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the-headbop-wraith · 4 years ago

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3 _ 40 _ The Land Time Forgot

Part 2

Before the Mystery Skulls could begin officially on their new assignment, they swung by headquarters office and met with security. Temporary passes went to each member, even the Mystery hound. Once the park was shut down fully and the cleaning crews made the final rounds, the crew took one assigned golf cart over to the Land that Time Forgot attraction. Arthur was issued the keys, and he was the one grumbling about coming out to do this gig.

“Just pretend we’ve been called off holiday for an emergency exorcism,” Lewis, once again, tried to appeal for optimism.

Arthur held the staff access open for his crew. The corridor extending within dark and though the emergency lamps buzzed active, only afforded so much light for them to navigate by. They had backpacks with essential supplies loaded up, flashlight torches among the essential gear, but for the time the trope worked with the shoddy light and let their eyes acclimate.

“I’m goin’ through with this, right?” Arthur snapped. “You go, I follow. Let me have my bitchin’ gripes, okay.”

Mystery set a paw on his knee and yipped.

Through the corridor Vivi led the way, with Mystery behind her, and Arthur with Lewis trailing. “We have maps,” she stated, “but we’ll take a patrol and get our orientation.” She swung around and pointed to Arthur. “Make sure walkies are on.”

Arthur placed a hand on his chest. “I, turn my walkie-talkie off? Never.” He pinched his thumb and forefinger together, and whispered to Lewis, “I turn it down super-duper, itty-bitty low.”

“Maybe don’t confess that.”

The entirety of the ride was inactive and still, like browsing through the clothing section of a store alone, while the mannequins judged your every move. Though the animatronic dinosaurs were not immediately visible, their watchful gaze was felt by the members of the Mystery crew. No draft skittered through the interior building, and despite the abundance of foliage, there was an unnatural ambiance in the dearth of nocturnal presence. Everything about the attraction became otherworldly, detached from an established norm prevalent in the former active day – wherein lights and sound ran rampant. The isolated world of the ride was by perception boundless, yet sterile and contained like an ordinary jelly jar fitted with twigs and a bit of soil to appease a small insect or lizard.

After making the rounds of the ride, the group placed themselves at the loading dock. The carts sat on their tracks within the suspended dividers, where guests could stand to climb in or out of the carts. The dull gleam of an emergency light draped its light over the collected members. Mystery leapt into one buggy and put his paws on the front handlebars.

Yap!

Arthur pulled out a folded page and slapped it to the hood of the buggy. “Okay, fifteen animatronics. All chillin’, save for one.”

“Allo,” Lewis presumed. “Won’t stop, can’t stop. Any idea where our dino-terror might be off to?” Vivi shifted at his side, digging around in her backpack.

“There’s no tellin’ how much truth there is to Mr. Klayton’s story.” She clicked on a torch, but quickly shut it off. “But he’ll likely respond to light or sound, and movement.”

“Like a real T-Rex,” Arthur groused.

“Precisely,” she whispered. “We’ll trust it responds strongly to light, over sound. So be very quiet. Arthur.”

Arthur glared. “Why’re you picking on me?”

Lewis poked his shoulder. “You scream. Very loud. Alerts our foes. Not good.”

Vivi came around to Arthur’s side and clicked on her light, though she kept a had capped to its side. “Our first order of business is determine how much control can be managed over this mechanical nuisance, wouldn’t you say?”

Arthur nodded. “Yeah. Good start.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’ll depend on what’s bugging Allo, or what’s controlling him. That’ll give us a foundation for what we’re dealing with.”

Lewis whistled, and Mystery gave a soft yip. The dog came over to his group and waltzed around them. “Let’s get a move on then. Get this thing flushed out, and see what it’ll do.”

“I’d rather not,” Arthur whimpered.

Vivi pointed to him. “You and Lewis then. You brave boys, see what you can figure out about the deactivated animatronics.” She turned away, studying the abyss of the ride interior. “You wanna start from the exit or entrance?”

“Exit,” Lewis vouched. “You and Mystery then? What’ll you two get up to?” Arthur was already folding up the page, and began rummaging through his own backpack.

“We’ll see about coercing Allo out.” She adjusted her backpack and moved her hand a little off the flashlight. “Don’t worry about us. We won’t get into any excitement without permission.”

Lewis started after her. “But Vii, that’s dangerous!”

From a considerable distance, she called back, “Turn on your walkie! We’ll meet you back here!”

Lewis sighed, and reached around to his backpack for the volume switch. “En un buen comienzo, no es así.” He clicked the transmitter. “Viiiii….” Arthur grabbed him by the sleeve and began dragging him.

“We’ll meet them middle way on the track. The sooner we start, the quicker we can finish.” He spoke, hushed. “But make too much noise, that dino will zero in on us.”

Once released, Lewis hopped off the end of the loading slab and followed. “You have no escrúpulos about this?”

Arthur grumbled under his breath. “Let’s set the record straight, she saved your butt today. Don’t forget that.”

When they moved beyond the range of walls and certified fortifications to guide them toward the world outside, the attraction became more unsettling as the artificial jungle scenery enclosed and thickened around them. High and in the distance, a red sign blazed faithfully above the gloomy fronds towering, but it seemed a mocking landmark, enticing misguided travelers. A lure on an angler fish, while unknown perils lurking like jagged teeth ready to ensnare the gullible.

Trekking within the thicket was monotonous, given that Arthur examined each and all of the inactive puppets dotted throughout the foliage. This task was made possible due to an interesting and terrifying feature of the animatronics; a mirror in the eyes reflected light, similarly to genuine nocturnal animals. By setting the flashlight to their face, it illuminated the eyes and singled out where each machine was if within the appropriate range.

“I’m getting jumpscared trying to find the chill pacifists,” Arthur muttered. He held a clipboard in both hands, while Lewis held a torch. The two sifted among the plastic and cloth replicated plants, working closer to the giant carnotaurus. The animatronic gazed into the endless black, a sentinel. “That thing is a ship with teeth.”

The two stood beneath it, dwarfed.

“Can you imagine if this ONE was running around?” Lewis whispered, but a little too loud. He capped his flashlight. “The damage it’d do.”

Arthur stumbled forward, but Lewis caught him before he could fall. He grumbled about the uneven floor, where fabricated vegetation lay tattered. “Damn. Yeh. Another tally for human interference.” They made the remainder of the way to the column legs. “I haven’t seen all the entrances or exits, but it’d be more practical for them to access a machine with mobility security.” Lewis moved away from him, taking the light with him.

“Here’s another penny for your thoughts.” Lewis aimed the torch down on the carnotaurus feet and prodded the claws with his sneaker. “Allo shredded those fences and bit a poll in two.”

Arthur knelt, the clipboard balanced on his thigh. “Yeah, I was there. Well, sorta. What’re you getting’ at?”

“The wood was reduced to toothpicks. Toothpicks.” Lewis applied more pressure to the claw. “Klayton said the animatronics were made nerfed, so they wouldn’t damage each other if they get into a ‘brawl’.” He did air quotes, momentarily redirecting the slice of light through the canopy. “And to prevent them from tearing up the set. But all the animatronics we’ve looked at, have pliable rubber claws. The toes here, too.”

Arthur wrote onto the notebook pinned to his clipboard. “Good catch. So, our feathered nightmare can’t be a part of this attraction. The question now, where did he come from?”

“Or when he arri—” Arthur leapt up and capped a hand over his mouth.

“Shh!” He went into alert mode, spiked hair standing on end and eyes dissecting the area over-and-over. “The light,” he hissed. Lewis shut the light off. In the blanket of null and sensory deprivation, Arthur uttered, “Yu hear that?”

Lewis wouldn’t dare move, aside from rove through the daunting gloom with his limited visual capacity. However, he trusted Arthur’s perception, there was good reason to be alarmed. Also, Arthur was rarely wrong. For a short time, nothing trickled through to suggest a presence or any direct threat. Then, a faint but ambiguous rustling – it was impossible to determine the direction. He tugged Arthur’s hand down.

“Vivi? Mystery?” he squeaked. The sounds ceased. Not good. “Let’s go this way.” He pushed Arthur sideways. “I hope that thing doesn’t see in infrared.”

“Don’t jinx it— ARGH!” Arthur twisted around, his legs became tangled with Lewis’ ankles and the two collapsed. This incident was to their benefit, when the allosaur launched its snout through the shrubbery and snapped on empty air. “RETREAT!” He took off running, but more shredded, decorative texture in the terrain sent Arthur crashing in a stringy-bean heap.

Lewis rolled aside and plucked up a rock. “You stop that right now!” He brought the suspiciously light rock down on Allo’s head, which succeeded in destroying the fake plaster prop between his palms. The Allosaur seemed to blink off the assault. “I pictured that going a lot differently in my head….”

The allosaur swung its head back and screamed a prehistoric yowl. Lewis grabbed the flashlight he dropped and staggered backwards, mind churning through the benefits of turning tail and running versus trying to face the machine. Bottom line, he needed something to slow it down with. The team studied the machine, it’s many malfunctions, and how to locate the thing….

But forgot to devise the certified way to incapacitate it! And it was going to require more than dropping an anvil on its head.

With a piercing snarl the allosaur thrust its jaws out, cutting the distance between it and Lewis in mere seconds. Its teeth clamped down on soft material and it began thrashing, hissing, and snorting.

Arthur released the chunk of fake palm trunk he swung into Allo’s teeth and back peddled. “I’m all for solving this case lickety-split, but we won’t do much of that in traction.” He snatched away Lewis’ flashlight and searched the ground, until he spied the notebook with the clipboard.

“Valid point.” Lewis began after Arthur, springing over a cracked log. “Vivi!”

“Viv-vi!” Arthur hollered. “Where’s the road?” He jammed the notebook in the backpack and fitted it safely to his spine. One more shield between him and teeth!

Lewis bolted between two close standing trees. “Keep running, the track winds around here. We’ll intercept with them, we gotta! Vivi!”

A fearsome wail shot through the once silent theme ride. Despite the ground Arthur and Lewis covered, the noises of cracking timber and thumping footsteps propelled after them from the oppressive gloom. The thunder and rumble gained, growing intense and closing fast.

Arthur barely dodged a set of small standing dinosaurs, emotionless and motionless in the dark. “Help us, we’re gunna DAI!”

There was absolutely no way some hulking, mechanical nightmare could navigate the staged scenery without alerting her or her companion. The slightest movement issued rustling or crinkling, from the material used to fabricate soil and lush greenery, to the low hanging branches lumped by carefully sculpted cloth, and the canopy high above. Everything smelled artificial and tinged with dust, it reminded her of offices with the fake plants that hung around forever. Not the nice ones that looked real, but the very fake, obvious fake plants with plastic stems and ratty cloth soil with the green Styrofoam base. It was likely more impressive with the lights and sound ambiance of living things, even if artificial. She wished they had a chance to go through the ride and see what it was like.

“Hello!” Vivi called. “Rawr! Rawr-rawr!” Then, she paused and listened. Not an echo nor a snort. Would the animatronic snort? In all the excitement that day she didn’t see much of it in action, aside from its retreating tail end. “That’s ‘I love you’ in dinosaur!”

Bark. Mystery kept his tone low, while he slunk beneath some fern leaves.

“Machines need love too.” She swung her flashlight through the faux grove, a thick haze of dust swirled through the blue beam. “Echo!”

Mystery’s eyes glint as he rolled them. He trotted ahead, sniffing at the ground. It was spongy and soft, a layer of plant fiber set above sand or wood chips.

“Any leads?”

Woof. He toed at a fake collection of rocks – them being fake because they were glued together.

“Maybe the therma frost broke it for good.” She snuck around a tree trunk, the structure made of cement and rock hard. A lush green, petrified tree. “I hope not, I was looking forward to cracking this case.” The light she flashed through the depths of interwoven branches, and wiggled it swiftly like a strobe.

Mystery yipped.

“Therma, perma. What’s the differ—ENCE!” She froze, her light caught the burning glare of twin orbs suspended three meters above the floor. “Mystery….”

Mystery gave a noisy snort and inched forward, but wiht caution. His ears straight, eyes intense.

Vivi let the light trail down. “Hmm?” She swung the light down and up. “Oh, that one’s way too big.”

Borf. Mystery trotted the remainder of the way, with Vivi in tow.

“That looks like a mini-Rex. Baby T-Rex?” she posed. She went up and touched the underside of the belly. “The eyes glow. That’s nice to know.” She continued prodding the mini-Rex. “Squishy.”

Mystery yapped. When she turned a light on him, the hound nodded aside and resumed his trek.

“You gotta admit, they are cool. For cheesy attractions.” Vivi whistled, as loudly as she could muster. Sometimes she would give a hoop, or a holler. “Aside from the technicians, no one else is probably allowed this close to them. Except for Allo nuisance, he does his own thing.” She took a deep breath and gave her loudest yell yet.

Mystery stopped in his tracks and gave her the widest-eyed stare.

Vivi aimed the torch through the brush, listening. “Where could it be? We don’t have the time to search half the park this night.”

A few yards away, Mystery padded up a decorative slanted log and perched at the peak. Nothing to the right, nothing to the left. Yip! He leapt off and landed beside Vivi. He grumbled under his breath and barked.

“Let’s wait ‘til we meet up with them. We might cross paths on the way there.” It would be a while before they returned to the entrance of the ride, but somewhere they had to cross paths with the Allosaur. That is, if the machine was still within the attraction, or within sensory range to her dino-summons. She was beginning to doubt it remained inside the attraction, if like Mr. Klayton indicated, it was becoming more mobile. That was going to be a problem.

“If we can’t draw it out,” she began, “we can’t devise a way to coax it, or restrain it. It shredded a fence just fine, but maybe we can tangle it up in a good net?”

Yarf.

“Cliché. But effective.” A sound from the rear startled her. She whipped around with the flashlight, holding steady and listening. It wasn’t a sound, was it? The fake foliage settling as they passed, nothing ominous or pursuing. “A snare?” She flashed the light over the tree branches. “Hmm. But what sort of cable and how much tension?”

Mystery whined.

“I want to get with Arthur on that.” She turned her light and recoiled! An ominous and hulking shape crouched behind a flowering palm plant. A stegosaur, or something. It stood on four short, but column legs. “I don’t trust the owner, or Ms. Attorney Lady. But I wanna catch him in a lie, and try getting a read if he’s into something shady or….”

The walkie-talkie crackled against her backpack, squealing with a surge of static and muffled yammering, all of what might’ve been voices.

“Or if he’s not very bright,” she ended, in sigh. She unclipped the communicator and snapped the send button. “Lewis! That you?”

“AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Lewis.” She snapped the device away when a roar ripped through.

Mystery sat down and gave his ear a well-deserved scratch.

“Talk to me, boys! What’s happened?” She picked up with a run, the beam of her torch bounded across the uneven terrain and across elephant ear leaves. “I think I know what’s going on, but are you okay?” Mystery caught up at her side, his collar rattling in rapid succession with his zipping stride.

In the background and distant, Arthur came through chattering up a panicked storm, “It found us! We’re bein’ chased— WeWereSoFuckingCarefulThisIsUtterBullShit!”

“Language Arthur!”

“My gods, Lewis! We’re gunna DAI!” The communicator gave a dramatic, electrical wail as Vivi toggled the relay switch.

“Okay! Okay! We’re on our way, don’t panic!”

Bark!

“Who’s panicking?” Arthur wailed. “We’re being chased! We’re so lost, and we’re being chased!”

Lewis hollered through, loud and clear, “Where are you!”

“Not at the entrance.” One of the animatronics was in her path, once again freaking her out – what with all the noises churning through the communicator. “Find your way to the backside! I don’t know where we are! Can you make it to the back? This place is a box, we can follow along the wall—”

A response was not forthcoming, not for her. Lewis gasped, speech labored, “Watch out!” Following came snippets of silence, with patches of Arthur screaming and the Allosaur shrieking. Some sort of distinctive weight thumped, almost vibrating the walkie-talkie in her palm. There was some cussing in there and harsh scuffling. The screech of the Dinosaur became intense, until it was right there in the communicator.

“What’s happening?” Vivi halted in her tracks and listened through the device, terse and powerless.

Mystery shot by, his barks fading as he tore through the pseudo jungle. Vivi resumed in a job, leaping logs and some sort of small animal puppet. The whole time, the communicator was treacherous and silent.

“Hang in there! Mystery and I got your trail!” When she snapped her finger off the transmitter, Arthur’s voice punched through:

“This was a bad idea! I told you guys, didn’t I say? I called it! One Hundred Percent CALLED IT! I’m a fucking seer! AYYYEEEEEE!”

RAAARRR!

“Just shut up and run!” Lewis snarled.

How far the Allosaur was behind them, this was hard to say. It followed with intense, single-minded focus, pronouncing the diminishing stretch by cavernous bellows. The duo was in some horrendous video game level with an instant game over, snapping at their heels.

The jittering beams of their flashlight flickered across the thick fibrous carpet, revealing snags and gleaming across sinister disasters hidden among the shadows. Though, neither Arthur or Lewis paid much mind to the ground beneath them – except to save them from colliding with a low branch – focus was averted high above, to the bright mocking glare of the EXIT sign. It was a beacon in the night, the easiest recognizable landmark in the abyss of the hellish attraction.

“Hang in there! Mystery and I got your trail!” crackled through the radio Lewis gripped, the plastic creaked under intense pressure.

He toggled the transmitter, “THANK YOU!” He was having a hard time keeping up with Arthur, despite inspiration being super motivating.

The Allosaur gave a peeling shriek, the noise of it vibrating in Lewis’ ears, growing louder and more deafening. It was right at his backside.

Lewis scrapped between two narrow trees, nearly getting wedged in the narrow space. A rebounding Thunk! echoed, and the Allosaur hissed. But the sound of it did drift away. However, he did not stop to look or spare a thought, he recovered his speed and tried to catch up with Arthur. He pinpointed him by the sporadic patches of yellow light flittering through the shrubs, and managed to catch his stride.

“Pepper!” he panted.

“Kingsman!” Lewis vaulted over a rock.

“Nice day at the office!”

“Marvelous! Absolutamente asombroso!”

“Technically, it’s nighttime.”

Lewis exhaled, “True!”

A thundering screech crashed through the plastic flora somewhere to the left. The Allosaur was gaining, due to the fact it was not a living animal. On the other hand, Lewis and Arthur ran on fumes.

“The Exit, there should be a door!” Lewis huffed. The red beacon was neigh ninety degrees airborne, a few more meters they should come to the boarders of the building.

The line of his light did hit a sheer and solid surface, which by the explanation of his light revealed a rugged boarder of stone standing at about ten or eleven feet. Well above his height clearance. But there was no clean cut wall, no slate, and no irrefutable explanation of exit. Nothing but a cliff face.

Being more spry and agile, Arthur flew up the wall like a squirrel. He chucked his light up, his hands caught grips with practiced ease and with a small bit of leverage propelled himself skyward.

That looked easy! Lewis jammed the flashlight between his teeth and felt for a handhold. His fingers easily found a knot, he braced his foot and—

Fell backwards. With a hunk of cheap plaster gripped in his hands.

“Lewis!” Arthur set his light down on his teammate, and hissed, “What the FACK?! Get up here!”

Lewis bit down on his flashlight and scrambled to his feet. From his safe perch, Arthur held the light steady while Lewis took another fixture of the coarse wall and shoved his toes into niche. He managed to ease himself up a foot or so, but applying too much weight and the crappy Styrofoam snapped. The outer layer was stiff and scrapped his knuckles when he came down. Lewis looked up at Arthur and they locked eyes.

“AAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

The Allosaur shrieked. Arthur turned his light up, catching the eye sheen of the animatronic as it barreled through the fake jungle. “Oh my god! Um, Don’t move! I’ll get help!”

Lewis spat out the flashlight. “Arthur?” The Allosaur expelled another echoing howl. He turned, angling his light through the thicket. “Arthur!” The soft yellow light that drenched him, was now gone. Lewis had never felt so alone, so utterly betrayed. “ARTHUR!”

The thundering parade of the Allosaur hurtled toward his focal point, everywhere it went the plants rustled and crashed. It snarled, the sounds of its violent procession closing in on him. It must have infrared vision!

Lewis pressed his back against the cold fake rock. The Allosaur bounded through the thicket, the frayed ends of his light brushed against its snout. It closed in with terrible swiftness, weaving around artificial plants, but never once detracting for more than a millisecond. Lewis began inching away, if he timed it right, it might just shatter its CPU. But his timing had to be impeccable.

A blissful light drenched his shoulders, along with a stringy long rope thing. Likely a vine prop. The tale end of Arthur’s hoot, “—Tight!” Came through, and Lewis had enough foresight to piece together the full phrase. Without delay he dropped his flashlight and grabbed the rope.

The Allosaur barreled forward, chewing through the remaining few feet, teeth glittering in the spotlight Arthur cast. Lewis braced himself, he wasn’t sure what for. A Tarzan themed holler peeled from above high, and Lewis shot up at rocket speed. The angle of the line zipped him across the upper edge of the plaster cliff face. He cleared it but barely, his jeans scrapped eliciting a sharp yelp. Out somewhere across the open air, the Tarzan yowl waned in its descent.

Then Arthur really started screaming.

Lewis had to release the vine thing, or he would have gotten skinned on the concrete surface of the floor he was on. He crawled to the edge, and peering down tried to make sense of the swaying murk below. A succession of snarling poured forth of the large, black heap; it thrashed and swept into a stray flash of the yellow beam Arthur held. He thought this was clear indication where Arthur wound up, but the light cut off. He heaved off his backpack and dug through the folders and tools, until his palms clasped the large cylinder camping lamp.

“I did NOT THINK THIS THROUGH!”

He clicked the light on and turned it down. There was Arthur, running around the erratic animatronic. The dinosaur roved in circles, shaking and snapping, not fully invested in chasing the yellow blur. After affording a brief examination, he recognized the actual issue. The other end of the rope was snagged between its teeth, and the animatronic was fighting to cut it free. The line was tangled somewhere, this provided by how every time the Allosaur went to turn on Arthur, it’s head snapped sideways.

“Arthur!” he hooted. “ArthurArthurArthurArthur!” He dashed along the edge of the cliff flailing the flashlight around. “Get over here ya dweeb!”

The rope at last snapped with a grueling CRACK! and the Allosaur swept its snout towards the tiptoeing figure. A peeling shriek, something like an EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE shot out of Arthur as he did a one-eighty and charged out into the jungle thicket.

A rumbling snarl thundered out as the Allosaur resumed its chase, it’s tail flashing out of sight within the shrubbery.

Lewis stamped his foot. “Damnit!”

Meanwhile, Arthur was running for his life. Several times he nearly stumbled or lost his footing. Though he had the advantage of choosing a tight pathway difficult for Allo to pursue, the animatronic was not distracted by a second target. It was able to lay full focus on him, and track him with crazed efficiency. Or frenzy. He managed to catch his second wind in the meager intermission, but his muscles were giving out. Running on the spongey floor was strenuous, and the Allosaur’s grating call was closing in. If it got a clean opening, it would have its jaws on his neck.

There! He took a sharp right, in the line of sight of Allo. The dinosaur lunged, but Arthur already tucked into a stunt roll. Its feet trounced the earth right behind his shoulders, but he kept going until he was back on his feet. At no more than two meters there was some shadow, and bent – what he guessed would be roots – the trees weren’t real. But that black, unmistakable, hollowed space – there was no mistake on what that was. He’d stake his life on it, as he was about to.

The roots were concrete, hard as stone, bent and arched around a gouged hollow beneath the fake tree. Arthur clambered through the wedge, with the Allosaur not more than a breath behind his feet. His immediate thought was, ‘How deep is this!’ He smacked his flashlight against the wall and the light doused, the space around him blacked out. His hands prodded the walls seeking space or drafts, he jammed his elbows and shoulders at every inch, pushing further away from the hissing hydraulics of the Allosaur as it snapped and worked its way after him.

He felt the walls and ceiling, using his legs to kick for any missed crease that might afford an exit. There was nothing but concrete on all sides – left, right, up, and down – solid, unyielding.

“SHIT!”

The Allosaur snapped its jaws inches from his knee. “Fuck you!” Arthur tried kicking its snout, however ineffective it was. The machine twisted its neck and squeezed in further, the servos in its jaws whirling. It wouldn’t help, even if he wasn’t exhausted. He had nowhere to go—

Something snagged his collar and yanked him upward. He gave a little sob.

“Gotcha! I got ya Artie!” Lewis heaved him out of the hollow between the knotted roots, and dropped him on the ground. “You okay?” He adjusted the camping light, checking Arthur over, making sure he was in one piece.

“Yes, fuck! That was too close!” Arthur gave his own body a full pat down. All there, except for the gash in his vest where he fell earlier. All the stuffing on that side fell out. “It almost turned me into bubblegum!” He got onto his feet and paced a bit, before stopping to hunch over and set his palms to his knees. He just needed to breathe a moment.

“Take it easy now, you’re fine.” Arthur took a noisy breath and gargled. “Smooth, climbing into that… what is this? A burrow?” Lewis turned his light onto the opening, where he hauled Arthur out.

“I don’t give a toot what it is.” Arthur rounded the side of the tree, but cautiously. The Allosaur was still being raucous, snarling and grunting. It sounded like they had some time to catch their breath. “Probably for those lil dinosaur thingies. Are they chickens? The small nuggets.”

Lewis quirked his brow and shined the light across his face. “Raptors?”

“Chicken tenders,” Arthur insisted. Lewis came over with the light and stood beside him, observing as the Allosaur persisted with its struggles. And failed to free itself.

“It’s… not getting loose, huh? It’s stuck.” He shined the light lower, against the backside and shoulders of the unruly thing. It was surreal, watching the rubber suit cover on the dinos backside jiggle, but not ripple like the way muscles should. As muscles would, if on a real animal. For most of the night they were running from this thing, and it felt very real, like a hunting predator. Not some deranged AI, or whatever went off with it. Nonetheless dangerous, but creepy and sinister.

“Y’know what,” Lewis went on, stunned, “I think you caught it!”

Arthur gasped. “NO!” He leaned a little closer, but wouldn’t get too close. “No! Really? I did it? I did it! The case is over!” He throws his arms up. “WHOO! I am a mastermind!”

“Don’t get too hyped,” Lewis warned. “We caught it, but we still don’t know what’s up with it, or if someone is controlling it.”

“CASE CLOSED!” Arthur hooted. “Our contract said we have only gotta catch it! Done deal!”

Lewis chuckled and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Por el amor de…” he sighed. “Y’know, lemme be honest, I thought you bailed back there. On that cliff.”

Arthur dropped his arms and gave Lewis a befuddled stare. He winced when Lewis shined the light his way. “What! What kind of loser do you take me for? Abandoning my best bro. Get outta here.” Lewis laughed.

“It was pretty stupid.” He turned the light back onto the Allo. “I have a habit of overestimating myself, getting in over my head. You guys… always come back, and keep me outta trouble.”

Arthur shrugged. “Eh, we’re even now. Right?”

“Right.” He held up his fist. Arthur smirked, and returned the fist bump.

The Allosaur gave a grating wail, gears grind in its neck as the body twisted, the rear legs shoved at the padded terrain. At the cement roots, they crackled and squealed. With another shriek, the Allosaur ripped its shoulders free – a flint of light ignited off the Allosaur’s neck.

“Shit!” Lewis backed up, and pulled Arthur with him.

“Fuck a balloon!”

The Allosaur hauled its arms and neck free, the cement barrier that once caged it snapped apart. Lewis swung his light on the dinosaur, the beam momentarily illuminated a space on its arm torn open, revealing foam and inner padding. It was fleeting, and before Arthur or Lewis could react to what would happen next, the dinosaur veered aside and charged off. Disappearing into the fake foliage of the eerily silent jungle. The thundering footfalls and rustling shrubbery diluted after seconds, until once more silence tormented the fabricated fauna sprawling abundant.

Arthur dropped, but Lewis caught him before he collapsed entirely. The taller figure held onto his friend, and used his other arm to pat his back. Arthur sniffled and shuddered.

“There-there. We knew it was way too easy.”

“We never get a freebee!”

Off somewhere, echoing yaps rebounded through the area. Lewis gave a holler, and reached down to take up the camping lamp. “Over here!” He swung the light around, flashing the vibrant rosy beam through the clutter of petri-timber. “We’re okay!”

“No we’re not!”

Lewis sighed. “We’re in one piece!”

“Yeah!”

Soon, the panting rasp of a dog threaded its way towards the two. Once Lewis was able to interpret the direction, he hauled Arthur with him toward his teammates. “Vivi?”

“Yeppers!” she called. She was not far from the dogy gasping. “You got away from it?” The swaying blue beam preceded the clopping footfalls as she raced to them, out of breath and hair frazzled. “What happened? You’re both okay?” Upon seeing Arthur hanging off Lewis, she handed her flashlight off to Mystery and knelt before him.

“He’s in a little shock.”

Arthur whimpered, “It got away.” Vivi scrunched up her face.

“That’s… not something I expected to hear from you.”

Arthur brought his hands to his head. “No! We managed to trap it—”

Vivi turned her eyes up to Lewis. “You caught it!”

“Eh,” Lewis shrugged. “Isn’t that past-tense?” He moved down the slope, guiding the path with his lamp. “Temporarily snared.”

Vivi groaned, “I miss all the fun stuff!” Arthur balked.

The group examined over the area, inside the warren and the arched cement tree roots, decorative fantasy décor for the ride-goers. Vivi took interest in the snapped root ends, where the rebar stuck out, warped and shattered.

Vivi poked the corrupt end of rebar. “Can we decide how much gauge of cable to use, when we need to catch it?”

Arthur stood nearby, gazing off into the thicket with Lewis’ lamp flittering through the grove. “Sure. I don’t think it’ll have that much tensile strength in its hydraulics.” He perked his lips and nodded his head. “But we’ll work on how to keep it from tearing loose later. We kinda fucked up figurin’ how we’ll get it into the trap, though.”

Lewis was crouched, giving Mystery’s shoulders a rub while the dog laid on the floor resting. “True. But we can vouch that Mr. Allo is on someone’s payroll.” He perked, and stood. “Did you see, Art? It did rip its skin cover, on its arm.”

Arthur didn’t answer immediately, vouching to listen and study the perimeter. “We can try shorting it, given if the interior wiring isn’t insulated. That’s no guarantee.” He patted his own arm. “Insulation takes time to incorporate, and costs extra. It would also bulk out the equipment. So, we can think of that as an alternative, if getting it to behave doesn’t work.”

Vivi stretched and gave a yawn. “Okay, we have some intel to work with. It seems like time to call it a night, sound good?”

“You won’t hear a complaint from me,” Arthur chimed. “Stick a fork in me.” He was already walking away, with Mystery hurrying after. Lewis grabbed up his backpack and followed.

“The Allo might need to recharge,” Lewis mentioned. He took Vivi’s hand, and helped her up a loose fitted slope. “Each animatronic has a battery life for a few days, but we don’t know how long our friend has been running amuck. That might be the reason it took off.”

Vivi adjusted the light between her hands. “We’ll snoop around the park in the morning, try and find where it went and build our game plan. Did you guys hear me, I was making a lot of noise. That thing didn’t give a truck about Mystery or me.”

Ruff!

“I didn’t hear ya, but I’ll take your word for it” Lewis affirmed. “Someone has access to the Allo controls.”

Vivi stroked her chin. “Someone that knows we’re investigating the park.”

Together, Lewis and Vivi did a dramatic, “Hmm….” Simultaneously.

Arthur yawned and rubbed his face. “Can you guys draw up accusations tomorrow? After we’ve slept on it.”

Woof.

Together, the Mystery Skulls navigated their way through the fabricated jungle, trading stories on the encounter with the Allosaur and their escape. At one point Arthur stopped midsentence and in his tracks, then turned the camping lamp around the area they were currently within.

“Where the fuck are we?”

#mystery skulls #Alive!Lewis #msa #mystery skulls fanfic #mystery skulls fanfiction #fanfiction #msa fanfic #msa fanfiction #msa arthur #msa vivi #msa mystery #mystery skulls ghost #mystery skulls animated

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selfindulgent-undertalerps · 4 years ago

Text

Grim x Horror x Monotype Part 1

They don't have a shipname yet :(

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

Grim is taking a walk in a random AU, specifically the Waterfall part of it, He's looking around, coughing from time to time.

He looks like he's talking to himself.

"Okay You Say Cake, But What Cake?" He paused as if he was listening to someone "Plum? Hm . . .That Could Work" He's talking quietly.

Horror steps out of the shadows in front of Grim "howzit goin?"

Grim took a step back, slightly scared, "G-Good, Em . . . You?" He's slightly shaking.

"good." Horror grins wide and takes a step forward "wha'd ya say about a cake?"

"Oh I'm Making A Cake For Someone Close To Me" Grim is slightly nervous.

"what kinda cake ya makin?" Horror tugs at a eye socket, his eylight stares intensely at Grim.

"Yogurt Cake With Plums"

"yogurt cake?" Horror's eyes are wide and he leans in closer "sounds delicious"

"It Is" Grim is looking at Horror, he is nervous, "Is Everything Alright?"

Horror leans back drooling, his eyelight glazed over "just feelin.. hungry." His eyelight focuses back on Grim.

Grim thought for a moment, "Em . . . I Have Food At Home . . . So . . . You Can Come With Me If You Want . . .?" He coughed a few times and after this wiped the blood that was coming from his mouth.

Horror's grin widened and he leaned back towards Grim, uncomfortably close. "i would love to."

Grim blushed a bit, he took a step back, he holds out his hand "I'm Grim And What's Your Name?" He gives Horror a slightly nervous smile.

Horror holds out his hand "you can call me axe or horror" He shrugs "but that names sans, sans the skeleton heh.. in the f l e s h." Something metal glints suspiciously in Horror's hand.

"Nice To Meet You" Grim is ready to protect himself, but took Horror' hand and shook it slightly, he has a wound on his chest, one of his eyes is melted, he adjusted his glasses.

Grim feels sharp little pricks on the palm of his hand. Horror has tacks taped to his hand. He thinks it's a funny prank.

Grim lost 0,1 hp, he has 0,4hp currently, which immediately send him into panic mode, he teleported a few meters away from Horror.

Horror sweats nervously. he forgets sometimes that's not how you greet a new friend. his hand jams into his hoodie and pockets the offending "prank" and takes a step back further from Grim "sorry i'm-" one of his hands shoots up to his face to tug at his socket aggressively.

Grim gets worried "H-Hey It's Okay, Really" He took out a piece of chocolate and ate it to heal himself, his HP is 0,5 , "I'm Okay, See?"

Horror checks him and he stops the assault on his face "you're down to half" He looks confused and concerned.

"That's Basically My Max HP"

Horror looks more concerned, "only half?"

"I Technically Can Heal Up To 1 HP But It's Kinda Useless, Due To This" Grim gestured to the wound on his chest.

Horror stiffens and fidgets and he glances at Grim's face and looks at the ground in front of his feet.

"Are You Okay?" Grim took a few steps towards Horror.

Horror's seems to come back to himself, his eyelight snaps back into focus on Grim, he grins. "not doin half bad"

"Heh, Glad To Hear It"

Horror stands in place grinning silently.

"Sooo You Want To Go To My House? You Said You're Hungry, So I Could Give You Something" Grim just wants to be nice.

Horror looks surprised for a sec before grinning wider and nods.

Grim held out his hand so Horror can grab it, he's smaller than Horror, he's shaking a bit.

Horror reaches out slowly to take it, palm upwards so Grim can see it's empty.

Grim took his hand and teleported to his AU, in front of his house, He's smiling slightly, he mumbled something to himself.

Horror leans closer to Grim "what didja say?"

"Just Talking To Myself . . . A Terrible Habit Really" Not really the truth, but he doesn't want to talk about his 'ghost' problem.

"ok." Horror stands up straight and watches Grim expectantly. Grim opened the door to his house and let Horror inside.

Horror shambles in and looks around.

A cozy house, it's warm and smells nice, there's a lot of pictures on the walls.

Grim got inside and closed the door.

Horror turns around and grins at Grim with his too wide smile "nice place"

"Thank You" Grim went to the kitchen and started heating up water for some tea.

Horror followed him and watched him prepare the tea.

"So . . . Uh . . . What Do You Want To Eat?"

"heh... i could eat anything"

"Pasta?"

Horror grinned wider "sure"

Grim took out the things he needed and started cooking, in the meantime He prepared tea and gave a cup to Horror.

Horror took the cup reverently and sat at the kitchen counter to watch.

Grim started humming at some point.

Horror takes a sip of tea and it's really well made... he all but chugs the rest of it down.

Grim is still cooking, you can see that he's quite skilled in this.

Horror gets up and stands close behind Grim and leans over his shoulder to see what he's doing.

Grim is choping some onions, he noticed Horror "Hm?"

"you're good at this..."

"Thank You, I Like To Cook, It's Comforting For Me, My Brother Taught Me How To Cook . . ." Grim' smile disapeared from his face.

Horror's head tilted to the side questioningly "brother?"

"I Had A Brother, He Had A Bar Here In Snowdin, Really A Great Guy . . ." Grim' voice is sad.

Horror nods his head "you wanna talk about it?"

"I Could" Grim continued cooking "A Genocide Route Happened And Everyone, But Me, Is Dead"

"sorry for your loss"

"I Try To Live With That, Well Atleast I'm Not Alone" Grim smiled slightly.

Horror pats Grim on the shoulder "...... want help cookin?"

"You Could Help Me If You Want" Grim smiled at him.

Horror rolls up his sleeves and washes his hands and gestures in a offer to finish chopping vegetables.

Grim let him finish, he drank a bit of his tea, He's slightly shaking.

Horror notices Grim shaking "yah okay?"

"Yeah Just A Bit Cold"

Horror sets the knife down, shucks off his jacket, wordlessly holding it out to Grim.

"Are You Sure?"

Horror nods and lets out a deep chuckle "take it, it won't bite."

"Hehe Okay" Grim took the jacket and put it on himself, it's too big "Heh"

Horror blushes and turns back to finish chopping, he's almost done.

Grim smiled and began doing other things they needed to finish the pasta.

Soon the pasta was almost ready, Grim called someone "Hey . . . When Are You Coming Back? . . . Food's Almost Ready . . . We Have A Guest . . . Okay, Love You Too . . ." He hung up.

"who's that?" Horror's eyelights fixated on the food. He's drooling a little.

"I Was Talking With My Boyfriend, They Should Be Here In A Moment" Grim took a plate, put food on it and handed it to Horror "Here"

Horror looks like he's about to eat off the plate with his face right there. however, he pauses and shakes his head. "got a fork?"

"Yeah" Grim handed him a fork "You Must Be Really Hungry" He's kinda worried.

Someone entered the house.

"i usually am.." Horror stiffins at the sound of the door and then relaxes, remembering the mention of Grim's boyfriend. he shuffles hesitantly towards the kitchen table watching the entryway closely like a nervous cat..

Monotype walked into the kitchen, or rather floated, "Hey"

"Heya" Grim is smiling, He put some food on a second plate and gave it to Mono. Mono took it and went to the table.

Horror eyes mono nervously and sits down, hunched over his plate. "hello"

Mono smiles at him "I'm Monotype, Mono for short, what's your name?" They began to eat.

Grim sat down next to them with a cup of tea, but no food.

Horror stabs some pasta with his fork "heh... most call me horror" he's eyeing Grim with his cup of tea with a furrowed brow when he takes a bite.

Horror's eyelight blows wide and he chews slowly. He looks back and forth between Grim and his plate, a bright blush rising on his face before attacking his food ravenously.

"Does It Taste Good?" Grim asked.

"'ice to meet ya" Mono smiled and drank some tea from a cup he got in the meantime.

Horror snorts at the pun and wipes his face. "heh ice to meet ya too." He chuckles. Horror then nods to Grim "this dish is so good it's prepastarous."

Grim starts giggling "I'm Glad That You Like It"

"You should eat something" Mono is worried a bit.

"I'm Not Hungry" Grim drinks his tea.

"Gówno prawda" Mono Said in a foreign language.

Horror, who's already finished his plate, shoots Grim a indescribable look. "you're not eating?"

"Like I said I'm not hungry . . . I'll eat later" Grim put his arms on the table and places his head in them.

"I hope you'll eat later . . ." Mono sighed.

Horror looks back and forth between Grim and his plate again, this time looking more concerned. He comes to a decision and stands up taking his plate to the kitchen. He piles on a massive helping for himself.

He then pulls out another plate and portions out only a couple small scoops. Horror grabs some cutlery and walks back and sits across from Grim.

He puts his overflowing plate in front of himself and scoots the other across the table nudging Grim's arms with it. " . . . please eat." Horror sounds slightly distressed.

Grim looks at Horror and sighs "Alright . . . I'll Eat . . . " He slightly rubbed his eyesockets and began eating slowly.

"Wow, you managed to get him to eat on your first try, congrats" Mono smiles softly "And Thanks"

Horror nodded at Mono and blushed. He watched Grim eat for a second before resuming his one man act of a pasta garbage disposal.

The three of them ate in peace, Mono is watching Horror with curiosity, a faint greish purple blush on their cheekbones.

Horror was savoring that last few bites with a groan, eyes closed and blissed out. He finished up with a belch and leaned back in his chair sagging with contentment. "that was pasta-tively delicious."

Both skeletons snickered at the pun, Grim didn't eat much from his portion, but atleast ate something, he's smiling.

Horror didn't know what it was but, even with just having met them, he felt really comfortable around these two... "hey uh thanks for the meal, even though i... well.." Horror hooked a phalange in his eyesocket. He was fidgeting uneasily and staring at the table.

"Don't Worry About It, Really, I Forgive You" Grim gave him a bright smile, a slight red blush dusting his black cheekbones.

Horror looks up and meets Grim's gaze. Oh no he's he's cute. Horror blushes furiously and glances at Mono and back down to the table twiddling his thumbs.

He's unsure what to do now, and the room is feeling rather warm despite not having his jacket. Horror tugs at the collar of his shirt, sweating.

"Are ya okay?" Mono Has a small smirk on his face. Grim is worried. Both Skeletons are watching Horror.

"y-yeah sorry.. god it's cute in here though...." Horror's eyes widen "i-i mean hot!!! agh! warm!" Horror's face could single handedly light up a gyftmas tree. He sinks in his seat as if that could hide himself.

Horror wishes he had his jacket to hide in.

Both Skeletons are blushing and smiling

"Well you look great too" Mono placed his hand on top of Grim' to calm him down.

If Horror could blush harder he would. He looks between Grim and Mono, shifting in his seat nervously.

Horror stands up suddenly, "lemme clean up" he snatches the other two's plates and piles them on his own, escaping quickly to the kitchen.

Mono and Grim started talking quietly between themselves.

Horror shovels Grim's leftovers in his mouth and puts the rest in a tupperware container. He runs the faucet for a sec, letting the water heat up and got himself to scrubbing.

Grim is watching him, he coughed a few times, he's still wearing Horror' jacket.

Horror throws Grim a concerned glance at the coughing and then looks away quickly.

He's surprised he hasn't gotten light headed from all the blushing he's doing. "you uh, cough alot..." Horror states more sounding like a question.

"Yeah . . . Mostly Because Of This Wound . . ." Grim rested his skull on his hand.

Horror stares at him with pinched brows for a second before glancing at his jacket still engulfing Grim, and quickly looking away, focusing all his attention back on the dishes.

"Heh, It's Nothing Really" Grim laid his head on the table and closed his eyes.

Horror finishes the dishes and drys his hands. He turns to the two skeletons and grins.

"thanks for the meal." He scratches the back of his skull "i better get goin though..."

"Oh Okay, I enjoyed our time together" Mono is looking at him "You're welcome here anytime"

"Yeah , I Really Enjoyed It Too. . . Oh I Should Probably Give You Your Jacket Back" Grim began taking it off.

Horror almost wanted to tell him to keep it, if he didn't feel so naked without it, he probably would have... instead he stepped forward and helped Grim out of it, his soul fluttering in his chest at the close proximity.

Grim smiled at him, a really sweet smile, "I'm Really Happy That We Met"

"uhhh same." Horror's face lights up again both at Grim's smile and the embarrassingly less than smooth response. He gives Mono a half wave "it was nice meetin ya too"

"Same" Mono gave him a smile "See you soon?"

Horror nods blushing just a little bit more, "see ya" and with that he blips out.

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southernxwolf · 4 years ago

Text

A Beast Within | Part Two

Who: Qhuinn, Jason, Ciaran, Ava, and Quinten

What: After attacking Jason, Qhuinn runs off, prompting Ciaran to call for Quinten. The angel arrives and they take Jason back to his home, after which Ciaran leaves for help, finding Ava. Qhuinn joins them on the way back to Quinten’s, where they all keep a vigil as Ava bites Jason, saving his life.

When: Roughly two weeks ago, give or take lol.

Where: Qhuinn’s territory, the woods, and Quinten’s home.

TW: Violence, blood, death mentions.

@professor-shaw @professorxwolf @ava-montgomery @quinten-sawyer

Ava: Ava was feeling more restless then usual. With Delseneca’s lessons on getting in touch with her dark side, there was a part of the she-wolf that found it hard to keep to herself this time of night. The moon was out, and she was in full fledged wolf mode. She heard Ciaran’s call, and the largest part of her couldn’t ignore it. So, she began to look for him, returning the call. ‘I’m on my way...I can help.’ When she reached him, she paused, before slowly making her way up to him. ‘What’s going on?’ She asked him, sitting in front of him.

Ciaran and Qhuinn: ‘Thank fuck’ Ciaran breathed out, when his call was answered. He stayed put, as hard as it was, so that the other wolf could easily find him. Restless, dancing from one paw to another as his mind also listened for any signs from Quinten trying to contact him. When the she-wolf finally made her way to him, midnight eyes regarded her as he tried to place the voice and scent. Ava, if he wasn’t mistaken. A friend of Qhuinn’s, owner of the pet shop that he frequented quite often. Someone they knew..even better. It was as if Quinten was still working his magic and answering their prayers. He gave the woman a swift nod in greeting then got right down to business. There wasn’t time for pleasantries, but he did want Ava to know exactly what she was getting into.

‘Jason’s hurt. He was attacked..by Qhuinn. And he’s dyin’ Ava.’ Goddamn it.. He didn’t know which it hurt more to say.. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he continued. Not mincing words. ‘She bit him. And Quinten’s tryin’ but his grace ain’t enough. It’s keepin’ him alive, but we don’t know for how much longer. We..both know what needs to be done. If ya do this, and if it works..you’ll be a maker. If that’s somethin’ you’re willin’ to do, then follow me. We ain’t got much time. If ya can’t do this I won’t judge ya, but for the love of fuck at least tell me of someone else who can. Aye?’ And with that he was off, racing towards Quinten’s. He would know if she followed. And if she didn’t? Well, she knew how to communicate with him. Ava was a good egg though, and he expected she would be right on his feels. What he hadn’t expected though was the white blur that intercepted them. Though really, he supposed she would have. ‘Qhuinn.. Where the fuck have ya been? Never mind, c’mon. I found Ava’

Qhuinn hadn’t gone far. At least not at first. She had tried, but before long she found herself back at Quinten’s house. Unsure of her welcome, she hadn’t gone inside, instead laying outside of the window of his office. Head in her paws as she listened to Jason’s labored breathing, Quinten’s gentle words of assurance. They all knew the truth though: he was dying, and it was all her fault. She had allowed herself to get to this point, and now..she had killed one of the people that she loved the most in the world. Where there had once been anger there was now fear, and a grief as deep as anything she had been feeling over the last few months. If he died..how could she go on? How could live with herself? And without him? Head resting to her paws, tears flowing like rain, Qhuinn simply laid in the dirt, sending up a prayer to whoever happened to be listening. Take her instead. She was a killer..she deserved it.

A noise shook Qhuinn from her thoughts and she looked up, seeing Ciaran streak past into the woods. Had he found someone? Leaping to her feet, she started to follow him, then stopped. It was as if she physically couldn’t be far from Jason. At least she didn’t have long to wait, as not long after Ciaran raced towards her with Ava in tow. ‘Is she..are you going to..’ She started, then shook her head. There was no time to explain; they all knew what was going to happen. Giving Ava a look of gratitude, she shook out her snowing fur and lead the pair into her boyfriend’s home. ‘Quint! He found Ava!’

Quinten: Quinten had never imagined that this day would come...at least this soon and this way. It wasn't beyond him that he would outlive...everyone he knew right now. Even his darling Qhuinn. However, seeing Jace laying there, writhing in pain and already convinced he was going to die was worse than he could even imagine. He was grateful that Ciaran had gone out to find someone that could help. He could keep him alive for a decent amount of time but if he couldn't get rid of the poison than it would only prolong the inevitable. Could he let him die and then revive him? Would the poison remain coursing through his veins if he did? He had never had to revive someone who had been poisoned- let alone by anything like what was coursing through is best friend's name. He sat by Jason's side, trying to keep him alive, pouring his everything out into Jace. He knew he had vials of grace set aside for emergencies and he knew that he could probably give the other man his blood, but in the end he needed more. The reality was healing wasn't enough. He could keep healing but there was a change that was needed. Maybe he could try dialysis? He considered biting his lip, he was just beginning to bow his head to pray to his brothers and sisters, thinking perhaps they would heed his call, when three wolves burst into his house. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen- especially when he noted that one of the wolves was Qhuinn. "Oh thank Father." He murmured when he heard that Ciaran had found Ava. He knew she was a wolf- they had a solution...he just hoped that Jace could live with it. "I'll bring him up to the guest room. There's more room in there for everyone." He said, knowing that his home medical office was not built for three full grown wolves and two grown men. "Just...let me know what else I can do." He said, concentrating on the room, trying his best to make it a soft landing and listening as the wolves scampered up the stairs.

Jason: After countless hours of endless agony and having everyone else he cared about fight for him, it would seem by the way his breath hitched, that Jason was finally coming back to...just not with a start this time…and not completely. His limbs were too weak, his heartbeat far too faint...and, in many ways, he may have even been persuaded to think he was dreaming...but still, his eyes fluttered again, fingers gripping around the sheets in a frenzy as he felt his stomach begin to twist and warp along with the room, rushing around him in a synonymous blur as he cast a look upward. Fuck, he was going to be sick again, wasn’t he? It all felt too surreal: the sounds, the blinding brightness invading the otherwise dim room through those goddamn curtains…he almost wished he could stop it altogether...but the two hands aiding him into a sitting up position quickly gave him something else to do with himself…

The first thing Shaw ever saw was Quinten’s worried and almost defeated look, willing him to stay with them, and then, just over his shoulder…wolves. A dark furred one and… it was practically a gut reaction, but the second his eyes landed on the white fur, Jace was at once invaded by a surge of memories all rushing back to him, going so far as to even draw back at the sight, turning to try and grasp at the angel’s lab coat instead in a panic that was very much unlike him. “No..no…get them..get them away from me..” he began stuttering, “What is goin’ on..? What…where am I?”

Ava: Ava had never considered becoming a maker before. She was a born wolf, and she had learned early on, how to control her urges and her inner self, but she was by no means perfect. And, as of late, that was often easier said than done. Could she handle the responsibility? At the end of the day, that didn’t matter. This was Jace, and she knew there was no way she could let him die. She cared about him, and Qhuinn was her best friend. There really wasn’t an option, here. She knew what needed to be done. “I’ll do it,” she replied, nodding and taking off after him. As they ran, and Qhuinn appeared, she gave her a knowing nod. There was no judgment. Her friend was clearly in need of help, and what mattered now, was making sure none of them loses Jace in the process. They could talk about everything else later. As they made their way up the stairs, her heart was racing. She didn’t want to screw this up. She’s never done this before, and her ears flipped back a little, when she saw her friend. He looked terrible, and she knew she was doing the right thing. She just hoped he could forgive her when it was all over. “Jason…” she pushed her way to the front, but didn’t approach him too quickly just yet. “It’s going to be okay. It’s me. It’s Ava.” She looked over at the other wolves for reassurance, stepping closer to him. “I just have to…” she looked over at him, then back at them. “If any of you need to look away or leave, I understand. I’ll do it.”

Ciaran: Ciaran knew without looking back that Ava would do it. He may not have known much about the woman, but enough to feel the strong moral character that she possessed. Like himself, and Qhuinn, Quinten, and Jason, she would never turn her back on a friend in need. ‘Aye..ya a good girl Ava. I may not know shit about bein’ a maker myself, but I ain’t just gonna leave ya alone in this. None of us will. We’re all in the together now’ He assured the woman as they raced to Quinten’s. Once inside, the three of them crowded into the angel’s cozy home, with him trying as hard as he could to not get his far larger frame in the way. There was no fucking way he was going to be put outside like a dog; lingering in the doorway was the best he could offer. ‘I’m stayin’ right here. It’s gonna be good Jason, I promise. Ya gotta trust us. Ya know that we would never do wrong by ya’ Ciaran assured his friend, navy eyes sure and steady on Shaw’s, as he curved his body protectively around Qhuinn’s when the white wolf came to stand at his side.

Qhuinn: Never one to be very graceful, even in her wolf form, Qhuinn tripped and stumbled her way upstairs. Unable to get to Jason fast enough. It was going to be okay, they could do this. Ava could do this. She and Ciaran were literal living proof that one could survive the bite of a wolf, and god knew that Jason was just as strong. It would take time but he would survive this. Even if it was without her. The small wolf skidded to a stop outside of the bedroom door, tears welling in her icy eyes once again at her best friend’s demands. Of course he was terrified of her, she had expected nothing less. But it still cut deep into her heart to hear those words. She would keep her distance though, for as long as he needed. Those eyes turned pleading as she turned to Quinten and Ava in turn, silently begging for them to save their Jason. She then turned and joined Ciaran in the doorway, leaning against the large strong wolf. ‘I’m here too. I’m sorry Jason..I’m so sorry.. Please save him…’

Jason: Jason heard their voices in the back of his mind, soft and each more concerned than the last, but nothing squashed the terror in his heart..or in his eyes, which didn't dare to look away. All he saw were the looming figures of the thing that attacked him..a monster now in his eyes as he made less and less sense of things.. It might have been the extreme agony or the nightmares he had been having in and out of consciousness all night, but this..wasn't Shaw anymore. Not even close. Scooting further back, he tried pulling the tubes off his hand and huffed, blinking it all away.. "Do what..? Quinten!?What's...what is she goin' to do.." he shook his head yet again amidst ragged breaths, "..I can't do this...n-n-ot again..please...please..." They would have to hold him down if they ever wanted to get through with this..perhaps even rob him of his consciousness again, but this Jason was having none of this..

Quinten: Quinten was relieved when he managed to get Jace in the bed without jarring him because really that was like the last thing that he wanted. He could hear the wolves making their way up the stairs and he was more than relieved he had found a way to have Dhani be out of the house. What he wasn't expecting was the sheer panic that overcame Jace when the wolves appeared in the doorway- especially Qhuinn. That was going to hurt her and there was no way to get around that but he had to triage things and right now Jason's life was the most important. "Jace, it's okay. You're safe here with me." He answered, trying to do his best to reassure him. He was the only other non-wolf there- and the person who would never let anyone get hurt. He felt like he could breathe slightly when he heard that Ava was going to do it. He was incredibly appreciative that she was stepping up to do it. He knew that it was not a light decision to make to be someone's maker. Ava came forward, giving everyone the chance to leave. They all agreed to stay- though there was some fear on his part since he had no idea what this process was going to look like. His heart twisted when Jace back away, scared and pleading. "Jason. Listen to me. I can keep you stable but we need to save your life. This means that Ava will have to change you. I know that it's a lot. I know it's scary. I know that this isn't something you wanted...but your life depends on this. Everyone in this room cares about you and will make sure that you'll get through this. I'll sedate you if you want but...this has to happen."

Ava: Ava was actually pleased that she wasn’t left on her own to do this. It made her that much more sure that she was doing the right thing. She moved closer to Jace, nuzzling his hand gently with her muzzle, in some sort of reassurance. “I’m so sorry,” she told him. ”I hope you understand after this is done, that I did it to save you. It’s because I care about you.” She looked over her shoulder at the other wolves and Quinten one more time. She knew there was no time to waste, so she turned back to Jace, her golden eyes meeting his, before she did what she had to do. She placed a paw gently beside him, and for the first time ever, she bit a human. It was a strange feeling, letting that side of her go. She had done things she wasn’t proud of before, but this was different. She was saving a life. She was saving the life of a dear friend. This was one side of herself she was always worried about controlling, but her head was clear as she did it. She knew how to not go too far. How to do what she needed without letting in any sort of bloodlust. When she was done, she let go of him, but not budging from his side. She didn’t want to leave him. She didn’t want to ditch him. She felt a sense of responsibility coming over her. She needed to see this through. She needed to make sure he knew she was there for every part of this, now.

Jason: Jason tried to really listen to what Quinten said but ultimately, it all came down to the two hands pushing and holding him to the mattress, his eyes widening in utter shock when the she-wolf neared herself to him. He knew that it was going to happen..that it /had/ to happen, but his body betrayed him yet again..getting painfully tense as his forearm was exposed. His breathing hitched but when their eyes met, he nodded in spite of it and readied himself..for the bite, which had him screaming again, eyes tearing up in agony until..until he sunk back into that bed..feeling the new flow of energy curse up his arm. In a moment's breath, Shaw looked at Ava and closed his eyes..

Ciaran: Ciaran stood still and stoic and Qhuinn's side, the rock that he knew everyone expected him to be on the outside. Meanwhile, his insides were another story. Jason had to be okay, this had to work. There was just really no other option in his mind. Jason was a part of them all, and a huge part of the family that he had made for himself in the past two years. He couldn't imagine a life without him. Ava gave the bite, and he couldn't help but flinch, as memories of his own turning and the nightmare that it had been flashed through his mind. Holding his breath, he exchange hopeful looks with Qhuinn and Quinten, then focused on Shaw again. "Jason? Mate..can ya hear us?" He projected. Had the male closed his eyes in pain, or relief? Or was he....?

Qhuinn: If it hadn't been for the wolf bond and her empath powers flowing between them, Qhuinn would have though Ciaran was an impenetrable force. She felt that quiver though, and leaned into him more, giving and taking comfort and support. As two pairs of very scared and hopeful lupine eyes watched the pair on the bed. Qhuinn knew exactly what Ciaran had to be imagining when Ava's teeth sunk into Jason't flesh, because the same things flashed through her own mind. And as much as she tried to be as brave as the black wolf, a low whimper left her. She felt too much: Jason's pain and fear, the fear of everyone in the room, all of their hopes and prayers. Pinned on a single person in a single moment, but Ava took it all like the warrior that she was. And it was in that moment that Qhuinn knew things were going to be fine. 'It's okay..he's going to be okay' She whispered to Ciaran. Maybe it was blind hope, or just the refusal to go through a life without her best friend. But she hung on to that hope like a lifeline. 'Jason..we're all here honey. Just rest..you're going to be fine. We're not leaving you..ever' Her gaze went to all of them as well, her family, before resting on Quinten's with love and adoration. 'He is okay..right?'

Quinten: Quinten had absolutely no idea what this was going to be and what it was going to look like. He wasn't even entirely sure why Qhuinn's bite was poison but Ava's wasn't. He knew that after this he was going to have to do a ton more research- both for his and Jace's sake. His heart broke a little at the fear and hesitation that came from his best friend...but it was become a wolf or die and he knew none of them wanted to lose him. So, none of them moved and he held onto Jace's hand, sending more grace to try and soothe him as well as ease and pain that would come from the second bite.

He didn't seem to be able to help much, Jason still crying out from the bite. It hurt to see him in that pain but soon after the bite, the man let out a long slow breath and then shut his eyes and went slack. Quinten panicked for a moment, but he could feel that the other man was still together. "He's okay. He'll be out for awhile, I can feel his body changing and its taking all of his energy. I don't know how long he'll be out cause I don't know how long the change will take. I'm going to grab some supplies for him- IV fluids, water to sip, some bedding for you guys if you want. A vial of grace for myself to help things along as I can."

Qhuinn: Qhuinn nodded at Quinten's words, sagging lightly against Ciaran. She may not have remembered much from those first few moments and even hours after her bite, but the sheer bone exhaustion that she felt upon waking the next morning stuck in her mind. Jason needed that healing sleep..but she still couldn't leave his side. 'Okay, thank you baby. I'm staying here though' Working her way out from under Ciaran's protective grip, she nuzzled him lovingly then padded across the room. Ava was her first stop, a whispered 'thank you' projected to the other she-wolf as she nuzzled her as well. Then finally Qhuinn made her way to Quinten's side. She leaned against her beloved boyfriend for a long moment, soaking up his scent and his closeness. 'And thank you too. You both saved his life. Which is so much more than what I did..' Guilt swelling and overwhelming her, Qhuinn squeezed her eyes shut and stored up her strength. If Jason did see her when he woke, he didn't need to see her like this. 'Get some rest. I'll watch over him.' And with that, she dropped to the floor next to the bed, muzzle resting against her best friend's hand as she watched his chest rise and fall.

#a beast within #discord thread #head canon #professor-shaw #ava-montgomery #quinten-sawyer #tw: blood #tw: death mention #tw: violence

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a-butterfly-on-his-tummy · 6 years ago

Photo

Treat People With Kindness

The London rain falls in big splats on the pavement as Harry holds an umbrella over him and Grace, making their way towards the car. School has ended for the day and it’s time to go home. Pulling open the passenger door to the black Range Rover, Harry holds the brolly so it overlaps with the roof, allowing a space for Grace to climb up without getting wet. Closing her door, Harry moves to open the driver side, collapsing the umbrella as he pulls his legs in to rest under the steering wheel.

“Brrr.” Harry shakes his head, allowing the small amount of rain that dripped on his head to fly off onto different parts of the car. Turning his body slightly, he looks back at his daughter who is staring nervously out the window. “What’s up, Buttercup?” Harry questions.

“Hmmm?” Grace looks at her father, distracted by what is on her mind. She didn’t hear Harry.

“What’s going on? You alright?” He asks again, starting to worry that something big is filling her with worry and anxiety.

“You know my friend. Her name is Ana?” Grace starts. Harry nods before she starts looking out her window at a car that is parked across the street. “She…. can she come sleep at our house?” Her eyes are pleading as she looks at her father.

“Like, for a sleepover?” Harry smiles softly, attempting to understand what his daughter is trying to say. “We can talk with her Mum, maybe see if Friday would be a good day.”

“No daddy. Tonight. Can she sleep at our house? And her Mumma and her sister?” Her voice has turned to a beg as her eyes fill with concern.

“Why tonight, Gracie Bug? What’s goin’ on that the whole family would come for a sleepover?” Confused by her request, Harry turns his entire body in his seat so he can get a better look at the situation.

“She is sleeping in her car tonight, Daddy. And look…” She points out the window at Ana’s mum, attempting to pull the car’s window up, but it seems to be stuck. “Their window is broken. I don’t want them to be rainy, Dad. Please can they sleep over?” Grace’s voice is a prayer to her father, hoping his already giving heart would be open to giving this family a warm bed to sleep in.

“I’ll be back, Gracie. Stay in the car please.” Harry pulls the hood of his jacket over his head before opening the door. Popping open the umbrella, Harry looks both ways, allowing a car to pass before he runs over to the woman who is frantically trying to get her window to roll up.

Harry notices the car is filled with their belongings, only leaving enough room for the kids to squish inside, and his heart breaks. His umbrella covers the woman and she looks up, making eye contact with Harry.

“Need some help?” Harry says with a smile on his face, hoping the woman will allow him to do something to support her family.

“Oh, Mr. Styles. We are just fine. Thank you for asking.” Her voice trembles as she attempts to pull on the window again; her fingers are numb from the cold and struggle to hold the the glass up. It falls back in the crack, and she lets out a frustrated sob.

“Oh please, call me Harry.” He says, moving in to look at the window a little closer. “Looks like something is up with belt that rolls the window up and down. I think you might have to take it to get looked at.” The woman breaks down, dropping her head to the roof of the car, unable to stop the tears that are flowing from her tired eyes.

“Just one more thing I can’t fix.” She mumbles, and Harry’s humanitarian heart jumps at the opportunity.

“There is a mechanic shop just down the road. Why don’t you let me help? I can pay for it to get fixed, and I think there is an ice cream shop next door. The girls would enjoy a treat on this dreary day.” He fights everything in him to keep his emotions at bay, smiling widely in an effort to bring a little sunshine into this woman’s day.

The woman looks up, tears streaming down her face. “Seriously?” Her voice cracks, wondering if this kind man is serious. Harry nods with a smile. “You have no idea how helpful that will be. Save us from freezing tonight.”

“Let’s get you out of the rain. Will the car drive?” She nods, opening the car door to hop inside. “Brilliant! We will meet you down there.” Once the woman is safely in her car, Harry jogs back to the Range Rover, ready to help this family out the best he can.

Letting out a deep breath, Harry buckles his seat belt while he explains to Grace that they will take Ana’s car to get fixed, and they are going to grab some ice cream.

“Ice cream?” Grace says in shock. “We never get ice cream.”

“Well, sometimes ice cream helps people smile, and that’s what we are going to do. Just don’t tell your brother. He will get jealous.” Harry tried to crack a joke to brighten the mood. He parks the car in the parking lot at the mechanic’s shop, taking Grace inside where he tells the employee he will pay for them to fix the window. As the woman and her two daughters begin to exit the shop, Harry leans in close to the employee, asking them to put on a set of new tires and do a inspection to make sure everything else is okay.

Meeting up with the girls, Harry takes the four beautiful ladies into the ice cream shop, allowing them to each get a double scoop of any type they want. The girls happily skip over to the small pink table by the window, chatting about what flavors they chose and why it’s their favorite.

“May I know your name? I don’t believe I’ve asked, and I am sorry for how rude that is.” Harry apologizes as he sits down at the table next to the little girl’s mum.

“Oh yes.” She covers her mouth as she swallows the bite of chocolate ice cream she just placed in her mouth. “I’m Lily.” Reaching her hand across the table she shakes Harry’s, formally introducing herself. “Thank you for doing this, Harry. You have no idea how much it means.” Her eyes look tired, worn from stress and lack of sleep. Her eyebrows seem to be set in permanent worry mode, and Harry is concerned there is more to her story. He wants to help.

“Grace mentioned to me that Ana said you will be sleeping in your car? Are you planning on sleeping rough tonight?” Harry cuts to the chase, hoping that Lily will open up about their situation with enough information that maybe he can find them somewhere to go.

“Oh goodness.” Lily looks down at her cup of ice cream, swirling her spoon around the mound of chocolate yumminess; she is embarrassed. A tear falls from her eye, splattering on the table like an artist flicking paint at a canvas.

“I want you to know, I’m not judging you. Just want to see how I can support.” Harry says kindly.

“Well,” She starts. Her voice shakes as she takes a moment to breathe deeply, attempting to calm the sobs that are at bay. Her eyes dart back and forth between Harry and the ice cream she is stirring in front of her. “We got a notice three days ago that we had to be out. We pay our rent every month but our contract was up, and the landlord wants more rent than we pay, I guess. We can’t afford to make rent any higher. I already work two jobs, trying to keep us afloat. We have nowhere to go. My family lives in Scotland, and I don’t have the money to make that move.” The attempt to keep her emotions hidden fails as she cries to Harry, explaining her situation. “I’ve never been in these circumstances before. What if I lose my girls? They are my everything and I feel like I’ve failed them. I feel lost and I don’t know what to do or where to go. ”

Harry’s mind immediately goes where his daughter’s went when she heard the news. They have room in their house. The guest room has a king bed in there; they could share, or he could find some blow-up mattresses. Give them a place to stay for the night, but it doesn’t fix the problem. They can’t live with the Styles family forever. He starts to think, listening to Lily tell her story when the solution hits him.

“I know some people at St. Mungos. I’m pretty sure they can help connect us to a place where you can stay, and because you have the girls, you will be a higher priority. They should be able to help find a place for you to live before too long. I can’t have you and the girls sleeping rough; it’s wet and cold and I don’t feel right about that.”

The desperation on her face makes Harry’s heart hurt. He wants to bundle all of them in his arms and take them home, but deep down, he knows this is a better option. St. Mungos can connect them to a place where they can live permanently. The shelter is just for a small period of time.

“That would be lovely, Harry. Do you know the number?” She asks, a small thankful smile creeping on her face as her tears begin to slow down.

“I’ll do you one better. Grace and I will take you over there. I want to make sure you are in a good place.” Harry replies, allowing the girls to finish their ice cream as they wait for the car to be fixed. Lily bursts into tears as she sees that Harry had paid for new tires as well.

“Here we are.” Harry says as they get out of the car and walk towards the doors of St. Mungos. Lily takes a deep breath; she is anxious and Harry can feel it wafting off her like the vibrations from an earthquake. Harry wraps his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into his side, attempting to comfort her in this time of need. “I’ll be here the whole time. Don’t worry.”

The girls skip towards the door, unaware of the situation. Opening the entrance, the family makes their way inside.

“Hello?” Someone yells down the hall to them.

“Hi.” Harry says, making his way towards the voice.

“How can we help you?” The lady looks up at the group in front of her.

“This is my friend Lily, and her two girls Ana and Scarlett. My name is Harry and this is my daughter Grace.” Harry introduces the clan. “Lily and her girls have nowhere to go. I don’t want them sleeping rough tonight. I was wondering if you have anything open.”

Lily’s tears flow down her face as Harry speaks for her. The woman pulls her two girls close to her side, rubbing their shoulders to comfort herself more than the girls who are unaware of what is happening.

“You are in the right place.” The kind employee says. “We actually just had a family unit open today, and it’s in this center so you won’t have to go anywhere. We will keep you safe. Come in and have a seat; we will need to fill out some paperwork.”

A sigh of relief is released from Lily as she moves further into the office, sitting down on the chair. The kids rush over to the pile of toys, playing with each other while their mother fills out the pile of forms. The kind woman explains that the family will receive full meals; they have a laundry service and a room just for them. They are able to stay until St. Mungos can help them find a home. The facility will connect her to the council where they will find housing that will work for their budget.

Harry’s heart feels lighter as the lady explains that the family can stay in the shelter for as long as they need. Is the situation ideal? No. But they are safe and warm and will get more connections than Harry even knew existed.

“Okay. The paperwork is done. Should we show you where you are staying?” The employee stands, walking out of the office to lead the way down the hall. “This is the women’s and families’ section. Your room will be in here.” Walking through the open door, the employee shows the family where they will be staying.

The girls bolt for the bunk bed, climbing on, giggling at each other as they roll back and forth. The queen bed is made with fresh sheets. The family rooms have their own bathroom with a tub, which makes Harry feel a little better as he looks at the barren room.

“You are welcome to bring in anything you have in your car.” The woman says with a smile, leaving us alone in their new home.

“Look at this awesome room!” Harry says with excitement to the girls, hoping that his energy will make the transition a little bit easier. “This will be a good place to stay, and I heard they have a playground outside; when it stops raining i’m sure you could go play.” The girls shout with happiness at the thought of playing on the slide.

Harry turns towards Lily, smiling softly at the mum who looks a little less scared for her life. “Are you going to be okay?” He asks seriously, knowing that if she says no, he might just pack them all up and take them to his house.

Her eyes soften as she looks at her two girls. “I think so.” She nods, reassuring herself that it’s going to be okay.

“I gave you my number; if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.” Harry says, moving towards the door, wanting to let them adjust to their new reality.

“Thank you, Harry. For everything.” Lily says honestly.

“Happy to help.” He nods with a smile. “Gracie bug, we probably should get going. Let them get situated.” Grace jumps off the bed, holding her arms out preparing for hugs from her friends. The girls hug goodbye and Grace makes her way towards her father. “Please call if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you, Harry. You have changed my life today, and it means more than I can express.” Lily moves in and gives Harry a hug, thanking him for the impact he made.

Grace and Harry make their way out of the building, waving goodbye to the employee who helped their friends, and into the car. Grace buckles her seatbelt and Harry jumps in his seat, clicking his buckle in place.

The emotions from the day hit him, and without warning the tears begin to fall. His head falls to the steering wheel as he cries for this family who is in need.

“Daddy? Why are you crying?” Grace asks, unsure of why her father is allowing his emotions to rain as hard as it is outside.

Lifting his head from the steering wheel, Harry attempts to take a deep breath. “It’s just difficult leaving them here. They are in a situation I hope we never have to experience, Bug. My heart just hurts for them. I wish we could do more.”

Grace takes a moment, thinking about what her father is saying. “But Daddy. They are okay; not in the cold car. They get to sleep on a bunk bed, and that is so cool.” Her positive outlook on life comforts Harry.

“That’s right, my love. They are safe and warm, and that’s what matters most.” Harry puts the car in reverse as they drive away from St. Mungos. His tears fall from his eyes for the rest of the night as he worries about the little family who was in such desperate need. Before he goes to bed, Harry prays, thanking God for this experience that has changed his life in more ways than one. Thankful for a daughter who was looking after a friend, treating her with kindness and love, just as he preaches.

#Treat People with Kindness #The Adventures of Harry and Grace #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #harry styles fan fiction #harry styles fan fic #dad harry #dad!Harry #original writing #harry fluff

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bashfulgnome · 6 years ago

Text

Cookout

Hey everyone! I’ve been sitting on this fic for a while and it’s finally ready to go – just a fun little summer story with the Core Four. Enjoy!

Summer was winding down, and the four of them saw fit to have one last barbecue that weekend. Litwak was out of town for a couple of days–he'd figured that the usual patrons would be on vacation anyway–so they certainly weren't short on guests from neighboring games who wanted to join in on the fun. The atmosphere of Fix-It Felix Jr. buzzed with activity, from the various Nicelanders milling about to the visitors enjoying the friendly afternoon company.

Some of the troops from Hero's Duty joined the Sugar Rush racers in Niceland Lake for an impromptu game of chicken while Q*bert and the other East Nicelanders looked on. Vanellope swam around cheering on her game-mates, but occasionally split off into the weedy side of the lake, curiously observing the wildlife. Ralph hung around the shallow ends, making waves for the smaller sprites to ride, and keeping an eye out for struggling swimmers and brewing fights.

Tamora helmed the grill, clad in her "Kiss My Ass" apron–as such a crowded gathering demanded–and having set out a batch of burgers and hot dogs in neat rows. The chopmeat was a donation from Burger Time, courtesy of Peter Pepper himself, in exchange for Tamora's assistance in ejecting a rowdy patron from the establishment the week prior. The sizzling little slabs of meat created a pleasant white noise that drowned out Gene's distant blathering about the limited selection of beverages. Between the soothing sound, delicious aroma, and the focused task of minding the food's status, grilling put her in a calm state of flow.

Her husband had spent most of the morning running between the apartments and the picnic area, carrying supplies and pre-prepared food back and forth, and managing the guests who would occasionally stop in from the lake for a snack. She hadn't seen much of him while she was setting up the grill–usually just his hat peeking over a stack of paper plates with legs–but she knew where he was from the tune of his jolly whistling. To match his special lady, he'd decided to wear his own "All The Fixins" apron for the occasion. Felix was in Special Event Mode, and there was very little that would convince him to slow down.

Amidst all the activity, Vanellope scampered along the path from Niceland Lake to the picnic area. She had formulated a plan for the day and her underwater reconnaissance was complete - but there was one missing piece. This wasn't a chance that came around every day, so she'd need some special equipment. And with Felix occupied, she'd have an easier time acquiring it.

"Sarge." The child saluted, her face unusually serious.

"Prez." Tamora returned the gesture. "What's up?"

The racer glanced around the cooking area but didn't see anything immediately suitable for her mission. She'd have to stall. "Whatcha puttin' on the burgers?"

"Onion, red pepper, garlic powder, salt." Tamora counted off the ingredients. "Just exper– MAC! Get the hell off him, you drown him and he won't regenerate!"

The girl followed the suddenly-yelling sergeant's line of sight to catch a glimpse of a startled Marine rolling off his panicking comrade's back and splashing into the water. Ralph, who had been in the process of separating them, gave Tamora a thumbs-up. She waved back in acknowledgement and muttered something under her breath.

"Anyway," she sighed. "Just experimenting this time. Got a request?"

Vanellope scrunched her nose and continued scanning the area. "Oh. I thought you guys were gonna use basil?" The racer recalled the small, fragrant plants she had seen in the couple's garden.

"We tried growing some out back, but Norwood's cats kept pissing on it. So that was a bust." She shrugged and pointed her spatula towards a small bag. "I got brown sugar though. That up your alley, kid?"

Vanellope spotted a spare plastic container on the picnic table behind them. Perfect. "Uh, yeah, sure, love it. Hey, can I borrow that empty bowl thing?"

Tamora had begun to notice Vanellope's shiftiness and raised an eyebrow, leaning over. "What for?"

The miniature president looked around before standing on her toes to reach the woman. "I wanna see if I can catch something cool in the lake," she whispered with a grin.

Well, there were no snakes in there, as far as the sergeant knew. Other than Coily on his inner tube, of course. "Yeah, I don't need it. Go nuts."

"Thanks!" She picked up the container, holding it above her head in triumph, and dashed off back to the lake before Tamora could say anything more. The sergeant laughed to herself. She was looking forward to seeing how this scheme turned out.

In the meantime, Felix surveyed the area with his hands on his hips, and let out a relieved sigh upon seeing that everything was in order. Ralph hadn't needed any help with lifeguarding, the places were all set, and a few of their neighbors had begun making their way to the tables, enticed by the scent of the pending meal. There was only one more situation to tend.

Tamora felt a light touch on the side of her leg and smiled, not needing to look down.

"Hey, Felix."

He took hold of her free hand and squeezed it gently, running his thumb over her knuckles. "Need anything, darlin'? I can get you some ice cream if you'd like."

"Standing in front of this grill, it'd be a puddle in ten seconds. But thanks for the offer, babe."

"Are you sure? You've been taking care of the burgers all afternoon. If you feel like goin' down to the lake to cool off, I can take over for you."

She glanced down from her work and saw the little guy wearing that worried puppy-dog expression of his. Of course, she thought. All the prep work, setting up the tables, keeping the guests occupied, and his most pressing concern was still making sure she wasn't mildly uncomfortable. She laughed softly.

"Don't worry about me, shortstack. I’ve got a rhythm going here,” she replied, leaning down with a smirk. “But I'll take you up on some dessert and a swim later tonight." Tamora grinned and pulled down the brim of his hat.

He blushed at the sudden change in tone. "W-well, I guess we do both need to unwind–"

"Get it out! It's biting me! GET IT OUT!"

Interrupting their moment, Ralph came stumbling towards the startled couple from the direction of the Niceland Lake, hopping from foot to foot. Vanellope followed close behind, pointing and giggling at the wrecker's predicament as he attempted to dislodge something from his swim trunks. Ralph finally grabbed the leg of his garment and shook it out, producing a large and terrified frog, which the racer scooped up before any of the adults could stop her.

"Vanellope, tha–haha–t wasn't very nice," Felix sputtered out as he tried not to giggle.

Tamora, who made no such effort, paused her grilling to fully appreciate the spectacle.

"Hey, nice one Prez!" she shouted through snorting laughter. "Where'd you find a frog that can bite?"

The diminutive president was too busy laughing to respond, and it became clear that the prank was not over. As Ralph continued hopping, two small, young ducks fell out of the other side of his trunks. They flailed on their backs, quacking in annoyance as they righted themselves in a flurry of feathers. Luckily for Felix, the ducks were most concerned with distancing themselves from Ralph, and took off chasing each other towards the lake.

A loud whistle and hearty laughter rang out from the other end of the picnic area, catching everyone's attention. "Very good dancing! Make DDR friends jealous!" Zangief clapped at Ralph's unintentional performance.

Ralph's face flushed, and he quickly turned back to his best friend. "Kid, you really gotta calm down with the pranks. Someone's gonna get hurt."

Tamora resumed grilling. "Yeah, if those trunks fell down we'd all be stricken blind."

"Not helping, Sarge!"

Vanellope pouted. "Hey, I picked out the smallest ones for you Ralphie!"

"Vanny, believe you me, those duck bites really sting. Even the little ones, they get everywhere..." Felix shuddered.

The four of them heard a familiar grumble from one of the nearby tables.

"Ralph, I am trying to enjoy this outing in peace, and I would appreciate it if you and that" – the mayor squinted at Vanellope – "child could make your commotion somewhere else. Some people just have no class."

Ralph and Vanellope shared a wordless exchange of a raised eyebrow and a devious grin.

"Gene, why don't you go find something fun to do instead of givin' them a hard time?” Felix had really hoped the drink selection would keep the mayor in better spirits, but to no avail. “Nobody's using the gazebo, if you want someplace quiet."

"I'm just saying that there's a certain level of propriety expected in–"

He was cut off by a quiet splat as the frog Vanellope tossed landed on his face. The Nicelander went silent for an instant before sputtering and thrashing himself out of his seat.

The wrecker high-fived his partner-in-crime and they both took off into the lakeside woods, peals of laughter ringing in their wake. Gene attempted pursuit once he had extricated himself from the poor amphibian, but thirty years on his own had made Ralph more familiar with that forest than anyone else in the game. The mustachioed man emerged after a futile couple of minutes, muttered his way back to the table, picked up his drink, and stormed off to save face.

Tamora smiled. "Guess that saves everyone some grief. He hasn't stopped complaining all day."

"I'm startin' to think that's his hobby," Felix replied sheepishly. "But he's gonna be back for dinner anyway; said somethin' about sitting with Don and Mary. I'd better go round everyone up–"

"No need." The sergeant put two fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle that cut through the air to the far boundaries of the game, making Felix jump. "Food's done! Everybody come stuff your chewholes!" she hollered.

Working together, Tamora and Felix laid the cooked meat out on buns while the guests lined up. Once they got a seat at the tables, Vanellope sat on Ralph's arm, eating the chips he'd scooped out of a snack bowl on their way to the grill.

"So, satisfied? You got Gene and me today."

She nodded. "I think I'm good for now."

Vanellope eyed her buddy’s meal, suddenly noticing the unusual way he adorned his burger. "Ooh, what's that?"

"Mustard, pickles, and chips. Makes it crunchy. Here, you wanna try?"

"Yeah!" She took a bite of the savory burger and hummed with satisfaction. "Oh! Try a piece of mine too!" She tore off a chunk of the patty and handed it to him.

"Mmm, not b--agh! Too sweet!" He chuckled took a bite of his own burger to clear out the taste. "Couldn't resist one more jab at me, huh?"

"Hey, it's an honor. Savor it." She pinched his cheek and quickly glitched away when he playfully swatted at her.

Tamora snatched the racer in midair and casually placed her back down on the picnic bench, as she and Felix finally took their seats next to the pair of friends. "To surviving another summer rush," she toasted, holding her drink aloft.

"And many more!" Felix added, the others cheering in agreement.

---

Tagging my WIR buddies: @ask-icancraft-it @ashleybenlove @sgtcalhouns @allthefixins @coneygoil @kittysfigurines24 @cy-bug

Let me know if you would like your name added to the tags for future fics!

#wreck it ralph #wralph #vanellope von schweetz #fix it felix jr #sergeant calhoun #hero's cuties #my fanfics #fanfics

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anon-e-miss · 7 years ago

Text

A Matter of Convenience 3

Prowl fuelled at sunrise. It was not a matter of pleasure or comfort but of necessity. He had been unable to recharge. Images of his brothers, the knowledge of his inadequacy had haunted his dark-cycle. Energon alone would not sustain him forever. Sooner, rather than later his systems would succumb to exhaustion, but not yet. They would have landed in Praxus, joors ago. Would they call him, beg him to come get him? Would Barricade even allow them to make the call?

When he discovered that the mechlings' trusts were tied up with more conditions and red tape than he could ever have imagined, would he return them? That might have been Prowl's best hope to regain custody. Barricade would have no access to the brothers' inheritance, and the eldest brother knew from seeing both the wills of his progenitor and his progenitor's second Conjunx Endura that what of progenitor's estate that remained after his widower's death had all gone to Smokescreen and Bluestreak. The high life Barricade had come used to loving was done. He could not touch their funds, not even on the auspices of housing the mechlings. Crosscut had been an excellent lawyer, there was no wiggle room in his will.

Barricade would not want to pay for the mechlings' care out of his own diminished funds. The mech had held no real job since bonding to Sideways. Those get rich scams he had run which had allowed him to call himself an entrepreneur had never paid a single credit. He had a small inheritance from Flash, but nothing that would allow him to live in comfort, not in less he wanted to work.

It was a beacon of hope but it did not burn bright in the disgraced Enforcer. He was not a mech who leaned towards optimism, not in the slightest. Barricade could do considerable harm to his brothers, before he gave up on stealing their inheritance. Bluestreak had blossomed, so had Smokescreen but it would be easy for both to fall back into self-destructive behaviours. If Barricade raised a servo to Bluestreak, Smokescreen would not hold back, and the eldest brother did not believer their step-progenitor was capable of restraint.

He needed to protect them. He had failed to protect them already but Prowl could not leave them to Barricade's mercy. There was only one thing the Praxian could think to do but to relocate back to Praxus. It would cost a fortune, a fortune Prowl did not have but he had survived on little, and his savings were not non-existent. All he really needed was the cost of a flight, or several tanks worth of fuel.

For the remainder of the light-cycle Prowl calculated costs, and researched his options. It became clear almost immediately that driving was out of the question. Whatever route he took, he would have to cross through the territory of the Crystal City, and that would require an expensive visa that was onerous to get at all. Fuel costs in the area were high, the demand on his frame would be higher still. Even if he chose to skip the motels and recharge in his alt-mode, outside, it was still absolutely cost and time prohibitive. That only left a flight. While not at all cheap, a standby ticket was not outside his limits, and if he was able to avoid Enforcer patrols Prowl would be able to avoid the cost of booking a motel while he looked for more permanent housing.

Avoiding those patrols would not be too difficult, the former Enforcer had driven them himself. Transiency was illegal in Praxus. Those too poor to house themselves, or suffering from addictions or mental illness were housed in Institutes, or workhouses, and they paid the cost of their living through what amounted to forced labour. The lucky poor were those who lived in the colourfully painted ghetto. Tourists found the facades charming, but they were only that, facades, and the interiors of those too small homes were anything but charming.

There was a knock at the door, startling Prowl from his calculations. He had no friends, so of course he was not expecting visitors. Cheap as it was, the motel was not so cheap as to have no security, and when the Praxian turned on the monitor, he found that his guests were a pair of Enforcers. Why? These were not mechanisms from his former precinct, and they were not metaforensics, or Prowl would have seen them at one of the many conferences or planning sessions he had attended in the vorns. So what did they want with him? His brothers were safe, his spark was certain of this, so why?

“Prowl of Praxus?” The femme asked.

“Yes,” he replied. “How can I help you.”

“It’s been reported that your minor brothers failed to arrive in Praxus...” She explained. Prowl did not let her finish.

“What are you talking about?” The Praxian demanded. His doorwings shot up on his back, and his helm spun. “They’re flight was scheduled to land this time yester-cycle. How are you only coming to speak to me now?”

“They were only reported missing a joor ago,” The mech of the pair explained.

“A joor ago?” Prowl asked. “That mech only reported it a joor ago? I helped them check their bags, and saw them through security. Have you checked the Hub? They could be anyware! They have been gone over the dark-cycle!”

“We’ll be headed to the Hub next,” the femme Enforcer said. Her tone, and stance suggested she was trying to placate him. Prowl resisted the urge to scream.

“Check my room, and get out and look for them,” he ordered, voice low. “They could have been taken! By anyone! Do you know the rate of sparkling trafficking? Hubs are the epicentre of that epidemic.”

He was not surprised when the Enforcers did exactly as he had said. They stepped passed Prowl when he moved to the side, and into the small room. The femme walked immediately to the washracks as the mech checked under the berths, and in the closet. It took the two only a klik to confirm what the Praxian was speaking the truth. His brothers were not here. Prowl knew they would asked for surveillance footage from the front desk, and he did not care, he knew the footage would support what he said. His plating flared as he watched them finish their search.

“We’ll be in touch,” the femme said. “We have resource at work, looking for your brothers.”

“I have seen how well those resources are used,” Prowl replied, coldly. “You will have to forgive me if I do not have the most faith.”

The femme gave him an odd look, but did not linger. Been snippy with Enforcers was not a crime in Iacon, though that did not make it the wisest thing. Thankfully, these Enforcers were more concerned with their investigation than an agitated family member, and the Enforcers left Prowl less than a bream after they had arrived. He could not stop himself from panicking. Could Barricade have lied? Could he be playing a con, a scam? Or had Smokescreen run off with Bluestreak? Prowl took a slow invented and tried him comms. Smokescreen’s were off, and a nanoklik later he found the same was true of Bluestreak’s.

Prowl forced down his fear, and forced himself to think. Smokescreen had not put up nearly enough of a fight. His cooperation had been a trick. Where the eldest brother had thought the youngling had been willing to hope, and to wait for Prowl to improve the situation, the opposite was obviously the case. Rather than fly back to Praxus, the youngling had taken their sparkling brother and disappeared. Where could they have gone? Primus, they had been gone over the dark-cycle. Something could have happened to them, someone could have taken them. He could not wait for the Enforcers to find them, had no faith that they would. And only a couple of nanokliks after the Enforcers had left, Prowl ran from his motel room and into the streets.

Fear may have flooded his every circuit, but it did not cloud his processor. He forced himself to think, and to focus. Smokescreen and Bluestreak had a few favourites places... The park. The raceway. The shopping district. The Artisan district. Prowl had taken them to the park, but not for a long time. It had been so much Smokescreen’s responsibility to see to it that the their younger brother was entertained. Obsessed with providing for them, struggling to make a place for himself in the Enforcers, Prowl had worked fiendish joors, and even on his ‘cycles off, he had still spend at least a good portion of this time working. This explained why he could not immediately guess where they would have gone.

There was an unexpected ping through his comms, and Prowl’s spark surged with hope, only to deflate quickly. It was not Smokescreen’s ID, and it was not one he recognized. If someone had taken them... Prowl had to credits to pay a ransom. Before he could crash there, in the middle of the street, the Praxian forced himself to calm. If this was a kidnapper, the only thing he could do to save his brothers was to keep his helm.

- “Prowl,” he said as he accepted the stranger’s requested.

- “Hiya, ya don’t know me, the designation’s Jazz,” the mental voice was accented, to Prowl’s audials, but the same could be said for his. “Y’re brothers spent the dark-cycle at my place. They’re friends with my creations... Smokescreen gave me a bit o’ the run down on what’s goin’ on, I thought ya’d better come ‘n get’em.”

“Where...” Prowl was unable to complete his question as he was struck in the side, and off his peds.

The comm went dead as he raised his servos to defend himself. Someone pulled him upright, and held him up as another punched him hard in the midsection, and chassis. He struggled against the arms restraining him, but pain and exhaustion had slowed his reflexes. Even as his best, these were formidable odds to face. Still, the former Enforcer did not give up. His tactical systems roared into pull power and he felt nothing of the beating he was facing. Prowl went limp, as a plan formed in his battle computer. As he did, the servos holding him loosened, and he struck out.

Vision distorted by the first blow to his helm, Prowl relied on his other sensors to find his target. The colours just about blurred together, before it cleared. Seekers, again. He curled up, let them think he was helpless, and then struck out with a well aimed ped. He landed a kick just above one attacker’s knee and the mech fell with a scream. There was no way the Praxian was going to win. He just needed to survive long enough for someone to come across the fight. Mechs like these would not want witnesses. Another attacker was on him the very next instant. Breathing into the former Enforcer’s audials, as he held Prowl’s head up by his chevron, the large mech grabbed the Praxian’s right doorwing and wrenched it down, dislocating it with a horrifying pop.

“Darkwing was right,” the mech said. “You got some fight, Praxian. Time to beg for forgiveness. You messed with business you don’t understand.”

“Let’m go,” a new voice ordered, from somewhere behind them. It was not knew though. It sounded like that comm...

“Mind your own business, groundpounder,” the Seeker holding Prowl sneered. “Before you get hurt.

“Says the scrap with his servos full,” Jazz, the mech had called himself, replied. “Meanwhile I got a blaster trained on yer stupid helm. Turn ‘round, slowly. Lower the Praxian to the ground, gently. I see ya jerkin’ him ‘round I might just shoot ya outta spite.”

The mech obeyed. Prowl managed to summon enough energy and concentration to put an arm in front of himself, guarded his helm as he fell to the ground.His attacker fled, heavy pedsteps, the sound of a transformation sequence and then thrusters roaring as the Seeker flew to safety. It was a struggled but Prowl was able to raise his helm and look over his shoulder. His other attackers had already fled. Maybe when this mech first game upon them? This mech was at his side a nanoklik later, Prowl let his helm droop.

“Y’re a wreck, ain’t ya?” Jazz said. “Don’t worry, got help on the way.”

“Your are Jazz,” Prowl hissed through clenched denta.

“I am,” the mech replied, and he knelt in front of Prowl. It was not intentional but as the injured mech collapsed, he collapsed into the stranger’s arms. Sirens screeched in the distance. “Don’t worry, Prowl. Help’s comin’.”

#a matter of convenience #marriage of convenience #jazz/prowl #tf jazz #tf prowl #fanfiction #i am a bad person #i am a little proud of this fact

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oscarwaswildebutalanwaswilder · 6 years ago

Text

The talent map (Queen AU)

Brian: That's it! That's the place on the map!

Freddie: Right. Let's get down there and find the spa.

Brian: Wait. We don't know why the map sent us here. We shouldn't just walk right in. It could be dangerous.

Roger: Yes!

Peridot: Stay behind me, everyone! I'm on it!

John: Careful, Peri!

Peridot: [grunts][thud, scraping noises]

Roger: This is where the map sent us? It looks like the most boring place in the world!

John: It's just an ordinary village full of ordinary people.

Freddie: It could certainly use a few more architectural flourishes. Or any architectural flourishes.

Lapis: I think it's lovely.

Peridot: I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. I know smiles. And those smiles? They're just not right.

Brian: Forget the smiles. Look at the symbol!

Roger: Okay, that's weird.

Brian: An entire village with the same talent? How can that be?

Roger: I bet there's some sort of horrific monster behind it.

Brian: What makes you say that?

Roger: 'Cause fighting a horrific monster would be super-awesome!

John: I reckon we just ought to head into town and talk to some locals, find out what's goin' on.

Roger: Great idea, Deaky. Let's go!

Peridot: Those smiles are bad news.

Elvis Presley: Welcome!

John Lydon: Welcome!

Steve Jones: Welcome!

Tony Hadley: Welcome!

Martin Kemp: Welcome!

Bon Jovi: Welcome!

Depeche Mode [all together]: Welcome!

Lapis: This must be the most pleasant place in the world!

Michael Jackson : Welcome!

Lapis: [giggles]

Roger: Ugh. Thanks a lot, map.

Jimi Hendrix : Welcome! Pardon my forwardness, but are you Freddie Mercury?

John: That there's Queen!

Jimi Hendrix : Well, you've certainly come to the right place for friendship.

Bono: What brings you to town?

Brian: We're not entirely sure.

Bono: I see. Well, all are welcome here in our little village. My name is Bono, and this is Jimi Hendrix .

John: Howdy, Bono. I'm John Deacon, and this here's Peridot, Lapis Lazuli, Freddie Mercury, Roger Meddows Taylor, and Brian May.

Bono: And you all have your own unique talents.

Brian: If you don't mind, has there been any sort of... trouble here, lately?

Bono: Trouble? Why, I don't think we've ever had trouble in our little village.

Jimi Hendrix : It's true. You'll see. Hm.

Bono: Perhaps you'd care to speak to our founder Starlight Pearl.

Lapis Lazuli: I wish everyone was as friendly as these people are.

Peridot: I've got my eye on them. Something's rotten in... whatever the name of this village is that we're in right now!

[knocking]Bono: Starlight, we have some new visitors.

Roger: [to Freddie] Be ready to fight. We don't know what's gonna come through that door.

Starlight Pearl: Welcome! I'm so pleased to have you here.

Roger: [groans]

Bono: This is John Deacon, Lapis Lazuli, Peridot, Freddie Mercury, Roger Meddows Taylor, and Brian May.

Starlight Pearl: Forgive my bluntness, but I'm assuming it's Queen band ? We don't get many bands around here.

Brian: Yes, but "Queen" is fine.

Starlight Pearl: So! How did you hear of our little village?

Brian: It's kind of a long story. Let's just say we found it on a map.

Peridot: Technically, it's a Tree-chest-castle-map!

Starlight Pearl: Well, however you found us, we're happy to have you! We're happy to have anyone who wants to experience true friendship for the first time.

John: Say what?

Starlight Pearl: Oh, indeed. That's what's so unique about our village, you see. Around here, we don't flaunt our special talents because we don't have any special talent to flaunt.

Brian: Is that why you all have those symbol (=)?

Starlight Pearl: Perhaps it would be easier to understand if I gave you a tour of the village![marching drum cadence]

Starlight Pearl: Heads high, people! Marching proud! [whistle blows] All together now! Everyone of you! No one left behind!

Life is so grand in Our Town

We're always filled with cheer

We never have to look around

To know that we're all here

[Citizens]In Our Town, in Our Town

We don't have to wait

To find out that our destiny

Is just to emulate

Starlight Pearl: Let's see those big, happy smiles!

Life is a smile in Our Town

Our talent's the same

Because we do not separate

Ourselves by more than name

[Citizens]In Our Town, in Our Town

We dare not compete

Winning only breeds the worst

Ego-filled conceit

Starlight Pearl: You see? Now everyone wins!

Life is a joy in Our Town

We're all equal here

No one is superior

And no one shakes in fear

[Citizens]In Our Town, in Our Town

We work as a team

You can't have a nightmare

If you never dream

[Starlight Pearl]Other people argue

Do you ever wonder why?

When you think your talent's special

You don't see eye-to-eye

There's just too many difference

That lead to disarray

But when you learn to act as one

It's like a Holiday

[Citizens]In Our Town, in Our Town

We don't complicate

When you learn to simplify

Life is oh, so great

Join in our utopia

Come out of the dark

Banded by equality

By our talent!

Roger: [laughing] You're kidding, right? Give up our talents? No way!

Lapis: Roger, don't be so rude. I don't think we should judge them. They all seem perfectly happy with their choice.

Peridot: Don't believe their smiles, Lapis.

Brian: I'm sorry, I guess we're just a little confused by all of this.

Starlight Pearl: We have no judgements here in our village. Each of us was confused once as well, blinded by the false promise of our talents.

Roger: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Is she for real?

Brian: When we were sent to this village, we assumed it was to help in some way. But, well, it doesn't seem like you need any help.

Starlight Pearl: Have you considered perhaps that you might have been sent here so we could help you? After all, no one has ever come to our village and wanted to leave. Why should you be any different? But that is entirely your choice. Please enjoy our little corner of the Earth. We're all quite fond of it. No doubt you will be as well. Bono, please help our guests with whatever they might need.

Bono: Of course.

Starlight Pearl: Well, this will certainly provide a boost to our little community. When the rest of the Earth sees that Freddie Mercury gave up his talent to join us, they'll finally understand what we're trying to accomplish.

S05E01 Unnamed Unicorn Stallion #3: Welcome!

Huey Lewis: Welcome!

Elvis Presley: Welcome!

Brian: A talent is a representation of a person's unique talents and skills. How is it possible to—

Freddie: [gasps] What is that?!

Led Zeppelin: Welcome! Care to sample some local fashion? We've got cloaks this month!

Freddie: [gagging] Wha— Ooh, er, perhaps another time, good sir, thank you!

Lapis: [hushed] Really, guys! They may do things a bit differently than we're used to, but that's no reason to be rude.

Roger: [hushed] No, the reason to be rude is that they all keep staring at us!Bono: Need something?

Brian: Uh, no! We're good! [hushed] Lapis' right. If we're going to get to the bottom of why the map sent us here, we'll need the help of these people.

John: I think we ran off to the end of the world before we even knew what that map was!

Peridot: If we were at the end of world, we'd be sitting on a big 'D'! [giggles] Get it?

Freddie: Oh, please, Peridot! This is hardly the time for jokes! We've come all this way and for what?

Brian: [hushed] Maybe you're right. But we're here now, and it sure feels like something's wrong.

John: That and two bits'll get you a cup of cider.

Elton: Is this a bad time?

Lapis: We shouldn't be bickering like this in front of our new friends. Really, Deacy, you're almost as bad as Roger!

Roger: Don't drag me into this!

Elton: Is your friendship ending?

Peridot: Are you crazy?! We'd never let a disagreement get in the way of food!Elton: O-kay, well, my name is Elton John. What can I bring you? We have: muffins...[long beat]

Brian: Then I guess we'll take six muffins!

Peridot: Make that twelve! What? I'm hungry!

Brian: [hushed] Come on, guys. We've got to stick together. It doesn't matter what happened before, we're here now.

John: I guess you're right. And the sooner we figure out why, the sooner we can go home.

Elton: Forgive me for overhearing, but just a moment ago you were disagreeing, and now it sounds like you're... agreeing.

John: Uh-huh...

Elton: Well, you had such differing opinions – and talents.

Freddie: We have differing opinions all the time, darling.

Elton: But you look like you're friends.

Brian: We are friends. A simple disagreement wouldn't change that.

Elton: I'm sorry, I'm just having a hard time understanding. Different talents lead to different opinions, which lead to bitterness and misery. So... why aren't you bitter and...?

Peridot: [choking] Blech! Mmmm... good...

Elton: It's all right. I know I'm not a very good baker. At least, I know I'm not any better than anyone else in the village. Well, I... hope you enjoy our little village!

Peridot: [hacking]

Elton: [hushed] Come inside before you go! Meet me downstairs!

Roger: Okay, that was weird too.

Brian: [hushed] Let's all sit here and eat these muffins and act normal. I think we're being watched.[scissors snipping]

Roger: You think?

Brian: [hushed] No, not like that! I mean someone here doesn't want us talking to Elton.

Bono: [chomp]

John: I got an idea. But you gotta eat all of them muffins, Peri.

Peridot: Me?! Why me?!

John: [hushed] You got a stronger stomach than any of us, and that filly in there might be our best chance at findin' out what the hay is goin' on round here.

Peridot: [chomping]

John: [stilted] I can't believe you ate all our muffins, Peri! We'd best go inside and get some more!

Brian: Nice work, Peri.[thumps and honks]

Peridot: I've accidentally eaten cardboard tastier than that...

Brian: Hello? Elton?

Elton: Thank you for coming!

Brian: Why did you want us to come down here?

Elton: So anyone could see what's about to happen.

Jimi Hendrix: Are you really the Queen?

Michael Jackson: Do you know Red?

Elton: I love your talent!

Michael Jackson: How can you be friends with different talents? Don't you end up hating each other?

Elton: Oh, look at this one! This one's great too! I'd love to have my special talent back even just for a day! Make something besides those disgusting muffins...

Roger: So what's stopping you? Go get your talents back.

Jimi Hendrix: Daydreaming is one thing, but you mean actually having it put back on? That seems extreme.

Elton: I'm not sure Starlight would like that. She wants us all to be happy in our sameness.

Brian: How do you take someone's talent anyway?

Michael Jackson: The talent unmarking is a beautiful experience! Starlight uses the Staff of Sameness to magically take them away and replace them with these.

Brian: But anyone should keep you from your talent. It represents such an essential part of who you are.

Michael Jackson: Oh, we're not kept from them. They're in the vault up in the caves. We can visit them any time we like to remind us of the heartache of a life with special talents.

Brian: Can we visit this cave?

Starlight Pearl: I'm delighted you're interested in our talent vault. We hope someday everyone on Earth will make a pilgrimage here to our little village to have theirs removed too, and our message of [continues under] perfectly equal friendship can finally spread across the land.

Brian: [hushed, over] This must be the reason we're here.

Peridot: [hushed, over] "Pilgrimaging"?

Brian: [hushed] No, helping those people get their talents back.

Lapis: [hushed] Oh, are you sure, Brian? Maybe they miss them a little, but even they didn't seem all that unhappy.

Brian: [hushed] Then why did they want to meet us in secret? And why did they ask us not to tell Starlight who told us about the vault? Something's not right.

Starlight Pearl: Just through here! Behold! Our talent vault!

Brian: I've never seen anything like it!

Starlight Pearl: And here is the Staff of Sameness. It was one of the great Mage Meadowbrook's nine enchanted items. We are incredibly fortunate to have it here. This is the tool that allows us to free ourselves from our talents! I'm curious – how did the subject of the vault come up?Peridot: Oh, someone were telling us how much they missed their talents, and—

Brian: Peridot!

Peridot: Oops...

Starlight Pearl: [gasps] Were they? Well, it seems you inspire all sorts of free thinking, don't you?

Freddie: [laughs nervously] Well, w-we certainly didn't intend to cause any disruptions to your charming little—Starlight Pearl: Good. Let's just make sure of that, shall we?

Brian: It's a trap![magic zaps]

Brian: [groaning]

Rest of main cast: [groaning]

Starlight Pearl: Aw. I don't blame you for what you tried to do here today. You've spent your whole lives thinking those talents are a good thing.

Brian: Give them back!

Starlight Pearl: Well, now you can spend the rest of your lives here with us! And we'll teach you just how much better life can be without your talents!

(Based and inspired by MLP episode "the cutie map")

All credits to MLP

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING

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