#but also hey I except you to eat this crab bigger then you is also funny

[natural-namjoon]

𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧

Seonghwa fluff, very mild smut.

Very mild, just making out and heavy groping that's pretty much it.

“Blaze it up and we'll be cruisin'

With the top down

Rev up the engine we'll be cruisin'

Watch it go down

Get in my truck and I'll be ridin'

With my top down

With my top down

My top down”   

The sun shone brightly as you drove your old truck down the Hot Arizona highway, leaving Phoenix. Your new destination was Los Angeles. Having lived the nomad lifestyle ever since you got out of high school, you were always on the road jumping from city to city, working odd jobs to keep some money in your pocket and once you felt you spent enough time in one place you’d pack up your few belongings and head out to a new place. You had called phoenix your home for 6 months, staying longer than usual because the hotel job you had paid pretty well and you were able to save up a bit of money for yourself, but the dry heat finally got to you and you decided to leave, randomly picking LA for your next destination. 

In 3 hours you found yourself crossing state lines, passing a sign welcoming you to the golden state. It only took another 3 hours to find your way in between the sprawling buildings of the city of angels. You had found a random gas station and decided to refill your tank and grab a snack for yourself. After getting gas and doing a little search on your phone you found a decently clean 3-star hotel to stay in, after booking and confirming your stay you decided to check-in and freshen up. The vibes of the big city were buzzing in your veins and you felt like going out and seeing the sights. After a quick shower, you threw on a cute black slip dress that flattered your curves along with some strappy sandals. Looking out your hotel window you could see the shoreline in the distance, the sun would be setting pretty soon and you’d never seen the west coast before so off you went.

 It felt so freeing to you and it was one of the reasons for living the way you did. Going from place to place, the vibe of each place was different and unique and it energized your soul every time you were able to breathe in the air of a new place filled with new people and experiences. It took a bit of time to make your way to the beach because of the ungodly traffic but you made it just as the sun was setting. There were lots of people on the beach, children and families laughing and playing. Feeling self-conscious,you decided to wait and people-watch from one of the many restaurants that lined the beach and boardwalk. You ducked into this goofy themed crab restaurant and you found a seat at the window so you could watch the sunset over the water. 

You sat and just got lost in your thoughts, thinking of home and how long it's been since you spent any quality time with your friends and family let alone someone of the opposite gender. Your lifestyle was lonely and you knew that before you even had left, spending 2- 4 months in each city didn’t really allow for serious relationships, and yeah, you had a couple of hook-ups but those were few and far in between. Overall you were about as unserviced as your truck which was bad in both aspects but you loved the adventure your lifestyle brought and it was easier that way. 

During your inner monologue, you didn’t hear someone come up and start talking nor did you hear the second or third time he tried to get your attention so it was after the light touch to your shoulder that had you jumping out of your skin. That you realized a waiter had come to your lone table. 

“Sorry didn’t mean to scare you, were you wanting to order something?” you looked up to the waiter. The first thing you noticed was the goofy looking bright red cartoon crab that was plastered on his snapback hat. Your eyes traveled down and then you really saw him, 

‘Holy shit he’s hot.’ you thought to yourself, he had a jawline that could cut diamond and plump lips and gorgeous soft brown eyes, you could also see dark brown hair peeking out under his cap. To cover up your awkward silence and blatant staring you coughed and nodded like a dummy,

“I- um yeah i'll take water for now and-” you quickly glanced at the front of the menu and pointed at a picture of something that looked like fried chicken pieces with fries. “ and that…” you prayed he was just some random worker who didn’t care or notice your awkwardness. 

The most gorgeous smile slowly formed on his face followed by a deep chuckle, you couldn’t help the deep embarrassment you felt as he laughed at you. He cleared his throat,

“Alright sounds good, so that will be one order of the fried shrimp and chips and water, got it.” He started to scribble in his little notepad and he reached down to grab your menu but you kept your hand on it 

“No- um…..actually not that-” again your embarrassment had your face inflamed. “I’m allergic to seafood,” you said in a quiet voice, there was a moment of complete silence between the two of you until he busted out laughing, it was a hearty, real laugh, a part of your brain noticed how beautiful his laugh was but the bigger part of your brain was in error mode. All you could do was put your head down as he laughed at your obvious incompetence. Suddenly he reached down and gently touched your hand with his as his laughter died down. He shook his head,

“I’m sorry I’m not laughing AT you, it's just funny, you're allergic to seafood yet the first restaurant you picked has a giant crab on the front.” another round of giggles left him as he leaned on the table. You couldn’t help but laugh too at the stupid situation you put yourself in.

“ I know, I wasn’t really thinking, I just wanted to find a place to watch the sunset.” you gestured to the large window that framed your table, he looked from the shoreline to you, he felt something fluttering in his chest, he obviously noticed how pretty you were and the dress you had on hugged you in all the right places. He smirked then cleared his throat, getting your attention from the seaside view.

“I’m Seonghwa by the way.” he reached his hand out and you took it shyly, his hand was big but soft and his fingers were long and elegant looking adorned with silver rings.

“I’m (Y/N)” you said with a smile. He smiled back.

“Let me make you a deal, You hang here, and I'll go find you something you can actually eat without dying. Deal?” He winked and you could feel your arms losing circulation. All you could do was nod and he flashed a brilliant smile.

“Ok, hang tight (Y/N)” he turned and made his way to the back of the restaurant. You took a deep breath to steady your heart, you decided then and there that night you might act up and see where the night leads you and Seonghwa. Hopefully, it was your hotel room. After about 4 minutes an older waitress came over and put a fancy looking orange and pink cocktail in front of you, 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I ordered water” in the same moment the sentence left your mouth she also put a crisp glass of water down in front of you, then she leaned down closer to you

“It’s from pretty boy back there” You both turned to the restaurant bar where Seonghwa stood behind it, waving in your direction. The waitress waggled her eyebrows at you then sauntered off with a cheeky grin.

You looked down to the bright drink and after a small sniff, you noticed it smelled really sweet and fruity, so it must not be that bad. You took a small sip and the tropical citrus flavor danced on your tongue, it didn’t even taste like alcohol. It was dangerous. Alone again you let your mind wander as you watched each family pack up and start leaving the beach, as it got darker the beach became more and more sparse. 30 minutes had passed and after people-watching you hadn’t realized you’d finished your cocktail and it was the smell of food that brought you out of your trance. You turned to find Seonghwa setting a large plate of Chicken strips and fries down in front of you. You were warm from the alcohol and starving.

“Whoa” was all you said as you looked up at him. You noticed he was dressed differently, his goofy hat and apron were gone and now covering his black work polo was a jean jacket and his hair had been slicked back. Hot damn he looked delicious. He smiled down at you then took a seat opposite of you.

“ Yeah ‘whoa’ is right, for a seafood restaurant their chicken strips are amazing, but I did have to fight the chef to make enough for two adults because these usually come in kids meals.” he rambled as he took a chicken strip off the plate and started eating. You just stared blankly at him, confused as to what was happening, He just looked back at you expecting an answer.

“Um… what’s happening here?” you asked and he chuckled again

“ My shift just ended and you told me you’d stay here while I find food for you, this was the deal” he explained taking another bite.

“But I only had to wait UNTIL you got me food, by law I can leave and take these to go” you pulled the plate closer to you, teasing him. He scoffed then quickly reached over and grabbed another tender before you could pull the plate farther away from him.

“Hey!” you laughed shielding your food. He laughed with you. 

“ Actually I wanted you to stay so I could hear your story” he explained sincerely.

“What makes you think I have a story?” you asked, taking a bite of chicken, holy shit the chicken was heavenly. He shrugged,

“Tourists always come to the beach first and usually they wander in here cause we’re right by the entrance to the beach.”

“What makes you think that’s what I did?” he piqued your curiosity

“Because, that’s what I did when I first got here, and that’s how I got this job.” He grabbed a couple of fries, popping them in his mouth. “although I walked in here because I actually like seafood” he teased you laughing as he got another tender from your shared plate. You laughed with him shaking your head.

“Shut up, it was an honest mistake, what restaurant has ONLY seafood except for on the kid’s menu, I’m going to complain to the manager” You joked and he snorted.

“Wouldn't be the first time. Anyways so, where are you from and what brings you to this godforsaken city” he said the last part a little bitterly. You were taken aback by his words, 

“What do you mean so far this city has been beautiful. Lots of people, but beautiful.” He chewed silently pondering your words. After he swallowed his bite he sighed

“I thought the same thing before I got jumped one night on my way home from work. Took my wallet and cell but not before I got a blade in my ribs.” He explained darkly, not meeting your eyes. You sat speechlessly, what do you say to that?

“No I-I get it...before I came here I was in Phoenix Arizona, some co-workers and I went out one night, I got separated from them and a man snuck up on me, held a gun to my head and made me hand over my bag. Thank god my car keys had been in my pocket, but I remember feeling so helpless and scared.” You told him, taking a sip of water, feeling the buzz of the alcohol leaving you. Both of you were silent, Seonghwa was mentally kicking himself for bringing the mood down, he hadn’t meant too but he had hoped his story could be one of caution to you but all he did was make you relive a bad memory. He sighed and signaled for one of the waitresses to come over. He ordered another cocktail and she was back with it in a couple minutes. He took the glass and slid it over to you,

“Sorry, I killed the mood I wasn’t trying to get you down.” you smiled at him, grateful for the offer but you had to decline, you still had to drive yourself back to your hotel room.

“I’ll drive you,” he offered immediately. You raised an eyebrow and he laughed

“I won’t try anything. I have to work an early shift anyways so I can’t have too much fun, I'll just catch a bus from your place once you're safe inside.”

You felt your heart warm, he was really sweet. You somehow had the luck to run into him on your first day there, you decided if he couldn’t have too much fun, then a little bit of fun would go a long way. You leaned down and took a big sip of the cocktail, but made a face as the burning taste of vodka overpowered the sugar and fruity taste,

“Oooh this one is strong” you voice came out hoarse as you choked and he laughed

“Yeah I’m the only one who can make this drink the right way, it’s kind of my specialty” he examined the glass absently

“What’s the drink called? I’ve never had it before,” you asked taking another small sip,

He looked up and met your eyes, there was something dark in his soft brown eyes, a kind of mischief that made your stomach flip

“Sex on the beach,” he said softly in his deep voice, keeping direct eye contact with you. You breathed out slowly and without breaking the eye contact you responded 

“your specialty is sex on the beach?” you asked, your voice small. He smirked, finally breaking eye contact as he reached down his fingers tracing the lines on the top of your hands. 

“Something like that.” 

Suddenly you didn't care about seeing the beach, You took another big drink of your liquid courage, managing to not make a gross face this time and you looked at him,

“How about instead of escorting me home, maybe you can take me into the city? Cruise around, show me the city lights and nightlife, you don’t have to go home right this instant?” you asked leaning forward giving him puppy dog eyes hoping he’d accept. 

He laughed at your eagerness, after a quick check of his phone he accepted and you smiled feeling victorious.

Quickly getting up and packaging your food to go you went to pay for the food but he just grabbed your arm and led you out the door. 

“Wait, this is stealing,” you said bluntly feeling buzzed.

“I’m an assistant manager, it’s on me.” He responded cooly 

“Oh excuse me I didn’t know I was hanging with a High Roller” you teased. He laughed as you guys came to the parking lot of the beach, there weren’t many cars and your old red Dodge Dakota truck stood out lonely in a far corner. You beckoned for him to follow as you stumbled over to your trusty vehicle. Once you got to the truck you tossed him the keys,

“This is not the car I expected you to have” he laughed unlocking the door.

“Yup i've had this old girl for years, i  saw her in a used car lot and had to have her.” you climbed in the passenger seat and tossed the bag of food in the back seat. 

One you both were in and buckled up he laughed

“So you're just a young pretty girl that drives an old beat up truck that's probably older than you?” he  laughed again turning to you

“I know it's weird right…” you turned to him trying to look intimidating

“You know this could all be a ruse, I could be luring you to the back alleys of the city to kill you and keep your head in my fridge.

After a beat you realized how weird that really sounded and you silently cursed the alcohol for making you so loose lipped. 

Luckily Seonghwa wasn't fazed as he burst out laughing then turned to you and cocked his eyebrow

“Is that a threat or a promise??” he giggled and started the truck, you thanked the heavens he was so easygoing. 

“Wanna know the main reason I wanted this truck?” you asked him, reaching across him to a switch near the drivers door, noting how good he smelled while you did it, and flipped a small switch. There was a groaning and whining noise then the whole top of your truck moved and folded back on itself and after a moment you were both sitting with the salty sea air around you. 

“ WHAT? This is so COOL!” he exclaimed looking like a kid with a new toy “I didn't know that convertible trucks existed!!” he was laughing in excitement and you laughed with him. 

“Lets fuckin go then!” he yelled and revved the engine and soon you guys were on the road headed for downtown L.A.

In no time you both were cruising with the top down, enjoying the nightlife, the city was so big and there were so many people out shopping, and eating and there were a lot of people performing and busking on the sides of the roads. It was all so magical and you felt so exhilarated, In all honesty there wasn't anything about L.A that you had not seen in other big cities, but this city had one thing the others didn't, and that was Seonghwa. Having someone with you to experience things with, made a world of a difference. Every so often when you'd get excited and would point and laugh and sit with amazement he would always look at you with the softest eyes and he looked upon you with this kind of adoration that you had never seen someone look at you with. He would tell you stories of his first experiences with the various locations you guys passed by and he had you laughing and every so often he would rest his hand on your thigh absentmindedly, not in a creepy way, but in a way that felt familiar, like he'd done it a thousand times. His hand was a comfortable warmth on your cool skin and it felt right being there with him, everything about him was perfect.

After a bit of driving he started to head to where he lived, you had offered to drop him off as the night had grown long and he had gotten a few phone calls from his roommates asking when he'd be home so unfortunately he had to head home and you were sobered up enough to drive finally. He pulled into the driveway and parked, not before putting the top back up. There was a silence in the car, neither of you wanted to end the night, but Seonghwa had responsibilities and he had to sleep because he had to open up at work the next day. 

After a bit of silence he reached over again and gently put his hand on your knee, you placed your smaller hand on his,

“Well, (Y/N) i'm glad you stumbled into my restaurant today, this is the most fun i've had with another person in a long time.” he smiled at you, eyes running over your body as his thumb drew circles on your knee. You had heard what he said, and you wanted to respond with something sweet and wholesome but all you could focus on was his lips and his hand on your skin. With the hand that was placed on his you grabbed his wrist and slowly pulled his hand up higher on your thigh pushing back the fabric of your dress until he was a inch away from your center. You felt him tense up and your breathing got heavy as you watched him and waited for him to do something,

“(Y/N)...” he breathed out, voice deep and filled with lust as he stared at the spot his hand was in and were it was going, he gave your thigh a test squeeze, 

“Seonghwa..” you didn't mean for your voice to come out as a small moan but the anticipation and sexual tension was becoming too much for you. Suddenly Seonghwa leaned down and pressed his lips against yours, you immediately opened your mouth to deepen the kiss further, frantically unbuckling your seat belt so you could climb over onto his lap. Without breaking the kiss you settled onto his lap and his hands were all over you. Your brain was a deep fog, there was nothing you could think other than the feeling of his soft lips on yours and the feeling of his big hands as he squeezed your ass. You slipped your hands under his shirt wanting to feel more of him, he broke the kiss only to swiftly remove his jacket and polo shirt. You took a moment to marvel at his body, he was leaned and chiseled, not too much muscle but there were abs and broad shoulders, this man was like a drug, everything he did and everything about him was so intoxicating. You ran your hands up and down his chest and down his back as he pulled you closer, you  noticed a hardnessed pressed against your lower parts and you smiled in the kiss, feeling how hard he got and all you guys were doing was kissing. Ever so slowly you pressed your hips down harder onto his crotch and started grinding, he broke the kiss as his head fell back and a groan escaped his lips,

“Oh my god (Y/N) fuck..” you took that as a sigh to grind your hips harder onto his erection, causing more intense friction on your clit, both of you held each other, a moaning and whining mess. You absently thought about how hot and bothered you were getting with your clothes on, you couldn't wait to get them off. You went to kiss him again, tongue exploring as he grasped your hips harshly, trying to slow your movements because your makeout session was getting really intense really fast.

You were about to pull back and ask if they should go back to your hotel room for more privacy when there was a loud rapping at the driver side window, you let out a surprised squeak as you moved to cover any exposed parts. Both you and Seonghwa turned and standing on the other side of the window was a tall man, he looked young like you guys and he had peach colored messy hair and various stains on his oversized sweater. 

“Yuhno What the Fuck???” Seonghwa said incredulously, The man named Yuhno gestured for him to roll the window down, after the glass was no longer between them Seonghwa snapped at the taller man

“ Yuhno I said I'd be home soon, I was kind of in the middle of something.” he lectured, angrily pulling his shirt back on.

“Yeah I can see that, and as much as hate to cockblock you and this lovely lady-” he looked over at you and waved cutely, all you could do was laugh and wave back embarrassed. “But Wooyoung and Mingi duct taped Hongjoong to the wall and they won't let me get him down, San wont stop crying because he was trying to do a trick off the counter and dropped half our plates. I tried to get Jongho and Yeosang to help but they went into their rooms and refused to come out.” Yuhno explained in the most calm way possible. Seonghwa just silently sat for a moment and sighed,

“The one day you all have a day off while I have to work late and of course there is pure chaos, just- go get Hongjoong down and I'll be inside in a second.” Yuhno just nodded and after waving at you again he hurried back to the shared house. Seonghwa just sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly,

“ Are these your roommates or do you have kids I don't know about?” Seonghwa let out a genuine laugh then he looked tiredly at you,

“Im sorry, my roommates are a bit…. Eccentric.” he said the last word slowly. You giggled, then leaned over and gave him a small peck on his lips. He pressed his forehead to yours and sat for a moment, basking in your scent. Then with another defeated sigh he climbed out and you slid into the driver seat behind him. He closed your door and leaned in the open window pressing another quick kiss to your lips, the longing in his eyes almost made you want to cry as it mirrored your own longing. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to you and you realized it was your phone, 

“Don't be mad but I put my number in your phone” he chuckled

“When did you get my phone?!” you asked genuinely surprised he just chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“I have my ways, I just want to make sure I’ll get to see you again.” he said the last part as a question

“Of course” you said softly cupping his cheek to emphasize your adoration. He didn't make any move to leave your side until there was a loud crashing and incoherent yelling from the inside of the house. 

“I gotta go,” he shot you an apologetic smile and turned and jogged up to the front door. As he pulled open the door you could hear high pitched laughter and other sounds of ruckus happening in the house.

“Wooyoung!” he barked as he slammed the door behind him followed by a high pitched scream you could hear from inside your truck.

 You looked down at the new contact in your phone under the name Seonghwa and smiled. The whole drive home you had butterflies as you thought about your day and the amazing man you spent part of it with. You'd never experienced anything like this before all the other times you were with a guy it was a hookup and you never really saw the men again, but you knew without a doubt you wanted to see Seonghwa over and over again. 

“Coming to L.A. was a good choice after all” you said to yourself as you made your way back to your hotel “ I think that I might stay”

#ateez seonghwa #Seonghwa fluff #seonghwa smut #ateez smut #ateez fluff #natural-namjoon works #ateez fanfic #fanfic #top down #5hxAteez #mingi #hongjoong #yuhno #wooyoung #san #yeosang #jongho

[ammunitionist]

a small gift brings a little life to king company. 

or, ack ack finds a guitar- and hillbilly remembers how to play. 

ao3 here | full first chapter under the cut

Ack Ack honestly has no idea what it is for a good minute. 

He doesn’t bother to get up to check- never stand when you can sit- so the wooden thing leans, an odd little enigma, just in the peripheral of his sight for the better part of ten minutes. It’s definitely wood, he can tell from the hint of grain at a distance. The angle is just so that the neck looks uniform, that he can’t see the strings at all. It almost looks like a broom handle. 

It isn’t that Andy’s never seen a guitar. He’d had a friend in high school who played (just not very well) and guitars were common enough in small town New England. It wasn’t unusual to walk down the street at dusk and hear some old timer picking away at the instrument.

It’s funny to think back on himself, sixteen or so, thinking of anyone as elderly. With the new recruits popping up around him on the daily, he’s starting to feel like an old timer himself. 

Ack Ack tries to ignore the odd chunk of wood, get in another nap before sundown, but they’ve been eating good lately. Sleeping good, too. He simply has too much energy to let go of the curiosity. 

Without moving- never sit when you can lie down- he calls out to the man sitting closest to him, scribbling in a small book held in his left hand. 

“Hey, Sledge,” he asks genially, his hands resting behind his head. “What’s that wooden thing over in PX? I can’t see it all too well.”

Eugene looks up from his book almost too fast, glancing first at Andy and then leaning over to scrutinize the object of interest. Ack Ack stifles a small smile at how eager the mortarman is to please. 

“Hell, Skipper,” he says, blinking. “It’s a guitar.”

“Really?” Ack Ack says, almost embarrassed at his lack of observational skills. “Shit, I am getting old. I thought it was a broom.” Sledge laughs, because of course he does, but Andy’s already sitting up, looking directly at the handle of the thing. The neck, he recalls its specific name being. Slender and slightly curved, it looks out of place with the crudely made shipping crates stacked around the PX. 

“Is that all, sir?” Sledge asks. Andy barely acknowledges it, too occupied with the discovery. He nods, waving the younger man off with a hand and a vague ‘yes, Private’.

Hillbilly plays guitar. Ack Ack knows because he mentioned it once, and just once, but that’s the kind of information you store away for people you care about. Somewhere in the long list of things Andy knows about Eddie- a list riddled with question marks, smudges, and the not infrequent total censor- is the fact that he plays.

 He learned from his daddy, apparently. That was the kind of skill they handed down in the Jones family. Workin’, fightin’, n’ the guitar, Eddie had put it, the end of his cigarette a glowing ember in the darkness. He only really taught me th’ middle one. 

Andy hadn’t interrogated, but between that one night and the other things on his list about Eddie Jones, he’d figured out what that meant. 

Knowing Hillbilly played the guitar just- always did something to him, something strange. Not like giving him a hard-on, it was never the subject of a sexual fantasy, but some aspect of the idea of Hillbilly’s large, callused hands cradling the neck of an instrument was an image that stuck in his mind. Knowing a man like that could make music- enjoyed it, even- just pushed Eddie deeper into Ack Ack’s heart. 

Despite himself, Ack Ack slowly hauls himself to his feet, brushing sand from his palms on the nearly-compromised fabric of his dungarees. No one pays him much mind, just another man wandering towards PX. The Seabees had touched down about a week ago, so the postal exchange is more or less looted, but Ack Ack has no burning desire for candy bars or magazines. 

Still, when he gets there, he feigns interest in the dregs of merchandise. Back issues of Superman, a few melted Hershey’s chocolates, a copy of Sports Illustrated. If he beelines for the guitar, the corporal sitting in the corner will definitely upcharge him. Pocketing an extra few dollars was never above the Merchant Marines, and this young man- chubby, blonde, picking something out of his teeth with a Jap bayonet- looks like no exception. 

Finally making the wide, lazy half circle to the guitar, Andy feigns mild interest in it, tilting the head of the instrument towards his belt. Upon closer inspection, it’s practically beaten to pieces- the body has a fair few dents in it, and a concerning looking crack runs nearly the entire length of the neck. One of the tuning pegs had been replaced with a roofing nail at some point, poking out like an odd splinter at a not-quite right angle from the headstock. 

“You play?” The corporal asks lazily, examining a caught piece of food on the end of the bayonet with catlike self-satisfaction. 

“Me? No.” Andy shakes his head, letting the guitar back to rest against the crates. “One of my boys does, though.”

He almost smiles to himself when he refers to Hillbilly as one of his ‘boys’. It’s not unlike calling the White House a ‘big ol’ mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania’. 

“He any good?” the blond asks. Andy shrugs, pocketing his hands discreetly. He really has no idea if Hillbilly is any good, but it doesn’t matter much if he is or not. Ack Ack would pay out in spades to see him play even if he couldn’t sustain a single note.

Upon receiving no verbal answer, the corporal takes Andy’s silence as permission to keep chatting. He sighs and sets the bayonet down, kicking his feet up on the shoddy crates nearby. The containers creak ominously.

“That there belonged to Johnson. Buddy of a buddy, or somethin’.” 

Ack Ack glances at the corporal in mild interest, mostly playing along in favor of a discount. 

“Went lookin’ for some dead Japs to loot a couple nights ago.”

Andy figures what happened before the man finishes his thought, but that doesn’t stop him from clarifying. It’s with a sick glee that Ack Ack only sees in men that have never once seen a friend die in their lives. 

“Got blown to hell on a landmine. Skipper said to put the thing in the PX or use it as firewood.”

“Ah.” Ack Ack says, less keen on the conversation than he would be to sitting on a land crab in his skivvies. The corporal grunts in acquiescence.

He almost up and leaves the exchange there and then. What kind of earthly gift would a dead man’s guitar be? Hillbilly’d show no outward insult, likely feel none inward either. Ack Ack can’t begin to express in words the amount of gratitude he feels for Eddie’s tolerance. Still, he deserves better than this. 

But where else could he find a guitar in the whole of the Pacific?

“How much?” he asks succinctly, looking up from his boots. He hopes the curtness in his tone reminds the corporal of their ranks, of his decidedly upper hand. 

“Seven dollars.” The blond replies, eyes narrowing slightly. Andy has to stifle a scoff. 

“It’s not worth more than three, Corporal,” he sighs, nudging the body of the instrument with his boot. “Look at it. Beat to hell.”

“Six.”

“Four.”

“Deal.”

He leaves the postal exchange with the thing in hand, simultaneously lighter than it looks and much, much heavier. Sledge glances up at him with interest as he walks by, glancing between Ack Ack and the instrument. 

“You play, Skipper?” he calls out as Andy passes, heading deeper into K Company’s cluster of men. 

“No!” Ack Ack replies, a wry smile countering Eugene’s expression of confusion. 

Hillbilly never went far from King Company, but he also avoided its center. Ack Ack liked to think he prowled its perimeter like some kind of guard dog, keeping an eye on even the rowdiest of the unit. It’s a reliable kind of safekeeping, one that Andy has come to value more as they’ve moved further towards the mainland. Both for himself and his men, that protection is beyond invaluable. 

He’s smoking a cigarette up against some concrete rubble, the slowly setting sun dying his pale brown hair a burnt orange. Between the small ember at the end of his cigarette and the dying light, Hillbilly’s almost golden. 

Ack Ack sits down quietly in front of him, the slight sound of shifting rubble enough to garner a glance from his Lieutenant. His eyes catch on the guitar and linger, though, and Andy holds it out- an offering. 

“Where th’hell did y’ get that?” Eddie asks, sitting up to take the proffered instrument. Andy shrugs, pulling a crushed carton of cigarettes from his breast pocket. 

“PX.” he replies simply, biting one out of the package and lighting it with a quick turn of his wrist. 

Eddie turns the guitar over in his lap once, twice, three times, examining it. Andy watches mildly, his eyes catching on the neck of the guitar resting in the crook of Hillbilly’s palm. His stomach warms, just slightly, the sight of the slender thing in his lover’s hand like a hot cup of coffee on a cold morning. 

“How did y’ know I play?” Hillbilly asks again, tone slightly sotto with confusion. 

“You told me.” Ack Ack answers, mildly surprised that Hillbilly forgot. “A few months ago. Remember?” 

Eddie shakes his head vaguely, but his attention has already re-allocated to the instrument. He settles it in his lap, the curve in the hollow body fitting over his thigh. It’s a small guitar- that, or Hillbilly’s just bigger than the last person Andy saw holding one- but he still supports it comfortably. 

He runs his fingernails across the strings experimentally, and both of the men wince in tandem.

“Is it broken?” Ack Ack asks, momentarily worried that his gift is damaged beyond utility. Hillbilly snorts. 

“Nah,” he sighs, a wolfish smile cracking his face in half. Ack Ack has never quite seen him smile like that before. 

Unbothered, Eddie turns one of the pegs in the head, thumbing the top string in rapid succession. The tone wobbles slowly higher. 

“Jus’ outta tune. I think I can handle it.”

Andy smokes as Eddie coaxes the instrument into tune, slow going considering the state of it. It’s a pleasant experience, to hear the strings slowly come up to par, and the surprising gentleness with which Hillbilly tunes it brings up the warmth in Ack Ack’s belly to a low simmer. To watch his broad hands dance across the head, fiddling with the pegs, is certainly an odd sight for the middle of the Pacific Theater, but it’s one Andy more than welcomes. 

Finally, Hillbilly strums the guitar’s strings again, and even though the sound is unremarkable Eddie seems to find it satisfactory. 

“Does it play?” Andy asks, tapping his cigarette on a nearby block to ash it into the sand.

“Well, why don’ we find out?” Eddie grins. He adjusts his hand against the neck of the guitar and strums carefully, a gentle note ringing out from its body. Tension leaches from Andy’s shoulders immediately. Between artillery, rifle fire, and bodies hitting the dirt, it feels like the first soft sound Ack Ack’s heard in months.

“Oh,” he breathes, and Eddie glances up to meet his eyes. They both pause for a moment, holding the gaze, before another smile breaks Eddie’s face and they start laughing. The absurdity of it is captivating. A fucking guitar, here, in a warzone. A flimsy, breakable little thing that somehow made its way to them unbroken. It feels like watching a daisy bloom on the rim of a shell crater. 

“Shit, sir,” Eddie chuckles, broad shoulders shaking in amusement. “I didn’t think I’d be seein’ one of these for a long time yet.” 

Ack Ack has to grin. The sun had all but fully set in the time it had taken Eddie to tune the guitar, and the long shadows on his companion make the moment all the more absurd, a strangely stark figure against the rubble.  

Small fires have started up again throughout the camp. They dot the landscape like little flowers, flames blooming upward into the black sky. Ack Ack and Hillbilly have a favorite, one nearest the Captain’s tent, and relatively sequestered. Them, Haney, and a few select NCOs. It’s a good crowd, and none of them say anything if Hillbilly’s hand drifts a bit close to Ack Ack’s knee, or if Ack Ack’s head dips momentarily onto Hillbilly’s shoulder. They’re still careful, of course, but it’s good to know that a toe over the line goes unnoticed, for virtue of respect or some other unnamed force.

They get up in tandem and wander deeper into King Company, towards their fire ring of choice. Haney is sparking at some dry tinder just as they arrive, coaxing a small flame to life under the larger logs. He glances up as they settle in, eyes falling on the guitar in Hillbilly’s fist. 

“The Marine Corp,” he starts, sitting back with a grin. “Must practice leisure with the same fervency as the act of war.”

Hillbilly smiles at him, the exact same accommodating smile Ack Ack gives to the Gunny when he starts his tangents. Ack Ack settles back, shifting in his seat. 

“And in that leisure,” Haney continues, a wolfish grin splitting his weathered features, “Each Marine must be invested in his brother’s recreation as well as his own.”

Eddie nods, equal parts amused and obliging. Haney gestures at the instrument.

“Play us a goddamn tune, Jones.” 

Eddie adjusts the guitar in his lap, fingers hovering over the fretboard in hesitation. 

“I, uh, I ain’t played in a long while,” he starts, but Ack Ack nudges his side at the same time Haney gives him a genial wave of the hand. No one minds. Even bad music will be the first melody any of them have heard in months, other than the terrible raucous ballads that swell up among the men sometimes. Ack Ack tolerates those songs for the morale boost they are, but he never feels an impulse to sing along. 

Hillbilly arranges his fingers against the fretboard and strums quietly, picking up a lazy pattern. Ack Ack watches his nails hit against the strings, his strong fingers even further golden in the firelight than the dying sun. He has the same sheen as a bronze statue, like the ones Andrew had seen in the greens at Bowdoin.

Eddie swaps the chord, pausing for a moment in between. He swears under his breath, obviously frustrated with his apparent rustiness. 

In the protection of the shadow between their bodies, Andy presses a supportive knuckle into Eddie’s side, up underneath his jacket. 

His skin is warm to the touch. 

After a few minutes of fumbling around the frets (and growing gradually bolder), Hillbilly pauses, letting his arm fall from the guitar��s neck. He swipes the back of his hand across his nose discreetly, glancing around the circle to gauge his company’s apparent tolerance. Ack Ack follows his gaze, just to realize they’d accumulated somewhat of an audience. Five, maybe ten of the enlisted men from a nearby group had heard the quiet strumming and crept up on the edges of the firelight to listen. From where he sits, Andy can recognize Burgin and Shelton, meaning Sledge probably isn’t far. 

“Why don’t you fellas come and join us?” he calls genially, gesturing for the men to have a seat, instead of crouching in the semidarkness like a bunch of house cats. They start, with the guilty countenance of children caught in the cookie jar, but move into the light anyway.

“Instead of standing out there like a bunch of Peeping Toms, at least.” Andy murmurs, settling in subtly closer to Eddie. From what he knows of the men, they’re either dumb as a bag of rocks or queer themselves, so there should be no issue with their standard dance on the edge of obviousness. He knows Hillbilly probably isn’t happy with the added volume, but Ack Ack figures it won’t do any of them much harm for a little

entertainment. 

“Just play them one song and I’ll make ‘em leave,” he murmurs into Eddie’s neck, making it look like a subtle stretch on his part. “Promise.” 

Eddie sighs, shifting uncomfortably, but Andy knows that he’ll do it. He knows that Eddie will do anything when he asks like that. 

It makes his heart stutter a bit in his chest. 

The strings squeal faintly as Hillbilly leans back, tongue running over his teeth while he considers his options. “Any of you, uh, heard’a Midnight Special?” he asks tentatively. 

“I have,” Snafu interjects, drawing most eyes in the circle to him. His accent is deeper than Hillbilly’s, and his drawl makes his Is into long, lazy ‘ah’ sounds.

“Can’t sing, though.” he adds, picking something from his teeth. 

Someone snorts. Ack Ack’s pretty sure it’s Sledge. 

“Well,” Eddie sighs under his breath, nearly contemptuous, but he doesn’t finish the thought. Instead, the guitar starts up again, and everyone settles in a bit closer. The fact it’s music would probably interest most of them alone, but Andy has no doubt most of these men would pay real money to hear their very own Lieutenant Jones sing a ditty.

The introduction to the song lasts for a while, a simple and slightly jaunty chord progression, but right as Ack Ack is starting to think Eddie’s stalling he opens his mouth and he sings. 

His voice is nothing special. A gentle, sweet tenor, making up for lack of range with modesty. It’s about the voice expected of a man who played music as a child and fell off, being as his instrument of choice is not included in the provisions of a Marine. 

It may be nothing special to everyone else in the world, but to Andrew, it’s fucking magical. 

“Yonder comes Miss Rosie,” Eddie intones, over the soft notes of the guitar. “How in the world you know.” 

All at once, some otherworldly tiredness sinks into Ack Ack’s bones. 

It’s strange, though, to call it that. He had felt exhaustion before- Hell, almost every single day since their landing on Peleliu- but this is different. Hillbilly’s voice makes him want to rest, to tuck his head into the crook of Eddie’s shoulder and let his voice carry him away to gentle oblivion.

“Well, I know her by the apron,” Hillbilly carries on, a loud pop from the fire interjecting in the middle of the lyric. No one so much as jumps. They’ve all been through worse. “And that dress she wore.”

“What kind’a dress?” Someone calls, to quiet chuckles. Ack Ack smiles faintly. If there’s nothing else to be said for King Company’s crude banter, it’s at least endearing. 

“Umbrella on her shoulder, Piece’a paper in her hand.” Hillbilly sings. A couple men have joined their circle since the song began, ones apparently more familiar with the music the Lieutenant grew up on. Their voices join in slowly, crooning the ballad towards the smoke rising into the black sky. Andy doesn’t mind- with his proximity to his lover, Eddie’s voice easily overpowers the rest. 

A few more lines pass like that, slurring together in a pleasant melody in the Captain’s head. He has to fight to keep his eyes open, but he doesn’t struggle after fixing them on Eddie. 

His curls burn amber in the firelight, same as the angular plane of his cheek and just the barest corner of his jaw. With his eyes closed and lips parted, Hillbilly looks like a fucking fever dream of a man. 

“Let the Midnight Special,” They all sing at once, loud enough that Andy’s pulled from his momentary reverence. Even Snafu joins in, apparent vocal ineptitude nothing but another one of his little quips. 

“Shine her light on me.” 

Ack Ack watches the smoke from the fire carry sparks up towards the stars.

“Let the Midnight Special,” he joins in quietly, a second after realizing the lyric repeats.

“Shine her ever-lovin’ light on me.”

#WOOH this one is long for my usual ballpark #over 3k words in just the 1st chapter #it's a lot for me #the next chapter will b up in a few days! pinky swear #andyeddie #andrew ack ack haldane #edward hillbilly jones #Snafu Shelton #eugene sledge #the pacific

[thisisthepartwhereyou]

BEASTARS MINI-STORY #5: “Everybody Play the Game pt. 3” by JCL

---

We see the interior of a claw crane machine full of plush dolls. These plushies look like adorable chibi-versions of characters in Cat's Don't Dance (1997), such as Danny, Sawyer and Pudge. A claw moves down into frame and makes a grab at a Danny-doll. While the claw succeeds in clamping the body, the doll still slips through the grip and remains down with the rest of the dolls.

HARU: "Damn."

We see that Haru is the one playing with it, holding its joystick with an irritated expression as the claw returns to its default position. Now seeing the whole machine from the exterior, we see that it has an aquatic theme, with the picture of a cartoon crab and the title 'Treasure Trove' printed between the top of the machine and the display glass.

Legosi is standing next to Haru, leaning against the wall next to the machine.

LEGOSI: "I think you're throwing your money away. I've never actually seen anyone win something from these things."

Haru takes up a coin from her pocket and pushes it into the coin slot. The machine begins to play a short melody (which sounds like a sea chanty) and the crane inside it starts to blink, signifying that a new round has started. Haru's ears (who following the events of the last chapter look a little reddish) flicker. She got a frown on her face.

HARU: "It's not a waste of money if it keeps you distracted for a bit."

She glances over her shoulder, over which we see that the boys from 701 has taken a seat at their reserved table.

HARU: "He's still feeling pretty bad, isn't he?"

Legosi turns his head to look at Durham. The coyote look depressed for some reason.

LEGOSI: "Yeah..."

Haru pulls the joystick in a L-shaped motion, goading the claw back to the Danny-doll.

HARU: "I don't get it, it's not like he pulled my ears off or anything. He already apologized... He doesn't have to look like he's on a funeral or something."

She presses a large and red button on top of the joystick. This makes the four-fingered claw inside open up, descend and make another grab at the plushie. It goes a little better, with the doll actually being elevated for a short distance, before sliding off the grip and falling down. Haru gives off a disgruntled growl.

HARU: "Damnit! I get knocked around by accident almost daily by animals bigger than me, but they usually just apologize and then it's done. I don't take it personally, and they don't linger on it."

She quickly puts in another coin. The melody plays again and she maneuvers the claw into the same place as before. She really got in for that Danny-doll!

HARU: "I don't like getting treated like a little porcelain doll. Most of the world pities me already for being this small and fragile, he doesn't have to feel so sorry for such a little thing! It's like with you and that yakisoba-incident*...!"

She presses the button and the claw goes down again, except now it misses the intended target completely.

HARU: "SHIT! It was just a stupid mistake, and you still feel bad about it."

Haru turns her head to look at Legosi, who is still looking in Durham's direction.

HARU: "What is it with you canines and your overabundant sense of guilt?"

LEGOSI: "I think you've misunderstood why he feels as bad as he does. After he hurt you, did you happen to get a good look at the other visitors here?"

Haru's brows go up. She turns to look at the other visitors in the café besides them. We see that there is like 10 of them, all of them herbivores of varying sizes. She does not notice anything special about them though.

HARU: "What about them?"

LEGOSI: "Look at them for a little longer..."

Haru takes another, longer look. Doing this, she eventually notices how the other visitors are throwing them and the 701s nervous and/or unfriendly glances.

HARU: "... They keep looking our way?"

Legosi nods. He then crouches down, gets close to Haru and whispers into her ear.

LEGOSI: "It's because they're expecting us to attack and eat you at any moment. You probably didn't notice in the commotion..." ---

We enter a flashback, taking place right after Durham accidentally clamps Haru's ears on the Fivelimbs-carpet.

LEGOSI: "...But when you cried out they all immediately stood up or reached for their phones, probably ready to call the police."

As this happens, several of the other patrons stand up at their tables with their phones up, or look like they are about rush out or rush in.  

LEGOSI: "Two of them even ran out the door."

We two scared-looking visitors, a goat and a llama, running out through the door.

LEGOSI: "Yanni reached for something behind the counter. I don't know if it was a phone, a baseball bat or a even a firearm."

Finally we see the owner, Yanni, reaching down for something behind the counter. ---

Returning to the present, Haru look upset by what Legosi just told her.

LEGOSI: "That's why Durham feel so bad. You see, because of his accident, everyone in here is now watching us with scrutiny. After all, we are six male carnivores, with one female herbivore..."

We go over to the 701s, sitting at their table. In an illustrative way, we see disembodied eyes filled with scorn spawning around them within a cloud of resentful aura, illustrating how they are currently perceived in the café by the other patrons.

LEGOSI: "People are always quick to assume the worst from us, and now that one of us has actually hurt you, it's hard for the other ones here to get the idea of us eating you out of their head."

Haru turns to Legosi. She has gone from being upset, to angry.

HARU: "But it was just a stupid accident!"

Legosi acknowledges this with a nod and a melancholic expression.

LEGOSI: "There are no accidents, not with carnivores. That's what they think."

He sighs.

LEGOSI: "That's what they always think, and we're always supposed to feel bad about it, even if it isn't true. That's the reason behind our... Overabundant sense of guilt."

Haru stares at Legosi, looking very sad for a few seconds. She then groans with a voice that sound so frustrated, deep and rough that it might as well have come from some wrath-filled creature from the darkest pits of hell.  

HARU: "Son of a BITCH!"

The sound hilariously catches Legosi off his guard. Haru then swiftly turns and hits the crane machine with her fist. She leans forward, her forehead resting against the glass. Her eyes focus in on the Danny-doll; the orange feline sitting in there like an unattainable object of desire.

HARU: "It pisses me off. And as a cherry on top of the situation, why must that darn cat mock me..!?"

Legosi puts a hand on her head and scratches it affectionately.

LEGOSI: "There, there...!"

HARU: "So what are we supposed to do?"

LEGOSI: "Buy the doll online?"

Haru backs away from the machine and turns to Legosi.

HARU: "No... I mean about the atmosphere. What can we do about it?"

LEGOSI: "I am not sure whether there is anything we can do.... I guess we could go to another place."

This makes Haru's ears twitch in annoyance.

HARU: "No way! You guys rented a table, we have as much right to be here as any other paying customer."

Haru seems to ponder hard about what to do.

HARU: (The issue is fear and ignorance... How does one deal with silent fear and ignorance withpout causing a scene?)

Thinking about this, she then looks like she realizes something and turns to Legosi with an apologetic look.

HARU: "I am sorry about what I said about canines and guilt. That was very speciest of me."

Legosi shrugs.

LEGOSI: "It's alright, you didn't know better. Also, you should probably stay away from the word 'bitch'. That's kind of an offensive therm for us..."

Then, all of a sudden, a light bulb appears above Haru's head. Meanwhile, Legosi's stomach begins to grumble.

HARU: "Hey... You just gave me an idea."

LEGOSI: "Good. Could we get something to eat while you explain it to me?" ---

We skip ahead for a bit. We see that at their reserved table, each of the 701s have individual trays with food in front of them. Durham is continuously dipping a wafer into his cup of coffee with a vacant look in his eyes.

DURHAM: "This is unbearable. First impressions are everything, and now I've turned this game night into a stare off..!"

Jack, who is eating an English muffin whilst carefully wiping the crumbs from it into a napkin, gives the coyote a tired look.

JACK: "You should try and cheer up, you know, for her sake. She probably doesn't understand the situation."

It is about then that Haru return to the table with her own tray. Sliding the tray up on the table (which has a carrot cake, a cup of black coffee and a small bag of sugar cubes on it), she then hops up on the sofa and scooches in next to Miguno, who straightens up with a nervous look as she gets close. She doesn't appear to notice this though and looks around with a friendly face.

HARU: "What are you guys talking about?"

DURHAM: "Oh... Nothing."

Durham's eyes go directly to Haru's ears, taking notice of their reddish tint.

DURHAM: "... You're sure that you're alright?"

Haru looks a bit annoyed. She proceeds to rip open the little bag with the sugar cubes, making them fall out on her tray.

HARU: "I told you, I'm fine. You don't have to keep apologizing when it was just an accident."

Durham nods, but still look quite guilty. A hand lands on his shoulder. He looks up and sees that it is Legosi, who is giving him a look that appears to say 'it's okay.' This seems to calm Durham's conscience a bit. We then hear Collot growling at Durham.

COLLOT: "You should apologize to me too...!"

We then see that Collot has ordered a very large glass of ice tea, which he has positioned between his legs.

COLLOT: "Or at least pay for the damn tea. I'm not even an ice tea kind of guy...!"

Durham raises an eyebrow and stares at Collot with an unsympathetic eye. Meanwhile, Legosi sits down next to Haru. We see that his tray has a latte and a pound cake on it.

DURHAM: "Just consider it a bad case of karma for something you've done and gotten away with."

Haru sweat drops at this.

HARU: "Actually, I should be apologizing for that one... I am sorry that I bust a nut."

All the boys give her a weirded out looks. Realizing what she just said, she blushes and looks embarrassed.

HARU: "Okay, lousy choice of words, but you get what I'm saying, right?"

Collot gives her a little nod and smile, showing that he is not holding any grudge. Haru sighs.

HARU: "My karma must be wicked bad. First the crane robbed me, and now I put my foot in my mouth...!"

Voss, who has been busy gorging on a piece of blueberry pie, looks up from his plate.

VOSS: "No disrespect, but I don't think a crane machine is such good indicator to the legitimacy of karma, cause in that case everyone who has played it must've been real ass... ASSemblings of bad actions. I mean when did 'Cat's Don't Dance' come out? Twenty years ago? I bet the owner have to take those plushies out every weekend just to remove the cobwebs."

JACK: "Actually, there is some scientific legitimacy to karma."

Now everyone turns to look at Jack.

JACK: "Not that one can actually collect supernatural points that will determine what you're reborn as. I mean, if you see karma as an outcome of action, one should remember the third law of motion: for every action, there is an equivalent and opposite reaction... Meaning that good actions will affect your odds favorably, just as how bad actions can come back to bite you, sometimes when you least expect it."

Collot huffs at this, lifting the iceatea off his crotch and putting it on the table in front of him.

COLLOT: "Whatever you say Earl."

Taking a sip from the tea through a long straw, his face lights up a bit.

COLLOT: "Mmm... Its actually pretty good!"

Haru and Legosi share a look. He nods, prompting her to clear her throat, which directs the 701s collective attention towards her.

HARU: "Excuse me, I was just wondering... Do you guys have any questions about me and Legosi?"

This question catches the boys off guard. They all look a little uncertain.

HARU: "It's okay to be curious you know, I mean you gotta wonder how it works."

MIGUNO: "You mean... It's okay to ask questions?"

Legosi nods.

LEGOSI: "Well to be honest it would be nice if more people asked questions about us."

Haru takes the sugar cubes up from her tray and puts them into her coffee. She then proceeds to stir it with a spoon.

HARU: "Most people seem scared to ask, or maybe they're afraid of the answers."

DURHAM: "So it's really okay?"

Haru takes her spoon up and points it at Durham.

HARU: "As long as it's not too personal."

Miguno leans forward, looking at her and Legosi eagerly.

MIGUNO: "Okay... Um, stop me if I overstep any boundaries, but what do your families think?"

Haru takes a sip from her coffee.

HARU: "They all like Legosi, but I don't think they quite get that he's my boyfriend."

LEGOSI: "Actually, your dad knows."

Haru looks surprised by this, and she puts the cup down.

HARU: "He does?"

LEGOSI: "I told him when he gave me a ride home the first time I had dinner at your parents house."

HARU: "Really? Huh."

JACK: "What about Gosha?"

Legosi meets Jack's look.

LEGOSI: "He knows, but we haven't really had a chance to set up a formal meeting. Things have been pretty hectic since last Rexmas, with my job, his job and Haru's studies, so finding a date that works for all three of us have been pretty difficult."

HARU: "Golden week is soon. How about then?"

Legosi look at Haru with uncertainty.

LEGOSI: "I am not sure. A lot of people order udon during golden week... I'll have to talk about it with my boss before I can say for sure."

A little vein pops on Haru's head; she gives his arm an annoyed little poke.

HARU: "Considering you almost never take any time off, even during the holidays, he should give you a break...!"

JACK: "I have a question."

Jack stares at the two with a quizzical expression.

JACK: "How did you guys meet?"

Haru and Legosi look comically stunned... Like how are they supposed to explain all the bizarre details of how they got together without freaking everyone out?

HARU: "Uh... Well we actually came across each other one night, but we didn't really say hello to one another...!"

LEGOSI: "Y-yeah, we didn't really have a proper meeting until I went to the gardening club to ask for some plants for the drama club to borrow."

The 701s listen to this (very censored) re-telling with interest.

HARU: "Then we kind of met back and forth during the preparation for the meteor fest. It was a rocky time for both of us, during which we got close and... Well..."

Putting her hand on Legosi's, Haru gives him a tender look.

HARU: "Things has just continued to develop since then."

Legosi responds with a tender look of his own, and puts his other hand over hers. Seeing this, the 701s look touched. Durham even lets out an effeminate sigh. Strangely enough though, Jack doesn't seem to share the same sentiment as his friends, having a rather neutral expression on his face instead.  

DURHAM: "Did he go after you or did you go after him?"

Haru awkwardly thinks back to when Legosi almost ate her in their first meeting, while Legosi simultaneously thinks back to when tried to have sex with him in the storage room of the gardening club. They both look a little awkward about this and reply with deadpan voices:

HARU & LEGOSI: "Both."

Haru then points a finger at Legosi.

HARU: "Though I'd have to say he made the first move."

Legosi blinks and gives her an odd look.

LEGOSI: "Are you kidding? You totally came onto me first."

Haru looks at him in an argumentative way.

HARU: "No way... It was you who started it."

LEGOSI: "Did not."

HARU: "Did too."

The boys stare at them as this interaction takes place with amused expressions.

LEGOSI: "Nuh-uh!"

HARU: "Yuh-uh!"

Haru takes a bite out her carrot cake with a stubborn look.

HARU: "Whatever, I know I'm right though... Mmm, a little dry...!"

Legosi look a little annoyed, and he begins to eat from his pound cake.

VOSS, COLLOT, DURHAM, MIGUNO & JACK: (What is this? Elementary school?)

HARU: "Anything else you wonder about?"

Voss then holds his hand up, like a little kid in class.

VOSS: "Me-me-me! I'm next! I'm next!"

HARU: "Shoot."

Haru takes her cup and takes a little sip of her coffee.

VOSS: "What is the sex like?"

Legosi's eyes bulge open and he bites down hard on his spoonful of pound cake. Haru chokes on her coffee, Jack facepalms and the other 701s stare at the fennec in a scolding manner. Even some of the other patrons (who appears to have listened in on the group's dialogue) look uncomfortable.

JACK: "Idiot...!"

Voss on the other hand look adorably clueless.

VOSS: "What? Was that too personal?"

Legosi opens his mouth. We see that he bit down of the spoon so hard that it is now bent out of shape... And with Legosi's set of false teeth attached to it.

LEGOSI: "Of coff itf too peffonal! What could poffibly be-"

Legosi then notices that his dentures are missing. He looks down, pulls them off the spoon and puts them back into his mouth. The boys look stunned and confused by the reveal that Legosi now wear dentures, while Haru can't help but to give off a little laugh at the slapstick-esque situation. With his teeth back in place, Legosi gives Voss a stern look and finishes his sentence.

LEGOSI: "- more personal?"

HARU: "I have to agreed, that is too personal." (I mean we haven't even...!)

Voss is visibly amused by all their reactions.

VOSS: "Yeah-yeah, I know. Honestly I just wanted to see your reactions!"

He then gives Haru a more serious look.

VOSS: "Serious question though, from one small mammal to the next: How do you deal with the size-difference? Like, when you're hanging out and stuff?"

Haru seems to think about this as she wipes some coffee stains off the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

HARU: "That was mostly a problem in the beginning... I mean I am a bit self-conscious about my size, and when I first started being with Legosi, I felt constantly reminded of it. But now I don't think about it as much."

She pats at the backpack which she is seated on.

HARU: "I mean we find ways to make it work, with him bringing a backpack when we eat out so that we can sit at the same table, and I got him a pair of big chopsticks whenever we stay at home to eat together."

VOSS: "Do you ride him?"

This question causes another wave of extreme reactions across the café. Legosi now look angry and embarrassed.

LEGOSI: "VOSS!"

Voss rolls his eyes at all of this.

VOSS: "I meant non-sexually you dirty-minded doof! Like how I ride Collot or Durham when we're up and about!"

The fennec points his thumb at Collot. Both Haru and Legosi sweat drops at the idea of them doing this.

HARU: "No... No offense, but I think that would be weird."

Voss points at her with his own, blueberry-stained spoon.

VOSS: "That's what I used to think, but it actually makes you feel surprisingly empowered. I mean the view is great, you don't have to worry about anybody stepping on you or knocking you down. And on top of that, it's like you're piloting your own, giant furry MECHA!"

Hearing this, Collot turns and gives his small friend a look.

COLLOT: "Is that why you hum Cruel Angel's Thesis whenever we're walking through the school halls?"

VOSS: "Maybe."

COLLOT: "Nerd."

Voss glares at him.

VOSS: "Oh yeah? Get fu... STUFFED!"

The 701s all turn to stare at the fennec.

DURHAM: "... Fu-stuffed? You know, now that I think about it, you've been awfully reserved with your vocab tonight Voss.

MIGUNO: "Yeah, most of the time you're like a little Chucky-doll."

Collot puts  two fingers on Voss forehead, checking the fennec's temperature.

COLLOT: "Are you ill or something?"

Voss look annoyed and pushes Collot's fingers with his hands.

VOSS: "I am fine!"

Voss then looks away with a pair of puffed up cheeks.

VOSS: "I just don't think it'd be appropriate when there's a lady present..!"

The group at first look stunned by this. Then they all go "aaaawww" and lean in towards the embarrassed-looking fennec. Haru even finds it so cute that she holds her hand over her heart.

VOSS: "SHADDUP!"

Looking at the group around her as they make fun off the fennec fox, Haru then stares at Durham, who does not look the least bit depressed anymore.

HARU: (To think a mood can change so drastically... )

She shares a look with Legosi, who gives her an approving smile.

HARU: (... when you know a little better)

LEGOSI: "Hey, is anybody up for a game of Hungry-Hungry Wolf?" ---

We see a compilation of Haru, Legosi and the guys getting back to playing multiple games across the passage of time: These include Haru, Legosi, Durham and Miguno playing Hungry-Hungry Wolf, using large, plastic wolf heads to eat as many of the little red marbles as possible. After this they play Whodunnit, where Jack seems to have come to the conclusion that it is Captain Mustard who murdered the victim in the kitchen with a flatiron. Then, finally, we see Haru and Voss play a tug of war with a rope in their mouths (the same game played by Legosi and Bill during the Riz-arc) while the others cheer them on. ---

Later, we see Collot and Legosi competing against each other at the Whack-the-Weevil machine, furiously beating the the artificial bugs that go up and down from the holes while collecting points on a scoreboard each. Completing the round, Collot does a victory-pose while Legosi looks like he's out of breath.

COLLOT: "And the title of district weevil-swatting champ goes to..."

He points at Durham, Voss (who is currently sitting on Durham's head) and Miguno, who un-enthusiastically complete Collot's sentence.

VOSS, MIGUNO & DURHAM: "Collot, the sultan of swat...!"

Collot proceeds to make audience sound effects in a boastful fashion, while Haru puts her hands on her hips and gives Legosi a confounded look.

HARU: "Are you tired or something? I mean I've seen you at full speed, you could've totally beat him!"

Legosi, who has his hand over his stomach, looks like he is in some pain.

LEGOSI: "It's probably because I need to got the bathroom... I'll see you guys in a minute."

Legosi walks off to the bathroom, Haru and the guys following him with their eyes as he leaves. Collot begins to eagerly rub his hands.

COLLOT: "Very well then, who'll be the next victim? Haru?"

HARU: "No thanks, I am still tuckered out from the tug of war...!"

Hearing this, Collot turns to Durham instead.

COLLOT: "How about you then Durham? Get over here!"

Haru looks around, and then notices that Jack is sitting by himself at their table, looking though his phone. She walks over, hops up on a seat opposite him. He looks up at her.

JACK: "Just looking through my schedule for the next week. Did you want something?"

Haru pulls up a coin from her pocket and places it on the table, she then leans forward and gives the labrador a curious look.

HARU: "Penny for your thoughts."

JACK: "Don't worry about it, my thoughts are free."

HARU: "I am just a little curious. We haven't really talked a lot this evening and... Well, you are Legosi's oldest friend, aren't you?"

Jack nods and looks down at his phone again.

JACK: "That is correct."

HARU: "Meaning that me coming into his life was either the biggest or the smallest surprise to you."

Swiping through a schedule on his phone, the labrador doesn't look up as he replies.

JACK: "Probably the biggest."

HARU: "Is that why you don't like me?"

Jack looks up from his phone with a shocked expression.

JACK: "I... Why would I- Why would you think I don't like you?"

HARU: "Just a feeling. Back when when we talked about how we met, you could probably tell that we skipped over quite a few things. Things that were not very pleasant. Also, when I asked if it was true whether you were the smartest guy at school like Legosi thought, you acted like it wasn't a good thing."

Haru looks over to the rest of the 701s. They are enjoying their game of Whack-the-Weevil, unaware of the serious conversation taking place.

HARU: "This is just me guessing, but you probably consider it a burden rather than a strength, because it forces you to see the whole picture of something."

She looks down.

HARU: "Meaning you can see what an effect that our relationship will most likely have on our lives. You want to be happy for Legosi, but it's hard when you're certain  that he most likely won't have a happy life with me..."

Looking at her, Jack's expression gets increasingly sadder as she continues to talk.

HARU: "I doubt I am as smart as you, but I am a realist. I know what it means for Legosi to be in love with a herbivore, and I wouldn't be surprised if you hate me because of that."

JACK: "I don't hate you!"

Haru meet Jack's look, which is a bit on the shocked side because of Haru's observation.

JACK: "It's just that... Well, it's complicated... And a bit selfish actually." ---

Entering a flashback, we see Jack's collective memories of Legosi from his childhood.

JACK: "We've been like peas and carrots since kindergarten. We've gone through basically every tough thing and fun activity together, outside and inside school. I... Well I guess with him, I eventually came to believe it would be like that through Cherryton, then through university and then through... Everything really. Always."

He thinks to back to his first meeting with Legosi in kindergarden, then playing in the sandbox together, him comforting Legosi at his mother's funeral and then finally attending Cherryton together. ---

Returning to the present, Jack looks depressed.

JACK: "But he chose you. He's not the kind of person to abandon someone, but still, after he met you, he's just drifted further and further away."

Haru stares at Jack with a knitted brow.

HARU: "... Y-You wouldn't happen to be in love with him?"

Jack looks up, looking kind of disturbed by that thought.

JACK: "It's not like that. For most of my life I've relied on him to feel strong... And now that he is living his own life, I've come to realize just how weak I feel without him."

He sighs and gives her a serious look.

JACK: "So no... I don't hate you. I am just jealous of you."

Haru looks skeptical.

HARU: "And you're sure you're not in love with him?"

Jack's face twists into an irritated grimace.

JACK: "Don't be ridiculous, I like girls!"

HARU: "Yeah-yeah, I was just kidding."

She then transitions to a more serious expression.

HARU: "Believe it or not, but I understand how you feel. This relationship has not been easy to keep going, especially not since we both left Cherryton." ---

We enter an illustrated train of thought in Haru's mind, where we see Legosi from the back as he is walking straight into a vast darkness ahead of him.

HARU: "It's frustrating... That feeling that he keeps going to places where you can't follow him, followed by that fear that one of these days, he won't come back...!"

In this domain of thoughts, Haru tries to follow Legosi into the darkness. But as they move further in, Legosi becomes one with the darkness and disappears, while Haru is left alone in the dark. ---

Back to reality, Haru gives Jack a melancholic smile.

HARU: "It's a hard thing to confess to, both as a female and as a herbivore that you actually need someone."

She leans forward against the table, her chin in her hands. Her eyes go tender.

HARU: "But at the same time... When I am with him, I feel neither scared or sad. What people think, the risks, all the realistic and horrible things that might happen, even my pride... All of that just go straight out the window."

She looks up at Jack, a great smile on her lips now.

HARU: "So I'd say I have grown dependent on him too."

Jack looks stunned; he never would have guessed that her feeling for Legosi were so similar to his.

JACK: "I really am happy for him though, and I am happy that you make him happy."

Haru meets his look.

HARU: "So... It's not impossible for us to get along?"

JACK: "Well the parameters certainly argue against the improbability."

Haru stares at him. Jack looks a little self-conscious about his convoluted phrasing.

JACK: "That means-"

HARU: "That it is not impossible."

The two are quiet for a few seconds, then they share a little laugh.

HARU: "Speaking of improbability, what are you thoughts on that?"

She nods towards the Treasure Trove crane. Looking at it, Jack cocks an eyebrow.

JACK: "Well, research does indicate that one in fifteen people can win a prize from them."

HARU: "Really?"

She hops down from her seat with a convicted look.

HARU: "Sounds like good enough odds to me!"

She proceeds to go over to the machine and puts the coin in. The machine plays the melody and blinks again. Haru grabs the joystick and aims for the Danny-plush again.

JACK: "Wait a minute!"

Jack walks over and crouches next to Haru, looking in through the display glass.

JACK: "If I were you, I would try to go in just a little further in from where you have it now..."

Haru looks back and forth between Jack and the machine. She looks doubtful.

HARU: "But then I'll miss the head..."

JACK: "Trust me."

Doing as he suggests, Haru moves the claw in just a little bit more before pressing the button and making the claw go down. As Haru predicted, it misses the plushies head and goes behind the doll instead. Haru does not look surprised.

HARU: "Knew it."

But as the claw goes up, she sees to her great surprise that the plush follows it all the way up. It turns out that while the claw missed the the head, it did get a grip of the plushies tail.

HARU: "...!"

JACK: "See?"

Getting a really focused expression, Haru gently pulls the joystick to the left, goading the claw back to the deposit-hole.

JACK: "Careful now... Steady...!"

Once there, she presses the button again. The claw opens and drops the plush down the hole successfully. Both she and Jack looks overjoyed and victorious.

JACK: "Ah!

HARU: "YES!"

Haru pulls the plush out of the hatch and looks at it with stars in her eyes. She then turns to Jack, looking all impressed.

HARU: "I can't believe it! How on Earth did you do that?!"

Jack rubs the back of his neck.

JACK: "It was just a well-educated deduction. I mean the head is covered in fake fur, which is why the claws keep sliding off it as it deals with the full weight of the doll. The tail on the other hand is made of a less slippery fabric."

Stars appear in Haru's eyes.

HARU: "Wow... You're like Sherlock Hound!"

Jack gives her a surprised look.

JACK: "You know about Sherlock Hound?"

HARU: "Know about it? I watch that show anytime it's on! I especially love Moriarty and his bumbling sidekicks."

Jack, looking happy over the fact that they have found a common ground with something and goes full fanboy on the subject.

JACK: "Yeah I know, they're hilarious! And Mrs. Hudson!"

Haru nods with a knowing expression.

HARU: "I know right...! Personally, I think the show is really underappreciated."

JACK: "I think it's really underappreciated too!"

Haru then takes another look at her newly acquired Danny-doll, looking really happy. But then she gets an uncertain expression and looks up at Jack.

HARU: "But what should we do? By right half the plush should be yours..."

Jack chuckles.

JACK: "I am not really a plushie kind of guy, you can have it. Besides, it was your coin."

To his great surprise, Haru then hugs him around his neck. He looks stunned by this.

HARU: "Thank you."

She then lets go to look down at down at the plushie again. She playfully makes the doll dance while humming 'Nothing's Going to Stop Us Now.' Jack still look stunned and has a noticeable shade of red on his face.

JACK: (That was the first time ever a herbivore gave me a hug..!)

HARU: "We gotta show this to the guys! They'll be so impressed!"

Jack smiles and points over his shoulder with his thumb.

JACK: "I'll fetch them so that you can surprise them."

HARU: "Great idea!"

Jack gets up and proceeds to walk over to where the rest of the 701s are. As he goes, Haru begins to play with plushie again with a happy expression.

HARU: "~Nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us now!"

???: "Well-well, look who it is."

Haru's happy expression dies in an instant. She looks around, seeing three familiar figures from her past: Mizuchi the harlequin rabbit and her two friends. Her former bullies.

TO BE CONTINUED...! ---

#beastars #fanfiction #script style #haru #jack #durham #collot #voss #legosi #ship #everybody play the game #jcl #2020 #dwarf rabbit #spotted hyena #sheephound #fennec fox #grey wolf

[unfortunate-stranger-losers]

Six Baudelaires AU, Part Two {AO3} {Masterlist} {Part One}

Chapter Three → in which the Baudelaires make new friends 

“Class sucks.” said Nick. “I am not going again.”

“I don’t think you have a choice,” said Lilac, as she held one of Solitude’s hands as they walked down the hall.

Their first night with the shack had been awful, mainly because after they had spent time trying to find a hay bale that was not infested with angry and territorial crabs, they realized there was, indeed, not room for all six of them to lay down in the shack, so they took Solitude’s suggestion and slept outside, shivering in the cold and wishing they still had blankets. When they awoke to the schoolbells clanging in the morning, they groaned and sat up and managed to find the bathrooms to wash up as best they could before heading off to their separate destinations.

Nick had not liked that he had to separate from Klaus and Solitude, and Violet basically had to drag him away while Soli called out that they were going to be fine and he needed to stop worrying, and Lilac took Klaus’s hand as they walked down the hall and dragged him to Room Two. Solitude took Sunny’s hand and helped her walk to the administration building, still working on helping her walk on her own.

In Room One, Violet and Nick were seated in the back of the class while the other students either ignored them or glared at them, with the exception of a boy who gave Violet a friendly smile and Nick a curious look, and Carmelita Spats, who was unfortunately seated right behind Violet and kept tossing erasers at her. Both Violet and Nick had been quietly horrified to discover that their teacher, Mr Remora, spent the entire class time talking about random stories that had happened to him, and then quizzing them on that. Nick looked completely and utterly bored out of his mind, as if he’d rather be back in the home of Count Olaf than here at the moment.

In Room Two, Lilac and Klaus also sat in the back of the class, with only one girl giving them a smile before Ms Bass entered and started placing items in front of them, telling them to measure them, write down how long they were, and then quizzing them on what they’d just measured. Lilac kept playing with her braids, or braiding the unbraided part of her hair, and Klaus struggled to pay attention, unable to comprehend how on Earth this was supposed to be helpful to their education.

Solitude and Sunny made their way to the administrative building and Soli sat at a typewriter and typed up whatever Nero dictated to her, which was usually letters to prestigious orchestras and other schools begging for attention. Sunny sat beside her, putting the letters in envelopes or stapling them together. Sometimes they’d switch up if Solitude saw a bug flying around and went to fetch it to feed to Babbitt, or if Sunny started getting bored and decided to bang on the keys for a bit. Once someone called, but after Sunny babbled her form of “Hello,” they hung up instantly. Soli suggested that it may have been a prank call, as Nero continued practicing his horrible violin playing.

“It was awful.” Nick said. “We heard nothing but pointless stories.”

“That’s just language arts.” Lilac shrugged.

“We spent the morning writing meaningless measurements.” Klaus sighed.

“That’s just math.” Violet said. “How was work, Sunny?”

“Yuck,” said Sunny, who was carefully walking between Violet and Lilac, each holding one hand. “Tedious.”

“Well, maybe lunch will be better.” Lilac said.

“All my old friends who went to public school said the food sucked.” Violet said. “Ben said he threw up once.”

“Well, this is private school, maybe it’ll be different.” Lilac said.

They turned a bend, and Nick put a hand on a locker on the wall as they passed. It almost instantly toppled over.

“I somehow doubt that.” Nick said.

They walked into the lunchroom, to see a huge lasagna, bigger than anything they’d ever seen; it seemed to be longer than all of them, if they stood on each others’ shoulders. Some lunch ladies were scooping parts out of a pan and slamming them onto plates for students. The Baudelaires got in line and tried to ignore the strange smell coming from the food, and Sunny put her hands over her ears to block out the noise of the other students running around and yelling towards each other, and Soli leaned against Nick and put a hand on Babbitt, who was hiding in her pocket.

At the end of the lasagna line was a basket of fruit, but they all looked very strange, so even Lilac didn’t insist they take any. They each put a glass of milk on their tray, and started to wander the cafeteria, looking for an empty table.

“Hey, orphans!” Carmelita Spats passed them by, flanked by two miserable-looking students. “There’s room at my table! Oh, but not for cakesniffing orphans like you!”

“Still don’t know what that means.” Nick muttered, giving her a death glare and stepping a bit closer to Klaus.

Carmelita gave him a glare, and then slammed her tray onto her table, and very loudly, she started chanting, “Cakesniffing orphans in the Orphans Shack! Cakesniffing orphans in the Orphans Shack!”

Violet pressed herself against Lilac as Carmelita’s friends took up the chant, and so did several other students. Sunny, only barely gripping onto her tray of lunch, let out a huff of annoyance, and Soli stepped a bit closer to Carmelita, looking prepared to throw Babbitt at her; Nick responded by moving a leg in front of the toddler and pushing her back slightly.

“Cakesniffing orphans in the Orphans Shack! Cakesniffing orphans in the Orphans Shack!”

At that moment, a boy stepped out in front of them, yelling, “Oh, piss off, Carmelita! You’re the cakesniffer, and nobody in their right minds would associate with you!”

Carmelita huffed, and the other students quietly glanced away. “Cakesniffing orphans stick together, looks like.” she said.

“At least we have someone to stick with.” said a girl who looked frighteningly similar to the boy, moving to stand beside him. She glanced towards the Baudelaires, and Lilac and Klaus recognized her from their class. “Come on. We have a table in the corner.” she said.

She grabbed the boy’s hand and dragged him off with her and, a little confused, the Baudelaires quickly followed. The boy and girl sat next to each other at a table, and after a moment, Klaus and Violet sat across from them, and Nick beside his siblings, picking up Solitude so she could sit by him. Lilac sat beside the new children, picking up Sunny and helping her with her meal.

“You’ll have to ignore Carmelita.” the boy said. “She’s so horrible that Ms Bass is considering a life of crime. Isadora wrote a poem about her!”

The girl smiled and pulled a small black notebook from her sweater pocket, flipping it open and reading aloud, “I would rather eat a bowl of vampire bats / Than spend an hour with Carmelita Spats.”

“That’s a couplet.” said Klaus excitedly. “Ogden Nash uses them.”

The girl brightened. “I know! I’ve read all of his work!”

“My name is Duncan Quagmire,” said the boy, “And this is my sister, Isadora.”

“Well, I’m Lilac Baudelaire,” said Lilac, and then she started pointing around the table. “And these are my siblings Violet, Klaus, Nick, Solitude and Sunny.”

“Timi!” shouted Sunny. “It’s nice to meet you!”

“Whoa.” Duncan smiled slightly. “There sure are a lot of you.”

“We get that a lot.” Violet nodded.

“We should warn you,” Isadora said, “The apples taste like horseradish.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Nick said. “You heard that, Soli?”

“Roger!” Soli squeaked.

Sunny narrowed her eyes. “Armoracia,” she muttered, which meant something like, “That doesn’t sound right. Apples and Horseradish taste very differently.”

“You’re in our class.” Nick said, looking towards Duncan.

Duncan nodded. “Mr Remora’s stories are awful, aren’t they? Why would we need to know all of that?”

“It must be better than Ms Bass’s class.” Klaus said. “Why are we just measuring random things instead of learning calculations?”

“I know!” Isadora nodded. “I usually just measure everything as fast as I can and then get to writing in my commonplace book.”

“That’s a good idea. Wish we had notebooks.” Lilac said. “How long have you been here?”

“A few weeks.” Duncan said quietly. “We got transferred here as soon as…”

He glanced towards his sister, and she said, “We lost our parents in a terrible fire.”

The Baudelaires fell silent. “We’re sorry to hear that.” Violet said softly.

“We lost our parents in a fire as well.” Nick said.

“It’s not fair.” Klaus said, glaring down at his lasagna. “One minute you’re… safe and happy, and the next-”

“You’re in a shack full of crabs.” Isadora nodded.

“Speaking of which, how did you deal with the crabs?” Violet asked.

“It won’t matter, Vi, we can’t all fit in the shack.” Nick said.

“We might be able to if we get all the crabs out.” Klaus said.

“We couldn’t get them out,” Isadora said, “But we glued bits of metal to our shoes to make a tapping noise that scared them away.”

“It was a bit exhausting, though,” Duncan said, “Keeping our feet tapping.”

“Maybe we could build a noisemaker.” Violet said, starting to tie back her hair. “What about the fungus?”

“I think there’s some stuff about it in the library, but it’s only accessible through the dorms.” Duncan said. “We could sneak some books out- oh! Or we could sneak you in! Once the librarian goes home, nobody goes in, we can climb through a window!”

Klaus’s eyes lit up. “You’d help us sneak into a library?”

“We sneak into rooms all the time.” Isadora shrugged. “The science room is creepy, though, there’s a bunch of statues that’re still there. The art room is pretty fun, though.”

“Maybe we could sleep in the library.” Nick suggested.

“It would take a bit longer to get to class,” Duncan said, “And you don’t want to be late, it’ll get hard to eat.”

“I’ll just skip meals.” Nick said, leaning back. “This looks bad anyway. I’ll eat dirt.”

“You absolutely will not.” Lilac said.

“There’s probably some plants around here that aren’t dead.”

“Nick, no-”

“We’ll need a plan to get into the library.” Violet said. “Do you know how to unlock windows?”

“A little.” Isadora shrugged.

“I can get the windows,” Lilac said, “Should be an ordinary-enough pin-tumbler lock.”

“Yeah, there’s no locks.” Duncan said. “Bonnie said that they fell off a few years ago and never got replaced.”

“That’ll be way easier.” Lilac said. “Solitude, Sunny, you’ll have to be held by one of us, or helped in.”

“It really shouldn’t be too hard.” Isadora shrugged. “Nobody ever goes in there, except us.”

“You won’t have to do much work.” Duncan said.

“Thank you so much.” Violet said. “We don’t know what we’d do if we hadn’t run into you two twins.”

Duncan and Isadora fell silent.

“Did I say something wrong?” Violet asked, knowing that she and Nick tended to do that a lot.

“Twins.” Duncan said.

“Is there something wrong with that?” Nick asked. “Klaus and I are twins. I’m older, by the way.”

“Please shut up.” Klaus said.

“We’re not twins.” Duncan said.

“We’re triplets.” Isadora said.

“Oh.” Violet said. “Wait, aren’t triplets three children born at once?”

“Yeah.” Duncan nodded. “We are.”

“Our…” Isadora stared hard at the table. “Our brother, Quigley, died in the fire with our parents.”

“Oh.” said Klaus.

“Oh.” said Nick and Sunny.

“We’re very sorry to hear that.” Violet said.

“You didn’t know.” Isadora shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not.” Klaus reached over the table, putting one hand over Isadora’s hand and one over Duncan’s. “I know I’d feel awful if Nick wasn’t here and people stopped calling me a twin.”

“I wouldn’t.” Nick said, though he clearly didn’t mean it.

Lilac glanced at the triplets, noticing their sullen faces. Shit, we need to lighten up this mood somehow. Unfortunately, Lilac was not very good at social situations, so before she could stop herself, she said, very awkwardly, “I mean. If you want, you could take one of my siblings.”

They all fell completely silent. After a moment, Lilac laughed a little, trying to clear the air. “Uh… please take one of them?”

“Forgive her,” Violet said quietly, “She doesn’t know how to people.”

Slowly, Isadora smiled. “It’s alright. Quigley probably would’ve said the same thing.”

“He’s such an idiot.” Duncan smiled a little, staring at his food. His face fell, then, and he said, “But, um… anyway, we- while you’re here-” He glanced up at the boys. “I just… did I see you two? In the bathroom yesterday?”

He looked over at the twins, and Klaus blushed a little as Isadora’s eyes widened. “Yeah, Klaus couldn’t tie his tie.” Nick said. “I remember.”

“God, Duncan, you finally found your soulmate.” Isadora said, as she started digging into her pocket. “Maybe if you learned how to do it-”

“Okay, so it is you?” Duncan raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, why?” Klaus bit his lip. “Did we do something wrong-?”

“Do you still have that spyglass?”

The Baudelaires all froze. “What?” Violet asked.

“You saw that?” Nick asked.

“How’d you know it was a spyglass?” Klaus asked.

“Because,” Isadora said, and as they watched, she pulled half a spyglass out of her pocket, a familiar Eye emblazoning the cover, “We have one, too.”

The Quagmires and Baudelaires stared at each other for a good while. Then, slowly, Klaus pulled the half-spyglass from his pocket. He flipped it and held it out, and Isadora put hers against it.

Click.

They fit together, into a full spyglass.

There was more silence, and then Lilac said, “Where did you get that?”

“From the ruins of our parents’ home.” Isadora said quietly.

“Same with us.” Violet whispered.

Klaus shut his eyes, and then said, “We need to talk somewhere nobody can listen in. Is the Orphans Shack safe?”

“We can’t fit.” Lilac reminded him.

“We can’t fit laying down.” Klaus said. “We could probably squeeze in if we’re sitting or standing.”

“Nobody ever goes there.” Isadora nodded. “Let’s head out. Just toss your food, it sucks anyway.”

“Can we eat dirt instead?” Nick asked.

“I’m gonna kill you.” Lilac hissed, her face still a bit red from embarrassment.

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Nick shouted, and like that, he took off running.

“Oh, fuck yeah!” Isadora cheered, and she ran after him, whooping.

Duncan sighed, and then looked to the remaining Baudelaires. “Is Nick just as wild as-”

“Yes.” Violet said.

“Oh, we’re in trouble.” Duncan said. “We just unleashed chaos.”

“Trust me,” Klaus said, “We’re used to it.”

#asoue #asoue netflix #asoue movie #a series of unfortunate events #six baudelaires au #six baudelaires official fic #the austere academy #mine #my fanfic

[lesbiantimwright]

Ghosts of Suburbia, Chapter One

Description: Jessica expects exactly jack-shit when she moves to the far edge of the suburbs. Instead, she gets an abandoned church in the silent part of the woods, a hazy creature stalking her from out of the corn, and a secret she’s hidden from herself. On the bright side, she’s found exactly the group of idiots that won’t let her deal with it alone.

Relationships: Jessica/Amy, background Jay/Tim/Brian

Rating: Teen

Chapter Length: 2k

Chapter Warnings: minor mention of a gun

A/N: This is my first time posting fic to tumblr so??? Idk what I’m doing

Jessica’s exaggerating when she says that Cottonwood was the last place on Earth she wants to spend her summer, but only a little. The place is basically a wasteland of bizarre lawn ornaments, old white people, and houses that wouldn’t ever stop smelling like bad candles. Technically, it’s the suburbs, but not the movie suburbs where the houses are all the same, the lawns are all perfect, and there are house parties, those kind of suburbs would’ve sucked just slightly less. She’d moved in with her dad a day and a half ago and she can already tell that nothing ever happens. 

It’s not just moving unexpectedly in the summer when none of her friends are around to say goodbye, or that her junior year will be at a completely new school where people genuinely care about football, but that it’s fucking Cottonwood. To put it simply, Jessica is trapped in a purgatory between pissed and bored out of her mind. And that’s in the middle of a “party”, too.

Hypothetically, it’s her dad’s way of celebrating her being there, except she has not a single memory of any of these distant relatives and all the food contains gelatin, cool whip, or both. She tries a vegetable tray, thinking that there’s no way to mess that up, just to find everything coated in sugar. One of her supposed uncles is wearing a MAGA hat, and it’s taking every ounce of her self control not to physically combust every time she has the misfortune of looking at him. She’s only holding herself back because her dad is really, really trying and she knows it, so she’ll have to just talk to him about it once everyone’s cleared out. Not that that’s a huge comfort. It was at least 90° out and humid, her phone was at 9%, and nobody’s showing any signs of slowing down.

She stares at the edge of the woods. Everyone’s clumped in the part of the backyard that’s under the shade of some very flimsy tents, the rest of the space made up of a plain of dried, cracking grass and a few kids climbers that she hadn’t even used when she was six, caked with dirt and falling apart in a corner. It looks post-apocalyptic, except for the  group of aunts behind her talking about some gossip so boring that it fades into the background with everything else.

 It would be easy, to just walk out into the trees, she thinks without meaning to and suddenly the idea won’t go away. They look cool, and quiet, and like she won’t be forced to eat bits of pretzel in watermelon jello once she’s in there. She can disappear into the woods for an hour or two. She can disappear. 

Jessica grabs her boots, the heavy ones that have been caked in mud so much that she doesn’t remember what color they were when she bought them, lacing them up as tight as they’ll go. She leaves the tents and the strangers and the questions behind, walking across the crunching grass and into the trees. As the crab-grass fades into leaves and little plants, she thinks that she was right: it’s much cooler in here. 

There isn’t a path, obviously, but as long as she just keeps walking straight, she’ll be fine. Stopping now doesn’t even seem like an option, not when there’s so much deeper to go, now that she’s taken the first steps. Moss clings to the sides of rocks and fungi grows from dead logs, sunlight falls from between the branches, tinted green and splattering over everything. She thinks that she can hear the burble of a stream from somewhere just a little farther, and Jessica wants to find it. Somehow, though there’s no difference between where her feet fall and the rest of the ground, it feels like she’s on a trail anyway, outlined between the trees.

So maybe she loses track of time, and badly, but time isn’t real during the summer anyway. But that doesn’t keep the sunlight from getting thinner and the woods grayer. Maybe she should’ve turned back way sooner, but Jessica swears, every time she pushes back a branch or climbs over a boulder that the creek must be behind it, over and over and over until, finally, it is. But the water isn’t alone.

 She rounds a corner in the not-path and finds her feet at the edge of mud and, past that, a church. Or something that used to be a church. The wood is faded, some of it splintered and falling apart, with gaps in the walls and plaster-dust coating the floor in the parts of the inside she can see. It’s a big, ancient-looking building, like it’s rotted here in the woods as long as there have been trees, but really it probably isn’t more than 20 years old.

 Jessica takes a few steps closer to the creek but doesn’t cross it, walking back and forth along the edge to see more instead.  It looks like parts of it are burned, just odd patches crumbling into ash, the roof caved in over one part, and through a busted-up gap in the wall she can see a few plastic chairs scattered on their sides over a rotted carpet. There’s a cross above the door closest to her, the golden paint on it chipped around the center but still shiny in the slanted evening light. The building goes on and there’s plenty left to explore, but Jessica stops at the edge, her feet just starting to sink into the mud.

 Look, she’s not a superstitious person, she considers herself down-to-earth and reasonable, but as much as she hates to say it, she’s got a feeling. Except it’s not really her feeling, but one that this place owns, hanging over everything; it’s something like dread but quieter. Silent. Nothing moves but her own lungs and ribs, a standstill between her and the empty church. But something, a presence or a feeling or terror, rises, looming like a wave coming from the inside out, about to crash, and for a half second there’s the feeling of light, a pinprick of it in her spine where her back meets her neck-- 

Fuck that, Jessica thinks, grabbing a solid branch from next to her and turning to sprint back into the woods. Of course there isn’t any real danger, the logical part of her brain reminds her, but there’s also no one around to see her running away. Not that booking it fixes the problem. It really just makes her feel like prey, and she holds onto her stick tighter.

Now time’s really gone sideways, and it feels like forever or just a moment before she’s at the edge of the trees again. It’s really dark now, her legs ache, and it takes a long, long time for breathing not to hurt, but it felt like just a few steps to get her here. She knows that it took hours to get that far in. Jessica also knows that she’s lost.  

It’s definitely not her dad’s, cramped, badly-painted house in front of her, but something much bigger and much nicer, something that doesn’t remotely belong in her neighborhood. Shit, shit, shit. She’ll just have to find out where she is and call her dad to pick her up, she thinks, heading towards the street--

“Who’s there?” Comes a hesitant voice from in front of her, towards the house, and she freezes, watching a flashlight beam dance over the ground. 

The grass here is actually green and well kept, too, so definitely not anywhere close to her street. But she’s in Alabama, rich neighborhood or not, so there’s probably someone around here keeps a shotgun for the sole purpose of anyone on their property. Jessica crosses her fingers.

“Uh, hey, I think I’m lost?” She calls, still holding onto her stick because she’s not stupid. 

The beam of light approaches, revealing everything around it, and she immediately decides that she’s safe because she can totally take the guy holding the flashlight. He looks right around her age, scrawny and kinda pale, with big eyes looking at her cautiously out from under a hat. She lets the stick hang down by her side.

“Why--what were you doing in the woods? I thought you were a murderer,” Not-a-Threat explains, and she raises an eyebrow.

“You thought a murderer was coming out of the woods and you go towards them?” He looks guilty, scratching at the back of his neck and failing to come up with a good explanation, so she plows on.

 “I just got lost and came out at the wrong spot and my dad’s probably totally worried about me, can you drive?” Her phone is completely dead, so the sooner she gets home the less grounded she’ll be. 

“Uhhh, not really, but I have a friend who can?” Jessica sighs, more exasperated now than actually shaken, and nods. 

She stands in the dark grass while Not-a-Threat calls his friend who can drive, looking up at the light leaking out from the windows of the big house and listening to the roar of the cicadas. As they go around to the street to wait, she feels stupid. Not just for getting lost in the woods but for genuinely getting scared enough to run out of them like that, like there’s anything to worry about. Sure, an abandoned church in the woods at night is something only an idiot in a horror movie would explore, but she could’ve just walked back and maybe then actually gotten back to her own house.

 “So uh, I’m Jay,” says the guy, shifting the flashlight to his other hand so he can offer the right one, and she takes it.

“Jessica.” They stand under the streetlight for a long time after that until an old, beat-up van pulls up, the edges faded purple, a guy waving out the window at them. He’s looks a little bit scruffy but mostly just tired, with the most actual sideburns she’s ever seen on a teenager in her life, but her first instinct is that he’s good. Still, she brings her stick with her into the back of the car, and borrows Jay’s phone so she can call her dad and let her know the situation. He’s kind of mad but mostly relieved, and guilt tangles in her stomach.

Jay’s friend is named Tim and he is in fact a good guy, clearly making an effort to chat with her as the streetlights come in and out of view beside them. He doesn’t seem surprised when Jessica explains that Jay was going to try and talk to a stranger shuffling out of the woods at night, just laughs and shakes his head. She explains that she’s just moved from Montgomery and gets an adequate amount of sympathy for her situation, and it turns out that they’re going to the same high school in the fall, though, thankfully, neither Jay nor Tim seem like they care about football even a little bit. They give her pointers for which teachers are incompetent and which classmates to avoid, and rehash some of last year’s drama to someone who hasn’t heard it all a billion times.

 It’s the usual stuff that comes with stupid horny teenagers getting stuck with each other for nine months, and by the time they’re pulling into her driveway, Jay’s finishing up a rambling story of two seniors who went at it in the teacher’s lounge and their literature teacher’s dramatic tale of her walking in on it, and she feels more like a real person again. Through the window, she sees her dad stop pacing, running his hands through his hair, and she hurries to get out before the car’s even fully stopped.

 “Jessie, you’re okay!” He’s hugging her, too tightly, but she doesn’t mind. Still, she untangles him after a moment, hyper-aware of Jay and Tim still in the car. 

“I’m sorry dad, I uh, I just wanted to go for a hike and I got lost?” It sounds pathetic as far as excuses go, even if it’s actually what happened, but her dad seems content to chew her out later.

“You’re back in one piece, that’s what matters. Just never, ever do that again. Now, who helped you get here?” He asks, and she immediately knows, dreads, what’s coming. 

“You boys, come on out here, I need to thank you.”They awkwardly get out of the car and stand in front of her dad, Jay picking at a loose thread in his jacket and Tim standing up way too straight, like he’s expecting to be judged on his posture. Instead, her dad just ruffles their hair in the most dad-like and embarrassing way possible, beaming.

 “Thank you so much for bringing my daughter home safely. I worry a lot about these younger generations, but you’re two fine young gentlemen, thank you for proving me wrong. Would you like to come over for lunch tomorrow as a reward?” He offers, and they share a look, mumbling and eventually sort of agreeing out of obligation, but by that point she’s got a hand over her eyes in exasperation. 

She looks up, though, when she hears Tim scrambling around in the back of the car for something, coming back out with the stick she’d left there.“Uh, you want this?” He drawls, and she laughs, taking it. Her dad insists that they come over one more time before letting them go and hugs he one more time before letting her stumble back into the house and up to the bedroom that had been hers when she visited as a kid but is still unfamiliar, and she’s suddenly exhausted.

Jessica forgets all about the little church in the woods, for now.

#jessica/amy #jemy #mh fic #my fic #jessica locke #amy walters #marble hornets #mh #jay merrick #jay/tim/brian #I'm. very nervous to post this just cause it's very different from ao3 and idk!!!!! #but like. tbh I think I wanna keep writing this regardless of response because I really like just teens being friends and hunting ghosts #that being said even just taking the time to read this means a lot!!!

[noviceaoiryusei]

「DUET 2018.05」 JR. BANG (7MEN 侍)

Jr. BANG

7MEN Samurai First Season

Feature

: Seven new smiles have been arranged

Featuring a new unit, 7MEN Samurai has appeared! Since we're expecting a new performance with these seven people, we will deliver a little talk about their concerns.

Reia Nakamura

Birthday: 1997.04.02 Birthplace: Tokyo Metropolis Blood Type: A Height: 166cm. Weight: 50kg. Hobbies and Special Skills: My hobbies are watching movies, oil painting and drawing. My special skills are skateboard, snowboard and playing the bass. Admired Senior: Tegoshi Yuya-kun, Kikuchi Fuma-kun. Fuma-kun  is so manly and cool. * "7 MEN侍" is supposed to be read as「seven men samurai」。 Because the origin is "7 samurai" so, it just adds meaning to the kanji. Johnny-san and staff-san called us 「samurai！」. (laughs) The members, including me are all unique and interesting because we have different personalities. My strength is skateboard and everyone is practicing it. I am experienced, everyone is still a beginner except for Katsuki who had tried it several times. I am teaching them and everyone is motivated and also, I am improving too. We have been practicing skateboard togiether so, it is a lot fun to get togetyyher with everyone! * Recently, I am addicted to sukajan. I wore a pink sukajan that I bought recently. I want a black sukajan next and I am looking for it. The other day, I went shopping with Taiko and my hobbies match with Taiko. Because he is mature, I can talk to him with lots of things and it's comfortable to be with him. 菅田琳寧 Rinne Sugeta

Birthday: 1998.05.12 Birthplace: Kanagawa Prefecture Blood Type: B Height: 168cm. Weight: 57kg. Hobbies and Special Skills: My hobby is listening to music. My special skills are doing acrobatics and running. Admired Senior: Yamada Ryosuke-kun. Before I entered Johnny's, I went to watch Hey! Say! JUMP's concert and I've thought that they make everyone happy and they're also cool. * I'm so happy when I've heard about the formation of "7 MEN 侍"! I thought that I won't only do my best but also be responsible from now on. Taiko has always been beside me and we're always laughing together, I'm glad that our members get along together and everyday, it's fun to be with everyone. Everyone of us has different personalities, everyone has his own significance and that is our strength. When I'm practicing the skateboard, I want to raise my original level of performance. I want to challenge myself doing acrobatics while in a skateboard. My goal is to polish my own skills. Everyone wants to participate in skateboard events. And also, we haven't went altogether for a meal so, I want Reia-san to organize it! (laughs) * Recently, I had fun eating my favorite ice cream. Whenever I go home, I always drop by the ice cream store and bought it home. For a limited time, when I've arrived there, I got a bonus, I'm so happy! The other day, I ate a grape flavor and I also ate a mango candy flavor. 前田航気 Koki Maeda

Birthday: 1998.10.26 Birthplace: Kanagawa Prefecture Blood Type: A Height: 173cm. Weight: 57kg. Hobbies and Special Skills: My hobbies are dancing and rapping. My special skill is that I hold a Shorinji Kempo first stage black belt.  I've studied from first grade to sixth grade of elementary school. Admired Senior: Aiba Masaki, because he is fashionable. And also, I admire him because he loves his surroundings. * When I heard about the formation of "7 MEN侍", I was surprised and really happy. There are still a lot of unfamiliar parts because I haven't done a live (performance) with (only) 7 people. From now on, I wish I could know more about each other. Everyone was challenged by the skateboard, we want it to be our strength too. Rinne in acrobatics, Igarashi in Japanese drums... I would like to make use of everyone's skills. As for me, I like rap and I'm studying it so, I will polish it. I hope that someday we could show it off in a performance. * I like secondhand clothes and I roam around different shops. I am happy whenever I find a new shop! The other day, I bought hanchingu (flat cap) and a blue trainer. I thought about putting my own clothes and for some reason, I'm using it as a lesson. (laughs) I usually go out shopping alone but now, I want an adviser (with me). Reia-kun also seemed to like old clothes so, 「let's go together」sometime！ 本髙克樹 Katsuki Motodaka

Birthday: 1998.12.06 Birthplace: Tokyo Metropolis Blood Type: O Height: 170cm. Weight: 58kg. Hobbies and Special Skills: My hobbies is cooking meat sauce pasta and dry curry, I'm good at cooking those. My special skill is doing Mathematics. Admired Senior: Nakajima Kento-kun. When you see him, it's like he's glittering and it feels overwhelming and also, he's cool. * From now on, I'll get fired up together with "7 MEN侍" --I'll do my best. Since there are many members who had worked with each other together, I am conscious and encouraged that there are 7 people (altogether). I'm on the keyboards, Taiko is on the drums... We can play instruments and I hope we could perform as a band as well. As for skateboard, I'm practicing it a little bit since I was in high school. I was supposed to practice with a group, I was suprised (so I said)「there's no way I could do it！」. (laughs) Jumps and techniques are difficult, I will make efforts to master it! * I went for a trip to New York with my friend. I planned our schedule and we went to various sights. We went to the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, to the art museums and we also went shopping. I was really impressed with the Broadway. We watched three productions (namely), 「Chicago」, 「School of Rock」 and 「Stomp」-- they are all in different types and each one of them is interesting. I have learned alot, it was a fulfilling trip! Konno Taiki

Birthday: 1999.11.24 Birthplace: Kanagawa Prefecture Blood Type: A Height: 170cm. Weight: 44kg. Hobbies and Special Skills: My hobbies are singing and playing the guitar (which started since last year). Recently, I've played "Yoru Sora / Mukuo". My special skill is also singing. Admired Senior: Kimura Takuya-san. I admired him when I saw him at a song program a long time ago. For me, he is a hero. * I'm happy to be part of "7 MEN侍", from now on, I will do my best and I'll straight up my mind. We have different specialties, I wish I could have each (other skills?). I will do my best for my favorite song! (?) I think that doing band performances will be our strenght because some of us can play instruments. Skateboard was the first challenge I thought hard at first but then, it has become fun. I am practicing it so that I could perfect it. Every member has strong personality and has freedom so, it feels like we'll be going to do independent things even if we go to an amusement park together. (laughs) I hope we can have a meal together and then enjoy watching the cherry blossoms together. * Together with my friend, we're addicted to this game were you cultivate jellyfish. I really love jellyfish so, it is really fun (to play). Like when you give more food and change the water, it gradually grows. But I have to watch it every 10 minutes, that's why I can't leave my phone. (laughs) I want it to grow bigger until it is barely enough to fit the screen. Igarashi Reo

Birthday: 2001.03.13 Birthplace: Saitama Prefecture Blood Type: O Height: 170cm. Weight: 53kg. Hobbies and Special Skills: My hobby is watching movies. Recently, I've also liked music editing. I hope I can work on with this together with the group at the future. Admired Senior: Marius Yo-kun. His appearance is lively and cool but he's cute whenever he speaks. * I feel nervous when I've finally got a group but being a member is really fun. Recently, I got messed up with the things that I do. (laughs) I will try hard to know better from now on so that I could have good performances with everyone. When I was in 3rd grade of elementary school, I have kept a Japanese drum for 6 years, I wish I could use it in the future. I would like to do fancation(?) as well. Practicing the skateboard is really difficult, I will exert my effort up to the level wherein I can decide which is my (best) skill whether it is in dance, singing, MC -- I will polish everything. I'll aim for a performance where I can entertain the audience! * My birthday, Taiko and the members, school friends, seniors... and lots of people celebrated my birthday. My family took me to eat to an all you can eat crab (restaurant), my grandmother whose birthday was a day apart (from me) was also celebrated too. My two sisters who's in 1st grade of junior high and in 5th grade of elementary school made me a cake. Sasaki Taiko

Birthday: 2002.05.20 Birthplace: Tokyo Metropolis Blood Type: B Height: 174cm. Weight: 59kg. Hobbies and Special Skills: I love clothes so, I like shopping. My special skills are dancing and playing the drums. I've started playing the drums since I was five years old. Admired Senior: Takahashi Kaito-kun. I admire him because his dancing looks so cool. * I am really glad to be part of "7 MEN侍". I won't forget the gratitude and the support that the fans had given us and I will do my best from now on. The members have been working hard. It is fun to be yourself when you're with everyone. I'm a beginner so during practice, I think there's sense to it. (laughs) I want to polish my skills so that I could show (to everyone) that skateboard is a form of entertainment. Also, each one of us has professional grade skills and strengths as well. I can also play instruments so, I want to be in a band as (part of the) challenge. * Rinne, Konpi (Konno) and I celebrated Igarashi's birthday. When I pressed the naku niwatori, I went 「uwaaa~」 as I thought of giving him present and I stopped. (laughs) Instead, I bought ice (cream??) cake for three people. Next time, we will celebrate Reia's birthday. And also next time, we will go at a theme park.

#magazine translation #7men侍

[chibinightowl]

Mermen Jason and Dick with human Tim, please

Hello, anon! You didn’t give me much to work with here, so have some merboys and their human friend, Timmy. Fluff and light angst ahead!

~*~*~

Tim glanced around as he walked down the beach, checking to see if anyone was paying much attention to him as he made his way further and further from the more populated areas. Not that it was a crowded beach, especially this early in the morning, but privacy was a must considering who he was meeting up with. He hasn’t seen his friends since last summer and while he can’t wait to see them again, he also knew that not everyone would understand why the Drake heir was friends with two merboys.He suspected Mrs. Mac knew what he was up to and who he would be with. She was scary smart like that and it explained the extra sandwiches, cookies, and juice boxes she put in his backpack. Tim was fairly certain she didn’t know Dick and Jason weren’t human. This was Mrs. Mac though, so it probably wouldn’t faze her in the slightest if he introduced them. She was cool like that, even if she was old.The sandy beach soon grew more pebbled underfoot and a rocky cliff rose up to his right, altering the stretch of sand into something less habitable for people. Jagged rocks appeared in the water and the waves broke around them. Tim climbed up some boulders blocking his path, old and worn and probably from the same landslide that send those rocks out into the ocean. An old warning sign sat crooked in the sand about uneven ground, but Tim was small and nimble and doubted his 60 pound frame would do much to shift things around. His water shoes provided enough traction for him to scramble up and over the slippery stone. After several yards, Tim dropped down heavily onto the sand on the other side. It was like a different world here. Tidal pools ringed the edge of the cliff, shallow and rocky during low tide. There was a narrow sandbar against the back of the pools where high tide brushed the cliff walls, but Tim wasn’t worried about the tide, not with two merboys for friends. Their names weren’t really Dick and Jason, but they were the closest approximation Tim’s human vocal cords could make of the series of clicks and hisses that made up their actual names.The tide was mostly out right now, so Tim set his pack on the sand and withdrew a carved shell whistle that he had strung on a cord to wear around his neck. Jason had given it to him three years ago, telling him that when he came back to blow it in the water so that he and Dick would know to come.  

It’s worked every time.Tim picked his way out along the tide pools to where the waves lapped at the edge of the rocky shelf. Blowing the whistle in the sheltered pools didn’t do any good. It needed open water where sound could travel. He knelt on the rock and small waves lapped at his knees. Taking a deep breath, Tim stuck his face in the water, raised the whistle to his lips, and blew hard. A high pitched sound emerged, echoing oddly in the crash of the surf. Only one blow of whistle was needed, so Tim resurfaced and scooted back a little ways to wait. Last year it had taken two solid hours for his friends to arrive while the first year it had barely been thirty minutes. The sun was higher in the sky and Tim had started exploring the tide pools when he heard an excited shout from the water behind him.Turning, he spotted Dick waving wildly from the edge of the shelf. “Timmy! You’re back!” The merboy was a few years older than Tim and didn’t seem to care in the slightest that he was friends with a younger boy. Tim thought he was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. Inky black hair, pale skin, and leanly muscled, Dick would have caught anyone’s attention if he were human. But it was his inhuman features that caught Tim’s eye, like his pointed ears, webbed fingers and sharp claws, and the ridge of scales that ran over his shoulders and down his back. And his fins…Tim swore that one day, he’d find the right color combination of blue and green and black to paint his bedroom walls with. It was such a vibrant and rich color and he couldn’t wait for Dick to climb onto the rocks and into the shallow tide pools so he could see it again. “Dick!” Tim said with a shout, rushing to greet his friend. The merboy caught Tim by the ankle and hauled him into the water, catching hold of him in a tight hug. “You’ve been gone so long this time!” he said, nuzzling into Tim’s hair. “It felt longer than a year.”“I know,” Tim agreed, returning the hug with enthusiasm. He didn’t get a lot of hugs at home except from Mrs. Mac and if there was one thing he knew about Dick, it was that he loved giving them. Jason was always shoving him off, but it was playful rather than mean. “Mom and Dad didn’t want us to come this year, but Mrs. Mac and I eventually won out. That’s why we’re late.”He didn’t say that this was going to be the last time he’d be able to come for a while, possibly even years, because he was going away for school this fall. Nope, that was for later. “I’ll catch you something nice to give her to eat,” Dick said, nodding firmly. “I’m so glad you’re here finally. Jason has been annoying the last few moons, wondering when you’d come.” “Where is he?” Tim asked, twisting around to try and spot the other black haired boy. Sharp claws started tickling his leg and Tim kicked out of reflex, connecting solidly with something below the surface. “Ow!” Jason said, scowling as he rose above the waves, teal eyes flashing in annoyance. “Take a joke, why don’t cha?” Tim scrambled out of Dick’s grip and swam over to the other boy, who promptly dragged him into another big hug. Jason was always very tactile with him, even if he wasn’t with Dick. “You’re late,” Jason muttered into Tim’s hair, his dagger-like nails digging a little too firmly into Tim’s ribs. His t-shirt would have new holes in it. “I’m sorry,” Tim replied, clutching Jason around the neck. “It’s not like I can come and go as I please.”“Stupid human rules,” the merboy said, releasing Tim and helping him back to the rocks where it wasn’t so deep. “You should just come live with us.”Dick nodded in agreement. “We’re old enough to be on our own and you’re not much younger than us. We can take care of you until you’re bigger and have all your adult teeth.” The mer bared his to emphasize his point, revealing sharp fangs perfect for slashing and piercing flesh. Jason poked at Tim’s mouth, trying to look inside. “Do you have all your teeth?” Tim jerked his head away. “Of course, I do!” Mostly. He didn’t think they meant adult molars.“I dunno, your fangs are really dull.” “He’s human, Jay,” Dick reminded him. “Their teeth are different. Remember that ship we explored and found those human skeletons in? All their teeth were like Tim’s.” “You explored a sunken ship? Wow.” That sounded so cool. “All I did this year was go to school and attend boring parties when my parents were home.”

Tim hauled himself back up onto the rocks. Unless there was a way into the tide pools, he’d stay here with Dick and Jason until the waves got a little higher and they could all explore the area. There was always something new and Tim remembered his snorkel so he could breathe properly this year. It looked like Dick and Jason had grown in the last year; they were bigger than he remembered, so they probably needed to wait longer.

Dick stayed in the water, but Jason ducked back underneath the waves before surging out to come to a rest beside Tim. His coppery red scales glistened in the sunlight, but that was not what caught Tim’s attention.

“What happened?” he asked, cringing at the long white scar than ran down Jason’s back and onto his tail. It was huge.

Jason scowled and looked away. “I got a little too close to a boat.”

“Too close, my fins,” Dick retorted. “You almost died. I thought I was going to lose you. That propeller ripped you apart.”

What? No. No, no, no. Tim’s eyes squeezed shut, hands clenching into fists as he tried to process the news. His friend almost died in the last year and he hadn’t known. He wouldn’t have known, not until just now if it had only been Dick who came to see him. There would have been no more of Jason’s crooked smiles or practical jokes. No more of him picking seaweed out of his and Dick’s hair or those little crabs they all enjoyed snacking on that only he was able to find.

Arms wrapped themselves around his waist and he opened his eyes to see Jason pressed against him with his head in Tim’s lap. “Hey. Don’t cry, Tim. I’m okay now.”

“You almost died!” Tim rubbed at his eyes, not realizing he was in fact crying until now. “And I didn’t know because I wasn’t here!”

“Yet another reason why you need to stay here with us all the time,” Jason said, like the answer was as simple as that.

This wasn’t the first time the merboys had made these kinds of comments. They wanted Tim to stay with them, to live and explore the coastal waters as they did. To his mind, it was the perfect life. No more school, no more parties and stupid suits that he hated wearing. He could do what he wanted and just be happy with what each day brought.

But this kind of life wasn’t for him. Not with who he was. He was the heir to everything his parents worked hard for, even if he didn’t want any of it.

Tim sniffed and wiped his runny nose on his arm. “I can’t just leave though. If I run away, people will look for me.” Mom and Dad may not always be around, but if Mrs. Mac reported him missing, they’d move heaven and earth to get him back, even if it was only for appearances.

“We can hide you where you’ll never be found,” Dick said, catching hold of Tim’s hand with his webbed fingers. “Under the surface, no one can find us if we don’t them to.”

It was so tempting to be with people who actually wanted him for who he was. “But I can’t breathe down there,” Tim said. “Not for long anyway.” He’d need a tank of air and a mask, not to mention fins and a scuba suit. These weren’t exactly things an almost eleven year old boy could just buy.

Jason hugged him tighter. “We can breathe for you, silly.”

Dick nodded enthusiastically in agreement. “I learned from a siren and then I showed Jason.”

How that was supposed to work, Tim had no idea. “But, but how can I speak? I suck at your language.”

They spent a good amount of time in the water every summer, above and beneath it. Tim was a fantastic swimmer as a result, better than anyone ever expected of him, but he still had no more than a rudimentary grasp of the mer tongue. The hisses and clicks and whistles were hard for him to form underwater, especially since he couldn’t suck in water and blow it out through a set of gills like his friends.

The merboys closed their mouths and shared a confused look. “Uh, shoot,” Dick replied, bobbing higher in the water as a larger wave hit the rocks. “Okay, so we have to figure that one out still.”

“I also can’t live in the water all the time like you guys can,” Tim added. “My body just isn’t adapted for it.” He’d learned about evolution recently in school and he had spent more than one night wondering where exactly the merfolk branched off and ended up in the ocean rather than on land.

Jason made a face and curled closer to Tim, burying into the wet t-shirt clinging to his thin frame. “We know that,” he said, sounding somewhat muffled. “It would just be temporary until they stopped lookin’.”

Tim sighed and rested his free hand in Jason’s damp hair. He loved his friends, he really did. They were more constant in his life than his parents were, than anybody was. Except for Mrs. Mac, but they both knew that as soon as Tim got old enough and could take care of himself that she’d be gone.

He sighed heavily, debating about if he should speak up now about not coming back next year. Waiting wasn’t going to do any good; in fact, Tim already knew that Jason would throw a fit over it while Dick glommed onto him and refused to let go. Suddenly, he had an idea.

“Let’s make a promise,” Tim announced. “When I’m grown up and can do whatever I want, I’ll come back and live here all the time. Then we can always be together.”

It was like the sun shone even brighter as Dick’s grin lit up his face and Jason sat up, his gaze intent on Tim. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Tim nodded firmly. One day, his life would be his own and he could fulfill his own dreams rather than those of his parents. He’d be back, he knew it.

Jason tugged at the whistle hanging from Tim’s neck. “Swear on this,” he said.

“Swear on your blood,” Dick added. He let go of Tim’s hand to drag a sharp nail down the center of his palm.

It hurt, especially with the sting of salt water entering the wound, but Tim wrapped his bloodied hand of the shell. He could have sworn he felt it grow warmer. “I swear I will come back. No matter what happens.”

Dick cut his own hand and laid it over Tim’s, his blood darker and colder against his skin. “I swear that I will be here when you return.”

Jason took it one step further and bit his hand. Blood ran down the corner of his mouth as he wrapped his fingers around them both. “I swear that I’ll be here waiting for you, Tim. Not even death will stop me.”

There was no mistaking the surge of warmth that rushed through Tim’s veins as their vows were spoken and sealed. More than just a promise had been made here. Something important had just happened. Tim could feel the pounding of his heart growing louder in his ears the longer they held on. Distantly, he thought he heard an echo, of not one, but two hearts beating in time with his.

It was comforting, knowing his friends would always be with him.

An even larger wave took that moment to crash into all three of them, knocking them back into the tide pools. Tim spluttered as his mouth filled with water and he sat up, spitting it out. Dick and Jason were laughing at him.

“Silly human,” Dick teased, the incredible blue of his fins finally above the water where Tim could see it. “You’re supposed to swim in the water, not breathe it in.”

“I thought you said you’d breathe for me?” Tim spit again, trying to get the salty taste out of his mouth.

“In the deep water,” he replied with a grin, flashing sharp teeth as he rolled into a shallow pool. “What do you want to do now that you’re finally here?”

Jason flipped himself over, scales redder now that he was fully out of the water. “Did you bring cookies?”

Dick’s eyes widened. “Cookies! And what about those barrettes you told me about last year? I have shells I saved to braid into your hair.” He loved playing with Tim’s hair, as well as Jason’s when he could get away with it.

Tim stood and grinned down at his friends. The future could stay in the future, at least for now. Here in the present, things would go on the way they always had. Just him, Dick, and Jason. “I did, and shells are fine if you sucked the crabs out this time.”

#chibinightowl writes #Tim Drake #Jason Todd #Dick Grayson #Merfolk!AU #Fluff and friendship

[monstersandmaw]

Crab Monster

Gorgeous post submitted by @monster-love-storiess! Thank you for this - I hope you folks enjoy it too! Unchanged by me, except for adding a ‘keep reading’...

_____________________________________

Hey I was the anon that asked about the crab monster and I then decided to write him a little blurb! Hope you enjoy!

Never in my entire life did I think I would ever run for my life from anything. Never did I think I would feel that intense, horrifying survival instinct kick in and send my adrenaline kicking and screaming into gear. I had seen run for their lives in TV shows and in movies and maybe during a rigorous game of dodge ball in middle school, but never like this. This was the worst feeling anyone could feel. The crippling fear, the hot fire anxiety and the scorching ache in my muscles as I pushed them farther than they have ever been pushed before.

My hushed frantic panting echoed off the damp sea cave walls as I zig zag my way around dried coral and larger than usual shells. My bare feet were badly scraped, and my beach dresses was tattered and salty. But at the moment, I could barely focus on that. I could barley focus on anything aside from putting as much distance between that monster and myself.

The events leading up to me running for my life were a little unusual and my mind reeled at the turn of events that had thrown me to where I am now. Me graduating with flying colors from Marine Biology and then receiving a grant to work on a boat alongside other gradated biologists. It started off great, a little sunburned but great as we travelled around the Caribbean. Part of it was working and taking and examining water samples and finding wildlife, but it was also a vacation of sorts as well.

 We had a captain and a first mate who were not biologist but were just in charge the boat. They were tanned and gruff, both with dark gray birds and yellow teeth.  I had never given them much thought except when I introduced myself when I got on the boat, to which they brushed me off and continue untying ropes from the dock before we set sail.

Come to think of it, the only time I had really heard them speak was when they were screaming curse words into the wind as that huge tidal wave overtook the ship.

I had shut my eyes at that moment, the water spraying everywhere and there was too much salt in my eyes to even see the wave coming, but I braced myself against the closest sturdy thing I could find, which was unfortunately the side railing. Needless to say, my grip was forced off and I was swept up into a seemingly never ending current of dense black water.

When I felt my body finally stop moving, I slowly began the process of opening my eyes. Almost admittedly, I shut them again as blazing sunlight made my vision go white. I wiggled my fingers, toes, arms and legs and found that nothing was broken, but just very soar. My lung burned and my head pounded.

I sat up, now realizing that I had been pressed into the sand of a beach, the tide that had probably dropped me off now receding past my feet and farther back. Looking around I found that I was on some kind of island with a few trees and the biggest rock formations I had ever seen. They rose up higher than any building and I could already see the network of a few caves. I glanced over my shoulder to see if I could see any  signs of life.

There were none. My heart grew heavy and blood ran cold.

I think at that point I had started crying and I curled up into a ball right there on the beach, the water still lapping at my toes and my dress dripping with salt.

It was then The blaring sun was suddenly blocked out but a  large figure looming over me.

I never actually got a good look at it, I only slowly glanced up in time to see those dangerously large crab-like pinchers and the immense size of the creature itself. The pinchers opened slowly as I stared and I realized with dread that the length of the entire pinch was longer than I was.

That leads me to now with my running for my life into one of the various caves on the island.

I don’t know how long I had been running for but I knew it hadn’t been for long enough when I tripped on an exposed barnacle and I was sent face first into the sandy floor. I tried scrambling up to make up for tripping, my fingers digging into the sand around me, trying to find my foot once more.

“Wait! Please…”

I froze, my eyes going wide at the voice.

“I won’t hurt you, please, I want to help.”

I turned and saw the creature slowly approach, claws up in the air. I yelped and scooted back as far as I could, my back against the damp cave walls, my arms hugging my knees u close to my chest.

As I sat deathly still, I could now see the creature in all its glory.

From first glance, it looked like a crab and human hybrid. The crab part of its body was huge, almost the size of a car, not including the legs. The legs themselves were long and bent upward and strong and spiked. However, hat made my heard spin was where the two little eyes were supposed to be at the top front of the base of the body, a strong human torso was instead. However, instead of a set of regular human arms, it had a lower set of what looked like longer skinnier arms that looked like its legs with more of a bent and smaller spikes and another set of on top, these ones being the huge pinchers I had seen on the beach prior to me running for my life. One claw was a little bit bigger than they other but needless to say they both looked strong and deadly.

The crab part of his body was an off-maroon color and the human part was a dark tanned with the maroon mixed in. On closer inspection, I could only assume it was a male from the strongly featured face, heavy brow line and strapping physique. His hair was a dirty blond and it was tied into a half up into a bun with a piece of rope while the rest hung around his shoulder in tousled beachy waves.

If I wasn’t terrified out of my mind, I would have found him handsome.

It then began to dawn on me that he hadn’t tried to hurt me yet, or even come close to my huddled form. His claws, which sent my heart sputtering out of control, were still held up and it took me second it was like a human being holding there hands up to show that they meant to harm.

I slowly let got of my legs and his lips twitched upward into a friendly and hopeful smile.

“How are you doing? I was worried about you. I had been watching over you on that beach for a little while and you didn’t move.”

He had a sort of Australian accent which I found to be completely adorable, despite his monstrous appearance.

I nodded slowly, and then opened my mouth to speak and found my throat to be dangerously dry. I coughed and winced and the feeling and sound it made, and his eyes got wide before he looked around and retrieved a shell from the ground. This one was a little bit bigger than my hand. He held it up to the wall next to him and I watched as he filled it with water from the down ward trickling stream.

“This is rain water that leaks down through the rocks. It is fresh, don’t worry.” He explained before delicately holding the shell down to me, his pinchers holding it gently. I slowly stood up and my eyes got wide as I realized how much he towered over me even with me standing.

I reached out, my hand brushing against the pinchers briefly and I marveled at how hard and smooth it was. I took the shell in both hands before lifting it up to my lips and taking a large sip, relishing in the feeling of fresh water running down my throat.

“Thank you.” I breathed softly and he beamed, shifting his crab legs around in the sand in mild excitement.

“How did you get here? I have never seen human boats come even close to this island before.”

I swallowed a bit more water before answering.

“I was on a boat, but we got caught by a storm and I got swept off into sea.” I bit my lip at the memory, my eyes beginning to water again and his face fell. He approached me slowly, the smaller of his pinchers cautiously reaching for my face. I sucked in a breath as he gently slid the curve of his pincher down my face, capturing a single tear that had escaped from my eye.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’re safe and I won’t let anything happen to you. I have plenty of wood here for a fire signal and I can find you food to eat. Hopefully you don’t like crab legs.” I giggled through my tears at his joke and he smiled.

“Do you have a name, love?” He asked and I told him, sniffling my tears away as I stared up into his warm dark brown eyes.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Blaise.”

It was funny to me that his presence went from horrifying to comforting in a little bit of time. Even more so as he scooped me up so I was no perched in the crook of his massive arm, my legs sandwiched between his bicep and his larger pincher as sat on his shoulder and my hands gripping his broad shoulders tightly for balance. I felt and probably looked tiny compared to him.

“Let’s not waste any more time and light that fire signal and get you sent on your merry way.” He boomed and I laughed as he turned and made his way out of the cave, his movement surprising quick and graceful, even if he did walk sideways a little. I did pick up on a saddened tone in his voice though and I found myself sad that the signaling of other boats would happen so quickly.

I mean I was technically on a vacation of sorts, so why not spend a little bit of it on a tropical island with a gentle crab monster.

___________________________________

Original crab monster post/headcanon ask is here if anyone’s curious about the ask that prompted them to write this and send it in!  

#not my writing #submission to ghosti #crab monster #crab #shipwreck #submission

[clubpenguinheadcanons]

Could we have some reaction hc to Ace antics: just bc "Ace gave a black puddle a hot sauce puffle o and it was fine" PH just going "That's not how things work G and Ace did WHAT?!", team just resigned to Ace crazy shenanigans happening and working lol

Ace and their antics?

Well, this is gonna be interesting. ^3^ Yadda yadda underadda cut

Word Count: 1969

I’ll just go through with it mission wise.

The first mission, well not much really happened with Ace and their antics. They went mainly by the book.

Yet after that mission when AA and G reviewed their performance, they were surprised to read that Ace had to save a bunch of penguins from a stray iceberg.

Aunt Artic, well The Director, was pleasantly surprised that Ace was able to juggle both tasks with grace and quickness, despite not being prompted to.

As well as impressed that Ace did climb up the Tallest Mountain (then again, I feel that is a special feat, cause like, tallest mountain?).

The second mission, the same thing pretty much. Except for this time Ace made a little puffle friend.

They really couldn’t help themselves from talking about that for a bit after being saved and returning to G.

Which made G happy? Since like, they crashed and was stranded in the forests for a bit, yet they were happy that they were able to make a friend.

The third mission, the missing coins. Well, I think G would have been concerned when he heard that Ace used a paperclip to break the power box on the giant magnet.

Since like, Ace could’ve gotten hurt??? Like goodness Ace, don’t do that! Especially near something that has high voltage.

Then again it might be because Ace joked that they just stuck their hand into the box as well, instead of like, throwing the paperclip into the box.

With the fur, I think G and Ace would be confused. Since they never seen anything like that before?

As well that Rookie found Ace to be nice and encouraging (I’m sorry, but I HC that Ace would go for the nicest dialogue boxes when talking to Rookie).

After that mission, Rookie and Ace became friends. :3c

Fourth mission, the mission of the avalanche and needing to save those penguins!

Ace didn’t really expect the belt to actually work.

No really, they thought that the belt would fall off or something on the ski lift, they were pleasantly surprised.

As well that G was surprised that even worked. He would’ve made a new belt for it, but like, he has other things to do. G decided he’ll replace the belt whenever Ace’s replacement breaks down.

Which it hasn’t yet, so oh well. It’s some good aestheticTM .

Also, I am just kinda realizing this now. But like. Ace literally just used a fishing pole, some rope, and a life preserver to save 4 penguins? Like they actually lifted them and was able to pull up four penguins that were hanging on for their lives?  

I feel like G or someone would bring that up. “Ace! What did you use to save these penguins?”“Oh, just this G. *holds up the fishing pole with rope and the life preserver*“Ace…that’s just a glorified fishing pole…how did you even lift them all up?”*Ace holds their flipper out and flexes* (they b buff).

Also like, Herbert’s fur was there too, along with footprints.

So Ace is just wondering, what the hay is able to make an avalanche? Must be big. As well with there being fur with the place that G went to since there was an avalanche there too.

Just Ace referring Herbert as a cryptid or a snow monster, until they find out that their trouble maker is a polar bear.

Which will be in the fifth mission!

Just Ace combing the fur and G being surprised that actually worked.

Cause like, he never thought the comb would ever be useful, he just put it there cause, suave agents need to look suave?

Then realizing that the white fur is dirty, and Ace is just like. “Do we have any other fur samples?” But G is just like “Nope, the other samples are somewhere, just go on this wild puffle chase Agent.”

Ace just seeing everyone freaking out about some monster. They know it’s the same one as before, but like, low-key freaking out on the inside that it might be a real monster.

Which just makes Ace even more so freaking out when the monster was able to detach a part of its body to get a candle. Like, imagine just, seeing a shadow of some unknown beast, and they are just like “ARRRGGHH GO GET THAT CANDLE!” and they just have, a part of their body just ripped out? Just so slowly, waiting to see this hideous being. Then to realize, it was just a crab. Like I think Ace would’ve been like “OH MAH FREAKIN-wait, it’s just a crab???”

Then just only capturing the crab would’ve been a bit sad to Agent, since they wished they caught the bigger beast! Like Ace would just be like “G! Let me go after them! I could take them!”

Only to realize the bigger beast was a freaking polar bear and Ace is just speechless. Since they don’t know what that is, but that they are BIG.

Also, G is just wondering, how the heck was they able to lure part of the duo that was running amuck on the island? By using a candle as bait of course! G is just, he’s slowly learning that Ace has some odd ways to go about things and that for some forsaken reason, they work.

In mission 6, the unorthodox thing that Ace would do would be getting out of the cave and stopping Herbert with a box of pizza.

With the pizza, I think of all people to wonder about this crazy idea, would be Herbert.

Like, he understands he was starving and that pizza is what got him, but at the same time. He goes tricked with a pizza, what a terrible error he has done.

While it should make him not underestimate his opponent, he still does. It takes him until Mysterious Tremors (mission 8) to realize that he shouldn’t be thinking that Ace is just having lucky breaks.

So, with the hot sauce and the O-berry. I feel that after PH finds out about that, she will talk Ace’s ear off about puffle safety and that you can’t just do things because they are cool and convenient, and like, what if the puffle gets hurt from that?  

And like, Ace will listen. But internally they would just be like “PH, that was years ago, the puffle is fine (they’re my pet now anyways, (ok I just love the idea of Ace finding the puffle again and keeping them as a pet)), and I don’t put hot sauce on O-berries hoping that a black puffle will eat them every day.”

While G is just surprised about the results, he would want to replicate that, but, yeah, PH won’t allow that.

Mission 7, with the clockwork repairs, I think Rory would be impressed with Ace’s quick thinking skills.

Like Ace was able to make a gear entirely out of snow, turn it into ice, and that just worked perfectly!

As well that Ace was able to get the target in a calm and fair manner? Like I feel with another agent, like JPG, they would try to use their PSA status to get it back. As well that Ace gave them a replacement, which was nice of them.

Along with Ace making another puffle friend, Ace just likes making animal friends in general.

Herbert is just, after calling Ace, just surprised of their quickness and clever thinking. But hey, that’s just luck on their part! Surely Herbert will prevail one way or another soon! Especially since he has the part he was looking for anyways!

Mission 8, The Mysterious Tremors!

Herbert honestly thought he had this in the bag, he really did.

Having the Gift Shop underground and everything else just being a big mess would make it impossible for Ace to catch up to him and Klutzy!

But they did, including cleaning up the whole mess Herbert has caused in this as well.

Which just, made him so angry? Like, all of his work was undone by one pesky little penguin?

While G was concerned that Ace actually went and fixed the Gift Shop, especially with how dangerous that could’ve been.

Along with fixing the boiler that was about to explode.

Like Ace was freaking out about that in the call, so for them to fix it and realize that it could’ve been disastrous made G even more impressed and concerned for the agent.

Ace did try to chase after Herbert after fixing the boiler, it was just they couldn’t find him through all of the tunnels. So back to HQ they go.

Giving the clock gear back to G made him happy as well, since yeah! They have the gear again, so now Herbert won’t be using it! As well as, holy heck Agent, how were you able to carry that giant gear with ease? G is just struggling to even hold it.

With mission 9, Spy and Seek, it was one of Agent’s favorite missions.

Since this is where they tried to show their skills with putting stuff together and being able to finally track Herbert.

As well that G was impressed with Agent throughout this, since like, this was a test for Agent, and they did perfectly in this.

Rory just being impressed how Ace could handle a blowtorch and was able to fix the mine cart with ease.

As well that in the end, Ace seeing Herbert dancing was quite funny to them, along with finally being able to find their enemy.

Herbert being impressed that Ace was able to track them, but gosh darn them being so stupid to leave a valuable piece of technology out in the open.

Ah well, something for him to use now!

Mission 10, Waddle Squad!

Ace just being all happy and proud and nervous when giving the leader position.

Like holy moly, they are the leader for this mission? Just, too much to say in too little time.

Ace didn’t really have any antics for this mission really.

Like it was just them helping the squad to get Herbert really.

Like Ace helping Jet and Rookie wasn’t really their antics.

Well, I guess with Ace helping Jet pour the soda I guess? Like Jet could’ve done that himself, unless he has like a shaky hand when it comes to that stuff.

I guess in the end with Ace taking Jet’s jetpack to put on the cage would’ve been one of their ideas to get Herbert.

Which worked surprisingly well.

Until Rookie gave Herbert his phone and teleported out.

I feel that Ace would’ve tried to lunge to grab Herbert, but missed by a split second. So like, no Herbert, and some seeds on the ground.

Mission 11, Veggie Villain.

The only two antics I really see from this would be Ace using ice to give to Rory for the telescope, and them finding the EPF entrance.

Ace just used the piece of ice since they know for some reason that can work, such as making the clockwork tower gear out of ice.

Then giving the glasses lens to the other penguin and finding out that they have been helping that penguin a bunch of times before.

Which hey, glad to know Ace was there for someone those times when they needed help.

And with the EPF entrance, that would be for two reasons depending if the DS game is canon.

If it’s canon, then Ace would’ve known about the EPF entrance, so they just used their knowledge with that to get help from the EPF, hoping that their networks weren’t down.

If not, then Ace was probably just frantically looking about hoping to find something to help stop the bomb.

Which, they did, so that’s good.

I am so sorry that this took forever and a day, just I am so sorry about that, and I hope this is what you wanted I just ahh I am so sorry if it’s not. Thank you for being so patient Anon!!!!! ;w; 

#club penguin #gary the gadget guy #dot the disguise gal #Aunt Artic #rookie #jet pack guy #epf #club penguin headcanons #Sorry that this took forever! #psa #penguin secret agency #elite penguin force

[pengychan]

Te Rerenga Wairua - Ch. 1

Title: Te Rerenga Wairua Summary: Found by the gods drifting at sea, Maui always assumed he had been thrown in it to drown. When that assumption is challenged, there is only one way to find closure: speaking to his long-departed family. But it’s never a smooth sail to the Underworld, and he’ll need help from a friend - plus a token that fell in the claws of an old enemy long ago. Characters: Maui, Moana, Tamatoa Rating: K 

Prologue and links to all chapters up so far here.

A/N: For the record, Pilifeai is a character who appears in this book as part of a series of tales - so, not mine. I just had fun imagining he'd crossed paths with Maui and Tamatoa. Also, @ysmirel came up with a character design for him based on the book's description, and you can see it here! Tamatoa getting his treasure stolen by other monsters is also something that happened in that novelization, and I decided to have it happening here as well. Because of reasons.  

***

Tamatoa wasn’t supposed to get that far from the shore.

And at first it had looked like he wouldn’t need to, because the shipwreck was very close to an island; he could easily get there, spend a few hours collecting all that was left in it worth taking, and then go back to the surface as soon as he felt the need to breathe again. Easy.

Except that the ship had started losing cargo before it sank. Except there was a long line of shiny stuff that stretched in the sand towards the open ocean. Except he had followed it, picking up everything of value he saw on the way. Except that now he was much further away from the shore.

Except that he couldn’t tell where the shore was anymore, he needed to get to the surface to breathe and he couldn’t swim upwards.

All right, all right. Keep calm. It’s fine. I… saw that rock. That rock is totally familiar. I must have come this way, right? Right?

Wrong.

The need to breathe growing more urgent, Tamatoa clutched the trinkets tighter and tried not to panic. He closed his eyes, counted to ten, then opened them again.

And panicked.

“Hey! HEY! Anybody here? I NEED DIRECTIONS!”

Water caused his words to come up as a gurgling mess, and there was no answer: only a few fish swimming in the distance, and something that looked much like thick rope moving in the sand like… like… wait, was that a fishing line?

If they catch you they’ll pull you out of the shell, crack you open and eat you up.

That was not a possibility anymore, and it would never be again: Tamatoa had grown to be roughly the size of three humans by then, hardened his own shell enough to protect him from any of their weapons and had pincers powerful enough to cut a grown man’s spine in two if he needed to. Still, a fishing line still spelled bad news to him, and he immediately backtracked; too little, and too late. The fishing line was suddenly pulled upwards, and something hooked itself beneath Tamatoa’s carapace, pulling him up with it.

“No! HEY!”

His protests were useless, and all he could do was clutching the treasures he had collected as he was pulled upward at incredible speed, making him wonder for just a moment what kind of being could pull him up so easily through water, from so far below and so quickly.

Then he broke through the surface, and all he could focus on was breathing.

“... Huh. Didn’t see this coming.”

Still wheezing, Tamatoa blinked the water out of his eyes and looked ahead to see… a human. Bigger than most humans, but still smaller than himself, and yet he seemed to be the one who had pulled him up, the fishing line still in his hands. How was that possible? Tamatoa opened his mouth to ask as much, the human frowned and spoke again.

“You’re not a fish,” he said. Tamatoa found himself blinking a couple more times, too confused to even begin feeling insulted for being confused for a fish even for a moment.

“... Very observant,” he replied, gaze shifting on the fishing line. He could easily snap it with his pincers, come to think of it, but that would mean having to let go of his bounty, and… wait, his stuff! Was the human after the shipwreck’s treasures as well? Tamatoa scowled and clutched his prize tighter. “These are mine!” he snapped. If he thought he was going to just let him scoop them up…!

The human barely cast a glance at his shiny collection before shrugging it off. “Whatever,” he said, and pulled him on the boat. Tamatoa landed on the bottom of it with a yelp, causing the boat - larger than most, but not huge - to rock quite a bit. Aside from being thrice the size of a regular human, Tamatoa was also much heavier than any of them. How had that guy managed to lift him? And most of all, why had he?

“What are you doing?”

“You’re welcome.”

“What?”

The human shrugged and went to disengage his hook from beneath Tamatoa’s carapace. It was massive, entirely white and covered in intricate carvings. “For saving you.”

“I didn’t need saving!”

“The way you gasped when I pulled you out says otherwise,” he countered with a grin. “Spent too much time underwater, huh? Sounded like you were drowning.”

“I was not--”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” the human cut him off with a wave of his hand. “We all need help at some point. Well, except me, but still. Glad I could help you, uh… got a name?”

“Tamatoa,” was the cautious reply. The young of his kind were food to humans and, while he would be able to fend off any normal human, it was becoming more and more clear that this one was nowhere near normal.

“Great, cool name. I’m Maui, the shape shifter, demigod of wind and sea. Hero of Men. And crabs, it looks like,” he added, and held up his hand. “Please, please. Don’t clap your hands too hard. It disturbs the fish.”

“I have no hands,” Tamatoa pointed out, but he did approach, after leaving his bounty safe in a corner of the boat. Of course, he made sure to keep standing between it and that Maui. Just in case. “So, wait. A demigod?” he asked, taking a better look. He looked like a regular human, if a big one. There were some tattoos across his torso, and… wait, had one of them just moved?

“The best around!” Maui confirmed, throwing the huge hook back into the ocean. “Did you think a human would have been able to pull you up?”

Well, that was a fair point. Tamatoa settled down, eyestalks peering overboard. “And what are you doing here?”

“Fishing, what else?” Maui replied, and leaned against the side of the boat with the fishing line in his hand. “Off to catch the biggest fish ever caught, for a couple of villages that are having a bit of trouble finding decent food. That’s why I’m the Hero of men. And women. All. No worries, I’ll give you a lift ashore once I’ve caught the biggest fish ever. I’ve got to say you’re a long way from home.”

“Home?” Tamatoa repeated, frowning. How would he know where he lived? His confusion had to show, for Maui went on.

“I assume you’re from Lalotai. Aren’t you? I’ve never seen one of your kind outside that place,” he added, tilting his head on one side. “And even there, you’re pretty rare.”

Tamatoa had no memory of Lalotai, but he knew that was where he came from. It wasn’t a safe place for anybody to rear their young, Gran had explained, and Ma’s whole clutch of eggs had been eaten except for two - his own, and one that had never hatched. Shortly after that his mother and grandmother had left it with him still in his larval state, to find someplace safer to be. Both had planned to return once he was big enough to fend for himself, but neither had in the end due to, well. Dying. Bit of a shame, since Gran seemed so nostalgic of it, but ah well. At least she hadn’t gone to waste.

Tamatoa himself had never returned, and the fact he didn’t know the way may have something to do with it. He sort of liked were he was, anyway - but now Maui was making him curious.

“I’ve never been in Lalotai. Have you?”

“Oh, of course! Plenty of times.”

“What is it like?”

Maui shrugged, scratching his cheek. “That kinda depends on who you ask. Some of the folks in there make for a nice challenge. Big as wales - would gobble you down without even having to chew you, which would kinda make your shell useless. Tried to do the same for me, but I’m a tough one. There was this one time…”

***

Lalotai was not a very social place.

Rife with monsters as it was, interaction was scarce. When it did happen, it was usually over dinner - meaning that at least one of the parties involved would become the main course of the other’s meal.

It wasn’t something Tamatoa had ever really taken part to. He was far too big and strong to worry any of the monsters in Lalotai could pose a threat to him - so no one had ever bothered trying to taste him, with the exception of a giant octopus in his early days there who had since had to make do with only three tentacles - and, as far as he was concerned, fish made for a better meal. Easy to get, too: being shiny was all he had to do, and it just so happened to be what he did best. That, and singing.

But now, to be honest, he was getting tired of singing to the void. It would have been nice to have at least some public to appreciate his voice and shiny carapace, and possibly to help him back upright. He was starting to feel lightheaded.

“Hey! A little help here? I just need a push!”

Once again, there was no reply… or almost. Something did reach him - a skittering sort of sound. Tamatoa blinked, and glanced around to see a few shadowy figures approaching - some of the inhabitants of Lalotai, all of them on the small side. Well, from his perspective, anyway. No threat to him there. He let out a snort.

“About time you guys showed up! C’mon, give me a shove and-- hey! HEY! WHAT ARE YOU--”

He had no time to say anything else before they were all around him, a whole swarm of them he hadn’t even seen approaching, and it wasn’t to help him up: under his horrified eyes, they began picking up all of the shinies that had fallen off his shell in the impact - and began reaching beneath it for the ones still attached to it.

“NO! STOP! THAT’S MINE!”

He tried to stand upright, tried to lash out of them, tried to twist around so he could crush them with his sheer weight and maybe he managed to kick off a handful of them - but stuck on his back as he was, there was no stopping them: squirming and yelling and kicking useless in the air was about all he could do.

It had taken over two thousand years for him to collect his treasure. It took less than a minute for it to be gone alone with the swarm, leaving him alone once again, unable to do anything but curse at them and uselessly call out for help in the same breath.

It’s wasn’t until later, when a low hiss reached him, that he realized that maybe he shouldn’t have made all that noise after all. When you’re trapped on your back and entirely vulnerable in the middle of Lalotai, advertising your presence may not be advisable.

Sooner or later, something big might show for dinner.

*** 

“Screeaaw!”

Maui let out another screech and let himself drop down towards the sea - down down down, until the could see the fish swimming under the surface - and then opened his wings, flying over the surface and then raising back to the sky in one smooth swoop.

Gods, he had missed this.

With a few more flaps of his powerful wings, Maui lifted himself high up in the sky and surveyed his handiwork. The islands he had pulled out of the sea with his brand new hook dotted the deep blue ocean, ready for Moana and her people to find and explore. Oh, she was gonna love them. He’d better be back from time to time, just to make sure he got to see the look on their faces when they reached them.

Or maybe he could go fishing. That had been his first idea, really, but then he had started pulling up island after island instead, and had gotten all caught up with that. He should just find a nice spot and…

His eyes, wonderfully sharp in his giant hawk form, suddenly caught something in the distance, very far away: the spire that stood at the entrance to Lalotai. It wasn’t quite enough to sour his mood, but it did make him frown.

When he had left that place last time, only days earlier, he had been… probably at his lowest for quite some time. He had finally held his hook again, only to find that he was unable to use it properly. He had been weak. He had been beaten. He had been thrown around and taunted mercilessly and very nearly eaten.

But now I’m back, he reasoned. I really am back.

After one more moment of thought - not much, but thinking had never been Maui’s favorite pastime - he decided that fishing could wait, after all. There were other ways to put his fishhook to use.

A rematch, just to name one.

*** 

When he first heard the hiss, Tamatoa assumed it was from one of the geysers. When it came closer, he hoped it was.

Then someone spoke, and he came to the conclusion that was really not his week.

“Well, well. What a surprise,” a raspy voice said somewhere behind him. “Looks like what they say is true. The great Tamatoa, bested by a human.”

“And a demigod,” Tamatoa snapped, glancing around to figure out who was talking. That still looked bad, but not as bad as being bested by just a human. Sure, Maui had been very far from peak condition - basically helpless - but that wasn’t a detail he had to reveal, was it? “And you know, I’d have liked to see you--” he added, only to trail off when his eyes finally found his interlocutor - whom, come to think of it, maybe he’d have preferred not to see at all.

Not that he saw him all in one glance. At first, all he could see were blood red scales, covering a tail that just happened to be attached to a giant lizard measuring, snout to tail, something like sixty feet.

Oh. Great. This guy.

“Pilifeai?” Tamatoa said, then he found himself grinning, the stab of annoyance turning to amusement. “Hah! Didn’t think you were still alive! What hole have you been hiding into for the past… huh. How long has it been again? A thousand years? Two thousand?”

The lizard’s yellow eyes flashes with anger. “One thousand eight hundred and five years, ten months and eighteen days,” he hissed, causing Tamatoa to give him a thoroughly unimpressed look.

“... Counting days? You haven’t been very busy, I take it,” he said, ficking an antennae at the giant lizard - who, in turn, didn’t seem to be especially bothered.

“Neither have you, from what I’ve heard,” Pilifeai countered, and smiled. Teeth the size of a human arm and sharp as obsidian gleamed in the dim light. “In your lair day in and day out, counting the shiny trinkets you’ve scavenged like a good little bottom-feeder.”

The mention of his stolen treasure was a blow, but being called that was worse. Tamatoa bristled and snapped his claws in the empty air, wishing he could get upright and get them on that insufferable reptile. “Call me that again and I’ll--”

“Yell at me? Oooh, I’m terrified,” was the dry reply.

“How about I call you that?”

There was a movement that looked much like a shrug. “Go right ahead. I know precisely what I am. You, on the other hand, never wanted to admit it. Only that now your treasure is gone, isn’t it, bottom-feeder?” Pilifeai sneered, circling him and forcing Tamatoa to move his eyestalks frantically to keep track of his movements. “All gone, even what you had back in the lair. Maaaybe you have a few trinkets left in the middle of your shell, where they couldn’t reach, but it’s not enough to hide the ugly truth, is it?” he asked, and grinned, all fangs bared. “In the end, you’re just a crab. Not much to look at.”

“Try saying that again to my face and--”

“I am saying that to your face, you dense crustacean,” Pilifeai snorted, and grinned again. “But don’t be so sour. You know what they say: it’s not what you look like that matters…”

“That’s a load of barnacles and--”

“... It’s what you taste like that’s really important.”

… Ah.

Well.

Now that could be a problem.

“H-HAH! I’d like to see you try! Last time we had a disagreement, if you’d like to call it that, I--”

“Last time we had a disagreement you were not stuck on your back.”

“... That does put things in a different perspective.”

“Thanks. Now, how about we spare what’s left of your dignity and get this over wit--”

“Because I’m upside down! Hah! Get it?”

Pilifeai stared. He blinked. He tilted his head on one side. “What?”

Tamatoa rolled his eyes, holding up his claws as though in surrender. “Upside down!” he repeated, waving both pincers. “I see things from a different perspective! Literally!”

Silence.

“It was a pun? Hello?”

More silence.

“... You’re the worst public I’ve ever had,” Tamatoa huffed, crossing his claws.

There was a snarl, and Pilifeai stepped closer. The ground trembled under his steps. “I’m not your public, you hopeless imbecile! I am a predator and now you’re my prey!” he snarled, and bared his fangs once again. Admittedly, they were impressive… and probably strong enough to break through the underside of his carapace. Or bite his head clean off.

If they catch you, Gran’s voice echoed somewhere in the back of his mind, they’ll pull you out of the shell, crack you open and eat you up.

Thanks, Gran. Not helping. As usual.

“As I was saying,” Pilifeai was going on, “if you just submit I’ll make it quick and--” he trailed off and stepped back when Tamatoa lifted his claws and snapped them shut, dangerously close to his snout. He glared, and Tamatoa glared right back.

All right, things were looking bad - real bad - but if that overgrown lizard thought he was going to let himself become his main course without a fight he was so, so mistaken. “You can regrow your tail, but can you regrow your head? Hmm? Let’s find ou--”

He didn’t get to finish what, in his not-so-humble opinion, was a seriously cool line: the next moment Pilifeai let out a hiss and moved in for the kill, maw wide open and teeth glistening. For a moment it looked like something else from long, long ago: a thin, sharp beak. Only that this time no human would stroll by and stop it, so there was only one thing for him to do.

Tamatoa lifted his pincers over his head and shrieked.

*** 

“CHEE-HOO!”

Maui had to admit the descent to Lalotai was a lot more fun when he went down as a giant hawk. Down, down, down at breakneck speed - only to turn himself into a shark with a flick of his hook a moment before hitting the water. That, too, was a whole lot better than going into the vortex in his human form: the pull of the water worked for him and not against him as he dove down down, past the vortex, past the water… and finally inside Lalotai.

“Chee-hoo!”

With another cry, Maui turned back into a hawk, flew straight down and then took his human moments before landing in a crouch, fishhook held tightly in his right fist. “IT’S MAUI TIME!”

“... Wha--?”

“Huh?”

All right, now that wasn’t precisely the sight he had expected to find. For one, he hadn’t thought he’d find Tamatoa precisely in the same spot he had left him days ago, stuck on his back. Second, he hadn’t expected to find him with his claws over his head to protect himself from some kind of giant lizard that… actually looked kinda familiar, didn’t it?

“... Pilifeai?” Maui said, lowering his hook, and laughed. Really, Pilifeai of all monsters? And there he thought he had gone and died someplace far away after getting his tail kicked by spirits for the final time! “HAH! Seriously? You’re still alive?”

“That’s what I said,” Tamatoa muttered, one eye poking out from under his claws. Pilifeai just hissed. Maui ignored them both.

“How long have you been hiding away, you overgrown lizard?” he asked, leaning on his hook. “Two thousand years?”

“That is also what I said,” Tamatoa pointed out, finally lowering his claws. “And he’s been counting the days,” he added, causing Maui to blink and turn to him.

“What, seriously?”

“Honest! And then he said--” Tamatoa  began, only to trail off and scowl. “Wait a minute, that’s not-- what are you doing here?”

Maui shrugged. “Came here to kick your shell, but it looks like somebody else is already on to it.”

“Well, I don’t need your help!”

Maui raised an eyebrow. “... When did I say I was going to help you?”

Tamatoa stared. Maui stared. Tamatoa opened his mouth. Maui’s eyebrow went higher. Tamatoa closed his mouth without saying anything and turned with a huff. On Maui’s chest, Mini Maui marked a point for him; beside him, Mini Moana shook her head and pressed a hand against her face.

“Unless you were saying you need my help…” Maui spoke again, starting to grin. Now that would be perfect: it would get under Tamatoa’s skin way more than just being thrown around a bit. Imagine that - forcing him to admit he owed him his life. He’d never live it down.

And then he’d also throw him around a bit for good measure.

“Wha-- NO! I literally just said I don’t need your help!”

“You don’t look in the position to refuse. You can’t even get up, can you?”

“I can! I was just… I was resting! It’s a tiring job, being drop dead gorgeous all the time!”

“Really? ‘Cause it looks like the ‘dropping dead’ part is just about the only thing you’re getting ri--”

“Excuse me.”

Pilifeai’s snarl cut off Tamatoa’s protest, and caused them both turn back to him. The massive lizard stood rigid, glaring death at Maui with such intensity that he half-expected to see smoke rise from his nostrils or something like it.

“Oh, sorry,” Maui said smoothly. “Forgot you were there.”

“He didn’t,” Tamatoa pointed out. “We were just ignoring you.”

“... You really don’t do subtle, do you, Crabcake?”

“That wasn’t subtle at all. I was just pointing it out for the dumb lizard here, in case it went over his head like most things do.”

With a snarl, Pilifeai turned to glare at him. “You know this dumb lizard can hear you, don’t you?”

“Oh, and here I thought I was being subtle,” Tamatoa muttered, making quotation marks in the air with his claws. Pilifeai’s yellow eyes narrowed into slits of pure malevolence.

“Very well. I was about to make it quick. But perhaps I’ll rip off another limb or two from you as an appetizer first…”

Crabs couldn’t grow pale, of course, but Maui was pretty sure Tamatoa would have done precisely that if he could. “H-hey, now, can’t we talk this over?” he croaked. Pilifeai just licked his lips, and Tamatoa’s eyes turned to Maui, who smiled and waved.

“As I think you said a few days ago, c'est la vie.”

Tamatoa seemed about to say something, but someone else got there first. Pilifeai.

“... Aren’t you going to try stopping me?” he asked, glancing at Maui. He shrugged.

“Nope. Bonne appetit.”

The giant lizard’s scowl turned into obvious confusion, eyes moving from Tamatoa to Maui and then back. “Weren’t the two of you buddies? Have I missed something?”

“He started it!” Maui and Tamatoa exclaimed precisely at the same time, pointing at each other with hook and claw. Maui glared at him before turning back to Pilifeai. “Okay, okay. I know it’s confusing. I mean, you get distracted for a couple thousand years and--”

“One thousand eight hundred and five years, ten months and eighteen days.”

“See?” Tamatoa piped in. “He did count the days!”

“... But yes, you did  miss out a few things. Bottom line is, Crabcake and I haven’t been on friendly terms for a while. The leg he’s missing? My handiwork.”

Tamatoa bristled, snapping his claws in the air. “You always had to take everything too far!”

“I told you that attacking humans was the dealbreaker, but would you listen? Nooo, you’d just follow anything that glittered, no matter what you stepped onto on the way,” Maui snarled, anger flaring up once again. His grip on the hook tightened, and he lifted it to point it at Tamatoa like an accusing finger. He failed to notice how Pilifeai’s yellow eyes moved quickly from him to Tamatoa and then back, like they had just begun speaking in another language he couldn’t make sense of. “Robbing shipwrecks was one thing, but causing them? Raiding villages? Not on my watch! You had been warned, several times!”

“What, getting mad over that again? It’s been thousands of years!”

“You tried to eat Moana last week!”

“... Who?”

“Moana!”

“You mean the human with the skinny little legs?”

“Yes.”

“The one who made a fake Heart of Te Fiti to distract me before I ate you?”

“Yes, that--”

“The one who had to save your life by dragging you away when you were too weak to even run--”

“YES, that Moana,” Maui snapped. Very slowly, Mini Maui scored one point for Tamatoa and then shrugged apologetically when Maui shot him a glare. Mini Moana snickered. “The point is, you tried to eat her--”

“She had come into my lair, completely uninvited--”

“... And then you tried to eat me!”

Tamatoa rolled his eyes. “Look, I ate my grandma and my own leg. Don’t go thinking that makes you special.”

Maui opened his mouth to snap back, but found himself blinking as what he had just heard sank in. “... Wait. You ate your own leg after I ripped it off?” he asked

Tamatoa shrugged, or at least that was what it looked like. Hard to tell, especially on an upside down giant crab. “What, was I supposed to waste it?”

“Seriously?”

“And anyway, I’ll have you know that I’m deli-- I mean, no, wait, scratch that,” Tamatoa scrambled to correct himself. “I tasted horrible. Awfully chewy. I’m actually pretty sure I’m poisonous. Heard that, Pili-- huh. Hey? Pilifeai? Where are you going?”

Maui turned to see that the giant lizard had turned his back to them and was walking away in silence, huge tail slithering across the ground like a snake. “Well away from you,” Pilifeai replied, barely glancing back over his shoulder. “I don’t know what issues you’ve got, but it’s serious and I know better than getting involved.”

“But--”

“Get help. Or kill each other, I don’t care. Pilifeai out,” the lizard snapped, and disappeared behind a boulder.

For several moments, both Maui and Tamatoa stared at the spot where he’d been standing in silence. They exchanged a quick glance, then looked away again with a scoff. Tamatoa idly snapped his claws. Maui scratched his butt with the handle of his hook.

Well.

Now that was awkward.

***

[Back to the Prologue]

[On to Chapter 2]

#moana #maui #tamatoa #disney

[cathygeha]

ETERNAL by Cecy Robson Review and Excerpt Tour!

We are excited to celebrate the release of Cecy Robson’s ETERNAL: A Carolina Beach Novel. Follow the tour for reviews, excerpts, and enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card and three runners-up will win a digital copy of book #1 in the series, INSEVERABLE.

Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and (3) Digital Copies INSEVERABLE from Cecy Robson!

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ETERNAL: A Carolina Beach Novel by Cecy Robson, tells the story of what happens when all is lost and then you find the one. Neither Luci nor Landon planned on each other, and they definitely didn’t plan on love in this New Year’s Eve, one-night stand romance. Fans of FLIRTING WITH FIRE by Kate Meader and HOT SHOT by Kristen Callihan won’t be able to put down this emotional and heartfelt read.

 Title: Eternal: A Carolina Beach Novel

Author: Cecy Robson

Release Date: October 24, 2017

Publisher: Cecy Robson, LLC

Series: Carolina Beach #2

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Page Count: 366

Format: Print & Digital

 Synopsis:

 After months of bad luck and even worse men, Luciana Diaz just wants to crawl under the covers and forget the year ever happened. Her friend has other plans, convincing Luci to attend a New Year’s Eve party on the affluent shores of Kiawah Island.

Luci never expected to have fun. She also never expected to wake up next to a man she just met, or for this man to be the new attorney at her firm.

Landon Summers is done with drama. After an ugly separation and even worse divorce, he has no desire to jump into another relationship.

When his sister Trinity drags him to a New Year’s Eve party, he doesn’t plan to stay long. One drink, a few hellos, and he’s out. Until he meets Luci, the first person in months to draw his smile and incite his passion.

Neither Luci nor Landon planned on each other, and they definitely didn’t plan on love. But the New Year means a fresh start, and eternal possibilities neither could deny…

 Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2yuKS6h

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ETERNAL Excerpt #1

Copyright © 2017 Cecy Robson

Banging from the kitchen has me turning in the direction of the wall oven. The brunette shoves the tin of crab cakes into the center, shiny with the sauce she basted them with.

No sooner than she sets the timer and takes off her oven mitt than Kirk Watson arrives. “Hey, sweet thing. How about you fix me a plate?”

How about I punch you in the head, Kirk?

I glare in his direction. She’s the only non-Caucasian woman in the immediate vicinity. I’m not trying to be a dick and assume he’s racist, I’ve just known him long enough to know that’s what he is. Not to mention, she’s in a cocktail dress or whatever the fuck, not dressed in a black shirt and pants like the caterers Becca hired.

Her small chin juts slightly forward. “I’m sorry, sir,” she says. “I don’t work here, I was just helping someone out.”

Kirk is already drunk and way past horny. He leans his arm against the overhead counter and gives her the kind of once-over that should send her to the nearest shower to wash his filth clean. “Then how about I buy you a drink?”

“It’s my understanding the drinks are free,” she tells him.

He sidesteps in front of her when she tries to walk away, blocking her. “Come on, sweetie. I’m just trying to be nice.”

I don’t think things through. I storm in from the opposite side and from one blink to the next, I’m suddenly there.

The brunette takes a step back and into me, my presence startling her and making her jump. “Back off, Kirk. She’s with me.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have said what I did, but Kirk’s the type who doesn’t know when to quit unless there’s a bigger man there to make him.

Tonight, that bigger man is me. He swipes his shaved head, offering me a slick smile that turns challenging real quick. “Is that right?”

“Damn straight.” I think the brunette looks up at me, but I’m too busy looking at Kirk. Yeah, he’s drunk, and ready to take a swing. The protective side of me kicks in. I grasp my supposed damsel in distress by the elbow and gently guide her behind me.

His gaze trails to her briefly before returning to me. “I thought you were hard up.”

“Nah,” I say, not wanting to give this idiot any amount of satisfaction. “Onto bigger and better as you can see.”

“Or tinier and cuter?” he offers.

“Watch your mouth,” I fire back, knowing he’s not complimenting her, but rather trying to rile me. “Like I said, she’s with me.”

I clench my fists, causing my knuckles to crack. I don’t think he hears the crunch, not over the music and escalating clamor of voices. He does see me, though. Whatever he catches in my hardening features is enough to make him back down. Smart man, at least when it comes to a fight. He knows I can take a hit, and give one a hell of a lot harder.

He grunts and slinks away, like he did me a favor by letting me off and not the other way around. I keep him in my sights. By the time he reaches the door leading out to the foyer, he perks up, likely having spotted the next woman he’ll approach.

I wait until he disappears into the next room before turning back to the brunette. “Ma’am,” I say, tilting my chin.

I mean to step away and back in the direction of my beer. One drink and out, right? Sounded good in theory except the moment I shift my weight to walk away, her smile holds me in place.

It’s not the kind of smile that promises anything close to what the bartender offered, nor is it teasing and daring like the half-dozen cheerleaders Becca introduced me to flashed. It simply is, fragile like the first snowflakes that fall in winter, and shy like a young woman at her first dance, hoping no one notices she’s not dressed like the rest.

I like what she’s wearing. She looks nice to look nice, not to impress or show off. And someone as pretty as her, well, she doesn’t need to be so shy.

Her lips are glazed in a soft pink like her dress, not overly done, just enough to give them a shine and glisten her light eyes. “Thank you,” she says, quietly. “For helping me out.”

“You’re welcome.”

I take a step in the direction of the bar, eyeing my beer like it’s waiting for me to return. But the step feels unusually heavy and I think my friend the beer can wait.

I turn slowly and offer this little thing with the pretty eyes and the soft smile my hand. It shouldn’t seem like such a big deal or much of an effort, but it’s a little of each. Maybe for both of us. “I’m Landon.”

She takes my hand. I watch it as it disappears within my grasp.

“Hi, Landon,” she replies quietly. “I’m Luci.”

 ETERNAL Excerpt #2

Copyright © 2017 Cecy Robson

 That smile that faded in Blythe’s presence returns. I ease my way out of the bathroom and return to the kitchen, but Landon is gone. So is my purse and our drinks.

My heart falls to my belly, only for it to quicken when a hand presses tenderly against the small of my back. “Are you hungry?” Landon asks. He motions to the corner where a set of heavy curtains sway in the breeze. “I figured with all that we’re drinking, we should get something to eat.”

“That would be lovely,” I say, realizing how much I mean it.

He passes me my clutch and leads me forward, a server slips out from behind a curtain with an empty tray, nodding Landon’s way. As he passes, Landon slips something into his palm. “Thank you, sir,” the young man tells him.

Landon smiles when I look up at him. “After you,” he says.

He parts the curtain, allowing me into a small terrace surrounded by tall glass dividers that repels the wind and allows a magnificent view of the ocean. There’s not much room, the space only large enough for a rectangular fire pit radiating with turquoise glass and a small table with two chairs. To our right people laugh from a larger more open terrace a level down. They can’t see us well, and I don’t really care to see them.

Our beers are placed beside two empty plates, along with two unopened bottles of water. At the center, there’s a large plate filled with food. “Becca likes to eat breakfast out here when she’s home. But she’s not using it and I didn’t want to waste the view.”

“It’s amazing,” I say, taking in the splendor.

I didn’t expect to see the ocean this far into the shore, especially at night. But with moon as bright and as low as it is, its light spills across the waves, illuminating the water and casting a glow along the sand.

Landon pulls out my chair. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I asked the staff to bring a little of everything.” He pauses. “You’re not one of those crazy vegans are you?” I laugh. “If you are, I can ask them for some of that crazy vegan food you people like to eat.”

“My people like everything,” I assure him, watching him take a seat in front of me.

“Good,” he says. “So do good ol’ Southern boys.”

We spend an outrageous amount of time talking, and even more simply gazing at each other, smiling softly when the words don’t quite come, and laughing when they finally do.

It’s only when Rihanna’s Love on the Brain begins to play that Landon tears his attention away from me and back in the direction of the party. “Don’t you hate it when everyone is dancing, and you have no one to dance with?” he asks.

I glance down, playing with the fabric of my skirt. “I think it’s worse when the wrong person asks you, and you’ve been waiting for the right one.”

“Oh, yeah?” He grins when I nod. “I suppose I should ask you, before the wrong person gets his chance.”

He doesn’t really ask. He doesn’t need to. I place my hand in his when he opens his palm.

He pulls me up and into him, wrapping his arms securely around my waist as mine circle his neck. He smiles as he looks down and meets my eyes. I return it, losing myself in his stare.

We move to the beat as if we’ve danced a hundred times, despite what I’m feeling is a slew of firsts.

The first time his hard body presses against mine.

The first whisper of his breath against my skin.

The first touch that has no inkling of innocence.

And the first stroke of desire.

His hands slide to my hips as the bass pounds deeper, craving more. “It’s almost midnight,” he rasps against my bare shoulder.

I shudder as his lips graze over my skin, not quite touching, trailing lightly just enough to tease. “Almost,” I agree.

The allure in his voice robs me of air. “I didn’t plan on having anyone to kiss.”

I almost reply, but the way Landon’s mouth hovers over the sweep of my neck keeps me silent, as does the way he draws an invisible line to my ear with his lips.

My heart thuds mercilessly as I wait for his next words.  

“But I guess I didn’t plan on you either,” he murmurs, each word softly tortured.

His mouth feathers over mine as the song ends and the countdown to New Year’s begins, opening and closing tentatively, giving me a chance to pull away.

I don’t. I can’t. Not with how good he feels and not with the way his body curls protectively around me.

Urgent voices and anxious steps echo from inside as people rush to find partners to kiss as the countdown reaches ten.

Landon and I aren’t waiting. His tongue dives deep, prodding me possessively and taking me deep.

He grips my hips tighter, pulling me closer, turning the sweet, tentative kiss passionate and daring.

I’m no longer simply kissing him, I’m moaning.

And I’m not alone.

A rumble builds in his throat, ending in a long, dragged out groan.

My body trembles with need, responding and following the rough caress of his palms along my spine.

The clock strikes twelve, people are cheering, bottles of champagne are exploding, and the ocean waves crash harder against the shore. I barely hear them. I only see Landon as he pulls away, his breaths labored like mine, his intensity welding me in place.

  About Cecy Robson

CECY ROBSON is an author of contemporary romance, young adult adventure, and award-winning urban fantasy. A double RITA® 2016 finalist for Once Pure and Once Kissed, and a published author of more than eighteen titles, you can typically find her on her laptop writing her stories or stumbling blindly in search of caffeine.

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