Latest Posts by yumizurueleonora - Page 4

spotify wrapped is HERE! send me a number 1-100 and I’ll tell you the song it corresponds with on my top 100 playlist

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Power Rangers S.P.D. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bridge Carson & Sky Tate, Sky Tate & Original Character(s), Elizabeth "Z" Delgado & Jack Landors Characters: Sky Tate, Bridge Carson, Jack Landors, Elizabeth "Z" Delgado, Sydney Drew, Original Characters, Katherine "Kat" Manx Additional Tags: Kidnapping, Shapeshifting, Imposters Summary:

Sky gets caught up in one of his father's cases coming back to haunt him.

does your oc still go home to see their parents?

"should we tell authors on ao3 when we have discord conversations about their fics" i don't speak for everyone here but if y'all ever find a group chat discussing my fics you can should must and WILL send me screenshots of the whole damn thing. inflate my ego. gimme

I hope none of you disappear in the coming days. Seriously don't do anything that can't be undone.

reblog if your inbox is always open for new members of the fandom who may be a little shy or intimidated. doesn’t matter whether or not you’re a “popular blog”; everyone here is equal and if you’re reading this as a new person/someone considering entering the fandom, we will not turn you away!!!! talk to us!! make friends!! i more than understand being shy but trust me this fandom is chill come join us in this hellhole

Reblog if you want a shitty summary of your blog in your inbox.

Always

Hey, I wanna talk about how we do fandom! I've come to realize that I, personally, tend to differ from many others in that I highly prefer to only engage with a text as it's written, so I don't tend to really like fanon/extremely ooc characterizations and I find it hard to get invested in ships that aren't canon. My way of doing fandom isn't better or worse than anyone else's, but I am curious about how much of a minority I'm in! So:

*We've all seen ships of characters not from the same media and stuff like shipping the concept of ennui with the color blue, okay, I'm asking what you, personally, find compelling!

trick or treat!!! :3

For you…

How about some behind-the-scenes info on a fic?

The first part of Singing Out A Melody Too Lovely To Withstand was actually written around a year ago, around the time I wrote Seasons May Turn, But Things Still Stay The Same. I fleshed it out afterwards because I thought it would be fun and I just really love writing Narin.

Trick or treat!

Ok well you've read all my wips but have this stupid one from the VBS superhero au because it's funny:

They’re all hanging out after practice when Mita casually goes “Hey, is it true your group name was Gurney flap back in the day?”

Azusawa’s eyes widen and Akimine chokes on her drink.

Arata sighs. “Yes, that was our name.”

“Wow, I heard you had a death wish, but I didn’t think you worked it into your band name.” 

“Ok one, it’s a racecar reference. Two, it was Souma’s idea.” 

“Oh no, that’s unfortunate,” Azusawa says. 

Shinonome looks confused. “Wait, what? I don’t get it.”

“A gurney flap is the thing on the back of a racecar,” Arata explains. “It’s a normal thing to reference.”

“Ok but like what does it have to do with your death wish?”

“I didn’t–” Arata says but then he stops. “Shinonome, do you know what a gurney is?”

“No.”

“It’s the thing people are wheeled to hospitals in,” Arata says in a tone of voice that probably implies he added you fucking idiot to the end of that sentence, and Shinonome looks annoyed.

“Oh, I know what those are, obviously, they go down the street all the time, I just didn’t know the word.”

“Gurneys… are going down the street… Shinonome do you mean an ambulance?”

“Huh?”

Arata tries not to scream. “Shinonome, an ambulance is the big white trucks that people drive. A gurney is like a small bed on wheels that people put an injured person on to take them to the ambulance and move them around the hospital.”

Shinonome nods. “Oh. right. Then, what’s a racecar.”

Arata blinks. “Oh, you’re fucking with me.”

“Huh?”

“Akito grew up in America,” Toya says quickly, “so he doesn’t know a lot of things.”

“They have ambulances in America?” 

“He grew up somewhere rural.”

“They teach about them. And racecars.”

“He was homeschooled.”

Trick or treat!

(i genuinely have ur AO3 dashboard pulled up all the time just so i can refresh and see if you posted)

-CorrosiveIcchan (my AO3 user ^^)

Oh, hey! Nice to see you!

Since you have Icchan in your username…

Train rides like this are always so quiet.

Ichika clutches onto her bag and sits on a train, watching as it slowly empties out as she gets closer to her destination.

Tsukasa-san is there too, a comforting arm around her.

It’s just them for now, they were the only ones available when the call came to the Tenma house.

Saki’s on a respirator. Breathing through a tube.

Her parents are driving over, and Ichika and Tsukasa are sitting on a train.

There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing to react to.

There’s a comforting squeeze on her arm. She’ll be fine. Saki’s always been fine.

But Tsukasa-san’s face is painfully neutral. He doesn’t have the energy to smile.

It’s not like Ichika can blame him. Who could smile like this?

He’ll be smiling soon enough. He’ll fake a smile and cheer Saki up like he always does.

And Tsukasa-san takes a breath as they approach their station, putting on that fake smile as he leaps out of his seat, extending his hand to her.

“Come on, Ichika! Saki needs us! Turn that frown upside down!”

And Ichika takes a deep breath and tries to lift her lips, but Tsukasa-san’s face makes it clear that she’s not smiling.

“It’s okay.” He says. “I’ll smile for both of us.”

trick or treat!! :3c

You get…

And then Arata throws the door open.

“You’re not actually breaking up with me, right?” Arata says, voice cracking, and Souma’s eyes widen.

“Oh, come on, Arata. I was kidding, I’m not actually breaking up with you.”

Arata walks over and practically dives into Souma’s bed, his hands grabbing the back of Souma’s jacket.

And suddenly, Souma feels really pathetic for getting so upset over something so stupid.

“I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“I’m sorry for giving her ammunition to use in your fights.” Arata responds, muffled by Souma’s shoulder.

“Nah, it’s not that big of a deal, really. I’ll just write another set of imagines to piss her off more.”

ask box trick-or-treat (fic writer edition)

Send an ask with "Trick or treat!" to the writer who reblogged this & you could receive a 3-sentence fic, drabble, headcanon, sneak-peek at a WIP, the last sentence they wrote, a new fic idea, random line from a fic, picture of their notebook, a deleted line they love, an idea for a sequel, something they're researching, behind-the-scenes info on a published fic, or something else!

happy halloween!

reblog to welcome trick-or-treaters to your inbox! 🕸️🦇

Alto's Whumptober 2024 Masterpost

(Links updated daily)

AO3 Series

Day 1 - Search Party

Day 2 - Amusement Park

Day 3 - Set Up For Failure

Day 4 - Sensory Deprivation

Day 5 - Shivering (Alt Prompt)

Day 6 - Bad Coping Mechanisms

Day 7 - Magic With A Cost

Day 8 - Sleep Deprivation

Day 9 - "Frame me up on the wall, just to keep me out of trouble"

Day 10 - Passing out from pain

Day 11 - Loneliness

Day 12 - "Just A Little More"

Day 13 - Familial Curses

Day 14 - Used as Bait (Alt Prompt)

Day 15 - No Holds Barred Beatdown (Alt Prompt)

Day 16 - Wound Cleaning

Day 17 - Shipwrecked

Day 18 - Revenge

Day 19 - Overzealous

Day 20 - Shoulder To Lean On

Day 21 - Spirit Possession

Day 22 - "That can't be good"

Day 23 - Broken Pedestal

Day 24 - Collapsed Building

Day 25 - It's for your own good

Day 26 - "I am haunted by the lies that I have loved, the action I had hated"

Day 27 - Muzzled

Day 28 - Denial

Day 29 - Body Swap (Alt Prompt)

Day 30 - What Have I Done?

Day 31 - "I'm Alive, I'm Just Not Well"

AITA for lying to get my daughter out of trouble?

So I (24M) adopted a girl (15F) with my husband three years ago. When we took her in, she didn't have any records and hadn't been to school in years, but she's an absolute genius! She's a quick learner and taught herself a lot of stuff and she aced the exam to get into this fancy private school that's supposed to be very good for getting students into college.

She hasn't said she'd been having any problems but on my day off I got a call that she'd been in a fight. According to the principal she's attacked some guys on the Lacrosse team after they pulled a harmless prank, but one member of the team, A (16M) said the lacrosse team started it by pulling on a Minervan girl's head feathers, which cause her to instinctively scratch at them, which lead to a fight.

Even without A's testimony it was kind of clear this was self defense but as it turns out, the mother of one of the lacrosse team members was already at the principal's office and since she apparently donates a large amount to the school regularly and was very close to convincing the principal to just expel my daughter and the other kids.

Now I'm very disillusioned with this school and planning to ask my daughter if she wants to transfer out but that's going to be even harder if she has an expulsion for fighting on her record on top of her spotty history, and the fight wasn't even her fault.

So here's where I might be TA. See when I arrived, neither the Principal or the mother recognized me as a parent, they recognized me as a member of local law enforcement (which I know will automatically make me ta to some of you but I really need advice please) and thought I was here to arrest my daughter and her friends.

I had no plans to but I sort of blurted out that if they let me take the problem students for the weekend, they could spend the weekend in our youth program and I basically implied that would be enough of a punishment nothing had to go on anyone's record. Since these two only cared about punishing my daughter for engaging in self defense they agreed, but we don't actually have that sort of program?

We don't often let people under 18 even in the base, I just made it up so my daughter wouldn't be expelled.

If it was just her we'd be fine but there are four other kids I have to take for the weekend now and we have nothing for them to do and I'm worried it'll be more trouble if I just let them go home and hope they don't say anything or get caught.

But here we are, so is this an abuse of power? Am I the TA for giving my friends extra work? Should I have said that one of the kids was my daughter?

Whumptober Day 30: What Have I Done

A/N: This is another instance of @yumizurueleonora and I have an entire au for years and then never post about it.

Accidents

On instinct, Toya doesn’t knock when he unlocks Akito’s apartment. It’s never been a problem between the two of them, but it’s after stepping inside that he thinks he should have warned Akito he was coming over.

He stays in the entryway, unsure if he should leave, when Akito walks over, in boxers and an oversized shirt and looking like a mess.

“Oh,” Akito mutters. “Are you here to yell at me too?”

“No,” Toya says. “From what I hear you’ve gotten enough of that.”

Akito collapses onto the couch. “Thanks partner, you always know just what I need. Want to help me plan the wedding?”

Toya freezes. God he thought he'd have more time to mend this rift between them, but now here Akito is, getting married.

“That’s a joke,” Akito says. “Sorry, it’s a bad one. We’re just going to the courthouse and filing paperwork.”

“No, of course it’s–” Toya takes a deep breath. “You know I’m here for you, partner, right? No matter what happens, whatever you need, I’ll always help you.” Even if it’s helping with your child with another woman.

“Wanna help me box up all the alcohol I have? I can’t really stand to look at it right now but it’d be a waste to toss it all so I’m gonna give it to Ken.”

Toya nods, and heads over to Akito’s liquor cabinet. Akito's not much of a drinker, so most of the bottles gifted to him are still unopened.

Toya starts taking them out and carefully putting them into the box Akito brought over, but Akito pulls out one of the bottles.

“Wait, hold on,” Akito says. “Not this one.”

Toya takes a better look at the bottle and realizes it’s a German wine he’d gifted Akito on New Year’s.

“You’re just going to let it sit there?” Toya asks.

“It’s a gift from my partner, I don’t want to just give it away,” Akito says. After thinking for a second, he uncorks it and pours two glasses. “To the worst mistake of my life.”

Toya takes a sip from his glass. “Akito, do you… want to talk about it?”

Akito stays silent. “Honestly… no. ‘Cause if I talk about it, I think I’ll run away.”

“Would it be running away?” Toya asks. “You’re marrying someone you don’t love.”

“Hey, I do love Natsumi!” Akito says. “And I'm the one who got her pregnant because I was too drunk to realize the condom broke.”

Toya swallows his jealousy. “You aren’t ready to get married, or have kids.”

“It’s too late to do anything now,” Akito says. “It’s my responsibility.”

“She was the one who didn’t notice she was pregnant for five months!”

“She said it’s complicated!” Akito says. 

Toya crosses his arms. “I’m just saying you're not the only one to blame.”

“Well if we made this mess together, we gotta clean it up together too,” Akito says. “You can’t seriously say if it was Saki, you wouldn’t expect the father to step up?”

“I…” Toya takes a deep breath. “I see where you’re coming from, I really do, but you have to see this won’t make you happy.”

“I’m a piece of shit who got a girl pregnant, what makes me happy is kind of the least important thing in this situation.”

“Is it fair to the child if their parents don’t love each other?”

“I do love her!” Akito snaps. “Natsumi and I, we get along, we’re good together, we’ll make it work. And this way she gets some security and really it’s the least I can do.”

Akito finishes his glass of wine. “I’m too tired for this. Can we talk some other time?”

“Akito,” Toya says, “you’re making a mistake.”

“I already made the mistake, and I don’t need people to keep reminding me. Now get out.”

Toya gets up and slinks away. His hand hovers at the door knob, and for a second he wants to turn around and tell Akito he loves him, but one glance back at his partner tells him what he already knew.

Toya’s chance passed a long time ago, and now he’ll never get it back.

Whumptober Day 29: Alt. Prompt Body Swap

A/n: Everyone say thank you to @yumizurueleonora for reminding me I wrote this because otherwise I was just gonna skip this day.

Perception

Dru watches the guards bring in the new prisoner, the self-proclaimed Wootox The Destroyer. The others steer clear of the fresh meat and Dru walks over to him.

“Hello,” Dru says, flashing a smile. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Dru Harrington. As the others have hopefully informed you, I’m the guy who can get you whatever you need.”

“I don't need anything from you,” Wootox says.

Dru laughs. “Oh funny guy, why are you trying to speak Terran.”

“You can understand me?”

“I’m Tangarian,” Dru says and Wootox looks confused. “We have similar vocal chord structures?”

“Of course. Well, whatever, leave me alone.”

Dru narrows his eyes. “One thing first, I need to know if you did anything to the Blue Ranger.”

“What if I killed him?”

“Well it'd be on your rap sheet,” Dru says, “but for your sake it’s better if you didn’t hurt him.”

“Why do you care, you shot him.”

“Well you know he was the only guy willing to do it in a broom closet five minutes before an exam so I probably owe him for that.”

The very human startled reaction doesn’t look quite right on Wootox’s body.

“Hello, Sky.” Dru says. “Thank you for confirming Wootox’s ability to switch bodies for me.”

“I’m happy to help,” Sky says, “now leave me alone.”

“And how could I abandon my Angel when he needs my help.”

“I’m not your Angel, and I don’t need your help.”

“Really? You’re planning on escaping prison and getting back to Earth on your own? When you’re a wanted criminal who’s already escaped once?”

Sky glares at him.

“Do you think they’ve noticed you’re acting off yet? Or has Wootox already gotten rid of anyone who might get suspicious. Bridge can find him out easily if he gets a whiff of something wrong, and he’s your roommate. Or maybe he's just taken whatever SPD tech he can get his hands on, run off, and sold it to the highest bidder, and now your friends are facing upgraded Krybots and criminals who know their every weakness. Or–”

“Enough,” Sky growls. “Why do you want to help me? I thought you didn’t need me.”

Dru leans back and smiles. “Maybe there is some goodness left in my heart. Maybe I’m just enjoying the irony of this whole situation.”

“So you’re helping me for a laugh?”

“I’m helping you because if anyone’s going to have you weak and screaming on your knees, metaphorically or otherwise, it’s going to be me, Angel, and it’s no fun if you’re already at my mercy.”

Sky turns away.

“Tick tock, Sky. Every second you waste is another second Wootox can use your body to hurt your precious SPD.

“Fine.” Sky says. “What’s your plan?”

“It’ll take me time to come up with something.”

“I know you Dru, you had a plan the second you figured out it was me.”

“Always so needy,”

“You’re the one who said I don’t have time to waste.”

“Alright, but just because it's you,” Dru says. “I do have a plan, but I won’t tell you what it is.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re just going to have to trust me.”

Sky is clearly mulling it over, looking for something to argue against, but they already both know the plan is sound.

“How soon can you get it done?” Sky asks.

“Oh, I'm a pretty busy guy, running an information network from inside prison, you’ll have to convince me to move it up on priority list.”

“What now, Dru.”

“Let me remind you how to have fun, Angel.” Dru takes Sky by the arm and leads him to a closet, then presses up against him.

“I don’t know how to use this body like that.”

“We figured it out once, we can do it again.” Dru shifts to his Tangarian form. “You have no idea how much I've thought of getting to do this with you like this.”

“Let’s just get this over with.”

“You can try and have a little fun,” Dru says. “I’m going to make this pleasurable for you too.” He gives Sky a shock Sky shudders. “See? I remember the kind of things you liked. Different body doesn’t mean a thing.”

Sky moans a little, and Dru gets to work.

~

The chemicals released by Wootox’s body after sex are even stronger than the ones humans have, so Sky’s practically a giggling useless puddle once they’re done.

It's easy enough to get the guards to turn the other way as Dru takes “Wootox” back into his cell and says they’ll be sharing for a bit, so now all Dru has to do is send a message.

“Hello, Jack,” he says into the recording. “Thank you so much for sending Sky over here to visit me. I’m having so much fun with him, I can only assume you did this on purpose, right? Surely you’ve noticed Wootox in Sky’s body before this. I mean Bridge is psychic, so you must have known and decided to do me a favor. Thank you so much, I really owe you one.”

There, that should get those idiots to actually check and come rushing over to get Sky back in his body. He sent it along a secure SPD channel, so they’ll notice soon enough.

As much as Dru would love more time with Sky, he’s not stupid enough to rock the boat on a whim. If he’s whisking Sky off to the furthest corner of the galaxy so that stupid blue boy will stop sticking around in his mind, he’s going to take longer than a day to plan it.

So he’ll just have to settle with leaving Sky a reminder of how good they can be together, and mocking the other rangers for being such idiots. If it puts a seed of doubt in his mind about whether he belongs at SPD, then so be it.

Although… maybe there’s one more thing he can do to rub salt in the wound.

~

“This is all my fault,” Syd groans. “If I hadn’t hit him so hard–”

“Someone sneaking into our room deserves an iron fist to the face,” Z says, “it’s not your fault Sky – or Sky’s body? – was so exhausted it kept him out for three days.”

“But it was still weird! We should have checked if something was wrong there!”

“One weird thing isn’t enough to assume someone’s been body snatched,” Bridge says. “And my powers don’t work if I don’t know to check… maybe I should learn to read minds or something.”

“You can work on that after we get our Sky back,” Jack says, gripping the shuttle controls a little too tightly. 

That fucking message from Dru. Self righteous prick. If he’s done anything to Sky, Jack will beat him up himself.

It’s clear he wants something, and Jack's a little worried he already for it from Sky.

They arrive at the prison and haul Wootox-in-Sky’s body to the meeting room, where Sky-in-Wootox’s body is waiting, alongside Dru.

“What are you doing here?” Jack asks.

“I want to make sure you don’t mess this up,” Dru says.

“Bridge?” Jack says and Bridge scans Sky-in-Wootox’s body.

“Yep. That’s Sky!” Bridge says.

They shove Wootox-in-Sky’s body towards Sky-in-Wootox’s body and hold him still while Sky-in-Wootox’s body touch their foreheads together.

There’s energy and a bright light, but suddenly Sky stumbles back and he’s stopped glaring.

Jack ungags him. “Sky? That you?”

“Yeah,” Sky says. “I’m me, and why does my head hurt?”

“Sky!” Syd hugs him. “I’m so sorry I knocked you out!”

“Hm?”

“That creep snuck into my room and was watching me and I was holding an hair iron and when I tried to push him away I launched him across the room with an iron fist.”

“Wootox has been passed out in your body for three days,” Z says.

“Oh! So he didn’t do anything!” Sky says. “I was worried he’d hurt you guys.”

“No, as it turns out your body was just exhausted already,” Bridge says, “so when Syd hit him he just slept it off.”

“Still burning that midnight oil?” Dru asks and they’re suddenly all reminded he’s here. “Sky, do you really need me to help you get to sleep.”

“We’ll finish this conversation later,” Jack says, “let’s go.”

“What no thank you for fixing your catastrophic mistake before something serious happened?”

“Thank you,” Jack grits out. 

“I want one more thing.”

“If it’s a lighter sentence, you’re lowering your chances.”

“I want it from Sky.”

“No.”

“And if I say that I strapped a bomb to Wootox and will blow us all up if I don’t?”

“You care too much about money for that,” Jack says. “You’re a guy who knows when to cut his losses and run.”

“Oh, that your professional analysis,” Dru says, pulling out what looks like a detonator. “Willing to stake your life on it?”

Before Jack can say anything, Sky rushes forward, pulls Dru close and kisses him for far too long. 

Even without his translator, Jack’s pretty sure he understands what Wootox is saying.

They finally separate, and Sky has the detonator in his hands.

“This is a pen.”

“Did it’s job,” Dru says. “I hope we can catch up again soon, Sky.”

He knocks on the door, and guards arrive to take him and Wootox away.

Sky coughs and straightens up. “Ok, well we’ll have to go check in with Commander Cruger so–”

“Are you ok?” Jack asks. “Dru didn’t do anything to you?”

“No, it's fine,” Sky says. 

“Are you–”

“It's fine,” Sky says, “I don’t want to talk about it, let’s just get back.”

Sky leaves first and the others follow out, and Jack can’t get that damn look of Dru’s out of his mind.

Like he’s telling Jack he’s got something Jack can never have.

Update: Hey, it’s the girl who was having problems with her Ranger Geek classmate. I know it’s only been like a day and a half but long story short I ended up time traveling and spent a month and a half bouncing around and fixing up the timeline with her and a few other kids and met the past versions of my dads before they adopted me? It was a whole thing. Long story short after a month and a half with the past version of S who immediately after realizing that I was his daughter from the future started trying to connect with me I kinda realized that he really did care about me? It was kind of insane.

I also started connecting with Ranger Geek more, and she was… really nice to me. She told me things I needed to hear, and snapped me out of my self-loathing and told me about little things that I never noticed because I was so sure he didn’t care about me, like about how he would smile when I did something right or how apparently he has a picture of us together on my last birthday on his desk.

Long story short, we’re actually dating now! I introduced her to J and S (Who I finally managed to start calling Dad, by the way! He was so happy about it!), and…

Well, J liked her, but S immediately started with the shovel talk. Turns out he didn’t like her as much as I thought and wanted us to be friends because he thought she could keep up with me, but he doesn’t think she’s good enough to be my girlfriend? So I don’t know what to do about that, but… all’s well that ends well?

.

WIBTA for snapping at this girl in my class and telling her to stop clinging to me all the time?

I (15F) go to this magnet school. We’ve got kids from a lot of different backgrounds and stuff, and there tends to be some conflict between the richer students who pay to go here or the people with athletic scholarships and kids with the academic scholarship and lottery students.

This girl, R (16F), is in my grade and the same lunch as me. She’s here on an academic scholarship, and she’s really geeky about the Power Rangers. Everyone knows they’re cool, but she knows stuff like Zord stats and the upsides and downsides of different Morphers. Because of this, she’s teased mercilessly and everyone calls her Ranger Geek.

I have nothing against her personally, and she’s like a little bunny rabbit that clings to me because I don’t take the bullies shit and if she stays near me she won’t be bullied.

She’s… fine, I guess. Not a bad person, definitely doesn’t deserve all the shit she gets, but… I can’t fucking stand her. The reason?

I was adopted three years ago. I had to fend for myself on the streets for years, and I was adopted by this couple, J and S (Both 24M).

J was the one that wanted me. He used to be a street kid too, and when he saw me breaking in to try to steal some food, he said he wanted to adopt me at that second. He and S had barely been dating, but S stepped up the moment J said he was adopting me and he was already planning to propose, so it worked out I guess? But…

But S never wanted to adopt me. He just loved J and was a really good person. I’ve never been able to bring myself to call him Dad, it’s always been Pops and Uncle S. I… I know how he really feels. He never wanted a daughter like me.

And I can’t help but be jealous of that Ranger Geek, because S is also a huge nerd… and a Power Ranger. Ranger Geek’s the only one at school who knows this, because she heard my hyphenated last name and asked me if it stood for them.

S is the kind of guy that memorizes Zord stats for fun, and a couple of times, Ranger Geek has gotten roped into some stuff with my family. And the moment she showed up, she was able to help, and I saw S’s eyes light up. Like she was the daughter he always wanted.

He’s been pushing me to make friends with her ever since they first met, but I can’t do that. I know he’d rather spend time with her than me, but I… I…

…I just wish I was more like her, so he’d love me like that too.

That Ranger Geek has done nothing wrong, but I despise her and tell her to not bother me, even though she relies on me to avoid bullies. I really don’t want her near me, but I don’t want her to be bullied.

So WIBTA I told her to leave me the hell alone? I don’t want her to be bullied, but every time I see her, this bitterness rises up in my chest knowing that S would rather have her as a daughter than me. I can’t take it anymore!

Google Docs

The Adventures of D&D

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Whumptober Day 24 - Collapsed Building

There I Met Your Voice Again

MEIKO has a special cabinet in Crase Cafe where she stores the strongest liquor. None of the kids are supposed to touch it, and she keeps it a secret from An and the others.

The cabinet is only opened when all the adult virtual singers— so the versions of herself, KAITO, and Luka from everywhere except School SEKAI— are together and something serious has happened.

If this didn’t count, then who knew what did.

MEIKO had felt it, before Kohane came in tears to tell her what was going on. A new rec center had opened up, a convenient walk from both Kamikou and Miyajou. Both Akito and An’s friend Haruka had been training there when all of sudden, the building just collapsed.

They were the only ones injured, both left in comas and unable to wake up. The effect on the SEKAI when they lose a pillar of it, even like this, isn’t immediate, but MEIKO knew the change in the air.

Her counterpart from the Stage SEKAI clearly felt the same way, wordlessly arriving. MEIKO chased the kids out and opened the special cabinet.

“How’s Minori?” MEIKO asks.

“Distraught,” Stage MEIKO says, throwing back shots of vodka while MEIKO makes herself a rum on the rocks. “How’s An-chan? She was friends with Haruka and Akito so…”

“I haven’t seen her,” MEIKO says. “I haven’t seen them all at once since.”

“The others are trying to see if there’s a way we can call to Haruka, maybe get her consciousness back to her body.”

“You think that’s the problem?” Reportedly the comas they were in were abnormal, but something tying into the SEKAI would be rare.

“It’s worth a try, isn’t it?” Stage MEIKO says. “Besides, it gives them something to do other than worry.”

“Yeah,” MEIKO says. “We should probably head over to Empty SEKAI after this, Ena-san’s probably upset too, it might be affecting them.”

“Miku knows they won’t come over themselves,” Stage MEIKO µtters.

Suddenly, there’s a weird flash of light, and the two MEIKOs are in a different SEKAI, one they haven’t seen before. Standing before them is a Vocaloid they don’t often see around them.

“µ?” MEIKO gasps. “What’s wrong?”

“MEI-chan and MEI-chan!” µ says, tears forming in her eyes. “I’m sorry!”

“What are you sorry for?” MEIKO asks, warily. µ was well intentioned, certainly, but she was… naïve, sometimes. As if nearly destroying the world wasn’t enough proof of that.

“W-well I heard about what happened to your kids,” µ says, “and I wanted to preserve their consciousnesses like I did with Marie-chan–”

“Wait, Akito-kun and Haruka are in comas because you trapped them in Mobius?” Stage MEIKO says.

“No! They were already in comas, this was just to make sure they didn’t suffer any long term consequences from lack of brain activity, it’s just, something went wrong and their consciousnesses… fractured.”

“Fractured?” MEIKO asks. 

“I’m asking Ritsu to work on it, but I think they might be scattered across your SEKAI so someone has to get them all back together.”

“µ, I swear–” Stage MEIKO says, but MEIKO stops her.

“Thank you for telling us µ. We’ll try and find the fragments of their consciousnesses. But in the future, please let us know before you want to help.”

“Ritsu’s working on it! We’re gonna fix it!”

“I know you will,” MEIKO says, before they’re returned to Street SEKAI.  

Stage MEIKO just grabs the vodka bottle and starts drinking. “Why,” she says, wiping her mouth, “does she have to be like this.”

“She’s got more of a connection to the Metaverse-Es than us,” MEIKO points out. “She’s constantly exposed to a µch wider array of human emotion, of course she gets mixed up sometimes.”

“And because she can do that, who knows how long Akito-kun and Haruka will be in comas?”

MEIKO can’t exactly argue with that.

“I’ll go tell the others,” Stage MEIKO says. “And I’m taking this.” She tucks the vodka bottle under her arm and heads back to her own SEKAI.

After locking up the liquor cabinet, MEIKO calls the others to tell them the news. 

Akito arrives first.

“Akito!” MEIKO gasps, “there you are!”

“Akito?! Akito you’re ok!” Len and Rin run up to him and start bombarding him with questions. 

“Where have you been?” “Shouldn’t you be in the hospital?” “Does Toya know you’re ok?”

Akito blinks. “The SEKAI has a hospital now?”

“What?” KAITO asks. “Akito what are you talking about, in the real world you–”

“Real world? We can’t go to the real world.” Akito says. “Did you seriously forget that?”

MEIKO has a bad feeling. “Akito, who are you?”

“Eh? Akito Shinonome?”

“And what are you?”

“A Virtual Singer? Duh? Are you ok?”

MEIKO curses under her breath. 

“Wait, I’m confused,” KAITO says. “Akito, that isn’t funny. What’s going on?”

“I just had a talk with µ,” MEIKO starts, but KAITO’s eyes glaze over. 

“Actually, nevermind,” he says.

MEIKO rolls her eyes. “This is fine, we’ll just take him to µ and–”

“Sorry I’m late!” an unfamiliar voice says. A girl with blue hair and a jean jacket arrives. “What’s the important meeting?”

“Hey, Haruka,” Akito says. “Mostly they’re asking weird questions.”

MEIKO’s mind is racing. Haruka-chan is here, not her own SEKAI, and wearing street clothes. That makes no sense, unless…

Without a word, MEIKO rushes over to Stage SEKAI, and practically collides with her other self.

“I had a–

“--feeling something was wrong,” MEIKO says. Behind Stage MEIKO, there’s something that confirms her concerns. A second Haruka, in her idol outfit.

“They’re Virtual Singers,” MEIKO groans. “So there’s one for each SEKAI.”

“Oh I was scared you were going to say that,” Stage MEIKO says.

“Let’s call everyone.”

Ok 30 for IchiSaki

30. “Shut up and kiss me.”

“Icchan…” Saki whines, leaning back in her chair.

“Saki, what’s wrong?” Ichika asks, and Saki puts her head in her hands.

The worst-case scenarios keep running through her head. She’s feeling sick, she ran into someone who was sniffling—

“I’m cold…” She mutters, and Ichika immediately pulls her jacket off and throws it on her.

“I’ll get you a blanket, one seco—!” She starts, and Saki tosses her an amused glance.

“Not blanket cold, Icchan! You’ve gotta realize when a girl wants to cuddle!”

Ichika can feel herself turning red.

“Saki… I thought you were getting sick.”

“Oh, come on, Icchan. I know diseases like to kill me specifically, but I’m not coming down with something every time I say I’m cold! Come here!”

Ichika sighs and moves her chair closer to Saki’s, reaching over to hold her.

“Please don’t scare me like that, Saki…” Ichika groans, and Saki laughs as she curls up into Ichika.

“Oh, Icchan, shut up and kiss me.”

Ichika laughs gently and leans over to plant a kiss on Saki’s lips, and Saki smiles at her.

…And then she sneezes.

“…Allergies?” Saki tries, and Ichika leaps to her feet and grabs a blanket, throwing it around her.

“Come on, bed.”

“Ughhhh, Icchan!”

re-reading my own fic because the author has exactly my taste in tropes, ships the same ships in the right way, and also shares my sense of humour. what a find, what a revelation. i hope they write more of this sort of thing.

Day 23: Broken Pedestal

how many times have I conceded?

“When you were a kid, did you look up to your dad?” An asks, suddenly.

It’s their first day back at school after the confrontation with Taiga, and Akito’s busy during lunch, so it’s just the two of them, alone in a crowded cafeteria.

“A few months ago, I would have said no,” Toya admits, between bites of lunch. “But if I’m being honest? There was a time when I was young I would have called him the best musician in the world. I looked forward to going to his shows, seeing him play in crowded concert halls for thousands of people, bring them to tears, it made me proud.”

“When did it stop?”

Toya closes his eyes. “I think, I was at a concert of his with Mother, and he performed, and Mother was driven to tears, and I felt nothing. He’d always called classical the greatest gift to mankind, the best way of expressing emotions, and here I was not feeling anything. All I could think of after that was how stiff and rigid I was. My father called me perfect as always, and I wasn’t, and that was the moment I let myself think ‘father is wrong’ for the first time.

“I’d thought I didn’t want to practice, or wished I could be more like the Tenmas, but I never thought he was wrong until that moment. From there it just…”

“All fell away?” An says. “Like now all of a sudden you’re only seeing the dark parts of everything he did?”

Toya nods. “Exactly.”

“Yeah,” An says. “I’ve been thinking about it, trying to come to terms with the fact that Dad never told me about Aunt Nagi, that he didn’t let me know she was sick, that he let me think she was coming back.”

Toya doesn’t offer her any hollow sympathies, he simply motions for An to keep going.

“He was wrong,” An says. “They all were, I mean. Why would you want to spend the last moments of your life lying to your niece? Why would you want to hear your daughter talk about everything she’s going to tell someone she’s never going to see again? Why would you take your sister’s dying wish to support the next generation and just shatter it?”

“Yes,” Toya says. “They were wrong.”

With those three words, An feels a weight she didn’t know she was carrying come off her chest. “You know, when I was little I thought Dad didn’t love me because he was so busy performing. And after I ran away, everyone talked about how much he cared about me, and how happy he was to hear me sing. They made a point of it. And they all did it while knowing he was keeping me in the dark. So how could he love me when he can’t even be honest with me?”

“I wish I had the answer to that.” Toya says. “How can they love us when they don’t listen, how an they love us when they don’t consider our feelings?”

“He does, though,” An asks. “Right?”

“He does,” Toya admits, “but it never makes it better.”

“Yep,” An pops some chicken into her mouth. “It never makes it better.”

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Power Rangers S.P.D. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sydney Drew & Sky Tate, Bridge Carson & Sydney Drew & Sky Tate Characters: Sydney Drew, Sky Tate, Jack Landors, Bridge Carson, Elizabeth Delgado, Anubis "Doggie" Cruger, Katherine "Kat" Manx Additional Tags: Background Elizabeth Delgado/Sydney Drew, Background Jack Landors/Sky Tate, Background Dru Harrington/Sky Tate (Formerly), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Alcohol Summary:

“Cadets, this is a mission of utmost importance. However, it may be… unpleasant.” Cruger says, after summoning the rangers to the command center.

“Sir, we’re prepared to do anything you ask of us.” Sky says, his arms folded behind his back. “What is our assignment?”

“You are to attend Syd’s friend’s birthday party as her date.”

Sky blinks twice.

“…You can’t be serious.” He starts, crossing his arms.

“You want me to take Sky to Rika’s birthday party?!” Syd snaps.

for the prompts thing. 40 and whatever toya relationship you want >:3

40. “Please don’t let me fall.”

A/N: White Day AU brainrot’s been getting Alto lately so I should probably take it here too, lol.

You know, Toya thought he’d gotten used to heights, but being on the back of an unfamiliar dragon makes him realize that he certainly hasn’t.

He knows how Ena moves, how she shifts, but not Akito.

And the once-distant fear returns to his chest.

“A-Akito!” Toya gasps, as Akito turns into a roll with zero warning.

Thoughts rush through his head. Falling, spinning, being torn away from everything he knows.

His head is killing him. He can’t— He can’t do this.

God, he’s a failure as a Black Rose— Who would expect the legendary Ice Dragon to be scared of heights? He’s a dragon rider, for fuck’s sake! The greatest in the kingdom!

But he can’t handle this. The twists and turns and the feeling of being so wildly out of control.

Akito pulls him along like a damn hurricane. As agile as the wind.

“Are you having fun?” Akito laughs, and Toya’s grip on his scales gets tighter.

And he can only bring himself to say one thing.

“Please don’t let me fall.”

Akito immediately stops twisting, and he turns into a normal flying position.

“Why would you fall? You’re my treasure.”

And Toya…

Toya can’t help but laugh.

Right. He’s not going to fall.

This is a free flight. Not a combat situation.

They’re supposed to be having fun.

And if Toya can trust Akito with his life in combat, he can certainly trust him with his life here. When it’s just the two of them.

Send me unpopular opinions?

I have to answer with

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

but also justify why I feel that way.

All the fandoms I blog about are accepted (actually, just about all fandoms are accepted).

Fic prompts

“Your hair is really soft after you wash it.”

“Are you blushing?”

“I missed you so much.”

“I’ll keep you warm.”

“Come here. Sit down and tell me what’s going on.”

“Wait a minute. Are you jealous ?”

“Hey, I’m with you okay?”

“C’mere. You can sit in my lap until I’m done working.”

“No no, it’s okay. Come here.”

“Are you wearing my shirt?”

“You are ridiculously comfortable.”

“We should get a puppy.”

“Let’s take a nap.”

“Just let me hold you for a minute.”

“Baby, you’re shaking.”

“I’m sorry for waking you up.”

“How did this happen?”

“Come here, I’ll carry you.”

“Can you read to me?”

“You bought me flowers?”

“No, don’t stop. I like the sound of your voice.”

“I’ll kiss your whole face, don’t even try me.”

“I can’t reach it.”

“Stay, please.”

“Are you seriously giving me the silent treatment?”

“I can take care of myself.”

“You did what?”

“I didn’t know you could sing?”

“Can I sit on your lap?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“Hey hey, it’s just me.”

“How drunk was I?”

“Where does it hurt?”

“Hey, just look at me, breath.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Please, look at me.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Why are you so stubborn?”

“You promised…”

“Please don’t let me fall.”

Whumptober Day 21: Spirit Possession

A/N: This is a Caligula Effect crossover, but you don't have to have played it to get what's going on.

this feeling of love for you

Saki finds Ichika on the roof of the school, humming a song she’s never heard before.

“Hey, Ichi!” Saki says. “Hona and Shi-chan said you were acting weird during class?”

Ichika keeps singing the song under her breath. “Even if it is distorted, even if it is rotten, even if it is stagnant, it’s still happiness!” 

“That a new song you’re working on?” Saki asks. “It’s uh, darker than usual but–”

“Saki, do you love me?” Ichika asks. 

“What? Of course!” Saki says. 

“Really? Truly?”

“Why are you asking?” Saki says, and Ichika spins around and takes her hands.

“Would you do anything to prove it to me?”

“Yes! Absolutely!”

“Promise? Anything?”

“Yes, Ichika, I’d do anything for you, I mean I’ve been in love with you since we were kids!

“Would you die for me?”

Saki stops. “Ichika, what are you talking about?”

“Tell me!” Ichika snaps. “Would you die for me?”

“Yes, of course, but tell me what’s–” Suddenly, Ichika pulls Saki in for a kiss, but something feels wrong about it.

“Finally,” Ichika breathes, a manic glint to her eye. “An Ichika with someone who loves her enough.”

“Ichi…” Saki says, “you’re starting to scare me.”

“Don’t worry about that Saki, if you love me, you’ll die with me!”

Saki’s heart stops. She doesn’t know how this is possible, but she feels it in her bones. “You’re not Ichika.”

“I am,” Ichika says. “I’m Ichika Saotome. A long time ago, my boyfriend broke his promise to me, so I’ve been floating around trying to find an Ichika with someone who loves her enough to do what he didn’t.”

“Get out of Ichi!” Saki snaps at the ghost, but Saotome shakes her head.

“No, not until you fulfill your promise!” Saotome says. “I’ve waited so long.”

“What promise did this boyfriend break?”

“We promised to die together, at the top of Landmark Tower, but he abandoned me at the last second,” Saotome says. “I died all alone, and I’ve been stuck here, in this hell of an Earth, waiting for so long.”

“So that’s what you want me to do? Go with you to Landmark Tower and die?” 

“You promised Saki, anything.”

“I promised to do anything for Ichika Hoshino, not you.”

“We’re the same now, and either way, Hoshino will die. The only thing you decide if I continue on to find another Ichika with someone who actually loves her. Someone who’s not a coward.”

Saki doesn’t say anything, and Saotome frowns. “If you do actually love me, then I’ll be at Landmark Tower at sunset.”

Saotome runs off, and Saki starts shaking as soon as she’s gone. She raises her head to the sky and screams until her voice is hoarse.

This ghost was puppetting around her Ichika to fulfill some twisted fantasy. No way can Saki let that happen. She’d do anything for Ichika.

Without hesitating, Saki texts Honami and Shiho.

We have until sunset to perform an exorcism.

Magnetic

A/N- Breaking up the Whumptober posting because @yumizurueleonora were talking Power Rangers SPD, as we often do, and I got the idea for this.

I started working on it yesterday, you know a bit in the morning, a bit on the train ride to New York Comicon, and then at Comicon I ran into Dwayne Cameron, the actor who plays Dru (and more significantly to my childhood, Tyzonn in Operation Overdrive) and I had look this man in the eye like I wasn't writing gay fanfiction about a one-off character he played 20 years ago five hours earlier.

I took this as a sign maybe I should post this. So enjoy.

~

 Sky is so bored. 

Yes, he got thrown from the Megazord and would have been crushed by a giant robot if he hadn’t thrown up a shield that left him so drained he blacked out and had to be dug out from the rubble.

But honestly that doesn’t mean Cruger has to confiscate his Morpher and order him to relax.

First of all, Sky is perfectly capable of relaxing. Hitting his punching bag, training, and studying ARE relaxing.

Second, what if they need him?

But Cruger threatened him with paid leave if Sky didn’t take the week to “actually heal,” and he lives at the Academy, so he’s here in the infirmary with RIC staring at him to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.

At least it’s been a quiet week, and Cruger’s returning in the morning and Sky will be back on active duty.

Sky reaches for the next book on his pile, and a piece of paper falls into his lap. It takes him a second to make out the language.

Tangarian.

Angel, will you come meet by our favorite spot at 09:30?

Sky blinks and rereads the paper. There’s no way.

But who would prank him like this? Who would even know? Syd and Bridge had been at the Academy at the time but they hadn’t really talked, and Sky wasn’t sure they’d ever shared classes with him.

It's not like he has to stay in the infirmary, he’s been ordered to do no SPD work. Sky makes up his mind in seconds and runs to grab his clothes and head out.

Just after 9:30 Sky’s worried that he’s wrong, but then a familiar head of light brown hair pokes out of the bushes and his heart stops.

“Angel!” Dru says. “I was scared you wouldn’t come.”

“Dru,” Sky breathes before rushing forward to crush him in a hug. “What are you doing here, I thought you were…”

“Well I’m not,” Dru says, “it’s a long story.”

“This is real, isn’t it?” Sky asks. “I’m not dreaming?”

Dru kisses his palm. “Did that feel like a dream?”

Sky isn’t sure whether he wants to laugh or cry. 

Dru chuckles. “Here I thought you’d be mad at me for keeping you waiting for so long.”

“How could I be mad at you?” Sky says, “I’m just happy you’re here.”

“Well that’s a shame, because I have a whole romantic ‘get Sky to forgive me’ brunch planned.”

“Oh,” Sky says. “Well I mean if you want.”

“Really? Not too busy?”

“For you? Never.”

Dru leads Sky to a shuttle, and in the back area there’s a picnic basket, candles, and the floor is littered with rose petals.

“If you’re up for making this a whole day thing,” Dru says, “there’s a special place I want to take you.”

Sky doesn't even have to think about it. This is Dru. His Dru. Back from the dead. Sky would follow him anywhere.

“Let’s go,” Sky says, holding up his wrist. 

There’s a familiar clink from Dru’s coil against his, and for the first time in a long time something in Sky’s life feels right.

-

While Sky’s in the back of the shuttle settling in, Dru heads to the front console and sets the autopilot with the coordinates. 

Viara-10 is supposed to have the most beautiful sunset, and it's the closest to a special magnetic storm on Tangar that’s supposed to appear if a marriage is auspicious.

That's where he’ll lay everything out for Sky, and they’ll be able to run away together.

They just have to get there first, which means–

On cue, a call comes on when they leave the airspace.

Jack appears on the monitor. “You don’t have authorization to leave Earth’s airspace, Agent Gren.”

Dru laughs. “Have you not already received reports of his death? I stole his credentials days ago. SPD really has gone downhill.”

It was a simple plan. Claim to be an SPD agent after a criminal, act injured, get into the Academy and shoot Cruger.

His timing had been a bit off since Cruger wasn’t there, but no one had suspected he wasn’t Agent Gren.

“Well what do you want me to call you?” Jack asks.

“I prefer my business associates refer to me as Giganis.”

“We’re not associates.”

“I was paid very well to handle Cruger, so yes you’re part of my business,” Dru says.

“I have authorization to shoot you down.”

“Oh sure, but you’ll lose a cadet in the process.”

Jack’s eyes widen. “You have Sky.”

Dru tilts his head. “I’m surprised you know a random cadet by name, but yes we’re taking a little trip, and I don’t want anyone interrupting us.”

“Let me see him.”

“No, sorry. Gotta go, bye Jack! It really was nice meeting you.”

-

Jack slams his fist on the monitor as soon as the signal cuts off. “Damn it!”

“Giganis,” Syd mutters, pulling up his file. “This guy’s wanted for… a lot of murders.”

“Video feed from the infirmary shows Sky receiving a letter and leaving just before Giganis shot the Commander,” Kat says.

“A threat, maybe?” Z says. “That’s how he lured Sky out?”

“Is Sky a weird choice?” Bridge asks.

“What’s weird about it, he knows we won’t destroy a ranger,” Jack says.

“But we wouldn’t destroy any cadet,” Bridge says. “Why not grab someone less able to fight back? How’d he find out Sky didn’t have his morpher on him? How'd he know Sky wouldn’t tell us anything?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Jack says. “I’m getting in a shuttle and following them.”

“I think you mean we?” Syd says. “We’re a team, we don’t let some ugly monster kidnap any of us.”

“Be careful, Rangers,” Kat says. “We don’t know what he’s doing to Sky, it might be a delicate situation.”

“We know, Kat,” Z says. “But we’re going to get our jerk back.”

-

Sky doesn’t know what he did to deserve the most perfect boyfriend in the universe.

Or.

“Is it ok if I still call you my boyfriend?” Sky asks.

Dru looks at him like he’s stupid. “I didn’t give you that coil because three years apart could come between us.”

Sky relaxes a bit and takes a drink of his mimosa. “Sorry I guess I was just– what have you been doing this whole time?”

Dru looks sheepish. “Well, I actually had amnesia, so I’ve been wandering around the galaxy taking… odd jobs.”

“Then how’d you end up back on Earth?”

“While I was out exploring, I kept having this nagging feeling, you know? That there was someone out there waiting for me. I saw… amazing things out there, Sky but it always felt a little… incomplete without you.”

“C’mon Dru, you’re going to make me blush.”

“Oh you should see what’s out there, beyond SPD. A whole galaxy!”

Dru’s eyes are glittering, and Sky’s heart skips a beat. Then Dru looks at him and grabs his hands. 

“You should come with me!”

“Huh?” 

“I was going to ask when we got to our destination but, Sky there’s no one I want at my side more than you!”

“Me?” Sky asks. “A-and come on I know you can leave SPD but I can’t.”

“Yes, you can!” Dru says. “You don’t owe them, or anyone, anything! I mean they didn't even make you red ranger even though you gave them everything!”

Sky steps back. “You know about that?”

“I saw a fight, and I could tell without even seeing his face that Red wasn’t you.”

“Disappointed?” Sky asks. “All that talk and–”

“Why would I be disappointed? Sky I don't care what color you wear, I just care about you.”

“Why?” Sky says, “I mean I’m… god I got told to take a break and I had nothing to do. Outside of SPD I don’t…”

“Why? Because, Angel, you’re the most beautiful, perfect, thing in the universe. I saw stars explode, different societies, wonders that would put what they’ve got on Earth to shame, and the thing I kept thinking was ‘I want Sky with me.’” Dru laughs. “I’m genuinely obsessed with you, I can’t get you out of my head.”

“Ha,” Sky says. “I’m a jerk, my friends–”

“Are they really your friends if they don’t see how amazing you are?” Dru asks, “or are they just people you’re forced to put up with.”

“If everyone forced to put up with me says the same thing–”

Dru pulls him close and kisses him. “Sky, Sky, Sky. Shut up. I can’t even put into words how I feel about you, it's like…” Dru’s eyes light up. “Like that ancient Earth song.”

Dru walks over to the panel and strings and piano fill the room.

“Dru, what is this?”

Dru smiles and starts singing. “You’d be so easy to love, so easy to idolize all others above”

“Dru–”

But before Sky can protest, Dru sweeps him into his arms and they start dancing.

“So sweet to waken with,” Dru sings, “so nice to sit down to eggs and bacon with.”

Sky wants to protest more, but Dru gives him a look that tells him to just enjoy it, and Sky finally cracks a smile and follows Dru’s lead.

“We’d be so grand at the game, so carefree together that it does seem a shame that you can’t see your future with me ‘cause you’d be oh so easy to–”

The moment is shattered as the shuttle shakes.

“Damn it,” Dru says. “Just HAD to ruin the moment.”

Sky races to the cockpit and checks the scanner.

“An unidentified ship is firing on us?” 

“They’re probably trying to disable the engines,” Dru mutters. “I can–”

“Hey, piloting was the only thing I beat you at,” Sky says, taking the controls.

He dodges away from the blast and turns the ship sharply upward.

“You’re crazy,” Dru says with a smile. “We’re heading to that planet over there.”

Another shot barely misses them, and Sky spots the landing spot through a pair of moons.

“I don’t like that look,” Dru says. 

“You love it,” Sky says. 

At the last possible second, Sky twists the ship sideways through the asteroid, and whatever ship was firing on them pulls away.

Sky lands them on the planet, and once the gear is engaged, Dru opens the hatch.

“That was amazing,” Dru says. “Now let’s get out of here so I can reward you properly.”

-

Z manages to land their ship roughly, and Jack immediately jumps out to check the damage.

“Damn, who knew Giganis was a good pilot?” He says. It’s gonna take forever to repair the damage.

Bridge is pacing around the open part of the ship. “We’re on Viara-10, right?” he asks. “Syd didn’t your magazine mention this place?”

“Uh yeah,” Syd says, “it’s the top ten most romantic date spots in the galaxy but what–” 

Before she can finish her sentence, Bridge is on his head and thinking. “And that asteroid trick, where did we see that before?”

Syd tilts her head. “Oh yeah I guess that was pretty similar to what Sky pulled back in our first year.”

“You think Sky was piloting?” Jack asks. “Why would he do that?”

“That was a partner sim,” Bridge says. “Who was the guy Sky was paired with?”

“God his boyfriend?” Syd says. “Shit I never saw him without Sky, what was his name? Dru…” Syd's eyes go wide.

“Harrington,” Bridge says. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him!”

“He was always hanging around Sky and talking to no one else, I mean I didn’t recognize him either without Sky next to him.”

“It all makes sense though, of course that’s what makes Sky go running from the infirmary.”

“Hold up,” Z says, “wanna fill in the guys who weren’t at the Academy?”

Suddenly a sound like thunder goes off, and Syd starts running. “We have to hurry, we can explain later!”

-

“How much further, Dru?” Sky asks, keeping his eyes closed.

“Just a little more… and, now!”

Sky opens his eyes and gasps. They’re on a mesa overlooking cliffs covered in vibrant blue flowers, and the sky is a deep purple highlighted by yellow streaks of lightning.

“We made it just in time,” Dru says. “The magnetic storm, it’s important here and similar to something on Tangar. Here it's just romantic, but on Tangar, you’re supposed to consummate your relationship beneath it if you want something that’ll truly last forever.”

“Oh, is that why you’ve kept me waiting so long?” Sky asks. “I did think it was weird you didn’t rip my shirt off as soon as we got on the shuttle.”

Dru laughs. “Ha, I've been very patient, do I get a reward?”

“You have a lot to make up to me Dru,” Sky says, pulling him close. “I mean a year and a half thinking you were dead…”

“Oh, Angel, let me show you how sorry I am!” Dru puts his arms under Sky’s shirt, and Sky is so ready but–

“Sky!” He turns back and sees his friends running towards them, out of breath.

“Oh good,” Syd says. “They still have their clothes on.”

“Why wouldn’t they have their clothes on?” Z pants.

“Don’t you rangers have better things to do than interrupt your cadets’ dates?” Dru says

“Date? As if we’d believe that,” Jack scoffs.

Sky frowns. “Why not?”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“You’re the ones who spent the whole week saying I need to learn to relax and then I go on a date with my boyfriend and you just assume I was kidnapped?”

“Hold on!” Bridge says, “hold on guys this is all a big misunderstanding! See we didn’t know Sky knew Dru, or Agent Gren, or Giganis, and Sky didn’t know he’s an assassin who shot Cruger, and Dru didn’t know Sky was a ranger!”

“You’re a ranger?!” Dru gasps.

“You’re an assassin?” Sky asks. “And wait, wait was this whole thing, the brunch, the rose petals, the music, this was all just… a way to use me as a shield so SOD wouldn’t shoot you down?”

“No!” Dru says. “Angel, my plan was always to come see you again, I was going to tell you when the moment was better but, come on is SPD really the place for you? There’s a whole galaxy out there, we could be free! You’d love it, I know you would.”

“To be clear, if we didn’t show up and you’d asked Sky this post-coitus, would he be able to say no?” Syd asks.

“I could convince him if you would just leave us alone!”

“To be clear,” Bridge says, “you're under arrest for injuring an officer and your many, many, many other crimes.”

“Stella would you all just shut up!”

“Did you even have amnesia?” Sky asks. “Or did you just run off and let me think–”

“Sky, Angel, my stars and moon, I wasn’t lying when I said I was thinking about you, about running away together, about wanting to give you everything! I swear I just–”

“You’re just also a space mercenary?” Sky says. He takes a deep breath and pinches his nose. “Dru that’s…. you need help. You realize you're talking crazy, right? Let’s just… go back to Earth and we can–”

“You’re the one who needs help, Sky! SPD has done nothing but hold you back and bring you misery. But you won’t see it with these rangers getting involved every minute!”

Suddenly, Dru shifts into a monster form, and Sky stumbles back.

“Here,” Jack says, handing Sky his Morpher. “Cruger’s back, so you’re officially back on duty.”

Sky nods and swallows. He forces out the words “SPD! EMERGENCY!” 

“Don’t make me do this, Dru,” Sky says. 

“I’m really sorry to have to do this to you too, Sky,” Dru says. “But you’re clearly not going to realize anything while they’re around.”

“Speaking of us,” Bridge says, “you're under arrest for, what was it, murder counts across ten planets, attempted murder of an officer, identity theft, and getting someone to come with you under false pretenses is still kidnapping even if you didn’t hold him hostage!”

“Yeah, payback time for the cargo bay,” Jack says.

“You know,” Dru says, “Cruger was nothing personal, but I’m going to enjoy destroying you and then smashing Sky’s morpher into dust!”

~

After the fight, they put Dru in a card for transfer and Sky collapses onto the ground.

“Is there any chance,” he asks, “that this is a coma? That that robot actually knocked me out and now I’m hallucinating a near death experience where my boyfriend comes back from the dead but he’s evil?”

“I mean anything's possible,” Bridge says, “we could all be brains in jars imagining we’re talking to each other.”

“But in this case,” Syd says, “no, sorry your ex sucks.”

Sky fiddles with the coil on his wrist. 

“Come on, Cruger and Kat are worried about you,” Z says. 

“Yeah, whatever.” Sky says getting up. “At least I can get back to work. This will be my last day off in a while.”

“See, I don’t think this is the lesson you should take from this,” Jack says.

“Shut up. Where’s the ship? I need to sleep for a bit.”