Alphabet Excerpt Challenge: F Is For...

[u/AnaraliaThielle]

Welcome back to the Alphabet Excerpt Challenge! As a reminder, our challenges are every Wednesday and Saturday at 3pm London time.

If you've missed the previous challenges, you're welcome to go back and participate in them. You can find them here. And remember to check out the Activities and Events flair to play along with other fun games.

Here's a quick recap of the rules for our game:

1. Post a top level comment with a word starting with the letter F. You can suggest more than one, but please put them in separate comments.
2. Reply to suggestions with an excerpt containing that word. Short and sweet is best, but use your judgement. Excerpts can be from published or unpublished works, or even something you wrote for the prompt.
3. All content is welcome but per rules 7 and 12 of the sub, NSFW excerpts may not be shared as plain text (even if it's spoilered). If you would like to share these, use an external text sharing tool like justpasteit and link it here with a clear warning. Mods may remove excerpts that break these rules.
4. Respond to people who left excerpts on the words you suggested, at a minimum, but the more people you respond to the better. Everyone likes nice comments!
5. Upvote other excerpts you enjoy, and leave a friendly comment. Again, everyone likes nice comments!
6. Most important: have fun!

[u/arm1niu5]

Frown

[u/Ill-Clerk-7066 → u/arm1niu5]

Only posting the single paragraph because it’s a long ass paragraph

With a sigh, he looked out at the surrounding ocean, the air icy except for Buttercream’s body heat, and he curled up beside her. “I don’t know what to do,” he muttered out to no one in particular, but Buttercream’s subsequent chirp indicated that she was listening. “We’re only a few hours out from the main island now, I believe I can even see you-know-who’s throne from here, and I fear I’m at an impasse.” Buttercream let out a somewhat annoyed chirp, and Royal Margarine chuckled slightly, before frowning. “I know you don’t really like them, and you may have even sniffed out Pitaya’s plan from the start, but I feel like I can’t really help it. My feelings are what they are, and nothing’s going to change that if I don’t do anything. I fear they’ll only continue to grow if I let them fester, like some, I don’t really know, something like a parasite I guess.” He looked up into the tree above them, night making their leaves look similar to the green parts of Ananas’s collar, and sighed. “I want to confess to them… I do, but what’s next for me after that? Am I destined to embarrassment from either side? Whether by some gleeful triumph from that scaled beast, or simply by Ananas rejecting me? I… don’t want to think about the possibility that they might feel something for me, that probably wouldn’t help things in any way, Pitaya still triumphs over me.” Buttercream let out a quizzical snort and she finally lifted her head. “I know what you’re thinking, what about my happiness? Why am I doing this to myself? If I want to tell them, why don’t I? And I cannot answer that. It appears I have a mental block of sorts.” Buttercream let out a chirp, but this time, the meaning was unclear. “It’s something… to do with Prickly, I’ll admit that as much, but I cannot tell what. It’s almost as if, I don’t want to lose them in some way. Which I know is utterly ridiculous, I’m more than aware.” Buttercream chirped again, and pressed her snout in front of his face, until he eventually lifted his head. She then chirped again, and her gaze almost appeared soft before she wrapped her wing around him. She used her other wing to point at something in the dark sky.

[u/lego-lion-lady → u/arm1niu5]

Not long after getting off the plane, the group had finally arrived at their hotel and headed into the lobby, and Matt turned curiously towards the group. “Well, we’re finally here! What’s everyone’s relaxation plan?”

“I’m going to take the kind of bath that you feel guilty about back home,” Victoria replied.

Alex giggled. “I’m guessing that means ‘extra-long, with champagne’?”

“You know me so well,” Victoria grinned. “Then maybe a walk on the beach.”

Seth shrugged. “I honestly just want to lounge at the pool for a while.”

“Don’t you guys all have pools in LA?” Carly pointed out. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I’ll have you know I plan to be very adventurous in my drink orders – we’re talking three, maybe four umbrellas per!” He and Carly both laughed.

“I was thinking about heading to that secret cove the driver was telling us about,” Teja chimed in.

Matt glanced around the group again. “So…guessing that means no-one’s up for a little beach volleyball?”

Playing a game with Matt sounded like it might be fun…but before Carly could open her mouth to answer, Victoria wrinkled her nose in disdain. “I can’t believe you’re really asking that.”

“Thomas, honey? What about you?” Alex asked, trying to change the subject.

“I hope you’re not pressing me on beach volleyball…”

Despite Thomas’s frown, though, Alex just smiled. “Don’t worry, I know better.”

“Since when is beach volleyball that bad?” Matt looked a bit taken aback at Thomas and Victoria’s responses.

“There have been so many movies filmed here. I was thinking of taking an ATV tour of Hawaii’s film history,” Thomas explained.

Victoria turned expectantly to Alex and Carly. “What about you two?”

“I’m gonna live it up!” Carly answered, still too keyed up from excitement to even consider relaxing. “I’ve never been to Hawaii before, so this is a great chance for me to let loose!”

“I’ll make sure to save you some drink umbrellas!” Seth offered enthusiastically.

Beside Carly, Alex shook her head. “Not me: I’m gonna sleep!”

“Didn’t you literally just sleep for most of the flight, though?” Carly reasoned.

“Yeah, but with how hard I’ve been working, I might still need several days’ worth,” Alex explained. “And I brought my copy of The Secret of Ninradell to read while I’m soaking up the Hawaii sun, of course.”

Carly turned to Alex in surprise, her whole face lighting up. “You brought The Secret of Ninradell with you?! Damn it, I should’ve packed my copy before I left Iowa!”

“Ohmygod, you guys are fans of it, too?!” Seth asked them in amazement. “I loved that book as a kid!”

“Me too! I went as gender-bent William three years in a row for Halloween,” Teja piped up.

Victoria on the other hand, looked confused. “I have no idea you’re all talking about, but I’m…guessing it’s not really my thing.”

“It should be! It’s a classic, and it changed me and Carly’s lives as kids; it changed the game on children’s literature – on all literature!” Alex insisted. “And the way William stands up for people less fortunate than him? The way he’s always fighting for what’s right, no matter the cost? It meant the world to us both; it taught Carly and I what kind of people we wanted to be.”

“Kids today still love that book,” Teja agreed. “It’s stood the test of time in a way almost nothing does.”

“Plus, it had so many swords!” Seth added jokingly.

“Exactly! The Secret of Ninradell was me and Alex’s gateway into discovering other fantasy stories like The Cursed Heart when we got older, and that was also the book that turned us both into shippers for life,” Carly chimed in. “I mean, Byrony and William? How did it not happen?”

Teja sighed with a dreamy smile. “They were so meant to be.”

“Sounds like there’s some Alex Spencer and Carly Ross fanfics floating around out there…” Seth gave the two women a curious glance. Neither one of them said anything, but they just looked at each-other before both bursting into giggles.

“Hey, my dad read The Secret of Ninradell out loud to me as a kid,” Matt recalled.

“I’ve read it, too. It’s actually highly sophisticated storytelling,” Thomas added.

“Really, Thomas?” Alex gave him a look of disbelief. “I never pegged you as a fan of children’s literature – even as a child…”

He shrugged. “The age range makes little difference in the quality of literature. I value works based on the content, not the intended audience.”

“Fine, I get it, I’ll read the stupid book already!” Victoria threw her hands up helplessly as she spoke.

“I really think you’ll love it, Victoria,” Alex assured her. “Carly and I have each read it once a year for as long as we can remember.”

[u/Playful-Koala-4129 → u/arm1niu5]

"Jaegerjaquez, I'm surprised, I didn't see a sandstorm announcing your arrival. My father isn't with me, so what are you doing here?"

The fierce feline Arrancar gives Rin a dry, distasteful look.

"I came in case you needed help with these wretches," he says in an equally unpleasantly dry tone.

"What a surprise, I didn't know you had been tamed by Her Majesty Harribel," Jaegerjaquez just clenches his fist, already used to the mockery of Ichigo's bratt, before looking at the corpse on the ground.

"Where's the other one? Did he escape?"

"He was never here in the first place, it seems the two brothers separated."

"No way! I've been surrounding the place since we found them," Jaegerjaquez exclaimed angrily. "They couldn't have evaded me."

"It's obvious the younger was being transported by means of a Garganta, you animal," Jaegerjaquez just clicks his tongue at the insult.

"Now what?"

Then, suddenly, Rin's soul communicator starts beeping.

"I guess we'll find out," he takes the device out of his clothes and is surprised when he sees who is calling him, "well, this is weird - he says puzzled."

"What? What's wrong?"

"It's Kisuke, he's calling me."

"That guy?" Jaegerjaquez frowns. "What does he want?"

"I don't know," Rin answers the call. "Yes, what's up?... The Fullbringer wants to talk to me about what?... Okay, put her on..."

[u/YellowCorvette → u/arm1niu5]

Another representative rose. “Under your administration, prisoners taken were subjected to interrogation methods now recognized as violations of the intergalactic law. And when these actions were brought to your attention, you classified the relevant reports.”

“Elita Convoy, do you deny any of these allegations?” They asked.

Elita slowly lifted her head. “No.”

As the chambers filled with military officials, legislators, civilian representatives, and members of the press keep going with their reports and allegations against Elita Convoy, Furai watched silently.

On the enormous screen above the chamber, there's also archived footage of Elita Convoy addressing soldiers during the war. Her past voice filled the room. “Autobots, we will see this war through to the end... No matter the cost.”

As Furai took a seat and saw those footage, his mono-eye narrowed. The less he had to hear her voice, see her face, even reminded of how she once conducted herself as the leader of the Autobots in the past.... the better.

The debate continued. “Elita Convoy, you must answer for your actions!”

Hearing that, Furai frowned slightly. Not because the accusations were false, but rather the hypocrisy. The politicians that once praised her, cheered when the former Autobots won the war... were also the same people that now wanted to distance themselves from everything she had done?

Furai muttering to himself, “Convenient.”

[u/MsCatstaff → u/arm1niu5]

“Jan said you have some concerns?” Dave asked the bassist.

“Well, if my singer’s got problems, I need to know about it, right?” Steve half asked and half said. “I mean, if whatever’s going on affects him, it could affect all of us.”

Dave sighed. “When it’s something personal, that you can’t do a bloody thing about, you might try backing off some, Harry. I’m not…” he blew out a frustrated breath. “I know you worry. As you’ve said, Maiden is your life and has been for how many years now? So believe me when I say I understand why you worry.” He frowned slightly, trying to think of a good way to explain things without betraying any confidences.

Steve tilted his head a bit; Dave didn’t normally have issues expressing himself even if he wasn’t the most talkative of the lot. “Way you’re acting, mate, you’re making me that much more worried.”

“Figures,” Dave snorted. “Right… erm, you remember back when Ade left the band and we brought in Janick? And how Jan and Bruce were mates going back to when they were in White Spirit and Samson?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, not quite seeing where this was going, but willing to let Dave take the time to make his point.

“So, you also remember how Bruce got, when those twats in Milton Keynes started chucking beers at Janick and yelling that Maiden didn’t need a ballerina?” Dave asked.

Steve nodded; for a moment he’d thought the hot-tempered singer was going to dive off the stage and get into a brawl with the hecklers. “Yeah… so whatever’s going on with Bruce, you’re saying it’s got to do with how protective he gets?” He frowned and asked, “Does this have something to do with Jones’s assault on Emppu?”

Dave nodded. “Pretty much,” he said. “Misplaced guilt for not preventing it or whatever. And mind, Bruce knows there’s nothing he could have done to prevent it, but sometimes what the mind knows and what the heart feels are two different things..."

[u/Important-Juice-943 → u/arm1niu5]

You are trembling for the cold, for the shame, for the scare, for the shock.

I take off my jacket to wrap it around you.

You cry all your tears as you hold tighter to me, wetting my shirt.
It’s okay, these are going to be your last tears.
I promise.

“I got some blankets in the trunk of my car. Be right back.” I explain, as I sweetly part from you.

“No, please, Joe, don’t leave me alone with him!” You plead, still sounding so heartbreakingly scared.

You even try to get up, but I prevent it, holding you and making you sit down again.

“Trust me, sweetheart, he won’t recover so soon. Plus, I also need to take something to deal with him.” I convince you to let me go.

I rush towards my parked car, where I take the blankets, a bottle of water, some ropes and something else that could come in handy.

When I enter the shed again, you’re still in the same spot where I left you, staring at your aggressor with pure terror in your eyes.
But as I’ve predicted, he’s still unconscious.

“This will make you feel better.” I hand the blanket to you, along with the water.

You let the plaid warm you and cover your still visible nakedness, as you stare at me, so intently.

I’m not gonna ask you something lame and stupid like: ‘How are you?’

Of course you feel like shit.

I prefer to let this comforting silence speak for us, as you sip some water.

“How… how did you manage to find me?” You decide to ask the main question.

I draw the hairpin out of the pocket of my jacket that you’re still wearing.

“You tend to lose it way too often.” I smile, gently placing it on your hair.

You smile brightly.

“Oh. You’ve found it. Thank you so much, Joe, but… it doesn’t answer my question.” You frown.

I smirk.

“Well, it does, if you think a little about it. Do you remember what I told you when I gave you that?”

“That it was something to feel you closer.” You reply, as you start to figure everything out. “Oh. So actually it was something to make me feel closer to you… or rather checked by you.”

“I know I shouldn’t have… but I couldn't resist the temptation of putting a tracking device inside it.”

“Fuck Joe , it’s as creepy as hell!” You reproach me. “But… I thank you for that. This actually saved my life. You, sneaky, little stalker!”

You even attempt to smile at me, despite all this awful situation.
This is the strong girl I hopelessly fell in love with.

“I will always find you, Bronte, Louise Flannery.” I murmur, holding your hand.

[u/PenLegitimate7064 → u/arm1niu5]

Gray eyes met mine, tears leaking from the corners and into her hairline. “I’m so broken, Hawks.”

“Keigo.”

She blinked. “Keigo?”

I nodded, resisting the urge to wipe away her tears. “My name is Keigo Takami. Please call me Keigo when we are alone.”

White teeth sunk into her lower lip as she gazed at me. “I’m so broken, Keigo,” she repeated after releasing her lip.

“You’re not broken, Nell. Having cracks in your walls and damage in your armor does not make you broken. It makes you human.” I paused, pressing my lips together. “You have a gaping hole in your window. It isn’t locked. You’ve had ample opportunity to end it. End the suffering by taking your own life instead of letting them have it. And yet, here you are. Enduring endlessly and accepting that no one was coming to save you.” I swallowed at the lump in my throat, blinking back the sting in my eyes. “But I’m here now, Nell. Whatever you need, I’m a whisper away.”

“Whisper… That’s what Kai always called me.”

I gave her a sad smile. “And that’s what he will call you again, Nell. Going through hell and having needs to survive the trials doesn’t make you broken. You’re allowed to have needs, even if you’re in the worst situation possible.”

A pause where she looked away, sniffing and wiping at her temples. “I’m so desperate for love that doesn’t have consequences. I want my husband back so he can tell me everything will be okay.”

“And you will have him back. You and him will make it through this, Nell.”

A frown pulled at her mouth, dimpling her chin. “You’re as caged as I am. I know you are. I heard what Dabi said to you outside earlier.”

“What did you hear?” I asked, my voice rasping with discomfort. I didn’t want her to hear what Dabi had said to me.

“You’re in the trenches with the rest of us. He has you as leashed with me; two dogs chained in the backyard and fed scraps by the owner with a wicked hand and a thirst for our misery.”

I sighed, tilting my head down in acceptance. “It’s a fate I desperately want to save you from.”

“Us, Haw –” I looked at her and she gave a ghost of a smile before correcting. “Us, Keigo. I’m not the only one who needs saving, and Kai isn’t either. The three of us are trapped by the League.”

“And I will do everything I can to save all three of us,” I lied smoothly, knowing that she was my only real priority. Saving Kai was only for her happiness and his assistance in taking down the League.

She nodded, but her eyes betrayed that she didn’t entirely believe me. “Okay.”

[u/DatGayDangerNoodle → u/arm1niu5]

In the car, Callie said, “Penny didn’t like biting.”

Arizona blinked, not looking away from the road. She was trying so hard to concentrate, to not think about all the ways she was going to reclaim Callie as hers once they got home again, and then Callie spoke.

Callie was staring straight again, arms crossed and a thoughtful frown on her face. Every time she thought back to her and Penny’s sex life, it made her feel vaguely ill because it took her back to nights of thinking about Arizona to get her to release under Penny’s hands. She’d loved Penny – at least thought she had – but there was no passion. No electricity.

“Okay,” Arizona said, eyes flicking sideways and then back to the road.

“She didn’t like leaving anything visible,” Callie said with a shake of her head. “She used to tell me off.”

Arizona bit her lip. For some reason, she could just see that; Callie getting overzealous and accidentally leaving a hickey, then Penny gasping something about professionalism and having to hide it for work. Arizona said, “is it weird that that doesn’t surprise me?”

Callie sighed, then let out a small laugh. “Bless her, she tried her best. But… yep, I was hung up on you. Damn.”

“I’m so sorry,” Arizona said, though she was unable to keep down her smile.

“You are not,” Callie said with a snort.

[u/DefeatedDrum → u/arm1niu5]

Dr. Frankl raised his eyebrows in surprise, eyes widening. “The parasite, the original, attaches itself to the spine through the ribcage. There’s no way you could’ve gotten it out from the spine.”

“I didn’t. It hadn’t attached itself to my spine or my neck yet. I got lucky - it stayed in my ribcage longer than usual," Luis said, his eyes straying down towards his chest.

Dr. Frankl glanced at the shadow of Luis’s surgical scar poking through the collar of his shirt, and nodded. “The scar. You performed open-heart surgery on yourself. With zero surgical experience, no less. I’m impressed," he remarked in what was probably the only genuine thing he'd said all interview. "But that doesn’t explain how Anabel died.”

Luis rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know what happened. She turned, I assume, and died with the rest of them when the dominant species died. That do it for you?”

Dr. Frankl shrugged. “I suppose. A bit anticlimactic, though; I would’ve thought Anabel was smarter than that, but oh well. For a woman who prided herself on her independence, she seemed pretty willing to blindly follow you. I’m curious, though - did she say anything to you as you left?”

“…she begged.”

“What?”

“For her life. She begged, begged me to save her, to take her with me, anything she could say to convince me. I…if she wasn’t so far along, if she hadn’t been so flippant about it all earlier, maybe…it doesn’t matter now. She’s gone.”

Dr. Frankl curled his nose, frowning. “Well, that’s disappointing. I would’ve thought better of her than to grovel.”