#it’s gonna be an adventure keeping the wings from cracking | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tparker48 · 11 months ago

Text

(Got a lengthy one for ya. This one took a lot longer than expected, but wanted to make it extra special for you all. I hope you all enjoy ^w^)

It's been almost a year since James was freed from the bonds of graduating from his community college. After walking upon the stage with his diploma in hand, he thought that would be the end of his educating adventures. But he couldn't be more wrong, finding himself sidelined by his dream job due to lack of experience. A college degree in arts was one thing he had under his belt, and to get more he needed funds to keep him afloat for the upcoming year in the fall. He scoured the web for scholarships, eyeballing the postal pillars for opportunities to award money. But everywhere he turned there was none in sight, stress beginning to boil within himself. That until he took to his phone.

He scrolled to the top of the screen, pausing when he looked at the title. 'The Big Game' it said, printed in bold red letters. "Come one, come all to the greatest game show of your life.." He read its description. "Participate in our games and win the grand prize!"

A grand prize? This may be the chance he was looking for. If he won those games, he'd be set for the rest of the rest of the fall, maybe even the school year. He scrolled down the screen to the images, a prompt showing itself above. Those who dared to receive riches were offered the chance to choose their side. Become a Giant, and get paid by the forefront of participation, or be a tiny, who's task will be more challenging but will bring higher reward.

He pondered at the thought. Being giant showed promise, being bigger than the competition, they'd be mere stepping stones for his victory to a better education. He hovered over the giant Icon, his finger itching to take his ticket to fortune. But he paused when he looked at the Micro icon, a thought lingering in his mind. Was taking the route the best idea? It would be easier, but he couldn't help but think it'd be pitty change compared to them. He wasn't going to settle for less. No, he was going to go all the way.

He pressed at the Micro Icon, a loading sign encircling around it. A bright flash came from his phone, a small window opening with a prompt. "Thank you for participating. Please follow these coordinates."

His Gps turned on, an address typing in the screen as the location marked zoomed to the corner of the map. The structure looked familiar to him, but couldn't tell how exactly. but if that was his destination, he best get cracking at it. He wasn't gonna be a winner just standing here, he had a competition to get to.

He followed the coordinates to an alleyway downtown, following the sewer lines to the end of the street where cars waited at the stoplight. The night was still young, the moon casting its glow upon the black streets as he opened into a clearing. He eased his way to the end of the block, his gps pointing to the right as he turned the corner.

A university rested ahead, pearly gates surrounding its perimeter as they stretched to the far street. He gazed upon a symbol castingover the gateway, A Sabertooth lunging in place. That symbol, he remembered seeing that all too well. He looked to a football field behind trees in the distance, a mathematics wing hiding behind a restaurant building. It was all the confirmation he needed, before he knew where he was. His old university, in the flesh.

His phone pinged, a text message appearing ahead. "Move forward." It simply said, his gps updating as an arrow hovered above.

He followed the arrow to the science wing, turning to the dormitories resting along the side. All those memories, he recalled them as if it were yesterday. The booming music upstairs, the chatting with his roommates moving through the halls, and the obnoxious laughter of his bully, Rich. He shuttered at all the wedgies he endured, let alone his meatheaded antiques. But that was a year ago, if at all, he'd be off making a living as a dumpster diver. Heh, even a burger maker.

He traversed toward the gym, the arrow transforming as a circle resided in the middle. He looked through the clear glass to the lighting around the lobby, not a person in sight as the lights cast to the far hallway. "Where is everyone? This better not be a wild goose chase." He tapped at his phone.

A bright flash erupted from the ceiling, blinding him as others showered into the mix. A silhouette soon formed, a woman dressed in black as she held a pamphlet in hand. "Greeting participant, we have been expecting you."

"I can see that.." He shielded his eyes. "Am I the only one who's here"

"There are more inside, they are gathered in the lockers. Come," she stepped to the side. "We must not delay, the games begin momentarily."

He wiped the tears leaking from his eyes, following her through the entrance. They moved deeper into the gym, moving through the stretching hallway to paneled doors. He peeked through the windows to dark rooms staring back, but the woman tapped at his shoulder, holding one of the doors. "This way.." She said. James followed her as they entered the lockers, chattering slowly resonating. They came into a larger space, players nearly piling over each other for the chance to let their shoulders breathe.

"Geez, it's like a chicken farm in here, there’s so many of them."

"Yes, many from across the city have heard word of the Giant and tiny competition." She slapped a sticky note upon his chest, its force nearly knocking him over. "Your nametag, you'll find it easier to find your group."

"A little warning next time, why don't ya?" He rubbed at his chest, moving further into the crowd. the participants filled the room like a giant pond, many of varying in size as he maneuvered over them. He ushered behind the broad shoulder of one participant, moving the head of the another's to a seat along the wall, grabbing one of the pamphlets resting on a table. He's been in this gym far too many times than he could count, the gym had limits to how many people they had at a time. This crowd far exceeded that, how do they even think they're going to participate when they're all butting heads.

"Move it..out of my way!" A deeper voice pierced the rowdy crowd, heads tumbling further in the distance. Grunts ensued beyond the participants in front of him, players tumbling sideways like trees being cut down. A hand split between two ahead of him, forced from their feet to the others resting upon the floor before a mass stepped out from the toppled players. "Ah that's much better, all these wimps were starting to make me cramped."

James knew that raspy voice from anywhere, gazing upon the nametag, that jiggled along his pectorals. It was there he read it, the cursed name of the bully that brought nothing but chaos, Rich.

"What's a guy gotta do to get a soda around here.." He scratched at his neck, looking to the crowd swimming past his lower torso. He eyed a bottle hanging from one of the participants' backpack, yanking it from they're chain and between his fingers. "Ah, that's the stuff."

"Hey! That's my drink, you bastard!" they shouted, raising their arms to retrieve their beverage, but were held back by a hand. They fanned at the air as he popped the metal lid with a squeeze, sending the fluid into mouth like a waterfall. He took it all in one gulp, belching before tossing the husk of the bottle toward them.

"Ugh, sugar free. Give me a break." He scoffed at the bland taste. He looked up and toward the bleachers off to the wall, he and James locking eyes before he held his pamphlet over his face. A crooked smile ran on his face, stepping toward him. "Is that who I think it is?"

The player behind him blocked his path. "Hold it! You can't just drink my drink and-"

He shoved a meaty palm into his face, thrusting him to the crowd. "Cram it, guppy, I'm busy." He marched over to the bleachers, his smile growing wider as his shadow toppled the bleachers. "Is that termite I’m gawking at?" He said in a playful tone.

God not now. He raised his pamphlet higher, hoping for it to shield him from his senseless antiques. The crowd sitting next to him scooted away, fingers snatching the paper away to Rich's grinning face. "Ah..Rich."

"Ahah! I thought that was you! I know that scrawny body from anywhere!"

"Likewise..” he got to his feet. “If you don't mind, I was just getting ready-" a palm crashed at his shoulder, thrusting him back to the bleachers.

"Aww don't be off in such a hurry, this a reunion of my favorite cushion afterall. Still keeping those lungs strong? I've been aching to let loose a bomb i got cooking up." He reached a finger for him, but he dodged as they collided against the glass window.

He slip between his thighs, stumbling to the space behind him. "Hell no! I'm not enduring any of your gassing."

"Don't be like that, I promise I-"

"Participants please stand in your designated lanes. We shall begin the process for your roles in the events." a voice came on the intercom.

"Thank god." He sighed. "Unfortunately, Rich, we won't be seeing each other, good luck finding a partner." He stormed off, the brutes banters falling on deaf ears as he vanished into the crowd.

He flocked to the participants towards the two slanters, one going through the left as the others went toward the right. He spotted those to the left of him had the same marking name tag, huddling into the line as he followed them through a slim corridor. The marble floor turned to plastic, shades blocking the window. The gym was known to have a lot of corridors, but never one like this, he thought. He eyed the other contenders, each of them chatting amongst themselves along the lime.

"Wonder what kind of partner I'll get, I bet it'll be someone quick for the event." One said.

"What good is quick when you have class. Brains is where it's at." One tapped at their forehead.

"You're kidding, what good is thinking if you don't have the speed to perform."

"The same way your mouth does at a blubbering speed."

James eyed the two as they bickered further up the line, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. They're talking nonsense when it comes to which is better, but there was one thing that did get his head spinning, who to partner with. He never thought a competition of being on top would come with baggage. If he was going to succeed, he had to receive one like-minded as him. If not more coordinated.

They entered into an open area, the group spreading out to tiled lines. He floated around the player's to a checkered tally mark, looking around for anything going on. Was this where the games were going to be? It's too crowded to do any activities. A speaker screeched through the room, a female voice presenting themselves.

"All players, please hold still while the process is proceeding."

Odd, they hardly started with the events yet, he thought to himself. Maybe they were playing, Simon says. Yeah..yeah that has to be it. Keep to the tiled lines and he’d be good for the next round.

A static hum pierced the room, the ceiling shifting as rods lowered toward them. A spark ran through the tiled floor, his feet locking in place. "This is one weird game of Simon says!" He struggled to free himself.

"What the hell is this?!" A shout came from a player, Jmaes looking towards the front row. They bucked at their legs, his socks dragging to their ankles, but still remained stuck.. The knob above illuminated an orange glow, a bolt striking them as they vanished into a pile of clothes..

James' eyes widened, the other players sharing the same gaze. "What the hell?"

A barrage of bolts erupted from the ceiling, clothes flying in waves as player's vanished from sight. He looked to the players tugging at their shoes, himself doing the same as the bolts grew closer. Scowls and yells filled his ears, orange flashes drawing closer with each blink he'd take. He looked to the ceiling, the knob above glowing brighter before a bright flash engulfed him. Electricity erupted through his body, his limbs shriveling as if gravity itself was squeezing upon him.

The room, the very players around him expanded with the ceiling, clumps of his own tank top toppling over him as he struggled to get free. "What the hell is going on?!” he struggled from the net of his own clothes, floundering in efforts to escape from beneath.

Yells continued from behind him, growing more faint as the flashing bolts above drowned them out. As if on cue, the last bolt struck the back of the room, an eerie quietness filling the air. James managed to find an opening in the fabric shoving it away to gaze at the hills of clothes resting around him, the knobs still simmering as smoke flowed over them..

"What the..why's the room so big?" He asked, looking at the clumps of clothes around him. Movement stirred from the pile before him, grunts and moans resonating.

Players rose from their clothes like zombies coming back to life, their body not even the size of a tac compared to their full size. Commotion stirred around them, wondering what had happened, and why it happened. But they fell short, when an alarm rung from the end of the room, a metal door opening.

"Process complete, please proceed to the other room." The announcer spoke, players still confused as they looked amongst each other. With little choice, they moved through the door to the dark hallway, James included as they moved to another room.

There was another line next to them, the other players who traversed through the other door. Their forms were like titans compared to them, casting shadows over their smaller counterparts. Chatting ensued amongst the groups, but were interrupted when staff moved to the two doors off to the wall.

"You will be assigned based on two capsules, you will be assigned based on the syllables you chose for your name." One of them said.

The floors glew as it flashed toward the doors, the staff escorting the lines inside as they capsules took them individually through the walls. Their partners were chosen by their syllables, he ran through his mind. Easy enough, he just had to pick one. When his turn arrived, the capsule opened before him as a screen lit up along the side. He sat down as the capsule closed, gears turning around him as he looked towards the screen.

Two syllables popped up before him. 'RK' rested along the left side of the screen, flashy with a gold lighting. "That better not be who I think it is.." He groaned, tapping the screen for more info. Not a profile picture to be found, only a description of their hobbies. Football? Wrestling? Definitely sounds like Rich to him. That meathead always did like sports that dominated others. He wasn't going to make that mistake.

He moved over to the syllables on the other side, 'SC'. This one was competitive, does whatever it takes to win. He could use that to his advantage. Having a mind like that would give him just the boost he needs to get that prize. Without haste, he clicked at the syllables, the capsule moving as he rocked in place. After moments of shifting, it opened to two rooms resting along the walls. A staff member waiting for them.

"Welcome contender, your assigned partner will be arriving momentarily." They said.

They haven't came yet?, must've taken longer to choose than he did.

He walked over to one of the benches along the door, waiting with the staff as they watched the door. Moments later, two panels arrived from the walls, the smaller capsule opening first as a tiny stepped out. They shared greetings with one another, before waiting at their assigned doors. The second capsule opened, a slender giant walking out as he made his way to the staff.

"Is this the rooms?" He asked, the staff nodding in confirmation.

This must be his partner. Average build, tall, he fits the description perfectly. "Hello there!” he approached the giant,extending a hand toward him. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you!”

The giant looked below, smiling as he bent a knee. “Hello there, little guy, it's a pleasure to meet you too.” He extended a finger, James shaking it by the finger nail. I take it you’re part in these rooms too?”

“Definitely! And it’s even better now that you're here.”I’m James, and I tell you and I are going to be great partners.” "James huh? I can tell you got some motivation in you." he said. "But I don't think we're partners in these games."

"You're not? But your syllables are 'SC' right?"

He tapped at his nametag, tilting it from his sticker. RC was under the name. "No, I’m Ryan Corcher. RC for short."

His heart sunk into his stomach, knocking into the chair. "No way..If your syllables are that, then that means…"

Another capsule came from the wall, bangs lingering inside as the hinges creaked to support its weight. It hissed open, a meaty foot stepping from the steam before the rest came out. It was Rich, his body glistening as if it was bathed in oil. "Finally out of this stupid thing."

“Ah, you must be Skull Crusher.” the staff member said.

“Might as well be after sitting in your soup can," he replied. “Damn thing’s worse than the lobby.”

James widened his eyes at the sight of his bully "Rich?"

"Hmm?..Well, if it isn't Termite." He stomped over. "This is certainly a surprise."

"Now that the contenders are here, you are free to explore your assigned rooms." The staff said, the doors opening behind them. Bowing, they took their leave to doors beside the walls.

James tugged their cloak. "Switch me! I refuse to be paired with the likes of him!"

"There will be no switches, once partners are selected, they will continue to be. All who do not have a partner, will be eliminated." They yanked their cloak from his grasp, disappearing behind the door.

"But..but.." The ground shook beneath him, toes peering into his peripheral. He turned around the brute’s beaming face, hands wiggling from his waist as he plucked him into the air.

“So you’re my partner? Hah, this must be my lucky day.”

“No!..I didn’t mean.. I-”

"Guess you're seeing me again after all, Termite. In fact, you're going to be a lot of me from now on." He shoved the door open, taking the two of them inside. His hand swung through the air, thrashing James like a ragdoll as he made his way to a bed resting against the wall. "Nice digs, could do without all the flowers though." he stepped along the side of the bed, noticing a smaller one next to the wall. “Oh, and it comes with a bed for little squirts.” He loomed closer to it, flattening the mattress underfoot. ”You won’t be needing that. You’re going to be sleeping with me.”

He tossed James to the pillow, his legs stumbling against its soft form before he tumbled to the rest of the bed. "Easy will ya, I'm not exactly.." The space grew dark as the giant's backside hurtled toward him, jumping to the foot of the bed as he bounced onto one of his thighs. "Squishy.."

Rich chuckled as he got himself comfortable, peeling the flattened mattress off his foot. "Okay Termite, here's how things are going to go. Rule number one, what I say goes, no exceptions. Two, your space is my space. Follow those, and I'll make sure you at least keep a pint of your share. Got it?

And here it goes, taking over the place like he always does. He wanted to high tail and just forget about the prize, but then he'd be back to square one. There's no telling wherelese he could go for the money, let alone a stable income. He had to sit this through, at least until the games were done.

The brute’s sausage fingers snapped together. "Oi! You listenin'!"

He took a breath, standing atop of his thick thigh. "Yes, I heard you."

"Good, now that that's out of the way" he rocked his thigh, sending James between his legs. He scooped his scrotum in one hand, lifting them to the air as the moist bag of skin dropped to the bed. Any inches further and it would've flattened. "Being cooped up in that capsule made me all itchy. Make yourself useful and give my balls a good scratch."

"Oh for the love of-" a palm reached behind him, scooping him into the bulk of the brutes testicles. Its skin was as worse than it looked, slime secreting into his as if the very skin itself was melting. He shuddered at the moist sensation, flailing against Rich's grasp.

"No point in being shy, termite, take in all of it."

"Alright alright!" He pushed himself off, sticky strands of the substance peeling from him. He looked to the greasy genitals that flexed in front of him, holding his breath as he massaged over the clammed skin. He winced as his palm glided over its surface, like watered down dough as it secreted more sweat into his palms.

His moans reverberated through his body, his legs spreading wider as his cock drooled over James. "Yeah that's it, both hands now. I don't want no slack."

"Ugh, why does it have to feel so soggy.."

"Hah, if you think that's soggy just what til I blow my-"

"Not the information I want to hear!"

It had only been a night since he stayed with Rich, and it was already proving to be a living nightmare. The amount of sweat the man brewed and phenomenal, no amount of soap he applied would wash away the ever lingering stench soaking his hands. Throughout, Rich’s demands grew worse. Teeth cleaning, foot massages, It was maddening. It was only when midnight arrived that the brute grew drowsy, James slipping away to the outskirts of the kitchen. The pantry worked for a few hours, but was ineffective when it came to the brute's hungering stomach. his heart nearly skipped a beat as gorilla arms raided the cans stacked inside, almost taking him with it if not for the safety provided by the staff.

He thought he’d have time to make an escape to the other side of the room, but barely hit the carpet of the living room before he was wrapped by a fist, his world blinded by frowsty flesh as the world went dark. The rest of the night was a blur, by the time he knew it was morning, the bells of the speaker ringing through the room..

"Mmm..wha?" He groggily rubbed at his eyes, a stinging sensation lingering in them. He reached off to the side for a blanket, his palm meeting warm damp skin as he yanked it back. He squinted an eye to scan his environment, a valley of flesh spreading to a dimmed lighting above. And behind him, puckered flesh as it winked in place. "Ah…right."

The bell grew louder, its blares now riveling a tornado siren. He stumbled along the flesh bed, struggling to flip himself to crawl himself out. "Of all the places to put me, it just had to be here." He pressed his foot into a meat pocket, its flesh plonking as he kicked against it, snores echoing through the chamber. "Hey! Wake up!"

"Mmm.." A groan replied, the muscle around squeezing into him. His face reached his knees, his back aching as he shoved the tender muscle away. Spreading a gap for himself, bubbling lingered beneath him, the star of muscle quivering in place.

a smaug of gas heated his body, pressurized air dragging him forward before it bursted into the opening of the flesh. "Ah gross!" He cursed, squirming from the fowl smell. Another blast erupted, the walls squeezing him to his belly. He crawled against the damp flesh, climbing to the dimming lighting as he fanned at the bushes of hair shielding it. Gas hissed from below, the hairs absorbing its heat as his nostrils flared..

He punched a patch of the bushed hairs, sticking his head out from as he gasped at the open air. The ceiling welcomed his sight, the hills of hairy muscle climbing to the horizon of Rich’s back.. He scoffed at the sight, the bastard’s still sleeping, typical. He wrestled the strands of hair wrapping his neck, shaking himself around. "Hey! Wake up already! Hello?"

The snores became disgruntled, the mass of flesh moving in a wave. "Wha?..Who turned on the alarm?" Rich rubbed the slobber from his lips, the massive backside tilting to the bed sheets.

"No no, wait don't-!" it crashed on top of him, wedging him back between into the mounds embrace.

"Morning already? I thought the events weren't til later." He questioned, bubbling lingering in his stomach. "Nah, all this gas is getting me irritated. Where the hell did I place that termite?" He squeezed in on himself, the sheets beneath him warming as carbon met his nose. Wiggling soon caught him attention, resonating within his crack before it climbed to his balls. A small lump appeared between his testicles, Jame's small head popping out from beneath its weight. "Oh heh, Right, that's where I put you."

"Would it kill you to lay off the fibers?"

"Fibers is what separates the alphas from the betas." He lowered a hand to one of the orbs, squishing James between them. "You know, you don't look so bad from up here. Like a third testicle."

The bell rung from the speaker, a microphone blaring through it. "Attention contenders, we will begin our games shortly. Our first game will be a foot race. Please head to your doors, your equipment shall be awaiting for you.

"Equipment huh? This should be good." He got from the bed, walking through the living space toward the door.

"Hey-grh! I'm not looking to be tenderized here."

"Quit, your complainin', I’m barely squishing you!" He opened the door to a box sitting along the front, bringing it inside.

James wheezed as the giant stood in place, wiggling between the furry taint as he tumbled to the floor behind him. "Finally.."

"Wonder what's in it." He shook the box, a light shuffle answering inside. Opening the box, he became puzzled. A single string would reside inside, tape resting along with it. "What is this art and crafts? This barely counts as equipment."

"Leave it to you to judge things by their size."

"What you say?" He growled.

The speaker rung once more. "By now you've seen what's inside the box. For today’s challenge, you are tasked with racing with your little partners. You are free to place th wherever, once ready, report to the track."

"A foot race? with a piece of string? What idiot would decide to go along with.." Giggling lingered from above, Rick plucking the string from the box. "Rich?"

"Anywhere we want huh? Oh that's an opportunity I just can't pass up."

"Rich? Don't even think about it."

"You heard the announcer, we gotta get you ready." He ringed the string between his fingers, straightening its thread. "Come here."

"Wait a sec! Can't we talk about-ah! Hey!.Grh!..easy!"

Along the outskirts of the campus, participants waited for the staff to prepare the event for the day. talking amongst themselves, cheering came from the bleachers behind them, Rich marching toward the crowd. "Alright! Let's get this win streak on the road!"

He approached the crowd, marching his way toward the of the line. Swinging between his legs, his balls tossed around, crashing into his thighs with each stride he'd take. And tied to them, would be James, his feet bound to the bulky sack as his hands wrapped around the head of the cock. "This is so embarrassing.."

"Hey, you should be thankful for getting the honor of being this close to me." Rich fondled at the string. "Most wimps would drool at being a cock ornament for yours truly.

James groaned at the response, swaying from one thigh to the other as Rich looked to the groups around him. As he looked at the surrounding competition, James looked to to tines secured to their bodies. He spotted a few wrapped the giant’s arm, wrapped around their necks like a bracelet. He was somewhat jealous of their position, He’d take being a necklace than being strapped to the source of Rich's jewels.

A whistle blew from one of the staff members. Meanwhile, others herded the other players and gathered them to the starting line.. "Welcome contestants to the foot race. You will be tasked to finish one lap around the track. Those who cross the finish line will move onto the next rounds." The announcer said. " However, if you lose your partner along the way, you will be eliminated, and sent home."

The crowd looked amongst each, chatting as some tugged at the restraints of their tiny partners. James looked to Rich, who eyed the other contestants. He could almost sense the fire burning inside from his wide stare, his smile growing wider by the second. No doubt fantasizing how he can decimate his competitors. At the most, at least he had the muscle to carry the two of them. And the sooner he could get away from his cock the better.

The contenders aligned at the starting line, readying themselves for the race ahead. He watched as the thighs bulged up, Rich's toes pressing into the rubbery track.

"Remember, our goal is to reach that finish line with both of us intact." He spoke to Rich.

"Yeah yeah, Termite I got it. This competition is as good as mine."

"Ours."

"That's what I said."

James rolled his eyes, looking to the corner of the track as a staff member held up a white flag. They raised it to the air, the other giant's responding as most took a track star's stance. Whipping the flag, the players were off.

Richrushed with a burst of strength, knocking into the shoulders of other players as he advanced through the crowd. Gravity yanked against the restraints, forcing James to cling against the clammy as the sack thrashed around. It was like riding an aggressive bull, sending the world into a blender as the ground and sky tossed around. The crowd turned around the end of the track, Rich turning with them as they ran to the opposite side.

Tinies tumbled from the side of giant's next to him, rolling like tumbleweeds to the back of the crowd as their partners slowed down. He looked to the cock above, a greasy substance drenching his back. Sweat secreted from Rich’s skin, eroding the thin fabric holding James up. "Rich, you might want to slow down, the string’s starting to slip!"

"Slow down?! Fat chance, this competition is all mine." He increased his speed, bulldozing his way through two racers in front of him. They grinded shoulders, the tinies secured to the arms smothered by their biceps.

"Get your own lane!" The racer to the left of him yelled, shoving into Rich's body.

"Nah, I like this one better." Rich replied.

James couldn't see their faces from the cockhead cushioning his head, their rocks thrashing more aggressive than the very thighs grinding together. The sweat at his back grew thicker, the tangy taste of salt meeting his lips. his left arm came undone, his feet shaken off from his balls as they swayed. With another thrash, he was dropped from the cock, clinging to the string tied to the head of the cock as he flew behind the brute like a flag carried by a plane.

"Rich! A little hand here!" He shouted, twirling in the wind.

He and the other player continued to bicker, palms clutching at the other in efforts to gain the advantage. Rich managed to land a palm to the racer's face, clipping the string of his partner's restraints. "Looks like you got important things to worry about." He shoved his arm away, the tiny smothered between them cast to the wind.

The racer stopped in a panic, bumping into the racers behind. "You bastard!"

"Sucker!" He responded, trucking through the rest of the crowd. He came neck and neck with the one next to him, crossing the finish as he pranced around the props. "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about baby!"

His cock flung forward, James yelping as he splatted against his pecs. "Are you out of your mind?! I could've fell!"

"Oh yeah, forgot you were down there."

"What part of intact did not understand?"

"Oh don't get pissy, you're still tied to me aren't you?"

The speaker rung, the announcer speaking through it. "Congratulations to the winners of the event, those that managed to cross the line, shall move to the next rounds."

James sighed in relief. Thank goodness, he still had a shot in all of this.

"This concludes the first event, please return to your cabins and await for the next rounds." The crowd dispersed into their own separate pathways, taking to the doors entering the east wing of campus. Rich followed them back to his cabin, other players scolding the two of them as he paraded his victory. "That's right, wimps. Hang those tears high and dry."

"Speaking of hang, would you mind putting me down?" James interrupted, clinging to the chest hairs. "Oh..I feel like I'm gonna hurl."

"Ugh, well don't do it on me." He flicked James from his chest, watching the tiny fly through the air before he swung between his legs. "Ah, that's better."

"This is completely worse!"

"More complaining, why don't you swing for a while. Catch some air" he snorted.

The aftermath of the first game dragged on for the two of them, Rich returning to the cabin. A prize waited for them along the table, a dish of ice cream with sweets toppled along the frosted dessert. It was a token for their efforts, but to Rich, it was just his light snack. James watched as he wolfed down the ice cream in the blink of an eye, only receiving tiny droplets of the vanilla that managed to evade his lips. Its sugar dosing over his taste buds was enough to satisfy him, anything to get the sour taste of sweat from his mouth. But it proved short lived, when Rich demanded his tribute from his partner.

The following was more active compared to the first event, the staff ushering the members around the campus like a herd of sheep for the public to catch a glimpse of their wondrous contenders.Throughout most of the week, the staff had them do Q&As with fans, but the games soon commenced once more, as they were gathered a spot on campus.

Find the flag, was Thursday's game. The giants had to stash a tiny flag in a spot where their opponents couldn't find them. The tinies of the group, himself included, were tasked with finding the flag somewhere along the other giant’s body. It was a simpler task than what they prescribed, most of the giants hid them in common spots behind their ear or in their hair. At least that’s what it was for the giant he was assigned to search. He felt sorry for the ones paired with Rich, each of them searching from toe to ear lobe for the flags. But they weren’t finding those, less they want a wrestling match with his asshole. He could still feel the slime on the corners of his fingered, he prayed no one would have to endure that kind of stress. By the time the game was up, 40 contestants were left after the game, he and Rich included as they returned back to the cabin.

Battleship. He winced at the very thought of it as he saw through the campus's swimming pool. Giants were assigned inflatable tubes, tasked with knocking tinies off of their floaties. It was a shark’s game, that much he could tell. Rich was over the moon for it, bulldozing the sides of his own float as the contestants were tossed or flipped over. The brute nearly took him with it if he stayed near the edge. By that time it ended, 20 were left in the pool, soggy and tired as they floated to the stairs. But not Rich, he barely had his fill during the match, and wanted some quality time with his partner. The little guy would never look at cannon balls the same after dodging his attempts to land on him.

The remaining rounds of that week were trivial, guessing games to say the least aside from your basic jeopardy. It was a strong suit that Jqameses held so highly, his education in the arts of science were mere cake walks compared to his fellow contestants. At least to those except Rich. He got an earful of his protests in him taking up the spotlight. Leave it to him to heckle over using your brain rather than muscle.

Before the two of them knew it, the final week was upon them, four contestants including themselves were left to participate. It's been hours since they played the last games, let alone announced anything. What were they planning?

A loud scoff pierced the air, Rich slouching over the couch. "All this sitting around is so lame. Come on, I want to smash some heads!"

"They said to be patient, Rich. They're probably preparing."

"Preparing my boredom more like it. Those pinheads are lucky they weren't stomped on like those losers in the rounds." He tossed his weight along the sides of the arm, his feet lifting off the edge to the counters. "Speaking of, rubs. Now!"

He rolled his eyes at the demand, stumbling toward the massive stompers. He rubbed his hands into the center, its meaty flesh squishing beneath his palms. They flexed eagerly, their weight almost spilling on top of him. "Ooo, that's better. All this running around has got me beat. The big prize better be worth it."

That makes two of us, James thought silently. He continued to massage against the tender feet, adjusting to its weight as he shoved them back to the air. But he stopped when a knock came from the door, drawing their attention.

"Huh, who's that?" Rich moved to his feet off the edge, sweeping James along with it as he stamped him into a foggy footprint on the tiled floor. He answered the door to one of the staff members waiting for them. "About time, I was about to trash this place. What's the next round, wrestling? Tackling?" He rubbed his hands together.

"Not yet, preparations are currently underway. But I bring news of your current arrangement."

"Oh really?" James said from the floor, cracking his back. "And what might that be?"

They pulled a document from their cloak. "For the final game, you two shall face off for the prize. Only one of you can succeed."

There was a moment of silence, James and Rich looking at each other. Not a moment later, a smile creeped along Rich's mouth, cackling out loud at the news. "Wait! Wait!..you want me..t..to compete with him? Like this? Ahah! What is he going to wrestle my pinky or something."

"The details will be discussed when the time comes. For now, you have been assigned for a separate room while we prepare." They ushered a hand toward the hallway.

He snickered before marching behind him. "And here I thought this day couldn't get any better. So long, termite, I enjoyed the pampering while it lasted." he and the staff member vanished into the hallway, leaving James alone at the front door of his room.

He was on his own, just as he was before he joined the event. his heart raced at the thought of it all, facing off Rich in this small form? it was suicide. How do they expect him to even pull it off? He fanned at the air, his body heat rising by the second. he had to head outside, he couldn't think straight in the conditions he was currently in. He ran to the outside crosswalk, Rich's words ringing through his mind. He gasped in the cool air, hyperventilating at the very thought of what It would mean if he'd lost, what it'd mean for his future.

He followed along the crosswalk to a bench resting beneath a tree, sitting on a used cup resting at its leg. He stared at the moon in the night sky, hoping its beauty would wisp him away from this unfortunate predicament. "What am I gonna do now?" he muttered into the air.

"Hey there." a louder voice came from the side, it was Ryan, a water bottle in hand as he sipped at its straw. "What are you doing out here so late?"

He wiped the sweat from his brow, turning to the buildings behind him. "Oh uh..nothing. Just needed some fresh air."

He nodded softly, lowering the straw from his mouth. "I see, so you're in the slumps too."

"Is it that easy to tell?"

"I know that phrase anywhere, it's one I often find using myself." he moved toward the bench. "Mind if I join you?"

he paused at the thought, looking to the cement before looking to the sky. With a light sigh, he nodded softly, Ryan sitting along the bench as the two of them stared into the sky. Silence lingered between the two of them, the giant’s gaze shifting from the sky to the little guy.

"So what's on your mind."

"It's..a long story."

"I'm all ears, we've got plenty of time before we go anywhere. Most of my time is usually with my..: he paused for a moment, tapping at his shoulder. "Partner."

"So you're separated from your partner too. I'm in the same boat." James rolled onto the cup. "MIne left me the second they announced it." he looked to the sky, letting out a deep sigh. "How am I gonna get through the final challenge when I'm barely bigger than his toe? I might as well forget about the funds for my degree."

"Don’t say that" a palm brushed against the side of the cup. "You may not have the muscle compared to giants, But you don't seem to see how strong you are.

He wiggled a finger for James to hop on. Puzzled, he obliged as he moved to the middle of his palm, watching it hover him toward the smooth chest, walking along the crosswalk back to the dorms. "I am?"

Ryan simply smiled. "I think so, just look around you. you managed to get this far without the use of muscle. your wits, your determination, I saw it all when it came to the last few rounds. "

James looked to his palms, reminiscing on the games he participated in. Rich's brute force filled most of his thoughts, but the more he listened to Ryan, he highlighted the moments he shined best. Trivia, find the flag, it was all on him to pull it through. "Yeah but..what if this next round I fail? what will happen then?"

"I don't know, we'll just have to see." he arrived at his dorm room, lowering James to the opposite door. "Afterall, if we're both gonna have a shot at getting into careers, we might as well endure to the end right?" he held a fist to the air, lowering it in front of James.

he was looking for a higher education too, he thought to himself. He looked to his palm, balling his fist as he tapped it against his. "Right."

Ryan nodded, getting back to his feet before he moved to his door. "Good. then whatever lies ahead, just know we'll give it our all." he pumped his arm, heading into his room as the door shut.

James returned to his room, his mind still processing the conversation. Ryan was right, he managed to get this far because of his endurance to persevere. Being Rich's plaything blinded him of that realization. He let him walk all over him in the past, but no more. He was going to win this thing, or go down swinging.

It took hours before the finals were prepared, lights shining from the gym as staff members worked along the pillars. After a night's work, they were finally ready as they fetched the final contenders. James followed the members to the entrance of the stadium, crowds of people lined up for their tickets, cameras flashing from photographers as he moved inside. It reminded him of their old basketball games. The booming music from the speakers, the heckles from people in the background, it was refreshing to the least.

He made his way backstage, peeking from the curtains to the wave of people in the stands.. "There's so many here? "How many people were watching us?"

"Don't be so surprised, these mooks eat up these things for breakfast." the tiny next to him said. "they can watch for all I care, it'll make it all the sweeter when I win the prize."

"I wouldn't get too confident, pal. it's all about endurance."

"Whatever, I’ll dish out whatever those chumps throw out. I didn't come this far just to go home with nothing."

Chattering came from one of the staff member’s earpiece, music beginning to play as they ushered James and the other tiny toward the curtain.. "We've got a special show for you all tonight!” the announcer said. ‘You’ve seen the many hardships of our valiant contenders. Each have given it their all this past week, but now, only four remain. Are you ready to see who shall come out on top?!" Roars came from the crowd, sending a force toward the announcer. “That’s what I like to hear! Then without a further ado, let’s give it for our contenders!”

the curtains drawed, James and the other tiny following the red strip that connected to a boxed dome in the center of the stadium. From the other side, another set of curtains drawed, Ryan walking through them as he waved to the crowd. And the other, Rich, roaring to the surrounding as he basked in their cheers. The way they eat up his praises, it was beyond excruciating with how much they fed his ego. But he wasn't going to let him bask in it for long.They made their way into the ring, the two of them coming to their feet.

"Well well, surprised you haven't chickened out yet.” Rich said. “ I bet those little legs of yours are just shaking to run away."

"Oh they're shaking alright, shaking to leave you in the dust."

"Oh ho, you got some balls thinking you can play with the big boys."

the announcer road toward them, a pamphlet in hand. "Save the banter for the crowd gentlemen, the games are about to start!" he took a lap around the stadium, gathering cheers from the surrounding crowd. making his way to the other side, he rode onto a stage set near the exit doors. "Hold onto your butts folks, we’re venturing into treacherous waters. For our final game, it will be..truth or dare!"

Truth or dare? how is that a competition? the stage dimmed around the four of them, a panel opening from the top of the dome. it's colorful flashes illuminated the area like a disco ball, symbols dancing along its squares as it lowered half way.

"We got a special one for you ,contenders, our fans love watching you face off in the games, that they've come up with a few games of their own." the panels of the box lowered to the four of them, a pocket of letters handed down to them. James looked inside his own, tossing the papers flipping through the paper.. He recognized a few of the writings from his old classmates, this could give him something to use, but most of them were based on truths rather than dares. giggling came from Rich, his face digging into his bag like a kid with a sack of candy.

"What's got you all giddy?" James asked him.

"Oh you'll see."

the announcer took to the console, the light dimming as the spotlight danced around them. "let's kick things off, you are to eliminate the other players. they either have to give up, or not meet the requirements of the chosen tasks. With this, we shall receive a selection from.." the spotlight slowed down landing one of the giant’s. "Ryan!"

He nodded as he dug into his box, pulling a slip from inside. "Okay then. I have a truth for you all. 'Have you ever said something nice without hesitation?"

"Yes"

"Definitely yes."

Rich rolled his eyes at the thought. "Oh please, of course I did."

The lighting turned red, a tally marking on the scoreboard beneath Rich's name. "Ooo, sorry Rich, but it seems that was false." the announcer said.

"What? you're kidding me!"

Not surprised at the slightest, James thought to himself, he wouldn't know a kind word if it bit him in the ass. The lighting swirled once more, flashing overhead. it slowed down its speed, hovering over Rich. He grinned from ear to ear, marching toward his box. He plucked one into his palm, his gaze never leaving James.

"I've got just the dare you, termite. I recognize this handwriting from the boys. I dare you, to be a fart tester!"

damn it, not that one, he and his goons were relentless in the after meals back in the day. He barely had time to before he snapped a fingers, a staff member pushing a tray of balloons into the arena. He looked to Ryan who winced at the sight of them, before moving toward the table.

"A peculiar choice folks. What will the contender do with this, ‘termite’?"

"I’m glad you ask." he grabbed James from the floor, plucking a balloon in the other as he took to one of the chairs.

He wrestled between the meaty fingers, rolled into a ball before he was jammed through the rubbery opening. Rich guided the struggling tiny down the balloon’s neck, watching bounce as he flailed against the rubber walls. He presented his struggles to the crowd, before lowering it beneath him. "I owe my boys a thank you, all that cheese last night was just about to make its exit."

He pulled open his crack, jamming the rubbery end inside as the ring clamped upon it. The crowd grew silent as microphone hovered against his abdomen, bubbles filling the void as his stomach jiggled. the hole busted open, the balloon swelling as they eyed the dark spot beyond its red walls. The camera panned to shadow's dancing along the surfacing, a silhouette of James banging against the wall..

"Ah! it's egregious!" He yelled, coughing on its sulfuric scent.

"Don't let that nose burn out just yet. Dessert was about to say hello." the speaker shook as his stomach roared, widening his stance before pitching at the stem. Its exit sent droplets along the corners of the balloon, its form shaking as the inside became visible. It reverberated through the speakers as the crowd themselves winced at the sound, Ryan included as he looked away. The balloon expanded to its max, exploding as James catapulted to the other side of the dome. Rich arched proudly, tossing the torn balloon to the side. "tsk, can't even handle my own farts. might as well give up while you can."

James pawed at the floor, stumbling onto his knees before standing back up. "I'm not..giving up that easily Rich!" The chime rung through the arena, the tally mark updating as a point aligned beneath his name.

Rich balled his fist. "You're gonna wish you did."

The two were called back to the center of the ring, the light spinning around for the next contenders. This cycle went of for hours, each of them upping the stakes the longer it drawed on. James was managing by a few points, Rich closing behind him as the rounds went on. His arsenal were riddles with dares, all pointed toward him specifically before targeting the others. He looked to the clock as it ticked over the basketball hoop. 20 minutes, 20 minutes to get one of us to cave. It was a number’s game from here on out, he just needed to endure long enough to have the lead. A few minutes passed as another tally mark was added to the board, a shout coming from the other tiny..

"Nah! I can't take anymore of this crap!" The tiny said. "The hell are these fans even sending me? Secret hobbies? Dating life? This isn't a sim!"

"You are to use the fans' truth or dares, nothing more." the announcer said.

"To hell with that, these choices are almost worse than there's"

James placed a hand along his shoulder. “We’re all trying our best with the options we have, but we-” a hand swatted his away, the tiny facing toward him.

“Don’t try and be buddy buddy, you’re already up in the talley. If all else, I should try eliminating you!”

The light flashed as the tallies were updated, skipping over the tiny before landing on the other players circled. This time, it landed on Rich, who grinned at the opportunity. "God I hate it when shrimps bark up the wrong tree. But I’ll be damned if I let a punk like you rob me of the chance to crush him." He plucked a note from his box. “I’m taking a chapter out of the book boys, I’m taking this lint ball to the trenches.."

The trenches?! He won't survive a minute! He wanted to jump in to derail the brute’s path, but he brushed against his heel as he marched toward the tiny, Plucked from the ground, and toward his chest. “No Rich, not that!”

He only smiled. “Oh yes, that.”

He raised his arm as steam escaped from beneath, the bushes of hair ripe with sweat as they glistened like wet grass. With an assured wink, he jammed the tiny inside, slammed his arm back down with a messy squelch. The very sound made James shutter, a sense of remorse drawing for the tiny trapped inside those musky meats Rich called arms.

He grinded his shoulder against his side, muffled yells escaping from beneath as his arm squished on top of him. It was like he was being chewed upon, sweat oozing from the loose gaps like drool as it feasted upon its play. The bell soon rung for the timer, Rich giving the one last clench to feel the struggles before flexing his arm.

The tiny was spat to the floor, green fluid coating them as they gagged at the scent. "Please, you don't know the first thing of worse." Rich stood over them, watching as the little guy stumbled to his feet.

"I'm done." the tiny said. "This game is too crazy for me. You can keep the money, I'm out of here!" he flicked the sweat from their body, taking from the dome. The crowd booed, throwing cups at their small form as they climbed the ramp to the entrance.

"Folks, folks, there's no need to be in outrage, " the announcer rode around the stadium. "We still got plenty of action with three of our contenders. Let's turn those boos into cheers, and let's get on with the show!"

James watched as the tiny disappeared behind the curtain, before salty droplets trickled over him. “One nuisance down, and one more to go.”

The stage lights dimmed down, the lights flickering before to it's next chooser. it paused as it light shined upon the ring, casting its glow upon Ryan. James watched as he took a soft breath, taking to his box. Thanks to Rich's dare, he was at equal points to him. What was he going to choose to topple that brute's? He took his hand out from the box, turning toward Rich.

"I have a dare for you, Rich" he said.

"Oh, and just what might that be?"

"you're so keen on being top dog, let's see how you feel about being the underdog for once. I dare you to follow Jame's command."

James blinked at the thought, looking at Ryan in confusion. He shared a wink towards the little, before looking to Rich who's face twisted in place.

“You’ve gotta be shittin’ me, listen to the beckon call of a termite.”

He clenched his fist. “Not termite! My name is james! And you will follow my command, or say goodbye to your ‘prize’.”

He was caught aback, his fist raising to smash the little guy for his insolence. But he looked to the scoreboard, shaking his fist to his side before taking a knee. "You've got some nerve putting me in this situation."

James rubbed his hands together at the giant's submission. "I beg to differ, I think it's time for a get back for the little guy you forced to quit. Rich, I want you to jam your fingers into your ass."

the giant scoffed at the command, but obliged as he pulled the meaty cheeks apart. "Is that it? I've fingered my own hole before, termite."

"I wasn't finished. you are to shove your finger in your ass, and shove it up your nose."

his eyes widened before squinting. "Oh you've got some-"

"ah-ah, my command."

Rich growled at the response, a fire of rage lighting through his eyes. He removed his fingers from his cheeks, and brought them to his nose. to see his face scrunch at his own scent was a sight to behold, and it only grew better. He shoved his fingers into both nostrils, scoffing at the deed.

"good boy." James mocked the display. "Now give those a little twist."

he grunted in protest, but did as he said. His face scrunched, twisted his fingers deeper into his nostrils. Laughter from the crowd, watching as his legs quaked in place, his body swaying from side to side. interesting, it was like he was sniffing an ether rag, guess he wasn't as used to sniffing his own stink as he thought. The giant became drunk upon his smell, stumbling around the ring in a daze. James crossed his arms as Rich leaned on his back leg, tapping at the foot in the air as he crashed to the ground.

"Aww, I didn't say lie down, not a very good boy after all." he looked at the score as two points added to his name, a minute left along the clock.

"that was an interesting choice, way to handle it" Ryan lowered a fist to James.

He smiled as he tapped his own fist against his. "Wasn't expecting for him to fall over at the smell of himself, but I suppose that's a bonus. and we're tied too, if we play our cards right we can-"

chuckling came from the toppled brute. "So that's how it is, huh? You two are working together." he got up from the ground, his nostrils still flared from his backside. "That's just peachy, then I got just the dare for you Ryan.." the light shined upon him as he made his way toward his box, jamming his fist inside as the machine's arm jolted down. He took out a note, green stains marking it. "I dare you to join me in a good old fashion foot play, against James.”

the round began, the machine moving from between them to the air. James was taken aback by the response, he and Ryan sharing glances at the thought. The floor shook upon Rich's approach, two pairs of feet coming to either side of him.

"Don’t get cold feet now, teddy bear, aren't you going to team up with me in a stompfest?" he smirked toward him.. Ryan's gaze shifted from him to James, before laying his gaze to the floor. He took a step back, the light flashing red as his points depleted and were added to Rich's name. "hah, I knew it! you'd be way too soft to pummel such a defenseless tiny. unfortunately I don't share that sentiment."

his foot peeled from the floor, its skin glistening with sweat and grime as it hovered over James. he shared a glance towards the little guy, bloodlust filling his eyes before the foot came down. James turned the opposite direction, but he didn't get far before he was stamped into the ground. Rich lifted his foot to his heel, the camera panning to his stuck predicament against the pallet of his foot."Still think I'm a good boy now, Termite?"

He groaned as he peeled his face from the skin. "Among..other things."

"Still huh? then how's we go for a little walkie."

He placed his foot back on the ground, adding a little twist before he marched around the dome. stomp after stomp, he left footprints along the floor, Jame's muffled grunts lingering beneath every step. The crowd watched silently as he raised his arms toward them, the camera's lowering to catch a glimpse at the display. But the frames couldn’t pick up the slightest hint of his presence, tucked beneath the toes before they were covered by the floor. After moments of walking, Rich moved back to the chair where the balloons still rested, relaxing upon it as if he were at home.

he tilted his foot sideways to get a glimpse of James, smirking as he leaned on a knee. "How about now?" he wiggled his toes.

"y..ye.."

"Oh come on, you were so talkative a few minutes ago," he clasped his feet together, rolling him around like jam between his toes. "Come on, show the crowd just how much of a 'good boy' I really am." he listened to his feet rubbing together, focusing on the soft whimpers vibrating between them. After a moments of rubbing, he relented as James tumbled to the space between them, dropping to his knees. "Well?" he learned in closer.

James couldn't muster the words, choking upon them in efforts to balance himself, his head spun as the very crowd became blurred. Taking a step forward, he fell to the ground, the bell ringing around the dome. He looked to the scoreboard, the zeros replacing the time.”No, it can’t..end like this.”

Toes stepped into his vision, a heavy chuckle ringing in his mind. “Aww, and you were so strong. I guess once a loser, always a loser.”

The crowd cheered as the game came to its conclusion, the announcer cheering them on as they circled around the room. “What a game ay folks?! Our valiant contenders gave their all to the bitter end. But now, only one remains. And now, it is time to announce the grand prize!” flashing lights came from the stage set, a panel opening from the floor as a metal box stood from it. “Come on down, champion of the game show!”

“It feels so good to be a winner.” He stepped over James, dandriff flaking upon him as he left the dome. James turned weakly as Rich climbed to the stage, crawling along the floor to follow behind.

A palm reached for him, picking him up from the floor and close to their chest. He looked up to see Ryan’s, concern and anger lingering on his face. “You did your best.” he said.

“Yeag, but enough.” James said, wincing at the thought. “ I guess we both aren’t getting that achievement.”

Music played from the speakers, the lights dimming to the stage as Rich approached the box. His grin grew wider the closer he got toward it, his fingers wiggling with anticipation as he grabbed the box. He pulled the lid apart, a golden glow shining from within. “Oh it’s glorious, it’s phenomenal! It’s..It’s!..” the light dimmed down, the inside of the box coming to view. The camera panned upon it, two slips of paper resting inside. “Paper?!”

James and Ryan stared at each other, before looking back to the screen. All this time, all this work, was for two slips of paper? Were they checks? A money orders?

“Not just any slips," the announcer assured. “These slips are endorsements for your efforts. They’re honorary scholarship tags for-”

“What kind of bull crap is that?! These things aren’t worth to get me a good blowjob! Where’s the mula! The cash!” he started to puff, looking at the box holding the said prize. His muscles tightened before he shoved it to the ground. “Can’t believe I wasted my time with this stupid thing! I'm going somewhere that has real cash.” he stormed off the stage toward the exit, the crowd booing at him from the stands. “Oh boo yourselves!”

“What just happened?” James asked.

“I have no idea.” Ryan said.

The announcer approached the fallen box, wiping his forehead with a tissue. “Well folks, that was an interesting turn.” they laughed, their palms still shaking. “But since first place didn’t accept the award, then it goes to second place. Give it up for…James!” the lights flashed upon the two of them, the two still confused about the whole debacle.

“Well, it looks like you won after all, little bud.”Ryan said, carrying him to the stage. He got to the steps, placing him upon the top. “I uh..I should probably get out of here.”

He made his way off the steps, but James clinged to his finger. “Where do you think you're going?”

“I.. well I-”

“I couldn’t have gotten this far without your encouragement. And I owe ya i bunch for that get back during the game. Come on, let’s get this prize together. winner”

Ryan paused for a moment, smiling as he walked along the steps. He guided the two of them upon the stage, the crowd cheering them as they approached the announcer.

“Let’s give it up for our winners!” the announcer said, holding the slips in hand as cameras flashed from the stands.

That following Monday, The event of the game had ceased as everyone returned back to their normal lives. It was good to finally have his size back again, being ground to earth was starting to get tedious in the long run. But he couldn't help but think of the merits that came along with it. He managed to scavenge enough money for an orientation at a university, to think they'd be a fan of the event, thank goodness he added that into his profile. He heard Ryan found a spot for himself somewhere up south, an academy where he could train for being on night patrol. He’ll have to give him a call to see how things are going sometime. With Rich, well, he wasn't so keen on getting biffed on the grand prize, but he's still prospering at his own job, or at least so he’s been barking about on social media . Nonetheless, the journey he went through was a rocky one, but in the end, it was surely worth it.

#shrink #gentle #musk #farts #feet

68 notes · View notes

chaoxfix · 1 year ago

Note

prompt 15,"did you hear me?" !

happy birthday friend!! may it be a fun filled day!

---

Tails has been glued to his communicator for hours now.

Occasionally, Sonic is sure that he’s taken a break to blink, maybe even to munch on the pile of snacks Sonic left next to him. But other than that, nothing.

Not that Sonic has been here the whole time, of course. Once he saw that Tails was busy, Sonic went on a quick jog through Emerald Coast to give him some time to finish up whatever genius invention he was cooking up. Oddly enough, no one was around anywhere near Emerald Coast, leaving him with plenty of time to catch up with some of his little animal friends. (They’re doing great, thanks for asking.) Station Square was just as quiet as Emerald Coast, too. A few people were out and about, so Sonic waved at a few people who didn’t seem to notice him. Kids, mainly, and focused pretty intensely on a video game they were playing. There were a few adults, too. Positively glued to their phones, those guys – but these days, it’s par for the course. Sonic usually gets a few of them to look up, though.

But by now, that was hours and a half-baked adventure ago. Now that Sonic’s back, he’s surprised to find Tails still exactly where he was, which is why he gets a strange prick of worry in his stomach as he thinks back through his trek through Station Square.

They couldn’t possibly be linked, right?

But… Tails isn’t even tinkering with something. Seriously, who is this kid, and what’d he do with Sonic’s little bro?

Sonic perches on the wing of the Tornado, watching and waiting for any sign that Tails has even noticed him.

Nothing. Not even an ear flick or a tail swish.

Man. Whatever he’s focused on, it really does have all his attention.

Enough is enough, Sonic decides – and skillfully hops down until he is instead perched on the coffee table. Toes teetering off the edge, but perfectly balanced.

To Sonic’s surprise, Tails doesn’t even look up.

“Earth to Tails,” Sonic says, moving closer. Tails doesn’t blink.

Sonic’s brows furrow. “Did you hear me?” he asks, stomach starting to sink. “Tails? Hello?”

He waves a hand in front of Tails’s face. Nothing.

Aw, man. This could be bad. Really bad.

Sonic blows through his teeth, flexes his fingers, and slowly reaches for the communicator. It’s silly, but he knows how much Tails usually booby traps his gear. Sonic should be bracing himself for military grade spy-work. Actually, maybe it’s not too late to loop in Rouge for this?

No, too late, already committed. Sonic steels himself, then yanks the device out of Tails’s hands.

For an instant, Sonic considers it a success because the device doesn't blow up the instant it leaves Tails's hands. However, it quickly tips back towards failure when Tails pitches forward, eyes rolling up in his head.

“Okay, worse, that’s definitely worse,” Sonic mutters. He sets the device down without looking at it – Chaos only knows what was on that thing – then sits down with Tails propped up in front of him. “C’mon, buddy, you awake yet?”

Tails’s ears twitch.

It’s probably not a good sign that even that is such marked improvement. Still, Sonic lets out a sigh of relief, then scoops him up to hug him to his chest. “You’re gonna be just fine,” he says. “Just wake up, okay? Whatever’s going on, I’m gonna need some backup.”

That seems to do the trick.

Tails’s ears prick up, and he cracks one eye open. “Backup?” he says, voice sounding faint and far away. “What for…?”

Sonic laughs, half anxiety, half relief. He ruffles Tails’s bangs. “I’ll fill you in once you’re all there,” he teases. “For now, just promise me you’ll give screens a break until we figure this out?”

Tails glances up, where his communicator is sitting on the edge of the table, giving off a strange staticky sound. He looks tempted, suddenly, so Sonic waves a hand in front of his face to keep his attention. “Hey! Seriously, I just free you from that thing and your first instinct is to go back?”

Annoyed, Tails just bats his hand away. “Is this just another intervention on screen time?”

“It is when it’s actual hypnosis!”

Tails opens his mouth to argue – but closes it just as quick, lips quirking to the side. “...This whole thing better not have messed up my Minecraft session,” he finally grumbles, but doesn’t reach for his communicator again. To Tails's credit, he does still seem pretty out of it, and he's always a little grumpy when he first wakes up.

Besides, at least he's awake and talking again. Still, despite his relief, Sonic can't help but shake his head, a nostalgic look on his face. “You know, I think I actually predicted this a couple’a years ago…”

“No way, you don't get to claim that," Tails says, knowing immediately what Sonic's referring to. "You predicted we’d do this to ourselves naturally, and this is clearly Eggman tech.”

“I dunno…” In a flash, Sonic is upright, grinning with hands crossed behind his quills. “You get the same look on your face when you’re coding for too long.”

Tails scrunches his face up in an adorable pout.

Sonic just grins and pokes his nose. Then, he offers him a hand up, hoping Tails is feeling well enough to stand and get back out there. “Now c’mon,” he says cheerfully. “You’ve gotta help me prove your theory right.”

Tails only pouts for a second longer. But as always, he takes Sonic’s hand and pulls himself to his feet. It seems to shake off the last of the communicator’s hook on him, and once he's up, he stretches out and limbers up, already getting ready for an adventure.

“Okay,” Tails says, already looking much more alert. “You said hypnosis… How serious are we talking?”

“All of Station Square for the last couple of hours,” Sonic says. “That’s bad, right?”

“Yes, but…" Tails trails off, sounding confused. "You have a communicator of your own. Why weren’t you affected?”

Sonic rubs the back of his head. He definitely won’t admit that he almost never checks his phone unless someone calls twice. Instead, he glances to the beautiful day still happening outside the lab window. The bright, sunny, windy day he’s still itching to get back to. “If I have to guess,” he says with a playfully heavy tone, “I’ve just touched too much grass today.”

Tails punches his arm, and Sonic thinks he probably deserves it.

#sonic the hedgehog #tails the fox #miles tails prower #chaoxfix writes #chaoxfix chaoxfics

116 notes · View notes

kaaaaaaarf · 2 years ago

Text

🌒🌓🌔masterlist🌖🌗🌘

hello there! i'm karfy. this blog is 18+. minors dni.

ao3 / spotify / ask me

🌕The big three🌑

You want fluff & smut? I got you.

back when we were dinosaurs (4/4) - (E , 37.7k words, complete, wolfstar, fluff, smut, it's my fictional ode to Toronto) track it under the Museum tag.

Remus is the ROM's newest curator of the paleontological wing. Sirius manages the gift shop and has a dinosaur obsession. They are cute little nerds in love and sometimes they have sex in the archives

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

You want cunts to lovers? I got you.

Series: When You Open Your Legs (incomplete) - (E, 42k+ words, WIP, wolfstar, porn with an increasing amount of plot, aka my Hatefuck fic)

Love and hate aren't as far apart as you'd think. When Sirius meets famed rockstar Remus Lupin at a pub, they quickly become arch-enemies—and there's not much to do to but fuck about it.

1 Now I'm Spreading Your Legs (with mine in between) 2 I Got My Spoon (inside your jar) 3 touching me (touching you) 3.5 It's So Shameful of Me (I like you) - a Hatefuck b-side 4 The More You Ignore Me (the closer I get) 4.5 I Had A Dream That You Were Mine - a Hatefuck b-side 4.5 spilling drinks at the bar — a Hatefuck b-side

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

You want a dark comedy? I got you.

The Killing Time (unwillingly mine) (3/3) - (M, 17.5k words, complete, wolfstar, background jegulily, tw: murder) track it under the Murder Husbands tag.

Remus becomes the most prolific serial killer in modern history because Sirius is a slut and won’t stop getting engaged.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

🌕Other fics🌑

✨ no series 🌙 series: hatefuck extended universe 💫 series: the 6ix, or, there and back again 🌠 series: Useless Magic, B-Sides & Rarities 🔨 series: Love, Blood, and Wham: The Life and Death(s) of Remus J. Lupin

✨ check me out - (E, 5k words, wolfstar, university au, smut, written for the MWPProject 2024 Fandom Initiative)

Remus is suddenly sweating—not just because the library aircon seems to be broken, or because he has an eleven page paper that's due next week that he's pretty sure he’s getting zero help on. He's sweating because Sirius keeps looking at him like that—smirking at him from under his eyelashes, a feral spark to his eye like he's starving and Remus is a particularly appealing meal. He’s sweating because this gorgeous, frustrating man has just offered to suck him off in the middle of the library and he can’t think of a single reason to say no. He should be able to think of a reason to say no. He’s not gonna say no. “Uh, yes please.”

✨ i'm green, you're green - (G, 2.9k words, wolfstar, adaptation of Frog and Toad)

Once upon a time, not too long ago, there lived a Frog called Sirius and a Toad called Remus. They were neighbours in a beautiful garden. Oh, how they loved one another! They were the truest of friends. These are their adventures.

✨he's got that (hot) dog in him - (M, 1.2k words, wolfstar, hot dog eating contest crack)

✨ they call it the cockpit - (E, 6.4k words, wolfstar, airport smut, written for the SiriuslyHozierFest)

🌙 Rolling In The Deep - (E, 750 words, divorced wolfstar, crying during sex, hatefucking, porn with very little plot)

🌙 Only Get (My Rocks) Off - (E, 2k words, wolfstar, hoa violations as foreplay, hatefucking, porn with very little plot)

✨ soft like silk chiffon - (E, 1.8k words, wolfstar, remus in a silk slip) / inspired by this gorgeous drawing by @industrations

🌠 You Grew Tall (I Stayed The Same) - (G, 1.4k words, hogwarts era, wolfstar, fluff)

🌠 Savour It (I'm Tasty) - (M, 782 words+, wolfstar, sausage roll crack)

🌠 Ah-Ooh (werewolves of london) - (G, 1k words, hogwarts era, background wolfstar, hurt/comfort if the comfort was a piano)

🌠 Don't Be Scared (i love you) - (G, 1k words, wolfstar, post first wizarding war, hurt/comfort)

🌠 my blood is singing with your voice - (M, 750 words, wolfstar, horror, midsommar au)

🌠 In ár gCro��the go deo - (T, 1k words, wolfstar, irish remus lupin, older wolfstar)

🌠 I Knew Your Love Before I Knew Your Name - (G, 380 words, wolfstar, cowboy remus)

🌠 Here I Am (a rabbit-hearted boy) - (G, 664 words, hogwarts era, background wolfstar, wererabbit remus crack)

🌠 the day after tomorrow - (G, 641 words, wolfstar, post-war hurt/comfort, sirius as padfoot)

💫 imagine if I never met the broskis - (T, 1.8k words, wolfstar, hogwarts era, crack, toronto mans remus)

💫 oh, it's what you do to me - (T, 930 words, wolfstar, hogwarts era, crack, toronto mans remus)

✨ Nobody parts two rivers met (1/3) - (M, 1k+ words, wolfstar, angst) this is a concept fic based on Liz Phair's album 'Exile in Guyville'. track it here.

🔨 You better watch out, You Better Watch Out, YOU BETTER WATCH OUT (A Murder Husbands b-side) - (T, 1.6k words, wolfstar, jegulily, Christmas fic, Regulus POV)

🔨 taken by the blood moon (a murder husbands b-side) - (M, 1.4k words, wolfstar, Remus is an accidental cult leader)

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

🌕Playlists🌑

🎶 All of my playlists are available here. 🎶

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

🌕FAQ🌑

Do you take playlist requests?

Yes! I do!

Can I post your fic to Goodreads (or Storygraph)?

No! You may not!

Can I re-post your fic to third party websites, such as Wattpad?

I posted my work to ao3, and there it shall remain. You do not have my permission to re-post any of my works, or upload to sites like lore.fm.

Can I bind your fic?

As long as it's for yourself or as a gift to someone! It must be not-for-profit and please do not use an online (or irl) printing service. I also ask that if you do, that you reach out to me and show me the final product!! I would love to see your binds.

Can I translate your fic into other languages?

I would prefer it if you didn't. Please reach out to me if you want to talk about it, though. There may be certain circumstances where I'd be amenable, but you need to respect it if I say no.

Can I put your fic into an AI generator?

I can't believe I have to say this, but no. Please do not use AI in connection with any of my work. This includes using it to create art based on anything I have created. AI causes harm to artists and authors. Please be cool, you guys.

#pinned post #about me #masterlist #marauders #playlist #epicblueblanket #wolfstar

138 notes · View notes

faebriel · 1 year ago

Note

howl’s moving castle but rainduo (platonic ofc)

CRACKS MY KNUCKLES. hmc is such a Classic nonnie so i had to do a bit of thinking to get it right (well.... to get it right in my head. but i feel everyone here is familiar enough with my particular kind of rainduoisms by now) but i think the outcome is a fun one :] i'm just gonna put my thoughts into bullet points

now originally i wasn't sure who should be who (oh my little bottle blonde anarchist......) but i did decide to put wil in a howl ish role and niki in a sophie ish role on the basis of how hard howl weaves narratives around himself and how hard sophie does not GAF. that element of them stood out so much that i was like okay cool that's how we'll do it

so niki is doing something semi unfortunate with her life. NOT baking that's for sure. holding onto an empty shop for a long-gone (not that she admits that bit to herself) old friend, and she's quite lonely. and then after crossing paths briefly with the local dipshit wizard she gets cursed by a snooty ass witch of the waste (idk who this would be.... open to suggestions i suppose)

and wilbur is the least competent wizard ever :] why bother to stay in wizard school when you could mix your own potions and refuse any and all help out of pride and trade your heart away to a fire demon for some companionship?

(i'm taking this as another opportunity to spruik albatross wilbur btw i know the wings aren't as striking as sleek crow-black but - )

the fire demon in question is fundy, who sort of came into existence as a being with a personality and such after falling from the sky and receiving wilbur's heart. wilbur smothers him too much. there's not many other people he keeps around to smother. fundy wants out honestly

(oh and it's not super relevant but i think tommy is markl hehe)

so niki marches off to track down the wizard who she overheard the witch mentioned and... starts baking in his kitchen. okay a rainduo thing is being almost too familiar with each other let's be honest. but yes i think they latch onto each other quite quickly. niki is at first just looking to have her curse cured but being old and hanging out in the house with people who actually seem to give a shit about her is freeing in a way, no more getting tangled up in the politics of her small town as it lunges towards involvement in the war, etc. wilbur thinks she's fascinating.

as for the broader "what's happening in the world" perspective i was thinking it was something along the lines of the antarctic empire being at war with another power, drawing all of these small towns and microcountries along with it.... wilbur is supposed to go home to his family but he doesn't want to because he's afraid of facing the trail of small, easily destroyed countries left in his wake, he doesn't want to deal with phil's questions or the scrutiny that he expects from phil. instead, he tries to sabotage the war effort on his own from the frontline

so he keeps receiving letters from phil, but he can't bear to face him. solution? uh.... get niki to go lol. it's even on the grounds of a small country wilbur once ruled (niki had to squeeze this information out of him like a sponge, and she only heard an inkling of it thanks to fundy), now called manberg, which ceded to the empire in the war.............

surprise! it was actually schlatt trying to pull Some Bullshit as a revenge trick. he roasts the other witch and then almost sinks wilbur and niki into the Void but despite his tendency towards problem avoidance, wilbur steps in to defend niki and they just barely make it away. that being said, niki has learned a lot about her new friend through this adventure that he has not been willing to divulge himself, and it stings. why does he shut her out?

also notable: wilbur gives niki a ring inset with three diamonds to help her find her way home

the atmosphere in the castle is not fantastic after that, all their fun little memories bitter now. wilbur swings between talking freely about ripping the armies apart with his bare hands (claws? talons? that secret is out and he keeps evading all of niki's questions with nervous laughter and quips about monsters) and saying absolutely nothing at all. his suicidal tendencies are the elephant in the room that basically everyone else refuses to talk about, except his own too-grandiose and vague comments on the subject.

niki tries not to stew over feeling excluded. the lonelier she feels, the worse her curse gets.

wilbur takes her to a flower field, blooms rolling long into the horizon, and for a moment she thinks they might be fixing things. (she's so wrong)

through a series of mishaps (perhaps a visit from one of niki's friends..... i feel bad doing eret dirty like that though lmfao) henchmen start breaking into the house just as bombs fall upon the city. niki is put into overdrive to keep the castle from falling apart as the city burns around them. wilbur, who is already doing extremely too much flying around and causing problems in the midst of bombs dropping decides to go exacerbate the issue in an attempt to go out in a blaze of glory. unfortunately for him niki, fundy and tommy are all stubborn sons of bitches who will be extremely pissed if he fucking dies, so we pick up the castle and start moving

okay yeah i kind of think the rest of the story plays out not too differently from the movie? niki gets split up from her friends when the castle breaks down and attempts to kick a dent into a mountain when she realises she's alone again. unable to find wilbur himself, with the last bit of power from the diamonds he gave her she finds the doorway into his memories and sees the moment he and fundy met..... they were both very lonely. very sad. she shrieks out to both of them to look for her in the future

she stumbles out of the memory and finds a pile of feathers wilbur and woooo forehead kisses and wooooooo niki finds fundy again and puts wilbur's heart back even if it means they both might leave her again. BUT THEY DON'T even if they're not all in the castle 24/7 niki now has a few nice friends and is so submerged in that feeling that she doesn't even notice the curse breaking.

and the war ends!! and maybe they even talk about their hurts!! the hurts they carry and how they hurt each other!! and they keep on living!! and they all live best friendily ever after <3

#im sorry it took so long to get to your ask anon!! usually i like to wait until the hubbub around one au has died down before i answer more #to make sure each one gets its day in the sun yk #but apparently hunger games au is sticking around!#also i almost went on a Litany discussing like. fix its in relation to this kind of au for rainduo but its late so i refrained. but i think #its really sweet that you were thinking of this story and it made you think of rainduo nonnie hehe #anyway thank you very much for your ask!! <3 #asks #rainduo #aunonnies

19 notes · View notes

hmshermitcraft · 1 year ago

Note

For theme!

Prim, proper, well mannered that is all the things a future queen needs to be for the grimmlands…something gem absolutely appalls she’s not fit to rule a country heck half the time she just wants to stay in bed for a whole day reading manga or watching cartoons! But nooooo the Royal advisors aka the biggest pricks she’s known since childhood continue to try and turn her into the one thing she isn’t until one day it just breaks her. Now that wouldn’t be an issue normally but when your a wither hybrid who’s mainly ability is to cause death and decay around you at every corner by spreading wither rose bushes and vines you end up having the very messy situation of now there are a lot of injured people around her because said pricks pushed her over the edge.

She ran for weeks and weeks until she collapsed into the hermitcraft server where she was found by Pearl and Tango who took her to Pearls shack where gem woke up to being covered by Tilly and her many many puppies almost not going into panic attack until Tango calmed her down and asked for her name. And after some explaining to Xisuma why there’s a wither hybrid currently sleeping again Pearl’s dire wolf Tilly he made her a hermit because he’s dealt with idiots like that in the past and he knows they aren’t gonna let Gem go that easily so he asked Grian and False to get in contact with Joel and Scott to let them know if somebody from the grimmlands try and come to hermitcraft

For the past few months Gem felt…safe which was a weird feeling since she never really had a proper chance to relax to begin with back home since one slip up meant she could kill a city’s worth of people with her roses but no! Turns out those royal advisors lord to her about the lethality of her roses! She felt so angry and tired and scared that she just wanted to curl into a ball and be left alone forever. Luckily Pearl sat down with her and told her whole Scarlet Pearl fiasco and how she got over it. Granted it involved a lot of murder but still! And Tango told her how he got over feeling betrayed by his family from banishing him from the nether.

Gem felt comforted in a way knowing she wasn’t the only one who was hurt in the past eventually she learned she wasn’t even the most dangerous person on the server. What in hell do you mean Cleo petrified an entire kingdom with a single state?! Wait Grian can do what with his wings?! Safe to say a lot of her fears were gone well…until the Royal advisors came to try and “catch the monster”…well unfortunately for them they now had a very angry Xisuma to deal with.

(Ps love the blog!)

She does feel for her kingdom and her people, but she could never be the queen they wanted of her. Adventure is in her heart, and without the opportunity for that, she escapes through stories instead. She doesn't understand how anyone is supposed to always put on a strong façade. Day in, day out... If she thought too much about it she'd cry.

So, was it any surprise when she finally shattered under the stress and pressure of her role? The cracks had been appearing for a while. The hermits are always happy to remind her of this as well. She was always told to suppress her abilities instead of how to control and manage them, and that's not her fault.

Gem doesn't even hear about the hunt for her until it's already over. She's a little upset - she would've liked to give them a piece of her mind - but she knows Xisuma's right. It wouldn't help, it wouldn't give her the closure she's looking for. All it would do is make her angry. Prove the advisors right.

Pearl and Cleo spend the day with her once she's told, Tilly keeping them company. They braid flowers into each other's hair and they let Gem talk about her favourite books. It's not easy, but the twisted black vines are slowly crawling back down the walls, and Gem breathes a little lighter.

#hermitshipping #ask #gem tag #xisuma tag #grian tag #zombiecleo tag #pearl tag #polyhermits #death tw #murder tw #mod 🎀#weekly theme: hurt/comfort

32 notes · View notes

finite-breakpoints · 8 months ago

Text

a little too late (Angstpril 2024, #12)

Julia's been dreading this, as much as she hates herself for it.

"It's not like I'm gonna move across town or anything," Siv had said -- as reassuringly as he's capable of, which isn't always saying much. "But this project feels like it should be its own thing."

That was half a macrocycle ago.

He's not moving across town. Not even leaving the garage, really, just over to the new wing they've just finished. It's a well-designed space; bright and colorful and open, with those giant panes of mirror-glass windows along the wall.

About ten cycles ago, he'd finished moving his equipment over. About half of that crowded workshop now fits comfortably in one corner. A set of tools on the workbench, a few half-finished sketches pinned to drafting tables, several still-packed boxes.

"…So what do you think? Too much?"

He sounds like he's been overthinking this -- it's your shop, what I think about it doesn't matter; you were the one who decided you needed a whole separate space and an apartment to yourself--

Nope. Not going there.

"It's beautiful. Absolutely perfect for you, too." Julia cracks a smile. "Not a drawer in sight, huh?"

"Yori's idea. Should help me keep track of everything a little better." He shrugs nonchalantly, self-aware enough at this point to know better. "Should being the operative word there."

"Wouldn't count on it. You'd lose your own disc if it wasn't attached to you."

"Rude. But yeah, y'know what, I guess that's fair."

"She's not wrong! I've seen you lose datapads while they're still in your hand." Yori sets a box down on the nearest workbench, then raises an eyebrow. "Okay, look, this has been bothering me all cycle. Your hair's up off-center."

"Does it matter?"

"If you want to be seen with me in public, yes."

"…Alright, alright." Siv laughs sheepishly, reaching up to re-adjust the clip holding it back. "Better?"

"Slightly. --Do you want your light-sculpture stuff down here, or up in your office?"

"Uh… good question. I hadn't thought that far ahead."

"Office, then." Yori grins, clearly up to something -- Julia's seen that look enough from Siv to know it means trouble. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Just leave my tools alone--"

"No promises."

"Yori."

"I'm kidding. Don't burn out any circuits over it -- I know better."

"Sure you do." But he doesn't argue with her -- just rolls his eyes as she walks away. "Sorry. What were we talking about?"

"Nothing, really. It's fine." Julia shrugs -- when was the last time they had talked about anything that actually mattered? "It's been weird, not tripping over each other all the time."

"Yeah. A little bit. But we'll get used to it, and it's not like I'll never be around. I'll walk you back -- I'm pretty sure I forgot a datapad in your apartment."

It's just the other side of the garage, but it might as well be the other side of the Grid.

There are worse things than a stray datapad. The empty spaces, where the shelves used to be, that greet them when they walk through the door. The silence at the start and end of every cycle. The simple reality of this apartment being hers, not theirs.

"Heh. Go figure." And sure enough, there it is, sitting abandoned in the chair by the window. Siv picks it up, frowns at the blinking red charge-level light, and tucks it into his bag. "Thanks for the help. I'll see you later."

"No problem. And hey--"

He's halfway across the room now. Quiet exits, as always. "Hm?"

Julia knows this is a bad idea, but some stupid, impulsive part of her can't help it. You don't have to leave -- but it's a little too late for that, now. He's already gone, has been for half a macro -- on to the next adventure.

"…I love you," she says instead. So much. Enough to let you go. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah." He stops in front of the door -- really stops, not one of those five-tick pauses -- and offers her the smallest of smiles. "Love you, too."

He means it, in his way.

And then the door closes behind him.

#finite states prologue #julia #siv #yori #angstpril 2024 #breakpoints archive

3 notes · View notes

sleepingwithinkink2-0 · 3 months ago

Text

I tried to explain to my best friend what my brain is like, to better understand me. Stuttering trying to accumulate my thoughts , excited and yet worried .. I told him I would describe what my night time strolls are like..

(what goes through my head the moment I leave the house. I gave him a brief run down, no details)

Scattered

As my hand touches the doorknob a shock runs up my nerves and a thousand thoughts spark to life..

My adventure begins...

I could be murdered.

who: animal?

person?

What would I do.

Would I have a chance to fight,

Would it be quick...

All the true crime shows I've seen

Flash before my irises...

My head begins to reconstructed scenarios,

Taking bits and pieces of everything I retained in my life time...

Observing,

reading...

I open the door ..

As I m stepping down the stairs,

I think..

Someone's gonna grab me through the steps ..

" I hope I don't fall"...

What if I did...

More thoughts ..

More scenarios,

Chuckling to myself,

I never broke a bone

Curiosity now overwhelmes me ..

Trying to imagine the worst pain I've ever felt,

Would it be worst than that?

Finally I make it to the street...

Seems like hours passed by

Interesting how time flies when your

Not focusing ,

Thoughts pop up,

inconsistent,

randomly,

Walking the loop..

Wondering how my cracks I've walked across.

How many bugs,

Nearly missed the soles of my shoes.

How many people in the world are awake at this exact time ..

Am I real?

What is real?

Thinking about the intersection on South street, that connect pleasant Street and green Street... how much i hate it..

As I m walking I think of all the house,

Constructed differently

For a reason forgotten...

Everyone sleeping

Dreaming,

Vulnerable...

Trusting of their neighbors,

Believing in the Bible...

I wonder what the walls see.

I think of you ..

I periodically look at the stars,

In awe

I get frustrated and a little sad...

I feel like I missing some,

Because I wear glasses,

But they look beautiful,

Enthralled ...

Incoming///

Unrealistic thought:

I imagining sitting on the edge of a star,

With a net,

Trying to catch fallen stars .

shrinking the moment they touch the rim of the net..

So they fit in my pockets

So when I see you again,

I gave them to you...

I m walking:

I noticed my thoughts wondering... I try to focus on what I feel in the moment,

what I see,

What I feel ..

I focus on my breathing .

Thinking of the muscles and tendons,

The innards that keep me standing up.

How I don't have to remind myself to breathe..

and

there goes my fucking mind again,

Off on another tangent of thoughts.

Another escapade ..

Where do they all come from?

Does everyone else have so many thoughts,

Running rampant..

Course,

It doesn't last..

more thoughts pour in,

Like heavy autumn rain,

Sometimes they are heavy with negativity,

Sometimes their loaded with fantasy...

Others scientific,

Pondering a reason why something happens ...

Thoughts...

Thoughts..

Thinking of all the actions I committed today

Could I have said something different...

I think of you.

I wonder how many steps I've taken in my life and wonder if it is possible to create something that could, from your first steps,

Till the bitter end ...

I think of my parents ,

I worry about them all the time...

I haven't thought of food at all today, except in this one singular thought. Odd

Past,

Future,

This very moment... All exist at once.

I try to retrace my steps,

That brought me to this very street,

But the years don't line up,

Time seems distorted,

Yet the pictures' time stamps,

Prove the impossible happens,

All around us ,

In the tiny details

Forgotten on the wings of dragonfly..

I think how beautiful this September night is,

Snugged inside my nine ice kills sweater ..

Even with a tattered brain ..

The quietness,

Devoid of human white noise...

The

Stillness,

That hangs loosely

The smells ,

Of everything I love about autumn

With a hint of death,

Lingering just beyond the senses..

The circle of life...

There is beauty in living

Only the sleepless can witness..

I think of you .

I wonder if you think me....

Are you sleeping ,

Or reckless ?

How often do you think of the little bookcase in the middle of nowhere,

The pebble,

The way your hand turns the pages,

Who are you?

And

Why does it matter...

Scattered

My thoughts

Blur between reality and fantasy

Reality and unanswerable questions...

That's where I'm

I go back to that payphone and I wait for the phone to ring,

Waiting for the code words,

To run away.

Scattered

Space cadet

My walk comes to an end ..

But the thoughts, they didn't stay outside... Like a stray cat they followed me inside, pressing up against me underneath the covers..

Comforting and disquieting ..

-Danny Sheehan

09.13.24

#space cadet #thoughts #scattered

1 note · View note

joytraveler · 2 years ago

Text

#36: Planet Of Pisces

"Okay, Pisces Playhouse, let's go- ooh look my character's a COOL DUDE! And I'm a firm believer that having cool sunglasses can help you save the universe, which is why I'm going to wear them this episode"

This game-- unlike any other so far-- has an intro! A blue spaceship soars through a sky full of stars, and inside, a boy with a red fauxhawk peers through the window unsurely as his burly, silver-haired father drives with a smile of confidence.

Syrupentine: Santa And Son!

[My father founded the Pisces project.]

[He created the machines that would convert this barren planet into a new Earth, and left them here.]

The screen switches back to the exterior of their ship, which is now skimming over the surface of a lush, green planet.

CRACK! Suddenly, a silver tentacle grabs the ship right out of the air!

aroseahorseboy: AAH FUCK JUMP SCARE

[They have been waiting for us to come back.]

The Planet Of Pisces logo, a pair of splashing blue fish, appears over the scene, as smoke from the crashed spaceship rises into the sky.

aroseahorseboy: Told you the last one was always the best, Bea

"I can't see anything- OH!" She removes her sunglasses just in time. "Daaang, ok I dunno if anyone ever played Xardion but this is what this makes me think of"

Bee52: cool I hope you get to play a robot cat!

When Bea starts the game, sprites of the father and son are standing outside the wrecked spaceship. The father is speaking.

[I'm going to the CPU to find out what went wrong. I'll be back by nightfall. Glem, you stay here and don't go anywhere!]

He walks off screen and the boy sits down next to the ship-- and the sun sets, the moon comes out, the sun rises again. The boy stands up and puts on those cool sunglasses from the title screen.

[I gotta find Dad!]

aroseahorseboy: it's like the Odyssey, gotta find your father Klickitat_Street: "Glem"???

"Glem! From the game over thing?" Bea tries moving around. "I think I've heard of you and uh, it's nice to meet you in person! I dunno, should I tell him?"

DueyDecimal: i thought that was just a glitch! Maybe it comes from this game?

The game begins-- Glem can run and jump, and he's armed with a blue frisbee(?). But this frisbee returns to him like a yo-yo, bounces off walls and ricochets, and if Bea times it right, he can fly on it like a hover board!

"You can't tell but the control is tight, but you can see the sprite animations in this look better, some of these games have been good but I'm already feeling like this one's gonna be special"

This game is DEEP, with every stage introducing a new mechanic that becomes part of your repertoire of moves-- soon Glem is sledding down spikes with his Discus (as it turns out to be called) serving as a sled, pulling off amazing ricochet shots that bring hovering bad guys down to use as stepping stones, and more!

When Bea pauses for a snack, even the pause screen shows a map of the world, and an enemy encyclopedia! The most common enemy in this game is a bat-winged frog creature called a Hopteran, which can fly, swim, or (true to its name) hop; the most frustrating one is the Angul, which appears to be a winged angel made of glowing neon, and always appears to hunt Glem down at seemingly the worst times!

HNV: God, this game reminds me of the first time I ever played Super Mario 3. aroseahorseboy: its more like dkc but yeah! Max_Force: I'm going to be a dad in eight weeks, you guys... I hope there are still games like this when my daughter gets old enough to play.

Bea has been quiet, as she gets when she gets really into a game. "If you're out there, Mr. Or Ms. Joy Traveler development person, please just let me know who you are so I can credit you somehow because this is a gem hidden in a pile of.. Uh well its the best looking game so far lets keep it at that!"

By the time she gets to the last boss-- four and a half hours later-- the adventure has taken her from rolling green hills, to a parched desert, to dripping, foggy cliffs, and finally into this wild technological slime mold explosion, where the machines sprout up from the ground and attack, monitors spontaneously grow out of the walls and blare warnings, and her old friend Angul could be waiting around any corner. She's fought robots, biological hazards, and even what looked like a giant blob of blood gelatin-- but the end of Planet of Pisces is near.

"Okay so this has gone way, WAY overtime but I think I'm near the end here folks, at least I hope so. I would almost say that if you ever find one of these systems, it's almost worth getting just for this one"

aroseahorseboy: hands up if you ordered one while you were watching those! Bee52: me berd_snurglar: you can order these??? Syrupentine: I hope Glem's dad is OK. :( aroseahorseboy: I hope he's not the final boss Bee52: bite your tongue!!!

"Look, I'm not proud of the way I got this, okay? I had to pry it out of the cold dead hands of a little orphan girl and then I had to suck a whole lot of di- I got it off eBay for like 30 bucks. He said he played a few games and decided it sucked. So if you're out there, hit me up for uh, a free t-shirt"

Syrupentine: I'm a Little dead orphan girl, where's my free T-shirt HNV: Dead T-shirt contest, wooooo

"I dunno guys I feel like the dad usually dies in things like these but we'll see, hang on time, gonna farm these spidery things for health real quick and then it's on to the boss..."

She stands before the boss door, readying herself for anything.

Behind the final door is... what looks like a garage, filled with those robots that were attacking, except now they're building a spaceship identical to the one that you came here in. Directing them is – Glem's dad!

"Sure, sure, just do this to me, thats fine. You called it, AroSeahorseBoy. This is gonna be like a Wily fight but really sad isn't it!"

aroseahorseboy: aw, I didn't have to bite my tongue Syrupentine: Aro is so smart, S-M-R-T

Dad sees him and jumps down from the balcony he's on. ["Glem! I told you to stay where you were!"] He takes one step forward and freezes. All the robots stop and look at him. ["YOU CAN NEVER JUST DO AS YOU'RE TOLD."] Dad suddenly rises into the air-- and begins to glow as he changes. He's a Angul! And from the looks of things, the king of them all!

"OK THIS IS WORSE THAN I THOUGHT" shouts Bea while frantically dodging attacks. Of course this is the kind of boss you have to learn the attack patterns of, no matter how much you've powered up. In the end it's come down to raw skill.

"Dad why?? Were you one of them all along? Or not? Or am I, Glem, also an Angul?? Should I try to focus on not dying instead of theorizing right now, OW there goes a third of my health"

The worst part is, no matter what you throw at him, Dad isn't taking ANY damage! In fact, the only thing that makes him pause, as far as you can tell-- is when you accidentally destroy one of the robot drones that's busily building the ship in the background. That makes Dad MAD.

aroseahorseboy: it's a meta boss, great THAT means he has another form berd_snurglar: Aro stop trying to be smart, we already believe you

"Hey daaad, I'm messing up all your cool expensive robots! MMph, yeah, I'm gonna spray paint bad words all over your cool space ship, too!" She takes out another worker bot. "You spat all over my dream of being a world champion CD thrower and now you're gonna pay for it!"

The robots do rebuild themselves after a short time, but when she knocks them all out at once, the fight changes. Dad lands-- and seems to deflate, all the neon and metal flying away and entering the ship!

Dad stands up, looking weak. ["Glem... It's the CPU. It--he--wants to get back to Earth!"]

The ship shudders and begins to collapse-- no, it's changing. The worker robots are reabsorbed as it changes and expands, becoming... What exactly? Ah, of course-- a giant mechanical dragon.

HNV: DUDE TaichoSenseiKun: I want one!

"ME TOO!" Bea's so impressed with the design she barely jumps over the huge, electrified fireball headed her way, the first of many! "Aaaaaah jeez welcome to BULLET HELL, I see! Fuckfuckfuck, string of obscenities!!!"

This takes all her skills and she has to invent some new ones! She can use the snowboard technique to surf over those electric balls, but it's still a bear getting him down, because only one of his heads is vulnerable at any time, and he may have as many as five!

"Aright if you do the ricochet throw it's a little easier to hit him, but you have to get it pixel perfect! And so Herculass (that's me) vanquishes the mighty hydra, at the expense of her damn thumbs but I do if for you guys!" She slips between a rain of laser fire, every move counts and she's gotta think fast, but as the boss starts to flash red, it seems the end may be nigh.

NormalNancy: YOU GOT THIS BEA YOU GOT IT Syrupentine: Iwata-san, lend Bea your power from heaven

"Dude too soon. Ugh doesn't matter its ALWAYS gonna be too soon"

Syrupentine: I was sincere. :(

Whether through her own skill or divine intervention... It works! BOOOM, down goes the dragon in a shower of bubbly explosions, all three heads twisting and screaming!

NormalNancy: YOU DID IT MaxForce: Planet of FUCK YEAH! berd_snurglar: how you gonna get home now, there went your ship

"Am I done? I'm just.. I can't.." Suddenly it all catches up with Bea, she hasn't been this into a game in a while! "I'd give a big victory scream but I don't think I have in meOOOOOOOOOOH IN YOUR FACES, ALL FIVE OF THEM ASSHOLE!"

Glem's father comes up-- it's strange, how strong and burly he looked at the beginning of the game, and how Glem seems to tower over him now.

["You've actually beaten 6R316-UE... Son, I don't know what to say!"] The wreckage of the dragon rumbles. ["CALL ME BY MY NAME... DAD."]

Suddenly the same neon and metal cloud rises from the dragon's heap-- and flies right into Glem!

"Aww.. Maybe his dad really just wanted to- OH NO!"

["Glem! No!"]

As Glem falls to the ground, his father grabs the Discus and tosses it into the air-- where it becomes another cloud and pursues the first into Glem!

"I... I don't know whats happening? Did I do something wrong? Is there more??" She tries tapping the buttons lightly, bracing herself for another boss fight

A new stage starts-- and it's not like any other stage in the game. It's sort of like Tron and sort of like Bomberman; a high-speed chase through Glem's own brain, where you have to use the blue bombs to block off the silver dragon-headed tapeworms and force them to destroy themselves!

DueyDecimal: TAPEWORMS! In this game?? berd_snurglar: it's more likely than you think

"WHAT IS HAPPENING WHERE ARE WE WHY ARE WE WHAT ARE WE DOING?!" Bea says, desperately trying to adapt to the new play style! Suddenly the old rules don't apply! "I'm developing an abusive relationship with this device, in that I think its amazing and wonderful and wants to make me suffer"

Every time she lands a hit on one of the dragons, a text box appears, and some of the dialogue seems a bit familiar.

[MY NAME IS NOT 6R316-UE.] [MY NAME IS GREIGUE.] [BUT IT COULD JUST AS WELL BE GLEM.] [OUR FATHER NEVER NEED KNOW WHO WON THIS BATTLE.][ONE SON IS AS GOOD AS ANOTHER TO HIM...]

"Bomb, bomb, evade, EVADE- ffff!! Wait, no, good, I think I got two at once that time?!" Bea's weary but not beaten. She can't be beaten now, she's come too far! "Get out of my HEAD, Greeg! I'm so pissed I'm not even gonna try getting your name right"

Syrupentine: Greigue? Someone's been playing Earthbound Zero... berd_snurglar: wait seriously the terrible monster we've been working our way toward is called 'greg'? aroseahorseboy: it's either that or "Greg-Ooh" DueyDecimal: Gregory the Terrible Eater! aroseahorseboy: if I didn't know that was a book about cartoon goats, that would sound like eldritch horror

Bea is visibly dozing off as she battle rages on, somehow just barely mashing buttons well enough to stay alive, even if she wanders aimlessly into a corner now and then. "s'gonna be over soon. I can feel it, I will persist, and so on, die already"

NormalNancy: BEA WAKE UP YOUR WINNING MaxForce: This is really creepy! aroseahorseboy: one more one more don't choke

"You guys are gonna have better luck piecing together what's happening than I am, I am- I'm almost dead now" she's down to one health pip!

Finally, there's only one dragon head left, chasing Bea's glowing avatar (Glem's soul?) through the maze faster than ever. All it takes is one well-placed bomb, that spins the walls around and captures the dragon in a cube, making it spin faster and faster and finally swallow its own tail!

[NO! NO! I WAS FINALLY! SO! CLOOOSE!]

[JOYRIDERRRRRR!]

The whole screen erupts in digital explosions, and fades back to the workshop, where Glem's father is holding his son, head in his lap.

NormalNancy: YESSS NormalNancy: Way to go Bea! Bee52: wait, joyrider? Wtf?

Bea actually slumps out of her chair for comic effect, but then falls on the floor for real. (THUD)

"OW! Shhh... I'm fine, just.. Not gonna do that again" (at least she's awake!)

The story plays out on the screen as Glem's eyes flicker open, his father hugging him tightly.

[I should have trusted you. You haven't just saved me-- you saved this world I built for us.]

[I've recovered control from 6R316-UE. The machines can rebuild the ship for me in just a few hours. What do you want to do?]

Now the game presents Bea with a final choice:

HNV: it's a trap Klickitat_Street: I don't feel like we got enough input which would be the correct choice. aroseahorseboy: don't give up on earth! Syrupentine: No, stay, you put so much of yourself in this planet NormalNancy: KILL ME NOWWWW

"We know they were going away from the earth, we don't know why though! Is it bad? Do we really want to stay here and chance it with the crazy machines? Uugh.. I dunno."

"Whatever, doesn't matter what I choose, I can always come back and see the other one, can't I?"

"She said, tempting fate"

"Know what? somebody's gotta keep an eye on this place or things just go cray cray so.. all right, dad. We'll stay here, together. And have a cool robot family! I hope. Do you think we could rebuild Greg and make him nice? I feel kind of bad for him"

[I want to stay here.] [After all I've put you through here, you want to stay?] His dad hugs him tight. [The ship launches in three hours... But we won't be on it.]

The scene cuts to Glem and his dad watching the ship sail into the sky... And fades to black.

The torn and tarnished landscape reappears, and the cast roll begins-- all the monsters and meanies Glem fought pass by and are named, from Hopteran to Angul and even some Bea missed (what in the world was Wuggykins?). As the cast rolls by, the landscape slowly heals, going from brown and parched to green and welcoming, and crops and buildings start to appear. Even the sky goes from yellow to blue.

Syrupentine: Awww aroseahorseboy: Bea you totally made the right choice

"I sure hope so. I have a lot of questions but, all's well that ends well, I guess!" She leans back in her chair as she watches, a smile creeping over her face. "This is the kind of game I didn't WANT to end, in a way. This deserves a sequel!"

Finally the five faces of 6R316-UE appear, and cackle cruelly as the characters in its name change one by one to GREIGUE.

The faces disappear one by one, as do the letters... And when the word says GRE_G__, the dragon face looks sad as it disappears.

Llord_Kuruku: nickname Greg confirmed Bee52: Poor mecha dragon

"Thanks, rub it in, game" says Bea with a frown

Then a speck appears in the sky. The ship has returned! We fade back in on Glem and his dad as they watch it land...and out comes the whole family.

Names appear over everyone as they run out and hug Glem and his dad: RIKEL, a tiny little girl who falls flat on her face as she runs for Daddy's arms. ZORK and MARG, twin boys who grab each other and start wrestling before they can even join the family group. RENK, a boy who looks close to Glem's age who runs out to hug him first. And finally out comes...

Syrupentine: REDMOM!!! Klickitat_Street: I knew we were calling her Mom for a reason!

Bea screams! "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Sorry it's just, there she is! And the kids! So, everything was leading up to this game?? And the kids, too! Even if she named them weird!"

"I mean we shouldn't assume but she always did look like the mom type. Mom type Pokémon"

Redmom runs up to her husband and they embrace as their names appear: JOYRIDER and JAYWALKER.

Baconnaise: apparently weird-ass names are a family tradition??? aroseahorseboy: the computer knew Glem's mom??????

She sees the names. "Nnnnnnnng, 'Jaywalker'" she massages her temples.

HNV: Luke Jaywalker

"Ok, so, at least some of these are our mascot characters? I know two are, some of the kids have appeared in game, I know the twins from Beware! Kitchen, I don't think I've seen the others? This is adorable though, you don't usually get a game starring a whole family.. Or a series of games I s'pose"

DueyDecimal: A whole family of mascots reminds me of Doki Doki Panic! And Legacy of the Wizard if anyone remembers that!

The words The End appear in the sky as the family embraces in their new home, and the screen fades to black... But before it restarts, the sad dragon face appears once more with a message:

[IF ONLY ANY STORY COULD TRULY END SO HAPPILY.]

NormalNancy: whaaat DueyDecimal: Oh God this had better not have all been a dream!

But it doesn't seem to be-- Bea is returned to the title screen after a few tense moments.

"Man here it comes! I knew there was gonna be some bullsh- oh"

Bea looks into the camera. "SEQUEL HOOK!"

Bee_52: is there a Joy Traveler 168, please say yes Llord_Kuruku: just skip ahead to Planet of Pisces 2! aroseahorseboy: does ANYONE have a ROM for this???

"Wait, there IS a sequel? I musta just glossed over it, I couldn't have known! And I don't think there's a rom, I don't even know if there's another Joy Traveler of THIS model in existence!"

MaxForce: the one I bought was just Joy Traveler 67, it has 100 less games. :( aroseahorseboy: does it have POP though?? MaxForce: dunno, I ordered it an hour ago!

"You did whatnow??" "I mean cool but, I didn't know you could!"

MaxForce: yeah Bea! If it's got different games I might do my own LP of it and if not, AWESOME

"It could have totally different stuff but I hope you get to play this, the world must know! Now I need to recover a little so, gonna end the stream now, it's been a hell of a ride. Thanks for joining, my bees! Til next time, your queen bids you adieu!"

She doesn't turn it off right away, though. She lingers, thinking over some of the things she's seen. Is it more than just a bunch of recurring characters that show up through these games? There has to be more to their story, but maybe for another time.

#jtnuggets #feb 8 #bea #aroseahorseboy #syrupentine #klickitat street #bee52 #maxforce #dueydecimal #hnv #berd #taichousenseikun #normalnancy #llord kuruku #baconnaise

4 notes · View notes

digimon-pokemon-swap-au · 2 months ago

Text

Butterfly Effect- Aki Chapter 1- Not Meant to Fight Like This

This is the first chapter of Aki and Pikamon's story. You can also read this chapter (and Sammy's) right now on Ao3.

TW for depictions of trauma/panic attack, along with a post-swap Pokemon death. And also spoilers for the Ash vs. Leon battle in Journeys, but we all know how that ended.

Two creatures, locked in battle over a stadium. One small and yellow, the other a mighty orange dragon. Iron wings and a tail of steel were locked in a battle to rival any legendary sword fight. Only the weight of their determination dragged them to earth.

On either side of the ruined dirt field stood two humans. One a young boy. One a grown man. The creatures reflected through the boy’s eyes. Despite his age, he was a veteran of the battlefield. Though he was too modest to call himself “master”.

Not yet, anyway.

The boy was friends with a dragon just like his opponent’s. That creature was just as strong. But he couldn’t let sentimentality get in the way of his lifelong dream. Not after coming so far.

For this dragon was the final fortress. And its artillery was just as strong as anything the yellow creature possessed. Its flames promised its enemy’s defeat as much as its own protection.

The boy’s cries rocked the very heavens themselves. His opponent joined in with a shout of his own. Perhaps the great creator heard them, in his lofty seat in a faraway land. Fate—itself a servant of the creator—carefully arranged this battle. But it would only respond to one prayer—the drive to win.

“Fire Blast! “Thunderbolt!”

The small yellow creature was taken off-guard, hit by five tongues of furious flame. The dragon growled in premature victory. For when the smoke cleared, its opponent was still standing. Barely. Panting. Struggling. But standing nonetheless.

The dragon snorted in irritation. It had failed its singular mission. But next time? Well, would there even be a next time? In the freeze-frame moment, victory dangled on a razor’s edge.

Sparks flew from the yellow creature’s cheeks. Then, he fell to the ground. Worry shot straight to the boy’s heart. On the battlefield, every emotion was more intense. The concern was almost enough to make the boy pass out himself. He cried out his yellow friend’s name—

What was his name?

Well, no matter.

The cry of his best friend gave the yellow creature strength. With a grunt, he stood once more. He unleashed another attack to let the world know he wasn’t defeated. The mighty thunderbolt shook the heavens. Even the wrath of gods could not compare.

The boy and his yellow creature survived worse than dragon’s breath. But the dragon had faced many would-be slayers. It used its wings to protect it from the rage of endless decades. Yet, its own breathing came in ragged snorts. It was standing. Barely. Panting. Struggling. But standing nonetheless.

Lightning surrounded the yellow creature. Its energy source was years of adventures. The boy could feel it in his chest—a rush like none ever recorded in history. He wasn’t sure if this was the end. But he possessed enough hope to force the conclusion.

“We’re gonna put everything we’ve got into this attack! Thunderbolt, let’s go!”

The dragon’s master gave a counter-order drowned out by the roar of thunder. The dragon charged forward. Flames cloaked it like a well-worn shield. Thunder slipped past the cracks in this shield, threatening to tear it to pieces.

With a final cry of his timeless, forgotten name, the yellow creature smashed into the dragon. Though far smaller, the boy’s strength made him seem twenty feet tall. The dragon strained under the weight of energy. Its feet scrabbled against the earth, every bone in its body commanding it to keep standing.

Friendship was always the boy’s lightning in a bottle. His yellow companion could feel it, too. For in that moment, their hearts were one. Humans sought many ways to be closer with their monsters. None of them could even scratch the surface of this single, eternal moment.

When the energy finally dissipated, the world was free to turn once more. The yellow creature managed to land on all fours—fur scuffed, breathing raspy, but still conscious. The dragon emitted one final snarl, static ringing in its ears. It bellowed a burst of flame. Then, it crashed to the battle-worn earth.

With that, it was over. Over. All of it was over.

“We have ourselves a new Champion! From the ———region, born in ———, the winner is—”

Aki’s latest daydream ended rather abruptly. He blinked away traces of the intensity that had rocked his brain. He rubbed his face, smothering the last moth of adrenaline. Its wings still quivered against his weary arm.

Aki was surrounded by trees on all sides. Some trees were blue, others purple, and still others the purest green he ever encountered. Between the trees, sparkles blinked like daylight fireflies.

This was the Pocket World. Specifically, the Viridian Trees on Kanto Island. It was not Aki’s home. Instead, it was the territory of the Pokemon. These intelligent, yet mysterious creatures built a rough civilization spanning back and back and back. It was all they ever knew.

But their eternity of tentative peace was threatened. A great evil force dubbed itself the “Rocket Hunters”. Its members were drops of rust clinging to the infrastructure. They consumed all they touched.

As a normal ten year old boy, Aki was an odd choice to play hero. But he was who the cosmic lottery pulled. He didn’t mind. Exploring the mysterious Pocket World was fun. Sure, the magic slowly wore as thin as stretched rubber. But as long as Aki didn’t think about that, he could be the hero the Pokemon needed.

On a physical maturity scale of one to ten, Aki was a fair two. His dark hair was appropriately scruffy. Dirt marred his skin in light streaks. Aki wore them like battle scars.

Aki’s hair was barely contained by goggles with green lenses, nestled on a red headband. Both were worn from age and lack of care. The same lackadaisical attitude spread to his wrinkled t-shirt and jean shorts. His vest’s blue shade was once vibrant. The white sleeves and collar were once perfectly spotless. These bold colors were gone now. Each was lightly caked in dirt.

His shoes? What color were they? Maybe white here, black there, a little red. Once upon a time. But now? They were the same mud color of his brain after a long school day.

Aki was supposed to be looking for food. But his brain was determined to yank him out of the Viridian Trees. He met this dream-boy every time his mind fogged with exhaustion or boredom. Aki saw through his eyes when he slept. But when he woke, the dream-boy inevitably abandoned him.

Aki went through the motions, scanning the area for the merest morsel. He saw trees, trees, and more trees. Gee, how did this place get its name? None of the trees had generous lower branches. The fruit he needed dangled invisibly out of his reach. Maybe if he climbed that tree over there—

A bright yellow spot several feet away caught Aki’s attention. He lost track of his partner again! Had he been that lost in his latest fantasy? He hurried to catch up with the yellow splash, blushing all the while.

The yellow came from the fur of a Pokemon. It was Aki’s friend and protector, Pikamon. This Pokemon stood at two and a half feet tall. He was equipped with long ears, sharp claws, and an aura of irritation. On his right arm rested a heavy metal band that he called a “Holy Ring”. His red cheeks sparked at low voltage, and his thunderbolt tail waved like the ocean just before high tide.

“Where did he go this time?” Pikamon muttered.

“Boo!” Aki shouted.

Pikamon nearly leapt out of his fur. His cheeks flared, temporarily blinding Aki. As he blinked spots out of his eyes, he found Pikamon tapping his paw.

“Don’t fall behind again,” Pikamon said. “I was worried a hungry Pokemon ate you.”

“Sorry,” Aki muttered.

“You should be,” Pikamon said. “This is the third time it’s happened today! I’m starting to get worried.”

Pikamon clicked his claws together. Aki awkwardly studied his tail. The yellow creature from his dreams had one just like it. Time and time again, he trusted Pikamon with his life. Yet, he hadn’t revealed this similarity, let alone the dreams. It meant revealing his other feelings.

Like the fact this adventure stopped being fun long ago.

“I’m alright,” Aki lied. “I just got a little distracted is all. The sparkles between the trees are really pretty.”

“Uh huh,” Pikamon said flatly. “Just be careful. Not all Pokemon are friendly.”

“I know,” Aki mumbled.

Aki took a step forward when something crashed through the forest. The trees bent in its wake. A smaller one on the cusp of life snapped like a neck. Its death cry echoed past its neighbors and straight to Aki’s ears.

Another Pokemon exploded from the carnage. This one was a monstrous insect. An enormous red mushroom sat upon their back. It throbbed like a heartbeat, looming—godlike—over the main body. Sure, the Pokemon had tough orange armor, a load of teeth, and towered leagues over the average ten year old. But it seemed as insignificant to the mushroom as a speck of dirt.

“Parasectmon?” Pikamon cried. “They usually only come out at night! What’s one doing here in the middle of the day?”

Aki didn’t care why a Pokemon was active at this or that a time. What was more important was that it existed, and it seemed hungry.

Parasectmon turned slightly, exposing a tattoo of a red R on their foreleg. This was the logo of the Rocket Hunters. Any Pokemon who wore it was their slave. Aki and his friends had yet to find a way to reverse the effects.

The only solution was usually reserved for old, suffering dogs. But maybe this time, Aki could avoid it.

Aki bolted through the trees as fast as his legs could carry him. Pikamon followed him at breakneck speed. The Parasectmon took up the rear, purple spittle flying from its maw. The projectile struck a tree, where it sizzled and died.

Aki struggled not to trip as the enemy scuttled easily over everything in their path. The crashing of trees and crushing of foliage became repetitive. It sounded like an amateur chef mashing meat.

Aki scraped to a stop by a large white rock. It was a familiar landmark. Any further, and they’d be dangerously close to camp. An enemy ambush recently tore their group in half. The kids and Pokemon Aki was traveling with all opted to rest. They were on dangerously low battery.

There was no getting away from this one.

Aki nodded to Pikamon, catching a reflection of his own guilt on his friend’s furry face. The boy remained where he was while Pikamon rushed to greet the enemy.

A lump in Aki’s pocket rumbled and shrieked. This was his Pokevice. The humans amongst the Rocket Hunters had them, too. But Aki’s was special. For he was no ordinary child. He was a PokeDestined. And only they could make Pokemon evolve at will.

In a flash of lightning, Pikamon was gone. In his place was an orange quadruped the same size as Parasectmon. He vaguely resembled a lion with a spiky yellow mane. His brown paws wore three ivory claws apiece. For a tail, he possessed a whip tipped with a sharp thunderbolt. The Holy Ring hugged his front leg, shining with divine purpose.

This was Raimon—Pikamon’s “Champion form” and Aki’s only chance at getting out of this mess alive.

Sparks flew from Raimon’s soft yellow cheeks. They were his final, useless warning. Parasectmon stopped, but only to spit purple acid. It sizzled against Raimon’s shoulder. He didn’t bother flinching.

“Shock Claw!” Raimon roared.

Electric power shrouded Raimon’s claws. Parasectmon whined and scuttled back. Their eyes were half-closed, like those of a man who just woke up. Raimon ignored the sudden weakness and slashed through his foe’s branded leg.

Parasectmon wailed, slashing blindly at Raimon’s injured leg. By bad luck, he connected. The wound was shallow. But it threatened to bubble up blood. Raimon paused to hiss at the pain. Then, he doubled down on his enemy.

Blow for blow, tit for tat, eye for eye.

“Shock Claw!” Raimon shouted.

Parasectmon flailed, squeezing their eyes shut. In their thrashing, they dodged Raimon’s strike. They fell over like a turtle on their back. Poison flew from their lips like the curses of a rebel instants from execution. Raimon was able to dodge the acid. But killer intent still lingered. It felt like a suffocating gas.

Raimon’s claws dug against the soil. His Holy Ring began to glow. The shine shrouded Raimon like a ghostly silhouette. He released a roar that shook the forest.

“Holy Thunder!” Raimon shouted.

Thunderbolts made of pure white energy headed for Parasectmon. The first one zapped their foot. They tried to scoot back, as if their startling, incredible pain could be left in their shadow. But the weight of the mushroom kept them pinned, like a butterfly to a board.

Another bolt struck Parasectmon between the eyes. The poor creature screeched in the finest agony. Then, they disappeared as if they never existed. All that remained was a fine vapor, which faded like cigarette smoke.

It was gone. Dead and done for.

Raimon took a deep breath. He shrank back to his original, cuddly form. He was a little scuffed up, but otherwise unharmed. Good. If that acid was stronger, and Pikamon was really hurt…

No. Don’t think about it. Best not to ever think about it.

Pikamon turned to a pale-faced Aki. The boy stuffed his tears behind a feeble thumbs-up. This should be like the daydream—loyal friend versus orange champion. But this was no battle for glory, fueled by friendship. This was a murder scene.

That thought was enough to make Aki weak in the knees. His breath came in raw little gasps. It took two inhales to equal one. He stared—dead-eyed—at the spot where Parasectmon used to be. A single thought beat against his skull, like a monkey in a cage—“it’s not fair”.

Pikamon rushed to Aki’s side. He grasped his clammy hand in his paw. Aki squeezed back. Pikamon’s very presence rooted him to the earth. He only knew Pikamon for a few months. But it felt like they had a friendship that spanned a lifetime.

“I’m sorry, Aki,” Pikamon said. “I know you hate this. But if you die, so does the Pocket World. And—well—you’re my best friend! I don’t know what I’d do without you. Now c’mon. You need rest more than I do.”

Aki nodded dumbly. He let Pikamon lead him back to the campsite. They were empty-handed. But they’d done this song and dance enough times. Aki was too paralyzed to continue the search. Tomorrow, maybe, they’d find food.

Aki let his mind drift, searching for the dream-boy. He discovered a loop of pathways in a soft green forest. Creatures crawled in the bushes. But they were smaller than Parasectmon. Harmless. Friendly. Perhaps even his friend, if he asked nicely.

Not for the first time, Aki stumbled through a nauseating wrongness.

#swap au #digimon #pokemon #tw unreality #unreality #swapfic #tw animal death #tw pokemon death #tw digimon death #tw trauma #fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 #archive of our own #tw panic attack #butterfly effect #aki #pokeani spoilers

1 note · View note