#every time i see skid ocs i get confused...no its a little animal actually! it doesnt know any •)

[forest0f-light]

thinking about my lore interpretation, and how it is actually not as standard as I thought it was when I came up w it.

essentially I think the megabird is a spiritual decomposer, for lack of a better term. she arrives on recently dead planets and sends down "spores" (us) to collect the things that culture had, eveything from clothes and building styles, to movement and sound, to beliefs and stories, and stores them somehow, before moving onto the next planet.

it's why I don't have any skid ocs. in my mind, the skids are relatively simple creatures, and completely interchangeable. due to the way the game works like. any skid can be transformed into any other with limited effort, from their voice to their hair to their height. everything else is clothes and adornments that we've taken from the spirits

[yeenybeanies]

INTRO: Clayton Hess

just some quick info to clear things up: this is a world wherein humans & human-sized things exist, but also centaurs exist, & centaurs are huge. this is normal. well... semi-normal. humans and giantfolk don't tend to interact much. but!! this is my first piece with my big centaur boy clay posting here as promised! one day late smh you can find this piece and others on my patreon!

OCS | clayton hess

5,671 words

no warnings

thanks for reading!

Before the sun had even risen, there was much activity on the floor of the towering megaforest. People scrambled about at the mouth of the path leading further in, calling out to each other, distributing supplies, reigning in their horses, calming their dogs. Everyone moved with an urgent, anxious energy.

“O’Rourke! All teams are ready to depart.”

The old man, O’Rourke, lifted his eyes first to the horizon, and then to the one addressing him. His fluffy, grey eyebrows stayed fixed, knitted in a stern, stony frown. “Good. Stay ready, ladies and gentlemen. As soon as that sun rises, we’re going in.”

“You said that we had one more joining us?” The same person, a woman named Sanouk, looked to the teams of people assembled around her. “Who are they going with?”

“Yeah, he said he’d be here.” O’Rourke continued to watch the sky, noting the changing colors. The pinks and purples were gradually bleeding into oranges and yellows. Dawn was almost over. “Don’t worry about placing him. He’s gonna be going on his own.”

Sanouk eyed him skeptically. “Why? We already have one missing girl to find in this megaforest; we don’t need to lose anyone else. He could go with Team Fou––. . ..” Her words trailed off, her attention suddenly occupied with something else. First she felt it in the ground: a low rumbling, almost like a faint earthquake; then she heard it as a steadily-growing thunder.

O’Rourke shook his head and waved off her concerns. “I don’t think he’ll be getting lost. He knows these woods like the back of his hand.”

“But––but that’s–-” Sanouk tried to speak, but her rising concern over the thundering and the quaking kept cutting her off. O’Rourke could see the worry on her face, and on the faces of everyone else present, but he chose not to address it. All questions would be answered momentarily.

The disturbance sounded like a landslide. It had not only the people nervous, but the dogs and horses as well. A few high-strung beasts reared up and hollered their concern, while others fidgeted anxiously. The noise crescendoed, then abruptly quieted to a slower, rhythmic thumping. Concern in the gathering turned to confusion. Still, O’Rourke looked unbothered.

All attention snapped to a rustling in the dense foliage lining the path’s mouth. Alarmed gasps and yelps rang out as the source of the disturbance––the rustling, the rumbling, the quaking––pushed his way through the trees and stepped into view. Dogs barked, horses whinnied, and a good many people retreated several feet away from the newcomer.

The two most notable things about this newcomer were his enormous size, and his four very equine legs––and equine body from the waist down. He was a centaur. From under the wide brim of his hat, he surveyed the crowd, noting the fear in many a human and beast.

“Mr. Hess!” O’Rourke removed his hat and waved it, drawing the newcomer’s attention. “Good morning! Glad you could join us.” The old man strode forward, through the still nervous crowd.

“Morning,” the centaur said, his voice unexpectedly, and intentionally soft. He remained where he was, neither wanting to scare the crowd more, nor risk getting any of them underhoof.

O’Rourke stopped a few yards away from the centaur and turned around to face the crowd. He waved an arm up. “Everyone, this is Clayton Hess. As you can see, he’s a centaur, so be sure to keep out of his way. He’ll be helping us in searching for that little girl. Sanouk––” He beckoned the woman to step forward, which she did after some hesitation, “––if  you’ll please give him a quick rundown of the plan, then we can be on our way.”

Sanouk stared up at Clay, her mouth agape. Clay paid it no mind, being quite used to the range of emotions humans felt whenever they first saw him. He took a couple of steps backwards and slowly lowered himself onto the ground, legs tucked neatly under him, out of the way. From there, he leaned forward, arms folded behind his back.

“Morning, Miss,” he said with a polite dip of his head. “I hope I can be of some help in finding––”

“Mani Sanouk,” she interrupted, her hand extended out to him. She moved stiffly, clearly uneasy.

Clay blinked, one brow raised. This wasn’t the first time a human had offered to “shake his hand,” but it was still an unusual gesture. Not wanting to be rude, however, he brought around one hand and, moving deliberately slow, offered his pinky to meet her. “Just ‘Clay’ is fine. Pleasure to meet you.”

Sanouk went rigid at his hand’s approach, so much so that Clay could feel her tension when they made contact. She was a tough woman, though; she held onto her nerve through their “handshake,” and didn’t flinch at his retreat.

“You as well. Here’s a map that shows . . . er . . ..” As she pulled said map from her satchel, Sanouk frowned. It was a rather large map in her hands, but, to a truly behemoth being like Clay, it was no bigger than a business card. “Erm, right. Teams One and Two will be covering these sections,” she said, pointing to the marked areas. “Three and four will be covering these sections.”

Clay squinted at the map. He couldn’t quite make out all of the writing, but the marked sections were clear enough. “Understood. I’ll cover those four sections to the East.”

“Four of them?” Sanouk’s head snapped up to meet his eyes. “That is a lot of ground. Are you sure you’re going to be able to––” she paused mid-sentence, reconsidering her question and the being she was talking to. Clay allowed himself some amusement and a faint smile.

“I might be able to cover more, depending on when and where we’re rendezvousing.”

“Right . . .. Right. Okay.” She looked back down to the map and pointed to a river bend. “We will all meet back at this bend in Joyelette’s River at noon. That will give each team about five hours to search their sections. Do you know who we are looking for?”

“I do,” the centaur said with a nod. “O’Rourke printed me a picture and gave me all the information I needed.”

Sanouk returned the nod and stowed her map once more. “Then we are good to start.”

Clay gave the woman a moment to step back, then pushed himself off of the ground and rose to his full, towering height. “I’ll head out first. Best of luck to all of you. Let’s find this girl.” He tipped his hat to the crowd, then turned and started off on the trail into the giant forest. Once he was several yards away, he could hear the other groups slowly filtering in behind him. Their horses and dogs still made nervous noises, but he figured they’d calm once he was out of sight.

It was always interesting to see how humans and animals that had never encountered a centaur before reacted to him.

                                                                        – – –

By ten o’clock, the forest had changed dramatically. The sun hung high in the sky, beating down on the landscape below. It was hot and humid, almost muggy. Birds swooped around Clay’s head, snatching up insects from the tiny swarm that he’d accumulated. While most of the insects were too small to actually bother him, there were still the occasional few that managed to make a nuisance of themselves. They had his ears flicking, his tail swishing. He lamented silently to himself for not bringing some sort of repellant.

“Pauline!” he called, his voice echoing amongst the trees. He tempered his yell, not wanting to scare the girl, but wanting to be heard, should she be around. “Pauline Kelly! Are you there?”

Silence. Clay sighed, his ears drooping momentarily. This wasn’t his first rescue mission, nor would it be his last; he was familiar with the monotony and the frustrating silence after every call.

Sometimes the missing person was found. Sometimes they weren’t.

He hoped, for this little girl’s sake, she would be found. It wasn’t just exposure that could kill out here. Megaforests were not meant for humans, let alone for human children. Like the massive trees and the greenery, the fauna in here were gargantuan in their own right. Most of the larger creatures wouldn’t pay mind to a human; it was the smaller ones––relatively speaking––that worried Clay more.

Clay stopped in his tracks, stiff, ears pricked. A scream. A scream broke the silence.

“Pauline? Pauline!” The centaur called out. “Pauline, can you hear me?”

“Help!”

There! Clay’s head snapped in the direction of the scream. Turning quick on his hooves, he leapt into a gallop. “Pauline! I’m coming!” From the sounds of things, she couldn’t be too far away. He raced through the foliage, running so fast that he might as well have been flying. The girl screamed again, making the centaur skid to a halt and reassess his direction. He looked around desperately, feeling his anxiety rising.

There!

Atop a fallen log, a bear-sized, reptilian creature dug at the rotting wood with its claws. Another scream rang out, a little muffled. Clay gritted his teeth and rushed the lizard. Upon spotting him, it puffed up and hissed, but its threats were no match for his own. He halted before the log and reared up on his hind legs, forehooves kicking, promising something far deadlier than anything it could offer in return. Fighting a full-grown centaur was not worth whatever meal it could have made of the girl. It quickly deflated and skittered away, nearly losing its footing in its haste to avoid Clay’s punishment. Only once it disappeared into the underbrush and vanished from all his senses did Clay turn his eyes to the log, his expression softening.

“Pauline?” Carefully he approached the log, ears angled towards it. Quiet sniffles and whimpers came from within. Clay rested a hand atop the log and peered in through the hole the lizard was digging at. There, backed into a little nook, sat the girl from the picture––the girl they were all looking for. Dirt caked her skin, and her clothes looked torn. He couldn’t see much else of her physical state, but she was alive. Relief overcame the centaur.

Unfortunately, that relief was short-lived. The girl, upon looking up and seeing Clay’s massive face staring down at her, let out an ear-splitting shriek. Clay flinched, ears swiveling backwards to try and dampen the noise. His hands shot up in a placating gesture, though it only made the girl scream again.

“Miss Pauline––please! I’m here to help you. If you could just come out––awh––!”

The girl scrambled out of view. Clay bit back a frustrated groan and tried to catch sight of her again. From the sounds of things, she was crawling deeper into the log.

By the skies, it would have been better if one of the human groups had found her. She was, understandably, terrified of him. It was going to be a challenge to get her out of the log. He could tear it open, but that would just scare the little one even more, and could potentially harm her. He’d save that as a last resort.

Clay sighed. He rubbed his temples, digging under his hat. With a heavy thud, the centaur sat down on his haunches. He figured he might be here for a while.

“I know you’re scared, dearheart. You’ve been in this forest for two days, probably seen some frightening critters like that lizard. Probably hungry n’ thirsty. Tired too.” He opted not to say as much, but Clay figured that the girl would not have survived another night in the megaforest. She was lucky to have made it this long.

“My name’s Clay,” he continued. He kept his voice soft, hoping that he might be able to soothe her. “I know I’m big, and I’m kinda scary-looking, like everything else in these woods. But your Ma and Pa––Mr. Marty and Mrs. Lana Kelly––they’re both real’ worried about you. They sent me and a bunch of other people out here to look for you.”

The sniffling was softer now. Clay had to strain his hearing to catch it. He wasn’t sure if it was a good sign or a bad sign. He listened, silently willing the girl to give him something––any sort of sign that he was getting somewhere with her.

“Y-you… know my mom and dad?” came the small voice after a long silence. Clay’s ears flicked up. Oh, in this moment, her voice was the sweetest thing he’d ever heard.

“Er––yes. I know them.” Or rather, he knew of them. It didn’t matter right now. “They’ve got a whole lot of us combing these woods for you, Miss Pauline. They miss you bunches, want you to come home.”

The girl went silent again, much to Clay’s alarm. He stood up again and tried to spot her within the log. He hadn’t been able to get a good look at her the first time; he could only guess her condition. Was she injured? Had he been too late in chasing off that lizard? He couldn’t smell any blood, but maybe–––

Wait. The girl was on the move again, picking her way through the log’s hollow interior. Clay followed the sound with ears and eyes as she climbed down towards the lower end. Though he was tempted to meet her down there, he decided that it was best to remain still and let her come to him.

Hopefully she wouldn’t run when she saw him.

Once she reached the opening at the bottom––likely the same opening she’d entered the log through––Pauline timidly peeked around the jagged wood. Wide eyes first found the centaur’s giant hooves, then followed up his forelegs, his torso, and way, way up to his face, where he stared right back down at her. She shrank away upon meeting his gaze, but didn’t break eye contact. Clay felt a pang in his hearts.

“That’s it, dearheart,” he said, his voice as soft as he could manage without outright whispering. “You’re so brave. Can you come a little closer so I can see you better?”

Pauline shook her head quickly. It didn’t surprise Clay.

“Okay… that’s fine. I’m gonna sit down, alright? Don’t go nowhere.” He waited a moment for a response, and continued on when he got none. Slowly, and keeping his hands where the girl could see them, Clay got down onto his foreknees, and then dropped his hocks. The girl flinched, but didn’t run.

“Alright now. I know you’re scared, little one. I understand. But I promise, I ain’t gonna hurt you.” Pauline just continued to stare up at him. Sitting down did cut nearly a third of his height, but Clay still towered a good sixty feet over the girl. He did his best not to loom, impossible as it was.

He told her more about himself, about how he’d come into these woods many times to find lost humans, about how he liked to grow fruits and raise bees. He asked her some questions, too––some of which she even answered. Some of them, he already knew the answers too. Pauline Kelly was seven years old, an older sister, and she’d just had a birthday when she went missing. What he learned was that her favorite color was blue––like the color of his shirt, she liked to fingerpaint, and she thought his hair was pretty. That last point, wholly unprompted, caught the centaur off-guard.

“You like my hair?”

Pauline nodded. “Mhm.” She looked a little less scared now, and stood where Clay could better see her. Thankfully, save for some minor scrapes and bruises, she looked unharmed.

Clay pushed his hat backwards off his head, letting it fall and catch on the string around his neck. Black and grey locks spiked out at odd angles, only partially tamed with a swipe of his hand.

“You wanna touch it?”

His offer had the girl pause. She regarded him nervously, looking between his face, his hair, his hands, and… down at his tail. Clay followed her gaze. That could be a good first step. She could reach his tail on her own. He swished it around so the long hair, the same black and grey as was on his head, was closer, and more in his view.

“Go on ahead. I won’t move none,” he encouraged. Pauline hesitated, clearly debating with herself. Eventually, her curiosity won the debate. Though she remained wary of Clay, glancing up at him every other second, she shuffled out from the log’s shelter. She gave him a wide berth as she circled over to his tail. Even when she stood a mere foot from him, she paused. An approving nod from Clay granted her the last bit of encouragement she needed to sit down on her knees and run her hands over the dark locks.

Clay’s tail was kempt, for a farmer. He combed it and kept it neatly trimmed without sacrificing its purpose. Even still, the hair was coarse and wiry, as was the case with all centaur tails and manes. That didn’t seem to bother Pauline, though. She rubbed chunks of hair between her hands, combed her fingers through it, and even twisted a few locks into tiny braids. Then she stood up and moved closer to his hind hoof––the white-socked one. Clay watched her carefully, but remained still, wanting neither to spook her nor hurt her. She knocked her little fists against the tough, cream nail, and then the metal shoe underneath.

“Did this hurt?” She asked. For the moment, there was more wonder in her eyes than fear.

“Hm? The shoe? Naw, that didn’t hurt none. Barely felt it when I had them put in.”

Pauline moved on from the hoof and dared to step even closer, right up to his side. Clay leaned over to better keep an eye on her. She dusted her hands––what a polite girl––and raised them to feel the short, tan fur along his flank. It too was pretty coarse, though it was a bit softer than his tail.

“It’s a lot softer up here,” Clay offered, startling the girl. Her head whipped up to meet his gaze. She looked a little bewildered, as though she’d forgotten that he was alive and present. He pointed to his head of hair. “Softest you’ll find on a centaur. And I take real’ good care of mine.” He gave what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

Immediately, the girl’s nervousness returned. “Um…”

Clay twisted his upper body to better face her. He brought one hand down to the ground a few feet away from her, palm up, fingers flat. “Promise I won’t hurt you, Miss Pauline.”

She stared at his hand, once again debating with herself. Clay waited patiently, watching her, willing to accept if she didn’t want to come to him immediately. They still had another hour or so before the rendezvous at the river. So long as no danger came along, he would use that time to gain her trust. It’d make things easier for the both of them. The girl deserved to feel safe after two days of being lost in a megaforest.

With an understandable amount of hesitancy, Pauline drew nearer to Clay’s hand. Like she had his tail and his hoof, she first inspected it. Next to him, the girl was miniscule. From fingertip to wrist, his hand was longer than most humans were tall. With her, his pinky finger exceeded her in height. She gave the pad of his index finger an experimental prod, and flinched when it twitched in response. Clay offered a quick apology. It seemed to reassure her, if only a little. She put her hands to his finger again, feeling over the whorls and the callouses. Clays hands, though gentle, were not soft. They were the hands of a working man, rough and weathered..

It took the girl a few more minutes of touching and feeling, and a little bit more encouragement from Clay, before she felt confident enough to step up onto his hand. She took a few unsteady steps over his fingers, finding it a little unusual and difficult to walk on such a squishy surface. Where his fingers met his palm, she lost her balance and fell onto her knees with a yelp. Clay fought back the urge to cup his hand around her.

“You’re okay, dearheart. Why don’t you sit down in the middle right there, hunh? Get yourself comfortable.”

Pauline, finding that to be a good idea, did as told and sat herself cross-legged in the center of his palm. She planted her hands to either side of her for balance. Smart girl. Once she settled, his fingers curled in around her, not enough to enclose her, but to make a barrier to keep her from falling. She sat in nervous silence, glancing at her surroundings. Slowly, carefully, Clay lifted his hand from the ground. The girl tensed, but made no sound as he brought her up to eye level. It was even more obvious now how small she was compared to him.

Up close, Clay could get a better look at her. Her clothes were dirty and torn in places, she had a layer of dirt and mud caking her skin, and her arms and legs had a good many abrasions. Overall, though, she looked fine. Stressed and ready to get home to her parents, but fine.

Her sniffling snapped Clay out of his silent observation. He blinked twice and regarded the girl inquisitively. She’d begun shaking in his hand, and little tears pooled in her eyes.

“Now now, Miss Pauline. You’ve gotten this far. You can be brave for a bit longer.” A warm smile spread across his lips. She was a cute little girl. Tough, too. If she weren’t so terrified, the centaur might have given her a little nuzzle. Instead, though, he’d give her what she was promised for her bravery. Clay brought the girl closer and tipped his head forward, letting his forelocks hang closer to her. He closed his eyes, hoping that it might make the girl more comfortable. Once all stopped moving, Pauline stood up, still a bit shaky. She reached out to the long strands, taking a handful and filtering it through her fingers. Clay had not been lying; the hair on his head was much softer than that on his tail or his fur. Pauline was immediately enraptured. She ran her hands through it, rubbed a lock to her cheek, fluffed it and smoothed it again. She took a chunk and loosely braided it, giggling softly. Clay was content to let her do as she pleased. He was surprised, though, when she moved closer and ran a hand over his eyebrow. Said eyebrow twitched, then joined its counterpart in a furrow.

“What are you doing, little one?” He spoke not with any accusation, but rather kind amusement.

“You’re missing hair on this one,” she said, touching his right brow. Clay opened his eyes, but she was too close for him to focus on. His eyelashes brushed her arms, drawing another giggle from her.

“Yep. Got a cut a long, long time ago, and the hair never grew back.” His smile widened. A child’s wonder was a marvelous thing to see. To be the object of that wonder was, in a way, flattering. After everything this girl had been through over the past couple of days, she deserved some happiness.

“Could I please touch your beard?” she asked. Wordlessly, Clay obliged. He tipped his head back, lifting his chin so she could reach it. With far less hesitation than before, the girl pushed her hands into the shorter hair. It wasn’t as soft as the hair on his head, but still softer than his tail. It tickled her palms as she rubbed along his chin and jaw.

Clay glanced up at the sky, noting the sun’s position. There was still time, but noon was approaching.

“Dearheart,” he said, gently pulling his head back so he could better regard her. “I’d love to let you braid my hair all day, but I think it’s time I got you back to your parents.”

The girl’s eyes lit up, as if she’d suddenly remembered why Clay was here at all. She nodded eagerly.

Warmth filled Clay’s chest. He reached with his middle finger to give her a gentle pat to the head. “Sit down now, just like before. I’ll take you to them.” Obediently, she did as told and returned to her previous spot. Clay pulled his hat back onto his head, then cupped his free hand next to his occupied one for extra security. “Hold on, now. This might be a bit bumpy.”

That was putting it lightly. A centaur standing up was a rocky ride. He lurched as his hooves found footing under him, making the girl yelp and grab onto his pinky. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped harder when she was suddenly lifted even higher into the air.

“It’s alright, Miss Pauline,” Clay said. “You ready to go?”

She nodded, though she kept her eyes closed.

Standing up was the rough part. Clay, like most centaurs, could keep his upper body steady through a full gallop. While walking, the worst Pauline had to endure was a little bit of easy swaying. He periodically glanced down at her as he picked his way through the forest, happy to see that most of her fear was gone. She looked around at the giant trees and bushes with a new sense of awe. From up here, things didn’t look quite so daunting. The fact that no predators could reach her provided a great deal of comfort too.

With comfort came confidence. The girl started asking questions about the forest, about Clay, about centaurs and other large creatures. Clay indulged her curiosity as best he could. Having lived with these woods his whole life, he was something of an expert. Were they not on a bit of a time constraint, he would have been happy to stop and show her some of the things he talked about, like the bright mushrooms or the abandoned bird nests.

Clay could smell the river before he could see it. He could hear it, too, as they drew closer. Over the sound of its flowing, he could hear some voices, too––human voices. Dogs barking greeted him first as the animals sensed his approach. He paid them no mind, nor the startled noises of the humans as he pushed through the trees and into the path that ran perpendicular to the river.

“Mr. Hess!” said a familiar voice. Sanouk waved to him, and he nodded in return.

“Afternoon, Miss Sanouk.” The centaur stopped a few yards away from the group of humans, both for courtesy and safety’s sake. He curled his fingers again to keep his charge secure as he once more lowered himself down to the ground. “I believe I’ve found who we were looking for.”

Sanouk eyed him curiously, then looked to his cupped hands. Her expression morphed from confused to elated. “You found her?” The rest of the group perked up at the news too.

Clay nodded and turned his attention to the girl in his hands. “Miss Pauline, these people were out here looking for you too. They’re real’ nice. I’m sure they’ve got some snacks and water they’d be happy to share with you.”

Pauline looked uncertain, but the mention of food and water brightened her mood. Clay brought his hands down to the ground and flattened his fingers. A few of the other humans cheered and whooped their joy. Sanouk looked ready to cry. She took a knee and held her arms out to the girl.

“Come here, child. Come get something to eat and drink. Your parents will be here soon.” She beckoned with her hands.

Pauline looked back to Clay, who gave her an encouraging nod, then she scampered out of his hands and ran into Sanouk’s arms. The woman embraced her tightly. She mouthed a word of thanks to Clay, then lifted the girl up and carried her to the crowd, many of whom already had water and food to offer. Clay straightened and crossed his arms, satisfied that the girl was now safe.

A few humans broke from the group to thank Clay for finding the girl. He humbly shrugged off their thanks, saying that they were all out here looking for her. Any one of them would have brought her back if they’d found her. He was just the lucky one. Still, it was nice to see that at least some of the humans were warming up to him.

Over the next half hour, the other groups filtered in. The Kellys were part of the last group to arrive. Pauline spotted her mother before either parent could receive the news. “Mama!” she yelled, startling the whole group. Both parents looked up, bewildered, to see their daughter sprinting towards them. Their knees hit the ground, arms outstretched, and cocooned the girl in a long-overdue embrace. A chorus of sniffles and relieved sighs echoed throughout the whole group. Clay looked away, not wanting to intrude on a personal moment. He was just happy to see the Kellys reunited.

After a few minutes, approaching footsteps drew the centaur’s attention back. Ears pricked, he turned his head to see O’Rourke walking his way. The old man wore a grin as wide as his face.

“I’m told you’re the one that found her.”

Clay dipped his head once. “Out in section six. Got to her just in time, too. Found her in a log with a lizard trying to get at her, the poor thing.”

O’Rourke raised a fuzzy brow. “Have any trouble catching her?”

“No, not really. I let her come to me. Figured she’d been through enough; she didn’t need me grabbing for her and scaring her more.” He lifted his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. His pinky caught on one of the braids the girl had left there. It brought a fond smile to his lips. “She okay? Didn’t look too banged up to me, but I’m no doctor. Certainly not no human doctor.”

“She’s fine,” O’Rourke said with a wave. “Better now that she’s back with her family. Thank you, Clay, for coming out today. We wouldn’t have found her without you.”

“I don’t know about that,” Clay said.

“I do. Don’t be so modest. You saved that girl’s life today,” the old man insisted.

Clay was ready to retort, feeling a little indignant with his modesty being challenged, but he paused when he spotted others approaching. O’Rourke followed his gaze to the Kellys, Marty and Lana, heading over. Pauline was held in her mother’s arms, clutching a snack bar that she eagerly munched on. They stopped next to O’Rourke, who gave the father a firm pat on the shoulder before he departed.

The father spoke first. “Mr. Hess…?”

“Clay,” he corrected.

“Clay…” he repeated, clearly uneasy. “I––we wanted to thank you for finding our daughter. We knew that if we didn’t find her today, she might…” he trailed off as his voice started to shake, and swallowed thickly.

Clay shrugged humbly. “No need to thank me, Mr. Kelly. I’m just happy I could help. Happy to see her safe.”

“You saved her life,” the mother said. She looked less afraid than her spouse, like her strength and courage returned with her child. “You’ve done us a great service. How could we ever repay you?”

Clay frowned. These humans didn’t listen, did they? It must be their tiny ears. He shook his head. “I don’t need repayment. A child was lost, and I helped find her. I just did what any decent man would do.”

“But––”

He waved a hand, cutting off any rebuttal. “You wanna repay me? You take that girl home, get her cleaned up and healthy again. You take care of her and raise her well. That’s plenty reward for me.”

The parents stared up at him, clearly feeling contrary. Before they could say anything, though, Pauline started to squirm and protest the hold she was in. Once mother reluctantly set her down, the girl ran towards Clay. She beamed up at him, arms held over her head. The centaur went still, going so far as to halt his breathing.

“Clay!” the girl called, waving her hands. There was no trace of her previous fear.

Clay allowed himself a breath and a smile. “Yes, dearheart?” She pointed to his hands. Now it was his turn to be hesitant, but he did still oblige the child. He lowered a hand for her, offering her his forefinger. She latched onto it, hugging as tightly as she could. The gesture filled his hearts with a warmth he didn’t often experience.

“Now now, don’t go getting all sappy on me,” he chided gently. He couldn’t return the hug, but he could allow her to hold on for as long as she wanted. Her parents followed behind, both resting a hand on his knuckles.

“Thank you, Clay,” the father repeated.

The centaur shook his head. “It was my pleasure.”

Pauline held on for another minute before her mother coaxed her away. Clay pulled his hand back, still aware of the little warm spot where she’d held him. He gave the family a wave as they retreated back to the crowd, no doubt ready to head home and tend to their daughter.

Clay didn’t stick around much longer. There was nothing left for him to do here. The girl was safe. The family was whole. He was happy. With all humans a safe distance away, the centaur gathered himself up to his feet, tipped his hat farewell to the crowd, and turned to the forest to head home.

He could celebrate the day on his own with a bottle of his homemade cider.

[imagine-what-would-happen]

A Little Bit of Grey

So this is a little fic I’m going to be doing about Kylo Ren, I’m not entirely sure if I’m going to make it a kylo x reader fic or if it will go more in the direction of an OC character. Personally I don’t think it would make much of a difference in how the story turns out so I guess we will see! Let me know what you guys think! If you guys like it then I will definitely continue and give it chapters and a master list... all of the things a fic and its reader’s need! Enjoy!

Word count: 3.1k

Warning: Little bit of swearing and minor mentions of rape.

Link to Part 2

Link to Masterlist

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Sweat dripped down the heated skin of his face, he could hear his heart in his ears, the drum that continuously became heavier with every breath he took. Kylo could taste the blood flowing off his lip from biting it with so much force. Ironic, he could use the force with such ease and yet, the force within him, was an animal that refused to be caged, there was nothing he could do. When he finally let out his breath, ragged and jagged, he only then realized what he had done, it was just another opportunity for everyone aboard to fear him, another rumour to support the fact that he could not control himself.

Glass clinked and shattered under his heavy boots, spread all along the elevator floor. He shook his head bitterly, he could never be better than this, never be better than a child with a mere power that could crush a man’s life in seconds without so much as taking a step forward. That is what Snoke insinuated anyways. 

The doors slid open with ease, two men standing there, their eyes widening within the moment, seeing Kylo Ren in the flesh, without his helmet was nearly unheard of. “Clean this crap up” He muttered then pushed past the two dumbfounded guards, nearly sending the shorter of the them to the ground with his force.

Kylo’s steps were heavy, heavier than usual, he felt the weight of the universe on his shoulders... rightly so because it was, and the pull to the light never made anything easier. His eyes were grounded to the polished floor, making sure to not look directly down for fear of seeing his shameful reflection staring back up at him. It was always hardest after getting reamed out by Snoke. Darth Vader was his idol, but Snoke was alive and his Supreme Leader... even if he hated it, he had no one to turn to after his conversations with Snoke.

He tried to hide the pain on his face after accidentally biting on his already wounded lip. He couldn’t bare to deal with the worried and gapping faces he saw in his peripheral vision, passing him in the hallways, trying to be as discreet as possible. Usually he would deal with each of them in the most painful ways possible but all of his energy was spent on the absolute destruction of his helmet in the elevator. He just needed to get to his chambers, get out of this horrendous suit he always had to wear to prove his loyalty. Who knew that the dark side has a uniform, makes you think twice about joining. 

A damn stormtrooper manages to make everything worse by stumbling into Kylo’s swift stride, almost grabbing onto his garments before realizing who he was holding onto then snapping back to attention.

“Apologies, commander!”

Kylo simply rolled his eyes, keeping the grimace on his face. “Find your balance before your face finds its way to the floor”, he snapped at the storm trooper. 

“Y-yes, sir” He managed to get out, audibly gulping before remembering the situation he was in. Quickly running to get to his comrade struggling with a prisoner.

This grabbed the commander’s attention as he came to a sudden stop, watching the girl fight off the two uniforms trying to restrain her. Kylo crossed his arms watching with amusement as the girl sent the troopers stumbling into one another. There was a wildness about her, it made his head tilt just slightly recognizing the absolute rage, he had to hold down a smirk, but could not resist his eyes focusing on her.

It was only when she finally got her hands on a blaster that he fell back to attention. She aimed at the masked man who was not knocked utterly unconscious by the severe beating that had been dished out. Kylo began reaching out his hand to use the Force to control her but stopped himself. She was not going to shoot. She could beat them both completely to the brink, but it was obvious in her eyes that she could not go any further. The conflict in her was real, it was prominent, she tried desperately to not close her eyes, to not show fear or guilt. He easily sensed these things off her, it was radiating all around her. He wondered if she ever had taken a life. 

He saw her trembling further and further and decided to end her suffering. He Force controlled the man into knocking his head into the near by wall, then her, forcing her to drop the weapon, letting it skid against the floor, hitting by a metallic pipe. She gritted her teeth and was trying to struggle, although she knew it was pointless. Her eyes snapped to Kylo’s, his hand out stretched in her direction. The grimace had left his face without his knowledge of when. Only left with curiosity, a raised eyebrow with eyes that studied her.

“You’re feisty, aren’t you.” His held tilted, restraining himself from turning her to study her further, he never truly saw anyone around him lose control like that... like him.

“Better than the soulless puppets you got in this shit show of an Empire... sorry my bad, second order.” She stated. Kylo figured she had been thinking about that idea for quite a while with how badly the phrasing came out, it was so corny it nearly made him crack a smile at the mere attempt. He was enjoying this.

“May I ask what you were thinking of doing after getting past the two dimwits over there?” He asked with a slight cockiness in his voice. He could see she was not in the mood to play games, she was probably thinking of the many ways she has imagined killing him. 

“If you’re going to kill me, get it over with already. I don’t feel like being your creepy play thing.” She spat, taking Kylo completely aback. He nearly dropped her, letting go of her with the Force. She stumbled slightly, she had not been further off the ground than where the tips of her toes could touch, but the release nevertheless surprised her. She looked utterly confused, now it was her raising the eyebrow at Kylo.

“Not that it matters what you think, but I’m not like that. The dark side doesn’t employ creeps... at least not to my knowledge” He muttered the last part at the end.. a few names and faces came to mind as he was thinking about it more and more. He tried not to obviously cringe at the thought, this is why everyone hates us. He shook the thought away and focused back on the girl who he saw was trying to make another attempt to flee. Did his question really not resonate with her, or did she actually have a plan? Just as Kylo was about to Force her back from the corner she had rounded just moments ago, he heard a scream. 

“Let go of me!” She screeched. Kylo didn’t know why but in the moment she screamed, his breath caught in his throat, it was not until she was rounded back the way she came that he let it out. Storm troopers will vary on if they shoot on sight, it depends on if they’ve gotten the courage and spite built up in them yet, it depended on various things. The First Order thought they were so good at manipulation and brain washing but Kylo knew better. These were all still people inside, not monsters, not like him.

The girl groaned and struggled in the cuffs she was now placed in, with several storm troopers around her, Phasma leading the way. “You seem to have lost dropped some garbage, commander.”She stated confidently. The storm troopers dropped the girl to her knees in front of Kylo. “Shall I dispose of it for you?” There was near anticipation and a dark kind of giddiness in Phasma’s voice, she was pulling her blaster from her holster.

“No! Uh- N-no, no need for that. Thank you, Captain Phasma. No sense in waisting time on her. She’s with the rebellion... throw her in the prison. I’ll deal with her later.” Kylo had no idea why he lied for her, what he was trying to save her for. He even saw the girl’s eyebrow furrow and then arch as he spoke for her. Phasma, even with the chrome helmet on, seemed to be just as confused.

“Right away then, commander. Move!” She ordered the troops. Kylo watched them raise her to her feet and shove her along, down a near by corridor. What in Vader’s name was he doing?

Kylo waited until he could no longer hear the timed footsteps when he finally took in a deep breath and ran his fingers through his dark locks. Why did he have to make things complicated for himself. Snoke would obviously hear about this, he would expect information about the rebels to come from this. He sighed heavily, that would be a problem for tomorrow, for now Kylo just wanted to get to his chambers and take the long hot shower he desperately needed.

It had been nearly six hours since Kylo had witnessed that storm of a woman. He had showered, put on a pair of sweatpants and sweater he had to wear in his chambers only. They were the only non-black clothes he had, they were a soft grey colour. He felt at ease in them, at least as much as he could. Kylo managed to pace around his chambers over a dozen times, that was saying a lot with how big his chambers actually were. It was well in the middle of the night shift aboard what could be called his home. It was the least manned of any time, granted there were still quite a few guards around, but a lot less than normal. He decided to take his chance and go with his gut. He had to see her, make something up, see if she was actually with the rebellion and he could luck out. He had no idea why he saved her, he had no idea why he even bothered talking to her. He was supposed to be focused on his tasks... Maybe Snoke and everyone else was right, maybe he could’t control himself.

That’s it, he was not going to go. He crossed his arms and sat himself on his bed, trying to convince himself that he would sit here until he felt tired enough to sleep, although that would be difficult with his dominant hand being severely cut up. Even while wearing his gloves, it had not stopped his hand - mostly his knuckles - from bleeding and bruising due to the scene in the elevator. He sighed, at least this would give him an excuse as to why he was out at this hour, not like he needed an excuse, but it was still easier than just giving another poor idiot back problems for life. 

He got up and headed down to the prison. Having quietly gone down the stairs he told the guard to go and do something else... immediately. The guard quickly rushed off, accidentally slipping on one of the steps and mumbling “I’m okay”, then continuing to rush away, this time holding onto the hand rail. Kylo shook his head, his locks falling over his eyes. He swept them back as he walked over to the only cell in use. The girl was laying on the floor asleep, her back facing him. He couldn’t understand why she was on the floor when each cell had a cot, granted it probably was not the most comfortable... at all, but it would be better than the floor. Every time he thought he understood this girl, she would surprise him. He Force pulled a stool toward him from off to the side. The guards were not supposed to be sitting while at their posts, it made them seem less at attention, but after being on the dark side for so long, Kylo knew a few things, and he did let things slide. He didn’t always want to hurt people. His emotions just got the better of him a lot. Its one of the things he struggled with heavily while training with uncle Lu-... Luke Skywalker. 

Those thoughts had been popping up more and more recently. Associating his past... his family... with emotions and memories. He had to stop, it was what was pulling him further and further into the light. He already made his choice, there was no going back now, even if he did. No one would trust him, everyone would think of him as a traitor. No, he wanted to take care of everything, he needed to become the next leader. Soon enough, Snoke would have his last day, and then there would be nothing, not even Hux in his way.

Before taking a seat on the stool Kylo stopped himself. He saw that she was shivering in her sleep. He bit his lip and looked around, there would be no blankets or pillows anywhere. No one particularly cared about keeping prisoners comfortable here. Wait no, why did he even care about keeping her warm. She wanted - still does - want to kill him! She had murder in her eyes, she was wild, she was on a rampage, and she... she was just like him. He sighed and gave in. Shaking his head he walked to the control panel for her cell and checked one more time to make sure she was sleeping before opening the lock. 

The doors made a hissing sound as they diverged from one another, he slowly took a step inside. He studied her one more time before beginning to pull his grey sweater off. As he began to pull the soft material up, his white tank top tagged along and came up, “Shit” was muttered as his head got stuck on its way out. Only then did he hear a scream.

“Get the fuck away from me!” the girl screeched yet again, but this time kicked in the side of his knee, making Kylo buckle to the ground, his sweater and tank top both still locked in an embrace around his head and arms. His head hit the floor with a loud thud and then it was black.

His own groans woke him. Kylo reached to touch the back of his head but felt unable. His brows furrowing he managed to blink his eyes awake, trying to look around. His arms and legs were tied with his thick sweater and tank top. He scoffed then looked to the opposite corner of the cell, the girl was standing, pointing his own blade back at him. Kylo kept it on him at all times in case of emergencies, the Force was easily draining... “What the hell happened?” He muttered and tried to rub the back of his head against the wall. “And why did you take off my clothes?” He groaned then looked to her for answers, he did not realize human eyebrows could possibly go that high. 

“What happened was that your filthy scum of self tried to rape me!” She stated blatantly, pointing the blade closer at Kylo. 

He scoffed, “Don’t compliment yourself, princess.” Rolling his eyes he noticed that the cell doors had closed “Are you kidding me!”. The cell doors automatically lock after a few minutes. 

He groaned, throwing his head back at the wall and then wincing at the wound. “Look I was trying to warm you up by-”

“By raping me!” She accused further. 

“Oh shut up,” Kylo scoffed. “I was going to give you my sweater, you idiot!” he nearly spat. He definitely was not in a good mood, he was far too tired for this, further more, he never got his hand bandaged, though that sting was nothing compared to his head right now. “The sweater got stuck and my top rolled up with it underneath!” He shook his head, he could only imagine the ways people would believe that he could not control himself now. He wanted to be feared... but not in this war, that was not him at all.

The girl could be seen slowly putting down the blade from his peripheral vision. “Can you just untie me, I rather not get caught here like this.” His eyes wandered down. He was so ashamed, this was pathetic, he had to stop getting involved. “You can keep pointing the blade at me if you wish, its just cold in here.” He could feel goosebumps coming along his arms and a shiver running down his back.

Looking over to the girl he could tell she wasn’t sure of what to do. He made a choice, “I can use the Force. I could get you to untie me, I could get whatever I want, but I’m asking you, please.” His eyes connected with hers. 

“I’m keeping your blade.” She muttered as she came closer. “You make any moves and I will stab you in the face.” She held the blade less than an inch away from his cheek.

“You think it’ll make me more approachable?” He tried to break the tension and was quickly made aware that it did nothing for him. He let out a breath. “Yes, I get it, I just want to get out and then I’ll leave you alone okay?”

She gave a quick nod and untied Kylo. “Whats your name anyways?” He questioned. She gave no response. “Where are you from?” he raised an eyebrow. Again, nothing. “Are you with the resistance?” he tried and managed to get a scoff from her. 

“No way, those guys are idiots.” She muttered more to herself than to him. He became confused. 

“Then how did you come aboard?” She was done untying him and he slowly began putting his clothes back on. 

“Are you getting out or what?” She questioned, her eyes studying him, probably wondering if she had made a mistake.

“Yes, I’m going.” He reassured her. He looked to the control panel and used the Force to get the doors to open, the familiar hiss coming about.

He was so tempted to make her feel better using the Force, if he could force people to do things, then maybe he could force them to feel things. He wasn’t too sure, he hadn’t gotten that far in his training and Snoke was not much of a teacher. He shook both the idea and memory from his mind. He didn’t know why but... he did not want to control her.

He stepped out of the cell, hands still in the air, and then began closing it, right as the doors were about the slam shut, he Force pulled the knife from her hand and into his and smirked - the girl scoffing, “Goodnight, girl”.

[catsundercherryblossoms]

A Christmas Kiss// HFP special ❣️🎄

Summary: The 104th cadets have a little celebration… a little too much celebration.

*Note: You don’t have to read my series/fic to understand this. It can be read as a stand-alone Eren x OC imagine. For those of you who have read HFP, this takes place somewhere between chapters 2-3* 

And of course, I’m late for everything, so I do apologize that its already been 3 days after Christmas... oops!

Happy reading (:

//Christmas morning//

“So… what do you want for Christmas, Jo?” Reiner asked.

We were sat at the lunchroom, in the middle of breakfast. I looked up from my porridge and raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it too late to be asking that?”

Reiner shrugged. “Eh, I can still pull some strings. Just tell me what you want.”

“Some peace of mind.” I put simply. The idea of people getting me a gift was… weird. This has got to be the first time someone proposed getting me something for a special occasion. Jean is the only person to have made such a gesture like that in the past. Usually for Christmas or Valentine’s day, he’d make me a flower crown out of random wildflowers he’d find around town. Back then we were kids and we couldn’t afford anything better. I loved each and every one he made for me, though. Then, of course, we signed up for the cadet corps, and he hasn’t done it ever since.

Point is, I don’t know how to accept kind gestures from people.

Reiner waved me off and turned to Annie. The kind of wave that hints he’s not ready to give up yet. “What about you, Annie?”

She didn’t even look at him. “For Christmas?”

“Yeah.”

“I want you to stop being a—“

BANG! The doors flew open, slamming against the walls.

“Ho, ho, ho!” A woman I’d never seen before in my life strolled in. Everyone’s eyes were on her, confused. She wore glasses, carried a large red sack over her shoulder, and walked forwards with a bounce in her step.

I didn’t know who she was. I just knew it was too early for someone to be this cheerful.

“Hello, cadets! Wow, good turnout this year. Lots of fresh faces!” She said loudly, “I’m Hanji Zoe, a squad leader in the brave and mighty Survey Corps! I’m sure you’ve heard of them.”

“We’ve heard the death rates.” Someone— probably Jean— mumbled a few tables away.

She either didn’t hear him or decided to ignore it. She continued like nothing, “Anyway, I’ll be Santa Claus this year. I’ve got hand-knitted gifts for each of you to keep you warm! But first, I’ll be introducing you to my elves!”

“Elves?” I muttered. No offense to this lady, but it doesn’t take an idiot to know this was all a publicity stunt to promote the Survey Corps and get us interested in joining them. It’s like luring a baby with candy. Except the candy is death. And babies don’t like death.

“C’mon!” She beckoned to a presence outside, which turned out to be four people. They were dressed in elf costumes, the tips of their floppy hats jingling with a shiny gold bell. What was priceless was their faces. It was blatantly obvious that they didn’t want to be here.

Snickers spread across room. I heard Jean wheezing and banging his fist on the table.

“This is Eld, Gunther, Oluo, and Petra.” The lady, Hanji, indicated to each as she said their name. She then turned to us with an exaggerated pout. “Humanity’s Strongest, also known as Corporal Levi, was supposed to be here today but I’m afraid he couldn’t show up because of unexpected paperwork—“

“He didn’t come cause he didn’t care.” Oluo interrupted dryly.

“Shhh, you sourpuss! They don’t need to know tha—“

“Hanji,” Gunther said, nodding towards us as a whole. “They’re waiting.”

“Oh, right.” She set down the red sack and opened it. “Presents!”

Hanji and her four elves went around the lunchroom giving out presents, which consisted of mittens, scarves, and sweaters. Oh and you could tell they were hand-knitted, alright. They were lumpy, deformed, and the sweaters were especially scratchy. Some thought the gesture was cute, others held their items awkwardly like they didn’t know what to do with them, and others excused themselves from the table before the elves could get to them.

Hey, I’m not one to let myself be buttered up this way, but I at least pretended to be listening while Hanji listed out the “benefits” of joining the Survey Corps. Stuff like “you’ll be fighting for humanity” and “helping create a better future”, completely skidding around the fact that you’re most likely going to die while doing it.

Needless to say, Eren was the first to put his sweater on. What a tool...

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Reiner said once I had received my sweater, wrapping his own blue scarf around his brawny neck. He obviously thought this was very funny.

“Not a chance.” I said, holding the sweater in my lap. It was three sizes too big and a blinding red, with gold accents. I’d look like a ridiculous ornament in it.

“Oh, don’t be like that. Pleeaaasee? For me? Look, Bert’s got his mittens on.”

I looked at Bert, who was currently —and nervously— trying to free a finger he had gotten caught in the stitching.

“Annie, where’s your scarf?” Reiner asked, trying to find a good example.

“I fed it to Sasha.”

“What? Sasha doesn’t eat— you know what, never mind. I wouldn’t be surprised...” Reiner shook his head, turning to me again. “C’mon Jo. Have a little Christmas spirit.”

“I think that’s asking for too much. We both sold our souls.” Annie said, giving me a subtle wink.

I looked at Reiner helplessly. “She’s not wrong.”

“Heh.” Someone scoffed behind me.

Ugh, what now? I turned around and saw none other than Eren Jaeger, looking down at me in disapproval. He folded his arms over his chest stuffily. “I can’t believe someone can be so arrogant as to not accept a gift.“

By now, Hanji and her Survey Corps elves had packed up and left unnoticed.

“Who says I’m rejecting it? I just don’t want to wear it right now.” I said irritatedly. God, he had a talent for getting on my nerves.

He wasn’t buying it. “Oh please,” he said exasperatedly, “there’s no need for charades. Just admit you and Jeanie-boy have a superiority complex.”

“Hey!” Jean perked up.

That’s it. I slammed my hands on the table, getting up. “You got a problem, Jaeger?”

“Only with stuck-up people who worship the military police!” He fired back.

I stepped closer, not fazed by the fact that he was a foot taller. “I’ll beat up your ass one more time, suicidal blockhead.”

“Is that so, egotistical midget?”

“What will it take for you to believe me?”

“I don’t know— prove it!”

“Fine!” I took the damn sweater and pulled it over my head, letting it drape down to my knees. By now the whole lunchroom was watching as I angrily stepped onto my chair to gain some height, facing him smugly, itchy and with hair all ruffled from static. “There. Happy now?”

One giggle. Two giggles. Next thing I know everyone is gushing, saying stuff like awwww and so cute! I looked around in disgust. Do they think this is amusing? What the fuck am I, some kind of baby zoo animal?

Eren just stared at me in surprise, mouth agape. Strangely enough... a blush tinted his cheeks.

Don’t tell me... ugh, not him too.

I rolled my eyes and took off the sweater, balling it up and throwing it back on the table. How embarrassing.

The doors flew open again. “Alright, you maggots!” Instructor Shadis said, “Out on the courtyard! FIFTY LAPS!”

Everyone started streaming out the door, making noises of complaint. Eren walked away without another word and I did too, heading out with Annie by my side.

“Say goodbye to people taking you seriously as a soldier.” Annie smirked.

I groaned, knowing she was right.

*

*

*

//Later that night//

We waited anxiously for Sasha to come back. Connie chewed his nails, probably planning out his eulogy for his friend’s funeral, which was sure to happen if she got caught.

We didn’t think it was possible, but Sasha actually managed to come up with her stupidest idea yet. This exceeded all her other stupid moments, including eating a potato in front of the Instructor’s face. The girl manages to beat her own record every day.

Sasha proposed we stay up past curfew and have a festive gathering in the girls dormitory. Oh, and steal a liquor bottle from Instructor Shadis’s office. Everyone tried to convince her to calm down, but she was dead set on us having some holiday fun, so she went ahead and left on a mission to get that liquor.

It’s been fifteen minutes since then. And here we are, already mourning.

The boys were here too. Those who were invited made the brave journey and, surprisingly, did not get caught by the Instructor’s nightly patrol. Who were they exactly? Bertholdt, Reiner, Marco, Connie, Jean, Armin, and... Eren freaking Jaeger.

I didn’t look at him and he didn’t look at me. It was better that way.

We heard footsteps and a light knock on the door. If it’s the Instructor... we’re all in deep shit. Nobody moved, nobody breathed. Mikasa carefully pushed aside the curtain and peered through the window. “She’s back.”

Connie and Krista scrambled towards the door, unlocking it and opening it wide for Sasha. The brunette walked in casually as though she had just gotten back from a midnight stroll. She smirked and raised the liquor bottle high and proud for us all to see. Several people whooped and cheered. Annie and I just shared glances. Well... at least she was safe.

Sasha popped the cork off the bottle. “Who’s up for a round of truth or dare?”

//One Hour Later//

What started out as one round turned into seven rounds. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the game. Me, not so much. Watching other people enjoy the game was good enough entertainment for me, but I refused to participate and get dared to lick the bottom of my shoe, or worse, lick somebody. So I remained comfortably nearby with Annie and Mikasa, watching people make fools of themselves, taking a swig of the raunchy liquor whenever the bottle was passed around.

“Truth or Dare, Ymir.”

“Truth.”

“Is it true you like girls?”

“... Do ya’ll hear sumthin?”

That night was the night I discovered I could handle alcohol with no problem.

It was also the night I discovered Eren is a lightweight.

“My turn,” He hiccuped. “Truth or dare.”

“No, Eren. We ask you truth or dare.”

“Oh yeah.”  

Eventually, we moved on to a game of spin the bottle, seeing as some people kept mixing up truths and dares. This one I was forced to sit through. Literally. Sasha forced me to sit in a circle with them and we spun the bottle. Fifteen minutes in, and everyone had kissed or slapped pretty much everyone. Except me. Luck appeared to be on my side because the bottle hadn’t landed on me once. Thank goodness...

“There it goes...” Connie said as he spun the bottle.

The bottle slowed down to a stop, pointing towards Eren and Jean.

“Alright, Jean.” Connie yawned. We were all getting tired. “You have to slap Eren. Or kiss... you know, whatever you’re into.”

“Gladly.” Jean said and he pulled back his sleeve, about to swing.

Realizing he was a little too enthusiastic, it took a few of us to hold him back, and so we skipped them and spun the bottle again. This time it landed....

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

“Ooooh, now thats the kind of stuff I wanna see!” Connie said deviously. “Eren! You have to kiss or slap Johanna!”

Such a proposition made Eren snap out of his drunken reverie and look sober again. “What? I can’t slap—“

“Hell no. Don’t even try it, hotshot.” I said, trying to sound tough despite feeling my face heat up.

“Oh pleeeaaaseee?” Krista said, putting on puppy eyes. “Just one little kiss, it won’t mean anything!”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind seeing this.” Annie said with a shrug. Mikasa nodded in agreement.

The peer pressure surmounted and next thing I know, people were pushing us closer together. I’m sure my face must’ve looked like a tomato at this point. Maybe if it were anyone else it would be easier. But its Eren loud-mouth suicidal blockhead Jaeger…

Things were getting out of hand. If the commotion got any louder we would get found out for sure, and Instructor Shadis would make us run until our legs snapped in half.

“Fine, fine!” I huffed and looked at Eren, who seemed ready to shit himself. “Just get it over with.”

He leaned in. My stomach fluttered and I closed my eyes.

WHUMP!

A loud noise startled us all. Eren and I jumped apart, the moment officially ruined.

Sasha was on the floor face-down. We looked at her and then at the bunk beds, absolutely bewildered. Did she…

“Sasha, what the hell?” Ymir said. Her and Krista helped the brunette get up. “Did you dive off the top bunk?”

“I wanted to see if I could fly…” she whined, leaning on them for support. Looks like Eren wasn’t the only lightweight here.

Connie sighed. “Well, the party animal has been defeated. I think its time we call it a night, guys.”

Everyone agreed and in a manner of minutes, all the boys had said their goodbyes and Merry Christmas’s, filing quietly and stealthily out of the dormitory. I pretended not to notice, but I could’ve sworn I saw Eren steal one last glance at me before closing the door. Whatever… I tried not to think about it too much.

“Oh, well. Looks like the perfect Christmas kiss was between Sasha and the floor.” A ginger-haired girl, Hannah, said and stretched. We were all exhausted and eager to go to sleep.

“Yeah.” I said with a little smile, slipping into bed. Thanks to Sasha, I guess tonight was kind of fun.

The second my head hit the pillow, I felt an odd lump. That’s weird… I sat up and lifted my pillow, confused, only to find an unexpected surprise.

It was a flower crown. Adorned with baby’s breath, poppies, and daisies. My heart melted a bit, knowing exactly who it was from. He must’ve slipped it under my pillow sometime during the game. I unfolded the note besides it.

Its been a while...

Merry Christmas,

-Jean