#feel like i didn't stick the landing on this one but eh

[lunarrolls]

a moment of peace

[doe-eyed-fool]

Fallen {Chapter Eight}

Alastor x (fem)Reader

"I was also thinking we could add some gaming consoles. Just if you get some younger sinners coming through. Doesn't have to be all new, some people like older systems too." I say to Charlie. She was writing some of the ideas I had down as she listened.

So far, I had suggested a television with some movies to go along with it. As well as a Bluetooth speaker for playing music, and some board games. And it wouldn't hurt to add video games as well. "I think I can get my hands on some of those." Charlie says with a smile.

 "Any other ideas?" She asks. "Well, I did have an idea for advertisement. But first I have to ask, why haven't you created a build board yet?" I guess it would make sense for the city like aesthetics of hell would have build boards too. And I've seen tons. Advertising all sorts of things, even admittedly some pretty silly and downright stupid things.

"Well, it's not like I haven't tried." Charlie laughs weakly. "As you can imagine, no one is really taking my idea seriously. So, there's that. Also, there's a ton of people ahead of me trying to get one."

"But aren't you the princess of hell? Can't you just...you know? Make them bump you up to the front?" I ask. "Nah, I don't want to have to do that." Charlie shrugs. "I wanna try and do this my own way, without abusing my power. I've only had to do it once, and that was when Alastor showed up to the hotel. I had to convince him to not pull any stunts behind my back and to basically play nice with the people checking in." She explains.

"I guess even he has to listen to you." I say with a slight smile. "Eh, yeah. But it's like pulling teeth." Charlie sighs. "I believe you." I sigh as well. Charlie eyes me for a second before speaking again.

 "You said Alastor helped you find your way here from a bad spot. But how exactly did that happen? He isn't the most...friendly(?) of people." I felt a twinge of panic surge through me at that question. Though, I had a feeling the question would come up eventually. But I had hoped I'd never have to be the one to answer it.

"Um yeah...I was in bad shape when I landed in hell." I began, trying to make this as convincing as possible. "I was really injured and he helped me. Then he mentioned this place and brought me here. I uh...really want to go to heaven. And when he said there was a place to help me get there, I jumped at the chance."

"I see." Charlie nods. "I guess I'm still just a little shocked that he of all people offered to help someone out. He didn't try and trick you or anything...right?" She leans a little closer to me as she whispered. I smile as best as I could and shook my head. "Nope. I came here of my own will." Charlie leans back. "Huh. Ok. Maybe this place is rubbing off on him after all." She says, her smile returning. 

"Though, I have a feeling he'd deny it if I told him that." She chuckled. "Well, if you can't get a build board right now. Maybe stick to posting the hotel online? Maybe make an account just for the hotel and it's amenities?" Charlie takes out her phone.

"I've tried that. But there's not many followers, and the attention the hotel does get is mostly from troll accounts and overall dickheads." She says as she shows me the phone. She opened up an app called Sinstagram...uh, clever? And scrolled down to the comments under the photos.

And just as she said, it was filled with crude, hateful, and downright inappropriate comments. Very little people were taking it seriously.

"Oh, I see." I mutter. "I know you said you didn't want to use your status to get your way. But, I was thinking maybe use that kind of power in a good light." Charlie gave me a confused look, she stayed quiet, letting me explain further.

"Why not throw a ball and invite some persuasive people? Maybe the overlords? They seem pretty important. You could pitch the hotel to them personally, and if you can catch their interest, they're bound to talk about it." Charlie leaned back and hummed. 

"I do like the idea of a ball but...I don't know, the overlords never expressed any interest in the hotel. Besides, most if not all of them gain from people's sins. Especially in the entertainment industry, like Val and Vox. Those two are unstoppable when it comes to providing for the sinners in hell. Of course, they don't topple over the deadly sins themselves but uh..." Charlie trailed off when she noticed how lost I was.

She cleared her throat. "But, it wouldn't hurt to try...right?" She smiles weakly. I could only nod, matching the grin.

I did feel for her. Starting a project that you're very passionate about, only to be met with hate and dismissive comments has to sting. It seemed like even her own father didn't care about her dream. I wish there was something more I could do to help her.

"Hey, how about those new curtains huh?" I say, trying to brighten the mood. Charlie and I looked towards the large windows, the fancy velvet red curtains that accompanied them. For the past few days, the hotel has gotten a bit of a fixer upper. 

New furniture, wallpaper, and lighting had been installed into the hotel. We even gave the outside a good polishing, thanks to Alastor's help that is. Otherwise it would have taken much longer. And now with a new common room with various forms of entertainment on the way, the hotel was looking better with every passing day.

If it's one thing people could say about the hotel, that wasn't completely bashing or berating it, was that it looked aesthetically pleasing.

"If you did throw a ball, the look of the hotel will surely impress them!" I try to cheer her up. Charlie looked around before turning her attention back to me. "Ah, what the hell? Let's throw a ball." She says with a shrug. "I can't let the what if's get in my way. I won't! I will throw a ball, I will invite those uptight asshole overlords, and my parents! And I'm gonna show them just how effective this hotel can and will be!" I smile at her determination.

After getting to know Charlie, I've learned that she was all but willing to give up. Especially when it came to something she really cared about. And she certainly did care about this hotel. "I hope all goes well." I tell her. "You have a good heart Charlie. I want you to succeed." Charlie smiled warmly before hugging me. "Thanks Y/n."

I hug her back, and shortly after we parted. "Alright." Charlie nods. "I have a lot of planning to do. I'll catch you later, ok?" I nod my head and waved before she hurried off. Suddenly, a pang of anxiety hit me. And it was then I realized, I had never been to a ball before. Of course I hadn't. I mean, I haven't even been to a large party before. "Uh oh." I mutter.

"Something the matter?"

Ah yes. That's something I've gotten use to. Alastor's sudden voice in my ears have became somewhat normal to me over the past few days. I sigh before speaking. "Yes."

What followed was Alastor's breathy laughter that only stopped when he suddenly appeared beside of me. "Let me guess, it's about the ball that the princess is planning? Never had much experience mingling with important figures, I take it?" He asks smugly.

 "How did you guess?" I roll my eyes. "I'm kind of regretting giving her the idea now. Gosh...the overlords scare me enough. But Lucifer and Lilith being there...I think my heart's going to explode."

"Oh, try not let it. The heart is the best part, wouldn't want it to go to waste." I sent him a glare. "Very funny. Im serious."

"So am I."

I groan in annoyance before turning to face him. "I mean it. Im gonna make a fool of myself. Maybe I'll just fake being sick that day." I say with a sigh. "Nonsense! You'll do just fine." Alastor waved his hand dismissively. "Everyone at the hotel will be there, so you'll be around some familiar faces at least." He tells me. And admittedly, that did bring me some comfort.

I hadn't known these people well, but it was better than not knowing them at all. I got along pretty well with Charlie, but I am certain she'll be busy with the overlords and her parents at the ball. But surprisingly, me and Angel Dust had gotten along as well. 

Despite his rather...perverted and lewd behavior, he was actually pretty decent to talk to. And, I also felt a little sorry for him. From context, his boss seemed like a rather cruel and unforgiving guy. Abusive even. Angel's line of work was already tough and dangerous enough. To have a boss like that on top of it all...It must be exhausting.

But even with the somewhat comfort of knowing they would be there wasn't quite enough to convince me. "I don't even have a dress. I can't go to such a fancy event like this." I say, gesturing to my outfit. It wasn't terrible, but it most certainly wasn't ball wear. Causal, is the best way I could describe it.

"Then perhaps you should buy one." Alastor suggests. "With what money?" I counter. "Also I don't know any shops around here to even get a dress. I really think I should just skip out on the ball. Those types of things aren't for me anyway."

"Im sure Charlie would want you there. You're the newest guest in the hotel after all. It'd be strange if you didn't show up." Alastor says with a smirk, knowing he was right. I frowned deeply. I hate that he was right. "Fine I'll go." I say, defeated. "Wonderful! Now, come along." Alastor walks ahead of me.

"Where?" I hesitate before following after. "We're getting you a dress. Not to any shops around here of course. No no, we're going to proper shop for your dress. And I know just the place!" I stop in my tracks. "I already said I didn't have any money." I try to argue.

"Consider it a gift, from me to you." Says Alastor, a hint of false kindness in his tone. I narrow my eyes. No way. He'll want something in return for sure. I cross my arms, still not moving an inch. "What's the catch?" I ask.

"No catch." Alastor says simply. "I don't believe you." I mutter. Alastor only chuckled before snapping his fingers. Before I knew it, we were in front of a store. A big, fancy, expensive looking store. "Alastor!" I snap my head up at him. "After you." Alastor says, opening the door for me. Realizing there was nothing I could do to change his mind, I sigh and walk inside.

The clothes inside of the store looked just as fancy as the store. Soft music played in the background, it being the only noise in the otherwise quiet store. "Feel free to look around." Alastor tell me. I repressed the urge to shoot him a glare before walking further into the store. I didn't even know where to begin. Well, other than finding the women's section that is. "I guess...I just find the best looking one?"

"Or. You could look for one you like?" Says Alastor. "I mean yeah but. Shouldn't it be really fancy and elegant?" I ask him. "The king of hell is going to be there." Alastor looked at the dresses in front of me, he bummed before shuffling through a few. Then he pulled out a red and black dress.

It wasn't what I was use to, but I had to admit, it was a very beautiful dress. And conveniently was backless, perfect for my wings to fit through. "What do you think of this one? Elegant enough for you?" Alastor asks. I had to tear my eyes away from the dress to look at him. "Um, yes. I think that one is fine." I tell him.

He then hands the dress to me before leading me to the fitting rooms. "Go ahead and try it on then. See if we need to make any adjustments." I nod before walking inside one of the stalls and shutting the door behind me. After changing, I turn to the full length mirror behind me. 

To my surprise, I was left in awe at the sight of myself. My new form seemed to have complimented the dress wonderfully. I was actually taken back by how nice I looked. "Almost done?" I could hear Alastor call from the other side of the door.

"I am." I say before opening the door and stepping out. If I blinked, I would have missed how Alastor's brows shot up for a brief moment, before returning to normal. "My, how lovely!" He compliments. "I say it suits you quite well. But what about you? Too tight or loose in any areas?" He asks. I shake my head and look down at myself. "No, it fits pretty well. It's shocking comfortable too."

"Well then, let's check out." Alastor guides me to the register. The cashier politely greeted us, but quick to cower in fear as they noticed Alastor. They rang up the dress, eyes darting from the register to Alastor, as if waiting for him to lunge.

When I heard how much the dress was worth, my jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Al-" I didn't get a word out before Alastor bought the dress and escorted me out of the shop. As we left, I could hear the cashier sigh in relief.

What just happened?

(I published chapter eight too cause I got hit with a wave of motivation! Chapter nine and ten are in the works!)

[doubleodonut]

i really did want to like this season going in but ugh. like hearing oh it's written by burnie directed by matt, the seasons i don't like got entirely retconned (petty. i know. no shade to people who like the shisno trilogy i was just eh on it), clearly meant to be a return to reconstruction-era format in some way. all sounds fantastic. unfortunately

basically everything from sarge's death onward felt entirely un-earned and un-genuine. this is probably my biggest sticking point with it all. rvb has been extremely good at making these incredibly silly characters do emotional moments well in a way that feels true to the characters- the finale to season 13, for example, is one of the best bits in the show, imo. and that's a really delicate balance! because fundamentally, these characters are built on comedy, and often being mean to each other, and making genuine interpersonal moments between them can be a really tricky business. the emotional moments in restoration, for me, leaned way too far into the sappy side and as such felt entirely un-genuine, starting with sarge's speech and continuing for the .. most of the rest of it.

now, some other bits would have felt really good if it weren't for their surrounding stuff, if that makes sense? like. after sarge's death, simmons becoming first-in-command and immediately discharging grif. that's really good. that's REALLY GOOD it feels true to their characters and earnest in a way they would be. but the surrounding problems that i mentioned already made it land a looot softer than it should have.

the whole retcon thing was...really unclear, frankly. like, it was sort-of-stated in the trailer, but when the season opened with dylan, as well as the reveal of wash in the hospital, carolina doc and donut being gone, i'd figured that oh, the retcon implied in the trailer HADN'T actually happened, church's simulations just included the stuff that happened. (and also, you should be able to tell what's going on in a piece of media without having watched the trailers..) but no, the retcon was apparently real, this season took place directly after the chorus trilogy. just not communicated well.

where were carolina and donut. like, we know doc'd died but, like. where are those two. donut just ISN'T there (only just mentioned by dr. grey at one point and simmons at another), and carolina is. missing, for some reason, until she's needed for the final fight. given carolina's absence for most of the thing, her moments with tex also felt very underbaked.

the "doc's been dead the whole time!" twist was stupid i'm sorry. i feel like it could have been done well if the rest of the season was better but as it is it just feels cliche. i think i get what they were going for- we never saw the final climactic fight of season 13 because church never saw it, now coming back after however-many-months, we as the audience weren't filled in on how that battle happened, making a surprise "actually, x died!" thing narratively interesting. it just wasn't done well, imo

the meta as a villain was .. just strange as it was played out. the idea of meta!tucker? tucker stuck in his own body while being puppeted by the epsilon-fragments-as-meta? or even, like what epsilon thought was going on, tucker straight up heel-turn? that fucking rules. i am SO into that idea. but i really didn't like how it was done. epsilon-meta was just..goofy. their lines all sounded like a cartoon villain. so much threatening and so much..talking? like, compare to alpha-meta- silent save for the interconnected whispers of the ai, focused, driven, not having long protracted villain speeches. not that villain monologues are BAD, they just don't feel right for the fucking meta! it made them as a villain feel weird and, again, pretty cliche. also, like, the bit where they held the sword to simmons' face and started monologuing threateningly at him? just didn't fit with what we know about the meta at all. the meta would have fucking stabbed him without hesitation that was some felix-type shit

(now, maybe this was the influence of the "host" between either version of the meta. like, maine is silent, so maine-meta is silent. tucker is super chatty, therefore so is tucker-meta. that would have worked if a) tucker was actually the meta rather than just A Meat Puppet and b) the dialogue actually had any resemblance to how tucker talks rather than Stock Villain)

jumping off the topic of epsilon/tucker!meta. tucker was so stiffed this season. the meta could have been piloting a robot body and it would have made 0 difference. the torture scene didn't land and had basically no actual purpose. as others have pointed out, an ACTUAL villain!tucker could have been pretty fucking cool if done right, and would have been a really interesting twist on the meta. i think meat-puppet-tucker could also have been done interestingly, if we saw more of tucker and his conflicts with the ai, or, like, even what happened leading up to the meta Happening after the end of s13. but tucker, one of the imo most interesting and best characters in the entire show, just had almost no influence, purpose, no character development, nothing.

perhaps most damningly of all, it just. wasn't funny. there were a couple little jokes here and there that got a laugh out of me, but there was no sustained comedic energy throughout the thing, and a lot of the bits (church's youtube exposition, the zoom bit) dragged on for WAY too long. i cant believe they did the "ehh.......it's right behind me isn't it" bit entirely straight.

overall, i felt this season is overall underbaked. there were some very cool concepts, bits, and ideas, but all together just did not work.

[kissorkill16]

Search & Trigger: A Hello Neighbor Fanfic

By JJ

Summary: Nicky and Trinity go back in, despite the warnings.

Nicky looked at himself in the mirror and smiled.

He felt refreshed, relaxed, and alive. The strangest thing was that he didn't even know why.

Maybe it was the pills, he had been getting a more decent amount of sleep because of them. Or maybe it was the therapy, Mr. Murtaugh was being...not a creep like usual. Or maybe it was because he reconciled with all of his bullies, Finch and Delroy were starting to treat him better.

Either way, he felt great.

Then his phone buzzed.

He checked to see what it was, and he saw that he got a text from Trinity.

"Meet me at Mr. Peterson's house immediately."

His eyes widened when he saw the text.

Was this girl seriously thinking about going inside of that madman's house again? And after their last failed attempt as well? She must really want to know who Crowface truly is, huh?

"Now you know how she felt when you made her go with you in there.", Nicky thought to himself. "Shut up, brain."

He knew he didn't want to go back there, but Trinity needed him.

He'd do anything for Trinity these days.

Without another thought, he left his room and ran to Mr. Peterson's house.

He saw Trinity standing eagerly at the front of the house, her hands balled into fists. She looked very determined.

Trinity turned around to look at him and she smiled. "I didn't think you'd come.", she said. Nicky shrugged, "Eh. I know how important this is to you, and you need me.", he said.

They moved forward, and Nicky raised up a line of police tape. "Ladies first?", he said.

Trinity rolled her eyes, but she ducked under the line and Nicky followed close behind her.

After a while of walking in a house like this, you get used to stepping on loose planks of wood and when the lights flicker on and off. That's how Nicky and Trinity felt as they stepped into the house and were greeted with the dark atmosphere.

"Trin.", said Nicky, "Can we stick together this time? I'd rather not be alone in this house anymore, especially not in the dark."

Trinity looked at him for a moment, then she smiled and nodded. "Of course, Nicky. Just stay beside me."

They walked to the living room, completely oblivious to the crow man behind them.

The living room looked like even more of a mess than the last time they've been here. Wallpaper all torn up, boxes of junk spread out on the floor, and more flickering lights.

It smelled bad too.

The kids looked in different corners of the room, digging through any part of the house that might have something that would lead to the identity of the crow man.

As Nicky searched the area of the couch, his eyes landed on a picture of the Peterson family.

This one looked more new than the one he saw in Mr. Peterson's office. No tears, no sharp objects stabbed through the paper, no faces scribbled out, just a happy family picture.

When he saw it, he sighed, almost feeling like crying.

Then he saw a shadow.

The shadow was tall, and at first, he thought it was the shadow he saw in his nightmares. But then he noticed the beak.

Crowface.

He turned around to face the crow man, but he was gone. All that he saw behind him was Trinity, and she was holding a crowbar. When she saw him looking at her, her eyes widened in worry.

"What's the matter?", she asked.

"I think I saw it.", said Nicky. "Or I think I saw its shadow."

Trinity's eyes widened even more, this time, she looked shocked. She ran to Nicky and shook his shoulders. "Where did you see him? Which way did he go?"

"I thought he was behind me, but he's gone now."

Trinity looked both ways of the room, then she took Nicky's arm and ran out of the living room.

They ran to the kitchen, but stopped in their tracks when they saw a familiar shadow in the window. It was the crow man again.

The kids hid behind each side of the entrance of the kitchen.

"Is that him?", asked Nicky, "It looks like him."

"I don't know, Nicky.", replied Trinity, "It looks like him. But it's not moving."

Despite the fear, Trinity moved closer to the shadow near the window, her crowbar ready to swing. Once she was finally close enough, she tapped the window with her crowbar, and the shadow didn't move.

She looked closer at the shadow, and she saw that it was just a box with a lamp.

Trinity sighed in relief, "False alarm.", she said to Nicky. Nicky stood in the kitchen seeing that she was calm now.

"That's a relief.", he said. "Where should we look now?"

"Upstairs.", Trinity immediately said. "Maybe there's something in Mr. Peterson's office."

She ran out of the kitchen and started running up the stairs, and Nicky was about to follow behind her, but then he felt something grab his shoulder and pull him down the hall.

Nicky let out a muffled scream.

Trinity stopped in her tracks as she was about to make her way down the hall, and turned back towards the stairs. "Nicky?", she called out, praying that he would answer her.

He didn't call back.

Meanwhile, Nicky was struggling in the crow man's grasp, still screaming as he held a hand to his mouth.

"LET GO OF ME!", he managed to scream coherently, but he didn't let go, he just held onto the boy tighter.

"I warned you, Nicholas.", said the crow man.

He pulled out a familiar dirty bag from under his cloak, and Nicky's eyes widened, his heart plummeted, and his blood ran cold.

The crow man quickly put the bag over Nicky's head, tightening it around his throat as he tried to take it off.

What Crowface wasn't expecting was for Nicholas to be able to push him back. It was only for a split second though, and they tossed and tousled each other on the ground as the crow man tried to keep Nicky from breaking free.

Once he stopped struggling, Crowface loosened his grip on the boy, letting him stand up on his own. He leaned down, standing inches from his face.

"You need to go now, Nicky.", said the crow man, "It's not safe here."

Nicky didn't move, he only spoke back to the crow man, his voice emotionless.

"Not safe...not safe..."

[acaplaya-musings]

VoicePlay Thriller - thoughts/commentary

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Oh my god that was PERFECT! Unexpected in a few ways, but so amazing! And just enough spookiness and creepiness without actually being scary to me! Honestly I think it's tied with Be Prepared for my favourite VP release of 2024.

Obviously this is getting a VoicePlay Visuals; the video was amazing, I absolutely loved it, and all my concerns were for naught! It's so fun and cool! However, this post is just to share my thoughts on the arrangement and vocals and stuff. All my thoughts about the on-screen stuff are waiting for my proper visual analysis!

More yelling/rambling of mine below the cut!

Oh god, I'm gonna have to make this into a two-part Voiceplay Visuals, aren't I? Like what I did for Classical Chaos. There is so! Much! To talk about!!!

UPDATE: I actually went through and did a sort of "image tally", like just noting down tally marks to make a rough estimate of how many screenshots I might want to include in a post for this (e.g. "I might take one here" or "I might want two pics for this moment" or "I might grab three screencaps from this moment"), and yeah I ended up with just under 60 - this is absolutely becoming a two-part Visuals post.

Right out the gate it started to become clear that VoicePlay absolutely made this song their own (while still definitely "paying respect" to the original), which I suppose I shouldn't be surprised about - this was arranged by Geoff, after all, and he almost never arranges covers to be just a carbon-copy of the original, and this is certainly no exception!

Geoff's bassline is shorter than I thought it would be (not exactly like the original), and starting with vocals right out the gate definitely caught me off guard (UPDATE: actually Geoff's bassline changes and is pretty dynamic in this song and it's amazing actually)

With that being said, I GOT MY WISH!!!! Basically as soon as Geoff began the whole "darkness falls across the land" spiel I think I nearly exploded with joy.

While doing my image estimation tally, I also went back (for like my 5th watch) and took down some notes on the music arrangement and stuff, because this video has a lot of stuff in it, my memory is not always great, and I wanted more to talk about here.

The "I'm gonna thrill you tonight" bit obviously isn't in the start of the original song, but it is in there! Originally it's part of the "filler/adlib" (?) part in between the two halves of the spooky monologue (I don't know fancy song terminology don't @ me)

On the line "you see a sight that almost stops your heart", J removes the word "stop" (he momentarily stops singing, get it?), and then before you've even fully processed that surprise change, he follows it up with a riff down on the word "heart"!

So if you've ever watched the full-length Thriller music video, you'll know that it's a bit "odd" in the fact that it re-orders the parts of the song, so it goes 'verse-verse-verse-monologue-chorus-chorus-chorus', and I'm pretty sure it leaves out the bridge entirely? The album version goes the more typical route of 'verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-verse-chorus-chorus- monologue' (though having a verse after the bridge section is something I feel you don't really see that often in songs nowadays?).

VoicePlay, meanwhile, take a bit of inspiration from both versions of the song, and they go 'verse-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-verse-chorus-monologue-chorus'. Also, they take the chorus that was originally in between the first and second verses and stick it in between verse 2 and the bridge instead, meaning that we don't get the line "there ain't no second chance against the thing with forty eyes", which is a small shame because that line has always been a memorable one for me, but eh, minor personal hangup, it's no big deal. And the original music video version didn't have that chorus either I'm pretty sure

(Am I just stating the obvious? Perhaps. Am I actually making a point here? No. But this is as much for my own interest as for anything else).

ANYWAY, time for more actual song cover thoughts:

I loved how each person really got a chance to shine in this - everyone got plenty of parts to sing! (Well, except Layne who was just on backing harmonies and beatboxing, but he still very much got to shine on-screen, which I will say more about in my visual analysis!)

After the line "you hear the door slam" there's a percussion sound effect that kinda sounds like something slamming shut!

The lead-in to the first chorus here???? Like the way it goes "cause this is- cause this is- cause this is THRILLER!" with like the muffled audio effect on the first repeat, like dang it's honestly so groovy and funky

"You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller toniiiiight" yeah that was smooth

But seriously THE MONOLOGUE!!!! That was utter freaking perfection; guess Geoff's experience with doing narrations really came in handy, huh? I love the little inflection he put on "to terrorize y'all's neighbourhood" (and yes the "y'all" is part of the original too), I love the groove/percussion behind the second half of it, and of course the spooky/evil laugh at the end of the song is great. Honestly if Layne had arranged this song instead, I feel like he too would have definitely given Geoff the narration bit, because like duh! It's got his name written all over it! Hell, I made a post on my Discord like over two months ago specifically hoping for VoicePlay to do Thriller, and I said that Geoff would be perfect for Vincent Price's narration, and I was right!!!

But yeah everyone brought their A-game for this, this was such a fun arrangement, had me absolutely grooving, and I shall see you in a few days (probably) from when this is posted for my Voiceplay Visuals post for this video!

[writingonthewalls1832]

omg i thought about this once but Young! red team (chigiri kunigami and reo) interacting one day (like they randomly met one day in their childhood and started talking and stuff)

Yesss this is so cool! Chigiri-Reo-Kunigami is actually one of the best trios of the show imo, they had such a good skill combination and a great dynamic.

Here you go, Houdie!

For reference, in this fic, Chigiri is six years old and Kunigami and Reo are seven years old. I also didn't proofread it so if there are some typos it was an artistic choice.

Word count: 1,566

TWs: N/A!

It was hot outside, hot enough that after fifteen minutes racing around the football field, Chigiri felt his hair start to stick to the back of his neck. With one final huff, he kicked the red ball into a soaring arc that landed it into the back of a net.

"Yeah!" He cheered, jumping into the air with a pump of his fist.

"Hyoma, do you want some water? It's so hot!" His mother called from where she was sitting next to his sister on a steel bench at the edge of the field.

Chigiri nodded and jogged over to them, boosting himself up with small hands to sit next to his mother. He took a long drink from his water bottle.

"You know," his mother said with a good-natured smile, "We're on vacation. You don't have to practice football."

Chigiri wiped his mouth on his sleeve, smiling. "I want to, though! I want to get better!"

"How are you going to get better if you don't have anyone to play with?" His sister asked.

Chigiri frowned at her and opened his mouth to answer.

"Why don't you go ask that boy over there to play?" His mother offered before Chigiri could speak.

Chigiri followed his mother's gaze across the field to near the far corner flag. There, a boy with orange hair was kicking around a gray soccer ball.

Chigiri watched the boy dribble clumsily and then shoot the ball into the net. He shrugged. "Eh. I'll just go play on the other side of the field."

"He's all by himself," his mother cooed with pity. "Go talk to him. Hopefully his parents are around somewhere."

Chigiri slid off the bench and walked over to the strange boy, careful to not sneak up on him.

"Hey," he called when he was close enough to not need to yell.

The boy turned, surprised, trapping the ball beneath his foot. "Hey," he said evenly. "What's up?"

"My name's Hyoma Chigiri."

"Rensuke Kunigami."

There was a moment of awkward silence where Chigiri looked Kunigami up and down. Kunigami was a little older than him, if he could guess, and he was certainly taller and stronger.

"Do you...want to play together?"

Kunigami smiled, an honest, open smile that made Chigiri feel a bit like they were friends already. "Yeah!"

After a few moments of passing the ball around and taking shots on goal, it became apparent that Kunigami wasn't super experienced. He had an odd talent though; his left leg shot was powerful enough that when he accidentally shot the ball over the crossbar, it nearly ended up in the playground on the other side of the park.

"Whoops, sorry," Kunigami said awkwardly when Chigiri retrieved the ball. "Thanks for getting that."

Chigiri dropped the ball back into the grass. "It's no problem. So, you haven't been playing for very long, have you?"

"No," Kunigami admitted, looking slightly embarrassed. "Only a few months."

"Are you from Tokyo?"

"No, Akita. My dad's here for work and I came with him. You?"

Chigiri passed him the ball and they started a passing drill, the ball swishing rhythmically over the grass. "I'm from Kagoshima. We're here for vacation. Where's your dad?"

"At the hotel across the street. He knows I'm here, don't worry."

Chigiri nodded, eyes narrowing to focus on the ball between Kunigami's feet. When he received the pass, forceful enough to sting his unprotected calf, he trapped the ball under his foot.

"Want some advice, then?"

Kunigami, who had been moving towards the goal for the next pass, straightened and blinked. "Sure."

"You've got power, but you don't have to use it all the time," Chigiri began. "We're close enough to talk normally to each other; that means you don't have to pass it like you're shooting. Hit it with the side of your foot, like this."

Chigiri gave Kunigami an easy pass. Kunigami considered the ball, then the inside of his foot, and then tapped a hesitant, slow pass back. "Better?"

"Better."

"Hey, you two over there!" Someone called from close by.

Chigiri and Kunigami both turned. The voice belonged to a boy with purple hair who was running away from his obviously disgruntled parents with a wide smile on his face.

"Do you play soccer?" He asked, practically skidding to a stop in the grass in front of them.

"Uh, yeah," Kunigami responded, confused.

"I'm Reo Mikage. Let me play with you."

Kunigami looked at Chigiri as if it was his decision. Chigiri glanced back towards his mother, who was talking to his sister and didn't seem in a hurry to leave.

"Sure," Chigiri told Reo. "Why don't you and Kunigami go on one team, and I'll go on the other. You two try to score on me."

"Okay!" Reo said confidently, and then, just as confidently: "Where do I stand?"

Chigiri blinked at him. "You don't play?"

"Nope, but I want to! Someday I'm gonna win the world cup! So where do I stand?"

"Just follow my lead," Kunigami told him.

Chigiri passed him the ball and then backed up towards the penalty area to defend. Kunigami's control was good, though not graceful. Reo was too close to him to be useful, purple eyes trained on the ball as if he was itching to get a touch on it.

Kunigami dashed forwards, but Chigiri blocked his path to the goal. Kunigami dribbled for a moment, did a poor feint, and then tried to shoot. Chigiri stole the ball easily, wishing that Kunigami's leg wasn't so powerful.

"Sorry," Kunigami said with a wince. "I booted it again. I thought maybe it would get past you."

"It's fine."

"Can I try?" Reo asked.

"Sure." Kunigami passed him the ball, and Chigiri was back on the defensive.

Reo kicked the ball in between his feet once or twice, feeling the weight and considering the way it moved. "This is good," he said. "I like it!"

Chigiri moved a bit closer, starting the game. First, Reo tried to take the ball up the side of the field. When he quickly found himself trapped, he reversed direction, but Chigiri knew he was looking for a pass, and he dashed to block his way.

"Ooh, you're fast!" Reo exclaimed.

"Reo!" Kunigami called.

"Right!"

Reo tried to get around Chigiri again and failed. He was losing confidence quickly. Kunigami moved far up, towards the midfield and out of danger, so Chigiri let Reo pass it to him. Reo said something to Kunigami, then walked over to him. Kunigami put the ball between his feet and they stopped for a moment to chat. Chigiri couldn't hear what they were saying, so he readied himself for a new play.

Kunigami and Reo both started rushing forwards towards the goal at the same time. Chigiri panicked for a moment at the sudden movement, then decided that he should obviously go for Kunigami since he had the ball. He confronted him at the edge of the penalty box, ready to block an opportunity to pass.

Kunigami kicked the ball to the left and Chigiri moved with it, expecting Kunigami was trying to create an opening for a shot. When Chigiri turned his shoulder to block Kunigami, Kunigami extended an arm, and Chigiri felt himself blocked more forcefully.

He tried to push back, but Kunigami was bigger than him and his efforts were in vain. Kunigami passed the ball across the goal to Reo, who tapped it in easily and then ran over to join them.

"Nice job!" Reo exclaimed, breathing hard. "Man, that was so cool!"

"Thanks," Kunigami answered with a smile.

"That was nice, yeah," Chigiri agreed. "That fake shot and physical press back on me wasn't a strategy I expected."

"It was Reo's idea, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Reo nodded. "I figured since he's bigger than you, he could push you out of the way instead of trying to outrun you. I would get open in the meantime and be ready for a pass."

"Good thinking," Chigiri acknowledged, honestly impressed. For someone who had never played before, Reo could think tactically.

"You know, we make a great team," Kunigami said. "We should play together again sometime." He turned to Chigiri. "The three of us on a team would be super cool. With your speed, we could make amazing plays."

Chigiri chuckled. "Yeah, that would be nice."

"What if--" Reo began.

"Reo!"

He stopped mid-sentence and looked over his shoulder, face falling into something like disappointment. "Sorry. Those are my folks, I've gotta go. It was nice playing with you!"

"I should go, too," Kunigami added apologetically. "My dad'll be expecting me for lunch. See you, Chigiri."

"Yeah, see you both."

Reo and Kunigami both turned and walked away. Chigiri frowned at their retreating backs, then turned and jogged back to his mother and sister.

"How was it?" Chigiri's mother asked him. "It looked like you were having fun!"

Chigiri thought for a moment: Kunigami's generosity and power, Reo's enthusiasm and play-making mind...

"It was fun, actually," he said. "Neither of them have played for very long, but I think they have potential. I'd like to play with them again someday, but Kunigami lives in Akira and I think Reo lives here..."

"Well, if it's meant to be, it'll be!" His mother offered cheerfully. "And I'm sure if you're great teammates, you'll se each other again one day."

[cherrb333]

2012! Dad Leo au (basically he adopts the 2018 turtles)

Chapter 2: an argument and four little strays

Check out the first part if you haven't already lolol

Also this is inspired by this post so check it out^^ I love @sunnyyyteaaa art alot, it just has that...how would you put it... eh it just has that eatable vibe ya know? Anyways, on with the chapter lolol

○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•

Leo was usually the most rational of the brothers, always the one who would get praised by his father. The eldest was always held up to the high standard of being the perfect leader, always hated by their siblings(mostly Raph) for simply being put on that pedestal. They hated it. They hated being perfect, hell they weren't even sure they were a he. They sighed as they put their head on their knees. They would never, never be good enough. Tears brimmed their eyes, overflowing onto their dark green-scaled cheeks. They felt wrong, so wrong. They whimpered into their hands, scratching at the scales. They felt as if everything on their body was burning, they wanted to scratch away all the feelings. Their chest tightened as the words from earlier broke through their barrier, cracking the stability of their mental health from the inside. It hurt so much. It was so confusing, everything was so confusing. Eventually after running for a while, their feet gave out. They shivered as they dropped into a curled ball on the cold concrete floor. Maybe leaving the lair in cold weather without a coat was a bad idea. Ideally, Crying in a random sewer hallway wasn't on their bucket list today but they needed a mental break. From their brothers, from the tension... This was their safe place, this area of the sewer was theirs. Only theirs, and it was always peaceful. The only sound was the dripping of a distant leaky pipe, a welcome change to the usual shouting of their brothers. The peace, however, was broken by a light shooting down the hall, illuminating the dim sewer walls in a red-orange mesh of light. Leo jumped up, glancing around frantically, tensing at the sound of struggling and distressed chirps that sounded eerily like what he and his brothers did when they were young. Subconsciously, their hand went to the katana on their hilt only to falter when they realized the weapons weren't there.

Damn it! They had left them in the dojo! Ugh, right, their fight with Raph. It had been late, they had just finished a meditation, and they were about to head to bed when they ran into Raph. Leo had already been on edge from patrol earlier. Leo had never snapped before. Raph had made a comment that triggered Leo so badly that they just…. lost their cool. They got into a brawl. Of course, the two had fought before, but nothing as bad as this.

“Maybe Dad would still be alive if you didn't have a stick up your ass all the time. I'm tired of this Leo! Maybe you should have died instead…” He remembered the words as Raph landed a hard punch on the older box turtle. Leo had cried out, tears streaming down their faces as he ran out. Maybe there had been shouts, but they couldn't have heard them through the static that buzzed behind their ears. As they ran out, all they could remember was the distant shouting, and the blurry face of their brother’s regret. They hadn't even noticed their weapons were not in their hilt.

“God damn it!” They cursed under their breath shaking their head as they held their hands out, and cautiously inched forward towards the distressed calls. Their feet were silent on the concrete, just like how master splinter had taught them. They could do this, they didn't need a weapon. They slinked into the pipes, walking along the cold metal, light on their feet to reduce the creaks and alert whatever the threat was. As they made it closer, they could make out four small turtles from where they were perched…wait a minute…

They were shocked to find that these were not any ordinary turtles, but mutants, just like them and their brothers. That worried them. What were the four tots doing here all alone? And why did they…look like…oh… his breath hitched as he realized who exactly these four were. They may look different in features, and species, but they couldn't be their brothers and them, but from another dimension. They had dealt with other dimensions before but had never dealt with ones as young as these four were. No matter that, Leo had to help these four, they couldn't just leave them out here, where they could get hurt. He and his brothers had been much older before master splinter had let them wander the sewers.

He dropped down quietly inching forward slowly to get a better view of the situation. From what he could see, three of the tots were surrounding a larger spikey-shelled creature, no doubt older by a few years. As he inched forward, he flinched as he kicked a rock by accident. Oops. The purple-marked soft shell tot perked up, turning around and narrowing his eyes at the stranger that stood static behind the four. The little softshell stood on wobbly scraped legs, holding his hands out as he sheltered his other brothers, hissing and baring his tiny fangs at the taller turtle. Leo flinched, holding their hands up in surrender, glancing around for some sort of cause for the blood, noticing it coming from behind the softshell. Their eyes widened before hardening into a serious look.

“Calm down, little guy, I promise, I'm not the bad guy. I’m just like you” They bent down, reaching behind their head to pull at the straps of their mask, pulling it from their face to the dark green scaled skin on full display. Their faces were shaped weirdly, triangle-esque, and had no nose. All around, the perfect description of a turtle. As they reached their hand forward, purple sniffed it, still growling, feral in overprotectiveness for his brothers. Leo flinched hissing as Purple latched his mouth onto the scaled finger, biting down an iron grip that drew blood as it pierced Leo’s fern-green skin, tearing through the flesh under the scales. Leo jolted, pulling their hand up, carrying the growling softshell with it. Blood dripped onto the floor, dribbling out the side of Little Purple’s mouth as he dug his teeth deeper. Leo shook his hand, trying desperately to get the softshell to let go.

“Ow! Owowowow! Ok, ok! Fine, but at least, let me help the big guy!” Leo tried, watching as the softshell dropped his grip on Leo’s finger. Tears crept out, tiny ones that were unnoticeable unless you really looked close. He brought his finger into his mouth instinctual and began to suck on the small bite mark, he pulled it away from his mouth to assess the damage, sighing when he saw the bruising around the small bite marks, and the tiny amount of blood that dripped down his finger in a dark red line. From the corner of their eye They watched as the purple-marked soft shell puffed out his chest threateningly, looking smug, and hissing at Leo. He inched around the dangerous one warily, watching in the corner of their eye as they assessed the damage on the spikey one. They immediately noticed the giant crack on its shell, cutting through the spikes and dipping over to just below their head, which also had a giant gash there. They also noticed a cut along the big turtle's eye. Their eyes furrowed, assessing the snapping turtle for any broken bones, turning them over onto their back, being careful of the crack, and feeling around for any fractures. They would have to take these guys back to the lair for a better examination, but for now, they couldn't see anything too concerning. Being a ninja had its perks. All their brothers were trained in medical standards by their father. The purple-marked one growled, crawling forward to watch the older turtle work warily, still hissing at them, but calming when the red-striped one pressed a head bump into his head, churring at his twin and hugging him, their tail whipping back and forth as they snuggled together, ultimately calming purple down. The orange-marked one was the most friendly, despite his brother's hesitations, he crawled forward, chirping at the stranger happily, and placing his tiny hands on the older box shell's lap and looking over at his older brother concernedly. He squeaked, nudging his head against the older box shells hand to get over to his older brother. Leo huffed, he needed to get these four to the lair, and fast.

○•○•○•at the lair•○•○•○

The lair was cold and eerily quiet as Leo entered with the four baby tots in toe. It had taken some convincing on his part to make the purple one come, but once the little ankle biter saw that Leo was leaving with his brothers, he couldn't not follow. Leo held the big spikey one on his back as the red slider clutched his tail from behind, and the orange one stuffs the tails of his mask into his mouth playfully, chomping down on them like they're a snack. Purple followed along on his hunches, hissing every few seconds to show he still did not trust the box turtle with a blue mask. The journey through the lair was quiet, occasionally filled with the sound of quiet growling. Eventually,Leo made it to the medbay without much encounters with his obnoxious brothers(thankfully). He slowly placed the two on the ground beside their brother as he grabbed the spikey turtle from his back, and placed him shell faced up to the ceiling. Now that he was in better lighting he could see the damage way clearer. It had been a lot worse then he had originally thought. The crack on the snappers shell ran from his right shoulder down to his middle and then spiraled out as if a jack hammer had been slammed against it. He ran his thumb along the crack, sighing as he began setting up the medbay and sterilizing the open gash that poked through the shell. Once that was finished, he began to thread the sewing needle to begin stitching together the wound. He poked through the hard exterior skin, threading the stitch in zigzag along the wound, pulling it closed with every stitch. Once that was finished, he cut the thread and tied it to seal off the stitch, then adding Another line of disinfectant before placing a bandage over the wound. Once that was finished, he began working in the crack. Luckily, he had a little more field In this. being The oldest of the four turtles, he had to be prepared. when they were younger, his brothers were always constantly getting hurt. He had on more then one occasion had to repair his brothers shells when they were too rough with each other or even after a very intense fight that lead to severe injuries. in fact, All the brothers had been trained in first aid. It was very beneficial given the life the four had lead so far. Sure, it had been years since they had last fought the foot clan or even the kraang, but there was always something that had to be stopped. The life of a ninja was always moving. He shook his head of the thoughts, finishing Up patching the young snapper before turning To the younger tots who were looking around the room curiously. The slider was watching him with big blue doe eyes. Oh boy. he Felt his heart swell with adoration, already fond of the four, even if one Of them wasn't so fond of him. Then it hit. What was he going to tell his brothers!?

Also on another note, so sorry it took so long to post this I kinda lost motivation, it's been a hectic summer this year lolol, plus I'm still working on the next part for the kid leo au dub and honestly, I am zapped lmaooo, but anyways, hopefully I'll get back into the groove of things and start writing more, I have so many ideas I'm working on for this story you don't even know, my thoughts for this story are all over the placeXD also I don't actually hate 2012 raph man in fact to be honest he is my favorite character, but ya know, conflict is fun heheheh

○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•

Masterpost | previous | next

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippet Thursday: Demolition Trio

The winning prompt for this week was "Demolition Trio: Jak's dog chooses violence" as a follow-up to last week's snippet where he got the dog. Don't worry, no animals were harmed in the making of this snippet. Errol got a little traumatized though.

"Here boy! C'mere!"

Jak bent and patted his knees, a wide, silly grin decorating his face.

With a growling, grumbly vocalization, the crocadog bounded out of the transport and leaped into the boy's waiting arms. Rip wriggled and panted happily, perfectly content to be held like a puppy by the unnaturally strong teenager. Jak laughed and stumbled back a step before finding his balance.

"Whoa!" He hefted the pup higher -- if he could outpace the average KG with a twenty pound ottsel on his shoulder, he could handle a hundred pound half-grown crocadog.

A high-pitched squeal caught both sets of ears, and Jak swiveled on one heel expectantly to see Tess standing on the quay with her hands clasped in front of her mouth. She bounced on her toes even as she directed two men with a trolley to carry Krew's newest shipment of alcohol inside the bar.

"Awww!! You didn't tell me you had a puppy!" Tess shouted across the landing platform.

Jak set Rip down and hooked the thin chain lead to his collar. It seemed overly fancy for a place like Haven -- a beautiful, patterned steel that looked like watermarked paper. "Silksteel", Damas called it, an alloy made from metalhead bodies and Precursor metal melted together in a crucible. Jak was pretty sure the dog's leash was legitimately the nicest thing he'd ever owned -- and maybe the only thing that wasn't a hand-me-down besides his gun.

"Hey, Tess!" Jak jogged across the walkway with Rip trotting along beside him. Once they'd stopped in front of Tess, the dog went on alert. Ears pricked, tail stiff, he shouldered between Jak and the girl with a low warning rumble.

"Hey, hey. Easy, Rip. Good boy."

Jak reached out and boldly took Tess’s hand. "Here, let him smell you so he knows you're a friend."

Tess was not wholly unfamiliar with dogs. She tucked her fingers into a loose fist and held them out for the young croc to sniff.

"Hey, bubba," she cooed, "Who's a good boy, huh? Is it you?"

"It is not," Daxter loudly interrupted as he finally caught up to Jak. "Jak, your demon dog befouled the air train! I had to pay extra fare for cleaning!"

Jak snorted. "Oops. My bad, I'll pay you back, Dax."

"Daxter!" Tess threw open her arms to scoop the ottsel into them. "Ooooh-! I missed you!"

If ottsels could have blushed, Daxter would have been the approximate color of a tomango. Seeing Short Master and Shorter Master so relaxed with Nice-Smelling Lady, the dog calmed immediately. He sat back on his haunches and decided after a moment that it wasn't fair that Daxter was getting all the love. Rip whined for attention, sticking his cold nose on Tess’s bare knee. Tess squeaked and jerked away, then burst out laughing.

"Awww aren't you the cutest puppy!"

For some reason, Jak couldn’t help feeling a little pride. He scrubbed his hand across Rip's ears and grinned. "Well, his runt brother is actually the cutest. Rip is pretty great, though."

Tess’s eyes narrowed to a laser focus. She had her suspicions that Jak was referring to the puppy that always followed the tiny Heir around. The Heir that Jak had kidnapped and refused to give up the location of. The Shadow was breathing down her neck to get information out of Jak before they lost their chance to open the Tomb. But she couldn't act on her suspicions here in the open! Even if Krew hadn't been in earshot, Jak would just deny it anyway.

What she needed was for Jak to actually trust her with...whatever it was he was doing. The younger teen seemed to be fighting his own private war solo, only working with the Underground or Krew when he felt like it.

"No dogs allowed!" Krew barked from the doorway of the saloon. "This is a pub, not a kennel, eh?"

"Dog? What dog?" Sig's voice floated past him.

"The brat brought a crocadog from his latest hunting excursion," Krew sniffed. "People don't pay to see normal animals on my wall, you know, even if they are dangerous."

He shook his folding fan at the boys.

"That trophy had better be in mint condition or you can turn right around and stay out until you bring me something better!"

Daxter rolled his eyes from Tess’s arms. "Relax, hoverboy. Mr. MacPooch down there helped us bag a ramhead before he was even house-trained!"

"He is house-trained, though," Jak added hastily.

It couldn't have been more obvious that something had changed about Jak when he widened his eyes and hit Krew with a forlorn, innocent look.

"You don't mind if I put him up in the bar loading bay, right?"

Before Krew could answer, Jak shifted his weight and channeled just the tiniest hint of dark eco into his eyes, enlarging his pupils. He rubbed his arm, mimicking Mar's usual method for getting Damas to agree to something.

"I just don't want him running loose, y'know? The Guard are really bad about hunting civilian pets for kicks, and- and I really didn't want to have to gut a whole squad today."

There was something deeply unsettling about Jak putting on the guise of a vulnerable, worried kid while casually discussing mass carnage. Krew stared at the youngest "employee" on his roster. Well, "intern" was more accurate. He paid the brat in food and gun upgrades -- and the latter was only because Sig insisted and it wasn't wise to overly antagonize one's bodyguard. He'd never been a "dog person", himself.

Before his racing injury, he used to promise his daughter he'd bring her all kinds of pets to make up for his constant absence. Terrakeets, cabbits, dogats- he'd even sent her a jer-boa once. (That had been an unmitigated disaster, leading to his ex-wife calling to scream at him when the fuzzy legged-snake decided to constrict and consume a neighbor's hip-hog.)

Dogs had never once been on the list.

Krew curled his lip. "You're lucky I like you, Jak," he groused. "Get that thing in the back before someone reports us to the health inspector!"

He started to float back to the bar, then turned.

"And don't do that face again! It's upsetting!"

Jak snorted, and in an instant his old demeanor was back. "Sure, sure."

Tess followed Krew in, directing the last of the bottle delivery, and grimaced when she noticed a particular patron waiting at the bar.

Errol.

"Champion Commander Erol Errol", as he always bragged to her.

She suspected his parents had not been especially creative people.

His swaggering bravado and complete failure to understand that someone could willingly cross him made him a decent source of intel, but Tess had hidden in sewers that made her feel less slimy than she did every time she played Cute Barmaid with Errol.

Her personal feelings aside, she knew Errol had done something to Jak. Something bad. The man was allergic to keeping his mouth shut if anyone brought Jak up. He was both sadistic and obsessed - a dangerous combination.

And Jak was about to walk in and see him.

Tess squeezed Daxter in a silent cue to go warn the boy, but it was too late. A low, almost subsonic rumbling began to fill the room, vibrating the floorboards. The dog had clearly picked up on his master's sudden tension. Rip's eyes were fixed on the commander, lips slowly peeling back to reveal dozens of jagged teeth. Beside him, Jak had gone still, eyes cold. He quietly, deliberately, dropped the leash. But this time there was no fear in his reaction.

Daxter patted Tess’s arm. "It's okay, babe," he whispered, "Demon Dog won't let the Tattooed Wonder try anything funny."

Honestly, he was amazed by how much the dog boosted Jak's confidence. Maybe that was why Mar was so terrifyingly fearless?

"Hey Sig, I thought Krew said no dogs allowed!" Jak said loudly.

Tess tensed. Kid, don't-!

"You better let Praxis know his mutt wandered in here."

Outrage wiped the smug look right off of Errol's face. He lurched off the barstool and pasted on a condescending coo.

"Well isn't that sweet. The freak found his long-lost twin."

He took a meaningful step forward, and his fingers brushed against the wicked hunting knife on his belt. "Maybe this one will respond better to obedience tra-"

He didn't get a chance to finish the sentence before Rip was on him.

Tess leaped to the side with a shriek that didn't even come close to matching the shrill sound coming out of the commander. He sounded like a wounded rabmouse-

Probably because his entire head was currently inside the crocadog's mouth.

"Not on my freshly waxed floors, Cherry!" Sig complained, "C'mon!"

Secretly, he hoped the puppy would just bite down. Hard. But Krew was afraid of Errol's influence and Sig knew it. Best to put on a facade.

Jak watched Errol flail and try to pry Rip's mouth open for a few seconds with the kind of detached curiosity generally reserved for particularly strange looking insects. But when he heard the whine of Krew's hoverchair returning, he finally intervened.

"Rip! Drop it!" he commanded.

Rip did not drop it.

"Come on, pal. I told you not to eat garbage! Spit it out!"

Reluctantly, the croc opened his half-shut jaws and delicately spat the commander's head out. He looked sorely put-out by the loss of his prey, and grumbled reproachfully at Jak. Errol thudded to the floor, dripping with thick drool and finally understanding what it meant to have one's life flash before one's eyes. His hand inched toward his knife as he desperately hoped the croc wouldn't notice his movement.

"Rip, heel."

Jak made a hand signal and the huge dog left his prey to take up a guard stance in front of his human. Jak wrapped the end of the lead around his glove and stroked the dog's back.

"Good boy, Rip! Good boy!"

Mollified, Rip let his tail thump happily against Jak’s legs. Well, if Short Master said he was A Good Boy, maybe it was okay that he didn't get to Crunch the sickly smelling Red Thing this time.

Daxter's ears drooped. "Awww, I wanted to see if KG really do run around for a couple seconds after they lose their heads," he joked.

He and Jak both knew he would have been violently ill if this had actually happened.

"Aw where's the fun in that?" Jak retorted, "Just four witnesses? Nah man, it's gotta be the Stadium. We're gonna pulverize him in front of thousands. That'll be way more memorable."

He casually stepped over Errol's prone body, secure for once in the knowledge that the man couldn't hurt him.

Not if he wanted to keep all his body parts.

He paused and crouched next to the wide-eyed man's head.

"Next time, I won't be there to save you, commander," he murmured, "Tread lightly. And try not to run. Crocs love it when you run."

Jak stood and patted his thigh, and Rip bounced over Errol -- one paw landing in the middle of his stomach as he went. "Alright, Rip, let's get you settled. If you're good, I'll bring you some metalhead scraps. Sound good?"

"WURF."

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that."

Errol stayed on the floor, staring at the ceiling, for a full four minutes after that.

It wasn't hard for Tess to convince Krew that he'd consumed more than his share of liquor, or to convince him to eject the man from the bar until he could "pay" his "tab".

She made a face.

"Remind me to keep some chew toys around here," she whispered to Daxter. "I don't want Rippy getting any ideas about my rifles."

[caffeine-clouds]

Sonadow prompts??? Uhhhh they’re fighting, like. Accidentalky kiss and they both just freak out because it was weird but they kinda like it???

((Hi khalewren!!! Thanks for the prompt! Mentioning @glass-teeth01 since they suggested something similar as one of theirs. Hope you like my take! More of a Shadow freak out than anything else XD)) An Accidental Kiss

They were at it again.

Birds scattered - fleeing from the treelines as the hedgehogs tore through the forest - leaving chaos and destruction in their wake.

Sonic shot through the air towards him, intending to land a homing attack. Shadow's frown deepened as he waited for Sonic to be nearer. His patience was rewarded as he was finally able to swing his leg back and launch a kick at the hedgehog - sending him flying. Sonic untucked mid-air, a surprised expression on his face that was quicky suppressed by a grin. He landed on his feet, then charged forward. He tried to punch Shadow, but he quicky ducked underneath.

The blue hedgehog was ready though, using his other hand to quickly punch Shadow's face. Shadow grimaced, stumbling back. Sonic tried to take advantage of his state - launching blows in quick succession - punches and kicks combined.

Shadow was fast enough to dodge all of them though. Amidst the attacks - Shadow remained patient for the opportune moment to strike.

At last, there was an opening. Shadow kicked Sonic in the stomach in an attempt to get the other hedgehog on the ground.

His plan did work... just not in the way he had expected.

It all went too fast to process. Shadow tripped on something - whether it was a stick or a vine - he couldn't really say. All he knew for certain was that it sent him toppling on top of his adversary, forcing them to fall to the ground.

Their lips crashed.

They both winced in pain as they could feel their teeth scrape against each other's. Their foreheads knocked, forcing their heads to swing back to create a much-needed distance between their faces.

Shadow had gripped onto Sonic's shoulders, keeping him pinned to the dirt floor. While on top of the blue hedgehog, he could clearly see Sonic's wide-eyed face and the hint of pink on his cheeks. As ungraceful and rough the experience had been - the truth of it couldn't be denied. Their lips had made contact.

They had kissed.

A painful one - a miserable experience, the opposite of what they were supposed to be... but a kiss nonetheless.

The fur on Shadow's arms raised in agitation. He could feel himself shiver as realization begun to dawn on him.

"Uhm..." Sonic broke their silence, "... was that your... first time...?"

"What-?"

"Yikes, my dude," Sonic grimaced.

"What's that supposed to mean?" A growl edged Shadow's voice.

"It's just, eh, your technique could use some work... Just sayin'."

"Sonic!" Shadow exclaimed his name in exhasperation. "You know full well that was an accident. I'm not stupid, I know how to kiss-"

"Prove it." Sonic cut in.

"Excuse... me?"

"What's the matter, Shads? All bark and no bite?" Sonic smirked up at him. "Talk is cheap, you know."

"But how am I supposed to...?" Shadow's voice trailed off as he came the steady realization that he was bluffing. He'd never kissed anyone before and had never bothered to learn how. He didn't think he'd ever need it.

Now, his rival was challenging him, and if Shadow didn't think of something quickly - it would be another victory that Sonic would rub in his face, and an embarrassing one at that...

Shadow stared in confusion, squinting his eyes slightly. He was met with Sonic's face - the epitome of smugness as he quirked up an eyebrow.

Shadow leaned down, but paused on the way - taking a moment to glance at Sonic, making sure he was reading the situation correctly.

He saw Sonic's eyes flutter shut, and Shadow felt comfortable enough to make it all the way down, softening his grip, and tilting his head to avoid bumping noses.

The hedgehogs pressed their lips together. Shadow's movements were slow in his uncertainty, and Sonic's kiss was tender - softer than anything he'd known from the blue hedgehog before. Shadow could feel his heart flutter in his chest, taken aback by the vulnerability that Sonic was willing to display. There was something special about it - like a flower in a garden that blossomed only for him.

The world fell still - not a sound to be heard, not even the rustling of the trees. It was all defeaned by Sonic's delicate show of love.

Despite the unexpected gentleness, Shadow had to quickly pull his head back - shaking his head agressively. That kind of affection... it was so new to him, he had no idea how to process it or what to do with himself. He took a deep breath despite having enough air.

Looking back down at Sonic, he could see a concerned expression on the other hedgehog's face. It quickly dissapeared - being replaced with a smile.

"I expected something a lot more aggressive," Sonic admitted, "Colour me surprised."

"I-" Shadow's breath hitched in his throat.

Sonic chuckled lightly. "Heh, suppose it wasn't too bad," he remarked. "You'll get better though. With time."

"With... time?" Shadow breathed out.

Shadow's cheeks felt like they were burning. Sonic had slowed down... for his sake. He felt as though if he spent anymore time here, his head might explode - he stumbled back to his feet.

"We... will not speak of this again." Shadow tried to keep his voice steady, failing miserably. "That was just to prove a point!"

"Sure thing, Shads."

"I'm just- I'm going... now- Farewell." Shadow's exit was awkward as he turned quickly to hide his blushing face, skating off in an instant.

Somehow, Sonic had gotten yet another victory.

[shy-urban-hobbit]

Lambert smelt the interloper before he saw them and gave an irritated growl. Sure enough, it was that bloody Cat again. Sat in the middle of Lambert's camp, sorting through a pile of wild mushrooms and herbs before throwing them in the pot (Lambert's pot, which definitely hadn't been set up when he went hunting) hanging over a small cooking fire like he owned the place. They'd run into one another a couple of times since that business with the ogre but they'd never spent any considerable time together, just ridden together with the Cat talking enough for both of them until the road split and they went their separate ways.

"Make yourself at home why don't you.' Lambert snarked as he threw down the couple of rabbits he'd snared and cursed inwardly. He hated unexpected company but he couldn't exactly tell the Cat - Aiden, he suddenly remembered - to piss off when he was apparently contributing. Looked like he'd be sleeping with one eye open tonight.

The other Witcher gave him a lazy smile, "Already did, thanks." He said, giving a sweeping gesture to the pack and bedroll set up on the opposite side of the fire to Lambert's belongings.

Lambert huffed and set to wordlessly skinning the rabbits, idly studying Aiden periodically as he talked animatedly about one of his latest jobs.

Wouldn't kick him out of bed.

He slipped with his knife and almost took the end of his finger off. Where had that come from?

He'd have to be blind not to see that Aiden was objectively very attractive. The light of the fire along with the low sun made his tan skin and green eyes glow and threw his cheekbones into sharp relief, his dark hair looking almost indigo. He'd have to be insane to even think about bedding a fucking Cat though. Untrustworthy, all of them. It was basically a guarantee he'd get a knife in the back for his trouble.

"You ok?" Aiden had stopped in his tale and was looking at Lambert with slight concern. If he'd caught Lambert staring, he didn't mention it.

Lambert cast his eyes around quickly, looking for something to say rather than just gaping like a landed fish.

"No horse?" He asked, realising that there was still just his mount tied nearby.

Aiden shook his head, "Nah, last one got killed on that Griffin job I was chasing up. Haven't had the coin to get a replacement."

Lambert thought back, "Wasn't that almost two months ago?"

Aiden gave a 'what can you do?' gesture, "Eh. I can always steal one if I get desperate."

Lambert was suddenly very aware that his mount was the only one nearby.

Aiden sniggered, "Don't worry Wolf. Your old nag's safe."

Said 'nag' chose that moment to give a whinny which turned Aiden's sniggering into a full blown laugh.

As he threw his head back, Lambert caught a glimpse of something glinting in his mouth.

What the fuck?

This time, Aiden definitely caught him staring and correctly guessed what had caught Lambert's attention as his response was to stick his tongue out to reveal a golden stud. A golden stud which Lambert tried very hard not to imagine the feeling of in his own mouth.

"Not the only place I've got 'em." Aiden said with a wink.

Lambert felt his mouth go very dry. Oh, he was fucked.

Read the rest on my A03!!

[snaillamp]

Tea-saster

Cody turned into the driveway of the small property, looking at the tall, moss covered trees as they swayed. His aunt’s house was away from the road, cast in shadow as the trees swayed and creaked around him. Getting out of his car, he walked up to the silent house, his boots crunching one the gravel as he got to the house.His mother had called him, concerned about Rex, his cousin.

She had tried calling him and couldn’t get through, so she tried her sister, Rex’s mother Janey, but couldn’t reach her either. Knowing Cody lived close by, she had asked him to take a look, see of they were okay. Going up to the door, he knocked loudly, listening for a reply. “Rex? Aunty? You there?”

He heard their dog, Raven bark inside the house, so he tried the door. It creaked open into the dark house, that smelt strange, like burning herbs. “Aunty?” He called out, entering the house. The more usual stale smell of cigarette smoke began to dance around from under the smell of the burnt herbs as he made his way through the house.

“Aunty? Rex?”

“Cody? Come here baby!”

He heard the rough sound of his aunt’s voice grew louder as she came out of a nearby room, running over to him and wrapping him in a hug. “Aww, look at you, my little guy.” Cody laughed, moving his nose out of the way of her cigarette scented hair. “Aunty.” He grimaced, trying to avoid the harsh smell. “Hey, where’s Rexxy?” Janey looked up at Cody, messing with his hair. “Cody baby? How long have you growing your hair out? It’s so long. Awww, here let me braid it up for you, eh?”

Cody sighed, letting Janey drag him over to the sofa nearby. It was soft, but sagging slightly. Janey sat him down, before leaving for a second and coming back with a hairbrush. “You always had nice hair Cody. Shame you let your mother cut it when you were a kid.” Cody smirked, “Eh, I didn’t really have a choice. You know what she’s like.”

Janey scoffed, “Renee never cared about the body’s natural mechanisms, she always cut hers short too. She got Gramma’s shit hair though, you definitely inherited your father’s. His was always so shiny and thick.” Cody grimaced as Janey pulled the knots from his former ponytail, smirking when he grunted pain every time she yanked one out.

“Start from the bottom, hurts less.” He begged, listening to her click her tongue. “Quiet, I know what I’m doing.” ‘Yeah, you always do, don’t you…’ He thought as her fingers divided his hair into three pieces. “Aww, you’ll look so nice.” Janey cooed, pulling the strands of hair tightly together. “You know before stupid modern culture happened, everyone was more connected to the earth. Every culture in history had long hair, but then the modern, western society colonists came and cut it all, but even they had long hair. So they cut it to lose their connection to their mother, their land, their earth so they didn't feel the pain of hurting her.” Cody frowned at that sentiment, he wasn’t sure that historical anecdote what entirely correct.

“There, you’re lookin’ all natural and good now.” Janey said, patting Cody’s shoulders as she tucked the braid over his shoulder. “Thanks, Aunty.” “Hey, want some tea?” She asked quickly, standing up and going to the kitchen across the room. Cody knew she wasn’t gonna take no for an answer. “Yes?” He answered, apprehensively, watching her grab the tea leaves.

“You know you should drink more tea, it strengthens your connection to nature, and is like… full of detoxifying stuff.” She opened a drawer, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one. ‘She says as she lights a cancer stick…’ Cody groaned mentally. “Aunty, I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”

“Kay, baby.”

~~

Cody sighed, grateful to escape the dim main room, slowly filling with smoke. He threw his braid over his shoulder and looked in the mirror. Janey had done a good job, but it scared Cody how much he looked like his dad with his hair like this.Leaving the bathroom, he walked past the door Janey had come out of, Rex’s room. He knew it was Rex, cause Rex was the only one in the family who would dare to have a Vancouver Grizzlies poster taped to the front of his door.

“Cody?! Ya done pissing?” Janey’s voice broke his thoughts, right as he was reaching for the door. “Yeah, yeah… I’m coming.” He mumbled, loud enough the Rex might hear him from behind the door.

When he re-entered the room, Janey was already lighting another cigarette. “So, how’s my baby?” She asked, looking at him with tired eyes.

“Good.” Cody answered, sipping his tea. It tasted strange… like there was something in it. “Your mother said you collapsed at work a couple months ago. Some doctor you are.” Her voice was still concerned, but there was a masked bite to it.

Janey had never agreed with Cody becoming a doctor, leaving home and finding his own way. She had always said it would come back to bite him and he should learn real medicine: natural and traditional remedies.“Yeah, well that was different.” Cody blushed, looking back down at his tea. He really shouldn’t have gone to work with appendicitis, but that was his business.

“Nah. You’ve always put others before yourself.” Janey smiled, grabbing his hand and stroking it. “What’s that saying I heard some TV show say? We ruin our bodies so we can look after yours.” Cody laughed, pulling his hand back and sipping more tea. “Yeah, something like that. I like being a doctor though, it’s a big achievement for me.” Janey laughed, a low, rasping laugh, her teeth stained from decades of smoking. She took a drag of her cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke into the air.

“Yeah, ‘specially when you were such a menace in high school, eh?” Cody pulled his lips tight. “Don’t remind me.” They chatted, Cody finishing his tea. “Hey, so mum wanted to know where Rex was. She called him to come and fix her sink and couldn’t reach him.” Janey looked at Cody pulling her lips into a thin line. “My baby boy’s fine.” Cody smiled, nodding. “Good.” Janey looked suspiciously at him, as he cleared his throat of the strange tasting tea.

“Codes?”

A sick sounding voice appeared behind him. Turning a round, Cody looked at his cousin, traipsing down the hall slowly, looking far from well. “Oh, honeybun… Come here, have some tea.” Janey cooed, looking over at her sick son. “Sit, sit, let me get you a cup.” She offered him her seat and rushed back to the kitchen to make him some tea. “What is it this time?” Rex asked, looking apprehensive. “Peppermint tea isn’t doing anything.”

Janey shot him a look, “Sush, I got different tea this time. Try this, it’ll help with your breathing.” She tottered around the kitchen, throwing her cigarette in the sink whilst she did it. “Help me.” Rex mouthed at Cody, who nodded. “Hey Rex, how about I give you a quick checkover.” Cody said loudly. Rex nodded eagerly as Janey shot him a glare from the kitchen. “I told you, he’s fine. I’ve done all my research, trust me.” Rex groaned, causing Cody to smirk. “Well, I’m the one with a PhD so…”

Janey rolled her eyes. “Lording over me with your fancy piece of paper, hey?” Cody frowned as he began to take Rex’s pulse. “No, I just know what I’m doing.” “Oh, so I don’t?” Janey snapped. “You doctors are all the same never trusting the people who’ve done their research.” Cody sighed, “No, I never said you didn’t know what you were doing, all I said is I knew what I was doing.”

Janey huffed, rolling her eyes and brought the tea over. “There you go baby.” She murmured in Rex’s ear, kissing his cheek. “You know, the knowledge you have is just the propaganda pushed on you by Big Pharma, they made your textbooks you know."

Cody ignored her as he checked Rex out, his pulse was a little elevated, as was his breathing, plus he felt kind of warm. “You have a nasty cold by the looks of things.” He muttered, taking his seat again. “What’s been helping?” He asked, looking at Rex, who was flushed and sweaty. “Everything, been putting lavender and peppermint oil in his diffuser and it really helped his stuffy nose.” Rex rolled his eyes. “You also put potato peels in my socks mum. That didn’t do anything.” Cody frowned, looking at Janey confused. “Potatoes? In his socks?”

Janey shrugged, “My friend on Facebook recommended it. It did get rid of your watery eyes.” She poked Rex. “Yeah, that’s cause I begged you to stop burning sage all over the place. You shouldn’t even be buying that, white sage is endangered, its not even native to this part of the country.” Janey rolled her eyes. “It’s tradition though.” Rex shook his head, as if he’d had this argument a lot. “Not for us. Leave it to the people who’s practice it is mum.”

Raven suddenly came flying out of the other end of the house, barking and pawing at Rex. “Hey Raven… My baby girl, yes, you’re a good girl. Mhmm. Sit. Good girl.” He scratched the black lab behind the ears, as she groaned, flopping to the floor and exposing her tummy for rubs. Cody laughed as she stuck her tongue out, lapping up the attention from Rex.

“What’s your opinion on sage, Dr Hill?” Janey asked, emphasising the title of doctor and holding out her hand as if she were thrusting a microphone in Cody’s face. “Uhh, Rex is right. It’s not native to the Pacific Northwest, and it’s not our practice. Besides white sage is at risk because of over harvesting, it’s not something you should really be buying.”

Janey glowered at them both. “Of course you know everything.” She sighed, pushing the mug closer to Rex, who had begun coughing. “Drink up.” She pushed the tea closer again, and Rex grabbed it, sipping it a little. “Oh god. Mum what is that?” He asked, spitting the tea out into the cup. “Herbal tea. New one, not the peppermint.” Rex stuck his tongue out, before pushing it away.

“Please, baby, drink it for me.” Rex groaned, “Mother, I love you, but I am 24, I don’t need to be babied.” He grabbed the mug, chugging the foul tea. “There, I drank your damn tea.” He slammed the mug back down on the table.

“Ugh, fine go sulk.” Janey mumbled, looking down at Raven. “Wanna go outside girly?” She asked in a fake, high-pitched voice. Raven rolled over, looking excited as Janey stood, going to the back door. “I’m gonna grab another smoke. And I don’t wanna hear a peep from you about how its bad. Tobacco is natural.” She glared at Cody how sighed, shrugging.

“Not like that it’s not…” He mumbled, easing out of his chair and going to Rex’s room. He rubbed the back of his neck as he walked, it was feeling kinda stiff.

‘My fault for slouching all the time.’

He guessed.He knocked on the door, before peaking in.

“Hey Rexxy.” Rex looked up from his bed, looking pale. “Ugh… hey Codester. She gone all mama bear on ya yet?” Cody chuckled, shaking his head. “So potatoes in socks huh? That’s a new one.” Rex nodded, “Yeah, I’m worried she’s gonna start feeding me colloidal silver next. She’s in all these Facebook groups and they tell her all this BS about natural remedies… I don’t know man… I’m just sick of her bullshit. If she didn’t need so much help around the house, I really need to move out, but I can’t afford it right now…” He groaned, holding his stomach.

“You good?” Cody asked, taking a seat on a nearby desk chair in front of an impressive gaming setup. ‘Can’t afford or not saving up?’ Cody wondered.

Rex sighed, sitting up and looking at him. “Honestly, no. She’s been feeding me nothing but juice, vitamin tablets and natural, de-fluoridated, artesian spring water she bought from some online forum. She even took away my toothpaste and deodorant, now I have some activated charcoal bullshit and a weird putty to rub in my pits.”

Cody raised his eyebrows. “She’s gotten worse then?” Rex nodded, “Ever since dad left, she’s just gone down the natural medicine rabbit hole and started “reconnecting with our culture”. Man, she even threw out the microwave, cause of the radiation…”

Cody stroked his chin, thinking about their predicament. “I’ll try talking to her…” Rex groaned, rolling over. “Good luck.”

~~

Janey had heard her nephew enter the house and call out her name. At first she was elated, Cody never came over, but then her mind switched into gear. He was probably coming to check on her son. Her bitch of a sister had been calling him every couple days to get her taps fixed, and now she let her little shill of a son know he was sick.

She plastered on a smile, rushing out to see him, her mind already coming up with distractions. Her eyes clapped onto his long hair, pulled back into a low, sagging pony tail. He looked tired, as he gazed around the dark house. Janey ran up to him, wrapping him up in a hug and hearing a soft grunt as they collided. She was happy to see him again, he never came down to their Rez, especially now that he was a big fancy doctor. He thought he was too good for them now he had a fancy degree and stethoscope.

It’s not like she never saw him, but since she’d found the truth a few years ago, right after the divorce, her entire family had been distant. They saw each other around, but she never got a visit. Her mind was already suspicious. What if he tired to take Rex? Her son needed his medicine and healing oils, Cody would go and fill him with chemicals from dead babies and the government tracking chips.

He looked down at her, greeting her, his eyes still the same Cody he’d always been…

“Hey, where’s Rexxy?”

Janey looked up at Cody, messing with his hair as she smiled. ‘Not so fast, Mr Doctor.’ She thought, pulling his hair over his shoulders and smoothing it against his chest. “Cody baby? How long have you growing your hair out? It’s so long. Awww, here let me braid it up for you, eh?” She hauled him along and sat him down, rushing off to get Rex’s hairbrush and hair ties. She’d made sure to keep his hair as natural as possible.

As she brushed her nephew’s hair, she sighed as he winced. It was nice spending time with him, he’d always been her favourite nephew, he was just a little misguided by government propaganda. She could get through to him, show him how effective her treatments were of her son. Show him the truth.

“You know before stupid modern culture happened, everyone was more connected to the earth. Every culture in history had long hair, but then the modern, western society colonists came and cut it all, but even they had long hair. So they cut it to lose their connection to their mother, their land, their earth so they didn't feel the pain of hurting her.” It was true, she’d read it on Facebook and stuff. She could tell her doctor nephew wasn’t convinced.

“There, you’re lookin’ all natural and good now.” Janey said, patting her nephews shoulders as she tucked the braid over his shoulder.

“Thanks, Aunty.”

‘Awww, he’s still the polite one.’ She thought. Admiring him for a second, she thought about how her son was. It was about time to test her new water parsley tea.

“Hey, want some tea? She asked, excitedly rushing to the kitchen and finding the dried herbs in the cupboard she had left them. She rushed about, preparing the tea, only for Cody to get up and wander away. He said he needed to pee, so she had plenty of time. Excitedly brewing her tea, she poured out a cup for herself and Cody. She’d always test the medicine first, to make sure it worked before she gave it to her precious baby boy.

She called out for her nephew, “Cody?! Ya done pissing?” as she lit another cigarette. It filled her with a wave of euphoria, the sacred tobacco filling her lungs. Cigarettes were her answer right now, calming her nerves and getting her ready to have her medicine. As Cody re-entered the room, she found her hands opening the drawer and pulling out her other stash of cigarettes, lighting a new one to give them something to do. That other cigarette was pretty much done anyway.

“Your mother said you collapsed at work a couple months ago. Some doctor you are.” Janey probed. She had gotten the call from her sister all panicked one early morning asking if she could stay at her house that morning for a sleep before heading down the the hospital further south in Sawmill Inlet. Cody brushed it off. Janey frowned for a moment, worried that her nephew wasn’t looking after himself. She’d get Garret to send her some vitality veggie shots, get him some good nutrients to take and boost his immune system. The last thing she wanted was to see her nephew hurt.

“Nah. You’ve always put others before yourself.” Janey smiled, grabbing his hand and stroking it. “What’s that saying I heard some TV show say? We ruin our bodies so we can look after yours.” Cody laughed, pulling his hand back and sipping more tea. “Yeah, something like that. I like being a doctor though, it’s a big achievement for me.”

Janey laughed, ‘You spent years being brainwashed by the corporations, that’s not an achievement.’ She thought as took a drag of her cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke into the air. “Yeah, ‘specially when you were such a menace in high school, eh?” She thought back to Cody’s childhood.

He had been a good kid, until about 14. He’d gotten into the wrong crowd at school, smoking weed and getting drunk too often. It had caused too many fights with his parents, and he’d ended up living with Janey for a few weeks at one point when he was 16. It all came to a head when he was 17, when he had a little too much to drink and turned up on his mother's front door step barely conscious at 2am.

“Don’t remind me.” Cody mumbled as he grimaced. Janey wondered if that experience is what got him into medicine. He had always been smart, but he had no direction in life, like most kids like him out this way… But after that he’d changed, turned his life around and really grown up.

They chatted, Cody finishing his tea. “Hey, so mum wanted to know where Rex was. She called him to come and fix her sink and couldn’t reach him.” Janey looked at Cody pulling her lips into a thin line. “My baby boy’s fine.”

He began checking Rex over, but she spoke up. “Hold your ground against the sheep!" Rachel had told her. Rachel knew so much, she posted it all in the Natural Life for Women and their Families group.

She was the one who had taught her about the Big Pharma medicine companies brainwashing poor doctors like her nephew. This is exactly what Janey had been warned about. She thought about how the oils Rachel had sold her were working so well in the diffuser she’d just bough from her too…

However, Rex had other plans, “Codes?” He spoke up from behind them. “Oh, honeybun… Come here, have some tea.” Janey jumped up, her spine tingling, looking over at her sick son. “Sit, sit, let me get you a cup.” She glanced at Cody a she sat her son down, he looked worried. Rex was fine. Sure, he was pale and grey looking, sweaty, with reddened cheeks. Even his eyes looked kind of dull.

“What is it this time?” Rex complained. “Peppermint tea isn’t doing anything.”

’He doesn’t know what’s good for him.’ Janey thought.Janey shot him a look as she made up the tea, “Sush, I got different tea this time. Try this, it’ll help with your breathing.”

“Hey Rex, how about I give you a quick checkover.” Cody said loudly. Janey’s back straightened and she shot her nephew a glare from the kitchen. “I told you, he’s fine. I’ve done all my research, trust me.” Rex groaned, causing Cody to smirk. “Well, I’m the one with a PhD so…” Janey rolled her eyes. ’He thinks he’s so fucking good… He’s just like every other shill doctor.’

“Lording over me with your fancy piece of paper, hey?” She shot back as Cody frowned, replying quietly as he focused. “No, I just know what I’m doing.” Janey scoffed. “Oh, so I don’t?” Janey snapped. “You doctors are all the same never trusting the people who’ve done their research.”

Cody sighed, “No, I never said you didn’t know what you were doing, all I said is I knew what I was doing.”

Janey huffed, her voice changing to sweet and loving as she approached her son. “There you go, baby.” She murmured in Rex’s ear, kissing his cheek. “You know, the knowledge you have is just the propaganda pushed on you by Big Pharma, they made your textbooks you know.” Janey pointed out.

Cody ignored her, which was typical of doctors, because they thought they knew everything. They didn't know how mind controlled they were.

“You have a nasty cold by the looks of things.” He muttered, taking his seat again. “What’s been helping?” He asked, looking at Rex, who was flushed and sweaty. “Everything, been putting lavender and peppermint oil in his diffuser and it really helped his stuffy nose.” Janey explained proudly. She’d researched it all herself and figured so much out.

Rex rolled his eyes, but boys will be boys, of course, and he was her son after all… He was just going through his moody phase. “You also put potato peels in my socks mum. That didn’t do anything.” Cody looked at Janey, slightly shocked. “Potatoes? In his socks?”

Janey shrugged, “My friend on Facebook recommended it. It did get rid of your watery eyes.” She poked Rex, who fired back about her white sage. He’d been complaining about it for ages, but he wasn’t ass connected to tradition as her. She would educate him. And Cody. Both of them…

“It’s tradition though.” She shook her head at Rex as she took his hand. “What’s your opinion on sage, Dr Hill?” Janey asked, as Rex played with Raven, who had come bounding out of her room. She was a slightly fat, old black Labrador, and an absolute angel. She made their lives infinitely better.

“Uhh, Rex is right. It’s not native to the Pacific Northwest, and it’s not our practice. Besides white sage is at risk because of over harvesting, it’s not something you should really be buying.” Janey clicked her tongue at them both.

“Of course you know everything.” She sighed, pushing the mug closer to Rex, he had to drink and stop his coughing soon. The tea would work, she’d done it all right so far… “Drink up.”

Rex sighed in annoyance, grabbed the tea, and drank. He was such a good boy. Janey could make him better… This would fix him. “Oh god. Mum what is that?” He asked, spitting the tea out into the cup. “Herbal tea. New one, not the peppermint.” Rex stuck his tongue out, before pushing it away.

“Please, baby, drink it for me.” Rex groaned, “Mother, I love you, but I am 24, I don’t need to be babied.” He grabbed the mug, tipping it back and swallowed the entire mug in a few gulps. He was lucky it was cooled down or he’d burn himself. Janey quizzed herself quickly on how to an internal burn… Aloe Vera juice. Rex however, slammed the mug down, glaring at her.

“There, I drank your damn tea.” Boys were so temperamental, especially when they were sick. ’Poor baby must be feeling worse today…’ Janey reasoned.

“Ugh, fine go sulk.” Janey mumbled, choosing not to have that fight again… Rex just didn’t know what was good for him. Like when he used to refuse to eat his vegetables when he was 6. She needed another smoke, Rex was stressing her out, his being sick for almost two weeks had caused her to almost triple her cigarette intake. But tobacco was sacred and natural and good and was a gift to humanity and she needed it to decompress. She deserved a cigarette for getting through that tough morning with Rex…

Raven grunted, rolling over. “Wanna go outside girly?” Janey asked asked in a fake, high-pitched voice. Raven rolled over again, looking excited as Janey stood, going to the back door. “I’m gonna grab another smoke. And I don’t wanna hear a peep from you about how its bad. Tobacco is natural.” She snapped at Cody. He was ripping her family apart right now. It was all his fault, he’d upset Rex and made him think he was seriously sick.

Cody disappeared, presumably to go and brainwash her son. She didn't even care, nothing Cody would do could help. She was doing the right thing by Rex and keeping him safe at home with her, so he couldn’t be hurt by the outside world and everyone in it…

Eventually Cody came outside, sitting down next to her. Closer up in the light, she could see he looked tired, rings under his eyes and slightly hollow cheeks. See? This doctor job was destroying his sacred body too… Her poor Cody.

Finding Janey outside, watching Raven chase her tail, Cody sidled up to her. “What do you want?” She asked, looking at him. “Nothing. Just wanna ask how you’re feeling.” Janey sucked on her cigarette, thinking. “Eh, fine.”

Cody sighed, sliding down the wall. He was feeling kinda weird. “Well I don’t think you are.” He countered. “I think you feel out of control of your own life. I think you’re afraid everyone’s gonna leave you like Henry.” Janey scoffed, flicking her cigarette to the ground and snuffing it out.

“Don’t talk to me about him. That bastard can go fuck himself.” Cody nodded, swallowing the saliva accumulating rapidly in his mouth. “I just want you to know that we all care about you, and that we can help you. The family, the community around you. You don’t have to punish yourself for that jackass leaving.” Janey sighed, sliding down the wall to join him, putting her head in his shoulder. “I hate when you do that.” She muttered.

Her hands were trembling slightly as she reached for another cigarette. “Do what…?” Cody murmured, clearing his throat again. It was starting to prickle. “Your doctor talk…” Janey had replied whilst Cody was slightly distracted with his tingling throat. Frowning, he wrapped his arm around his aunt, kissing her forehead. “You love me, and I love you, and that will never change.” He whispered. “But I want you to be happy. This isn’t it, Aunty.” Janey shook her head, getting up and going inside. “Yeah. Maybe. Sometimes you just gotta say fuck the world though, eh?”

Cody rolled his eyes, admitting defeat, until he heard Rex from inside. He was coughing badly. Janey was already in his room, switching on the diffuser again. Cody took one look at him and shook his head, barging into the room. “Come on man, we need to get you some medicine.” Janey ran over to them as Cody pulled Rex out of his bed and helped him walk down the hall.

“But he’s fine I’m managing it all by myself. I don’t need your chemicals, he needs be at home, with me!” She grabbed at Cody, who whirled around, getting dizzy. “The only place we’re going is the pharmacy. He needs medicine or he will get sicker and sicker, and then he might die. Do you want that Janey? Do you want your only son to die?” He looked at her, his hardened stare boring into her own. He didn’t want to be harsh on her, but this was getting ridiculous.

“You take him, I will never talk to you again! YOU CAN’T TAKE MY ONLY FAMILY I HAVE LEFT!” She grabbed Rex’s shaking hand, pulling him towards her. Rex groaned, dropping to the floor. “Mum… Please…” His body convulsed as he threw up at her feet.

Kneeling down, Cody leaned Rex against the wall, his own head swooning as he looked at his cousin. His eyes were weird, his pupils dilated wide. Swallowing more saliva, Cody gasped as he felt Rex’s pulse, it was way too fast. “Hey buddy, can you squeeze my hand?” He asked, concerned. Rex squeezed Cody’s hand weakly, as Janey stood still, watching with suspicion.

Cody shook his head, trying to rid it of the weird lightheaded-ness. Looking at his own hands, he realised they were trembling and everything was way too bright, even inside the dim house. Rex was groaning, holding his stomach and mumbling nonsense. Cody’s eyes widened, he had seen these symptoms before, a hippie had been rushed into his ED a few years ago, after eating wild herbs…

“Aunty… What was that tea you gave us?” He asked, his voice weak and hollow with dear. Janey looked at him, her pupils were fine “Water parsley, why?” Cody felt a chill run down his spine. “How did you get it?” Janey smiled, looking proud, she clearly hadn’t put two and two together. “Picked it myself. Dried it out and made it into tea for Rex. It supposed to help with his breathing.” Cody stood shakily, “Show me.”

He followed his aunt to the kitchen, watching as she began pulling a small bundle of dried plants out from a cupboard. Cody raced over, his vision tilting as he looked closely at it. “Shit, Aunty… This isn’t water parsley. That has flatter, whole leaves. This looks a lot like it, but this… This is hemlock.”

~~

A chill went down Janey’s spine… ’Did I just poison my babies?’ She thought, as she watched Cody stagger over to Rex, slinging an arm around her almost unconscious son and haul him up. He was quite a bit bigger than Cody, who was already struggling to hold him up in his weakened state…

“We need to go Stoney Creek, now!” Cody grunted, as he held Rex, looking to Janey. The two men staggered towards the door, as Janey followed, dazed. “Wait, come back, please.” His vision was blurring as his ears rang. He felt so woozy, but he had to keep going. He couldn’t get Rex to his car and an ambulance would take to long… Rex was getting heavy to carry, as Janey came up behind the slowing men, watching them closely.

“Aunty, did you drink any of the tea?” Cody asked, coughing slightly. She shook her head, “I was busy with my cigarette, then forgot after the whole sage thing.” Cody sighed in relief, “Good, you gotta drive us to the hospital in Stoney, please!” He fished his keys from his pocket with clammy, shaking hands.

Janey stood frozen in shock, staring at the keys. “Aunty! Please!” Cody desperately begged, looking a strange colour as sweat covered his skin. Her mind was reeling. She had poisoned her son. He was going to die and it was all her fault…

Cody groaned in exasperation, shoving his keys into his aunt’s hand and grabbing her wrist, dragging both Rex, who was half passed out, and Janey, as fast as he could towards the front door.

He pushed it open, stumbling to his car and throwing Rex in the back, Janey climbing into the front seat and shoving the keys into the ignition after failing a few times due to shaking hands. Cody adjusted the now unconscious Rex, yelling at Janey to drive as the car rumbled to life, speeding off down the driveway and onto the main, winding road.

Cody wanted nothing more than to collapse to the floor of the car, and rest his eyes, but he had to make sure Rex was breathing. He was… His pulse… was… there… Cody was struggling to find it. His vision seemed to be two seconds behind his eye movements… He was seeing things, shadowy figures in the corner of his eyes, hearing whispers of strange words in a language he didn’t understand... But it felt familiar.... Gasping for air, he slumped in the seat, glancing around at Rex. At least he had thrown up his tea, Cody wasn’t sure he’d be able to, something was stopping him.

Cody heard Rex cough. Groaning, his eyes fluttered, reaching over to his cousin, shoving him to keep him awake. “Rex, buddy… come on… stay awake for me… Nhhh…” He felt bile thrashing in his stomach, but it wouldn’t come up. He was slumped in the back seat, next to Rex, leaning heavily against the door as he battled to stay awake. He wasn’t going to let Rex die, not on his watch.

The car took a sharp corner, it was speeding so fast, it made Cody queasy… Somewhere in the back of his mind he cringed at the idea of having to clean up puke from his car… It wasn’t nice, but puke smell was worse…

Cody felt his stomach drop, his racing heart suddenly jumping in his chest, throwing up a little. He swallowed it, his head pounding as he felt the turn throw him against Rex’s shoulder. He tried to lift his head, but Cody’s eyes rolled back as went limp in the back seat.

~~

A car screeched into the small parking lot in front of the Stoney Creek Hospital. Dr Melanie White looked around, frowning, that car looked like Cody’s car. It was a black four wheel drive car, modded, with a deep rumbling engine… the sound was unmistakable… A slight chill went down her spine. Something told her something was wrong.

She frowned when a woman got out. She was native, short and chubby, with long hair tied back in a braid. She bolted to the passenger door and dragged out a young man. Short black hair was plastered to his skin, which looked grey and clammy. Melanie yelled for Vanessa and Dan, the two nurses on shift to come help, her feet already moving towards the door. The woman was struggling to lift the man, who was quite heavy himself. She was screaming for help, trying to pull the man over the car park towards the door.

Melanie raced up to the woman, grabbing the young man’s feet and lifting them. “Hey, I’m Melanie, can you tell me your name?” The woman looked at her with panicked eyes. “Jane Aubrey! Please help my son! He’s poisoned!” She was hysterical. Melanie looked at her eyes, her green ones meeting Jane’s brown ones. “Jane. I’m going to help him okay? Let’s get him inside.”

The sound of feet running up to behind them stopped as Dan and Vanessa both came and helped carry the unconscious man into the ER. They got him up onto the bed, as Melanie grabbed her stethoscope and listened for a heart beat. It was there… Pounding away.

“What’s his name?” She asked Jane. “Rex…” Jane murmured, her voice wobbling. She was pacing back and forth, ensuring that they were looking after him, before dashing back out to the car. Everyone glanced at her as she looked into the back seat.

“Oh no… There’s another one…” Dan murmured, going to follow her, before a devastated, heart broken howl ripped through the air. Jane dropped to her knees, screaming as Dan rushed out, freezing when he looked inside. He grabbed the unconscious person from the back of the car, slinging them over his shoulder and carrying them in fireman style.

“IT’S CODY!” He screamed, looking horrified. Everyone looked at him as he lay their colleague down on the bed, tears brimming in his eyes. Cody was a strange blue, grey colour, his body limp and chest still… He wasn’t breathing. Melanie felt her heart tear itself in two… They didn't have enough people to manage two patients, poisoned like this. “Van…Van I need you to manage that patient.” Melanie ordered with a shake in her voice, Dan already pumping Cody’s chest with his hands. Melanie forced herself to put ‘doctor’ mode on. For Cody. For Rex.

It didn’t make sense in her head though. Cody had left an hour before, happy and tired. They’d had a good day. Not many patients, all the patients they had were good. Cody had been joking around with Dan about smashing his ass in basketball this weekend, and now he was lying on a bed, basically dead…Madeline looked at Jane, who was pacing around, anxious. “Hey! Jane! What’s poisoned them?” Jane looked shocked at the yelling, shaking her head as she tried to remember.

~~

’I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son. I killed my son.’

It was all Janey could think as she drove, glancing back and looking at Cody, who was trying to keep Rex’s head tilted back. He seemed to be struggling to stay conscious.

’What have I done…’ She asked herself as she drove.

Making it to the carpark she went back and grabbed Rex, someone running out. Her mind could only focus on her son. Was he alive? Will they be able to save him? If they worked with Cody… they were probably good at their jobs right? Cody had kept him going… She could trust him… Right?

Suddenly she remembered her nephew… They didn’t know about Cody. She had to get him! Bolting out of the ER, she ran to the open car and found Cody lying face down on the car seat. He was grey and washed out, his fingers blue and body still… He looked dead… He was dead. He wasn’t breathing… He was dead…

Dead.

Dead.

Dead.

Dead.

She had killed her nephew.

Her sister would never forgive her.

She would never feel his warm hugs or hear his laugh again.

Someone picked him up. She didn’t know where they had come from.

Someone was wailing. Screaming, sobbing, crying for them to help in as she followed them in a daze.

Cody is dead.

Cody is dead.

Cody is dead.

Cody is dead.

Cody is dead.

Cody is dead.

Cody is dead.

A guy began CPR on Cody, whilst a lady yelled.

“What’s poisoned them?”

Janey froze, her brain not processing what she had said. The next thing she realised, the woman was in her face, looking at her squarely, arms on her shoulders. “What happened Jane?”

Janey shook her head, her mouth talking whilst her brain kept repeating the truth.

’I killed my boys… I killed my boys… I killed my boys…’

“H-H-Hem-m-mlock…” She said, somehow. The next thing she knew Rex was spewing a black liquid all over the floor, her poor baby… But he was alive. Her heart soared with joy as she rushed over to her son, turning to glance at Cody. They had cut off his clothes, his chest exposed and covered in wires and pads. He looked dead. He was dead…

The white lady, the doctor left Rex’s side and took over from the nurse compressing his chest as his body limply moved from the impact. There was a tube down his throat now… The doctor put it there…

Was she safe?

Safe to treat her nephew?

Was Janey safe to be around?

If they brought him back… Would he still love her?

Janey wanted to drink all the hemlock tea in the world right now, to take his place and give him his life back. She would do it without a second thought.

~~

“Come on Cody… You can do it, don’t give up yet.” Melanie whispered as she continued pumping his chest. He remained still and limp as Melanie stepped back, letting Dan take over CPR. She ordered Vanessa to prepare to pump his stomach, getting the toxin out.

“There’s no cure for hemlock… We just have to pray he makes it.” She added, looking at his face… He was gone… The life was ebbing from his body as the toxin stole it from him.

The world was a blur as she ordered the tubes to be put down his throat, and medicines to be injected into Cody’s lifeless body, CPR had been carried out for only 5 minutes, but it felt like 5 years.

She kept glancing at Rex, who seems to be coming around. Focusing on Cody beneath her, she began to clean his stomach of the killer tea, CPR stopping for a few precious seconds and the contents of his stomach came out of his body and onto their feet. They couldn’t care less as they went back to pumping his chest and and.. and…

A beep.

The ECG!

Melanie glanced at the ECG. Ventricular fucking fibrillation…

After 9 minutes of CPR… Cody was still fighting.

“Okay, get ready to shock, 200 joules.” Melanie began the checklist. “Continue compressions. Oxygen away… All others clear.” Her voice caught in her throat as she neared the button that she was going to use to shock her friend, her colleague… Cody…

“Charging to 200… Vee confirm?”

“Confirming 200.”

“Clear.”

Her voice shook as she checked Cody’s exposed body, just in case anyone was touching him and could be shocked…

And pressed the button.

Cody’s body jolted violently and a strange, quiet grunt escaped from his throat. Vanessa jumped back on his bruised chest as they did more CPR. “Come on Cody…” Melanie whispered. “Come on… Come on… You can do it.”

They shocked him again. Melanie had never liked shocking people, but it was horrific when they were someone she knew, and even worse that it was Cody. His body stiffened as it jerked, a strangled gasp escaping his chest… The shock flashing through him, the lighting of life.

Everyone watched as the rhythm changed, Melanies fingers already on his neck. She cried out in relief.

“PULSE!”

She collapsed to the floor sobbing, as Vanessa continued to treat him. “Get up Mel, you gotta keep going.” She was blunt, but right.

~~

Janey watched the doctor and nurses do CPR on her nephew in horror. The way they caved in his chest… and how his body remained limp under them, only moving as they jostled and stabbed him with needles. They had cut his shirt off seconds after he hit the bed, exposing his now purple and black chest to the light. The bruising was awful… nut the shock was worse.

Cody had jerked and stiffened awkwardly, grunting in what she assumed was pain. ’Oh fuck… can he feel this? Is he conscious for this?’ She thought as she sat beside Rex, who was only now beginning to gain consciousness. It was good he didn’t have to see Cody, a man Rex considered his brother going through this.

They shocked him again, and his limbs jerked one more, a quieter grunt escaping him… And then they got a pulse. The lady doctor collapsed to the ground, tears rolling down her face, only to set back up and immediately get to work. Janey breathed a sigh of relief… Her nephew was alive! He was alive and breathing and his heart was beating and…

A quiet cry emerged from her as she sobbed… Cody will live…

He had to…

~~

Melanie sat with Cody watching him breathe. It was slow and laboured, but at least he was still breathing. Rex was lucky, his sickness had made him throw up the tea before it had too much of an effect on him, Cody hadn’t been as lucky. He looked terrible, his skin pale and cold as he lay there, effectively dying in front of her. Rex was sleeping off his fever, which was just as well, he probably wouldn’t have wanted to see Cody deteriorate.

“I wanna try more charcoal.” She spoke up, Vanessa nodding and bringing more over. They lay Cody on his side, inserting another tube and administering the charcoal. They observed him for a while, keeping track of his heart rate on the monitor. “It’s still fast, and he hasn’t had a seizure, so that’s a good sign.” Vanessa read off her phone.

Melanie nodded, “My journal article said the same thing. Hopefully he pulls through without any permanent damage.”

Suddenly, Cody gagged, his body convulsing as he choked on the tube. Melanie and Vanessa jumped into action, pulling the tube up and out of Cody’s stomach. He shuddered, throwing up a black, watery sludge. Gasping, he opened his eyes, trying to catch his breath, before he threw up again. Vanessa rubbed his back as he emptied his guts three or four times into Melanie’s sick bucket that she had materialised from seemingly nowhere. He began shivering, the colour returning to his face a little as he coughed up more charcoal.

“Cody… Thank God, I thought we’d lost you.” Cody sighed, his eyes rolling back as he closed them, a slight whisper dancing from his lips. “It’s gonna… take a… hell… of a lot… more… than that… to take… me out…” He looked concerned as a hand gingerly cradled his chest. “Rex?” He croaked.

Melanie looked over at Cody’s cousin. “Fine, he’s sleeping off his fever, We gave him some antibiotics that seem to have helped a bit.” Cody nodded, curling up and closing his eyes.

~~

Cody awoke to extreme pain. His chest felt tight and bruised as he choked on something slithering out of his mouth, quickly followed by puke…

In his haze he heard someone say they’d nearly lost him…

His chest felt like he’d been crushed under a steam roller, nausea filling his mind as he gazed around, and tried to swallow. His mouth was try and acidic from puke, but all.

He could think about was Rex.

Melanie was next to him.

She said he was fine… He’d puked out the tea he was lucky he wasn’t more poisoned than he had been…

Cody was too tired to think as someone said something about a helicopter to Vancouver.He could talk about it when he had slept. He would’t mind a trip to Van… Stanley Island was always nice this time of year.

~~

~ 5 months later ~

Rex came out of the house as Cody pulled up. “Hey brother, how was work today?” Cody smiled tiredly, “The usual. How you feeling little cuz?” Rex breathed in deeply through his nose. “Good, started working out a little today, just went for a walk, that’s all.” Cody ruffled his hair and chuckled as he walked inside, collapsing on the sofa with a tired groan. “Why do I keep signing up for 48 hour shifts?”

Rex laughed, going to the kitchen and set to work making coffee. “Oh, by the way, your kitchen sink was leaking so I tinkered around, think I fixed it.” Cody looked up from the sofa, “Wait, really? I’ve been trying to get that fixed for months, Darell kept dodging my calls.” Rex rolled his eyes, “Darrell doesn’t like working unless he absolutely has to. Call me, man, can give ya a family discount too!” Cody shook his head, his cousin had been a plumber for six years, why hadn’t he ever called him?

“Hey, so… I wanna get your opinion on something.” Cody blinked sleepily, looking at his cousin/roommate. “Shoot.” Rex sighed, looking out the nearby window. “I wanted to go see mum, ya know just to check on her. I worry about her now that I’ve moved out”

Cody lay back, thinking about it. His aunt had been living alone since Rex had moved in with him, a few months after the now infamous ‘Tea Accident.’ He didn’t really want to see her, after the whole poisoning him thing, he didn’t have any bad permanent damage, but the CPR had done a number on him for a while, as well ass the fact his muscles did feel weaker and he was getting migraines more often… He got tired faster too…

Maybe that would fade with time, but he just didn’t know if he could face her right now. He knew his aunt didn’t mean to do it, but he was just done with all the chaos she brought into his life... But he missed her too.

“That’s your call Rex. I don’t think you should or shouldn’t go, she’s your mum, but… Just keep yourself safe, hey?” Rex nodded, “I know she still believes in all that stuff, but when I called her she said she missed me and hoped I was doing well, and I… I miss her Codes.”

Cody nodded, his eyes sliding shut as he slumped a little on the sofa. “Your choice buddy. I’ll go with you if you want.” Rex looked up at his sleepy cousin, smiling gratefully. “I think that’d be a good idea…”

Cody moaned softly in reply, as Rex walked over and poked him. “Hey, let me help you up. You’re always going on about me sleeping on the couch being bad for my neck, I’m not letting you do it.” Cody smiled, cracking his eyes open a little. “Fine…”

He felt his cousin help him stand, walking him to his room and tucking him in. “I’ll wake you up for dinner, okay?” Cody nodded, rapidly falling asleep.

Somewhere deep down, he was glad that he would be woken up for dinner, because he could wake up at all.

~masterlist~

~taglist~

@i-eat-worlds

@emcscared-whumps

[longbobmckenzie]

LITG S7 Volume II Thoughts

Wasn't even gonna do a thoughts post this week because I was so underwhelmed by the episodes today, but eh whatever. I'm doing it.

It feels like S6 in here. Are the first volumes being written by people and then AI is taking over? Because all the signs are there again (screenshotted a bunch of "x reads out the text")

Summer asking us for deets on what we got up to the night before is giving me Amelia flashbacks. *cringe*

Whyyyyy are they doing Raunchy Races first thing in the morning?! Believe me, the last thing I want to do after I've just woken up is play a game where we race to kiss people

Raunchy Races especially felt like S6 again. Reusing a bunch of the same nonsense subjective prompts, people taking too long to figure out who's the "best" at something, losing challenges because of it. But this time making us pay to win? We shouldn't have to!

I don't care about Summer's kiss. Why am I investigating that on dates when I should be getting to know these guys?! And it immediately became obvious that she was lying about it when none of the guys fessed up (and someone said he didn't want to embarrass anyone)

Speaking of, why are we dressing in our evening clothes to do dates in the afternoon and then putting our party outfits on for the party? It's minor but still annoying, I was wearing the nice black dress and had to change into something less attractive

Spin the Bottle! Something new! Except... it's with dares? And nobody's taking the kisses? And people are complaining after 2 turns that it's not landing on them? And Bonnie takes a turn to get one of the guys to kiss MC?! WHY?!?! I'm just- there's so much potential and FB always manages to make it fall flat

Joyo's taking me back. Or is he? Or wait, he is. No? He's making our chat special! But how? We just had a nice chat where he expressed interest and now I have to make a move myself? What?! Idk I'm so lost sometimes.

2 nights and we're already going to the villa? If the concept of the season is that we're a CA girl, we should, y'know... be a CA girl a little longer. Get to know the guys (without cramming a million challenges into the episodes). Not move so fast that we're having sex the 2nd night.

It also kinda defeats the purpose when all 4 guys are interested in us (although Raf is probably sticking, let's be real). We're being encouraged to graft but the guys are all in love with us and will take us back even if we don't. Make us work for it! Make them harder to get! Urrgh!!

Cassius better be a CA boy, that's all I'm saying.

[brw]

hello , im the one who asked about avengers 5 .

I meant inc and what did you think about Nadia and Hank finally interacting ?

Thanks for clarifying!

I kind of... It's a complicated one. I've really wanted these two to interact for a while, so maybe I've had really high expectations, but it felt weirdly... eh? Like, Nadia idolised Hank for most of her life. He is the whole reason why she tried so hard to escape from the Red Room–she wanted to see her father, and she was heartbroken when she found out he died before she could have met him. Hank, meanwhile, only ever became a superhero because of Maria's death. That was what made him become a superhero. His wife had died, and he didn't even know she was pregnant.

And because of this, if you were gonna have them meet... I think it should have been in a Nadia book or a Hank book. Not a Janet book, because it's important for Janet to do things that aren't to do with her ex husband or her ex husband's daughter.

The moments themselves were cute, but the pacing was so strange in that issue it was hard to appreciate them, and I don't know how to feel about Hank fucking off into the void with some supervillains. Like, no, Hank is not someone who makes good decisions, I can appreciate that, but he was also someone portrayed as feeling a good deal of responsibility and love towards William, so it feels odd he would seemingly have very little actual interest in getting to know and learn about his daughter. Like even in the short moments they had I didn't feel like they majorly cared about learning about one another. Mark Waid did a better job with the fake Hank in that Nadia and Scott teamup, which had more emotional impact because you felt her emotions far more clearly from her perspective.

I'm genuinely trying not to be overly critical because I think this book ultimately wasn't for me but I do feel frustrated that this is how they met. Not one of the most impactful things to have happened in either of their lives, but in about 3 pages total in a book mostly about badly replicating Noir plots with superheroes and Ultron is there. Like, this should have been an entire issue dedicated to meeting, figuring out what their relationship is going to be, learning about one another proper and not from word of mouth. It shouldn't have been from the perspective of a character Al Ewing fundamentally does not understand and cannot write.

I dunno. I like the moments in a vacuum but as a story I felt let down in a lot of ways and this meeting after coming close to a decade of build up did not stick the landing and felt bizarrely inconsequential. Also, the Hope line mixed with Old Hank put me in far too much mind of MCU Hank for my own liking. Like, yes that's what her name means, but Hank did not know Maria was pregnant so the dialogue is. odd.

[ladey]

When I Brush Your Hair | Chapter 4

Jinx x Fem!Reader 🌙🦋🎀

Word count: 2.4k

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

"Vander learns none of this."

"No worries there. Powder took care of the evidence." Mylo replies making Y/n silently glare and flip him off.

"I tried, okay? You don't get it. You're older, you're bigger. It- it isn't fair!" Powder tries to defend herself, throwing her arms around as she grows frustrated.

"So stick with us. Take a punch or two!" Mylo retorts, slumping back into the couch when at the same time the door creaks open.

"Everyone alright?" Vander's voice is heard, making everyone scramble to pretend like nothing happened.

"Never better." Mylo huffs out. Way to make it obvious. Vander walks around the room and behind the couch the two younger girls are sitting on. They avoid looking his way, practically hiding their faces in their knees.

"Good. I don't suppose you can explain why it is that I'm hearing about an explosion and a foot chase topside? Five children fleeing the scene." He inquires. No one says a word.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Y/n just knew it. How he figured out it was them, she didn't know. But she knows that she's mad at whoever snitched.

"That we can handle a real job." Vi's voice cuts through her thoughts, making her turn her head to watch.

"A real job?"

"We got our own tip, planned a route, nobody even saw."

"You blew up a building."

"That wasn't—"

"Did you even stop to think about what could've happened to you? Eh? To them?" Vander motions to the others, who immediately look away to avoid eye contact.

"Where did you even get this tip?" He then asks. It's silent before Powder lifts her head and speaks up.

"We just heard it at Benzo's shop."

"From?" He glowers.

"Little man." Powder grimaces, and Vander has to look away and groan. But Vi quickly stands up, quick to defend.

"I took us there. If you wanna be mad, be mad at me. But you're the one who always says we have to earn our place in this world." Her voice is raised, getting caught in her feelings. Y/n feels overwhelmed and the space between her eyebrows get hot. She wishes she could say something to help, but...

"I also told you time and time again, the Northside's off-limits. We stay out of Piltover's business."

"Why? They've got plenty while we're down here scraping together coins. When did you get so comfortable living in someone else's shadow?" The room is deathly quiet as Vi and Vander have a stare-off. Y/n and Powder share an awkward glance.

"Everyone out." Vander says sounding oddly calm. Everyone very awkwardly stands up and exits the room. Y/N takes one last peak before the door is closed. Her and Powder exchange concerned looks, but decide to leave even though she wants to try listening with that object Mylo is holding up to the door.

Powder goes out back to fetch a few things while Y/n goes up to the bar area. She hasn't spoken to her cousin in a while and she wonders what she's been up to. She kind of scares her sometimes but she feels very fond of her at the same time and can't help but give her a nice warm hug whenever she says goodbye. Even if it's not always fully reciprocated.

Advancing up the stairs Y/n wanders around a bit until her eyes land on a familiar muscular figure hunched over a table with a couple other scary looking individuals. Her smile widens and she makes her way over.

As she approaches, the scent of her cigar grows strong. She waves her hand to rid of the smoke in her face, and when it clears she's face to face with Sevika.

"Hi cuzo, what's cracka-lackin?" Y/n cheers. The woman just looks at her almost nonplussed. She knows that she annoys her, especially when she's with her friends.

"Hey, kid." Sevika huffs. Y/n looks down at the table and recognizes the poker game Sevika must've been in the middle of playing.

"Having fun losing your money?" Sevika's eyes widen and the others sitting around the table are heard snickering. Y/n appears indifferent however; she was being genuinely serious.

"You're funny, kid. What do you want?" Sevika brushes it off, trying to make this quick so the little girl would just leave her alone. Y/n holds her hands behind her back and bounces on the balls of her feet.

"Nothing. Just wanna know what you've been up to." She responds sweetly.

"Not much." Sevika says shortly. She's lying, but her little cousin didn't need to know that. She opens her mouth to dismiss her but the girl beats her to it.

"Aw, that's boring. You'll never believe what happened today, though. Me and Powder went out with Vi and the others, and a building blew up. It was so scary. And then we got chased for hours. I thought I was for sure gonna die, especially when I almost fell off a roof." The young girl rambles, the whole time playing with the gold coins scattered around the table. The others just listen and watch utterly jaw-slacked.

"Uhuh.." Is all Sevika can give as a response.

"Yeahh, hahah.. I probably shouldn't have said all of that.." Y/n trails off and frowns feeling embarrassed. Then she catches Powder's blue hair not too far the stairs.

"I'll talk to you later, cuzo. Bye!" She gives Sevika a hug, pulling away before before she can even reciprocate it, and happily waves before bouncing over to her friend. The woman is left staggered.

Y/n quickly takes notice of Powder's slumped shoulders and sad face looking around the room. The taller girl turns her head and meets her eyes when she notices her now standing in front of her.

"Hey! ...You alright?" Y/n asks, placing a hand on Powder's shoulder. The girl's eyes look to the side and she shrugs.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She answers.

Usually Powder shares everything with Y/n, positive and the negative. So for her to not tell her what's going on when something is visibly bothering her both shocks and hurts her a little bit. Her hand squeezes her shoulder a little bit before letting it drop.

"Alrighty.." Y/n responds, pausing for a moment. Powder opens her mouth to say something but Y/n doesn't notice and beats her to it.

"Well I have to go since it's super late." This makes Powders eyebrows raise and look a little disappointed. She slowly nods her head.

"My dad will let me stay with you tomorrow though. And if not I'll just run away." The shorter girl laughs. She pats her friend's head with a parting smile and skips away.

Powder watches her exit the bar, wishing she could've stayed just a little bit longer.

-

It's the next day, and earlier Y/n's dad escorted her to The Last Drop. Beck knew of the possible dangers associated with her, and didn't want to risk anything. But he was also aware that she would rather be with the other four more than anything during this time. And after him and Vander had a long discussion about their fiasco in topside, he thought it would be best if she too stayed in a safer area with the rest of them.

"Remind me again why we bother with this dump." Mylo asks while picking his nose and flicking a boogie off to land on a wall.

"Vander said to lay low. Enforcers never come down here, so this is as good a place as any." Vi responds as she pants, having just finished a round of using their punching machine that has been there for what feels like decades.

"Oh, what's the matter Mylo? You worried Powder's gonna beat you again?" Claggor teases from across the room. He leans back carefree against a wall, a smirk growing as he watches Mylo's face turn into a scowl.

"Hey, if she didn't keep fixing these things, I wouldn't keep missing." One second after he says that, Powder pops up from behind the counter and connects two wires. The shooting range turns on with a buzz of bright lights.

Her evil smile grows once she hops over the counter and Mylo attempts to hit the targets, and then Y/n looks over to watch too. Boy was he godawful.

"Geez, are you even trying?" Y/n taunts dangling off the railings surrounding Vi's machine.

"Shut up."

"You guys know I wouldn't take you on a job you couldn't handle, right?" Vi asks sounding a little perturbed. Mylo is quick to answer.

"Are you kidding? That was the best job we're ever done! Maybe just don't take Powder and Y/n next time." He says, making Y/n slide off the bars and Powder roll her eyes before taking her aim at the moving targets.

Y/n doesn't see this too often, but when she does she nearly falls to her knees. She's fairly good with a gun and has her own dexterities and what have you, but Powder is without a doubt better than her. It makes her wish she could display her own abilities more often without a skill issue.

And without a problem, Powder hits every target square on, impressing anyone who sees. When it's over she places the fake gun back down on the counter and sneers at Mylo.

"Dang Powder, you're op!" Y/n chuckles and pats her shoulder as they walk over to an arcade game randomly sitting in a corner.

The shorter girl leans her side against the arcade game as she watches Powder play with a dreamy expression, still admiring her. It doesn't last long though because they both hear commotion coming from the large stained glass window. Powder look up at the same time Y/n turns around with a baffled expression. They look through a jagged hole in the glass.

"Tell me where to find them." A man is being restrained by a group of enforcers while one interrogates him.

"Topsider business ain't my concern." The guy argues.

"It's every one of you trencher's concern now. Give me a name." The enforcer gets in his face and sternly demands.

The man spits and it lands on the enforcer's shoe with a splat.

"Ew.."

The two girls share a weary look. Powder steps back and warns the others.

"Hey, guys? You should see this—"

A man is suddenly flying through the room and then tumbling aggressively to the floor, stopping after a couple of rolls. A moment of silences passes where nothing happens, but now the whole group of enforcers can see them.

"Search them." The one in charge says. And one by one they enter through the much larger hole made in the window.

Y/n and Powder have now backed up against the counter at the shooting range. Y/n feels Powder stiffen beside her and looks down to see her hand hiding something in her tiny bag hooked on her belt. That's when she remembers that Powder had been keeping those stones with her. She never thought why, but she's knows now that's it's definitely an inconvenience.

"Go ahead, idiots. We've got nothing." Mylo taunts while holding his hands up in surrender when an enforcer shoves a stick in his face. The two girls internally panic. And when Violet and Powder's eyes meet, the redhead immediately gets the message.

The head enforcer just so happens to be the one to approach the younger two, looming over them as he looks down at them with terrifying looking eyes. Y/n feels her heart drop.

But then it all happens before she even knows it has. Violet turns to Claggor who hasn't moved from his spot, and he pulls a lever that turns on a blue light, making the room significantly darker than it was before. Y/n doesn't focus on that too much, because she's running.

Everyone does what they can to escape; Vi throwing a metal piece at an enforcer's head while Claggor shoves down another to the ground. Y/n and Powder make their way through the shooting range, manoeuvring around the moving figures until they hide behind one at the very back.

They're both panting and shaking, desperately trying to stay calm and not get noticed. Powder grabs onto Y/n's hand and tries to make another run for it, but the second her head pops out from behind their spot a hand reaches out and manages to grab onto her braid. Powder screams nearly tripping over her feet.

Y/n gasps feeling anxiety shoot up her spine, and then her blood boil. When the enforcer pulls on Powder's hair again, his arm spontaneously catches on fire. His hand lets go and he immediately waves his arm around like a fool, trying anything to put it out. Y/n grabs Powder's hand again at the same time Vi grabs Powder's arm. The five of them run to a door farther back and kick it open, now sprinting down an alleyway.

They get maybe 50 feet when they see a couple other enforcers pinning a person up against a wall. They look over at them and drop the guy on the ground completely disregarding him. They turn back around but the other enforcers are charging towards them. They're trapped.

A whistle sounds above them and a ladder slides down beside them.

"Over here!" Leave it to Ekko to randomly save the day.

Vi is the first to jump and climb up. The enforcers are pelting towards them, and Y/n is scared they might not all get up in time. Soon she's one of the last ones below, she can hear the sounds of their boots stomping against the cement as they get closer to her. Her brain feels like a whirlpool of dread and she swears her vision turns blurry.

I’m so dead.

She lets out a fearful a whimper and covers her eyes with her arm, the other one shooting out in a pathetic attempt to defend herself, even though she knows there's really no point. At that moment she gets surrounded by a ring of fire, blocking both sides from approaching any closer. She can no longer see them, but she can hear the enforcers letting out coughs and yells of protest. Powder looks down astonished from her spot on the ladder, making Y/n usher her to keep going with flailing arms.

Even though Y/n makes her way to the top, Vi still aggressively kicks the ladder down to the ground just to be safe. She glares down at the group of men as the fire slowly dissipates then turns around to follow the others.

"You need to hide those crystals." She all but demands.

"Yeah, no shit."

Chapter 5…

—

y'all better eat this lore up in the future.

i'm trying to introduce u to this fire thing slowly and not be cringe with it. i'll talk abt it later tho.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Danny laughed at the interaction, though she still had a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Mom’s right y’know, you have met your match. I mean, don’t think I haven’t seen all the locks you’ve placed…” she said, smirking up at him. “Maybe while you’re gone, me and Camicazi could figure those out?” She shrugged.

“Okay, two or three weeks, but Astrid’s right, it’s probably gonna be closer to two.”

She scoffed. “You act like the second I’m left unattended the islands gonna blow up or something. I’ll be fine. And if Spitelout tries anything, I’ll just go find someone, I dunno.” She shrugged.

Wrapping him in one more tight hug, she eventually pulled away. “Okay, have fun, don’t die, all that stuff.”

———

Danny of course, did not follow Hiccups advice. What a shocker.

The first week was fine, just hanging out, living life as normal, finishing up her gift for Hiccup and Astrid [she had decided that a wood painting would be better, more unique than just a normal tapestry], all good stuff.

Until the second week, when she ended up breaking her leg.

How? Well, her and Camicazi had flown back to the island with the waterfall, since Danny thought she’d like it.

All was well there too, until Camicazi had pushed her off the cliff unexpectedly, and since Danny had no time to react, she didn’t fall forwards far enough, so her leg smashed on the rock.

Once they got her back, Gothi was not very pleased, but hey, at least it wasn’t as bad as last time. That sucked.

Gothi had just used some thicker sticks along with some bindings around her leg to hold everything in place, and had told Danny that’d she need to keep that on for a few weeks, and that she could only walk with the wooden crutches that she had supplied her.

She was kind of worried about how Hiccup would react, but she didn’t know why? Like, of course Hiccup wouldn’t be mad at her, but he had literally told her to stay out of trouble, and here she was— Eh, honestly it was more funny than anything.

So, when they got the Terror mail that Hiccup and Astrid were returning, Danny stood side by side with Valka while they waited for them. Some of the villagers were waiting too, and Gothi was standing close by Danny as well.

Eyebrows raised, he had trouble believing that. "There's no possible way you found all of them..."

Astrid chuckled. "No lock has lasted against Camicazi, that's for sure."

He hugged his sister back tightly as well. "Don't die? I think I can arrange that."

-----------------

Their time away was great, Hiccup had been working almost nonstop for over a year, and the break was much needed.

As Berk drew closer, he found himself smiling, seeing how many people were gathered to see their return. He'd be lying if he said it didn't feel nice.

But that smile faltered when he saw Danny on crutches.

"Astrid? You see that too, don't you?"

She nodded, though she squinted slightly. "I see it, Hiccup. She doesn't seem to have any other injuries that we can see. That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Is it, but we were only gone for a couple weeks..."

They both landed softly, dismounting to stretch their stiff legs.

Hiccup and Astrid took turns hugging Valka, as she welcomed them home. "Oh! It is good to see you!"

Hiccup turned to Danny, gesturing to her crutches and her leg. "What happened to you?" He was more concerned than anything, but he was relieved to see that she didn't have any other injuries, just as his wife pointed out.

His wife! He still couldn't believe it! Gods, he was a lucky Viking.

Toothless greeted everyone as well, his head high, before nuzzling Valka. He looked closely, observing Danny's splint, before looking up at her with large eyes. He warbled as if to ask the same question Hiccup had.

[fiestasaur]

Just completed Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance's Canon of Vengeace's CHAOS route. I have rambly feelings. Beware of spoilers.

I never really knew how to feel about SMTV, even when the vanilla version came out in 2021. The battle system was honed to perfection, with more attention to affinities and the Magatsuhi bar system. World traversal was really fun, especially with vast maps, which we hadn't really had in a SMT game.

And yet, my mind always wandered to the parts I didn't really like. The Essence system was cool to modify your Nahobino, but I don't think I ever felt it necessary for your demons, meaning I'd end up with tens of unused Essences in my inventory. The story was barely there, and they didn't manage to make me care about any of the alignment reps. Traversing the maps never felt dangerous and sometimes just took to long.

And now, a couple of years later: Vengeance, an enhanced remake meant to improve on the common complaints about Vanilla V. And it addressed a lot of those in the new Canon of Vengeance. Hell, they even managed to make me like Dazai for a bit. But at the end, just like vanilla, it all kind of unraveled. The new QOL improvements made the game so easy on normal that I can't have died more than 20 times. Most fusion Magatsuhi skills don't really matter. Whether you pick law or chaos only affects the second to last boss and the cutscene you get at the end - and even then you don't get to see the outcome of your new world. It didn't stick the landing.

All this to say that I can't not compare this game to the other SMT games I've played, and especially the IV duology. For all its faults and the shonen-vibes of Apocalypse, I think I still vastly prefer those. They're more catered to my personal needs, and I know not everyone would agree with that. For starters, gimme more demons! Go back to sprites if that means we get hundreds of them again, please.

Furthermore,I personally just like spending more time with the human characters, like the Samurai and Factions in IV, or the special taskforce in Strange Journey. Some might find that too Persona-ey, but I prefer getting attached to the characters before they have to pick an alignment side over "Ichiro had a talk with Mastema and is cool and evil now". The Canon of Vengeance gave side characters more screen time and had them join your party, which helped in the first half, but eh.

Where I would place Vengeance on my favourite SMT chart is something I'm gonna be thinking about for a while. Part of me really wants to focus on the good in Vengeance, but that soggy white bread of a story is always in the background. Right now I'd put it one spot above Devil Survivor 2 and a spot below Soul Hackers.

Also, those thighs are worth picking Chaos for.