zoom_in
- visibility301
posted 9 months ago, edited 9 months ago
Something I Made for a fanfiction! Used canva for both of these...
More From family_staralternate_emailStorybloomSee Morearrow_outward
Similar ArtworksSee Morearrow_outward
Childhood's End - I - Depths"Close your eyes, and focus." "Hooooooo..." A blue light formed within the pale palms of the Sea Witch, whose focus continued to tighten. Even in the absence of sight, Wadanohara could still see the energy growing into something spectacular. Her icy breath spread throughout the flowing water while the sea embraced her body, everything flowing into a state of union that felt so utterly surreal. "HA!" The sphere of energy exploded and sent small traces of blue light towards her mentor, who made light work of the 'assault' with a swift chop. Wadda let out a small breath as her frosty eyes opened, immediately setting their gaze on the pale woman. "Did I do good?" "You did excellently; he would be proud." "Yay!" Wadda's eyes glistened like little pearls as Tatsumiya's face swelled with pride, prompting the youthful witch to jump about in celebration. Her light giggle further enabled Wadda's childish behavior until 'the hand' was raised, in which the girl's playful frolic ceased without fuss. "Such energy you have! Come on, let's go inside now." "Okay!" Wadanohara softly gripped the sleeve of her guardian's lengthy furisode, trailing closely behind as they both disappeared into the glistening field of undersea stars. A content expression rested on Wadanohara's face as Tatsumiya's fingers gently sifted through her messy, brown strands. "You are becoming a mighty fine witch. Even without your staff, you are incredibly capable." Wadonhara's sincere grin contorted into something rather smug as the constant appraisal fueled. "Well, I aaaaaaaaam the Great Sea Witch, after all." She carried herself with a bit of pomp, crossing her arms and leaning back into the chair with motions so exaggerated she'd embarrass even the most dramatic of actors. "Oh, hush you! And stay still, lest you want knots in your hair." "Boooooooooooo!" Wadda pouted in jest, allowing Tatsumiya's fingers to finely manipulate and bend the brown strands to her whim, converting the messy head of hair into a proper set of twin tails. The young witch's boredom would prompt her to stare into the mirror's reflective glass, envisioning and comparing her father's form with her own. She was getting older, bigger, and each day Wadanohara could see more of her old man in herself. "Hey... Auntie." "Yes, dear?" She focused all her attention on the blue outfit in the corner of her eye, adorned with fabulous ribbons, anchor ornaments, and that marvelous witch's hat. A strong yearning stirred from within, one that the young lady could not dispel. "Am I ready yet?" The hesitance of Tatsumiya's form in the mirror's reflection, paired with that deafening silence; she didn't need the answer spelled out for her. "I knew it." Wadanohara's full descent towards the abyss was halted by that familiar touch gently grazing her back. "Now, I know it may be disappointing, but every day you make progress, and that progress is truly remarkable." "Uh-huh." Wadda tried her best to maintain the doom and gloom by shoving her face into the nightgown's flossy fabric, serving as a comfortable retreat from reality. "Hm, it seems I've got a grumpy little Wadda on my hands, whatever shall I do?" "........." The young witch was determined to stand her ground, even as the foundation of her fuzzy fortress would come crumbling down almost immediately as Auntie Miya's tickle assault began. "A...Ah! Staaaaaaaahp, Auntiiiiiiiiiiiie!" Pleading would do the little lady no good, as she could feel her mentor aiming for all the good spots. Laughter exploded outward from the little witch's body like a mighty torrent, sealing her fate as the loser of this little excursion. Wadda meekly limped back into the chair with a weak pout now staining her face as she rested her head on the desktop before her. "No fair, Auntie, that's dirty..." "All is fair in love and war, my child." "Hmph." Auntie Miya's efforts to lighten the situation were an utter failure, as the crushing defeat slammed down on Wadanohara like an anvil. How long would it take, how many grueling years? Surely it didn't take her old man this long; what did he have that she didn't? Were her concerns just going to be swept under the rug forever? Crushing disappointment was beginning to turn into burning frustration as that same tired dialogue would wear on Wadda's weakened spirit. "Wadda, I know it's disheartening. You put your all into training every day, yet despite that, my response never changes..." It grated on Wadda's ears like nails on a chalkboard, and eventually she would rise from her seat to walk towards the door. The young witch blocked out any and all words that left Tatsumiya's mouth, leaving without so much as a peep. The wind gently caressed Wadanohara's form as she floated above the ocean in a rather aimless fashion. Time had been completely lost on the girl as she stared down at her reflection in the water, only to be met with that same stark frown that affixed itself on her snow-white face. This regret was something that Wadda had been unable to shake for as long as she had been out—a time loop that the girl was desperate to break free from. The young witch continued to relive the same moment over and over and over- "Huh?" The dark cloud within Wadanohara's mind was seemingly purged by something of much greater precedence, an incredibly sinister energy that radiated from the ocean's darkest depths. "What is that?" It didn't take but a few panicked glances to inform the witch that she had fallen severely off course and into a completely foreign area of this expansive sea. That itself wasn't a concern; there were plenty of landmarks that could lead Wadda back home, but this enormous volume of dark energy? Wadanohara had sensed many strange things in her life, but none this strong or dark. Her eyes locked on to this large pit of negativity as she did her best to decipher and navigate this strange anomaly. "It seems so... sad." Coming to a conclusion was certainly challenging, but at the very least these negative emotions did not seem directly malicious. Inherent darkness was certainly a factor, but there was a great deal of other things as well: sadness, loneliness, all burning so intensely that Wadda's heart sank at the thought. She held her hand to her chest, wondering what one would have to experience to emit such anguish. "Poor thing, I can't just leave it alone, right?" Despite all forms of logic screaming no and the many, MANY warnings urged by her mentor, the Great Witch felt a level of responsibility to pursue this mysterious darkness. Few beings possessed the power and potential Wadda held—this ability she had to sense energy and emotion. This agonizing contemplation cyclically repeated until it was brought to an end by a single question, the most important one of all. If not her, who would? "Forgive me, Auntie, but I'm going in." The anchor was guided by her clear and unburdened thoughts as it shot down towards the ocean like an arrow. Wadanohara's features sharpened like a blade and pierced all remaining doubt as the waves rippled against her skin. The depths continued to obscure her vision the deeper she went; wherever this being dwelled was beyond the reaches of the Sea Kingdom's light. The only plausible reason she could conjure was so depressing that it was tucked into the recesses of her mind. Her anchor staff came to an abrupt halt as she sat alone in the gloomy abyss. Closing the gap did Wadanohara no favors as she struggled to determine this creature's true nature. "Inhabitants of this dark realm, I do apologize." Wadanohara generated an incredibly small ball of light in hopes that it would provide minimal disturbance to the local ecosystem, pressing on with shaky hands. She slowly moved the glistening orb forward and was met with what seemed to be an endless stretch of red... tentacles? "Who goes there?" The young witch was momentarily gripped by fear as the loud voice bellowed out like a roar, yet with a few calm breaths she managed to dispel her doubts—gently leaping off her anchor to stand before this mighty entity. "Hello, my name is Wadanohara! It's a pleasure to meet you, oh mighty creature of the deep!" She gave an extremely formal bow and would continue to hold her position in wait for a response that would never come. Despite her attempts at communication and its rather demeaning callout, the enormous creature did nothing but sit in silence. Was it confused, offended, or angry? The energy of this creature had turned into something unreadable, and Wadda couldn't help but feel a bit antsy. "Um...sir?" "Pardon me, I just... don't get many visitors." "Oh, that's fine! I can just guide you through it, okay?" "...Okay." Wadda soon lost her jitters and melted into the waves as they smoothed over her delicate form, its surprisingly calm presence helping the girl relax. "After I say my name, you say yours, and then give a little greeting! Do you think you can do that?" "...Yes." "Okay, my name is Wadanohara! And your name is...?" "I don't... have one." That revelation was so utterly depressing that Wadanohara struggled with a follow-up, but the young witch refused to yield! She was here to help, and help she would! The young witch would enter her mighty thinking stance, a state of deep concentration that was powered by her pure determination to dispel this great sorrow. "Well, hm... What could I call you?" The girl thumbed through all sorts of names and ideas, but nothing really stuck; how could she name that which she could not see? "Deep...dark...ocean...deep...dark...depths... Depths!" Whittling it down to the basics would result in a stroke of genius. It was so utterly simplistic that the girl couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed; however, something was better than nothing. She proclaimed it with the confidence of a floundering oyster, the embarrassment only fully settling in AFTER she said it out loud. "Fukami! Fukami! Fu...kami???" "That's... a very nice name." Much to her surprise, Fukami took to the name immediately, and she couldn't help but smile at his adoration. Over the course of their interaction, Fukami's suffocating darkness had been transformed into a delicate warmth, wrapping around her comparatively minuscule form like a cozy blanket. "It's nice to meet you, Fukami." And so they talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, late into the night as the dark abyss consumed Wadanohara's ordinarily impeccable sense of time.Heart of the Storm - Chapter 3 - Ninjago Fanfic“So…” Lloyd started, “I can’t say I was expecting that.” Nya, still applying Cole’s facemask, mumbled, “Lloyd, come up with a better response.” “Sorry! I don’t have a problem with it at all. You being gay, I mean.” Lloyd hoped the correction was to Nya’s liking, and going off her silence, he figured it was good enough. “So, who is the lucky guy then?” Cole tightened his jaw. “That’s where things get tricky.” “It can’t be that bad!” “It’s Kai,” Cole whispered. Despite his face being covered in his face mask, Lloyd could still tell he was feeling bashful based on his voice. “Ew.” “Lloyd,” Nya warned. “Better response, please.” “Nono I don’t mean it in a ‘ew gay’ way, more of a ‘ew Kai’ way.” Cole laughed. “What’s wrong with Kai?” Lloyd gave him a “seriously” look. “Have you met the guy? He uses way too much hair gel, winks at himself in mirrors, and thinks ‘NOT SO FAST’ is a valid, serious catchphrase to use in battle.” Cole smiled quietly to himself. “I know.” Nya nudged her cosmetic box over towards Lloyd with her elbow, her hands covered in face mask goop. “Pick a headband. I’m doing your face next.” Lloyd reached for the box and found it filled with various cosmetics, none of which Nya used as far as Lloyd could tell. He reached in a grabbed a white headband with fluffy cat ears, putting it on without protest. “Why do you have all this stuff?” Nya stifled a laugh, positioning herself in front of Lloyd to do his mask next. “It’s all from Jay. He likes to get me gifts.” “But this doesn’t seem like the kind of gift you’d enjoy.” Nya looked over her shoulder at Cole, who was sitting contently, his confidence having returned to his body. “Well, it started with one headband and a few face products. They sat in my closet forever. When Cole first came to me about his sexuality, he seemed stressed, so I told him he was welcome to try out my stuff. Turns out, he loved it.” Nya broke out into little giggles, shaking her head playfully. “Jay noticed that the items he bought were being used, so he kept buying more because he thought I’d like it.” Nya’s voice lowered to a whisper as she said, “Don’t tell him he’s funding our self-care spa nights.” “I would never!” Lloyd jumped as Nya pressed the face mask against his face, not expecting it to be so cold. “I want to hear more about Kai, Cole.” Cole’s grip around his pillow tightened. “I don’t really know what to say! I mean, he’s cute.” “That’s it? You just like him because he’s cute?” Lloyd asked. “He’s incredibly protective and passionate about the things he loves,” Cole started, closing his eyes as he got lost in thought. “Like, when he talks to you two, his voice gets all soft and sweet because he cares so much. He’d give anything to protect you two, and I’d give anything to hear him talk to me like that.” His eyes opened with excitement as he continued. “And have you ever noticed he’s the literal embodiment of fire? When the light hits him just right, it looks like he’s a glowing ember. He gives off this constant heat that just makes you feel so comfortable in his presence. AND! He smells amazing when he doesn’t douse himself in cologne like a damn middle schooler. It’s like-” Cole took a deep breath, “-a campfire in the middle of a cold Summer night.” Nya smiled, still facing Lloyd. “He’s smitten.” Cole threw his pillow at Nya. “Oh, shut up. I don’t give you shit when you gush about Jay!” “Yes you do!” Nya laughed. Cole smirked. “Okay, yeah, I do.” Nya scooted back from Lloyd, finished with his face mask. “Alright, boys, leave them on for a bit and then I’ll have you both rinse your faces.” “You aren’t doing your face?” Lloyd asked. Nya shook her head. “Like you said, not my thing.” Lloyd looked back to Cole, warmly. “I appreciate you feeling safe enough to share this with me.” Cole smiled back. “Thanks for giving me the room to figure myself out.” He grabbed his pillow and pulled it back up against his chest. “So, you wanted to talk about the Rumi stuff?” Lloyd’s smile faltered. “I feel bad, though. I don’t want to take over boy talk.” “Oh, dude, don’t worry,” Cole assured him. “I promise it’s okay. Nya?” Nya nodded in agreement. “Go ahead, we’re listening.” Lloyd took a deep breath. “Okay, so, Rumi-” “BOO HISS!” Cole yelled. Lloyd shot him a look, making Cole laugh. “Okay, okay, sorry, go ahead.” “When I touched the fog, I heard her yelling for me. I followed her voice and then I started suffocating.” Nya nodded. “And I’m assuming you thought it was her?” Lloyd hesitated. “I don’t know.” “Do you want it to be her?” “I…don’t know.” Lloyd felt a pit begin to form in his stomach. “That’s why I wanted to talk about it. I know I don’t exactly do ‘feelings’ or anything, but this was something different. I mean, I was being choked by nothing. That’s not normal.” “Was it maybe a hallucination?” Nya asked. “It’d have to be,” Cole figured. “Maybe we can talk to some of the other people who were caught in it tomorrow?” “Zane already spoke to a few people today, though,” Nya pointed out. “Everyone saw or felt something different. One lady said she felt bugs crawling all over her, but a man he spoke to said he heard the screams of his wife in pain.” “What do those things have in common?” Cole asked. Before anyone could answer, a scream echoed down the hallway, followed by Jay pleading for anyone to come to his aid. Cole jumped to his feet, dragging Lloyd and Nya up behind him. The three followed the yelling into the living space where Kai and Jay were playing video games to find a puff of black mist swirling at Kai’s feet. Jay was a few feet away from Kai, outside of the mist, attempting to swat him with a pillow. “KAI! WAKE UP! GET OUT OF THE SCARY FOG!” Jay yelled, chucking the pillow at him. The pillow bounced off of Kai and landed in the mist, the attack doing nothing to make Kai budge. Jay threw his hands up in the air. “That’s just GREAT! I don't know WHAT TO DO HERE!” He seemed to be put at ease slightly when his eyes fell on Nya, who grabbed his hand to pull him away from the mist. “What happened?” Nya asked, pointing at her brother. Kai was standing, slightly slouched, and was mumbling to himself as his fingers twitched with little embers. “Come…on……why won’t….my….power unlock?” Zane busted into the room, panting, with an ice attack ready, but when he saw the cause of the commotion, he stopped in his tracks. “This is exactly how we found Lloyd.” Cole shook his head. “Not exactly, he seems more talkative.” “LET’S GET HIM OUT OF THERE!” Jay screamed, reaching for another pillow to throw. He threw it directly at Kai’s face, but Kai didn’t react to the hit at all. It was as if everyone was looking at something that didn't exist in the same realm of existence as themselves. “The pillows are too soft. I’ll be right back.” Jay shook off Nya's grip and walked out of the room. “What do we do?” Lloyd asked. “How did you guys help me earlier?” “Cole used his element of Earth to remove everyone from the mist while Nya and I contained it,” Zane responded. “Okay, then let's do that! COLE, GO!” Cole tilted his head. “And how do you expect me to do that on a flying ship?” “Well, we can still do the containing thing, right?” Lloyd asked. “And freeze my brother with it?” Nya shook her head. “No way.” “Come on…..let’s….get….out of….here.” Kai mumbled, small flames now circling his fingertips. Lloyd held up his hand, silently signaling everyone to stop talking. They watched as Lloyd took a step closer to the mist. His eyes narrowed as he quietly said, “But, the fangblade-” “Forget it…..this place…..is coming… apart.” Kai’s breathing staggered and stuttered as if he was doing something physically taxing. “It’s a memory,” Lloyd realized. “The day he saved me. The day I became one of you guys.” “You didn’t see a memory, though,” Nya pointed out. “Why is he?” “You think I know? I’m in the dark just as much as you guys.” “We gotta pull him out of there before something dangerous happens,” Cole said, starting to head back to his room. “I may be able to move him with my scythe. Hang on.” Zane watched Kai closely. “This is truly extraordinary.” He took a knee to watch Kai’s hands. “Is it possible that whatever this is, it’s trying to make us use our powers?” “I don’t think so,” Lloyd responded. “I didn’t use my powers to claw at my neck.” “I’M COMING KAI!” Jay screamed, running into the room, wildly swinging an iron skillet. Nya caught Jay’s arm before he could throw it at her brother. “DROP IT!” “I’M HELPING!” “You are NOT!” Nya looked over her shoulder to yell down the hall. “COLE HURRY!” Cole came running into the room, his weapon in hand. Jay broke free from Nya and threw the pan. Lloyd dove for it to try to keep it from hitting Kai, Cole diving after him to make sure Lloyd didn’t dive headfirst into the coffee table. Not watching out for his own weapon, Cole accidentally swung his scythe, hitting Zane behind his knees and taking him down. And to make matters even worse, Kai’s hands fully ignited in flames that overtook the entirety of his arms. Still entranced, he started screaming, begging for an invisible force to “Come back” to him. He fell to his knees, setting the rug in the middle of the room on fire, choking out violent sobs that were nearly incoherent. “Watch out, guys!” Nya yelled as she sprayed water across the room. She had expected the mist to spread across the room, but it instead floated out the window and dissipated into the night air. “That was….weirdly easy.” The water had put out Kai’s fire, leaving him on all fours in a puddle. He breathed heavily, sniffling while he tried to regain his composure. Lloyd pushed Cole off of himself and crawled over to Kai. “H-hey, man. You okay?” Lloyd’s heart shattered when he saw the look on Kai’s face. He was broken, his lower lip quivering as he tried to regain his composure. Kai had lost every ounce of color from his face, leaving him as pale as a corpse. His hands trembled as he wiped his face of tears and Nya’s water. Kai opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t form anything. All he could do was tightly wrap his arms around Lloyd, his nails digging into Lloyd’s tee shirt. Lloyd reached his arms up to hug him back and, as his fingertips brushed his shirt, Kai broke out into sobs. He buried his face into Lloyd’s shoulder, not to try to hide his emotions, but to feel closer to him in any way he could. Lloyd didn’t fight him. Kai needed this. Nya caught Lloyd’s eye, looking just as concerned as Lloyd felt inside. It wasn’t every day you watch someone like Kai fully breakdown. Lloyd started to move his hands back down, but Kai whispered, “Please don’t let me go. I need to know this is real.” “It’s real, Kai,” Lloyd assured. “I am real.” “I saw you die.” The air in the room felt heavy as everyone processed what Kai had just said. “We were at the volcano and I lost my grip and you-” “I’m right here, Kai.” Lloyd tightened his hug. “I’m okay.”DramaticSonic set Elise down, her legs wobbling as she got used to solid ground. "This won't take a second." Sonic stretched, cracked his knuckles, and bolted towards the robots that had been following them. He spin dashed into one, then roundhouse kicked the next, and the bots exploded in a burst of flames. Sonic emerged unscathed. Elise was completely silent. Sonic certainly had a flair for the dramatic, but seeing him in action was something else. He was still now; the only sign anything of note had happened were the broken robot parts and the wind he had picked up, which still tugged at her hair and dress. "You okay?" You just used your body as a projectile to destroy robots, and you ask me if I'm okay? "Oh. Yes. I am." Elise at last said. "I just didn't think that you could take care of them so quickly! You really are as amazing as they say!" Sonic chuckled, scratching his spines. "Yeah. I guess." his eyes widened, and he corrected himself. "What I mean to say is—it is kinda cool, when you think about it—" Sonic kept compulsively rubbing his shoulder. "You don't have any bruises, do you?" Sonic's hand faltered, and he let it fall to his side. "Huh?" "You're rubbing your shoulder." Elise kneeled next to him and took his arm. "Are you sure you're okay?" Sonic tried to pull away, but she already was holding him."Yeah, I'm fine, I was just, y'know—" Elise's face fell when he broke out of her grasp. Sonic looked at her apologetically, looking away. "I'm just not used to being fussed over, that's all." he started scratching his nose. Dramatic in more ways than one, it seemed.Heart of the Storm - Chapter 2 - Ninjago Fanfic“This would go by quicker if you held still,” Zane said simply, holding a clean rag and a bottle of antiseptic. Lloyd was laid on his bed, his head positioned in a way to give Zane easy access to his neck. The bleeding had stopped, but cleaning it burned more than Kai’s own fire. “I’d stop moving if you stopped hurting me.” Zane poured some of the antiseptic onto the rag. “I’ll stop hurting you if you stop moving. Hold still.” Zane gently pressed the rag to Lloyd’s neck, causing him to yelp and instinctively move away from Zane. “Lloyd, this is basic procedure. Please hold still.” “C-can I help at all?” Kai rambled, looking over Zane’s shoulder. “I can get you more rags or I can hold a flashlight so that you can see better or I can-” Zane lets out a breath. “Kai, you’re pacing again.” Kai stopped moving, realizing he had been in motion for a few minutes. “You couldn’t even see me.” Zane looked over his shoulder. “Your pacing makes Lloyd anxious, which causes his heartrate to elevate. His heart rate was elevating, therefore you were pacing.” Kai rolled his eyes and pouted. “I don’t cause anxiety.” Zane smirked slightly. “It also sounded like a hippo was stampeding through the room. You’re heavy footed.” “AM NOT!” Jay walked into the room holding a blanket, Nya following close behind him. “Hey, I grabbed you a blanket because I-” Jay stopped talking when he spotted a bloodied rag on the ground beside Zane. “Yep. That’s blood. Neck blood. Wow. I don’t like that.” He placed the blanket at the foot of the bed and quickly rushed out, shouting, “Good luck with the neck blood!” as he left. Nya shrugged. “He’s had a weird thing about blood lately. Don’t mind him.” “Can I please have quiet?” Zane asked, patiently. “Lloyd needs to be cleaned and the distractions aren’t helping.” “A distraction is exactly what he needs,” Cole responded, walking into the room with a warm teapot and a teacup. He placed them on Lloyd’s bedside table and took a knee, getting on his level. “You know we’re supposed to fight the bad guys, not ourselves, right Greenie?” “It’s a long story. I didn’t do it on purpose.” Seeing his opportunity, Zane pressed the antiseptic against his neck again, but Cole grabbed his head before he could move away. “Hey, just look at me, tough guy. Don’t be a baby.” Lloyd closed his eyes to try to keep tears from falling down his face. “Easy for you to say,” he whined. “You can’t feel it.” “If these scar over, what story are you gonna tell people?” Lloyd opened his eyes, confused. “Story?” “Well, you can’t just tell people you lost a fight with the air,” Cole joked. “You gotta give them something like, ‘Oh these scars? It was a big ass cat. If you think this looks bad, you should see the cat!’ I like that idea.” “I’m not going to tell people a cat attacked me.” Cole nodded. “Fair…we’ll say it was an armadillo.” Lloyd choked out a pained laugh, wincing as Zane touched his neck with the rag again. “What the hell are you talking about?” “Um, I very clearly said armadillo, did I not?” “He did!” Kai chimed in. Cole smiled at him. “Thank you, Kai. Lloyd, giant armadillos have shockingly sharp claws.” Lloyd rolled his eyes. “You’re not helping.” “All cleaned,” Zane said. “The worst is over.” Cole winked at Lloyd. “I kept you still, didn’t I? Sounds like I helped plenty.” “You better be nice Lloyd,” Kai laughed, “Or else Cole will have to use his big muscles to hold you down next time.” Cole took a step back, his confident shoulders sinking slightly. He looked away from the group as he said, “Oh, yeah. I’ll uh…do that…next time.” He took a breath before turning to leave. “Just holler if you need me.” Nya’s eyes followed Cole as he left the room. “I’m going to head out too. I gotta make sure Jay didn’t faint in the hallway or anything.” Zane offered a hand to Lloyd to help him sit up. He reached into a first aid kit he had with him and pulled out a tube of ointment. “Keep the area clean and uncovered and apply this twice a day - once in the morning and once at night.” “Thank you Zane.” Zane smiled warmly. “Don’t move next time and I will be done sooner.” Lloyd laughed. “Yes, doc, I’ll do better next time.” Zane patted Lloyd’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He then stood up, grabbed his medical supplies, and left the room. Lloyd grabbed the blanket and wrapped himself up, doing his best to get comfortable. Kai sat down silently next to him. The two existed in each other’s peaceful quiet, until Kai got up and poured the tea into the teacup and handed it to Lloyd. “So, are we going to talk about it?” Lloyd took a sip from his tea. “Talk about what?” Kai gave him a doubtful look. “Lloyd. You call us for backup and we arrive to you attacking yourself.” He took a deep breath. “I was scared, Lloyd. I’ve been fighting by your side for years, but I’ve never seen you like that before.” Lloyd shifted uncomfortably. “There was something wrong with the black fog.” Kai nodded. “Yeah, that mist looked nasty. I would’ve gotten stuck in it too if Nya hadn’t stopped me.” “Why’s that?” “I saw you in trouble,” Kai admitted. “Nothing else mattered. Nothing was going to keep me from saving you. Nothing.” Lloyd laughed. “Nothing, except Nya.” Kai playfully punched Lloyd’s arm. “You get what I mean.” The two sat for a few more moments in silence, before Kai started speaking again. “Can we talk about what happened to you in there?” Lloyd nodded, placing his teacup down. “Well, I was entirely blind. The second it touched me, it was like it swallowed me in darkness. I then heard a voice, calling out for me, so I tried following it. Right when I thought I found it, it felt like something wrapped around my neck. I felt like I was suffocating-” “Which is why you clawed at your neck,” Kai finished. “That makes sense.” “The weirdest part about the whole thing was the voice,” Lloyd admitted. “Why’s that?" Lloyd hesitated for a second. “I could’ve sworn it was Rumi calling out for me.” Kai’s expression soured. “Of fucking course.” “I’m serious, Kai!” “I know, and I’m not doubting you, but god this chick just doesn’t know when to quit it.” “Do you really think she’s behind the attack?” Kai shrugged. “I can’t say for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she survived that building collapse.” As his anger built, Lloyd could feel Kai’s natural heat he gave off burn hotter. Lloyd pulled his legs up to his chest. “Can we not talk about this?” Kai snapped out of his anger, his temperature returning to normal. “Oh, yeah, of course. So besides the attack, how was the con?” Lloyd groaned. “It was great until my autographed comic got swapped with someone else’s.” Kai’s expression dropped. “NUH UH!” Lloyd nodded, pointing to his backpack. “I got stuck with someone else’s damn comic book.” “That sucks!” Kai thought for a moment. “Any chance we could find this person and get the book swapped?” Lloyd shrugged. “She was in full cosplay. I have no clue what she actually looks like.” “I wish you the best, brother,” Kai said, standing up. “Jay and I have our gaming marathon tonight, so I should get going so I can beat his ass. But you come get me if you need anything, okay?” Lloyd nodded. “Thank you.” As Kai stepped out of the room, he yelled over his shoulder, “AND MAKE SURE YOUR DISHES MAKE IT TO THE SINK!” “WHATEVER, MOM!” “WhAtEvEr, MoM!” Kai mocked, his giggling vanishing as he made his way down the hall. Lloyd finished the rest of his tea, breathing slowly in the silence as the Bounty swayed beneath him, her floorboards creaking ever so slightly. He tried to let his mind rest, but he couldn’t shake everything going through his head. Lloyd drifted between sadness, guilt, and fear, while reliving today’s events. He wasn’t sure if he believed it was Rumi. Part of him wanted it to be, but he didn’t know why. Everything felt like it was weighing him down, making his head feel heavy. Not knowing what else to do or where else to go, Lloyd slid out of bed and wandered out of his room, his blanket still wrapped around him. Lloyd went down the hall a few doors, stopping at the room at the end of the hall. He knocked on the door and crossed his fingers, smiling when Nya opened the door. “Oh! Uh, hey, Lloyd.” Nya seemed nervous to have him at her door, but Lloyd didn’t notice. “Hi! I’m glad Jay is busy tonight. May I come in?” Before Nya could respond, Lloyd walked into her room. “You said previously that if I needed girl help that I could come to you.” Nya smiled awkwardly. “I did.” “And tonight, Jay and Kai are pulling their video game all nighter.” “They are.” “So that means you’re available to chat for a bit!” Nya shook her head. “Sorry Lloyd, but I have plans.” Lloyd gave her a confused look. “This late at night? And in your pajamas?” “Oh, am I interrupting?” Cole asked behind Lloyd. Lloyd turned around to find Cole shirtless in his pj pants, holding a pillow tightly against his chest. “I can come back later.” “No!” Nya shouted. “Lloyd was just leaving.” “I was?” Lloyd asked. Nya grabbed Lloyd’s arm, dragging him towards the door. “Yes. I’m doing-” Lloyd grabbed the door frame, stopping Nya dead in her tracks. “Cole? You’re doing Cole?” “NO!” Nya yelled, trying to hold back laughter. Cole giggled, still standing in the hallway. “Kai and Jay have their thing, so Nya and I have ours.” “Oh! Perfect! The more the merrier!” Lloyd turned and walked back into the room, pulling Nya along with him. Nya released his arm. “Lloyd, really, can we please do this another night?” Cole shook his head. “Nya, it’s okay.” Nya gave him a worried look. “Are you sure?” Cole hesitated, studying Lloyd’s face, then nodded slowly. “I think I’m okay with this.” He then took a seat in the middle of the room while Nya pulled out a box from her closet filled with various skincare products. “Awesome, thank you!” Lloyd said, taking a seat on the ground beside him. “It’s about Rumi.” Both Cole and Nya froze. “Wait, seriously?” Nya asked. Lloyd nodded. “Yeah. That fog stuff earlier made me think I heard her.. “Do you think she did this?” Nya questioned, rummaging through her box. “I’m not sure. I was telling Kai about it and I don’t think he quite knew how to take it.” Nya tossed a spa headband with brown bear ears to Cole, who slid it onto his head. He then used a hair tie he had around his wrist to pull his remaining hair into a bun. Lloyd stared at him for a moment, giving him a weird look, before continuing. “I could’ve sworn I heard her yelling for me, but when I tried to follow her voice, an invisible force started choking me. It’s why I scratched up my neck - I was trying to breathe and remove whatever was choking me.” Nya grabbed a small pink container and sat in front of Cole. She popped it open, dipped her fingers in, then started coating Cole’s face with it. “I’m not normally one to judge, but what is this?” Nya looked over her shoulder. “Cole’s needed some destressing time, so this is our routine. We have a spa night where we pamper ourselves and talk.” “Talk about what?” Lloyd asked. Nya looked at Cole, silently letting him guide the conversation. “Well,” Cole started, “I’ve got a lot of personal feelings I’ve been working through, too. Feelings that I’m not comfortable sharing with any of the guys.” “Dude, you know we’re all always here for you, right?” Lloyd reminded him. “Oh, of course! I’ve just got some more personal things going on.” Lloyd watched as Cole, a tall muscular man, sunk into himself, looking small and unconfident. “Nya’s been helping me work through my feelings.” “What kind of feelings?” Lloyd asked. “Like, relationship feelings?” “You…could say that, I guess.” “OOOOooooOOOO,” Lloyd teased. “Who is the lucky girl, huh?” Cole tensed up, almost like he was preparing himself to be punched. He swallowed hard, gathering every ounce of courage he could find, before saying three words Lloyd would’ve never expected. “Lloyd….I’m gay.”