#[sound of faint clown music on my horizon]

[elizabethrobertajones]

Just remembered that Amon has a portrait of himself before his boss battle, just in case you were really straining to remember who he was @nongunktional

(saw this on my first Syrcus Tower after the graphical update when I was walking through it like a tourist... I have since returned to tunnel vision but it was nice catching this detail while it felt fresh to visit XD)

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

Heyyyy! SO as a local comteologist- okay sorry lmao 😂 I was wondering! Could you maybe write about an mc that is very affectionate? Because I am like that and I would give my ALL and just everything for someone I love. So, maybe the guys are pretending to be asleep and they hear mc admitting her undying love for them? I don't want to burden you! So, I think Will, Jean, Leo and Napoleon would be fine :D

I love you! And please take care of your self cuz corona is a hondje- sorry lmao

Have all of my uwus my lovely, I relate HIGHKEY I’m ungodly affectionate irl~

You take care of yourself too! Tyty 💖💖💖 nothing to apologize for I love a good clowning, esp if Theo gets clowned in the process 😂😂

And never apologize for using my esteemed title I will die on this Comte-thirsting hill (☆｀• ω •´)ｂ

I hope these attempts bring you joy! 

William Shookspeare:

Our v creative playwright boy was just vibin’. He had a long day at the (obnoxious thespian voice) theater and while he loves the art with all of his being, the man is t i r e d. MC was late to bed and while he prefers to wait for her to join him no he is not horny perish the thought he just started dozing off from the exhaustion. He’s not sure when the lights go out, but he feels an immeasurable warmth around him. Faintly, he can make out a voice murmured at his ear, a gentle hand running through his hair. (I s2g if this bih says “Puck?” I’m gonna smack him for MC)

“Had a long day, hm?” He’s only just coming to, and can’t muster the energy to reply or open his eyes. “I’m sure this next performance will be the best one yet! You surprise me every day, Will...”

“Try not to work yourself too hard, sweetheart. Your work may one day be the world’s greatest marvel.”

He wasn’t sure what it was about the words that made his lips tremble. Was it the praise that always seemed to flow forth at a moment’s notice, the real kind he was so unaccustomed to? Or was it that unshakeable calm; her faith in him unmoved by any fear or doubt--the kind that made him wonder briefly if she was dull all those years ago. Now he was just thankful it was still here, no matter how undeserving he may be.

“But you will always be my entire world, my greatest marvel. I love you too much to let the world have you.”

Jeanne D’Arc (REEEEEE MY GOODEST BOY OTL):

It was early one morning, frost blossoming in fractals along the transparent surface of the bedside window. An inevitable, biting chill lingers in the room while the sun is fighting to climb past the horizon, its time so limited in these winter months. She watches as the light casts a gentle gray over the bare walls--something she promised to remedy soon--so reminiscent of how he appeared to her at first. Pure and bright, but still fighting off a darkness she knew so little about.

The thought made her draw him to her protectively, careful not to wake him up as she tucked him close to her heart. He was so warm, even despite the frigid weather. A product of his time as a soldier? She was never sure, but she was always touched by how often he used that warmth in service to her. 

She remembered earlier the other day, when she returned home from some grocery shopping with Sebas. Concern was overflowing from his stoic face--it was there if you knew where to look for it; his eyes a little more narrow, the line of his mouth closer to a frown. All at once his hands were reaching for hers, relieving her of whatever she allowed him to carry while walking into the kitchen alongside her. When Sebas stepped out again he took her hands in his, pressing them along his face. She had cried out, knowing her hands were freezing--it had to be painful to warm them in such a way. But he only smiled that beautiful smile to quell her distress, the one that always took her breath away, and insisted he could do no less.

“The same goes for me too, though, Jeanne.” she looked at the fierce mark on his face, so unworthy of someone so gentle. She resisted every urge to soothe her fingers across it, loathe to wake him up. She didn’t notice the fingers that twitched at her hip, his signs of stirring subtle. “Whenever you need me, whenever you can’t think of a good reason to walk out of this room. All you need to do is find me, okay? I love you so, so much.”

Leonardo Da Binchi (no i will not apologize. he deserves to be clowned, glorious moron):

Once again her lover was gloriously strewn across the library floor, arms crossed and fast asleep. An exasperated smile found her face at the sight. Perhaps it would have been a surprise at first, but nowadays she would just roll her eyes and walk past. Sometimes, if she was feeling forlorn or a little reckless, she would climb into his lap just as he was. He seemed to enjoy being woken up that way though, so of course she couldn’t give him the satisfaction every time; a woman likes to change things up. And sometimes she was too busy to spare the time.

Even so, the slowly dimming shadows under his eyes were a relief to see. While the celebration of his birthday could only be a blessing, she knew what a double-edged blade it could be. It invoked so many wounds that hadn’t yet healed. While she wished he would share that burden with her--however heavy it may be--she slapped her own cheeks lightly at the impatient thought. Give him time...

“I know you think you have to carry everything alone. And in some ways, it’s something I admire so much about you--the way you always seem to know just how to move forward. Like nothing can shake you.”

She leaned down close to him, bracing herself against the bookshelf as she pressed a kiss gently against his temple. “But know that whenever you find yourself wavering, or even if you just need a place to rest, I’m right here. I’ll always be right here. I love you so much more than you think, Leonardo...”

She stopped herself before she could finish the thought, knowing it wasn’t what he wanted to hear: “more than my own life.”

Napoleon Bonaparte (oh my little lion man...):

They were spending a nice afternoon in the courtyard, as a lovey-dovey couple do, and they went under the veranda to find some relief from the midday sun. Surprising literally no one, our sweet emperor started to doze after some yummy tea time snackies--drifting asleep against MC’s shoulder. She adjusted a bit to change the angle of the lean, making sure he wasn’t putting too much pressure on his neck. Little puffs of air made her bangs flutter as he breathed low and even, and she smiled.

He’d had a guard jobs back to back recently, which meant precious little time to spend with him. Restless and quieter than usual, she had suggested a little stroll together around the courtyard; admiring the flowers and telling him about the books she’d been reading to fill the silence of those lonely nights. It wasn’t long before he started to smile more, snickering when she gave ludicrous summaries of the characters and plot. 

Early that morning she had taken the time to make perfect tea time sweets, fully anticipating--and hoping--it would encourage him to rest. So often he would be worried about her missing out on things or trying to plan more elaborate dates, but if she were honest she didn’t care much for extravagance or constant excitement. These tender moments where he could trust her (and the mansion’s perimeter) enough to fall fast asleep, no nightmares in sight, was enough to fill her heart with so much joy.

“I know you can’t help but want to do everything you can for the people around you; protecting and serving others is your life. I never want to be a reason you feel you need to stop doing that.” She murmured in the silence, playing with the buttons on his coat with a faint smile. “But even so, remember you always have a home to return to. More than that, no matter how powerful or skilled; you’re also one man. A man I love more than anything else in this world, a man I always want by my side--if he’ll have me, that is.”

She took the hand that was entwined with her own, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of his palm as his lashes trembled. “I love you, Leon. Whether I see you every moment of every day, or only in stolen moments between assignments. That will never change. There will be times where you belong to the whole world, but this” she placed a hand gently over his heart “will always belong to me. Let it lead you home to me, sweetheart.”

And because I can’t help myself, I added Comte, Mozart and Vincent:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (he’s the melody I can’t get out of my head DON’T LOOK AT ME):

Despite all of his promises to quit his bad habits, she opened the door later that evening to find him fast asleep against the covered keys of the piano. His shock of white hair was nestled comfortably against his arms, piled together as a makeshift pillow. The sight made her think of those long, long nights in college; thinking you’d close your eyes for a minute--only to be adrift in seconds. 

Smiling wryly, she reached into a nearby closet to retrieve a blanket before draping it gently across his shoulders. Torn between waking him up and guiding him to bed or leaving him be, she decided on the latter. She got the feeling that waking him up would only mean “a few more minor edits” to the composition he was working on, leaving sleep an afterthought. While she knew he often couldn’t help himself, she didn’t want him neglecting his health all the same. 

She’d be back with some hot chocolate in a few hours, just how he liked it.

As she was about to slip back out of the room, the hand at his elbow clumsily grasped for hers resting on the covered keys. Heat bloomed across her face, ears burning as he clung to her warmth. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” She sat down on the piano bench carefully, trying not to jostle him awake. “Your music will never stop being the most beautiful and soulful sound I’ve ever heard. But even a mind as impressive as yours needs plenty of rest--even more so, I’d wager. You work yourself too hard sometimes, Wolfie.” She leaned until her shoulder brushed his, “But I’ll always be here to make sure you don’t overdo it too much. Sweet dreams my only love.”

Vincent van Gogh (he’s babie your honor):

MC was on her laundry rounds, Vincent’s aprons now thoroughly washed and folded for his use once again. She knocked on the door murmuring a greeting--though fully anticipated he might not respond. While he was usually so sweet and attentive, it was almost like he became an entirely different person when painting. Utterly serious, intensely focused; any attempts at speaking to him would require many tries before he came back to himself with a beaming smile. 

She sighed dreamily, easily picturing it. His eyes would always be stunning, a cerulean to rival the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. But in the midst of his greatest passion? They burned bright enough to make her forget the rest of the world existed.

Trying not to embarrass herself on unsteady feet, she opened the door cautiously to find his easel abandoned. Shocked, she scanned the rest of the room until she found him strewn across the couch; a blanket haphazard in its provision of cover. With a gentle smile she stored away the fresh aprons in the dresser before she approached him, kneeling close to the couch so that she could tuck him in properly.

He let out a pleased little huff before shifting slightly in his sleep, body angled in her direction. There was a faint smile on his lips, evidence of what was likely a pleasant dream or peaceful rest. She traced the outline of his ear cuff with insatiable fingers, eyes glistening a little when he nuzzled into the faint touch--trapping her between his cheek and his arm. 

“You’re more precious to me than anything else in this world, Vince,” the murmur was barely audible, he didn’t stir. “I can’t imagine my life without you, and if I’m honest--no part of me really wants to imagine it. This warmth is the greatest gift I’ve ever known; thank you for choosing to share it with me. I love you so much, sweetheart.”

Le Comte de Saint Germain (SAN GERUMAN HAKKSHAKKU):

Every day is a long ass day when you have 10+ children (yes, Leonardo, you are in that child count I hope you’re happy >:| ). For all his half-hearted complaints about the exhaustion and noisiness though, he loves his bubs, and wouldn’t have things any other way.

Even so, it doesn’t stop the delighted giggling that shakes her shoulders when she finds him fast asleep in his favorite armchair. His tie is undone and askew, head lolling to the side--any attempt at his usual poise long forgotten. While she most often found him to be charming and delightful, she loved it even more when he felt comfortable sharing these parts of himself too. 

She set aside the tea she would always have prepared at this hour and reached for the coat he had draped across the opposite chair, settling it carefully over his form. Resisting every urge to join him--Sebas would need her help preparing dinner--she carded a hand through his hair, tucking it behind his ear so it wouldn’t tickle him while he was asleep.

He was so lovely like this, face unmarred by the weight of several lifetimes that found him when he was awake. No matter how early she rose when they were together, she rarely ever got the privilege of seeing him a little drowsy, lost to rest as he was now. She brushed light kisses to his eyelids, smiling when he half-sighed her name.

“Tuckered yourself out did you? You big worrywart.” She resisted the urge to find his hand and entwine it with hers. “I promise to watch over them, so rest easy, my dearest love.” She played with the collar, tucking him in further. “I know everyone here is precious to you. But remember that you’re the most important person in my life too,” she leaned her forehead gently against his. “While I love to see everyone get along, I love to see you happy and well-rested even more. You’ll always be the only one for me, [insert Comte’s real name].” 

Bonus continuation because I still can’t help myself apparently, somebody please take my laptop away from me:

Arms like steel bands enclosed her in his embrace, a sleepy exhale washing over her ear as she shivered a little at the sudden warmth.

“Mm, ma cherie, surely you didn’t think you’d get away with that kind of teasing...”

“But I wasn’t teasing you! I was completely serious.”

Laughter shook his chest and hers too, making her melt at the undisguised affection in the hands that settled her close to his heart.

“Then you must be punished for such foul play. To think you would ruthlessly attack me while asleep, bien-aime.”

“And how might I atone for this egregious indiscretion?”

She could feel him smile against her shoulder, the rascal. “Stay here a little while longer with me.” As if he had any intention of letting her go. Not that she minded, honestly.

“Threaten me with a good time.” she mumbled, stroking a hand soothingly along his back as they closed their eyes for a while.

A few more minutes couldn’t do any harm, could it?

[vannahfanfics]

Life’s a Circus

Category: Friendship Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno

Requested By: KoalaTakingNotes (FanFiction)

“A circus?”

Sakura’s green eyes widened as Naruto elatedly presented the colorful flyer that he had spotted on the window of a local pastry shop during his jaunt to meet the pink-haired kunoichi at Ichiraku Ramen for dinner. Now that the war was over and the world was all peace-filled, they had taken to scheduling weekly get-togethers of the team. Sai was off on a mission this evening, but he and Sakura had decided to meet anyway because neither of them had anything better to do; when he had spotted the announcement, he had instantly realized that it was the perfect opportunity to shake up the hum-drum of routine.

“Yeah! They’ve put up a big pavilion in one of the training grounds! It starts in an hour; if we book it, we can totally make it, believe it!” The last time he had been to the circus was that business in Crescent Moon Island, way back when he was a plucky little Genin. He had thoroughly enjoyed it then, and there was no reason that several years later the opposite would be true. “It says they got a hypnotist!” he insisted while fervently pointing at the exciting script that indicated such. Sakura’s lips were pursed in a look of displeasure and uncertainty that he had often seen her wear.

“I don’t know, Naruto. A hypnotist? Sounds like a sham. It’s probably genjutsu.”

“Who cares?” he whined and slouched over dramatically. Then, pouring as much pleading sparkle into his clear blue eyes as he could muster, he tilted his head upwards into a begging puppy-dog expression, bottom lip poked out and his cheeks filling with the rosy innocence of an endearing child. “Please, Sakura? It’ll be fun! Believe it!” Sakura rolled her eyes at his deplorable attempts at placating her, but he knew it worked like a charm from the faint smile that graced her lips. She exhaled deeply while tossing a hand through her sakura-colored hair.

“Oh, all right… It is something different, after all.” Naruto cheered with delight and shoved the flyer back into his trusty pouch before grabbing Sakura by the hand, insisting that they take off that instant. The girl yelped some kind of startled response as he jerked on her arm, pulling her into a run to make a mad dash for the big top circus that they could just barely see poking above the horizon of village buildings and trees that was the Hidden Leaf Village.

~~~~~~~~~~

Naruto was literally vibrating with energy as he sat beside Sakura in the bleachers that circled the circus floor; his leg bounced at lightspeed as he shoved handfuls of popcorn into his mouth, practically embodying the image of a twitchy chipmunk. “Calm down, will you? It’s just a circus, Naruto.” The words would’ve irritated him if it weren’t for her playful tone of voice. As he gave her a side-eye, strategically maneuvering the half-eaten popcorn in his mouth so as not to choke and die, she flashed him that sweet smile of hers and leaned over to grab a handful of the popcorn from the bucket and eat it in a much more delicate manner than himself. If he had been in this situation a year prior, Naruto would’ve been swooning at the prospect that he and Sakura were on a date, but he no longer had any fantasies of such; at some point his romantic affections for the girl had been replaced by friendship and respect. A lot of that had to do with Sasuke, who had more or less acknowledged Sakura’s feelings for him and in his own weird way expressed some level of mutual attraction, though that was yet undecided; he had left her at the village entrance with only cryptic words as before, disappearing into the blue for his mission for atonement or whatever. Regardless, Naruto was actually quite happy with the situation. He liked spending time with Sakura on just a friendship basis and wasn’t actively seeking anything more.

“Hey, are you paying attention? The show is about to start!” Sakura’s giggly voice and elbow into his ribs brought him out of his introspection. His eyes fixed onto the streaming stage lights, white circles tracing patterns across the packed dirt floor before settling on the ringmaster dramatically flourishing on a decorated pedestal.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome!” he announced, and the crowd responded with a raucous chorus of cheers and claps. The ringmaster gave the characteristic, dramatic introduction before vanishing beyond the cloth fabric of the big top, allowing the performers to literally steal his show. Naruto and Sakura soon became engrossed in the splendorous performances of the circus actors; graceful acrobats performed gravity-defying feats of gymnastics upon thin ropes and swinging bars, leaping across the air in complex flips and spins. Next, a set of ribbon dancers glided down from a catwalk high above their heads. Sakura thoroughly enjoyed this bit, tears filling her enraptured eyes as powerful instrumental music echoed about the big top to accompany the dancers elegantly soared around the room like beautiful birds (in fact, their costumed features plumaged leotards and ornate feathered headdresses); Naruto thought it was pretty but had no idea why Sakura seemed so emotional about the entire dance, and when he commented on this she whacked him over the head and called him an uncultured twit. As he nursed the goose egg that was already poking out of his fluffy blonde hair, he made a mental note to just let her cry over whatever she wanted with no comment.

A parade of animals, tigers and monkeys and elephants clothed in patterned fabrics led by similarly clothed retainers, marched a circle around the big top before dispersing across the floor to engage in a series of tricks. Acrobats danced across the elephants, lightly flitting over their backs and across their thick trunks; the monkeys juggled a few balls and engaged in humorous banter with a posse of clowns that had Naruto rolling in his seat, leaving Sakura the one to be unimpressed; the twin tigers demonstrated their roaring prowess before leaping through flaming hoops. By the time the crux of the performance arrived, the promised hypnotist, Naruto and Sakura were thoroughly entertained.

The performer glided out onto center stage like a phantom, silent but nonetheless captivating. A black mask eclipsed his facial features, and as he swung his arm in a dramatic flourish, the cape he was wearing flapped like dark bats entering the night from their dank cave. Piercing blue eyes flitted across the crowd, smug and calculating.

“For my performance tonight, I require a set of volunteers. Would anyone like to step forward?” Naturally the crowd exploded into thunderous cheers and cries, and hands waved in the air like flags flapping in a fierce breeze. Of course, Naruto jumped to his feet hooting and hollering like a buffoon, making Sakura grimace beside him; his little stunt worked, however, as the hypnotist’s eyes fixed upon him and a smirk graced his thin lips. “I think you and that lovely lady you’re with will do quite nicely. Would you please join me?” he asked, and Naruto was momentarily blinded as the stage lights shifted to bathe them in their intense white brilliance- or, perhaps he was blinded by the opportunity at stardom.

“C’mon, Sakura, let’s go!” he snickered as he grasped her hand tightly to drag her out of the bleachers and down to the circus floor. The poor girl stumbled to keep up with Naruto’s manic energy. His giggles floated behind them in a song, and he was still chuckling in anticipation as he joined the very handsome hypnotist on the floor. He could tell that he was handsome because a light blush painted Sakura’s cheeks when he took her hand to lightly kiss the top of it, like a prince would a princess. He gave Naruto a regal bow, which Naruto returned politely and somehow did not lose his balance and make a fool of himself.

“Very good. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I will recite the ancient words and when I finish, these two will be compelled to do as I wish. You two, just stand there for a moment, please,” he purred with another flourish of his cape, raising his hands in what was undoubtedly some form of intricate incantation. Naruto and Sakura looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes as he began to utter some sort of foreign language. Naruto supposed he should have felt something, something related to the supposed magic or genjutsu or whatever the hypnotist was doing, but he felt nothing. He could tell from the puzzled look on Sakura’s face that she felt the same; likely she had already released the genjutsu if there was one, and was about to make him out to be a fraud. Is this guy really a sham? He wondered as the man finished speaking. No tingling, no sleepiness, nothing at all; Naruto ran his hands over his body to ensure that he was no different, but he was not. As he moved, the hypnotist’s electric eyes locked onto Naruto. “You there. Do you know how to dance?”

“Do what?” Naruto spluttered. What the hell kinda question is that?!

“Dance. I think you do. Why don’t you show the audience, please?” Naruto was about to tell him to shove off, but all of a sudden his body suddenly jerked without him even thinking about it.

“What the-?” he squeaked in fright as his arms and legs suddenly started moving on their own, and he swept an equally surprised Sakura up in some form of elaborate tango, one hand on her hip and the other grasping hers as he spun her around and around the circus floor.

“Naruto! What do you think you’re doing?!” she snapped at him as he very uncoordinatedly wrenched her around in some poor excuse for ballroom.

“I dunno! My body just started moving on its own!” he cried back. His response was nearly drowned by the crowd’s mixture of cheers and laughter. Naruto’s ears began to burn with embarrassment, and he shot a glare out into the bleachers as his shoulders hunched up haughtily. “Bastards! Stop laughin’!” he whined.

“Stop, please.” At the hypnotist’s utterance, Naruto abruptly regained control of his body, and he jumped away from his partner to begin stomping over to the hypnotist. His teeth were grinding and he was rolling up the sleeve of his jumpsuit while he flexed his arm muscles for a very savage punch.

“What’d you do ta me? Why I oughta-“

“You ought to take a nap, please.”

Next thing Naruto knew, he was blinking awake, lying flat on his back in the sandy floor of the circus. Sakura was leaning over him, her pink eyebrows knit together in concern.

“What the-?” he mumbled groggily as he wearily lifted his head. Another goose egg had joined the one Sakura had given him earlier, and a wheedling whine slipped out of him as his fingers caressed the very tender lumps. “Ouch…”

“You passed out all of a sudden, and as soon as he told you to wake up, you did,” Sakura murmured to him as she placed a hand at the small of his back to help him sit up. Naruto’s bottom lip poked out as he glowered at the charismatic hypnotist, who had his arms crossed and a very accomplished smirk decorating his annoyingly pretty face.

“It’s definitely some type of genjutsu,” he grumbled as he pushed himself up to his feet, brushing the dirt off his bottom and back before dramatically pointing at the hypnotist. “Stop makin’ a fool of me! I know your trick, believe it!” He then whirled on his heel to face Sakura, making her eyebrows shoot up to her forehead. “Hit me! It’ll get rid of the genjutsu, right?”

“Don’t be a moron.”

“The young lady is right, you know. My hypnotism isn’t some trick just anyone can beat,” the hypnotist chuckled lightly with a small shrug and light toss of his head. He cracked an eye open when Sakura scoffed loudly. Naruto beamed as the confident smirk jumped from the hypnotist’s face to hers. “Oh? You think you’ve figured it out? Let’s test the theory then, shall we? Miss, why don’t you come over here and give me a kiss, please?”

“Do what?!” Naruto screeched. “Sakura, there’s no wa- ehhh?” When the blonde turned once more to stare incredulously at the pink-haired kunoichi, he found her not at his side, but sidling over to the very amused hypnotist who was leaning to the side tapping his cheek with his index finger expectantly. Sakura clasped her hands behind her back and shyly wiggled her shoulders, and Naruto smirked. Hah! She’s just acting! She’s about to sock this loony into next week!

Naruto’s jaw hit the floor when she did not in fact deliver one of her signature punches to the smug bastard, but instead leaned over and very delicately pressed her lips to his cheek. All the while those glittering blue eyes bored into Naruto’s, issuing a daring challenge. Steam blew out of Naruto’s ears and his teeth nearly ground themselves into dust. Sakura, meanwhile, composed herself and jumped backwards with a horrified gasp, her hands flying to her mouth and her green eyes wide as moons.

“D-did I just-?!”

The girls in the crowd, meanwhile, were losing their minds. It seemed they were quite jealous of Sakura’s opportunity to deliver a kiss to the beguiling young man. As Naruto continued to rage, the hypnotist laughed in a carefree manner and dramatically bowed to the crowd.

The hypnotist spent the rest of his performance making an utter fool out of Naruto and parading Sakura around as some sort of bewitching, beautiful partner of his. By the end of it, they were both red-faced and steaming like tomatoes in the sun. Meanwhile, the hypnotist was lapping up the crowd, bowing as roses rained down on him.

“Thank you, thank you! It has been a splendorous evening! Please give a round of applause to my lovely two assistants,” he purred while holding out a rose to Sakura, who promptly snatched it out of his hand and crumpled the poor flower in her overpowered fist. Naruto was in as foul a mood; his eye had been twitching for the last ten minutes now, and it was beginning to ache.

“We are never going to the circus again.”

“No, never,” Naruto muttered in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~

“The nerve of that jerk! He made total fools of us!” Naruto snapped as soon as he located the nearest trash can and kicked it over. He then felt bad when it startled a nearby stray cat and sent it slinking into the alleyway with a terrified mew. “Oh, no, kitty, I’m so sorry!” he wailed in dismay and crawled through the upended trash after it. The cat did not forgive him, and he slunk back to Sakura covered in scratches and his pride even more bruised. The girl seemed not to notice at all; she had her hand on her chin and her eyebrows knitted as she pondered something deeply. “Yo, what’re thinkin’ about so hard?”

“That hypnotist. He had to have been using some kind of genjutsu, but why wasn’t I able to release it?”

“Who knows? Who cares? I wanna forget about the whole ordeal,” he groaned while assuming a cross-legged position right in the middle of the street. Half of the village had been there, and he knew that he was going to be dogged about his laughable antics for weeks. Sakura was not so willing to do so. The ground cracked underneath her as she stamped her foot, making Naruto yelp and cringe.

“No! I have to know!”

“Jeez! Would you just forget about it, please?” he argued back hotly. He saw Sakura’s body tense and he immediately curled up, shielding his tender head from a third blow from the undoubtedly irate kunoichi. The expected fist never fell, and he gingerly peered out of the gap in his arms to see Sakura with a completely puzzled expression on her face. “Sakura?”

“I forgot what I was talking about just now.” Naruto would’ve told her not to joke about things like that, knowing she would be playing off the hypnotism, but as good as an actor she was, she could not fake the acute level of confusion and concern that was painted across her features at that moment. Naruto lowered his arms, his eyebrow rising instead. “I… really don’t remember.”

The lightbulb blazed in Naruto’s head.

“Sakura… Did that guy ever actually release the hypnotism?” She put a finger to her lips as she pondered the question, and her expression gradually turned more horrified.

“Now that you mention it… He didn’t do another weird incantation, did he?” The silence settled between them like a thick fog… and was promptly blasted away as the simultaneously released mortified screeches and pulled at their hair.

“You mean we’re gonna be like this forever?!”

“Hell no! We have to find a way to release this genjutsu! I can’t be doing weird things every time someone says ‘please’!” Sakura cried as she very angrily ruffled her pink hair about. She then grabbed Naruto by the wrist, ignoring his whimper as he felt his bones crunch under her much-too-tight grip. “Come on! We aren’t sleeping until we sort this out!” He tried to dig in his feet, but he only accomplished scoring deep trenches into the earth. His whines and begs for Sakura to release him floated up into the night air, ignored and forgotten as she concentrated on fuming about their dismal situation…

~~~~~~~~~~

Naruto’s bottom lip was wobbling and tears were quietly leaking from his eyes as he gingerly held an ice pack around his very likely broken wrist, huddled on the floor like some sort of depressed gremlin. Sakura, completely unaware of the injury she had caused him, had pulled her hair up into a short ponytail and was chewing on the eraser end of a pencil, staring down at the words she had scribbled down onto a scrap sheet of paper. The brilliant girl had of course memorized the words should they come in handy to breaking the genjutsu. “This definitely isn’t a language I’ve heard before. The secret must lie in these words. Perhaps it’s some sort of cipher…” she mumbled to herself. She had been just staring at it for nearly an hour, and it was late into the night. Naruto was sleepy. With a groan, he flopped onto his side and peered up at her wearily through his bangs.

“Can’t we just figure this out in the morning?”

“No!” Naruto rolled onto his back and kicked his legs and arms about like a child throwing a tantrum. “Stop acting like a child, Naruto! Please.” Per the hypnosis, he immediately ceased all actions and his face grew deadpan.

“I have paperwork to do.”

“If that’s your idea of being an adult, I’m concerned,” she snorted with laughter. Naruto regained his sense, blinking, and then grimaced deeply. As much as he wanted to crawl into his bed and conk out, it was annoying to be subject to the hypnotism. He dragged himself up into a sitting position- well, more of a slouching position- and frowned at her while she continued to tut to herself. It didn’t take long for his attention span to lapse and the boredom to itch beneath his skin. Man, this is so lame! If I have to sit here and just watch her try to figure this out all night, I’m gonna go nuts! he complained to himself. His eyes wandered over to the cipher scrawled onto the paper, which had apparently not yet revealed anything to the smart young woman. So the rule of the hypnosis is if you say “please” after telling someone what to do, they gotta do it, right? A mischievous egg hatched into a devilish little chick of an idea in his mind. Sakura was too busy thinking to notice the wily grin spread across his face.

“Hey, Sakura. Do a handstand, please.” Her cry of protest caught in her throat as her body reacted against her will, and he cackled in triumph as she literally threw herself into the form. She spit thin strands of pink hair from her lips as her green eyes burned like smoldering sea foam. “Ahahaha! Now I get why it’s so funny!”

“Naruto, cluck like a chicken, please.” Sakura had not even fallen from the handstand before the words left her mouth, dripping with acidic anger. The gasp that he was going to release exited as a loud squawk, and she smirked while Naruto tried to speak and only managed to utter ridiculous clucks for a good few seconds. As she rolled onto her back and sat up again, tossing her ruffled hair over her shoulder, Naruto sniffed dourly. It was definitely on now.

“All right, Sakura, I want you to howl like a wolf for a whole minute, please!” Naruto scrambled out of the way of her attempted stranglehold, and as she flopped on her belly grasping at the air where he had been sitting just a few precious seconds before, she opened her mouth and let out a long, not-very-wolf-like howl. Her green eyes flashed with malice and she scrambled after him, chasing him around and around his bedroom, howling like a deranged dog all the while. When she finally managed to wrangle him into submission, straddling him while pinning him with her arm pressed into his throat, the hypnosis had lapse. She brought her face close to his. Her grin bordered on lunacy.

“You want to play this game, do ya? Okay then…”

Their motive had switched from deciphering the genjutsu to making each other do the most ridiculous things possible, and Naruto soon regretted provoking Sakura, because her ideas were far more satanic than any he could ever think up. “Pull your socks off with your teeth, please! Go walk down the street on your hands, please! Try and drink this glass of water standing on your head, please!” By the time Naruto was crawling up the steps to his apartment after jumping out of the window at Sakura’s command, he was breathing hard and wallowing in regret.

“Okay, Sakura, I’m sorry! No more!” he whined as he dragged himself through the threshold of the door. She could have told him to beg for forgiveness and kiss her boots, and he would do it without her even saying “please.” She towered over him, arms crossed and the picture of triumph.

“Ah-ah-ah. I have one more command for you, Naruto.” He let out a whimper and grabbed onto her boot with tears streaming down his whiskered cheeks.

“Please… Have mercy…” he pleaded as she squatted down in front of him. Her smirk sent shivers down his spine.

“Tell me your deepest, darkest secrets, please.” Mercy, it seemed, was not in Sakura’s vocabulary. The words began to tumble from his mouth like an avalanche.

“One time, Iruka-sensei almost caught me with a dirty magazine and I panicked and shoved it in Kiba’s desk and he got in trouble for it even though it was mine and he still doesn’t know I was the one who hid it there. This other time when I was staying in a hotel with Jiraiya-sensei I broke a vase and I just kind of stuck it back together and I dunno if anyone ever found out about it. Then this other time-“ Naruto continued rattling off his secrets, mostly pranks and attempts of hiding stupid decisions, until finally he sputtered, “- and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Hinata but I’m honestly not sure what to do about it because I’m pretty dumb when it comes to that, y’know?”

The last one came as a shock even to him. He knew he has always liked Hinata- maybe not in a romantic sense at first, but he did like her; she was sweet, and humble, and pretty, and encouraging… Naruto’s cheeks flushed with both embarrassment and breathlessness as he stared uncomfortably up at the woman who had yanked the confession out of him. Sakura’s eyes had widened, and she was just staring at him. “S-Say something, okay!”

“Wow,” she breathed as she fell back into a sitting position, putting a hand up to her mouth as she considered the weighty reveal. “I had no idea, Naruto.”

“Yeah, well, me either. Guess we both know now,” he huffed as he pushed himself up. They now sat across from one another, cross-legged and pink-faced. “… So… What should I do, Sakura?” The playful mood had evaporated. Naruto wanted to get serious now. The cat was out of the bag, so he might as well get some advice from the one person who understood love better than anyone else. Sakura clicked her tongue as she leaned back a little, her head tilted upwards as she pondered how to explain the predicament.

“Well, Naruto, have you ever just considered telling her how you feel?”

“Sakura, I’m dumb, okay? Until ten seconds ago I didn’t even know what I had was a crush. Plus, y’know, I’m not good with words all the time. I’m afraid I’ll sound stupid.”

“Good point,” she laughed dryly and looked at him with a soft smile. “You know that Hinata loves you, right?” Naruto knew that, or at least he thought he did. She had said something of the sort during his battle with Pain, but he was a little delirious from blood loss and had gone berserk immediately after. He was never really sure what had really happened that day so he had ignored it. It was probably a stupid decision on his part, in hindsight. His confusion on the matter must have shown in his face, because Sakura exhaled deeply. “Naruto, Hinata is definitely in love with you, so at least you won’t have to face the possibility of rejection. Hinata already confessed to you once, and that took a lot of strength. I’m not sure it’ll happen again, so you should probably be the one to approach her.”

“Yeah…”

“Just say what you feel, Naruto. Honesty is what matters.” That made sense. Sakura had always been honest with Sasuke, even if he had rejected her at first, and it had worked out for her in the end. Feeling better about the situation, he flashed her a bright smile.

“Yeah! Thanks, Sakura! I’m gonna tell Hinata how I feel, believe it!” He pumped his fists a little, feeling energized. Sakura giggled and leaned over to take the paper with the incantation on it. Naruto jumped as she suddenly slapped her forehead and groaned loudly. “What? What is it?”

“I’m so dumb!” she sighed and crumpled up the sheet of paper to toss it Naruto’s wastebasket. Naruto must have been even dumber because he had no idea of the revelation she had stumbled upon. “How could we have not thought to say the words again and see if the jutsu breaks?” As soon as she said it, Naruto slammed his head into the floor as the weight of their combined idiocy struck him. Of course it had been that simple! Sakura had overthought it and Naruto really hadn’t been thinking at all in the first place, so naturally something so simple flew right over their heads. Sakura quickly recited the incantation and then timidly said, “Okay, Naruto, raise your right hand, please.” The young man held his breath as he waited for his body to spontaneously react… but he was not compelled in the slightest.

“It worked!” he cheered and flung both of his hands into the air. Sakura breathed a sigh and held her feet as she leaned back, her shoulder joints popping as she rolled them, as if she had been relieved of a great weight. Naruto gazed at her, and then began to snicker uncontrollably. She gave him a quizzical look. “Tonight was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was,” she agreed with a serene smile. She glanced out of the window, where the starry night sky glistened beyond the thin pane of glass. “It’s gotten late.”

“Ya want me to walk you home?”

“Actually, I was thinking I could stay. We don’t always get time to talk like this since you go on so many missions, Mr. World Savior,” she responded with a wink. Naruto was surprised, but not unpleasantly. He grinned widely and scooched a bit closer to Sakura with that radiant smile still plastered on his face.

“Okay! Let’s talk, then!”

Thus, he and Sakura talked deep into the night about all manners of things. They reminisced of memories and contemplated the future; their emotions rolled between happiness and sadness and everything in between. They both collapsed in a mess of blankets and pillows on Naruto’s floor just as the sun was creeping above the horizon to paint the indigo sky in shades of gold. The sunlight streamed into the room to bathe the two lifelong friends in its warmth, the light catching on the smiles still ghosting their lips as they basked in dreams of days gone and yet to come…

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

[doublerumnukacola]

Second Last Dance

They emerged from the State House the sound of the crowds around them a little overwhelming. She’d never seen Good Neighbor this packed. It was suffocating for her to be surrounded by the drunken masses.

Then they caught sight of Hancock and the crowd surged towards them. Sole stepped backwards to the State House as Hancock stepped forward, passing out what remained of his chem stash like he was giving out candy.

It felt exactly like pre-war Halloween, complete with kids in costumes. Some were hobos, gangsters, clowns, zombies… And to think the latter was the most friendly of the bunch. She leant against the disintegrating white paint of the ancient building as the last of the Mentats were distributed, the final tin having to be yanked from Hancocks leathery fingers. He gave a sigh as the crowd dispersed. Maybe in relief, or regret. She came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“You look like you need a drink.” She noted, he turned to look back at her with a thin, tired, smile. “Maybe a few drinks, actually.”

“You don’t know the half of it, sister.” He admitted. “Haven’t had a straight drink in awhile. Usually spritze it up with a few Daytripper. For taste, of course.”

“Ohno, not tonight.” She chuckled, spinning him around to face her. “Doctors orders, you’re already pushing it with drink.” He shrugged, old habits die hard. She could tell she would have her work cut out for her. She was going to have to keep him away from temptation...

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The sky above GoodNeighbor was dotted with faint stars against a deep, dark blue. The Sun said its last goodbyes at the Horizon, lingering like an unwanted house guest. The lamp lights glowed, waiting to be spotlights for the party. Magnolia had moved outside the Rexford, music playing from an old prewar speaker Daisy’d had in her attic. The usual upbeat jazz set was playing with Mags lending her sultry voice.

Sole and Hancock were drinking on the balcony of the State House, in an attempt to keep him distracted from the slurry of chems making their way through the crowd. The rum tasted like medical disinfectant mixed with cinnamon, but it kept them happy enough.

“I gotta ask somethin’.” Hancock started, taking a swig from the clear glass bottle, the dark liquid rushing to meet him. “What was it like, before… All this?” She shrugged and glanced away. It was question she got a lot. She’d had a lot of time to think of a good answer.

“Honestly, not great.” She answered bluntly. He nearly choked on his next swig of drink, spluttering it on the party goers below them. She smirked as a few held up their hands, checking for rain with confused faces. Hancock turned to look at her, and she continued. “We had prisoner camps in our own country, secret police, not to mention Vault-Tech.” She mused, remembering what life had really been like. “At the time, I kept my head down. I told myself it would all change after the war… I guess I was right...” Her hands gripped the railing, the ancient wood was feeble beneath her fingers.

“Looking back though, how could I have done so little? I had friends taken in the night; my colleagues who had tried to defend innocent people accused of treason… And I did nothing.” She took a breath. “And here, in the wasteland, I make a difference.” She smiled over at Hancock. “And everything is different, people here, in Good Neighbor, they’re free. Really free. You would never have had that before the war. Not for long anyway...”

“It’s funny…” He smiled back at her, “Daisy always makes it sound like Heaven on Earth...”

“Daisy’s had a long time to romanticise it.” Sole sighed. “For me, it’s just been a couple months...” Something about those words stuck in her throat. Months, centuries… What’s the difference?

Hancock could have kicked himself. He finally had a moment to himself with Sole, and he has to bring the mood down with a question like that. His stomach was turning, not quite agreeing with the rum and snack cakes. Or maybe it was something else. Something that hadn’t twisted his insides in awhile. Sole was looking forlorn at the street below, was it too late?

Then a commotion on the street caught his attention. The music stopped, the speakers softening to a silence. Kent was talking to Magnolia excitedly, holding some tapes in his hand.

“What’s going on there?” Sole asked, eyes brightening a little with curiosity.

“Not sure,” Hancock admitted, “Some scavver sold him some old broken Silver Shroud tapes. Guess he got them working.” She looked over at him in surprise. “Yeah, Kent’s actually pretty good with fixing Holotapes. It’s how he’s gotten all those old radio plays.” Her fingers flitted over her Pipboy for a moment, before returning to the railing. Hancock pretended not to notice.

“You think we’re about to hear another tale of the Shroud?” She asked with a small smile. “I should have dressed for the occasion.” His eyes dipped over the rose pink dress.

“Oh, I think you’re dressed just fine...” He muttered. Suddenly the street burst into music, and instead of Magnolia, sweet little Kent was stood at the mic. The tune sounded familiar, a tinny trumpet playing. The nostalgia made her smile.

Heaven, I'm in heaven, And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak And I seem to find the happiness I seek When we're out together dancing, cheek to cheek

There was a tap at her shoulder, she looked back at Hancock holding a hand out to her. Her smile faltered. He kept his hand out, but there was a slight tremble to his fingers.

“Can’t help staring, huh?” He chuckled, a nervous edge to his voice.

Heaven, I'm in heaven, And the cares that hang around me through the week Seem to vanish like a gambler's lucky streak When we're out together dancing, cheek to cheek

His hand started to fall, it was a stupid gesture. Why would a dame like that- Her fingers wrapped around his and he was pulled close. His heart nearly shot through his chest.

“We can’t waste a song like this, can we?” She smiled, one hand on his shoulder, the other holding his hand. He swallowed, but threw on a cocky grin.

“Whatever you say, sister.”

Oh! I love to climb a mountain, And to reach the highest peak, But it doesn't thrill me half as much As dancing cheek to cheek Oh! I love to go out fishing In a river or a creek, But I don't enjoy it half as much As dancing cheek to cheek

It was awkward, on that small balcony, two people used to a bigger dance floor. It could have been a waltz, or a tango. But all onlookers saw was two people tripping over each other’s feet, hands clinging loosely to the other as they held each other, laughing uncontrollably.

Dance with me I want my arm about you The charm about you Will carry me through to heaven I'm in heaven And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak And I seem to find the happiness I seek When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek

They could barely breathe, tumbling to the balcony floor. Holding their sides now as the laughter subsided. The music played on, but Kent was stepping off the small platform, handing the mic back to Magnolia. They’d just about missed his whole performance. They’d have to ask for an encore later.

“I think, we had better get down.” Hancock noted breathlessly. “Don’t think this old place was built to handle that kind of movement.” She smiled and nodded, rubbing out the soreness of her face from the laughter.

“Hey, thanks for that.” She said gratefully, pulling herself to her feet.

“Sure thing, Sister.” He said with a dismissive wave, “What are friends for?” Friends? He kicked himself as he followed her back into the State house. I mean, yeah, she’s his best friend. But he had the chance to make a move and he… He said they were just friends? What the hell was wrong with him?

“Hey, Hancock?” Sole called from his office. He looked over, and she was holding two cone shaped party hats. “I fished these from behind your sofa, want one?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Not sure that would fit over the ‘ol tricorn…”

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The party was intense. As the night drew on, the top shelf liquor started to flow. The world seemed to spin for everyone. Magnolia sung on, and when her voice was at its limits, they put on Kents broadcast of the Silver Shroud, prompting some waggling eyebrows from Hancock to Sole. As the party waned, the drifters passing out one by one, the broadcast turned to Classical Radio. No one dared put on Diamond City around Sole, she tended to get a little shooty with the radios as soon as she heard Travis’s voice. By then, the liquor had all but run out, and the few left awake in Good Neighbor sat in the square, drinking nuka cola of all things.

Sole and Hancock were some of the few party goers left awake. They lay on the cobblestones of the square, looking up at the night sky. Hancock even had Fahrenheit shut off all the lamps so the stars would seem brighter, but left the Christmas lights on at Sole’s request. The air was cold, Sole’s jacket came in useful to keep off the chill as they lay still under the night sky. Sole couldn't help but glance from the sky to the ghoul beside her, who was animatedly telling her about the patterns in the stars, in his own way.

“... And that one is the bent frying pan.” Hancock continued, pointing up at a constellation. “My old man used to say it was part of a yao-gui in the sky, but I can't see it myself.”

“Funny, before the war it was the big dipper.” Sole added softly, returning her gaze to the stars in question.

“What the hell is a dipper?” Hancock demanded, genuinely perplexed. Sole shrugged her shoulders.

“I think it’s like a ladle.” She answered unsuredly.

“Oh yeah, I can see that.” Hancock said, squinting a bit.

“Nah, I liked yours better. People know what a bent frying pan is.” Sole admitted. She looked again at the stars. She raised her hand and pointed to a constellation with three bright stars and cornered with four more. “So what’s that one?”

“Well that’s easy.” Hancock answered smugly. “It's the Vault boy with his dick out.” Sole turned to look at Hancock incredulously. “What? You can see it right there! Just below those three stars is a flaccid cock! What did you used to call it?”

“Orion, and those three stars are his belt… And the one below are meant to be his… Knife.” Sole replied awkwardly. Hancock laughed. Yeah, ‘knife’ wasn't believable.

“So who’s Orion?” Hancock asked, stretching an arm out and putting it behind his head.

“Oh, I actually know this.” Sole gushed excitedly, sitting up and turning to him. “Orion was this hunter in ancient Greece, and he used to hunt with this goddess Artemis. But her brother got jealous and made a huge scorpion to kill him.” Sole leant forward, Hancock could tell she was getting to her favorite part, she always did that when telling stories. “In her grief, Artemis placed Orion in the sky so he could live forever in the stars. But her brother put the scorpion up there to chase him through the heavens for eternity, you know, like an asshole.”

“Fuck, so there are Rad-scorpions in the sky too?” Hancock asked incredulously. She smiled at the joke. He liked to think he could do better than that. “Ancient Greece, huh?” He continued. “Sounds familiar, is that like the lard Daisy uses in her mirelurk cakes?” Sole laughed and shook her head. “Yeah then I'm sticking to the naked Vault boy.” Sole shook her head, still grinning, and laid down again. Looking at the constellation again, she could completely see it. And now she could never UN-see it!

“Give me another one!” Hancock urged, giddy more from being over-tired than drunk. Sole shook her head.

“Those were the only ones I knew.” Sole sighed, yawning. She rested her eyes.

“Come on, you can't sleep here, you'll wake up feeling the way I look.” Hancock advised. He shakily got up, brushing the dust off his coat. “Here, let me help you.” He extended his hand once again, but he was in no shape to help anyone. Luckily she waved it away.

“Leave me alone…” She murmured. “It's comfy here…” He sighed. He couldn't carry her to save his life. He looked around for someone to help him, but everyone was either too tired, too stoned, or too Kleo.

Then he heard soft snores come from his feet. He looked down and she was out cold on the cobblestones. He knew from experience what waking up with a hangover felt like on these rocks, and it wasn't pleasant, but he wasn’t exactly Mr. Muscles…

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Macready was a coward and he knew it. He sat on Daisy’s back porch, smoking his last cigarette. The music had long since died down, and the revelers had passed out.

“You better be using an ashtray.” Daisy muttered beside him. She had a bottle of beer in her hand, leaning against the screen door behind her. The old lady may have been a serial complainer since he arrived, but she enjoyed the company.

“Sure thing,grandma.” He joked, tipping the end of the ash into a dingy ceramic ashtray. She was too tired to smack him for that comment, she could only grumble. There was a quiet as he took one last drag and ground out the cigarette, glowing embers dying in the blackened ash.

“You’re running out of time, Mac.” Daisy said softly. He crossed his arms. He knew she was right. Didn’t make it any easier.

“Yeah, yeah…”

“I mean it. If you want any future with her, you had better fix things soon.”

“And what if she’s over it?”

“Then you can at least apologise for being an ass.”

He was quiet, he did owe her that. He stood up, dusting off his pants. There were voices still in the square, he knew who they were, as much as he’d tried to ignore them. It was time he stopped running away.

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Then footsteps on the cobblestones caught his attention. He turned around to see Macready emerging from the alley. He nodded to Hancock as he approached, and scooped up Sole quietly. She barely stirred as he held her.

“Hiding in the dark? Trying to take sunglasse’s M.O.?” Hancock asked in annoyance. Macready didn't say a word, ignoring him as he shifted Sole’s weight so he could carry her more comfortably. There wasn't a damn thing Hancock could do. At least the bastard could get her to her room safe. Hancock leaned close, narrowing his coal black eyes.

“So much as a hair out of place when she wakes up, and I’ll make a wind chime out of your dick.” He hissed quietly. Macready furrowed his brow.

“How would you even do that?” Macready asked, more curious than threatened.

“I'm a creative guy.” Hancock answered darkly. Macready just shrugged and started towards the Rex. Hancock watched him go, silently seething. Had he lost his touch? I mean it all sounded pretty threatening. Maybe it was the party hat he had strapped to his head. Yeah that was probably it.