#the last 2 seconds where they're pulling eachother close...........

[mwah-so-kissed]

WHY ARE THEY ACTUALLY HUMPING EACHOTHER??

@custer-mp3

[elijah-wilfred-boyle]

Literal Perfection Chapter 5

What's this??? AN UPDATE????

that's right folks I'm back on my bullshit, enjoy this short Hunter based chapter while I prepare for chapter 6, which takes place at the same time as this one ;)))

Enjoy!

___________________________

Hunter wasn't stupid.

Okay, maybe he was a little stupid, but he wasn't stupid enough to not see that Darius was definitely into his new assistant.

And, honestly? Hunter didn't blame him; they're nice, funny, hardworking, competent and actually seems to care about their job, which is a huge improvement from Darius' last assistant.

However, despite how painfully obvious it was that he liked them, Darius had yet to ask his assistant out. So Hunter decided to take things into his own hands.

So he made a plan, and by the Titan was it gonna work.... hopefully.

But he couldn't set the plan into action by himself, no, he needed back up and he knew just who to call.

"I'll be back later today, Hunter", Darius called from the front door as he left for work, "Don't blow anything up, don't set anything on fire, no flying in the house, just, don't be an idiot whilst I'm gone, okay?"

"I've got it!", the ex golden guard yelled back.

The sound of the door shutting echoed through the empty cottage and Hunter waited a few moments before he was sure that Darius was gone and grabbed his scroll.

It was time to begin phase 1; planning.

Emerald Entrails

Hunter: uRget!!!!!!! Come 2 mY H0sE.... Tell n0one T0p secret!!!!

It took the emerald entrails, Luz and Amity twenty minutes to get to the cottage, a bit too long for Hunter's liking but he could make it work.

"Alright", Hunter said as the group sat down in the sitting room, "I have gathered you all here today to embark on a mission of great importance, this is a mission of life or death, are you willing to help me with this?"

A chorus of 'yes!'s, some more excited than others, rang out.

"Awesome! You're mission is this", Hunter pulled a white board covered in paper over and dramatically ripped off a piece of paper off the board revealing the plan. A picture of you was stuck in the middle, "This", Hunter continued, "is Darius' new assistant." He pointed at you.

"Now, Darius likes his assistant and I mean likes them as more than his assistant."

"Wait!" Luz yelled, standing up excitedly, "Is our mission to play matchmaker with Darius and his assistant?!"

Hunter snapped his fingers at her, "Exactly! The plan is simple; 1. we slowly get Darius to start giving them gifts, something they like, small things at first, then they'll get bigger as it goes, 2. We get them as close as possible, that way they'll associate eachother with good things, like animals, and finally 3. Romance."

Everyone bar Amity cheered as Amity raised her hand, "Sorry just feel like I should point out that Darius' assistant is my auncle."

"Thats even better!" Gus exclaimed, "That way you can convince them to ask out Darius!"

Amity thought for a moment and then shrugged, "sure, what's the worse that could happen?"

~time skip because fuck you this is my fic~

The next day the plan was set into motion.

It began with Hunter lying on his dad's bed watching as he picked out a cloak.

"You know, I think your assistant would like that cloak, the purple one."

Darius held up the aforementioned cloak and hummed in thought, "Do you think so? Well I never where it anyone, I'm sure it would look good on them."

Amity had also made some progress on her half.

"You know, you and Headwitch Darius would make a really cute couple."

You sputtered indignantly for a few seconds, a light blush in your cheeks, "Really? Well, I don't know, maybe."

After a few more weeks of this, the group met up at the entrance of Hexside, Hunter and Amity sighed in disappointment.

"I'm gonna guess the plan didn't work?", Viney asked, watching as the two sunk to the ground.

"Yeah, I don't think it did." Amity groaned, her attempts to convince you of how cute you and Darius would be together didn't seem to go anywhere, just you laughing or waving her off.

"I'm honestly starting to think that Darius never liked them like that to begin with." Hunter sighed dejectedly, running a hand through his hair.

"Well at least you tried? I mean it could've gone worse." Willow supplied sitting next to her friends, the rest of the group nodded in agreement and Hunter and Amity couldn't help but agree.

"Yeah, they could've ended up hating eachother, I think its better they stayed friends", Gus said and hopped down the steps, "Well I gotta go now, see you all tomorrow!"

They all broke off one by one until Hunter and Amity remained, Hunter walking to the Abominations Coven and Amity to Blight Manor.

"I feel like this could've worked!", Amity muttered, "I mean they definitely seemed in love? Maybe we didn't try hard enough?"

Hunter shook his head, "No, I think Gus is right, if we pushed them too hard then they might have ended up hating eachother, it's best if they stay as friends."

The two walked in silence until Amity, split and began walking a different direction.

Hunter spent the rest of his walk to the Coven lost in his thoughts, he looked over his supposedly foolproof plan again in his mind. He reached the Abominations Coven still in his thoughts and walked to his dad's office.

He walked into the office without knocking and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Oh sweet Titan!"

"Hunter! Get out!"

The door was slammed shut with a blob of abomination as Hunter stood there with a look of horror on his face.

He wordlessly took his scroll out of this pockets and sat down on the floor.

He opened the groupchat and started typing.

Emerald Entrails

Hunter: The plan worked

Hunter: I have seen things I will never be able to unsee.

[lol-jackles]

Did you like the latest episode of Walker? And what about Dan, going from rival to ally?

I liked the episodes 5 minutes after watching it.  Initially the limited Cordell screentime c-blocked me from fully enjoying the episode because 1) I kept wondering what the hell happened to him and James when they were ambushed by mysterious baddies, and 2) the obvious 11th hour change to the script to fill in the gaps that previously held Cordell interaction scenes.  

Nonetheless  "Search and Rescue" finished strong by tying the 4 seemingly different storylines together neatly in the end by setting up resolutions in the penultimate where secondary characters are usually provided closure in advance of the finale focusing on the primary characters.  The show will never be accused of dragging out a plot to the point that I wouldn't mind if they spend just a little more time stewing in it.

The first "search" is Cordell and James finding Cassie’s presumed dead partner and rescuing him from baddies who wanted him dead and nearly killing Cordell and James in the process.  The bullet hole in Cordell’s hat is a chilling reminder to fans that Jared was lucky to survive a serious car accident prior to filming this episode.

The second ��search” is Liam and Ben finding their way through their first date and eachother’s judgy attitude, which gives Liam the idea to pull a lawyer trick on Dan and Denise to see if a lone wolf or the whole family was in on sabotaging the horse race by cutting Cordell's saddle. 

The third “search” is Stella and Colton’s first date on a hiking trail that ends up being a “race” between them that led Colton getting injured by falling off a rock face.  Like typical Texans, the Walkers and Davidsons spring to action to search and rescue their own instead of asking for help from the government. My favorite scene is Liam telling Dan to search for “all the kids” and not ~accidentally leave behind a non-Davidson. 

Dan exasperatedly is ....

The fourth "search" is Trey and Cassie looking for new places to live as the lease on Micki's bungalow is up and Cassie's aptly located crossroad motel is being torn down.  Both are forced out of their comfortable limbo existence and into putting down new roots, but not before jumping into a helicopter to rescue Stella and Colton. 

The 1st and 4th storylines bring closure to Cassie now that the mystery of her missing partner is coming to a head, likely in the penultimate episode.  The 2nd and 3rd storylines bring Dan Miller to the Walkers' side in their quest to restore their good name, land, and legacy in the finale.  The twist of Dan defecting from the Davidson is a surprise but also inevitable; the Walkers never tried to win over Dan, they only tried to be fair people who constantly put aside their pride in order to do what is right.  Doing what is right without expecting anything in return is supposed to be its own reward.  Dan also had to put aside his pride in asking Bonham for help to run the ranch and perhaps witnessing the Walkers' action over talk finally influenced Dan to do the right thing and serve as the right hand of Justice to balance the scale.  However they handle Dan's redemption, I hope it comes with an explanation for his weird closeness with Gale.  

My score: 7.5.  The good storylines were hampered by the execution, perhaps brought on by the last minute change in order to accommodate Jared's reduced screentime while he recovers from a serious car accident just prior to filming this episode, and also helicopter scenes are hell to film because they're complicated machines that are inherently unstable aerodynamically and dynamically unstable in flight.  It has often been said that helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission.  2 point deduction for execution, 1 point deduction for limited Cordell screentime and interaction, half point return for beautiful helicopter scenes.  Helicopters are among my favorite aircrafts, they look like giant dragonflies.

[barelyaware]

Chapter 3 of Purely Political is up ~

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Ao3

(rated M)

It's a little awkward between them for a few days. But soon enough, they're back to finishing eachothers’ sentences and laughing about everything and nothing.

Katara starts attending meetings about trade and international relations. She slips him notes when the council is being particularly stubborn and talks in his ear between discussions. She whispers to him the plans she's made for that day’s tea, new scrolls she’d like to share, or where she'd like to take a stroll after dinner.

Zuko finds himself happier than he can ever remember. Just her presence is enough to soothe his nerves.

The days go by quickly and the night of the roomshare finally arrives. While he's a little on edge, he knows that there isn't actually anything to be nervous about. After all, he knows nothing is going to happen between them.

Katara is already in bed by the time he enters his room and he makes sure to position himself on the very edge of the bed when he joins her. He's thankful he's had such a long day, otherwise there'd be no chance of him being able to sleep with her this close.

But it's not long before he's drifting off.

That night, Zuko dreams of Katara. He dreams of warm skim. He dreams of his hands pulling through luscious curls. He dreams of her mouth on his.. and then not.

When he wakes up, he notices two things at once. First, he's holding Katara, who's clad in nothing but sarashi wraps, against him in his arms. Second, he has a very stiff situation that's currently pressing against her backside.

Zuko is still groggy with sleep as his hips stutter forward against her on instinct before he can think to stop himself. He hears a high-pitched gasp in response and he can feel his blood run cold.

“Z-Zuko?”

Shit shit shit shit shit

He releases her at once and rolls as far from her as he can without toppling off the bed.

“Zuko, it's okay.” Her voice is full of compassion as she reaches for his arm, but he dodges her touch.

“No it's not! Nothing about this is okay!”

“Zuko, you need to calm down.”

“I DON'T NEED TO CALM DOWN! I NEED ..I need to leave.”

He can hear Katara start to say something, but he ignores her and storms out as quickly as he can.

...

Zuko doesn't mean to avoid her. At least, not at first. Meals have been awkward since that night. He doesn't know how to explain himself and Katara is still upset, based on her shortened sentences and clipped tones.

After a week of this tense atmosphere, he feels like he's losing his mind.

Then, a new set of tariffs is being introduced by the Earth kingdom ambassador and suddenly Zuko is drowning in paperwork. He takes dinner in his office that night so he can continue working.

The next day he tells himself that he’s taking his meals alone because there's still so much to do. After a couple days he finds it impossible to keep lying to himself about what he's doing. So instead, he tells himself that he’ll stop this childish evasion just as soon as he can find the words to tell her… to tell her what exactly?? I have feelings for you and I don't know how to stop them because I have no self-control. I long for you so ardently that I can feel my blood swimming in the veins of my heart everytime you hold my hand and I also cant stop thinking about pinning you against a wall and having my way with you..Fuck.

He only sees her in meetings and soon he finds himself appointing one of his advisors to take his place when he knows she'll be in attendance.

He's never felt like such a coward.

Without her near, time passes too fast and too slow. It’s now the afternoon before the night of their second roomshare, and he's banging his head against his desk trying to rattle together any coherent thoughts for how to apologize and explain himself . He's interrupted, though, by a few hard knocks on his office door.

He quickly fixes his hair and readjusts his robes to look somewhat presentable. “Enter.”

The doors swing open and there is Katara. Her eyes are red. It looks like she’s been crying and the sight makes his heart clench.

“Are you planning on avoiding me tonight too?”

“Katara, I'm not—”

“—don’t lie to me!”

“I'm sorry.” Zuko sighs, resigned. “I have been avoiding you and I’m sorry.”

“Do you not want me here?”

“No! I like having you here, I swear.” Zuko puts up his hands in surrender to her, trying to think of how to clear up this mess. “I’ve truly come to think of you as a friend.”

“A friend?” Her voice is dripping with emotions he cannot name.

“Was I being presumptuous? I’m sorry, I know we haven’t talked lately and I know it's my fault, I just—“

“I'm your wife, Zuko,” her voice is low and shaking slightly.

“I know that..”

“I'm your wife and we're meant to have a child and you don't even see me as a woman!”

Oh .

“Katara, we don't have to worry about that right now. No one is expecting that right away. The roomshare is part of the marriage contract, but it's really just tradition. We don't have to actually do anything.”

“You're being obtuse!” He doesn't like the way she folds her arms and looks at him like she knows something he doesn't.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snaps.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing!” She’s starting to storm out and this is not what he wanted at all.

“Katara, wait! .. I do! I do think of you as a woman.” The words start to tumble out of him and as they do, they feel like they're burning a hole in his throat. “ Of course I do. Almost too much. I mean, wasn’t it obvious? I just.. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to touch you like that and I'm so sorry, I mean, I know we didn't marry for love or anything and I don't want to mess this up.” She pauses and turns around, her expression softening ever so slightly. “But the last thing I want is for you to think that I don't like you being here. I'll control myself so please, just..don't feel uncomfortable around me and don’t feel like I don’t want you with me.”

Katara pauses for a moment, processing his words. Then she smiles softly and reaches out to grasp his hand. “I'm not uncomfortable. Not at all.”

Agni , how he's missed her hand in his.

…

Zuko has already laid himself down when Katara enters from the bathroom and drops her embroidered blue silk robe to reveal her sarashi wraps. His eyes linger on the bare skin in between them before he forces himself to look away. As she comes closer, he can smell the scent of jasmine on her and he swallows roughly as she joins him in bed. Her face is glowing in the candle light and he can feel his heart pounding.

“Goodnight Zuko.”

“Goodnight, Katara.”

“Umm, Zuko.. could you take out the lights?”

“Oh! Of course.” He extinguishes the flames around the room with one smooth gesture, just quickly enough to hide the flush of his cheeks.

Somehow, the room feels quieter in the darkness.

He probably won't get any sleep tonight, he thinks to himself. He can hear the clock on the wall ticking, painfully slow in the dark silence. But he can hear her gentle breaths even as he tries to focus on the nothingness.

And then she shifts, turning to her side. When she does, her body leans back into his. Her back is now brushing against his chest and he can feel a spark light up his upper body. A familiar heat he knows he’ll have to focus on to keep under control.

Then she shifts again.

Her body is flush against his. The heat starts to overwhelm him and he doesn’t even know if she’s awake.. but no, she can’t be—

“Zuko..,” Katara sighs as she leans her head into his shoulder and the sound shoots through him like lightning. His whole body stiffens up.

“What—what are you doing, Katara?”

She turns her head to meet his eyes over her shoulder.

“Zuko? I thought you wanted—”

Zuko puts a hand on her shoulder, trying not to jolt at the electricity he feels through her skin.

“Katara, I thought I was clear. We don’t have to do anything that would make you uncomfortable.”

Katara turns around to face him fully, a new ferocity in her eyes. “I’m not the one who’s uncomfortable, so stop using me as an excuse just because you are!”

Zuko tries to breathe like normal but realizes he’s forgotten how and he feels his exhales come out weak and unsteady instead.

“..It’s not that I’m uncomfortable.”

Katara reaches out carefully and holds her hand to his chest.

“You’re not?” Katara breathes in and out and he can see her chest rise and fall in the moonlight. “Do you just..not want me?

“How could I not want you?” The words are out of his mouth before he can think about what they mean.

“I want you too.”

He pinches his arm beneath the sheets cause surely he’s — Ouch ...so he’s not dreaming.

He can feel his eyes glazing over as he starts to give into the fierce heat rushing through him. He wraps an arm around her and holds her back firmly to his front.

His lips find the shell of her ear and he whispers, “You’re sure?”

He can feel the shiver down her spine and relishes the husky undertone of her voice as she replies, “I’m positive.”

...

Zuko wakes up the next morning holding a naked Katara, her head nestled into his bare chest and his arm around her with his palm splayed on the smooth skin of her lower back.

He tries to take stock of how he’s feeling but his thoughts are jumbled.

The only thing he can settle on is how wonderful she feels beside him at that moment.

She wanted him.

He still can't believe it. But he has no idea what this means beyond that or, he thinks to himself somberly, if it actually means anything at all…

[possiamo-andare]

No More Divisions - Chapter Ten: The End ... Or Is It?

JJ x Original Character

MASTERLIST

hey guys! So, I'm thinking this is the last chapter. this last chapter is dedicated to @teamnick who was the first person to give me feedback and a true friend through everything. ilysm. I just wanna say thank you so much to everyone who has liked, commented, reblogged, etc. You are the reason I continue to write. To say I am extremely grateful for everything, is an understatement. Love you all <3

~

My parents never got a chance to talk to me. Shoupe said we were still suspects so they were brought to the first tent as we all waited in he second tent.

Did I ever mention I hated Shoupe?

I don't know how long we had to wait there, in the second tent. It could've been 2 hours or 2 minutes, I wouldn't have known the difference. I just sat there, my head against JJ's shoulder, and waited for Shoupe to come back tell us any news of what's happened with John B. or Sarah.

My head was spinning as I replayed the last 24 hours in my head. Only 24 hours ago, I had just met JJ and I still had no idea of who he was. I wasn't this close with Kiara or Pope. 24 hours ago, I was a naive Kook. Now, I'm so much more than that. I can't begin to describe what these people have taught me in the last 24 hours. I'm closer to these people than my parents. I can't see myself ever parting from them. They're my family.

And then there was JJ.

I never thought, never believed, he would have such an impact on my life. Then again, I was just a naive Kook 24 hours ago. Now, the things I had experienced with him has tied us together in a way that can't be undone.

JJ grabs my hand as we continue to sit and wait. "What're you thinking about?"

"About everything's that's happened. What about you?" I answer, taking my cheek off his shoulder and looking him in he eye.

He shrugs. "How I need some weed."

I laugh, catching Kiara and Pope's attention. Kiara looks to me, definitely overhearing what JJ said and starts laughing too. Pope joins in and starts laughing at Kiara's snorts. JJ is looking at us as if we're insane, but he had that signature smirk. I knew he thought we were hilarious. Soon, we were all laughing hysterically. I think it was all of the adrenaline and shock. We all couldn't believe the situation we were in and the more we all looked at each other, the more we laughed. It was contagious. This is what family is. This is what has been missing.

Even as Shoupe entered the tent, we continued to laugh. He tried to get our attention but it was no use. Finally, he screamed. "Hey!" We all stopped, smiles on our face, and looked to him. "Are you all high or something?"

This just made us burst out laughing again, this time JJ was laughing the hardest. Shoupe rolled his eyes, barely able to stand us now. He ordered the officers to bring us back to the first tent for some news he had to tell us.

Even as we were brought back to tent one, we were still giggling. Granted, we weren't in full blown laughter, but we still had huge smiles on our faces.

Then, something made it stop. I was the first to stop. I saw my parents, hugging eachother. My mom was crying into my dad's chest. This was so out of character that I had to stop laughing. Something must be wrong. My parents hadn't touched each other in years and now my mom was hugging my dad.

Soon after I stopped, JJ did as well. He had turned to me and saw the colour leave my face.

He approached me, concerned now. "Callie?"

I gulped. Kiara and Pope had their eyes on me too, not laughing either. I look to JJ, tears in my eyes. I knew something bad had happened. I didn't say anything though. I didn't want it to be true.

JJ grabbed my hand and looked to Kiara and Pope, who were already questioning Shoupe.

"What's going on?" Pope yelled, getting in Shoupe's face. Kiara was trying to hold him back.

"Tell us now!" Kiara yelled, louder than Pope.

Shoupe frowned, looking to the ground. He didn't have to say it; I knew. I let out a sob and JJ held me closer. I couldn't hold my weight anymore. JJ was the only person holding me up. And I could see him starting to cry too. He and I knew already bt Kiara and Pope didn't want to except it.

Shoupe finally spoke. "They're gone."

Kiara scoffed. "What do you mean?"

Pope interjected. "Like you lost them? They got away?"

Shoupe shook his head. He seemed choked up, which is weird. He never seemed to like John B., and now that they were gone he was all of a sudden upset. "They wouldn't have made it through the storm."

JJ let go of me. I sank to my knees. Kiara and Pope hugged each other as they cried. As we all reacted by crying, JJ didn't.

He lunged forward at Shoupe. "This is your fault! You fucking killed them!" Pope held JJ back as he clawed his arms at Shoupe. Surprisingly, Shoupe did nothing. Maybe it was because he knew all that JJ was going through and didn't want to add the that.

All I could do was cry. Not Sarah. Not John B. They couldn't die. Sarah, my best friend. My mind went through all of the memories we shared during our relationship and I cried harder. First day of middle school, making forts in her living room, riding our bikes together, having our first drinks at a party together. All these memories. I couldn't lose her. She was my sister. All I had. I could care less about Ward and Rafe right now. I needed Sarah.

They can't be real. I wouldn't let myself believe that this was real. There must be something Shoupe can do. He can't give up. He's stubborn. A little storm wouldn't deter him.

I walked to Shoupe, meeting his softened gaze. He seemed really affected what the news he just told us. "Can't you send out a search team?"

Shoupe frowned and looked to the ground. "No."

I scoffed, tears still rolling down my face. "Look at me."

Shoupe looked up, tears in his eyes. "No. I'm sorry Callie."

I turned red. I got all of my feelings, all of the hatred and sadness, and I spit at his feet. Officers instantly held me away from him. I kicked my legs, hoping to reach him but I was too far away. Shoupe tried to brush it off and say it's ok but they were already dragging me off, out of the tent.

I was scream crying.

Not Sarah.

I was yelling for JJ. He yelled back, following me and yelling at the officers. He the made the mistake of trying to grab ahold of one of them and he was instantly overpowered by an officer. JJ put up a fight though. At first he resisted but the farther he saw me being dragged away from him, the weaker he got until he finally gave up.

Not John B.

I could tell they were gonna bring me back to the second tent to calm down. I didn't want that. I'd been in and out of the tent several times now and I was tired. I was tired and being dragged around. I was tired of being manhandled by cops. I was tired of being made out to be a villain. I was tired and being told to calm down. And I was tired of living in a worl without Sarah. She had only be gone from my life for seconds, but I wanted to go back.

As I'm being dragged and as I fight back, I remember a moment from my childhood. Sarah and I had only been friends for about a year but she had twisted a boys arm for pushing me over. I remember her getting in trouble, but that's not why I remember the memory. I remember getting so anxious for Sarah when she had to go to the principals office and all she said was that nothing bad could ever happen to good people.

I wish that was true.

I wish that Sarah and John B. were here with us. Everything made sense when they were around.

When the officers tried to push me into the second tent to calm down I yelled again. "No! I wanna watch the sun come up!" I always felt close to heaven when I watched the sun come up. I needed to be close to Sarah.

It was still raining outside and my persistent nature made me get more wet by the second. The officers, who had to continue to drag me in and out, were very tired and I could tell that they were on their last straw. They both looked at each other, shrugged, and then nodded.

This time, I was not dragged and instead walked willingly back into the first tent.

I instantly searched for JJ. He was sitting on a bench, face in his hands. I could tell he was weeping.

I tried to make my way to him but I was stopped by my parents. They had ambushed me as I walked and smothered me with hugs. Although I appreciated, after a few minutes I pushed them off, saying I needed to be alone. The truth was I wanted to make sure my friends were alright.

Finally, when I pulled away, I tried looking for my friends again. But JJ wasn't where I last saw him. I panicked a little. I couldn't lose more friends. I scanned the tent, hoping to God they were still here and I hadn't lost them forever.

Finally, I saw them. Kiara was greeting her parents with a big hug and Pope was with his dad. They were hugging and crying. I tried to find JJ. I didn't have to look far because he soon made his way behind Pope. Mr. Heyward opened his eyes to see JJ and then motioned to him to come. JJ instantly moved towards Mr. Heyward, his arms open.

I smiled. Even though that wasn't his real father, I'm sure Mr. Heyward saw JJ as another son.

I looked back to my parents, who were still crying from the news. I knew I had to be with them now. So, I did. I went back to them and opened my arms, ready for a hug. They instantly wrapped their bodies around me. I was coddled. For the first time in God knows how long, I wasn't worried about my parents divorce or John B.'s innocence, I just wanted to stay here. Wrapped up in my parents warm embrace.

~

It's quiet here. The sun is rising and all I hear is the crashing of the waves. I close my eyes and think of Sarah and John B.

It's been 5 hours since I found out. The sun is rising and tonight it will be the first time the sun will set without Sarah and John B. I honestly don't know how I'm awake right now. I've been sitting on the dock near the tents for 5 hours since the rain let up, watching the sun come up in a world without John B. and Sarah, and I'm asking myself how I'm doing it.

I think it's easier when you don't have to stand on your two legs. I don't think I would've made it this long if I was standing. No one has come to bother me yet. JJ tried to approach me once, hours ago, but he never made it to the dock. He just stood a few feet behind me, watching me. I knew he was trying to make sure I was alright but didn't want to intrude.

My parents went home to grab some clean clothes for me and told me once they'd come back, I was coming home. I had to say goodbye soon.

I didn't want that. If I said goodbye, who knows when I'd see them again.

I heard footsteps behind me. My eyes fly open and I turn my head. It's Pope.

I try to smile but I only make myself start tearing up again. I can see the tears in his eyes too. He's walking towards me, his feet already on the dock.

"Hey." He whispers, his voice scratchy from all the yelling.

I nod at him, not being able to speak. J don't wanna speak in a world where my best friend is not in. It's not fair.

"I wanted to check up on you." He says, sitting down on the dock beside me.

I shrug. I can't speak. I can't say I'm okay and I can't say I'm terrible. Anything would be a lie. I try to speak once out of respect. "Hi." My voice is low and hushed and my vocal chords hurt from all of the yelling.

Pope looks away from me and watches the sun rise. "It's beautiful."

You look back to the sun. "It is."

Pope chuckles, looking like he remembers a fond memory. "I remember this time where I was watching the sun rise with John B. I was nervous for my scholarship and he told me something very profound for a reckless teenager. He said, nothing ever golden lasts. Just like the sun, it will set and the moon will come. Your feelings, they will pass and instead of the bad memories, all you will think about is the good ones. I miss them so much already, but this terrible feeling in your chest will fade. It will never be gone, but it will fade."

Tears slide down my face as Pope speaks. I look to him as he talks and he catches my gaze. This time I smile for real. "Thanks Pope."

Pope pats my back. "As for JJ," he says, looking back at the sun, smirking. "When something terrible happens to him, he distances himself from the people who care about him. We all deal with things differently."

I nod. Pope's right. "Never knew you were a relationship guru." I joke, playfully shoving his shoulder.

Pope smiless and gets up from the dock. He looks down at me and extends his hand. "Never thought a Kook would be my friend but here we are."

I smiled and grabbed onto his hand, letting him pull me up. Once I was on my feet, I opened my arms and gave Pope a hug. We stood there for a moment, just hugging and finally when we pulled away, I speak.

"Thanks so much. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Pope lets go of me and shrugs. "That's what friends are for."

And with that, he's gone. I watch him walk off the dock as I stand there, my legs terribly weak from sitting down for 5 hours. As I watch him go to Kiara and her parents and start speaking to them, something else catches my eyes. At first, since I see it in the corner if my eye, I think it's just a figment of my imagination but then, I turn my head and I see JJ walking towards me. He just exited the first tent and he's looking at me as he walks. I can't make out his expression, even as he comes closer to me. He has his hands in his pockets and he doesn't show any emotion. Finally, when he gets on the dock and closer to me, I see his red eyes. They're basically bloodshot which is probably what my eyes look like. I want to reach out and hug him and tell him he'll be alright but I don't want to scare him off. Pope was right; when JJ is ready, he will come to you.

When he finally is in front of me, he speaks. "Hey." His voice is low and raspy. I can't tell if he's trying to hold back tears or if his voice hurts, or both.

I nod. "Hi."

"I just saw your parents. They brought some new clothes and your phone." JJ says, looking down at his feet and pulling his hands out of his pockets.

I nod again. God, I wish I could say something to help him. "I should go then."

JJ nods. "Yeah..."

I awkwardly nod back and then proceed to turn around and walk away from him. I only get two steps away fro m him until I turn around and speak. "Do you wanna talk?"

JJ was looking at the sea, but as soon as I speak, he looks at me. I can see the tears in his eyes. "I don't think I can."

I nod, taking a step towards JJ and grabbing his hand. "I'm here for you. So is Kiara and Pope. Don't push your family away."

As I say this, tears are sliding not only down my face but JJ's. He doesn't say a word but he embraces me, hugging me tighter than before. We just stand there for god knows how long, hugging eachother and crying into each others shoulders. We don't say anything for a long time. There's nothing to say to make us feel better. Soon, JJ lets me go and brings his hands up to my cheeks. I smile through my tears and try to wipe them away. He's smiling back and crying too. Then, catching me off guard for a moment, he leans down and kisses me on the lips. It's only for a moment and I don't have time to kiss him back.

When he pulls away, he says, "I don't know where I'd be without you."

I smile again, my cheeks hurting. "Probably arrested."

JJ chuckles. "And what would you know about jail, Kook?"

I don't say anything but I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him back, savoring the moment his lips meet mine. "I love you."

JJ's breath hitches in his throat and I can hear him audibly gasp. My eyes fly open. I didn't mean to say it. It was almost as if my lips had a mind of their own. We're not even technically together and I've known him only for not even two days. How can I love him? I don't know but I do.

"Callie..."He whispers, grabbing ahold of both my hands.

I instantly tear the away, embarrassed by what I've said. I've chased him away now. JJ is definitely not the type of person the say that stuff, especially to a girl he's just met. I feel like an idiot. I've ruined something that could've been good.

"JJ, I'm so sorry," I begin to apologize, "I'm such an idiot -"

"Callie..."

"And sometimes I say things without thinking -"

"Callie!" JJ yells, for the second time trying to get my attention.

I instantly stop to hear what he has to say. I brace myself for what could possibly be the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me.

Finally, when he sees he's got my attention, he speaks, "I love you too."

I instantly smile, this time tears brimming in my eyes. I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him close. He instantly does the same and we're back to hugging each other tightly.

"Callie?" I hear my mother's voice from behind me and I turn around. Her and my father are standing right before the deck, watching their daughter hug a boy they've never met.

Once I see them, I let go of JJ and meet his gaze. He's back to acting pompous, his only defense mechanism when he meets people he doesn't know.

"I'm gonna go into the second tent. Kiara and Pope are there. I'm gonna sleep over at Pope's." He squeezes my hand one last time before walking by my parents and leaving me with them. I stay silent until I watch him enter the second tent.

Then I look to my parents. In my mother's hand, there are a new pair of black jean shorts and this time, an orange tank top. I look down at my dirty and still damp clothes and remember these are Sarah's clothes. I want to hang onto them for a little while longer. If I get rid of these clothes, it's as if I'm getting rid of the memories of her. My dad is beside my mom but there is a few inches between them, telling me they're back to their old shen again. I wonder why they haven't gotten a divorce yet. Love should be simple. It should he easy. My parents marriage was never easier.

Finally, I approach my parents and give them a quick hug before taking the clothes from my mom's arms. We don't say much, just stand there awkwardly.

Finally, my dad speaks, "So, who's that boy?"

I try not to smirk thinking about JJ. "I think he's my boyfriend."

My mom scoffs. "You think? Isn't he a Maybank? You really think -"

"I think," I sigh, cutting my mom off. "That I just lost my two friends and I dont wanna talk about it."

I try to walk past them but I only make it so far before my dad calls out for me. "We have your phone."

I stop and turn around to face them once more. I don't want my phone because I know there will be hundreds of messages from students at school and my family, all asking me about Sarah and John B. and I'm not up for that right now. But, I do have photos of Sarah on my phone and I'd really like to have them to look at. So, against my better judgement, I take the phone from my dad.

"Thanks. I'll get changed and meet you in the car." I fake a smile to them and they nod, walking away from me.

Once they're gone, I finally allow myself to open my phone. The second I do, as I guessed, I am flowed with missed calls and texts. Some people from school ask me if I got the $25,000. Some ask me if I've been kidnapped. Some even ask if Sarah and John B. are still alive.

I start going through my messages. Some of them are contacts from school or my family such as aunts and uncles, and some are unknown numbers. As I scroll and delete messages, I come across a voice mail. It's not a normal phone number, but one you would find if you were on a boat. The number is a four digit code and you've never seen it before. Better yet, they left a voicemail so I click on it to check who it is. I type in my four digit code to access my voicemail and then press play on the voicemail.

"Hey Callie..." it's Sarah. My stomach drops. I look at the time. This is after Shoupe told us they had died. I'm breathing rapidly. Sarah's alive? "I'm here with John B. and I want you to know we're okay. We're gonna be fine. I can't tell you where we're going but I just want to let you know I love you and I'll see you soon. Bye."

I not crying but I so surprised that my legs feel weak. I can't believe it. Once the voicemail ends, I turn off my phone and try to catch my breath. Where is she? Is she still on the boat? Is she on another one? Where are they going? I can't believe that this is happening. Two seconds ago I was mourning my friend's death and now, I just found out they're both still alive.

I instantly think of JJ, Kiara and Pope. I need to tell them. Now.

I run as fast as my feet can carry me. My feet are hurting but I can't stop now. I run up the hill where I was, past the first tent and into the second. Kiara, Pope and JJ are all sitting beside eachother and speaking. No one else is in the tent right now. The second I run in, their eyes look to mine. I'm out of breath and they all look concerned.

"Callie?" Kiara asks, confused as to why I'm out of breath.

"They're alive." I breath out, my breath finally catching up to me.

They all look to each other, confused now. I know they don't believe me. As they look at each other, I open my phone and go back to the voicemail.

I open it and before I can put in my four digit code, JJ speaks, "Callie, what are you talking about?"

I put in my four digit code and put the message on speaker. Once the message starts, I see all of their eyes widen. Kiara grabs onto Pope as Sarah speaks and I can see the tears in JJ's eyes. I grab his hand the second he starts the tear up and he looks at me, smiling. He's not crying because he's sad, it's because he's happy.

Once the voicemail ends, Kiara, Pope, and JJ look at me. They're all smiling. I smile back this time too. This is really happening. They're not dead.

"Oh my god..." Pope says, smiling like a madman.

I was smiling like that too. "I know. They're not dead."

"I can't believe it." Kiara says, smiling at me.

"We can't tell Shoupe." JJ says, looking at all of us. "If he knows they're alive, he'll never stop."

I nod. "Then there's only one thing we can do."

Kiara, Pope, and JJ all look at me, smiling but confused. I couldn't ask for better people in my life.

"What is it?" JJ asks, smiling at me. He reaches for my hand and I smile back, grabbing his hand. I'm so glad he's mine. After everything that's happened, JJ Maybank might just be the best thing to ever happen to a Kook like me.

"We wait until they come back. When they do, we do what we always do: we help our family." I say, smiling at my family.

They smile back.

I don't know what the future holds, but I have my family with me. And that's all that matters.

[jiracheer]

!!! My very first request!!! 🥺 I was so happy to see this in my inbox!! Sorry these are a bit long, but I hope you enjoy nevertheless anon!! 💕💕 pls forgive any grammar mistakes! im p sure i wrote this around 2 AM LMAO

__________________________________________

{ Haikyuu boys taking you out on your first date HCs }

ASAHI AZUMANE

we all know he's rlly nervous about y'alls first date

he probably asks the boys for help about places to go, and how to ask you out!!

Suga, Daichi, Yachi, Kiyoko, Ennoshita, and Yams are super helpful!! They give him a lot of helpful tips, and even help him figure out a way to ask you out in the most perfect way possible!

Tsukki, Noya, Tanaka, Kags, and Hinta were little to no help. Their Ideas were... Good, but they weren't what he was looking for. He appreciates their help in the end 

you both tend to walk home together. It really depends though! Sometimes you're down to wait until practice is over, and sometimes you just wanna go home and do your own thing

so on one of the walks home, he stops you halfway and asks you if you wanted to go roller skating date with him over the weekend

his face is so red

and so is yours because you never would've thought he'd ask you out on a date

he thinks you're about to reject him because you're just standing there in silence

"Y-You don't- We don't have to go-"

"No! Wait! I do wanna go out with you!"

the rest of the walk home is really awkward, but there's a sweet smile on y'alls faces

when the day finally comes, Asahi picks you up from your house and you're 🥺

he's wearing a cute pair of jeans with a wooly sweater over a white button up, and converse

and you're like,,, omg, did i underdress?? i need to look as cute as that??? and you look like you're about to go back inside and change, but he stops you halfway and tells you that you look cute

last minute he pulls out a handful of flowers, and you're about to cry because he's so damn cute, but then he apologizes bc lowkey they're kinda crushed

but its okay

you put them inside and y'all start leaving

y'all chat about whatever and you walk close to him, and you hold onto his arm and lean against him

when it comes to the skating part? y'all are dying.

you both cling to the walls until you finally find the confidence to skate, and you're FERAL. You're zooming around, and Asahi is just watching you with big eyes and a blush

you try your best to pull him off the wall, and skate with you, and he was terrified! man almost peed his pants! but eventually you peel him off and he's SHAKING

this tall beefy man that could snap you in half, is leaning on you and holding onto you for dear life, and you're the only thing between him and the floor

it takes him a hot minute before he's finally able to stand without busting his ass, or shaking, so you take his hand and y'all are just vibing

when the couple song comes on? He's heading towards the exit and you tug him BACK into the rink, and you're like :) "let's skate!!"

he almost passes out

he never would've thought you'd want to skate with him during a couple turn 🥺

he holds your hand real tight, and you interlace your fingers with him. and it's just really nice

Asahi leans against you again but it's not as heavy, it's a good weight that you wanna feel all night long

y'all decide to split a pizza and an icee, and you're just hanging out at your table and you're just sitting close and 🥺🥺🥺

his face is close to yours when you talk, and you're hugging his arm and you just lay your head on his shoulder

im so fuckin soft

eventually, you get really tired and it's time to go home

Asahi takes you home and nervously takes your hand before you go in, and he kisses your knuckles and wishes you goodnight

the second you're inside? you're dying

Asahi is also dying

IWAIZUMI HAJIME

you and Iwa are probably already pretty close, and you both knew how you felt, but neither one of you knew how to approach the situation

bc no cap?

Iwa was lowkey waiting for YOU to say something

while you were waiting for IWA to say something

and the whole team is sick and tired of it. Especially Oikawa

He just wants to see his two favorite people get together!!!

So he urged Iwa to say something after one of their matches

and thats when you both decide to finally make plans for a date, and you both suggested going bowling

and y'all just kinda looked at each other

and laughed really fuckin hard

You both decide to just meet up there since it would be easier for the both of you

he looks rlly cute in his usual attire of just a good pair of jeans, hoodie, and a jacket above it

and you're like. eyein that jacket. you want it by the end of the night

so you two go in, get your shoes, and start heading down to the lanes

on god, you're nervous. you're scared of your fingers getting stuck in the balls

you tell Iwa and he laughs at you, telling you that it won't happen if you're careful

you kinda eye him like uhmmm if you say so????

but you're still careful

y'all decide to name each other

Iwa is a gentleman, so he makes your nickname 'Sunshine :)'

sadly tho, you decide to be a lil shit, and his nickname is 'Oikawa's whore'

he punches your arm and you're in tears from how hard you're laughing

y'all decide to place a bet at the start since you wanted to add some spice to the date

you make a bet that if iwa wins, you're paying for the food, and if you win, he pays for the food

eventually you start playing and he's way ahead of you, and you're hitting his back jealous that he's winning

iwa is laughing in your face and he reaches for another ball. you have a feeling that this is gonna be the ball that makes you lose

you just watch in horror as he lifts the ball

he's preparing to throw it...

and!

he's sent forward, collapsing onto the ground with a double heavy thud

you blink.

and then you LAUGH REALLY FUCKIN HARD

Karma is a bitch! Iwa's fingers got stuck in the ball, and he's just laying there dumbfounded, and you're laughing

you have to help him up eventually, and you're trying so hard not to cry/shout in laughter. He's all red, but you help his fingers out and y'all sit down

you look over his hand and you're making sure his fingers aren't broken or anything

iwa just watches your tiny lil hand in his, and his heart is racing SO FAST

it isn't until you kiss his fingertips and tell him that you're gonna go get ice, that this man explodes

he takes your wrist and pulls you down so he can kiss your nose and he thanks you with a tiny mumble

you lowkey die on the spot and stagger away to get his ice, and when you come back there's a bit more pep in your step

you come back and his fingers seem okay, so you just decide maybe it's a good time to start going back home

the walk back is full of laughter and him eventually throwing an arm around your shoulder

you lean into his side and you hold his hand

when he drops you off the two of you just hang out in your porch

and he eventually leans down to kiss you 🥺 and he whispers good night against your lips

he waves you farewell, and you do too

and you know damn well you wanna go on another date with this man

TENDOU SATORI

on god I struggled to think of a date idea for Tendou

bc I was given SOOOOO MANY GOOD DATE IDEAS FOR THIS FUCKER

Tendou decided to ask you out of the blue if you wanted to go to the zoo with him

you were kinda shocked to see that Tendou wanted to go somewhere with YOU of all people

because no cap, you thought u were pretty Lame, and not cool enough to hang out with him, but. 😳 um. you said yes! let's go to the zoo!!!

but you really didn't know if it was a date or not, because he didn't say it, but in your head its a date

you're a lil nervous about going to the zoo with him because you haven't hung around with him one on one

Leon, Semi, and even Toshi, were always with y'all when you two would hang out

so having alone time with him is KINDAAAA intimidating

but when he pulls up to your house so excited to take you out 🥺 all of your anxieties are GONE!!!!!

he does not HESITATE to take your hand. He holds your tiny lil hand in his much bigger one, and he just chats about whatever comes to mind

when y'all are on the train, he sits across from you just so he can watch you stare out the window and admire you AND the view outside

he chose a pretty good day to take you out. the sun was bright and warm, and you were wearing the cutest dress so he knew today was going to be pretty good

the second you get to the zoo he makes sure to buy tickets to ride the train around the zoo, and even access to the carousel

you're about to WWE bodyslam him to the ground for buying you your ticket!! like motherfucker I have the money!!!!!!

you're so close to beating the shit out of him, but he slips the access bracelet around your wrist and slips his fingers through yours and he's like

🥰🥰🥰🥰!!!

anger? gone.

serotonin? here.

your love for him? massive.

hotel? trivago.

you decide to get a map of the zoo so you two know where you're going, and you end up navigating the both of you around

Tendou is going feral over all the animals, and he tugs on you gently to point at whatever animal is doing something he finds exciting

He even goes as far as to pick you up if you can't see a certain animal because they're positioned somewhere high

when it comes to finally going on the small ass train, y'alls legs are basically twisted with eachother and your hip is pressed against his in such an uncomfortable position

its a tight fit!!! im pretty sure your leg is falling asleep

but you can't help but giggle and laugh when Tendou leans over you to see the animals, cheek pressed against yours since you turned your head to look too

ugh. fucker takes this chance to kiss your cheek and nose it, and when you go all red he laughs at you

when you go see the penguins he holds you really close to his side, and hugs you from behind to keep you warm

but also so he can see the penguins better. the penguin house was lowkey full

you have to hold him back from touching most animals that seemed close enough to be touched

y'all get a pretzel and split that shit, but then you're both screaming when a bird swoops down to steal it right from your hands

just as you're about to get on the carousel, there's a distant rumble of thunder and you both stop like ????? brother what??? the sun was OUT

the zoo announces that they would be closing soon due to the rain, and they urge the members to start heading to their cars or whatever other method of transportation

you just look at Tendou like 👁_____👁 wut da hell we gon do...... now?

Tendou looks back at you like queen don't ask me. i didnt think we'd get this far on god

you both decide to just start leaving so you don't get caught in the rain

but wow, what do you know, it starts raining as you walk to the train station

and you BOOK IT

you're screeching as the rain just hits you at full force, and you're holding onto Tendou's arm for dear life, and he's laughing so hard and just stops

you're like ??? IT'S RAINING???? WE GOTTA BLAST BITCH

but listen. This dude is vibing now. He just had such a good day with you, and the rain feels so nice on his hot skin, and he's never felt so much at once

and you kinda just stop and admire him for a bit. So you stand under the rain with him before it gets to be too much, and you take his hand gently and start walking to the station

y'all just hang under the tin roof the station provides

you're both soaked, but sit close to one another to share heat bc y'all kinda stupid for tryin to act out a hallmark movie scene

but hey

at least y'all had fun, right?

[saihahas]

The sheer brilliance of the Pikmin shorts

And how their success shows that a cartoon with no dialog can excel in quality.

This is going to be seperated into three portions, for each short! Short 1 will be titled in RED. Short 2 will be titled in BLUE. Short 3 will be titled in PURPLE.

SHORT 1

Short one, The Night Juicer, is my least favorite out of the three. Granted, I still really enjoy the short! But it's not memorable in comparison to the other two. It's the shortest, and plays off of what Pikmin are named after! For those not aware of Pikmin lore or the games, Pikmin were named based off of Pikpik Carrots, which are very popular on Capitan Olimar's home planet, Hocotate.

This short begins with a very cute title sequence, showing Pikmin just doing Pikmin things! Which the series is exceptional at.

The first short starts with a Red, Blue and Yellow Pikmin watching Olimar make himself an unassuming red smoothie.

A lil squeaky sound effect is made when Oli puts his hands on his hips, thats all.

ANYWAYS-

The Primary Pikmin trio all run up to Olimar as he finishes up his cup, but stop after glancing over to the side of the blender, seeing a cut up Pikpik carrot they mistake for a Red Pikmin.

This sends the trio into a frenzy, freaking out and running away from Olimar.

Oh and this

Consider my timbers, shivered. Olimar creepily walks towards them, as if it was a horror movie. The trio fantasize what will become of them once Olimar catches them, while trying to get as far away from him as possible.

Olimar corners them in the storage closet, and the trio fear the worst. Only for Olimar to daintily push them to the side, and pick up two pikpik carrots for another smoothie.

All in all, this short isn't bad! It's cute and simple, a jokey horror trope. It simply suffers the fate most pilot episodes do. The other two are much less Olimar centered, and shine as a result.

SHORT 2

Short 2, Treasure in a Bottle, is my second favorite of the trio, but it definitely is close to overtaking short 3. This series is devoid of Olimar entirely, focused on Pikmin interacting with eachother. (And our protag, a Red Pikmin's desire for the shiny)

Short 2 starts out with a Red Pikmin, lets call him Steve, in a field chasing a butterfly. He gets distracted by a bottle, and proceeds to stare at his reflection in the glass.

The ramune is giant in comparison to Steve, and then he notices the shine of the marble inside. He screams in excitement, before scaling multiple objects to reach the top of the ramune bottle. (After falling off a grass blade gently)

Steve marvels at the marble, and hops into the bottle. He notices the long way down from where the marble lies and shudders, determined to roll the marble out. He attempts several times to do so, and on his last attempt, the marble gets stuck. After a few seconds, the marble falls and steve lands at the bottom of the bottle, and can't get out. While stuck, a trio of a single red, blue and yellow Pikmin come across Steve!

After laughing about how silly he looks inside the bottle, the trio tries to come up with a plan to break Steve out. Blue suggests filling the bottle with water, so Steve floats to the top and can be pulled off. Steve quickly shuts the idea down, as all Pikmin aside from blue Pikmin can't swim. Yellow has a much more direct approach, grabbing a bomb rock and allowing it to detonate, launching the bottle into the air. Steve flies out of the bottle, but as the bottle lands on the ground, Steve falls back into the bottle.

The three watch a trio of blue pikmin latched to eachother trying to pull down a butterfly, before a purple adds too much weight and the butterfly gets away. The trio has an idea, and like that Steve is saved!!!!

But not without taking the ramune with him ;)

SHORT 3

The final and longest Pikmin short, Occupational Hazard, is easily the best of the three in my opinion. It has Olimar present, but he isn't the focus of the short, the pikmin doing their thing are!

The short starts off showing some Pikmin taking apart pieces of a large machine, carrying bits ans pieces along, with come cute slapstick type comedy throughout. The camera pans out, showing how small the pikmin are compared to PNF-404 (Earth)

A quick pan later, and Olimar appears! He's using his whistle to direct Pikmin on where to go, much like in the games. The Pikmin are catapulting eachother, two go down, one comes up. They all carry the bits of metal to the Reasearch Pod, which assesses value. The Pod takes a brief leave, panning over Olimar and the Pikmin.

What a great shot

A yellow pikmin gets catapulted, offering a bent nail, which Olimar declines. The pikmin tosses the nail over the edge, hitting a white pikmin on the head. (Which they are VERY angry about) Two blue attempt to pull up a purple Pikmin, which was definitely unsuccessful, followed by a very angry white Pikmin yelling and taking his spot, only to be flung into the stratosphere after two purple Pikmin come down the catapult.

Back to business as usual.

The camera pans to some yellow Pikmin making their way inside the machine itself! Some yellows are carrying materials, but two stop and notice a small bolt. One touches it and gets shocked, followed by both touching it, and their leaves sprout into bulbs and flash, as they made a current! A blue tries to join in on the fun, but dies, as they can't conduct electricity. Poor guy :(

A small group of Pikmin sneak off to some pipes, ready to go have some fun! A blue Pikmin kicks a red through a pipe, and we get a cute transition to the other side of the pipes! A yellow pulls out a mushroom, a red and blue pull out screws and, there's a cute mario reference with a red Pikmin! Our lovely gang finds an odd looking pipe and decide to check it out, only for it to have been the snout of a Blowhog! It spews fire before emerging from the pipes, nearly burning the group. Luckily for them, some red Pikmin take on the Blowhog, because they're fire resistant. The red Pikmin are playing with thr Blowhog, despite it still chasing their friends around breathing fire. Luckily AGAIN, the Blowhog trips, and lands in the mud, its snout being filled with it. Naturally, they decide to have fun with the mud.

Back to Olimar and the construction site, my absolute favorite piece of pikmin media occurs. (Spliced 4 convenience, sound on!!!)

Something very big in these shorts are exaggerated reactions as well as music and sound effects playing to convey a specific feeling. Pikmin do not speak, and neither does Olimar. But in these shorts, their small soundbytes are able to convey what the pikmin are saying to eachother. This method of sound design is done extremely well, and I would argue to say that if these shorts prove anything at all, it's that nintendo could make a TV series that has no dialog whatsoever, and still have the audience rolling on thr floor laughing.

Back to the mud buds, we get a few more shots of them playing before yellow gets distracted. The shiny strikes again. Yellow walks into a large oil drum, and picks up a screw. Deeper in the drum, another sparkle catches his attention. Yellow picks the second up, and finds himself at a place with several odd colored objects. One of which he kicks.

It's a Bulborb!!! And its MAD. The mud buds are in trouble, and they're running as fast as they can from the Bulborb, who gets a red and blue Pikmin into its mouth. The two manage to get out through its nostrils, giving the others enough time to make a plan to outsmart the Bulborb.

A giant glove comes out of nowhere, halting the Bulborb and hypnotizing it, before flinging itself onto its backside. The glove was being controlled by an entourage of Pikmin, and the Bulborb catches on rather quickly, biting the glove and flinging the mud buds out. They all hide in a wheel rim(?) and some slapstick ensues.

Fed up with the mud bud's antics, the Bulborb kicks the rim, but hurts his toe instead. Poor guy,,, but he had it coming.

With a cute fanfare, we quickly return to Olimar, who has scaled the machine! But now his attention turns to the Bulborb that has been oddly fascinated with the rim.

The Bulborb finally manages to free the car wheel, throwing it into the air! Once it hits the ground, the mud buds all fall out, much to Olimar's dismay. And the way he struggles while whistling for the pikmin's attention is a BIG mood for people who've played the game before.

The mud buds start running to Olimar after hearing his call, much to the Bulborb's dismay. A chase ensues, and the Blowhog appears again, with its fire abilities regained. Rhe Bulborb continues to give chase, with two Pikmin meeting their demise. Everything seems hopeless, as the buds and Bulborb are huddled into the scoop of the machine.

And we get thrown back to the yellow Pikmin's party, with several linking to eachother and sparkling. One's foot touches the other's head, completing the current and turning the machine on.

The scoop gets sent upwards, as Olimar falls and lands on a lever, causing the scoop to let loose the contents inside. Right when it seems the buds are going to hit the ground along with the Bulborb, their leaves sprout into flowers! They gently float to the ground, while the Bulborb was.... not so lucky. A heavenly light shines as the gang ascend, with triumphant music in the background.

Oh and then all 97 pikmin left go ham on the bulborb.

The machine begins to deconstruct, and fall apart. More sadly relatable whistles from Olimar ensue, and uh

This happens.

After clearing the explosion, Olimar and the Pikmin look upon the wreckage, as the Pod reappears, and takes a value of the entire machine. The Pod asseses that the wreck is 100,000,000,007 pokos, and Olimar makes a triumphant pose. The white pikmin from earlier comes crashing down during the Fin. screen.

Now for my personal thoughts, while I have had some spread throughout, my final cohesive thoughts are as stated down below. Pikmin as a franchise has been dead for a while. We got a reboot of Pikmin 3 this year, and these were reuploaded from the WiiU era. The overwhelmingly positive response from the community as well as non-pikmin fans is second to none. These short style, no dialog cartoons have worked for Nintendo for years. (If anyone remembers the Yoshi and Poochy shorts I love you) This series is phenomenal at conceying emotion, or the volume of the situation, without saying a single word. The pikmin scream in excitement, they make their little noises in anger, dings and drones are placed perfectly, so EVERYONE can understand the situation. I fully believe that more companies should view these cartoons as cartoons, and give them the spotlight as well. Each short remains the length it has to be, and shows some fun content at that. The Pikmin interacting with eachother and behaving the way they do is adorable, especially when in the Pikilopedia from the games, Olimar mentions specifically they act like toddlers. Toddlers who help him not miss his own kids as much, while stranded on PNF-404.

If you wanna give the series a view for yourself, I'll provide the thinks below!!

[hopeless-lovex0]

I HAVE A DREAM (PART 18)

( Hongjoong Ending )

Kim Hongjoong Fanfic

Warning: Angst. Cheating. Heartbreak. Cursing. Fluff.

Alas we are on the Finale of I Have A Dream!!! I honestly loved writing this story so much and I’m incredibly happy and thankful that people actually took time to read it so this final chapter goes out to everyone who has liked, shared or read in general I Have A Dream ❤️ Without further ado I hope you guys enjoy the option of choosing your own ending, I hope you guys enjoyed I Have A Dream. With much love Lizzie x 🥰❤️

     Hongjoong could feel a rush of adrenaline setting over his body like a blanket, palms sweaty and heart racing as he hesitantly steps up the stairs towards Youngji’s apartment where Y/N is currently staying.

     He thinks back to the day when the guys finally got to meet baby Jongho, but then again it was only 2 weeks ago so it wasn't that hard to forget.

     When the guys were busy with the baby, Youngji laid passed out in a bed a couple feet away from Y/N’s bed, a curtain pulled over so that no one could see his heavy body sprawling over the small bed. The shuffling of various people in the room is what caused him to wake and jump through the curtain, startling everyone in the room and causing Jongho to wake from his nap.

     The guys left as soon as the first cry pierced the air, knowing that it was up to Y/N to be able to keep the poor baby calm. Y/N was handed the baby by San, giving her a sweet small smile before exiting along with the rest of Ateez. Hongjoong stayed by the door for a couple of seconds, watching as Y/N rocked Jongho gently, giving her baby a gentle kiss on the forehead that eventually ceased the cries of the newborn baby. After that day, the guys (along with Hongjoong) returned to the hospital with flowers and a huge teddy bear. Ateez's Jongho played with baby Jongho as Y/N thanked the rest of the guys for the gifts.

     Y/n got discharged out the hospital a couple hours after that, Youngji busting in the room and helping Y/N with the hospital bag and carrier that he bought a couple days after Y/N gave birth. The guys walked with her to the car parked in front in the visitors lot, all the flowers and huge teddy bear barely fitting in Youngji's small car.

     As half guys all took turns hugging Y/N goodbye the other half stayed huddled around Mingi as he cuddled the baby goodbye, Jongho and Yunho complaining that he was taking way to much time saying goodbye and that it was their turn with the baby. San and Hongjoong stayed standing a couple of feet away from eachother, the tension that was there back then simmered down to the point where they both could hold a decent conversation for a couple hours, though the rest of the guys knew that it was due to the baby finally being born and all the fighting might cause even more stress on Y/N.

     With one final goodbye, Y/N got in the car with Youngji and together they drove away to Youngji's apartment, were she was going to stay for a couple weeks before eventually leaving to go back to her little village home, Mrs. Park and Kyung Mi wanting to meet the baby as soon as possible. Now pratically two weeks later, Hongjoong was on his way to Youngji's apartment where Y/N texted him to meet.

     He practically jumped off his bed the minute the message popped up on his phone, " Can you meet me in Youngji's apartment later today?" her massage said, very short and straight to the point. Hongjoong texted her a quick yes before throwing on a beige trenchcoat and shoving his feet in a pair of shoes (who he's pretty sure belong to wooyoung due to the platforms). He didn't bother asking to use the car, as the manager banned him from driving for two months after he took the car without permission the day Y/N called for him.

     All throughout his walk to Youngji's apartment, his mind was clouded with various thoughts on why all of the sudden Y/N wanted to talk to him. Did she change her mind about letting me see Jongho? What if she wants to add my last name to Jongho's birth cetificate? Does she want to give me sheduled meetings? It was all Hongjoong could think about, and now that he was directly in front of the apartment building, he wishes he took the long way instead of the short way to get there. Choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator, he sluggishly climbed up the stairs before finally stopping on the 6th floor, where Youngji's apartment was located.

     Finally walking up to the door, he stood there for a couple seconds contemplating whether he should just turn back around and text her that something came up. Nodding his head, he turns his body to walk away before stopping at the sound of muted singing coming from the door he was about to knock on. Carefully walking up the door again, he slowly presses his ear to the door as best as he can without making any noise and waits. He strains his hearing before finally catching the sound of her sweet melodic voice, her singing traveling all over the inside of the apartment, barely being able to hear it from the outside.

     He thinks that she's just singing to herself like she used to do when they were together, Hongjoong often waking up to sound of Y/N's singing coming from the main part of the apartment on his days off, getting out of the bed and walking to the kitchen were he would bask in her beauty as she made pancakes and eggs for him. Instead he hears her singing with the occasional blabber from who he knows is Jongho.

     That's when he finally notices the song that she is singing, I Have A Dream. It's the song that Youngji's and Y/N's mother used to sing for them when they were just babies. That song holds so much value to Y/N, and the fact that she was continuing a tradition with they're own baby brought tears to his eyes. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, standing there and listening to Y/N's singing for a couple seconds before finally composing himself the best he can.

     He brings his shaky hand up to the dark wood, and gives it a few strong knocks causing the singing from inside to come to a stop. He nervously stands there as he hears the quiet shuffle coming from behind the door, making its way closer to the spot were Hongjoong currently standing with his legs shaking just a little, though he prays it isn't noticable to Y/N once she opens the door.

     A couple seconds later, the old dark wood door creaks open slowly, the sound of the old rusty hinges creaking all througout the hallway where Hongjoong is waiting. Finally the door completely opens, and Hongjoong is glad that he didn't decide to chicken out on her, as Y/N stands in front of him in a pair of gray sweatpants and an oversized shirt, hair thrown up in a messy bun that Jongho is currently trying to tug on.

     " Sorry for my bummy appearence, I've been taking care of Jongho all day that I wasn't able to dress more decent." Y/N sheepishly admits, giving him a small smile as she invites Hongjoong into the apartment. Timidly walking in, he waits for Youngji to pop out from somewhere and jump him, but instead is meet with a quiet space causing him to furrow his eyebrows in confusion. He hears Y/N let out a chuckle from in front of him, whipping his head around and noticing that she was looking at him while he was making a fool out of himself.

     " If you are waiting for Youngji to run out of somewhere, screaming bloody murder don't bother. He decided to meet up with his friends today so its just me and little Jongho." Y/N says, walking into the livingroom and setting Jongho down on in the middle of his little swing. Finally walking up to the giant L shaped coach, she sits herself down and pats the spot next to her, telling Hongjoong to sit down next to her.

     Tentatively walking up to her, he sits himself down a couple spaces away from her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form. They sit there quietly, watching Jongho play around with the mountain of toys the guys and Youngji bought for him the day after he was born. Finally after what seems like forever, Y/N breaks the awkward silence that surrounded them.

     " You must be wondering why is texted you to meet me so suddenly right?" She questions, Hongjoong nodding his head and humming back at her, letting her know that that's exactly what he's thinking. " I thought back to what you told me back then in the hospital room... About me liking San." She says, and Hongjoong's body immediatly tenses up, one of his hands gripping onto the sofa as he mentally prepares himself for Y/N to say that she wants to be with San.

     " I think you were right... At least for the most part." She confesses, causing Hongjoong to look at her in confusion. What does she mean for the most part? Is all Hongjoong can think about as he waits for Y/N to continue. " I thought I liked San.. He was super sweet to me and always made sure I was taking care of myself back when you guys had your one month break, but now that I really think about it and take a minute to myself, I realized that I only wanted to forget you." Y/N says, causing Hongjoong to cough in surprise.

     Before either of them can say anything, Jongho begins to whine for attention squirming around on his swing as he searches the warm embrace of his mother. Instead of Y/N getting up, Hongjoong tells her to stay put, walking up to the swing and taking Jongho out of it just as he’s about to cry. Little Jongho seems to know that Hongjoong is his father as the little baby begins to snuggle into Hongjoong's chest, small hand gripping onto his shirt as he begins to fall asleep.

     Y/N watches them from her spot on the sofa, softly smiling at the sight in front of her. Hongjoong slowly rocking his body back and forth as he pats Jongho's back softly, humming aurora under his breath to help Jongho fall asleep faster. Carefully, Hongjoong walks back towards the sofa and sits down, this time right next to Y/N in case Jongho gets tired with him and instead needs his mother. Together they sit in silence, admiring Jongho as he continues to sleep on Hongjoong's chest, fist still tightly gripping onto his shirt as if his life depended on it.

     Before she could get anymore distracted with the cute scene in front of her, Y/N clears her throat to gain Hongjoong's attention again. " I talked to him about this.. and even though he was heart broken about me not liking him back, he said that he would support me no matter what I chose to do in the end." Y/N says, the mention of San drawing his attention from his little baby currently snoozing on his chest.

     " So why did you text me to meet you?" Hongjoong asks her, face twisted in confusion as to why he's currently sitting in Youngji's couch if Y/N is not going to tell him any grand news.

     " The reason I texted you to meet me today is because... because I want to give us another chance." Y/N says, causing Hongjoong to freeze in shock, his sudden stiffness causing Jongho to whine in discomfort. Leaning towards him, Y/N takes Jongho from Hongjoong's hands to calm him down before he starts to cry. Hongjoong takes a minute to process what she just said, before finally the words hit him like a truck.

      He feels the tears slide down his cheeks like a river, but this time he doesn't clean them away like he would usually. Next he feels the small wiggle of his bottom lip, pursing them so that Y/N isn't able to notice the way his lips are trembling but it all fails, Hongjoong letting out a muffled sob as he slaps his hand over his mouth to conceal it.

     Y/N slowly places one of her hands on top of Hongjoong's, eyes watering as well but trying her hardest to keep herself from crying in fear of waking up Jongho. Hongjoong grips onto her hand like his life denpends on it, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it multiple times, to show her how much this moment means to him but to also keep his sobs to a minimum volume. They sit there for a couple of seconds before Hongjoong is finally able to speak without breaking down. " Are you foreal..?" He says while wiping away his tears, his other hand still gripping onto Y/N hand, he feels a fresh new wave of tears hit his eye when he sees Y/N nod her head.

     " You showed me a whole new side of you, I knew you really wanted to fix things between us when you gave the pair of shoes back there in the village and how you were constantly keeping your distance as to not make me uncomfortable. I know we ended in a bad way and me saying that I'm giving you a chance doesn't mean we can immediatly go back to how we were before Ji Woo but like I said I am willing to give us another chance." Y/N finishes off, patting Jongho's back to keep him waking up while her and Hongjoong fix their problems.

     Hongjooong sits there, taking everything in before finally leaning forwards and bringing Y/N in for a hug, making sure that he's gentle with her as she's still carrying Jongho. Placing both of his hands on her cheeks, he brings Y/N's face up to his mouth and places a quick peck on her forehead, leaning down and placing one on Jongho's forehead as well. " Thank You... I swear on my whole life, I won't fuck this up. I can't lose you again, not you, not Jongho. I will forever be grateful for this chance that you have given me and I won't ever take you guys for granted." Hongjoong says, looking deep into Y/N's eyes to let her know that he means every word he is saying.

     All huddled up together in Youngji's sofa, Hongjoong continues to embrace Y/N and Jongho, constantly mumbling out thank you and placing various kisses on Jongho's head.

                                         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

     Hongjoong made it back to the dorms after crying his heart out with Y/N in Youngji's apartment, the words Thank You constantly ringing out in his head from how much he said them in the span of three hours. Opening the door to the dorms, he is greeted by San at the door, his eyes red from crying but none the less face with a neutral expression.

     Hongjoong is afraid to say anything first in case San lunges at him for saying the wrong thing, and instead closes the door and stands there waiting for San to do anything. They both stand there looking at eachother in a tense silence, Hongjoong praying that one of the guys comes out and interrupts them but they seems to be gone, the only people in the dorm is San and himself.

     The silence is killing him, and he's temped to ask San if there's a problem but before he can speak San marches towards him and yanks him up by his shirt. " I'm guessing you already know that Y/N rejected me, and I have no doubt in my mind that she decided to give you a second chance. All I need you to know is that if you ever cheat on her again, she'll chose me for sure. Now please I beg you, treat her the way she is supposed to be treated, love her and Jongho like they are supposed to be loved. Cherish her the way I'm not allowed to cherish her, because she deserves the whole world and more." San finishes off, tears clouding his eyes as he roughly shoves Hongjoong away from him.

     Fixing his shirt, Hongjoong walks fowards and grips onto San's hands. " I learned from my mistakes, and I never plan on letting her go ever again. I finally have her back, I have the love of my life back as well as my child and If I ever mess up again in the near future.. I give you permission to beat me up." Hongjoong says, giving San's hand a quick squeeze and a small smile before finally letting go of him.

     San stares at him for a couple of seconds before letting of a scoff, he begins to walk away but not before talking over his shoulder to Hongjoong. " Oh don't worry, I won't hold back." All Hongjoong can do is laugh silently to himself, way to happy to even think about getting himself beat up by San.

     Walking towards his room, he opens his door then closes it as he begins to take off his clothing, stripped down to his underwear he slips into his sheets and begins to drift into a deep sleep, silenty praying that once he wakes up, everthing that happened was real and not just a dream. Closing his eyes he finally lets sleep envelop him completely

                         1 year later...

      It wasn't a dream, everything he feels in that moment is very real, from the warmth of Y/N's hand in his to Jongho's body pressed up against his right side as he carries him in his arm. They walk together in silence through the well light park, walking back from celebrating Jongho's first birthday they all bask in the fresh air that blows around them.

      You can hear the giggles of Jongho as Hongjoong and Y/N begin to play peek-a-boo with him, the young toddler super entertained by his parents as they continue to walk through the streets of Seoul. An elder couple out for a walk coo at them as they sit on a bench in the park they walk by, Jongho waving at them once he spots them, the older lady awing at him causing Jongho to burst out in a fit of giggles. Y/N watches her little baby as he sweetly greets the old couple, taking him from Hongjoong's arms and walking up to the couple that is sitting on the bench.

     Hongjoong follows them without much protest, mind to focused on Y/N as she continues to smile and laugh along with Jongho. The older couple playing around with Jongho and chatting with Y/N, greeting Hongjoong with a small head bow, Hongjoong bowing back at them then going back to admiring his little family with a love filled gaze and a soft smile.

      The older male gazes at Hongjoong once in a while, letting his wife do most of the talking at she continues to fawn over Jongho and chat with Y/N. " So when are you planning on doing it young fellow?" He whispers to Hongjoong, making sure that his wife or Y/N didn't hear him. Once he knows that they didn't hear him, he turns back around and waits for Hongjoong to answer hiim. " Pretty soon actually, I was planning on doing it tonight." Hongjoong says, hand traveling to his coat pocket, making sure that the velvet box is right where it's supposed to be. 

     " I think now would be a goog time, don't you think?" The older male asks him, causing Hongjoong to hum in agreement. What better time then now? He thinks, watching as Y/N happidly chats with the older woman, Jongho loving the attention the older lady is giving him. Gazing at them, he thinks to himself This is the woman I want to spend to rest of my life with.

     Softly calling out her name, he waits for Y/N to finally face him before dropping on one knee, taking the velvet box out his coat in the process. Y/N feels her heart begin to race, mouth dropping in shock and hands coming up to cover her mouth as she begins to cry silently. The older lady also lets out a small gasp as she's holding Jongho, the small toddler watching his parents in curiosity, the older male just smile to himself as he watches the scene play out in front of him.

     " Y/N L/N we started dating way before I even became famous, always supporting me as I would write some new lyrics or make a new beat on my computer. When I became a trainee, you would always be there for me when I would feel like giving up, or if I felt like I was never going to debut. Then the day came where I finally debuted with the rest of ateez, and you cried with me. I remember you saying you're dream is my dream and in that moment I knew I would never let you go. Then I did something that I will forever regret for the rest of my life... I drove you and our unborn child away and I will forever beat myself up for that." Hongjoong says, getting chocked up when he mentions Y/N leaving him.

     " You don't know how thankful I am that you decided to give me a second chance, gave me a chance to watch gorw Jongho together as a family, and now that I have you with me again I don’t plan on ever letting you go. So Y/N, I want to ask you if you will do me the honor of accepting this ring and becoming Kim Y/N. Will you marry me?" He finishes off, he as well by that point crying, the older couple sitting in front of them cheering for them with Jongho as he begins to clap out of no where.

     Y/N stares at him with tears dripping down her face, voice completely gone from the shock of it all. Giving Hongjoong a big smile, she shakely extends her left hand out while beginning to nod furiously, the elderly couple cheering out a congratulations. Hongjoong takes the engagement ring out the box, quickly slipping on her ring finger then jumping up and embracing Y/N, spinning her around then placing her back down bringing his hands up to cup her face bringing her in for a passionate kiss.

     They pull away for air, Y/N turning around and taking Jongho in her arms cuddling him and celebrating with him, Jongho throwing his little chubby arms up in the air even though he doesn't know whats going on. Y/N and the older lady laugh at him as the older male begins to pat Hongjoong in the back, congratulating him on his little speech.

     Hongjoong feels himself getting pulled away, staring at Y/N in confusion before she points to the phone the older lady is holding up as she waits for the little family to get ready. Getting the memo, Hongjoong snakes one of his hands on her waist and brings her as close as he can, the older lady taking millions of picture by the minute.

     He turns his gaze over his fiance, her bright smile and swollen red eyes making her look a millions times breathtaking, Jongho's little toothless smile causing him to let out a chuckle. Y/N looks up at Hongjoong when she feels him let out a laugh, looking at him in confusion. Hongjoong placing his hand on Jongho's little head, he leans down and places a tender kiss on his little forehead, completely forgetting about the older lady currently still taking pictures.

     Turning back to Y/N he gives her a blinding smile before leaning down again and bringing her in for a short kiss, causing the elder lady to squeal out. Pulling away, he laughs out again when he notices the evident blush creeping up on her face.

    " I Love You Mrs. Kim" Hongjoong whispers out, watching as new tears appear on Y/N's eyes.

    " I Love You More Mr. Kim" She whispers back, Hongjoong shaking his head in protest.

     " Not possible." He whispers out, pulling her for another kiss, pouring all his love into the kiss showing her that he truely does love her more than she would ever know.

     And so, as the little family stand under the stars filled night sky, a shooting star passing by as Hongjoong closes his eyes to wish upon that star one last time.

     I have a dream that I would get to marry the woman of my dreams and together forever build a happy family. We'll grow old and eventually move on together, but I lost her due to my selffish ways. Along the way, I learned to value her more than ever and I learned how it feels to finally have a family. I have a dream that many dream of, and I thank all the shooting stars the mine finally came true.

[lee-donghun]

Friends Don't

Fandom: hotel stars

Pairing: Neungkay

"They don't cancel other plans

Have conversations with nothing but their eyes

They don't hear each other's names and forget to concentrate

Hits a nerve and lights you up like dynamite

Friends don't call you in the middle of the night

Couldn't even tell you why

They just felt like saying "hi"

Friends don't stand around, playing with their keys

Finding reasons not to leave

Trying to hide the chemistry

Drive a little too slow, take the long way home

Get a little too close

We do, but friends don't

They don't almost say "I love you"

When they're downtown somewhere, just a little drunk

They don't talk about the future and put each other in it

And get chills with every accidental touch

Friends don't call you in the middle of the night

Couldn't even tell you why

They just felt like saying "hi"

Friends don't stand around, playing with their keys

Finding reasons not to leave

Trying to hide the chemistry

Drive a little too slow, take the long way home

Get a little too close

We do, but friends don't

I keep telling myself this might be nothing

But one look in your eyes and, God, there's something

You can lie to me and say you don't

But I know you do, and I love you too

Friends don't call you in the middle of the night

Couldn't even tell you why

They just felt like saying "hi"

Friends don't stand around, playing with their keys

Finding reasons not to leave

Trying to hide the chemistry

Drive a little too slow, take the long way home

Get a little too close

We do, but friends don't

Uh uh uh

Friends don't"

("Friend's Don't"- Maddie and Tae)

Kay supposed the timing of the song to come up on his playlist was the universe trying to tell him something. He couldn't even count how many times he listened to the song, wishing, hoping that the words would ring true; that Neung could actually like him back. He liked Neung for years, but the possibility of it being mutual has always just been a fantasy. Then suddenly, Neung leans in to kiss him. He should have been bursting with joy for he has always dreamed of that moment. Yet, he panicked and pushed him away. For this, he felt terrible. Neung wouldn't even look at him afterwards and his out in the bathroom.

He couldn't tell you why he panicked, truly. Realistically he knew that Neung would never do anything to hurt him. He wouldn't play a trick that cruel on him. Neung knew what he was doing, and it had no malicious intent. Yet, Kay still pushed him away.  He wished he could take it back because even if he was fooling himself- at least he would finally get a real kiss from him. Not an accidental one, not one from a game of "spin the bottle", not one from being under a mistletoe either, but a real kiss. He knew though, that he couldn't go back. He had to live with the fact that he lost his chance- and maybe even his best friend.

He didn't even why he was scared. As previously said, he knew that Neung wasn't cruel- not to him anymore. He also knew that their friendship had always been different. No else hand fed their friends, always had an arm around the other, smile at touches, nor do they get lost in their own little world together. Yet, the part of Kay that never let Kay make a real move was winning by telling him that 'all best friends are like that. Kay must have just never noticed it. Neung could never like him- or any guy for that matter. He's just confused"

Kay sighed as he tried to shake away his thoughts. He wanted to believe Neung liked him, he wanted it more than anything, but he couldn't.

Kay checked the time, and noted that it was past midnight already. How long had he been laying there? How long has it been since Neung left not only the bathroom, but the room as well?

Worriedly, Kay texted Neung.

Kay

Where are you??

It's late.

Read

Kay got no reply, which only worried him further. They have had arguments before that drove the other away for a night, but both have always made sure the other knew where to find them. Immediately, he knew that time wouldn't solve the problem. The boys needed to talk this out and fast. He couldn't risk losing Neung. Not now, and not ever.

Kay

Neung?

Please answer me.

We need to talk.

Read.

O

nce again, Neung did not reply. He texted several more times, but it was no avail. In fact, Neung stopped reading the messages all together after the second one. Still, Kay wouldn't let this be the last of it. All of Neung's things were here- including the uniform he needed for his shift tomorrow. So he knew that even if Neung avoided the break room, that the two would have to meet up at some point. Until then, Kay would just have to wait. Soon, they'd be laughing together again- they had to be.

Although, Kay did have an idea until then so he would at least know Neung was safe. He texted the others, asking if Neung was with any of them. Fortunately for Kay, Kin swiftly replied that Neung was in his and Pong's room. Kay did wonder how that would work with 2 beds and 3 people, but he rationalized that the beds were probably pushed together to allow for more space.

Kay pulled his covers over his eyes, as he tried to ignore the empty bee beside him. To the sound of his music though, he was eventually able to drift off to sleep- even if it was a fitful one.

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

For most of the day, Neung had successfully avoided Kay as excepted. However, at the end of the night, Kay had trapped Neung in the room. He had made sure none of the others allowed Neung to stay with them by explaining that it was crucial that him and Neung had a talk. Though no one knew what had expired between them, they understood what he was getting at. With nowhere to go, Neung was left to sleep in their shared room.

"Neung- you can't keep avoiding me!" Kay started as soon as Neung had settled on his bed.

"It's what's best Kay."

"No it isn't! What's best is us talking about what happened."

"It's too late for that. Besides, I'm doing you a favor by staying away."

"What do you mean? We're friends- friend's dont-"

"FRIEND'S DON'T HURT EACHOTHER!" Neung yelled, before continuing in a broken voice, "Friend's don't kiss their friends"

"Neung-"

"Friend's don't fall in love with the other."

Kay didn't bother replying. Instead, he went up to Neung before he could be stopped and he kissed him. Before he knew it, Neung was responded and both of their hands had started to move on their own accord. Kay didn't know how Neung was feeling, but he was in pure bliss.

'Neung was right about one thing' thought Kay, 'Friend's didn't kiss eachother, but mutual crushes did.'

Soon, both pulled away, panting slightly to retain their breaths.

"I'm sorry I pushed you away. I just- I panicked. I wanted to kiss you for real for song but I didn't think you felt the same."

"Of course I felt the same. I admit that I didn't realize my feelings until the program started, but I do feel the same. When you pushed me away though I thought-"

"I know Neung. I'm sorry for giving you the wrong idea."

"No- I'm the one that should be sorry. I should have talked about my feelings first- or at least asked before kissing you."

"Let's call it a draw, alright?"

"If you agree to be my boyfriend?"

"I thought you would never ask."

---------- END OF ONE-SHOT ------------

-to heal our hearts until Neung and Kay talk things through

-So I was going to not even have Kay push Neung away- but then I remembered that fluff is not my strong suit

-I wrote this all at once so expect errors

-Kin and Pong absolutely subconsciously clung to eachother in their sleep while Neung was there

-i can't dialogue so uh- pretend they not only sound like themselves but also like actual human beings

@stickers-on-a-laptop @petra-dragneel (I mentioned what happened in the episode I believe to you Pet)

[43th3rz30n]

A fluffy curse, chapter 2

--Let's travel a bit--

"Harmony," Raika says, holding Harmonys hands "Is it true that true loves kiss will get rid of this..." He began to wag his tail slightly. "Yeah but you're kinda cute as a Neko..." Harmony giggled, caressing Raikas cheek. Raika purred slightly "Stop.... you're making me purr..." He smiled slightly. "Well.... How about it? Shall we try?" Harmony asked, her eyes sparkling in the light. "Try what?" He blinked. "Kiss, silly" She giggled again, bringing her face closer to his. "Ah, I should've guessed..." Raika then brought his face closer to Harmonys, allowing them to kiss. Once they kissed, Harmony watched as Raikas ears and tail disappeared, meaning he was finally normal. "Thank you" He gave her a warm smile "Now then.... what's say we-"

But.... all that was just a simple dream.

"GAH! IM AWAKE!" Harmony shot up, her breathing heavy. "Harmony, are you okay?" Raika asked, hopping onto her bed. "I-im fine.... it's just... I had a dream and..." Harmony tried to explain what had happened, but she couldn't. "Anyways, the other two have been whining and meowing for food. I told them to wait, but they refused" Raika pounced down from the bed and left the room. "Oh no.... that could only mean one thing..." Harmony sighed, getting out of bed and leaving her room to enter the kitchen. There, she found Lan and Chaud snacking on some cat biscuits they had knocked onto the floor. "You guys.... seriously?" Harmony nudged them away with a dustpan and brush and began to clean up their mess. "We where hungry..." Lan whined as he began to try and shove as many biscuits into his mouth as he could. "Why not just wait next time?" Harmony sighed again "I really don't wanna be doing this kind of stuff..... guess I'll have to manage..." she placed the floor biscuits into the bin "Now then.... Lets get you lot fed then...." She then opened the cupboard again to both put away the biscuit box and get out a fresh tin of cat food. "Don't worry, I'll get you all some water in a minute..." She said, putting the cat food in their bowls. I forgot to mention this, but they where both appropriately coloured and had their names on them so they could tell who's is who's. Once done, she picked up their water bowls and, of course, filled them with water. "Now then..... I gotta make myself some food...." Harmony placed their water bowls back down.

"You guys wanna go out and explore a bit today?" Lan asks, still munching on his food. Chaud shook his head "After yesterday, let's not.... that dog could still be out there..." Both Chaud and Lan then shivered from just the sheer memory of the dogs barking. Raika, on the other hand, didn't, as he didn't go with them and was asleep most of the time. "Hm? So, you guys encountered.... him...." Harmony growled at the word 'him'. "Do you know that dog?" Lan began to almost shove his entire head in his water bowl. Harmony nods "Yes. His name is Inferno and he recently ran away from some thing where people force animals to fight. It's a tv show, but I only watch it so I can take notes in hope I can someday shut it down and save those poor animals..." she explained "And please don't drown yourself, Lan...". Lan pulled his head from the water bowl and began to gasp for air. "What're you trying to do, exactly?" Chaud asks "I'm sure that's not how to drink water....". "I do what I want, Chaud. It's my life" Lan huffed in response, shoving his head back in his water bowl for another 5 seconds before pulling back up and properly drinking the water.

"What. The. Fuck." Chaud would facepalm, but he's a cat, so he obviously can't. He just decides to walk off, but finds himself inside a small room under the stairs(*distant harry potter theme*). Lan had finally finished his and left no trace.... apart from some minor splashes of water and a few pieces of cat food. Raika had actually finished before the both of them, but was just sitting near his two bowls. "Hm? You haven't left yet?" Harmony said, crouching down and gently petting Raika. Raika growled as she did so, causing her to pull away. "So, you don't exactly like being pet, do you..." Harmony sighed. Raika mumbled something under his breath, getting up and walking off, putting his tail up as if to say 'hecc off'. "Wait did a 12 year old just swear a few seconds ago?" Harmony stood back up "I think so....". "I'm so bored..." Lan began to roll around on the sofa, before accidentally turning on the tv via rolling on the remote. The other two cats stop what they're doing and come over to inspect what was going on. Lan pounces off of the sofa and joins Chaud and Raika in watching the tv, sitting in the middle of the two. What was on tv appeared to be some horror movie. The movie was titled 'The beast in the portrait'. When one of the beasts formed from a portrait that was hung up on the wall and began running towards the screen, Lan began to loudly meow. "Lan, shut it!" Chaud gently bonked Lan on the head. Lan growls "Alright, Alright....". "I heard this movie is rated 18. We shouldn't be watching this." Raika spoke. "We'll be fine, Raika." Lan replied, eyes fixed on the tv screen. Then, a spooky thing happend, causing the three to hide in all different places, scattering god knows what all over the place. Harmony heard the spooked cat noises and entered the front room "Really? You're watching THIS of all movies?" She growled, turning off the tv. Chaud came out of hiding, with Raika following, who was dragging Lan along.

"Look, I'm going out today to get you three some toys and a cat flap. Can you stay out of trouble, please?" Harmony sighed, facepalming. Raika and Chaud nodded. "Oh come on, aren't we too old for toys?" Lan walked up to her and sat down. "It's just to keep you entertained." She then walked to the back door and opened it, watching as the three ran out "And stay safe!" She called out as she closed the door. "Alright. Now let's go!" Lan jumped up on the wall and ran off. Raika and Chaud looked at eachother before following the Havana Brown towards the town. "It feels so good to be back!" Lan stretched. "But Lan, this place is pretty dangerous..." Chaud lands next to Lan after jumping off a trash bin. Raika began to sniff the area, curiously. Lan signalled for the two to follow him. Okay now I know this is a bad time to cut but

-Meanwhile, in the cyberworld-

"I'm still wondering why that cat was meowing at me" Megaman said to both Protoman and Searchman. "Normally, cats meow quite alot" Protoman replied. "Yeah, Well.... I feel like this one was trying to talk to me..." Megaman done that hmm emoji thing idk how to describe it. "Did you see the collars?" Searchman spoke up "They had our Navi marks on them. Perhaps they where actually our NetOps". "But they're cats..... how can they?" Protoman is SERIOUSLY that dumb in this fanfic? I mean... he thinks he's god.... AAAANYWAYS, it eventually clicked. "THE MYSTICTINY!" They all said in unison. "I mean, it was pretty obvious" Searchman sighed. Megaman just laughed, but Protoman.... he just zoned out

'Why did Harmony have to exist'

Back with the main trio now. Yeah, the cyberworld talk was short, I know. I'm sorry. Will have longer parts for them

Anyways, Lan was leading the group through town, as he had more knowledge from previous trips to Aurora. "What should we do today...." Lan looked up at the sky, not watching where he was going. "There's not much to do as a cat other than walk around.... and watch where you're going!" Raika began to chase Lan as he began to wander off in a different direction. Chaud sighed and followed. Lan ended up bumping into a wall..... so it seemed. It was the same dog from yesterday. "H-hi.... uhh..." Lan took a few steps back as the dog growled "Don't worry, w-we're leaving..." he then ran off, leaving Chaud and Raika behind. "What's say we follow him?" Chaud suggested as the dog walked closer. Raika nods "Yeah...." and the two where off like a rocket. They soon found Lan in the same bakery as yesterday. He had a piece of pastry in his mouth. This time it was larger than the last one. It was actually a full one... whatever that means. Anyways, Lan brought the pastry over to the two and placed it down infront of them. "It's a little buuut..... we'll manage" Lan took a bite of the pastry, only to yowl out in pain "GAH! I WAS WRONG! WE WONT MANAGE" He whimpered. Chaud chuckled "Just let it cool down, then we'll manage, just like you said".

After a long while of waiting, Chaud and Lan began to eat the pastry, but Raika didn't. "Raika, what're you waiting for? Dig in?" Lan said to the Russian Blue, mouth full of food. Raika was silent. "Okay, fine, I stole it... but it was worth it" Lan just openly admitted to stealing. Ok. Cool. Don't steal, kids(Oh god without the comma that could turn unusually dark quick). "That's exactly why I'm not even taking a bite out of it...." Raika huffed. "Oh come on! Just because it's stolen doesn't mean - oh I dunno - that it's poisoned or something" Lan then procceeded to take some meat that was inside of it out and handed it to Raika. Raika looked and sniffed it before eating it. "See, it's nothing bad..." Lan then began to eat the pastry again. 'I mean.... it'll be fine, won't it?' Raika thought to himself as he took a small bite of the pastry. He deemed the pastry okay and began to eat it with the other two and in a matter of minutes, the pastry was gone. "Alright, what next?" Lan said, shaking as if he was drying himself. The other two practically shrugged, but they can't because they're cats. "Let's just have a look around, since there's nothing really to do as cats" Chaud suggested "And maybe it might help us get around here the next time we come". "If we ever get turned back into humans, that is" Raika added. "I'm sure we will, Raika! Now come on! Let's go!" Lan then ran off to explore, Raika and Chaud following. "At this point we're just going back to places we've already been...." Chaud sighs. "Hey, I don't exactly wanna get lost" Lan growled slightly "..... oh, hey... it's the fountain again" He then ran towards the fountain, allowing himself to sit on the wall thing idk what it's called. The other two did the same thing, but Chaud felt a little evil and had the urge to shove Lan in. He slowly raised a paw, but noticed Raikas expression as the eldest cat shook his head. Chaud sighed in defeat but decided to then get behind Raika and shove HIM in. "Chaud? Why'd ya do that?" Lan asked, giggling. "I don't know. I just felt like it" Chaud grinned in response. Raika growled and, with his mouth, grabbed Chauds front right leg and pulled him in. "Raika!" He yelled "What was that for!?". "Hey, you did it to me. It only seems fair that I do it to you, too" Raika gave Chaud the same grin he was wearing a few seconds ago.

They then noticed that Lan was gone. "Hey wait- where's Lan?" Raika asked. Soon, they heard footsteps - or should I say 'pawsteps' - coming closer. "Oh no..." The Angora and Russian Blue said in sync as they noticed what was about to happen. "CANNON BALL!" They hear Lan shout as the Havana Brown dives in, unfortunately landing ontop of the two. "Lan!" They shout as Lan gets off of them. "Sorry." He laughed. Chaud then charged at Lan and knocked him over. "Alright, fair.... " Lan got up and shook off, getting water all over Chaud, dispite the fact he was already soaking. "We should get going now.... plus, cats can't shake off as easily as dogs" Raika says, hopping out from the fountain and shaking off, the younger two joining him. Lan soon walked off, leaving the other two behind. He eventually found himself sneaking inside of some shop. As he entered, he saw all sorts of candy, ranging from bubblegum to rock candy. I mean.... He had wandered into a candy shop and boy was it large! Lan knew he would have to come here when he's human again. "Wow.... look at all this candy!" He gasped "This all looks so good!" Lans mouth began to water, but then he shook his head and snapped himself out of it "No. I'm a cat.... cats can't eat candy". Even though he was a cat, Lan decided to take a small look around until he reached a section that had a sign that read 'Pet candy'. " 'Pet candy'?" He tilted his head as he walked over to it. There, he found all sorts of pet friendly candy for all sorts of animals. Ranging from cats to birds, there was a candy type for everyone. "Woah... they do this stuff?" Lan made his way over to a basket with a picture of a cat on "This must be the cat section...." He then took one of the candies from the basket. It was in a wrapper, so Lan figured out how to open it with his mouth. Underneath the wrapper revealed a brightly coloured stick of what appeared to be candy especially designed for cats. Lan took a small bite of the candy and meowed happily at its strawberry taste. He eventually ate the whole thing. "Wait.... do I have to pay for all of this when I'm a human..." Lan gulped and fled the scene, leaving an empty wrapper behind. He eventually bumped into Raika and Chaud, who appeared to be covered in dirt. "We where looking for you!" Raika hissed. "I even got my fur dirty!" Chaud, too, hissed. "Oh come on! I mean, I recently discovered that Aurora has invented pet friendly candy!" Lan smiled, pushing past the other two "We have the rest of the day ahead of us, so let's go explore!" He ran off again. "Will he ever stop running off?" Chaud sighed, angrily, as he and Raika chase Lan. It soon got crowded, and the three had to stick together.

"We should head back.... it's getting a bit too crowded..." Lan says, almost stepping on Raikas paw as they where literally sticking together. "Yeah, but which way is back?" Chaud asks, turning his head to look around. "We had better not be lost..." Lan, without thinking, runs on ahead. "Lan! Wait! We're supposed to stick together!" Chaud calls out to his friend as he and Raika chase him..... again. The area started to get less crowded as they soon found Lan, walking around in circles. Chaud then tackles Lan for no actual reason. "Quit running off, would you!?" He yelled at the smaller cat. "I can't help it!" Lan yelled back, kicking Chaud off of him and getting up. Chaud began to growl and hiss at Lan before turning around and walking away "Let's just go home before someone gets hurt...." he says, taking another path back home. Raika and Lan are quick to follow him.

Once they arrived back at home, They quickly rushed to get through the door, but little did they know..... it wasn't open and they all..... went through it? It appears that Harmony had installed a cat flap and in a single file, they fell through it, Raika being the last one to come through. "Welcome back, you three" Harmony greeted the fluffy trio as they walked over to their bowls, which had food and water already in them. Lan was quick to dig in to his food, but Raika and Chaud just went off to sleep. "Hey wait...." Harmony stopped the two before they could go to sleep. "Hm? What is it?" Raika asked. "I got you these" She held out two collars that looked like the ones they had on already. This time, they had their names on them and, while it wasn't visible, it had a crystal inside that could allow them to communicate to humans and NetNavis, but also talk to animals, which they already could, as they where animals. She took of their current collars and placed the new ones on. Lan came over to see what was going on, as he was eating and wouldn't let Harmony touch him while he was doing so. "What's going on?" He jumped onto the sofas arm. "I just gave Chaud and Raika new collars..." She replied, getting out a third. This one was the same. Identical to Lans current collar but with his name on it and a crystal that allowed him to communicate to humans and NetNavis. Lan was hesitant at first to get a new collar, but soon he allowed Harmony to take off his current and put on his new. "Hey, you guys wanna explore some more tomorrow?" Lan pounced on both Raika and Chaud, sitting inbetween the two. "Let's have a day in tomorrow...." Raika moved away slightly to curl up and go to sleep. Chaud sighs, also moving away to do what Raika did. Lan didn't. Lan wanted to go back outside to explore but.... he couldn't. He decided to curl up on Harmonys bed and go to sleep.