Sushi Pack Reimagine Chapter 2 Chapter 2High Tide, Low Tide Ben's alarm clock began its obnoxious honking as it was time for him to wake up. He grumbled while slamming his hand on the nightstand to press the "snooze" button.He then dragged himself out of bed and to the kitchen for breakfast.Quietly eating his omelette, Ben couldn't stop thinking about the bizarre stuff he saw yesterday. It all felt so much like a weird dream he couldn't believe it."Is something bothering you?" His mother asks, showing concern for her son."Mom, everything's cool," Ben replied, "there's just something to do at work later." A couple of minutes passed, Ben was dressed, teeth brushed, and lunch packed up ready for work. He followed his dad and all it took was ten minute walk to the Green Donut to get started with work. As they entered, they saw Francis and Heidi with shocked looks on their faces."Oh, hello sir! How uh... Have you been?" Francis asks, trying to compose himself."I've been well Mr. Huffman," Mr. Mizuyama answered in his usually blunt way. "Thank you."Then, business resumed like usual as Mr. Mizuyama went inside his office to do paperwork and check on the security camera footage.Meanwhile with Ben, he was standing by the counter and staring at the ceiling as today's shift is certainly not as busy as yesterday. Then, he saw someone so strange and yet so familiar, it was that fish woman and she brought company with her."Oh, it's you!" Ben exclaims, surprised to see her."We meet again I see," the fish woman remarked, smiling at Ben as she sits down with two of her companions, a blue octopus person and another fish person in an orange suit sitting with her while another companion, a pink crab was stuck at the door."Come on, stupid door!" The pink crab barked "lemme in!"The fish woman sighed. "Kani, you can walk sideways."Kani realized her mistake and moved sideways, going inside with ease.Heidi was genuinely surprised to see them in person. She too, was convinced they weren't real but today seemed to have changed her mind.The fish in orange then explained that they came to Wharf City out of fear that a (apparently) notorious crime group would cause further harm to the people of Wharf City and maybe even Cascadia as a whole.It was a lot to take in more or less. Then, Mr. Mizuyama came out of his office to go do something but the fish people have caught his attention. His eyes widened and he let out a confused "Oh" before walking into the kitchen. "Benjamin, I would like to have you come to my office," he said to Ben. "You're not in any trouble, I just need you to take a look at something."Ben gulped as he went inside his father's office, worried and unsure of what he's exactly talking about.He sat down as he watched his dad look through the security footage from yesterday and stopped at a clip from 2:30 PM, and Ben recognized what happened; it was that rabbit who stole a donut!"What is that...?" Mr. Mizuyama commented under his breath, trying to figure on Earth he's looking at. "Ben, can you ask one of those weird people to come and take a look at this?"Ben then got up and asked the fish woman, Maguro to look at something. She shrugged and followed him to his father's office where she was asked about the rabbit on the computer monitor. Maguro tensed up, like she also knew who that bunny burglar is."That's Mochi Mocchiato," she explained, "she's a part of the Legion of Low Tide, a crime group infamous for their kidnappings, scams, and petty thefts all across the galaxy. Once you face their wrath, abandon all hope."Neither Ben nor Mr. Mizuyama knew what to do with this information but their thoughts were immediately interrupted by a loud bang from outside. Maguro quickly ran out of the room, possibly to investigate the noise.Mr. Mizuyama gave his son a look, the type of that meant, "Do you seriously want to take this risk?" However, Ben decided to run after her, and what he saw sent him chills down his spine, there was this large creature standing at the entryway. Like Maguro, it resembled a tuna but its teeth were sharper, was much more muscular, and wore armor of some kind.The creature smashed its fist through the glass and then ripped the door off its hinges, making the pieces fall down onto the floor and sidewalk.Then, the large creature moved out of the way, allowing their own group of companions to go inside, with yesterday's guest Mochi being one of them!"Looks like those detective brats can't get enough of us!" A yellow eel cackles, "Still following us on our trail, huh?"The rest of the group cackled, amused by the eel's remarks.Maguro shook her head. "Just leave," Kani groaned as she didn't want to deal with them.The blue octopus vanished in thin air and climbed up to the ceiling judging by the sounds that were made.While the fish people traded their insults, Ben snuck into the closet near the restrooms and grabbed out a crowbar in a case where he would need to defend himself and/or the people dear to him. As he walked back to the main area with the crowbar in hand, Mochi managed to spot him."There he is!" she squeaked, "the man who ruined our plan!"Ben tried to run away but the large fish man managed to shove him to the ground, holding his captive down. Ben couldn't move and he never felt so scared in his entire life as he looked at that huge beast's angry eyes and drooling mouth."Get away from him, Toro!" A voice yelled out. It was that blue octopus man dangling from the ceiling! Toro was in shock, allowing Ben to give him a crowbar to the knee.The blue octopus continued to stare down at Toro, and eventually dropped a smoke bomb and fell back down to the floor.Ben navigated around the ink-like smoke, hoping to find anyone. "Ben! Ben, where are you dude?!" Heidi started yelling from the distance, hoping she could get him to follow her voice.Ben continued to explore and then heard Francis's voice, "Ben, are you still there? Lemme get my arm out and you can grab on it!"Then, Ben accidentally bumped into the counter but luckily, he reunited with his coworkers, who were happy that he was unharmed. For nearly an hour, they hid in the under the prep table in total silence.Time has passed, the smoke had faded away, though no one is sure if it's safe to leave.Maguro floated into the kitchen and was looking at them. "You're all mostly safe now," she told them. "However, the Legion of Low Tide are still an active threat but we, the M.A.K.I Group will protect you no matter what."She then gave Ben, Francis, and Heidi each a pager-like gadget in case of emergencies.Mr. Mizuyama came in to check on his son and employees. He saw Maguro too."Hello everyone, are you well?""We're alright sir," Heidi responded, still unsure of what is going on. "The Sushi Pack have definitely saved our tails back there."Although Maguro was confused about the "Sushi Pack" comment, she more or less tried to ignore it.The Green Donut ended up closing early due to everything that happened. On the walk back home, Mr. Mizuyama would occasionally freeze in his tracks every couple of steps with his face all scrunched up, trying to hold back tears.Ben would ask him if he was okay but alas, his dad refused to answer the question even after being asked about it thrice.Though, it didn't take long for Mr. Mizuyama to break down crying."I thought... I thought," Mr. Mizuyama could muster out of the blabbering, "I thought I was gonna lose you today!"He still continued to cry while Ben hugged him."Dad, I know," Ben replied, empathizing with his dad. "I really thought I was a goner too. It was so scary.""Ben.""Yes, Dad?""You know your best friend, Samir? Please, go to the al-Khalidis if this Low Tide Legion ever tries to hurt you again."Ben nodded, accepting his Dad's request. Back home, Mr. Mizuyama went straight to bed while Ben sat down to watch some TV. He would sometimes switch to the news to see if Channel 5 covered anything about the Legion of Low Tide. They did but no one talked about the Green Donut. He sighed, turned off the TV, and went into his room. He grabbed his phone, texting Heidi to see if she's okay and gave Francis a voicemail for the same reason.Although they were mostly fine, the event made Heidi think about quitting her job.Ben didn't blame her one bit, those two days of their life were some of the most eventful and terrifying they ever experienced.Now, all Ben can do is lay down on his bed and think.Chapter 1: The CullNimble phalanges skillfully weave several threads thinner than silk into a series of complex yet delicate-looking patterns and images. A lovely teal trench coat with a realistic silver, gold, and black apple tree adorned on its back is slowly being woven into existence as the threads dance. The trench coat is a superbly made piece that reaches just below the knees, with sleeves embroidered with silver ivy, and a small crest of a black apple with a silver moon circlet embellishing the left lapel quite beautifully. The one creating such an exquisite piece of garment had a soft yet focused look in his gaze as he worked. Soon, the trench coat was finished with a barely noticeable gleam of magic. A soft hum could be heard from the one inspecting their work with a satisfied sparkle in their eyelights before they carefully wrapped the article of clothing in black muslin and stored it away in their inventory. Threads were then summoned once again as he went about using them to clean up his little space and store away his collection of books and grimoires that he had collected over the eons back into his inventory, along with a variety of collections and miscellaneous items. Cleaning relaxes him, keeps him calm, and grounded as it preoccupies his broken mind away from his worries, his anxiety, his responsibilities, the voices, and... the pain. "Meow~" A small white ball of fluff bounded towards him, purring and rubbing against his dusty pants, covering its lovely, pristine white fur with a hint of gray. "Tsk tsk, Nieve, look at what you've done! You got yourself dirty again. I know you want cuddles, but this isn't the time for that, you silly gatita," Error said with a sigh passing through his teeth as he picked up the kitten into his arms and proceeded to clean her up with pet wipes. "I wish we were at Nightmare's castle. I would have been able to give you a proper bath there," he said, feeling disappointed in himself for not being able to provide better for his little companion, who had brought him comfort when he was at his lowest in recent months. "Don't try to rub against me yet, I'm just going to get cleaned up and change into something cleaner, okay?" He says as he finishes cleaning up the monster dust off the kitten's fur. He then removed the rags that were once his clothes from his body before using some wet wipes to clean his bones. It was the best he had to clean himself with when he wasn't at either Nightmare's castle or Swap's home. The antivoid is nothing but an empty white space with no resources after all. He could only make do with whatever he collected over the years from the AUs he destroyed in the past. Soon, he put on a fresh pair of clothes that he had made the other day. Truthfully, it was only recently that Error even bothered to create new clothes for himself. He usually only repaired and wore the same pair of clothes for eons. It was only after he found Nieve when she was only a day old beside her dead mother that he tried to improve his own living conditions. After all, one can only take care of another life when one can take care of oneself first. Life from Reapertale helped him in that regard. The only thing that bothered him was Reaper's intense stare full of longing. Reaper had been trying to get close to Error for a past that he could never remember. A past before he became the God of Destruction. "Meow," Nieve pawed at Error's toes, bringing Error out of his thoughts as he gave the kitten some attention. "Okay, okay, let's give you those cuddles you want. Geez, you're one greedy little gatita, you know that right?" Laughing wholeheartedly, Error picked up the kitten into his arms before kissing her forehead softly. The kitten purred loudly at the affection while curling up comfortably in his arms. Kitten and skeleton bonded with each other in a comfortable silence for a bit. It wasn't long before Error felt a stabbing pain in his soul as his vision spun, his mind unfocused, and his hold on the kitten became more protective. "Sh-shit! AGH! That darn squid really doesn't know how to stop. FUCK! This pain... The AU he's making, it's fucking huge! It's tipping the balance way too much. I need to destroy it before he finishes it! Nieve... I'm sorry, girl, I can't leave you with Life this time; there's not much time." Error says through gritted teeth as he puts his little kitten inside one of his inner coat pockets. The kitten purred against her owner as she curled inside his pocket while kneading biscuits against his ribs. This brought a small smile to the destroyer's face despite the pain he was going through. Error then brought up the codes and searched for the new AU. Ones and zeros danced in front of him in a way only he could decipher as his eyelights scanned the codes at a rapid pace before landing on a set of particularly unfamiliar growing string of codes, a tattle-tale sign of a new AU being created and had not yet synced with the very fabric of the multiverse. It was large, far too large for the multiverse to handle. "DAMN IT!" Error cursed as he tore through the codes of reality, creating a rift through time and space before summoning his threads to create a tether to the new AU, which would facilitate portal creation. Nieve softly pawed at Error's ribs to calm his simmering anger. She meowed softly with concern as she peeked out of Error's pocket to look at him. Error controlled his breathing, trying to calm his raging emotions while gritting through the pain that attacked his soul in waves. Error began to focus; he needed to, or else the multiverse would collapse as the AUs would collide. "Thanks... Nieve." Error says as he steps through the newly created portal. The moment Error's sandal-clad feet stepped into the AU, something felt off to Error's senses; something was wrong with this AU; it looked normal on the surface, but his instincts were screaming out in alarm that danger was coming and that it was coming in hot and fast. Error quickly hid among the foliage, using his strings to blend with the surroundings by altering the color to match that of the flora in his vicinity. He slowed down his breathing, his soul beats became falteringly slow as he extended his senses to determine what was heading in his direction. He could sense several thousand hostiles inching closer to his location, which led him to check the codes again to assess and analyze his overall situation. He doesn't like what he sees. Both the originals and the copies alike, all of whom were a part of the council that sided with the star Sanses, were closing in from the north. This made Error realize that things were becoming quite dicey, as his analysis indicated that the situation was escalating in both difficulty and level of danger. Things were definitely not looking good. The opposition was looking around for the glitchy skeleton, but Error doesn't plan on making it easy for them. 'Those fools should have done their research on me, not like it matters since they've lost the element of surprise.' Error thought as he used his camouflaged state to his advantage by summoning more strings and letting them burrow into the earth. His mind focused on their coordinates through the codes as he controlled his strings to slowly tunnel through the dirt, to make their way to the originals' locations before using his strings as a medium to remotely open portals to send the originals back to their respective AUs inconspicuously without the copies or the star Sanses noticing. He did it quickly while also deleting the originals' communication devices as he did so. "That'll thin out the numbers a bit but not by much... I need to do something else to make the playing field go in my favor." Error whispered to himself as he stared at the codes. His eyes lit up as he recalled something from a medical book he collected in the past. He grinned unperceptively as he summoned his strings once more. "Meow." Nieve poked her head out of Error's pocket, tentatively pawing at his chest. Error looked down at the kitten with a soft gaze. "Nieve, I'll be careful. Go back to hiding in my pocket, my sweet little gatita." He said reassuringly to the little feline while using one of his strings to lightly caress her head. Nieve did as told, while purring softly, her tail flicked lightly to show her compliance. He pulled away the string he used to pet her, though it lingered on the tuft of fur in her ear for a second. Error's sockets slowly narrowed as he looked away from his little furry companion. 'Hopefully this'll put the odds in my favor.' He thought to himself as he slowly made the color of his strings disappear, turning them transparent as he maneuvered them towards the copies' souls, tying their souls up without anyone noticing. With apprehension in his own soul, he then sent the ends of his strings to painlessly penetrate the core complex of their souls, paralyzing them. "Looks like it worked. Now it's time to cull this herd of stubborn sheep."Sushi Pack Reimagine Chapter 1 Chapter 1A Strange Customer Today, The Green Donut was unusually busy for a Saturday, many customers (primarily tourists) were visiting in droves.Although this is certainly great for business, the number of customers became quite overwhelming, especially when there were only three employees: Ben, the Green Donut's owner's son, Francis Huffman, and Heidi Yip. While Francis took over as the cashier for noon, Heidi and Ben were juggling trays full of donuts just to keep up with the sudden increase in demand. "Ugh, I'm so tired!" Heidi moaned, and her arms ached from carrying so much in a short period of time. "I agree, dude," Ben replied "let's just hope we can close the place for lunch."A simple hour flew by and then, the Green Donut now only had two customers much to the trio's surprise, relief, and delight. Finally! They can take that needed breather!A couple of minutes later, the customers have since left happy with their donuts."That was the best matcha donut I've ever ate!" One of the customers yells out, "thank you all so much, I'm coming back here for sure!"Francis gave them a thumbs up whilst quietly mopping the floor and Ben grabbed the keys to close up shop for now.In the break room, the three enjoyed their lunches with the TV turned on as entertainment/background noise.As a joke, Heidi picked up the remote and switched to Channel 5 to see what news stories to laugh at this time. Then, the most absurd one they've ever heard was beginning."This just in," Sophia Tucker announces "we got reports of two fish people gangs attacking each other in Downtown Wharf City!"The employees were intrigued but skeptical. A video clip was shown of those fish people knocking one another into buildings and cars with some of them having superpowers to boot."This just has to be a real good marketing scheme," Francis commented "I mean, this looks like people with amazing costumes with special effects mixed in."Heidi agreed with him. "Yeah, this is so ridiculous." Ben shook his head with amusement, joining in with the comedy.They began to laugh about the whole fish people story, from the nonsense premise to how Sophia took the whole thing seriously and with a straight face no less. Unfortunately by 1:30, it was time to open back up for the afternoon and not as many customers were coming in. On one hand, it was back to the store's normal, slow pace but on the other, it got super boring. Heidi was cleaning the floor this time but would often stop and check her phone every ten minutes.Whilst texting a friend of hers, she heard the bell ring but then saw something peculiar; a light green rabbit wearing a blue tracksuit."Hi, welcome to the Green Donut! What would you like?" Ben said, greeting this rather odd customer. The rabbit gave Ben this sweet, innocent look, eyes twinkling pure cuteness with their arms reaching out to him."Aw, you're so adorable!" He cooed, "Do you want a donut?" The rabbit nodded cutely and pointed to a jam-filled donut."Fantastic choice, that'll be $4.75 please."The rabbit stopped and stared at Ben, no longer doing the puppy dog eyes. He flinched a little but clarified that they still needed to pay for the donut. However, it seems this rabbit did not take no for an answer as it immediately climbed on the counter and crawled into the display case, shoving some of those trays down to the floor. "Hey, you can't do that!" Ben yells but to no avail. No amount of "get downs" or "stops" well, stopped the rabbit from grabbing the donut and running out of the Green Donut."Catch that thief!" Heidi shouted, and Ben began chasing after the thieving bunny. Running from one street to the next, he tried to keep up but the thief was much faster and had a heading start.Then, Ben saw something both amazing and strange at the same time; it was those same "fish people" he saw on the news earlier today, and he could not believe it."I guess these fish dudes are real after all," Ben thought to himself, "or possibly what Francis said, a really good live performance and I'm seeing it all in person!"As he approached the scene to find that scoundrel thief, he was halted by an invisible force and was now a few feet off the ground.Then, he saw this fish woman wearing purple and pink clothing walk closer to him with one of her arms being lifted up in place."What is someone like you doing here?" The woman asks Ben, "this is far too dangerous for a civilian to get tangled up in. Please just get back to a safe place."She gently placed him back down, which still surprised Ben greatly. "Thank you miss, I'll go now," he said to the woman as he ran back to the Green Donut.As Ben returned, Francis greeted him. "Yo man, what happened to our donut thief?"Ben explained everything to him, or at the very least tried to. He was impressed to know that the news story had some truth but wasn't fully convinced just yet. Though for the rest of the afternoon shift, everything went back to normal like nothing ever happened.When he came back home, his mom greeted him and asked how work went. He explained to her about the waves of tourists visiting the shop and how many customers in general arrived that day, intentionally not bringing up some of the weirder stuff that went down today.His dad also greeted him and was quite proud of his son for the amount of work he did."Not too shabby for dealing with visitors coming for Sakura Season," his dad remarked, "you have promise with running the Green Donut when you become an adult."Ben felt this was a compliment but had his worries regarding that future.The Mizuyama family ate their dinner for the night and Ben went to his room preparing to go to bed.Unfortunately, he couldn't sleep at all with all that he saw today but after a few glasses of water and a good book, he finally fell asleep.Pokemon Mystery Dungeon :Explorers of... Well Something! PT. 1Flare slowly got up, man, last night was rough… thankfully though there’s always to-She got up, this… wasn’t her house. It looked nothing like her dingy apartment.She looked at her hands, these weren’t her hands either.She quickly looked into a puddle and screamed, looking back at her was a Ralts.She was… Pokemon? She stepped back for a moment, trying to understand her surroundings. “Hey.” A voice behind her said.She screamed once again. “Oh my goodness… Did I startle you?” She turned around, and looking back at her, was a Scorbunny, speaking perfect English.“Yeah… A little bit?” She said softly. “I heard you scream and.. I came as fast as I could…” Scorbunny said with concern.“Oh it’s um… nothing…” she said, still looking at her reflection. “He’s gonna think I’m crazy!” She thought to herself.“Well… what are you doing out of town… it’s dangerous you know!” He said with a bit of intensity. “Oh I just… got lost… you know?” Scorbunny laughed.“Oh that’s all? Where are you from? I’m sure I can find it!” Scorbunny said.“What’s your name? And where are you from?” He said, questioning her.“Oh I’m Flare! I’m um… from Mauville!” Scorbunny looks at her confused. “Where… is that?”“It’s in Hoenn…” Scorbunny squints at her. “Hmmm… seems suspicious…”She starts sweating bullets. “But no problem! Come on, let's go to Red Town! I’m sure you can find help there!”She follows behind him, and they quickly arrive at the nearby town. “Here we are! Red Town!” Flare looks at him with some doubt.“Is that… what it’s called?” Scorbunny looks at her like it’s a no brainer. “Of course! What else are we supposed to name it after!”“Anyway! I got some work to do! Wish you luck!” He starts running but stops himself. “Oh yeah! Almost forgot! The town hall? It’s a big building, can’t miss it!” He runs off.She heads to the town hall. There’s a Slowking sitting at the front desk.“Um… excuse me?” She says in a hushed quiet tone. The Slowking looks at her. “Oh… Hello… do you have something to tell me?”She’s hesitant but she says, “Do you know where Mauville is?”He sits for a sec, pondering the question, “Never heard of it, sorry.” Flare looks at him for a sec, “Oh… ok thanks… I guess..”she exits the town hall.The Wallet: Fanfiction“EEEEEEEEE!!!!” exclaimed Stimpy as he pressed his face against the glass window. His eyes bulged with delight as he stared at what lay behind the transparent barrier. “Steempy, what’s up with you? We’re going home remember?” inquired Ren Höek as he ambled over to Stimpy’s side. He waved his hand in front of Stimpy in an attempt to capture his attention. “Looooooooooooookkkkkkk!!!!” the cat chirped, pointing his finger to the object he had his eyes on. Ren’s eyes followed the finger’s direction before landing on a plush brown mouse that stood proudly amongst the crowd around it. “That mouse? But Steempy, you already have dozens of catnip mice,” Ren said as he turned away from the toy store. “But, Ren! Don’t you see? I must have it! It’s so fluffy and cute and other adjatives!” Stimpy replied before resuming his gawking. “Awhhhh no, not this time!”snapped Ren, his face reddening.”You have plenty of mice at home. This one ain’t so special. ‘Sides, it’s 30 fucking dollars! Who in their right mind would pay that much for a toy? It doesn’t even talk or light up or anything!” “Please, Ren! I’ve never wanted anything as much as this! Please please pretty please with coconut shreddings and bacon strips and gumdrops on top?!” pleaded Stimpy as he kneeled to meet Ren’s gaze. “The answer is no, you twit! We’re already having problems paying bills and buying food! We don’t need to spend any money on some stupid rodent!” Ren retorted as he pointed at the rags both of them were wearing. “But…But…” blubbered Stimpy in total disbelief. I do everything for Ren. Why can’t he get me a lil toy? “Let’s go, ya big blithering bag of sand,” groaned Ren as he grabbed hold of Stimpy’s left arm. Stimpy struggled against Ren’s grip, but it was no use. Ren could be surprisingly strong despite his short stature. He just didn’t like to show it often. Probably so Stimpy couldn’t nag him to do more chores around the house. They arrived home shortly after. Stimpy’s left arm was raw and sore from Ren squeezing it so tightly during their walk. He whimpered in pain, but Ren didn’t respond. Typical. Ren guided him to the living room sofa, which was frayed and torn in many places. Stimpy was made to sit in Ren’s lap, which was made even more awkward due to their size differences. Ren wrapped his arms around Stimpy’s midsection, anchoring him to the spot as he rocked back and forth. “Ren?” Stimpy shyly asked, his eyelashes fluttering. “Yes, my simpleton?” replied Ren, tightening his hold on the cat on his lap. “I still really want that toy…” Stimpy confessed, immediately flinching afterwards. “And I still really want more money, but that’s not how the world works. You see, us poor people are purposefully kept in this state so that we don’t get rich. No being rich, no being happy. It’s simple science, Stimpson,” Ren answered while patting Stimpy on the back. “Yeah, well. The world should change,” grumbled Stimpy, crossing his arms like a spoiled toddler. “If only, Stimpy. If only. Now, go get ready for bed and bring some snacks over from the cabinets. We’re eating junk food for dinner tonight,” ordered Ren, reaching to gently grasp Stimpy’s face. “Okay, Renny…” whispered Stimpy before he stood and retrieving a large bag of chips from the pantry. The Manx cat then traveled towards the bedroom, chips in hand. He sat on top of the downy blankets beneath him, the soft material putting his mind more at ease. If only there was one way I could get that toy, Stimpy thought to himself. The 5 cents I get every weekend from Ren would never be enough to buy the mousey… Unless… Stimpy’s eyes snaked over to the dresser. On top of it laid Ren’s wallet, which was crusty and old with age. He approached it, the floorboards creaking with every step he took. Do I dare? Stimpy went over his choices. To take or not to take, that was the question. If he took it, he would have his new toy. Sure, Ren would be mad, but he’d still have it. Ren usually never broke things that cost money. He had his limits. But if he didn’t take the wallet… well, he didn’t even want to think about that. Right then and there, the feline snagged the wallet from its resting place. He tucked it into his fur, which enveloped the wallet like a thick blanket. Suddenly, he heard the telltale sound of Ren’s footsteps outside the door. Trembling, the cat pulled the covers over himself and squeezed his eyes shut. “Awwwww, sleeping like a lamb,” Ren cooed as he walked over to the bed. Before Stimpy knew it, he was enveloped in Ren’s embrace. Ren’s fur felt even more sweltering than ever, and Stimpy cringed as the Chihuahua’s hot breath lingered on his face. “I love you, Stimp. Tomorrow awaits us both. Until then, sleep tight,” Ren whispered while simultaneously stroking Stimpy’s soft fur. He planted a wet kiss on Stimpy’s cheek before he closed his eyes, strengthening his hold on his lover. Stimpy felt sick to his stomach, and not just from the putrid smell of the dog hugging him. The guilt clawed at his chest like a ferocious beast, ready to devour him whole. Just to be safe, he gently tapped Ren’s forehead. No response. It’s now or never. Stimpy wriggled himself out of Ren’s arms, sweat pouring down his trembling body. He tiptoed out of the room, careful not to press his feet to deep on the floorboards beneath. Before he knew it, he was at the front door. He looked behind him, fearing that Ren was somehow watching him. Seeing no one there, he grabbed hold of the brass doorknob and stepped outside. The gentle breeze whispered to him, beckoning him to wander further from his residence. He chose to listen to this conscience. He took this time to look around the almost-empty streets. He had never before noticed how… bleak it looked. Rubbish overran every corner, its presence creating a foul odor that was impossible to mask. A thick blanket of smoke smothered the sky, a result from the constant output of factories and machinery nearby. Stimpy couldn’t help but cough as the smoke entered his nostrils without his consent. Just then, he found it. The toy store shone like a beacon, its bright colors sticking out amongst the gray and black that the town had to offer. Stimpy’s mouth drooled with excitement, a child-like grin etched upon his face. He ran into the store hurriedly, not wanting to waste any time. Thankfully for him, the plush mouse was still available, its soft fur awaiting his touch. Stimpy rushed to the counter, where his gaze fell upon a balding old man. “Dahhhhh, I’d like to take this liddle mouse to frolick with and play with until I can no longer roam!” Stimpy said, the mouse held up to his chest. “Okay, that’d be… let’s see now… 30 dollars,” grumbled the old man, his eyelids heavy with exhaustion. “Ooh! Gimme one sec!” Stimpy chirped. He reached down into his fur and retrieved the wallet burrowed inside. He pulled out a handful of dollar bills from inside the wallet and then placed them on the countertop. “They’re all yours, now, Take care of em,” said the man, a small smile on his face as he watched Stimpy raise the mouse high above his head with glee. “Bye, sir!” Stimpy beamed before exiting the store with his loot. As he made his way to the house with the mouse in hand, he couldn’t help but feel a tad wary about how Ren would react to the whole thing. But that was later and this was now. “STEEMPY!!!!” Stimpy snapped back to reality in a flash, his eyes wide in horror. There was Ren, his teeth barred and his hands clenched into fists. He stood out in the front yard, looking as if he would maul Stimpy right then and there. “What in the ever loving FUCK are you doing out of bed?! It’s way past curfew!” snapped Ren, pointing to his handheld watch. “I was… just uh… nothing,” Stimpy mumbled, taking care to hide his new toy behind his back. “You… wait a goddamn minute. What do you have behind your back?” Ren interrogated, stomping closer to Stimpy’s shivering frame. “It’s nothing! Really! I just feel like putting my hands behind my back, haha,” Stimpy whined. Ren pulled Stimpy towards him, forcing his hands into his own. “Why do you have that mouse?! You little THIEF!!! You think you could just run off to that kiddie store and steal it! Not on my watch, bucko!” Ren yelled. “Um, I didn’t actually steal it, Ren. I… uh… bought it…” Stimpy confessed, his face reddened with shame. “YOU WHAT?! WITH MY MONEY?!” screeched Ren, his blood boiling with indescribable rage. “Yeah… I’m so sorry, Ren! Honest!” Stimpy began to sob, fresh tears dripping down from his eyes. “Oh you’ll be more than sorry once I’m done with you! Lemme show you what happens to kitties who don’t play by the rules,” Ren snarled, ripping the toy mouse from Stimpy’s arms. “Ren, what are you doing?” Stimpy dared to ask, his teeth chattering together rapidly. Ren didn’t answer. Instead, he brought the mouse closer and closer to his face. Then, without warning, he ripped his teeth into the mouse’s fur. He pulled with all his might, his face straining with the effort. “REN!!! STOP!!!!” Stimpy screamed. Ren paid no attention as he continued tearing the mouse to shreds. Pieces of fluff and fur fell onto the pavement, a gross reminder of how far Ren was taking this. “There! All gone!” Ren announced, a smug grin implanted on his wrinkled face. “No! How could you? I… I…” Stimpy wailed. He kneeled down to touch what remained of the mouse. “Must… put it… back together…” “Oh, no you don’t! Inside with you! You will pay for this, you ungrateful swine!” yelled Ren as he hoisted Stimpy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “No. No. My… my mousey…” whispered Stimpy before the front door slammed shut, closing off his view of the outside world.The colorful night - add more to bonni lore?The sky was dark, but not entirely dark. The darkness dimmed out by the colourful glowing lights from the building, and the flickers of a nearby billboard. A beautiful blonde hair girl gracefully to the screen - posing and gazing down at the crowd below. Through the eyes of hers that never truly met theirs. Lior and Zaida were moving down the busy street, while the colourful lights casting soft glow over them. As they were about to walked past the glowing billboard, Lior stopped in their tracks, and their eyes widen staring up at the screen in deeply awe. Fortunately, Zaida caught the looks in their eyes, with a tint of something that is almost jealously... She quickly turned away her gazed, then bringing her eyes up to where Lior was looking. "Woah... Shes beautiful..! Is that ai?" Lior questioned while their voice tinged with curiosity. "I guess ai has really came far now adays! It's seriously getting so hard to tell which is real or not anymore, right?" Lior spoke up enthusiastically, finally lifting their eyes toward Zaida. Zaida, her eyes were still focused on the billboard, giving a short nod. Her expression were intense, her gaze staying firmed as she responded. "Yea... I guess so." Lior watched her closely for a moment, but then shrugged it off, thinking nothing more to it. Zaida, still the one who was yet lost in her thoughts, under the spell at the image on the screen. Barely a sound as if it meant for no one but the wind. She muttered to herself, "Seems like this is the path you are heading.. huh, Bonni?" Lior peeked their head up. Glancing at her with curios and their usual effortless annoying smile. "Hm? Did u say something?" Caught off guard by Lior, Zaida quickly masked herself with her usual calm and unreadable smile back into place. "Oh.. no, its nothing. Probably the wind, no?" She suddenly reached out her hand, lightly patting Lior head in a playful way. "Comon, lets go home now, shall we?" Flushing bright red like a tomato, the orange hair one swatted her hand away with flustering looks. "Okay, okay.... that was so unnecessary..." Zaida letting a laugh filling through the quiet calm yet colourful night. But right as they were about to leave, she turned and took one last glance at the billboard then quickly pulled her gazed away - not once looking back.All That GlittersData rings Geordi's doorchime, trembling and struggling to keep the tears back. Choked sobs and shaky breaths wrest from his clenched core. From within, Geordi calls for him to enter. The door swings open and Data lurches inside, inhumanly fast. Once the door slams shut he finally lets the sobs loose; ugly, heaving things that choke out his cooling breath and force him to fold in on himself. "Woah, hey! Data.." Geordi abruptly sits up from his bed, at Data's side in a human instant; almost too slow. Steadying hands grasp Data's upper arms. "Geordi, I n-need you to remove the emotion chip. Please. I do not want it anymore." "Woah, woah, slow down Data. What happened?" Data sniffles and shakes, but does not afford himself the luxury of sinking into Geordi's embrace. He stares up into Geordi's visor, rich gold pouring from wide, glossy eyes. "I.. I was in Ten Forward. Deanna had brought me there to try chocolate ice cream for the first time." Data's breath evens out as he speaks. "It was.. it was delicious. It was the most wondrous thing I have experienced so far! I was filled with joy, so pure and strong, I could do nothing but burst into song!" He smiles distantly for a moment. It fades into a faraway, lost, stricken look. "Then.. I noticed how they all were staring at me. Like I had grown a second head. Shock, discomfort, disgust ." Data's face twists into a grimace at that word, almost a snarl. It melts to a profound, desperate sadness, fresh gold pouring down his cheeks. "But.. perhaps worst of all was the way Deanna was looking at me. Patient and indulgent, bemused, like I was a child ." He breaks eye contact, staring at the ground in distant, hopeless indignation. Incandescent. "I.. I do not wish to be looked at that way. I do not wish to know what it means. The looks before.. I told myself they would go away if only I had human emotions. But now I am too much. Mere expressions of joy are social blunders. I did not expect this to be the case." Geordi had listened, expression growing more horrified by the second. Finally he opens his mouth, then snaps it shut again. He shakes his head sadly. "Data.. I'm sorry, but I can't remove the emotion chip. It would be too risky at this point, it's too late. I.. do you want me to talk to them for you?" Data's eyes flick back and forth, wild, like a cornered animal. He wraps his arms around himself. "No.. no.. I do not want them to know. I.." He shakes his head and growls through the sobs. Overwhelming. Annoying. Obtrusive. He wants it to go away. It makes no sense to be so unable to control his own body. He misses the way he used to be. He misses the way he used to be. He hates the emotion chip. Hate is not fun anymore. "You should have let me fire that phaser!!" It comes out louder and harsher than he intended. Oh, Geordi, please forgive me. Please understand.. Geordi flinches back as if struck. Remorse loosens his posture. "I'm so sorry, Data. If I'd known it would be like this, I never would have stopped you." Paradoxically, the apology does nothing to calm Data down. He feels even more frantic, and.. is that sinking, curdling thing guilt? "I.. apologies, Geordi. I did not mean to snap at you. It is not your fault. I had many chances to destroy the chip since then, and I did not." He tries to sound like himself, tries to sound detached, emotionally unaffected. His voice trembles and sounds odd. "Data, it's okay. You're going through a lot, and it's all new. I'd be surprised if you didn't snap at me from time to time.." Geordi lets out an uneasy chuckle. Data does not know how to respond. A bit of the tension releases from his frame, the feeling seeming to be sinking below the surface; not gone, but not so overwhelming. "I.. do not think I will ever be human enough." Geordi frowns, silent for a while. "Well.. yeah, maybe you won't be. That's okay. They still love you, y'know. They just.. they don't understand. It makes them feel uncomfortable because they think.. well, if I wouldn't let myself do that, why should anyone else?" Data sniffles and looks off to the side. "Geordi.. do you feel that way as well?" "Honestly? Yeah. But I know it's not right. I try not to let it affect how I act around you. If I ever fail.. just, please know it's not really about you ." Data had felt a spike of anxiety when Geordi agreed; it is still wearing off as he makes eye contact once more. "I.. suppose that is comforting. But.. if it makes others uncomfortable, should I not make an attempt to temper my reactions?" Geordi looks stricken. His grip tightens on Data's arms. "Data.. please, don't do that." He takes a deep breath, removing his VISOR to rub between his eyes. He faces Data again. "You've always been so genuine. It's what I love about you the most, it's refreshing. I feel like I can express myself more freely around you than anyone else. I know you'll tell me exactly what you think, and that I can do the same. The way you love the universe and everything in it.. it's beautiful. It inspires me to be better. Please, don't push that down." Data is overcome with affection, though the sadness still roils beneath. He is unable to speak for a while, just gazing at Geordi with a heart full to burst. "Data?" Without the VISOR, Geordi cannot tell why Data has fallen silent. "Thank you, Geordi. You are a very good friend. I love you very much." Geordi smiles wide, skin crinkling at the corners of milky eyes not oft seen. "I love you too, Data." The smile turns bittersweet. "I'm sorry I can't be more help with the rest of the crew." That strange, negative feeling suffuses him again. "Please, do not apologize. I will be alright." Geordi's smile has slowly fallen into a slight frown. "Okay, Data. But you will tell me if you need help, right?" A small, tenuous smile pulls at Data's lips. "Yes, Geordi. You have been very helpful already. Thank you." Geordi unknowingly reflects Data's expression. "Any time." Data feels comfort blooming, fragile and soft. He wipes the tears from his face, thick gold smearing pale skin, shimmering in the low light. "Geordi.. you have comforted me, but my emotional state has not returned to normal." "That is normal, Data. It takes time to recover from a breakdown like that." He glances over his shoulder towards his bed, perhaps involuntarily to assist his thought process. "Hey, how about we listen to an audiobook and get some rest. Maybe Sherlock Holmes?" "Yes, please." "Got a particular one in mind?" "All that Glitters is Too Good to be True." Geordi's forehead creases with worry, but he nods and asks the computer to start playing the story at normal speed. Both of them can follow an audiobook at much higher speeds, so Data presumes Geordi set a normal speed so as to provide a more relaxing experience. Data feels grateful and loved. Geordi picks up his VISOR in one hand and guides Data gently to the bed with the other. He is already wearing nightclothes, and climbs into bed after setting his VISOR on the nightstand. Data removes his shoes and uniform shirt and climbs onto the bed after Geordi, curling up at his side, letting himself be swept away once more by the story he has committed to memory in full. He feels safe and cherished, here beside his best friend. Perhaps he really will be alright.Star Wars Fanfic promptHappy May the 4th be with you for any Star Wars fans out there! I have this Star Wars fanfic idea that I’m PROBABLY not going to use, so I’ll pitch it to anyone who might like it. A story about a force sensitive, Mandalorian Jedi. Born from a Jedi and Mandalorian. But aren’t Mandalorian and Jedi sworn enemies? Yes That’s part of why it’d make an interesting story. There are so many directions you can go with this. From the parents being Star Crossed lovers (pun intended) to the child of the two, finding his own path through galaxy, perhaps one that’s different from the Mandalorian or Jedi code ya know? Just picture it, guy clad in Mandalorian armor with a lightsaber in one hand and a blaster on the other. Not to mention the potential action scenes where someone takes his lightsaber, only for him to pull out a blaster rifle as a counterattack. Or better yet, have a scene where he uses the force to shoot a dozen blaster once. Doesn’t that sound interesting, cool even?person