#he's a robot with everyone else but with her he's practically giggling and twirling his hair after flirting im dead

[kittychicha]

TO THE MOON AND BACK | Episode 5

[gaoau]

razzmatazz

it's the color of his loss.

is there color in your world? warnings — none. word count — 896

prev. — next.

the rich red headband on his head contrasted with the pale color of his skin. [name] grinned brightly at him with her own white headband in hand. she forced it into his palm. suna quirked a questioning brow as he stared down at it.

"wouldja tie it fer me?" she spun around on her heels, clasping her hands behind her back. a lively tune swam into the air while she bounced on the balls of her feet.

suna huffed out a sigh. not at [name] and her spontaneity—he hadn't gotten completely used to them, but he couldn't say they bothered him anymore. [name] chuckled to herself as he wrapped her headband neatly, careful not to pull at her hair on accident.

he tightened the knot with a bit too much force out of playfulness. "there." her shoulders stiffened and she whipped around in an instant. suna feigned innocence with a smile.

"yours s'crooked." it wasn't, though. her fingers were tugging at the red fabric before he could protest. she acted quick and softly flicked his forehead. his smile widened. "seems fittin'," she commented, arms akimbo as she gazed at the color.

suna glanced up in a failed attempt to see the headband. "i thought i was colorless."

"i mean, red suits ya." [name] laughed. it wasn't the practiced giggles or the bubbling cackles. this one was new, a rumble behind closed lips. not his favorite, but better than seeming a robot. then again, when did he start ranking her laughter?

"care to expand?"

"i'm learnin' with ya, suna-kun. red looks real good on you. brings out yer eyes."

"white suits you, i guess." although he couldn't tell if it did, returning her words would most likely please her.

her ahahaha! giggles spilled and pooled at their feet. suna wanted to kick them away. so annoying. he really hated them. "i ever told ya i like yer eyes?"

a chuckle slipped. "that explains why you love eye contact so much."

her laughter this time bubbled from inside her chest. the grin on her lips crinkled her eyes, yet they always found their way to his own. "by the way," she remembered, digging her hand into her backpack. "noble fruit for a noble fruit. or s'that cannibalism?" she presented him with a clear container.

he could see the pear carefreely cut into cubes packed together inside the hard plastic. suna cringed at the idea of fruit cannibalism, but laughed nonetheless. "i'll take the pear, thanks." he nodded his head while accepting the container from her. [surname] smiled warmly at him.

far in the distance, away where the enthusiastic first-years vibrated with excited anticipation for their first high-school sports festival, music signaled the start of competition. the dance club walked on stage and took the responsibility of pumping every student up with polished synchronization. juvenile chants and cheers echoed around the inarizaki campus.

suna stared uninterested at the kids letting the tunes grab hold of their bodies to sway them and everyone else along. beside him, [name] imitated their moves, albeit smaller and with less charisma. it clicked in his brain. she twirled in place, a shining beam pulling at her lips.

he stabbed his finger on her side to stop her from hitting him with her flowing hands. [name] squeaked and halted, eyes blinking owlishly at him. "shouldn't you be up there?" suna nodded towards the stage.

"eh? ah. oh. naw." all emotions known to humans swept over her face in a millisecond. she dismissed them with a shrug, resuming her quiet dancing. "just helped 'em out with the choreo an' positions an' stuff. i know a thing or two 'bout dance, but not enough to dance."

"how do you manage to say that while dancing right in front of me?" suna stepped away from her swinging arm. thank the volleyball reflexes.

yet not even those sharpened reflexes could save him from [surname]'s swift claws as they grasped his wrist. "well, dancin's pretty fun, ya know. dontcha think?" she spun herself underneath his arm, mimicking the students on stage with their own assigned partners. "i leave the spotlight an' the whole razzmatazz to 'em, though—oh!" her grip vanished while she clapped her hands. "that's a good color!"

"what?" suna blinked. a smile rose to his mouth at the sheer absurdity of her random prancing. how she never got tired from jumping around subjects was beyond him.

"razzmatazz!" [name] clapped again. "i'll show it to ya f'the red team wins."

he rose a brow at the declaration. "what if the white team wins?"

her cackles were genuinely human, originating from the core of her chest. "then you'll have ta live without it. learnin's more fun when it challenges ya."

black and white. colorless. [name] had made it clear since the first time she spoke a single word to him.

suna didn't know what it meant. when the white team won, he thought he was starting to understand. he decided against searching the color up on his own. it wouldn't have been the same.

he had to live without it in a monotonous world reigned by colorlessness. he didn't want to anymore, so he would sit and wait to win the next one.

[lizzie-is-here]

girls just wanna have fun

part iii- paper planes

“i fly like paper get high like planes”

wordcount: 2.5k

warnings: cussing, violence, underage drinking, police busting a party, reader and peter fleeing from said party, both of them crushing but not making moves

a/n: ok the plot is finally planned out a bit more so maybe these will start having an actual direction lol. enjoy luvs 🤍also, opinions on multiverse of madness? pls discuss

taglist: @faiirybread @softasha @edgycatx @happy-nico @local-mr-frog @minimarkive @softyutae

series masterlist

As much as you enjoyed alone time, parties truly were some of your favorite things. As you lead Peter through the throngs of people, you exchange brief words with many. Most of them know you, even from the other schools.

You politely ignore one sophomore boy asking for your number and turn to Peter.

“Do you care if I drink? I’ll probably just make one of those Long Island Ice Teas.”

Peter shakes his head. “No, that’s fine. I might try something, too.”

“Ooh, that’ll be fun,” you clap, practically shouting over the booming bass. “If you’re uncomfortable at any time, just tell me and we’ll dip.”

When you fail at attempting to peer over the ocean of people, you shout to the crowd. “Hey! Where are the drinks?” A few people point you in the right direction, and you come to a table.

Grabbing tequila, vodka, rum, gin, and triple sec, you mix them together, before pouring in some soda. Lemon slices are nowhere to be found, but you make do.

You’re aware that most everyone else is chugging beers, but you’ve always preferred mixing your drinks. It was fun and typically created much better options than a nasty Bud Light.

“Do you want anything?” you ask Peter. His eyes are wide, scanning the countless bottles.

“I honestly have no idea where to start.”

“Well,” you begin. “Might start with something that isn’t mixed. How about a Seagram? They have a lot of flavors and a low alcohol content.” He takes a blue drink, struggling with the bottle opener. With a laugh, you pop off the cap, clinking your glass with his bottle.

“To your first party,” you joke, sipping your drink. He cautiously raises the bottle to his lips, taking a swig. At first, he winces, but he soon takes another.

You both spend a few moments at the drink table, eyeing the crowd. There’s only a few of your friends. You spot some of the football team nursing frozen cocktails in bags. Then, you see the DJ. Flash Thompson.

You nudge Peter, pointing out Flash to him. He groans.

“I knew he DJs a lot of parties, but goddamn. He’s really getting into it,” you comment, watching him sway to the music. Peter laughs, snapping a picture.

You listen as the song changes, an idea forming as you decide to make a move. “Wanna dance?” you ask him. He nods. “Yeah, sure.” You down what you can of the rest of your drink before dropping the glass in the kitchen sink. Peter dumps the drink and tosses the bottle in the trash.

The buzz is slowly forming, and you feel like your world is slightly tilted as you take his hand and pull him into the throng. As various students twirl and twist around you, Peter looks around confused.

“Soooo… How do I dance? Is there, like, a theme? Or…?” With a giggle, you spin him in a circle, swaying to the music.

“It’s a party, Peter. Just dance. Unless it’s, like, the robot or something ridiculous.” Your gaze wanders to a very drunk cheerleader doing that very dance move as her friends try to pull her away.

“Noted.” He spins you and your hair bounces around you, all light and airy. As it turns out, Peter Parker is unfairly good at dancing. He even playfully dips you. You suspect the drink is making him more bold.

The music taste is surprisingly good, considering who the DJ is. A mix of popular songs along with some classics with boosted bass shaking the house.

After a while, he pauses. “Um, where’s the bathroom?” You point him down a hallway and go to get a snack.

Peter slips inside the bathroom and locks the door, running the sink and splashing his face with icy water. Something about dancing with you is enchanting. The way you would check on him, matching his energy as you danced together.

“Hey! Are you done in there?” someone asks, banging on the door.

“Yep!” he shouts back. He dries his hands and steps out as the person shoves him aside. Apparently they really need to piss, he thinks to himself. As he passes a few very drunk teens on his way back to the ocean of dancing people, he looks for you.

When Peter can’t find you after five minutes, his heart begins to sink. His words become stuck in his throat as he instantly sobers up. Of course you wouldn’t stick around. Who would want to?

As he spirals further into self-deprecation, he stands still in the middle of this big-ass living room. Didn’t you mention that there was a pool?

He trudges outside, dipping his hand in the water. It is a really nice pool. One that would be on that TV show. It has rock formations, waterfalls, even a hidden grotto. And it’s heated.

Peter can’t believe he entertained the idea that you might like him back. Was it all a ruse? Did you ever-

“Peter! Oh my god, I couldn’t find you.” You come rushing over, sitting next to him. He stares at you in shock.

“You didn’t…” he trails off, averting his eyes. He feels slightly guilty that he even presumed you would act that way.

“Leave you?” you scoff, shaking your head. “Now, what kind of friend would I be if I ditched you at your first party?” You hold up a paper bowl, filled with various fruits. “I wanted a snack.”

You offer him the bowl, and he grabs a strawberry. A few students splash around the pool in a drunken game of chicken. You pause to cheer on a friend, laughing as she shoves the opposing teen backwards.

“I feel like I don’t know much about you, Peter Parker,” you say, words slightly slurring. “And I think that, as your friend, I should. Anything you wanna tell me? Something you’ve always wanted to say but no one ever asked?”

“Um… Yeah.” Peter takes another piece of fruit, this time a cube of watermelon. “I live with my aunt, my parents and uncle died a while back.” You nod. He appreciates that you don’t try and do the whole “Aww, I’m so sorry for your loss” bit. Sure, he’s grateful that people care, but it gets real tiring real quickly. Sometimes all someone needs is a willing ear.

“My best friends are Ned and MJ. I’m on saxophone in marching band. Uhh… my favorite subjects are physics and technology, my dream college is MIT, my biggest fear is losing my family and friends, and I hate writing papers.” The words come easy. The combination of alcohol and, well, you, has each sentence spilling from his mouth. You soak up each one. “What about you?”

“Me?” You think for a moment, and Peter takes the time to notice how the lit-up pool sends rippling reflections sprawling across your face, highlighting your glittery eyeshadow. It hits every angle just right, emphasizing the curves and edges of your cheeks, nose, eyes, and neck.

You look ethereal, to put it simply.

“I technically live with my parents, but they’re never home. I lied to the team,” you confess. “They’re only home, like, twice a month each.”

“I have a lot of friends, but not really any best-best friends. We’re all super busy, but we’re there for each other when we need to be. I still love to figure skate and do gymnastics, my dream school is Columbia, my biggest fear is being left and forgotten, and I hate grape-flavored anything.”

Peter nods. “I don’t like grape-flavored anything either.”

You smile. “Grapes are okay though,” you say, plucking one from the bowl.

He nods. “Oh, yeah. It’s just artificial grape.”

“Then we have something in common.”

You sit in silence for a while, enjoying the commotion from the house and the laughter from the pool. And then you hear a crash from inside. Whirling around, you spot exactly what you knew would happen. A fight. Between two Baxter kids, from the look of it.

“Holy shit, should we do something?” Peter asks.

“No,” you whisper, watching as the shorter one grabs a glass coaster, whirling it at his opponent. The other grabs a log from the basket near the fireplace. It’s a gas fireplace, and the logs inside were fake, but you guessed that the homeowners just wanted the logs for looks.

He swings, missing and stumbling onto the couch. People are beginning to cheer, forming a messy circle around the two brawling guys. It doesn’t look too bad until one smashes a lamp on the other one’s head.

“Shit,” you gasp, flinching. Peter is tense, raising a hand in front of you as if to block the violence from reaching you. You take the hand, tugging him up. One of the boys is bleeding. You can practically hear the time in juvie and ludicrously high bail. “We gotta go, we gotta go,” you hiss, running away from the pool. Going through the house and out of the front door is too risky: people have already called 911.

You scan the expansive backyard, stopping as you spot a low spot on the fence.

“There,” you say, pointing. “We jump the fence, run to my apartment, and lay low until someone posts an all-clear. Then we can get you home.” He nods, and you both take off, sprinting at the fence. You jump first, clambering madly onto the top of the brick wall.

Sirens wail from a distance. You spit expletives as Peter jumps up effortlessly, oddly nimble for someone who claims to be clumsy. You write it off as adrenaline.

“Come on,” you whisper, running along the sidewalk and ducking between houses when you spot police cars. Once they pass, you stumble out, alcohol still lingering in your system. Peter follows, staring at you bug-eyed. His expression is priceless.

You burst into laughter, cradling your sides as they ache from the running. He joins, and you’re both aware that you look hella stupid. Laughing in the middle of the sidewalk, not a care in the world.

When you manage to calm down, you both begin the journey back to your apartment, glancing over your shoulder for police cars every now and then. You make it to the building safely, slipping through the brightly lit hallways. Two sets of footsteps click on the tile floors, and you eventually make it to your apartment.

Sliding in your key and twisting it, you shove the door open. “Welcome to my hideaway,” you say, flourishing a hand as Peter steps inside. He barely got a good look at it when you both met up, but now, he’s realizing how damn expensive everything looks. Your fridge has a digital screen, for fuck’s sake.

But you don’t seem to notice how out of place he looks. Instead, you only notice his mild discomfort.

“Is this alright?” you ask, kicking off your heels before heading to your room. Peter follows, nodding as he notices the lack of family pictures. The walls are decorated with minimalist art, abstract and only contributing to the clean aesthetic of the apartment.

You let him into your room, throwing your heels into a corner. The first thing that strikes him is how different your room is to the rest of the house. Your bed is messy, countless photos are plastered on the walls, and both LED and Christmas lights line the ceiling, creating a galaxy of light.

Peter watches you stumble into the bathroom with a change of clothes, not even bothering to close the door. He averts his eyes, searching for anything to stare at besides you flinging off your top.

His eyes land on a few college pamphlets on your organized desk, each with post-it notes describing pros and cons of each college. When he checks the Columbia pamphlet, he sees you’ve written barely any cons. You also have a pamphlet from MIT, with no notes.

“Peter? Can you check out my window? I think I hear sirens,” you request from the bathroom. He obliges, peeking past your curtain to spot several police cars and an ambulance driving down the crowded street. Your phone lights up with various texts from friends saying that the police are gone.

“The police are done. We can head over to your apartment if you want,” you offer. Not that you want him to leave. Even in your drunken state you have enough sense to know better than that.

Honestly, Peter really wants to stay. You emerge from the bathroom in sweats and a crop top, makeup scrubbed off and hair tied up. Yeah. He really wants to stay.

But May would kill him, so you both end up trekking down the street, exchanging jokes and stories from school. You’re in the middle of one particularly good one as you both approach Peter’s apartment.

“We literally shoved twelve people in a tiny hotel bathroom, and my friend Becca had to answer the door and make something up on the spot to get the landlord off our asses,” you say, waving your hands as you regale Peter with a story of a party gone wrong.

He thinks he could listen to you talk all day. But sadly, the night is coming to a close.

As you climb the stairs and knock at his apartment, May opens the door. You wave, doing your best to disguise your drunkenness. You’ve had a lot of practice, after all.

“Hi, you must be (Y/N),” she says.

“That’s me.” You rock on your feet, unsure of what to do.

“Well, I hope Peter behaved,” she jokes.

You laugh, nodding. “He did great. We actually left the party early. Some kids from a neighboring school got a bit too jumped-up on testosterone.”

May jokingly rolls her eyes, nodding in understanding. “Boys, am I right?”

You laugh, nodding as well. “Well, I’ll see you Monday, Peter. Tonight was really fun.”

“It was,” he agrees, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Are you sure you’ll be alright getting home? It’s dark, and I just don’t want you…” he trails off, but you wave a hand.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, isn’t there that superhero? Spider-Man?”

You’ve never brought up Peter’s secret identity. Honestly, he was kind of hoping you didn’t know about him. In hindsight, that was naive. Most of the world and all of New York City knew about him. But they don’t know it’s him him.

So he nods, throws in some lame quip that he’ll kick himself for later, and bids you farewell. By the time you’re down the stairs and almost a block away, Peter has managed to run to his room, change into his suit, and swing away, all after promising May that, no, you aren’t dating, and yes, he’ll fill her in on everything in the morning.

He feels stalker-ish as he passes above you, watching as you stroll under streetlights, waving at some partygoers. He trails you all the way back to your apartment, watching from a distance to make sure you’re safely inside.

“This is so fucking creepy,” he mutters to himself. “What kind of stalker film is this?” Content with your safety, he swings away, ready for another long night of saving the city.

Or, more accurately, stopping petty bar fights. Same thing.

[moonlightsolo]

bête noire

summary: While training, Kylo comes to visit you and figures out the secret you’ve been hiding. Leia tells the Resistance that she feels something dark affecting the Force. Poe accidentally tells you something that makes you want to leave even sooner then planned. 

pairing: kylo ren x female reader 

warnings: nsfw themes!! violence!! cursing!! angst!! fluff!! yes!!

wc: 6.7k (which means it’s gonna be real good) 

note: if you got tagged twice, i’m sorry tumblr deleted the first version when i went in to edit the title. some of my edits in the first one will not be here. im very fucking upset. 

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

A terrible longing for Kylo has taken over your mind. You miss the feeling of holding onto his body, his large hands, his thick hair, and his lips. Oh, his lips... Definitely his lips. 

It seems as if all you can think about is when you’re going to see him next. 

He has tried his best to stay in touch with you through the Force as much as possible; his Supreme Leader schedule is quite packed. 

He still doesn’t know when everything will be ready for you to be with him again, but now with two little ones.

Both of you have figured out a way to control your connection, so it doesn’t happen randomly and only when it’s needed. 

He prefers to come to you in the middle of the night when he knows no one is around or when you’re training by yourself in the jungle. You don’t exactly have a specific time you prefer to talk to him, you just do it.

He really enjoys watching your body move in ways he’s never seen you do before. How you jump and twirl your body in the air to hit the flying spherical droid with your staff.

He doesn’t know you have a saber yet and you want to keep it a secret until you’re ready. 

Sweat drips from your brow as you land on the ground, the broken metal of the robot falls down right next to you. 

“Bravo.” His large hands clap together with a smile as he stands up from leaning against a tree. He has a proud smirk on his face as he goes to walk towards you, knowing he’s going to kiss you. 

Something cracks some twigs behind you in a pattern that sounds like footsteps. You whip your head around to see Rey walking up to you with BB-8, then you turn to look at Kylo and he’s gone. 

You let out a sigh and a quiet groan that she wouldn’t hear. “Hey. You should train with this today.” She holds out your saber, her face looks a bit disappointed when you don’t take it instantly. “What? We went through all that trouble and you’re not going to use it now?” She sighs. 

Your hand grips the metal hilt so you can take it from her hand, “I was going to use it. I’m just- nervous...” You shrug and give her a small smile. 

“It’s like your staff just half the size and a little more dangerous. You’ve used Luke’s before, why can’t you use your own?” You nod at her words as you click it on. The dark orange blade hums, your eyes stare at it and so does Rey’s. 

It’s so alluring.

She shakes her head to focus again, “Just be more careful with it than how you are with your staff. Focus, breathe, you got this.” She sends you a big smile before she turns on her heel and walks back. BB-8 beeps a little ‘good luck’ before rolling after her. 

You begin to swing the saber in slow figure-eight movements. The vibration changes with each swing as you twirl your body in a full circle. “I can definitely get used to this.” You giggle happily like a little kid that just got candy. 

Your body moves expertly as you carry out the same moves you do with your staff, not the ones where you’re airborne just yet. 

The orange light moves as you slice it through the air, you take a chance and do a front flip into the air. Thankfully, you land on both of your feet with no missing pieces. You practice with the tree trunk, spinning your body around to pretend like it was an enemy. 

You‘ve never hit the bark until now. Your brain becomes a bit foggy, it’s Ren. The blade of the saber singes the bark, smoke puffs out from the burnt wood. Fortunately, it didn’t cut all the way through so it doesn’t fall on top of you. You click the button to extinguish the saber and you hide the hilt behind your back in your waistband as you turn around.

You pick your head up to meet his dark eyes, “What happened?” His eyes stare at you. He can’t see your surroundings but he knows something is wrong from the look in your eyes. “Oh, nothing. I just made a little mistake.” You nervously laugh. 

“There’s something more than that...” He sighs, “There’s no reason to lie. Just tell me the truth.” He moves closer to you, now arms length away. 

“Well, I guess it’s time to tell him everything now.” You silently think inside of your head. 

“Remember when I was with Rey on Tatooine right?” You ask him and he nods in agreement. “Yeah, why? Did one of my men hurt you?” He grows concerned but you shake your head no to stop his worrying.

You sigh then continue, “No, no. I just never explained to you why we were there... It was because we were looking for a crystal. A kyber crystal.” You mumble. 

“Rey is building her own saber now to become a Jedi? Like Luke?” He almost hisses our last words which make you swallow nervously.  

“No... Well- I actually... Um, I made my own lightsaber.” Your eyes go down to look at your feet. 

He’s silent but he’s still there, you can see his black boots.

“Your own?” He asks a bit sternly, “So you’re becoming a Jedi alongside her now. I knew I shouldn’t have let her train you. I should’ve told you to stop.” He huffs loudly as his gloved hand rubs over his face. 

“No, that’s not it at all.” You pick your head up to look at him in the eyes, “I am not becoming a Jedi. I promise you.” Your hands go up to his face to cup his cheeks. 

You continue to hold eye contact with him for a moment before you pull him down to kiss you. He’s holding back a bit, his mind is flooding with thoughts. 

“I don’t want you to think of me differently.” You whisper against his lips as your hands go into his thick hair. His angular nose presses against your skin, you gently scratch at his scalp since you know it soothes him.

“I felt like I was ready to move forward. The Force is leading me to something and I think it’s you. I know it’s you.” His hands grip your waist when those words leave your lips. 

“I can’t wait to see you again.” He growls, “I’m gonna have your back up against one of these trees.” His voice makes your knees want to give out and butterflies travel through your abdomen. 

“Tonight. You should come back tonight.” You whisper into the little bit of space between your lips. 

“I’ll let you know.” He grips your ass one last time before he disappears into thin air. You almost fall forward from his sturdiness leaving so suddenly. “What a tease.” You laugh as you fix your hair with your hands. You begin to make your way back to Rey but she’s not at her usual spot. 

You follow the path back to the base and there’s barely any people outside so you start to jog towards the command center. Almost the whole crew is standing around in a large circle listening to Leia and her colleagues speak. 

You find Poe and Chewy first, then you spot Rey close to Leia’s side. Poe whispers a small, “Hi,” in your ear and his hand rests on your lower back. He feels the hard surface of your lightsaber and raises one of his eyebrows suspiciously. 

“It’s just my saber. Didn’t put on the right belt today.” You laugh softly.

His touch makes you feel a bit uneasy, which is confusing. Usually, you wouldn’t mind his hand on your back, but maybe something switched. You shake it off and focus on Leia’s speech, then Poe leaves your side to join her in the middle. 

“So, you all know that this mission is going to be very dangerous. Only a few of us are going. Myself, Finn, Rey, and Chewbacca. If anyone else would like to lend an extra hand with filling the ship with the proper supplies, by all means, come talk to me after this is finished.” He claps his hands together with his smile. 

You haven’t heard one bit about this mission from anyone. Why didn’t Rey bring you back with her from training?  

“Just like Leia was explaining, she has felt a change in the Force. I know all of you felt something too. We’ve learned that there is another dark presence rising but we don’t know who or what it is yet. We have Kylo Ren, the leader of the First Order and everyone on those ships. There’s something greater than him out there, we’ll find it and put an end to it.” He gives the crowd a curt nod. 

“Alright, if anyone has questions, come see any of us that can speak your language.” Poe chuckles as he makes a jab at Chewy who roars in annoyance. 

Your eyes dart around at the people around you that start to talk to each other.  They all slowly start to leave to continue whatever they were doing before. Except for some groups who are talking to Poe and Finn. 

Before anybody could steal Rey, you walk speedily over to her. “What’s going on? Why didn’t you tell me Leia had this planned for today? For a matter of fact, why didn’t anybody else?” You whisper-yell at her. 

“Leia wanted to keep you out of this meeting because of the contents being said. She didn’t mean any harm, it’s just that...” She trails off.

“It’s just that Kylo is in my head.” You scoff, your arms cross over your chest. For some reason, you can’t wait to leave now. 

“I understand if you’re upset...” You cut Rey’s sentence off. 

“Upset, Rey? Yes, I am. If none of you trust me, then why don’t I just go back to the First Order?” You say with pure intent. 

“Leia already gave you the okay to leave with one of our ships. So why haven’t you done it already?” Rey delivers the attitude right back to you. 

Poe notices you bickering with her and excuses himself from his conversation. He jogs over to you both, his eyebrows furrowed. “Hey, hey. What’s going on?” 

You groan and put your hands into the air like you’re surrendering to the conversation, “I’m done. I’m going to see my kids. See you both later.” You spat at them angrily. Poe goes to follow you but Rey stops him and they mumble behind your back. You stomp towards your quarters. 

-

Ellie babbles happily as she holds her feet with her tiny hands. The wind blows her perfect little curls into her face which makes her giggle. Ani is lying calmly next to his sister on the blanket, giving her an annoyed side-eye look. He’s probably wondering why she’s so energetic. He must be tired. 

You hand Ellie a makeshift toy that rattles as you pick up Ani to put a pacifier into his mouth. You cradle him as he stares into your eyes with adoration, you smile and let your fingers dance across his smooth skin to trace random patterns. 

His dark eyelashes flutter as he fights to stay awake, but you gently close his eyelids with two of your fingers. “Shh... Go to sleep, my Lil boy.” The suckling on his pacifier slows as he falls into his daily nap.

Your free hand goes to pay attention to Ellie, you play with her rattle and gently tickle her little belly. You lay Ani down on the blanket next to you, one hand stays patting his back while the other is still playing with El. 

You look up when you hear footsteps, Poe is walking towards you. The sunset is beautiful behind him. 

“Hey, I was watching you. Are you doing okay?” He asks. You just chuckle and focus your eyes on Ellie who is more focused on Poe. 

“Stalker.” You mumble, “I’m doing perfectly fine. Tell Leia that I don’t need a babysitter.” You grumble and your shoulders rise and drop from a sigh.

“Do you mind?” He bends down to scoop Ellie up but pauses his movements until you give him the clear. “Yeah, go ahead.” You subtly smile at how happy she gets when he picks her up. He rocks her and plays with her, gently tossing her small body in the air. Thankfully not too high though. 

“She really likes you.” You give him a small smile. “You think?” He asks as he bounces her on his hip.

“I really hope you don’t leave.” He blurts out, “We will really miss you. Right, El?” He grabs Ellie’s hand and dances playfully with her.

Your heart stops, your heart rate instantly accelerates and your breathing quickens. “What?” You snap and rise to your feet. Poe’s eyes go wide when he realized what he said, “Hey, look- I didn’t mean it. Leia just told me that if you would leave, you’d be leaving the children here so they could be raised in a more... positive environment.” He words it differently so you wouldn’t get more upset, “She didn’t tell you that, did she?”

Hot painful tears sting your eyes, “Give me back my daughter.” Your voice dropped deeper and more stern. Poe’s eyes widen, even more, he seems scared of you. “Now. Give me her right now, Poe.” He gently holds her out for you to take. You snatch the baby from his arms then you start to put everything back into your pack. Ellie starts to whine from being taken away from Poe.

You sling the bag onto one shoulder then grab Ani and the blanket in one arm which wakes him up. He starts to cry as you’re trying to get away from Poe, “Let me help you.” He mumbles as he sees you struggling to hold everything at once. “Poe, I swear to the stars if you touch anything, I will fucking sucker-punch you.” Your hands speedily put everything back in its place as you hold onto your children securely. You turn your back to him and start walking back to your room.

Tears freely run down your cheeks, you sniffle to try to keep the snot from escaping your nose but it doesn’t really help. Some people walking by stare but you don’t pay any mind to it. 

The Resistance is going to take your children away from you if you go with Kylo. That means you need to escape without them knowing. 

As soon as you make it into your room safely, you lock the door behind you and lay the babies in their cribs. You sit yourself down on your cot, crossing your legs with your hands resting on your knees. Before you close your eyes, you take a deep breath. 

Through the Force, you reach out to Kylo. It’s like you’re traveling through space, the stars twinkle dully around you. Suddenly you hit an invisible forcefield and you’re shot back to reality. You suck in a deep breath and look around for him in your room but he isn’t there. 

What happened? Did he dismiss your attempt to reach out to him?

You grow angrier since you don’t want to use too much of your abilities to reach out more than once. “Let me in.” You say in your mind as you try your hardest to push your way through to talk to him. 

Once again, you’re brought back without him. Your eyes focus on your children as hot angry tears well up in your eyes.

“What do you need?” His voice booms inside of your head. It almost shakes your skull. 

You hiss from the oncoming headache, “Excuse me? Don’t be so rude. I just found out that Leia is trying to keep our children here with her if I would leave-.” He cuts you off. You can feel his anger overpowering your own. The heat grows in your chest and your hands clench into tight fists. You resist the urge to scream into your pillow.

“What?!” He screams out, your fists go to your head to press against your temples. 

“How long until everything is ready for us to come with you?” You ask through your teeth. 

“Soon. Maybe a few days. Next week. I’m coming there tonight to see you so we can create a plan. I can’t stand to talk to you through the Force and not in person.” He growls. 

You know that he’s pacing whatever room he’s in on that ship, you begin to control your anger which helps him blow off steam. “I’ll be there after the sunsets. Be ready for me... I love you.” 

After those three words he mutters out quietly, he’s gone. You didn’t have to force it out of him to say that and it makes you so happy. 

You give your babies a little peck on their tiny heads, you grab the pager for the droid and click it so she comes to your quarters. 

After a few minutes, she arrives. “You’re going to have to watch them tonight. I have important business to attend to with... Poe.” The droid gives you a look, “Not that kind of business. Now excuse me, I’m going to get changed.” You laugh and grab some clothes that’ll keep you safe from the elements of the jungle. 

You slip on your favorite black skin-tight leather pants, a long-sleeved black shirt, and your hooded parka jacket. You slip your scuffed black boots on your feet and pull your hair back into a half-up bun with some of your hair flowing down your back.

“You look very nice.” Mary, the nurse droid, compliments you as she rocks Ani back to sleep. 

“Thank you.” You say with a big smile, you let your thumbs caress both of their plump cheeks. “I’ll be back my darlings.” You mumble quietly as they fall asleep. 

“Thank you for taking care of them on such short notice.” You say to her once you stand back up, “Not at all a problem. I was surprised when I saw your name pop up.” Her robotic voice speaks out. “Now go! Hurry along.” She reminds you of a female C-3PO. You giggle and nod, “See ya.” You grab your saber and hook it to your belt.

You leave your room and make your way out of the ship with a bounce in your step. 

You spot Poe but refuse to make eye contact with him when he looks at you, hopefully, he doesn’t follow along like a stalker. You laugh at your thoughts, knowing that he’s just a curious person but also kind of a stalker at the same time. 

You see that the sun is barely above the horizon anymore, the sky has turned a dark purple and the stars are twinkling above. 

Your boots crunch the mulch and dirt under you as you walk outside of the cave, the cool breeze blows your hair behind you. 

There are not many people around thankfully, only a few people who are working on ships. 

With a quick glance, you make sure nobody is watching as you sneak past the tree line. 

Nature around you squeaks, snaps and whistles from the strong wind. There must be a storm on the way. You pull your hood onto your head to protect your face from the elements. 

You can sense that Kylo is close which makes your heart rate pick up. Your feet begin to move faster down the memorized path. You see him standing there again but he’s pacing. His boots leave footprints in the dirt, the wind howls gently around him causing his black hair to swirl in his face. 

You almost giggle at how upset he gets and how he pushes it back so aggressively. He notices you leaning against a tree, halfway out of the foliage. “That’s why I pull mine back.” You smile. 

He reaches out his hand, motioning for you to come to him. You take a step out, you watch how he admires your body. You start to jog towards him and once you get close enough his arms reach down to scoop you up off the ground. 

You squeal in surprise, your arms wrap around his neck so you wouldn’t fall backward. By the way, he’s holding you up, you’re above him. The world seems so much different at this height, you look down to see that his chin is resting on your chest and he’s looking up at you with pure love. 

You smile and lean down as much as you can to press a kiss against his forehead. He hums in response and smiles. He brings you down so you’re face to face. 

The wind blows roughly once again which makes him dive into a kiss before both of your hair could try to ruin the moment. 

Your hands rest on his cheeks, feeling his skin and stubbly facial hair growing in. His arms hold you tightly and securely, you feel so safe in his arms. 

His hands move from your waist down to hold you by your ass, his tongue deepens the kiss. You tighten your thighs around his hips, he moves you around blindly until your back presses up against something hard and cold. Your eyes flutter open for a moment to see the large wing of the tie fighter next to you. 

You let out a small needy whimper into the kiss which makes him smirk. He lets go of your legs so they fall back down to the ground. He starts to fumble around with the waistband of your pants. He tugs on them roughly which makes your knees buckle, “Fuck. Why are they so fucking tight.” He growls as he lifts up each of your legs to yank off your boots then he goes back to your pants. 

You just giggle at him having trouble pulling them off of your ankles. “Fuck it.” He leans forward to capture your lips with his again, his teeth bit down on your bottom lip to tug on it as he pulls away. 

Everything he does to you makes you want to do anything for him. 

Kylo smirks at your thoughts as his hands find their way under your shirt to pull your bra down so your breasts pop over the fabric. He grips one as he slowly sinks to his knees, he leaves kisses down your belly. 

His lips ghost over your navel, traveling farther down to your hips. He takes his time teasing you as he peppers kisses against both of your hipbones. His dark eyes look up at you through his eyelashes. This man is going to be the death of you. 

His fingers play with your nipple as his teeth grip the edge of your panties to pull them down. “You’re so fucking hot.” His hot breath against your core makes you shiver. The wind kicks up again as it howls through the trees. Your head lolls back against the metal exterior of the ship, your hands grab fistfuls of his soft hair. Just as he is about to dive tongue first into you, he pulls completely off of you and stands up.

Kylo’s large frame completely shields your body as he turns his back toward you. “Get dressed. Now.” His voice is serious. 

Your eyes watch his hand gently rest on his saber which makes you hurry up and pull your pants up from your ankles. You quickly snatch your boots that were tossed to the side so you could put them back on. “Kylo, what’s going on?” You go to move from behind him but he stops you with his arm. 

Rain begins to gently trickle from the sky. Through the mist of rain, you see movement across the field. There are a few people emerging from the tree-line. 

Your eyes go wide when a blue saber ignites, the hue lights up all their faces. 

Rey, Poe, and Finn. 

You audibly gasp, your hand goes over your mouth. “Get behind me.” He hisses out to you. He quickly grabs his saber, getting into a stance as he lights it. 

“You’re not welcome here!” Rey screams out in her accented voice. You grip the fabric of Kylo’s shirt so tight that your knuckles are turning white. The storm continues loudly above. 

You cannot let them fight. You refuse to have anybody get hurt because of your stupid idea to bring him here.

“Why not? My children are here.” He quickly retorts you watch how his fists grip the hilt of his saber. He’s ready to pounce at any second. 

“You don’t deserve to see your children. You’ll corrupt them.” Poe enters the conversation which makes you groan internally. 

“What’s this pilot doing here anyway? Didn’t he almost get all three of them killed?” Kylo bites back as he recalls that day on Hoth. 

Lightning flashes above as the thunder booms and makes you flinch. The gentle drizzle of rain turns into a downpour, soaking everybody. 

You blink back the water from your lashes, peeking from his side to see them still standing in the same spot. Poe and Finn have blasters ready to shoot. 

“You’re outnumbered, Ren. There’s no way you can escape.” Rey yells over the loud storm. 

Kylo’s muscles in his back are quivering with fury, his jaw is clenched. He wants to attack so badly but he knows if he takes a step they’ll shoot continuously at him. 

“Where is she?” Poe’s voice shouts at Kylo. 

“Let me...” You whisper gently and start to creep out but he pushes you back again. “Enough, let me handle this.” 

Rey begins to walk forward but stops in her tracks when Finn grabs her shoulder. He shakes his head no.

Kylo becomes completely still, even his breathing stops. Rey turns around to face the trees with Finn and Poe following after her too. 

“Leia...” You breathe out. 

This time Kylo doesn’t stop you when you emerge from behind him. Your hand absentmindedly rests on his back while she walks out to you both. 

She’s holding an umbrella and she has on rain boots, which is quite adorable. The storm rumbles above, lightning zig-zags across the sky as she stops in front of Kylo and you. 

You can vividly see the pain in her face from the red glow of his saber washing over her features, “Ben, you need to stay here with your children and Y/N.” She chokes out. 

“That’s not my name. Ben is dead.” He grits his teeth. His voice is shaky too. You watch his hands grip the hilt of his saber. You almost want to take it away from him. 

His own eyes are getting teary too. Rey rushes close behind Leia along with Finn and Poe. Leia stops them from getting any closer. Your eyes dart to watch Kylo who growls under his breath and lunges forward slightly. “Kylo.” You grip his shirt to stop him. 

Leia’s eyes move to you, “I gave you the okay to go to him. Why would you bring him here and put us all in jeopardy?” She snaps at you. 

Kylo moves his body in front of you again, almost to protect you from her words. “It’s okay.” Your hand goes up to rest on his bicep. 

“Are you going to send your troops to raid us?” She turns her attention to him again.

Kylo doesn’t answer which makes Rey take a step forward and Poe cocks his blaster. 

You step out in the middle of them before they could attempt to kill each other. Your hand unclips your saber hilt from your belt, but you don’t ignite it yet.

Poe pushes Leia behind him to protect her from you, even though you would never hurt her. You blink away the rain from your eyes, squinting as you try to see through the downpour. 

“Stop protecting him. He’s a monster, Y/N. I don’t understand what you see in him.” Rey shakes her head, her bottom lip quivers. 

You can feel yourself getting emotional along with her, you don’t want to cause anybody pain. You look back at Kylo who stares down at you, his jaw shudders along with his bottom lip. His dark hair is sticking to his face and you want to push it out of the way. 

The thunder crashes loudly above and the sky flashes. 

Behind you, Rey is taking the opportunity of him being distracted by you to swing the saber at him from overhead. 

Your eyes go wide when you hear her running towards you. Kylo breaks eye contact as he goes to pull you out of her line of rage but you hold your ground. 

You click the button on your saber as you twirl your body around to face her. The orange blade appears as you block both of their strikes at the same time. 

Just before Poe and Finn shoot their blaster at you and Kylo, you use your free hand to swipe the guns out of their hand with the Force. The weapons go flying somewhere into the muddy field. 

You grit your teeth together as you hold off both of their power from ripping each other to shreds. Leia is yelling at Rey to stop from behind her as you struggle. You can feel your boots slipping in the mud. 

Kylo’s eyes travel from the color of your blade to your eyes, he sees how much pain he’s putting you through. He looks up at Rey with a stone-cold look as he extinguishes his saber and steps back. 

Rey seems surprised at how you’re holding her back still. “Why are you doing this?!” You scream over the thunder, “Let me get to him!” She yells right back. 

Rey pushes you to the ground with the Force, causing you to fall into a big mud puddle. Kylo goes to lunge forward to protect you but you stop him with an invisible blockade. “Stop!” You screech. 

Before she could reach Kylo, you turn your saber off and you wrap your ankles around one of Rey’s so she would fall to the ground with you.

Now you’re both covered in mud. She yelps and goes to roll over onto her back.  Before she could get up again you stand up and point your blade in her face. You have the high ground. “Enough.” Your voice is stern. 

Lightning crackles behind your head. You can feel the mud on your face sliding down onto your soaked clothes. 

You notice Rey’s expression and how shocked she is that you took her down. You extinguish your saber and clip it back onto your hilt to replace it with your hand. 

Rey looks at your hand then back at you. Her hand reaches up slowly, she’s hesitant. You make the decision for her and grab her hand so you can get her onto her feet again. Kylo is staring down at you with adoration in his eyes, you take a few steps back toward him and smile. 

Rey walks back over to Finn who is sucking up to her as always. “Are you okay?” He asks as he checks her for wounds.

Kylo’s eyes drift from yours to stare at Poe, who is glaring right back at him. Kylo moves close behind you, putting his hand on your hip as a form of possessing you as his own. 

You gulp nervously as you lift your head to look at Poe, he’s staring at you now in pity. He almost looks disgusted with you. 

Leia walks forward again, “There will be no more fighting here. You need to go with him. I can’t have you putting the Resistance in danger anymore.” Her hand goes to rest on your bicep in a comforting way.

Thankfully the rain is slowing down so you can see her. She’s upset and so are you. 

“I’m not- I mean we’re not leaving without our children.” You muster up the courage to say that to her. 

Poe lifts his head from his conversation when he heard those words leave your mouth.

Kylo looks down at Leia, you can feel his emotions. It’s hard for him to be so close to his mother and not hug her like old times. He’s torn and sad, just like you are. 

“Ben... You need to come home.” Leia grabs his hand tentatively, he flinches from the contact. 

“I can’t. It’s too late.” His voice shakes as he speaks. All three of them turn around to look at them speaking. You can feel how wracked Kylo is by his overpowering emotions. He is trying his hardest to not show it on the outside. 

Leia sighs and gives her son a sad smile, “You’ve done a lot of bad things, kiddo.” She shakes her head, her thumb rubs the skin on his hand. 

“I know.” His voice is quiet, his eyes drop to their hands. “I can’t join the Resistance. That’s not the path I need to follow.” 

Leia takes a chance and gives her son one last hug. Kylo is completely still almost like a statue. You can feel the lump growing in your throat as Leia reaches an arm out for you too. 

You gladly join the hug, holding onto both of them so tightly. Kylo slowly lifts his arms to rest a hand on Leia’s back and one on yours just for a moment. 

His arms drop back to his side and look at Leia as she moves back to her place. “I think it’s time for you two to go.” She nods her head. The soft pattern of rain on her umbrella makes you zone out for a moment.

Panic bubbles in your chest, you can’t leave your children. They are your whole world. You start to breathe heavier and shaky, almost like you’re hyperventilating. 

Kylo takes notice of your anxiety, his arm pulls you closer into his side. “We’re not leaving without our children.” You blurt out in a moment of fear. 

His hand squeezes your side tightly, he looks down at you then back to Leia. “She’s right.” Kylo backs you up. 

She sighs and stays silent as she looks at the two of you.

Poe walks up to Leia, his hand rests on his shoulder. “You can’t really be thinking about letting them take the kids, are you?” Him putting his two cents worth in is a bad idea. 

Kylo clenches his jaw as he stares at Poe like he wants to hurt him. 

“Leia, please.” You beg a small sob leaves your mouth. “Children can’t grow up without their parents. Please, I’m begging you.” Your voice is desperate for an answer, especially the answer that you want. 

“Poe. It’s not your choice.” Leia dismisses him then Rey comes up to her side. 

“I think we should give the kids to them.” Rey refuses to make eye contact with you nor Kylo. 

Leia seems surprised, “We should because I know if I had a choice, I would want to be with my parents. No matter what they were apart of. I know Y/N is a great mother, they’ll be taken care of.” Rey glances at you and smiles. 

You let the tears fall from your eyes and make tracks on your dirty skin. 

Leia turns her attention back to you, “Go get them, Rey. I’ll come back with you. Poe comes with us, Finn you’ll stay here.” She nods, her voice sounds almost pained to say that. 

You suck in a breath as relief washes over your body, your face buries into Kylo’s damp armor as you cry. His other arm comes around to comfort you against his chest, he kisses the top of your head. 

“I wish you both happiness. May the Force be with you.” Leia directs the message to you. 

Before she could walk away, you almost tackle her with a hug. “Thank you.” Your voice is quiet and shaky. She gives you a terse nod before letting go of you to follow Rey and Poe out of the jungle. 

Finn stands there awkwardly, turning his back to you guys when you go to kiss. 

Kylo’s large hands almost cover your whole face when he kisses you. Your arms stay wrapped snuggly around his torso, “We’re going to be together again.” He laughs happily against your lips. 

You open your eyes to see his big smile and dimples. You bring one of your hands up to gently caress his face, “I love you.” You breathe out, rubbing your noses together as a cute gesture. 

He pecks your lips once more than bringing your head back down to lay on his chest. His heart thumps against your ear— He’s the love of your life and there’s no doubt about that. 

You close your eyes and take in this moment. The rain gently falls onto both of you, the wind picks up which makes you shiver and his arms tighten around your body. He gently presses kisses against your head here and there then rests his chin on top of your head.  

“They’re here.” Kylo mumbles which make you perk up. You see Poe and Rey walking across the field with a baby in each of their hands. Thankfully, they have blankets wrapped around them so they wouldn’t get soaked.

Rey is carrying your bag on her back, probably full of the baby's belongings. When they finally make it to you both, you can’t help but reach for one of them. Rey gently hands over Ani to you while Poe struggles to hand over Ellie to Kylo. 

“Let him grab her, Poe.” Rey scolds him. Poe looks between her and Kylo’s outreached hands. He gives El a soft kiss on her forehead before letting Kylo cradle her tiny body. 

Poe scoffs and looks at Rey angrily, “Alright, I think that’s it then. Let’s go.” 

Rey gives you a sad look before she lunges forward to gives you and Ani a hug. “If you need anything please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.” She whispers in your ear, you look at Kylo through the corner of your eye. He glances back at you since he knows exactly what she said, but he stays busy bouncing Ellie. 

“Thank you.” You mumble then squeeze her back. “I’ll miss you. See ya later?” She jokes around but you have a feeling you won’t be seeing her anytime soon. Rey pulls back to give you the bag off of her back. 

You give her a half-smile and nod your head to ease her conscience. “Bye...” You breathe out shakily. 

Finn gives you a little half-wave then turns to follow Rey and Poe back to the base. Your heart sinks but also flutters at the same time. 

You’re leaving your life here. Just picking up and deserting everyone, But you’re going to restart your family, and that makes you smile. 

Kylo leads you to his ship and clicks a button so you could climb on first. There are two chairs thankfully but their backs are pressed against each other. Kylo motions for you to hand over Ani to him while you get situated. 

You plop down in the seat then set the bag on the floor near your feet. You buckle yourself in then take both of the kiddos into your arms. 

Before Kylo goes in the pilot's seat, he leans down to give you a small kiss on the lips. “Let’s go.” He smiles then clicks a button to close the door. 

Kylo powers on the engine and begins to lift the ship into the sky. 

You watch the rain roll down the tinted window and the expanse of trees over the moon. 

This is a start to your new life, a new life with your little family. You know it’s going to be great. 

- 

tags: @officiallpeterparker @funnysadshit @ymariejp @attorneyl @fangirl570 @trinityrud20 @kylos-sassy-cousin @delicatelyherdreams @fizzywoohoo @savvy7392 @angelias134 @that-girl-named-alex @cas-backwards-tie​ @glimmering-darling-dolly​ @glitterypinkkitty​ @blxkstar​ @his-snow-white-queen​ @elsasshole​ @smiithys​ @nanocoool​ @deathbyarabbit​ @alex-skr​ @theholycakehole​  @averillian​  @crazynocturnalkiki​ @arcanebabe​ @tinydancer40​ @superduckypower​  @thomasscresswell​ @butterfly-writes​ @thatintrovertedbisexual​ @fangirlanotherjust​ @somekindofroger​  @nicci442​ @little-girl-who-dream-too-much​ @wildest-dream-​ @silverlambcaptain​ @cliffordmess​ @xkylorxn​ @lowkeyofsassguard @nickangel13​ @carol-twinklefists-danvers​ @oopsiedoopsie23​ @fandomshit6000 @baba-eina @cosmichellfire​ @ravngers​ @lipstickstateofmind​

[knives-out20]

Magnetic Push - Erik Lehnsherr x Male!OC - Part 9

Fandom: X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014)

Pairing: Karmel Rosenstein (OC) x Erik Lehnsherr

Warnings: Swearing, Gay, Spoilers for X-Men: Days Of Future Past,

Notes: Welcome to the 9th part! Only one more to go.

Erik and Karmel, donning the same costumes they wore the day they broke Emma out of her confinement cell all those years ago, made it to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. Erik simply floated his way down, but Karmel shot his vines out of his hands and torso, planting them into the middle of the stadium.

Karmel grunted, catapulting himself into the arena, his vines pulling back into him once he landed by Erik's side. He noted one other person in the stadium; some janitor. Karmel scoffed, walking in the opposite direction with Erik. He glanced down at his costume; it's been a while, but he was thankful it still fit.

This costume, per se, had a green colour scheme like Erik's was red. Karmel's cape hung off of one shoulder as opposed to both of them, and was shorter than Erik's; this way it wouldn't get in the way of his vines. Thorn-like spikes spun around the ankles of his boots, vines crossing over his torso in an 'X' shape. Not because of X-Men, Karmel just thought it looked cool. 

At least, that’s what he’d tell if anyone asked. The real reason was because the ‘X’ resembled Erik’s and his arms around one another when they hugged for the very first time; completely enveloping each other in their upper limbs.

His whole outfit resembled leather armor, all the way up to the dark green shoulder plates, down to the screw-like studs of silver metal on his boots.

It was Erik's idea for metal to be scattered over Karmel's costume, because if Karmel ever fell into danger, Erik could pull him out easily using his own mutation.

The janitor saw them. "Can I help you?" He called.

Karmel rolled his eyes, turning to Erik. "Can he help us?" He joked.

Erik stopped walking. "No, you can't" he answered, messing with the janitor's radio so that only static came out. Erik outstretched his arms, eyes falling closed as he focused on the stadium.

Karmel watched as huge marketing signs fell from their posts, the concrete level of the stadium cracking along.

The bars of lights broke off, crashing into the dozens of coloured seats that surrounded the stadium. It all came tumbling down, thanks to Erik's amazing powers.

“God, you’re ethereal.”

Erik cracked a slight smile as he slowly floated upwards, Karmel growing vines out of his body to follow Erik up into the air. He gestured his hand towards the White House, Karmel using his vines as long, long legs to walk alongside him.

"See the robots?"

"Uh-huh" Erik nodded, fingers curling inwards. Doing so, he activated the Sentinels, each one blasting into the air.

Karmel grinned in delight. "Get 'em, babe" he ordered, shooting vines out from his sides to wrap around the floating stadium, in order to help Erik with the weight of carrying it. Karmel didn't stop pieces of the stadium from falling like debris, crushing the road and cars in its way.

"Don't have to tell me twice, dear" Erik grumbled, balling his hand into a fist. 

Over at the White House, the robots rapid-fired bullets into the police cars, sending all the humans every which way. 

Erik gestured for the Sentinels, which came flying over to Karmel and him, forming a line in front of them. "Ever wanted a robot army?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at Karmel. Erik flashed him a smile.

"Only in my dreams" Karmel giggled. He pulled his vines that carried the stadium back into his body, watching as the stadium came crashing down, perfectly entrapping the White House in a circled barricade. He slowly retracted his other vines back into his body, feet touching the ground at the same time as Erik's.

Erik looked up at the Sentinels he sent over to different points of the stadium, making one stop behind Karmel and him.

Karmel heard a roar, and turned his head in the direction it came from. "You gotta be fucking kidding me- Erik, Hank" he warned.

Erik panned his head over, groaning under his breath. He turned further around, to the robot behind them. "Do what you were made for."

The Sentinel started up again, aiming an arm over at Hank and Logan and immediately firing in their direction. 

Erik closed his eyes, outstretching an arm and slowly scanning the arena. "Where are you?" He whispered, stopping when he picked up something metal from inside the White House. Erik opened his eyes, both hands reaching for the White House. 

"Logan, nine o’clock" Karmel nudged Erik, who looked over.

Erik nodded his head, a block of metal being thrown over at Logan- he dodged it. He repeated this action, Logan's claw tossing it out of the way. A few more times before Karmel rolled his eyes and stepped in.

Logan finally got knocked to the ground from behind, Karmel gesturing his hand up; vines grew from out the ground and looped over Logan's body, restraining him like a straight jacket.

Erik copied Karmel's motions, metal rebars shooting out from the block he had used, and twisting into Logan's body.

Karmel cringed, "nice."

"I know, right?" Erik agreed, turning his hand so that his palm was facing downward. "Now, let's see if the puppy can swim, eh?"

As Logan screamed in pain, Erik lifted him off of the ground.

"So much for being a survivor" Karmel hissed, Erik taking the advantage and unfurling his fist.

This sent Logan flying far, far away, landing in the Potomac River.

Now that Logan had been taken care of, Erik reached his hands out for the White House, once more. He focused on the metal he detected earlier, pulling it out of the ground and busting it out of the front of the House. "A bunker."

"Must've been fuckin’ underground, then" Karmel tilted his head.

The black bunker hit the ground, sliding to a stop in front of Erik and Karmel. Erik inhaled slowly, pulling the door of the bunker clean off. He made a pulling motion, which ripped the front wall of the bunker off, throwing it aside.

Karmel's vines sprouted out from his hand, using them along with Erik's powers to grab the men's guns and pull them away. Together, they made the guns float above their heads, and aimed them all down at the men in the bunker.

Erik slowly turned around, twirling his hands gracefully to make all the cameras face Karmel and him. He looked back at the government officials, who Karmel hadn't taken his eyes off of. "You built these weapons to destroy us. Why? Because you are afraid of our gifts."

"Because we are different" Karmel spat, steely gaze lying on the President. "Humanity has always feared that which is fucking different."

"Well, we are here to tell you, to tell the world-" Erik spun Karmel and himself around to face the multiple cameras, "you are right, to fear us. We are the future! We are the ones who will inherit this earth!"

"And anyone who stands in our way, will suffer the same fate as these men you see before you" Karmel shook his head, vaguely gesturing a hand back at the men in the bunker.

"Today was meant to be a display of your power. Instead, I give you a glimpse of the devastation our race can unleash upon yours" Erik explained.

"Let this be a warning to the world," Karmel started back up. "And to our mutants family out there...we say this" he said, placing a fist over his heart. Karmel locked eyes with Erik, nodding.

Erik nodded back at him, the two speaking in perfect unison.

"No more hiding. No more suffering. You have lived in the shadows in shame, and fear, for too long" They both urged.

"Come out!" Karmel called by himself, cupping his mouth with his hands. "Join us. Fight together, in a team of our kind."

"A new tomorrow, that starts today" Erik spoke. Hearing the President's voice, him and Karmel turned back around.

"You want to make a statement?" The President asked, pointing two fingers over at them. "Kill me, fine. But spare everyone else."

Karmel furrowed his eyebrows, hesitant. "I don't trust this" he mumbled.

Erik shrugged, approaching Nixon. "Very heroic, Mr. President" he started. "But you had no intention of sparing any of us. The future of our species begins now" Erik growled, all the floating guns locked and loaded on Nixon.

Karmel gulped, aiming the guns his vines held down, pointed at the President. He looked over, "Erik, robot-"

Erik shot his head to the side, holding up a hand at the approaching robot. Piece by piece, he broke it down until it was nothing but a torso with an arm.

Distracted, he didn't notice the 'President' pull a gun out and aim at it at Erik- but Karmel did.

"Erik!" He yelled, latching onto Erik and pushing him down.

"Karmel-!" Erik called, watching as a bullet entered then exited the side of Karmel's neck, practically grazing it. 

Karmel gasped, falling to one knee, then both of them, holding himself up by one hand as the other held the side of his neck. All of his vines reeled back into his body, dropping the guns.

Erik focused on Karmel’s unconscious body, dropping the guns he previously influenced. "Karmel-? Karmel! Karmel-" he called repeatedly, the other robots under his control shutting off, as well. Erik glared up at Raven (who had shapeshifted into Nixon), kneeling at Karmel's side. "You used to be a better shot- I'm glad it's used to, you-"

"Trust me, I still am" Raven cut him off, running over and knocking Erik out.

Erik fell back, knocked out at Karmel's side.

After Charles' intervention, Raven took Erik's helmet off of him. "They're all yours, Charles" she called, walking away and dropping the helmet.

Erik and Karmel's eyes snapped open, the two of them getting up while under Charles' control. Erik and Karmel outstretched their arms, using their mutations to pull the bars off of Charles, pushing them aside. 

Hank helped Charles up, taking Karmel and Erik out of Charles' influence.

Erik softly furrowed his brow, turning to Karmel. "You-"

"I'm alright" Karmel nodded, gesturing to the vines he quickly used to stitch his wound closed. "It's safe, don't worry."

Erik nodded, pulling Karmel in for a quick hug- one Karmel wasted no time in returning. He pulled away, glad that Karmel was okay. Erik turned to see the government's eyes on them. "If they weren't watching, I'd kiss you right now" he whispered, cupping Karmel’s face.

"Do it later" Karmel purred, smirking slightly.

Erik shakily exhaled, nodding. "I treasure you, Karmel" he mouthed.

"I treasure you too" Karmel mouthed back.

Erik and Karmel turned, watching Hank carry Charles over to them. "If you let them have Karmel and I, we're as good as dead." he noted, dropping his arms at his sides. "You know that."

"I know" Charles replied.

Erik frowned. "Goodbye, old friend."

"Goodbye, Erik" Charles replied, defeated. His head snapped over to Karmel, who was still at Erik's side, for some godforsaken reason.

Karmel stared right back.

"So that's it, then? You're still going with him?" Charles asked, dumbfounded.

Karmel's eyebrows knitted together. He squinted, "what-?"

Erik stepped closer to Karmel.

Charles scoffed, tilting his head. "After all this time, all this destruction- you're still siding with Erik? Endorsing his- his violence, his faulty views? What happened to the Karmel that worked at the peaceful library, huh? Helping anxious teens, reading to little kids? Don't tell me you're going to put your feelings above doing the right thing."

Karmel crossed his arms defensively, blinking his gaze down at the ground in thought. He side-eyed Erik (not in a nasty way, of course; more in a “are you hearing this?” Sort of way), before locking eyes with Charles again. "I'm with Erik because it's what I believe in. I'd still be standing right here even if I didn't feel for him, the way I fuckin' do."

"You should know more than anyone what Erik's capable of, Kar. Look at this, look at JFK, look at him-" Charles pointed right at Erik. "Old friend or not, it's very clear to me what corruption he could cause. Don't...Don't do this, Karmel. Come with Hank, and me. Stay with us" he begged, eyes pleading. "We can help you, just like we always wanted."

Karmel's tongue traced his teeth, turning his head to look at Erik.

Erik stared back at him, jaw clenched.

Karmel took Erik's hand in his own, bringing it up to his lips and softly kissing the knuckles of Erik's glove. He dropped Erik's hand, and made his way over to Charles and Hank.

"Karmel-"

Karmel held up a hand, silencing Erik. He walked towards Charles and Hank, looks of relief washing over their faces.

"Oh, Karmel" Charles praised, smiling happily. "I knew you'd come to your senses."

"Karmel!" Erik repeated, outstretching a hand. This couldn’t really be happening, could it?

Karmel stopped in front of Charles, his expression a blank slate. He turned his palm up to face the sky, and grew a vine out of it. This vine grew out a lush, purple flower. 

Hank arched an eyebrow, looking at it.

Karmel gulped, using his other hand to pluck the flower. He winced softly; the pain of plucking leaves or flowers from his vines was the equivalent of plucking eyebrow hairs. Karmel took Charles' hand, opening it up and placing the flower on it. He looked between Charles and Hank, swiftly turning around and walking back over to Erik.

As he did, Charles' face broke. "Really?! You're going to abandon your second chance at a real family, turn your back on doing the right thing-"

"I am doing the right goddamn thing" Karmel barked, hands tightening into fists.

"No, no you're not! You're doing this because of what, mate? Erik gives you pleasure? Huh? He makes you feel good? Millions of people may die in any bloody plan he mixes up, and you don't care because your brain is too full of what your pants is telling you, to comprehend the crisis we face?" Charles called.

Hank looked damn near betrayed.

Karmel groaned, rolling his eyes. "What the fuck did I just say? I'm doing this because it's what I believe in, Charles" he outstretched his arms. "It's what I've always mostly believed in, from the day my parents died, to the beach in Cuba- where YOU let me go with Erik- and up to where we are, right now. Whatever crisis we fucking face is because of the humans, Charles! After all these years, you're still blind to it?" Karmel scoffed. "Deep devotion to Erik or not, I'm doing what I need to do. I hope you can fucking see that, one day."

Charles grit his teeth. “Your experience of Erik’s attention is so profoundly harmful, yet so irresistible, it undermines you ability to think rationally” he spat, basically saying that Karmel likes Erik so much, it actually makes him stupid.

"Goodbye, Charles" Karmel waved, his face stone-cold. "Beware- it goeth before the fall."

Charles weakly inhaled. "Goodbye, Karmel" he huffed, not saying anything else. From this moment on, he truly knew how much Karmel cares about Erik. He just didn't want to believe that Erik was right, with what he said on the plane; Karmel's morals always fell closer to Erik's, even before he met the man. And Charles couldn't change that. But, in the future, that wouldn’t stop him from continuing to try.

Erik turned to Raven, as did Karmel. He outstretched his arms, slowly floating back up into the sky.

Karmel gave Charles a final glance, slowly growing his vines out from his back and using them as long legs. Now at Erik's level, he walked alongside his lover, glad that they were both free. But for how long? Karmel didn't care, as long as he was with Erik. He doesn't know what he'd be without Erik with him.

Erik floated by Karmel's side silently.

Karmel turned his head to face him now. "Where to, Erik?"

"Away, Karmel" Erik answered blankly. "From each other."

[romancingromanoff]

What Happens At Disney Part 3/3

I know that all of the details aren’t completely accurate to the parks but please enjoy the final installment

Part 1 here//Part 2 here

The Disney workers were so glad that Tony and Bruce fixed the ride that they gave you all free fast passes and you got to skip the line. “You are all welcome. You’re welcome!” Tony was waving and loudly calling out to the crowds. You rolled your eyes at how he always felt the need to fuel his ego but decided against giving him another one of your talks since he had indeed fixed the ride.

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was a two person seater ride so naturally you pulled Nat up to the very front to sit next to you. Steve and Clint sat behind you followed by Bruce and Thor, who was very adamant about not letting the workers touch him when they went to pull down the safety bars. Tony got pushed to the back because, truthfully, no one wanted to sit next to him because he wouldn’t shut up about the fact that he had repaired the ride and everyone apparently “owed him,” but he just took it as an opportunity to fill up the entire car by himself. As you were all getting on they called to see if there were any single riders that could sit next to Tony, to which he protested saying that he could sue anyone that accidentally touched his suit, but changed his mind when the first single rider that raised their hand to volunteer turned out to be a very tall, slim, and tan blonde woman wearing super tight booty shorts and a thread of fabric around her chest that you guessed was supposed to be her shirt. “I’ll allow it,” he stated and the bubbly blonde giggled as she sat down and Tony put his arm around her shoulder.

It was a kid’s ride so there weren’t exactly drops big enough to make those butterflies in your stomach fly around at that zero-gravity-like feeling, but you still smiled and laughed as the carts twisted and turned up and down the little hills. Soon you rode into a cave filled with glowing gems and those weird animatronic animals that probably hadn’t been updated since Steve’s time. You all began to slow down as the various forest animals and dwarfs came to life with the music. The creepy glowing eyes of the deer weren’t easy to look over though. Nat made a sour face seeing how robotic they all moved, but you were having an absolute blast. 

CLINK! A high pitched ring sounded throughout the cave, echoing off of the walls. It made the poor blonde girl that got put next to Tony almost jump out of her seat. If it weren’t for the safety bars she probably would’ve gone off the side. 

“WHAT THE HELL, THOR?!” you screamed at him when you turned around and saw him smashing his hammer into the fake gems and diamonds that were encrusted into the walls.

“You said this was a mine! I’m just trying to get points any way that I can!” he retorted while Bruce had his hands in his head from the headache all of the noise was giving him. 

“No, this isn’t that kind of ride, Thor. It is not interactive,” he looked disappointed as you explained it to him and he was silent for the rest of the ride, which was pretty uneventful (meaning that no more property was damaged) except for Clint teasing Steve with questions about what it was like to watch the movie when it first premiered.

After the ride you thought that it would be fun to go visit attractions that the rest of your friends would be interested in. For Clint you headed over to the Toy Story Midway Mania interactive ride where you got spun around a giant toy room and got to shoot various targets and plates. You knew that you were no match for his marksmanship skills, but had fun with the target practice anyway. It wasn’t hard to enjoy yourself when Clint was so into it. He was screaming at Woody, Buzz, and Jessie as they were trying to explain how to work the shooters. “Let us shoot already, damnit!” he yelled in frustration before going on to break all of the high scores.

Steve’s request for a ride was very simple and sweet, much like the person he was. The only thing he really wanted to do at Disney was go on the carousel so you headed back to the Magic Kingdom. It’s not that he didn’t enjoy the other rides, but back in his time the only rollercoasters he got to ride were at Coney Island and were all made out of wood. He just didn’t really understand the concept of interactive rides or super scary thrill ones either. At the carousel you were glad to wind down the pace a little bit and go old school as you all got on your own horses and the ride stirred on with the classic amusement park music.

You had also snuck a bag of popcorn on with you and were going back and forth between throwing pieces up in the air at Thor, Steve, and Clint who tried to catch them in their mouths. It was a little difficult since you were all constantly moving up and down and at different levels, but in the end Clint ended up catching the most. 

“Well gentlemen, it has been a pleasure,” he said upon the conclusion of the ride.

“Barton, you are lucky that most of the pieces simply ended up caught in my hair rather than my mouth,” Thor commented as he was picking those same pieces off from his head. “But on any other occasion, I would have bested you.”

“Sure, buddy,” Clint laughed.

You and Nat gave each other a meaningful look and you both laughed at how annoying the boys were being. “You know, I could make this thing go ten times faster if you just give me five minutes with it,” Tony pestered one of the workers trying to get him to let him touch the controls. 

“Tony, please, not again,” Bruce moaned and pulled at his sleeve trying to get him away from the obviously intimidated cast members. 

“C’mon! I could make it go in reverse too! At least let me change the lights and the music. It could be disco themed! Bruce, I know you love disco.”

“No disco, Tony.”

“YOU CAN’T KILL DISCO!”

“You already tricked out one ride which is enough for today, Handy Manny,” you kill his hopes of messing with anything else right then and there.

“IN THE NAME OF DISCO-”

“TONY, SHE SAID NO!”

“Hey, settle down,” Steve hushed the two squabbling scientist. “There’s a show going on.” In front of the carousel entrance where a fairly large but somewhat unnoticeable rock laid with what appeared to be the handle of a sword sticking out of it, a cast member in purple robes and a giant gray beard was twirling around and gathering all of the little children around him.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, which one of you thinks that they are worthy enough to pull this sword out of its stone?” A little boy around the age of 6 wearing a Toy Story cap that looked like Rex the green dinosaur was just about to wrap his hands around the handle when he was suddenly pushed out of the way.

“I am worthy! I AM WORTHY!” Thor yelled which made a couple of babies in strollers automatically start crying. “Hah. Mortals watch and see how a god wields his weapon!”

“Dear Lord, not again,” Nat groaned.

“Hmmmmpffffff!” Thor began pulling but to no avail. “NO, I AM WORTHY,” he told himself and then tried shifting the sword back and forth to shimmy out. 

“NO DON’T DO-” the wizard flinched.

“ARGHHH!” SLICE! You threw your head back seeing him break the sword in two right at the handle which almost made the poor wizard guy faint. Thor just stood their awkwardly with the tiny blunt little sword in his hand. “It’s fine I can just-” he tried jamming it back into the rock but was way too forceful so he ended up putting an even larger dent in what was left of it. 

“Does anyone have some glue?” Tony casually yelled around while Bruce was trying to hide behind a dip n dots cart mumbling “I don’t know them,” and pretending to be completely oblivious to all of the scared screaming children that had just seen a part of their imagination torn apart.

“I can’t say that I’m not surprised,” Natasha mumbled with her head slightly cocked to one side as she studied the scene. “It could be a really good piece of modern art I guess.”

“Oh no,” Steve flinched in pain at those words. “Please, not again with the modern art,” he cringed just thinking about those strange, abstract sculptures of plain shapes or made of weird materials that people called art these days.

“Well, I need a beer,” Tony piped up trying to think of a solution to cure everyone’s sudden depression. 

“Is there a tavern around here?” Thor questioned.

“Yeah, actually, there is a tavern,” you were surprised to remember that there did happen to be a place for them to drink around here. “I think you’ll like it, Thor. It’s very, er… manly.” You smiled only half-sarcastically as you thought back to the Disney villain that owned the place. He had been one of your favorites as a kid despite his tendency to boast about his buffness (which is why you believed you were able to tolerate Tony and Thor) and awfully misogynistic world view. But, that’s Disney for you.

Gaston’s Tavern was a very rustic looking place that sort of tried to be half hunting lodge and half shrine to its namesake Frenchman. Upon approaching an entrance, there was a Gaston actor leaned up against one of the windows and hitting on basically every mom that went in or out. God, it made you sick. It was like he was Tony but without any smarts whatsoever.

“Who the hell is this guy?” Bruce wondered at the sight of him flexing his completely-not-fake-and-made-of-padding biceps. 

“Welcome, everyone! Don’t worry, you will all have the chance to meet me, Gaston: the strongest, most handsome, and brave man in all of town. You may applaud,” the airhead was motioning for people to clap and a couple of other employees (not dressed up) responded with some cheers as if to play along. 

“You sure that’s not Tony?” Steve whispered to you under his breath which made you smile. You gave him a look and winked at him as if to say, “that was exactly what I was thinking” and rolled your eyes.

“So you claim to be the strongest man around here?” Thor stepped forward a little bit too menacingly with the seriousness of his voice which caused a couple of people around him to gasp just laying their eyes on the perfectly sculpted body of a god. Before it could go anymore out of hand you ran up to him and tried to get his attention.

“Nope, nuh uh, Thor, this is just a guy playing a character; he’s supposed to say those things but he doesn’t really mean them. C’mon, you will break this guy’s arm worse than that fake sword and everyone knows that, so it’s okay because you don’t have to prove anything.” The nervousness in your quivering voice could not have been worse as you saw Thor trying to measure up this poor dude with the fake biceps and wig. 

“Character? Pffff,” Gaston played aloof to the danger in the form of a giant Scandinavian looking lumber jack that was right in front of him. “Gaston is the strongest man in town and he isn’t afraid to prove it.”

“Buddy, I’m trying to save your life,” you spit at him.

“How about an old fashioned arm wrestling match?” Natasha suggests and you lightly slap her for encouraging this awful testosterone measuring contest. Thor and Gaston, however, are immediately down for it though you can see the rules of arm-wrestling being a lot different on Asgard which may actually result in this guy’s arm being completely ripped off.

“HOWWWWWW about we let someone else go first, huh?” your voice cracks which makes Natasha smirk. “Weakest goes up against him first, you know? And then Thor is the championship match?”

“Hold on, are you saying that you think Thor is the strongest?” Tony rips of his sunglasses to look you straight in the eyes.

“This isn’t a contest guys; obviously I’m the strongest!” Bruce plays innocent and coy with his shoulders shrugged but you don’t take his hulking out joke too lightly. 

“Not when you’re this color you’re not. You’re first,” you shove up towards Gaston who’s had a wooden table pulled out to the front of the tavern just for the occasion. Then Bruce gets a little sweaty realizing that he actually has to put on his best performance and goes to sit across from the smirking playboy villain who’s already got his right elbow up on the table. You can see all of the fake padding under his costume’s sleeve from where you are, but you still aren’t sure how much muscle this guy actually has on his own. He’s fairly broad and definitely looks like he’s the type to have always idolized body builders, yet you still aren’t sure if that means he has a definite win over Bruce.

“Alright gentlemen I want a fair match,” says Nat. “Elbows on the table at all times, and 3, 2, 1-” 

It was a pretty evenly matched fight as both men’s fists seemed to keep a nice right angle for the first few moments and none of them had a visible advantage over the other. You could see Bruce’s veins in the side of his face which always made an appearance when he tried to Hulk out, but Gaston also had some pretty good form and was gritting his teeth together as they both tried to exert more and more force against the other. The it seemed like it was bobbling more towards Bruce’s direction and his focus completely shifted to Gaston himself who he showed his teeth like a primate and growled at with a deep Hulk-like rumble in the back of his throat. That must’ve been enough to intimidate the guy because he stumbled with his grip for a second and Bruce took the opportunity to ram his hand into the table and take the win.

“YES! YES! I AM VICTORIOUS!” he screamed going in for a chest bump with Thor who had been chanting Banner’s name the whole time. “What do you think about that, GASTON?!” he and Thor were backing him up into a corner which did not seem like a good idea.

“Gentlemen, please, if we could all just- okay, security!” his voice suddenly switched to that of a your typical New Jersey accent but in a slightly higher pitch as he called for help and all seven of you looked at one another before pushing your way through the crowds to get as far away as possible. 

“You know running is just going to bring even more attention to us,” Natasha quipped but you didn’t care about being stealthy at the moment. 

“Just go!” you pushed her forward. The last thing you wanted was to be banned  from all Disney parks after your first time setting foot in one. Panicking with no ideas on how to cover your tracks, you desperately snapped your fingers together and all of a sudden a grey storm cloud appeared just above Gaston’s Tavern and poured down gallons of water over the immediate area of the crime scene, soaking all the workers and making them slip as you ran off rain-free.

Unfortunately, a little girl about 7 or 8 wearing the same Minnie Mouse ears as you had watched your little trick which left her mouth frozen wide open before she could have taken a bite of her dole whip. You laughed nervously and one shoulder came up to your ear as you played dumb, hoping that she wouldn’t remember any of what she just saw or would ever be taken seriously enough for adults to believe her. “Heh, uh, unpredictable Florida weather, right?” you offered but her expression remained the same.

“I’m sorry, but is she the child or are you?” Natasha grabbed your wrist and pulled you along behind her while she tried to forget that she just saw you trying to reason about your spontaneous weather-changing powers with a kid that probably still wet the bed. “Very smooth, y/l/n.”

“Don’t think I don’t have a cloud specially made for you, Romanoff,” she releases a huff and takes a double take when you stick out your tongue at her but then resumes pulling you along with an even tighter grip.

“Yup, my girlfriend is a complete child,” she mutters to herself.

“SO,” you put on a big wide smile as you turn to Tony and pretend like you didn’t hear her. “Tony, do you have anything you’d like to do that doesn’t involve tampering with Disney property?”

“Actually, yes, there is one guy I’d like to meet. Or, rather, have Banner meet.”

At first you were certain Tony planned to throw Bruce into the It’s A Small World Ride or try setting him up with one of the princesses, but his actual plan was surprisingly pleasant. 

“FINALLY! Someone who gets it!” Bruce was over relieved and had threw up his hands.

“Well, yeah, it’s not easy being green, you know?” Kermit the Frog was out sitting on a bench just casually giving out life advice when Tony had ambushed the poor muppet talking all about how Bruce and him had a little green problem in common.

“No, no it isn’t. Thank you so much for saying that!” 

“What are you doing?” Natasha leaned in to Tony who had pulled out his phone.

“Oh, I’m recording this for instagram.”

“I mean, first off it just blends into so many things. People always think I’m some sort of walking bush.”

“Wow, people always think I’m a giant tree!”

“What the heck is Tony doing?” you ask as Nat wraps her arm around your waist.

“He’s filming it for instagram,” you laugh before tugging at her shirt to seriously look her in the eyes. “Hey, it’s almost time for the fireworks show. You wanna go somewhere we can be alone?”

“After you,” she offers up her arm which you gladly take while you walk next to her with your head on her shoulder. Moments like these where you could act like a normal couple were what had you hanging onto life for so many years throughout all of the struggles. You had looked forward to, no, dreamed about having someone that loved you for years. And while your relationship with Natasha wasn’t normal as neither of you were normal people, you cherished sharing these simple moments with her. 

Bribing the ride operator to stop the ferris wheel when you and Nat reached the very top was so unlike you, but definitely a great decision. 

“Isn’t this a little bit unethical?” Natasha criticized your usual goody-two-shoes self. Pink, blue, and white fireworks began shooting off in the distant sky lighting up the cloudless view you had of the horizon and the stars coming into view. 

“So are the things I want to do you,” you try to keep a serious face but can’t help but laugh at the raised eyebrow she gives you. Her magnetic pull brings you in closer and soon the fireworks going off are just background noise.

“I adore you,” she whispers just before your lips touch and the real fireworks start to go off, ending the perfect day at the most magical place on earth.

[crusherthedoctor]

Sonic & Tails: Beyond the Stars - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Drop of Life or Death

"Just keep following me, guys!" Sonic called out to his pursuing friends as he breezed along the ocean with his amazing namesake. Who needs a boat when you're the fastest thing alive? He directed his attention towards what appeared to be a tranquil beachside area, which courtesy of its boardwalks, and its white, pristine sands, he couldn't help but be reminded of his favourite relaxing spot in Station Square.

"Where are we headed to?" Amy asked quickly, as she continued to hold onto Cream while the latter flew in the air.

"The local coastal resort is not too far from here," Lutrudis replied, while she did the same with Tails. "Being such a destination, it's naturally a popular spot in Viridonia. If Dr. Eggman is the kind of character I've been led to believe, it's possible he may be sabotaging the place for... whatever selfish reason."

"Maybe he's forcing everyone to worship him..." Cream pondered out loud fearfully.

"If he's not busy worshipping himself," Amy added with a bit of sass, having known the evil scientist's self-aggrandizing habits for some time now.

"Eggman makes me feel older..." Tails muttered somewhat absent-mindedly.

"Did you guys say coastal resort?" the sea-walking Sonic questioned, with a notable drip of dread in his voice. "There won't be too many unavoidable pits of water around, will there?"

"...Aren't you running on water right now?" Tails pointed out, trying hard to hide his amused tone.

"Not the same thing!" Sonic denied defensively, as he dashed off to their destination. The remaining four exchanged glances with each other, before picking up the speed themselves. Unbeknownest to them however, the blue droid from before was spying on the group once again. High above their own heights, he rubbed his hands in glee, in tune with the siren atop his cranium.

"Heh heh heh..." he giggled, betrayed by his unthreatening voice and nervous pitch.

---

Coastline Resort Zone

CR Act 1: Shining Shore

Lutrudis' Badnik Logs: Crabmeat - “Yet another 'classic' in the doctor's repertoire of mischievous metal myrmidons. Not only do they use those great big pincers to pinch you in the backside, like any crab with a short fuse, they also fire pellets from afar. Better turn them into Crabscrap before they cause you grief.”

Gameblow - “Based on the older model known as Game Game (darling name, I must say), these innocuous looking turtles spin their shells like a deadly frisbee. Regular frisbees are bad enough, but at least they only hurt your neck rather than, y'know, potentially slice it.”

Aquis - “Despite being based on seahorses, these ones never touch a single drop of water, instead opting to swim through the air... as well as rain down bullets on you. Not very advertiser friendly.”

Sweep - “Can you run on water? So can these pests, unfortunately. Trimming along the deep blue with surprising grace, they like to insert their spiked noses into your person... I trust it goes without saying that this would hurt quite a bit.”

At the risk of disappointing Sonic greatly, welcome to your first water zone in Viridonia. There may have been the odd watery area in the previous zones, but this will be the first one to really make use of your swimming skills... or non-swimming skills. Well, it may not suit the Blue Blur's tastes, but you're not gonna stop Eggman otherwise, right?

Anyway, you won't have to fret too much about inescapable underwater sections for the time being, as this act takes place at the lovely beach by the sea. If you expect this to simply be a textbook Emerald Coast however (you know, like Wave Ocean), you've got another thing coming. True, there's elements of those stages here and there - the palm trees filled with juicy coconuts, the wooden boardwalks leading off into the ocean, the occasional flashy yacht floating along to make you feel dissatisfied with your own life choices - but even a quick glance will reveal the beautifully decorated plaza, the higher cliffs teeming with stunning waterfalls, and the tall torches complimenting the gradually darkening sky, as it's close to reaching sunset by this point.

You can even stop by the tourist centers if you want to, of which their residents will be happy to provide you with interesting facts about the place... when they're not grumbling about rival tourist destinations, that is.

"I heard that Apotos once got corrupted by a dark force, causing its residents to act out and commit heinous acts of evil... Now between you and me, would they have went through all that suffering if they came here...?"

"You know the worst thing about that Dr. Robotnik? His vacation planning make no sense! Who puts a theme park in space? Was it his plan all along to kill everyone through lack of oxygen?"

"Soleanna? More like SoleanNAH... Look, I don't get visitors often..."

By this point, you'll have noticed that Lutrudis isn't the only one tagging along with Sonic and Tails this time around. Amy and Cream are tagging along too, and like Miss Hadeer, they'll try their best to help out here and there, as well as provide banter that doesn't get repetitive or redundant. You can't rely on them too much though, or else this would be far too easy. The Crabmeats and Gameblows still put their focus on you when attacking, though the Aquis seahorses will prove to be the most obnoxious of the set due to their tendency to hang around in the air. Suffice to say, Tails can get rid of them a lot quicker, unless you're really good with Sonic's momentum.

By the time you reach the home stretch, represented by an impressively sized lighthouse, an orca whale will pop out of the water. Luckily, despite your initial reservations, this one is friendly to blue hedgehogs, as it happily allows you to run along its back... But once you jump off its back, and leap high into the air, another orca will suddenly jump out to try and eat you. After narrowly avoiding the hostile orca's vacumn of a mouth, you're quick to notice that it's been equipped with highly advanced armor... and it appears to be acting against its own will, as you also notice the blue robot hovering down with a remote control...

Amy: What's going on!?

Sonic: Wait, that's-!

Gunner: Heh heh heh...

As the first orca wisely flees the scene of the crime, you're forced to run away from the clutches of the second, mechanized orca. As tense as orca chases were in the past, they didn't fire lasers and bombs at you. Poor Cream in particular is frightened beyond belief, but you've made it out of these situations before. Unfortunately, the actual terrain is a lot more complicated than past incidents of this sort as well, as you must traverse through piers, caves, AND cliffs to escape the jaws of the beast.

Eventually however, the ray of the lighthouse will shine upon the mecha orca, and with its temporary distraction, it'll crash into the nearest cliff, Monstro-style. Don't worry, it's not dead. But it did get rid of the armor encasing it, thus freeing it of its operator's control.

Gunner: Ohhhhh nooooo...

As the robot rather pathetically crushes its remote in anger, before flying away, you can finally complete the stage by freeing the critters from the end capsule. But in the distance, you can hear a lot of splashing, and a lot of children in particular yelling out gleefully. Or could one of those be a manchild...?

---

"Who was THAT weirdo?" Amy wondered as she squeezed the last drop of water out of her quills. "Eggman's newest hunk of junk?"

"Is the poor whale okay...?" Cream worried to herself. Lutrudis was quick to nod in reassurance, and gave her the A-OK hand signal for good measure. Amy also nodded sympathetically as she rubbed her little friend's head in affection.

"That wasn't a new guy," Sonic muttered, still soaked from head to toe, and not too pleased about it if his slumped body language was of any indication. "That was a Heavy."

"A what?"

"A Heavy, Amy. A Hard-Boiled Heavy to be precise. Me and Tails tangled with them long ago... I didn't think I'd ever see them again, but here we are."

"Them?" Cream asked nervously. "How many of them are there...?"

"Five," Tails answered bluntly. "They were tougher than they looked too," he added dejectedly.

"Drat," Amy cursed out loud, complete with a fist in her palm. "And I guess Eggman didn't decide to only rebuild one of them? Now we have a whole GROUP of jerks to watch out for."

"There's five of us though, right...?" Lutrudis gestured with her left hand. "Surely they're not much different from the doctor's other robots."

"Well actually," Sonic scratched his ear as he looked to his side awkwardly. "These robots were enhanced by a really weird jewel."

"Oh... of course..." Lutrudis trailed off, before quickly regaining her confident burst. "Well you still beat them once before. We can handle them... At least, you guys can... Myself, well..."

Before Sonic could argue with what he perceived as an error in her statement, Lutrudis cleared the last set of bushes that revealed the source of all the excited noise: a hustling, bustling water park. The vaguely ancient architecture suggested that it was formerly a set of aquatic ruins, but with the addition of industrial gizmos and doodads in the modern age, it was now a colorful array of seaside adrenaline. Dazzling fountains were dotted all over, and it truly caught the group's attention.

"Wow, this place looks cool!" Tails beamed with youthful glee. His tails couldn't help but twirl around in excitement. "We should hang out here for real when this is over! What do you think, Sonic?"

He was quick to notice the look of subdued resignation on his lifelong buddy's face. Evidently, the blue hedgehog had wearily accepted that he was about to get very wet once again.

"Oh man..." Sonic sighed, as Lutrudis put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

---

CR Act 2: Crazy Rapids

Lutrudis' Badnik Logs: Lobstrike - “These lobsters practically become heat-seeking missiles the moment they spot an enemy. Fortunately, while they're certainly fast, they can't turn around once they fire at you. Can't say I was fond of the taste of lobsters anyway.”

Scuba Pawn - "The most clever thing about these Pawns is that they're sea green. Slightly less clever is their tendency to throw their floatie rings like boomerangs, as well as launch a torpedo if you're under the sea. The doctor's compulsive need to mix deadly and daft would be almost admirable if it weren't for his equally compulsive need to conquer the world through it."

Returning Enemies: Crabmeat Gameblow Aquis Sweep

Doesn't this place look amazingly fun? Not if you're aquaphobic. Good thing no one on the team is, or else this would be very awkward.

Being a water park, you have a plentiful amount of gimmicks to experiment with. Water slides, water whirligigs, giant bubbles for you to substitute for temporary platforms, and even jacuzzi hot tubs that launch you up in the air with their overwhelming heat. Everything's coming up wet around here! The hybrid of marble ruins and wacky equipment certainly makes for a memorable scene, but don't get too distracted, lest you get bumped off by a Scuba Pawn.

Speaking of which, does no one here realise the gravity of the robots' presence? One lanky zebra in khaki shorts seems to have a unique take on them...

"Yoooo! Digging these mascots, dude! So full of life, know what I mean dawg?"

As you attempt to avoid shutting down emotionally upon hearing the word "dawg", let's discuss the swimming in this adventure at last. As Sonic, you naturally can't swim, but as Tails, you can count on that cute little doggy paddle of yours to help you go places. Compared to the old days however, Tails can now swim a lot faster, making underwater sections a lot more bearable than they would be otherwise. Of course, Tails will still tire out if you doggy paddle for too long, and regardless of who you're playing as, failure to obtain oxygen in time will result in a certain memorable countdown... followed by death.

That's not to say that you can't complete underwater stages with Sonic. The level design is always laid out in a way that ensures he can still make it through as well. But basically, you're better off with using Tails in these type of stages, unless you have something to prove.

And what would a place called Crazy Rapids be if it didn't have any rapids? There's a whole bunch of them, and you gotta watch your step, as the current during these sections is way too speedy for you to swim through without getting washed away. Like the honey in the Hornet's Nest though, you won't die if you get caught in it. You'll simply be momentarily inconvenienced... which is nonetheless a big deal when there's Lobstrikes willing to take advantage of your situation.

After all the slides, the rapids, and the trips in and out of the water, you'll eventually find yourself running along a straight path that takes you to the park's information center... But right before you enter it, you're suddenly bombarded with missiles. Once you dodge them for a brief period, the source of the missiles will hover down and reveal itself... a familiar helicopter, with a familiar passenger. With a push of a button on its control panel, the copter dispatches the rotors in exchange for a round underside, and the vehicle slams down onto the floor behind you with a mighty crash, breaking the floor apart instantly. With the contraption now taking the form of a boat, you must run for your life as an old friend tries valiantly to earn himself some much desired payback...

BOSS: Heavy Gunner

On one hand, this is kind of like your original fight with the police-themed Heavy, in that you're keeping up the pace against his vehicle of choice, and he's firing an onslaught of missiles everywhere he goes.

On the other hand, everything else is completely different.

For starters, Gunner's boat is always behind you, and its chipping away at the ground you're cruising along. Falling into the water here won't technically count as an instant death, but you'll be a sitting duck for the balloon-sized bombs that he sends down your way, so try to avoid that fate as best as you can. Should you stay above the ocean however, Gunner will opt for continuing his missile assault with his trusty yet blocky bazooka.

Now, Gunner's missiles have different colours, just like your past encounter with him. But this time, he fires red and green, not blue. Red missiles go straight for you, while green missiles arch upwards, loop around once, and then crash down onto the floor ahead of you, thus risking a watery trap for your character. The cybernetic sail on the front of the boat prevents offensive measures from the front, and neither type of missile can be deflected back, for it is proven that a robot can learn from his mistakes. So what do you do?

Wait for a green missile. Then, when it loops around and is close to ground level, grab onto it. Keep holding on until the missile is at the highest it can go, and right before it crashes down to the ground...

Gunner: Uhhhhh ohhhhh...

...let go of the missile and slam yourself down onto the boat with all your might. Gunner's subsequent arm flailing and eyeball popping will indicate that he did not account for this maneuver, and his boat will notably sink ever so slightly.

Three more rounds of this is all it takes. But be warned, for in an effort to prevent you from pulling that stunt again, the pattern of the green missiles will grow increasingly erratic after each hit, culminating with some truly fast zig-zag sweeping. As well as that, he'll also start firing missiles while you're up high in an attempt to make you lose focus. But speed is your middle name, so you've got this in the bag. After four strikes, the boat will finally give way and sink altogether, but not before Gunner ejects from his craft and jets away. This won't be the last you see of him, but you've foiled him for now. Let's just hope his buddies follow the same destiny...

---

"Y-you'll pay for t-this..." Gunner muttered timidly, as he used his jetpack to fly off to an unspecified destination.

"Sorry cop, but you ain't taking me in," Sonic quipped. "Wasn't fun being in jail the first time around..." He and his friends carried on running through the path, only to stop by an isolated building hidden away by trees and bushes. Upon taking a step inside...

"Look, Mr. Sonic!" Cream clasped her hands happily.

"Huh?" Sonic turned around after making sure Gunner was gone, and to his own surprise, occupying the lobby area was a whole bunch of Chao, of different colours and shapes, all playing around without a care in the world. Some of them were enjoying the pool, others were sliding down minature slides and throwing balls with each other, content with the other's company.

"A Chao Garden...?" the hero wondered.

"Yep," Lutrudis answered, hands on hips. "You didn't think we'd have any of our own here?" she asked with a teasing smile.

Sonic said nothing, too caught up with watching the little Chao. Amy and Cream wasted no time in petting and playing with the nearest Chao they could find, and even Cheese greeted himself to them through their own unique language.

"Chao!"

"Chao Chao!"

"Chao Chao?"

"Chao! <3"

As they got along with each other, Tails turned to Lutrudis. "Do you come here often?"

She nodded wistfully. "I love Chao." She rested one arm on her hand. "They're such beautiful little creatures... And so calming to one's senses. I've considered having one of my own, actually."

"Why haven't you got one?" Sonic questioned, as he crossed his arms.

"I'm not sure if I would make a good parent figure for them..." the horse rubbed her arm, while looking aside. "I don't really have the experience for that... and I doubt that'll change anytime soon..."

"Well, I think you'd be great with a Chao," Sonic gently nudged Lutrudis with a wink.

"Yeah!" Tails agreed. "You've treated the rest of us fine, right? You're nowhere close to having the inhospitality of someone like-"

"Guys, watch out!" Lutrudis suddenly called out to Amy and Cream, after having briefly glanced up at the transparent glass roof. Before they could react however, said glass roof suddenly exploded in a shower of broken shards, which threatened to cause serious damage to everyone within the lobby. Thinking fast, Sonic used his speed to get most of the Chao out of harm's way, and his four friends followed suit to the best of their own abilities. While the damage had been done to the surrounding area, the Chao were understandably in a state of panicked frenzy.

Sonic looked around to make sure his friends were okay, and he was subsequently relieved to see that Lutrudis had successfully herded all the Chao to a safe corner of the room, and was currently attempting to calm the poor things down. Before he could do anything else though, he immediately sensed another's presence. He didn't need to guess who it was. He could already hear the culprit's voice in his head before it even came out, as he had arguably heard it more times throughout his young life than even his own. Yet sure enough, out it came.

"Well, well, well... Sonic, my old pal. Long time no see, eh?"

The hedgehog looked up with distaste, and there he was, floating above in his signature hovercraft. The man who had caused so much trouble over the years. The man who saw himself as an emperor. The man who had a lifetime score to settle with people a quarter of his age. His two lackeys of questionable usefulness, Orbot and Cubot, were alongside him, as expected.

"Hey, what's all this commotion?" A burly duck in a suit and tie had walked into the scene, not at all happy with the carnage he had just heard, and certainly not with all the collateral damage. "Do you KNOW how long this will take to clean u-"

The duck immediately froze upon seeing the notorious scientist. He stood there in silence for a few long seconds, as his life flashed before his very eyes. The doctor simply turned to him, awaiting the expected reaction. Cubot was at least friendly enough to wave at him.

"R-R-Robotnik..." he stammered. "Gotta go...!" He promptly bolted out of the room, having cared very much about his own mortality.

"Oh, please, come back!" Eggman called out sarcastically. "I'm only here for a chat!"

"What are you doing here, Eggman?" Sonic asked with apprehension, ready as ever to put up his dukes if necessary. Tails and Amy were likewise quick to prepare themselves.

"What am I doing here?" Eggman pointed at himself with artificial innocence, as if he were hurt by the remark. "Surely the real question is what are you doing here. Must you always be like this, Sonic? Always following me wherever I go?"

"I think you've got that the other way around, doc," Sonic muttered, unimpressed with the man's fooling around.

"Just tell us your stupid plan already!" Amy complained, gripping firmly on her hammer. "Like you always do!"

"Now now, that's not how you greet yours truly," the doctor slowly waved a finger at the temperamental pink hedgehog. "I was just in the mood to visit the Chao that I hold so dear to my heart!"

"Because he wants to kidnap them," Orbot helpfully added. Eggman wordlessly glared at him.

"Kidnap the Chao...?" Cream contemplated with horror and revulsion. She immediately held Cheese tightly to her chest. "Why would you do such a thing!?"

"Yeah, why would you do that?" Tails questioned in a more quizzical tone. "What do you need Chao for? You're always after stuff like the Chaos Emeralds, and you've never cared about Chao at all until now..."

"Ah... I don't think I'll be telling that," Eggman leaned back and chuckled deviously. A grin started to appear on his face. "You see, things are a little different this time-"

"Don't you say that every time?" asked Cubot.

He got smacked in the face for his troubles.

"Things are a little different this time," Eggman repeated, looking in Cubot's direction in annoyance while doing so, before turning back to face the heroes. "If I explained everything right now, I'm afraid none of you would understand any of it! You'd have to reach MY level to get it." He smugly tapped his bald head, clearly alluding to the genius he prided himself so much on. "So if it's all the same with you, I think I'll be taking these girls and boys with me now."

Sonic was ready to thoroughly jeer at Eggman's amazing optimism in expecting to do as he pleased without his say in the matter. But before he could do so, another voice spoke out for him.

"You're not taking any of them."

Eggman looked confused as he wondered who had dared to say No to someone of his self-appointed stature. He quickly turned his Egg Mobile around, and saw Lutrudis standing in front of every last Chao. Her arms were outstretched, fully indicating that he would have to go through her to get them. The Chao were all terrified.

"Oh, right, you," the doctor commented. He stroked his right whisker. "I almost forgot about you. You're the new one, aren't you? The newest friend."

"~Ooooooh, friend!~" Orbot overdramatically clasped his hands joyfully.

"~Friend!~" Cubot added, and did the same in response.

"You're not taking these Chao," Lutrudis reiterated firmly, unflattered by the mockery directed at her.

"Surely you know who I am...?" Eggman asked.

"Yes, I do."

"Then you also know what I'm capable of...?

"Yes."

"And you know full well what I could do to you right here, right now...?"

"...Yes."

There was an audible hint of anxiousness in the horse's voice. This was her first face-to-face encounter with the most dangerous criminal in the world. She knew that he could mess her up in unimaginable ways, most likely with the push of a button. There was palpable fear on her face... Yet she remained where she was, not budging for a second. Even if it resulted in misfortune for herself, she refused to hand over the Chao.

"Then why do you dare to oppose me...?"

"Knock it off, Eggman," Sonic commanded fiercely. His hand began to curl into a fist, and his ears were straight up. His spines also sharpened a tiny bit.

"Why do you dare to oppose me...?" Eggman repeated, with added emphasis. His face was now inches away from the horse's own. "What's your story, hero?"

Lutrudis simply glared, despite the fear in her eyes. "No one owes anything to a rotten madman like you."

"...Madman...?" Eggman sneered venomously at her. Orbot and Cubot both shook their heads in fearful unison, explaining to Lutrudis non-verbally that saying such a thing to their master's face would not end well for anybody.

"Hey, egghead!" Sonic called out impatiently, tapping his foot. "We're still here, you know! You think WE'RE gonna let you take them?"

Eggman turned to Sonic with irritation. "Right, okay, let's get one thing sorted out about this 'egghead' business...!"

While the doctor was distracted, Lutrudis noticed that Cream wasn't too far from where she was. With a whisper, she called Cream over, to which the rabbit obliged. Kneeling down slowly so as to prevent her leg bones from straining, Lutrudis whispered in Cream's ear for a few seconds. When she finished, Cream nodded without a word, and she in turn called Amy over with a whisper of her own. Amy briefly looked to make sure that Eggman wasn't paying attention to her...

"If you absolutely HAVE to make these puns, why not go for something more original? More refined?"

...before tip-toeing over rather daintily to her two friends. After Cream whispered to Amy in her ear, the hedgehog nodded too. Eggman still didn't notice...

"Is this really the best you can think of, hedgehog? Have all those years of getting in my way gotten in YOUR way of coming up with something clever?"

As quickly as she could, Amy grabbed every last Chao, which turned out to be complicated given there were at least a dozen of them. But, not to be underestimated, she had them all in her mighty grasp... or at least, they were grasping her. This was then followed by Cream picking Amy up, and flying her out of the scene, taking the Chao along with them.

"...And that's why you need to come up with more original insults! 'Egghead' is so bottom of the barrel! Now then, the Chao..."

Eggman turned once again in Lutrudis' direction, only to notice her smiling with her hands behind her back, looking as innocent as can be. He also noticed that the Chao had all mysteriously vanished.

"Huh...?"

"Ha! Nice one, Trudy! Catch you later, egghead!" Sonic promptly dashed off further into the building.

"Better luck next time!" Tails added playfully, as he too followed Sonic's course of action.

After seeing them leave, Eggman stared at Lutrudis with confusion, who simply saluted at him with a smirk.

"See ya."

And with that, she ran off to follow her friends. As he watched her run off - but not before noticing she ran in a weirdly stilted way - Eggman simply floated in his craft in silence. He crossed his arms in thought.

"Oh dear, looks like you got tricked," Orbot thought out loud.

"Aw, you'll get 'em next time, boss," Cubot reassured. "Unless you lose next time, and the time after that... and the time after that..."

"I don't know why we're treating this as a loss," Eggman simply said, backed up by his surprising degree of calm nonchalance. "I'm still one step ahead, and maybe a few steps more..." He continued looking to where Lutrudis once was, as he gave his moustache another stroke. "Clever girl, that one. But she won't feel clever for long... Ho ho ho ho..."

"Hey, I heard a lot of noise earlier, what happ-" The pelican that entered the room turned tail and ran out as quickly as he came in. "Oh god, Robotnik's here! I'm too young to die!"

Eggman merely glanced at where the pelican was, and shrugged to himself.

---

"Where did they take them?" Sonic questioned as he kept jogging.

"To my castle," Lutrudis replied, trying her absolute best to keep up with him. "It should keep them safe, at least for now."

"You think they'll be alright with the Chao?" Tails asked in concern.

"Dude, Cream's oldest friend is a Chao. They've got this." Sonic looked around the hallway they were running through. It was rather fancy, with dark reds and silvers complimenting the mood, as well as a black and white checkered floor. "So uh, where are we actually going?"

"This takes us to the aquarium," Lutrudis informed him, while attempting not to sound like she was already out of breath. "I don't know what use Eggman would have for it, but his robots have been everywhere else so far, so..."

"Ahem, excuse me," a polar bear with a beard stepped in the way of their path to the entrance of the aquarium. "I'm afraid this area is reserved for celebrities only."

"What? But..." Sonic didn't often like to flaunt his world saviour status, but given the potential stakes at hand, it was evident that he didn't have much of a choice here. "But I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Oh yeah?" The gruff polar bear raised an eyebrow. "What's your proof?"

The hero stared at him in silence for a few painful seconds.

"...I'm Sonic the Hedgehog...?"

The bear shrugged. "Can't argue with that. You may enter."

The three friends simply looked at each other, each of them as baffled as the other. They soon made their way through the entrance in a single file, and once they were out of the bear's sight, Tails turned to Lutrudis with one ear lowered.

"Not to be mean, but that guy wasn't very good at his job, was he?"

"Apparently not," Lutrudis lightly brushed her ponytail aside to scratch the back of her head. "I don't recall anything about this place only accepting celebrities... Still, considering the circumstances, we should be grateful for his ineptitude."

"I just hope we don't need to make too many dips here," Sonic added, though his weary tone confirmed that deep down, he already accepted the reality.

Meanwhile, the bear looked behind him to check that they were gone, and upon confirmation, he smiled deviously to himself. All of a sudden, a puff of smoke had engulfed him, complete with a few dramatic sparkles, and when the dust settled, in his place was a droid much like Gunner, only this one wore yellow and a top hat... it seemed to be unable to stop moving its hands around.

"Hmm hmm...!" the robot chortled in a feminine tone, before disappearing in another puff of smoke.

---

CR Act 3: Aquarium Gallery

Lutrudis' Badnik Logs: Blastoid - “The good news is that they stay put. The bad news is that they're often placed in a rather intrusive fashion. Little do they know however that with the help of a certain shield, their projectiles can hardly put up a fight in the slightest.”

Shelly - "Looks like a bog standard seashell, right? Wrong: they may look all pretty and divine, but the moment you go near it, they'll clamp down on you like a deranged bear trap. Doesn't necessarily motivate me to sell seashells on the seashore..."

Returning Enemies: Crabmeat Aquis Sweep

This is the friendliest and the deadliest aquarium you've seen yet. There are fishies of all shapes and sizes (and colours) here, but as it turns out, some of the normally docile fish have been forcibly turned into mindless killing machines, just like the orca from earlier. You can leave them be if you want to, but freeing them of their armored shells will net you more points, and also make you feel good about yourself.

Tails: Why did Eggman do this to these poor fish?

Sonic: I don't know Tails, but I'm not standing for it.

Lutrudis: Perhaps they're being used to guard something from us...

Blastoids make an appearance in this stage, and they're the same as ever, right down to being rendered inefficient if you have a Water Shield, as you can simply deflect their projectiles away. However, they can still pose a threat, as they're fond of sitting atop glass roofs that - should their pellets make contact - will break a piece off, potentially sending you into the water below with a mechanized fish for company.

As you progress through the stage, you'll notice a change of environment. The red and silver halls filled with glass tanks and statues will gradually get phased out in favor of beautiful turquoise caverns, with the ripples of the water reflecting on the cavern walls. Speaking of the water, that too takes up a mildly turquoise hue, as do the stunning waterfalls found all around. Giant seashells rest easy, with funky patterns... just make sure you don't get them mixed up with Shellies. You can even see a little bit of sunset poke through the holes in the wall. Is this even part of the aquarium? Who cares.

What you should care about is a new force of nature at work: cybernetic sharks, with metal teeth and glowing red eyes. They're huge, they're fast, and you can't hurt them at all. You can only evade them, as starting a fight with one will cause them to eat you without a second thought, thus making you die instantly. Don't you just hate it when an enemy is inexplicably invincible?

But as long as you avoid the robo sharks, you'll make it out in one piece. The end of the stage takes you outside the caves, showing off the sunset in all its rich glory. The purple and red contrast beautifully with the briny blue sea, but you're also quick to notice what looks like a dam. It looks... rather old, actually...

---

“Tch, there sure aren't a shortage of weird buildings around here,” Sonic mused as he examined the rusty dam beyond him. It didn't look to be of Eggman's design, but it certainly gave off a creepy atmosphere all the same. Despite that, for all its decay, it was still sturdy enough to keep the nearby water under control. The sunset shined brightly upon the dam.

Tails noticed that the park they were in not too long ago was now a short distance away from where they were at the moment, having spotted it far away from the dam. Those caverns they came through must have been more expansive than they realised.

“Do you think Eggman plans to do anything with this?” the young fox asked. His eyes glanced left and right, as if to seek out the evil scientist.

“I can think of some ideas, but I'd rather not blurt them out in case he's... listening,” Lutrudis answered lightly.

“Good idea,” Sonic added, having also glanced all around for Eggman's possible whereabouts. “He always appears at the worst times, like back pain.”

“I know the feeling,” Lutrudis joked, as she stretched her arms.

The three of them went further down the path to the dam. The size of the structure impressed them even more the closer they got, and though a relic of an older time it may have been, they couldn't help but marvel at the effort of construction that went into it. For all their attempts to locate him however, the doctor himself was in fact standing at the very top of the dam. He was on his own, and he looked down at the curious adventurers. He kept watching.

They looked at the entrance with wariness. It appeared to be empty inside, but they knew better than to think they would be so lucky. Sonic turned to his two comrades.

“Well...?” he motioned towards the gate.

His friends simply nodded. Lutrudis had her bow in her hand in preparation for an unexpected attack. As they went inside one by one, Eggman took one of his hands off the nearby railing, and pulled out a communication device from his pocket. He put it right up to his ear.

“Now,” he commanded.

---

CR Act 4: Hydro Plant

Lutrudis' Badnik Logs: Drisame - “Watch out for that hammerhead! They hide in walls before leaping out to ambush you, and they also love to shove you into other hazards. If you get them facing upwards though, you can actually stand on them like it's no big deal. I don't think that was an intended feature on the doctor's part...”

Inkbrink - “These elongated squids can poke you with their sharpened noggins. They can also soak you in toxic black sludge, and if you're REALLY unlucky, that monitor of yours will temporarily get covered in the gunk as well, thus blinding your vision for a brief period. (Incidentally, what exactly is that monitor for...?)”

Returning Enemies: Crabmeat Gameblow Lobstrike Blastoid

It's quiet here. Possibly a little too quiet, if one were to be cliche. Well at least you're given a chance to breathe. Though the inside of this old dam is a tad dreary and full of shadows, you don't have to deal with too much at first. There aren't even that many enemies. For now, use the conveyor belts to go even faster, which still work perfectly fine despite their age. You can even stop to look at the occasional bit of graffiti, which includes inspiring quotes like:

Stand Up 2 The Pain + Turmoil

Toot Toot Sonic Warrior

All Hail Shadow

For The Mania

justice for kidd

One of them is tragically spelled incorrectly:

Make belif reborn

Anyway, as you go further down, it gets darker, but not to the point where you can't see anything. There's the occasional robot hiding around, mainly Drisames, but hardly anything for you to worry about. The sunset once again seeps through the few windows here, but don't get too enraptured. It might feel like a maze, but Lutrudis tends to go the right way, so just follow her if you're as clueless as a grey hedgehog during his debut.

It's subtle at first, but you might begin to notice that the area is growing slowly more high tech. The near-withered bricks and stones are gradually exchanged for silver metal, some of which is shiny enough to show a reflection. It dawns on you that this is the heart of the plant, and what's keeping it functioning despite appearing to have seen better days from an outsider's point of view. This is where the enemies ramp up in presence... along with underwater dives, to Sonic's misfortune. He even expresses envy when Lutrudis shows herself to be highly skilled at swimming by comparison.

Sonic: I really gotta learn how to swim sometime...

Lutrudis: I can teach you if you'd like... y'know, when this is over.

Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if you picked Tails, since he can swim. But you can still make it with the blue one. Just be sure to keep grabbing those bubbles for air regardless of who you're playing as. Inkbrinks and Lobstrikes can be troublesome in the tunnel sections here, but if you get an Inkbrink's sludge on you, it'll disappear after five seconds... better hope you don't run into another one during that time. There'll be no S Rank for you anytime soon if that keeps happening.

As you get closer to the end, you can spot a very complex, towered structure in the distance, full of bright green lights that contrast with the blue and silver all around. Some of Eggman's minions seem to be making an attempt to break it down, but you're not having any of that. Beat them up, and you'll hear the doctor himself chime in:

Eggman: You bothered to come all the way down here? I expected nothing less from you fools... but at least this will be entertaining to watch now! DROWN them, Crabgrind!

Right on cue, a crab mecha of intimidating stature bursts out of the ground like a possessed drill. It immediately starts drilling away at the structure, and it doesn't take long for the heroes to realise what the intention is:

Tails: Wait a minute... this is the heart of the dam... he's trying to cause a flood from the inside!

Sonic: And it'll seep through to the outside... we gotta end this fast!

BOSS: Crabgrind

Don't let the name fool you, it looks nothing like a Crabmeat. It's more like a hermit crab in design, if the shell had a bunch of spikes all over. Mix that in with a couple of drill pincers, and you've got a formidable beast. At least it's slow... right...?

This is NOT a timed fight in the traditional sense, despite the current urgent situation, but you'll want to do it as quickly as you can anyway, because the longer you keep at it, the longer Crabgrind will get to drill through the structure, and the more water will fill the arena, which will of course reduce your speed a little. There will be air bubbles if it gets to that point, but... try not to let it get to that point, okay?

As for the fight itself, Crabgrind may be focused on the structure, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have time to spare for you. As it does its work, it'll fire the spikes off its shell like pointy missiles in an attempt to keep you away from its job. Due to the size of the spikes, they're actually rather tough to avoid, especially if you're avoiding them underwater. It's not impossible, though. A well timed spin dash is enough to do the trick. If you try getting closer to the shelled monster, it'll use one of its pincers with the intention of drilling through your fleshy body. This is fortunately not shown in realistic detail. You can knock the pincer back to prevent the attack, but that won't damage it. What's the secret?

Like the Paindozer, Lutrudis is your key. In the brief period that Crabgrind's spikes are detached from its shell before gaining a new set of them, you can spot some fragile-looking wiring through the holes. Lutrudis will try to shoot an arrow through one of those holes, but Crabgrind will in turn try to attack her if she does so... unless you've got it distracted. Reflect its pincer a couple of times, and that'll be enough time for Lutrudis to fire an arrow through a hole without issue. Upon getting an arrow lodged inside, Crabgrind will start spinning around in a frenzy to try and get it out, while firing its spikes more erratically all the while, before clumsily falling on its side... revealing a weakpoint on its underside. Give that a whack to damage the mecha.

This carries on initially, with not much variation bar the expected longer periods of attacking, and ramping up the defensiveness... After six hits however, things take a dramatic turn...

Eggman: Hmm, this is getting a little boring now... Time for Plan B, Crabgrind! Ha ha HA!

Without warning, Crabgrind will cease attacking the structure... and instead lunge straight for you and Lutrudis, knocking you into a conveniently placed chute where you're constantly sliding along the current. You may be reminded of certain adventures from an earlier period, but now is not the time to dwell on the past, for Crabgrind will now use its shell to poke through the water and shank you. You can tell where it'll appear by spotting the bubbles that briefly pop beforehand. Even then, this demented game of Reverse Whack a Mole can be hectic. Keep your nerves under control, and you'll be smooth sailing.

Again, Lutrudis is your key. After several rounds of it popping in and out, Lutrudis will use all her strength to straight up grab one of its pincers with enough grip to actually slow it down temporarily, to the point where she's now surfing along the water with her feet. An impressive display, but not an easy one for her...

Lutrudis: Quickly...! I can't hold on for long... not with these bones...!

While she's grabbing one pincer, Crabgrind will go multi-purpose again and launch the other one at you in confused rage. Dodge the drill, notice the exposed point in the now empty pincer, and give it mayhem. This will take that pincer out of commission for good, though it will still hang there and limp along. Repeat this procedure with the other pincer, and then - with both pincers rendered unusable - Crabgrind will lose its mind and fire all of its spikes everywhere, without even bothering to aim at you. You don't even need to wait for an arrow at this point. Wait for a hole in the shell, jump through and attack his core, and watch as the once fearsome crustacean slowly sinks one last time. Tragic... if it weren't a mindlessly evil machine.

---

"Okay, that's the crab down, but now what!?" Tails asked in fright as they continued getting swept away along the tunneled river. The current was too fast to handle, even for Sonic.

"Relax!" Sonic grinned sheepishly, clearly hoping this wouldn't kill him. "What life or death situation haven't we gotten out of? We made it out of the fake emerald ordeal in one-"

"Look out!" Lutrudis pointed with wide eyes.

"Oh sh-"

A barrier had appeared at the end of the tunnel, which sent them flying over it, and through to outside civilization... represented in this case by more sea. Sonic was especially unlucky to have banged his head on the barrier, which knocked him out hard. His unconcious body began to sink in the sea, as Tails and Lutrudis came to their senses.

"Sonic!" Tails panicked. He and Lutrudis immediately swam below to grab him, but their own fatigue from their experience proved to be an issue. Thinking quickly, Lutrudis snapped her fingers. She motioned for Tails to grab her from behind, which he did. She pulled out her whip, closed one eye to aim as best as she could, and launched the whip in the drowning hedgehog's direction.

As luck would have it, the whip latched onto Sonic's leg. Lutrudis turned her head to Tails and nodded. Tails nodded himself in response. Using their combined strength, they pulled, and pulled, and pulled... and they pulled just a little bit too much, for Sonic's body was suddenly sent flying out of the water and into the air. Their eyes bulged in disbelief upon witnessing this, and Lutrudis pointed up frantically. Getting the message, Tails shot out of the water like a turbo submarine.

Meanwhile, Sonic was beginning to regain consciousness.

"Huh...?"

He was quick to notice he was falling back down to the sea.

"AHHH!"

Mercifully though, Sonic's initial panic came to a halt as Tails grabbed him. Sonic looked left and right in puzzlement, then looked up to see Tails' relieved face. He looked at his foxy friend for a second, then gave him a sheepish thumbs up.

"Is he alright?" Lutrudis called out to Tails from below.

"He's fine," Tails answered. "Just a little dazed."

"Yeah..." Sonic muttered in agreement, as Tails hovered down to pick up Lutrudis. The horse grabbed onto the hedgehog's legs, and they began to fly away together.

"What happened...?" Sonic wondered.

"You, uh, nearly drowned," Tails awkwardly explained.

"Oh... well it's a good thing I didn't. Thanks, guys." Sonic then thought to himself for a moment, then looked down at Lutrudis with a lighthearted smirk. "I don't suppose there was any mouth to mouth?"

"Oh no, no, not at all," she shook her head lightly. She looked down for a moment, and then looked back up. She smirked as well. "But I could give you that, if you want..."

Sonic paused abruptly. He looked like a deer in the headlights.

Lutrudis laughed. "I'm kidding," she gently teased him, to which the blue one chuckled somewhat bashfully. "Let's head back to the castle. Amy and Cream may be good with Chao, but there was still a lot of them. We better help them out."

"Right!" Tails obeyed. As they began their journey back, Sonic couldn't help but look down at Lutrudis once again. This time around, his expression was that of warm amusement.

Less amusing was who was spying on them from afar... Eggman watched them fly away in the comfort of his Egg Mobile. Despite witnessing the miserable defeat of his minion, he appeared to be in a good mood. He floated away in a different direction, smiling fiendishly to himself all the while.

---

Back to Chapter 2-3 Interlude...

To Chapter 4...

[toonsforkicks22]

The Heart that Smarts (Unikitty! fic)

WARNING: Slight Lego Movie 2 spoilers in this! 

_________

CRASH!

The beaker hit the floor, covering it of glass shards and possibly radioactive slime. The one responsible for the mess didn’t even flinch, nor even noticed as a couple of robots arrived on the scene to clean it up.

Dr. Fox stared into space, her green eyes filling the specs of her glasses as it all began to dawn on her. The realization hit her like that meteor she theorized had been made of gumball. (1) However, unlike that, the vixen knew she was certainly not wrong about this.

“I’m in love with him...” she murmured to herself, failing to notice the two robots behind her trying to fight off a giant green tentacle emerging from the floor as caused by the spilled chemical contents.

“We got a situation here!” one of them cried, trying to beat the abomination away with a broom.

“Oh, man, this is so gross!” the other exclaimed, entangled by said tentacle.

Once again, Dr Fox didn’t even hear them. Her mind drifted to all the possible ways she could have figured these feelings out sooner.

Hawkodile, the embodiment of strength, kindness, and especially friendship. And she was in love with her best friend!

“How could I not have figured this out sooner?” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling, squeezing her cheeks in an ecstatic grin while her lab was falling apart behind her.

While more robots fought and attacked the now growing tentacle monster with every weapon they had, the female fox reflected on every memory that gave her a reason for these sudden feelings.

He always put his life on the line for his friends, especially for her.

He fought a videogame platform in order to rescue her (and didn’t seem the least bit mad as Richard when it was revealed to be just a simulation for just in case they really did get attacked by actual game characters). (2)

Whenever she was tired or sick, he would always offer a warm, comforting hand on her shoulder (or her mouth in case she was on the verge of puking).

He would drop his seriousness to have fun with her and the others. And take pride in being dorky and adorable about it (or ‘adorkable’ as Dr. Fox liked to use sometimes).

He would do anything to impress his friends and make himself worthy, even if it was obviously unnecessary. She still remembered when he impersonated a robot and would have gotten himself killed by her combat machine if she hadn’t intervened. (3)

And out of any of them, Hawkodile seemed to always turn to Dr. Fox for aid. She recalled that one time when his sparkle matters were getting out of control on account of having a secret crush. (4) Or maybe she might have thrown herself into assisting him since it was all for science and saving her best friend, she wasn’t sure. But all the genius knew was that Hawkodile’s crush on whoever was over (she couldn’t remember if it had been the flower store owner FeeBee or someone else in the Unikingdom). Guess he and that person he used to crush on just didn’t work.

But she and Hawkodile, they were the perfect team! And Dr. Fox was already deliberating how they would become the perfect couple!

“I love him!” she cried, practically deaf to the ongoing explosions of the lab as the robot servants stressed an ongoing battle with the monster.

“Fire the torpedoes!” one of them shouted.

Emitting a girlish scream, Dr. Fox danced out of her lab, leaving behind a larger mess for the servants to clean up. _____

Upon realizing these newfound feelings, Dr. Fox spread her news across the kingdom. She wanted to tell everyone that she was in love with her best friend, before eventually telling Hawkodile. She wanted to prepare the entire universe for their love!

At the flower shop, FeeBee was just arranging vase of flowers she just picked. Just as they were looking perfect, the décor popped right at her face, along with Dr. Fox’s wide-eyed expression.

“I’m in love with him!” Dr. Fox cried, receiving a rather terrified smile and nod from FeeBee. ~

Craig the moose farmer (5) watched as her vegetables were on the verge of growing. She grinned from antler to antler as all her hard work was finally going to pay off.

“Almost there!” she encouraged lovingly as she saw the leaves lift, and the first patches of red were emerging. “After months of hard labor, I’ll finally grow the perfect tomatoes!”

As said vegetables began to form at her anticipation, they met an unexpected end. Craig’s smile fell instantly as “homemade ketchup” splattered all over her face, leaving behind the remains of what could have been a beautiful creation.

Face pale, she could only stare at Dr. Fox, who hardly even noticed her tiny feet had been responsible. The latter just grinned at the now distressed moose farmer.

“I’m in love with him!” the scientist cried.

As she dashed off, the farmer fell to her knees and screamed at the sky demanding why it had to happen to the tomatoes and not her.

~

Bim-bom gazed at a store that was selling delicious sandwiches, practically drooling at the sight. Just as she was about to make the choice of having all the choices, she nearly screamed as Dr. Fox slammed her face against the glass from the inside.

“I’m in love with him!” the vixen exclaimed happily, eyes sparkling as much as they did back at the lab.

“Oh, honey, that’s great!” the green garbage bag (or possibly a dumpling) congratulated. (6) “You go after your love! I should know! Because, uh...”

Her beady eyes quickly shifted left and right before they stopped in a certain direction.

“There’s the guy I’m in love with too!” Bim-bom exclaimed, pointing toward the first person she spotted.

Across the street was Toaster, who stopped the moment he noticed Bim-bom was gesturing his way. Toast immediately popped up from his brother’s head, wondering what was going on. (7)

“Wait, what?” the slice of tan bread questioned aloud.

“Uh, which one?” Dr. Fox asked in confusion.

Bim-bom’s mind wracked nervously. “Um, uh...both of them!” she exclaimed.

Toast and Toaster just stared at her.

“Wait, what is she talking abo-AAAAAHHHH!”

The Toast Bros quickly high-tailed it in the other direction as Bim-bom began to chase them.

“Don’t be embarrassed!” the desperate-for-love woman cried. “I love you both equally! We can make this work!” ~

In their apartment, Brock and Master Frown sat on the couch, watching TV. Suddenly from beneath the cushions popped out Dr. Fox, startling Master Frown, not so much Brock who merely smiled in greeting.

“I’m in love with him!” Dr. Fox exclaimed, not caring that she was admitting this to the person that strove to cause misery throughout the kingdom.

“Gross!” Master Frown scoffed in disgust.

“Oh, dude!” Brock exclaimed with genuine happiness for his friend. “Congratulations! Who’s the lucky dude?”

“Hawkodile!” the genius vixen announced, her sparkle matter increasing and littering the apartment much to Master Frown’s annoyance.

“Sweet!” the laid-back gray figure said.

“Love is a suckers’ bet for suckers!” Master Frown spat. “It ain’t gonna work!”

“Dude, not cool!” Brock scolded him.

But Dr. Fox didn’t even hear the maker of misery, her thoughts for the guy she was in love with screamed louder. _______

Returning to the castle, Dr. Fox was still as energetic as she had been throughout the kingdom. The moment she bursted through the doors, they slammed right into Richard who had been carrying dishes. Every single plate hit the floor, making more work for the floating brick. He merely sighed, adding the task of ordering new dishes on his list.

“Hello, Dr. Fox,” he spoke in his usual monotone. “You seem to be in some kind of mood, according to what the citizens have been reporting out of fear and concern for their lives.”

“Oh, it’s more than just a mood!” the vixen exclaimed as she gave a little twirl.

Unikitty and Puppycorn approached them, having heard the noise from the other room.

“What’s going on?” the dog prince asked curiously.

“Yeah, you seem even happier than you usually are, Dr. Fox,” the ruler of the Unikingdom noted. “Nearly as happy as me, and I’m always super happy!”

“Guys!” Dr. Fox expressed excitedly. “I’m in love with Hawkodile!”

Both Unikitty and Puppycorn gasped in amazement, sparkle matter sprinkling from their heads like confetti. They gazed at the kingdom’s scientist, overcome with as much surprise and joy as she had been expressing the entire time. Richard did not share in the elation like he usually did with anything in general. However, his usually sullen expression altered a bit, his brows knitting in concern.

“That’s great!” Unikitty squealed, engulfing Dr. Fox in a hug.

“When are you gonna tell him?” Puppycorn asked, bouncing excitedly.

“Right now!” the genius vixen declared.

“Dr. Fox, I don’t think that would be such a great idea right now,” the brick tried to reason gently.

“Oh, nonsense!” the scientist brushed off. “When have any of my ideas ever been not great?”

Richard gave her his usual taciturn expression, not bothering to answer that.

As she marched to find the man responsible for these lovey-dovey feelings, the royal siblings followed in pursuit, giggling and laughing along with their fox friend. Richard strayed behind, the look of uncertainty never leaving his face. ______

As they headed toward Hawkodile’s dojo, Dr. Fox chattered about all the things she and the bodyguard would do once she confessed her feelings and they became a couple.

“...and after we go to dinner and see a movie, I’ll build us a rocket that’ll send us over the moon!” she added. “It’s scientifically possible!”

“How romantic!” Unikitty said in awe, heart-shaped sparkle matter popping from her head matching the same as the one coming from her eyes.

“Dr. Fox, I really think this isn’t the best time right now,” Richard, once again, tried to reason with her.

“Of course it’s the best time!” Unikitty argued with him. “How could it not be the best time? Our friend Dr. Fox is in love with our friend Hawkodile! What’s the problem with that?”

Before Richard could respond, she pressed against him as she swooned at the thought of the event that was yet to unfold.

“Because there is no problem!” she said with a dreamy sigh. “The two were meant for each other, and most definitely nothing could stand in their way of love!”

Richard sighed. “Look, Dr. Fox, you have to understand-”

But the scientist ignored him once again. Her orange cheeks blushed like the tomatoes she stepped on earlier. Nearing the flaps of the tent-like dojo where their bodyguard friend spent most of his time, she bit her lip to contain another squeal. The others rallied behind her, Richard still looking worried.

“Go for it, Dr. Fox!” Unikitty encouraged.

“Yeah, go for it!” Puppycorn rooted.

“I really, really think this is not a good time right now...” Richard tried to convince to no avail.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Dr. Fox bursted into the dojo, her green eyes bright as the shades of the wonderful guy she was about to confess her feelings for.

“Hawkodile, I have something to tell you!” she said with euphoria.

However, the smile that once shined throughout the kingdom dropped instantly. The party behind her, who had been chanting her name beforehand, stood behind the vixen and gasped. Only Richard remained unfazed, albeit slightly guilty.

Hawkodile, having not heard his friends enter the dojo, was hunched over, arms wrapped around something that seem to clung to his ever-rippling biceps. His lips were doing quite the workout, followed by gruff moaning. Such a sound only got more heavy as he gave all his time and energy to this one moment in particular.

It wasn’t just him moaning. An equally expressive and feminine tone voiced pleasure as well, another pair of lips copying his workout.

Dr. Fox just stood there in disbelief, questioning everything in the universe right now. Behind her Unikitty and Puppycorn were unsure of what to do except just watch. Richard merely gave a defeated sigh.

Hawkodile’s wings flapped upon sensing a new presence in his dojo. He quickly adjusted his head, lips still occupied. His eyes/shades widened before quickly pulling away from whom he was having a wonderful session with.

“Oh, uh, hey!” the hybrid bodyguard greeted awkwardly, a protective arm around the person who had enjoyed what Dr. Fox had hoped would have been her moment.

She was a fair-skinned woman with wavy blonde hair, eyes a brighter green than even Dr. Fox’s. She was adorned in a pink princess-style dress complete with a matching fuchsia cape.

“Uh...” Hawkodile began shyly. “You guys remember Susan, right?”

“Hey,” the blonde woman greeted with a wave.

Before Dr. Fox could even utter a word, it was Unikitty who spoke.

“Well, of course we know Susan!” the princess exclaimed rather excitedly. “Who we thought was Queen Whatevra Wa’Nabi but actually isn’t! Who’s really nice and sweet and cute and helped us bring the Systar System and Apocalypseburg together after Armamageddon and make what is now the totally cool and totally cute place that is now Syspocalypsestar!That Susan!” (8)

Said woman gave a bashful smile as she leaned into Hawkodile, who blushed and gave a relieved chuckle. As Unikitty gushed over her, with her brother looking equally excited, no one noticed the broken expression on Dr. Fox’s face.

Except for Richard.

“Told you it wasn’t the best time,” he said, any form of smugnesshidden under his usual sullen personality. _______

NOTE: Those numbers in parenthesis you’ve seen throughout the story are citation-like thingies. Down below are explanations to those who might wonder about certain things and characters mentioned, just in case some people haven’t seen all the episodes or know any characters besides the main cast. :)

(1)From episode “Lab Cat”

(2)From episode “The Zone”

(3)From episode “Brawl Bot”

(4)From episode “Crushing Defeat”; FeeBee made a good appearance in that

(5)Craig the farmer is best recognized from the episode “Kaiju Kitty” (and yes, Craig’s a female)

(6)Bim-bom’s personality and given description is best shown in the episode “Unikitty News”

(7)Toaster and Toast can best be seen in the episode “Little Prince Puppycorn”

(8)Susan was inThe Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

[jimlingss]

Brass & Strings [12]

Episode 11 - Episode 12 - Episode 12.5 OR Episode 13 Words: 6.8k Genre: Fluff, Humour (?), Slice of Life, Music!Au, College!Au Summary: Have you ever wondered what happens to the mean girl after high school? Where do they go, where do they end up? More importantly, what happens when they get mixed up with the classic nerd that's always too nervous to answer 'no'? Things become a lot more complicated when Kim Namjoon encounters you. They dub you as 'bat-shit insane' and you're not ashamed.

Cr.

You hate kids.

You’re also not at all altruistic or philanthropic, hence, you never had dreams of being a doctor, nurse or a caregiver. Frankly, when it doesn’t involve you or someone you care about, then you could give less of a shit. You know you’re a selfish person by nature and you’ve been insulted because of it many times before, labelling you as such, but there’s nothing you can do. It’s just who you are.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that you’re in your worst of moods when riding on the shitty school bus with your tuba case by your side. It was a mandatory requirement...or rather, one of your professors had urged you to join the group of students. Much like Mrs. Song’s opportunity of performing at the business dinner, this is an opportunity as well but bluntly - it’s far less significant. It’s volunteer work, heading down to the elementary school to ‘inspire’ students to become musicians and to ‘spread your musical skills for future generations’.

As great as it sounds, you know for a fact that kids could give less of a rat’s ass about music. They’d probably get their grimy hands all over your instrument and break a valve that’ll cost a leg and arm to repair. The professor only called you anyways since they needed a tuba player.

They don’t care about you.

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” Namjoon’s eyes peek from the seat in front of you and you suddenly feel a heavy weight lifted off your shoulders. You sigh outwardly.

At least he was here.

“Get me out of this place and I’ll be chipper again.”

“Why do you dislike children so much, Y/N?” He asks in amusement, turning around fully and resting his head on top of his folded arms. “You know, it’ll look good for your résumé.”

The harpist is wearing an oversized sweater today, glasses on the bridge of his nose and ruffled hair still all the same. The pout on his lips is cute and the way he looks at you makes you aware of his warm-hearted aura; the brown orbs that never stray from being gracious and gentle. Sometimes, you want to just wrap him up and put him in your pocket to keep forever. In that way, he’d never be harmed by the cruel world.

“You remind me of a child, Namjoon.” You make a mindless remark and he frowns.

“What? How?”

“Nevermind.” You brush off your friend, switching back to the previous topic. “I don’t know. Is there a reason to like kids? They’re always picking their nose. They’re dirty. And they ask too many questions.”

“They’re cute.”

“Loud.”

Namjoon laughs and Jennie across the aisle from you gives an encouraging smile. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, Y/N. Give it your best shot! I know you have it in you!”

If only your eyes could roll to the back of your head. Rose, however, has the audacity to scoff and smirk at you from behind the row. “Be careful. Y/N might kill someone today and be charged with murder. She’d be better off in jail anyways, so maybe it’s a good thing.”

The concertmistress immediately scolds the flutist, “Rose!”

“Yeah, and the person I’m murdering will probably be you.” You try to get up and she further taunts you, except your arm is tugged on by someone and you land back down on your butt. Rose is told off by Jennie and you glare daggers into Namjoon.

You despise how he’s not frightened of you anymore. Namjoon’s legs no longer quake when your sharpened pupils stare into his soul, he doesn’t sweat or stutter, the timidness washing away by every week. Your ability to manipulate the harpist and get your way is quickly diminishing.

He has the courage to reprimand you like you’re the child, grabs your hand whenever he desires and he tugs on your arm to hold you back. You don’t know if Namjoon is transforming into your babysitter or your mother but you can’t find it in yourself to hate him.

“Are you not afraid of me?”

He smiles, dimples creased in his cheek. “What’s there to be afraid of?”

You scoff, flicking off his hand surrounding your wrist and he withdraws, flashing you one last grin before sitting properly in his seat and disappearing from sight. You look out the window, going back to seething. Except, it’s too difficult to remain angry when your heart is being too loud.

You wish it would shut up.

//

Sometimes expectations don’t differ from reality. The children are noisy. Screaming. Running around like a wild pack of hyenas, getting their filthy hands on anything that’s physically possible to reach and you think you might be sick.

“Why did I agree to this?” You mumble underneath your breath, standing in the back of your group. Your fellow orchestra members are as bewildered as you are, wide-eyed staring at the chaos.

Namjoon grins and decides to lighten the mood by teasing you. “Because I’m here?”

You let out a sigh, “yeah. You’re not wrong on that one, Nams.”

“Wait…” He frowns and twists his head over to face you. “Pardon?”

“Children? Children, please! Attention!” The music teacher, Miss. Nara, scrambles and she pulls the sharp mallets away from a boy, scolding him that he could poke his eyeballs out. She lets out an exasperated exhale and then claps her hand twice, the sound roaring above the catastrophe. “Freeze!”

The students become paralyzed mid-step as if they were truly turned to ice by a magical ray gun. Some of them giggle, others with their foot literally in the air but nonetheless, it’s finally quiet. “We have guests this afternoon. They’re students, just like you, but they’re from the university and they play a lot of fascinating instruments. They’re very busy but they took the time to come and visit you all today. Can everyone please greet them?”

The third-graders scatter over, a few of them almost tripping on the carpet and over their shoelaces. “Hello!” They say in unison. A handful grin and you can see their toothless smiles.

“Is this the violin?” Someone asks Jennie and pokes her case. She crouches down to meet them at eye-level and nods. You discreetly move your own case behind you back, reluctant to let any kid lay a single finger on your thousand dollar instrument. If you find a crusty booger on it later, you might completely lose your mind.

“Class! Let’s not bombard them, give them room to breathe. Oh! Go sit down in your lines and we can introduce each instrument one by one!” The teacher sends over a sheepish smile to your group as the children lunge over to the masking tape lines on the carpet, planting themselves down in memorized alphabetical order.

“Fei, you heard me once. Don’t make me put you in time out! Suzy, don’t touch that….”

Jihoon’s eyes have grown misty while gazing at the young music teacher. Miss. Nara’s brunette hair is in a braid, draped over her shoulder and her chiffon maxi skirt swishes with every twirl. You have to admit that she’s quite the looker and you estimate that she’s not far from your age, six years at most. However, the viola player is not the only person swooning. All your male classmates and a few females are practically drooling, ready to pass out - heck, even Rose can’t peel her eyes away.

You grumble, not used to the attention redirected onto someone else. “What’s wrong?” A smooth, soft voice overrides the clamor and you turn to Namjoon, only to realize that he’s looking at you. No one else, not the kids or the beautiful teacher…..but you.

He even smiles at your blank expression, a silly grin with dimples pressed into each cheek. You muse that he looks like an idiot like this - an endearing idiot. “Y/N?”

“Nothing…”

You find yourself not caring so much about the others anymore.

Each person takes turns to showcase their instrument and play some notes. You have to hold back a yawn when it drags on, considering that there’s fourteen in total, including you. The professor had selected one person from each section to go represent their instrument, as if this were the Olympics or something. The children, on the other hand, are all spellbound with their glittering orbs. It’s no surprise that there seems to be a bias towards the violin and flute since they’re such dainty things and they make nice melodic sounds. You roll your eyes when Rose showcases her flutter tongue and plays a nursery rhyme that they all recognize.

The percussionist also shows off, drumming like a rockstar when you know he never does in the actual practice sessions (and god forbid - your conductor might throw his baton at him). The trumpet plays the national anthem, the kids’ mouths drop at the huge bass and the trombone does an entire gag, utilizing the slider mechanism. The students are transfixed at Namjoon’s harp while he shyly explains a little on how he plays. You give an encouraging thumbs up which makes him beam.

But you can tell that they’re losing interest when it gets to the french horns. They’re looking elsewhere, bored out of their minds and they sway from side to side, daydreaming about robots or dolls or whatever children do….

“This is the tuba.” Lo and behold, it’s your turn and at the projection of your voice, the third-graders snap back into focus. You loll your head to the side, speaking tiredly. “It’s the largest and lowest pitch brass instrument in the orchestra. You have to buzz your lips to make a sound.”

One boy raises his hand in front of the horde. You resist facepalming. “Yes? You. Speak.”

“Why do you only have four buttons?”

“These are called valves. Usually, tubas have three but mine’s special. It’s a professional tuba which means it’s very expensive. You can have up to six valves but those are less common.”

He frowns, seemingly not understanding what’s coming out of your mouth. “If it only has four buttons, it must be easy to play then!”

Your eye twitches and you make a strangled noise at the back of your throat. It takes everything within your power not to utter a swear word or curse aloud. “It isn’t.”

The glare and intimidating, indignant aura radiating off your body must both be clues to your oncoming outburst. Jennie immediately steps forward and smiles. “Why don’t you play something for us, Y/N?”

Because you hate life, the world and what you have to do - you play one single note, the lowest possible one and you hold it for a whole minute. It rumbles against the walls and you can feel the vibrations shooting to the back of your skull. Two of the kids laugh, mumbling how it sounds like a fart while the rest are unimpressed. Your classmates either sigh or turn away from you. When your lips leave the mouthpiece and the sound dies out, you feel a lot better - it’s the longest record time for you holding the low note. Nice.

At least something useful happened today.

“Okay! Kids, you can go to the one you’re most interested in and maybe these nice musicians will show you in more detail how to play and what it’s like being in the world of music. If you’re kind to them, maybe they’ll even let you try.” The children begin to get up from their spot. All of you are positioned around the room, seated in a chair with a music stand in front. “Remember to treat them with respect! Respect!”

As per expectations, a swarm of them go towards Jennie and Rose, even to the French Horn which causes you to glare. The player shifts in their seat, sweating from their hairline.

The space in front of you is empty. A tumbleweed could pass by and no one would notice. You consider packing up, maybe answering text messages back. This isn’t out of the ordinary and you had predicted this would happen. No one really cares for the tuba considering it’s not all pretty or nice sounding. But before you’re able to leave, your attention is stolen by the boy a few feet away from you.

“This is the harp.” Namjoon’s smile widens as a girl goes closer, small hand on his knee to stare up at the intricate wooden designs. “There are many different kinds, small ones and big ones but this one is the biggest! Does anyone want to try to pluck a string?”

“Oooh, me!” “No, me!” “Me, me!”

The harpist in the blue coat and black rimmed glasses allows each to go one at a time, beaming at their enthralled faces. “My aunt plays the harp,” a taller boy speaks up. “Isn’t it weird that you’re playing it?”

He tips his head to the side. “Why?”

“You’re a boy!” The kid says and your eyebrow cock upwards. “Isn’t the harp a girl instrument?”

“Well, not really.” Namjoon smiles. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or boy or anything in between. You can play whatever you want as long as you love it enough.”

“Huh.” The boy, named Jintak, seems to process the newfound information and nods, taking a step forward while asking more questions. You wonder how he ever got the thought that instruments were segregated into genders but at the same time you can comprehend his thought process. Traditionally, it’s more common for females to play flute, clarinet and the harp while males inclined towards percussion and brass instruments. You’re not sure why that’s the case but it certainly doesn’t deter you.

For a moment, you’re brought back to the days when you first began, younger than the students around you….and the nostalgic, sadness comes tumbling back, only to vanish when a bright yellow backpack materializes into your peripheral vision.

“Y/N?!” Seokjin gasps and comes running over. “What are you doing here?!”

You sigh, “how do you always find me, kid?”

“This is my school!” He exclaims in elation and continues to explain. “The elementary and middle school are just in different buildings but wow! I never come around here!”

“It’s a coincidence. Don’t get your hopes up.”

The teacher comes sauntering over, checking on everyone’s groups and Seokjin reluctantly breaks away from you. Apparently, he was only here on an errand, to send the music teacher a note from another teacher. Judging by the blush that appears on the apples of her cheeks, you muse that it must be from a romantic interest which is unsurprising.

“W-w-what do you play?”, a hesitant, timid girl nervously stutters. Her sparkly shoes are sliding against the carpet and her pigtails swing with each movement. It breaks your train of thought and you blink at her, caught off guard that a student is actually speaking to you.

“Uh, tuba.”

“Is it hard?”

“Not really. Kind of but you could probably make a sound if you wanted to.”

The girl is in a long, polka-dotted and purple dress. You mentally thank the teacher for attaching name tags to everyone as you read her’s - Inha. “I don’t really like the other instruments.” She gives a fleeting glance back to the crowd surrounding cello and clarinet. Inha looks back at the golden metal in your arms. “This one seems cooler.”

You told yourself you didn’t care.

You said that it was a waste of your time, that you didn’t want any grimy hands laying a single finger. But at this moment, when another has taken interest in what you have to offer, you feel a tingle of excitement burst in your chest. “Do you want to try?”

“Can I?!” Her orbs light up as if there’s a million stars in them, all laying dormant and simply waiting for the moon’s cue in order to twinkle. You get off your chair and she climbs onto it. “Is it heavy?”

“A little bit but I’ll be here. It’s okay.”

You place the golden instrument in her lap and she receives it in enthusiasm. Inha lightly presses down on the valves and you allow her hand to run over the brass bell, touching the cool metal and feeling its weight that grounds her to the Earth. You allow her to try blowing through after you wipe down the mouthpiece and she laughs, telling you it’s ticklish to buzz her lips. The young girl manages to make a note and although it isn’t the crispiest sound, it’s loud. It startles everyone in the room and when you praise her, she giggles cheerfully. The same grin reflects on your lips and you hurriedly teach her fingerings, how to play what note.

You don’t notice Namjoon watching with a soft smile.

//

Lunchtime rolls around quickly and Miss. Nara is swamped up to her chin, trying to make sense of the order deliveries that the school had prepared beforehand. Thus, when she excuses herself and leaves the room, there’s no guardian watching over the children - it’s anarchy once more. Survival of the fittest. Eat or be eaten.

“How do you even learn anything when your class is like this?” You mutter to Inha, the girl who you’re piggybacking. You never intended to be carrying her but you couldn’t bear to watch her become encroached by her wild classmates and she’s rather lightweight anyways.

Your case is by your side, sandwiched between the wall and chair that you’re standing on. Changwook, a bassoon player, screams from the other side of the room, being trampled by a bunch of giggling hyenas. Jennie is trying her best as the children launch over her but they know that she’s too delicate to be directly tackled on. A trombonist, Sunha, seems to be a favourite as she grabs the students by their arms and swings them around, a human helicopter if one would attach a name to it but she’s tired by the fourth child.

“We’re actually known as the worst class in the school.” Inha laughs over your shoulder and says it with the utmost pride. “We’ve ran out a bunch of substitute teachers and we’ve made one or two cry before. It was kind of funny…”

You mentally give condolence to whatever person that might’ve been. “I bet.”

“We really only listen to Miss. Nara because she’s so nice.” Inha sighs and a tiny smile tugs at your lips. You ignore the third-grader that body slams into the bookshelf and causes a binder to come tumbling down. Another one somersaults in front of you before cartwheeling away. “She makes us cupcakes and cookies if we’re good. And she brought us to the music museum and for Christmas, she gave all of us gifts.”

It’s fascinating how such tiny humans can act like angels in front of the ones they like and grow devil horns and red tails the moment that person turns around. As you observe the disarray in front of you, it only confirms your dislike for them.

You grimace but then your eyes catch a particular someone a few feet away.

Namjoon has always had great body proportions and outstanding height - you’ve thought that from day one. But to people in general, he can come across as intimidating, a giant or gangster, someone who could punch another into outer space. It’s a lot more ironic in reality, considering that his touch is alway soft, despite the thickness of his arms, and his proneness to embarrassment constantly causes him to be shy. Namjoon wouldn’t even fart on a butterfly.

The students must’ve realized the same thing as you. When the pair of you came into the room at the beginning, they were terrified of him but now….they were grappling on top of him, stealing his sheet music, undoing his shoelaces and trying to choke the poor boy.

“Hey! Hey! Get off of him!”

You wonder how you always manage to pick out Namjoon in a massive crowd.

“Inha, stay here.” You set her down on the chair and she nods, watching as you dive into the mob. They’re shoved aside before you get to the harpist and you snatch the sheet music away from the boy that’s been teasing him with it. The student gasps and you give a stern stare that must come off as a menacing glare because he stumbles back. “Get off of him this instant!”

“Y/N?”

There’s no need for some childish countdown, no need for threats or sharp gestures. “I’m serious.” You’re already scary enough as it is.

The third-graders surrounding Namjoon reluctantly climb off his back and they unwrap their arms from his leg. He stands up straight, finally able to catch his breath again. At the same time, you feel your blouse being tugged on and you whirl around, about to curse some child off but you look down to see Inha.

“Are you married to him?” She asks out of curiosity, innocently blinking up. You don’t even get to ask her how she made it all the way to you. You’re too stunned by the question.

“No! I’m too young to be married! That’s-”

“Is he your boyfriend then?” Another asks and you realize how much attention you’re drawing...the kind of attention that you, for once in your life, don’t want.

“No.”

The kids have shit-eating grins and you’re too caught off guard to comprehend that silence and ignoring them would do more good than answering any questions. “Do you like him?”

“Yeah, do you like him?!”

Namjoon stares at you, completely silenced. His chest heaves and his breathing finally steadies. You clear your throat, avoiding his prodding irises that gleam. You can tell that he’s amused and for some reason, it irritates you even more. “As a friend.”

“Are you lying?” Inha shifts her weight from one foot to the next, tipping her head to the side. “It’s not very nice to lie.”

These kids are the devil.

“N-no.”

One of them covers their eyes with their hands, grinning with blushing cheeks. “Eww! They’re in love!”

“W-wait! What?!”

Where the hell did they get that conclusion from?!

Jintak begins the chant, Inha joining in. Soon, in the midst of the chaos, they’re circling you like a game of ring-around-the-rosy and they’re singing aloud, “Y/N and Namjoon sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g.” They spell it out and you groan into your palms, shame eating you up alive. “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage!”

Namjoon laughs his head off and you wonder if this is what you get for standing up for him. What kind of reversal is this and what in the world did you do to deserve this kind of treatment? (Technically, you’ve done a lot and you’re sure there’s a seat in hell reserve that has your name on it...but now is not the time…).

“Y/N and Namjoon sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love-”

“Are you that embarrassed?” Namjoon whispers into your ear, absolutely entertained by the sight in front of him. It’s not everyday that you’re flustered, that your cheeks turn into a rosy hue and you try to hide your face behind your hair. He’s used to your flamboyant and blunt nature but this is a pleasant surprise as well.

“Ugh, I hate this.”

The students shriek when he suddenly interlocks his hand with yours and for a moment, their chanting ceases. “If you want it to stop, we could just hug...or kiss..or something and they’d run away.”

You scoff, giving him a confused expression. It felt like you were talking to Jungkook. You don’t remember Namjoon ever making smooth one liners before. But unlike with the annoying acapella kid, you don’t shut the harpist down. A tiny smirk appears on your mouth, curious as to see how much Kim Namjoon is capable of.

“Maybe we should.”

The sound of a steam train whistles from the other side of the room, interrupting your shenanigans and not only does it capture your focus but the rambunctious students as well. Of course, it’s none other than the concertmistress, practically the living embodiment of a Disney princess, who has managed to bring calmness and peace.

She pulls the wooden train whistle away from her mouth and grins, announcing loudly, “all aboard the musical train! Next stop to fame!”

The third-graders laugh and they tumble over, putting their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them, making a huge chain. Jennie pretends to be the conductor and every so often, she blows through the train whistle. Rose is in front of the concertmistress, playing her flute like Pied Piper (except, she’s not leading the children into a cave to disappear or into a river to drown). The other orchestra musicians have also found their place, dancing with the folk tune. You’re finally free but Namjoon drags you over to the end of the line. “My arms are tired,” you complain when you place your hands on his shoulders, “you’re too tall, Nams.”

“Should I carry you instead?” He shifts slightly, smirking at you and your brows furrow.

“What’s with you these days?”

Even with the kids laughing and giggling, the flute music and commotion, you can hear his voice clearly. “What do you mean?”

“I-...you’re just...so….flirtatious these days. Where’s the timid Namjoon that I used to scare off?”

“Do you hate me like this?”

“...no.”

“Good.” He turns around. “‘Cause I don’t plan on changing.”

If you were flustered before, now it feels like your entire face is on fire. It’s never been like this before, no one has ever caused you to be like this and you wonder if you’re catching a fever.

//

Lunch goes by pretty smoothly. The third-graders sit amongst themselves as your fellow musicians plant themselves together. You hover awkwardly not knowing where you should go or if you should leave all together but Namjoon grabs your hand and leads you beside him. At first, everyone immediately freezes up when they realize your presence. The things they’ve witnessed, the rumours they’ve heard and your past deeds don’t give you a very good reputation. But when Jennie smiles and asks how your morning went and you answer politely, they seem to calm down.

All of you end up taking turns to share your nostalgic school stories and it brings you back to your own days. You sneak a glimpse from the harpist, realizing that you don’t know anything about his past. “Do you have any horror stories, Y/N?” Jennie asks after telling the tale of how one of her middle school classmates with a temper issue had punched through a timpani drum. The percussionist had shivered and gasped at the story.

“Well, I played in my high school’s orchestra..” You begin to explain and everyone leans in, engaged with your re-telling. Most of them are aware that you went to one of the largest, expensive private academies in the country and they’ve only heard about how well the students are trained there. “But in my last year, the conductor left on maternity leave. Someone had to step in for a few months and one afternoon, I found the replacement teacher at the sink….”

They nod and you take pleasure in keeping all of them on edge. “He had dumped the flutes and clarinets into water to try to clean them.”

“Oh my god.” and “No way.” echo amongst the group of fourteen. Rose raises her brow and coughs. “What did you end up doing?”

“I punched him in the face.”

There’s a long silence. “What.”

“Yeah,” you shrug, “I screamed and asked what was going. He told me something like ‘you can’t speak to me in that tone of voice’. I pushed him away and he yelled at me, so, I punched him.”

Jihoon swallows hard. “And then what?”

“He wanted me expelled and I went to the principal’s office.” You dismiss Namjoon’s curious stare. “Long story short, my parents came and threatened to sue. The guy ended up paying for the damaged instruments and the kids got their money back for it.”

Yup. Those were the kinds of parents you had. They wanted to sue everyone and everything, even if someone stepped on your foot on accident at the train station. It’s funny how overbearing they are but at the same time, neglected the one thing you loved most.

While your classmates took pictures with their parents on stage, you never once saw your own parents at any of your performances. Mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents consistently sat in the assembly and applauded with proud smiles but in the end, you walked off by yourself, packing your belongings....

“Woah.” A squeaky giggle appears beside you. “That’s crazy, Y/N! But you saved your classmates from having ruined instruments!”

Seokjin is perched beside you, gnawing on his sandwich. Namjoon tilts his head to the side, giving you a confused frown and you shrug again. Jennie scoots over and invites him into the circle and you ignore the looks that your classmates give you, screaming the question ‘who is this?’. You’re too tired to argue with the middle schooler. “Do you have any stories, Jin?”

“A few.” He coyly answers to the concertmistress and surprisingly, Jin has the charisma of a politician. Even if he’s almost a decade younger, everyone enjoys his company.

You find yourself relishing in the group, smiling and talking normally with them. You’ve always been ostracized and isolated and it’s odd to belong, to fit right in as if you were a puzzle piece that merely snapped into place. Perhaps, you only have one person to thank for that.

“I think I’m going to skip class.” Seokjin sulks as everyone begins to put away their belongings, lunch ending sooner than he thought. A handful of your classmates pat him on the shoulder, saying their goodbyes to him. “I want to stay here with you, noona.”

“No.” You look up from your bag. “You’ll go to class or else I’ll never hear the end of it from your brother. Hoseok already thinks I’m a bad influence enough as it is.”

“But-”

“Go to class.” You smile and it isn’t sinister. “If you’re good, maybe I’ll buy you something nice to eat.”

Seokjin’s eyes light up. “A date?!”

“No.” A disgusted expression mars your face. “That’s illegal. I mean it as an outing-”

“A date it is then!” Seokjin grins and he bolts out the door before you can say otherwise. “Bye, Y/N!” He disappears and you laugh underneath your breath.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, you’re strolling down the hall to find Namjoon walking in the same direction as you. He’s preoccupied, studying the students’ artwork on the walls and the coloured pictures that frame bulletin boards. You accelerate your steps and clear your throat loudly. He spins around and smiles. “Y/N. Hey…”

“Do you like kids?” The fond smile on his lips are still there and his irises are glued to the drawings as you continue walking alongside him. “I realized I never asked…”

“I just like cute things.” Namjoon admits with a tiny laugh. “Crabs, animals, kids…”

You muse that despite the hard exterior and big stature that looks like he could beat someone else into a pulp, Namjoon is the biggest softie you’ve ever come to know. From day one, he has been nothing but a gentle soul. He’s a giant teddy bear that you have the urge to steal and cuddle….

“What about you?” He asks with doting eyes. “Do you still hate kids?”

“I do.” People can’t change overnight and you find no reasons why you should like rambunctious tiny humans that sneeze germs every second. “But...they’re not so bad.”

You’ve taken a liking to sweet Inha and you’ve told her (jokingly, of course) that you could take her to your home and you’d provide her with so many toys, she’d be drowning in them. The little girl only laughed and cutely said ‘no’ to you. “I think I want a daughter one day….maybe….”

If your past self heard you now, she’d probably call you a fraud and strangle you to death. For one, you’d never be caught dead talking to a person like Namjoon. You were conceited, rolling your eyes unless someone had money or authority. You believed you were better than everyone else, that you were special and you were talented. You’ve also sworn never to become a married woman, never to be chained down by some individual that could cheat within the next breath. And after you watched a labour video and saw the aftermath of stretch marks and loose skin, you promised never to have children.

But here you are.

You’re beside Namjoon, a fool of a boy who pushes his glasses up every so often and likes to smile at things that don’t mean much. You’re thinking about kids of your own and the idea of tying the knot with someone isn’t so disturbing. Things have changed.

You’re allowing your heart to flutter even when it’s not supposed to.

//

The group gathers again and the fourteen of you perform a few pieces together. It’s lively when the children begin to dance and they watch in awe as each instrument sings together, twining together their different sounds and melodies in order to create one piece. Most often than not, if you aren’t playing in a horde of over fifty people then you’re practicing by yourself. But there’s something about fourteen, one for each, that allows you to hear every person.

“Are you going to visit me again?” Inha angles her head up to meet yours.

“Sure…” You squat down to connect with her at eye-level. “I’ll come by and maybe you can visit my school someday.”

She nods. “That would be fun. Oh, and Y/N, I think I want to play tuba.” Inha shyly looks down at her pretty shoes. “I’m going to ask my parents when I get home.”

You thought the words ‘you’ve won the lottery’ or ‘the inheritance is now yours’ would cause you to get a heart attack. But hearing those strung syllables stumble from her mouth makes you beyond blissful. “Okay. If you need my help, call me. I’ll look forward to competing with you one day.”

Inha grins when you ruffle her hair and you wrap your pinky around her’s, a gesture to prove your promise. Jintak and the rest of the children say their own goodbyes and you catch some of your classmates patting Jihoon on the back, the latter boy unable to gain courage to give Miss. Nara his number. It’s a blessing in disguise considering that you’re aware the teacher already has an active love life of her own.

“Are you going to go back with us?” Jennie asks as she zips up her violin case, holding it in both hands. “All of us are carpooling back to the university together…”

“No, it’s alright. I have a thing to do.” You wave your hand to dismiss her. “I’ll see you in class on Monday?”

“Okay. Bye, Y/N. Get home safely!”

You watch as everyone files into the three different cars with their music cases, complaining about the tight squeeze and yelling until the van slams shut. When they’re gone down the street, you turn to the corner, near the front school gate and you pull out your phone.

It’s fifteen ringing beats until it picks up.

“Hi, beautiful.” A greasy voice trickles artificial sugar into your ear. “Where are you? Should I pick you up now? Are you ready for some...fun?”

You exhale steadily before you twirl one finger into your hair, playing up your role. “Actually…” For a second, you pull the phone away to read the contact name, having already forgotten who’s on the other side. “...Jonny. I’m tired today. School was extra busy. I was wondering if we could reschedule.”

“But I’m giving you a free meal and shopping money...” The voice is obviously annoyed and you feel more irritated, holding in a scoff but after a second of silence passes, he sighs. “Fine. I understand.”

“You could do that for me, right? Don’t be mad.” You pout and even if he can’t see you, it helps to put up the facade. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

It’s the same pattern. You’re not a sugar baby or a prostitute, not selling your body nor are you a slave working under somebody else. You’re giving your time, company and offering your pretty looks to the lonely, wealthy folks who want an escape from their reality; those who yearn for the closeness of another human without needing to be tied down into a committed relationship. Although many have been kind and proper towards you, a lot of them don’t care.

You don’t anticipate them to but it still feels...empty. Your apartment is full. Your pockets and stomach are full. But you have nothing.

“Namjoon?”

He’s at the bus stop, the sun beginning to dip slightly over the horizon. The person in front of you is equally stunned as you are. “What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you that! Why didn’t you take the van with everyone else?”

He scratches the back of his neck. “I sent the harp with them but I wanted to take the bus. It was too crowded for me to fit anyways. But what about you? Why didn’t you take the van?”

“Same reason as you.” You frown, the two of you looking out at the road and waiting for the familiar, blue automobile to turn the corner. There is another reason but you won’t say it aloud.

Sure, there are tens of people who would pick you up in an instant, lovers that would come zooming by in their sports cars or others calling their chauffeurs to escort you. Heck, even your family driver would be sent if you made a quick phone call to your parents.

But none of those people are Kim Namjoon.

You end up taking the bus with him, sitting at the back in the same seat together. There’s a bit of silence as the pair of you recuperate and strangely enough, when you begin to talk again, it doesn’t require much energy. “I feel like ever since you came around, I’ve been taking the bus a lot more.”

Namjoon laughs. “Is that such a bad thing?”

“I don’t know.” You respond earnestly. “There’s a lot of things that are different now because of you…...answer me honestly, Joon. Are you stalking me?”

“What?” His mouth draws open. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, everywhere I go, you’re there.” You’re only supposed to see Namjoon briefly, in practice rooms or on days where you interrogate him on how your science classes are. Now, he’s somehow become a constant in your life, like brushing your teeth or having a cup of coffee every morning. “We keep bumping into each other.”

It feels wrong to not see Namjoon at least once a day.

He shrugs. “Maybe it’s fate.”

You scoff. “Yeah, right.”

The bus ride is more than half-an-hour long. As the evening becomes night and the orange sky doesn’t intrude it’s beams through the glass windows, the drowsiness in your bones takes captive of your being. Your head eventually lolls to the side but you’re awakened when you feel a pressure on your shoulder. Namjoon’s head is resting on it and he curls up closer to your warmth.

A smile pulls on the corners of your mouth and you lean your own head on the window.

He probably won’t hear you but it doesn’t hurt to speak aloud and pretend that he’s awake. You inhale a small breathing, murmuring out, “do you think I’m scary, Nams? I always blamed other people but maybe it’s my fault that I’ve driven everyone else out of my life.”

There’s a long silence and you shut your eyes, expecting nothing more when the harpist is asleep.

“No.”

His whisper pierces through the air and hits straight into your chest. Your eyes flutter open and you look down at him. Namjoon’s own eyes are still closed and his cheek is pressed onto your shoulder, not moving once. The lights inside the bus are dim, causing the passing lamp posts outside to flicker their luminescence in for a split of a second each time. Yet, his skin glows and you wonder if a ghost has spoken to you or if you misheard. But his lips gently part again.

“Maybe at first...but then you became annoying. You’re a brat.” He slowly mutters and in an almost dreamy state. The weight of his body shifted on yours is not heavy but rather comforting.

In the close proximity, you wonder if he can hear your thundering heartbeat. “You’re cute...and I like cute things.”

[l-x-ie]

Tom Cruisin’

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REA!!!

@bleusarcelle

Contrary to popular belief, Lance could survive on being by himself. In fact, he, on occasion, liked being alone sometimes.

As long as he had something to do.

The space laundry’s done, the cryo-pods were washed, the training rooms were mopped, couches cleaned, pillows fluffed, windows shined, kitchen sanitized; pretty much everything was rubbed, buffed, or squeaked in some manner.

Now… he had nothing to do.

He doesn’t particularly feel like brushing up on Altean or reading or whatever. Everything that needed to be done is done. Hell, he even cleaned the Teludave lenses so they gleamed. But now he’s booooreddd.

He didn’t know why he was even left behind on this mission, it’s not like he did anything bad like blow up the castle. It was just an honest mistake! Seriously, how was he to know that fingerguns were considered a lewd gesture?

So here he is, alone, friendless, abandoned, a nomad, isolated in this cruel harsh universe. Not even Coran to keep him company. While his team was off on a diplomatic mission where he was banned for doing fingerguns towards the princess and the crown prince. His pick-up line didn’t help matters either.

Sigh.

He paced in the common room, recently waxed, seeing his reflection stare back at him. His Mamá would be proud. His socks slip and slide a bit on the floor. Hmmm…

He slid to one side of the room, careful not to fall. He turned back to the room, wide and expansive with the only obstacle being the half-circle couch. His cleaning supplies off in the corner, out of the way. He scooted a bit to the left to give him plenty of room.

Stripping off his jacket he threw it over onto the couch, his aim perfect. Pushing off of the wall he took the floor running before sliding the rest of the way, striking a stupid pose because he can.

His hands brace him when he hits the other side of the room. Giggling he turns back around and does it again. And again. And again. He laughs as he slips up in the middle of the room and end up sliding the rest of the way on his back. He lay there for a few moments, bored again, one can only do this so many times before it got repetitive. The scent of fake alien-lemon, almost the same clean smell back at home but a little more of a sickly sweet lemonade scent, wafting around him from his washing.

He rolled his head to the side, seeing the couch. Yup, he cleaned that too. He rolled his eyes to the entertainment system, which he dusted and wiped fingerprints off of. At the bottom of the screen were a bunch of cords and wires that Pidge never put away. He saw his cell, a memento from Earth that he never had the heart to get rid of, sitting idly by on the couch. His lips twitched.

He checked the time. He had plenty.

Let’s rock n’ roll.

With the first beats of music reverberated in the room Lance slid in on his socked feet. He kicked his leg out as the lyrics started, loud and rattled his bones. When Pidge explained to him how he could hook his phone up to the announcement system she probably didn’t think that he would be doing this.

”Just take those old records off the shelf!” He sang out loud with the lyrics. He spun around, arms out and jacket flaring from his bare torso; head bobbing with the beat. ”I’ll sit and listen to ‘em by myself. Today’s music ain’t got the same soul, I like that old time rock n’ roll.”

Hips swinging, hands snapping, aviator shades on from when they last went to the Space Mall, he moonwalked his way in his boxers to the back of the room. He surged forward and slid his way to where he left the cleaning supplies. Grabbing the Altean mop he used he started dancing with it, swinging it to the middle of the room before using it as a guitar as he rocked out the instrumentals on his knees. He floor hurt his knees a bit but he ignored it for the rock. He would ignore it for The Rock. That’s not what he meant, get your head out of the gutter. Perverts.

”Won’t go to hear them play a tango. I’d rather hear some blues or funky old soul. There’s only sure way to get me to go. Start playing old time rock n’ roll.” He got up on his feet, slipping slightly from the lack of grit but moving it into a twirl. Hand moving in muscle memory he played like he was back home.

He really hammed it out on his mop-guitar, hopping around on one foot despite slipping and falling several times before deciding to just play on the floor. Arching his back up into a half-bridge like he was on stage. If he ever were on stage he would hopefully not be just in his underwear and jacket.

”Still like that old time rock n’ roll. That kind of music just soothes the soul. I reminisce about the days of old. With that old time rock n’ roll!”  With the change of beat on the second time through of the reprise he swiveled himself on his knees and banged his head, feathery hair flying, with the time of the cowbell. He brought it home with the last guitar solo before ending the show on his knees, head down, and hand with the fake pick in the air, letting the last note fade in the air.

In the silence he started to laugh. Letting the rod of the broom drop to the floor he wrapped his arms around his stomach, cheeks aching from smiling. He never could have done it at home, too many siblings, and he never thought that he would be able to do it in space. What was it about dancing in your underwear that was just so freeing?

No one around, just him, himself, and his tighty-whities.

With the next song started he grinned and pointed in the general area where his phone was plugged in. “Yeah, my man!” He leaped up and started some old school moves his Papá and Mamá taught him with his sisters. ”The warden threw a party in the county jail. The prison band was there and they began to wail. The ba—“

“I wouldn’t have taught you to hook up your phone if this was what I had to come back to!”

No he did not scream like a girl.

He froze.

Six sets of eyes were very obviously staring at the scene in front of them. One fifth, or seventh, part of the Defenders of the Universe dancing bare chested save for his jacket, in his undies, aviators, and whose previous dance partner resting at his feet. Stared back. The rest of his team in their formal diplomacy outfits, all decked out in fancy fabric and embroidery, hairs combed back and twisted. To say the least underdressed was an understatement.

He turned red from his ears and allll the ways down his collarbones as they could plainly see. As he suddenly realized they could plainly see. At least he was wearing boxers. Keith couldn’t even look at him, small favors, everyone else stared with wide eyes.

As casually as he could he zipped up his jacket, covering his bare skin. He cleared his throat, barely heard over The King. “So, uh, I cleaned the floors.”

Pidge piped up, over the King of Rock. “So you decided to strip?”

He licked his lips. “Uh, yeah?”

Hunk threw his hands up. “Dude! You had a dance party and didn’t invite me?!” Right there in the middle of his teammates, leader, a princess, and a Pidge, the big ol’ Hunk of Burnin’ Love started stripping off his fancy garments until he was down to his own boxers and running over to jam out to Jailhouse Rock. He scooped the mop from the floor and started dancing with it.

The princess clapped her hands. “Oh! A dance! That sounds lovely!” She pulled out a dozen or so hair pins and let the sliver locks fall in waves down her back. “Do Earthlings normally host dance parties in their undergarments?”

Coran, somehow, without anyone noticing, was fully naked except for his briefs, standing proudly. Back straight, hands on hips, practically shining. “I’m not sure, Princess. But I’m willing to embrace it!” He pirouetted his way to the group, mimicking the odd spazzing that was Hunk’s dancing.

“Shiro! Keith! Pidge! Join us!” called Allura.

Shiro smiled and turned to leave, before he left he directed over his shoulder, “Don’t get too wild. I’m changing and coming back. I am not dancing in my underwear.”

Pidge pushed her glasses up and sighed. “I suppose I can join. But only if you people put on some pants! Good god, what are we? Heathens?!” She walked over to where Hunks discarded fancy pants were and threw them in his face. She leveled a look at Lance, lips twitching. “I don’t know where your pants are, I don’t want to know, as long as you put them on.” She shimmied her way to the other dancers, who now had pants, and started to do the robot.

Lance’s cheeks hurt again. Somehow he threw a dance party in his underwear. He turned to find his jeans, per Pidge’s order, to find Keith holding them out to him. Chuckling he put them on one leg at a time. When he buttoned them up the song changed to another song from the King. He grabbed Keith’s hands and started to shimmy around, legs and hips jiggling in an old dance move, fingers snapping. ”—higher, higher. It’s burning through my soul! Boy, boy, boy, you gonna set me on fire. My brain is flaming I don’t know which way to go.”

His singing stuttered to a stop when he felt Keith’s hands on the zipper of his jacket. “Pidge said to put your pants on, not your jacket.” He smirked at him, red in the face and one side slightly wobbly. Despite his sort-of-more-than-a-friend’s nervous attempt at flirting Lance still felt his face heat up. Ooh, ooh, ooh, I feel my temperature rising. Help me. I’m flaming I must be a hundred and nine.

Despite his burning face and the cool air that was quickly warming between their bodies Lance reeled Keith in and threaded their hands together, pulling him along in a goofy dance with no pattern or rhythm. Flailing limbs, burning faces, and sore cheeks.

When Shiro returned everyone was in a breathless state of laughter and smiles. A few complaints of not waiting from him quieted when Allura pulled him into a dance, pulling and tugging his arms and body with hers.

Everyone was either spinning goofily in circles, or moving with their partner like they were landing a planes, or in one case, slowly getting closer and closer together until the nearest sunlight of the planet filtered through the windows.

 You’re kisses lift me higher, like the sweet song of a choir. You light my morning sky with burning love.

Burning love.

[xoleahbeanxo]

Sanctuary: Chapter Twenty-Two

The Druids and the Stones

           Annabelle laid Mouse on the ground and turned her attention to Alera who was all too aware that the tide was turning. The vixen’s brown eyes searched the depths of the monster eyes. She could see every trace of fear bubbling over like a bog, so much that when Annabelle took a step forward, Alera retreated one.

           “This power, where does it come from?” She huffed quietly still gripping her bloody nub.

           “When you transformed and gave into your evil desires, the next living druid in your line gained your powers.” Annabelle took a deep breath and smiled the sweetest of smiles.

           “Beatrix.”

           “No. My time on earth was cut short by your vengeful curse.” A glowing blue entity formed next to the newly empowered vixen.

           “You!” Alera wheeled around on the vixens and trust her staff in their direction.

           “You have no power here.” Annabelle flexed and rolled her head on her shoulders as if the power that coursed through her was threatening to tear her apart.

           “I will not sacrifice another thing to your family line. You are to be mine!” The beast bellowed.

           “Then come and get me.”

           Annabelle hunkered down close to the ground as Alera charged. The weakened steps of the beast as well as its limp gave Annabelle the edge she wanted. In a flash of the blade, one leg fell away and Annabelle ducked under the clumsily falling monster. Annabelle twirled around with the grace of a dancer and threw herself through the air. ‘To the heart, all the way to the hilt’ the voice of Cayden told her, while Max’s voice urged her to finish it. ‘End it, my love’. The blade slipped in easily enough, just to the right of the monster’s spinal cord and plunged deep into Alera’s heart.

           “Bring balance back to this world and free our tarnished name,” Beatrix whispered, the echoes carrying it deep into Annabelle’s ears.

The vixen plunged the blade all the way to the hilt, hearing it clawing through the meat into the false ground below. Alera’s grunts and whimpers died slowly and then she was cold on the ground. The glow faded from her carcass.

Annabelle gasped and fell back into Mouse’s side. When would she awaken? It was a mystery to the vixen but she was glad to have her there all the same. Pain rippled through Annabelle as she hugged her baby bump as if she were protecting it. Her teeth were gritted tightly and a moan caught in her throat.

“What’s happening?” Mouse asked the visage of Beatrix who casually walked over.

“I’m fixing everything.”

Annabelle gasped and arched back into Mouse who could barely hold her up. “What do you mean?”

Then the pain was gone. Beatrix reached up and snatched something the size of a peach out of the air and felt the weight of it. When she held it up, it looked like a strange glowing seed. It was beautiful with shimmering rainbow sheen not unlike a pearl.

“What is it?” Annabelle whispered. She could see her face reflected in it.

“A life seed. I transferred your powers back into Alera in her final dying moments and then trapped her linage in this seed. Take it and give it to one of the other druids. They will know what to do.” Beatrix smiled and rested the seed in Mouse’s robot hand.

“Now go. Live long, full lives,” Beatrix took a step away so Mouse and Annabelle could leave.

As they started away, Beatrix’s voice beckoned them back. “Wait?”

Annabelle looked back over her shoulder, the mask teetering on her narrow muzzle. Beatrix came closer and giggled. “Almost forgot one thing.” She lifted one ethereal finger to the amber set into the mask and it sparked to a small flame and the stone melted away.

Beatrix gripped her chest over her heart and she began to cry softly. “Years of pain hammer me like a tidal wave, threatening to pull me under, to burn me alive. I wish it would because I was not prepared for this.”

“What is i-it?” Mouse asked tiredly.

“The stones of power require a sacrifice, an emotion or a feeling that the druid gave up for the stones entire existence.” Annabelle wanted to comfort her mother but knew that there was nothing she could say that would ease her pain.

“Mother,” Annabelle whispered. “What emotion did you give up?”

“I gave up love.”

“Love?” Annabelle cocked her head. “But you and dad-”

“He found a way through. I don’t know how, but your father was a magic man, all his own. Now go, your friends are growing weaker.” Beatrix smiled and pointed to the open portal.

***

           Grace sat on the grass near the portal as Charlotte released her hold. It was Lilian’s turn to join in the connection. The monsters had fallen in on themselves beyond the ruins and melted away into the grass. The attack was over and now everyone waited with baited breath as to Mouse’s success.

           “She’ll be alright.” Sarah winced, gripping the fresh bandage that had once been her left leg.

One of the beasts managed a lucky shot on her and melted her leg clean off. Gilda was quick to clean the wound while Nuts and Bolts worked on a way to add a connector before closing up the wound. A robotic leg was expensive but at least with the connector, it was always an option.

“Have you seen them yet?” Molly came back from checking on her wounded.

“Nothing.” Grace sighed.

She was the only one out of the rest of them that knew what was on the other side and the sight still haunted her as she sat on the grass. Mouse was most certainly dead and with no one to guide Annabelle out, the mission was a failure.

Like a cool raindrop on a smoldering hot day, Mouse and Annabelle appeared arm in arm, holding each other up. Grace sat still for a long moment trying to catch her breath. The panicked excitement threatened to have her miscarry or give birth right there on the grass.

Mouse was the first to fall to her knees with a grunt. Her eyes heavy and her shoulders slumped. “Must be nice to sit around on your asses while I’m in there dying.”

Annabelle dropped down next to her and laughed. Grace got to her knees and pulled them both into a tight hug, unable to believe that they were there before her. She clung to them; tears finally came to her eyes as she started to sob into them. One by one the other’s joined in the hug. Their family had been broken for so long, but now was finally whole again.

***

After a long moment of holding each other, the group dispersed. Each of them had tasks to attend do. Wounded to treat and bellies to feed. There would be one hell of a feast and everyone was sure to get drunk and stupid.

Gilda took Annabelle and Mouse into the camp so she could examine them. Remarkably, Annabelle was fine, practically healthy for someone who’d spent almost their entire pregnancy inside an alternate plane of existence. Mouse, on the other hand, was worse off, which Gilda had come to expect from the scrappy mouse. After an alcohol rub, Gilda began to sew up the gashes on her back. Mouse lay on the cot, half-awake from the injections. She still clutched the seed in her hand, petting the smooth surface that was surprisingly warm. When Mouse finally fell asleep, Annabelle took the seed and slipped away so she could return it to its rightful owner.

Annabelle could feel a breeze that didn’t seem to exist in this world. It tossed her long bangs on its way through. When she gazed around the camp, she could see her roaming family setting up for the feast. She saw her manor family working hard to assist as much as they could. It made her heart swell in her chest.

There was something else among them. Something that Annabelle hadn’t expected to see. There were soft wisps that moved between them as if they were trying to speak. Many would slowly drift away, towards the sky, into the ground, just away from everyone and everything.

At first, the things frightened her but upon closer inspection, they just seemed to be acclimating to whatever new existence was thrust upon them and once they accepted it, they were off on whatever journey was left for them.

“You see them too?” A soft voice whispered from behind her.

Annabelle turned to see a gray vixen that she’d never met before and yet somehow still knew her. “Who are you?”

“I’m Eryn, druid of the emerald.” She smiled warmly. “You see the ones that were left behind?”

“The wisps?”

“Yes. Don’t fear them, though. They’re precious and wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Eryn sighed softly. “They’re simply getting used to things before they find their path.”

“Ghosts.” Annabelle nodded as if she already knew.

A white fox came to stand with them. “I see you have a gift for us.”

“Yes, Beatrix wanted me to give it to you,” Annabelle said, holding it out to them.

“Who will take it?” Annabelle was startled by yet another fox, this one was shorter and had incredibly long ears. “Remember, it comes with great responsibility.”

“I will take it.” A rust colored vixen joined the group. “I’ve put a lot of thought into it, and I think I’m ready.”

“Then let it be so,” Rashyda beckoned for Annabelle to hand over the seed.

The moment Cytrine touched the stone it flashed a brilliant white and then disappeared. The cute vixen that Annabelle had never met touched her stomach and giggled at the feeling that settled there.

“It is done.” Rashyda looked up at Annabelle. “Daughter of Beatrix,” A smile spread across her face. “You’re as beautiful as your mother.”

Annabelle stood there looking at all the fox and the vixens. They studied her for a long moment before hugging her one after another. There was something familiar about them that was warm and inviting. None of them introduced themselves and one by one they left until Annabelle and the white fox were alone.

“My name is Lyonel, and I want to make a trade with you.” The white fox smiled warmly.

“Forward aren’t you?” Annabelle giggled.

“This is a trade you’ll want to make.”

“What is it?”

“Years from now, when I’m older, I will come to you for a favor that I need you to carry out.” Lyonel folded his hands before him. He spoke softly and passionately which is what piqued the vixen’s curiosity.

“It’s vague at best, but you did risk a lot to help my Mouse find me. What will I receive in turn?” Annabelle felt oddly calm around the fox that she’s just met.

“Freedom.”

The thought didn’t register at first until he leaned in close and touched the remaining gem in her mask. The ruby dripped away like blood from an open wound and he stepped back gripping his body in a tight hug.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, anger is a powerful thing but I think I can control it.” Lyonel took the mask from her and stuffed it in her hand.

Annabelle was amazed that she didn’t change. The stones, she thought, is that where the power came from? It must be because now that they were gone. The curse was broken and she and her children would be free forever.

Lyonel grunted and backed away. “You’ll do the favor when I come to you.” It sounded more like an order but from what she knew of the emotions, the druids, and the stones, it was too be expected.

The wisps came and danced around her in a beautiful flowing light before the led her back to Mouse who was lying on her stomach peacefully. Her back was bandaged now and a beautifully woven blanket of bright colors was laid over her. Molly sat on the floor next to her but got up the moment Annabelle entered the room.

“Mouse has been asking for you,” Molly whispered. “I wasn’t a very good substitute but it got weird when she copped a feel.”

“Don’t tell her that.” Mouse groaned and reached for the wolf.

Molly giggled and kissed the side of Mouse’s head. “I was only teasing you. You guys rest now, I’m sure you need it.”

Molly moved passed Annabelle stopping long enough to give her a soft peck on the cheek. “I’ll come and get you when the feast is ready.”

Annabelle watched as she dashed out of the room and left the two alone. Annabelle lay on the ground so she could look up into Mouse’s face as she lay on the cot. Mouse blushed and knew what she was looking at.

Annabelle traced her finger along the hole in Mouse’s ear and then the scar along her head. There was a little one over her eyebrow. There were so many scars and many of them were new, too many for Annabelle to keep track of.

           “I’m ugly, huh?” Mouse feared the answer.

           “No, you’ve never looked more beautiful.” She whispered getting up on one elbow so she could kiss Mouse’s lips.

           It was a soft and passionate kiss that led Mouse to tears. The way her lips quivered and the hitching of her breath threatened to break Annabelle’s heart but she fought to stay strong. She pulled away from the kiss and traced her lips along Mouse’s muzzle to place a peck on her cheek.

           “Anna. I fought so hard to find you.” Mouse started to cry as she gripped the back of the vixen’s head with her robotic arm.

Annabelle didn’t say anything at first, she gently caressed her cheek to Mouse’s. “I never once doubted you’d come for me.”

“I missed you so much.” Mouse whimpered and pushed her lips to Annabelle’s cheek, quivering harder.

“I missed you too. I thought about you all the time. I never gave up hope I’d see you again.” It was Annabelle’s turn to tear up and still she fought to stay strong.

“Now that I have you, I’m never letting you go.” Mouse sucked in a cold breath through her teeth. “I love you.”

“Not to worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Annabelle gripped her arm, surprised to feel the cool wooden planks. “I love you, Mouse.”

They sat there together in a quiet cuddle for a long time. Annabelle continued to explore the robotic arm, more than a little impressed with it. Finally, when she was sure Mouse had calmed down; she knew the very first burning question to ask.

“Mouse, love, what happened to your arm?” Annabelle caressed along the wood and metal fingers.

Mouse had long since forgotten that Annabelle was the one who unknowingly severed her arm and for a moment she thought to lie about it but knew that honesty was going to be better in the long run. After all, she wasn’t mad at Annabelle for it happening, since she’d transformed into the beast and didn’t know what she was doing.

Mouse took a deep breath and blew it out softly. “I’m going to tell you a long story, so please g-get comfortable.”

Annabelle settled in next to the cot and ran her fingers through Mouse’s hair playfully. “Anything you say, dear.”