#crash and aquamarine with the same rating YEAH. I SAID WHAT I SAID. THEY BOTH RULE.

[vonlipvig]

objectively my funniest recent activity combination

[hammeredalcoholic]

Backseat Serenade

inspired by: Backseat Serenade by All Time Low

oh god, i’m sick of sleeping alone

i finished it. 4k+ words and 10 full pages on my google drive. you’re welcome.

rated: nsfw/18+

One thought harassed your mind over the last week, staying in the back of your head as a menacing reminder. It had been months since you last felt this way, why was it suddenly rearing its ugly head back into your life? 

Oh wait, that’s right. 

Everything in your life had unceremoniously crashed down upon you, barely giving you enough space to breathe.  School was just becoming a reminder that you no longer had friends, no one to sit and chat with, no one to study for the upcoming exam with, no one even bothered looking in your direction. 

In simple terms, it hurt. You knew that you’d been an outcast your whole life, generally not fitting into the scene, but when you’d gotten into a relationship with Josuke Higasikata, that changed everything dramatically. You had people to talk to, people to hang out with, and overall have a good time together. 

Yeah, they were a weird bunch, but it’s not like that mattered to you in the slightest. It just felt good to have people who supported you, and wanted to be your friends. 

But, that only lasted so long. You and Josuke had been dating only a year when things started falling apart. Not agreeing on things, fighting at the drop of a pin, and awkward tension and silence was shared whenever you hung out with his friends. It hurt, but you knew it wasn’t going to last. 

So it was a mutual agreement between the both of you. Part ways so that it didn’t get worse. Josuke had said that he still cared about you, and if you needed anything to just call him and ask him. You had laughed at that internally, you knew you wouldn’t let yourself stoop that low, crawling back to your ex because you were insecure and lonely. 

When you felt the loneliness and sorrow creep into your mind for the first time, you didn’t know what to do. So, thinking logically, you took the next best step. 

You stole hard liquor from your parents cabinet, went to the corner store down the street and bought a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, along with a mixer. That’s the night you climbed onto your roof, looked up at the stars, which reminded you of Josuke, and got blackout drunk. 

It had worked for awhile, smoking cigarettes at lunch instead of eating, and as soon as you finished your homework at home, you poured yourself a tall drink. It numbed the pain, and got your mind off of the loneliness corrupting your mind. 

That was until you had gotten so drunk that you were puking until 4 am on a school night. You decided it would be best to not go to school tomorrow anyways, but the drinking was starting to wear on you, and it wasn’t having the same effect that it used to. 

So you looked for other methods. 

Which involved sleeping with people you barely knew. You never once slept with someone that went to your high school, the thought of rumors circulating about that was too much of a burden to bear.  You had three main choices, from which you circulated between:

 A tall black haired man with aquamarine eyes that barely spoke to you during your run-ins, which was fine, you didn’t want to talk to him anyways. A slim artist that you knew was famous but you didn’t care enough to actually look him up, and a normal business man with blonde hair who was maybe a little too obsessed with your hands. 

But none of them compared to Josuke, in your mind. It was just sex-- no emotions, just primal need for pleasure and release. With Josuke, he cared about what you were feeling when things got steamy, he wanted to learn everything that made you feel good, so he could repeat it time and time again. 

With the other men, they didn’t want that. They wanted to see a twitching body beneath them, and you knew that they didn’t care who it was. 

Sleeping with the three of them lasted you about a year. You were getting better, at least having the knowledge that 3 men in this stupid town thought your body was attractive. But that didn’t last long either. You had suddenly been fired from your job, without any reason. It was the one thing that you looked forward to, making iced coffees for middle aged moms, who didn’t ask you questions or ignored you. 

Your parents weren’t helpful after that, they thought you were a bum that couldn’t keep down a steady job. It pissed you off to no extent. You didn’t know why you were fired, as far as you knew you had been doing everything right. After that point, you had nowhere to turn. Cutting off all activity with the other men, you barricaded yourself in your room, barely going to school. 

It’s not like it mattered anyways. 

Depression was hard to deal with, as you soon found out. The three men had been trying to contact you, leaving messages on your phone, and some of them even sounded concerned for your well-being. Whatever, you didn’t reply anyways, they weren’t anyone that you wanted to talk to. 

So there you stood, leaning against the open window in your room, smoking the third cigarette you’ve had today. It felt good- the rush of nicotine to your system, flooding out the overwhelming numbness that coursed through the pit of your stomach. The sun was high in the sky, and you heard the bustling of the city, along with cars driving past your house. 

You felt calm. 

That was until your phone started going off. The ringer cut through your thoughts like a sharp knife, and you pulled it out of your pocket. Who the fuck would be calling you? Your parents were at work, and as far as you knew, the three men had stopped trying to contact you about a week ago. 

Glancing down at the screen, you felt your blood turn cold. 

Josuke Higashikata.

 The screen flashed, the old picture you set as his contact a long time ago appeared. Why? What did he want? You had no idea what you were doing, and your fingers answered the call and brought it up to your ear without your consent. 

“Hello?” You heard him say, but you couldn’t reply. Your mind was racing with thoughts that all consisted of the word, why? Why now? What did he have to say? 

“Hey.” You replied momentarily, shaking your head of all thoughts. He’ll explain himself in time, so you just have to listen. Shifting your gaze back down to your cigarette, and taking another drag. 

Josuke coughed slightly, and you could tell he was uncomfortable. It didn’t sound like he was going to say anything any time soon, so you took pity on him. “What’s up?” You sighed, staring into your front yard. 

“I just- um. You haven’t been at school lately.” Wow, very observant of him. You didn’t think he’d keep an eye out for you after you’d broken up. “Yeah, what about it?” You replied, biting back on the stern tone you almost let out. 

“Well, I wanted to know if you were okay. This seems very unlike you.” Josuke said, concern prominent in his voice.

That surprised you. 

“I’m alright.” You replied, lying through your teeth. He didn’t know that all of this was because of him, and you didn’t plan on giving him anymore than that. He didn’t have the right to know, anyways. 

“If that's the case, then I want to see you.”

He what? No, no, no. Your mind screamed at you, telling you that this wasn’t okay in the slightest. “Why?” You replied dumbly, letting your mouth move before your mind caught up to you. Josuke sighed into the receiver before continuing. 

“I know you’re lying to me. I can’t stand to see you like this. You know I still care about you, and I want to make sure you’re okay.” He stated matter of factly. 

You froze, unable to process what he just said. Why did he still care about you? It’s been well over a year since things ended. Shouldn’t he have moved on by now? There were plenty of other people in all of Morioh that he could get along with just fine, why did it have to be you? 

“Look- I know this is sudden, and I probably should have done this a long time ago. But please, can you come pick me up? We just need to talk, is all.” Your hands were shaking, and you felt that deep feeling of dread crawling up your back, settling in your shoulders. 

“I guess.” You spoke, letting him know that you didn’t really want to do it in the first place. He ignored it though, and continued. “Alright, I’m at my house. Just send me a text when you’re here.” 

And with that, he promptly hung up on you. 

You shoved your phone into your pocket, and looked back out your window. Why was this happening so suddenly? Why was Josuke still not over you? And why were you still not over him? 

Flicking the cigarette butt you had between your fingers out over the window, and reached to grab another. Before you even attempt to leave the house, you need to try and calm down. Lighting it up and taking steady drags, letting the smoke sit in your lungs for a few moments before blowing it out your window. 

This was insane, and you knew deep down you shouldn’t be going to meet him. It could bring back unrequited feelings, awkwardness, and just not be a good time. What if you fight? What if you tell him about all the things you’ve done? How would he react to that?

You let those thoughts wander as you finished your cigarette. Throwing it out, you turned around and left your room, walking down the steep stairs into your kitchen. You grabbed your keys out of the basket on the counter, and stepped out into the sunny day. 

Quickly shutting the door behind you and walking to your car, you got in and turned the keys in the ignition. It roared to life, surprisingly, you haven’t driven your car since you got fired from your job. Pulling out of the driveway, you headed in the direction of Josuke’s house.

It wasn’t a long drive by any means, but it still gave you time to let your mind drift. Music played softly in the background, as your thoughts took over. What was he planning on doing? What did he want to talk about? If he was going to ask to get back together, you weren’t sure what you would do.

It feels like you’ve already soiled this relationship. You’ve slept with 3 other men-- older men, drank until you couldn’t see anymore, and cried your eyes out at any hour of the day. Was it really worth it? What if you guys broke up again? Shaking your head, you rolled down the windows and popped another cigarette in your mouth. 

If Josuke didn’t like your new habit, then it sucks. You weren’t quitting it anytime soon.  Within moments, you pulled into his driveway. Shuffling your phone out of your pocket, you sent him a quick text. You leaned against your window, inhaling from your cigarette and exhaling it through your nose. 

After a minute, you saw Josuke stumble out of his house. He wasn’t wearing his uniform, just a plain shirt and jeans. It looked nice on him. He calmly walked to your car, opening the passenger side door and getting in. He glanced over at you, before his eyes widened. 

“When did you start smoking?” 

You rolled your eyes at him, flicking your ash out the window. “Like, a year ago. It’s no big deal.” 

His shoulders slumped slightly, and if you hadn’t been paying attention, you wouldn’t have seen it. Gazing back at the wheel, you sighed. “Where do you want to go?” The words came out a little bit harsh, but it’s whatever. Josuke is a man, he can handle it. 

“Let’s just go to that one place. Y’know.” Ah, right. The place he was talking about was out of town, near a cliffside. It’s where you lost your virginity to him. In the same car you were driving now. This will be interesting. 

“Alright.” Flicking your cigarette butt out the window, you backed out of the driveway, and drove in the direction of the secluded place. Your nerves were racing, and your mind couldn’t stop thinking of useless things. Josuke was attractive-- he always has been. Bright eyes, big smile, and his body was just as perfect. 

You wondered if you could get in his pants. One last time. Just for fun. 

Your mind screamed at you, informing you that it was not a good decision and you should not be thinking of that. He wanted to talk, and that’s it. He’ll probably scold you for not going to school, picking up smoking, and god knows what else. It was going to be hell, and you knew it. There was a kick in your stomach, bile rising in the back of your throat. 

You grabbed the water bottle in the center console, drained it, and then turned up the radio to get your mind off of these things. Josuke just sat in silence beside you, watching the scenery pass by. It was almost calming, reminiscent of what your relationship used to be. But sometimes ships sink, and you have to deal with the outcomes. 

The town started to disappear, and you turned on a gravel road. It wasn’t too long before you reached the area, and the thought of it getting closer scared you. You didn’t want a confrontation. You wanted to continue your life, worthless as it may be, and drown in your own sorrow. What is so wrong with that?

Moments pass, and the little cliff was in view. The gravel road led up to it, and there was a small clearing to park in. Pulling up, you put the car in park, and let out a deep breath. Here it comes. 

Josuke didn’t say anything. Didn’t even look in your direction. 

That scared you even more. Your hands started to shake, and you felt tears welling up in your eyes. Why wasn’t he talking to you? What did you do this time? What haven’t you done? 

Then, his voice cut through your thoughts. 

“This place has always been beautiful, huh?” Josuke asked softly, barely a whisper. You looked over at him, wiping the tears from your eyes quietly. Glancing out the windshield, you did think it was beautiful. The cliff overlooked the town-- showcasing all the buildings, as well as the beaches and the long stretch of ocean. 

It soothed you, but only a little. Was he just trying to stall? There’s no point in that. It’s always best to just rip the bandaid off. Get the pain over with. You sighed again, deciding that it might be best to just bring it up yourself. 

“Josuke.” You said, trying to keep your voice steady. It wasn’t really working. 

The said man looked over at you, and then a look of concern was written all over his face. He started to reach out for you, but you stopped him. “What did you want to talk about?” Tears welled in your eyes again, but you had enough self control to hold them back. 

“I’m- I’m just worried about you. You’ve changed so much-- I never see you at school, you smoke, and I’ve heard a few things about your… Encounters.” 

Encounters? Wait- No. No, how could he know about that? There’s no way- you made sure you covered your tracks. You didn’t tell anyone, and you made the men promise to keep it a secret. 

“H-How?” Is all you could manage without emptying the contents of your stomach.

“Erm, well. Jotaro- He’s my nephew.” Jotaro. Jotaro? Who was he-- tall, black hair, and strong aquamarine eyes flashed in your brain. You should have guessed. Of fucking course they were related, he looked too much like Josuke now that you think about it. 

“I-” You struggled, your body was fully shaking now, and you knew tears were sliding down your cheeks. Gripping your sides, you just wanted to die. You wanted to leave, to run away, to get the fuck out of this town. This can’t be fucking happening. It can’t be. 

“Hey! Don’t freak out, it’s okay. I’m not mad, really. We were not together, and you didn’t know who he was. He didn’t even know your name.” Josuke’s hands came to cover yours, instantly snapping you back to reality. His eyes were full of worry, looking down upon you. 

“I’m disgusting. I know. You don’t have to lie to me.” You spat, not at him, but more at yourself. How could you do this? 

“No. You need to stop that. Get your head out of you ass, and fucking listen to me.” Josuke grabbed your chin, forcing you to look at him. His eyes were brimmed with tears. 

That shook you to your core.

 You have never seen Josuke cry. He didn’t when you were in a relationship, as well as when you broke up. Not a single tear shed. What did you do to him? Your hands reached up to his face, wiping away the small tears that flowed down his cheeks. He was too beautiful to cry. 

“I’m sorry.” You whispered, continuing to sooth your fingers over his face. He leaned into the touch, and his grip on you tightened. “No. I’m sorry. I did this to you. I want to make it up to you.” You did a double take at that. Make it up to you? 

“What- What does that mean?” Your eyes searched his, trying to find a clue to what he was talking about. Nothing. 

“I still love you. I always have. I just don’t think it was the right time for us.” He ran his hand along your side, and you shivered against the touch. Josuke leaned in close, your lips almost meeting his, but not quite. 

“I want to start over. Will you let me?” He mumbled, his eyes focused on your reaction. A million thoughts went through your head. But one word that they all managed to land on was, yes. You wanted this. You missed him so much, every day. It was hell, getting up every day, and having nothing to look forward to. No one to tell you good morning, no one to tell you how beautiful you looked, no one to lay you down and talk to you about anything and everything. 

You wanted this bad. 

“Yes. Please, Jos-” Your words were cut off by a fierce kiss. His lips met yours, pressing harshly. You accepted almost instantly, letting a hand drift up his face, pulling him as close as he could get. You missed this too-- The feeling of another body pressed against you, hot lips against your own. But this time, it was different. 

It was Josuke.

Your head was spinning when his tongue ran across your lower lip. You let him in, parting slightly and deepening the kiss even more. The sun was setting across the ocean, the pink and oranges mixing into one. 

Josuke’s hand dipped under your shirt, and your skin felt like it was on fire. You needed this, you needed Josuke. Everything he was willing to give you, you would take. Pulling back from the kiss, you licked the saliva off your lips. You gazed at him, a blush covering your cheeks. 

“Josuke, I want- No. I need you.” 

He didn’t look surprised. A dumb grin spread across his face, and he spoke lowly. 

“Backseat. Now.” 

You ripped your seatbelt off faster than humanly possible. Before getting out, you turned the radio up higher, letting the music take over. You almost threw yourself into the backseat, Josuke following behind you closely. 

His hands were on you once more, pulling off your shirt and throwing it to the floor. You gasped, and he took it as an opportunity to kiss you. Your tongues mixed hotly, his hands feeling your skin again, and it felt right. Everything felt right. 

Leaning up against him, your hands went to rid him of his shirt, which he pulled back and discarded. Josuke was so handsome-- built, but not too much, just enough to leave your mouth watering. It was fantastic, and you hated to admit it, but you’ve thought of this situation before. And gotten off to it more than once. 

His eyes trailed down your body, admiring your breasts, hips, thighs. He then looked back into your eyes, gripping your pants. “I want to love you. I want to make you forget any other men you’ve slept with.” 

That statement alone left you absolutely soaked. Josuke could tell, because he wasted no time in tugging your pants off. His fingers went to your panties, feeling the wetness through them. “No other man can make you feel as good as I do.” He punctuated that with a swift rub to your clit, earning him a sharp gasp. 

You shook against his movements, hooking your legs around his hips. It felt so good to finally have him touching you, every movement felt so hot. “Please, Josuke.” You moaned out, your hands falling back to cover your face. Josuke smiled, looking down at your figure against the stark black of the seats. 

“Please, what?” He asked, rubbing against your clit faster, making you pant hard. You couldn’t form words, the pleasure was too much. You haven’t even touched yourself like this in weeks-- it felt so good, you didn’t want to stop. 

But he did. 

Josuke’s fingers retracted, leaving you cold, soaked, and on the edge. He repeated his question as he worked off his belt. You panted hard, staring right into his eyes. 

“Josuke. I need you to fuck me.” 

His pants were on the floor within moments. You grabbed his shoulders, leaning him down with you, pressing kiss after kiss against his lips. Hands grabbed your panties, and with a lift of your hips, they were gone. Josuke groaned against you, his erection straining hard against your thigh. 

Moving a hand down swiftly, you yanked down his boxers, and lined him up with your entrance. 

“Please, Josuke.” 

That’s all it took. He thrusted inside you, all the way to the hilt. You clenched hard around him, being stretched in the best ways. It felt like heaven, having him inside you, filling you up. You didn’t want it to end. 

After a second, Josuke pulled out, and slammed back inside you. It rocked the car slightly, and that just fueled both of your arousal more. He quickly started a pace, thrusting inside of you while his hands gripped your hips tightly. 

You moaned loudly, the feeling of his cock pumping inside of you was all you could focus on. It was intense, passionate, and despite the urgency, so full of emotion. Your legs tightened around his hips, bringing him closer to you. 

He leaned his head down, his lips meeting yours in a crushing kiss. It was amazing, the feeling of being so full and so cared for almost brought tears to your eyes. A coil began to tighten in your core, setting your skin on fire. 

Your hands found his face, cupping him and holding him against your lips. You never knew that you needed this so badly. Josuke continued his thrusts, starting to become erratic, but still so full of pleasure. 

One of his hands traced down your side, settling on top of your abdomen. His fingers dipped down, rubbing fast circles against your clit. You pulled back from his lips and cried out at the feeling, before losing your voice completely as you were thrown off the edge. 

Shaking hard against his body, you clenched and released, your hands gripping onto whatever they could. Your name was on his lips as he continued to pound into you, speeding up before he came with a groan. 

His seed filled you up, and it was a feeling you hadn’t realized you missed. Josuke laid his head against your neck, pulling out of you gently. He peppered soft kisses to your collarbone, before leaning up and pressing one against your lips. 

Josuke’s eyes were brighter than you’ve ever seen them before. The blue shining in the moonlight that surrounded the both of you for miles. It was a sight that you never thought you’d be able to see again. It warmed you up, a strange feeling settling in your shoulders, but it wasn’t a bad one. 

He ran a hand through his hair, which was now disheveled and lacking it’s original style. Josuke sighed, before pulling you up and settling you in his lap. He pulled you close, his arms surrounding you. 

It was nice. More than nice really, it was the best you’ve ever felt in the past few years.

“I love you so much.” He spoke softly against your lips, his hands rubbing along your back. 

“I love you too, Josuke.” 

[writer-and-artist27]

Soup for the Sick

Note: …At this rate, this is already a series. One Piece and Naruto mixed. Never thought I would be getting into it. But @unlucky-marine’s art is something that always brings a smile to my face, and considering @langwrites writing the My Hero Academia-CYB crossover of Shell Game, well…

Yeah, I have no excuse. CP and S&S are still going on, but these little side stories starring the civilian pianist with her older Marine sibling-caretaker are adorable and I like giving something back to Eli. :) So there. Eli got me on the Tomo-Davy sibling train, and I can’t thank them enough for that. I’ve never had someone so outspoken in loving kid!Tomoko whenever I talked to them, so I think the appreciation goes miles now. ^_^

Of course, I don’t own anything except Tomoko and Hisako. Davy belongs to Eli, and Wendy to @ask-lieutenant-wendy.

The theme for this story is inspired by the sea, being SaphiraLynx’s piano cover of Mizuiro no Senritsu from Mermaid Melody. Or, as the translation calls it, the Aquamarine Melody, originally sung by the Aquamarine Mermaid Princess herself. :) The original song works just as well if you want to pull it up~

Please enjoy!

Oh, and Eli? You don’t have to feel pressured in making art for every part of this series, by the way. Only do it if you feel like it. I only write this whole thing because your art brought a lot of happy juice for me in these last days of summer and seeing you on Twitch and talking with you only helped fuel that. Friends look out for each other, and well, considering your theater job? A nice read is something you more than deserve. ;>

The words felt foreign in my mouth. “Jackie-nee’s sick?”

Wendy-nee gave me a sad smile as she sat down on her knees, a hand reaching over to rest on the top of my head. “She’s just resting in her barracks, Tomoko-chan. But yes, Jackie’s sick. It’s a cold, thankfully, so the bad sickness won’t be here forever.”

“How?” was already escaping my throat, and I found myself covering my mouth with both of my hands out of politeness and shock. My caretaker wasn’t the kind of person who found themselves sick so easily. At least, from what I could tell. When feeling more masculine as Jack-nii, he could easily kick someone’s ass if he wanted to, more so when I heard him mutter once on how he could break all 206 bones in a body. That was cool and kinda scary. When feeling feminine as Jackie-nee, she could then smash a womanizer’s face in with her heel and look beautiful doing it.

Being genderfluid was still something I didn’t know much about, more so considering I was a cis-female, but my caretaker was awesome. Simple as that.

I never thought I would hear the news that they would be sick.

But, alas, Tomoko-chan, my dear. Hisako swirled her glass of…lemonade. Okay. She was doing it while sitting in an armchair like Giovanni from Pokémon or something. All she needed was a Persian. And she was doing The Voice. Woo. We all are mere mortals.

Ugh.

I couldn’t help but find my heart sinking when Wendy-nee’s smile turned a bit more forced, as if frustrated. “I don’t think you want to know, Tomoko-chan. Let’s just say a Flamingo got a bit too angry and leave it at that, okay?” The minute crack in her voice was already enough for me to nod and accept it. I was still 10 in this life, so in Wendy-nee’s eyes, of course I was still a kid. An innocent kid, probably.

“Okay,” I said softly, but I still found myself gently tugging on her shirt collar to pull her in for a hug. It didn’t feel right going about this conversation without doing it. She looked troubled enough already, and my arms could wind around her neck, at least. “I’m sorry for prying, Wendy-nee.”

To my surprise, the blond Marine only laughed softly, arms coming around me to hug back. Aaaaah, she had a similar grip to Mama when she was excited. Tough muscle, but still snuggly. “It’s okay, Tomoko-chan, you were worried. It’s okay.”

I was not expecting her to lift me up anyways, essentially letting my sandals hit air as she pulled away from the hug to grin cheerily up at me. Somehow, I was sitting in her arms, close to her shoulders. Somehow! Aaaaaah, awesome strength. Also, Wendy-nee being 7 foot 2 and being carried that close to her height made everything in the near vicinity feel small, and gosh, being tall feels so cool! Fluttering skirt be damned.

…Don’t judge me on this. I’m still trying to gain height by drinking milk.

Wendy-nee’s purple eyes were now sparkling with something soft as she looked at me with that same grin. Her one curly hair sticking out from her hat tickled as she continued to beam. “Still, Tomoko-chan, what do you want to do now? Do you want to visit Jackie?”

The offer was tempting. Very tempting.

Hisako only swirled her cup of lemonade before chugging it in a few seconds flat. Once all the liquid was gone, she tossed the cup away, the motion accompanied by a small mental CRASH that was of the glass breaking in the mind library somewhere. Hm, she mused. It’s nice, but you’re thinking of something else, aren’t you, dear?

Yep. My Nobody was already reading my thoughts.

“Not now, Wendy-nee,” I shook my head while smiling anyways. “But could you carry me to the kitchen? I wanna cook something first!”

Those same purple eyes blinked at me slowly.

“Huh?”

“Here again, Tomoko-chan?”

The Marine chefs, despite bustling around with food and plates in almost every corner of the kitchen, all seemed to notice me as soon as Wendy-nee dropped me off in the doorway. She had work to do, unfortunately, but at least the big bear hug and bright smile in my direction before she left was a nice send-off.

Still, I was a 10-year old girl in a Sylveon-themed kimono dress, standing in the kitchen doorway, and at this point, the Marines weren’t even fazed. Huh.

Adjustment period is officially over, Hisako mused dryly.

I nodded at the nearest chef who asked with the politest smile I could muster. “Yep! Jackie-nee’s not feeling well, so I thought of cooking!” And then the Embarrassment was coming back in. Why, heart, why. “I-Is that okay?”

Said chef only shrugged with an exasperated smile before pointing to a nearby corner. Almost immediately, some of the chefs cleared away, leaving a small cutting board, knife, oven, and stove in the space left behind. “Go ahead, Tomoko-chan. That counter there’s all yours.”

The bright smile on my face was just as sudden as the swing of Embarrassment from earlier. “Thank you very much, Chef-san!”

The man only scoffed softly in a way reminiscent of Vy’s old Dad, almost in disbelief judging by the noise. In the end, he still nodded in acknowledgement at me as the other staff slowly moved away enough so that I could walk over.

For a corrupt military, the staff’s surprisingly sweet.

Maybe they don’t have a lot of kids around?

My Nobody only shrugged. Then I started hearing whispers while walking past.

“That Jack sure is lucky.”

“Of course it’s the paperwork guy who gets a cute girl looking after them.”

“Why can’t I get someone to drop through a hole in the ceiling to love me?”

Ohhhh! Hisako was smirking. Oh no. My, my, my! Tomoko-chan, you’re popular!

I still ran through the kitchen as fast as I could to get to that corner, because the heat on my face wasn’t going to go down otherwise. Aaaaaaah.

What was wrong with loving a caretaker like a sibling when you didn’t have any? Well, I technically had Kei and Hayate, but there was something different about older siblings than younger ones. In a past life, I was the younger one, and that was a mixed bag. Actually having that memory when it came to my Marine caretaker was the main seal to the deal. I could at least help out without looking like a brat doing it.

Reincarnation had benefits when it was botched. Apparently.

Still, once I got to my corner and got a good stare over everything, my head blanked. Um. “I know I said I wanted to cook something, but what’s good for a cold…?”

Soup? Hisako offered helpfully. Chicken Noodle? Clam Chowder? Gumbo? Or, heck, curry? Anything warm should do!

Those were all good suggestions. Especially since Jackie-nee was said to be resting from her cold.

I looked around. The kitchen staff were currently using a lot of seafood judging by the nearby lobster platter, so the clam chowder was a bust. I wasn’t even sure if I could do gumbo at my age, but chicken noodle soup sounded nice.

Only problem.

The only chicken I could see in the entire kitchen was a big frozen one sitting in the nearby freezer, and the staff were pretty crowded over there.

Ummmm.

Run?

No. This is a kitchen, Hisako.

Point. Fast-walk and try to wing carrying it?

It was an idea.

I tried. I really did. But being a short little girl in a crowd of tall chefs kinda meant being squished. Think any anime/gaming convention, where you would bump shoulders with someone every 5 seconds. It was like that.

“E-Er, excuse me? I’m trying to get through?” Even with my voice cracking, getting stuck in a crowd of moving people meant elbowing, and I was not good at that. Even if Kei had taught me self-defense, this was not the time to be throwing hands! “I-I’d like to get that chicken, please!”

Ignored. Because there was so much hustling and a pre-pubescent voice was hard to make out.

Aaaaah.

And then hands were sliding under my arms and effortlessly lifting me up, and I found myself squeaking. I could already tell that this wasn’t Wendy-nee’s grip, so who—

“Hey, you guys really should look out when in the kitchen. This little lady would’ve gotten hurt.”

Huh?

I looked behind me and met the stare of someone clearly new. I don’t know if he was ever in this kitchen staff before, but with his curly eyebrow, greyish-blue eye, straight blond hair falling down to brush the left side of his face, and muscular arms in spite of the Marine chef uniform, he definitely looked like someone that Jackie-nee would want to take a picture for when it came to bounties. This new person was definitely something. “You alright, ojou-chan?”

He grinned while still holding me up in his hands, and I tried not to squirm. Wearing a skirt in the kitchen and being lifted all the while was…yeah. “I-I am, but um, Chef-san?” I gestured to the ground while trying not to inwardly panic. “C-Could you please put me down?” I pointed to my corner. “Over there?”

The new Chef blinked at the direction I was pointing at before grinning again and nodding. “Whatever the ojou-chan wishes~!” I didn’t miss how he hummed before he literally slid over to my corner, ignoring chefs passing him all the while, and I tried not to focus on the sensation of my stomach churning. Motion sickness would be motion sickness.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to think on the stomach butterflies longer than necessary, because he was quick to put me down, still grinning all the while. “Now, ojou-chan.” I was not expecting his smile to turn into a more solemn expression. “What were you doing there? This is a kitchen, and not exactly the best place to play around.”

Aaaah. Another adult. I tried not to pout. “I was trying to get the chicken from the freezer. My older sibling who’s in the Marines got sick, and I was thinking of trying to make Chicken Noodle soup for them!”

He only blinked that same grey-blue eye at me before pulling on a more amused smile. “Oh?” he said softly, before turning his head around to look towards that far-away refrigerator. “Do you at least know how to make it, ojou-chan?”

…Um.

Uh.

I squeaked, “No?”

We did not think this through.

He only pulled on a more confident smile while tossing something into the nearest trash can. Was it…a cigarette? “Well then! Let this cook help you out, ojou-chan!”

I blinked. “It’s okay?”

With that same confidence, he turned to me while twirling a — holy crap, he was twirling a knife. I only blinked once, and then he was brandishing a small bowl of diced…diced onions? When did he— “I’m a cook, ojou-chan. And when a lady is in trouble, it’s natural to help out.” He then sat down on his knees, looking at me with that grey-blue eye, now sparkling. “I’m Sanji by the way, ojou-chan. What’s your name?”

Ah. He reminded me of Leo, at least a little. “I-I’m Hoshino Tomoko, Sanji-san.” Out of habit, I took a bit of my skirt to curtsy. “It’s nice to meet you, and I hope to work with you!”

Sanji-san only grinned. “And I you, little lady.”

He then brandished a bowl of cut carrots. Wow, that was a lot of skill.

Chicken Noodle Soup was, surprisingly enough, simple. Even though I only had Vy’s experience to call from when cooking, Sanji-san was quick. It only took an hour for him to prepare homemade chicken and vegetable broths for the soup, and by the time the chicken hit the soup pot, a warm homey smell was wafting around the kitchen, and I could’ve sworn some chefs were drooling while walking past.

“So, ojou-chan,” he said while stirring the soup with a ladle, “who’s your older sibling?”

Aaaand Sanji-san had to ask just when I was putting dishes away in this little corner. “Davy Jack-san! Currently going by Jackie, but I call her Jackie-nee! I think…” my voice cracked while recalling Wendy-nee’s words. “A Flamingo got angry and gave her a cold? Or something?”

The words were silly, but I didn’t miss how Sanji-san tensed. It almost looked like a shiver went up his spine before a nervous chuckle sounded. “D-Davy Jack, huh…? That’s interesting, ojou-chan.” He then muttered something under his breath that I couldn’t hear, but all I could make out was, “that explains things.”

Hisako wasn’t having any of it. He’s nice, but I dunno, Tomoko-chan. That reaction wasn’t the best.

Did my caretaker know this guy?

I ended up voicing it. “Do you know Jackie-nee, Sanji-san?”

Immediately, the cook turned to me with a warm smile, turning down the heat to the soup pot while doing so. “Kinda, ojou-chan. It’s a long story. But the soup’s almost done!”

Yep. That was a sudden subject change. So something did happen between them.

And was it just me, or did Sanji-san look sad for a moment?

I blinked, and as soon as I thought that, the glint in that grey-blue eye disappeared. “Still, ojou-chan, wanna go serve this soup to your sibling then? I have to be somewhere, so I can’t stay long.”

Already, I was feeling disappointed. It had only been a few hours but having a cooking companion aside from my Nobody did something. “Will I see you again?”

Sanji-san then turned off the heat entirely before turning to me fully and sitting down on his knees. “Of course, ojou-chan.” He then grinned, reaching over to poke my forehead through my bangs, and I tried not to wince. “Just look for a sail with a skull and a straw hat, and you’ll find me.”

Skull and a straw hat? What the hell is that supposed to be? A pirate flag thing?

I still nodded in spite of Hisako’s incoming rant. “Okay.”

Of course, I would jump on Sanji-san for a hug too. He deserved it, at least.

Jackie-nee was sitting up in her bed at the barracks, reading what looked like a book when I was finally able to pop in. Wendy-nee was still at work along with the other Marines, so it made sense that there was no one else around.

I did my best to balance the soup bowl tray in my hands while hiding it from view. “Jackie-nee?”

She blinked before looking up from her book, and of course I could see that familiar spark that I grew to love so much. “Tomo-chan,” she murmured happily, then coughed softly into one of her hands. “Sorry, I can’t hug you right now. Still — hack — sick. Wendy told you that, didn’t she?”

Even then, I couldn’t help but smile back. “Wendy-nee did say that, but I do have something for you!”

“What’s that, sweetie?”

“Well…” I tried not to run over to her bedside and instead walked over as gently as I could before brandishing the tray for her to take. “Chicken Noodle Soup. To help make the sick go away?”

I still wanted to ask myself how and why I reverted to childish talk when it only came to my caretaker, but the warm smile on her face made the thought process stop in its tracks. “Oh, Tomo-chan.” She looked down at the warm bowl before taking the spoon and blowing at it. “You didn’t have to.”

“But I wanted to!” Another pout was coming up on my face now. “I missed you and you deserve something to help you rest better! You work too much!”

At that, Jackie-nee suddenly snorted before laughing softly. “Yeah? I guess so.” The warmth in her voice said everything as she finally took a sip, and then the color was returning to her face as she smiled. “Whoa. Tomo-chan,” she gave me that same warm smile, “did you make this all by yourself?”

Nope. Hisako said for me.

“Nope,” I repeated with a more sheepish shrug. “I had help.”

Now Jackie-nee was confused. “Who helped? Wendy?”

Should I say the name…?

No harm in trying, dear. Hisako only patted my head.

“A new chef in the kitchen?” I found myself raising a pointer finger. “His name was Sanji-san!”

I was not expecting Jackie-nee to nearly drop her spoon mid-bite. “S-Sanji?”

Oh dear. Bombshell.

“Um, he was nice,” I filled in instead, because the sudden silence and the shock in Jackie-nee’s gaze was kinda hard to deal with all at once. “He helped me cut chicken and taught me how to make vegetable broth for next time! He also kept me out from being trampled by crowds and called me ‘ojou-chan’!”

“…What next time?” Jackie-nee said incredulously, but the simple fact that she was still eating was a good sign. At least, I was hoping so. “And, pffft.” I wasn’t expecting her to snort into her free hand. “‘Ojou-chan,’ huh.” But, oh.

She was smiling again.

I sat down at the foot of her bed, trying not to show my confusion. “Jackie-nee?”

She gave me that same warm smile. “It’s nothing, Tomo-chan. Nothing at all.”

And this time, I could believe it. Somewhat. At least while sneaking in one hug.

Hey. I have pride in my immune system, and screw colds! Soup keeps the doctor away!

“T-Tomo-chan, I’m sick…!”

“Just lemme hug you once, Jackie-nee, I missed you!”

Her only response was an exasperated laugh. I could settle for that. It kept thoughts of asking about Sanji-san away for another day.

[skymade]

Willow Gone

   A drabble from Willow’s best friend, Eryk’s, point of view. It’s long, I’m sorry. These are the texts pertaining to this. 

   “Errie, how about today?”

   Eryk is lain across their bed, staring at the prune colored ceiling for the five-millionth morning in a row -- or so it feels. Little appears to be able to rouse them from their state.

   Their mother, aquamarine with cavernous holes littering her face -- a Meldonian -- stands at the doorway. Her tight, bright green hair curls with the consistency of seaweed fall from the crown of her head. They are the same curls that pull at Eryk’s own blue head. Her mouth is nothing but a large slit in the center of her face, but Eryk can understand both her question and the implications deep beyond it.

   They do not answer. Normally, Eryk’s love for their mother overrides all else, but now their love for someone else holds them, like chains, in their bed.

   “We love you, Errie,” she says, for the five-millionth morning in a row, circular fins with holes reaching towards them. Her voice always sounds as if it comes from deep underwater. “Whenever you're ready, you know. Seconds will wait for you.” She touches them, once, on the leg, then retreats. The door clicks behind her gently.

   Eryk closes their eyes and sees her. Not the mother they love -- their best friend. Dark curls, murky eyes, bright purple skin -- one of many things she was mocked for. Willow sky. She was their best friend, from the moment they met to the moment their mother told them she was gone.

   In a flash, Eryk can see their entire friendship. The moment she, in a flurry of curls and laughs, sat down next to them during lunch, introducing herself though uninvited. Trekking the mountains of Amyr, them wheezing and her laughing. Her splashing purple water at them and sticking out her tongue when they protested. Her hanging upside down in their hiding place, the storage unit, singing out of tune and changing the lyrics to fit her mood. The last time they saw her -- late at night, under the velvet sky, with stars sprinkling above them, her winking playfully at their gaze.

   Their eyes shut tightly at the images. Each memory is another chain that drags them down to their bed, leading with the terrifying crash of the moment Eryk woke up and saw their mother there. Their mother had never been allowed for extended stay upon planet -- Amyr rules -- and instantly, Eryk had felt sick.

   Dad’s dead, was Eryk’s first thought. I did something wrong. I failed my tests for Seconds. Mother is dying.

   But they had never expected the words that had come from their mother’s mouth, starting simply and gently.

   “Errie… when was the last time you saw Willow?”

   She was gone.

   Eryk presses their hands against their eyelids. Why hadn’t they told anyone when they saw the bruises on Willow’s skin? Why hadn’t they reported their fear for her life? Why didn’t they try harder? What if she were dead, as dead as her mother must be? And the most terrifying thought of all: What if she went off to Travel?

   She wouldn’t be able to survive. Not for a minute. Willow would have no idea what she’s doing. Though all evidence leads to her being upon another planet -- the loss of her mother’s tokens -- Eryk has been stubbornly refusing to believe it.

   Even with the possibility of her escaping with Tallow -- what her father currently believes -- Tallow can not care for Willow. What if he abandons her? What if he hurts her? What if she feels trapped?

   These thoughts have been circling in Eryk’s head for the eons it feels she’s been gone, but they haven’t abated, yet. Every day, Eryk wakes up to hear them repeat in perfect clarity.

   They’re sure they’re going insane.

   Eryk’s communicator chirps next to them. They never get messages. Curiosity wins over depression for the moment. They reach up, grabbing it off of the ivory table, and flip out the keyboard, making the screen light up.

   the will of the sky. (in range) 1 NEW MESSAGE.

   Eryk cannot stop the tears that immediately pour through their eyes as they select the message, quickly, shakily. They have always had what Willow called bleeding eyes, but they were sure the Terran expression was bleeding heart. And now, they are choking on it.

   It is a message from Willow.

   trvling mkes me ocean sick T_T ;-; ;(

   The words are so uniquely Willow -- down to the very last mark (or lack thereof) that Eryk begins sobbing harder.

   In a perfect world, they’d take time to control themselves. They’d wait until the feelings abated and let them breathe to reply. But they have not seen the words “in range” next to Willow’s name for a long time, so long they are afraid if they don’t reply immediately, she will disappear.

   Fuck you

   It’s all they can think to say.

   The response is so fast. 

   aw!! ;( dont b meeeeeeeean!!!

   Eryk is attempting to type a response, when another of Willow’s comes.

   i knw. i knw.

   Willow never left spell check on. Most Amyra didn’t. It came with switching languages -- it was easier to just type without having to change languages each time they wished to.

   Eryk closes their eyes, pushes their head towards the screen. Willow hardly types as… seriously… as her last message was.

   Eryk stares at the small, purple picture of Willow next to each message -- heart-shaped sunglasses, smiling at someone off-camera. Eryk took that picture for her. Eryk can still taste the air from that day, can still feel the grass beneath them. Of course, she’d taken the picture of the smoke that Eryk had always used as their picture. How many times had Eryk seen a message from Willow? Thousands. Millions. Almost constantly. Willow almost never stopped texting. But this message... these words... had such a new weight to them. 

   They hardly think as they reply.

   Where are you

   Because, of course, Eryk has to come get them. They’re already thinking to ask if they can borrow their mother’s ship when Willow replies, lightning fast as ever.

   u knw y i cnt tell u that ;C

   Just like you didnt tell me you were leaving, Eryk’s hands answer for them. They almost put a question mark -- they normally don’t because they feel it leaves the statement too hard -- but they choose not to in the last instance.

   u knw y i had 2 do that 2.

   Maybe I dont Willow, they reply. After hitting send, they add on in a new message, If you wanted to run away with someone you were dating, thats fine but you still could have told me first.

   Eryk locks the screen, sits up in finality after the period. They brush their hands at their face when another message lights up.

   ?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????? the fck r u tlkin about???!?!?! Im not d8in ny1!!!!!!!!!!! >:(

   Yeah. Like Id know that. Because you keep me so updated with whats going on in your life right

   It feels right, now, to be angry. Eryk hasn’t been angry this entire time. Only scared -- only sad. This feels right.

   At least there is some relief. Willow is not dating Tallow. Hopefully, he is not treating her the way others have treated her here.

   skies i mssgd u cuz i missed u!!!!! >:( >;c wht is ur problm????!!

   My problem is that my best friend left planet without saying anything and is now trying to pretend it isnt a big deal

   i ddnt have to mssg u u knw!!! i culdve stayed quiet!!!!!!!!!!! D:<

   Moments later, she’s back.

   lol… yes i did. ;c of course i hd to mssg u. ur my best friend eryk. still.

   And, in true Willow fashion, she launches into a tirade. They can just see her in their mind -- tongue out, concentration coursing through her body, bent over the screen as her fingers fly.

   mr. doom && gloom is gttin on my fckin nerves. im so done with him. D:<

   Officials think you ran off with Tallow, they reply.

   off. r rite. but only bcuz he hs a staff. eryk the nly reason i ddnt tell u ws bcuz i knw ud rate me out

   She means ‘rat me out’. Eryk feels more tears coming at just reading the words. They are trying to hold on to the good things: she’s alive. Tallow hasn’t abandoned her. She might be okay. They are trying not to think how far away she could still be -- trying not to wonder how close she may be to them for the first time in forever. 

   Holy skies Willow. I missed you

   i miss u 2. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;((((((((((((((((((( emoticons arnt strong enuf :(

   I know what you mean, they type through their tears. They have to move their communicator far away enough to escape the downfall of water.

   When are you coming home, they add.

   There’s a pause.

   ……………………. eryk i cnt come bck 2 amyr. id be put to death for leavin

   Please, they try. Eryk has never been overly selfish before, but they cannot stop it. How can they live without their best friend?

   But when minutes pass and they get no response, they let out a breath of air and say, Are you happy

   its better than being on amyr if thats what you mean lol

   Her grammar improved. That means she had to think deeply about that reply. Eryk hesitates. Maybe she truly needs their help?

   I guess that is what I mean, they try. They don’t know what to say -- she said it was better than on Amyr. Better than when she was with Eryk. Better than when they were close.

   A long pause. Eryk doesn’t know what to say, but, as always, is saved by Willow.

   i hv a confession 2 make

   Okay

   i ddnt mssg u bcuz i missed u. tho i do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dnt get me wrong!!!!!!!!! fckin FCK i miss u!!!!!!!! but i mssgd u… 2 say srry. ;C ;C  4 not saying gdbye. :c :c

   Eryk sighs and closes their eyes. Willow has never been very good at saying sorry.

   I dont know if I fully forgive you yet

   i knw. dnt blame u t_t

   They release a soft breath at the emotion -- runs their fingers over the image. If they had more Amyra in them, maybe they’d be blinking in and out from the intense feelings. They close their eyes and pray -- though praying was never something they did before Willow disappeared. Now, however, it seems to highlight their life. Almost every moment is spent in it. Willow believes so avidly in the sky -- it has to save her, doesn’t it? 

   Their phone chirps, calling them back. 

   mr. doom && gloom wnts 2 leave here soon.

   Eryk knows what that means before Willow types it, and immediately responds, Please

   im srry eryk

   Please dont go. Not yet

   pls dnt tell any1 i mssged u

   I wont, they type back, oh skies I wont just promise you wont go

   They will promise anything, now. Tears rolling down their face -- choking on them -- the volume of their sobs rising so much they hear their mother swaying up the stairs, coming to check on them.

   im so srry. i cnt do nythin. gates up. i love you eryk.

   She never types out ‘I love you’. Never. Never. Never.

   I love you too Willow. Please dont leave me

   bye

   “Willow!” They’re screaming at their phone, shaking it. “Willow!”

   Willow come back

   Willow please!

   Their fingers shake as the letters light up on the screen.

   Please please please. I cant do this without you

   WILLOW!

   And then the dreaded three words light up next to Willow’s name -- out of range -- and Eryk collapses as their mother throws open the door and wraps her arms around them.