Thank you
Run To The Sun
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djp73
Topic author - Posts: 11551
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
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djp73
Topic author - Posts: 11551
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
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djp73
Topic author - Posts: 11551
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
Run To The Sun
Level with me here, y'all reading these 3,000-4,000 word updates? Any feedback?
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The JZA
- Posts: 9078
- Joined: 07 Dec 2018, 13:10
Run To The Sun
Long as it's interesting, I'll read. I'm enjoying it so far 
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djp73
Topic author - Posts: 11551
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
Run To The Sun
That last lengthy one (ayo) could and should have been split up. I’ll work on that going forward
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djp73
Topic author - Posts: 11551
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
Run To The Sun
I have reformatted my game updates for this, allowing me to create and edit them without photoshop.
I'm hoping to make significant progress in this over the weekend.
I'm hoping to make significant progress in this over the weekend.
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redsox907
- Posts: 3892
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
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djp73
Topic author - Posts: 11551
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
Run To The Sun
Didn’t expect that answer, figured everyone was reading these games and skimming the story.
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djp73
Topic author - Posts: 11551
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
Run To The Sun
Chase parked his mom’s Yukon at the curb in front of Sophie’s apartment, hands drumming the steering wheel as he tried to steady the flutter in his chest. He caught his reflection in the rearview mirror—hair neatly styled, black button-up shirt crisp against his shoulders, a Horsemen red tie knotted just tight enough to look serious. He exhaled, rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck to release some of the tension.
As he stepped out, he glanced up at the apartment, took a deep breath and made his way up the path to the door. He knocked, following his dad's instructions to walk up to the door, not to text from the car.
When she opened the door moments later, Chase felt his breath hitch. Sophie wore a simple but elegant navy dress that moved as she did, her hair down in gentle waves. For a moment, he forgot every pep talk he’d given himself in the car.
“You clean up pretty well, Maine,” she teased, eyes flicking over him with a soft smile.
He swallowed. “You look…amazing.”
They stood there for a second, the evening chill brushing between them before Sophie stepped closer. “Ready?”
He nodded quickly, holding out an awkward elbow like he’d seen in old movies. She laughed and took his arm.
---
The car ride was quiet at first, the radio murmuring low in the background.
Chase kept sneaking glances at Sophie when the streetlights illuminated the car’s interior.
Her perfume mixed with the faint scent of his mom’s vanilla air freshener—somehow it all felt surreal.
He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, thoughts drifting. He loved driving, something he didn't do very often, even in his mom’s car. But it wasn’t the same as having his own.
He’d been putting off asking his parents, not wanting to seem ungrateful or spoiled. But with every mile, he felt it more. He wanted something that was his. Something he could drive Sophie in without worrying about the interior always smelling like his mom’s yoga mat mixed with the hospital.
He made a mental note: talk to his parents soon. Maybe if he kept his grades up and showed them he was responsible, he could make it happen by spring.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Sophie asked, turning toward him with a sly grin.
He blinked. “Just…thinking about the game. And…other stuff.”
She raised an eyebrow but let it slide, flipping the visor mirror down to check her hair as they pulled up to the school.
---
The school’s parking lot was already buzzing with headlights, laughter, and groups of students streaming into the gym. Chase parked near the back, cutting the engine as music thumped faintly from inside.
They stepped out together, Sophie’s hand brushing his briefly before he found the courage to take it properly.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked.
Chase hesitated, then took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, the same way he did before taking a snap.
“Yeah,” he said, voice low but certain. “Let’s do it.”
They walked toward the entrance, passing knots of classmates who greeted Chase with fist bumps and comments about the game.
Sophie held his hand firmly, smiling as she watched him respond with shy nods and grateful grins.
---
The gym was a kaleidoscope of red, gray, and white streamers, twinkling lights strung from the rafters, and a DJ booth blasting pop hits that reverberated through the bleachers. The floor vibrated with bass, sneakers squeaking as clusters of students danced in loose circles or swayed in pairs.
Chase stood just inside the double doors, his hand still in Sophie’s but his feet rooted to the polished wood. He scanned the packed gym: faces he recognized from class and the field, kids laughing, others already lost in the music. Even Johnny and Connor were in the crowd, moving with their dates.
Sophie squeezed his hand. “You good?” she asked, eyes searching his.
“Yeah,” he lied, shifting awkwardly. “Just…don’t really know what I’m doing out there.”
She smirked. “Lucky for you, I do.”
Before he could protest, Sophie tugged him forward, weaving through the pulsing crowd until they found a small clearing in a corner of the gym.
The current song was fast, bright, something with an infectious hook. Chase rocked on his heels, glancing around like he was reading a defense.
Sophie leaned in, voice playful but firm. “Loosen up, Maine.”
She started to move—shoulders swaying, steps light but confident. Her hands stayed looped around his. He tried to match her, at first stiff and self-conscious. But the music seeped into him, helped along by Sophie’s easy rhythm and a growing sense of not wanting to look like an absolute idiot in front of her.
Little by little, his movements relaxed. They danced through two songs, and other students joined them, forming a swirling, laughing group. Sophie’s laughter rang out when Chase added a goofy spin. He couldn’t stop smiling—couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so out of his element and so alive at the same time.
Then the lights dimmed, the DJ’s voice crackled, and the music shifted to something slow, the notes soft and warm like a blanket. The groups broke apart as couples drew closer.
Chase’s pulse spiked for a whole new reason. He wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t know how to do this or because he cared so much about getting it right.
Sophie watched him with patient amusement, then stepped into his space, resting his hands gently on her waist before looping her arms around his neck.
“It’s just me,” she whispered, her voice low and calm as the first chords rolled through the gym. “Breathe.”
He exhaled, shaky but relieved. They began to sway, their movements small, subtle.
Sophie was warm against him, her hair brushing his jaw every so often, the scent of her shampoo filling his head.
Around them, the gym felt like it slowed to a crawl. The bright overhead lights were replaced by strands of twinkling fairy bulbs that haloed them in soft gold. Every laugh, every shuffle of feet from other couples felt far away.
For a while, neither of them said anything. They just moved. Sophie guided him with tiny shifts, teaching him with the gentlest touches until he found a rhythm of his own. He felt her heart beating against his chest, steady and unhurried, pulling him closer.
When the song neared its end, Sophie looked up. Their eyes locked—hers soft, searching; his wide, almost disbelieving that this was real.
She smirked, just barely. “Took you long enough to ask me.”
Chase swallowed hard. “I…I didn’t know if you’d want to.”
She leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder.
“I was waiting for you to figure it out.”
The tension between them seemed to vibrate with the last notes of the slow song, the lights spinning overhead like falling stars.
Chase felt his breath catch as his hands slid a little tighter around her waist, Sophie’s fingers curling into the collar of his shirt.
As he stepped out, he glanced up at the apartment, took a deep breath and made his way up the path to the door. He knocked, following his dad's instructions to walk up to the door, not to text from the car.
When she opened the door moments later, Chase felt his breath hitch. Sophie wore a simple but elegant navy dress that moved as she did, her hair down in gentle waves. For a moment, he forgot every pep talk he’d given himself in the car.
“You clean up pretty well, Maine,” she teased, eyes flicking over him with a soft smile.
He swallowed. “You look…amazing.”
They stood there for a second, the evening chill brushing between them before Sophie stepped closer. “Ready?”
He nodded quickly, holding out an awkward elbow like he’d seen in old movies. She laughed and took his arm.
---
The car ride was quiet at first, the radio murmuring low in the background.
Chase kept sneaking glances at Sophie when the streetlights illuminated the car’s interior.
Her perfume mixed with the faint scent of his mom’s vanilla air freshener—somehow it all felt surreal.
He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, thoughts drifting. He loved driving, something he didn't do very often, even in his mom’s car. But it wasn’t the same as having his own.
He’d been putting off asking his parents, not wanting to seem ungrateful or spoiled. But with every mile, he felt it more. He wanted something that was his. Something he could drive Sophie in without worrying about the interior always smelling like his mom’s yoga mat mixed with the hospital.
He made a mental note: talk to his parents soon. Maybe if he kept his grades up and showed them he was responsible, he could make it happen by spring.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Sophie asked, turning toward him with a sly grin.
He blinked. “Just…thinking about the game. And…other stuff.”
She raised an eyebrow but let it slide, flipping the visor mirror down to check her hair as they pulled up to the school.
---
The school’s parking lot was already buzzing with headlights, laughter, and groups of students streaming into the gym. Chase parked near the back, cutting the engine as music thumped faintly from inside.
They stepped out together, Sophie’s hand brushing his briefly before he found the courage to take it properly.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked.
Chase hesitated, then took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, the same way he did before taking a snap.
“Yeah,” he said, voice low but certain. “Let’s do it.”
They walked toward the entrance, passing knots of classmates who greeted Chase with fist bumps and comments about the game.
Sophie held his hand firmly, smiling as she watched him respond with shy nods and grateful grins.
---
The gym was a kaleidoscope of red, gray, and white streamers, twinkling lights strung from the rafters, and a DJ booth blasting pop hits that reverberated through the bleachers. The floor vibrated with bass, sneakers squeaking as clusters of students danced in loose circles or swayed in pairs.
Chase stood just inside the double doors, his hand still in Sophie’s but his feet rooted to the polished wood. He scanned the packed gym: faces he recognized from class and the field, kids laughing, others already lost in the music. Even Johnny and Connor were in the crowd, moving with their dates.
Sophie squeezed his hand. “You good?” she asked, eyes searching his.
“Yeah,” he lied, shifting awkwardly. “Just…don’t really know what I’m doing out there.”
She smirked. “Lucky for you, I do.”
Before he could protest, Sophie tugged him forward, weaving through the pulsing crowd until they found a small clearing in a corner of the gym.
The current song was fast, bright, something with an infectious hook. Chase rocked on his heels, glancing around like he was reading a defense.
Sophie leaned in, voice playful but firm. “Loosen up, Maine.”
She started to move—shoulders swaying, steps light but confident. Her hands stayed looped around his. He tried to match her, at first stiff and self-conscious. But the music seeped into him, helped along by Sophie’s easy rhythm and a growing sense of not wanting to look like an absolute idiot in front of her.
Little by little, his movements relaxed. They danced through two songs, and other students joined them, forming a swirling, laughing group. Sophie’s laughter rang out when Chase added a goofy spin. He couldn’t stop smiling—couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so out of his element and so alive at the same time.
Then the lights dimmed, the DJ’s voice crackled, and the music shifted to something slow, the notes soft and warm like a blanket. The groups broke apart as couples drew closer.
Chase’s pulse spiked for a whole new reason. He wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t know how to do this or because he cared so much about getting it right.
Sophie watched him with patient amusement, then stepped into his space, resting his hands gently on her waist before looping her arms around his neck.
“It’s just me,” she whispered, her voice low and calm as the first chords rolled through the gym. “Breathe.”
He exhaled, shaky but relieved. They began to sway, their movements small, subtle.
Sophie was warm against him, her hair brushing his jaw every so often, the scent of her shampoo filling his head.
Around them, the gym felt like it slowed to a crawl. The bright overhead lights were replaced by strands of twinkling fairy bulbs that haloed them in soft gold. Every laugh, every shuffle of feet from other couples felt far away.
For a while, neither of them said anything. They just moved. Sophie guided him with tiny shifts, teaching him with the gentlest touches until he found a rhythm of his own. He felt her heart beating against his chest, steady and unhurried, pulling him closer.
When the song neared its end, Sophie looked up. Their eyes locked—hers soft, searching; his wide, almost disbelieving that this was real.
She smirked, just barely. “Took you long enough to ask me.”
Chase swallowed hard. “I…I didn’t know if you’d want to.”
She leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder.
“I was waiting for you to figure it out.”
The tension between them seemed to vibrate with the last notes of the slow song, the lights spinning overhead like falling stars.
Chase felt his breath catch as his hands slid a little tighter around her waist, Sophie’s fingers curling into the collar of his shirt.
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Chillcavern
- Posts: 977
- Joined: 07 Dec 2018, 23:38
- Contact:
Run To The Sun
You are so committed to formatting this just right lol you really did end up splitting this update, didn’t you? 
Still though, that was a good splitting point - and I can already see that it does flow better this way
Still though, that was a good splitting point - and I can already see that it does flow better this way