#not sure how I feel about how I drew snatcher though

[rayeverydangday]

Hats aren’t the only thing Hat Kid can make

#ahit fanart #ahit #a hat in time #a hat in time snatcher #a hat in time cooking cat #hat kid #I’ll draw the conductor and Dj grooves reactions later #I’m sleepy #not sure how I feel about how I drew snatcher though #my art stuff #my art

[joshslater]

Matt and Liam

This is a rewrite of scallylads89's untitled story that I had sitting forgotten in a folder for two years. Similar stories and bonus material on my Patreon.

It was Thursday again already and Matt had been dreading this afternoon all day. It wasn't the best sixth form college, but he was more than happy to finish his diploma in IT there. He'd always been into computers and programming, and his parents had always encouraged it. The problem was the way the college ran its classes. Despite running completely separate courses and qualifications, they ran a set of mandatory mixed classes throughout the week. All students had their normal lessons in their program specific classes, but subjects like art, PE, and social studies were taught in cross qualification classes, practically making you have two different sets of classmates. It was supposed to promote integration and team building among the students.

In theory Matt didn't mind. He could see the value of it, and even enjoyed some of the classmates in his mixed classes. In practice though there was Liam. Liam studied for his builder qualification and came from a different background to Matt, and spent most of his childhood running free on the estate away from his mum who was usually sat in front of the TV or down the local with her mates drinking. He was lacking respect for others and didn't mind punching up, but positively relished punching down or sideways with Matt as a frequent target of his bullying. PE had never been a strong subject for Matt, so he knew that every Thursday Liam would be there taking the piss out of him and embarrassing him in front of all of the other students. Students that came from all over various classes at the college.

They hadn’t long kicked off the game when out of nowhere Matt felt a jolt in his back and a stomp on his foot as he flew forward onto the ground being shoved by Liam. Liam smirked chuckling to himself. He had timed it just right, the tutor was looking the other way and hadn’t seen a thing. The thud of Matt's face planting the pitch immediately drew the attention of the tutor. Liam wasn’t in the least bit worried. He knew Matt was too chicken to dob him in. The tutor asked Matt if he was ok, and Matt a bit shaken stuttered “Yes sir, I’m ok I just tripped and I think I’ve done my ankle.” The tutor quickly inspected Matt’s ankle and suggested he go back to the changing rooms and sit this week out. Despite his thankfully only minor injury and the way Liam had treated him he was actually kind of pleased, at least it meant he got to skip PE this week. The pain was almost worth it.

He sat down in the changing room and took a deep breath as he slowly pulled his shoe off, his ankle was a little swollen. He continued to get undressed taking his kit off and folding everything up neatly when out of the corner of his eye he saw the pile of clothes on the opposite bench loosely laid out. It was Liam’s tracksuit. He didn’t know why but he really had the urge to try them on. Matt was about as far from a chav as you could think but he kind of liked the style of Liam’s clothes. He justified the idea to himself as if it would be a big fuck you to Liam knowing he had dressed up in his clothes and pretended to be a dick like him and Liam would have no idea. Besides there were ages yet before anyone would be coming back to get changed. Matt began dressing himself in Liam’s clothes.

To Matt’s surprise Liam’s boxer briefs were also in the pile of clothes, that must mean he was commando in his football shorts out there! The thought actually turned Matt on a little. He wasn’t gay but he couldn’t get the image out of his head. Matt thought to himself that if he was going to dress up as Liam he may as well do it properly. As he picked up Liam's boxers he froze. He could feel his heart racing. Off in the distance he could hear the rest of the class cheering a goal or something. According to the wall clock he still had plenty of time. It was now or never.

He slipped on Liam’s boxers and joggers, and felt a bit of a rush as he looked down on the somewhat baggy clothes on his frame. The socks were a bit discolored from the inside of the sneakers, by having been worn a bit too long between washes. He put them on and then slipped his feet into Liam’s 95’s. They were a little big for him. Liam was a size 11 and Matt only a size 8. Slopping around in Liam’s trainers, Matt hastily pulled the T-shirt over his head, putting on the hoody and zipping it up. Wafts of stale cigarette smoke and Lynx body spray came off the clothes. He was as excited as he was nervous.

He finished the look by taking off his glasses and putting on Liam’s cap, tucking his hair into it to make it look short like Liam’s. Matt could see the growing bulge beginning to poke through Liam’s joggers. Either it was the fear of being caught or his growing attraction to Liam he was finding it harder and harder to ignore how turned on he had begun to feel.

Matt paraded around the changing room pretending to be Liam, walking around with an over exaggerated swag in his step and a cocky stance of self importance. Matt’s boner was really starting to become a pain. He lowered his hand to his crotch to try and adjust himself from outside Liam’s joggers, grabbing a handful of his package. To Matt’s horror he hadn’t realized how close to the edge he was. All it took was just the extra bit of movement for him to lose control and pass the point of no return “SHIT SHIT SHIT!” Matt blew a huge load into Liam’s boxers!  Fuck! How the hell was he going to get away with this? Liam was going to notice this! And it couldn’t be anyone else! He sat back down on the bench in a panic, lifting his foot he tried to slip off one of Liam’s trainers. Something wasn’t quite right, they didn’t fit this snug before! Surely they hadn’t shrunk, and both his feet couldn’t have swollen up that much so quickly for no reason. He slipped his foot back in and paused for a moment aware that everything seemed clearer, he felt his face in disbelief checking if he had forgotten to put his glasses back on, but there was nothing there.

Matt stood back up and walked over to the mirror. He couldn’t help but notice the way he involuntarily walked with a similar stride to that he had before whilst mimicking Liam. Matt gasped at his reflection, the strands of hair that he had tucked up into Liam’s cap had gone, rubbing the side of his head with the tips of his fingers the sides of his head were shaved to almost nothing. Taking his cap off Matt revealed the exact same haircut Liam had, shaved back and sides with a short trim on top combed forward to a short straight cut fringe. As Matt continued to examine his hair his attention was drawn to his face, his jawline was narrowing, his facial features growing sharper like Liam’s, Matt’s nose also narrowed to the same shape as Liam’s. Matt in his disbelief looking at himself in the mirror said to himself “holy shit! What the hell is happening to me?” This only made things more confusing as he uttered the words in Liam’s voice and accent. The final physical changes taking place as his arms, legs, and torso stretched making him as tall as Liam.

Liam had continued playing football with the lads while Matt had been gone, something wasn’t right though, he just couldn’t seem to get into the game. Liam was making all sorts of mistakes and getting a bit of stick for it too. To make matters worse he had started to get an awkward boner, he usually liked to go commando in his kit but this suddenly felt like a bad idea. It was getting harder to conceal his erection which only further distracted him from the game, then without warning he blew his load into his shorts! Liam suddenly thought to himself “shit! I have to get out of here before it shows and starts dribbling down his leg!”. He was so embarrassed which was unlike him. Liam made an excuse that he was desperate for the toilet, so he could go clean himself up in the changing rooms.

On his way back Liam was oblivious to the changes he was going through. He had lost the swagger in his walk, his slim, toned body was softening as were his facial features, he was beginning to look more and more like Matt with every step. Liam’s hair had grown so much he had to sweep his fringe across his face. Approaching the changing rooms Liam was finding it harder to focus on his surroundings, his eyesight was so bad. Liam looked up at the door frame as he walked into the changing rooms, he was sure it wasn’t that tall before.

Once inside the changing room door the transformation was so far along that Liam started to have trouble walking in the now slightly too large shoes and loose clothes. If it hadn't been for that he would have spotted Matt right away, instead of stumbling upon him mere steps away. Matt too had been too absorbed in his own changes to notice Liam, so it was a surprise to both of them when they saw each other.

Matt looked at Liam, now looking like Matt, in amazement. They hadn't switched bodies in the consciousness transfer way, but rather both of their bodies had independently transformed into each other. He tried to look for small imperfections he knew all too well, and found them. He kept racking up question after question. How? Why? What now?

Liam had no such subtle thoughts. "You fucking, thieving body snatcher! Give it back!", he shouted and hit Matt hard in the guts. Matt took a step back and tried to shield himself. "Mate, this isn't proper innit. Yous gotsa stop." But Liam kept attacking. Matt, realizing that he was now the larger and stronger of the two grabbed hold of Liam. Liam, much more street-wise, kicked out Matt's legs from under him, so he went down on his back with a thud. "Have it fucking your way!" Liam shouted and threw his kit shirt in Matt's face.

In a few swift motions Liam was out the rest of his ill-fitting football kit, grabbed Matt's backpack and bundle of clothes, and rushed out of the changing room naked with Matt's stuff in his arms. "If you come anywhere near your old house I'll call the police and hit you with an ASBO so hard you'll pick trash for a year," he shouted as he exited.

Matt sat on the floor, still confused about exactly what had happened. All his belongings were gone and he was wearing Liams clothes. And body. He got up and collected Liam's kit from the floor. When he got to the shorts he saw that Liam too had shot a load. He stuffed all of the clothes into Liam's bag and left.

Where to though? Liam had made it clear that he shouldn't go home. Matt had no idea how ASBOs actually worked. He'd never even spoken to a police officer, but he was pretty sure that Liam knew what to say to make problems for him. Did Liam's body have any records? He didn't know, but Liam did. Fuck. He would have to go to Liam's home, wherever the fuck that was.

He searched his pockets. Some coins and a key with "E" stamped on it. Not very helpful. He made a guess that someone like Liam would live at a council estate, and King's Gardens was the closest, though not really that close. He immediately felt bad for making such a conclusion based on stereotypes, but it was all he got.

Matt looked at the route map at the bus stop and took the next bus towards King's Garden. Why does such shitty complex always have nice names? As he sat down on the bus and watched the neighborhoods getting worse it suddenly hit him what a fucking crazy awful day it was. He saw his own reflection superimposed over the brick buildings outside the window. What if he stayed like this? How could he prove to his parents he was he? He couldn't even speak properly anymore.

The smell was coming from him, he realized and snapped out of thoughts. Mingled in smell of Lynx, sweat, and smoke was the unmistakable aroma of his hour-old cum drying in his underwear. That he sat so wide with his legs probably didn't help. He really needed to smoke a fag. He'd never smoked anything before in his life. Is his stop soon? His mind was wandering. That in itself annoyed him too.

The bus stopped very close to the estate, and helpfully there was a map of the complex. Buildings numbered 1 through 15, but also the six tall, ugly buildings named A through F. Perhaps he had some luck today. Was his surname Calder? If so he lived on floor 6.

The key did fit in the door of Cindy Calder. Matt stared in disbelief when he opened the door. His mother was upset if he didn't vacuum the floor once a week. Here he could hardly see the floor. Newspapers, ads, shoes, a bike wheel, and other crap cluttered the entrance.

"Orite!" No answer. From the small hallway one door led into an even messier living room with a big sofa in front of the TV, and a bed by the window. Straight ahead was a small bathroom. On the other side of the hallway was a small kitchen, and the room he assumed was his. There was a desk, a bed, a cheap workout bench, and a mess of clothes and bicycle parts strewn all over the room. A laptop was lying in the messy bed, charging.

He put down the bag and picked up a dumbbell. Never before had Matt even touched one, but now holding one in his hand, moving it up and down comes naturally. Liam's body of course would have done this hundreds of times, so Matt wasn't surprised he could do it more or less with muscle memory.

He had barely done a few curls when someone knocked on the door. It was a black man, a few years older than him, with long rasta hair, and matching track top and joggers. "Oi. Got you text. I can take it right now."  Having no idea what this was about Matt stepped aside and answered "Ok". The black man entered and walked into Liam's room as if he has been there many times, and quickly returned with the laptop. "Two days tops. Cash or products, your choice. See you bruv" and walked out.

Wait. Did he just sell his laptop? Or rather did Liam just sell his laptop? Matt realized that he didn't have either of their cell phones, not that having Liam's cell phone without the PIN would do him any good. Was Liam messing with him? Why would he do that? Matt walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table, lit a cigarette from the packet on the table, and let his eyes wander in the room. It was in need of a good scrubbing. There were grey marks around all knobs and handles. Matt decided he needed to know more about Liam, and then it became clear to him. Without a phone or a computer he was useless. There was nothing he could do besides digging through the trash in the apartment, or leave and randomly talk to people. The latter was a horrible concept to him. He lacked both confidence and social skills to strike up conversations with strangers, or people that were strangers to him at least.

The black man had talked about getting products as payment. Did he mean drugs? Did that meant Liam had a stash somewhere in the apartment. Matt decided to hunt for it. Perhaps he could use it to blackmail Matt into meeting and sorting this out. Liam's room was such a  mess you had to shift things around, move things from one pile to the next. Bicycle parts, dirty clothes, old comics, machine parts, clothes with anti-theft tags still on, an overall, empty cans. After almost an hour of work he had just uncovered Liam's stack of porn magazines.

Then it hit him that of course Liam would hide any drugs in a different room for some sort of deniability. He was just about to search the bathroom when another thought crept up on him. If he did find any drugs he was in no position to use it against Liam while he was in his body. At best he could get rid of them to prevent Liam from blackmailing him! He would have to know about something about himself to use it against Liam, but there really wasn't any.

Matt had a chilling though. If Liam and he had swapped bodies, did that mean that he is now as stupid as Liam was? Was Liam stupid to begin with? Matt didn't feel stupid, but all decisions he had made so far had all been pretty bad. Or had they? Fuck! He threw himself at the bed and glanced at the bag on the floor.

This all started when he cummed while wearing Liam's clothes. Perhaps he could do something like that again and set everything straight. He slowly removed all his clothes and dropped them in a pile on the floor. Then he unzipped the bag. There in a big, moist, wrinkled bundle is the football kit. He shook it all out on the floor. Damp football jersey, cum-sticky shorts, knee-socks, and boots.

He stepped into the sorts and pulled them up. The damp cloth feet cold against him. Then the socks and the football boots, also cold. All he could smell was lingering cigarette smoke, but he imagined this would smell at least as much as when he got dressed in Liam's street clothes in the changing room. After having tied both boots he was surprised to notice his hard on had come back. Surprised but pleased. He put on the jersey and went to the bathroom to have a look.

He was taken aback as he looked in the mirror. For some reason he hadn't really expected to see Liam looking back. He knew that was what he was going to see, but it was still jarring to see it. He did a bit of acting, trying different faces. It just turned him on more. With nothing under the shorts there was plenty tenting.

He went back to his bed and lied down on it, grabbed his dick through the glossy shorts fabric, and begun to slowly jack off. It felt amazingly good, and in his mind he struggled with both feeling incredibly sexy as Liam, but also hated almost everything about his life. As he exploded with a second load of cum in the shorts he felt a sharp pain in his head and yelped out loud.

The drug stash was in the boots just inside the door. His mother wasn't coming home until nine, probably. Darell picked up his laptop. Suddenly he remembered everything about Liam's life. As the pain subsided he slowly came to realize he couldn't remember anything of his own life. He could remember both trying out Liam's clothes and running in from the field at the same time, somehow, but nothing prior to that.

As Matt showed up for metal shop class the next morning Mr. Fox told him to go to the headmaster's office. He was quickly shown into the headmaster himself, someone he had never met before, at least not as Liam. "I've been informed of yesterday's incident. I'm always willing to give people a second chance if they are willing to take responsibility for their actions. Are you willing to do that, Liam?"

"Sound, mate."

"I've only heard the other side. You assaulted Matt on the soccer field during yesterday's practice, then went after him again in the changing room so he had to flee without any clothes on him. Is that what happened?"

"Mate, I didn't..."

"I'm gonna stop you there before you make a mistake. Matt has graciously asked for no punishment as long as you two are separated from now on. So I'll ask again, is that what happened."

"Yes. Whatev."

[doodleimprovement]

CSAU :: Moonie Jericho and the Mysterious Case of the Moon-Jumper Mask

At long last, It is finished! Happy Halloween! 

Below the line is a lighthearted fic taking place in the “Coffee Shop” AU (( @doodledrawsthings​ ))with Magic! Family fun! Low stakes! And a gratuitous cameo by my OC because of course Nell is here 

Seriously though this fic is about as lighthearted as it gets. At the end of the fic are a few sketches I drew but didn’t end up coloring. 

((There’s going to be an alternate ending posted separately at a later date, but its not relevant to the fic)) 

Enjoy! 

--

Fall in Subcon Forest came in gently as always, and by the time Halloween rolled around, everyone was firmly in their sweaters and beanies and thick leggings and hiking boots that were only occasionally used for hiking. The leaves of the trees and the shining sun framed the town in such lovely muted colors that it looked like a picture right out of a magazine.

Not that anyone in the Horizon was looking out the window to see it - the curtains were closed in an attempt to not blind the employees and clientele.

It was that time between the end of school but before trick or treating, which meant that all of the teachers and parents were coming into the Horizon with their kids to get the new specialty drinks - well decorated and tasty, and more importantly, not hilariously overpriced. The kids in particular seemed to love the “Ghoulishly White Hot Chocolate”, and the teens flocked to the “Jack-O-Spices Frozen Pumpkin Latte”

Luka was almost certain that the pumpkin spice smell would burn itself so deep into his nose he’d never be able to un-smell it. A small price to pay for the rise in business, he supposed.

“Luka, Two Snatcher-ccinos!” Clover called from the cash register.

“I still hate that!” He responded with a light tone

“Too bad, make ‘em!” She teased back with a light laugh.

“Don’t get all testy, you two! We’re only open for another hour!” MJ called, grinning before turning back to the coffee machine, where they were effortlessly making yet another latte.

“Too long!” Clover argued, grabbing a muffin for a customer from the bakery display

“You’re telling me, and I still have to take Bow and Hattie trick or treating” Luka huffed, finishing up one of the “Snatcher-ccinos” and moving onto the next one.

“WE are!” MJ corrected. Luka just playfully rolled his eyes.

The conversation ended up dying rather quickly as the business went through its last rush, and, at long last, 4 o’clock came, and the store shut down. The three employees did a rather quickly clean up this night around - they were all eager to be anywhere but work that spooky night.

Once in the back of the store, Luka seemed to almost melt in relief, leaning further and further into the wall.

“Ugh, my limbs feel like Jelly” he commented as his voice gained its echo

“For all we know, they are,” Clover teased. “We’re meeting at MJs in an hour, right?” She stretched.

“Yeah.” Luka nodded “Have they already run off?”

“Yup. They’re excited” She chuckled “You gonna get home alright?”

“Yeah, thanks. See you later”

“Later!”

0o0o0o0o0

That stupid, cursed thing of a mask had not moved in weeks since he’d found it, and its stupid grin had started haunting the corner of his vision when ever he was in his studio.

It seems like it's decided that sitting on the desk in his art studio was its happy place. At least it was out of the way, and in a place he didn’t frequent often.

Though its eyes definitely still moved, which gave MJ hives like you would not believe. Why he kept it in his studio he wasn’t sure.

Tim had told him that the thing was mostly harmless, that it just seemed a bit… off, which wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Timmy even said that he got “good vibes” off of it, which was a strange phrase to use on something that felt at the very least mildly cursed.

Finishing with the caplet for his costume, gently clasping it, he looked in the mirror and gave himself a smile.

It was obscure, sure, but he’d put a lot of work into it! The legend of the “Lonely Man” was well known in these parts, maybe someone would get it. Someone had to.

Whether or not anyone got it, he was still happy with the tattered thing. That faux old age took forever to get right.

As he straightened out his clothes, his eyes caught the mask once more.

His hand picked it up off his desk, and his thumb rubbed on the odd surface. He couldn’t really tell what it was made of, but it was… oddly smooth, he thought. His brow furrowed as he looked at its eyes, a single pupil in its left eye, and a cascade of diamonds in the other. It was certainly an interesting and eye-catching design. He also liked the blue and reds, and that weirdly off-putting grin.

Such an odd thing.

He held it up with one hand over his face - not putting it on, but getting a look in the mirror at how it would look with the outfit.

He found it utterly bizarre that he could see clearly through the eyes despite what seemed like thick paint over it.

The mask itself wasn’t actually that scary when taken all at once. Oddly enough, it seemed to match with his outfit - at least, color wise. It didn’t even seem evil or anything. It seemed… kind.

That was an odd word to use. MJ tended to flip flop on how he feels about the damned thing

Before he could think any more about it, his doorbell rang, and the mask was left on his desk, forgotten the moment company arrived.

“Who is it?” He asked as he approached the door

“The Dread Pirate Roberts!” A little voice announced as the oak opened up.

To his absolute delight, Harriet was dressed indeed the Dread Pirate Roberts, missing nothing but the mask (The town doesn’t allow masks on minors, for some reason. A weird little policy). Next to her stood an excited Bow, grinning from ear to ear. He knew exactly who she was, but still asked-

“And who are you?”

“My name is Inigo Montoya” She said with all the faux-seriousness she could muster, holding up a foam sword “You killed my father, prepare to die!”

“Oh, goodness, the finest swordsperson in the world and The Dread Pirate Roberts have come to my home, I don’t stand a chance!” He moved out of his way as the kids ran into the apartment, and their father walked up behind him.

When his eyes went to Luka, he let out a snort. The man was dressed in a slightly silly looking prince outfit dyed almost completely purple, and his form was mostly purple as well - an energy-saving tactic if ever there was one.

“And you are?”

“He’s the ghost of prince Humperdink” Bow grinned. “This was the best costume we could find for it”

“I honestly think he shoulda died at the end of the movie so I'm cool with it.” Harriet commented as MJ moved to the side and let the group in “Is Clover here yet?”

“Not yet, I’m sure she’ll be here any minute and we can get right along with trick or treating!” MJ announced

“Yay!” the girls responded in unison, taking their place on MJs couch and turning on his old television for a brief moment of entertainment

Mj looked at Luka and grinned “Well, you’re lookin’ spooky, Luka”

“You kind of do too… what do you look like?”

MJ snorted “I’m the ‘Lonely Man of Subcon forest’. Heard of it?”

“Nope, don’t think I’ve been here long enough” Luka shrugged “Does look nice though. Very zombie-ish.”

The two chatted for a bit before there was another ring barely 10 minutes later.

“That must be Clo” MJ pushed himself off of the wall. “Can you get that? I want to grab my wallet so we can get the kids some ice cream before they go running around”

Luka nodded, giving him a grateful smile before turning to the door to greet the final member of the trio

MJ popped back into his studio, grabbing his wallet… and looking again at the mask.

He pocketed his wallet, and picked the mask up again. His thumbs rubbing against the strange texture of the mask’s sides.

He couldn’t help but admit that he was tempted.  Maybe, he could just see what it’d look like, just for a moment. Who knows? Maybe this has all been anxiety for nothing and the mask is just… weird.

He looked back into the mirror, and placed the mask on his face.

There was a moment where he stared amusedly at his reflection - it added a certain air to his outfit. Maybe wearing it out wouldn't be so b-

And then his body seized

He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. He trembled and a pain started from his head and traveled down his spine. It was like the worst shiver from the cold he’d ever experienced. Like ice was pressed directly against his skin. It dispersed like a fog, freezing freezing, and, suddenly-

It stopped.

Panting heavily, MJ pulled themselves back up to a standing position - when had they bent over like that? - and lifted their head, making eye contact with themselves in the mirror.

“GAH?!”

They were - blue! And - and the mask was very much not a mask!!!

When they blinked, it blinked. When they moved, it moved. When they grimaced, the mouth moved along to create the expression. their eyes scanned over the crescent shape, past their neck and then landed on their-

“H-hands!” They stared - they were missing a finger and - had claws?? They clenched their fists in disbelief, eyes catching on a glinting just under their sleeve.

.. Where had the chains come from?

“MJ? MJ are you okay?”

Clover

“D-don’t come in, its fine!!” They panicked, “I’m uh, just, finishing up and stuff with my costume!”

“It looked finished to me” Luka commented “Did something rip?”

“Y-yes?? yes! Something totally ripped“

“They’re lying!” Hattie pointed out

“Sounds like their lying voice” Bow added.

Curse these adorable, smart little girls!

“I-I’m fine!” They yelled out “Totally fine, just fine”

“... MJ I’m opening the door, be decent”

“No, Clover, I - “

But the door opened anyway

And Clover - dressed up as “Generic princess” - looked in, and … stared.

“.... MJ?”

“.... H-hi, Clover.”

“Clover, what are-” Luka cut himself off “Uh….”

“It’s me! Its MJ, I uh - “ They tried to come up with a succinct explanation for the situation, despite not having any real idea.

“The mask” Luka quickly concluded, recognizing the face after MJs unfortunately previous run-ins.

“I … yes” MJ’s shoulders slumped a bit.

“Hey, at least you still have feet” Luka commented, causing MJ to look down and see that he did in fact still have his shoes on. Thank heaven for small mercies.

“What happened, what is it?!” Harriet pushed her way through, her eyes wide as saucers once they landed on the recently transformed adult “... Whoa”

“I … I put on the mask. I was curious and - and it..” They looked back down at the pale, blue hands, nervously moving the fingers and claws. “I felt like I was freezing, my whole body and then…” They trailed off.

“Whoa..” Harriet approached him slowly “It's like, Majora’s Mask!”

Lukas put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from jumping - now really was not the time “... I suppose that's one way to describe it.” He gave a deliberate, thoughtful face towards his transformed friend.

Bow was very firmly behind the adults, staring rather intently and slightly bewildered. Sure, she had been getting used to Mr. Princeton as a parent but.. This was somehow very different.

“... We need to talk to Tim.” Clover concluded

“Tim’s out of town” Luka reminded the group with a grimace “He and Timmy had some kind of meeting thing with other magical people. We don’t…” Luka huffed, his hair fluffing up a bit “We don’t know anyone else whose adept at magic like they are”

Harriet furrowed her brow a bit, looking at the discomfort that MJ was experiencing, rubbing their hands together. Could they be stuck like that? She wanted to think that maybe this really was like the Zelda game, but who could tell? It's not like they knew anyone….

“Yes we do!” She snapped her fingers“I kinda hate that Mu was right, but there is a witch in town!”

“What?” Lukas’ brow furrowed “Who?”

0o0o0o0o0

Getting to the edge of town was… novel, to put it simply. The group was rather lucky that Luka was used to doing this sort of thing. And he was about 4 times larger than the group, so that helped in flying them around.

With the sun kissing the earth, red rays crawling into the darker sky, they didn’t have too much time, but followed Harriet and Bow as they got past the town center, and led them down to-

“Wait, why are we at Nell’s place?” Clover stared ahead at the Mint-green home, succulents hanging from pots and a radio sitting on the edge of the porch.

“Because Nurse Nell is a witch!” Harriet announced walking up the two steps of the porch.

“What- Harriet!” Luka startled.

“Its true!” Bow defended as Hattie knocked on the door.

“Kids, we’ve known Nell for a long time, she’s not-”

“She is!” Hattie argued “We saw it!”

“She made us promise to keep it a secret!” Bow added.

Said nurse opened the door as MJ tried to speak up

“I wasn’t expecting trick-or treaters,” She greeted before looking out the door, “But I do-” She paused as her eyes landed on the strange group at her front porch.

There was a rather awkward, extended silence as her eyes scanned MJ through her thick lenses with a gaze that conveyed a strange kind of surprise.

“.... Inside, now” She pulled the door open further, leaving no room for argument.

The adults shared a glance, but did as she said, entering her small living room. She greeted them with a nod as they entered, and shut the door behind them, motioning for MJ to approach her.

She didn’t say a word as they did so, and very slowly lifted her hands to their face, holding it steady as she scrutinized. “What happened? Less than 3 sentences” She half asked/half demanded. Her tone wasn’t harsh, but it was serious.

“Uh, I put on a cursed mask and it uh… did this” They tried to sum up.

“Where did you get the mask?”

“I found it in the forest. I thought it was abandoned from the spirit festival”

“And why did you pick up an abandoned mask in the forest?”

They awkwardly didn’t respond. She sighed

“I get it, hun” She responded, resigned. “Stay still”

“I am”

“Stiller”

Clover and Luka watched her with some skepticism, seeing the woman take a deep breath, and as she exhaled, her hands suddenly glowed dimly, tapping at the side of MJs head.

“Hah! See! Told you!” Hattie pointed, jumping slightly

“Shhhhhhhh!” Bow shook her “She’s doin’ magic stuff!”

“Hm…” She masterfully ignored the yelling children “Well, good news is that the magic isn’t very strong, Just… aggressive.” Nell announced. “And it's not malevolent” She let go of their face.

“... I… How can you tell?” MJ asked, their own hand tapping their blue cheek.

“.. Let's say it's a feeling” She summed up. “You can sit down. I need to grab something from my library”

And she left the room

“.... I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nell that serious” Clover spoke out “Also the uh, glowing hands? Didn’t know she could do that”

“How did you not know she had magic?” Luka asked with a rather incredulous tone

“It never came up!” Clover retorted

“How did it never come up?”

“Its cool!” Harriet jumped into the conversation

“It think its cool too” Bow agreed “I always wondered how my paper cuts at school always healed so fast…”

MJ had sat themselves down, hand staying on their head, feeling the strange curve of their forehead with a certain fascination. Nell’s words - said with so much affirmation- did make them feel better about the situation.

The nurse returned, her expression still relatively serious, but calmer as she carried an old, thick book with a rather overly ornate cover in a faded blue.

“You’re lucky I collect these old things” She commented for a moment, sitting down next to MJ. She flipped through the pages, finding a two-page spread with a plain mask listed on it, and text printed so small that MJ just could not read it. “Here we are.”

Harriet climbed up next to her “What's it say? That’s a lot of words!”

Nell chuckled a bit at her eagerness “It is, but... “ she hand rested on the book for a moment, and then she lifted it, and the text glowed, lifting and circling around her hand like a ring.

“Whoa…. It's like the unknown from the Pokémon movie!” Bow jumped, causing Nell to laugh more.

“A little, I suppose” Nell responded, and she looked over at the other two adults, mostly at Clover, whose bewildered stare caused her to laugh again “You okay there?”

“... How did I not know this about you?”

“Never came up, dear. Don’t think too hard about it. You too, “Snatcher”” The woman gave a smirk. Luka cleared his throat. “Now…”

A simple flick of her hand, and the letters were floating around MJ’s head, and some of them glowed just a little bit brighter “Hm….. Alrightie, that's a good sign” She snapped, and the letters, very suddenly disappeared as if popping a bubble. “Well, Give until dawn, and then you should be able to take off the mask. If you can’t, come to me. I don’t work tomorrow”

“Oh… Well, that uh, wasn’t so bad. I’ll be okay?”

“Of course” Nell nodded, shutting the book “I’d’ve called the Kagai’s the moment I let go of your face if I thought otherwise”

“The who?” Hat questioned.

“Another time, Hattie, another time” Nell placated. “Now….” she exhaled, putting the book on her coffee table and clasping her hands together “I just realized I haven’t even said hello to any of you”

Something about that sentence finally broke the tension, getting a laugh out of Clover and Luka, and a snicker out of MJ.

The next ten minutes consisted of Nell reassuring the group that MJ would be fine, and reiterating that they needed to come to her if the mask did not come off by sunrise.

“There’s a lot of magic in this that I can sense. So uh, just be careful.” She warned. “I don’t know a lot about that, so you’ll have to ask Tim”

MJ nodded “Uh, thank you, Nell”

She gave them a kind smile “Don’t mention it. Next time you need me though, have Clover send me a message or just call me, alright?” She looked passed them to Harriet, who gave her a sheepish smile.

“Got it” The transformed barista nodded.

“Oh and, don’t be too worried about people seeing you. Just say it's a costume” She recommended as they walked out with their family waiting just beyond the porch. “Happy Halloween!” She called before abruptly shutting the door

“So……” Bow started

“Can we go trick or treating now??” Hattie finished.

Luka looked up to MJ, who seemed much calmer than before, despite continuing to lift their hand to their weirdly shaped head.

“.. Yeah, yeah i think we can” they gave Luka a grin “And thanks for getting us the help, Hattie” MJ reached down and picked her up “Who knew the Dread Pirate Roberts could be such a help!”

The girl giggled before being put back down “Then let’s go!!”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

MJ was initially a bit tittered when they entered the town, but the moment anyone noticed them, the compliments rolled in.

“Wow! You look like a spooky zombie!”

“What game is that cosplay from?”

“How did you get the prosthetic to look like that, damn!”

“Wow, that is a really cool idea for the Lonely Man!”

MJ was beaming at the semi-undeserved praised as they took the kids from neighborhood to neighborhood, filling their pillow cases close to brimming with so much candy that Luka kept making a face and seemed to be mentally preparing to hide all of it, whispering to Clover and MJ about taking some of the candy so that it wasn’t all in his apartment.

“Seriously, all that candy?? They’re going to get cavities and I cannot pay for dental work like that.” The father aggressed. MJ just laughed a bit, looking ahead at the two girls who were trying to run ahead to the next house.

And then Bow’s foot caught a crack.

“Ah, Bow!” MJ startled, hand reaching out - but there was no way they’d reach her before she fell-

And then, she just stopped falling, stuck in midair as if floating.. But she wasn’t.

Upon closer examination, she was held up by a variety of red strings, connected to MJ’s clawed fingers

“... Uh”

“Whoaaaa” Hattie gaped “Magic! Cool!”

Bow pulled himself up to a standing position, and MJ put their hand down, the strings disappeared

“.. Thanks” Bow cleared her throat “That was really cool”

“It kind of was... “ They commented, looking down at their hands “I’m gonna be having a heck of a long talk with Tim when he gets back from wherever he is”

“Yeah, definitely” Luka nodded in agreement.

Lucky for the group the rest of the night went without incident, with MJ joining Luka at home and the two of them staying up until the sun started showing through the windows.

“Ready?” Luka asked him, the being no longer human shaped, as he’d finally reached his limit

“Yeah.. I think so” MJ took in a breath “She said it can just… come off like how I put it on…”

“Alright….” Luka’s voice trailed off as MJ reached their hands up to their face, thumbs by their cheeks, but then - wait! The edge, the mask! They felt it.

Barely bothering to breath, they mentally counted… 1… 2… 3!

they pulled it off and gasped as that icy feeling went through them even faster than last time, trembling and nearly falling over as Luka kept them up with their tail.

“Hey, hey! You okay MJ?”

MJ looked up, nodding “Yeah, uh, how do I..?”

“You’re back to a nerd, if that's what you’re asking” Luka lightly teased

Their hands went back up to their face, and gasped when they felt their regular skin, and their glasses (Where had they gone? Didn’t matter)

“Oh, thank god” The tired barista flopped onto their partner, “That was exhausting. Thank goodness the Horizon is closed today…”

“Hah, ready to sleep?”

“Oh, definitely” MJ commented, looking down at the mask still in their hand, its smile seeming not nearly as spooky than before.. “Hm..”

“What?”

“.. Why’d it choose me, I wonder” They muttered, sitting up and placing the mask by the window sill “But… we’ll see about finding out more, hm?”

“.. Yeah, we will” Luka confirmed.

MJ gave him a smile, hugging his partner with a slight nuzzle “Come on, we need to sleep. Hattie and Bow-”

“Oh, don’t remind me. We’re in for a hell of an afternoon” Luka groaned, but he was still smiling.

Saying that things were “back to normal” was never correct with this group, but things were still pretty okay. Maybe better, even.

Moonie figured they’d just have to wait and see.

--

BONUS:: 

Costumes! I wasn’t able to finish these in time, but I hope they suffice! 

#doodledrawsthings #coffee shop au #ahit coffee shop au #ahit #a hat in time #ahit moonjumper #moonjumper #ahit snatcher #snatcher #ahit hat kid #hat kid #ahit bow kid #bow kid #ahit florist #florist #ahit oc #ahit nell #csau nell #nell

[lemonadesoda]

Prelude story: Parting Words

Summary: Snatcher has a few more words to say to the Captain before he makes his final departure--words best not said in front of the kid.

Notes: Tumblr-only post for now, to give the interested folks the opening context story for the main fic I'm working on (so that some things referenced in future previews will make sense as well.) Once the main story goes up on ao3, this one will go up there too. As always, hope you enjoy!

When the meeting room doors slammed shut, both the Captain and the First Mate let out low breaths simultaneously. In the presence of the two strange Earth beings representing the child, a suffocating pressure had been steadily building--whether real or imagined was difficult to say, but in the empty hallway leading back to the ship’s bridge, the air no longer constricted their chests, no longer sat heavy on their necks.

The two of them walked in silence, the First Mate tense and staring at the ground but constantly glancing sidelong at the Captain whose narrow gaze remained fixed in the distance, far beyond the extent of the corridor, beyond the walls of the ship, beyond the present moment.

The First Mate flinched first when the blanched white light of the corridor flickered once, then again. They blinked and shook their head as the normally faint shadows deepened, sharpening the corners where the walls met the floor. Finally surfacing from his reverie, the Captain stopped mid-step, going completely still as the room darkened around them and the clamping weight returned to the air once more.

“I have something more to say.” The shadow that stretched out in front of their feet across the void-dark floor opened familiar gold eyes. Before them, projected into the floor with the silhouette of his hands clasped behind his back was the one called Snatcher, the proclaimed King of Subcon.

“What are you-” the First Mate yelped, dancing backward. They looked to the Captain who remained rooted in place, then back to the intruder. “You can’t be here!”

Snatcher lifted upward out of the floor to stand face-to-face with the two of them. He grinned far too broadly for what his theoretical bone-structure should have supported, a burning crescent splitting his expression like a volcanic fissure. “Our contractual business has concluded. What I have to say is of a personal matter. Off the record, you could call it.” As it had before, his voice echoed, layered as though he were speaking from multiple directions at once. Though his grin held, his eyes narrowed by a fraction, giving a bladed edge to the expression. “There are some things that are better not to say in front of my child.”

“This could be considered an act of aggression,” the Captain said in a low voice. He had recovered his composure after the initial alarm of the consuming shadows, returning to his rigid posture from their formal meeting.

“Good,” Snatcher snapped. “Because I really must emphasize that the only reason you are still alive is because that little kid, for some reason, prefers you to be.”

The Captain stood eye-level with Snatcher, forced to dig his heels into the floor to hold his ground. “What is your purpose in making these threats? I have already agreed to your terms.”

Just behind him, the First Mate straightened themself and moved up alongside the Captain. Snatcher’s lantern gaze flicked toward them, and he stared them down, holding the sickle-sharp smile in place until the First Mate’s jaw hurt from clenching their teeth. Like a bonfire, Snatcher radiated an aura that urged a retreat, that lit up the neurons in the brain that cried warning.

“Because I want to make some things very clear,” Snatcher said to the Captain, though still bearing down on the First Mate off to the side. “It would be in your best interest to make sure none of you come back. Because no one comes here to make threats or demands of our child. I don’t care if it becomes a diplomatic incident.” Snatcher’s shadowy form dissipated, melting like fog back into the floor.

“If it came down to it,” his voice came from over the Captain’s shoulder now, close as a whisper, making both the Captain and the First Mate whip their heads around, catching only darkness. “I would start an intergalactic war if only she asked me to.”

“That strikes me as irresponsible,” the Captain muttered, eyes searching the dark corners of the hallway for Snatcher’s reappearance.

“Then don’t make her ask me,” Snatcher said in a sing-song tone. His wheezing laugh rattled low in the air, shuddering through their rib cages. “I’m only warning you what’s at stake here. No matter what you or any of those people from wherever you came decide, we will protect our daughter above all else. But I can promise you this-” Snatcher materialized in the wall, shaping his silhouette in mimicry of the Captain’s form beside him. “If it really came down to it, you wouldn’t be around to witness the magnitude of your failure.” He lifted a clawed hand in the shadow and mimed a crushing vice with it. “So what happens next is really up to you.”

Snatcher peeled out from the wall, walking back into the center of the corridor as if from a hidden door. He looked at the two of them over his shoulder, the edge of his smile still visible. “Your move, Captain.”

With the echoes of a final cackle that shook the panels of the ship, the darkness blinked out all at once, replaced by the flash of the fluorescent white returning to the hall. Several meters ahead, the transport staff stood glancing about in confusion.

“Sir, what was that?” one of the staff asked as they approached. “There seemed to be a power failure just now, but we received no alert.”

The Captain remained silent for several seconds, prompting the staff to peer at him, brows furrowed.

“Sir?”

“Have engineering check the power couplers in the central hall,” the Captain said quietly, glaring over the shoulders of the staff. They ducked their heads, nodding at the command and one of them tapped a message into their hand-held terminal before hurrying past them to finish teleporting the entourage from Subcon back to the child’s ship.

As they neared the bridge, the First Mate looked up at the Captain. “You’re really just going to let that slide? We’re well within our rights to issue a reclamation of the time pieces after that.”

“When considering our options, it would not be worth the risk,” the Captain replied, striding just ahead of the First Mate and not turning back.

The First Mate hastened to walk in line with him, trying to catch his attention. “And leave that level of technology in the hands of a child? With those sorts of people as her guardians?”

“I can trust that she understands what’s at stake.”

“She’s a child! How can she uphold the Oath? If those things or anyone else on the planet wants to get ahold of that power-”

The Captain halted as the doors to the bridge chimed to alert them to their opening, finally whipping his gaze to the First Mate. “A child who apparently has the power to start wars with a word, given who is protecting her. The time pieces will see no misuse without her say so.” He bit the words out, an edge of aggravation hastening the statement more than his habit.

The First Mate snapped their mouth shut under the Captain’s scrutiny, only returning a sullen look as the two of them stepped back out to the bridge, the command crews all turning in acknowledgment.

As they took their place at the helm overlooking the various control stations of the ship, the First Mate muttered, “You’re setting a dangerous precedent here. Are we really going to kowtow because of a few verbal threats?”

The Captain’s jaw flexed. The nearest control crews looked up for prompting as to the upcoming course of action.

“What would you do, then?” the Captain asked in a low, steady voice. “Compel an invasion of a planet so far beyond the system that we had no existing record of it? For a derelict ship and its crudely harvested time power? Is that what you’re asking me to risk?”

The First Mate stared at him, mouth parting in disbelief. “He actually got to you, didn’t he? You’d jeopardize the stewardship of time because you’re afraid?”

This time, the Captain turned on them, pivoting on his heel in a lightning-sharp about-face, and though he did not actually advance a step, the First Mate took a half-pace back from the force of their commander’s attention, eyes going wide.

“You feel so strongly about this?” the Captain snapped. Though his voice remained low, his tone drew the nervous attention of the crew. “Then you make the decision, and you take the responsibility for it. I will defer to you!” He turned, addressing the rest of the bridge. “The First Mate will relay upcoming orders. Proceed as they command.” He stepped back, tipping his head to the First Mate, but holding eye contact throughout.

The crew all watched the tense showdown in silence, waiting on the First Mate who glanced helplessly between them and the Captain. Finally, with a last, frustrated glare at him, they stepped forward to oversee the crew. “...Chart courses for Cerian. Prepare for hyperjump,” they said, the orders so barely audible, the nearby staff had to relay them to the rest of the bridge.

As the crew hurried about to prepare for the jump, the First Mate stepped back, once again in line with the Captain.

“The Board won’t be happy with this,” they said.

“I will deal with the Board, if that’s what you’re worried about,” the Captain said, an underlying snarl barely contained by his professionalism worn thin.

The First Mate hazarded a glance at him. The Captain stood, focused ahead as he always was, as the crew always saw him. But the years working as his second reported to the First Mate the weight that currently bore down on him, the tightly-reigned frustration at having his hand forced and stress at the upcoming confrontation with the rest of the powers of the Enterprise. And if that Snatcher was true to his word, with the Captain’s own safety dangling precariously in the mix. They lowered their head. They shouldn’t have pushed.

As the alerts on the terminals warned of the impending hyperjump, the First Mate grimly replied, “It is what I’m worried about.”

The Captain made no further response, and the ship launched them across spacetime empty-handed.

#long post #ahit hide and seek #tbh dont really feel like tagging this as anything else #i just know there are some of you who would be interested in this

[adenei]

Day 11: January Word Challenge

A/N: Back to Romione today, friends! Yet another Shell Cottage fic. (because who doesn’t like Shell Cottage, am I right?)

Blue

Hermione was heartbroken. Dobby had died saving them from what should have been the end of the hunt. In a situation where all hope was lost, somehow luck came through for them. But at what cost? Hermione was prepared to die. It probably should have been her. Not the poor house elf who took great pride in being free. 

The unfairness of it all was weighing heavily on her chest, and the pale blue walls with its beachy decor weren’t helping. She felt the sudden urge to flee the small confines of the bedroom, and the place she’d been bedridden for the last two weeks. Hermione pulled the covers back and stretched her legs, slowly getting up. She was sure there’d be complaints from some of the other people currently staying at Shell Cottage, but she didn’t care. 

Her muscles were stiff, but that didn’t stop her from pulling on her sweater before slipping out of the door. She quietly walked down the stairs, stopping at the base to observe how many people she’d need to walk past. Ironically, it was only Bill and Fleur in the kitchen, with no one else in sight. She knew Luna and Ollivander had already departed, but that didn’t account for the boys’ missing presence. 

Hermione drew a deep breath in with new resolve and made her way to the door, not bothering to answer Fleur’s worried call. Closing the door quietly shut behind her, Hermione began walking across the sandy terrain toward the ocean. It was breezy, and the water was surely far too cold given it was early spring, but the blue-gray waves were calming just the same.

There were large pieces of driftwood that Hermione made her way over to, taking a seat. She let the fresh air wash over her as she focused on the waves rolling in. Hot tears began to fall silently from her face as she mourned the life of the elf. He never asked to be part of this war, and yet he’d gone running back into danger, to his former master’s home no less, to come to the aid of Harry. He saved her from certain death, and she hadn’t even been able to attend the funeral Harry had held in his honor. 

Her mind flitted to thoughts of Luna, who’d been torn from school and held at Malfoy Manor against her will, and Dean, who’d decided to be proactive by going on the run to protect his family and himself, yet was still caught by snatchers. They’d been on the run themselves for the better part of nine months, and they’d barely accomplished anything. Destroying one horcrux seemed so meager when she thought about the monumental task of finding and destroying three more. The task Dumbledore left them was seemingly impossible. Sure, they had a lead on the next one, but from what Harry and Ron had told her, that mission would be exceedingly more dangerous than going after the locket in the Ministry. And that was saying something. 

Her thoughts of Ron brought her mind to the Weasley family, who was now in hiding. His family already faced so many hardships, and now they couldn’t even go to work and make a living. Everyone had sacrificed so much in their efforts to stop Voldemort; to protect not only their way of life, but also those of innocent Muggles and Muggleborns.

There were so many emotions flowing through her. Anger, grief, sadness, fear. The tears poured harder now, and the waves were becoming less and less of a distraction. She didn’t hear anyone approach, but knew without a doubt that it was Ron who was now sitting beside her. She leaned into him as his arms wrapped around her.

“It should have been me,” she said, staring blankly into the ocean. “Not Dobby.”

“Don’t say that,” Ron told her. “Don’t even think it.”

“But it-”

“If you’re being technical, it should have been all three of us,” Ron cut her off. He gently adjusted her so that she would look at him. Her eyes met his bright baby blues that she loved so much. 

“It wasn’t, though,” she managed to say.

“No, it wasn’t. I know it’s not fair that Dobby’s gone, but I don’t think that little elf would want us wallowing around for him. He’d want us to keep fighting. Somehow I have a feeling he would’ve stayed by Harry’s side had he made it through,” Ron reassured her.

“You’re probably right. The guilt is just too much to bear today.”

“I know.” Ron sat quietly for a moment before he continued. “Y-you know I’m here for you, yeah?” Hermione nodded slightly. 

“Do you think we’ll ever see the end?” she asked quietly.

“I hope so,” Ron answered truthfully. It was the best they could do.

#ROMIONE #hp dh #Ron Weasley #Hermione Granger #shell cottage #31 days of January Word Challenge

[iwrestlenow]

Running Through My Veins (Chapter One)

TITLE: Running Through My Veins

FANDOM: Sanders Sides

Pairings: Princexiety, Logicality, Dukeceit

Warnings: mentions of torture and surgical procedures, but nothing more graphic than the presence of a scalpel--but will get more graphic down the line.

SUMMARY: The Mindscape is a shoddy freighter eking its way through the galaxy, captained by a Ronisian named Patton Sanders and crewed by the Angelus, Logan Berry, as well as Patton's adopted son, a young Kaelian named Roman. They keep to themselves, taking mostly honest jobs to get by as well as the occasional passenger.

One passenger, a Decirite researcher named Janus, booked passage with cargo--and when said cargo is inadvertently opened, the ragtag crew must contend with the addition of a primitive, violent species rarely seen outside captivity.

Former research specimen, Virgil Storm: an honest to goodness, real life Human.

Notes: I don't know what this is yet. I don't know what it will be. It wanted to be written.

Like it? Say so, I may do more. For now, I just wanted a gay disaster, to hurt Virgil, and some Logicality tenderness. That is all.

AO3 link here.

“Roman? What's the holdup, kiddo?”

He almost didn't hear Patton coming up behind him—almost. Kaelian hearing was too keen to miss it, but Roman was also a warrior...or wanted to be. He prided himself on his awareness of personal space.

Patton's warm, bulky fingers, however, were a welcome visitor within his personal sphere, gently curling around the nape of Roman's neck in a gesture of Kaelian comfort and Ronisian concern.

A concern that was very much warranted, because Roman was both awed and horrified by the thing he had found in the cargo bay of their ship.

Their newest passenger, a shady looking Decirite named Janus, was the one who owned the large cargo container Roman had opened. He knew it was wrong, he wasn't allowed down here for a reason, but he'd heard something and couldn't contain his curiosity...

He heard the sharp intake of air when Patton spotted what was in the cargo container.

“I'm sorry, Patton, I...I know I shouldn't have opened it, but--”

“Never mind, kiddo. Just...get Logan. Now.”

********** Fear and pain and fear and pain andfearandpainandfearandpain oh god oh god not again please someone help help help help--

Virgil's eyes snapped open, hands lashing out against shadows he couldn't name, faces he couldn't bring to mind.

Slim, powerful fingers circled his wrists, immobilizing him. Rough, guttural words he didn't understand filled his ears. The scream in Virgil's throat was choking him, couldn't escape, he couldn't breathe...

“Qu'a rho.”

Virgil froze, recognizing the word but only barely. He'd heard it enough times before to have gleaned an understanding. It belonged to the race of elves—at least they looked like elves.

The Kael. The warriors. That word...

It was supposed to mean 'safe.'

Virgil stilled, though he couldn't control his trembling. He finally drew back just a little, just to see who had hold of him...

...oh God, he was entirely too gay for this shit.

The young man looked to be his age, give or take. He was lean, but powerfully built, with dark hair that hung nearly to his shoulders and those delicately pointed ears Virgil had seen before. His skin wasn't quite red, but close enough to make him look like a badly sunburned Irish dude. Nearly normal, basically.

Well, Earth normal. He wasn't on Earth anymore.

“Qu'a rho.” the beautiful elf boy said again, dark eyes earnest as they seemed to search his face with an expression Virgil could only call hopeful.

There was something about the Kael...God, why couldn't he remember? His brain felt like it was filled with syrup, his thoughts slow and sluggish and sticking to things like broad shoulders and glossy, touchable hair that brushed them as he leaned in closer to Virgil--

Gay. Gay, too gay, too fucking gay for this shit.

“Ka-ah row.” Virgil echoed, wincing as he butchered the pronunciation of the word. From the Kaelian, it sounded rough and powerful—from him it sounded like he was coughing. Or barking...one of the two.

The Kaelian smiled, and Virgil thought vaguely that he might pass out from how fucking pretty it was before the Kaelian began talking to him a mile a minute in his native tongue. Virgil would have been happy to listen, uncomprehending, forever...

...but then one of them suddenly appeared just over the Kaelian's shoulder, and Virgil knew he was going to die.

********** “Very smart, Dr. Berry—approach a torture victim with whom you can't communicate with a scalpel when your own people were the ones that tortured him.”

Logan spun around to face the Decirite passenger, who, as far as Logan was concerned, ought to be locked in his quarters. Patton was captain, however, and as such the man walked free.

“He does not, in all likelihood, even understand that this is for him.” Logan pointed out. “He is, after all, human.”

The Decirite—Janus, if Logan recalled correctly (and he did, he possessed total recall like every normal Angelus did) was incapable of rolling both of his eyes, but the humanoid graft on one half of his head provided a lovely honey brown eye with which to emote, opposite the gleaming black one that had no lid nor visible iris.

“Of course, I forgot: deathworlders are too primitive to comprehend much in the way of anything.” Janus shot back. Nudging his way past Logan, Janus approached the human, speaking in a strange variation of Common Logan was unfamiliar with.

Seeing Janus seemed to melt the human—it was the best description Logan had as the creature sagged, then all but fell into Janus's six arms when he perched on the edge of the bed and opened them to accept the seemingly frightened creature in a gentle embrace.

“Logan?”

Glancing to the side at Patton as he came up beside him, Logan let out a huff and watched the odd scene of Janus and the human conversing while young Roman sat on the opposite side of the human, watching him with a blatantly enraptured expression.

“Do you believe him, Patton?” Logan asked uncertainly. “Janus—do you feel his story holds any validity?”

Patton laughed, the musical sound filling him with light as it always did.

“It's like I told you, Lo-lo.” Patton giggled, gesturing to the pair. “Honesty doesn't require as many words as lies doe—they're not saying anything right now, but what do you hear?”

Logan opened his mouth to remind Patton that one could not hear in silence...but as was becoming common in the two solar cycles he'd been aboard the Mindscape, a beat up old freighter with barely enough crew to run her, Logan's mind caught up with his mouth.

He saw the way the human clung to the Decirite. He saw the way the Decirite ran fingers through the human's hair while another hand rubbed his back and still another found one of the human's to cling tight, their fingers meshed firmly together.

Closing his mouth, Logan sighed.

“I see...trust.” he finally relented. “The human clearly finds comfort in the presence of a fellow deathworlder.”

“Good job, Lo.”

Logan glanced over at Patton, whose thick and craggy features only just managed to emote as he smiled, eyes lost in the rocky landscape of his face.

Reaching out, Logan gently touched one of the protrusions on Patton's cheek. Though it looked solid as the stone it emulated, it yielded under his spindly fingertip, and flecked away from the skin below when Logan gently slipped under a place where it separated from the rest of his face.

“You have a shed coming.” Logan reminded him quietly. “Will you require assistance?”

Patton didn't answer right away. If Logan didn't know better, he would have said that Patton was leaning into the touch of his hand.

“I'll let you know, kiddo.” he reassured Logan softly, reaching up to pat Logan's hand. Briefly, it felt like sparks danced over Logan's pale skin with the simple brush of Patton's boulder-like fingers.

“Am Virgil, son of Dirt.”

Logan's attention turned sharply towards the trio again. The human was looking right at him, trembling, eyes wide and overly shiny.

He was also speaking Kaelian—badly, but still speaking it.

“There were several among the guards at the facility who were Orin—honor-dead Kael.” Janus explained in Common, then again in the strange variant of the language that Logan's translator could not yet parse—seemingly for the human's benefit. “He picked up some, that's how we began conversing. I was led to believe he was a lab rat, bred and born in that facility, but when I realized he'd been a victim of body snatchers, what he'd endured...”

Janus trailed off, turning back to the young human—to Virgil—and abruptly pulled him close again.

Little more explanation was required. Janus had clearly escaped the Angelus science facility in which he was working as a researcher, with Virgil in tow—stashed in a stasis crate with a faulty seal that had drawn Roman's attention.

Moving closer, Logan made sure Virgil was watching as he laid his scalpel aside.

“Can you explain the translator to him, Janus?” he finally asked.

Janus nodded, speaking softly to Virgil. After a moment, Virgil glanced at Roman questioningly. Roman, visibly distraught, reached carefully for Virgil's hand and spoke to him.

“On the honor of my house and my blood, new friend: you shall come to no harm by our hands. Logan is a good man. He will keep you safe.”

Virgil just stared at him, uncomprehending, but seemed to find something in Roman's face that soothed him. Nodding, he glanced at Janus again, and repeated the action.

“I'll sedate him.” Janus replied for their benefit. “I did it for transport, he trusts me.”

“Very well.” Logan sighed.

Gently tipping Virgil's head to meet his gaze, Janus stared into his eyes. Logan averted his own eyes just slightly, making sure that the unique musculature of the Decirite iris didn't catch him unawares.

Within a few moments, Virgil was slumping back into Janus's arms, unconscious. Refocusing, Logan moved towards the infirmary bed.

It was time to get to work.

********** Virgil woke up a second time, just as panicked as the last.

Because when he woke up this time, he was just as slow and sluggish, his thoughts slow and thick—and he hurt.

Lashing out with one arm that was quickly caught by an unseen assailant, the throbbing that pierced his head had him falling back with a moan, despondent because he was gonna die this time they were coming and Janus lied he lied Virgil was going to die alone and afraid...

“...you hear me? Virgil, please...please, come back...”

Blinking, Virgil realized a face was hovering over his—pale red, not quite light enough to be pink, with those delicate features and dark eyes...

The Kaelian. From before...the stupidly pretty Kaelian...

Gay Disaster, thy name is Virgil Storm.

The Kaelian grinned, revealing too-straight teeth, edges like razors. Too often, the smiles with those teeth showing meant he was about to suffer some new atrocity for reasons he couldn't fathom and no one was willing to explain to him.

“...pain? Is it pain? We implanted a translator node, but connecting to the right portion of the brain is tricky, as human physiology is still a bit new to us...”

The Kaelian was talking again—wait. The Kaelian was talking. In Kaelian—but Virgil could understand him as effortlessly as if he were speaking English.

“Yeah, hurts. Like hell.” Virgil managed softly. He got a blank stare for his trouble.

“I'm sorry, par ma'a—can you nod or point? Our translators are still parsing your native tongue, I can't understand you.”

Shutting his eyes, Virgil touched his head.

“Expected. Just a moment, stay still...”

Unable to help himself, Virgil cracked his eyes open to watch the Kaelian bustle across the...infirmary?...to pick up a very small device made of black metal, about the size of a square Lego brick, only flat. He reached out, and in spite of himself, Virgil flinched.

The Kaelian looked stricken, and his expression...Virgil suddenly wished he spoke fluent Kaelian to tell him it was okay.

“Lhoj.” was all he could muster—the Kaelian word for 'sorry,' and probably not the right one.

Still, the other boy smiled again, more softly this time.

“No apologies are needed, Son of Dirt.” he soothed, reaching out again more slowly to affix the device to Virgil's temple. It was cool, and pulled uncomfortably for a second as it adhered—but then the Kaelian did something, and he couldn't feel it any longer.

The pain was already dulling, too. Wow. Now he could focus on the important thing...

“My name's not Son of Dirt.” he grumbled. “It's Earth, son of Earth. It's, uh...”

He fumbled, trying the Kaelian greeting again with the English word for Earth.

“Am Virgil, Son Of Earth.”

The Kaelian blinked, then spread his arms in a pretty theatrical display of joy.

“Oh, rapture! Virgil, Son of Earth—a pleasure to know you, properly this time. I am Roman, Son Of...ah...”

The Kaelian, Roman, trailed off with a frown as he returned to Virgil's bedside.

“I, uhm...I don't have a House anymore.” he admitted quietly. The way he hung his head, the way his ruddy skin went paler...

Virgil didn't know a lot about Kaelian culture, but he understood the mercenaries that worked in the facility where he'd been kept were outcasts without a House, something like a family. That was something Virgil definitely understood, given his own situation before he was taken.

Reaching out for Roman's hand, Virgil shifted so he was gripping Roman's forearm, and he was gripping Virgil's—the way the mercenary guards always greeted each other.

“Good journey, Roman, Son Of Kael.” Virgil declared, exhausting what little Kaelian he knew.

Roman just gazed at him, expression full of wonder. It made the warrior boy look oddly fragile, and it made Virgil's chest feel light and...fuzzy, like his insides had been stuffed with a warm fleece blanket.

“No one has addressed me that way since I was small.” he confessed. “I am orin, but...but perhaps you're right. If we have no House to honor, we can honor our...oh, that's your planet, isn't it? Not your house! That's the word for it, Earth!”

Grinning, Virgil nodded. Roman laughed at that.

“You are a fierce and noble creature, Virgil, Son of Earth—may the Prophet bless your house for generations to come!” he boomed with another grand gesture, fists pumping into the air that made Virgil laugh.

“God, you are so extra.” he huffed with a shake of his head. “If you weren't so hot, it'd be annoying.”

Roman pointed at him accusingly, but he was still smiling. “I do not understand your words, but from where I stand, Human, your tone is one of doubt! You must trust me: you could flee captivity to no finer vessel than the Mindscape, and be no safer under any captain than that of my heart-father, Patton Sanders. We are wayward brothers, you and I...on my honor, we shall avenge your mistreatment and bring honor to your house!”

Virgil watched Roman start swanning around the infirmary and relaxed back into his bed, finding himself strangely comforted. He hoped the guy didn't mean literal brothers, because...well.

Gay disaster. Pretty alien.

Virgil was just plain fucked all around—and if he was lucky, that might even be literal.

#fanfic #sanders sides #virgil sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #janus sanders #roman sanders #sci fi #humans as deathworlders #ts logic #ts anxiety #ts deceit #ts creativity #ts morality #i'm experimenting let's see what happens

[paperclipninja]

Younger post-ep ramble 7x01

I joked in my finale ramble at the end of season 6 that the episode was called ‘Forever’ because that’s how long it would feel between seasons...well joke's on me because now, after 587 days, we are FINALLY here. The Younger drought has been a tough one, but we have been generously compensated by getting the first four episodes all at once, which is both exciting and also, turns out, incredibly overwhelming. As usual the thoughts and feelings are many, mostly feelings (read: I am NOT ok) but let’s start off with a delve into the premiere episode, ‘A Decent Proposal’.

The episode picks up within minutes of where the season 6 finale left off, with Diana and Enzo not wasting any time to hot foot it out of their wedding reception and into their happily ever after (Arrivederci bitches!). Of course I’m very happy for Diana and her happiness but there’s only one couple’s happiness that I am on tenterhooks about now that Diva is sorted and that is Charles and Liza, as they watch their sprinklers fizzle out in some sort of awkward, symbolic, anti-climax. 

You may recall that mere moments earlier, Charles had popped the question on the dancefloor before the two were separated by an obligatory conga line, and Charles quickly assumes that Liza’s lack of enthusiasm to shout her answer across the reception of another person’s wedding is an answer in itself. As anyone who has read my rambles before knows, I unapologetically fly the Team Charles flag, and let me tell you, despite her supreme stalling techniques (you’re not divorced yet, we should probably speak to the children blah blah), hearing Liza say, ‘my answer is, I love you’, my jaw hit the floor. I’m sorry, did Liza Miller just declare her feelings openly and directly and with absolute certainty??? We’re 33 seconds into the new season and I AM SHOOKETH DARREN. 

Speaking of declaring feelings openly and directly, I love absolutely everything about this opening scene. The music choice was perfect and really helped build the moment, as Charles told Liza he understands her hesitation before un-asking her to marry him (so that when the she’s made her mind she can pop the question - I kid you not, this has always been my dream...). The music cutting out and just hearing the crickets as Liza asks if he’s really withdrawing the proposal, his quip about her having to make the next move, assuming he’s still on the market (I love/hate this foreshadowing btw), it is Charles/Liza banter at its best and my sappy heart was soaking up every morsel. Throw in some CGI fireworks and the observation that they are sign (which may or may not play out at a later date) and you have yourself a pretty darn near perfect start to Younger’s final season.

Speaking of talking openly and directly, one of the staples of the Youngerverse, the Maggie morning debrief, is back as our way to gain insight into the thoughts, feelings and ponderings of Liza. Straight off the bat I am very pleased that Maggie has fully committed to ‘Chaz’ for Charles and I’m even happier that we actually hear these two talking about what’s going on because honestly, the last couple of seasons the Maggie/Liza convos, which we traditionally rely on heavily to know where Liza is at and to hear Maggie’s sage/sometimes terrible advice, have been skimmed over or felt rushed. We are also reminded that Liza has indeed seen Charles’ goods (the Empiriconda, she’s meaning the Empiriconda) and that the sex is hot, because we need to have all the information on top of the declarations of love to highlight how their relationship is pretty much perfect so that what transpires is even more painful.

Other things that are painful include the fact that Diana will be decidedly absent for most of the season (to be fair scheduling/covid are pretty legit reasons and in ep 1 we can chalk that up to her honeymoon, so more lamenting on that later), but early on it provides some pretty fab Lauren Diva-worshiping. Donning a baroque print Moschino suit that would’ve made Fran Fine jealous, Lauren is clearly distracted by the responsibility of her interim role at Empirical, as her mother frets about the theme for her 30th birthday party over face-time.

Keeping up the chaotic energy, we also discover that Kelsey has to go and let Quinn know she no longer needs her money (these characters’ ongoing relationship with the woman who has tried to ruin all of them at some point really needs unpacking with a good therapist at this stage) and Josh is in full frantic dad mode because he thinks Clare is trying to kidnap Gemma (lol that Lauren straight up calls her out on it later). Two quick points here:1) love seeing this side of Josh and 2) love Kelsey’s calm, measured reassurance that of course Clare would want her family to meet Gemma. I will say though, Josh meeting Rob for the first time when he’s about to go with Clare and Gemma to Ireland and hearing this guy he doesn’t know from a bar of soap exclaim, ‘I’m just in love with your daughter’ was super unfair. Not cool Clare, not cool. 

Kelsey keeps her cool as she breaks the news of her change of heart to our fave resident villain, who comes complete with a bowl of fortune cookies she ominously encourages Kelsey to consult while also enjoying her own fortune, ‘a new love will come into your life’. It’s all very OTT and ridiculous in it’s obvious foreshadowing and I am here for every minute of it because I sincerely love to hate Quinn very much.

My love of all things over the top is further fed by Lauren entering Diana’s office and making her way to the desk - the music, the way Lauren looks at the framed picture of Diana and Enzo before relegating it to the drawer, any moment I was expecting her to utter ‘my precious’ as she became more and more entranced by the power of the neckwear, before Liza abruptly broke the spell by asking what she was doing and warned her off her consideration of claiming Diana’s office as her own. Very much appreciated the continuity later in the episode when Liza is very distressed that Lauren has gone full-Trout with the chunky baubled ornament around her neck, though Lauren is less Invasion of the Body Snatchers and more Nancy Drew at this point, as she has caught wind of Charles’ proposal while reviewing video footage from Diana’s wedding which she decided, for some reason, to show Josh, who was ‘still not interested’ (we hear your words Josh but your face says otherwise). I am very on board the Liza/Lauren dynamic and their ‘circle of trust’ as Liza asks that Lauren keep the proposal to herself (we really haven’t seen the friendship between these two much) and Liza’s gratitude, ‘Thank you...Di-va’, is hilarious, as is the response, ‘my pleasure, Queen’.

We get many fine moments in the office this ep, the first meeting when there are formal announcements and speeches made welcoming Kelsey back...to a conference room of Charles, Liza, Lauren and a random guy we’ve never seen or heard from before and never will again it seems. It makes me laugh that every person in the room except the dude we’ll never know already knows everything but hey, formality is important I guess? The pitch for ‘Little Women in Space’ by an author played by an actress who is friends IRL with Sutton Foster and they were in the musical Little Women together is honestly too much but also just the right amount and this show does meta so well (not to mention Lauren’s excited outburst upon realising her party theme plus her making sure Liza knows that she knows about the proposal. Subtle as a sledgehammer is our Lauren). 

One not-so-fine moment is the extremely out of left field resignation of Zane followed by the completely douchey moment of him breaking up with Kelsey via face-time with the line, ‘I love you Kelsey, take care’. I’m sorry, what?? On the one hand, I get it that CMD wasn’t available for the season so in some respects better to deal with it swiftly and move on, but it was very abrupt and strange. I had zero investment in the pairing so it doesn’t overly affect my viewing, but any fans out there shipping those two, are you ok? Because that was a brutal way for a pairing to simply cease to exist.

So we have I love yous being thrown around by Kelsey and Zane as they break up because that makes sense (in retrospect I should’ve seen what was coming because these words clearly mean NOTHING *breathes deeply, exhales slowly*) but thank goodness Liza is there to comfort Kelsey, whose statement that she really doesn’t care would be a lot more convincing if she wasn’t crying inconsolably. We get a beautiful transition from Kelsey’s office to Charles’ with a sweeping aerial shot across the autumnal canopy of Central Park along with the gentle music adding to the relaxed pacing of the episode. Liza doesn’t want it to be weird between her and Charles now that the proposal is out there (well actually, its 100% in her court but yes), so he reassures her it’s not weird at all by planting a kiss on her that almost triggers the sprinklers because friends, it is HOTTT. Cue super cute exchange about pro and cons lists, lovingly looking into one another’s eyes and then, another ‘ I love you’ from Liza to Charles followed by Charles responding, ‘I love you too’, and despite my deceased status at this point, it was magical. But also WHAT. IS. HAPPENING. 

These two are so enamoured with one another and it’s as though it’s something they just say to each other all the time, but this is literally the first episode we’ve heard any kind of expression of feelings to one another since the season 6 premiere and even then it wasn’t this direct; Liza ran away and Charles told her he didn’t mind not being at the office because he did it for the woman he loves followed by a cute story about how he can do maths because he’s had feelings for her for 16 years. Don’t get me wrong, the entire scene this episode was perfect and it was SO well done in the way it captured the best parts of their dynamic (damn you Darren Star for being so good at what you do), but it also felt like we were being shown the dream version of what could have been before it’s all snatched away.

Not unlike Millennial, which is like naming a business Boomer Print according to the table of boomers at the investor meeting who blindside Kelsey and Charles by voting to restore the name Empirical (head boomer has clearly had it with millennials, indicated by his statement, ‘who gives a shit about millennials any more?’) and so it is done and Kelsey is officially having a very bad week. It is while enjoying a quiet bourbon in the bar that evening that Charles is joined by Quinn, who is allegedly on her apology tour to explain to investors why she dropped out of the Senate race, but also offers Charles what seems to be a sincere apology for treating his company like a toy (prediction: nothing is ever as it seems with Quinn). I have a confession to make and believe me, I don't like it any more than you do - they absolutely nailed the set up of tension and a little bit of a spark between Charles and Quinn in this scene IMO and I...I *whispers* I liked it.

What I liked even more was Lauren’s completely in character entrance to her own birthday party, omg it’s so ridiculous and perfectly her and Denise telling her daughter, ‘fix your crotch, good girl’ had me chuckling. I feel like we’re getting Kelsey’s set up for the season at this party too, as she’s feeling unsure of what defines her now, and the conversation about defining things carries over into Josh and Liza’s chat when he asks her if congratulations are in order. This exchange between the two of them is just lovely, with Liza clearly feeling a little awkward talking to Josh about Charles, but Josh reassures her that he does like him, for her, and that it brings him joy to know she’s happy. They agree that their relationship doesn’t need to be defined, and that they'll always be in each others’ lives no matter who they’re with. It feels very final for their romantic relationship and I would be celebrating the end of the triangle had I not clocked Josh’s fallen expression as Liza walks away. I really do hope that Josh finds someone he loves and who loves him the way he wants to be loved this season. Josh’s words gave Liza some clarity of her own and so we find ourselves at the magnificent Seaglass Carousel, home of Liza and Charles’ first proper date, once more.

Charles is clearly full of hope and expectation as he meets Liza and they remember the time he and the beard we try to forget about brought her there and it’s all amazing and beautiful and...*collects self*...Liza tells him that she just wants to keep riding the perfect ride. She once again tells him she loves him (we’re up to three times in one ep now for those of you playing at home), that all she wants is his heart and that she wants to be happily unmarried to him every day. To say this does not go down the way she is expecting is an understatement; we learn that Charles doesn’t want a ride, he wants to get off the carousel and not live in a fantasy. He believes in marriage whereas she believes they are now finally free and folks, this is why you talk about your stance on marriage in a relationship BEFORE you pop the question out of nowhere at someone’s wedding. 

You can see on his face, as Liza says she doesn’t want to define their relationship by the rules and obligations of marriage, that he’s hearing that she is not all in (whether that’s true or not) and he thanks her for letting him know what’s in her heart. You know the bit that actually plunges the knife into my heart? Charles shaking his head as Liza says his name, clearly overcome with emotion, before he kisses her on the head looking as though his world has just come crumbling down around him. That knife just gets twisted even further as Liza is left there in disbelief, (we are all Liza in that moment honestly), trying to process how her own declaration could be so easily rejected. You know, I knew it was coming, but it didn’t make it any less painful. I can see it from both perspectives and I have no doubt that these two characters have a lot they need to address and work through as a result of their own failed marriages if they’re going to have healthy relationships moving forward. 

I tell you what, after so long with no new episodes, this first episode of the season was concurrently beautiful and heart-breaking and one thing’s for certain - this final ride ain’t gonna be smooth. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m just going to go and regain some composure so we can start on ep 2...

Season 6 ramble collection can be found here

#youngertv #younger tv #7x01 #reiew #ramble #liza miller #charles brooks #kelsey peters #maggie amato #lauren heller #younger season 7 #tv show

[ahatintimestorybook]

A Royal Problem Chap. 8 Lullaby

Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter for you all!

Sorry if you guys waited long for this. I started working last week, and I’d come home tired or with no energy to work on stories for you all. Thankfully, I have the energy to work on ideas for the upcoming chapters and stories I have for you all, and oh boy this story is going to have so much coming for it!! Trust me you’ll love it!!

Today’s chapter is learning a bit about Hat Kid! These are some head canons I have saved up and are used for my AU’s. I also added in a song from one of my favorite childhood movies into this chapter because as the title of the chapter says, yes there will be singing!

Also there’s a big twist at the end of this chapter!

Thanks to my friend ReaderDragon for being my Beta Reader!!

Enjoy!!!

Since that night Snatcher read Hat Kid’s journal, he realized that he didn’t know much about the kid since she landed in his forest, stole her soul, made her do all those contracts, and tried to kill her. Basically, Hat Kid was a complete mystery to him. From where she lived to if she had a family waiting for her back home. Snatcher wanted to ask her, but he would stop himself due to why he wanted to ask the kid about her past, if she didn’t talk about it then the kid lived a good life to wherever planet in space she lived in.

Right?

Though a part of Snatcher did wonder why Hat Kid was so quiet about her past.

It was another relaxing day on the ship and Snatcher saw Hat Kid and Vanessa drawing pictures in the main lobby of the ship. The former ghost was surprised that Hat Kid went from having nightmares of Vanessa, to befriending her, as well as seeing Vanessa being kind and friendly to her back. He didn’t want to believe it at first, and thought this was all an act, but when he looked into Vanessa’s eyes it was genuine kindness and friendliness.

Hat Kid looked up from her drawing and smiled waving at Snatcher. “Hey Snatcher, come on over here and join us!” She called out to the former ghost. Snatcher walked on over to the girls and sat down between them. “Want to draw with us?” Hat Kid asked, holding up a few pieces of paper.

Snatcher shrugged. “Sure.” He replied. He didn’t have anything to do, just read his books or the kid’s or even help Cooking Cat, but she wasn’t here yet. Hat Kid handed Snatcher some paper and the crayons. Snatcher hadn’t drawn in a long time, but grabbed a purple crayon and started to draw himself. He paused drawing as he looked over to Vanessa’s drawing.

The young princess was drawing herself, Snatcher and Hat Kid smiling together. He then looked at her other drawing and saw Vanessa drew Hat Kid in her princess dress with stars and snowflakes in the background. Vanessa turned to Snatcher, before blushing in embarrassment and went back to drawing her picture. Snatcher chuckled and continued his drawing.

“What’s so funny?” Vanessa asked, glaring at the young prince.

Snatcher chuckled. “Nothing.” He replied in a sing-song voice. Vanessa glared and continued with her drawing while keeping her eyes on the young prince. Hat Kid chuckled and continued working on her drawing. Snatcher rolled his eyes and continued drawing too. Minutes into drawing, he and Vanessa stopped when they heard Hat Kid humming as she colored in her drawing.

The humming then turned to her singing “la la de la.” Sure kids do that when they're focusing on drawing, but it surprised the royal kids as they read her diary saying she hates singing.

“I thought you hated singing?” Vanessa pointed out loud. Hat Kid stopped singing, and covered her mouth blushing red in embarrassment. Hat Kid glanced at the princess and Snatcher before grabbing her drawings and running to her room. “Was it something I said?” Vanessa asked, feeling guilty that she brought up Hat Kid’s singing.

Snatcher shook his head. “No, it's been bothering me too Van.” He answered. Vanessa sighed feeling relieved she’s not alone on this.

“Why doesn’t she like singing?” Vanessa asked.

“I don’t know?” Snatcher answered. “I only know about her Time Pieces, she’s from another planet, and that’s about it. We know nothing about her!” He complained.

“Did she tell you anything about her?” Vanessa asked again. Snatcher looked at his ex, and frowned, shaking his head. The young princess was surprised Snatcher didn’t know much of Hat Kid despite Hat Kid calling Snatcher her BFF. Vanessa sighs, “Such a shame, you two are BFF’s and she didn’t tell you everything about her.” She continued with a smirk in her face.

Snatcher narrowed his eyes at Vanessa. “What do you mean?”

Vanessa gave a slight chuckle. “Remember, I told you about myself when we were still alive? Before all this.” Snatcher nodded in reply. “See, we were best friends before becoming a couple and we told everything about each other.” She explained.

Snatcher knew Vanessa was right, heck he didn’t tell much of his life to Hat Kid, since she found out about it thanks to the Time Rift books she had to collect. He just confirmed with her what she saw in that Time Rift. Though there were many things Snatcher did keep quiet about from Hat Kid either because she never asked, or she did ask but he didn’t want to talk about it.

The former ghost then realized something, “Wait! Why are you asking me this?” He asked. “Did kiddo tell you anything about her?”

Vanessa chuckled. “Yep.” She replied, continuing to draw with a smile on her face.

“So what did she tell you?” Snatcher asked as a smirk appeared on his face. Vanessa stopped drawing giving a confident smile, but before she can answer, Snatcher spoke again, “that’s not her being an alien, Time Pieces, and the entire incident with the flowers.” Vanessa closed her mouth and had to think of something Hat Kid told her that wasn’t already listed by Snatcher. The former ghost chuckled seeing Vanessa struggle and think of what to say.

“Thought so. She didn’t tell you anything either.” Snatcher pointed out.

Vanessa scoffed. “Of course she said something to me!” She snapped back, but closed her mouth as she couldn’t think of anything. “Well, maybe she said nothing about her past to me.” Vanessa revealed giving a sheepish smile. Snatcher chuckled, but Vanessa glared at the prince. “Stop laughing!” She yelled. When she did, Snatcher's chuckle evolved into laughter.

“S-sorry Vanessa.” Snatcher laughed. “It’s just I forgot how much of a bad liar you were!” The princess glared and tackled the prince slamming him to the wall. “Hey!” Snatcher snapped glaring at Vanessa. Vanessa glared back, but before she could punch Snatcher in the face a familiar “Ahem” interrupted them. It was Hat Kid, who finally calmed down after dashing out of the blue like that. The royal kids turned to Hat Kid, who was glaring at them, seeing they were about to fight.

Vanessa and Snatcher chuckled nervously, as the princess let Snatcher go and the two walked up to Hat Kid sheepishly. “Hey kiddo.” Snatcher chuckled nervously. “Feeling better?”

“I am.” She replied. “Are you two fighting?”

“No!” Vanessa and Snatcher lied. Hat Kid raised an eyebrow at the royal kids statement. Snatcher and Vanessa sighed in defeat knowing they couldn’t lie their way out of this one. “Well, almost into a fight.” Vanessa revealed.

“Kiddo, we were discussing why you don’t like singing, then it went towards how we don’t know anything about you, and Vanessa told me she told you about her life, which was a lie and I laughed at her and she tackled me to the wall.” Snatcher explained.

“I didn’t tackle you that hard.” Vanessa added, crossing her arms.

“Well, it hurts!” Snatcher snapped.

“Vanessa! Snatcher!” Hat Kid glared. Snatcher and Vanessa looked up at Hat Kid glaring at them.

Knowing the two would be in trouble if they continued arguing, the royal kids sighed in defeat. “Sorry kiddo.” Snatcher sighed.

“Sorry too.” Vanessa sighed as well.

Hat Kid sighed and gave a small smile. “I guess I’ll give you guys a warning.” She sighed, calmly. It was just a shove and no one was getting hurt, so no prince and princess was being punished today. It relieved the royal kids, mostly Vanessa that no one was being punished today. Hat Kid brought the royal kids close to her and hugged them. Vanessa giggled being pulled into the hug, while Snatcher rolled his eyes and smiled. The former ghost didn’t mind the young hat child’s hugs.

“So.” Hat Kid started loosening the hug, “You two want to learn more about me?” She asked.

“We do.” The royal kids replied.

Hat Kid giggled. “Alright. I’ll tell you guys tonight before bed.” She promised them. Snatcher and Vanessa were excited to hear about Hat Kid’s story. Snatcher didn’t know why he should be excited to hear a bedtime story, but he was.

He hated that being back in his childlike body, made his mind revert back into a child as well. Snatcher didn’t like it one bit. He knew if this goes out to his minions, they’d never live it down.

After a nice dinner, and getting into their pajamas Vanessa was already on Hat Kid’s bed waiting for the kid to arrive. Snatcher was already in his pajamas and froze seeing Vanessa tucked in Hat Kid’s bed. “Why do you like being on kiddo’s bed?” Snatcher asked.

Vanessa sighed, getting comfy. “It feels nice and cozy.” She replied. “You should come up here too!”

“Ha!” Snatcher laughed. “No way! I prefer the pillow pile over kiddo’s bed any day!”

“Are you sure about that?” Hat Kid asked. Snatcher flinched and turned back to see Hat Kid in her pajamas smiling at her BFF.

Snatcher chuckled nervously. “H-how much did you hear?” He asked.

“Everything.” Hat Kid answered. She then picked up the former ghost, who struggled to get out of the kid’s grasp as she laid him on the bed next to her. As Snatcher was on the bed, he realized Vanessa was right, it was nice and cozy. Though he wouldn’t admit it.

Hat Kid pulled the blanket close to her and the royal kids. “So ready to hear about my life?” She asked. The royal kids nodded, and Vanessa decided to snuggle in close to Hat Kid. Knowing that meant the royal kids were ready to hear Hat Kid’s story. Putting her arm around the two, she was ready to tell about her life before coming here.

“Well my home planet is called Hickory. It’s a pretty quiet planet, and most of my kind is dedicated to time. Past, present, future, you name it.” Hat Kid started. “There were also a lot of clocks and Time Pieces everywhere! My hometown used the Time Pieces as power.”

“Like a generator?” Snatcher asked.

“What is a generator?” Hat Kid asked in return.

“A machine used to generate power. Mainly used for power outages.” Snatcher explained.

Hat Kid smiled learning more about Snatcher and Vanessa’s planet. “Anyways, Time Pieces don’t just power up the planet, you can also use them to go back in time.” She continued.

“Sorry to interrupt.” Vanessa cut in. “If Time Pieces go into the past or future, why did we become kids again?” She asked.

“Well, you broke it, yes. However, there’s a bit of mystery when it comes to Time Pieces. Usually when it breaks it either makes a rift or sends you back, but on the rare occasions it can revert someone to be young or old.” Hat Kid explained.

Snatcher and Vanessa looked at one another, realizing they both got the short end of the stick. They both could have gone back in time in the past. Probably preventing their past selves from making the mistakes that caused Subcon to fall. However, with a cost that Hat Kid might have never visited the planet many years later, or worse for Snatcher never meeting his obligated contracted BFF.

To change the subject Vanessa asked, “Did you have parents?” She asked.

Hat Kid nodded, “my parents were named Leo and Aries and they were Time Pieces collectors like me. They traveled around space, visited planets and from what I was told were very nice people who loved adventures.” She explained.

“You never met your parents?” Snatcher asked.

Hat Kid shook her head. “They died when I was a baby.” She revealed. Snatcher and Vanessa’s eyes widened as they looked at one another.

“I’m so sorry kid.” Snatcher apologized.

“It’s fine. I wasn’t alone, I was raised by another family, a friend of my mom’s, who also has a daughter the same age as me.” Hat Kid continued. “You guys would have loved her, especially you Vanessa. She also collects Time Pieces like me.”

“Does she look like you or act like you?” Snatcher asked.

“Well no, she wears a bow and is calmer than me, but she still has my kind of personality. I was going to bring her to the planet to see you guys, but guess I have to delay it a lot longer now.” Hat Kid nervously chuckled.

“Great.” Snatcher sighed knowing there was another annoying kiddo that will soon bother him once all this goes back to normal. Hat Kid chuckled and ruffled Snatcher’s hair, he glared at the touch and gave Hat Kid a slight push.

“So is your name, Hat Kid?” Vanessa asked.

“Well, yes and no. You can call me Hat Kid, but my birth name is Gemi.” Hat Kid reveled. Figures her parents would name her after Gemini since her mom and dad were also named after the zodiacs as well.

Snatcher thought for a second and answered, “While I think Gemi is a good name, I like calling you kid or kiddo better.”

“And, I like calling you Hat Kid.” Vanessa added.

Hat Kid giggled. “Thank you.” She replied.

Now came the main part to why Snatcher and Vanessa wanted to hear Hat Kid’s story. “So why don’t you like singing?” Vanessa asked.

Hat Kid sighed. She was quiet trying to get herself ready to tell why. “I was told that my mom was an amazing singer. She was so great that the entire planet or galaxy could hear her.” She started. “However, as much as I miss my home and my sister, my planet was very strict.” Hat Kid reveled. “On Hickory, you're given a role, and in your role the leaders say what you should and should not do. I became a time traveling explorer, but I was not allowed to sing.”

“W-why?” Vanessa asked.

“I.” She stopped to collect herself. “I sang once to my sister and our friends, and the leaders heard me, and said they did not like it and I should never sing or I’m punished.” She explained.

Vanessa and Snatcher were flabbergasted over the fact Hat Kid was banned from singing only because the people who ruled the planet told her she didn’t sing good, so she couldn’t be allowed to sing. It angered them, mostly Snatcher, that Hat’s planet was this strict.

“If your planet is that strict, why do you want to go back home?” Snatcher asked.

“My sister, my friends, I don’t want to leave them.” Hat Kid answered. “Plus I don’t think my sister would want to move away from her family if I brought her here.”

Snatcher and Vanessa looked at one another. They both wanted Hat Kid to stay with them, but couldn’t separate her from her family and friends. The royal kids agreed now was not the time to discuss whether Hat was living here or not. They have to focus on fixing the Time Piece, becoming ghost again, and stopping Moonjumper before deciding to convince Hat Kid to stay here.

Well, now that they knew why Hat Kid didn’t like singing they can now lay it behind them. “Could you sing to us?” Vanessa asked. Hat Kid’s eyes widened as she faced the young princess. “You're not on your planet anymore, and I am still queen so I give you the right to sing.”

Snatcher glared, “Vanessa, you can’t just force her to sing!” He shouted.

“No. It’s alright.” Hat Kid cut in. “I-If you guys want. I could sing something.” She suggested.

“Please.” Vanessa begged. Hat Kid smiled and thought of what she could sing to the two. There were so many songs she remembered singing or enjoying before she was told not to. Soon she remembered a lullaby that her mother used to sing.

Hat Kid closed her eyes and started to sing, “When daytime turns to night, when the moon shines bright, When you’re tucked in tight, when everything’s alright.”

Snatcher and Vanessa’s eyes widen hearing Hat Kid’s voice. They never heard her sing before, and realized she was an amazing singer.

“Slip softly to that place, where secret thoughts run free, There come face to face, with who you want to be , so swim across the ocean blue.”

Snatcher and Vanessa yawned as their eyes slowly opened and closed. The song was beautiful and it made them sleepy for some reason,

“Fly a rocket to the moon; You can change your life, or you can change the world. Take a chance, don’t be afraid, life is yours to live. Take a chance and then the best has yet to come.”

Before Hat Kid could finish the rest of the song she heard Snatcher and Vanessa already asleep snuggled close to her. She smiled and closed her eyes too. “Night you two.” She whispered as she soon fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in Nyakuza Metro.

Coal, Sumi, and Meowjima were injured, put in casts and bandages after being thrown out of the train by Hat Kid. They sat down shivering in fear as their boss, the Empress scolded them for their failure stealing from the Conductor's train.

“You lazy paws!” Empress shouted. “All I asked you to do was rob a train. Rob a pecking train! And that former employee brat stopped you!?”

“W-well.” Sumi started. “It wasn’t just the kid boss. It was two kids.” He corrected her.

Coal then spoke up. “So correctly, it would be three kids.”

The Empress snarled at her minions for talking back at her like that. The cats mewled in fear holding each other. The Empress glared at her minions, holding her claw up ready to slash them into pons, but stopped hearing a knock at her door. She put her paw down and walked over to the door and saw a shadow floating by the door.

“Who are you?” The Empress asked.

The shadow chuckled, and appeared out of the shadows revealing to be Moonjumper. “Someone with knowledge of those kids your minions were talking about.” He stated and handed photos to the cat.

The Empress raised an eyebrow and grabbed the photos from the ghost. She looked at the photos of young Vanessa and Snatcher from the past wondering why this mysterious being gave her these photos. “What’s the meaning behind this?” She asked.

Moonjumper chuckled. “Their family of that former minion of yours.” He noted showing a photo of Hat, Snatcher and Vanessa to Empress. The photo seemed to be taken in Dead Bird Studios, via security camera and it was the three of them entering the studio.

The Empress snarled at the photo and crumpled it up in her claws. Memories of giving Hat Kid a job in the Nyakuza, playing her well, and how did Hat Kid repay her? By stealing her Time Pieces and stabbing her in the back. She then turned towards the three members of the Nyakuza and showed them the photo.

“Are these the two kids?” The Empress asked.

“Yeah! That’s them!” Meowjima shouted, confirming the kids being Snatcher and Vanessa. The Empress looked at the photo with a glare and turned back to Moonjumper.

“So, what do you want me to do with them?” The Empress asked.

Moonjumper smirked. “Anything you wanted to do with the kid, do to them.” He noted. “Think of it as a way of revenge. The Hat brat betrayed you, now betrayed her back.” Hearing those words, made the Empress chuckle.

“Perfect.” She purred.

#ahit au #a hat in time au #A Royal Problem #A Royal Problem AU #Hat Kid #Queen Vanessa #Snatcher #ahit the prince #Meowjima #Nyakuza #Moonjumper #TheEmpress #Empress ahit

[erekiosuncreativeideas]

Reliving An Old Nightmare - Chapter 21

<= Chapter 20

Summary : We get to know more about the origin of the time rift. And maybe another element which is probably irrelevant. Or not. Also available on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337299/chapters/58602523 VOICE ACTING FOR THIS CHAPTER : https://erekiosuncreativeideas.tumblr.com/post/620755947531517952/voice-acting-by-a-good-friend-of-mine-posted -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

New chapter ! I hope you'll like it ! I'm currently working on the 23rd chapter and I decided to post the 21th chapter, since I think I'll work on it pretty quickly + I already drew 3 pictures for the future chapters. More are to come too !

Thank you so much for your support, it helps me so much !!

Also, yeah, the more I think about it, the more I want to write a sequel, so... Stay tuned :) I have so many ideas and they will all destroy you.

Happy reading !

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Chapter 21

Snatcher stared at Vanessa, astonished about what she had just told them. The hatted brat was looking at her with the same expression, perhaps even judgier than his. She couldn’t be serious… Could she? Did she just tell them she had believed a complete stranger and obeyed him without having any doubts about his own intentions?

He had always thought the Queen was naive… But this was not being naive, this was being absolutely stupid!

-“So… You just did what he suggested without thinking that maybe, just maybe, it might be a bad idea?” questioned the ghost, not wanting to believe Vanessa’s claims. But seeing how desperate she had seemed to be after his death, he wasn’t really surprised that she had accepted the first deal that had been offered to her. And, as a master in trickery himself, it was obvious that this “Moonjumper” had wanted something from her, surely using the Queen as a means to get the Time Piece.

But why would he go through the trouble of creating a whole new reality with it? This seemed rather counter-productive…

-“It was stupid, I know!” countered Vanessa, shutting her eyes hard and clenching her fists. Still, even if she had realized how foolish it had been, it was still too late. However, they didn’t have the time to bicker. He would still be able to do so once they were out of this collapsing world. Now, they had to act.

The kid added her own element to the discussion:

-“That guy lied…”

-“Well, no kidding! What was your first clue?” cut short Snatcher in a very sarcastic tone, only to receive a fierce glare from the little girl. Okay, no more interruption, he didn’t want to get hit by her umbrella again, not in this form at least.

-“No, I mean…!” she groaned, frustrated, and turned her head to the Queen: “I know how Time Pieces work. They’re-

-“Time Pieces?” asked Vanessa, apparently oblivious to the kid’s clear dislike of being interrupted. Though, said kid only sighed in defeat. Well, to the woman’s defence, she had no idea how this time stuff worked either. Blaming her would be quite ironic, seeing how Snatcher barely understood it himself. The little girl eventually started to explain the origin of the hourglasses with more details:

-“That hourglass you picked? It’s a Time Piece. It’s a magic artefact used by people like me -I’m from another planet, by the way. My spaceship crashed a few weeks ago. Anyway, they have the power to go back in time if you break them.”

Confusion was clearly visible everywhere on the Queen’s face. Snatcher had never seen her that unsettled by a topic before. If the circumstances were different, it would have been hilarious to him. In any case, her expression wasn’t that surprising, considering her lack of knowledge she had on the subject. Plus, it was a lot to take in. But a particular part of the girl’s explanation caught her attention:

-“Wait, but… He told me that breaking it would make it unusable…” murmured Vanessa softly, as if she couldn’t believe she had been manipulated that easily once again.

-“That’s why I’m saying he lied to you. If you had just broken it yourself, you could have gotten back to the past very easi-”

The shade shot her a powerful dirty look, which instantly silenced the small child. The meaning was clear: “don't give her any more ideas!” and the little girl understood it very well. She stepped away, pretending to look somewhere else with interest, as the adults started to talk again.

-“We’re not done with this,” he warned Vanessa, before asking her another question about their common enemy: “Anyway, you said he had contacted you while you were sleeping, right?”

His ex nodded and it only confirmed one of Snatcher’s theories. It had emerged in his mind as soon as she had mentioned this detail. He rubbed his chin, thinking about it. He knew he was right about this.

-“Alright, I think I know what happened. I’m pretty sure that guy possessed you in your sleep.”

Being a ghost himself, the shade knew how those things worked. He had already possessed many people in the past and everything just made sense. Vanessa had had colourful and enjoyable dreams, and then had woken up to notes she hadn’t written. But what if she had? What if she had been possessed by that evil spirit who made her write those things in her sleep? He couldn’t see any other explanations. The guy had certainly hidden his presence in her mind by creating perfect dreams so she could remain asleep as long as possible. And after that… An asleep body was just a perfect and docile puppet.

Vanessa gasped in horror as she curled up a little, visibly tensed and ill at ease:

-“W-what?” She shuddered in disgust at the simple thought of it.

Her reaction was a bit surprising to the shade: this scenario made perfect sense to him and the fact that his ex hadn’t even thought about it… Well, it only showed how hopeless she had been. In fact, she had been the perfect target. What could be better to an evil spirit than a helpless victim? The ghost was well placed to know that.

Then again, the big question remained: why? This spirit didn’t even know them! So why would he bother creating a perfect dimension for Vanessa? It certainly wasn’t out of generosity, given the way he had threatened her several times… Why didn’t he take the Time Piece and left with it? Why didn’t he pick up the shards by himself?

This guy had ulterior motives.

-“Uh, guys?” interjected a little voice next to them. Both the spirit and his ex turned towards the hatted girl, who was watching them with worry.

-“What?” replied Snatcher, unhappy to have been interrupted in his inner monologue. He glared once more at the child, yet the expression quickly faded away when he noticed the way she was staring at them. She nervously pointed at him and at Vanessa’s hands as she started to speak again:

-“I think we don’t have much time left,” she noted and continued: “The rift is going to collapse soon.”

Vanessa tilted her head and gave a curious and nervous look to the child:

-“How do you know that?” interrogated the Queen.

The child then explained what she had previously told Snatcher. She detailed how unstable time rifts worked and that the more unstable they got, the weirder the dimension became. She added that an unstable time rift would do anything to protect living beings over unimportant details. And since their bodies were affected…

Snatcher’s experience in the bathroom of the manor came back to his mind: his shadow had had trouble keeping its human form. The kid pointed at Vanessa’s hands and noted that the rift they were in would be collapsing soon, seeing how it was now affecting their appearance. She was still surprised that there hadn’t been many “glitches in reality”, as she had called them. Snatcher was, too, if he had to be honest. For a collapsing dimension, this was… Really calm. And this was starting to get really dubious.

-“Maybe it’s trying to keep us safe,” suggested the kid, staring into space: “I’ve seen that happen before: some places are fine while others are… Very different from what they used to be. I’m sure this room is fine just because we’re in there. The rift is probably trying its best to stabilize the places we’re in, while the rest of the dimension is mostly… Altered.”

The shade pretended to understand and nodded. This was a bit too abstract for him, but he trusted the child when it came to it. Vanessa, on the other hand, seemed very much confused but also very troubled.

-“So… We weren’t human in the first place, were we?” finally wondered the woman. The kid only shook her head in response. A slight form of compassion could be seen on her expression, yet just like the shade, she had too many negative memories regarding the Queen to fully sympathize with her.

Vanessa lowered her head and glanced at her hands sadly:

-“… I see,” she replied simply, though it was easy to see how upset it made her.

The ghost and the hatted kid remained unmoving next to her, not knowing what to say. It took her a few more seconds before she lifted her head back up, rubbing her tears on her wrist. She breathed deeply and finally said she was ready to continue.

The ghost turned to the kid:

-“So: where is the Time Piece, now?” he asked in a serious tone of voice. When she heard his question, the child closed her eyes and started to think. However, when she started to frown, the shade guessed that no matter what she was feeling, it wasn’t good.

-“What’s wrong?” he added, pressing her to answer his question.

-“It’s… Still in the attic, I think? But…”

Snatcher immediately understood why the little girl was confused about the location of the time artefact. Why would this “Moonjumper” keep the precious item in the same place as before? This was stupid!

-“Are you sure it’s not a trap?” he insisted, not liking where this was going at all.

-“I’m sure I feel something in the attic. But, like I said plenty of times before, it’s weird. It might be because of the rift collapsing, though I’m not sure… I’ve been in collapsing timelines before and yet, I never felt my Time Pieces like that.”

The little girl’s statements only made the spirit groan from frustration. This couldn’t be easy, could it? This had to be overcomplicated!

-“Okay, well, if time’s against us, I guess we don’t have many choices.”

The spirit and his ex contractor started to walk towards the cellar door, only to be stopped by Vanessa.

-“Wait! If you go that way, Sime- Moonjumper is going to know. There are guards and servants everywhere, and…” she paused and continued, on a darker tone: “I don’t know how, but he can see through them, I’m sure of it.”

Well, that explained why the guy had found out about their previous plan so easily, if she was right. He had probably seen the scene through one of the guards’ eyes or mind, whatever it was. Then, all he had to do was creep behind them and knock the ghost out.

But things would be different if the timeline was collapsing, right?

-“What does it matter? The kid said that the outside would be safe.”

-“Actually,” interrupted the child: “I didn’t say that. In fact, it’s the contrary.”

The ghost gave her a confused look, which prompted her to elaborate:

-“Well, either the rifts tries to protect us as we move, in which case it will recreate everything around us as it should be, guards and servants included… Either it won’t follow us and will keep maintaining the form of the cellar, only for us to risk falling into the void at one point once we’re outside.”

She took a deep breath and concluded:

-“So, no, we won’t be safe outside,” she stopped and glanced at Vanessa interrogatively: “But it’s not like there’s another way, is it?”

The Queen nodded and smiled a little, pointing to one of the kegs in the room:

-“There is,” she answered, “there’s a secret passageway to the attic from here. It’s right behind that keg over there.”

-“What?!” exclaimed Snatcher, both astonished and angry: “I wasn’t aware of that!”

-“Well,” retorted the woman with a tired tone, “now, you are.”

The ghost’s frustration only intensified. Oh, how lucky they were he didn’t have his powers back yet! However, before he was able to talk back, the little girl interrupted them, placing herself between the two.

-“Can we please focus, here?” she pleaded wearily. The ex-lovers glared at each other but still remained silent. The kid let out a sigh of relief and looked at Vanessa:

-“So, how do we activate the passageway?”

The Queen made a few steps towards the keg and pushed it aside, revealing a hidden trapdoor in the wall, which she opened swiftly. She then wiped her dusty clawed hands on her nightshirt, lifting her head to the other two, who had been expecting something much more… Elaborated than that.

-“Like this!” concluded Vanessa, as she crouched next to the opening. However, when she noticed that Snatcher and the kid hadn’t moved, and were still staring at her, she called them back to reality.

-“Come on, let’s go!” she pressed, clapping her hands softly. The gesture only exacerbated the spirit, who did his best to remain impassive. Oh no, he would not let her see how much she infuriated him. He still very much hated her. Some apologies wouldn’t change that fact. Never.

If they ever got out of this time rift… He still wouldn’t allow her in his part of the forest, certainly not.

The kid was the first one to move towards Vanessa and the shade followed her, crouching as well. The woman then entered the passageway on her knees. The child went after her and Snatcher was the last one to go.

He couldn’t help but have a very, very bad feeling about all of this.

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I wonder what will happen next ! We'll find out in the next chapters :)

See you in the meantime, take care !

=> Chapter 22

#A Hat In Time #snatcher #hat kid #ahit #vanessa #fanfiction #my art #Reliving An Old Nightmare #RAON

[shadowthrone-ammanas]

Ghost Kid Chapter Eleven: Staying

Two metro cat had wondered into the forest, looking for something to steal – for some reason people liked to spread rumors about riches being buried in the forest or hidden in the manor which drew the occasional miscreant or two looking to get rich quick. There wasn’t anything around the forest that needed to be done So Snatcher didn’t bother making them contractors.

He could easily eat both souls himself and intended to but… Just eating one put him in a good mood, a generous mood and he didn’t need the second so… he’d share it with Hat Kid instead. He’d been intending to chat with her sometime today anyway.

He found her at her ship as usual. It had been a few days since she’d come to him with news about having fixed the important parts of her ship, he hadn’t seen her since. Apparently, she’d been fixing the window as it was now in place again. The door that used to be on it was gone though, probably a smart move since she’d supposedly lost the Time Pieces through it

“Hey kiddo,” Snatcher said, making her jump a bit as she turned to face him, smiling. “I got a present a for you.”

She floated closer, face lighting up with anticipation. “Really? What is it?”

He pulled the soul out and held it towards her. “Another soul.”

Her hesitation before accepting it was much less than with the first soul he’d given her. Same with the guilty look she gave it before putting it in her mouth. The effect was immediate, euphoria and joy overcoming her features. “Thank you!” She was happy again as kids should be, as she’d been more often than not before her tragic death.

Not that Snatcher really cared, she meant pretty much nothing to him. He just… just… whatever. “You’re welcome, I guess,” he said in an offhanded tone. “There were two again so I figured I might as well share.”

“I see why you like it so much. It’s really nice. Gosh, I feel kind of bad though because I don’t want to hurt anyone but… it feels real good, almost like I’m alive again.”

“You’ll get over feeling bad about it soon enough.” Snatcher had once upon a time felt bad about snatching and eating souls too but he had to if he didn’t want his power to start to fade and then his mind. With how good it felt, he’d gotten over the guilt faster than he would’ve thought; his past self before his death would’ve been horrified. “But anyway, I see you ship looks pretty much done, you going to go home on it?”

Hat Kid turned around to look at it for a couple of seconds before turning back to look at him. “I… don’t think so. I thought about it a lot and… I don’t think they’d want me back like this. And… maybe you’re right about how they’re rising and teaching us is wrong. I don’t know though; I just want to keep my ship. So… I want to stay here with you.”

Surely the ‘with you’ part hadn’t been necessary. She wasn’t staying with him; he was just letting her stay in his forest because… he felt bad for her. But then why did her saying that, especially in that way, make him feel good? … It was probably just the soul he’d eaten earlier making him feel that way. Speaking of that though…

“All right,” he said. “But since you’re staying, I should tell you, I’m not going to keep giving you souls. Eventually you’re going to have to learn how to snatch your own souls.”

“Oh uh… could you teach me how to do that?”

That… hadn’t been what Snatcher would’ve thought she’d reply with. He’d thought she say she didn’t want to do that, that she was too concerned about not hurting anyone. But apparently, she was okay with it. “Why would I teach you anything?”

“Because you know how and I don’t. I really want to be able to fire lasers and teleport and all that magic stuff. So could you teach me?” She looked up at him with a hopeful expression that… he was going to have trouble saying ‘no’ too, wasn’t he?

“Hmmm… I’ll think about it.” Which meant ‘yes’ he just didn’t want to admit it out loud right now. “But since you’re staying, there are some other things we need to work out too.”

“Really? Like what?”

“I’ll tell you later, I need to work up a contract first.” He could just create a contract with magic but he needed to make sure of the wording on this one so he wanted to write it out by hand. “This needs to be official after all.” Before she could reply, he left, teleporting back to his reading spot.

 -

“You want me to sign a contract, promising to never try to take control of the forest from you, really?” Hat Kid said, raising an eyebrow as she looked up at him.

“Yes, I already have the ice bitch trying every so often and other people come along and try too. I don’t want to deal with you trying to take it too,” Snatcher replied. “You have those Time Pieces of yours, I don’t know exactly what all they’re capable of or how they work but I know from having handled them, they’re pretty powerful. I know you use them to fuel your ship, but you’re not planning to use them to go home anymore so you could potentially use them for other things.” He could probably take them from her if he wanted to but… even as a ghost she’d undoubtedly be able to cause more trouble for him than it was worth. “Hence, the contract; you’re not allowed to use them against me or my forest in any way. Doing so, will forfeit ownership of them to me and get you banished forever.”

“You know I’d never do that though, right? Using them like that is against the rules and you’re my best friend forever, I’d never betray you like that.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, whatever, I’m just making sure.” He had trust issues and really, who could blame him for that? So he’d made a magically binding contract ensuring the safety of himself and his forest, consequently everyone and everything within the forest as well but she didn’t need to know he was trying to keep his minions safe too. It was possible that the Time Pieces were more powerful than his magic though – he didn’t know much about them after all – so he could be doing nothing but this made him feel safer anyway. Plus, he didn’t think she would try anyway so this was entirely just a precaution to ease his paranoia.

“Okay, if it’ll make you feel better,” Hat Kid said before signing it.

Contract signed, Snatcher snapped, sending it to the secret room in the library that housed all his permanent contracts, the one not even the librarians could get into or knew the location of. “There, now consider yourself an official resident of Subcon.”

She froze for a second before an excited grin spread across her face. “Oh! I guess I am now, huh? Wow! Thank you.”

Before he could stop her, she hugged him. He sighed and tolerated it for a few seconds but as he reached for her shadowy cape to pull her off, she let go. Good, she was learning that at best hugs were only allowed to last for a few seconds. No hugs at all would be better but he’d take what he could get.

Previous / Next

#My Writing #ahit #A hat in time #ghost kid #snatcher & hat kid #Dadcher #ghost kid fic

[bijackkellys]

thunderstruck ; part three

safe haven.

Fandom: Newsies (All Media Types) Relationships: Jack Kelly/David Jacobs/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer Word Count: 4,352 Dedications: a huge huge shoutout to my beta and gf @mistyw273 without whom this fic would not exist! tag list (if you’d like to be added to this list just send me an ask or dm!): @dimenovelcowboy​ @santa-fe-maniac @pulitzers-world @yo-let-me-get-a-milkyway @verified-dumbass @jewishdavidjacobs @agentsnickers @thetruthabouttheboy @the-games-changing Author’s Note: yes i know what i said and i'm aware that it's been WEEKS since i posted and i have absolutely nothing to say for myself. except that i'm the worst. and also that i'm going to stop making promises and tell you guys straight out that i'm probably not going to be any better at updating from this point forward, especially considering i'm working on college apps and sat prep right now. but it's fine! i hope the fact that this chapter is only like 10 words less than all the other chapters so far put together sort of makes up for it? but i kind of hate this part; i have a ton of exposition to get through so i'm really really sorry if it sucks and you've waited this long for like 4.3k of bullshit. i'm also sorry that i still haven't introduced kath—she will get here in the next chapter and she will play no small role in this fic, i promise!! we've just got a lot to get through leading up to that. anyway, thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed so far, and if you're still here despite my questionable reliability (or lack thereof) i love you, personally. tws for this chapter includes a minor panic attack, mentions of vomiting but it's pretty brief, and that's about it.

read it on ao3

MEDDA IS SINGING when they get to her apartment. 

Even through the closed door, Jack can hear her voice lilting down the corridor, a bittersweet melody that he can’t quite remember but loves all the same. It makes him falter, makes his throat close up as warmth and the ache of missing her spread through his chest in time with each other. He doesn’t know what she’ll say when she sees him, and the thought of her viewing him as a killer nearly makes his knees buckle. Distantly he thinks that it doesn’t matter what the world has been told as long as she believes him.

“Is this it?” the older boy says behind him, gesturing to the door that Jack is staring at. He’d mostly been quiet the whole walk here, but now he’s looking at Jack expectantly.

Jack nods and pushes back the tide of emotions swelling in his chest. If he waits any longer he might never be able to do this. He knocks twice on the door, and her singing cuts off abruptly; he hears her voice saying “Coming!” and then the lock clicking as the door swings open.

“Hi, Miss Medda,” Jack says hoarsely. 

She stares at him. For this brief, terrible moment, he thinks she’s going to turn him away, and then she’s crying and oh, she pulls him into a hug. Something he’s been trying to hold back since he found himself running in the streets hours ago spills forth. In her arms he can’t stop the tears; he feels suddenly twelve years old again, scared and small but not alone, not anymore.

“You’re alive,” she’s saying, over and over, like a mantra. “Oh, baby, you’re really here.”

Jack clings to her tightly. “I didn’t do it,” he breathes, desperate for her to know as she runs a hand through his hair. “The fire—that wasn’t me.”

“I didn’t believe them for one second.” Medda pulls him back at arm’s length. “But where have you been?”

He winces, looks away. “The Refuge. I just escaped.” Her mouth opens again but he shakes his head slightly and she nods, understanding immediately. 

“It’s okay, sweetie. We’ll talk later,” she says, and cups his cheek with a gentle hand. He leans into it, starved of positive contact like this for so long. “Jack Kelly,” she says warmly, her eyes shining—he’s gotten so used to hearing his name spit at him like a curse—“I thought I’d never see you again.” She huffs a laugh and smiles at him, wiping at his eyes with her thumb. “Don’t you ever disappear on me like that again, you understand?”

He gives a watery chuckle, maybe his first in months. “I’ll do my best, Miss Medda.”

She pulls him into another hug, squeezing his shoulders tightly, before her eyes come to rest on the two boys still standing awkwardly in the hallway. “And who are your new friends?” she asks.

“Oh, this is—” Jack breaks off, realizing abruptly that they had never gotten to introductions. The younger of the two steps forward and puffs his chest out.  

“I’m Les, and this is my brother, David,” he says brightly. He’s been solemn since Jack met him, no doubt jarred by his experience with the Snatchers, but Medda’s warmth is notoriously infectious. Even the kid’s older brother—Davey—cracks a smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” he says politely, and Medda beams and waves a hand.

“None of that. It’s Miss Medda to you, darling. Come on in,” She steps out of the doorway and gestures inside, placing a gentle hand on the small of Jack’s back as she ushers him in. He’s grateful for it, a grounding presence that reminds him he’s really here in front of her. “Stay as long as you like, boys.”

In the last few hours alone, Jack has felt like he’s been thrust into an entirely different world. Entering Medda’s apartment is a burst of shining familiarity; there’s the elegant wooden piano in the corner, the blooming plants lining the windowsills, the photos of the theater and the paintings Jack has done over the years hanging on the walls. The faint smell of cinnamon in the air. He may never have lived here, but it feels like coming home all the same.

“I’ve still got the clothes you’ve left here, if you want to change,” Medda tells him. “I’ll get something going for us to eat—how does Sancocho sound? I don’t have any plantains, and now I know it’s not quite the same without them—”

“That sounds incredible, Miss Medda,” Jack says, his mouth already watering. For as long as he’s known her, Medda has always made it a point to give him and the other boys a taste of home however she can manage. She’d tested recipes for Sancocho for months until she’d perfected the warm, rich stew that always drew up distant memories of Jack’s mother. 

Medda smiles at him and bustles into the kitchen, pulling vegetables from the fridge. “David, Les, is there anything you two don’t eat?” she calls to them.

“Oh, we keep Kosher, so no pork, shellfish, or meat and dairy together? And Les can’t have peanuts. Sorry,” Davey responds quickly.

“No worries, darling, this recipe doesn’t call for any of that anyway. Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours—Jack, why don’t you go clean up and get some rest? You look exhausted, baby.”

It’s one of those things he doesn’t fully realize until she points out, and then it hits him full-force; he thinks his legs will give with the impact of it. He’s tired and starved and wants absolutely nothing more than to take a hot shower and eat and sleep through the next day—and in truth the only thing holding him back is the still-stinging bite of the cuffs around his wrists. 

“Uh, Miss Medda—you got a screwdriver somewhere around here?” he asks tentatively, rubbing at the skin underneath them.

Her gaze drifts to his hands and she winces in sympathy. “In the office down the hall. There’s a toolkit on the shelf—you need some help, Jack?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’ve got it,” he says as he heads into the room.

It turns out to be harder than he expected. He spends a good ten minutes hacking at the cuffs with a screwdriver, but all he really succeeds in doing is scraping his wrists raw. He’s getting desperate, though—the longer he’s stripped of his powers, the less he feels like himself, and the silver steel is nothing but a jolting reminder of everything that’s happened. He needs to find a way to get these stupid things off. 

“It doesn’t look like you’ve got it.”

Jack’s head snaps up to see Davey standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. His expression is hard to read, half-concerned but laced with something else, and he’s sort of tentative as he steps into the room and kneels down beside Jack. “Here, let me.” He holds his hand out for the screwdriver. 

Jack gives it to him and splays his hands out in between them. Davey switches out the head of the tool for a tiny flathead and gets to work on the right cuff, astonishingly careful. His slender, practiced fingers pry open a tiny panel on the side of the cuff, exposing the circuit board underneath.

“You seem to know what you’re doing,” Jack notes.

Davey pauses his movement for a split second and then continues without looking up. “I was captain of my high school robotics team for two years,” he responds. “And I’m an engineering major.”

Jack clings to this small piece of information; it’s the first thing he’s learned about Davey since they met, and he’s already desperate for more. “Where do you go?” he asks. At this, Davey tenses up, and Jack bites back a wince. “I’m not trying to interrogate you,” he says flatly, after a moment. “Guess I just...thought you’d changed your mind about me.”

Davey’s dark eyes latch on to Jack’s for just a moment before darting away. “I don’t know yet,” he answers finally. He prods at the wires of the cuff; there’s this crinkle in his brow that Jack can’t help but think is sort of endearing. “Miss Medda seems like a really good person,” he continues, still barely looking at Jack. “And she clearly loves you a lot. It’s possible you could be lying to her, too, but the way you were when you saw her—no one’s that good of an actor.”

“So what’s your holdup?”

“I’m not sure what to believe.” Davey twists the screwdriver and bites his lip, then meets Jack’s gaze at last. “After you—after the hospital burned down, the whole city was in chaos. No one knew what to think or who to blame—the police revealed that the sprinkler line had been damaged, and that some of the exits had been sealed, and that the fire started because the power box had been tampered with.”

Jack’s stomach twists. “I don’t understand...you—you’re saying it wasn’t an accident?”

“I think if it had been, it would’ve been contained a lot faster,” Davey says darkly. “It hadn’t even been a week before The World published a full story about how it was Strike’s doing. Jack, there were witness statements, sources explaining how your powers could’ve caused this—”

“I was trying to save people,”

“A lot of people thought you had done it by accident. Or that you’d...snapped, or something.”

“I nearly died in that fire.” He isn’t entirely sure he hadn’t, to be honest. Everything since then is blurry and out of place, and he feels like he’s been set right back to grappling desperately for a handhold, like he’s in the center of an inferno all over again—

There’s a click of metal on metal and the cuff on his right hand clatters to the floor. 

“Got it,” Davey says, and suddenly Jack can breathe again. Even with the cuff still circling his left hand, he feels electricity surge through him, that familiar hum of lightning beneath his skin. A part of him he hasn’t felt in so, so long. 

Sparks dance over his fingertips, and the air fills with static. He can see the hairs on Davey’s arms standing on end and despite everything, fights the urge to laugh. Davey looks at him, eyes wide with amazement, and Jack wonders if he can taste the power in the air, too. 

“Thanks,” Jack says, breathless as he runs his hand over the torn skin of his wrist. 

Davey nods and gently takes his left hand, starting the process again and evidently more sure of what he’s doing now. “Jack,” he begins, but whatever he’s going to say next, Jack doesn’t let him finish.

“Someone set me up,” he says fiercely, trying hard not to sound as desperate for Davey to believe him as he really is. “Whatever evidence and witnesses they had—it was fake.”

“Okay, but why?” Davey presses. “Why go through all this trouble to frame a dead man? How did they get The World to publish a bunch of false information? And if someone really is trying to pin this on you,” there’s a click, and the cuff around Jack’s left hand pings against the ground, “who set the fire in the first place?”

-

Jack can’t remember the last time he’d had a hot shower. Even before the fire—and god, Jack is really about to start categorizing his life events as before and after his death, like that’s not absolutely insane—the lodging house never really had a surplus of hot water, especially with so many of them. Standing under it now, though, everything else melts into the background. There are scars and bruises along his skin that he hadn’t even noted before, but the water is like instant relief; he doesn’t have to think, just lets it wash him clean.

By the time he gets out, the effects of the drugs, which have been weaning away for hours now, seem completely gone. Everything is sharper, like he’s been thrusted into high-definition, his thoughts clearer and his memories—well, his memories becoming more painful by the second.

It’s not easy, trying to push it all back. As he pulls on fresh clothes, Jack stares at himself in the mirror, at the jagged scars raised against his chest and the tiny spots that pockmark his forearms where he remembers needles going in, and tries to reconcile this picture of himself—exhausted and hollowed out and afraid—with the identity he’d spent so long building up from the ground. He doesn’t look like Strike, New York City’s favorite vigilante. He looks like a scared kid.

He doesn’t know what to do. Something bigger than himself is brewing in the city, he knows it, he has to stop it. But he doesn’t know how. People are counting on him and Jack just wants to forget any of this ever happened.

There’s so much noise. Davey’s questions are ringing in his ears and behind them there are voices telling him he’s never, ever going to get out, and he thinks he might be on fire. Everything is too hot and too loud and hurts.

There’s nothing in his stomach to throw up, but he dry heaves over the toilet anyway.

Jack sits back on the cold tile floor and drags his knees up to his chest. He could just go—break out the money he’s been saving and skip town, hop on a bus all the way to Santa Fe. Crutchie could come with him, and he could change his name—again—and start fresh. Never see this place again.

Except there’s an arsonist on the loose in the city. There are Snatchers all over the streets, and maybe Jack wants nothing more than to leave it but New York is still his city, still his place to protect. He can’t just leave.

Jack tilts his head towards the ceiling, biting back the urge to scream. The unsteady silence is broken by a tentative knock at the door, and then Medda’s voice—“Jack, honey,” she says, “Dinner’s ready. You okay in there?”

Slowly, he picks himself off the floor, pulls the loose hoodie hanging on the door on over his clean t-shirt, takes a shuddering breath. “I’ll be right out,” he calls through the door, and glances at his reflection one more time. He can be Strike again. He can do this. 

And even if he can’t, he has to.

-

The Sancocho is perfect, warm and spicy and brimming with the taste of home. By the time he’s inhaled maybe three servings and helped clear the dishes, Jack is so exhausted that he doesn’t even make it to the guest room. He just stumbles towards the couch and collapses there with the sunlight still spilling in through the windows, falling hard and fast into a heavy sleep.

It’s dark when he bolts awake. He feels hot and breathless, his heart racing against his ribcage, and whatever awful memory had invaded his dreams left the sharp taste of metal in his mouth. Sparks flicker across his fingers, blinding blue-white in the darkness, and Jack curls his hands into fists to quell the lightning brimming in his veins. His eyes dart to the clock on the wall; it’s just past one in the morning. He doesn’t think he’ll get back to sleep any time soon.

He maneuvers around the coffee table to stumble blindly towards the kitchen instead. A dim glow catches his eye, then; Davey is sitting at the bar stools, hunched over his laptop.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Jack says, and Davey starts and then swears.

“Jeez, you gave me a heart attack,” he huffs as Jack chuckles lightly and fills a glass with water. “I thought you were still asleep. And...no. You?”

Jack shrugs. “I slept okay, got a few good hours. But I don’t think I can go back to bed. What are you doing?” he asks, nodding towards the open laptop.

Davey hesitates. “Miss Medda let me borrow her computer. I’m trying to contact the rest of my family,” he replies, his gaze flitting between the screen and Jack’s eyes. “When Les and I ran off there were already Snatchers at our house. None of them have powers, though. Just Les.” He works his lip between his teeth. “They said not to contact them in case the Snatchers found some way to trace it back to us, but I set up a separate email account and sent them a vague message, hoping they’ll know it’s me. I just need to know if they’re okay.”

Jack’s chest twists in sympathy. Davey’s family is just one more example of all the lives the Snatchers have torn apart—and Jack is the poster boy for their whole agenda. He has to fix this, for Davey, and for the rest of his city. “You’ll see them again soon, Davey,” he says—yet another promise he can’t afford to break—“I’m gonna make this right, okay?”

“How?” Davey scoffs. “You don’t even know where to start.”

Jack slips his hands into the pockets of his clean hoodie and feels the familiar weight of the flash drive he’d placed there. Actually, he might have some idea. “Can I use the computer?” Jack says, barely waiting for Davey’s nod before taking a seat on the barstool beside him and plugging the flash drive in. 

“What is that?” Davey’s brow furrows.

“Honestly? I’m not sure. I took this from a computer in the Refuge’s control room, hoping I’d find something important. Maybe something here could give us a clue of what’s really going on.” There’s only a handful of files on the drive, and they’re labeled with numbers instead of actual names. Jack opens the first one and feels his heart sink. “Shit. It’s encrypted.”

“Let me try,” Davey says, pulling the laptop towards him and typing furiously. The computer makes a few error noises in protest as he works through the code, but Davey is laser-focused, seems to know exactly what he’s doing. He’s some kind of genius. “Got it,” he announces after a few minutes. Sure enough, the screen flickers, and rows of text begin to replace the numbers and symbols from before.

“That was incredible,” Jack tells him.

Davey shrugs and ducks his head, smiling just a little before turning back to the screen. “They look like email exchanges. Between some guy named Snyder—” Jack feels a cold trickle of shock run through him at that name, “—and...Joseph Pulitzer.”

“Wait, Pulitzer?” Jack leans forward to read over Davey’s shoulder. “As in the CEO of The World?”

“He’s running for mayor in next month’s election,” Davey explains. “It looks like he’s trying to get Snyder’s support? He’s promising money to fund the Refuge. But why would—shit.” There’s something dawning on his expression as he looks up at Jack, eyes blown wide. “Jack, a lot of his campaign has relied on anti-super propaganda. And...The World was the one who first published the story about you setting the fire.”

The realization crashes into him, hard and fast. “He’s the one who framed me.” Jack feels a hot rush of anger surge through him. “For what, a political platform? So that he could give the people a common enemy? Holy shit, did he set that fire for this...twisted agenda?” 

“I can’t believe this,” Davey shakes his head, leaning back in his chair and tugging his hands through his dark hair, shell-shocked. “How could he do something like this?”

How could he?

“I’m going to kill him,” Jack says fiercely, and the lights above him flicker. He stands up, feeling wild, brimming with untamed fury—innocent people died for Pulitzer’s insane power grab, and he has to pay for that. He can’t get away with this, he won’t; Jack can’t find it in himself to mitigate his anger right now, he needs to find Pulitzer and fix this.

“Jack—Jack!” Davey’s hand latches around his wrist and a shock like static electricity bursts between them, making him pull back. “Wait. You’re not thinking clearly.”

“What, you just want me to let him walk? He killed people, Davey. Innocent people.”

“You don’t actually know that yet.”

“I know enough,” Jack snaps, pulling back. “This can’t all be a coincidence, it makes too much sense. He has to be behind this, behind everything.”

“I’m not arguing that.” Davey is astonishingly calm; Jack doesn’t know how he can keep his resolve right now, after finding out something this sick. “But what are you going to do, break into his house and murder him? What is that going to solve? Things are only gonna get worse for supers.”

Jack hesitates. Davey is right—a personal attack on one of the most influential people in New York would make him even more of a villain than he already is. And every super in the city would suffer from it. He can’t make this some sort of revenge plot; he has to be smart about it. He takes a shuddering breath. “Then I’ll expose him. These emails—”

“—aren’t enough. All you have from this is a theory. Pulitzer would just find a way to spin it, make you look like the bad guy here. Again.” He shakes his head. “He holds all the cards right now. We have to find hard, indisputable evidence. What we need is a way to get close to him.”

“We?” Out of everything, that’s the word Jack gets hung up on. Davey’s making it sound as though they’re partners. 

Davey looks at him for a second. “I believe you, Jack,” he says finally. “I’m sorry I didn’t before. I don’t think you set that fire, and if we’re right, and Pulitzer did frame you, and we can find proof...we might be able to stop everything. Shut down the Refuge for good.”

“No, no—I’m not dragging you into this any further than I already have,” Jack stops him before he can go any further. His whole time as Strike, he’s been a solo act for a reason—not for lack of Race or Specs or Elmer trying to get him to let them join him—but because he can’t bring himself to pull someone else into this life. Especially not someone like Davey, who’s an engineering student, and a genius, and has a family. He’s got his whole life ahead of him. “I appreciate everything you’ve done to help me so far, I really do, but I can take it from here. You and your brother just lay low and stay out of trouble.”

“You can’t do this by yourself,” Davey argues. There’s something hardening behind his eyes, something bright and sharp and determined. “I’ve already shown you what I can do, so let me help you.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

He snorts, defensive. “I can handle it.”

“You think so?” Jack stares him down, skin buzzing. “I almost died because of this, and I may not remember everything about the Refuge, but I can tell you that it wasn’t pretty. If we try to take Pulitzer, there’s a good chance we don’t make it out alive.”

Davey doesn’t break his gaze. “But if we do it together, we double our odds,” he says quietly. When Jack snorts and turns away, Davey keeps going. “This is so much bigger than you or me, Jack. If we can pull this off, we could make New York safe for supers again. I promised that I would protect Les, but I can’t do that as long as there are Snatchers roaming the streets and as long as Pulitzer has power. And you can’t protect this city if you’re dead.” 

Jack wishes he didn’t have a point. “You could get hurt,” he counters. “You don’t even have powers.”

“You’ll protect me,” Davey replies swiftly, and something in Jack’s stomach twists.

“You have an awful lot of faith for someone who didn’t trust me an hour ago,” he says grimly, eyes darting away from Davey’s fierce ones.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” Davey presses, unrelenting, and god, the offer is tempting. Davey clearly knows his way around his computers and technology, a skill that could be really helpful here, and more than that, Jack stupidly, selfishly doesn’t want to do this by himself. He wants a partner. He’s tired of being alone, and he hates himself for it. 

“We do this on my terms,” Jack says finally, and in the corner of his eye, he can see Davey smiling. “I say get out, you get out. You’ve got to be smart about this. Got it?”

“Understood,” Davey nods. “I’ll be okay, Jack. I promise. So where do we start?”

“It’s like you said, we have to get close to Pulitzer.” Jack sits back down, racks his brain for anything that could help. Pulitzer is a private person, watching the rest of the city from high off the ground; getting close to him would require someone who already knows him well. He can practically see the lightbulb over his head when it hits him—he knows the perfect candidate. He just hopes she’ll be willing to join them.

“I know someone who might be able to help,” Jack says, already drafting an email—coded words like the two of them used to use when he was just starting out as Strike. “She interned as Pulitzer’s personal assistant for a while when she was in high school, but the last time I saw her she was a journalism student, working for The Sun. She may not work for him anymore, but she knew Pulitzer as well as anyone.” Jack takes a deep breath and pleads silently that she’ll believe him, then sends the message. 

“And you think she’ll know what to do?” Davey asks.

“I’m sure of it.” Jack has always had faith in her; he knows she’ll come through, will fight for what she believes in. “If cards are what we’re playing,” he tells Davey, suddenly brimming with a newfound sense of determination, “then Katherine Plumber is our ace.”

#THUNDERSTRUCK #newsies #writing #my writing #umanawrites #newsies fanfic #jack kelly #david jacobs #javid #jathvey #ot3: watch what happens #newsies the musical

[stitchwitchsapprentice]

Fullmetal Alchemist Liveblog Ep. 4

Fullmetal Alchemist Liveblog Ep. 4: A Forger's Love

Ooh! I'm already excited by this title!

But I still state that burning down your home before you leave is just a *tad* overly dramatic. Oh, boys.

lol "you don't have regrets, do you?" Well it doesn't matter if he does, you already burned down the damn house!

I also want to know what it is that their dad did that's got everybody hunting for him.

Also, since I have the subtitles on, every time I see the name Winry, I think for a moment it says "winery"

How could you leave poor Winery behind! She is your cousin and she misses you!! I feel like there's something further I can say there in regards to the Law of Equivalent Exchange... like, they're giving up Winry in order to gain... something. But it's like the first lesson (which they still haven't learned) There's nothing that can replace a human soul. I just mean... they'd probably have better lives if they decided to recognize the people around them who they have rather than sacrificing those people by leaving them behind. Because those relationships are never going to be the same.

Though I have to admit, Fullmetal Alchemist buddy cop show? Would be fantastic. And the catchy theme-song already works for this. O.M.G. Can somebody please cut me the opening credits Fullmetal Alchemist: Buddy Cop? In which Ed and Al just go around bantering and catching purse snatchers and whatnot? Please? I'll like... sew you a pillow or something.

But apparently I was wrong about the continuation of the backstory episode... unless this is going to cut between two different time lines. 

Of course, they drew that transmutation circle fast. (But whatever, I don't care. Because Fullmetal Alchemist: Buddy Cop--the fabulous purse-snatcher catching duo!

I kind of get the impression that Majhal doesn't do things as great as people think he does...

Oh. I think I was right. Majhal has been trying to bring people back to life, hasn't he?

If Majhal has been corresponding with their father, maybe raising the dead was one of the things they were corresponding about.

Benefits of having your body replaced by a suit of armor number 5: No muscles to get sore during uncomfortable carriage rides

And the great fullmetal alchemist trips over a rock. lolol

Oh, this old guy must be Majhal. And he already looks like the bad guy.

Oh! He's got a transmutation circle on his bracelet! Is this how the pocket watches work? They let you carry a transmutation circle with you? I guess that means that Ed could build one into his arm somehow. Or his leg. Or both. Both. Both is good.

"No doubt you're aware that human alchemy is strictly forbidden." Nah, we just lost a body and a half in the process of attempting it, but we never figured that out.

"Youthful optimism." Well, Ed and Al have still got that. That's what happens when you're a prodigy.

Does this lady just like him or is trying to find out the gossip?

Also, the animation of Ed eating is fantastic

He is definitely hiding something. 9 minutes in. I'm calling it.

I love Al calmly holding Ed back. You know Ed, having your brother like this might be a good thing. Otherwise you would get into a lot more trouble.

Aww, poor Al. I mean Ed is hilarious when you call him a pipsqueak, but calling Al a trash can is just going too far.

Karin? Oh yes, I remember her, by which I really mean I was in love with her and brought her back, but as a zombie, but I keep telling myself that she couldn't possibly be hurting anyone, even though I know she is. That's who brought him the jam, isn't it?

Al is cute when he's scared. And even cuter because he is a giant suit of armor.

Oh wait, there's Lust again. What's she up to? Is she behind this?

This has a very Jane Eyre vibe, with Jam Lady playing the role of Grace Poole.

I was right! He's got a secret and he's the bad guy. tv show-1, me-1.

Also, what this guy is actually doing is way creepier than I could have imagined. But VERY Jane Eyre.

Body over soul

Okay, less Jane Eyre. This guy is nuts.

Wow. Clause's hair sure grew fast.

Why do boys always freak out in the presence of girls. Seriously, world-famous alchemist and you get defeated by a dress. pff.

Okay, this episode was fun. Not as a good last episode, but definitely fun. 

Predictions:

uh... this show is pretty episodic so far, so I don't really know, other than the Seven Sins are going to turn back up eventually

and we'll learn more about Ed and Al's dad.

Oh. And Ed and Al are not going to get their bodies back... Episode 5. Calling it.

Questions:

As always, what does fullmetal alchemist actually mean?

What has their father been up to all this time?

#fullmetal alchemist #liveblog #first time watching

[doodleimprovement]

CSAU :: Moonie Jericho and the Mysterious Case of the Moon-Jumper Mask - Alternate Ending

Or: “The extremely self indulgent 7 page fic were Nell gets to be more helpful and has some actual characterization” 

Yeahhhh this isn’t canon to the fic, but I wanted to write it because I can, at LAST give ya’ll Nell’s backstory for how they came to live in Subcon in the CSAU

Per usual, the “Coffee Shop AU” belongs to the ever wonderful @doodledrawsthings

Also, note: Both MJ and Nell use “they/them” pronouns, with MJ being “He/They” and Nell being “She/They” To keep things from getting too confusing, Nell will be “They” and MJ will be “He” 

Enjoy! 

--

Nell was honestly a bit surprised when MJ came to their home the morning after Halloween, sheepishly stating that the mask seemed ... stuck.

“Really?”

He nodded.

“Huh.. Come on in then. I’ll get some tea going and see about helping you out, hm?”

He walked into their house, taking a moment to actually look about the place- as he didn’t get much of a chance before- and took a seat in their small living room.

The ambiance of the outside followed inside, with the walls painted chestnut brown with warm yet bright pops of color on the windowsill and the various picture frames full of people he didn’t know. The curtain over the wide window was patterned with little pumpkins, which he found cute, and hanging from a few ceiling hooks were what Clover would call “Low-maintenance” plants. The dark colors match well with the room, making it feel a bit comfier than it otherwise might.

The couch he sat on was across from an armchair, and both were colored a warm orange, with an espresso-colored coffee table. On said table were some envelopes and a copy of “Better Homes and Gardens”

Huh, he didn’t peg them as a reader of those types of magazines. Then again, Clover was the one that knew Nell, not him.

They came back with two mugs - one was purple with the “Snatcher” face on it, and the other had a little grumpy ghost on it, with “I’m spooky before my coffee” written above the drawing.

They handed him the Snatcher mug

“Can I ask where you get all of this Snatcher merch?”

“My best friend is an Etsy fiend. Despite him living all the way in Nyakoto, he ships me Snatcher merch whenever he finds something fun. He’s a real character” they chuckled.

“Huh” MJ acknowledged as Nell walked around the coffee table and sat next to him

“Do you feel the mask?”

He nodded, his hand up at the edge, right where he felt it “When I pull, it just… doesn’t move”

“Hm..” they sipped. “When you try to take it off, how does it feel?”

“Like… it’s like a thousand little… things? Pulling at my face, I think?” MJ pulled up their mug and sipped the tea.

“Like… string? Thread?”

MJ nodded. “I think that's the right word, thread”

Nell puts down the mug as MJ takes another sip. “Let me see” they scooted closer to him, and he put his mug down and turned his head.

Their hands seemed to glow green as they raised it “There we go…” They muttered, hand immediately finding the mask’s edge, and seeing what he was talking about “... Huh, the threads… well, that's the right word. They’re… criss-crossed…”

Before he could ask if they could remove them, he felt a slight burning at the edge of his face and jumped

“Ah!”

“Sorry, sorry, but, that did work… Though, it means you might be here a while” they admit “I’ll need you to stay still, okay?”

“Oh.. okay”

It was... Not Okay.

A few minutes into Nell’s attempt at getting the mask off, they let out a huff.

“You can’t keep squirming”

“I- I’m sorry” He muttered “It's just, you know, hard to stay still”

“I understand that, but I don’t want to mess this up. I’d like to see your actual eyes” They muttered.

“I know, it just.. Weird feeling” He tried to explain.

“Moon” They pressed, but sighed “... You seem still enough when I’m talking to you, need a distraction?”

“I mean, I guess…?”

Nell sighed “Hm… How about I tell you how I came to live in Subcon? That’s a long-ass story”

“Oh uh, if you’re okay with sharing!” MJ tried to be polite. He knew that even Clover wasn’t completely sure why Nell came to live in the town, she just knew that “something happened” back at the coast where they were from.

“Nah. It’s been 5 years. That’s more than long enough” The nurse stayed focused on the magic threads, their magic seeming to thrum in his ears- sounding almost like the hum of a fan in the dead heat of summer..

There was a pause, before they took in a breath.

“When I was 19, I took a job in Nyakoto, and left my hometown as fast as the train could take me. I had a scholarship to a little nursing school there, and before my 21st birthday, I’d gotten a nice, decent paying job as an ER nurse for a hospital in the East Side” They started “The hospitals were all interconnected, so I ended up meeting different doctors and nurses while I worked, and sometimes was called to assist in other hospitals.

“I was.. 25, when I met him” They recalled, something in their voice seeming heavy. “We’ll call him Chris

“He was in residency at a hospital down in the Wesservale neighborhood. We met at a medical appreciation gala… He had something about him I couldn't place. . . A charisma, almost. A kindness. He seemed so eager for the future, so excited for what the next day might bring him. I’d never been like that. His optimism drew me in.

“We started dating the year after. Like with most relationships, everything seemed great. He was funny, kind, thoughtful, all of that stuff. He even went with me to pride stuff, which was pretty cool at the time.”

“Pride?” MJ chimed in. Nell couldn’t hide a chuckle.

“Yes. You’ve heard of the Nyakoto Annual Pride Bonanza, haven’t you? One of the biggest in the country”

“I have, yes”

“Good. Back to the story” Nell redirected “When I was 27, about a year and a half into the relationship, I realized, quite unhappily, that we weren’t actually very different, and didn’t really get along as well as we thought.. It's not that we argued, but.. We didn’t really… talk. I never spoke to him about my problems, I didn’t feel like I could, and that really made me realize that we weren’t actually all that comfortable around each other. So, when he came over to my place that night for dinner, I spoke to him, and tried to tell him that we weren’t compatible, and that I thought perhaps we’d be better off as friends.

“He convinced me that we just needed work, going on and on about all these plans he had for us. Trips, dates, things to look forward to, always looking toward the future, Chris did”

Nell paused again

“.. I really should have noticed how little he cared about happiness in the present.” They commented “Not a traditional red flag, but it was a warning nonetheless”

“Well, I mean, that’s not so bad”

“In a way, no” Nell replied “But when you think about the future so much, you forget the present, you forget to live, and your past just.. Ends up a horrible haze. Even the happy stuff is hard to recall”

MJ hadn’t thought of it like that

“But hindsight is 2020, and in the moment, I believed him. I wanted to believe those bright dreams of the future, and I let go of the fact that I did not even like to talk to him very much.

“... I tried to break up with him 4 more times in the 8 years we were together.”

Okay, MJ hadn’t been expecting that much time passing.

“By the time I was 34, we were living together, but barely seeing each other. From the outside it must have seemed perfect to everyone else. I think only Daph knew about my.. Issues, with Chris. I still never talked to him about anything that wasn’t the future, or how the day was, or.. Just, absolute nonsense.

“One night, after one more attempt to break up, I’d gone to bed defeated, and woke up at 3 in the morning while he was on the night shift in Wesservale.. I came to this… realization

“If I didn’t leave right then and there, I’d marry him…. and I’d …. I’d be stuck. He’d have me, and I’d be stuck for the rest of my life..

“So I grabbed everything I had in the apartment, sent a resignation email to the East side hospital I still worked at, left him a note telling him I was leaving, took my car and just… started driving”

“.. Did he call you?”

“I blocked his number.” They answered curtly. “Drove for days until I came across Subcon.”

MJ didn’t comment.

“I stayed at the Alpine Motel for a few nights, and when I was at the diner, overheard that there was an open position for the school nurse at the elementary” They continued. “I applied for it, and 3 months later cashed in my savings to put a down payment on this little place” They made a motion with their hand briefly “The rest is history”

“Well… If it's any consolation, I think that's a good reason to get out of the city”

Nell couldn’t hold back a laugh. There was something a little… sad, in it, but the laugh was genuine.

“Yeah, then again, every reason is a good one to get out of the city” They commented, and MJ had only just realized that their hands were now on the other side of his face. Nell worked quickly, it seemed. “Hm.. okay. On the count of three, I'm going to try to take it off, alright?”

“Oh, uh, wow, okay!” He replied eagerly, closing his eyes.

“One…” They slowly started, both hands on either side, their nails right at the edge of the mask.

“Three!”

MJ startled as Nell pulled, and a cold, sharp feeling spread over his body before it abruptly ended. When he opened his eyes. He looked at Nell, who had, in their hands, that damned mask.

His hands went up to his face, and he let out a relieved laugh as he felt his skin, glasses and hair “hah! Hahah! I’m human again! No more magic!” He raised his hands and leaned back on the couch “Sweet relief”

Nell let out a chuckle, putting the mask down gently “Finish your tea, I’m gonna grab you a damp towel. You have… paint? On your face”

His brow was furrowed, but he reached for the still-warm mug anyway as Nell got up and went down a short hallway.

He took the few moments that Nell was done to think over the story he’d been told, the exhaustion in the nurse’s voice as she told it. Was he really the first one to learn? It gave him a weird feeling right in his chest.

When Nell returned, she offered a small, damp towel… that had the “Snatcher” smile on it

“... How many of these do you have?” He almost laughed again, and they just answered with an amused smile and grabbed their own coffee cup.

MJ cleaned his face, seeing a candy-red color coming off on the purple towel. “Hm..”

“What?”

“Well uh, the color looks like the magic strings I was able to summon”

Nell Blinked “... Well uh, bring that up with Tim when he’s back in town. That’s a little out of my wheelhouse”

“Noted”

The two fell into silence, sipping their warm drinks and giving them some time to unwind

“Will you need a ride home?” they asked him, putting their mug down.

He hadn’t actually thought of that.

“Oh, uh, it’s fine”

They raised an eyebrow at him

“You live 20 minutes away and Luka isn’t here to … fly you home, per se” They laid out “I’ve got a car, I’ll drive you home”

He turned a little red to the ears “Oh.. Thank you”

“No problem, Moon” They smiled back at him. “I’m going to change real quick, then we’ll leave”

And with that, they left back into the short hallway, to what Moon assumed was their bedroom.

Nell returned a few minutes later, dressed in a loose blouse and skirt that went down to their ankles, a far cry from the tank top and sweatpants that he’d seen them in before. He supposed that it was more so not wanting to go out in Pajamas than anything else. She picked up the mask, wrapping it in a handkerchief before holding it out to him

“It’s chosen you. You have to keep it”

He just nodded, and gingerly took the troublesome thing into his hands.

The two got in their truck (Nell owned a truck??) and drove into town.

MJ took in a breath as they turned onto a main street, passing The Horizon. “So uh, Nell..”

“Hm?”

“About your uh, the story you told me.. I won’t tell anyone”

“I don’t mind if you do” they answered, eyes on the road

“What, really?”

“Like I said before. Five years feels long enough”

MJ’s brow furrowed “I’m still not going to say anything.. That’s a personal story. It’s not mine to tell”

Nell glanced over at him with an unreadable expression, before moving to turn on the radio. Lo-fi started, and it seemed they were right in the middle of a Billie Eilish song.

“.. Thank you” They ended up responding as the song picked up

”I know supposedly I'm lonely now.

Know I’m supposed to be unhappy without someone.

But aren’t I someone?” 

MJ didn’t say much of anything else once until they got to his apartment building

“Thank you, Nell. For everything”

“Don’t mention it” They gave him a small, but sincere smile “Get some rest, hm? The bags under your eyes are aging you”

MJ just laughed “I will. Don’t be a stranger, Mx. Buonacci”

The nurse gave him a lazy salute with a soft smile, before the window rolled up, and they drove off

Exhaling, he looked down at the covered mask, wrapped in a…. Snatcher-patterned handkerchief.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

#ahit #ahit coffee shop au #coffee shop au #moonjumper #ahit moonjumper #ahit oc #nell #ahit nell #backstory #antonia writes #this was fun

[glottia-arts]

Friendship is outer-dimensional

Old story kind of brought back from the grave since I felt bad, but here we are now! Another combined story of @konan720‘s world and mine from AHiT because I liked doing that for some reason before.

I hope this isn’t too bad even with editing out a lot of my old writing, but oh well.

This is also a multi-chapter story, but it’s TBD on whether I’ll put the other chapters up here as well.

Word Count: 4,892

_____

Loud sounds echoed around stone walls, unrecognizable to her ears. Aura was unsure what to make of the foreign land.

Buildings were one thing, sounds another, but the overall appearance of the world was dull and frankly made Aura’s eyes hurt. She never thought dull would hurt her eyes, but she supposes this is what she gets for consistently being surrounded by bright objects.

This applies to only the ghostly residents of her home and her hourglass, but she digresses.

Despite the headache, the dweller surveyed the odd-looking town; Its appearance strange compared to that of her village before its fall. Buildings were larger, more intricate, several decorated beyond compare. Some showcased products that she’s never seen or heard of, others purposes were left unclear to her.

Several people passed through the area, whether by foot or odd contraption. She noticed that some children would ride on two-wheeled objects, a protective headpiece in place as they wandered the streets. Adults, on the other hand, seemed to favor moving metal boxes or larger more metallic versions of the thing the kids rode.

The things they traveled with were certainly loud and smelly, having been up close and personal with several of them. Aura still didn’t understand how they work but was a little peeved that one decided to move over her.

She may be a pure shadow that clings to surfaces during the day, but that doesn’t mean she has no feelings!

Speaking of, getting around was hard. Traversing the town proved challenging, no matter the time.

During the day, there was leeway as she didn’t have her normally large body to contend with. Of course, there were complications due to the lack of shadow filled locations to cross through.

A group of children caught her one time, believing someone painted a spooky ghost on the wall. It was simple to stay still and let them presume so, but she’d hate to see their reaction when they found out someone removed said ‘painting’.

Come the hours of twilight, Aura had to worry over her glowing body. True, she could revert to her basic dweller form to decrease her size, but her body still shone brightly. In order to properly travel, she needed to be out and about and couldn’t afford the attention. She wasn’t a shapeshifter like Snatcher but wished she was for this. Even having a basic human form would be helpful! She’s sure an excuse exists for glowing people, given the several odd things in this world, right?

No, that’s possibly too silly.

The ghost just had to stick with a touch and go method in the towns she goes through, letting her freedom be while she roamed the peaceful forests.

Aura does not understand how she wound up in this world, other than it probably being her own fault, but held hope; Hope in finding someone who might hold the key to her way home.

Several days of traveling later, she sensed a magical signature. Though faint, she could sense a powerful aura in the signature. Perhaps they would know what she sought and if not, refer her somewhere else.

Given her lack of a magical signature, unless using her powers, along with the fact hardly anybody could sense magic flow, it’s doubtful they were aware of her. Hopefully, they were friendly.

Getting closer, the signature began to feel familiar, both positively and negatively.

She’ll have to play this safe.

It didn’t take long for the ghost to arrive in the town she noticed their presence radiate from, but waited for night to strike. Aura had no clue of their lives or what they did but most individuals tended to become available at nightfall. That and she would prefer to deal with them as her usual self.

In the time the large dweller waited she observed this town, getting a lay of the land if she could not receive the information she hoped for. The city seemed peaceful but had held an uncomfortable air. It was possible a lot of negative thoughts and emotions lay in this town, but it might be something else.

It was several hours past dusk when she made it to the housing district that she sensed the magic emerge from. This wasn’t a terrible housing area, several large nice looking homes in the vicinity. Several had yards, some having trees with the occasional treehouse. Seeing them all made her homesick. Hopefully, she’ll be able to return soon.

Arriving at the mystery house, Aura surveyed the home. It looked just like any other ordinary house but much like the town, gave an odd impression. Dread filled her nonexistent stomach, fearing the one she’d have to deal with would be troublesome.

Hating to do this without at least knocking on the front door, the dweller clung to the shadows, traversing the walls of the home into the closest open window.

Entering the room, she began scanning for the magical user. They were indeed located in the home, but not the current room. Unsure of what to do, yet curious, Aura emerged from the shadows to survey the room properly.

Drawings hung up along the walls, primarily done in crayon. The ghost had a hard time making out what the drawings were, unfamiliar with several things detailed, but it was nice to see the imaginative side of whoever drew it. The room lacked much decoration, reminding her of her own room back while she was alive. Not much personal detail was shown, other than the works of art and the quilt that covered the bed.

She may be an intruder, but she refused to be rude and snoop through personal belongings. Aura would make do with this information presented to her. Besides, this could be the room of someone else and not the one she sought.

Hearing soft footsteps make their way to the door, Aura slid into the shadows, hiding under the bed. A few moments later, the door opened and in stepped a small figure. The undead dweller had some trouble making things out from her hiding spot, but from what she could tell, a child entered.

Oddly enough, the child retained a faint magical signature. No other humans she observed in her travels registered with one, so this was new. Additionally, she sensed the one she had followed here, believing they entered with the young one, yet could not see them whatsoever.

A shiver ran down her spine as she fully picked up on them. The dweller now knows why the reading felt off to her, the very same thing she picked up on and was hesitant around Vanessa their entire lives for; deep seated anger has altered their presence, seeping to their magics core.

Maybe it was a mistake coming here.

She noticed the child approach the bed, hearing the shuffle of sheets. It must be the girls’ bedtime, a yawn following the fade of fabric movement.

The girl was ready to climb into bed but was halted by another voice.

“Julia, I think you should go get properly ready for bed.”

“Huh..?” A pause. “But Moon, I go to bed like this sometimes anyway.”

“I know dear child but perhaps a change of clothes and a wash of your mouth will have you feeling better. You might sleep easier as well.”

The child didn’t respond, but went over to a dresser and opened it. Once she got what she wanted, she exited her room.

A few seconds went by before Aura finally could make out a shadow, hearing them open various compartments and even a door.

“If someone’s in here, they will regret ever entering.” They continued opening more things. “Perhaps it’s just my paranoia, but something feels wrong.”

Aura’s nerves were in shambles. Did she disturb something when she came in? No… if he’s paranoid like her, situations that are off are easier to notice.

She didn’t want to reveal herself after her realization but she nevertheless needed to know if they knew anything.

“Um… sorry to intrude, but yes, I’m here.”

A lengthy pause before they responded in a baffled yet hushed tone. “Am I going senile or did I hear a response that did not come from the child?”

Did... no one else speak to them? That’s somewhat sad.

“No, you received a response.”

Their shadow moved from one side of the room to the other.

“Where are you?” They sounded mildly irritated.

“I believe we both know I’m in hiding. If I have your word that you won’t harm me, I will show myself.”

Another extended pause, one she wasn’t sure she would even get a response to.

“All right, deal. Though I want you to show your hands first. No tricks.”

That was fair. “Of course.”

The dweller wasn’t assured the bed would be much of a barrier between them both but having something to separate them might ease both of their nerves.

On the opposing side, she gradually extended her hands out of the shadows to where they’d be able to see them. Taking an unneeded deep breath of air, she slipped out of her hiding place, becoming visible to the world. She still held her hands above her head as a good sign of faith, even when done leaving her safe haven. Now in view, bright blue eyes took in the sight of the one she had been searching for, who happened to be in a defensive stance. Aura was shocked, not expecting their appearance.

Their skin was pale blue, head resembling that of a mask in her opinion, a point resembling a crescent extending from the right side of their skull. Contrasting with their primary skin tone was a secondary one, being orange marks. These marks protruded from their eyes and mouth on both sides of their face.

Their eyes were unique, shaded with blue and red on either side, yet deferred in design; The left eye reminded her of a hypno wheel while the right sported diamonds.

Clothing not appearing to fit into this time frame is what they wore; A large orange cloak with a yellow undershirt catching her attention primarily. To make things even fancier, they wore a monocle and a cravat on their being. As they shifted their arms did she notice cuffs around their wrists, chains attached.

If they were a ghost, she partially wanted a do-over at dying, feeling underwhelming in comparison.

Their arms began lowering, shocked at her presence. Maybe they weren’t used to other odd figures?

Believing they had ample time to take her in, she closed her eyes and bowed her head somewhat, addressing them as calmly as she could. “My apologies for disturbing you, I’ve been traveling hoping to find some help with a predicament. You see, I believe I’ve wound up far away from home and was wondering if you-”

“Aura?”

Eyes shooting open, she stared at the other magic user. How did they know her moniker?

Now it was her turn to grow defensive. Lowering her arms, one moved to her chest as she inclined her head. “How do you know that name?”

They blinked several times as they registered her question. After a moment, they replied. “It’s… the name you went by, not wanting to be referred to as ‘the Mayor’s Daughter’ all the time.”

“You are correct, but how are you aware of it?”

They crossed their arms and tilted their own head. “Do you not recognize me, Lady Aura?”

She remembered most of the people she’s interacted with in life but this specter wasn’t ringing any bells.

“I’m afraid unless you’re a dweller, I cannot exactly identify you.”

They stared at her for a minute more before saying something that threw her for a loop, smiling and bowing. “You really know how to wound your dear ol’ Princy, don’t you Lady Aura?”

Wait… what!?

She stared at him for the longest time, so long in fact, he finished righting himself after many moments, shooting her a worried glance.

He can’t be… there’s. Yes, he looks similar, but Snatcher… what!?

The teal ghost apprehensively made her approach to him, still attempting to process this new bit of information. Was it possible, him the Prince as well?

Standing before him, Aura looked him over once more. “Not that I don’t believe you per se but do you mind if I… check?”

He blinked a couple of times, confused. “I… suppose so?”

Reaching in between her ‘hair’ wraps, she took hold of her pendant, changing its form. Pulling it out, revealed to be a monocle of her own. It was similar to any ordinary one, but held bright flecks of light flowing through the glass.

Holding the glassware up to her eye, her grip grew tight, preparing to see this ghost in any form he could have taken in life. Much to her shock, the glass instantaneously showed her the image of her dear old friend, the Prince.

Sluggishly returning the monocle back to its original place, she changed it back to a necklace. The teal ghost didn’t know what to say at this reveal.

The blue ghost went to touch her but stopped short and positioned the hand to the back of his head, scratching it. “Did you learn what you needed to?”

A nod but nothing more.

“That’s good.” He too was at a loss of words. After a while, the lengthy silence started to become uncomfortable for him. “Well, I know we both have a lot of questions for each other. Um…”

“If you have something to ask, just do it. I don’t even know what to say right now over this.”

“Right.” He coughed before continuing. “If you don’t mind me asking… Did you at least have an enjoyable long life?”

She peered back up to him, unusually calm. “It depends on your definition and other standpoints. For a regular person or a dweller, I suppose I did. For my other bloodline, I barely even lived.”

He tilted his head and she could tell he didn’t want to be rude and ask his next immediate question.

“I died on my 21st birthday if that clears it up.”

The ghost’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting that.

“I... I’m sorry, Aura. I-“

“It’s fine, you didn’t know.”

“Well yes, but on your birthday..?” He glanced to the side, glaring daggers at nothing in particular, angry over the new tidbit. He looked back to her, sorrow evident in his features. “Really, I am sorry. It must have been hard to die so far away from home, even if you were gone on a trip.”

Aura paused, dread filling her. Oh... she had to break the news to him as well it seemed. “I had nearly forgotten Vanessa told everyone that.”

“... That wasn’t the situation?”

She almost didn’t want to tell him, it was both an embarrassment on her part and she dreads his thoughts of the matter. After much hesitation, her head shook no.

“Then, what happened?”

“... Queen Vanessa... kind of... banished me from the kingdom.”

His long silence and unemotional stare spiked her anxiety, afraid of what was to come.

“She banished you?”

A nod and she began to shake.

He ran a hand over his face, a burst of joyless laughter escaping his lips. She involuntarily flinched, not knowing what to make of it.

“She lied about the trip. Of course she did.” His false humor faded, noticing her discomfort. “You have me curious, you know of the lie yet were out of the kingdom, how is that?”

“I learned it from...” How would she describe this? It was such a peculiar subject that her mind had a terrible time wrapping around it, her hands moved on their own as she struggled to find the appropriate words. “... your other half?”

A twitch of his body. “How do you know of Snatcher?”

With all these questions her anxiety grew. She really needed to sit down. His energy set her on edge before, but now it made the nervous ghost want to bolt home even sooner. She didn’t want to take any chances for anything, especially if he lost it as Snatcher had when he found out this information.

“W-well... since the forest is where we all died, it’s hard to miss him.”

He stared at her for a moment before twisting away, floating towards the window. Once in front of it, he peered outside, covering his expression from her. Part of her craved to go over and comfort him but another urged her to stay where she was.

The teal ghost could feel her chest ache from the strain in his next words. “She killed you... didn’t she?”

“She did, yes.”

Her friend didn’t respond, silently staring outside once more.

Aura hesitantly floated to him, her concern outweighing her fear. Once beside him, she waited a moment before speaking to him in a soft nature. “Moon... can I call you that? Or is that just what the child calls you?”

She heard him discreetly clear his throat and paid it no mind, waiting for his response. “I go by Moonjumper now, though you may refer to me as Moon or anything you have prior.”

On instinct, she would like to go back to her old habits but felt guilty anytime she accidentally referred to Snatcher as “Princy”. He didn’t mind, but she didn’t want to bring up things that could hurt him, she certainly wouldn’t with Moonjumper either.

She decided to try this new name out. “Moonjumper...” Ok, it’ll take some getting used to. “This is a foolish question for me to ask, but... are you all right?"

Given his mood, Aura half expected a snarky response, though this specter was good at proving her wrong.

“No... I’m not.”

Hesitantly, she laid a hand against his arm. At the contact he recoiled, causing her to retract her hand as fast as lightning. 

“S-sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s fine. Just...” He quietly chuckled. “You were always concerned about being near me, it’s strange to have you willingly this close let alone touching me.”

The dweller gently poked him to test his claim. This time he didn’t flinch but a slight smile grew on his face.

“Satisfied?”

“Never.”

He snickered again, ceasing at her hand making full contact with his arm.

She was about to say something to him, but the door opening and closing startled both souls, affectively interrupting their conversation.

“Ok Moon, I’m all ready for-” The child paused, noticing not one, but two strange entities staring at her. “Bed…?”

Aura’s eyes darted around restlessly, unsure how to handle this.

Moonjumper stared at his little charge, unsure of how to address the situation. Julia beat him to the punch though, terribly excited.

“Moon, why didn’t you tell me you had another friend?”

“I… um…”

The small child ran over to the pair, shaking out of the excitement of meeting another unique character.

“Have you just been hiding them from me the whole time? Where’d they come from? Can they do all sorts of cool stuff like you?”

Julia threw out questions faster than the duo could process them and continued to do so. Aura wondered if the child even took a breath between rapid-firing them out.

She tilted back, eyes squinting at Moonjumper in question. He shrugged and held a hand up to the child.

“Young one.”

She stopped rambling but was still delighted.

“You must calm down, it’s time for rest.”

“Aw, but Moon.”

“No buts. You’ve been having trouble sleeping and don’t you dare try to deny it. Bed.”

The child pouted as she glanced between both ghosts, but obeyed. If it wasn’t so late, Aura was sure the child would stomp her feet as she made her way to the mattress. She angrily tucked herself in bed, staring at both of them, pout still present.

“Julia…”

She pouted further.

Aura chuckled, floating over to the girls bed and began tucking her in properly. Julia’s pout disappeared at this, taking in the strange ghost.

The large teal ghost carefully sat on the bed, blue eyes meeting green. “If you are having trouble sleeping, you should try to get enough rest while you can.” Her large hand ruffled the child’s orange locks. “I don’t know if I’ll be sticking around long enough, but I can tell you my name.” Glancing side to side, the large ghost leaned in like she was hiding a secret, whispering to the child. “My name is Aura.”

Julia blushed at the odd feeling of having her head messed with yet giggled at the ghost’s act of secrecy. She whispered back, “I’m Julia.”

“What a beautiful name.” She ruffled the girls head once more before straightening and removing her hand.

The child took notice of Aura beginning to leave her bed, darting out to grab her hand. The ghost paused, head tilting in question.

“Please stay.”

“Julia I-”

“Actually, Aura...” Her gaze shifted to Moonjumper. He was hesitating, glancing between both girls. “Would you mind staying with Julia for a while? I have something that demands my immediate attention.”

Aura felt like she knew what it was he would be leaving for but didn’t call him out on it, looking between him and the girl before nodding.

“All right.”

Julia silently cheered, kicking her feet in excitement.

“That doesn’t mean you get to stay up all night Julia.”

Her head nodded rapidly, just happy that Aura was staying with her longer.

Moonjumper’s eyes glanced between both girls, apprehension in his features. Before Aura could question the blue ghost, his form faded, leaving the two girls alone.

Unease began to settle in the ghost’s stomach but was drawn out of it because of the bouncing figure beside her. Never did she believe a child would be so excited to be near a ghost, especially as one such as herself, but here was one.

Taking a chance, she looked to the small child, fatigue and wonder shining behind those big green eyes.

“Have you known Moon for long?”

“In a sense, yes. In another, no.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well… before I died, I had known him personally for only a few short years. I’ve been dead for several hundred now and have not seen him until this moment. It depends on how you look at it.”

The child nodded before adding in her own thoughts. “I’ve only known him a while, short like you.” Her face scrunched up. “I… haven’t been keeping him from you, have I?”

Aura blinked in confusion, tilting her head to the side. “Dear, I doubt you’ve kept him away from me, especially this long, it’s nothing to fret about. Besides, with you keeping him company, I’m sure he’s been happy with the time you’ve spent together.”

“Yeah, but what about you?”

“I’ve been… fine.”

The being fine part applied to current years, but the beginning of her death? Not so much. She wasn’t about to tell a child of her violent beginnings of the afterlife though.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure. I’ve been… preoccupied with other matters and have recently come into contact with others I once knew.”

Nodding, Julia did her best to hold in a yawn but horribly failed. Aura smiled behind her mask, running a caring hand over the child’s head.

“If I’m here tomorrow, you can continue answering your questions. Rest is important.”

A soft whine escaped Julia. “But if you leave, I can’t ask anymore… need to ask... now.” Another yawn escaped the child, tears forming in her eyes from that one. “Besides… havin’ a tough time sleepin’.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“I’m afraid the boogeyman will come back…”

“Boogeyman?”

To the ghost’s surprise, the child somewhat curled in on herself. “A mean man who liked to scare me. Moon said he wouldn’t come back, but I always get this feeling that he’s there still, watching.”

Aura frowned, sensing the worry radiate off the child. Either this monster was real or a very detailed figment of her imagination. She’d have to ask Moonjumper about it if she stayed longer.

“Tell me, Julia, is there anything that makes you feel better?”

The child stayed silent for a while, eyes vacant as she stared at her legs.

“... I used to talk to the moon… it helped me a lot. Even more after Moon showed up from it one night.”

A clawed hand went to the chin of her mask, holding it in thought. Well, she’s not the moon nor is she Moonjumper. What could Aura provide that they could not? After a moment, an idea struck her.

“Julia. How do you feel about the stars?”

A slight frown graced the child’s face, her eyes filled with another question as she turned them upon the dweller.

“The stars?”

“Yes, the sun and moon may be pillars of the cycle of life, but the stars of the universe surround everything, accenting the beauty of the unknown. Not to mention, the stars certainly complement the moon at night, yes?”

The child somewhat understood where this was going, nodding lethargically. “The stars are pretty, just can’t see them that often…”

“How about this; If you promise to go to sleep, I’ll show you some stars before you do so.” The ghost hesitantly looked around then leaned in to whisper, “Just don’t tell Moonjumper about it ok? Don’t need him jealous.”

The child’s eyes widened, her excitement reignited. “Whoa really? Ok, I’ll go to sleep after then!”

Not even a second of thinking and the child already agreed, adolescents were certainly something else.

“All right, I’ll hold you to your word then, child.”

Holding a hand out, a golden ball began to form within Aura’s palm, gradually growing in size. Once the golden sphere reached the size of her hand, the ghost gracefully lifted it into the air, letting it float up to the ceiling. Julia watched, enamored with the beautiful glow, even more so as the ball burst into small spheres and diamonds with contact, the light particles spreading around the room.

The child’s eyes grew wide, sitting up in bed watching the descent of the fractals. Several froze in place at a certain height, twinkling like the stars in the night sky, others took several more moments before they stopped as well. Room filled with dazzling light, Julia could swear she was in her own little part of space.

“So cool…”

Smiling softly, Aura couldn’t help but agree.

With a flick of a finger, one light languidly drifted to her palm, twinkling in white and rainbow-ish hues. The action drew in the young one’s attention, scooting closer to the ghost to gain a better view.

“Don’t stare young one, you’ll injure your eyes.”

Registering the words, the child blinked several times before retreating and rubbing her exhausted eyes. She was still trying to fight sleep, but the light of Aura’s magic seemed to calm the child further. Julia slumped against the large ghost as her eyes struggled to stay awake.

Gently caressing the child’s head, Aura began softly humming a tune, seeing Julia relax further. Her eyes no longer struggled to stay open, now remaining shut for the night. To Aura’s surprise, the child still tried to interact with her.

“Miss… Aura…?”

“Yes, young one?

“Thank you… you’re so nice and cool… just like Moon… I hope you get to stay…” A yawn interrupted her as she snuggled closer to the ghost, laying an arm over Aura’s ‘lap’. "… and talk with him… he… smile… more…”

Aura didn’t know how to respond to the child even after she drifted to sleep, leaving the ghost to stare at her sleeping form.

Refocusing on the room after several minutes, with a wave of her hand, the magic particles broke apart, dissolving and returning the room to its natural state.

Returning her hand to her lap, her hands folded together as her gaze drifted to the window, eyes settling upon the moon.

Aura was unsure how long Moonjumper would be gone for but prayed that he would not do anything reckless. Of course, if he was anything like Snatcher, something might wound up happening, regardless. She just hopes he’d be safe.

Her anxiety ate away at her again as she recalled the uncomfortable feeling his magic had brought her before, looking down at Julia with worry. It was unknown why his magic had morphed the way it did, but her best guess would be similar as to why it did for Snatcher; Queen Vanessa. Aura hoped that this would not cause any issues for Julia in the foreseeable future.

Though faint, she could sense his magic once more; the hatred from his emotions wafting through her senses, causing her to shiver.

Thinking back to Julia’s words, should she leave? Perhaps she shouldn’t depart yet, even if she desired to return home. The dweller doubts Moonjumper would go as far as Vanessa with unwarranted murder, but something tells her that there’s more to this situation of his than meets the eye.

If she found his intentions to be unjust, Aura would have to take care of the specter with a heavy heart.

A hand unconsciously slipped beneath her wraps, grabbing hold of her birthright. “Ancestor… please give me strength if it ever comes to that…”

For the rest of the night, Aura remained unmoving, lost deep in thought.

#Aura #Julia #original character #A Hat in Time OC #AU #Moonjumper #glottia writes

[erekiio]

The Gift (A Hat In Time oneshot)

Hello everyone !

This is not my first fanfiction, but this is the first time I write something in English. I used to write in French but I decided to change that. If you ever find any grammar mistake, please tell me, so I can correct it as fast as I can. It also helps me to improve ! Any criticism is welcome !

The two drawings you'll see are mine.

I hope you'll enjoy everything as much as I did when I wrote and drew them. If you do, please tell me, reblog or give that post a like, that way I'll know if it's a good idea for me to continue writing in English. Happy reading !

Also available on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/22243435

_____________________________________

The Snatcher had decided to leave his forest for a while, to complete the daily part of his deal with the hat wearing child. How did he let himself get trapped that easily ? He didn’t know. Somehow, the kid had taken advantage of a small mistake on his part and there he was : a ghost being forced to play a small girl’s BFF.

He loathed it. Being trapped in one of his own contract ? That was humiliating, to say the least. However, he didn’t have a choice and could do nothing but what he was forced to by the kid’s terms.

The ghost teleported himself in the unusual contractor’s bedroom. He expected the day to pass the same as always : he would wait for the child to come back to her spaceship, offer her some new advanced contracts and watch her die over and over again. Classic BFF day ! But what he didn’t expect was the thing below him once he appeared in the room, on his regular spot.

Confused, the shade looked under him : there was an object he had never seen before. It looked like a sort of big bean. It was black, and when he touched it, he felt fabric on his ghostly hand. The thing was soft and it seemed rather comfy. Though, none of this could explain what that thing was doing here, on his part of the room. He was used to sit here ! Well, as much as he could sit with no legs, but still ! That was his spot and it was taken. Why did the child put it here ? Was it a provocation ? Was she trying to mess with him, the ghost that had taken so many souls before ? Surely she wasn’t that stupid... Or maybe she was just reckless. After all, she did make him her BFF...

Just as he was about to throw the bean away, a noise interrupted him. He recognized the opening sound of the bedroom door and when he looked behind him, he saw the kid coming in. His eyes met hers and for a moment they both remained silent. The Snatcher suddenly realized he was still holding the bean in his arms and he quickly put it down, not wishing to seem ridiculous, especially in front of her. His reaction seemed to amuse the little girl, as she started to giggle with her annoying childish voice. The shade decided to ignore it, preferring to ask her about what he found instead :

-“Hey look, it’s the insufferable kid !” He said, an irritation definitely noticeable in his tone : “Good thing that you came, because now you can tell me what the hell that thing is, and especially what it’s doing here !”

-It’s a gift !” She replied cheerfully : “Do you like it ?” She then asked with stars in her eyes, looking at him with big expectations.

His anger quickly faded into bewilderment as he slowly processed what she just told him. A gift ? Cleary, he had misunderstood her words because there was absolutely no way this kid was foolish enough to give him a gift, of all people she must have met on this planet.

-“Excuse me ?

- Yeah !” She took several steps in his direction, still smiling in her usual dumb way : “People in Mafia Town told me there was this tradition here, where you give people things at this time of the year. So I bought you something !”

The ghost blinked in disbelief. Did she just buy him something for Christmas ? His eyes remained locked on hers for a few seconds. As they passed, the child’s face started to crumple little by little :

-“You don’t like it ?” Her voice was quiet and the shade could see that she was definitely upset.

A feeling of malice grew inside of him at the sight of the distressed child. Truly, this was something he would never get tired of ! His smile widened as he spoke again :

-“Well, I don’t even know what that is. Do you really consider yourself as my BFF ? I don’t think you are, considering how bad you are at giving people gifts ! Did you pick it at random ? Because that’s what it feels like. I’m honestly disappointed here, kiddo.”

His contractor frowned at his remarks and glared at him. Oh, now she was angry ! The Snatcher couldn’t help but hope that she would regret her deal with him and break it once and for all. He knew she probably wouldn’t, as she was rather stubborn on the BFF subject, though he could still try. The contract did prevent him from killing her directly, as it was not something best friends usually did together, but it didn’t forbid him from being mean. He was thankful for all the loopholes this deal had for his own benefit.

-“I didn’t pick it at random !” She retorted : “I know you’re saying this to make me feel bad.

- Oh really ? Then tell me. What is it ? What am I supposed to do with a bean thing like this ? Sit on it ?”

His sarcasm didn’t fall on deaf ears, as the child’s face showed how offended she was. Oh, how he loved arguing with her. He almost let another mockery leave his mouth before the girl cut him short :

-“Well... Yeah ? That’s what it’s for ? It’s a pouffe !” She countered, pointing her finger towards said bean thing.

A pouffe ? Confusion replaced his want for teasing, as he slowly turned his head back to the gift. He couldn’t see how he could sit on such a strange shaped object. There wasn’t any real backrest ! It was just big and round !

The little girl noticed his puzzlement and all trace of annoyance disappeared from her face. She let another giggle escape her mouth and the Snatcher’s eyes quickly came back on her : he hated being laughed at. He scowled at her, though it did little in his favour, as she continued to chuckle. As he was about to snap at her, the kid shook her head in the same way a disappointed parent would do in front of their misbehaving child.

The ghost didn’t like that comparison at all.

-“Look it’s... Let me show you !” Before the shade was able to retort anything, the child left her spot to move towards him, much more determined than before. After a few strides, she came right next to him, shooing him away with her small hands.

-“Did you just ‘shoo’ me ?” He said, offended, only to be ignored by the kid, who took the bean thing in her arms. The ghost didn’t move an inch : he didn’t want to let a little girl give him orders, especially in that manner. However, she seemed quite resolved in what she wanted to do, making a face when she noticed he had no intention of floating away. That didn’t stop her and soon, she started to push him while keeping the pouffe in her hands.

-“Are you serious ?” His tone was nothing more than exasperated at that moment. He stayed motionless, weary of the child’s tries to make him move. The more she tried, the more irritated he became and after a while, he simply pushed her over the edge into the pillow pool. A shriek escaped the little girl’s lips as she fell, just after dropping the gift at the shade’s metaphorical feet.

The Snatcher drifted higher in the room, a very satisfied look on his face. On the pillows was the kid’s body, laying on her back. For an instant, she seemed groggy, not realizing right away what had happened. A few seconds passed where she recollected herself before meeting the Snatcher’s stare. She then let out a frustrated groan, repeatedly punching the pillows next to her with both of her fists :

-“Why are you so difficult !

-Oh I don’t know... Maybe because someone forced me into a contract I didn’t agree with !” came the ghost’s answer, full of sarcasm. His mischievous smile widened at the pleasant sight in front of him. Seeing his contractor’s annoyance really was something he loved. Now he just needed to convince her that this arrangement was no longer a good idea on her part... She never gave up on his advanced works anyway and probably never will, so he didn’t expect to receive her soul anymore.

At this point, he just wanted to be completely out of this deal.

-“You know,” he started speaking again, this time with a falsely gentle voice : “If you decided to breach our contract, I wouldn’t have to be here. Things could go back to how they were : I would take care of my forest and you could do whatever you want to, without me being here to argue with you.

-But I want you to be here with me !” She grunted, eyes shut hard : “We’re BFF ! Remember ?

-No, we’re not !” He yelled, infuriated, his words resonating in the bedroom. He could feel his body deform itself with the strong emotion rising inside of him. A banal victim would have been terrified of him, but this girl simply glared at him, as if the ghost was nothing to be scared of.

He didn’t understand why this kid not only wasn’t afraid of him but wanted to be his friend, of all people. He was a monster, who took countless of souls before and who would continue to do so, without feeling any guilt ! He didn’t even like children ! But here he was, trapped in an arrangement where he had to take care of one.

This was pure irony.

Silence fell between them, while both looked away from each other. A certain awkwardness rose in the room, aggravated by the heavy atmosphere. The shade wanted only one thing and it was to get out of here. Nonetheless, leaving was something linked to his contract. One day, the kid had told him that BFFs had to be together regularly and he had become forced to follow this implicit rule after that. He never told her, of course : he didn’t want her to realize the power she held over him ! But since he didn’t know what best friends did together himself... What she explained to him turned into rules he had to obey in order to respect his part of the deal.

He hated that.

-“Look, kiddo.” He took a breath he didn’t need and calmed himself, ready to talk again : “We’ve never been friends. I tried to kill you, several times. I still do now ! So why do you want me to stay ? What do you want from me ?”

The shade looked at the hat wearing child once more. Her eyes were still shut and now he could see two shining trails on her cheeks, while her lower lip was trembling.

“Oh. Oh no.” He immediately thought. This was not happening. This couldn’t be happening.

Very mixed feelings developed inside of him. He should be thrilled to see her tears ! When she cried while working on his death wish contracts, he was overjoyed ! Why was this time so different ? Why didn’t he feel good ? He always found it funny and laughable to see someone sobbing ! Anyone’s misfortune made his happiness. This girl was nothing more than a burden to him ! He had tried everything to kill her, to make her leave his forest, in vain ! And now that he managed to make her cry by just talking to her, he was feeling bad ?

What was happening to him...? Fear started to grow in his mind, as he was slowly becoming aware of a fact that was so scary to him.

He remained motionless and silent for a few seconds, not knowing what to say or what to do. He had never wanted to comfort anyone before and still didn’t want to now. However, he felt the weird and unwanted need to do something, anything, to end that situation as fast as possible.

-“Kid, I...” He began before hesitating for a instant : “I’m not someone you want as a friend. And in my case, I don’t need any. We’ve had a fun time together, with me attempting to kill you and you trying to survive, sure ! But now ? It’s time for this to stop. I don’t know why you’d want to befriend someone who tried to murder you ! Like, seriously, do you enjoy dying so much ?” He let out a forced laugh at the last part, knowing full well that the child only continued his advanced contracts because she was so stubborn.

He waited for an answer, though the kid’s mouth remained closed and her eyes looking elsewhere. She had stopped crying and her lower lip was no longer shaking, but her expression was more than enough to see how upset she still was.

The shade sighed, suddenly tired. He casted a glance around him, unable to decide what to do. Should he stay here and wait ? Or should he leave ? However, the very idea of leaving the kid behind in that state made him quite uneasy and, worst of all, made him feel guilty.

God, he hated feelings.

He floated back to the ground, ready to sit on the pillows he had stolen in the beginning of his stay in the spaceship. Next to him was the bean given by the child, yet he really didn’t want to think about it at that moment. The less he thought about emotions, the better. He materialized in his hand one of his favourite books from his home, Faust, and opened it. The wish to read, though, wasn’t there. His eyes simply looked at the words without getting their meaning.

Why was everything so hard with this child ?

He was about to turn the third page of his book when said child spoke again, with a hushed voice :

-“Do I need a reason to be friend with you ?”

The ghost didn’t reply at first. Why was this kid so persistent when there was nothing to befriend from the start ? He was a monster ! Then again, when he thought about it, she did make friends with a lot of people who had tried to murder her at least once... Maybe she liked being a target in the end ? In that case, she really was as reckless as he thought... Another sour laugh slipped from his mouth, getting the attention of the little girl who, for the first time since his outburst, looked at him directly.

-“I’m not going to stop trying to kill you in our contracts, you know that ?

-Yeah, I know.” She answered with a little smile on her face : “They’re fun sometimes.

-Only sometimes ? Kiddo, they’re hilarious to me !”

She giggled at his words and, for a very brief second, the ghost felt a grin appear on his features. Although, as soon as he realized what was happening, he quickly hid it behind his book, doing everything he could to make this new smile disappear. Since when did he find this kid’s laughter cute ? This wasn’t like him !

He knew he had been too late to hide it when he heard another snort of amusement coming from the hat wearing child. And as much as he wanted to ignore it, he couldn’t completely deny the feeling of contentment he felt from the sound alone.

Emotions truly were complicated things, and he really wished he could avoid feeling them, especially when they were so different to what he believed himself.

The Snatcher came back to reality when he heard the kid’s voice once more, playful this time  :

-“By the way... You know BFFs have to accept each other’s gifts, right ?”

The ghost let out an enraged groan and closed the book with strength, as he had to understand that, yes, the child had probably guessed how their contract worked.

He couldn’t wait for the end of their arrangement, this deal which had made his life so much more difficult... But, at the same time, there was something else, something new.

Something he couldn’t help but be scared of, while making him a little happier at the same time. And as he reluctantly took place on his new seat, the same question came back to him : what was happening to him ? He didn’t know.

The child smiled from ear to ear when she saw him sitting on the pouffe she gave him. Much to the shade’s displeasure, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

But he supposed that maybe, for a while, he could let things go and see where it would take him.

#a hat in time #Snatcher #Hat Kid #oneshot #my art

[ambereyesandwine]

We’ve Got Soul: Chapter 7

WC: 3239

Warnings: Cussing, Sass, Trauma Denial, Nothing too crazy this time

Beta’d By: @teaspacebar

Notes: Tasia is having a hard time, okay? Gavin continues thriving in his lovely and delicate balance between being the best friend anyone could ever ask for and a complete asshole all the time. Fantasia finally meets Connor, the android sent by Cyberlife! You’ll notice date stamps are significantly closer together now, this is because there is high content density and things are getting spicy. Have fun :)

Chapter 7:

November 6, 2038

7:08 A.M.

           Gavin woke slowly, confusion creeping over his features as the smell of bacon reached him. He squinted as he sat up and looked over the back of the couch to find Fantasia in the kitchen, sipping coffee and frying bacon and eggs. He took a moment to think, trying to recall if the way she broke down last night was just some horrible dream. But it wasn’t. He was on the couch, and if Fantasia had been coherent, she’d have fought him tooth-and-nail to make him sleep in his own bed. He got up to approach her carefully, not wanting to startle her. “Hey Tasia…” He spoke softly and drew out his words a little, trying to gauge her reaction, “What’re you doing?”

           “Making breakfast,” She replied without looking up from the pan she was over. Her tone was even and cool, like it normally was when they’d talk while she cooked.

           “Yeah…” Gavin was still hesitant, “I can see that. But, why?”

           She continued to stare at the food as she answered, “I always make breakfast when I spend the night.”

           “Yeah, but this time is a little different, and I didn’t really expect you to-”

           “Why not?” Her reply sounded confused, like she genuinely had no idea to what he was referring.

           “What is happening right now?”

           “What do you mean?”

           “I mean which ‘Body Snatchers’ movie am I in right now? Do you not remember anything that happened last night? Cause you’re acting like everything’s fine this morning after I watched you almost take Chris down in the process of a breakdown that had you screaming and crying and then totally shut down. I’d expect this after you being pissed or upset but you shut down last night. You being so far gone you won’t even talk to me is the scariest I’ve ever seen you. And now you’re totally normal? I’m not buying it.”

           Fantasia rolled her eyes and scoffed. “I’m fine.”

           “Are you?” He questioned, irritation steadily growing.

           “Yes.”

           “Are you?”

           She turned to him with a fake smile, “I’m fine.” But the tears prickling at her eyes betrayed her.

           “You sure?” He said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the counter, “Cause those say otherwise.” He referred to her tears as he motioned vaguely toward her face.

           “I…” She started, “I don’t know, I’m just-” Her voice cracked and when she tried to take another breath, it came as a sob.

           “Okay.” Gavin stood up and pulled Fantasia into his chest. He stayed as steady as he could to support her while she shook and sobbed into his shirt. “Take your time.” He rubbed her back slowly as he held her until Fantasia’s breathing evened out most of the way. “Do you want to talk about it?”

           “You’re gonna think I’m stupid for being upset. You don’t even like androids.”

           “Yeah, cause they’re fucking robots who think they’re better than us and-” He stopped himself, knowing right now was not the time for that particular rant. “But I know that android meant a lot to you, so if you want to talk, I’m here to listen.”

           Fantasia took a deep breath before she spoke, “He didn’t attack the Manfreds. He wouldn’t have. Markus was always so gentle, and Carl loved him, there’s no way he would have done something like that.”

           “The officers on site said he did, though.”

           Fantasia pulled away from him enough to look Gavin in the eyes. “Did they watch it happen?”

           “No, but the android was roughed up and Carl was on the ground over his son’s unconscious body when my guys went in.”

           She shook her head. “Markus didn’t start that fight. He wouldn’t. Last time I was there, Leo shoved him and Markus didn’t even try to fight back, he just took it. He wouldn’t have hurt Carl on purpose.”

           “Maybe he got tired of it and snapped.”

           “No.” She pulled away from him the rest of the way and leaned against the counter across from him.

           Gavin sighed, “Well-”

           “And even if he did,” Fantasia interrupted, “Even if it was a fight, why was he shot? You arrest people all the time for fights, you never kill them, why is it different?”

           “Because androids are significantly stronger than the elderly people they take care of, Tasia, and they’re not alive.”

           “They’re just as alive as you and I are.”

           Gavin scoffed, “I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just say that.”

           “What makes us alive that they don’t have?”

           “A heart, for one.”

           “They do, though, it’s called a thirium pump.”

           “Then feelings, and free will.”

           “They have those.” She crossed her arms angrily. “You call it deviancy and think they should be shut down for it.”

           Gavin inhaled like he was going to reply, but the words died in his throat. “Oh.”

           Fantasia nodded. “Yeah, “Oh.””

           Gavin stayed silent for a moment in contemplation before responding, “So they’re alive. That doesn’t mean I have to like them.”

           “You don’t like anybody.”

           “Yeah, so?”

           She sighed. “So, it’s a start. Thank you.”

           “Yeah, whatever.” Gavin mumbled grumpily to himself; he didn’t like being wrong.

           Fantasia closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around her best friend again.

           “I’m sorry about the android. I know he was important to you.”

           “Thank you,” Fantasia sighed.

           “Yeah,” Gavin squeezed Fantasia reassuringly, “How’re you feeling?”

           “Better.” Fantasia’s smile could be heard in her voice.

           “Good, then go take a shower. You reek like rich people booze and old hairspray.”

           “Fuck you!” Fantasia shouted as she pushed Gavin away from her. “I had a rough night, asshole!”

           “Whatever, you stink, go wash.”

           Fantasia rolled her eyes and walked away, flipping her best friend the bird as she entered the bathroom. When Gavin heard the water start running, he got to work on cleaning up the kitchen. He ate as many pieces of bacon as he put in the fridge, but eventually, the only trace left of breakfast was a bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich that he’d made for Fantasia. Not long after, Gavin heard the bathroom door open, and Fantasia digging around in her drawer of left-behind clothes to find something to wear. She came out in a pair of jeans and a tank top.

           “You’re gonna get cold.”

           “Why would I get cold? I’m not going anywhere.”

           “You’re coming to work with me, I have paperwork to do.” Gavin pushed the plate with the breakfast sandwich toward her.

           “You could always go without me.”

           “And leave you here? Alone with my kitchen knives? Hilarious. Get in the car.”

           “Wait you were serious?” She questioned around a mouthful of food.

           Gavin grabbed his keys from the counter and threw his bomber jacket at Fantasia. “No shit, Sherlock. Let’s go.”

           Fantasia slid the jacket on and swallowed her bite of food. “I love this jacket.”

           “I know.”

November 6, 2038

9:57 A.M.

           Fantasia sat at Gavin’s desk, as per the usual, and doodled on the notepad he kept there for her as she waited for him to be done with his paperwork and meetings. She froze partway through a line when she realized there was a large figure hovering in her peripheral. She turned to face the person and was quickly greeted.

           “Hello. I’m Connor, the android sent by Cyberlife.”

           “Hello, Connor of Cyberlife,” She smiled gently, “I’m Fantasia.”

           “I’m looking for Lieutenant Anderson’s desk. Where is it?” His tone was even and calculated.

           “It’s right over there,” Fantasia pointed toward Hank’s desk. “Why are you looking for him?”

           “We’re working together on a case, but that’s all the information I can give you.”

           Fantasia chuckled lightly, “I get it, no worries. If you need anything, just let me know.”

           Connor approached Hank’s desk and stood for a moment before turning back toward Fantasia. “Excuse me, do you know what time Lieutenant Anderson usually arrives?”

           An officer across the room piped up before Fantasia had the chance to answer, “Depends on where he was the night before. If we’re lucky, we’ll see him before noon.”

           “Thanks.” Was Connor’s static reply.

           Fantasia shook her head, “He’s a good guy, he’s just rough around the edges. You’ll be fine once you get to know him.”

           Connor only nodded slightly. He sat down in the chair by Hank’s desk and looked around the room, then got up and explored the contents of Hank’s desk.

           “Hey, Hank,” Fantasia called out with a small wave.

           “Eh,” He grunted with a nod.

           Connor turned toward the man. “It’s good to see you again, Lieutenant.”

           “Oh, Jesus…” Hank looked less than pleased to see the android.

           “Hank!” Captain Fowler came out of his office and yelled, “In my office.”

           When Hank began to walk away, Connor stayed behind for a moment, as if unsure of what to do.

           “You better go after him,” Fantasia said, gesturing toward the Captain’s office door. “If Fowler has questions, your memory is probably better than Hank’s right now.”

           “Of course.” Connor followed Hank into the Captain’s office and Fantasia was once again left in relative quiet.

           “Hey, you ready?” Gavin questioned, walking up to his desk with a foam cup in his hand.

           “I’ve been ready for an hour.”

           He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I got you coffee, let’s go.”

           Fantasia stood up and gratefully took the cup. “Cool.” She took a sip as they started to walk out of the station. “Oh, hey, I met the new guy, the investigation android?” Her voice inclined in question of whether Gavin knew him. “He said his name was Connor, he seems sweet.”

           Gavin scoffed. “That android has about as much personality as a wet paper bag. He can do an interrogation though I’ll give him that.”

           “Aww,” She stopped walking and pressed her hand over her heart, cooing at him with a pout on her face, “I forgot.”

           “What?”

           “Well it’s just been so long,” She reached up and played with the hair falling slightly into his face, “I forgot how much of a dick you can be to people you meet in the workplace.”

           Gavin swatted her hand away from his face. “Don’t patronize me.” He said and continued the walk out of the police station.

           “But it’s so fun!” Fantasia said, speed-walking to catch up with the man.

           “You’re a dick.” Gavin said once she was by his side again.

           “How can I be a dick if I don’t have one?”

           “You seem to make it work just fine.”

           “I learned from the best,” She joked as she elbowed him lightly in the side.

           “Yeah, you did,” Gavin smiled at the insinuation that the development of her mean side was entirely his fault. “What do you want to do today?”

           “Go to the studio, I think.” She sighed, sitting down in the passenger seat of Gavin’s car.

           “Have some stuff you need to work out?”

           “Need I recap the last day and a half?”

           “No,” He shook his head, pulling out of the parking lot. “No, of course not. I’ll drive you over there.”

           “Thank you.”

November 7, 2038

11:48 A.M.

           Fantasia woke with a sharp inhale to the sound of her phone ringing loudly. “Hello?” She questioned; eyes still pressed shut as though in protest of her being awake.

           “Fantasia, it’s Carl.”

           She sat up and opened her eyes a little, “Oh, hey Carl,” Fantasia’s voice was thick with disuse, but her tone noticeably perked up upon hearing who was on the other line. “What’s up?”

           “I just wanted to check in with you; see what you’re up to. Did you just get up?” His question was not one of judgement.

           “Yeah, uh, I’m not really sure what time I passed out last night, I was just working on…” Fantasia’s sentence trailed off as she looked over at the wall the housed her project from the previous night. “Woah…”

           “Is something wrong?”

           “I- No, nothings wrong, I was just working on a project last night and I don’t remember getting very far, but now it’s done.” She was still staring at the wall in awe and confusion.

           “Mm,” Carl hummed, “I can’t say I haven’t done that before, but it’s certainly been a while. Why don’t you bring it over? We can take a look.”

           “Okay, I just need to straighten myself out a little first.”

           “Take your time, I’ll send a car for you.”

           “Thanks, Carl.”

           “You’re welcome. I’ll see you soon.”

           Fantasia heard the line click and sighed, setting her phone down nest to her on the futon. “Okay,” She spoke aloud to herself. “I have no idea how I’m going to get this over there.” She shook her head and decided she’d deal with it later. Fantasia rose from the couch and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into fresh underwear, fixing her hair into a messy bun, but ignoring the paint in it before leaving the bathroom to stare at the painting on the wall. “If I just…” She trailed off as she looked around the room for a large enough box. “That’ll work.” She pulled a shipping box from the corner of the room and began to carefully take the project off the wall, one canvas at a time, until all nine of them were in the box. Just then, she saw a car park in front of the studio, so she slid the stolen bomber jacket over her shoulders and pulled her boots onto her feet. She grabbed the box and locked the studio door on her way out, pushing the box into the back seat of the car and sitting down beside it.

           “Miss Jacobs,” The driver nodded to her in the rear-view mirror.

           “Hey, Will. Thank you for picking me up.” She gave a soft smile as she spoke.

           “Of course, it’s what Mr. Manfred pays me for.”

           “Right.” Fantasia nodded slightly, still not used to the idea that this was normal for wealthy people, or that she now had the money to hire a driver herself. “How’s your day so far?”

           “Going well,” He was used to the small talk from Fantasia, though most of the other clients he’d ever worked with preferred not to talk to the driver. “Yours?”

           “I actually just woke up not long ago, but Carl wanted to see me, so here we are.”

           “Well I hope it goes well for you.”

           “Thank you, Will.”

           The two sat in comfortable silence for the remainder of the ride, only speaking again when the car pulled into Carl’s driveway.

           “Have a good one, Miss Jacobs.” Will called, nodding his head to her again.

           “You too,” She said with a smile before the man drove away.

           Fantasia approached the door of the Manfred house with the box of canvases resting on her hip. As usual, when she reached the porch, the alarm system scanned her and parroted the familiar phrase, “Welcome, Fantasia.” The door unlocked and opened to a very confused person that looked as though he was reaching for the door handle. Fantasia quickly realized he was an android. He wore a white uniform without a model number or name. It stung Fantasia more than she thought it would. She knew, realistically, that Carl would need a new android to take care of him but seeing someone other than Markus at the door made Fantasia freeze on her feet.

           “I’m sorry, I was just coming to get the door for you.” He immediately moved out of the entryway. “I didn’t realize you were programmed in the system.”

           “I-uh-” Fantasia’s words caught in her throat and her eyes began to water.

           “Are you alright?” The android asked. “Please, come in.”

           Fantasia snapped out of it a little and smiled half-heartedly at him. “Thank you,” She said, voice cracking. “Where is Carl?”

           “Mr. Manfred is in the sitting room. He is not well, but he insists he doesn’t need the bedrest he was ordered.”

           She chuckled slightly, glad to hear that somethings hadn’t changed. “He is a stubborn man.” She walked to the sitting room and found Carl sitting idly in the middle of the room, staring out the large windows. “Carl?”

           “Hmm?” He seemed broken out of his trance and slowly turned to face Fantasia. He looked like his energy was being syphoned, but he smiled when he saw her. “Fantasia, it’s good to see you.”

           “Hi,” the smile she gave him in return was weak at best, but she approached him anyway.

           “You said project, as in one.” He said pointing to the box Fantasia still held on her hip.

           Fantasia chuckled and nodded. “It is all one though. I’ll lay it out for you,” She said as she began taking canvases out of the box and setting them down in the 3x3 grid they were meant to be arranged in. The eight on the outside acted like a frame of four pictures, surrounding a black and grey silhouette of Fantasia on the center canvas.

           “You did this all in one night?” Carl seemed in awe.

           “Yeah,” Fantasia breathed. “They’re all different parts of my life. This one,” She gestured to the canvas in the top left corner and the one below it, “Is Gavin.” The higher canvas was the painted as the skyline of Detroit at night, with a small park on the canvas below it, with a pond and a bench. Gavin was sitting on the bench, with his arm up over the back like there was room for another person. “This one,” She lightly tapped the two remaining in the top row, “Is meant to be my art career, and my relationship with you.” Across the two canvases stretched a multi-colored world map over a paint palette, with a silhouette of Carl on the right side. “This,” Fantasia pulled the focus to the canvases in the bottom-left and bottom-center positions, “Is my family.” It was a pristine family photo; A set parents standing behind their young and well-dressed sons, looking incredibly proud of the boys on the couch in front of them. Fantasia was positioned sitting on the floor off to the other side of the couch, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, covered in paint, separate from the rest of the family. “And this,” She looked to the last of the outer canvases. It was a path, lit with afternoon sunshine on the lower canvas, while the higher of the two housed a man walking with his back turned, toward an end to the path that the viewer could not see. The canvas that housed the man was covered in burn marks that distorted but did not destroy the picture, and a golden yellow handprint that dragged down the image and matched the color dripping from the center silhouettes hand.

           “Markus,” Carl said knowingly.

           Fantasia nodded soberly as tears came to her eyes. “I miss him.”

           “Me too, kiddo.”

           She sniffled and couldn’t help but smile slightly. “I wish you’d stop calling me that.”

           Carl laughed, “I’m always going to call you that.”

           Fantasia turned to hug him, and the two just held each other for a moment before Carl’s caretaker came into the room.

           “Would you like me to prepare lunch, Mr. Manfred?”

           Carl sighed and let Fantasia go, “Yes, thank you.”

           “For how many?” The android looked to Carl, but Carl looked to Fantasia for an answer.

           She smiled at him politely, though faintly, before replying, “Two.”

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