

“So did you two live together?”

Jack nodded. “Actually we did! For a little while before we officially started school! Zill was with us through the move to the city district. During those first years, I taught him how to speak English. (Notecards with pictures and words on it were helpful for us. He’d read words like “apple” and lots of food terms to start off with.) By the time we did first start school, he was already decently bi-lingual! A lot of other kids would call Zill names and stuff cause of how he looked. But he never let it get to him though.”

 “But when I was picked on…”

Jack remembered Zill admiring a butterfly before he was knocked to the ground by a hard dodgeball to the face. Rusty the bully dog laughed after Jack had fallen.

“Haha! Take that you wimpy loser!”

Zill growled and his eyes flashed green. He shot a flaming dodgeball back at Rusty which hit him in the face with a “wham!” Green energy glowed around his hand.

“Zill didn’t take kindly to that. Neither of us ever really found out how exactly his ‘powers’ seemed to work, but he had a lot less control back then.”

A young Kayla rushed over to Rusty. “Oh gosh! Are you okay?”

But Rusty just elbowed her away, causing her to fall with an “oof!”

 “Get off me you dumb girl!”

Zill growled in anger again.

“Zill has always had issues with people who bully or attack.”

Kayla stood up, furious. She separated the two boys. “Stop! No more! I’m fine,” she told Zill. “Both of you! No fighting! This is a playground!”

Rusty scoffed at her. “Get out of my way or I’ll beat you up too! I’m not afraid to hit a dumb girl…”

Kayla then smacked him hard in the face with a “pow!” before he landed flat on his back. Kayla let out a “hmpth” and strolled away. Zill instantly admired her courage and feistiness.

“Zill met his girlfriend Kayla on the first day of grade school,” said Jack.

Cameron gasped. “Oh my! They have been dating for that long? Oh how sweet.”

Jack shook his head. “Oh, no, heh. Zill didn’t get with Kay for a while. Through most of school he was…well, um ‘loose’ with girls. Flirting with them, showing off his strength and dazzling them with his charm. Many teen boys are like that. He always had genuine feelings for Kayla, but he never had the guts to go for her. He just didn’t think she’d be interested.  Which I guess was understandable. He didn’t have the best rep with the ladies, growing up. He was a party animal…heh, sorry.”

“But! He used to love to sing! And had a knack for it! So I suggested he try out for the school musical once we entered Z.P.A.! He scored the lead alongside Kayla in the show! (I remember them getting a standing ovation at the end. Zill wore a purple suit and hat while Kayla wore a cross necklace and a blue and white dress.) And that was when they really got to know each other! Once they really got together, Zill really slowed down on his party lifestyle. It was interesting how much of a change there was. But! I was really happy that he had found such a stable relationship. Plus Kayla was a wonderful girl honestly!”

Jack faltered. “But once he started dating…like I said, our relationship kinda, I dunno, changed…”

‘”Our relationship changed?’ How so?” Cameron asked. “Was he just less close as a friend?”

Jack stuttered slightly. “Um, well! I mean, maybe I said that the wrong way. It was just…so hard to explain! He just suddenly had so many friends and attention once he changed with Kayla. I guess I just missed a little of the constant we had before he had such a serious relationship. I’m just a little worried that the way things might progress…”

Tears came to Jack’s eyes, his face glum. “That maybe he…eventually won’t need me as a friend…I’m sorry, it’s a dumb worry…”

“No Jack,” said Cameron. “When a friend starts to change, or befriends other people, it’s normal to feel worried about where you stand. But I’m sure if the two of you are as close as you say, you will never grow apart!”

“Yeah?”

“Ya know, we talked a lot about Zill. Why don’t you tell me more about yourself! Do you have many other friends?”

Jack pondered in thought. “I think that’s why I have this insecurity. Like I said before, I only have a few friends because people are scared to be around me, understandably.” He remembered getting his head sawn off, a beehive landing on his head and getting attacked by a green sewer monster.

“I have one other really close friend but I rarely see her.”

“What about your family?” asked Cameron.

“My family?”

Jack thought of Damion the troublemaker teen jackal, Lucifer and his jackal wife Narissa, Tentradora the succubus pink cyborg nanny and a blue demon guard named Major Styx. (Grumpy Major Styx wanted Damion to be his submissive love servant and Tentradora was very “touchy-feely” and overprotective. Narissa kept to herself and Lucifer was very prideful as a goat-like demon.)  

Jack explained, “It’s complicated. I think deep down I love my family, but they do just remind me directly of my curse. My mom Mindy used to take me to visit my uncle and aunt a lot.”

“Your uncle? The devil?”

 Jack sighed. “Yeah…”

“I felt very alone when I went there. To Hell. That side of my family has nothing in common with me. Plus when Damian came along he just became a constant pain. Sorry if that’s mean to say. My family makes me look out for him a lot, so I tend to get frustrated with him often. Anyways, even though it was pretty stupid, I decided one day to sneak out of the palace just to clear my head. Hell outside of the protection of the palace gets pretty dangerous. But I kinda stopped worrying about my own physical well-being. So my carelessness caught up with me, and a demon attacked me!”

“A one-eyed, stripped giant monstrosity! It had two slender legs and a tail…and a large maw under its red glowing eye. Yeah, I guess it was pretty freaky. Dangerous situations tend to shock me more than actually scare me. But then Jill showed up.”

Jack remembered a purple cat demon leaping into the air and stabbing the monster with a triangular bladed scythe. After several deep stabs and Jill slicing off its hand, the monster tumbled down to the ground. Jack watched with fear and awe against a rock wall.

“Jill?” asked Cameron. ‘Jack and Jill…’

“Yeah!” said Jack. “I figured I was on the subject of my only close friends. Jill is definitely one of the most important people in my life…heh. She saved me. Besides Zill, she was the only one who ever protected me. Jill and I started spending time with each other after that. She was a stray demon who spent a lot of time fending for herself against other demons.”

Jack added, “Sorry if it seems I’m jumping around too much. I get carried away.”

“It’s fine, Jack,” said Cameron.

Jack continued. “Anyway, I loved spending time with Jill. She was rough with everyone but with me, she was so soft. Her hugs were the best! I snuck out to hang with her during every Hell visit, and as we got older…”

Jack let out a forlorn sigh. “I guess nothing really stays the same.”

“I encouraged her to test herself to be a member of the royal guard. She passed the test with flying colors and was accepted to live in the palace! Lucifer gave her a black collar with a red diamond gem on it to mark her new status. I was so proud of her! She ended up head of the royal guard. I was so happy because we would be able to see each other more often. But then she met this guy she worked with. And kinda…ended up spending more time with him than with me. Which hurt a bit. I had always hoped we would stay close…maybe even get closer.”

“So you had a crush on her?” Cameron asked.

“Well, I crush easily,” Jack answered. “I’m happy she found someone though. She deserves that. So does Zill. I just get lonely...”

 After a few sad moments he muttered, “I’m sorry this took a turn. I don’t want it to seem like I’m complaining about the fact they are happy. I hope that’s not what it sounds like.”

Cameron stared with empathy at Jack. “Jack, it’s fine. I can tell you are a very emotional person, and it’s normal to get lonely in your situation. But I really think you’ll be able to find someone for you in time. And talking about these feelings are the point of counseling. So no need to apologize. You seem to talk very highly of others. What about yourself?”

“This event was…not a highly moment...I…there was one time Damion locked me in a locker for a whole week. All because he didn’t want me to tell Zill that he had missed Kayla’s anniversary. S-since I couldn’t die, I was just trapped inside my head…starving, deteriorating, not knowing what time it was. It felt like I was dying again and again in a nightmare. By the time someone found me and unchained me, it had been one week later. Took me a full day of fluids to recover, even though my body regenerated itself. It may sound strange to you but…I wanted desperately to die in those moments.”

A chilling silence permeated the space.

“Sometimes…I wish I hadn’t been born. I wish that dad hadn’t died. Then my mom wouldn’t have been so obsessed with keeping me alive. It feels like Hell much of the time. Sometimes I blame her, wishing she could experience the curse through my eyes. Other times I blame myself; what did I ever do to deserve…”

A few books randomly toppled from a shelf and hit Jack in the head. “…this?” He groaned and rubbed his head.

Cameron looked at Jack with a somber expression. “I’m…sorry you had to go through that. And regarding your curse…no one should have to go through anything like that. I guess death isn’t the worst thing in the world…”

As Jack sobbed and sniffled for several minutes, Cameron walked over and gave him a comforting embrace. Jack breathed deeply, face blushing. Even after Cameron let go, he still felt her warmth and kindness. He wiped more tears away.

“S-sorry…”

“It’s okay,  Jack.”

 “Besides the curse and all the negatives. Tell me about Jackson,” said Cameron.  

“Me?”

 “Yes! Your interests? Goals? Hobbies? Things that make you happy. Anything!”

Jack thought hard about it. “Um…well let’s see. I play the drums! I play the drums while Spam does guitar and lyrics. Kayla and Zill sing and play piano and Vanexa helps too. I also, um, work part time at the Safe Haven observatory. I really love space. Just everything about the universe and its infinite vastness fascinates me! It’s inspiring. I love studying astronomy and science.”

 “Oh!” Cameron exclaimed with joy.

“I also love to cook! That’s my favorite hobby! I don’t have many people to cook for, so I usually take food to the foster home, the same one that took Zill in for a while. I’m still deciding which path I’d like to take for a career, being like a real chef or going into astronomy.”

Jack continued. “Next year is my final year at the academy so I need to decide soon what my final major will be. I’m still able to take plenty of classes for both, though!”

Cameron was very pleased. “Well! Well working at the observatory and being able to exercise your culinary skills gives you a good way to sample your career options. I’m sure you will make the right choice and have a successful career, Jack!”

Jack smiled warmly. “Thank you, Ms. Walden. Thank you for listening! You’re more attentive than the last counselor.”

 “Well that’s what I’m here for!”

 “So…are you still scared living here after the past few days?” Jack asked.

Cameron glanced off to the side. “Well, uh, ya…I mean…I’m getting used to things. Talking to you wasn’t scary. You are very kind and not frightening at all, past the fur. Which alone is surprising but there are a few people here who don’t scare me as much. So thank you! For not being scary. Is there anything else you’d like to talk about in this session?”

Jack stood up. “I think that’s enough for this time. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

He opened the door and looked at her one last time with a smile. “Thanks again, Ms. Walden. Welcome to Safe Haven!”

Cameron waved. “Take care, Jackson!”

As Jack was walking down the hall…

Slam!

Rusy slammed him into a locker and he slid to the floor. Rusty barked in laughter, leering over Jack.

“Watch where yer goin’ wimp! Heh heh! You gonna cry or what?”

“No?” Jack whimpered.

“Yeah you are! P*ssy! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

Rusty laughed as he strutted away. Jack made his way to the observatory as the setting sun turned the sky a salmon pink. He spotted a blonde man wearing glasses and a blue suit with a tight white collar.

“Hey Dan!”

The man smiled. “Jack! You’re early! It’s barely dark out!”

 “Yeah. I feel like coming in before my shift to relax a bit. Can I go up?”

 “Of course! Nobody is up there right now.”

 “Thanks Dan!”

Jack slipped on a blue uniform and climbed up the stars. He made it to the top and his eyes grew wide in wonder. Yellow ethereal koi fish swam and glided across the starry night sky. The spotted bioluminescent midnight blue whale traveled beside the fish as well. The city lights and the greenhouse globe buildings illuminated the night in their spectacular vivid glows. One building was pink, the other a faded golden yellow. Jack became transfixed by the spirits. For the first time in a while, he felt hopeful and positive.

Jack smiled and sighed contently as he gazed dreamily up at the Fish of Peace. “It’s never lonely at night.”

Despite the bad luck, Jack knew he wasn’t alone. He had Zill, Spam, Vanexa, Jill, Kayla…all those who cared for him. His bandmates were the ones who helped save him from a monster, and it led to him being more tolerant of his curse. Zill had tried to “save” him multiple times by deflecting the bad luck events but Jack didn’t want him to get hurt. Instead of exhausting themselves to try and stop the curse, Jack’s friends helped pull himself together (literally and figuratively) and were simply there to support him after the bad moments. Although some of them were often preoccupied with lovers, they would always come back for Jack. For he was the silent supporting stone of their bonds.

And now he had Cameron…a loving mentor…and perhaps a new mother-like figure in his life. Although he had a crush on her, it was not solely romantic. It was mixed with feelings of appreciation and friendship.

Jack felt at home with himself for the first time in years. Because he realized an enlightening truth: not even a curse could keep his friends away.

0 0 0

Zechariah was busy jotting down notes at his desk when Cameron entered the room.

“Z-Zechariah?” Cameron asked.

“Miss Cameron!” Zechariah greeted. “Did your first session go well?”

Cameron smiled, pleased to have helped out Jack. Helping others made her feel truly at home for the first time. “Actually, it really did!”

[fyrefrostanimus]

Nightmare'd Evans

Even if these designs are nowhere near done (the only two designs of ANY of the Nightmares I have completely sketched are Nightmare Fredbear and Nightmare himself) I might as well post what I have as of Halloween!

So I always thought that Evan (or Chris, as he was known as for the longest time) ended up trapped in nightmare purgatory for some reason. Only when GoldenDuo came along did I really change my mind, but I still really like the idea even though he's my favorite character in FNaF. I guess that if I love a character, I make their life hell.

I already had a self-indulgent AU where the Nightmares stopped messing with him after a while (he no longer had a heartbeat, and that's what mostly got their attention). But I never really considered what would have happened in that context if he'd managed to get close to one of them. Really the little sketch I did of Nightmarionne Evan made me think about that and I decided to at least do the rest of the Nightmares (maybe the Jack-O's in November? still pumpkin pie season then) with that idea with some trivia about each one because I overthink this stuff a lot.

Should be very obvious that these aren't meant as canon. They're goofy little sketches that may end up as part of an AU. Who knows honestly.

There's going to be exposed bone/muscle in some of these and a fair bit of body horror at the end, but I'll put those under a cut since it's a minority compared to the rest.

Nightmare Chica'd Evan

Since I wanted to base Nightmare Chica in general on a velociraptor/vaguely raptor-like dinosaur, I could go absolutely nuts with this design. The main decision for Evan's design based on her was "does he have full hands connected to his arm wings or does he just have a widdle thumb that can't do much or anything?". I ended up settling for the latter because it's just funny to me.

Trivia

Evan can't fly but he sure thought he could at first. He's kinda peeved that he lost access to his fingers but isn't able to fly but he's at least figured out how to pick up a crayon and draw.

Those sharp claws on his feets can do serious damage so don't piss him off or scare him. Luckily he's more apt to bite.

Bouncing off that last point, being like this (like a lot of the other Nightmare'd designs) affects his fight-or-flight response. Here, Evan's more likely to defend himself with a bite before recoiling and asking himself what he just did.

Nightmare Bonnie'd Evan

I've always been iffy on the basic design for Nightmare Bonnie in general, since unlike the others there's no real inspiration you can draw from. There's Monty Python and the Holy Grail's killer rabbit, but he already has the personality and I wanted to keep the canon color scheme. The problem wasn't Evan's design but just Bonnie's.

Trivia

Evan can jump pretty high/far with the rabbit legs, so he can get around fast. You'd lose track of him easy and that's how he'll manage to spook you.

He will hear you coming. Don't even attempt to sneak up behind him because those radar dishes on his head will pick up on where you are and he'll look.

He has funny little fangies that often stick out of the corners of his mouth since they're too big to hide completely while also being comfortable for him.

Evan's much more likely to kick. With how strong his legs are it could break a bone if it hits the right spot. (He's basically a kangaroo)

Nightmare Freddy'd Evan

Not much to say here except that this would probably be the 2nd/3rd most easy Nightmare'd version for Evan to access. If he cuddles up with the Freddles enough he's pretty much just another of them.

Trivia

The tiny bear poof tail Evan has does wag when he's happy but you can only see it from behind.

Evan's main response to fear remains to curl up into a ball and cry. The difference is that you now have to deal with the papa bear.

Nightmare Fredbear'd Evan

The first complete sketch of the group! Another that would be pretty easy for Evan to access (mainly because these two are pretty closely connected with Nightmare Fredbear coming from Evan's fear of Fredbear). I kept Nightmare Fredbear's design close to canon, since I really liked most of the elements of his design and thought they made sense.

Trivia

Evan is really uncomfortable the mouth on his stomach. It doesn't do much, but he probably finds some way to tape it shut so he doesn't have to think about it.

His neck fluff is nice and warm, at least that's a plus.

Evan doesn't really have much of a fear response like this. He may jump a bit, but it's not something big like the other Nightmare'ds.

Nightmare'd Evan

How would Evan even get to this point, to be honest? Design-wise, I decided that Nightmare as a representation of death from the Bite of '83 was a good basis, but I'm not much of a fan of the semi-transparency with a brain inside. It's a cool detail but it's not my cup of tea. But since I can make my own design, I went for a tooth-centric idea. Unlike Nightmare Fredbear, Nightmare doesn't have an extra mouth: he just has a lot of teeth growing out of him like horns, spikes, or sometimes even armor. The head teeth specifically resemble a crown for the heck of it.

Trivia

Evan's little tooth crown is made up of basically baby teeth! If he were still aging they would probably fall out and grow bigger full-size ones, but that's not happening. Only the canines are actually long enough to show through his fluffy hair.

He has longer claws than the other Nightmare'ds, not counting Foxy's hook-claws.

He has two rows of teeth. It's definitely hard to see but they're there and they're still pretty sharp despite being smaller.

Evan defaults to intimidation in this design. He's a little to small to accomplish that, but he tries and that's what matters.

And now we're onto the one with exposed muscle/bone and body horror. The body horror is lower down, but both have the formerly mentioned anatomical attributes.

Nightmare Foxy'd Evan

You know how Nightmare Freddy and Nightmare Fredbear are tied/undecided on 2nd/3rd place? First place of easiest to access actually goes to Nightmare Foxy. Headcanon in this case is that so much of Nightmare Foxy's behavior comes from being jumpscared by an actual person that he feels compassion to a degree, so there's your explanation. Only other addition is that Nm. Foxy's eye covering is torn bedsheets.

Trivia

Evan has slightly longer claws on the hand where Nightmare Foxy's hook is than on the other hand.

He has catlike pupils that contract into slits when you shine a light into them suddenly. He hates sudden bright flashes since it screws up his vision for a bit afterwards.

The lack of skin around his mouth and only having the muscles needed to open and close his jaws makes him really bad at showing facial expressions (His remaining eye can still squint/close). Just look at the ears and tail to tell: he's like a dog.

He got the long tongue and has managed to stick it in his nose hole once. He hasn't done that since getting weird looks from everyone around him.

Evan's more likely to run like this. It's in Foxy's general nature to run around, so he probably has high energy (he'd love playing tag if anyone would end up visiting).

Nightmare Mangle'd Evan

It's body horror time again, folks! I guess getting bold for day 27 of Apoctober and attempting three heads paid off, since it makes drawing two easier. I knew I wanted Nightmare Mangle's design in general to look plain wrong. Mangle got screwed up in Kid's Cove, so why would the nightmare realistic version look any sort of normal? The heads aren't "one fox and one endo" but I thought the funhouse mirror/old circus freakshow idea fit the rather bright white-and-pink color better than anything else here.

Trivia

Evan definitely hates this Nightmare'd version the most. Sure, he doesn't like having a mouth on his stomach when he's Nightmare Fredbear'd, but a mouth that doesn't really do anything is way better than a whole other head that's essentially a younger brother attached to his body (on other terms, he's starting to understand why Michael didn't like being stuck watching him all day every day). And we haven't talked about the awkward way one of his legs splits at the knee (at least I think it's the knee but it's digitigrade legs and I can't quite tell), resulting in two other legs: one under his control, and the other under control of his other head. Plus the third arm pokes him in the face a lot and he can't actually stop it from trying.

His shirt actually rips when he ends up in this form, although if he were to switch to any other form somehow it would mend (ghost logic).

If you thought Nightmare Foxy'd Evan was bad at facial expressions, now he can't even blink so you have to rely on just body language to tell how he's feeling if he doesn't tell you.

If scared, Evan will just freeze and shiver like a chihuahua. He can't run as well, so maybe you won't see him if he doesn't move?

TL;DR please help him he wants some cuddles

If you have any questions about these, please ask. I'd love to talk about them or put them in silly situations (or just draw them in general).

[purplequeen0]

I know everyone on this post most likely knows a bunch of ways to deal with extra food, but as a baker who also stress cooks and has 

1. ADHD hyper-focus issues 

2.Anxiety 

and 

3.A large family that likes to share food 

Here are some of the ways I’ve learned to deal with extra food, if anyone wants or needs it. 

Under the cut because this got... long. 

(On freezing things:  

1. Before you freeze anything for long-term storage, make sure it is cooled completely. 

2.Do not refreeze anything after it has been thawed, it will leave you with a miserable texture. 

3.I don’t recommend keeping anything in the freezer for more than 6 months to a year. 

4.Lable everything, all of it, write down what it is, write down when it was made, and write down when it went into the freezer if it didn’t get frozen within like a week of being made. 

For soups, stews, pot-roasts, and casseroles: 

5.If you can freeze a small cup of water and keep it in the freezer with something like a coin on top. If the freezer stops working for whatever reason, you will have a decent estimate of how long it has been out, and if it cuts out for a while and then cuts back on you will have something to make sure you know.) 

(Edit because I forgot to put this down before I posted it: For the aluminum pans, put a cookie sheet under them when they're in the oven or when you're moving them, they will fold themselves in half at the worst possible time.)

Freezing single servings- 

1.If you can get them, silicone cupcake liners work great for portioning out stuff like this. The ones I use usually hold about a quarter cup (so depending on how much you eat at one time might be a serving or about half of a serving), but you can get jumbo ones that hold anywhere from half a cup to a full cup. Just put the liners in a muffin tin, add whatever you want to freeze (measuring spoons are my favorite way to do this for soup-like things), freeze, pop them out of the liners, and store them in a large container of choice (gallon sized plastic bags, big Tupperware containers, and disposable aluminum pans all work well for this). When you want some, just pop them in the microwave for small serving sizes, or, for more than 4ish servings of the same thing, put them in the oven in a covered baking dish (I like corning ware, but you can use whatever) on 250-300ish degrees Fahrenheit until heated through. You can also heat more soup-like things on the stove, just keep the temperature low and stir often until it's mostly thawed so you don’t burn it. 

2.If you can’t find or don’t want to use the silicone liners, another easy way to save stuff is to just freeze it in microwave safe containers. I assume everyone knows how to do this, but just in case, and because I’m having fun with this: Put your choice amount of food in the container, put the lid on the container, freeze it. Whenever you want it, either crack the lid or take it off completely (so the steam doesn’t take the lid off for you and blow your food everywhere), stick it in microwave, and heat it until warm. This is also the best way to freeze stuff if you're going to be transporting it (either to take to like work for lunch or to share it with someone). 

3.If the other two don’t work there’s one left, fair warning though, this one is my least favorite. Mainly because it can be messy, and it uses the most space. Get quart sized zip-top freezer bags (yes freezer bags, normally I'd say get whatever, but freezer bags are thicker, and you want that, trust me, nothing will make you want to cry like a quart of soup all over your floor), get a large cup and put the bag in it, pull the top of the bag down around the cup so it holds the bag open (if this doesn’t really help explain, and let's face it, it doesn’t, try looking up how to fill a piping bag with a cup, you just want to see how to hold it open) , add whatever you’re adding, and then close the bag while trying to get as much air out as possible (if you want an easy way to get the air out without making a mess- me to, but I haven't found one). Once the bag is closed lay it out flat on a sheet pan and freeze (you can do as many bags as you want like this as long as you can lay them out flat in a single layer). To reheat, the easiest way I've found is to let it thaw in the fridge (it’s best to have it in some sort of tray to catch any spills), then once its thawed, for soup-like things just snip off a corner of the bag and pour it into either a bowl to microwave or a pot to heat on the stove top, for more solid things just scoop out of the bag and heat it however you want. 

(Note: 1 is best for things like soups or stews, 3 is best for pot-roast and casseroles, and 2 works well for both.) 

Freezing large portions- 

1.Disposable aluminum pans are great for freezing large amounts of casseroles and pot-roasts. For the pot-roast just put it in the pan after it's finished cooking and freeze it, to reheat it put the whole pan in the oven 250-300ish degrees Fahrenheit until heated through (That’s familiar isn’t it). For casserole just put it in the aluminum pan instead of your normal casserole dish and cook as you normally would, just heat it the same way you would the pot-roast. Alternatively, for the casserole, don’t cook it! You can just put the casserole in the pan and then freeze it without baking it, then, when you want to eat, just bake it the way you normally do (note: you might need to add 10-15 minutes to your cooking time).  

(Note: While this does work okay-ish for thicker stews, chowders, chili, and things like that (just do the same thing you would for pot-roast), I do not recommend trying it with soup. (There is no good way to freeze one large portion of soup.) 

Sharing is caring: 

For casseroles and pot-roast: Disposable aluminum pans once again work best for these, even if you're not freezing them. Whoever you’re giving it to not need a whole pan of whatever? Fair enough, try half sized pans instead of standard. Receiver of snacks doesn’t have an oven? Microwave safe containers to the rescue. 

For soups, stews, and other liquid-y things: You can get microwave safe containers that are meant to carry soup up to like 32oz (technically you can freeze stuff in these but reheating it from frozen is a nightmare). Don’t want or can’t afford to buy containers right now? Understandable, use old juice bottles that have a wide opening, just make sure the bottles are clean first. 

(Note: most of the frozen single servings can just be given away as is, this section is more for larger amounts.) 

For breads, cakes, muffins, and similar: 

Freezing single servings: 

1.Slice loaves of bread (yeasted or quick breads) and cakes into whatever size you deem a serving. Put them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze. Take off the sheet pan and put them in a zip-top bag. Small rolls, cupcakes, and muffins can just be put on a sheet pan and frozen as is. To thaw just take out and set on the counter or put them in the oven at a low temperature (seriously, low temp, like no more than 325f, dry bread or cake sucks), or microwave them for about a minute. Sliced bread and cake can also be toasted in a pan with a little bit of butter or other fat (plain bread can go in the toaster but I don’t recommend it for anything very crumbly or with a lot of sugar, burning toasters, despite sounding like the name of an obscure rock band, are very dangerous.) 

(Note: Small here means small. As a good rule of thumb, if it’s bigger than, say, a baseball, it’s too big to freeze like this. So, most dinner rolls are okay, but the big bakery style muffins with domed tops? Those are too big.) 

Freezing large portions: 

1.For whole loaves of bread, cakes, and yes, the gigantic muffins, wrap them tightly once in plastic wrap, and then wrap them again in either aluminum foil or parchment paper (you might need to tape the parchment paper, so it stays). To thaw, unwrap (to cut down on condensation), then just leave them on the counter (you can cover them loosely with a kitchen towel if you want to, but it's not necessary). Loaves of plain bread can be put in the oven at 350f for a few minutes (like no more than 10) to toast them some after they thaw completely. 

(Note: If you don’t want to leave them out on the counter, either because of pets, pests (ants, mice, siblings, etc.), or maybe you're cleaning and are afraid of accidentally getting cleaner on it or something, that’s fine. Put it in the oven or microwave, and let it thaw in there. Just don’t forget it and turn the oven on if you do, maybe put a sticky note or something over the controls.)  

Sharing is caring: 

For cakes and sweet breads (I.e., banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, stuff like that.): Aluminum pans again, whatever size and shape you can find that fits your needs. For sturdier things like pound cake just wrap in parchment paper or foil. For smaller things like muffins or cupcakes put in containers so they don’t get squished- that’s it. 

For bread: Do whatever as long as it’s clean, and food safe. Seriously, I have gift wrapped loaves of bread (I wrapped it in parchment paper first, gift wrap, while pretty, is not food safe.). Wrap whole loaves in brown paper and put rolls in brown paper bags. Get a wicker basket lined with clean tea towels and put the bread in there. It’s bread, it doesn't care. 

(Note: These are all pretty obvious, but I wanted to go over them anyway.) 

For cookies: Cookies are easy, you can either portion them out (or not, slice and bake cookies are great) and freeze them raw to bake later or bake them and freeze them. To thaw, put them in the microwave for like 15 seconds and you’re good. 

For roast meat: Generally, any roast meat that’s left over is going to be made into the soups, stews, and casseroles, so I don’t really have advice here past saying that you can make a decent chicken broth out of a roast chicken carcass. Just add the carcass to a pot with some aromatics and a lot of water and then let simmer for some time, then strain (for more information look up how to make chicken broth out of a cooked chicken carcass). 

Easy to store foods: A good way to deal with having to put up extra food is to make food that is easy to put up. Hand pies, granola, dried fruit, dried meat, fermented vegetables, pickles, jams, jellies, all of these are either easy to put up for later or are meant to be put up for later. 

Items mentioned: 

Silicone muffin cups: These can be found at target, you can undoubtedly find them online too. 

Microwave safe containers: I like these for soup, and these for other stuff. I like these for a couple of reasons. 1. They are for restaurants so they're sturdy, microwave safe, freezer safe, and dishwasher safe. 2.  They’re for restaurants, so you can get them in bulk for cheap (Like dirt cheap). 3. They are both BPA free and recyclable. 4. I don’t actually have to buy them 90% of the time- these are what the one of the restaurants I get takeout from use, so I just wash them and reuse them. Beyond that, just look for microwave safe takeout containers and you should be good. (Side-note: I also found these which are made of paper, I haven’t seen them before, but they look cool.) 

To be honest I usually would have chickened out on posting this but I spent like 5 hours writing this so fuck that. (Remember that hyper-focus issue comment? Yeah.)

Do other Hearth Witches struggle with, like, wanting to cook ALL the time but also not wanting to be wasteful?

[sunnysidevans]

Winner, Winner - J.Seresin

Summary; a bet between Hangman and Coyote on who they could get in the squad to sleep with them, brings both of your feelings to a head.

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Pilot!Reader - Callsign ; Electra

Warnings: 18+ themes, angst central station, fluff , mentions of sex, alcohol, daddy issues, and of death, a-hole hangman & coyote. soft bob & phoenix & some rooster too.

a/n: hi there, me again. back again with my favorite navy pilot. and apparently every fic i write is LONG. Anyways, jake honey i love u. I also love all of you who read this and enjoy my work. happy reading. ps: have tissues handy, you may cry.

The Hard Deck was packed almost like a pack of sardines. A sea of beige Navy uniforms and their spouses. Making your way into the bar, immediately groaning at the heat.

Following behind Phoenix, sending Penny a smile as you slide up to the bar.

She grins looking you up and down. “Hi Pen, just a beer tonight” she nods, pulling it from the fridge beside her, pulling the cap off and tossing it aside.

“Keep the tab open, I’m sure Phoenix will make her way over” she nods, sending you another smile. Pushing through the group of aviators, making it to your own group. “There you are'' smiling shyly, you hold up the beer in your hand.

“Tabs open for you phoenix” she nods, sitting back in the chair as you sit beside her and Bob. “Hi Bob” he smiles, looking over at the rest of the team sat at another table. “What do you think they are whispering about over there?” you ask, looking at Bob with raised brows.

“I have no idea, they didn’t even know I was here til about fifteen minutes ago” chuckling softly, you nod. “Typical” nodding, you sip from the beer quietly. Around the table sat the rest of the members of the team, Hangman, Payback , Coyote and Fanboy.

“Wait wait- You slept with Halo?” Fanboy looks at Coyote who shrugs with his own smirk. “Did it before Hangman '' he nods to the blonde in front of him. Rolling his eyes at the mention of his name he chuckles. “I didn’t even get a chance with that one” he felt eyes on him from the table over. “I have an idea” Coyote says, setting his beer down, putting his elbows on the table to pull the group in closer.

“Who do we think in the group we can get to sleep with Hangman or I?” he raises a brow. “I bet I can get Halo again” he smirks, looking between the rest of his friends.

“Guys, that’s not fair to them.” Fanboy says from his seat, biting his lip. “I bet Hangman gets with Electra '' Payback says without hesitation. Hangman snapped his head over to Payback. “I’m sorry, what? '' Payback smirks. “The tension between you two it’s perfect '' he rolls his eyes, looking between his friends.

Coyote sat with a shit eating grin. “You guys are insane” he sips his own beer. “I think it’s a bet” Jake looks at his friend across from him. You and Jake had an odd relationship. One minute it would be kind words and the next you wanted to slap that shit eating grin off of his face. “Fine, rules?” He looks at his friend.

“Well, how about we make it interesting then? I say, at least two dates, that's only fair. Whoever sleeps with their girl first, gets'' Coyote trails off, thinking.

“$200” he says, Jake nods.

“How long do we have for this?” Jake asks, sitting back in the chair with raised brows. “A month” he chuckles reaching over, shaking Javy’s hand. “Deal”  Javy claps his hands, rubbing them together. “This will be interesting” he mumbles behind his beer.

Jake watches as you play pool with Phoenix, laughing at god knows what. “Bradshaw!” your yelling then, waving over the mustached aviator. “Electra, Phoenix'' he nods, making his way beside you with a grin.

“How nice of you to join us Lieutenant Commander Bradshaw'' your leaning on the pool stick beside him, batting your lashes up at him. “Stop it” Bradley is shoving your shoulder with a laugh.  Sipping the beer in front of you, nodding to Phoenix to take her turn.

“Glad you made it out” smiling at him, you walk around the table. Hangman feels his breath catch at the way you bend over the table, the way the beige khaki made you look even more breathtaking. This is gonna be easy.

Setting the beer down, Jake stands and makes his way to the pool table. “Phoenix” he nods to the raven haired woman, who sends him daggers back. “Electra” looking up through your lashes at the blonde.

Shooting the ball, you stand “That’s game”. Phoenix sighs from the other side of the table. “Bagman” he smirks, leaning against the table beside you. “Darlin, you know that’s not it” licking his lips, looking over your chest, you roll your eyes. “My eyes are up here Ken” his eyes snap to your face, as he meets a smirk on your lips.

“Ken?” nodding, you take the beer from roosters awaiting hands with a grin.

“You are a walking ken doll Hangman, what can I say?” he laughs. “A walking ken doll? I don’t think I’ve heard that one before” smirking behind the beer bottle, you look at phoenix.

“Want to go again?” you motion to the pool table, “Su-” her mouth closes. “I’ll play” Hangman smirks, taking the pool cue from the woman beside him.

“Fine” you grab the triangle to rerack the balls. “Shall we make this interesting?” he asks from the other end of the table.

“Oh and how shall we do that?” you ask with a hand on your hip. “I win, you go out with me” you scoff. Looking over his face he held a seriousness you rarley saw outside of a jet.

“You can not be serious” he shrugs, “as a heart attack”. Watching over his face, you nod. “Fine, but if I win, you finally admit I’m a better pilot” he stops short, watching the smirk on your face.

“Fine” he nods, “fair game”. Walking around the table beside him, you nudge him aside with your hip, “Excuse me”.

Leaning over infront of him, you take the first shot, hitting him in the stomach in the process. He grunts, hand on his knees. Standing back to your full height, nodding to him.

“Your turn” sipping the beer slowly, watching as he takes his next shot. The game went on like that for fifteen minutes. Small flirty one liners falling from his lips as you passed him that you wished didn’t get under your skin.

“That’s game Electra '' pulled from your daydream, you look up at him infront of you. “What?” he's walking to stand infront of you, taking the beer from your awaiting hand. “I believe” he’s leaning closer, you finally take in the smell of his aftershave. He’s whispering, breath fanning over your face. “You owe me a date” you scoff looking over his face. It was written with seriousness. “I guess so” nodding slowly, he winks.

“I’ll be in touch” he walks away, senidng another wink over his shoulder. “Penny darling” he leans on the bar, holding his card out. “Close her and I’s tab, it’s on me tonight” he smirks.

She shakes her head, taking the card out of his hand. Watching him from your spot at te pool table, biting your lip.

Turning to look at Phoenix, she's smirking. “What the fuck just happened?” you ask. She shrugs with a chuckle. “I believe you now have a date with Hangman ''groaning, you fall beside her in the chair putting your head head on her shoulder. “Jake Seresin does not do dates, I know enough” you admit. “I’d go on a date with literally anyone else, but Jake?” she smirks, looking at you with a shrug.

“I mean a deal is a deal” sighing, you nod. “I guess you are right”. Sipping your beer as even over the music, you can hear the snickers from the peanut gallery at the other table. “They remind me of a group of teenage girls,” she shrugs. “They are'' you laugh, nodding. “Wanna head back?” you ask, standing from the chair. Patting your pockets, pulling out some cash.

“Probably best,” she nods following you to the bar. “Pen!” Penny makes her way to you with a smile. Handing her the cash, she shakes her head. “Hangman took care of it” furrowing your brows, you nod slowly. “Oh he did?” you ask, she nods with a smile. Nodding you shove the cash into the tip jar as Penny shakes her head. “Thank you” she mouths, waving as you follow Phoenix out of the bar.

The morning sun was hot against the tarmac. “Good morning aviators'' Maverick grins at the team in front of him. “After the uranium mission, the Navy needs you again” he’s pacing in front of the group.

“Hence why we are all still here” he nods. “Enemy lines this time with more trained pilots in even more equipped planes" you can feel Hangman's eyes on you from his spot few steps away. “I want to do some more dog fighting. This is going to be a combat mission” looking over you make eye contact with Jake as he grins and sends you a wink. “Hangman, Electra, Fanboy and Payback, you are up first” you smirk.

“Perfect” mumbling to yourself, walking to the F-18 just a few feet away. You smile, climbing up the ladder as Phoenix sends you a grin and thumbs up, Bob beside her doing the same.

Strapping yourself in, pulling the helmet over your head as the canopy closes slowly. The summer sun made the jet even more hotter. You could feel Hangmans eye's, making your skin burn hotter. Making way down the runway, you send the men on the ground a nod and salute. You were in the air in seconds.

“Hangman, you are Electra’s wingman, remember, this is going to be a heavy combat dog fight. These people do not care about anything but getting the job done” Maverick’s voice is in the comms, Jake laughing in his own comm. “Got it” he nods, strapping his mask on.

“Fanboy, how are we lookin?” you can hear the mumbling through the comms. “Maverick is low right,” he mumbles, looking down at the F-18 soaring just below you.

“I’m going after him” Hangman says, veering left and away from your right side. Rolling your eyes, you continue moving through the mountain side. The dogfight was combat based, fighting through the moutians to avoid lock on yourself. “Electra!” Payback says, as you move beside him. “Payback, you go right and I'll go left okay?” he nods, “now!” you yell, missing the lock on both yourself and Payback.

“Electra'' Maverick says, “Where’s your wingman?” you cant help but to roll your eyes. “Looking at himself in the mirror I’m sure” you spit gritting your teeth. The dog fight had continued on. “Payback, Fanboy that is a kill” Maverick says after about 10 minutes.

Flying your way through the sky to get away from Maverick, your panting. “Hangman! A little help!” your yelling into the comms, and can practically hear his eye roll. “You got it Electra, I got eyes on ya” he mumbles. Soon, your jet alerts you of the lock. “That’s a kill” slamming your hands against the glass, you sigh. The comms fall silent for the next few minutes. “Electra! I could use some help here” looking up, you smirk.

“Leave a message bagman, I'm dead asshole” you mumble, flying back to the base. “That’s a kill Hangman” you miss the curses on the other end of the comm from the southerner. You sigh in delight as the canopy opened as a slight California breeze made its presence known.

“What the fuck was that?!” stepping down on the pavement, you turn to face Hangman. “I’m sorry?” you ask. “You were there to help me!” he says, panting. The anger was clear on his face. “You were my wingman and you let me get killed!” you seeth. “You left your wingman. As you always do Bagman” shoving his shoulder, you push past him. “Electra!” he yells after you. He’s running, the sound of his gear is not quiet as he comes beside you.

“El, I’m sorry!” he yells, stopping a few feet behind you. This gains the attention of the rest of the squad. “Is he apologizing to her right now?” Bob leans over whispering to Phoenix.

She leans back to whisper back, “I can’t believe this is happening.” Bob nods in agreement. “What?” furrowing your brows, you turn to face him. He stops in front of you, trying to catch his breath. “I’m sorry okay?” he sighs, looking anywhere but at your face.

“I can’t believe Jake Seresin is apologizing to me right now” you chuckle with a shake of your head. He shrugs with a sheepish smile. “Learn to be a team player Hangman'' he's watching intently as your eyes avoid him completely. He wouldn't admit how badly it hurt him that you wouldn't even look at him.

“I thought after everything we’ve all gone through with almost losing Rooster and Maverick, you’d actually be a wingman. I will accept your apology but actions speak louder than words" picking up your gear as you move past the rest of the team to make your way inside.

Standing under the cold shower in the locker room was a blessing. Closing your eyes with a sigh and completely immersing yourself under the stream of cold water. Washing the day off your body slowly as you replayed what happened in your head.

And yet the man wanted to take you out on a date after the way he treated you. Shaking the thoughts from your brain, turning the shower off and pulling the towel from beside you.

Pulling on the pieces of clothing you had shoved into the locker, pulling your belongings out as you go. Tossing the towel into the dirty bin, making your way out of the locker room. You just wanted to go home. “Electra” his soft southern drawl was always a weakness for you, as much as you hated to admit it. Turning to face him, adjusting the bag on your shoulder as he lets his eyes do a pass over your body.

“I am sorry” he admits, looking at you with sincerity in his eyes. “I told you I accepted your apology” he nods, shoving his hands into the back pocket of the Wrangler jeans he wore.

“So, about that date” he’s got the signature smirk on his lips as you scoff. “I can not believe you right now” he chuckles, pushing off the wall to move closer. “I’m sorry, I am” nodding slowly, you encourage him to continue. “I can’t help that I want my end of the deal” chuckling, you nod. “Pick me up later around 7 alright?” looking over his face for another moment, you make way down the hallway.

He smirks, nodding. “You got it Darlin!” he yells after you, a small smile making its way to your lips.

At 7pm sharp a knock made its way through your home. Looking at the green numbers on the stove, you smile. Opening the door, Jake stood with a small bouquet of daisy’s. “Wasn’t sure if you were a flower kind of girl but” smiling, you take the bouquet from him. “Thank you Jake” you motioned him in, taking the flowers to the kitchen to grab a vase. “So, where are we going for this excruciating date?” filling the vase, you put the flowers in and set it on the island in the kitchen.

“I’m keeping that a secret'' he admits, leaning against the doorframe. Turning, you finally get a good look at him. He wore a simple black t- shirt with a pair of dark wash Wrangler jeans. A black cowboy hat to match. He truly did look good.

“(y/n), you with me?” his voice pulls you from the daydream. Nodding, you smile.

It takes a second before it hits you. He used your name and not your callsign.

“Did you just call me (y/n)?” he chuckles, nodding. “I mean we are going on a date, this is not work” nodding slowly, making your way to him. “Then let's go, Jake” he feels the heat making its way to his cheeks.

He liked the way his name fell from your lips. He kept trying to remind himself, this was an easy $200. He knew he could get even the most stubborn woman on the squad to sleep with him.

“Let’s go then” he nods, holding his arm out to you. 

“Why are we at a bar?” you look over at him from the passenger seat of his truck with a sigh. “Have you ever learned to line dance darlin?” pulling the aviator from his eyes he sends a wink your way.

“Jake, I fly planes for a living do I look like I line dance?” he chuckles, climbing out of the truck, making his way over to your side, opening the door and holding a hand out to you. “Well you are going to learn tonight” he grins.

Taking his hand, you slide out of the truck. “I can’t believe you brought me here for a date” you are following beside him, he grins. “It’s a fun learning experience” he admits, holding the door open for you.

Once inside, the music is flowing so naturally. A sea of cowboy hats and the click of boots on the hardwood floor. You almost enjoy the change of pace compared to the usual sea of khaki. The smell of beer was familiar too. “I need a shot at least before I go and embarrass myself” you look over at Jake, he grins.

“You got it” he grabs the hand closest to him, pulling you through the crowd behind him. You stood beside him, looking around the bar.

Watching everyone on the floor dance to the country music that rolled through the speakers. “Your shot m’lady” he holds the glass out with a smirk. Taking it with a smile as you shot it back with a grin. Jake smirks, taking back his own shot.

“Alright c’mon” he’s taking your hand again, pulling the two of you to the dance floor. “Just follow what we do okay?” he asks, a smirk on his lips. You nod your head with a laugh, he smiles. “Just follow me darlin'' he winks. A second later the opening notes of Big and Rich’s “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy '' play over the speakers.

He smirks, “I love this song”. 

Laughing beside him, you follow the moves he continued to do, swaying your own hips as the crowd did the same. Following as they turned and clapped. “You got it!” he yells over the music, laughing as you look at him with the biggest smile.

He ignores the feeling in his chest. Holding his hand out, you take it. Pulling you into his chest as the two of you swayed to the music, you were leaning closer to him. “And sang her every WIllie Nelson song I could think of” you sang as he held your body to his.

“And we made love” you sang, taking the hat off his head, putting it on your own. “Oh darlin” he shakes his head with a grin, stopping you from going too far from him, spinning you back into his chest.

He had to admit your laugh was siren song to him.

He never really heard you laugh or seen you smile this much before. He selfishly pulled his phone from his back pocket, snapping a quick photo of you in his hat. You wanted to hate the date, to never have to think about it or Hangman again. He made that hard as he smiled at you, the two of you chest to chest.  

A genuine smile. 

Sitting in a tiny booth in the back of the bar, you laugh softly.

“Wait, Coyote slept with Halo?” you ask, sipping the beer infront of you. He nods with a laugh. “He never shuts up about it” he admits, his own smile. “Huh” nodding slowly, licking your lips. “You and Coyote have been friends a while?” he nods, sipping his own beer. “He was my only friend at Top Gun. Graduated my number two” looking over your face, he smiles.

You sat with his hat on, picking at the fries in the basket.

“Coyote graduated number two?” he nods. “I feel like I am learning so much information” mumbling, you ate another fry. “What about you and Phoenix?” you smile. “We were the only women in our class, we relied on one another very early on. Plus I knew she was badass and us badass women stick together" he nods, chuckling. “What's the deal with her and Rooster?” He lets curiosity get the best of him.

You laugh, “we all kinda got close, he flirted with her but nothing more than that” you shrug as he nods. “How did you get your call sign?” you ask. He doesn’t miss the twinkle in your eye. Sipping his own beer he shrugs. “I didn’t play well with others, I knew I was the best,” he mumbles. “I also left everyone out to dry,” he nods, looking back at you.

Nodding slowly, he watches as you eat another fry. “I see” nodding, you sip from your own beer. “How did you get yours?” he asks. Picking at the fries in front of you, licking your lips. Without hesitation you say, “Daddy issues”. He chokes on his beer, “What?” smirking, you look up at him through your lashes.

“Okay partially” you admit. “Okay-I" he stutters, you laugh as you sip the beer. “I’m the best” shrugging, you continue “I complete everything in record time but also efficiently, like electricity”.

He nods slowly. “Daddy issues?” he asks.

“Electra was a greek goddess who in short, hated men” you say eating another fry. He chuckles. “So you hate men?” he asks. You shrug smirking, “only a few”. 

Walking to your front door, he follows behind. You turn to face him, back against the door. “Here” taking the hat off your head, standing on your tiptoes to place it back on his head. He smiles, "Thank you”. Nodding, you pull out your keys. “Jake” turning to face him, he raised his brow. “I did actually enjoy tonight” he smirks.

“I know how to treat a lady, contrary to popular belief” you smile. “I had no doubt, you just don’t do it for long” he nods. “Wanna do this again?” he asks, leaning against the door frame in front of you. Biting your lip as you lean up to place a kiss on his cheek. “Possibly” opening the door, you look over your shoulder to send him one last wink before the door shut.

That $200 was starting to feel a little less worth it.

-

“So” Coyote stands beside Jake. “So?” he asks, looking over at Javy, pulling his aviators down to look at him. “Halo and I went out last week” Jake grins. “So did Electra and I” he shrugs.

“That $200 is smellin pretty good” Coyote smirks, making his way to the team. The beach was packed with aviators. “Dogfight football, the best way to bond” Hondo smirks. “Let’s play ball” he blows the whistle, dropping the football and moving out of the way.

Running down the beach, Rooster has the ball, looking frantically. “Roos!” yelling, you hold your hands up. Sporting the small pair of biker shorts and bikini top was not helping Jake keep his eye on the prize. It has been a little over a month since the first date, two other dates in that month between depending on schedules.

Jumping to grab the ball, you weave between each aviator. Laughing as you toss the ball into the sand. “Touchdown!” Hondo yells, blowing the whistle. It became tradition to play a game of dogfighr football before any big mission.

The next mission was approaching quickly. Looking over your aviators biting your lip, Jake did look good. Moving into position he made sure he was in front of you. He winks at you behind his own aviators. Hondo blows the whistle, pushing against his body you try to get Phoenix’s attention.

As you make it down the beach she notices then, throwing the ball. Going to catch the ball, your body is then thrown into the sand. A hard body colliding with yours. With a groan, you look up at Jake hovering over you as he smirks. “No can do,” he whispers.  The tension between the two of you was not missed by the team as they cheered for Bob, who made the winning touchdown.

He stands, holding a hand out, pulling your body off the sand. “Thanks” you push past him, making your way to the group with a laugh. Coyote smirks at his best friend, rubbing his fingers together, mouthing “money baby, money”.

Jake sighs, following the group into the Hard Deck.

“Hey! You are all covered in sand” Penny groans. “Sorry Pen” Rooster sighs, looking at her with his signature puppy dog eyes. “It’s fine, please dont get it on the carpet" she shakes her head wih a smile. Jake grabs your hand, pulling you from the group.

“Can we talk?” he asks, looking over your face. The sun brought out your freckles. Nodding, you follow him outside. “I’m sorry” he admits, looking out at the ocean, avoiding your eyes. “Why are you sorry?”  he sighs. “I shouldn’t have done that to you out there, that was a bit aggressive” nodding, you stand beside him. “Hangman” your voice was soft, comforting to him. “It’s okay, I’m not hurt okay?” rubbing his arm soothingly, he nods.

“Alright” he looks over, smiling down at you. “I won't lie you look absolutely amazing” he smirks. The sand on your skin decorated with sweat, you were still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He can feel the eyeroll from behind your aviators.

“You don't look too bad yourself Seresin” he's leaning down kissing your forehead.

Both of you freeze. It was something so simple but felt so intimate.

You smile as you pull him closer, kissing his cheek just like you did the night of the first date. “Was that weird?” he asks, bringing a smile to your lips. “No, I liked it” you shrug as he smiles. “Alright then” putting an arm around your shoulder, he pulls you into his side.

“Wanna come over tonight? I’ll make ya somethin” he’s looking down at you. “You are gonna cook for me?” he nods. “Jake Seresin” you gasp with a smile hand on your chest. You nod, “I’d like that,” he smirks. 

Jumping, you notice Phoenix’s reflection in the bathroom mirror. “What is going on?” She asks, arms crossed over her chest. “What?” you toss the papertowel into the trash, turning to face her. “You and Hangman?” you shrug. “We’re getting along,” she nods slowly.

“He seems to be getting really" she trails off, "mushy with you”. You chuckle, looking at your best friend as she moves closer. “I just want you to be careful okay?” nodding, you smile. “Aw, you care about me” she rolls her eyes, slapping your shoulder. “You know I do" she says as you nod, smiling. “I know. He’s tolerable when he’s not flying a plane” she nods, “whatever you say”.

The table is crowded, Fanboy and Payback sit down first, Coyote joining seconds later. “So, who’s winning?” Fanboy asks, looking between Coyote and Hangman. “Me,” Coyote says, looking at Jake with a smirk. “Halo and I are on date 3, maybe even sheets tonight” he smirks. “How about you Hangman?” Payback asks, looking at the blonde.

“Electra and I are also on date 3. Sheets, debateable” he mumbles, sipping on his glass of lemonade. “Hm, seems like that $200 is gonna be worth the fight” Payback says.

Bob wanted to ignore the conversation, he wanted to act like he didn’t stop to listen in at the mention of your name. He moves away from the conversation slowly, he knows he didn't want his presence to be known. He also knows the group of aviators had no idea he heard what they were talking about.

Bob places himself between you and Phoenix, a worried look on his face. “Bob?” you question, looking over his face. “I’m okay,” he smiles. Nodding you watch as he fiddles with a loose fabric on his shorts.

“El” Jake is standing beside you, hand on the back of the chair. “Wanna head out?” he asks, as you nod. “Sure” standing, you look at your two best friends, both shooing you off. “Bye” waving as Jake takes your hand, leading you out of the hard deck.

“What’s going on with you?” Phoenix questions her back-seater. “I-I don’t think Electra should be getting-” he bites his lip, thinking over his words. “I don’t think she should be getting so close to Hangman'' he admits. She nods slowly, “I know”. She leans back in the chair, sipping her own glass of lemonade. 

“Can I shower?” you ask once the two of you make it back to his place. Looking up at the blonde, he grins. “Of course, go ahead” he nods towards the stairs of his home. You have to admit, it was a beautiful, simple home.

Biting your lip, stopping at the end of the steps. You debate your next words. Deciding against it, you make your way up the steps. Jake noticed your hesitancy but chose to ignore it.

Walking down the hall slowly, you smile. Jake had photos of his family, nieces and his parents. You stop at one, smiling. Jake and Coyote at their own Top Gun graduation. Making it to the bathroom, shutting the door behind you.

You lean over to turn on the faucett. Stepping in to the cold stream of water, you sigh in delight. The cool water felt amazing against your skin, already feeling the sunburn. Closing your eyes, you let your thoughts run wild.

You wanted to invite him in the shower with you, take that step. Shaking the thoughts from your head, you coninute to wash the sand off your body.

“Don’t mind me” Jake mumbles, the door opening slowly. “I uh, brought you some clothes to put on” you peek out the curtain, he smiles shyly. “Thanks,” you say, as he nods.

“Don't use all my good body wash either” he warns. “But it smells so good!” you yell after him as he chuckles, shutting the door.

Climbing out of the shower, stopping short at the clothes folded neatly on the toilet seat. Noticing the Naval academy shirt, you pick it up, holding it up. You can’t help the smile to grow on your face.

Walking down the steps, Jake’s ears perk up at the sound of the stairs creaking. “Was it a good shower?” he asks, his back to you. Looking him up and down, biting your lip. He stood at the stove, a pair of sweatpants hang low on his hips, opting to forgo a shirt.

“You know it’s dangerous to cook without a shirt” smirking, you cross your arms over your chest. He looks up at the sound of your voice, opening and closing his mouth.

“I-I did not think that through,” he admits pointing the spoon at you, turning back to the stove. “What?” you push off the wall to make your way beside him. Jumping up to sit on the counter beside him, swinging your legs.

“You look so good in that shirt, better than I do” he admits, looking at you. Smirking, you pose beside him as he laughs. “Don’t let it get to your head now” he mumbles, stiring the vegetables. “What are you making?” you ask, humming at the smell. “Thought we could do a stir fry?” he turns to look at you with a smile.

“Sounds delicious” you smile. The kitchen falls silent then, a comfortable silence. You slide off the counter, grabbing your phone from the table, humming.

“Whatcha up too?” he asks. You do selfishly snap a photo of him, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Smirking, you may have peeked at his own playlist, stealing a few songs.

Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” began playing through your phone speakers. He’s laughing in seconds as you dance around his kitchen, singing along to him.

Setting down the spoon he was using he's turning to face you with a smile. “Dance with me Seresin!” he laughs, taking your hands as you sang to him. “Gotta have some love tonight” you sang, squealing as he's pulling your body into his.

“I need some hot stuff” he sings along in your ear. Your back to his chest as he guides your hips to sawy with his. Laughing, he spins you out and back into his chest. He dips your body with a smirk. Biting your lip, looking between the green of his eyes to his soft pink lips. He notices, smirking. The two of you leaning closer as he connects your lips.

You wrap your arms around his neck, holding onto him as he pulls the two of you back up to stand. His hand on the back of your head, tangling in your hair to get your lips closer.

In all the years you have known Jake Seresin, you never expected to be kissing him in his kitchen wearing his shirt. Jake’s tongue swipes along your bottom lip, you moan against his lips. He groans, pulling away slowly. Resting his forehead against yours, his eyes falling closed as he nudges your nose with his own.

“Not bad,” he whispers, smirking as he chuckles. “Shush” he nudges your nose again, his own smirk on his lips. The ping of his phone pulls the two of you apart, grabbing it from the counter, his heart sinks.

COYOTE: I’m thinking if I need cash or a check ;).

Jake sets the phone aside. “You okay?” then he’s pulled from his thoughts at the sound of your voice. He nods.

“Yeah yeah” he types a quick reply.

HANGMAN: We are gonna need to talk about this, see you tomorrow.

He ignores the ellipses that follows.

-

The week flew by, the mission was now staring the team in the face. Standing in the middle of the ocean on the carrier, you sigh. Looking over the railing at the ocean, no matter how many times you were on a ship, it never got easier.

“Electra?” standing to your full height, you smile at Bob. “Hey Bob” he smiles, walking closer to you. “Can I ask you something?” you nod as he leans beside you, sighing. “Are you really into Hangman?” he asks, there's a hesitancy in his voice. Biting your lip, you look over at the WSO. “I-I don’t actually know Bob” you say, hesitating. “Why?” you ask, he shrugs.

“I guess it’s strange to see you two now, together. Before it was you and him practically ripping eachother apart” nodding, biting your lip. “It’s weird isn’t it?” you ask as he nods. “I want the best for you Electra, I don’t-I don’t want to pry” shaking your head, resting a hand on his arm.

“Your concern means the world to me Bob” he nods, biting his lip. “Okay” he puts a hand ontop of yours, giving it a squeeze. “I’ll see you soon okay?” he nods, watching as you make your way inside.

Walking along the narrow hallway, you can hear the mumbling of voices. “I gave you a month Seresin” Coyote's voice was hushed but clear as day in the quiet hallway. Stopping around the corner, you can't help your curiosity listening to the two of them. “I know, I know. The bet’s off Javy, I’ll give you the cash and move on” Jake sighs, shoving a hand into his pocket.

He felt his stomach drop. “You are giving up that easily?” Javy asks in surprise, a smirk then making its way to his lips. 

“You didn’t get her to sleep with you” Jake sighs. “Javy,” he shakes his head. “I can’t believe I beat you” Jakes counting the twenties. “The $200 wasn’t worth it” he mumbles between counting.

“Did you fall in love with her or something?” Shoving the cash in his hand, he looks at Coyote. “Does it matter if I did?” Javy notices you then, swallowing nervously as he looks over Jake's shoulder.

“$200 fucking dollars?” you ask hurt evident in your voice, Jake closes his eyes. You knew things with Jake were a bit too good to be true. “I was $200 dollars in your wallet?” Jake turns to face you and he feels like he’s been stabbed, the knife being twisted.

Tears made their way down your cheeks, wiping them quickly with a sigh. “El no” he makes his way to you quickly. “I was a fucking bet Jake Seresin? '' you ask. "No (y/n), please let me explain" you scoff, shaking your head. "You are exactly what the say Jake, a playboy who'd rather get the notch on the belt than an actual relationship" shaking your head as you back away from him.

“No, please listen to me” he’s moving closer. “It meant nothing to me (y/n)” he’s pleading now, tears in his own lash line. “Clearly" you chuckle, looking between both men. "As you are giving Coyote his winnings" you spit. "And god forbid you didn't sleep with me!” he sighs, trying to take your hands in his. "It was more to me than that (y/n)" he's moving closer, watching as you shake your head.

Getting close enought, he stops as your hand connects with his face. Closing his eyes, he sighs. “I deserved that '' you chuckle, nodding. “Yeah, yeah you did bagman” pushing past the two aviators, you stop at the end of the hall.

“You are just a real winner aren't you Jake?” he closes his eyes as he looks away from you.  Your voice dripped with Venom. “I expected better from you Coyote. I hope it was worth the $200 you put another innocent woman through to get” he sighs. 

Phoenix is stepping out of her quarters as you pass, she notices the tears on your face. “Hey hey El'' she reaches out to stop you, grabbing the arm closest to her. Turning to face her, she notices the tears as they roll down your cheeks. “What is it?” she’s pulling you back into her quarters, shutting the door.

“I was a bet” you look up at her between sobs, she furrows her brows, then she sighs.

“That asshole” she mumbled to herself. Sitting on the chair, you sniffle wiping your face. She looks at you with sympathy.

“He actually made me love him,” you whisper, voice cracking. “Oh honey” she's beside you instantly, holding you against her chest. You felt awful crying into Phoenix's chest. She warned you about this, and yet, you ignored her warning.

You should’ve known better than to let the smooth green eyed pilot in so closely. “I’ve got you” she’s rubbing your back in soothing circles. In the years the two of you knew each other, she saw you this way one other time and it killed her. She hated to see your brave face torn down by him.

She’s crouching in front of you, cupping both cheeks.

“Listen to me” she’s holding your face. “Jake Seresin is an asshole” you chuckle as she smirks. “He’s an asshole who let you fall in love with him. You are the most badass woman in the Navy" you smile sadly at your best friend. She continues "and one of the best pilots the Navy as ever seen (y/n)” you smile against her hands, nodding.

“And you are gonna get that promotion after this mission, rub it in his face” you smile, laughing.  “There she is'' she grins, standing to her full height. Wiping your cheeks, you nod with a smile.

“I appreciate you Trace'' she smirks, looking at you, hands on her hips. “You know it (Y/L/N)” holding her hand out to you as you take it, “Now we’re gonna kick some ass” she grins.

Bob sends you a sympathetic smile as you follow beside Pheonix into the debriefing room. “You okay?” he’s whispering, reaching out to give your arm a squeeze. ”As always Bob” smiling, you nudge his shoulder gently.

“Aviators” Cyclone stands at the front of the room, hands on his hips. “We are t-minus one hour til we send you into enemy lines” you can feel Jake's eyes bore into the back of your head.

“You are air support to the team on the ground who are infiltrating the base” Maverick says. “You are all amazing pilots, you prove it time and time again" Cyclone says, "let’s bring you all home safely” Maverick adds. Nodding, you take a deep breath.

Jake watches as you walk past him, Phoenix sending daggers towards him. “Electra” your body stiffens. Phoenix stops, looking between the two of you. “Go” you nod, turning around to face him. “Hangman” he cringed slightly, he hated the way your voice dripped with hate put also pain.

“Can I just please explain myself?” he’s moving closer, looking down at you. The way your tear stained cheeks stared back at him. It made his heart hurt more.

“I should slap you again” you seeth. “I am more than a bet” he nods, looking at you. “I know that, I-I should have never agreed to it” you chuckle darkly. Looking over his face as it held nothing but seriousness. “I am a pilot in the Navy, I fly into death everyday” you whisper stepping closer to be chest to chest with him. “But yet, it hurts more knowing I was a flimsy $200 bet” he nods, looking at the anger written on your face.

“I could take anything else Hangman, I take enemy fire. I can take the doubts from superiors who doubt my ability because I'm a woman." you seeth, looking over his face. He's biting his lip, he's never seen you this angry before. "But yet, I let you in and let you weasel your way into my heart just to bestabbed in the back” his heart breaks more.

“(Y/N), I know I should have never agreed to the stupid bet, Coyote was on about how he could sleep with Halo-” holding your hand up, you stop him. “He did this to Halo too?” nodding, he watches your face change. “He better tell her or I will do it myself” he nods.

“I fell in love with you (Y/N)” walking towards the the door, you stop in the frame, turning to face him.

“You should have thought about that before you used me for a fucking bet.” You turn away from him, biting your lip.

“Good luck” mumbling over your shoulder, walking into the hallway.

Running your hand along the jet, checking the checklist in your head. Missing the approaching footsteps. “El”  looking over at Coyote, narrowing your eyes behind your aviators.

“Lieutenant Machado” he sighs, hands on his hips.

“I’m sorry” you nod looking back at him. “Did you tell Halo you won?” he nods slowly.

“I didn’t realize Jake fell in love with you” he admits as you shrug. Moving closer to him, you sigh. “I hope you both realize your faults. We are not objects. Halo and I are just as good, even better than you two” he nods.

“Use that money and buy her something to apologize.'' he smiles shyly. “I’m gonna ask her out officially, once i apologize forever” smirking, you nod. “As you should, now please go” you whisper.

He nods, making his way to his own F-18. Strapping yourself in, you close your eyes, sighing heavily as the canopy closes. “We are clear for takeoff, on your count” Cyclone sends each of you off.

“Let’s get home safely,” Maverick says over the comms.

“Bob, do you have anything?” you ask, flying beside him and Phoenix. “Nothing yet” he latches the mask into his helmet. “How about you Fanboy?” Hangman's voice is calm over the comms. His heart racing miles a minute. “I have a bogie, about eight miles out” Fanboy says, looking out the window beside him.

“Electra, I have two more bogies, 6 miles” you nod. “Spread out, let's give em hell” you smirk. You veer to the right, flying above the two pilots now beside Hangman. He looks over, watching as you mostly concentrate on the boagies.

He felt his racing heart ease with you beside him. 

“Coyote, I really need some help here!” Hangman grits his teeth, his strained. “I’m comin man” Coyote replies. You smirk, getting a lock on the jet following Hangman. “No need” veering left away from them as the missile collides with the plane. A parachute left seen through the smoke.

The fight continued between the team. “Rooster!” your voice filled with panic. “C’mon man, I can’t fight this guy myself” your doing everything to get away from the pilot. “Electra, I need you to go through the mountains, I’ll meet them on the other side” you nod, panting into the comms.

“You better be Rooster god damn it” he chuckles softly to himself. He kept his word, flying through the mountain as you flew past him, smoke in the air and one less enemy plane. “You know I got you El” he smirks beside you. The comm line was quiet before Hangman's voice breaks through “I’ve lost the right engine!” breaking in and out.

“I’ve been hit, I repeat” he’s trying to stop the fire, looking around at all the enemy planes on his sides.

“I’ve lost the left engine”. he's attempting to put the fire out, restarting the right engine.

His heart is racing, looking everywhere for the one person who could make it better. “I’ve lost control!” it was matter of minutes before his jet began spinning.

“Electra” his voice is pleading. He's on the verge of tears as he continues over the comms, "Electra, I am so sorry."

Your can feel your heart breaking.

“You need to eject Hangman!” your yelling, pushing more G’s to get closer to him. “I can't do this Electra” he’s mumbling, watching as his altitude is lower and lower. “Yes you can Jake Seresin, you need to eject!” closing his eyes, he’s pulling the ejection handles.

In a matter of seconds he’s out of his jet, parachutes erupting into the sky like fireworks.

Watching as his body falls into the ocean below, you have no idea if he made it out alive. “Dagger team, return to the carrier” the team says, coming in static as you follow beside Rooster.

Flying mindlessly, letting your eyes continue to drift down to the ocean below.

“We need rescue” you mumble into the comms. “We’ll take care of it Lietuenant (Y/L/N)”. Once landed, you close your eyes at the sun once the canopy opens. You miss the way Maverick makes his way to your side.

“We have search and rescue out for him” jumping, you look down at Maverick. Nodding, you climb down the ladder with a sigh.

“Can someone please inform me when you find him?” he nods, hand on your shoulder. “It’s gonna be alright, okay?” you smile sadly. He sends you a sympothetic smile, making his way back inside. Walking towards the door, you run into a hard chest, stumbling slightly as two hands catch you.

“El” your looking up at Rooster, who sends you a comforting smile. “Is it bad I’m terrified he’s dead?” you ask before you can stop yourself. He shakes his head. “No it’s not, as much of a pain in the ass he is, Hangman makes up this team” you nod, taking a deep breath as your head connects with his chest.

He’s wrapping his arms around you tightly. “It’s all gonna be alright” he’s mumbling. Nodding, you wrap your own arms around his waist. “Electra!” pulling away, you look at Coyote. “Javy,” he’s panting, moving closer he's pulling you against him. “It’s gonna be alright okay? H-He’ll be okay” his voice shakes, you’ve never heard him so upset. “Of course he will, it’s gonna take more than that to get Jake Seresin down” he nods looking down at you.

“He begged for you” you nod, resting a hand on his arm as your own voice shakes. “I know and if they don't find him" stopping yourself, looking up at Javy. "I wont be able to live with myself" he nods, hugging you tighter. “Let’s go inside okay? Maverick is gonna let me know anything” you say as he nods, making his way inside.

Looking out at sea one last time, you follow behind.

Forty eight hours.

It took them forty eight hours to find Jake and his plane. You are then standing in Mavericks office, staring out the window. The tarmac lined with F-18s. You hug Jake's flight jacket tighter to your body.“Lieutenant (Y/L/N)” turning around, you face a smiling Maverick.

“He’s on his way home” the tears prick your lash line.

“He’s coming home Electra" he makes his way closer to you. "C’mon chopper should be landing any minute” nodding, you follow closely behind him.

The leather bomber jacket was comforting to you. Coyote gave it to you as the two of you sat together hours before.

“I found Jake’s jacket” looking at him, you furrow your brows. “Which jacket?” he pulls the leather jacket out. “His flight jacket” you smile, holding a hand out to him as he hands it to you. Tracing the stitching of his patches sewn in. Before you know it, you are pulling it over your shoulders.

It smelled like him. “I’m mourning him like we were married” you mumble. Coyote shrugs, “you guys did fight like one” narrowing your eyes at him, he holds his hands up in defense. He smiles nodding, “Jake would want you to have that.” nodding, you pull it tighter around you.

“You with me?” Maverick asks from beside you. Standing on the landing strip, you nod. Pulling the aviators over your eyes, watching as the helicopter makes its landing. Shoving your hands into the pockets of the flight jacket, you watch as a team of medics make their way to the helicopter.

“He’s home Electra” looking up at Maverick, you nod eagerly.

The stretcher seemed so far away, he seemed so far away. “Go ahead” jogging to catch up with the nurses, you pull the aviators off your eyes, smiling sadly at the pilot. He was unconscious but still looked like Jake.

A few scrapes and a busted lip but he was Jake. “Jesus” you mumble, taking his hand as you following beside him as they wheel him inside.

Following the nurses all the way to the med wing, untill a nurse is stopping you. You are dropping his hand with a sigh. “I know” she’s sympathetic. “Let me get him stable and he’s yours” you nod, sniffling.

“Okay” she sends a sympathetic smile before she’s pushing through the double doors. “(Y/N)!” there's two sets of footsteps down the hall. “Bob? Phoenix?” you turn to face your best friends.

“They find him?” Bob asks first, panting. You nod, your bottom lip tembeling.

“Was he awake?” Phoenix asks as you shake your head, turning to face the swinging double doors again.

Twenty four hours passed before a nurse came out of the swinging doors. The same nurse who stopped you hours ago. She’s smiling. “He’s awake” you stand as she holds her hand out to you.

Following the nurse, you stop at the double doors. “Tell Coyote” you say, phoenix nods from her seat. “He’s asking for you, Electra I’m guessing?” she smirks over her shoulder. You blush, “That’s me”. 

She stops at the two of you at the door, looking at you. “I think you should have this, we found this in his suit” she holds the polaroid photo out to you. The edges were torn but the photo was clear as day.

The night you stayed with Jake for the first time in his Naval academy shirt.

“It was tucked into his chest pocket” wiping the tear off your cheek, you nod. “He’s gonna be bruised okay?” she warns, hand on your shoulder. “He’s okay just remember that” nodding to the door, she sends you a warm smile.

Pushing the door open, you close it quietly behind you. The room was just monitors beeping and horrible fluorescent lighting. Looking around the room and then back down to the polaroid in your hand as more tears rolled down your cheeks.

You look up at the sound of his groan. He’s smirking, laying in the hospital bed, with a wrap around his ribs. His bruises now turned a deep purple. “Darlin” his voice is hoarse.

You can’t help the sob that falls from your lips. He sits up, groaning as he tries to stand. Rushing to him with a hand on his shoulder, you encourage him to sit back down.

“Don’t get your ass up” your voice is soft as he chuckles, wincing as he falls back into the bed. “Yes ma’am” he salutes, looking up at you.

“God damn you” turning from him to wipe your cheeks. “Look at me” shaking your head, you take a deep breath.

“Electra, look at me” his voice is stern. “I need you to look at me” his voice falters slightly, still stern. Turning to face him, his own tears in his eyes. “Why did you have to do that?” he sniffles.

“You needed to know, if I did not make it out-” shaking your head, you take his hand. He pulls you to sit beside him on the bed.

“Listen to me please” his thumb is running over your knuckles soothingly. “I may have made that bet with Coyote” you can’t help but cringe. He nods slowly, a sympathetic smile on his face as he continues. “I made that bet with Coyote thinking if maybe I slept with you the feelings I had would just” he pauses “go away”.

You furrow your brows as he smiles. “So I agreed to it, but then we went dancin” he grins as you chuckle. “And then we went out on these dates. I forgot about the whole bet, I just wanted you” he whispers, reaching up to cup your cheek.

“I don't care about $200, I don't care if he took the gloat” you lean into his hand, closing your eyes as more tears fell. Catching them with his thumb, he wipes your cheek gently. “I fell in love with you (Y/N), you are the most amazing person, most amazing pilot in the goddamn Navy” you chuckle, sniffling. “Can I have that on record?” you ask as he chuckles, groaning in pain after. "Don't mak me laugh" he warns. “I fell in love with the way you wanted to dance in the kitchen to the god forsaken playlist I put together. I fell in love with the way you don’t put up with my bullshit and that is enough for me” he grins. “You are the most badass woman I know, I fell in love with your spark and passion for what you do and for how much love you have for your friends” shaking your head, you kiss his palm gently smiling up at him.

“You are worth so much more than a stupid $200 bet” you chuckle, looking at him. “I regret it” you nod, looking at him. “Jake” shaking his head, he looks at you. “I understand if you are still angry at me” opening your mouth to speak, closing it as he continues.

“I should have never done that,” shaking your head, reaching over to cover his mouth.

“Jake Seresin, you may need an ego check” he raises his brow as you continue. “But you also know how to love under that thick skull, you probably took me on the most romantic dates of my life” he chuckles under your hand. “Also, no man ever got my favorite flower right on the first date” he smiles proudly.

“I hid behind my own ego biting back becuase I knew I was not on the Hangman roster” you smile, moving the hand covering his mouth to cup his cheek. “I built walls that you destroyed,” he smirks. “Does this mean, you love me too?” he asks. Rolling your eyes, you lean down to connect your lips to his gently. He hisses softly, cupping your cheeks as your lips molded together. He kissed you like his life depended on it.

“I love you” he's breathless as you disconnect both pull away, he looks over your face, you smile. “I love you too”

“I may have lost $200, but I won the best prize” looking over your face, he’s cupping your cheek again. “Oh did you?” you ask as he smirks.

“I did, I won the sexiest Naval Aviator in the whole world” laughing, you lean down to connect your lips to his again. Moving his hand to your waist, he's puling your body as close as he possible can. He didn't want to miss the opportunity to have you next to him.

You smile, moving to lay beside him, he wraps you in his arms. The silence falls over the room. "I can't say this is how I imagined it" he mumbles, voice full of sleep. You hum, looking up from chest, "what's that?" you ask. He smiles, "I didn't know what to think if you'd forgive me, let alone stay with me" you smile, kissing his chest gently. "Get some rest" you whisper. "I love you" he mumbles, head falling ontop of yours as his arm stayed around your waist, hugging your body into his side. Before you can reply, he's snoring above you.

He may have lost $200 but he won the best prize of them all, you.

-

A/N: duuuuude. I can't write short hangman fics apparently. I am actually happy with this guy, i wanted to write a she's all that / 10 things I hate about you inspired fic and this flowed so nicely. Back with my favorite aviator.

If you enjoyed this fic you can find my other work

in my libarary -> here.

ps: if you know where i got the inspo for the line dancing date, please let me know, the ones who get it, get it. ;)

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

Maybe Cal surprises y/n after being away doing promo works and shows up with their favorite meal and they catch up 🥵🥵🥵

Hi Blanca! Let's dusty off these rusty wheels. Tried to keep it as gender-neutral as possible. 

CW: 18+ Content

_________________________

You watch Duke lap at the bowl for a moment, mostly to make sure the old man turns his attention to the food you've put into the bowl. He gets finicky--sometimes he wants you around, sometimes he doesn't. But you always linger for just a moment to match sure his attention eventually settles on the food. Once he gets a few more drinks of water, he noses the rim of the food bowl. The sound of the first crunch lets you know he's going to at least eat something. So you push up from the counter and then look back at binder of recipes on the counter.

With Duke settled, you still need to figure out what you want to eat. It was sometimes a late night endeavour with you waiting well into the night before getting up. But you know Calum's going to call soon and ask if you've selected what to get for dinner. Even if he was miles away, he called in the evening to hear your voice and to make sure you were sticking to the schedule.

It sounds ridiculous as you flip to the turkey dish section of the binder. You're a grown adult but you still need the strictness of a schedule to ensure you didn't get overwhelmed. It also ensures you don't forget the necessities--work, walking Duke, doctor's appointments, laundry, cleaning. It works which is all that you need.

Behind you Duke still chomps away at his foods and your gaze glazes over. Did you want turkey today? Or did you want a veggie dish which Calum could finish up for dinner later in the week--should he choose to. Choice paralysis--it was a fucking awful beast when it showed up. You and Calum had a system though. When you felt too paralyzed to make a decision, you'd text him two numbers. Each one corresponded to specific choice. Whichever one selected by the partner was the decision to go with. He seemed to favor odd numbers, so you made sure to never make one of the options even. It had to be fair--no using the other person's preference or bias as an advantage.

You flip through binder blindly and stop--chili, the first contender. You go back to the binder and flip, twist, turn, and shake the binder under you settle on another page. Pork chops--the second contender. Pulling up Calum's text thread, you type a message: 13 or 15?

The text sits for a moment and then you see Calum typing--signaled by the three grey bubbles. 17.

You immediately tap on the phone icon next to his name. The call connects a moment later. "Hi love," he greets, his voice sounds a little far from the microphone. You know in his car, he's got his phone connected to the bluetooth in the radio. But why would he be driving? He was supposed to be locked into promo until late this evening.

You don't waste time with pleasantries. "What do you mean by 17? The choices were 13 or 15."

"Get the door for me please. You'll see."

"Calum Thomas Hood--what do you mean?"

"My hands are going to be full. Could you please open the front door for me? I'm pulling into the driveway right now."

"You said you'd be out late with interviews?"

"We got done early. I bought dinner."

You give a small, "Oh" with the phone still pressed to your ear. You slip into your slides near the door and step onto the porch. Sure enough Calum's SUV pulls up into the driveway. "Well would you look at that?"

He laughs. "To make up for last week."

"I'm coming to you," you say and then end the call. Calum steps out of the car just as you get down from the porch. He smiles at you before ducking back into the car and you open the passenger side door. "Empty hands over here." The smell of your favorite takeout invades your nose and you grin. "Option 17."

He laughs softly. "Option 17. I got the food, if you don't mind grabbing my backpack."

"Don't mind, babe." You grab the black backpack and sling it onto your shoulder. He carries it sometimes for promo to ensure he has chargers, snacks, and whatever else he wants with him. It's never too heavy and once the bag is hitched up, you step away from the car and close the door with your hip.

The two of you hand up to the house and Duke greets Calum at the threshold. "Oh, I know. Pop's been gone way too long," he grins down at the small dog and then carries on until he reaches the dining room table.

You close the door behind you, ensuring it's locked too. "Why are you trying to make up for last week?" you asks.

"I was distracted a lot trying to get ready for this upcoming promotion and I know last week was hard because three people quit at your job too."

"You listened to all those rants."

"Yeah, but still. I feel like I could've been more there for you. So we can have a quiet evening. Luke and Michael are doing some NY press right now on Zoom and my turn is up tomorrow so I'll be home more for you then too before the conference this weekend."

Your job allows you to work remotely. You work from the backyard sometimes--or go to a few coffee shops in town when you need a change of scenery. Now that the business was gaining more traction--there was a business exposition that your CEO wanted to attend. You, by already being in California, and being one of the few longest standing employees, were an easy pick for the CEO to include on the trip.

A small smile graces your face. "Thanks, love."

And the two of you settle at the dining room table, sitting next shoulder to shoulder. "How were the interviews today?" you ask.

"They were good--us and TikTok are still a steep learning curve," Calum chuckles, grabbing a fork from the bag.

As you chew around your bite, you listen to Calum recount the ridiculous of the 15 minute TikTok live and how it scared him people would go as far as to send virtual hats and accessories and having those correspond to actual money on the platform. He worried since they didn't necessarily control all of that the money was just wasting away. You know his upbringing is the root of that anxiety. He didn't want people to waste money--though he was grateful people spent money on the albums, concert tickets, and merchandise.

The squeak and scrape of the styrofoam starts to cut through the sentences that you and Calum exchange. The conversation slowly shifts from his work to your day and how much packing for the trip you've done. Packing got halted when your lucky shirt--the shirt you wore for most major things--was in the wash. The load was in the dryer now and you'd resume packing most likely tonight once you got to folding.

"The internet was a little finicky today. So I might head to a shop near by so you don't have too many troubles with interviews tomorrow," you mention as you toss out the trash.

Calum pouts as he grabs a bowl from the pantry behind you. "Do you have to?"

You can hear the pout before you even see it and when you turn, getting an eye full of the white t-shirt hanging over Calum's shoulder and chest, you wrap your arms around his waist and rest your chin in his sternum. "Hmm, maybe not for the full day. I have a meeting at 1 though so I'll have to leave for that."

"Is that the only meeting?" he asks, setting the bowl down and running the tips of his fingers over your cheek.

"Yeah so I'll come back afterwards."

"Okay. But I want cuddles before you leave."

You grin. "A request I'd be happy to fill."

Calum bends down, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips. "One or two scopes?" he asks in a whisper. His lips brush over yours as he speaks.

You give him another kiss. "One."

"Three it is. One for you-- two for me," he grins and squeezes onto your elbow for just a brief moment. Your arms fall and you let him go--to turn to the freezer.

"This is my ice cream, mister," you laugh and he just grins, setting the carton out on the counter.

"But you love me."

"I do," you return quietly.

The two of you settle onto the couch--the TV on and Netflix already playing an episode of Criminal Minds. Your spoon clinks against the bowl as you get the last of your scope onto the utensil. The silence between the two of you is comforting. You can listen to the team theorize about the unsub's comfort zone and no words have to be spoken between the two of you.

You slide up closer, throwing your legs across Calum's lap and rest your head on his shoulder. He turns to watch you-- as you settle in and grins mostly to himself around the first bite of his second scope. It is normal between the two of you in the most boring way, but it makes his chest warm at the thought of how easy it is now between the two of you.

Once he's finished, he sets the bowls onto the table and then wraps his arms around you. You stay like that for one episode and as it concludes, you drift your gaze upwards. The stubble of Calum's chin lets you know it's been a couple weeks since he last shaved. He did shave for the photoshoots of the COMPLETE MESS single art and the music video. But clearly nothing sense.

Without enough thought to stop you, you stroke his cheek and he roots into the touch a little. His eyes close, lashes meeting at the top of his cheek, and it's almost like watching something in slow motion as he blinks his eyes back open. He twists so his lips press into your palm and then his attention turns back to the TV and you stay focused on him.

"Your too handsome for your own good," you whisper.

A bashful smiles lifts his lips, but he says nothing for a beat, and then two passes. "Sounds like a good thing to me if it means I get you."

You scoff. "Forever a gentleman. You don't have to try so hard anymore."

He laughs and then tightens the hand that's been grazing your thighs mindlessly for the last hour. "Watch it."

"Can I have a kiss?" you ask.

"Hmm, I don't know not with an attitude like that." But after a moment, his attention turns fully to you. He flicks his gaze from your eyes to your lips and then back up. "But you're too damn irresistible," he whispers closing the gap between you too.

The kiss starts sweet and you two even pull away at the same time. Then you drop your head into the cushion gaze settling back onto the TV screen. Calum really can't resist--the way your neck is just begging to be kissed and the way he's missed holding you this close. So he stretches over, and you shift lower onto the couch in response, resting now into the arm of the couch.

"May I?" he whispers, breath tickling the neck of your skin.

Your eyes are fluttering close as you speak, "Yes, please." Because you'll be damned if you don't also miss being this close to Calum. Sharing the bed at night isn't the same as this--not when you're both showered and scrolling on your phones or reading your books. It's not the same when you curl up next to him because he makes you feel safe.

His tongue traces your thumping veins and you wind your fingers into his hair, palm flat and then tug every so slightly as your curl your fingers into the strands. He grunts into your skin and you smile at the sound. He kisses up your neck and over your jaw. For a moment, his lips hover over yours. You exhale and inhale in a similar pattern to each other and even though you feel like you're hanging suspended in time you can see the second that Calum knows he wants more. You see the thought creep up, formulate in his brain and you meet him halfway to close the centimeters of gap between your lips.

Calum traces the lines of your thighs up, over your hip and under your shirt. You dig your nails into the firm muscle of his shoulder over the shirts and as the sighs and pants and moans echo around you two--the only thing the pair of you care about is each other.

Calum ruts his clothed hips into yours when you kiss over his jaw and take a nip at his ear. "Right for the weak spot," he chuckles as you kiss over his neck. And he knows you know it's his weak spot. He doesn't care that you go straight for it everytime because it's you causing the tingle that runs down his spine.

"Let me make love to you?"

And you never have to pose it like a sweet question. But fuck, does Calum love it when you do. That you care enough about him to make sure it's always a choice.

"Please," he returns, the word falling apart as he shivers at the scratch of your nails over his stomach. His shirt goes and then he peels you out of yours.

It doesn't matter that between the time it takes you two to get disrobed that Netflix has moved onward by another episode. Your sole focus is Calum and he watches you climb up onto his lap he thinks the galaxy should never revolve if you're not in it.

And you take it like you're made for him. And you are--in every imaginable way he can imagine, you are made for him. He kisses down the front of your neck as you rock up and down his length. You smile softly at him, using his thighs to keep steady and the expanse of your entire physical universe is right in his hands. He runs a hand over your stomach, watching the way it flexes when he presses in just a little.

And then he continues on wanting to memorize the entire makeup of your being and instead of his fingerprints he wants a tiny piece of your cosmos on his skin. He makes sure you tuck the DNA of your right hip into the grooves of his left index finger.

He trails up, teases your left nipple and then cups your chin. His thumb brushes over your gaped lips and the skin of your cheek is smooth too as his caresses that skin.

You feel electrified under his touch--as if Calum's the socket and you are the plug. You need whatever current he has to come alive. You enjoy it, watching him so entranced by you. You close the gap between the two of you, pressing your forehead into his. Though you haven't halted your movements over his length, you've changed the rhythm. "What is it that you see?" you ask between pants.

"I see my entire world in you," he hums and his eyes flutter close. The new angle, the new cadence of your hips is driving him wide. "Fuck, I need you--so much. You're making me feel so fucking good. Keep--oh shit--please keep going love. For me, please?"

"Oh, begging is to flattery as I am to the only one that makes you feel like this. Beg for it--for me, please?"

And the words can't fall from his lips fast enough--he can't tell you how good you're making him feel and how much the stars behind his eyelids are only brighter because it's your touch and your kiss. He can't tell you just how much his whole body is warmed--consumed by the heat of your touch. He can't tell you fast enough just how much not even his dreams get him this worked up, even if you're in it, because it's not really you; it's not really your touch.

You grin, kissing him to silence whatever praise is going to fall from his mouth next and swallow it down your own throat instead. "Thank you," you exhale when you finally pull away.

And Calum wants to say--no, thank you--but the only thing that falls from his throat is the groan. He knows he's going to cum soon and he holds tighter to your waist. His eyes flutter close and somehow the the lights of the living room are still bright too and he knows--it's all going to happen.

You watch the way his jaw goes slack and the way the sounds of what should be words never form around the letters and he's just grunting at the pace you've set. You grin, the surge of pride watching him wanting to plead more for your magic and yet not being able to have the literal strength to utter them in coherent ways.

You are pressing every button for Calum. You are every true north direction on a compass and Calum swears he's never going to get a higher high.

You can feel the start, the way he quakes beneath you and then like the shutter of a camera went off, Calum's cuming beneath you and you're not too far behind. He never lets you be. Calum manages to drive into you, watches the way your face falls slack too because of your own work and now his and you're panting--the chant of how close you are, of how much you loved seeing him unravel like that at your touch, how you feel the high even before it snaps.

Calum loves it--the way you grin after you've orgasmed and you're not fully back to earth with him. He loves coaxing you back down and he loves kissing you as you both giggle just a little.

Foreheads pressed together, you two smile at each other. "Hell of a way to make up for last week," he laughs.

[kingdaddydaichi]

NSFW Alphabet || Katsuki Bakugou

I had so much fun with this! Vodka may or may not have been involved in the making of this little ditty. 🍸 I hope you shameless hussies enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. 😩

*Exhibit A:

(Source)

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

I feel like he gets clingy asf, but plays it off like it's something he's doing for your sake. He'll probably never admit that he feels so vulnerable after sex, but he does. If it was a rough session - which it usually is with him - he'll ask if you're okay, if you're hurt anywhere, kiss any marks he left on you - he's such a protective hero boi.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His: he's not gonna lie, he's fully aware of how well-endowed he is. He really is proud of his cock, the way it makes you sing when he works it - and he knows how to work it okay? Favorite non-sexual body part - his arms. He works hard to keep them cut (as in lifting, not cutting). 😬

Yours: listen, Katsuki is an ass man through and through. Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong, I'm 👏🏼 not 👏🏼 listening 👏🏼. He loves to watch the subtle ripples he sends through your ass cheeks when he's driving into you from behind. Also, our big scary boomboom man appreciates a nice, thicc pair of thighs. Bonus points if they're muscular/toned - he loves the way it feels when your thighs have such a strong grip around him.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Let's just say our boy's orgasms are explosive. He cums hard and loud, shooting long ropes of his hot seed. Consistency is about average, not too thick, not to thin, but there's a lot of it. He doesn't taste too bad - salty, but not too bitter. You're more likely to gag from the sheer volume and force of his cum hitting the back of your throat than the flavor.

His precum gets honorable mention here. It's fucking delicious. That is all.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

It took him no less than 2 years into your relationship to tell you this, and if you ever tell anyone he might actually kill you, or at the very least make your ass bleed. He hasn't gotten to the point that he's ready to try it yet, but he's not entirely opposed to the idea of you pegging him. Someday. It kinda does make his balls tingle a little just thinking about it tbh. He hasn't yet, but he thinks he might be ready to try working up to it and is really close to asking you to stick a finger in his ass and stroke his prostate. He's heard how good it feels and he's super curious to find out for himself.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Not very experienced, actually. He's only had 1 or 2 lovers before you, BUT he's determined to be #1 at everything. Couple that with how perceptive he is and you've got yourself a winner of a loverboy. He's going to make damn sure that, even if things don't work out between you two, he will always ALWAYS be the best you've ever had. No other man will outdo him, E-V-E-R.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Doggystyle all the way, baby. As stated before, he loves watching your booty jiggle every time he slams his hips against it. He gets off on spreading your ass cheeks to watch his slick-coated cock slide in and out of you. God he just loves hitting it from behind, makes his dick so fucking hard.

Bonus 2nd Favorite Position (couldn't help myself): you on your back with your ankles on his shoulders, your ass lifted off the bed, him on his knees and hugging those thick thighs of yours, keeping them closed as he reams into you. (Slight variation of this one: he leans over you, nearly folding you in half, putting you back on your shoulders with his hands pressing into the mattress beside you, angling you such that his prominent corona rubs over your g-spot as he drills down into you. 10/10 you're gonna scream his name when (not if) your liquid gushes all over him.)

Tell me the truth, am I a disgusting human being? Here are all the fucks I give:

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Bakugou is serious asf about his sex game. This is not the time to joke around or poke fun at him, understand me? If you do he will get pissed and either fuck the silly out of you, or if he's feeling particularly ruthless he'll just stop altogether and let you ache for him as punishment until you beg him for release.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He takes care of his body, paying a lot of attention to his hygiene, which includes manscaping to keep his pubic hair trimmed and kempt. The carpet's just a shade darker than the drapes, like a honey blond. If he lets it grow out, it sticks straight out just like his head hair. It's actually kind of funny and he hates it.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

*sigh* Let's be honest. Katsuki is not the super romantic type, at least not outwardly. However, if he realizes something he's doing is hurting you - physically or emotionally - he's going to stop dead in his tracks and hold you close, push his fingers through your hair, and tell you how much he loves you and how safe you are. He can be rough and he can be an asshole, but if he thinks he's genuinely hurt you at all, he's all over you, doing everything he can to make you understand that he will never let anyone hurt you, especially not himself. Got that?

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He doesn't jack off very often. You two share a very active sex life so he doesn't see the need to. If you have to be apart for more than a day or two, he'll rub one out. Or if the need hits him particularly hard and you're not available or in the mood, he's not above closing his eyes and reaching into his pants to wrap his thick fingers around his cock and start tugging.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Lord Baby Jesus, where do I even begin? Kinky, kinky Katsuki. This man should come with warning signs and disclaimers.

First of all, he dom asf okay? Even if he lets you play with his ass someday, he's gonna be bratty about it. He's going to top from the bottom, hashtag facts. And trust that he WILL own you afterwards to securely reestablish his dominance.

Giving and Receiving: Hair pulling. DIRTY TALK - you think he's got a potty mouth in the streets? His mouth is downright filthy between the sheets. Loves it when you dirty talk right back to him. "You love taking my fat cock, don't you princess?" "Mm yessss, fuck me, Katsuki! Your cock feels so fucking good babyyy!" He eats that shit up.

Giving Only: Degradation. Praise. Spanking. Cockwarming. Dom/sub/power play. Shibari/ropework (he tried it bc you wanted to and he fucking loved it). Creampies. Begging. Discipline. Ravishment.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Literally anywhere inside your home/homes - bed, bathroom/kitchen countertops, kitchen/dining table, office desk/chair, any piece furniture is fair game really, up against a wall, washer/dryer, the fucking floor, ugh just all the places to fuck. Not one square foot is sacred tbh.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Wear something that showcases the curve of your butt. Doesn't have to be revealing per se, matter of fact he'll get possessive as fuck if you're showing too much skin in public. At home/privately though? He can't help himself. Dat ass tho...he is going to smack it hard enough that it stings and that's final, understand?

Tease him. You can't be obvious about it though. If he senses that you're doing it on purpose, it'll just backfire. But if you just so happen to brush against his crotch when you squeeze past him, it'll drive him crazy. Go commando in short shorts/skirt and cross your legs just so, his dick will twitch. Even better if you do shit like this in public where you know he won't act on it. But when you get home you best believe he's going to dick you down so hard, won't even bother to take said shorts or skirt off.

His ears and neck are his most sensitive erogenous zones. Whisper in his ear or kiss his neck and he's going to grit his teeth in an effort to fight back the shudder that threatens to rattle his bones.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Let's get one thing straight. Katsuki Bakugou does not share. This is non-negotiable. He will not agree to anything involving additional people - cuckolding, threesomes, orgies, exhibitionism, voyeurism (unless it's him watching you pleasure yourself - that he will gladly do, and probably start palming himself in the process).

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Loves giving and receiving. Giving puts him in full control of your pleasure, receiving makes him feel like you're worshipping his cock, which you probably are. Have you seen this man's cock? Of course you have. Gatdamn.

Y'all, Katsuki's so good at eating pussy. Like how does one get that good at eating pussy? I don't even know, but god the way he flicks his hot tongue over your precious, tiny bud before wearing it down like a fucking feed bag? It's unnatural. Like it could be his backup quirk if blowing shit up doesn't work out. You've seen the way he licks his lips when he gets excited, everyone has.* He doesn't even bother swallowing while he's feeding on you so you just be dripping in slick and saliva and he's just slurping away. It's lewd.

*See Exhibit A above.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

You already know this, but I'll say it anyway. His go-to fucking style is fast and rough, dominant and relentless, hard and dirty. But every once in a while he'll want to take you slow and deep and passionate. He'll hold you so tight in his arms and chest, you'll have to tap his shoulder sometimes to let you breathe. And he'll just roll his hips so fucking thoroughly both of you will feel every last inch, his pubic bone rubbing your clit so hard. You've told him so many times how much you love it when he makes love to you like this, but he maybe makes it a rare treat on purpose. 😈 Little shit.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Quickies are difficult for our boy. It's not that he's against them, it's just that he savors every drop of sensuality, he has a tendency to draw the pleasure out as long as possible. He can’t help it.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

The idea of having public sex turns him on, but he's only done it with you a couple of times when he was 10000% sure you wouldn't be caught. He can't risk doing anything that would tarnish his reputation and goal of becoming the #1 Hero. He might be freaky as hell, but he needs a sex scandal like an Alaskan needs a refrigerator.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He loves you long time. He's a Taurus for fuck's sake (well, Aries/Taurus cuspie, but that just sweetens the deal). Great stamina. Grinds you down like a whetstone. Can last as long as he needs to to ensure you cum for him as many times as it takes for you to beg him to stop. If he feels himself getting too close while you're blowing him, he'll stop you and go down on you instead. If he's inside of you, he'll pull out and start kissing all over your body, sucking, nipping, licking until his urge to cum passes, then he pushes it right back in and keeps going.

If on the off-chance he does cum before you, he'll be ready to go again in about 20-30 mins. Just give him some motivation, he deserves it.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He didn't own any toys when you first got together, but you did. He hated the idea of you using them though, especially when he's right there with you. You've since assured him that you don't want to use them to replace him, but to enhance the pleasure. So now you do use them from time to time.

The first time you managed to coax him into using a toy together, it was a small wireless bullet with a remote. When you brought it out and showed it to him, there was a wild glint in his eye. He carefully inserted the vibrator into you, his cock slowly following suit. He loved the fact that he had complete control over this thing, but later complained because the sensation of it against the head of his cock made him cum too fast. He still wants to use it sometimes though. 😏

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Oh he can be so unfair. He loves teasing you until you're begging him to put his cock inside you. He's not so much into orgasm denial per se; he just loves to hear you beg him for shit - to let you cum, to suck his dick, to stop fucking you when you're overstimmed, etc.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Lol he's fucking LOUD! And he's going to make you cum so hard that you're screaming his fucking name. There was a time when one or both of you lived in an apartment and the neighbors would bang on the wall behind your headboard.

Shit, what sounds does he NOT make? He growls, moans, grunts, groans, yells, swears, fucks you so hard you can hear the wet sound of slapping skin, hell even the bed protests. Another reason he doesn't fuck in public - he can't stay quiet enough to be discreet about it.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Okay, as much of a wild sex beast as he is behind closed doors, he gets embarrassed so easily when your sex life is so much as hinted at around others. It's legit funny how flustered he gets about it.

If he goes into work real tired and Kirishima says, "Hey Bakubro, you look like shit this morning. You and (y/n) stay up too late?" while doing the finger in the hole gesture, Katsuki will just "Shut the fuck up, Shitty Hair, or I'll blast your ass right through that fucking wall!"

Or if you two go out together with friends and the girls are talking about sex-related stuff, Katsuki will just roll his eyes and try to ignore it. But if one of them is all "So, (y/n), does Bakugou ever like accidentally let off explosions while you're doing it?" and you wink and say, "Only when he's especially *cough* frustrated *cough*". Katsuki will go red from his neck up to his hairline and start stuttering, sparks flying from his palms. "H-hey, d-don't tell them sh-shit like that! I-it's none of their god-goddamn b-business, (y/n), what th-the f-fuck?!" Meanwhile, you and the girls are in stitches while he stomps away, just mortified, bless his heart. When you catch your breath from laughing you'll follow it up with, "Looks like tonight's gonna be one of those nights", and you all lose it again.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

As has been mentioned, Bakugou's well-endowed. I figure he's packing about 7.5-8" in length x just under 2" wide. He takes some getting used to, that's for damn sure. Oh, and he's more of a shower than a grower. Like around 6" long x 1.5" wide when flaccid. Katsuki + sweatpants/basketball shorts = swinging dick print, alright sis? Take notes, this motherfucker visibly jumps when he does, class dismissed.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Eh, he's surprisingly not ridiculously horny. Maybe a little above average sex drive? A lot of times hero work just takes it out of him and he comes home utterly exhausted and just needs a soft place to land, and you provide him with all the love and nurturing in your heart. ❤

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Depends, really, on the time of day and what type of day it's been. If it's late (like past 9pm lol) and he fought more villains than usual that day, he's probs gonna pass out pretty soon after. If it's earlier in the day - especially first thing in the morning - it gets him pumped and almost comically genki.