#{ v; main }

[firejugglinghobo]

Dustfinger's stomach turned as the needle slid out of his arm, the tape that ripped free of his skin leaving behind a sharp sting. He pressed a hand to the crook of his elbow, in part to anticipate any bleeding, in part to assure himself that the thing was really out and he was free of the machine.

"...Through the wall?"

He couldn't have heard her right. The medicine they'd given him must still be messing with his brain.

"How?"

Was there something he was missing? The only door he saw led to the busy hospital corridor, and it seemed that Sadie was suggesting bypassing that.

"It's busy out there." Which was doing them a favour, it made for a good distraction. She held her hands out instinctively, as Dustfinger swung his legs from the bed, brows furrowed with concern. "Do you-"

He seemed determined to walk for himself, this time, so she just grit her teeth and stayed near. A nod of agreement met his suggestion. Blue eyes instinctively moved towards his arm as he directed her attention to it, and the IV taped to it...

Restraints.

Rubber between her teeth.

Bright shocks of electricity nearing out of the corner of her eyes-

She'd yanked more than one of those out of her own arm, she was sure.

"... I can do it." The soldier murmured, distantly. Her stomach swirled with unease, feet stepping forward. She subconsciously worked to steady her breath; calm her nerves so as to calm her mutation as well. And in a blur, he was free of it. She could hardly recall the motions that lead to the point, but it was done all the same.

"We can go out through the wall, mitigate the risk of attention?" She suggested, grateful they were on the first floor. She'd have been able to figure something out if they were higher up, but given their injuries, it wouldn't have been ideal. She'd have considered taking their chances with the people. Still, she waited for his thoughts on the idea, wanting to give him a say.

[woodblxssomcrowned]

Since she never got to enter and subsequently never graduate the academy, Kaname was never photographed for a registration form.

Still, she did eventually get a formal portrait taken of herself by her late teens. Although it was for private use, after Mito’s death a copy of it did end up in records with material associated with the Shodai Hokage.

[mandysxmuses]

@mortau

Fiona didn't really know if she would be back to that place. She said she would be, but... that wasn't exactly an easy decision to make when it had drudged up an experience so personal to her. Going through that castle once was hellish enough. She never wanted to see anything like it again.

But now that she was back on Earth, she didn't know what she was going to do. She could try finding a place to stay and getting a job for herself, but that sort of thing would have been much easier with Flora around.

If there was one thing the Void did have over this place, it was easier access to food and shelter.

She would get by, though. Fiona just hoped things had settled down in Tokyo.

Something that gave her pause was when Hewie ran over to a woman closeby and began to sniff. She quickly went over to try and calm him down.

"I'm sorry- he won't bite, I promise." She just hoped the poor woman didn't have allergies. Just in case, she called Hewie back.

[firejugglinghobo]

Dustfinger knows a thing or two about brownies, though they are fairly rare in Lombrica and the surrounding kingdoms. Furry creatures with an appetite for mushrooms, if he remembers correctly.

"Exchange," he agrees. "They don't give something for nothing. Did you know him long?"

Emily nods. “I called him Poe.”

She remembers the small face of her friend from Hrafnsvik with another stab of unexpected pain. When she arrived there to study their folk, she had not been interested in making friends but it seemed they had other ideas. Well, Wendell had other ideas. Now she remembered why she kept such a wide berth between herself and other human beings. She was always an odd, lonely girl and that hurts less when one does not deviate from it.

“He was a young brownie, timid at first but surprisingly kind and loyal later. I often shoveled the snow from the path that led between his home and the nearby hot spring and in exchange, he provided me with bread.”

[merchantofwhispers]

At last (@worldofsenelfy)

Almost two months had passed since she'd been inside that same club. She rarely frequented the same place too often, not wanting any undesirables to make a connection between her and any missing men. Gemina imagined it had been long enough, eager to go back to a familiar hunting ground with richer blood than those she'd been preying on in dive bars.

Not to mention that it seemed the "higher class" was easier to fool; a man with nothing guarded himself far better than a man eager to prove how much he had to offer.

It was that exact mindset that found her up on the second floor overlooking the rest of the club, nestled halfway into some random man's lap. His hand was halfway down the back of her dress with hers toying at the buttons around the top of his shirt; she had one goal -- to feed.

Well, she did, until there was suddenly a shadow looming far too close as her lips pressed into the stranger's throat in a warning kiss. Slowly, she shifted her eyes as her future meal looked up.

"Can I help you, man?" He'd said just as Gemina recognized Will.

Oh, wonderful.

[wiedzmacienia]

@honorhearted | continued from x

the morning, having come off a long evening during which she herself had a meeting with washing.ton followed by alden, had caused frustration to lace most of her existence the last few hours prior to her decision to seek the major out. another meeting of her own had been conducted this morning with alden providing fresh word from mrs. morgan which had been less than ideal. an acceleration of a plan had now been required and she had saw to it that molnar had left camp with a company not an hour before to see it done. the following hour, however, had been less tense, at least within the grand scheme of things. she'd entered back into her space with her light hues washing over a chest and come to some sort of decision. an item about the size of a larger book is wrapped in a cloth in her arms when she meets him outside his tent, worry creasing her features for a moment before he begins to respond. that is when katarzyna's features begin to cool in response, hold tightening on the item in her hold as if a means to keep her own emotions in check.

'don't you already know?'

know what?

there is a multitude of meanings the major could be referring to though she believes she's aware of which once once she allows the shock of his coolness to wear off. this must have to do with the conversation she'd held with the general the day before though the timetable presented for such a mission as he presented her with had been unclear the day before (clearly it was no longer unclear). yet she fails to see what reason tallmadge could have to be so angered by such for if they were truly to work together what reason should he have not to allow her to meet with one of those spying for him. especially if she was expected to share her own information with him from her own?

'seeing how his excellency has been cluing you in to our tactical plans before myself as of late, i would've thought this would be why you're here.'

until his following comment washes over her. that was it, wasn't it? she knew things he did not and it angered him. it angers her too, or rather his tone does as she follows him into the tent, thankful that the child is not there presently. idly she wonders if it angered him more that he wasn't being informed of certain things when others were or if it was because his excellency was speaking about it with a woman? somewhere in the back of her mind the witch knows she can not entirely fault tallmadge for something he is unaware of. that her actual position within her forces is still unclear to him even if washing.ton is well aware (and if washington approves of such or not, he has accepted it as what such is to provide him his alliance). that does not halt the ice-filled and tone which leaves her lips in response though.

"i actually came here to bring you this--"

the item in her arms is dropped, not roughly but not entirely gently either, onto his cleared desk still wrapped in cloth. she'd mentioned before that she held a copy of sun tz.u's art of war in it's original dialect and while she knows he could not read it she had intended to offer him the chance to look at it and perhaps read some of it to him with his own copy as reference. after all, he had offered to teach her of a language she did not know, even if such would have been done with auggie present. this was how she saw fit to return the favor. now however, she's beginning to regret such a notion.

"--because i thought you might like to see it."

there is a harshness to her, a glare given to the wrapped book itself as if it burned her before falling up toward the major who she's now standing next to by the desk. she holds her ground, stance firmly in place, confident and perhaps defiant. men and woman had been punished for less of a tone with her. but he was not one of those under her command and she knows, even if she must keep reminding herself, that he can not be faulted for his lack of understanding. it's entirely infuriating and yet perhaps more of an indication of why he should not be informed of such, at least until he presents himself ready to accept it.

'i'm supposed to go check on abe -- by myself, might i add -- but w.ashington has suddenly decided that you need to come along.'

this is new information. katarzyna knew the town the general wished for her to go to with the major from their conversation of which also spoke of her own presence there prior, her own spies of which could help the cause though names had not been discussed. she imagined that would be worked out between her and the major or when they arrived and would meet with those allies they had. it seemed a benefit to have her join the major. no matter how one looked upon it, a crossover of their allies would have to transpire and it would only aid the cause if she could see where his lived and such be able to send a critical message quickly if needed. the new information in question however is the name. abe. it makes her eyes widen briefly before she lets out a calming breath. surely there was more than one abe in the town. he could not be referring to cabbage man.

'it's too dangerous. you're not a spy, zyna -- you're not even one of my men, so this is a fool's errand. please…'

anger rises back within her before his use of a nickname seems to cause her pause enough to actually listen to his words. has he ever referred to her such before? now she finds a strange mix of emotions playing at her. he has managed to insult her and express worry for her in the same breath. had he not seen what she had been capable of before that first night they met or even when they fought that horrid creature of a witch in the woods? surly if it was dangerous for anyone, it was more dangerous for him who held no powers to get him out of such a situation if he was caught. knowledge of her rank or not, would he ever see her for what she was truly capable or would they continue this dance for the entirety of the war? still, it is difficult to remain completely cross with him when there is a genuineness to the fact he is misguidedly attempting to keep her safe when he turns softer and looks upon her and asks her to reason with his commander.

god, why was benjamin tall.madge such an infuriating man? why could she simply not be cross with him and that be that?

"i'll put aside that you still seem to think i am unable to protect myself from danger." her tone is somewhat softer but still offended in a way she can not hide, turning matter-of-fact as she speaks again. "you're wrong though. it's not a fool's errand. i have my own spies in set.auket whom i imagine the general wishes you to meet and i have an alias there as well. if someone sees me, though i would rather them not at this time, a reason can be made for such unlike you. i'm afraid i can not reason with him when his logic for us to go together is sound. and-- "

this next piece of information would either serve to make him more angered or he would see the benefit of such.

"i know you do not seem to like seeing magic--"

she knows he understands that magic is not the same across the board at least in some sense as they have not actually bridged the gap in speaking topic, his own way of treating her especially after dealing with the incident in the woods and his willingness to let auggie play with cora and furgus said as much but she also knows he is still getting used to the idea of magic in a positive context and that would take time. she just wished, well, she's not entirely sure what she wished or why it mattered to her what he thought.

"--but if i see where this abe lives and he can be convinced that such is not evil i have means to pass communications to him quickly and directly but i must be able to see the place for such to work."

[ancientforgcd]

@sephirisms

The North Kaioshin was rarely away from her home universe, but sometimes travelling to other timelines or even dimensions was part of the job description. Hence why she stood in-front of the Basilicom, sensing the ruler of it behind the door. Closing her eyes, she mentally prepared herself and knocked on the door.

"Greetings, I am Purple Heart, the North Kaioshin of Universe 12. I came to seek an audience with the Herrscher Vivio."

[seafcamchild]

@godsspawn <From Aphrodite to Gianna>

"Gianna, darling, I'm not at ALL unfamiliar with teenage rebellion..." Copper eyes blinked back discomfort as she breathed deeply before parting her lips to speak.

"...but really? THIS? Rejecting LOVE? Living in the WOODS?!

I... am at a complete loss."

[firejugglinghobo]

//continued from [x] @sadiebrin

Experience.

Every little thing Dustfinger learned about her was beginning to build a picture of who she was, though still foggy. She didn't like to talk about herself, obviously.

She was certainly very highly trained, though for what Dustfinger hadn't quite been able to figure out yet. Something that had required her to spend a good deal of time outdoors. Something that had honed her instinct for danger to be even sharper than Dustfinger's. And something that had caused her a lot of pain. She flinched like a mistreated animal.

Dustfinger's eyes followed the chain of the trap closely. His eyes stayed on the ground as he started walking again, more slowly and cautiously, his pleasant stroll through the forest turning to a careful stalk.

"You have good eyes. You see any other signs of hunters?"

[mute-call]

@laidtowaste // permanent starter call.

"Mike Schmidt," Steve repeats, scribbling something down to pretend he's taking careful note of the young man's name and qualifications. Mike seems like a good kid--too good for a job like this--but Bell isn't exactly in a position to start turning away candidates. Between the pay and the hours, there haven't been too many people walking through those doors looking to join the Fazbear family.

"Great to meet you, Mike! Everything seems to be, uh... in order, so." Would it be suspicious to tell Schmidt he's hired so soon?

"What do you say we take a tour of the place? It'll be a lot quieter after hours, but it'd be good to get you familiarized with the layout, maybe meet the band for--for if we end up going ahead with the hiring process."

He drums his fingers against the desk, not making eye contact with the man in front of him.

"I gotta ask, Mr. Schmidt... what drew you to this position in the first place? Not that I'm not happy you applied! It's just-- well, this kind of work isn't for everyone. I just want to make sure it's going to be a good fit."

[woodblxssomcrowned]

You think the Senju clan is a noble clan just like the Uchiha clan.

Define noble. 

I've mentioned it many times that I consider the shinobi, even ‘noble’ clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha, as being of a very low social status in the world overall, especially during the WS era. Before Madara and Hashirama came along and they forced themselves up the hierarchy and claimed the spot as the serving military class that the samurai had been in possession of for centuries.

No actual nobility, daimyo or samurai, considered any shinobi clan anywhere close to their station.  On the feudal pyramid, shinobi found their place at the bottom tier at best, outside of it at worst.

Shinobi clans had no social or political power or influence, and when separated into individual clans none of them really had the resources to break the system without having a hammer brought down upon their heads by those on top for ther insolence.

They fought and took contracts because that was how they made a living.  Shinobi were mercenaries, who would work for the highest bidder. They provided a service to whoever could pay for it, with no loyalty to a region, person or center of power. Taking on contracts, either as additional expertise in the fighting forces in a employer's standing army or militia, or for jobs that required just one or a handful of people such as espionage, sabotage, assassinations, body guarding etc etc. That was how they made money. Without contracts, they'd struggle. Apart from their renowned and expensive expertise as fighters, they usually didn't have much of any other recourses to support themselves with. I tend to see most shinobi clans during the late WS era as having been more or less lawless if not at the bottom of the hierarchy. But most of those in power or those seeking power still found them much too useful to hunt down as mere criminals or undesirables, and even when not under contract most shinobi clans still tended to keep their noses clean and not attract unnecessary animosity. They were professionals with a reputation to uphold and acting like common bandits was not the way. They set up their homes or basecamps in secluded or inhospitable areas where they could be left alone to their own devices, perhaps trading with locals for supplies they could not farm or make themselves, with their earnings or maybe in exchange for protection, so that they could focus on being shinobi and not worry about fields needing tending. Because I genuinely think that if the shinobi clans had any significant wealth and status and didn't need to fight to sustain themselves, I don't think they'd so nonsensically risk the lives of presumably each and every one of their own children. The Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Uzumaki and a couple of other clans may in certain cases consider themselves or another more 'noble' than others, perhaps due to believing themselves descendent of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, or simply because they knew they were stronger than most others. So the Senju are considered a ‘noble’ clan by some other shinobi clans, but not by anybody else.  Perhaps if Hashirama's aspirations had gone beyond just changing the world to conquering it, the shinobi could have seized a place even higher up on the social pyramid, and not remain dependent on the steady financial support of the same regional lords and rulers who would gather to observe the twelve year old surviving member of the once renowned Uchiha clan show off his abilities like a prized animal up for auction.

[mandysxmuses]

@shindahime from here

"I... uh... where even am I? Sorry, I'm as confused as you are, I... came in through..." He took a deep breath. The lady had red eyes and even if that wasn't enough indication, people here had to be living under a rock not to know about supernatural stuff anymore.

"I came in through your mirror."

He stood from his crouching position, realizing staying that way was probably going to make him look infinitely more creepy.

[merchantofwhispers]

“Shhhh. You don’t want us to get caught, do you?” ~William 

"And what if they do?"

She grabbed him by the collar and tugged his face closer, continuing to blur the boundaries outlined in their original agreement. Gemina looked up at him, her red lips pursed together in a confident smile as she listened to the sound of the party outside. Bringing Will had been a last minute decision; she needed a date and a venue filled with high-class criminals and other "monsters" wasn't a bad place to take your-.. Whatever she could consider him.

Her plaything.

Her obsession.

"They weren't exactly out mingling, however, as Gemina had dragged him into one of the private rooms to "help her with her dress". That help meant it was now hiked up to her hips while she explored beneath the hems of his clothes. "-But if you're not the type of man to put on a show.." She hummed, dragging one of her hands up to his throat where she tapped. "Let me taste you in other ways. Please? I'm starving.."

@worldofsenelfy

[anthologyoflucas]

Talia is walking through the woods in the middle of the night with just a flashlight to guide her. "Don't know what I'm doing.. this is not my job.. I should be at home watching anime." She's singing a little ditty to herself as she keeps walking the woods following scratches on the trees and the faint sound of rustling and movement.

Something has been mutilating people just outside her town and she was probably the best bet at finding and eliminating it. How? She has no clue. She was just gonna go glowy-eyed and hope she could pull off this hunting thing.

[id1elust]

tell me you want me. / @carnalphenomena

ㅤㅤ He feels electrified by the sensation of Spirit's skin under his fingertips, revelling in the heat radiating from her body. As his hands explore every curve, a primal desire to possess her completely consumes him. The softness of her skin and the scent of her hair intoxicates him, sending a surge of lust through his veins. He is lost in the moment, completely enraptured by the woman lying before him on his sofa.

ㅤㅤ❝ Of course I want you— ❞ William whispers against lips, before kissing her with such gentleness and sincerity, ❝ Never wanted anything more. ❞

[secondhandmckie]

@painofhumanity | (continued from: x)

“Had a client that was…a little too enthusiastic with the sadism,” Morgan explained in a strained voice. He was never shy about where he worked, or what he did for a living, so casual mentions of rough sex with a paying customer were not unusual for him. He felt a spike of fear at the thought of going to a hospital, but he played it off with a pained chuckle. “Nah, you know you’re the only nurse I like, Ellie.”

No, it wasn't a secret, but Ellie did wish Morgan was more careful with himself. To have someone take things so far wasn't unusual, but it didn't mean she had to understand it or like it. She pulls over one of the dining chairs to sit in front of him, first aid kit open on her lap. "Stop being cute while I'm trying to concentrate." She admonished gently, her hands moving to his face first, turning it carefully this way, then that. "Tell me what hurts--and don't be a hero, okay? Tell me everything."