#dropping hints that everyone should listen to poppy. go listen to poppy

[t4tmetalsonic]

i'm out there asking people the same question, so, here it is: which hedgehog (or any other main cast mobian) would slay on the karaoke? you can rank them if you want to~

ok i'm so sorry i kept this in my inbox for while bc i kept thinking about it.

so alright i think for me the OBVIOUS answer is sonic slays on the karaoke. he's definitely a good singer, he'll sing any of his theme songs rlly well and LOVES making a performance out of it (the show off)

next i think is amy, she can sing pretty much just as well as sonic. i also hc that she's actually really good at screamo stuff!! if you're familiar with poppy, i think amy can do that same perfect mixture of cutesy singing and screaming her heart out (good examples are "lessen the damage" and "say cheese")

i don't think silver and shadow would ever go to karaoke without a lot of cajoling from the others, but silver i think would enjoy it! however i don't think he's actually a very good singer gfkhfkg and shadow i feel would have a very flat singing voice which doesn't fit most songs BUT he ends up having fun with amy because they have similar tastes in music :] (heavy metal)

so to rank them in how well they can sing: sonic and amy (tied), shadow, silver. but to rank their singing specifically in karaoke: sonic, silver, amy, shadow. silver is just over the moon to be included and he has a lot of fun even if his singing is. not the best <3

[whaleofatjme1920]

Coughing in the Bathroom (Eyeless Jack X F!Reader)

🌸 Coughing in the Bathroom

[Eyeless Jack X F!Reader]

[Warnings: Slight blood, slight language, slight alcohol, emotional cheating]

Part 2

        In the world you live in, there’s a terrible thing called ‘Hanahaki Disease,’ and while it is ultimately rare, it is still feared widely throughout the globe. Love is an emotional virtually everyone feels, and it is through that monetary softness that the disease may take root. It affects those whose love is unrequited. 

        Five years ago, you never thought you would be under its spell. 

        The first time you met Eyeless Jack was a mess of combined hot headedness and a ‘my horse is bigger than yours’ type of deal. He was so brash and such a know it all! How could you NOT butt heads with him? The two of you spawned a little rivalry, and that rivalry grew to love. 

        How could you not fall in love with him? He’d been everything you’d ever wanted, and in your line of work, that’s hard to find. You’re what’s known as an ‘independent,’ someone who does not work directly under the Slender Man, but often crosses paths with him due to common goals and your abilities. While there is nothing inherently supernatural or otherworldly about you, you do have the gift of clairvoyance. Your clairvoyance isn’t super special, as you’re only prone to glimpses of the future based on current actions and what might (you are the world’s greatest predictor). 

        Jack IS supernatural. He’s not human, calls himself ‘a demon of some sorts.

         The Slender Man saw potential in the two of you from your rivalry and decided to put the two of you together. It was that proximity that led him to falling helplessly, hopelessly, and ardently in love with you. 

        You never saw that coming. 

        Jack had told you he loved you when the two of you had just finished some of the grossest work you’ve done to date. He didn’t want to go back to the safe house the two of you had been holed up in with various other independents and instead urged you to hang out on the roof with him. 

        “Why are you rummaging through their fridge?” You asked, hands resting on your hips with a smile on your lips. 

        “Beer?” He finally asked as he poked his head out from the door. 

        You suppressed a chuckle and threw caution for the night to the wind. “Yeah, sounds good.” 

        With that, Jack tossed you a bottle, before snatching one for himself. Normally, he doesn’t drink, but he felt as if he needed the liquid courage to face you. He felt like he was being obvious with his intentions, but you’d managed to miss every gesture and hint he threw up to this point. If you’re anything like he is, you’re dense. 

        The two of you walked upwards and opened the door to the roof and were greeted by the lights of the city. The two of you don’t spend much time in people cluttered areas, but when you do, you always spend a moment together. He took a seat next to you on one of the lawn chairs hanging around and cracked the drink open, practically gulping it down. 

        “Are you thirsty?” You chuckled before opening your own. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you down one like that before,” you noted before taking a much smaller sip yourself. 

        Jack shifted uncomfortably for a moment as he took the bottle from his lips. It’s not that he was uncomfortable with you, but he was uncomfortable with the possibility that if you didn’t feel the same way, he could be subjected to the disease that’s claimed the lives of some damn good proxies and independents who fell in love with humans they never had a chance with. He hates getting sick, but he doesn’t think he can handle a broken heart and lungs full of flowers. 

        “No I-,” he took a deep breath. “Reader, I think you’re great.”

        You laughed slightly. “I think you’re great too.”

        Jack shook his head and took another swig before he attempted to speak again. “Not like that, it’s… I’m bad with words,” he sighed, feeling overwhelmed. The man isn’t used to speaking about his feelings. 

        You raised a brow. You know Jack, your Jack, to be someone concise, clear and to the point. He’s not one to fumble over his words. He’s not one to get bashful. You know where this is going, you can see it in your mind’s eye, but you won’t say it because a part of you enjoyed his aversion. “Right now you totally suck at speaking,” you lightly joked, which made him crack the tiniest smile. 

        That’s when he shot you a look. “You already know what I’m trying to say, don’t you?” He deadpanned, eyes narrowed at you slightly in accusation. 

        You let out a laugh and nodded, hand up in submission, “I did,” you giggled. 

        “I swear,” Jack breathed out as he tossed his bottle to the stone floor before he snatched yours and repeated the action. Before you could be surprised, he took you in his arms, his lips pressed to yours in a kiss full of everything he just couldn’t say. 

        Your arms wrapped around him, pleased that he had gotten to the point. 

        Jack has always made your heart flutter. He’s charming, but in his own way. Even though you have future vision to some varying degree, he has never failed to surprise you. For your first anniversary, he had brought you to the most beautiful flower field you’d ever seen. 

        “Have you always known that this was here?” You asked, eyes shining over the field full of lavender, sunflowers, poppies and other wildflowers. The scent rivaled that of the Slender Man’s garden. 

        “I spent the past year cultivating it,” he said as he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, his head resting on top of yours. “Thought you’d appreciate it.” 

        “And I’m guessing you built the gazebo too?”

        “Had some help from the proxies. Hoodie is surprisingly good at craftsmanship,” he said with a small chuckle. Jack pressed kisses to the crown of your head. 

        You allow him to sway you as you listen to the birds sing from the surrounding trees. “Is this what you were up to?” You asked. 

        Jack breathed out and shrugged. “A magician never reveals his secrets,” he teased.

        You turned around in his grasp and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, hands loosely connected ‘round the back of his neck. “You suck,” you teased, sticking your tongue out before you pressed a kiss to his nose. 

        Jack laughed, his smile rivaling the warmth of the sun. “Thought that was your job,” he mused, making you gasp and smack his chest. He laughed again before you dropped the feigned annoyed attitude and joined him. 

        The rest of your anniversary was held under that gazebo, talking well into the night. 

        When the nights were hard and you were bruised from jobs that were rough, he was always there to pick you back up. You’d come back to the Slender Man’s mansion in need of minor medical attention and had only come to his home because it was close to where you’d gotten banged up. 

        “You can just wait in the waiting room,” a female proxy said as her green eyes scanned you over with little concern. She gestured for you to head down the hall to your left. “You won’t miss it.” It seemed your injuries paled in comparison to the gunshots, knife wounds, musical instruments to the skull and other more hefty injuries. 

        You thanked her with a small smile and then walked down the hall. You’d never really spent extended time in the Slender Man’s mansion; you had no reason to. You didn’t serve directly under him. Still, it was nice to be in something regal looking rather than a dirty field house wondering if the first aid kid was even usable or not. 

        You took a seat once you finally reached the waiting room, displeased to see that there were so many other people - mostly proxies - waiting for service. Some of them looked on the verge of passing out due to blood loss. How had no one attended to them yet? You waited and waited, watching as the more in danger patients were taken in before you finally nodded off. Your dreams were for the most part, empty, but your vision showed you that Jack was here, working. That thought alone was enough to wake you back up. 

        When your eyes reopened, you were overcome with emotions to see Jack in the doorway waiting for you to get up and follow him to the back. You scrambled up from your seat, mindful of not outwardly showing you were in a relationship (the Slender Man detested such bonds) and tried your best to remain cool and level headed. 

        Jack, who wore his mask, showed no signs he had any business with you until he brought you into a secluded room where he could attend to your injuries. The moment the door closed, he took off his mask and looked you over, worry lined on his face. “What’s wrong? Is it serious? O should have seen you sooner. Are you hurt-”

        “Woah, woah,” you tiredly chuckled as you took his rapidly moving hands into yours. “It’s just minor bruises and cuts. Just wanna get them disinfected. I might’ve also sprained my wrist,” you sheepishly admitted. 

        Jack’s face fell again. “Jeeze, I should have seen you earlier,” he muttered to himself, moving around the room to get the supplies he needed. He slapped on his medical gloves again, and then got to work, leaving no part of you untouched. When it stung, he hushed you with words of love. “How did this happen?” He asked quietly. 

        “Alcoholic guy had way more power than I originally expected,” you winced. “I saw the possibility of him throwing me, but not him almost tearing off my wrist by slamming it in a door.” 

        “He what?” Jack growled. 

        “He’s dead now, don’t worry,” you said before you flashed Jack a reassuring look. 

        Jack seemed barely placated by your words and continued working. 

        When he finished working, he pressed a kiss to your forehead and gave you a look that told you he didn’t want you to leave. 

        “I have to,” you said as you allowed him to snake his arms around you. “I’ll be seeing you soon though, right?” 

        “I’m gonna be stuck in this area for a while,” he mumbled into your shoulder. “And you? You’re leaving Alabama right?” 

        You hesitantly nodded and sighed into him before you took in his scent that instantly calmed you. “Yeah, unfortunately. I have some work calling me out east,” you continued as he tensed in your arms. “Besides, I’m getting the vibe that if I stay much longer, the Slender Man is gonna be pissed at us.” 

        If Jack had eyes, he’d roll them. “I don’t care what he wants or likes,” he replied. That’s not entirely true, but love does weird things to people. “Stay a moment longer.” 

        You did. 

        There were times in your five year relationship that the two of you were split up for extended periods of time mostly on the whims and requests of the Slender Man. Those times you were apart were hard. And unfortunately, the two of you couldn’t actually text or call. Phones, electronics in general, were considered liabilities for people like you due to tracking and everything else. It just wasn’t safe, and BEN can only do so much. 

        Instead, the two of you would write letters to each other and enlist the help of Jeffery’s dog, Smile. Of course, the dog doesn’t always enjoy playing mail-dog, but he does enjoy the treats and favors he gets from the two of you. 

        The fifth year of your relationship with him had been a particularly long, hard separation due to distance. The two of you traded letters weekly via Smile. Everything from little anecdotes to how much you missed each other was shared between them until you got a letter that was calm before the storm. 

        ‘Dear Reader, how have you been? I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to write back to you, but Slender has put me on a really weird task. It’s time consuming as all hell and I kinda hate it. I’ve been placed with the proxies for a little while, and they all say ‘hi’ and hope you’re well as much as I do. … I love you, J.’ Of course, interspersed in the letter was a whole treasure trove of everything Jack had been up to. 

        ‘Dear Jack, I’m glad to hear you’re doing alright. I’ve been lighting up the Midwest's farm fields - I don’t know why (I do have my inklings), but the proxies I’m currently with get it. They’re a nice bunch, but the one with a pig mask is kinda mean? Maybe you’ll have to fight him or something. There’s also talk of us converting some people to the proxy side, which is weird because it’s not my territory, but I’ll do what’s asked of me. What’s the task you’re currently up to? I love you, R.’ 

        It had been a few weeks since you got the next letter, and that letter was the beginning of your end. You just didn’t know it yet, and you purposely blinded your future vision to it. 

        ‘Dear Reader, I’m so sorry it took so long to get this letter back to you! I hope I didn’t worry you, but things have once again been really, really busy. In truth, I’m not supposed to tell you about this, but as long as he doesn’t find out… I can trust you with this, but you need to promise you won’t tell anyone else? I suppose it doesn’t matter because the whole of our society is going to be talking about it regardless. We’ve never seen something like this before. Zalgo (may his name burn for all eternity) had a kid, right? They call her Leia and she’s been causing a storm of issues for the tall man. We got a hold of her and she’s been under our watch since. She’s powerful, I’ll give her that. In a way, it’s admirable, but she’s also Slender’s biggest threat. The weirdest thing? She willingly gave herself up to us because she’s got daddy issues. Can you believe that? Zalgo’s favorite kid has daddy issues. She’s naturally murderous towards proxies so Masky, Toby, Hoodie and Kate have to be extra mindful of her. For the most part, she’s with me. We talk a lot, but I have no idea if I can trust her. She’s a great conversationalist though - nothing like her father. She doesn’t look anything like him either (you have seen his human form, right?) In fact, nothing about her screams spawn of Zalgo. She looks… normal, if that’s the right word. Other than that, her attitude reminds me of you. Funny, right? She asks about you every now and then, which is odd because I try not to mention you unless it’s with Hoodie. Hoodie says hi, by extension. She seems to not like you despite having never met you, which is also incredibly strange as she’s been nothing but kind to me and the proxies (despite her trying to kill them when her instincts take over). I digress, and I miss you. I love you, J.’ 

        You’d read that letter over so many times poking and prodding it. The energy didn’t feel right, and your mind had shown you glimpses of what was to come. But of course, still in love with him, you acted like nothing was wrong and the future you had seen wasn’t absolute. 

        The first time you met Leia was largely an accident. A short while after you’d gotten that letter from Jack, you ‘swung by’ the area he was in and decided on a surprise visit. You knew Masky well enough, and the proxy had never been angry with you for visiting prior to. What difference would this one have been?

        You knocked on the door in a way that only Masky would recognize to be greeted by the unmasked proxy. 

        “You’re here for him, aren’t you?” He asked, a tired smile coming onto his lips. 

        You nodded excitedly. “Where is he?” 

        “Back room, with uh-”

        “She already knows,” both Hoodie and Kate said in unison as they barely spared a glance over their shoulders from the terrible movie playing on Lifetime. 

        Masky shot a slight glare towards his teammates but relented and moved aside in the doorway. “Have fun,” he said as you stepped inside. “Don’t do anything stupid and if you do, do so quietly?” 

        You slapped Masky’s shoulder and walked down the hall. You took a brief moment to wave to Toby who was reading something in one of the rooms before you reached the end where you heard laughter. To be polite, you knocked on the door, and to your surprise, it was not Jack who answered the door. 

        There she stood with long silver hair and the most alluring blue eyes you’d ever seen, her skin as warm as the cinnamon that floated on top of hot chocolate in the winter. She gave you a sickly saccharine smile before she turned her head over her shoulder to address Jack, “Reader is here,” she giggled. 

        You bit back a grimace but smiled when Jack got up and gently moved Leia aside in the doorframe to greet you. 

        “It’s so good to see you,” he said as he took you into his arms before he crushed you in his grip. “How have you been?” He whispered in your ear before he peppered your face with kisses. 

        You wished you could have enjoyed the moment as you laughed in his arms, but your eyes fluttered open for just a moment to see Leia’s unamused expression. “I’m okay,” you replied in a tone lacking the enthusiasm Jack expected to hear. 

        “Are you sure?” He asked as he checked you over to ensure you physical self was safe. His hands cupped your cheeks as you were forced to look up at him. 

        “Of course,” you replied in an attempt to play it cool. 

        “If you say so,” he trailed off before taking your hand in his and leading you to sit next to him on the bed. 

        From there, the world’s most awkward conversation took place between Jack and Leia with you attempting to cut in every once and a while. You saw it in little glimpses. 

        Her eyes never left his sockets, and he allowed it. 

        When her hand touched his knee, he made no motion to move it. 

        When she laughed, he smiled in a way that only you had been used to seeing. 

        He talked with her with so many inside jokes, you felt as if you were just peeking in on someone else’s conversation, not one you were invited to.

        Gradually, through the hour, he’d moved closer to her than he had you. While his arm remained loosely wrapped around your waist, he’d leaned forward to hear her better. He watched her interaction first after he shared a story. His focus was on her. You’d left his field of vision. 

        A few weeks into your fifth year was all it took. 

        Things did not get any easier from there. Eventually, you were moved to helping the group in regards to Leia. According to Slender, it was to ‘protect her’ from her father and her now murderous siblings. That’s when the rift grew wider, and the roots took hold. 

        See, after that first in person interaction with Leia, you’d felt a scratchiness in your lungs. At first, you chalked it up to being under the weather, but after being moved to Masky’s group, you knew nothing would ever be the same. Your worst fear had come true, and all it took was a pair of blue eyes. 

        Physically, Jack was still yours. He’d hold you, kiss you and touch you like you were still his. He never physically left your side, nor did his flesh betray your relationship. No, it was something much deeper than that that brought about the sprouts that took hold in your lungs. 

        Emotionally, he’d left you the moment he laid sockets on her. Why did he give in so easily? Who knows - boredom? A premature seven year itch? You’re not sure. But you saw it - you saw his heart leave the space it once shared with you and take up residence with hers, and it was painful. So, so painful. 

        He looked at her like she owned the moon and commanded the tides. 

        He smiled at her in a way he used to smile with you. 

        He spoke to her in a tone so gentle, you assumed he’d only used it for you. 

        He spoke with you less frequently, and when he did, it was much shorter and to the point. Whenever you prodded him, he had chalked it up to being stressed and that of course, he still loved you. 

        “You’re just being paranoid.” 

        He told her things you’d never even scratched the surface of. 

        She viewed him as hers. 

        And he allowed it without leaving the safety net that was you. 

        Of course, this did not go unnoticed by the proxies. None of them wanted to get directly involved though. 

        Hoodie was amongst the most disturbed as he was usually the first to call out Jack’s bullshit and the first proxy to inquire about you and your wellbeing. Despite not spending any time with you, Hoodie viewed you as a good friend. 

        "You realize what you're doing isn't cool, right?" Hoodie said as he walked back to the temp house with Jack. 

        "I'm not doing anything," Jack replied. "This about Leia?"

        "No, it's about Pennywise we met last year - of course it's about Leia," Hoodie hissed as he rolled his eyes. "You're digging a hole you won't be able to get back out of. You know that, right?"

        Jack lightly shoved Hoodie's shoulder in response. He was uncomfortable with what Hoodie had insinuated, mostly because Hoodie's BS meter is never far off the mark and normally strikes true. But when he entered that house and saw Leia sitting at the table, he couldn't help but take his place at her side. 

        Perhaps Kate just believes in girl code, but as a fellow being under the Slender Man’s control, she’s got her eye out for you. She believed wholeheartedly that what Jack was doing was scummy, but of course, her focus is on you. It came in mugs of hot chocolate and late night living room talks. She cares, just quietly. 

        "Don't overwork yourself, okay?" She said softly as she draped a blanket around your shoulders. 

        You'd been nodding off much more in the living room than in the room you shared with Jack. "What?" You said sleepily. 

        Kate chuckled softly and let you rest your head on her lap. "Turn your brain off for a while with me and let's watch this gods awful movie." Anything to get your mind off of what's going on and if this movie does it for you, that's good enough for the moment. 

        "Yes, ma'am," you tiredly rib, a smile on your lips. 

        Toby is inexperienced when it comes to these things. He was the first person to find you hacking up forget-me-nots. That was a scary experience as he’s never seen the Hanahaki before. He’s too young and too inexperienced, where would he have seen it? 

        He can distinctly remember walking with you, patrolling the area for threats when you suddenly stopped. It’d been a few months of you in his group's care, and he’d seen you retreat into yourself the longer Jack spent time with Leia. He knew it, just didn’t know how to go about it. 

        “What’s w-w-wrong?” He asked. 

        You waved for him to go on. “I’m fine-” you tried to wheeze out before you began violently coughing. 

        Toby initially thought you were going through what Masky did. He’s handled that before and naively thought he could help you until he rushed to your side to see the small forming pile of blue flowers covered sparsely in drops of blood. “Oh n-n-no,” he whispered as he knelt at your side. He held you like you were glass. “R-Reader-”

        “I said I’m fine!” You tried to reason before coughing once more, this time more blood than cursed flower. 

        “Does t-t-this look f-f-fine to you?” He asked in stress and worry. “We n-need to t-t-tell M-Masky or J-Ja-”

        “No,” you coldly cut off as you wiped your mouth of the blood that dribbled down your chin. 

        Toby wanted to fight that notion badly, but instead focused on getting you back safe. “I-I’ll tell M-Masky we s-saw some n-n-not deer on t-the p-property,” he murmured as he carefully picked you back up. 

        You allowed him. 

        Masky knew the moment you walked back into the temp house with Toby holding you as inconspicuous as he could. It’s unfortunate, he thinks, because he knows what that’s like - to love someone and physically suffer because of it. 

        One day, he’d sent everyone out of the house except for you and urged you to sit down and have some apple cider with him to ‘celebrate’ his favorite season, fall. 

        ���Let’s not beat around the bush,” he began. “You’ve got it.”

        You shifted uncomfortably and averted your gaze from his and chose to look into your apple cider than his eyes. “What?”

        “Reader,” Masky sighed as he sat up in his seat. “Please…”

        “It’s not that serious,” you attempted to retort. “It’s not… It’s not that bad.”

        “You’re delusional,” Masky said. “I saw the flowers in the trash bin.”

        You rolled your eyes but crossed your arms over your chest anyways in an attempt to soothe yourself. 

        “You know what happens, right?” He continued, leaning forward. “It either takes you or you get the surgery done.” 

        A pregnant pause passes before you reluctantly speak. 

        “Is… Is it really that bad?” 

        Masky nodded, “From experience? Yeah,” he mumbled. 

        You gave him a look of both sympathy and intrigue. 

        “The Operator forced me to get the surgery,” he admitted. 

        You look into his eyes and see for the first time that he’s empty. His dark brown eyes, that are full of amiability, protective nature, it’s all a front. He doesn’t actually feel that way - it is what is expected of him, but he is hollow. 

        “What happened?” You asked shyly, unsure if that’s too sensitive or not. 

        “I don’t quite remember as that’s an outcome of having the surgery,” Masky hummed. “But I remember that I loved him- I don’t feel it, obviously - but I remember that I loved him more than anything, would’ve moved mountains for him, and then he died,” he sounded vaguely perturbed by the words, but they did not reach his heart. “I think his name was Jay.” 

        You felt something pierce your heart, but it was interrupted by the flowers in your lungs blooming through your mouth. 

        Masky held you as you coughed petals and blood in the bathtub. 

        You promised Masky you were going to speak things over with Jack. You promised you were going to solve this. But when he spoke to you with his empty words coated in honey, the pain became too much to bear. It hurt. Seeing him hurt. Hearing him hurt.

        “Jack?” You ask quietly, slowly sitting up in the bed you shared with him, much too used to his arms not being slinked around your form by this point. 

        He roused slightly in the bed before he opened his eyes. “Yeah? What’s up?” He asks, a slight bite in his voice from being woken up. 

        “Can we talk about something?” 

        “Can’t it wait?” He sighs in a slightly exasperated tone. 

        You shake your head, and through the darkness, Jack’s form sloughs in defeat. 

        “What is it?” He asks. 

        “Are we okay?”

        “Of course we’re okay.”

        “Are you sure?”

        “Yes.”

        “Do you love me?” 

        “I love you more than anything,” he replies, hand gripping yours. 

        He feels like ice. 

        “And what about Leia?”

        “She’s a really good friend of mine.”

        He suddenly feels warm. 

        “I’m sorry for waking you.” 

        “It’s nothing, now go to sleep, baby. We can talk about this in the morning,” he says with a small yawn before falling back into the comfort of slumber. 

        Your other hand at this point, has wrapped over your mouth to stifle the sounds of silence and the threat of flowers crawling up from your esophagus. You suffer in silence for a few minutes until you’re certain he’s asleep, then quietly excuse yourself to the bathroom. 

        You begin to cough as softly as you can, not wanting to be a burden to anyone in the house as forget-me-nots begin to fill up the sink. Blood splatters on the porcelain as well as the mirror. Your eyes are full of tears. You feel cold, much too cold. 

        As you continue to empty your lungs in vain, the light flicks on. You’re in too much pain and absorbed in velvety petals to realize it at first. 

        “I thought I told you to handle this,” Masky’s exhausted voice chides gently, his eyes dipping to the mess you’ve left in the basin of the sink. 

        You grip the edge of the sink before hacking up the rest of what the garden in your lungs has to offer before slinking down to the tile floor, utterly exhausted. “Turn the light off,” you whisper. Your back rests against the tub. 

        Masky does as you ask, allowing the moonlight to overtake as the main source of light in the small bathroom. His shoulders sag slightly as he joins you on this floor, his arm around your shoulders. “Get some sleep,” he says softly, allowing you to rest your head on his shoulder. 

        You smile softly as the flowers continue to clog up your lungs. It looks like another fit is coming. 

        “Just let it pass,” he murmurs softly into your ear, his head resting loosely on top of yours as you attempt to suppress the flowers from reemerging. “It’ll be over soon.” 

        You move your eyes to look at his profile before you take in the scent of cigarettes. You continue to feel your lungs grow heavy with blossoms when you hear Leia’s door open. Her steps pad quietly along the wooden floor as she crosses the hall to the room you used to share with Jack. “You promise?” You manage to choke out before stifling your coughs as quietly as you can. Your eyelids are growing heavier. You can hear your heartbeat through your chest to the hallways of your ears. Leia has slipped into bed with Jack. You hear him shift. He’s holding her now. 

        “I promise,” he says gently, holding you just a little tighter. 

        You close your eyes and listen to Masky hum, hoping sleep washes over you soon.

[poppy-metal]

poppy please help me. im about to write a novel in your inbox, sorry in advance. the urge to write an entirely sfw fic with not a hint of spice but is weirdly hot is so.... so strong. lemme just pitch this to you because i can't get it out of my head.

okay so a classical music playlist for the story.

bakugou and reader both being from high-class families. very pride and prejudice esque where manners and the way you carry yourself is important. and the story begins with them meeting. and reader thinks that bakugou is rough and far too haughty and proud like he thinks he's above everyone because he has money. n reader is proper but likes what she likes and who she likes. they don't get along at all, finding themselves at odds in the way passive-aggressive victorian age people are.

overtime they meet again and again with an extreme distaste for each other and bakugou finds himself oddly intrigued with her but she wants nothing to do with him. so they stay at odds through the story like this until they're made to dance with each other one evening at a party.

and the penultimate scene in the fic is a ballroom dance where they spin around, waltzing to Canon in D Major, P.37. and it's just them and their thoughts about each other, replaying the times they'd met and interacted and slowly realizing that they're in love with each other.

n reader has a moment where she realizes that bakugou's hand is holding her's as if it's glass. like she'll shatter if he moves too suddenly. and even though it's calloused, she finds that there is something soft about it. and his grip on her waist is so gentle, like he's hovering above it, barely touching the middle of her back. she finds herself wanting him to pull her close, to feel the weight and heat of his palm through her dress.

he's so rough in manner and closed off, but as they dance and look into each other's eyes she finds that he has this unexpected softness to him. a gentle type of grace that she hadn't noticed before as they watch each other spin in a delicate balance. all those years of classical dance finally being of use in each other's arms because neither of them is clumsy and they're so in step despite never having been on the same page before.

n bakugou softens at the edges, straight neck slowly relaxing as he dances with her in slow step with the music. and he can't help but notice how beautiful she looks like this. the gentle curve of her cheek when she glances to the side or the slight crane in her neck as she looks up at him. bakugou can feel her fingers on his shoulder, how gently they rest on the fabric, so delicate and comforting. and she's so warm that he can feel it radiating off of her, even through each step and spin. and her hand is so small in his and it's ironic because he is worried that he might break it, break her somehow. and he can't deny how beautiful she looks in the dress she wore tonight, revealing her collarbones in a ladylike fashion. and he's worried that he'll slip up because reader's dress keeps hitting his legs where it collects gracefully at her ankles with each step.

and this dance shouldn't be fun, but it is. they're both straight-faced, watching each other with a hand on his shoulder as they both spin and fall deeper and deeper into each other. until the dance comes to an end and they realize that they're both in love with each other.

god, just a whole classical playlist where these feelings and the subtle appreciation they have for each other comes to gentle fruition with this song. a soft realization that they are in love.

help me. can u tell i'm in love with him?

Cal i am listening to the song rn as i type this and im so SOFT BECAUSE!! !!!!! can u imagine, the slow progression in the shift of his face, as this song progresses. please the notes are so gentle....can imagine the realization dawning slowly n he's looking at you and you're looking back. his eyes are soft in wonderment. adoration. he adores you. so much. n he's flitting through all the times in his head where you'd argued with eachother, that time you pushed him in a lake, that time when you both purposefully kept stepping on eachothers toes when you were practicing this very dance, but then there's also that time you both sat quietly under a willow tree and n he's remembering how the sun looked when it hit your face, drenched in soft glow. he remembers begrudgingly admitting to himself then that you were beautiful. you always had been but he hadn't let himself see beyond his disdain for you to really...grasp it. but he did then, even if he folded that thought away and tucked it into a corner of his mind where he was never supposed to open it again. but its all out in the open now.

n as the song comes to an end he's looking at you like you put the stars in the sky, and without realizing his thumb has moved to stroke your hip where one of his hands lie. his defenses aren't even up at the moment and neither are yours. when his lips part, the words slip out of them like honey, he hadn't even realized he was going to say them: "you're beautiful, y/n" you could steal all the suns light with your warmth alone.

he says it so tenderly and with conviction, his adams apple bobbing, eyes scanning your face, that you swallow too. the urge to make a sarcastic remark should be on the tip of your tongue, it usually always is, but it's nowhere to be found. just pure and utter, something. (Love, its love) his confession tugs your own from your lips, "so are you" said so quietly but genuinely. and the way his hand squeezes your hip, you swear you can feel it like liquid fire on your skin underneath the dress.

Its intimate the way you both slow your dance to a stop, other couples swirling around you like snowflakes. his eyes drop to your lips, and yours part , body going hot and molten the when his eyes dip lower, lower still. He swallows again, hand spasms against you, he feels too many things at once. "Y/n...I-"

"Can i have this dance?" You both start at the sudden interruption. Blinking as if coming up from a heady dream you look at....izuku.

[c-r-ash-crash]

New Life Chapter 4

Etho pushed himself to his feet, using the cave wall to steady himself. He rubbed at his face groggily. God, he hated moving to new servers. Especially if that server included permadeath. He slipped his mask on, and clipped his sword and makeshift scabbard onto his waist. He pulled on his gloves and rubbed the sleep from his eyes one last time. Up and at ‘em.

He marched out into the main room of the little shelter he and Bdubs had constructed the night before. He slipped silently into the small tunnel connecting the shelter to Bdubs’ tiny closet of a room. He stepped into the room and saw Bdubs passed out on the bed, sprawled out awkwardly. Etho couldn’t help a small smile at the sight. Then his hand brushed against his sword.

It would be so easy to kill Bdubs right now. His abdomen was completely unguarded, and there were no weapons within sight other than his own. It would be smart too. If what everyone else said was true, Bdubs was also on four lives. Taking one and knocking him down to his lime green life wouldn’t be a bad idea. He wouldn’t go red just yet, but he’d also be easier to take out if need be.

Etho shook his head, letting his hand fall back to the side. What was he thinking? He and Bdubs were allies. He couldn’t kill his fellow hermit. He wouldn’t kill him. Besides he wasn’t a red life yet. He wouldn’t be allowed to kill him. Not yet, at least.

Gently, Etho reached out his hand and shook Bdubs awake.

Grian rode through the forest, reins draped through his fingers. The horse he had found was a beautiful steed, snow white and muzzle speckled with spots of black and dark gray. His search for caves last night had been fruitless. But when he had found the horse, he had found a set of diamond armor tied to the creature's side. Part of Grian wondered if it was a gift from the universe. Most of him really, really hoped it wasn’t.

Suddenly, he heard two voices drifting through the trees. One was male, one was female. He recognized Scar’s voice instantly, and after a moment, he also recognized Lizzie’s. Quietly, he dismounted and wrapped the horse’s reins around a tree. “I’ll be back in a minute, buddy,” he murmured. Then he set off.

After a moment, the trees cleared to reveal a small river side beach and a cave plunging into the side of a small hill. Scar was sitting on the edge of the hill, and Grian could see a bright pink and blue smudge just inside the cave that must have been Lizzie. “You know, I’m actually the boogeyman,” Scar was saying. “So you should definitely give me a life.” Grian froze.

“Scar, don't joke about that!” he blurted out before he could stop himself. Scar leapt to his feet and Lizzie scrambled to see over the hill. “Oh, hey, Grian,” Scar said, grin growing wider. “Didn’t see you! Did you hear what I was telling Lizzie?” “About how you’re actually the boogeyman?” Grian said, eyebrow raised. “Do you even know what the boogeyman does?” “Well of course!” Scar said. “Then you know that if the boogeyman doesn’t kill someone in nine days then they become a red life?”

Scar’s face fell momentarily, horrified. But then his eyes lit up with mischief. Grian swore under his breath. “Of course I knew that,” Scar said, turning back to Lizzie. “Which is exactly why you should give me a life, Lizzie. If you do that then I won’t kill you this round.” “But why’s that such a big deal?” Lizzie asked. “I have plenty of lives to spare. It doesn’t really matter if you take one. Besides, this is just a game right?”

Grian flinched back, and Scar’s jaw tightened. “No, Lizzie,” he said quietly. “This is not ‘just a game.’” “Lizzie,” Grian explained, voice slightly pained. “If you lose all your lives, then you're dead. Like, permanently. It was a miracle we survived last time. I don’t know if the universe will let us come back this time.” The mood sombered. Lizzie simply stared as she processed what Grian had just said.

Then, suddenly, Scar clapped his hands together, startling the others out of their thoughts. “That’s exactly why you don’t want me to kill you, Lizzie,” he said. Suddenly, Grian had his arm caught in his grip and was pulling Scar into the trees. Scar stumbled along behind him, spluttering indignantly. Once they had reached the spot where Grian had left his horse, he shoved Scar up against a tree.

“This isn’t a game, Scar,” he growled. “Lizzie is a friend. And if she dies, she could die permanently. Don’t ever threaten people like that again. Our actions have actual consequences. This isn’t just some harmless scam you’re pulling. This is people’s lives, Scar. Do you not see how messed up that is?” Scar’s gaze hardened. “Grian, let me go. Now.” Grian didn’t move. “Grian,” Scar warned, much more firmly this time.

“Promise me,” Grian said, voice small and almost defeated. “Please, Scar. Promise you won’t pull a stunt like that.” “I promise,” Scar said. Grian didn’t notice the way he crossed his fingers as he spoke. Grian released his hold on Scar. Suddenly, Scar sprinted away and began untying Grian's horse from the tree. “What are you-” Grian said, but before he could finish the sentence, Scar was already galloping away.

Bdubs pressed his ear closer to the wall, listening for the tell-tale sound of lava. His brow furrowed, but then he pulled back. “This wall should be clear,” Bdubs said. “Who knows, maybe we’ll even get lucky and it’ll open into a cave.” Etho nodded silently, then gestured for Bdubs to move.

Bdubs stepped back as Etho raised his pick and brought it down on the rock face. A minute later, he had broken through the wall. He brushed away a few stray pieces of stone, and Bdubs tucked the item drops into his pocket. “Well, shall we see what’s on the other side?” Etho asked. Bdubs nodded, and slipped through the opening.

There was indeed a cave. Quickly, Bdubs propped a torch up against the wall, and scanned the area. He saw a few veins of iron and coal, but otherwise, nothing truly useful. “No diamonds in here,” he called back to Etho. “There’s some iron though if you want that.” “I think we’ve got bigger problems,” Etho said from right beside Bdubs. Bdubs jumped. “Geez,” he muttered. “How long were you standing there?” Then he noticed Etho was staring intently at a darkened corner of the cave.

Bdubs followed his gaze to see Tango and Skizz standing in the corner, hands on the hilts of their swords. “Oh, hey guys,” he greeted. “How long have you been in here?” “Couple hours,” Tango said evenly. “Stayed here once we heard you guys coming though. You might want to consider being more careful. After all, we only have so many lives.” Bdubs’ hand strayed towards his sword. “We do,” he said, a hint of threat creeping into his voice. “I would be pretty careful if I was you.”

Suddenly Etho broke in, trying to diffuse the tension. “So, how’s the resource gathering been going, gentlemen?” “Pretty good,” Skizz, still slightly cautious. “We found a couple of diamonds.” “Oh, really?” Etho said. Bdubs could practically see the gears turning behind his eyes. “How many?” “Four,” Skizz said with a shrug. “That means two each.”

Before anyone could blink, Tango was entangled in spider webs, another cobweb item floating in Etho’s hand. “Well, gentlemen, it’s wonderful that you’ve found some diamonds. But let me explain how this is gonna go,” the ninja said, calmly, tossing the cobweb from hand to hand. “One of us is the boogeyman. If you want to escape with your lives, you’ll hand over those diamonds.” “We don’t even know what the boogeyman is supposed to be,” Tango scoffed. “That’s hardly a threat.”

“Oh, I’m happy to explain,” Etho said. “You see, the boogeyman is someone randomly chosen by the server every nine days. And guess what? They get to kill people regardless of how many lives they have.” Bdubs felt sick. Etho was literally threatening to kill their friends. Did Etho know Bdubs was the boogeyman. If Bdubs really thought about it, his strategy was a good one. Someone on the server was allowed to kill, and no one knew who it was. Using that fact to get better resources was a good move. Bdubs tried desperately to ignore how vulnerable Tango was right now, how close at hand his sword was.

Skizz’s hand crept towards his sword. “Ah ah ah,” Etho warned. “There are two of us. One of you is trapped, and one of us is allowed to kill. I wouldn’t try anything Skizz.” Bdubs’ stomach began to turn. It would be so, so easy to kill Tango right now. He shoved the thought down.

“What’ll it be, gentlemen?” Etho said. Bdubs’ hand brushed over the hilt of his sword. Suddenly, he drew it, and Skizz and Tango flinched back. He cut the webs away from Tango. “Get out of here,” he ordered. Tango and Skizz didn’t protest, sprinting out of the cave. Bdubs watched them go. The headache from yesterday was returning. He ignored how feverish his skin felt, ignored the growing nausea in his stomach. He should have killed Tango.

Pearl added another layer of stone to the small platform she and Scott had made. He was a few blocks above her, scanning the nearby forest for any signs of other players. She glanced up, ready to ask him what he was seeing, but stopped when she saw his expression.

He was sitting despondent on the edge of the platform, twisting his crown between his hands, rubbing his thumb over the rim. The poppy he had picked earlier was sitting by his side, seemingly forgotten. What had happened between him and Jimmy earlier. Clearly they had been friends, at least once upon a time. But it was clear that wasn’t the case anymore, or at least Jimmy hadn’t wanted that to be the case. She watched as Scott’s fists curled around the crown. He looked as if he wanted to fling it away. But after a moment, he relaxed. Pearl sighed affectionately, and began clambering up the tower.

Before she reached the tower however, she heard the sound of horse hooves, and glanced down to see Scar riding a beautiful white horse. “Hey, Scar!” she called down. Scar startled, but then he too called down to Scar. “Hey guys!” Scar called up. “What’re you up too?” “Just a quick break,” Pearl said, dropping back down to the lower half of the platform. “Nice, nice,” Scar said. “Say, Pearl, I can’t help but notice you’re on your dark green life.”

“I am,” Pearl said, not missing the way Scott’s hand drifted to the bow slung across his back. “Well, that means you have a few lives to spare,” Scar said. “You know, we have a give life command now, so you can just transfer lives to each other.” “Oh, really?” Pearl said. “And I assume you want me to transfer you a life?”

“Well, of course,” Scar said. “But if you need some extra incentive, I’m also the boogeyman.” “What does that mean?” Scott asked warily. “It means I’m allowed to kill you.” Pearl froze. Casually, Scott unslung his bow. “Lot of good that does you,” he said. “It’s two versus one. Besides we’re up here and I have a bow.” Scar’s face fell. Then, they heard the sound of soft humming drifting across the clearing. A few minutes later, Jimmy appeared at the edge of the little field. Scar’s face lit up. “You may be safe but Jimmy’s not,” he said. “What?” Jimmy asked, startled by the sudden acknowledgement of his presence.

“Hey, Jimmy,” Scar greeted. “Have you heard of the wonderful give life command?” “I have actually,” Jimmy said, pleased. “I bumped into Grian earlier. He told me about it.” “Well, then, surely you already know how to use it,” Scar said. “I’m not giving you my life Scar,” Jimmy said. “Would it convince you if I told you that I’m the boogeyman?” Scar said, a bit of menace creeping into his voice. “I could just kill you if I wanted too.”

Pearl didn’t miss the way Scott instantly loaded an arrow and aimed it at Scar’s head. “I’m not giving you a life, Scar,” Jimmy said again, a bit more nervously this time. “‘Cause then I’ll be on my red life, and I really don’t think anyone wants that. I have a spyglass, though.” There was silence for a moment, but then Scar shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll accept that.” Jimmy tossed it to Scar, and scampered off as quickly as he could.

Pearl didn’t miss how Scott waited until both Jimmy and Scar were out of sight before he let himself relax.

Grian clambered up the hill to the enchanting table that marked spawn. He opened the book that lay in the center of the table, and smeared lapis dust across his sword. He began to speak the enchantment, but suddenly, he heard something hit the ground behind him. He whirled around, brandishing the sword but relaxed when he saw Etho.

“Man, Etho, we really need to put a bell on you,” he joked. “Please don’t” Etho said lightly. “That sounds like it’d be a nuisance.” “Yeah, but you couldn’t scare the rest of us half to death all the time.”

Etho rolled his eyes, and tossed a crafting table to the ground. “Bdubs, where are you?” he called down the hill. “I’m here, I’m here,” Bdubs complained, appearing as he spoke. “Cool,” Etho said. “You can get our stuff enchanted after Grian.” Bdubs nodded. “Tables free,” Grian said, resheathing his sword. “I see your resource gathering has been going well.” “Yeah,” Bdubs said, rubbing lapis across his and Etho’s swords. “Took us a while to find diamonds, but eventually we did.” “Nice,” Grian said. “What are you making, Etho?” “Jukebox,” Etho said, tossing the item to the ground as he did so. “Yeah, we found this really cool music disc earlier.”

Etho slipped the disc into the jukebox and eerie music began to echo throughout the night. “You know,” Etho said. “Whenever you hear this, someone’s about to die.” Grian burst out laughing. “Oh man,” Grian said. “Please tell me one of you is the boogeyman so we can make this happen.” “You’re correct,” Bdubs said.

Suddenly, a sword was slashing across Grian’s chest. “Wait what?” Grian said stumbling, fumbling to draw his own sword. Before he could do anything though, Bdubs made another thrust at him, piercing his shoulder. Grian turned tail and spirited away. He reached the edge of the river, and was about to jump into the water when a sword plunged into his back and through his chest.

Grian was slain by Bdoubleo100.

[straightlikewetspaghetti]

Detective, Stripper and Executioner

Pairings:

Main: Poppy x MC (Bea Hughes)

Secondary: Veronica x Zoey, Ina x MC (mentioned)

Warnings: Mature themes, mention of death

A/N: I wrote this after I hit my head, so don't mind me 🙈

The sun was already going down to let the moon shine in the sky, when Bea Hughes threw out a still smoldering cigarette on one of the city streets.

"I thought you quit."

The brunette turned at the sound of a familiar voice and saw her best friend and partner she could only dream of, smiling in her direction. She and Zoey were practically an inseparable duo after they graduated and lived together for a short time.

At the police station, they were second to none.

Zoey, was the best at talking and getting information, even the toughest guys are no match for her charm and cunning. Bea, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of her partner: cool and composed, with a hint of madness that was her ace up her sleeve.

Everything changed after a certain event that shook Bea's world and made her resign from the service for some time and completely cutting herself off from public life. The situation was so dramatic that the woman even pushed away her best friend, whom she damn well needed at the time.

But Zoey understood.

She always knew that what brought the two of them together was stronger than titanium and that they would always find a way to get back together. She loved her like sister and couldn't imagine life without Bea's sarcastic and cold comments.

"Because I dropped it." the brunette shrugged her shoulders, a smile visibly pulling at the corners of her mouth, just as a pleasant feeling grated on her heart. "On the ground, didn't you see?"

Zoey couldn't hold it in and laughed ruefully. Bea wasn't entirely sure if it was from her idiotic joke or just the fact that they were finally seeing each other. It had been a long time since she had felt such inner peace and happiness as she did now, listening to the black-haired girl laugh.

"Zoey, it's really good to see you." she walked up to the woman and gave her a friendly hug, letting the contact last minimally longer than usual.

"I wish the situation was different." the black-haired woman sighed deeply and her cheerful expression changed to one of clearly painted fatigue, which didn't escape Bea's attention as she nodded thoughtfully.

It wasn't until she got closer that she could see how big the bags under her eyes were and how much her eyes had lost their natural youthful glow. Bea felt guilty that because of her, Zoey was sure to have a lot more work to do, which even aged her mildly in appearance.

Bea is not the emotional type, but she was really worried about her friend.

"Detective Hughes, Wade." a feminine authoritarian voice interrupted their conversation and both women visibly tensed. Zoey straightened immediately as Bea slid her hands into the pockets of her coat. This is going to be good.

A woman with light brown hair and skin as white as milk, whose beauty rivaled that of many goddesses, walked toward them. The way she walked exuded power and dominance, making the heads of onlookers automatically turns in her direction. Everything from her feet to the top of her head had to be perfect.

“Chief Kingsley! How nice to see you." despite the cheerful tone with which Zoey spoke those words, the note of sarcasm was impossible to miss. The black-haired woman shifted from foot to foot, visibly troubled by the presence of the third woman.

Bea only watched Ina with cool, calculating eyes, who did not even take her eyes off her from the beginning. The woman hadn't changed since the last time they'd seen each other, and that was when the brunette had the opportunity to get to know her up close. Very close.

To this day, the scent of Ina's perfume could be smelled on her bed sheets.

She cringed as inappropriate memories began to flood her consciousness, stimulating something in her that she didn't want. There was no time for weakness in the workplace and women and romance were the worst of them.

"Who's the victim?" she asked once she was sure her voice wouldn't break under the strain of the very upsetting emotion that like a virus, had seeped into her system and was slowly wearing it out.

"Ford Tuantie, 28, single with a definite overactive sex life. He was strangled."

Another female voice interjected before Ina had time to say anything and the startled women flinched at the sound of it.

"Jesus!" Zoey was horrified, jumping away from the woman kneeling on the ground. "You should walk with a bell around your neck!" How long have you been here?" she asked surprised to see Veronica carefully scanning every last detail of the victim's body, furrowing her brows every now and then in wonder.

Veronica Lombardi was one of the best pathologists in the entire country. Her work ethic was as impeccable as the room she worked in. Her only flaw was her sharp temper, which she considered her greatest asset and source of pride.

The only person who was able to bend her was Bea. Though lately, Zoey's been doing it. On many levels.

"All the time, that's the job." she shrugged her shoulders without taking her eyes off the victim. "You'd know if you were doing yours properly." She added teasingly, winking at the woman. A red blush of embarrassment spread across Zoey's face.

Ina grunted loudly, visibly annoyed by the spectacle.

She stepped between the two women and focused her attention on Veronica, who made no secret of the fact, that she would be most happy to ignore her. "You mentioned about a sex life?"

Bea moved away a piece further, dragging an even redder Zoey with her to question potential witnesses to the incident, leaving the two women alone with each other. The tension between them was highly visible. Anyone who worked with them knew, that Ina and Veronica together, were only good at jumping down each other's throats.

"The man lying here is a perfect example of why I prefer women." she said proudly, tilting her head slightly to the side and tucking the genetic sample into a container.

"To the point, Lombardi." Ina snorted visibly disturbed by her subordinate's unnecessary comments.

"Of course." Veronica rolled her eyes discreetly. "I found several sachets of condoms in his pockets. In addition to the strangulation marks on his neck, there are visible scars on his body from fingernails, rather feminine if I may add." seeing the chastising gaze of her superior again, Veronica only sighed.

Ina nodded and walked around the man's body looking for any particular clues, but was unable to see anything special.

"He still had this in his pocket." Veronica carefully handed the woman a crumpled paper, which when unfolded turned out to be a flyer for an exclusive adult club in a nearby area.

After a brief examination, Ina nodded in acknowledgement and approached Zoey, who was talking animatedly with the witness, almost giving the impression that she was flirting with him.

"Wade, you and Hughes go to the strip club where our victim was last seen alive." just as Veronica had earlier, the woman held out her hand with the flyer and showed it to the black-haired woman, who scanned it with a sharp eye in a flash.

Zoey's eyes lit up and she had to concentrate hard not to show her superior how happy she was to be going to such a club. There's rarely time to relax in a job like this, so every opportunity like this is worth its weight in gold.

Plus, sexy women.

"Oh god, stop drooling already Wade." Ina crossed her arms over her chest, chastisingly looking at the woman standing in front of her. She never would have expected to be assigned a bunch of kids like that. "Pathetic." she chuckled as she walked away, leaving Zoey alone with herself.

***

"You'll like this." Zoey said excitedly, parking the work car in front of the large building from which the hushed rumble of music could be heard.

"A strip..." Bea said grimly as she turned her attention to the large led sign with the outlines of a cocktail and a naked woman. "Club." she finished looking towards her partner, who was looking impatiently at the large door leading to the supposed paradise.

"Well don't tell me it won't be interesting!" Zoey darted out leaving the dazed brunette behind and without looking back, disappeared into the fog and the glow of dim red lights.

Bea didn't like places like this; loud, overcrowded and dripping with visible sexual tension. The music rumbling in the distance made her slightly dizzy, and the thick fake fog floating around, limited her vision.

It was distracting, and the last thing she needed was trouble focusing on her work.

Having trouble finding her partner, Bea leaned against the nearest pillar and scanned her, surroundings once more, this time more calmly. Her gaze stopped on a single dancer who, for some reason, particularly caught her attention.

The woman's cascade of blonde hair glinted in the muted red light, imitating as if sparks were dancing between the strands. She wore a carnival mask over her face, but Bea was sure she was the most recognizable figure here. Her shapely body bent to the rhythm of the music, intimidating everyone who looked at her with its divinity.

In front of the stage was quite a large crowd of fans, who surprisingly were able to stand on their own feet.

As if sensing the brunette's gaze on her, the woman raised her head, crossing their gazes: hers mysterious and inviting, Bea's cool but excited.

The blonde winked flirtatiously, definitely sensing how Bea was responding to her hypnotic hip movements, which, accompanied by slow, sexual music, were impossible to look away from.

A slightly out of breath Zoey interrupted their moment, as she shielded her view of the stage and made Bea snap out of her strange trance.

"We're looking for a dancer nicknamed Queen B. Blonde hair, mostly performs in pink lingerie and a tiara on her head. She's supposedly very popular here, so I think we'll have no problem finding her."

"Not even a little bit." whispered Bea, who, without saying anything else, began to head towards the stage where the woman they were looking for had just danced. A strange feeling of indefinable excitement grew in Bea with every step, that brought her closer to meeting this mysterious Queen B.

As she walked backstage, a sweet rose scent hit her nostrils, enveloping her senses and making her slightly dull. How long had it been since she had smelled such a sexy feminine perfume? And how long had it been since the last time anyone had affected her in any way other than repulsive?

"I knew you'd come here." an especially lowered female voice echoed through the room, causing the women's heads to immediately turn in its direction.

From a distance Queen B was phenomenal, but up close she was arousing feelings of such intense lust in Bea, that she had not yet felt with any other woman. She almost felt guilty. Almost.

Zoey looked questioningly at her partner, but when she looked away, she smiled in understanding. This would be fun to watch.

"I'm detective Hughes, and this is detective Wade." she nodded in Zoey's direction, trying to ignore with how much curiosity the blonde's eyes were skimming over her body. "We're here to ask about your yesterday's client, a certain Ford Tuantie."

The blonde mused for a moment tilting her head to the side and revealing a piece of her slender neck. If Bea could read women's language, she would have thought she was doing it on purpose to distract her.

"Ah yes, Ford." she began, completely changing her tone of voice to a more formal one.

She stretched out in one of the comfortable looking pink couches and indicated to the others to sit too. Without a word of objection Zoey and Bea complied with the woman's silent request and followed suit, occupying the sofa next to her. The blonde seemed very pleased with herself for some reason, but her face became formal again.

This woman's ability to change her emotions was remarkable.

"Ford and a couple of his colleagues were popular VIPs here. From what I recall, they even formed a club for themselves." the woman shifted her leg over and clenched her thighs together, absolutely certain that Bea would take notice.

She wasn't wrong.

"When was the last time you saw him?" asked Zoey, noticing how Bea was focused on everything else but the blonde's words, which was totally unlike her.

But that was the truth. Bea watched diligently as the woman's full and seductive lips spoke words, whose meaning didn't even reach her in the slightest. It was like a charm had taken hold of her, and she didn't want to look for an anti-spell.

How many lonely nights had it been?

"Today he was here for a while. As I think about it now, he was clearly arguing with one of the members of this club of theirs. It almost would have come to hand-to-hand, but the security here is very good. Nothing goes unnoticed here." again that cursed wink, as if the last part of her statement, was specifically directed at Bea.

"The bartender can tell you more, he heard the whole incident and I don't like to gossip. I'm a fan of discretion." a flirtatious smile, flutter of eyelashes. Women who know how their charm works on others, are damn dangerous.

Zoey nodded and rose first from the couch. "We'll contact you if we have any other questions, thank you." without looking back the woman left the room. Her behavior worried Bea, who saw the strange look Zoey gave the two of them, before she disappeared back into the depths of the club.

Bea moved to follow her, but something stopped her. Obviously.

"Detective?"

She closed her eyes taking a deep breath. How could one stupid word she said, have more of an impact on her, than her entire previous relationship? She clenched her hands into fists feeling the blonde's gaze burn a hole in her back, but said nothing, waiting for the other to continue.

A strange silence descended on the room, not even drowned out by the rumbling music from the main room and the whistling of the men. At this point, the two of them were in a completely different reality, which was even more dangerous than coming face to face with a murderer. Or rather, that's how Bea felt when she began to hear the clatter of heels heading her way.

She turned on her heel and immediately her neck was encircled by the blonde's arms, which clung to the brunette's stiff body. Fortunately, Bea had her poker face trained, so when she looked down at the satisfied blonde, her expression betrayed no emotion, not even the slightest.

"I'm here almost every day." she muttered and her hot breath brushed against the brunette's neck, a pleasant lightning bolt coursing through her body.

Bea had to use all her rationality to disentangle herself from her embrace and move away, instead of pressing into her inviting lips. She momentarily felt the absence of this woman at her side. She cursed in her mind at her weakness. She was acting like a horny teenager.

Queen B rolled her eyes playfully and bit her lower lip. Now she looked like a child, who was trying with all its might to solve a mathematical equation on its own, but no matter how much it wanted to, it couldn't. After a few moments, her face clouded over, which completely knocked her out of her character.

"Be careful, Detective Hughes. There's more going on here, than you think." was it possible that worry was painted on her face?

"What do you mean?" she asked, but the woman's face returned to its previous flirty expression and Bea knew she wouldn't get her answer, and she didn't have time to force it.

Turning around, she walked out of the room this time, squinting to find Zoey. She didn't spot her anywhere so she figured the black-haired girl would be waiting for her outside.

When she emerged from the club the moon was already towering in the sky and the air was cool and refreshing.

Zoey leaned against the hood of the car, moving her leg every now and then as if in nerves. She looked mightily pissed off and Bea was sure it was her behavior, that had caused the black-haired girl to be in this state now. If she had heart, it would have broken in half at the thought of the conversation, that was probably about to take place.

"Damn it Bea!" irritation in her voice was definitely noticeable. "Get a grip on yourself, you're a detective, not a frisky teenager! People's safety is in our hands!"

Jealousy?

"I know I acted unreasonably, which could have affected our investigation, I really do." Bea said cautiously, but the trigger had already set off much earlier and steam was almost coming out of Zoey's nostrils. There were moments when the black-haired woman scared her to the core and right now, the brunette would most like to hide inside her four walls.

"You don't know shit Bea..." in the blink of an eye her voice went to the verge of crying, as if all the negative emotions that had been accumulating during their separation had just exploded and pierced the fake facade of her composure. "That day, you weren't the only one who lost someone. I lost someone too." tears began to drip from Zoey's eyes, which Bea felt like wiping away, but she didn't move. "My best friend."

Those words hit her right in the feels.

"Zoey..." Bea said her name in a pleading tone, which worked the other way and upset the black-haired woman again.

"I don't feel like talking to you anymore tonight." those were the last words Bea expected to hear. She had an incredible urge to run up to her, hug her and apologize for all those moments of separation, but she respected her too much to invade her space

As the black-haired woman approached the car the deafening silence was pierced by a terrible bang, followed by Zoey's body falling to the ground, motionless, with a loud thud.

"Zoey!"

[dibberdipper]

Where to go next (Part 2 of cheap frat party beer)

Pairing: Poppy x MC (Bea Hughes)

Warnings: Comfort, implied past sex, language

Word count: 2,000

Summary: When kickoff day is over and everyone’s going home, two girls walk around in the street enjoying each other’s company until they have to fight at school again tomorrow.

Authors note at the end

Bea watched the blonde-haired girl angrily stomp away. She’s recognized the kind of person she is-

She’s a spoiled rich brat who just minutes prior threw a tantrum just because Belvoire’s newest farm girl won over the student body. Bea was undeniably attracted to Poppy, it’s been known at this point. But she wanted nothing more than to take her down. What goes without saying, she wanted the top spot. What made things complicated was she also wanted the girl in the top spot.

They never talked about that shared night in the dorm room, how even after they did the deed they stayed to cuddle. The school’s top rivals were cuddling. Poppy got back with Carter, and Bea felt like there was nothing she could say or do about it. So maybe there was just a little hint of spite involved.

She was on her way back to her and Zoey’s shared place but hesitated to keep going. A certain moment in the day kept plaguing her mind. Poppy just broke up with Carter today. For her reputation, this was the perfect chance to date the school’s football team captain. Carter was attractive, he was sweet… but her mind kept lingering to his ex-girlfriend. She knew it was evil, but she hoped she’d actually stay his ex-girlfriend this time.

She already knew she could surpass Poppy in a week tops, why not try to get in deeper with Poppy now? Worst case scenario, Poppy could embarrass and expose her. But even then, Bea just didn’t really care. She could probably get more momentum in some way and try to make the whole ‘Farmgirl simps for the queen of the school”. On the other hand, best-case scenario, Carter may be out of a girlfriend while she just got one.

As she took her phone out of her pocket, she walked away from her dorm. She could already hear Zoey’s lecture later onto why she left alone without any backup. She went to Poppy’s Instagram page and slid right into her DMs.

“wanna meet later”

She didn’t even wait a second for her reply, it was immediate.

“excuse me???? hell no”

“why not :(”

“have u met me? no”

Bea thought about what to say next when her phone came up with another notification.

“ok how do I know you won’t show up without your bootleg media manager”

Bea rolled her eyes as she kept typing. Okay, she’s crossing her fingers that Poppy does have a secret soft spot somewhere under her blunt rudeness. She couldn’t expect Zoey to support her and Poppy if Poppy couldn’t even treat Zoey with bare minimum respect.

But then again, who says there’s even a relationship.

“how do I know you won’t show up without any of your minions? oh wait they left :(“

She could already see Poppy’s fingers angrily tapping her phone.

Bea came up with an idea that’ll hopefully make things more fun for the both of them that won’t lead to screaming over DMs.

“here, i’ll drop my number so we can FaceTime each other on our way to McDonald’s. foolproof”

“🤢🤢🤢 barf, no”

“Who would expect Poppy Min-Sinclair at a McDonald’s?”

She didn’t get anything back until she got an unknown number trying to FaceTime her. She smiled to herself as she took out her earphones and answered.

“Hey gorgeous-“

“Who do you think you are?! Asking me to meet up after humiliating me?!”

She only saw her neck up, a deep red wool scarf covering up the lower side of her face. She was also adorned in an ugly mud brown hat.

“Poppy I-“

“To think I actually slept with yo-“

“Poppy sweetie, you should be a little quieter on the streets in NYC. Just a little tip.” Bea said laughing, as Poppy flushed. Bea obviously had a view of the buildings behind Poppy.

Poppy huffed. “I might as well not even talk to you on the phone, you’re being such a bitc-“

Poppy heard footsteps behind her and slowly turned around her.

“Then you don’t have to!”

Poppy was so startled she almost fell, and her hat fell off. She put a hand over her heart and took a deep breath.

“Bea! You scared me!”

Bea picked the hat up from off the ground and placed it back on her head.

“Whoops. Sorry.”

Bea looked Poppy over, and now she got to see along with the hat and scarf, she was wearing a tan dress coat with dark brown boots. She looked like a stereotypical cartoon character in a disguise minus the glasses with a mustache attached, plus the tacky hat. There was something charming about her attempt to look less suspicious.

Poppy glared at her but slowly her expression softened.

“Here, I brought these.”

She handed her matching sunglasses, they had some sort of brand name that Bea couldn’t recognize on them.

“Awww babe you brought us matching sunglasses?”

“Don’t think you can just call me babe, I’m pissed at you.”

Poppy crossed her arms after slipping her sunglasses, looking away in annoyance. Bea could’ve apologized or whatever, but the way she said it as if she did nothing riled her up.

“You shouldn’t have tried to sabotage me, sweetie.” Bea said as she slipped her matching pair of sunglasses on.

Poppy wrinkled her nose in anger.

“Then you shouldn’t have tried to upstage me.”

“Here how about this Poppy, we’ll say sorry on three?”

“Okay.” Poppy said uncrossing her arms. Bea felt her eyes on her through the sunglasses.

“One…two…three…”

They waited for one of them to say sorry, but none of them did. They left each other hanging.

They kept eye contact and started laughing. Almost as if they were moving on their own, still laughing, they interlocked fingers and started walking. Poppy laid her head on Bea’s shoulder.

“Ugh, do we still have to go to McDonald's? “

“I guess not. Where do you want to go then?

“I don’t mind just walking.”

They walked, enjoying their shared silence as if they were just two girls holding hands because they liked each other. They both individually loved their reputations, socializing, but at the end of the day, it’s probably the only thing keeping them apart. The school is watching for a catfight, not a love story.

“Bea, why did you really call me here?”

“I just wanted to talk.” Bea replied.

Poppy lifted her head away.

“Ask me ten questions, and I’ll ask you ten questions after.” She remarked.

“Poppy, are you really trying to get to know me through a trivial game?” Bea said.

“You do know that’s one question down, right?” Poppy smirked.

“Oh come one, you’re not going to seriously count that as a question.” Bea said in annoyance.

“Ah, that’s two.” Bea scoffed at her statement, but Poppy giggled in reply. Time seemed to stop every time Poppy genuinely laughed, almost as if the world knew that was the only time she looked truly innocent.

“Okay I’ll stop teasing you, you can ask. But you only have eight questions left.”

Bea squeezed her hand, as she looked around trying to think of one.

“Cats or dogs?”

“That’s seriously what you’re asking?”

“Sue me, but you can tell a lot about a person by which one they prefer.”

Poppy was silent for a moment.

“I wanted a cat when I was younger, but my mom’s allergic.”

“Ah okay. Next question I guess. Look I know we’ve done things, and you dated Carter, but I don’t want to assume anything. Are you bi?”

Poppy winked at her. “Let’s just say I listen to girl in red.”

Bea rolled her eyes but laughed.

“Okay, five more questions I guess. Coke or Pepsi.”

Poppy didn’t miss a beat. “White wine. Why drink those when you have a wine cooler?”

Bea punched her arm playfully. “Hey, your ‘too cool for soda’ rich kid is showing.”

They both laughed among each other.

“I mean I don’t have any more questions except one I guess.”

“Please do ask.” Poppy said, moving her hands upwards to clutch onto her arm.

“Have you even tried McDonald’s?”

“I’ve dated Carter, I went with him and I’ve come to the conclusion that almost none of their food looks like their advertising.” Poppy said.

“Well do you have a favorite fast food place? Or are you simply too fancy?”

Poppy looked around for a moment.

“You tell anyone and I swear to whatever God is out there Bea Hughes, I’ll make you pay.”

Bea started laughing, covering her hand over her mouth this time trying not to annoy other passers among them, previous people shooting them glares for being so damn loud.

“Okay, you have to tell me now.” Bea said finally calming her giggles.

She noticed Poppy’s face glow with a red tint as she buried herself in her scarf.

“After my first break up in high school, I ate at Wendy’s. It’s now my guilty pleasure.”

“I’ve actually never had Wendy’s.” Poppy gaped at Bea in surprise.

“Why? How could you not!”

“In my hometown, I mainly had food from mom and pop type diners and restaurants, you know?”

Poppy felt herself burn inside. On her first day of school, she relentlessly went at her for where she came from. Poppy let go of her arm and took a deep breath. As much as she could’ve never said this, the over-attachment she’s already grown so much to this girl couldn’t let her brush it off.

“Poppy are you oka-“ Before Bea could finish, Poppy interrupted her.

“I’m sorry for being such a piece of shit to you. Hell, I’m kind of a piece of shit to everyone.” Poppy tried to hold it in, but a tear or two slipped past and left streaks on her cheeks.

“Poppy…” Bea sighed.

“I’m not going to pretend and tell you you’re forgiven or that you haven’t been a real bitch to everyone. But I mean, who am I to judge? I’m not any better than you.”

Poppy looked up at her through her glasses, she didn’t even feel like being defensive. She knew she was right.

“One part of me wants to believe you have some sort of secret soft side, but I know that’d be me making up some other version of you. I want to get to know you, know every deep secret you have, I want to know all the little quirks that make you…you. But another part of me wants to be that power couple I’ve always selfishly wanted.”

Poppy felt the tears being unleashed. Carter was always sweet to her, pampered her even, he’s an amazing guy. But for some reason, this very moment meant so much to her than anything else.

“Would you… want to date me one day?” Poppy slipped the words out as she wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve.

Bea thought to herself for a few minutes, making Poppy shrink in paranoia as to what her response might be.

“We both need to grow first. I want to get better for you, and I want you to be satisfied enough in your life to not seek validation within some college ranking system.” As much as the words stung, Poppy nodded.

Bea looked down at Poppy and she stopped in her steps. She pulled her away from the sidewalk and closer to the wall of whatever building was next to them. She held her hands in hers.

“Instead of asking me ten questions, you know what you could do for me?”

Poppy looked at her puzzlingly.

“You know… you could kiss me.” Poppy giggles uncharacteristically in reply.

“Close your eyes.” Bea’s eyelids fluttered down. Poppy stood on her tippy toes and placed her lips on hers. It was different from that first night. Instead of sexual tension and passion, it was soft. As fun as that night was, she could say she preferred this one in a heartbeat. She pulled away as she something vibrate in her back pocket.

“Bea where are you??? Not to be a mom, but weren’t you supposed to get here a while ago?”

“Oh shit.” Bea accidentally said aloud”

“What is it?” Poppy said suddenly looking at her phone to see what she was looking at.

“I forgot to tell Zoey I was going out.”

“You forgot?!” Bea felt so stupid, as she went on her Uber app.

“I’ll get us both an Uber and I’ll walk you to your floor so you’ll be safe okay?”

Poppy sighed dejectedly. “Okay.”

“You do know you could keep your lips on mine in the Uber, right?”

Poppy smiled at her.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

________________________________________________________

okay I just wanted to say 😳😳

i have another Poppy x MC WIP but as soon as i read chapter 4 of Queen B I just h a d to write this

because first of all, it was intended to be a one-shot but a couple of people asked and I had no idea how to start it but chapter 4 gave me life so here we are

thanks for reading 🥰

Tagging (Message if you want to be added or removed please!!)

Thank you for reading! Tagging: @lolimugly @origmansello @everythingchoices @lonewolf751 @lavenderrtown @save-me-the-last-dance @priestess-of-light @otakufangirl-12 @vampiregirlsblog @princessstellaris @somewillwin @grapecaseschoices @mvalentine @greatestflirt-hero @sugarplumpnhoneybun @ognenniyvolk @coldbatfriendroad @that-one-choices-person @drethanramslay @queensayeed @kawaiibanditmoneytaco @rotten-teddy-bear @aguywiththreepairsofglasses @elijahmessenger @ritafarrr @erza-elcy-crimson @poshbiscuit @generaldameronss @adrianadmirer @everythingchoices @imturasgirl @noesapphic

(psa if you weren’t tagged but you wanted to be please message, i have bad WiFi so I might not see some people asking until later on)

[abloomntime]

A Bloom In Time Ch31 Meeting The Moonjumper P2

( Hey Guys. Sorry this chapter took so long. It's still my personal headcannon that the Twilight Bell takes you to the Horizon. The song Hattie is the unused song about the Moonjumper.)

How could she have not see all the thing's lining up with what he had said done, and what other's had said about him?! How could Poppy been so blind out what was staring at her before her very eyes?! Sleep didn't come to her that night, and she found herself staring at the dark ceiling. The final pieces of the puzzle fitting together as she remembered all the scenarios that gave away Snatcher's identity.

When she first glimpsed him at the manor. The brown hair was...P-Philip's. It was like everyone's voices and actions were being replayed back through her head with every moment of foreshadowing, hints, and puzzle pieces finally being put back together-

"Hey! I know who can help! Snatcher can!! He's really, REALLY old too and he should what to do!! Come on! He had to deal with being frozen and Vanessa just like you!" Hattie had given her the first major clue to it all. He had to deal with being froze to death AND Vanessa because he was the one who took the brunt of Vanessa's rage. "Hey! I know what can help a little bit. Y-You like flowers right?" He had a flash of panic fly over his face for a moment before he coughed and shrugged. "You said you had a flower stand before Vanessa sent her goons to take you right? O-Obviously you must've liked growing things then. Or at least flowers." That....THAT PECKING PECKNECK KNEW ALL ALONG SHE LOVED FLOWERS!! HE PECKING KNEW!! "We're all that's left and you should accept that's how it is now before you get hurt. Believe me the sooner you do the sooner everything starts to get better for you." "Hey. I can understand that. Believe it or not you're not the only one who's gone through that kind of thing....I'm certainly no stranger to feeling like that. In fact it took me forever literally just to realize my place after I got lost," "Ok. To make it in mushier terms..I DO want to help you ok. Believe it or not I do and I have my reasons. But you gotta know I can't change the past no matter what. Trust me I have TRIED and look where that got me. Stuck fused with a mushy corpse and having to lead a whole bunch of strangers through the forest like a tour guide." he glanced at her confusion again. "Uh..B-But that's not important. The important thing is that I can't change or fix anything that's already happened alright? I can't send you back. I can't give you anything from your old life......And I can't change what happened to you." Her face dropped and eyes widened even more- "But, I can help make the future easier and help you with whatever you need to settle down with alright? But you got to understand that it's NOT just going to be with a snap of my fingers. I know, I've experienced it for hundreds of years. Just know that...You're not going to be alone in any of this alright?" "No. You were right the first time. She was always a monster, it just took her a while to show everyone what was really inside. So don't give her any credit. She was never a queen, just a spider wearing a pretty mask." "I-I...I know exactly how you feel." He scowled. "Yeah. I know EXACTLY how that feels. Vanessa took everything from me too when she froze everything!" He growled and his grip on her became a bit tighter if he was being a lil protective. "I pecking didn't see it coming until it froze me right before my very eyes! I died before my life even took off the ground and now I'm stuck like this....But you aren't." He ...attempted a smile. "Listen, Poppy. I'm not good at this speaking from the heart stuff, but Im pretty good at speaking from experience stuff. So trust me when I saw you still got your whole life plus more ahead of you. It's....probably going to take a while for you to process this properly and start to move on like I did." "Look. I ....can't change the past no matter how badly I want to. But I can change the future, and so can you. Think of all the things you can do now without anyone to hold you back!" He might've been speaking from what he perceived as a positive but she gave him a funny look. "Uh...By that I mean vanessa of course. She's not holding you prisoner anymore." "I stumbled across him a few times coming up here to visit. Hmph! He's very rude and always steals any dish I make with bacon when he's around me cooking. Quite the oddball out if ya'll ask me." P-Philip ....LOVED bacon. And Vanessa banned bacon from their kingdom around the time she died. "Of course I can! I made the kids all those clothes and my minions their highly durable bodies." ""YOU painted all of these?" she asked gawking at him His smile widened more smug if that was possible. "Yep. And those." He pointed to the left wall wear there was five giant paintings behind the space cow mobile. He then pointed behind her. "And the ones right behind you." Now that Poppy thought about it hard, she faintly recalled Philip learning embroidery from his mother and taking a liking to hobbies like painting and reading books. Both of which he did and you can CERTAINLY learn to sew along with embroidery. "How do you know that?," she asked genuinely confused. "UH....I- Um-....I-I-I was there when he was killed." He still eyed her for a moment before looking to the floor unable to look her in the eyes anymore. ".......Vanessa killed him. Just like she did to everyone else....a-a-and y-y-you...." "Just like you. She locked him away until everything froze over. Vane-.....That MONSTER!'', he spat hand slightly tightening as he scowled at the floor, "She was pecking crazy. Thought he was....cheating on her behind her back when he was nothing but patient with her. She didn't deserve anything." "Because she was nuts! Always have been and always WILL be! She would've snapped sooner or later with the way she was back then, always so paranoid and thinking I-.....I THINK he belonged to her." His other hand was quick to shoot out and grab her shoulders accidentally making her jolt at the sudden grab but it was enough to get her to look at him. "Now you listen to me and you listen good." A claw poked her chest as he pointed it at her crying face with a deep frown of his own. "I have dealt with too many years of pecking guilt over whether or not it was my fault or if I could've stopped it! And I'm sick of it all! You. Are. Not. At fault!! Do you hear me?! Vanessa was always going to snap and it was HER fault for being so batpecking crazy, she couldn't tell the difference between fantasy and reality! There was no reason in her! We should've expected nothing less of her for anything! But I'll be just as bad if I didn't it now, and I'm saying it's not your fault. Least of all people you. All you did was sell flowers. Big deal. It would've been the same if she saw m-....him buying a necklace from a jeweler or a ham from the butcher. BANG!!" She flinched at the loud yell he made at 'BANG'. Tears running down her face as he spoke. "Ice. Death. Lots of ghosts. You get the picture. The point is, it's ABSOLUTELY! NOBODY'S PECKING FAULT!! BUT VANESSA'S!! .......You and me didn't do anything wrong." "So-...I take it this..'prince' friend of yours was a nice person? Not that I knew him, but it seems you two were close. Not that it's any of my business." He had an anxious feeling saying all of this as a stranger but he couldn't help but feel the need to get all this anxiety off himself by asking. "It just sounds like you cared about him a whole lot." "Yeah.....Hey. This might sound out of no where but do you blame him, your friend, for what happened between him and Vanessa?" "How did you die?," she found herself blurting out before she could stop but she instantly regretted it. "WHAT?!" Snatcher whipped his face to her wide eyed. "S-Sorry." She held up her hands worriedly. "Is it rude to ask a dead person that? I d-didn't know honest. It's just that.....You're doin' an aweful lot for me and I don't know a lot about ya, since you already know alot 'bout me from my rambling. I figured ya would return the favor." "Sorry. NO can do, Red. That's private information." She scowled again. "OH come on! Purple onion. Your contract paper thingy said I could ask for anything I wanted in return for helping ya!" "Within REASON!," Snatcher stressed, "Asking a ghost about their past is like asking a poor person how much money they spent on their shoes!" "Same as you. I died during the Great Subcon Freeze." "Oh. Well you said you saw what happened when Philip....p-p-passed away, right? Does that mean you were employed by the Queen?'' "Sorta. I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." Which wasn't really a lie. He couldn't have ever been in a more wrong place or time. "Another innocent bystander to a crazy curse." "Oh right. Dumb question. Then who wer-" "Next question!," "Ok! Well ya technically did, but I mean what made ya decide to help me? I just don't get it.". "Because I recognized you from the village." "I-...Sometimes saw you selling flowers in the square, and-.....I guess I was simpathetic to someone else in a similar situation as I was."

That.....Night....The night she had her nightmare. THERE WAS SO MANY HINTS HITTING HER IN THE FACE AND SHE WAS STILL BLIND TO THEM ALL!!

"So....does that mean Philip is a g-ghost too?" "A ghost? Well that's not exactly easy to answer. Any ghost I know if they even became ghosts would be in the forest .....or another plain of existance. A-And like I said BARELY any of my minions remember who they were before they died."

He LIED!!....No. Not exactly lied. He did tell the truth but...BENT IT!! Without actually answering anything!! Or telling Poppy anything!! WHY?! What reason would he have to keep his identity hidden from her?! They were friends....Weren't they? ALL OF IT!! Everything he or anyone else had said lined up perfectly with what Moonjumper-....Or second Philip had told her.

"And you know I could always scare you out of any debt you got yourself into with those pecknecks down there." He offered genuinely. "I may not look like it, but I'm very good at legal technicalities. I did want to be a lawyer at once upon a time!" Philip studied laws to better his future kingdom one day. He always said he wanted to be a good king. And mentioned if he wasn't destined to be prince he would've liked to become a lawyer. And there was a bush cat in his home...Philip mentioned having a pet bush cat. A gift from his father. Moonjumper's echoing voice still rang around in her head with everything he said. "HA! That's rich coming from him! That halfling is lying right to your face!" "Why? Didn't dear Snatcher tell you?" He chuckled and gave a smile similar to Snatcher's smug one. "We're two halves of the same person.~ Split at death and now wondering through death two halves of the same person.~" "Oh! He didn't tell you did he?" He smiled and gestured to himself with a smile. "Well allow me to elaborate for you, my dear.~ Snatcher and I are both Prince Philip Snider Of the Kingdom of Subconette.~ When we died in the frozen celler we split personalities resulting in us becoming two very different ghosts. How I have no idea, but it's quite the sight isn't it?~"

"Are you sure about that?"

No. No she wasn't. She wasn't sure of anything any more than she ever fully did in her entire life. It-....IT DIDNT FEEL REAL!! IT FELT LIKE A BAD DREAM!! ALL OF IT!! THE THREE MONTHS SHE SPENT HERE AND EVERYTHING THAT"S HAPPENED ALL FELT LIKE ONE BAD ROLLAR COASTER RIDE OF A DREAM!! AND ANY MINUTE NOW SHE WAS GONNA WAKE UP IN HER BED, GET UP AS SHE USUALLY DOES, SHAKE OFF THE WEIRD DREAM, AND GO BACK TO WORKING HER STANDS AND SEE PHILIP AGAIN!! HER DEAR FRIEND!!......But it sadly wasn't a dream no matter how much it felt like it. As she stared at the ceiling from her makeshift bed, she was VERY aware of the ghost that happily still read the book about black holes like a dedicated reader. .....Was this really Philip? There was plenty of proof, but how could she know for sure? What was real and what wasn't? It's safe to say sleep didn't come easy to her that night but she guessed at some point she did give in to sleep because when she woke up Poppy was still tired and 'Snatcher was gone. Guess he left sometime after she fell asleep. It was weird after that. It was like Poppy was on numb autopilot for days after that. She still took care of herself and the girls. Still cooked for them, cleaned if needed, made sure herself and the kids were clean, played when they asked her to spend time with them except now they referred to Poppy as Mum. Which she didn't have the heart, focus, or energy at the moment to bother correcting. Her mind kept revolving back around to Mr. Moonjumper (philip 2.0) said and still couldn't figure out why. Why did he say that? Was it even true? Was Snatcher even who he said he was? She barely got any of the script read during that time of course. During that time she busied herself with learning how the new tech worked, mostly the washer, dryer, and the oven. Took a bunch of practice but she got.....decent at working them at least. But she found herself getting through half of the script at least when she got the second call from Mr. Grooves. She was just in the kitchen cooking eggs in a frying pan for her and the two girls waiting when Bow came bounding in and tugging on her dress with that giant innocent smile of hers.

"Mom. There's a call for you from Mr. Grooves."

"Hm what?....OH! R-Right. I'll be right there."

It took a quick turn off on the oven and walk(crawl) to the machine room to actually take the call as she held it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Darling," came the voice of the penguin as happy and calm as she first rememebered. "You're probably wondering why I'm calling you this early morning?"

"Uh...Yeah actually. Is something wrong?"

"Not at all!" She could feel the smile the penguin had on him at that moment. "We actually have fantastic news! All the sets have been set up and secured not to fall over anymore. We're all ready to start the first rehearsals first thing next week!"

".....F-F-First rehearsals?! So SOON!?," she asked feeling a wave of dread coming over her. She hadn't even finished the script!!

"Yes! That's not a problem is it?"

"U-Uh...N-NO! NO!! Not at all! Hehe." She smiled nervously despite being on the other side of the phone where he couldn't see. "N-N-Next week will be just fine! I c-can't wait to rehearse."

"That's great, Darling! Come to the studious first thing Wednesday morning sharp. We'll start the first run through first thing in the morning when you arrive, Darling. Get up bright and early bird. And don't forget that script now. DJ Grooves out."

"Bye..." Poppy said after hanging up before blankly looking back towards the door. Great. She needed to focus on that script and get it read quickly before next Wednesday!! She didn't even notice the burning smell before Hattie rushed in clutching her hat so it wouldn't fall off.

"POPPY!! THE EGGS ARE BURNING!!"

"OH PECK!!"

It was almost like a blink of an eye when Wendesday finally came for them. Poppy had spent so many hours worriedly reading and rereading the thing over and over trying to focus her energy into it instead of worrying about the Philip/Moonjumper/Snatcher situation and just read. She NEEDED to focus on something else besides thinking of that right now, and when the day finally came she got up to the sight of the girls shaking her awake for it, quickly hurrying herself to get her presentable and grab her trusty leather apron, stuffing her script into the breast pocket and an apple into her mouth for a swift breakfast. Nothing on her mind except how nervous she was and how SO NOT READY she probably was for this. Without Cookie to really escort them to the Moon City, the girls would have to teleport her using the two umbrellas and the magic telescope. She really, really wasn't thrilled at the idea of them carrying her through space, but seeing no other option she reluctantly agreed and after the two got their umbrellas, lead her to the machine room where the telescope apparently pointing towards the bird's studios. Needless to say Poppy held her breath and kept her eyes shut the entire way when Hattie confirmed they would about to take off into space. All she could feel after grabbing the little girls' hands was them death gripping her hard with almost inhuman life strength it almost hurt and the sudden lurch forward with the whoosh sound of two umbrellas opening and finally her body being lifted and pulled through the air like a kite. She didn't look the entire way there, just kept her eyes clamped shut the entire way. She would've loved to look upon the beautiful planet or the diamond stars as she passed but she was afraid she might relive the plummet into the swamp and didn't want to relive THAT near death experience again. So for now she would just hang on for the ride, it almost felt like forever just floating in air drifting like a peaceful kite, before suddenly she was whiplashed back and she gasped as she was suddenly suspended by nothing but her arms in the sky. Poppy's blue eyes snapped open and she suddenly blinked at the sight she was taking part in...and frankly almost lost her pecking mind. She thought hanging from that noose once was bad, try hanging about a hundred feet in the air above a desert town and only being held up by two little children holding her hands with an iron grip her hands were almost numb. Her blue eyes shrinking to pinpricks as her stomach flipped seeing the sight of her suspended.

"It's ok!, " Hattie tried to reassure her as they slowly floated down, "We got you!"

To keep herself from feeling anymore sick, Poppy closed her eyes and didn't open them until her feet connected with solid ground and she lightly gasped, for what felt like forever. Popping her eyes open and seeing the old desert town and almost falling to her knees on wobbling legs. Beside her both girls touched down and closed the umbrellas. Giving Poppy a concerned look.

"Are you ok?"

....After a few seconds of breathing and grounding herself, Poppy nodded and leaned back up with an inhale. "Yeah. N-Now...L-Let's get ta that studio, right?"

It was almost the same exact time when Poppy had come in to get measured for her costume, except this time without Snatcher present to tail her, which she was thankful for right now. She did NOT want to be thinking about him right now, but anyways- It was like the last time they came in, with Mr. Grooves pacing in front of the lobby looking worried and anxious but as soon as he saw them he was immediately smiling and racing over to them.

"DARLING!! There you are!!," the moon penguin boomed out happily stopping in front of them, "And not a minute too soon!" And like last time, he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him towards the big doors leading to the penguins' side of the studios. "We have a rehearsal to perform and practice to be had!!"

Like the last time she entered, everything looked the same except it was now less busy and most of the penguins here were calmly carrying something around or checking the clipboards they were holding for something. Still pretty busy but was way better than last time in here opinion. At least she didn't have to worry about ducking under anything this time around. And like last time the two girls followed only, Mr. Grooves quickly lead them past the changing rooms, and down a different hallway further down the way from the last one. Poppy blinked and watched where they were going, this hallway was much better lit than the giant room outside and multiple props and what looked like painted scenes were printed all over the place leaning against the walls and ready to use at any given moment. Up a head a metal door was waiting for them that read: Back Stage Supervised Personal and Staff Only. They headed straight for that and the Moon penguin opened it with enough force to almost make it hit the other side of the wall. Poppy blinked as she was pulled onto a stage....A REAL wooden floored stage with curtains, and props behind said curtain, and other people waiting there but looked up when the two came in followed by the two girls. They were all there.

"So sorry for the hold up, Darlings," He apologised finally releasing Poppy and smiling at them all, "Thank you all for coming on such short notice to our first rehearsal folks. Now I know the Bird Movie Awards is still so many months away, but we need to practice, practice, practice before we actually start filming the play and editing the footage. Raw talent is the real pop behind the success!" he clapped his flippers together. "Now does everyone have their scripts in hand?" Everyone responded by saying some version of 'yes' and holding up their papers before Grooves nodded in approval and looked up to Poppy. "What about you, Darling?"

Poppy blinked. "UH! Oh r-right." She quickly reached into her front pocket and pulled out the slightly crinkled stack of papers. "H-Here!"

He nodded again, and turned back to the crew. "Alright, Darlings! You all have ten minutes to reveiw your places for the first five scenes before we start! Don't forget just because this is practice that doesn't mean to put the best into your acting! Pretend you're there! Feel the thousands of adoring watching as you all take the stage and dance away!"

"Hello, Miss." Poppy jumped at the sudden voice next to her and looked down to the mysterious owner of the voice it belonged too. Relaxing when she saw the smiling face of Timmy smiling up at her. "Sorry for giving you a fright, but I just wanted to say hello yeah?"

She sighed and smiled. "N-No. It's ok, sugar." She looked up and around a little bit. "Is Hazelle here with you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. She's just talking to one of the production managers about the spotlight keeping on shining in her eyes. ...But I do have something important to say-"

"Darlings!" They all turned and Saw Grooves looking in their direction. "Sorry my little stars. But no children are allowed on set during rehearsals." Both girls 'awed' in disappointment, excitement to see their story come to life fading but he still smiled. "But you little ones are more than welcome to have a front row seat in the audience while we practice." Both smiled again with happy little gasps making the penguin smile more and turn, motioning for them to follow him. "Come along, Darlings. It's this way."

Bow and Hattie of course obliged and happily bounded off after the director but Timmy lingered. Looking back up to Poppy. "Don't tell anyone this, not even Hazelle. But Moonjumper said to be prepared for me to come fetch you three days from now when it's your day off from work here."

Poppy snapped to him and blinked. "What do you-"

"Little boy! Off the set now. Come along!"

"Sorry. Can't talk now. Just be ready."

She didn't have the chance to say anything back to him before he turned and ran off the other direction, leaving her standing there mouth open and staring blankly at the direction Timmy ran off in. ...At least until there was a yell of someone from the other side of the stage.

"Five minutes people!! Actors for scene one get ready to come up for the opening scene rehearsal! Again five minutes people! Chop chop!!"

Poppy jumped, and with the papers in hand made her way towards the front. The first rehearsal didn't go that badly. In fact it could've been worse. When Mr. Grooves said he really wanted to go by the book he meant it, in fact barely anyone had barely any speaking roles outside the narrator for the play (who happened to be another moon penguin with a deep voice) and all she had to do was do the motions she read in the script and.....messed up a bunch. Stepping on the actor playing Starella's father's foot, tripping over the curtain exiting stage, and once accidentally making Hazelle fall when she nudged her without looking. Thank goodness Hazelle and the male actor was so understanding. It made her nerves rise higher the more they practiced especially with Mr. Grooves watching from a director's chair in the audience and his voice shouting at her or someone else every time something happened.

"CUT!! Darling! Let your body relax, you're movements are becoming too stiff. Once more from the top!!" "Cut! Clean up on center stage!" "Darling, be careful where you step! Don't step on anyone's toes." "Lights, camera, action!!" "Take Seven on opening scene in three!...Two!.. ONE!! Narrator, Darlin'!"

And a whole bunch of other things she kept getting nervous about, by the time they were done she just felt so drained mentally and physically from it all all she wanted to do was go back home and fall asleep when Mr. Grooves gave her the ok to leave. Which WAS exactly what they did, Poppy paid no mind to anyone else and only barely registered Mr. Grooves telling everyone they'll pick up again from where they left off tomorrow morning and for everyone to get some rest and practice. Sounded good to her. So when the two again grabbed her in their iron grip when she essentially shooed them out the door, she closed her eyes basically doing and feeling the same thing as before when she went down only falling on her stomach as soon as they reentered the ship floating in outer space and got herself some rest. Thinking about what Timmy had said kept rebounding in her mind and with all the stuff clouding it up she was almost like a robot with her actions in the next three says. Get up, dress, hygiene routine, take care of the girls, go to the rehearsals (which was Ok at best. she or others still messed up every often and had to restart a lot which was hard for her clouded mind and nervous feelings), and routine afternoon/bedtime routine before falling into an uneasy sleep. Rinse and repeat for the next three days. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. She had tried every so often to talk with Hazelle or Timmy about it, but Hazelle seemed genuinely busy with her role as the evil step sister reading that script, and Timmy just avoided any thing she asked if she could before running off to the audience seats to avoid her. And during ALL of this Snatcher had not appeared once which she was...still kinda grateful for. She wasn't sure what she was going to do or act around him now since what Moonjumper said was still echoing every moment of the day throughout her mind. In fact Moonjumper hadn't shown up either which what was bothering her a bit since she wanted to ask so many questions. But it all finally came to a head early Sunday morning when she was awakened by someone shoving her shoulder and calling her name. Confused, the red head groaned and pushed her head up from the pillows on the floor where she slept, pushing the long red hair out of her bangs groggily blinking.

"Poppy? Poppy! Get up! Timmy's here!", Hattie shouted shoving her again and she almost fell over back onto her stomach.

"W-What?," she asked sleep stilling hanging onto her. The red head yawned and blinked at the little girl in the dark. "Hattie? Sugarcube, what are ya'll doin' this late at night?"

"It's morning actually, but that's not important!," she insisted pushing upwards against the older woman's shoulder to try and get her to get up, "Get up! Timmy says he has to take you somewhere important!!"

She slowly rose with the child's pushing. "W-Who-...Timmy?"

"Don't tell anyone this, not even Hazelle. But Moonjumper said to be prepared for me to come fetch you three days from now when it's your day off from work here."

At the sudden voice in her memory spoke out, Poppy jumped up suddenly wide awake letting Hattie fall onto her stomach on top of the make shift bed of pillows. Timmy was-......Timmy was here! For her! So that meant he was-....Hattie shook her head and reached to push her giant top hat up off her face when she heard quick footsteps walking away from her, blinking she looked over and found Poppy briskly walking away from her towards the rising and falling platform leading from the attic and to the control room. She blinked and quickly jumped up and ran after her to catch up. Poppy was quick to reach the platform as it rose back up and stepped on it, Hattie right behind her quickly jumping on it too just a second before they began to lower into the much more brightly lit room. They could see everything from their spot on the platform, including the purple eyed boy who was sitting patiently at the control room's chair facing the control panel chatting with Bow about something but both looked up noticing the two coming down the platform and smiled.

"Well, well. Good morning, Miss Poppy,'' Timmy greeted from down below waving, "Sorry for the early visit but Moonjumper thought it was best I brought you as soon as I could to avoid suspicion from Snatcher, eh."

When the platform touched down, Poppy quickly got off it and began walking down the ramp towards him with Hattie behind her and Timmy stood up to meet her as she waltzed on over and stopped in front of him.

"Ya'll are...here to take me to Moonjumper?," he asked for clarification a lil bit of excitement coming over her at the prospect for answers.

Timmy nodded. "Yep. Thought you'd want to finally get some answers eh?"

She nodded. "YES! Pecking yes!"

"Oh good." He walked past her going towards the door leading towards the storage room. "Then we all better make our way over to Alpine Town then."

Poppy blinked and slowly followed after him with Hattie and Bow bounding up to walk next to him. "You're planning on using the Twilight Bell to get there?," she asked and he nodded.

"Yeah. I can't get there myself without Hazelle's magic and all of us have supernatural ties upon our souls. It should easily do the trick."

"What's this Twilight Bell?, " Poppy asked following following them still confused.

The door to the storage room opened with a whoosh sound and all three children walked on in throuh the hallway with Poppy going to crawl right after them.

"The Twilight Bell is this HUGE bell that's a part of the Alpine Goat City and can only be used by spirits or someone with really powerful connections to magic or spirits," Timmy explained, "Since all of you are bound to the purple noodle through contracts and I'm tied up with MJ, it should work for the whole lot of us."

"...You mean the bell teleports ya'll?"

"Sorta? It takes us to the Horizon. It's wear trapped spirits go and where I live. I think you'll like it. Not a lot going on but it's pretty peaceful and pretty majestic in it's own way."

The four of them walked(Poppy Crawled) into the storage room and instead of stopping they went over towards the ladder Poppy recognized from when they were cleaning as the ladder that lead to the boiler room. Hattie also mentioned that they stored her ships water supply in there. Without hesitation Timmy walked right up to it and grabbed the ladder, starting to climb up it in a swift manner similar to the two girls who went right after him. Poppy watched them disappear through the small kid sized doorway in the top wall there before she slowly began to follow after them. Half way up the ladder she heard what sounded like a loud thud and she rose a brow at that. At the very top, she crawled her way through the small opening and stopped upon seeing probably literally the only part of the spaceship she hadn't seen before. The area was certainly warmer than the storage room, and true to Hattie description. It WAS filled with lots and lots of water except for a small platform way on the other side lower than where she currently was and a GIANT boiler making a whirring sound as it worked with FLAMES peeking out from the open vents!! Timmy and Bow SOMEHOW got across the water and were waiting by the telescope which was pointing outta the windows also by the platform and Hattie pulled her trusty umbrella out of no where. Before Poppy could react something with the force of a hundred men grabbed her and she yelped when she suddenly found herself being held in the arms of the child awkwardly as Hattie aimed her umbrella at a metal beam above the water. The hook from the tip of the umbrella latching onto it with a metal clang. Poppy didn't have time to say a single word before Hattie jumped and swung them across the ship's water supply. The yelp that the startled woman gave almost caused the child to go unbalanced as she released them from the beam and towards the platform, Poppy instinctively latching onto her hat. Timmy and Bow watched as the two crashlanded on the small platform next to them. Poppy hitting her back against the wall and Hattie belly flopping with her hat over her face, Umbrella just barely missing falling into the water by some miracle.

"Dang pecking nabbit! Warn me next time ya decide ta do somethin' like that!," Poppy yelled from her sitting position, heart momentarily pumping from the sudden leap.

"Are you ok there?," Timmy asked pulling Hattie to her feet as she popped the hat off her head and blinking.

"Yeah. But I really don't like crashlandings." Poppy leaned off the wall and rubbed her back looking around the room. "Why did ya'll come in here?"

"To take you to the Alpine Alps." Timmy gestured to the lone telescope still pointed out the window and Poppy rose a brow at it as he walked back over to it. "This'll take us all straight to Alpine and from there to Moonjumper. We'll have to leave right now if none of us wanna get caught by Hazelle."

"More traveling with those umbrellas?"

"My magic's not strong enough to teleport me let alone all of us to Alpine all the way down there. I could barely teleport inside the ship from the moon. Unless you wanna wait for Snatcher or Hazelle to catch onto our plan and you never see Moonjumper, be my guest." Poppy said nothing and he nodded. "Then let's not waste anymore time yeah?"

Poppy stared at him a little longer before sighing and nodding. Well when he put it at that, he had a point. She certainly didn't think Snatcher would be very open to this idea. Not after what the girls had told her about what he thought about Moonjumper. And she certainly wasn't missing a chance for getting answers now, and what was one more umbrella ride since she's been sucking it up and using it to get too and from work for the past half week now. So with a sigh, Poppy pushed her self up to her knees and watched as Timmy grabbed Bow's hand as she held up her umbrella and walked over to the telescope. Taking Hattie's hand as she offered and shuffled over to the telescope after them, slamming her eyes shut when Hattie's iron like grip grabbed her hand like a pair of cuffs again. All she could feel after grabbing the little girl's hand was her death gripping her hard with almost inhuman life strength it almost hurt and the sudden lurch forward with the whoosh sound of two umbrellas opening and finally her body being lifted and pulled through the air like a kite. She didn't look the entire way there, just kept her eyes clamped shut the entire way. She would've loved to look upon the beautiful planet or the diamond stars as she passed but she was afraid she might relive the plummet into the swamp and didn't want to relive THAT near death experience again. So for now she would just hang on for the ride, it almost felt like forever just floating in air drifting like a peaceful kite, before suddenly she was whiplashed back and she gasped as she was suddenly suspended by nothing but her arms in the sky. Poppy's blue eyes snapped open and she suddenly blinked at the sight she was taking part in...and frankly almost lost her pecking mind. The first thing to hit them was the spine chilling limb numbing COLD!! It was like they suddenly got dumped in winter as the air blew wildly around them like a cold winter storm minus the snowflakes. The second thing she noticed was that they were IN. THE. MIDDLE. OF. THE. PECKING. SKY!!! In all directions was nothing but blue sky, greyish white clouds, and cold wind. She couldn't even see Bow or Timmy which is what made it worse for her. Did they get knocked out of the sky?! Were they blown away by the wind!? Were they still falling somewhere to their doom?! Her questions were answered soon enough. When she was about to ask Hattie(who was still gripping her with that strange alien strength) where they were, when something finally peeked through the clouds. Whatever it was was BIG and grey but still blocked by the giant clouds surrounding them as they got closer and closer to their destination being blown by the wind. Her red hair whipped around and she could barely see until they suddenly went down. Poppy gasped and a spike of fear went through her as they did thinking they would fall to her second death slamming her eyelids shut, but instead of falling through air Poppy soon found herself being put down on her knees on something she could only describe as cold bricks. Confused, those blue eyes popped open and they went wide at the sight in front of her. The wind was still blowing, making her shiver and sent a shudder down her spine from the brief flashback to the old clutches of the Vanessa incident before she quickly pushed it from her mind and wished she had a coat as her arms instinctively rubbed her arms. What stood before her was something else. What stood before her looked to be a mini mountain like structure jutting out somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the cold sky, the moutains was decorated with old forgotten torn flags with strange symbols unknown to her waving in the cold wind and a few small snowflakes made themselves present drifting into small piles here and there. It also looked like oddly big shaped ledges formed into a naturally formof stairs leading somewhere but her eyes weren't focused on the path right now. She was looking at the strange egg shaped like statues with goat horns surrounding them before stopping and staring at the MASSIVE two statues of Alpine Goats on either side of the path ahead on two seperate cliffs, almost like guardians from long ago. There was also some plants despite it being so cold, mostly small trees and bushes jutting out from random spots in the cliff but there was also some wild vines growing up the cliff sides here and there. A cough directed Poppy's attention to her left where Hattie had landed and was met with the sight of the other two children as well. THANK PECK they didn't get blown away from them.

''Welcome to the entrance to Apline Alps Ms. Poppy," Timmy said one hand on his hat to keep it from being blown away. "I hope the landing wasn't too rough on ya."

...She blinked shaking her head. "W-Wait. WHERE in tarnation are we?"

"Like I said the entrance to Alpine Alps." He then pointed up the pathway, the ride to Alpine Town is down that way a bit. It's best we get going before we can't yeah?"

She gladly agreed. If there was a town nearby then maybe she could find a shop or someplace warm to warm up a bit. Timmy nodded and turned to lead the way, running towards the stone ledges with the girls following and Poppy once the lady got up onto her feet. Well, she made it this far, might as well see it to it's end. And think. The answers her mind's been beating her over to get was so close to getting obtained. It was kinda tricky climbing up after the youngsters who jumped and ran up and over the ledges with ease, but it wasn't too hard thanks to her muscles from so much work in her youth, she was easily able to jump, grab onto a ledge if needed and pull herself up and over to as if doing pull ups. Guess she can scratch off mountain climbing off her 'Weird Things to Happen To Me After Coming Back To Life' list. When she finally reached the top, Poppy was exhausted and her hands and arms were cold and sore like she had been shoveling pounds of snow with her bare hands, but she stopped when she saw what was before her. Two torches with fire (in the middle of daylight no less) stood on either side of an archway that lead the way to a boarded bridge, said archway was decorated with colorful paper and a rope of holed stone was tied across it. Writing of a language she'd never seen before decorated a sign above it. When Timmy noticed her staring at it, he explained it was the Nomad language and said Welcome to the Alpine Mountain Range. Interesting. The three children ran across the old wooden bridge like it was nothing and Poppy hesitated a wee bit....Come on you scardy cat! You traveled from hundreds of miles from SPACE and the moon tons of times! She could handle walking across a bridge probably miles high off the ground too! Though it didn't ease the butterflies in her stomach, she slowly forced herself to cross trying NOT to think of the thosands of miles below her very feet and instead looking straight ahead. In front of her was some kind of wooden doors and a metal fence leading off to the left, next to the doors was a bell and as soon as the three children got near it Hattie pointed her umbrella, the hook shot out and latched onto said bell and she pulled. The bell rang out a few times and as soon as Poppy got near the thing, the doors automatically opened and they all ran through. Timmy pointing upwards as he did.

"C'mon, Poppy! The way's up there!"

Poppy looked up to where he was pointing and- OH. MY. PECKING GOSH!! A spiraling stone staircase spiraled upwards up another cliff which was bigger than the one she breifly climbed and the ones the two goat statues were on. Oh boy. Well..maybe all this exersize would help her clumsiness in her rehearsals. Sighing she turned her attention towards the start of the stairs and still shivering walked after them. Along the way upwards she noticed there was more of those weird horned, hallowed out, egg shaped statues, a few torches, and LOTS of moss covering the old steps. She tried looking around but saw nothing but more sky and clouds, and as she got to the top she noticed there was even more giant goat statues. When she got to the very top of the stairs however was when things got stranger. At the very top there was four what looked to be graves with SKULLS on top of them, more strange stone statues, a TALL stone piller between the four supposed graves, two GIANT stone cut structures that were purposefully carved to look like horns, and some wooden beams with red flags which waved in the wind which speaking of the wind it seemed to have picked up since they got there. How odd.

"What are those?," Poppy asked pointing a hand at the 'graves'.

"Oh those? Those are memorials to the four founders of Alpine Town, they were devoted to the Twilight Goat who first made their home here. Some say they found out the secrets of high end magic and ascended to the stars when he died," Timmy explained.

So they were kinda graves. She didn't wanna know if those skulls were carved stone or the real thing- A giant clap of thunder rung out as the ground beneath them all shook for a few seconds causing Poppy to fall to the cold stone ground as it did. The giant stone pillar in front of them sinking into the ground a little bit.

"WHAT THE PECK WAS THAT!?" Poppy wailed pushing herself back up and looking around wildly. "An earthquake!?"

Timmy shook his head no. "Nah. Hattie's just summoning one of the alpine skylines."

"The what?!"

She didn't get an answer as it happened again and she was knocked back onto her side again as the thunder clapped and the pillar lowered a little more too. Hattie ran past her over to the third lever sticking out of the ground and with her trusty umbrella started whacking it as it spun around like a screw into the ground and another clap of thunder and another shaking of the cliff knocking her over once the last level was buried into the ground. And Poppy was finally able to push herself up without having the fear of being knocked over. Something slithered forth from the white clouds before them and it took Poppy a moment through her moment of shock seeing the thing to realize it was a rope decorated with more of that colorful paper!! She watched in shock as it wrapped itself TIGHTLY around the stone pillar and stayed there, leading back off to the unknown through the clouds. As soon as it arrived Timmy and Bow stepped up to it, Timmy and Bow locking hands like before they teleported using the telescope, and Bow aimed her Umbrella at the rope. The hook from her umbrella shot out and caught onto it, and as soon as they did they were whiplashed off like someone had just grabbed them and yanked them away disappearing through the clouds. Poppy yelped in shock and ran over to the edge where they disappeared off from, staring at the clouds rolling past. Where the PECK did they just go?! Before she even knew or really processed what just happened at all, something like an iron trap grabbed her hand once again and another hook from Hattie's umbrella shot out and grabbed onto the rope. With a yelp she'll deny later, Poppy and Hattie were also shot forward. It was really similar to the sensations of when she was traveling with the girls to and from space, only this time she could see what was happening to her surroundings as she was once again pulled along by the little alien like a kite in the wind. Red hair whipped in every direction in front of her face and she had a quesy feeling in her stomach from all the pulling she was receiving now. Clouds. All she saw was clouds from her eyes squinting from the wind whipping her face, and the rope that never seemed to have an end as they flew. All she could hear was the whistling winds, claps of thunder from the clouds, and the distant sounds of bells-......Bells?! Wha- Another clap of thunder sounded out as they passed through the biggest cloud of all of them when FINALLY daylight broke through the other side and she could see something besides the clouds. And. Her. Jaw. DROPPED!! More cliffs. LOTS more cliffs. But all of them were MUCH MUCH more bigger than the few they had already climbed, making the ones they passed look like babies in comparison. As they zoomed by, they passed a pair of twin peaks standing side by side with more Alpine Goat Statues THAT WERE GINORMOUS!! Even bigger than the statues they had already seen! These were easily the sizes of a small castle EACH!! As they continued to zoom past those with the cold wind still seeping into her bones, There was yet ANOTHER set of twin peaks with more ginormous goat statues, and with each pair of goats statues there was a massive...rope?? And on said ropes was the BIGGEST golden bells she'd even seen. The giant things rang out from the winds pushing them and shined brightly from the sunlight. Poppy gazed up at them all in awe as they flew past. Well, that explains the distant sound of bells she heard. She was so in awe, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before! It was in a mystical way, beautiful! They were fast approuching the end of the rope's journey and Poppy looked around admiring the veiws. Was....Was that cliff spewing out LAVA!? It looked more like a volcano than a cliff!! And that one had some kind of giant structure on it. She wasn't sure what it was to be honest, but it was still so massive! She didn't see the end of the rope until there was a sudden whiplash and her body was sent forward shooting like a rocket, crashlanding into some green plants with a loud yelp!

"Oh no! Poppy!" Hattie quickly ran over to the red head as she pushed herself out of the roof of the small building she crashed into and coughed, spitting out leaves and shaking her head. "Are you ok?! Im sorry! I must've slipped! "

"Ah'm fine! *cough* I'm sorta used to this crashlanding bizz by now." She shook her head and finally got a chance to look around her. The way they came from was clouded by well clouds and she could barely see the back of the statues n cliffs they passed let alone the cliff they came here from. Looking around her she saw lots and LOTS of man made wooden platforms, houses with the roofs just covered in plants, more of those horned hollowed out egg statues, piles of firewood, bails of hay, and carvings of goats and paintings were plastered all over the available sights of what cliff she could see. Peck. Even the houses had strange carvings in them so details it must've taken someone a hundred years to even finish carving one of them. Odd ledges and stone stairs carved into the cliff sides to the right lead to farther up from the landing platform she crashed into....She blinked. "Where in the hey are we?"

"The town of Alpine Skylines." Poppy snapped over to her left and load and behold Timmy and Bow was just a few feet away from them all. He pointed up the roof she was still sitting on and over towards the path you HAD to climb said roof to get to. "The towns split into five different sections between all these cliffs here, you see. There's the Lava Cake Peaks, Bird House Peaks, Twilight Bell Path, Landing Peak, and Windmill Hills. Right now we're on Landing Peak where everyone who comes here first lands, yeah." poppy blinked and looked up towards the path he pointed at. Landing Peak huh? Well at least it made sense. She blinked again when Timmy suddenly jumped onto the roof next to her and began climbing his way up and towards the path. "There's four skylines leading to them, since we're heading home we need the green one that goes to Twilight Bell Path. Follow me!"

Poppy blinked but moved when both girls started to also climb up the roof and jump onto the path after him, once she set foot on the path and was able to meet up with them, Timmy gestured down the wooden platform path and she followed. The wooden path soon turned to giant stone steps befitting the giant Alpine Goats who lived there. Speaking of the residence they passed one or two goats on their way up, the goats shaking out their furred shelves every so oftten. And some Nomads. The smaller covered up residence of the peaks who lived in the smaller houses of the peaks. Poppy envied their heavy coats as she was still shivering from the cold air from being so far up and rubbing her arms following them. There was still everything she saw from her place back on the landing platform, only now she could get a good look at the other peaks. She could see how they got their names. Bird House Peaks had an actual LARGE bird house(or what she assumed was one since she couldn't guess what else it could've been). Lava Cake Peaks obviously had Lava. Landing Peaks was the center of the peaks leading towards them all. Windmill Hills had the BIGGEST windmill she had ever seen built into it!! As for the Twilight Bell Path- Poppy blinked and gawked at the HUGE silvery-green bell built upon the cliffs that was held up by more goat horn structures. So that was the twilight bell that would lead her to Moonjumper. Gotta say she was starting to find this easier than she originally thought it would be. She continued to follow the kids up, up, up until they finally stopped at this huge fancy carved house. She guessed it must've belonged to one of the goats since it looked too big to be a nomad's. Infront of the house was a giant wooden beam and from it a rope with green fancy paper decorating it lead from it towards the giant bell. Timmy pointed at it and Poppy understood it was the way to go. And so the same thing from before happened. Timmy took Bow's hand and they zoomed away towards the bell, and Poppy did the same again with Hattie. Before they took off though she noticed there was some very beautiful bright blue flowers shining brightly so much, the light made them look white. Poppy only remembered staring at the pretty thing before being yanked away towards the new path. This time the trip was MUCH shorter than the first one this time and she landed more decently on her knees when they reached the stone end, getting off and brushing her self off and looked as Timmy beckoned her down another stone ledge path which lead to more wooden bridged bewteen the peaks that lead to the bell. She could feel the anxiety and excitement grow within her stomach as they neared, but she came all the way here. It was too late to turn back now. Timmy lead them through an archway that he explained read The Twilight Path, so they were on the right track. Though the climbing she had to do against cold stone was NOT fun in the slightest. One Namad they past yelled out that the Twilight Bell was just ahead of them. Which was good since she was starting to feel sore from all this climbing anyways. Along the way she noticed there was stars and strange symbols painted on some of the cliff sides, as well as a few more of those really beautiful bright lit flowers. When she asked Timmy about the flowers he shrugged.

"Those are Twilight Flowers. They grow all along this section of peaks."

"Ah think they're beautiful. Wouldn't mind havin' some back home."

Twilight flowers huh? She'd never heard of those kinds of flowers before, but they were really beautiful to look at. Oh well. As they continued to climb, they FINALLY reached....Another green papered skyline.

"This is the last skyline before we reach the bell,'' Timmy explained before he was whisked off by Bow again.

Oh well that was good at least, her wrist was starting to get sore. So rinse and repeat yet a third time and Poppy was once again strung along, but this time she KNEW she was there. The last trip over felt like an eternity as she just fawned and awed over the large bell structure before her as they got closer and closer. Until finally she was there landing hard on her knees but she didn't care, she was too busy looking at the INSIDE of the thing! THIS BELL WAS HUGE!! PROBABLY BIGGER THAN THE GOLDEN ONES SHE SAW WHEN THEY FIRST CAME IN!! AND THE INSIDE LOOKED LIKE AN ENTIRE GALAXY ON IT'S OWN!! Black void painted the inside of it as beautiful diamonds sparkled brightly like stars. It was absolutely breath takingly pecking beautiful!! She still couldn't take her eyes off of it as she followed the children until they were all standing under it, giving her the best veiw of the inside. Unknownst to her, Timmy nodded to Hattie who nodded back and aimed her hook shot up at the bells lever. It grabbed onto it with a thump and away she went swinging back and forth on it like it was a playground swing. OH PECK!! The loud booming rings it made rang out and jabbed Poppy's ears and head with pain. Causing the woman to clamp her hands over her ears as Hattie continued to ring it and slam her eyes shut. Green flooded around the four, twisting the turning in every direction until they saw nothing and the surroundings COMPLETELY changed. ......Poppy SLOWLY opened her eyes and removed her hands when heard the ringing sto- She gasped and stumbled back onto her behind at the new sight.

"Welcome to The Horizon, Miss," Timmy said gesturing to the new world around them. "Or what I like to call it, home!"

IT WAS DARK!!....But somehow she was still able to see everything. She was surrounded by more strange statues but these instead of looking like regular statues, were a dark green-black that sparkled with somekind of otherworldly magic. Floating buildings of white marble statues with lots of pillars were EVERYWHERE she looked and someone of all things, some were leaking water. Water that went over the edge and down, down, down disappearing without a trace. There wasn't any visible source of sky, sun, moon, or stars. Just black void all around them besides the strange structures......Well when Snatcher mentioned some ghosts living on another plain of existance he wasn't kidding. In a strange way...it was all very beautiful and a sense of eerie calm came from it all.

..............She blinked and slowly pushed herself back to standing in her feet. "W-Where....Where are we?"

"I just told you. The Horizon." Timmy turned and gestured down a path leading off from where they popped up from, Moonjumper is probably waiting for us in the palace."

"The what?" Timmy pointed ahead and there was a big stone building just floating in mid air, it did quite resemble a palace in a topsy turvy way. Poppy blinked but slowly followed after the kids who showed no fear in this other world. As they walked she turned and suddenly gasped and stumbled back a few steps, pointing at something a little way from them. Big. Glowing. And MOVING!! "What the peck is that?!"

Timmy jumped at the sudden shout but looked to where she was and relaxed at the sight of the alpine goat ghost. "Oh that? That's just one of the ghosts that love 'round here."

"G-Ghosts!?"

He shrugged. "Why are you surprised? Snatcher's a ghost, and so is Moonjumper. There's just a few goats and a couple of Snatcher's old minions Moonjumper snatched up here. But they're all pretty harmless." they continued walking as he spoke. " They mostly just float around with they're little bells. There's nothing to worry about."

She hoped he was right about that. Poppy blinked seeing another familiar thing and pointed at it. "Would ya look at that? More flowers!"

"Oh yeah. The Twilight flowers and vines grow in this place too. No idea why, Moonjumper thinks they're magical or something. He likes to study magic sometimes if hazelle let's him borrow her books."

Just like Philip to study. "He....Sounds like a smart fella."

"He should be. People even wrote a song about him in legend."

"You're kiddin!" Philip? Having a legendary song named after him?

Timmy nodded. "Yep! You can ask Hattie to sing it for you. She knows the song pretty well."

Hattie smiled at the prospect of showing her superior knowledge about this place and what she could do. She didn't want to brag but after all she IS an expert in all things ghostly on this planet including the legend of the haunted forest and Moonjumper's tale. She still remembered when she first met the polite spirit when she first entered the Horizon going after one of her time pieces.

"Hello there little girl! Come wide, come far! I am the Moonjumper. Oh, yes. Indeed. I live and breath for this horizon, it's my home. Up here I can see everyone and everything. I am a silent.....observer. Ask me my child. What does my eye gaze upon? A girl in red? A village of the dead? A prize in a shed?.......N-Nevermind."

Hattie smiled again at the memory and like any little girl began dancing around as she sang. "Tale of a place! A deep forest dark with grace! There he lives blooming inside a wild field of big eye! And there he lives! Skin so blue! His eyes shot red! The Moon! The Sky! Tell him only lies! He doesn't know she waits inside! She lost her mind! Many years gone by!"

Poppy watched and listened at the little girl's funny singing. "What does that mean?"

"No idea!," hattie giggled out.

Timmy shrugged. "No one does. It's a mystery to everyone except maybe Moonjumper."

"Did someone call me?" They all froze at the sudden and distant echo-y voice that came from anywhere and everywhere. It seemed to echo more out into the void until slowly fading away and Poppy frantically swiveled her head around trying to see where it had come from. "Look upwards, my lady." Poppy did snap her head upwards and she let out a small gasp. Up way above floating just a few feet in the air above them was the ghost. He...still looked as sketchy and scary as he did back on the ship all that time ago and she couldn't help but take a few steps back when the ghosts floated down. He was even more weird looking than she remembered. The red markings on his face and those red eyes shining brightly against the dark void as he still lowered, eyes locked onto her as he desceneded and eventually stopped a few feet away. The only sounds from him was the eerie clanking of the chains still on his wrists as he stopped just beside Timmy who still smiled. A head pat was rewarded to the boy from the ghost. "I'm glad you all made it alright. Did you have a nice trip over? I know the journey isn't exactly easy."

Poppy blinked. So many thoughts from before but now her mind went blank at seeing the other spirit again. "Uh...Y-Yeah. I-It was alright."

"Splendid! Now." He clapped his hands together making the floating chains clack more. "Timmy told me you have some questions you wanted answered?"

Her mind came back to her as she blinked. "Uh YEAH! A whole bunch in fact!"

"Well lucky for you Im completely one million percent willing to answer each and everyone you may have." He turned and gestured her to follow him. "Come, come. It's rude if I didn't show you around my home." The children willingly followed when the spook started floating off down the path and after a moment she also started slowly stepping after them. The path contained the same thing they had already seen. Pure white stone marble buildings floating around, water falls disappearing down into nothing, and the occasional spirit who turned and fled the other way seeing Moonjumper. "Don't mind the residence. They do that with Hazelle and Timmy too."

"Right." Poppy rose a brow at the back of the ghost in mostly curiousity and a lil bit of suspicion. "So...Philip-"

"Moonjumper."

"What?"

"I'm afraid I no longer nor do I like going by my dead name. Please. Call me Moonjumper, or Moon if it's easier for you but please do not call Philip Snider." She shuddered. "That name brings back o-one too many bad memories I wish to forget."

"Oh, sorry 'bout that....Moonjumper?"

He waved a hand not looking at her. "That's quite alright. Now...You wanted to talk to me?"

She blinked..and she scowled. "Yeah! That's right! I got a few peckin' questions for ya'll!"

"I don't mind answering a bit, but I WILL insist you do not use that language in front of the children while you're here. I do not tolerate bad behavior."

"Right. So I can ya'll anything?," she asked crossing her arms.

He again waved a hand. "Ask to your heart's content, my dear.~"

"WHY THE HECK DID IT TAKE YA SO LONG TO TALK TA ME!?", her angry voice practically echoed loud throughout the entire void and the kids winced at the loud sound. Moonjumper seem unfased tho.

"Yes. I do apologize for that but I couldn't risk Snatcher finding out my presence otherwise he would've made sure I never had the chance to talk to you at all. You see I can only leave the Horizon when it's night on your world, but Snatcher is much more powerful than I am and would've sent me back quite easily. Wouldn't you agree that this is the safer route?"

Well that did make sense. Snatcher by what she knew and saw of him did have quite the temper on him that's for sure. "Ok. Then what about everything ya told me back on the dang ship!? Was that all real or ya'll jus' playin' with mah head?!"

"Firstly I would NEVER lie about myself. I find that self degrading. Secondly you are probably the last person I would lie to. Why ever would I lie about my oldest and dearest friend? Thirdly yes. Yes everything I told you was true." Moonjumper smirked in triumph and looked over his shoulder at her. "Every single bit of it was the truth."

"Explain it ta me!," She demanded.

His smirk widened. "I'd be glad to.~ Where would you like me to start?"

"The beginnin'!"

"Of course. How much do you know? I can start filling in holes if I know how much you know."

"I know you froze to death in the celler." Moonjumper stopped and as a result so did she and the children who blinked back confused as too why the adults did. Poppy stared at him for a few seconds and when he didn't respond inhaled and exhaled before continuing. "I know Vanessa killed ya both too when she locked ya down there, and I know she froze everythin' too. And it all happened a thousand years ago and you two..three??...Are all ghosts. And I-...I know she thought I was the one ya'll cheated on her with."

"WRONG!" She jumped at the sudden raise in tone and as Moonjumper snapped his head to her. "That is wrong. I had never EVER cheated on her with anyone ever! She may have thought I did but I certainly did NOT!!''

"O-Ok, ok! Ya didn't. She just thought we was a thing."

"Exactly. We never cheated on vanessa. I'll give Snatcher that much at least. He was always just as faithful til the very end."

"........Hey. I think you said ya'll were one in the same back on the ship right? Explain that ta me."

......He just shrugged. "There's not much to explain on that matter since I have no idea how we came to be. All I remember is waking up after we died in that DREADFUL cold prison cell and waking up here on the other side." He shivered and reached up to rub his arms chains clanking. "I will NEVER go back there even if it meant leaving this prison!"

"Still doesn't make much lick of sense ta me."

He looked her over for a moment before sighing and holding up his hands. "Alright. Allow me to tell you a story that will clear EVERYTHING up and help you catch up with recent events. Once upon a time a thousand years ago, there was two Kingdoms." He closed his hands behind his back again as he gave her a neutral look as he slowly started floating to her left. "The Kingdom of Subcon and the Kingdom of Subconette. The rulers of these kingdoms decided their children would get married and unite both these kingdoms in harmony. Their names were PRINCE Snider of Subconette and Princess Vanessa of Subcon. The princess was the most beautiful woman any where and the prince in my opinion was more better looking.~ But for some unknown reason the princess CRACKED!" He vanished behind her and Poppy had to turn her head the other way as he continued to slowly float in a circle around her. "She slowly descended into madness and became nothing but a controlling dictator that put me-..The prince through NOTHING but misery, and yet the prince still foolishly loved her and tried his best to make her happy! His only saving grace was when he had to leave for his studies and when he met YOU!!" Poppy blinked as he now smiled. "Poppy Rose Bloomington. A small time country girl who grew up on a farm and moved to town to sell her pretty flowers.~ Catching the eye of a prince with your understanding and very kind nature. Basically being everything to him that Vanessa wasn't or ever will be. But THEN." His smile turned back into a snarl. Like the kind of snarl Snatcher gave the Mafia Boss but she wasn't sure where his anger lied with now as he stopped in front of her. "Vanessa turned on me! Over nothing but a few measly flowers all for her!! After everything I sacrificed for her! All those years of pandering to every single one of her demands no matter how ridiculous and impossible they were! I gave her the best dam bloody years of my life and she repaid me for my loyalty and love to her by chaining myself in the dark abyss of the cellar and ending myself up trapped here for over a thousand years! Watching while others got to frollic free and Snatcher get to rein over our kingdoms!!" They. Were. Stunned. Not just her but the kids too. Even Timmy who lived her with Moonjumper seemed in shock from the sudden tantrum. But as soon as it came it left when he exhaled and leaned back holding up his hands. "F-Forgive me. My death...i-is a sensative topic. I just find it so unbareable when the old memories from how unfair it was was brought up....But that's the story mostly. I don't know how or why we ended up splitting on death but each of us are half of what made up our personality and thinking process." He held a hand to his chest. "I am, if I do say so myself, the much better half. The part with the actual manners and dignity and the proper way to actually behave. Meanwhile Snatcher is full of anger and resentment, stubborn an an Express Owl, gloomier than a graveyard, AND he lacks any empathy or positive qualities other than his own motives!!......I hope that answers your questions, my dear."

Poppy.........Still stared. Behind him both Bow and Hattie looked at each other...then they both looked at Timmy who blinked and shrugged with a just as confused face to their looks, before all three children looked back to him.

........She blinked again. "Uh....Yeeeaaaahhh." She wasn't exactly sure how or WHAT to respond with after that. Not that she was afraid. Just...taken aback. But then again she couldn't exactly blame the fella for feeling the way he does after a tramatic death like that. Peck. Even she has nightmares about Vanessa, and she didn't even interact with her for five minutes. She couldn't start to imagine how he could've spent years with someone as evil as that. "Right. Well...Thank ya for ....catchin' me up ta speed. I uh..Clears up a bunch of it actually....Except ah don't know why he didn't tell me this all sooner."

"Oh? You really haven't figured out that yet?" He tutted and rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Poppy. Let me ask YOU a question now. What would you have done knowing Snatcher makes deals with innocent souls who just stumbled into his forest unless they can very rarely defeat him or bargain their way out of eternal servitude and he harnesses all of their souls for his magic fuel?"

"AH ALREADY KNEW HE DID THAT DIRTY BUSINESS WHEN I-....Wait. Magic...fuel?"

He nodded smiling. "Magic fuel. Same goes for me.~ After all the more minions a ghost has the more powerful his magic is. I have a few loyal here to me as you obviously saw coming in. Now...the souls you use don't HAVE to be dead like you, but anyone loyalty of in Snatcher's case hundreds and counting. It makes him almost god like compared to someone like me or ...or HER. Of course he can't kill me. You can't kill someone twice...Uh.." He looked her over. "Or..in your case...Uh ahem or MY case at least, you can't 'kill' a ghost. But essentially coming back to the point. It matters not if your follwers are dead or living, what matters is their loyalty to YOU. Their devotion makes you powerful. I suspect he didn't want you finding that out for the same reason he refused to reveal his..or more like OUR identity and not tell you anything. He was either afraid or just annoyed at the consequences he would've had to face if you had been disgusted your old friend would do something like this."...His smile widened to that smirk again. "But since the owl's out of the bag now.~ He's going to have to deal with the fact that he LIED to you and deliberately kept the truth from you for so long because of a little fright ...I suspect you'll be having some second thoughts for our 'King' of the woods eh?~ Hmhmhm.~"

Snatcher KNEW!! SNATCHER HAD LIED TO HER!!......Well she already knew both of those things. She already knew he lied, and she already knew that he knew but hearing the words straight from his twin's mouth made. Her. PECKING. ANGRY. Angrier than when that yappity bird blamed her for the camera. Angrier when the Mafia was pushing around that poor old man. Angrier when Snatcher made her a babysitter against her own will(not that she was blaming or complaining about the lil tikes). This was a whole kind of next level of anger that she had never felt before even in her old life a thousand years ago!!! This was the anger of betrayel! the worst kind you could feel!! What did she do to EVER GET IN THIS MESS!? .....She had to stop herself and breath in when her vision went red. Now use throwing a tantrum in front of the person who at least answered all her questions so willingly and cleared everything up. There wasn't anymore holes or missing peices in this puzzle now and all the numb, butterflies, confusion had completely disappeared and she felt whole again knowing. Now there was still just one question on her mind that even Moonjumper couldn't answer. Why? And only Snatcher could answer that himself. Moonjumper said it was cuz he was scared or annoyed at the consequences but she wasn't too sure unless it came directly from his mouth. She was DEFINATELY to give the purple onion noodle one PECKING peice of her mind for sure!!

She nodded her head and looked to Moonjumper calmly. "Well. Ah sure do appreciate ya'll telling me all of this. Ah think I got what I needed. Thank you. But now.." She looked off back in the direction they came from with a scowl. "I got a few more questions ta git outta someone else."

He just nodded smiling. ''Im glad to have been so helpful to you. ...But there IS one more important thing you must know about.~"

She looked back to him with a raised brow. "And what is that?"

"This." He held up one of his hands and snapped his fingers. The sound echoing out eerily and Poppy flinched at the sound. After a few seconds a bright red string dropped from out of nowhere and stopped right beside his head.

She stared at it for a moment. "...What is that thing?"

"It's how I make contracts. You see Snatcher isn't the only one who can make those, the only difference is that the person HAS to willingly agree to sign the paper or he can't do anything...While MINE can be forced upon." His smile widened more. "And frankly I don't think he deserves someone as special as you!!"

His wrist that he still had held up suddenly went down in a slashing motion and in an instant the thing sprung to life on his command. Poppy yelped as it went straight towards her and on instinct brought her arm up to shield her face, the red string wrapped around her arm like a snake and proceeded to tighten like one Poppy was pulled forward by it and she yelped before digging her heels into the ground and pulling back, her otherhand clasping over the string. Moonjumper smiled and simply motioned his finger forward as it painfully tightened around her more.

"WHAT THE PECK DO YA THINK YER DOING?!," She angrily snarled at his smile.

"DAD!! What are you doing?!," Timmy asked just as horrified as the other two children. Obviously he wasn't expecting this to happen.

"Don't worry. They all fight at first but soon you'll forget any pain and be eternally happy." Moonjumper said in a reassurring voice. "Won't that be better? You'll never be in danger again, and be here with me."

"YOU'RE MORE CRAZY THAN SNATCHER!!" She stumbled forward a foot at a sudden yank, The red string glowing a bright red and her blue eyes widened at it.

"Don't worry. I promise it doesn't hur-"

At that very moment a giant burst of energy throbbed hard within the very core of her body. Temparaily knocking the wind outta her. Poppy gasped and fell to her hands and knees at the sudden tight feeling within her. Her body emitting a small purple light in the dead center of her chest and she stayed there gasping and blinking at the sudden sensation leaving goosebumps across the pale flesh and her shaking like a leaf again. Coughing and gasping for air like a drowning sailor, the red string absolutely disintagrated from the purple magic that glowed in a heart shape right in the middle of her chest. Moonjumper froze, staring at the woman on her hands and knees in absolute shock like the time he first saw her. Poppy's red hair went around framing her face as she coughed and faced the floor....Before slowly looking up through her bangs with the angriest more visious snarl on a mortal woman one could have.

"You can-...NO!" Moonjumper snarled back. "NO!! This can not be it! Y-You-....YOU DONT POSESS ANY MAGIC STRONG ENOUGH TO COUNTER MINE!! I-I-...THAT SHOULD'VE WORKED!!"

"Is THAT what that was?," she hissed out.

"How did you do that?! How you you have possibly have- No! Your will against it just must be stronger than the normal mortal!" He held both hands out and Poppy's face went back to panicked when near ten strings came from the dark and towards her. Timmy yelled at Moonjumper to stop but he either didn't notice him or didn't listen when Poppy was painfully suspended into the air. Most of the strings too tightly wrapped around her arms but some wrapped around her legs too and one around her neck, she cursed and struggled like a mad women being sent to the looney bin. Fighting and fighting before that still glowing purple heart sent out another energy burst and in an instant all the strings were destroyed. Leaving her to fall on the ground and start coughing and breathing again for air like a dying man. Moonjumper once again stood there stunned too shocked for words. Eyes going to the purple throbbing of her body....and suddenly absolutely fear wracked his face and form. "......N-No.....N-NONONONO!!!" His hands suddenly went over his mouth and he floated a few feet away. "N-No.." His red eyes snapped to her face when she weakly pushed it up. "Y-You signed it didn't you? Y-YOU SIGNED THAT CONTRACT WITH SNATCHER!?"

"W-What.." She wheezed and gasped a gulp of air while glaring at him with murder. " d-d-did ya p-peckin' expect?" Of course she signed a contract with Snatcher she he took her soul outta her body. Not like she had a choice there anyways....But she'd definately be having a talk about that with him too once her heart stopped ringing in her ears and her lungs evened out.

"T-Then that m-m-m-means t-that Snatcher's......"

"M O O N J U M P E R!!!"

It was the voice that shook the forest and sent everyone hiding. It was the voice that struck fear into every mortal and enemy ghost everywhere. The voice shook the very void and made every one-...Timmy, Hattie, Bow, Moonjumper, and any ghosts Moonjumper ruled over here stop in their peaceful home and turn to the terrifying scream that shook the dead down to the deepest hell and back again. Moonjumper whimpered like a pathetic dog. Kicked and looked ready to turn into nothing if it meant not dealing with that thing. Every ghost skidaddled and dove behind or through the marble stones for safety. Every goat ghost and dweller here. Which could only mean one thing.

The King Of Subcon....Had Arrived.

And. He. Was. ENRAGED!!

Poppy barely flinched from the sounds, the ringing in her ears making it hard to hear. She had just barely pushed herself up and around when a giant gust of wind whipped past her, making her red hair whipped wildly, and she could feel heat breifly fly by. As if someone lit a fire and swiftly threw it past her body. The dark shadow with the wind S L A M M E D into the horrified ghosts and it sent the two flying. Moonjumper found himself in the hands of the demon. The dark shadow was blacker than the abyss surrounding them, man of hair flared out crowding his face like a lion's mane, the fangs and eyes staring at him seeping with smoke and blue flames. A scream..No. Sound like the most hellish thing you could imagine screeched out from his mouth foaming with blue flames and smoke.

Moonjumper. SCREAMED!!

The three children stood there petrified at what just happed and watched from the ground as the thing that was Snatcher flew straight up into the air before literally throwing Moonjumper's form down behind the building and diving after him.

"POPPY!?" Hattie and Timmy jumped when Bow suddenly bolted over to the woman still laying on her stomach and brought her head up to look at the little girl kneeling in front of her. "Are you ok!?"

Two more appeared behind her. "Im so sorry, Miss! I didn't know any of this would happen!" Timmy looked almost ready to cry when he stopped in front of her looking at her. "I-I don't know what's gotten into them!"

"I-It aint...Y-yer fault."

"My, my. How do all of you get into trouble so easily?"

The children looked up and she slowly followed their gaze the best she could. "Hazelle!!"

The pink wearing witch tapped her foot and held a scowl as she stared down at the four..before turning to Timmy who looked even more scared under her gaze. "YOU are in BIG trouble! Ditching me and running away behind my back! What were you thinking?!..."She looked back up as a giant stream of blue flames shot out from somewhere behind the marble castle. "What were ANY of you THINKING!?"

...Timmy hiccuped and a small tear went down his face. "I didn't know! Im sorry, Hazelle!!"

...Her look didn't soften but she sighed and kneeled down next to Poppy. Her hands grabbing onto her shoulders and grunted as she pulled Poppy onto her back and then pulled her up slowly in a sitting posititon as she breathed. "Nevermind that now. Are you feeling ok?" She patted Poppy's cheek making the other woman look at her.

Poppy blinked seeing Hazelle's concerned face and nodded. "R-Real...w-winded and ...exhausted.."

"What happened?" She looked to the children for answers and Hattie spoke up.

"Moonjumper tried using his strings on her."

"HIS WHAT?!"

Hattie nodded. "But it didn't work. She signed Snatcher's contract."

".....So that's it. The powerful magics just overwhelmed you, you're going to be fine." Hazelle patted Poppy's shoulder before standing back up and sighing. Looking up as another screech sounded out. "Right. Kids. Stay here with Poppy ok? Im going to go break up the other two children fighting."

As she walked away, heels of her boots clacking, the three children looked at one another in worry. Not knowing what to think. Moonjumper on the other hand had a LOT going on through his mind at the moment, especially when he was slammed again with incredible strength in Snatcher's claws. The subcon ruler becoming frustrated when Moonjumper kept dodging his flames. The horrified face of the moon boy stared with fear when Snatcher charged him again, sharp claws out and aiming right for him- Until he was stopped when a bright red string wrapped itself tightly around his tail and stopped him mid dive. The beast snarled like a monster and turned on the red string in rage before another snagged around top half. And then more. And more. And more. .....AND MORE!! Until his entire body was red and thrashing within a cocoon made from hundred and hundred of Moonjumper's threads like a fly trapped within a spider's web. Enraged, the screeching and thrashing increased like he was a worm from hell. He was solely focused on Moonjumper for what he had done. He had felt something was wrong when Poppy the contract's magic alerted him to danger. But when he had instantly teleported into the ship he found no one. He made sure to thoroughly look in each room on the ship before bumping back into Hazelle who just magically dropped in with her weird pet in the middle of his worrying and the two locked eyes.

"YOU?!," he asked blinking at her.

She seemed confused. "Yes...Me. What are you doing here?"

He instantly scowled. "I could ask YOU the same thing, Witch!"

"Uh huh." She looked towards the doorway leading towards the girl's bedroom. "I'm looking for Timmy." She looked back to him with her own frown. "He ran off during one of our lessons and I looked all over for him all day so I've been having Shifty here follow his aura until we got to the moon train. I figured the only other place he could've gone is here with your kiddos."

"Well it looks like we're BOTH fooled!!" He hissed out with a glare crossing his arms. "There's no one here either!"

She hummed and rose a brow. "That is strange. Perhaps Timmy wanted a play date out with them, but why didn't he tell me??....It's not like him at all."

"MISStresS." The Shapeshifter gurgled out in that strangled voice of their's as the strange creature wobbled about slinking towards the door that lead to the storage room of the ship. Getting Hazelle's full attention. "i SeNsE THE bOY's AURa THaT way. FAINT buT TheRe."

It gurgled before crawling towards said door that opened with a whoosh sound and crawled down the hallway. Both of them looked at each other before Hazelle teleported to the other side of the wall and Snatcher's fazed through it. Both watched as Shapeshifter flopped itself to the next level of the floor before crawling towards the ladder that lead to the boiler room and hissed looking upwards.

"hE WENT Up."

"Impossible." Snatcher muttered. "There's nothing in there but water! You're blood hound's as useless as a statue!!"

"Well it's not a coincidence that my boy and YOUR girls are missing as well as that Poppy girl. You can't say we don't have an idea about where they went!"

"Oh please! Why in the PECK would they go in a room filled with water and a measly telescope!?"

Hazelle perked up at that. "A telescope? Don't they use those things to teleport places?"

Snatcher instantly shut up......OF COURSE!! He wanted to smack himself in that moment, but instead he shot himself through the wall into the boiler room and popped out the other side. Rushing up to the telescope and peeping one of those bright yellow eyes through the peep hole to see where it was pointed at on the planet. Hazelle popped a moment later magically teleporting beside him and saw him looking through it.

"Well? Where does this one lead?," she asked him and he looked up.

"Some place in the mountains with lots of clouds." He seemed confused. What kind of place was that to run off too?

Hazelle seemed to get a look of quick realization. "...Oh no."

"Oh no?" Instantly SNatcher was on her scowling. "What do you mean OH NO?!"

"Well, if Im not wrong, that's the long way home for Timmy before I got used to teleporting him everywhere....And Timmy lives in the Horizon."

With Moonjumper!? A shot of panic and rage overcame him at the very thought of Moonboy being all nice and barf romantic over her!! THAT FOOL HAD DONE SOMETHING!! But he wasn't sure what it was or how he was involved in this, but he WAS going to get there and find out! Hazelle offered to teleport them there since it'd be much quiker than taking the Twilight Bell and she was used to making big teleportation jumps with her advanced power. He instantly agreed and after Hazelle ordered Shifter to stay there(in case they came back) she teleported with him holding her shoulders. Once there he had to admit he was a little dizzy, it took a lot to make him feel a bit dizzy so Hazelle must've used a giant burst of magic to get them....Whereever they were real fast. It was almost too fast. But the dizzy feeling was short lived. He felt the second wave of the binding contact protecting Poppy from something and weird place or not, he took off in the direction of it much to Hazelle's protests and yells. If he had a heart it'd be beating a million times a minute as for one rare moment in his after life....He was scared. He knew his magic would be strong enough to counteract Moonjumper's but there was still the lingering fear of her becoming another lost trapped soul trapped her by him somehow. Or what else Moonjumper would do to her?! He lost her once, he didn't want to lose her again!! He couldn't!! Not after he made so much progress in finding her and getting her back!! But his fears were confirmed true when he find them.

Poppy was there...On the ground...She looked so weak. It was like the ghost smacked into a wall with how sudden he stopped seeing her. It was unmistakingly her!! The Purple magic from her soul was his alright and still calling out to him!! Poppy was laying on the ground weakly pulling her head up towards Moonjumper who looked angry and was snarling at her.

Something within him at that very moment SNAPPED!!

It was like the world around him began to blur and spin and the only two figures in his mind was the girl laying on the ground and the snarling person above her. .....What had be done? Poppy was.....hurt? Very possible. Moonjumper did something to Poppy...No. HE did something to Poppy. Moonjumper was a part of him!! A part of him that let Poppy get hurt once again! From that moment something began to bubble up inside of him and poor out in waves. HE HURT HER!! He let her get hurt!! After what already happened to her because of his mistakes!! HOW DARE HE LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!! EVEN IF IT WAS JUST A PART OF HIM MOONJUMPER SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO TOUCH THE WOMAN HE LOVED!! Fangs sprout. Claws sharpened. The flames of vengence and pain seeping out. And a cry of pain coming out of him. The only things he felt was sorrow and rage!!

The hunter had found his prey.

"M O O N J U M P E R!!!"

The smell of burning ashes and smoke filled the air as the red strings around the thrashing and snarling beast turned black and with an even louder screech the thing broke loose in an explosion of blue flames Moonjumper had to shield his eyes from. But when he opened them, they widened at the snarling charging claws and fangs covered in fire about to claw him. ...Before a loud smacking sound was heard and Snatcher slammed into an invisible wall blocking him off from the frozen Moonjumper. Enraged his prey wasn't in his claws the mindless beast kept clawing at the invisible shield attempting to seize it's prey within it's protective hold.

"SNATCHER!!" The snarling beast snapped it's head in the direction of the voice and coppery orange eyes glared up at him. "SNAP OUT OF IT!! POPPY NEEDS YOU RIGHT NOW AND YOU'RE ACTING LIKE A RABBID DOG!!" The beast screeched in the woman's direction where she stood ontop of one of the many white marbled blocks. She swiftly moved her arm in a cutting motion and something invisible punch Snatcher right across the face HARD. "GET A PECKING GRIP ON YOURSELF YOU IDIOT!!!"

Snatcher froze. Slowly the rage from his mind with the flames and smoke in it started to uncloud and he found his world twirling back into sights and sounds of a normal person. He found Moonjumper looking at him with anger now, a lot like his anger. But not DARING to make a move towards him. He found Hazelle standing on top of the block too, looking even more angrier than Moonjumper.

"MAYBE NOW YOU'LL LISTEN TO ME!!" She screamed at him at the top of her lungs before pointing back in the direction of Poppy. "YOUR KIDS ARE SCARED!! POPPY'S EXHAUSTED FROM THE AMOUNT OF POWERFUL MAGIC FROM BOTH OF YOU IDIOTS GOING THROUGH HER!! YOU NEED TO TAKE THEM HOME RIGHT NOW AND TAKE CARE OF THEM!!" Her glare suddenly snapped to Moonjumper. "AND YOU!? WHAT THE PECK WERE YOU EVEN THINKING?! HOW DARE YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!" At the questiosn towards Moonjumper Snatcher looked back to him and snarled, claws balling into tight fists. "SNATCHER. DONT. YOU. DARE!! ILL TAKE CARE OF HIM!! GO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY!! NOW!!"

Snatcher still glared at Moonjumper for a few seconds, the claws still sharp. But Poppy was more important than this fool. The shadow turned and shot away, leaving Hazelle to do the picking up after him. The mane of his neck still bunched up but most of it toned down til it was just bristled like when he was usually irritated. The claws retracting on their own. Shooting through walls and walls of white marble until he finally got to the four of them. They all jumped in surprise save for Poppy who was so tired she felt like she was going to pass out any moment. Timmy looked away in shame as the tall shadow approuched and for a moment Snacther regarded the young boy for the crimes comitted tonight.

".......Hazelle's going to have a talk with you."

That was it. No threats to him from the older ghost, just a warning on what his mum figure was going to do once she got done chewing out Moonboy. Without anything to say Timmy just nodded to the older ghosts before he came to the girls and an instant frown adorned his face. the two girls were clutched onto the barely awake woman looking at him scared and not sure what to do about the situation. ...This was all his fault. He silently gathered the trio up in his arms, both girls immediately clutching onto his fluffy neck like he was going to leave them somewhere and Poppy in his arms blinking up to the one holding her as he teleported. The dark purple surrounding her as they did. He only told her one thing too.

"Rest."

Which she gladly did closing her eyes and letting her body go limp.

[writing-the-end]

WS Chapter 52- Dragon’s Nest

Previous Chapter

Masterpost

Yinz better be seeing this around 2015 wednesday, lets hope this whole scheduling thing, cause I aint pullin out my laptop in the middle of an AJR concert we’re already planning weird ass shit for our car.One more cute chapter before endgame! I’m so excited for you all to finally see what we’ve been hinting at for months!

Also can you tell that i really like thunderstorms and associate dragons with lightning?

Red belongs to @theguardiansofredland​

Ecto belongs to @cooler-cactus-block

“Avon, Jessie caught a silverfish again.” Ecto holds the dragonet up, limbs dangling in the air as she snaps her ivory dagger teeth into the bug. They’ve set up a small camp, more permanent than any of their other night encampments. A little home sheltering them from the elements, mostly built by Red. He’s a good builder, the home including a small flower garden and layered roofing. He had limited materials, but it’s still rustic and cute.

“I thought she grew out of chasing those when I showed her how to swim?” Red questions, trying to pull the spiky bug out of the baby’s mouth. But before he can grab it, Jessie swallows. 

“Once she gets big enough, she’ll stop chasing them.” Avon waves it off, plucking Jessie free. She clambers onto Avon’s shoulder, small claws gripping into the leather pauldron to hold on. “Jessie, wouldn’t you rather have some rabbit?” 

The baby chirps and flaps her wings, but never truly attempts to take off. She wiggles her tail, ears pricking up and listening to the forest around her. Listening for food. Ecto tugs on Jessie’s wing, the thin black membrane still soft and new. “When will she learn to fly? I thought she’d learn by now.” 

“We should teach her!” Red picks a flower, offering the poppy to Jessie. The dragonet snaps at the flower, before lightly pawing the petals. She takes a delicate hold of the gift from Red, curling up on Avon’s shoulder and watching the flower between her paws. “How...how do you teach a dragon to fly?”

“For me, it was years of trial and error. And jumping off roofs.” Avon shivers as she remembers her tumbles. 

“Isn’t being underwater just like flying?” Ecto questions. 

“That’s space, and no.” Avon picks up sticks, crafting a campfire to make their lunch. They’ve been working hard on setting up defenses, figuring out a plan. First, they’ll prepare the grounds for the upcoming final fight. Mapping out bottlenecks, traps, and places where the wanderer’s affinities can shine through. After, they’ll gather their army. “Maybe I can take her flying with me on patrol one day.” 

“Or I can stack up a cactus pillar, and she can jump and learn to glide!” Ecto’s eyes glimmer at the chance to build another monolith. 

“We can focus on teaching her after we survive this. We need to get back to work- it’s going to storm later.” Avon tosses cooked porkchops to her friends. “How’re the sand traps going, Ecto?” 

“It feels good to have grains stuck under my nails again.” She grins, pulling off her boot and dumping half the desert out of her shoe. 

“Couldn’t you just use a shovel?” Red questions, tilting his head. Wouldn’t it take longer for Ecto to use her hands, even with the time spent making shovels. 

“Why would I waste time on a shovel when my hands work just as well?” Ecto laughs, biting into her meal. Red and Avon chuckle, shaking their heads. Of course, what an Ecto response. Ecto’s logic is sound, if a bit strange. But they love her weird, wacky, wonderful ideas. “I’ve been collecting cacti to put at the bottom of the pitfalls. If the hellspawns survive the drop, the cactus will definitely take care of them.”

Avon nods, giving a bite of the cooked meat to the snappy mouth at her neck, feeling Jessie’s wings flutter in her hair. But Red is less excited about the news. She knows that the hellspawns won’t hesitate to kill them. That they’d show no mercy. But Red just isn’t the killing type. She’s not a fighter like Ecto and Avon. They tried talking to them, and their kindness was only met with violence. 

But maybe actions speak louder than words? “Do we have to kill them? Can’t we just...I dunno, stop them?” 

Avon grimaces, setting Jessie on the ground. “We talked about this before, Red…” 

“I know,” Red turns his head away, watching the rolling storm clouds build over the ocean in the distance. “I just want everyone to be happy. You don’t think there’s any way we can show them that being open and accepting would change their mind?”

“I don’t think they can be shown that. They're too far gone.” Ecto sets her hand on Red’s shoulder, trying to comfort the crestfallen kipling. “They’re our enemies.” 

“You and Avon were enemies. You two always tussled when we first met. What changed that?” Avon and Ecto look at each other, jaws slack. “You two got to know each other. Opened up, and were kind. Can’t we at least try to show them that? Maybe not with words, but maybe...if we don’t kill them, just defeat them and show them how great difference is, we can make things better for everyone.” 

Red watches both their faces. Avon bites her lip, the twinge of revenge still in her eyes. She wants to get justice for Jeane’s death. But Red’s point was compelling. Ecto was stern in her gaze, but she spoke up first. “Why don’t we compromise… we’ll try to defeat them, try to show them kindness. I won’t make the traps deadly- if they choose not to fight, if they see sense and find kindness like you hope, we can help them. But… some may be beyond talking to. They won’t agree no matter what.” 

“That… I think that’s a good idea.” Red nods. He’s taking the unusual path this time, that Ecto usually takes. But he’s too empathetic. Maybe scaring the hellspawns, beating them and then opening up to them like Ecto and Avon did will lead to decreased tensions. He saw doubt in Nova’s eyes, pause in Endo’s voice. There is a chance to redeem them. But he knows that an endless cycle of battle, like the tides berating the shore, will only follow all out war. 

The wanderers go back to work, despite the angry storm clouds creeping up on them. Pools of water appear across the landscape, small chests full of food, potions, and armor hidden among the grass, and simple traps are set up by Ecto and Red. Avon hovers above, taking notes on a map between her work digging trenches and barriers. 

Each wanderer takes turns caring for Jessie. If there’s one thing the three have discovered, it’s that Jessie inherited her mother’s proclivity towards blankets. Stealing sheets from their beds, Avon’s cloak while it’s tossed aside, or even Ecto’s scarves from right off her neck, Jessie will drag the massive fabric between her legs, hobbling into a little nest built in the corner of the cabin and burying herself until it’s just chitters and chirps and a peek of glowing purple eyes to find the infant. Her wings flap and flutter, never truly taking her off the ground. But sometimes she gets close, especially when Ecto tosses her in the air, only to catch her on the way down, or while mimicking Avon’s wings. 

Jessie may not have Jeane, but she does have the wanderers. Red, and all his cooking and babysitting skills. Ecto, wild one that is intent on seeing Jessie fly and teach her survival. And Avon, the closest thing to another dragon she has. Sometimes, her chitters almost sound like draconic words. But it’s still baby talk. She busies herself playing with just about anything, whether it’s hunting rabbits and silverfish, or swimming in the pools that Red has constructed. 

The work, preparing the field and babysitting the rambunctious dragonet, is only interrupted by the storm. A heavy downpour of rain sends the wanderers and baby dragon under the safety of the awning before the cabin. Red sits, quite proud of his work keeping them dry. Jessie curls up beside Avon, watching her first rainshower with pricked ears and curious eyes. Her wings flutter, spreading out as a few drops fall on her wings. 

Lightning streaks across the sky, tendrils of energy reaching out, before sky connects to ground and a flashing channel of light careens from the roiling clouds to the field below. Before the lightning has dissipated, the thunder sweeps across the terrain. A loud snapping crash, of air suddenly expanding and contracting at the heat of the lightning. Colliding and crushing, sweeping into the empty air with the scent of fresh ozone.

Even for the wanderers, who enjoy nature's light show, the thunder rocks their bodies. But it’s Jessie’s first storm, her first thunder clap. Her ears flatten against her head, eyes wide and staring in the direction of the bolt. She scrabbles back, hiding beneath the safety of Avon's wing. 

She's shaking. Red presses his lips together, before scooting to Avon’s side. Ecto offers a hand, luring Jessie from her hiding spot. Jessie settles into Ecto’s lap, shaking like a leaf as Red attempts to calm her down. "I know, storms can be scary. They're so strong, so wild. I used to be afraid of storms too. I hated how loud they were.

"But when I met Selene, she told me how incredible lightning really is." Red leans close to Jessie, and all of them settle in for another story woven by him. "She showed me how to see the beauty in the danger, respect the strength. Nature's own fireworks. We'd sit and watch the storms together, and I learned to love the sound of thunder. Bringing energy to the world."

Avon smiles, leaning back. Watching another forking stretch claw along the sky. It doesn't find ground, and fades to a soft rumble. "There was a book I read once, from the stronghold. Alchemists and sorcerers believe that lightning is the key to life. The spark that started all this. A catalyst to every living thing, ever villager and dragon, cactus and guardian."

"So lightning is like our mother." Ecto breathes, eyes following the flash channel. "Everything started with one lightning bolt."

Thunder crashes, rumbling against their bones and shaking the trees. But Jessie isn't scared this time. She crawls out of Ecto's lap, away from the pets and comfort. Grey wings stay tucked close, far from being caught by the wild wind. Her tail drags against the grass, looping around her as she sits. With a tilt of the head, Jessie gazes at the lightning storm. Watches with curious, nervous eyes as lightning ignites a tree. The rain extinguished it. 

And when the thunder rolls along, Jessie feels the excitement of life that the wanderers share.

[holylulusworld]

Sometimes wrong is better than right...

Summary: It’s just wrong…but at the same time so good. But all the wrong things have their consequences.

Paring: Bucky Barnes x Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader, a stray cat (named kick-ass)

Warnings: angst, pregnant reader, language, calling names, arguments, a hint of fun, grabby Steve (little pervert), cravings

Wrong-Right Masterlist

Around four months later… France, Provence

Walking along the field you pick one last flower, a poppy. The red flower is the perfect contrast to your purple lavender. The scent of lavender is floral and sweet, the other flowers smell wonderful too, but you prefer the scent of the pretty purple flower since you live here.

Natasha gave you enough money so you could easily buy a little house in the middle of nowhere. No technique, no stress, no super soldiers only silence, and peace.

The only roommate you have is an old stray cat who came around a few days after your moved in and the little fucker decided to stay with you. She’s the only living being you let get close to you. Most of the time you stay to yourself except you need to buy some food.

The little garden behind your house provides fruits and some vegetables but you need more to feed your hunger, so you are forced to walk into town from time to time.

Luckily you found an old bicycle in your house to ride as sometimes your feet won’t carry you that far anymore.

A smile crosses your face when you see the old cat meowing in front of your open door. Wait you never leave your door open, but you don’t lock it either.

You’ve got nothing precious someone could be interested in to steal. Your weapon and passport are always in your purse which you have with you any time so anyone trying to break into your house will be disappointed.

Shrugging you believe the door didn’t shut right, as it happens a lot. Especially during a thunderstorm, it tends to burst open and let the rain in.

Greeting your only friend, you pat the head of the cat and she follows you into the house. You want to put the picked flowers into a vase but then you see the tea kettle on your stove and a cup on your table and you know you didn’t leave the house like this.

You want to get the weapon out of your bag, but Steve is much faster. Pressing you with his full strength into the wall he makes you wince in pain.

“Took us a while to find you as Nat refused to tell us anything. Buck and I against the rest of the Avengers it was, but here we are.” Steve mutters placing one fist against the wall right next to your head and his hand around your arm.

“Please don’t hurt me,” you whisper and Steve cocks a brow.

“I didn’t intend on hurting you, Y/N. We just want to bring you home.”

“You are hurting me…you’re stronger than me…please don’t hurt my babies.” You sniffle and Steve let go of you. Looking down at you in awe his breath hitches in his throat.

“You kept our babies?” Bucky asks before Steve can find his voice.

“I kept my babies, now leave me alone. I’m no harm to you or your life’s. Just leave me be. I was happy. For four months I was finally happy, and you come around to destroy everything again.”

“Happy with a stray cat as your only friend? Hell, you were talking to this bastard.” Bucky chuckles. “He’s not even cute, just a rotten little stinker.”

“Not your problem and it’s a girl, punk.” You grunt. “She’s a good listener in lonely nights.”

“You will pack your things and come back with us,” Steve mutters.

“No way! I’ll stay here. You can’t force me to come back. I don’t want to come back. It’s quite and peaceful here. No wars, fights or men hurting me. Just the cat and me.”

“Y/N you can’t stay here all alone in the middle of nowhere. What will happen during giving birth? Do you want to handle this alone too?” Steve asks staring at your stomach.

“I got a telephone. Believe it or not, there’s an ambulance available any time.”

“I don’t care, doll. You will not give birth to my child in a shitty hospital in Provenceistan.”

“Who asked you for your opinion, Barnes? Answer: No one. Only as you filled me with your cum you got no rights, period.” You grunt stomping your foot onto the ground.

“Can I touch the bump?” Steve asks and you shake your head.

“I don’t want you to touch me. Go away. I don’t want one of you to touch me ever again.” You sniffle.

“Baby, please. I only want to feel my child.”

“I don’t care what you want, Rogers. You didn’t care about my feelings either. You two are as cold as ice. You take what you want without thinking about  consequences. I won’t play your sick games any longer. If you want me to come home you have to kill me as I only leave this house over my dead body.” You state glaring up at the tall Avenger.

“Damn she is one hell of a woman, Stevie. Did she make you hard with her speech too? Look at the boobs, they are bigger too. She looks so beautiful right now…so carefree.”

“Bucky, can you shut your dirty mouth for a second. This is not the way to win her over. Yes, she makes me hard, but I want her back as I love her, not as my sexy kitten.” Steve warns.

“Perverts! Both of you are rotten, dirty perverts. Now get out of my house.” You warn pushing against Steve’s chest.

“You know Nat can’t help you right now. We could just throw you over our shoulder and carry you out of this shithole you call a house.” Bucky chuckles.

“Try me, asshole! I will scream and yell. How does that sound? You’re not that popular in Europe, not after Germany.” You spat and Bucky flinches at your words.

“You promised to never mention Germany.” He mumbles.

“And you promised to love me, to be there for me, just like Captain Asshole over here. Lies, lies and empty promises on your side. Why should I keep mine?”

“You’re better than me.”

“Damn right. I’m a fucking princess, now out of my castle.” You warn and this time Steve starts chuckling.

“She’s damn cute believing she can get rid of us. You see Baby if you refuse to come with us we will stay here. Your decision.”

“You will not stay in my house!”

“We can and we will, doll. Our bags are already in your bedroom.”

“You two are completely insane! You didn’t want me at all and now you want me back. The hell!”

“We always wanted you, doll. Now let me make you my famous buckytastic pancakes and Steve can feed the cat.” Bucky says and you want to strangle him as he walks toward your fridge to poke his head in. “Oh, she’s got no beer, Steve. You need to drive into town. Damn, we need bacon and meat…shit…all green rubbish in here. Nothing to feed a real man.”

“I didn’t invite you to eat my food, asshole.”

“Damn she is stubborn, Cap. I want to bend her over my lap and spank her ass bright red.”

“You can’t hurt me, I’m pregnant.”

“Hmm…then I’ll wait for five months and do it then.”

“Five months?” You gasp staring at the super soldier. The tall man simply shrugs and starts preparing the dough for pancakes.

“We told you we will stay here. Hmm…I better drive into town to get all the stuff we need. How about some ropes to restrain our stubborn lady?” Steve jokes and you gulp hard.

“You can’t do that…this will hurt.” You sniffle.

“Baby, that was a joke. Damn your hormones get you good, huh…Are you horny too?” Bucky asks licking his lips.

“Not for you, pervert.”

“I bet she needs us really bad, Stevie. Could check her out right now.”

“Buck, don’t try anything stupid while I’m on my shopping tour,” Steve warns.

“I need cat food too.” You mutter grabbing your purse. “I’ll come with you…Cap.” You say glancing at a grinning Bucky.

“Uh, she wants the golden boy to go first.”

“Asshole!” You retort.

“We better get going before it gets too late,” Steve says trying to touch your shoulder, but you flinch away. “Sorry.”

“I’m only coming with you as I do not trust this pervert and I need food for my cat.”

----

“You know Natasha is a really good friend. Tony, Fury, everyone tried to get information about your position. About how you made it out of the tower.” Steve tries but you just look out of the window.

“She had nothing to do with my escape. I stole your ID card and grabbed a hidden bag. I spared some money and took the next flight to France.”

“We both know she helped you escaping but I know you would do anything to protect your friend. She did the same.”

“Is she alright or did you hurt her too?” You ask rubbing the bruises at your upper arm Steve caused.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. Sometimes I forget about my own strength. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“You wanted to hurt me as you thought I aborted the babies, Steve. I saw the hatred in your eyes. Don’t think I’m stupid, Rogers. I know you are a bad liar.”

“I was devasted after you left, just like Bucky.”

“Sure. Why didn’t you knock someone else up? There are plenty of chicks waiting for the golden boy to impregnate them.” You mutter.

“As I only imagine you as the mother of my children. Don’t be this stubborn. You are the most complicated woman in the world.”

“Are you kidding me? As if you know every single woman in the world, Captain Stupid.”

“Bucky is right. I should slap your ass…”

“What a pity I kept your baby.” You spat and Steve glares at you. Opening his mouth and closing it his features darken and he stops the car. “I can still make you obeyed.”

“Dream on, Cap. You will not break me…never again.” You mutter poking your finger into his shoulder.

“Hmm…you know you will not make us leave.”

“Pfff…don’t care. You can sleep outside.”

“With the cat?”

“No, the cat is allowed to sleep in my bedroom…in my bed.” You state grinning and a smirk appears on Steve’s face.

“Meow…” He tries and you giggle. “Won’t work Rogers… ’Kick-ass’ is much cuter than you.”

“Kick ass?”

“Yeah, I named her like that. She attacked a goddamn bulldog as he came too close to me.”

“She’s a fighter then…like you.”

“Hmm…he hurt her pretty badly and I had to bring her to a veterinary. She barely survived but she’s still kicking…ya know.” You whisper and Steve gives you a side-glance. Your sad face makes his stomach drop.

“We should probably head into town or Bucky burns your house down meanwhile.”

“I will kill him if does…it’s not much or pretty but it’s mine. The house is like me, nothing special but someone loves it. I love it.”

----

“We should buy this too.”

“Why should you need pickles?” You ask.

“No, those are for you. Pregnant women eat pickles.” Steve insists.

“Not every woman, Captain know it all.” You retort and an elderly woman starts smiling at you and Steve.

“Ah, Y/N is this your boyfriend? The man who is in oversea?”

“Yes, ma’am, that’s me. I’m Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you.” Steve says smiling like a good boy.

“Such a charming man. He’s a catch, ma chere.”

‘If she only knew’. You think to yourself, but you smile politely and nod while Steve takes the opportunity to sling his arm around your waist and squeeze your butt.

Angrily clenching your fists, you want to kick his ass, but the elder lady won’t stop babbling so Captain Pervert presses his body closer to yours and starts sniffing at your hair.

“Au revoir, ma chere.” She finally says.

“I swear as soon as we are out of here I will kick your ass.” You warn but Steve ignores your words. Simply pecking your cheek, he chuckles squeezing your butt once again.

“You loved it, kitten. I know you did.”

----

“What took you two so long? Did you make a stop to screw each other?” Bucky mutters.

“Captain Pervert grabbed my ass in the grocery store. That’s what happened.” You mutter glaring at a grinning Steve.

“I just played along. So, your loving boyfriend is in oversea? Did you tell the friendly lady you are pregnant of two men my dirty little kitten?”

“No! I didn’t tell her anything!”

“Did you bring beer and meat? Tell me you brought all the stuff I wrote on the list.” Bucky asks.

“I bought everything and pickles.”

“Pickles? For the pregnant lady.” Bucky says while his blue eyes are glued to your hidden bump.

“I don’t need that rubbish.” You mutter glancing at the pickles in Steve’s hands.

“Let’s eat the pancakes before my food gets cold.”

“By the way she wants us to sleep outside,” Steve says and Bucky looks at your grinning face.

“With the cat?” Bucky asks.

“No, the cat is allowed to sleep in her bed.”

“Meow?” Bucky tries and Steve starts cackling. “I tried the same, Buck.”

----

“Come on, Y/N. You can’t let us sleep outside.” Bucky pleas while you toss his bag out of the window.

“This is my house and I won’t let you sleep in my bedroom. I do not trust you two a bit. You will try to touch me or worse, you perv!”

“Fine. We sleep outside, heartless woman.” Bucky mutters walking out of your bedroom with Steve hot on his heels.

----

The house is silent so you tiptoe downstairs to reach your kitchen. Almost at your goal, you stretch your arm to grab the… “Are you looking for these?” Steve asks flicking the light on to show you the pickles in his hands.

“Why are you in my kitchen?”

“We are camping here. Did she come for the pickles?” Bucky asks looking up from the floor.

“She did, Buck. Such a greedy little girl.” Steve chuckles with a dark grin but then his eyes land on your exposed swollen belly and his eyes soften.

“Give these to me…I want them.” You mutter trying to get hold of the pickles in his hands.

“Only if I can touch the bump.”

“That’s blackmailing…you’re a bad father. I’m craving this shit only as you told me pregnant women eat pickles. Give them to me…” You sniffle holding out your hands.

“Damn give her the pickles she’s close to tears, Stevie,” Bucky says unusual softly.

“Here…” Greedily grabbing the pickles you try to open the glass and fail. Cursing you try to get access to the sour little bitches, but the lid won’t move.

“It won’t open.” You whine and Steve takes the glass out of your hands to open it for you. Squealing you take the glass to sit onto a chair to stuff the sour cucumbers into your mouth.

“Damn she really is craving odd stuff.” Bucky chuckles sitting next to you. Wearing nothing but his boxers he places his metal hand onto the table to tap his fingers onto the wood.

“Not bad…” You mutter grabbing another pickle until an odd noise disturbs your cravings festival.

As soon as kick-ass starts hissing you know something’s off. “That’s kick-ass…something must be wrong.” You say and both men jump up.

“Stay here with her. I’ll go outside and check the surroundings. Maybe the cat only saw a mouse.” Steve says but then the door to your house bursts open…

Marvel Tags

@stuckys-whore, @notyourtypicalrose, @voltage-my2dlove

Wrong-Right Tags

@allonszassbutt, @joe-mazzello-is-my-dad

[asagaoflowers]

The Puppy Escapade

Word Count: 2412

Pairing: PBG/Hana

Summary: PBG comes to Hana for help after hours, and Hana just can’t bring herself to say no. (Takes place during PBG’s Route)

Prompt: “I know we aren’t supposed to have pets in the dorms, but just look at this little guy!”

Genre: Fluff

A/N: I was supposed to post this on Asagao’s anniversary but y’know me,, anyways I like PBG’s route,, don’t judge me

A loud hammering on the door resounded through the room late at night, moonlight shining through the windows and onto the pink curtains of Hana and Mai’s room. A messy head of pink hair popped off the pillow, squinting through the darkness and rubbing sleep away from her eyes as she fumbled for her glasses beside her on the end table.

Who on earth was knocking at their door at this hour?

The knocking continued, getting louder and more urgent with each passing minute. Mai stirred in her bed on the top bunk, grunting in annoyance and pulling her pillow over her head to drown out the sound. Hana glanced at her phone that glowed in the dark room, displaying the time, 12:28 at night.

With the knocking showing no sign of stopping anytime soon, she had no choice but to groggily drag herself out of bed and amble across the pitch black room to see who was at the door.

Hana opened the door to PBG, a deeply concerned and panicked look in his eyes that turned to relief when he saw Hana.

“Huh?” Hana mumbled, still completely out of it, blinking sleepily at him.

“Ha-Hana! I need your help! It's really important, I promise!" PBG whisper-yelled in a frantic voice, tripping over his words. He looked a bit out of breath, probably having rushed to Primrose in a hurry.

PBG had his arms crossed awkwardly his jacket in an unsuccessful attempt to mask some kind of lump in it. Unsure if it was a hallucination her half-asleep brain had made up, Hana squinted her eyes in suspicion at the lump, and let out a small gasp when she saw it move.

“PBG...what is that?”

PBG took a cautious look behind him, his voice dropping to a low whisper.

“Promise you won’t freak out?”

Hana nodded quickly, despite not knowing whether or not she wanted to see what it was. He brought the moving object out from under his jacket, holding it out to Hana.

At first, Hana only saw PBG's soccer uniform, but when a fuzzy head popped out of one of the folds, she could finally see what PBG had woken her up for. Wrapped in the uniform, a small black puppy wagged its tail excitedly, tongue lolling out with a short happy bark that he was quick to shush.

“You didn’t- PBG, you know pets aren’t allowed at Asagao!”

He looked down at the puppy pawing at his arms as it sniffed at the air curiously.

“I know, I know.. I just found Azura in some of the bushes near Poppy Hall! She was probably abandoned, I couldn’t just leave her there…”

“Azura..? PBG, you gave her a name already?”

PBG avoided Hana’s questioning gaze, peering down at Azura with a sheepish look.

“No! I mean, yeah... I did.”

Hana sighed, looking down at the small black bundle of fluff. PBG was clearly already attached to her, and Hana knew he wouldn’t listen if she tried to explain to him why he couldn’t keep a dog at Asagao.

But, even with the rules considered, Azura was in fact pretty adorable, and PBG was right. She didn’t deserve to be left out in the cold like that.

Besides, those puppy eyes both Azura and PBG were giving her was making it impossible to say no.

Defeated, Hana grabbed her blue blazer off the coat hook by the door, slipping it over her pajamas and stepping out into the hall, making sure to close the door softly behind her as to not disturb Mai.

“Alright, what do you need me to do?”

PBG’s face brightened, and Hana swore she saw Azura's face light up as well at her agreeing to help them. PBG placed the puppy in her arms without warning, and Hana scrambled to use most of her strength just to hold up the mass of fuzz that was actually pretty heavy for such a small dog. Once Azura was settled in her arms, she began to realize just how much trouble it was keeping her contained inside PBG’s soccer uniform.

“Wait here, I need to make sure the coast is clear.”

PBG disappeared down the hall, peeking around the corners until he was sure nobody was still hanging around the dorm before motioning to Hana that it was clear.  As Hana descended the stairs, The only other signs of life in the dorm were the soft snoring and occasional pattering of feet she could hear through the thin walls.

Sneaking through Primrose was an easy feat, but the outside courtyard was a whole different dangerous territory. Anybody could be wandering around and spot them out in the open, and it was a known hotspot for teachers catching students trying to sneak out of their dorms.  Hana pressed her back against the wall of Primrose to hide as the cold air hit her, sending chills down her back. Hana held Azura closer to her chest, feeling her shivers against the makeshift blanket that didn't do much against the bitter cold.

PBG glanced at Hana and Azura both shaking and immediately reached to his club jacket to pull it off.

"You don't-"

PBG interrupted Hana before she could even object to the signature green Normal Boots jacket being wrapped around her and Azura.

"Nope, I'm insisting." PBG said matter-of-factly,  standing back to look at Hana.

"You look good in it!"

After the words had already left his mouth, PBG's face flared up with shock mixed with a deep shade of red that Hana could only barely see through the thick darkness that blanketed the school grounds.

"I mean- We should probably get to Bluebell soon, don't want you or Azura freezing to death out here."

PBG reached over to Azura, scratching behind her that perked up at the sound of her name. His embarrassed expression melted into a mushy smile when he heard the content snorts that was muffled by Hana’s blue blazer.

Hana looked down at the puppy’s wide eyes, no longer annoyed by the fact that she wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight. She grinned down at its head that watched both her and PBG intently, switching who he was cocking his head at every few minutes.

With her gaze focused on Azura instead of the walkway that led into Bluebell, Hana barely noticed the alarm on PBG’s face when he pulled her into one of the alcoves in between buildings without warning. Hana’s look of confusion up at PBG went unnoticed as he was hyperfocused on the grassy area right outside of Bluebell. Hana followed his gaze to a group of benches under a lampost that illuminated two figures locked in conversation.

Miss Shizuka and Mr. Saitomo, right in the way of their safe passage into Bluebell. Their voices were distant, but it was clear that they weren’t going to move away from their guardpost anytime soon. Hana looked up at PBG, hoping he had a semblance of a plan. In the back of Hana’s brain, she imagined her and PBG getting caught out past curfew, with a pet on campus no less. Panic set in as she thought about what kind of damage that could do to her scholarship… But, PBG had a plan, right?

“Here, give me Azura.”

Hana placed the bundle of black fur into PBG’s grasp carefully. He brought Azura close to him, closing his jacket over her and hiding the bump with his arms like he’d done when he came to her for help. It was inconspicuous as they could get, but still not good enough to safely sneak by the two teachers.

“That's not going to fool them, they’re gonna want to see what you’re hiding.”

PBG looked blankly down at his rustling jacket, then back up at her.

“Yeah, that’s uhmm, kinda why I needed your help.”

“What..?”

“Can you distract them for me, please? Just long enough so I can sneak past into Bluebell-"

“Does it really have to be me?”

“They’ve already seen me too many times out past curfew... One more and I’m sure to get a detention.”

Hana gave PBG a doubtful glare.

“I promise if they think it’s just you out past curfew, neither of us will get in trouble-”

Hana stared PBG’s pleading look, still hesitant on what she should do.

His begging eyes bore into her just as her eyes narrowed more in thought.

“Please, Hana?”

Ugh, those puppy-dog eyes!

“Fine, fine. I’ll do it, but if I get written up for being out late I’ll never forgive you.”

PBG lit up, struggling to keep his excitement contained and no louder than a whisper.

“Thank you! I really owe you one.”

All at once, she was being ushered out from behind the hedges, right into the fray. Hana clammed up, her nerves completely shot. She probably should have at least thought through what her plan was before agreeing. But, there was no going back now. Hana shot a look to what had been her hiding spot a few seconds ago. PBG was already gone, probably trying to sneak around the edge of the building.

The moment of truth. Ms. Shizuka’s sharp eyes caught sight of her immediately, Mr. Saitomo’s gaze following soon after.

“Hana, what on earth are you doing out here so late?”

Quick, play stupid!

No words came from Hana’s mouth.

Not that stupid!

Ms. Shizuka raised an eyebrow, strolling over to where Hana stood in between the buildings. Mr. Saitomo followed her, both of them now with their backs turned to Bluebell's entrance. Hana was sure her pounding heartbeat would have alerted everyone in a 10-mile radius if she hadn’t already been caught by Ms. Shizuka and Mr. Saitomo.

“You really shouldn’t be here this late, isn’t Primrose on the other side of campus?” Mr. Saitomo stared questioningly at her, hints of suspicion in his voice. It wasn't until Hana remembered she was still wearing PBG's jacket that she understood his suspicion.

He didn't think she was here for that, right? Hana shook the thought from her mind, willing her face to not go red with embarrassment.

Hana closed her eyes tightly shut and did the only thing she could think of. Pretend like she was sleep-walking. She raised her arms out in front of her like she was a zombie, and started lumbering around in circles.

Silence. Hana dared to peek at Ms. Shizuka’s face for a split second, which was riddled with bewilderment. Mr. Saitomo wasn’t far behind, also bearing a look of confusion, or what she thought was confusion under all those wrinkles. He and Ms. Shizuka weren’t buying it, but then again, she wasn’t being reprimanded for being out past curfew as well.

Hana spotted a familiar face standing in the doorway to Bluebell, wildly waving at her to abort the mission.

Hana, determined to stay in character, shuffled lethargically away and added a fake snore for good measure.

As she fled, Ms. Shizuka only shook her head, mumbling out something about “these damn kids.” before strolling away.

Now free and full of adrenaline after having narrowly escaped the guards, Hana rushed into Bluebell after PBG.

Once she was safe inside, PBG burst out laughing.

“What was that? I swear, Ms. Shizuka was looking at you like you grew three heads.”

Hana pouted, glowering at the boy who was wiping hysterical tears away from his eyes.

“Hey, at least I distracted them!”

PBG’s laughter died down, settling into a grateful smile.

“Yeah, yeah. I couldn’t have done it without you, Hana, seriously.”

The happy barks of Azura sounded from within his jacket, wanting to be apart of the celebration. PBG unzipped his club jacket, a ball of fur emerging from inside.

PBG smiled down at her, reflecting her eyes that were wide with contentment.

“We should really get you out of the cold, huh?”

---

As soon as PBG set down Azura in his dorm room, she snorted happily, bounding forward to sniff at everything in sight.

PBG and Hana watched her in a content silence for a while, before Hana felt sleep tug at her tired eyes.

“I should really get back to Primrose soon, I should actually get some sleep for class tomorrow”

“Oh! I’ll walk you back!” PBG almost tripped over himself with his offer, but Hana quickly dismissed him.

“No, that's fine. I think you have your hands pretty full here, I’d say.” Hana shot a glance towards the puppy that was about to wreak havoc upon PBG’s dorm room, scampering around and having already covered all the furniture in dog hair.

“Ah, right.” PBG looked ashamed he’d already forgotten his newfound responsibilities as a parent to a tiny fuzzy ball of energy.

"Oh, and here's your jacket-" Hana's hand went up to the zipper of the Normal Boots jacket to return it to its rightful owner before PBG spoke up.

"Wait!"

She froze, looking at him in puzzlement at the sudden objection and dusty pink that covered PBG's face.

"Keep it, it's kinda cold out there. You'll need it more than I do."

Hana was too tired to protest, instead opting to leave the jacket where it was.

“Okay then... I’ll see you in class tomorrow, make sure not to stay up too late-”

“Don’t worry I- Azura, stop that!”

Hana giggled, sending PBG a short wave of goodbye as she left him to try and pry the black ball of fur off of the couch she’d already dug her tiny paws into.

The journey back to Primrose was less cold with the added warmth of the jacket that was loosely zipped around her, way too big to properly fit. It was comforting, no longer just having her thin pajamas to protect her from the chilly air.

Hana embraced the warmth of her bed when she finally arrived home, crawling under the blankets that warmed up her ice-cold hands and feet.

Before reaching to turn the light off, she heard a familiar bell chime sound from her phone. Hana picked up her phone, tapping on the message she’d just gotten.

It was a picture of Azura, fast asleep and sprawled across PBG’s lap, with her nose mashed against the floor in an uncomfortable-looking manner. Hana sighed happily, setting her phone back down and pulling the covers over her after draping the signature green jacket over her chair and finally letting herself be taken over by exhaustion.

[mosylufanfic]

And Sings the Tune Without the Words

 Killervibe Fanfiction Week: Friends to Lovers

@killervibedaily

Title from Emily Dickinson's "Hope is the thing with feathers" because I fuckin' love that poem. The jerky bakery customer is dedicated to my dearest @hedgiwithapen who’s been listening to me flail about these different stories for a month.

And Sings the Tune Without the Words

When she looked through the window and saw them putting out the new tray of cheese buns, Caitlin ducked into the bakery and got right in line. They were the best cheese buns in the city and you could almost never get them because they sold out so fast.

"Four to a customer," the baker repeated to the person in front of her, who'd asked for the entire tray. "No. Four."

She pulled out her phone and took a picture of the tray, sending it to Cisco without context.

The person in front of her had just finished threatening to smear the bakery's name all over Yelp - "Go ahead," the baker said, unruffled, "I'm the owner and I will ban your ass," - when the bell over the door jingled. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Cisco.

"Oh my god," he murmured, getting in line behind her. "Is it my birthday?"

"The limit is four," she murmured back.

"Roger that."

The first customer stomped past Caitlin with a giant pout and no cheese buns, and she stepped up, smiling brightly. "Four, please," she said, credit card already ready.

When Cisco had received his own brown paper bag of hot, puffy, aromatic cheese buns, he paused to stare down at Caitlin as she perched on the window ledge outside the bakery, savoring her first bun.

"Really?" he said. "You're going to sit here and eat them?"

She licked a smear of melted butter off her thumb. "Let me put it to you this way. Really? You're going to take your fresh, delicious, four-and-only-four-to-a-customer cheese buns from Cameron's, back to Star Labs? Where there are currently two speedsters with insatiable appetites, plus Ralph?"

He contemplated that. "You're right. Move over." He sat hip-to-hip with her and fished his first bun out of the bag. "Mmmmm," he groaned when he bit in.

"I know," she sighed, wiping her mouth and diving back into her own bag for her second. "How do they do it?"

"Wishcraf'," he said, voice muffled through his mouthful.

She nodded. Magic had to be the only explanation.

Cisco finished his first bun and sighed with pleasure. "What is Ralph still doing here, anyway?"

"I genuinely don't know," she said. "Wasn't he moving to Iowa?"

"I thought so. Guess he changed his mind." He reached for the next bun in his bag.

When they'd finished two each, he said, "Thanks for texting me."

"Of course." She rested her bag of buns on her knee, looking out at the day. The summer sun beamed down out of a deep blue sky, surrounded by puffy white clouds. In the park across the street, people were picnicking on the grass, a couple of kids were playing frisbee with a golden retriever, and a soft breeze rustled the green leaves on the trees. "This is nice."

He licked his fingers. "Best cheese buns in the city."

"That, but - this too. Just taking a break and enjoying the moment. Not because we beat somebody or rescued somebody or won at something. Just because the moment's here. When was the last time any of us did that?"

"Long time," he said. "Seems like we've been careening from disaster to disaster for - wow. God. Years."

"That's what it feels like."

"When was the last time we had a movie night, even?"

"Oh, that's been a long time," she said. "Since before Killer Frost." Before Cynthia, she wanted to say, but didn't. They hadn't talked about his breakup very much even though it had been nearly four months now.

She thought he was doing better lately. But he was good at putting on a face, and the events of the past year or so had put a distance between them that made her distrust her own ability to see under it.

"We should do that again," he said. "Movie night."

"Mmmm," she said, ducking her head under the guise of rooting around for the next bun in her bag.

He'd been making noises like that lately. Let's hang out, let's get a drink, wanna catch that movie together? Like he was trying to rebuild the way things used to be with them.

But she wasn't sure she wanted to go back to their previous dynamic.

Not that she didn't want to spend time with him. There was a reason she'd texted him and not anybody else when she'd seen the cheese buns come out.

But she wasn't sure she wanted to hang out with him as just friends.

Scratch that.

She knew she didn't want to be just friends. She wanted to be more.

It had been laying in her heart like an egg for so long she didn't know when it had arrived. She'd kept it in a corner, trying to ignore it, telling herself that between Killer Frost and Cynthia Reynolds, she'd lost her chance.

But when he'd broken up with Cynthia, the shell had cracked. Over the past months, something soft and wet and new had pushed its way out, and had shown itself unwilling to pushed off to the side. It cheeped and pecked at the inside of her chest every time she saw him now.

She'd seen the icons for dating apps on his phone, so he was at least thinking about getting out there again. But swiping right on an app and trying on a relationship with someone he'd known as long as she and Cisco had known each other - well. Those were different things.

He didn't pursue the idea, instead singing along with a snatch of a poppy summer hit blaring from a car sitting at the light. When it moved on, he said, "Have you seen the video for that?"

"No," she said, although she had. "Show me?"

The video was as cute and bouncy-fun as the song, and she smiled over it, leaning into his shoulder as he angled his phone so she could see. They swiped through a few other videos, finishing up the cheese buns.

When they were both done, he held out his hand for her paper bag. She crumpled it up and handed it to him, then got up, swiping dust off her rear as he went down the street a few steps to chuck the bags into a handy trash bin.

When he came back, he said, "You want a ride back?" He flared his fingers in a breaching motion.

"Well," she said. "I was thinking I'd walk, actually. It's not too far." She'd been walking around the city a lot lately. She told the others that it was because she needed the exercise, but the truth was, she needed the quiet thinking time that belonged only to her.

He looked around. "We could do that."

"You don't have to," she said, feeling a flush of pleasure in her stomach. "Just because I am."

"I know," he said. "Shall we?"

They matched strides, talking about the videos they'd watched, about summer movies coming out, about the food festival that would be held in the park over the weekend. Anything besides all the work waiting for them back at Star Labs. Not that today was particularly wild, comparatively speaking. But it felt like they were stealing this time for themselves.

Or maybe Caitlin just felt that way.

Halfway back, the clouds started to move in over the sun. Caitlin glanced up. "Was that a sprinkle?"

Cisco held up his hand flat. "Yep. Hey, I wonder if I could maybe make a breach right over our heads to catch the rain - "

She rooted around in her purse. "Or we could use this," she said, coming up with an umbrella.

"Well, sure, if you want to be normal about it," he said. But he ducked under the umbrella's shelter as drops began to patter against the floral design.

It was the best kind of summer shower, soft and bath-warm, with a light breeze and no hint of lightning or thunder. Snuggled up close under the umbrella, they had to walk slower so as not to trip each other. When they kept bumping elbows, he hooked his arm through hers, and they walked on, connected.

Conversation fell away, and Caitlin listened to the drum of raindrops over their heads. This close, she could smell Cisco's scent, the clean smell of his shampoo and the earthy tone of his soap and something else that was just him. She caught his eye, and he turned his head and smiled at her.

She smiled back.

All too soon, they walked up the front path to Star Labs. Under the overhang in front of the entrance, Caitlin shook her umbrella free of loose water droplets and collapsed it.

"Hey," he said. "Earlier? You didn't really say anything about movie night. When I mentioned it."

"Didn't I?" she said airily. "It's a good idea. Boost team morale. Do you still have that projector? We could set it up in the cortex, get pizza for everyone - lots of pizza - "

"That'd be fun, sure," he said. "But I meant just us."

"Oh," she said, her heart fluttering like frantic wings. Maybe just friends would be enough. Maybe if they spent enough time together as friends, she could work out if he was open to more, or maybe she'd find out that his friendship was what she'd been wanting and missing, not -

He swallowed. "Just friends if you want," he said. "But actually I've been thinking lately. What if we tried being more?"

She thought Say something, Caitlin, you idiot.

When her idiot self did not say anything, he looked away, shrugging a little as if to indicate that it was all the same to him. "Or not. Hey, I know it's a crazy time. You're still trying to figure out the Killer Frost thing, and we're all trying to fix Nora's screw-up, so if you want we can, like, table this discussion until things settle down and - "

"No," she finally managed to say, and he turned back to her quickly. "No, let's not table that discussion - I - " She fumbled. He looked like he didn't know whether to downcast or excited. "Cisco, I would like us to be more. I would. Now."

His face relaxed. "You sure? I mean, it’s so crazy right now."

She put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself. Then she leaned forward, and kissed him.

He caught his breath against her lips - she felt it. Then his hand came up and pressed against her hair, and he kissed her back.

He smiled at her when they pulled apart, eyes alight. "So that's a yes, you're sure."

She smiled back. "I think if I had waited for things to be not crazy, we wouldn't have had cheese buns and a walk in the rain just now," she said. "I think we have to start taking the time for ourselves, and not waiting for it to free up."

"I think you could be right," he said.

She kissed him one last time before they had to go inside. In her heart, wings spread wide.

FINIS

[margueritehall]

Chapter Two: Just One Single Glimpse of Relief to Make Some Sense of What You’ve Seen

Only twenty minutes to sleep, But you dream of some epiphany ( Epiphany ; Taylor Swift )

April 27, 2018

All that they knew was that a huge number of people had disappeared in the blink of an eye— they’d been taken out of existence and everyone else was left to pick up the broken pieces that were left behind. Although it had taken hours, with F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s help, Happy had been able to get a helicopter in to the city to return them to the New Avenger’s Facility. Pepper had decided that it was probably best to operate with that as their headquarters until they had more information and, although she never said it aloud, she also knew that if anyone was to return, it was probably the first place they’d go.

Even the deafening whirr of the helicopter blades couldn’t muffle the silence that had fallen over the three of them. Looking down at her lap, Maggie absentmindedly turned her phone over and over in her hands trying to make some sense of what had just happened. She had a small checklist of people that she kept in contact with— Tony, Pepper, Kate, and Poppy. One sat across from her while staring at her phone and waiting for a call that hadn’t, and may not ever, come, one had been turned to dust in front of her eyes, one was missing in action, and the other was Poppy.

Poppy had been her only friend since she was a freshman in high school; she had stayed by her side through everything since. She held Maggie’s hand when the young woman had to pick up the tatters of her life, stayed by her side while going through wills, arranging funerals, picking out urns. When the pair had graduated from NYU, she had pushed Poppy to pursue her dreams and go to South Korea to study under Dr. Helen Cho while she decided to serve in the Peace Corps and build an orphanage in Ukraine. She needed time to figure out what came next and it would be easier if she was alone. Maggie was a rolling stone; she’d bounce and find her way somehow. She always did.

As she looked at the black mirror that her phone had become, she knew that Poppy should be in Seoul right now; she was in the last years of her doctoral program and she frequently traveled across the world from lab to lab. For hours, every call that Maggie had tried to place to her best friend had only gone to the dull hum of a busy line. No text message could get through;  she wasn’t even able to leave a voicemail. All of the lines and networks were incredibly overwhelmed as everyone scrambled to find their loved ones.

Poppy had left New York only a few weeks earlier, making plans with Maggie to go to the farmer’s market when she returned and, now, she didn’t know if that would ever happen. She couldn’t allow herself to even entertain the possibility that Poppy hadn’t made it. Although she was typically far away, it was like she was Maggie’s last tether to the world. Without Poppy, she would be paralyzed, she’d be floating out in the ether without anything to hold on to. Maggie gripped the armrest, her knuckles turning white as the vehicle began its descent to the landing pad below.

As soon as the door was opened and they disembarked the Stark Industries helicopter, Pepper’s commanding presence took over. She called out orders with ease before asking Maggie and several others to meet her one of the conference rooms in an hour after they’d had time to get cleaned up. Maggie nodded, turning before Pepper’s small hand reached out to touch her arm.

She’d never seen her look quite so scared before; her bloodshot blue eyes were still slightly puffy from the tears she’d shed. “Kate is gone, Maggie. So, you’re going to have to run point for the social work division of the foundation.”

Her eyes widened; she had only worked for the foundation for a year. For all intents and purposes, she was still new to the group. There were other members of her team who were far more qualified than she was. “Why—”

“Chris and Mia…didn’t make it either. So, you’re the next in line.” Pepper cut her off, pressing her lips together. Her voice softened, “I’ll have F.R.I.D.A.Y. make sure someone brings you a change of clothes. It’s going to be a long night.” Before Pepper could turn and make her way to her personal quarters, Maggie reached out and embraced the older woman. She typically wasn’t one for physical touch but she knew that sometimes, a hug was the best comfort you could offer.

“He’s out there, Pepper. I just know it.” Her voice was soft. In her gut, she knew that Tony had to be out there too. Because, like Poppy, Tony was one of the last people that Maggie had. Pepper swallowed her tears and returned the embrace, closing her eyes for just a moment to regain some control. With the smallest hint of a smile, she gave Maggie’s hand a soft squeeze before they parted ways.

Stepping into one of the bathrooms, she rested her back against the closed door, needing just a moment of solitude. She tried to remember what her therapist had told her about grounding exercises. What could she see or feel or hear in the moment? She could hear the echo of drips falling from one of the faucets. She could see the light reflecting from the multicolor tiles on the wall. And she felt the warm sting of tears prick at her eyes before she tilted her head back, willing them not to fall down her face.

Turning on a tap, she splashed cool water on her flushed face in an attempt to calm herself physically if she couldn’t do it emotionally. There was no time for Maggie to fall apart, especially not now. Looking in the mirror, she dried her face with a paper towel, carefully swiping away the flaky, black remnants of her smudged mascara.

Maggie quickly made her way to her office, the halls eerily quiet with the lack of activity aside from the gentle click of her shoes on the tiled floor. The heavy silence came without any peace. Her stomach turned cartwheels as she passed the darkened offices, one’s whose occupants wouldn’t return. There were half-empty coffee mugs left on the desks, papers resting in the printer tray. It was like the world had suddenly stopped spinning and everything stood still.

Flipping on the light in her small office, Maggie took a seat at her desk. Folded on the corner was a pair of slacks and a blouse; ‘F.R.I.D.A.Y. works quickly,’  she absently thought to herself. Sitting down, she felt the exhaustion settle deep within her bones as she rested her head in her hands and finally allowed herself to silently mourn the losses.

Maggie waited for the tears to fall but they never came; it was like something inside of her wouldn’t allow them to reach the surface. She went through the list in her head: Tony, Kate, and for all she knew, Poppy too. What if it wasn’t just that the phone lines were overwhelmed? What if the calls hadn’t been answered because there was no longer someone on the other end of the line?

She didn’t know how long she was there, allowing herself to drown in the emotions, before she felt her phone vibrate on the desk. The marimba of her ringtone filled the small space and she sat up, grasping for the device before turning it over in her palm. A familiar bright face framed with dirty blonde waves filled the digital screen. A soft gasp left her lips as she stared at the picture, wondering if she was imagining things. With a shaking finger she pressed the green icon and brought the phone to her ear. She whispered, “Pops?”

Before anything else, Maggie heard a sigh of relief on the other end of the line. She let out a shaky breath, covering her mouth with a hand to stifle herself as relief flooded her body. “Thank god, Mags.” Her friend’s voice brought a wave of calm over her, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Maggie felt her chest shutter, trying to contain her emotions and she stumbled over her words as she tried to speak. “I couldn’t get in touch with you. I got scared that you—”

“I’m okay.” The typically bubbly woman’s voice was riddled with emotion as she tried to soothe her best friend who was half a world away but she couldn’t hide the distress that plagued her. “I got in touch with my mom and dad, they’re okay. I’m just, I’m trying to get a flight back home but I don’t know when I can. Flights are grounded and they don’t know when they’ll be scheduled again. I’m not—”

“Let me— I can talk to Pepper. I’m sure she can help work something out.” Maggie nodded. Shamelessly, she would move mountains to try and get her friend back home. And now that she knew that Poppy was still here, nothing would stop her. One of the last people she loved hadn’t left her too.

“Okay, I’ll—” Static picked up over the line, muffling the remainder of Poppy’s words.

“Poppy?” Maggie stood, walking towards the window with a prayer of better reception. “Can you hear me?”

“Mags, you’re breaking up.” Once more the lines were getting overwhelmed as people around the globe tried to reach out to their loved ones. “Listen, I’ll try and call you tomorrow around the same time.”

“Okay, I love you.” She rushed out, worried the call would end before she could say it. She had to make sure that she knew but she wasn’t completely certain that Poppy could hear her anymore.

“I love you too. I’ll be back soon; we’ll figure it out.” Even through the static and dropped moments of silence, Maggie could hear Poppy’s typically confident voice waver.

“I’ll talk to you—” With three beeps, the call cut off before Maggie could finish her sentence. Maggie exhaled and tried to level her breathing as she dropped her head against the cool glass of the window. Out in the distance, Maggie could see the small shadow of the city against the backdrop of the sky that was slowly darkening with illuminated swirls of orange and purple; the city that suddenly had half of the number of occupants than it did when the sun had risen that morning.

---

She had stopped in the bathroom again on her way back across the sprawling building. Leaning up from the sink, Maggie looked in the mirror as she patted her face dry once more. She took inventory of herself: her nose was red, her lips were flushed, her eyes were glassy. But this was as good as it was going to get for the time being. Her stomach was in knots as she walked back to the conference wing of the compound. She wasn’t prepared in the least to lead an entire division— the small voice in her head reminded her that it wasn’t actually an entire division. It was now just the tattered remains of what had once been a full division.

Walking into the somewhat crowded room, she felt completely out of her depth. Someone from each branch of the foundation was in attendance. Across the room, a small group of mostly unfamiliar people gathered together. When a small raccoon began speaking to a beautiful, bleached-blonde woman, Maggie had to tell herself not to stare at the anomaly before Rhodey caught her eye. Maggie gave him a slightly forced smile before he gestured her over to the group that, she had surmised, were probably the Avengers.

She’d met James Rhodes through Tony although, through discussion, she found out that he had known her parents before their passing since he occasionally liaised between the Department of Acquisitions and the State Department with Stark Industries. Aside from Tony and Rhodey, Maggie had never met any of the other heroes— she’d be ridiculous to not feel at least a little intimidated. When she approached, he leaned over, legs stiff from their braces, and gave her a one-armed hug with a sad smile before turning to the others in front of them.

“Guys, this is Maggie Hall. She’s gonna be running point for the social work division of the SRF now.” It seemed like her impromptu promotion hadn’t been a secret amidst the commotion. She raised her hand in a small wave; she was awkward around most new people but especially icons and Gods. “She’s about the closest thing Tony’s got to a niece—”

Her face flushed red and she looked at him reproachfully before she, gently, elbowed the older man in the ribs with a shake of her head. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed about knowing Tony; she loved him like the strange, eccentric uncle that he had become to her. She just never wanted people to assume that she couldn’t make her own way in the world based on merit alone. Rhodey knew that Tony didn’t want everyone knowing everything but the man was missing and things felt wrong without him there. Rubbing his side, he gave her a sidelong glance before shrugging it off, “Anyway,” He nodded at each member of the group and he rattled off their names, “Dr. Banner, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Rodent—”

“It’s Rocket, asshole.” The gravelly voice from the small creature interjected but Rhodey continued speaking over him.

“And Steve Rogers.” Rhodey nodded to the stoic, bearded man that had been on the run for the past two years. Maggie was a little surprised to see him here but it made sense, especially as the world was burning down around them.

Steve extended a gloved hand which Maggie shook gently, giving him a small smile. Though his face was serious, she couldn’t look away from his kind, forget-me-not blue eyes. She only knew the little things that Tony had told her in passing. It wasn’t much considering the fact that he still insisted she was ‘basically a kid’ despite the dark shadow of thirty looming in her near future.

She mused that maybe it was because he’d been the same age that she was when he had lost his parents and he’d wished that there’d been someone there for him in his grief. On the rare occasion that Tony had spoken about Steve, she’d been able to tell that he’d (mostly) forgiven his estranged friend but the tension from their world-shattering altercation wasn’t likely to go anywhere anytime soon.

Any words that were going to be exchanged were put on hold as an emotionally exhausted Pepper Potts stood from the head of the long table, causing a hush to fall over the group. Her lips were pressed together in a line before she finally spoke, “Let’s get started."

xxxxxxx

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[brokensoundkuci]

Top 10 of 2017

It took me a long time to not only decide on my top 10 albums of 2017, but to also write this whole thing up once I finally got my list all straightened out. If anyone reads this, I hope that you enjoy what I have written and check out some of the albums that I have included on my list if you have never listened to them before. Thank you to everyone (including all of the awesome musicians out there) for another great year in music and on the radio. I am very thankful for everyone who has ever listened to and/or supported Broken Sound in any way, shape, or form. Thanks again and see you all in 2018! P.S., there are a lot of records that came out this year that I haven’t listened to yet that I’ve heard are pretty awesome, so don’t be upset if they aren’t on this list. There’s a good chance if it isn’t on here, I haven’t listened to it yet. Also, this is not an objectively ranked list (i.e. these are the 10 albums that I enjoyed listening to the most this year).

1. Makthaverskan - III

Out of all of the awesome records that came out this year, this was the one that I probably looked forward to listening to the most after it was first announced. If you have never heard of Makthaverksan before (it’s ok, a lot of people haven’t heard of them), they are a Post-Punk/Dream Pop band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The first time that I ever listened to these guys was during my first quarter at KUCI back in 2013. Around that time, they had just put out their second album entitled II, and as my one of my first assignments as the Punk Genre Assistant at KUCI, I was asked to listen to and review that record. After spending a few minutes reading the label and figuring out how to pronounce their name, I noticed that Makthaverskan were signed to Run For Cover Records, so I thought to myself, “If Run For Cover put this out, it must be good, right?” Needless to say, my assumption was correct. Fast forward to the year 2017, where after taking some time off from one another, Makthaverskan made their long awaited return to the scene and put out what many (including myself) consider to be their best work yet (i.e. III).

Makthaverskan are such an awesome band, and for so many reasons. I think what I like the most about them is how they are able to combine Post-Punk instrumentation, Pop melodies, and Punk angst all into one unique sound that not only breaks all of the barriers that are associated with the happy-go-lucky Swedish Pop scene, but that also pays homage to two of my favorite bands of all time in the Smiths and The Cure. In addition to that, I’m also a huge fan of their singer Maja Milner’s melodic voice and brutally honest lyrics. While discussing things such as heartbreak, rejection, loneliness, and suffering, Maja is not one to sugarcoat things. By dismissing the use of metaphor to express her feelings, Maja is able to describe in great detail and with no remorse what her pain is, what it stems from, and how terrible it is. With this being the case, it should go without saying then that this record can be emotionally taxing at times. On the other hand, it can also be therapeutic as well. By being up front and personal in describing her feelings, Maja allows the listener to relate their experiences to her own in a way that brings about feelings of harmony, solidarity, and mutual respect.

Long story short, Makthaverskan are a band whose songs really make you feel something when you listen to them. This record (as well as their previous two records) are chock full of relatable one-liners that will hit you right in the feels and that will stick with you for life (ex: “No one cares to know me the way you do,” “When I see you I cry,” “Humanity equals misery,” “Time can be my biggest enemy,” etc.). This album helped me get through a lot of tough times this year, especially the song “Days Turn Into Years.” I really hope that after reading this, more people check these guys out, and in doing so, allow their music to help them get through anything and everything that is troubling them and/or causing them pain. Even if you are just looking for some cool new music to listen to (as opposed to musical therapy), I would still recommend these guys in heartbeat.

2. Alvvays - Antisocialites

The coolest thing about this album making it onto my list is that I basically discovered it by accident. One night during my show, I was browsing through some CDs in the new releases section of the KUCI music library (something that I usually do every week during my show), and after sifting through about thirty CDs or so, there was only one that really caught my eye that night, which, you guessed it, was Alvvays’ newest album Antisocialites, which at that time had just come out. I had never heard of Alvvays before that night, so it’s hard to explain why I was so drawn to this album. Maybe it was the artwork or the way that Alvvays spell their band name. Anyways, after reading the label and seeing that Alvvays were signed to Polyvinyl Records (one of my favorite record labels), I made a mental note to myself to check them out whenever I next had the chance. After procrastinating for a few weeks, I finally listened to both of Alvvays’ albums, and needless to say, I was not disappointed. Alvvays are such an awesome band, and in my opinion, Antisocialites is nothing short of a masterpiece. Characterized by jangly guitars, dreamy synth parts, poppy vocal melodies, and lead vocalist Molly Rankin’s soothing voice, the songs on this record sound as though they were taken straight from Indie Rock/Dream Pop heaven. While listening to this album, one can easily lose themselves in the dreamy nature of some of these songs. That’s not to say by any means that this record “drags on.” In fact, no two songs sound alike on this album, which definitely showcases the versatility of Alvvays’ musicianship as well as their ability to keep listeners on their toes. I like every single song on this record, which rarely happens to me (I usually find at least one or two songs that don’t appeal to me on any album that I listen to). Low key, I’ve probably listened to this album twenty times since it came out, and if it wasn’t for my emotional attachment to the Makthaverskan record, it would probably be my album of the year. To quote one of my favorite bands of all time in Motion City Soundtrack, Antisocialites will always go down as being one of “my favorite accidents.”

3. The Menzingers - After The Party

If you know me well, you shouldn’t be surprised to see this album on my list. The Menzingers are of a rare breed of band that is able to consistently put out amazing records from front to back no matter how old they get or how long they have been together. Ever since their humble beginnings, The Menzingers have always been good, but after releasing two flawless albums in the early 2010’s (On The Impossible Past & Rented World), they have cemented themselves as being one of the best Punk Rock bands on the scene today. We now fast forward to the year 2017, where it comes as no surprise that The Menzingers have once again blown me away with yet another great record. In what has been described as sort of a concept album, the main theme that is repeatedly discussed on After The Party is that of the transition that takes place both mentally and physically as one grows older and moves from their twenties to their thirties. While this is a concept/feeling that I cannot directly relate to (yet), it is one that The Menzingers communicate in great detail and with a tremendous amount of emotion; almost to the point where I can put myself in the band’s shoes and feel the pain/struggle that is described in each of these songs. This has always been one of The Menzingers’ greatest strengths as a band and as songwriters. Combine that with the band’s patented brand of catchy hooks, sing along choruses, and angst filled vocals, and you have 13 awesome songs to add to The Menzingers’ already stacked/banger-filled discography. Long story short, check out The Menzingers because even though I think that every single song on this record is great (which as I said earlier, rarely happens), it’s hard for me to confidently say that After The Party is their best album (On The Impossible Past still holds that title in my opinion). However, I can confidently say that it is one of the best Punk records to come out this year (once again, only my opinion), so don’t sleep on these guys.

4. Tigers Jaw - spin

This record felt like it took forever to come out seeing that many of us Tigers Jaw fans had been talking about it ever since their last record Charmer came out in 2014 along with the announcement that Tigers Jaw would from now on be a two-piece band solely featuring founding members Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins. Would they be able to make a record by themselves? Would it sound as good as the original lineup? Two questions that had lingered for quite some time amongst the Tigers Jaw fan base. After making us anxiously wait for over three years (which producer Will Yip made even more dreadful by dropping little hints about the album here and there for like six months), Tigers Jaw finally released spin earlier this Spring, and as you would expect, it was definitely worth the wait. Tigers Jaw have always been an awesome band who have consistently put out great records from front to back, so for me to say that spin is their best album would be kind of stretch, but it’s pretty damn good and should be in that conversation. While staying true to the sound that the original five piece version of Tigers Jaw developed, Ben and Brianna were still able to add their own personal touches to the songs on this record, especially since they were both in charge of song writing duties for the first time (spin is the first Tigers Jaw album that Brianna has contributed songs to). The thing that I like the most about spin is that you can really tell that Ben and Brianna spent a lot of time on these songs and put their best effort forward to make them the best that they could be in every way. Every song on this album is well crafted both musically and lyrically. No two songs sound the same and everything sounds perfect down to the smallest detail. I really appreciate great musicianship like that, and I look forward to hearing what Ben and Brianna have in store for us next as they continue to keep Tigers Jaw not only alive, but alive and thriving.

5. Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger In The Alps

The way that I discovered Phoebe Bridgers was a lot different from how I usually discover new artists. About a week or so after her debut full length record entitled Stranger In The Alps came out, I saw a bunch of people in other bands that I really like talking about it on social media and saying how good it was. Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory, Greg Barnett of The Menzingers, Jeremy Bolm of Touché Amoré, and Julien Baker (just to name a few) all had amazing things to say about this album, so I said to myself, “If these guys all love this record, then it must be good, right?” Needless to say, my reasoning was correct. Phoebe Bridgers, while still very young and new to scene, has already in a short amount of time won the hearts of numerous people through her patented brand of what many call “Emo-Folk” music. Characterized by mid-tempo/ballad-esque folk instrumentation, beautiful vocal melodies, and emotionally compelling lyrics that discuss topics such as intimacy, relationships, depression, and death, the sounds heard on this album can be compared to what I like to imagine a collaboration between Motion City Soundtrack and Bob Dylan would sound like. Even if you don’t agree with my comparison, the point that I’m trying to make is that this record breaks down a lot of the barriers that are typically associated with both Emo and Folk/Acoustic music and can/should be consider as a genre defining album (hence the term “Emo-Folk” music). Even though this album is really sad and can be taxing on one’s emotions, I still consider it to be nothing short of a masterpiece. If this is only the beginning for Phoebe Bridgers, then I can’t wait to hear what she has in store for us next. A lot of people are already calling her the next Julien Baker (who she toured with earlier this year), and I can see that comparison, but I have a feeling that she may grow into something/someone even bigger than that (especially after seeing how many famous/well-known artists support her music). Only time will tell.

6. Incendiary - Thousand Mile Stare

Hard, angry, and political. Three words that perfectly describe Incendiary’s newest album Thousand Mile Stare. One of the things that I like the most about Incendiary is their nonchalant attitude toward the status of their band as well as their “obligation” to put out records and tour. In an interview conducted with Incendiary’s lead singer Brendan Garrone over three years ago, he had the following to say about Incendiary:

“Incendiary has never been a full time band and that isn't going to change, but we have never let that stop us from doing as much as possible. I don't subscribe to that weird local band mindset where everyone’s complaining about their jobs and how they have no time. Most of us work 50+ hours a week and have a lot of responsibilities outside of the band, but we are all on the same page as far as making the band a priority in our lives.”

To put things in perspective, before Thousand Mile Stare came out, it had been four years since Incendiary had put out a record (i.e. Cost Of Living) and quite some time since they did any extensive touring. In my head, I like to imagine the band getting together for lunch one day and saying something like, “Hey, we’ve got some free time coming up, why don’t we make another album?” And just like that, Incendiary comes from out of nowhere and drops a massive bombshell of a record that many Hardcore/Metal publications have described as being one of the best if not the best Hardcore/Metal album of the year as well as a seminal record in both of these genres’ histories. Whether or not this is really the case will be debated for years to come, but I will say that Incendiary have taken themselves to new heights with this album (all while staying true to their ‘90s NYHC influenced sound) and have filled a void in the Hardcore scene that many have felt has needed to be filled for quite some time. Not only does this record hit hard musically, but lyrically as well, seeing that most of the tracks on this album discuss/condemn many of the hot-button issues that have plagued our country all throughout  Trump’s short yet tumultuous presidency such as: hatred, racism, discrimination, intolerance, inequality, violence, etc. With that being said, it is my opinion that this record is just as important if not more important socially as it is musically, and because of that, it will be remembered and celebrated for many generations to come.

7. Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights

The first time that I encountered Julien Baker was when I saw her open up for Touché Amoré at a one off show that they did at Chain Reaction about two years ago. At the time, she had just released her first record entitled Sprained Ankle (which was low key one of best records to come out that year), so not a lot of people in the audience (including myself) really knew who she was. Mesmerized by her beautiful voice, emotionally compelling lyrics, and sheer confidence in being able to get up and perform on that stage all by herself that night, I knew right there and then that Julien Baker was going to be a star one day. Fast forward to the year 2017, and what had once seemed to be a well-kept secret (i.e. Julien’s music) has now been discovered and has made its way into numerous people’s homes/music libraries. After hitting the mainstream so-to-speak and being signed to an absolute powerhouse in Matador Records earlier this year (some of my favorite artists have been/currently are signed to Matador), Julien released her second album entitled Turn Out The Lights, which has been described by many, including myself, as a total masterpiece. While staying true to a lot of the lyrical themes discussed on her first record (i.e. depression, anxiety, addiction, substance abuse, etc.), Julien does expand on her sound quite a bit on this record through the use of multiple vocal tracks, piano leads, and more intricate guitar work. Even though the songs on this album are still depressing as fuck, there is a new sense of hope/control communicated all throughout the record seeing that Julien has been working to overcome her struggles with depression over the past year or so. This is refreshing to hear, because all things music aside, I really feel for Julien and hope that she finds happiness and relief through the success that her music has garnered her (even though she has mentioned on numerous occasions that she makes her music for herself, not for financial gain/public approval).

8. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic

The first time that I came in contact with Power Trip was when I saw them open up for Title Fight on their Hyperview tour back in 2015. I’ve always had a soft spot for Thrash music (an oxymoron I know), so you can probably guess that I more than enjoyed their set that night and that I listened to all of their music the next day. These guys are a really unique band because even though their sound/image harks back to some of pioneers of Thrash music (i.e. Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, etc), they don’t limit themselves to being just another knock off of one of those bands. In fact, these guys’ influences extend across multiple genres, especially the genres of Hardcore, Punk, and Crossover (one can definitely pick out influences of the Cro-Mags and Leeway in their music). With that being said, it should be no surprise that Power Trip have become a household name in the genres of Hardcore, Punk, Metal, Thrash, and Crossover. It should also be no surprise then that their newest album Nightmare Logic, which came out earlier this year, has made its way onto numerous people’s best of 2017 lists (including my own). After listening to Nightmare Logic, it’s safe to say that Power Trip didn’t really re-invent the wheel so to speak on this record. They pretty much stay true to the sound that we all know and love them for (i.e. tasty guitar riffs, heavy breakdowns, and raging vocals). One thing I will say is that all of the songs on Nightmare Logic sound as though the band did pay a little bit more attention to detail (both musically and lyrically) when crafting these songs than they did with the songs on their previous record (Manifest Decimation). I also feel like the band has more confidence in themselves as well as the formula that they use to create these absolute ragers that they call songs. All in all, Power Trip bring a fresh perspective to a genre that a lot of people grew up on and still enjoy to this day and do it in way that feels all-inclusive to music fans alike. They also put on a hell of a show, so if you really want to understand how awesome these guys are, go check them out the next time that they are in town. Also, if you do decide to go see them live, make sure to bring your moshing shoes. There will be slamming.

9. Death Bells - Standing At The Edge Of The World

If you have never heard of Death Bells before (it’s ok, a lot of people haven’t heard of them), they are Post-Punk band from Sydney, Australia. The first time that I encountered these guys was actually through KUCI. I was driving around one day while running some errands and a song of theirs come on while I was tuned into DJ Swansty’s show “Obstacle None” (shout out alert), and as soon as I got home, I looked them up and proceeded to check out all of their music. Needless to say, they did not disappoint. What I really like about these guys is that even though their sound is derived from Post-Punk, a genre that is mostly characterized by slow/offbeat instrumentation, melancholy vocal melodies, and dark/gothic vibes, they have this kind raw energy/spark about them that can be heard in all of their songs and that brings new life to the genre in which many of their influences are categorized under (i.e. Joy Division, The Cure, Gang Of Four, The Cranes, etc). By mixing different elements of Pop, Emo, and Indie Rock with some of Post-Punk’s most patented traits (i.e. thick baselines, chorus-affected guitars, wavy synth interludes, and haunting vocal melodies), you get a really awesome band with a pretty unique sound that is still somehow flying under the radar, despite putting out one of the best Post-Punk-influenced records that I’ve heard in quite some time (in addition to the Makthaverskan record that I mentioned earlier). Long story short; check out Death Bells so that you can be one of those trendy people five years from now who says that you liked them before they were famous (lol).

10. Citizen - As You Please

Believe it or not, when As You Please was first announced, I had no intention of listening to it. The crazy thing about that statement is that if you know me well, you know that I used to listen to Citizen all of the time back when their first record Youth came out because they were always touring/mentioned with some of my favorite bands at the time (i.e. Turnover, Balance And Composure [R.I.P.], Tigers Jaw, Basement, Title Fight, etc.). I’ve never been a diehard fan of Citizen’s, so after listening to the failed experiment that was their second album entitled Everybody Is Going To Heaven, I kind of swore off of them for a while. After I heard that they had a new record coming out, I just assumed that they were going to continue to develop the sound they decided to go with for Everybody Is Going To Heaven, which is why I decided to pass on As You Please at first. However, after caving in to all of the hype surrounding the album’s lead single entitled “Jet,” I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Citizen had not only made a return to their old sound, but that they had refined their sound to appeal to more of a diverse audience. This is the case for all of the songs on As You Please, not just “Jet,” which made As You Please quite a pleasant surprise upon listening to it for the first time. Much like some of their contemporaries’ latest work, As You Please is by far Citizen’s best and most complete album to date. By combining the best qualities of Citizen’s old sound (i.e. catchy yet intricate guitar riffs, powerful/explosive choruses, and angst fill vocals) with a new found sense of confidence, wisdom, and maturity, as well as more elaborate song structures and piano interludes, you get what in my opinion is the best version of Citizen that has ever existed.  Who knows what the band holds in store for us next, but for now I am happy to say that I was wrong to judge Citizen so fast and to almost not give this awesome record a chance.

Honorable Mentions:

1. No Vacation - Intermission - EP

2. Forced Order - One Last Prayer

3. Sorority Noise - You’re Not As ____ As You Think

4. Great Grandpa - Plastic Cough

5. Turnover - Good Nature

[abloomntime]

A Bloom In Time Ch 31

( Hey Guys. Sorry this chapter took so long. It's still my personal headcannon that the Twilight Bell takes you to the Horizon. The song Hattie is the unused song about the Moonjumper.)

How could she have not see all the thing's lining up with what he had said done, and what other's had said about him?! How could Poppy been so blind out what was staring at her before her very eyes?! Sleep didn't come to her that night, and she found herself staring at the dark ceiling. The final pieces of the puzzle fitting together as she remembered all the scenarios that gave away Snatcher's identity.

When she first glimpsed him at the manor. The brown hair was...P-Philip's. It was like everyone's voices and actions were being replayed back through her head with every moment of foreshadowing, hints, and puzzle pieces finally being put back together-

"Hey! I know who can help! Snatcher can!! He's really, REALLY old too and he should what to do!! Come on! He had to deal with being frozen and Vanessa just like you!" Hattie had given her the first major clue to it all. He had to deal with being froze to death AND Vanessa because he was the one who took the brunt of Vanessa's rage. "Hey! I know what can help a little bit. Y-You like flowers right?" He had a flash of panic fly over his face for a moment before he coughed and shrugged. "You said you had a flower stand before Vanessa sent her goons to take you right? O-Obviously you must've liked growing things then. Or at least flowers." That....THAT PECKING PECKNECK KNEW ALL ALONG SHE LOVED FLOWERS!! HE PECKING KNEW!! "We're all that's left and you should accept that's how it is now before you get hurt. Believe me the sooner you do the sooner everything starts to get better for you." "Hey. I can understand that. Believe it or not you're not the only one who's gone through that kind of thing....I'm certainly no stranger to feeling like that. In fact it took me forever literally just to realize my place after I got lost," "Ok. To make it in mushier terms..I DO want to help you ok. Believe it or not I do and I have my reasons. But you gotta know I can't change the past no matter what. Trust me I have TRIED and look where that got me. Stuck fused with a mushy corpse and having to lead a whole bunch of strangers through the forest like a tour guide." he glanced at her confusion again. "Uh..B-But that's not important. The important thing is that I can't change or fix anything that's already happened alright? I can't send you back. I can't give you anything from your old life......And I can't change what happened to you." Her face dropped and eyes widened even more- "But, I can help make the future easier and help you with whatever you need to settle down with alright? But you got to understand that it's NOT just going to be with a snap of my fingers. I know, I've experienced it for hundreds of years. Just know that...You're not going to be alone in any of this alright?" "No. You were right the first time. She was always a monster, it just took her a while to show everyone what was really inside. So don't give her any credit. She was never a queen, just a spider wearing a pretty mask." "I-I...I know exactly how you feel." He scowled. "Yeah. I know EXACTLY how that feels. Vanessa took everything from me too when she froze everything!" He growled and his grip on her became a bit tighter if he was being a lil protective. "I pecking didn't see it coming until it froze me right before my very eyes! I died before my life even took off the ground and now I'm stuck like this....But you aren't." He ...attempted a smile. "Listen, Poppy. I'm not good at this speaking from the heart stuff, but Im pretty good at speaking from experience stuff. So trust me when I saw you still got your whole life plus more ahead of you. It's....probably going to take a while for you to process this properly and start to move on like I did."  "Look. I ....can't change the past no matter how badly I want to. But I can change the future, and so can you. Think of all the things you can do now without anyone to hold you back!" He might've been speaking from what he perceived as a positive but she gave him a funny look. "Uh...By that I mean vanessa of course. She's not holding you prisoner anymore." "I stumbled across him a few times coming up here to visit. Hmph! He's very rude and always steals any dish I make with bacon when he's around me cooking. Quite the oddball out if ya'll ask me." P-Philip ....LOVED bacon. And Vanessa banned bacon from their kingdom around the time she died. "Of course I can! I made the kids all those clothes and my minions their highly durable bodies." ""YOU painted all of these?" she asked gawking at him His smile widened more smug if that was possible. "Yep. And those." He pointed to the left wall wear there was five giant paintings behind the space cow mobile. He then pointed behind her. "And the ones right behind you." Now that Poppy thought about it hard, she faintly recalled Philip learning embroidery from his mother and taking a liking to hobbies like painting and reading books. Both of which he did and you can CERTAINLY learn to sew along with embroidery.  "How do you know that?," she asked genuinely confused. "UH....I- Um-....I-I-I was there when he was killed." He still eyed her for a moment before looking to the floor unable to look her in the eyes anymore. ".......Vanessa killed him. Just like she did to everyone else....a-a-and y-y-you...." "Just like you. She locked him away until everything froze over. Vane-.....That MONSTER!'', he spat hand slightly tightening as he scowled at the floor, "She was pecking crazy. Thought he was....cheating on her behind her back when he was nothing but patient with her. She didn't deserve anything." "Because she was nuts! Always have been and always WILL be! She would've snapped sooner or later with the way she was back then, always so paranoid and thinking I-.....I THINK he belonged to her." His other hand was quick to shoot out and grab her shoulders accidentally making her jolt at the sudden grab but it was enough to get her to look at him. "Now you listen to me and you listen good." A claw poked her chest as he pointed it at her crying face with a deep frown of his own. "I have dealt with too many years of pecking guilt over whether or not it was my fault or if I could've stopped it! And I'm sick of it all! You. Are. Not. At fault!! Do you hear me?! Vanessa was always going to snap and it was HER fault for being so batpecking crazy, she couldn't tell the difference between fantasy and reality! There was no reason in her! We should've expected nothing less of her for anything! But I'll be just as bad if I didn't it now, and I'm saying it's not your fault. Least of all people you. All you did was sell flowers. Big deal. It would've been the same if she saw m-....him buying a necklace from a jeweler or a ham from the butcher. BANG!!" She flinched at the loud yell he made at 'BANG'. Tears running down her face as he spoke. "Ice. Death. Lots of ghosts. You get the picture. The point is, it's ABSOLUTELY! NOBODY'S PECKING FAULT!! BUT VANESSA'S!! .......You and me didn't do anything wrong."  "So-...I take it this..'prince' friend of yours was a nice person? Not that I knew him, but it seems you two were close. Not that it's any of my business." He had an anxious feeling saying all of this as a stranger but he couldn't help but feel the need to get all this anxiety off himself by asking. "It just sounds like you cared about him a whole lot."  "Yeah.....Hey. This might sound out of no where but do you blame him, your friend, for what happened between him and Vanessa?" "How did you die?," she found herself blurting out before she could stop but she instantly regretted it. "WHAT?!" Snatcher whipped his face to her wide eyed. "S-Sorry." She held up her hands worriedly. "Is it rude to ask a dead person that? I d-didn't know honest. It's just that.....You're doin' an aweful lot for me and I don't know a lot about ya, since you already know alot 'bout me from my rambling. I figured ya would return the favor." "Sorry. NO can do, Red. That's private information." She scowled again. "OH come on! Purple onion. Your contract paper thingy said I could ask for anything I wanted in return for helping ya!" "Within REASON!," Snatcher stressed, "Asking a ghost about their past is like asking a poor person how much money they spent on their shoes!" "Same as you. I died during the Great Subcon Freeze." "Oh. Well you said you saw what happened when Philip....p-p-passed away, right? Does that mean you were employed by the Queen?'' "Sorta. I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." Which wasn't really a lie. He couldn't have ever been in a more wrong place or time. "Another innocent bystander to a crazy curse." "Oh right. Dumb question. Then who wer-" "Next question!," "Ok! Well ya technically did, but I mean what made ya decide to help me? I just don't get it.". "Because I recognized you from the village." "I-...Sometimes saw you selling flowers in the square, and-.....I guess I was simpathetic to someone else in a similar situation as I was."

That.....Night....The night she had her nightmare. THERE WAS SO MANY HINTS HITTING HER IN THE FACE AND SHE WAS STILL BLIND TO THEM ALL!!

"So....does that mean Philip is a g-ghost too?"  "A ghost? Well that's not exactly easy to answer. Any ghost I know if they even became ghosts would be in the forest .....or another plain of existance. A-And like I said BARELY any of my minions remember who they were before they died."  

He LIED!!....No. Not exactly lied. He did tell the truth but...BENT IT!! Without actually answering anything!! Or telling Poppy anything!! WHY?! What reason would he have to keep his identity hidden from her?! They were friends....Weren't they? ALL OF IT!! Everything he or anyone else had said lined up perfectly with what Moonjumper-....Or second Philip had told her.

"And you know I could always scare you out of any debt you got yourself into with those pecknecks down there." He offered genuinely. "I may not look like it, but I'm very good at legal technicalities. I did want to be a lawyer at once upon a time!" Philip studied laws to better his future kingdom one day. He always said he wanted to be a good king. And mentioned if he wasn't destined to be prince he would've liked to become a lawyer. And there was a bush cat in his home...Philip mentioned having a pet bush cat. A gift from his father. Moonjumper's echoing voice still rang around in her head with everything he said.  "HA! That's rich coming from him! That halfling is lying right to your face!" "Why? Didn't dear Snatcher tell you?" He chuckled and gave a smile similar to Snatcher's smug one. "We're two halves of the same person.~ Split at death and now wondering through death two halves of the same person.~" "Oh! He didn't tell you did he?" He smiled and gestured to himself with a smile. "Well allow me to elaborate for you, my dear.~ Snatcher and I are both Prince Philip Snider Of the Kingdom of Subconette.~ When we died in the frozen celler we split personalities resulting in us becoming two very different ghosts. How I have no idea, but it's quite the sight isn't it?~"

"Are you sure about that?"

No. No she wasn't. She wasn't sure of anything any more than she ever fully did in her entire life. It-....IT DIDNT FEEL REAL!! IT FELT LIKE A BAD DREAM!! ALL OF IT!! THE THREE MONTHS SHE SPENT HERE AND EVERYTHING THAT"S HAPPENED ALL FELT LIKE ONE BAD ROLLAR COASTER RIDE OF A DREAM!! AND ANY MINUTE NOW SHE WAS GONNA WAKE UP IN HER BED, GET UP AS SHE USUALLY DOES, SHAKE OFF THE WEIRD DREAM, AND GO BACK TO WORKING HER STANDS AND SEE PHILIP AGAIN!! HER DEAR FRIEND!!......But it sadly wasn't a dream no matter how much it felt like it. As she stared at the ceiling from her makeshift bed, she was VERY aware of the ghost that happily still read the book about black holes like a dedicated reader. .....Was this really Philip? There was plenty of proof, but how could she know for sure? What was real and what wasn't? It's safe to say sleep didn't come easy to her that night but she guessed at some point she did give in to sleep because when she woke up Poppy was still tired and 'Snatcher was gone. Guess he left sometime after she fell asleep. It was weird after that. It was like Poppy was on numb autopilot for days after that. She still took care of herself and the girls. Still cooked for them, cleaned if needed, made sure herself and the kids were clean, played when they asked her to spend time with them except now they referred to Poppy as Mum. Which she didn't have the heart, focus, or energy at the moment to bother correcting. Her mind kept revolving back around to Mr. Moonjumper (philip 2.0) said and still couldn't figure out why. Why did he say that? Was it even true? Was Snatcher even who he said he was? She barely got any of the script read during that time of course. During that time she busied herself with learning how the new tech worked, mostly the washer, dryer, and the oven. Took a bunch of practice but she got.....decent at working them at least. But she found herself  getting through half of the script  at least when she got the second call from Mr. Grooves. She was just in the kitchen cooking eggs in a frying pan for her and the two girls waiting when Bow came bounding in and tugging on her dress with that giant innocent smile of hers.

"Mom. There's a call for you from Mr. Grooves."

"Hm what?....OH! R-Right. I'll be right there."

It took a quick turn off on the oven and walk(crawl) to the machine room to actually take the call as she held it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Darling," came the voice of the penguin as happy and calm as she first rememebered. "You're probably wondering why I'm calling you this early morning?"

"Uh...Yeah actually. Is something wrong?"

"Not at all!" She could feel the smile the penguin had on him at that moment. "We actually have fantastic news! All the sets have been set up and secured not to fall over anymore. We're all ready to start the first rehearsals first thing next week!"

".....F-F-First rehearsals?! So SOON!?," she asked feeling a wave of dread coming over her. She hadn't even finished the script!!

"Yes! That's not a problem is it?"

"U-Uh...N-NO! NO!! Not at all! Hehe." She smiled nervously despite being on the other side of the phone where he couldn't see. "N-N-Next week will be just fine! I c-can't wait to rehearse."

"That's great, Darling! Come to the studious first thing Wednesday morning sharp. We'll start the first run through first thing in the morning when you arrive, Darling. Get up bright and early bird. And don't forget that script now. DJ Grooves out."

"Bye..." Poppy said after hanging up before blankly looking back towards the door. Great. She needed to focus on that script and get it read quickly before next Wednesday!! She didn't even notice the burning smell before Hattie rushed in clutching her hat so it wouldn't fall off.

"POPPY!! THE EGGS ARE BURNING!!"

"OH PECK!!"

It was almost like a blink of an eye when Wendesday finally came for them. Poppy had spent so many hours worriedly reading and rereading the thing over and over trying to focus her energy into it instead of worrying about the Philip/Moonjumper/Snatcher situation and just read. She NEEDED to focus on something else besides thinking of that right now, and when the day finally came she got up to the sight of the girls shaking her awake for it, quickly hurrying herself to get her presentable and grab her trusty leather apron, stuffing her script into the breast pocket and an apple into her mouth for a swift breakfast. Nothing on her mind except how nervous she was and how SO NOT READY she probably was for this. Without Cookie to really escort them to the Moon City, the girls would have to teleport her using the two umbrellas and the magic telescope. She really, really wasn't thrilled at the idea of them carrying her through space, but seeing no other option she reluctantly agreed and after the two got their umbrellas, lead her to the machine room where the telescope apparently pointing towards the bird's studios. Needless to say Poppy held her breath and kept her eyes shut the entire way when Hattie confirmed they would about to take off into space. All she could feel after grabbing the little girls' hands was them death gripping her hard with almost inhuman life strength it almost hurt and the sudden lurch forward with the whoosh sound of two umbrellas opening and finally her body being lifted and pulled through the air like a kite. She didn't look the entire way there, just kept her eyes clamped shut the entire way. She would've loved to look upon the beautiful planet or the diamond stars as she passed but she was afraid she might relive the plummet into the swamp and didn't want to relive THAT near death experience again. So for now she would just hang on for the ride, it almost felt like forever just floating in air drifting like a peaceful kite, before suddenly she was whiplashed back and she gasped as she was suddenly suspended by nothing but her arms in the sky. Poppy's blue eyes snapped open and she suddenly blinked at the sight she was taking part in...and frankly almost lost her pecking mind. She thought hanging from that noose once was bad, try hanging about a hundred feet in the air above a desert town and only being held up by two little children holding her hands with an iron grip her hands were almost numb. Her blue eyes shrinking to pinpricks as her stomach flipped seeing the sight of her suspended.

"It's ok!, " Hattie tried to reassure her as they slowly floated down, "We got you!"

To keep herself from feeling anymore sick, Poppy closed her eyes and didn't open them until her feet connected with solid ground and she lightly gasped, for what felt like forever. Popping her eyes open and seeing the old desert town and almost falling to her knees on wobbling legs. Beside her both girls touched down and closed the umbrellas. Giving Poppy a concerned look.

"Are you ok?"

....After a few seconds of breathing and grounding herself, Poppy nodded and leaned back up with an inhale. "Yeah. N-Now...L-Let's get ta that studio, right?"

It was almost the same exact time when Poppy had come in to get measured for her costume, except this time without Snatcher present to tail her, which she was thankful for right now. She did NOT want to be thinking about him right now, but anyways- It was like the last time they came in, with Mr. Grooves pacing in front of the lobby looking worried and anxious but as soon as he saw them he was immediately smiling and racing over to them.

"DARLING!! There you are!!," the moon penguin boomed out happily stopping in front of them, "And not a minute too soon!" And like last time, he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him towards the big doors leading to the penguins' side of the studios. "We have a rehearsal to perform and practice to be had!!"

Like the last time she entered, everything looked the same except it was now less busy and most of the penguins here were calmly carrying something around or checking the clipboards they were holding for something. Still pretty busy but was way better than last time in here opinion. At least she didn't have to worry about ducking under anything this time around. And like last time the two girls followed only, Mr. Grooves quickly lead them past the changing rooms, and down a different hallway further down the way from the last one. Poppy blinked and watched where they were going, this hallway was much better lit than the giant room outside and multiple props and what looked like painted scenes were printed all over the place leaning against the walls and ready to use at any given moment. Up a head a metal door was waiting for them that read: Back Stage Supervised Personal and Staff Only. They headed straight for that and the Moon penguin opened it with enough force to almost make it hit the other side of the wall. Poppy blinked as she was pulled onto a stage....A REAL wooden floored stage with curtains, and props behind said curtain, and other people waiting there but looked up when the two came in followed by the two girls. They were all there.

"So sorry for the hold up, Darlings," He apologised finally releasing Poppy and smiling at them all, "Thank you all for coming on such short notice to our first rehearsal folks. Now I know the Bird Movie Awards is still so many months away, but we need to practice, practice, practice before we actually start filming the play and editing the footage. Raw talent is the real pop behind the success!" he clapped his flippers together. "Now does everyone have their scripts in hand?" Everyone responded by saying some version of 'yes' and holding up their papers before Grooves nodded in approval and looked up to Poppy. "What about you, Darling?"

Poppy blinked. "UH! Oh r-right." She quickly reached into her front pocket and pulled out the slightly crinkled stack of papers. "H-Here!"

He nodded again, and turned back to the crew. "Alright, Darlings! You all have ten minutes to reveiw your places for the first five scenes before we start! Don't forget just because this is practice that doesn't mean to put the best into your acting! Pretend you're there! Feel the thousands of adoring watching as you all take the stage and dance away!"

"Hello, Miss." Poppy jumped at the sudden voice next to her and looked down to the mysterious owner of the voice it belonged too. Relaxing when she saw the smiling face of Timmy smiling up at her. "Sorry for giving you a fright, but I just wanted to say hello yeah?"

She sighed and smiled. "N-No. It's ok, sugar." She looked up and around a little bit. "Is Hazelle here with you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. She's just talking to one of the production managers about the spotlight keeping on shining in her eyes. ...But I do have something important to say-"

"Darlings!" They all turned and Saw Grooves looking in their direction. "Sorry my little stars. But no children are allowed on set during rehearsals." Both girls 'awed' in disappointment, excitement to see their story come to life fading but he still smiled. "But you little ones are more than welcome to have a front row seat in the audience while we practice." Both smiled again with happy little gasps making the penguin smile more and turn, motioning for them to follow him. "Come along, Darlings. It's this way."

Bow and Hattie of course obliged and happily bounded off after the director but Timmy lingered.  Looking back up to Poppy. "Don't tell anyone this, not even Hazelle. But Moonjumper said to be prepared for me to come fetch you three days from now when it's your day off from work here."

Poppy snapped to him and blinked. "What do you-"

"Little boy! Off the set now. Come along!"

"Sorry. Can't talk now. Just be ready."

She didn't have the chance to say anything back to him before he turned and ran off the other direction, leaving her standing there mouth open and staring blankly at the direction Timmy ran off in. ...At least until there was a yell of someone from the other side of the stage.

"Five minutes people!! Actors for scene one get ready to come up for the opening scene rehearsal! Again five minutes people! Chop chop!!"

Poppy jumped, and with the papers in hand made her way towards the front. The first rehearsal didn't go that badly. In fact it could've been worse. When Mr. Grooves said he really wanted to go by the book he meant it, in fact barely anyone had barely any speaking roles outside the narrator for the play (who happened to be another moon penguin with a deep voice) and all she had to do was do the motions she read in the script and.....messed up a bunch. Stepping on the actor playing Starella's father's foot, tripping over the curtain exiting stage, and once accidentally making Hazelle fall when she nudged her without looking. Thank goodness Hazelle and the male actor was so understanding. It made her nerves rise higher the more they practiced especially with Mr. Grooves watching from a director's chair in the audience and his voice shouting at her or someone else every time something happened.

"CUT!! Darling! Let your body relax, you're movements are becoming too stiff. Once more from the top!!" "Cut! Clean up on center stage!" "Darling, be careful where you step! Don't step on anyone's toes." "Lights, camera, action!!" "Take Seven on opening scene in three!...Two!.. ONE!! Narrator, Darlin'!"

And a whole bunch of other things she kept getting nervous about, by the time they were done she just felt so drained mentally and physically from it all all she wanted to do was go back home and fall asleep when Mr. Grooves gave her the ok to leave. Which WAS exactly what they did, Poppy paid no mind to anyone else and only barely registered Mr. Grooves telling everyone they'll pick up again from where they left off tomorrow morning and for everyone to get some rest and practice. Sounded good to her. So when the two again grabbed her in their iron grip when she essentially shooed them out the door, she closed her eyes basically doing and feeling the same thing as before when she went down only falling on her stomach as soon as they reentered the ship floating in outer space and got herself some rest. Thinking about what Timmy had said kept rebounding in her mind and with all the stuff clouding it up she was almost like a robot with her actions in the next three says. Get up, dress, hygiene routine, take care of the girls, go to the rehearsals (which was Ok at best. she or others still messed up every often and had to restart a lot which was hard for her clouded mind and nervous feelings), and routine afternoon/bedtime routine before falling into an uneasy sleep. Rinse and repeat for the next three days. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. She had tried every so often to talk with Hazelle or Timmy about it, but Hazelle seemed genuinely busy with her role as the evil step sister reading that script, and Timmy just avoided any thing she asked if she could before running off to the audience seats to avoid her. And during ALL of this Snatcher had not appeared once which she was...still kinda grateful for. She wasn't sure what she was going to do or act around him now since what Moonjumper said was still echoing every moment of the day throughout her mind. In fact Moonjumper hadn't shown up either which what was bothering her a bit since she wanted to ask so many questions. But it all finally came to a head early Sunday morning when she was awakened by someone shoving her shoulder and calling her name. Confused, the red head groaned and pushed her head up from the pillows on the floor where she slept, pushing the long red hair out of her bangs groggily blinking.

"Poppy? Poppy! Get up! Timmy's here!", Hattie shouted shoving her again and she almost fell over back onto her stomach.

"W-What?," she asked sleep stilling hanging onto her. The red head yawned and blinked at the little girl in the dark. "Hattie? Sugarcube, what are ya'll doin' this late at night?"

"It's morning actually, but that's not important!," she insisted pushing upwards against the older woman's shoulder to try and get her to get up, "Get up! Timmy says he has to take you somewhere important!!"

She slowly rose with the child's pushing. "W-Who-...Timmy?"

"Don't tell anyone this, not even Hazelle. But Moonjumper said to be prepared for me to come fetch you three days from now when it's your day off from work here."

At the sudden voice in her memory spoke out, Poppy jumped up suddenly wide awake letting Hattie fall onto her stomach on top of the make shift bed of pillows. Timmy was-......Timmy was here! For her! So that meant he was-....Hattie shook her head and reached to push her giant top hat up off her face when she heard quick footsteps walking away from her, blinking she looked over and found Poppy briskly walking away from her towards the rising and falling platform leading from the attic and to the control room. She blinked and quickly jumped up and ran after her to catch up. Poppy was quick to reach the platform as it rose back up and stepped on it, Hattie right behind her quickly jumping on it too just a second before they began to lower into the much more brightly lit room. They could see everything from their spot on the platform, including the purple eyed boy who was sitting patiently at the control room's chair facing the control panel chatting with Bow about something but both looked up noticing the two coming down the platform and smiled.

"Well, well. Good morning, Miss Poppy,'' Timmy greeted from down below waving, "Sorry for the early visit but Moonjumper thought it was best I brought you as soon as I could to avoid suspicion from Snatcher, eh."

When the platform touched down, Poppy quickly got off it and began walking down the ramp towards him with Hattie behind her and Timmy stood up to meet her as she waltzed on over and stopped in front of him.

"Ya'll are...here to take me to Moonjumper?," he asked for clarification a lil bit of excitement coming over her at the prospect for answers.

Timmy nodded. "Yep. Thought you'd want to finally get some answers eh?"

She nodded. "YES! Pecking yes!"

"Oh good." He walked past her going towards the door leading towards the storage room. "Then we all better make our way over to Alpine Town then."

Poppy blinked and slowly followed after him with Hattie and Bow bounding up to walk next to him. "You're planning on using the Twilight Bell to get there?," she asked and he nodded.

"Yeah. I can't get there myself without Hazelle's magic and all of us have supernatural ties upon our souls. It should easily do the trick."

"What's this Twilight Bell?, " Poppy asked following following them still confused.

The door to the storage room opened with a whoosh sound and all three children walked on in throuh the hallway with Poppy going to crawl right after them.

"The Twilight Bell is this HUGE bell that's a part of the Alpine Goat City and can only be used by spirits or someone with really powerful connections to magic or spirits," Timmy explained, "Since all of you are bound to the purple noodle through contracts and I'm tied up with MJ, it should work for the whole lot of us."

"...You mean the bell teleports ya'll?"

"Sorta? It takes us to the Horizon. It's wear trapped spirits go and where I live. I think you'll like it. Not a lot going on but it's pretty peaceful and pretty majestic in it's own way."

The four of them walked(Poppy Crawled) into the storage room and instead of stopping they went over towards the ladder Poppy recognized from when they were cleaning as the ladder that lead to the boiler room. Hattie also mentioned that they stored her ships water supply in there. Without hesitation Timmy walked right up to it and grabbed the ladder, starting to climb up it in a swift manner similar to the two girls who went right after him. Poppy watched them disappear through the small kid sized doorway in the top wall there before she slowly began to follow after them. Half way up the ladder she heard what sounded like a loud thud and she rose a brow at that. At the very top, she crawled her way through the small opening and stopped upon seeing probably literally the only part of the spaceship she hadn't seen before. The area was certainly warmer than the storage room, and true to Hattie description. It WAS filled with lots and lots of water except for a small platform way on the other side lower than where she currently was and a GIANT boiler making a whirring sound as it worked with FLAMES peeking out from the open vents!! Timmy and Bow SOMEHOW got across the water and were waiting by the telescope which was pointing outta the windows also by the platform and Hattie pulled her trusty umbrella out of no where. Before Poppy could react something with the force of a hundred men grabbed her and she yelped when she suddenly found herself being held in the arms of the child awkwardly as Hattie aimed her umbrella at a metal beam above the water. The hook from the tip of the umbrella latching onto it with a metal clang. Poppy didn't have time to say a single word before Hattie jumped and swung them across the ship's water supply. The yelp that the startled woman gave almost caused the child to go unbalanced as she released them from the beam and towards the platform, Poppy instinctively latching onto her hat. Timmy and Bow watched as the two crashlanded on the small platform next to them. Poppy hitting her back against the wall and Hattie belly flopping with her hat over her face, Umbrella just barely missing falling into the water by some miracle.

"Dang pecking nabbit! Warn me next time ya decide ta do somethin' like that!," Poppy yelled from her sitting position, heart momentarily pumping from the sudden leap.

"Are you ok there?," Timmy asked pulling Hattie to her feet as she popped the hat off her head and blinking.

"Yeah. But I really don't like crashlandings." Poppy leaned off the wall and rubbed her back looking around the room. "Why did ya'll come in here?"

"To take you to the Alpine Alps." Timmy gestured to the lone telescope still pointed out the window and Poppy rose a brow at it as he walked back over to it. "This'll take us all straight to Alpine and from there to Moonjumper. We'll have to leave right now if none of us wanna get caught by Hazelle."

"More traveling with those umbrellas?"

"My magic's not strong enough to teleport me let alone all of us to Alpine all the way down there. I could barely teleport inside the ship from the moon. Unless you wanna wait for Snatcher or Hazelle to catch onto our plan and you never see Moonjumper, be my guest." Poppy said nothing and he nodded. "Then let's not waste anymore time yeah?"

Poppy stared at him a little longer before sighing and nodding. Well when he put it at that, he had a point. She certainly didn't think Snatcher would be very open to this idea. Not after what the girls had told her about what he thought about Moonjumper. And she certainly wasn't missing a chance for getting answers now, and what was one more umbrella ride since she's been sucking it up and using it to get too and from work for the past half week now. So with a sigh, Poppy pushed her self up to her knees and watched as Timmy grabbed Bow's hand as she held up her umbrella and walked over to the telescope. Taking Hattie's hand as she offered and shuffled over to the telescope after them, slamming her eyes shut  when Hattie's iron like grip grabbed her hand like a pair of cuffs again.  All she could feel after grabbing the little girl's hand was her death gripping her hard with almost inhuman life strength it almost hurt and the sudden lurch forward with the whoosh sound of two umbrellas opening and finally her body being lifted and pulled through the air like a kite. She didn't look the entire way there, just kept her eyes clamped shut the entire way. She would've loved to look upon the beautiful planet or the diamond stars as she passed but she was afraid she might relive the plummet into the swamp and didn't want to relive THAT near death experience again. So for now she would just hang on for the ride, it almost felt like forever just floating in air drifting like a peaceful kite, before suddenly she was whiplashed back and she gasped as she was suddenly suspended by nothing but her arms in the sky. Poppy's blue eyes snapped open and she suddenly blinked at the sight she was taking part in...and frankly almost lost her pecking mind. The first thing to hit them was the spine chilling limb numbing COLD!! It was like they suddenly got dumped in winter as the air blew wildly around them like a cold winter storm minus the snowflakes. The second thing she noticed was that they were IN. THE. MIDDLE. OF. THE. PECKING. SKY!!! In all directions was nothing but blue sky, greyish white clouds, and cold wind. She couldn't even see Bow or Timmy which is what made it worse for her. Did they get knocked out of the sky?! Were they blown away by the wind!? Were they still falling somewhere to their doom?! Her questions were answered soon enough. When she was about to ask Hattie(who was still gripping her with that strange alien strength) where they were, when something finally peeked through the clouds. Whatever it was was BIG and grey but still blocked by the giant clouds surrounding them as they got closer and closer to their destination being blown by the wind. Her red hair whipped around and she could barely see until they suddenly went down. Poppy gasped and a spike of fear went through her as they did thinking they would fall to her second death slamming her eyelids shut, but instead of falling through air Poppy soon found herself being put down on her knees on something she could only describe as cold bricks. Confused, those blue eyes popped open and they went wide at the sight in front of her. The wind was still blowing, making her shiver and sent a shudder down her spine from the brief flashback to the old clutches of the Vanessa incident before she quickly pushed it from her mind and wished she had a coat as her arms instinctively rubbed her arms. What stood before her was something else. What stood before her looked to be a mini mountain like structure jutting out somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the cold sky, the moutains was decorated with old forgotten torn flags with strange symbols unknown to her waving in the cold wind and a few small snowflakes made themselves present drifting into small piles here and there. It also looked like oddly big shaped ledges formed into a naturally formof stairs leading somewhere but her eyes weren't focused on the path right now. She was looking at the strange egg shaped like statues with goat horns surrounding them before stopping and staring at the MASSIVE two statues of Alpine Goats on either side of the path ahead on two seperate cliffs, almost like guardians from long ago. There was also some plants despite it being so cold, mostly small trees and bushes jutting out from random spots in the cliff but there was also some wild vines growing up the cliff sides here and there. A cough directed Poppy's attention to her left where Hattie had landed and was met with the sight of the other two children as well. THANK PECK they didn't get blown away from them.

''Welcome to the entrance to Apline Alps Ms. Poppy," Timmy said one hand on his hat to keep it from being blown away. "I hope the landing wasn't too rough on ya."

...She blinked shaking her head. "W-Wait. WHERE in tarnation are we?"

"Like I said the entrance to Alpine Alps." He then pointed up the pathway, the ride to Alpine Town is down that way a bit. It's best we get going before we can't yeah?"

She gladly agreed. If there was a town nearby then maybe she could find a shop or someplace warm to warm up a bit. Timmy nodded and turned to lead the way, running towards the stone ledges with the girls following and Poppy once the lady got up onto her feet. Well, she made it this far, might as well see it to it's end. And think. The answers her mind's been beating her over to get was so close to getting obtained. It was kinda tricky climbing up after the youngsters who jumped and ran up and over the ledges with ease, but it wasn't too hard thanks to her muscles from so much work in her youth, she was easily able to jump, grab onto a ledge if needed and pull herself up and over to as if doing pull ups. Guess she can scratch off mountain climbing off her 'Weird Things to Happen To Me After Coming Back To Life' list. When she finally reached the top, Poppy was exhausted and her hands and arms were cold and sore like she had been shoveling pounds of snow with her bare hands, but she stopped when she saw what was before her. Two torches with fire (in the middle of daylight no less) stood on either side of an archway that lead the way to a boarded bridge, said archway was decorated with colorful paper and a rope of holed stone was tied across it. Writing of a language she'd never seen before decorated a sign above it. When Timmy noticed her staring at it, he explained it was the Nomad language and said Welcome to the Alpine Mountain Range. Interesting. The three children ran across the old wooden bridge like it was nothing and Poppy hesitated a wee bit....Come on you scardy cat! You traveled from hundreds of miles from SPACE and the moon tons of times! She could handle walking across a bridge probably miles high off the ground too! Though it didn't ease the butterflies in her stomach, she slowly forced herself to cross trying NOT to think of the thosands of miles below her very feet and instead looking straight ahead. In front of her was some kind of wooden doors and a metal fence leading off to the left, next to the doors was a bell and as soon as the three children got near it Hattie pointed her umbrella, the hook shot out and latched onto said bell and she pulled. The bell rang out a few times and as soon as Poppy got near the thing, the doors automatically opened and they all ran through. Timmy pointing upwards as he did.

"C'mon, Poppy! The way's up there!"

Poppy looked up to where he was pointing and- OH. MY. PECKING GOSH!! A spiraling stone staircase spiraled upwards up another cliff which was bigger than the one she breifly climbed and the ones the two goat statues were on. Oh boy. Well..maybe all this exersize would help her clumsiness in her rehearsals. Sighing she turned her attention towards the start of the stairs and still shivering walked after them. Along the way upwards she noticed there was more of those weird horned, hallowed out, egg shaped statues, a few torches, and LOTS of moss covering the old steps. She tried looking around but saw nothing but more sky and clouds, and as she got to the top she noticed there was even more giant goat statues. When she got to the very top of the stairs however was when things got stranger. At the very top there was four what looked to be graves with SKULLS on top of them, more strange stone statues, a TALL stone piller between the four supposed graves, two GIANT stone cut structures that were purposefully carved to look like horns, and some wooden beams with red flags which waved in the wind which speaking of the wind it seemed to have picked up since they got there. How odd.

"What are those?," Poppy asked pointing a hand at the 'graves'.

"Oh those? Those are memorials to the four founders of Alpine Town, they were devoted to the Twilight Goat who first made their home here. Some say they found out the secrets of high end magic and ascended to the stars when he died," Timmy explained.

So they were kinda graves. She didn't wanna know if those skulls were carved stone or the real thing- A giant clap of thunder rung out as the ground beneath them all shook for a few seconds causing Poppy to fall to the cold stone ground as it did. The giant stone pillar in front of them sinking into the ground a little bit.

"WHAT THE PECK WAS THAT!?" Poppy wailed pushing herself back up and looking around wildly. "An earthquake!?"

Timmy shook his head no. "Nah. Hattie's just summoning one of the alpine skylines."

"The what?!"

She didn't get an answer as it happened again and she was knocked back onto her side again as the thunder clapped and the pillar lowered a little more too. Hattie ran past her over to the third lever sticking out of the ground and with her trusty umbrella started whacking it as it spun around like a screw into the ground and another clap of thunder and another shaking of the cliff knocking her over once the last level was buried into the ground. And Poppy was finally able to push herself up without having the fear of being knocked over. Something slithered forth from the white clouds before them and it took Poppy a moment through her moment of shock seeing the thing to realize it was a rope decorated with more of that colorful paper!! She watched in shock as it wrapped itself TIGHTLY around the stone pillar and stayed there, leading back off to the unknown through the clouds. As soon as it arrived Timmy and Bow stepped up to it, Timmy and Bow locking hands like before they teleported using the telescope, and Bow aimed her Umbrella at the rope. The hook from her umbrella shot out and caught onto it, and as soon as they did they were whiplashed off like someone had just grabbed them and yanked them away disappearing through the clouds. Poppy yelped in shock and ran over to the edge where they disappeared off from, staring at the clouds rolling past. Where the PECK did they just go?! Before she even knew or really processed what just happened at all, something like an iron trap grabbed her hand once again and another hook from Hattie's umbrella shot out and grabbed onto the rope. With a yelp she'll deny later, Poppy and Hattie were also shot forward. It was really similar to the sensations of when she was traveling with the girls to and from space, only this time she could see what was happening to her surroundings as she was once again pulled along by the little alien like a kite in the wind. Red hair whipped in every direction in front of her face and she had a quesy feeling in her stomach from all the pulling she was receiving now. Clouds. All she saw was clouds from her eyes squinting from the wind whipping her face, and the rope that never seemed to have an end as they flew. All she could hear was the whistling winds, claps of thunder from the clouds, and the distant sounds of bells-......Bells?! Wha- Another clap of thunder sounded out as they passed through the biggest cloud of all of them when FINALLY daylight broke through the other side and she could see something besides the clouds. And. Her. Jaw. DROPPED!! More cliffs. LOTS more cliffs. But all of them were MUCH MUCH more bigger than the few they had already climbed, making the ones they passed look like babies in comparison. As they zoomed by, they passed a pair of twin peaks standing side by side with more Alpine Goat Statues THAT WERE GINORMOUS!! Even bigger than the statues they had already seen! These were easily the sizes of a small castle EACH!! As they continued to zoom past those with the cold wind still seeping into her bones, There was yet ANOTHER set of twin peaks with more ginormous goat statues, and with each pair of goats statues there was a massive...rope?? And on said ropes was the BIGGEST golden bells she'd even seen. The giant things rang out from the winds pushing them and shined brightly from the sunlight. Poppy gazed up at them all in awe as they flew past. Well, that explains the distant sound of bells she heard. She was so in awe, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before! It was in a mystical way, beautiful! They were fast approuching the end of the rope's journey and Poppy looked around admiring the veiws. Was....Was that cliff spewing out LAVA!? It looked more like a volcano than a cliff!! And that one had some kind of giant structure on it. She wasn't sure what it was to be honest, but it was still so massive! She didn't see the end of the rope until there was a sudden whiplash and her body was sent forward shooting like a rocket, crashlanding into some green plants with a loud yelp!

"Oh no! Poppy!" Hattie quickly ran over to the red head as she pushed herself out of the roof of the small building she crashed into and coughed, spitting out leaves and shaking her head. "Are you ok?! Im sorry! I must've slipped! "

"Ah'm fine! *cough* I'm sorta used to this crashlanding bizz by now." She shook her head and finally got a chance to look around her. The way they came from was clouded by well clouds and she could barely see the back of the statues n cliffs they passed let alone the cliff they came here from. Looking around her she saw lots and LOTS of man made wooden platforms, houses with the roofs just covered in plants, more of those horned hollowed out egg statues, piles of firewood, bails of hay, and carvings of goats and paintings were plastered all over the available sights of what cliff she could see. Peck. Even the houses had strange carvings in them so details it must've taken someone a hundred years to even finish carving one of them. Odd ledges and stone stairs carved into the cliff sides to the right lead to farther up from the landing platform she crashed into....She blinked. "Where in the hey are we?"

"The town of Alpine Skylines." Poppy snapped over to her left and load and behold Timmy and Bow was just a few feet away from them all. He pointed up the roof she was still sitting on and over towards the path you HAD to climb said roof to get to. "The towns split into five different sections between all these cliffs here, you see. There's the Lava Cake Peaks, Bird House Peaks, Twilight Bell Path, Landing Peak, and Windmill Hills. Right now we're on Landing Peak where everyone who comes here first lands, yeah." poppy blinked and looked up towards the path he pointed at. Landing Peak huh? Well at least it made sense. She blinked again when Timmy suddenly jumped onto the roof next to her and began climbing his way up and towards the path. "There's four skylines leading to them, since we're heading home we need the green one that goes to Twilight Bell Path. Follow me!"

Poppy blinked but moved when both girls started to also climb up the roof and jump onto the path after him, once she set foot on the path and was able to meet up with them, Timmy gestured down the wooden platform path and she followed. The wooden path soon turned to giant stone steps befitting the giant Alpine Goats who lived there. Speaking of the residence they passed one or two goats on their way up, the goats shaking out their furred shelves every so oftten. And some Nomads. The smaller covered up residence of the peaks who lived in the smaller houses of the peaks. Poppy envied their heavy coats as she was still shivering from the cold air from being so far up and rubbing her arms following them. There was still everything she saw from her place back on the landing platform, only now she could get a good look at the other peaks. She could see how they got their names. Bird House Peaks had an actual LARGE bird house(or what she assumed was one since she couldn't guess what else it could've been). Lava Cake Peaks obviously had Lava. Landing Peaks was the center of the peaks leading towards them all. Windmill Hills had the BIGGEST windmill she had ever seen built into it!! As for the Twilight Bell Path- Poppy blinked and gawked at the HUGE silvery-green bell built upon the cliffs that was held up by more goat horn structures. So that was the twilight bell that would lead her to Moonjumper. Gotta say she was starting to find this easier than she originally thought it would be. She continued to follow the kids up, up, up until they finally stopped at this huge fancy carved house. She guessed it must've belonged to one of the goats since it looked too big to be a nomad's. Infront of the house was a giant wooden beam and from it a rope with green fancy paper decorating it lead from it towards the giant bell. Timmy pointed at it and Poppy understood it was the way to go. And so the same thing from before happened. Timmy took Bow's hand and they zoomed away towards the bell, and Poppy did the same again with Hattie. Before they took off though she noticed there was some very beautiful bright blue flowers shining brightly so much, the light made them look white. Poppy only remembered staring at the pretty thing before being yanked away towards the new path. This time the trip was MUCH shorter than the first one this time and she landed more decently on her knees when they reached the stone end, getting off and brushing her self off and looked as Timmy beckoned her down another stone ledge path which lead to more wooden bridged bewteen the peaks that lead to the bell. She could feel the anxiety and excitement grow within her stomach as they neared, but she came all the way here. It was too late to turn back now. Timmy lead them through an archway that he explained read The Twilight Path, so they were on the right track. Though the climbing she had to do against cold stone was NOT fun in the slightest. One Namad they past yelled out that the Twilight Bell was just ahead of them. Which was good since she was starting to feel sore from all this climbing anyways. Along the way she noticed there was stars and strange symbols painted on some of the cliff sides, as well as a few more of those really beautiful bright lit flowers. When she asked Timmy about the flowers he shrugged.

"Those are Twilight Flowers. They grow all along this section of peaks."

"Ah think they're beautiful. Wouldn't mind havin' some back home."

Twilight flowers huh? She'd never heard of those kinds of flowers before, but they were really beautiful to look at. Oh well. As they continued to climb, they FINALLY reached....Another green papered skyline.

"This is the last skyline before we reach the bell,'' Timmy explained before he was whisked off by Bow again.

Oh well that was good at least, her wrist was starting to get sore. So rinse and repeat yet a third time and Poppy was once again strung along, but this time she KNEW she was there. The last trip over felt like an eternity as she just fawned and awed over the large bell structure before her as they got closer and closer. Until finally she was there landing hard on her knees but she didn't care, she was too busy looking at the INSIDE of the thing! THIS BELL WAS HUGE!! PROBABLY BIGGER THAN THE GOLDEN ONES SHE SAW WHEN THEY FIRST CAME IN!! AND THE INSIDE LOOKED LIKE AN ENTIRE GALAXY ON IT'S OWN!! Black void painted the inside of it as beautiful diamonds sparkled brightly like stars. It was absolutely breath takingly pecking beautiful!! She still couldn't take her eyes off of it as she followed the children until they were all standing under it, giving her the best veiw of the inside. Unknownst to her, Timmy nodded to Hattie who nodded back and aimed her hook shot up at the bells lever. It grabbed onto it with a thump and away she went swinging back and forth on it like it was a playground swing. OH PECK!! The loud booming rings it made rang out and jabbed Poppy's ears and head with pain. Causing the woman to clamp her hands over her ears as Hattie continued to ring it and slam her eyes shut. Green flooded around the four, twisting the turning in every direction until they saw nothing and the surroundings COMPLETELY changed. ......Poppy SLOWLY opened her eyes and removed her hands when heard the ringing sto- She gasped and stumbled back onto her behind at the new sight.

"Welcome to The Horizon, Miss," Timmy said gesturing to the new world around them. "Or what I like to call it, home!"

IT WAS DARK!!....But somehow she was still able to see everything. She was surrounded by more strange statues but these instead of looking like regular statues, were a dark green-black that sparkled with somekind of otherworldly magic. Floating buildings of white marble statues with lots of pillars were EVERYWHERE she looked and someone of all things, some were leaking water. Water that went over the edge and down, down, down disappearing without a trace. There wasn't any visible source of sky, sun, moon, or stars. Just black void all around them besides the strange structures......Well when Snatcher mentioned some ghosts living on another plain of existance he wasn't kidding. In a strange way...it was all very beautiful and a sense of eerie calm came from it all.

..............She blinked and slowly pushed herself back to standing in her feet. "W-Where....Where are we?"

"I just told you. The Horizon." Timmy turned and gestured down a path leading off from where they popped up from, Moonjumper is probably waiting for us in the palace."

"The what?" Timmy pointed ahead and there was a big stone building just floating in mid air, it did quite resemble a palace in a topsy turvy way. Poppy blinked but slowly followed after the kids who showed no fear in this other world. As they walked she turned and suddenly gasped and stumbled back a few steps, pointing at something a little way from them. Big. Glowing. And MOVING!! "What the peck is that?!"

Timmy jumped at the sudden shout but looked to where she was and relaxed at the sight of the alpine goat ghost. "Oh that? That's just one of the ghosts that love 'round here."

"G-Ghosts!?"

He shrugged. "Why are you surprised? Snatcher's a ghost, and so is Moonjumper. There's just a few goats and a couple of Snatcher's old minions Moonjumper snatched up here. But they're all pretty harmless." they continued walking as he spoke. " They mostly just float around with they're little bells. There's nothing to worry about."

She hoped he was right about that. Poppy blinked seeing another familiar thing and pointed at it. "Would ya look at that? More flowers!"

"Oh yeah. The Twilight flowers and vines grow in this place too. No idea why, Moonjumper thinks they're magical or something. He likes to study magic sometimes if hazelle let's him borrow her books."

Just like Philip to study. "He....Sounds like a smart fella."

"He should be. People even wrote a song about him in legend."

"You're kiddin!" Philip? Having a legendary song named after him?

Timmy nodded. "Yep! You can ask Hattie to sing it for you. She knows the song pretty well."

Hattie smiled at the prospect of showing her superior knowledge about this place and what she could do. She didn't want to brag but after all she IS an expert in all things ghostly on this planet including the legend of the haunted forest and Moonjumper's tale. She still remembered when she first met the polite spirit when she first entered the Horizon going after one of her time pieces.

"Hello there little girl! Come wide, come far! I am the Moonjumper. Oh, yes. Indeed. I live and breath for this horizon, it's my home. Up here I can see everyone and everything. I am a silent.....observer. Ask me my child. What does my eye gaze upon? A girl in red? A village of the dead? A prize in a shed?.......N-Nevermind."

Hattie smiled again at the memory and like any little girl began dancing around as she sang. "Tale of a place! A deep forest dark with grace! There he lives blooming inside a wild field of big eye! And there he lives! Skin so blue! His eyes shot red! The Moon! The Sky! Tell him only lies! He doesn't know she waits inside!  She lost her mind! Many years gone by!"

Poppy watched and listened at the little girl's funny singing. "What does that mean?"

"No idea!," hattie giggled out.

Timmy shrugged. "No one does. It's a mystery to everyone except maybe Moonjumper."

"Did someone call me?" They all froze at the sudden and distant echo-y voice that came from anywhere and everywhere. It seemed to echo more out into the void until slowly fading away and Poppy frantically swiveled her head around trying to see where it had come from. "Look upwards, my lady." Poppy did snap her head upwards and she let out a small gasp. Up way above floating just a few feet in the air above them was the ghost. He...still looked as sketchy and scary as he did back on the ship all that time ago and she couldn't help but take a few steps back when the ghosts floated down. He was even more weird looking than she remembered. The red markings on his face and those red eyes shining brightly against the dark void as he still lowered, eyes locked onto her as he desceneded and eventually stopped a few feet away. The only sounds from him was the eerie clanking of the chains still on his wrists as he stopped just beside Timmy who still smiled. A head pat was rewarded to the boy from the ghost. "I'm glad you all made it alright. Did you have a nice trip over? I know the journey isn't exactly easy."

Poppy blinked. So many thoughts from before but now her mind went blank at seeing the other spirit again. "Uh...Y-Yeah. I-It was alright."

"Splendid! Now." He clapped his hands together making the floating chains clack more. "Timmy told me you have some questions you wanted answered?"

Her mind came back to her as she blinked. "Uh YEAH! A whole bunch in fact!"

"Well lucky for you Im completely one million percent willing to answer each and everyone you may have." He turned and gestured her to follow him. "Come, come. It's rude if I didn't show you around my home." The children willingly followed when the spook started floating off down the path and after a moment she also started slowly stepping after them. The path contained the same thing they had already seen. Pure white stone marble buildings floating around, water falls disappearing down into nothing, and the occasional spirit who turned and fled the other way seeing Moonjumper. "Don't mind the residence. They do that with Hazelle and Timmy too."

"Right." Poppy rose a brow at the back of the ghost in mostly curiousity and a lil bit of suspicion. "So...Philip-"

"Moonjumper."

"What?"

"I'm afraid I no longer nor do I like going by my dead name. Please. Call me Moonjumper, or Moon if it's easier for you but please do not call Philip Snider." She shuddered. "That name brings back o-one too many bad memories I wish to forget."

"Oh, sorry 'bout that....Moonjumper?"

He waved a hand not looking at her. "That's quite alright. Now...You wanted to talk to me?"

She blinked..and she scowled. "Yeah! That's right! I got a few peckin' questions for ya'll!"

"I don't mind answering a bit, but I WILL insist you do not use that language in front of the children while you're here. I do not tolerate bad behavior."

"Right. So I can ya'll anything?," she asked crossing her arms.

He again waved a hand. "Ask to your heart's content, my dear.~"

"WHY THE HECK DID IT TAKE YA SO LONG TO TALK TA ME!?", her angry voice practically echoed loud throughout the entire void and the kids winced at the loud sound. Moonjumper seem unfased tho.

"Yes. I do apologize for that but I couldn't risk Snatcher finding out my presence otherwise he would've made sure I never had the chance to talk to you at all. You see I can only leave the Horizon when it's night on your world, but Snatcher is much more powerful than I am and would've sent me back quite easily. Wouldn't you agree that this is the safer route?"

Well that did make sense. Snatcher by what she knew and saw of him did have quite the temper on him that's for sure. "Ok. Then what about everything ya told me back on the dang ship!? Was that all real or ya'll jus' playin' with mah head?!"

"Firstly I would NEVER lie about myself. I find that self degrading. Secondly you are probably the last person I would lie to. Why ever would I lie about my oldest and dearest friend? Thirdly yes. Yes everything I told you was true." Moonjumper smirked in triumph and looked over his shoulder at her. "Every single bit of it was the truth."

"Explain it ta me!," She demanded.

His smirk widened. "I'd be glad to.~ Where would you like me to start?"

"The beginnin'!"

"Of course. How much do you know? I can start filling in holes if I know how much you know."

"I know you froze to death in the celler." Moonjumper stopped and as a result so did she and the children who blinked back confused as too why the adults did. Poppy stared at him for a few seconds and when he didn't respond inhaled and exhaled before continuing. "I know Vanessa killed ya both too when she locked ya down there, and I know she froze everythin' too. And it all happened a thousand years ago and you two..three??...Are all ghosts. And I-...I know she thought I was the one ya'll cheated on her with."

"WRONG!" She jumped at the sudden raise in tone and as Moonjumper snapped his head to her. "That is wrong. I had never EVER cheated on her with anyone ever! She may have thought I did but I certainly did NOT!!''

"O-Ok, ok! Ya didn't. She just thought we was a thing."

"Exactly. We never cheated on vanessa. I'll give Snatcher that much at least. He was always just as faithful til the very end."

"........Hey. I think you said ya'll were one in the same back on the ship right? Explain that ta me."

......He just shrugged. "There's not much to explain on that matter since I have no idea how we came to be. All I remember is waking up after we died in that DREADFUL cold prison cell and waking up here on the other side." He shivered and reached up to rub his arms chains clanking. "I will NEVER go back there even if it meant leaving this prison!"

"Still doesn't make much lick of sense ta me."

He looked her over for a moment before sighing and holding up his hands. "Alright. Allow me to tell you a story that will clear EVERYTHING up and help you catch up with recent events. Once upon a time a thousand years ago, there was two Kingdoms." He closed his hands behind his back again as he gave her a neutral look as he slowly started floating to her left. "The Kingdom of Subcon and the Kingdom of Subconette. The rulers of these kingdoms decided their children would get married and unite both these kingdoms in harmony. Their names were PRINCE Snider of Subconette and Princess Vanessa of Subcon. The princess was the most beautiful woman any where and the prince in my opinion was more better looking.~ But for some unknown reason the princess CRACKED!" He vanished behind her and Poppy had to turn her head the other way as he continued to slowly float in a circle around her. "She slowly descended into madness and became nothing but a controlling dictator that put me-..The prince through NOTHING but misery, and yet the prince still foolishly loved her and tried his best to make her happy! His only saving grace was when he had to leave for his studies and when he met YOU!!" Poppy blinked as he now smiled. "Poppy Rose Bloomington. A small time country girl who grew up on a farm and moved to town to sell her pretty flowers.~ Catching the eye of a prince with your understanding and very kind nature. Basically being everything to him that Vanessa wasn't or ever will be. But THEN." His smile turned back into a snarl. Like the kind of snarl Snatcher gave the Mafia Boss but she wasn't sure where his anger lied with now as he stopped in front of her. "Vanessa turned on me! Over nothing but a few measly flowers all for her!! After everything I sacrificed for her! All those years of pandering to every single one of her demands no matter how ridiculous and impossible they were! I gave her the best dam bloody years of my life and she repaid me for my loyalty and love to her by chaining myself in the dark abyss of the cellar and ending myself up trapped here for over a thousand years! Watching while others got to frollic free and Snatcher get to rein over our kingdoms!!" They. Were. Stunned. Not just her but the kids too. Even Timmy who lived her with Moonjumper seemed in shock from the sudden tantrum. But as soon as it came it left when he exhaled and leaned back holding up his hands. "F-Forgive me. My death...i-is a sensative topic. I just find it so unbareable when the old memories from how unfair it was was brought up....But that's the story mostly. I don't know how or why we ended up splitting on death but each of us are half of what made up our personality and thinking process." He held a hand to his chest. "I am, if I do say so myself, the much better half. The part with the actual manners and dignity and the proper way to actually behave. Meanwhile Snatcher is full of anger and resentment, stubborn an an Express Owl, gloomier than a graveyard, AND he lacks any empathy or positive qualities other than his own motives!!......I hope that answers your questions, my dear."

Poppy.........Still stared. Behind him both Bow and Hattie looked at each other...then they both looked at Timmy who blinked and shrugged with a just as confused face to their looks, before all three children looked back to him.

........She blinked again. "Uh....Yeeeaaaahhh." She wasn't exactly sure how or WHAT to respond with after that. Not that she was afraid. Just...taken aback. But then again she couldn't exactly blame the fella for feeling the way he does after a tramatic death like that. Peck. Even she has nightmares about Vanessa, and she didn't even interact with her for five minutes. She couldn't start to imagine how he could've spent years with someone as evil as that. "Right. Well...Thank ya for ....catchin' me up ta speed. I uh..Clears up a bunch of it actually....Except ah don't know why he didn't tell me this all sooner."

"Oh? You really haven't figured out that yet?" He tutted and rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Poppy. Let me ask YOU a question now. What would you have done knowing Snatcher makes deals with innocent souls who just stumbled into his forest unless they can very rarely defeat him or bargain their way out of eternal servitude and he harnesses all of their souls for his magic fuel?"

"AH ALREADY KNEW HE DID THAT DIRTY BUSINESS WHEN I-....Wait. Magic...fuel?"

He nodded smiling. "Magic fuel. Same goes for me.~ After all the more minions a ghost has the more powerful his magic is. I have a few loyal here to me as you obviously saw coming in. Now...the souls you use don't HAVE to be dead like you, but anyone loyalty of in Snatcher's case hundreds and counting. It makes him almost god like compared to someone like me or ...or HER. Of course he can't kill me. You can't kill someone twice...Uh.." He looked her over. "Or..in your case...Uh ahem or MY case at least, you can't 'kill' a ghost. But essentially coming back to the point. It matters not if your follwers are dead or living, what matters is their loyalty to YOU. Their devotion makes you powerful. I suspect he didn't want you finding that out for the same reason he refused to reveal his..or more like OUR identity and not tell you anything. He was either afraid or just annoyed at the consequences he would've had to face if you had been disgusted your old friend would do something like this."...His smile widened to that smirk again. "But since the owl's out of the bag now.~ He's going to have to deal with the fact that he LIED to you and deliberately kept the truth from you for so long because of a little fright ...I suspect you'll be having some second thoughts for our 'King' of the woods eh?~ Hmhmhm.~"

Snatcher KNEW!! SNATCHER HAD LIED TO HER!!......Well she already knew both of those things. She already knew he lied, and she already knew that he knew but hearing the words straight from his twin's mouth made. Her. PECKING. ANGRY. Angrier than when that yappity bird blamed her for the camera. Angrier when the Mafia was pushing around that poor old man. Angrier when Snatcher made her a babysitter against her own will(not that she was blaming or complaining about the lil tikes). This was a whole kind of next level of anger that she had never felt before even in her old life a thousand years ago!!! This was the anger of betrayel! the worst kind you could feel!! What did she do to EVER GET IN THIS MESS!? .....She had to stop herself and breath in when her vision went red. Now use throwing a tantrum in front of the person who at least answered all her questions so willingly and cleared everything up. There wasn't anymore holes or missing peices in this puzzle now and all the numb, butterflies, confusion had completely disappeared and she felt whole again knowing. Now there was still just one question on her mind that even Moonjumper couldn't answer. Why? And only Snatcher could answer that himself. Moonjumper said it was cuz he was scared or annoyed at the consequences but she wasn't too sure unless it came directly from his mouth. She was DEFINATELY  to give the purple onion noodle one PECKING peice of her mind for sure!!

She nodded her head and looked to Moonjumper calmly. "Well. Ah sure do appreciate ya'll telling me all of this. Ah think I got what I needed. Thank you. But now.." She looked off back in the direction they came from with a scowl. "I got a few more questions ta git outta someone else."

He just nodded smiling. ''Im glad to have been so helpful to you. ...But there IS one more important thing you must know about.~"

She looked back to him with a raised brow. "And what is that?"

"This." He held up one of his hands and snapped his fingers. The sound echoing out eerily and Poppy flinched at the sound. After a few seconds a bright red string dropped from out of nowhere and stopped right beside his head.

She stared at it for a moment. "...What is that thing?"

"It's how I make contracts. You see Snatcher isn't the only one who can make those, the only difference is that the person HAS to willingly agree to sign the paper or he can't do anything...While MINE can be forced upon." His smile widened more. "And frankly I don't think he deserves someone as special as you!!"

His wrist that he still had held up suddenly went down in a slashing motion and in an instant the thing sprung to life on his command. Poppy yelped as it went straight towards her and on instinct brought her arm up to shield her face, the red string wrapped around her arm like a snake and proceeded to tighten like one Poppy was pulled forward by it and she yelped before digging her heels into the ground and pulling back, her otherhand clasping over the string. Moonjumper smiled and simply motioned his finger forward as it painfully tightened around her more.

"WHAT THE PECK DO YA THINK YER DOING?!," She angrily snarled at his smile.

"DAD!! What are you doing?!," Timmy asked just as horrified as the other two children. Obviously he wasn't expecting this to happen.

"Don't worry. They all fight at first but soon you'll forget any pain and be eternally happy." Moonjumper said in a reassurring voice. "Won't that be better? You'll never be in danger again, and be here with me."

"YOU'RE MORE CRAZY THAN SNATCHER!!" She stumbled forward a foot at a sudden yank, The red string glowing a bright red and her blue eyes widened at it.

"Don't worry. I promise it doesn't hur-"

At that very moment a giant burst of energy throbbed hard within the very core of her body. Temparaily knocking the wind outta her. Poppy  gasped and fell to her hands and knees at the sudden tight feeling within her. Her body emitting a small purple light in the dead center of her chest and she stayed there gasping and blinking at the sudden sensation leaving goosebumps across the pale flesh and her shaking like a leaf again. Coughing and gasping for air like a drowning sailor, the red string absolutely disintagrated from the purple magic that glowed in a heart shape right in the middle of her chest. Moonjumper froze, staring at the woman on her hands and knees in absolute shock like the time he first saw her. Poppy's red hair went around framing her face as she coughed and faced the floor....Before slowly looking up through her bangs with the angriest more visious snarl on a mortal woman one could have.

"You can-...NO!" Moonjumper snarled back. "NO!! This can not be it! Y-You-....YOU DONT POSESS ANY MAGIC STRONG ENOUGH TO COUNTER MINE!! I-I-...THAT SHOULD'VE WORKED!!"

"Is THAT what that was?," she hissed out.

"How did you do that?! How you you have possibly have- No! Your will against it just must be stronger than the normal mortal!" He held both hands out and Poppy's face went back to panicked when near ten strings came from the dark and towards her. Timmy yelled at Moonjumper to stop but he either didn't notice him or didn't listen when Poppy was painfully suspended into the air. Most of the strings too tightly wrapped around her arms but some wrapped around her legs too and one around her neck, she cursed and struggled like a mad women being sent to the looney bin. Fighting and fighting before that still glowing purple heart sent out another energy burst and in an instant all the strings were destroyed. Leaving her to fall on the ground and start coughing and breathing again for air like a dying man. Moonjumper once again stood there stunned too shocked for words. Eyes going to the purple throbbing of her body....and suddenly absolutely fear wracked his face and form. "......N-No.....N-NONONONO!!!" His hands suddenly went over his mouth and he floated a few feet away. "N-No.." His red eyes snapped to her face when she weakly pushed it up. "Y-You signed it didn't you? Y-YOU SIGNED THAT CONTRACT WITH SNATCHER!?"

"W-What.." She wheezed and gasped a gulp of air while glaring at him with murder. " d-d-did ya p-peckin' expect?" Of course she signed a contract with Snatcher she he took her soul outta her body. Not like she had a choice there anyways....But she'd definately be having a talk about that with him too once her heart stopped ringing in her ears and her lungs evened out.

"T-Then that m-m-m-means t-that Snatcher's......"

"M O O N J U M P E R!!!"

It was the voice that shook the forest and sent everyone hiding. It was the voice that struck fear into every mortal and enemy ghost everywhere. The voice shook the very void and made every one-...Timmy, Hattie, Bow, Moonjumper, and any ghosts Moonjumper ruled over here stop in their peaceful home and turn to the terrifying scream that shook the dead down to the deepest hell and back again. Moonjumper whimpered like a pathetic dog. Kicked and looked ready to turn into nothing if it meant not dealing with that thing. Every ghost skidaddled and dove behind or through the marble stones for safety. Every goat ghost and dweller here. Which could only mean one thing.

The King Of Subcon....Had Arrived.

And. He. Was. ENRAGED!!

Poppy barely flinched from the sounds, the ringing in her ears making it hard to hear. She had just barely pushed herself up and around when a giant gust of wind whipped past her, making her red hair whipped wildly, and she could feel heat breifly fly by. As if someone lit a fire and swiftly threw it past her body. The dark shadow with the wind S L A M M E D into the horrified ghosts and it sent the two flying. Moonjumper found himself in the hands of the demon. The dark shadow was blacker than the abyss surrounding them, man of hair flared out crowding his face like a lion's mane, the fangs and eyes staring at him seeping with smoke and blue flames. A scream..No. Sound like the most hellish thing you could imagine screeched out from his mouth foaming with blue flames and smoke.

Moonjumper. SCREAMED!!

The three children stood there petrified at what just happed and watched from the ground as the thing that was Snatcher flew straight up into the air before literally throwing Moonjumper's form down behind the building and diving after him.

"POPPY!?" Hattie and Timmy jumped when Bow suddenly bolted over to the woman still laying on her stomach and brought her head up to look at the little girl kneeling in front of her. "Are you ok!?"

Two more appeared behind her. "Im so sorry, Miss! I didn't know any of this would happen!" Timmy looked almost ready to cry when he stopped in front of her looking at her. "I-I don't know what's gotten into them!"

"I-It aint...Y-yer fault."

"My, my. How do all of you get into trouble so easily?"

The children looked up and she slowly followed their gaze the best she could. "Hazelle!!"

The pink wearing witch tapped her foot and held a scowl as she stared down at the four..before turning to Timmy who looked even more scared under her gaze. "YOU are in BIG trouble! Ditching me and running away behind my back! What were you thinking?!..."She looked back up as a giant stream of blue flames shot out from somewhere behind the marble castle. "What were ANY of you THINKING!?"

...Timmy hiccuped and a small tear went down his face. "I didn't know! Im sorry, Hazelle!!"

...Her look didn't soften but she sighed and kneeled down next to Poppy. Her hands grabbing onto her shoulders and grunted as she pulled Poppy onto her back and then pulled her up slowly in a sitting posititon as she breathed. "Nevermind that now. Are you feeling ok?" She patted Poppy's cheek making the other woman look at her.

Poppy blinked seeing Hazelle's concerned face and nodded. "R-Real...w-winded and ...exhausted.."

"What happened?" She looked to the children for answers and Hattie spoke up.

"Moonjumper tried using his strings on her."

"HIS WHAT?!"

Hattie nodded. "But it didn't work. She signed Snatcher's contract."

".....So that's it. The powerful magics just overwhelmed you, you're going to be fine." Hazelle patted Poppy's shoulder before standing back up and sighing. Looking up as another screech sounded out. "Right. Kids. Stay here with Poppy ok? Im going to go break up the other two children fighting."

As she walked away, heels of her boots clacking, the three children looked at one another in worry. Not knowing what to think. Moonjumper on the other hand had a LOT going on through his mind at the moment, especially when he was slammed again with incredible strength in Snatcher's claws. The subcon ruler becoming frustrated when Moonjumper kept dodging his flames. The horrified face of the moon boy stared with fear when Snatcher charged him again, sharp claws out and aiming right for him- Until he was stopped when a bright red string wrapped itself tightly around his tail and stopped him mid dive. The beast snarled like a monster and turned on the red string in rage before another snagged around top half. And then more. And more. And more. .....AND MORE!! Until his entire body was red and thrashing within a cocoon made from hundred and hundred of Moonjumper's threads like a fly trapped within a spider's web. Enraged, the screeching and thrashing increased like he was a worm from hell. He was solely focused on Moonjumper for what he had done. He had felt something was wrong when Poppy the contract's magic alerted him to danger. But when he had instantly teleported into the ship he found no one. He made sure to thoroughly look in each room on the ship before bumping back into Hazelle who just magically dropped in with her weird pet in the middle of his worrying and the two locked eyes.

"YOU?!," he asked blinking at her.

She seemed confused. "Yes...Me. What are you doing here?"

He instantly scowled. "I could ask YOU the same thing, Witch!"

"Uh huh." She looked towards the doorway leading towards the girl's bedroom. "I'm looking for Timmy." She looked back to him with her own frown. "He ran off during one of our lessons and I looked all over for him all day so I've been having Shifty here follow his aura until we got to the moon train. I figured the only other place he could've gone is here with your kiddos."

"Well it looks like we're BOTH fooled!!" He hissed out with a glare crossing his arms. "There's no one here either!"

She hummed and rose a brow. "That is strange. Perhaps Timmy wanted a play date out with them, but why didn't he tell me??....It's not like him at all."

"MISStresS." The Shapeshifter gurgled out in that strangled voice of their's as the strange creature wobbled about slinking towards the door that lead to the storage room of the ship. Getting Hazelle's full attention. "i SeNsE THE bOY's AURa THaT way. FAINT buT TheRe."

It gurgled before crawling towards said door that opened with a whoosh sound and crawled down the hallway. Both of them looked at each other before Hazelle teleported to the other side of the wall and Snatcher's fazed through it. Both watched as Shapeshifter flopped itself to the next level of the floor before crawling towards the ladder that lead to the boiler room and hissed looking upwards.

"hE WENT Up."

"Impossible." Snatcher muttered. "There's nothing in there but water! You're blood hound's as useless as a statue!!"

"Well it's not a coincidence that my boy and YOUR girls are missing as well as that Poppy girl. You can't say we don't have an idea about where they went!"

"Oh please! Why in the PECK would they go in a room filled with water and a measly telescope!?"

Hazelle perked up at that. "A telescope? Don't they use those things to teleport places?"

Snatcher instantly shut up......OF COURSE!! He wanted to smack himself in that moment, but instead he shot himself through the wall into the boiler room and popped out the other side. Rushing up to the telescope and peeping one of those bright yellow eyes through the peep hole to see where it was pointed at on the planet. Hazelle popped a moment later magically teleporting beside him and saw him looking through it.

"Well? Where does this one lead?," she asked him and he looked up.

"Some place in the mountains with lots of clouds." He seemed confused. What kind of place was that to run off too?

Hazelle seemed to get a look of quick realization. "...Oh no."

"Oh no?" Instantly SNatcher was on her scowling. "What do you mean OH NO?!"

"Well, if Im not wrong, that's the long way home for Timmy before I got used to teleporting him everywhere....And Timmy lives in the Horizon."

With Moonjumper!? A shot of panic and rage overcame him at the very thought of Moonboy being all nice and barf romantic over her!! THAT FOOL HAD DONE SOMETHING!! But he wasn't sure what it was or how he was involved in this, but he WAS going to get there and find out! Hazelle offered to teleport them there since it'd be much quiker than taking the Twilight Bell and she was used to making big teleportation jumps with her advanced power. He instantly agreed and after Hazelle ordered Shifter to stay there(in case they came back) she teleported with him holding her shoulders. Once there he had to admit he was a little dizzy, it took a lot to make him feel a bit dizzy so Hazelle must've used a giant burst of magic to get them....Whereever they were real fast. It was almost too fast. But the dizzy feeling was short lived. He felt the second wave of the binding contact protecting Poppy from something and weird place or not, he took off in the direction of it much to Hazelle's protests and yells. If he had a heart it'd be beating a million times a minute as for one rare moment in his after life....He was scared. He knew his magic would be strong enough to counteract Moonjumper's but there was still the lingering fear of her becoming another lost trapped soul trapped her by him somehow. Or what else Moonjumper would do to her?! He lost her once, he didn't want to lose her again!! He couldn't!! Not after he made so much progress in finding her and getting her back!! But his fears were confirmed true when he find them.

Poppy was there...On the ground...She looked so weak. It was like the ghost smacked into a wall with how sudden he stopped seeing her. It was unmistakingly her!! The Purple magic from her soul was his alright and still calling out to him!! Poppy was laying on the ground weakly pulling her head up towards Moonjumper who looked angry and was snarling at her.

Something within him at that very moment SNAPPED!!

It was like the world around him began to blur and spin and the only two figures in his mind was the girl laying on the ground and the snarling person above her. .....What had be done? Poppy was.....hurt? Very possible. Moonjumper did something to Poppy...No. HE did something to Poppy. Moonjumper was a part of him!! A part of him that let Poppy get hurt once again! From that moment something began to bubble up inside of him and poor out in waves. HE HURT HER!! He let her get hurt!! After what already happened to her because of his mistakes!! HOW DARE HE LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!! EVEN IF IT WAS JUST A PART OF HIM MOONJUMPER SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO TOUCH THE WOMAN HE LOVED!! Fangs sprout. Claws sharpened. The flames of vengence and pain seeping out. And a cry of pain coming out of him. The only things he felt was sorrow and rage!!

The hunter had found his prey.

"M O O N J U M P E R!!!"

The smell of burning ashes and smoke filled the air as the red strings around the thrashing and snarling beast turned black and with an even louder screech the thing broke loose in an explosion of blue flames Moonjumper had to shield his eyes from. But when he opened them, they widened at the snarling charging claws and fangs covered in fire about to claw him. ...Before a loud smacking sound was heard and Snatcher slammed into an invisible wall blocking him off from the frozen Moonjumper. Enraged his prey wasn't in his claws the mindless beast kept clawing at the invisible shield attempting to seize it's prey within it's protective hold.

"SNATCHER!!" The snarling beast snapped it's head in the direction of the voice and coppery orange eyes glared up at him. "SNAP OUT OF IT!! POPPY NEEDS YOU RIGHT NOW AND YOU'RE ACTING LIKE A RABBID DOG!!" The beast screeched in the woman's direction where she stood ontop of one of the many white marbled blocks. She swiftly moved her arm in a cutting motion and something invisible punch Snatcher right across the face HARD. "GET A PECKING GRIP ON YOURSELF YOU IDIOT!!!"

Snatcher froze. Slowly the rage from his mind with the flames and smoke in it started to uncloud and he found his world twirling back into sights and sounds of a normal person. He found Moonjumper looking at him with anger now, a lot like his anger. But not DARING to make a move towards him. He found Hazelle standing on top of the block too, looking even more angrier than Moonjumper.

"MAYBE NOW YOU'LL LISTEN TO ME!!" She screamed at him at the top of her lungs before pointing back in the direction of Poppy. "YOUR KIDS ARE SCARED!! POPPY'S EXHAUSTED FROM THE AMOUNT OF POWERFUL MAGIC FROM BOTH OF YOU IDIOTS GOING THROUGH HER!! YOU NEED TO TAKE THEM HOME RIGHT NOW AND TAKE CARE OF THEM!!" Her glare suddenly snapped to Moonjumper. "AND YOU!? WHAT THE PECK WERE YOU EVEN THINKING?! HOW DARE YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!" At the questiosn towards Moonjumper Snatcher looked back to him and snarled, claws balling into tight fists. "SNATCHER. DONT. YOU. DARE!! ILL TAKE CARE OF HIM!! GO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY!! NOW!!"

Snatcher still glared at Moonjumper for a few seconds, the claws still sharp. But Poppy was more important than this fool. The shadow turned and shot away, leaving Hazelle to do the picking up after him. The mane of his neck still bunched up but most of it toned down til it was just bristled like when he was usually irritated. The claws retracting on their own. Shooting through walls and walls of white marble until he finally got to the four of them. They all jumped in surprise save for Poppy who was so tired she felt like she was going to pass out any moment. Timmy looked away in shame as the tall shadow approuched and for a moment Snacther regarded the young boy for the crimes comitted tonight.

".......Hazelle's going to have a talk with you."

That was it. No threats to him from the older ghost, just a warning on what his mum figure was going to do once she got done chewing out Moonboy. Without anything to say Timmy just nodded to the older ghosts before he came to the girls and an instant frown adorned his face. the two girls were clutched onto the barely awake woman looking at him scared and not sure what to do about the situation. ...This was all his fault. He silently gathered the trio up in his arms, both girls immediately clutching onto his fluffy neck like he was going to leave them somewhere and Poppy in his arms blinking up to the one holding her as he teleported. The dark purple surrounding her as they did. He only told her one thing too.

"Rest."

Which she gladly did closing her eyes and letting her body go limp.

[abloomntime]

A Bloom In Time Ch 32

(Warning: Nightmares. Also if you look through the The Tale Of Queen Vanessa storybook, on the fifth page when the Prince pays for the flowers as it shows Vanessa running away, it looks like he paid with a gold bracelet which is what the Florist is holding. So that's where the golden bracelet headcannon came from. Kudos to anyone who spots the Steaven Universe reference.)

Cold. Darkness. All of it came rushed over so suddenly. No- NO!! THIS COULDN'T BE HAPPENING!! SHE DIDN'T WANT THE NIGHTNARE TO RETURN AGAIN!! SHE DIDN'T WANT ANOTHER RUN IN WITH VANESSA AGAIN!! Well to give the poor lady credit it wasn't about Vanessa but a different red eyed ghosts that twitched and smiled like a maniac in a giant black filled void surrounded by red ropes dangling dangerously around himself. Laughing like a crazy man who just got turned loose and was given free reign to wreck havoc on the world as he saw fit. It was a living night mare as she relived the events that just took place the previous day before.

He just nodded smiling. ''Im glad to have been so helpful to you. ...But there IS one more important thing you must know about.~"

She looked back to him with a raised brow. "And what is that?"

"This." He held up one of his hands and snapped his fingers. The sound echoing out eerily and Poppy flinched at the sound. After a few seconds a bright red string dropped from out of nowhere and stopped right beside his head.

She stared at it for a moment. "...What is that thing?"

"It's how I make contracts. You see Snatcher isn't the only one who can make those, the only difference is that the person HAS to willingly agree to sign the paper or he can't do anything...While MINE can be forced upon." His smile widened more. "And frankly I don't think he deserves someone as special as you!!"

His wrist that he still had held up suddenly went down in a slashing motion and in an instant the thing sprung to life on his command. Poppy yelped as it went straight towards her and on instinct brought her arm up to shield her face, the red string wrapped around her arm like a snake and proceeded to tighten like one Poppy was pulled forward by it and she yelped before digging her heels into the ground and pulling back, her otherhand clasping over the string. Moonjumper smiled and simply motioned his finger forward as it painfully tightened around her more.

"WHAT THE PECK DO YA THINK YER DOING?!," She angrily snarled at his smile.

"DAD!! What are you doing?!," Timmy asked just as horrified as the other two children. Obviously he wasn't expecting this to happen.

"Don't worry. They all fight at first but soon you'll forget any pain and be eternally happy." Moonjumper said in a reassurring voice. "Won't that be better? You'll never be in danger again, and be here with me."

"YOU'RE MORE CRAZY THAN SNATCHER!!" She stumbled forward a foot at a sudden yank, The red string glowing a bright red and her blue eyes widened at it.

"Don't worry. I promise it doesn't hur-"

At that very moment a giant burst of energy throbbed hard within the very core of her body. Temparaily knocking the wind outta her. Poppy gasped and fell to her hands and knees at the sudden tight feeling within her. Her body emitting a small purple light in the dead center of her chest and she stayed there gasping and blinking at the sudden sensation leaving goosebumps across the pale flesh and her shaking like a leaf again. Coughing and gasping for air like a drowning sailor, the red string absolutely disintagrated from the purple magic that glowed in a heart shape right in the middle of her chest. Moonjumper froze, staring at the woman on her hands and knees in absolute shock like the time he first saw her. Poppy's red hair went around framing her face as she coughed and faced the floor....Before slowly looking up through her bangs with the angriest more visious snarl on a mortal woman one could have.

"You can-...NO!" Moonjumper snarled back. "NO!! This can not be it! Y-You-....YOU DONT POSESS ANY MAGIC STRONG ENOUGH TO COUNTER MINE!! I-I-...THAT SHOULD'VE WORKED!!"

"Is THAT what that was?," she hissed out.

"How did you do that?! How you you have possibly have- No! Your will against it just must be stronger than the normal mortal!" He held both hands out and Poppy's face went back to panicked when near ten strings came from the dark and towards her. Timmy yelled at Moonjumper to stop but he either didn't notice him or didn't listen when Poppy was painfully suspended into the air. Most of the strings too tightly wrapped around her arms but some wrapped around her legs too and one around her neck, she cursed and struggled like a mad women being sent to the looney bin. Fighting and fighting before that still glowing purple heart sent out another energy burst and in an instant all the strings were destroyed. Leaving her to fall on the ground and start coughing and breathing again for air like a dying man. Moonjumper once again stood there stunned too shocked for words. Eyes going to the purple throbbing of her body....and suddenly absolutely fear wracked his face and form. "......N-No.....N-NONONONO!!!" His hands suddenly went over his mouth and he floated a few feet away. "N-No.." His red eyes snapped to her face when she weakly pushed it up. "Y-You signed it didn't you? Y-YOU SIGNED THAT CONTRACT WITH SNATCHER!?"

You signed a contract with Snatcher??? .....Yes. Yes she did. Is that what made Moonjumper so scared? Why? Was he scared his plan would fail if she was already in servitude to another powerful spirit? None of it made any sense. Not that it needed to in the first place for Poppy to be scared and start thrashing around again fighting against the madness of the ghosts in her life. This was it! She had enough! No more ghosts! No more red eyes!! No more traps!! No more prisons!! She just wanted it. ALL. TO.

"STOP!! STOP ITSTOPITSTOPIT!! LET ME GO!! STOP!!.....SNATCHER!! SNATCHER PECKIN' HELP ME!!"

Something grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently. All she could see was red eyes and feel the tightening grip on her arms all red from strings from the darkness. Screeching that sounded like bloody murder echoed out through the child's bedroom and blue eyes opened in a sudden blurry black vision. Someone stared at her and more screams were hollered out at two glowing yellow orbs that scattered away from the source of the sounds as whoever was cutting his ears with piercing screams moved back away from him. Blanket uncovering their body and a pillow tossed in the direction of the ghost of nightmares coming back for her. .....Well it most certainly WAS a ghost. But NOT the one she just had a nightmare about. This ghost yelped when his face was suddenly wacked by a pillow and as it fell to the floor he shook his head and watched as the panicked woman stared up at him frazzled and breathing heavily. Heart pounding against her chest as she stared up at him and he stared down at her. Blinking her head whipped around her surroundings and saw nothing but cute harmless things you'd normally find in a child's bedroom. Toys. Animal themed wall paper. Book shelf of fairy tales. And that familiar giant pillow pile. It was.....Not the dark void of the Horizon Moonjumper was in. That gave her some peace of mind as her breathing began to slow and her eyes closed but she still asked.

"W-Where....Where am I?"

"The kid's bedroom." The raspy voice of Snatcher's came. That beautiful annoying voice she would GLADLY take over Vanessa's or (now) Phi-....Moonjumper's. Said ghost lowered until he was eye level with the startled woman and gently placed his hands on the bedside next to her. "You passed out and I thought this would be better than the attic floor. ...Hazelle said you were exhausted by the overflow of magic but you'd be alright."

So that was it. Well at least she was gonna be alright....But now-......Moonjumper's voice was still fresh in his mind, as well as Snatcher's and as well as both of their actions-

FIRST!! THERE WAS EVERYTHING ABOUT SNATCHER UP TO THIS POINT!!

When she first glimpsed him at the manor. The brown hair was...P-Philip's. It was like everyone's voices and actions were being replayed back through her head with every moment of foreshadowing, hints, and puzzle pieces finally being put back together-

"Hey! I know who can help! Snatcher can!! He's really, REALLY old too and he should what to do!! Come on! He had to deal with being frozen and Vanessa just like you!" Hattie had given her the first major clue to it all. He had to deal with being froze to death AND Vanessa because he was the one who took the brunt of Vanessa's rage. "Hey! I know what can help a little bit. Y-You like flowers right?" He had a flash of panic fly over his face for a moment before he coughed and shrugged. "You said you had a flower stand before Vanessa sent her goons to take you right? O-Obviously you must've liked growing things then. Or at least flowers." That....THAT PECKING PECKNECK KNEW ALL ALONG SHE LOVED FLOWERS!! HE PECKING KNEW!! "We're all that's left and you should accept that's how it is now before you get hurt. Believe me the sooner you do the sooner everything starts to get better for you." "Hey. I can understand that. Believe it or not you're not the only one who's gone through that kind of thing....I'm certainly no stranger to feeling like that. In fact it took me forever literally just to realize my place after I got lost," "Ok. To make it in mushier terms..I DO want to help you ok. Believe it or not I do and I have my reasons. But you gotta know I can't change the past no matter what. Trust me I have TRIED and look where that got me. Stuck fused with a mushy corpse and having to lead a whole bunch of strangers through the forest like a tour guide." he glanced at her confusion again. "Uh..B-But that's not important. The important thing is that I can't change or fix anything that's already happened alright? I can't send you back. I can't give you anything from your old life......And I can't change what happened to you." Her face dropped and eyes widened even more- "But, I can help make the future easier and help you with whatever you need to settle down with alright? But you got to understand that it's NOT just going to be with a snap of my fingers. I know, I've experienced it for hundreds of years. Just know that...You're not going to be alone in any of this alright?" "No. You were right the first time. She was always a monster, it just took her a while to show everyone what was really inside. So don't give her any credit. She was never a queen, just a spider wearing a pretty mask." "I-I...I know exactly how you feel." He scowled. "Yeah. I know EXACTLY how that feels. Vanessa took everything from me too when she froze everything!" He growled and his grip on her became a bit tighter if he was being a lil protective. "I pecking didn't see it coming until it froze me right before my very eyes! I died before my life even took off the ground and now I'm stuck like this....But you aren't." He ...attempted a smile. "Listen, Poppy. I'm not good at this speaking from the heart stuff, but Im pretty good at speaking from experience stuff. So trust me when I saw you still got your whole life plus more ahead of you. It's....probably going to take a while for you to process this properly and start to move on like I did." "Look. I ....can't change the past no matter how badly I want to. But I can change the future, and so can you. Think of all the things you can do now without anyone to hold you back!" He might've been speaking from what he perceived as a positive but she gave him a funny look. "Uh...By that I mean vanessa of course. She's not holding you prisoner anymore." "I stumbled across him a few times coming up here to visit. Hmph! He's very rude and always steals any dish I make with bacon when he's around me cooking. Quite the oddball out if ya'll ask me." P-Philip ....LOVED bacon. And Vanessa banned bacon from their kingdom around the time she died. "Of course I can! I made the kids all those clothes and my minions their highly durable bodies." ""YOU painted all of these?" she asked gawking at him His smile widened more smug if that was possible. "Yep. And those." He pointed to the left wall wear there was five giant paintings behind the space cow mobile. He then pointed behind her. "And the ones right behind you." Now that Poppy thought about it hard, she faintly recalled Philip learning embroidery from his mother and taking a liking to hobbies like painting and reading books. Both of which he did and you can CERTAINLY learn to sew along with embroidery. "How do you know that?," she asked genuinely confused. "UH....I- Um-....I-I-I was there when he was killed." He still eyed her for a moment before looking to the floor unable to look her in the eyes anymore. ".......Vanessa killed him. Just like she did to everyone else....a-a-and y-y-you...." "Just like you. She locked him away until everything froze over. Vane-.....That MONSTER!'', he spat hand slightly tightening as he scowled at the floor, "She was pecking crazy. Thought he was....cheating on her behind her back when he was nothing but patient with her. She didn't deserve anything." "Because she was nuts! Always have been and always WILL be! She would've snapped sooner or later with the way she was back then, always so paranoid and thinking I-.....I THINK he belonged to her." His other hand was quick to shoot out and grab her shoulders accidentally making her jolt at the sudden grab but it was enough to get her to look at him. "Now you listen to me and you listen good." A claw poked her chest as he pointed it at her crying face with a deep frown of his own. "I have dealt with too many years of pecking guilt over whether or not it was my fault or if I could've stopped it! And I'm sick of it all! You. Are. Not. At fault!! Do you hear me?! Vanessa was always going to snap and it was HER fault for being so batpecking crazy, she couldn't tell the difference between fantasy and reality! There was no reason in her! We should've expected nothing less of her for anything! But I'll be just as bad if I didn't it now, and I'm saying it's not your fault. Least of all people you. All you did was sell flowers. Big deal. It would've been the same if she saw m-....him buying a necklace from a jeweler or a ham from the butcher. BANG!!" She flinched at the loud yell he made at 'BANG'. Tears running down her face as he spoke. "Ice. Death. Lots of ghosts. You get the picture. The point is, it's ABSOLUTELY! NOBODY'S PECKING FAULT!! BUT VANESSA'S!! .......You and me didn't do anything wrong." "So-...I take it this..'prince' friend of yours was a nice person? Not that I knew him, but it seems you two were close. Not that it's any of my business." He had an anxious feeling saying all of this as a stranger but he couldn't help but feel the need to get all this anxiety off himself by asking. "It just sounds like you cared about him a whole lot." "Yeah.....Hey. This might sound out of no where but do you blame him, your friend, for what happened between him and Vanessa?" "How did you die?," she found herself blurting out before she could stop but she instantly regretted it. "WHAT?!" Snatcher whipped his face to her wide eyed. "S-Sorry." She held up her hands worriedly. "Is it rude to ask a dead person that? I d-didn't know honest. It's just that.....You're doin' an aweful lot for me and I don't know a lot about ya, since you already know alot 'bout me from my rambling. I figured ya would return the favor." "Sorry. NO can do, Red. That's private information." She scowled again. "OH come on! Purple onion. Your contract paper thingy said I could ask for anything I wanted in return for helping ya!" "Within REASON!," Snatcher stressed, "Asking a ghost about their past is like asking a poor person how much money they spent on their shoes!" "Same as you. I died during the Great Subcon Freeze." "Oh. Well you said you saw what happened when Philip....p-p-passed away, right? Does that mean you were employed by the Queen?'' "Sorta. I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." Which wasn't really a lie. He couldn't have ever been in a more wrong place or time. "Another innocent bystander to a crazy curse." "Oh right. Dumb question. Then who wer-" "Next question!," "Ok! Well ya technically did, but I mean what made ya decide to help me? I just don't get it.". "Because I recognized you from the village." "I-...Sometimes saw you selling flowers in the square, and-.....I guess I was simpathetic to someone else in a similar situation as I was."

That.....Night....The night she had her nightmare. THERE WAS SO MANY HINTS HITTING HER IN THE FACE AND SHE WAS STILL BLIND TO THEM ALL!!

"So....does that mean Philip is a g-ghost too?" "A ghost? Well that's not exactly easy to answer. Any ghost I know if they even became ghosts would be in the forest .....or another plain of existance. A-And like I said BARELY any of my minions remember who they were before they died."

He LIED!!....No. Not exactly lied. He did tell the truth but...BENT IT!! Without actually answering anything!! Or telling Poppy anything!! WHY?! What reason would he have to keep his identity hidden from her?! They were friends....Weren't they? ALL OF IT!! Everything he or anyone else had said lined up perfectly with what Moonjumper-....Or second Philip had told her.

"And you know I could always scare you out of any debt you got yourself into with those pecknecks down there." He offered genuinely. "I may not look like it, but I'm very good at legal technicalities. I did want to be a lawyer at once upon a time!" Philip studied laws to better his future kingdom one day. He always said he wanted to be a good king. And mentioned if he wasn't destined to be prince he would've liked to become a lawyer. And there was a bush cat in his home...Philip mentioned having a pet bush cat. A gift from his father. Moonjumper's echoing voice still rang around in her head with everything he said. "HA! That's rich coming from him! That halfling is lying right to your face!" "Why? Didn't dear Snatcher tell you?" He chuckled and gave a smile similar to Snatcher's smug one. "We're two halves of the same person.~ Split at death and now wondering through death two halves of the same person.~" "Oh! He didn't tell you did he?" He smiled and gestured to himself with a smile. "Well allow me to elaborate for you, my dear.~ Snatcher and I are both Prince Philip Snider Of the Kingdom of Subconette.~ When we died in the frozen celler we split personalities resulting in us becoming two very different ghosts. How I have no idea, but it's quite the sight isn't it?~"

"Are you sure about that?"

AND THEN-.....THEN THERE WAS MOONJUMPER!!!

"Poppy, it's ME!!," Moonjumper pleaded to the red head looking guilty and holding up his hands in a non threatening gesture. "PHILIP!!" He admitted it the second he saw her. "Y-Yes. Philip Snider. Y-You remember me right?" he leaned down more until he was eyes level still smiling despite her shuffling back a lil bit against the nightstand. "I bought flowers from you all the time for my Darling Vanessa. You remember don't you?" He lifted a hand towards her smiling steadily and as a friendly gesture. "D-Do you remember the last batch of flowers I bought from you?" "Daises.." They both answered at the same time and Poppy paused. Of course he knew...he was Philip. .....Poppy shook her head. "N-No. No! Y-Y-You can't be Philip. " She pointed at him-....It-....The thing! "Ya'll look nothin' like him! He wasn't some....twitchy mess of ...What are y-ya exactly?" He regarded Poppy for a long moment before sighing and reaching a hand up to rub at his head. Well...It was too late to back out now, and he'd come this far hasn't he. He turned fully to Poppy. "Well, yes. I admit I look nothing like I did when I was alive, but neither does my other half or any other ghost for that matter. Some of the one I've seen look very stranger....And you wouldn't be too far off on me not being the same Philip as you remember. I-...I-I actually go by Moonjumper now. " .....Was it normal for ghosts to look completely different from when they were alive?? She guessed so. Moonjumper huffed making Poppy flinch at the sound. "HA! That's rich coming from him! That halfling is lying right to your face!" .....Poppy blinked. "W-What?" Moonjumper smiled sweetly. "Why? Didn't dear Snatcher tell you?" He chuckled and gave a smile similar to Snatcher's smug one. "We're two halves of the same person.~ Split at death and now wondering through death two halves of the same person.~" Poppy's eyes widened big and in shock not processing the words he said right. "W-What?" "Oh! He didn't tell you did he?" He smiled and gestured to himself with a smile. "Well allow me to elaborate for you, my dear.~ Snatcher and I are both Prince Philip Snider Of the Kingdom of Subconette.~ When we died in the frozen celler we split personalities resulting in us becoming two very different ghosts. How I have no idea, but it's quite the sight isn't it?~"

Snatcher didn't tell her ANY of that information, but Moonjumper was all too willing to throw his half under the bus like that and exploit everything within a minute of meeting. Then there's what he said to her in the Horizon before he attacked her.

He looked her over for a moment before sighing and holding up his hands. "Alright. Allow me to tell you a story that will clear EVERYTHING up and help you catch up with recent events. Once upon a time a thousand years ago, there was two Kingdoms." He closed his hands behind his back again as he gave her a neutral look as he slowly started floating to her left. "The Kingdom of Subcon and the Kingdom of Subconette. The rulers of these kingdoms decided their children would get married and unite both these kingdoms in harmony. Their names were PRINCE Snider of Subconette and Princess Vanessa of Subcon. The princess was the most beautiful woman any where and the prince in my opinion was more better looking.~ But for some unknown reason the princess CRACKED!" He vanished behind her and Poppy had to turn her head the other way as he continued to slowly float in a circle around her. "She slowly descended into madness and became nothing but a controlling dictator that put me-..The prince through NOTHING but misery, and yet the prince still foolishly loved her and tried his best to make her happy! His only saving grace was when he had to leave for his studies and when he met YOU!!" Poppy blinked as he now smiled. "Poppy Rose Bloomington. A small time country girl who grew up on a farm and moved to town to sell her pretty flowers.~ Catching the eye of a prince with your understanding and very kind nature. Basically being everything to him that Vanessa wasn't or ever will be. But THEN." His smile turned back into a snarl. Like the kind of snarl Snatcher gave the Mafia Boss but she wasn't sure where his anger lied with now as he stopped in front of her. "Vanessa turned on me! Over nothing but a few measly flowers all for her!! After everything I sacrificed for her! All those years of pandering to every single one of her demands no matter how ridiculous and impossible they were! I gave her the best dam bloody years of my life and she repaid me for my loyalty and love to her by chaining myself in the dark abyss of the cellar and ending myself up trapped here for over a thousand years! Watching while others got to frollic free and Snatcher get to rein over our kingdoms!!" They. Were. Stunned. Not just her but the kids too. Even Timmy who lived her with Moonjumper seemed in shock from the sudden tantrum. But as soon as it came it left when he exhaled and leaned back holding up his hands. "F-Forgive me. My death...i-is a sensative topic. I just find it so unbareable when the old memories from how unfair it was was brought up....But that's the story mostly. I don't know how or why we ended up splitting on death but each of us are half of what made up our personality and thinking process." He held a hand to his chest. "I am, if I do say so myself, the much better half. The part with the actual manners and dignity and the proper way to actually behave. Meanwhile Snatcher is full of anger and resentment, stubborn an an Express Owl, gloomier than a graveyard, AND he lacks any empathy or positive qualities other than his own motives!!......I hope that answers your questions, my dear."

......Her fists balled up some of the rocketship printed blanket in her hands from it all overwhelming her brain and her body tensed. Catching Snatcher's attention. ....Philip..Her Philip...Her Prince..Her..Her best friend..Had not become not one but two terrible people. One who was willing to give her nothing but the truth but had her lured to a place away from his other half who he KNEW wouldn't let him do it and attacked her for some reason lost to her. And the other....While much more nicer and docile where she and others she'd seen were concerned, had deliberately LIED to her face and made her sign a contract of servitude. What other things was he willing to lie to her face about and for how long...SHE WASNT A TOY TO BE PASSED AROUND!!!

Snatcher sensed her distress and saw the trembling she did and feared for a moment she was going to cry. "Poppy? What's wrong?"

".....Why did you lie to me, Philip?"

Snatcher. FROZE. Any thoughts in his head haulting and fizzling into thin air as that one word left her mouth. Anything he was about to say dying on his tongue as those yellow glowing eyes continued to stare dead at the woman who went to absolute burningly staring back at him with that absolute seething expression. It was over. Done. He was absolutely finished. The end of the line for him after only a week. This was how he was going down in flames. THIS was TRUELY how things were unraveled.

"That was your name. Prince Philip Snider from the south Kingdom of Subconia, and was engaged to Queen Vanessa." Her blue eyes bore into his absolutely SCARED yellow ones. She sat straight up and looked at him like a woman. Oh hoho! He was NOT going to get away with this. She was more than glad to throw. EVERY. SINGLE. THING. She knew back at him. "Ya'll loved to paint and read! Yer favorite food was bacon! Ya'll studied law ta make yerself a better KING and wanted to be a lawyer secretly. And your mum taught ya how ta sew! That lil bushcat in your comfy home down there was ALWAYS yours! I KNOW VANESSA MANIPULATED AND ABUSED YOU IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND THEN SHE THOUGHT YALL WAS CHEATIN' ON HER WISH ME AND THEN THREW YA'LL IN THE CELLER WHERE YA'LL FROZE LIKE A SNOWBALL LIKE ME AND THEN SOMEHOW YOU BECAME SNATCHER AND MOONJUMPER!! AND I WAS LOCKED AWAY TOO UNTIL THIS WHOLE MAGICAL MESS HAPPENED!!" Something suddenly grabbed his arm closest to her and yanked him down until he was directly in from of her snarling form and he gasped....GASPED. In fear of her as the mortal woman grabbed a hold of the fluff around his neck. "AND YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND!! I TRUSTED YALL AND YA LIED TA ME AND YOUR LIL HALF TRIED TO HOGTIE ME LIKE MY PAPA'S CATTLE!! SO YA BETTER PIPE UP ON WHY YA LIED TO ME!! AND DONT DENY IT!! MOONJUMPER! TOLD!! ME!! EVERYTHING, PHILIP!!!"

Absolute. Silence. Seriously. You could hear a piece of dust from the ceiling float in the air it was that quiet. Poppy was seeing red throughout her entire rant. Panting and gripping his soft floof in her hands like he would get away if she didn't. But as she breathed and the red slowly went away, she blinked and actually got to look at his face once ..most of the anger and built of rage left her veins. He. Looked. Scared. Like a mouse backed into a corner by a cat knowing they were about to be eaten. And her hands shook with remaining rage-...Or so she thought at first. Upon further inspection she realized it was actually SNATCHER who was shaking up her hold, her hands were just trembling from her holding the shaking ghost. Could...Could ghosts actually get scared? Or was he about to cry? A brief wave of guilt came and left her before she shook her head and looked back at him with a scowl...and slowly released him. Despite her not deathgripping him anymore Snatcher dared not make a move. Only stared at the scowl on her face as she still silently stared back at him. His mind a complete blank. His insides feeling like they were doing backflips. He felt like he was about to toss ectoplasm. ...Could a ghost even vomit? He jumped hard at Poppy's next words.

"Ah'm waitin' for an answer, Philip." Her eyes narrowed more.

He made heavy breathing noises(ironic because he didn't have lungs or needed to even breath) and stared at her. What should he do?! Answer her?! She looked like she wanted an answer but nothing came out of his mouth except a small weird sound she rose a brow at. But soon he managed to force something ...ANYTHING out of his mouth to satisfy her.

"Why?"

Smart choice right? Real brain power there.

"WHY?! YOU tell ME!!" She crossed her arms and while her voice wasn't as harsh as her rant she was still stern. "You LIED to me and I wanna know why ya did so. So cough it up if ya gotta but I better hear an answer outta ya, Philip....Or would you prefer me ta call ya Snatcher still?"

"Snatcher s-s-sounds good." He squeaked out....before he blinked. "Hey! W-W-Wait a minute!" Oh peck. Was HE of all people really stuttering in front of her right now? Nice. "I-...I-I never lied to you!," he pushed still kinda feeling dizzy sick.

"Oh REALLY!? What about that time in the attic?," Poppy insisted thinking back to that moment where he had comforted her during her first mega nightmare. "Ya said ya'll was there when 'Philip' died!"

"W-Well Im pretty sure I was there experiencing my own death! I didn't lie about that!" He crossed his arms but didn't look mad....Ashamed and guilt all over his slumped over form.

"What about when you told me ya died in the frost!? Or that ya'll worked for her?! 'Wrong place at the wrong time' thing!!," she pushed voice raising a bit.

"THAT WAS SO LIE!! She made me work as her slave! I was definately at the wrong place for all my living life and I DID die from her deciding to play mother nature! I froze to death chained to a pecking wall!! Worried about how badly I messed up and beat myself over how pecking badly I messed up!!" His face frowned in a mixture of anger. Guilt. Shame. Fear. Anxiety. The ghost's arms shook as he just stared down this woman. Yellow eyes wide and many many memories suddenly slapping him in the face as those yellow eyes saw the seen play before him as a downward spiral for him in panic and fear. A seen in a dungeon, a sobbing prince hanging from shackles as the cold crept in, one last promise escaping his lips to a Princess of Flowers. Sharp as a thorn. Hair red as roses. Blue eyes like hydrangeas. Skin as soft as petals. And always surrounded by a scent better than any lily. A final promise and good bye he made long ago with his final dying breath- 'I-Im s-so sorry, Poppy. I-...love-...you ..w-with all my heart and soul....may my soul...never....forget...that..' ......Snatcher instantly trembled and shook those thoughts from his head before back to her and pointing at himself. "I N-NEVER LIED!! "

"Then WHY didn't you tell me YOU were Philip when I asked where he was?!"

"DO YOU THINK I WANTED YOU TO SEE ME LIKE THIS?!" It was Poppy's turn to blink and lean back when Snatcher's face contorted into what she could only describe as pained rage after all this time coming out. Giving her a desperate look as he rose up to kinda tower over her and hold up his hands for questioning. "WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY WHEN I FIRST MET YOU!? WHAT COULD I SAY TO YOU THAT WOULDN'T MAKE YOU SEE ME DIFFERENTLY?! I-....I-I'm not...." His hands balled into fists and his eyes closed as he snarled at nothing but himself. A chorus of 'Your fault! Your fault! Your fault!' rang into him and this time...he gave in. There wasn't any more tiptoeing. This whole situation with her from past to present has always been his fault and now he had to face it in death too. "I'M NOT PHILIP!! IM THE SNATCHER!! THE MOST POWERFUL GHOSTS ON THIS PITIFUL PLANET AND I DON'T TOLERATE FOOLS TRESSPASSING IN MY FOREST BUT TO SERVE ME!! WHAT I WAS A THOUSAND YEARS AGO D-D-DIED OFF WITH ME!! ILL NEVER BE THAT SAME PATHETIC PERSON AGAIN!!"

".....Then my friend completely died when Philip did." He absolutely stopped when he opened his eyes and stared down at her as she just...blankly stared up at him. Blank as paper. She regarded him for a moment before looking down to the shiny gold sparkling on her wrist. To Snatcher's absolute horror, she slowly took it off. Looking at her reflection in the sparkly gold color and the scared darker reflection of the ghost behind her. What remained of Philip was literally and figuratively dead. And so was any good about him too she guessed. She hand trembled and before either knew it the bracelet was launched right past his head in a gold streak like a shooting star until it hit the wall behind him and fell to the floor with a thud. Snatcher snapped his head towards it as it sparkled on the ground.....before ever so slowly turning his head back towards the lady. And jumped when he found tears sparkling like diamonds running down her cheeks. "W-W-Well then whoever you are...GET. OUT!! JUST GET OUT!!" She screamed and pointed to the door. "IF YOU'RE NOT MY FRIEND THEN I NO LONGER WANT YA'LL AROUND MAHSELF OR ANYWHERE NEAR ME!! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD IF YOU THINK I'LL ACCEPT ANY OF THIS!!"

Snatcher bristled and once again went back to holding his hands out pleading pathetically like a beggar. "N-NO!! T-THAT'S N-NOT WHAT I MEANT I PROMISE YOU, POPPY!!" "I DONT GIVE A FLYING PECK!! JUST GET OUT!!"

"I-...You-....." He trembled for a while his eyes starting to vibrate slightly as something within him happened. Sad and fearful auras all around suffocating him to his last shread of sanity as he blurted out the last possible thing he thought he was capable of saying at this moment. "N-NO!!"

Poppy looked at him and he paused momentarily surprised that came out of his mouth. "NO!? ARE YA D-DEAF?! I CAN SEE YA GOT NO EARS!! GET!! OUT OF HERE!!"

"I SAID NO!!" His eyes slammed shut as he balled his hands back into fists and forced himself to let out whatever it was that was flowing out from his mouth. "N-NO!! IT'S MY FAULT ALL THIS HAPPENED!! YOU WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF MY STUPID PECKING SELF!! BECAUSE I COULDNT SEE THAT I WAS PUTTING A MONSTER BEFORE MYSELF!!" A choke escaped him and he felt something in his body tighten like a screw. "I COULDN'T STOP IT!! I COULDN'T PROTECT ANYONE!! I-I-I C-C-COULDN'T PROTECT YOU!! THE ONE PERSON WHO I TRUSTED MORE T-T-THAN ANYONE IN THE WORLD AND I GOT YOU KILLED!! *hic*" He took a long raspy gasp for breath like he needed air in his none existing body and he didn't notice that his hands came up to grip his forearms or that his form leaned over until his head almost touched the bed. Was he having a break down? Could a ghost have a break down? "YOU GOT HURT B-BECAUSE OF ME!! AND I THOUGHT THIS TIME WOULD BE DIFFERENT!! I WANTED IT TO B-B-BE DIFFERENT BELEIVE ME I DID!! T-THAT'S WHY I-...I....I lied...but only one time. *hic* I promise it was for your own good."

"For mah-..." She blinked scowling again. Honestly she had been in a small pause of shock at the over confident ghosts breaking down in front of her but all of that was dashed at the one line in the chorus of the shocking confessions. "Then do tell WHEN did you tell me this 'one' time for 'mah own good'?!"

he choked again dipping into himself more. "....T-T-The contract! I-..." He made another gasping sound. "I n-never took your soul out...I-I-I promise you that's something I would n-never d-do t-t-t-to you.''

The contract!? He had...HE LIED TO HER ABOUT THAT CONTRACT!! "YA LIED AND TRICKED ME INTO SIGNING A CONTRACT WITH YOU?! WHY THE PECK WOULD YOU THINK THAT WAS OK TA DO?!"

"It's not a slave contract!! B-Believe me it's n-not!" He opened his eyes half way seeing nothing but yellow and feeling something strange boiling in his eyes but his mind wasn't there to question it. "T-Think of *hic* it as a s-symbiotic relationship l-l-like b-b-bees and flowers if you have to! Y-Y-You're n-n-not trapped to me a-a-and I can't force you t-to do anything you don't want, but I would still make sure you were getting the t-t-things you need."

She just stared at him too exhausted to be mad and screaming anymore...shaking her head. "Ya STILL haven't told me WHY ya did it!? Why would you do something like this, Philip? Expecially when you knew I didn't blame ya?"

"BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WOULDNT BLAME ME!!" The strange feeling in his eyes became too much and he snapped then shut again as his hands dug into his shaking body. "I THOUGHT YOU WOULD H-H-...*HIC* HATE ME F-FOR WHAT I HAD CAUSED!! PLEASE!!.....JUST PLEASE UNDERSTAND!! I WAS ONLY TRYING TO PROTECT YOU BECAUSE I D-DIDNT WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!! I COULDN'T RISK IT!! I JUST WANTED TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT I-I-I'VE LET HAPPENED TO YOU!!" Poppy's frown lightened when another horrible choke noise came from him and she had FINALLY come to the shocking realization that Snatcher....Was CRYING?! Brightly colored yellow tears were rolling down his face landing into his fluff or staining the bed sheets his head was now touching. Claws now clutching his head as he sobbed. Not cry. Not tear up. SOBBED into the bed sheets and wailed like a wounded animal. The noises sounding broken and shattered. "PLEASE!! D-D-DONT-...*hic* DONT HATE ME!! MORE THAN ANYTHING I N-NEVER WANTED YOU TO HATE ME!! I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP!! I KNOW I PECKED UP!!! B-B-BUT PLEASE!! DONT HATE ME!!"

".....Then answer mah question. Why didn't you tell me?," she insisted though her throat tightened real bad at her words.

"B-BECAUSE I WAS SCARED!! ALRIGHT!! A-A-A-ARE- *HIC* IS EVERYONE HAPPY NOW?! I DIDNT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO?! I COULDNT T-TELL YOU AFTER THINGS WERE GOING FINE!! I-IF YOU JUST LIKED ME HOW I AM NOW I DIDNT WANT TO RUIN IT!! I DIDN'T-...." Another small series of chokes and sobs wracked his trembling form as he shook his head no against the sheets. "I didn't want to add to your p-p-p-pain...*hic* to see...what I had become after all this t-t-t-tim-m-m-me. *hic*....I-Im sorry...please..d-don't hate me."

He froze. Something touched the top of his head....He slowly took his gaze away from the blankets and up into the crying face of Poppy's. Tears slowly falling down her cheeks making it look like her ocean eyes was leaking diamond tears that mixed with her red freckles that resembled so much like flower petals. She looked so beautiful. The two stared at each other for a long time as the silence still lingered as well as the tears, the soft hand on his head slowly giving him reassuring pats as she stared at him.

"...I don't hate you."

.....He blinked. "Y-You don't?"

"No...And ah ain't angry. Just.....disappointed."

Disappointed?? Well that's better than being hated wasn't it?.....Well in the long run YES!! YES IT WAS!! ABSOLUTELY PECKING BETTER THAN BEING HATED!! Which brought him some relief, but she was still obviously disappointed him him in some way or form.

"L-Let's get that straight." She sniffed and wiped her tears with her other arm. "I don't hate you, b-but that don't mean Im still not ticked at ya. Especially 'bout tricking me into signing that darn contract."

He hummed and gave a shaking exhale. Yellow eyes comming to rest on her exposed arms. There was light marks where Moonjumper's red strings had gripped her body still and he felt some of the anger from before come back to him, and Poppy jumped when his own gentle hand gently ran across the light marks frowning at them. "....Are you...alright?"

She blinked and sighed. "Y-Yeah. I'll be fine...I just don't get why he done went ahead and did that."

He was pretty sure the THAT she was referring to was Moonboy doing this. And slowly his hand gently wrapped around hers as he shrugged. "With that guy who knows? He's always envied those who weren't stuck in the prison he was in and took what he wanted. He....probably would've tried to take you either way because of the memories we both have of when we were alive when he first found out. Peck. He would've probably tried it sooner if he had found out about you before he did...And I have a pretty good idea about how he did find out too." His eyes narrowed thinking back to Timmy as he soothed a hand over some of the marks. They'll soon fade away with time. No need to worry about them. "Thank peck that fool's blasted strings didn't stick to you."

Poppy froze as a memory suddenly flashed across her face. "That reminds me. How did ya'll find me all the way in that spook's realm?...And how did I not get pecking trapped like a carp in my papa's fishin' net?"

"To answer both questions simple. Your contract." She looked confused for a moment so he sighed. "Maybe I should explain. In case you forgot about the fine print in your contract, I'll repeat two qoutes in the contract that are most important here. Ahem." Expertly he recalled exactly what his contract said word for word. "  'By signing this the signer shall be paid for their service and loyalty with immortality, protection from the Snatcher and those under him, a home, and anything the signer requests within reason. Binding by contract means your soul shall remain bound to the contract which cannot be broken by any means except by will of the employer, a.k.a the Snatcher. By agreeing you shall also be safe from other supernatural entities and their influences whatever they may be, including influences from the employer and other minions."'

She looked slightly amazed. "Ya'll remember all that?"

"I never forget a contract." He smiled at her. "And in case you're wondering what I just said meant, in simple terms it means I can't force my magic or will on you to make you do anything you wanted unless you agreed fully. It also meant it no other ghosts could harm you." he growled with a frown. "Like Vanessa."

"Or Moonjumper." Oh. So that must've been what she had felt back there when the peckneck tried to do whatever magic he was trying to force on her. But still- "How did ya'll find me then?"

"The magic binding your soul with my essence sends out a message whenever you're endangered or needs help badly. Ive already done it once back when you had that nightmare."

OH!....Right. The 'nightmare' who happened to be Moonjumper visiting her for the first time. Guilt over took her for lying to the ghost, but he did lie to her first didn't he? Still tho. It was kinda fair since he done confessed to everything. So she cleared his throat making him look up to her. "I uh-...G-Gotta confession ta make mahself." He rose a brow at her confused and she sighed. "Ah uh.....Ah met Moonjumper and may have lied 'bout havin' that nightmare."

Snatcher Stared at her. ".......WHAT?!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know how'd ya react and at the time I was too shocked I guess."

"Why didn't you tell me!?" he frowned. "I probably would've stopped him from trying that stunt of his!''

"You knew he would do somethin' like that? Why didn't ya tell me 'bout him?!"

"I didn't know he'd lure you all the way out there in a different dimention! But I know him enough to know he would've tried something if he knew about you. Which is why I DIDN'T risk telling you because I was right!"

"You couldn't have warned me!"

"Because I knew you'd go try and find him! And look what that did!"

"BECAUSE YOU NEVER TOLD ME ANYTHING!!" "I KNOW!!!" Snatcher held up his hands. "I. Know. .....But so did Moonboy, and unlike him, I didn't do anything as remotely as bad as THIS!" He pointed a claw to the almost faded marks on her arms. "And I technically never lied to you except that ONE time. And thanks to that anything he planned was defeated before he even thought of it!"

"...." She crossed her arms. "Snatcher, tell me this. Would he have really tried to do somethin' like this if he find out eariler?"

Snatcher still didn't stop frowning and sighed. "....Most likely yes. Moonboy's always had a nack for this kidnapping scheme for everyone he first meets. Hazelle and the kids being some of his past victims of his events. ....And a few of my minions."

Poppy looked at him for a long moment before looking down again. So....She would've most likely gone through that either way. And he did it to the girls and Hazelle too?? Then that means the only reason she wasn't taken was because Snatcher tricked her into signing that contract which ended up saving her life in the end.

"So..where do we go with this now?" She looked at him. "What do we do now that all of this is out in the open?"

Snatcher just stared at her. He....He never really even thought of that. Now that it was all out, and she wasn't mad (thank peck) and everything was.....now this. What now? Where DID they go from here? Well he did tell her everything-...Except one thing. But no. It'd be wrong of him to even claim he loved her more than his friend now. It....It was still better to be a friend and not a forced love interest. So to her question he shrugged, even if he did tell her it wouldn't make a difference and probably only make things more awkward between the two.

"I...I'm not sure."

A small silence passed.

"I think....we need some time from each other." He looked up surprised as she stared at him. "Ah don't mean that in a mean way. I just...think we both need some space to think 'bout this and to figure out where I wanna go from here. I'll still take care of them while I'm here. Ya don't have ta worry 'bout me repayin' ya for everythin'. Cuz I will. But I really do think it's fer the best right now to clear mah head."

He still stared at her not knowing what to do. But what else could be do but agree? And that's exactly what he did. He agreed. And left a little while after making sure the girls would be ok. Thankfully they weren't scared of what happened with Moonjumper as much as they were worried about Poppy's condition and were like none of that ever happened as soon as they learnt she would be ok. She found the two sitting in front of the TV watching a penguin cartoon when she gained the courage to come out, and was tackled by the two children in a hug relieved to see her again. She was glad to see they were alright too but that was the least of her problems...In fact she didn't have any problems at all anymore. From that day things were...weird. But a normal weird. It was like she went back into her ritual of one of the girls waking her up, shoving something in her mouth quickly for breakfast, getting freshed up, and go back to work off the debt she owed the birds. It wasn't too bad. She wasn't worried or distracted by anything anymore. The more she thought about it, the more Poppy realized that it was probably best if she just focused on repaying back the two debts she was owed. Mr. Grooves for the camera thing, and Snatcher for (even tho causing a whole lotta trouble) did help her out as promised. How she would pay back snatcher in full for what he did concerning Moonjumper yet she wasn't sure, but she should focus on one thing at a time for now. She saw Hazelle when she first went back too. Not Timmy tho. At least not at first. The two didn't interact as much beyond their interactions in the play and it's not like Poppy wanted to at first either. For now she just wanted to focus on her play parts and over the days coming to pass by, since nothing else was distracting her or really bothering her anymore, she was able to focus on her parts and movements, and reread the script and Starella storybook for practice when she wasn't cooking something for the girls or spending sometime with them. Sometimes they'd go around the Express Owl Town surround the studious or Moon City with all the Moon Penguins running around and the flashy stores she's have to lean down to walk in too. It was a nice change of pace even if it's just a few places.  Or sometimes very often after her work for the studios, they would go to Cookie's resturaunt to have dinner. Which was free since Cookie was asscociated with the Studios and so the resturaunt provided all the staff and actors free food for their lunches, which worked out well for her. She was having fun trying all the new foods. As days past, she sometimes thought of how Snatcher was doing or what the others were up to now. She was very tempted to ask Hazelle quite a few times but decided against it all the time. But soon all of that was dashed away by one simple day back on the ship. One of the rare days off Mr. grooves gave everyone due to the tight scheduale they were all on to finish by the deadline for the Award Ceremony. It was just as average day rereading through the script while the girls watched Tv. Hattie happened to look up at Poppy who had her bangs angled just the right way to cast a shadow over her blue eyes and Hattie's eyes suddenly went wide.

"YOU'RE HER!!" She jumped and pointed at Poppy all of all sudden startling the other two girls as they also jumped and looked at her. "THE LADY FROM THE STORY BOOK!!"

....Poppy blinked. "Yeah? I know I'm playing your favorite fairytale charactor. I have ta for Mr. Grooves."

Hattie shook her head. "Not that book! Hang on! I'll show you!" Before any of them could say anything else Hattie was already dashing away from them and ran through the door that lead to her bedroom. .....Poppy and Bow exchanged glances and Bow shrugged. A second later Hattie returned and had something in her hand which she shoved into Poppy's face, causing the older woman to blink and drop her own book in the process. "HERE!! LOOK IN THIS BOOK!!"

"What in tarnation has gotten inta ya?" She blinked again and looked towards the book Hattie was holding in front of her face. She reached up to grab it and hold it away from her face to see the cover more clearly. The hard cover of the thin book was all black and on the front was a red heart with a slash through it. A white swirl mark was beneath the slashed heart and above the heart was what she guessed was the title of the book in white letter. "The Tale Of Queen-...." Her blue eyes widened as she stared at the name. Then to Hattie. "Vanessa....What is this?"

"It's Snatcher's story. You're in it." She pointed to the book. "I got it from a time rift I fixed."

Snatcher's.....story? Poppy's eyes went wide and looked back down to the book in her hands. It didn't look like a thick book, just as thin as a regular child's book. But the cover....Poppy's hand shook as she held it up and slowly grabbed the cover....before opening it. And her eyes widened. Despite the dark, ominous cover the first page of the book showed a very happy sight that made her jaw drop. IT. WAS. THEM!! Moonjumper-..I mean Snatcher-...Both?? PHILIP!! Was there on the first page holding hands with who clearly used to be Vanessa!! She would recognize Philip anywhere. In cartoon book form both looking so in love with their eyes covered by shadows, the background a cute pink with hearts showing how in love they ar-...They were once upon a time. Poppy just...Stared at it. What was this? She looked back to Hattie with wide confusion. She didn't say anything so she just slowly looked back down to the book and shakily turned the next page. The next page was obviously the Queen walking through her village surrounded by some of the townsfolk's children who wore their silly disguises to play games. They all looked so happy. The next page after that made her stomach DROP. It.....It was HER!! She was standing right there. And Philip right in front of her, they looked to be holding hands and they were surrounded by her flower stand in the corner of the town square. It..It even had a close up picture of the two holding hands. And there was Vanessa, looking to be wearing a shocked face. No! Blue eyes widened at the events unfolding before her in this nightmare of a picture book. NO!! THIS COULDNT BE WHAT SHE THOUGHT IT WAS!! The book trembled in her hold as she stared at it, her heart and breath picking up pace. This couldn't be- She quickly flipped to the next page. Vanessa again. She was crying with a black background behind her and a picture of a broken heart in the middle of her chest. NO!! NONONONO!!! THIS ISNT IT!! She flipped a page again-.....HER. STOMACH. DROPPED!! It was the three of them again. A very familiar scene played in front of her in one picture. Her flower stand again with her standing there smile on her face and a gold bracelet in her hand, Philip looking up in the direction of Vanessa who's form was running down an alley way. The memories came flooding back to her.

He jumped almost dropping the flowers he was just handed. "Vanessa!?" The florist looked to where he was looking but didn't see the woman that dashed into the alleyway as he stared in confusion. "Vanessa?.....Why did she run away so suddenly?"

...The florist shrugged lightly with a smile. "Maybe she was embarrassed she walked in on you getting her flowers?", she suggested.

....He gave a smile. "OH! Of course! She's considerate l-like that." He gave an almost nervous smile and turned back to her before bowing. "T-Thank you for your help once again...Ms. Poppy."

She waved her hand. "Oh, don't mention it! It's always to see just a nice man be so considerate and give the gal he loves so many flowers."

This.....T-This was that fateful day. The day which they were all frozen. And she wasn't even done with the storybook. Which meant there was more. She didn't even realize she turned another page until she was met with another horrible sight. It was Philip and Vanessa again. Playing another part in the story she didn't witness but heard about a few times from both Philips. The fated meeting of Vanessa before he was locked away. It showed Philip and Vanessa in what looked to be the Queen's Summer home away from her castle, a painting of the couple behind them slashed apart. With Philip holding the rainbow daisies he bought from her and Vanessa looking enraged surrounded by a dark aura and still crying. New page and new heart rate and new horrror. Vanessa was mid twisted into some form of shadow amalgamation and it...IT WAS THEM!! The guards that had marched into the town square and kidnapped her away when she was closing her stand all those years ago. Before she was locked in that room! They had a hold of Philip who was desperately reaching out to her flowers falling to join some kind of ice on the floor. Poppy just stared wide eyed silent as the page breathing heavy enough to be heard by the children who were watching her intently ignoring the cartoons on TV in favor of just seeing her expressions. Another page turn by a very shaky hand- She gasped and a hand shot up to cover her mouth. It was Snatcher!! IT WAS SNATCHER!! IT!! WAS!!! SNATCHER!!! There in the dark chained to a wall and crown discarded on the floor of some dark cell!! Her mind completely went blank!! It was true. He was killed by her greed and jealousy!! But that's not what made her throw a hand to her mouth. It was the tears running down from the yellow golden eyes like the ones she had seen so many days ago when he distressed everything to her. How so scared and sad he looked-

THUMP!!

Both girls jumped when Poppy jumped up and away from the book with a bigger gasp at the last page and made both girls jump too at her frightened reaction to the very last picture in the book.  A picture. Of Vanessa. The monster. The murderor. The twisted form of hate, jealousy, greed and pain she really was. The monster that caused so many deaths and so much pain. The book fell open wide on that page with the monster staring up at them all and Poppy still stared at it all. Suddenly feeling like she would cry from the heavy emotions filling her.

"W-What is this?," she demanded when Hattie picked the book up and closed it. But she already knew the answer so it was a stupid question.

"Snatcher's story made from the time rift. Time rifts made them when they fell down in a place with a lot of magic or memories, and then it makes a book with the strongest memories." She rose a brow. "I don't know why."

"Why did you show me this?"

She looked right at her. "Because you're the Flower Princess! It took me a real long time to figure out Snatcher was talking about you! Why didn't I use my Detective Hat!?"

"H-Hold on now there!" Poppy looked even more confused. "You said Imma what?!"

She frowned looking frustrated, " The Flower Princess!! From Snatcher's story he told me!"

".....And what 'story' did that purple onion tell ya?"

Hattie paued for a minute. Her face scrunched up in thought thinking back all that time ago before Poppy was even brought back to life with the time piece. "....Once upon a time." Hattie sat down as she tried to think back to what she was told. "There was a beautiful flower Princess named Poppy." Hattie looked at Poppy's slacked jawed, wide eyed look as Bow listened curiously. " An evil witch named Veronica. And a stupid, stupid King. WAY, WAY back before your great granny was even born there was these three." Hattie went back to that thoughtful face. "The Flower Princess was very beautiful. Her hair was a rose red and her skin was as soft as their petals. She had the most wonderful patience listening to her friend The Stupid King, and his p-problems. But..she didn't know the king was in love with her. You see. He was too cowardly to tell her or anyone else because he was betrothed to the Evil witch Veronica."

Snatcher....told her about them through his own interpritation of the story?? Twisting it into some kind of fairytale for her?? NO!! No it couldn't be....But Veronica?? Really?? Obviously that reminded her of Vanessa and Poppy the flower princess?? No. That HAD!! To be her. Snatcher even used her OWN PECKING NAME for this!! Which meant the stupid king was-...And he was engaged to marry-... but he was secretly in love with-...Moonjumper's voice suddenly rang out to her.

"She slowly descended into madness and became nothing but a controlling dictator that put me-..The prince through NOTHING but misery, and yet the prince still foolishly loved her and tried his best to make her happy! His only saving grace was when he had to leave for his studies and when he met YOU!! Poppy Rose Bloomington. A small time country girl who grew up on a farm and moved to town to sell her pretty flowers.~ Catching the eye of a prince with your understanding and very kind nature. Basically being everything to him that Vanessa wasn't or ever will be."

Did-....Was he suggesting that Snatcher- Or Philip-..or him...They-...IN SOME WAY OR FORM liked her liked her?? Like romantically!? Her face suddenly became hot at even the mention of some man liking her. S-She wasn't that likable!! Back in her day no man wanted a woman who was stronger than them, worked in the mud, got dirty and sweaty working, and had a job of her own that wasn't something 'acceptable' for a lady like a teacher, a maid, nurse, lady in waiting, cook, or-....or SOMETHING femenine across those lines. Which was why her papa was so adament she became a milk maid like her mother! So in his words 'would have a better chance of settling down and givin' me grandchildren. Cuz no man in his right mind would want a woman who snapped back and raised her voice at him.'  But...The way the Flower Princess Poppy was described as red hair like a rose and skin as soft as flower petals?!?! Her face became even more red just thinking about it.. Well, Snatcher couldn't be considered a man in his own right mind could he? First cuz he wasn't a man but a ghost. Secondly he was dead so technically had no brain or mind that was right or wrong. And thirdly when was a ghost in a haunted forest with an adopted alien daughter 'right minded'?!?!

Hattie continued not noticing her inner turmoil over there while she tried to remember everything Snatcher said. "But....She was in love with a fairytale. She loved the Stupid King for being like a King from a story. She never loved him for who he really was as long as her fairytale wasn't tampered with." Poppy flinched for a moment before slowly looking back to Hattie. The young girl probably wasn't realizing the gravity of the words she repeated as she just focused on telling it to her. " She was clingy, selfish, nothing was never good enough unless it was expensive, and she demanded all his attention all the time. Until one fateful day the witch saw the King And Flower Princess holding hands. AS JUST FRIENDS." She clarified just as Snatcher did mimicing how he stressed that part. "Nothing romantic. Just two friends holding hands for a little bit. And she got really, really jealous. In fact she got so jealous she blamed him for breaking her heart and locked him away forever. And then she cursed the Stupid King's and Princess's kingdoms. All the plants died, all the animals ran away, and everyone moved on from there. But karma struck her good and The Stupid King managed to escape and get free, but the Witch's spell backfired. She cursed herself too and was trapped forever in her home, the black magic keeping her inside the cave she dug, but it was too late. The Princess was gone and he never saw her again." Hattie's eyes widened at the events of the story she just repeated to herself and everyone else. Suddenly quickly opening the book and flipping through it. Stopping at this page and that and squinting at them taking in the details. Before her blue eyes widened and she looked at Poppy again with a sad expression. "A-And...he never saw you again Poppy."

Poppy stood there STUNNED. What...Wait. Snatcher....LOVED her?? HER?! The one who had dirt on her all the time and came from the poorest farming family you could think of, of fruit farmers and milk maids. Someone who openly critizied the Queen when she banned bacon in her entire kingdom and got angry with all the stunts she pulled on Philip but didn't say anything too badly?? The one who snorted like a pig when she laughed and had an accent thicker than the mud she used to farm flowers!? THAT POOR FARMER'S GIRL?! HER?! Catching the eye of a cute, handsome, talented, polite, selfless, loyal, sweet, rich and famous PRINCE?! The one who always loved to study magic and laws to be a better king for his people one day and was engaged to the most beautiful rich lady and who could literally get any girl he wanted?! THAT PRINCE!? SNATCHER?! No! Oh no! NONONONONO!! There must've been some mistake!!...But then again she thought there was some mistake when she thought Moonjumper was lying about Snatcher and him used to being the same person. UGH!!! WHY DID HER LIFE HAVE TO GET MORE COMPLICATED RIGHT AFTER SHE WAS GETTING OVER SOLVING ANOTHER PROBLEM?!

Wait a minute....

WHY THE PECK DIDNT SNATCHER TELL HER HE PECKING LIKED HER LIKE THAT?! ....Well. O-On second thought. She rubbed her red face. Maybe it would've been the better idea not to tell her when they first met. She would've no idea how to handle that ....BUT HE COULDVE TOLD HER WHEN HE WAS CONFESSING EVERYTHING BACK THERE!!!

Bow tilted her head at Poppy's red face. "Poppy? Are you ok?"

"Y-Yeah," she managed to squeak out red faced. "W-Why d-d-don't ya'll go get ready f-for bed?"

Safe to say that sleep didn't come easy for her that night either. She went to bed and was once again awakened in a flustered state and gone to work again with help of the girls. Prince on the mind and being in a play with her as a princess and falling for a Prince only reminded her of the story Hattie revealed to her last night. She once again could only try to go through the play again messing up a few times to which Mr. Grooves called out and had her try again until she corrected until after the day's work that day. She was glad it was over for the day and had half a mind to just eat herself drunk on all the chocolate cake and hot coco at Cookie's resturaunt. When someone stepped in front of her blocking her and the girls way out. The lady blocking her exit was one with brown hair and copper eyes, in her traditional white and pink witch outfit.

Hazelle stared at her for a long moment. ".....We need to talk."

......"Oh DO we?" Poppy narrowed her eyes. She still didn't forget that Hazelle knew about this whole ordeal. "Ah think the talk Snatcher gave me said enough since no one else bothered ta tell me!" She attempted to move around her but Hazelle moved in front of her holding up her hands.

"Yes! Yes, I know!!" Hazelle gave a soft look. "But PLEASE hear me out."

"Ya'll didn't tell me anything!"

"I KNOW!! But I didn't want to get involved because I felt like it wasn't my place." She sighed and let her arm drop as the other came up to rub her face. "I WANTED him to tell you himself and he said he would so I just left him alone."

"Well it sure took ya long enough!"

"Look. I know you're angry about what happened, and BELIEVE me. So. Am. I." She looked back to her. "But when Snatcher opened up a little more that one night I thought he was getting to that point."

Poppy rose a brow. "Where are ya'll goin' with this?"

Hazelle looked at her with genuine concern. "Poppy. I want you to talk to him again." She held up a hand when Poppy opened her mouth to speak. "I know you saw the book, and heard his little story. Hattie informed me on my break backstage. I want you to go and let him know that you know he likes you as more than just a friend and clear up this mess once and for all."

Poppy just stared at her for a little longer.....before she shouted. "ARE YA PECKING INSANE?! I CAN'T DO THAT!?"

"And why not? Preferably tonight would be best-"

"NO!! NO NONONO!!" Poppy's face once again went red with that information. "There's no way in peck ah would do that!!!"

"....." Hazelle sighed again sounding defeated. "Look. Snatcher....Hasn't been himself lately. He still feels really bad about what happened and the longer you two avoid one another and the problem that needs to be discussed the more damage it does. I'm surprised you two haven't learnt that already considering what happened last month." Poppy went to speak but Hazelle beat it to her again. "And it'd be nice considering he did save you. YES!! I know he lied to you. Yes. I KNOW he tricked you. YES I KNOW!! He didn't tell you the whole truth and because of that he put you within harm's way, but at the same time he saved you at least three times."

"....Three??" Poppy rose a brow and crossed her arms. " Oh really? Three times?"

"Well three and a half if you count that the contract indirectly protects you from all kinds of harm, then yes."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh enlighten me. When did he do that three times?"

This time it was Hazelle's turn to look smug. "Well he DID steal a time piece and resurrected you. So that's one. Then the time you blindly ran off into the woods and had to climb a noose to escape one of those cursed statues. And then he had to get you down from it." Poppy's eyes widened and Hazelle's smirk got wider. "Oh yes. He told me about that. And then there's the obvious contract that let you escape Moonjumper. ...He may have tricked you but by doing so saved you in the end, and trust me when I say Moonjumper's strings aren't something to bat an eye at dear. It's just as impossible to escape from them as it is to escape Snatcher's contracts unless they decide to release you."

"What's the point of this?"

"My POINT is that Snatcher's scared alright. It's not exactly easy for him to admit it when things he does are wrong or when there's something he doesn't have control over. The way you might react to his love for you is one of them. So just...please think about it. Because it's obvious he cares about you a lot. And I'm saying this as the noodle's friend."

That was the message Hazelle had given her before she left, and that was the message Poppy had to try and sleep with when she laid in her makeshift bed and stared at the ceiling. GREAT!! Not like she finally got peace or anything. But now whenever she thought about Snatcher or any of the new info she was given her face would turn red and her mind blank. AFter a while of staring up at the dark ceiling  flustered she groaned and turned to her side holding up the gold shimmering against her wrist. The bracelet she had previously thrown that day long ago when Snatcher confessed to everything. It had somehow found it's way back into the attic and left on top of the giant desk against one of the walls for the past days after their discussion. But now she found herself placing it near her, as she looked at it and remembered the day her friend insisted he'd take it as payment. She sighed looking at it wrapped around her wrist again, it's always helped her for some reason, as if some of the past peace she felt was obtained by it when she just had a simple life of selling her pretty flowers to people and making them smile instead of dealing with all these complicated feelings of-....She froze when two glowing yellow orbs shined in the dim gold in the dark. She yelped and instantly threw the blankets off of herself twisting her eyes over and up towards the source of those glowing orbs.

"Whoa! It's me!," A raspy voice spoke out as a shadow moved in ths dark and Poppy could see a yellow glowing mouth moving as it spoke.

No. It couldn't be-

"Snatcher?" Poppy was relieved it was just the spook but that begged the question as she sighed and pushed herself up to stand. "What are you doing here?"

"Hazelle.....S-Said you were expecting me?,'' he replied looking and sounding nervous as he did so as he looked at her.

Poppy looked at him. ....Then facepalmed. Of course she'd be doing this after the comment about how they should 'preferably talk tonight'. Snatcher flinched when she facepalmed herself and rose a brow nervously. Was...Was she not wanting to talk to him tonight? PECKING DARNIT!! He knew he should've known better than to take the word of that stupid Moonboy when he popped up outside of his home!! He shoud've chucked him back into that dimension the moment he laid eyes on him! He was just..sitting there minding his own buisness, reading his book on Theories Of The Penguin Mind in his home trying not to think about the amount of time that's passed since Poppy asked to have some space to think about what happened and to process all the information now discovered. He couldn't really blame her for that, after all it was pretty overwhelming for her he was sure. So he was happy to agree and give her as much time as he needed. He wasn't completely heartless you know. He was sitting comfy in his chair day and night in and out. Doing his usually routine of catching fools stumbling into his forest and if he was really bored he went out to swipe new books from somewhere. But after a while he was starting to miss the troublemakers causing trouble in his forest and the red hair and blue eyes of Poppy. He was sure she was taking good care of them but-..... He was just sitting there staring blankly at a page he forgotten which part he left off at when one of his minions came flying in and ran around to dive behind his chair.

"BOSS! HE'S BACK!!", he shouted before diving around the chair.

Snatcher snapped his head over to the cowering minion before looking over towards the entrance to his home...And the book dropped to the floor with a thump. The very recognizable twitching, glitching form of Moonjumper was floating right there in the entrance of his home. Yellow eyes met red ones as Moonjumper looked absolutely worried.

He suddenly flinched and held up his arms. "W-WAIT WAIT WAIT!!"

He was snatched up by a shadowy bullet as Snatcher shot out of his home and grabbed his other half within his claws in their iron grip!! A blur as The two kept shooting out until Moonjumper felt his back slammed into one of the petrified trees and crows cawed out as they took off from the trees, spiders cowered away, and any minions or dwellers under Snatcher's reign watched as their King glared at Moonjumper in his clutches. The mane of hair around his neck spiked up and his face turned into a snarl as he literally growled out. Moonjumper freezing at the sight of him and reminded of just how more powerful he was in and out of the Horizon.

"YOU GOT A LOT OF NERVE SHOWING UP ANYWHERE NEAR ME FOOL!!," he bellowed out and shook the terrified ghost in his clutches a little. "AFTER WHAT YOU PULLED YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FACE HERE AGAIN?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?!"

Moonjumper squeaked something out something that sounded like a mouse before he shook his head, eyes wide blown in fear. "P-P-Please S-Snatcher. L-L-Lets be r-reasonab-b-ble now. I-I came to apologize-"

"HA!" Moonjumper froze up again. "YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?! AFTER THE STUNT YOU PULLED BEHIND HER BACK?! GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULD LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY?!"

"B-B-Because." He swallowed and forced a smile. "H-Hazelle told me to?"

Snatcher stared at him.....Hazelle told him to come apologize? Yeah....That sounds like something she'd make Moonboy do alright. He still frowned but thankfully slowly released him much to Moonjumper's releif. "Im not interested in what you have to say to me." He then pointed to the sky. "GET. OUT. OF. MY. FOREST. And DONT you DARE think about coming near Poppy ever again!!"

He still didn't budge anywhere. "U-Uh...Ab-b-bout that. Uh...H-Hazelle...MayhavetoldPoppyhowyoureallyfeelaboutherandexpectsyoutotalktohertonight!!"

That's what made him freeze. And for a moment his face was blank before his rage came back in full swing again. "W H A T?!" His voice boomed and echoed throughout the forest and Moonjumper held up his hands.

"Trust me i-i-it wasn't my idea a-a-at all! S-S-She just w-w-wanted me to tell you!!"

Snatcher growled out lowly. "When I see that witch she's about to get the royal boot!!"

"B-But w-what about Poppy? S-S-She'll be expecting y-y-you tonight."

A shot of panic and fear quickly zigzagged through his form as his eyes widened at the realization. Hazelle told Poppy he LOVED HER!?!?! Oh peck he felt like he was gonna chuck ectoplasm again! WHAT WAS HAZELLE THINKING!?!? POPPY KNEW HE LIKED HER LIKE THAT?! OHPECKOHPECKOHPECK!!! HE WAS IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!! WHAT WAS POPPY THINKING RIGHT NOW!? SHE PROBABLY THOUGHT HE WAS WEIRD!! OR SOME KIND OF CREEP!! His claws gripped his head as he spiraled down into those thoughts. IF SHE DIDN'T HATE HIM SHE SURE WOULD NOW!! OR AT THE VERY LEAST BE ANNOYED AT HIM FOR NOT TELLING HER!! HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO HIM?!?!

"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO PECKING DO?!"

"Tell her?" Moonjumper meekly suggested and smiled nervously when Snatcher snapped back to him with a questioning look.

''WHAT?!"

Moonjumper sighed. "Look. I-.....I-I tried to trick her into coming into the Horizon with me."

Snatcher sneered at him, "SO WHAT!? You love her too!"

Moonjumper stared at him a little more calmly now. " You're right...I do. But you love her more." Snatcher stared at him for a while and Moonjumper sighed. "When we split into two upon death, so was our personality." He explained pointing to himself. "Took me a while and Hazelle explaining. But I am the embodiment of the prim and proper prince we always were...And the one who still feels for who Vanessa once was. I am the person We WERE. The sadness, the proper manners, the very lonely calm past us...That's me. I-...I miss my Queen despite everything." Snatcher wanted to gag. "But you..." Moonjumper stared dead at him and spoke with a genuine voice. "You are the part of us that had our buried side. All of our love for her. For Poppy. Your protective ad fierce side Vanessa made us bury in favor of me...or my half."

Snatcher narrowed his eyes and stared at Moonboy long and hard with a suspicious look crossing his arms."....Why are you tell me this?"

"Because Snatcher....I want her to be happy as much as you. Which is why you should do what we always wanted too and tell her what we should have....As you love her more than I ever could." His yellow eyes widened as he eyed his face, but found no traces of Moonjumper lying or hiding anything. And believe me he could tell when this corpse was lying to him, but he seemed actually concerned about this as his face now twisted to a softer tone and he tilted his head. "....You love her still. Don't you?" Snatcher didn't say anything, but his grip on his arms tightened and his frown widened. "Oh! Please. Do not give me that silent treatment old boy. You risked loosing your entire forest for her when I tried to trick her into coming into the Horizon with me."

"THEN WHY THE PECK DID YOU DO THAT IN THE PECKING FIRST PLACE?!," Snatcher snapped back at him.

"Because I missed my FRIEND!!" Moonjumper scowled at him. "And I never saw her as my 'love'! YOU DID! Why else would you even risk that much for Poppy unless you loved her?!"

Snatcher stared at him for a while longer again before he grunted and turned his gaze away from him. ''And why should I even do anything after you went BEHIND MY BACK!?"

"Because Poppy is going to be expecting you tonight. Wouldn't it just cause her more trouble if you don't go? You know how stubborn she is! If you don't go to her she's going to eventually storm in here looking for you demanding answers! Then you'll have to try and explain to her why you didn't go see her. It's very rude to keep a lady waiting."

''OH SHOVE IT MOONSHINE!! It's also rude to attempt to HOLD HER HOSTAGE and TRICK HER like a TRAITOR!!"

Moonjumper stared at him for a moment before he sighed again. "Very well. I know when I've done all I can. But please at least think it over? For Poppy's sake."

And then he left in a puff of scattering glitchy square things. Like he never showed up there. Leaving Snatcher to think, sulk, curse about, freak out over, and get flustered over everything and the situation Hazelle threw him into this time!!.....In that order. And after much continplating figured that Poppy WOULD be stubborn enough to march into Subcon to find him if he didn't show up. And-.....I-It took a lot for him to force himself to teleport himself into the ship. He felt oddly empty inside, like he hadn't been complete. But he didn't want Poppy to have anymore reasons to be disappointed in him. So after searching a bit he popped himself right on into the attic since that's where she most likey be at the moment. He guessed he must've not noticed how much time has passed with him thinking because he popped in on her about to sleep he guessed and accidentally spooked her. But now she sighed and looked up at the darker form's eyes as they blinked at her nervously. Poppy flinched when a snap rang out and a moment later a ball of blue flames popped up in the air next to Snatcher's head as he gazed down at her, lighting up the entire attic and allowed them to see one another. Poppy blinked at the sudden change in lighting, and after a few blinks managed to see the worried frown on the ghosts face as he stared down at her. The silence stretched on for a few moments with each party glancing around and Snatcher gave a small cough to help ease them into this.

"So....I was told you wanted to see me?" He crossed his arms looking at the floor. "I don't suppose it's because of what Hazelle told you."

Poppy awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh.....Actually I-I wasn't plannin' on seeing ya tanight."

Snatcher turned to her with a raised brow. "That's not what I was told.".....he suddenly frowned and growled. "Hazelle. I swear that witch is going to get a piece of my mind after this."

Poppy nodded in agreement that she didn't approve of what Hazelle apparently had planned with either of their consent but-....."Well. S-Since yer here-..." She looked back up at him with a light scowl and Snatcher froze under her eyes. As she crossed her arms. "Would ya mind tellin' me what in tarnation all this mumbo jumbo with that-...t-that darn book of you and me!?"

Snatcher couldn't have snapped at her faster recoiling like he was stung. "Y-YOU SAW WHAT?!"

She scowled further. "I said what's with the book!? And this whole story of you calling me a 'Flower Princess'??"

He looked confused for a moment. "Flower princess? What the peck are you even-...." He stopped mid sentence, yellow orbs suddenly going wide. ".......Oh.....Oh no."

"Oh, yes." Her brow rose as she shifted awkwardly on her feet. Blue eyes shifting away for a moment. ".....OH!! FOR THE LOVE OF PECK!!" She looked at him suddenly. "Everyone says you're in love with me!!"

"W-WHAT?!" Snatcher flabbergasted at the sudden and bold forward approuch from her. Face suddenly glowing a bright yellow to match his wide eyes and open mouth.

Poppy wasn't too far off either. Her face turned a bright pink as she still stared at him. Her mind racing with questions. Was that too straight forward? She didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. Why did he react so badly? Was Everyone just exaggerating and he doesn't? Is he mad he got caught? Why didn't he tell her. Her throat suddenly felt tight and dry as she forced herself to say the next few words. "I-I...Y-YA'LL H-HEARD ME!! W-W-WHY D-DO YOU LIKE ME?!"

"WHO IN THE P-P-PECK TOLD YOU THAT!?"

"HATTE!! A-AND HAZELLE!! A-A-AND EVEN M-M-MOONJ-J-JUMPER D-DID WHEN I MET HIM!!" Her face was as red as her hair now as she fumbled with her fingers. "Did ya.....I-I-I mean-......Are you......A-A-Are t-t-they r-r-right??"

Another silence followed throughout the room as Snatcher couldn't do anything but stare and Poppy figited and stared shyly anywhere but Snatcher after her embarrassing outburst. Wishing she hadn't said that and wishing she could slap herself for the embarrassing situation she put them in now. But jumped when she heard a low sound from Snatcher as the spook sank down to the floor. Sighing lowly and bringing a hand to rub his face where one's temples would be on his face if he still had a normal human face. She watched as the brightly yellow blushing ghost sat down on the floor and leaned his back against the wall in front of her. Sitting there and just rubbing his face. Seriously?! Why was his whole existance, life and death, have to be so complicated? Seriously, it was one situation after another for him now a days. More silence rang out and he assumed Poppy was doing to do the same thing he was. Trying to figure out how the peck he was supposed to explain this new situation to her- He looked up when he heard something shift and sit down next to him, looking to see Poppy sitting crosslegged right next to him looking up at the bigger ghost. Still red faced a fair amount but not saying anything as they did.

".........A-Are uh-....Y-You ok?," she asked. It might've been a dumb question but it was the only ice breaker she could think of at the moment.

He huffed in return. "Peachy. Real pecking peachy." He grumbled and looked to his own lap. "How do I keep getting into these things?"

"You tell me when ya find o-out cuz I'd like that question answered too." Another small bit of silence passed before she spoke again looking at him from the corners of her eyes. "I-....h-hate to be pushy but.....Is that..all they said.....True?"

Snatcher didn't say anything at first. suddenly finding his claws very interesting. "IF it was what would you say about it? Not that I'm admitting to anything."

Poppy rose a brow but decided to answer anyways. "W-W-Well-...I uh-" ...Actually what WOULD she say if Philip had confessed to loving her all those years ago or Snatcher liking her now the same way? The thought of anyone telling her they liked her. A woman who had already come to terms with the idea that she'd never get into a relationship, covered in mud or dirt 87% of the time, and had a mouth and attitude that could make a sailor blush. Why would any self respecting man, let alone a prince, love someone like her? She'd probably ask them if they were drunk or crazy!...But to be honest, she WOULD ask that wouldn't she? So she turned up to him fully. "Well.....IF someone told me they liked me like ...t-that, I would ask why? What would they see in someone like me?...Not pointing any fingers at anyone of course. Just sayin' what if."

He stared at her for a moment before looking back to his lap. "Well....IF someone liked you, they'd probably tell you-....T-That you were the most understanding person in the world....If someone liked you that is."

OH! She saw what game he was coming at her this time. More beating around the bush for him but to her it was just a case of reverse phycology again. So she hummed and looked at him. "That's a very nice compliment someone would give mahself. But ah ain't too convinced anyone would like me like that." Snatcher tilted his head slightly to her indicating she had his attention. "Let's just say that YOU liked me, not sayin' that ya do, just y'know as an example. And ya'll wanted to confess ta me. What would YOU tell me?...If you were interested that is."

.....He sighed again. "Well...I definately wouldn't say it was love at first sight."

"Why not?"

"B-Because-...." He scowled and softly glared at his claws. "Love at first sight doesn't exist. Love takes time and love takes work. And at the very least you have to know the other person." His claws shook as they slowly balled into fists. "And Vanessa literally had no idea of who or what I was." .......After a few seconds of tense posture, Snatcher sighed and slowly allowed himself to relax un balling the fists and looked at Poppy. Who was staring back at him wide eyed. "I know I said I wasn't good at this emotional talk, but I'm good at talking from experience. We-....W-We're all told fairytales about how the prince sees his princess and immediately falls for her, but...How could that happen? How could love at first sight truly exist? You don't know them. You don't know who they really are. Being blinded by someone's outward beauty can blind you to what's inside. A person can be beautiful....but have an ugly heart." His eyes lowered themselves from her own as he just....gazed off. "Vanessa wasn't actually in love with me. She was in love with the idea of me or what her twisted version of me should've been. She never allowed me to be me, but wanted me to fill a role she desired. And that's not love." He looked back at her. "That's selfishness." Yellow eyes scanned her face. ".....I think if I were to fall in love with you it'd be for all the opposite reasons Vanessa gave me, or other ladies. You weren't kind to me just because I was a prince, or because I was handsome, which I do claim.~ " Poppy rolled her eyes. "I could tell because you were so genuinely nice to everyone you meet. Even now. But even when you do fight with other people you were never.....cruel. Maybe a well deserved punch but you never really liked to fight with anyone. You treated me no different from the common man, and when we became friends you-....You were always so honest and open with me like I wasn't your future ruler or had this massive duty, or some fake fantasy. You treated me not as your superior, but as your equal. You listened to me even when I didn't listen to myself and....A-And you even AGREED with me when that pecking blonde demon did those pecked up things to me! You..you were the first person to really tell me what she was doing wasn't right. B-But ....I didn't listen. And...A-And my ignorance cost you and millions of others their lives probably...." He looked over at her again. "You were the most kind, fun, honest, down to earth person I had ever MET. Poppy, everytime I was around you, you made me smile when I was going through the worst part of my life! And you're the m-m-most forgiving person too....E-Even when I lied and I tricked you, and after everything that happened...You forgave me. I didn't to. You're the m-most beautiful person I've ever met. Inside and out." Her blue eyes were wide with an expression he couldn't place. Like a child seeing a toy for the first time in their life. He didn't notice it, but his body was likely shaking again. "A-A-And...I-I will never be able to make up for what I've caused. I'm...I'm s-so sorry."

"......Why?" She asked hands trembling within her lap as she just...looked at him. Blue eyes wide as she just..didn't know how to accept this new information. "....W-Why would you l-love someone like me l-l-like that?!"

"Why?! I just told you!" He stared at her and held his hands up. "For the love of peck I just told you why! I love the way you treat others! How kind you are!? That's why I love you!!"

Another moment of silence went by as the two just stared at each other for a long moment as the silence went on for a while longer as Poppy's face reheated with a new shade of red at his words.

"S-So...You admit you love me?"

Snatcher couldn't have turned a brighter yellow faster. "WHAT?! WHEN DID I EVER SAY I DID!?"

"JUST NOW!! YOU SAID 'THAT'S WHY I LOVE YOU'!!"

"NO I DIDN'T!!"

"YES YA DID!! AND DON'T LIE TA ME AGAIN YA PURPLE ONION!!"

"Rrrrrrrr! YOU'RE.......YOU'RE PECKING IMPOSSIBLE!!" He crossed his arms and looked away pouting as he he did so, still very obvious yellow blush running across his face as he did so. Which also confirmed everything he had just said. "FINE!! S-SO WHAT IF I DO!? IT'S NOT LIKE YOU WOULD'VE LIKED ME THAT WAY BACK!!" A silence filled the room as he just stared off.....before he peeked over at her. "R-right?"

She didn't answer at first, just sat there red faced and hummed. "W-Well.....maybe not now or like this....B-But it would've been nice if you didn't keep so much from me all the time."

"H-Hey! I said I was sorry!," he argued.

"And I said it was alright! But ya don't have to keep anymore stuff from me!" Her brow rose a little. "Don't suppose there ain't anything else I should know 'bout?"

Snatcher shook his head. "N-No...No. That's pretty much everything. Blabbered out behind my pecking back!....But all of it none the less."

"....Yer tellin' the truth?"

"Course I am! Pecking-.....*sighs* There's nothing else to lie about anymore."

Once again like in a cliche romance movie, the two looked down in silence. Well....what now? Were they just supposed to move forward like nothing at all happened? yeah right. Nothing would ever be the same now. It'd be awkward to everyone on both sides and in between. Way way too awkward!!

Poppy took a breath and looked back up to Snatcher who perked at her suddenly looking at him again. "W-Well....I'm glad you told me. I know it was...probably really hard for ya'll ta tell me anything considerin' what had happened." He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "For what it's worth, what I said still stands. Ah ain't mad at ya. Not one bit. I-...I'm upset ya didn't tell me but I ain't mad. And I don't hate ya." Her hand reached out and Snatcher blinked when Poppy grabbed one of his hands into hers. "And....I don't think I ever thank ya for what ya did for me. Ya'll saved my life. M-More than once." She looked down at the embarrassing memory of her dangling from the dum rope in the middle of the forest like an idiot. "Ya didn't have ta help me at all..But ya did. And I can't ever say how much I appreciate it. So...how 'bout we jut call it even and be friends again?" She smiled that smile that could put any jewel or flower to shame. "Whatcha say, Snatcher? Care ta make a friend again?"

Snatcher looked at Poppy for a long time. Her beautiful kind smile looking back to him as her hands squeezed his large one, ever patiently waiting for an answer. She was offering him something he lost a long time ago. A friend. Didn't matter that he loved her in a way she might never return and didn't have to. After everything they experienced together. The lies, the fights, the fear, the near death experiences....She was still ready and willing to be his friend. Just like all those years ago when he lost her to the cold dark void of Vanessa. .....A small smile passed over the spook's face and his hand curled around hers.

"I'd like a friend very much."

***********************************************************************************************

Snatcher wasn't bluffing when he said he was going to rip into Hazelle the moment he saw her again for the stunts she pulled. And he did call her out for it the second he saw her, which was when he tagged along one time to Poppy's rehearsal. After that night with the two becoming friends once again, thing's were less tense and awkward around the place now that there wasn't any bad blood or anymore lies between them. Snatcher was like his old self again but a bit better.....If you count Snatcher going back to being how he was better. He was now more at peace when he was sitting in his forest reading and had taken up letting Poppy know the girls could go whereever they wanted without her watching them if that made it easier for her to pay off her debt to Mr. Grooves but Poppy had to decline since they were her ride there and back and she wanted to fix all debts before anything. Snatcher had rose a brow at her and told her as far as he was concerned their contract was upgraded to mutual friends status instead of servant and boss. He literally had in in rewriting to show her. So no more debts were owed to him since he agreed they were even now. Which was fair she supposed. At least it was another thing off her mind to worry less about as the days flew on. They were mostly spent with Snatcher.....Well doing everything he's been doing for the past thousand years which entertained him just fine. And Poppy studying/practicing her route for the play, feeling more and more nervous as the time flew on, taking care of the girls, or going to work paying back Mr. Grooves like she promised. Snatcher would pop up more often to talk with her about this play(which he thought was ridiculous of course) or it was spent with the two catching up with what Snatcher had gotten himself into for the past thousand years. Or sometimes he'd take her and the girls shopping somewhere, him always hidden in her or one of the girls' shadows. In one of those trips the gals were just exploring the other side of the town surrounding the studios before Poppy was rehearsed that day and she couldn't help but stop when she heard there was a plant shop in town. Of course being a plant lover she'd want to go in there and have a look around. The place ended up being smaller than she had thought. Selling small cacti and other desert plants small enough for tourist to take home and decorate their desks with. But there was ONE small pot that stood behind the cashier's desk that caught Poppy's eyes. And her blue eyes widened at the stunning rainbow displayed behind the female owl. Hattie yelped and was nearly run over by the older woman when Poppy ran up to the counter and slammed her hands on it. Startling the owl in front of her.

"WHERE IN THE PECK DID YA GET THOSE FLOWERS?!," she asked pointing to the rainbow roses behind the owl.

The owl just stared at her for a long moment before huffing and crossing her wings. "If you MUST know. I grew them myself." She smiled smugly. "They bring in all my customers during the touring seasons.....They're not for sale." She added coldly eyeing Poppy up.

Poppy's jaw dropped at the sudden bold coldness of her...before shaking her head and scowling. "NO WAY!! Ya'll don't understand! My family made those flowers! They're mah BIRTHRIGHT!! Tell me yer price! I'll buy 'em whatever they cost!! PLEASE!!"

The owl sneered at the human eyeing her up and down. "Let me make this perfectly clear to 'ya'll'. I don't know what pecking filthy human would know about MY flower business but you'd have better luck courting a mushroom into growing than you would taking MY property. Now if you're not going to buy anything, I suggest you leave before I call the Sheriff and his Deputy."

Poppy's anger rose. "Why ya no good filthy son of a peckin' PECKNECK B-"

"POPPY!!" Bow tugged on her dress and pulled towards the door. "We're going to be late! You promised DJ Grooves you'd be back before ten o clock!"

Poppy stared at her...before back at the smug looking Express Owl. "But ...I-...Mah roses!!"

"We don't have time!"

She managed to start pulling Poppy step by step away from the counter and out the door as she still scowled at the smug looking owl who waved goodbye. Not noticing the yellow orbs peeking out from Bow's shadow. Which lead up to what was happening now. After another month or two of their usually routine Snatcher got curious about what Poppy was actually doing for this play ever since he found out she'd be dancing with a man and acting a romantic scenario. And he was (concerned) interested in what they were doing so he decided to tag along and see what was up, the studios were too busy for his liking. Even more so when he had seen Hazelle and yelled at her from Hattie's shadow. Hattie had to shush him when a few other actors looked their way and Hazelle being Hazelle, was just amuzed. Teasing him even about how she reunited the (love birds) friends. Hazelle wore what looked like some rip off rich lady's dress, but somehow it suited the witch greatly as she was playing the evil step sister. Turns out the entire cast was taking a break from rehearsing to do costume fitting so the tailor could do final touch ups to everyone's outfits and make sure they were all fitting well. Poppy was called in not soon long after they arrived and they were bit busy distracted by Hazelle in her costume.

"It's so nice seeing you two getting along again with out you moping around that gloomy tree house."

"I swear you WILL regret this," Snatcher hissed from the shadow running up the wall.

Hazelle rolled her eyes. "Yes. Yes. Revenge and justice. Yadda, yadda, yadda. But since we're on the topic of justice. I don't think this dress's skirt does me any favors."

"HA! Now you look even more like a real witch!"

"Jealous? At least I don't look like an overbearing literal shadow watching over my crush's every move-"

"THAT'S IT!!" Snatcher detached himself from Bow's shadow and glared at her. "Laugh all you want! As soon as she's done, tell Poppy to meet me back on the ship!"

Hazelle rose a brow. "You're leaving before you get to see her in that pretty dress?"

"Yes! I have some business to take care off across town. No if you'll excuse me!"

If Snatcher had stayed a few seconds longer he would've seen Poppy come out to show the others the beautiful gown she was wearing that would've make Snatcher's metaphorical heart skip a beat. But no. The shadow had other business to attend to on the other side of town. In a small plant shop with a sneering owl. No one noticed the shadow skittering around buildings and along the sand towards the shop. Neither did the shop owner until a giant purple hand grabbed her middle and brought her into the air. Making her squawk as she was lifted up, and was gazing into the mad yellow eyes boring into her.

"Unless you want me to eat your soul, you'll give me those flowers and tell me where you got them."