#yay i managed to do a tag game sobs

[satohqbanana]

Siblings and Questions Tag!

Rules: Choose a pair or group of siblings among your characters, then answer the questions below.

Tagged by @spideronthesun. Thank you! I reworded and rearranged a couple questions. For this questionnaire, I chose (adult, Liberatio version) Gracie and Charity, the then-heirs of the Kingdom of Prisma. I really love their relationship despite it not being a big focus in either main Arcanium story. I hope I could show more of their dynamic someday!

1. Who's the older one?

Gracie. It sure doesn't seem that way.

2. Who looks the most like their parents?

Neither. I like to make my OC kids' appearances a perfect blend of their parents' faces.

3. Who eats the most?

Charity. She has more physical activity and is more physically fit than her sister, and therefore requires a larger amount of food in her system. On the other hand, Gracie is picky with the quality. She can leave a meal or even a small serving unfinished.

4. Who has been in the weirdest situations?

Gracie. She's a mage and she's with Kaleidopolis, and she even became Head Spellcaster, so that's been a wild ride.

5. Who sleeps the most?

Charity, only because she's not facing way too many problems as of the moment.

6. Who has the most stable romantic life?

Not Gracie. Woman went through a divorce and is still feeling the sting too much that she's rejected all sorts of flirtations and advances towards her. Meanwhile, Charity and her consort are enjoying a very amicable and diplomatic relationship based on trust and conscientiousness, with no romance between them (nor do they ever intend to pursue one). They don't have an heir, but they're keeping most sides of politics under good control.

7. Worst habit of each one?

Gracie's is charging recklessly into all sorts of risky situations, especially when she's heavily stressed or when she strongly believes in the cause. Charity's is letting her sister get her way despite her own guts having a different opinion.

8. Who's the most dramatic?

Gracie. She makes Charity look withdrawn and meek.

9. Who had a weird phase?

Neither one. But considering in-world values, Gracie as a mage would've been considered "weird" in a sense.

10. Who is the best cook among them?

Neither one. They're both hopeless in the kitchen and would fare better in washing dishes.

11. What is their best memory together?

Hanging out on the rooftop of their residential manor feeling the gusts of wind, their hairs and the fabrics of their dresses fluttering and billowing behind them.

12. What is their worst memory together?

The night of the coup. That in itself is a great tragedy for Gracie who'd once sworn to never abandon the throne. While it's a memory that will haunt both sisters forever, the same incident is also what led them to both their current ruler statuses.

13. What is their dream trip together?

Holding hands as they walk by the beach and dig their feet in the sandy waters, or riding dragons in the sky.

14. Who'd rather not be able to take a bath for a month, and who'd rather have the same clothes for a month?

Gracie would rather not be caught having to repeat clothes that aren't a uniform in consecutive days, and Charity would rather be able to take a bath.

15. Who's their role model(s)?

Gracie's is her grandmother, Grace Ardor II, for always standing up for her beliefs. Charity's is her sister, for always being able to speak her mind.

16. Who usually has the worst ideas?

Gracie.

17. A giant insect is on the wall. Who's taking care of it?

Either of them. Gracie would panic about it, but she will take care of it with her flame powers. Charity would first assess if the insect should be killed or can be safely prodded to make it leave; either way she'd reach for a tool to help her "take care of it".

Tagging @thecomfywriter (please do Cara and Caramel)

Satoh's Tag List: @wyked-ao3

[tsarisfanfiction]

Seventy-two times in a minute - TAG

Xanax and tears - TAG - Scott and/or Gordon

Bad Days

Fandom: Thunderbirds Rating: Teen Genre: Angst/Family Characters: Gordon, Scott

So I had to look up Xanax because that’s an unfamiliar term to me; seems like it’s some sort of meds against panic attacks and anxiety, which is the context I’ll use it in here rather than as the specific brand of med it actually is.  Also let’s just assume it doesn’t automatically ground someone from piloting if taken...  Future medical advancements, right?  I’m also gonna merge the prompts together in my usual fashion, so yay :D  They fit together pretty well, I think.  And yes, this is another prompt from four months ago, whoops...

Warnings for panic attacks and PTSD.

Chapter Titles

Scott had problems.  It wasn’t something any of them tended to discuss on a regular basis - if Scott never had to talk about it again, he’d be delighted, and talking about it behind his back just felt a hundred different types of wrong - but they all knew it.

Then again, people didn’t survive three months of hell as a prisoner of war and come back all sunshine and roses.  Even if Gordon hadn’t seen it in Scott, he’d seen it enough times in WASP to know no-one got out of military service unscathed.  Hell, he hadn’t, either, although at least he had the luxury of having physical scars and a cool story to tell to deflect from the mental issues.

Scott didn’t.  Scott hid behind masks upon masks - Commander, CEO, Smother Hen - instead.  They let him, bitter experience from those first few months giving them too much of a glimpse into the damage that would never truly heal.  He did his thing; he was responsible and had monthly meetings with a therapist even now.  It was as under control as it was ever going to be.

But under control didn’t mean gone, and sometimes the masks failed him, fell away until the scars were on full display.  On the worst days, they reopened a crack.

He tended to hide away from them on those days, bedroom door locked and barred and comms muted.  There was nothing any of them could do except leave him be, and maybe be just a little more openly affectionate when he remerged with red-rimmed eyes and blotchy cheeks.

But sometimes, he didn’t manage to hide away in time.  It was second nature at this point to banish Alan when the cracks started to show - Gordon’s little brother never complained, mature enough at least to understand it wasn’t for his sake they didn’t want him to see Scott at his worse - but none of the others would leave Scott alone if his safe haven was out of reach.

It didn’t consciously fall to Gordon on those days, John and Virgil still his big brothers and trying their best to protect him, but his age meant nothing when he was the only one of them that had any chance of understanding what it was like.  With Scott’s permission, he’d taken to carrying around a small pill case in his baldric, not for their rescuees, but for his big brother if they were away from home.

Rescues were a prime opportunity for him to crack, if something hit too close to home.  They always made a point to keep him away from the main triggers, but sometimes there was nothing they could protect him from.  An innocent comment.  A trick of the light.  Someone with just the wrong features on their face.

Scott was apt at burying it, slamming down the Commander façade with enough force that it cracked if you knew what you were looking for, and piloting was so ingrained in his blood that in theory he’d always make it home safe.

Gordon preferred not to take the risk if it could be avoided.  He’d leave Virgil to pack up Thunderbird Two alone and coax Scott into the safety of Thunderbird One away from prying eyes.

Hugs made things worse, physical contact the furthest thing from a grounding presence and a sure fire way to cement his mind wherever it had fled to, so Gordon would just sit opposite him, close enough to reach but far enough to be out of Scott’s personal space, and wait for it to pass.  The slight brushing of their hands as he passed the pill over, Scott more often than not swallowing it dry, was all they’d have.  Then it was just a waiting game.

For Gordon, the worst days were the ones with tears.  Most often, Scott would just clam up, muscles locked and eyes unseeing as he gasped for breath.  That hurt, because of course it did - it was Scott and seeing him so far away would never be anything short of agonising - but the pill would kick in and after several minutes Scott would be back to himself again.

The days he cried, when gasps for breath turned into broken, wet sobs, and Scot curled in on himself until he resembled a human hedgehog - complete with the metaphorical spikey defences - were the ones where Gordon had to ball his hands into fists to stop them shaking.  To quell the urge to pull his broken brother in close and do everything in his power to hold him together.

It wouldn’t help; it would only make things worse.  So Gordon just had to watch and witness and wait until Scott drew himself out again, with the help of that same pill.

Tears or no tears, it was Scott’s breathing he listened to as his brother rode it out.  On his worst days he’d clocked Scott gasping seventy two times in a minute and dug out a rebreather in preparation for a potential collapse.  If it ever got that high, Gordon would pilot home no matter what Scott said.  More often it peaked closer to forty, twice what it should be but faster to calm again and still leaving him safe to pilot.

Once it was over, pill kicking in and Scott once again calm and rational, Gordon normally left.  Scott never wanted to acknowledge the incidents, and Gordon respected that enough to never bring it up himself.  More often than not his departure was silent and forever unacknowledged, and the next time he saw Scott - normally back at home again - his brother’s masks were back and he was the same Scott as always.

It hurt, knowing that Scott was always going to carry those scars, knowing that those little pills were in his baldric for a just-in-case that happened more than he’d like, and sometimes Gordon wanted to scream at the injustice of it all.  But they didn’t talk about it, not with Scott, and not about him, either.  It was just one of those facts of life they had to deal with.  Would always have to deal with.

And if it came up in his own monthly therapy sessions, well no-one else needed to know.

[xpedropascal]

To Be So Lonely [Maxwell Lord x Reader] Part Two

Summary: After being struck by a family tragedy, Maxwell Lord finds his legacy in taking over his father’s business, Black Gold Cooperative. Cold and shut-off from the world around him, he decides he does not have time for anything other than his work and cares only about pushing his company to success – but how difficult does that become for him when you enter his life as a ghost from the past?

Pairing: Maxwell Lord x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.6k

WARNINGS: stalker-ish behaviour, mild sex reference

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR [coming soon!]

MASTERLIST

KO-FI

AUTHOR’S NOTE: yay! chapter two! :) flashbacks can be identified through use of italics. To Be So Lonely will have themes of hurt/comfort, angst, fluff etc. i plan on it being a whole exciting ride. there will be connections to the DCEU and certain characters will making an appearance... however, for story-telling purposes, this will be in an alternate universe to Wonder Woman 1984 just because the movie has yet to be released. the main bulk of the story will be set in the 80s, with the occasional childhood flashbacks. please let me know if you want to be added onto a tag list!

♡♡♡ TWO ♡♡♡

Gotham was a bustling city, and practically lead by none other than Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises and on-going rival to Maxwell Lord. Wayne Enterprises, as an international conglomerate, was taking the world by storm under Bruce’s reign. He had shares in railway, aerospace, technology, food, and more recently; oil. Much like any other successful CEO, Bruce Wayne would do anything to see his business thrive, but at the moment, he had his eye on something very particular. He was a man with a plan. Bruce Wayne was fearless, but he knew when to be concerned, as across the country, Maxwell Lord led the biggest oil extraction company, Black Gold Cooperative.

“Mr Wayne,” his assistant, Gemma, dropped a file on his desk. A file with your name on. “Everything is here, as requested.”

Bruce Wayne flicked through your file momentarily, taking in the glossy images of you that he’d had someone take on your route to work. The file contained everything about you. From your date of birth and address, to your national security number. “Excellent,” Bruce smiled. “I will have Jeeves drive me to…” he pulled out a map that highlighted the route you took from home to work. “…Cocoa Coffee.”

“I believe she finishes at eighteen hundred hours, sir.” Gemma piped in. Bruce checked the time on his wrist watch and cursed under his breath before standing up and grabbing his coat.

“I best be on my way then.”

A lot had happened since the days you spent living in the Lord family guest house. You were now, a lot older – a young adult with ambition, but stuck working as a part-time barista in one of Gotham’s favourite coffee shops, Cocoa Coffee. You and your mother had returned to Gotham four years after moving to DC; and looking back, your time spent with the Lord family had been tainted by the day you were forced to leave.

♡

Every day was the same. You would come home from school and throw your bag on the sofa before changing into your play shoes and heading out to the gardens to see Maxwell. For him, it was similar. At 4PM sharp, he would drop whatever he was doing to come see you. His mother hated you, that much was obvious. Naomi Lord constantly scolded her son for playing with you. “The Lord family do not associate with people like that,” she would tell Maxwell. But he didn’t care. He was your best friend and you were his only friend. He went from wanting to be a successful businessman like his father, to wanting to be as free-spirited and happy as you. You inspired him and made him feel like a better person.

On the evening of Maxwell’s sixteenth birthday, you had something special planned. You wanted to lay with him in the gardens and show him the beauty of star gazing while you stuffed your faces with cake and told each other the craziest imaginative stories. At 4PM sharp, no different to usual, you slung your bag down on the sofa and slid your feet into your play shoes, and just as you were about to leave the guest house, your mother extended her arm across the front door, stopping you in your tracks.

“Sweetheart,” your mother said sadly. “Maxwell can’t play with you today.” You looked up at your mother, doe-eyed and confused. Your mother had never stopped you from playing with Maxwell. Before you could question her, she opened her mouth again. “I’ve lost my job.”

Your jaw dropped. “You- what- mom… what happened?”

Your mom shook her head, avoiding eye contact. “I’ve packed all your things. We need to leave right now.”

If you’re mother wasn’t prepared to tell you why she had been fired, the least she could do was allow you to see your best friend once more on his sixteenth birthday. “At least let me say goodbye to Max-“

“No you can’t.” Your mother’s voice grew stern. You knew, in that moment, something serious happened. “We are leaving, now.”

“But Max-“

Your mother raised her voice, barking your name angrily, and making you flinch. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. “Something awful has happened, and Maxwell… I just know the poor boy will have a lot on his plate right now. More than anyone could ever imagine. You and I… we might not have much, but we’re lucky.” Your mother’s tone of voice softened. She was clearly sad. But you became increasingly frustrated at her secrecy and not allowing you to say a final farewell to your best friend.

The sky fell dark fast, and as you left the guest house with your bags and walked down the drive way, Lord Manor was busier than you had ever seen before. An ambulance, police cars, vans from not only local news stations, but national news stations too. Flashing lights blinding you from the paparazzi cameras. Your mother dragged you into the shadows, ensuring the press didn’t see you both leave. You couldn’t help but stare, and walked on your tip-toes, trying to look over the heads and see what was going on.

There, standing outside the front door of Lord Manor was Naomi Lord and her sixteen year old son, Maxwell. Naomi was sobbing into a silk handkerchief, her hair no longer in perfect curls and her makeup smudged with tears. Standing forward slightly, all suited up, was Maxwell Lord IV. On his sixteenth birthday.

You knew this would be the last time you saw your best friend; but you wished you hadn’t seen him at all. All colour was drained out of his skin and he stood there, frozen. You whispered his name to yourself as your mother dragged you to the gates, and you felt tears brim your eyes. You didn’t want to leave him. Not without a goodbye. Maxwell looked sick. Despite dressed in one of his best designer suits, hair perfectly styled – he looked ghostly. The closer you got to the gate, the more you heard paparazzi endeavour him with questions. But it was so loud and overwhelming you could barely make out what they were saying. Gone, was the happy smiley boy you played with in the gardens. It may have been Maxwell’s sixteenth birthday, but that day marked the end of his youth. No more time for games.

♡

“Life is good, but it can be better… I’m Maxwell Lord and for a low monthly fee…” Hearing his name snapped you out of your daydreams. You looked over at the small television in the corner of the staff room, your co-worker, Theresa, smacking it with her hands in frustration.

“Remote not working again?” You sighed, putting a hand on your hip and watching her struggle to change the channel. You couldn’t help but smile as she let out an exasperated groan.

“Welcome to Black Gold Cooperative! The world’s first oil company run for the people, by the people. You can own a piece of the most lucrative industry in the world. And every time we strike gold, you strike gold.” You felt your lips twist in disgust at how artificial your childhood friend was sounding. You couldn’t even bare to look at him. His face was everywhere.

“Every time we strike gold, you strike gold,” you badly mimicked his iconic line. It was the company slogan. Rolling your eyes, you walked out of the staff room and to the front-of-house. You heard Theresa throw the remote in frustration and suddenly, Maxwell Lord shut up. You smiled as Theresa followed you behind the bar. At least she had managed to turn the television off.

“You really don’t like him, do you?” Theresa asked almost rhetorically. It was true, you didn’t like Maxwell Lord. Simply because he wasn’t the little boy you played with in the gardens of Lord Manor. You knew you shouldn’t have held resentment. Everyone changes as they get older – but Maxwell Lord was just so easy to hate. Max’s carefree spirit died the day you left, and the smarmy salesman Maxwell Lord IV was not someone you cared for. For months after you moved back to Gotham, you waited for some kind of communication from Max. But nothing. And it became clear that Maxwell was happy enough to throw away the four year friendship you had shared together. Your silence prompted Theresa to continue. “He’s handsome though, in a way.” You spluttered at her sudden confession and Theresa just laughed. “Rich…powerful…” she went on.

“He’s an asshole.” You stated, as blunt as ever.

“You know him?” Theresa quizzed. “Hmm?”

“No but-“ You stopped yourself. “I know enough about him.”

“His fiancée is a lucky gal,” Theresa sighed, and you found yourself completely taken aback.

“Wait. Fiancée?” There was no way.

“Do you even read People Magazine?” Theresa scoffed, shaking her head as if this was common knowledge. You spent every living day trying to avoid Maxwell Lord after the way he and his family had hurt you and your mother. But of course, his presence followed you everywhere. Whether it be his enormous head hanging over the highway on bulletin boards or his infomercials that were broadcasted on every channel, at the same time, every evening.

“You got this information from a tabloid?” You rolled your eyes.

“Why do you find it so hard to believe that Maxwell Lord has a fiancée?” Theresa made a point. Sure, Maxwell Lord was charming… but in a cold, sick and twisted kind of way.

You took a deep breath. “I don’t it’s just-“

“Oh shoot, look at the time! I gotta pick the kids up from school. They’re at an arts club, you see. Would you mind tidying and closing the shop tonight?” Theresa gasped, although it wasn’t as much a question as it was a statement. She thrusted a sweeping brush into your arms and in a frenzy, was out of the coffee shop within a minute.

It was the hottest summer you could ever remember. Golden rays of sunlight beamed through the large windows, the heat making your hair stick to your forehead as you puffed your cheeks out. Tiredly, you loosened the ribbon that was holding together your apron and continued to sweep the floor and wipe down the tables. It had been a long day, but the end of the month meant you were getting your pay check. Just as you were about to close-up Cocoa Coffee, you heard the bell jingle as the front door opened.

“Oh I’m sorry we’re clo-“ you said before stopping and taking in the sight that was Bruce Wayne. If Theresa was still here, she would’ve lost her mind. Not quite Maxwell Lord, but another rich businessman; seemingly, just her type. The CEO of Wayne Enterprises. He was a black silhouette, standing in front of the setting sun, but despite being hidden by a casted shadow, you could recognise him anywhere. During your time at Lord Manor, you had grown up hearing a lot about the Wayne family. You froze, staring at him with anti-bacterial spray in one hand and a cloth in the other. Bruce took a step forward, grinning at you. “Mr- Mr Wayne…” you found yourself stumbling over your words. “How may I help you?”

“I’ve been watching you for some time now,” Bruce said darkly, breaking any distance between you both. You looked up at the businessman feeling somewhat intimidated. “You’re the girl who has been making my lattes every day for two years.” Like the flick of a light switch, his tone of voice changed to be more cheery, but you were still taken off-guard.

“I- I have? I’ve never seen you before.” You replied, bewilderment dripping from your tongue. Sure, you had seen Bruce Wayne make headlines but you had never seen him in real life before. “I mean. I’ve seen you. On uh, Forbes right? Front page?”

“Not this year,” Bruce sighed, and removed his sunglasses. “Some other scam artist took my place.” Immediately you felt a sense of dread, and you hoped you hadn’t done anything to piss him off. Bruce turned around and pointed to a black car with tinted windows, parked outside of the coffee shop.

“I’m sorry.” You bit your lip awkwardly. Bruce just shook his head, a light chuckle escaping his lips as he went to continue on his opening statement.

“I sit in the front seat while my assistant grabs my coffee,” Bruce explained, still pointing at the car outside, and you breathed out a little ‘ah’ whilst nodding somewhat understandably. You did not want to get on Bruce Wayne’s bad side, that’s for sure. “And I must admit, not a day has gone by where I haven’t been mesmerised by your beauty.” You felt your cheeks flush with heat at his compliment. You couldn’t help but remain silent, thus prompting Bruce to continue. “See, I’m actually a shy guy,” Bruce said, but his charm and fluency made you feel as though he wasn’t entirely being truthful. There was no way you could question the multi-billionaire. “And after a lot of persuasion from my assistant… well, I’m here to ask you out.”

You blinked, completely taken aback. You were just about to end your shift playing barista for the day when the Bruce Wayne had come into Cocoa Coffee saying all these nice things. No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t make sense of it all. Had he gotten the right person? He recognised you, so he really must be wanting you. So many thoughts raced through your head. Something felt off immediately, but you knew you could never deny Bruce Wayne a date. “I- uhm-“ you stumbled on your words and found Bruce looking nervous, awaiting your response. “Okay.” you accepted his proposal, and his worried frown turned into a beaming smile.

“Great!” He cheered. “I will have someone pick you up on Sunday afternoon. Don’t worry, I know where you live.”

Brushing past his comment about knowing your address, you raised a finger. “Uhm, where will we be going?”

“DC.” Those two letters made your heart sink into your chest. It had been years since you had last step foot in DC and you didn’t exactly associate the capital city with the fondest of memories. “I have business there. That’s not an issue, is it?”

Was it?

“No, of course not Mr Way- I mean Bruce.”

“Great, I will see you Sunday. Dress formal. I know the most amazing restaurant we can go to. They do the best martinis.”

♡

Maxwell Lord IV zipped up his pants and sunk into his office chair, regaining his breath. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and fixed his hair the best he could, before looking down at his secretary who was still on her hands and knees under his desk, looking up at him, waiting for his next instruction. Maxwell simply opened his desk drawer and threw her a silk cloth to wipe away the mess he had painted her face with. “Same time tomorrow.” He said, not even bothering to make eye contact with her. “Wear that same lipstick too.”

“Yes sir.” She replied, shakily standing up.

“You are free to leave now,” Maxwell told his secretary. “What do you say?”

“Th-thank you sir.”

His secretary scurried out of his office and once more, Maxwell was alone. He spun around in his chair and looked at the framed magazine cover, hanging on the wall behind him. There he was. He had made it to the front page of Forbes. Richest man in the world. He was loved. He was feared. He was Maxwell Lord IV.

♡♡♡ TAGLIST ♡♡♡

@mrschiltoncat​

[rubyleaf]

Check-up Tag!

Tagged by @offbrandlacroix​, thank you very much! Here goes:

How has your day been?

Fairly decent! I had an online class this afternoon (so no writing today, sob) and I actually managed to pay attention through most of it, so, yay! I also had to do a short group thingy for another class and we all didn’t really know what to do and weren’t super motivated, so we kept it sweet and short (it helps that my group members both seem very nice). I also got some drawing done today and binge-read an excellent webcomic that was unfortunately too short for how good it was. Alas.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My dad’s fuzzy monster hand puppet that I got him for his birthday. He works from home and does a truckload of video calls and has joked before about greeting his coworkers with a puppet, and he loves friendly monsters so I got this puppet and he LOVES it. Whenever he sits in his favorite chair he lets it sit on his shoulder and he keeps goofing around with it at every opportunity. I’m torn between “I couldn’t have found a better gift” and “Oh boy, I have created a monster (pun intended)”!

What’s keeping you entertained these days?

Writing, drawing, Tapas webcomics, mobile games, and the occasional trip to YouTube/Spotify/social media. Basically, the same stuff as always because I’m a homebody who only ever leaves the house to go to class or the store to begin with. It helps that our Writeblr Discord server has an event going on, so I have an extra incentive to write as much and as fast as possible!

If you are in some kind of quarantine/self isolation, is there anything you’d like to achieve in this time?

Get a lot and a lot of writing done, maybe maybe even finish Book of Gold (depends on how much longer I’m stuck at home TBH), and do a lot of comic drawing! Thanks to quarantine I whipped out a full 18-page chapter of Mean Boys in six weeks on Tapas, three pages a week. Right now I’m taking a break and doing some other art and stuff but I can’t wait to get on the next chapter and see if I can manage another speed record!

Post a selfie!

(Yes, I am 21 years old; why do you ask?)

Tagging: This is a game where anyone who sees this and wants to do it is 100% welcome to do it! And y’all better tag me when you do!

[trashunlimited]

hope you guys like this one :) it came out slightly later than i expected, but oh well.

chapter 1

chapter 2

chapter 3

chapter 4

chapter 5

chapter 6

chapter 7

chapter 8

chapter 9

chapter 10

chapter 11

tagging: @nightshade1994, @glampyra

When Cyn woke up, he found that Rick was gone, much to his dismay, and to make things worse, the guards were all dead and blood was everywhere.

It wasn’t hard for him to deduce that Rick had killed all the guards and escaped, and it angered and devastated him beyond belief. His plan had failed, and now he would be discharged, after all his hard work and planning too! It would be for nothing in the end.

Cyn returned to where Pyri was, and when he arrived, the look on her face showed nothing but pure rage.

“I gave you three chances, and you wasted them all!’ She yelled. “You are discharged from now on. It’s far too late anyways, nothing can be done.”

Cyn was baffled. “Your Imperial Highness...you’re just...giving up...after everything? This empire has been going on for thousands of years! You can’t just-”

“I can and I will!” Pyri interrupted. “Panic and chaos have ensued here for far too long, the planet has become a mess. Our empire was already failing anyways..” She sighed. “I have given away the remainder of our planets to the newly rising Galactic Federation, and sending off remaining citizens to other parts of the galaxy.”

“But-”

“Enough! I want you to leave immediately! Get out!”

Cyn hung his head, and obeyed one final time to his empress. He walked out, feeling dejected, and observed outside to see ruin and destroyed buildings everywhere.

He clenched his fist angrily, this was all Sanchez’s fault! If he hadn’t stolen that chunk, none of this would’ve ever happened. Cyn looked up into the sky, and knew what he had to do: take revenge.

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

The next day, Julie found her thoughts returning to Rick again, and the torture he suffered at the hands of the fyralogins. It must’ve been traumatic for him, she couldn’t stop worrying about it.

After breakfast, she decided to ask him about it, but Rick just scoffed it off. “Y-You worry too much Julie, I'm fine, everything's fine.”

“I worry about you because I love and care for you. Just talk to me okay? There's no need to hide things from me.” She replied.

“Says you, you've never told me what happened to your family. If anything, you're the one keeping secrets from me.”

She sighed. “No, you’re right. It was hypocritical of me to want you to not keep secrets, while I’ve been...keeping some myself.”

Julie looked away, and Rick seemed a bit remorseful for acting harsh towards her. “I’m...I’m sorry...j-j-just..y-you can tell me what h-happened, I’m h-here for y-you.”

She turned her head up and smiled weakly, finally deciding he needed to know the truth.

Taking a deep breath, Julie began to explain what happened. “It was...a couple of years ago..back in ‘75...my parents had been saving up money to buy me a house, the same one we’re in right now. After graduating from university, I returned home, and that’s when they showed me this house. I was so excited, I moved in as soon as possible. But…” She started to tear up, which worried Rick. “My parents...were going to come visit me after I finished moving in, but on their way there...the weather..” She sniffled. “It got really bad..and they...they got into an accident...and..” Julie broke down into sobs, unable to finish.

Rick wiped a few of tears away and held her close, letting her sob against him. “Let me guess….they died?” He asked.

“Yeah..” Julie muttered through her tears.

Rick gently rubbed her back, not saying a word afterwards. He didn’t really know how to comfort her, but he figured that what he was doing should be enough. He didn’t understand her pain, due to how different their relationships with their parents had been, but he tried to be there for her regardless. Rick hadn’t lost anyone particularly close to him, in part because he usually didn’t let people get close to him to begin with, Julie was one of the few exceptions.

Rick decided the best thing he could do right now was find a way to cheer her up, and see her smile and laugh again, he hated seeing her so sad.

He pulled her away and gave her a big smile. “I have an idea to make you feel better, do you like video games?”

A small smile formed on Julie’s face. “I do.”

“Then I got something to show you!”

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

Rick brought Julie over to an intergalactic arcade called “Blips and Chitz”, it was one of his favourite places to visit, and he was sure, since Julie liked video games too, that she would enjoy it as well.

As soon as the two stepped inside, Julie’s eyes widened in awe and wonder, taking in the sights. It looked a tiny bit like a normal arcade on Earth, but far bigger and with a far wide selection of games to play. Not only that, but she could see screens displaying information relating to the arcade, various floors to visit, and in the center, there was a planet-like object with the words “Blips and Chitz” around it.

“I’ve been managing to save up enough flurbos for the two of us to use. I even started selling weapons to an assassin I met not too long ago.” Rick mentioned. “I...actually was planning to spend an entire afternoon here on my own for a bit, but now that you’re here, we can do it together.”

Julie grinned at him. “So..is this like our first date?”

He blushed. “Yeah...I-I g-guess ssso..”

She giggled, and took his hand in hers, then they started walking together. Rick smirked, he could only imagine Julie’s reaction to one of the games here. Video games on Earth were extremely primitive, so this would be completely different for her. As to not freak her out too much, he decided on starting her off with something simple.

Rick led her to one of the arcade cabinets, and pointed to it. “Here’s one I think you’ll like. The objective is simple, all you have to do is fly the spaceship while avoiding obstacles and shooting at enemies.”

She went and sat down in front of it, her curiosity peaked. “Sounds easy enough, this should be fun!”

As soon as she pressed the button to start it up, the extremely high-tech graphics amazed her beyond belief, and she was at a loss for words.

Rick laughed and tapped her shoulder to get her attention, snapping her out of her amazed state. “Sorry!” Julie apologized. “It’s just...I’ve never seen anything like this…”

“Don’t worry about it, just try it out.” He grinned.

Julie smiled at him, then turned back over to the game and attempted to play. He watched as she played and was a bit impressed at how well she was doing, it seemed she had managed to pick up on things pretty quickly.

When she finished, Rick gave her a thumbs up, then went over to play the game himself.

It was Julie's turn to watch him, and she found herself in awe about how amazing he was, he drove the spaceship very smoothly and with ease, and was able to shoot tons of obstacles quickly.

When he finished, Julie went up to him in excitement. “Wow Ricardo! You were amazing!” She beamed. “What are we gonna play next?”

Rick smiled at her use of his full name, and took out the tickets from the machine to get prizes, before looking around and seeing what else they could play together. When he found something he thought she’d like, he took her over there and they began playing the game together.

“Good luck trying to beat me Julie! I’m the master at this game!” Rick boasted. “Y-You’ll never even come cl-close!”

Julie giggled. “We’ll see about that!”

She was again, able to pick up on things pretty fast, and much to Rick’s surprise, she was managing to do really well, and he was getting nervous that she might beat him. He hated losing, being very competitive when it came to games, and wasn’t even going to let Julie win. He made the move to try and use tricks in order to win, but Julie caught on and was able to get the upper hand, causing her to win.

“Yay! I won!” She exclaimed happily. “Guess I'm the new master at this game huh?”

Rick just ‘hmphed’ and appeared grumpy and annoyed, crossing his arms together and looking away.

“Aw don’t be such a sore loser, Mr. Grumpypants!” She laughed.

Rick didn’t respond, and Julie got a devious idea. She grabbed onto his face and pulled him in for a kiss, making him blush madly. He was surprised, but quickly found himself enjoying it.

“All better now?” Julie asked.

“Yep..” Rick said, still in a bit of a lovestruck haze, before realizing he was in one and shaking his head, snapping him out of it. She laughed, and watched as Rick took out the tickets from the machine, before glimpsing back at her. “You wanna help me get more of these? If we win enough...well..there are some prizes I really wanna g-get..” He winked.

“Of course! Let’s get going!” Julie agreed.

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

The two went to play more games together, having fun and of course, collecting the tickets. Julie continuously found herself amazed with every game they played, and she wasn’t sure if she could ever play a simple game like Breakout or Pong ever again, but to her, it was worth it.

When they’d managed to collect enough tickets, they went over to the prize booth where Rick traded some tickets in for...a scooter? She was surprised, but not complaining.

“Rick! Why did you get a scooter?” She asked playfully.

“Why wouldn’t I get a scooter? These things are amazing!” He retorted, and Julie watched as he went on it, and he started to zoom around in pure glee.

Julie was glad to see him doing so well, and realized that this showed Rick clearly has a more childish side to his personality, not that she minded. If she was being completely honest, she found it rather...cute, and it further showed how Rick wasn’t afraid to be himself.

She was still concerned about how the torture he’d suffered had affected him, but decided that maybe he just wouldn’t want to talk about it, and that was okay with her. Besides, she’d rather see him like this than in any misery or pain.

At the same time, Julie thought about how it must be the same for Rick too, that he didn’t like seeing her miserable either, and that this must be his way of making her feel better. She had to admit, it worked. Her pain was still there deep down, but the fact alone Rick did this for her, was enough to show that he cared, and that meant the world to her.

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

When they were finished, they returned home, only to see that it was dark out.

“Oh goodness!” Julie exclaimed. “We were there for a pretty long time huh?”

“Heh heh...y-yeah..” He chuckled. “But it was worth it right?”

“Totally.”

They headed back inside, where  Julie decided to thank Rick for taking her to the arcade.

“Thank you by the way...for taking me to Blips and Chitz. It was a lot of fun...and...I’d love to go back someday.” She smiled. “By the way...did you take me there to cheer me up after I told you about...you know..”

Rick nodded. “I didn’t know what else to do...I-I’ve never had to comfort someone b-before...s-sorry..”

“Oh don’t worry about it.” Julie assured him. “The fact alone you wanted to cheer me up is all that matters to me, it shows me that you care for me and want me to be happy.”

Rick blushed shyly at her words. “Ah..i-it’s...n-nothing r-really..”

“No, it’s not nothing, it means the world to me.” She replied before kissing his cheek, making him blush more.

He was speechless, unsure what to say, making Julie giggle softly. “I guess I’ll be off to bed now, see you tomorrow..”

Rick smiled at her, and they shared a kiss before he left back for his apartment.

While there, his mind kept thinking about Julie, how much fun they’d had at Blips and Chitz, how lucky he was to be with her. That had been the most fun he’d ever had there, and he knew it had to do with Julie, she brought out so much joy and excitement in him, and he never had to hide any part of who he was with her.

Rick had never been in a serious relationship, just casual ones, so he didn’t know exactly what he was doing, but he hoped he would learn what to do through Julie. She was always there for him, and he knew he would always be there for her.

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

In the morning, Julie decided to talk to Mark and Vivian again, especially Vivian. She wanted to apologize with her, and of course, they also had to know she was with Rick too.

Julie picked up her phone and dialed Mark’s number, before hearing his surfer dude-like voice on the other end. “What’s up? Whose this?”

“It’s me, Julie..” She answered.

“Oh..everything going okay?” He asked worriedly.

“Yes, everything’s fine, no need to worry, I’m doing better now.” Julie replied. “I also wanted to let you know, that I want you and Vivian to come over, I have so much to tell you!”

Mark smiled, already being able to tell from her voice that she was indeed doing better now. He was a little nervous about bringing Vivian over, but knew it was for the best. “Alrighty then, see ya soon!” Then he hung up.

Julie put the phone back, and then waited for her friend’s arrival. She’d been hoping to reconcile with Vivian, and apologize for yelling at her, it had been her mind last night while she tried to sleep, and she knew she needed to do something about it.

-----------

When they arrived, Julie greeted Mark with a hug, and when she saw Vivian, she gave her a gentle smile. “It’s great to see you again Vivian.” She greeted.

Vivian sighed. “Julie...look...I’m sorry...I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“Thank you..and I’m sorry for yelling too..”

“What? No! You don’t need to apologize, I was the one who yelled at you initially.”

“But-”

“Ladies please!” Mark interrupted.  “Can you all agree neither of you meant to yell and you both wanna just get along again?”

They both looked at him, and Julie nodded her head in agreement, with Vivian following soon after, looking a bit annoyed that Mark interrupted them.

Now that that was resolved, Julie had something she wanted to bring up to them. “Well, I do have some great news!”

“What is it?” Mark asked curiously.

“Rick and I are officially together now!” She revealed happily. “A lot happened recently, I got kidnapped by an alien, but Rick saved and protected me, and now well...we’re a couple..”

Vivian had a befuddled look on her face, “Hold on, what is this about you getting kidnapped by an alien?”

“And just yesterday Rick took me an intergalactic arcade! It was so much fun!” Julie eagerly continued, completing ignoring her question.

Mark’s eyes widened. “You went to an intergalactic arcade?! What were the games like?”

“Really high tech and so advanced!” Julie answered. “It was so amazing it nearly blew my mind!”

“Cool! Do you think I could go sometime?”

She giggled. “Maybe, if Rick would let you.”

Vivian watched as Mark got all excited, and to her surprise, he went over and hugged her, making her blush, before pulling away. She was a little surprised, but shook it off, and her gaze focused on Julie. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to hear that Julie and Rick were a couple now, considering Rick was a murderer and all, but at least she seemed happy.

“So, you and Rick are a couple now huh?” Vivian asked, raising a brow.

Julie’s glee was replaced with nervousness. “Umm...yes...are you..okay with that?”

“Why would I be? He kills people for God’s sake..”

Mark went in between them, laughing nervously. “Ha ha...let’s not start this again..”

“No, he’s right.” Julie agreed. “Vivian, can you at least be happy for me?”

Vivian bit her lip, and sighed. “Whatever.”

“Thank you so much!” Julie exclaimed and hugged her, making her blush once again.

They spent a bit more time together, before Vivian and Mark said their goodbyes to Julie, and were on their way home.

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

Now alone again, Julie thought about Rick and seeing him again, wondering how he was doing.

She was so grateful to be with him, and she thought again about how he’d comforted her about her parents deaths.

Since the day they died, Julie hadn’t been the same, it had been a long time since she’d felt genuinely happy, but Rick had made her feel that way again. Thinking back, Julie wondered if she could finally come to terms with their deaths. As she thought, a flashback to her childhood formed in her mind.

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

Julie was sitting in front of the mirror in her room, while her mother brushed her hair, before tying it into a single braid and topping it with a white bow.

“Turn around Juliana, let’s see how you look.” Her mother told her. Julie did just that,  and her mother gasped in awe. “Oh sweetie, you look so beautiful!’

Julie smiled, but it quickly faded. “No one else seems to think so..” She sighed. “I think they’re right..”

“Just because a lot of people say something about you, doesn’t make it true. You are a beautiful girl, you just don’t realize it, but you will in time, I’m sure. Maybe it’ll take someone very special to help you see that you are.” Her mother grinned.

“Like my true love?” Julie beamed.

Her mother laughed. “Your true love will be able to not only see how beautiful how truly are, and help you realize that, but they’ll love you for you. That’s how you’ll know he’s the one.”

“When will I meet him?” She asked.

“Someday...maybe when you’re all grown up..maybe one day you’ll just bump into him by accident, or he’ll bump into you!” Her mother giggled, booping her nose.

Julie giggled too. “Is that how you knew Daddy was your true love?”

“Yep.” She confirmed. “I was just a waitress at a diner, taking orders and feeling bored out of my mind. Then one day Daddy popped in and I just felt this connection with him. We started talking a hit it off so well! Vivian’s Mommy would tease me all the time about it, asking when I was going to marry him, and I did, then you came around.”

Julie’s mother hugged her tightly, and she hugged back. Her words had comforted her, and she did feel a bit better now.

They then the doorbell ring, and the door opening, alerting her mother. “Daddy’s home!” She exclaimed. “We have to go give him the casserole we made together!”

She started walking out of her room, and Julie followed happily, now feeling like she didn’t have any worries anymore,

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

Julie shed a few tears, thinking about the happy memory with her mother. It seemed she’d guessed correctly somehow that Rick would end up bumping into her, or more like he’d rammed into her, but still! It was close enough for her. Everything her mother had said about her true love was right on the nose.

She smiled, thinking about her future with Rick.

ok i know the dead parents thing is cliche but i feel like i have a good reason for including it okay! hear me out!

answer me this, would you want your daughter dating some highly dangerous criminal? and not just any criminal either, but one of the most wanted and dangerous in the entire galaxy? no! you wouldn’t! we already had enough drama as it is with vivian, we didn’t need anymore with julie’s parents.

okay...with that out of the way, this is blips and chiptz 

it was from the episode “mortynight run”, and i wanted to include it because i wanted to show that both rick and julie like video games. i mean this is the stuff julie is used to:

and then she sees amazing high tech advanced graphics, and of course she almost loses her god damn mind.

i got the idea for rick’s more “childish” interests from here:

i wanted to make their banter and teasing feel believable...hope it is!

[tsukishun]

Rise of the Empire

Welp. It’s that time again.

The Procellarum half of Tsukino Empire released this morning. You know what that means...

Time to do gachas at three in the morning again! *Sobs as I throw all my jewels at the gacha system wailing about how much I love this set and the chibi familiars*

If you know me, you know exactly who I was after.

I love Shun. I love tigers. I love white tigers. I love Shun with a white tiger. This card is purrfect~ (I will not apologize for that pun, but I will stop for meow~)

I had ~2200 jewels to start with, making for just under nine pulls. I felt comfortable enough spending all of them if needed, since I usually get a four star around the sixth.

Hahahahahahahahaha. This game loves to troll me.

The first two pulls I got a bunch of new three stars which was nice because I needed more cards to grind jewels out of (plus they were some of my favorite ALIVE characters so yay!). 

Then the third pull began what I’m affectionately calling, “The Rise of the Empire”.

I got Iku, which I was ecstatic about. I don’t have any four star cards of his, besides his Easter one, and I had a feeling I would get some of the other cards in this set (which I’m not complaining about because I love this set~).

I thought maybe it was a sign that my luck would be kind to me today~

And then this happened:

*Cue Claire trying not to scream from astonishment*

I got both Kai and You in the same pull, which just blew my mind and made me excited/fearful for a few reasons.

Reason number 1. Neither Kai or You had rate up today, so they had a .286% chance of appearing each. And I got both of them in the same pull.

Reason Number 2. I don’t have any You four star cards, so this is my first. And I’m super happy it is, because like I keep saying, I REALLY love this set!

Reason Number 3. Kai continues to haunt me. Seriously. Aside from the Procellarum Duet Gacha, Kai has always showed up in advance to Shun (if I even get him).

After this, I figured that I had just used up all of my luck and was starting to feel disheartened about the situation. Don’t get me wrong, I was more than grateful for what I got, but I obviously want Shun the most. So I kept going.

And then four pulls later...

Rui decided to tag along yay! (Probably because Iku and Kai were already here lol~) I love Rui’s little familiar, because I love cats lol, and he’s also my child so I was very happy.

But then the realization dawned on me and I was instantly crushed. I had just spent all my jewels and I didn’t get Shun. But I was determined. If I could just grind out another 50 jewels, I could do another pull. And that’s exactly what I did.

*A bit of grinding later*

So I had just enough to do another pull. And my luck continued to torment me. I will admit that I was so upset by this that I didn’t take a picture (beside the card when it showed up) because I was so frustrated and sad.

Iku came back again. Now Iku has started to haunt me.

I had nothing. No more jewels. For the first time since the AGF gacha, I failed to get a Shun card. Only this time it stung a whole hell of a lot worse since I loved this card.

I’ll admit, I was tempted to buy jewels right then and there, but I knew that if I did that there would be no guarantee of it happening. Plus, I’ve never spent a penny on gacha games. If I did so now, I knew I’d regret it later.

But there was a silver lining. If I waited it out for a few weeks, I could grind up the necessary jewels to buy him with points since I had done a total of ten pulls. With that small glimmer of hope, I got busy, grinding up whatever jewels I could in the meanwhile.

To my surprise, I actually managed to get another 250 jewels somehow. And I returned once more to the gacha page to stare at it. 

I stared at it for at least a solid minute.

Wishing.

Praying.

And instantly regretting.

In an impulse moment, I spent that 250 jewels hoping for some miracle. I knew in my heart that I should just be patient and wait, but the turmoil in my heart was so great that I just had to try again.

...I guess Shun really can grant wishes.

The Empire has risen.

In that moment when I saw him on my screen, I may or may not have shed a few tears. I’ll keep saying it because I firmly believe it; Shun has a dark sense of humor and loves toying with me.

Perhaps the Tower needed proof that my convictions were pure and true...

Regardless, I got him and DEAR SWEET SHUN I LOVE THIS CARD SO MUCH!!!

I. Can’t. Even. Right. Now.

...It was totally worth all of the heartache~

The familiars are the best part and they’re so cute and look at the magic tiger. Look at the magic tiger!

I’m so happy right now, I can’t use words anymore.

lgdahdjhfgldasjgchdjabwvjrhewlbrehuigvwireuv *Incoherent screaming*

Thank you Shun. I love you SO much~

Here are the CGS!

Unidolized:

Idolized:

Bonus: The Risen Empire (Minus Yoru. I’ll get him eventually to complete the set~)

[grace-facing]

Y’ALL NEW JACKET FIC LMAO SURPRISE

so like a million years ago i posted about making a new jacket fic. well. here it is. NOBODY ASKED FOR THIS BUT ENJOY IT NONETHELESS. also please read my authors note because reasons. thanks. 

you can also read it here, yay! 

Hyacinth, in Blue Perhaps

Three's Company AU where Jack Tripper is a PI in Santa Monica, and Janet Wood tags along at some point to help him out. Romance and mystery and action ensues.

A/N: so. This is a thing! Short, and fairly simple. It would've been a full, fleshed out story, but I loose motivation rather quickly so it's been reverted to just this. Enjoy! Also, characters are out of character! Ooc! Ooc! Ooc! They are hella out of character lmao! ALSO, also! I literally know NOTHING about how 80's detective work went down. I know nothing at all. Pretend everything you are about to read makes sense, yeah? Coolio. He knew he should've shoved the tissue box into his overcoat pocket when he left the apartment this morning, for the vulnerable blonde sobbing in the middle of his claustrophobic office. 

His eyes flickered to the photograph in his hands of an adolescent girl, with bright blonde hair in pigtails and big blue innocent eyes. She says the picture is fairly recent; taken by an amateur photographer whom her elementary school hired for picture day only a couple of months ago. It's a perfect picture to keep for reference. It's mostly up to date, lighting is decent. Her face is clearly shown and her features are visible. Numerous other descriptions were even written on the back, courtesy of the mother, whom still sat in a crumpled mess. This photo will do quite nicely. "Miss Snow..." Jack began, slightly unsure of how to comfort this woman. "I know you are experiencing a lot of pain right now, but please, trust me when I say I'm going to find your daughter." The woman ceased her uncontrollable sobs and managed to look into his eyes. She dabbed at the trail of tears that raced down her reddened cheeks and offered a very small and grateful smile. "Thank you," she squeaked. Jack nodded sympathetically and placed the picture on the surface of his desk, atop of all of his files that littered it. The woman eyed the mess and resumed her loud wailing, almost as if accepting the negative fate of her missing daughter. That's never good. Jack's face quickly fell, shooting straight up from his seat and dashing over to kneel next to her. "Miss Snow..." "Chrissy. Please...just call me Chrissy." She muttered, running the sleeve of her arm over her dripping nose. Jack cringed at the action but hastily nodded at the request. "Of course...Chrissy. I'm sorry things had to turn out this way for you and your family. I'm confident I will bring her back safe to you." He patted her knee soothingly.   After more crying and awkward displays of comfort, Chrissy stood to part ways with the PI. "I'd appreciate it if you don't let me down, Mr. Tripper." Jack almost smiled but quickly remembered the serious situation at hand, so he settled with a single nod. She cast a final solemn glance at the photo on the desk and disappeared out into the hallway. Blowing out much-needed air, Jack buried his hands into his pant pockets and lulled his head back in efforts of cracking the tense muscles in his neck. Cindy. 8 years old. Daughter of Christmas Snow and Alan Grover. Divorced parents, so naturally Chrissy blames the father. Because of that, Jack must pay a visit to Mr. Grover, despite the state police have already done so, and him being cleared of any suspicion. Going to Jack was Chrissy's last resort. She had previously been involved with the cops in looking for her missing child, but after three weeks, she's given up on them, and even worse, they had too. According to Santa Monica police, Cindy Snow is a part of the cold case and her files are probably buried in someone's desk drawer, awaiting transfer into a box to be shipped off to an over packed filing storage unit. Jack shakes his head at the thought. One of the many reasons he's left the law enforcement ages ago.   Jack Tripper is now a lone wolf in the big city of Santa Monica. He managed to attain a license and afford himself an actual office, albeit cramped and hidden in the depths of a multi-purpose establishment. It works for him and that's all that matters. With very few actual authentic PI's in the area and almost all of them being terribly busy with other matters, Chrissy had no choice but to recruit Jack. She had heard some decent comments about the man when she had asked around and felt that she had to at least try. She'd figure she'd give him a week or two. Jack wanted to give himself less time because he felt fairly confident that his strategy will reward him the girl, safe and in her mother's arms. Sitting back down in his large rolling chair, Jack picked up the telephone and quickly dialed a number he knew all too well. Waiting for the dial tone to disappear, he tapped his finger on the photo. A familiar, charming hello sounded from the other end. Jack leaned back in his chair. "Hey, Larry." ... It had been raining for a few days now. Jack hadn't thought much of it until he stepped out of the building with no umbrella in hand. His suit is practically drenched by the time a car pulls up and he slips inside of it. Larry Dallas has been waiting, in reality, for a short while, but in his mind, it's a 'short while' too long, so he will argue that striking up an intriguing conversation with the busty waitress is more than reasonable. That's exactly how Jack finds him, and that's exactly what Larry argues. "Money and girls, Lar, that's all you choose to see in this world, are money and girls," Jack shakes his head amusingly, watching the way Larry's eyes light up in mischief.   The boys talk business. Business, in terms of money, girls, and maybe that basketball game they've happened to catch here and there. Eventually, it comes down to actual business. "How old?" "8." "Sheesh, too young to be stirred up in that shit," Larry mutters, he's dark eyes losing a bit of its shine. "I'll find her," "You really think?" "Of course." "Well, then. You'll find her." The conversation seemingly dies there. The two resume their drinking, minds obviously worlds apart. Larry brings them back to the same place. "You looking for any help?" Jack turns to stare at his friend. There's silence between the two for a few moments. "No. Why?" Larry leans back in his chair. "There's a girl. Short, brunette. Feisty. Threatened my leg," Jack snorts at that, "hear she's good at what she does," "And what does she do?" Jack raises an eyebrow, sensing where this may be going. "She's into detective stuff, too." "Oh? And she's here?" "Yeah. Recently moved. She's hiding out as some flower girl, Arcade Flower Shop or something. You should look into her." "I should?" "You should." "Hm." It's silent again. Jack leaves the restaurant with a strange woman's name on a napkin, and no ride home. The rain has stopped, so he walks.   ... Several days later, and Chrissy Snow is in worse shape than before. She had somehow managed to obtain Jack's address and proceeded to visit him there---without any warning. She left just as suddenly and unexpectedly as she arrived, wailing all the way to her car. Jack tried following after her, worried about her condition and emotional state. She shouldn't be driving like this. Many visions of accidents and car wreck scenarios swam through Jack's head, unsettling him further. "What is all of this commotion! Oh, Jack," a grumpy, irritated voice spoke, startling the young PI. He sees Chrissy tearfully getting into her car and speeding off, a knowing grin growing on his face. "Oh, I see, another girl bites the dust, eh? Had to let her down gently?" Jack sighs before turning to his older landlord, Stanley Roper. Somehow, the elder man has gotten into his head that Jack is gay, and no amount of real explanations can convince him otherwise, so Jack begrudgingly plays along. It's easier that way. "Something like that, Mr. Roper," Jack shakes his head and begins to head back up to his apartment. "Wait a minute, Jack," Mr. Roper disappears back into his home and returns a few moments later with a card in hand. "I need a favor. Mrs. Roper is out for the day, and I'm expecting a package. Do you mind stopping by this shop today and picking me up flowers? It's very important." Jack takes the card and inspects it, immediately recognizing the name of the shop. "Uh, sure. What's the occasion?" "A ticked off wife," Mr. Roper grumbled. He dug into his pocket in search of some loose bills. He hands it to Jack and thanks him before entering his apartment, a string of muttered curses following behind. The detective sighs and begins his long trek to the Arcade Flower Shop. ... It's empty when he enters the shop. There's no one in sight, so Jack rings the bell that was thoughtfully placed on the counter; among it are flowers and flowers and more flowers. "Just a moment!" A silvery voice calls from the back. Jack waits patiently, picking at the scattered flower petals. He steals a few glances toward the archway of what he assumes is the back room where more flowers must reside. It's another few moments, and then finally a figure emerges. The woman is short. Not devastatingly so, but short nonetheless. Her hair is dark and cropped, reaching just below the nape of her neck. Jack thinks it compliments the slight tan of her skin and the rich, earthy brown of her eyes. She's wearing a red buttoned blouse, tucked into a navy tight pencil skirt. If the man had to guess, since he can't see over the counter enough to get a look at her choice of foot ware, he would guess nude colored heels. Maybe black. Either way, this woman could probably both defend him and prosecute him in a court of law. The thought leaves a ghost of a smirk on his lips. "Hello, there," the silvery voice hits him again, "Welcome to Arcade, how can I assist you today, sir?" Her smile is as bright as a neon sign, he'll give her that. However, the dark circles give her seemingly flawless features away. Jack digs into the inside pocket of his jacket and feels around for the card that Roper bestowed him. He finds it and flips to the back where a word is scrawled out with a pen. A name of a flower, maybe? "Uh, a friend of mind wanted me to pick up some flowers. He handed this to me. Think you can read it?" The woman leans a little closer, allowing Jack the pleasure to get a whiff of her floral perfume. The smell penetrates his senses for a moment, enough to get a high and curl his toes. She squints adorably and scans the word several times. Jack stares for a while. He's slightly startled when she suddenly speaks. "Hyacinth. We have a variation of colors; any specific preference?" "It's for his wife. A ticked off wife." "Ah. Purple, then. He needs purple." She turns and leaves the safety of behind-the-counter to search. "What's the meaning?" Jack inquires, following her move. "'Sorrow. Please Forgive Me, I'm So Sorry'," she fingers a couple of flower stems and manages to acquire a handful of, what he guesses is purple Hyacinth. The flowers are beautiful. Mrs. Roper will love them. "These flowers are beautiful. His wife will surely love them, that is if she generally loves flowers." Jack's eyes shoot back to the woman, taking in every facial feature and every word. "You're Janet Wood, yes?" There's a glint that flashes over her dark eyes. They stare each other down, and eventually, she nods. "Are you...a friend of Larry's?" Jack lets out a breathy chuckle. "I apologize on his behalf for anything he has done or said to you." Janet purses her lips and nods again. They talk for a while and Jack leaves the shop as empty as when he came in, a brunette florist following closely behind. ... "I hate when young children are involved," Jack turns to look at Janet, her grip tight on the steering wheel and her brows furrowed. He sighs and glances back to the photo in his hand. "Where did you say you worked out of? What office?" "Building on Ocean Vista," "Okay, I know where that is." They drive to Jack's office. Entering said office, the duo makes haste of the case. With more detail, Jack catches her up to speed and relays what he has done so far up until that point. "Are there any more family members to question?" Janet asks, searching eyes too busy scanning documents in hand. "Uh, yeah. A lot. Most live out here in California. Some are scattered throughout the country. Some out of the country. All of them cleared." Janet clicks her tongue. "Sheesh, not off to an easy start." "No kidding. I'm currently looking into non-family members. Strangers off the street, see if it's some random kiddie abduction." Janet's face contorts into a crinkly frown, desperately wishing that the child is not suffering harshly from this kidnapping. A young girl so precious, so curious, so worthy of life, doesn't deserve a kind of world where monsters and dangers can arise for tiny tots like her. It settles uneasily in the short brunette's stomach, forcing a heavy breath of exhale. Jack notices the uneasiness from his new partner and suddenly regrets taking her on. Cases like this tend to weigh drastically on a person's mind, no matter who. Even Jack himself is slightly more perturbed than usual. He decides to reach out a tentative hand to cover Janet's own soft one. He easily engulfs it, and it puts the man a little at ease. "I'm sorry for asking for your help," he says soothingly, "it's a lot to think about. Especially since we're going against time." Janet manages a slight tug upwards on the corner of her lips, looking eternally grateful for the caressing words of a man she's met a few hours prior. "I've handled worse. It's just never easier." The words live on forever in the depths of Jack Tripper, and when this is all over, he thinks, he wants to stay by her side. ... There's a sister-in-law they've never checked out before. Chrissy mentions her offhandedly during one of her tearful visits, and the duo decides to pay her a visit right after Chrissy detangles herself from a bone-crushing hug to Janet's smaller frame. Alan's sister-in-law, more specifically. Well. Ex, really. The good news is that she resides right there in Santa Monica. They jump into Janet's red car and speed off. It takes a total of 14 knocks for there to be an answer at the door. The answerer is someone they wouldn't expect. A man shorter than Jack, and still taller than Janet, albeit only slightly. He sports a goofy surprised expression, and kindly declines their offer of being let inside. While Janet attempts to talk their way in, Jack steps back a bit and cranes his neck to peek inside the large home. All he can scope out are expensive looking furniture and an ugly carpet. There's a dragon vase on top of a mantle over the fireplace that catches his attention for a nanosecond, before he decides he doesn't like it and continues to glance around. A small, framed photograph on the wall half obstructed by the door snags his attention too, but before he can stare at it a little longer, the door is being softly shut and Janet exhales a tired breath. She turns to face Jack and notices his wide look. He beckons her to silently follow him back to her car. "We need a way in," He says as soon as they slide in beside each other. "Yeah? We just tried the polite way. What's the probable cause?" "There's no search warrant yet. I saw a picture hanging up on the wall," "And?" "Of this." Jack holds up the school photograph of Cindy Snow. The very same one given to him by Chrissy Snow over a week prior. Janet nods and drives away. ... "Motive?" "We know she's babysat more than a few times years ago, we know she's become estranged after supposedly divorcing Alan's brother, we know the man who answered the door is Alan's brother, we know the home belongs to the sister-in-law, and we know she's had a past filled with petty theft and bribery, not to mention many threats directed at her co-workers. They sure loved throwing her under the bus when we questioned them." "And," Janet continues for him. "And?" "She can't have children. Biologically." Jack smiles at her, and he stills for a moment as he watches Janet Wood solve the world. ... They go back to the large house. It's dark now, and this time they're knocking a lot longer than when they did the day before. The lights are off, and they don't sense any form of movement from inside. Jack doesn't like the looks of it. At all. He tells Janet to wait on the porch while he jumps over the side railing and continues on to the back of the house. His hand inches closer to his holster strapped to his belt and rests it on his gun. He circles the house and finds nothing. Janet waits for him to meet her where he left her and sees the detest in his eyes. She offers a weak smile with furrowed brows as if to say that they have done way more than they should've, so they should at the very least not blame themselves for the outcome. It's simple to register that they've gotten away. Obviously, they packed up what they can and ran. A tiny 8-year-old in tow. Jack doesn't care anymore and kicks down the door. Janet is only slightly startled but follows him in like a shadow. She looks around on the first floor while Jack jogs up the stairs. There's plenty of evidence to see that there lived a young girl here. Scattered crayon drawings lay around, dozens of pink hair clips and purple headbands, a rainbow child sized rain jacket and a pair of small pink sparkly jelly shoes. The brunette stares at the shoes solemnly. The sound of someone running down the stairs catches her attention. "Do we know where Phillip lives?" "Even if we find out, they wouldn't have run off there." Jack's shoulder slumps defeatedly because of course, they wouldn't run off there, Jack. "But maybe there is someplace we can check out..." Jack follows Janet's stare and finds himself facing a large portrait of two people. Vicky Bradford and an older man. They can both guess whom that might be. ... James Bradford lives outside of Santa Monica. Way, way outside. They drive for what seems like hours, and finally, make it to his enormous estate. Someone answers after the first ring of the doorbell. "May I help you?" She's a plump, young woman, with beautiful curly hair tied in a ponytail. She's also wearing a rather plain housekeeping uniform. "Yes, hello," Janet speaks for them, "I'm Janet Wood and this is Jack Tripper," "Hello," Jack waves politely. The housekeeper nods. "And we're here to visit Mr. James Bradford. Is he available?" "Just a moment," the housekeeper turns and disappears back into the house. She comes back after a few seconds. "Please, come in. You can wait in the study." The two follow after her, giving their thanks when she leaves to find the man of the house. They wait for a total of seven minutes. Jack kept count. "I'm James Bradford," The duo immediately perks and stand up from their seats once they hear him introduce himself. "Who are you and why are you here?" Jack swallows almost audibly and casts a look to Janet. Her mouth forms into a line, holding out her hand for the older gentleman to shake. "I'm Janet. This is Jack. We're here to discuss a few important things regarding your daughter, Vicky," A flash of knowing ghosts over James's face, his eyes twitching slightly. Jack notes this and lets Janet continue their introductions. "We went to see her earlier, but she wasn't home. Do you mind telling us about her? If you might've seen her lately? Where she might be?" James stares at her as if she grew another head or two. It makes Jack a little uncomfortable and wants to punch the look off of the guy. Instead of answering straight away, the man moves to make himself a drink from the bottle of brandy that was sat out for anyone to take. Jack and Janet watch him intensely, silently beckoning him to say something on the matter. Silently, for the time being. "Well," he starts, after taking a long, hard sip, "Vicky. You see, I haven't seen or spoken to my daughter in months. I honestly have no idea where she might be if she isn't home. Out shopping, perhaps?" In his mind, Jack knows that he's lying. He decides to take the initiative to press further. "No. Not out shopping, is she? We asked around. We talked to her neighbors, her coworkers, we gathered a general draw up of her day to day schedule, and no. She's not out shopping." The intense stare that was shared between the two could melt mountains. Whatever that means. Janet decided this was a little too forward, so she easily stepped between the two who seemed as if they were going to throw down at any moment. "Mr. Bradford, we all know Vicky is not out...shopping. We need you to cooperate with us, please," she said, on the verge of pleading but not willing to at the moment. "A young girl is involved. Think if this was your daughter, if this was Vicky. 8 years old and away from her parents." The idea of a missing 8-year-old Vicky seemed to do some kind of trick. His tense shoulders sagged, elating a sense of hope within the duo detectives. He allowed his eyes to roam around the room, avoiding any gazes with these two strangers. It irritated the older man; how much they could look into this, respectively. A sigh escapes him. "I would like to help you, I really do. My daughter...is an emotional person. I don't ever wish harm upon her. I love her," Jack and Janet anticipate a reveal to help further their investigation. James finally looks to the two of them. "I don't know where she currently is. I want to help you, but I can't. I apologize. I am of no use." Jack clenches his jaw at the remark, silently willing himself to walk away before he explodes at the older man. Janet doesn't succeed in that, however. "No. You are not useless," she whispers and her gaze is set on the floor, "you are completely useful. You are completely useful to us because you know exactly where your daughter is. You know, and you've known this whole time," her tone is venomous, it almost makes Jack's skin crawl. He looks to James and smirks at his uneasiness at the moment.   "I-I really can't help--" "Mr. Bradford. If we find your daughter--excuse me, when we find your daughter, you all will be in a lot more trouble than if you just told us where she is. You can help us. You can help her." He falls silent. Janet is losing her patience rather quickly. Jack stares at James with a stern gaze and a frown. Janet clears her throat. "Well? We can stand here all day." "South of here. We own a summer cabin. Spacious, livable. I can jot down the address for you. I honestly don't know if she's there or not, but if she isn't at her home, and she isn't here, then she may very well be there." The relief that washes over the two is astounding, to say the least. Janet doesn't thank him when he hands her the slip of paper with the address, and just tugs on Jack's sleeve to lead him back to the car. James calls out and wishes them luck. They ignore him and drive off. ... The cabin is pretty much secluded. There's a trail that leads up to it, but many hikers would split off from the path in favor of not stumbling upon a private abode.   Janet parks her car at the start of the trail and the two begin the fair trek. Just before leaving, however, they call in for backup on Jack's radio, just in case things turn awry. The sun is already setting by the time they reach it. "You stay here, behind this tree, and I'll take a walk around the cabin," "Hold on a second, Jack!" Janet said, pulling on his arm. "Why do I have to hide behind a tree? I'll knock on the door while you go around back, that way they'll have nowhere to run." She suggested instead. Honestly, that idea didn't sit too well with him. Jack didn't want Janet in the middle of the action in case one of them had any weapons. He didn't want her to get hurt. He never wanted her to get hurt. The fire and pleading in Janet's eyes were unfortunate enough to not to want to let her down, so he reluctantly nodded his approval of her plan. "Jack, she's got to be in there. We'll return her back to Chrissy." The smile she formed shined brighter than the stars that began appearing above. Jack stared after her as she made her way to the stairs of the cabin. Shaking his head, he himself made way for the back of it. Janet knocked on the door without hesitation. Waiting patiently, she strained to hear any movement coming from inside. So far, no dice. Knocking again, she put her ear up to the door. She decided to say something. "Hello? Is anyone in there?" As soon as she said that, she heard a loud crash coming from inside and shuffling. Janet tried for the doorknob, but it was locked. She started pounding on the door and calling out to whoever was making the noise. She can finally make out a door being slammed open and Jack shouting. She darted from the front of the cabin and hurriedly dashed toward the back, where she can see Jack pointing his gun. He saw her running up from the corner of his eyes. "Stop right there, Janet," he said. "Jack..." "Don't move! Anyone!" Janet whipped her head and found two adults standing with a child. Cindy. She was being held protectively by whom they assumed was Vicky. The man they met at Vicky's home stood in front of them with his own gun aiming at Jack. Phillip. "Phillip," Janet started, "please. Put that down," she stepped a bit closer, her hands raised. "Don't fucking move!" "Janet, please, stay where you are!" Everything was unfolding too fast and too intensely. Neither party was enjoying this. "Make the guns go away!" Cindy shouted. She hid her face into Vicky's side. "We will, sweetie," Janet said in reply to Cindy, she looked back at Phillip. "Put that down! You're putting Cindy in danger!" "Shut up! I will never hurt my daughter!" "Phillip, she is not your daughter. She is your brothers and we need to return her back home where she belongs," "She belongs to us! Don't you dare touch her!" This time it was Vicky yelling, her face red. Janet shook her head. "No, Vicky, no. You couldn't have children. We know how much you wanted them, but this is not the way. This is hurting Cindy, this is hurting Chrissy and Alan and her friends," Janet steadily made her way closer and closer to Vicky and Cindy as she continued talking to them. "Chrissy misses her so much. Cindy, your mother wants to see you again. She wants to hold you in her arms, and braid your hair like you would every night before bed. She wants to sing you songs and teach you how to care for animals. She wants you back." Cindy eventually looked away from the safety of Vicky's side and shyly glanced at Janet as she crept closer. All the while, Jack had his eyes trained on Janet and on Phillip, his heart thumping heavily and his head swirling with worry and ache. The palms of his hands are beyond wet with sweat, and he just wants all of this to be over. For the first time in a lengthy while, Jack is genuinely terrified. "I want my mommy, too..." Cindy whimpered, looking at Janet. The brunette nodded her head and chanced a look at Vicky. Her eyes were wide with anger and her nostrils flared. Her grip on Cindy tightened uncomfortably for the young girl, making her squirm. "Vicky, please..." It was a whisper, and it was all it took to shove Cindy aside and charge after Janet. Everything happened at once. While Vicky knocked Janet to the ground and rolled on top of her, Jack automatically ran to Janet's aid. Phillip took the opportunity to grab Cindy and whisked her away. Jack was thankfully able to tackle Vicky off of Janet, which gave her the chance to spot Phillip running off with Cindy sobbing and dangling over his shoulders. She pushed herself off of the ground and sped off after them. With Vicky clawing at him, Jack felt helpless as he watched the three of them disappear into the woods. ... Her heart is pounding. Luckily, she hasn't lost sight of them yet. She yells, and he ignores her. He almost drops Cindy when the girl wriggles violently in his grasp. Janet urges Cindy to wriggle some more but keeps her mouth shut when she fears that the girl will get hurt. It's all about keeping that girl safe. Phillip doesn't look like he'll be stopping anytime soon. ... Jack manages to restrain Vicky. Being stronger and a lot taller can go a long way in this business. Unwilling to wait any longer for that backup, he leaves her handcuffed to the railing of the cabin in favor of going after Janet and Phillip. He prays things haven't escalated quite yet. ... Janet corners (not quite) him near a river. She can see that Phillip is out of breath and Cindy remains to be a hassle in his arms. Janet resists a smirk at the way Phillip's eyes blow up in anxiousness and fear. "Phillip," she says, cautious as ever. "There's nowhere to go...put her down." "I just...I just wanted a family," his voice wavers, and tears begin to build up, but don't fall. "Sure you do, Phillip. Wanting a family isn't the problem here. It's that you hurt an innocent child," "We never hurt her!" "She's right now sobbing and is probably uncomfortable by the way you're holding her and running off!" "Shut up! You don't know anything! Just leave us the fuck alone!" He shifts Cindy onto one of his arms and pulls out his gun with the other. He points it right at Janet. "Turn around, keep running and I won't shoot." "Stop this, please. Shooting me won't solve anything or make things better for you or Cindy." Phillip hesitates. Cindy sniffles. Janet holds her breath. ... Jack is running. With his gun pulled out and ready, he's running. Jack is severely unsure of where he's going, but he continues to go. He sees bodies way up ahead, and a stream of water. He also sees a familiar gun and a familiar brunette. Jack stops running. ... Cindy finally speaks. Softly, but speaks nonetheless. "Please...I want to go home and see my real mommy." Janet can see the way his heart breaks at that statement. No ounce of sympathy is given, however. "Do you not love us anymore, Princess?" "I want to go home." Phillip's jaw clenches and his hold on the girl tightens to the point where Cindy winces in pain. She lets out a whimper, and Janet wants nothing more than to pounce on this man and punch him in the groin or something. "You'll go home, honey. I'll let you go home." He suddenly drops the girl onto the ground roughly, and she scrambles to get up and run towards Janet. The gun is still pointed at her. Janet reaches for the girl and pulls her behind her, away from the wrong end of the gun. Her heart has not stopped pounding. She realizes her grip on Cindy is tight, so she loosens it. Hastily swallowing and licking her lips, Janet has lost all adrenaline and is now in a state of pure panic. Phillip has not dropped the gun. Someone can still very well end up hurt. Possibly worse. "Put it down," she whispers pleadingly. She'd drop to her knees and beg him if she has too. The tears spring to life and trickle out of the corners of her eyes. This whole situation is stressful as hell, and if she makes it out of this, she's gonna put all of her energy into taking a thorough nap. After making sure Cindy is reunited with Chrissy, of course. "That man," Phillip says, "Alan. He's not my brother." "We know he's your half brother, Phillip. That's still family. He is still your family, and you are hurting your family." "No! He's never been, nor will he ever be my family!" The statement clings heavily to the air, spoken too harshly and intensely for it to be considered a bluff. Janet can recognize the hatred and passion in his voice. She doesn't doubt his exclamation in the slightest. She wonders about the history between the two men, but she quickly remembers their current situation, and any sort of curiousness is dissolved. She has to put a stop to this; it has gone on for far too long. "Okay. He's not your family. But, does that mean you get to have the right to hurt him like this? To hurt Chrissy and Cindy?" "No...this has nothing to do with Chrissy or, or, Alan, even. I hate the guy, but what this is has nothing to do with him." "Phillip...you stole their daughter. This has everything to do with that." "We just wanted a family," Phillip is beginning to sob. "Vicky...she deserves a daughter. I wanted to give her a daughter. We tried so, so hard, but it just couldn't happen. We went to all of the best doctors. We went to foster homes. We even tried just getting a fucking cat or dog. But she didn't want that. She wanted her own little angel, someone she can hold and love, and protect and teach, and, and---" he chokes up a bit. Janet waits. "And...she couldn't have that with me. She wanted her own child." His tone shifted. He lowered the gun considerably. "Every time Cindy would come over, Vicky's eyes would light up in a way I wouldn't see if it were any other time. She laughs more, her smile doesn't seem...farce. She touches me a lot more. And those times, those times make me the happiest. I just want to be my happiest with her always. And when Cindy had to leave, leave back to her mother and father, Vicky isn't the same. I couldn't keep living with that. I told her one night that I was growing tired. She started crying, and told me over and over again that she'd change. That all she needs is this extra warmth in her life, and we'd go back to how things used to be. The happier times. It didn't take a lot of convincing on her part, so I agreed to help her in any way I can. I knew this was wrong. I knew this was harmful. That's why I tried to be as careful with Cindy as I could be. I never tried to hurt her, or do anything dangerous, but Vicky...once we had her, she didn't want to let go. She was desperate." Janet glanced at the gun. "That's her gun, isn't?" Phillip nodded. "I really did try to talk her out of this, but...Vicky had her heart set on it. Cindy was the one. Cindy was her daughter. Everything else be damned." Phillip said as if quoting Vicky herself. So. The truth has finally been brought to light. Janet had a lot to swallow but was more than capable of doing so. She still had a protective grip on Cindy, who stayed hiding behind her and sniffling every so often. Now that the confession was out of the way, Janet had to bring this situation to a complete close. This would...probably be the most challenging part. No ideas have been formulating, so Janet's gonna have to wing this. It unsettles her to no end, and she's gonna wanna word with her mind later about this... "This can end, Phillip. We can end this whole thing right now. Put down the gun." A flash of movement from slightly afar catches Phillip's attention. He peers over the shoulder of Janet, while she continues to watch him. The sight of Phillip not glaring at her, but at something behind her, starts to make her sweat and tremble a little more. This delicate moment is going to start crumbling in the most undesirable way in any second, she can feel it. She truly wishes for the ability to stop time, or teleport, or see into the future, or something. No such powers surface and Janet is stuck to rely on her normal self. Or, whoever may be lurking behind them. She prays for Jack. It's a prayer that adds to her pros and cons list of the existence of God because here he is. And there Phillip is in all of his panic. It all happens so rapidly, that all Janet can register is the high shrill scream of Cindy and the vigorous force of being shoved to the ground. A thundering shot echoes throughout the forest. A thick layer of silence envelops the surrounding area; only the distinct sound of the stream of water serves as background noise. That, and the sound of Jack cursing. "Shit," Janet hears this and immediately sits up to survey the current situation. Cindy is thankfully tucked into her side, her face buried near Janet's chest. A sigh of relief escapes her, her eyes softening as she quickly inspects the young girl, only to find that she is physically okay. Then, she looks up from the girl. Her breath hitches at the sight before her. It becomes a little---or a lot---more difficult to just breathe properly and things are getting a tad fuzzy and words are really failing her at the moment. "Shit, shit, shit." Jack is trying to put a lot of pressure on the wound, but blood just keeps pouring out. If he could, he would shrug at it, but he's hit in the shoulder and it would hurt too much. Well, a better term would be grazed. It hurts like a bitch, nonetheless. Jack curses again, and when he does, he notices the rest of the world. He sees many figures running past him, and people shouting, and people asking if he's okay. He realizes that it's the backup they called a while ago, which leads him to question where's the second part of they, which further leads him to finally find Janet and Cindy, on the ground, not that far away from him, staring as if he were a ghost. Jack entertains the thought for a moment, but the look of utter desperateness on Janet's face is too much and Jack wants nothing more than to assure her over and over again that everything is going to be alright. He's fine. She's fine. Cindy's fine. Jack, at that revelation of a conclusion, offers her his signature goofy grin.  His goofiest grin yet. It's more than safe to say that he is relieved to see Janet beam right back at him. ... Jack forgets how much he hates hospitals. It seems as though Janet loves them, however, because she hasn't left his side in hours, despite telling her multiple times that he is really okay and that the shot wasn't as fatal as it could've been. Janet doesn't listen. A blonde nurse walks into the hospital room and he watches as Janet squeals like a schoolgirl and gets up to hug the taller blonde. It's fascinating to see, and it allows Jack time to recompose himself as Janet turns to him to introduce her friend, Terri the nurse. "The best nurse in Santa Monica," Janet asserts confidently. Terri laughs at the statement, and Jack doesn't try to argue. He's delighted to find Terri just as friendly and skillful as Janet, and he's told that he's well on his way to a full recovery. He notices the way Janet breathes a sigh of relief but doesn't say anything about it. Terri manages to convince Janet to have a snack with her in the cafeteria,  and Janet leaves Jack for the first time in a while, promising to bring him back something to eat. "So," Terri starts, when they're out of the room--and out of earshot of Jack. "So?" Janet has a strong feeling she knows where this may be going. "That's Jack, huh? He's cute." Terri waists absolutely no time and Janet is rather amused by it. But she's not gonna give Terri the smug pleasure of teasing just yet. "You think he's cute? Terri, you think everybody's cute. You called Larry cute." "Well, I can't help it if everyone I meet happens to be cute! And that's not the point here, Jan." The brunette rolls her dark eyes sharply and the two stop just in front of the vending machine in the cafeteria. "What's the point, Ter?" Now Terri's rolling her lighter eyes because Janet's really going to make her say it. "Janet Wood, I can't believe you. Every day for a week all you could talk about on the phone with me is 'Jack this' and 'Jack that', and now that I see you two together in the same room, it's clear as day." "Please indulge me! What is clear as day?" "As our dear friends, the Brits say: he fancies you! And you fancy him!" If anybody ever asked Terri, she would without a doubt, straight up say that when it comes to the absolute obvious, Janet is shit at acting. The woman spends a total of ten seconds just scoffing and rolling her eyes as if merely doing so would distract the blonde long enough so that she could change the subject and hope for it to be never brought up again. Terri is a brilliant cookie, though, so Janet is severely out of luck. "Janet. You're gonna give yourself a headache. Relax, honey. If anything at all, I approve. He's sweet and charming," Terri begins to walk ahead of Janet, only stopping once to make another comment over her shoulder, "and cute." The short brunette watches her walk away. Standing there alone, it gives her the opportunity to truly process this whole mess of feelings and emotions she's got going on. Cute, huh? Janet, thankfully, has enough sense to not try to act innocent to herself. Terri returns to Jack's room to find Dr. Tom Miller and a shorter older male laughing with Jack. Dr. Miller is the first to notice Terri standing in the doorway. "Terri! We were just talking to your patient, here." "Hello, Dr. Miller. What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be in the mental ward?" "I came down here for a chance to be with him for a few moments. Don't you worry, Terri, the patients aren't going anywhere," the Doctor says with a wide, toothy grin. He turns to his companion and scrambles to offer introductions. "Oh, this is Ralph Furley!" The older man smiles at the nurse and gives a big show of waving. "How goes it? It's good to see that my buddy Jack is in great hands!" Jack laughs. "Hey, Terri, he's a handyman that works in my apartment complex." Just then, Janet makes an appearance from behind Terri. She is slightly startled to see new faces in the room. One of them being a doctor. "Is everything alright?" "Yes, Jan. This is Dr. Miller, and his partner Ralph Furley," Terri gestures to the two men, while they both bow their heads rather gentlemanly. "Dr. Miller works upstairs. I guess he's here making friends with Jack." "Oh, I heard about the accident and I rushed over to see if Jack was okay. And here he is! As good as new! No need to worry about all of those men now thinking you're dead!" Mr. Furley lightly jabs at Jack's good shoulder, earning a nervous chuckle from the detective. Janet covers her mouth in an attempt to smother her own giggle, as she's heard of the wacky tale of Jack's sexuality being mistaken by his landlord and their building repair man. Terri stands just a lot more confused and will need an explanation at a later time, but for now, at such a late hour, Terri has to shuffle everyone out so Jack can properly have his rest. Janet is, of course, the hardest one to kick out, but is kicked out regardless. With many, many promises of being back the following morning. Jack doesn't doubt that for a nanosecond. ... Jack gets many visitors in the three days that he had to remain in that hospital room. Including the visit of two lovely blondes. Chrissy and Cindy came bearing gifts. Gifts, and lots and lots of kisses and hugs. Janet feels a flood of warmth at the scene before her, and she would very much enjoy a camera right now so she can capture the moment forever. Memories will do just as well. Jack's landlords even stop by for a bit, and it takes a few moments to realize that Jack wasn't kidding when he said that Mr. Roper will not listen to him when he tries to correct the older man of his true sexuality. He brushes it off for another day, anyway. Jack is checked out, and Janet offers to drive him home. "Actually, I'd rather go to my office. Some things I have to do." Janet doesn't ask him about the things and happily drives him there instead. She does ask if he needs any help, or a ride home later, and it gives Jack the perfect excuse to have Janet stay with him. If only for a bit longer, because the case is solved, and all. Janet really doesn't have any more business to be with him anymore. The thought sits heavy and uncomfortably in his head. The feeling sits the same way in his chest. This will be a horribly dragged out goodbye, it seems. Jack spends a good ten minutes mentally cursing. And then he sees her smile. A tired smile, granted, but a smile nonetheless. The smile allows him to reevaluate it all. They did it. They found Cindy. They brought her back to her real parents. Safe. That, truly, is enough to contrast the negative emotions in Jack and gives him the strength to smile too. With that strength, there is more. "How do you feel about...being partners?" Janet knows--she knows, dammit--he means that in a detective way. Business partners, law partners, PI partners. It doesn't stop her from pretending he meant that any other way. "Partners. That'll feel good." Janet's life is never the same again. Jack knew he should've shoved the tissue box into his overcoat pocket when he left the apartment that morning two weeks ago, for he can definitely use a tissue right now. ... Y'ALL WTF DID I JUST WRITE. Fun fact: this took me all year to write this. It's because somewhere in the middle, I lost interest. But, baby. I'm back. THAT WAS LAME BUT I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS WEIRD AU. Also. Since I love hurting everyone, I left this kinda ambiguous, but you know DAMN WELL they hook up not that much longer after this and they marry and have a hundred kids and retire together. They also solve a million more cases along the way! Go JackET!

[medicatemedrmccoy]

Let the games begin - Ch. 2

Photo created and gifted by the wonderful: @wonders-of-the-enterprise

You and Jo have been captured by Romulans, but why and for what purpose? Do you have what it takes to get yourself and Jo out of this alive?

4,719 word(s) of angsty, violent goodness. Be ye warned, all who enter here.

Chapter 1 for anyone who missed it.

I still suck at summaries. Again, its going to be at least 6 or 7 chapters, I haven’t decided yet. So, if you wanted to be tagged for the rest, yay! just shoot me a message. If you don’t want to be tagged, then shoot me a message and I will try to keep my tears to a minimum, and apologize for being a disappointment. Be gentle. I am a delicate flower.

Tags: @imoutofmyvulcanmind @outside-the-government @star-trekkin-across-theuniverse @yourtropegirl @feelmyroarrrr @bkwrm523 @fandomheadrush @darlinleonard @trekkimagines201 @arrowsshootyouforwards @captian-hannah-kirk @hellhoundsandunicorns @kaitymccoy123 @starmission

You started to come back to yourself. You felt the coolness underneath you, seeping in through your clothes and pressed against your face. You concentrated on it as it helped to clear your head. The process is painfully slow, as you kept your eyes closed tight as you try to force your drug addled brain to cooperate. You tried to remember just what the hell happened before you lost consciousness.

You heard a quiet whimper next to your ear and are faintly aware of the slight pressure against your side. “Jo” you were starting to remember. That was all it took to get your brain into gear and your eyes snapped open. Thankfully it was dark in the room, you didn’t think you could handle any light at the moment.

“JoJo?” You croaked out, trying to move to sit up but your body wasn’t cooperating just yet, despite your protests.

“Aunt Y/N.” Jo looked down at your face, “you’re ok. I couldn’t wake you and I was so worried, and scared, and I thought, I thought you…” she trailed off as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Oh Jo, hey now, its okay, Im alright. Are you okay?” You asked as you force yourself into a seated position. Perhaps a little too quickly as your head swam from the sudden movement.

“Im okay” Jo replied, continuing to cry.

“Are you sure Jo? You asked as you shook your head gently to get rid of the final bits of fogginess. Jo gulped in a mouthful of air and nodded in response. You wrapped your arms around her tight and squeezed.

“Hey now Jo, come on, don’t cry. We’re going to be ok. I promise. I got you.” You tried to reassure her the best you could. Trying to reassure yourself for that matter. You had no idea where you were, why you were taken. You almost felt like crying yourself, but there was no way you were going to break down in front of Jo, not when she needed you.

“I want my daddy.” Jo choked out between sobs, pressing up against you.

“I know you do sweetheart. I’ll get you back to him Jo. I promise.” You resolved, also wishing you were back with Jim and Leonard .

“I love you, Y/N.” Jo said, finally calming down a little.

“I love you too Jo, get some sleep. I’m going to watch out for you, I promise” You said, forcing down a lump in your throat.

Jo nodded her head in reply and curled up against your side as close as she could manage. You wrapped your arms around her to keep her warm and to try and give her some sense of security.

You ran your fingers through her hair to hopefully help soothe her and calm her down more. Jo gave one last little sniffle before she fell into an exhausted sleep.

Its only now that you took your eyes off of Jo and have a look at your surroundings. A small cell made of nothing but concrete. No bars, no windows, no nothing. Just solid, cold concrete with a door at the front of the cell with a small window at the top, but it was closed.

You sighed as you laid your head back on the wall, trying not to think about how hungry and thirsty you were. You glanced back down at Jo and lightly moved her hair out of her face. It was going to be a long night.

You must have fallen asleep sometime in the early hours of the morning and fallen asleep hard. You didn’t even hear the door to your cell open. You were only awoken when you felt hands tightening around your neck and lifting you to your feet. The sudden movement made Jo topple off your lap, waking her in the process.

Jo began to scream as she watched the Romulan continue to lift you up by your neck, the tips of your toes barely scraping the floor. You clawed at his hands, barely able to get any oxygen. You started to see stars and your vision started to get fuzzy before he suddenly dropped you to the ground. You fell to your knees as you take in jagged breaths. Jo went to make her way over to you.

“Stay back Jo.” You ordered hoarsely, barely able to even speak. Jo choked back her sobs as she pressed herself into the corner of the cell.

You slowly get to your feet and stared at the man in front of you. The same face of the man who drugged you. You pause for a moment, then proceed to punch the man squarely in his nose. He stumbled back a step, looking shocked for a brief second, then began to laugh.

“Glad you think this is funny, asshole.” You said, putting as much venom in your words as you could muster.

“You’ve got fight. You will need it. Ajek will be pleased.” The man stated as a wicked grin, splattered with blood from his nose, spread across his face.

“Who..” is all you managed to get out before a second Romulan, one you hadn’t seen before, entered through the door and proceeded to punch you straight in the gut, knocking the wind out of you. You doubled over, trying to catch your breath.

“Leave Y/N alone!” You heard Jo cry out, suddenly finding her voice. You wished that she had just stayed quiet. Quiet and forgotten in the corner.

Both Romulans snapped their heads up at her. The one with the bloody face jabbed his head in her direction, as the other Romulan walked toward Jo.

“NO!” You said suddenly and went to get to your feet. Before you could make it up, the Romulan with the bloody face had you pinned against the wall. He was incredibly strong. You couldn’t break his hold on you but that didn’t stop you from giving it all you had.

The second Romulan grabbed Jo by her middle and threw her over his shoulder. Jo was completely freaking out, kicking and screaming.

“NO! LET. ME. GO! HELP! Y/N!” Jo screamed, as she reached out her arms toward you, terror in her tiny hazel eyes. Your heart completely broke as the Romulan carried her out of the cell and down the hall, Jo’s screams fading in the distance.

“JO! Let her go, asshole! She has nothing to do with this! Leave her alone and take me!” You pleaded as you struggled even harder. That is, until you felt a heavy blow across your temple. Stars danced in your vision as it started to blur. You forced yourself to stay conscious. You had to.

“Shut up. She has her part to play, just like you. We have every intention of taking you, Federation scum” the Romulan sneered.

Your brain was too addled to even begin to decipher the implication of his words. He got behind you and yanked you to your feet. You barely held to your consciousness as your head lulled from the sudden lightness from the change of elevation.

The man grabbed both of your hands and tied them behind your back. You didn’t even struggle. What was the point? Once he was finished, he pushed you roughly out of the cell. You barely kept your footing as you glared in his direction.

“Walk” He ordered as he shoved you again. You made no move to follow his orders.

“Where did they take Jo?” You said, your voice icy.

“Oh, you’ll be reunited with her soon, maybe” He replied, giving you a wicked smirk. “Now move, unless you want another fist against that pretty head of yours”.

You glared at him like you’ve never glared before, but you decide that you can’t take another blow like the previous one and expect to stay conscious. You hoped you didn’t already have a concussion from the first blow, you doubted it though, as your stomach began to roll. You turned from the man curtly and begin to walk down the hall.

The Romulan guided you to an empty room and shoved you inside, pushing you against a vertical table in the middle of the room. He held you firmly against it while grabbing straps and began to strap down your arms and legs.

“Ajek will be with you shortly.” The Romulan grinned menacingly. You gave no reply but your glare.

A second Romulan entered and walked over to you, giving no introduction and begins to give you an… exam? He poked and prodded you. You were completely repulsed at the sudden intrusion of your body and nervous at his touch, flinching every time he went to touch you in a different place. You tried to struggle and move away to no avail, the straps kept you firmly in place.

He walked over and grabbed a cuff and placed it around your arm, assuming he was checking your vitals. “This is weird” you thought “One almost cracks my skull open, and this one is checking my vitals” but you keep all comments to yourself.

After a few moments, a third Romulan entered the room.

“Ajek.” The bloodied Romulan exclaimed and stood at attention

“Thank you, Kujeth. That will be all.” Ajek said, dismissing Kujeth.

“What did you find, Sejeex?” Ajek asked, not even acknowledging you.

“Nothing, sir. The specimen appears healthy.” Sajeex answered, scribbling down something on a notebook.

“Good” Ajex nodded “have to make sure our specimens are healthy beforehand. Thank you Sajeex, you may go”

“Yes, sir.” Sajeex replied, making his exit.

“Wheres Jo?” is all you ask, all you care about at this point.

“She’s perfectly fine, for now. Don’t you worry your pretty little face” Ajek replied. He walked up to you and took your face in his hand, squeezing your cheeks roughly. You tried to flinch away but his grip was like a vice. You could do nothing but stare coldly at this face.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you Y/N Kirk.” He said, inspecting your features “it’s been a long time coming” he said, looking into your eyes and seeing the confusion in there.

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” He questioned, growing angry and releasing your face.

“Should I?” You snapped back, spitting on the floor next to his feet.

“Maybe the name Nero will ring a bell.” Ajek said angrily, sneering at you.

That got your attention. “Nero…” you said as your breath caught in your lungs “no… he’s dead”

“Oh, indeed so.” Ajek replied “I should know, I am his son.” It took you a minute to process the information and forced your mouth to form words. You felt dizzy.

“I thought his son died?” You asked quietly.

“Is that what he told you?” Ajek smiled “Interesting. I am alive and well, ruling over what Romulans are left, on a new planet that isn’t on any of your precious star charts. So if you think you’ll be rescued, think again.” Ajek sneered.

He yelled out into the hall as Kujeth came back into the room, unbuckling you from the table. You couldn’t help but ask “what are you going to do with me?”

“I’m going to take away everything you hold dear and then take away everything your brother holds dear. Just like you’ve done with me.” Ajek screamed. He then got dangerously close to you and grabbed your face again.

“Let the games begin.” He whispered “take her to the preparation room”.

Ajek pulled you away from the table and pushed you out of the room. Your mind is reeling “Nero’s son? What game was he talking about? Did he think Jo was your daughter? Where is Jo, is she okay”?

Your heart ached at the last thought. You had promised that you would protect her and now you have no idea where she is or if she’s alright. She has to be terrified and you can’t do anything about it. You couldn’t help but get choked up.

Kujeth pulled you to a halt outside of a different room. He took your cuffs off and shoved you roughly inside. You looked around the room after you steadied yourself. You noticed a table full of primitive weapons and a tube of some kind, leading up through the ceiling.

Kujeth was standing between you and the weapons. “Smart man” you thought bitterly “shame”

“Pick one.” Kujeth ordered.

“What?” You asked, caught off guard. He was giving you a weapon?

“Pick on NOW!” Kujeth ordered yet again

You looked at the table and at all the different weapons, giving them a once over. Spear, club, axe, sword and shield, then you lay your eyes on it, your weapon of choice.

“Bow and arrow.” You replied easily.

“Very well” Kujeth answered and picked up the bow and arrows and tossed them into the tube. You watched them tumble through the air and land in the tube.

As you returned your gaze to Kujeth, you realized he had another hypo in his hands. “Shit not again” you muttered as you try to figure out a plan, but failing miserably. You tried to make a break for the rest of the weapons, but you don’t make it very far. Kujeth is a lot stronger than you and pulled you in and stabbed the hypo in your neck.

“Best of luck.” was the last you heard before your world is enveloped in black once more.

You slowly start to come to. You can hear birds chirping. “That’s odd” you thought to yourself as you forced open your eyes and took in your surroundings.

You raised your head and see nothing but forest and trees. You continued to look around, you felt your pulse begin to race and your breathing shallow. You began to panic.

“No, no, please. Not again, not here. Pull yourself together Y/N. You’re not… This isn’t the same as…” you trailed off. No, it wasn’t the same. This was going to be worse. You would have gone into complete panic attack if it wasn’t for a sudden voice seemingly coming from everywhere.

“Ah, welcome welcome. Now that you’re all awake, we can get started with the instructions. They’re simple enough. There is one among you, a small child. Kill her…”

“NO! JO!” You shouted as you went to get up to start running, only to get pulled back by a chain on your ankle that you didn’t notice before. “JO!” you screamed helplessly. “Jo…” you breathed, closing your eyes.

“Kill her” the voice continued “and you win, and you will be able to go free, back home to your families. You have my word, good luck. Let the games begin!” The voice cut off.

“Shit!” You muttered to yourself “This is not going to be easy or pleasant”. After that thought, the chain around your ankle popped open, freeing you from its hold. You looked down at your feet, when you noticed the bow and arrow next to you. You hastily sling it over your shoulder as you take off at a jog. You have to find Jo, and find her first.

You had been alternating jogging and walking around the forest for what felt like hours. You wondered where the hell you actually were. Wherever it was, was hot and muggy. You detested hot and muggy.

You hadn’t seen much so far, which was good and bad. Good in that you hadn’t run into any one else so far, but bad because you hadn’t seen anything that resembled food, or seen any fresh water to drink. “That’s going to be a problem” you thought grimly.

You pushed all that aside and force yourself to think about nothing but finding Jo, and staying alive. Jo was out there somewhere terrified and alone. The thought gave you a new surge of energy as you carefully yet quickly made your way through the thick foliage.

You’d been walking for maybe another hour you’d guess. It’s hard to tell in the jungle without being able to even see through the thick trees. You had noticed that it was beginning to get slightly darker. Panic slowly entered your thoughts. You have to find Jo before it got dark. You couldn’t let her spend the night alone and scared, you couldn’t.

That’s when you heard it, a voice in the distance, and, could it be, the yells of a tiny voice. Jo? You quietly got closer so you could see what’s going on, so you aren’t blindly flying into an unknown situation. That wouldn’t help you or Jo survive this new fresh hell.

“Get back here you little bitch!” You heard a man yell.

“Get away from me!” You heard the reply. It was Jo! Your heart leapt in your chest but you forced yourself to remain calm and hid behind a bush to access the situation.

“I’m going to gut you like a fish!” The man swore, thundering around the brush.

“Like HELL you are!” Jo screamed. Boy, Jim really did teach her everything he knew, you thought. You looked around quickly and figured out that the man was indeed alone, your luck holding out.

“Let me go!” Jo yelled trying to tug away from the man who finally managed to grab her. The man grinned as he lifted up his spear.

“This was way too easy.” He said while Jo screamed in terror.

The man never got a chance to bring down his spear as you run at full speed at him. You wrapped your arms around him and went to tackle him to the ground. You caught the man off guard, he didn’t even hear you coming, too wrapped up with Jo.

He had no time to prepare himself for your full body tackle. You knocked the man down with such force, that his head snapped back and made a sickening crack against a rock. You quickly get up and steady yourself. You stared down at the man, making sure he stayed down.

“Aunt Y/N! I’m so happy to see you” Jo exclaimed, relieved.

“I’m happy to see you too Jo” you said hollowly “bring me his spear, Jo”. You flipped your switch as you stared down at the man. The switch that turned you off to yourself and your emotions so you would be able to live with yourself after what you were about to do.

Jo hesitated for a moment, confused by your lack of emotion and your stiff posture.

“Jo, his spear, now.” You ordered as the man started to groan. Jo did as you asked and brought you the spear handing it to you apprehensively, almost afraid.

You felt awful for the way you were acting, but you had no choice. You had to keep yourself and Jo safe, before anything else. Then you could calm down, then you could reassure her, but not before.

“Turn around Jo.” You ordered. Jo obeyed at once.

You lifted the spear just as the man’s eyes begin to flutter open. You don’t hesitate. You bring the spear down as hard as you can, knowing the force required to break the human breast plate. The spear hit home as you plunged it straight to his heart.

The man took in a sharp intake of breath and began to gurgle as blood started to pour out of his mouth. He choked and gagged on the blood for a few more seconds before you tighten your grip on the hilt and twist it with all the strength you can muster. You looked down at the man as he coughed up one last mouthful of blood before his eyes went glassy and could see no more.

You pulled the spear out of his chest with a heave. You continued to stare at the man for a few seconds.

“Y/N?…” Jo said quietly, bringing you back to yourself “can I turn around now”

“No Jo, don’t turn around.” You said as you slowly made your way to stand in front of her instead.

“Y/N” Jo choked out and attached herself to you. Your switch flipped back as Jo sobbed into your shirt. God, you must have scared her. Your knees feel weak, and you start to shake slightly from the adrenaline finally hitting you from the recent events.

“Oh, Jo. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” You asked as you pulled her away from you and go into doctor mode, checking her all over.

“I’m okay, Y/N” Jo replied “Just a few bumps and scratches.”

“Let me see them Jo.” You ordered. Jo held out her arm to you “there” she said as she pointed to her scratches.

“Good, Jo. They all look superficial, they shouldn’t get infected.” You dropped her arm in relief. God knows that neither of you needed an infection out here. What you wouldn’t give for Leonard to bust out from behind a tree with his overflowing med kit in hand.

“That means they’re just on the surface, right?” Jo asked, looking up at you.

“That’s right, Jo. Where’d you learn that?” You asked surprised, releasing her arm.

“I’ve been reading a lot. Momma spends a lot of time with her new boyfriend, so it gives me a lot of time to read. I’m going to have to, if I want to be a good doctor like you and daddy.” Jo replied, like it should be obvious.

“Aww, thank you Jo.” You replied touched, and you pull her in for a hug “you’re going to be a better doctor than your dad and me put together.”

“ Leonard” you thought. You wished more than anything to hear his voice right now, or Jim making fun of you.

Jo must have been feeling the same because she was looking down at her feet now. You were about to say something to comfort her when you heard a twig snap in a cluster of trees in front of you.

You instinctively grabbed the spear and pulled Jo closer to you. You heard a low growl emanate from the bushes.You flicked your eyes to the body laying on the ground. The blood. How could you be so stupid?

You should have left immediately. You should have never lingered at the scene. You should have gotten Jo to a safe place and then examined her. You cursed yourself for being so stupid, and vowed not to let it happen again. There was nothing for it now though.

“Y/N?” Jo asked in a whisper, terrified.

“Quiet Jo.” You ordered as another low growl came from behind you now and a twig snap to the right. You were being surrounded, hunted.

“Jo?” You whispered calmly “how fast can you run?”

“Pretty fast.” Jo replied, eyes darting around, terrified.

“Good because we’re going to run like our lives depend on it, because they do” you said quickly. “Jo, run. Now. That way.” You pointed towards the clearing to the left.

“GO!” You nudged Jo in the right direction. She needed no more encouragement as she took off like lightning, with you fast on her heels.

At first you didn’t hear anything. You hoped that whatever it was, decided that the man on the ground would make better pickings instead of two healthy, spry specimens. Your hope died before you could even finish your thought.

You heard twigs snapping and growling coming from behind. Guess whatever it is, enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.

“Shit!” you say outloud “run Jo, whatever happens, keep running and don’t look back!” You order. Jo gave no reply as she concentrated on where she’s going. It’s getting dangerously dark now, your fear ramping up to 11. You can’t see the creatures, but you can still hear them. You concentrated on the footfalls.

One creature? No, two now, as a second set of thuds are added to the first.

“Great, just what we need.” You thought. The snarling and snapping of jaws behind you is all it takes to keep you and Jo motivated to keep running. You’re so focused on listening to the creatures and trying to keep mental tabs on them, that you don’t notice a root sticking up from the ground.

Your foot snagged on it and you go toppling forward, taking Jo down with you, hard. Jo cried out in pain, but she’s alive, unlike the two of you will be soon if you allow yourself to worry about her now.

With no time to get up and run from the first creature, you quickly grabbed your spear in both hands and laid yourself over Jo, protecting her the best you can.

The footfalls get louder, and heavier. The snarls get more fierce as the creature realized its closing in on its prey. Your heartbeat is thundering in your ears. You can see it coming now, you didn’t recognize whatever it was. If you had to guess, it would be some kind of wolf hybrid. Whatever it was, it was big and it was angry.

You do the only thing you can do. You angled your spear and steadied yourself for the incoming blow.

“Hang on Jo” you yelled as the wolf leapt into the air towards the two of you. Not very smart at least, you thought as the wolf sailed through the air and right on top of your spear. You grunted with the impact, trying not to squish Jo beneath you.

The wolf yelped loudly and struggled wildly on top of the spear. You used all your strength to quickly shove it off of you. You leapt up and didn’t hesitate to drive the spear deeper. The wolf cried out and immediately stilled. You have no time to pull the spear out this time, or even to revel in your victory.

The second wolf howled in the distance. Its footfalls getting louder as it snarled rabidly, almost seeming like it knew what you just did. You quickly went over to Jo and hoist her up by her arm. She yelped in pain.

“Jo, we gotta go. We gotta go now. I’m sorry!” you ordered. Jo just choked back a sob and began to run once more. Your heart pained when you heard her sob, but you didn’t have the time or the luxury to worry about it right now.

The two of you kept running and you could tell Jo is starting to get tired, you are too for that matter. Both of your footsteps are getting heavier as you slog through the thick foliage. You two can’t keep up this pace for much longer. The wolf though, never seemed to get tired as you heard it gaining on you.

You have to think of something and think of it fast. Your lives depend on it. You ran a little while longer. Then you heard it, running water, no, roaring water. Roaring water meant waterfall right? You had no other ideas and no other options and you can only pray your good luck you’ve had so far holds out.

“Jo, head toward that noise!” You yelled, pointing in the general direction. Jo needed no explanation as she adjusted her course. The wolf following even closer behind.

“Just a little bit further Jo, hang in there.” You said as you both got closer, your spirits lifted slightly, it is a waterfall. Your elation faded soon after that thought. It was a BIG waterfall. You quickly weighed your options. Big waterfall vs. a snarling, snapping, angry pack of wolves. You pick the former, not wanting to get ripped to shreds.

“Jo, do you trust me?” You asked her, in between big breaths.

“Yes Y/N.” Jo offered with no hesitation, almost out of breath. You realized she’s fading fast. This is your only hope.

“Come on Jo, hold tight and whatever you do, don’t let go, okay?” You said as you lifted her up mid run and carry her close to your chest. As you get closer to the edge, you have no time to hesitate, no time to check and see if it’s safe. You just hope and pray that it’s deep enough and that there aren’t any jagged rocks at the bottom.

“Hold on Jo, here we go!” You said, not slowing down one bit as you flung yourself and Jo off the side of the cliff. You concentrated on holding onto Jo for dear life as she screamed in your ear. You both tumble through the air into the unknown. The snarling and snapping began to fade away like a distant memory.